Completed Chance or Fortune?

[Kelmar Hedos]

The sensations running across his palms were alien, this bring the first time in a long time someone had ever touched his hands. Gently that is. It was not unpleasant, but the more she did it the edgier he became, simply because he was unused to the feelings. Her smooth fingers would likely soothe him under any other circumstances, but as it was all it did was push him slightly further. Until now, he had been an unresponsive stone wall, sitting and watching with patience and attention, but he had transformed. The game had changed, and now he was engaging this woman seriously for the first time. She would likely stick to her story regardless, but if he could discern lies then that would be all the better, and the more about her he knew the more he could use. That she did not return to emotional state surprised him somewhat, as it seemed inconsistent with the passionate woman from earlier. Did she perhaps have more control over herself than she had let on? The thought scared Kelmar, for it meant he had underestimated this woman, but he was careful to try to mask it. His success was limited, to anyone else competent in analyzing his face he would be unable to fool them. He pressed on though, shrugging off her change in demeanor and listening to her words without withdrawing. The way she spoke, the way she looked at him, he could tell she was trying to seduce him. Her sensual whisper gently molested his ear, and her energetic eyes hinted at something that most could easily mistake for lust. Anyone who wanted to see lust in her eyes likely would, but Kelmar was able to see the facade. He could not tell what exactly it was that she was thinking, but he could see that she was not into it, her urges were not in her eyes, only an excited prancing gaze. Then, as she finished off, it became a bit clearer to the agent. She didn't just want him to believe her, she wanted him to be shaken, to give some kind of emotional response. She wanted to rattle his core, or as much as she could, and she wanted him to submit. This was a game to her, a playing field, one that she relished to frolic in. She wanted him to fall for her seduction, and though it worked to some degree his mind was in a cold analytical state that left him devoid of all lust. Not only that, but she might have just handed him an opportunity. She'd just given away another belief, something in her core, and he could use that. Keeping his face right where it was, his voice took on a darker tone, not anger but something equally ominous. "The man who does not love is safe from it," he told her, the lie rolling off his lips easily. "If you do not know what love is it can strike from the blue and render you helpless, but if you are aware of the emotion and can keep it under control then it is a simple matter to shrug it off entirely." He looked into her gaze, his eyes boring into hers. "You can also see when others try to force it upon you, to seduce and trick you." That last was a jab towards her recent attempts at making him crack, letting her know none too subtlety that he was onto her. "Unless someone has power, they are of no use to me and completely and utterly meaningless to me. Strength is all that is important, and that is what I seek." This was business now. His mask was on, his mind was armed, and he would push her to give him the truth. Petty as it was, this was practice now, and perhaps he could get into her head to help him out a bit more.

[Amelia Cross]

Everything in the man, made Amelia believe she was close to shattering his believes and he would be hers for all she wanted. The girl might know how to submit to others, but a mind of a man was a field of game and she enjoyed this game, the weak minded men that would fall under her spell after a small smile. However the girl wasn’t being honest to herself, controlling someone wasn’t what she aimed for. ”Everyone loves and needs to be loved… ” Her voice didn’t change the sweet and even loving manner, she believed any man would lose control of his mind when she was like this ”…you just need someone to teach you and nobody could hurt you” She offered him, not realizing how much she had said until much later, when it was far too late to take her words back, but she was sure he would do only what she wanted. However there was one thing the girl didn’t consider, that this man might have been a lot more skilled in the game she played than Amelia would want to believe. Each word the man said was so common, nothing new, but it was pushing the girl to a state she didn’t control half as well as she would like to think, the final drop being his statement of seduction. Seduction was the game she played with his mind, but it looked like the prey really did become the hunter, without her giving enough notice to it. ”Sedu~” her voice finally becoming fragile and unsure, even broken. All this time, all this time she believed to have had this stone wall under her control, but he was playing her this whole time, but she had no clue what he wanted and it seemed to even scare her, clearly showing it in her eyes even when her body refused to stop the mannerism it had started, taking a gentle hold of his hand, enwrapping her fingers with his ”don’t put me down so easily…the black su~” the girl once again cut off her sentence, she didn’t want to mention the Black sun, not while in Ravok or anywhere else, nobody had to know of her father but now she led a trail for this man to dig in. She had no clue what had happened, why on earth was she speaking so openly, while all this time she has been lying and hiding her mind. Was her mind that easy to break? Amelia refused to believe it, but the fact was plain out to see.

[Kelmar Hedos]

Her voice was sincerely trying to seduce him with its sweet tones and seductive whisper, yet it just seemed a little off. There was no doubt that she was experienced in what she did, after all she began without a moment's hesitation, but something about what she said and how she said it betrayed a sense of lacking effort, as if she expected all men to be simple-minded and easy to sway. That was not the case, for although they might have been few there were those whose will was stronger than their lust, and then there were those with no lust at all. "Not everyone," Kelmar corrected, his adamant composure a rock of stability before her seductive attempts. Though her efforts were in vain, Kelmar could not deny logically that she seemed to be doing everything the right way to earn enough appeal, he was just in this game for a bit too long to fall for it. He'd been trying to get to her the way he knew - or at least assumed - worked, through getting through to her passion and riling her up emotionally, yet she retained enough control to the point where she could pretty much scoff at his attempt to manipulate her. However, his words weren't a complete failure. Once he'd dropped a hint that he was onto her game, she seemed much more shocked and taken aback. Apparently she wasn't used to people confronting her about it, she was used to men buckling before he eyes and smiles, her mellifluous voice. He needed to try unconventional strategies more often, experimentation was the best way to test for reaction after all. Carrying on his front of confidence, Kelmar eyed her warily as she took his hand, her movements more openly seductive, or... hopeful, maybe? Ah, she let something slip, she had a connection with the Black Sun. How interesting. This woman, a travelling fortune teller, knew someone in the Black Sun? Of course he did not know whether she did or not, but her voice sounded protective when she was about to mention the organization, suggesting that she did indeed know somebody inside. Perhaps he could coax the information out of her, maybe secure her as a contact or... friend. Knowing someone on the inside of the Black Sun after all was an incredible advantage. She'd thrown him a lead, and he was going to follow it until the trail ran cold. First, Kelmar needed to find out what exactly her relationship with the Black Sun was. He could change his tact and approach this softly, squeezing her hand and pretending to be taken in by her, but that kind of inconsistent behaviour might set off some alarm bells. Instead, the agent opted for a tactic that was much more in-keeping with his mysterious enigma of earlier. "Why would the Black Sun help you?" he asked, a none foo gentle probe that might be seen as almost threatening. "You are an outsider, an obvious traveler by your horse and saddlebags, so you're not even a citizen yet." The last statement was a bit of a guess, but it made sense given everything else he could tell about her. After this, he would have to explain himself. If she knew someone inside, then he would much rather have her as a contact and acquaintance than a victim. She deserved an answer, straightforward, about his reasons for wanting the truth. Obviously she was unlikely to agree with him, but she should know. Perhaps it would encourage her to trust him a bit more.

[Amelia Cross]

Her pure black eyes where hard to misunderstand, she was clearly frightened by the man. Amelia held little confidence in herself now, she had lost when using the skill she was most proud of, she was forced into a discussion she would try to avoid anywhere, but she had no way out of this. She wouldn’t run, not only because she wouldn’t probably manage, she just didn’t like the idea. So all she was capable of was standing her ground no matter how shaky it was. Body still holding her usual confidence, refusing to stop her actions as she didn’t pull away from the stranger and even pushed it further, as she pulled her body even closer, before she gives up she will use everything in her powers. ”don’t call me an outsider, after all my father lives here” she explained, not quite realizing that by saying this, she had literally said ‘My father is part of the Black Sun’, her mind didn’t follow anymore, it was even hard to detect, who was speaking as she wasn’t stuttering anymore, but answering calmly like if she’d been engaged in a simple conversation. What by all means wasn’t the case with this stranger. ”I’m much more than a fortune teller” she stated, finally regaining some common control over her body, probably her mind had awakened from the daze it was brought in by his voice, at the moment all Amelia wanted was leave. She didn’t care anymore of his unique traits as a male, as a subject of study or even as a customer; she just wished to leave him. Hard to determine from her actions and confusing words, but she was scared and the horror she knew of Ravok made her tremble. She had bout seen and heard the horrible events that come over women on the streets here. Nobody would help you, because nobody would bother. This faith she had brought over herself, truly being a fool. ”what is it that you want from me” she asked with a tone of horror, as if she’d be facing Rhysol himself. Amelia had always been easy to frighten, especially if her methods don’t run as smoothly as she would have wished. In Syliras, she’d be feeling safe thanks to the knights, but the guards of Ravok where nowhere near them. The city is spoken of being a safe place, but Amelia had trouble believing it all her life, despite her claiming it. It was clear that by the end of the day she would regret stumbling upon him and choosing him from all the men in the plaza. That is, if she made it out alive.

[Kelmar Hedos]

The fear was almost dripping off of her, her brow widened and raised with worry and her mouth creased slightly. Even to someone as young as Kelmar, it was apparent that he had her in a corner. Her bodily confidence, her pushing herself on him as temptingly as she could came across as nearly desperate. It might have been effective, but she was not handling the situation nearly as calmly as she had been earlier. Her control was slipping, and she was trying to call off his hunt, but if he pushed he could know more about her. That said, in the end he wanted her on his side, and so he needed to come up with a lie or half-truth or whatever to make him seem less threatening. While part if his mind got to work on that, the rest dedicated to finishing this off. "So your father keeps you safe?" he asked, trying to think of connections. It could be simply that she believed that having her father in the city meant his citizenship extended to her, but she seemed too smart for that. It was likely his protection was more powerful than that, one of the wealthy merchants perhaps? Or maybe, maybe the Black Sun? That would certainly explain why she spoke of the organization with such familiarity, but it was still only a theory. There was no concrete evidence, nor any evidence at all really, that could confirm that. Even so, the agent felt as if he were right, though he knew he risked a lot by pressing the matter. "You're just a fortune teller," he countered, though it was largely just to buy some time. "A traveler, someone who has not settled in this city." He could see her control returning in her voice and body language, but it was not in opposition to him. Her eyes darted to her horse and to both sides of the walkway, probably trying to think of a way to escape. At the moment though Kelmar was right there in front of her, and if he wanted her to stay he could easily make her. That said, if he pushed too hard he ran the risk of scaring her off entirely. Now was a good time to let up. A conceivable story had formed in his head, and he began to feed it to her, making sure the details matched. "What do I want from you?" he asked inquisitively. "I merely wanted my fortune told, you approached me remember? You really want nothing to do with me then, nor the Black Sun?" Earlier, he'd been suspicious about her approaching him randomly and leading him to an isolated area, which in the end turned around to bite her in the bum, but it could easily be seen as her being the aggressor and Kelmar being the one on the defense until the tables were turned. She'd mentioned the Black Sun, which to him could easily have been a threat,as if she were representing them and trying to force him down. It was conceivable, now he just had to sell it. "I thought it suspicious that you led me put here,alone, isolated," he told the woman. "There are people who want me dead or otherwise taken down a notch, though when you mentioned the Black Sun I'd begun to think they were after me for some reason. You were too hesitant in your palm reading, so I thought you were trying to manipulate me to do something, to get me to lean on you with your readings and fall for you with your seduction. It was working, but I'm too suspicious and paranoid when in settings like this." His tone was warming slightly, and he'd backed his head up and tilted it down a bit, as if slightly relieved, but he did not let go of her hand, keeping his fingers entwined with hers. It was out, now to see how she reacted, if she still held him accountable and with fear.

[Amelia Cross]

She didn’t bother answering his statements of her father, a fortune teller that has wondered in the city. Not because she didn’t have what to answer, but because it would end up like a long monologue that would point out just one thing, the man was true. Amelia didn’t belong to the city more than the slaves that are brought in and out of here. Actually, Amelia could be considered even worse, she isn’t an exotic beauty like the konti woman and isn’t a graceful pet like the kelvics, she’s just a simple human girl who can’t decide between her father and mother. Wondering back and forth, getting into trouble at each step. ”to me, you are nothing but a simple citizen of Ravok, I don’t even know your name…” and this was true, as interesting as the man seemed to Amelia at first, he didn’t stand out amongst the rest and even if she’d be hired by the Black Sun, she wouldn’t be the one using fortune telling to gain a man’s trust. ”above all…The Black Sun could have just sent their own man after you…however that is highly doubtful, I can’t see them being interested in someone as common as yourself” Amelia was speaking her mind and so her tone was calm and collected, much like the one she used before the situation got out of her control, even though in her mind she was still trying to figure out a way to collect her cards and go, or signal for Fauna to kick the man in the canal. But Amelia wasn’t that confident in her chances, if a man assumes the Black sun could want him, he could be quite dangerous despite the common appearance. The girl was capable of reading inside the man’s movements, it all really did tell her to trust him that he isn’t going to hurt her. She couldn’t see the tension in his face, her mind wasn’t paying that much attention to the detail, despise her long experience with how much the detail can mean. She just let herself relax, pull away from him the slightest bit to avoid any unwanted awkwardness that might occur once she begins speaking once more ”as for me and The Black Sun…it’s a long tale I don’t wish to share” Amelia simply stated, not breaking the contact of their hands, for some reason it felt nice as long as she didn’t let her mind realize who’s hand she was holding. ”how about…we let our unpleasant encounter end here…love?” she finished, wanting to get away, he might not be as scary anymore, but her gut kept telling her it’s a bad idea to stick around him for long. Above all, she still needed to find someone she could wrap around her finger with her fortune telling.

[Kelmar Hedos]

To someone with pride, too much of it, the woman's remarks would have been scalding. However, it was exactly what Kelmar wanted to hear. She thought nothing of him except as a simple citizen, common as dirt or water, and that was good. The less conspicuous he was the better. What she said had made sense, the Black Sun could have just sent one of their own after him if they were really interested, but what was important was that she didn't suspect a lie. Chances are someone else might have, but he caught a lucky break with this woman. He could see her slowly regain control, her tone smooth and calm again, and he felt like he'd had enough to sufficiently call this a success. He'd gained something, an assured reading and a possible connection to the Black Sun. Right now he had no use for it, but who knew what the information was worth? "I didn't think they were after me either," he explained. "When you mentioned the Black Sun I had no idea what they could want with me, I'm just glad I don't have to worry about it." Standing up, he walked over to the canal, resuming his enigmatic persona, not answering her use of the word love. He was pausing, watching the river, giving her a little bit of time to pack up like he knew she wanted to. He'd seen the look of the trapped before, a cornered animal, and he wanted to give her time to get ready to leave so their parting would be quick. In his mind, he was weighing how much he should tell this woman. He wanted to be on this teller's good side, but the more she knew about him the less inclined to trust him she'd likely become. People were often edgy around criminals after all. Not too much he decided, she didn't need to know what he did, but perhaps a gentle assurance, a gesture of goodwill. "Kelmar," he said suddenly, looking as if he were speaking to the canal. Then he turned around and faced the woman, a faint ghost of a smile tugging at his lips as he reached into one of his pockets. "My name's Kelmar. And thank you for reading my fortune, the parts of it that you could read anyway. I put stock in these things, and I want to prepare for what comes next. Sorry for being so aggressive, my well-being is very important to me." Reaching forward as if to take her hand, he instead curled her fingers and placed some mizas in her palm. Five silvers to be exact, which seemed appropriate though he had no idea how much a reading was really worth. "That's for the reading," he said, stepping back again. "I hope that's enough. Next you see me, let me take you to the Sliver,on me. Now I assume the huntress has to hunt, so if that's all then I'll take my leave."

Expenses :

-5 silver mizas

OOCLet me know if that's too cheap and I'll change the amount.

[Amelia Cross]

Seeing the man stand up, it felt like a rock finally being lifted from her troubled mind and finally she could try to regain her complete control. She didn’t starts immediately packing her cards, she just sat there with a troubled facial expression, tension and fright leaving her completely and being replaced by a calm, simple smile she wore with such skills. Letting her eyes travel to her deck of cards, she spotted the few she had pulled aside, the ones of the man’s past and present, she had mixed them up by accident and wasn’t really sure which card stood for the past and which for the present, but she was curios juts the little bit, maybe they could explain to her the mans confusing mannerism that caught off guard even Amelia. With a light movement of her palm, she flipped two cards over and was left with a faint, barely held gasp as she saw ‘the hanged man’ and the card of ‘death’. Contrary to believes, the cards didn’t stand for death, usually, but in such combination she could see something that explained him. The hanged man, stood for avoiding touch and being orientated by the head, being calculating. Amelia didn’t really want to sink in the details of how the death found it’s way their, after all this man didn’t matter and after he pays, she wouldn’t see him ever again. ”Kelmar” much to Amelia’s surprise he spoke, of all things, he spoke his name. She didn’t expect him to do it, after the interesting turns their encounter had toke, but she didn’t show it on her face, hiding her surprise by an ever present smile as she finally put her deck in her purse and stood up, turning to the man that claimed to be Kelmar, really, how should she even trust in it being his real name? ”it’s my pleasure” she answered, still not intending to give her name away to him, she didn’t see any valid reasons for it. A small shiver ran over her as he toke her hand, but she shock it off and just smiled as she put the mizas in her purse, right next to her deck of cards. Five silver mizas wasn’t a lot, then again the reason for her usual high pay isn’t because she really deserved them, it was because she smiled lovingly at the men and spoke of love to women, this customer was different and so, she didn’t even dare to state a different price. After all, her readings aren’t that detailed. ”It’s enough” was her short response, not sure should she say anything about his offer, or the statement of her going hunting ”You have great chances of finding me in the Silver, have a nice day” she did a small curtsy and turned around to finally give proper attention to her beloved friend, Fauna. She should get her stuff to the inn and lead the horse to the stables outside the city, or who knows what could happen to them.

[Kelmar Hedos]

Nodding, Kelmar half-smiled politely at the woman. Five silvers was probably a little less than she expected, but he wasn't in the mood for haggling and the teller seemed to sense that. Regardless, even though she did not yet trust him with her name, he intended to find her again and see if he couldn't work her as a contact. Fortune tellers sold their services to people of all walks of life, and such a person would be useful to know, not to mention her connection to the Black Sun. "I will find you sometime," he promised. "Drinks are on me." She would undoubtedly be useful in the future, and though it would take a while the sooner she trusted him the better. At the moment though, he felt as if he'd spent enough time out and exposed. He'd try to find some work tomorrow, see if any new rumors popped up overnight. Making a slight bow towards the teller - a habit from his old life - he briskly walked away, heading back towards his loft. There was plenty of practice that needed doing, his chain dart for one. Maybe he could finally use the thing. As he strolled along, his mind kept wondering over his reading. Power would be his, but sadness? The thought made him chuckle. Power always had a price, and he considered himself lucky that his would be something as silly as sadness.

[Amelia Cross]

”I’m not hard to find, I’m hard to catch” Amelia explained, not really interested in the offer, but she wouldn’t mind having her own way with him, breaking this man would be a treat. She watched the man leave, he was nothing but a common man, why on earth would he be worried of the Black sun of all things? They don’t tend to pay much attention to the common people, except keeping them safe…as much as Amelia knew from her father. Shaking it off Amelia got on her horse, legs crossed over by Fauna’s left side ”Hiya” she said to the leopardbreed while gently kicking it’s side for the horse to began a slow stroll. ”Have to get you to the stables…the city isn’t found of you my dear” she chuckled, only to earn a disapproving ‘neigh’ coming from the horse. But there was nothing Amelia could do, her father didn’t rank high enough in The Black Sun to have Fauna stay within the city, and even if he did, Amelia wouldn’t want to ask, it’s not coincidental that she is staying in ‘Tarsin's Boarding House’ not with her father.