[Sylope]

In a quieter part of the underground, deep blue curtains conceal a small section. Walking through you are surrounded by velvety blackness, and many small twinkling lights made to resemble the night sky.

Suddenly the blackness ends and you walk into a open space, lit only by several candles. In the centre is a small table with the classic crystal ball resting on top. Behind it, lounging on a beanbag you see a dark figure.

"Good evening," a soft feminine voice welcomes you. You're about to reply that it is in fact morning when the voice continues, "evening is the only real time it can be when one is looking into the next morning. Do take a seat my dear."

Several beanbags are scattered around the room, you pull one up. The figure leans forward into the candle light and when you see her black eyes through the crystal ball, you feel like you're drowning.

"So dear," she continues, "do you want to see your future? Know a secret? Find something? Or that certain someone." She laughs, and the sound is like a fire on a cold winter night. "No silver. Just hand over a dollar and I'll see what I can do."

It's up to you.

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Disclaimer: Xanth does not offer any opinions as to the validity of the information given here. Nor can she or any of her employees be held responsible for the consequences of acting upon information received.

[Belle]

Wandering amongst the various stalls and activities in the Carnival, Belle gazed at it all with an air of detachment. Everyone seemed to have a purpose, and Belle was just... there. Suddenly, Belle saw a small, sectioned off area of the Underground, and felt inexorably drawn to it. Daintily stepping through the sort-of passageway, she emerged into open room of the tent-thing and pulled up the beanbag as instructed, asking the fortune teller in her melodic voice

What sort of services do you provide? Plam reading? Crystal-ball gazing? Tarot readings? As she spoke, Belle's face glowed. She had always been into the mysteries of the occult, and this was only whetting her appetite for information.

[Sylope]

The figure laughed.

"Anything that takes your fancy curious one," came the reply. "So tell me, what is it you seek?"

[Belle]

As Belle thought of all that she desired to know, she remembered the payment due the fortune teller and blushed as she placed the dollar on the table, a bit afraid to offer it directly to the woman.

I wish to know everything! But... I suppose that's a bit too broad of a question to ask, isn't it? Biting her lip, Belle furrowed her brows in concentration Well, I suppose I would like to know... Will I ever acheive my dreams, and see Ethan again? As Belle thought back on Ethan, a small smile played accross her lips. But they had parted ways, and, well, to be honest, Belle was worried about him.

[Sylope]

The woman pauses, then picks up a small velvet bag from under the table. She shakes it, and seven sticks fell out. For a moment there is silence whilst she studies them.

"I'm sorry," the soft voice comes again, pitying, "but it will be a long time before you see him again. At least six months."

The figure sweeps the sticks back into her bag and leans back into the darkness.

[Belle]

When the fortune teller leaned back into the shadows, Belle took this as a sign that her session was finished. Biting her lip she got up from her seat and left the tent, contemplating this prediction.

[Thryn]

Thryn had left the ferris wheel, hoping she could view some more attractions and play some games before the carnival ended. There was a notice that it would stay in Elysia just a bit longer. Deciding to go back into the Underground, she suddenly halted before cerulean curtains. Huh. She only knew a small number types of shops that had curtains for a door: a jewel shop (but then that was made of beads), a fortune teller's, and a few others.

She walked through, and abruptly, she was in darkness. Soon, she came to a small table and drew up a beanbag. Listening to the woman's voice, she knew she was a fortune teller. Thryn wasn't really superstitious or into that kind of thing, but the thought of knowing what was in store for her sounded interesting and a bit more than tempting. Pulling a dollar from her pocket, she took a seat. She inquired, "So, can you see into my future or something?"

[Tom]

Tom took a look around the maze of stalls and amusements, glad to be away from the petting zoo for a while. He enjoyed his work, but the incident with the shifter had left a bitter taste in his mouth. He was only doing his job, there were others that weren't so honest when earning cash. He sighed. You can't please all the people all of the time. That was what his mother had said to him many a time in his child hood. Tom was horrified to find slight tears in his eyes. He hadn't really had the time to settle down and think about his family. He supposed that know he had found a permanent place to live, he could start to think about what he was to do next. Still deep in thought, Tom walked along a row of stalls until he reached a curtained door. He could hear voices inside, and realised it was like a mystics hut-fortune telling, that sort of thing. He could do with some enlightment, Tom figured, so stood outside and waited for some kind of signal to enter.

[Sylope]

A dark shape passes over the crystal ball. White fingers fall loose of the black silken sleeve.

"Your future..." the voice murmurs softly, "time to peer through the clouded window then." The sphere seems to glow with some eerie light of its own, burning brighter and brighter till positively incandesent. It seems like a tiny star has fallen into the room...

A series of shadow shapes pass across the brilliance of the orb. A large tree with only one branch left. Two horses gallop across, and turn to canter deep into the crystal. A bird swoops down and snatches up something from the ground.

Then something black and menacing looms...it takes up the entire orb. At first it seems like a mere mess of shadow. But then from out the black, features develop, two ears needle out, horns grow devillike on the large head, and the eyelids peel open...

"Maaa!"

The orb goes dark, the dark figure gasps.

"That is all! You must leave now!"

How werid was that?

[Thryn]

Thryn watched as the woman passed her fingers over the crystal ball and gazed into it. She really couldn't see what the fortune teller saw, but she guessed it wasn't a very positive thing. Suddenly, she gasped.

"That is all! You must leave now!"

Slightly surprised, she arose from the beanbag and handed the woman the dollar. That was strange. She hadn't even known what was so awful that she should leave. Shrugging, she left the room through the curtains and passed Tom on the way.

[Tom]

Tom entered the darkness warily, nodding to Thryn as she passed. The smothering darkness was uncomfortable, and Tom was relieved when he entered a candle lit section. He stood nervously, looking at the pair of eyes in which the dancing flames were reflected.

"Hi...I assume you're the fortune teller?"

[Sylope]

A laugh like bells at midnight sounds through the empty room. "That I am young one. So what can I do for you this evening? Looking for a pretty stranger perhaps? Or maybe a lost friend? Or is it simply curiosity that brought you here?"

Black eyes reflect the candle light, and drink it in. The figure waits for a reply.

[Tom]

Tom gulped. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but this wasn't it.

"I...I'm not really sure. I have questions, but I'm not sure I want all the answers..." Tom paused to clear his throat.

"It was curiousity that brought me here though. Maybe you could start with that?"

[Sylope]

"Curiosity..." the teller smiles, lips black against the fire, "the eighth deadly sin. Let us see where it takes you."

The crystal ball shines in the candlelight, and you see thick grey smoke billowing inside. The figure stares into it, looking at whatever shapes are revealed to her.

"In love, yes, so much in love. But will it last?" The crystal flickers, the teller's face is stone, "No. Never last. Not unless they draw back first. Two steps back for three steps forward...otherwise..." the smoke inside the crystal is pulled back, leaving a clear, empty orb.

The figure looks up, eyes reflecting the darkness of the room, "are you content curious one? Or do you have a question for the future?"

[Tom]

Tom frowned. Step back? From Piper? He shook his head.

"Me and Piper are great...we're good together...if I backed off...well, Xanth knows what she'd think." He paused for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. He realised the fortune teller was right-he had been seeing a lot of Piper recently. And just the other day, he'd been thinking about the lack of people he knew in Elysia. Maybe this fortune teller wasn't a cracked up old loony. Tom decided to ask another question.

"I do have another question, if that's okay." He stopped again, wondering if this was an appropriate question to ask. Figuring he had nothing to lose, he spoke again.

"I was wondering....who are you? When I walked in...I just had this feeling I knew you..."

[Xarya]

Wandering in and around the various stalls in the Carnival, in the corner of her eye she spots a small, sectioned off area of the ground, glancing around, she carefully steps her way over to the entrance and peers in, thinking it would be fine, she resumes and walks in through a small corridor. As she comes out of the corridor, she arrives in a big, open-spaced tent thing, unaware of a beanbag, she trips over it and blushes, picking herself up, she seats herself onto a beanbag and waits until whatever she is waiting for, is ready. Glancing around, she looks up and sees lights that are made to resemble the night sky, humming a quiet tune she crosses her fingers tight and dreams.

Noticing Tom sitting at the table, she smiles, but then frowns, knowing that he didn't know her very well. Sitting back in the bean bag, she pondered on what this fortune teller may say..

[Sylope]

The figure smiles, perfect teeth glint against the darkness. "Know me? Why you strange child, there isn't a creature left on earth who knows me."

With that the figure inclines her head to Tom. He is dismissed. Now the teller turns to Xarya, "and you, Anyeli? What do you come to ask?"

[Tom]

Tom shrugged and realised this was his cue to leave. He nodded to the pair of eyes.

"Thanks...I think."

[Niles]

Niles walked into the stand, Kaida was there too. Not exactly sure what to do he turned to her and wispered "I think there's already someone waiting" He didn't know why he was wispering, must be the atmosphere in the room.

[Kaida]

Kaida nodded at Niles' comment about someone else being ahead of them. Not wanting to disturb them, Kaida went to grab his shirt and tug him to a far corner of the room so they could chat while they waited. When the got there, she leaned agains tht wall, her foot proped up behind her.

Aloud, she wondered, What should I ask? Part of her felt this was a scam. A way to amuse the mewbies. But another part of her really wanted to believe. Suddenly a thought hit her. Looking at Niles with as much emotion as she ever looked at him before with, she spoke softly. Way to softly fro Kaida. Think she'll know where my father is?