[Evening Cadieux]

The pier was swarming with people, a popular place made even more so by the charity event hosted there. The Villins chose a good day for it; the sun shone steadily, the ocean breeze only a warm gentle fan that kept the temperature at a comfortable level. Eve had slathered herself in sunscreen before leaving her apartment in preparation for such glorious summer weather, an action that turned out to be completely unnecessary as she’d been given a tent to shelter in. It was relatively little compared to other attractions on the pier (the fairground stalls hosting games and selling food were often twice as big as her designated portion) but it was large enough to comfortably host her, a few bits of furniture, and the stream of guests that swanned in and out.

Eve was there to work, having been hired by the Villins to provide tarot readings. She was a little embarrassed that she didn’t know what, exactly, the charity event was for. She was sure that information had been in the emails she’d traded with Emilia Villin, and she was sure if she'd looked she could have found out from the banners dotted around the pier, but she’d been so excited about delving into unfamiliar futures and meeting new people that it had completely slipped her mind.

Nevertheless, she was having as much fun as she'd predicted. Those who came to her were either believers or they were not, and there was entertainment to be found in both categories. The believers were earnest and treated her with respect, brimming with curious questions that she was more than happy to answer. The non-believers, often goaded into her tent by a partner or friends, regarded her with amusement and wry doubt – sometimes asking questions that she knew were supposed to trip her up in some way, reveal her as a fraud. Eve didn’t mind in the slightest, sending them off with a knowing smile and a delicate wave. They wouldn’t be so sceptical when her readings came true. She felt much like Cassandra from the old Greek legends, cursed not to be believed until it was too late.

In her shop she would have used her telepathy. Really get them questioning their reality by commenting on their thoughts. But unfortunately, in her tent the opposite seat was just far enough (a wide circular table covered in a black velvet cloth separated her seat from theirs) and the ambience was just loud enough that she couldn’t clearly hear the reflections that ran through her customers' heads.

The fair had been in full swing for a few hours when Eve finally met a Villin in person. The one with the moustache – his name escaped her.

The teenage girl who'd been sitting across from her stood up, looking a little dazed and starry-eyed as she thanked Eve for the reading and virtually ran from the tent – almost bumping into the tall man who'd appeared by the entrance. Eve smothered the urge to laugh and merely dipped her head, expertly sliding her tarot deck back into a pile before shuffling them for what felt like the thousandth time that day (she wasn't complaining; she loved it). 

She made eye-contact with the man outside, recognising him as one of her employers. “Welcome,” she greeted smoothly. She was careful to keep her expression calm and empty, fully immersed in her 'mysterious witch mode'. “Is there something you wish to know? Or shall I find something you need to know?”



Nicholas Acker Villin

[Nicholas Acker Villin]

"It's not raining! AH!" Emilia exulted with her arms up in the air towards the sky, she had been worried about it all week, after all there were way less donors under the rain. Sure, it could start raining in a while, but the donations were donated at the beginning of the event as a sort of entry fee. Securing the pier from rain would have been an hustle, almost impossible. Wind would have been worse considering they were facing the water.

In contrast to Emilia's excitement, Acker was standing at the very edge of the pier with a long face. He hated this already. Not only because he had to put on a persona for the rest of the day, but also because his mother had made him wear a costume. His mother was wearing a fairy godmother costume. He thought about having a little accident and jump into the water, unfortunately his mother would have caught on. At least the Lads were having fun, petted by kids and given treats.

"Nik!" Acker closed his eyes with a heavy sight "Could you please participate? Even your dogs are having fun and they are machines!" his family knew about the dogs, it wasn't a secret, Acker had built them soon after university, the Lads had been the stepping stone of his official business' success "Aren't they marvellous work? Look at those kids and their parents, they have no idea they are playing with machines" Acker didn't like false modesty, he had worked hard creating them, sure his power had helped building them, but only after Acker had designed them.

"Don't change the subject" Emilia was firm but still kind "Mother, I donated money, I wore this ridiculous costume and I am here, it's enough, I just need some peace and quiet" Emilia was standing next to her son now "Are you feeling alright? You have been acting strange recently, more than usual at least" Acker couldn't tell her about the power so he had to change subject "What do you want me to do?" Emilia looked around "Where is your assistant? What...? Out of the country on business? But, we agreed he would be here to schmooze, we need as many donations as possible for the city" Acker's assistant was really good at the schmoozing.

Acker rose his hands in defeat "Fine, go around and interact with the stands, be proactive...and wear the hat" then she turned around and walked towards a small man friend of the family "I really need to move to the other side of the planet" Acker whined while putting the wizard-y hat on. He was wearing purple, he looked like Dumbledore but without the beard. The old wizard was the exact opposite of the mad scientist.

Villin decided to get into the fortune teller's tent and a teenager almost bumped into him. Great start. He stepped to the side to let the girl out and then stepped into the tent "You must have told her something special" he commented while sitting on the opposite side of the table. Acker's tone was sarcastic, clearly he didn't believe in this stuff, there was no scientific proof after all.

"Will I ever fall in love and get married so that my mother will stop nagging me?" he couldn't help but laugh, although his mind went to his assistant for a millisecond which he promptly ignored. He needed a good laugh considering all the headaches and nosebleeds. This was going to be even funnier if the fortune teller took him seriously and read his fortune based on that question.

Evening Cadieux

[Evening Cadieux]

Hearing his voice connected the dots in her head: Nicholas Acker Villin, that was his name. The scientist. A man of facts and logic who had no doubt been coerced into her tent. It seemed to her that his mother was only nagging him because she wanted him to be happy (Eve's own parents were the same; she knew their questions and encouragements were not a criticism of her, simply another way they showed love), but Eve didn’t dare to comment on it – unwilling to trigger a clench to his jaw or a glare to his eyes by overstepping her bounds. She liked to tease her sceptics, not rile them.

Regardless, the phrasing of his question confirmed he was a non-believer. The derisive laugh that followed indicated he had assumptions about the answer. She imagined he didn’t think love was something meant for him – perhaps enough to be purposefully avoidant of it, pushing himself into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

She bet he was an air sign.

“Laughter is wine for the soul, yet you may find your glass spilled if you do so with haste,” she mused airily. “I do not have to consult the cards to know it is more likely than you think.” To quote Love Actually: love was everywhere. Even the cynics fell eventually, whether their feelings were reciprocated or not. So unless her customer was a rare aromantic or met an untimely end before it could happen, she had no doubt that he’d love someone at least once. Whether he would get married, however, was a different question entirely. She knew of a same-sex couple who never married even after it became legal in her hometown, and they were madly in love, happily together for fifty years by that point. They didn’t feel the need for rings or certificates, and she was certain there were thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of couples around the world who felt the same.

She turned her deck over so she could see the card faces while she flipped through them, stopping when she found the king of swords. She pulled it from the deck, placing it gently in front of Acker with a flourish of her wrist. “Your reflection.” His significator card. Not all tarot readers used them, but Eve felt there was merit to it. On the card the king sat upon his throne with a double-edged sword in his grip. She launched into an explanation, uncaring that it hadn’t been asked for. “The suit of swords represents the element of air, and this card in particular emanates intellect, authority, truth-seeking, and objective decisions. Regarding love, the king of swords upholds high standards and tries to control or outright dismiss his own emotions. I believe… this card symbolises you.” She quirked a brow, unable to stop the mischievous twitch of her lips that threatened a smile, then started shuffling again.

Keeping his questions in her head, she spread the deck face-down on the table. Her hand drifted across them until finally there came the familiar flicker in her gut that whispered yes, this is the right choice. She drew the card and laid it in front of him, above the king of swords.

It was the two of cups (upright), depicting a man and a woman exchanging goblets. Eve gave a soft laugh, eyes twinkling as she glanced up to view Acker’s reaction. She imagined he need not be a tarot reader to get the general gist of what the card implied. “As I said,” she purred, “more likely than you think.” Her gaze dropped to the cards again, fingers floating along until she felt that affirmative flicker urging her to draw another. Six of cups; upright. The cups in question were filled with white flowers and two children were shown in the foreground – one passing a cup to the other. Her hands moved to the deck once more and the final card she pulled was the page of swords; upright. The page stood proudly on a rocky precipice, a sword in their hands. No other cards called to her.

Eve entwined her fingers and perched her chin upon them, resting her elbows on the table as she gazed at the images and put words to the future shown to her.

“A love destiny is already written into your story, their future entangled firmly with yours in a partnership to last years, perhaps decades. This person of your desires shall be familiar to you, either in a sense that you feel known and understood by them, or perhaps in a physical sense where they are already close to home. Already in your periphery, fingers almost brushing yours in a dance where you are not partners, yet share the floor.”

She reached across the table to collect the page of swords. She twirled it with a considering hum, then held it next to her face so Acker could see it. “This one is particularly interesting, especially when we consider its relation to your reflection. It tells us a lot about who this person is; a page, perhaps considered below the king, but he’s nonetheless a curious and intelligent sort and has his place in the royal court. A card with a name and not simply a number. Swords as well – reinforcing the idea that this person will be someone close to you or similar in ideals.” Another air sign, perhaps. She tapped it twice with a manicured finger. “In a love quest, the page of swords foretells a relationship that is cerebral, perhaps one that focuses more on conversation than other aspects, yet neither the page nor your king are exceptionally open. Emotions kept quiet. Hidden. Perhaps not identified at all or adamantly denied when faced...” She placed the card back among the deck and regathered the ones she'd placed before Acker. After a brief pause to let him mull over the information she'd given him, she decided to stop stifling her smile and preventing the edge of tease that wanted to slip into her voice as she winked at him. “You should work on that.”

In a graceful sweep of her hand, Eve gathered her splayed deck back together and began shuffling them once more, serious again. “Marriage… it is difficult to say.” She tipped her head. “If we had drawn the empress or the hierophant I would say it was a certain thing but… alas, we did not. The two of cups depicts partnership, yes, yet it does not insist upon binds in the eyes of the church nor the law. It is a pendulum swing. Not set in stone.”



OOC: apologies for the wait and the length of this mess lmao xD
Nicholas Acker Villin

[Nicholas Acker Villin]

The mad scientist had found himself ready to dismiss whatever reading the fortune teller was about to do, in fact he found it hilarious that the fortune teller had taken his question seriously, as if Acker would ever get married or fall in love. His heart and mind had already been taken by science.

However, the more the fortune teller read the tarot cards the more he found himself actually listening. His mind was arriving to the same conclusion, even though Acker was trying to ignore it which was highly uncharacteristic for the mad doctor to ignore his own intelligence. There was someone who matched the description, his intelligence kept telling him.

However, Acker kept his composure and waited until the fortune teller had finished her show to comment. He was acting nonchalantly as if the reading hadn't affected him in any way "You must know who I am: a scientist" hence why that specific tarot card about objective decision and dismiss of emotions "However, the rest of the reading doesn't make any sense and you would have known that if certain information could be googled" he meant the fact that Acker was no interested in romantic love "There are no emotions to hide" what a fool he was being.

Acker surely had things to say for someone who acted as if the reading hadn't affected him. The fact that marriage was probably not in his future had to be a safe conclusion considering that he was in his forties and still single.

Also, it was unfair that a despicable man like him had someone who loved him when instead better people were alone. But, life was unfair.

The mad scientist slash Dumbledore wannabe stood up "Thank you for the reading, at least my mother cannot nag me about not interacting with the stands" the last part was more mumbled to himself. He was ready to leave unless another reading was in his future.

Evening Cadieux
OOC: The detailed explanation of the tarot cards in your reply is really appreciated because I don't know anything about tarot cards xD

[Evening Cadieux]

Acker was a composed customer, his reactions impossible to read and nearly non-existent throughout the reading. The familiar prickle of curiosity urged Eve to lean across the table and listen to what thoughts flickered through his mind, to see if she was making him uncomfortable or whether his steady countenance was his way of being polite. The wish made her wonder – not for the first time – if her reliance on telepathy had made her a little less discerning of body language. But she remained seated, and she wasn’t left in the dark for long. Soon after she’d finished Acker dismissed her reading as nonsensical, suggesting that any correct statements concerning his character were because she knew who he was already. Eve only gave the tiniest shake of her head. It was more than that. She could feel who he was when the cards were in her hands, and she knew she still would have felt it if he weren’t a public figure.

“No emotions to hide,” she repeated softly. The cards had shown her that he would find love. She had never been wrong before and his denial that it was possible saddened her. Made her wonder what circumstances could have led him to feel such a way. Were his the words of someone who had tried to love before and suffered for it? Or had he never given it a chance? Without quite realising it, she found herself quoting one of her favourite TV shows. “That is too sad for me to accept, Dr. Villin. If we cease to believe in love, why would we want to live?” Not simply romantic love – platonic, familial, for pets, for scenery, for times of day, for art… For science, in his case.

He stood, and Eve stood with him. “Wait.” She didn’t want him to leave her tent while she felt so disheartened by his pessimism, nor did she want him to feel dissatisfied with her service. She felt she owed it to him to put a genuine smile on his face; his mother had paid well for her talents and she was sure to gain more customers when her readings were proved accurate. “When you asked it, we both knew you did not truly wish to learn of your relationship prospects.” She gestured to the seat he’d vacated. “Please, sit. Let me find something that may be of more interest to you.”

She slowly lowered back into her own chair, shuffling her cards as she gazed at him consideringly. “Why don’t we make a deal?” Non-believers were usually open to such a thing – if only because it was human nature to want to win and be right. “You let me read your near-future, and if what I tell you doesn’t come true in the next few months I’ll concede defeat. You can rub it in my face and I’ll agree that all of this – everything I’ve built my life on – is a hoax, my other readings flukes as easily disturbed as reflections in water.”

“But if it does come true… I would like you to admit that some things can’t be explained by science.” She smiled, once more spreading the deck facedown on the table. She plucked a card, flipping it over to place in front of him; the king of swords again. His card. “That’s it. You do not even have to say it to me – simply admit it to yourself. Admit that there’s magic in the world that can’t be rationalised.”


Nicholas Acker Villin