[Maddison Lancaster]

---

"I can't believe I let you talk me into coming in here." Tomas complained, looking around as he walked through Moondweller’s Cauldron with Maddie.

"You came with me because you can't possibly bear to leave me all alone after my brother ditched out on lunch with us." Maddie laughed at her own dramatics as Tomas picked up a pack of incense and sniffed it, scrunching his face. "You should see your face right now."

"Next time Mason cancels on lunch, remind me that I don't do shopping." Tomas set down the incense back in it's place on the shelf. "What are we in here for, anyway?"

"That's okay. Mason wouldn't have come in here if I paid him. So you made it further than he would have." She picked up a mutli-colored candle and looked at it. "I'm just looking to see if there is anything that would be good for my apartment." Maddie shrugged and set the candle back down. It wasn't quite right. As she walked around the shop, she could get the sense that someone else there was gifted, but since it was a metaphysical shop she didn't put too much stock in the feeling.

"So, hold on, you are just wandering and didn't have anything specific in mind?" Tomas sighed. "Lead the way."

Maddie smiled and kept wandering aimlessly around the shop. She tended to get her way with both Tomas and her brother, Mason. Most of the time, anyway. Today, Mason texted that he had something come up and he couldn't make it for lunch.

"Oh! We should get our fortunes told." Maddie saw a sign for fortune telling, and got excited.

"No way. These are always scams. I'm not interested." Tomas protested.

"Oh, fine. You don't have to, but I'm going to get my fortune read." Maddie insisted, looking for the employee to see how it would work. "Besides, I have a feeling this isn't just a scam." She didn't explain further, she just continued looking around for the employee.

---

Tag: Evening Cadieux
Note: Feel free to do whatever with Tomas since he's an NPC right now. If you want me to make any changes let me know.

[Deleted]

Tomas had spent the entire morning pushing his body to its limit. Taekwondo had been one of the first martials arts he had "learned" if thats what you could call his gift. The art was by far his favourite and his go to discipline when he felt like burning down the world. So when the alumni newsletter from his high school arrived with a beaming picture of his parents handing over a cheque in "his name" with some bullshit quote about how proud they were of him, he hadn't wasted a second getting down to the Dojang and working off his anger.

It had been over nearly a decade since he had truly spent anytime with his parents and that was the way he liked it. Everyone and everything he needed was far away from those people.

Everyone and everything I need is right here he thought as he watched Maddie study a candle before placing it back down. The original plan for today had been lunch with the siblings, but Mason had bailed last second. Tomas had no problem spending the afternoon with just Maddie, but this shopping trip had not been what he imagined. Although, he very much doubted he would have said no to Maddie even if he had known the destination.

Nothing in the shop was to his taste, but when Maddie declared she was just browsing he rolled his eyes only slightly before he let her lead him around the shop. He had just raised an eyebrow at a crystal ball that looked far to overpriced for what was likely a just a hunk of glass that did nothing more the distort the face of the person staring into it when he heard Maddie exclaim that they should have their fortunes read.

"No way. These are always scams. I'm not interested." Tomas crossed his arms across his broad chest, the intention was to look unmoveable on the decision but Maddie could run rings around Mason and himself when she wanted and he already knew that if she wanted her fortune read that was what was going to happen.

His protest meant nothing, as expected and he sighed as he watched her search out an employee, if you cant beat them, join them he though as he reach out and picked up the crystal ball he had been frowning at a moment ago. He took a step closer to Maddie, waving one hand over the ball he wriggled his fingers, a smile creeping onto his face he dropped the tone of his voice and spoke as if entranced
"I see a handsome man in your future..." he sounded ridiculous "..A man of superior intellect and staggeringly charming man..." he couldn't help the arrogant grin that spread across his face "...He says that you shouldn't believe in bulls*it like fortune telling" he snapped the ball away and placed it back on the table gently still grinning. He could only act like this around Mason or Maddie, they had known him his entire life, he could joke around them, let his guard down.
"Is there something in particular you need to know about your fortune?" he asked, genuine this time.

[Evening Cadieux]

[nospaces]

[break][break]

[attr="class","Evelightpostlyric"]I'll be here to stay

[attr="class","Evelightpostingbox"]
Hearing the door open, Evening glanced up from where she had been crouched behind the till, having been sorting through a freshly delivered box of semi-precious stones. From her position she couldn’t see her new customers but she could hear them – a man and a woman, bantering with a familiarity that indicated they were close. [break][break]

Her lips upturned and she set about packing the box away as quietly as possible so as not to disturb their conversation or reveal her presence. The man quickly made it clear he was a non-believer, and when she took a peek over the counter his exasperation was as clear on his face as it was in his speech. The woman, grinning as she walked around and looked over Evening’s wares, sounded a little more open-minded.[break][break]

Eve stood and tip-toed in their direction, using a bookcase for cover and slightly lifting the skirt of her dress so it would not brush against the ground. [break][break]

Meanwhile, the man picked up a crystal ball and adopted a playful, exaggerated voice as he pretended to use it – a common occurrence in her store and not one that offended her. She herself had never been a huge fan of the medium; while images sometimes popped into her head while looking into the glass, she never quite saw anything reflected in them the way she imagined she was supposed to. She still sold them, however, confident that some witches had more success with the method than others. Just as some could not get tarot to work for them. Nor dreams.[break][break]

Closer to her customers, she smoothed her expression and fixed her posture, settling into her serene, all-knowing witch persona before stepping out from behind a bookcase, hoping it would appear as though she’d suddenly materialised behind them. [break][break]

“Scrying is no easy feat,” she interjected calmly. “The future is shy like a child and often does not wish to be beheld by strangers.” Heels clicking softly against the wooden floorboards, she glided over to the crystal ball and picked it up herself. She looked into its depths intently, cradling it in her hands the way someone might hold water. “The gaze becomes distracted by what one desires, rather than what will be, and the crystal ball is the most sycophantic of all; it has no qualms lying to you if doing so would ensure you keep looking.” She glanced up at the man, unable to stop her eyes from crinkling slightly, a hint of mischief reflected in them. “I believe there is room for improvement in your delivery, but it appears your prediction came to pass. There is hope for you yet.” [break][break]

She returned the crystal ball to its place and took a few steps back, allowing her customers some more space. “I can assure you there is no deception to be found here.” She laced her hands in front of her lap, smiling softly. “However, perhaps an occasional lack of manners…” She would usually introduce herself before commenting on whatever her customers were looking at.[break][break]

“Greetings, and welcome to Moondweller’s Cauldron. My name is Evening.” She angled herself slightly more towards the woman, meeting her large green eyes. “For you, I suppose I have the same question as your friend here. Is there something you wish to know?” [break][break]

[attr="class","EvelightPostTag"]Tag: Maddison Lancaster & @tomas

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[Maddison Lancaster]

---

Maddie couldn’t help but smirk when Tomas crossed his arms. She knew as well as he did that he was a big softie and she would get her way. She wouldn’t pester him to get his fortune read if he didn’t want to, but she knew that he would wait for her while she had hers read. That was just a fact. She tended to get her way with an innocent expression and batted eyelashes. It worked on both Mason and Tomas, though she was sure they just indulged her because she would pester them unrelentlessly otherwise.

When Tomas picked up the crystal ball, Maddie laughed. ”What are you doing?”

He imitated a stereotypical fortune teller, and Maddie couldn’t keep herself from giggling at him. ”Oh? Is that what you see? Well, let me know when you find him.” She still held a smile on her face. ”I think you forgot to list arrogant and vain in your description, by the way.” Even as she teased, she wondered if he knew how his playful smile could affect her, make her want to do anything to keep it there. He didn’t smile like that often enough. Somehow, it made him even more handsome.

He asked if there was anything specific she wanted to know about her fortune, and before she could answer, a woman popped up next to them. ”Nice touch”, Maddie thought to herself, impressed with the woman as she began to talk about scrying. She explained that the crystal ball could be deceptive to the user, and Maddie thought she made a lot of sense.

In general, Maddison didn’t believe in any religion. But she also didn’t think that religion was false. She just thought it was about personal connection with a god or spiritual sense that she just didn’t feel. Paganism and witchcraft were the closest she ever got to experiencing that connection, but even still, she was just mildly fascinated by it. She did like the aesthetic, though, and that was what had made her want to come into this shop in the first place. She wasn’t sure if divination was real or not, and she knew that some places scammed people, certainly, but she didn’t get that sense here. Besides, even if it wasn’t real, what was the harm?

Maddie’s smirk grew when even the employee seemed to tease Tomas gently, before introducing herself and repeating the question Tomas had asked.

”Nothing specific, no. It’s more a general curiosity.” Maddie’s smile faded, but only slightly. There were specific things Maddie wanted to know, but nothing that she was willing to say out loud. Perhaps the biggest question she had for the universe was where did she belong? Would she ever make anything of herself, like the boys had done? Would she ever find someone who made her feel anything close to how she felt around Tomas, safe and carefree, able to just be herself? She was mortified at even the thought. She couldn’t compare anyone to him. She shouldn’t. She’d known him forever, he was practically family. Of course she felt safe around him. But she had to get over anything else. There was no way he would think of her as more than a little sister. ”I guess that’s probably dumb.”

---

Evening Cadieux & @tomas
Lemme know for any changes!

[Deleted]

Tomas felt his body muscle tense and a bolt of irritation shoot down his spine as the woman walked, almost glided with soft clicks on the wooden floor towards them. The irritation was aimed at no one but himself. He had let his guard down and hadn’t even noticed they were being watched, let alone approached by this woman who appeared the embodiment of calm. Tomas’s gifts gave him no more ability to sense those around him then any ungifted. However, after years or martial arts and turning himself into a defensive machine, he thought he had honed his senses of the world around him better then this
.
He pushed down the looming thought that being around Maddie had made him drop his guard. That he had been so focused on her the world around him had fallen away.

Shaking the thoughts from his head he listened as the woman approached, speaking of scrying and his attempt to use the crystal ball. Picking up the item he had just placed down, he felt a tug of guilt in his chest when he realised that his joking around may have offended the woman, although she looked more like she was teasing him the offended.
As her words turned to distractions and desires, he found it hard not to fidget on the spot and cursed himself silently for shifting his body weight slightly forward and towards Maddie without even thinking. He could almost feel the buzz of excitement from his friend.

This woman seemed entirely harmless (to them at least) and Tomas gave a polite smile and a nod of the head as she reassured them they weren’t about to be scammed. The idea that any of this might be real scared Tomas even more- what happened if he heard Maddie’s fortune and he wasn’t a part of it: friend, or family or more, he could not bare thinking of his life without her.

He listened as Maddie answered Evenings questions and fought the chew his lower lip in anticipation. This was all very silly, why was he letting himself get caught up in this, he should grab Maddie’s by the arm and take them both away from here, but he knew he wouldn’t do that, never go against what she wanted. So instead he waited.

Maddison Lancaster & Evening Cadieux

[Evening Cadieux]

[nospaces]

[break][break]

[attr="class","Evelightpostlyric"]I'll be here to stay

[attr="class","Evelightpostingbox"]
OOC: sorry for the wait![break][break]

---

[break][break]

It could be hard, sometimes, to have the gift of telepathy. Similar to when two people spoke at the same time, it was difficult to truly take in what both of her guests were thinking– especially when one was speaking as well. And yet, she picked up enough: the man’s ire at himself for having dropped his guard and not noticing Eve approach, his desire to keep the woman, Maddie, safe, and his anxiety born from the question of whether he would appear in her future. And then there was Maddie’s internal musings, the most marked being whether she would find someone who might make her feel as comfortable as the man, Tomas, did.[break][break]

The romance-meddler in Eve stood to attention. Her gaze flicked excitedly between the two before she reeled herself in and remembered to be calm. She was supposed to be an omniscient, otherworldly witch, not a squealing fangirl watching her favourite TV show (though – she would be later in the privacy of her home, curled up on her couch with a cup of tea and a cat in her lap while she watched The Vampire Diaries for the hundredth time).[break][break]

While Tomas’ concerns were kept to himself (and Eve), Maddie verbalised some of her uncertainty, suggesting that her curiosity might be considered ‘dumb’. [break][break]

“Not at all,” Eve disagreed with a gentle shake of her head. “Curiosity is deeply intwined with passion – what is life if not questions and desire? It is never foolish to want to know more, to test and to uncover.”[break][break]

She smiled, red lips curled serenely even while the matchmaker inside her wanted to bounce around and shove the pair into position so she could get on with her tarot reading. “I believe I can give voice to the answers you seek. Come – have a seat.” She gestured to the small seating area towards the center of her store; a couple of armchairs opposite a small couch with a table between them.[break][break]

While they were hopefully getting themselves settled, Eve moved to the front of the store and flipped the sign so it displayed as ‘Closed’ to the public outside. Usually she liked to schedule tarot readings to take place in her own home, but she sensed it wouldn’t hurt her business terribly if she used the shop for once. [break][break]

She drew the curtains, briefly plunging the store into darkness. A few electronic candles flickered to life less than a second later; solar-powered, they turned on automatically when they sensed low light. Her neighbour/employee/friend had gifted them to her. Very useful in creating the mystical ambience she wanted.[break][break]

Drawing a box of matches from a pocket in her dress, she returned to her customers and lit a few more (real) candles around the table before spreading a velvet cloth and scattering some petals on the surface as she sat down opposite them. Humming along to some slow, unknown tune, she pulled her tarot deck from her other pocket and began shuffling the cards.[break][break]

[attr="class","EvelightPostTag"]Tag: Maddison Lancaster & @tomas

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[Maddison Lancaster]

---

Tomas had grown quiet with the woman’s approach. Maddie wasn’t certain if he was uncomfortable, or just dismissive of what the woman had said. Either way, Maddie was excited. She could feel that Evening was Gifted, though she had no indication of just what her gift or gifts could be. Inherently, though, it made her believe the other woman’s assurances that this was no scam. It probably didn’t make sense, it wasn’t like being Gifted automatically made you a better person, but she trusted her instincts (most of the time), and her instincts were telling her there was nothing to worry about.

Once she had been reassured that no, her curiosity was not dumb or foolish, Maddie’s smile returned. ”I like it.. That’s a good way to think about life.” Curiosity and desire were frequent feelings that Maddie encountered. She walked over to the area the woman indicated, aware that Tomas was somewhat likely to refuse, but she didn’t let that damper her own enthusiasm. Either he’d get on board or he wouldn’t, his skepticism didn’t mean that she couldn’t enjoy a bit of mysticism.

She watched Tomas and wondered just how uncomfortable all of this was making him, given his firm stance moments before. She smirked when she saw him follow her over to the couch, and she just knew that she was going to make fun of him later for going along with something he’d made his feelings clear about not ten minutes earlier. It wasn't too much of a surprise, though, she had a tendency of getting her way, even more with Tomas than with Mason. Mason put up with a lot from her, but he wasn't as easy to

The sudden darkness drew a sharp inhale from Maddie. She shifted uncomfortably. She wasn’t scared of the dark, but it was unexpected. It gave her a similar feeling to being in a small space for the most fleeting moment. Before she could give in to any feelings of panic, she felt a reassuring hand on her. His hand was warm, felt right against her skin. Once the electric candles started flickering to life, she let the breath slowly and then sat on the couch. Even with the moment of discomfort, she was impressed. If this was bogus - which she strongly didn’t think it was - Evening certainly knew how to create the right atmosphere. Maddie watched as the woman moved, lighting more candles, then setting up the table.

Chancing another glance at Tomas, his face was more unreadable than normal in the flickering candlelight. She was inexplicably nervous, wondering what he was thinking. Did he have any idea how she felt about him? There was no way, he would have teased her for it if he had known. She looked back at Evening, nerves giving way back to excitement. She’d never had her fortune told before, and she was excited to see how it worked.

---

Evening Cadieux & @tomas
Sorry, she doesn’t interact much. Let me know if I should make changes!

[Deleted]

Evening reassured Maddie and his friend relaxed. Tomas however, did not. He had been consumed in the dreaded thoughts that he wasn’t going to be part of Maddie’s future that when the thought sprang forward that there might be someone else who was not him. Someone new that was all passion and desire for her. His throat constricted and he gripped his hands tightly, fighting a pulse of something he couldn’t decipher – protectiveness? Or…. jealousy? It couldn’t be jealously, that was absurd. She was his best friend, he just wanted her to be safe. It had to be protectiveness. He ignored the voice in his head that pointed out the creeping thoughts, the dream he had been having lately.

Tomas followed Maddie as she walked over to the area where they could sit. The fortune teller seemed eager to answer Maddie’s questions, her entire demeanour created a relaxed, trusting atmosphere and Tomas had to actively fight the urge to trust this woman only had good intentions. It was not his nature to trust. Tomas kept and eye on her as she almost appeared to glide over to the door and switch it to the ‘closed’ sign. He was close behind Maddie as they stood before the armchairs and a table.

Suddenly the room plunged into darkness: Tomas was moving before Maddie’s sharp intake of breath even registered in his ears. His reflexes were nothing compared to Masons but there was no hesitation in his movements. He moved swiftly so he was front facing Maddie, his hand pressed against her lower back as he pulled her towards him, pressing her gently against his chest. He readied to spin her away from any danger. Then suddenly the room was lit in the warm glow from flickering candles. Tomas did not relax his stance, he didn’t move his hand. Instead, he looked down at Maddie and felt his heart jump and begin pounding in his throat, he could feel her quick intakes of breath where there bodies were pressed against each other. His mouth went dry as his eyes found hers. He raised his free hand for a second as if to tuck a stray curl behind her ear but caught himself. He released his hand from her back and took a step backwards, “Instincts.” he said as if that explained away his reaction.

Tomas let Maddie sit and he trained his face to resemble cold marble. Evening came back over and lit some more candles. Tomas didn’t take a seat, he just stood, a statue watching the furtune teller set up. He had no idea what was happening and the lack of control was eating away at him. This entire scenario was making him act a fool, he needed to get a grip. Maddie could have her reading and then they needed to leave.

Evening Cadieux & Maddison Lancaster

[Evening Cadieux]

[nospaces]

[break][break]

[attr="class","Evelightpostlyric"]I'll be here to stay

[attr="class","Evelightpostingbox"]
Eyes glinting in the candlelight, Evening allowed her low hum to fade out once she was satisfied her deck had been shuffled enough. With a graceful sweep of her hand she spread the cards facedown on the table in front of her. [break][break]

The first card she pulled was flipped over and laid in front of Maddie. The Moon. In the foreground was a small pool. A crayfish crawled out of it, onto a path, and on either side of that path stood a wolf and a dog who howled at the full moon above them in the night sky, positioned between two towers.[break][break]

“This card is a reflection of you,” Eve said softly. “The world… has not always been kind to you, and your past experiences can make you wary in the present. Uncertain. There are two sides to you–” she pointed to the wolf– “one who desires independence, wildness and freedom–” she pointed to the dog– “and one who craves security and a home, someone to depend on…” She met the other woman’s gaze and blinked at her gently, like a cat might to show affection. “Choosing is not always the answer. You do not have to pick one or the other to be whole; you can have both. Either way–” she gestured to the crayfish– “there is growth, and you have good intuition. You should trust it. Trust yourself.” [break][break]

The next card to be drawn was placed above and to the left of The Moon, and would appear upside down to Maddie. Eight of Cups, reversed. It depicted another night scene, this time with a man walking away from an uneven stack of eight cups in the foreground, with a river and mountains in the background.[break][break]

“In the near future there is avoidance. Sneaking away in the dead of night, fear of change, fear of losing something that gives you great comfort…” Eve pressed her lips together, abruptly worried. She had hoped to confirm that the couple in her store would be, well, a couple. Would this be another bad reading? Should she quit now while it wasn’t too bad? She’d feel awful if she drew The Tower. Readings including that card were always awkward to give. She reached for another card before she lost her nerve, unwilling to analyse the Eight of Cups any further, and placed it directly above The Moon.[break][break]

“Six of Cups,” she breathed, relief easing the tension that had threatened to stiffen her shoulders. Hope sparked anew. On the card a young boy passed a cup filled with flowers to a younger girl. “The comfort of home and childhood, or simply the familiar. Maybe this is what you will fear to lose. Or who you will fear to lose.” Her gaze drew to Tomas and lingered upon him for a moment, unwavering. She smiled innocently. “Perhaps this person is already known to you.” [break][break]

The final card she drew was placed to the right of the Eight of Cups. Knight of Pentacles. The knight in question was sat upon a horse, looking carefully at a gold coin in his hand. Thank goodness. It was exactly the card she’d hoped for.[break][break]

“You need not fear his loss at all. You can rely on this person to provide stability in more ways than one. He is cautious of love, of being pricked by its thorns rather than lain in its bed of petals. Perhaps as cautious as you are… but he would protect you, if only you would ask. He is loyal. No matter the outcome, a knight does not abandon the one whom he swore an oath to keep safe.”
[break][break]

[attr="class","EvelightPostTag"]Tag: Maddison Lancaster & @tomas

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[Maddison Lancaster]

---

Tomas explained pulling Maddie close to him as merely an instinct, and Maddie’s heart fell. Even though it was foolish, she’d been hoping it was something more. Of course he wanted to protect her. She was like his sister, he knew all her fears and secrets. He would have realized that she’d be a bit freaked out by the sudden darkness and he would want to reassure her. It made sense. At least, it made more sense than him feeling some kind of way about her that was more than brotherly, more than friendly.

She tried to push back any more thoughts about Tomas as she watched Evening. The woman seemed positively alive, humming as she shuffled the tarot deck in the candle light. Maddie was enraptured as she watched the woman turn over the first card. Maddie listened carefully to the explanation of the card. She looked at the illustration as Evening spoke, trying to keep her anxiety from creeping up. The duality she described, wanting independence, wildness and freedom in contrast to security, home, and dependability, fit Maddie to a tee. She didn’t want to choose. She wanted to have her cake and eat it too.

The next card was drawn and explained. Maddie couldn’t hold back the anxiety that was creeping in now. Avoidance, sneaking around, and fear of change and losing comfort. Maddie glanced at Tomas. She was terrified that he’d be angry if he knew that she had a crush on him, that she wanted to know what it was like to be truly loved by him, not just as a friend or pseudo-sibling. She looked back at Evening in time to see her pulling the next card, the six of cups. Every new word further confirmed what Maddie was already thinking. This was all about Tomas. She couldn’t get him off her mind, especially lately. He started as just Mason’s friend, and perhaps that was how he viewed things, but she considered him to be her best friend too. She was terrified to lose that, should he ever learn her biggest secret, the only one she’d been able to keep from him this long.

Maddie followed Evening’s gaze to Tomas. She knew. The mystical woman had sussed out the feelings that Maddie had for Tomas already. Maddie was convinced of it.

When the final card was flipped over and explained, Maddie let out a slow breath. There was no way that Tomas didn’t know, right? He would have to realize by now that all of this was about him. Maddie shifted, wondering what was going through his mind.

”Okay, all of that made sense. But what if it’s just terrifying?” She wanted to be brave and tell Tomas, point blank, that this was all about him. But she didn’t think there was a world where she could bring herself to do so. More likely, if he caught on and commented, she’d want to melt into the couch and disappear.

---

Evening Cadieux and @tomas
Lemme know for changes