5th Day of Summer, 519 AV
“It’s a problem. You’re going to become replaceable if you don’t pick up on things quickly, child. Do you realize what I’ve been through to maintain this business? The countless hours and networking I’ve done to bring in my clients? You’ve spent two years here and you’ve barely gone past cards and dice, and you’ve been poor at maintaining incoming business. In Mura, in that same amount of time, I was already onto five different types of fortune telling skills, all on my own. You don’t seem to want to learn, do you? You sit, you wait, you talk, you do a few easy fortunes for the ones who want to play with you before they come to me for their serious concerns, and that’s enough for you. Well fine, at least you’re freeing me of the time spent on people who just want to be entertained. That’s the best reason for keeping you, really. You’re useful for entertaining my clients - I could be keeping a slave for that, not having to pay them, child. Why did I take you on, hm? Where’s that potential you showed me at the Temple that day? I can’t waste another precious five chimes on you to find out. Rohka, I’m getting tired of you. I need to provide much more to The Black Sun this year and if you can’t increase your ability to do so, you’re useless to me, do you hear me?”
The Divinist’s voice had risen high and sharp. Her frustration was palpable. Being alone together made it easier for the Konti to be so outspoken about her feelings on the matter at hand. Lelia was usually a soft-spoken woman, and had tended to express her concerns with a measured consideration. This time was different. This time, Rohka approached the Divinist first. She wanted to know how Lelia felt about her apprenticeship lately. About how her methods have been improving. The question brought on the opportunity for the Konti woman to spill her gripes.
This was a speech that Rohka had been dreading for a long time, ever since a young client had left The Mystic Eye in tears over her problematic reading and never returned. Roh had been honest when she told Lelia that the girl’s fortune had gone both poorly and correctly. Lelia, however, was furious that Rohka had nothing more to say about it.
The pair understood that they had differing beliefs when it came to sharing client information. Lelia used to have no problem with Rohka’s insistence on keeping her own readings confidential, unless the young sybil ran into issues with telling the fortune correctly. Lelia respected Roh’s attempt to build trust with her clients, assuming that the consistency and care would allow for repeat business. She was even fine with the sybil’s style in pseudo-leading The Mystic Eye on the days the Divinist was away; in fact, Rohka’s presence allowed Lelia to have more time to carry out her business externally. But it wasn’t enough. There had been news of significant changes occurring this season, and Lelia’s services were needed in order to make sense of the present times using her gift from Avalis. Divination provided her with some clues but the real meat of predictions came from full readings—those readings needed to be from people with influence.
“Rohka, listen closely,” she spat out, eyes narrowed. Her tone had now shifted and she began to glide across the floor towards to door, like a spider towards the edges of her web. “I swear to you by the power of Rhysol, if you don’t bring me high quality clients with substance to their fortunes this season...” and she paused. The Divinist unlocked the door and it swung free, hinges creaking.
“You will suffer.”
And then she left without another word.
The exit was planned. Lelia had forewarned the young sybil that she was going out and leaving Rohka in charge of The Mystic Eye that day. The Divinist had to pick up a few supplies and meet with external clients, and then she had a meeting with members from the Black Sun later that afternoon. In the meantime, it was Rohka’s task to stand in as the shopkeeper, letting clients know that Lelia would be back the next day, and being open to tell fortunes in her absence.
The young Calico’s mind had been preoccupied with thoughts outside of her job recently. Her father had come in a few days ago to tell her that she was needed, that there was work to be done, and that he would be leaving for Zeltiva to find her grandfather. Slowly but surely, Rohka was piecing together her reasoning for either staying or leaving, and she knew that she would need to decide soon. In the silence of the empty shop, amongst the lit incense sticks, the melting candles, and the various colourful baubles and trinkets, Rohka sat at her deep green silk-covered table, waiting for someone to walk through the door.
She closed her eyes during her wait. Both hands were brought together into prayer. Although she never really learned how to meditate, she figured she would try something new…
Fortune telling required attention. Rohka knew how exhausted she gets after paying such zeroed-in focus to her cards, and it was always difficult to be accurate when she felt herself becoming fatigued. She realized she needed to increase her ability to be attentive. It would be easier if she could notice minutia of details, even within the most bland and boring moments.
Why not do that right now?
With her eyes closed, she tried to watch where her mind went. At once she noticed her breathing: an inhale, an exhale. Quickly the silence around her filled in with noises that she failed to notice before: footsteps walking past the closed door, the sloshing of lake water, creaking wood panels on the boardwalk outside. Her mind then flitted to sensations on her body: a strand of hair against her neck that hadn’t been pulled back by her headscarf, a bubbling in her stomach, the warmth between her palms that were pressed together. An overwhelming feeling of dread washed over her when she finally managed to process what Lelia had said to her.
Suffer?
There was no telling what the Divinist meant. A sudden pang in her chest reminded her that she was afraid of losing this job, of being kicked back out after what felt like her longest period of stability. The timing would be perfect, though. All the more reason to go back home.
The thought of home brought yet another pang to her chest. No, there would be no going back just yet. She had the season to make her choice, or at least until her father showed up at the Malt House again. It was then that she realized she’d strayed away from her mental task of noticing details around her. Resuming her meditation (or perhaps her distraction), Rohka took in a deep breath and noted the feeling that had gotten her so worked up. Could she push it down far enough until it no longer existed?
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
WC = 1200
“It’s a problem. You’re going to become replaceable if you don’t pick up on things quickly, child. Do you realize what I’ve been through to maintain this business? The countless hours and networking I’ve done to bring in my clients? You’ve spent two years here and you’ve barely gone past cards and dice, and you’ve been poor at maintaining incoming business. In Mura, in that same amount of time, I was already onto five different types of fortune telling skills, all on my own. You don’t seem to want to learn, do you? You sit, you wait, you talk, you do a few easy fortunes for the ones who want to play with you before they come to me for their serious concerns, and that’s enough for you. Well fine, at least you’re freeing me of the time spent on people who just want to be entertained. That’s the best reason for keeping you, really. You’re useful for entertaining my clients - I could be keeping a slave for that, not having to pay them, child. Why did I take you on, hm? Where’s that potential you showed me at the Temple that day? I can’t waste another precious five chimes on you to find out. Rohka, I’m getting tired of you. I need to provide much more to The Black Sun this year and if you can’t increase your ability to do so, you’re useless to me, do you hear me?”
The Divinist’s voice had risen high and sharp. Her frustration was palpable. Being alone together made it easier for the Konti to be so outspoken about her feelings on the matter at hand. Lelia was usually a soft-spoken woman, and had tended to express her concerns with a measured consideration. This time was different. This time, Rohka approached the Divinist first. She wanted to know how Lelia felt about her apprenticeship lately. About how her methods have been improving. The question brought on the opportunity for the Konti woman to spill her gripes.
This was a speech that Rohka had been dreading for a long time, ever since a young client had left The Mystic Eye in tears over her problematic reading and never returned. Roh had been honest when she told Lelia that the girl’s fortune had gone both poorly and correctly. Lelia, however, was furious that Rohka had nothing more to say about it.
The pair understood that they had differing beliefs when it came to sharing client information. Lelia used to have no problem with Rohka’s insistence on keeping her own readings confidential, unless the young sybil ran into issues with telling the fortune correctly. Lelia respected Roh’s attempt to build trust with her clients, assuming that the consistency and care would allow for repeat business. She was even fine with the sybil’s style in pseudo-leading The Mystic Eye on the days the Divinist was away; in fact, Rohka’s presence allowed Lelia to have more time to carry out her business externally. But it wasn’t enough. There had been news of significant changes occurring this season, and Lelia’s services were needed in order to make sense of the present times using her gift from Avalis. Divination provided her with some clues but the real meat of predictions came from full readings—those readings needed to be from people with influence.
“Rohka, listen closely,” she spat out, eyes narrowed. Her tone had now shifted and she began to glide across the floor towards to door, like a spider towards the edges of her web. “I swear to you by the power of Rhysol, if you don’t bring me high quality clients with substance to their fortunes this season...” and she paused. The Divinist unlocked the door and it swung free, hinges creaking.
“You will suffer.”
And then she left without another word.
The exit was planned. Lelia had forewarned the young sybil that she was going out and leaving Rohka in charge of The Mystic Eye that day. The Divinist had to pick up a few supplies and meet with external clients, and then she had a meeting with members from the Black Sun later that afternoon. In the meantime, it was Rohka’s task to stand in as the shopkeeper, letting clients know that Lelia would be back the next day, and being open to tell fortunes in her absence.
The young Calico’s mind had been preoccupied with thoughts outside of her job recently. Her father had come in a few days ago to tell her that she was needed, that there was work to be done, and that he would be leaving for Zeltiva to find her grandfather. Slowly but surely, Rohka was piecing together her reasoning for either staying or leaving, and she knew that she would need to decide soon. In the silence of the empty shop, amongst the lit incense sticks, the melting candles, and the various colourful baubles and trinkets, Rohka sat at her deep green silk-covered table, waiting for someone to walk through the door.
She closed her eyes during her wait. Both hands were brought together into prayer. Although she never really learned how to meditate, she figured she would try something new…
Fortune telling required attention. Rohka knew how exhausted she gets after paying such zeroed-in focus to her cards, and it was always difficult to be accurate when she felt herself becoming fatigued. She realized she needed to increase her ability to be attentive. It would be easier if she could notice minutia of details, even within the most bland and boring moments.
Why not do that right now?
With her eyes closed, she tried to watch where her mind went. At once she noticed her breathing: an inhale, an exhale. Quickly the silence around her filled in with noises that she failed to notice before: footsteps walking past the closed door, the sloshing of lake water, creaking wood panels on the boardwalk outside. Her mind then flitted to sensations on her body: a strand of hair against her neck that hadn’t been pulled back by her headscarf, a bubbling in her stomach, the warmth between her palms that were pressed together. An overwhelming feeling of dread washed over her when she finally managed to process what Lelia had said to her.
Suffer?
There was no telling what the Divinist meant. A sudden pang in her chest reminded her that she was afraid of losing this job, of being kicked back out after what felt like her longest period of stability. The timing would be perfect, though. All the more reason to go back home.
The thought of home brought yet another pang to her chest. No, there would be no going back just yet. She had the season to make her choice, or at least until her father showed up at the Malt House again. It was then that she realized she’d strayed away from her mental task of noticing details around her. Resuming her meditation (or perhaps her distraction), Rohka took in a deep breath and noted the feeling that had gotten her so worked up. Could she push it down far enough until it no longer existed?
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
WC = 1200