Strange Beginnings [Coltyn]

[Genesis]

12th Spring 212 AV

Genesis adjusted the sign outside her shop, it read Chavena Fortunes by Genesis. She was proud, she finally had her own shop. It was simple, just a table, chair, and blanket spread on top. Of course there was a counter and shelves where she kept such things as her rune stones and tea leaves but for the most part, all she needed was a place to sit. The shop was on the ground level of an undistorted part of town and her apartment was on the third floor, the second being empty.

She wasn't extremely familiar in the art of reading the tea smudges and rune stones, and only slightly better at the tarot cards. Her true skills were in palm reading. She was naturally better at fortune telling than most because of her Divination and she was only marked once. As her skills grew, so would her abilities. She dreamed of gaining more marks and therefore becoming financially stable. She had grown up in poverty and it had led her to doing awful, revolting things for money. She would never allow herself to go back there.

She sat in a small green dress at her table, her figure prominent in the fitted folds. Her hair wasn't braided as she usually had it, it flowed down to her lower back. The dim lighting in the room allowed for the natural streaks of green and blue to pop up when she turned her head. She ran her fingers over her the creases in her palm with her emerald green eyes.

[Coltyn]

Lost and alone was how Coltyn was feeling on this particularly dreary day and, for reasons unknown, he felt compelled to take to the streets of Ravok, instead of remaining home, sulking about, feeling sorry for himself, which was his usual solution. However, today, he needed to get out of his one-room flat. He needed to make contact with others, even if they ended up being perfectly good strangers. It didn't matter where he went or who he met, he just needed to be out and about, making every effort to clear his mind. Staying home wasn't an option. No. He was being drawn to the streets by some unseen force and he needed to listen to the calling, not fight it. A long walk would do him good. Wandering around rather aimlessly at first, Coltyn soon found himself standing outside a unique looking shop, one he hadn't taken notice of before. A single word on the sign above the doorway had caught his eye and made him take pause. It was a word that could be used in good times and in bad. It had several meanings, depending on how it took shape. Today, he needed it to be in his favor. However, fate would dictate what form it took. The control was not his to be had. Fortune - as in fortunate or misfortunate - was the one word that grabbed him on a sign that read: Chavena Fortunes by Genesis. Which would he be today? How about tomorrow? What about his brother? Ah, yes, his brother. That was the real reason he was in such a foul mood. He had had a dream about Derik and, upon waking, aspects of it had remained with him in the hours beyond his slumber. Even here, now, as he stood gazing up at the sign and then to the shop below it, a clear image of the older brother he had mysteriously lost was locked firmly in place at the center of his mind. What happened to you, brother? he inwardly questioned for probably the hundredth - if not thousandth - time since his disappearance nearly two years before. Why did you leave me? Had I done something wrong? Did you have no choice in the matter and, if you did, then... Why? Question, after question, after question, and not a single answer to be had in all this time. Although, perhaps, just perhaps, the search had not gone on long enough or deep enough or down the right path. Maybe Coltyn had given up too easily. But, honestly, where did one start when there was so little to start with? Perhaps here, today, with this shop and its offer of fortunes, a new beginning would take shape. There was only one way to find out.

[Genesis]

Genesis spun a card around her fingers, her mind elsewhere. The red and white on the beautifully hand painted card depicted The Magician. She had drawn this card as her future, it meant that she was ready and in control. At this moment success and power were in her immediate future. She had drawn this card many times, but for others. Never had in turned up in her own fortunes. Something had shifted, but she didn't know what.

A man strode through her door, breaking her from her day dreams. She looked up at him, he was tall and built. Those types of men typically came to her for advice on women or how to get more power. He fit the description, handsome and manly with a touch of passion in his blue-gray eyes. But she had a feeling that he wasn't here to acquire something new as those ambitious souls he took after, but instead wished to regain something lost. She was interested, placed the card back into the deck and returned her attention to him.

Perhaps someone had mugged him, and he wanted his mizas back. Maybe his lover had chosen another and he wished to win back her love. It couldn't be that, he seemed the type of man who could have any woman he chose, he couldn't be a stranger to giggling women, batting eyes, and one-night flings. She shouldn't be too curious, he was in HER shop. He would soon enough place his chavi in her grasp, its why he was here.

"Come, sit," she instructed, her intense eyes amused, "What knowledge are you seeking?"

[Coltyn]

"I...I haven't...well...to be perfectly honest, I've never done something like this before, so, I'm not really sure where to begin," Coltyn informed the young lady as he took a seat across from her. "I mean, part of me wants to spill every last detail, while another part wants to see what you can come up with on your own." He paused for a moment now and regarded her with slightly suspicious eyes. What was he doing here? Honestly. Would this girl really know anything of substance or would he be sent on a wild fox hunt? Would she simply feed on his desires and provide him with some random bit of information that he would end up clinging to as a famished newborn tends to do with a mother's teat. "I guess I'm looking for answers...regarding the disappearance of my brother," he finally and firmly stated with a nod of his head. "There. I said it. That should be enough to start with," he offered with a somewhat sheepish smile. "He's been missing from my life for nearly two years now. We were this close," he continued to explain as he held up his left hand and crossed his index and middle fingers. "Oh, and, I know for a fact that he is alive and well. I can feel it in my bones. I would know if something horrible had happened to him," he concluded with a nod of his head.

[Genesis]

"I am very good at what I do," she laughed, humored by the man's disbelief. She was use to it though, not very many bought into what she did without first-hand proof."Give me your hand."

He probably thought she was going to read his palm, she could see it in the way he looked down at the creases that were indecipherable to him. She grasped his large hand in her own small one, and closed her eyes. While he looked at her, Coltyn saw a young woman in some sort of a trance, unmoving. Genesis was no longer fully attached to the body he was touching.

But for her, she was elsewhere. Her mind reached out, the flying energy around her encompassing her very being. The hand she held back in the physical dimension was like a compass, pointing her towards that man's chavi. It was a beautiful thing to behold, her first memory of having entered the Chavena was one of her fondest. When she finally found his chavi, she began to concentrate, absorbing what she could of that man's brother. She didn't have time to process it, she reached out, trying to pull in any other information she could.

As Coltyn watched, Genesis's eyes snapped open and her body was once again filled with life. Her eyes were heavy, taking in the pain and loss he had experienced, for her it was the same as first-hand. It was rough, it always was.

"I can only read your past this way, I have to use your palms, tarot cards, and such to see your future," she admitted, now looking more tired than when he had first entered her shop. She noticed the speculative look in his eye, "Your family is very cute. I only grew up with my mother, but you had Derik, Zarah, Ant, and Vash. I'm sorry about Jes'y, and I hope i can help you with finding your brother. Your right though, he's alive. I would have to be near him to read his chavi, but it's there."

She just rattled off the nicknames of his siblings like she was talking of her own family. He seemed a little surprised but didn't say anything. [color=#408040]"If your brother were here I could tell you exactly what happened to him, but that would kind of defeat the purpose wouldn't it. But his chavi is in a interesting place, he was taken by someone you know, but I can't quite locate whose chavi it is. I would know if I ever met them. Do you want me to read your tarots?"

Her eyes were dark and calculating, obviously frustrated with that little bit of information she couldn't quite manage to reach. She bit her lip and tucked her hair behind her ears. She had other methods, and they would surely provide more information for him. Knowing his grief, and knowing him, she truly wanted to help. She had gotten over that stage of blushing after seeing glimpses of his personal life, which was very good. She did not need to get all red in the face in front a man who certainly didn't know she had seen him naked. Luckily her past prevented that. An ex-prostitute doesn't exactly giggle at the thought of what's in a man's pants.

[Coltyn]

"Taken by someone I know!" Coltyn exclaimed as he yanked his hand back and nearly toppled his chair as he leapt from it. "WHO? I DEMAND TO KNOW WHO!" he found himself uncontrollably shouting at the young girl as he loomed over her, but then he saw the look on her face and it was like a slap across his own. How dare he act this way? "I...I'm sorry," he whispered as he calmly returned to his seat. "Please...I don't know what came over me," he continued a bit louder as he ran a slightly shaky hand through his thick hair. "That was...uncalled for. You're just the messenger, not the one I should be angry with. Again, forgive me. The subject of my brother is an emotional one, as you can clearly see." Taking a moment to regain his composure, he finally replied, "Yes, if you would be kind enough to continue, I would like my cards read. Perhaps something in my future can shed a bit of light on the darkness that conceals my past." He paused again and regarded the teller of fortunes. She had talent; he was willing to admit that. He was impressed by her ability to call up the names of his siblings without any assistance. She also managed to mention his ex-lover by name and even offered up a bit of sympathy, which meant she somehow understood that that relationship had ended badly, too. "Please," he asked in a far more steady voice, "continue."

[Genesis]

Genesis looked at him calmly, she was use to these kind of reactions. She was all too familiar with anger, denial, pain, and heartbreak. To honor his request, she pulled out the deck and concentrated, having him select six of them. She focused on his pain with his brother and his chavi. She lay the chosen upright on the table and opened her eyes.

The first card was an upside down Wheel of Fortune, "You've been having a lot of bad luck lately, probably meaning Jes'y and more particularly your brother." She didn't seemed surpassed by this at all, could have told him that herself. She frowned and moved onto the next card.

The second card was The Lovers. She knew this didn't always mean a sexual relationship but she had a feeling... "This card basically asks you if your willing to take a risk, dare to love? Your feeling like you don't belong, your lacking a lot of love in your life. What you want most at this moment is to belong again, find your brother and someone to cherish you sexually."

Third, was the Devil. Also not a very surpassing turnip. "Your afraid of being helpless and out-of-control. You want your brother back but you've been so far unable to do anything. This is going to change." Coltyn seemed to brighten a little at this mention.

Fourth was Death. "It's not a bad card always," Genesis laughed, seeing the dreading look on the man's face. "Your beginning a new phase in your life, all the pain you've experienced is going to die off to new beginnings. My name means the beginning so perhaps its a very good thing that your here. things for you are changing."

Card five was the Emperor. A purple clad man sad in his throne and Genesis felt as if he was whispering to her. "You need to try harder. Your brother was taken by someone you know, you can't let that person bully you and push you over. You need to jump head first into this, stand your ground and you will succeed." Genesis voice sounded far away as she herself tried to figure out who it was. She needed to help this man.

"Good," she smiled, the sixth card was temperance, "Your future is peaceful and harmonious, you will be reunited with your brother. Things are going to work out if you remain on the path your on. But, Coltyn I believe it's going to be very dangerous for you to get him back. You will lose something."

Genesis stared openly at the cards before her, it was good but not enough. It was odd that all of his cards were from the Major Arcana. But nonetheless, it was his future. She swiped the cards back into the deck and dealt three more. She stared at them and contemplated her own involvement.

"Coltyn, give me your hand again," She reached out for his hand before he could react. He had a square hand and decent lines. She bent over, running her fingers over the life line, looking for the lines of influence and other little creases. She looked at her own life line and based on their ages, they had an identical mark that was comming up very soon. "I'm going to help you. I don't know why but that danger I was talking about, it's going to happen to both of us."

[Coltyn]

As she began to prep her deck of cards, Coltyn could feel his insides tightening up, his breath becoming short, and his skin turning slick with a fine layer of sweat. This was the moment of truth. This was what he had been waiting for. This was... No. He was placing too much weight, too much importance, on this chance encounter. He needed to calm his nerves and focus. She was speaking and he needed to pay close attention to what she was saying. He couldn't, no, wouldn't, allow himself to be misled or get caught up in the moment. The cards had begun to fall and, good or bad, he needed to hear what she had to say. The Wheel of Fortune, according to her, explained his recent lack of good luck. She mentioned Jes'y and, in particular, his brother, which was true. However, beyond his relationships, his luck was not that bad. He had his health, a new job, and a roof over his head. So, clearly, this reading would focus on his personal life, which was a subject he kept mostly to himself. The Lovers came next. Ah, yes, no surprise there. He wanted to be loved and he wanted to love someone in return. Who didn't want such things in their life? However, his type of love was...taboo? No. He couldn't think that way. There was nothing wrong with what he desired. He had wanted it for as long as he could remember. Therefore, it had to have been something that was set ablaze at his birth, not an emotional state that formed much later - dare he think it - on a whim. The Devil reared its ugly head next, which, according to her, meant a lack of control, in particular, his inability to do anything to help his poor brother. However, she gave him a bit of hope with a promise of change. Something was going to change...and soon. He liked the sound of that. Then Death came and his worst fears returned. It was written all over his face. This couldn't be good...or...could it? The death of his problems? Is that what she was telling him? The life that he knew would be passing and a new one would take its place. But how? He wasn't sure if he could so easily wrap his head around such a notion. Perhaps she was just trying to put a positive spin on things so that he wouldn't rage on her as he did earlier. Next up, The Emperor, which, she explained, signified his lack of drive and determination in the matter. He needed to give more of himself. He needed to invest whatever time and energy he had at his disposal, for it was going to take ample amounts of both to win his brother back. Oh, and, he needed to take a stance against those who held him back, because it was their hands who had caused his brother harm. But...who were they? Why couldn't she see them? A handful of individuals came to mind, but apparently, none of them registered in her reading. Unless there were too many options to choose from and she simply couldn't nail one of them down. As she drew the last card, she smiled, which helped, just a little, to put his mind, body, and soul at ease. The card was Temperance, which meant better days were yet to come. Peace, harmony, and...yes...the return of his brother! All of these things she promised him, however, as she uttered the word dangerous, he knew that it would come at a cost. Life was never that kind or fair. The gods giveth and the gods taketh away. Then she asked for his hand, once again, and things suddenly took a turn that he had not expected. This girl, this teller of fortunes, was going to play a role in all of this and, as bad luck would have it, suffer the same fate. It appeared that danger was in the cards for both of them. "So, then...where do we go from here?" he questioned as he withdrew his hand and stood, suddenly feeling the need to rush from her shop and take action this very moment!

[Genesis]

"Honestly, I have no idea. But you can tell no one what I have told you. I am a fortune teller, yes. But what I did when I closed my eyes, that is for very few to know. My divination can get me in trouble, have me slaughtered if you will. I knew I could trust you but just bare that in mind." Her face was worried and she stood up, beginning to pace. Genesis couldn't see everything, things were not as clear as she usually wanted them to be. It wasn't like looking at a picture, divination was more like little glimpses and feelings you had to manage to piece together. Family members were easy, big traumatic losses were easy, but specific details like who stole his brother? That was where it got dicey.

She looked over at him, what was she going to do to help him? What could she do. It's not like she could go to everyone he knew and grab on to them, hoping to see the right thing. There had to be more. Something she wasn't seeing. Genesis had a very strong feeling that when Coltyn had walked into her shop, her fate was tied. She didn't belieeve death was what would follow but... something. Her past was gruesome and dark, whatever it was that weighed so heavily on their combined future was something far worse than anything she had experienced before.

"That's the problem with us fortune tellers, we can give you glimpses into what's to come, but we fail at telling you how to bring those fortunes about," she sighed, her dark hair falling around her face. She needed something, anything.

[Coltyn]

"Oh, come on. Let's get real here. You're not giving me much to work with," Coltyn replied, surprising even himself, as the words flew out of his mouth, wishing he could snatch them back. There was a long, slightly awkward pause at this point as both of them regarded the other, as well as the situation, until, finally, Coltyn found his voice once more. "Listen. I'm sorry. It's just that...this is hard for me to deal with and...I was hoping...I was really hoping that I'd leave here knowing exactly what to do next. But, at this moment...at this very moment, I feel far more confused than I did even an hour ago. Maybe I should've kept walking by this shop. But...but there was something...calling me. Something that needed to be said...or done...and you needed to be a part of that." There was yet another pause and during it the young girl could probably almost hear the wheels turning in his head. He wasn't giving up just yet. He was attempting to put the pieces together. "Let's, for the time being, cast aside the fact that my luck is indeed bad and that I have not done nearly enough to gain back what I have lost. I'm standing here, so, clearly, I'm ready to take action. Also, sure, change is coming. I could've told you that. My past is fading and a new day is coming. Again, just by the simple fact that I am here and not curled up in a ball in my bed, means something. So, that leaves us with the one aspect that is chilling me to my very core..." Yet another pause came, but this time it was brought about by some outside force, not by the young man. He was struck silent by a sudden revelation, something he had not seen until this very moment. Without warning, he knew exactly where to go and what to do. Exactly. "I need you to come with me," he suddenly demanded. "There's someone I want you to meet," he continued to inform her as he reached out for her hand. "There's only one person I know that is cruel enough to put me, as well as my brother, through such torture." He then paused, one last time, before bitterly spewing, "I need you to meet our mother."