| Details for Like a Centaur in a China Shop |
| Summary: | The Hogsmeade Weekend after Exams at Hogwarts are over has all manner of customers wishing their fortune's told, or at least to watch. |
| Date: | June 17th, 1941 |
| Location: | Hogsmeade - Fortune Teller's Shop |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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It is a spring night. The weather is cool and drizzling.
Black velvet walls are covered in glittering metallic silver stars and embroidered with astrological symbols and glittering silken threads go between some of the stars linking them in celestial constellations. Models of galaxies slowly spin in precious and semi precious metals. Some of the planets and moons are even bejeweled. There are a few private rooms off of the main shop area. These private rooms are for more personal readings and seances. Every room is similarly decorated as the main room, but each smaller room has a round table shrouded in velvet table clothes that are covered in crystals, runes, bones, and in the center of each table is a large crystal ball on a pedestal. Behind a zodiac tapestry behind the clerk counter in the main room is a concealed stairwell that goes up to the Fortune Teller's domicile.
The air is thick with the smokey scent of a blend of sage, clove, frankincense, ylang ylang, patchouli essential oils and a dash of sandalwood to awaken the spirit. The lights inside are dim and the daylight that comes from pinholes in the curtains shine through dangling prisms that refract tiny rainbows about the interior of the shop. As if she foretod their coming, Cassie is sitting at her reading table, and greets them as they enter, "Welcome, come in. Do come in. Please be seated. How may Madam Vablatsky help you today?" Elegant sweep of her hands gestures to the chairs across the table from her.
Anson isn't here because he needs a fortune told. No, really. He's far too dashing and heroic to have any doubts. Except that — well, he did have that nasty fall yesterday, and it had taken several hours in the Infirmary before he could go back to being his regular confident self. And here he is, just drifting in. Drawn by curiousity. Perhaps to laugh at the rubes. But he does step forward when she asks, clearing his throat and glancing over his shoulder. It would never do to be seen asking for help. He clears his throat again. "I.. well, excuse me, ma'am." Uncharacteristic lack of confidence. He reluctantly takes a seat. "Could you tell me about Quidditch? About my next year in Quidditch?" This may not be what he actually wants to ask about. He's blushing a bit.
There's only so much to do in Hogsmeade. Having been enjoying a pleasant afternoon of wandering about, reminiscing fondly over her school days as the village gradually becomes inundated with youngsters, Roe Scamander might have wandered in here by accident, too. It's likely going to be quieter than Honeydukes, let's face it. Maybe she just needed a spell of quiet browsing. As she ducks in through the door, however, she almost collides with one of those bejeweld celestial models, and takes a moment or two to clumsily steady it with her hands, trying to keep it from jangling overmuch. An apologetic glance is cast toward Cassandra and her current client… and following this, the little brunette seeks to stay unobtrusively in the background.
Cassandra's lashes flutter, but that's her only reaction to the bit of bumbling happening with one of her fragile models for sale. A matronly smile like any mother looking at their child in a 'please don't touch that' manner is fleeting before she gestures to the tools of divination on the table top. Crystal Ball, a stack of charts yet to be filled in, a bag of runes, a tarot deck, a quill set in a inkwell that has a lined hand on the label, lastly her hand sweeps over to the side where there's a table set up for tea. "Which method would you care to consult my young man?"
"I.. Well.. Let's use the crystal ball!" Anson seems to be getting into the act now. And the crystal ball will let him see himself, after all. He leans forward eagerly, head canting to one side. But there's a sheepish moment where he looks over his shoulder, eyeing Roe, measuring her. Not a student. Not likely to carry tales of this back to Hogwarts, then. He relaxes. "Careful," he warns the woman. And he offers his brightest smile before turning away and returning his attention to Cassandra. "Yes. The crystal ball, please. I want to see if I'll win the Cup."
There's a pleasantly pink flush of warmth across Roe's cheeks, having been caught out. But she merely grins sheepishly at the pair, quietly straying a little closer. It's a difficult line to walk - keep an appropriately polite distance but draw near enough to get a good view of what's going on. In the end, she decides to simply ask the youngster's permission. "Sorry.. do you mind if I watch? I've never had my fortune told…" The vaguely wistful note implies she may well want to 'go' next, if she finds this first session impressive. Primly attired, despite surely being only in her early twenties, in a pinstripe blouse and slim navy pencil skirt, the young woman offers Anson a hopefully endearing smile, tucking her dark hair back behind her ear.
The door to the fortune teller's shop open to grant entry to yet another guest — an extraordinarily tall woman with long, black hair dangling in tapering twists. At the first clop when she steps forward into the small space within, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary woman. Beneath her exposed belly (gasp!), her shape gives way to an equine body with a shimmering midnight coat and white "socks" of long hair billowing around her hooves. The centaur pauses, halfway through the doorway, when she sees that there are others inside, leaving little room for her large body.
Cassandra motions in similar elegant sweeps of one hand to invite Roe closer and then towards the Crystal ball which levitates and follows the gesture of her hand to hover above the center of the table. Both hands lift and her expertly manicured nails slide over the smooth sphere. Gazing into the ball the handsome young man across from her looks rather warped and would probably horrify the lad. Unfortunately for Anson, he's seeing more of Cass in similar warped forms that he is himself. But both reflections fade as the ball becomes misty and Cass leans in close to make what she might of the signs and shapes presented to her in those mists. "I am seeing a ladder, going up into the clouds. Some of the rungs are bent, some broken." She looks over the top of the ball at Anson. "I see that it is going to take a great deal of work, but don't be discouraged and follow your dreams. You — " CLOP The sound of hooves on her small shop's floor has the Seer blinking in surprise and the crystal ball clunks onto the table top and it starts to roll towards Anson. Her eyes are a mixed of surprise and expectant. Her morning tea bid an eventful day and strange visitors, but having a centaur come into her shop was certainly not anything she imagined would be the strange visitor. The young man who's hiding his true intent for visiting or the clumsy woman that is more a bull in a china shop so far than the centaur. "Ahhmm, Welcome! Please…" Do be careful! "…come in. Is there something that Madam Vablatsky can help you with?"
"Oh, I don't mind at all, miss. Come over and get a better look!" Anson's smile toward Roe is surprisingly assured. Oh. He's -that- guy. There's probably one in every class. But his attention doesn't linger - he reverts to staring at the crystal ball. His features grow more and more let-down as Cassandra speaks, listening to the response.
And then there are hoof-beats behind him and the crystal ball is rolling toward him! He snatches it off the table before it can fall, turning his head to take in Cyrene. A quick up-and-down, followed by a slower, more observant, look. He's half-standing now, hugging the crystal ball to his chest. "..Hello."
Of everyone, it's perhaps the petite china-shop-bull that looks least surprised by the appearance of a centaur in the middle of Hogsmeade. Following a bright smile at Anson for his acceptance, she then follows the Gryffindor's gaze, half-turning to cast her eyes toward the shop door. Oh. Well, it's not a centaur she knows… but that shouldn't matter, right? The Star Chasers are a tolerant sort.
Letting Cassandra make the obvious greetings - it is her establishment after all - Roe inclines her head gently from the background of this bizarre tableau, expression welcoming. Huzzay, maybe this will take the attention from her almost disaster with the ornaments.
Cyrene furrows her brow at Cassandra, nodding firmly. "Yes, there is. Where is she? I would speak with her." She nods to Anson's greeting, then casts her eyes to Roe. "Are you Madam Vablatsbee? I want you to divine my future."
Cassandra looks amused that the centaur doesn't quite get the intricacies of third person. "I am she. Please, make yourself comfortable and I will be happy to divine what I can. There is a bench outside the window there, would it be more comfortable for you there? We can open the window, so that we might discourse with ease." She stands up so that she can lean forward and extend her reach towards Anson so that she can take the crystal ball from him. "Thank you."
"Me..?" Roe blinks, then manages, perhaps wisely, to suppress a laugh; shaking her head and gesturing with one hand toward the proprietor. She even takes a discreet step aside, out of the thick of it. A centaur asking a human for divination? Is that a particularly good idea? Or does this new centauress share Ealisaid's questionable sense of humor? The little magizoologist is itching to ask about twenty questions, typically. But she's a well-brought-up little thing and so she bites her tongue, for now, deferring to the Seer. Well, this ought to be more interesting than Quidditch scores, if nothing else.
Anson hands back the crystal ball a little reluctantly. Perhaps he has a deep desire to learn how to read fortunes, but it seems more that he's just astonished at the sight of Cyrene. His own fortune is quite forgotten. He reaches up to brush blond hair out of his eyes. "I..didn't think you came into Hogsmeade. I've never seen you." Because he knows everything. He's trying to sound polite, but there's a faint note of suspicious curiousity in his voice. He finishes standing, tucking the chair back under the table politely and edges toward a wall, trying to make room for Cyrene.
Cyrene frowns, shaking her her head firmly. "If this is where you conduct your divinations, then this is where I will be." She stubbornly crosses her arms, all the while hunching to avoid her head hitting the ceiling. She arches an eyebrow at Anson. "I've never seen you, either," she says matter-of-factly. "Sit. Finish your divination. I wish to observe."
Aiden runs to follow the Centaur he saw going to the fortune tellers shop. Hed never seen a Centaur before and his curiosity started to get the best of him. When he catches up to the centaur he sees her in the door way. Looking around confused he tries to see if there is a way he might be able to get into the shop. "Ummm… Excuse me Hello… May I enter the shop please?" He calls from behind the centaur.
Alright. She can't help it. Edging around slowly on the periphery until she can stand a little closer to the centaur, who towers above her, Roe looks up at the female with a polite nod and smile. Though her gaze settles back upon Anson and Cassandra, she directs a murmured aside to the centauress; folding her hands comfortably in front of herself. "..I don't imagine your people use such tools." There is a surprising array of choices, it would seem, when it comes to the human version of the art. From Roe, there's no judgement either way. It's merely an idle comparison and point of curiosity. She seems about to remark further… but then there's a little voice from outside. Looking rather helplessly from the door to Cassandra, the young lady hesitantly offers, "..should I open that window after all, Madam Vablatsky?"
Cassandra clears her throat a little as she puts the crystal ball back into its golden cradle. "Perhaps a different choice in divination will be able to give you the answers to the the questions that you really are vested in." A gentle way of calling him out for his smoke screen question. Once more she gestures to the other items of divination and then smiles over at Roe, "That would be very good of you miss. Never hurts to get some air flow. The chinese believe it is good to help the energies flow." And discipate the smell of centaur from her shop. When she hears a voice come from outside she hmms, "The window is very close my friend. Probably closer than you'll be able to get. I'm terribly sorry for the size of my shop. I promise you the bench is very comfortable and many people often use it to watch."
"Huh. Fair enough." Anson grins at the Centauress's answer, relaxing somewhat as he draws his chair out and eases back down. But, yes, please, the window! He sends Roe a pleading look, encouraged by Cassandra's permission. But her later words draw him up short. "Fine," he mutters, reluctant. "I need to know if I can win a girl back." His features are rigid, a little red. "She broke up with me last year. I've been trying to win her back. I need to know if I do." Something in his tone doesn't hint at true love lost. Embarrassment, yes, but not pain. And he seems relieved to hear the piping little voice behind Cyrene. A welcome distraction, that.
Cyrene twists at the waist to peer behind her, but of course she can't see the little human wanting to get inside. She does her best to press herself to one side of the doorframe, leaving very little room on the other side. "Squeeeze in," she instructs Aiden. "Just be careful where you touch." Roe's comment causes her to look over the divination tools Cassandra has laid out, and she shrugs. "Some are similar. But I am curious about how humans read the fates. I overheard some students talking about this place, so I decided to see for myself."
It's an odd habit of Roe's, that she doesn't always use magic to accomplish the simpler tasks in life. Like baking! Or erm.. knitting. Though her efforts at the latter remain quite shocking. With a murmured, "Do excuse me.." toward Cyrene, the young woman crosses the short distance, remarkably managing not to trip or break anything, en route, and unlatches the window, leaning out to greet whoever's stuck out there. Despite Cyrene's efforts, this still might be the easier way! Waving over the young lad she spies, the brunette offers him an encouragingly warm smile, gesturing down at the bench just beneath the window's ledge. "Hello there! If you stand on this you ought to be able to see…" Glancing up, particularly careful to make sure she's not going to send anything precarious toppling over, she opens the windows wide, pressing the panes back as far as they'll go. There. Job's a good'un.
Dusting off her hands, she elects now to stay over there. Not because the odour of wet horse unduly bothers her, but mostly to keep out of the way and perhaps keep company with the youngster outside, if he chooses this route. She folds her arms low across her midsection and rests her hips back against the windowsill, content to observe as a new question is put forth. Ahh, young love. It's ever such a grand thing!
Aiden decides it to be safer to stand on the bench, he really doesnt want to offend anyone. "Sure thank you." He says running over and climbing onto the bench. "Thank you Miss, My name is Aiden." He says smiling at her happy that he can now see whats going on.
Cassandra hmms thoughtfully and she picks up the Tarot deck and sits down. She shuffles it like they were at vegas, with pinache and style. "I believe the cards would be the best tool for such a quandary. I am going to pass you this deck, I want you to give it a few more shuffles while concentrating on the question. Then I want you to cut the cards once, while speaking the first initial of the young lady out loud and then a second time with the initial of her surname. Then place the deck back together however you choose and pass it back to me and we will perform The Arrow of Love spread."
Anson stares at the deck of cards intently, and begins to shuffle. He's obviously played a game of hearts or two in his time - he bridges the deck neatly. And cutting the cards, he murmurs "M." His face goes very pink, and he glances over at the window, at Aiden, and past him. Searching to make certain she's not eavesdropping, no doubt. He cuts it again, saying — louder this time — "S." He passes the deck back to Cassandra and sits back, very carefully not meeting anyone's eyes. Particularly the Centaur's.
"I'm Roe." The brunette smiles over her shoulder at the young lad, with the sort of natural warmth that betrays a fondness for young folks. "Bet you've never seen a centaur up close before, hm? Isn't she impressive?" She choose that descriptor over 'pretty' or err.. 'big', so as not to cause offence. A woman's a woman, regardless of species! And she doesn't fancy getting trampled for the sake of word choice. Addressing Cyrene herself once more, the brunette adds, by way of belated response, "Quite understandable.. I myself would be fascinated to know the differences, once you've observed. If that's allowed, of course." Quite a secretive lot when it comes to their traditions, centaurs.
Roe definitely notices how sheepish the seated student is looking.. and she keeps her gaze charitably diverted, looking steadily down at the deck as it's handed to the Fortune Teller. Though, a closer look would reveal her to be suppressing a grin, with some effort. Poor boy!
Cyrene tilts her head, staring curiously at the cards, brow pinched as if trying to read a foreign language. Keeping her voice low to try not to disturb Cassandra and Anson, she murmurs in the direction of Roe and Aiden. "How does she expect to see signs in those? They look as if they are already pre-written. Where is the interpretation?"
Aiden smiles brighter at Roe. "No Ma'am never and yes she is very impressive." He says smiling. "My curiosity got the best of me when I saw her heading this way. Not sure of what she means by seeing signs, to be honest all of this is fascinating since I have yet to know how any of it works." Aiden says brightly.
"I think.." Likewise keeping her voice respectfully soft, Roe offers a tentative answer toward the centaur, "..that it all depends on the layout. The position the cards are lain, the order, whether they're upside down.. that's what is interpreted." She was never actually any good at Divination. At all. But well, everyone has at least a vague idea what tarot is. No doubt her explanation is dreadful, by Cassandra's standards. But she's doing her best! Turning her head slightly in Aiden's direction next, her eyes never leaving the cards, the young woman nods and agrees. "It is, isn't it… all ever so mysterious."
Cassandra lays the deck onto the table in front of Anson and then with a flurry of movement she spreads out the cards in such a way with both hands in one fluid motion to create a heart shape on the table with the cards. The point of the heart towards Anson. "Please concentrate on her again as you pick six cards pass them each to me as you select." Once this stage of shuffling and selection is done she places the first card down within the heart at the pointed end. "The Eight of Swords. In the position of Self Image - This position gives insight into your view of yourself. It is in many ways the basis for love, and forms a powerful force affecting the spread as a whole. It being the Eight of Swords means that there is something blocking you. Was there some advice that was ignored or silenced? In order to proceed you must come to terms with what this is and avoided it."
Anson tries to look up at Roe and summon up another confident smile, but he sees that grin forming and flushes a brighter red. He listens to Cassandra, head turning back to her. And it doesn't look like he's liking what he hears. "No," he says, surlily. "Well. Her friend Harriet told me it's because she thinks I'm arrogant." He tosses his head haughtily. "I'm not arrogant!" And the git seems to believe it. "..But I'll try to be less. Even though I'm not." He glances again at Roe and Cyrene, blushing at the sight of their attention. Aiden is given a glare, as if to say, 'if you ever tell this story, kid..'
Cyrene nods slowly, taking in Roe's explanation while trying to follow Cassandra's reading. "I see. The placement of the card within the pattern changes its meaning. And when the boy touched the cards, he left an impression of his destiny upon them. Interesting. Perhaps there is something to this method."
(New BB message (4/41) posted to 'Arrivals and Idle Notices' by Xylina: Boudica has been taken!)
Aiden smirks a bit. "So some of our energies rub off on the cards then?" he says with interest. "So people come here to learn about what they should do?" He asks. "This is very intriguing."
Nodding in assent, if somewhat dubiously, to Cyrene's summary, Roe casts the centauress a smile, now falling relatively quiet as the cards are deciphered. "Well, they come to learn what certain paths might lead to, I suppose.." Answering Aiden in a soft aside, the brunette smiles vaguely. "Then it's up to them to decide what to do." Like Anson. Deciding to be less arrogant, apparently. Being quite familiar with a man of similar traits, Roe privately doubts it's quite that simple.
Speak of the golden-haired devil… From somewhere out in the street, a voice drifts in through the wide-open window, a snippet of conversation from an approaching group of teenage girls.
"…supposed to meet me here ten minutes ago.." comes a plaintive whine. "..think he's forgotten? Or maybe Morrow was making it all up.."
Another voice cuts in, with abrupt disbelief and a no-nonsense manner to the tone. "…wouldn't do that. Come on… let's try down this way…"
"..or maybe Anson changed his mind?!" The first voice sounds perilously close to upset. Oh no, drama is a-brewing on the quiet streets of Hogsmeade! No wonder he's come looking for guidance.
"Oh, bugger! Oh, I am so sorry!" For the profanity or for the way Anson shoots to his feet, it's hard to say. He stares from one person to another, a bit wild-eyed. "I'm late for a.. a.. date." He clears his throat and, apparently feeling the need, says "Not with her. The girl. With her friend." As if that makes it better.
He babbles onward, realizing how it sounds. "But she asked me to! So it's alright." A deep breath. Calm down, Anson. He turns to the door, sees Cyrene there, and frowns. After a moment, his dignity already in tatters, he turns and hurries toward the window. "Move, kid."
And — yes, he's clambering out the window and into the street with no further ado. "Harriet!" His voice can be heard calling out on the street as he bustles after the girls. "Harriet, I've been looking all over Hogsmeade for you! Weren't we supposed to meet over.." And his voice fades away as he scrambles to make his excuses.
Cassandra seems to be very focused on the reading, perhaps she's in the Beyond! The spread within the heart will slowly come together to look a bit like a cross just with the cross beam very high up. It's an arrow, as much as one can get large rectangle cards to look like an arrow. The second card is laid down above the first to create more of the arrow's shaft. To Anson's retorts for the spread so far she just gives him a very neutral smile and nod. It's not very good business to tell your customer they are arrogant so she simply nods her head ammicably when he stats he'll try to be less, even though he's not. The second card is given a little tap. "This is the position of Romantic Energy - It does not point to the romance between any specific people, but rather the overall emotional and romantic energy surrounding you. What forces are at work?" Her eyebrows perk up, "The card is The Lovers. Harmony, beauty and…" saying the word 'perfection' to a young man dealing with arrogance is not a good adjective so she searchs for another, "…dedication. The ties between the people involved are strong. It is an overwhelming responsibility for close companions."
Cyrene shrugs at Aiden. "Energy? My people view destiny as the path the Fates set before you. You don't have to follow it, but you will find more obstacles in your way if you do not. By handling those cards, he temporarily made them a part of himself, sharing his potential destiny with them. I believe that it why they can now divine his future…like way-markers guiding him back to a path to success." Cyrene's brow lofts at Anson's sudden, scrambling departure. "It seems he's decided to forge his own path today." Right out the window, no less.
Cassandra rather belatedly realizes that the young man she was reading for is no longer sitting across from her. She blinks and her eyes focus more on the shop as a whole. "Was it something I said? Well, hmm." She starts collecting up the cards after she peers at what the others would be. So that if he returns she can continue the reading. But the cards are stacked up neatly again, tapped with he wand and then waven over with a sage smudge before she looks up to smile at Roe. "I believe it was your turn next?"
Aiden barely gets out of the way. "Hey watch it thats not very polite!" he calls after Anson as he dashed off. "Hmm… I guess different people view this art differently yea?" he asks politely. "So has everyone just shown up to have their fortunes read?" Aiden asks more curiously.
Oh my! Roe steps sharply aside out of the young man's path as he makes his sudden bid for freedom, looking after Anson as he disappears out onto the street, momentarily dumbfounded. "Goodness me. Hm? Oh! Oh, yes please, thank you." Realising she's the one being addressed, the young lady smiles and shyly moves forward toward the chair. A last flit of her gaze between Aiden and Cyrene, and she eases herself down to a seat, eyeing the items on the table with obvious interest. She'd actually been enthralled merely by observing but well… why not have a bash. "I err.. well. I have a venture coming up in the near future. I would rather like to know how it's going to go…" Understatement of the week. Folding her hands in her lap, Roe looks up at Cassandra, taking in the woman's appearance up close with nothing but fascination. Just because she herself is hopeless at this sort of thing doesn't mean it isn't real, after all.
"There are many perspectives from which to read signs and omens," Cyrene explains to young Aiden. "They are all around us, easy to see…but not always easy to interpret. Tools like Madam Blavaspee's can sometimes help to clarify when seeking specific answers."
Cassandra makes a well practiced graceful sweep of the divining tools. "Do you have a preference?" She smiles encouragingly and clasps her hands on the table awaiting Roe's choice.
Roe's gaze falls upon the quill, set in the ink pot, and she nods fractionally toward this as her choice. "I'm admittedly curious about this one.." she murmurs, quite unabashed at her lack of knowledge. This isn't her area of expertise, after all. Certainly not in comparison to present company.
Cassandra unclasps her hands and slides her arms across the top of the table to extend outwards towards Roe. "The art of Chiromancy hmm? Very good, place your arm on the table, palm up and relax your hand, I hope you are not ticklish." A playful little smile is offered with that. "Vablatsky. Vuh-BLAT-ski. Cassandra would be fine." She says as an aside to the Centaur in her door. She's been patient, but there's only so many times she can overhear her name being butchered before she must make corrections. "And you are?" Seems as she is filling up her quill awaiting Roe's hand is time for introductions. The question is for everyone as her eyes travel to meet with each of them.
Roe obligingly offers out her palm, smiling slightly across at the Fortune Teller. "No more than most, I expect!" Well, a drawing sensation on one's palm is likely to make practically anyone squirm. But she'll endure it, like a champ! At the request for names the curve upon her lips widens further, revealing youthful dimples. "Rowena Scamander. But please, call me Roe. Everyone does." A momentary pause and she ventures to ask a polite question in return, unrelated to her own reading. "..you wrote that book, didn't you." It's a mildl surprised realisation, perhaps prompted by the careful enunciation of that surname. "Well done!" If anyone can appreciate the work of an author, a Scamander is a fairly safe bet. Maybe one day Roe will get round to attempting something of that sort. Not today, though! Today is for fortune telling. And centaurs, apparently.
Aiden looks around a bit than smiles sheepishly. "Im well my name is Aiden, Ma'am Aiden Merrythought." He says with a smile the Irish in him clear by his voice. "Im glad ta meetcha"
Cyrene sighs through her nostrils at being corrected, as if it were Cassandra's fault for having such a difficult name for a centaur to pronounce. "I am Cyrene," she says proudly, expecting her name to carry the weight of her deeds with it.
Cassandra bows her head, the feathers of her headdress flutter a little in the breeze from the window. "Very good to meet all of you. Welcome to my shop." Roe's question gets answered by a humble bow of her head. The quill is then lowered to Roe's palm. "Palmistry is not quite good at answering specific questions. It's more an art of personal retrospection. This line here…" The ink slides along a line cooly from high on the webbing between thumb and hand around the Mount of Venus, which is the Pad of the Thumb down near the Bracelets of Life, the wrinkles of the wrist. "The life line is long. This usually indicates a good general state of physical vitality. The longer the line, the greater the vitality. It is also a sign of strong ancestral inheritance."
"Alright.." Roe doesn't seem to mind, more interested in the art of the questioning rather than the actual answer. She watches the ink as it meanders down her palm, listening with rapt attenntion to Cassandra's translation and nodding slowly. "Well. That's good. And yes, I suppose my family does have rather a distinguished line.." Mostly thanks to one particular cousin, in recent times. But for other reasons, too! Staying mostly still, aside from the initial ticklish twitch of her fingertips, the brunette chances a glance up at the woman opposite, looking pleased thus far.
Cassandra uses the feathery tip of the quill to point to three locations along that same webbing while explaining, "Where this line starts is an indication of personality. High on the hand means a strong personality, opinionated. In the middle here indicates an even temperment. While low it tends to mean a loner or weaker personality. Where it ends close to the thumb means a strong attachement to home. Yours here ending a bit in the middle, means a strong love for travel and adventure. While if it ended off all the way over here that would be a Traveller sort that likes to return home. See how it arches? A regular Arc means objectivity and judgement. If it's a bit all over the palm and long it means a nervouse nature, while if it was all dashy and not continuous at all, that indicates little energy, a weaker person."
The the room having clear out a bit, Cyrene manages to squeeze inside, settling down on the floor by the door, which finally puts her at about head-height for humans. She watches in respectful silence…well, as respectful as someone nosily watching another's reading can be.
Peering down at her own palm, Roe follows the indicative touches of the quill's tip, nodding her understanding at intervals. "All fairly flattering, so far." she remarks, the words followed by a pleasant, low-throated chuckle. "Can I say it's accurate without sounding awfully big for my boots..?" Hearing a vague cafuffle behind her, the brunette momentarily glances toward Cyrene and offers her a slight grin. No doubt she's wondering what the centauress makes of this method. But she's not going to interrupt the flow of the reading to ask.
Cyrene observes curiously as Cassandra finishes the palm reading. When it is over with at last, the centaur glances out the window, eyes narrowing. "The shadow of a raven," she murmurs. "I must go." With a nod to Madam Vablatsky and no further explanation, she very carefully rises and backs herself out the door, politely closing it behind her.