Location: Haly's Circus Fair, Gotham City
Interaction/s: Madame Xanadu
@dreamingflowers
Aleen'a was quite surprised and a bit overwhelmed by everything that's happening. Music of all kinds kept playing through the speakers, the air was filled with laughter and the smells of several foods from stands, and humans of all shapes and sizes milled around and enjoyed the day. How could one simply know what to do first amidst a sea of randomness? It was chaotic indeed but for some reason, for Aleen'a, everything made sense when they're together. Seeing a little girl holding both her parents' hands made her homesick for Tamaran. They did have their own festivities on their planet. She wondered if her parents missed her now just as much as she was to them everyday.
She couldn't even explain it herself as she couldn't hear her own thoughts from the screams of fright coming from, what their briefing told her, was a horror house. It looked scary as it had a huge terrifying demon at its entrance that looked down on any passersby with its large artificial red eyes. She almost barged into the place if she didn't remember that they were all just animantrontics dressed as monsters that scare off people. It was all in good fun and they were told to make the best of it, but she didn't know if she could focus on enjoying the fair when their target was right in the open.
The circus was not far from where she was. It was still being set up but she could tell several workers were working on the inside too, judging from the people that kept going in and out of its entrance while handling supplies. Their mission tonight was just like their previous one only this time they would have to hide in plain sight, which was something Aleen'a didn't get until now. No one would suspect a group of teenagers of anything as long as they didn't do anything out of the ordinary. That meant no flying for Aleen'a as she already stood out a little for having an inhuman skin complexion. No one would notice, would they?
She looked around and noticed everyone on her team was already going on their own way. She couldn't see them anywhere as she was too trapped in her own thoughts to notice where everyone had gone. She remembered that they would have to act inconpsi... Er, incopnsi... Ink on spee... She remembered that they would have to act non-suspiciously to avoid any unwanted attention from the enemies. So, remembering all the movies she had binge-watched with her cousin about modern American teenagers, Aleen'a smiled and skipped along like an excited little kid.
Aleen'a wondered what to try first. Will it be the sweet-smelling candy that was made out of cotton? A dog in the shape of corn? This weird bread shaped in a weird demonic symbol they call pretzel? While thinking about what to eat, something caught Aleen'a's eyes. In the distance, way at the back was a stall with violet velvet cloth. A sign above it said it could foretell your future and she marveled in awe at it. She looked around for a bit before deciding to walk through the heavy cloth.
Inside the deceptively small tent was a spacious room. It was stuffed from wall to wall with all kinds of odds and ends. Stacks of books in multiple languages, spilling out of their intended cases. Jars and bottles, some labeled while some remained mysterious. Questionable items floated in even more dubiously colored liquids. Heavy draping concealed parts of the room, making it impossible to see its true size. A woman was standing with her back to the entrance, a table behind her with a deck, a set of candles, and a deck of playing cards.
“Please sit, put your money on the table and we will begin.”
At the sound of coins hitting the surface of the table, the woman turned around. She looked to be somewhere in her thirties with long dark hair and a piercing gaze. She studied the girl standing in front of her.
“Welcome, I’m Madame Xanadu.”She offered for Aleen’a to take a seat. Madame Xanadu picked up a match and held it in the candle flame until it sparked, she drew it through the air in a mysterious fashion.
“Cards can illuminate your past, clarify the present and show you the future”Taking a seat her eyes never left Aleena’s, her focus was intense.
“If you have a specific question hold it in your mind.”She began to shuffle the frayed deck cards.
Aleen’a remained staring dumbfounded at Madame Xanadu with her mouth agape before she remembered she could speak. Something about this woman seemed so strange but in a good way.
“Oh, uh… Well, I have seen from your signage that you can tell the future, yes? It has always been fascinating that humans can be such magical be- I mean, we humans are such fascinating magical beings. We humans, because I am human and so are you. Indeed. Wonderful, magical humans…”. She trailed off and chuckled nervously before clearing her throat.
“Oh right, I was to hold my question within my mind. Please give me a moment…” Aleen’a said and thought for a bit. So many questions popped into her head at once. Why was it hard to be friends with the people she admired? Is it still good for her to stay on Earth? Anxiety filled her but she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. As she did, one question stood out from the rest, a question she needed answered the most.
As Aleen’a continued to walk the path of heroism, what would her fate be?
Madame Xanadu stopped shuffling and fanned out her cards on the table, taking a few seemingly at random. She laid them out in a pattern and took her time in studying them.
She tapped one of the cards with her finger.
“You are very far from your home..” The woman was stating it as a fact as that wasn’t really a prediction yet, she was getting a sense of where this girl came from. The cards told her what she already expected.
“I see something dark in your career as a hero, it will cause you much pain. Someone is out for revenge, be careful around the ones you know. Trust your own kind.”
“In the darkness of space, stars burn brighter when they are together.”Aleen’a’s breath caught in her throat when Madame Xanadu mentioned she was far from home. Did she already blow her cover or did she discover it through her mystic magic? The more the fortune teller continued, the more Aleen’a didn't like where things were headed. According to the mysterious woman, the only thing certain in her future was pain. Also, who wanted to exact revenge on her? She had made no enemies among the star systems as far as she knew.
At least she gave Aleen’a an inkling of hope in the end. Pain, revenge, and stars. She took a deep breath. Whatever’s waiting for her, she’ll meet it with strengthened resolve and willful spirit, just how her kin would face challenges in life.
“Thank you, Madame Xanadu. Your thoughtful words have enlightened me truly. If I may ask… How does it feel like, knowing what will happen in the future? It is all so fascinating!” She asked in utter fascination.
“It's both a blessing and a curse.”
“Now time is up, I have other clients”. The fortune teller dismissed the enthusiasm of the young Tamaranian and pointed her swiftly to the door.
“Oh… Oh, of course!” Aleen’a nodded in gratitude as she got up from her seat. Before going out, her attention got piqued by one of the jars holding mysterious liquids nearest to the exit. As she approached it, she could feel such dark and negative vibes emanating from it, enough to send chills down her spine.
“I-I’ll go! T-Thank you!” Aleen’a said as she quickly got out of the fortune teller’s stall with her destiny now in her own hands.