(B-10, Late Afternoon, WF) (Warwick, O)

After hastily tying up the Leopold to a handy tree and tidying the worst of her hair, Cassi felt herself flop onto her favourite step. The journey hadn’t been too strenuous but talking to yourself for a day can take a lot of effort once you think about it.

So as a reward for her efforts she let herself tarry awhile to drink in the wondrous surroundings which she watched with a lazy smile on her face, as the sun started to think about setting and the world was bathed in golden light. The soon to be lit lanterns danced with the leaves as a breeze set them into motion and distant shouts of joy wafted by.

The notion of others reminded Cassi of why she was here, Horoscope reading of course! She bustled about her caravan, fishing out a sandwich board labelled Horoscopes, grappling with an old stick in order to rescue her precious charts and with a final tug freed her hat from the cutlery drawer’s evil grip.

Clattering down the steps, almost losing her balance, she landed with a small thud on the crispy pine needles. She grinned at her comedy and with a swift movement she was back on her feet. Dumping her belongings on the floor she pondered the best way to bring in punters.
With a sly smirk on her face, she hitched up her trousers and scaled the side and with a wary vault she was up on the roof of the cart. Testing the roof for strength she gingerly got to her feet. The view was a sight to be seen, her smile got wider as she saw the island was carpeted in wicks, brilliant for business! She breathed in deep, preparing herself, and on the exhale she yelled “GET YOUR HOROSCOPE READINGS ‘ERE!” and with that she stretched forward attempting a handstand, realised she had run out roof and with a dull plop she was on the ground again admiring the golden sky.

“Hmm…” she thought aloud.

His juggling had been absent, just enough to draw the attention of a select handful of kids, just enough to give a taste of what he was capable of doing -- Warwick had barely even been paying attention to it, really, he'd mostly been watching the bustle of people going by with just a note of something nervous dancing across his face. It was very much like he was looking out for someone, perhaps, or like he kept seeing familiar faces and he couldn't quite decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

But despite his careless air, the absent arch of four balls through the air, one of them significantly large than the others; despite the fact that he was walking as he did it, a slow and ponderous sort of walk, contemplating setting up somewhere and digging out the rest of his supplies; despite the dreamy air on his face he could still pull it off. They rolled over his fingertips, off of an upraised elbow, into the air and back to his hands. There was a gentle elegance to the movement. He made it look easy.

Until, of course, there was that godawful bellow from above. For the first time in quite a while, Warwick started and fumbled and only managed to snatch one of his juggling balls out of the air as the other three tumbled away. He had to scramble after them with the awkward movements of a frustrated crane, nearby children giggling delightedly as if this was better than anything else he could have done.

The last one, the largest, split into red, green and blue segments, rolled in to rest against the foot of her cart with a gentle 'thump' -- and then, naturally, went beneath. He made a frustrated noise and peered up at her, his own voiced raised, projecting, a booming echo of her own. "Your timing is just perfect."

As Cassi gazed up she was greeted by young man with a crown of blue and green hair, a wise choice in colour she thought.

She gave him a coy grin and returned his unholy yell with “Ah It was nothing, now I have a simple question for you to answer.” She had to stop to breathe but nevertheless carried on shouting “Did you come over here to pester me or was it for a-“ she gasped “-a horoscope reading?”

Then lowering her voice to a sensible level she added “Either way, I could do with a hand in getting up.” She grinned sheepishly hoping that a traditional friendly smile would quell his possible anger…

"I came over 'cause yer kint et my juggling ball." He'd watched her fall with mingled amusement, horror, and -- and satisfaction. It was only fair, after all, wasn't it? He now stared down at her with his head tilted to the side and that crest of hair fuzzy and glowing in the dying sunlight, more golden from the sun and more blue from the sky.

He gestured, in a roundabout sort of way, to indicate underneath her cart. A turn of her head and she could peer underneath, squint into the darkness and, perhaps, make out the bright shape of the lopsided construction in the gloom. It wasn't perfectly round, likely filled with sawdust or some other fibrous material, something that squished. A fortunately thing, too. This squishing had prevented it from rolling too far beneath. A long, outstretched arm could probably reach...

"See it under there? Grab it and I'll give you a hand." This last bit said with a flash of his grin and another toss of one of the balls up, caught behind his back, to free his right hand. He wiggled his fingers at her.

Cassi watched with amusement as the kov gesticulated wildly toward the underside of the caravan. It seemed his balls meant a lot to him, but she supposed that was men in general and the little trick really said it all.
So she titled her head and let her eyes adjust to the darkness, then something colourful and slightly round caught her eye, this probably was his beloved ball. Her arm reached out and fumbled with the grass, a finger touched the ball and it threatened to move further away. With one last stretch it was firmly grasped in Cassi’s slightly sweaty palm.

She lifted the ball to the man, like a trophy and with a gleaming smile and eyes that sparkled like the stars. She proclaimed “Is this what you’ve been lookin’ for? Cause I got it!”. Then as if she was a small child reaching out for sweets, she outstretched her arm, fingers mimicking the man’s cheeky wiggle, and waited to be put back on the ground the correct way up.

He was true to his word, at the very least; the second he spotted the ball in her hand, he tucked the rest of his juggling away and reached down to wrap both of his around her upheld palm. It likely took all of his weight thrown into it, heels planted, to drag her up to stand - and his grin faded out to a more bemused sort of smile as he met her eyes, "Well lookit that."

And maybe she'd see it too. Despite the obvious difference in age, there was a harmonious sort of cord between them; they matched in a rather spectacular sort of way, hair and eyes and tall, awkward frames. If she were only a bit darker of skin...well. It was still enough to leave him staring for a moment before spying her lost hat out of the corner of his eye and reaching around her to grab it.

He held the tricorn in her direction, cleared his throat, and shook it a little. "Trade?"

A tingle of relief passed through Cassi as she felt his hands wrap round hers and felt slightly guilty as he had to use most of his strength as he heaved her up.
It felt so good to see the world the correct way up and she grinned with satisfaction. A voice snapped Cassi out of her glee and she couldn’t help but to smile sheepishly. Even the stars couldn’t have prepared her for the person that stood in front of her.
It could have been the fact that his hair was laced with her favourite colours, it could have been the way he held himself, it could have been everything or anything. They were practically peas in a pod, two of a kind and moa of a feather. Her heart started to race, it was so exciting to meet a kindred spirit that Cassi had to stop herself calling out with joy.
Realizing her errors, she cleared her throat and brushed herself off. A hand automatically reached up to straighten her hat. Alas! It had fallen off in the kerfuffle. Panic gripped Cassi’s already frantic heart.
But Fate had kindly stepped in to help her out. In the man’s hand was her beloved hat, she had been a silly fool. Cassi gratefully traded the ball for the hat and then with great gusto she plonked the hat back in its rightful place.
The man needed to be thanked for his kindness some how, but first the formalities had to take place. Out stretching her hand again she grinned and announced “Cassiopeia Armand, I would tell you my trade, but I think you have already been told about that…” Frowning she realized she had never found it so hard to make talk before. Cassi mustered all the courage she could find and gabbled “AndwhatdoyoubusyyourselfwithIbetit’sjugglingIn’tit?”

That took a moment to process, the blur of words leaving him gaping at her with the juggling ball in one hand and his eyebrows raised. Slowly, the smile faded down to just a baffled glimmer. Only one word in there made sense at first, and he grabbed at it. Tossed the ball once, his smile mostly returning as he put it away.

"Ah, ne." But that was wrong, he paused to gather himself, almost as off-balance as Cassi. "I mean, oes, but that ent it..."

For his part, instead of babbling he paused and drew in a deep breath, adding some more teeth to his smile. "I juggle some, but it's just th'flash. A hook. Ye chen? The real part's mostly tumbling..."

His lyrical words tumbled into Cassi’s already giddy brain and the word tumbling shone like the setting sun. Cassi had always admired the simple grace of a well executed move and feeling her heart skip a beat when a tumble was on the edge of falling apart.

Excitement fizzled through every inch of her 33 year old body it came out in the form of a high pitched yelp of glee.
Her hand leapt over her mouth as if she was trying to hide the strange sound that was uttered forth. She grinned and attempted to act her age.

“ I erm… I would love to have a gander of some of that, if you would um… could do that? I can read yer horoscope in return… as that’s what I while away the days doing, but you prolly know that dontcha from my erm little escapade and whatnot!”

"...one step farther and I woulda gone down with ye." She was -- well, she was practically glittering, wasn't she? He gave her one last apprehensive look before his eyes twitched up to her cart, the distance she had dove her own tumbling, and cleared his throat. He might well have been seriously injured in the resulting mess but he knew better than to say that. Women always took that sort of commend personally...

"How much flash do you do?" His eyes slid back onto her, with a halfway teasing edge to his voice. Warwick was used to a much different style of 'fortune telling' than Cassi's, likely. One with more shaking of the cart, one that involved more trickery than talent, and one that buttered people up for a bigger payout. Ones that he knew better than to believe in.

Cassi frowned at comment. Flash?! Her work was not that, well when she did it properly it wasn’t. This boy had some spark about him to ask such a question. She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow

“ My kov you have a lot to learn and you aint never seen a proper horoscope reading then? My readings are like an art, and unlike some I do glance up at the heavens when there ‘appens to be a clear night. So what I do aint flash or what ever you feel like calling it.”

As an after thought she added “But if it’s all flash to you, then I won’t bother giving you a reading.”
Cassi attempted to act all cool, by flicking her fringe away from her eyes and straightening up her jacket, butterflies still fluttering inside.

"Take it the show ent too good, then." He pulled a face at her bad sense of humor and shifted where he stood; quick little fidgets, movements that seemed uncomfortable and off-balance. It was like he couldn't hold still, like his arm and legs wouldn't listen, like they wanted to carry him off and only a small part of him objected to this idea and kept him rooted to the ground in front of her.

His shoulders rolling, his eyes crept up onto her cart, fully investigating it for the first time. It was a bit...well, there was a surprising amount of substance there, wasn't there, and perhaps it made him uneasy. "What were ye doin' up top?"

She chewed her bottom lip in a thoughtful manner and replied “Well my show ent what it used ter be that’s fer sure” A mellow pink blush of embarrassment started to tingle in her cheeks.

She cocked a fair eyebrow as she watched him gaze at her cart.
Almost jumping at the question posed. It was going to get slightly awkward from here. She looked at the ground, then at the sky. Her brain formulating a response. Too Late.
She scratched her head, and paused for a moment and then replied.
“Umm well, I ‘ad this plan you see, and well it was on top of the roof like.” She gesticulated wildly. “…and then I shouted loudly, well um very loudly. Then I had a little tumble so ter speak and then well. Then I met you and int that a pritty story.” Cassi grinned trying to detract from her goofy smile.

"Noffense intended, but ye ent so good at it." He shot her one brief look, adjusting the bag on his shoulder, before his eyes returned to the kint -- and without a pause he kicked into motion. He scrambled his way up top with a shocking athleticism, before she could protest, shrugging the bag down to rest at his feet and cupping hand around his mouth.

"The Wraithwine Wood; if ye ent heard of it then ye best open up th' ears or risk yerself an' yer soul -- oes, sir, don't be givin' me that look lest ye been. Have ye? Thought not." Warwick was good at this, slumping his shoulders to relax, his stance easy and balanced. He pointed into the crowd, working to get their attention -- any kind, really, it was all good.

"Well she has. In'an'out again, oes, an' ent that a feat? Eight days, I heard, with nothing but the clothes on her back. Eight days, livin' on th' land, an' riskin' the haunts and what do ye think that'd do to ye?" He looked almost gleeful as he spun the tale, easing forward to the edge of the cart to peer down at an awestruck kid of about eight. "Lucky te even survive it, but this one -- Cassiopeia Armand -- th' one an' only -- she went in an' came out with a special sorta gift."

He hunkered down on his haunches, elbows on his knees, wiggling his eyebrows at the squeaking child. "She c'n see things, ye chen? Good things, bad things, th' future an' the past. The haunts all around ye, kiddy, th' one ye hide under the covers from in th' night."

Dinner plate eyes were what he was going for. He grinned suddenly, straightening again, and swept a hand toward Cassi. "Maybe, if ye offer her some coin, she'd tell ye some of it. But ye best be ready fer what she might say. Ye might not like what ye hear."

Flash. Warwick was all flash. He ended this statement with an easy somersault off the cart to the ground, close enough that the kid ran off with a startled squeak. No sleep for him, tonight.

She sniffed at his last comment, and went to turn away. But then she saw a flash of colour. The man had leapt up like a cat onto her kint. What in the name of stars was he doing up there? Maybe he wanted to see what it was like to fall off too.

The speech that followed his antics chilled Cassi to her core. A whimper was uttered from her lips. Hugging her arms to body for comfort, she watched in awe as the words painted a picture in front of her.

She felt her breathing increase, short little gasps as a chill gripped her heart. Feeling her way to the cool grass, she managed to seat her self, eyes still fixated on the storyteller.

His hand gestured towards her, a wave of terror washed over her, a girlish squeak wormed its way out of her lips. She was helpless and at the mercy of the story.

As he elegantly somersaulted off her cart, her mind went dark and not for the first time today she opened her eyes to a bright blue sky.

Lifting her head up slightly she uttered a quiet “Wow.”

She'd open her eyes to Warwick hovering over her in a low crouch, with a halfway embarrassed little smile dancing across his lips. That had perhaps, been a bit much -- but surely it had gathered some interest, at least, and someone would come by her cart that evening for a reading...?

Warwick folded his arms over his knees, eyebrows raised in a nervy, questioning sort of way. His voice, when it came, was lightly teasing, but beneath there was a fine undertone of something genuinely concerned. "Flashbacks? Visions? Not enough te drink? Ye alright?"

A grinning face and brightly coloured hair greeted her as she opened her eyes, she laughed and stated “Well there int a prittier view than this one to wake up to”.

Slowly she sat up, although the sky was nice that was the last time today she planned to see it. She shook her head to dislodge spare leaves and grass that had found its way into hair and noticed that the boy had a worried look on his face. Eager to dismiss any tension in the air she leant forward and almost exploded with excitement

“That might have just been the flashiest flash that ever flashed me” For once Cassi was lost for a good word. “Do you… um want to come inside the um cart and we can chat, I don’t even know your name! Fancy a drink, I bet you need one, I would.” Urging him inside the cozy cart.

“In fact, on second thoughts I should be the one having a good stiff drink…”

"...thought...ah." He gave up on the idea of explaining and, instead, reached out to help Cassi to her feet, grinning widely at the people around them in a forced sort of way. It was meant to be conspiratorial; a 'see here? Something happened -- and it was mystical', so they'd come back later and buy.

"I'm Warwick. Well, Leslie Warwick but I'd rather -- you know." A puff of breath, and he settled a hand lightly, fluttery, against the small of her back, just in case she fell over a third time. "Ye should get inside and sit down, I think."

“Well aint that a lovely name, Warwick!” Cassi said testing out the sound of his name.she felt her spine tingle as a hand was placed over her lower back, it was reassuring that she had found someone to catch her if she fell, again.

Ushering him into the cart she smoothed over the untidy bed linen, and made a place for Warwick to cosy himself into. Busying herself with finding something she could offer him Cassi asked in a polite manner “So what brings you here, other than the bright lights and pretty flags?”

"...where else would I be?" He didn't sit, though; he followed her, back just enough not to be obtrusive but close enough to catch her if she fell -- she was obviously fragile. Wouldn't want to be responsible for her tumble...again.

" 's the best place te be just now -- dze, ye don't have te get anything --" Although, if she set food in his hands, he would eat it, certainly.

As Cassi pottered around the cart in a similar fashion to a hunter gatherer, she felt Warwick stay behind her, as if he was guarding her. She liked having him around, even if he was a little too big for his boots…

Her hand squashed on something moist and sticky, the last piece of sludge cake! Mmm! She scooped it up and plonked it on a plank of wood. She turned and offered the cake, a flower grasped between her teeth.

“Ta-dah” she said, although it was rather muffled by the wilting stem.

...sludge cake. On a piece of wood. How...elegant. Not that he cared, but it wasn't exactly what he expected of her; she didn't scream 'barbaric' from ever pore, didn't seem the type to devour food with her hands or roll around in the dirt, or....

Or maybe he just had a skewed sense of what women should be like. He took the slab of wood quietly, confused, and finally sank down to sit on the edge of her bed. "...you really didn't have te...I mean, uh..."

As she offered the cake, she felt him droop like the flower in-between her teeth. Not quite the reaction she was expecting. Not one to be put out by a simple error she bravely stumbled on with the clumsy game of playing host.

Her left hand felt around for a drawer and pulled it open. With a grin on her face she groped around inside the deep caverns of what seemed like a bottomless drawer, positioning herself so Warwick couldn’t see what she was doing.

Finally with a flourish she pulled out two beautiful sliver coloured forks inlaid with a starry pattern, presenting one to him she replied in a singsong voice “ I hope this is more ter yer liking, um sorry about yer plank me plates are somewhere probably floating in the cosmos if you know what I mean!” With that Cassi settled down beside him, she landed with a gentle flump on the bed ready to enjoy cake!

"..what is it?" Perplexed but amused, he reached out to nab one of the forks from her fingers, turning it over thoughtfully in his own hand. There was no chance he was going to try a bite until she did, but then he'd dig in. In the manner of most young men, he was hungry all the time, and could never say 'no' to a meal.

She saw curiosity pass his face as he examined her offering; a polite voice in her head reminded her to allow the guest to eat first. A ruder voice pointed out that this cake was not going into her stomach fast enough. Gently, she scraped off some of the gooey topping with her fork and popped it into her mouth.

Once making sure she had licked off every last morsel she went on to explain the joy of this certain cake. “My good man, this cake has been baked with care by yours truly, it is no ordinary cake and probably will be the best slice of cake you will ever eat. So put that fork to cake and get eatin’!”

Going for another mouthful Cassi dove into the cake, spooning out the delicious goo and light sponge and popped it into her mouth. Hopefully cementing the fact that the cake was in fact safe and not riddled with disease.