(Eliza and Kavyle!) A Day in the City

The fortune teller realized he had dodged around the question long enough. This elf girl was getting impatient and obviously didn’t share his sense of humor. “My name is Jerrik, m’lady, though I suppose you could call me Eric, or even Jer or Ik. However, I prefer Jerrik as it is my given name.” He couldn’t have helped himself if he tried. It was just too easy to get under her skin – much easier, in fact, than attempting to see any of her memories. More than likely, she would spill her own life story unknowingly and save him the headache.

Lykos, on the other hand, was a completely open book, memories-wise. Jerrik couldn’t explain why, though. Some people were just easier to read than others, he supposed, and this man – or wolf – was incredibly simple. Perhaps unguarded, not knowing of what Jerrik was doing or how to prevent it. That was fine, though.

"I'm inclined to simply call you "Jerk"." she retorted sourly. Her free hand was starting to shake, she wanted to hit this guy. "Lykos would you see me any differently if I decided to hit him?" Something about this guy was working her last nerve, and she couldn't imagine why. "On second thought, let's go home." This guy wasn't worth the time of day, let alone the attempt to tell their futures.

"Most fortune tellers are fakes anyway. Very few actually know anything about their craft. Whatever this jerk's doing is by no means foretelling the future." He was doing no real magic from what she could tell. Discouraging Lykos like he did just then made it all worse. She still waited on Lykos' answer as to whether or not they'd be going home. Perhaps she would make those cream puffs like her friend had suggested. First though they'd have to do some shopping and get the ingredients.

Jerrik frowned thoughtfully, as he looked at Rose. “No, I’d prefer not to be called ‘Jerk.’ It just doesn’t work for me.” He looked back at the cards he had left lying on the table then picked three of them up at random. After glancing at them, he returned his attention to the two in front of him.

Lykos shook his head; no, he wouldn’t see her any differently. This guy seemed to be purposefully trying to get under their skins.

But at the same time, Jerrik did want to attempt to help if it was at all possible. But why couldn’t he have some fun before he did so? With a smile back on his face, he handed two of the cards to Lykos and one to Rose. “Yours,” he told her, “Is upside-down. Keep it that way.”

Not letting go of the cards, Lykos looked at Rose. “Let’s go home.”

---

After they bought the groceries and any other supplies and returned home, Lykos helped Rose prepare. He set all three cards on a shelf somewhere before clearing the table of all the books stacked way too high.

"Let me help with those books." she offered, taking a few and putting them away. "I'm sorry we couldn't stay at the festival any longer, Lykos." Her allergies were just impossible to deal with some days, this must've been one of them. She then set to work on the pastries and remembering how to make them was getting very fuzzy. Her mind never once registered the cards, and they were likely to get thrown out with the trash that day instead of kept as it was.

After getting the food started she sat down to relax. Seemed the outside world had gotten far stranger in recent years than she thought. "If you wish to find something relaxing to read check the far left of the room on the bottom shelf. I've found a few works of fiction in my travels." In the meantime she lazily shut her eyes and tried her best to get a few winks of sleep, which failed miserably.

Lykos shook his head. “It’s really all right,” he assured Rose, looking into her eyes to be sure she knew he meant it. When she got to working on the pastries, however, he set his mind on finding a better place for the cards. He knew it was most like just cattle-shit, but something about them just made him want to keep them. The “fortune teller” had found his way into the wolf-man’s mind and just wasn’t coming out anytime soon.

Finishing his task, he returned and heard her words. After thanking her he went over to that part of the bookcase and found something suitable. He watched her try to sleep for a minute then set the book down again. He shook her shoulder. “I’m sorry for waking you, and I’m no chef, but maybe it would be best to stay awake while cooking?” He twisted his lips into some kind of smile.

Having done that, he picked the book back up and sat down at the table, quite honestly not knowing how else to help. He did feel a bit guilty at sitting around, though. He almost couldn’t focus on the book, but soon enough he was leafing through the pages, albeit rather slowly.

"Oh, sorry. . ." she murmured. "I don't get much sleep on good days, bad days I'm awake 24 hours or more." She arose from her chair and pulled the pastries from the oven. "Now to let them cool so we can clear out the space for the filling." In the meantime she mixed a few ingredients together in a small pot and got ready to fill the pastries. While the cooling process was going on she fixed a couple of cool drinks and handed one to Lykos.

"They'll be done shortly, gotta wait for them to cool otherwise the filling will melt." She sat back down and smiled. "I can safely say that it's been over 100 years since I made those cream puffs." She thought perhaps she hadn't shown her age, but she also had the idea that maybe she'd aged a little too much. Hunting people down for money did that to a person. "Is there anything else about yourself you can tell me?"

“You ought to sleep more,” he advised, even knowing it probably wasn’t the most helpful thing he’s ever said. Lykos smiled and took the drink, thanking her as he did. He took a sip.

He had to admit, he was a little surprised that she was old enough to have made cream puffs a hundred years ago. But elves always seemed to have that quality. At least she didn’t look like a teenager, he thought. While he wanted to ask her age, he wasn’t sure if that was as offensive to her as it would be to any other woman.

Lykos had to think before answering her question. “Mm… what do you want to know?” He wasn’t sure at this point what he had and hadn’t told her already. They’d been friends for long enough that he felt comfortable around her, so any question she had he was almost sure he could answer.

After setting his book down in front of him, he leaned back a bit in his chair, trying to get comfortable.

She couldn't help but smile. "I'm around 167 years old, the last time I made these I was still living with my parents in Bolarf. Yes by most standards I'm old, but I'll be happy with anything you're willing to tell me about yourself. I don't know where to start with on questions." In the interim of the conversation she filled some of the cooled pastries and tidied up the work area a bit. "I suppose likes and dislikes are on the list of things I'd like to know."

She put a few dishes in some warm soapy water and turned to looked at him. "Aspirations, hopes, and dreams if you're willing to divulge that. If not that's perfectly fine." She looked at the weird cards that had come home with them and blinked wondering what they actually meant. After pondering that for all of a nanosecond she dusted some shelves with little of her attention actually focused on the cleaning. She knew she needed more sleep, but that wasn't easy.