45 cents can still get you a lot (Dominique)

[Zodiac]

The three silver/nickel coins bounced on the table as they fell from the gypsy's hands. She watched closely as they finally settled down and laid still. Three beavers greeted her eyes as the Canadian five cent coins rested on the flat surface. An eye brow raided in mild surprise as she considered the odds of such a thing. It was not impossible, just highly improbable. The coin drop was one of a variety of ways her Grandmother had used to judge what was coming in the near future of a day. In her private time as she made her way slowly through her mentor's notes the mystic was reminded of this and had been trying it on occasion. Three casts and the combination of head and tail combinations were, supposedly, to give hints of things to come. Zodiac was not a blind follower of every way and means of divination. Some worked for her, others did not, yet others worked for others, so she gave them all equal chances then kept what worked and left the rest for others to use.

"What are the odds of that?" Zodiac turned and saw Jennifer standing behind her. She smiled as she scooped up the three nickels again.

"I am not sure, but high I think," she replied.

Jennifer looked about to be sure they were away from the ears of customers before whispering. "That some kind of vampire power in action?" The two of them were in the Eye of Zodiac this night. Jennifer was overseeing rearrangements to the shop while Zodiac had just finished her last reading appointment for the evening.

"Nope. No power. Just blind trust in gravity." She cupped her hands loosely around the three coins and shook her hands three times, and then she raised them up above the table and opened them. The coins dropped again to the waiting table below.

"Three tails again? Holy ****!" Jenn gasped.

"Ya think? According to my Nana's notes, this is way off the charts." the girl scooped up the coins again.

"Is it something good or bad or are you using double sided coins?"

An eyebrow raised in irritation as she opened her hand and poked the coins about to prove they were normal nickels and not trick coins. "Sorry." her assistant apologized. Zodiac did not answer but repeated the little ritual a third time. "Well? What would you think if you saw someone doing this?"

"I think I'd have the presence of mind to shut up until the person was done." came the telepathic reply as she raised her hands up and opened them. Both women watched intently as the coins bounced about. Two began to settle on the table, but the third skipped off and fell to the floor. Jennifer began to move to follow it. "Hands where I can see them, please." the gypsy ordered. Jennifer held up her hands in reply.

When all the bouncing was done, again- three beavers greeted their eyes.

"Seven little, eight little, nine little beavers," Zodiac hummed as she gathered up the nickels.

"Okay, so what does all that mean?" Jennifer demanded. Zodiac simply shrugged her shoulders as she keyed open the register and dropped the nickels back into the proper change slot.

"It means, I ain't going anywhere for awhile." she shoved the cash drawer closed. "Something very interesting is going to happen this eve. Right here. I'll be in my office."

"That's it?" the redhead wanted more of an answer than that to what she had just observed.

"Yes, that's it. Something interesting is coming. I don't know who or what it is. That just hinted at this night is not going to be boring is all. So give me a shout when interesting shows up, will ya?" Zodiac closed the door to her office behind her before Jennifer could continue.

[Dominique]

How many times would it take? How many before it finally took hold?

The scent of what was supposed to be sunshine and moonflowers filled the air as her finger lifted from the bottle of air freshener. Standing. Waiting. Not a step taken or a blink of an eye. The reflexes to breathe in what she no longer needed took over. Her chest rose slowly with the effort. The artificial sweetness that filled the air in the form of a fine mist soured her instantly. It was not possible. The two couldn’t be bottled as one no matter what some factory somewhere tried to do to make it happen. Some things could never be captured or preserved. With little effort the palm size bottle was airborne and banking into the waste basket next to the crafting table in the back of The Eye of Zodiac. Dominique was actually at work. Imagine that.

HOPE pulled out the earbuds and each acted like a snap of reality coming back at the petite shadow. Each bounced off her inked hand and ultimately left to dangle in surrender below. The sounds of a play list that would be abandoned for good faded with the end of the last song that had been in play. Colorful fingers curled up and the white length of the cables disappeared into the palm of her hand. Her hips popped back and the chair rolled out from beneath her as she stood up. The music player was released to the table beneath her and lost to the pile of invoices, shipping boxes and too many power bar wrappers to bother counting. A sweep of LESS across the surface sent the clutter into the waste basket where it belonged.

Dominique was about to reach for her backpack and take off for some sort of distraction when something clicked and gave her reason to pause. Her eyes stared at the door to the room she was working in. She could always just ask. Was it a bad thing if it was that really that simple? She had talked about it with her boss on and off over the months but it wasn’t the right time. It always came down to she wasn’t in the right place to ask or to perhaps get the answers that would come. Her religion had been abandoned like the silver wrappers resting in the plastic basket next to her work station. It was no longer a sin to entertain the possibility that faith could be invested in the turn of a few cards or in the line of a relaxed palm. Signs and messages were to be had everywhere only if the mind was open.

Instead of reaching for the backpack like she had planned on HOPE opened the door and Dominique’s body traveled slow but sure towards where Zodiac was easy to find. It was time to try something new. Something that could take her somewhere far from where her mind had been lingering too long without any sign of hope. Her hand curled up and rapped lightly at the door in front of her. Anticipation struck her within and she felt an awakening begin.

"Zo? It's me. Can we talk?" With the drop of her right hand to her hip for a rest she waited patiently.

Dominique hoped the door would open and that the mystic behind it would have the time to spare in her busy schedule. She certainly didn't expect Zodiac to be ready just because she finally was. If it didn't happen now she would make time later so that it did.

[Zodiac]

"Well, that didn't take long," The gypsy looked up from her dog eared copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance at the sound of someone knocking on the door. It wasn't Jennifer. Jenn usually spoke before she knocked, so this was someone else.

She stood up, letting the tips of her bare feet snuggle down in the shag carpet, and approached the door. That's when she heard a voice.

"Zo? It's me. Can we talk?"

"Well, the fact that Mini is actually here at work rather then elsewhere is pretty amaze-balls, but not nine tails in a row amazing," she laughed softly in her head as she opened the door and peeked around the edge of it. She smiled softly and beckoned the young vampire to come inside. She pointed to a chair before closing the door then floated around to her side of the desk and settled back down in her chair.

"Is always a pleasant surprise to find you here, dear," she began as she absently placed a book mark into the book and dropped it back into a open drawer of her desk. "But forgive me, but I do not think you are in here because we are running low on supplies or that you wish to actually ask for some time off." She cocked her head slightly at Dominique. The mystic could see something in the girl's eyes. Some major turning point or a crossroads of sorts was happening now. She was not sure what or why, but she had a feeling now and usually her feelings were spot on.

"What do you need from me this night, dear? Doc acting a fool again? Need me to take a broom upside his head for you?" she kept her conversation light now. Dominique was usually a quiet type. She kept things locked down inside of herself, so for her to say 'can we talk' was a rare occurrence indeed. Still not nine beavers worth of rare, but close.

"Jennifer," her mindspeak touched her assistant manager's mind. "Be a dear and bring me two mugs of 'drink' and a can of that stuff Dominique is always guzzling down. The Monster, I think it is. Thank you." While to her guest she said. "So tell me what's on your mind, dear. You know for a fact nothing you say to me will leave this room."

[Dominique]

Dominique may have been on the clock but her thoughts had increasingly taken her elsewhere and now she was seeking the release of their hold. Perhaps for the first time her desire was something permanent. Since her turning progression was something that had to be done in steps. It was not a fast process either. She had made her own path and was sticking to it but even she knew there were far more steps needing to be behind her before she was free.

Maybe it would be easier with the turn of a series of cards? The acupuncturist the week before didn’t help. Neither did the meditation session with the dude that needed serious stick ups in his so called zen spa. She ran the soles off no less than twenty pairs of shoes. There she stood out of answers watching the door open. It was a relief that she was being greeted by the very one she was seeking. The face of Zo was always a comfort. any last minute unease went away. What could a few hints hurt? She certainly had lost her faith in the word of any god to send her a sign. The mystic boss looking at her was a great place to start.

The craftsperson for Eye of Zodiac had never watched over her boss doing readings for others. It was always private sessions catering to those who asked for them. This whole process would be a first for her in many ways. If Dominique had been the type to take advantage of her powers perhaps she would have been better prepared for what she was getting into.

Being a shadow meant she was capable of slipping in anywhere uninvited and moving about unseen. She was strong enough to invade most places but it wasn’t her thing. She still had respect for privacy in general and was adamant that she got that same courtesy in return. Nothing irritated her more than feeling invaded by those not welcome.

“I need a favor but I want it between us and need to know it will remain private.” Dominique’s smile surfaced late but was inspired none the less by the comments regarding her sire needing a broom taken to him. That usually was an understatement. “I don’t mean to say that you would do anything but keep it confidential but still need to ask all the same.” Dominique sighed when she found a place to sit. She slowly claimed it with the drop of her backside and folding of her legs so her feet disappeared beneath the opposite thighs. “I want a reading, please.”

[Zodiac]

The eyebrow rose again as Dominique finally began to speak. It had been the mystic's experience than when people asked for privacy from square one, it was going to be something intense. Of course people knew she would never utter a word about why someone had approached her to another living soul, save possibly to Jennifer and that was simply a matter of book keeping and not details.

“I don’t mean to say that you would do anything but keep it confidential but still need to ask all the same.”

Oh yes, this was going to be interesting. Still not nine nickels all falling tails worth, but it was a good start so far. She leaned towards the desk and cupped her hands so she could rest her chin on them and nodded for the young shadow to continue. It still stung the gypsy at heart to see Dominique like this. One of them. The girl was so full of fire, drive, desires and life when she was alive. Almost like a passion too few of the living actually had within them, and those like they are now seldom had passions beyond the extremes to a degree as she had.

All that passion and potentials gone now. Such a waste.

When Dominique asked about having her cards read, a small twitch in the gypsy's eye was all that betrayed her thoughts. It was possibly the last thing she would have expected to come out of Mini's mouth (well, perhaps the second to last thing) and several questions boiled up inside of her. What had changed her mind? Questions for another time. The girl had to admit she would be just as curious into a deeper insight into the woman as well. One of her hands slipped into a pocket in her skirts and removed a small sliver flute. She blew a couple rapid notes on it, looking like a Romany version of Willy Wonka summoning an Oompah Loompa then stood up from her desk.

"No time like the present," she smiled at the woman as she unlocked the door to her office and motioned for the woman to follow her. As the door was opened, a large black cat sat waiting on the other side, as if the noise of the flute had summoned it. Zodiac crouched down and picked up the oversized Maine Coon.

"Think I am going to need your help, love." she nuzzled the cat as she walked out and headed for the back. Jennifer was approaching with the drinks, but paused as her employer gestured for her to take the tray to the parlor. Once inside what some jokingly called 'the Purple Parlor' she dismissed the girl and arranged the drinks on the table, then sat in her 'throne' and waited for Mini to catch up. She leaned back in the large chair and got comfortable- knowing exactly what kind of an image Dominique would find. In the subdued lighting of the room and the general setting and atmosphere of the place, the girl took on a serious and possibly sinister appearance to the casual eye. On the high back of the chair, her cat had made itself comfortable and added to the illusion. In the bright lights, the pair may have appeared cute, comical, even silly or stupid, but in this room- her world- she was the image of her ancestors, and those of her Romany bloodline always took such business seriously.

[Dominique]

Each moment is a gift that is rare and precious in itself.

Dominique’s mind agreed without a word as her dark eyes brightened up when Zodiac pulled out a small flute and began blowing. It wasn’t exactly something she had seen her employer do before so this left her a bit curious as to what was going to happen next. With the gesture to follow presented to her the petite shadow stood up and did as expected. Gently her body went following in soft trusting steps behind the mystic that she knew would never bring her anything but the truth. The steps she took were full of anticipation, curiosity and hope perhaps. There would be something in the cards. She was willing to bet on it.

Dominique was drawn by Zodiac’s message to her receptive mind. The shadow was no mind reader. That did not mean she was unfamiliar with the power some had taken on and used. She never wanted it if the power was ever to be within her reach to obtain. It would bring to her whatever was left that she did not know. Dom believed that sometimes there were things a mind, heart and soul were never meant to know. It could be out of mercy that whatever was hidden was not revealed. She opted to believe in that. It was a reality she came to terms with. There were continual deaths and endings that took place in the darkest places in her mind and the last thing she would ever want is to impose them on another. The fact she endured them was more than enough. That kind of pain was far more cruel than could ever be wished upon the most formidable enemy. Her demons she would keep and the power she would refuse if she had a choice at all.

With a deep gathering of air that was no longer needed Dominique moved into the room where Zodiac hosted her readings. The room was not unfamiliar to her although this time it was far more dark. She had been in it a few times to clean, gather something that her boss had left behind and of course it also was the same room she found Doc in with Catherine unexpectedly. The knot in her gut that turned then didn’t wrench half as tight now. If anything it seemed to loosen up. Any discomfort she currently had or unease was the same as what inevitably came with walking into the doctor’s office for that shot that would cure whatever ailed. All that was needed was the courage to step forward instead of backward.

Vibrant roses peeking from beneath her ankle wrapped sandals left behind their brilliant deep red and emerald color in a blur as they did not pause to stop and hesitate like all the other times before. This time she was ready. More than ready. She was asking for it as her eyes set on Zodiac perched in the spot where she would read the cards.

“Before we start I want to say thank you one more time for doing this.”

Dominique meant it. Whatever it revealed she would take and move forward with. HOPE lifted and slipped gently through her raven hair and tucked the long strands dangling over her shoulder behind her right ear. There was no interest in turning back now that she had arrived. Her body slid into a chair and found comfort in the cradling it provided her weight from beneath.

[Zodiac]

"Thanks me, she does," the little mystic laughed softly. Her words almost as if to the cat and not her guest. "Save the thanks until after we are done. Let us see what we can see first and sort the gems from the garbage."

A gesture of her hand encourage Dominique to enjoy the drinks that had been brought as she stood up and opened a small cupboard filled with various colors of cloths folded up and organized. "Since I am not sure of your background and knowledge of the subject, I will run down the basics. Anyone who thinks the tarot will tell them step by step exactly what they have to do to reach their goals is in for a bit of a disappointment. Sorry, but the cards do not say things like 'be on the corner of Church and Elm at 4:32 pm next Tuesday'. They are more clues, hints, sign posts that suggest things about past, present and future. Our job is to decipher what those clues are saying and how they apply to you in general, and as the pattern grows, the more clues we get and previous clues tend to link in to newer clues so if some things don't make sense right away, be patient."

The gypsy frowned for a moment. Looking back and forth between the contents of the cupboard and Mini. "Do you have Rufus with you or something? I'm trying to pick up on your vibe and I keep getting green for some reason." She remembered the first time she met Dominique's unique pet. A turtle seems to be the perfect counter balance to her constantly on the go lifestyle. She returned to the table with a medium green cloth and spread it out over the area she would work with the cards in. Zodiac then kicked off her sandals and returned to her 'throne' and sat cross legged.

"So, that is the basics of it." she continued as she began to pull things from drawers on her side of the table. A note pad and pens were sat to her right and a red silk bundle was sat directly in front of the gypsy as if it were a priceless relic. "From here, it is quite simple. When I hand you the deck, you will clear your mind of nonsense, worries, everything except the question you wish to be answered. You will focus on that while you shuffle the cards. These are not poker cards or a Uno deck, so treat them with some respect, please. When you feel comfortable with your shuffling, set them down on the table. I will cut the deck and you will shuffle again. We will do this three times and when you are finished we shall begin. Do you have any more questions before we get started?"

Zodiac lifted the bundle and placed a soft kiss upon the silk before she undid the knot that held it closed. She then sat the deck, still sitting upon the red silk, within Dominique's reach, then leaned back in her chair. Idly she reached up and scratched Ginny behind her ear as she waited for the girl to make her decisions.

[Dominique]

Dominique lifted her hips briefly and pulled her cell phone from her pocket setting it to silent. She tucked it between the back of her thigh and the cushion beneath her. Hopefully the reading was not a brief one. The thought of that happening gave her more than enough reason to adjust herself a little more in the chair so that she was prepared if she needed to do more than just sit there. She didn’t plan on bailing if things didn’t please her but she wanted to be ready. In the shop around them with the gypsy in the drivers seat anything was possible.

Green material spread out across the table between them. While wide chocolate orbs followed the hands preparing the table the shadow was pulled elsewhere. The sensation of grass beneath her toes worked it’s way into her mind. It reminded her that summer was fading and fall was fast approaching. Everything she knew was changing and turning. A huge part of her felt as though that was taking place within her more than anywhere else. Pale toes disappearing beneath the folding of Zodiac’s legs briefly distracted her into kicking off her own shoes then taking a similar and relaxed position.

Rufus. The scent of water came to mind when her employer asked her about the unique pet she had since she first arrived to Harper Rock. The palm size wood turtle would need to take his bath soon. Her backpack would need one as well. She brushed HOPE over the crinkled bridge of her nose and rubbed it briefly. Water, the color green and of course the turtle she took with her everywhere she went. The most fearless companion on the planet was indeed close by. She could smell the warm creature from where she was sitting. Perhaps that was it. Otherwise how would Zodiac know the small turtle was in her backpack that she had not brought to view? Poor Rufus. He was not as much of a ninja as he thought he was. The near future bath would take care of that.

Dominique watched the deck that would be used as if there would be hints that could be discovered while Zodiac moved the cards from their covering. Her parted lips merged and formed a thin firm line. This was it. Now they would take a journey together and it would pertain to her future. She was always the master of her own fate but a few possible glimpses, if they were available, would be welcome as well.

Fidgeting denim blue toe nails beneath one excessively inked leg and the plain healthy appearing one draped over it. It confirmed she a little nervous that she was going through with it finally. Dominique she closed her eyes and took in a deep needless breath. This could seem dramatic or even odd to anyone witnessing it. It was almost as if she was taking the time to begin some heavy meditation instead of receiving her requested reading. She didn’t care. She had the ability to regenerate her blood in this manner and did so nightly. Surely she could clear her mind as her boss asked her to do before proceeding with the same technique. After a few quiet moments her eyes slowly opened and found her boss’ own.

“I am ready.” HOPE and LESS pulled their respective thumbs and index fingers apart. Not that Zodiac may have seen the pinching of her petite digits and their position of rest upon each of her folded knees. That was probably a good thing. “We can begin.”

[Zodiac]

It was a ritual in its own right. Dominique shuffling the cards as they gypsy sat and watched in silence. Even the cat, who like any other was known to make occasional noises of its own, sat in perfect stillness as if in expectation. Mentally she readied herself for the task to come. Very little supernatural came into play in this, but a supertanker full of perception and common sense- superpowers beyond the abilities of most mortals and immortals- would be needed. Zodiac cleared herself of any distracting thoughts of her own as she cut the deck and encouraged the girl to start again.

"Think of your question and only your question. Nothing more or less." she encouraged the girl gently. Some might argue of so little of the supernatural was involved then why follow the 'rules', but it never felt right to simply begin pulling cards. Perhaps the ritual was more for the mystic to help her prepare rather than to call forth anything to aid her guest.

Once the process had been done three times, Zodiac pulled the cards back to her side of the table by using the edges of the red silk they had been wrapped in. She looked at Mini and smiled softly as a single violet tinged fingernail touched the top most card.

"One card to name you, and ten cards to show you. The highs and lows, the recent past, the near future, and what you have to work with in the journey you are taking and finally what the journey's end may be if things do not change." her thoughts soft, almost musical now as her fingers pulled the first card from the top of the deck. She studied it for a few moments before laying it on the table to her left.

"The card to represent you in this- The King of Wands. The essence of fire. One who lives their life with vitality and passion. Daring in action, cocky in attitude, and fearless." she glanced up at Dominique and smirked a bit. "But also full of sincerity and emotional swings to the extremes. Creative and filled with a need for something more. A new challenge, home, situation. Traveler or escapee. Yes, this does show me qualities I have come to expect from you, dear, so I shall let it stand."

A second card was draw and laid near the King next. "The situation or atmosphere surrounding your situation and question. The Ace of Cups. Seeds within you are beginning to grow now. Seeds placed within in your past. A new journey begins. One of self discovery or new partners and friends. Perhaps nothing you even notice at the moment in your life. An opportunity for happiness possible or understanding your own emotions and the hows and whys of how you are at times. You are trying to come to terms with yourself and where you stand now in the world, and that can be a very exciting or very terrifying place to be."

A finger nail tapped the deck before pulling the third card. This one was placed in the center of the table between them. "The heart of the matter. What stands in your way now. The Five of Wands. A card of strife and conflict. A fight for the sake of fighting. A state of seeming chaos driven by endless small disputes and complications. A hotly contested race, debate, game, or other challenge. A stressful situation. Ever since I met you, Mini, you have been 'at war' with someone or something. This constant conflicts you find yourself in hold you back from growing and learning. Or perhaps," Zodiac considered for a bit. "There is a lack of such things now in your life? Nothing challenging you. Challenge also brings out the best and worst in all of us in moderations. Perhaps your life is finally getting dull and boring? A 'where do I go from here?' question perhaps?"

Zodiac leaned back in her chair and began to jot notes on what she was seeing so far. Allowing the girl to consider what she had said.

[Dominique]

The end. The words stuck. The young shadow had no reason to feel attached to the two words. After all that was what they were...two words. If there wasn’t a wave of uncertainty that had brought her body into the room and to sit to begin with then she would have let them roll right out of her head. Instead they were like velcro despite whatever she did to shake them free. Her mind was working as she sat in there in the chair looking across the table at her boss.

Dominique was far from dancing with depression so that was not it. Her business was doing great, she was meeting new people and she had found her routine rather uneventful for the most part. She simply wanted to know what now, what later and what possibly was out there long term for her. The end was like a thorn trying to sink deeper before she took hold of it and pulled it from it’s intended task. The desire to shake them off was just enough of what was needed to make it happen. Her mind cleared as expected. She nodded leaving her voice quiet behind her closed lips.

While the cards glided on the material back into Zodiac’s possession she watched closely. The violet dipped fingernail taps at the surface of the deck while Dominique focuses on her question. Like a priestess at her alter of awareness the next step of revealing the first card is set into motion. If holding the useless air in her lungs accounted for any extra luck then it was given a nod of success with the first card’s image that was revealed.

The King of Wands. It seemed positive. Nothing appeared ominous about what she was looking at with the slight lean forward of her petite body. It was better than Zodiac flipping over the card and introducing something like The Queen of Burned Bridges. Not that she thought there was such a card but in her case she was wouldn’t be surprised if one popped up. Dominique was well aware that she had a history that could catch up with her at any time in all the wrong ways. That awareness was always present and it was the root of the reason as to why she had not taken on the challenge of having the cards pulled until this point. While the mystic explained what the card represented to her she gave it a slow nod. Her employer was happy with it and so was she.

Ace of Cups. The seeds that were planted in her past were going to grow. Could she could on it? The news was well received. Something was going to finally happen. Anything exciting and terrifying would be welcome. Dominique breathed in trying to catch any clues that could be in the air around her. Was there more to tell than the second card was showing? Nothing but the distant tea leaves and ...her brow lifted.

Zo had some good stuff that must have recently arrived. She would have known about it had it been around prior. It was great timing because she could use some seeds for replanting. What she currently had at the Walnut Grove farm was getting weak. The rebellious shadow nearly gave in to the mildly distracting internal grin that was forming within. All it took was the tap of a violet fingernail on the top of the deck to bring her back from her thoughts. Busted.

The Five of Wands didn’t look as promising. HOPE raised and rubbed the depths of the raven silk strands of hair on the top of her head. There was a lot of wands going on in her first three cards. Now strife and conflict were finally tossed into the mix. Lovely. All she could think of while Zodiac reminded her of the history she had was...no ****. She knew all too well why that particular card was flipping over and claiming a spot on the table. It belonged there. So much so that she was surprised her name wasn’t scrawled across it as she pinned it down with her eyes.

“My life has been lacking some excitement recently. But as you brought up I felt that I shouldn’t be seeing that as a negative given my history.” She deadpanned because any other expression had the risk of influencing the cards still facing down between them. Her luck was not the greatest in the world.