24 July, 2024
Inverness Scotland, Near Hogsmeade
1823, Evening, Red Sunset

Terrible Presence in Effect
| Aura of Unease Present |
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There is something that is just... not right about him. A chill in the air, a sense felt deep in the bones. The shadows might seem more lively, the night might play more tricks on his opponents' eyes. Yet there is one, undeniable truth -- the source is him.

Leonardo's newfound work as a self-employing Fortune Teller had its ups and downs. The downsides, of course, was the requirement that he interact with those who came aknocking upon his door in the middle of whatever he was doing at any given moment (even if he had set his own hours scheduled for such interruptions). The upside was that he got to decide his nine hour day and got to have his one day of rest per week by merit of his being manager and employee.

Now that it was after six in the evening, the Seer was in the process of decompressing and found himself steeping a herbal tea of jasmine and white tea in preparation for at least two hours of evening peace and quiet with naught but the sound of Macbeth beginning to vocalize with the other native owls and screaming crickets in the woods. He had set aside a block of time for tomorrow in advance for Eviana and Dante to stop by--the meeting between himself and the woman would likely comprise of finances and legalities pertaining to his participation in the childcare of his son by her. Though he had once suggested that he could try to find someplace for Eviana and Dante to live whether it be in his own home or in some other place in Hogsmeade he would willingly elect to pay most of the rental on if desired, Eviana had simply and unelaboratively (besides the occasional low blow) refused his offers outright. It was something that vexed him greatly--not because he wanted Eviana around any more frequently than she was already, but because she singlehandedly had total custody of Dante in the meantime.

As he let the scent of the tea fill the room and with a calm swish of his chestnut wand--now removed from its long-time companion of a cane--paired with an incanted fire-producing spell the fireplace bloomed with a cozy golden-orange light that flickered across the laquered floorboards.

Red embers from the fireplace--it had been used recently by the looks of the soot around the flagstones...

His eyes followed the light intently, the fragments of a nightmare far too recent for his comfort flittering about, before he let out a pent up sigh and took both the cup of tea and a work of Wilde along with him as he paced restlessly around his living room. For a little while he looked out at the sun that would begin to fall below the treeline, and then he moved to the fireplace mantle and fixed the time of the clock that sat there. Still feeling incomplete with the unguidedness of his movements, he wandered back to the shelves that held components and books, looking over them with a keen eye whilst making a mental list of the supplies he would soon have to restock before turning back and then finally resigning himself to taking a seat in his favored rocking chair with both book and tea. He couldn't seem to prevent his mind from wandering, though after a few moments of grappling with something that didn't seem to have a body to grasp hold onto he finally managed to pull his attentions back to the present--and back to the book that he had in hand.

No sooner had he began to split open the thin volume so as to find the bookmark he had placed near its beginning where he had left off from the last time he had picked it up did a very firm and impatient knock resonate in the air, its origins--obviously--being that of his front door.

"I am not hosting any more readings today. Come again tomorrow if it is really that pressing." The Seer retorted to the knock from his rocking chair, peering icily over the binding of The Picture of Dorian Gray. He had closed his door to the outside people over an hour ago... or perhaps it was right to say that it had felt like an hour ago though it was closer to half an hour ago. Regardless, he did not feel like being disturbed at this time.

"Capisco che un Veggente Chiadovini faccia i suoi affari qui. I understand that a Chiadovini Seer makes his business here." Came a baritone voice that rumbled the air. It curled upwards in intrigue but was firm and almost cross in tone. "Vorrei gentilmente chiedere un po ' del suo tempo e l'uso della sua mano per aiutarmi con un piccolo... disgrazia. I would politely request a bit of his time and the use of his hand in helping me out with a small... misfortune."

Leonardo's eyes narrowed. "Il tempo per quel discorso è andato via un'ora fa. Sono chiuso per la notte e non ti vedrò. Sentirò la tua disgrazia domattina, se ne sarai ancora ossessionato. Arrivederci. The time for that talk left an hour ago. I am closed for the night and will not see you. I will hear your misfortune in the morning if you are still obsessed with it by then. Good bye." His eyes turned back to the book again, brushing off the words with coldness. He had no time for this whimsy.

"Posso fare in modo che valga la pena il tuo tempo, Leonardo Ricardo Chiadovini. I can make it well worth your time, Leonardo Ricardo Chiadovini." Came the voice after a pause. It let the words hang in the air before a light laugh permeated it instead. "Potresti venire con i fondi, da quello che ho capito, tagliato fuori dal tuo lignaggio come sei attualmente. Una situazione in cui ti sei impigliato, vero? You could come by the funds, from what I understand, cut off from your own lineage as you are currently. Quite a situationship you've gotten yourself entangled in, isn't it." The door creaked ever so slightly, a body having leaned itself against it cockily no doubt. Eviana Verity Udinesi, vero? E ti ha portato un bel bambino... per caso. Eviana Verity Udinesi, isn't it? And she bore you a lovely little boy through... happenstance."

Leonardo's fingers slightly tightened on the book, turning a paler white than usual. His eyes narrowed as he tried to focus on the words that were slowly transforming into the ones that were being spoken to him instead. He could ignore these slights. It was above him to be offended or affected by any jeer, after all. But, despite his silence that voice did continue its dialogue. "Non sei fidanzato, né sposato. Prega di raccontare come è successo tutto questo? You are not engaged, nor married. Pray tell how that all happened?"

The book snapped shut in his hand as the Seer crossed the floor and flung the door open with eyes thundering. "E che affari hai sapere, esattamente? And what business is that of yours, exactly?" He spat with a hiss of derision.

The person who stood before him was one that even the rather tall Leonardo had to crane his neck to behold, stockily built and ruddy with youth. Reddish hair, perhaps closer to a russet or auburn and strangely blue eyes that gleamed with intellect. Dressed in a brown travelling leather jacket with a few buckles here and there either for show or for function could not be guessed, but he did wear similarly stylized and unnecessarily taut pants of the same kind. A quiet smile that curled lopsidedly to one side was being worn by him, but combined with the gleam of something slightly darker than mischief in those eyes Leonardo knew from the start that he wanted nothing to do with this... man. He tched lightly. "Da quale circo sei scappato. What circus did you run away from." He said bluntly, eyes still gleaming with vengeance.

The man only laughed brightly, whisking away a bit of reddish hair from the side of his face and tucking it behind a mangled ear. It looked as if it had been torn by some kind of animal. "Oh, basta. Ahimè, ho un tale orecchio per i pettegolezzi. Hai fatto molto scalpore in Italia, questo è sicuro. Oh, enough. Alas, I have such an ear for gossip. You caused quite a stir in Italy, that's for sure." The curling smile flashed a bit of teeth for Leonardo's troubles, those bold brows arcing upwards in a cheeky expression that looked not terribly unlike a schoolboy flirting. "La famiglia Chiadovini continuerà il suo lignaggio. Che delizia. The Chiadovini family will continue its lineage. How delightful."

Leonardo started to close the door, but the broad hand stopped it before it could close, wrapping about the frame with ease. The hand was the same size as Leonardo's own, and much thicker; he could see thanks to the leather framing of the jacket, and indeed even without it, the stocky build that indicated a formidable strength behind the hand. The Seer only grit his teeth ever so slightly, his eyes flicking from the obstruction of his privacy in the form of the hand back to the Mediterranean blue eyes. No words were spoken, but the venom was surely enough to express his disdain.

"Ma dai, non voglio insultare. Oh come now, I don't mean to insult." The man pouted ever so slightly in mock before the smile returned. "In effetti, sono abbastanza felice per te. La famiglia è tutto, dopotutto; il sangue è più spesso dell'acqua per così dire. In fact, I'm quite happy for you. Family is everything, after all; blood being thicker than water as it were." He tipped his head, lightly rapping his fingers on the door as Leonardo allowed the smoldering remains of his rage to coagulate thick and black. "Non ho dubbi che avrà successo quanto suo padre. I've no doubt that he'll be just as successful as his father."

"Sei qui per insultarmi o per utilizzare i miei servizi come hai premesso? Are you here to insult me or to utilize my services as you foremostly claimed?" He said softly. "Deciditi o te ne vai. Non ho tempo per le banalità stasera. Make up your mind or leave. I have no time for trivialities tonight."

"Sarei onorato che tu mi aiutassi. I would be honored for you to assist me." Leonardo glowered again. "Confesso che è a causa della vostra reputazione e l'abilità del vostro patrimonio di indovinare e affrontare tali presagi sfortunati come ho ricevuto e interpretato come di recente che sono venuto a voi, un esperto nel vostro campo. I confess it is because of your reputation and your heritage's knack for divining and addressing such unfortunate omens as I have been receiving and interpreting as of late that I have come to you, an expert in your field." The hand pulled the door open, and Leonardo let it slip from his grasp. Very well; if he would not be turned away, then he would have no choice but to entertain and permit into his home.

Standing aside, Leonardo gestured the man in; allowing him entrance. Dark brow arched over pale eye as he watched the young man stoop ever so slightly just so that his head cleared the doorway, closing the door behind the both of them wordlessly as he fingered the chestnut wand hidden at his hip. By the time he had finished locking it and putting aside the key, the tall man was inquisitively inspecting Leonardo's interior decorations; particularly taking interest in the collection of his potion books and preserved ingredients.

Approaching quietly, Leonardo's looming presence induced a small shiver in the man, but did not seem to shatter that eased and oiled smile. "Sei anche nel campo delle pozioni, capisco? You're in the field of potioneering as well, I see?" He said, tapping a glass jar of gillyweed. "Un passatempo delizioso. Una distesa piuttosto deliziosa di ingredienti. Quanto tempo ci hai messo per venire da alcuni di questi? A delightful pasttime. A rather delightful expanse of ingredients. How long did it take you to come by some of these?" Came the inquisition.

"Di nessuna importanza per te, di quello che posso promettere. Of no importance to you, of that much I can promise." Leonardo said bluntly. "La pozione non è il mio lavoro, ma un hobby. Potioneering is not my job, but a hobby."

"Oh, certo. Consideralo un mio interesse passeggero, però. Mi piace credermi un prodigio della birra; sono anche sempre alla ricerca di fonti affidabili per ricette più complesse. Sai come va. Oh of course. Consider it a passing interest of mine, though. I like to believe myself a prodigy of sorts in brewing; I'm also always looking to find reliable sources for more complex recipes. You know how it goes." He sighed with an air of blase, rubbing the tips of his fingers together as if he had collected a sheen of dust upon them. He shined his nails on his undershirt. "Mi perdonerai le mie chiacchiere, ovviamente. Cerco di comportarmi educatamente in queste questioni, dopo tutto. You'll forgive me my small talk, of course. I do try to conduct myself politely in these matters, after all."

"Mmn." Leonardo's eyes narrowed before he turned aside to clean the table and make it ready for whatever method of telling that this... person... wanted of him.

The man grinned at the Seer's apprehension, drawing close on leather-booted feet. "Non ti piaccio molto, vero? You don't like me much, do you." He said, amused. "Non nutro altro che il massimo rispetto per qualcuno con le tue capacità. Mio fratello stesso è della bravura. I hold nothing but the highest respect for someone with your skills. My brother himself is of the skill."

Leonardo did not reply, determined to go about with his work.

"Sospettiamo che sia perche ' abbiamo qualche legame con la sua famiglia da anni, Chiadovini. We suspect it is because we have some connections with your family from years past, Chiadovini." The man idly mused. "Facciamo risalire il nostro lignaggio alla tua, una delle tante famiglie che la tua ha apprezzato nei secoli passati. We trace our lineage back to yours, one of many families that yours prized in centuries past."

The Seer abruptly spun to the man, indicating to a seat across the table from his own chair. "Prego, si sieda, signore. Please take a seat, sir." He said edgedly.

The man approached a hair too close to Leonardo for his comfort; the Seer lifted his chin and gripped his wand tightly as the stranger looked him up and down once before shrugging with a humming smile and then drawing the chair back, putting his feet up on the table as he leaned back on the chair's back legs. He withdrew a silver cigarette tin and a silver flint-lighter, spinning the latter between his left hand's fingers idly as a cigarette was lightly placed between his lips. Those blue eyes pierced through Leonardo with a hum and then a raising of his brows and a withdrawing of the cigarette from his lips. "Mm!" The man gesticulated towards nothing. "Non ti dispiace se fumo. You don't mind if I smoke." A curl came to his words, as they always seemed to.

"Non tollero fumare in casa. I do not tolerate smoking in my home." Leonardo said icily. The man's brows raised in mock surprise. "Il tuo parcheggio si svolgerà fuori dalla mia porta o per niente. Your partaking will take place outside my door or not at all."

The lighter flicked and in a twinkling a curl of smoke was rising from the lit cigarette. Leonardo's hands clenched slightly as the stranger snapped the lighter's snuff closed. He smiled almost cheekily at the seer. "Sei troppo gentile, grazie. You're much too kind, thank you."

Ignoring the scent of the tobacco and his still strained politeness that was threatening to snap at a moment's notice at the indolence, Leonardo took his place opposite but not before harshly and suddenly dragging the stranger's feet off his table--they thumped on the ground as the chair slung forward onto all four legs again. Laid between them were most of Leonardo's preferred methods: a pair of cleaned and round cups akin to teacups with a shallow bowl for tasseography, a set of shuffled and elegant Italian-style tarot cards for cartomancy, and a rounded and shiny black-surfaced mirror with silver filigree trim reflected the ceiling and their inverted faces over it in the art of scrying and mirror-gazing. His other preferred methods--palmistry, astrology, and oneriomancy--were somewhat dependent on interaction with the seeker of information.

His silver eyes pierced through the stranger before his hands swept over the objects on the table. "Sono praticato in molti metodi. Cosa sei venuto a scoprire, o quale domanda o curiosità ti sta affliggendo? I am practiced in many methods. What did you come here to discover, or what question or curiosity is ailing you?" He said darkly, brows furrowing.

The man sucked on the cigarette for a moment, holding his breath and turning his gaze to the ceiling as if in thought for a moment before exhaling the cloud of acrid smoke from mouth and nostrils and lazily turning his attention back to the Seer with a coy smile. "M-hmhm..." Shifting for a moment, his head tipped the other way. "Beh, e 'un po' una storia... ma faro ' del mio meglio. Well, it's a bit of a story... but I'll do my best."

Leonardo blinked slowly. Delightful. "Ho ragione di credere che ci sia qualcosa all'orizzonte che indica cattiva volontà per me. Mio fratello ha talento nell'arte della divinazione, ma stavo cercando una sorta di... seconda opinione. I have reason to believe that there's something on the horizon that indicates ill will for me. My brother is talented in the art of divination, but I was looking for a sort of... second opinion."

Leonardo's attention began to drift between the different tools at his disposal. Astrology... oneiromancy... cartomancy.... tasseography... "E, conoscendo la prestigiosa fama della tua famiglia per aver determinato e raccontato tali disgrazie del tipo che sto anticipando, ho pensato di andare avanti e cercare di passare mentre ero in zona. And, knowing your family's prestigious fame for determining and telling of such misfortunes of the kind I'm anticipating, I figured I would go ahead and try to swing by while I was in the area." A curl of smoke drifted from the man's lips again, idly spinning itself into the air while leaving a cheap scent of burning behind.

"Devi capire che io non determino la disgrazia. Lo prevedo semplicemente. Le previsioni sono nel migliore dei casi quello che sono: previsioni. Un senso di incombenza, un'incertezza che non è né qui né là da risolvere. Una stasi, un momento congelato nel momento in cui l'evento si è verificato e non si è verificato. You must understand that I do not determine misfortune. I simply predict it. Predictions are at best what they are: predictions. A sense of looming, an uncertainty that is neither here nor there to be resolved. A stasis, a frozen moment in the moment wherein the event has both occurred and has not occurred." The best for this instance would likely be cartomancy or tasseography...perhaps oneiromancy if any of this individual's dreams were brought up. "In altre parole, ho un assaggio psichico del gatto all'interno della scatola di Schrödinger come potrebbe potenzialmente molto probabilmente. Se il gatto è vivo o morto dopo che ho la mia vista psichica è completamente all'altezza del destino o delle azioni di coloro che ora hanno una conoscenza di ciò che potrebbe essere, ma il mio sguardo rimane ancora. Rimane come un risultato potenziale, non il risultato . In other words, I get a psychic glimpse of the cat inside of Schrödinger's box as it could potentially most likely be. If the cat is alive or dead after I have my psychic Sight is completely up to fate or the actions of those that now have a knowledge of what could be, but my glimpse still remains. It remains as a potential outcome, not the outcome."

The man leaned forward over the table, pressing his large hand on it a few inches from Leonardo's. Despite himself, the Seer felt his hackles rise. "Che tu pensi o meno che il gatto sia morto, il punto a portata di mano è che sospetto che il gatto morirà. Whether or not you think the cat is dead, the point at hand is that I suspect that the cat will die." His blue eyes turned into chips of ice as one brow furrowed and the other raised almost expectantly. "Vorrei chiedere un consiglio per evitare che muoia. I would be looking for advice to prevent it from dying."

Leonardo's hands took the long tarot cards, his gaze never parting from the man's blues. He quietly began to shuffle them between his long, thin fingers, and the sound of moving cards became the only thing to pierce the air. After a little while of consideration, after shuffling them for a time and turning them in his hands to ensure a random variable of upright and reversals, Leonardo offered the fan face down towards the man. "Perché non mi spieghi in che modo pensi che il gatto morirà? Why don't you illuminate to me in what way you think the cat will die."

After a pause of hesitation, the man drew a card... turning it over to reveal the Empress, reversed in his direction. Leonardo's head tipped curiously as his eyes narrowed at it, flicking back to the man for a moment before looking back at the regal and tawny image of Dido in her glory upon her own Carthaginian throne. Steepling his fingers after closing the fan of cards, Leonardo formulated his first thoughts. "L'Imperatrice significa energia femminile... di solito sotto forma di madre o donna. A volte regale, a volte in possesso di una prodezza molto forte o comando di se stessi o sugli altri. The Empress signifies feminine energy... usually in the form of a mother or a woman. Sometimes royal, sometimes one in possession of a very strong prowess or command of themselves or over others." Nurturing energy, motherly energy... but... "Invertito come questo indica un momento di qualcosa vicino alla furia. Potere selvaggio e distruttivo action azione punitiva. Reversed like this indicates a moment of something near fury. Wild and destructive power--punitive action." Pale eyes returned to the man again. "Un'azione particolarmente punitiva nei confronti dei propri figli. Particularly punitive action against her own children." He righted his head. "Uno sfogo emotivo, una vendetta violenta e contro qualcosa che senti ti ha sputato. An emotional outburst, a violent vengeance, and against something you feel has spited you." There was a curl to the Seer's lips as he finally found the chink. "Qualcuno ti sta infastidendo?Someone is vexing you?"

Those light blue eyes turned suddenly dark and stormy. "Mi capita di trovarmi spesso infastidito, spesso da altri. Io, purtroppo, ho un capello di un'idea di chi potrebbe essere. Mi chiedo, però, se tu. I happen to find myself frequently vexed, often by others. I do, unfortunately, have a hair of an idea of whom it might be. I wonder, though, if you." The man's hand extended towards Leonardo, almost expectantly. After considering it for a moment, Leonardo fanned the cards again, letting him take another. The card was turned over to reveal the 8 of pentacles, upright.

Leonardo sighed. The minor arcana were so much more difficult to interpret when it came to desiring specific answers, though he considered the context of the question more than the demand to know who this character that this man spoke of was supposed to be. After a moment of thought he conceded. "Non so chi sei o chi possono essere i tuoi "nemici". I know not who you are or who your 'enemies' may be." He sighed through his words, tipping his head to one side as if by changing the angle at which he beheld the minor card it would somehow alter his perception or understanding of what it was telling him. "Ma questa è una carta di apprendistato, di un giovane nascente non ancora maestro delle sue opere. But this is a card of apprenticeship, of a young fledgeling not yet a master of his works." Yet, as he spoke he seemed to realize a bit more and more what the insinuation was pointing towards. After all, had this man not asked him who he thought the vexer was? "Qualcuno che cerca di migliorare la propria situazione. Laboriosa, o forse persistente e diligente... Someone trying to improve their situation. Hardworking, or perhaps persistent and diligent..." The argent eyes narrowed at the young boy who was working to hammer his eight coins into flawless design. "Ma... qualcuno che diventerà presto un maestro. Allievo. But... someone who will soon become a master. A pupil."

The man had by now leaned back in his seat again, a small yet silken lopsided grin beginning to form once again across his face. "Hnnnn... e 'cosi'?is that so?" He said softly before chuckling dryly. "Interessante davvero. Un'interpretazione intrigante pure, Veggente Chiadovini. Interesting indeed. An intriguing interpretation as well, Seer Chiadovini." The cigarette was rolled from one side of his mouth to the other, eyes upturned to the ceiling as if in deep thought.

"Se ti piace, potrei essere in grado di discernere perché è così... la preoccupazione della retribuzione da parte di questo individuo può giungere a buon fine. If it pleases you, I may be able to discern why it is that this... worry of retribution by this individual may come to fruition." A dark eyebrow arched as the man plied his craft of attempting to prod for further knowledge--even though it be not always his to rightfully possess. "A condizione, ovviamente, un tale... il finale è uno che vorresti evitare per cominciare? Provided, of course, such an... ending is one that you would like to avoid to begin with?"

The blue eyes flicked to his, piercing through them and flashing for a moment before the redhead leaned forwards again on both his elbows, the cigarette now mostly used lazily letting off its last few streaks of smoke in complaint. A deep exhale from him sent white tobacco scent across the teatable and into Leonardo's face and eyes, but the Seer did not so much as flinch, blink, or stand down. After a moment of silence, the man slowly nodded. "... Sì. Sarei interessato a sapere, in realtà. Soprattutto se è detto dal tipo del tuo lignaggio. ... yes. I would be interested to know, actually. Especially if it's told by your lineage's kind." His words concluded with a deep growl.

The fan, after being presented again and having a card withdrawn, was turned over. This time, it was Leonardo's turn to let out a small laugh of disbelief. The magician, drawn in reverse. A depiction of Odysseus with his gleaming breastplate shining through ragged beggar rags, a bent bow between his hand and the earth and in his other hand a gladius, his chin lifted slightly to the skies as the oceans below his feet crashed and stormclouds rumbled over his head, looking upwards upon its two beholders from a position of its own folly. Manipulations and trickery gone awry, a plan not fully formulated and a potential not fully reached. Leonardo's eyes flashed with the lightning of the card. "Il Mago, invertito. The Magician, reversed." He said simply. "Potresti ritrovarti a corto di trucchi un giorno. You may find yourself running low on tricks someday." Odd that it was not the Tower, nor was it Judgement or Justice or even Death or the Hermit... or any number of nuanced minor arcana that would have offered more nebulous responses. The Magician was stern and firm, and very very confident in its assessments. "Il percorso che ti aspetta non è chiaro. Hai la capacità di riconoscere i metodi con cui è necessario risolvere il problema e la capacità di risolvere il problema in tempo... ma il tempo sta per scadere. The path ahead is unclear to you. You have the ability to recognize the methods by which you must fix it and the ability to fix it in time... but time is running out." The Seer watched as those blue eyes darkened dangerously, as if they were the ones peering out at the Grecian hero from the depths of the sea instead. "Una trappola di tua produzione potrebbe presto scattare sul tuo collo, una trama rovinata dalla fretta o da una singola cattiva decisione presa. A trap of your own making may soon snap upon your neck, a plot spoiled by hastiness or a single bad decision made."

He hummed to himself lightly, returning Odysseus to his deck and shuffling it lightly, acutely aware of the fact that his guest was still simmering to himself in response to the Seer's words. Leonardo innocently piped up to break the silence. "Certo, sono solo un Veggente. Potrei sbagliarmi in qualche modo... e queste sono le mie migliori interpretazioni di ciò che mi hai dato in base alle impressioni e alla storia che hai raccontato-- Of course, I am just a Seer. I could be mistaken somehow... and these are my best interpretations of what you have given me based off of impressions and the story you've told--"

"Non un'altra parola. Not another word." The words were low and bassy, an intonation that almost seemed to cause the floor to rumble. Leonardo's brow raised again as he watched the sulking man seeming to formulate his thoughts in real time through a very aggrivated series of expressions and nervous fiddling with the deathstick. "Sto iniziando a percepire uno schema. I'm beginning to sense a pattern."

"Oh? Tuo fratello aveva predetto una cosa simile? Che coincidenza. Oh? Did your brother predict a similar thing? How coincidental." The words were, once again, fauxly innocent. "È quasi come se ci fossero parti della tua vita che hanno bisogno di essere rivalutate. It's almost as if there are parts of your life that need reassessing." It was now the Seer's turn to take digs. "Ma sai cosa si dice di un buon spavento sometimes a volte il timore di Dio che viene messo in se stessi aiuta davvero a cambiare la propria vita. But you know what they say about a good scare--sometimes the fear of God being put into oneself really does help to turn one's life around." The cards were placed to the side as the words fell hollowly from pallid lips. "La sensazione di perdere il controllo è spaventosa, ma spesso qualcosa che rivela di più su di te anche se il modo in cui si arriva a reagire a quelle sensazioni. The sensation of losing control is frightening, but often something that reveals more about yourself though the way that you will come to react to those sensations."

"Non fare la condiscendente con me. Don't patronize me." Came the snap of words back as cyan blues glared at silver with a vengeance. "Sono venuto qui per una lettura, non un seminario di auto-aiuto o una lezione di filosofia. I came here for a reading, not a self-help seminar or a philosophy lesson."

The Seer stood from the table, moving to collect his tea from the table again. By now it was mostly cold. "Esattamente. E l'ho fatto esattamente al meglio delle capacità che mi hai richiesto. Exactly. And I have done exactly that to the best of the abilities you have requested of me." A shadow began to hood over his eyes, his expression darkening slightly as firelight cast jagged shadows across his face. His frown intensified as he sipped politely from the teacup, not quite pleased with how lukewarm the drink was but finding at least some degree of delight that the individual tastes of the concoction were more defined than they would have been were they to have been warmed.

Suddenly and unceremoniously the stranger got to his feet, hastily pushing in the chair and then roughly tossing a few galleons on the table. Leonardo watched narrowly as the man's face slowly turned ruddy with what he personally interpreted as fury, keeping a safe distance away from the fray and ready to pull his wand if things went sourly. "Maledetti Veggenti. Damned Seers." He stated darkly, giving Leonardo a bombastic Malocchio before turning away. Unconsciously, the Seer made the mano cornuto in response, partially out of superstition and partially out of spite as he watched the individual slowly make his way to vacate the premises. "Terzo occhio... che sciocchezza. Third eye... what nonsense." The man scoffed, spinning suddenly and pointing at Leonardo accusatorily. The intensity of the next words seemed to almost carry flecks of spittle with them. "Sei chiamato un imbroglione e una vergogna per una buona ragione, dopo tutto. You're called a cheat and a disgrace for a good reason after all." He declared as Leonardo stood completely still like a spectre confined to a corner. "Non sei un Veggente. Sei un truffatore che cerca pezzi senza crediti per il tuo nome oltre a quello che serve come unica e sola stampella. E hai sporcato anche quello. You're no Seer. You're a con-man panhandling for pieces with no credits to your name besides the one that's serving as your one and only crutch. And you've sullied that one too."

Leonardo quietly looked at the tea. The ripples in it were suddenly striking him as being quite fascinating now that he was giving them a closer inspection, particularly so in comparison to the vitriol being directed his way that he could quite honestly care less about. Perhaps it was more of an unconscious reation of his, or maybe such scorn had been directed his way so often that by now it was merely a matter of letting the tides rush over him with a certain amount of grace as opposed to attempting to defend one's honor in a ring of battle that was rigged to destroy him no matter which move he dared make. Eyebrows still arched disinterestedly, when the pause in the words came, all he did was simply flick his eyes upwards to behold the near-bedraggled figure of the once raving individual.

Those eyes were lit with a fury that the Seer knew well--a look of vengeance and of a hint of deep seated visceral fear. Uncertainty, most likely. Insecurity of how to proceed... but that latter indication faded away almost as quickly as it had come, instead redoubling the flames of blue fire that were enkindled and enshrined deep within a dark pupil that did not give any indication of exposing any of its inner thought or motives. The eyes, just as quickly as they had exposed themselves, suddenly masked themselves with an unknowable veneer--that strange air of confidence and impetuousness that had been so grating to begin with on his first entry. A flawless porcelain volto had been readjusted for the masquerade of the everyday Carnival.

In the pause of silence once more, the stranger tossed his head back and let out a single strained bark of a laugh. "Eppure, sei abbastanza bravo in quello che fai, vero?Still, you're quite good at what you do, aren't you." The silver eyes stared into the stranger's blankly. "E per quanto mi riguarda, mi hai dato tutto quello di cui ho bisogno. And as far as I'm concerned, you've given me everything I need."

The Chiadovini only shrugged. "Finché ho soddisfatto i tuoi bisogni, molto bene. As long as I have satiated your needs, very well." He intoned softly, the lingering taste of jasmine on his tongue as the cold drink was imbibed again. "Qualunque cosa significasse per te... Spero lo sia stato... illuminante. Whatever it meant to you... I hope it has been... enlightening." It had, if nothing else, been enlightening to the Chiadovini himself--it had given him a rather intriguing profile on the individual just as much as the individual had been given a profile of his potential future based on his current circumstance. While troubling... Leonardo merely found himself intrigued as opposed to concerned--with both the man and his alleged foe. A classic rivalry, perhaps, or perhaps something far darker and meandering.

Regardless, surely it was a tale worthy of putting ink to pen when the story reached its finale.

"Infatti. Buonanotte, Leonardo Ricardo. 'Chiarezza, Eredità, Sublime'. Indeed. Good night, Leonardo Ricardo. 'Clarity, Lineage, Sublime'." The lopsided grin flashed its teeth once more, a new cigarette being raised to lips as the door slowly closed and then latched behind him to leave the Seer alone in his silence with only the chorous of insects to sing their sibilant songs.

From the window having returned from his early evening flight, Macbeth fluttered onto his master's shoulder and proceeded to rub his beak on the Seer's dark facial hair affectionately. A pallid hand satiated the creature's desire for attention and touch with a small massaging between the tawny-red wings. Considering for a while the things that had happened, Leonardo committed every sight, smell, and experience to his mind. The face of that stranger looked oddly familar to him, though he could not for some reason put his finger as to why that was--why it was that it carried a strange fog of familiarity... As if he had seen it before and yet had never met it.

The rest of the night, he was able to read his book in peace... though not without putting aside the writings of Wilde for a few moments so as to consider once more the experience recently past. So strange... so unusual... and yet so eerily familar. So... so familiar...

Reducio

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Statistics & Abilities

Stamina 5 ⬥ Strength 0 ⬥ Evasion 9 ⬥ Wisdom 15 ⬥ Accuracy 14 ⬥ Arcane Power 17
Seer ⬥ Fearless ⬥ Advanced Casting ⬥ Terrible Presence ⬥ Spell Spread ⬥ Crucio

Reducio

Seer

⬥ Uncanny Insight ~ 10% Auto-Dodge & Auto-Hit Rate
⬥ Prophesy ~ Vision Occurrence Chance 1ce/Thread (1/1)
⬥ Indiscriminate Knowledge ~ No Critical Failure Chance & +1 Critical Success Range
⬥ Fatespinning ~ Reroll an Ability Check 3ce/Thread (3/3)

Fearless ~ Immunity to Fear Effects, Spells, and Potions

Advanced Casting ~ +1 Critical Success Range while Casting Spells

Terrible Presence ~ Aura of +1 Critical Failure and 10% Automiss & Damage Reduction

Spell Spread ~ +2 Wisdom DC, +1 Critical Failure Range, -2 Accuracy, +1 Target

Crucio ~ Capability of Casting the Unforgivable Torturing Curse

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