It reminds him of..home? That's not something people say very often. Or ever.

Hazel has to remind herself that it's rude to pry, especially when they've only just met (even if she's suddenly really really curious about where he's from). They haven't even exchanged names yet! Nana would be cross if she was rude, because of course Hazel would be telling her all about the man who swept in looking like something off the cover of a magazine, claiming that the shop reminded him of home, during their next visit.

"Thanks for stopping by! The shop's been in my family for generations. It's sort of like an inheritance and a job!"  And a home, she doesn't say, but more because that much feels obvious. The whole shop has a very cozy, lived-in feel about it, and not just because her bedroom is upstairs. 

"Would you like a reading?" That's what most people stop by for these days. That, and the occasional request to oust a ghost from their property. "Oh, and I can put on some tea if you'd like."

Still settled on the desk, Carmen's head swivels back toward Pluto the moment Hazel's attention is elsewhere, but if the abra has opinions about their handsome guest and his wandering eyed companion, she doesn't share them. For now, she contents herself with continuing to stare. 

A fellow practitioner! A thrill of nervous excitement runs through the young witch. It's been a while since she's gotten to do a reading for someone who can see just as much in the cards as she can. What if she gets it wrong? But no...no, she's been doing this forever, since before she could read actual words. Chasing meaning in the pictures found on each card. Interpreting fate. It'll be fine. Fun even! A reading for a new friend!

Because somewhere between Pluto's exuberance and the fact that he used to do readings himself, Hazel finds herself deciding that she and her mysterious visitor are to be friends, and there's a spring in her step as she goes to put the kettle on.

Green tea. A good choice. Simple and soothing. 

"It'll just be a few minutes. It's an older kettle, so it takes a while to heat up, but it gets the job done," Hazel informs Pluto as she opens a drawer behind the counter and pulls out three decks. The readings always go better when she lets people pick, and though she has many to choose from, these three feel the most like him. The most like --- oh! oh no! she'd forgotten to ask his name! 

"Which deck would you like me to read from?" she asks, moving to set the three decks on the small table by the front window. "Oh! And I'll need you're name too. Not for the reading, of course, just to know what to call you. I'm Hazel by the way!" 

And all the while, Carmen stares, stubbornly refusing to break eye-contact with Smudge now that her challenge has been accepted.

And now he has a name, they're halfway to being friends already! "Pluto." Hazel nods once as he makes his choice. "Good choice! It suits you." Though, whether she means his name or the deck that he's chosen for his reading is anyone's guess.

The deck in question is a study in contrasts - the backs of the cards a deep matte black fading into a twilight blue at the bottom, each emblazoned with a generous spray of metallic silver stars that catch the light, twinkling as she shuffles them. Inlaid at the center of the cards are a series of elegant-looking silver rings representing the interconnected nature of past, present, and future. It's one of Hazel's favorites, each card face a constellation of meaning both figuratively and literally.

"I think a traditional three card spread would probably be best." Usually, she asks, but this feels right somehow.

Hazel gestures to the two wooden chairs at the table, each one topped with a soft purple cushion, leaving Pluto to choose which one he'll occupy. "Have a seat and we'll get to it!"

As for the abra, this is the moment she's been waiting for! A true test of stubbornness! And so the two pokemon continue to sit and stare like weirdos, neither combatant in the war of open eyes willing to be the first to admit defeat.

The abra remains frozen in place save for the occasional twitching of her ears as she tracks the conversation on the other side of the room. Gotta keep an eye on the pretty human. Pretty humans always end up being trouble somehow.

Hazel, on the other hand, is all motion. She settles herself in the chair opposite Pluto, one foot tapping out a rhythm to who even knows what as she continues shuffling - first a simple shuffle, then a bridge - before offering the deck to him. "Cut it wherever you like and--"


A high-pitched whistling cuts Hazel off, making her jump and bang her knees on the bottom of the table. "Oww! Looks like the tea is ready. I'll grab some cups while you cut the deck. Feel free to get creative and leave me several piles if you want. Oh, and be sure to think of a question while you're doing it!"

Pluto Fürst

☉

On her way over to the kettle, Hazel gives Carmen a light tap on the head with her index finger. The abra doesn't blink. Looks like this is going to go on a while.

Hazel shakes her head as she pours the tea and returns with two small ceramic mugs depicting handpainted  psyducks trying out various dance poses. She sets one in front of Pluto before she sits and examines the piles that he's left for her.

Ooooh, four piles! That's novel!

"Do you have your question?" She doesn't need to tell him that there's no need to say it out loud. Instead, Hazel stares at the pile for a moment before pulling three cards - one from the first pile. She skips the second and third piles before taking the last two cards from the fourth. Perfect!

Carefully, she lays them out in a line halfway between Pluto and herself, careful to keep them well away from the merrily steaming mugs. 

Pluto Fürst

☉

One by one, Hazel flips the cards.

The first card depicts a venomoth sitting atop an ornate wand, lit from above by a full moon. Her wings are outstretched as though she's preening. The formidable Queen of Wands reversed.

The second card flips to reveal a constellation of delicate silver webwork trapping seven glittering gold coins. A silver embossed spinarak climbs toward them. The Seven of Pentacles. 

The final card shows three beedrill picking their way over a constellation in the shape of a honeycomb, this one also filled with gold coins. Hazel counts them. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. The Eight of Pentacles.

Hazel scrutinizes the three cards. Seeking their story. The answer to whatever question Pluto holds in his heart.

"Lots of pentacles. You don't happen to be a fellow business owner, do you? Or...hmm...no, it's not quite a business thing, at least not entirely. There's something that you've helped build, something that's been coming together like a well woven web. Whatever it is, it's got a lot of moving parts, but it's working well, it's giving you what you need right now, but it's going to take some work to keep it that way. Pay attention to little details." 

That covers the pentacles, but there's still the matter of the reversed queen. Hazel doesn't usually skip a card, and this story definitely starts with the first card, but something keeps telling her to add it last. Maybe it has to do with whatever will take work. Someone or something in the spotlight, someone or something volatile, maybe even dangerous. A friend? No. A partner maybe? Hazel frowns. 

"There's someone in your life that you find yourself drawn to. Someone magnetic who makes you feel special."

"There's a side to them that you haven't seen. Something they keep from you. It's..." Her frown deepens. "Well, it may present some challenges, but nothing that you won't be able to work through if you choose to." 

Pluto Fürst

☉