do i look moderate to you?

“ah. you’re very unpleasant.” eden’s immediate response was to slip their tarot deck back into their bag with a fervor, lest the girl’s negative energy seep through the box into the cards themselves. they’d only recently done a thorough cleanse shortly after arriving on campus, and didn’t particularly feel like awaiting the next full moon before their decks could truly be usable and free of corruption again. they were no stranger to responses like this - in fact, this was downright mild compared to some of the rejections they’d faced in the city - and they’d long since learned to shrug it off. not every fish will bite, but there are infinitely more lurking under the waters. “i hear an act of charity does the soul a lot of good, indeed, but primarily for those of us with charitable souls to begin with. i won’t turn down a free sundae, though. and i tend to be a bit of an unpleasant person myself, so perhaps we’ll complement each other nicely.”

“hmm. good to know. thank you, aaron.” it was quite a relief to find he hadn’t immediately identified them, rather than asking whether they went to denton as a passing curiosity; perhaps their cover wasn’t completely blown, after all. sure, their diabolical plot to purchase alcoholic beverages while underage may have been considered ‘unethical’ or ‘a criminal misdemeanor and possible felony’ to some, but it had to be a step up from shoplifting bottles of fireball from liquor stores this time last month. “15 minutes? i’ll take the red, then; you seem like a guy whose judgment i can trust as a sommelier. just bring me two bottles. one for the road, y’know.” they fished in their pocket and pulled out their fake ID to present to him with a winning smile; their curiosity was piqued about him now. ah, perhaps their paths will cross again, as long as they’re attending the same college.

“...you don’t need to apologize, i probably overreacted.” eden had gotten used to only assuming the worst intentions in people, and occasionally it caused them to treat people a little unfairly. it was definitely something they’d need to work on now that they were in a less hostile environment than the streets of vegas, and they did regret that this random girl had been the first to fall victim to it. even if they didn’t appreciate their practice being referred to as a scam, only because they truly believed wholeheartedly in the divine nature of it. “i’m sorry, we should start over. i’m always open to learn more, if you read that astrology can help with tarot readings - they’re very similar practices, so it’s certainly within the realm of possibility. we can discuss that over dinner. and you’ll still get your reading, of course.”

“oh, just- a city. it’s pretty far away. you’ve probably never heard of it,” eden quickly deflected as they got back to their feet. of course, it was pretty unlikely that the boy was unfamiliar with the distant land known as ‘las vegas,’ but they’d been caught off guard by the question and stumbled to find a way to avoid it. they had yet to open up about their past with anyone here, and their current objective was to see if they could make it all the way through to graduation without anyone even learning what their home state was. they glanced around for a convenient change of subject, eyes finally settling on the guitar case on his back. “looks like you were headed to practice or something, right? i better get out of your way. you gotta get those hours in. again, i’m so sorry for this mess.”

“is that what i am?” eden couldn’t help but laugh; they’d been called any number of things throughout the course of their life, and more than a few since their arrival at the school, but ‘pretty’ wasn’t usually one of them. it was flattering - even if they’d never been particularly good at graciously accepting a compliment - but they still couldn’t help but wonder why this stranger was being so unexpectedly nice to them. “can’t say i have any secrets to share; i woke up like this. but you don’t look like you need them, anyway. you seem to have this whole beauty thing figured out already.”

“tsk, tsk - i’m afraid it’ll cost you a little extra if you want a side order of my tragic backstory. i wouldn’t recommend it, though; definitely not worth the price, in my opinion.” eden shook their head with a soft smile; they always had deflections prepared for the occasional instances when someone asked about their past, and they proved to be quite effective for the most part. with a small bounce, they tugged on the boy’s sleeve, pulling him in the direction of their favorite local diner (so far, in the short time they’d been in this town). “yes, of course, we’ll see what the midterm gods have in store for you, dear. perhaps i can even pull some strings and nudge them in your favor a little.”

“ah... no. no, i wouldn’t.” eden wasn’t entirely sure where this girl had gotten the idea that her zodiac sign would be a requirement for a tarot reading. they weren’t exactly what you’d call a skeptic, and did believe that astrology had its merits, but the practice of divination through their decks was largely unrelated. the girl likely didn’t mean any harm, but eden had always had a low tolerance for attitudes that struck them as condescending. “i’m not scamming anyone, i’m providing a service in exchange for compensation, which is perfectly legal - but if i were running some kind of con job, i wouldn’t need anyone’s help in that regard. but thank you for your offer, it was very kind.”

“hey there! wouldn’t you like to have your fortune read by a psychic with several years of experience with the tarot? uncover the hidden mysteries that your future may hold, divine the secrets to finding fortune and happiness in the here and now?” it was a sales pitch that eden had practiced and perfected over the course of their year as a homeless runaway, and they’d decided to do an experimental run on the student body at their new school. they held up their trusty tarot deck in front of them invitingly, giving the person before them a knowing smile. “you can’t beat my prices, i assure you. all this could be yours for the low, low price of an ice cream sundae.”