[The Fine Eye] Tooth and Tongue

As soon as the two vampiresses and their esteemed company made it to Tooth and Tongue, a hostess showed them to a table with swift grace. Maribel asked for one closest to the aquarium, and miraculously, perhaps because the other auction was coming up in a short amount of time, it was not reserved.

The chairs were comfy and the light from the fish tank was cool and soothing. Maribel found herself leaning back gently, gazing at the spectacle before them.

A Stalker was placed inside of the tank that day. They were thought to be relentless hunters of the sea: shaped like orcas, their first-half split open like a flower to reveal a monster of a human inside. It was something like a demonic mermaid or perhaps some divine joke made to frighten sailors.

"I heard they can learn speech. It's a wonder how human it can become. So many rumors of them attaching to the bottom of ships and eating any poor drunkard that falls overboard makes me wonder. It's certainly intelligent.

A servant came over, presenting three bottles of wine. One was Gauldish by the name of Sang d'homme, another was an Isran special mixed with two other reds, and the third was from a country that recently emerged from the mists- Toragana- made with spices from nomads who had lost their city decades ago.

"An interesting selection. Do either of you have preferences?"

Raphael sat himself between the two sisters at the other side of the table, carefully observing the room, his eyes lingering over the creature in the tank. It seemed he made eye contact at some point because the creature took one look before hastily making another circuit around the tank away from him. Something in his eyes had sent the creature off. Or perhaps it was the lack of something.

He just hummed amused under his breath as he turned back to the women at the table. "... Intelligent indeed..." He echoed before looking at the waiter that came and presented the assortment of wines. He glanced at Elvira before giving a slight shrug. "So long as it is not a sweet wine, I care not. I'd prefer something more full-bodied and dry." He told the waiter as he crossed a leg over his knee.

"I have not had the luxury to travel to the country of Toragana as of yet. I'd like to soon make my appearance there. See what is to be offered in such a country." He agreed with Elvira. "There are many with a similar taste for the exotics as you, I would expect." He mused with a different meaning than Elvira, but still, in some ways, just the same.

Dart had heard about the infamous Fine Eye and their elusive auctions. The dark-haired thief always had her eye on the auction but this time she had her eye on a greater luxury, food. She had heard that of all the places to eat the Tooth and Tongue was by far the most delicious and today she was going to find out for herself. Dart enters and was helped to her seat by a staff member. Her eyes dance around the room with newfound fascination. All the people here seem so intriguing especially the contents they may have in their pockets. However, taking from those here would lead to her demise.

There will be no emptying of pockets from Dart today, only the filling of her stomach. She couldn't help but hear bits and pieces of a conversation from the three customers sitting nearby as Dart perused the menu. Wine, Torgana, and some sort of sale such pleasant and odd conversations one might have at the Fine Eye.

A swiftly shifting shadow for busy drinkers of Tooth and Tongue, the Dealer glided over the first floor to the staircase and up to the cafe. They passed the seldom patron, and gave an almost mechanical nod to the barkeep. Their table was always empty, infinitely reserved. The Dealer took out two black candles, the smell of sweet honey mixed with ashy scent of crisped charcoal started to infest the surroundings. With the touch of their fingertips the candles were lit and the smell now weighed heavy in the cafe. No trace of any smoke, just the dazing aroma making the few patrons present lightheaded and relaxed. The Dealer sat on their chair, facing towards the rest of the cafe and the view presented. Their hand brushed the face of the deck on the hip, and just with that it was neatly placed before them on the table. The orange glow flared for a second, all the weaves clearly present, the tethers woven together into a tight, entropic and yet systematic knot. It was nice to feel alive for this one moment. The glow of the candles reflected off of the Dealer’s porcelain skin, as their arm gestured for one shot of the strongest whiskey, and the strongest coffee the barmen could muster to brew. Once the drinks arrived, the Dealer placed them both on the other side of the table where their next customer would shortly sit. Yes, it is always nice to have customers. Always nice to feel alive. Soon enough, at least sooner than this coffee can get cold. 

“Yes, most certainly. Please sit”, the Dealer’s ethereally mechanic voice spread in the air, as they invited Eloísa to sit at the table. Their hand reached for the deck, and began to shuffle the cards. The pleasant noice enriched the envioroment as each crimson pattern of circles and triangles hid beneath another, each card gvivng only a glimpse of what was awaiting, each gesture only gently plucking the strings of fate. Finally, the shuffling came to an end and the first card almost glided to the middle of the table, closely followed by 2 others. The Dealer handed the deck to Eloísa with one porcelain hand, as the other one flopped the leftmost card, revealing a pathway to a sunset with four pillars of wood emerging from the fields. “Please shuffle the deck”, the Dealer calmly asked, their eyes igniting with bright orange, their lips taking position of a smile. The Dealer moved their porcelain hands, weaving and plucking and at times simply looking at Eloise, all in a short period of minute, as the card began to shift to present a pathway from an arena, with four pillars of light and a cheering crowd, “A victory, a celebration, a foundation”, the Dealer almost sang to themselves, apparently forgetting of Eloise. The next card was flipped, to reveal an abstract picture of a priest holding twin keys to a door. The gestures stopped as the Dealer, once again, glanced upon Eloise. “A change of cycle, lack of faith, no lies are left to tell”, they spoke procedurally, almost simultaneously with the change of scenery on the card to a man painted red and upside down, with keys leading to heavy chains of lead. Finally the third card revealed its nature, a monochrome woman with a face full of determination, holding a sword with care of holding a child, with short brown hair, clad in full armor. A splash of colour changed the vision, the hair was baptised with the silver of a purest kind, the blade gave way to a thunderous quarterstaff. “The armor loose, the chains now broken. You need a plan and execution.”, the Dealer satisfied themselves with a neat rhyme, as their glowing hearths of eyes almost exploded with brightness, following a gesture of tying a knot. “Now it is time for questions.”, onc more lifeless, the Dealer accepted the deck back and placed in front of them, waiting for a new surge of life.