Ask I'm on a Boat

[Nakoa Singh]

​

The Aurora Aurodium was the very definition of a modern high-class pleasure yacht. It ferried wealthy passengers from the galaxy over on adventures aquatic, a whole support network dedicated to making the journey as pleasurable as possible. Nobles, politicians, celebrities, and importantly, their money-laden offspring were taken to different oceanic worlds for a leisurely cruise. The yacht itself was stocked with exotic amenities in abundance, from drinks in any conceivable flavor to top-tier food and entertainment, dancers, saltwater pools, and custom cocktails named after their customers. It even had launch pads for shuttles meant to take passengers on tours of native islands, coral reefs, and the like.

All was obviously well out of Nakoa's budget, which was why he was aboard as crew/entertainment. The parent company tended to temporarily hire beings who knew the local area and/or were aquatically inclined, both for actual utility and to lend legitimacy to their claims of expertise, but who tended to work other jobs aboard as well. Nakoa wasn't even the only Wrean aboard, surprisingly. He also performed fortune telling, which rich people loved to spend stupid amounts of money on for some reason, especially as they were also often drunk. The company took a cut, but he wasn't going to complain about it.

Especially since part of the reason he'd taken the job was to gather information on galactic goings-on. Multi-tasking at its finest, but really he mostly wanted the money. So there he was on the party deck in his company-provided suit, reading fortunes for a young lady by examining palm lines between making drinks. His observations were slightly too accurate to be a coincidence and often resulted in selling little trinkets that did nothing but made people feel better. The coins for monetary luck were popular with high-stakes gamblers.

The woman departed feeling hopeful for her son's future and Nakoa looked around for their next prospective client. "You look like a man curious of the future," the Wrean directed toward a young pointy-eared individual near the bar with an array of especially shiny accessories about his person and an empty glass. Nakoa placed a spirits bottle atop the bar with a label that read 'Future Fortuna' in sleek gold script.

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra’s family booked this as part of a holiday trip. Normally they had a yacht entirely to themselves, but this year a few other wealthy families wanted to come with and dad, of course, hated saying no. Pops mysteriously and conveniently vanished after making an appearance day one and his dad and sister were off in their own little circles. This left Ezra to fend for himself with people he didn’t know.

Bored and slightly moody, he was sitting near the bar and scrolling through his NalPhone. Service was spotty, but he was checking through Switter and GalaxyGram, spotting his sister posting a slew of pictures from the level below. Ezra rolled his eyes and was about to walk away when he heard someone. He glanced up to see a guy pointing at him and speaking. Ezra looked around himself before he realized he was definitely the addressee.

Ezra didn’t reply immediately, silver gaze flicking up towards the fortune telling sign. He pretended not to hear and went right back to his scrolling. After a few minutes, he decided he was bored and he stepped away from the bar.

He stopped by the fortune teller and tossed over a few Crowns, plopping down in front of the man.

“All right,” He said curtly, “Hit me.”

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Nakoa Singh]

Alas, Nakoa's little joke seemed to have sunk faster than a lead rowboat. Still, he'd float by on getting the man of indeterminate age's attention in the first place; that's how you got clients half the time. In the meantime, he poured and handed out a tray of fruity drinks to a passing server and wiped down his bar table. Any stray stain on his worksurface annoyed him.

By the time Ezra'd relocated over to where Nakoa was, he was popping open the bottle of Future Fortuna to pour for himself because it was allowed so why not? Amber-gold eyes looked up from the glass as crowns clattered, a charming smile effortlessly forming on the Wrean's face just as if he was glad to see the Sephi show up. "Can do." Nakoa slid over the glass of amber liquid- 'hit me' also meant 'give me a drink' in bartender speak- which smelled of various spices, since it was a spiced brandy from some obscure planet. Very smooth, very expensive, very covered by the kind of tickets Ezra's father bought.

The Wrean's eyes glanced over Ezra's general being. "My keen powers tell me you're not having fun," he commented with a kidding air, having nothing to do with magic. Ezra was just the only person who'd been staring at his phone on the party level that Nakoa could see. A thin deck of 22 tarot cards had materialized from under the bar and Nakoa started shuffling through the air with a little bit of added flair. Slapping it down on the spotless bar table, Nakoa spread them out before Ezra.

"Just take six and we'll see what the wheel of fate predicts."

@Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra stared blankly at the ‘fortune teller’ and his joke to where the resemblance to his famous father was suddenly striking. Before he decided to simply leave, the wizard guy laid out some cards for him to pick. Ezra blinked a few times before selecting six at random.

“So what, do I ask you questions or do you just tell me?” He was hoping for the latter. Questions could easily clue the guy into what Ezra may have wanted to hear. He studied the other man for a moment, trying to work out what he was. Were those gills? He was taught it was rude to stare, but Ezra didn’t give a shit about whether or not he showed respect to some lowly entertainer.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Nakoa Singh]

Nakoa's exact same charming little smile met Ezra's blank stare, entirely undeterred. He swept up the unchosen cards and stacked them neatly off to the side, safely away from the condensation gathering on the chilled brandy bottle. "You've already asked the questions, at one point or another. The cards will answer." His hand flicked over to flip over the leftmost card, revealing a stone tower rising from the sea.

"The Tower. You feel that the disruption or change you will soon go through will be catastrophic. Upheaval can force new directions one never thought possible. Without realizing it, you may want change, but the solution will not be one you expect."Nakoa flipped the next card, an androgynous merperson pouring water from one cup to the next.

"Temperance. You crave peace or a sense of control that belongs solely to you. You're going through hardship or loss of direction. You need calm and patience to find the path ahead." The next card portrayed a muscular figure wielding a bolt of lightning in his right hand.

"Judgement. You fear the coming of far-reaching changes ahead. Things may not turn out the way you expect, a time when your routines will dramatically change. Although events will move apace, fear not, for every choice is a step toward the better." Another card, another figure; a jester dancing on their hands and juggling with their feet.

"The Fool. Soon is a time with lots of potential for wondrous experiences. Keep your confidence high and your mind open to new possibilities. If you consider leaving your job, home or relationship, you will. An unexpected desire will be fulfilled." The next card Nakoa flipped was clearly Death, with a robed figure towering over the vaguest shapes of sentient beings.

"Death." The fortune-teller paused. "The boat is tilting," he said, switching abruptly from a customer-service sort of tone to a dry monotone. He was right, though; the boat was starting to left toward its starboard side. Glasses and plates began to slide on tables, while several drunk patrons and slid across the dancefloor. Nakoa leaned in the opposite direction and stayed standing just fine.

From out of the sea near the yacht burst another craft, this one much larger and obviously designed for combat over luxury. Something between submersible and spacecraft, beings of various species swarmed over its surface like ants. The yacht heaved from the water's movement, then shook as the craft activated tractor beams and fired magnetic harpoons. With the yacht leaning even further now, Nakoa began to slide, still standing upright and grabbing the brandy bottle on his way by. "Dontlookagreenbeardedmanintheeyes," he added rapidly just before he finally slipped and fell somewhere behind the bar.

The Yacht was being rapidly boarded and figures were swinging toward the party room window.

@Sreeya