The swirling skies of Bespin’s rare and sought-after sunsets painted the horizon in every direction atop the splendid disc of Cloud City. Tourists milled about, sightseeing or heading for the many popular gambling establishments that glittered and gleamed. The upper levels of the city were full of luxury and laughter for thousands of credits a night, while slipping slightly lower drew one into districts where many workers lived and, even lower, into more mining equipment and operations that were part of many daytime tours.
And where there were credits and tourists full of them, there were hawkers. Various individuals would line the streets calling out wares or services, offering to polish speeder grills or carry bags of merchandise so even more could be bought.
Such was where they found themselves in the magnificent sky city…
They hadn’t been too far from Bespin, turning in a bounty for a decent payday, and when Kindle had offered for them to take a short, though much-needed vacation, Kora had leapt at the chance to finally see the shiny city and the stunning sunsets that she had only seen holos of. More time together was a bonus too. Between Kindle’s new position as Proconsul and the ship getting more and more crowded, they took any chance they could get to themselves.
As they made their way through the streets, Kora surveyed the vendors and street life. At first, it was her normal scanning for anyone taking note of her, it had been a while but she wouldn’t put it past her mother to spring out of nowhere when she least expected. But once she had that out of the way, she let herself relax and began to take in the vendors and street life of the bustling city, looking for anyone selling anything weird or interesting, trusting the Force to point her towards anything that she missed. Her eyes kept darting up to the roofs though, the urge to climb them strong. “How much trouble to you think I’d get in trouble if I got footprints on their roof?” She asked, with a grin.
Nothing quite beats the time immediately after the end of a work day. Able to relax and make your own decisions based on nothing but wants and needs, rather than have tos and gottas. Even breathing felt a bit more free in some strange way.
The golden eyes of the hybrid glanced from place to place as he marched through the thoroughfare, even turning skyward on occasion to admire the unique scenery amongst the literal clouds. Plenty of people, different buildings designed to catch attention, snippets of conversation overheard, it’d be overwhelming if it wasn’t somehow amusing in its own busy way. Well, so long as no one stepped on his tail in this crowded setting.
Glancing down to his side as Kora’s voice reached him, Kindle chuckled a bit at her inquiry. “I think that the greater trouble would be them assuming you’re a thief of some kind making an escape more than footprints left behind,” he answers, placing his hand on her back and rubbing slightly. “Though I can’t lie, that would be amusing to watch too, though I think it’d prevent you from finding any new trinkets to add to your collection.”
Turning his head to look around once more, his gaze returns to the woman with a light smirk. “Speaking of which, anything catching your eye yet?”
Kora made a face for a moment and stuck out her tongue. “You’re probably right…again,” She said dejectedly. She leaned into the hybrid’s hand though, sighing contently as it relaxed her. “I would rather get some more trinkets. Our bunk needs more decorations. The ship needs more decorations.”
The Togruta looked around the vendors again. She noted a couple of shiny and sparkly things, but nothing was calling to her yet. Just then a sign caught her eye. “Fortune Teller” it read in Aurebesh. She frowned slightly, wondering if it was similar to what her mother did. She chewed her lip for a moment, going back and forth in her head before curiosity won out in the end.
She grabbed Kindle’s hand and started to pull him in that direction, “Ever had your fortune told?”
“I agree with our bunk, but I hope you got Scylla’s permission for the ship. We don’t need her to start hawk-watching us like Azler did after he started finding all your art.”
Kindle’s own eyes continued to roam, looking for anything interesting. Plenty of cloud imagery on various items, from full paintings to dinner plates, even ‘stuffed clouds’ which he supposed made a ton of sense in a way. Maybe a literal plush cloud would be fun -
Turning his head to Kora’s next words, he glanced in the direction she was tugging him with confusion clearly on his face. “I mean, of course, plenty of people have told me I’m either lucky or bad luck, but I’ve never seen a business for it.” comes out of his maw as he begins stepping towards the advertisement alongside the woman out of curiosity.
The Togruta waved his inquiry off. “Yes, I absolutely got her permission. And it’s not my fault Azler didn’t appreciate the art.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “Anyways she’s the one who said the ship needed to be painted. Even if she didn’t specify where.” She continued, muttering the last part under her breath.
Kora thought for a moment. “Mmm…I don’t think that’s technically fortune telling. Though you are my good luck charm.” She smiled warmly back at him. “I mean like someone telling you what‘s going to happen in your future. Like farseeing with the Force. My…mother could do it.” There was a hesitation in her next step, and her hand tightened slightly around his, but she had already decided that she was more curious than not and she continued on. “I think Nessie can too, but I don’t think she likes it.” She shrugged, trying to play her nervousness off.
When they reached the entrance of the fortune teller, she pushed through and looked around before calling out. “Hello?”
The pair ducking into the tent would find themselves suddenly shrouded in a twilight gloam compared to the resplendent cloudscape of the city outside. While outside it wasn’t yet dusk, the shade of the tent walls took some adjusting, and even then, it seemed as though the light itself was being consumed. Instead, there was the hungry glow of candlelight, suffusing the interior with a hearth-like warmth. The earthy scents of herbs and blossoms was tangible on every breath, and the faint bubble of a brook and rustle of leaves could just barely be heard, an echo of a dream.
For all the notable atmosphere, the assembly itself was little to speak of; a tarp had been laid down over the duracrete, and a few sheets and cushionns provided a small amount of padding and seating. A low table sat in front of a peculiar Togruta woman draped in loose fabrics, set with small bowls of liquid, sticks of incense, bundles of herbs. The teller looked to them as they entered, sharp saffron eyes dancing with the shadow and flame.
“Welcome,” they greeted, lifting one hand in a beckoning gesture. “Flint and steel, hmm? What dost thee seek?”
Kora blinked at the sudden dimming of the lights as she made her way in to tent. As her eyes adjusted, her brow furrowed in surprise at the difference in what her senses told her were there from the sounds and smells and what was actually in the tent. The sight of another Togruta threw her more off guard. It wasn’t that she hadn’t met any since leaving her home, there were plenty in the galaxy to be sure and definitely some on Zsoldos, but after years growing up as the only one, it still surprised her a little when she met another.
“Oh. Hello. We saw the sign outside for fortune telling?” Kora pointed towards the entrance. She cocked her head in curiosity, “Flint and steel?”
The Barabel hybrid feels the tightened squeeze of her hand, but doesn’t comment further, letting the subject stay changed for her sake.
Golden eyes roamed the tent as they adjusted to the light difference, his mind briefly thinking to this art of future-seeing. For better or worse, his life had made looking beyond the next week a rarity, so even when he had learned of the Force’s ability to actually gaze into it, he hadn’t expressed much interest.
Quickly enough though his attention was brought back to their current situation, firstly by the heavy scent that hit him. While the smells were certainly different, the essence of it still reminded him of home for a brief moment, then the low sat table and the individual sat behind it as they welcomed the pair.
He tilted his head in confusion at her words, much the same as his companion. “Greetings.” Kindle managed to get out in response before glancing to himself, as if wondering if he had accidentally left some of his weapons bare, then turned to the seated individual. “I may have some steel, but I believe I lack flint?” he stated, as if it had been some sort of request.
The Togruta teller smiled at them, a slow thing seeping with spiney teeth, and crooked one stained finger – with ink or something else, it was difficult to tell in the low light – in Kora’s direction.
“Sharp, bright, can be forged to cut– steel.” The finger switched to the Barabel. “Once buried, breakable, but unearthed, a single strike can Kindle a flame that never stops– flint. But only together doth they fire make. No?”
.