Chapter Text
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Today, Gabby, Greyson and Mako had crept away to check out the marketplace, as there’d been word of new vendors and interesting little attractions popping up with the princess’s birthday approaching. Gabby glanced over at Mako as Grey pointed at various places. The guy seemed in awe of all the different things and noises around them. She still didn’t know why all this was so foreign to Mako, but she found herself smiling at his antics.
As they continued their stroll, Gabby spotted a purple tent with a sign reading ‘Fortune and Fantasy,’ which made her intrigued. “Hey, why don’t we check out that one?” She said, pointing to it and catching her brother’s attention.
Mako gave a thumbs-up and Grey looked excited; “Ooh, yeah! We’ve gotta see what they can do!!” Grey started hurriedly dragging Mako, though he was already going.
They came in, and things went relatively as imagined; there was this old, shadowy, cloaked woman with a crystal ball, colorful beads, little vials and various charms and doo-dads. Upon entering the tent and looking around, Mako noted many things that he’d come across and had in his possession back in his cove.
Cute.
But I have more.
And cooler stuff.
At the princess’s arrival, the woman humbly stated that they need not pay for the session, even though Mako wasn’t related to them in any way other than friendship, telling them to consider it as a birthday gift. She then said that each of them would choose between a fortune telling, or a hypnotism test. “Now, who would like to go first?”
Grey and Mako both gestured towards Gabby, Mako tapping her shoulder and Grey stating; “Ladies first!”
“Wha-“ Gabby started, ”But- oh alright, if you say so.” She sat on the stool in front of the table and the old lady tapped her nails on the shiny ball in anticipation. Gabby hadn’t decided what she’d want to try yet, and her little brother poked her expectantly. “I’m trying to think, gimme a minute. What did I do last time this kind of thing was in town?”
Grey answered, impatience ever-so evident; “Uh . . . You chose the hypnotist thing- You wanted to see what she could make you do, but you weren’t able to get calm enough for it to work.”
Gabby nodded. “Ah, right. Still feel bad about that.” She set her hands down on the table. “Guess I’ll do the fortune telling then!”
The woman nodded and started consulting the crystal ball with incoherent mumbles. Grey pulled Mako close and whispered: “I wonder if this could tell us anything interesting- I think it might just say something about her being successful or something, because the lady wouldn’t dare tell the princess anything bad.” He glanced up at him. “What d’you think?”
Mako stared at the lady, which honestly gave him the creeps. He just shrugged.
What I think, is that this is all just for show-
The only real magic is Tippet’s, not some old creepy lady in a tent and a weird rock.
The lady gasped as the ball glowed slightly, making the three kids’ eyes widen. “Now then- my crystal is telling me that it is ready to search your mind. I want you to dig down, past your inner thoughts and into your deeper desires. What do you yearn for? What do you fear? What choices have you made to bring you here?”
Really?
Rhyming?
This is ridiculous.
Just because it rhymes doesn’t make it real magic.
Gabby opened her mouth, about to answer her questions: “Well, I-”
The Lady interrupted and held up her hand: “No, no, your highness, you mustn't speak them out loud. It is all for the crystal to uncover!”
Gabby stopped and looked embarrassed, but shut her eyes and nodded as Grey muffled his chuckle.
The ball glowed again, and the lady hummed to it, as if they were in the middle of a conversation. “Mm, yes, I see…”
Gabby opened her eyes, and eagerly looked into the ball, then up at the lady: “What is it? What do you see?”
“I see…” The lady paused, then looked deep into the thing and talked carefully, like deciphering a message that was hard to make out: “I- I see you, not long from here. You are… happy. There are many joys in your life, and you bring light to those around you.”
Mako rolled his eyes.
Typical.
The lady continued: “But- there are troubles in your heart. Conflicting feelings . . . There is someone around you . . . who is not what they seem. Be wary of new faces.”
Gabby looked up at her “What? Who? Why should I be wary of them?”
Mako swallowed.
“This person . . . will bring confusion, and will cloud your judgment. Be careful of what you hear. The sound of a foe can be masked by their flute, my child.” She paused, squinted, then said “Oh, and you will wear a lovely dress, might I add!”
Mako shivered, and Grey looked amazed: “Woah, someone’s out to get you!”
The girl leaned forward, “Wait, what else? What’s all this about some dress and a flute and being wary of someone??”
The lady shooed her off the seat. “That is all, my dear, the crystal speaks the truth and yours is done. Now, who’s next?”
Grey stepped forward: “Me! I’ll go next, with the fortune telling too, please.”
He hurried to the seat and sat down, excitedly looking into the ball on the table, as if he could read it if he squinted hard enough. The lady started mumbling to the rock as before.
Gabby now stood beside Mako, thinking over what the woman had just said. He glanced back at Greyson, then to Gabby, wondering why they were so invested in this. Didn’t they find it creepy?
“Ah, yes. It is appearing now.” Grey stiffened and stared at the glowing ball expectantly.
“Does it-”
“Hush, child, my hearing is leaving me, so I must focus on the whisperings of the crystal carefully.”
Mako and Gabby chuckled at that, and Grey threw them a glare.
“Yes, yes . . . I see now.” The lady cleared her throat, and sighed, like reading a book she’d read ten times before. “You appear to have stayed at a constant; you speak to most rudely and you are fretting about your attire to an atrocious degree. I see in your future rows and rows of bow-ties, and many irritated looks.”
Grey looked offended, and his sister shushed him before he interrupted the woman. “Ah . . . and you- there is an admiration for someone. Very strong- it pushes you to take, perhaps, a different road than the one you intend.”
Gabby nudged Mako, and Grey looked at him as if to say ‘Well, DUH.’
“But- there seems to be a disruption to your plans. Your admiration changes to a suspicion, and you find yourself battling with this. Oh- no, wait. Now it’s- confusion? Maybe that confusion is mine, wait. There seems to be . . . a . . . disgust?”
Grey exchanged confused and doubtful looks with them, while Mako shifted, unsure of what to think.
“Hm. My crystal is dismissing your thoughts. Well then! Now for the last one.”
Grey hopped down and folded his arms. “Well that was a whole lotta nothing. It must not have very good taste.”
Gabby smiled; “Eh, or it just got tired of you.”
The lady shushed them, then inquired of Mako: “Now then, young man, would you like a fortune telling or a test in hypnotism?”
Mako swallowed as he sat down in the chair, glancing at the crystal ball with wariness.
I don’t know what kind of magic she’s gotten her hands on, but I don’t trust it.
None of this is real, I know that, but why did it feel targeted at me?
Why would I ever betray them??
Why does it-
How does she know that I’m not who I claim to be?
Should I risk telling them about . . . everything?
This is all still a hoax, bogus, totally fake.
Isn’t it?
He nervously scratched his neck, then glanced at the siblings, tapping his wrist. Maybe we should be getting back?
Grey looked confused. “Does your hand hurt??”
He’s hopeless.
Gabby understood, but sadly answered with “Nah, we have time, don’t worry!”
Wonderful.
He didn’t trust the lady, but he’d rather take his chances for hypnotism over a future reading- After all, she couldn’t exactly make him say anything weird. He held up two fingers, choosing her second option.
“Hypnotism, you say?”
Mako still felt like he might regret it, but he nodded. Greyson started rubbing his hands together excitedly. From the corner of his eye, Mako could see Grey whisper something in his sister’s ear, to which she whispered something back.
Oh no what are they planning.
Gabby, for the love of pearls, don’t listen to him.
Mako’s attention came back to the lady as she moved the crystal ball to the side, bringing out an amulet and set it on the table, smiling. “Now then; this will be fun! Most people ask for their fortune, you know.” That cerainly didn't bring him any comfort.
As the lady started telling him to ‘search his thoughts,’ he tuned it out.
Ma’am, kindly, you and your big glowing rock creep me out
So no, I would not like to ‘search my thoughts’
You don’t know me, you don’t know anything about me.
If this is all fake, then you could’ve made random guesses with clues for Gabs and Grey, since everyone knows them.
Not me.
She mumbled to her crystal ball, Mako’s nervousness increasing. He really hated feeling nervous. Why do people ask for these things on their own volition? And for enjoyment ??
She then placed her hands on the table and looked calm. “To start, I’d like you to close your eyes for a moment.” He hesitantly did, but kept them open just a crack. It was dark in here anyway, so she wouldn’t be able to tell.
He waited in silence for something to happen, when she suddenly swept her hand in front of his face, making him jolt back. “HAH! Youuuuu little sneak- think I don’t know when someone's eyes are closed? I’ve done this for so many years I can HEAR IT!”
Mako blinked as he adjusted his seat, almost falling backwards off the little stool.
What in the-?
THAT DOESN’T MAKE ANY-
YOU SAID YOUR HEARING’S LEAVING YOU??
He heard the siblings laugh and he saw Gabby shake her head; “Mako, you have to go along with it!”
The old crone nodded in agreement; “The highness is most correct. Now, in order to truly hypnotize someone, a calm and open mindset is the most plausible, like getting to know each other a little.”
Mako clasped his hands and set them on the table, reluctantly closing his eyes for real this time.
‘Calm and open mindset’ my foot.
You almost slapped me.
Sure, I didn’t close my eyes, but still.
And getting to know each other??
I envy who I was before we met, thanks.
He started to think about what fish he’d compare this lady to.
Hairy Frogfish.
100%.
Creepy, weird, looks old and overgrown.
Yep.
Freaky old lady.
He then tried to lock away any and all secrets about him in a mental safe, unable to reach at all costs. She wasn’t going to find anything, or make him do something ridiculous.
Wait.
What exactly does this ‘hypnotism’ entail, anyway??
The lady spoke up suddenly, making him flinch; “I see you have concerns. That is wise, but you mustn’t worry, my boy. Your behavior will only reflect what you let your mind access. Or in other words, it’s as strong as your will. Now, this also means that if you lock everything away, nothing will happen. If you want any kind of result, the more open the better- Otherwise, it will find something and run with it.”
Mako resisted the urge to open his eyes, along with shivering. It felt like she was inside his mind, sifting through his thoughts, though he bet it was all in his head. He wasn’t sure how accurate any of this was, but now he didn’t know what to do.
Then . . . maybe this won’t end up working at all.
I’m curious, sure, but I don’t exactly fancy the idea of this lady sorting through my brain.
Wait, did she hear about the Hairy Frogfish thought?
Eh whatever.
He thought back to the siblings, waiting for some kind of interesting result.
*sigh*
They’ll be disappointed If this doesn’t work.
Gabby.
I wonder what your hypnotism session meant.
The lady spoke up. “Ah, yes, that’s the spirit- I sense your mind’s door opening just a crack, but it doesn’t need much- It’ll just get specific and might blow things a bit outta proportion- ANYWAY, the next step, to actually undergo a sort of simple trance, I need you to trust me.”
Mako’s conscience was telling him not to, but he had to try. What was the worst that could happen? She couldn’t have much to go off of, and he didn’t have much to lose.
“You are relaxing your thoughts, your breathing, the tense-ness is slowly fading away. Nothing I do will absolutely make you do anything, as you are as in control as you let yourself be.”
She slowly let go of his hands, which he didn’t realize were even in contact with his own until now, making his skin crawl.
“You can feel your worries slipping away - without fear, you can reach greater heights, without the pressure, you can let yourself go.” She breathed slowly, and he felt the noise around him calm, as if someone had told the people outside to lower their voices. “What you desire will come to you as you calm and clear your mind from the inhibitions that bind you.”
It felt quiet and calm around him. It was different. Bad? No, not at all, just . . . odd. It felt nice- It reminded him of simpler times. Back when things weren’t complicated. It reminded him of some old, blurry memory when he was growing up. The feeling he remembered when he’d talk about his secret cove to his mom, back when everything was pleasant and the future felt so far away. Concerns about secrets, judgements and the future weren’t his to hold. He really could just . . . let go of that underlying worry that had stuck to him like a parasite. Why had he let it?
“I want you to think about what you desire. What are your hopes, dreams, and what can you do without limits on yourself? Are there certain things that have been weighing on your mind that you can come to understand, and accept? Picture these things.”
Mako’s thoughts immediately brought up Gabby, and the land. He felt like yawning, and his shut eyes wanted to stay like that. Hopes, dreams . . . How would he carry out the plan from here? He knew the steps, but up until now it’d felt so complex. Why was that again?
“Think of what you can do, and what you wish for. Only then, will I give you your instructions, and you will follow them through with this new feeling. You want to cut the ties with the weighing worries, and be free to live this dream you are envisioning.”
Gabby. Greyson. Living on land. Learning about the world. Her family. The castle. New food. The banter they’ve shared. The plan. The dance coming up. Their jokes. The embarrassment. Walking. Weird clothes. Air. So many people. Dresses. Laughter. Warmth. Light. Goldfish. Her .
“I see. Now, young man, I want for you to live this reality; carry this courage, this newfound ability to take the risks, to jump at chances, to make the decisions instead of pushing them away or putting them off. Carry yourself how you wish, do what you really want, and say- well. Scratch that. But yes; carry this burst of bravery into your life.”
He felt sort of sleepy.
But also energized, and that nothing would worry him- nothing he couldn’t handle.
Why had he put so much off?
How much time had he wasted?
Too much, really.
“Alright. Now, when I tell you to open your eyes, your command will be sealed.”
He could hear the faint echoes of Gabby’s voice, almost a whisper, to the woman; "Wait, just to be clear, how long will this trance thing last?”
The lady quietly responded; “It is as I have said- it will hold for as long as his will and mind permit him. In an estimate, though, among the few that had chosen the hypnotist session, the longest a trance stayed active was half a day. The quickest was only a few minutes.”
She turned her attention back to Mako. “Now open your eyes.”
The moment he did, he saw the amulet in her hands, swaying side to side, and for a moment everything seemed slightly muffled before it cleared again. He was calm.
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