Chapter Two

A Reading

There was no word or phrase to describe how… how… how furious she was when Master left her in the room with him. Cana was more than glad that Elfman had been victorious against the man rocking back in his chair, balancing with his feet on the table. But that didn't mean she wanted to see him! This could be a great moment for me to gloat. But still, Master, how could you betray me? She could feel a headache coming from how tightly she had been clenching her teeth and rubbing at her temples. His gazed was focused on her she knew, but her own eyes stayed fixated on the door Makarov had exited just a moment before. Suddenly, Bacchus moved his feet, letting his chair slam down onto the floor. He had forgone his armor and was wearing something that surprisingly actually covered his torso. It was a plain tunic with long sleeves the same color of purple as his armor and buttoned in the front at the collar. Though his garment had cuffed sleeves that nearly covered half his hands, she was still able to note the bandages wrapped around his hands and leading up to his wrists and possibly further. It was easy to tell that like him, the clothing had come from the south. Though mostly plain, it really was a fine ensemble and had a nice, clean look to it and seemed to suit him well despite the slightly loose fit. Pity. Such a waste to cover a nice physique like his with those baggy clothes though.

"See something you like?" He spoke through a haughty grin, catching her off guard. The arrogance in his voice made her bristle and quickly recall her anger. It took quite a bit of resistance to keep from pummeling his head into the table.

"Tch." She scoffed, crossing her arms and turning her sights to elsewhere.

"Oi." He called to her and again she ignored him. From the corner of her eye she could tell he was getting restless. He shifted in his seat so that he had his head propped up in a hand that rested on the table as his other hand impatiently drummed against the table's surface. They were quiet for another moment before he gave a grunt and pulled something from his side, a gourd with the symbol for alcohol. Easily, the cork popped from the opening and with his eyes still focused on her, he took a drink and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Cana became a little anxious herself when he tilted the gourd up once more.

"Want some?" He offered. To that, she glowered and finally faced him.

"Not from you." She spat.

"Ah. The wild lady speaks." A grin curled his lips as he drank again. "Though you seemed a little more receptive of me just last night."

"The lady also wants her top that you stole back." That only made him laugh and in turn, her more agitated.

Despite that she knew it wasn't a contest, Cana still felt as if she'd lost a small game by giving in and speaking. Again. I lost again damn it.

"Can't do that." He wagged a finger with the hand holding the gourd. "Won it fair and square you see."

"Liar!" Her hands slammed down hard onto the table as she stood up, looming over him. If Bacchus had been startled by the sudden outburst he didn't show it. He did however, put his drink away. "That was my favorite top." She muttered as she settled back into her seat, keeping her eyes fixed on him all the while. It was a present Gildarts left for her before leaving on his latest trip, but he didn't need to know that.

"Why would I lie?" The way his eyebrow twitched irritated her. All she wanted to do was smack them off his smug face.

"Because you're a cheat." Cana huffed, crossing her arms once more. The look she was giving him was deadly, but he seemed unmoved by it.

"I beat you fair and square, girl. Unless," he paused, giving her a thoughtful look. "You would like to try again?" He was taunting her, but not in an as arrogant of a way as before. If he'd come here just to brag, Master wouldn't have even bothered to take up whatever request he had or even get me here in the first place. There's something he wants. Still giving him her best scowl, they sat there for a moment in silence save for his fingers still drumming against the table. Just can't stay still, hm?

Feeling a bit more confident in discovering that she had the upper hand, she sat up straighter and studied him a little closer. It took her a second because it was so subtle, but Cana noticed his eyes searching around her as well. His gaze returned to the bag hanging on the back of her chair a few times, lingering on it. Taking the hint, she reached behind and grabbed the fuzzy item, putting it onto the table. That got another twitch from his eyebrow, as he seemed to watch her more intently. He watched her like an animal poised to attack as she slowly pulled a familiar deck from a familiar pocket and began to slide the cards around in her hands. Even a lack-witted idiot could have noticed the way he tried to indifferently straighten out and twist his body sideways so as to not face her directly while she began to shuffle. The smugness had nearly vanished from his face as well. Here for a reading then? She looked closely at him, still shuffling her cards. He seemed annoyed that she was taking her time and yet hesitant to demand she do otherwise. Something had unsettled the large man before her and now it was her own curiosity that quirked her brow.

"What was it you wanted to know?" Cana asked so matter-of-factly. He only gave a sideways glance. Her eyes narrowed, but in more of a coy manner. It was Bacchus' turn to not answer as he simply sat there watching as she continued to move deliberately. The laughter had been extinguished from his deep red eyes, leaving them to appear much more threatening than she'd seen them. I think he's suffered enough for now. Cana stilled her hands and gently placed the deck beside her, waiting. It was his turn to speak, though he was obviously struggling with his words. After a moment of stillness, he'd decided.

"I heard you could help me interpret a dream." The corner of his mouth twitched. It was easy to see that this was a difficult subject for him and after seeing the kind of beastly strength he was capable of, she decided it was best she tread lightly.

"Having some trouble sleeping?" Cana smirked at him trying to remain casual, but Bacchus' mood had reversed completely as he now only looked at her unamused. Not so wild now, huh? "So this dream," she picked her cards up again pretending to ignore his cold stare, "care to explain more about it?"

"Not much to say." He turned to face her fully, leaning back with his arms crossed. "It's been a reoccurring dream for… some time now."

"I see. Can you tell me more about it?" Her deft hands split and shuffled the cards as she spoke. When the only answer she gained was a stern frown, she stopped and held the deck firmly. "If you don't tell me about it, I won't be able to do a thorough interpretation." He stayed silent. "Fine." She said, frustrated.

Wanting to be finished with him and move on from their forced chat, she drew three cards and placed them facedown on the table. She noted how Bacchus' jaw tensed with every card she turned over. Her brows knotted together as she pieced together the meaning of them. Nine of Swords, Justice reversed and The Star. They made sense as a general order of acceptance, but the meaning without the context would be difficult to explain.

"What is it?" The palm mage was clearly growing more impatient with her.

"They're pretty obvious as a general occurrence, but it is strange how they were drawn. It's almost too typical for them to come in that order. However without knowing what your dream is, I cannot tell you how they relate to you or how you can interpret the dream itself." He frowned openly at her then, and glanced over at the door.

"Then tell me what they mean and I'll figure it out myself." His attitude was helping her remember why she was so furious with him in the first place. Might as well. The sooner I can get out of here, the better. Deciding to dismiss his ignorance, she continued on.

"This card here is the nine of swords." She touched the card with a single finger, drawing his attention to it. "The card itself is the embodiment of a nightmare. The position is how it is relevant to your life. Possibly meaning that this nightmare of yours is of real events." Somehow his frown only deepened. "This one," Cana touched the next card, "is Justice, but it is reversed. This spot is the lesson the dream is trying to teach you. And this one, Justice, is in the reversed position. That indicates that whatever wrongs you dream of will not be settled in a desirable way. There will be unfairness in your resolution so to say, but a resolution regardless." There was something dark about the way he looked now. Cana found she was somewhat hesitant to continue when she observed that the red of his eyes had turned to the color of dark blood.

"And the last one?" He looked directly at her now. The intensity in his expression unsettled her somewhat as she placed her finger on the final card.

"The Star. It's a beacon of hope. Your dream may lead down a dark past with an outcome you may not like, but there is something good to come from it all. You just need to look closer." She finished, looking up at him. His fingers still tapped against the table, as if waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, he steadied his fingers and rubbed at the side of his neck.

"Is that all then?" He asked her.

"That's all." She nodded, receiving a grunt in response.

Some of the unease had lifted from his face, but it was plain that he was not satisfied with her reading. Tch. What do I care? Quickly, Cana gathered up her cards and slipped them back into their place in her bag, slinging it over her shoulder.

"Well then, if that's all you wanted, I'll be on my way." She turned from him and made way to the door. For a reason she could not explain, she glanced over her shoulder at him. He was sitting there, in a slouched position, his look clearly frustrated, a little sad even. Her hand was on the handle, ready to turn it and walk out when she sighed, turning to speak to him. Her mouth opened almost involuntarily. "You look like you could use a drink." As if woken from his trance the smirk he had on before the reading returned to his lips and she couldn't help but smile to herself.

"Hm." He turned his attention to her, giving a half grin.

"C'mon, there's this indoor pool I heard about and I need to win my top back too, right?"

A/N: Thank you so much for the follows and views! It's technically Friday, so I can upload this for you guys! I wish I could upload more chapters and faster, but alas life is keeping me busy. That, and I keep writing further chapters instead of going chronologically... I promise if I can actually get this whole thing pieced together and finished, the second it's complete I'll just upload it all at once! Anywho, again, I really hope those of you reading this enjoyed this chapter! Until next week!