Cleveland
"It ain't hard." He smiled back, one eyebrow raised, corner of his mouth quirked into a replying grin. A contentious look if ever there was one; a Rooster learned early to live on the defensive. His world had been a dark cellar, lost out there in Lost Cove, perched on a precarious ledge in the Appalachian wilds, burrowed into the ancient mountainside. Ever since escaping that life he fought tooth and nail to represent himself as a sentient thing and a man who had his wits about him.

So, he'd just have to call her Esmerelda.

Otherwise, Shady bit his tongue. He had further counters to make, but he wasn't so impulsive and stubborn he'd interrupt just as things got good. And, not that he was known for his caution, but maybe it would be wise to see if she really did have the devil's magic before he made any comments such as, *Well, if Shady's hard, y'all can call me honey.*

*Three dollars* Got a low whistle, though his gaze had lowered to the backs of her cards. He said, "Steep price. Ain't sure my future's worth all that." But now his smirk was less challenge, more facetious, and he leaned back against the chair and fished in his pocket. The poor cigarette tilted up sharply when his teeth bit into its end, ashing on his thigh.

"How's about..." He seemed not to know the contents of his own pockets by heart, but then the short-wired bulb behind his eyes flickered and he switched to a back pocket instead. From this he produced a carton of cards, which he shook into his hand and spread across the table in front of him. These were ordinary playing cards, yellowed at the edges from the sweat and salt of men's hands, frayed and bent. 

"Every last'un's there," Shady bragged, "Divination for a divination. How 'bout it, Miss Esmerelda?"
Norris
A big grin broke over Esmerelda's face. She decided she liked Shady. He amused her greatly. He reminded her of the free spirits of her family. She wasn't desperate for money, so she gladly accepted the cards. "I can always go and gamble, I suppose." She said with a smile. The cards were far from new, but it just added character. Plus, every card being unique made it easy to keep track of. 

"I'll do a three card reading." She said. Her hands went to her tarot deck once again, shuffling them with more purpose. "This will use your past and present to predict your future." She said. She placed the stack down and placed three cards face down on the table. 

She flipped over the first one. "The Seven of Cups." She said. It showed a man with seven cups in front of him. "This indicates you like to jump around. You have a lot of options and pretty soon you're going to have to make a decision about what path you want to take." She said, looking up at Shadey. She had no doubt he drifted through town. If he needed to make a decision about his life she wondered what he would choose. 

She flipped over the second card. It showed a big star. "The Star. It seems you will have a guiding force in your life. Something to help you choose which path to take." She said. Her hand went to the last card. 

She flipped it over. "Five of Cups." She said. It showed a person with their head down, 3 of the cups were tipped over, 2 remained standing. "It shows that certain choices in your life have hurt you, but you can't dwell on these. You have to move on to try and build a future for yourself." She said. "So, my interpretation of the cards is you have a decision to make soon, but let that guiding force in your life help you. If you don't have one, one will appear soon." She said.
Cleveland
The deal was struck, but he didn't hand his cards over just yet. After all, he'd promised a divination in return.



A guiding force. He said, "Hallelu," With not enough enthusiasm to prove sincerity nor little enough to sound sarcastic.

And, finally —

"I sure's got a lotta cups, ain't I? They sure ain't runneth over jest yet." Shady tilted his chair back on two legs while he flipped the cards he'd promised to Essie over. They dominoed, slapping gently down onto the table with the backs facing upright. "I'm gonna do yers, now."

He made a big show of shuffling those bedraggled playing cards, and while he was at it, lit another cigarette.

"Y'all smoke, Miss Esmerelda?" If she wanted one, he was happy to oblige.

Then, smoking his luxuriantly, he said, "Sure, I reckon I's jumped around some. Seems as they was always somebody shootin' at my feet. Guidin' force, must've been. Now, what do you reckon that is? God?" He shot her a quick look, fanning the playing cards out across the table in front of him. "Money?"
Miguel
Essie accepted the cigarette. Normally she smoked from the pipe, but she wasn't unfamiliar with it. She took the cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag. She held it in for a few moments before letting it out, listening to Shady talk. 

"Well, I can't speak for your path, but my family was... Different." She said. She watched as he fanned out the cards. He was being very deliberate in his motions. "We were travelers. We were never comfortable staying in one place for too long." She smiled at the memories in her head. "The path was never known, but the journey was what made it fun." She said, her gaze far away. 

"But, that wasn't my path. Circumstances proved that." She said, some bitterness entering her voice. The war tore apart many families. Sure, hers wasn't the most stable life, but she cherished it. 

She regarded Shady. "With you, I think you do what you need to survive. Much like the rest of us." She took another drag of the cigarette. It now had a red ring around the filter from the lip stain she wore.