Call My Bluff

[Magda Eisenhardt]

Magda walked from the back of her tea shop to the front of it, and paused to add more herbs to the small pot over the candle. It made the small area smell like spices without making it too thick. She wore a long travel worn brown skirt that was full and draped, with a white button up shirt, the sleeve rolled up to just below her elbows. Her hair, as always, left loose with it's natural curls making it a thick mass of brown coming down her back. Thick metal hoops made bracelets around her writs, and on the inside of her left forearm was a tattoo to cover up the numbers the Nazi had given her. The tattoo was written in the language of her people, and spelled her daughter's name. The one that had been taken from her too soon.

The tea shop wasn't bright, despite the day sun hitting the window, thanks to the cloth she had draped to block half of it. The tea shop was near a local college, and just close enough to the city to allow her steady customers from the local teachers and students, but not constant business to where she'd need help. It allowed her to work alone, which she liked because . . .

Hearing the tea pot finish in the back, she used her powers to turn down the burner until she could get back there too it. Which was why she rather work alone. After seeing the horrors of what had been done to a child because of his powers--Magda would never tell a soul of her own. She feared it, and of being found out. Which was why the name on the door read Isabelle rather then Magda.

She had just made her tea, just as the bell above the door chimed. Turning, Magda gave a welcoming smile, "Good afternoon."

[x]

Charles wasn’t exactly the superstitious sort. Things like palm reading and fortune telling only struck him as a bit of amusement, primarily for giggling schoolgirls who wanted to know who they’d marry and when and how many children they could expect to have. Raven only enjoyed it because she would spend every moment of the trip home parodying the supposed psychic and making Charles laugh so hard his sides hurt and he could barely see through his tears. But Raven wasn’t with him on this particular excursion, preferring to stay in Oxford and take advantage of a week of “freedom,” as she’d teasingly called it, while Charles enjoyed his conference. Of course, he hadn’t exactly been planning on the amount of free time he’d found himself with.

So, rather than coup himself up in his room (which Raven had promised would be punished since he apparently needed to do something other than study and make lackluster passes at pretty girls in the local pubs; and somehow, Raven always knew when he’d decided to hole away in his room rather than go out a do something) Charles had decided to wander about the area. A bit of fresh air never did anyone any harm, after all.

What exactly drew him to the tea shop, he couldn’t quite say. There was just a sort of...feeling the otherwise nondescript business gave off. And as an academic, Charles was nothing if not a slave to his curiosity. So, he opened the door and was hit by the strong scent of different spices and an increase in the feeling that had drew him in. Obviously, it was the mind of someone in this shop thinking a bit loudly, but Charles made a point of ignoring everything but the base hum of it.

"Good afternoon."

Charles looked to see a rather lovely woman. He smiled.

“Good afternoon. What a lovely expression of the TCHH gene you’ve got, if I do say so myself.”

[Magda Eisenhardt]

He was young, just shy if herself, and dressed in modern styles. It was when he spoke that she took note of his accent, and wondered if he was from the area or like her and from somewhere else. "Good afternoon. What a lovely expression of the TCHH gene you’ve got, if I do say so myself.” It was also his words that confused her. Magda gave him a soft, but confused smile with a soft two symbol laugh, while her hand lower to touch her skirt. Jeans?

"I fear you've caught me unaware." She told him, putting her hands on the counter and tried to think of what he meant. Yet she wasn't a girl who ever went to school, and she had learned most of her lessons by life giving them to her. Expression meant words? Jeans were clothing? English wasn't her first language but she was aware they could mean other things. "What is a CTH Jean?" Though the way he said it, she was fairly sure he meant it as a complement, so her guard didn't go up and she didn't feel insulted. Only curious and wanting to know more.

[x]

There was a brief flash of confusion and Charles had to swallow back a bit of laughter as her hand drifted down to her skirt. Well, that wasn’t exactly a misunderstanding he’d encountered before, but he could understand where the confusion came from. It was likely that English wasn’t her first language, given the accent and her obvious confusion. He wondered whereabouts she was from; somewhere around Germany?

"I fear you've caught me unaware. What is a CTH Jean?"

“TCHH,” he corrected with a smile. “It’s the piece of your DNA that gave you your curly hair. Which, I might add, is simply beautiful.”

Raven would be rolling her eyes by now, loudly broadcasting disparaging commentary that Charles would have to ignore lest invite another argument about the exact meaning of the phrase ‘Stay out of my head.’ At least this woman didn’t seem immediately put off by Charles’s instinctive opening line.  Others either shot him down almost instantly, or only put up with him because he apparently fit a particular standard of good-locking.

“Forgive me; I’m being terribly rude,” he said, offering his hand. “I’m Charles Xavier. I believe there’s talk that you do card readings?”

[Magda Eisenhardt]

The man went on to explain what the words were that he used, and Magda could tell that it was, again, not a bad thing. He wasn't talking down to her, or using it to tell her that she was less then him. “Which, I might add, is simply beautiful.” Smiling, she looked down for a moment, before managing to look back at him. Lifting her hand to her hair, she ran her fingers in it. "Thank you." What a odd why to tell someone they had beautiful hair, yet it was charming in a way.


“Forgive me; I’m being terribly rude,” he said, offering his hand to her, and leaving Magda feeling surprised. She blinked and then offered her own to him. Most did not bother with things such as these, just coming in and asking for their futures, then leaving. While she would try to get to know them so that the cards could be read better, they never looked at her as anything but someone different. Not like them.

He went on to give his name, which was a almost typical gadjo name, but it fit him. “I’m Charles Xavier. I believe there’s talk that you do card readings?” Magda never gave her real name anymore, using her more American one to separate herself from her past, "Isabelle Erikson, and yes, you have come to the right place. Can I get you a tea of any kind while we sit?" Perhaps it was his kindness that made her offer the free tea rather then try to sell it to him. He was one of the first to look at her, rather then see her as part of the setting. Her friends outside of work didn't treat her this way, but customer wise, he was the first. "I grow the herbs in many of them myself."

[x]

Charles felt a spike of surprise and stunned appreciation as he introduced himself. Oh, she was thinking loudly; but, then again, most people did. The only ones who didn’t tended to be those who were aware that telepaths existed, but by that measure it was likely that Charles had already been firmly booted from their heads. It was quite nice to have that hum of another mind against his own. He might even describe it as relaxing, having only one mind to contend with rather than the crowded white noise that comprised the majority of his experience.

In many ways, it was a bit disheartening to feel such surprise at a display of common courtesy. Apparently, common courtesy was no longer so common, he noted as he shook her hand and kept a pleasant smile on his face.

"Isabelle Erikson, and yes, you have come to the right place. Can I get you a tea of any kind while we sit? I grow the herbs in many of them myself."

Isabelle certainly suited her, though Charles had the faintest impression that it wasn’t her actual name. Though curious, he had made a promise to himself to refrain from rummaging around in the minds of others to satisfy his curiosity.

“Hmm, what kinds do you have? Or better yet, which would you recommend? I’m sure they’re all fantastic if you grow most of the herbs yourself."

While he adored tea and drank it almost constantly, Charles would readily admit that he tended to gravitate more towards Earl Grey than any other. Perhaps it would do him some good to try another kind.

[Magda Eisenhardt]

Which did she recomend? Magda looked at him, and tilted her head while she tried to guess which he might like better. She wasn't very good at reading people, but she could see some things. One he was not American. Which meant he'd want his tea hot rather then with ice like she was coming to see many Americans wanted. He was also very gadjo, very . . . polished. Which meant he might favor some of the more tamer teas. Less spice, more milk perhaps. "I will try to impress you." She told him, turning to begin making a cup.

"So what brings you to my shop, Mr. Xavier?" She asked while she worked, turning to look at him over her shoulder, "Wanting to know about a girl? If you'll pass a test? The cards don't quite work that way. I can't tell you if you will go bald." She teased, trying to make sure he knew what to expect. "They more help you understand your past, and help guide you through your future."

Once the cup was done, she lifted it with her own and walked over to a table. It was once a large marble chess table, but she bought it at a yard sale, and draped a sheer black crape over it to give it more of a mood. Putting his down where he would sit, she sat in her own chair.

[x]

“I will try to impress you,” Isabelle said as she went to make the tea.

“I’m certain you’ll succeed,” Charles assured. He was rather easy to impress, which Raven found both amusing and exasperating though Charles really didn’t find being easily impressed as something particularly strange.

“So what brings you to my shop, Mr. Xavier? Wanting to know about a girl? If you’ll pass a test? The cards don’t quite work that way. I can’t tell you if you will go bald.”

Charles’s hand shot up to his hair before he could stop it and he tried to play it off as rubbing the back of his neck. Oh god, what if he did go bald at some point? He didn’t really consider himself vain, but he honestly could not envision himself as bald.

“They more help you understand your past, and help guide you through your future,” Isabelle finished, bringing the tea over to a large table with sheer black crape draped over it.

Charles nodded as he took a sit across from her. His past wasn’t exactly something he wished to think of, as he had taken his first shot out of that horrid place and hadn’t allowed himself to look back. He hadn’t even gone to his stepfather’s funeral, and instead spent that day drinking his weight in whatever liquor and beer he could get his hands on. But his future, now that was something he was much more invested in.

“Not much to understand about my past, I’m afraid,” Charles responded. “What’s done is done, after all, no need to linger on it. I do find myself much more interested in my future. Now, how does one typically go about this? I’ll admit that I’ve never been to a fortune teller before. Or do you prefer card reader? I’ve heard the terms used interchangeably, but I don’t wish to offend if you prefer one over the other.”

[Magda Eisenhardt]

“Not much to understand about my past, I’m afraid,” Many thought so, but not one ever escaped their pasts. Understanding it was the key to having a better future. Yet she could relate still, to not wanting to look into one's past. Either because he didn't think anything had ever happened to him--or like her, too much had happened. “What’s done is done, after all, no need to linger on it. I do find myself much more interested in my future." Most were, but she always did them both, so make sure they could see the importance of it.

"Now, how does one typically go about this? I’ll admit that I’ve never been to a fortune teller before. Or do you prefer card reader? I’ve heard the terms used interchangeably, but I don’t wish to offend if you prefer one over the other.” Magda laughed, finding herself pleased that he was asking, rather then just assuming things. "I do not mind either, to be honest." She'd been called worse.

Sitting a deck of cards in the middle, she gestured to him. "Shuffle them, then cut the deck." While he did so, she explained, "You might not think your past with worth looking into, but I am going to do it anyway, so you can see the growth from your past to your present, and then perhaps better understand when we see what is coming for you in the future."

[x]

"I do not mind either, to be honest,” Isabelle replied with a laugh, and Charles smiled in relief.

He got a distinct impression of happiness in response to his regard for her preferences. Was it really so odd for her to encounter a bit of decency? That was a bit disappointing. Isabelle was really such a lovely woman; granted he barely knew her, but her mind had offered none of the harshness or cruelty that Charles had experienced from the minds of those supposedly far superior to those like her. (Which was really an outdated concept, wasn’t it?)

"Shuffle them, then cut the deck,” she explained as she gestured to a deck of cards set up in the middle of the table.

Charles took the deck and did as she instructed, doing his best to shuffle the cards without damaging them. The only time he dealt with cards of any kind was when Raven or some gents at the pubs cajoled him into a card game. There was a particularly way to shuffle, but Charles was incapable of doing it with any sort of finesse, so he would just have to improvise.

"You might not think your past with worth looking into,” Isabelle said as he shuffled the cards, “but I am going to do it anyway, so you can see the growth from your past to your present, and then perhaps better understand when we see what is coming for you in the future."

Charles worried his bottom lip a bit. His past as a dark place he had no desire to venture into, but if Isabelle felt it necessary, then he would swallow his discomfort and hope whatever the cards showed her about his past would disturb or discomfort her too much.

He nodded in understanding and set the shuffled deck down before splitting it in half.

“I can understand what you mean. So, what next?”

[Magda Eisenhardt]

He bit his lip, and Magda wonder if he had something to hide. Didn't they all? She herself had moved to the Americas and taken an American name to hide from her past. Now when people walked in her door and heard her name they could assume she was pretending to be what she was. Magda even liked it that way. It was safer. She felt safer. She had been taken and put in the camps because of what she was, and if anyone knew what else she was hiding she could end up right back.

She had been holding her tea cup in her lap, but when he looked nervous, Magda put it on the side of the table and reached for his hands. Her's were warmer then normal do to the cup, but she wanted him to relax. "I am not going to see your deep dark secrets. They will not tell me anything you don't wish me to know, only give me an impression of yourself. Just help you understand how they work. You have nothing to fear."

Pulling her hands back she pulled the top two cards, and put them to the left of her--still face down--then the next to went to the center, followed by two more to the right of her. Reaching with her left hand out to touch the first two cards, she explained. "These two will tell me about your past, and your past desires. The middle two, your present, and present desires. The last two id your future."

Flipping the first card over, she looked at it. Queen of Swords. "Well, I already knew you were a very smart man--your talk of genes--but this card confirms it. It means you are a scholar. You love to learn, and to know a little about everything. You enjoy it, more so then most."

[x]

"I am not going to see your deep dark secrets,” Isabelle said, taking his hands her own. “They will not tell me anything you don't wish me to know, only give me an impression of yourself. Just help you understand how they work. You have nothing to fear."

Charles nodded in understanding. Really, it was ridiculous. After all, what was the likelihood that card reading would have any actual relevance? This was just a whim, really. Nothing to get too worked up over.

"These two will tell me about your past, and your past desires. The middle two, your present, and present desires. The last two id your future,” Isabelle explained as she pulled the cards and set them down.

She flipped the first one over, revealing the picture of a woman seated on a throne, holding a sword in her hand.

"Well, I already knew you were a very smart man--your talk of genes--but this card confirms it,” Isabelle said, explaining the card. “It means you are a scholar. You love to learn, and to know a little about everything. You enjoy it, more so then most."

“Sounds about right,” Charles confirmed, smiling at her.

After all, he’d always considered his studies to be his ticket out of Westchester; it was something he was good at. So far, so good.

[Magda Eisenhardt]

“Sounds about right,” He told her, and Magda waited for him to look at her face, before she save him a wink to help keep him relaxed, and enjoying this rather then nervous. She felt bad for him a little too, for anything that had such a kind man this nervous was clearly dark.

Turning the next card over she looked down at it, nine of wands. "This one means that their was trail, something you had to over come. The man here," She pointed to the man leaning on the tall wand, looking tired maybe even injured, but ready to keep going. "Even when things were hard, he did not give up." Looking up at his face she kept going. "It means you were resilient in your struggles."

Which would seemed to really fit with him, the unease of looking at his past, even now. The card told her that while his past was dark, it had not broken him. She hoped that was true, for he was really a very nice man.

[x]

She winked at him, and Charles caught a surge of calming energy. Really, Isabelle was such a kind woman. Even if she did have her secrets, there wasn’t a human he’d met who was any different. He smiled at her in return, attempting to convey his relative calm, even if he couldn’t quite quell the knot in his stomach. There was a reason he tried to banish Westchester from his memory.

The next card Isabelle turned over depicting a rather exhausted looking man and a number of sticks, on one of which he was leaning.

"This one means that there was a trial, something you had to overcome. The man here," Isabelle explained, gesturing to the figure shown on the card, "even when things were hard, he did not give up.”

She looked up at him, and met his eyes. "It means you were resilient in your struggles."

Well, Charles hadn’t really had much choice in the matter. Especially once Raven came along and he assumed responsibility for seeing her safely into adulthood. He couldn’t afford to give up; he’d needed a way out, for both himself and Raven. He’d made her a promise, after all, when they first met. Charles liked to consider himself a man of his word.

“Couldn’t really afford to be anything else,” he admitted. “I had someone counting on me.”

[Magda Eisenhardt]

“Couldn’t really afford to be anything else, I had someone counting on me.” His words made her hands still, and she found not to look or touch her tattoo. Could he have a child? He was a bit young for a child to be counting on him 'in his past', so maybe is was someone else? In Magda's case, she had failed her daughter, and her daughter had died because of it. "They were very lucky to have someone to care enough about them to make sure they were alright. It's a good card, Mr. Xavier. It tells me you are a good man, and from little I know if you, I am in agreement."

Magda paused to lift her tea cup and take a few sips, while clearing her mind of her own past. It also allowed her a glance at her tattoo, but she made sure not to drawl attention to it. Running her hand in her hair, she got ready for the next card.

Reaching for the one of the two cards that showed his present, Magda flipped it over, Ace of Wands. "Well, this is good a good cards too. Your present desires is what this tells me. It's a card of excitement and impatience, hot pursuits . . . grand ideals. It's a card that tells me you are looking, or might even are stepping into a new world or discovery. Maybe have a new philosophy? Or even a new lover?" She teased, trying to keep things light. "Things are changing for you, and in ways that excite you."

[x]

His comment must have struck a chord in Isabelle, as the fortune teller paused for a moment. Charles wondered if she had had anyone depending on her at any point. It was likely; human beings were social creatures and were often presented with situations in which one or more counted on another. For Charles, it was Raven. What about Isabelle, though? Did she have a sister or a brother? Perhaps an ailing parent she cared for? Maybe even a child?

"They were very lucky to have someone to care enough about them to make sure they were alright,” the fortune teller said after her momentary pause. “It's a good card, Mr. Xavier. It tells me you are a good man, and from little I know if you, I am in agreement."

Well, he did try. It wasn’t easy; there was always the temptation to delve into someone’s mind if for nothing else than to acquire a sort of anchor to keep him steady in the chaotic sea of minds that comprised the world around him. Raven had been such for him before she demanded he get out of her head. It had been the worst week of his life as he felt their connection wither and die while he obeyed her wishes. But it had been for Raven, so he really couldn’t complain. He understood why she asked him to leave her mind alone.

He took a sip of his tea, appreciating the blend of herbs Isabelle had crafted. It was far better than any of the store-bought blends he subsisted off of.

"Well, this is good a good cards too,” Isabelle said, moving on in the reading and flipping over the first of the two cards to represent his present. “Your present desires is what this tells me. It's a card of excitement and impatience, hot pursuits . . . grand ideals. It's a card that tells me you are looking, or might even are stepping into a new world or discovery. Maybe have a new philosophy? Or even a new lover?"

There was a teasing lilt to her voice and Charles had the good grace to look a bit sheepish. He didn’t really do relationships; wasn’t exactly capable of them, to be honest. One-night-stands was about the extent of his capabilities, so it wasn’t a stretch of the imagination to think he’d likely end up tumbling around in the sheets with the latest in a long line of lovely partners.

"Things are changing for you, and in ways that excite you."

Charles grinned. He couldn’t exactly refute that, but there wasn’t much change going on at the moment; he was just getting into the meat of his thesis and still had months to go before he would finally be able to defend it and earn his degree in Genetics.

“Fair enough. I’m currently working on my thesis, so I would say I do have a few changes going on in my life at the moment.”

[Magda Eisenhardt]

He was working on his thesis! That was . . . exciting? Maybe it would be if she knew what a thesis was. "I'm sorry, I do not know what that is." Most English words she knew but that was one of the few she did not. "What is a thesis? Is that a car?" It sounded like a car. Cars had odd names, so maybe he was building one? Though he seemed more then working with his mind type, most American's tended to know something about cars.

While she gave him a moment to explain, she also reached for the next card, so that when he was done she could then flip it over. Judgment. A can that could either be good or bad. For his shake she hoped good. Laying it down, Magda explained what it was, mindful of keeping things light.

"This card is one of rebirth and resurrection. Meaning you might have to remake yourself, or even are currently trying to rebuild yourself into someone other then who you were. This is also a card of healing, either quite literally from an accident, or emotionally. It always means that change is happening. Either right now or very soon." Perhaps it was with his schooling, or home? Even rebuilding himself from his past. As long as it wasn't from an accident, then she would be grateful, for she hated seeing dark things in the cards.

[x]

“I’m sorry, I do not know what that is,” Isabelle replied. “What is a thesis? Is that a car?”

Charles smiled and chuckled a bit. “No, it’s not a car at all. I’m a graduate student in the process of acquiring my PhD. It’s an advanced degree, one that gives me the credibility I need to teach at university. However, in order to earn it, I have to write a short book, essentially, on a topic of my own choosing. As I’m working on a degree in genetics, I’ve centered my thesis on mutation. Oh, I sort of got a bit carried away, didn’t I? Essentially, a thesis is just a paper, part of a larger dissertation.”

Isabelle flipped over the next card as he explained what a thesis was, revealing the depiction of an angel blowing a trumpet while a man, woman, and child in floating boxes lifted their hands up to it.

"This card is one of rebirth and resurrection,” she explained, once it was clear that his own explanation was finished. “Meaning you might have to remake yourself, or even are currently trying to rebuild yourself into someone other then who you were. This is also a card of healing, either quite literally from an accident, or emotionally. It always means that change is happening. Either right now or very soon.”

“That sounds as though it could be a bit ominous, doesn't it,” Charles responded. “I certainly hope it’s nothing too major; I’ve never been very good with violence.”

[Magda Eisenhardt]

Magda's heart beat slightly quicker at the thought of what he was studying. Genes. Mutations. Mutants. It touch home slightly too much for she had seen what one man who wished to 'study' had done. Not to her, but to another child. "You must be very smart." She said, while not trying to linger on the topic. In truth it was one that made her aware of what might happen if this man discovered her secret. Would be be so kind to her then?

However they were talking about the cards now, "It can be ominous, but you can take it with a bit of hope. Whatever has happened, or is about to happen to you, you can build yourself stronger from it."

"Your future might have a bit more fun in it, yeah?" Magda teased, moving to flip over the next card. The Fool. Perhaps he was going to have too much fun? "You see the man in the card? He is going off on an adventure, into a world filled with hope, excitement, and wonder. He is so taken in by this new world he never thought to see that he is risking not seeing the danger he is walking into. This card is a warning, to watch your steps in this exciting new adventure. The dog here," The dog looked to be either barking or about to bike the ankles of the walker, "It is unknown if the dog is going to warn him, thus save him from the danger--or be part of the danger himself."

[x]

There was a flare of anxiety when he mentioned his course of study. A bit odd, as who would be concerned about a graduate student researching genetic mutation? Well, unless the person in question was perhaps a mutant themselves, or was close to someone who was a mutant. Or perhaps a mutantphobe? Charles wasn’t sure, and he keenly felt the urge to delve into her mind and figure out if her anxiety stemmed from fear of discovery or fear of mutation.

"It can be ominous, but you can take it with a bit of hope. Whatever has happened, or is about to happen to you, you can build yourself stronger from it,” she replied with a smile, trying to dampen the rush of apprehension. "Your future might have a bit more fun in it, yeah?"

Isabelle flipped over the next card, revealing a rather cheerful looking man about to walk off a cliff, a dog yapping at his feet.

"You see the man in the card,” she began, gesturing to the picture. “He is going off on an adventure, into a world filled with hope, excitement, and wonder. He is so taken in by this new world he never thought to see that he is risking not seeing the danger he is walking into. This card is a warning, to watch your steps in this exciting new adventure. The dog here—it is unknown if the dog is going to warn him, thus save him from the danger--or be part of the danger himself."

Charles took in the cards, his mind mulling over the interpretations Isabelle had offered. A new adventure, hmm? One that could prove disastrous if he wasn’t careful? Perhaps his future in academia? Well, if his mutation came out, then there could be a massive backlash in the academic community as to whether or not his telepathy gave him an unfair advantage. He could potentially lose everything if his mutation became public knowledge. Perhaps he would have to be more careful with it?

“Well, I suppose every adventure has its risks,” he said, making sure to give her a reassuring smile, her earlier apprehension still ringing in his mind. “Academics can be particularly vicious, I’ll admit; they tend to spend a depressing amount of time looking to find fault in their peers than they do trying to contribute to the pool of knowledge.”

He allowed himself to laugh at it for a moment, though the blots on his record really weren’t a laughing matter; if his peers found out he was a telepath, he could very likely be stripped of everything he’d worked so hard for.