After walking for a couple minutes, Lucia and I eventually got to the booth with the bear structure on top of it.
Unlike the previous booth that we went to, there was no worker situated behind it.
And in their place was a bear shaped statuette holding up what looked to be a blue crystal ball.
“No fuckin way.. it’s a palming sphere! I haven't seen one of these things in ages.”
Lucia said in a nostalgic tone, after she had gotten a better look at the crystalline object that was in the booth.
“What is it exactly?”
I asked, slightly confused.
“Basically it’s just a device that gives a fortune to whoever touches it, based on that person’s hands.”
“Are the fortunes from this thing accurate?”
“From what I’ve seen, the fortunes this thing gives are accurate only about 5 percent of the time.”
Lucia replied casually.
So it’s essentially just as accurate as a broken clock, got it.
Well at least this means that I won’t be getting any inconvenient life changing prophecies from this thing anytime soon.
“Anyway, Otto wanna bet on who’s gonna get the better fortune?”
“Depends on what we’re betting for.”
“How about.. the loser has to listen to one request that the winner has?”
Lucia suggested.
“I’ll accept those conditions, so long as you don’t complain about them after I beat you.”
“Aren't you cocky today? How about you go first then.”
Lucia said derisively, before gesturing towards the palming sphere.
“Gladly.”
I remarked, before placing my hands on top of the blue orb.
A couple minutes later, the palming sphere emitted a short message in a monotone voice.
“Conduit error.”
Oh come on you can’t be serious, what kind of fortune is that?
I’ve gotten better fortunes from my uncle when he was drunk and he’s not even a seer!
“What happened to all of that confidence you had earlier?”
Lucia said snidely, after my fortune was dealt.
“Just take your turn already.”
I groaned.
“Don’t mind if I do.”
Lucia replied nonchalantly, before brushing past me and putting her hands around the palming sphere.
The moment her hands came in contact with the blue orb, it produced a verbose response.
“You will have a prosperous future as long as you continue to listen to the murmurs of rivers and disregard the crashing of waves.”
This thing didn’t even try to pretend that it wasn’t playing favorites!
“Looks like you lost Otto.”
Lucia remarked, after she had received the results of her palm reading.
“Yeah yeah, just get on with the punishment already.”
I replied, with displeasure evident in my voice.
In response Lucia just nodded before pausing for a few seconds to come up with a punishment.
“Hmm…oh I know. Think you could fetch for me a package that’s arriving at the school’s post office at 8:00 tonight?”
“Can’t you just do that yourself?”
I said, in an annoyed tone.
“Yeah, but I’d much rather just have you pick up the package, less walking involved for me.”
“And I thought I was lethargic… welp a deal’s a deal, where do you want this thing delivered exactly?”
“If you could get it to my dorm room that’d be great. It’s the fourth one down on the top floor of the dormitory.”
“Why is your dorm on the highest floor? Is the school trying to minimize the impact of your tantrums or something?”
Man, that's gonna be a pain to get to.
“Course not dumbass. It’s because I’m one of the highest ranking students here.”
“Unless that’s for being one of the biggest nuisances on campus, I think the school needs to seriously overhaul its ranking process.”
I retorted, before narrowing my eyes a little.
“Oh, just shut up will you?”
Lucia remarked, with a hint of irritation in her voice before getting a little closer to me.
“Nah, I don’t think I will.”
I said, while shrugging my shoulders.
After bickering for a few more minutes, the both of us went over to an ice cream booth that was nearby to cool off a bit.
They had a wide variety of flavors to choose from, everything from wild raspberry to caramelized spirits.
Originally I was going to get something normal like strawberry flavored gelato from the booth but Lucia coerced me into grabbing something called Huio.
“Now are you positive that this stuff isn’t gonna try and take over my body from the inside?”
I said before cautiously poking at the pile of gelatinous gray sludge sitting in front of me with my spoon.
“If this stuff could do something like that, people wouldn’t be casually handing it out at a school festival.”
Lucia said, before scooping into her mouth some of the viscous mass that was across from her.
“…I guess that makes sense?”
I replied skeptically, before shoving some Huio into my mouth.
To my surprise, it wasn’t all that bad. It tasted like whipped cream mixed with plum pudding and a few bits of lemon.
“Huh, this is actually pretty good.”
I said, with astonishment in my voice, before scooping up another spoonful of the grayish substance.
“Well yeah idiot, why do you think I recommended it to you in the first place?”
“I dunno, maybe to try and poison me?”
I said, flippantly.
“Where did you get that stupid idea from?”
Lucia replied, with a somewhat bewildered look on her face.
“Thinking back on it, I don't really know. I mean there’s no way someone as rash as you could craft an assassination plot.”
I said while feigning a puzzled expression.
In turn, Lucia just groaned.
“Anyway, what’s in that package you’re sending me to retrieve later tonight?”
I asked, curiously.
“Hmm? Oh that thing’s just got some letters from my parents in it, nothing too interesting. Why do you ask?”
“Just making sure that I’m not picking up anything too fragile, don’t want you yelling at me later for accidentally shattering some priceless heirloom that was apparently in your family for generations.”
“Fair enough, you’re not really the dexterous type are you?”
“Not really no, but at least I got a good head on my shoulders unlike someone else I know.”
“Whatever.”
Lucia remarked.
A few moments after that exchange took place, the school’s bells rang for the first time today to signal that the festival had ended.
“Aw, it’s over already? We didn’t even get to visit the whack-a-gremlin booth.”
Lucia said dejectedly after her ears had picked up the sounds of the bells.
“We can just go see it next year.”
“Yeah I guess you’re right. Anyhow don't forget what you need to do later this evening, alright?”
“I won’t.”
I said simply.
After she heard my confirmation, Lucia waved goodbye before skittering away, presumably to her dorm room to catch up on some romance novel or finish a last minute project.
After walking for a couple minutes, Lucia and I eventually got to the booth with the bear structure on top of it.
Unlike the previous booth that we went to, there was no worker situated behind it.
And in their place was a bear shaped statuette holding up what looked to be a blue crystal ball.
“No fuckin way.. it’s a palming sphere! I haven't seen one of these things in ages.”
Lucia said in a nostalgic tone, after she had gotten a better look at the crystalline object that was in the booth.
“What is it exactly?”
I asked, slightly confused.
“Basically it’s just a device that gives a fortune to whoever touches it, based on that person’s hands.”
“Are the fortunes from this thing accurate?”
“From what I’ve seen, the fortunes this thing gives are accurate only about 5 percent of the time.”
Lucia replied casually.
So it’s essentially just as accurate as a broken clock, got it.
Well at least this means that I won’t be getting any inconvenient life changing prophecies from this thing anytime soon.
“Anyway, Otto wanna bet on who’s gonna get the better fortune?”
“Depends on what we’re betting for.”
“How about.. the loser has to listen to one request that the winner has?”
Lucia suggested.
“I’ll accept those conditions, so long as you don’t complain about them after I beat you.”
“Aren't you cocky today? How about you go first then.”
Lucia said derisively, before gesturing towards the palming sphere.
“Gladly.”
I remarked, before placing my hands on top of the blue orb.
A couple minutes later, the palming sphere emitted a short message in a monotone voice.
“Conduit error.”
Oh come on you can’t be serious, what kind of fortune is that?
I’ve gotten better fortunes from my uncle when he was drunk and he’s not even a seer!
“What happened to all of that confidence you had earlier?”
Lucia said snidely, after my fortune was dealt.
“Just take your turn already.”
I groaned.
“Don’t mind if I do.”
Lucia replied nonchalantly, before brushing past me and putting her hands around the palming sphere.
The moment her hands came in contact with the blue orb, it produced a verbose response.
“You will have a prosperous future as long as you continue to listen to the murmurs of rivers and disregard the crashing of waves.”
This thing didn’t even try to pretend that it wasn’t playing favorites!
“Looks like you lost Otto.”
Lucia remarked, after she had received the results of her palm reading.
“Yeah yeah, just get on with the punishment already.”
I replied, with displeasure evident in my voice.
In response Lucia just nodded before pausing for a few seconds to come up with a punishment.
“Hmm…oh I know. Think you could fetch for me a package that’s arriving at the school’s post office at 8:00 tonight?”
“Can’t you just do that yourself?”
I said, in an annoyed tone.
“Yeah, but I’d much rather just have you pick up the package, less walking involved for me.”
“And I thought I was lethargic… welp a deal’s a deal, where do you want this thing delivered exactly?”
“If you could get it to my dorm room that’d be great. It’s the fourth one down on the top floor of the dormitory.”
“Why is your dorm on the highest floor? Is the school trying to minimize the impact of your tantrums or something?”
Man, that's gonna be a pain to get to.
“Course not dumbass. It’s because I’m one of the highest ranking students here.”
“Unless that’s for being one of the biggest nuisances on campus, I think the school needs to seriously overhaul its ranking process.”
I retorted, before narrowing my eyes a little.
“Oh, just shut up will you?”
Lucia remarked, with a hint of irritation in her voice before getting a little closer to me.
“Nah, I don’t think I will.”
I said, while shrugging my shoulders.
After bickering for a few more minutes, the both of us went over to an ice cream booth that was nearby to cool off a bit.
They had a wide variety of flavors to choose from, everything from wild raspberry to caramelized spirits.
Originally I was going to get something normal like strawberry flavored gelato from the booth but Lucia coerced me into grabbing something called Huio.
“Now are you positive that this stuff isn’t gonna try and take over my body from the inside?”
I said before cautiously poking at the pile of gelatinous gray sludge sitting in front of me with my spoon.
“If this stuff could do something like that, people wouldn’t be casually handing it out at a school festival.”
Lucia said, before scooping into her mouth some of the viscous mass that was across from her.
“…I guess that makes sense?”
I replied skeptically, before shoving some Huio into my mouth.
To my surprise, it wasn’t all that bad. It tasted like whipped cream mixed with plum pudding and a few bits of lemon.
“Huh, this is actually pretty good.”
I said, with astonishment in my voice, before scooping up another spoonful of the grayish substance.
“Well yeah idiot, why do you think I recommended it to you in the first place?”
“I dunno, maybe to try and poison me?”
I said, flippantly.
“Where did you get that stupid idea from?”
Lucia replied, with a somewhat bewildered look on her face.
“Thinking back on it, I don't really know. I mean there’s no way someone as rash as you could craft an assassination plot.”
I said while feigning a puzzled expression.
In turn, Lucia just groaned.
“Anyway, what’s in that package you’re sending me to retrieve later tonight?”
I asked, curiously.
“Hmm? Oh that thing’s just got some letters from my parents in it, nothing too interesting. Why do you ask?”
“Just making sure that I’m not picking up anything too fragile, don’t want you yelling at me later for accidentally shattering some priceless heirloom that was apparently in your family for generations.”
“Fair enough, you’re not really the dexterous type are you?”
“Not really no, but at least I got a good head on my shoulders unlike someone else I know.”
“Whatever.”
Lucia remarked.
A few moments after that exchange took place, the school’s bells rang for the first time today to signal that the festival had ended.
“Aw, it’s over already? We didn’t even get to visit the whack-a-gremlin booth.”
Lucia said dejectedly after her ears had picked up the sounds of the bells.
“We can just go see it next year.”
“Yeah I guess you’re right. Anyhow don't forget what you need to do later this evening, alright?”
“I won’t.”
I said simply.
After she heard my confirmation, Lucia waved goodbye before skittering away, presumably to her dorm room to catch up on some romance novel or finish a last minute project.
