It was a good day for Firefly.

She managed to sell a dozen of her strange wine, landing huge profits. Rather than knock post offices and mess with people, Firefly is beginning to love the idea of clean hustlin'. But it's all tentative. After all, what's so clean in the city nowadays? After depositing her profits to the bank and stopping over the bar to drink rum, she headed to an old forgotten shack...sandwiched between two dirty apartments. Why would she spend time in a hobo shack? Perhaps a goal. Perhaps something beyond the mortal mind.

Firefly picked the Urchin Kid. The Urchin is a curious child with absolute loyalty and keenness. Few mobsters used Urchin kids to accomplish their deeds, and they were always successful. Urchins fetch great prices in the market, yet Firefly got it for free. Favors. Favors run deep, especially in a city that can bleed anyone dry.

Firefly and the Urchin went to a popular city spot with lots of passers-by. Civilians, mobsters, crooked agents, soap salesmen, hustlers, and occasional ghosts pass through this spot. Firefly positioned the Urchin near a lamp post; the Urchin smiled, ready for his task. He cleared his throat and smiled at people.

"Greetings proud ladies and gentlemen! Today, Miss Desire is feeling a bit spiritual and peaceful. What does that mean? Well, it basically means that we will give free predictions of your future, but we won't read your palms. You may all take the predictions seriously or solely for entertainment. It all depends on you! Once you make your approach, Miss Desire will just scribble in her notepad and your fate can be revealed. Again, we'd like to stress that this is for free and for entertainment! Have a nice day!"

The Urchin announced with strength and clarity. Firefly patted the Urchin's head. Some civilians started approaching Firefly's position. She prefers to read mobster fates though - they are more interesting. 

What fates can the Firefly uncover?

~

Walking down the street, Keats listens as the urchin makes his proclamation. He'd had his fortune read a few times. Once, as a child, it had terrified him. As a young man, it had excited him. And it had been the same future. Now in his forties, with decades spent in organized crime, he doubted anyone's ability to glimpse into his future and impact him in any way. After all, it was almost certain how he would die. He'd lived longer than many of his peers, but there was generally only one way out of his line of work. He'd loved deeper and had his heart broken more thoroughly than he could have imagined. He'd experienced thrilling highs and crushing lows. What could possibly lie ahead that could surprise him? Still, he paused and questioned the urchin.

"So if there aren't any palms involved, how does this work?"

As Keats posed the question, the Urchin Kid nervously gazed at Firefly. The latter smiled a little and nodded, as if permitting the Urchin to speak. At the same time, Firefly observed Keats. A delicately, sleek professional - a man of honor and respect - stands before Firefly. She wanted to crumble like some sort of an ancient ruin, but she remembered the concept of hospitality. Composure is the prerequisite to great communication, she muttered internally. 

"Well, great sir, Miss Desire will stare into your eyes for few minutes or so." The Urchin spoke. "After that, she will scribble the prediction in a small note. Then she'll hand it to 'ya."

"On second thought, my Urchin...I will just tell the prediction directly to Mr. Keats." Firefly interrupted. "I think he deserves a more personal approach."

The Urchin nodded. "Shall we proceed with the prediction, Sir Keats?"

~

Keats nods, with a small smile. His green eyes evaluated both the urchin and Miss Desire. 

"I'll try not to blink too much."

Firefly observed Mr. Keats' green, glass-like eyes. She saw vivid slivers of pain, as if the past mingles with the man's current reality. Interesting, Firefly said in her mind. Mr. Keats' eyes are taking her into an oblivion of questions, desires, bullets, and buried dreams.

Alas, Firefly's own eyes connected with Mr. Keats - an ancient skill bequeathed by her mother. Amidst Keats' layers of plans, connections, and ideas, Firefly can still see a very small gap that can be filled. 

"You still have a great life ahead, Sir. I can see that you will have many missions and projects in this land of ours. Profitable ventures. Friends will admire you for that. Enemies will envy you, as they have done in the past. More opportunities will come, perhaps. Somehow, I saw that you brought your operations overseas...and stayed there for a while. Upon returning, a bit of the landscape changed. Maybe another war. Maybe something else. Yet you'll be a changed man. As you travel this time, sir, it will be more than business. More than pain. It will be a catalyst of something greater." Firefly said, cryptically.

The Urchin took a small box from a nearby pouch and handed it to Keats. The latter observed the thing and realized that it was a box of sweets. A strange letter or symbol (almost Sanskrit) is embossed on top of the box. 

"Thank you, Sir Keats." Firefly smiled. "Please accept our little gift for you."

~

Neo was in a shadowy corner observing Keats get his fate told to him. He was a bit skeptical about it but curiosity had gotten the best of him. He approached the now started Miss Desire and started to chuckle. Not being seen was a specialty of his so when he wanted to hide, he did it well. 

"Good Evening" He spoke to her directly and deliberately

"I am curious as to know what the future or fate as you would have it, has in store"

He stood there awaiting her to regather herself after being startled

With her heart almost skipping a beat, Firefly let out a mild gasp. She stared to the man in front of him - another elegant-looking fellow with a unique trenchcoat. His eyes, hidden by modern shades, tried to send a chill down Firefly's spine. Meanwhile, Mr. Keats and the Urchin were conversing about the origins of Firefly's Sanskrit-like candy boxes. 

Firefly is aware that the new person is the respectable Left Hand Man of The Crystal Gems. A man that shouldn't be trifled with. Only few souls in 'Murica can match his superior hiding skills. Firefly let out a sweet smile. She felt so excited to scry for another mysterious fella. Sir Keats gave her a nice head start and she's ready to go on with her predictions.

"Good evening, great sir." Firefly said. "You sure love to surprise people. I like surprises. My prediction is waiting for you, sir, but I may need to request something. I need to see your eyes, oh those valiant eyes. They will be the gateways to my...message."

Firefly Desire, like holding the veins of deliverance in her fingers, gently removed Sir Neo's expensive shades. The latter breathed methodically and pocketed the shades. As their eyes locked in, the trance connection was established. It cascaded furiously, delving deep in Firefly's bottomless mind. She can still feel Keats' fate. But now, Neo's fate is crawling towards her.

She stepped back, and Neo had to grasp her arm before falling on the pavement. The Urchin was alerted.

"I'm okay." Firefly reassured Neo and everyone present. "The fates are always playing jokes on us. I've seen you as a hero of the modern world, Sir Neo. A great hero among a macro-sphere of heroes. You've made your bones. You slew foes, and they feared you. The shadows...you even befriended them. You made critical decisions in the past. Feats that can never be achieved by regular souls. But the tides are changing. It's time to forge enterprises with your name. With your legacy. All the while forging new connections. But be careful...I can see one soul, one savior. He comes not with an olive branch, but with a sword..."

Firefly breathed deeply. Her new client's fate is surely challenging to behold! After the scrying session, the Urchin handed the same candy box to Neo. It had a different Sanskrit-like letter on top. Firefly ensured Neo that the gift is delicious and very safe to eat.

~

All these men, getting fooled by empty promises. Any nobody could claim to be able to read one's fate, hell, Bianca could claim to do that but the eye contact would be lacking, really. She watched as two gentlemen got their time wasted, and in all honesty, it cannot be wasted if you have nothing better to do. The woman watched until the second man got charmed and fooled, before folding her arms and leaning against the corner of the nearest building, an amused huff given to herself. "And criminals think they're making money easily.."

 Keats had been entranced for a long while, absentmindedly responding to the urchin as he tried to process what had happened. He approached Firefly and bowed his head respectfully.

"I thank you for the gift of words- as well as these delicacies."

He paused, as the trance continued to leave him.

"Where did you learn these skills, if you don't mind me asking?"

Firefly smiled and tried her best to come up of an answer. Memories flooded in her mind - a tidal wave against an unwary shore. Scrying is one of her best skills, yet it's a vague one; she found the nearest connection: her mother. 

"My mother, bless her soul, taught me about this little skill of mine. She used to have these weird trinkets that emanate with some kind of strange power. I know it sounds gimmicky, but I saw what those trinkets can do to a man. She even told me that some of those annoying Durdens were under the influence of such trinkets." Firefly replied, half-remembering her childhood. 

"Now, those stuff empowered my mother. Then she taught the skill to me. I only have three of those special artifacts to me. Makes me wonder if they still fetch big prices in the market today. The world is changing, and there seems to be no place for old stuff..."

Firefly placed her soft hand on Keats'. "The sea of power - it's yours, Mr. Keats. I can feel it."

~