I had been sitting in the park for hours now, reading a cheap book that happened to catch my eye. While I did find it amusing in its own way, I was in truth half-reading it. Instead, I was using my metaphorical third eye to engage in one of my favorite activities: people-watching.

Unlike the rest of my eldritch kin, I found the human race to be fascinating… so much so, that I'd created countless guises over the millennia to engage with them. As fun as it was to craft a new avatar, I had a handful of favorites that I tended to fall back on—like curling up in a favorite blanket. This female one in particular was a standout; not only was it a change from my usual fare, but I loved how inciting it was. It was always so amusing to see everyone's reaction to my form, and my clothing: ardor, outrage, jealousy, incredulity. Feeling their gaze on me, sensing their thoughts run wild, tasting the pheromones in the air… it was enrapturing to know how I can affect minds without even directly connecting with someone.

That led me to today: I was looking for a new plaything. There were so many delectable morsels that I'd already spied, but most of them didn't have the makings of what I wanted. No, I was searching for one whose aura screamed out to me; one whose mind was so fascinating, that it would be heaven to dig deeper into them… and it just so happened that one such person began coming my way. I didn't know if their mind was to my tastes just yet, but they certainly had the potential that I was looking for.

So, I did what was typical of me when I saw potential prey: I let the book slip from my hand, and watched as it bounced away from me. I rose from the bench, and moved to grab my belonging… placing me right in front of the person I wished to speak to.

"Oh," I said, looking up at them. "I do apologize; slippery fingers." I smiled warmly, my eyes taking them in. Perhaps I would offer to tell their fortune; that often tended to catch their interest.