Are you scared of hearing one thing new? [OPEN]

[tadanokusuriuri]

Who: The Medicine Seller and you!
When: Early August (flexible)
Where: Near a temple on the Near Shore
What: Fortune telling! Because normal part time jobs are for squares.




It has not escaped the Medicine Seller's notice that so many other shinki have "part time jobs" to make ends meet, but he's never much seen the sense in them. There's no need to tie himself to commitments that could interfere with his ability to react to a crisis far away, or to go to his goddess's side when needed.

Still, a little bit of extra pocket money doesn't seem to him like a terrible idea. So, on one of his frequent jaunts to the Near Shore, the Medicine Seller can be found sitting on a corner near a large shrine, wearing entirely too many layers of gaudily-colored kimono for the sweltering weather without any apparent discomfort, next to a table with three coins on it and a rather beautifully hand-painted sign:

Palm reading and divination, 500 yen.

On spotting a potential customer, the Medicine Seller smiles and beckons them nearer. "Sit, I bid you. I can see you have questions."

In fairness, more or less everyone does, at most points in their lives.

Comments

[leapingchuu]

Viktor beamed. He did indeed have questions! Most importantly -

"Wherever did you get those lovely kimono?"

Because yes, the most important thing was obviously the clothes.

[tadanokusuriuri]

Ah, foreigners. So excitable about the strangest things, sometimes. Once again, he waved for the man to sit.

"A trade secret, I'm afraid. They are, you see... a tool of my profession."

Or something like that. It's important to look vaguely traditional, but still mysterious and a bit unearthly, alright?

[leapingchuu]

Hey man, he's excitable about everything. But he did sit.

"i see! Fortune telling looks fun."

Because yes, he read the sign. And had 500 yen, although he'd grabbed it from the bowl on the table in the temple that morning. He didn't hand it over just yet, though.

[tadanokusuriuri]

The Medicine Seller's smile grew just a little bit wider, exposing a tiny sliver of teeth. He holds out one hand, palm up, waiting for the coin.

"Is there anything special... that you'd like to know about?"

[leapingchuu]

"Weee~llll...could you tell me if my favorite kitty is all right? She used to sleep on my bed until my god left."

Important questions, you see. But he did hand over the coin; it was Emizel's anyway.

[tadanokusuriuri]

Once again, the stranger's choice of question caught him off his guard. He wondered for a moment if he was just playing around with him... but it hardly mattered. He'd been payed, after all.

"Hmm. You'll have to tell me more about her, first."

[leapingchuu]

"Well, she's bright orange and has white socks! And really long whiskers, and she loves to cuddle. She disappeared when my god did, and I just wondered if you could see if she's being taken care of?"

This is very concerning to him, you understand.

[tadanokusuriuri]

It's obvious that the man is concerned -- not just for the cat, he'd guess, but for the god who disappeared, too. It's not often that the Medicine Seller feels like he can relate to someone's problems on a personal level, but that is a little bit close to something he's gone through before, too.

"I see, I see. How long has it been, since they've been gone?"

[spes_phthisica]

Souji definitely did not come this way for a palm reading - that is to say, he was just wandering aimlessly, and this is where his feet took him.

Even so, once the initial surprise fades, his face lights up in a smile, and he practically bounces over to the strange little man. Palm readings? He has a feeling his God would scoff at it, but he scoffs at at a lot of things that are fun, so maybe that's a good sign.

"Well, I certainly do now. Hold on..." Just going to fish out the money right away and hand it over.

[tadanokusuriuri]

The Medicine Seller flashes a smile up at him, and squirrels the 500 yen coin away in his sleeve before gesturing for Souji to sit again.

"Thank you very much, my honored guest. Now... what is it that I should tell you of?"

[spes_phthisica]

Souji bounces a bit where he thinks, tapping a finger against his lips and considering. What should he ask about? He tries to think about traditional questions one asks fortune tellers, and a playful grin suddenly lights up his face.

"I want to know... is it likely that I'll ever get married?" It's absolutely a trick question, but he's mostly doing this for fun, so why not?

[tadanokusuriuri]

"I wonder, I wonder... surely you aren't afraid of ending up an old maid?"

He's definitely playing around a bit, too, something the sparkle in his eye makes all too evident.

[spes_phthisica]

The answer takes Souji by surprise, startles a loud peal of laughter out of him. This is going to be a lot of fun, isn't it?

"It's not the most terrifying prospect, but it does sound a bit lonely." He chuckles. "But maybe it's more that I have someone I do like, and would like to know more about our future."

[tadanokusuriuri]

It's nice when people actually notice his teasing and take it in stride. The Medicine Seller's smile goes just a tiny bit wider, as he keeps his steady gaze on Souji.

"Your hand, if you please."

[redotiertwo]

[Davesprite was mostly just passing by, but on being addressed, he stops. He's not exactly a typical-looking customer, but he reads the sign with a straight face and shrugs slightly. He's always open enough to abiding random spiritual shit at least once to see how legitimate it is, and he's managed to not entirely break his bank while waiting for the bar he works at to open up again.

Sitting is kind of easier said than done for Davesprite, but he lowers himself down and wraps his tail around so he's taking up less space than he could be, and flicks 500 yen over with a thumb.]

I mean, yeah, but that's a pretty vague-ass pitch to be propositioning people with. Everyone has questions about something, or they're lying.

[tadanokusuriuri]

[The Medicine Seller is pretty hard to ruffle in the first place -- and anyhow, the young man is sitting down with him, so he can't have been too offput by the vague pitch.]

That's likely true.

[He smiles, quiet and placid.]

But a net cast wide catches more. Shall we be more specific, in that case?

[redotiertwo]

[Seems like kind of a weird dude, but Davesprite figures you'd have to be to be offering fortunes on a street corner. Still, he's been kind of on edge lately, so the placidity is a welcome break. Time to think about things here, and not things that are the shreds of what he remembered from back home.]

This is the part where I talk about my failing relationship and how I desperately need to know if my husband is cheating on me, right. [Okay, but serious time.] Does it have to be about me? Like, what if I wanted to ask about someone close to me, or something like that. Or a collective temple group, I guess.

[tadanokusuriuri]

[All fair questions. The Medicine Seller shrugs slightly, his expression unchanged.]

Your palm won't tell me about anyone but you. But... there are other ways to ask about such things.

[He gestures to the three coins on the table, and to a small wooden box sitting on the ground to the side of the table. It's better marketing to keep the initial options simple, but he's got a few other tools of the trade with him, just in case.]

[redotiertwo]

[Davesprite glances over the alternate fortunetelling options, then shrugs a bit.]

Sure, let's mix it up, not like I came to the table all invested in getting my palm read. I'm not even sure a traditional palm reading would work on me, if we're being real.

[Given the whole half-bird hands detail. Any kind of fortunetelling that doesn't rely on bodily input from him is probably the better option.]

[sing_for_me]

[As uncomfortable as his kimono looked, Alex had never seen such beautiful clothing before. It was different from anything she had seen back in the city. Only when he spoke did she realize she was staring.]

Sorry--I didn't mean to stare! Your clothes were just so pretty..

[tadanokusuriuri]

[Even among gods and shinki, his appearance has always been a bit peculiar, so he's not unaccustomed to being stared at. It hardly bothers him, even on the Near Shore. He just smiles up at her, and waves a hand again towards the seat across from him.]

Think nothing of it. Indeed, you're too kind...

[sing_for_me]

[Alex looks at the seat, hesitating for a moment before taking a seat.]

So you're..a palm reader?

[tadanokusuriuri]

[He nods, slow and deep enough to nearly be a bow.]

A humble fortune-teller, my lady, but with some skill for such things. Will it please you to show me your hand?

[sing_for_me]

I've never had my fortune told before.

[She says as she holds out her hand to him, watching him curiously.]

[tadanokusuriuri]

[The Medicine Seller takes her hand gently, repositioning it a little bit to get a better look at it. His hands are pale and slim, with neatly-done lavender nail polish.]

It can provide... a different perspective, at times. From the way you typically look at things.

Is this the dominant hand for you?

[sing_for_me]

[His hands were so pretty..! Even his nails were so beautifully manicured. It was almost embarrassing to show him her own hand.]

Ah..yes, it is-- your nails look amazing.

[poisonwish]

Snow White studies the other man for a moment. The cosmetics are intriguing, and the kimono are beautiful... And clearly, the Medicine Seller can see gods. Upon closer inspection, Snow can tell he's a shinki.

"I might," he admits. "But I'm not about to pay 500 yen for them."

He says it as a matter of pride... but he also doesn't have 500 yen to spend.

[tadanokusuriuri]

"Oh?"

There's something about the way that the Medicine Seller looks at people that tends to make them feel rather exposed, at times. In spite of his slow, calm, patient mannerisms, his eyes have a peculiar, methodical sort of intensity to them. He's quiet for a beat or two too long, and then smiles just a fraction of an inch wider.

"If it pleases you, then... you might render your payment later."

[poisonwish]

The way the Medicine Seller looks at him sends a chill down Snow's spine and he tries not to physically shiver. It was unnerving... and yet there was nothing specifically wrong that he could state.

It was nothing, he told himself. Just a stupid feeling that would go away.

"Later?" Snow cocked his head to the side and smirked, hoping that some bravado might make the chill go away. Fake it 'til you make it, right? At least he didn't outright scoff.

"You trust me to pay you later for whatever you do today?"

[diehardreaper]

His new would-be customer is a somewhat familiar face... with a not so familiar face in tow. Ronald raises his right hand in greeting as he steps up to the table. Yes, he certainly has questions especially given what's been going on with everything... but would divination work for someone already dead?

As he approaches, the small boy following after him trots up and peers curiously at the Medicine Seller, head tilting as he seems somewhat entranced by his kimono. Ronald reaches over as he steps close and ruffles the boy's hair. "D'you need both palms for a reading or is one enough?" He grins.

[tadanokusuriuri]

Honestly, there's not a whole lot of precedent that he's aware of regarding how this would work on the dead, but everything aside from perhaps the life line ought to be still applicable, he'd think? The Medicine Seller smiles at the young boy, perhaps a little more softly than he would at most people.

"Two will give a more detailed reading. However... one may suffice, if it must."

[diehardreaper]

At the smile, the boy seems to brighten up. If his god hasn't pulled him away yet, then surely they're in trustworthy company. But he retreats back to the death god the minute Ronald comes up to him, clutching at the hem of his jacket like he usually does. Though this little setup did get the reaper thinking. Living day to day, for the present and never fearing the future seems to be so far away now but perhaps he just needs some assurance.

Maybe that's why he's here.

"M'afraid one's all you've to work with, mate." Ronald chuckles, as he adjusts the jacket over his left shoulder. "Taking a bit of a side job then, are we?"

[returnedfromtheline]

Passing by, Yukine does a double-take at the guy's greeting. Then a triple-take at his getup. And a fourth when he recognizes him.

"Hey, you're the shinki who was making stew." That was a while ago, but he remembers trying to put that 'weed' mitsuba to use afterwards. (It ended up being a bit bitter, despite remembering his warning.)

And Yukine does one more take at the sign.

"Five hundred yen? Are you actually getting any takers?"


[[ooc: our previous thread finished before MS introduced himself beyond 'a shinki'. Just let me know if he'd have given another name!]]