Excuse the Tail [Rinabina!]

[Tally]

Chapel drew plenty of glances from the crowded streets of the Red District, but he was wearing his don't-fucking-bother-me face so no one stopped him or got in his way with their grievances and concerns.  There'd been plenty of that up in the Gold District, with Aedolis and Edanith breathing down his neck like he owed them anything.  Libra was better about it.  Mal got how it worked.

All he really wanted now was to do some needed shopping.  He needed shoes.  He was on one of the busiest streets in the district, with neon signs flashing at him above storefronts and crisscrossing streets branching off at odd angles all over the place.  His long tail swung behind him, waving and swishing all on it's own.  It was covered in a fine red fur and tipped with a tuft of long black hair.  Dreadlocks—two-toned red and black—swayed about his shoulders, beads clicking.

He paused for just a moment to look over the heads of the crowd at a shoe store on the other side of the street.  He was tall enough to see over most people.  As soon as he turned to continue on, though, his tail swept through a stack of something behind him.  Whatever it was clattered to the ground and everyone in sight paused to stare at him.

Chapel sank his face into his palm before turning around to see what kind of damage he'd done.  Damn tail did it again.

[Anonymous]

Akachi had set up on her brightly colored blanket, her charms and tools around her. It wasn't the best set up, but she had better things to spend her money on than a store front. Besides, the real customers knew where she lived. They could find her when they needed real magic done. This was just for the silly people who wanted a palm read or some foul smelling water she called a love potion.

She had been been watching the tall, good looking man walk through the crowd. She knew who he was. Always a good idea to know the man who ran the station she was on. There was something about him, an energy that surrounded him. He had something in store for him. Interesting.

The tail was a little bit of a surprise. The witchwoman sighed as the tail swept across her table, scattering gris and totems onto the floor. Picking one of the dolls up, Akachi clicked her tongue, "Bad luck, dat. You gonna make the spirits mad when you treat dem like dis."

Standing up, Akachi started putting the items back on the table, "You got some luck around ya. Can't tell if it's good or bad though." She gave him a wide smile, her teeth colored with a black ink, "Cute though. I like my men big and dark." She reached over and smacked the Captain of the station's ass, "Mmmmhmmm. Yes'um. I likes dat just fine."

Still not really giving Chapel a chance to reply, she motioned her blanket, "Now you sit. Shoes can come later, yeah. You hear forra reason. Sit, sit. We best findin' out why. 'Fore you make a bigger mess."

[Tally]

"Pardon, it's the tail," he said, stooping to help her pick up her—figurines?  Knickknacks?  Whatever they were.  Thanks the gods they didn't look all that expensive, and he didn't seem to have broken anything.  It wouldn't have been the first time he'd given out compensation for something his tail had broken, either.  It was sad, but this happened on a more or less regular basis.  On the bridge they learned to keep things out of the way of his tail's sweeping path.

He stood when she did, and arched an eyebrow at her when she smacked his ass.  Brave woman.  He was big enough and looked threatening enough that most people took him altogether too seriously.  He had to admire her kind of audacity.

"Sit for what?" he said, and remained standing.  Admiration or not, he wasn't prepared to let her think he was intrigued.  "I'm busy.  What is it you think you can do for me?"

[Anonymous]

"No you isn't. Ya just gettin' ya some new shoes. Which ya ain't gonna find the right pair and ya ain't never wanna settle on shoes. Oh no." Akachi settled the last of the items on the table. Mostly charms and dolls and a few things made of bone and feathers. A few items of real power amidst the twaddle.

When Chapel arched his brow at her, Akachi stared right back at him. She was almost a foot and a half shorter than the Captain but she wasn't at all impressed. She didn't take shit from anyone. She reached up and grabbed the back of Chapel's neck, tugging him down so she could look into his face better.

The tiny woman smelled of strange spices and blood and a lingering scent of death, "Hmmm. Yes'um. There is some interestin' juice about ya, that for sure. It be your lucky day boy. Akachi gonna sort it all out. Give you a glimpse of what goin' on and what gonna happen."

Releasing Chapel, Akachi started to rummage in her things. She wished she had more of her real equipment, but she would make do, "Boy, ya best sit. I don'ts like ta have ta keep strainin' ta see that pretty face o' yas."

Glancing up, Akachi studied Chapel again, "Do ya like games o skill? Or da ya like to trust chance?"

[Tally]

All right, he had to admit she had him curious as to how in hell she knew he was shopping for shoes.  He hadn't even told his own people that.  Just informed them that he was heading out to the Red District.  The obvious answer was that she was psychic, but then this was Cancer.  Never quite knew what you might be dealing with here. It wasn't always the easiest answer.

He bent awkwardly at the waist when she pulled him down.  He didn't understand much of what she said, but she seemed to take an appraisal of him and seemed to think she had something to offer him.

She was playing her role well this one.  Really hamming it up. He was expecting the usually vague nonsense all 'fortunetellers' handed out, but he laughed and sat down anyway, folding his long frame into a cross-legged position on the ground.

"Skill," he said without hesitation.

[Anonymous]

"Ahhh. Yes'um. That what I thinkin'. Though, sometimes ya should leave thinks up ta fate, ya know?" The curvy little woman smiled her strange smile again, enjoying herself. It wasn't often fate hummed like this around someone. It excited her, the mystery of it all.

She rummaged through her tools, searching for what she wanted, "Tisk tisk, ya shouldn't look down that nose of yours at me. I ain't no hoax. Tellin' ya 'bout what cha need ta know and ya actin' like I'm shammin' you."

Finally she found what she wanted and pulled out a set of battered, odd looking cards. They were rather large and a faded cream color, with dark symbols drawn on them. Akachi smiled again, then settled across from Chapel, holding out the cards, "Now, ya be careful with 'dese. There is real magic in dem cards. Strong, ancient magic that ya best be respectin'. Now, shuffle them cards, feel them in yer hands and then pull out the ones 'dat speak to ya. As many as ya feel is right and ya just lay them out."

[Tally]

So the woman was obviously psychic.  She was responding to his thoughts.  He didn't care for psychics in general but Cancer had no policy against them.  Couldn't say he was crazy about the idea of someone rooting around in his thoughts, though.

"Oh, is there?  I'll be careful with them, then."  And he was, handling the cards with respect as he cut and shuffled the deck twice.  He didn't believe in mysticism but he did believe in the malice of an insulted fortuneteller.

Four felt like a good number, so he drew four at random them revealed them face up between them.

[Anonymous]

Akachi watched the man find his cards, studying his face. She wanted to know what all this energy was around him. Her fingers played along some of the bones she kept at the table. She could tell fortunes with them, but they were unreliable and she didn't often use them. Bones were tricky.

She tisked as she read the cards, telling her far more than the little symbols should. Reaching out, she tapped on one of them, "Dis is a dark sign. Dem all dark signs. What cah done boy? Who did ya anger? This be some bad ju-ju."

Frowning, she leaned closer. There was something coming, something she couldn't quite tell, but it was going to be bad, "There gonna be blood. Blood an' darkness." Lifting her head, her strange yellow eyes stared at Chapel. What had he done? Was it his fault? Or maybe he was the hero.

Reaching up, she cupped his chin, turning his head to study him, "Dat might be it. Maybe dis ain't yer fault. Yer da hero. Dat could be...dat could be."

[Tally]

He couldn't help but laugh at that first question of hers. Who had he angered? "Really, woman. Who have I not angered with this move?"

He'd caused plenty of anger, plenty of fear by suddenly abandoning Cancer's position within the solar plane and striking out further into open space.  They didn't know where he was going to make harbor and how that would affect them. He had no shortage of folk angered at him just then. She'd have to get way more specific.

He flashed his best winning smile at her. "Outstanding.  Blood and darkness is Cancer's element. And when the dust settles I'll make certain I look properly heroic."

[Anonymous]

Akachi clicked her tongue, "Careful boy. Ya don't wanna make light odis. Dis is a bad 'un." The man was proud and he didn't believe, that she could easily tell. So few people understood. Her delicate fingers tapped the cards again, a different sign this time, just as bad as the other one, "People gonna die. Ya best get prepared. Dat pretty face ain't gonna save ya."

[Tally]

"Pretty?"  Chapel rubbed at his stubble and grinned.  "That's the first time anyone's called me that."

Ah, but he should play along shouldn't he?  Be a good sport and all.  What was the use of listening to a fortuneteller otherwise? She was laying it on thick, doom and death and all that.

And if she really is the real deal?  A genuine diviner?  If that was true—and it would take a lot to convince him of that—then it was a rare advantage knowing his imminent future.  Maybe he could offer her a job.

"People are dying now," he said.  "What makes this any different?"

[Anonymous]

"Aw, don't cah go tellin' me lies now. Dat a real pretty face ya got there." Akachi reached up and cupped his chin, her strange eyes staring deep into his. Seeing something that most other people couldn't see there.

Still holding his face, she spoke again, still peering into him, "Dis is dark juju. Dem messin' wit da wrong tings. Bad tings. And it gonna come here. Gonna wipe dis place out."

Dropping her hand, her expression was stern, "Don't cha make light o' dis. Ya gots ta learn when ta listen."

[Tally]

Chapel cocked and eyebrow while she soulgazed at him.  He didn't break eye contact, just to satisfy his own pride, but it sure as hell was an awkward few seconds.  Too intimate for a couple of people who didn't know each other and never were likely to.

Finally she broke it off, having seen whatever she was looking for he supposed.  Creepy woman.

"I wouldn't think of it," he said.  He still didn't know what they were talking about.  All he knew was that death was all around them, all the time.  "But Cancer was here long before me.  It'll be here long after.  If this coming, as yet unrevealed catastrophe is so dire, why don't you tell me what it is and where it's coming from?"

[Anonymous]

"Donno what yet. Sometin made by man. It ain't natural wuts comin." Akachi would find out to satisfy her own curiosity, but she couldn't tell Chapel. That would break the rules. But she would bend them a little, she needed too. She had seen that.

"Gonna come in da last hanger. Beware red boy. It not a lucky color for ya. It gonna come and blood will run. And you gonna regret not listen to me." Akachi held out her hand, palm up, "You wanna know more, you gotta pay. And boy, you wants ta know more."

[Tally]

Chapel nodded along.  It was mostly just the usual vague stuff, things that anyone could guess at and say, until that last part.  The last hangar?  That was...very specific.  And, well...what harm in preparing himself and Cancer discretely?  He wouldn't be telling his lieutenants he was taking his cues from a fortune teller, intel was intel, and so long as it was valid he didn't care where it came from.

"Last hangar," he mused, still caught on that part.  She may mean Blue Six, as no hangars in the Red District had numbers or hierarchical designations to speak of.

"All right," he said.  "You've got me there.  I do want to know more.  Pay what?"

[Anonymous]

Akachi gave him a slow smile, chuckling softly, "Depends on wat cha willin' ta pay. Aye makes a fair bargain, dat for sure. But ya get wats ya pay for, no more, no less."

Holding out a hand, Akachi watched Chapel, "Ya can pay money, favors or somethin...more." She tilted her head, looking deep inside Chapel, studying what was worth something to him.

[Tally]

"Money I've got.  It don't mean much."  He thought he was getting it now.  "How much would you want?"

She was looking at him like she was studying him.  He didn't mind.  She could stare all she wanted, see whatever it was she was hoping to see.  "And what uh...favors would you be looking for?"

[Anonymous]

"Money don't mean much. It ain't real useful except ta dem dat worship it." Akachi disliked money, but on occasion, it was important to have. But he had much better things to offer her, "Oh, just tings I might need ta ask. Don' worry. I ain't given ya much, so I ain't gonna ask fer much."

She slid a hand along his arm, smiling, "Or I can take some o' dat strength of yers."

[Tally]

"I'd rather just give you answers," he said, eyeing her hand the same way he would a snake.  Naive he was not, but neither was he obtuse.  He'd had his share of encounters with spookers and the like.  They could ruin your day surer than anyone else.

He didn't like the sound of that last sentence.  It smacked of permanence, of weight on him.

[Anonymous]

"Mmmm. Okay. Ask yer questions den." Akachi smiled, one finger absently stroking the top of a card.