Do you dare?

[Anonymous]

It had been a while since she was in Haviah. She liked this city, liked the feel of it. So much buisness to be had here, so many dark souls here, so much balancing to be done. Made things so interesting.

Moving through the crowds, Akachi never had to worry about being jostled or pick pocketed. She had an aura about her that few people would dare to mess with. Balancing her bag over her shoulder, an odd pale leather one she had made herself, Akachi enjoyed the sights of the city.

She would eventually head over to the little shop she rented the back room out of when she was in town. There was something in the air today, she would have an interesting meeting. The city knew too, she could feel it through her feet.

A little baby bird, all grown up. That was what it was. She wasn't totally sure what that meant exactly, but it was enough of a warning she knew what to expect. Hmmmhmmmhmmm. Interesting.

Whistling along, Akachi changed her course. Sight seeing could wait, it was time for her to go to the shop. He would be along. Mmm. Yes. It was a he, that she knew. Fate would lead him to her and she would see what the future held for him.

The shop was a small, sweet little place, sold candles and incense and other sundries. It hadn't always been such, but Akachi had been going there for years and years and wasn't planning on changing. Not until it was time too.

She lifted a hand to the girl at the counter, heading into the back, not caring much about the girls startled expression. She came in and out as she pleased and most of the staff got used to it. She left the room filled with enough...accessorie s, Akachi just had to bring the real stuff with her. She gave a small laugh at that thought. In it's own way, all of it and none of it was real. Some just had more power than others, but in the end, all were just things.

Going to work, Akachi started to clearing up, getting the place settled. Her little bird would be here soon. She could feel it in her feet.

[Tally]

There was the shop, the same as it always was. He'd been coming here for years and the little place never seemed to change.  He tried to make it over at least once every few months, and if he couldn't he made sure to send someone or to order something.  Ever since making Pilot, he'd felt a weight of gratitude for the fortune teller who talked his mother into giving him his father's last name, and he expressed it by buying from the establishment and crediting the woman's account with anonymous sums.  Just seemed right, as she'd saved him from being known as Roman Martini.

He'd never met the woman herself, and didn't care to.  She was always gone when he stopped by.  That was about to change.  She was there now, and while he didn't have any desire to meet her he didn't have a reason to avoid her either. It wasn't like she would know him anyway.  At most she might recognize his face from the media.

Some girl tried to greet him inside, and he gave her a polite but dismissive response.  The back room was where this Akachi was, and that was where he headed.

[Anonymous]

Her bird had arrived. A wide grin covered her face as she touched the candle wick, a flame appearing. They were her own candles, homemade and an odd, creamy yellow color. Made of fat, a rarity among the modern wax candles. But Akachi never liked to waste things.

Taking a seat at the table, Akachi watched the door as Roman entered. She knew who he was the moment she saw him, though not from the media. Akachi never paid much attention to things like that, she had her own ways of finding things out.

"Aaah. I see now. You my little bird. Been long time, long long time. Even in her belly, you had a big, big soul. Gots tings in store for ya, yes." She gestured to the other chair in the room, "Sit ya. Talk to Akachi. I have some tea, fix ya up some right quick."

[Tally]

Heavy atmosphere, this place.  Like it was trying too hard.  The candles were a nice, cliche touch.  Very mystical.  A light bulb just wouldn't provide the same effect he supposed.

Oh, dear gods.  The woman was really in character, too.  Instead of sitting, Roman leaned against the back of a chair, just to be contrary.  Since the place was already getting on his nerves, he decided to ignore her reasonable right to privacy and dig around in her head a bit...

And found that he couldn't.  His thoughts slid along the surface of her mind and couldn't find purchase anywhere. Fuckin' A.  A reflectivist.

"Great, thanks," he said.

[Anonymous]

"Well, dat was rude." Akachi gave Roman a sharp, warning look, "Don't go pokin' round there pretty bird. Your wings will get plucked." Her little bird was very rude. Disappointing. She expected better than that from him.

"Just for 'dat, ya can make yer own tea." Akachi took her seat and again gestured to the other chair, "Ya come sit here and stop actin' so high and mighty. Ya can see past the fake, now keep lookin' little bird. Still so blind, don't even know what's in front of his face. And can't respect his elders. Shame on ya."

[Tally]

"Sorry," he said, not really meaning it.  He spread his hands.  "It's what we do."

Roman took a deep breath and reminded himself that he owed this woman quite a lot.  That, and obeying eccentric older women was ingrained in him.  His mother had always insisted he show proper respect to ladies.  For that, if for no other reason, he finally took a seat like she wanted.

"You going to read my fortune?"

[Anonymous]

"Why? Ya wants me to?" Akachi frowned as he sat, but didn't get the tea. Opal would get a talkin' to about how she brought this one up. No manners her little bird. She watched him, her yellow eyes following the strands of his fate out into the world. Watching the past, the present and the what could bes.

Her little bird had such interesting strands.

[Tally]

Roman shrugged.  This was her show really.  He'd just come by to have a look.  "Isn't that what you do?"

Fortunes, crystal gazing or some such.  Handing out some generic statements about the future that could apply to anybody.  Or maybe he was wrong.  Maybe this one had a bit of real magic in her.

[Anonymous]

"I do many tings my little bird." Akachi smiled again, that odd smile of hers, "But today, for you, I gonna tell ya a bit of wat gonna come. Now, how much ya want ta know?"

Akachi tapped one long, dark nail against the table top, "How much ya willin' ta pay?"

[Tally]

"You take credits?"  He hoped so, he had nothing else.  He didn't bother trying to answer that first question, either.  He had a feeling his answer didn't matter and that she was going to tell him exactly how much she wanted to.

[Anonymous]

"Sometimes, if what ya wanna know is worth credits. Some boys, see, dey just wanna know simple tings. Those are easy to pay. You wanna know other tings? Those more expensive. And you gotta lot of expensive questions deep in yer heart. But I don't tink ya gonna be askin' does taday."

[Tally]

"No ma'am, I don't think I am."  He gave her a knowing smile.  No offworlder fortune teller was going to get any remarkable secret question from him.  He was the same as anybody.  He held a few things close to heart that he would never willingly speak of, not to anyone.

"Credit is all I have on me, I'm afraid."

[Anonymous]

"Den ask wut cha wanna know." Akachi smirked, "Ask me somethin' good and I give ya a good deal." She didn't really care if people believed her, though it was a little annoying. But she wanted this one in her debt.

Her hand rested over his heart, "I ken answer wat ya want here. I ken tell ya good. Or I ken just tell ya wat tomorrow is gonna be."

[Tally]

"All right."  He wasn't buying, but his mother loved and trusted this woman religiously, and he wanted to play along.  "So.  What do I want?  In here?"

He tapped his heart.