Smoke and Mirrors [Rina!]

[Tally]

Aydan paused, his attention snagged by a romance novel with the most ridiculous, absurd cover he had ever seen.  A woman in a gauzy white dress reclined beneath an alien tree on some far off planet, the landscape a kaleidoscope of purples and yellows. Above her loomed a heavily muscled red alien man that looked vaguely demon like, horns protruding from his head and tail curling about his legs.

This looks promising.

Aydan snagged the book and moved to sit down in the coffee shop.  It was a little past noon, and he had a good two hours of free time to kill.  A rare thing, for him to have any spare moments with which to relax.  He was always running somewhere, so he meant to enjoy himself and partake of this truly awful book.

[Anonymous]

After her...illuminating conversation with Roman the other day, Akachi had been searching for the man. The father. He had some trick with mirrors, some way to move through them, but it was a magic Akachi didn't know, didn't understand.

And it had been a long, long time since something like this had happened. She was always hungry for a chance to learn. Moving through the bookstore, Akachi was amused by the stares she got. Silly little mortals and their silly little ways.

Thick hips swaying enough to make the bones hanging from her belt jingle. There he was. Mmmm pretty boy. Too bad he was so pale. She missed her Chapel. That man was built just riiight. Coming up behind Aydan just before he reached his table, Akachi ran her delicate hand down along his ass, "mmm dat a good 'un. Gotta keep in shape boy. Oh yes."

Take her seat, she watched him, her odd eyes taking him in, "Ya, yer da one ya are. Got the mirrors in ya. Now, gets me a coffee pretty boy 'an we can talk 'bout dat pretty powa ya gots."

[Tally]

Aydan paused, his hand poised upon the back of the chair he'd just pulled out.  He smiled to himself before turning around.  The woman he saw there made him smile all the wider.  He did appreciate surprises.

He leaned forward and down until he was cheek to cheek with her and inhaled deeply, smelling her hair, her skin.  "If you like that, you should let me show you what else I have to offer," he said into her ear.

It was so rare that anyone managed to shock him.  He figured he'd seen just about all there was to see in this world.  But she'd hooked him, and she knew it.  She had information she really shouldn't.

"Yes ma'am," he said, smiling, anticipatory.  He returned with a coffee, black, and iced tea with lemon for himself.

"Madam."  He offered her drink to her before sitting down.

[Anonymous]

"Ah! Yer a real nice gentleman ain't cha." Akachi smiled that dark smile of hers, taking a sip of the coffee, her eyes never leaving Aydan. Such an intriguing puzzle he was. His little game with mirrors and all his fingers in his little pots.

She couldn't quite figure out why yet, there were so many variables, her little bird and his golden cat one of them. Things that made the future too hazy to see clearly, "Yous playin' an interestin' game. Ridin' me little bird like dat. I ain't never seen no magic like dat before. How you do it?"

[Tally]

"I'm etiquette incarnate," he said.  So it was.  It suited him.  He detested emotional outbursts and the lack of control they implied. This one might know something of that, if his judgment of her was sound.  Who knew?  She had already surprised him twice.

Aydan took his seat, and considered her question in silence, taking the opportunity to study her. Once she left, he'd have to see about finding her mirror.  Wouldn't that be entertainment.

"How do you do yours?" he countered.

[Anonymous]

Akachi clicked her tongue, expression amused, "Depends on what type ya wantin' ta know 'bout." He had his face, her little bird. Bit of his mother, but there was much of this man in him. More than her little bird knew.

"Dangerous, mirrors. Dark juju comes from mirrors. Yous best be careful." Her barefoot moved under the table, stroking the back of Aydan's calf, "There are dark tings in mirrors, careful dat you don't get ate up, pretty spider like you."

[Tally]

"There are mirrors," he said, "and then there is the Mirror."

He'd given her a morsel, now it was her turn.  He was desperately curious. So few knew of his talents. Only the two. Three if you counted Sade, which he didn't, and neither of the others would dare say anything. If they had, if this was their doing, he would take the necessary action.

"But you seem to know so much about me. How did that come to be?"

[Anonymous]

"I looked." Chuckling, Akachi watched him as she sipped her coffee. Such an interesting little spider, full of webs and tricks. This would be fun to watch play out, "Dere is much to be seen if ya know how ta see it. And I saw muh little bird. Dat is a tangled web ya spin there."

She was curious as well. What a strange man and such strange fates. Which was would the Fates take them?

"Tell me more 'bout dis Mirror."

[Tally]

"A sound piece of wisdom.  One I live by myself."  He saw who people where when they were sure no one else was looking.  He saw them when they were alone with themselves and oh how he relished the privilege. She was right.  All you had to do was look, and be willing to see, and even the strangest of sights might reveal its secrets.

"Tell me more about this little bird."  He had...suspicions. But no certainties.  And she liked to talk in circles.  He was much more direct. The fewer threads he kept out there, the less chance of it all unraveling.

He swirled his glass, watching her.  He wanted to get a name out of her before she left.  A name, an origin, something.  A woman like this would not make herself easy to track down, but he thought he might like to talk more with her. He'd be a fool not to recognize the rarity of this encounter.

[Anonymous]

Akachi laughed, rich and deep, "Why? Ya already know. Playin' coy wit me." It was nice talking to someone who understood. So many people were blind, didn't want to see what was right in front of them. Needed flashy tricks in order to believe the real magic.

"Ya slide inside mah little bird. But ju gots ta be careful. Sometimes der be dark tings waitin' for dat."

[Tally]

"Hm.  I suppose I do."  He liked this one.  She wasn't letting him off easy.  Knew what he wanted and wasn't giving it to him.

"Are you referring to yourself," he said, "or to something even more dangerous?"

[Anonymous]

"Both." Akachi smiled again, "Though I ain't gonna stop ya. More fun ta watch and dat ain't my place. Ummmhmm."

She hadn't expected this to be so much fun. He was pretty as sin and clever. And knew how to behave.

"There be dark 'tings in da places between places. And mirrors are a dangerous tool. Can trap ya good dey can."

[Tally]

"How kind of you," he muttered, swirling the tea in his glass.  He would, as a matter of courtesy, not make an attempt to spy on her when their meeting was done.  She had her arena, and he had his, though he hoped this would not be the last time they met.

"Some of us are already trapped," he added.  Truly, he couldn't be more caught then he was already.  Nor could Roman, or Temple for that matter.

[Anonymous]

"Aye, dat be a tangled wed ya have woken around ya and muh little birds." Akachi chuckled, eyes on Aydan, "Yer such a pretty one, passed it on real good."

Reaching under the table, she patted his thigh, "Ya best be careful pretty one." She paused, reaching into the bodice of her shirt and pulling out a charm on a necklace. It was the fingerbone of an infant, carefully carved with runes and signs and soaked in blood. It gave it a brownish red tint to the yellowed bone, shiny with age.

"Dis will help protect ya." She tugged it off, dreadlocks swaying as the leather cord went over her head and she held it out to Aydan.

[Tally]

"Undeniably," he said.  He didn't specify the affirmation to either of her statements.

The touch made him smile, then he leaned forward to get a look at the charm she pulled out.  A little bone, how very iconic.  Traditional you might call it.  He could appreciate that.  He took it with the respect it deserved.

"A gift?  Or a barter?"

[Anonymous]

Akachi laughed, so glad he understood. So few people understood how things worked, they were rude and clueless. But not this one. Too bad her little bird didn't get it, "Just cause ya asked me dat, it be a gift."

[Tally]

"Thank you."  He slipped it on, then tucked the charm beneath his shirt.  He might have Zachary take a look at it later, see what there was to be seen.  His hand found hers, and he stroked his fingers along her skin.  "Generous as you are beautiful."

[Anonymous]

Akachi made a pleased noise at the touch on her hand, liking the way it felt. She liked this man, liked him manners and his respect. He knew just how to treat a lady. She smiled again, reaching her other hand up to touch the charm through his shirt, "I tink ya deserve a reward, fer bein' so polite. Ain't many people understand da arts. Be a shame ta have yer pretty face torn apart."

[Tally]

"I absolutely agree," he said.  "On both counts."

And here he'd thought the charm itself all he might get out of this meeting, aside from a whole lot of questions that needed answering.

[Anonymous]

Akachi settled back, sipping her drink and watching him, "What cha want? And tink lots 'for ya ask. I wont give it if it ain't worth the price."