backyardbbq | Shop Visits! (Open post!)

Shop Visits! (Open post!)

[Maybe you stumbled upon the front gate to a strange house while walking in your neighborhood. Maybe you found it nestled between skyscrapers in a downtown area. Or maybe you didn't stumble across it at all, and instead fell into the backyard or something. The way you got there matters little. What really counts is that you're there for one reason: a wish.

A want. A desire. Something you can't get on your own. Something you want so badly that you would do anything to get it.

Well, you've come to the right place.

There's plenty to see in the house. The foyer is nice, and the kitchen is well-stocked. There's several other rooms as well: a sitting room, a dining room, a couple bedrooms for the people who wander upstairs to look, and a rather luxurious bathroom too. Several rooms open to the outside as well, so it's easy to come inside by many different paths.

But ultimately, you will end up face-to-face with a screen that opens into a room with a table and two chairs which overlooks the backyard.

And in that room, you will find the shopkeeper.]

[What happens now? Well, that's up to you, isn't it?]

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[He's much older than Shura, that's for sure. Appearances can be deceiving sometimes, especially when magic is involved.]

Of course not. If you were a dog, the cat wouldn't like you very much.

[He's chuckling there too. Shura's a funny person, he likes her already.

He's stepping over to where Shura and the cat are though, bringing the sake and dishes with him. He doesn't bother to slip on shoes as he steps out onto the grass either, walking entirely barefoot while wearing just his kimono. Then he will sit seiza-style by Shura and begin pouring the drinks, leaving the saucer out for the cat.

Who immediately goes over to drink from it. And yes, somehow the ghost is drinking up the sake. Imagine that.]

[HE DID NOT

Shura paues in her work to fix a stare a stare on him, glaring as he crosses the yard. Little punk. Even if she knew his true age, she'd still be calling him that. But there is sake, and damn that cat is chugging it down as he pours it for her. Maybe they would have gotten along in another life?

She sets the last chunk of wood, glancing over to the cat and shakes her head.]

Wouldna' put you for a lush. Lookit you.

Didn't you know? Cats can be quite the drinkers.

[With the wood stacked, Watanuki passes Shura a cup. Then he'll hold up the bottle of sake, indicating that he will pour for her.]

That might be why she was coming here. I have an impressive stockpile of booze.

Edited 2018-04-18 01:26 (UTC)

Ahh, I don't have much experience with 'em, no.

[Nagas, on the other hand... Well, that was a different story. But thinking about it, wasn't that how Shiro tamed Kuro? She'd have to ask Four-eyes later.

Finished with her work, Shura moves to kneel down beside the weird guy and the lush cat and sit in a mostly-respectful way, folding her legs under her. She has the feeling that if she doesn't follow the rules, she's not going to get her sake. She'll take the cup and cradle it in both hands as she holds it out for him to pour for her.]

But you have a stockpile? Nyaa~, I'm impressed. [Could he legally have a stockpie of sake who provided this to him...]

[It's more 'inherited' than 'stockpiled', but details.

He will go ahead and pour her a cup of it. It's the Good Shit too, she'll be able to tell that by the taste.]

There's a few that come around here sometimes. They keep coming back for food and drink. They're good to have around though, cats keep the mice away.

[Not this ghost cat though, this cat is just drinking and then lounging about on the grass while the two humans drink up.

Once Watanuki is done pouring Shura's cup, he will pour out some for himself as well.]

I suppose we should be thanking her for leading you here, though. You're nearly three months late.

[Inherit would make more sense to Shura. Grandpa the boozer left his good sake to his favorite grandkid. That was more reasonable than this guy buying all of it with his face.

But man, this is the Good Shit. Shura has to stop herself from automatically taking a second drink. Good Stuff is hardly her thing, but she knows not to waste it by chugging the whole cup at once.]

I guess that makes sense.

[Keeping the mice away, something Shura hardly had any reason to really consider before. If a place had mice, she'd just leave and move on. That was just her way of life as an adult.

She's raising the cup for a another drink when suddenly the guy mentions being nearly three months late. Shura stills, just for a moment, then smiles. It's not a particularly sweet or nice smile. It's purely strategic, better than snarling at a stranger whose temper she didn't know.]

Three months late~? Haha, that's a new record. You been talkin' to Four-eyes or somethin'? I ain't usually that late for anythin', even borin' meetings.

[She will not take that next drink, not when she has no idea who she's drinking with.]

No, he's even worse than you about keeping his appointments with me. I have been waiting for him since the beginning of summer. I suppose I can't blame him entirely though, a certain clown-faced adversary has been keeping him busy.

[Gossip and sake, the best combination.]

Hopefully he will make it here before he speaks to the light-bearer again. He faces quite a bit of misfortune if he goes down that path.

[sip sip siiiiip]

We can talk your business once we are done here, though. Your problem is much more interesting than his.

[Her grip on her cup tightens as does that smile of hers. The hell was this guy? She has an initial panic for herself, but since he seems to know something about Yukio (And... shit, he wasn't talking about Lucifer, was he? How was that guy involved?), it;s becoming something full blown. Getting into trouble herself was one thing, but if it involved Yukio or Rin...]

Y'know, I think the only business we have is takin' care of this cat~. I'm not staying for anythin' after that!

[He never confirmed or denied whether or not he was a medium when she asked. She shouldn't have assumed he was just sensitive to spirits.]

['Medium' isn't quite the correct title for what he is, though it's somewhat close to the truth. Close enough that he can't give a yes or no answer without an explanation, which is why he skipped it.

Plus, funeral duties to cats.]

If you want to leave after that, it is your choice. But you did me a favor, so I will have to give payment before you leave.

[Cleansing the demon hiding in that cat, he means. He still owes for that.]

But you were led to my shop for a reason. Nobody ever comes here on accident. You might want to consider why you were drawn to a wish shop in the first place.

I did that on my own, so don't worry about it.

[SHE'S AN EXORCIST, she's paid to do this. So fine, maybe she was off duty and all, but that's not the point.]

Honestly, I don't got any idea about what you're talkin' about, and I ain't interested in any kind of contract right now, so let's just get this over with.

[What kind of wishses did she have, anyway? Nothing that a demon could give her. At least, nothing that she'd be willing to pay the price.]

I don't do contracts.

[He says that flatly. He's a perfectly normal human, thank you very much.

But since she insisted, they can move on with the funeral. Before long the pyre is going, and Watanuki is murmuring a Buddhist prayer as the fire goes. The cat's spirit lingers for a while, listening to the prayer, before finally giving one last meow and fading away.]

There. It should be at peace now.

And I ain't gonna give you whatever it is you want from me.

[She doesn't trust him. He's not giving her enough information to believe anything else, and demons lie anyway.

She can sit politely through the ceremony; it's not her first, and it's probably not her last. But it won't stop her mind from racing. What was this guy, and what did he want from her, from Yukio? He hadn't said any names, but he said enough. But maybe he was messing with her, like those fake psychics who air ads on television late at night. But once the cat's spirit fades away, Shura is rising to her feet, setting the cup of sake down. The cup remains mostly full, and it's only a little pity that she has to leave it behind.]

If you'll excuse me.

Kimihiro.

[He says that suddenly, as she is getting up to leave.]

That is my name. Watanuki Kimihiro. To answer your question from earlier.

[The 'are you a medium' question. Because 'kimihiro' means 'prophet', which is totally an answer to her question there. In his own, obscure way.]

If you change your mind, you will be able to find me here. All people with strong wishes end up here eventually anyway.

[It's enough to stop her from turning on her heel and leaving immediately. Kimihiro. She gets the meaning and fixes a hard stare on him. What, was he trying to earn her trust or something? It's a bit late on that.]

I don't trust guys like you. [Mortal or not. She dislikes anyone who can throw out bits of information, personal details that a decent person shouldn't know.]

And I'm gonna make my own future, so you don't gotta worry about me and my wishes, okay?

Of course, if that is what you want.

[Not everyone who comes to his shop ends up having a wish granted, after all. Though to be fair, most of the people who visit for non-business reasons are friends, not someone like Shura.

It's a little disappointing, though. He does ultimately want to help her. Maybe she will return another time.]

I should ask that you do not mention my name around the clown or the light-bearer, though. Both of them are looking for me, and it would be quite unfortunate if either of them made it here. I'd rather not be made into a tool for either side of your world's war.

Yeah, yeah, whatever.

[a pause]

My world? Hey, even if you're from Gehenna, it's still your deal, too.

[There was, of course, the possibility that there was something more to this. She's seen enough crap that she wouldn't have believed or considered before this, so she knows to keep a somewhat open mind. But only a little open.]

This is neither Assiah nor Gehenna.

[And he just. Points upwards.

When did it become night time? That is a good question. But more importantly, none of the constellations will look familiar to Shura.]

I am called a lot of things- prophet, shopkeeper, wish-granter, witch of dimensions, 'witch' in general sometimes too- but ultimately I am human. I wouldn't do well in Gehenna, it's not a place meant for humans.

Edited 2018-04-18 04:19 (UTC)

['This is neither Assiah nor Gehenna' her foot. She's opening her mouth to give a sharp retort, but he's pointing up. She almost doesn't follow his motion, partially out of spite, but also because she still just doesn't trust him not to trick her. But it's enough to lift her gaze to the horizon, now dark, and she follows the sky up to see a sea of unfamiliar stars.

Shit. Her hand flies to her hip, but her side is bare. Apparently, civilians didn't like it when you came to a date armed. Left a bad impression or something. But damn, she wanted Fang, even if only for comfort.]

I don't care what they call you. What have you taken me?

[Snarling at someone who may sincerely just want to help isn't polite, but Shura doubts that this is harmless. She doesn't recognize any of these titles, they're all meaningless to her. Just who was calling him this, and why did they matter? Human? Fine. Human with what kind of backing? No one had powers from just out of nowhere. They learned them, somewhere, somehow.]

[Sometimes they're born with it too. Sometimes the descendant of one of the most powerful magicians alive falls in love with a magical girl and they have a son who can see the future and grant wishes. That's definitely a thing that happens sometimes.

But no Shura is right, a lot of his power is from skills he has picked up in the last 100 years. His bloodline did help, but blood means nothing without talent and a drive to use that power.]

I haven't taken you anywhere. You came here on your own. You're free to leave at any time, by the way.

[She definitely is. Outside of the gate she'll be able to see the very street she was on before she entered the shop.]

I don't make a habit of kidnapping people and dragging them places against their will. It brings bad karma. But this shop exists outside of your world for a reason, and that reason is 'some of the people in your world are absolute assholes that I would rather not ever speak to.'

[Oh look, he can swear. Totally ruins the 'calm, knowledgeable magician' appearance, right?]

[those magicians and magical girls, making weird kids

He could be telling her the truth. He could be lying. Shura doesn't think she has much of a way to fight him on his turf while unarmed. She'd have to try the gate and hope for the best.]

Is that so?

[What, was this guy obsessed with karma or something? But really, if this was true, he was right. Mephisto and Lucifer were giant assholes who didn't need to know about this place. Shura smirks, drops her the defensive stance she's found herself moving towards.]

Fine. I ain't gonna say anything about this if you're tellin' the truth. [She raises her hand, pointing at him.]

But if I ever find out that you're playin' with one of them--[The twins, she means. She figures he should know if he really is all that he says he is.]--I will come back.

[It doesn't matter how strong he is. Shura will take care of her business.]

[he doesn't know everything, but he knows enough about those two. Mainly because one of his previous visitors- and one of the few repeat visitors, actually- talked way too much about them. Plus those two are kind of important in Shura's world, and he's gotten a few visions about them already.

But Watanuki remains steadfast in the face of Shura's threat. If he is intimidated at all, he doesn't show it. Instead, he rises to his feet and dusts off the front of his kimono.]

I'm not interested in 'playing with' either of them. The older one is too noisy, and the younger one is going to shoot me the first time we meet.

[Not fatally, probably, given Watanuki's nonchalant way of talking about it.]

Bring a precious metal with you should you choose to return, though. About 20 grams should be enough. I'll need it then.

[If nothing else, he's at least not cowering or trying to appeal to her to try and win some good favor from her. Nothing worse than a simpering fool. Coolness tended to impress Shura, though the show is coming a little late.]

I'll believe it when I see it.

[It's not reassuring, but at least he said it, and he gave an honest, if a little creepy, appraisal of the twins. It doesn't fix her bad impression, but it does help just a little.]

Twety grams... I ain't comin' back, so I don't think you gotta tell me that kind of thing.

[She figures it's for a spell or something. But seriously, she's not going to bother to remember that.]

[It absolutely is for a spell, and to lessen the price he has to ask for whenever Shura goes about making her wish. Because he's pretty sure Shura wouldn't accept a wish at full price, so getting some of it paid off ahead of time seems like a good idea.]

If you say so.

[After a pause, he adds:]

I did forsee your arrival, but that was only one of many possible futures. If you truly do not wish to return, you won't. If you choose to return, then you will. But either way, it will be of your choosing. The futures I see are not set in stone. Anything can be changed.

[A few words to be reassuring, perhaps. Shura did seem bothered by how much Watanuki knew. Maybe he should explain that as well? Except knowledge comes with a cost as well, and hearing who told him some of the stuff he knows probably will upset her.]

[It's really hard to not want to throw something at his face when he says that. No, she does not plan on coming back here, thank you?? He nose wrinkles, though she does stay long enough to listen to his explanation. One of many possible futures? Yeah, he's starting to sound like one of those television physics. Maybe telling her more might clarify, but it was just as likely to anger her even more than she already was.]

I get it, I get it, whatever.

[She doesn't know what brought her here if it really was her decision, but she ddn't like it. But she's had plenty enough and turns on her heel to make her way to the gate. The sooner she was out of there, the better.]

[She can walk out just fine, and she's back where she had been before, though missing a few hours worth of time. Probably long enough for people to start calling her and asking where she had gone, actually. But just as Watanuki had said, she is able to go back to her world without any trouble at all.

But whatever wish she had, it must still be in her mind, because the shop is still there. Whenever she walks by that area of town, she will be able to see the shop, as if it belongs there. And interestingly enough, some other people see it too, but those who do see it are few and far between. Most people walk by it as if it isn't there.

If she ever walks by there with Yukio, she may notice him looking at the shop for a moment before quickly looking away too. Because he can definitely see it.

And the shop just waits there, taunting her. Because it won't go away so long as she has that wish on her mind.]

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