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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['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.]

[After the first time, Shura will take care not to walk nearby. Especially not with Yukio in tow. She will make every excuse she can to avoid coming down with him, no matter how much it annoys him. Prophet or not, Shura doesn't trust Yukio around anyone who so casually acknowledges that he's going to shoot them. He... well, Shura was Concerned about him after what she saw in Aomori.

But as life has it, she has another date in the area a couple weeks later. It doesn't go well, and this time, Shura knows it isn't her damn fault. Creep going on about her age and her tits... She drinks mostly to tone his voice out and leaves without telling him. Too complicated. It'd probably be a black mark on her record, but whatever. If that matchmaking company let him loose on women, then she didn't want to deal with them again.

The walk back wouldn't be so back wouldn't be so bad, but it's raining. It's cold and dark and wet, and fine, Shura's a little miserable. So when she passes by those gates again--fine. Just until the storm passed.

She'll walk in without any courtesy, dripping on the floor and loudly announcing herself.]

Oi, oiii, Prophet, get down here.

[Get down here and give her a towel!!]

[She's only here to vent out her frustration and seek shelter. She's forgotten the brooch she used to pin her scarf. It isn't something she thinks is valuable, a little trinket she picked up at some market somewhere or other, but it is cute.]

I'm coming, hold your horses!

[... well that's significantly grouchier than Watanuki was before.

When he comes down the stairs, he's wearing a loose kimono that's a bit too long for him and drags on the stairs behind him. Maybe he was asleep? Or relaxing, at least.

He does not have a towel with him, though. Clearly he did not forsee this meeting.]

What happened to you?

[Heh, how does it feel to be caught off guard like this, huh? Shura is taking too much petty enjoyment from seeing him in a bit of a fluster. She leers at him, looking absolutely unapologetic for her intrusion.]

Nyahaha, you gotta glass of water?

[ This is her wish, so get her something to drink! Or something, something to dry off before she makes a huge mess on the floor. If he wants to know what actually happened, he'll have to bring the good stuff out, even if she can't appreciate it as much with her current state.

If that's what you dragged me out of bed for, then you better have a good story.

[But Watanuki is a courteous host, even when he is so rudely interrupted from his nap/sleep/whatever he was up to, so he will head off to the kitchen. He expects Shura to follow him though, even if she's wet right now. In fact:]

Maru, Moro, bring some towels.

[The sound of two pairs of feet can he heard scampering around upstairs once Watanuki calls out that order.]

Mm~? You look awfully uncool like that, haha!

[Oh yes, this is really quite fun. Maybe it'd make up for what happened before.

And of course, she'll follow, raising her arms up and clasping her hands behind her head. She leaves a damp trail, and she vaguely wonders who he's calling to. Familiars? Probably. She's not entirely convinced of just what he is yet, but it wouldn't be unusual for a demon or spirit to have lesser familiars]

['Familiars' isn't technically incorrect, but it's a bit complicated.

For now, Watanuki enters the kitchen and gets her the glass of water she had asked for. Right from the sink too, and with no ice.

There's a few bottles of various kinds of liquor on a rack against one wall, but Shura's not getting any of that for the time being. Annoying guests have to earn their booze.]

Here.

[One glass of water, as requested.]

[w o w rude, but whatever. He gave her what she asked for, and so she can't complain too much when she accepts the glass and takes a drink. She won't even give the liquor a second glance. She's had plenty enough already, after all.]

Ufufu, you really can grant wishes, cantcha~?

[Was he warned previously about her obnoxiousness? Someone probably should have mentioned that.]

[He wasn't, but he really should have been.]

Of course I can. It's my job, after all. Anything worth doing for a living is worth doing well.

[Right about then is when a pair of girls run in, each carrying a couple towels.]

"Towels for Watanuki's customer~"

"Towels for Watanuki's customer~"

[They both say it in a singsong voice as they drop the towels at Shura's feet. Watanuki, however, just sighs. This is a headache, but an expected one.]

[Poor Watanuki. It's only going to get worse.]

Oh! [Shura is definitely not expecting a pair of cute and lively girls to pop out. Just what was this guy...]

Ahhh~, I didn't think you'd be a playboy! Lookit them, you should take a lesson on customer service from them!

[Not that Shura came here as a customer. If she was more honest, she could admit that she wanted a place out of the rain to lick her wounds, but that's a bit much for her to admit to anyone other than herself. But towels are nice, and she sort of grope her way down to grab one of the towels, sloshing the water in her glass enough to spill some of the contents to the floor.] Oops~~

"Watanuki's a-"

Don't even think about it.

[The two girls just go 'awww' and visibly wilt as Watanuki shuts down their chanting.

He also watches as the water spills on the ground, and his eyebrow twitches a little, but he says nothing. Instead, he makes a 'come here' gesture to a nearby mop, and it flies over to land comfortably in his hands. Then he starts mopping up the water.]

You still owe me a story, you know. One explanation for one glass of water, that is the price.

[Oh ho, so he was that kind of guy indeed, giving gifts without warning of the price that might be attached. Well, it wasn't like Shura hadn't suspected that before. She takes the towell to her hair with her free hand, idly rubbing it at her wet hair.]

So mean! It ain't like they'd be lyin'!

[She's just going to test her boundaries a little more, not answering his demand. And even then, she's considering just how little she can get away with saying. Heh, maybe if she annoyed him enough he'd snap that mop of his in half?]

No, but they don't need encouraging.

[He will go ahead and shoo them off, since they're being a distraction. He has time to gather payment for that wish before the payment is extracted from him, but he would still rather collect it early. Especially since Shura seems to be a pain in the butt about it.]

They have their own work to do anyway. Don't distract them.

[So he was admitting that he was a playboy? Goodness!]

You're the one who called 'em down~

[Which obviously justifies her encouraging their mischief. Of course it does. Shura's a giant been in the tush, and she's going to make sure he knows it so he can move on from whatever little plans he had for her. She drinks the water casually, continuing to not tell him anything at all about what brought her here.]

Because part of their work is bringing me things I need.

[God, she's insufferable. She has to be doing it on purpose, he decides.

So he's going to push right back at her, and starts to slip back into that tone he used the first time they met. The slightly smug, aware of everything voice. The one he uses when he does business.]

Did the date go so badly that you decided to just come here and take it out on me?

[Shura says nothing in reply to that. She just chokes on the long drink of water she was taking, having meant to down half of the glass like that. It means there's water going down the wrong pipe, and she sputters, too agitated to form a better response than that. Jerk.]

[Bingo.

And to prove it's not his future-seeing powers that did that:]

A twenty-something woman dressed up nicely, but seeking shelter from the rain in a wish shop instead of with her beau? It's not hard to guess what happened.

[Shura wipes her mouth with the towel, scowling at Watanuki as she hacks up the last drops of water. It'll take her a moment to form a reply, but she snaps it out.]

You're a swindler, ain'tcha? Pullin' somethin' like this...

[A supernatural con man. Well, that was most demons out there, so she shouldn't be surprised. She was just about convinced that he wasn't the average demon, but she can return to her original assumption.]

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