ioduanlogs | Open ✦ Introducere

Entry tags:

Open ✦ Introducere

Characters: Klaus, The Fool, and You!
Date: The middle of October
Location: Aifaran and Die Rose Tulpe
Situation: Settling In
Warnings/Rating: None, updated if needed

1. Aifaran (open)
Yuuko had spent some time meandering around the city, taking in the sights and familiarizing herself with the streets. The weather seems better than her initial introduction of drenching rain, although she definitely needs new clothes to replace her borrowed, but dry, outfit.

After locating this city's version of a pawnbroker, she exchanges some of the jewelry she arrived wearing for hard currency, which she then converts into some proper clothing, a meal, and a few bottles to add to the (in her mind at least) lacking collection awaiting her at her new employment. She's in quite a good mood, in no small part due to sampling some of her purchases to make sure the drink in question matches what she expects.

She wanders back toward the cafe, humming under her breath, and stopping at a few street vendors here and there on her way.

2. Die Rose Tulpe (open)
When she arrives back at the shop, she does a liquor count and rearranges a few bottles for easier use, before settling in behind the counter and setting out some of her selection. She'd found a very pleasant rice wine which compares to high quality sake, a rich red wine similar to malbec, and her favourite find, a gingery liquor which reminds her of Becherovka.

She sets these out with a flourish, and surveys the counter. Since she's still absolutely delighted with her new "pet", she calls the Caladrius and sets it to watching the counter, appropriating a midsize potted plant for it to perch in.

Nearly the last thing she does is to set a mid-size stone near the door, facing outward, to which she has affixed a pair of googly eyes, bought from one of the street vendors. It looks for all intents and purposes like an over sized "pet rock"

Finally, she settles at a nearby table to relax, and lights her kiseru pipe, although opening the window courteously for those who might not want to suck in the smoke. She stretches out slowly and comfortably in the plush chair, and lazily props up her feet on a nearby chair.

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The Fool has been loathe to admit to himself that he has become beholden to a professional schedule of any sort, being far too free of a spirit for such things--and yet he has to admit that fetching new supplies or delivering the smaller of his commissions to patrons has become his afternoon occupation. There's something comforting in the mundanity of the work, given the state of flux gripping the rest of the city.

He lets himself back into the cafe, absently threading some long golden hair back behind his ear, and then pauses at the sight of the odd stone. It stares at him. He stares back. Huh.

"Klaus?" he calls out mildly, then crouches down to consider the new addition to the shop with interest. It seems he hasn't quite noticed Yuuko yet.

A languid voice may interrupt his perusal of the stone, which is sitting there continuing to be rather stone-like, albeit with a certain googlyness to it. "That is Jagaimo."

He sees, should he look, a tall, slim woman with extremely long black hair draped around her relaxing on one of the stuffed chairs. She is wreathed in smoke from her long pipe, most of it drifting out of the open window next to her as she exhales, looking him over as curiously as he is the rock.

She taps her pipe lightly against the ashtray she's procured, and tamps some more tobacco of some variety into the tiny bowl with her thumb, watching him side-long from the corner of her eyes.

Lighting the pipe again, she smiles suddenly, brilliantly. "Isn't it adorable?"

Edited 2018-10-20 00:35 (UTC)

"That is Jagaimo. Isn't it adorable?"

The Fool looks up from his inquisitive examination of the rock to blink at Yuuko, taking in her rather regal disposition upon the chair she has undoubtedly claimed for herself. When she smiles, he does too, albeit a smile of some mild bemusement. He straightens up in a fluid motion and makes an artless gesture with one hand.

"I daresay it leaves a memorable impression," he replies lightly, eyes shifting between the cigarette and her face. He peers at her consideringly. "Are you new to Aifaran? I do not believe I've seen you here at the cafe before."

She considers him right back, observing his graceful demeanor, feeling a certain.. something.. maybe a power, or a talent around him. She thinks this is the man Klaus had mentioned, the other person who lives here.

Her head inclines, and she answers with a slightly amused tone of voice. "I am. I was found in the rain like a lost kitten, I confess."
She glances at him again, and then inquires "Are you the gentleman the owner of this cafe mentioned? The one who lives here as well?

She had a secondary bottle of that nice Becherovka for just herself, so she pours a companionable amount into a glass for him, setting it on the other side of the little table at which she is seated.

Yato's running one of his errands, picking up deliveries for a few of his clients. Despite his recent disappearance courtesy of the Dreaming, he was quick to pick up the majority of his jobs he'd managed before the two-month unwilling sojourn. Most people were used to the idiosyncracies of Dreamfolk apt to disappear at any time, after all.

Noting a well-dressed woman ahead of him, he moves to step out of her way, but there's a strange feeling that sweeps over him as he gets near.

Yuuko moves her bag of bottled liquors to her other arm, away from jostling range, giving him a glance and a nod, then looks at him more closely, he eyebrows raising. She's a tall woman, so she is looking down somewhat, and her eyes spark with curiosity.

"Interesting. May I ask what you're called?" Her phrasing seems a little deliberate, rather than asking for his name. She continues to scrutinize him without reservation, looking him over carefully, almost like she's looking at the air around him as much as himself.

Whatever the strange sense was, it doesn't last long, and Yato isn't sure what prompted it. The tall woman's question is surprising more that she's asking who he is without any prompting - maybe she simply recognizes him? Though she's striking enough that Yato thinks he'd remember if he'd seen her around the Dreaming Bridge or anywhere else.

"Yato," he replied. "Can I... help you?"

At that, she chuckles softly "What help do you think I need? What would be my payment for that help?" She drifts a step or two closer, inhaling when she's nearby, and nods to herself slightly.

"Ilda mentioned you to me, Yato. I think it's a pleasure to meet you. You are the first god I've seen in this place." She looks at him again, searchingly.. Yes, a god, but the signs are so dim, a small god, a displaced god, but a god, nonetheless.

"Why don't we have a drink and discuss it? Your help, that is." She gives him a sudden, cat-like smile, and glances into her bag. "I want to sample all of these, and drinking is better with company."

Oh, Yato thinks, suddenly feeling a bit relieved - and then wondering why. So this woman knows about him through Ilda? That makes more sense. (He's not sure what to make of the 'I think it's a pleasure to meet you'.)

"Yeah, there doesn't seem to be many, even among the Dreamfolk."

Yuuko's offer does get a grin though; he hasn't had a drink in a while. "Sure, I'd like that. So you're new here?"

She gives him a slightly wry smile in return for the question, then answers "Yes, I am. May I ask, how long have you been here? I am curious."
She privately is frustrated by how stymied her forays elsewhere have been. The wretched barrier seems to be a fundamental force.

There was a small park not too far from where they were chatting, and that is the way she steers them to take, selecting a set of cups for her personal collection on the way. She has little issue with small casual spending as her jewelry had fetched a nice price, along with whatever salary she may negotiate with her new employer.

Once settled at a bench near a large tree where it is pleasantly dappled with shade, she pours out two cups of the grain wine she'd selected for being very close to a fine sake. One cup is handed to him with a pleasant nod.

"Kampai!" She drains hers with a quick toss backward, then refills both their cups. Whatever else she may be, Yuuko is certainly a generous drinking partner.

With no school here to waste his time (he had learned that first grade was even more tedious the second time through), Conan had taken to spending most of his time either reading or wandering around Aifaran looking for trouble. When he wasn't inspecting the restaurants and cafes as part of his quest to find places willing to serve an apparent seven-year-old the local equivalents of coffee.

Today he was on his way home from the bookstore with yet another pile of mystery novels to work his way through. He hadn't found anything here yet anywhere near as interesting as Holmes, but some of the writers had been decent.

On the way, he notices a store that for some reason has set out a rock in front of it. With googly eyes.

He stops and sets down his books as he looks at it, trying to determine whether it had some kind of hidden meaning.

As he's looking over the rock, which looks him over right back, he hears a small chuckle, along a waft of smoke on the air. The smoke itself is tobacco, but mixed with something sweet, almost cinnamon, maybe?

If he looks up, Yuuko is observing him as he in turn observes the rock. In answer to his unasked question she says "It's a pet. I think it's terribly cute" She remains enthroned on the overstuffed chair she'd picked out for herself, and props her chin on her hand as she looks at him, her small, enigmatic smile unwavering.

As was his habit, Conan carefully memorizes the scent of the tobacco smoke. Any thing that distinctive might be something useful to know for the future.

And a detective's greatest skill was observation.

He glances around what was visible of the shop, quickly picking out details of the goods on display, before finally turning his gaze on Yuuko. He makes an inquisitive sound.

"Can you really call it a pet, if it is just a rock with eyes glued on it?"

Her smile widens, curling slyly, and she cocks her head.. "Is that what you see when you look at it?" She pauses for an introspective inhale from the kiseru pipe.

"It's name is Jagaimo. And what is yours, boy?" She is studying him inasmuch the same way he has been studying the scene. He may have noticed she did not actually answer his question.

As he studies what he can see of the shop, he will doubtlessly notice she has a bottle of some kind of liquor and partially filled glass next to her, and seems rather scandalously drinking at mid-day.

"I'm Conan Edogawa." It wasn't his true name, of course. But after so many months of using it, perhaps it was becoming just as true as his real name.

"Who are you? I don't think I've seen you around here before."

He notices the alcohol of course, but considering the adults he'd known at home, drinking this early was barely worth an eyeraise.

Edited 2018-10-21 18:23 (UTC)

"Who am I? Currently, I am but a simple bartender, working to earn my keep serving drinks in a lovely little cafe." She gestures at the cafe, and herself, who does not appear to be in any way, shape, or form 'working' at the moment.

She smiles at him again, with that same cat-like, sly curve to her lips "Or were you asking for my name? One must be very specific with their words. What if I required payment for answering your questions?" She taps the pipe lightly on the small bowl she has for catching ash.

"Don't you need customers to earn your keep?"

He gives her a skeptical look. "Do you normally charge people before you tell them your name? That seems like a terrible way to do business."

She laughs at his retort, getting a cheerful gleam to her smile. "I am here if the customers are, and I shall serve them the finest drinks they have ever had the delight of setting lips to."

"I don't normally charge people for telling them my name, no. I might charge for other questions, however. I'm quite good at finding the answers to certain questions. I think I may answer one for you which can be freely given."

She leans forward, fixing him with a far more serious gaze than she had before, the smoke wreathing her as she gazes at him. "There is an unseen world, all around you, which can not be answered by the rules you are using. There are deeper currents than you realize."

She settles back in her chair, and smiles again, a little more lazily.
"Would you care to have a pastry? My pet likes you, and I found an excellent pâtissier a few streets over."

"I like finding answers to questions for myself," he points out. "When someone offers to give you an answer, you can't always trust it."

He stares at her with deep skepticism. Conan had opinions on statements like that, mostly formed because most of the people who'd told him things like that ended up being criminals trying to pin their crimes on local legends and ghost stories. "I only believe in what can be proven with logic and observation. If I ever see this unseen world, maybe I'll believe in it then."

"Sorry, I'll pass. I already ate." With his life, Conan was very justifiably paranoid about accepting food from persons offering strange advice, especially ones that still hadn't given him a name.

She doesn't look in the slightest bit offended. "What makes you think you haven't already seen this unseen world? You just see what you want to see when you look at it, such as poor Jaigamo, just quietly doing its job over there."

She pushes out the chair across from her with one long leg. "Come, sit. Maybe you will learn something new. One of my other skills is the reading of a person's fate. If you wish to actually see the things I speak of, have some courage and take a step forward."

There's a hint of amused challenge to her voice, but overall she seems to be having a very enjoyable time verbally fencing with him.

No one had ever accused Conan of being poor at observation. It was usually the opposite. And he found it every bit as irritating.

He knew that the wise choice right now would be to turn her down flat and leave. It wasn't like fortunetelling was real. At best it was just a hoax used to fleece money out of the gullible.

But as always, he couldn't resist the urge to prove someone wrong. There was no such thing as fate, and even if there was, there was no way someone could read it.

Grumpily, he climbs up onto the chair and crosses his arms as he stares at her. "Fine, I'm in the chair. Now what?"

As he climbs onto the chair, she watches him with the same small smile she greeted him with. Once he's settled, she says "And now?" She reaches across the table and takes one of his hands in a quick deft movement.

She curls her fingers lightly around his hand, which may feel somewhat like being trapped in the maw of a machine, rather than anything pleasant, given his current frame of mind.

She gazes at him, but her eyes are unfocused, studying him, but also drifting, searching as if she is watching something entirely different from what he is seeing. Her hair shifts, swirls with the smoke as her head tilts, following her line of sight.

"Shinichi Kudo, 18 years old. You haven't lived with your parents in over 4 years, although they are still alive. You worry very much about your best friend, because she mourns you even now. You lie, almost everything about you is a lie, but you do it to protect the ones you care about. You care very much for protecting, for the truth, so the lies weigh on you even more than they might. You have a strong sense of justice, and if you had any religion, it would be finding the truth by the means of your own mind. This is helpful because you attract trouble and mysteries wherever you go. Your role model is a detective, the one called Holmes, and you strive to emulate his brilliance."

She releases his hand, sitting back and exhaling softly, in a long slow breath, before puffing on her pipe again, introspectively, and she adds, almost casually. "And you are rather hopelessly tone deaf."

From the very first mention of his true name, the boy blanches with horror. His fingers tighten as she continues, and every new sentence drives him closer to full blown panic. He had never told all of this to anyone in this world. Even when he'd been forced to reveal parts of the truth, these were things that he had never shared. He had never even told Ran all of this.

As she finishes and sits back, he takes a deep unsteady breath and tries to reclaim the rigid self control he so prized. One of the reasons he so greatly admired Holmes was the way the fictional detective was able to remain calm, no matter the situation.

But even so, his voice wavers as he asks the question. "How? Where did you find this out?

There was no point in denying. His greatest protection had always been the fact that no one was willing to seriously consider that a teenager had become a child once again. That defense would not work this time.

She looks at him very calmly, giving him a bit to collect himself, as she smokes in a contemplative way, sipping from her cup from time to time. Finally, she answers him.

"Hitsuzen. Fate. The ability to read it. It was inevitable you would come here, and we would have this conversation. Do not worry; I do not speak of what I see with anyone. That is part of the... exchange."

She looks at him a more seriously. "So, this is a lesson, I think. Be more mindful of that hidden world I spoke of. You have been rubbing too close to it, and it will notice you, sooner or later."

Then she claps her hands and smiles "Now! The matter of payment! You have nothing I can think of which I want right now. So you will just have to owe me.." She leans forward and smiles rather wickedly, walking her fingers across the table in time with her words.. "A. Really. Big. Favour."

Forgive him if that didn't give him much comfort. Particularly when it was an exchange he didn't understand and knowledge that multiple lives depended on remaining a secret. But remembering what she had said earlier, he was cautious on how he phrased his next question.

"And does this exchange ever have exceptions?"

Despite his determination to keep his emotions under control, he can't help but let out a frustrated question. "But how? I'm a detective! How can seeking out the truth make me rub close to this other world?"

And at the last he merely scowls at her. He hated owing favors. He hated owing them to people he didn't know well most of all. And he had a feeling this was going to be even worse than the favor the KID insisted that he owed him.

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