tabularasa_rp | (open) in what manner should we have a dream?

(mugetsu wants alcohol, and both of them and probably other customers have dried the shop of it. so, begrudgingly, kimihiro sits outside of heavenly blanc with a stack of several card-like papers. on the back of them, a very distinct symbol comes into view, and kimihiro can be seen gently writing the front of the card with pristine, nearly perfect handwriting. one can read "the fool", the other, "death", and they're left to dry in plain view as the witch takes a sip of his sake.

it doesn't take a genius to understand what he's doing -- making his own tarot card set, as it looks like.)

[Right now, Haru just wants coffee. After spending the night trying various mixtures of what ingredients make together, she was tried. And yet, she wanted to keep on going as she hoped to find a dish she could be proud of.

When she went over to the cafe, it looked as it she hadn't slept in quiet sometime. However, she couldn't help but be curious on what Kimihiro was doing.]

Kimihiro-san, is that you? Mind if I ask what you're doing?

Ah, Haru-chan.

(for a second, kimihiro doesn't look up. he's too focused on the writing, trying to make it as beautiful and pristine as he could, but eventually he does to see this young lady completely drained.

this is new.)

Only if I may ask what happened.

(he can't sense the presence of others arriving at the shop anymore, but he sure can hear the bell that rings each time someone steps into the shop. with his tarot deck already done, kimihiro holds his hands above the stack, wishing, wishing for it to work, wishing to infuse his energy onto the paper.

the bell startles him a little, but a very calm expression sits on his face. welcome in, customer.)

[ It's less of a shop visit and more of a check-in. Especially since the last time they met, she's been worried about him. How could she not be? The anxiety around him was almost too much for her to bear, and it wasn't even her own. So there's a natural inclination to look in on him, to check and see if he's okay—

What she doesn't expect, even though she probably should, is to see him with a stack of Tarot cards, a calm but serious expression on his face.

Her own surprise is evident, but she manages to offer him a small smile of greeting. Right now, he seems okay. But she files away the need to check in on him for later regardless. ]

I probably should have guessed that you read cards, Watanuki-san, but I truthfully had no idea!

Ah, Sumire-chan.

(he's stable for now, that's a plus. being locked out of his powers is one thing, and it surely does hinder divination as is, but for what he's offering, all he needs is the inevitable. it's a way that he found to set roots into who he is, or rather, who he made himself to be.

of course, he stands up to greet her, a bow and a gentle offering of his hand to guide her towards the table.)

It's nothing like I'm used to at home, but it's something. May I offer you some tea?

(it's the least he can do when she seems to care about him so deeply.)

[ The bow is, naturally, returned by the young woman, who answers him with another smile as she straightens up once more, and nods in response to the offer of tea. ]

Yes, please! [ And then, because an appropriate moment seems to have presented itself much more quickly than she would have imagined, she continues: ] Honestly, I came by to see how you were feeling. I know that your time here hasn't been easy. I was worried.

[ As she speaks, she moves to join him at the table, taking a seat opposite his. ]

I'm dealing with it.

(the best he can. he's come to understand that the less people see him, the worse he gets, so the least he can do is try to be in good health while he ponders. all the other entities in this place have given him plenty to think about, and it does nobody any favors to seem like a mess before them.

in a way, it reminds him of kouhane. a time where he figured out that if it's tough for him, it's tough for others around him, and perhaps that same trend repeats itself here in this world. he takes the pipe between his lips, inhaling and exhaling the smoke while skilled fingers work on the kettle.)

Would you like a reading? It's the least I can do for the concern.

[ Of course, her foremost wish would be that he didn't have to be in such a situation. The Void has a way of making them confront themselves, and it's been hard for everyone she's met, but she can't help but feel even sadder for those who don't have friends from home to support them.

But given that he is in this situation, with nothing to be done about it... it at least makes her smile to know that he's working with it, not against it, learning to deal with it in his own way instead of running. Running, she's learned, doesn't help anyone.

She's silent for a moment, watching him at the kettle before the offer comes, and with a surprised lift of her eyebrows, she nods. ]

U-Um, okay! I, um, I've never had a reading done for me before, so... I hope that's okay!

It's not a problem, although I must put out a disclaimer. As you know, my powers are locked out. It will be based solely on knowledge, rather than a magic-based exchange.

(divination is serious business! an exchange of fortunes, where the divinator also puts everything on the line. depowered divinators surely exist as studious individuals, but to claim paranormal powers when there isn't any would be a disrespect not only to himself but to others, not to mention to Sumire herself.

the water is now boiling and kimihiro rests the pipe between his lips, puffing from it without the support of his hands.)

Do you have a question in mind?

[ Sumire nods. Admittedly, her understanding of how divination works is somewhat limited, but she can only assume that he would normally require some kind of connection to something beyond him, in much the same way that she herself is connected to Ella. Somehow, though, she feels like even without that connection, she can trust his knowledge enough to see her through this.

Does she have a question, though? A frown creases her brows, the girl not really sure how she's meant to approach it - after all, she's had nothing but questions since she arrived in this place. ]

Um, I— I'm so sorry, but I'm not sure. I think lately I've h-had... had a lot of questions, about where we are and why and... [ Her smile is embarrassed, apologetic. ] I'm sure that's n-not much help at all...

Well, that I cannot help you with. I believe we will diverge on this as well, opinion-wise, Sumire-chan.

(because that, he will leave to hitsuzen. if he must find a way back home, he will find it. if he must turn into whatever the void is turning him into, that too shall be. fates are interconnected after all, and this is only a small speck on the greater picture.

either way, eventually, kimihiro picks the two cups of tea and gently sets them on the table, taking his own into his hands to warm them.)

Perhaps you can find guidance about issues within yourself. Usually, I wouldn't need to ask.

Edited 2021-01-31 04:58 (UTC)

[ She winces a little at the comment, even though she knows he's only telling the truth. It's likely that he's right, that their opinions on why they're here, without knowing anything for sure, without access to something beyond themselves that will tell them, are going to be different. So she nods in response, accepting the offered cup and tucking it between her own hands.

She's still trawling over her thoughts for some sort of question when he offers his suggestion, and she looks up at him with a faint smile.

Usually, I wouldn't need to ask, he says.

He still didn't, she thinks. ]

Y-Yes. Okay, let's... let's do that, then!

It's a delicate art, divination.

(he begins, taking the cards to shuffle carefully. they're homemade and fragile from the material, and perhaps she'll notice the symbol on the back, a call for magic when there is none.

the pipe is still on his lips as he offers her the deck to pick the cards, sprawled in front of her.)

I have been an unwilling victim of it, and a willing one a few times.

(and finally, he takes a last drag of the pipe, exhaling away from the lady in front of him before he can put it down on the tray.)

[ Her head tilts. Later, she'll ask him how one can be a victim of divination. For now, though, she simply watches him shuffle the cards, and when he lays them out in front of her, she reaches, her hand hovering over one of them.

She pauses, and glances back up at him, a fresh hint of red in her cheeks. ]

U-Um, how many do I need to choose?

Ten.

(why is she blushing? kimihiro just carefully watches, although he can't tell which is why. all he does is reproduce the symbol on the back of the cards with his finger, tracing it on the table while he awaits.)

[ Ten. Okay. She can do that. A deep breath to calm down her embarrassment - or at least to try - and Sumire proceeds to choose ten cards from different places in the spread in front of her. Only once she notices his finger tracing the same symbol on the back of the cards does she recognize it as liable to be something outside of decorative; her head tilts, but it's a question filed away for later, when she hasn't just chosen cards for him to read for her.

Nervous, she sips at her tea, red eyes peering over the top of the cup. ]

O-Okay. I... I think I'm ready.

Edited 2021-01-31 05:43 (UTC)

Why are you nervous?

(it's fine, isn't it? does he make her nervous? he has seen her be as powerful as she could be many times by now, so he reckons there's just no need for her to be embarrassed in front of him. it's graceful the way he puts the cards in position, a hand on his chin as he looks them over and hums. this is interesting.)

Well, Sumire-chan. As I told you, I can only interpret what you've given me from knowledge alone.

(but from what he's seeing, perhaps he can offer some clarity on certain issues, but not lifepaths. that would be intrusive and rude. revealing the cards, the first to pop would be the sun, followed by the ace of cups. his eyes narrow a little bit.)

Huh? Potential for feelings and victory. Sounds like someone is lucky, Sumire-chan.

Edited 2021-01-31 05:56 (UTC)

[ He's right - really, there's no reason for her to be nervous, especially when he's seen her at (almost) her strongest, a strength borne of a heart that he might be surprised to find is that of a rebel. And yet it's something she can't really help, perhaps because this is something so new to her... but also largely just because this is who she tends to be when she's not wreathed in Ella's blue flame.

All she can offer is a small shake of her head - because if she's honest, she's not even entirely sure herself - as he turns the card over.

The images of course mean nothing to her, but his words make her brows lift in surprise. Potential for feelings? Victory? Victory could be a lot of things, but... ]

What do you mean "victory", Watanki-san?

Success in a venture. You know, sometimes, even if there are feelings involved, the endgame isn't a relationship. Perhaps it's as simple as comprehending something deep in your heart. It could go any direction, after all, isn't "victory" subjective by nature, and dependant on a goal?

(a sip of his tea, but his eye doesn't leave her until he turns the next two cards over. he's about to go on, but then he just gets way too curious about what the other cards hold, so he flips them all to take a good look at the outcome.)

... You really went through quite an ordeal, mhm, Sumi-chan? (he asks, but comforting rather than truly inquiring.) From what this tells me, you can relax now. There are many things you want to do, and many fresh starts to be had, but you're holding yourself back for fear of losing those you love, and you want to hold on to them at all costs. Perhaps it's in your best interest to think a little about that, not to be stuck in your old ways.

Edited 2021-01-31 06:11 (UTC)

[ There's a response there, to what he says, but it doesn't quite come in time to stop him from turning the rest of the cards over, and then—

Oh.

Even without the gift of his connection, he has somehow cut right through to the heart of the matter, hasn't he? Even earlier this month, when she was considering moving to the Kichijoji-like place where she's now half set up, wasn't this exactly the problem she expressed then? Not to mention his reference to the difficulties she has encountered...

Is it possible she's stuck in her old ways? Clinging to the things that make her comfortable out of fear of losing them? Isn't that against everything they've worked for?

With a small frown, she looks back up from the cards to Kimihiro, taking her cup into her hands once more. ]

I... I think I need to think about this some more...

It's all very vague like this, isn't it? What sort of person doesn't want to keep their loved ones close?

(he says, taking the cards back into the deck and reshuffling them, tapping the paper so that they're all organized in the same level. his own tea is almost done and he takes a sip to finish it, putting it aside and picking back his smoke.)

But it seems like it touched you regardless. Would you like to talk?

[ He says it's vague, and yet the reading makes perfect sense to her. Between finding herself trapped here with those whom she cares about, separated as a result from others, and forever apart from that one particular person, there's a desire to hold onto them just in case, and...

She sips at her tea, quiet for a little too long for it to be considered polite, and for once in her life she doesn't apologize; her mind is too full to even realize that the time has gone, her focus on the swirling coils of thoughts in her brain and the warmth of the liquid in her throat.

When the words finally come, they're prefaced with a rueful smile in Kimihiro's direction: ]

I think so. But... I might need some time, i-if that's okay. I have a lot to think about from this...

(mhm, sumi-chan has a lot more going on, doesn't she? from the bursts of confidence to her usual insecurity, covered in politeness as a means to hide it. he doesn't even need his powers to see that.)

Take as much time as you need.

[ She smiles, even if the expression is sort of faint, and stands, offering him a bow before she moves to make her way out of the shop. ]

Thank you so much, Watanuki-san. I will... I'll be in touch, once I've... once I have thought about this some more.

[ She doesn't mean to be offensive, and she hopes he isn't mad... but she needs to clear her head. ]

[The bell rings, but sorry, it’s not a customer, just an asshole. He has a plastic bag filled with pre-wrapped dessert buns. He promptly throws one at Kimihiro’s head, and he has excellent aim.]

Are you still here? Go home, ya freak.

(leylines aside, kimihiro still does his routine of going to the shrine, this time once again with the shamisen he had borrowed from the school. he hits the right notes, but he's not singing, instead just humming the melody that accompanies the tune. music is a meditation method, after all, and he's trying to check whether he can tune out the noise by focusing on something else.

sometimes, the lyrics will hit the leyline, though. if you hear a deep voice singing what seems to be very old Japanese poetry, you've found him.)

(maybe you've found him going through the food available at the market, filling a basket with ingredients and more than a fair share of alcohol. he's rather picky for someone who can't taste, or even have any recollection of ever doing so. he's checking quality, texture, smell, everything other than his palate to determine whether the item is worth taking home. food is taken very seriously, for someone who feeds off energy nowadays. not that he has realized that bit just yet.

or maybe you're just walking through the streets of kichijoji when the aroma of meat and vegetables fill your nostrils. a divine scent, really. it may get you to turn around to see the little sign that says the shop is opened in one of the empty buildings of kichijoji, the windows clearly showing the man in a kimono in the small kitchen of the first floor.

come on in.)

[Damien, at some point, stumbles upon Watanuki in the Market. he's wandering, listless, the shadow wrapped around him testament to how fucking tired he is long before he gets close enough for Kimihiro to see his face, but -- well, he can't sleep. he can't. maybe he'll manage to accidentally teach the Void what insomnia is]

[but at any rate, he seems to notice Kimihiro only belatedly, and squints at him for a long moment, frowning, before:] What time is it? [he thought it was too late or early, whichever, for anyone else to be shopping. then again, though, time still isn't an exact science here and day-night doesn't really exist, so. who the fuck knows?]

Around four in the morning.

(or it was when he decided to go out. sleepless nights for both of them, it seems. kimihiro hasn't slept in days, not an ounce of tiredness in his small body.

... but damien isn't like him, is he? from what he had gathered, everyone he spoke that seem to be the same are magical in some way. he frowns for a second, before addressing it.)

Why are you here at this time?

[well, bully for him being completely fucking normal]

Can't sleep. [he shrugs. it's fine, he's fine] You?

Edited 2021-02-01 21:31 (UTC)

Somewhat the same. Came to pick up alcohol.

(mostly. there's still the beef, noodles, tofu, anything he could take from the market sitting inside the basket, along with three bottles of sake.

kimihiro takes a drag of the pipe.)

What's troubling you?

[grief, he's grieving]

Is it that obvious?

(of course plants are alive. kimihiro's eyes goggle as he takes out a bell-shaped, yellowish-brown shelled fruit from its branch, hearing the shriek and immediately bowing to the tree to show respect to it. in his arms, there's a basket, a portable stove, a kettle and some cups. he fully intends to make tea out of it.)

(the witch can be found with a towel around his hips, stripped from his usual graceful outfits in the bathhouse. he needs to relax, and it's one of the few instances where he leaves the shop to do so. can't sleep anyways, so a quick bath perhaps could kickstart his sleep.

except when he gets to the showers, he sees the new addition to the void. incredulous, kimihiro just stares at it for a few seconds before finally uttering something.)

Oh, hell no.

[ It's been a few days since Kimihiro read the cards for her, and Yoshizawa has spent almost the entirety of that time lost in her thoughts, thinking over and over what the cards told him for her. Between that, and her focus on moving from the Merlaut Apartments over to Kichijoji, there's enough on her mind that she's not really paying much attention to where she's going, only that she's tired and wants to freshen up. It's for that reason that she heads over to the BATHzone in the first place.

In the change rooms, she trades her clothes for a towel, and she makes it all the way into the showers before she realizes - abruptly - that she's made a terrible mistake.

Kimihiro will hear a squeak, immediately followed by an exclamation: ] I'm so sorry! [ ...Immediately followed by a dull thud as the normally-graceful young woman slips on the wet floor in her panic. ]

(by the time he hars the squeak, the thud, the groans of panic, he was already turning around with clear irritation over this stupid shower with this stupid gimmick. all he wanted was a shower, for fuck's sake, as if he'd dance for it. what is he, a trained animal? at least all this bitching was happening in his mind as he was falling, and as quick as he could, he tried to alleviate her fall.

he's quick, but the towel doesn't really help. he'll care about that later, but kimihiro is blushing and sort of angry that there's no "no men and women in the same shower space" so that he could be yeeted outside. now both of them gotta sit on it.

as soon as the fact, kimihiro offers a hand for sumi to stand up, looking to the side out of Respect.)

[ As soon as she falls, there's a lot of fumbling, a lot of trying to make sure her towel stays up - but not too far up - legs sliding against the wet floor as if she can position herself in a way to somehow preserve modesty long destroyed by the fall itself. Watanuki-san is polite as ever, but it doesn't reduce the red flames of her cheeks as she accepts his hand, her other pressing against the floor in an attempt to find purchase so that she can get back onto her feet.

Once she's there, her hand drops from his, and there's another tug at both ends of the towel, another check to make sure it's firmly fastened before her own gaze drops to her feet. ]

I'm so sorry... I— I suppose this is the men's side...

[ How embarrassing... She really should have paid more attention to where she was going...! ]

[A voice from behind, decidedly more irritated, echoes Kimihiro.]

Oh, hell no.

[Iwaizumi wrapped in his own bath towel ~~just look at that hot jock bod~~.]

Just what the fuck is that supposed to mean?

(open) in what manner should we have a dream?

heavenly blanc

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the temporary shop

Persona 5 Royal spoilers in this thread!

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Here too

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berries

batthouse

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Re: batthouse