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Post by Ariadne on Jun 20, 2020 1:27:24 GMT
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This poor guy... all he wanted was his fortune told, and everything just... erupted. Ariadne's heart ached for him. How dejected must he feel? How despairing must this all be?
"Hey," she spoke, softly, "You have nothing to be sorry for. These things happen, it isn't your fault." She got down from where she was sitting on the table. Maybe she could find a way to cheer him up?
"I remember," she started, dipping behind under the table to get her satchel, plopping it on the table and going to untie something from one of the straps, "One time, Dove gave me a reading. It was just your average Tuesday morning, we were drinking tea and joking around with my little sister and a friend of ours, and I had a really weird card drawn-- I hadn't seen it before, it was another one of the Fae ones-- and an entire shelf fell off the wall," she laughed. "My mom was so mad, it broke all her really pretty china, I was grounded for weeks." She pulled out a strand of braided red string, a silver star charm woven at one end. She'd go to hand it to him, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
"It's a good luck charm. After the since the incident with the shelf, I made it one afternoon, and I've carried it with me ever since. You can tie it into a bracelet, or attach it to a bag or hang it from your belt-- I don't know, but I think you need it more than I do," she gave a bashful but genuine smile. It'd worked for years now, and if it's protected her this long, maybe it can protect someone else, too.
"Oh," she spoke, remembering something. She pushed his bag of goodies towards him on the table. "And don't forget these, they'll probably help, too." She joked.
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Post by Haji Morei on Jun 20, 2020 1:46:25 GMT
Ariadne started speaking, trying to reassure him as she told a story of her own. Haji was surprised that she too had a strange occurrence with the Fae, and it made him wonder how frequently it happened in their world. Harmless, loud thunder was preferable to an entire shelf falling, and it made him smile a bit that she was trying to relate to him. Ariadne's was a kind soul, that much he could tell already from their short meeting.
Still, grounded for weeks for something out of her control? He figured he could understand, though...
But then she produced a red and silver trinket, explaining its significance to her and he looked on in shock as she offered such a thing to someone she hardly knew.
"Ah, but... it is so dear to you... I could never accept something like this..." He said, feeling a bit embarrassed. Sure, the cards seemed to be against him, but to take a good luck charm of her own for his sake? He couldn't feel right if he took someone else's protection. He did, however, take the previous bag of wares he had purchased.
"T-these should suffice. I do not want you to give me something so important... it is a risk, is it not?"
He asked, genuinely concerned for her to give him that charm. He was incredibly touched she would even offer it, and he genuinely wondered what was the right course of action.
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Post by Ariadne on Jun 20, 2020 1:59:25 GMT
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Well, she honestly didn't think he was going to be so stubborn about it. There goes a heart-felt moment, now she just felt stupid. She felt her cheeks flush a bit out of embarrassment. Now she felt like she had to have him take the charm.
"Hey, don't worry about me," she said cooly. "I could always use a little excitement in my life, anyway."
She'd move beside him and drape an arm over his shoulder. "And besides," she started, trying to get him to accept the charm, "You wouldn't want to turn down a gift from a pretty lady, would you? That would just be rude. You don't want to hurt my feelings, do you?" Her eyes were dark and her voice was soft, intentionally trying to woo him enough to get him to accept the gift. It worked with some guys, but other dudes would find her too pushy and grow uncomfortable. It was a toss-up, really, but it was worth a shot. Her intentions were good, anyway.
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Post by Haji Morei on Jun 20, 2020 2:14:37 GMT
Oh, she was good.
"Ah, I... I did not..." He stammered out, looking at her and back to the charm, to which she used her own personal charm to try and convince him. As he looked at her, he certainly had to admit she really was pretty. But it was besides the point. As nice as she was on the eyes, he mostly didn't want to be rude and disrespect her.
Haji cleared his throat.
"... My apologies. I did not mean to offend." He began, holding his hand out for the charm. "It means the world to me, and I am truly grateful. I will cherish it with all of my heart, and will find a way to repay you this favor."
That reminded him.
"Ah, before I forget..." He used his other hand to pull out his wallet, and fished from it some twenties. "I know she excused the price after what happened, but it would not sit right with me to not pay. So please." He said, offering her the cash.
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Post by Ariadne on Jun 20, 2020 2:28:41 GMT
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Ariadne's demeanor switched in an instant the moment he said yes. She backed off, handing him the charm from a safe distance with a proud and grateful smile on her face.
When he pulled out his money, a part of her wanted to decline, but given the stunt she just pulled, it'd probably be hypocritical of her. And they could always use money, anyway. That's why they did this kind of thing-- sell goods and services to be able to put bread on the table. It's the nature of the game, odd occurrences and strange meetings aside.
"I hope you know I'm only accepting this so I don't come across as rude," she spoke, gingerly taking the cash and counting it. When all the money was in accounted for she'd put the cash in her pocket and look back at him.
"I guess this means everything is in order," she'd say. She'd probably never see him again after this, so she wasn't sure how to feel about this weird, chance encounter. Maybe it was worth keeping in contact with him? There was no way this entire thing happened by chance.
"This is usually the part where I say goodbye, thanks for the business, and all that, but," she started, glancing around awkwardly, like she was waiting for some otherworldly force to stop her. She wringed her hands, fidgeting. "Maybe we could go and get drinks sometime?-- O-Or, well," she stammered. Gods dammit, Ariadne, get yourself together. "In case you have any other questions or want a second opinion, I'll be here again tomorrow. In case you, y'know, want to stop by."
Was that too forward? Maybe. Oh, who was she kidding?
After tonight, he'd probably want to stay far, far away from this kind of thing.
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Post by Haji Morei on Jun 20, 2020 2:40:38 GMT
Thankfully, Ariadne took the cash, citing her own previous stunt as the reason she did it. Good, because otherwise, Haji would have to do something similar. Maybe not quite as showy, but his honor really did make him want to do what he felt was the right thing. And paying these women for the jobs they did was definitely the right thing.
Haji gave her a smile as he took the charm and looked at it, and was preparing himself to wish her a good night. It seemed a rather unceremonious ending, all things considered. But the encounter had opened his eyes to certain things and told him that he needed to be vigilant. Ariadne and Dove helped him out, and he did not want the stress of the night to have been for nothing. Their words would be heeded.
He was surprised when she continued past her goodbye, and he looked up at her as she asked if they could see each other again. It took a moment for the question to settle in, and his jaw dropped slightly as he felt his chest get a bit warm. No, it was probably just business-related, Haji. Don't jump the gun.
"Ah, I would love that, actually." He replied, seeming a lot more peppy suddenly as he smiled at her. "I will take you up on that offer. And... I am actually in this area of town for the next few days at the least." He scratched his head a bit awkwardly. "So if you wish to see me again, I am more than happy to do so."
A second opinion might be nice. And regardless, her more bubbly presence seemed like something he really needed, especially after what had just happened.
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Post by Ariadne on Jun 20, 2020 2:53:32 GMT
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Holy fuck, he actually said yes. She tried her best to stifle a smile in a futile attempt to keep things cool and casual.
"It's a date," she said, before realizing her slip up. "I mean, yeah, I'll see you around."
And then she realized the flaw in her plan, her expression falling. "W-Wait, I think this is supposed to be the part where I give you my number, but I don't have a phone."
Dammit, her plans crashing brutally, unceremonious, ruining the mood yet again.
No, she could recover from this.
"Well, I mean," she said, trying to regain her confidence, "I guess this means you just need to stop by and see me yourself, right?" She bit her lip, expression soft. "Promise?"
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Post by Haji Morei on Jun 20, 2020 3:06:22 GMT
Haji blinked as Ariadne seemed to be stumbling over her words. It was endearing in a way, but also told him maybe there was more to this after all. But maybe it was just her being shy about asking to see someone again in general. In any case, he could tell this wasn't exactly a normal thing for her to do following a customer sale.
She brought up the topic of a phone, but stated that she didn't have one, which caused her to feel dejected. She tried to pick things back up though, and Haji would give her a reassuring smile.
"I will come see you again. I promise. It gives me something to look forward to." He told her. "Tell me a time? So you know when to expect me. It can be any day that works for you."
His layer of professionalism was starting to slip just a bit. But right now, he didn't mind.
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Post by Ariadne on Jun 20, 2020 13:53:55 GMT
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Ariadne was nothing short of elated, but she was doing her damnedest trying not to show it. It would just be casual, two people hanging out, nothing special. Don't get excited.
He's just a really interesting person! And maybe just a little cute. And the cards said he needed to look for help from a positive force in his life, right? She considered herself a pretty damn positive force.
"Well, I'll be here all tomorrow afternoon, but I'm going to have help here so maybe we can go somewhere?" She offered. "Maybe you meet me here, and we can take the bus to the mall on the other side of the river-- I heard that one is really nice." It was a suggestion, though it probably sounded a bit old fashioned to suggest hanging out at the mall.
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Post by Haji Morei on Jun 20, 2020 14:14:51 GMT
Hanging out with Ariadne outside of the respective area sounded like it would be interesting. Right now, he only knew her as the assistant fortune teller. Or as he would probably say, 'Assistant to the Fortune Teller.' So to see her in a new element would be a fun time, he thought. It might be good to see her and try to elaborate more on what happened today, or even just to take it easy after such heavy events.
"Ah, that sounds fun. I have not been there before." He gave Ariadne a small smile. "Tomorrow afternoon... so I will be here not long after 1. Perhaps I can find you, and we can go from here together."
He couldn't lie, he was pretty excited by all of this. The prospect of having someone new to hang out with was great in itself, and it had been a quiet since had spent some quality time with anyone. He was usually just working. But if the cards were any indication, he had to take things easier... especially if things were due to get more 'exciting' down the line. Make the most of life now while he could.
If there were no objections, Haji would get ready to leave.
"I will see you tomorrow, Ariadne. Thank you for everything, I really appreciate it. Good night." Haji would smile at her and give her an eastern-style bow, torn between despair at the cards and happiness that something good came out of everything as he departed the tent with a conflicted heart.
He failed to learn anything about his target today. And they had their day tomorrow. There was always the day after.
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