Ash 19, 4621¤
Miki was enjoying a drink at the bar by herself when she was approached by someone wearing a mask. The one had brought friends and spoke to the moroi in a foreign language, when Miki didn't reply, only shook her head uncomfortably all laughed. She was getting sick of this pisshole. The group left, satisfied, and Miki sighed looking to the bottom of her swill wondering how she could stop interactions like that. Picking up a foreign language was hard for her but she decided then to get up and get going, looking for anything that would steer her on her path. What would she possibly get into tonight, something dangerous maybe? As long as she didn't get caught of course.
~~~
There was an out of place stall in one of the streets Miki had taken to wandering. Going up to it she found it was mottled with old, time stained books. The one at the other side of the table seemed unfazed by her perusing. It would seem he had better things to do than entertain her. As he picked the dirt out of his nail Miki gently pulled back and sifted through the layers of books in front of her. She found beneath the stack one called 'How to Read Masks; Candor Etiquette'. It was well within her budget to buy as some of the pages had ripped off and part of the spin was lost to time. Thanking the man she settled off to read her book in peace. Sitting on a bench beside some cactuses and a strange looking willow she found quite the scenic respite to curl up with a book.
Miki found it was a quaint thing to read, much of what it impressed upon made sense. Getting to know your rivals and never revealing information without a price was tantamount to her anyway. Still, it would take much more than a simple book to teach her the ins and outs of the Candor. She would never learn from just this tome. It made her sigh and pout. A group of pigeons congregated at her feet and she fed them as she schemed. Their pecking at the crumbs reminded her of the pecking order throughout the world and she pondered yet again why that was, why wasn't anything fair? How could some, like these pigeons, get fat while others suffered? It was mind boggling to her. Entire books written and dedicated to arbitrary rules trying to force order on the ultimate chaos of the world. As if anything could stop the turning of time. It was just a facade, a safety for some maybe, that their cushy lifestyles afforded. No one was truly safe, disaster could happen to anyone. Even here in this clean, immaculate city.
'Damn damn damn damn.'
She spat to herself. Things were going more rough than expected on her end. Without someone to teach her the Candor in person she was shit out of luck. She considered asking Pogma but she was a simple peasant, nothing would pass enough even despite her dealings with Hector. Delinquency was her new MO, not dressing up to talk fancy at parties. She would work on that when the time came, for now she needed to work on her disguise. A young, seemingly from the dress, Entente child pointed at her alerting her mother-- who even through the mask blanched and hurried them away.
As she got up to leave and hurry back to her home for now, the tavern beside Pogma's, she found herself wondering about how to incorporate her horns into a get up. The eyes and skin would have to be masked with makeup or perhaps a screen on the eyes of the mask, but her horns could maybe be made to look part of the mask itself. She was consumed with these thoughts all the way home until she got there and ordered another beer.
"Home is where your hat is, ain't it?"
Asked Izul, who had joined them. Miki had to agree. She didn't care where she was as long as she had a warm, dry roof over her head.
"Mmph"
She grunted back amicably in reply. Miki couldn't be bothered to talk at the moment, her mind was totally in thoughts of the future. What it would look like coming into ruling with her own gang.
Ash 20, 4621
The next day Miki found herself in a fortune teller's hut. She thought it looked out of place and hoped to find a lead, or just have some fun getting her palms read. Watching the stall for some time other than a few weird looks no one was brave enough to go into the stall. So finally Miki slipped through the flap and made her place at the other side of a round, small table. From the back a woman came with a vulture on her shoulder, it was stuffed. Her head was covered in a mask completely, no features to be seen other than what was painted on. She waved her hands upwards in what seemed like mock surprise.
"Oh you're here! I've been waiting on you. Let me see your hands."
Seemingly jumping right into work. Miki scoffed, impatient.
"Waiting on me? I could hardly wonder why."
"Well I ought to say I am always waiting those with great fortunes ahead of them to come into my abode, indeed, you will find only good things here."
Miki's eyes screwed up and she snorted,
"Yeah and my mama back home is waiting on me with cookies and milk. If you can read, feel free to read me but I know you have no idea what my story truly is, no matter what power you wield."
The fortune-teller simply replied, "hmmm", before smacking her hands and running them in the air above the other pair. She set all of their hands on her large blue crystal ball which was metallic and beautiful on its purple holder. She told Miki great things would play out in front of her. She wondered aloud if Miki was ready to behold such things, but shook her head that they would happen anyway. Miki was transfixed and bewildered when the fortune teller sternly told her to get her head on straight and shooed her out the door. She had no idea what to make of the experience and opted out of telling Izul or anyone about it.
The walk home was long, was it a racket? Did the fortune teller say what she wanted to hear? How could she know? Clearly it was just a ploy to get her money from her ultimately and bring her back for more cryptic answers later. Well that fortune teller would be out of a job as she left Miki feeling more uncomfortable than satisfied after their meeting. What a hack, it really put Miki in a sour mood and she vowed to never allow a fortune teller to swindle her, with or without paying, ever again. What a head ache those people must be to interact with on a day to day basis!
Finishing off the night pondering to herself about the fortune teller's words she drank herself until she could feel the room spilling. She felt like perhaps the woman was right. Was she ready for her duties as a gang boss? Hector seemed like an in but something was off, it always was, her luck had run dry. Or it seemed to be mostly. Maybe this was a good move, taking a leap of faith. The pair, Izul and Miki, would be off soon to meet the Entente who would ultimately seal their fate.
~~~
That night she dreamed that she was running from a giant rolling pint of ale. Although it was tipped on its side none of the ale sloshed out except to drench her in its golden stickiness. She ran as fast as she could without looking back but a few times, each time the pint was gaining on her. Finally an end, she was able to sneak behind a corner and let it rush past right as it was about to crush her. Turning around Miki jumped back as Izul was there dressed as a barmaid trying to offer her more and more beer, which drained down Miki's throat tingling and hot. Miki was so drunk the stars were spinning above her, she couldn't orient herself or walk at all. Stumbling, she made her way to a fountain of a naked woman whose breasts spilled forth great streams of golden honey mead and Miki bathed beneath it. She was singing a song now from her homeland, one about self forgiveness, and danced like a lunatic. The dream ended with her facedown drooling in a puddle of golden mead.
