all_that_glimmers | Pssst didja hear? [Sound test]

Who: Yuuko+Mineto
Where: After game start
What: Gossip swap~

When most people talk to their plants they don't expect the plants to talk back, let alone lean into water like a cat looking for attention. It had been a hot day and humans and youkai weren't the only ones feeling too hot. One of these days Yuuko would remember to install air conditioning in the shop but her water magic was keeping her cool for now. Other people in the shop would be less fortunate.

"Have you heard the news?" Yuuko asked lighty as she fussed over the plant.

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"Who says I'm looking for anything?" Yuuko shrugged and leaned back against the counter. "If you looked like a sword right now I would compliment the form and appearance. If you were as old as you really are I would be commenting how its amazing you're still standing. If you stay in that form I would keep saying you're attractive."

They made eye contact and he kept it there for some time. Then, as a smile came quickly on his face, he rose to his feet.

"And I would say that such behaviour can be very dangerous here." He was dissatisfied with talking upwards. "Did you practice saying all that before I came in here?"

Edited Date: 2013-05-19 09:49 am (UTC)

Yuuko held eye contact, seemingly unperturbed, still lax against the counter.

"I'd never throw out false flattery, not even to my customers," Yuuko replied. "Practice also cheapens what comes from a sincere place."

Shrug.

Here Mineto, who looked pleased by a right answer, stood by the counter and ran his right palm along the edge, but still he kept her in his eye.

"That's usually the sign of some poor fool with no brain, honestly speaking."

Edited Date: 2013-05-19 10:07 am (UTC)

Yuuko simply lightly, idly tapped the counter with her hand. She laughed,

"Usually but I think I've shown I must have somewhat of a functioning brain. I'm not valley girl level or as dim as blondes are supposed to be - I'm only a bleached blond."

Edited Date: 2013-05-19 10:25 am (UTC)

Mineto pinched the bridge of his noise. "Perhaps I have not explained it clearly."

"I talk of insincerity," he said. "Careless flattery, the kind that exhausts you in your efforts to believe it. Not you."

"Oh, that kind of stupidity." She leaned in slightly though. "So you do think I'm sincere with what I say?"

"I suppose," he said. "But I'll still cut the cards in my favour."

"But I can't cut them in mine?" Yuuko asked lightly. "Even if I don't have to be about things like this. I appreciate pretty things for the sake of prettiness most of the time."

Now his hands propped themselves on the desk. He stared ruminatively over at where Yuuto was standing.

"Pity," he said. "I believed it was because you enjoy my company."

"If I didn't, I would have given you as polite a bum rush as quickly as possible," Yuuko said. "Or I would highly encourage you use email only. And if I only wanted to stare at attractiveness a picture lasts long enough.

"So don't worry. I still appreciate your social calls for what they are."

Mineto drew his hand somewhat unevenly down the counter's edge. It was such hard work talking to humans sometimes that he near-forgot where he had come from. Minds, human or not, were an important thing to understand, but she needed him more than he her.

"Ah, that's no problem. Is there anything else I can do for you? Have the herd been bothering you again?"

"Since you offered, anyone else you wish to refer to me for my work would be lovely," Yuuko said, with a sort of smile and look that speaks of inside jokes or secrets.

"Just two shoplifters and a few more rude visitors calling about the usual. Would you call it brave or stupid to pick fight with the wood mage in her wooden shop while she has access to all these?" She played with the dark blue vial, and it glowed intermittently.

Mineto had heard of something like that. He recalled it had been a few nights ago.

He began ponderously to think about the right words. "I would call it the foolish prank of little hobgoblins with narrow minds."

"Is that what they call it now?" Yuuko laughed. "If I'd known then I would have reacted with less prejudice or laughed a little more!"

Yuuko cut off the glow of the vial and neatly placed it into a slot labeled 'OCEAN'S KISS-WARNING INGESTION MAY LEAD TO INTERNAL FLOODING'.

"I doubt that particular group will be back for a round two though. Too bad."

A small evil grin curled the corners of Mineto's mouth. "Really?" he said. "How nice."

Then he began thinking of the shop itself. He simply could not imagine it ever going ignored as long as it kept bottled power on the high shelf. He was ashamed of those who bought power when they had the power to obtain it themselves. If you asked him, it was weak.

"None of them are as powerful as they make themselves out to be, you know; their infectious criminality is like a disease. They're also quite mad."

Edited Date: 2013-05-20 10:01 am (UTC)

"You're powerful. The daiyoukai are powerful. The love god is powerful. They're mosquitoes," Yuuko said with a shrug. "Obnoxious, loud, and buzzing around your face until something comes to squish them into a bloody, inconvenient mess." Sigh. "I'll never be able to look at one of my favorite blouses again. But they make for good mulch so there's some use there - and so continues one of the many circles of life."

Mineto returned his attention to the flier and ran his gaze down the list of names. There were three on the top, each bold and red. His mouth settled itself into a thinly-pressed line at the note under one. He hurriedly skimmed the rest.

"I heard something of this," he said, flicking the paper. "Karma. How long is it before kids are even trained, these days?"

"So you've heard that too then. The demons are quick to snap up new clients too," Yuuko said with a sniff. Picking at her nails, she continued, "These days? A few months to several become adequately proficient if they have a teacher and survive the introduction phase. If there's talent, a little ambition, and opportunity maybe sooner. Without those you could be looking at years to about never.

"However." She laced her fingers with a cat's smile - the one you would expect from one leisurely deciding how best to dissemble its new, potentially living toy. "These are promising."

Edited Date: 2013-05-24 03:14 pm (UTC)

Mineto considered these names and other matters for a short while. He did not like the speed with which these people had all come out the woodwork. That would be where his suspicions set in. He folded the paper neatly and put it inside his jacket, while he wandered away from the counter and gazed at the closest shelf.

"In that case you should line the walls with candy," he said. "For certainly I doubt all human beings will react to pretty lights or your charms."

Edited Date: 2013-05-24 03:21 pm (UTC)

"I can't do that. Those who offer sweet temptations are frankly flying their death flags high and proud. And I'll be the one to end up with cavities," Yuuko replied blithely.

"You underestimate how many charms I have. My favorite ones I like to save for older men though."

Mineto shot her a sour look.

"Now you're just being blatant not charming," he said. "It's unflattering."

"About you?" Yuuko let out of melodramatic gasp. She made a mannerism and expression of blushy coyness known only to shojos and harems. "I-it's not like I like you or s-something, s-senpai. Baka!"

Edited Date: 2013-05-24 04:08 pm (UTC)

Mineto looked at Yuuto properly then. There was incredulity in his eyes. It was as if he was mildly curious as to what she was doing.

"Do you really think you're the first one who's tried?" he said. "I don't think you're very good."

"Tried what?" Yuuko sighed melodramatically and dropped the moeness. "I enjoy all sorts of charms whether they're good or not - for all I knew you secretly had a thing for kawaii eyes and blushes. Now there's more I could do if I truly wanted to try something but it'd most likely be lost on you."

Looking genuinely curious, "Has anyone actually tried and succeeded?"