The hangged man

Kath sighed, sturring her coffee with her finger, holding the cigerette between her pinky and ring finger.
She flipped her terrot cards bordly, glancing at her watch.
The economy being bad normaly brought buisness in- people wanting to know if they woudl win big or maybe get a job in the future... all the low lives who felt they were on their last legs...
She flipped the last card and raised an eyebrow, not bothering to eatch the ash that fell into her coffee.
The hangged man...

She heard the bell ring like it always did whensomeone entered her shop.
"Sorry, closed." she called, eyes scanning the picture of the hanged man. For the life of her she couldnt recal him looking so... Handsome.

OOC: Sounds good, hope you dont mind if I jump in XD

A tall teenage male walked in through the door, dark hair- with dark eye's that scanned the room. He paused, and looked ahead towards her. He had a blank look on his face, and acted as if he'd ignored what she'd said. "So you see the future right?" He continued as he looked over some objects- and then to some interesting pictures on the walls. "Can you tell me mine?" He now looked to her, almost impatient.

He didnt look over the age of 19, and wore worn clothing that were as dark as his hair. A black coat, shirt, and black jean pants- which seemed to have dirt on the knee's. A scar above his left eye, bearly visable from his messy long bangs that fell randomly in his face. He lit up a cigarette as if he was stressed, and needed his addiction. "Can you?"

She frowned, anoied that he had pulln her out of her thoughts as she looekd over, letting her wrist go limp, dangeling the hanged man so that he looked upside up. "It would all depend on you." she stated when he demanded to know if she could see the future. "If you let me look I can sometime see the near future clearly. other times not so much." she gestured to the seat across from her.

She put her own smoke out in her ocffee, pushing the cup aside and gathered up her cards.

All in all the shop wasnt very... fourtineie. The walls were a pale gray-blue and the floor an old wood, stained from oxidation and the constant steps of heavy feet on it.

Only two pictures hung on the walls. One was a portrate of a faceless person. Man or woman- it was hard to tell.

The second was small on the far wall, simply a flower pot with no plant in it. the shine of it seemed so endepth though it could make you stare withouth realising it.

She had mirrored sconces on the walls with lit candles and the three front tables had oil lamps with only one low lying ceiling fan. No beads or frankinscents, no black flamed candel or pentagrams... Just the tarot cards, a small bent sugar spoon and a white lace doiley on her table.

He looked her over slightly before accepting her offer to sit down, he pulled out the chair- and sat down infront of her. He glanced back at the faceless picture, something about it made him want to study it over and over. He felt like it was watching him, but how? He looked back to her, and nodded. "My name is Nied." A simple introduction, but he didnt seem like someone who put in the extra step towards other people. He crossed his arms, and looked towards her cards. "So how do you do it?" He seemed a bit more interested.

Of course she was probably use to seeing all sorts of differant people, but there was something differant about him.

"With a little help." she stated outting the cards under her seat. "Those are just for refrence. they cant really tell the future- just give advice really..." she flicked a bit of ash off of her tables doiley.

"What exactly do you want me to try and find?" she inqured. "far future, near.... how near is near... I cant tell you how i do it untill i know what i need to do."

"I want to know whats after me." He didnt sound scared, or startled- he still had that blank expression on his face. But he did sigh, as if he didnt want to tell her more- but figured it couldnt hurt. "My mother was into the occult, they found her body last week. Now I keep finding warnings. Its annoying." He now showed some sort of emotion, as he grumbled- and looked down. He tightened his fist, breathed out- and looked back to her. "So I guess the near future- if that didnt answer your question." He was somewhat rude.

OOC: I am reading this book that involves murders from this occult group- its a really good and intense XD so Im enjoying this <3

She frowned at him. "In other words you think your mother brought somethign here she shouldnt have?" she asked crossing her legs. "Even if I can find out what it is- or possibly who- theres no saying I can stop it."

She got up and walked off, comming back with a small bowl of water. "What kind of warnings?" she asked, taking a bobby pin out of her hair. she poked her finger and pinched it letting a drop of blood fall into the water."I might just have to send you to an exorcist. Save the both of us a headache."

As she waited for him to answer she swirled the bowl sligtly, the red fog in the middle eventualy vanishing- blending in with the rest of the water.

He looked away as she pricked her fingure, he didnt seem to like blood. He breathed out, as if he didnt want to talk about it. "I have no idea. I dont even believe in this stuff, and yet everytime I go out- its like Im being fallowed." He rubbed the back of his neck, "Im not being paranoid- but I cant find out what or who is fallowing me... So I figured-" He paused, "Someone like you could help me figure this out..." He took in another deep breath.

"Im just some average guy, who doesnt even believe this crap..." He grumbled again, "My mother was insane." He commented, "And yet she seems more sane then me now- and she's the one dead..." He just seemed to be trying to justify it, so maybe he didnt sound insane. He now was rubbing his temples, paying no attention to what she was doing.

"Alright... here." she pushed the bowl over to him. "Wash your hands off in that." she instructed. "Im going to need to see your hands when you finish."

Blood was the best way to sumon magic of any kind at all. even weak physcic magic. the water that woudl stay in the creases of his hands would make it easier for her to read.

He gave her a wierd look, and then looked down at the bowl. "Are you serious...?" He mumbled, but moved his hands up- and paused before putting them into the bowl. He didnt seemed very amused, he lightly moved his hands over eachother- and then looked up at her. "That good enough? Im not some expert on washing my hands with blood..." He mumbled, and looked down- but looked back up at her.

"It was only one drop- stop your whining.' she said holding her hands out to take his.

"If somethign is following you with mal intent, it will ikely had left a mark on you- incase you came to someone like me." she said. "Think of the water as a white ink stamp, and my eyes as the black light."

She took her ring off and set iton the table lose to her chest- either to get it out of her way for it had some type of importance... who knew in a place like that.

"Put your hands down, palsm up- like were going to play slaps." she instrusted.

He raised his eyebrow at her, and then looked down at his hands as he placed the back of them aginst the table. "Slaps?" He sounded like he' never heard of it, which wasnt that surprising- since he didnt seem like someone who played many games. He was thinking of her words, which didnt make much sense- none of this did to him. He could recall his mother rambling on about it throughout his childhood, its why his father left them.

He glanced over, and saw a black cat in the window- it stared at him with wide bright green eye's. It hissed, and jumped off the ledge- and disappeared out of view. "Are black cats really bad omens?" He then questioned, looking to her. "Or is that rubbish?"

"I dont believe in luck." she stated. "if you know your future its no longer ture- very easy to change it. so I try not to think of that."

She looked at the cat. "... As for the omen.... eh. Only if you believe in that sort of thing." she shrugged.

How comforting.

She placed her hands ontop of his, using her middle in ring fingers to glide over the creases in his palms. her hands were suprisingly soft, like someon was taking a silk cloth and wiping his hands with it.

"....." she didnt once look at his hands, insted she looked at the lace on the table, her eyes moving in sync with her hands.

It wasnt show. if it were for show- the whole room wouldnt have dropped a few sharp degrees. "whats your full name?" she inquired, her voice the saem as it was earlier... most quacks would sound dazed or stoned when they spoke while seeking.

A chill went up his spine as she traced line's in his palm, he looked down at her hand- and then up to her face. "Nied-' He paused, "Shawn, Tomang." Odd name, as if all three parts of his name came from three differant origins. "My mother wasnt good with names." He commented, obviously he didnt like something about his name- which seemed to be his middle name. He glanced back at the window, and then to her hands. Something about that cat- but he shouldnt focus on that.

She ran her fingers down the very center of his palm,pausingand then movng down his middle finger nefore pulling her hands away from him.

"....." she brought her thumb to he rmouth, chewing lightlyon her nail, as if thnking. she looked back to him before reaching under her seat, pullin gout her cards. she shuffled them repeatedly.

For a moment it looke dlike she woudl deal them but insted she set them down- apparently only having used them as a mind distraction. "Youw, what... 20 now?" she asked curiously. "Not legal in the states yet?"

"Almost 20, my birthday is in a week." He commented, he looked up from his hands- they seemingly tingled a bit when she'd let go. Odd, he'd never felt that before- but then again he'd never really had much contact with other people. "I guess so, I never lived in the States for long." Even though he had an American accent. "Moved to London just a few years ago." He paused, "What does that have to do with whats going on?"

"Just wondering." she assured him.

She looked up at him and put her chin down in the palm of her hand. "I try not to tampter with things I shouldnt." she said. ".... are you afraid of ghosts?" she asked, sounding sceptical herself.

"because I am. And Ill only take that god forsaken wegi board out if you tell me you really want to know whats following you."

Nied sighed, it was like the feeling of hopelessness was wieghing down on him. "Something unnatural tore my mother to shreads." He said bluntly, "The police said nothing of this world could have done something like that." He continued, "So yeah, I now believe there is something out there that I cant explain- and I believe its after me as well."

He leaned back in his chair, "You probably know more of this crap then me." His annoyed tone came back, this was obviously something that was hard for him- and being annoyed was his defense.

"I probably shouldnt have even come here- but hell if I know how this stuff works. Its hard to even defend yourself from something you cant even see..."

She raised her eyebrows and nodded, finding the statement somwhat true. "Alright.... youve most likely got a hell spawn following you." she state. "I couldnt find a mark on you- you dont even know what that is- anyway I couldnt find any marks so its stronger an just a spook."

She stood. "Ill make you a cup of tea." she said. "While im doing that- I would like you to think of any dreams youve had recently. If you can remember any words that were said, any faces- that might give us a clue."

[Xd im thinking she ends up as his body guard kinnda thing]

Nied looked back down at his hands, "My dreams? The only one's I remember are horrible. My mother is faceless- and so is some distorted figure." He paused, "Its just her running away from me- and that figure crawling behind her." He now brought his hand up- and moved it through his hair- ruffling it up a bit. He didnt care for tea, but he did want something to ease his nerves- and tea usually did the trick.

"Im guessing its a warning- I dont know." He paused again, "And my radio-" He looked down at the table, "God I sound crazy..."

"My radio is warning me." He laughed at himself, because he knew this sounded insane. "It turns itself on- and goes from station to station- telling me to hide- run- get out- because its coming."

"Thats not crazy- its been known to happen." she said comming back with a small tray with hot tea.

"Faceless huh... Guess you dont like my portrate then." she mused and put the tray down. She walked over to the only other picture inthe shop- the vse.... and reached into it
She took out the vase and looked in it, shifting around what sounded like coin. "This onell do." she mttered, pulling out a silver coin with a hole in its center.

Putting the vase back, it was now faced to two painted on eyes were watchhing her walk away.

She sat at the table and put the down down, taking a chain off of her neck.

"Apparently your mother really knows how to piss the never never off." she mused stringing the coin onto the chain. she reached into her hair, pricing herslef without showing him the blood.

She rubbed it around the surface of the coin before closing the clasp.

"Have you seen anything- deforemed- during the day? or only in your dreams?"

"If I'd seen something like that- I'd probably be a mental clinic now." He breathed out, and watched her- curious as to what she was doing. "Though I have seen that cat before." He tapped his finger lightly on the table for a moment- trying to remember where he'd last seen that mangy cat. At his home, at the market near his work- and at this shop. Hm.

"I dont know what my mother was up to, and I never cared- she was insane as far as Im concerned. I only took care of her, because no one else would. She's the black sheep of the family- now I am since I took 'pity' on her- or thats what they say." He then realized he was rambling, he bearly knew this woman- and he was practically telling her his life story.

She looked out the window. "She was insane huh...." She looked back to him. "Sad with sick people dont get the help they really need... things like this happen when they dont."

She held up the necklace. "This is for you." she said. "the smell of it should keep away any weaker creepers. The one after you might try to send a minion or messenger or two your way." she warned. "Wear it and at leastthey wont kill you."

She sipped her tea, tossing it over to his side of the table. it landed with a light 'bum' and stayed upright, cought in the doeily

"tonight your most likely going to be attacked, or followed at the verry least. Youve been in here- they smell magic on you- means it knows your trying to protect yourself... Translation- put up a fight."

She blew on the hot liquid making a face at it... too hot. "I woudl advise not sleeping at all. Lights dont scare off demons- it lets them know scare you more."

After running her finger oalong the edge of her cup a few times she looked back up at him. "I woudl sugest comming to see me first thing in the morning- or even before then if anythign like that does happen." she cut him off. "Trust me- youll know if something like that has happened."

He looked at the neckless, and then picked it up. "Thats comforting..." He mumbled, and let out a sigh as he stood up- ignoring the tea. "Well thanks." He put the neckless around his neck, if it was going to help- he might as well wear it. He pushed the chair in, and glanced back at the faceless picture. "Well I guess until next time." He waved with his pointer finger, and middle finger together- and walked towards the door to exit the store.

".... I really should have sent him to an exorcist..." she mused leaningback in her seat.

She haddnt even asked him to pay. why? well- she had pulled the hangged man...

"To see tihings from a diffrent point of view..." she mused aloud. "Im suposed to teach an idiot like that how to see?" she snorted. "Lovely... I hate you karma." she got up, lighting up another cigerette..... and started the clock.