Obscura Oddities (Yoshio/Open)

[jarahamee]

As far as anyone could see, the shop seemed to open overnight in a previously deserted and vandalized part of the block. One day, the plastered paper and graffiti vanished, replaced by a cheery little shop, with a front of tinted vintage glass, lettered in delicate gold on the front ‘Obscura Oddities and Curio.”

From the street, one could see a wide variety of vintage leatherbound novels, ancient-looking devices, stuffed and mounted heads, a vintage bicycle, a restored typewriter, and an ancient-looking phonograph in great condition. Beyond that, the inside of the shop appeared to be dimly lit, though if one looked through with great concentration, they could make out the outlines of a number of large shelves, and all manner of objects hanging from the walls and ceiling. Great bookshelves filled with thick and musty tomes, interspersed with golden platters, orbs and glowing baubles.

And unlike many shops, the shopkeeper did not appear to lurk about, watching for newcomers. In fact, the entire store seemed completely uninhabited, though clean. On the door the sign read “Open for Business.”

[qhostqrowls]

Kail had been vastly disappointed to find that his favorite underground pawn shop was closed - shut for the forseeable future, judging by the WDSA tape across the door. It had been seedy but reliable, which was exactly what he needed. No questions asked, and cash in hand for the jewelry he bought in. A shame it hadn't flown under the radar for longer. Human-run pawn shops were only viable options for one or two sales before they got suspicious or offput, and they irritated him to no end with their lowball offers and copious amounts of security cameras.

The wendigo took a deep drag of his cigarette, shoulders hunched as he skulked through the backstreets of the underground. He was making his way back to the surface, avoiding the busier streets and the trainline, which was crowded with agents more often than not.

A glint of gold caught his eye, and he glanced upwards with a furrowed brow. Obscura Oddities and Curio, he read, after a long minute of piecing the letters together. The shop hadn't been here when he'd last passed through the area. His pace slowed, faded sneakers scuffing against the pavement as he considered the building. It wouldn't hurt to nose around. The shop wasn't exactly in the squeaky-clean area of the underground, after all.

The door opened with a cheery chime, and the lean super slipped in with a guarded expression, hood up and around his face. He scented the air, the warm woody scent of antique furniture and books near overwhelming. The sharp tang of magic and citrusy spices twined around many of the items, and he cast a critical gaze over the nearest crowded shelf. If the owner wasn't open to buying off him, he'd be leaving as soon as possible. Everything looked curated and decidedly out of his budget. The aisles stretched endlessly ahead, and the wendigos thin pupils dilated as he glanced around for the shopkeeper.

[jarahamee]

The shop itself was deceptive in size; from the front it had appeared small, but within it seemed almost labyrinthine, opening up into various sections displaying shelves and shelves of old books, ornate-looking toys, outdated but beautiful devices, and furniture from eons past. The interior of the shop was gently lit with artfully chosen bulbs scattered amid the various decorum that hung from the ceiling, lending it a yellowish hue. While not claustrophobic, it certainly seemed like every inch of the available space was being utilized, and utilized very well in this case.

At a glance, the shop-keeper’s ancient desk appeared empty, adorned with a small automaton of two kittens on marionette strings. From where he stood, he could see the curtain behind the desk, likely leading to the storage portion of the store. If he chose to move to the rear of the building, an open door appeared to enter into a twilight hue courtyard-like space. Not exactly what one might expect from the outside. As soon as he might think the store was uninhabited, a voice picked up from around the desk.

"Can I help you, young man?”

While there had been no noise, or sign of entrance, the desk that had previously been quiet and empty now had a small figure behind it. A short, thin man wearing an antique-style suit leaned forward over the front, adjusting oval-shaped glasses as he read from what seemed to be some kind of ledger book. He held a pen daintily between gloved fingers and seemed more than happy writing within the tome here and there. He closed the book, and pushed it aside smoothly, gazing directly at Kail.

The man himself was of indeterminable age, pale-skinned and dark-haired. He could have been a teenager, he could have been twenty, thirty, maybe even forty. Had he not spoken, one might not have been able to determine his gender either. His dark eyes studied Kail without any sign of concern or fear, a slight smile upon his lips. This little man clearly was not concerned about theft or robbery in his residence.

[qhostqrowls]

Kail looked down the seemingly endless rows of shelves, but the owner was nowhere to be seen. He tapped the ash from his cigarette into an ornate golden ashtray, strolling languidly by the desk. The urge to pocket something while the shopkeeper was absent wasn't worth the risk of palming a cursed item, or pissing off the potentially powerful - and evidently very wealthy - supernatural.

He turned at the smooth voice, faintly surprised by the creature that stared back at him from behind the desk. He was more dainty than he'd expected - as fine featured and porcelain-skinned as the antique dolls scattered throughout the store. The man smelt faintly of ash, and despite his unassuming stature, his aura was one of the darkest Kail had ever seen.

The wendigo nodded in greeting with an sharp upwards tilt of his chin, unperturbed. A demon or evil spirit was exactly who he wanted to sell to - less qualms than benevolent supers.

"I hope so." He replied, shrugging his shoulder to re-adjust his backpack and pushing his hood back from his face. His dark hair fell around his shoulders as he skulked nearer. The little man seemed entirely unbothered by his delinquent demeanor, or his lit cigarette, and he already liked him for that. "I got some jewelry I was lookin' to sell. It's nice quality stuff. Antique and all that."

[jarahamee]

“Oh, well, we are always looking for new material here. Well, new-old material, if you know what I mean.”

The small man winked from his vantage point on the counter. His half-smile expression had not changed much since Kail first noticed him, except perhaps growing a little wider. When he spoke, Kail could see the suggestion of pointed teeth. His ethnicity was difficult to place, maybe he was Asian? He did not seem to have any accent that the wendigo could appreciate, though his oddly deep voice had a musical quality to it, and fluctuated slightly as he spoke. He placed both hands under his chin, apparently supporting his weight as he leaned forward, like a lovelorn girl.

“Did you bring them with you? I can do a quick assessment right now, if you’d like.”

He looked up at Kail through his eyelashes, in a way that would have seemed almost flirtatious if he didn’t know better. The gaze itself had a piercing quality, as if the strange little man had seen straight through his soul, and seen all the ugliness there. And then enjoyed it, like someone might a true crime show. There was a lazy sort of power to his posture as he invited him to bring his goods to his inspection.

“See anything that struck your fancy?”

He gestured broadly with one of his gloved hands towards the collection of antiques. His fingers were long and slender, and the motion had the power and direction of a stage actor. He was putting on a show, but for who, or what?

[qhostqrowls]

Kail half grinned as Yoshio gazed up at him, placing his bag on the desk with a heavy, deliberate thunk. His coquettish demeanor would have made him uncomfortable if it hadn't been for the piercing intensity of his gaze. The man wasn't flirting, he was sizing him up with a kind of knowing, idle fascination.

"'Course I did." he reached within, scooping out a leather pouch. The contents clattered against the polished wood of the desk as he upended it, revealing a sizeable pile of rings, bracelets and necklaces of varying rarity and quality. A fair few were simple gold bands - unmistakably wedding rings. The wendigo searched Yoshio's face, making no effort to explain how he'd procured the items.

"Take ya pick." He pushed the pile forwards with thin fingers, biting back a sudden, unexpected pang of regret. If Sjira had still been alive, he would've gifted it to him to add to his hoard. The look of wide-eyed joy on the dragons face had been priceless. Worth more than whatever he'd get in cash for the gold.

The wendigo made a non-committal noise in the back of his throat at Yoshio's question, glancing over his shoulder at the rows of items. Everything looked expensive and not particularly useful to him. Maybe this was his own dramatic way of revealing the real goods - gauging Kail's interests and desires. He felt it was fairly obvious he wasn't interested in vintage knick-knacks and dolls.

"Nah, nothing yet. That ashtray maybe. But I'd be doing it a disservice, anyhow. I ain't one for the finer things in life." He grinned widely, his pointed fangs gleaming in the twinkling light of the shop. It cast deep shadows over the hollows of his cheeks and sharpened his features. His antlers and claws weren't out, but there was an inherent, lean hungriness to him that was unmistakably predatory.

He was watching the demon expectantly, but not suspiciously, the smoke from his cigarette curling gently upwards. He knew, roughly, how much the items were worth, and was curious to see what the demon would offer - and which pieces he'd pick. Sometimes the ugliest necklace of the lot would turn out to be the most valuable, made by a certain coveted designer or century. That, he had no clue of. As long as the price was fair, he'd be satisfied.

[jarahamee]

“Oh, a few choice pieces here. You know, there’s a little devil across the road who might accept some of the ornaments that I cannot take, for fair prices of course.”

Yoshio gestured broadly across the street at a small shop one might not have known was there, nestled between a coffee shop and a bookstore. His gaze was distant for a moment, as if seeing through the far wall, before returning to the matter at hand. He reached under the desk and brought out a large, flat drawer with a sort of soft bottom coating, placing it carefully on the table before drawing out an antique-looking magnifying glass set. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and then moved to inspect the jewelry before him one by one. Here and there, he seemed to find some items of particular interest, ignoring some pieces for others. A few he muttered over softly, until he selected one that seemed to catch his eye.

“A rare one. We are indeed blessed today. Almost a hundred years old. Where did you find such a thing? I swear, the Victorians would be proud of a find like this.”

The doll-like man hummed to himself, placing the ring in a separate pile before picking up one of the bracelets. A plain band, nothing obviously special about it. One of the most ordinary he was offered, actually. He spun it about like a hula hoop on a single finger, before examining its detailing more closely. He grinned slightly.

“Oh, authentic Italian jewelry. Good quality white gold. The old owner must have been… kind-hearted... It has a sort of sadness about it. I like this one too.”

The devil went through several items in the stash like so, using a finger to sift through. It became apparent before long that there was more than the material worth of the jewelry that he was interested in. The way his eyes glittered. The way he gushed over certain items, and knew far too much about the previous owners. He seemed consumed with his current tasks for a time, at least until he seemed satisfied with his findings. And then, as if remembering he had a guest, he peered back up at the Wendigo.

“How rude how rude of me! I should tell you my name! My name is Yoshio Sano, you can call me either Yoshio, or Mr. Sano. We’re friends now. Tell me, what do you want?”

Kail had the certain sense that he wasn’t necessarily talking about how much money. He stuck out a gloved hand as if to offer a handshake.

[qhostqrowls]

Kail watched the demon pick through the array of jewelry with a detached interest, leaning against the desk and smoking all the while. He could never tell which ones would be chosen, and half smiled at his question. He'd had to snap the finger off the corpse to get the ring. It looked like it had been worth the effort.

"Lucky find at an estate sale." He said smoothly. "Thought it looked expensive."

The next piece Yoshio chose came as more of a surprise. The bracelet was unremarkable in his eyes, and could have come from any number of mugged or murdered victims. He simply nodded at the comment, and continued to watch the shopkeeper work. 

It was only by the fourth pointed comment that it clicked. An elegant piece for an elegant neck, Yoshio said. He'd slashed the girls throat - he remembered how his claws had caught on the fine golden chain. He knew who each piece had come from, and evidently how they died, too.

The revelation didn't worry him. Yoshio was clearly enamored by certain pieces. But it did make him listen more closely, and watch the demon more carefully. Supernatural's with that kind of omnipotence deserved a certain level of respect. He straightened when the demons attention turned back to him, his pale eyes narrowing as he smiled.

"Pleased to make ya acquaintance, Yoshio." His handshake was firmly confident, and with a lean kind of strength behind it. "I'm Kail. And all I want is a decent price for these items."

The cannibal didn't have many material desires. Objects meant little to him if they were not of practical use, if they did not aid him in his constant, unending hunt for flesh. What he truly wanted was to stop the constant hunger, but he accepted it as the curse it was. It was the price he payed for his supernatural abilities. But he also knew the demon wasn't just talking about the value of the jewelry.

He wanted his pack back, but necromancy of any kind never had the desired results. Next on his list was revenge - a long list of names he intended to scratch out before he left the city.

"Unless you've got a weapons section out back." His tone was light and joking, but there was a serious, subtle note of enquiry beneath it. "I hunt frequently. My normal quarry I can handle." A knowing nod towards the pile of gold on the desk between them. "But certain prey can be difficult to hunt, these days. Dangerous."

Hunters and the WDSA had an unending supply of new tricks and modern weapons at their disposal. If they could use them, why couldn't he?

[jarahamee]

“I’ll give you the funds these pieces are worth, never fear, but the… special equipment I offer comes with special pricing. Still, I might have some things within your range that might interest you.”

Yoshio moved the pieces he had selected smoothly to one side, then scrunched himself up onto his stool to give him a better vantage point as he worked. From the space below the desk, he drew a golden abacus, setting it before him with dramatic flare. He then sliding the colorful beads along their wires as he made his calculations. His expression changed subtly as he worked through each piece, humming softly to himself, as if he found the occasion mildly amusing by itself. The feel of each item, very rich. Certainly worth its share of cash.

When he finished whatever accounted for his calculation, he pushed his abacus aside, and delivered the sum total to Kail, writing it down on a neat receipt stub. All and all, a good deal more than he would have gotten individually from a pawn shop he took them too, but less than if he had accepted the entire hoard. The devil waited for Kail’s response with a slight smile on his face, as if wondering what he’d do or say to such a statement.

“Now, for the…items you are interested in. What sort of equipment do you have experience with?”

The devil leaned forward, waiting eagerly with a slightly cocked head. Many, many things qualified as weapons of one sort or another. There was so much he could offer, and yet, it was always best to limit such things to items that his new friend was capable of using. He touched his chin as he considered, looking down at the tray of jewelry idly.

[qhostqrowls]

Kail took the receipt with a grin, glancing down at the sum. It took him a second to decipher the numbers, but he pocketed it with a nod, scooping the remaining jewelry back into his bag. A fair price indeed. He could pawn the lower quality stuff elsewhere, but he was evidently satisfied with the amount Yoshio decided on.

"A bit of everything." The man shrugged, staring down at the demon with the same lazy grin in place. "I'm best with rifles, long range weapons. I'm a good shot with a bow...but I'm looking for something more modern. Quiet, too. Would prefer if you've got something discreet, ya know?"

It took effort to not ask for something explosive or showy. As fun as they were, they were no good on serious hunts. Bought too much attention, left too much damage.

It crossed his mind that he could ask for an entirely different item. Something that could fire-proof him, or at least lessen the damage flame wrought upon his kind. He had no idea what Yoshio stocked, and he wasn't about to share his weaknesses just yet.

"But you're the expert. Why dontcha show me what you've got back there?"

[jarahamee]

Yoshio’s eyes glinted, and he looked back into the back of his store, as if in consideration. Between both curtains yawned an ominous void. As he stared into the darkness, Kail could feel a change in air pressure, perhaps the slightest wind blowing the small man’s dark hair. Suddenly, he hopped off the table and then stepped inside, seeming to disappear into the back of his shop.

The light above Kail flickered, ever so slightly, and the objects hanging from the ceiling brushed against one another with a gentle tickling. Before too long, Yoshio re-emerged, carrying a double set of trays, decked with various objects. He pulled something out from behind the desk, where Kail could not see it, and put the tray down, before hopping back on the stool.

“I’ve found a few things that might interest you. Hm, hm… What about… this!”

In a moment, Yoshio brandished a beautiful and ornate rifle from behind the desk, offering it towards Kail. The rifle appeared to be very old, and seemed to be made of handcrafted wood and iron. It seemed well-kept, beautifully polished, and had an aura of real power about it.

“This… might be an item for you… Seven shots. The first six are yours, the last is mine. All will hit their targets.”

The devil smirked with satisfaction at the thought, his grin splitting his expression in an unpleasant way. Then had a thought. Someone with his Hunter’s spirit probably wouldn’t want something that did the job for him. What about something that he had more use for? He glanced down at the rifle, and then put it down on the table.

“Come to think of it, the price might be a little high. What about… this?”

He drew out a wicked, wave-bladed dagger, a Kris, making an arcing movement with his blade in a semicircle. The manner that he wielded the weapon seemed to indicate that he had some experience using it. Or perhaps he just knew how to make things look neat.

“It allows a man to fight at full power, even if he is injured and dying, by drinking the blood of his opponent. A mighty weapon to be held in the right hands.”

[qhostqrowls]

Kails eyes lit up as Yoshio held the rifle out to him, holding the gun carefully. It was a beautiful weapon, and he ran an appreciative hand along the length of the muzzle, feeling the prickle of power beneath his fingers. He handed it back as the demon explained its abilities, mulling it over. Yoshio was right - it took the fun from the hunt, but there were certainly times he could use a bullet that never missed.

"Yeah, sure looks expensive." He mused, eyeing the next item with the same interest as Yoshio waved it elegantly about. A dagger. He shrugged a shoulder as the man spoke. Blood drinking - not always possible, or palatable, depending on the species he was fighting.

"It's a real nice blade, but I dunno. Don't think its the weapon for me."

He watched Yoshio closely, pale eyes flat and wolfish in the dim light of the shop. He liked the rifle more, but any of the two would doubtlessly be deadly in his hands. Magical items like this were hard to come by.

[jarahamee]

“Oh, I think you misunderstand. You don’t have to drink the blood, it does it for you and absorbs the powers.”

He seemed satisfied enough with the consideration, however, and placed the gun carefully on the table. Almost cartoonishly, he disappeared under the countertop again, fishing around. Kail heard movement beneath, clattering and thumping, before Mr. Sano drew out another weapon, a huge, curved sword this time;

“This one, cuts through the enemy as if he were nothing, but also cannot be sheathed until it has drawn blood.”

The devil’s expression was sly, gaze distant, as if he was recalling a memory of the weapon’s past. As he presented the weapon, his slim hand patted the blade, whose handle was beautiful and ornate. Kail could feel the pure power of the weapon even through the sheath. This was a sword that great beings had wielded, and was compelled by mighty purpose, or perhaps, a destiny.

Putting the sword aside, Yoshio hesitated, and then, from below the counter, he popped up a tassled spear as long as he was tall. By tip and make, the spear appeared to be one that someone could use in close combat, as well as for throwing. The handle and blade were ornately designed, etched in elegant gold.

“Ah, and this, a spear that fights on its own. Can only be stopped if its head is immersed in poppy juice! A very useful weapon indeed, ended a great battle long ago.”

He then pulled out the last item. What appeared to be a small ivory and gold handgun, and a set of six bullets. The design was antique in make. It looked similar to guns that Kail might have seen a hundred years ago, each bullet transcribed with some kind of writing, and seemed to be made of a different sort of metal.

“Be careful with these. This is simply a gun that shoots enchanted bullets. Each one is unique, and aimed at a certain kind of target. Like this one…”

Yoshio tapped at one of the bullets carefully and there was a soft hiss, like an egg frying after the contact when he did so. While the bullet obviously caused him some kind of harm, his expression was unchanged, as smug as ever, dark eyes studying Kail.

“This bullet, effective against unholy beings. This one, best used on mankind, and this one, poisons those of divine origin. Beautifully, efficient, not particularly sportsman-like, but you do need good aim.”

[qhostqrowls]

Kail regarded each new weapon with the same eagerness he had the first, but it was the last that truly caught his interest. It looked similar - albeit much more ornate - to one he’d owned a century ago. He made a noise of appreciation, eyeing up each bullet.

“Niiice. I really like this.” He picked the gun up, looking it over with a keen eye. Good range, beautiful make. With the variety of enemies he had, something with this much diversity would doubtlessly come in useful.

“What about the other bullets?” He queried, looking back into Yoshios dark eyes. The man must be a demon, if that bullet was the one to harm him. They could be deceitful. He’d have to outline the price carefully if he did choose this one to ensure there wasn’t any fine print.

He was a little torn between the gun and the knife, now Yoshio had clarified his misunderstanding. Full strength with only a drop of blood on the blade. But he’d wanted something longer distance. He had enough knives as it was.

[jarahamee]

Yoshio’s eyes gleamed slightly at Kail’s interest in the Catalan pistol. His slim fingers caressed the barrel as he looked over it lazily, before handing it over neatly to the wendigo to examine further. He did not seem perturbed about the proximity of the bullets to Kail. Maybe he was a trusting sort, or perhaps, he felt he had nothing to fear from an encounter like this. Regardless, he folded his arm downwards both with a certain sort of deliberateness and drama, and redirected his eyes downward.

“This one, useful against were-creatures, this one, against elementals, and the last, most useful against beasts of any sort.”

The devil paused, lifting his chin up as he watched Kail’s expression, waiting for him to make a decision. He leaned in, picking up one of the bullets, the one for Beasts, before rolling it into his hand. There were ways to make more bullets, but the gun did its duty amplifying their power. He found such weapons satisfying in a multitude of different ways.

“If, somehow, you run out of bullets, I can always procure some more for you.”

The devil’s grin became wry, as if challenging him to use it against more than six supers. He wondered, personally, if Kail was the sort to do so.