Description: Objective: Scamming sympathetic visitors for donations. Obstacle: One visitor that's savy to her antics. Alias: Miko-san. Summary: Nothing like preying on the sentimental traditionalists. Setting up a charade at an abandoned shrine, Ayame has a pretty easy thing going for a while. But when a 'prior client' of hers shows up, the girl is suddenly stuck having to work really hard to make a couple of bucks. It's worse than having a real job!
Those who have lived in Southtown for a long while no doubt know of the old shrine in the northern district of the city. Up on a hill overlooking a lazy street, the building has stood for a long time. Asking around would reveal almost no one knows who it belonged to or why the property hasn't been bulldozed down to make room for another high rise of condos or an expensive office building. The property value must certainly be astronomical.
Yet year after year it has stood, neglected, slowly decaying. Hosting fights or sheltering those seeking refuge from a passing storm. At times it has listened to desperate prayers or watched over the troubled soul in need of peace and tranquility.
This bright, sunny afternoon, however, things seem to have changed. At the base of the hill, where the long flight of stone steps begin, a bright sign has been erected, announcing a Grand Reopening of the shrine everyone thought abandoned. Have family members returned to claim it? Has an ancient clan resurfaced to purchase the property? Maybe it's a business venture...?
At the top of the hill, where the stairs empty into the old courtyard, is none other than Ayame. Dressed very much like a traditional miko, replete with the white top and red hakama, she waits near the top of the stairs, talking with anyone who will come by to see what all the hubbub is about. The old place looks a little better than most remember it. The courtyard swept of dead leaves, and even the shrine itself dusted. The roof is still decaying and many of the plants have overgrown their planters... The place still needs a lot of work, but it's looking up a bit.
Next to the seemingly gregarious girl is a wooden box atop a stand. A sign reads 'Donations'. Ayame is speaking with a middle aged man at the moment, gesturing around the courtyard with emphatic cheer, her expression bright. Every so often she gestures back toward the donation box, however, kindly explaining how every little bit helps with the restoration project. The man begrudgingly deposits a single bill and then heads on his way back down the stairs. Ayame scowls a little. "Cheapskate," she mutters, folding her arms and looking very un-miko-like for a moment. It passes, however as another guest makes her way back toward the stairs after having spent some time looking around the courtyard. Ayame gets in her way, blocking off the stairs, as she starts into the same spiel again, waving her hand toward the donation box. No one is getting out of here without donating, dangit!!
It isn't often that Sergio gets a date here in Southtown. ...hey, stop laughing! It's not -his- fault, you know. In Europe he was a complete success, but there's something about this place that just completely cramps his style. Probably the fact that the female population seems to be 90% minors. But it seems that today Sergio has overcome his woes, and has actually managed to land a date. She's a Japanese woman of middling height, which makes her look like a doll next to Sergio, wearing chic clothes and a metropolitan attitude. Just the thing for someone like the Italian. Oh, and she's hot too.
But even modern women can have a powerful sense of tradition, and when she sees the sign she tugs on Sergio's shoulder and points to it. "Well would you look at that? Someone's finally decided to do something about that poor shrine. Why don't we go and take a look?"
Uh oh, this doesn't mean she's religious, does she? That might be a bit of a problem... but probably not too much of one. Being good natured about it, Sergio looks at the sign, "You don't say? Can't say I've known about it since I've only been here a few months, but it's good to see someone fixin' it up."
"Oh that's right, you just moved here haven't you?" A smile, "That settles it, then. If you've never been to a Shrine before we simply must go and look."
That's not a good sign, not good at all! What kind of fun can you have on a date to a /church/? A forced smile, "Haha, alright." And with that, two more visitors begin marching up the stairs.
Ayame has a difficult one on her hands. The woman clearly wants to get down the stairs, but the stubborn miko continues to block her path while trying to look like that isn't exactly her intent to do just that. Finally she gets what she's looking for and the woman relents, pulling a coinpurse out of her pocket and withdrawing a few bills that she shoves into the miko's hands. Ayame steps out of the way and waves happily after the woman, cheerful smile on her face again.
She counts the bills, mentally adding them to the tally already collected today stowed safely in the donation box. She then slips them in through the small slot right beneath an arrow on the sign that says 'Your donations can help!'
So far not a bad gig, Ayame muses. The set up was a bother, but the returns look like they might be worth it. And hey, here comes more. It looks like a couple. They're the best, especially if they're dating. Gives men a chance to look generous, after all. Ayame smiles to herself, thoughts of how well her scheme is working filling her mind as she waits for the new arrivals ascend. Wow, that guy is really tall. And... really... familiar.
Ayame blanches. She recognizes Sergio. She has a mind for remembering things and she certainly wouldn't forget the poor Italian she tried to mug last week of all people. Mayday, mayday! The faux miko turns around and moves a little way from the stairs, her back toward the new arrivals as she stares intently at, well, the wall.
Trying to rob Sergio to make up for her failure last time would be great, but that's going to ruin her entire scam if it doesn't go smoothly. And things have not historically gon smoothly when the tall foreigner factors in.
To Sergio the view he sees when he reaches the top of the stairs is a rather bland one. It's some old buildings, a lawn, some trees, and a box asking for money. ...this pretty much sums up Sergio's thoughts on churches and the like in general- a musty old building and a collection box. To his date, however, it's the most charming little thing she ever did see. "Oh, wow! They did such a good job on cleaning this up. The last I saw it was a complete mess." No comment is made on the state of the building itself, however. Think positive!
"Yea, it must have been a real wreck, if no one took care of it for so long." Not the most observant of statements, but then he simply wants this portion of the date to come to it's inevitable conclusion of him shoving some paltry amount of cash in the box and leaving. Unfortunately, his date has other plans.
Up until now Ayame has gone under the radar- loose Miiko clothing doesn't attract Sergio's attention, and has no significance to him. But things are about to get complicated, as his date addresses her, "Good afternoon, Miiko-san. I'm so glad to see that someone is finally taking care of this poor old shrine. Things are going well, I hope?"
Sergio does his best to look interested, but when his date moves over and addresses the young woman's back he takes a moment for himself to shake his head and sigh.
Ayame keeps studying that wall. It's a great wall. Stood the test of time. Held back the... well, the forest for decades. Nice wall. Interesting wall. Erk! She's addressed! Which probably shouldn't come as a surprise. For all the todo about a restoration project, Ayame is the only one in sight that looks to be remotely connected to the upkeep of an old Shinto shrine, so it makes sense to speak with her if one is remotely interested in the place...
Ayame breaths in as she's addressed. Ignoring the woman would stand out. She can't really do that. Maybe Sergio won't recognize her in this get up. It was dark when she attacked him, after all. Raising her voice a half a pitch to try and sound different from the girl Sergio would remember, Ayame turns around, bowing her head, allowing her long hair to down around her face in an effort to avoid detection.
"Thank you, honored visitor," the pleasant, if a bit squeaky miko replies, hands clasped together in front of her. "The restoration project has only just started, but I believe that we will be able to make some great headway." She can't help herself. She really shouldn't. But she does. "Every little donation helps, i-if it wouldn't be too much to ask, of course."
She chances a quick glance up in Sergio's direction before bowing her head again, perhaps wanting to get a fix on his location and make sure he isn't about to come at her. Fortunately, she did pick up on his disinterest from the sound of his voice moments ago. Hopefully he tries to get out of her as soon as possible, Ayame grouses.
"You've done a very good job so far. I'm sure that by the time you're done the shrine will look just like new." She's so optimistic, isn't she? But Sergio sure wishes it could be him she's chatting happily with. That's one of the main things you do on a -date- after all, talk to the person you're with. He isn't completely forgotten, however, but in this case he'd almost rather be. The woman laughs at the final comment, "I'm sure we'll be able to come up with at least a little something to help out. Right?" This last question is spoken in the direction of Sergio.
Of course it was expected, but it's still no less annoying. "Yep. I'm sure we'll be able to make a donation." Grrr. All this has so far kept Sergio somewhat occupied, but at this point he now wants to see who it is he's going to be shelling the cash out too. To his surprise he finds that whoever is underneath that clothing appears to be both female and good looking. But with a voice that high... jailbait. Damn. Oh well, 90% of the women here are, anyway. Besides, he's already on a date, not that you could tell. Despite this, he can still tell when something just isn't right. There's just something off about that girls manners. And the way she hides her face with her hair... Maybe she's got horrible burn scars on her face? He shudders a little- have to leave the lights off if that was the case.
He should try to show some interest, though. If he's too uninterested his date will probably see it as a bad thing, considering how interested she seems. "So, uh, can you show us around?" He grins slightly, "I've never been to one of these 'shrines' before, so it'd be a really big help..."
As Sergio's traditionalist date turns to him to speak about leaving a donation, Ayame winces, brow furrowing. Why did she do that? She wants them to just go away. There's easier people to pester for money that don't happen to pack the kind of punch Sergio does, after all.
She bows her head toward him as he mentions making a donation, however, chancing another glance up from her bowed position to take a look at him. Is he really still fooled? He hasn't caught on, it seems like. In fact, it seems like... hey, is he looking her over? Ayame bows her head again, just wishing for this to be over with as soon as possible. Leave a bill, head on your way, get on with it already, she has plenty of other people to scam!
But then the dreaded thing happens. He asks to be shown around. Ayame says nothing for a long moment. Of course other people have asked for tours, and she's given them. But they weren't people who she tried to mug in a dark alley before! Think fast, think fast. Say something smart to get out of this. "Okay!" Doh, that's not thinking fast!!
Ayame cringes, maybe even visibly so. Why is she slipping up so bad around this guy, she chides herself. Maybe because he already bested her once and even called her bluffs as well when it came down to it. People like that are dangerous to the no good thief and con artist. Breathing in, she decides to try and make the best of it. Maybe it can be a short, crappy tour.
"This way please." Her hand extends, gesturing to the side toward an old board mounted atop two wooden posts. All over the two vertical surfaces of the board are a number of small metal hooks. Hanging from some fo the metal hooks are small wooden tablets with inscriptions on them. "This is a stand of wishes," the girl speaks, her voice lower than it was at first. She coughs, pounding her chest as if clearing her throat, then continues in the same higher voice as before. "Traditionally, when this shrine was open, visitors would inscribe their hopes on wooden tablets then come hang them from this stand before going inside to pay their respects..."
"What a wonderful idea, I'm glad you thought of it, Sergio." The woman walks back over to the Itallian and hooks one arm around his. Perfect, now even if they're going for a wonderful walk in a shrine they're at least doing it together.
The man does seem ignorant of the identity of the Miiko thus far, either that or he's just trying to make her squirm. He grins a bit as his date rejoins him, following after Ayame as she begins to move. Well, at least if they're following her they're looking at her back and her face is safe from viewing, right? "Stand of wishes, huh? Hmm... I wonder what most people would wish for at a place like this?" ...you can probably guess what he'd put.
"I think I'd wish to get my promotion. I've been working so hard..."
"Really? Huh, guess it might not be the kind of wishing I was thinking of." Sergio states.
"Oh? What would you wish for?"
"...Hahaha, I'll tell you later!" His voice gives hint of what he might be thinking of, and the woman speaks up no longer. "I guess we should probably go inside next, then." Uh oh, that sounded dull, quick, ask a question to be interesting! "So, uh, how long have you been a-" Crap, what is it that she's called? "Nun?"
His date laughs, "No, not a nun, a shrine maiden."
Ayame's eyebrow twitches as Sergio and his date discuss wishes and she has to listen to Sergio's implied wish as well. Yesh. This guy is really hamming it up. But the woman with him seems to like his style of humor so maybe they're a good match for each other. "Traditional wishes were for good health, prosperity, and the like." the friendly miko tour guide explains. The inscriptions on the old, splintered tablets still hanging there are far too gone to read anyway.
The girl starts to move on from the stand of wishes toward a large, thick trunked tree occupying a large portion of the courtyard. "I'd show you the inside, but I'm afraid it isn't quite ready yet," she explains. Which is to say, it's a mess in there. Dust and debris from various wanderers who have stayed within the old building in times past. Ayame hadn't felt like cleaning that up herself. She isn't someone's maid, after all! "But over here we have..." she gestures toward the tree, its trunks surrounded by the traditional holy straw ropes one might see decorating any Shinto temple. Her voice fades at the question about how long she's been a nun. Smooth Sergio, real smooth.
"Ah, I was born into it, actually. My family has maintained another temple for many years." For once, the girl is speaking truth, and that makes it all the easier to rattle off the tale. "So from the time I was very young, I've been raised and trained for this sort of thing." she continues, slowly losing track of keeping her voice off pitch for the purposes of identity concealment, too caught up in reminiscing about her own background.
"But now my family is interested in fixing up this shrine as well, and here I am! More will be around later today, but for now, it's just me." She stands up straighter, hands resting at her hips as she exhales, feeling pretty good about having handled that story!
"Yea, that makes sense." Typical stuff you'd pray for at a church, yadda yadda. Sergio isn't a very religious guy, so he sort of shrugs it off. "Can't go inside? That's too bad." He even managed to make it sound half sincere! He looks over towards the tree, which he can't find anything special at all about on his own, but then Ayame begins speaking about her past. Sergio's date listens with rapt attention, while he simply stands there and congratulates himself for coming up with something that will at least amuse his date.
As the story goes on, however, Ayame may notice a change in him. First he tenses, and his eyes narrow slightly. Then he looks at Ayame far closer than he did the first time- focusing on her face rather than her body. Then, finally, he griiiiiiiins at her. "Oh wow, what an /amazing/ story. I didn't know people were raised into something like that. It must have taken a /lot/ of dedication and determination to learn everything that you have." At the moment he is suddenly much, much more interested than he was before, though the tiniest, itsy bitsiest little hint of sarcasm has crept into his voice, though his date doesn't notice. She seems to take his words at face value.
"Hmm..." He rubs at his chin thoughtfully, "There must be so many people that want to help out. I mean, here you are spending your whole life to do this job and now you're going to repair this poor, run down shrine. They must be just /lining up/ to make donations for this /wonderful/ cause."
Just think, skipping going inside just means a shorter tour. Sooner the misery ends and Sergio can get back to his date! The girl seems to relax, maybe feeling more and more comfortable. Maybe she thinks by now that since he hasn't recognized her he isn't going to. It was a somewhat dark night and a poorly lit alley in which their altercation took place after all. Maybe she'll just luck out and not have to deal with him more forcefully...
She's speaking with the woman with him when he starts to catch on, however, so she misses the initial shift in focus on his part. Her eyes shift back toward him as he begins to grin broadly and address her again. Her cheeks blush red as she clasps her hands shyly behind her back, rocking on her toes a little, "W-well, it isn't that special. I..." Dedication and dtermination. Uh, yeah. "I was merely doing what I was brought up to. It isn't the life for everyone, but for me it is what I know and what I enjoy." She seems to rattle off the BS comfortably, missing the first hints of sarcasm.
But then Sergio ponders, rubbing his chin, and the sarcasm in his voice becomes a little more evident. Enough so that Ayame is catching on. Her oh so gentle, brown eyes focus on his face as she weighs the change in tone. It becomes clear that she figures out that she's had as the girl blinks a couple of times. The entire operation is at risk right now but she thinks she can salvage it. Sergio has a weakness here, after all. His date. He might even follow Ayame's thinking as her attention flickers over to the woman with him for a moment before focusing again on the Italian, a very faint, knowing smile crossing her lips.
"Indeed, honored guests," she continues after only a brief pause. "Generous donations like the one you are going to make are important to keep religious sites like this kept up. There isn't a lot of money in government grants for this kind of undertaking. Thus it honors me to know that you will be contributing to help out. Every bit helps." He might catch the twitch at the edge of her lip as she maintains that gentle expression ever so carefully. After all, with the woman at his side, she might be able to put him in a tough bind if she plays her cards right...
Sergio's rather glad he's met Ayame before- if it wasn't for his previous encounter with her he'd probably have bought this as much as anyone. Of course he intended to make a 'generous contribution' the whole time, even if it's annoying, but now he's made a decision. He's definitely going to be paying up- there's no getting out of it. He's trapped, unless he wants to act in a way that's unexplainable to the woman he's with. At least, not explainable quickly enough to salvage the date if something does go wrong.
So what does this mean? First is that he's going to have to get the money back later, and he's sure he can manage that -somehow-. Second is that he's going to try to make her just /squirm/ before he finally does shell out the cash. If he can, that is. So far she seems to have managed to squirm her way out of any sense of embarrassment by turning the tables on him.
"Doing what you were brought up to do?" Sergio grins again, "You know, Miiko-san, I think you've got that one exactly right." He then scratches under his chin a little, "I guess the government would be stingy about things like this, but that's why people like us are here, to give money to poor old shrines like this one. Right?" He smiles down to his date, who nods her head in the affirmative. She's completely oblivious to the entire situation, it seems. "So, what is it that you were going to say about that tree? I think I'd like to know /everything/ about this little shrine, maybe I can think up way to help. Every little bit helps, after all." He then gives a shrug and pats his date on the shoulder, "Besides, I'm goin' to be here for a time to come, so I might as well get to know the culture!"
Shamelessly, Ayame nods in response to Sergio's initial words. Good, she thinks. He knows she's got him here. For him to try and catch her in the act would ruin his chances with the woman at his side. There's just no good way to spin picking on a shrine maiden at an old, run down shrine, no matter how much she absolutely deserves it.
"As I said," she interjects as he smiles to the woman at his side, "Only by the generocity of others can we get by. And this particular site is in need of a lot of charity." No shame. No reservations. The girl doesn't seem to mind going along with him when she thinks she's the one in control. But then he pushes her about the tree she had lead them over to and Ayame is caught off guard for a moment. After all, she had expected him to try and just pay up and slip free as quickly as possible now that he's figured out the con. That he wants to hear more not just about the tree but about everything at the shrine, Ayame is beginning to question just how much control she's got right now.
The oh so humble miko bows a little, eyes staring at the ground as she tries to rethink the direction things are going. But by the time she stands up straight again, she seems to have recovered her composure. "Yes, well," she looks at Sergio pointedly though her mouth maintains a convincingly friendly smile. "This rope around the tree is a ward. The rope itself, called a shimenawa, is tied in a very specific manner and the strips of folded rice paper hanging from it are called gohei."
Her smile broadens a little as if she thinks she's beating him at his own ploy. "They indicate the presence of the gods or tree spirits. Such trees are believed to house beneficent, sacred souls, and are marked as such so that no one cuts them down and risks angering the gods." She waves her hand with a gesture toward the courtyard at large. "Sometimes similar markings are hung over doorways or beneath arches and entryways. They symbolize the transition between the mundane and the spiritual. More will be set up with time."
She clasps her hands behind her back again, very pleased with the fluid and all together accurate response. The truth of the matter is that she grew up living and breathing this stuff. While her present live would hardly suggest it, the girl is quiet fluent in temple rituals and customs. A fact that she is happy to lord of Sergio, judging by her expression.
But then she sees something on the other side of him. Another couple having arrived via the stairs. They look well to do, dressed in fancy clothing, the man wearing expensive sunglasses. Ayame glances back at Sergio and his date, then back toward the new arrivals. The desire to ditch these two and start working on the other couple is almost palpable. At last the girl squirms a little. "There aren't a lot of other portions quite yet in presentable conditions... I mean, I-" she cuts herself off, wavering as to how she might best escape without sounding rude... "-I mean, I would be happy to answer any questions you have." Her eyes dart toward the other two by the stairs as they wander right past her donation box. Grrr!!
"Sacred trees that can't be cut down without angering the gods? Well I'd never have figured that out if I hadn't been told, haha!" The tall man looks down to his date, "And that rope has to be tied in just the right way too." For Sergio's benefit, the woman seems entirely captivated by all this as well.
"I've always known this was all very intricate, but never to this extent." She laughs softly, and walks a little closer to get a better look at the tree. While she does so Sergio follows Ayame's eyes right over to the rich couple. That couldn't have been better timed if he'd planned it himself! And it looks like she's all but trapped herself into playing her part. Besides, if she's rude to him now the other couple will surely see, and who's going to donate to the shrine kept by a rude maiden?
The problem for Sergio is that he really doesn't have a clue about the shrine, and nothing about it is of any actual interest. That leaves him in a bit of a pickle as to what sort of questions he should ask. He could try and get more information about the rice paper on the tree, but that might end up boring his date, and if that happens it's game over anyway. Hmm... "You will? Great! I'm glad to hear it, I'm sure there's all kinds of things to know about the shrine." Quick, Sergio, think of something interesting to ask! "So there's probably something significant to those clothes you've got on, right?" ...at least he didn't call her a nun again.
Ayame begins to realize something. The more she plays along due to being stuck answering his questions, the more she's actually /helping/ him. The woman at his side is eating this up, and she clearly must be impressed by Sergio's sincere interests in her cultural heritage as demonstrated by his enthusiastic questions for the girl stuck answering him.
She smiles politely at the woman as she takes a closer look at the rope. It has been tied perfectly in line with tradition, even the intricately folded paper streamers are just as they are meant to be. Ayame remembers well the lessons of years ago, even if she's done nothing but run from that life ever since except when it's convenient, it would seem.
Sergio sounds excited at the chance to ask more questions, but Ayame flashes him a skeptical glare, as if daring him to try and come up with anything interesting to ask. Surely he can't drag this out too long or he'll be trying his own patience and perhaps lose the interest of his date. But then he pops yet another question and Ayame forces a strained smile. "Y-yes, of course."
Another glance is cast toward the new arrivals before she focuses back on Sergio. "The style is traditional wear for a miko. It doesn't signify anything specific for the most part so much as it is merely the custom. Colors and details may vary from shine to shrine, including ribbons, extra bands, patterns around the hems..." She holds up the lengthy, baggy shoulder of her opposite arm as she continues, "The white represents purity." There's irony for you. "But the red doesn't have a specific meaning attached to it and the color of the hakama might vary from place to place as well. Though even today, red is the most common hue."
She glances to the side then. The other couple is already meandering back toward the stairs as if having seen all they needed to. Without the young miko there to distract and delay them, there really is precious little to look at atop the hill besides a run down building surrounded by an old wall.
Ayame's eyebrow twitches just a little as she lifts her left arm, pushing back the white sleeve to reveal a very modern looking digital watch that she glances at briefly. Sergio might even notice the small kunai sheathed within the sleeve. Looks like she isn't without her weapons no matter what kind of innocent face she's trying to present. "Oh my," she remarks, "It looks like time has flown by so fast." A glance is made toward the woman with Sergio then back toward Sergio as she rests one hand lightly against her cheek thoughtfully.
"I would hate to consume all of your time today... A-ah, I'll be here all week, mind, if you wanted to come find out more later as well."
It's not lost on Sergio that it might actually be to his benefit to appear as interested as possible, with his date being so much so herself. Of course he'd rather have just never have stepped foot upon this shrine and just gone and had a wonderful dinner with her, but you've got to learn to roll with the punches and make the best of a situation. The woman seems duly impressed with the intricate rope, and then returns after looking over it, just in time to hear the answer to Sergio's question. "If you went by popular media alone you'd never know that there were hakama other than red. I didn't know that myself."
And then the situation seems to become even more desperate for the young con artist, as the prime mark appears to be heading off. All he'll have to do is stall her for just a little longer and he can consider this mission accomplished and get out of here. Hopefully with as long as he's stalled his date will be satisfied. "Ah, well I might but considering that I've been here months and this is my first visit you never know when I'd be able to get back. Besides, why waste an opportunity to get help from someone as knowledgeable and willing to answer questions as you." A grin goes along with that.
The knife isn't missed, but at this point Sergio doesn't feel very threatened by it, if she does pull it out she'll lose all credibility in a flash. He has to come up with another question, but he thinks he's come up with a good one. "So this is a 'Shinto' shrine, right? What is Shinto? People come here to pray, but who is it they're praying to?" Sum up your entire religion- that should take her a while.
By now the girl is starting to sweat. Not from fear of being able to answer the questions. She can do that, regurgitating lessons from her childhood without the slightest effort. But every minute she spends with Sergio is another opportunity lost elsewhere. Besides, it means for the moment she's lost control and she hates that. Just knowing that right now she's stuck listening to his faux interest and forced to answer with her fake sincerity is enough to drive the free roaming girl crazy.
Of course she's perfectly amiable to his date, offering her a friendly smile and nod of acknowledgement as she mentions the media portrayal of mikos like herself but then Sergio speaks up and she focuses back on him, eyebrow twitching a second time as he doesn't seem to be easily brushed off. The couple she was watching earlier have left, leaving the courtyard empty except for the trio, and Ayame grimaces internally. If she really is having to work for this donation then it's almost not like it's a scam at all except for the fact that the money is going into her pocket rather than to helping the old building out!
And then he drops a killer question on her and the look she flashes him is one of exasperation. At this point she might as well might give up the charade in order to stick him with a knife and then run for it! But she's come this far and to throw a morning's worth of setup away on one oh so difficult foreigner seems like such a waste. "Shinto is the 'Way of the Gods'. Our faith is native to our country. Those who come to pray are praying to the gods, be they the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, or a tree spirit such as this very tree is home to." she indicates the beribboned trunk with an easy gesture.
"There are four affirmations that every believer holds close to their heart. First, family is sacred. Second, nature is to be revered. Third, our bodies are to be kept clean and pure. And fourth, we hold special occasions to respect the various gods." The girl bows her head respectfully, hands clasped together in front of her now. "Beyond that, we seek to live simple and harmonious lives in balance with nature and the people around us." Yeah, so, pretty much nothing like the girl he knows her to be.
Another bead of sweat rolls down her cheek and drops to the dirt at her feet before the girl looks up again, that smile of hers starting to look quite tired indeed. Looking at Sergio again, she gets a hooded look in her eyes, as if threatening him now. Not with sharp weapons or other instruments of pain. But rather with words. "If you would like, I could explain the many different rituals and rites that are performed throughout the year once a temple is fully operational. There's only thirty three to cover..." It looks like she's trying to test his will with this dangerous gambit. He might take her up on it, but such a discourse could take an hour at least. Or maybe he'll take the opportunity to finally leave her be. Ayame is obviously /really/ hoping for the latter.
Sergio's mission is accomplished, the rich couple have wandered off, and Ayame seems to want to get rid of him as fast as she possibly can. He once again makes a show of seeming so terribly interested, to the point of even repeating some of the words in a curious manner as an aside to his date, "Way of the gods, huh?" "No wonder they don't want to cut the tree down if there's a spirit in it." "Harmony and balance with nature? I think everyone could use a little more of that, don't you?" This is the sort of skill he's picked up over the years of dating, the ability to regurgitate information back to someone in order to sound sincere without even paying attention.
And then, the threat comes. Thirty three rituals and rites? Oh man, that'd take /forever/. It'd come as no surprise to anyone but his date that he doesn't want to have to stand around and listen to them. But it might be the ultimate revenge on Ayame for trying to rob him, and then con him out of money here. It's a hard decision to make, and one he really can't. The main kicker is that if he does decide to stick it out it'll probably score untold points with his date if she's interested. But if she's not it could end up being a complete killer as well. He might end up with 'You seem interested so I'll let you stay here and talk.' And that's about the last thing he wants. Ayame has put him in a definite bind, but in the end he decides to blow past it in an effort of pure laziness.
"That sounds really interesting, actually." He looks down to the woman beside him, "What do you think, should we stick around for a while longer?" Yep, he just passes the buck right over to his date. Worst case scenario is that he gets stuck listening to some boring dribble for a while, but there's no chance of him losing face in front of her now!
And considering the fact that Sergio had been taking the lead on all the questions thus far, the woman looks a bit perplexed. "Should we? I, ahh... Well let me see here." And for Ayame it's possibly the worst answer possible, indecision.
The air atop the hill is cool, a crisp Fall breeze tousling hair and ruffling clothing. But if one were to look at Ayame at this point, they might think that it was a muggy, humid summer day. Or that the girl had a fever. Perspiration brought on by stress continues to pour down her cheeks as she struggles to keep the act going in the face of total frustration felt within.
The threat is leveled and she thinks she has him now. He has to struggle for a moment and she believes the Italian will have to surrender now. And then he... turns the question over to the woman at his side and the young blonde shifts her gaze to his date instead, eyes widening as she realizes he's countered her gamble with a very smooth deflect.
But the woman seems undecided, her voice wavering, her tone uncertain. Ayame pounces on the opportunity instantly, certain that Sergio will sway his date toward asking to listen just because he's CLEARLY a mean bastard!! Ayame bows rapidly several times, long hair flopping over her shoulder as she offers that friendly smile once again, "And that concludes the tour of the Waichukei Jinja. I hope that you both have enjoyed your visit thus far and encourage you to take a look around the grounds on your own."
She takes a couple steps backward. Freedom. FREEDOM. "As you take a look at things, try to picture what it would be like once it's restored to its original condition." Her hand comes up to brush her hair back over her shoulder as another backstep is taken. She can't help herself: "And I hope you will keep such a picture in mind before you take your leave from us today. The donation box is near the stairs."
Another step backward...
Sergio probably is a mean bastard, considering how much he's enjoying watching Ayame squirm as he turns the question over to his date, who seems to be wrestling internally with the question and weighing the pros and cons of each choice. Before she can decide completely, however, Ayame makes the choice for her, abruptly ending the tour and calling it to an end. The woman blinks a few times and then smiles to her, "Thank you for showing us around. It really was nice of you. I'm sure we'll remember this for quite a while." And most importantly to her, remember it when they get to the donation box.
Sergio gives the young woman a grin, "Yea, thanks for the tour and all, it really was nice of you." With the tour pronounced over the couple immediately begins to head out, leaving Ayame alone.
"You know, I think it's a good thing we didn't end up asking her to explain, it looked like she'd caught a fever working up here all alone."
Sergio conceals a grin and nods down to her, "Yea, I noticed that. I guess we shouldn't try to push her quite so hard in that condition. But-" He raises his voice up loud enough to make sure Ayame will hear, "Wasn't it nice that she didn't just excuse herself to talk with the others that showed up? That takes some real dedication!" As they head out they drop by the donation box and drop some bills in. A decent donation, but possibly not worth the hell it took to get it. While heading down the stairs Sergio takes a moment to turn back towards her, grin, and wave.
The woman is given a friendly smile, one that is held for Sergio, albeit with a lot more effort, and then Ayame bows, turning away mid-bow to scoot a little ways off to lean against the wall near the stairs with one hand, watching the pair head on their way out. Catching her breath, she doesn't move when they approach the donation box. He won't touch it. Not with his date there.
By now the bills he donates feel like a hallow victory at best as Ayame grits her teeth, overhearing him easily as the two make their way down the stairs. And when turns to wave and grin, the so pious miko bristles, hands clenched at her side. Ooo. He may have gotten her this time, but she'll get him next time she promises herself only to suddenly sweatdrop. "Wait a second... why in the world would I ever want a next time!?"
Log created on 03:09:53 11/03/2007 by Ayame, and last modified on 13:26:46 11/08/2007.