open

[arcanaofdeath]

Who: Pharos and you!
When: December 18th.
Where: Apartments; shopping district.
What: Pharos was offered three jobs. Why not try them all out in a single day?
Warnings: None.

[Hello citizens of Cerealia! It's a beautiful day for weird encounters, wouldn't you say? What kind of weird encounters you may wonder. Overly large and affectionate demons? A three-headed dog with loads of slobber? The zombie apocalypse? Skeleton Wars: The Phantom Menace?

Sadly, no.

What you may or may not stumble upon is a certain, pajama clad boy trying out each of the jobs he was offered upon his arrival. Wouldn't really want to commit to something without knowing what it entails.]

morning

[There is nothing quite like reading the newspaper in the morning, right? A cup of coffee or tea or whichever beverage you prefer with the news of the hour spread out in front of you, there really is nothing comparable. Or maybe you prefer to sleep in because your day ended at four in the morning and you're in dire need of sleep? Perhaps not a morning person?

Either way, Pharos has instructions to drop off the holo-newspaper without fail. No one would want a newspaper boy who doesn't know how to bring people their reading material in the mornings, right? So he'll do the polite thing and ring the doorbell at whichever o'clock in the morning to deliver it safe and sound.

Nevermind the fact that he's supposed to do this quietly.

If you happen to be up and about and open the door, you will find Pharos standing on your doormat. Smiling up at you. And greeting you with a 'Good morning', chipper as can be.

If you happen to still be asleep and don't hear or wake up and decide to ignore the ringing, there will be silence for a few seconds. Then you'll get a lapful of holo-newspaper courtesy to the young boy now standing in whichever room you're in.

Teleportation skills and no sense of personal space come in handy sometimes.]

lunch

[Tired from your morning filled with exploring/sparring/tricking people/being tricked by people/work?

Pharos will be standing outside of a coffee shop, holding a tray with a handful of small cups and a thermos bottle filled with what appears to be coffee. Hot coffee. Coffee which smells utterly delicious. The aroma calls to you, sings to you. The coffee really is that good. Maybe it is actually ambrosia. You won't know until you try it.

Dressed somewhat like the Cheshire cat, Pharos will taking his job as mascot very seriously and will be offering poor, weary wayward travelers some coffee as well as a cheerful looking balloon which may or may not pass as coffee bean if you squint hard enough.

And cock your head to the side.]

afternoon

[The lights have grown dimmer as the hours have ticked by, soft and orange and yellow. While some of the shops begin to close, one door-sign is finally flipped from Closed to Open. The sign in front of the door reads 'The Wheel of Fortune – Get your prediction while it's still accurate!' Should you decide to enter, you'll find a single table manned by Pharos, kicking his legs and his chin propped up on his hands.

Clearly, he's been waiting for someone to come in so he can read them their fortune.

Perhaps your character is just settling down, maybe they've already received their fortune and are bemused by it. What kind of prediction is 'Your shoes will make you happy today' anyway? Perhaps you've asked for something more elaborate than a short prediction and are now wondering why in the world the kid is pulling out tarot cards. Aren't those a little outdated?

Careful though, some predictions may hit very close to home...]

evening – bonus

[Maybe you've encountered Pharos during all three scenarios and are wondering whether or not the kid is stalking you. Or if he has two identical brothers and this is just a group of triplets.

Or create your own scenario.]


(note: For the fortune telling, your character will probably get fortune cookie predictions or, if they get a tarot reading, one I'll generate online. I'll be sure to pm you first to ask for permission if I end up using canon information though the wording of the canon prediction would be pretty vague.)

Comments

[unevoke]

[No, he needs....to exit out this door.....but there is a small kid in his way and he'd rather not step on the guy. Maybe with a little more persistence the kid'll leave and move on to some other poor unfortunate sap.]

That's way too much. [Hey look, free feedback for your employer, Pharos.] And I still don't want the paper. Tell them to cancel the free trial.

[Wow, Shinji is definitely not the greatest customer for this.]

[arcanaofdeath]

[Persistence might not pay off with Pharos. The kid has a stubborn streak a mile wide if he doesn't want to budge. And he evidently doesn't, not moving even as Shinji stares down at him.]

Hmm. Would you consider accepting the free trial if the price was lower?

[He isn't the one in charge of the price so Pharos is just indulging in his curiosity right now. Is the amount Shinji would have to pay for the subscription really too much? Or is it something else?]

[unevoke]

[Why this.......A quick glance at the wall clock tells him he still has plenty of time to get to his shift, but he'd been planning on using that to walk through a few familiar side paths, catch up on local gossip. Not spend it debating the merits of overpriced consumerism.]

No. I don't need a newspaper. I hear enough news around town.

[Is that any better?]

[arcanaofdeath]

[It would be if Pharos was any other person. Mouth to ear news do seem to travel faster than the newspaper, especially in a populated place like Cerealia. But...

Pharos cocks his head to the side, putting the holopaper back into the back he's wearing and twines his fingers together behind his back.]

What about your health? [Aren't humans concerned about their health? The employer specifically mentioned the health section of their newspaper.]

[unevoke]

[For a few seconds, all Shinjiro can do is stare at Pharos in mingled bewilderment and suspicious, wondering if this kid knows more about him than he lets on or if he's just made an extremely lucky guess. His health isn't great, it's true, but there's little anyone can do for him at this point, even if the tech here is creepily advanced.

He pulls himself together well enough to answer, though there's a hint of uncertainty to his words still.]

Health's fine. Same it's always been. Why does a newspaper care about health anyway

[Feel free to query more in the name of selling newspapers.]

[arcanaofdeath]

[The hint of uncertainty is everything Pharos needs to hear. So this person is worried about his health, even if he is being a little contrary about it. But aren't all human being contrary beings one way or another, denying and craving everything at once?

Thoughtfully, Pharos looks at Shinji, studies every line on his face before looking directly into his eyes.]

Don't you want to live for as long as you can?

[unevoke]

[That sure is the question, isn't it, and one Shinjiro has absolutely no desire to answer, especially not for some kid delivering newspapers he doesn't even know. And especially not when the answer's been lurking in the negative for so long.

After half a minute of silence he huffs, frowning down at Pharos as he says, somewhat severely:]

You should worry about your own lifespan more. You've got more of it in front of you.

[Ah, the dodging of questions continues....]

sorry, dw ate my notifs. :c

[arcanaofdeath]

[That... gets a laugh out of Pharos. Shinji doesn't know, can't know but Pharos knows that, in theory, his days are limited. Just a few more months and he would have lost his own sense of self, would have turned into something else and then Pharos and Thanatos would have been a mere echo in their own, brand new head.

But the idea that someone else thinks he has his entire future ahead of him makes something warm bubble up in Pharos' chest.]

There is no escaping time. [The words feel so familiar, so heavy on his tongue.] Death delivers us all to the same end.

...Have you already given up then? On your own life?

no worries, it happens!

[unevoke]

[Strangely philosophical words coming from some kid and it's enough to make Shinji takes a wary step backwards, eyes narrowing. This is already encroaching upon very uncomfortable - and very personal - territory and he doesn't like it one bit.]

That's none of your business.

[The words come out sharper and more brusque than he intends, too unnerved to assert his usual faux nonchalance.]

Now go give your stupid paper to someone else.

[arcanaofdeath]

[Such a sore subject. Like pressing his thumb into an open wound and it's then that Pharos finally relents. Humans are fragile, in some aspects. And health seems to be such an aspect for Shinji.]

...My apologies. I didn't mean to upset you.

[Taking a step away from the doorway, Pharos gestures to the free space with his hand.]

I do hope you will remain healthy, however.

finally tags back 2 weeks later just to write a concluding tag, i'm the worst :c

[unevoke]

[There's no relief when Pharos finally steps off to the side, only discomfort mingling together with dread and foreboding. Just because he's here now and not in Iwatodai doesn't mean he doesn't have the same ghosts to deal with.

But if Shinji's good at anything, it's shoving his problems off to the side to be dealt with later, which is exactly what he does right now, taking full advantage of the open space provided him to step out and close his apartment door behind him with a sharp click.]

Save those wishes for someone else, kid.