Chapter 007: The Wisdom of the Unfortunate

| Lies of P | OST - Quixotic

This time when she stepped out the sideroom; the room became more mute wherever/whenever her red eyes turned. They refused to be seen looking at her but she could easily notice their quick glances. It was almost mystifying how one little lady can command such a presence.

She only greeted them with a smile & an understanding tip of the hat as she walked towards the exit to the relief of all those inside.

None of them knew what happened in the room however it was impossible to ignore the eerie silence where laughter once was. As such it was hard, no matter how scared they were, to resist their curiosity towards what had happened. The unknown alluring all those who were there.

Under their piercing glances she just pressed down on her hat while taking a coat from the collection at the front door. A coat that a few made note belonged to one of the three thugs. Not that anyone questioned her as she threw it over her little body to step out into the street.

What was shocking was the fact it was raining which made the coat very useful - almost as if she had known the state of the weather before stepping out. This also meant she was free to walk the now empty streets while taking in the sights. Holding her hat to her head as she looked up at the sky.

Rain drops rolled down her cheeks yet she didn't seem to mind. Taking all the time she needed to admire the dark sky above; thunder rolled across the small city as if the gods were unleashing their wrath onto the world below. A sight she met with the same creepily wide smile.

Soon her gaze did turn down from challenging the sky to rise in surprise at the sight of a lone woman sitting kneading fibres together into sandals.

Curiosity caused her to approach the hag who may as well have been sitting in the mud with how thin the blanket under her was. Tilting her head as she saw the prior work of the human. Reaching down to snag one onto her claws; letting it dangle in front of her face.

"Qu~ite the quality wager." <Gambler >

Unexpectedly she was met with a croaking but merry laugh.

For the first time in her long life she was taken aback by the woman whose face was adorned in bandages that made one wonder if there was an inch of her unharmed. Especially since the rain caused those bandages to cling to her face. Revealing the prominent scarring on every inch of her face.

That in of itself was not that shocking, at least to the gambler, but the laugher caused the cat to actually take a step backwards in surprise. For the first time in her life she was made to. It baffled her with her head falling to one side to stare at the lady.

"I must be doing something right, then, so you one of those shinigami out for my soul?" <Crone >

For a moment silence built around them as that entity slowly paced around the woman (who roughly attempted to follow her despite lacking sight) like a predator around a limping prey.

A metal claw adorned finger reached out to rest under the ladies chin - lightly forcing her to turn up to face the gambler directly. Despite that the lady showed no reaction to the gambler. Presenting a half toothless smile; one clearly not from rot as even now her teeth seemed almost pearly white.

"Why are you not scared….?" <Gambler >

Finally she questioned with clear confusion.

Almost seeming lost at the lack of a reaction from the woman in front of her. Made even worse as that half-dead slum hag bellowed out another merry laugh. Seemingly having the best day of her life when facing the gambler and being so mutilated.

"Who isn't scared?" <Mangled Hag>

That gambler blinked like a kitten confused at what she was told by her mother.

"I'm scared all the time but I don't let that fear control me." <Crone >

"Oh~ but do you know what happens to mice who lose their fea-" <Gambler >

Being interrupted before she could even finish.

"Lose? Silly thing, I haven't lost my fear, it's stupid to lose fear since if I feared a little more I may not have lost everything I had when I was younger." <Crone >

That hag shaking her head while clicking her tongue as if silently cursing out the one holding her chin - still the gambler did not get angry nor get out of their stump. She did drop the chin of the woman but only to instead hold her own. Finding herself looking around to all the rain covered city as if to find something.

Soon she seemed to find it as she reached her palm out with her confidence rebuilding - dark abyssal energy rolled off her palm. A reiatsu so menacing yet powerful that few could resist considering taking it from themselves. What she was offering could be worth any gamble.

"Then ho~w about we make a bet of so~rts, play a game of game~s, and if yo~u win I'll grant you things you can only dream of. Everything you lo~st? It's easy to return but I'll do you o~ne better. I'll go an' make you richer, prettier and more powerful than ever before!" <Gambler >

Her smile somehow growing more unsettling than before as she was sure that the woman was-

"Nah!" <Crone >

"N-nah?" <Gambler >

"Yea, I'm too scared of you to do anything like that, if you want to kill me just get it over with since I'm more curious to see what it's like on the other side than whatever you got planned." <Crone >

Blinking for a moment she forgot to return her hand as she forcibly questioned the woman.

"What if it's that fear that is holding you back from achieving everything?" <Crone >

"Perhaps that is true yet this doesn't feel like that kind of fear; this is more like self preservation than a mere warning and I trust my fear." <Mangled Hag>

"But… Fear is something everyone runs from; it's evil incarnate!" <Gambler >

Sounding a little forceful even if that smile on her face never changed.

The woman just shook her head, though.

"Fear isn't evil… I think of it as more of a friend who won't give you the answer since it'd only help you in the short term - in that regard it's the truest friend you can have. Not often you find people willing to put it as if is hahaha!" <Mangled Hag>

Slightly knocking her knee as she freely laughed in front of the terrifying monster, even without sight she should feel the shadows shifting, not turning away. Facing the entity who was steadily outputting more of that pitch black reiatsu to the point where some of the buildings began to creak. It wasn't due to anger but due to… Confusion.

She simply couldn't understand what that woman was going on about; there was no way she could be right about any of it.

Right?

"You are either crazy or stupid and I can't decide which…" <Gambler >

"Why not both; I'm old and crippled enough!" <Crone >

This time the gambler joined in on the laughter as she couldn't help not finding the hilarity of the situation she found herself in. Soon throwing her arms out. Tendrils of shadows began to dance on the walls as crimson strings filtered out from the living to vanish into those shadows to leave their fate unknown.

"I can chan~ge your very fate with the winning~s I have built against those far greater than you; why not make a deal with me and see what I~ can do for yo~u. No matter your dreams I can make them all come true. All it requires is you to shake my hand and speak your mind!" <Gambler >

Faced with the chance that even their emperor or shogun would jump at - the slum denizen just shook her head while turning back down to her sandal. Continuing to cross fibres together. Creating her simple merchandise that no one even turned to look towards.

"I'm fine." <Crone >

"WHY NOT REBEL AGAINST YOUR FATE!" <Gambler >

Seemingly pushed to her limit she turned those claws onto herself, dragging them down her face as she turned towards the sky, howling not at the lady but the world itself in confusion. She still wasn't angry as she just wanted to understand. Not being able to comprehend the choices of the woman.

If the lady was broken, emotionless and defeated she could understand the refusal but instead she just seemed content meandering through her pointless life.

"I've had a good run, I wish I could have lasted for longer, life sometimes is just like that." <Crone >

The gambler's hands fell down to her side to hang uselessly in defeat.

"Just like her you've given up at the end with a smile…" <Gambler >

That old lady shook her head.

"There is a difference between giving up and being content with what you accomplished." <Crone >

"..." <Gambler >

Silently she stumbled from her position to sit down next to the woman; not facing her yet not interrupting her as that lady began to talk about her life. It was a tragic tale of talent and the envy it brings. Despite that she was talking about it as if it was a comedy with no resentment towards any of those in the story.

Since everyone had their own story.

"You lost the game in other words." <Gambler >

"Who needs to care about losing when you still played; nobody can take that away." <Crone >

"..." <Gambler >

So that lady harped on with the entity silently listening while turning their gaze up to the sky above.

Her only action was to reach into her inner jacket pocket to pull out what looked like a simple circular hand mirror that she popped open. Looking into it for some time only to flick the side. A flame formed in front of where the mirror should be - reaching into her pocket to pull out something wrapped in black & gold paper.

Placing one end of it in her mouth as she leaned forward to light the tip on fire as she breathed in the unknown cocktail hidden within that paper. Her smile is present as always. Just listening to that woman narrate her entire story like it was the most interesting book she'd heard in a while.

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<Looking for this vault, without prior reconnaissance, is far more tedious than I would have hoped….>

Waltzing through the hallways with all the caution of a tiger in an open field - the little black cat found herself yawning out loud. With the sun being swallowed by the storm, she felt far more free, the only thing that had managed to harm her since reincarnation was gone. Though she was also bored.

There was still the horrific wailing of the unwilling to depart spirit but she was left with anything interesting except for that.

Just a load of dusty hallways.

<Perhaps I should just observe that spirit; if I'm fortunate he may have been greedy in life thus could be focusing his activity around the treasure vault.>