The Armor of the Soul

By Dixxy

Chapter Twelve: Customers

(Kento)

I kinda liked working for Madame Shinshu. She fed me well, kept a roof over my head, she was sorta like Mia. But I still felt alone. I missed the guys, but I wasn't sure who I missed the most. Sage and Cye, or everyone else back in Toyama? I knew Sage and Cye a LOT better than I knew Ryo and Rowen at that point, but it had been so long since I'd seen the latter.

One night I was playing with my crystal ball. Madame Shinshu hadn't seen it yet, so she was a bit surprised when she saw me with it. "My, my, Kento, I had no idea you were interested in this field, or did it rub off on you?"

I shrugged. "Actually I'm kind of bored."

"Well, do you have talent with the crystal ball? Or are you just playing?" she asked, sitting the seat across from me, smiling sweetly. "How's about we try a little experiment tomorrow?"

"Experiment?" I asked, unsure of myself.

Madame Shinshu laughed. "Why don't we have you give the customers their readings?"

"Wha, wha, what?" I asked. "Me? Give the customers their readings?"

"All you need to do is take clues from their appearances, voices, and what they're wearing to make something up," said Madame Shinshu. "Then wave your hands around my crystal ball- yours is too. . . orange, and make something up."

My eyes widened. "So I'm just making something up?"

"Yes. You can even use tarot cards or read their palms, if you'd like," she said. "Come now, I'll show you how to do those, too."

~

The following day, Madame Shinshu worked the desk and stuck me in her "office". That was basically a room draped in all sorts of fancy curtains and junk. I was allowed to wear my regular clothing instead of the gaudy robes she usually wore when she was on the job.

I was kind of nervous. No one had come in yet, which wasn't much of a surprise. Madame Shinshu never got much of a crowd, anyways. So I say down in the chair, shuffled the tarots cards a few times, and took out a sketchbook that Madame Shinshu had given me. Why, I don't know, she just said, "Here, have a sketch book". Probably for some weird psychic experiment.

Several drawings and bad poems later, the bell on the door to the office rung. I stuffed the notebook under my seat and waited patiently for my first customer to enter. It was a middle-aged woman with soft, peachy orange hair and pale green eyes. "Oh? Who are you?"

"I'm Kento. Madame Shinshu wasn't at the front desk?"

"No, it said to just go right in," she said. I blinked. "Are you all right?"

"She didn't tell me she was doing that. Maybe she went on her lunch break or something," I said.

"It's only ten thirty," said the woman.

"She keeps weird hours. Um, have a seat," I said.

"Are you giving me my reading?" she asked skeptically.

I nodded. "I guess she wanted a break so she told me to do it. You're not a regular, are you?"

"No," she said.

"I didn't think so," I said. Now what? "Um, can I see your palm?"

The woman laughed. "All right, don't you want my name?"

"No, that's okay Janet," I said.

"How did you know my name?"

I blinked. How DID I know her name? "Uh, I don't know, Ms. Jefferson."

"That's my last name, too!" she said, in shock. "Well, you're a very impressive young psychic!"

I gulped. She held her palm out and I closed my eyes, slowly going over the soft lines. I didn't quite understand Madame Shinshu's systems of lines and finger lengths, so I decided I'd wing it. But then again, I knew her whole name and the fact she was single, so maybe I'd find something here. "You have two dogs, Minnie and Mickey. Poodles, and you breed them. Minnie is expecting another litter for sometime later this month?"

"That's right!" said Janet. "What else can you see?"

This was getting weird. Things about this woman were just, coming to me. "Your mother used to make you wear these horrendous pink dresses to school everyday until you were fourteen, when you finally stood up to her about it. Shortly after that you got your first boyfriend, Mike."

"That's amazing!" she said. "We know enough about my past. What about my future?"

I turned to the crystal ball. I waved my hands around it a few times and saw a vision of a tall man with dark hair and blue eyes within the mists of the crystal ball. He was wearing a tuxedo and smiling. "I see a tall man with blue eyes. He's wearing a tuxedo and he's got a wide grin on his face."

"That must be Alex, my fiancé," said Janet.

"Wait- there's more," I said, holding up my hand. I watched as he and Janet were at an outdoor wedding when a man wearing a black sweatshirt and black pants shot the groom from a bush. "Hola! Your fiancé got shot at the wedding!"

"WHAT!?" asked Janet.

"I'm not kidding," I said. "I swear I saw the guy get shot. I don't' like this anymore!" I looked back up at the woman, who was now frantic. "The wedding was outdoors. I'd suggest jacking up security and moving the wedding indoors."

"Done," said Janet. "Are you sure?"

I can't believe this woman is practically letting me plan her wedding for her, I thought to myself. "Well, the crystal just changed to a happy honeymoon in France."

"How do you know it's in France?"

"How many countries do you know of have the Eiffel Tower?"

"One," said Janet. "Oh, we wanted to go to Paris, too! You're incredible!"

"Um, thank you," I said. "I'm really creeped out now but maybe I've stumbled onto a. . . gift."

"Share it with the world! I'll talk to him about moving it indoors. There was this one chapel he wanted to go to. Oh! It'll be perfect!" she said. Janet stood up, reached into her purse, and laid a bill on the table. "You deserve it! Bye!"

With that, Ms. Janet Jefferson ran out the door. I picked up the bill and whistled. "Hello, President Grant," I said. I shook my head again. How the heck did I know who that guy on the fifty-dollar bill was!? I never paid attention in American history!

I sat down. "This is just too weird," I said. "I'm psychic! How the heck did THAT happen!?" I put my head and my arms down on the table, trying to think things through.

Another customer walked in. "Hello, Mr. Drake.

"How the heck did you know my name? Or even sex, for crying out loud!?" a male voice said. I lifted my head up. "All right, give me my reading, kid, and make it snappy."

I didn't like this guy, so I hoped for something bad. I almost smiled as I saw the guy getting himself fired at his job. "Your boss has some important news to tell you," I said.

Mr. Drake smiled. "Oh good, he's giving me the promotion and the raise I've been telling him to give me. The man is SOO stupid," he said. He slammed a five onto the table. "Go buy yourself a condom, kid."

I blushed at the comment. I didn't have a girlfriend and that would not be the reason I'd get a girlfriend. "Hope he has something good on his resume," I said. "He's gonna need it."