Sweet to mouth and low to sigh. Come buy, come buy.

[forwhomtheytoll]

The Goblin Market Meme
Based on the Demon's Lexicon

A haven from magicians, a tourist trap, and most of all – a business; the Goblin Markets of the world are places of wonder and magic. Within these mobile night markets, you can find a collection of potion makers, fortune tellers, goods and true answers traded by money or favours.

Things to do:

JUST VISITING: perhaps it's your first time at the market, found through need or by invitation. Take your time browsing through the shops: enchanted weaponry, protective charms, fine crafts and decor. Go get your fortune told.


STEP IT OUT: as a dancer, you're one of the main reasons people show up. Dancing is not only a performance, but done correctly - it can call up demons who will trade their services for a price. Careful - breaking the circle or a misstep can be disastrous. No one wants to be possessed.


WHAT A LOVELY WAY TO BURN: fever fruit and fever blossom water can be a quick way to lower inhibitions. From a dancer, the fever blossom is a way to show favour. How that turns out depends on what you do after.


BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK: if you need a demon's mark removed, or answers to questions that can be found nowhere else, stop by the dance circles. Demons never lie. And their price is always higher than you think it is.


HOME IS WHERE...: you have our own booth, is the leader of the market or are one of the many persons who make their home at the market. Maybe you've got your own abilities - a Pied Piper perhaps, or a necromancer. Not everyone who has magic goes on to become a magician. There's a life outside the market, yes - but it's not where your heart is set.

Comments

Re: that's.... so beautiful/wrong it brought a tear to my eye

[countyoursigns]

"I was thinking something couples-themed... but I'm open to suggestions!" He kicks his feet a little.

[more_than_words]

It's really too cute and she tries her best to hide the smile as she sets two covered boxes she's pulled from the drawer in front of her.

"All right. Last question. Cute or eldritch?"

[countyoursigns]

"Um, both is probably most accurate..."

[more_than_words]

While she knows better than to ask too many questions in a place like this, Tifa can't help but get snagged over the choice of 'accurate' as a word. 'Accurate' as in... applicable? Curiosity wins out.

"How are both accurate?"

[countyoursigns]

I'm a Hasturian.

[more_than_words]

"You're a-"

Yes, she heard and yes, she's aware enough to recognize the name but... the blond looks so cute. And young. And - cute. And he's talking about loving someone in, as far as she can tell, a non-soul flaying, tentacle invading, too many dimensions for the mortal mind kind of way. She's pretty sure 'cute' isn't supposed to go with what the Sleeper in the Deep involves. So she's still going to need some clarification because, despite talk of sanity saves -

"You're a what?"

[countyoursigns]

"I'm Hastur, a Hasturian! It's, um, nice to meet you-?" He's not seeming any less cute or moe-blobby, apparently, though he does seem to be catching on to her reaction.

[more_than_words]

Okay. This is the goblin fair. She steals people's memories for a price. Strange things aren't new to her. She can parse this. Yep.

Nope.

"You're - " she's, even off her balance, still too smart to say the name considering it's already floating in the air once. Because... that isn't something you want to call. Because it's so terrible and mind breaking that - that it looks at you with huge blinky-blink eyes?

She should think the kid's joking. Except you don't. Joke. About that. Ever. At any age.

It's terrible the blond looks so cute and young. The gut instinct to not hurt or worry a child is awfully strong in Tifa.

"You - mm - you don't look the way I'd heard..."

[countyoursigns]

He blushes and shifts from foot to foot shyly, braid sliding over his shoulder. Well, he IS all in yellow, but that's just about the only possible indicator...

"You know how it is... some things are best left unseen, right...? A lot of us hang around in forms like this too. Even if we don't all have a thousand forms like Nyarlathotepians."

[more_than_words]

"Well, yes..." Some things are definitely best left unseen. Just - as alternative forms go she wouldn't have thought 'cute little kid' was the preferred choice. Evil creepy somethingswrongohmygodrun! little kid, sure, but -

"I just - I wasn't under the impression - well, you're just so cute."

[countyoursigns]

"T-thank you! That's really nice of you."

He even looks genuinely pleased. But... "I, I can put the mask on if it's weirding you out though."

[more_than_words]

"You're welcome." The answer is automatic. Manners always, even when dealing with world crushing entities.

Easily one of the most surreal conversations she's had and that's saying something considering where she works. She'll hold up a stalling hand.

"What's the mask? Don't put it on! I mean, just... what's it look like?"

[countyoursigns]

"It's just a white mask..." he shrugs. "Or maybe 'no mask? No mask!', that kind of thing. I'd rather not wear it in this form, though, I always get confused at seeing it at the edges of my peripheral vision and then I bump into things and trip over things a lot."

[more_than_words]

There are certain points in your life when you should stop and really look at what you're doing. Tifa is pretty sure this isn't one of those times. So she'll just shake her head.

"No mask. That's fine. You're - I like you just fine the way you are now. Just - " and this is probably something she shouldn't be reminding whatever's really in front of her but - "aren't you supposed to be a bit more... sanity shattering?"

[countyoursigns]

"Oh, um, yes." He shifts from foot to foot shyly. "That can definitely happen! I try to avoid it when, you know, interacting with others. It doesn't always have to be 'welcome to this crazy time'."

[more_than_words]

"It doesn't?" Because everything she'd ever heard indicated that it most certainly did. "Not that I'm arguing!" Because, really, she was all right with things, you know, not suddenly shifting into more dimensions than her mind was capable of handling.

Or tentacles. She was really, really okay with the lack of tentacles.

Honestly, she really shouldn't believe the kid in front of her at all. It was just - it felt too - solid to be a lie. Like a stone dropped in the liquid of reality and even, maybe especially, at the Faire, things that were real and true resonated like brass bells.

"Well... um, thank you. For - not making me go crazy. That's a permanent offer?"

[countyoursigns]

He looks at her very seriously. "Permanent... so like, forever? Forever is a very long time... how long are we talking...? Promising a permanent offer seems like it could backfire on you somehow..."

[more_than_words]

Not going crazy sounds like it shouldn't have any down sides to it, and, even living at the Faire, Tifa doesn't exactly expect to make it to 'forever'. When an ancient eldrich conscious from the beginning of time asks you 'are you sure?' however it seems like a good idea to pay attention.

"How about for this visit then? And perhaps at least at the beginning of the next if you ever do come back?"

[countyoursigns]

"Oh, of course!" Hastur clasps his hands together. "You seem like a real nice oneesan anyway. I'm happy that I came to shop with you."

He seems to mean it! Apparently. Probably.

[more_than_words]

And she'd thought her life was strange before... With an exhale she'll, if not relax in her seat again, at least not look like she's on the verge of bolting for the door. It is pretty hard not to smile at the cheerful enthusiasm of that reaction, even if it is apparently, probably.

"All right then. Let's find that gift for your friend. Do you think he'd wear jewelry?"

[countyoursigns]

His face falls a little. "No, if I tried giving him jewelry, he'd definitely just turn around and pretend he hasn't seen it."

[more_than_words]

"That's all right," that sad face might be worse than permanent insanity. "That just helps us narrow your gift down. It would be nice if we could find something he'll keep on him most of the time, right? Would he use a key chain?"

[countyoursigns]

Perk. "He does use keys," Hastur says. "When we all walk home from school, if his mom isn't home already, he has to unlock the door!"

This seems to be a great realization, as if he hasn't actually bothered to pay attention to things like locks and doors before now.

[more_than_words]

No. She wouldn't suppose someone like that would be acquainted with having to mundanely unlock doors. This friend that was getting the gift must be a very interesting person. Cute and eldritch though... with a humming sound, she'll lean down and dig for a small box near the back of one of the drawers still in its case behind her. Weird isn't beginning to cover her day but she can handle this.

"All right. It's a charm for a necklace but we can make it into a keyring charm instead. And it's small enough that it shouldn't get in the way. You can decide if you want yours to stay a necklace or make it a key chain as well. If... this is something that you think would work."

Because sweetheart gift shopping for the King in Yellow isn't exactly her area of expertise but particularly not this kind of King in Yellow. She'll shake the small charms out into her palm and hold them out.

"What do you think of this
?"

[countyoursigns]

"Hmmm..." He frowns a little. "It's cute, but I've never gotten along with Cthulhu..."

Maybe Derleth's classifications were right.

"I mean, honestly," he continues, "I like it, and I like cake, but the Cthulhu Corporation's always trying to undermine my family's business, and I've only ever managed to get along with one of the Cthulhi. R'lyehland is nice to visit but I wouldn't go there openly, either, even if we have some nice memories together there..."

He looks embarrassed by having to reject it, though, ducking his head and shifting more. "Um, maybe we can move away from the eldrich part," he offers. "Cute and yellow?"