kaisou | un: blackbirdtarot

WHO: August and anyone else
WHERE: Network, maybe his place
WHEN: end of January
WHAT: why are y'all like this
WARNINGS: swearing!

[The video opens up on a very chaotic sewing room, with a dressform that's half-covered in a project, a raven-that's-not-a-raven perched on a perch above the dressform, and one very frazzled August, hair in the messiest bun and glasses a little skewed.]

Okay, just. Okay. Since we are apparently getting more and more people from not here and y'all are showing up in the worst actual stuff--hi. August Villareal, "blackbirdtarot" on literally every form of social media, I give tarot readings and take clothing commissions when I'm not dying in college. If you happen to be a bird-nut, my aunts run Crowley Sanctuary for Birds, we're always popping up places for this bird or that bird or getting this grant or the fucking goose incident.

[Goddammit Lucy. Goddammit Goosetavo.]

Anyway. If you are from Not Here and have found yourself now here, hit me up and I'll make you three outfits, or help you get three outfits if you want jeans. Free of charge. I've made some wild shit doing this, so unless you want me to make you fucking armor, I can probably figure out how to make damn near anything.

[Gods.]

Everyone else--you gotta pay, and everyone's gotta pay if you want tarot readings, my hourly rates are listed on every profile I have. [His phone goes off. August checks it, and then sighs.] Also, I've been told on no uncertain terms that everyone who can use this app is apparently invited to my place next month, because my aunts are coming over and they never met a group of people they didn't want to feed and they have no chill. It'll probably turn into a potluck, gods...

[He goes to turn this off before pausing.]

Oh, if anyone speaks French or Spanish and needs help, hit me up. I'm still learning Greek, but I guess I can help with that too.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He's curious about this fowl-mouthed weaver, so rather than hide behind text, he'll just turn on the video.]

How generous! [He's all sunshine and smiles, glittering gold on his long pointy ears and collarbone, and some obvious chest. You've caught a vain one, August.] Are you sure you don't want us to pay you? At least let me reimburse you for materials; it's the polite thing to do.

As for where to start... I'd like something colorful and easy to move around in, without too high of a collar. If you can somehow match the style of my homeland that's even better, but I don't expect miracles.

[August is not straight enough for all these very pretty people.]

So, uh, the guy with the really red hair and the OnlyFans has offered to cover everything so...unless you want something really fancy I think we're good?

[Zelos what the fuck.]

What's your homeland's stuff look like?

Oh! I'll have to thank Zelos next time I see him. I guess I can't be too surprised—he has great taste.

[Sluts of a feather.]

Um... hmm. Silk is their main export so you can imagine they put a lot of work into it. It's a very hot island. Tropical. Days are sweltering, nights are cool but stifling because of the water in the air. So, the clothes either bare a lot of skin or they're loose enough to breathe, or both.

[He sends some attachments.]

This isn't exactly like what we wear, but it's close enough as far as the cut goes. I'd probably wear most of these unbuttoned...

Oooh, Middle Eastern. I could try to get something close to that, but it'd be a first for me.

Beggars can't be choosers, right? I'll wear anything if it's the right color and shows enough skin. I'm a dancer—comes with the territory.

...does it? What kind of dancing?

It's... [He pauses, thinking.] Elegant, lots of movement, very flashy. My particular kind involves dancing with weapons—it's both a performance and a combat art. Normally it purifies negative emotions in the audience and also inspires others in battle, but it seems like the aether here works differently or something.

I'm happy to give you a demonstration. You'll need to measure me anyway.

One: demonstration'd be great, it'll help me figure out just what you want.

Two: aether what now?

Great! My schedule is fairly open right now, so whenever works for you.

Aether, mana, magic, whatever you want to call it. The abundant, invisible energy that people tap into in order to cast spells and other things.

Ooh. Yeah I don't think Earth technically has that? If we did, more people would know about this shit. Then again, who knows, maybe we're about to have something like since, yanno, huge fuck off gate to whichever circle of hell is the deep freeze.

I think the ship has sailed on that one, considering you've got people like me waking up here. I've already started getting my usual powers back so I imagine it's only a matter of time before you've got fireballs flying all over the place.

Goddammit. Our fire department isn't paid enough for that shit.

I'll do what I can to help put out any fires, if that helps?

I'm not much of a mage, really. I studied a little bit in order to become a healer, but I'm way better at stabbing things.

Healer like first aid or, I'unno, is magic healing a thing there?

[Also he's not gonna say it but he is pretty sure anyone can stab. Obviously Amal is a professional stabber but like. Stabbing is not hard. Stabbing and not dying is hard.]

[Well, he hasn't died yet, so.]

Yeah, magic healing. I don't have much of a natural talent for it, though... it's something I haven't really mastered at all. I studied it before the war broke out.

[He runs his hand through his bangs, but messing up his own hair does nothing to actually make it messier. It has already hit maximum messy.]

It's not all-powerful, either. It might help heal a broken ankle, but if someone barely makes it out of a situation with their life, they might never walk again.

Hey, still useful. Anything keep people from dying, yeah? Or having to deal doctors.

I haven't met a lot of doctors, but it's true that most of the ones I have met are evil or insufferable.

Wait until you hear about the bullshit that is the American healthcare system.

What's a healthcare system?

[What.]

Something meant to make getting healthcare easier but instead is run by assholes with too much money and not enough common decency.

un: blackbirdtarot | video

video; un: riftdancer

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