a touch of destiny...

[bones_she_cast]

On de corner of de street dere a box an' she stand on the box in she finery and she speak. She sing. She prophesies"Mend your ways, Children of Siam," she say, with her arm lifted over her head and her smiling mouth. "It is not too late to mend your ways. Heed de word of de great Wo-man in de sky an' she will bring you peace an' solace

Comments

[nobler_things]

"Only one for something so valuable?" Spike asked, a shock of white hair and black leather visible through the crowd, his amusement clear even over the dull roar of voices.

Those fortunes she peddled weren't worth more than the scum off the bottom of his boot. It was what she didn't sell, the murmurings and garbled nonsense, those rare moments she grasped at true prophesy, those were the ones that were worth that little bit extra.

[bones_she_cast]

"Fortune ain't valuable," say Tia, striking a pose and spinning on her toes for him. "It what you do when them, isn't it, 'andsome boy."

[nobler_things]

He laughed, a low rumble swallowed up in the crowded, but you could see it on his face, head ducking and his eyes creasing at the corners.

"What about this? What will this buy me?" he asked, holding up a twenty cred chip he'd nicked off some rich brat in the crowd not five minutes earlier.

[bones_she_cast]

Tia's eyes widen, just a little at that. Wo-man can buy a lot wit dat many credits. Wo-man can buy a lot of t'ings.

"De whole world, 'andsome," she croon, and hold out her hand to him.

[maintain_right]

"Excuse me!" Fraser called politely. He nudged his way through the crowd with care until he reached the woman on the box. "Do you know the way to Madame Bailamos' School of Dance?"

[bones_she_cast]

"No," she say, and strike a pose, like the pictures in books, one hand on her hip, one hand on her breast. "But I know fare more useful 'tings, 'andsome boy."

[maintain_right]

"I'm certain that's true," said Fraser, "but I really must find that school." People didn't climb onto boxes unless they knew something, in Fraser's experience, and he felt sure that if he but held out a little longer, he would learn something. "Perhaps you know of someone else I can ask?"

[bones_she_cast]

Tia Dalma's known boys like him before, kind and clean and knowing nothin'.

"What kind of a school is it?" she croon. "Schools do you no good, my darlin'."