Chihaya Mifune

(chapter originally by faith on writing.com)

Joker whispered the name of one of his partners in crime. Sae nodded, watching him carefully.

"Chihaya Mifune. A self-proclaimed psychic. Well known among residents of the Shinjuku area for her street corner tarot readings and exorbitantly priced protection charms. She grew up as a simple country girl who developed a reputation for extremely accurate forecasts of impending disasters, which led the rural populous of her village to believe she was blessed and later cursed by the gods, a superstition that eventually inspired a mob to burn her house down and **** her to flee to the big city. Not long after her arrival in Tokyo she was indoctrinated into the group known as the Assembly of the Divine Power, or the ADP, an organization of supposedly divinely inspired mediums who provide divinations of the future to clientele for a hefty price. Mifune's skills as a fortune teller allowed her to rise quickly in the ranks of this organization as their 'Maiden of Relief'. Despite that high station, Mifune recently chose to cut all ties with the group, citing allegations that its leadership was making use of some unknown **** to brain wash and control the minds of its membership. You seem to put a great deal of stock in her extra-sensory talents, despite her association with such a group. And yet not even her cards could help her avert suffering such a humiliating fate. Tell me how this happened."

Joker cleared his throat, his mind still fuzzy from the **** and trying to decide whether he felt more mortified or ecstatic about what his friend had gone through. Finally, he spoke, his voice cracking slightly. "All right. This is how it began..."