The tent is colorful with nice shades of blue, red, and purples on the outside. There's a big tree in the vicinity and from the branches hang little lanterns, wind chimes, and other colorful trinkets. The front of the tent is open, even has that little famous top, but as soon as they get closer, they can feel the warmth coming from the inside.
And inside is... well. Picturesque. One half of the tent is 'decorated', the other one has boxes that are yet to be unpacked, some furniture and chests. There's some noise coming from that area, while Molly's nowhere to be seen.
There are very thick, very colorful carpets either on the walls of the tent or on the floor, covering some of the makeshift wood floorings. Wherever you look, there's a pillow, and when you look again, there's an even bigger one. Round pots of big plants and oddly-looking mushrooms are strewn around, seemingly unaffected by the season. Beanbags, a small mahogany table with two chairs, a couch, mattress covered with red silk sheets, and soft blankets- all of it is illuminated with braziers that are hanging from above. Again, magical light. This tent wouldn't be able to survive the real fire.]
[It's actually... quite a charming set-up, compared to what she'd been imagining when he said "tent". She'd seen a glimpse in that network post, but in person it's nicer than she thought... and Konoha marvels a bit when she arrives, baskets slung over her withers full of food. It's even warm inside, and oh, the carpets are nice... she should take off the leather booties she wears over her hooves, so as not to track in dirt...]
Master Mollymauk... ?
[She can smell him, or... what she assumes is him, it's a male scent, but she can't tell if it's just lingering or if he's actually there... But isn't he expecting her? She peeks around, ducking a bit to get her seven foot tall frame past the entrance. Could he be... lost in the pillows? Some of them are very big...]
[There's a loud clatter of things falling down and a loud "Ah-hah!" and the tiefling jumping out of the pile of, well, trash. Mostly broken wood now, together with a scimitar in his hand.]
I wonder how you got there, [he sheaths it on his side and turns towards his guest.]
Welcome! Welcome to Mollymauk's residence. I am Mollymauk, himself, [he bows, 90 degrees] very pleased to finally meet you, Lady Konoha. But do drop the Master, Molly is more than enough.
[The guy in front of Konoha is slender, purple tiefling, with horns on his head, that are pierced and decorated with jewels and golden bangs. His hair is dark, and once was short, but now it's longer and a bit curlier; his eyes are like two red rubies and seem to match the ruby gem he has on his throat. There are a lot of tattoos on him- the peacock feathers is the one that stands out the most, along with a lot of scars, seemingly from cuts and battles. He wears what one would call "entertainer's clothes"- colorful, flashy- long coat just whips around him as he bows; deep heeled boots and, now, two scimitars at his sides.]
Please come in, no need to be shy, we've talked a lot over these... things. [Texting he means.]
[Konoha has a lot of questions, suddenly. Why was there what seemed to be a pile of refuses and broken things in his "house"? Why was there a blade in the pile? But she doesn't actually ask them, because he's bowing and then she's bowing, the same angle but translated to a partly equine form, her hands demurely slipping over her upper thighs. Well, what would be thighs if she were human.]
Mas- Molly!
[He'd said on his "profile" that it was "Molly" to his friends, right, is it really okay for her to call him that? But he said so, and she does. But if she's going to be so casual-]
Please, just call me "Konoha", then! I'm no lady, my parents were rice farmers and my husband is a mountain jinba...
["Lady" was so grand... and he's the one who looks grand here, to her, even though it obviously isn't the comportment or garb of a noble, a "Lord Mollymauk". When she straightens up she can't but look a bit awestruck, taking in how... colorful he was? So vibrant, so flashy...]
Thank you for having me, though...
[He officially invites her in, so in she comes, bending down to unsnap her "shoes" one by one and only then does she step onto his carpets, pulling her baskets off her withers and looking for a table to set them on. Maybe that chest... gods, he really didn't have a kitchen!]
for some reason I thought I tagged this... my brain melted from work
[Why? Simple- who knows if he'll need it. But honestly, he just didn't get around to tossing it out. Blade just got lost in there when he was looking for something else. It's out of the way from the "main living area" so he doesn't give it much of a thought, and has an even lesser urge to clean it up when he can do many other interesting things.
Like have visitors!]
Konoha it is then! A lovely name. Please, have a seat. [On one of many huge pillows- he doesn't have chairs, he has a couch; everything else is covered with huge lounging pillows and bean bags. He drops himself on a purple one with golden embroidery and motions for her to sit down. There's a low coffee table between them, long and it can probably hold the baskets. Probably.]
My pleasure. Especially when you expressed interest in fortune-telling. I am always looking forward to helping anyone seeking fortune.
[Beau would've called bullshit on this if she were here; while he did in fact, help others from time to time, fortune-telling was either a huge hit or a huge miss.]
[Thankfully for Konoha… chairs and couches don’t really do much for her anyway. Unless it’s a very sturdy couch. Not much furniture meant for humans or similarly shaped bipedals did much for a seven foot tall, half ton jinba. Centaur. Equine-person.]
Thank you…
[She’s perfectly fine with the floor, forelegs folding to bring her lumbering carefully down to her belly across from him with the table in between, using the cushions to tuck in around herself. Beneath an equine shoulder, to tilt a bit to the side, then between the forelegs. From her basket, she then produces several large containers (“tupperwares”!) of red bean rice topped with sesame, grilled sea bream, and what seems to be boiled pieces of vegetable, tofu, and fish cakes. Enough to feed… definitely at least three or four people, not one.]
I don’t know if I’m seeking fortune so much as curious about someone else’s fortune, but…
[First, she slides the containers more his way, bowing her head a bit in respectful offering.]
[Thankfully for everyone involved, Molly has a wild imagination and loves odd things. A House filled with cushions instead of furniture? 10/10 AND it's useful if he ever has to move this circus tent of his. Very practical. Also not something anyone else would call "home" or "permanent place of residence". But that's what he's used to and he wouldn't have it any other way.]
Oh yes, that is lovely, [Molly can't help his curiosity and peek inside of the baskets. That's SO much food, the ingredients probably cost more than anything he'd pay for his 'readings'. Not that he really charges tarot readings.] Thank you, it will do just fine.
So, [he leans on the coffee table, tail swishing behind him,] A fortune for someone else... it is kind of hard to do it, as the cards connect with a person that touches them. [He's... seriously not serious about it, but she looks worried and he'd love to help her somehow, even if it's with some white lies.]
But we can always give it a shot! Maybe we will see something, who knows. Cards are fickle like that. [And he pulls out a tarot deck from inside of his very colorful coat- the back of the cards is simple, black, with moon phases drawn on it. And he's mixing them, not letting her peer in.] My type of cards are different from usual tarot cards; that's why I think it might work.
[At his acceptance of the price, Konoha can only feel relieved, smiling slightly as she unknits slightly from the nerves of potentially not having brought enough. She’s heard her fair share of stories of what witches or sorcerers would do to those who slighted them, and right now, with all the other worlds and obscure powers people among the Gembonded had…
She definitely thinks he’s about to do actual magic fortune telling, and this much food is surely the least she could pay for such a thing.
Predictably, when he says it may be difficult though, her brow furrows with concern, her own tail, long and equine in comparison, swishes behind her rump.]
Do you think it would be any easier if the person I’m asking about is connected to me… ? It’s my daughter…
[Surely that bond would be powerful enough… right? Her amber gaze drops, following the shuffle of the dark cards in his hands.]
[She's brought more than enough and Molly can't wait to dig into it. But he has manners and keeps it aside; it would be rude to eat the food without returning the favor that meal was brought for.
Well... there is a bit of "magic" in it... if you consider Mollymauk's storytelling to be magical and captivating. He always makes sure to put on a little show while doing it too, exaggerating things where others normally wouldn't to capture attention. It's why his work at the carnival was always gathering so much attention.
When she mentions her daughter, Molly wishes he had true, prophetic visions to tell her everything about her. But all he can do is smile, and fan out the cards on the floor, back facing up.]
We can always give it a try! Perhaps it won't be directly about her, but something that connects both of you together. If it doesn't work today, we can always try tomorrow. Free of charge, of course- I did promise a reading.
[Molly certainly has Konoha's attention, if her intent, but gentle eyes are any indication. Even thinking to herself that fortunetelling, even true magic spells, would surely be difficult from worlds away... if there was the tiniest chance, she was still interested. Her gaze follows the cards from his hands to the floor, curious and eager to find out what he might say, even if she's unfamiliar with the method.]
Anything is... anything is fine, really, thank you...
[Even if it were something that connected them, or just tangentially related... In her own world, divination was done more by blind old women on sacred mountains, by learned men who practiced the way of yin and yang, but cards... Konoha's heard of it, here in Sumarlok from other Gembonded, but never tried it herself.]
What should I do... ?
[Should she touch them? Pick one? Stay silent and let him work them? Without knowing, her eyes drift to the one in the middle, wondering if the other sides were the same dark nothing as what she could see.]
[Molly's a bullshitter most of the time, self-proclaimed one, guy that believes lies are, when properly told, more helpful than truth. Truth hurts more than it can help sometimes, regardless of the intention, so he's quite happy to live with his lies and bullshit. Gotten beaten up for it plenty of times, but he still wouldn't change a thing about it.
Because of situations like these. It's not like he'll completely lie to her, but he'll interpret the cards to suit her and give her whatever comfort they can. Because in this shitty place, that's the only thing he can do to help.]
You pull out three cards, face down. I'll then turn them around and tell you what they mean. [He raises his hands and clicks his fingers,] Close your eyes, focus on what you want to know, and pull them out.
[There's no wrong way of doing this, as Molly makes every reading personal and tailored to the person he's with.]
[To her credit (or potentially discredit), Konoha seems more than serious, ready to take him at his word… And his words say “three cards”.
Obediently, she makes sure her hand is hovering over the cards and then closes her eyes. Thinks of her daughter as she’d last seen her over a year ago, a bright, energetic three-month-old filly mastering her legs and life, stuffing her face with clovers, chasing frogs, sleeping soundly at her mother’s breast, and crawling over her father’s giant flank like it was her own personal playground. Wonders what her future might hold, what she’ll become, what sort of girl she might grow to be…
And more importantly… If she’ll ever see her again.
With those thoughts in her mind, Konoha settles her fingertips on the backs of the cards, gently passing them over until she pulls out one, two, three…
[He leaves the cards to face down on the ground and collects the ones she didn't pick, putting them away for now. He didn't try to switch out the cards this time, pretty confident he has some very good ones in his deck about now, that he can spin a good tale for her.]
Let's see, [he reaches down and flips the card, revealing a cart with people on the road, traveling, under the clear night sky- some happy, some excited, some sad.] Home and Traveler, is this card, [it writes also on the bottom of the card.] Represents past, and is mostly tied to you- I suppose this entire ordeal of being here, [he gestures around,] this new world- made you leave your home and come here. I've seen this card come up with so many people here, and I'm not surprised.
Second card, [he flips one in the middle,] that represents present, [and it shows a man on the anvil, working hard at forging weapons,] is anvil, destiny forged- [he leans chin on his entwined fingers, looking at the card,]-means you're working hard on going back to where you came from. There's a long path ahead, [he nods at the Traveling card,] but that doesn't seem to influence your determination.
And the last card, future, [he flips the third card to reveal a strong woman, in dark clothes, tall, with withered wings, two different eyes, but holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers in the middle of green fields and clear blue sky- underneath it writes 'Love']
Ah, of course. Love. [He leans back with a small smile,] From what I can tell, both you and your daughter are distraught from this travel but, she's fine and waiting for you, [he points at the last card- the woman's looking at the sky, as if waiting for something there to either show up or fall,] and can't wait to see you.
[Konoha is intense, in the way she hangs upon his every word, her dark amber gaze slowly moving between the designs he reveals on the cards and his face. She wasn't sure what to expect, but what he gives her... Is past, present, and future. "Home and travel", "Anvil", and "Love". The story weaves together, it all makes sense...
But in the end... She doesn't know what to say. She's left staring at the Love card, the hopeful seeming expression on the painted woman's face. Slowly, her hands reach out to gently slide her fingertips over the card, wondering and smooth as she pulls it closer to herself to inspect as if looking for clues. But she can't see much, not with the tears that well up in her eyes.]
You think she knows? Knows that I'm not there... ?
[She wants to be sure about that, her fingers curling over the card.]
Everyone says that time stops in our worlds while we're here, but surely after a year...
[Did the gods' power run out? Was her husband missing her, and her daughter slowly forgetting her face?]
[Molly falls quiet, letting Konoha take in whatever he just said, and look at the cards herself. It is a bit on the lucky side that she drew these cards because he managed to weave something that would somewhat satisfy her question. Or hopefully offer some comfort. He can see tears welling up in her eyes and, without commenting, he hands her one of his colorful handkerchiefs.]
If the time stops, then she probably doesn't; but in any case, her feelings for you wouldn't change, regardless of time. I've not met a person that doesn't love their parents and wants to see them.
Even if they are sometimes awful, kids always hope they'd change and come back. It's unconditional love. [Not that he has ever experienced it, maybe he just doesn't remember- his circumstances are weird to put it lightly; but he's seen families, even within the carnival troupe he's been traveling with. He can make a good sense of it.]
What I want to say is- don't worry; I don't think anything bad has happened to her. She is, just like many other people that are frozen in our worlds, waiting for us to break free from these gems and go back to them.
[Oh. As shameless as she is about expression her emotions, Konoha almost hadn't even realized she was near tears, because that was... just how things were, when she let herself feel the full weight of being without her family. The husband she had given up everything in her life she'd ever known for, the daughter they had both wanted more than anything... and she'd left them. Even if she had never wanted to...]
Thank you...
[She takes the handkerchief. Even though she knows what he says about children loving their parents is true... her hearts still ache, thinking that,]
She's so young, I just... I don't want her to forget me... even if her father tells her- even if she knows I loved her, she won't remember my face...
[Jinba children grew up physically much faster than humans, they had to in order to survive in the mountains, they were standing at one month and walking by two... but mentally? As much as she wanted to believe... three months old isn't enough to recall much of anything, was it? Dabbing at her eyes, Konoha tries to laugh, but. It comes out a bit off.]
Maybe I can ask a more, ah... A more positive question... ? Like what she'll be when she grows up, or... or if she'll stay on the mountain with us or go down into the human villages...
[Molly doesn't comment on the tears; she's a mother, he can't even come to understand her position and how she's feeling without her daughter, her family. He can only guess because he's missing Yasha a lot, who's become someone like kin to him during his years at the carnival.]
I cannot see a situation where she would forget you. I've seen kids recognize their parents after years and years of separation when they look nothing like they've been before.
But here, time's frozen so when you go back, I'm sure everything will be alright.
[His brows quirk and he laughs a little,] Well! A question like that will be the most accurate if- you ask her. [He leans back a little in his beanbag,] No one knows better than her; cards can be fickle sometimes, they like to play around.
[He thinks for a moment and raises one finger,] Second- [he scrambles up to his feet and disappears into the 'junk' part of his tent, goes through some stuff there and returns with a tapestry in his hands and sits back down, handing it over to her.] It clashes with my decor, maybe you'll find it a more suitable place.
[The tapestry, when unfolded, shows long mountain ranges with snow, thick woods, rivers, bright blue sky, and sun.]
[She wants to believe that. That despite her young her daughter was, she would somehow remember something about her, even if it was just the sound of her voice or the feel of her embrace.
She knew he was right about that answer, but... it makes her laugh weakly, the sound a little hiccup in her weeping. Of course it would be best to ask her, but... That would be years and years and years in the making, she almost tries to poke fun by asking if that isn't his job, to make the cards behave, but...
Then he's gotten to second, and he's scrambling for something in the pile of items and it distracts her. What was he going to pull out of there, a- a tapestry? It wasn't the right shape for Mt. Tsurugi, but mountains, forests, and mist...]
Wh- For me?
[She seems genuinely confused, looking up at him in shock and raising her hands, one still clutching the handkerchief, to try and wave it away.]
No, no, I'm the one who came to you asking for a favor...
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
un: konoha
master MOLLYMAUK?
is konoha!
👩🐎 you remember?
i have question about fortunes
if you is available!
UN: SummerDance
Of course I remember how can I forget 3:)
About fortunes? Of course!
I am almost always available!
no subject
what is 3:)?
MOLLYMAUK 's hat?
i have much much red bean rice
and seabream
is good enough price?
no subject
You'll see when you visit me sometimes :)
!!
I prefer meats, but I never tried THAT
and I always love to try new stuff
It's an excellent price~
no subject
i make gasp sound
is smart
like i 's 👩🐎
or 🌳🍃
can give red bean rice and seabream fish now
meat later?
where do you do fortunes?
no subject
Sounds good to me, looking forward to it :D
[How long has it been since he ate homemade food? Unknown]
This is the address.
Open field, huge circus tent, and a tree. Can't miss it.
no subject
alright!
i go there!
afternoon time good?
no subject
I'll see you soon!
[And it really is very easy to find.
The tent is colorful with nice shades of blue, red, and purples on the outside. There's a big tree in the vicinity and from the branches hang little lanterns, wind chimes, and other colorful trinkets. The front of the tent is open, even has that little famous top, but as soon as they get closer, they can feel the warmth coming from the inside.
And inside is... well. Picturesque. One half of the tent is 'decorated', the other one has boxes that are yet to be unpacked, some furniture and chests. There's some noise coming from that area, while Molly's nowhere to be seen.
There are very thick, very colorful carpets either on the walls of the tent or on the floor, covering some of the makeshift wood floorings. Wherever you look, there's a pillow, and when you look again, there's an even bigger one. Round pots of big plants and oddly-looking mushrooms are strewn around, seemingly unaffected by the season. Beanbags, a small mahogany table with two chairs, a couch, mattress covered with red silk sheets, and soft blankets- all of it is illuminated with braziers that are hanging from above. Again, magical light. This tent wouldn't be able to survive the real fire.]
no subject
Master Mollymauk... ?
[She can smell him, or... what she assumes is him, it's a male scent, but she can't tell if it's just lingering or if he's actually there... But isn't he expecting her? She peeks around, ducking a bit to get her seven foot tall frame past the entrance. Could he be... lost in the pillows? Some of them are very big...]
Hello... ?
no subject
I wonder how you got there, [he sheaths it on his side and turns towards his guest.]
Welcome! Welcome to Mollymauk's residence. I am Mollymauk, himself, [he bows, 90 degrees] very pleased to finally meet you, Lady Konoha. But do drop the Master, Molly is more than enough.
[The guy in front of Konoha is slender, purple tiefling, with horns on his head, that are pierced and decorated with jewels and golden bangs. His hair is dark, and once was short, but now it's longer and a bit curlier; his eyes are like two red rubies and seem to match the ruby gem he has on his throat. There are a lot of tattoos on him- the peacock feathers is the one that stands out the most, along with a lot of scars, seemingly from cuts and battles. He wears what one would call "entertainer's clothes"- colorful, flashy- long coat just whips around him as he bows; deep heeled boots and, now, two scimitars at his sides.]
Please come in, no need to be shy, we've talked a lot over these... things. [Texting he means.]
no subject
Mas- Molly!
[He'd said on his "profile" that it was "Molly" to his friends, right, is it really okay for her to call him that? But he said so, and she does. But if she's going to be so casual-]
Please, just call me "Konoha", then! I'm no lady, my parents were rice farmers and my husband is a mountain jinba...
["Lady" was so grand... and he's the one who looks grand here, to her, even though it obviously isn't the comportment or garb of a noble, a "Lord Mollymauk". When she straightens up she can't but look a bit awestruck, taking in how... colorful he was? So vibrant, so flashy...]
Thank you for having me, though...
[He officially invites her in, so in she comes, bending down to unsnap her "shoes" one by one and only then does she step onto his carpets, pulling her baskets off her withers and looking for a table to set them on. Maybe that chest... gods, he really didn't have a kitchen!]
for some reason I thought I tagged this... my brain melted from work
Like have visitors!]
Konoha it is then! A lovely name. Please, have a seat. [On one of many huge pillows- he doesn't have chairs, he has a couch; everything else is covered with huge lounging pillows and bean bags. He drops himself on a purple one with golden embroidery and motions for her to sit down. There's a low coffee table between them, long and it can probably hold the baskets. Probably.]
My pleasure. Especially when you expressed interest in fortune-telling. I am always looking forward to helping anyone seeking fortune.
[Beau would've called bullshit on this if she were here; while he did in fact, help others from time to time, fortune-telling was either a huge hit or a huge miss.]
wb! melty brain and all
Thank you…
[She’s perfectly fine with the floor, forelegs folding to bring her lumbering carefully down to her belly across from him with the table in between, using the cushions to tuck in around herself. Beneath an equine shoulder, to tilt a bit to the side, then between the forelegs. From her basket, she then produces several large containers (“tupperwares”!) of red bean rice topped with sesame, grilled sea bream, and what seems to be boiled pieces of vegetable, tofu, and fish cakes. Enough to feed… definitely at least three or four people, not one.]
I don’t know if I’m seeking fortune so much as curious about someone else’s fortune, but…
[First, she slides the containers more his way, bowing her head a bit in respectful offering.]
Will this do for price… ?
no subject
Oh yes, that is lovely, [Molly can't help his curiosity and peek inside of the baskets. That's SO much food, the ingredients probably cost more than anything he'd pay for his 'readings'. Not that he really charges tarot readings.] Thank you, it will do just fine.
So, [he leans on the coffee table, tail swishing behind him,] A fortune for someone else... it is kind of hard to do it, as the cards connect with a person that touches them. [He's... seriously not serious about it, but she looks worried and he'd love to help her somehow, even if it's with some white lies.]
But we can always give it a shot! Maybe we will see something, who knows. Cards are fickle like that. [And he pulls out a tarot deck from inside of his very colorful coat- the back of the cards is simple, black, with moon phases drawn on it. And he's mixing them, not letting her peer in.] My type of cards are different from usual tarot cards; that's why I think it might work.
no subject
She definitely thinks he’s about to do actual magic fortune telling, and this much food is surely the least she could pay for such a thing.
Predictably, when he says it may be difficult though, her brow furrows with concern, her own tail, long and equine in comparison, swishes behind her rump.]
Do you think it would be any easier if the person I’m asking about is connected to me… ? It’s my daughter…
[Surely that bond would be powerful enough… right? Her amber gaze drops, following the shuffle of the dark cards in his hands.]
no subject
Well... there is a bit of "magic" in it... if you consider Mollymauk's storytelling to be magical and captivating. He always makes sure to put on a little show while doing it too, exaggerating things where others normally wouldn't to capture attention. It's why his work at the carnival was always gathering so much attention.
When she mentions her daughter, Molly wishes he had true, prophetic visions to tell her everything about her. But all he can do is smile, and fan out the cards on the floor, back facing up.]
We can always give it a try! Perhaps it won't be directly about her, but something that connects both of you together. If it doesn't work today, we can always try tomorrow. Free of charge, of course- I did promise a reading.
no subject
Anything is... anything is fine, really, thank you...
[Even if it were something that connected them, or just tangentially related... In her own world, divination was done more by blind old women on sacred mountains, by learned men who practiced the way of yin and yang, but cards... Konoha's heard of it, here in Sumarlok from other Gembonded, but never tried it herself.]
What should I do... ?
[Should she touch them? Pick one? Stay silent and let him work them? Without knowing, her eyes drift to the one in the middle, wondering if the other sides were the same dark nothing as what she could see.]
no subject
Because of situations like these. It's not like he'll completely lie to her, but he'll interpret the cards to suit her and give her whatever comfort they can. Because in this shitty place, that's the only thing he can do to help.]
You pull out three cards, face down. I'll then turn them around and tell you what they mean. [He raises his hands and clicks his fingers,] Close your eyes, focus on what you want to know, and pull them out.
[There's no wrong way of doing this, as Molly makes every reading personal and tailored to the person he's with.]
no subject
Obediently, she makes sure her hand is hovering over the cards and then closes her eyes. Thinks of her daughter as she’d last seen her over a year ago, a bright, energetic three-month-old filly mastering her legs and life, stuffing her face with clovers, chasing frogs, sleeping soundly at her mother’s breast, and crawling over her father’s giant flank like it was her own personal playground. Wonders what her future might hold, what she’ll become, what sort of girl she might grow to be…
And more importantly… If she’ll ever see her again.
With those thoughts in her mind, Konoha settles her fingertips on the backs of the cards, gently passing them over until she pulls out one, two, three…
And then cautiously opens her eyes.]
no subject
Let's see, [he reaches down and flips the card, revealing a cart with people on the road, traveling, under the clear night sky- some happy, some excited, some sad.] Home and Traveler, is this card, [it writes also on the bottom of the card.] Represents past, and is mostly tied to you- I suppose this entire ordeal of being here, [he gestures around,] this new world- made you leave your home and come here. I've seen this card come up with so many people here, and I'm not surprised.
Second card, [he flips one in the middle,] that represents present, [and it shows a man on the anvil, working hard at forging weapons,] is anvil, destiny forged- [he leans chin on his entwined fingers, looking at the card,]-means you're working hard on going back to where you came from. There's a long path ahead, [he nods at the Traveling card,] but that doesn't seem to influence your determination.
And the last card, future, [he flips the third card to reveal a strong woman, in dark clothes, tall, with withered wings, two different eyes, but holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers in the middle of green fields and clear blue sky- underneath it writes 'Love']
Ah, of course. Love. [He leans back with a small smile,] From what I can tell, both you and your daughter are distraught from this travel but, she's fine and waiting for you, [he points at the last card- the woman's looking at the sky, as if waiting for something there to either show up or fall,] and can't wait to see you.
no subject
But in the end... She doesn't know what to say. She's left staring at the Love card, the hopeful seeming expression on the painted woman's face. Slowly, her hands reach out to gently slide her fingertips over the card, wondering and smooth as she pulls it closer to herself to inspect as if looking for clues. But she can't see much, not with the tears that well up in her eyes.]
You think she knows? Knows that I'm not there... ?
[She wants to be sure about that, her fingers curling over the card.]
Everyone says that time stops in our worlds while we're here, but surely after a year...
[Did the gods' power run out? Was her husband missing her, and her daughter slowly forgetting her face?]
no subject
If the time stops, then she probably doesn't; but in any case, her feelings for you wouldn't change, regardless of time. I've not met a person that doesn't love their parents and wants to see them.
Even if they are sometimes awful, kids always hope they'd change and come back. It's unconditional love. [Not that he has ever experienced it, maybe he just doesn't remember- his circumstances are weird to put it lightly; but he's seen families, even within the carnival troupe he's been traveling with. He can make a good sense of it.]
What I want to say is- don't worry; I don't think anything bad has happened to her. She is, just like many other people that are frozen in our worlds, waiting for us to break free from these gems and go back to them.
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Thank you...
[She takes the handkerchief. Even though she knows what he says about children loving their parents is true... her hearts still ache, thinking that,]
She's so young, I just... I don't want her to forget me... even if her father tells her- even if she knows I loved her, she won't remember my face...
[Jinba children grew up physically much faster than humans, they had to in order to survive in the mountains, they were standing at one month and walking by two... but mentally? As much as she wanted to believe... three months old isn't enough to recall much of anything, was it? Dabbing at her eyes, Konoha tries to laugh, but. It comes out a bit off.]
Maybe I can ask a more, ah... A more positive question... ? Like what she'll be when she grows up, or... or if she'll stay on the mountain with us or go down into the human villages...
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I cannot see a situation where she would forget you. I've seen kids recognize their parents after years and years of separation when they look nothing like they've been before.
But here, time's frozen so when you go back, I'm sure everything will be alright.
[His brows quirk and he laughs a little,] Well! A question like that will be the most accurate if- you ask her. [He leans back a little in his beanbag,] No one knows better than her; cards can be fickle sometimes, they like to play around.
[He thinks for a moment and raises one finger,] Second- [he scrambles up to his feet and disappears into the 'junk' part of his tent, goes through some stuff there and returns with a tapestry in his hands and sits back down, handing it over to her.] It clashes with my decor, maybe you'll find it a more suitable place.
[The tapestry, when unfolded, shows long mountain ranges with snow, thick woods, rivers, bright blue sky, and sun.]
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She knew he was right about that answer, but... it makes her laugh weakly, the sound a little hiccup in her weeping. Of course it would be best to ask her, but... That would be years and years and years in the making, she almost tries to poke fun by asking if that isn't his job, to make the cards behave, but...
Then he's gotten to second, and he's scrambling for something in the pile of items and it distracts her. What was he going to pull out of there, a- a tapestry? It wasn't the right shape for Mt. Tsurugi, but mountains, forests, and mist...]
Wh- For me?
[She seems genuinely confused, looking up at him in shock and raising her hands, one still clutching the handkerchief, to try and wave it away.]
No, no, I'm the one who came to you asking for a favor...
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