[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...
For you. As I just said, I have little use of it here.
[And she looks like she could have a lot, to be honest.]
You made me food enough to last for a few days, one tarot reading is little. So this is to compensate. [He curls it up neatly and places it in front of her- she can choose to leave it if she really doesn't want it, the choice is hers.
But Molly lives by a certain motto and he wasn't going to wander astray from it even here... hmm, especially here.]
Visit me again sometime, and we will take another look at the cards. Hmm, let's make it once a month thing, just to make sure nothing bad is going on.
[Again, he will probably bullshit his way around but if it gives her even a little comfort, then it is totally worth it.]
[Konoha isn't sure that the actual going rate for a tarot card reading is, so honestly he could be lying and she'd never know... but he also doesn't seem to be about to take "no" for an answer. It's custom in her land to refuse at least twice, maybe even three times before accepting a gift or favor, and she's done two now, so...
Gratefully, a little touched, she carefully bundles up the tapestry with a little bow and places it in the basket emptied by the tupperware she'd given.]
I can come back next month...
[She'd never thought she'd become a customer of a fortune teller, but... She wants the hope. The illusion of knowing. And he does sell it so flashily, in this colorful tent with that charming, roguish manner... so she points a bit shyly to the food she'd brought, at least determined to be fair.]
Just tell me how you liked this, and I can cook something else that might suit you for the next payment... ?
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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.
no subject
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...
no subject
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.]
no subject
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...
no subject
[And she looks like she could have a lot, to be honest.]
You made me food enough to last for a few days, one tarot reading is little. So this is to compensate. [He curls it up neatly and places it in front of her- she can choose to leave it if she really doesn't want it, the choice is hers.
But Molly lives by a certain motto and he wasn't going to wander astray from it even here... hmm, especially here.]
Visit me again sometime, and we will take another look at the cards. Hmm, let's make it once a month thing, just to make sure nothing bad is going on.
[Again, he will probably bullshit his way around but if it gives her even a little comfort, then it is totally worth it.]
no subject
[Konoha isn't sure that the actual going rate for a tarot card reading is, so honestly he could be lying and she'd never know... but he also doesn't seem to be about to take "no" for an answer. It's custom in her land to refuse at least twice, maybe even three times before accepting a gift or favor, and she's done two now, so...
Gratefully, a little touched, she carefully bundles up the tapestry with a little bow and places it in the basket emptied by the tupperware she'd given.]
I can come back next month...
[She'd never thought she'd become a customer of a fortune teller, but... She wants the hope. The illusion of knowing. And he does sell it so flashily, in this colorful tent with that charming, roguish manner... so she points a bit shyly to the food she'd brought, at least determined to be fair.]
Just tell me how you liked this, and I can cook something else that might suit you for the next payment... ?