A glimpse of the future, then. We’ll give it a shot. I’ll warn you that I’m fairly certain this place is . . . odd.
[He stops shuffling.]
Alright. Think about the question of your fate for a moment. So the universe can hear.
[Then lays three cards down - left to right - tapping each one in turn with a nail. Just a little motion that seems very practiced and ritualized for him. Now that they’re laying down, he can probably see the pattern on the back is an image of the moon, and the ink strokes seem done by hand. ]
[ to call him a skeptic is putting it lightly, anyway. but - it's a different world, and the people within this place are different. really, it might just be proving his exact theory. gu yun's gaze flicks briefly over the back of the cards, the fine ink work, the colors. they don't have any significance to him short of being pretty, but, they are very pretty indeed.
obediently, he'll do just as asked - think on the question of his fate.
those bald donkeys were full of it. is what he thinks, like a good and polite person, go on. let's see what you've got for me.
he will stay quiet for the moment, as requested, even if his universe hearing pondering is kind of impolite. ]
[Skepticism doesn’t bother him! In fact, Beau regularly calls him a full of shit grifter. It comes with the trade. He seems sincere about the cards though. And besides, no one ever truly talks to the gods politely all the time.
He flips the first card. An illustration of a woman, nude, pouring water mixed with bright stars into a shifting lake.]
Where you stand now. The Star. Reversed. She’s a bit finicky if you ask me, but I’d say . . . you hold yourself to a rather high standard, right?
[It’s quite nice artwork! Hand-done again, though some of it is a little shaky.]
An important man, then. A lot of responsibilities, a lot of moving parts, but no one else can truly handle it, can they? You’re likely juggling an awful lot. The water is heavy in your hands, and you don’t necessarily feel able to let it go. Of course, this is just where you stand now.
[Flipping the next one. A city, floating against of plane of stars. The same city is mirrored on the other half of the card, but this time being shattered by a great and terrible creature, falling to pieces.]
[He sees the look, and just puts his fingers on the card. Like an old friend.]
It doesn’t have to be so literal. The reverse is the Calamity, There’s a few different readings here, but I think . . . [He considers, observing it sitting next to the Star.] Yes. Being at a crossroads, perhaps? You wield a great deal of power, I think, and your decisions carry great weight. Especially right now. That much is obvious, yeah? You’re here, making a wish for your greatest desire.
You can’t always predict all the way to the end of the game, and the balance is fragile. Do you protect the Dream or does it fall to the Calamity? Is it worth it to keep that wonderful Dream alive, or easier to shatter it at last. Maybe something better can be born from the ashes.
That seems like a non-committal answer. Fortunes seem to have those in common. [ there's a joke in that response - his natural fallback in just about every situation. gu yun's dream and his greatest desire... don't those things go hand in hand? to let go of one and find a rebirth - it's not for him. ]
Of course! [He can laugh at that.] Take from it what you will. No one likes a heavy hand, do they? They’re guides, not masters. Perhaps the fact that you think it non-committal has steeled your resolve about something. Fortunes are bullshit, I know what I want.
Next, your potential.
[And the last one. A great silver dragon, ferocious and powerful, winding around itself in near endless coils.]
Oh. Hello you old bastard. The Platinum Dragon. A being of great renown. He fights the Tyrant, a right fuck off bad guy, and is a symbol of victory. See, you’ve insulted the deck, so it’s trying to flatter you now.
[ that's the exact right attitude to have to get him to relax just a bit. gu yun doesn't keep much tension about him ever, but he was definitely a bit defensive; they're guides not masters feels more in line with his own compass.
that, and a dragon coming out makes him snort, for reasons of sheer lore related irony, but also for the flattery. gu yun raises an eyebrow, the grin on his face now roguish. ]
The deck of cards isn't my type. [ wink. awful. ] But I suppose I'm to vanquish a tyrant, then?
[If he wasn’t good at fast-talk, he wouldn’t be a very good fortuneteller, would he. Grinning right back, reaching down to adjust the cards, lining them up.]
I couldn’t possibly give a committal answer to that.
Hmm. I think so. [ i, sisi, truly appreciate the effort.
in exchange, maybe, he offers a bit of an explanation: ] The last time I had my fortune 'read', it was quite a different story. I've learned to not take much stock in them, since - though, in a way, this proved a point I was considering, too.
All in all, a highly enlightening experience. I can see why such a skill would make you coin.
[ i'm a dumb bitch that knows nothing about tarot its ok ]
Born under a bad star, or something of the like. [ a beat. ] Well, at least according to a flock of bald headed donkeys in the stable called Hu Guo Temple.
Precisely. Something about a terrible curse inflicted upon me by my birth, and my ancestors, or something. I don't speak donkey, so my translation's off.
[ (gu yun voice) FUCK buddhists ] I think I'd trade it for being born under nothing. Maybe a bit personal for our second, third, fourth, what have you conversation - [ as he's reaching for a swig of that booze ] - but where do tiefling babies come from?
[ the tone affixed to that is droll and a bit overdramatic, his usual good natured little shit smile planted firmly back on his face. ]
[Oh my god? He. Laughs. Really hard? And then reaches over and tries to grab the bottle back from him, tail swishing back and forth. From the question? Who’s to say.]
Why, do you think I look like I’ve made any? [Making a `yuck` face.] Same as any other baby, I assume: delivered by a stork to my loving parents doorstep.
[ just to be a shit, he holds it a bit out of the way, leaning backwards and grinning like a fool - gu yun's not exactly tall so this is completely ineffective, but that's fine. molly can have the bottle eventually, though. ]
Do you think I have? [ made babies? made tiefling babies? up to reader interpretation. ] Mine was delivered by a couple of wolves. Must be a cultural thing.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ he does start digging about in his pockets, though. let's see, let's see... ]
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[Just waiting. Maybe he also just likes stuff.]
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he tilts his head, thoughtful... and then snaps his fingers. ]
How about... I'm someone's yifu - that is to say, a father of sorts. I have a ward who is fourteen.
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[Daddy . . . he has just learned the concept. Shuffling the cards then, cutting the deck, moving them back and forth in a dizzyingly fast motion.]
What do you think? Do you have a a specific question? Your past, present, future? Relationship advice? Of what does the Universe dream?
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anyway. some of that warmth fades off of his face, now. gu yun looks at the cards. ] What's my fate going to be?
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[He stops shuffling.]
Alright. Think about the question of your fate for a moment. So the universe can hear.
[Then lays three cards down - left to right - tapping each one in turn with a nail. Just a little motion that seems very practiced and ritualized for him. Now that they’re laying down, he can probably see the pattern on the back is an image of the moon, and the ink strokes seem done by hand. ]
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[ to call him a skeptic is putting it lightly, anyway. but - it's a different world, and the people within this place are different. really, it might just be proving his exact theory. gu yun's gaze flicks briefly over the back of the cards, the fine ink work, the colors. they don't have any significance to him short of being pretty, but, they are very pretty indeed.
obediently, he'll do just as asked - think on the question of his fate.
those bald donkeys were full of it. is what he thinks, like a good and polite person, go on. let's see what you've got for me.
he will stay quiet for the moment, as requested, even if his universe hearing pondering is kind of impolite. ]
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He flips the first card. An illustration of a woman, nude, pouring water mixed with bright stars into a shifting lake.]
Where you stand now. The Star. Reversed. She’s a bit finicky if you ask me, but I’d say . . . you hold yourself to a rather high standard, right?
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anyway! gu yun looks at the card, for a moment, resisting the urge to clam up and studying the artwork, instead. ]
You could say that. [ being the marquis of order means he's got a whole army to care for, after all. ] Comes with the job title.
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An important man, then. A lot of responsibilities, a lot of moving parts, but no one else can truly handle it, can they? You’re likely juggling an awful lot. The water is heavy in your hands, and you don’t necessarily feel able to let it go. Of course, this is just where you stand now.
[Flipping the next one. A city, floating against of plane of stars. The same city is mirrored on the other half of the card, but this time being shattered by a great and terrible creature, falling to pieces.]
Where you’re heading. The Dream. Interesting.
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...but then, the second card comes up. ]
Interesting. [ he repeats, this time, gaze staying on the card itself. that shattered city. ] How so?
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It doesn’t have to be so literal. The reverse is the Calamity, There’s a few different readings here, but I think . . . [He considers, observing it sitting next to the Star.] Yes. Being at a crossroads, perhaps? You wield a great deal of power, I think, and your decisions carry great weight. Especially right now. That much is obvious, yeah? You’re here, making a wish for your greatest desire.
You can’t always predict all the way to the end of the game, and the balance is fragile. Do you protect the Dream or does it fall to the Calamity? Is it worth it to keep that wonderful Dream alive, or easier to shatter it at last. Maybe something better can be born from the ashes.
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That seems like a non-committal answer. Fortunes seem to have those in common. [ there's a joke in that response - his natural fallback in just about every situation. gu yun's dream and his greatest desire... don't those things go hand in hand? to let go of one and find a rebirth - it's not for him. ]
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Next, your potential.
[And the last one. A great silver dragon, ferocious and powerful, winding around itself in near endless coils.]
Oh. Hello you old bastard. The Platinum Dragon. A being of great renown. He fights the Tyrant, a right fuck off bad guy, and is a symbol of victory. See, you’ve insulted the deck, so it’s trying to flatter you now.
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that, and a dragon coming out makes him snort, for reasons of sheer lore related irony, but also for the flattery. gu yun raises an eyebrow, the grin on his face now roguish. ]
The deck of cards isn't my type. [ wink. awful. ] But I suppose I'm to vanquish a tyrant, then?
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I couldn’t possibly give a committal answer to that.
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Ha! Fair enough.
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So, feel as if you’ve gotten your payment’s worth out of the reading?
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in exchange, maybe, he offers a bit of an explanation: ] The last time I had my fortune 'read', it was quite a different story. I've learned to not take much stock in them, since - though, in a way, this proved a point I was considering, too.
All in all, a highly enlightening experience. I can see why such a skill would make you coin.
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[me, sweating over mollymauks stupid custom deck its fine ITS FINE
He seems curious, tilting his head.]
Bad portents and what not?
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Born under a bad star, or something of the like. [ a beat. ] Well, at least according to a flock of bald headed donkeys in the stable called Hu Guo Temple.
[ yeah?? ]
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[He snorts a bit of a laugh.]
Seems a little set in stone for my taste. Then again, I wasn’t born under anything, so I suppose what do I know?
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[ (gu yun voice) FUCK buddhists ] I think I'd trade it for being born under nothing. Maybe a bit personal for our second, third, fourth, what have you conversation - [ as he's reaching for a swig of that booze ] - but where do tiefling babies come from?
[ the tone affixed to that is droll and a bit overdramatic, his usual good natured little shit smile planted firmly back on his face. ]
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Why, do you think I look like I’ve made any? [Making a `yuck` face.] Same as any other baby, I assume: delivered by a stork to my loving parents doorstep.
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Do you think I have? [ made babies? made tiefling babies? up to reader interpretation. ] Mine was delivered by a couple of wolves. Must be a cultural thing.
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DW my TAGS