[D2, MA] I Still Say Musubi is Food.

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

"There is indeed some performance that goes into fortune telling", he agreed. "People don't realize it, but they're asking for a show."

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi smiled and nodded. "True, and to be honest it's a bit boring."

She mused. "Would you like me to divine your future, Shosuro-sama? I think I could do with a small break and I keep my supplies with me just in case."

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

That was a mixed bag to him. A large part of him really didn't want to know, but this Moth had been easy to talk to, perhaps when she saw the curse on him things would change. His doubtful mind couldn't let go of the possibility.

"Then please, go ahead." He bowed.

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi nodded and put her tools away, carefully blowing saw dust away into a pile before transferring it into a bag for offerings later for the Earth or Fire kami.

Wrapping the deer, she placed it in her back before putting the blanket away she was sat upon. Once completed she smiled, and did some minor stretching of her hands to make sure they were stiff from work.

She smiled and settled down beside the Shosuro, and took a deep breath clearing her mind before pulling out a deck of elegant tarot cards made from thicker card with fine inked drawings of the fortunes and a set of numbers on them. Perhaps, a rather different divination style within the Empire.

Koi smiled, and shuffled the cards in silence. She held the cards out for the Shosuro to take.

"Please shuffle. Cut three times. Shuffle again. If you do not mind, Shosuro-sama focus on the future, focus in the days ahead. Build that image of intention in your mind." She said softly, with a playful smile "And no need for any slight of hands, Shosuro-sama. The kami of Void will know."

Koi held out the cards.

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

An odd practice, he thought, but simple enough. Though not quite as odd as the old hag who cane though town from time to time promising fortunes.

He took the cards and deftly shuffled, cutting with a slide of one hand over the other and shuffled again, repeating the process. While he did, he thought of the future against his own judgment.

He wanted to do something for her.
He was seeking a way to get to know them.
There were others, he even prayed a small prayer for his friend Yūdaina.

When the cards were sorted into proper chaos, he handed them back.

OOC: just showing some deft ticks, not shuffling for advantage
Skullduggery/air, deft shuffling | TN: 1 | Success: 1 / Opportunity: 0 / Strife: 1


+1 strife from trying to look cool.

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi watched the Scorpion with mild mirth, and sat patiently as tricks are performed Koi raided a brow at him and laughed softly clapping her hands. "It is good to know that you have deft hands, it is good to be skilled with the movement of your fingers." Koi teased flirtatiously, and took them back.

With the deck in her hand Koi placed them down on the ground, and with her thumb on the deck draw a circle in the ground with her pinkie twisting her wrist in a sharp circle neat and tidy.

Before she focused, she calmed her breathing and hushed all the sounds of her mind.

Circle of power I draw you in, a whirlpool of my will I bestow your good graces. Round and round the echoes of those that have been whispers their stories. Circle of power I invoke the Void and draw from the knowledge of your fountain of what has happened, what is, and what will be. Circle of power, a draw your foresight through me.

D2: MA. Divination to Shosuro. Void/Theology. | TN: 2 | Success: 1 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 0
Omen 1: The next time the target (Shosuro Hikimasu) uses a skill in the Trade skill group, they add a kept die showing strife and opportunity.
Omen (Opportunity) 2:: The next time the target ( Shosuro Hikimasu) uses a skill in the Social skill group, they add a kept die showing strife and opportunity

Koi spun her finger around once more making it thrice before she closed her eyes, and took a deep breath before exhaling slowly and drew a card.

Holding the card up so that she could look at it for a moment, and furrowed her brow as she placed the card carrying the image of Benten on the floor, the ink flowed and swirled on the paper as if it was fluid the imagine changing to reveal a picture of a samurai taking the hand of a beautiful maiden upon a horseback being drawn away towards a castle.

"I see a pair of Lovers, its reflects an image of romance, its a union of opposites and it refers to the thoughtfulness in making choices." She furrowed her brow. "Partners often experience conflict that requires making hard choices."

Koi glances up at the Scorpionand smiles softly, and continues. "When the Lover card appears, it points to a need to heal a rift. Although it can herald a romantic involvement it most often turns up when a critical life decision must be made. This card suggests you are at a crossroads, and look at your options avaliable to you and decide which route to go down towards."

Koi tapped the card for a moment and explains. "That Void revealed the card upright to me - and that means it is a card of co-operation, working together with others to accomplish joint purpose. It stands for attraction-" Koi said softly. "Of any kind, not just including romantic and a choice between two factors of equal worth may be required."

The cards image faded, swirled and returned to the image of Benten.

Koi smiled, and frown suddenly as she looked down as another card had itself flipped over to reveal itself without her drawing it.

Another Fortune, a minor one - Natsu Togamaru.

Koi furrowed her brow and picked up the card speaking softly. The card paled and went blank before the image showed a monk, reclused away high in the mountains upright surrounded by dragons with a lantern set upon his lap that shone. "The Hermit."

She smiled meekly. "When the Hermit appears, typically, it means a guide figure is at hand offering help. You must make an effort to make a connection with this guide, or consciously choose to begin looking for truth."

Koi paused and smiled softly. "A second interpretation is the questioner must volunteer to withdraw from contact with the outer world to look in on oneself, the Kami can not speak to you if you are distracted by the noise of everyday life - the time has come for you connect with your inner ki rather for guidence or inner balance."

She tapped the card. "If the card appears upright, the hermit waits patiently for you to turn to them for advice. You may be aware if their influence but are ignoring it. You might actually be looking for guidence by isolating yourself in some way, seeking solitude, wisdom and inner peace. You want to gain perspective on your life and you are open to the inner guidences that are open to you."

The image faded, and shifted the its previous image leaving Koi sat there suddenly washed with weariness and fatigue but she smiles warmly awaiting the Scorpion response.

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

After hearing all that, the struggle to not utter something incredibly obtuse to drain the tension out was great. As she had shown the cards he admitted he understood none of it. The actual divination itself. Cards didn't track with him, but it not being his method didn't make it wrong or worthless.

No, the important thing is the message. And it was fairly clear, listen to what your good sense tells you, stop worrying so much.

Of course that's something he'd often said to himself, but his past environment made that difficult even here. Still, Hikimasu was fairly introspective, in a logical sense, if there was anything he as seeking it was perhaps the ability to act from passion rather than cleverness when the time called for it.

Still, his way was not a bad one. Or perhaps he misunderstood everything she'd said entirely.

"Maybe I'm missing something", he found himself saying. "I don't mean to call this a farce, but every day we seek guidance from others or our inner self, and are forced to make difficult choices of equal importance...I have to admit I struggle to see what that could mean in this situation. The idea of marriage, I would think is the issue here, but I don't have strong feelings on it, it would be enough to find someone I could trust at all."

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi sat looking at the Scorpion with a calm smile, she had seen his reaction or at least his vocal response for a fact.

So she let him talk and just looked at him quietly, the cards laying between them. She took no offense, but really offered no defense either before she simpled chuckled.

"I am a shugenja, Shosuro-sama." She said calmly before laughing softly, "I suppose the best advice for you Shosuro-sama is divination is the quest to understand more about the past, present, and future. In other words, Tarot readings are an attempt to understand ourselves better and discover how we might live better in the future."

She slipped the cards back into her sleeve.

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

It didn't take much thought to arrive at a conclusion. "Fair enough."

Though you don't need spells to tell people to face their pasts.

"What else do they tell you? Anything about this temple, perhaps?" He really was still unconvinced about Musubi.

[Kaikoga Koi]

Koi looked up at the Tree pensively, and smiled. "No, that is a different spell."

She smiled, popping an almond from a little pouch in her obi out and chewed on it.

Thinking about it, she mused. I could tell him. That could be interesting.

Koi shrugged and smiled keeping her secret about her vision to herself, and mused. She bent down and collected her supplies placing it all into a bag. "Shosuro-sama it was a pleasure. Tea perhaps another time? It was nice just having someone to exist next too for a while." She bowed to the Scorpion.