[D3, EE, Expecting] A Wally Meeting

[Seppun Unsei]

"Eh, I doubt it'll be bad. I'm assuming it's with one of the Otter. Been hearing a lot of talk about them, the Moshi, and the Moths around. They seem to be the bigger hits during all of this, so it's going to be interesting seeing the clusterfuck that'll be when each of them have about five different suitors each."

He plopped down on the ground and then withdrew his stones. They were each a different color and type of gem, each cut a different way, and each side seemed to have a different constellation or symbol on it.

"Could try and see if I can't find anything fun in your future. Sometimes the stars can be a bit... finicky. Especially when you try to ask them questions when they aren't out."

[Shiba Raizo]

"Otter? Oh, no, no, I mean, I like Narumi-san a great deal, but not in that way- we were actually just joking about it."

A pause.

"And not in that nervous, 'hah hah, wouldn't it be funny' way either."

He hunkered down to look at the stones.

"As far as it goes though, I think there will be plenty of people with multiple suitors coming out of this, and I'm getting a bit worried that I have one genuine interest, a few friends I think would be happier with others, and not much else going on."

[Seppun Unsei]

You're doing better than I am with that, buddy.

"Eh, fair enough. With the sleeping with thing. And besides, as I keep getting told over and over and over again. There's still plenty of time to find others you're interested in." He then handed Raizo his stones.

"Shake these and then drop them on the ground."

[Shiba Raizo]

"So, been doing any looking?"

Shake, rattle, and roll...

[Seppun Unsei]

"Sort of, but I think my lack of romantic relationships before is causing me to see friendliness as romantic interest and it's kinda ruining my time here, but that's a me thing I've got to fix. Anyway-" He said quickly and in a muttered voice as he looked over the stones.

"Oh... How very interesting..." He pursed his lips and nimbly picked up the first stone that had been cast from Raizo's hand. His honey-colored eyes scanned over the surface and the stress of the day seemed to wash off of him as he settled into doing what he clearly cared so much about.

"Your past. The Balance of the World. The Equilibrium between two halves. You struggled with it in your past. Your feet kept you marching on as a soldier, but... though you might not admit it, your soul wished for something more. Desired for something more than your duty could give you. Yet you were cautious and maintained both in harmony. That's good." He carefully set it down before picking up the second one.

"Your present. Oh, aha. The Mother Shines Brightly. Always a good one, this is... Caretaker. Comfort. Relaxation. The blessings of such things have been given to you for the time, as you are watched over and cared for. Such things have been given to you with nobily and poise, yet to be wary of such things, for over indulgence leads to little more than shallowness." Then, as he set that down, he seemed to hesitate in picking up the next stone. Whatever it showed seemed to bother him no small amount. Still, he did pick it up.

"Your future..." His voice was softer, returning briefly to his normal voice rather than the deeper facade he had been putting on all day. "Dark Clouds Cover the Sky. Disappointment and anxiety. Your future leaves you looking back on the mistakes of the past. You will be in pain, but do not allow that pain to overcome you. Do not sit underneath such dark skies and let agony take root in your soul. Yell. Cry. Scream in loss, in pain, in fatigue, and in condemnation, but dig your feet into the dirt, for there is always a bright sky hiding moments away behind the clouds."

"Can always do another one if you like? The Fortune's Eyes. I'll have to get my other stones though. Granted, they're in my pocket, but I only brought out the three because... it's the quickest, but the Eyes is always fun."

-----------
But, also mechanically you get the Omen of the White Tiger (The next time the target performs a check using a skill from the Martial skill group this game session, the target adds a kept blank dice to an opportunity + strife result.) https://sakkaku.org/rolls/549

ALSO Fortune-telling passion. -3 strife, baby

Sorry that took so long xD busted out my tarot deck and then had to look up what each card was since it's been a hot minute since I've done a reading.

[Shiba Raizo]

"Well. I've gotten used to living with disappointment and anxiety, so that future's not as bad as it's cracked up to be."

He gave a rueful grin.

"And I did ask... sure we can do another. So, uh, who are you looking at uncertainly..."

[Seppun Unsei]

Unsei pretended not to hear their question about who they were looking at and instead pulled out all of their stones, which totaled 10.

"Roll these, then discard three of them. The three you discard are symbolic. Showing parts of yourself that you have discarded or set aside for the time being to focus on other aspects of yourself. What's left relates to parts of you that the Seven Fortunes have touched." He handed them the stones. "And it's not exactly the most pleasant future, but it's not terrible either. It's supposed to show that the hardships will make you stronger, but you're still dealing with hardships."

[Shiba Raizo]

Seven Fortunes, huh? Well, everyone always says Bishamon has my back, so here's hoping...

Shake.
Rattle.
Roll.

"So, the Seven Fortunes? Can't wait to hear what Hotei has to do with me..."

[Seppun Unsei]

Once he had discarded three stones, Unsei carefully set them to the side to read in a moment.

"Well, we're about to see. I go in alphabetical order though. Some like to ask the person which Fortune they favor, but... I don't like that much."

First stone picked up and looked over. "Benten-no-Kami. Bit rare, but it's a good one. The Beginning. The Fall. The Descent. Whatever you might call it, it provided the start to this world as we know it today. They were also all brothers and when they fell, they created new, iron-tight friendships that lasted centuries. This face represents family, friendship, and peace. So, in the context of Benten-no-kami, it's very, very good. You will likely marry a friend, or become good friends and lovers over the course of your marriage. It'll be peaceful."

Second stone. "Bishamon-no-kami. Not bad either. Ish. The Changing of the Seasons. Time. For all, time can be our worst enemy, as it doesn't care for you. Time has no interest in our comforts. Yet, it is with time that all can change in the flick of a moment. Ups can become downs, downs can become ups. It's a time for change. Even what is bad will only be fleeting, and once you're at the bottom anyway, you get to choose what to do down there. For Bishamon-no-kami, it usually means that you'll face some ups and downs. Your strength might help you out a lot on some days, but the next day it will fail you. Such is life, but it is only temporary setbacks.

Third on. "Daikoku-no-kami... Long story really fucking short with this one, money problems will haunt you. Whether or not they're real or imagined is up to you. With this, I'd always suggest watching your coinpurse and how much you spent. It can easily get away in a moment of passion."

Fourth! "Ebisu-no-kami. Aw.. that's sweet. The Magistrate. When under the pretense of Ebisu-no-kami, the Magistrate is nice. You act decisively and honestly to help those around you and bring justice into the world. Even when it seems like everything is becoming muddled and the clouds are bathing everything in grey instead of in black and white, you always manage to find your way back into the right action, or the action you feel is correct."

Fifth stone picked up. "Fukurokujin-no-kami. The Walls to Guard. I always liked this one because it was the easiest constellation to see in Crab lands. When paired with the Fortune of Wisdom, it means that you're wise to protect whatever you might be protecting. We all create walls to keep safe that which we have erected and in you case, it was the right thing to do."

Sixth picked up. "Hotei-no-kami..." He scratched his head, trying to figure out how to interpret this one. "Um. Hrm. So, I think the best way to put this one is that you demonstrate the wonder to be found in experiencing new things. You aren't really content with life as it is now and don't let anything block your path when it comes to experiencing something you wish to. You have an intense focus.

And seventh. "Oh, what the fuck is this." He muttered before clearing his throat and speaking up. "Jurojin-no-kami. How to... Well.. It's not great. Unfortunately, this is also another common symbol for Bushi when it comes to the Fortune of Longevity. I'm not saying you aren't going to live for a long time, but if you're going to do so, you will need help. You can't do it on your own, so don't go charging into battle trying to be a hero because you will die."

Then he looked back at the ones discarded. "The first one isn't great. It's Hantei and his First Wife. They symbolize love and a quest for romance, since... you know... He sort of scoured all of Rokugan looking for her. It's to also show that there's great risk for loss in not pursuing your dreams, however, it was discarded so... technically that means you've given up such things. With what you told me on our first meeting, with you having being dragged here, it sort of fits, but of course these things can change as your life does and if you go looking for it now, it's not too late."

Second discarded stone. "So, usually shugenja get this one a lot, but I've seen the odd bushi or somebody else with it. It's pretty much saying that the elements are balance within you and that the time is right for you to reveal how powerful that you are. Since that's always a good thing for shugenja, we take it as a good omen, but once again... discarded for you. It could mean that there's an elemental imbalance in you. In your body or soul, or just even life potentially. Once you fix that imbalance, then everything will become much easier."

And then the last one so Unsei's player can go to sleep happy. "This one is common in Miya or Moto or any traveler really. The call of the unknown, pretty much. You're brought through unknown territory, generally alone, and the path before you is uncertain. It can also mean something along the lines of human frailties as we journey through obstacles that we potentially never thought we could, or that our bodies weren't meant to journey through. With it being discarded, I'd say it's a good sign. You might not be on a journey now or perhaps you're certain about it."

Then he picked up all the stones and began gently moving them around in his hand. "Of course, all of these are for you to interpret how you will because at the end of the day, it's your life, your past, your present, your future, and it's how you feel about it ultimately. I can only show to you what the stars say and explain them in layman's terms."

[Shiba Raizo]

"Well. It's certainly... interesting. Glad to hear Benten has my back, though, under the circumstances... and as for Hantei and his wife..."

He worked his jaw around.

"Might be I'm just now getting some dreams worth pursuing. And all the rest... it's a lot to take in."