nexus_sages | On Traditions

There's something new in the forum of the Nexus. A few small bamboo--about average person in height-- have been placed in a corner of the forum in large pots. Sitting between the two plants is a small wooden box with several little tied and rolled papers tucked neatly into the little cubbies.

The Nexus' resident police officer is adjusting the display, intent on making it look just right. When he's got everything set up, he gives a satisfied nod.

"With the winter solstice, Christmas, and the New Year approaching, I thought it would be the best time to bring a bit of my home's celebrations here. You may hang wishes for the new year on the bamboo, or draw fortunes from the area here. What awaits you for the new year?"

((OOC: Nothing from Sumaru is what it seems. If your character believes in superstition and magic, they may find that their fortunes will have a real impact on their luck! Feel free to choose what luck your character gets, or to let me roll a random number to draw one for them. If your character doesn't believe in that sort of thing, they're still free to hang their resolutions on the bamboo. Happy Holidays folks!))

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A very curious rogue appears a short distance behind the officer, watching him curiously as he finishes up with the placement of everything. When he turns and asks his question, she raises a skeptical eyebrow in his direction.

"These fortunes... they can't possibly work." She hesitates, her expression becoming less skeptical and more curious. "Can they?"

Magic, fortunes, monsters, demons... The fact that these things are real still frightens her a bit. But perhaps if she drew a good fortune, and it came true, it wouldn't be so bad?

"Admittedly, it is more tradition than anything." Katsuya gives Amelia a reassuring smile. "It's mostly done for fun. But a little good luck never hurt anyone, right?"

He gestures to the bamboo.

"If you'd rather not, you can still hang a wish for the new year. It's like a goal making. It's nice to see what other people are striving for."

There's a moment of hesitation as she looks back and forth between the bamboo and the fortunes. The practical side of her says that wishes or goals are going to have a far greater impact on her. Writing them down is even more motivation for making them happen.

But...

"No, a little good luck couldn't hurt." She manages a small smile as she nods to the cubbies. "I'll take a fortune." She never could back down from such an easy challenge.

"Of course." She's free to do both if she wishes. There's no one saying she has to choose either or! Katsuya will present her with the box, allowing her to choose from any of the identical rolls of paper tucked into its little cubbies.

There's a roll on the bottom that seems a little bit thicker than the others. Maybe? Is it made on finer paper? That's got to be a good fortune, right? Either way, it's awfully eye catching, somehow.

No one may have told her she couldn't do both, but now she's determined to do one over the other. She carefully points to the roll of paper on the bottom row. It's almost as if... it's calling to her. The idea makes her shiver, but she carefully pulls it out before offering it to Katsuya. "Do I open it or do you read it to me?" If nothing else, she wants to make sure she does this right.

"You're free to read it. I made sure they were all written in English this year. Since that's the most common language here in the Nexus."

A kind gesture that was more difficult than one would think, given Sumaru. Katsuya will hand the roll back to Amelia while he sets the box aside delicately.

An unnecessary step for Amelia, given the ring she inherited from Schön, but she smiles nonetheless. "Thank you." She slowly uncurls the roll of paper to read over the fortune.

The strong person understands how to withstand substantial loss.

Well, that's certainly not a good thing to pull. Her hands shake slightly as she rerolls the fortune. "It's all fake, right? It won't become truth?" The Nexus is full of magic and tricks, and the last thing she needs is something like this hanging over her head.

Katsuya hadn't been peering over her shoulder when he read it, but by the look on her face, Ms. Ronsam's fortune wasn't exactly to her liking.

"Like I said, they're traditional. You needn't worry. I always get the worst possible luck when I try." And bad things happen to him a lot. Katsuya, have you not made the connection? "It's something to keep in mind, but not something to worry over constantly. They're meant to make one aware of their surroundings, not shackle them to a fate."

By the look on her face, the world might very well be ending.

"Perhaps a wish could counteract the fortune? A light to the dark, as it were?" Anything to balance out whatever terrible fate may lie ahead of her.

"Of course. It certainly couldn't hurt to try." Katsuya leads her gently to the bamboo with the few charms already hung, with wishes for peace on their worlds and happiness for families and loves ones of all kinds.

He hands her one of the markers, as well as a strip of fine paper.

"Please. Go right ahead."

"Right... right. Thank you."

Despite the rush of her movements, the script on the small strip of paper remains steady and clean.

Please let him be safe. Please let them all be safe.

All she wants is the safety of her loved ones - and one jerk in particular - above all else.

She slowly stands and offers the paper to Katsuya. "Will you please hang it for me?"

Katsuya carefully threads a small red ribbon through the hole at the top of the strip of paper, tying a loop into it and hanging it from one of the many long leaves of the bamboo.

"I hope your wish is granted." He says softly. He knows what it means to suffer loss.

On Traditions

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