It's All in the Cards.
Day 14 - Telling Endwalker (6.0) - Endwalker CW - Wounds, Death With apologies to all Persona users, and @nshi-ao3, in particular.
An intence scowl crossed Yujo's face as she looked at the proped up bed table in front of her. She crossed her arms, deep in thought as she looked at the cards that sat on the table.
The first card was a cartoonish drawing of a chocobo dressed like Emperor Solus in his early years (which was to say it was Alpha in an Emet Selch costume), the second was the same cartoon chocobo running away from a train with a skull on its front, and the last was of a Pink chocobo- a girl, presumably- sitting on a throne.
She thought outloud, her hum ringing through the dorm room. "The Lord of Crowns, Doom, The Lady of Crowns."
Sitting on a seat next to the bed, Urianger nodded before adding. "And their meaning will hold true given thou drew them in astral. As in Upright."
It had been over a fortnight since Yujo and the Scions had returned from their battle at the edge of space. Ever since that day, Yujo, who had fought beyond her mortal limit, was stuck in bed, being fussed over by every healer, churgon and alchimest Sharlia could get their hands on and even a coulpe of practicationers of the healing artes from without.
The problem was that doing nothing; sitting in bed, and staring at the cealing, all day was capital B Boring, and she had the feeling that she was more to die from boredom than complications from her wounds with her fights with the Endsinger and Zenos.
So to that end, when she was visited by the Scions, she asked Urianger for a favor.
"I want to learn Astrology."
It was just something to keep herself ocupied, her mind engaged, and herself moving whilst she recovered.
To that end, the verbose elezan bought her a set of cards intended to help children leran the basics of the arte of divination.
Jokingly, and with a lot more words, he called it a gift for the whole "saving all of existance" business.
That the chocobo in the deck bore a resemblance to Alpha was a conincidence, as the paintings used for the illustrations had been made over 50 years ago.
Yujo, however, couldn't help but wonder.
With a final hum, she spoke, "The Lord represents stability and discipline, in the future slot, it is saying that, even though things are quiet right now, I should still focus on training."
She looked at Urianger who had a slight look of concern on his face.
"When I'm fit, of course!" she said, laughing off the look.
A joke that was a little less convicing when she had tried to sneek off to make use of the training dummies in Labyrinthos. An attempt that was imediately tharted by Krile but not before she could accidently burst open one of her stiches and colapse.
With an 'anyroad', Yujo continued.
"In the present slot, Doom represents… well, kinda what's going on right now, right? Transformation, Change, the Terror of Death and what not?"
Urianger nodded but then interjected. "What many a first time practicationer mistake- and fear- in Doom, is its assocation to death. Upright, it is about transistions. The end of our mortal days being but one of them."
Yujo found herself lost in thought about that, given Metion, The Meteia, and their expereinces with death across the universe. Then she closed her eyes and tried to shake off all the times she both nearly- and did- cross the mortal border herself.
"But your read is indeed correct" added Urianger with a smile.
Smiling back, Yujo focused on the final card. "And the fortune slot has The Lady which…" she blushed slightly. "No, I don't think that makes much sense. It's about fertility and what not. I don't think anyone we know is going to have a child. Do you, Uri?"
Being caught off guard by the question, Urianger blushed and coughed. "Yes, Well, The Cards are but a signpost. So what they represent and what meaning astrologins take from them can be two entirely diffrent things."
Yujo hummed for a moment before she snerked back a laugh. "Could you imagine if this was talking about the creation magicks of the Anchents? Man, could you even think about that, using cards to summon egil or something?"
The idea, catching Urianger off guard, made him laugh as well. "Yes, it's quite preposperous! Using cards to summon! What a silly notion!"
As the two laughed, in another time, another place- a whole other Etheris, even- A young man, of early university age and with the mask of Mistbeard over his head, came to a sudden stop, causing the rest of his party, a well dressed gentleman of simmlar age and a simmarly well dressed and aged mi'qote woman, to stop too.
"Jonkler?" The mi'qote asked. "Is something wrong?"
"Er, no. It's just… I just had the strange and sudden urge to punt both Urianger and a three foot tall lalafell woman and I have no idea why…"
At that, Nashu Mhakaraacca tilted her head, a physical question mark appearing over her for a moment before the three went on their way to meet up with the man the inspector had come to 'Greg.'
