( open ) fortune slips

[cranekin]

WHO: Anyone, everyone, you, and me
WHAT: New Year fortunes
WHERE: Whatever shrine we find ourselves at
WHEN: New Year
WARNINGS: N/A

(It's New Year in Neo Tokyo and as per tradition, many people will be visiting shrines to pray for good luck in the year to come. Another tradition is drawing fortunes. You normally have to pay a small fee to get one but it's worth it to get a preview of what the year has in store for you, right?

The shrine near LILITH's base is especially popular with members but there are plenty of other shrines around Neo Tokyo if you want to try your luck elsewhere.

(Please feel free to treat this as a mingle to share fortunes with your CR or snag a fortune for your own posts if you want.))

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟおみくじ ﾟ｡⋆

✧ Omikuji are fortune slips and are traditionally drawn at shrines, especially during the new year. Your first fortune is supposed to be special.
✧ RNG a number between 1-40 for your fortune or read through them and pick the one you want.

✧ Each fortune is divided in 3 parts:

⋆ Type of fortune (great, medium, small, regular, uncertain, curse)
⋆ A traditional poem or proverb that is meant to be meaningful
⋆ Three things of note. Traditionally, this would be a detailed breakdown of different areas (marriage, health, business, school, relationships, etc but for simplicity's sake, I just chose 4 key points to be vague about: two general things, a moment in time, and a time of day).

✧ The fortunes are meant to be open to interpretation (because ultimately, you determine your own future).
✧ A commonality for fortunes is that even good fortunes have a warning to not get overconfident/too comfortable and even the curses offer hope and ways to improve your fortune.
✧ Traditionally, if you are dissatisfied with your fortune, you can tie it on a pine tree's branch or a string to leave the fortune behind
✧ This is all meant to be something fun! Like horoscopes, you can decide how seriously you want to believe their fortunes if at all.

#001

大吉
(great fortune)

The spacious sky
Spans serene and clear
So blue above,
Oh, that our soul would
Grow to become so open.

Something Of Note

something lost, a journey, past, morning

#002

吉
(regular fortune)

Three times a day,
Ancient people reflected upon
Their own lives,
We ourselves yearn to learn
From the hearts of such people.

Something Of Note

health, relationship, past, afternoon

#003

吉
(regular fortune)

Other people's words
Sometimes good and sometimes bad
Need to be heeded;
If we listen carefully
We can benefit ourselves.

Something Of Note

relationship, a wish, present, evening

#004

吉
(regular fortune)

Unknown to others,
These thoughts within our hearts,
Both good and bad
Are known by deities
Of heaven and earth

Something Of Note

a wish, a dispute, present, evening

#005

吉
(regular fortune)

A single thread
When not taken properly
From the very end
becomes all tangled
And so hard to unravel

Something Of Note

a journey, a challenge, past, night

#006

小吉
(small fortune)

Before deities,
Even though they are unseen
We stand without shame
When these hearts of ours
Are filled with sincerity

Something Of Note

a wish, health, future, afternoon

#007

中吉
(medium fortune)

Managing to live
Without becoming concerned
With trivial things
Seems in terms of living long
To be the best medicine.

Something Of Note

something lost, a challenge, present, morning

#008

小吉
(small fortune)

No matter how heavy
A burden we may have to bear
We must be aware
That these hearts of ours
Should be full of ample strength

Something Of Note

relationship, health, future, night

#009

中吉
(medium fortune)

If left unpolished
The glow of precious stones
Will not luster forth;
Surely this is true
of these hearts of ours

Something Of Note

health, a wish, past, morning

#010

吉
(regular fortune)

In a world of storms,
Let there be no wavering
of our hearts;
remain as a pine tree
with roots sunk deep in stone

Something Of Note

wealth, a dispute, future, afternoon

#011

中吉
(medium fortune)

Much like bamboo
That just keeps growing
Upward joint after joint
We as people can become
Splendid in many ways

Something Of Note

knowledge, something lost, past, morning

#012

小吉
(small fortune)

Though overgrown
With a dense thicket
Of briers and brambles
A path needing to be tread upon is
One that must be followed

Something Of Note

a dispute, wealth, future, night

#013

吉
(regular fortune)

If just neglected
And never polished to a glow
Even precious jewels
Would remain resembling
Dull roof tiles made of clay

Something Of Note

a wish, knowledge, future, evening

#014

大吉
(great fortune)

Although some are slow
Still we will never fail
to reach our goal
if we hold within our hearts
Those thoughts of sincerity

Something Of Note

health, a challenge, future, evening

#015

凶
(curse)

Going to excess is
As wrong as falling short
So used carelessly,
Words can be the cause
Of causing great harm

Something Of Note

something lost, a journey, future, afternoon

#016

凶
(curse)

We are prone to fail
In our perseverence
Just when we need it
So let us always be aware
Of this flaw in our hearts

Something Of Note

relationship, something lost, past, morning

#017

小吉
(small fortune)

While still reflecting
The image of lofty mountains
Water in streams
Strives to seek humbler levels
As should these hearts of ours

Something Of Note

a challenge, knowledge, present, night

#018

末吉
(uncertain fortune)

Were we to neglect
The completion of a task
Because it was difficult
Nothing would be done at all
In this mortal world of ours

Something Of Note

a journey, something lost, future, night

#019

吉
(regular fortune)

In this world of ours
We shall always fall behind
If we do not move
When we could be advancing
and fail to progress at all

Something Of Note

a challenge. relationship, past, morning

#020

吉
(regular fortune)

Even a high peak
Seen soaring in the sky
So high above
Can be scaled if we desire
Since there is a path for climbing

Something Of Note

health, knowledge, present, evening

#021

大吉
(great fortune)

How amusing—
I wonder what is becoming of my heart
What a joy,
To be able to look at the flowers
And the moon at the same time

Something Of Note

a dispute, a journey, past, afternoon

#022

凶
(curse)

I tried to distance myself from it
But in the end
Trouble still found me

Something Of Note

wealth, a journey, present, night

#023

末吉
(uncertain fortune)

I've come so many times to this shrine
And yet
Why do I not receive a blessing
From the gods?

Something Of Note

knowledge, a journey, present, morning

#024

中吉
(medium fortune)

There was a time
When I thought the world was ending
But now I've been blessed with wealth
I can't be happier

Something Of Note

change, a wish, present, afternoon

#025

吉
(regular fortune)

Like the moon's reflection
In the water of my cupped hands
It vanished so soon.
What a fleeting world we live in
Where things are so easily gone

Something Of Note

knowledge, change, present, evening

#026

吉
(regular fortune)

Once in awhile
We should look each other in the eyes
Otherwise we might feel lost

Something Of Note

a journey, a dispute, present, night

#027

末吉
(uncertain fortune)

Just like I thought
No perfect moment lasts forever
I guess that's what made it
So perfectly beautiful

Something Of Note

a challenge, relationship, future, evening

#028

中吉
(medium fortune)

Like the crane
that lives for thousands of years
This abundant, joyful moment
Will last for a long time

Something Of Note

a dispute, change, past, night

#029

吉
(regular fortune)

A flower that never blooms
Will neither scatter nor wilt
But will merely keep on waiting
For tomorrow

Something Of Note

a journey, change, past, afternoon

#030

末吉
(uncertain fortune)

Time is like an arrow shot,
Everything should be done quickly.

Something Of Note

relationship, something lost, past, evening

#031

吉
(regular fortune)

Upon the pine trees
Clings snow:
From afar,
The season has led astray
The blossom, it does appear!

Something Of Note

something lost, change, present, morning

#032

末吉
(uncertain fortune)

That no one may know
Quietly, does he cry?
Until the autumn bush clover
Blooms flower
The stag’s bell stays silent.

Something Of Note

knowledge, a dispute, future, afternoon

#033

凶
(curse)

Their voices sing
And yet
Their flesh is empty—
O, how strange is
A cicada shell world!

Something Of Note

wealth, a wish, present, afternoon

#034

末吉
(uncertain fortune)

This world of dew
is a world of dew,
and yet, and yet.

Something Of Note

wealth, a challenge, present, night

#035

中吉
(medium fortune)

Were the ever-cycling blossoms
To be a model for this world,
For the long-gone
Past once more to
Return – that’s what I would want.

Something Of Note

health, a wish, future, night

#036

吉
(regular fortune)

O snail
Climb Mount Fuji,
But slowly, slowly!

Something Of Note

a challenge, relationship, past, evening

#037

小吉
(small fortune)

snowmelt—
on the banks of the torrent
small flowers

Something Of Note

something lost, relationship, future, afternoon

#038

小吉
(small fortune)

losing its name
a river
enters the sea

Something Of Note

a journey, change, past, morning

#039

大吉
(great fortune)

Snow falls and piles up on
bamboo leaves

It’s fun to dance for the gods
on a winter’s night

Something Of Note

a wish, a challenge, future, afternoon

#040

吉
(regular fortune)

The moon sparkles like new fallen snow
The plum blossoms resemble shining stars

Something Of Note

a dispute, a wish, future, morning

by killthecake

Comments

[cranekin]

(He nods,)

A fortune that tells you everything is boring. Once it's been received, it's how you live, and a life where everything happens exactly as expected is the same as dying slowly.

(Literally everything he says has to be dramatic or he'll die maybe.)

[likemybooks]

[Taryon's face falls. This the exact opposite of what he wanted. If his future went exactly as his father planned, he would be miserable this very moment, living an unfulfilling life. Breaking out of the rigid structure of his home saved Taryon.]

There...is truth in that. ["Dying slowly" — that's an excellent way of phrasing it.] But I don't think I've been very good at following a prescribed path, historically speaking.

[cranekin]

(Oh, did he say something? He hadn't been trying to.)

A surprising number of humans don't.

(Laughing again, bright and loud,)

How auspicious! You might have the greatest fortune of all.

[likemybooks]

Humans? [Oh! Oh, so this guy isn't human! This is one of the Outsiders!]

Well, humans and elves and everyone else can forge their own path. [Taryon just happened to have a dramatically-timed blessed dice roll at the most critical moment of his arc.] Do you do this a lot? Fortune telling and interpreting signs?

[cranekin]

(What is an elf......)

Me? (Oh, he waves a hand in the air as if he's brushing away the very notion,) I haven't done shrine duties in years.

(Centuries.)

[likemybooks]

Sure, but you have a knack for coming up with vague but helpful advice based on these. [He holds up his fortune between his forefinger and middle finger.]

1/2

[cranekin]

(No one has ever outright just told him he's vague or helpful. In fact, most people call him annoying, frustrating, and (unfortunately) reliable.

He blinks for a moment, taking that in...)

[cranekin]

(... and reaches out to tap him on the nose.)

You're just clever. If you didn't want to understand, you wouldn't.

[likemybooks]

[Taryon is well aware of how annoying and hard to deal with his can be. He has a high tolerance for difficult people. And this conversation has given him new things to think about; Taryon loves intellectual stimulation

Although the tap on his nose draws him out of his inner thoughts.] Sure. [He tucks the slip of paper into a pocket.] But I appreciate the compliment.

[cranekin]

Hm? You're going to keep it?

(He looks over to the tree, covered in white fortunes like awkward snow,)

You can leave it if you want.

(He must have noticed everyone leaving their less desirable fortunes behind???)

[likemybooks]

It's just an uncertain fortune. It's pretty much the same thing as not getting one in the first place.

[He has seen people tie up those horrid papers of bad luck, but Taryon has only seen curses on them.]

[cranekin]

(If it doesn't make a difference, why keep it? Wouldn't it just be junk... not that he really thinks that but its interesting to see how people react to the superstitions and customs he's so used to.)

What are you going to do with it, then?

[likemybooks]

Keep it as a souvenir. I don't see a reason to throw it out.

[And his room is so empty. This is going on his decorative corkboard.]

[cranekin]

As a memento?

(Interesting because he's so used to fortunes... he doesn't even really think twice about them these days)

Is it your first one?

[likemybooks]

It is. My home has its own ways of prediction the new year fortune, but it doesn't involve printing things.

[And the paper looks pretty.]

[cranekin]

There are other ways here, too. At least, there were back in my day.

(He's old, ok.)

What do you usually do?

[likemybooks]

Well, yeah. [Clearly, he's from a time period before the kaiju and all these cybernetics.] Things change over time.

There's a lot of ways. Dropping candlewax into water, looking at cards, picking up sticks. You know, old folks traditions. My father wasn't a fan - I think he didn't like old superstitions - but the servants always did that. I thought they were great fun.

[cranekin]

(Candle wax, cards, and sticks... He hums to himself and takes this in. Even if he's unfamiliar with these methods exactly, he can get an idea of how they might work.

In fact, something he says seems to remind him of something and he leans in close, grinning, )

Do you like tea?

[likemybooks]

Hm? Yes, I do. [That's a rather sudden question...] Is this a request to read tea leaves? I've heard that happens in some circles.

[cranekin]

(Nodding,)

Mhm! I like tea and you enjoy fortunes, right? It's perfect!

[likemybooks]

[A half-hearted shrug.] Why not? I have time to kill. Let's go out for tea!