Intertwining, now and then

<<How strange>>/"How strange".

<<You're not a musician by any chance, are you?,>> Madam Tian asked Zhen Liu after looking at the cup he handed her. A confused look formed on Zhen Liu's face at the question.

<<"Uh...no? I can kinda play the zither, but that's about it,>> he answered back.

<<Strange... I'm not entirely sure if this reading is correct, but would you like to hear it anyways?>>

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"Pray tell, are you sure you're not a trio?"

"Huh?"The boy and girl had confused looks on their faces. The question came out of nowhere, to them at least.

"We've been a duo for a years, why do you ask?," the boy replied.

"Because I am seeing a future where you two become musicians, but it gets...strange near the end. Would you still like to hear it?"

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<<Alright could be interesting>>/"We've come this far..."

<<Very well>>/"As you wish..."

Madam Tian focused on the cup of tea leaves and began to read the pattern they left behind/The old woman began to trace her hand along the entrails, starting from the bottom and planning to end at the heart.

<<A pair of lovers>>/"United by song."

<<Blessed by the heavens>>/"With fame, favor and fortune to follow."

<<But as they began to etch their names into history>>/"Tragedy and separation, caused by the howl of a copper devil."

<<Tragedy>>/"Despair"/<<Hopelessness>>/"Loss"

"<<A sorrowful tale to be sure, but...>>"

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"But, what?," the boy and girl asked, intrigued. While the fortune they received seemed rather grim, they couldn't help but listen on.

The old woman didn't immediately answer the children's query, for her focus was on the two stingers embedded in the fox's heart. She felt it was necessary to remove both stingers simultaneously this time, so she carefully grabbed the two stingers with both hands, using her finger tips to be as precise as possible.

Shlit, Shlit.

POP!

"Ow?"

"What the hells?!"

As soon as the old woman removed the stingers, a miracle occured.

The shriveled heart of the fox suddenly became plump and full and before anyone could fully comprehend that, the fox itself suddenly began to regenerate, as the damaged organs in it's body were ejected and new ones began to rapidly grow in its place. Unusually, the fox's fur color began to change too.

"Huh...I'm gonna need the bigger knife..."

"Yip!"

Before the old woman could rekill the fox, it had rolled off the table, got back on to it's feet and bolted right out the wagon door, and pass the two children.

The two kids tried to see which way it had fled, only to have it disappear before their very eyes. The only sign that the fox was ever present in the area, was the consciously healthy pile of guts on the table.

"What was..."

"...all of that?"

The two youngsters turned back to the old woman, hoping for an answer.

The old woman dropped the last two stingers into the bowl before addressing the two curious children.

"I suppose the best way to think about it...is as a sign that no matter what happens, you two will still be together," the old woman replied as best she could. "But you won't be the same people as you remember each other to be...if you take this path."

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<<And by the clap of thunder, a devastating realization becomes a reunion...or something like that. How odd,>> Madam Tian finished explaining.

The group was a little confused at the reading Zhen Liu was given, due to it being somehow more esoteric sounding than Jin Fang's and Zhen Hai's readings. They were about to question Madam Tian about the meaning behind his reading, when an announcement came from above the crowd.

"ATTENTION ONE AND ALL, THE MAIN SHOW IS ABOUT TO BEGIN. PLEASE, MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE BIG TOP TENT AND TAKE YOUR SEAT AS QUICKLY AND ORDERLY AS POSSIBLE."

After the announcement was made, the crowd of people that were just milling about and taking in the sights, began to make their way towards the main circus tent, pulling out their tickets to make sure they could get a good seat as quickly as possible.

A couple of the sideshow performers and vendors also began to make their way towards the main tent. Evidently, this included Madam Tian.

<<Apologies to you all, but I must go and aid the others with the main performance,>> she said as she quickly put away her cups and tea. <<Come by after the show though if you're still interested in learning the meaning behind your reading.>> With her piece said, Madam Tian proceeded to head towards the main tent with a number of other performers."See you at the show".

Zhen Liu was tempted to call out, but stopped himself before doing so. She was a professional performer, and it's usually considered rude to interfere with one's craft, even if it involved weirdo prophecies/fortunes.

'It could be full of shit anyways...,' Zhen Liu quietly hoped to himself.

The Zhen Clan and Goldshire youngsters proceeded to make their way to the big top tent to see what the big show was gonna be like. They couldn't find their guardians, but no matter. A place this loud and rowdy made it unthinkable that something unsavory could occur...

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As the huddled masses moved like a stream towards the big top tent, a gaunt looking butler and a pale maid watched on atop a building's rooftop with blank, unreadable expressions.

"It appears our mark is now one with the crowd...how unfortunate," the butler observed.

"It is...no issue...," the maid replied. "There was...no choice...they were too... protected. Too many...witnesses. And not the right...one."

"So now what do we do? Wait for them to leave?"

"Of course...not," the maid answered. "We simply...must...join...the show."

The pale maid snapped her fingers, and a dark aura manifested and surrounded the two of them. It swirled around them for a moment, before disappearing, and leaving behind a pair of colorful looking clowns.

"It's...show time."

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As the sound of the circus echoed throughout the night and city, at the estate of the Marquis de Howlite, a certain old musician was doing something, he really shouldn't be doing. Namely, scaling a wall in order to sneak in.

"Anndddd...hup!," Draigo went as he jumped off the wall and carefully controlled his descent with aether. Didn't stop him from landing on his butt though like a clumsy cat.

"Oof. I am getting too old for this kind of thing," he muttered to himself. He took a moment to recompose himself, before getting back on his feet.

"Just you wait, Wyvara. I'll get back your treasure."