#explanation: Gen was going gambling probably

[rottenpumpkin13]

addendum to my pre ask. The only breedable man in Shinra, besides Cloud, is Steve from accountant.

Steve from accounting doesn't exist, he's just the go-to made-up person everyone uses when they need an excuse.

Angeal: You look good. Why are you all dressed up?

Genesis: I have a date.

Angeal: With who?

Genesis: Uhh....Steve from accounting.

(Later)

Angeal: Where were you last night?

Cloud: I slept out.

Angeal: Where?

Cloud: At a...friend's place.

Angeal: Which friend?

Cloud: Steve....from accounting.

(Even later)

Angeal: Zack, are you aware you have a lipstick mark on your neck?

Zack: Oh, I guess I do.

Angeal: Who did that to you?

Zack: .....Steve from accounting.

Angeal: Man, this Steve guy is super popular.

(And so)

Angeal: Hey, Sephiroth.

Sephiroth: My name is so odd to hear, I often wish I had a different name entirely.

Angeal: Like what?

Sephiroth: I don't know. Anything. Steve, for example.

Sephiroth: ANGEAL? WHY DID YOU PASS OUT?

[janiedean]

Tarot prompts - the fool for stannis. Any ship/non-shippy gen stuff will do, I'm mostly sending this because i imagined stannis grinding his teeth at being forced to sit at a card reading and then getting the fool lol

.... >_> WELL WELL WELL

madness, cliffs, gambling, innocence, recklessness

Stannis loves his daugher.

He really does.

But maybe he should have drawn the line at actually going in for a tarot reading because she decided it was cool.

Stannis already has issues describing anything as cool, but that’s not - the point. The point is that he brought her for her birthday to this new amusement park they just opened where her mother absolutely refused to set foot when she was at her place because his ex-wife has apparently resentment for anything of the kind, and to think that people say he is no fun. Well, he might not be and he doesn’t get the point of amusement parks but if Shireen wanted to go what was the deal?

So, he brought her. And while they were checking the place out she saw this stand with bright red curtains named madame Melisandre’s where tarot readings were offered and she said it sounded cool and could she go in, and Stannis just shrugged and gave her the ten quid that were requested. He had planned to wait outside and done just that, and then Shireen had come out saying that it was so cool and this Melisandre person was so interesting and he should totally go and get a reading, and then she blinked up at him, his own blue eyes staring up at him, and - fine. Whatever. He told her to not move, she swore she would wait for him in the entrance and so now here he is, sitting in front of this Melisandre, hoping this is over soon.

Seriously, the entire place smells like incense, everything is red with maybe a few gold ornaments here and there but it’s a stretch, the woman in question has a bright red robe and red nails and red hair and honestly, Stannis wouldn’t be surprised if she had red eye contacts.

Which she hasn’t, thank fuck, but still.

“So,” he says, sliding her the ten, “should we get over this?”

“Tarot readings shouldn’t be hurried, sir,” she grins, taking the money, and then starts shuffling a bunch of well-used cards.

“Well, it’s not like I buy it and I’m here because I thought it could be an experience.”

“I appreciate sincere clients,” she repeats without missing a beat. “Please do shuffle the deck.”

“... Do I have to do it?”

“Sure. The energy will pass from you to the cards.”

Stannis grits his teeth and shuffles the damned deck. Energy passing through the cards. What the hell. He does it for an adequate amount of time, then hands it back to Melisandre.

“Very well,” she says. “Now, what would you like this reading to be about?”

“... What?”

“There are various spreads to choose from. I need to know what you’re interested in learning before choosing one.”

“... Do I want to know what my daughter asked for?”

“I would be a fairly bad person if I told you her business, wouldn’t I?”

At least she’s not a complete charlatan, Stannis decides. He shrugs - it’s not like he cares for her to explain him his issues, so he figures he’ll just go for the obvious question that he doesn’t even care that much for, in the end. Selyse was enough, probably.

“It’s just me and my daughter now, when she’s not with her mother,” Stannis sighs. “I guess I could stand learning if I’m looking at it as a definitive prospect.”

“That was the most roundabout way of being asked about someone’s love life I’ve ever heard,” Melisandre says, not perturbed, “but very well. Please cut the deck. Twice.”

He does.

“Choose one pile.”

He takes the left one.

“Excellent. Now... a star guide spread would be the best choice.”

A star guide spread. Jesus take the wheel.

“Choose six cards, please.”

Stannis does, not even bothering to think about it too much. Melisandre places them in some kind of pentagon with the sixth card in the middle.

“So,” she says, “in order, the first card represents your present situation. The second stands for the causes of conflicts and obstacles in obtaining your goal, while the third concerns the changes needed in order to face your challenges. Number four is your strengths, the fifth is your other challenges, the sixth is your final outcome. Shall we see?”

“Do go ahead,” he says, gritting his teeth some more.

“So...” She turns the card. “Reverse ace of swords. That means that what you hope for concerning this specific situation hasn’t happened yet, and you might have felt like giving up at times. Most times.”

What the fuck. Stannis won’t give credit to this bullshit for a single second, but -

“Fine. It might work,” he sighs.

She smirks. Just a tiny bit . Then she turns the second card. “Reverse four of cups. You’re unsatisfied and you want to change but you don’t know how to go about it and it frustrates you, perhaps?”

He grits his teeth. “Fine.” He doesn’t like how accurate it’s being for now at all.

“Now, number three... reverse five of cups. Now that is interesting.”

“... How so, other than the fact that I only get reverse cards?”

“Oh, it’s one of the few cards with a good reversed meaning. It means moving on, acceptance and recovery, which is what you need to do to face your challenges.”

He grits his teeth some more and says nothing.

“Number four... oh, justice. Upright, for once.”

Stannis decides he likes the sound of this card more than the others. “All right, and?”

“You are fair, acting following your conscience and in good faith.”

“... I suppose,” he admits, figuring that it does fit.”

“Now, number five... upright eight of spears. Rejoice, it means new opportunities. In all senses.”

He rolls his eyes as she tries to sound cheeky - he preferred when she was straight up reading the cards.

“And as for the last one...” She turns it. “Oh, upright fool.”

“Upright fool.”

“Don’t look like that,” she smiles, “it’s actually a very good card.”

“Is it.”

“Of course. It means... well, in this case, following your dreams and taking a chance on something new. All in all,” Melisandre says, “from this reading I’d say that while you don’t like your current situation and you don’t know how to get out of it, which means more frustration and falling prey to your concerns.... the upright cards suggest that there’s a good gamble coming your way when it concerns your happiness and you should try to take it without thinking about it too much. Worrying about things too much means that we lose our chances for something good... which I think is headed your way.”

“Well, thanks for the consulting,” he says dryly, “I’ll make sure to gamble for the first time in my life then.”

“Oh, please do,” she winks, ignoring that he had been obviously using a snarky tone. “You never know!”

Stannis stands up, wondering how mad can people be to actually buy into this stuff, and then tries to pretend it actually was illuminating as Shireen asks him wasn’t it great.

“Uh, yeah, sure,” he says, “she... had some points.” Most likely she’s just very good at psychology and read him and had just talked to his daughter before, so there’s an entire rational explanation for how accurate that reading actually was.

They leave the building and he reaches down for his wallet in the outer pocket of his coat -

Which is not there, what the hell, he took the money from it before but he was sure that he had put it back, shit, he has all his credit cards in there, for -

“Wait,” he tells Shireen, “damn, if I lost it -”

“Sir, is this yours?”

He immediately turns and finds himself face to face with what seems like a park security staff members who has to be a few years older than him, maybe - he’s wearing a gray uniform with the place’s name on it and a card reading Davos Seaworth, and he’s handing Stannis his wallet with a gloved hand and a nice, warm smile, with hair that has already started going silver, but it’s mostly still as brown as his eyes - and honestly, Stannis feels like he could faint in relief.

“Yes,” he says, “thank you, it must have slipped out when I took out the coat. If you hadn’t found it -”

“No problem,” the man replies, “it’s my job after all. I hope you two have a good time.”

“Oh, we - we were. Thanks again,” Stannis says as the man nods and turns his back on him, going back to his rounds.

Then Shireen grins way, way too wickedly for his tastes. “You’re checking him out.”

“I am certainly not -”

“You are. It’s obvious. And the lady said you would.”

“She said what?”

“I asked her if you’d be happy again at some point among the rest. She said it might happen before I could suspect.”

“Oh, come on -”

“I’m sure we can come here again for my birthday next week, how about that?”

Stannis, who knows that she will drag him here and that he won’t say no, just pretends to shrug and tells her to move on to the next attraction already.

He’s not going to admit that yes, he was checking the guy out.

He’s also not going to tell her that he won’t protest if she asks.

And he’s still entirely sure the whole readings thing is pure bullshit, but -

But maybe that red lady had a point when she said he should take a risk once in a while.

Maybe.