The act of being at peace was not a strange concept. The virtues of Patience, resilience and Understanding were the foundations that Jing Lived up to on a daily basis. The Harmonious balance of his life was what he strived for. It never bothered his harmony, when Ying used to rant and rave and ask how he could be so calm. It was just the way he is.
Meditation was a wondrous process that the artisan used when he wanted to center himself, it was like being one with the world. It was a process that began slowly, forgetting about sight, then sound went away and eventually all he paid attention to was his own pace of breathing. In and out.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought you to be one of us.”

Practiced as he was, the sudden sound of his own voice was startling, yet the trance did not break. “Who are you?” the clichéd question, even if asked with good intentions still made him feel foolish. The hazy figure that showed up the forefront of his mind was clearing, slowly. Bit by bit, the silhouette began to become more detailed, distinct and eventually found himself, in startling new attire and with a table and out stretched cards. The figure, the doppelganger began to deal, flicking one card to his patron, another to himself. The cards were five and five, a full hand for both himself and… himself. The odd muttered joke of playing a round of poker with himself from the clone was said and he was ready to leave the world.

“I’m the Jack of clubs, like any face card turn them upside down and the face is still the same.” He began, talking in riddles as he ushered for his guest to pick up his cards. Even in meditation, the paper felt like paper, had weight and was smooth to the touch, it was a marvel unbeknownst to himself. Was it true enlightenment? “What do you mean when you say that?” Jing asked, reduced to nothing but a barrage of questions.

The coy dealer only smiled as he placed his hand down on the table, the jacks of each suit staring off to the side, and the bottom clones gazed off in the other direction, the two of hearts sat beside, like the odd boil out. “To put it bluntly.” The clone drawled out, rubbing a finger along the edge of the deuce. “I am a part of you, a part that went through a different path than yours, and has come home to where he belongs.” To say that it said it bluntly was correct, the boil was still perusing through his set of five. “Blunt indeed, it alarming to hear myself talk in such a manner.”

"Different folks, different strokes, but it don’t mean that we ain’t the same.” The clones answered back, smooth as silk, motioning for him to put his hand down. “Are you scared? You gonna reject my existence?” The Jing with the blue tattoo questioned, tauntingly. The pale green of his eyes were swimming with a haughty look, proud and sly. “Why should I reject myself?” the artisian replied, flicking around a few cards into a different order. “You say you are me, and while I should be perplexed, for some reason I’m not. I see no gain in denying it.” It was then the other Jing’s turn to look aghast, there was nothing reserved about his emotions, plain as day as well as on his face, the jaw was practically hitting the table. “I thought that you would be more uptight about it.” It answered honestly. “Guess I’m full of surprises, just like you are.” It was his own turn to gloat, placing down the cards one by one, from Ace to queen, all in the suit of clubs. The last card was still in his hands, and they both were looking at each other, expectantly. He last card was placed down, right next to where the other set began.

There were two Jack of clubs on the plush azure felt of the table.

Their eyes met, green against green. A whirlwind of memories that flashed into the mind of the Zen master. The plight that his other half went through, those he met, those that he killed and what fate he met at the end. The life story was like a scroll made by an artisan master. Filled with emotion and a desire to know more.

Sometimes, there was such a thing called too much. “You never told me that you had a preference.” The horsemen countered back to the human. The human in questions was already picking up the cards, and shuffling the deck. “You never asked,” the dealer continued with his task, the fanged grin wide and telling. “Now it is our problem.”

“This is why gambling sucks.” Jing hissed back, “Even when you win, the house ends up screwing you in the end,”

“Well then learn fast self, Don’t get screwed by houses, screw the house yourself.” it cackled in laughter before fading off into the distance, leaving the strange picture of a group of people.

But the word felt right in his head, the word that associated with them, even as he felt his mind get tugged back into the present. “Family huh?”
Right now, he just wanted to play a game of Still Beating Hearts with his sister.