Blooming Lotus [Invitation Only]

[CyTheConqueror]

~Hikaru~

They call me a trickster, but I'm just a mage...

...with a few tricks up his sleeves.

The mage turned his bi-colored eyes to the woman who stepped through into the room through a portal. "Good eve." he returned her greeting. His gaze turned to the tree and then to Smithe as she left the room quickly upon its appearance. The deck returned to his hand as an amused expression settled over his features. He didn't mind the banter that the new woman directed towards him. She appeared to be in charge and the magic that came from this space seemed to be linked to her. When she made a suggestion to decorate the tree he looked at the tree wondering what she could possibly mean by that. He was unfamiliar with the tradition of decorating trees and so just sat there staring at it before returning his gaze back to the woman who had appeared in the room a few moments before. "Why do you want the tree decorated? What is the difference between this, christmas tree, and a regular pine tree? I don't sense magic coming from it so is it special in a different way?" he inquired of the woman. His curiosity was piqued by not only the woman herself, but by the strange customs she spoke of too.

[xDeaMagickax]

❁Company: No OnexxxxxLocation: PatioxxxxxKimono: Floral FantasyxxxxxTheme: Who's Theme❁

It had been a very long day. The longest of days one would say. Everything with the remodeling was such a large undertaking, but Ryuu was happily relaxing now in a wicker chair on the freshly built patio. The furniture for it was finally delivered by Yuuko's errand boy Watanuki and a couple of his friend. One a stoic looking man and the other a bubble girl with long hair wrapped into two ponytails. They had gone since now and the young mistress sat day and enjoyed the set setting in the distance. Being within the backyard of the Blooming Lotus, she could hear the sound of water flowing around the building with ease. The sound relaxed her to no end and she did not take it for granted. If the past eight day in a row she had been working non stop to rebuild this most beautiful place she had called home some years before. Being back now was like a distant memory resurfacing. There were some new additions she put into the Inn, but all in all it kept the same vibrations her beloved sister would have wanted. Yuuko had done an amazing job with the upkeep, but the spider webs in the corners of the building had to be swept away before she started remodeling. Ryuu never thought she would be any good at interior designed, but the entire time she sorted through the new additions she thought of what her sister would have wanted then elaborated to put her own style into it.
Sitting in the chair closest to the fireplace, Ryuu removed her geta sandals and propped her feet up on the stone. The flames danced along the logs and her rich espresso eyes had shone flecks of auburn. Thinking on her past, many thoughts crossed her mind and she laughed to herself as she imagined this sacred ground becoming as lively as it once was. It was a hopeful laugh that filled the air with sweetness. She was happy to be home and safe. She spent years looking for Yuuko in order to find her way back to Blooming Lotus. Her way had been lost in being away from so long that she searched entire human world for the Wish Witch or a portal to return. The path had never opened up to her in all her years of wandering, but she silently thought to herself how her sister once said, "This place, my beautiful sister, will find you when you need it the most and you will be welcome with open arms." How the elder jorogumo's word rang in Ryuu's ears. This was the first time she had considered leaving Lotus and those words kept her here for years.
How she knew she was ready for this responsibility was there were no tears anymore, she could freely think about Mistress and it wouldn't tear her heart up inside. Ryuu's time of grief took four years to recover and in this time she traveled met many different people. Some of the modern technology she found in the era she visited she brought back with her and added onto the Inn. Banzai Village was still within the feudal era, much like the Inn it was still outside of time and space. Upon her return, she found several villagers praying outside Lotus as if it were some kind of temple. When she asked about it, they had told her tales of a spider woman who used to live there and how lively it had been. When the older folk spoke of how she fell in battle, Ryuu's heart had squeezed in her chest. They had been praying to honor her so that her spirit would continue to protect the village. Every now and again she found prayer notes and small gifts on the doorstep of the Inn. The young jorogumo often put the gift within her sister's shrine. If the offering was food she would put some within the shrine and use the rest to nourish herself. She had yet to do any shopping in the village just yet because she had brought some of her own food when she started this project. Enough to last her through the eight days of intense labor and decisions.
A long strand of dark cocoa hair brushed her check as the wind blew from the East. She brought her hand up to brush it behind her ear then stretched her arms back and let out an adorable groan as her body ached from the day's work. Lifting herself from the wicker chair, which she cushioned with champagne and crimson plush pillows, The floral clad woman decided it was time to water the garden. Watering at sunset gave the flowers enough time to soak up the life giving liquid and hold it through the hot days ahead.

[xDeaMagickax]

❁Company: No OnexxxxxLocation: Zen GardenxxxxxKimono: Floral FantasyxxxxxTheme: Who's Theme❁

In the ever approaching set of the sun, Ryuu grasped a hose connected to the side of the Inn and turned it on as the grass beneath her feet tickled her with a sense of renewal. The East wind carried the sent of grass greens which she had mowed this morning before the sun rose. There were many tools left here from her time as gardener, but a previous occupant left her with an interesting vehicle in order to mow the greens from the grass. It was largely overgrown when she had gotten her and she was so worried about the interior that she had only gotten to the garden this morning rather than sooner. Watanuki and his friends had been here many time over in the last few days and while Ryuu was thankful, she had been shy for the most part. The young jorogumo kept to herself most days, busying herself with paints and picking out different accessories. It fascinated her, the different ways she could decorate, but it would be nothing if not a challenge for her to prove she could run a business such as this.
She spread the spray of water which graced the dark rich soil of the ground behind her, Ryuu took it upon herself to hum a tune and really get in touch with her voice. As her musical voice filled the quite air, it complimented the sound of rushing water all around her. Not only was Blooming Lotus sitting on top of a mountain, but it had plenty of rain and snow to replenish itself. The heat from the core of the mountain was volcanic which allowed the hot springs to stay in tact all these years. There was no shortage of water, but the irrigation system was repaired while renovations were still taking place. Everything was taken care of down to the very last detail.
Ryuu had yet to explore through to the forest behind Blooming Lotus. She was unsure of exploring that side of the mountain because it was so dark. The lights from Blooming Lotus did not reach all the way out there and it was a fright to think about going out there alone. Her bravery had not kicked in yet to adventure out beyond her sweet Inn. It was getting late as the sun was a mere orange hue in the distance. Ryuu noticed the dots in the sky getting more and more prominent as the night crept up on her. She knew of course the darkness was approaching, but there was no rush as a deep colored rainbow appeared in her stream of water. Her flowers were thirsty after a long day and it was a motherly instinct that drover her to extend her stay outside in order to provide.
The round orbs of paper lanterns lit up paths to Blooming Lotus, mostly down the mountain path through Banzai Village. She kept her wits about her, but kept a relax demeanor and was soon finished watering Zen Garden. There were other plants in the Inn that needed tending to, but Ryuu wanted to watch the sun merge with the Earth and let the stars take over. They were like fireflies in the sky, stars. The night air was cool and moist. A comfortable mixture and a sweet temperature that caused her skin to be perfectly in balance. Not too hot and not too cold either. All the windows in Blooming Lotus were open even from the morning. The fresh paint in some rooms needed to be aired out and the Inn itself needed some fresh air.

[xDeaMagickax]

❁Company: No OnexxxxxLocation: Room 10,
Ryuu's Room xxxxxKimono: Floral FantasyxxxxxTheme: Who's Theme❁

Wrapping up the hose, Ryuu set in off to the side of the Inn and walked over to where the ledge where water flowed beneath her and sat on the patch of land. Taking a pipe out from her kimono, anyone that had been to Blooming Lotus and known the Mistress would have recognized it as her personal pipe. The young jorogumo had found it in her private room and saved all the things she wanted. Ryuu's room was chosen out of necessity as the room closest to the stairs. She still wanted to have a personal patio to spend some time thinking, but this way she could get downstairs in an emergency if needed. With her geta sandals hanging in her hand and one last turn toward the parted mountain view, the sun had disappeared and the cocoa haired woman gingerly stepping inside through the Sitting Room back door. From there she followed the hallway to the Kitchen after setting her sandals by the entrance. She filled herself a watering can and began watering all the planets within the establishment.
She combed through all the rooms downstairs, but once she went upstairs, that was when she started to slow down. All the patio plants she had to go through each room with a slide of the doors and water the plants. While doing this she closed most of the windows save for her own. She set the watering can aside and went to her personal patio. Taking out her sister's pipe once more and loaded it with some green herb. Mistress had taught Ryuu the miracles of hydroponics and this was something she kept on a small scale within the privacy of her own patio. The plants themselves were recognizable, but Ryuu's was the only patio that had Mary Jane's love ripe for the picking when she pleased. The young jorogumo had found this to be the most helpful way to relax and enjoy her time. The stars danced above her with the evening rolling in and with a bowl loaded, she flicked a flame to flicker across the greens and inhaled with a long breath. Without coughing, she exhaled and her eyes glossed over in a slight haze as she leaned back. While most of the patios had wood finishing, Ryuu's had pink and orange pillows. It had not rained in quite some time and so it was safe to keep them out.
The relaxation taking over her being, the asian woman stepped inside her room for a moment and produced her koto from years ago. She set it up and placed a cushion beneath her so she could play beneath the stars. It had been ages since she performed, but the night called her to play a soft melody as she celebrated her transition. While Ryuu prided herself on modernization of the Inn, she would not allow herself to forget her roots. Reminising of the times she had played ballads with her sister's biwa, Ryuu allowed herself to be enveloped in the music as her expert fingers danced across the string for no audience. She played as a mere tribute to what had been and what could be in the future. She closed her eyes as the plucking of the strings entranced even herself. The only times she opened her espresso eye was to gaze up at the night sky that had turned dark blue with sparkles of starry glitter thrown about.

[Naughty Dog Jak]

_ Spike Spiegel
__● Status: Relaxed
__● Current Location: Garden → Room 10
__● Objective: Check wall repairs
__● Attire: The usual
__● Theme: Road to the West

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Peering into the gloom, Spike squinted somewhat as he leaned in to survey the decorative wall; it's rugged shape was somewhat hard to distinguish in the reduced light, but it at least appeared solid. Leaving it until now to check the reliability of the repair was certainly not the best of ideas, but still, it was one less task for the morning. The cement should have set by now, all being well at least. Hesitating for a moment with a short glance about him, Spike gave the wall a soft kick with his shoe; the small structure stood firm, save for a slight tremor.

"...Close enough."

Satisfied, Spike gave a small shrug before his hands slid back into his pockets and he began a slow saunter back toward the main building. All in all, the inn was back to its former glory, if not better with all the recent renovation work. Yuuko played her part in helping the process along, much as he wasn't too enamored with the erratic behaviour of her bespectacled assistant in particular. Moreover, the local children lurking around had not helped matters; that small decorative wall dividing one flower bed from another was just one such casualty from their occasional visits. It was surprising how much damage an errant ball could do; damn annoying. A brief grimace appeared upon his face for an instant at the thought as he drew closer to the paper lanterns, their soft glow marking the main path toward the inn itself.

Stepping onto the main path, Spike held his position for a long moment, his hands still in his pockets; of its own accord one of his hands now enclosed the box of cigarettes sharing his right pocket. Standing in the cool night air, he inwardly deliberated his options, staring out toward the building before exhaling a heavy sigh and reluctantly releasing the box. Removing one hand from his pocket, Spike ruffled his hair in an attempt at nonchalance; he did promise, much as cutting down on the cigarettes was really starting to get to him. Undeterred, Spike refocused his attention on returning to the inn, glancing upward at the myriad of stars overhead in the process. The atmosphere retained its familiar sense of peace, although following the departure of Mistress, it could never quite be the same. The inn now took on a new atmosphere all its own, laced with optimism and positivity; without a doubt a result of the one at the heart of it all. With that thought in mind, Spike's unpocketed hand lightly skimmed along a series of flowers alongside the path as he walked by; the garden had always been impressive, but now it was truly spectacular; without or without his inevitable bias, that was simply a fact.

With the rear entrance of the inn up ahead, the sound of dainty notes drifting on the light breeze drew his attention; that made a small diversion inevitable. A small smile emerged upon Spike's face as his eyes scanned the side of the building, all the windows were closed with the light extinguished within, save for one; it was clearly no coincidence it was the epicenter of the music either. Although it was not difficult to recognise the distinctively airy style to the notes unique to one musician in particular; with that thought in mind Spike continued into the building, smoothly removing his shoes in the process before continuing down the hall. He already knew exactly where the delicate music originated, although it was oddly enjoyable to have a sense of following the impeccably paced notes to their source.

As the music grew louder, the hint of an easily recognised aroma also joined the notes drifting through the air as Spike presently plodded up the stairs, continuing on until he reached the door leading to its source. With the music continuing at a calm and consistent pace, Spike slid the door aside slightly, peering into the room within before presently entering without a sound. Opting to remain at the doorway so not to interrupt, Spike merely folded his arms and leaned against the doorway in silence; content to listen and observe.

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OOC: Finally back in the game...and it is seriously awesome!

[xDeaMagickax]

❁Company: SpikexxxxxLocation: Room 10,
Ryuu's Room xxxxxKimono: Floral FantasyxxxxxTheme: Who's Theme❁

Unknown to her, Ryuu was playing for one audience member. She was so wrapped up in her music and didn't think that the sound carried as far as it did down into the Garden and the main path to the Inn. It seemed she the soft plucking of strings vibrated into the air and the acoustic of Lotus carried them down to ears that were open and willing to listen. Ryuus nails were shaped in a long rounded fashion to accommodate the thick strings that created a feeling of serenity in it's notes. Her nails were thick and needed maintenance with how much gardening she had done since her return. The young jorogumo kept up with her hands in order to insure a level of functionality, but they were also surprisingly soft for how much work she did even before she came back to the place of her late childhood. There had been cause for concern a while back and she had almost lost control of her hands. This did not deter her from making the most of her situation in which she had plenty of help from the man that had been by her side since the beginning. Now her hands danced across strings to create once more the beautifully haunting music the filled her home.
Hearing the soft pull of her balcony door behind her, Ryuu continued her melody, but it shifted into a slower pace. The well spaced notes and strum of the string play along to the coy shy that graced her lips. She could feel his energy behind her as her more seasoned spiritual powers had awakened. Spike's essence and life was the first she had ever been able to detect since her inherited psychic powers blossomed. Ryuu had been honing her abilities for the past two years and no matter where her beloved husband went she could always feel him. Her pace on the koto sped up for a few notes that mimicked rainfall and the the notes were well paced to please one's ears.
What complimented the strings a moment later was Ryuu's talented voice carrying out through the night. Her voice was a mixture of high octave vibrations and she drew out her words in a traditional Japanese folk song. Mistress had used to sing this song to her and while her sister's voice was a deeper mature voice, she did well in making the song a sweeter with the higher pitch of her voice. Ryuu had always been talented in this fashion, Her voice becoming like a bird in flight gliding through the air with ease and grace.
The scent of Spike's musky cologne and sweat from the day's labor touched her nose as she sang. Ryuu loved the way he smelled after a long day and the smile stayed on her lips after the song came to a close. Placed her palms on the strings and then turning her head turn her beloved, the silk kimono wearing woman moved to stand. "Thank you for repairing the wall near the tulips, they are always temperamental and if they got too much sun I fear they would wilt. The wall brought them shade from the West sun after high noon, you saved them from a terrible fate," Ryuu's smiled never faulted as she stepped closer to close the space between them and wrapped her arms around her beloved Spiegel-san. "The villagers left us a bushel of apples on the front porch this morning. I was thinking about making an apple pie tonight, or tomorrow if you're feeling tired." She didn't mind either way, spending time with her husband was all that mattered at the end of the day. If he was up she would like to keep her hands busy, but if he was tired she would happy with laying in his arms as they often did.

[Naughty Dog Jak]

_ Spike Spiegel
__● Status: Relaxed
__● Current Location: Room 10
__● Objective: Quality time with Ryuu
__● Attire: The usual
__● Theme: Road to the West

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It came as little surprise his presence had not gone without notice, no sooner had Spike relaxed his side against the door frame did the tempo of the music shift, taking faster and shorter strides as the melody shifted. This brought a distinct smile to his face as Spike presently folded his arms, closing his eyes to focus on the intricacies of the performance. Without a doubt, she grew more remarkable by the day; looking back it never failed to amaze him how all this came to pass.

Calmly exhaling, Spike presently reopened his eyes at the seamless addition of song; the intricacy of the music increased, although by this point his eyes were drawn solely to the musician. Flawlessly elegant, each precise and beguiling note accentuated her every feature in the most complimentary manner; alluring would have been putting it mildly. Even with her back turned, the ebb and flow to her movement was mesmerising. Was this bias once again? Perhaps in part, although none could deny Ryuu was every bit as beautiful as her abundant talent and skill. By Spike's reasoning it was indisputable and served to intensify his affection for her all the more; his steadfast loyalty kept him by her side and he couldn't be happier in doing so.

As if on cue, the soft melody gradually drew to a close, Ryuu's voice finally falling silent as she presently turned to face him; an involuntary smile emerged upon Spike's face as she delicately rose to her feet and began to approach. Unfurling his folded arms, Spike's relaxed smile broaded as Ryuu wrapped her arms about him in a single smooth motion, allowing him to respond in kind and enclose her within his own. Holding her gaze whilst she spoke, Spike's earlier fatigue felt significantly more distant in Ryuu's presence, moreover she held his attention entirely; a talent only she could seamlessly wield.

"Hmm, all in a days work; someone has to save the tulips from the harsh consequences of high noon..." Spike's jovial smile shifted into a vague smirk, although his expression soured slightly as he continued. "What is it with kids and messing around on people's lawns, anyway?"

Pausing on that thought, the look on Ryuu's face quieted any further potential for complaint, to which Spike allowed the matter to drop. The damage to the wall was presumably an accident and Spike was not looking to ruin Ryuu's good mood or his own. If anything, seeing his Wife in such good spirits was infectious; even Watanuki's screwball attitude had failed to get too much a rise out of him thanks to Ryuu's calming presence.

"Apples, huh?" Pausing with a look of contemplation, Spike still hadn't gotten used to so much interaction from the locals, but it was strangely gratifying after all that had happened. A little recognition sure could go a long way. "Oh, I'm fine, it isn't all that late; you've not exactly been taking it easy either, you know?" Holding Ryuu's smoky brown gaze, his smile became somewhat more playful. "But if you're going to do that, let me help you out. Could be fun." Spike couldn't resist finishing with a sly wink. Granted, Ryuu was hardly as shy as she once was, but now and again that same shyness would resurface, or potentially something more unexpected; Spike reasoned it was win-win either way.

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OOC:

[xDeaMagickax]

❁Company: SpikexxxxxLocation: Kitchen xxxxxKimono: Floral FantasyxxxxxTheme: Who's Theme❁

Within their embrace, Ryuu took one hand and covered a coy giggle to Spike's words about the front lawn. "You're sounding more and more like a retired old man, dearest," she said and smiled sweetly at him. Her mood was calm in his presence and she loved when he stirred up some laughter within her. Spike was very good at keeping Ryuu smiling even when they were in serious discussions. His response to the apple delivery was a welcome one as he expressed he was not as tired from today's work. "Excellent!" she cheered and gave another giggle as she leaned closer to him brushing her cheek against his. "You can help me cut the apples while I make the pie crust," she said soft and melodically then planted a kiss on his jawline, then his cheek, then finally on his lips.
Putting her hand on his cheek as they kissed was something she often did as she loved the feeling of his skin even when he had five o'clock shadow. Something about the varying smoothness incited her touch. Her lips were soft and probably tasted of fruit. She had eaten one of the apples a bit earlier and even now the taste was on her tongue. Strange enough though, her husband didn't taste like cigarettes. She took that as he really did mean it when he said he was going to cut down on smoking. She adored him either way, but she was also happy for him to decide that for himself. As much as Ryuu only smoked her own herb, she didn't mind Spike's smoking in the least. There was something about the smoky taste that turned her on.
All Ryuu's life she had been a meeky young jorogumo in her sister's shadow and Spike had been a cool modern man of low tolerance levels which she found atractive. His obvious annoyance earlier with those helping with construction was adorable to watch. Ryuu was mollifying that now as the spoke and kissed in private.
Parting their lips, the floral clad wife booped him on the nose and beckoned him to follow her as stepped into her room. "I think we should listen to music while we bake this pie, what do you want me to put on, love?" Sliding the door into the hallway, Ryuu stepped down into the Kitchen and turned the lights on. They remodeled it to be much bigger than the one they had while Mistress was roaming Lotus' halls. They also updated all the appliances that needed to be replacing, but they kept all the asian style silverware, plates, and tea sets from her sister's era. Ryuu often loved tea while cooking as it soothed her nerves if she was stressed and the tea sets reminder her of all the times Mistress had fresh tea in the Sitting Room for everyone. There was no shortage of food or drink when the elder jorogumo was in charge, but Ryuu learned a lot about hostessing from her and could only hope to be half as gracious a host as her sister was.

[_xX Faceless Enemy Xx_]

(( -gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAASSSP-

this place lives?! ))

[xDeaMagickax]

_xX Faceless Enemy Xx_

(( -gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAASSSP-

this place lives?! ))

((Hi honey *hugs!* Yes, Blooming Lotus is reincarnated with Ryuu and Spike's return))

[_xX Faceless Enemy Xx_]

FoxyBabbu

((Hi honey *hugs!* Yes, Blooming Lotus is reincarnated with Ryuu and Spike's return))

(( -huggles- >w< Ooooooooo I gotta get back in this... I've missed you guys. ))

[xDeaMagickax]

_xX Faceless Enemy Xx_

FoxyBabbu

((Hi honey *hugs!* Yes, Blooming Lotus is reincarnated with Ryuu and Spike's return))

(( -huggles- >w< Ooooooooo I gotta get back in this... I've missed you guys. ))

((I've missed you too sweetheart 4laugh We welcome you with open arms! Are you going to be bringing Yunique back? ))

[_xX Faceless Enemy Xx_]

FoxyBabbu

((I've missed you too sweetheart 4laugh We welcome you with open arms! Are you going to be bringing Yunique back? ))

(( Yay~! And yus, I'll be bringing that crazy fluffball back once I finish this (hopefully) quick reference of her to use in the posts. Just need to figure out how to use images in posts again... ))

[xDeaMagickax]

_xX Faceless Enemy Xx_

FoxyBabbu

((I've missed you too sweetheart 4laugh We welcome you with open arms! Are you going to be bringing Yunique back? ))

(( Yay~! And yus, I'll be bringing that crazy fluffball back once I finish this (hopefully) quick reference of her to use in the posts. Just need to figure out how to use images in posts again... ))

((Awesome! If you need any help, just ask. I can make you an img code for your post.

[img]put the direct image code here. photobucket is having issues so I would suggest uploading your picture to imgur[/img]

))