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 Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 9:34 pm
 
This is a private RP between Shin-Mu [Beejoux] and Jianyu [Kuro-Mizuki]
Setting:
The Artisan's path in the Imperial City.
The sun's out, and the shops are crowded.
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 9:50 pm
Lily pale eyes were examining the craftsmanship of particularly detailed puzzle ring. Fingertips absently plucking at the end of a loose thread that had begun to come unbound at the end of her sleeve. making it worst, of course, but she wasn't exactly aware she was doing it. The habitual picking always seemed to rear it's ugly head when Shin braved the bustling streets of the city.
Today she'd talked herself into wandering down the Artisan's path. The plentiful clinking of her over stuffed purse having finally gotten the better of her. There were puzzles to be pursued, jewelry to be judged, and accessories to be assessed. Not to mention any number of books she was likely to find.
She may not have enjoyed being around so many people, but she did like shopping. The prospect of adding to her vast collection of knickknacks and assorted jewelry and hair combs over powered her general fear and unease of dealing with lunarians with a pulse.
Limited interactions with the merchants were a small price to pay for all the new things she was going to be taking home with her at the end of her trip.
((Short post is short, SORRY KURO! <3))
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:14 pm
The Artisan's Path was busy for an early Saturday morning. There were patrons of both alliances bustling around the stalls and the stands, and there were shouts of prices, quiet, heated price negotiations, light bantering, batering, and the general murmurs of dislike from one alliance to the other.
Oblivious to it all, a younger Lunarian with dark, shoulder-length hair stood at a small, cluttered table in the center of the chaos. He had in his hand a long, thin piece of wood with several colorful feathers tied to one end and a sharpened flint point at the other - an arrow.
Qian Jianyu frowned slightly as he examined the arrow. He had been standing there for quite some time, debating whether or not to purchase it, but his mind was still not made him. The shopkeeper was looking at him with a look of annoyance on his face.
"You gonna actually buy it, or just look at it, kid?" he said darkly, his thick eyebrows drawing together in irritation.
Jianyu was not done with his examination yet."One moment, please." he said, and the shopkeeper, exasperated, threw up his hands and stalked off, muttering under his breath.
He decided against buying that particular arrow, and as he stepped backwards, Jianyu's shoulder pushed against someone else's - a young woman around his own age, with light pink hair and dark skin.
Jianyu gave a short bow of his head. "My apologies." he said. "I did not mean to run into you."
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:53 pm
The coins Shin had been about to hand over to the merchant clattered noisily on the table top, dropped as her shoulder was jarred. Of course she scrambled to catch the rolling coins, shoving them into one of the merchant's open hands while plucking up the little wrapped parcel from the other. Mumbling an apology as she she turned on her heel to beat a hasty retreat.
Oh but then the source of the all too little scene spoke, apologizing to her even, and she couldn't just slink away now. That would be incredibly rude, even for Shin. Silently cursing him for his politeness, she did her best to hitch a smile on cherry painted lips, but probably only managed a awkward baring of teeth. It was probably obvious, but the noble girl did not exactly have the best social skills.
"Oh.. No, It's fine. No harm done." Her voice had been even enough.
Those pale eyes dropped after a second or two, and she found herself glancing around for any signs of aid that might be present. There were, of course, none to be found.
If she were lucky the conversation would either end quickly and she could be on her merry way, or at the very least go in a predictable, unawkward direction. Luck wasn't exactly on her side often, so she wasn't holding her breath for either.
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:32 pm
The smile the girl cast him seemed hesitant, unsure, like she wasn't sure what to do. Jianyu frowned slightly, and feeling responsible for making her drop what she carried, he bent down, picking up a few of the leftover coins. Reaching out, he took her hand in his, pulling her hand palm-up.
"Here." he said, dropping the dusty coins into her much smaller hand. Then he let go, stepping backwards and his hands moved awkwardly, as if he wasn't sure what he was doing.
"If...I may ask, Jianyu said. "If there is...anything that I can assist you with? I feel truly sorry to have caused you to drop your belongings."
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:48 pm
That half forced grimace of a smile faltered as he bent to pick up her change, and she fought off a cringe as he took her hand in his, returning the now dirty coins. More will-power then was pretty was required to not only keep her hand still in his and not jerk away, but to then calmly return the filthy money to her draw string purse, and tuck that carefully back within the broad band of her robes.
The coins had been on the dirty street, and she'd been forced to touch them. Shin-mu did not do dirty gracefully. the hand that'd come in contact with the money was being held sort of gingerly out to her side, away from her clothing, and she did her best to reignite the smile she'd had, and actually managed it. "Thank you."
"You don't have to, really. It was just a few coins." He was very.. polite, she supposed. Or perhaps maybe chivalrous was the more correct term?
She could feel the filth on her hand, her skin was crawling with it. She had to get clean. Had to. But a quick glance around didn't show a single fountain or water source in sight. "Only.. If you know where some clean water is? A wash room, maybe. I'd be very grateful."
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:58 pm
That somewhat strange smile was still in place as the girl replied. Jianyu's eyebrows drew together in slight confusion. Had he said something offensive to her? Perhaps he should not have returned her coins and instead let her pick them up herself? Or perhaps it was just his appearance; his shoulder-length, braided hair had often been the subject of many disapproving looks from his teachers and the multiple bodyguards his parents had provided him throughout the years. Maybe this young Lunarian found his hair strange, as had many before. Or maybe it was the fact that he was carrying his bow and sheath of arrows in plain sight, on his hip and back, which was a signal that he was ready to fight at any time.
A thousand thoughts kept running through Jianyu's mind, and he flushed even more.
"There's...there's a spring just across the road, over there." he answered her uncertainly, gesturing to his left. "If you don't mind, I will show you where to go..?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:17 am
She was trying to be normal, dammit! Why was he flushing more?! She'd been polite, she hadn't jerked away or cringed, what more do the living want from her? Needy, that's what they all were. Needy and confusing.
She really was at a complete lose at what to say at this point, and the tell tale sound of her nails clicking together gave away her nerves better then any bead of sweat or audible swallow. They were just standing there, staring at each other..
"There's...there's a spring just across the road, over there. If you don't mind, I will show you where to go..?"
Shin-mu perked up immediately, head turning so she could look where he'd gestured. How exactly had she missed that? The neurotic itch in her palm was answer enough to that. It wasn't exactly that her hand was filthy, but it was hard to argue with your own neurosis, and while she couldn't really see the dirt, she could feel it, and that was enough to drive common sense or observational skills right out of the water. She needed clean. Now.
"Yes, please. If you don't mind." She added the last as almost an after thought. She was trying to be nice, polite, she really was.
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 11:53 am
Arching one dark eyebrow in slight confusion, Jianyu gestured for the girl to follow him. Weaving around the dozens of busy patrons milling throughout the Artisans Path, Jianyu kept glancing over his shoulder to make sure that the girl was still there, and each time he did, he wondered again what that pained expression on her face meant.
I do not know how to talk to girls, Jianyu thought to himself as he pushed past a particularly burly shop owner that was holding up a basket of vegetables and shouting out prices. I am not accustomed to speaking with those of the opposite gender.
After a few moments of threading through the crowds, Jianyu and the girl finally broke free and came out onto a smaller side street, much more secluded away from the bustling Artisan's Path. Here there were abandoned, crumbling old houses leftover from years of being forgotten, left to gather dust and dirt. Sitting in the center of a small pathway was a small, neatly kept fountain with one tier pouring out clear, sparkling water that every once in a while caught the glint of sunlight on its surface.
Motioning to the fountain, Jianyu said "Here." he said awkwardly. "Do you...are you all right?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 6:44 pm
Hand still held away from her body and clothing, Shin-mu followed along behind the nameless boy, letting him clear a path for them through the crowd. The pained expression that kept flickering over her features may very well have had something to do with the unnatural and unhealthy urge she currently had to start clawing her own skin off her hand. Anything to get the dirt off, anything. The only thing that was actually keeping her calm was that he'd said there was clean water right up ahead, and she'd be clean soon.
If he were wrong, there was going to be hell to pay..
He wasn't wrong though, she was happy to see, and the second the cool, clear water was within her sights she'd rush forward around him, free hand pushing her long sleeve up to her shoulder to keep it dry. From finger tips to elbow she rinsed, scrubbed, washed and rinsed some more. Examining every dark inch of her arm for any signs of dirt.
Satisfied, and feeling insanely better, she turned to the tanned young man, chin dipping in a subtle bow of gratitude. "I'm alright now, sorry to worry you." She didn't elaborate. If he was curious and bold enough to ask, she might explain, but she wasn't about to volunteer the information. "Thank you as well, so showing me to the fountain. By the way, what's your name?" It'd actually been rude of her not to ask until now, but she'd been distracted.
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Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 6:18 am
 Jianyu stared at the girl.
What...in all of Lunaria...is she doing..? he wondered, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion. She was washing her hand, but the washing was extraordinarily meticulous; careful, as she examined every millimeter of her skin.
Jianyu was quite flummoxed.
"Er..." he said awkwardly, tilting his head. "You didn't worry me. I was only concerned that you get to where you need be. My name is Qian Jianyu. I am an archer at the Academy"
He paused a moment, then added somewhat belatedly "And your name is..?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 8:49 am
Hands clasped in front of hr stomach, she let her long sleeves pool over her joined fingers. The thumb of her opposite hand running over the cool skin of the now clean one. She knew it was clean, and she felt better for it, but it was had to argue with mental disorders, and she'd continue to check the hand until her OCD was satisfied, or until she could take a nice, long bath. Whichever came first.
She was watching him, focus steady on him. Shin-mu always gave great eye contact. It could.. unnerving at times. Qian Jianyu, and an archer. You must be strong then, to pull the bow string back." She was guessing, having never handled a bow, but she recalled reading somewhere that what made the arrow's travel fast and far was how taunt the string was.
"My name is Shin-mu. I'm.. well I suppose by definition I could be a mediator?" She'd be a soul conduit later, but what do you call a studying priest before that? She'd said mediator for her natural ability to spread calm, but really, who knows?
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Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 8:52 pm
Jianyu frowned.
"Er." he said, his dark eyebrows drawing together in confusion. "I am...not all that physically adept at much except for my archery, as a matter of fact. Though I am attempting to change that."
Jianyu was not used to trying to converse with someone such as this girl - Shin-mu, as she said her name was. She seemed very odd indeed...and he could not figure out what exactly she had been doing at the fountain, what with washing her hands and arms so vigorously.
"It's...a pleasure to meet you." Jianyu said slowly. "Is there...anything else that you require from me, or anything that you need assistance with before I am to go back to my purchasing?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 9:30 pm
There conversation was rather.. awkward, to say the least. Jianyu didn't seem any more comfortable with casual conversation then she herself did. Plucking absently at the the end of a thread on the hem of her sleeve that was threatening to come loose, Shin-mu struggled to think of something contributing or helpful to the conversation at hand, but nothing was coming to mind.
"You as well, thank you for showing me to the fountain, I greatly appreciate it." It took conscious effort, but she forced her hands still and down at her sides. Fidgeting lacked a certain level of dignity, and she'd be damned if she'd let a little social interaction leave her that nervous. At least that's what she told herself.
"No, I don't think so. I suppose I'll see you at the academy then?"
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Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 6:21 am
The girl was now picking at the hemline of her sleeve, looking vaguely disturbed about something. Jianyu was now utterly confused now. There was something very odd about this...Shin-mu? She seemed quite...anxious, and a tad upset about something, though what exactly that was, Jianyu had no ideas whatsoever. Then, of course, there was the insistent washing of her arms after he had taken her to the fountain; the almost desperate cleansing of her skin. It was all so very strange.
Jianyu did not like strange. It made him feel quite ill adept at conversing properly.
"You're...welcome." he said slowly, still trying to scrutinize and figure out the girl in front of him. "You..."
Jianyu was at a loss for words. He struggled in vain for something to say, anything, but nothing came to mind so he settled pathetically for "Please be safe on your journeys today."
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