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Dark hands were clasped together, trapped between the her body and the rough bark of the singular cherry tree at the crest of the hill. Pale eyes were her focused on the horizon, watching the progress of clouds floating across the bright blue of the mid day sky. She had been told in the past that you could see shapes in the cotton white of clouds, but even as a child she had difficulty in finding bunnies or other critters in the sky. Liu said she simply lacked imagination, while Rong insisted her head was so full of knowledge there was simply no room for fluffy cloud bunnies.

She could see the shapes today. The silhoette of a dog was lazily chasing what could have a bone. It was an odd shaped sweep of nimbus, and if not a bone, then easily a branch. A tilt of her head to the right and she amended her previous train of thought. "Definately a branch, perhaps willow." Considering she was truely talking to herself, and not simply a spirit, she kept her voice low. There were those among her peers that already considered her a little unhinged, and shed rather not fuel those ideas.

Not that anyone was around to hear her. She was very much alone where she stood at the top of the hill. At least she assumed so. Considering who she was currently waiting for, that was completely up for question. Huang Fu Lee was a stealthy young man, and could very easily have been in her company for some time and she wouldn't have noticed. She envied him his ability to move unnoticed.

A whimsical smile claimed dark features at the thought of his silently watching, and she couldn't help but glance around, even up into branched that twisted over head.

The over hanging branches were clear of spying eyes, and she returned her attention to the skyline and the fluffy clouds that made their lazy way across it. What had preciously been a dog had been changed by the wind and now looked more like a dragon. She could see now what Lui and Rong, and many others, come to think of it, saw in such a simple activity. She owed the musician an apology and the old nanny a thank you.

Shifting her weight, she freed her hands so dark fingers could tuck wayward strands of blush blond back behind the line of her ear. The gentle wind was delightful, but it did have unfortunate effects on long hair. Nothing so bothersome she couldn't remedy the matter with a practice motion of her hand though.

Since she was listening for it she heard the soft pat of feet touching down a little ways behind her, and she turned a smile on the young man. Moving from the base of the tree to meet him half way. "Huang." A few other things danced over her tongue. 'I'm happy to see you', 'U'm glad you're here', but she settled on just his name, letting the contentment she was feeling with his presence show through the smile that was stilled turned up to him.

Her ankle had healed nicely, she was no longer favoring the opposite foot, nor limping. In fact, if you hadn't know she'd been hurt, you couldn't have been able to notice now.

A dark hand came to rest on his folded arms, hesitant and light, there for a moment before slipping away. She wasn't entirely sure why she touched him, only that she'd had an urge, and allowed it to come to fruition. Once it was there she didn't know what to do next, and simply recanted the action, the slight flush along her cheeks flaring darker.

"It's good to see you as well." Very good, she admitted internally. "My ankle feels good as new. It doesn't hurt any longer. I thank that salve you put on it may have sped up the healing a bit." She knew very little of injury, how long it took to heal, and what may or may not help it. The extent o her injuries had always been self inflected or accidental mishaps with her swords. All minor.

A gentle tilt of her head met his question, and she half turned to look back up at the clouds she'd been watching. The dragon had been warped beyond recognition. "I was," she let her gaze drift back to the indigo young man. "I was looking for shapes in the clouds. I could never really see any before."

The few meetings they'd had had been enough for the generally craven noble to warm up to the other lunarian, and she could admit, if only to herself, to feeling rather attached to his company. "You've been well since I last saw you?"

She watched him watch the sky for a moment before he spoke of her well being, joking. "Yes, please do thank him for me." She wasn't quite sure of the pat. It wasn't hostile, but she found herself worrying over the inclination behind the gesture, the meaning behind it. She didn't let the thought show though, and simply smiled from the attention.

That she even desired the attention was something new to her, and while she found it horribly baffling while out of his company, she couldn't help but simply enjoy it when he was near. "It would be nice to say it would take more then that to cripple me, but I fear I am something of a delicate thing." She laughed, joking in turn with him, turning back up to sky as he did.

His sigh was a familiar one, and she couldn't help but smile. She'd said nearly the same thing to to her spiritual guardians a time or two. "I didn't either for the longest time. I guess my imagination is broadening."

The invitation was an alluring one, and she slipped his arm through his, hand laying softly at the bend of his elbow, the other resting on the moon kissed skin a little below it. "It would be my pleasure to walk with you, Huang Fu." She found she was a little surprised by the truth of those words. "How are your studies going?"

she eagerly allowed him to steer her down the path and through the trees, enjoying the feel of his arm under her hands, his company. She noticed the tilt of his head, and her brows rose slightly in curiosity. "It is a very challenging thing to teach. Liu has insisted for years that I my intelligence blinds me to the simple joys of things. I think he may have been right. Only recently have I stopped to appreciate the simpler things in life." Delicate shoulders rose in a small shrug. She could try to point out the shapes, but she couldn't make them more apparent to him.

A small frown touched her lips as he mentioned the possibility of failing, and she gave his arm a reassuring pat. "I see many lovely mental trinkets on the artisan's path. Why does the teacher not think yours are enough for a passing mark?" She watched the path as they walked, careful of roots or branches. Taking in the lovely scenery of the sun speckled woods. She did glance up to him periodically, watching his face.

"Maybe you could make something like a decorative box for tea leafs or jewelry, or a cuff bracelet with intricate detail. Things like that are highly sought after from vendors. I myself even desire such purely aesthetic trinkets. They're pretty, and show an impressive attention to detail."

The dark skinned lunarian kept her grip on the other's arm as he led them through the easy paths of the wood. Pausing every now and then to admire the natural splendor of things. It was a beautiful day, warm, but not hot. Blue sky speckled with the occasional fluffy cloud. Shin couldn't have thought of another person she'd have rather spent it with. The thought brought a peaceful smile to her lips, and she turned it up to him, giving his hand a squeeze. "Perhaps your imagination lies in more important things then clouds."

"Our teacher is a biased fool then for not seeing the skill and care that goes into such intricate creations." Pale eyes followed his hand up to the branches above them and their blossoms. Wondering if maybe he picked the flower for her, but it floated towards the ground, and he'd spoken up again. drawing her attention back up to him.

"Very much so. I collect beautifully made odds and ends. Boxes, jewelery, puzzles." She paused, lifting her hands from where it was resting against his forearm, fingers spreading so he could see the intricately made rings that glittered on two fingers. "These are some of my favorites. Puzzle rings. Have you ever made one?"

The sun was raising to it's apex of the day, and with it the heat. It was not uncomfortable, not yet at least, but the path of the sun held the promise of it. She hoped the temperature didn't rise too much more then it already had, she'd hate for anything to ruin an otherwise splendid afternoon. It was foreign to her to enjoy another company so thoroughly, a little unnerving, but she didn't pick at it, didn't question it, and simply accepted it. Huang was a first for her, in more then one way.

She heard his comment on their teachers support, but didn't have time to processes it or really give it a second thought as he took her hand in his and brought it up to examine her rings. That simple, innocent touch sped her pulse and she could feel a spreading blush darkening her cheeks, pale scales standing out like peridote and citrine. "Yes, of course." She spread her fingers in his, giving him an unobstructed view, though her thumb curled around the tips of his fingers.

She watched him as he looked over the jewelry, and when burgundy eyes rose to meet her own she held her breath, waiting for him to ask the question she'd seen forming on his face, but it never came. She couldn't help the curious blink that followed his statement, but found he was right when she looked herself over. There were petals in the lengths of pale hair the sheer fabric of her sleeves and even down the front of her top.

"Oh, so there is." She smiled, plucking a petal from her arm as they came to a stop. She stilled so he could brush her shoulders free of of the pale pink petals, but when he leaned in to pull the blossoms from her hair her breath caught in her throat and she was left staring at him from barely an inch away.

Her heart was pounding, cheeks blazing brighter then they'd been. She placed a tentative hand at his hip, fingers resting feather light. She was usually a creature of knowledge and logic, but what she did next lacked both. It was purely spontaneous, fueled by emotion. Raising up on her toes, she closed that small distance between them, lashes falling over pale eyes as she pressed her lips to his.