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 Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 1:00 am
  This is a private roleplay between Jianyu [Kuro-Mizuki] and Yue Lao [Face Your Demons].
Setting:
Somewhere there's greenery and fresh air.
After a tumultuous time at the Academy, Yue Lao is finally finished her studies. Jianyu and Yue Lao have not seen each other in a while, as Yue was busy freaking out, and hopefully today will be they day when they get to relax... and maybe engage in some friendly sparring. After all, they are warriors.
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 1:01 am
Yue Lao stretched out on the grass, breathing in deeply. When had she had time, in the last... as long as she could remember, really, to just lie down and take it easy? She didn't even have her fearsome meteor hammer with her, as if by leaving it at home she would bless herself with a confict-free day. She basked in the sun, letting it warm her face and bare arms. She hardly wore feminine clothing. Loose, comfortable, tight; all these things in good measure, but always comfortable. And thankfully, Hime-san was nowhere to be seen. She didn't even worry about losing him in the trees, she didn't care what happened just then.
And while she was feeling so good, a sort of nostalgic smile flickered across her face. She missed Jianyu, it was true. She had done a lot, to stop feeling so helpless, to take control of her feelings. In the end, she had really learned that one could not always control such things. Right now, regardless of that tummult of emotions she had felt before, she really just wanted to see Jianyu-- she figured at that moment, she wanted it more than anything else. She could go without air for a while, right?
She lay there, hardly moving, and held her breath, as if depriving herself of air could summon the very Lunarian she wished so badly to see. She had changed, grown up. The self-assured swagger was still there, but underneath it was a wary preoccupation with her surroundings, the sense she was constantly assessing her location. Even when she was relaxing, now, she was still on edge. She was not strong enough to completely drop her guard, and she wasn't weak enough to be blissfully unaware of the threats around her.
Like blowing a cloud away with a puff of air, Yue pushed those dark thoughts away. Time for sunny thoughts, for once. Time to be happy, as impossible as that seemed. She held her breath just a little bit longer. If Jianyu didn't magically appear soon, she would just let the air go, and probably laugh at herself. As if things like that really worked.
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 12:37 pm
It had been a long time. Why had it been such a long time? At least several weeks since Jianyu had seen Yue Lao, and he was beginning to feel slightly agitated. He disliked not being around his closest friend, and it made him feel a little bit unnerved, almost anxious - if he ever actually got anxious, that was. For the most part Jianyu had spent the past few weeks at home, working in his father's tattoo parlor and honing his skills as an artist, until his mother, having long since sensed the agitation, all but kicked him out of the house and told him to go for a walk and calm down. After some mild protesting and Ehuang's stubborn denial at letting her son back into the house, Jianyu had resorted himself to the walk, dressed in his casual clothes rather than the full getup of his Captain's attire. He supposed he should go check in with his superiors, but the thought was quickly extinguished; after all, he was on a break from missions. They would call him when it was necessary.
Making his way down the crowded, bustling Main Street of Lunaria, hands tucked into his sleeves, Jianyu offered easy, friendly smiles to those he passed, giving small nods in greeting to the ones who gave him waves or spoke to him. The city was busy this morning, the citizens all milling about, laughing gaily, the scents of spices and meat cooking mingling with the paler, softer scents of the slowly blossoming cherry tree that stood at the top of the hill. As if drawn to it, Jianyu moved in that direction, stepping away from the loud cacophony of Main Street to the quieter, gentler grassy area that was home to Jianyu's favorite place in all of Lunaria.
At the top he stopped, circling the tree slowly, one hand pressed against the bark as he let his eyes roam over each nook, every groove set deep within the two hundred year old tree. A few petals, new and fragile, drifted into his hair; Jianyu gently brushed them aside, letting them fall like raindrops to the lush green grass below. At first his gaze went out to the city, the hill overlooking the entirety of Lunaria and the ocean beyond, but a rustling noise made him turn, looking the other direction. There was movement down the opposite side of the hill, not nearly as steep as the side facing Lunaria. Peering down, Jianyu managed a glimpse of familiar magenta hair...
His breath caught in his throat, eyes widening in surprise. The odds were slim, yes, but what were the chances of there being anyone with that sort of hair? Slowly, carefully, and silently, so as to not disturb them should he be mistaken, Jianyu made his way down the hill towards the figure lying on the grass. When he was close enough to distinguish that it was, in fact, whom he had thought it would be, a quiet smile swept across his face, though he kept himself silent as he stepped nearer. When he was standing close enough, Jianyu knelt down behind her head, reaching a hand out to rest it upon her forehead. When he spoke, his voice was pleased and quiet, laced with amusement.
"Yue Lao, I do believe you've grown." 
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 3:57 pm
Yue Lao had her eyes closed, and the cherry blossoms which surely fell on the top of the hill she lay against filled the air with a sweet, though distant, fragrance. It felt good, to be so calm. She nearly forgot she was holding her breath, and why she was doing so, until she felt someone's hand on her forehead. In an instant, she grabbed at the wrist, preparing to flip them-- but the skin felt familiar, and warm. Her eyes wide like they were when she was younger, she felt something catch in her throat, and then she burst into a fit of coughing.
"Yu!" Was all she got out, at first, once the coughing had subsided. She rolled to her knees and paused, saying, "Did I grow?" She looked down at herself, felt at her ribs, the muscles, the scars, and added, "No, no, I think you just shrank, fierce warrior." She stared at him with her grin, and her glittering eyes, and without another pause she launched herself at him with her arms out, a tackling embrace while they were both on their knees. Surely Chishio would kill her for getting grass stains all over her clothing again. Yue didn't care. No one's wrath would have been enough to punish her for this moment.
It really couldn't have been that long since she last saw him, could it? And yet she was so happy that it ached. There was a sweetness to the absence of doubt and fear. Again, as it had once been, she was just so relieved to be in his company. Her best friend, a Captain who was like family to her. Yue kissed his cheek, though it was so emphatic it was almost like she was going to headbutt him and changed her mind, and squeezed him in a hug, her arms around his torso. He smelled good, clean.
She didn't think holding her breath would really work. Maybe she should do that more often? "Yu," she said, and mumbled something undecipherable against him. Inappropriate, her a**. This hug was not going to end too soon. "You still caught me off guard, oh Fierce Warrior," she grinned, holding back laughter because she didn't want to deafen him at this close range. "I was about to try to snap your wrist," she admitted sheepishly.
"On second thought, now that I know it's you, and you scared the hell out of me, I should break you!..." She threatened, her voice quivering with laughter no matter how serious she tried to make it. When she was around Jianyu, she remembered who she was. It was despite the war that she could be herself, and with Jianyu... well. She was safe. Not from danger, but from the worse things that could nag at her heart. Fear and doubt... Jianyu calmed her down, but also made her happier. It had an energetic and emphatic result. Yue Lao wanted to tie them together so they didn't part so soon again.
Yue Lao took a breath, and tried to steady herself, but she felt very light-headed. If she let go, she might just unravel entirely.
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 8:42 pm
The fingers that suddenly grasped his wrist were slender, yet stronger than they had been when he had last felt them. Jianyu didn't flinch away as Yue Lao jerked abruptly, twisting over to a position on her knees. The expression on her face had shifted first from surprise to genuine happiness and Jianyu felt a smile touch his face.
"Yes, I do believe you have," he answered her with a laugh, then shook his head, his eyes moving down to take in her somewhat different and unusual attire. "For one thing, you seem to be wearing significantly less than what I am used to seeing you in, and for anoth - oof!"
His best friend had flung herself towards him, arms wrapping around his waist. With a shout of laughter, Jianyu felt himself tumble backwards, falling against the thick grass. Yue Lao was still the same as she ever was, her lips warm against his skin as she emphatically kissed his cheek, nearly crushing him in her embrace.
"Well, now, that's certainly a pleasant greeting," he said, and shook his head, his arms returning the hug tightly before he let them rest loosely around Yue's waist. It was probably an awkward situation to anyone that might have walked by - after all, Yue was lying half on top of him, but there was no one around, and Jianyu did not particularly care anyways. She was his best friend, his favorite person, and he loved seeing her, especially after so long.
Jianyu looked up at her. "I doubt I would have let you break my wrist," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "After all, what is an archer without his hands? However, you are much stronger than you were the last time I saw you."
There was a pause as the reality of that statement sank into him. Jianyu blinked, then pushed himself up into a sitting position, his eyes slightly wide as he took Yue's face in his hands.
"Dear Goddess," he said slowly, once again taking in her new appearance, the way she held herself, the slightly sharper angles of her face. "Yue...are you...are you a Fighter now..?"
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 9:25 am
Yue was able to calm down a little, finally. Just enough to talk coherently. "Less? Oh, it gets harder to move if the cloth is always getting in the way," Yue recited, thinking about how it was inconvenient if her movement got restricted while she was wielding her meteor hammer. Besides, she wasn't the type of fighter who should need a lot of armour. If she wore it she'd just get so weighed down that she'd get stuck somewhere and sink into the ground blubbering. That was what went on in her imagination, anyhow.
Her skin was flushed, and her eyes still sparkled with mischief and joy. They were a little too bright, as though tears had welled in them but she'd held it back. Seeing him again kept hitting her as being the most amazing sight possible. As silly as that was, or should be. But in any case, she had never really been one to bawl, so she just grinned like mad, cherishing the feeling of the reciprocal embrace.
"That's why I said try, Fierce warrior..!" Yue laughed, "I'm still just me! And as soon as I felt your wrist, I knew it was you." She felt a little crazy, saying that, but just glossed right over it and kept on brimming with excitement. A little surprised sound escaped her as Jianyu sat up and she was forced to change how she was sitting abruptly. She was surprised still as Jianyu held her face in his hands.
Then her sheepish smile, and it transformed into a happy grin. Always just her. "I'm grown up, sure," she replied, "Not the useless student you used to know! Maybe I can even kick your butt now," she laughed. Yue was content to sit there, even though she felt a little strange as Jianyu held her face. She made a fish expression, pursing her lips and sucking her cheeks in, then went back to grinning, with a wink. He was familiar, warm, comfortable. Nobody had better spoil this day, or she really would break them. Unlike before, she could hold her own. Although she'd be sorry that she had left her meteor hammer at home; however, she was certain that if she kept believing that the reunion would go well, how could it not? They were so close to the tree, too... A safe place.
"Looks like they couldn't fight that out of me, though..." She lifted one hand off his torso and punched at his shoulder playfully. "My belligerence, that is."
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 5:28 pm
Though she had grown, his best friend was still the same. The breath that Jianyu had not realized he was holding escaped his throat in a low sigh of relief as tangible as the face he held between his hands. Yue Lao was still herself; since he had not seen her for too long, a part of Jianyu had been a tad concerned that she might have no need for him anymore, that she had moved on to other things in her life. So the fact that her eyes still glowed brightly for him was a relief - it meant that he was still needed in her life. Which was, in fact, a good thing, since Jianyu was rather attached to the girl. He gave her a smile, reaching up to playfully tousle her hair.
"I'm glad you realized it was me," he said with amusement. "Otherwise I might have had to defend my honor there for a moment."
It was strange thinking that his closest friend was a Fighter now. It was the same feeling Jianyu had had when he had met with Huang the first time after both of their promotions; a mixture of happiness and bittersweet pleasure that made him smile. Jianyu reached a hand out, gently cupping Yue's face.
"I am proud of you, Stargazer," he said gently, and leaned forward, giving her a quick peck on the forehead. Then, with a teasing glint, he pushed himself to his feet, dragging Yue with him.
"So my little Yue is all grown up now, is she?" he said, walking around the young woman in a wide circle, his tone playful. "I think it's time you showed me what you've learned, little Fighter."
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 8:25 pm
Yue took to people in strange ways. To let someone into her heart, to show them who she was beyond her cryptic speech patterns, that was very rare. And to trust them with her secrets, even rarer. Only her family knew how she truly felt about anything, and even then it was more because they could read her than that she told them. Jianyu was part of her family, as far as she was concerned. They had fought with grapes, had dinner with their families, survived an ambush-- a collection of events. So even if she wouldn't verbalize it, because she was shy about letting him know exactly how valuable he was, she would show it. Yue laughed when he suggested he would have had to defend his honour; the idea of her fierce warrior being anything but indestructible was hard to grasp; she'd never fought on a side other than his. Never been his enemy.
she didn't know what to do when he said that he was proud of her. She smiled, and her face was warm, but she didn't really have the words to say. Thankfully, he dragged her to her feet shortly after and so she was spared the halting and clumsy reply she might have conjured up.
Was that a challenge? Her eyes lit up. She was beaming from ear to ear. "I just might surprise you," Yue Lao replied, watching Jianyu walk around her. "Of course, I don't have my monkey fist here, so I can't really show you who's boss... but I could still put up a fight, I'm sure." Yue grinned and winked at Jianyu, relaxing her stance and shaking her limbs out, stretching quickly. There was something thrilling about the thought of showing him how much she had grown up, how ... even though she wasn't as strong or as experienced as Jianyu, she was no longer the clueless girl she had been. She'd prove she was worthy of his company, even beyond the bond they had. And she'd only continue to train. The day that, instead of being protected, she could fight alongside him: that was the goal she kept in mind. Not a burden, but a blessing.
So she brought her hands into a defensive position, and rocked back and forth. "Wanna spar, oh Fierce Warrior?" Yue grinned again. Everything was okay, for the first time since Jianyu's injury and Iseul's death.
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Posted: Sat May 28, 2011 5:44 pm
Jianyu quirked a brow at his best friend, hands folded casually into his sleeves, his pose suggesting a calm, placid sort of attitude as he scrutinized Yue. She was such a strong willed girl...he wondered what her training had been like to become the Fighter she was now. Had she gone through the same sorts of things that he had? What had they taught her in the Academy? Obviously she had graduated and done well, but what else had she been through? A horrible sense of guilt clouded Jianyu's thoughts momentarily, though he tried to shake them off, letting out a small nod and a laugh at Yue.
"My my my," he said, beginning to walk around her in slow steps again, looking as calm and collected as he ever did. Her stance was good; that defensive position was certainly confident and strong, which was a positive. That same guilt came back again, along with a slight sense of bittersweet; Jianyu had not realized just how much Yue had grown up without him. Where had he been? Caught up in his own self, trying to figure out the convoluted thoughts in his head. He had been selfish, keeping to himself the entire time Yue had been struggling to grow into herself.
Shaking his head, as if to rid himself of all of the negative thoughts, Jianyu pulled his hands out of his sleeves, stepping closer and in front of Yue, his expression mildly amused.
"Shall we spar, then, oh Stargazer?" he asked her, his voice light and teasing, even as he took a defensive position. "Feel free to begin any time, Yue Lao."
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Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 4:05 pm
It wasn't difficult for Yue to see the worry which clouded Jianyu's calm front. She wasn't sure if she was imagining it, or what he might be thinking, but the suspicion nagged at her all the same. What was he thinking about? She hoped it wasn't something she had done. For a brief moment, Yue worried that something about her had changed and Jianyu wouldn't want to be her best friend any more. That was a real fear, since it was true she had been growing up all this time. She liked to think not a lot had really changed, though. Perhaps it had? Now she was preoccupied with the sense that she wasn't who she had been, but had no way of knowing. Yue tried to push these thoughts away, and continue with a heart free of worry for this one day.
She could still smell the blossoms of the sacred tree, and it calmed her down enough to continue with Jianyu. Jianyu circling her still, observing her stance and thinking thoughts which were closed off to her, it made her a little nervous. Kind of like a test. A more difficult test than any she had faced at the Academy: there, they could only test her skills. Jianyu, she felt, could see right through her facade. Maybe he couldn't, though. Still, he was someone she respected very much, and she would hate to disappoint him.
She was grateful when he stopped pacing and stepped towards her. He looked, if not happy, at least not upset. Amused? That would be a good way to put it. Yue Lao grinned again, and flipped her braid behind her shoulder with one hand, smoothing her bangs with her exposed fingertips. The gloves really were a miracle: she could fight all she wanted and wield her meteor hammer without damaging her hands. They were soft, unlike a fighter's hands would or should be.
"I'd like very little more than that right now, Fierce Warrior," she replied, beaming at him. She looked a lot like her old self, that happy. To her disadvantage for sparring, being so relaxed took away the edge she had developed. The side of her which assumed that around every corner there may be a threat, one which she couldn't necessarily face alone.
That was why one had people that one loved, wasn't it? Why anyone made friends, allies, teams-- why they fought on sides in a war, instead of each against one's personal enemies. She couldn't face the war alone. But she didn't have to. "Yu, I'm a little nervous to spar with you," she finally admitted, followed by her cascading laughter. She paced back and forth a few steps, always facing him, always ready, and then darted in lightly. One foot, the other, her steps quick and brief, brought her in closer to him. She aimed a simple palm thrust at his chest. It was more of a question than a strike, because she wanted to feel out the way he fought. She'd only ever seen him fight with his bow before.
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Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 1:39 pm
Jianyu was never anxious; he was not the type to worry needlessly when there was nothing to be done about a situation he could not control or did not have any influence or part in. But when it came to those he loved and those he cared for, his concern for their well-being and safety far surpassed the desires he held for himself. Yue Lao was precious to him; he could not have gone through his separation from Bataar without him. It was Yue Lao that had dragged him out of the depths of the darkness that had threatened to consume; Yue Lao that had held his hand to make sure that he was all right. Her stubbornness and her willful, headstrong nature were both what had drawn the two of them together. He needed his best friend as much as she needed him.
But did she still need him? The question plagued Jianyu's mind and he frowned slightly, his fingers absently clenching and unclenching within the confines of his sleeves. Had too much changed since he had last seen her? It had been a while, after all; he had not meant to grow so distant, but it had been unavoidable this time around. His duty to the Legionnaires as a Captain of his own unit had drawn his attention and time away from what he had used to do, the friends he cared for, the family he loved and respected. Sometimes Jianyu wished he could step back, go back to a time when he had felt more peaceful, more calm and at ease with himself, but if he said that he did not love what he did - if he tried to deny that he loved his position as Captain and the Legion, he would be lying. The Legion was his life, but was it all of it?
His best friend had grown up without him, and it both disconcerted him and made him proud simultaneously. Jianyu shook his head, attempting to clear his thoughts. Instead he focused on the task at hand, at the friendly sparring match he was about to take with Yue Lao.
"And I'd like to see what you have learned," he said with a knowing smile, sliding his feet into the correct position as he waited for her to come at him. "I'd like to see if you can take on an old man such as myself, after all."
A pause as he took in her comment. The smile turned gentle. "Don't be afraid," he said. "I won't hurt you, and you won't hurt me."
It was meant more than about just the fight, though Jianyu wasn't sure whether or not he had intended it to be. It had slipped out as a reassurance to his best friend, but as he thought about it, the meaning had grown deeper.
She dived at him, and Jianyu caught her wrist easily, spinning her around and away from him. His fingers gripped her other hand and he twisted her to the side before letting go, stepping quickly behind her.
"Come on," he said. "That isn't the Yue Lao I know; where is the passion, the drive? Do not be afraid; show me what you have learned."
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Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 3:31 pm
Yue Lao took a moment to just observe Jianyu. She had missed him, quite a lot. There was no way he could have known all the things she had been working through, lately; how much she had worked out which involved him, without ever saying a word. That was how she liked it, because that meant she hadn't lost him. At least, she hoped not. Yue didn't think he felt distant, though. Worried, perhaps, but she was also apprehensive. She just wanted to tackle him!
It was true that she did still need him. But the idea of not having him was so foreign that she barely even entertained it as a possibility; why would that ever happen? Short of death, and she didn't intend to let death take either of them anytime soon. The way things were, the way things had started out ever since he showed up during her shift and told her that her wine wasn't perfect (well, it wasn't, it had flaws; she was grateful he was honest) he had been a regular fixture of her life. He was the only one who had met her mothers. And of course no one had ever let her near their family before. It just wasn't common; nobody wanted Yue Lao to meet their parents. She was a little rough around the edges, which she knew. But she was sincere, if nothing else. Passionate. Still a little selfish, perpetually, but she was working on that.
Even if he hadn't been there in a physical way of late, he'd always been on the edge of her thoughts. Most of her battles which helped her grow into who she was were spawned from her love for Jianyu. She'd fought anyone who insulted him. It was how she was raised. You got the backs of the people you loved, because if you were each watching each other, then no one could sneak in and hurt someone you cared for. That was the idea. It wasn't always so easy, which she was also learning.
The sparring was helping clear her mind. Helping her catch up to the moment, to reality. She had healed all of her troubles, the ones which had made her moody and unreachable. Now, they were distant memories of stormclouds she no longer feared.
"For that, you'd have to see me with my weapon," she replied, with a wide grin. "But I'll never use that on you." His remark elicited a startled burst of laughter. "You're looking pretty good for an old man, Fierce Warrior! But perhaps I should start behaving properly towards you, oh elderly one," she teased, with a wink, then clarified, "if only we all looked so good when we got old." Her grin only widened.
The mischievous grin that had spread across her face was replaced with something tender and a little surprised. Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you, and you won't hurt me.
"That's true, isn't it," she stated, a rhetorical question. Her eyes softened, and her scales seemed to glow brighter. She wasn't afraid of him. Not that she was afraid of a whole lot. But she knew that she could fight him with all her strength, and he would still beat her. He was her captain, after all. The warrior she'd grown up respecting. The driving force behind her constant need for improvement. One day, she would make him proud. She would make everyone proud. But on that day, it was Jianyu she'd be looking towards; not the others. It was his smiling face that would mean the most.
"Well, I'll show you passion!" she exclaimed, laughing. Her face grew more focused, and it was clear she was thinking about the fight again, instead of dreaming of a far off mystical time when she could make her family proud. He stepped behind her, and she spun to face him. She got in close again, as she was accustomed to doing, and drove her palm out towards his stomach before ducking: she looked like she was about to fall, but the momentum turned into one of her favourite sweeping kicks.
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 2:43 pm
"I look forward to seeing you with your weapon," Jianyu said loftily, lifting a brow at her cheek. It was reassuring to know that Yue Lao was still as mischievous and feisty as ever; that teasing grin on her face was as familiar to Jianyu as the sky overhead or the gnarled bark of the old cherry tree beneath his fingers; familiar and comforting. Despite his changes - despite both of their changes, their struggles, their long path towards their own goals - they were still as close as they ever had been, and Jianyu appreciated that.
Though not the "elderly one" comment so much. He gave her a mock scowl. "If I'm an old man, then you're a mere infant," he said, pretending to sound threatening, though it was somewhat difficult considering the wide grin that was tugging his lips upwards. "You're quite the procrastinator, aren't you? Talking as if to distract me and put off the inevitable. I do believe it's time to teach you a lesson, young girl."
Yue caught him off guard with the hand to his stomach. Jianyu grunted, taking a few steps back just in time to nimbly dart over her outstretched leg, one hand pressed against his abdomen. His hair fell over his shoulders, unbound, and he pushed it from his face, trying to regain his sense of awareness. A split second later and he had grabbed one of Yue's wrists again, dragging her towards him, and in less than a minute he had her pinned with her back facing him, her arm twisted up against her back. He did not hold her too securely, and he made sure not to cause her pain by the movement; this was a friendly spar, nothing more, and he did not wish to inflict any sort of pain to his best friend. At most the hold was a little uncomfortable.
"Mmm...still needs a bit of work, I do believe," Jianyu said, releasing Yue's wrist and stepping around to face her, tucking his hands into his sleeves. He gave her a scrutinizing look, tilting his head with amusement. "Though I must admit, you have certainly grown."
Jianyu's expression softened a bit, and he reached out, placing his hand atop her head briefly before letting it drop. "I'm proud of you."
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 10:07 am
Yue Lao only smiled wider when Jianyu raised his brow. It was difficult to imagine her face didn't get sore, with all the grinning she did. It was worst when she was around Jianyu. For some reason, it always made her happier. Even if things were bad, or stressful... to know that somewhere he was living his own life... it comforted Yue. To know that he was strong enough to keep fighting even when it seemed like things could get the best of him. Yue Lao, for her part, would never give in. So if they kept moving forward, surely they would meet again? No matter how many times they had to part ways. Yue could imagine it as part of the tangle of red threads, the ones which looped together regardless of the other turns and knots.
The mock scowl delighted Yue. She laughed, the sound cascading out of her. Purely pleased with herself. She hunched over and mimicked an elderly person using a walking stick, immitating his voice as best as she could, "You young ones, disrespecting your elders! Infants, all of you!" And then she straightened up, massaging her spine from the effort, and admitted "The longer I keep you talking, the more time I get with you. Oh no, a lesson!"
Although she had managed to land the stomach blow, he caught her in an instant. He was so fast. She turned her head to the side, earrings jingling as the brushed her neck. "Pinned already? Emperor damn it all, Yuyu. You're too fast!" Yue sighed, though she was still smiling. Of course he would win against her. He was the one she was aspiring to match in skill, so she had to look up to him. And he was a captain. But mostly, it was Jianyu, and she admired his fighting prowess. She also loved him for who he was. So it was okay, even for someone as proud as Yue Lao, to admit defeat.
"I'll get there, one day," Yue grumbled, massaging her wrist as he released her. Her falsely sour look evaporated as soon as she looked up at him. "I'd better've grown, it took forever!" she added, with a grimace. "One day I'll be a captain, though. What then, Yuyu?! I demand a rematch!... when I'm a captain." If she tried again now, he'd just kick her a**.
The softening expression unlocked some part of Yue Lao that she hid carefully. To treat everything like it was a joke, no matter how bad or good, touching or emotionless, that was what she did. But some things, like that moment, could reach a part of Yue Lao that she had otherwise walled off. She didn't know what to say, nothing could accurately express the gratitude, relief, and multitude of other emotions doing battle. To have him say that he was proud of her, it meant a lot. Instead of trying to speak just then, as her voice seemed to be broken, she moved in and circled her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his chest and holding on. Her grip was firm, but not suffocating, and she let go after a pause, to stand there with her hands on her hips. "You'd better be! I almost got maimed with my own meteor hammer," she said. Then, a little sheepishly, "...it was pretty much my fault."
Yue Lao was always proud of Jianyu. She wondered if he knew that.
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 8:25 pm
Jianyu adopted a mock outraged look at Yue, arching his brows. "Why, Stargazer, I am despondent you think me so elderly!" he said, pretending to sound highly affronted. His lips, however, twitched as he fought back an amused smile. The girl never could cease to amuse him, could she? Even when they were in the most dire of situations (such as the one right after his breakup with Bataar), Yue had a habit of bringing out the best in him. She had relaxed him and calmed him, and for accomplishing such a seemingly impossible task, Jianyu was not entirely certain how he could ever repay her. Somehow, in some way, Yue had apparently achieved what Jianyu had thought to be impossible.
Such a strange thing, he thought, tilting his head as he scrutinized her. To be such close friends with a girl. I never particularly saw myself as becoming so attached to a young woman, seeing as how my previous attachments...er, say otherwise and I tend to prefer the company of men to women. Women are highly subjective people, and I have never really understood how to speak with them. But somehow it is not difficult to speak to Yue Lao. Perhaps this is because we have been through so much together. It is an interesting thought...
His gaze flickered down in surprise as she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist. At first he stood there, slightly taken aback, but then he relaxed, resting a hand gently atop of Yue's dark head of hair and stroking gently.
"When you're a captain, I'm quite certain you'll be able to defeat me quite easily, my dear," Jianyu told her with mild amusement, then tucked his hands back into his sleeves as Yue stepped back, hands on her hips. He snorted with laughter. "I'm sure I would have enjoyed seeing that," he chuckled, and shook his head before turning his eyes back towards the hillside. Then he offered her his arm, as any gentleman should, like they had not been sparring just a few moments before.
"Shall we go then?" he asked her with a smile. "I feel it is time for lunch, and Mother would be most pleased if I brought such a lovely friend home with me to share it with."
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