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 Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 2:52 am
 Quote: It is the second day of the Festival of Spirits and "The Celebration" awaits around Main Street This year many were skeptical that there would be no funding for the festival and that some businesses may forgo the lavish festivities such music, games, booths, food and other such events due to the death of the Emperor. Thus has not been the case. Instead of a lack of funding and thus sub-par events there has been more money pulled into the event than there ever has been before. From various sources (governments, families, businesses) there has been a downpour of support to make this years Festival the best it ever has been. Among these contributors is the Trinh family - a family which is known best for their skills in glass work - and thus they have several booths set up among the many others with games, food and merchandise. Since there is reputation and the family name to upkeep a certain short, green-haired Lunarian can be seen frantically running among through all of festival booths in some sort of paranoid frenzy. None pay him much mind and the Festival continues while more and more Lunarians seem to join as the sun begins to climb into to sky. All who take part have come from the sadness of the day prior and some share stories of their cherished passed ones while taking the time to spend with their families, friends and other loved ones.
[ This setting takes place on the second day/night of the festival (information on previous page) and will be open to progress at its own pace and should conclude sometime before/around Halloween. This is due to time constraints and wanting everyone to have a chance to take part without getting lost and without feeling rushed. If time allows or if everyone is ready, the roleplay may continue to the concluding day - but that is up to ya'll. Everyone is allowed to come in and mingle through the festival booths, playing games and watching shows and conversing. It is for everyone to come and enjoy! <3 ]
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Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 1:09 pm
(( By one of the glassware stalls. ))
Li could scarcely believe it'd been three years since she'd first attended the festival as a student. Yet, there she was, garbed respectfully in a comfortable red cheongsam with an embroidered gold dragon in an echo of her standard clothes, never comfortable in such attire but not one to miss this festival. It had always been important to her, but it had more emotional impact as the years had worn by.
She'd spotted a certain seafoam-haired Lunarian flitting through the crowds, but she hadn't yet the time to approach him. It'd been over a year since she'd seen Cais -- since she'd seen anyone of note, really -- but that was partly her own doing and partly the duties she was expected to accomplish. It didn't help that most of those she knew were absent or, in Cais' situation, Nobles. It made her social circle a bit smaller, and a bit dangerous. Even so, she hoped to see her old friends or perhaps to even make some anew, keeping her true battle close to heart. No one needed to know why she was friends with the Nobles; it was her concern only.
She paused by one of the stalls selling glass baubles, perfect spheres with gentle indented designs, encapsulating an autumn flower. Li didn't dare touch them just yet, though she mused over whether to take one home later. She was far too much a brash warrior and lacking the delicacy of a lady to try and carry something so fragile for an entire day.
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Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 3:19 pm
 Frantic.
That's what it was, a frantic scene of attempting to control that which couldn't be controlled - and yet the Noble attempted by moving through his family stalls, checking on their progress and seeing if they needed anything. So far everything had been going just fine and the worry had been vastly wasted, but the volatile fighter had never broken out of his incessant habit for patrolling, even at something as harmless as a Festival.
The boy was preoccupied, there was nothing for it. On the first day of the festival he had been adorned with a black ribbon and visited the graves of some who had passed. The somber tone had carried over for a short amount of time. Mourning had never gotten him anywhere and even now the memory of some was slipping deeper and deeper as the war grew longer and longer. In silence he had passed by the Emperor's tomb which was guarded and had many Lunarians around it and gave it little more than a sideways glance.
And then today had begun as it always did and those thoughts had left him to be replaced by a madness of sorts. There wasn't much time to enjoy himself and he rounded a corner to a gaming booth his sister was manning. "Looks good." He mumbled, though he was ignored as she was previously engaged in helping others play it. As he was leaving the area to a different stall, selling some of their ornaments, he caught the eye of Li in the crowd and stopped dead in his tracks near her.
It had been a very long while since he had seen her. Surely he had just a moment to take from his busywork and say hello? Compelled, he took in a deep breath he came up behind her, sneaking better than he usually did, until he was at her side.
"My sister made those ones." He said before waving at her awkwardly. Cais wasn't even sure if she'd be happy to see him or not.
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Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 4:12 pm
(( By one of the glassware stalls. ))
One moment she was harmlessly brushing long fingers over a sphere that held an origami fish, and the next, she was practically scrambling to keep it from being knocked out of its display. Li found herself grasping the orb, large amethyst eyes narrowing suddenly as she turned to the familiar voice --
Cais. Of course it was. Swallowing down the sharp lashing she was prepared to dole out, the Legionnaire delicately replaced the glass before she could damage it further; she then smoothed her hands over the stomach of her garments and turned to better face the Noble. The simple remark had told her two things -- first, he was a part of the lucrative family that was all but funding the festival, and second, the jerk had a hell of a means to be incognito when he wanted. "I'll take one home, but I'd prefer it one piece," she replied to him a little dryly, her address still familiar despite their uneven ground. If he startled her like that again, they might have to mourn his untimely death.
Putting one hand over her breastbone, she dipped her head in a polite greeting. "Cais." He looked harried, and given what he had inadvertently shared with her, it was no surprise as to why. "You look well." Certainly better than the last time they met. She paused, adding carefully, "It's good to see you." Of course she wouldn't anticipate the sentiment to be mutual, but she didn't hate him. She wish she could have spoken more with him after her group had come at him that day that felt like forever ago, but there was only so much they could have done, given their...differences. "To what might I owe the pleasure of your attention?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 6:11 pm
 Yue Lao was sitting on a nearby rooftop, because she always seemed to be both somewhere high up and somewhere she absolutely wasn't supposed to be. Her furred cloak was wrapped around her, though one foot characteristically without shoe dangled over the rooftop and swayed back and forth, her other leg tucked up against her. The hood was drawn over her face, so that it was cast in shadow, her long braided hair hidden in the recesses of the cloak. Regardless of however much she was doing to observe quietly, her Golden Lion Tamarin was still grooming himself both meticulously and conspicuously at her side. In fact, he was pinning her cloak down. "Mr Princess," she muttered at him, "You're holding me back. You know I don't like to be held back!" she joked.
"And now you must pay the ultimate price!" She lunged at the monkey, wrapping her cape around him, and laughed with a sort of care-free energy, as he screeched, wriggled free, and ultimately launched himself down into the crowd below. Probably a little too close to Cais for comfort. She cringed internally at that, but pushed the hood off of her head and waved, a slightly apologetic and at least friendly expression across her face. Things were different between her and Cais than they had been before, mostly because once he'd been there when she tried to control that fierce temper she'd cultivated in her angsty youth. She still had no intention of coming down from her perch.
Not yet.
She was waiting for someone, because she had decided today was going to be a mini vacation. Today she was not a Captain (she was always a Captain, even when she was pretending not to be, because that was her nature and the thought of letting anyone down was repulsive to her) and she was just Yue Lao, who loved to make wine and harass her jerk of a monkey and miss her half-brother and love her mothers and, most of all, whose very being would continuously reorient herself to that one person: Her fierce warrior, her Jianyu. Her expression softened, just thinking of it, as she let her guard down.
Just for a moment. Just for today.Never Crazy Throwing a monkey at Cais. Also I'm sorry I'm such a jerk. The thread looks really pretty bby good job ok <3
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Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 8:57 pm
It had been a long time.
For nearly a year now (though it felt longer, as though the days had stretched themselves into weeks, and weeks had stretched themselves into months), he had been hard at work training the new recruits. It was a laughably terrible group of soldiers, a motley crew of those either too young to wield a sword properly or too old to handle a bow without it shaking in their gnarled hands. Still, it was work, and although they had had much work to do in the beginning, it had become less stressful with each passing hour. Perhaps they were not as fit as some of the Legion, but they were good of heart and determined, which made them all the more better to train.
That, combined with the little house beside the sea, had made Qian Jianyu somewhat scarce as of late. What time he had not spent on the battlefield or at the training grounds, he had spent with Yue, simply enjoying the beginnings of their marriage; a marriage that, he realized belatedly, was just a little over two years now.
It felt simultaneously like much more and much less all at once. He supposed that was a normal sensation, but sometimes he wished that he could do more in the way of making things less pressured all the time when it came to finding time to do things. Although he was spending every waking moment (and sleeping ones, for that matter) at her side when he was not working, it still felt like hardly enough time, and most of the time he was exhausted; they both were.
Perhaps that was why, when the festival rolled around, Jianyu had already decided in his mind to attend with his wife. It had been a long time since they had had an outing, and even longer since he had seen any of his friends. He and Yue still visited their families almost every weekend for dinner, but other than that, it had been scarce.
Today, he had decided, was a day off. And hopefully tomorrow as well.
Dressed in a simple black cheongsam, Jianyu made his way quietly along the crowded streets, giving a smile and a nod every now and then to passing acquaintances. He stopped briefly to buy a small loaf of bread from a stall, and then continued on his way, absently breaking off pieces to stick in his mouth.
He found her on the rooftop, of all places, though this hardly surprised him. Jianyu tilted his head up towards her, his expression amused.
"Coming down? Or do you wish to touch the stars?"
Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a flash of familiar, pale green hair, but Jianyu pushed this from his mind for the time being, focusing on the magenta haired young woman he was currently looking up at.
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Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 12:13 pm
It was an odd and magical thing when the boy smiled, but she managed to get one out of him despite his disheveled appearance. Had he actually managed to get the drop on her? That could be his great accomplishment of the day. "They don't do much for you when they're broken, understandable." He moved to face her, looking up at her stature. She looked the part of a fighter still.
"Oh, right." There was a pause and an awkward sort of silence for a moment. Visibly he was uncertain on what to say, which could be seen in the way he grabbed at his yukata nervously. Somewhere inside he'd imagined this before, running into her again. That evening she had done something for the fighter that hadn't been seen before, not from a legionnaire. It was hard to hate with all his core when they would do things like that.
"I wanted to say hello..." he started, tugging at the side of his outfit again. "You also look well." He was tripping over his words. Eloquence was something far from himself. Coughing once he sighed, running a hand through his hair, which at the moment was content going every which way but the way he wanted. "I never got to say thank you." It was meek, sincere - he kind of hated the feeling and adjusted himself to stand taller than he was.
"Enjoying the festival?" There it was! Deflection was a greater skill that the hot-headed fighter had. From behind Li he could see his mother coming down with more ornaments from the shop. The anxiety in him was rising quickly as she swayed the crate.
It was in this distraction that of all things a monkey landed near him and he blinked at the coloring. "Wait-" He began, glancing up where he had come from. Above was someone he had come to know a lot better. From their anger they had met and he felt far less hostile towards her. Of course she would also be here. With a side glance towards and back up there was a strange feeling. Possibly the ONLY two Legionnaires he could be comfortable around, Li and Yue didn't set him on edge like they used to. At the wave of the one on her perch, he blinked and attempted to wave back -
AND THEN IT WAS ON HIM.
Cais blinked and tried to pull him clear, but the Tamarin wasn't having it and clung to him, moving up to his head and plucking at him forcefully. Despite the anger in him, he groaned rather than retaliated. "It's not going to come off until it's done." He muttered, glancing at Li. "A little help?" He looked over with a pathetic sort of look as his hair was yanked. "Ow." In this state he turned and tried to pry him off again, catching a flash look of Yue again - and was that brown hair?
That was a subject he wanted to avoid.
He stopped with a heave, glancing back to Li again. "I'm not good with pets." He said breathlessly.Face your demons YAY MONKEY and ilu bby <3
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Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 1:24 pm
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Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2013 6:30 pm
Yue Lao watched as Mr. Princess harassed Cais, and she was impressed by how much his temper had stabilized; he was even very calmly asking for help from someone who looked familiar to her, but she couldn't really place her face. Oh well! Mr Princess pawed at Cais a few more times, grooming meticulously, and chittered at the stranger when she tried to ruin his grooming. Yue whistled, once, and Mr. Princess detached himself and screeched, clambering back up onto the roof and circling around as she greeted her husband. The golden lion tamarin was much better trained than he had been. He was more of an ally now than a nuissance.
"I was thinking we could take some home with us, don't you agree?" she asked, her face splitting into her drunken smile, a soft glow lighting her face. Her eyes closed half-way, and the flush of her scales made her look inebriated, but that was nothing new. She definitely wasn't.
Still, she didn't like the thought of being up there without him. She raised herself to her feet, and stood at the edge of the roof, tipping herself forward with her arms extended out to either side like she really thought she'd fly if she plummeted from the roof. Her face was so calm, it was as if she was asleep.
At the last second, falling, she let herself twist to grab hold of a banner that had been very securely attached, and used its thankfully hearty cloth to wrap around her leg and slowly climb down. When she reached the ground, she smiled at her smartly-dressed husband, the very picture of his nickname. "You look a lot like my husband, but maybe I'm wrong, I mean... he defintely had your rugged good looks, but I think he turns into smoke if he tries to leave his post," she teased, reaching up and pressing at his cheeks, pulling on his chin with a firm but loving grip, examining his face as if appraising his potential match as her husband.
She couldn't help but smile, and even in that brief moment, her heart sped up as her skin touched his.Never Crazy MONKEY PROBLEM: gone O uO <3 Chrystali Mr Princess says bye strange lady
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 4:21 pm
When he was freed he let out a deep sigh, running his hands through his hair. There was nothing for it as it poked out off of his head at awkward angles. Frustrated, he sent a gaze back towards where the monkey had retreated. Later. He thought to himself, looking at those on the roof with a slight shake of his head. Cais knew he'd be seeing them again, that was something else to deal with entirely.
"...As I was saying." He continued, glancing back at Li. "At least you're amused." It was terse, but he laughed it off, stretching out. Cais hadn't quite thought this part out after he said it but he rubbed at the back of his head. At night if they would run into each other they would again cross paths and the inevitable....
But here, this was nice. This was alright to him. "There's a nice sweets booth at the end of this row here." He said before he began to breath heavily, staring down at it. "Er, I gotta... check on it anyways so wanna... go look at it?" He said, inching his way into the crowd. "Or um get something or..."
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 6:40 pm
He watched, amused, as she made her way down to him. If it had been any other person, he would have been concerned for her safety, but Yue's free spirited nature had always warranted a bit of reckless daring, after all. Her hands wound around the cloth banner not a moment too soon, and then she was climbing down, rather than actually falling. Jianyu tucked his hands into his sleeves and waited patiently, a smile quirking the ends of his lips upwards.
"He sounds like a very mysterious and delightful human being," he said, with a deadpan look as her warm, slender fingers gripped his chin. "And you look a great deal like my wife, but alas, she's been so tied up with her own things, that I've quite forgotten what she looks like."
He grinned, unfolding his arms to reach one hand up and take her hand away from his face, winding the other around her waist to draw her closer. "Well, there's really only one way to find out if you're really her," Jianyu murmured, and kissed her full on the mouth, smiling against her.
He drew back a moment later, idly licking his lips. "Mm. You sure kiss like my wife, so you might be her. But I think a second taste might warrant a better result."
So he kissed her again, this time a bit firmer, a bit longer, sweeping her tightly up into his arms and inhaling her breath. He supposed he should have been worried about keeping up appearances and whatnot, but it had been so long that they had had a proper night out together, that he was rather inclined to abandon such a practice. It appeared Yue's reckless daring had rubbed off on him a bit, and besides, it was a night to be festive, and she was his wife, after all.
He was laughing as he pulled back, rubbing his thumb along her cheek. "Good evening, Stargazer," said Jianyu affectionately. He took a step back and stretched out his hand towards her; an invitation. "Shall we take a walk together?"
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 7:49 pm
It had been a long time since Huang had freed himself from the demands of his family...business. Even longer now that he led a very quiet group of legion Lunarians to collect information, even with the death of the emporer, her remained diligent in keeping his family name as on of the best assassins.
That was not what he was here for, dressed in somber blacks and blue's of his usual garb, he tugged his scarf up and dropped a black ribbon at his family grave. Built there only a year and couple of moons ago, it still reminded him of the disastrous event where he took his own mothers life. Freeing his sister and him from their life of servitude and his brother from the demands of a reigning noble (not the group) lifestyle.
He offered a prayer for his father, who passed as well. He wished that his parents found peace where they could not on land before leaving the grounds. He was drawn into the booths like a moth to flame, wishing merely to see the people interact as if war wasn't still upon them. As if they were just one happy country not broken by a civil dispute. If he was still the naive academy student, he would believe this but...One booth in particular stopped him, glass work fresh from it's kiln drew his attention with its attention to detail, especially one of a white lotus surrounding by lily pads. How funny, it almost reminded him of SiMa Li in a way.
He crossed his arms, debating over the small trinket to send as a gift for her, since it had been so long. Or to keep going. Ah...decisions.Chrystali Look I gave you a Huang >_>b
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 8:30 pm
And then the monkey was gone, seeming to have dispelled the taut air between them. It didn't take long, however, until the static seemed to return between Li and the well-meaning Cais, again vaguely amusing the fair-haired warrior. "You looked terribly sullen," she remarked kindly, trying to fill the silence that stretched, "it was a charming look for you."
With a tilt of her head, Li began to follow Cais with languid ease, long legs finding no difficulty in maneuvering around the throngs of Lunarians in the area. "If you promise to breathe, I'll keep you company until some other disaster demands your attention." She smiled in a slightly bemused manner, wondering if this was Cais' job -- he took it so seriously and with such a great amount of panic that she never would have guessed him to be a tactical, composed warrior when the moon hung high. It was a sobering insight to the fact that they were all still Lunarians with their own lives to lead, their own worries and triumphs outside of the battles. "Are you a fan of sweets, then--?"
And en route to the sweet stall, a familiar form caught her eye amidst those that moved along, given that he was standing as stalwart as ever even in front of such delicate wares. Extending a hand, she gently touched Cais' shoulder. "A moment?" she asked softly before reaching out her other hand, gently touching the elbow of the Lunarian that had once saved her life. "Huang?" she asked with familiarity and reserved joy. "What a pleasure to see you again, my friend! Have you been well?" She didn't know how long she'd have to talk to him while tailing Cais, but dearly wanted to impart her desire to talk at some point before the festival came to an end.
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Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2013 9:06 pm
He had already settled, after a long internal debate within himself, to buy the trinket. If not to show that he still thought fondly of the Lunarian woman, but also as a reminder that he was alive and well. Should she be worried. As it was, Huang didn't have others to turn to, not even his former lover Kyung. It pained his heart that he had not seen or heard from the noble but it was probably for the best.
A romance between the factions would never end well.
His debating moved onto wrapping and having the courier take it to her, or delivering the gift himself when a gentle touch on his elbow stirred his thoughts away from the gift, right into lethal mode. Silly of him to forget that he was vulnerable here, out in the open with the public eye.
He inched his hand from the sword on his back, turning to see that the very woman he was buying the gift for stood there. Did his thoughts summon her? How odd.
"Miss Li." Huang lowered himself, out of habit, in a respectful bow and gave her a rare smile. Well what you could see of it hidden behind his face mask. There was a visible lift at the corner of his mouth. "I was, pardon for me the presumptuousness, thinking of you." His gaze lifted over to the companion that Li found herself with....Cais, though if there was a shift in his attitude, it didn't show. Instead he waved his hand to the glass booth. "And as I thought of you my friend, I thought I should buy you a gift. To remind you of course that I am well, and alive." His burgundy eyes twinkled with dry humor. "And of you Miss Li? How have you fared? Am I interrupting your time with your....friend?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 1:08 am
"Charming?" He laughed loudly in an almost cruel way to himself. Cais never thought too highly of himself when it came to those sort of matters but he walked with her non the less. "Sometimes, when my sister hasn't been doing the cooking..." He muttered on about the kitchen in his house and stopped when felt her hand on his shoulder. Blinking back confusion he watched as she approached another Lunarian in the crowd.
A familiar Lunarian.
Somewhere inside Cais felt the snapping of a memory long since passed where he'd crossed blades with this particular man before. It hadn't fared well for himself though he had come a long way since that not. Despite all that was going on he managed to give Huang a dirty look before allowing it to slip back to an aloof state, twitching occasionally as he was standing near him.
Unfortunately Cais was no good at hiding his emotions even on a day like today and purposefully glanced around to other booths which might need his attention, the sweets booth included but he found nothing and stood there, forcing a smile. "Someone you know Li?" He said calmly while folding his hands into their opposite sleeves. "Pleasure to meet you." The young fighter continued, bowing his head towards him though spoke through gritted teeth.
What a wonderful surprise... he thought bitterly, but stayed any action he might take. Deep breaths and a small exhale and he was back to his "calmer" state. The words of the anger healer he had talked to so long ago echoed back and forth in his head. "Time and a place." He murmured under his breath.
"Ah those are good pieces!" He nearly shouted, just to force himself off of his current disaster of a thought.
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