Welcome to Gaia! ::

Nivritti was taken by surprise as another female scooted past her, complimenting her outfit, before a quick bow and vanishing. Blinking a few times, this caused Nivy to pause and think a bit harder on this situation. It seemed like even more people were arriving, and she would be standing in their direct line. Adjusting the fabric that hung over her shoulder of her Sari Nivritti went to take a step back when a male and his tiger had come through the door. The tiger had acted a bit strange, and Nivy also looked up at the rafters. She hadn’t seen the Lunarian, but she trusted the tiger’s instincts. And began to ponder why one who hide there.

“Oh no…” She breathed lightly. She had gotten so distracted by the female in that crazy, but adorable outfit, she had forgotten what she was looking for. Her eyes glanced around, and she started to notice the flowers. She took a few steps forward and looked them over. It was simple, not professionally done. But they had a nice aura about them. She still seemed a bit inwardly disappointed about losing the business; but it was time to move past that. She turned her head back; the tiger’s owner had decided to move on, without his companion.

It seemed like everyone was going to greet the bride, but they had all known her. So Nivy decided to stay out in the main temple area. She tucked the skirt part of the sari under her knees as she bent down and attempted to call the tiger over.

(trying to get in the habit you guys are ... so bolding when you mention other RPers, and changing the color of your own speech? @O@ Is that standard? *feels like a noob* ... Also, tiger chuffing = ADORABLE!!! )

Discovered so soon, Tian was dismayed. Coming face to face with a damn monkey! What luck! Thankfully it deemed him just as unappealing company as he did, though he wasn't sure if that was necessarily a good thing. It's hardly like I have flees, Tian scowled. Curious, though, how it was trying to shed it's ridiculous garb. Also curious, how it paused at the ledge.

He peered around, scanning the open courtyard of the temple, trying to locate what had given the monkey pause, and th---- holy s**t. Was that a tiger? What the heck? Who the heck brings a TIGER to a wedding?! There was really only one solution.

Feed the monkey to the tiger. Two problems solved with one neat solution.

"Hey there, little buddy," he cooed, stretching a hand out to the Tamarin. "Need a little help with that?" Tian tried keeping his gestures nice and even, creeping forward slowly...

A very quick, very sudden flash of magenta sent the dark noble darting around a corner and clear of the temple's entrance. Pressing her back against the wall as her heart jumped into her throat and threatened to choke her with it's hammering pulse. Even as she'd sought so desperately to avoid him, ironically, Huang Fu would be the very first person she happened upon. It was only a fleeting glimpse, and she hadn't even realized it until after they'd crossed paths, but it was enough to have her pressing one hand against her chest as the delicate fingers of her other hand dug against the wall at her back.

She hadn't seen him since that ill-fated night when her world had been shattered, and much as she would have liked to have claimed she was over it, seeing him again tore at those old wounds and made them bleed anew. The pain she had inflicted upon his love interest, while satisfying, wasn't enough to make things even between. Not even close.

A sudden wash of heat spilled down her cheeks as she tried to swallow past the lump that had formed in her throat, breath easing out in a shaking sigh as she touched the bend of a knuckle to her skin and came away with moisture. "You weren't supposed to get anymore tears from me, you twisted b*****d.." The words were bitter, but incredibly soft, and she scrubbed wet trails from her skin. Squaring her shoulders as she pushed away from the wall and strode further into the courtyard. Pulling the cool fabric of the silk drape up tighter around her shoulders.

This was going to be a disaster, a colossal mistake, she was certain of it. If barely the sight of the assassin was enough to dredge up buried pain, then she shuddered to think what more might do. And not in the privacy she had found just outside the temple, but within, surrounded by other guests. "This was a bad idea." It wasn't as though she'd had a choice though.

Movement caught her eye across the open courtyard, and she paused to watch as another lunarian attempted to lure a familiar tamarin to his hand. She didn't know the young man, but just then she felt no desire for company. Shoulders stiffening, she moved off to one side and towards a dark fall of shadows that half hide a stone bench. Lowering herself onto it so she could take a moment to steal herself for the evening ahead.

The entire temple was now bustling with activity. All the unfamiliar people it was starting to get a bit uncomfortable. It seemed like the tiger wasn’t too interested in her, even though in her mind she pictured him being a big cuddlebutt. But shaking the thought from her head, she stood, and the air seemed to change. Her eyes drifted back to the rafters, and there was definitely someone up there. But she wasn’t sure who or why… And it was starting to get unnerving. As she went to move away from the area, somewhere a little better suited, she saw a woman in magenta. Nivy glanced at her for only a second, she seemed kind of intimidating and she had a look about that said ‘don’t even try’.

Giving the woman a wider birth, she glanced around the corner and watched more of the bustling activity, It would seem that the groom was here as well. Nivritti just wanted to catch a peek at both so that she could actually know –who- was getting married here. She headed toward the back of the temple and saw Huang. Not knowing the man Nivy gave a pleasant smile. “Nice day for a wedding… Know which way the bride is?” She asked, still holding her vase with flowers. At least she would be able to drop them off with everyone else’s gifts. Not being known, she could probably get by not being noticed by the brides party.

After the gentleman pointed the way, Nivy was able to find the doors that lead to the brides room. There seemed to be even more activity in there. She glanced around, holding the flowers and wonder where she could put them without disturbing them. They had a little card in there that they were from her. Catching sight of the girl from earlier that had complimented her, Sara. That would explain her big rush.

"It was very lovely to meet you," Kiran said, managing a quick bow to Yowai before his hand was snatched and he was dragged along toward the room where Yue was. He briefly wondered why Yue never mentioned anything about her mother to him, but then they were at the door and his focus snapped back to the present. Sara seemed a lot more energetic than when they first met at the market while he was on his way to the docks. Perhaps that was due to her association with Yue. Yue's energy could be quite infectious.

"Sakn?" he repeated after hearing the name fall from Sara's lips. He looked and was surprised to see Sakn there. Kiran hadn't realized that Sakn even knew Yue, but his shock was more at just seeing the other. The last time they met, they had made plans to meet three days later. But Sakn had never shown up. Even several days to weeks later, Sakn hadn't been at the appointed meeting place. "Funny seeing you here." He offered a friendly smile, but he still wanted to know what had happened to Sakn after the checkers scam they pulled together.

His attention returned to Yue as Sara held up his hand before letting it go. "You look stunning," he said with a genuine smile to Yue. Jianyu was most definitely a lucky man for winning the heart of Yue.

When two other Lunarians, one holding a vase of flowers and the second dressed in a light pinkish purple dress, entered the room, Kiran moved along the side of the room so that he wouldn't be blocking their way. He knew part of his bad nature was his need for attention. But on this day, Kiran knew he had to sit on that part of him. Yue was the star of the day, and he wasn't going to let his flawed nature take any of the spotlight away from her. Kiran smiled and nodded in greeting at the two females that had entered.

Hime-san bared his teeth at the roof-top Lunarian. As if to say: come any closer and I'll bite your fingers off one by one. Hime-san got along only with a couple Lunarians, and this new one was apparently not an exception to the rule. Besides, he suspected this one was up to no good. He had a shifty look on his face. Hime-san crossed his arms over his chest, a very human gesture, and refused to budge.

He looked back over the lip of the roof, in case the tiger had eaten the stranger so that he might be spared. Perhaps he could coax this other man off the roof...?

Yue Lao was surprised Huang-Fu patted her on the head. It was a gesture she was unfamiliar with, as she was seldom acting in a way which merited one. She wasn't very huggy with most, except for Sara and obviously Jianyu. Sara, she liked to spin around in her arms. She knew it wasn't meant to be insulting, however, so she took it easy and grinned. As he pulled a silver wolf out of his sleeve, and handed it over, she clasped it very carefully in both hands. It was beautiful. She stroked its fur with her thumb, admiring it.

"A blessing and a gift, Huang-Fu. I'm honoured," she told him, attempting to bow but being caught by his hug, and holding on firmly. She nodded as he asked her to take care of Jianyu. "We're both very lucky to have you in our company, Huang-Fu; I'll never let him down," she whispered back, with conviction. She tucked the wolf into her sash, keeping it close as Huang-Fu left.

Yue Lao laughed madly as Sakn lifted her up and set her down again. "Well, your manners were excellent, in that case? But I haven't ever been to a wedding, so I have no idea what I could possibly expect," she admitted. Then, staring intently at her half-brother, she didn't reply to his suggestion she would faint. She snorted, and paused, then said: "You grew up, didn't you. You look like you got a promotion."

"I'm not nervous I'm just happy to see you!" she claimed, protesting the idea that she should be showing weakness. She crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips at her brother. That was about when she realized Sakn and Kiran were in the hallway.

"Sara!" Yue Lao exclaimed, excited. "You can't possibly be late, because the wedding can't start without you," she added, scooping Sara up and spinning her. Kiran was the recipient of a firm hug; it was her wedding, why not be affectionate. Even if she wasn't the type, normally. Kiran had received maybe three or four hugs from Yue in the entire time they had known one another. "Sakn's my half-brother," she explained to the two of them.

An unfamiliar purple lunarian approached her, and Yue was welcoming all the same. She grinned widely and clapped the stranger on the shoulder. "I'm Yue Lao, the bride, so you got me right," Yue said, grinning even wider. "Lestari! My fiance's name is Jianyu, I'm sure you'll see him soon, too. Thank you very much for this gift, and your attendance."

Yue's face grew a little red as Kiran had complimented her. She rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm not even in my dress, yet; it actually makes me look like a woman," she said, laughing.

Yue made sure to address whoever was with her, and was trying very hard to make sure none of her guests -- even the ones she was meeting for the first time-- felt left out.

Rin absolutely adored weddings. While he was more than a little apprehensive about attending a Legionaire's wedding, and one so especially highly ranked, he held no ill will towards them and loved the excuse to both celebrate the love between two people and dress up to the nines. He'd had quite a few dresses he hadn't dusted off in a while, and when he'd told his mother, aunt, and sisters back home about the invitation their family had received they'd happily sent him a new dress JUST for the occasion. The lovely red brocade halter had been both an appropriate, and completely surprising, gift. He'd dreaded the thought of wearing something he'd ALREADY worn once to such an important event, and had been grateful that his mother had remembered to pick out a red fabric so their family could wish the new couple good luck on their ventures together. True, he'd had to alter it a bit, bringing the black upper portion to come up to his neck and clip together in the back, making a collar for himself to hide the lack of clevage, and he'd also insisted on wearing a small, cropped off-shoulder red jacket he'd hemmed to hit just above his waist so that there was still black showing, that slipped more than halfway down his arms, and added a large traditional obi tied in the front, more like a courtesan whore than a wedding guest, but at least it made a statement.

He hummed with self satisfaction, toying with the rediculious amount of ice-blue curls he'd styled his hair into. All in all, he was quite pleased with his appearance. Bowing to a blushing guard as he passed, he gingerly set a large box on the table with the other gifts. It was really only a trifle of a thing, a black lacquered set of stacked boxes with some of his rarest teas inside and two perfect, ornate tea cups nestled safety in the bottom box. A subtle gift, for the pair to enjoy quiet companionship between themselves and no other, and while he did not know the pair personally (though his dear Shin-mu had often spoken of the bride with discontent in her voice), he assumed every couple could enjoy an excuse for alone time. Readjusting an ornamental pin in his hair and causing the little bell on it to jingle while fussing with the tassel, he looked around for a familiar face.

With a huff, he could not find one in the crowd, and was unhappy to think he'd have to report to his mother that the event had been droll, boring, and uneventful. How like a Legionaire to suck the fun out of such a momentous celebration. There would have been dancing, drinking, and loud voracious music vibrating the entire village by now in his hometown. These city people had no idea how to party. Bored with his surroundings in such a short amount of time, Rin yawned quietly and made his way out to the courtyard. A small masculine voice caught his attention, and his eyes lit up.

Unlike Veryuu, who was much more polite in every way imaginable, Rin had no qualms about bothering his dear Shin-Mu. She was absolutely his favorite customer at the teashop and the two of them had forged a bond of friendship over many a night of tea and cakes he'd made so she could pour out her emotional woes to him. It was like having another little sister really, which was a warm feeling he enjoyed. It had been hard being away from his family so long, having an empty house with only himself and his dolls as company when the shop closed for the day. Shin-Mu was a welcome distraction, even now at such a boring party, he knew she would make the evening infinitely more interesting or at the very least enjoyable.

Trotting over, his heels clicking pleasantly as the bell in his hair rang lightly, announcing to all the world that he was arriving, he had no problem leaning an arm in a very un-ladylike fashion on Veryuu's shoulder. With no penchant for propriety, he chuckled, and leaned over towards Shin-Mu, tugging on a piece of stray hair playfully.

"Vibrant flowers should be in the light, where their colors will best shine, dear one," he teased, his voice gentle but playfully nagging. She had been in a melancholy mood ever since the altercations with 'he who must never be named again'. Looking over to Veryuu with an almost viciously guarded smile, Rin cocked his head. "And who might YOU be, young man? I surely hope you don't intend to add more melancholy to my little flower, for I shall be quite cross, and have to take......drastic action.<3"

For the most part, he was proud of himself for keeping his quiet warning of violence civil for once, as Shin-Mu much like his sisters seemed to invoke an intense protectiveness in him that threatened to push his emotions into a raging boil until he simply spilled over and lashed out. Any man besides himself that he was not acquainted with was considered potentially dangerous to Shin at this time, especially after having her heart so thoroughly crushed. The arm that was casually leaning on the young man's shoulder moved to grip it with his hand, his newly painted red nails digging into the boy's shoulder in suspicious discontent.