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 Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 8:28 pm
 
This is a private RP between Jianyu [Kuro-Mizuki] and Van [Kurama no Koishi].
Setting:
The Cherry Tree Hill.
Jianyu is busy practicing his archery when along comes a stranger..?
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 7:18 pm
Cherry Tree Hill overlooked the massive city of Lunaria, the widespread, gnarled old branches of the tree stretching out over the hill with their pastel pink leaves drifting down. Every few minutes a light breeze would ruffle the flowers, and the scent of cherry blossoms grew stronger, wafting across Lunaria and its citizens.
Seated at the base of the Cherry Tree, his legs crossed, a young man leaned back against the trunk, closing his eyes. In his lap was a short wooden training bow and a sheath of colorful gold and scarlet arrows, and in his hand he held a pair of cutting shears. Qian Jianyu was not asleep, though he might have appeared that way to anyone passing by at the moment. He was, in fact, contemplating just how much more wood he would need to strip from the bamboo forests of the Marshlands to make a new bow. He had never actually been in the Marshlands himself, but his father had a frequent customer who knew ways of getting in and out without much trouble. Perhaps he could ask him the next time the man came into his father's place of work.
Jianyu sighed, opening his eyes. He ran his fingers over the handle of the bow and felt the small cracks in the wood. It was an old bow, his training one that he was forced into using (though he would much prefer one of the new ones found in the Artisans Path), and had had it for several years now.
Now if only I could find somewhere to practice, I would be set...
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 9:34 pm
Not far off, climbing up the hill, was a young female Lunarian. She appeared a bit perplexed, likely from the extremely boring weapons history class she had just exited. Sure, Van would accept that history wasn't entirely useless, but in this time and age, using said weapons was far more useful than simply knowing about them. After all, when faced with a sword-wielding enemy, wouldn't she be better off knowing how to counter it, than knowing that it had originated in ancient Central Lunaria? This fallible logic astonished the Lunarian.
Usually at this hour, Van went for a lunchtime jog to ease the pent-up stress that came with school. She'd eat her lunch up on Cherry Tree Hill, and then sprint all the way back, hopefully making it in time for her next class. The girl was a busy person! She tried to spend almost every waking moment devoted to her training. Most such students didn't have the guts or the stamina to make it out this far and back within such the lunch period, so Van was taken slightly aback when she realized that she wasn't alone on the hill.
Pausing for a moment, Van watched the other Lunarian from a distance. Bow aside, he didn't immediately seem dangerous. Even if he were, he was sitting down, and Van's overinflated sense of self allowed that she'd be able to take him anyway. Still, it was better to be on the safe side and avoid a scuffle. "Hi!" was her simple greeting as she stood before the reclining boy for a moment. Without waiting for a response, she sat herself down at the base of the tree next to him. It wasn't necessarily a cheerful acknowledgment, but there was a no-nonsense tone in her voice. Further, she didn't mean any immediate harm.
Having made herself comfortable, Van opened her lunchbox and pulled out a pair of chopsticks, no longer seeming to be focused on the Lunarian next to her.
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:17 pm
Jianyu had not been expecting the girl.
As she sat down next to him, cheerfully greeting him, Jianyu could not think of anything to say back. As it was, the girl took out a small box full of food and a pair of chopsticks and began to eat, seemingly uninterested in Jianyu himself.
He frowned.
"Er..." he said uncertainly, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion. "But may I ask...what...are you doing here?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:01 pm
Van's head snapped back up at the boy's words, and she listened to each slow syllable. This wasn't to say that Van wasn't expecting some sort of verbal confrontation as she sat down next to a complete stranger. Even so, it was like sitting on a park bench. Why wouldn't she be allowed to sit on it?
Her mouth still full of rice, she smiled as best she could and made a motion to show that she was still in the middle of chewing. Having swallowed, she opened her mouth to speak again. "What does it look like? I'm eating, silly!" she crooned, giggling a bit at the question and the awkward way in which it was phrased. Well, this boy was a little slow! How funny it was that being out of class with a good home-cooked meal could make the girl so inordinately happy. Few people saw Van in this state, probably because few were around when she was eating lunch on Cherry Tree Hill.
Suddenly, Van offered her bowl to the Lunarian next to her, holding it up to his nose. "Want some? It's good."
The Lunarian wasn't trying to make friends, per se. She considered herself to be above friends, most of the time. Still, there was something about teasing other boys and girls and gauging their hilarious reactions that made being friendly... worth the while.
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:20 pm
"Er..." said Jianyu, at a loss for what to say. He was not used to dealing with those his own age, especially with females his own age. This one in particular was very attractive, he supposed, with a generous dollop of sleek dark curls pulled into a ponytail on the side of her head. She had pale skin and bright violet eyes, and she was smiling at him brightly as she offered him some of her food.
Jianyu felt his face flush. "I, er..." he said again, raising his hands awkwardly as if he either was trying to protect himeself or didn't know what to do with them. "No...no thank you."
He felt completely confused, like his head was spinning in all different directions. Jianyu was not sure how to react to females, not sure how to communicate with them, especially not one that was so...curvy. He had sisters, of course (three of them, in fact), but he was not close enough to any of them to have learned enough about the opposite gender to communicate well with them.
"Er..." said Jianyu, frowning slightly. "What...what brings you to Cherry Tree Hill, if I may ask?
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Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:59 pm
Not offended in the least, Van pulled her arm back and popped another bite of rice into her mouth. That his face was slightly pink had not escaped her notice, though it was something she was used to. The girl's independence from friendship included those of the romantic nature—or at least, she liked to think so. Because of this, she was neither embarrassed nor extremely flattered at the reactions of others when she walked down the hall. However, she wasn't above using it to amuse herself (in a totally nonviolent and nonsexual way, of course!) as she was doing now.
Van would have continued eating for quite a while longer, had it not been for the boy's further, tentative words. She looked up again, more slowly this time, and leaned her ear in so as to properly hear what he was saying. Her mouth wasn't full this time, so the girl was able to execute a darling close-lipped smile before answering. "That's funny; no one's ever asked me that! I jog up here almost every day to eat lunch between classes—" she said, motioning to the academy that could be seen from the hill, "It's good exercise."
Then, purposefully engaging his eye contact again, she decided to pose a question. "What about you? Why are you up here by yourself?"
She didn't immediately realize that she would likely be acting as a different person if they ever met again, under different circumstances. That was no matter, though, it wasn't like he went to the academy or anything. Right?
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 11:45 am
Jianyu's fingers subconsciously clenched and unclenched on the bow in his lap. He was frowning, his dark eyebrows drawn together in an expression of confusion as he listened to the girl next to him speak. She was quite cheerful, her tone light and airy, and Jianyu was somewhat surprised at how lighthearted she seemed. It was unusual, especially with those his own age, and it made him flush slightly as he scruitinized her, trying to figure the girl out.
"I, er..." he said awkwardly. "I was merely...trying to meditate, though I was finished before you came up. I was attempting to figure out where a good place to practice my archery would be..."
Jianyu trailed off, biting his lip. "May I ask..." he said uncertainly, unsure of how to proceed. "May I inquire as to what your name is?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:07 pm
Van's bright, enigmatic gaze flickered just a bit as she noticed his fingers clenching and unclenching his bow. This was a little worrisome, especially coupled with the utter look of confusion on his face. Well, crap, was he onto her? Certainly, the Lunarian was being more than a little insincere in her cheeriness, but she wasn't harming anyone in the process. Bliss was a wonderful feeling to lock oneself into, after all, even if it was false.
Drawing her stockinged legs up to her chest, Van blatantly ignored his signs of discomfort, and continued as if nothing was amiss. What awkwardness? It was all in the other Lunarian's head. Van, on the other hand, was as relaxed as could be. "I'll admit that this is a good meditation place," she said, fixing him with a curiously cat-like gaze, "but if you want to practice archery, you're out of luck!" The girl had considered for a moment telling him about the various training grounds north of the city, where she lived, but decided that such information was rather classified at the moment—she wasn't too keen on sharing her 'possessions.'
"My name's Tuyet Van, but everyone just calls me Van," she answered matter-of-factly in response to his drawn-out question. "And yours?"
Nice to meet you, went unsaid. It was true to some extent, but not enough that Van would acknowledge it. It was always nice to meet funny awkward people!
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:27 pm
Tuyet Van. It was an interesting name, one that Jianyu had not heard before. His mother had quite the annoying habit of providing her children with needless bodyguards who supplied her information on the students of the Academy, but Jianyu himself did not pay much attention to these reports unless they were about himself. But the name "Tuyet Van" had never before come up in any of these reports that Jianyu's own bodyguards had given.
Jianyu frowned again. "I am...Qian Jianyu." he said softly, but carefully. "Son of Qian Liwei, the tattoo artist."
Leaning his head back against the trunk of the tree, Jianyu let out a small sigh, wondering what it was that he could do to make the situation less awkward. He was not used to this, not used to speaking with girls, and it was making him slightly nervous.
"Do you...attend the Academy?" Jianyu asked finally.
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:52 pm
"Ah," was the first word Van breathed at the name and explanation. That explained the interesting tattoos he had under his eyes. The girl loved body adornment, but a tattoo was too permanent as far as decorations went. She had to change up her makeup every once in a while! Still, she had to ask about it. "Did that hurt?" was the abrupt, curious question. This much was sincere—she really did want to know, since she plainly had no experience with tattoos. Was it a dull, annoying pain? What about compared to a few bruises from a martial arts spar?
Truthfully, she'd never heard of him or his namesake before this—she lived too far from the city to really be acquainted with names and Lunarians, and she didn't care enough to make an effort of it.
The Lunarian watched as he reclined and sighed. What was wrong now? Had she gotten to him already? Her lips curled up at the thought. That was no fun if he had already gotten exasperated with her. She had been counting on a few more minutes of friendly (one-sided) banter before she had to head back to class.
Speaking of class... "Oh! Yeah, I just transferred here a little while ago." A soft chuckle bubbled into her throat at the question—it hadn't been apparent before? No matter, she'd just attribute it to the fact that she was somehow unsettling to be around.
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:06 pm
Jianyu's fingers automatically went up to the small, intricate tattoos he had underneath his eyes. Truthfully, he often forgot about them, since he had had them for so long, but now he felt slightly self conscious as his fingertips traced over the familiar markings.
"Ah..." he said, with an awkward shrug of his shoulders. "I received these when I turned ten, though I do not remember it hurting. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, and I felt quite...out of sorts until they were fully healed, but it was not altogether as painful as one thinks."
And the markings were a part of him now; a representation of something he dared not to explain to a stranger. Jianyu's eyebrows contracted together as he contemplated his response to the girl.
"I see." he said uncertainly. "I myself have been attending the Academy for quite some time now, and I have grown used to its rather intimidating appearance. It is quite a place, and I...hope that you find it enjoyable."
The comment was awkward, almost stuttered, but Jianyu felt the need to at least wish her good fortune on her first days at the Academy. It was, after all, only polite.
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:25 pm
Van could have clapped in glee. He had said more than just a sentence at a time! If this wasn't progress, she didn't know what was. She listened with mild interest as he explained the pain—or apparent lack thereof—of undergoing a tattooing procedure. It still didn't change her mind about remaining without that kind of body art, but it was interesting nonetheless. If it looked fine on him, she wasn't going to bother him about it. This held true of her view of the Nobles in general, as well; if they were happy where they were in ignorance, that was fine with Van!
"Thank you," she murmured in reply to his cordial welcome. So this was how it was. She had met a relatively nice guy, who simply happened to be more than a little bit awkward. Under other circumstances, she might have felt bad for being so pretentious toward him; it hadn't been merited.
The girl had long since finished her lunch, and was about to head back to the academy soon. However, there were still a few things to be said. "Ahh, Jianyu, you are very polite!" The compliment wasn't meant to be incredibly flattering, just something she had noticed over the course of their brief conversation. It was true, in any case. If Van said it was, it had to be.
That she might be rewarded with a few more, highly amusing awkward moments was only collateral...
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:44 pm
"You're...you're welcome." Jianyu said uncertainly as the girl thanked him. She had finished up her lunch, and was now looking at him with a content, relaxed expression, smiling brightly as she complimented him.
Jianyu did not like being complimented. Mostly because he was not sure exactly how to take compliments. They made one feel awkward and self-conscious, and now was no exception. He shifted uncomfortably on the grass, drawing one leg up to rest his arm across his knee.
"Th...thank you." he murmured softly, turning his face away so that she could not see the flush of embarrassment that crept up his cheeks. How very awkward this was, how very embarrassed he felt that he could not communicate properly. "You are...quite...nice." he finished lamely, feeling slightly idiotic.
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 3:45 pm
Van's gentle laugh, like the tinkling of bells, rang out across the empty hill. She couldn't help it—this particular instance of Jianyu's discomfort was just too funny. Compliments seemed to do the trick for him; she'd have to remember to flatter him even more the next time she saw him. Not wanting him to think that she was laughing at him (she wasn't!), she reached over and patted him on the shoulder, brightly smiling all the while. "Oh Jianyu, you're too kind," she said between giggles.
As suddenly as she touched him, she moved away to gather her things, stretching as she stood up. It was time to head back to the academy, and now that Van's amusement had been saturated, she was not unwilling to go back. It wasn't necessarily true that Jianyu was going to be rolling about in her thoughts as she sat in her afternoon class today, but her good mood would certainly be perpetuated. Tucking her lunchbox under her arm, she turned around to look at the reclining boy.
"My next class starts soon, so I've got to get going," she said, still quite cheerful. "I'll see you around, okay?" And without really waiting for a response, she began to jog down the hill, turning once to wave goodbye to her new acquaintance. Oh yes. She would be seeing him again soon.
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