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 Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 9:13 pm
  This is a private roleplay between Miao yin (Venexia) and Shin-mu (Beejoux).
Setting ;;
Imperial City - Cherry Tree Hill
Halfway up the hill, Miao amuses himself by fiddling with a new puzzle box.
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Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 9:15 pm
Miao had found himself a comfortable notch halfway up the Cherry Tree Hill. The bottom of the hill was much too basic, hopeless wimps wandered around the base, fearful of making the complete climb. However, the top of the hill – though it unlocked pride – was a busy place, and full of snobs, jerks, and just generally the people that Miao hardly wanted to associate with. Thus, he chose the middle of the hill. Really, who wanted to be at the middle? You were too far from the top to continue full speed, but too close to just give up – no one stayed at the middle. Hence why it made the perfect spot for him to occupy. The perfect spot, devoid of any company – it was isolated, and allowed for a clear mind and calm moments. Perfect.
His pale hands moved swiftly across the sides of his puzzle box. Fingers flew over the different, jagged patterns that cut across his box. Was it a squeeze here? Or what if he twisted this? And then here? The wood rotated and slid in all different directions – all while the youth’s eyes gleamed with excitement. This was much better than… Well, it was better than anything else Miao could think of at the moment. (Though, admittedly, his mind was currently and solely dedicated to the box, which created some bias on the matter.) Nevertheless, he balanced the box in his lap, twisting it and turning it at all sorts of obscure angles – one of them had to be helpful. The boy exhaled softly, he needed to be smart about this, use formulas; he had to think it all through. He had solved boxes before this one, and surely this box would not be the one that stumped him – Miao would not allow it!
He sprawled himself out against the grass, using the box to shield his eyes from the sun. Tao Hua flitted about the legion’s body. Feet trekking over the folds of Miao’s clothes, weaving their way through his hair, and finally settling down on Miao’s knee. There, Tao took to chirping out a pleasant melody – Miao had half a mind to shush her, simply because the bird was disturbing his though process. However, he only breathed out once more – albeit sharply – and tried to focus on the meddlesome box. This was one puzzle that needed to be solved, preferably as soon as possible.
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Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 9:59 pm
Shin-mu wasn't sure what had driven her out of the estate, a nagging feeling or purpose, boredom, but something certainly had, so here she was. Strolling along the climbing path of the Cherry Tree Hill, humming quietly to herself. Slender fingers toying with the inter linked pieces of her newest puzzle ring. She'd already solved it, but she habitually fussed with things, and the ring offered something new for her fingers to play with, as opposed to loose threads or her own nails. Now she could have struck up a conversation with one of the Lunarians around the base of the hill, there were plenty of them, and Shin was sure a handful of them were from her classes at the academy, not that she knew any names.. She was something of a loner, and that was evident as she slipped past the nameless others to start up the incline of the hill.
She hardly knew where he feet were taking her, simply allowing her mind to wander as she dissembled and resembled the ring in her hands, gaze set before her, but not really focused. Not until the sound of a bird singing caught her attention. It was a lovely song, and she paused on the path to listen, turning to look for the source. A small yellow bird wasn't too far off, and seemed to be perched on the knee of young man. Either tame of very daring. Curiosity piqued, Shin-mu left the path to wander closer, which was when she noticed the puzzle box in the pale lunarian's hands.
She watched him work on it in silence, clever mind filing away the moves he'd made and the possible moves towards the conclusion, and when she was fairly certain she had the key to it's completion she knelt beside his shoulder. A slender finger pointing at a section of the box so far untouched.
"I think if you press and slide there, you'll have it. She very well may have startled the boy, as she often forgot that the living didn't always know when she was approaching like the dead did.
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Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 8:29 am
Miao had yet to get up and socialize with his fellow schoolmates. Of them he only knew a handful, and of that handful he only really knew one: Jun. At the very thought of the boy Miao’s eyes narrowed slightly – ugh, Jun was nothing but trouble. And to think he had even gone through the trouble of a faux apology! And then he had eaten a chicken! And then – Breathe out, Miao, breathe out, be calm, you can’t solve this puzzle if you stoop to his level… –
“"I think if you press and slide there, you'll have it.”
He jumped. The box flew out of his fingers in one quick motion. Scrambling to his knees – Tao Hua fluttering up to the boy’s shoulder – Miao’s outstretched arms managed to snag the box instants before it would’ve made contact with the ground. A triumphant look glazed his face as he watched the box teeter and regain its balance. Ha! However, once the box was safely cradled in his arms, Miao turned to his newfound company. He would be a liar if he said he was delightfully surprised, rather he was a bit disappointed in the interruption of his peace. But, he was – at the very least – surprised. Was the girl really that quiet? Or had he just been too submerged in the box to pay her any heed.
Regardless, she was here now.
Press and slide there, eh? Miao was silent, his eyes darting from his box, to her puzzle rings. Obviously she enjoyed these games as well, and that possibility did strike a chord with Miao. Though the boy longed to crack the egnima of the box himself he couldn’t help but wonder if the girl was right. Her words seemed logical, but something in the Legion youth wanted to challenge her - a test, of sorts, for him to evaluate the girl.
“You think so? Here, why don’t you do the honours?”
He forced a cheery grin onto his face, and passed her the box. His eyes dancing with intrigue. However, until the mystery of the box was solved, small talk seemed appropriate.
”I’m Miao yin, by the way – do you attend the academy as well, Miss…?”
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Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 4:16 pm
Shun jerked back as the boy jumped and the box went flying. Sitting back on her heels as pale eyes followed flying object, ready to catch it if he didn't. He managed to snag it out of the air though, so she folded her hands on her lap, fingers smoothing over her pale silk that covered her thighs. She had the vague notion that she should be apologizing for something, but wasn't entirely certain what for. So she kept quiet, waiting for him to speak first.
Though when he did, what he had to say caught her a little off guard, as did having the puzzle box deposited into her lap. Not that she didn't think she could solve it, she was fairly confident she could, more so that she hadn't been expecting it.
"I, er.. Well alright." She wasn't a lunarian of many words, clearly. Switching her focus from him down to the puzzle in her lap, she set about regaining any ground that might have been lost when the box was tossed and caught, and then when she was certain it was at the exact state it'd been previously, she did what she'd suggested her do.
"Shin-mu, and yes, I do. I think we might have a class or two together." He did look familiar. Her concentration was all for the box though.
Pressing with one hand, she slide a slat with the other, rotated another bit, and after a few more manipulations the box was open. She held it back out to him, expression oddly neutral. She didn't boost or rub in that she'd gotten it opened. In fact she felt as though she'd assisted him.
"There you go. That was a good one. Lots of manipulations toward the solution."
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Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 8:30 am
He watched her fiddle with the box, turning and twisting it this way and that. Observing her “technique”, so to speak, as he watched her eyes and hands work together. He was trying to put a number to her brain, in all honesty, trying to figure out how she worked and how fast she worked. And though it wasn’t exactly working it amused Miao to try, regardless. So try he would.
She was very… clam, he also noted. As if nothing fazed her, but as though everything deathly boring as well. It was intriguing, at the very least. Though he could understand one not being interested in the complexities of a puzzle box, she obviously had some experience with these sorts of challenges… Was this box to easy for her? Or was she like this with everything? And if the latter was true, what had happened to her to make everything else pale in comparison? Miao’s head buzzed with small questions, but questions that would probably never be asked – after all, it would be rude.
“Pleasure to meet you, Shin-mu,” he smiled, a small one with no teeth – those were the best for first encounters, he had decided long ago. “It’s quite possible, though I admit I haven’t aquained myself with most of my classmates.” She did look vaguely familiar, and heck, everything was a possibility when it came to the Academy.
“Yeah it was,” now he grinned – a few centimeters of teeth, from here he could ease his way into varying degrees of happiness… Oh yes, Miao had taken to analyzing everything, expressions included. “May I ask what you intend to be, Shin-mu? I know it’s a little early in the process, but – if I may be so bold – you don’t give me the feeling of a warrior…”
Of course, if she was a warrior-to-be, this could be a problem. Not for Shin-mu, no, Miao was more concerned about the well-being of his face. Still, he liked to think the odds were with him, rather than against him. He could only hope.
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Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 2:18 pm
The puzzle back with Miao, Shin folded her hands over her thighs. Sheer sleeves attempting to hide everything but the painted tips of her fingers. Her focus no longer required else where, she was free to look the other lunarian over. A calm, though curious expression dictating the set of her features. It wasn't exactly that she was as relaxed as she appeared, quite the opposite really. Other people, at least the living set, confused her. She wasn't sure which emotion to attached to select actions or comments. Neutrality covered most bases, so she had a tendency to stick with that when she wasn't sure what would work better.
"Nor I. My lessons get most of my attention, I would hate to fall behind." She chanced a small smile, not sure if it was appropriate, but she was trying to be friendly. A smile begets a smile, or so she had read somewhere.
"I would be a very poor warrior, indeed." She actually chuckled, raising one hand press a the folded knuckle of her index finger against her lips. "No, my path has been chosen for me since my birth. As early as I can remember the dead have whispered to me." She was about as apt with fighting as she was with interacting with others.
"How about you? What path will you be walking?" He'd asked first, so it must be alright for her to ask as well. The logic in that seemed sound to her. This young man seemed nice, and she'd rather not insult him or do the wrong thing.
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Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 3:16 pm
He let Tao Hua crawl across the bridge he had made with his arms, the bird sociably chirping as she did so. Miao, too, took the time to really observe the exterior of his company. He found her skin strange – exotic even, like the imported birds hushed at the back of a trader’s caravan. He could honestly say he’d never seen such rich browns in another Lunarian, not even in the farmers on their outskirts of town. Their skin was always tan, deep hues of burnt orange, from enduring the heat of the run – day after day after day. However, this Shin-mu was even darker, and part of Miao foolishly wondered if her skin would feel different than his. It was just much more vibrant than his, so perculiar… However, his hands reminded intertwined, indented by Tao Hua’s dainty claws.
“Ah, yes, it’s easy to get swamped if you aren’t careful,” Miao offered Shin-mu a matching smile. The boy knew much of balancing – between studies, theatre and forced exercise, he often had his hands completely full.
“Ah, so you pursue a path with the dead? Fascinating. I can remember feeling their chills when I was small,” Miao pursed his lips slightly, “but they’ve long since left me.” The dead were indeed an intriguing sort, but Miao had never conversed with them and, frankly, he was fine with that. He had no reason to pursue them, and they had no justification for bothering him – it was all well and good as far as he was concerned.
Toa Hua now settled on his shoulder, Miao rolled up his left sleeve, holding out his limp, pale arm for Shin-mu to see. “I’m in the same boat, I suppose. I pursue the path of a priest, but the opposite one to you, I assume?” He tugged on the fabric, letting the dark sea of cloth envelope his arm once more. “But, as they say, like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each one displays his or her own special feats.” Miao beamed, ever so slightly, after quoting that proverb, how he loved those strands of wisedom.
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Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 4:34 pm
Shin-mu did indeed have soft skin, but not unnaturally so. Her obsessive cleanliness would have left her skin dry and cracked ages ago if she hadn't known to replenish the moisture through lotions. She was fond of the powdery, flowered scented ones she found down in the market, and hand a collection of varying fragrances. Today she'd gone with something that smelled of exotic lilies. It was her current favorite.
She was quiet as he spoke, listening, though her attention did falter to the little song bird that was chirping at her. It was a pretty thing, and it's song was very cheerful. Distracting as well. It was a little embarrassing to realize that she'd been listening to the bird and not the young man, and she happened to have missed a fair portion of what he'd said. She'd caught enough to hear that he was a priest, but a live soul one, and that he seemed to like proverbs.
"Let the warriors have their brawn. I wouldn't trade my gifts for theirs." As she spoke she'd lifted her hand toward the little bird, coaxing the precious thing to perhaps come to her. She'd never seen a bird so tame before. The few she she'd seen kept as pets would surely have flown away if their cages had been open, and she couldn't say she blamed them.
"Your bird, does it have a name? Was it female or male? Shin wasn't sure, she couldn't even say for certain what sub species it might be. Animals weren't exactly her field of expertise though.
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Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 5:20 pm
Miao was not one of scents. He kept clean and presentable, but he also doted upon birds. And birds, as almost anyone could recount, were not the cleanliest of creatures. True, their bodies were bright and airy, but their cages – those were dark and damp. Not to mention the fact that they reeked for the greater portion of the week. Miao nose’s had adjusted though, it could handle the woes of the animal kingdom. However, everyone adjusted. Some adjusted to the unnatural taste of paint on their lips, others the potion of wet hay and pools of mud; to each his own was all Miao yin could say on the matter, to each his own.
It wasn’t just proverbs, any quotation satisfied Miao’s mental hunger. He kept them all stored in the corners of his various assortments of scrap paper, drawing upon them when the situation allowed. Proverbs, however, seemed to be especially useful – as they had layers and layers of wisdom to be shared, to those who’d listen.
He watched Tao Hua meander down his arm, back to his fingers, which he brushed against Shin-mu’s. He hoped she wouldn’t mind, but she had clearly expressed an interest in the small bird, and this was the easiest way to introduce the bird to a stranger. Miao hummed slowly, song seemed to relax Tao Hua, he supposed it was just the bird’s natural communication. Miao, in truth, had not looked into the science of birds, he preferred letting them keep their mystique.
“Her name is Tao Hua,” Miao smiled slightly as he watched the bird shyly crawl onto Shin-mu’s outstretch hand. “My family raises birds.” Among other things, raising birds was by fair one of the plainer things the Chen family had engulfed themselves in. And so Miao stated it plainly, perhaps almost with a touch of boredom, it really was nothing.
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Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 6:40 pm
The brush of fingers didn't bother her. He seemed clean enough, and that was usually where her grievances came from, where casual touch was involved. The touching itself didn't really bother her, she wasn't used to it, but it wasn't unpleasant. It was the filth on some people's hands that sent her cringing or running for the hills.
She wondered vaguely if the name had any significance, but when she opened her mouth to ask, the bird hopped from his hand to her's and she froze under the impossibly light weight of the little animal. She liked animals, at least she assumed she did. She hadn't had a lot of hands on experience with then in her life. Her family didn't keep animals as pets, and didn't encourage them living in the gardens.
Slowly, ever so slowly, lifting her arm up, she turned the hand the bird was perched on, looking at the merrily chirping. Miao's comment about his family raising birds did drag her attention back to him though. "You have more? Just like her, or different species?" She was genuinely curious, and that translated into her tone.
The lack of inflection in his was a little odd to her. It seemed like something worth being proud of, or at least something other then bored. He did seem to like the small bird, at least she thought he liked her. Her ability to read people was somewhat lacking.
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Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 7:14 pm
Most people found the fact that the Chen family raised birds interesting, at least mildly so. But taking care of birds was the sideshow of the whole ordeal. The main course, so to speak, was the opera. The birds were raised for the opera; Miao had grown up around the opera… No matter how you looked at it, no matter what angle you tilted the frame; opera was still the focal point. It was just how things were. They had always been like that, and they always would be. It was really just that simple. No matter how much he loved Tao Hua – and he did love her dearly – and no matter how much he, and his family, loved the birds, they all loved the opera more. The opera was the glue that stuck them all together. It was a necessary component of Miao life. In fact, before entering the academy, one might go as far as saying it was, indeed, Miao’s life.
He nodded slowly at her question, “Mhm, many, many more. We have a small sanctuary next to our house…” He offered a smile at this fact, hoping it would remedy the dull details. How many times had he said this? How many times had his company batted their eyelids over wide eyes, expressing how amazingly interesting it was. It wasn’t. It was just like having a little balance beam for your cat. The small shack, the bird sanctuary, was an accessory, a cage, and nothing more. Only on stage did Miao’s birds fly free.
“All the same, they’re family. We’re family.” This earned a genuine smile, as his eyes switched from Shin-mu, and focused on his bird. “Well, we have one or two more exotic ones, but most of them are almost exactly like Toa Hua.” Except, try as they might, none were as special to Miao as Tao was. There was no method to his favourites, Tao Hua just was his – she trusted him, and he trusted her. It was a mutual bond of sorts, one that Miao would hate to have broken.
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Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:16 pm
Shin returned her attention to the little bird that was now hopping along her wrist and chirping, a serene smile playing over painted lips. She wondered if perhaps the bird would allow her to pet it, and lifted a very hesitant hand, hoping to stroke a gentle finger tip over her small head. Of course Miao was winning back her attention, and that raised hand sort of hovered beside the bird, not quite touching her.
"If they all sing like her, then I think I may envy your family. We don't have any birds singing near my family's home.' She sifted through her mind for any reason besides simple pleasure for owning so many birds, but nothing was coming to mind. "Why do have so many?"
At the mention of more exotic breeds Shin sat a little straighter, leaning forward even. Mindful of the small bird still perched on her lower arm. A sudden thought had her lifting that arm so Toa Hua could hop up on her shoulder. It was probably safer up there. Shin wasn't used to handling small animals, and she'd had to forget Toa was there and mover her arm suddenly, spilling the bird from it's perch.
"What other types do you have?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 6:28 pm
““Haha, it is not the birds that are the many singers of my family,” Miao let a short trill of high laughter exit his throat. Many times the boy had stood before a mirror, trying on different laughs, manipulating his voice – all to create various desired effects. Sometimes he laughter cam naturally, sometimes it was fake, at this point it was hard to tell. “My family, or at least those reside with me –“ his unofficial “aunties” may be considered family by his parents, but Miao certainly did not see them as such, “we’re a theatre troupe of sorts –“ of sorts meaning epic, “we perform opera, the birds are part of the act.” He flashed a genuine smile at this, it was no secret that Miao did love the more peculiar aspects of his family.
Miao’s eyes trailed Tao Hua’s every move, watching the small bird crawl across Shin-mu’s body. His fingers twitched every so often, arms ready to reach out to catch the small thing should it fail (never mind the fact that birds can fly). It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Shin-mu – well he didn’t completely, but she was still practically a stranger. Anyways, it wasn’t so much a lack of trust, but more a surplus of care for his beloved pet.
“My grandfather knows the breeds, but I haven’t indulged in the details. However, there are only a few variation from Tao Hua. Some have more brilliant colours, longer, fuller tails… It’s hard to describe a bird, you have to see them to appreciate them.”
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Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:56 am
Pale lily green eyes blinked and widened in impressed surprise. Shin had been to the opera a time or two, and she'd found it quite enjoyable. That Miao was involved with something of that grand level was a little over whelming for the girl. "That's a little amazing, you know. The birds and the opera singing." Her own family might have been powerful political players, but that had left Shin-mu mostly ignored and their family bonds were under serious strain. She did delight in the power and the financial benefits, but she couldn't help but wonder how things might have been if they were a little less.
The bird resting on her shoulder had discovered a shiny bit of stone hanging from the ornament in her hair and was tugging on it curiously. Shin didn't mind it though, she found the bird, and it's curiosity, endearing.
"I Suppose you're used to seeing them, having grown up with them, but that sounds simply incredible to me." She turned her head carefully to look at Toa, features melting into something serene and just happy.
She wondered aguely if maybe she should look for a pet or company. Then perhaps she wouldn't be so lonely all the time.
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