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 Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:39 pm
 
This is a private roleplay between Jianyu [Kuro-Mizuki] and Yue Lao [Face Your Demons].
Setting :
The Ichi-Koi Inn and Bar.
Jianyu goes in for a drink after training...and winds up getting a whole lot more than he bargained for; namely getting dragged into taste-testing ale for a new (and somewhat unconventional) barkeeper.
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Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:47 pm
Jianyu had not had a particularly good day. For one thing, it had consisted entirely of training. From the time the sun's rays had begun painting the grass a golden orange to the time where it had started to sink low behind the wispy white clouds to the west. It was nearing dusk, and Jianyu was hot and streaked with sweat. Dirt was smeared across his forehead and cheeks, and there were several scrapes across his forearms, as well as a nasty looking gash on his leg. Training had been brutal today; they had focused on close quarter fighting. Jianyu was not particularly strong in the area of hand-to-hand fighting; he was more in tune with long-distance, and prided himself as a good shot with his bow and arrows. But his instructor today had decided that he needed to train without it, for once, and Jianyu was utterly spent and exhausted.
A drink, he thought tiredly as he passed through Lunaria's Main Street, the glow from the lamps illuminating softly the shop fronts. I'll have a drink and then I'll head home to rest for the night.
Turning down a narrow side road, Jianyu made his way up and into the Ichi-Koi Inn and Bar. The Tavern was lively, as usual, and half-filled with raucous laughter, loud voices, and the strong scent of whiskey. Jianyu pushed his way through until he found an empty table near the edge of the bar. He collapsed into it, closing his eyes momentarily as he waited for someone to come and assist him.
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 11:53 am
Yue Lao was new, undeniably new. She had already been told to tone down her swagger, open her eyes wider and make her smile a little more predatory. All of these recommendations had been met with a wink and the sweetest smile she could muster, "You've got it, boss," she'd reply, swinging off with her hips rolling, the bangles around her ankles hitting one another and jangling. They were mostly hidden by her loose-fitting white pants, part of the outfit she wore under her dark over robe. Yue was infinitely amused by the other staff's obvious desire to put her loose sleeve back up on her shoulder, though Yue herself never paid it any mind.
The reason she had begun working at the Ichi-Koi bar involved her secret and largely independent training with alcoholic beverages. Yue Lao pursed her lips, thinking about it, leaning against a counter in the back. Her mother taught her the properties of herbs and foods, hoping she would become a healer; it didn't quite pan out that way. Her "othermother", the woman who seemed to love her biological mother, owned a brewery and sold elaborate wines. However, she was very traditional, and Yue was not permitted to work there, given her age and her mother's insistence her little girl didn't belong around all that alcohol. She already walks, talks and looks like she's drunk; I don't intend to do anything to facilitate that, her mother had said once. With love, Yue was sure. Yue had just grinned and flounced off to weed the garden. It felt good, working with living things, but Yue's favourite hobby was making exotic beverages with foods her mother had around the house.
The problem was, Yue didn't really want to be in a constant state of inebriation, as much as she seemed to be. Trying to correct a flavour while too drunk to keep her hands steady was an issue, and she preferred her head to be clear, her thoughts crisp and precise.
That was why she had been steadily worming her way into work at the Ichi-Koi bar: a supply of test subjects, and more items to make her beverages out of. For the complex experiments, she had to smuggle the beverages in from her own house, or her othermother's brewery, but today a particular bottle from a batch of plum wine was ready. Yue seemed to be a flighty Lunarian, one who enjoyed fun and didn't have a care in the world. Beneath that, she possessed extreme patience. It was in her nature to try and disect relationships, to feel out the threads of someone's heart, to understand them so explicitly she may as well have lived as them. It wasn't out of love; she desired to see this connection in all others: enemies, friends, acquaintances, strangers. It was beautiful.
Her patience as a young alcohol brewer stemmed from that patience, though alcohol couldn't be rushed. To brew the perfect drink, she would have to let it rest for a long time. It was kind of her othermother to allow her the space and facilities for some of her experiments, though it was really just discarded equipment that she had upgraded for her own business.
Yue Lao shook her head to clear her thoughts, and began to concentrate on the moment, again. She uncorked a bottle of her spiced plum wine and poured it into a mug. There was a stranger with brown hair and a long face, who seemed to be worn out; he had just walked in, and Yue noticed him because that was her skill. She saw the ones underneath the noise and raucous laughter of the bar facade. What good would she be at observation if she missed the less vibrant ones? Yue could tell by the set of his shoulders and the way he sat that he was well-trained in combat, but he seemed to be covered in wounds, as far as she could see. Curious. How could he look so serious, yet be so injured? Yue smiled and her eyes narrowed again, her pink scales seeming to glow against her sunkissed skin. Showtime, Yue thought to herself.
She filled one mug with her plum wine, and another with mead, corking the bottle before anyone could catch her doing it, and stashing it in a cupboard. She held the mugs behind her back and swaggered out towards him; he was so close to the bar that it wasn't hard to get there, nor had it been hard to see him. Perhaps it was because he was sitting so close that he would be her victim. Perhaps it was because he looked so serious. Perhaps it was simply because Yue Lao was almost done her shift, and she figured if it went poorly she could flee and claim she hadn't been responsible.
Right, as if Yue was ever innocent. If she hadn't been able to charm her way into employment, she would probably have gotten in trouble many times prior.
"Hey, sug, you look like you could use some cheering up," Yue began. She stood across from him, leaning in, as though she had a secret. She pursed her lips slowly and then grinned again, "I have two friends that want to meet you; one is on my left, and one on my right," Yue winked, "Which do you think would get along best?" She almost seemed to be speaking in riddles, a particular habit of hers. On closer examination, she realized she knew this Lunarian.
He had been at the academy. Yue's smile grew wider. "Although, you know... since I recognize you, I think that isn't going to help your case."
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 12:21 pm
Jianyu had been in the process of attempting to dispel the rather large migraine that had decided to embed itself in his mind when he was accosted, quite unexpectedly, by a curvy, magenta haired young woman. She was leaning close, a cheerful, playful smile tugging at her lips and a light tone to her voice that had an undercurrent of some darker sort of mischief. Jianyu stopped rubbing his temples to arch one dark eyebrow in the girl's direction. He vaguely recognized her from a few months previous, after that disaster at the Academy. She had been one of the students in the culinary classroom he had found Huang and Eiji in, although this particular young lady's name escaped him. Either way, Jianyu was in a slightly irritable mood, considering he had spent the past eight hours on his feet in the hot sun getting punches thrown at his face and stomach. He was exhausted and sore, and somewhat confused by this young woman's approach to him.
"I do not need 'cheering up,' no." he said, slightly bemused by the young woman's way of speaking. She seemed to take pleasure in not making her meaning clear. "And with regard to your 'friends,' are you speaking of your breasts, or whatever it is that you are holding behind your back? Rather, if whatever it is that is behind your back is ale or something to the like, I would much prefer that to your breasts."
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 9:19 pm
Yue Lao's eyes glittered in the bar light, and she chewed on her lower lip in amusement. She pursed both her lips together, laughed lightly, and shook her head. "If you don't need cheering up, then you need relaxation, but you won't have one without the other, from me." Yue placed the mugs on the table with a little more care than she typically displayed. Yue took in his facial expressions and posture, even his pattern of speaking. He seemed very formal, but maybe that changed with time. She wondered about it, and couldn't help but laugh at his suggestion she had been referring to her breasts.
"What, you think you'd get along with one of my breasts more than the other?" Yue laughed, shaking her head, her braid slipping onto her shoulder. She pushed it off, behind her, and slid the plum wine mug forward. "This is something special, though, for special occasions. I think a second meeting is a special occasion, if I ever saw one," Yue Lao winked, leaning in again. Someone behind her was calling for her attention. She took a deep breath, pursed her lips, and smiled again, "Now if you'll excuse me for just a second, sug..." Yue sauntered off to the other table, her hands on her hips as they spoke with her. She nodded a few times, shook her head once, winked, and shrugged her shoulders. Clearly, whatever the drunk man had said, she wasn't interested in it. She shook it off like it didn't bother her in the least and swaggered back over to Jianyu's table, clearly very curious as to whether or not he'd try the plum wine.
Is she drunk on the job? How classy, someone whispered behind her, a female voice. A barmaid was standing next to the kitchen door, muttering to what appeared to be one of her friends. Yue caught the voice over the din, but only because it had needled her almost incessantly these past few weeks. If she could succeed as a brewer, that was all that concerned her. She thought it was kind of amusing that anyone would think she was inebriated on the job. No, no, Jianyu was her test subject, so that she need not drink too much. She was almost humming with energy, waiting for the plum wine's first tasting. Hopefully. What if he didn't pick that mug? What if he was reluctant?
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 9:50 pm
Jianyu gave a noncommittal shrug as the girl placed two mugs in front of him, sliding one of them across the table towards him.
"It is not my intention to get along with your breasts at all, regardless of one or the other." he answered. "I was more inclined to get a drink tonight, and seeing as how you have provided me with something, I feel obliged to taste it."
There was a low call, and the young woman winked at him before turning away, sauntering off to speak with someone else. Jianyu watched her go, slightly confused, before turning back and eyeing the glass sitting in front of him. Picking it up, he raised it to his nose and sniffed it cautiously. It was not ale, that was for certain. It gave off a subtle, spicy scent of grapes and tangy fruit, and Jianyu moved the mug to his lips, taking a small swallow. The wine burned down his throat, but it was not altogether unpleasant. It was an interesting mix of flavors, and Jianyu tasted a myriad of sensations on his tongue. Giving another shrug, he took a second sip of the wine, then a third until the mug was empty. Once he was finished, he set the cup back down on the table and leaned back in his seat, reaching a hand up to rub the back of his neck, which was stiff and sticky with sweat. The wine was making him slightly dizzy, and Jianyu closed his eyes briefly, breathing slowly.
"Hey," he said, calling to the young woman who had brought him the drink. "What exactly is this, if I may ask?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 10:59 pm
Yue had barely caught what he'd said, as she had walked towards the other table. Bits and pieces of what she had caught filtered into her conscious mind slowly, making her grin spread.
"Of course I'd provide you with a drink, that's what I'm here for," Yue Lao added, before tackling his new question. She was standing across the table from him, leaning slightly. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked into his mug, realizing he'd finished the whole thing. That was really fast, for the alcohol concentration of her plum wine, not to mention it was only a year or two old. Was that the younger bottle?... She'd just uncorked it, how could she not remember? Jianyu looked a little dizzy, and Yue was nervous.
She had prepared it right, that much she knew; it couldn't make him sick, unless he was allergic to the ingredients. Most of them were fairly standard, except for the plums, which she had begged from her mother. "Don't need to talk so loud! I was right there," Yue said, puzzled. She had already been back on her way to the table before he addressed her; had she been that slow, or was he really as dizzy as he looked? "Maybe I should bring you something cool and ... unalcoholic," Yue Lao added, before finally answering, "It's a spiced plum wine, I made it," and leaning forward further.
"How was it? Drinkable?" Yue pursed her lips. She wondered if she should bring him a cool cloth. His safety was a good thing, of course, but Yue Lao was much more concerned with her taste-tester not passing out, so he could tell her what he thought, and hopefully be a subject for testing in further endeavours.
The female that had made the comment about Yue seeming drunk went over, and reached out her hand. Yue Lao stared at it, took it in her hand and kissed her palm. "Yes, my sweet?" Yue Lao winked. The other girl made a disgusted sound, mumbled something about getting her apron back, that Yue's shift may as well be over for the night. Yue shrugged, undid it and handed it over. It was about the same time she usually went home, anyway, of late; she had only worked really late into the night during the first week. It had almost seemed a test.
Yue Lao's attention was now completely on Jianyu. She dragged the chair out opposite him and leaned her elbows on the table, her head resting in her hands, her long braid dangling over her shoulder again. "Sorry, you were saying? I'd really like any comments you may have; it's important I improve my brewing as much as possible."
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 3:23 pm
Jianyu gave a small shrug, raising the glass to his nose to sniff at the tiny bit of liquid remaining. Now that the girl had mentioned it, he did smell something faintly resembling that of plums, though it had been quite a long time since he had even had the fruit. Jianyu set the mug back down on the table, watching the girl as she was called away momentarily. She took off her apron, handing it to another girl, then sat across from him, a knowing smile crossing her lips. Jianyu arched one dark eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest.
"It's a bit too spicy for my taste." he said. "The flavoring is good, as well as the overall texture of the wine, but something in it gives too much of a bite. I would narrow down whatever spice it is that you use."
Leaning back in his chair, Jianyu scrutinized the young woman. She was obviously very confident in herself, and she held herself in such a way that her confidence was quite evident. However, where it would have been off-putting anywhere else, it didn't irritate Jianyu like it normally would have. He was somewhat amused with her.
"I remember you from the incident at the Academy." Jianyu said. "But I am afraid I do not remember your name. If you would be so polite as to tell me, I would be able to converse with you more easily."
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 9:13 pm
Yue Lao's eyes were a little more open than they would have been normally, but the dim light of the bar was making her have to open her eyes wider. They narrowed again as Jianyu spoke, but it wasn't in suspicion or anger. Rather, it was a kind of contentment. She nodded with every observation. It was as she had feared: the spices were too heavy. Yue Lao personally loved spiced wine, so it was hard to figure out how much to add. Especially since that was only her second attempt at plum wine. It was a little easier, and less refined, than wine with grapes, but Chishio wouldn't let Yue into the place her othermother grew the grapes for her brewery's wine. Yue almost sighed, thinking of the smooth flavour. It was rather rare; much more common to find beers or wines with rice. Yue had been impressed since she understood the very concept of her othermother's brewery.
Of course, they still made beer, but sometimes Yue would infuse some of them with weird flavours like lemons or blueberries. She kind of hid that from the others, lest they find out it was her and ban her from the facility. It was just so tempting, though! Recently, Yue had been experimenting with using the subtle flavours of flowers, but it was hard to mask the bitter alcohol taste with such gentle notes. She was confident that with training, practice and experimentation, she would find a suitable flavour. It was hard to guess, when it took so much time to taste the fruits of her labor.
"Too heavy on the spices again! I guess I just like excitement," Yue answered, winking. She was grateful to him, but she would show that over time. For some reason, Yue Lao didn't want to press into Jianyu like she did with most others, without even a second thought. If a casual brush of the hand or shoulder made sense, she wouldn't shy away from it, but she wasn't about to reach across the table. She was observing Jianyu, admiring his manners, curious about how he was in battle. Was he tactical? She grinned suddenly: maybe she liked him because he had a similar calm, unruffled outside to her own. Even if they manifested with vast differences.
She thought about it for a moment, considered his request. She wasn't one to safeguard her name, and she was about to answer, when something occurred to her. She stood up abruptly, hitting her knee on the table. She winced in passing, before it was replaced with a kind of sheepish smile, and said, "Let me just go grab something for us before I answer that," and headed into the kitchen, her hips swaying. Without the apron on, the outer robe's cloth swayed with her and kept pressing against her legs. She came back out with the rest of the plum wine, which she'd hidden in the cupboards, a mug for herself, and a bottle of wine from her othermother's brewery. It was a nice bottle, but it wasn't the bar's property; it had been a gift from her othermother. A bottle from the year Yue Lao had turned ten. Yue opened it at the table, and offered the bottle to Jianyu to look at, pouring some of her own plum wine. The bottle was fairly small, so it wasn't as if she had brought out a ton of alcohol. She simply wanted to repay Jianyu for being brave enough to try the plum wine from, essentially, a stranger.
"Not sure I ever gave you my name in the first place, sugar, so forgetting it would have been a feat. I'm Yue Lao, just. I didn't catch yours either, so if you could trade, that would be fantastic," Yue said, pursing her lips, shifting her weight in the chair, and taking a sip of the plum wine. She seemed to perk up immediately. It was too spiced, but she loved it. She would have to keep in mind that not everyone would appreciate her strange tastes. She placed the bottle back in the middle of the table. "To fascinating acquaintances, and refining recipes," Yue said, quietly, her voice weighed with comfort and contentment.
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Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 1:12 pm
"Sometimes the excitement an be a good thing." Jianyu said, with some amusement as he watched the girl nodding at his words. "However, in cases where the subject at hand is wine, it is best to keep things moderate, at least when first testing them out, as you seem to be doing. Once you have established the basics, that is when you can move on to doing the more 'exciting' things."
Despite the fact that she was a young woman several years his junior (and obviously a very flirtatious one at that, from the way that she winked and waved at the various men and women in the inn), Jianyu felt somewhat relaxed around her. He rather liked her impetuously confident nature, her way of snagging the attention of a room without doing particularly much. He gave a nod to her as she handed him the bottle, carefully looking over it.
"I appreciate your generosity." he said, setting the wine down after a moment. The girl picked it back up, pouring her own mug, and then offered it back to him. He tipped it into his glass while she spoke. Yue Lao. That was her name, was it? A nice name, strong and clear. Jianyu smiled, raising his mug to meet hers.
"To new and interesting meetings." he said, and clinked his glass with hers.
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Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 11:24 pm
Yue Lao pursed her lips, nodding. "I'm a little young, still, to be brewing... So I have a lot to learn," she said, and smiled sheepishly. Just because she was learning, though, didn't mean she wouldn't try new things. Even if they were a little weird. She was both experimenting on her own and learning the basic principles from her othermother. The combination gave her a lot of practice. In the mean time, she had been making cold beverages of the non-alcoholic variety, in order to experiment more readily with measurements and flavours. It wasn't quite the same, but she was learning things.
"Generosity?..." Yue Lao answered, her eyebrows raised. She had never heard that word used to describe anything she'd done, really. She usually covered her own needs before those of anyone else. In fact, Jianyu was nice company, and someone she wouldn't mind sharing the wine with. Besides, she repayed kindnesses, if nothing else; drinking her wine in the first place had been a kindness. It would be indecent of her not to return that. She let it drop, and clanked her mug against Jianyu's. The sound almost made her wince. It was a little too loud, reminded her of something...
Before she could even figure out what it was, the fleeting worry had passed, and she laughed at Jianyu's choice of a toast. "My first sip to the hope that there will be many more. Who wants to have old and dull meetings? Never. If every meeting has to be a new meeting, at least they'll all be exciting," Yue Lao proposed, taking a deep sip of her wine. She moved the mug in circles, watching the wine form a little whirlpool inside the mug, but didn't spill a drop. Her skin was flushed, and she pushed a stray strand of hair back against her forehead with her free hand. "So... you still haven't told me your name. As far as I'm concerned, we have to meet all over anew, now."
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 8:02 pm
Jianyu's expression melted into an amused smile as he looked at Yue. She was an interesting person, that was for certain. He had not expected to make a new acquaintance when he had first walked into the Ichi-Koi Inn and Bar, but it seemed as if their meeting had been inevitable. Or rather, their re-meeting, seeing as he had met her (albeit however briefly) during the incident at the Academy. He took a sip of his own wine, reclining back in his chair.
"My name is Qian Jianyu." he said, tasting plums on his tongue. "I am a loyal follower to the Legion, and a Fighter for my alliance."
Despite his earlier hesitations, Jianyu felt strangely...relaxed with Yue Lao. She was brash and confident, as well as flirtatious, which was not normally the type of person Jianyu was drawn to (a certain Mongol was the only other exception to that rule), but something about Yue set him at ease, made him feel less worried and less stressed about his training, about everything. She was like a tranquilizer to his veins, and Jianyu had not felt this relaxed in quite some time.
"So, Yue Lao." he said, taking another swallow of his wine. "What sorts of things do you do to keep yourself occupied? Other than mixing wines, of course."
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Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 5:11 am
Yue Lao's laughter bubbled up, rose above them and mingled with the other voices in the bar. "There it is! That treasure you've got hidden underneath," she said, referring to his smile. Typically, what others hid beneath their outward personalities was not something that they wanted seen. In Yue's experience, it was often dark, cruel or scathing. If Jianyu truly had that kind of smile beneath his initially serious personality... perhaps his true self was something good. Yue didn't make any judgments yet; she was still gathering information. She couldn't help but hold hope for him, though, that there was something really worthwhile underneath his stoic exterior. Yue remembered the efficient way he had dealt with the situation at the Academy. She pursed her lips as she thought of it, considered his actions then. Jianyu was certainly someone she wanted to understand. The fact that she was enjoying the subtle changes in his mood was simply a bonus.
"Well, Qian Jianyu, I suppose fate had a hand in this meeting," Yue said, winking. She had developed a tendency to suggest fate was responsible for things, though she really did not believe in fate. Again, she believed in the threads that tied one thing to another, and the fact that living creatures' every move tugged one of those strings, which set something in motion. To find who one was tied to... would be a beautiful and significant feat. Yue Lao felt separate from that. She felt like in order to observe everyone properly, she had no threads of her own. Perhaps that was true, and she really was an interloper in the lives of everyone else, this thing that did not belong. More likely, she was just wrong. "We share our allegiance, then; Academy student for the Legion, born and raised," Yue said, placing her hand over her chest as if it was an oath. "Can't boast the same level of skill as you, though," Yue said, grinning. In time, things would change. She was learning to fight for now, but hopefully in the future she would improve. She had already improved in her time since joining the academy. Still, she hadn't really found a particular weapon which meant a lot to her. She enjoyed, so far, a kind of weighted guard for the knuckles. It packed a little extra punch, though the pun was unintentional.
Now that Yue wasn't working, her full attention beamed on Jianyu, for better or worse. None but the subtlest gestures and choices of words would escape her, unless she was diverted. The wine was helping a little, easing her intense nature. It was her element, in a way: the comfortable womb of bar chatter, Jianyu's company, a well-brewed drink at hand.
"To keep myself occupied? Well... there is a lot to see in the world, if you just look right. I like to look right," Yue said, laughing, "To see the things underneath what's seen!" She shook her head, smiling, and said, "Or, if it's easier, I like dancing. Something about the movement, the intimacy, the language of it. A language spoken by the heart, you know? Well, I don't know if you're someone who likes to dance," Yue admitted. Perhaps the wine was making her more forthcoming with her information, or perhaps she simply felt that sincerity was the best method to get to know Jianyu better. However, she seldom used honesty this way. There was the significant danger of becoming too involved. Maybe she was just tired of keeping her secrets. In truth, she had few hobbies. Observing others and the world she lived in took up all the time she wasn't spending on her brewing, or her Academy training. Yue took a sip of her wine, then leaned her elbow on the table and put her head in her hand, watching Jianyu, a soft and somehow hungry smile across her lips. "And you? Do you have anything you like to do, fierce neighbour?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 4:38 pm
"Fate?" Jianyu said, lifting an eyebrow. "I apologize for my bluntness, but I do not believe in fate. Rather, I believe in the random occurrence of certain events that happen in one's life, but to suggest that such a thing like fate is responsible...it does not seem quite plausible in my mind."
His fingers were carefully moving along the rim of his empty mug, absently smoothing across the ceramic. Jianyu hoped he hadn't offended her, but to believe in fate...he had seen what had happened to those who believed in such a thing, and it had never turned out well. He had long since learned to believe in the strength and willpower of one's own self, rather than relying upon the existence of fate.
Jianyu sighed, reaching up to absentmindedly twist one of the beads in his hair; a habit he really needed to break, as it was somewhat of a childish action. But at least it took his fingers away from the black cloth over his eye, distracted him from the reminder that was his blindness.
"Dancing, is it?" Jianyu said, and his face relaxed into a smile. "I...cannot dance myself, but I had a...friend... once who loved to dance."
The memory of a dark haired, mischief-eyed beauty flashed into Jianyu's mind quickly before disappearing almost as hastily. He chuckled to himself, low and quiet, before answering her next question.
"You mean when I am not training at all hours of the day?" he answered lightly, raising his eyebrows again. "I am a tattoo artist in my father's house. That is something I do on a daily basis, as well as practice my archery."
The wine was making him act slightly different and Jianyu smiled, the action quite unlike what he would normally do. It was somewhat of a smirk, his expression darkening ever so slightly.
"I also like to play games." he said. "Things such as card games amuse me."
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Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:29 pm
Yue Lao's eyes glittered. She was delighted that Jianyu didn't believe in fate, either. "Then you really do believe in random occurences? Or do you factor in probability, as well?" Yue teased. She wondered if he really did believe that events were random, instead of influenced by their actions. "You know what I think?" Yue said, leaning across the table, lowering her voice as if conspiratorially, "There are these little red threads, tying everything together, and if you pull just one... the effects go on for quite some time, if not infinitely until their end." Yue leaned back, smiled, and took another sip of her wine. She watched Jianyu carefully, observing him as he twisted on one of his beads. They were a nice addition to his hair, and she was distracted by the movement.
"Oh? Can't, or don't practice enough?" Yue proposed, smiling. She wondered who his friend had been, what she was referred to in the past tense. Yue Lao enjoyed Jianyu's laughter, and his smiles. She felt like they were welcome treasures after a long night of waiting on others, as if his happiness was buried under the serious and exhausted surface of the person he was when he'd entered the bar.
He seemed so concentrated on his training. Yue admired the dedication, though wondered if she should be lamenting her own slightly less strict training schedule. She trained when she needed to, and enjoyed the practice, but she often got distracted and went back to her other pursuits. She perked up when she heard him mention tattoos, and she smiled at the archery. "I definitely don't have the concentration for archery, and I'm not very good with spatial distance," Yue said, leaning back in her chair. "If only I was as diligent as you in my training!... Ah, a tattoo artist?... I'd like to see you at work, some day; I can be quiet and not touch anything, promise." Yue said, winking. The wine was hardly affecting her, though coupled with her exhaustion after working and her energy spent making his new friend, she was feeling a little dizzy. Jianyu looked like he was feeling the effects of the wine, as well, as far as Yue observed.
"Games? Hmm. One of my hobbies is kind of like a game," Yue said. "Though I don't play cards! I don't have anyone I'd normally play them with, I suppose," she admitted, laughing.
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