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 Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 5:08 pm
 
In which....things happen unexpectedly and Super!Bataar saves the day?
Setting:
All over Lunaria, pretty much.
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 8:34 pm
Jianyu was not in the mood for this.
"Sir," he said, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest. "I do not understand."
Qui Lang linked his fingers together on his desk, eyeing Jianyu with a wary expression. His supervisor obviously was not exactly pleased with Jianyu's stubborn refusal of the mission proposed to him, but Jianyu himself was not about to accept it. Not after he had learned where it was to take place.
"Jianyu," Lang said. "You are the best archer we have right now. We need someone with your eye to be able to keep the group safe on their way and during the mission."
"Why are you sending me to the North?" Jianyu growled, scowling. "I have only just barely managed to pass my Captain's examination."
And at the rate I am going, I will be demoted as soon as I have been promoted, Jianyu thought bitterly, irritation and frustration coursing through his veins. Though he had finally managed to make his way to becoming a Captain, it had taken him four attempts to do so, and now he was in danger of losing that promotion. His blind eye was still a hindrance to him. Shots that would have normally been dead center were going far and wide, missing the target completely. He was still unused to the crossbow, the heavy weight of the metal against his fingers.
Why? Jianyu thought as he leaned his head back, staring up at the ceiling. Why can I not calm my heart enough to make my shot? Why can I not hold this promotion when -
He stopped abruptly, his expression turning stony as a jolt of pain ricocheted throughout him. He didn't want to think about him. No, not even after three months he didn't want to.
Three months. Jianyu closed his eyes again, willing the memories to go away, to stop plaguing his mind.
I'm moving forward.
"Jianyu?" Lang said, his voice uncertain. Jianyu shot back up, his face flushing.
"My apologies, sir." he mumbled, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. "I was....thinking."
His adviser was watching him carefully.
"Jianyu," he said quietly, leaning forward. "I know going back to the North will be difficult for you. After all, it's...well, it's where you got your injury. But I need you on this mission. It's not a request; it's an order."
Jianyu let out a soft sigh, resignation in his expression. There was really nothing he could do to get out of this, but going back there, back to the Great Lake....it was asking a lot. And it would be hard.
"I understand, sir." Jianyu said quietly. "I will go."
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Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 1:05 pm
Bataar took a deep breath of the fresh air, his eyes shutting as he paused to enjoy the feel of the frigid wind whipping his face. The North always reminded him of the past, of traveling with his family in the Jaoret clan, and he was finally back. Of course, the captain was supposed to be here on business. He had a small mission to command, but as it turned out there were a few skilled fighters who were doing the dirty work. All Bat had to do was make the decisions and act friendly with the legionnaire higher-ups around the area—it was a matter of diplomacy, and as a result he detested it.
Still, when he had time to himself to walk around and enjoy the unforgiving weather things tended to be nice. There was so much space here—it was completely different from the enclosed area of the Imperial City. The weathered locals who lived around here were his kind of people and he had to admit that he felt more comfortable here than he had anywhere in a long time. He often didn’t know what to think or do, and he especially didn’t know who to go to. Now that Jianyu was lost to him, he couldn’t find anyone—his predicament was one he’d never been willing to admit to.
Whatever the case, he’d be here at least for another month—or until the mysterious assassinations of the legionnaires became too much and the mission was forced away in the dead of night. He didn’t doubt that that would happen, because this was a place where nobles and legionnaires were often forced to get along—a place that was only tainted by politicians and captains like himself. Whether he was in the North or not, he’d have to leave soon enough.
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Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 1:27 pm
Jianyu detested the Great North. For one thing, it was an icy, dismal place, as cold as the hearts of those who had attacked his company the last time he had been there. Out of all the places he could have been sent on one of his first missions as a Captain, it had to have been to the North. Jianyu suspected Lang was attempting to expose him to something, or teach him a lesson on moving forward, which he did not particularly appreciate.
Tugging his cloak tighter around him, Jianyu crossed over the frost-encrusted grass around the frozen, expansive lake that stretched out to his left for a good mile. His breath was visible in the frigid air, and he could hear the disgruntled grumblings of his men behind him. Stopping a few feet away from where they were supposed to be, Jianyu said "Spread out and take your positions. We will be mapping out areas for a scouting team that will arrive here in a few days, and - "
Thwack.
The sound was all-too familiar, all too close. Jianyu's head whipped around, his eyes taking in the arrow embedded in the tree he stood near, just at the edge of the forest that surrounded the Great Lake. Walking over to it, Jianyu's gloved fingers curled around the shaft of the arrow and he yanked it out, staring at the razored tip.
No. No, not again.
"GET DOWN!" Jianyu yelled, just as a hailstorm of arrows came flying out from the forest area to his left. His men instantly scattered, darting into the forest to find shelter and protection beneath the cover of the trees and behind the massive trunks and brush. Out next to the lake, they were exposed, and though the enemy was also in the forest, it was their best bet for survival.
An arrow whipped past his arm, slicing a thin line of red. Jianyu let out a snarl, trying to ignore the way his heart clambered against his chest, the way he was suddenly having difficulty breathing as he leapt into the forest, pressing himself low down at the base of a tree, hidden behind thick shrubbery.
It was happening again. The same as last time. An ambush in the North. Around him, he could hear the shouts and yells of his men, hear the sounds of metal against metal, of arrows reaching their targets. Of bodies falling. Jianyu closed his eyes, reaching up to press a hand to his injured eye, hidden beneath the black cloth.
Not again.
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 6:16 am
Bataar stood watching with his arms crossed, his expression calm. Thus far the ambush seemed to be going as planned, but he was prepared to use close combat if he had to. His men were busily shooting arrows and he had to admit that he was beginning to grow rather bored with the whole ordeal-- he had better things to do than this, like stealing candy from children or coddling his prized rat. The broad-shouldered man suppressed a yawn and drew his sword, his muscles tensing as he waited for the legionnaires to break through the front lines.
And... there!
A man charged towards him, sword in hand, clearly thinking he'd be able to run the massive captain through. The moment he was within reach, however, Bataar thrust a sword through his chest, his expression grim. In truth, he absolutely detested this sort of battle-- he would much rather know his opponents' names, their crimes. Here, he knew only that they were legionnaires and that some higher authority had ruled that he ought to slice them into little pieces and then roast them over a fire or something of the sort.
He allowed an impatient huff of a sigh to escape his lips before surging forward, his green eyes intent on the battle before him. People were fighting and dying in rapid succession although it was clear that the Nobles had something of an advantage given that it was their ambush. Bataar skirted and dodged the many small battles taking place, throwing a stab or a kick here and there as he searched for the leader of the legionnaires. That was one person he thought he could kill without much in the way of guilt.
Or so the Mongol thought, even as he slammed into the other captain, having tripped gracelessly over a wounded fighter. Nothing really registered as Bat stared at the other man-- only that this was extremely odd, in his exalted opinion. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?" he demanded, forgetting for a few precious moments that he was in the middle of an ambush and that he and Jianyu weren't exactly on good terms in the first place.
It didn't occur to Bataar that this might be the very man he had set out to kill just moments ago.
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 9:21 am
The woods around Jianyu were filled with shouts and muffled thumps, footsteps slamming into the ground, the familiar hissing of arrows and the clanging of steel against steel making his ears ring. He huddled in his position at the base of the tree, trying to keep his breathing under control, his heart from exploding out of his chest. It was somewhat difficult to stay as calm as he normally would have been, one hand pressed almost painfully hard against the black cloth that concealed his blinded eye. The scar there - a permanent reminder of what he had once had - throbbed under his fingers.
Not now, not here, why? Thoughts ran through Jianyu's mind like rocks tumbling down a hillside, colliding with one another, jumbling inside of his head. He should have been able to concentrate, to keep himself objective, but it was too similar to the first ambush, too familiar. Too much.
"OUCH!"
Something slammed into Jianyu's side, sending him careening into a series of shrubs. Coughing and spitting, he rolled to the side, wincing as he got to his hands and knees, turning to see what had hit him.
Jianyu stared. That's...impossible, he thought, slightly dazed from his head hitting the hard-packed dirt forest floor beneath him. That can't possibly be who I think it is. I must be dreaming. Or dead. Or both.
Either that, or I'm finally going crazy.
"What the hell do you think you're doing here?"
The words shut away any doubt in his mind that it was who he thought it was. There was no mistaking that voice, nor that appearance. Jianyu's expression melted into that of a scowl.
"What am I doing here? he snapped back, struggling to his feet and brushing off the dirt caked to his palms. "What the hell are you doing here, Bataar?!"
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 9:35 am
Even in the midst of battle, Bataar was determined to figure out what the hell was going on. Having regained his balance rather quickly, he now stared down at Jianyu, not entirely certain as to how he ought to address this new situation. To check that he was seeing what he ought to see-- and partly for shits and giggles --the Mongol slugged the other man in the face once he'd made it to his feet. There was no doubt that it was a very solid face, and Bat soon came to the conclusion that he hadn't been drugged.
The captain made a face as Jianyu fired his question right back and tried to think of a decent explanation. 'Well, actually, I'm orchestrating an attack against all these legionnaire bastards out here!" he declared with mock cheer, still failing to realize that Jianyu happened to be one of those "legionnaire bastards." He glanced behind his shoulder, attempting to keep a decent watch on his men, although he suspected that they'd be on their own here no matter what.
No matter what the case was with Jianyu, he was going to have to get back to the battle too-- any sort of pause such as this would merely jeopardize his life. "But never mind that-- what are you doing here, Jianyu?" he questioned, automatically dropping the old wounds that had separated them in the first place. He was more than willing to forget, after all-- it had plagued him in the months since and tended to be the thing that kept him awake at night.
"This is no place for a lady!"
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 9:46 am
The slug to his face hurt. Really hurt.
"WHAT THE F***ING HELL, BATAAR?!"
Jianyu had staggered back, one hand flying up to massage his now reddened and rapidly bruising face, pain shooting up his jaw to his head. He glared at the Mongol, gaze all but shooting daggers as he stomped back over to him, jabbing him in the chest. "What the hell was that for?!"
Orchestrating an attack against the Legionnaire bastards. Jianyu's scowl deepened, the noise around them rising and falling like the waves of an ocean. They were smack dab in the middle of a battle, yet he was far more concerned about why the hell his ex-lover was there.
"Is that right?" Jianyu responded testily, stalking around Bataar to pick up the crossbow the Mongol had knocked out of his hands when he had careened into him. "Well, I'll have you know that my men and I are here on a scouting mission, nothing more. Then you had to come barging in and ambush us - "
The old feelings of terror and pain shuddered through him, and Jianyu stopped abruptly, gasping. He felt slightly lightheaded, turning away from Bataar as he tried to catch his breath. Can't hesitate now, in the middle of a fight...
"What the hell?" he said, half to himself, half to the Mongol. "Get out of here, Bat - I AM NOT A LADY, DAMMIT ALL!"
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 10:12 am
Clearly, Jianyu had changed very little since their last meeting-- to Bat, he seemed as if he was still the same as ever. Still cursing, still angry-- as per usual as far as Bat was concerned. "Just, y'know, checking." he muttered, barely suppressing a smile. He was helplessly amused, even in the middle of a raging battle such as this. In many ways Bataar still loved the other man, although he hardly wanted to admit it right now.
Bat shrugged his shoulders in Jianyu's direction, doing his best to look fantastically innocent. "I'm on orders." he replied, glancing around at the carnage surrounding them. He placed a hand on Jianyu's shoulder as he turned around and gazed at the other man sympathetically, willing to take a guess regarding what was troubling his legionnaire friend.
It was relieving to say the least when the the other captain starting shouting again. "Really now?" Bataar asked, grinning. "Maybe you should stop acting like one, then." he advised, a wicked little expression forming upon his face.
Bat knew it was nuts to be having a casual conversation here and now, but his social skills were lacking and he wasn't sure what else he ought to do.
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 10:46 am
"For Lunaria's sake, Bataar - " Jianyu groused, eyeing the Mongol suspiciously. "What on earth were you checking for? I am not some unholy apparition."
It didn't hurt to look at him anymore - that was good, at the very least. A pat of him wanted to give up and admit that he missed had missed him, but the other half of him stubbornly refused to show any sort of weakness towards Bataar, who thrived on that sort of thing. The hand that touched his shoulder, turning him around, was unexpected and warm, and Jianyu felt red tinges of shame and embarrassment for his lack of strength on the battlefield touch his cheeks.
"Really," Jianyu snapped. Bataar was still the same as he'd ever been, teasing him about being a girl, and for some reason it was both a relief and irritating simultaneously. "I do not act like a girl, you moronic imbecile. Stop grinning like that."
The noise was getting louder, the fighting drawing nearer, and from the brush next to him burst the figure of a snarling Noble. Jianyu spun around, crossbow automatically rising, but a flash of silver in the man's hand caught his eye, the knife swinging towards him. Jianyu froze, panic seizing his chest as the bow fell from his fingers, stumbling backwards. He couldn't think, couldn't breathe, memories tearing into him like daggers.
Move. Move now.
His feet felt stuck to the ground, unable to move. All he could see was the knife, coming towards him, just like it had that one night; just like it had that one, terrible, awful, painful night.
Move!
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 5:18 pm
Bataar smirked, ruffling Jianyu's hair a bit even as the other man was in the process of complaining at him. No matter what side he was on, this man would probably always be his best friend in one way or another. The Mongol brushed the other captain's newly formed injury and heaved a sigh, momentarily distracted in watching the battle raging on around him. His priorities, it looked like, were with his men, although they weren't exactly defenseless and appeared to be holding their own quite well.
"Oh hush, Jianyu." he responded with a snort, turning his attention back to the other man. "I know better than anyone how damned girly you are!" Bat declared, shifting his sword to his other hand and allowing himself another brief survey of the various fights playing out all around the two of them.
The Noble was one of the first things to catch his eye although for a moment he didn't think too much about the man. Jianyu could handle himself, or so Bataar assumed-- apparently, though, he was wrong. By the time Bat realized that Jianyu was unresponsive to the situation it was much too late to save him in an effective manner.
And that was how the Mongol ended up with a large knife slicing into his palm, instantly drawing an alarming-- but not deadly --amount of blood. "Damn it all, Lai! I was ******** talking! Did you think I couldn't handle myself?!" Bataar roared, his green eyes glowing with rage as he fisted his hand, doing his best to act as if blood weren't gushing rapidly out of it. He'd dealt with worse, after all, and it would be an interesting scar.
The fighter, realizing his mistake, retreated quickly, knife in hand. It was more than likely that he now feared for his life later when he'd have to face his captain, but for now he'd clearly decided it might be best if he went off and made himself useful elsewhere. There was no use in disputing this one.
Bat watched him leave and shook his head a little in order to clear it. He then turned casually back to Jianyu. "I told you you're a woman." he hissed, failing utterly when it came to concealing his agony.
Unfortunately, Bataar Jaoret was not immune to pain.
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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 11:12 am
Jianyu waited for the knife to cut into him, to slice through him, to pierce his skin and his heart. He waited for the pain, for the agony that it would bring, both physically and mentally.
But it did not come.
He had squeezed his eyes shut at the last second, not wanting to see the man who was going to kill him, but now he opened them slowly, almost cautiously, unsure as to why he was still alive and not lying in a pool of his own blood on the floor of the forest.
It was Bataar. The Mongol's hand was fisted around the blade of the knife aimed towards Jianyu, rage on his face as he screamed at the Fighter who stood there, shellshocked to see his own Captain protecting a member of the Legion. Blood had started to run down Bataar's arm, and the Noble rapidly backtracked, disappearing back into the woods.
Jianyu stared at Bataar. Why...he just...grabbed that knife...but we're supposed to hate each other, supposed to be on opposite sides, supposed to never want to see each other again.
So...why?
"I told you you're a woman."
The laughter broke the air, odd and loud sounding in the slowly retreating cacophony of swords clashing and bowstrings snapping. Jianyu raises a shaking hand to his head, shoulders shaking as he laughed, an almost nervous, slightly demented laugh as his legs gave way and he collapsed back against the tree, sliding down the trunk to sit at its base.
"I am not a woman," he said, when he finally managed to get himself under control. Looking up at the Mongol, a smile - a genuine smile - crossed his face. Oh, Bataar, you are still the same.
"Thank you," he said, but then his smile faded slightly and he only hesitated briefly before asking "Why did you save me? You could have just let that man kill me, and then all of our problems would have been solved."
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 5:51 am
Bataar managed a strained smile as he registered Jianyu's laughter although he was in the process of ripping some cloth from his rather extensive outfit in order to form an efficient enough wrap for his hand. His concern for his injury following this was, at the very most, fleeting. The captain merely regretted that it was his responsibility to clean and disinfect the wound as bathing still was not very much his forte.
The Noble moved to seat himself next to Jianyu, shooting another glance over to the battle he had recently abandoned-- it seemed to be doing fine by itself, needless to say. The Mongol's face contorted into what he hoped would be a matching genuine smile, although he personally was not pleased with Jianyu's refutation of his declaration. "Of course not." he muttered, although Bat appeared to believe that the world might be a considerably better place if everyone decided to accept the roles he appointed them. He knew Jianyu intimately enough to know that the other man was not nearly on the verge of backing down and gave up the idea of trying to convince him otherwise.
Bataar glanced over to his companion as he breached the subject that they'd probably both been dreading. "Saving" was not a very fabulous thing regarding two captains of opposite allegiances and Bat was aware that if any of his men reported him to his higher-ups he might be in considerable trouble. This was no time to worry about that, though-- this was time simply for figuring it out for himself: why? Ought he admit it all?-- that he'd moved on impulse, without thinking, or should he inform Jianyu that, yes, of course he had meant to save him, to be the hero of the day-- that it'd been the plan all along!
Plan or not, Bataar had saved the other man and there probably wasn't much use in continuing to mull over the situation. "I think I might have a few more problems than you do," he commented, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Because if you dying solved all of them, I would've killed you myself." This was his first opportunity for a genuine smile-- his jest was, he knew, in bad taste but he could not help but make it. Things were all too serious now-- too life or death. He didn't like to dwell on it.
"Besides, I need at least one person to harass without the threat of serious injury." And maybe, just maybe, Jianyu was also his one and only best friend.
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 1:21 pm
I'm going crazy.
That was the only thought running through Qian Jianyu's mind as he rubbed his hands against his temples, trying to make some semblance of an idea of what the hell had just happened. One moment he was paralyzed in pure terror, attacked by a Noble intent on killing him, the next he was sitting on the ground, his ex-lover standing in front of him with a hand sliced open and looking at him with the same expression he always had.
It was strange. Jianyu had not been certain he would have ever been able to talk to Bataar as they had once before, but Bataar was as sarcastic and thickheaded as he ever was. As the man sat down next to him, Jianyu glanced over at him, his brow knitted with confusion and curiosity as the Mongol attempted (and mostly failed) to wrap a pathetic looking bandage around his injured hand.
And the smile - the smile was real, genuine, no hint of false niceties behind it. A true smile of Bataar Jaoret. Despite the fact that they had ended on...less than pleasant terms, the relief Jianyu felt at seeing that smile again was indescribable.
"I doubt you have more problems than I do," he responded dryly, gesturing at the black cloth draped over his left eye. "Last I saw, you still had two working eyes." A pause. Then he added, somewhat obnoxiously, "Besides, we both know you don't have the guts to kill me even if you wanted to."
And then there it was - a smile that matched Bataar's crossed Jianyu's face, turning easily into a playful smirk, though he rolled his eyes.
"Give me that," he snapped exasperatedly, grabbing Bataar's hand and yanking it towards him. He undid the haphazard bandages and began to rewrap them, this time with more caution and careful examination first. After a few moments of silence he added, somewhat quietly, "...I'm glad you still need me, because I do still need someone that I can smack around a bit. My subordinates just aren't the same."
Another pause. Then - "Besides, I need someone to make food for other than myself sometimes."
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 2:27 pm
His friendship with Jianyu, now that he saw it for what it was, happened to be a powerful oddity. Clearly, they had both been convinced that if they ever saw each other again, they might have to draw weapons and attempt murder as best they could. Despite their differences and their quarrels in the past they were still as thick as thieves as this occasion demonstrated. The Mongol honestly didn't believe that there was any way to escape the bonds of their friendship although he was slightly reluctant to accept such a thing-- they were, after all, captains on two different sides of a massive and perpetual war.
Bat could not resist the powerful urge to roll his eyes upon hearing Jianyu's next comment-- of course he was capable of killing the man beside him! "Oh, I think I might. I have problems and I have guts." the Mongol snorted, although his undertones were rather serious. Even Bataar had a hard time taking some things lightly nowadays. One moment everything was tangible and the next it had turned all to dust and shadows-- that was war, and life within war. It was a source of hell in his life but he was exhilarated at the prospect of battle and bloodshed-- in short, it was a love-hate relationship in a marriage that involved he and his profession.
He obliged in giving Jianyu his hand and watched in silence as the other man bound his wound more effectively. The flow of blood had slowed to the point where Bat believed his hand would be back to normal in no time. He had undergone greater risks than this, to tell the truth. The Mongol withdrew his large hand and examined it, deeming the binding satisfactory as he contemplated the possibility of scarring-- he hoped it would be terribly large and noticeable!
Upon Jianyu's interruption of the silence he glanced over, a large and unwarranted smirk spreading across his facial features. "I don't need you. And, by saying 'smack around' are you referring to the fact that you always lose at the end of our fights because all you can actually do is smack? Like a girl?" The Mongolian man was back in his element and seemed entirely comfortable despite everything. Dire thoughts were no threat to his outward behavior.
"Food?" Bataar seized upon the thought immediately and snatched up Jianyu's napsack, digging through it hopefully in the pursuit of calories. Recently injured or not, he was determined to take advantage of any mention of sustenance.
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