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 Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:02 pm
  This is a private roleplay between Jianyu [Kuro-Mizuki] and Yue Lao [Face Your Demons].
Setting:
A walk between best friends.
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:50 pm
It was a beautiful day in Lunaria, for which Jianyu was grateful for. White clouds meandered lazily across a spectacularly blue sky, devoid of any darkness or rain. There was a gentle breeze that sifted through the lush green grass, rustling the leaves of the trees, which had begun to change colors and fall. Autumn was slowly coming, and the weather had shifted; the hot season was ending at last.
On this particular day, Jianyu stood outside of the home of Yue Lao, one of his closest and best friends. He had not been here long; a few moments, perhaps, but he had not yet knocked. Instead, he had been standing with one hand against his face, finger absently tapping against his cheek as he thought. Clearly he was debating internally to himself about something; though what exactly that was, it was not certain. Whatever the case may be, he had decided to spend some quality time with the young woman he was so fond of; after all, their friendship was both special and resolute, and Jianyu was determined to keep it that way.
Perhaps I should have planned this a bit better, Jianyu mused to himself, glancing at the home in question that he was still outside of. But an afternoon out with a friend does not take that much planning anyway, so perhaps I am simply overthinking things, as usual.
It had been a long time since he had spent any sort of relaxation time with just he and Yue, so Jianyu was feeling a bit out of sorts about the entire thing. He just hoped they would not lose that sort of communication they had with each other. After all, the last thing he wanted was for them to grow bored of each other. What good was a friendship when there was no friendliness to it?
He was overthinking again. Jianyu smiled ruefully to himself and shook his head at his own mind. Ridiculous old man, he thought, then turned and knocked on the door to the home of Yue Lao.
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 11:05 pm
The sound of sizzling was what woke Yue Lao up first. She had stopped covering her window, once she had stopped being upset over all the things that were bothering her, and as such she had resumed piling cloths and sheets over her to keep the sun from waking her. Once, she had been an early riser. Now, she had to train so often that if she could sneak sleep in, she would. It was strange, the way in which being more active had made Yue Lao want to be lazy more often. She was still energetic-- when she was awake. She kicked off the blankets with one foot, tangled up.
"What's cooking?" she mumbled, half-asleep, stirring. Her hair was tied up the same way it always was, braided, though not clipped high on her head with her ornament; she had slept in her jewelry once and nearly pierced herself on it. Once she had sat up, she realized it was not the sound of sizzling, but a knock on her door. Yue Lao nearly fell out of her nest of blankets, yelling, "I'm coming, just a second!"
Who could it be? Chichi wouldn't knock, neither would Yowai, and nobody else knew where she lived but Jianyu. Technically Kiran had seen the outside of her house once, but she had been so careful to walk strange ways so he couldn't find his way back on his own. Yue Lao tugged her loose pants on, rebound her torso in a flash, and leaned on the door as she opened it. "Goooood mo--" Yue began, until she realized who it was. With that, she laughed, grinned wide, and threw the door open the rest of the way, hugging Jianyu to her, squeezing him. "Fierce warrior! You're a surprise. The best kind of surprise!" Yue Lao tugged on his hand. "Come in for a little? Tell me what's going on; I just woke up, so bear with me a bit," she asked, with a wink. She squeezed his hand, brushed the knuckles with a kiss, and tugged once more to invite him in. She didn't look back until she was already near the back of the small main room, because to her, her home was as good as his. He was still the only person Yue Lao had ever allowed into this sort of sacred space. It was obviously not really sacred, merely to Yue Lao.
In any case, she was overjoyed to suddenly see her best friend. She worried he would be too busy to see her, with all his new duties. She opened the back door to the garden as she washed her face and undid her hair, brushing it out so that she could rebraid it. It was beautiful out. No darkness, no rain, nothing unpleasant at all. Could this really be a nice day...? It seemed like they were cursed to always meet on dramatic days fraught with trouble.
Her hair, untied, was much longer than in its braid, and it shone a softer pink in the light. It was only down for a split second as she brushed it before she wandered into the next room to finish rinsing her face; by the time she was out, she had retied her hair and clipped it up with its ornament, her earrings back in place.
"Thank you for your patience, oh ancient one," Yue said, with a deep bow, and a flourish. She was in her fighter clothing again, the jacket still slung around her hips. Her meteor hammer was on the kitchen table, and Yowai would kill her if she saw that. Or Chichi. Whoever saw it first.
Yue stood still, for a moment, pursed her lips, and put her hands on her hips. It was a stance she often seemed to take when regarding Jianyu; it was because she could never guess what he was thinking. A frustrated, but friendly sigh escaped her; with a wry smile, she shrugged, unwilling to admit she had no idea what was on his mind.
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 11:16 pm
Clearly he had caught her off guard. Jianyu raised an eyebrow.
"Good morning, Stargazer," he said to her, voice laced with amusement as he accepted her enthusiastic embrace, automatically wrapping his arms around her in a return gesture of affection. "It seems I have either just awoken you, or you have been doing some quite strenuous activities. Although knowing you, it is most definitely the former, rather than the latter."
Eyes twinkling mischievously, Jianyu allowed Yue to tug him into the house. It was just as he remembered, though it had been a while since he had last entered. However, the home of Yue and her two mothers (a secret to most of the world, though Jianyu found them to be highly respectable, wonderful women) was just as warm, welcoming, and comfortable as it ever was. It was a place he could feel relaxed in; a sanctuary other than his own home where he could spend time without giving thought to the worries in his head.
Yue had disappeared into the back, finishing her morning routine of getting ready as she pulled up her long, silken hair into a neat braid that fell most of the way down her back. Jianyu watched her work curiously, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Such a girlish thing for one such as Yue; not that she was not feminine, but the frills and fancy things most girls liked did not suit Yue Lao, and Jianyu was glad of it; he liked her the way she was for a reason.
"The ancient one has grown even older waiting for a certain youngster to finish primping," he told her in a deadpan voice, feigning boredom. But he straightened quickly, giving her a bright smile. "Except now that you are finished, I can tell you that we are going out today! I realized earlier that it is quite a beautiful day, and I felt the need to take a walk. However, I also realized it has been quite some time since I walked with my closest friend, so I have come today to ask if you would be willing to walk with me a bit."
A pause. Jianyu's smile turned into a playful grin, and he stepped back towards the open front door, extending his arm towards her. "Shall we?" he said cheerfully.
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 12:10 am
Yue Lao was ecstatic to wake in this way. She thought she might still be dreaming, though dreams were rare for her. In any case, it was a nice dream, so she would keep on experiencing it. Gladly. "Hey, sleeping can be strenuous...! I had to fight my way out of my blankets to get down here," Yue protested, all the while aware that she was not making a very good case for herself. Yue was glad Jianyu had let her tug him in. She didn't want him to get stuck outside waiting. Chichi and Yowai were busy women, so even when Yue managed to sleep in, they would already be out of the house. They usually woke her up, though.
She took a deep breath, enjoying the nice air. Her morning routine was fairly utilitarian; she would get up, wash, get dressed, and eat. There was occasionally brushing and rebraiding of her hair, as Jianyu had seen, but that was about it. She didn't complicate things. The makeup Yowai wore was so artfully applied that it appeared as if she was not wearing any. Yue didn't have the energy for such activities. She was busy fighting. It would all sweat off, anyway. She had never actually had this argument with her othermother.
"Maybe you'll grow so old that you're reborn," Yue suggested. She just beamed at him. His deadpan boredom was not affecting her in the least. She maybe couldn't tell what he was thinking all the time, but she knew a joke when she saw one. "Really?! Where are we walking to?" Yue, very goal-oriented, failed to realize they may just be walking to enjoy the nice weather and each other's company. She assumed he had somewhere in mind, or that there was a person or thing he required on their walk. That was just her way of thinking. She nearly let it slip, but then his words really hit her, and she burst into laughter. "If I'd be willing? Yuyu, I'm sure you could drag me along even if I wasn't, with your big, powerful archer arms," Yue said, her smile growing as Jianyu's turned into a playful grin. She slipped her arm around his and nodded her agreement.
As they left her home, she swung the door shut behind her, and said, "If you were reborn, I think you'd be a monkey." Speaking of which, where was hers? Lately, Mr.Princess had taken to going to work with Chichi. She wondered if he had gone there again. Apparently Chichi spoiled him rotten. "Which would be good, as I seem to have misplaced mine." Yue muttered, darkly. She brightened up almost instantly, though, stretching as they walked, keeping an eye out. Where were they headed? As she had no idea, Jianyu had to lead.
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 12:20 am
"And maybe you'll one day grow to be just as old as I am," Jianyu replied airily, waving a noncommittal hand as they left the house, Yue's arm linked through his. Outside the air was crisp and clean, the breeze tousling their hair and whipping a few of the ribbons in Jianyu's hair against his face. Perhaps it was a few degrees colder than what would deem a perfect day, but for the most part everything outside at the moment was beautiful; it brought with it a sense of inner calm that made all the tension in Jianyu's shoulders relax.
He gave a snort of amusement. "My arms are hardly 'big and powerful,'" he said, giving her a dry look. "Archers are not known for their muscle, nor their brawn. No, my dear, I'm afraid you'll simply have to make due with my slightly-smaller-in-stature-self."
A small glance towards his friend told him that she was slightly irritated by her missing monkey. "Do not worry," he told her with a smile and winked, raising a finger to his lips as if telling a secret. "When I am reborn, I will come back as a monkey just for you."
They walked on for several more minutes, lapsing into a comfortable silence. Jianyu led Yue down the crowded streets of the city, bowing to the patrons of the Artisan's Path and smiling to the ones who greeted them as they made their way down Main Street. Since the weather was so pleasant, it seemed the entire population of Lunaria was out and about, cheerful voices filling the air, bright and cheery. Jianyu, however, bypassed all of these shops and stalls and booths, instead taking Yue on a small, well-worn path up a familiar hill, the grass waving slightly beneath their feet.
The top of Cherry Tree Hill was deserted, which made it much better and meant they could have some time to themselves as friends. It pleased Jianyu, who turned to Yue with a small smile.
"Stargazer," he said, dropping her arm lightly and walking towards the gnarled old tree. He gazed up at it for a few moments before turning back towards Yue. "Do you know why I come here so often?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:18 am
It was the slight breeze that chilled Yue beyond what she would deem comfortable. When they stopped, she would likely slip her jacket off from around her hips and actually wear the thing, which she almost never did. Yue Lao liked to be warm. She did not like winter months. They made her slow and occasionally cranky. She didn't shiver, though; she was in control of her body, and she would tell it when to give away her unpleasant coldness. It wasn't so bad, though, really. So it would be easy to ignore. Especially if it remained sunny. Yue Lao didn't continue to tease Jianyu for being old. Although she wanted to, she was sure there would be other things to tease him for very shortly. And if these things did not organically appear, naturally she would find them on her own.
"Hmm, but your arms are the ones fast enough to catch me," Yue argued, "so they're my weakness." Yue grinned. It was true: he was fast, which meant he could snare her, while a bigger and more muscular sparring partner would have a tough time of it, given Yue's size and speed. She wasn't very tall, and she was wiry. She should train more with her legs, so that she didn't neglect them, given all the meteor hammer wielding.
Yue's eyes half-closed, an expression common from her youth when she was feeling particularly pleased with herself or someone else, and she smiled, placing the index of her free hand against her lips too. Agreeing to keep the 'secret.' "Then I will also come back as a monkey. Because as old as you are, you are not dying before me!" Yue stated, with a nod.
A 'comfortable silence' for Yue Lao meant her thoughts were thrumming in her brain, and she kept pursing and unpursing her lips. She was not the kind of Lunarian for whom stillness came naturally. It was true that she had learned how to meditate, but she complained that it made her sleepy. Whenever they passed a stranger who greeted them, it was difficult for Yue to maintain her grin. She tended to slip into her fighter facade, which was where her ferocity showed through and she seemed to warn against conflict by her expression. Sometimes she would catch Jianyu smiling at the strangers, and seeing him smile would make her smile at them as well. Otherwise, she was on guard again. It was hard not to be. It been, by now, trained into her.
Spending time with Jianyu often made her forget that. It was just that in the crowds, with all those Lunarians out, there were so many potential assailants. She didn't always think of crowds this way; mostly, she ignored them, or happily navigated through them. Perhaps it was because if Jianyu was there, she did not want to let him down or let him get hurt again. The memory of her uselessness pressed up against her mind, but she dismissed it; that was long ago, and she was just a student. That was the first day she had taken a life, too.
Not thoughts for such a good, sunny day. Yue Lao let go of a long breath she was holding, and relaxed against Jianyu, walking in synchronization with him. She admired the slightly waving grass, and realized that they were heading to the Cherry Tree Hill. Where they had met again after so being apart for so long.
He let go of her arm, and walked towards the tree. Not sure what to do with herself, Yue Lao took this opportunity to remove the coat from around her waist and slip it on, shrugging one arm off so she could rest her elbow in the sleeve. Habit. It was easier to take the jacket off in a rush, also it felt nice to lean her elbow there. Yue hardly came to this tree on her own; she was more often in the market, or training, or asleep at home, but it was peaceful here. It was impossible not to feel happy, standing here with Jianyu.
"Why's that, fierce warrior?" she asked, taking a few steps towards him, looking up into the tree. A curious smile played across her face.
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:00 am
The top of Cherry Tree Hill was by far Jianyu's favorite place in the whole of Lunaria. It was where he came to meditate, where he came to feel at peace with himself, where he had spent many long hours and created many precious - and sometimes sad - memories. It overlooked the entire city of Lunaria: the broad, expansive Main Street just below, stretching out from one end to the other; the bustling, busy Artisan's Path off to the side, the scent of flowers and spices and salt water drifting over everything. A place of respite and safety when a war rampaged on either side of him.
Jianyu turned back to Yue, and his expression was gentle, hands tucked neatly into the sleeves of the simple black cheongsan he wore. "Did you know," he said, somewhat conversationally. "That this Cherry Tree has been here since the birth of Lunaria? It was planted the year the city was founded; our predecessors took care of it, nurtured it until it had grown to be capable of its own well-being. It has seen many things, moved from year to year, until it has become old and wise. Not many people can say the same thing; we grow old, but how often does one become wise with those years?"
Stepping towards the tree, he shook a hand out of his sleeve, pressing his palm flat against the gnarled, aged tree. Beneath his skin he could feel the thrum of life; the scent of cherry blossoms heavy in the cool air.
"I have spent many years with this tree," Jianyu went on, brushing his fingers lightly over the trunk, moving upwards to light upon a nearby branch, as soft as a doe. "It has seen many of my trials, many of my struggles. My happiness, my sadness, and everything in between. I have come to think of it as an old friend; something I can rely on when there is no one else around."
One blue eye slanted towards Yue again. Unexpectedly Jianyu felt his throat constrict, his chest suddenly feeling tight. An expression like one he had never worn before crossed his face; anxiety, perhaps? But Jianyu was not the sort of person to get anxious. "But that has changed," he said, his voice quiet. He cleared his throat, eyes flickering away briefly, and he drew in a breath, closing his eyes for a moment as if to steady himself. When he returned his gaze to Yue his face was calm, though uncertain, and there was a note of hesitancy in his voice.
"It has taken me a long time to realize that I am not alone anymore," he said, and a breeze brushed a few strands of hair against his cheek. "I would ask that you forgive my ignorance on this part; I am...I have not..." He struggled to find the right words. "I am not used to this sort of thing. And...I know this will seem quite sudden to you, but I can guarantee that I have thought this over for quite some time now."
Jianyu lapsed into silence once more, taking another breath. This time, when he raised his gaze, there was something else in his eyes - something much deeper than he had ever let on before, and it was both calm and steady.
"Yue Lao," Jianyu said. His heartbeat was so loud he thought it might be audible to everyone and anyone around him.
"Will you marry me?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:01 am
Yue Lao's earrings swayed gently in the wind, brushing against her neck. The more she stood on the hill with the cherry tree, with Jianyu, the calmer she felt. It was a good thing Hime-san wasn't there, or the calm would undoubtedly be ruined by the golden lion tamarin's penchant for causing trouble. She turned to look at Jianyu again as he spoke of the origins of the Cherry Tree. "I don't think I knew that, no," Yue admitted quietly. And then she smiled, and shook her head slowly. "Wisdom is certainly not within my grasp," she finished, looking up at the cherry tree. In its own way, she felt of it as though it carried a strength of its own. Not the fiery ferocity of her own fighting, perhaps more like the composed and efficient elegance of Jianyu's combat. If that was so, she would love the tree just fo r that, even if it hadn't been so impressive on its own.
Yue Lao picked up a soft petal from the ground and felt its skin in her hand. It was so smooth, thin. And everywhere the smell of cherry blossoms. It made her feel as though she was wandering through a dream. A rare dream. His voice felt like it was far away, but everywhere. Enveloped around her. She closed her eyes briefly, smiling, feeling and listening. The tree sounded like it was important to Jianyu. She wanted to thank it for helping him all those times. Yue Lao did not really have a place like that; she had her othermother and her mother, brewing, and when he was free, she had Jianyu.
She opened her eyes in time to see Jianyu's gaze slant towards her. She admired the colour of his eye, for what felt like the first time, and smiled at him instinctively. The more anxious he grew, the bigger she smiled; she didn't want him to feel whatever was upsetting him that way, and she wanted to step forward and hug him. Comfort him. Something froze her in place, though, the way he spoke. Yue looked confused, and a little sheepish to be so out of the loop. She rubbed the back of her neck with the arm that she had threaded through the sleeve of her jacket.
Yue Lao remained silent, and still, her mouth parting as if she was about to ask him to clarify. His ignorance?... what was he talking about? Sometimes he really was undecipherable. That drove Yue crazy, but she also loved it. It made him a puzzle. A puzzle whose concluding thought she had certainly never guessed at. Yue Lao felt the ground drop out from under her, as her knees buckled. She braced herself with one hand against the ground, pushed herself back to her feet and windmilled her arms a little as she tried to regain her balance. "Oh, so long as you thought it over for quite some time--" Yue squeezed out, breathless. Her normally partially-closed eyes were wide open, shocked. They shimmered at the edges with what appeared to be tears forming. Yue Lao, crying? Her whole body shook, and she felt like she could tear in every direction at once.
Instead, she closed the gap between them and looped her arms around his waist, holding on tightly, unable to answer. She took deep, even breaths, trying to steady herself. "I loved you all this time," she said, "and I thought you would never return the feeling. I fought it, I mourned it, I eventually accepted it-- and now all of that struggle... was unnecessary?" Yue Lao took a deep breath and puffed her cheeks out, her brows furrowed. She pulled away from Jianyu, her hands in fists, and put them on her hips.
"Jianyu, I loved you all this time, and I will marry you-- on the following conditions." Yue was now crying, though she didn't sob, the tears merely streamed down her face, rather unflatteringly. It made her look particularly fierce. Not soft, like Jianyu always appeared to her. "First, I want to become a captain, so I feel like I'm worth marrying. I want time for us to be in love, because after we get married, you may start to hate me, and that will just be a downer." Yue took a deep breath, as her voice gave out on her. There was a smile somewhere under her fierce facade, but she was keeping it together only by pretending to be strong. In fact, she had no idea what she was doing, and she just wanted to tackle him and not let go.
Relaxing her fists, she walked back towards Jianyu, dropping her coat as she went so that she could properly hug him. She rested her cheek against his chest, even if her tears would get his cheongsam wet. "Do you have any requests?" she asked. And then, adding in, "If you want to take it back, now is the best time, I think." Despite that reassurance, her hold on him tightened. She didn't know how to love someone properly; she had never loved anyone before, and she had loved only him this whole time. What was it like, to love only one Lunarian? She thought of Chichi and Yowai, of all the things Jianyu and she had been through. Of the time she had slept by his side while he was ill, feverish, and known that she would wake next to him every morning if that was an option.
Could it be, now?
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:30 am
It was quiet outside, and they were the only ones at the top of the hill, but Jianyu's heart was clattering so loudly in his chest that he found it nearly difficult to breathe. It had taken him some time to come to the conclusion of how he felt about Yue; at first he had merely regarded her as a close friend, perhaps even a younger sister, but somewhere, at some point, those platonic emotions had shifted. He was not entirely certain when; after all, he had only actually realized it a few nights previous, and then had stayed up for several nights, going over it in his mind hundreds of times.
He had stunned her; Yue was looking at him with a wide-eyed, shocked expression that bordered on panicked, and then, quite suddenly, she dropped to her knees as if she she could no longer stand. Worried, Jianyu took a step towards her, hand outstretched to help her up, but she had managed to get back up on her own, and when she looked at him there were tears streaking down her pale face.
Jianyu was startled; he could not remember the last time he had seen Yue Lao cry. He admired her braveness, her confidence, the way she held herself and the way she carried everything with her shoulders back and her head held high. Yue did not cry; she was not the type to, but right now...right now her cheeks were stained with water, eyes shimmering oddly bright.
At first he thought the worst; had his proposal upset her this much? It was unexpected, that much he knew. He and Yue Lao were not even dating, not even close, and Jianyu knew he had sort of skipped over the whole "confessing and dating" stage and had gone on straight to proposing. But in his own mind, he and Yue were close enough as it was; perhaps their relationship was not romantic at the moment, but it was everything else; everything important and everything precious, which was why he had done what he had done.
Yue stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist, and Jianyu lifted his hands, returning the tight embrace. He could feel her slender body trembling violently, as if merely standing was taking an effort, and when she spoke, her voice shook. Jianyu did not speak, did not respond to her admittance of her love for him, something he had already known but chosen to brush aside all this time. Rather, he let her finish completely first, and when she stepped back he tucked his hands back into his sleeves, watching her carefully. He returned her second hug warmly, however, then stepped back himself, glancing back up at the Cherry Tree beside them, as if weighing her words within his mind.
At first Jianyu was silent, his gaze flickering. A few stray petals drifted down from the tree, blowing past them as a breeze slipped through the air easily, carrying with it the scents of Lunaria. Then slowly he walked towards Yue until he was right in front of her.
"No," he said. "I won't wait. You are already worth marrying just the way you are."
The flash of a smile appeared as his hands reached out, cupping Yue's face as he pulled her towards him and covered her mouth with his own.
Something seemed to spark between them; it was as if the entire world simply dropped away and though Jianyu's heart was still beating in rapidfire succession against his ribs, he could taste every emotion, every feeling. His hands slipped from Yue's face down to her waist and he wrapped her in his arms, pulling her up against his chest.
Mother was right; sometimes the simplest answers are the right ones.
And kissing Yue certainly felt...right.
When he pulled away after several long moments, his breathing was coming out slightly ragged. Jianyu did not pull away, however; instead he stood there, his forehead pressed against Yue's, a smile on his face.
"I do have one request," he said softly, and lifted a hand, gently brushing his thumb against her cheek.
He dropped his hand, reaching into his pocket, and pulled out a simple golden ring with a few tiny, modest stones set into the metal. It was simple, but the elegance shone through that, glittering beneath the midday sun. Jianyu took Yue's hand in his, sliding the ring onto her left finger as he spoke, his voice quiet and gentle. "Believe me when I say that I, Qian Jianyu, am in love with you, Yue Lao. And I will dedicate my life to showing you just that."
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 12:01 pm
It was the tangled threads of fate, Yue Lao thought to herself, that made their lives so eventful. And Yue had thought her thread would wind around Jianyu's for her life, but she did not realize that they could become knotted together in such a way. She had never thought that things would come to this. That she could have the one she loved. It was her first concern to make sure that he truly felt that way about her. At first, he seemed upset by her reaction; who wouldn't be, she figured. She was crying, after all, which was unsettling. She didn't usually cry in front of others, and usually she would promptly beat up whoever had made her cry.
So it was hard to deal with this particular situation. Her usual tactic simply did not apply. And when he denied her conditions, she was about to tell him off, until he explained why. And then she was, again, speechless. She certainly would have said something anyway, if he hadn't cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. Yue Lao felt his lips against her own and was too shocked to kiss back at first. And then her body naturally slipped into the rhythm of the kiss, and she slipped one hand up to press against his hand, stroking the backs of his fingers with hers. Yue's heart was pounding against her own chest, and her skin was warm all over. Her face glowed with anticipation, brows furrowed in concentration.
"If you insist," she replied quietly, whispering against his lips, "but don't think I won't still kick your a** when I become a Captain," she asserted. One of Yue's hands stroked the side of Jianyu's face and then slipped back to rest in his hair, pressing her forehead against his in equal measure.
"What's that?" she asked, grinning as he brushed his thumb against her cheek. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him slide the ring on her finger. "I'll do my best to believe that, Fierce Warrior. It's certainly not easy to love me," Yue admitted, laughing. "So does this mean I can kiss you whenever, now?" Yue asked, with a sly smile. She stretched her fingers out, smiling as she looked at the ring on her finger, and then kissed his neck as if to punctuate that.
If Yue Lao had realized Jianyu knew all the time that she loved him, and had said nothing, she would at first be upset; it had been hard for her to go through all of it alone, and she could have used his help sorting it out. But if he had intervened, perhaps they would never have made it to this place. To this moment. It was as if she had been given what she had wanted for so long, and she still didn't really know if it was true.
So many times before, it had felt like Jianyu loved her. She had tried so hard to convince herself that was untrue, and now she had to undo all her work. She had to undo it, so that she could openly love him back, and believe that what he proposed was sincere. Yue Lao tried her face with the back of a free hand, and said, "I wish I had something to give to you in return, yet," before leaning her forehead against his again.
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 12:21 pm
In a strange way, Yue held in his arms, she fit there; as if she were always meant to be there. It was an odd feeling; Jianyu was not used to holding someone so close. Bataar, perhaps, but then Jianyu had always been the one being held in that case. He would lean against the other, wrap his arms around the Mongol's waist, but this was a different feeling than that. For the first time, Jianyu felt the overwhelming satisfaction and comfort that came from being the one to put his arms around someone.
And right now, he did not want to ever let go. He knew his proposal had been surprising - downright shocking and completely out of the blue, and perhaps it would have been better to wait a bit, but at the current moment, that was the last of Jianyu's thoughts. What was on his mind right now was the fact that Yue Lao - his best friend - had just accepted his outrageous proposal of marriage. Elation spread throughout him like wildfire, his heart feeling as if it would grow too large for his chest.
"You can try all you want," he murmured back to her, lips curving up in a smile against Yue's. "Don't think I won't train you hard once you become a Captain."
The ring fit perfectly against her slender finger; Jianyu had stumbled across it while perusing the Artisan's Path, and it had been at a simple stall, partially hidden from view. The moment he had laid eyes on it, he knew it was the right now, and now, looking at it on Yue's hand, Jianyu felt at peace. He felt her lips, butterfly light, against the skin of his neck, and it tickled, making him smile as he lifted her hand, linking their fingers together.
"You are quite mistaken," he told her, in a matter-of-fact tone. "On the contrary, it is very easy to love you. I'm doing it right now, aren't I?"
The playful smile grew more teasing, and Jianyu leaned close, his lips a mere half inch away from hers so that their breaths mingled together. "And yes," he added, looking at her from under lowered lashes. "It does mean you can kiss me whenever now. Just as I can kiss you whenever I please as well."
He finished this sentence with another kiss, long and stealing both of their breath away, and the wind tugged at his hair, the dark strands falling against his back. When he pulled away, his arms were back around her waist, their foreheads together, and Jianyu's eyes were closed as he inhaled her scent.
He opened them, however, when she spoke, and Jianyu's expression softened. "You already have given me something," he replied, and tenderly brushed aside a few stray hairs that drifted across her face. Then, reluctantly, he pulled away, but offered Yue his hand, eyes twinkling.
"Shall we go?" he asked her, smiling. "I do believe we have some people to inform of our engagement...starting with those lovely women who call themselves your mothers."
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 12:32 pm
If she had been afraid that he would not want to hold her, that it would be awkward or unfamiliar, it wasn't; she pressed against him as if it was meant to be that way, and it probably was. Yue's very essence was difficult to trap, capture or hold, and yet Jianyu had captivated her since their first meeting. It had been a while since he had been forced to taste-test any of her alcohols. And now he would be her permanent test subject. The thought made her smile, and she relished being held.
"Try? I'm going to succeed!" she claimed, clearly teasing him, overexcited. "Oh? I look forward to it, dear Captain," she said, laughing. She would hold him to that promise, no matter what. After all, training had become one of her favourite hobbies. Their weapons were very different, however, so Yue wondered what it would be like if they were to ever really spar. At the moment, only barehand combat seemed possible.
Yue squeezed his hand gently as he linked their fingers together. She would be his, now. Undeniably so. Always her own, of course, because it was her nature, but... she knew Jianyu was strong on his own, too. So instead of one of them compensating for a weakness in the other, they would simply add their strengths and create a partnership which was formidable at worst. She looked forward to a time when she was strong enough to fight by his side as an equal. For the time being, she would train diligently, and love him equally diligently. One of them was much easier for Yue Lao than the other.
Yue Lao bit her lip, her skin humming with energy. The more he touched her, the more he kissed her, the more she wanted. And she was overjoyed with the thrill of finally being able to accept such love from him. He certainly was direct. But she had always known that, hadn't she? That was what made her care for him that first night, the way he addressed everything head on. She was someone who always found second or third ways around things, being cryptic, using riddles. That was how she had kept anyone else from getting close to her. But Jianyu she had nearly always spoken to as herself. So it both felt significantly better, but also significantly more frightening, that he could love the real her.
She sighed heavily and accepted his hand as he pulled away, wanting to get close again. Bending down, she scooped up her jacket and threw it over one shoulder with her free hand. "I suppose we do, don't we?" she smiled wryly, "...why are we starting with my mothers?!" Yue nearly lost her balance again just thinking about it. "They're going to think--" Yue made some kind of strangled sound which was probably a snort, or laughter, and admitted grudgingly, "Yowai is probably going to claim that she knew it all along."
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 12:48 pm
"I look forward to it as well, dear Stargazer," Jianyu said, his eyes flashing with undisguised amusement. He wanted to stay in this moment here forever with Yue; just the two of them, off in their own world. It was...quite an unusual feeling, since he was not used to being so attached to another human being other than his family, but right now Jianyu would have been content being with only Yue for the rest of his life.
And she would be his - for as long as the skies changed and the earth turned, Yue was truly his.
What a very strange thought, Jianyu mused inwardly, and squeezed her fingers gently, raising her hand and bringing it to his lips to press a gentle kiss to the back of it. It did not break his stride as he walked; the movement was easy and almost as familiar as their normal affection towards each other.
"Yowai and my mother will both probably claim that," Jianyu said with a laugh, shaking his head. "Honestly, our parents...they are quite...interesting in their ways, aren't they?"
Jianyu's own mother would be overjoyed, and his father...well, he could see Liwei bustling Yue into the house and spending hours telling her all about their family history, welcoming and excited at the prospect of his son marrying. They'd both been fortunate, as it was, to have such open-hearted families. Jianyu felt very lucky indeed.
Lunaria was beginning to settle, the afternoon drawing into evening. Jianyu and Yue, walking along the orange and gold strewn Main Street, were lost in their own conversation, not noticing the hushed whispers, the knowing smiles cast in their direction at their linked hands. And just before they reached the end of the street, Jianyu tugged on Yue's hand and pulled her into a small, dark alley.
"I do hope you realize that I love you," he told her conversationally, then kissed her again, pulled her out laughing onto the street, and headed towards Yue's home.
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