|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 10:37 pm
  This is a private roleplay between Jianyu [kuromeez] and Yue Lao [Face Your Demons].
Setting:
West wing of the Qian residence.
Yue Lao has wanted a tattoo since she was a student, but she is finally getting it to commemorate recent joyous occasions. How will Jianyu react, once he finds out what she's asking of him?
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 10:59 pm
What if it was still a very elaborate dream? Yue Lao had calmed down a little, at least, but she had by no means accepted and dismissed it yet. Her engagement to Qian Jianyu, and the night she had fallen asleep with him under the stars, had happened so recently that she was still reeling from the aftereffects. Not to mention the dizzying urge to be where he was, all the time. She had to curb that desire rather quickly; they had lives to carry on, and soon she would have a moment again where they belonged only to each other.
Particularly once they could live in their new home. Yue's face grew warm just thinking about it, again. She chewed absent-mindedly on one of her knuckles, letting herself into the west wing of the Qian residence. Paintings done by Jianyu's father decorated the walls. She stopped to admire a few of them, and also to give herself time to calm down. Today, she had a request of her dear engaged Jianyu. She pressed against her hip, where the paper was wedged into the top of her pants. It was folded neatly, though it had clearly been through a lot. Yue Lao had kept this tattoo design since she was a student at the academy. It was a design in red thread, which wrapped around her chest and tied in a bow on her shoulder blade. She had recently changed the lower half of the tattoo, however. Instead of the simple red thread design continuing, she had painted in a couple of dragon guardians, whose tails wrapped up each side of her ribs respectively, guarding each side of her body. One dragon had dark scales on which pinpoints of light made up star constellations. The other dragon was a fiesty magenta, lighter than her hair, with an orchid pattern along its belly. It was tinged with red.
One guardian would be able to look at the stars always, and Yue had edited the design because she wanted to commemorate what had happened recently, in a way which was maybe more subtle than she could have approached it.
Except she was about to try to convince Jianyu to do these tattoos for her. Strictly professionally, of course. She searched into the tattoo wing of their home and tried to figure out where she was supposed to go to find Jianyu and show him the design.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 6:04 am
"Finished."
Wiping his hands on a towel, Jianyu stepped back from the table, smiling at the patron - a stocky man who had requested the Legion insignia against his upper shoulder. Behind his son, Liwei folded his arms together, eyes dancing with pride as the man, quite pleased, exited the room.
"You do good work," he said to him. "I am impressed."
"Thank you," said Jianyu, who was cleaning off the brushes and needles with the same cloth, careful to put them each back into their proper place on the counter. It was necessary to keep them exactly as they had been to prevent possible infection, and neither Jianyu, nor his father, wished to come across that consequence. The Qian Tattoo House was the best in Lunaria; and all wanted to make sure it stayed that way.
Jianyu offered Liwei a knowing smile. "I do learn from the best."
There was a low rumbling sound as his father laughed, reaching out to affectionately brush his hand over his son's hair. "Well, I am not the best," he said modestly, but his eyes were glittering with amusement.
It was nearing early afternoon now, and both Liwei and Jianyu made their way from the back room to the front common area. Most people made appointments, but it was not necessary; Liwei had expressed many times that he would take whatever patron desired to come in. For those who did not always have payments, he would shrug it off, pretending not to hear when they promised to pay him the rest later and secretly slip their money back into their coin purses when they were not looking. It was a pleasant place, content and safe - neutral from the fighting, since Liwei did not serve only Legion customers.
There were only two people in the waiting area when they emerged; one was Jianyu's sister Chuntao, who kept track of their guests, and the other...
"Dearheart!" Jianyu said, eyes lighting up with pleasure. He stepped across the room and slipped his arms around the small waist of Yue Lao, bending down to kiss her. Then he linked his fingers together against the small of her back, smiling down brightly at her.
It was still reeling in Jianyu's mind that he had proposed to the woman for whom he had thought he would only feel friendship for. Two weeks ago he had finally realized his own feelings, however, and had proposed a week later, without any pretense. They had spent the night together beneath the stars, unintentionally falling asleep with his arms around her. Jianyu felt his face tinge a pale red just thinking about the kisses they had shared, but it was a happy thought and he was still just as determined to marry her as he had been that first day.
"What brings you here?" he asked her, his thumb rubbing against the skin of her back affectionately. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 6:28 am
Yue hadn't been in the waiting room for long. She hadn't slept in, for once; this morning she had been training, trying to perfect new techniques. She always felt like if she didn't keep practicing, she would get lazy gradually, so it was best to train vigorously whenever possible. Still, as a reward for waking up early, she had planned to see Jianyu again. One week, that was all the time that had passed.
Since the night she had fallen asleep with him, she longed for that again, but had to be patient; she was patient, after all. That was her nature. She would take whatever she could, but wait for the rest. And she was here in part to tease her future husband. As she saw Jianyu enter the room, and his eyes light up, her whole posture changed. Her shoulders seemed to relax, and the constant vigilant look that had recently taken her neutral expression hostage instantly melted into contentment.
"My favourite Yu," she laughed, her arms slipping up to hold onto him in return. She tilted her head up to accept the kiss, to return it in twofold, and shivered as his fingers linked at the small of her back again. There was something she particularly liked about that, though it reminded her of that night even more strongly. Her face grew warm just thinking about it. She couldn't quite wrap her mind around the fact that he would, in fact, be her husband. He loved her. He promised to stay with her until they died and continue to love her even after that.
Yue was not one to come empty-handed. She had both a letter from her mothers in her sash, wedged against the tattoo design, and a bottle of wine in the other hand. It was in a beautiful and creative bottle made from blown glass, a quality of bottle which could be reused and treasured instead of thrown out or discarded. She tried not to bump it against Jianyu's back as she hugged him. Her othermother had sent it for Jianyu and his family to try, because she was offering to tend to the beverages at the wedding.
Not wishing to be rude, Yue kissed Jianyu's chest, squeezed him closer for a moment, and said, "I'll tell you in a minute! It's a secret." She laughed, shook her head at herself, and said, "One which only lasts one minute. Then it's all yours. First, I Want to say hello to Liwei!"
Yue didn't really want to extract herself from their embrace. She sighed heavily, as if it was a trial, though her eyes sparkled with mischief again. After a moment of looking up at him, memorizing his face the way it looked for a hundredth time to make sure she wasn't dreaming, she squeezed close and parted from him to give the letter and bottle to Liwei. As it was wedged beside her drawing, they both came out at once. Yue separated the two documents discreetly, tucked one back into the top of her pants, so that half of it was poking against her stomach. "Good afternoon, Liwei," Yue said, standing on the tips of her toes to kiss him on the cheek. "I have a letter from my mothers, and a gift!" She presented them both. She was rocking her weight from one foot to the other, anxious to be back in Jianyu's arms; lately it was an overwhelming desire.
So as soon as she had talked to Liwei and used up her promised minute, she said, "I'm sure you won't mind if I sneak back to Jianyu? I told him that he could have one secret in one minute. Too bad I didn't let him choose which." She grinned and placed her hands on her hips, before bowing in a very Yowai-like manner and swaying back to Jianyu. She made sure Liwei wouldn't see what was on the drawing, though. Although she was shameless showing it to Jianyu (nearly, anyway; still a little shy) she certainly didn't intend for Liwei to see it. "So, my dear Fierce Warrior," she began, suddenly embarrassed to be asking, though it was not because of the tattoo's placement. "I have something I'd like you to help me with, if you can." She unfolded the drawing from where it was tucked, and handed it to him.
"It would take a long time, too long to manage all at once, but if you don't mind helping me with this... I've heard that the Qian tattoo House is the best in Lunaria," Yue stated, with a wink. "I have wanted to be tattooed by you since I found out, when I was an Academy student," Yue added, a soft and distant look in her eyes as she tried to read Jianyu's emotions. "If we start with the red thread first, that may be easier to complete...?" She asked, grinning.
Yue Lao waited to see what he would reply. She hoped he did not hate the design.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 11:59 am
He loved the sound of her laughter; it folded around him, light and warm, like tinkling bells that danced along his skin. It matched with the brightness in her eyes; part of the reason why he called her the nickname he did. Two glowing stars, alight with every emotion she felt.
"I better be your favorite," he said, in mock outrage at the mere prospect of it being otherwise. "In fact, I better be the only Yu."
She felt quite comfortable in his arms, and Jianyu had to resist the very strong urge to yank her closer and kiss her until neither could breathe or even think; especially since the kiss she pressed to his chest made his entire body tingle pleasantly. Except that would not really be a good idea, for several reasons, one of which was standing behind Jianyu with an amused look on his lined face.
"Good morning, Yue my dear," Liwei said, barely concealing the laughter in his voice. Jianyu felt Yue's sigh, rather than hear it, since he was looking back over his shoulder at his father. Reluctantly he slipped his arms from around Yue's waist, catching her twinkling eyes and winking as she stepped towards his father. Liwei accepted the greeting and kissed her cheek in return, reaching out to take what she was offering.
"Tell your mothers I am very grateful for their kind thoughts," he told Yue after he had read the letter. "I am most in debt to them."
Jianyu was waiting with his hands resting casually on his hips but he lifted them when Yue bounded back, automatically wrapping them around her again. Chuntao, at the front desk, caught Liwei's eye, and the two of them repressed snickers.
"I feel I shall go answer this letter now," Liwei said, tucking it into his sleeve. "Yue, come see me before you leave and I will have a reply - that is, if Jianyu hasn't managed to keep you hostage here."
With that, he bowed and disappeared into the small office room. Jianyu turned back to Yue, curious as to what was in the note she handed to him. He slipped his hands from her waist and unfolded it, eyebrows raising so high they nearly disappeared into his bangs, which were the only part of his hair falling into his face. The rest had been pulled back into a ponytail.
"Oh," he said, still staring at the paper. He was not surprised that Yue wanted a tattoo; if anything, she was certainly the type to want one. It was the placement of the tattoo that had him startled. The red string ran from beneath her chest, around her sides and up between her shoulder blades, and the two dragons were spread over her ribcage. It was a beautifully detailed piece; one that would take more than just a single visit.
"Er," Jianyu started, his face reddening, and he glanced towards the front desk, where Chuntao was placidly taking note of the day's appointments. "Come on," he said and took her hand, leading her towards one of the empty rooms. "I will take Yue as my next appointment," he said to Chuntao with a smile. "Send all the rest to my father for now."
Stepping inside the room, Jianyu slid the door shut, turned around, and immediately dragged Yue towards him, his lips finding hers eagerly.
"There," he said, after a few moments, eyes sparking with mischief. "I've given you a proper welcome. Now..."
Jianyu took the paper back out, holding it in front of him. He could do the art, certainly, but the placement... A small frown tugged his lips down. "Yue, are you...are you sure you want...me to do this..? I mean, I can, but..."
He trailed off, still studying the design.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:19 pm
If she closed her eyes and listened only to the sound of his voice, sometimes it was as if he had surrounded her, as if he was everywhere at once. She felt calm, knowing that his presence could be so all-encompassing. "You're the only Yu I will ever see," she replied, resting her cheek briefly against his chest.
She wondered if the overwhelming desire to lose herself in him would fade anytime soon. She didn't want it to, but it was so brilliant that it got very difficult very quickly to let go of Jianyu or even move away from him. Parting had not been fun. Yue wasn't the type to sit around bemoaning a situation, however, especially not one so mild, so she had likely made a joke or two about it, and stubbornly demanded she see him soon. Probably with a threat that she'd find him, if he didn't find her. And he'd be sorry! Though her threats were more likely ridiculous than intimidating. Especially to Jianyu.
"I'll be sure to tell them, Liwei, but I think I'll rephrase a little so they don't complain at me. And I'll be right there once I'm done with Jianyu!" The formality of a thanks such as "I am most in debt" would not sit well with Yowai nor Chishio. To them, they were grateful to Jianyu and his parents; their families would soon be united, and Yue Lao was the happiest (and most honest) they had ever seen their daughter. Jianyu, they felt, was a good influence on her.
She was perfectly aware that they were being sickeningly affectionate, in front of Jianyu's sister and father no less, but since they were newly engaged she felt that they merited a little of that. They could be seasoned and respectable later. Much, much later. Or rather, Yue could try to pretend to be. She'd likely still wolf-whistle at Jianyu and steal kisses whenever possible.
His ponytail reminded her of when he had been a Fighter. She had only known him as one briefly, but there was indeed a time when he had worn his hair in a very strict fashion. She tilted her head, regarding him with a smile. The way they had both grown... well. It was wonderful to have been able to see him change from a Fighter into a Captain. "Oh?" she repeated after him, snorting as his eyebrows shot up. She knew that the dragons would take many visits, and a lot of work on his part. She felt a little guilt over that. Guilt was an uncomfortable and foreign emotion for Yue Lao. She was not at all used to having to feel guilt over her actions. Well, guilt or anything, really. It was all about fun.
With Jianyu, she genuinely considered his well-being and comfort. Except considering did not always mean acting on that consideration. So she had purposefully brought this specific design to him. "Coming," Yue replied, when he told her to come on, and grabbed her hand. "Sorry if I disrupted your schedule, Yu," she apologized. The words made her tongue feel weird. Had she ever apologized outright before? Maybe once, when she gave Kiran a black eye because she was in a mood, but she couldn't remember saying it even then.
Yue's heart started to pound the second the door shut and he dragged her into him. She kissed him back urgently, her hands slipping up to hold onto him. As he pulled away again, she exhaled heavily, and frowned, her brows furrowed. That false-irritation lasted only a second, before she tried to decide whether she wanted to laugh or feel upset by his frown. She decided on a very honest-looking smile. "Yu, you wouldn't want a stranger to tattoo that on me, would you?.." she asked, tracing a finger across her chest where the red thread was designed to go. Her eyes had a wicked, cruel glint to them and the corners of her mouth had turned up in amusement.
"Of course, if it's too much trouble, we can wait?" she offered, leaning against the door.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:56 pm
They were, most likely, acting like a pair of starstruck teenagers in all of their affection with each other (which, admittedly, was mostly physical at the current moment), but in Jianyu's mind, he and Yue were simply making up for lost time. Yue had already told him how long she had been in love with him, and knowing that he had put her in pain made Jianyu himself pained. Their kisses, constantly wanting to hold her in his arms, keep her with him; it was all because she had spent so long thinking that she would never get to experience it.
Jianyu gave a small sigh, then ducked his head. "You did not disrupt my schedule," he said with a laugh against her lips, his hands gripping her bare waist, holding her to him. Yue's clothing choice as a Fighter allowed her more freedom with fighting, but simultaneously it made Jianyu think thoughts that were most likely not appropriate for public viewing. He kissed her again, long and deep before finally pulling away. Yue stepped back, her eyes dancing, and Jianyu returned his attentions to the design she had scribbled.
"It is a beautiful design," he admitted, still frowning at the paper, but then his eyes flickered towards Yue, following the movement of her slender finger, watching as she outlined the path the tattoo would go. She was teasing him on purpose, the brat; the laughter was barely concealed in her starlit eyes. It had quite the effect she wanted to have, and Jianyu lowered the paper, stepping towards her slowly until he was right in front of her. He leaned forward, arms on either side of her until he had pressed her back against the door, successfully trapping her in place, his face mere inches away from hers.
"No," he answered her, suddenly quite serious. "No."
Jianyu held Yue's gaze firmly with his own as he moved forward even more, his hands gripping her waist again and holding her against the wall to keep her from moving away. He ducked his head and pressed a kiss to her just below her collarbone then raised it again, moving so that his face was against hers, his lips against her ear as he spoke.
"I do not want another man seeing my future wife in such a way."
There was an almost dangerous edge to his voice, but then he moved back, kissing her ear as he did so.
"It will take several days," Jianyu told her as he rolled up his sleeves, pinning them back and out of the way. He had already moved to the counter, gathering the supplies and setting them out neatly. Opening a cabinet, he pulled out a simple white robe, which he handed to Yue, along with a small grey cloth.
"Put this on," he told her. "The cloth is for...later. To...er...cover yourself."
His face had grown quite red, and Jianyu turned quickly back around, fetching more supplies. He gestured behind him; there was no table in this particular room. Instead there was a simple bedding, made for the tattoos which required certain attention.
"When you are finished changing, sit there," Jianyu said absently, examining a bottle of red ink.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 2:50 pm
Since Yue wasn't one to dwell on pain, and it was rather embarassing she had reacted the way she had in the first place, the time spent believing Jianyu could never love her back was increasingly distant. Still, she wouldn't ever disregard the affection Jianyu gave her. She thrived on it, and flourished under the attention. It was because their lives were tied together with the red thread of fate that Yue wanted to get this tattoo so suddenly. Not really suddenly, though; she had been thinking of a similar design for a long time, and merely never had time or courage to ask him to help her with it.
Now the dragons represented them as well, and she definitely needed his help before the tattoo got even more intricate. As it was, it would be a challenge; one which she fully believed her future husband was capable of overcoming. He really was a fascinating man, and Yue never forgot that. Why else would she have wanted to be so near him, even before they were in love? He wasn't afraid of a challenge, he had such diverse skills, and she admired him for the precision with which he practiced them.
His laughter made her heart light, and she only grinned in reply. She hadn't meant to disrupt anything, really, and she did just walk in and ask for his help on an ambitious project. She would return the favour, of course, however she could. Yue was all about balance, when she wasn't busy being the chaos to balance out everyone else's semblance of order.
It was true that her fighting outfit had significantly less armour than, say, Jianyu's Captain garb. That was because in order to practice her fighting styles, she needed to be as fast as possible. The bone-breaking style of close combat which was her fallback did not rely on taking hits, nor pummeling the opponent. It was about precision and speed. The other half of that, however, meant that on her torso she only ever wore those bandages, binding her upper body. And it was not even her whole upper body. It felt very nice on hot days, though, and she didn't envy those with heavier armour. Even if she liked being warm, she didn't necessarily want to fry in her own sweat.
By now, although Yue was vaguely aware that she exposed a lot of skin, it had never really been a topic for conversation, so it was only a distant thought that she might be a little cruel to Jianyu. Not that she minded teasing him. But while her choice of tattoo placement was partly to tease him consciously, the exposed skin was unconscious. If she had been privvy to Jianyu's possibly inappropriate-for-the-public thoughts, she probably would have supported them wholeheartedly. Which meant it was doubly good that one's thoughts were private unless verbalized. As she was close enough to, she idly ran one hand down the edge of his tunic.
Yue Lao released a breath as he pulled away and told her the design was good. At first, she had been afraid it wouldn't be interesting. She didn't want to cause him trouble, after all, and he was the expert as far as tattoos were concerned. She'd love to learn from him, though, absorb all the information that she could. It was an interesting hobby, and unlike song and dance, Yue actually liked drawing. Well, she liked to dance, too, she was just notoriously bad at it. Because no matter how she moved, it just looked like she wanted to fight someone.
Her teasing hit its mark. She chewed on her lower lip, eyes partially closed as Jianyu approached, leaning into her and pressing her against the door. Her heart was racing, as if she was the prey, and he was going to snare her for dinner. Already, her breathing was faster and more uneven. And her skin grew warm and flushed again, like it had when they had kissed in the summer home. It was only his serious tone that stopped her from feeling suddenly overwhelmed. She discovered that she liked it when his ferocity was applied to pinning her in place, in any case. But she hadn't meant to infer that any other man would ever look at her that way.
She sucked in a breath, pressing into him a little, as if testing his hold, while he kissed below her collar bone. His words against her ear sent shivers down her back. "I'm nobody's but yours, Yu. No one will ever see me the way you will," she said, neglecting to add the soon to her statement. It hung there, over her reassurance. Soon. The edge in his voice made her smile, because she wanted that from him. The desire to keep her to himself. She would do the same over him; she was strong, though he could overpower her, and she would fight anyone who thought they were good enough to take her place. Well, she would actually more likely laugh at them, and watch as they subsequently made a fool of themselves.
But, you know, if they were particularly irritating she wouldn't even give them the chance to make a fool of themselves. Yue, when crossed, had proven to be a particularly nasty opponent. "It's pretty complex," she agreed. She hoped he didn't mind how long it would take. She knew that tattoos were supposed to hurt in a way, given they were needles piercing the flesh, but that wouldn't bother her much by now. One of the benefits of having been a fighter for so long.
Yue Lao snorted when he handed her the cloth, trying to explain what it was for. "It's so tiny," Yue said, waving it around, the robe slung over one shoulder. "But hey, anything for you, Fierce Warrior," she said, grinning. She wasn't entirely sure which part of "later" she'd use the grey cloth. Obviously whenever the robe had to be opened, she supposed.
Well, it was apparent she couldn't keep her bindings on. She unwrapped those, and left them in a nice bundle for later. The jacket she untied from her waist and folded up as well, slipping the white robe on in the mean time. She picked the bindings and jacket up and brought them with her to leave them next to her, where they'd hopefully be out of the way. She sat down where he had indicated.
"Sitting, my Captain!" Yue called over to him from the bedding, feeling suddenly exposed and a little more than ridiculous.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 3:16 pm
The absence of the word soon from Yue Lao's statement was not missed by Jianyu, whose half-lidded eye flickered with a hunger that had nothing to do with food. He was well aware of the fact that he would very soon be seeing more of his fiancee than what was appropriate, but this was his business, nothing more. There was a code of professionalism that neither Jianyu nor his father had broken, and neither found the art of tattooing to be anything more than just that - art. It was very easy to keep oneself neutral, when the customer was a complete stranger, or even when they were a friend. Keeping himself neutral with the woman who was going to be his wife, however...that in and of itself would prove to be much more difficult.
Especially since with the way she was pressing into him, his own emotions reflected in hers, she was testing him. Jianyu felt a strong urge to simply forget about the matter, take her into his arms and drown Yue in kisses, but this was neither the time, nor the place. He could feel the shivers as they rippled down her back and he sighed, exhaling slowly before removing himself from her (it took a great deal of effort on both halves).
"It will cover what is necessary," Jianyu replied, casting an amused glance over his shoulder at Yue as she waved the cloth around, though now that he looked at it, it might not. He rummaged around a bit and handed her a second one. "Just in case" was all he said before turning back to the counter, studiously trying to ignore the sounds of Yue changing behind him. The colors he'd need were laid out on the counter now, and Jianyu carefully studied each one, the paints and inks side by side. He would need a mixture of both, as well as the brushes and the needles, though the thought of bringing pain to the woman he loved made him cringe a bit internally. However, this was Yue's choice, and he was going to abide by that.
Picking up a very thin brush with soft, fine bristles and a bottle of white paint, Jianyu turned around and knelt beside the mat, settling into position. He looked at her for a moment, one hand raising to touch the side of her face, and then he leaned forward kissing her very gently as if to reassure her that he would be as careful as possible.
"I need to outline where I will be marking first," he said, adopting his professional stance once more. "Fasten the cloths I gave you around your chest, and then take off your robe."
Well, he thought, absently unscrewing the lid to the paint and dipping the brush in, swirling it around. Here goes nothing...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 7:39 pm
Tattooing, as it was his profession, was something Yue knew Jianyu would do well. And professionally. But that didn't mean it couldn't be difficult for him. Although as difficult as it would be for him, it was also pretty difficult for her: she had to lie there, still, as Jianyu's hand would inevitably explore much of her exposed skin in order to tattoo it. Watching him with the bottle of white paint made her extremely excited; she had waited a long time for this, and now it was a tattoo that she would have forever, to remember her future husband.
when he leaned in and kissed her, she kissed back tenderly, trying to tell him that it was okay. She would be fine, and she wanted this.
"Hmm, makes sense. Thanks for telling me. I'm really curious about this, Yu," she confessed, watching him keenly. "I'm going to have to open the robe to put the cloths on," she mumbled, amused, her eyes sparkling. "So just a second," she added, slipping the side of the robe aside so that she could apply the cloth, then sliding the second cloth to the other side of her chest. There was a lot more to cover when they weren't bound flat. It was just easier to fight with the bindings keeping her in check.
She slipped the robe off as best she could while still holding the cloths in place with one arm, and placed the crumpled robe beside her, before lying back down. "All set, Yu," she said, grinning wide. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically, but the closer it came to the time for painting the outline on, the faster her breathing got, until she was concentrating to keep herself calm.
Her skin was soft, and smelled faintly of rosewater, as that was what Yue bathed in; her Othermother's trick. Yowai steeped roses in water in the sun all the time. She also smelled, more recently, of vanilla and cocoa bean, as Chichi prepared an ointment for wounds which smelled of those, and minimized the scars from battle. Not that Yue had many scars. She was usually quite careful. The only bad scar, which was exposed as she lay there with no shirt, was between her arm and collarbone, where an arrow had pierced through her shoulder and become lodged there, turning into a metal grappling hook her opponent had used to drag Yue towards him. Remembering that pain, she bit back a shudder.
It would be the first time her skin was exposed to someone so honestly in her conscious memory. She stretched her arms out briefly to get comfy, and then lay still, looking up at the ceiling. She was afraid if she looked at Jianyu just then, she would feel like foregoing the tattoo to kiss him endlessly. And without a shirt, that might end up indecent fairly quickly, unless these cloths could defy gravity.
"If you could tattoo anything, what would it be?" Yue Lao asked. She wanted to know about Jianyu even more than she had before. She wanted to ask him everything.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:07 pm
He waited for Yue to undress, studiously keeping his gaze away from her, though his cheeks were flushed a pale red. All he had to do was concentrate on the professional aspect of this, and the task would be as it ever was.
Which might prove to be a little difficult, considering how he was going to be sitting during the procedure.
Once she was finished, Yue was lying back down, Jianyu turned back to her, determinedly only looking at her face, his eyes connecting with hers almost forcefully.
"A few things to remember," Jianyu said, beginning the speech he had so often given to every patron that he had worked on. Yue Lao was no different, at least in that regard; the risks were still the same, after all. "This is a very delicate art. What I use are needles that are inserted into the skin, drawing pathways along the body. Then I use a different needle - this one a little smaller - to trace the ink into the pathways."
He paused, shifting a bit, and a somewhat unhappy expression crossed his face. "There are...there are dangers," he said heavily. "It will hurt a little at times. Other times it may feel nothing more than a small pinprick, or perhaps someone poking you harmlessly. Once I am finished, it will need to be cleansed immediately and wrapped in a bandage. Do not take this bandage off for at least a day," Jianyu warned her. "Then you will remove it, clean the marks again, and wrap it with a new cloth to prevent infection. Today we will do the outline in a pale, translucent white that will easily wipe off, and I will outline where I need to go. We will start on filling in the colors another day."
Standing, Jianyu retrieved the small tray that held his supplies, placing it carefully next to where Yue lay on the mat. There was a series of needles, each with a bamboo handle and bound with string, as well as a large bowl of water, several cloths, a handful of different sized brushes, and a few bottles of paints and inks.
He turned back to Yue, giving her a gentle smile. "If you're ready, I will begin," he said. His eyes slipped down to her waist, and when he looked at her again, his expression was a mixture of apologetic and uncertainty.
"For...forgive me," Jianyu said, and stepped over Yue, lowering so that he had one leg one either side of her. It was the standard position for tattoos that were placed on the front or back of the body, rather than the arms or legs, and he had sat this way dozens - even hundreds - of times before, but with Yue it suddenly felt quite different. He was not sitting on her; rather he was kneeling above her, ducking down.
"This may be a little cold, so bear with me." Dipping the brush into the paint, Jianyu glanced down at the design, his eyes narrowing slightly as he examined it carefully. Then, slowly, he touched the brush to Yue's skin, just below her breastbone, and began to paint. It was only after he had drawn the first few lines that he realized Yue had asked him a question.
"That is an interesting question," Jianyu said thoughtfully, considering. "No one has really seen fit to ask me that before, but I suppose..."
One line went over Yue's ribcage, Jianyu's hand pressed against her side to keep himself from toppling sideways and to keep her from moving. "I suppose a hawk," he finally answered, eyebrows drawing together as he concentrated. "I have always considered them to be extraordinary creatures, as emphasized by my weapon, but out of everything I have drawn, one has yet to actually request a hawk."
A few more lines, the left dragon slowly beginning to take form. Jianyu pressed his hand flat against Yue's stomach. "Lie still," he instructed as he moved to draw the thread in the middle.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:21 pm
Yue resisted the urge to laugh as Jianyu very clearly and forcefully maintained eye-contact with her. But her eyes still sparkled with laughter, as they had so often lately. Almost whenever she was around Jianyu, she was perpetually happy to the point of laughter. It made her feel giddy, and light-headed.
As he gave her his speech, Yue looked a fraction more serious. She, at least, looked like it wasn't a joke. It was actually fascinating to her, and the idea of having needles drawn through her didn't phase her in the least. It was just like a really tiny meteor hammer wound; at least, that was how she was thinking of it. She hated needles in accupuncture and in medical procedures, but something about the idea of needles for a tattoo, and wielded by the one she loved, was comforting.
His unhappiness made Yue Lao feel heavy. She frowned, and her eyes grew darker. She did not want to do anything that could cause her future husband unhappiness. She understood the dangers, and the pain, behind tattooing, but she also hoped that he knew she wouldn't let the wounds get infected. It would be just like caring for any other wound. She was a fighter; not some lazy, dumb girl who got a flower anklet for fun. She knew he didn't think that of her. It was standard to recite these things, and aftercare instructions were important. Not everyone would know how to treat their tattoos. "I promise to take immaculate care of your work, and my body," Yue said, in reply. "The pain will be nothing, if you're with me," she joked, winking.
"I'm definitely ready, Yu--" she started, and then his eyes looked down to her waist, and he kneeled with one leg on either side of her. She laughed when he asked her to forgive him. "You're the one person who doesn't have to ask for forgiveness when close to me like tat," she reassured him, grinning. "Though you shouldn't make me laugh so much, dear one, I may end up giving your hard work a mustache," she grimaced, the corners of her mouth still turned up in a trace of a smile.
It was more than a little exciting, both the prospect of being tattooed, and the feeling of Jianyu so close to her, kneeling so he could tattoo her properly. And after his work was done, not today, but some day, she would have finished tattoos for the rest of her life. Commemmoration of both the joyous recent events and the love she had felt for him all this time. His love, too, as that was what this represented to her: asking Jianyu to do it was more than about teasing him, more than about being uncomfortable with another man or woman's hands on her body this way; she knew that tattooing was his profession aside from the war, something he did often, and so it was as if a part of him became a part of her infinitely through this act.
That was why she would take especially good care of these wounds, and struggle not to laugh and disturb his work. The paint was very cold, and it did make her shiver. Regardless, she tried to remain painstakingly still. She had to keep her eyes open and watch his face, because if she closed it, even the cold paint felt thrilling when she knew it was his doing.
"Hmm, a hawk? I'm sure you'll get to tattoo one of those, some day," Yue stated, pondering. "I think you remind me a little of hawks," Yue added. She was smiling gently, and looking at the ceiling again. Yue shut her eyes and bit her lip as she felt him begin to draw the line of thread in the middle. It was her fault for picking a design which required her to be so exposed, but at the same time... it was thrilling. And she wanted him to keep working on it, because the more he touched her, the more content and calm she grew. Calm in a sense: her body still longed for his touch, and it had been a while since he kissed her, but those hardships made her laugh internally. How quickly she had gone from never expecting a single kiss, to wanting all of them all the time.
Before asking him any more questions, she asked, "Is it okay if I keep talking to you, or would you rather work in silence?" her voice was soft, curious.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:46 pm
To Jianyu, the art of tattooing was not his way of life. He excelled at it, and performed nearly as well as his father, but that was just it - it was his father's business, and although Jianyu quite enjoyed it, he was merely an assistant to Liwei. It was to Liwei that people from all across Lunaria came; Liwei for whom they requested and admired so much. Jianyu harbored no resentment towards this; his own place was the Legion and the forces he commanded, and he was quite content with where he was. He did not need the "prestige" from being well-known; if anything, Liwei tried to dispel any sort of recognition he received. A humble, kind-hearted man, Qian Liwei preferred to do his work because he loved it, not for any other reason.
"I should be the only person close to you like this," Jianyu said with a snort of amusement. "If I am not, well, then, I might wind up writing something else on you and it will proclaim to the world that you are, in fact, mine, and nobody else is allowed to touch you."
This was all said quite matter-of-factly as he worked, brows drawn together, his lips pressed into a thin line of concentration. It took a great deal of dedication to be a tattoo artist; there was much detail and much intricacies that came with the art, and one had to be both patient and attentive when working.
"I may just tattoo one on myself," Jianyu replied with a faint smile. "It should not be particularly difficult, though I do not really know where I should put it..."
He himself had several markings already; there were the most well-known ones, the ones beneath his eyes that he had convinced his father to do when he turned fifteen. Then there were the lesser seen ones, such as the identical butterflies on the insides of his wrists; these particular ones were usually covered by his gloves, or other wrappings, though they were not always hidden. He had gotten them to represent his family; beautiful and delicate, yet strong. The last two he bore were by far the least seen; one across his midsection, just below his navel, and then the biggest one that took up most of his back. He did not know if he wanted more; a hawk would probably be the last, but there was the question of where exactly it would go if he did decide.
It was clear that Yue was having difficulties staying still, though Jianyu was not entirely sure whether or not that was because of the close proximity they were in, or because the brush was cold. Or maybe it was simply because she was not used to holding still for so long. Whatever the reason, he hoped she would not fidget too much; he did not want to mess up the outline, and even more, her wriggling beneath him could prove to be quite dangerous.
His fingers, pressing against her flat stomach, moved a little as he bent forward, trying to get the outline just right. It was taking a great deal of concentration to stay focused, but once he managed to push aside every thought other than the artistic ones, it was easy to stay focused and professional. Whether or not he actually stayed that way for long was a different story entirely.
A low laugh rumbled through him, and Jianyu leaned away, dipping the brush back into the paint again. He'd nearly finished both dragons now, and he sat back, admiring his handiwork. Yue's body was smooth, her torso easy to work on, and there was a small scar running just below her shoulder blade. She was, in every sense of the word, beautiful, and his professional attitude dropped a fraction as he brushed his fingers over her abdomen briefly, pressing lightly.
"By all means, keep talking to me," Jianyu told her, eyes dancing. "I much prefer hearing your voice than silence. And it is also time to sit up," he added, taking the opportunity to get back at Yue for taunting him earlier by slipping an arm beneath her and jerking her upwards abruptly, nose-to-nose. He didn't say anything for a moment, just sat there with their breaths intermingling, and then -
"Kindly turn over, please."
There was laughter in his voice as he let go and stood up, waiting for her to move.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 10:31 pm
Even if it wasn't his passion, and Liwei was the artist everyone sought, Yue could never imagine asking Liwei to tattoo her like this. She wanted Jianyu specifically. Yue Lao adored Jianyu's father, but she hardly wanted him seeing her half-undressed, whether or not she was indeed about to marry his son. So here she was. And she was resolving to remain as still as was possible.
If she used the meditation technique the monks had forced her to learn, she could calm herself down in order to be still. It was rare that she used it outside of the temple, as it was contrary to her very nature. However, she had a new image which helped her calm down: the peace she felt, curled with her back against Jianyu's chest and stomach, as they fell asleep that night. If she closed her eyes, she could remember it vividly, and it brought her a settled calm.
Her eyes opened, and she smiled up at him. She wanted to carress his face, find his lips with hers, kiss him until she was sure he knew that she would be his permanently. "Well, I can't help it if I'm naked around myself," Yue argued, "but apart from that, it's just me. And eventually you," she added in without pause, moving into, "Well, if you'd like to sign your work, feel free to pick a spot." Yue closed her eyes again, her smile indicating that she would be laughing if moving wasn't such a problem.
"Although the ring is already a good symbol I belong to you," she said, wiggling just her fingers, without moving anything else. It was taking a lot of concentration to keep calm, and she kept closing her eyes to think back to that night. The problem was, if she thought about the rest of the night, her state was anything but calm. The racing passion could return just as easily as the sense of calm.
Yue Lao found, for what must have been the hundredth time lately, that she loved listening to his voice with her eyes closed. It felt richer, somehow. Yue found it easier and more natural to be chaotic and constantly moving, and it was true being still did not come naturally, but she was immensely patient when motivated. So that was what mindset she brought to the experience. There would be time later for fidgeting and bothering Jianyu; much later, with the extensive tattoos he was helping her with, she suspected. The feeling of his fingers against her stomach nearly broke her concentration, but she raked her fingertips against the bedding, careful not to move, and alleviated some of the tension that way.
"What, you can't hear me talking to you even when the room is silent?" she asked him, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "I say all kinds of things when you can't hear me," she added. As he jerked her upwards, she sucked in a surprised breath and shot one arm up to press against her grey cloths, making sure that the slippage was minimal. "Yu!" she protested, though it turned into a softer sound than she had meant, less protest, more of her voice caught in her throat. She tried to steal a kiss before he was able to make her turn over.
She grumbled and moved, shaking her head. "I'll get you back, my love, mark my words...!" Yue threatened, her voice reflecting laughter as well.
She turned over, allowing him access to the necessary skin, and closed her eyes again, smiling gently as she thought of Jianyu, the cleft above his lip and the scent of his hair when unbound. Slowly, she exhaled a forgotten breath, and thought about the past week in detail.
"If you could ask me any question, and I would answer with complete honesty, do you think you would take that offer?" she asked, her eyes still closed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 10:54 pm
"I'd like to think I'm the only man you'll ever be this open with," Jianyu said dryly, wiping his hands on a towel and picking up the brush and paints again. "You are certainly the only woman with whom I speak of things so candidly."
He was grinning wickedly when she gasped, wanting to swallow the sound but restraining (just barely). Yue was flustered, gripping the cloth tightly to prevent it from slipping, and Jianyu's own amusement rose higher, mischief playing in his eyes. He loved seeing that red flush that danced across her cheeks, spread glowing beneath the scales under eyes. Purposefully dodging the kiss she attempted, he stood and let her roll over onto her stomach. In this particular position her back was completely bare, since the cloth only covered the front, and as he lowered himself back into position, Jianyu's eyes flickered from her neck down, already mapping out where to start with the rest of the design.
"That is a particularly interesting question," he said, and slipped a hand around to her chin, tilting it upwards so he could see in her eyes. "I am not sure; would you take the offer if it were extended to you as well?"
Upside down, he kissed her once, very lightly, then shifted, his chin against her shoulder as he kissed her again, quite slowly, parting her lips beneath his and inhaling her breath. Here it was again; his inability to keep from kissing her every few moments. He really was turning into a rather pathetic individual.
"I doubt you can get me back," he whispered into her ear, and nipped at it, grinning.
Pulling away, a devilish smile ghosting across his face, Jianyu studied Yue's back thoughtfully. With a finger he traced where the lines should go and realized they were not quite in the right position.
"I'm going to have to turn your torso to the side," he told her, then added firmly. "Keep holding onto those cloths."
Carefully, one hand pressed against Yue's ribcage, he turned her body sideways. The brush was dipped into the white paint and he continued the line, moving over her side in gentle strokes. Once he was finished, he very gently pushed her back onto her stomach and settled down to draw the rest.
"So was that question before implying that I should ask you any question and you will answer me with complete honesty?" Jianyu asked her, then said conversationally "And while I understand how extraordinarily difficult it is for you to keep still, I will remind you that should you wiggle too much you might end up with a watermelon on your side instead of a dragon, and that would not be very nice."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
