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 Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 8:37 pm
  This is a PRP between Líng Guǐ (pistolsys) and Kiran (Kazu-chan). Setting:Around the outskirts of the market place, two Lunarians meet for the first time.
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Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 8:38 pm
Kiran strolled down the street with his arms folded behind his head as he hummed softly to himself. His work was done for the day, and he could enjoy the rest of it doing as he pleased. So far, that involved patrolling the main market street and the various side streets around it for anyone that looked like they had a little extra wealth that he could liberate from them. Bad habits, for him, didn't seem to die easily. If his mother and sister's disapproving comments about his less savory activities couldn't make him give them up, he had little doubt that anyone could. There were some advantages to his eavesdropping, though recently he hadn't heard anything of interest or relevance when it came to the war.
But it seemed like anyone that might have anything that would catch his eye had already left the market and gone home for the day. The few money purses that he spotted dangling obviously from the hips of passing Lunarians held too little to be worth picking. And the women that he spotted weren't wearing much in the way of valuable jewelry. One woman had a ring with a rather large diamond set into the band, but she was showing it off to several other women around her, all Oooing and Aahing over it. Kiran knew he didn't stand a chance at swiping the ring if there were that many sets of eyes all focused on it.
Kiran tore his eyes away from the gaggle of women. But his attention had lingered for too long upon them that he missed seeing the man cutting in front of him. He tried to swerve around the man but wasn't quick enough to avoid knocking shoulders with him. "Sorry! Wasn't looking," he apologized at once, having learned a little from a prior experience where a small shoulder bump had led to a fight. It was mostly his fault this time anyway since he hadn't been paying attention to his immediate surroundings for that brief moment.
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Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 2:51 pm
Ling-Gui heaved the half-completed puppet of a colorful courtesan over his shoulder, disgruntled about how he was finding difficulty in his search for fabrics. She was a lacking combination of wood and string, and the ghostly Lunarian hadn't bothered to paint her soft features. The market's children were kind enough to offer him whatever scraps they could forage, after befriending the odd strategian for many years. He was grateful to them, but he knew they had an ulterior motive in all that they did; they wanted him to finish another puppet to add to his shows, to entice them and bewilder them. It was silliness to the spectre Lunarian, but he secretly enjoyed his interactions with the petty "street rats" and their toothy smiles towards him.
He never came to the market with money on hand; he was a rat himself, of a sort. He came for favors (preying on the morality of others) and leftover materials (victimizing the useless). Ling-Gui was, the less intimidating version of a hunter on the prowl, a soft-spoken one.
He was rather lost in thoughts of bemusement, too lost in fact.
A sudden force of impact upon him swept him off his feet--or so it would've been had Ling-Gui not perfected his side-step. Ling-Gui instinctively caught the puppet in mid-fall to avoid damage to it, and his left leg felt a shiver of a tremble in reaction to his conditioned reflex.
Gazing at his "offender", he identified a blue-haired Lunarian, who sheepishly apologized. He seemed more flustered than Ling was, and this amused him.
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Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 2:55 pm
Ling-Gui heaved the half-completed puppet of a colorful courtesan over his shoulder, disgruntled about how he was finding difficulty in his search for fabrics. She was a lacking combination of wood and string, and the ghostly Lunarian hadn't bothered to paint her soft features. The market's children were kind enough to offer him whatever scraps they could forage, after befriending the odd strategian for many years. He was grateful to them, but he knew they had an ulterior motive in all that they did; they wanted him to finish another puppet to add to his shows, to entice them and bewilder them. It was silliness to the spectre Lunarian, but he secretly enjoyed his interactions with the petty "street rats" and their toothy smiles towards him.
He never came to the market with money on hand; he was a rat himself, of a sort. He came for favors (preying on the morality of others) and leftover materials (victimizing the useless). Ling-Gui was, the less intimidating version of a hunter on the prowl, a soft-spoken one.
He was rather lost in thoughts of bemusement, too lost in fact.
A sudden force of impact upon him swept him off his feet--or so it would've been had Ling-Gui not perfected his side-step. Ling-Gui instinctively caught the puppet in mid-fall to avoid damage to it, and his left leg felt a shiver of a tremble in reaction to his conditioned reflex.
Gazing at his "offender", he identified a blue-haired Lunarian, who sheepishly apologized. He seemed more flustered than Ling was, and this amused him. He steadied his form, standing more upright after the incident and smiled oddly at the Lunarian who bumped into him mere seconds ago.
"It's fine; I am but a 'street rat' today, I was bound for trouble on some accord or another." He laughed to himself, a goofy un-characteristic smile blossoming across his features. Ling found the entirety of it all amusing. "It's not every day a wealthy Ling degrades himself."
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 8:48 pm
Kiran stared at the other Lunarian that he bumped into by accident. He was strange looking with his hair hanging down so that it hid his eyes. Kiran wasn't quite sure what about the man gave him an odd feeling. "A street rat?" he repeated in question as he looked the man over. The man didn't quite blend in with the rest of the people in the street, but Kiran didn't think that street rat was entirely fitting either. But maybe their definitions of street rat differed slightly. He rolled a shoulder in a shrug.
"I don't know about trouble. I hope this accidental run in doesn't turn into something troublesome." That was always a possibility, of course, with the war and people of different sides starting fights with one another. Right now, however, he wasn't exactly looking to pick any fights with anyone.
"A wealthy Ling?" Kiran couldn't say he was familiar with that name, but when it came to picking out wealthy targets for his sticky fingers, he didn't exactly pay much attention to names. But he was sure that he would have recalled this man if he had ever attempted to lift an item or money purse off him. "So your name is Ling? I'm Kiran." He thrust out a hand in greeting toward the man as he threw on a friendly grin.
His attention strayed again as his gaze darted around the street for a quick moment but caught no sign of potential targets for later. His eyes snapped back quickly to the man, giving him another look over before his gaze landed on the item resting over the man's shoulder. "What's that?" he asked as curiosity got the better of him, which seemed to be the normal for him. He couldn't help but seek answers when something caught his interest.
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Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 11:12 am
Ling-Gui nodded in subtle bemusement at Kiran's question and took his hand and shook it politely. What a good young man, Ling-Gui thought. For a "street rat", Kiran had the most pleasant of manners. He began to wonder why the poor boy became one to begin with after exhibiting such a respectable mien. It was true that kings could become beggars overnight and a princess a prostitute. But often they had the darkest of tales as their predecessors and little hope in their hearts. Such stories caused a certain dolefulness to blossom within Ling-Gui nonetheless. Though he was a Zero Ghost, he was still as full of empathy. Maturation primed him to prepare for the worst, but that was all.
"It is my pleasure in meeting you, Kiran. Yes, I am a member of the House of Ling, a long line of strategians." He paused momentarily to consider how to ease Kiran's paranoia, and he too agreed inwardly that he didn't want any trouble either. Of course, the Lings could buy their way out of trouble if the issue was a desperate one, but Ling decided no trouble would come their way. Anyone in the counsel of Ling-Gui could not be a valid suspect, could they? After all, Lings were supposed to be the incarnates of order and prosperity's synthesis. He doubted Kiran would get into any sort of trouble by simply talking to him anyways.
"I wouldn't worry too much about trouble. The Lings are known for keeping to themselves or supplying strategies for war. Often we write, but seldom to we infuriate the law. Now then, is there a possibility of trouble that could result from our meeting, Kiran? You seem troubled."
He tilted his head so that he could see beyond Kiran's shoulder. There weren't any imperial guards in sight. Perhaps it was something or someone else that Kiran was worried about. Either way, as a strategian, he would be able to provide aid if calamity ever struck.
He was a Ling. It wouldn't be challenging.
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 11:27 am
Kiran wasn't familiar with the House of Ling, but being among the "street rats" of the Lunaria, he didn't exactly rub elbows with the higher class of citizens. When it came to the wealthy member of society, Kiran mostly paid attention to the jewelry adorning their necks, ear fins or fingers or the weight of a money purse at their hips. Of course, that didn't mean he was completely ignorant of all the well-known Lunarians. He knew of the Generals for both sides of the war and the priestess Mizuki, for example.
"Perhaps it should be my pleasure to meet you," Kiran said with a cheeky grin. "I haven't met a Ling before." He left off the fact that the name wasn't one that he knew. "What's a Ling doing here?" He knew there plenty of wealthy Lunarians that sent servants to the markets for them rather than going themselves. But there were also some that liked to come out themselves just to flaunt their wealth in the face of those less fortunate.
One example passed right by them in the form of a rotund woman dressed in a fine silk dress and wearing a silver necklace decorated with large, dangling rubies put on display to draw the eye of every passerby. Kiran's eyes were drawn immediately to it, but he resisted the urge to shake his head at her. The woman was begging for someone like him, with sticky fingers, to make an attempt at swiping that necklace off her right under her wide, flat nose. It was a fairly tempting target despite the necklace's unattractive design. He could still make a bit of money off the rubies. But he thought it would make a bad impression upon someone that he just met if he skipped off to pocket someone else's belonging.
"Huh?" Kiran snapped his attention back to Ling after ripping his gaze away from the ruby necklace. With a mental kick, he he realized that he had only been half listening to Ling's talk about strategies and law; another bad habit when meeting someone for the first time. He threw on another grin and shook his head. "Troubled?" After a moment's thought, he shook his head. "I don't think there's anything troubling me."
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Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:15 am
"There is no need to be humble, friend. I am merely a son of a Ling, not an official or high-standing Ling yet. Ah! I'm here on the account of finding materials to make my puppets with," Ling Gui answered sheepishly, gesturing to the half-finished puppet slung over his shoulder. Its slacken jaw was open and its face had not yet been painted. The fabrics it wore were too plain to be perceived as proper courtesan wear, and if one wasn't examining the figure closely, they would've assumed Ling-Gui was out collecting firewood and tarp. His search hadn't been fruitful, for he could find minimal materials that would mimic a courtesan's attire. He could have just chosen to purchase fancy textiles out of his own wallet, but he didn't feel that doing so was necessary, and being frugal had never obstructed his attempts to create exquisite puppets in the past. Surely, this would be no exception.
He'd make out a miracle of a sort.
Ling-Gui watched as Kiran's gaze moved from himself to an elaborately dressed woman, and he withheld a knowing chuckle. Street rat eh? He was showing the symptoms. Ling-Gui couldn't blame him really, impulses were impulses for reasons. It was the same with Ling-Gui and the strategy books of his grandfather and uncles. His fingers would itch and he wouldn't be able to contain himself. He pitied the boy in this sense, and he wondered if Kiran reserved to street-rathood out of financial issues or out of mere lifestyle choice. Either way, the Lings knew better to spend money on friends than hobbies.
"It's good that there isn't, I suppose," Ling-Gui smiled, flexing the San Chous within the folds of his tunic. The texture of wood was pleasant to his fingertips, and their subtle clack clack-ing set his mind at rest. "Although..a street rat must only be capable of gaining humble profit. There must be something I could treat you to on the first day of our friendship, if you'd like to be my friend that is. I don't make many these days, and training in the Academy keeps me in. I feel a bit hungry anyways."
Ling smiled sheepishly, hoping that Kiran would join him in his snack break.
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 9:06 pm
Kiran looked over that object draped over Ling Gui's shoulder. Ah, so that was what it was, he thought as he nodded his head in a short bob. He hadn't been quite sure what the object was, not being to make out the form of a puppet from first glance. He couldn't say that puppet had ever been exactly his thing. "Well, if you need help looking for materials, I could try to help you," he offered. "Though I'm not sure I know where they sell materials for puppets." He didn't know what type of things Ling Gui might be looking for to complete his puppet, but he knew quite a few shops in the city and might be able to point him in the right direction.
He made a note to remember to try and track that woman down at a later time. Maybe the next time he spotted her, she would be wearing something that looked prettier than the ruby necklace. But her fashion sense looked rather gaudy to him.
Kiran grinned as he placed his hands on his hips. "I make enough to survive on," he said, nodding like it was great accomplishment. Making lots of money wasn't the greatest concern on his mind. He didn't often have his eye on purchasing something that cost a lot, except when it came to his weapons. He earned enough money to feed and clothe himself and pay off rent for his small apartment, and that was all that really matter to him when it came to money. He simply never grew out of the habit of pinching purses and lifting jewelry off other Lunarians.
"Ah, yeah, the Academy can keep you rather busy with training and studying," he agreed, remembering his days at the Academy. "I could go for a meal. There are some good vendors in this area." He looked down the street and could see some stalls selling treats for passersby.
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Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 3:35 am
Ling Gui's usual deadpanned grin broadened into a genuine one. He didn't think that a street rat was capable of much courtesy, but Kiran was full of surprises. The latter's gaze encouraged him to raise his puppet a little higher over his shoulder, and he almost felt proud of something that he created.
"Ah, but I'm always welcoming towards help if it's pragmatic!" Ling Gui laughed before shaking his head. A good Ling is a humble Ling, and initially, he didn't want to trouble Kiran into doing anything for him. Accepting help from others often felt kind of...manipulative with an uncertain connotation. Ling Gui made a wistful gesture towards the object he had draped over himself. "But that's exactly the trouble. Vendors rarely sell puppet material exclusively, so I'm often hunting in nooks and crannies." He pressed a Suan Chou to his lower lip, and glossed over the possibility. His hobbies were difficult to endorse, and harder to keep constant.
"But if you know any shops that do fancy that kind of interest," Ling Gui subtly said, "...then you could mark me an impressed Ling."
He smirked slightly and rubbed his wrist with a free hand. He never truly thought about it before, but he was frankly quite fortunate with how he managed to make his hobby endure. While it was to his advantage that puppet material could be easily compromised, its tradition could not, and it was only really because of outsiders that his family hadn't found his interests to be a nuisance. Ling Gui's puppets were a source of entertainment that the Ling family had not been known for prior to his performances, and they did bring out the best in everyone during festival nights. Yet, he doubted that Kiran had seen a genuine puppet show before, but he was nevertheless curious to know if the boy could help him find materials to help his puppets survive.
"'Making enough to survive on' can be good, but having a nobleman pay a generous escort fee is better, wouldn't you agree, friend?" He smiled and squinted down the same street that Kiran was staring down. "And, of course, Lunaria's eateries are priceless. You lead the way."
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