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 Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 3:31 pm
 
This is a PRP between Zan [[Corsair Vitari]] and Yue Lao [[Face Your Demons]].
Setting:
In which Yue Lao meets Zan in the market, at a strange hour, and tries to convince him that her monkey is actually a trained killer. Yeah... we're not buying it, either.
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 4:22 pm
Since being promoted, Yue Lao wasn't sleeping very well. It wasn't that her husband's terrifying tail kept her up at night, or that she was worried about something in specific, but she couldn't help but feel as though there was suddenly a lot of weight on her shoulders. How could she possibly avoid disappointing everyone? There was no choice but to try, really, except she needed some time to prepare. So far, she hadn't really gotten even time to take a breath. Not unless she was stealing it, anyway. Just lazing about. She missed sleeping in the rafters at her mothers' place.
"Maybe if we put a bridge there..."she mumbled to herself. She was sitting on the side of the fountain in the marketplace, the same one she had frequented many times before. Himesan was asleep on the stones beside her, and she had a large map open in her lap, but she was folding it to make a single quadrant more easily viewable. She tapped at a place in the river with one pinky, pursing her lips. Her braid was coiled up next to her, though the end was slowly slipping into the water. In fact, one of the coils gave up the ghost suddenly, dropping the braid and its clasp into the water abruptly so that Hime-san was startled awake.
Which made Yue stand up quickly, her meteor hammer unlooped from its place in her shoulder, the cord in her calloused, scarred hands. On damp days, the scars across her palms still stung. With a heaving sigh, she realized that it was just her hair, and her monkey. However, examining the silence made her believe there was someone... out there? Was she being paranoid?
Yue Lao was not a typically paranoid woman, and so with her eyes glinting sharply as they had never done when she was just a student, she addressed the shadows, "If you want to keep your stomach inside your body, you should come say hi." With one outstretched hand, she beckoned her Golden Lion Tamarin onto her shoulder. Mr. Princess was a little cranky from having just been disturbed. "Because you see this here? This is a trained battle-monkey. His specialty is disembowelment."
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 9:55 am
His father had always told him to not go out after dark, especially not out into the city considering all of the... Less than savory folk that tended to wander around at that time. Never mind that there was that whole war thing that tended to happen when the moon was high and, well, really he just shouldn't have been out in general but that hadn't really stopped him before. Besides, due to his tendency to sneak out of the house, something he had been doing since he was rather young, Zan had acquired a talent from slipping from shadow to shadow, sliding under tables, jumping, and climbing. It made avoiding people that he didn't necessarily want to run into much easier and, well, he really didn't want to come how missing pieces so it was mostly for his benefit, not his family's.
With a soft hum, the tune barely audible as he slid between booths in the market, he began his search for the item that he had dropped earlier when shopping... Yet again; why did he always have to go to the marketplace anyways? His parents should have known better after years of altercations and complaints that he really shouldn't have been trusted to do anything important in public places but, apparently, they still held onto the hope that he'd grow to become a 'good' son. He supposed that it really wasn't any of his business if his parents wanted to keep trying to make up for the time that they didn't spend with him. Well, it was, but he typically chose to ignore it in favor of shuffling around the city in the middle of the night.
With another soft him he rounded a corner only to suck in a quick breath and press his back against a wall, slowly shifting down the wall to slip behind a booth. He was glad that his reaction times were so good because there, sitting on the edge of the fountain just a few feet was someone, a woman, one that didn't quite look like someone unsavory but didn't look like someone he really wanted to cross either. Letting out another soft, nervous hum he lifted the cloth that covered the lower part of the booth he'd managed to slip behind, slowly slipping underneath it, peering through the slits in the material; sometimes it was really nice not being incredibly tall, especially when he was sneaking around like he was.
However, apparently he was too obvious even when he was being cautious as the woman gathered up her weapon, causing Zan to swallow thickly and lift a hand to cover his mouth to conceal his breathing just in case. He hadn't just stumbled across some random woman. No, he'd had the misfortune of stumbling across a warrior, one which would most likely be more than happy to beat his head in with that weapon that was danging from her fist. His belief was confirmed when the woman spoke, causing him to wince a little at the imagery that flooded his mind from that particular statement. However the stranger then said something that completely derailed his self preservation along with his logical thinking capabilities, causing him to shift, reaching out to flip up the cloth he was hiding behind, remaining crouched, but looking oddly... excited.
"Woah, really?! I didn't know you could train animals to do things like that! I mean of course you have like bird of prey that will retrieve things and attack but man, monkeys too? That's AMAZING!" he babbled, shuffling out from underneath the stall and rolling to his feet, dusting himself off, eyes alight with curiosity as he kept talking. "I mean that must have taken YEARS of training to accomplish right? Teaching all the commands, strength training, things like that... Can... He... She... It... Do anything else? Like, tricks and stuff? Is it really just an attack monkey? I mean..."
Zan trailed off suddenly, his eyes slowly widening before he clamped his hands over his mouth, staring at the woman before him like he had just seen her. Oh, his mouth and curiosity had probably landed him in all sorts of trouble this time. It wasn't enough that he'd been foolishly wandering around at night which his father had told him to absolutely never do but now he had revealed his hiding place and was attempting to talk a potential enemy to death. His odds of surviving to actually become a fighter were dwindling more and more every minute, a thought which caused him to finally let out a nervous laughter.
"Wow that was stupid." he breathed to himself, swallowing thickly before giving the woman a flimsy smile. "Ahaha.... Well... This is... Awkward. I should uh... Leave..."
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 3:45 pm
Nope, not being paranoid. It was an extremely energetic blonde-haired Lunarian. By his age, and clothing, he appeared to be a student. Yue Lao sighed and coiled her meteor hammer around her shoulder, fastening the ties around its protective covering. There was no way she wanted to use that on this guy. "His only other trick is annoy the living hell out of me," she added, with a heavy sigh. This guy had more energy than she could even muster. It was making her feel exceptionally old.
And he was clearly not going to be worried about Hime-san, so she beckoned the lion tamarin onto her shoulder. She was about to turn away, with a heavy sigh, when she saw his expression change. He looked... worried? And the dickish part of Yue Lao translated into a wolf-smile, lips curled up, her eyes narrowing with a contented and predatory glance. "Oh? Where would you be going?" she asked, taking a step forward. Hime-san chittered excitedly at the student.
Yue Lao didn't want to start trouble with him, and she probably would have left to study her maps elsewhere-- or, Emperor forbid, gone home to her husband. Tonight, now, though... he had turned it into a game. And Yue Lao loved games. "I was just going to demonstrate all the handy things Hime-san can do, uh...?" She paced around him, waiting for his name.
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 9:37 pm
At the stranger's question Zan froze, eyes widening a little as he seemed to shrink back; had he been a puppy his ears would have drooped and his tail would have tucked itself between his legs. What it came down to was that he had been caught trying to sneak off before, apparently, this woman was done with him which didn't exactly bode well for any potential future he might have. Swallowing thickly he stared at her, then his eyes slid away, then down to the ground, and up to her face again, the move overflowing with guilt.
"I... I was going to... Go home..." Zan murmured, shifted from one foot to the other, looking up at the woman before him, then back down at the ground. "My parents are... Probably... Worried."
Oh the irony. Actually his parents wouldn't be worried at all. Why? Because Zan had a nasty habit of disappearing for days now that he was old enough to roam the city on his own. He always tended to turn up eventually so his parents had reluctantly given up and attempting to keep tabs on him. So... What happened if this stranger decided to kill him where he stood and kick him into the ocean? Probably not much for at least a week... And that week would give her time to dispose of evidence and... He was starting to make himself sick with paranoid worry now, his brain working even faster than he mouth to conjure up all sorts of horrible scenarios.
"A-ah... K-Kuang Zan... Ma'am." he stammered out, watching the woman circle him with steadily rising trepidation. "What's your name?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 10:08 pm
Maybe it was the mention of his parents that did it, but Yue Lao felt somehow protective of this student she was harassing. Whether or not his parents really were worried, Yue could just picture her mothers at home, wondering when she'd be back, if she'd be back in one piece. Yue Lao tilted her head at him, her eyes lit up like lanterns, her scales glowing faintly pink. She looked drunk, even in the dim light, and her monkey made her look pretty wild. Yue Lao was enjoying this, but it wasn't just about enjoying the poor guy's distress. It was about teaching him he couldn't wander alone without running into trouble, not with the war resurging. And Yue Lao didn't know for sure which side of the war he was on, but if he was on the enemy side... he should be careful. Just because Yue Lao had a relatively chill perspective on attacking lone students didn't mean other unsavoury people would. Too much map-reading made Yue Lao bored, dull and irritable. So she was just taking a break, right? for the good of everyone!
Except maybe Zan. "Zan-- I'm gonna call you Zan, okay?" she began, pacing back around him again. She shot one leg out, as if to sweep his feet out from under him. She hoped that he would move out of the way. She hoped he knew how to fight. She didn't move as fast as she could, because that was her favourite move, but if she could play the enemy for just a little longer, maybe she could be of real help. Not to mention it was kinda fun to pick on someone. "Captain Yue Lao, pleasure to meet you... I command the Legion troops in front line combat," she told him.
"How well do you fight, Zan? What's your style?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 12:19 am
Zan watched her warily, swallowing thickly as she continued to move, all fluid motion and grace, both of which showing that she outclassed him, most likely by a lot. Than again he supposed that his slightly build made it so that a lot of people seemed to outclass him, but that hadn't kept him from getting into fights with them all the same. Though he did hope that he hadn't said anything to offend this woman, especially since he was currently at her mercy and being killed or tortured didn't sound very pleasant.
"I... Alright... I mean that's what everyone else--" he cut himself off, sucking in a surprised breath when he saw the woman shift behind him.
Perhaps it wasn't his greatest asset, his ability to detect and avoid danger but he, personally, found it quite handy especially when it managed to get him out of trouble. He lunged forward without thinking, tipping forward, his hands bracing on the ground even as he twisted, palms aching as grit and sand abraded them, landing in a messy crouch. He was only partially facing her, after all he'd been caught completely by surprise, and his eyes were huge, breathing labored... And he was fairly certain he'd just pulled a few muscles in his sides.
"C-C-Captain?!" Zan stammered, quickly climbing to his feet and stumbling backwards. "I... I... Oh no. I... Hey... I'm just... I don't want to cause trouble or anything... I... I mean... My Father taught me... Piguaquan... Captain... Yue Lao... Ma'am."
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Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 8:06 pm
When Yue Lao was a student, she didn't even know what weapon she wanted to use. On top of that, her fighting style was rough at best, and she was reckless in fights. A "drunken" style, if there ever was an accidental one. However, that's not what her real style was about, and that's not what had lasted. She fought mostly with a bone-breaking style, and with her meteor hammer. Now, she was cocky as ever, but she had something to back her up.
That wasn't what this was about, though. This was her having fun at Zan's expense, because Yue Lao was like that, and he would likely learn very quickly what she did to amuse herself. He looked like he would be hilarious when truly frightened, and Yue needed a distraction anyway. She was pleased, however, that he managed to prevent himself from being topped over, lunging ofrward. At least he pulled a landing.
"Seems like you need to stretch more, Zan," she told him. Ouch, indeed. Even the best fighter, or Captain, knew the value of being well-prepared; too bad he hadn't really gotten time to prepare. Perhaps when he was older... hm. Yue Lao's braid swayed behind her as she moved, obscenely long at this point. She'd just kept growing it all out, and it seemed like unless she stopped braiding it, her hair would probably grow out forever. It wasn't practical to have long unbound hair on the battlefied, as far as she was concerned.
Yue Lao eyed Zan one more time, about to laugh so hard she'd burst, so she kept it together long enough to say. "Piguaquan, Zan? Why, that makes you a threat to my fighters, doesn't it?" Inside she was laughing away; poor Zan. "Hime-san... KILL,"she told her monkey, who then leapt at Zan chittering madly.
And ran off, redoubled and climbed back on Yue Lao's shoulder. She promptly doubled over with laughter, and couldn't seem to stop. Tears streamed down her face. Once she was finally able to breathe again, she spoke through choking laughter, wiping the mirthful tears away. "Oh, Emperor help me, that was too much fun."
After she had actually recovered, she added, "Come sit with me, Zan; in case your legs give out after that." Yue Lao stalked over to the fountainside and sat on the cool stone, tucking her legs up against her body, Hime-san huddling under her furred cloak for heat.
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Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 11:19 am
Zan gave her a small, sheepish smile as he slowly pushed to his feet, wincing a little but attempting to conceal it, looking nervous as he straightened. He averted his eyes looking embarrassed that she had caught him so off-guard. Had it been his father or his mother, they probably wouldn't have let someone get the better of them... Would they? Swallowing thickly he looked back to the Captain before him, nervously running his fingers through his hair as he watched her warily.
"I... Uh... I suppose I do..." he murmured, for once feeling at a loss for words.
Normally Zan rambled when he was nervous but this was something just a smidgen different than his normally shyness. No, this was closer to pure intimidation than actual nervousness; he felt like he was completely outclassed and, well, he most definitely was. Mentally he was preparing himself to bolt, glancing around for escape routes, wondering if he was fast enough to outrun a Captain.
"I... W-what?! N-No! I'm not a threat! I mean, I'm not all that good yet, I just know a few things to defend myself cus people tend to get annoyed with me... Oh no, I-- I'm not a threat, really!" he babbled, eyes wide with panic, his hands lifting to wave back and forth in front of him, palms out, head shaking back and forth. "I don't want to fi--AHH!"
Zan squawked, arms windmilling before he fell backwards, arms curling around his head protectively and eyes clenching shut as the Tamarin launched itself at him. When nothing happened he hesitantly cracked his eyes open, blinking as peels of laughter began to pour from the woman before him. He drooped visibly, bottom lip jutting out as his arms slowly drew away from his head, cheeks heating in embarrassment, one hand lifting to self-consciously rub at the burn scar on his upper arm.
"T-that... Wasn't very nice." he muttered petulantly, slowly climbing to his feet, cheeks still flaming.
At her offer he looked suspicious, eying her warily as she sat on the edge of the fountain, face still a bit sulky; he didn't really like being picked on, but he supposed that nobody really did. After a long moment he heaved a sigh and slowly approached the fountain, moving to sit on the edge as well, keeping a bit of distance between them, still cautious after his little scare. Finally his shoulders slumped a bit as he toyed with the bottom of his tunic, looking anywhere but at Yue.
"I need to practice more, I guess..."
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