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Post by artisan on Feb 3, 2007 22:49:41 GMT -5
He aloud himself the slightest of chuckles at her initial excitement. Judging by her reaction she hadn't been acquainted with many who shared her interest, or rather she hadn't met a boy how had shared her interest. No matter. Either way it was enough to let Yishugei to show the barest hint of his full fledged smile. The way her painted china doll face had alight in pleasant shock was priceless, and he wished he could have captured that image in his sketchbook as well.
"Yes, I do like to draw." He finally answered a slight glimmer of a smile showing in his usually impassive tone. With hindsight Jericho had every right to get a bit excited. He hadn't met many, actually he hadn't met any girls who had openly confessed they did do something other than gossip and go to teas and socials.
He continued, the smile still hidden beneath the layers of taught indifferent politeness. "But my true passion is poetry, writing."
Under normal circumstances he would have never mentioned it, but this wasn't a normal circumstance. The mantra running through his thoughts kept trying to reassure him that this was alright 'She's diffrent...'.
He let a genuine small laugh slip through his lips as he turned to face her, his a slight happiness gleaming beneath is dull amber eyes as he. "I almost missed this engagement this morning do to my excessive reading." He let out another quiet chuckle, he lowered his voice to a barley audible whisper, speaking more to himself than to her, "What a fool I would have been to miss this."
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Post by jericho on Feb 4, 2007 20:11:43 GMT -5
A slight wind ruffled the hem of her dress and the single loose strand of hair shifted slightly in front of her amber eyes, blending in with the charcoaled lines around them. Her delicate ears had only just caught a few words of what was coming out of Yishugei's but it was enough for her to piece together. The raging inferno in her voice and eyes had dulled to nothing more than the mere fluent flicker of a dieing flame, soft and crackling. "You are no fool." She spoke with up most confidence in what she was saying, not reassurance and worry but sheer and unadulterated confidence. As if what this lovely china doll was saying was the absolute truth and there was nothing in the world that could dispute it. She looked him directly in his dull amber eyes, lacking any of the fire she had, but she starred him in the eye as if punishing him for thinking anything other than what she had said. She turned her head calmly to stare into the wind, out into the distance trying to image what laid beyond her own home, fantasizing about a fantastic image that could only be taken out of a childhood tale. She blinked her catty eyes and the image was gone. The wind whispered once more and something else mingled with the sweet floral scent of the garden, something clean and enclosed something... different. She turned back to face Yishugei a soft simmering smile twitching at the corners of her painted. She arched a single eyebrow slightly before willing herself to stand up. Straight an prominent with a swift practiced motion just as she had sat down. "I know we just sat down but would you like to take a walk?" She gave a coy smile down at him with an underling smirk that just begged to make an appearance, the second ebony streak raising to meet the first. "All this fluff is boring me, I'm in need of a change of scenery," a small snicker escaped her lips and her smirk had come out to play. She nodded her head down the path to gesture to where she wanted to go. "There's a lovely place just down the path. It'll make your heart ache for that sketchpad." A small sliver of her even white teeth showed as her smirk widened down at his pale chiseled features and her amber eyes twinkled with burning embers. The breeze shifted once more.
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Post by artisan on Feb 7, 2007 20:12:12 GMT -5
As his dark bangs fluttering through the wind, one of Yishugei's true chuckles had slipped through his lips. He was smiling, just the barest hint of it, but it was there. Though his placid eyes were hidden beneath the bangs that continued to flit and flutter in the slight whisper of wind they showed a glimmer of bemusement. The pungent smell of flowers and something of an herbal spice came with the wind and tickled his senses.
He stood slowly, as not to appear eager (though ever muscle in his body twitched with it), and faced Jericho. He stood only a few measures taller than her, though that was with the inclusion of her geta. "I would love to take a walk." The thought of offering his elbow or his hand crossed his mind. It was, after all, what he would do with any other of his female aquaintences, but as his mantre had stated over and over again she was diffrent. Instead he let his hangs hang about his sides, not looking useless but in reserved.
"Please." Gei nodded curtiously toward Jericho "Ladies first. And, after all." he paused a moment for affect, letting his black bangs settle calmly infront of his eyes to hide the benign smile that began to grow within them. "You do know the gardens better than I. With my sense of direction we'd end up right back where we started."
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Post by jericho on Feb 9, 2007 16:57:32 GMT -5
A slight snicker escaped Jericho's lips, carried off by the simple breeze it soared threw the garden and off to the lands that she had dreamed of. She tilted her head ever so slightly to nodding it in both respect and agreement. 'Respect is earned, not demanded,' she had used that line only early that day, and the idea of it coming back to her aloud her smirk to widen ever so slightly. Yishugei had earned her respect, if only on a trial bases. She had almost recoiled the notion of giving him that highly ranked of positions, that of being respected by her, when he said 'Ladies first', the end justified the means, though. He had made her laugh, well, snicker. "Of course I'll lead." She began to work down the path, very slowly waiting for him to walk with her. She threw a teasing smile over she shoulder, her amber eyes burning with intensity, toying with the idea of running off. That would make for an exciting game, indeed. Slowly, from beneath her dress, she began to move her feet so they slid out of her geta silently. Her must have noticed the visible drop in her height. Her bare feet touched the sun warmed stones of the garden path, being barefoot once more was absolutely exhilarating, like meeting a friend you haven't seen in ages. Jericho's delicate hands moved to the front of her kimono, clutching a small amount of silken fabric in each hand. With a rogue laugh over her shoulder aimed at Yishugei she began to run as fast as the elegant garb would let her, holding up the front of the dress as not to trip. A wide playful grin was spread across her round face, and her vixen laughter slid through every bran and petal of the garden, spreading across the grounds like a firecracker in the sky. The wind carried the sound far off, to the lands of Jericho's dreams.
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Post by artisan on Feb 10, 2007 14:37:17 GMT -5
He had caught all the signs but none of them had registered. He stood a moment, his amber eyes wide, looking between the deep red streak cutting through the sea of pink and the black wooden geta left behind, the soul painted with panda lilies.
Finally the thought surged into Yishugei's muscles and nerves and he began to run after her, amber eyes fixated on the red streak. His angular ears were transfixed on the sound of her full hearted laughter, filling his head and his senses he pushed himself faster, eager to catch up.
The smile that had begun on his lips was small when the sound of the laughter first hit his ears. Slowly it began to creep up on him, inch by inch until the laughter that had bubbled and balled up in the center of his Adam's apple burst through his lips. His soft heard chuckles mixed with her full blown chants of teasing glee. The sounds mingled together in a mid-air dance, being tousled and throw about by the breeze itself.
The mingled sound traveled throughout the estate and gently swept past the ears of Yishugei's mother, Yuan. She wasn't far off, having been invited to tea in The Xanin estate. A small devious smile touched her lips upon hearing the sound, 'Gei's made a friend.'
The delicate woman sitting across the small dark wooded table pulled the china tea cup away from her lips, the scent of lavender rising, "What are you smiling at, Yuan?" A snarky voice slid through the snobbish smirk, "Nothing, Ai dear. Nothing at all."
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Post by jericho on Feb 10, 2007 20:41:15 GMT -5
Choruses of intertwined laughter fled through the air. Jericho inhaled it with vigor, throwing it back out as quickly as it came into her system. Her bare feet pounded against the warm stone tiles fueling her further. Ebony hair had began to slip through the strict bun that held it, hundreds of small wispy dark tendrils flying about her face, mingling with the laughter. Her round cheeks had pushed her amber eyes, alight and sparkling with sheer amusement, into squinting, the garden was now seen through a blurry panorama, but she knew it like the back of her hand, Jericho would never get lost around her own grounds. A sudden movement almost startled Jericho into tripping. She stumbled, very ungracefully, into a stop, her laughter caught in her throat. Jericho's catty amber eyes widened to a frightening proportion, the charcoal around them making them look dramatically startling. In front of her path, scuttling calmly along the stone walk was a spider-snake, small and hairy, tasting the air with it's tongue flicking in, and out, in, and out. Jericho's very breath caught in her throat and she was paralyzed into a stand still. She did not like spiders. She did not like anything that had to do with spiders. The small creature had completely and utterly paralyzed her, she could not move. She could not think. Fear had slid her icy hand around her spine and forced her to stay put, force her to relinquish all utter thoughts and pallor, every single etiquette and prideful action known in her memory banks shut off and she operated on primal instinct alone. It took every single thought she had left, which wasn't much, to hold back the scream that was beginning to form deep within her. Her bottom lip trembled as she forced her eyelids to remain close, trying to keep them off the hideous creature. Thrusting her calm outward, she waited for the creature to past.
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Post by artisan on Feb 12, 2007 21:10:46 GMT -5
The laughter died from Gei's lips the moment it ceased from the air. Everything seemed to still immediately, even the constant whisper of a breeze seemed to stale. The scene had fallen into a shock that went to Yishugei's very core, chilling him instantly. It had felt like winter had settled over them in a matter of seconds.
He continued down the path, keeping his speed stable. His dull amber eyes were now intently fixed on the deep red that had cut through the now thinning pink foliage. His heart thudded against his rib cage, begging for relief, and as the red cloud began to define itself into the curvaceous figure that was Jericho, Gei slowed down.
She stood steadfast, frozen completely, her chest didn't even seem to rise and fall with breath. Gei approached as silent as he could make himself, which, despite the lack of a warrior instinct, was surprisingly easy. Yishugei had spent most of his life in silent seclusion so making himself known as nothing more than a shadow or a ghost was no great feat.
His amber eyes traveled to the ground, trying to see what had stopped this fiery female dead in her tracks. Slowly he set eyes on the scuttling serpent, a spider-snake. And though violence was not his first instinct or custom he had to do something to avenge the fire the creature had doused.
Gei lifted his leg and with a brief sweep of his foot the creature skidded off the path and flew deep withing the gardens. With a sharp inhale trying to recover himself he turned to Jericho. Her eyes were still close and her breath was still caught in her pale throat. Slowly he touched a hand to hers, enclosing her long pianist fingers in his. "Are you alright?"
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Post by jericho on Feb 13, 2007 17:03:36 GMT -5
A surge of energy rushed to the nerves in her hand. With the swift graceful gesture of a warrior and an heiress she tore her hand from Yishugei's and spun to face him. Nerves made her heart thud against her ribcage and for a moment Jericho feared it may break free. The flame in her eyes reared and seared with a heat so hot it was cold. She narrowed them at Yishugei, daring him to touch her once more without a formal invitation. She had never thought to be embarrassed, only angry at him for seeing her as she was, solid and frozen with animalistic fear. It was not in Jericho to blame herself, she had blushed enough today and now it was time to appeal to her first instinct, her anger and frustrations. She was so furiouser that he had saw her like that, that she had completely forgotten about the spider-snake. "How dare you lay a hand on me!" Her hot amber eyes could have seared him on the spot with the viscose intensity they held. Jericho's very voice was scorched with embers of her own fury. Her breathing had quickened with a jolt, moving as fast as her heart. The whisper of a breeze that had remained in the background for the whole experience had now made its presence none, kissing her cheek with it's warmth reminding her of the dancing laughter that had frolicked in the atmosphere just moments before. Jericho inhaled deeply, trying to breath in the calm that surrounded her, trying to cool the fire within her heart. She tore her eyes away from Yishugei's face, looking on the path in front of her to where the spider-snake should have been, was. She exhaled, letting the heat leave her. She couldn't let herself to admit she was wrong or at fault, not out right. In a simple gesture of apology she turned to face Yishugei, her face serene and calm. "Thank you." She continued to walk on the path as if nothing ever happened, brushing up against him for the briefest of moments as she walked by.
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Post by artisan on Feb 13, 2007 22:03:46 GMT -5
It took a few moments to process what had happened, and for the brief procession of thought Yishugei was confused as to whether he was in Jericho's good graces or not. He really hadn't thought about taking her hand, it had just happened. The idea of having to suffer consequences or repercussions never crossed his mind. The mantra note ran through his head like a small far off whisper. 'She's diffrent...'
The warmth she had emitted into Gei when she brushed by surged his mind out of the thought process. She had forgiven him without words, and that was good enough. With the calm easy pace of a gentleman he continued along the path, taking his place by her side. Now that her geta were gone he stood a good measure taller than her. Her arms swayed useless at his side, trying to keep himself on a casual basis not wanting to turn it into one of those formal arrangements, which it had been to begin with.
The way she had reacted before answered his previous question of 'Are you alright', and while Yishugei felt comfortable in the silence that had settled between them he felt the need to speak of something, start a conversasion of sorts. Maybe. For the moment he was content with his own thoughts of their new destination and the company he kept.
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Post by jericho on Feb 14, 2007 13:50:02 GMT -5
Jericho barely raised her feet off the stone tiles as she walked, savoring the warmth beneath her. It was soothing. Silence had settled between the two but it was not at all uncomfortable. She used it to her advantages, savoring the sounds of the outside; the ruffle of the breeze through the garden, the flutter of insect wings fluttering about, but most important the nearing sound of water. They were close to their destination for the pink clouds had longed thinned, they had now vanished into emerald green topiary, bushes and hedges of manicured earth. When the scent of the blooms hit her nose Jericho knew they had all but made it. A smirk began to form on her painted lips as the scene came into view. A small circles clearing titled with the same stones that had made up the walk, the man made pond rippled slightly with the small, smaller than a foot, sized waterfall. Small bubbles raised to the surface every once and a while as the koi fish beneath the shimmering seal swam about like leaves caught in the wind. Lily pads accompanied with the soft pink water blossoms, swayed slightly on the suffice and the angle at which the sun hit it made it shine like a precious stone. A bench, twin to the one in the previous clearing, stood steadfast in front of it. The White Dragon flowers that surrounded the clearing burst through the other plants that surrounded them, large and prominent through the deep blood reds and the soft lavenders. The clearing was an explosion of color, absolute ambrosia for the eye and nectar of the nose. Jericho inhaled a deep steady breath, taking in everything her surroundings had to offer, drinking it up in deep gulps as if she were a thirsty man lost in the dessert. She let everything out in a soft sigh, knowing very well she'll be able to come back. Yishugei, she turned to look at him her smirk still very much present, however,wouldn't. "Welcome to paradise." She spoke simply, as if the phrase had said everything she hadn't.
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Post by artisan on Feb 14, 2007 16:32:35 GMT -5
Gei's thin lips parted as he set sight on the spectacular setting before him. The lightening bolts of color surged through his very being. Yishugei couldn't help himself, he heaved a heavy sigh of longing wanting nothing more than to sketch the image. A thousand prose and poems shot through his head, lines of fixed haikus and free formed open verses, he pulled them all into a mental drawer to save for later. He would not let himself forget.
Jericho's crackling low flame voice snapped him out of his own thoughts. Slowly he turned his head to his shoulder, tilting it down slightly to look into her eyes. For a brief moment he aloud his dull amber eyes to lock with her vibrant ones. A sharp intake of breath slid through his lips, exposing the slightest gestures of surprise. Electricity sizzled and seared inside him but it wasn't at all uncomfortable. With a quick blink he severed the connection, and regained complete composure. He turned back eying the clearing once more, a soft smile sliding itself onto his thin lips. "It's beautiful."
There was a slight pause between them, only the wind spoke. A butterfly had nestled itself in one of the flowers, seemingly content. Gei, too, contented himself with watching the delicate wings of the creature move in slow motion as it drank the nectar he was scenting. The smile on his lips grew the smallest of measure before he turned back to look down upon Jericho. A quote from one of the books he had once read fled into his mind and onto his lips. "Though, I've learned it's not who you are with, but the company you keep, that makes a destination truly beautiful."
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Post by jericho on Feb 14, 2007 19:44:08 GMT -5
The single surge of static shock that flowed from Yishugei's eyes to hers through the breviloquent lock was nearly unnerving. She hall but sighed with relief when when he had ended it. Her catty eyes followed his, watching the butterfly with mild interest, knowing that the creature would either be back later or be vanquished by one of the many dragonflies that roamed the area in search for slow easy prey such as it. Slowly she turned back to look up at Yishugei, just as he did the same. A slow smirk began to crawl its way onto Jericho's lips, contrasting the blush that was beginning to ravage her cheeks. Sincerity was thick in his voice, and though boys had used 'lines' on her before, none were as profound as this. The smirk continued to play on her lips as she spoke with a cool confidence. "Than this clearing must look absolutely stunning." Jericho was not one to be modest about her looks but nor was she vain. She approached her appearance with the same confidence that she would have in any other one of her abilities, like her art or sword play. "I must say," she added calmly, "from my point of view the clearing's atmosphere has greatly improved since I was last here." The smirk on her lips raised slightly on one side to give hint to mischief. Jericho moved her hand in a demure fashion so that the tips of her fingers just barely brushed against his. With a quick movement she snatched up Yishugei's wrist in his, he pianist fingers enclosing around it. "Come," a bright giggle escaped her own grasp, "we can feed the koi." She pulled him over to the bench, her bare feet padding along the stones.
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Post by artisan on Feb 15, 2007 13:33:27 GMT -5
Warmth flooded Gei's cheeks, he hadn't expected her to say anything close to a compliment. Inwardly he laughed at himself. 'Fire is unpredictable, with a life of its own.' He gazed down at her fondly, his lips attempting to form a smirk of his own, very unsuccessfully though. It ended out looking like one of his common placed soft spoken smiles.
His lips parted in slight shock when Jericho so suddenly took hold of his wrist. Yishugei was all but helpless to do anything but be dragged along by her, not that he mind. A slight chuckle raised inside him and made itself known, mingling with Jericho's own giggle like it had before.
They reached the pond and immediately his placid eyes turned down to look upon the shimmering living glass. Several fish swam about in slow sporadic patterns. Every once in a while one would raise to near surface to brush against one of the lilly pads, making the plant shift slightly. Tiny infinite ripples came from the miniature waterfall, each small whisper of a wave running into run another. A Dragonfly zoomed past, creating a larger ripple affect that disturbed everything within the small pond.
Slowly he turned to look at Jericho, smiling softly. He thought back to what she had said earlier about the clearing. "It's absolutely stunning."
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Post by jericho on Feb 15, 2007 15:38:30 GMT -5
Muffled giggled slipped themselves from in between Jericho's close lipped smirk. Her charcoaled eyes studied Yishugei carefully, lapping up his own awe and excitement for the world around him as if it were her own. She slid her hand from his wrist, letting it linger a few moments longer than she should have. Her smirk widened to reveal the slightest sliver of even white teeth as she set sight on the common placed brown satchel filled with stale bread and other nibblings for the koi. It was right near the water's edge, directly in front of the farthest right end of the bench, just to the left from where they were standing. With a little effort she managed to make the sweeping up of the clothe bag a graceful and dramatic motion. She slid her burning eyes, to give Yishugei a playful sideways glance as she undid the satchel. She had preformed the procedure hundreds of times before and no longer needed to look at the clever knots that kept other animals out to undo them. While still smirking at Yishugei, Jericho took a small portion of crumbs and fish feed, sizing it up by how it felt in her manicured hands alone. She turned her head to face the pond, the flirtatious smile stuck on her red lips. This was flirting to Jericho. Amazingly subtle, just as she ad been taught. She did pour it on thick, once in a while, but that was only when she wanted something, or when the muscle bound egotistical meat heads that called themselves suitors were too stupid to take a hint. 'Somehow.' Jericho thought to herself, her smile increasing sightly. 'I don't think that's Yishugei.' With a wave her her silken cloth arm she tossed the food into the water, each crumb causing a small ripple of it's own. Without hesitation the koi threw themselves at the feed excitedly, gulping up the meal as if it would be their last. Jericho turned back to Yishugei, offering the bag to him with grander. "Maybe with a second helping they'll learn to pace themselves." Jericho's smirk widened back into a grin.
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Post by artisan on Feb 15, 2007 19:17:41 GMT -5
Gei caught the deliberate flirtatious ventures of Jericho, but made a note not to create a huge reaction. If flirting really was an art for the woman of the Fire Nation, like his teacher Ying had once said, than Jericho was painting a master piece. If he hadn't been through rigorous lessons in interaction for the majority of his life, Yishugei would have never caught it. She was incredibly subtle, and he couldn't help but feel proud of himself that he had comprehended her message. His dull amber eyes followed her every action, very much interested in knowing what else Jericho Xanin had up her sleeves.
He gave a whisper of a chuckle at her comment before dipping his hand into the bag, running his fingers through the grains of dried food. Yishugei took a good measure, smiling softly down at her. "Sometimes, you can't help but be insatiable." This had a duel meaning behind it, of course the most obvious one was what Jericho had said the fish, but he was also talking about Jericho and Yishugei, more him than her. He was insatiable, for her presence as of current. He could not get enough of her, and somewhere a rogue thought traced the corners of his mind. 'I wish this day would never end.'
Another blush began to creep along his chiseled cheeks before he shook off the thought. That was not a proper thought, not for someone of his breeding. Following the gestures Jericho had made before, he turned to look toward the pond and scattered the dehydrated treats. The fish continued to ravage the surface of the water, ever insatiable for what was right in front of them.
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