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 Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 10:23 pm
Guowei had recently gotten his hands on a fruit that he thought he would never see again... Yes, he had stumbled upon a shop selling the king of all fruits - even if some might argue that the 'king' should be the pumpkin - and could not resist buying one home. However, since it was late at night, he had wrapped the delicious fruit up, left it on the table, and went to bed.
The next morning, he woke up to the wonderful fragrance of durian... And wondered if such a heaty fruit would be appropriate for breakfast.
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Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 10:42 pm
Yuzhi was out and about early in the morning to take care of various errands and just generally be outside. It was a pleasant enough morning but she hadn't had breakfast yet and even then she wasn't sure what she wanted just yet.
At least until a smell caught her attention. It was familiar.
Described by some as pleasant and by others as totally repugnant.
Yuzhi found herself in the neutral camp when it came to smell, probably because she was more after the taste of the fruit than she was for the scent. It had been a while since she had durian. Durian brought up memories of her Father and it brought a small pang of sadness in her heart. After a small internal fight she found her feet taking her to the door that had the smell emanating for it and her hand reached up on its own accord to knock on the tent flap.
She stared at her traitorous hand with disapproval.
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Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 10:51 pm
When the flap of his tent started to... Flap rather unnaturally, Guowei paused, staring in its direction. It didn't take him long to realize that someone must be trying to get his attention, and since whoever it was did not use his name, perhaps it was a stranger?
He looked at the durian on the table, realizing that not everyone is too fond of its rather unique fragrance... Could it be his neighbor, here to complain about how something in his tent was producing an unpleasant smell? Or perhaps a passerby thought that something had died in his tent, and was currently decomposing?
With a wistful glance at his beloved durian - ah yes, he shall have you soon enough - he made his way towards the entrance of his tent, and pushed it up.
"Greetings. How may-" He started to speak, only to realize that there was nobody there. Was it the wind, after all? As he was about to retreat back into his tent, however, he happened to look down, and... Ah, could this be the person who knocked on his tent flap? With a smile, he bent over slightly so that he was closer to her eye level, "How may I assist you?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 10:54 pm
She was used to taller folk looking above her head whenever she did bother to knock on something. Yuzhi took it with patience of someone with burning rage deep inside her heart.
Instead of a frown she wore a smile.
Sweet and full of irritation.
"Y-Yes..I was wondering if I may ... have some of your durian. Just a small piece...I haven't had any in so long. I was very surprised when I recognized the smell and..." Why was she talking so much? Already she was regretting all of her life decisions that brought her up to this moment.
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Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 11:12 pm
Could it be?
A fellow durian lover?
Guowei's smile broadened as he straightened, holding the tent flap up as he gestured for the ghoul to enter, "Anyone who is fond of durian is a friend... I have yet to open it, but you are welcome to share it with me."
Such a healthy breakfast.
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Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 11:24 pm
It was honestly a warmer reception than she had truly anticipated. It caused her to hesitate a moment before she wandered into the tent with a strange male that she didn't even know the name of.
Oh. Names.
"I am Jiang Yuzhi, Scholar." She didn't feel that she needed to tell the clan she was in since he appeared to be in the same one.
There was a small pause, "Since... I am troubling you for some of your food you may dispense all formality and simply call me Yuzhi."
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Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 11:52 pm
"Fu Guowei, Noble by birth but I consider myself a Scholar by trade," He replied, amused that it was Yuzhi who suggested that they drop formalities - which is fine by him, of course, but back in the old days, it was a top-down suggestion rather than a bottom-up, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Yuzhi."
Walking over to the table, he unwrapped the durian, careful not to get pricked by the spiky fruit, "Do you, by any chance, know how to open it?" His father had always done it for him, after all... And he never got a chance to learn.
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 9:40 pm
Yuzhi only paused when it was mentioned that he was a noble by birth. She almost tried to apologize for her informality but as she sucked in her breath to speak she let it out in a sigh. No point in it now. She'd traipsed into the dragon's den and now she had to deal with it.
He didn't seem upset at least.
The mare moved closer as she delicately pulled the fruit closer to herself, "..I think I can manage. If you have a knife. I do not often carry knives with me when I go for a walk," there was something of a small playful smile on her lips but it was gone as soon as it appeared.
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 9:58 pm
"Delightful! I doubt anyone - perhaps other than those from War - would make it a habit to bring a knife around with them on walks," Guowei replied with an amused smile as he retrieved a kitchen knife from one of the drawers to the side of the tent, "I shall supply the tool, while you supply the skill."
He knew that having one of these on hand would come in handy one day, although he had never imagined that it would be for opening a durian. Placing the knife down beside the fruit, he hovered beside Yuzhi, eager to watch.
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 10:04 pm
There were many ways of opening a durian. Some were easier than others and yet more tactics also relied on strength.
Yuzhi had some strength but she wasn't certain she had enough to allow her to make the cuts needed and then pry the shell of the fruit apart. For now she picked up the knife focused on making the cuts mostly against where the pods were that hid the fruit.
It was a bit like cutting orange peels. Spikes of the fruit threatened to pierce her a time or two but for the most part she had managed.
She set the knife down, "I was taught to make cuts along the pods so that when you pry the shell off.. you can get at the fruit no problems. I am sure there are better and more practiced ways but...I don't think I can pry it open easily, would you mind?"
They were now Team Durian.
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Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 10:29 pm
"I believe that was how my father did it as well... Once it has been pried open once, it gets easier to break the fruit up into its sections, I believe?" Guowei looked away from Yuzhi, and at the fruit on the table; he had never actually tried his hand at opening one before, but how difficult can it be? He'll just have to apply the right amount of force on the right angle...
"I will try my best to make this work," He moved the durian so that it was in front of him, and carefully stuck his thumbs into the opening created by Yuzhi earlier, resting his fingers on the hard shell while avoiding the spikes. Once he had a firm hold on the shell, he put all his energy into pulling it apart - and somehow succeeded in what he had set out to do, splitting it into two halves, and exposing the soft flesh inside.
While he tried not to let it show on his face, he was pretty proud.
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Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 12:10 am
"Yes. That is how it goes," she agreed quietly as she carefully set the knife down and moved aside so that Guowei could have room to fiddle with the fruit's hardened shell. It was quite a feat of teamwork between the two of them.
Two strangers sharing a treat that only a very few would desire to eat if they could get past the scent of it.
"I am surprised you do not have a couple of indignant neighbors at your ..." She glanced back at the tentflap, "...flap demanding that you to bury the dead thing you are harboring."
There was amusement in her voice as she observed and even clapped as the fruit was successfully pried open, "Ah! It has been so long."
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Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 12:30 am
"Perhaps they are very polite neighbors," Guowei suggested as he plucked out one of the two pieces of durian flesh for himself before pushing the shell towards Yuzhi so that she could have the other, "Or perhaps they simply do not mind the smell enough to come knocking."
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Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 12:40 am
"Whatever the case may be..." Yuzhi shrugged. Once she was free to get herself some of the fruit, she picked out a couple of pieces and began to eat, the small mare enjoyed the taste of the fruit with a small happy sound.
This was wonderful!
The fruit was lovely and it was just the right amount of ripeness. Yuzhi swayed a little side to side from happiness and then she paused.
..Blushed.
Here she was getting carried away, "O..oh ... Thank you for sharing this with me."
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Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 12:49 am
Guowei tucked into the fruit shortly after Yuzhi did; it was difficult to be sophisticated when you're eating durian, but at least he didn't get it all over his mouth. It was just all over his fingers by the time he was done, and had stripped the moist, sweet meat from the seed, which was then tossed into the trash to be disposed of later.
Although he was in the company of a stranger and would normally refrain from doing something like licking his fingers, it had been so long since he last had durian that he couldn't resist. Besides, the mare wasn't exactly shy at showing her delight either.
"You're very welcome," He replied, splitting one of the shell halves again to reveal yet another section filled with durian, "It is uncommon to find someone who isn't put off by the smell of this lovely fruit."
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