[PRP] First Time For Everything (Yuzhi & Thrain)

[AyeAvast]

While the letter he had sent her might have been as perfect as possible for a man not used to eloquent words, actually getting himself composed on the day of the big event was not so easily attained. After quite a lot of flowery language that basically meant asking her out, Thrain had arranged to meet Yuzhi at her home in three days, which gave him plenty of time to worry about what he was doing, to wonder why he was being so nervous about all this, and to try and do his best to get things ready. Namely, finding an outfit that was not something he'd worn out on post or to a fight which meant it would be most likely dirt stained, blood stained, mystery stained or some combination of all the above. Once it was ascertained that he had nothing for something as nice an outing with a lady, the Guardian was forced to visit Ying in hopes of acquiring something nice from her.
Finally he had what looked like a suit, since he wasn't really sure what else he was supposed to wear and it was much too warm for traditional fur garb, the Guardian was left with only a few additional details. He had found his fuzzy haired partner from that one class he might have skipped out on once it had really gotten started and asked her where was the best place to take a lady on "a date", as she called it. With that particular heading in mind, as well as a single white lily he had picked, Thrain made his way to Yuzhi's home.

Nerves really set in once he approached and knocked, golden eyes widening when he realized that her brother most likely lived with her and what if he was here now what if he answered the door and what if he did not like Thrain? Had the man been more inclined to letting his emotions show on his face, he might have looked panicked, but instead he looked as though he might have caught a small whiff of something off. Not terrible, just a small quirk of his mouth before he breathed deeply.
He was a Guardian. He had trained long and hard in the cold and could handle anything. Even brothers of the lady he wished to court.
"This is far worse than that blizzard where we all almost starved." So much worse.
With a deep breath, the man lifted a hand and knocked on the door.

Pales

 

[Pales]

Yuzhi had gotten the letter and it served as a very stern reminder that he had verbally asked her that one day and now he intended to follow through. The mare wasn't sure how that made her feel other than terribly excited and very nervous. She had torn through her closet and ascertained, through her literature and observations of others, that her garb was too formal. With some consultation and a bit of shopping she had managed to find something that was a nice in between of formal and informal.

He wasn't taking her to the emperor's court after all.

Right? Oh Heavens. What if he was? What would she do then?

So the cycle of nervousness would start anew over a series of days until the day of where it was a whole new set of nerves. Yuzhi had gotten ready early. Two hours early. She'd fooled herself into believing that it was a good thing because then she could relax and read some stories and just wait.

Instead she stared at the clock the entire time as she waited as close to the door as she could.

Every time she tried to read her eyes wandered to the clock or down to her dress where she saw phantom dirt stains only to realize it was a shadow from the lightning. When there was a knock on the door finally she uttered a squeak of surprise and rushed to the door with as she announced, "I AM GOING NOW--..! Wait no one is hom--," her eyes widened as she stared at Thrain.

"...I.. um...Hello!" Yuzhi was blushing furiously and feeling foolish. Some part of her had expected it to be someone else.

AyeAvast

Frazzled Yuzhi is frazzled.

 

[AyeAvast]

Counting the seconds between when Thrain had knocked on the door and when it was answered turned out to be a really terrible plan. When it went past five seconds the man began to fret that perhaps the Lady Yuzhi had forgotten, or that she had decided without his knowing that she was not prepared to be courted. Or maybe she did not even realize his motivation was to court her or that she had realized that was his intent and she was so upset by his uncouth behavior toward her that she was very angry with him. What if she wanted to be friends!? That would not be so bad, he decided with a tiny frown, it might hurt but he would still get to see her smile and that was alright. Maybe it was something else entirely, maybe it was--
The door finally opened then, the tiny little mare standing there just as small and sweet as he remembered and... Shouting apparently?
All the worry and pent up nervousness that had plagued him before vanished with the chuckle that bubbled up in his throat. A hand passed under his nose in attempt to cover the grin, but it was impossible to hide something that large.

"Good afternoon, Lady Yuzhi." The man greeted in a low rumble because he felt very buoyant suddenly, though he was quick to dip into a bow before her. When he straightened, his eyes did not as he let them drop to her feet and raise up to her head in a slow, curious look over. It did not at all occur to him that this was rude or could be interpreted in any sort of negative way for his smile tilted up a little to one side.
"That dress is lovely on you." How could a compliment be rude?

But oh yes!
With a start he went back into the bow, the hand that had been hiding behind his back swinging forward to offer her the white flower he held.
"A lovely flower for the lovely lady." Unable to stop himself, golden eyes slid up to peek out from between the few strands of his hair that refused to be tied back just so he could see her reaction.

Pales

 

[Pales]

If only she could read minds otherwise she'd probably quite frankly tell him everything he likely wanted to hear, but then again the fact that she answered the door all nicely primped and dressed just for him probably answered any concerns he may have had just then. It could also have answered nothing as she then commenced staring up at him after the door was open. Her usually pale complexion began to redden in a light blush especially when she was complimented by him, her fingertips reached up to fuss at a bit of her hair that hung a bit loose.

She suddenly felt so strange and foolish in front of him, "Ah. Yes. Good evening and thank you," she replied quietly once she found her voice again. Yuzhi took several seconds to look him over as she returned the compliment to him, "You look very handsome."

Then he offered her a gift and her blush darkened more as she reached to accept it. "So pretty," she breathed quietly and even moved to look it over for a moment. Her hand reached and tugged him into her home for a second while she wandered about to get the flower into a glass of water with no real ceremony behind her action. She didn't invite him as much as drag him in.

After she felt the flower would be safe she paused a moment, "What are some of your favorite colors, Sir Thrain?" She asked innocently as she reached up to grasp his hand again and gently led him out of the home. Yuzhi was ready to go out now.

AyeAvast

 

[AyeAvast]

In fact, seeing Yuzhi all dressed up and pretty, so eager to open the door for him, did erase all the questions in Thrain's mind but not because it answered them. They were mostly irrelevant now when she was looking so pretty and darling and nervous. That last bit was odd to him for of all people to be nervous, it seemed the strangest for Yuzhi. Not the tough little thing with a serious face, but here she was turning red on him. Perhaps it wasn't the first time, but that did not detract from its adorableness in any way.
"Thank you for the compliment... How have you been since the last time we spoke?" He asked sincerely, but was not given a reply so much as pulled into the house. Surprised not only by the sudden action, but also by the strength the small mare possessed, Thrain was quick to oblige her, shuffling after her with a small gruff noise of being taken aback. Or should it be taken forward?
Regardless he was pulled in and now in her home, golden eyes sliding slowly from detail to detail. Every small thing caught his attention as he took them in, considered that these were all things that Yuzhi had touched, even in a small way, and found them vastly more interesting because of.

Quiet, he followed after her, watching with a small smile as she doted on the gift he had brought her and feeling himself warm up because of it. That was why he had brought the thing to her, because he wanted to see her smile and flush, but to have actually invoked the reaction seems far more than he expected. Its a pleasant, if confusing, feeling but he lets the thought go when she asks him his question.
"My favorite colors? O-oh... Ah..." A hand reached up to stroke against the tuft of hair on his chin as he thought. "Well, I like blue... Deep blue, the color of the sky as the sun begins to set. But I do like snow white... Though I find myself becoming fonder of gold and green, as of late." That last bit made his mouth curl in a cheeky manner, but he dropped his hand to gesture gently at her.
"And you? What are some of your favorite colors, Lady Yuzhi?" He had a guess, but it was better to hear her say them.

Pales

 

[Pales]

"I have been well enough. I um..." She shifted her shoulders as if trying to jostle the words to come out of her mouth before she uttered in a quiet tone, "I was looking forward to seeing you again. It seemed like time was moving very slow until today..." Yuzhi fought down a hard blush that threatened to overcome her face, not that it made much difference since she was blushing already.

Yuzhi wasn't used to gifts of flowers from others and thus she doted on them until she felt they were safe and out of the way of her Brother who was her housemate. There were already plans in her mind to dry the plant in order to preserve them for later decoration. Now they were out the door and moving along as she listened to him recite his favorite colors and almost felt her heart burst toward the end as he mentioned her own favorite colors becoming his own.

"I..I um..I like green and gold but I think... you noticed," She uttered a chuckle as she tilted her head to stare at the ground for the moment. "I think deep blue and snow white are lovely colors too..."

Yuzhi wondered if she had clothes or strings in those colors.

The small mare cleared her throat as she tried to carry the conversation along so as not to flounder in her own mind too long, "I seem to recall that I owe you a song..."

AyeAvast

 

[AyeAvast]

A small, but obvious shift occurred in the Guardian's face at Yuzhi's words, something meant half as a joke, and half quite honestly though he felt playing it off as a joke might make it go over easier.
"How strange! Time felt as though it had slowed down for me quite a lot too. I do hope that it does not speed up now that we have met again." Thrain grinned at her then, unabashedly even though the flush of her face did eventually make his eyes dart off from her, though he told himself it was for her own sake; To make her feel less on the spot. It was certainly not because he felt his own face beginning to warm, that was not it at all.
But curiosity could not be helped and the man watched her fuss over the flowers, his head tilted to one side.
"Are flowers always to be treated as such?" This was an honest inquiry that he followed up with a scratch to his chin and a bashful look. "I ah... Am not very familiar with flowers, I am afraid. I lived most of my years in the cold, where nothing much grows." Nothing so beautiful as flowers or delicate mares like the one before him.

Content to be led along, Thrain followed the mare out the door he'd just entered, thinking nothing of wanting a tour of the inside of her home as he offered his elbow to her and took an earnest delight in pulling her tiny hand through the crook of his arm. Her hand was so tiny and fit in his palm so well, he could even cover it up entirely if he closed his fingers around her's. But he only nods as she talks, releasing her so that he can view the paleness of her skin against his dark clothing.
"I admit that I am biased in my color preference. Absolutely and completely biased." Was that too obvious?

"Ah yes! That is correct, you do! But we mustn't rush into things like this, you know." He laughs and looks down at her with a sly smile. "If you have a particular song in mind, then by all means go on ahead. But if you would prefer to wait... I had a... Few ideas of what to do today and your song might be best saved for later."

Pales

 

[Pales]

She let out a small short laugh at his comment, probably to hide her own bashful feelings she felt toward him. Yuzhi managed to respond in a offhanded sounding way, "If it does speed up then I will look for a way to slow down time the next time we do something together." Magically Yuzhi didn't realize her words and didn't erupt into a fresh session of red faced discomfort; in fact she managed to just continue on, letting the sincerity of her voice hang in the air.

"A..Ah yes. It is so I can maybe preserve them for later. Th..They are so lovely that it would be a shame to have them to be wilted upon the end of our evening," she said softly as she gave the flowers one last gentle touch on the petals before they left. "Flowers are fragile things, you know. They need love, sun, and lots of care when they are growing. A..Oh..I'm sorry this might be boring you..."

Customs revolving flowers was something she'd read about, but that also lead to her learning a little too much about flowers in general, and thus with little warning she'd gone into instructor mode. For a small time she fell quiet as she clutched onto his offered arm as if it was keeping her tethered to the ground for right now.

Yuzhi had given him a curious but excited glance, "Yes! I will think on it a little longer," she agreed quietly with a small smile appearing on her face. "What will we be doing? Since you had ideas...?"

AyeAvast

 

[AyeAvast]

The chuckle that escaped Thrain was low and warm, but certainly no less heartfelt because it came out unbidden, if anything the fact that it surprised him so much made it all the more sincere. It was sweet that the mare was so concerned over their time together to say something like she did, but it was a realization that settled warmly in the Guardian's stomach.
"That is very kind of you." He murmured, letting his eyes fall away from her to better take in the moment.
But it passed quickly and he stood straighter to listen to her explanation of flowers. Though it all seemed a little over his head, he nodded in his most understanding manner, humming where it seemed appropriate to prompt her into further speech. The importance of flowers still went over his head, they were fleeting little things that seemed exceptionally weak. But the idea that they could be preserved did pique his interest and he decided to go with that.
"This is not at all boring! It is quite pleasurable to hear you speak so happily. Now, I am a bit curious to hear... How would you preserve them? They will soon wilt and fall to nothing, yes?" Thrain and refined pasttimes did not necessarily go together.

As for her curiosity over where they were going, it was hard for the man to hide his excitement. A gleeful, if mildly mischievous, smile took over his mouth as he lead them along. By now they were nearing the exit of the small encampment gifted to the Clans, immediately choosing the path that would lead them off the school's campus entirely.
"Perhaps it is something you have already visited, but it is certainly something I have never participated in before and thought it would be a fun excursion for us both." Not wanting to give away the game already, he gestured with his free hand in no real indication of anything.
"Surely you are familiar with the bazaars and small shops that sell hand crafted goods and the like once on our Islands. Well, I discovered that the students here participate in something similar, only it is all under one roof and the stores are not all hand crafted. They call it: The Maul."
The excitement of a new discovery was clear on Thrain's face, especially when he remembered a great story to tell.
"I do not think I ever told you about the time I stole a very expensive sword from a very well to do Jewelcrafter?"  

[Pales]

Yuzhi felt a pleasant sort of happiness at Thrain's reaction to her words. It wasn't like they were much - at least not to her but she at least accepted this for now. It felt nice to enjoy someone's company so deeply.

The assurance that she wasn't boring him was a relief to her, she offered him a small shy smile and nodded her head, "Yes they will wilt and fall for nothing. I plan to press them in the pages of a journal I keep, but I could also hang them upside down and dry them out...But I think pressing them would be nicer, I could arrange them in a frame, maybe..." There was a bit furrow to her brow as she tried to decide what to do with the gift that was bestowed upon her.

The mare felt a bit of excitement at going to somewhere new with Thrain. She hadn't really bothered with exploring too much and what little she had seen? It was less than spectacular, but perhaps with her (handsome) new companion she'd feel more excited about the sights and sounds they were about to experience, "The maul sounds interesting," she murmured thoughtfully as they walked along together.

She felt a bit of a trill of interest run through her when he mentioned a story, "Stole?" her questioning tone held the same old curiosity to it, she wasn't sure if she should approve or disapprove. "Was the jewelcrafter a scoundrel?"

Is that why he stole? Oh my.

"Please do tell me more," she said finally, inviting him to tell the tale.

AyeAvast

 

[AyeAvast]

Never having even thought one could do anything with flowers other than view them for a short time, the Guardian was quite pleased to hear that Yuzhi was an expert in the field of flower preservation. At least, she sounded like one and since he had no base of reference he could only assume. He did nod quite enthusiastically when she spoke, trying to imagine what that might look like. It could not be said that Thrain was very good at decorations, unless they were of the kind one might put on themselves in preparation for battle, but he could imagine. It felt strange, after so many years spent in bitter cold where things like framed pictures and flowers seemed superfluous, to now consider putting those things in his home, but it was a nice kind of strange.
"You sound as though you know quite a lot... I am unused to such ah... Fancy things, I suppose one could say. Would you perhaps..." Maybe he shouldn't ask this. After all, he was still living in Shaheen's home and she might not like another woman coming in and making her space all feminine. But Thrain didn't care, not if it meant getting to invite Yuzhi over. "Would you perhaps like to help me beautify my home?"

A bright bark of a laugh left him at her question regarding his actions, turning into a full on chortle when she asked after the jewelcrafter's reputation. Ah, already she was hooked into the story and he would get the delight of surprising her with what really happened!
The man grinned down at the mare as they crested a hill, the maul in sight but still far enough away he would have time to tell the tale. He harrumphed in a manner to indicate he was preparing for a good story before one hand lifted into the air.
"It was long, long ago, when I was very young." He hand moved down to indicate knee height. "I was only yay tall, not yet old enough to change my form, but old enough that my mother felt it safe to let me come with her to the marketplace." A surprising amount of emotion rose in him as he talked, not expecting something like reminiscing to make him feel maudlin. "I had not yet learned that one must pay for things they buy, as my mother traded her wares. She was a Jewelcrafter too, one who specialized in intricate armor pieces." His eyebrows rose at the mare, interested to see if she had guessed where the story would go from here.

Pales

LOOK I DID IT OTL;;;;

 

[Pales]

Being praised on her knowledge only served to make her blush a little and look down at the ground bashfully. He seemed to know how to strike the right chords with her and that made it much more unsettling as it caused her heart to race in the most unsettling of ways. "I just read a lot and study much of the time. One could say that I spend my time studying life rather than just enjoying it," she said softly. At his invitation to come beautify his home caused her breath to hitch a little bit and her blush to deepen much more. Going into his home? Decorating things? Would that really be proper for a young mare? She threw caution to the wind while her fingertips tightened ever so slightly onto his arm. "I..I would love to if that is what you wish."

Yuzhi listened to him dutifully - trying not to find his laughter to be the most wonderful thing she'd ever heard. Each time he laughed the more she liked it - liked him. The way he smiled ... Just everything. She watched his actions and found herself enthralled as he spun the tale - mark of a good storyteller. "Did ... something catch your interest? Did you accidentally make off with it?" She asked curiously.

AyeAvast

 

[AyeAvast]

Certain things seemed to make more sense the more she spoke and Thrain let out an understanding "ah" when she mentioned the pitfalls of studying too much. It was perhaps the very reason he had shunned more scholarly pursuits in favor of going out into the worlds to train. But, it had turned into exactly what she spoke of.
"I can... Understand. I trained for a very long time and feel as though only now have I begun to live my life." Maybe that was too deep a subject for such a light hearted day, so the man gave the mare at his elbow the gentlest of nudges.
"But make sure to keep a bit of... Brawn and strength in the beautify'ing, if you would." He told her in regards to the house with a teasing grin.

"Oh yes, something very lovely had caught my interest." He sighed dreamily as a hand came forward for example. One large palm was presented, Thrain's hand laid out flat. "I found a dagger, as big as my hand now, that was this beautiful sapphire color. It was etched with gold and decorated with glistening white jewels. It was... Magnificent." The awe was evident in his voice as his golden gaze took on a dreamy hue. "Even so young I had a fascination with weaponry, thanks in large part to my mother, but I so wanted that dagger. So I took it. Put it under my tunic and left a bag little trinkets my mother had made with left over scrap metal. I was meant to give those to her favorite pastry maker instead... She was not pleased when we had to double back and explain things to the weapons master of the shop."

Pales

Look how much ilu you get 2 tags in one day wow

 

[Pales]

The nudge made her give out a small giggle as she gave him a little bit of a shy glance. In a sense she felt important to Thrain though she wasn't certain as to how or why, but it felt good to be important to someone beyond being a sister, friend, or cousin. She wasn't sure how to define how Thrain made her feel but she enjoyed it nonetheless. "Yes, I know how that is," she agreed softly. It wasn't until recently that she made such a concentrated effort to socialize with someone. "I...I will try," she promised thrain with a bit of a giggle. "There is beauty in strength, right?"

She listened to the story quietly, her eyes directed toward the palm of his hand for a long moment. There was something she liked about his hands, the way they seemed so big and strong but gentle at the same time, she almost missed a good portion of his tale as she got absorbed into a tangent of thoughts. Yuzhi stared up at him and offered a smile, "Did it have to stay with the shopkeep? Did you get punished?"

She found no sense in chiding her larger companion for past misdeeds - it didn't put him on a lower pedestal either, it was likely a good thing that Yuzhi was at least rational about people she admired.

AyeAvast

*U* -Nawms all the tags-

 

[AyeAvast]

Maybe he ought not to, but Thrain cannot help but feel rather pleased to have made Yuzhi laugh. It is such a small thing, he cannot fathom at all why he is being so sentimental over someone he hardly knows, but there is no way he could stop it. Thankfully, he really doesn't want to.
"I suppose this means that the two of us shall just have to watch out for the other." He began, looking up at the grey sky above them. "Keep the other from getting too caught up in our preferred modes of distraction." Making a pact between them like this was quite a lot of fun, he hoped she would agree.
At the mention of beauty in strength he nodded solemnly, pulling his shoulders back a little to present himself as someone to embody that ideal. Partially he was being silly, but part of him did honestly want the mare to think of him as such.

A hearty laugh left him when she asked her questions and he nodded.
"Oh yes, I was punished for quite a while afterwards. Extra chores, had to run laps around our home, my mother frowned at me for the rest of the evening. Dreadful, all of it dreadful." But it had been a good time, to be so scolded with love, even if it was a little sad to think of now. What he would give just to see his mother frown at him, just once more.
"It quickly put an end to any career I had been considering as a thief."

There was perhaps more to be said, maybe a better explanation of his punishment, but there was no more time to speak on it for the pair had finally wandered their way to the maul's entrance. It stood before them, imposing and boxy and not at all what Thrain would ever have considered as really possible to hold shops in.
"Ah! We have arrived!" Blonde eyebrows lowered as he looked at the building, it looked so boring, but he made sure to turn a smile at the mare. "Are you ready, My Lady?"

Pales