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 Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 12:32 pm
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 Fēisù Zhuǎ had emerged from the shadows only months before now. Though the previous lord had a knowledge of his existence, most of the west house had not. He was not one to be social, but the shifting hierarchy of the house's lands he resided in meant that he had no choice but to confess of his living here. There were rumors about him, being a lion born here with unknown parents, having a coat of the white tiger like the house's symbol, though Feisu Zhua didn't know of them. He merely kept to him job as a guard, and as such kept his eyes, not ears, on what others were doing.
He emerged from the cover of foliage to approach the lake, the bright moon overhead illuminating its shore. His white coat made it impossible to not see him, but the guard didn't intend to hide forever. No, one of these days he had to make more contact with the House...he just was unsure as to how. He only knew of his father, and even then Feisu Zhua did not see Bai Hu often. He had grown up mostly alone, only exposing himself to Zhong Xiongwei when his survival was threatened.
So, what was the first step? The only thing he knew was to be available for others to approach him, but that rarely worked. Still, he hoped that one of these days the ice would be broken. |
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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 1:48 pm
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When first they arrived in the Tianxia, Zhōng Tiào (Selene had been adamant in avoiding their common names) had seemed in shock. Mute, passive and traumatized by whatever had happened to them. Once their story was told to those who needed to hear it, and she was given the chance to heal and relax, she felt safe and so she had begun to return to her normal self again. However, the opposite was true for her mate, and that only slowed down both of them in their recoveries.
It was Tiao that had insisted they go out for a walk tonight, demanding a better view of the moon but really hoping to get Chao out and about more. They were sitting by the lake quietly when Feisu Zhua appeared, but Tiao's eyes were on the sky.
Quite unexpectedly, though he had arrived ready to tell whoever had to hear it what happened and why they had come, Zhōng Chao had changed once everything was settled down once more. His physical recovery wasn't as easy as it could have been but now he barely even had a limp to show for his trouble. His mind was most affected, moreso than it had seemed at first. Nothing in his life had gone as planned, he liked having a plan and sticking to it. The betrayal by his own son was too much.
He wasn't exactly reluctant to go for out for a walk but he felt more wary of the moonlight than she did now. They spoke in low voices about nothing in particular but a silence had fallen before Feisu Zhua appeared. Tiao didn't immediately notice him, but Chao did.
"Tiao," he murmured, nudging her and nodding off where the lion had appeared. |
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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 2:06 pm
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He had lowered his head to take a drink, his mind turning over different possibilities of the future. Though he was the child of a god, the visions he had were very small and didn't tell him much. He wasn't sure what step to take next, and part of him wondered if it was even worth such action. A sound stirred him from his thoughts, and he raised his head from the lake.
Two forms were strolling by the lake shore, and his eyes instantly recognized that purple. So, this was one of the Dukes of the House, strolling along with his presumed mate. Though Feisu Zhua knew of the rulers of this house, he did not know much else that happened. He was being pressured by his father to change that, and though small steps, he was working towards being more....aware of house members.
He merely nodded at the two, not necessarily opening himself up for conversation, but not shutting himself out of it, either. Little droplets of water still escaped his mouth, dripping back quietly into the edge of the lake.
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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 2:39 pm
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Tiao looked down from the moon to Chao, and then where he gestured. She looked startled at first but then stared curiously, not bothering to hide her gaze. She and Chao had discussed the introduction of this lion when the arrived, her mate had in fact confessed that this wasn't his first experience with the idea of living gods.
That didn't mean the lioness had decided how she felt about it, or what she thought it all meant with respect to her own spiritual beliefs. She hesitated a few minutes before glancing to Chao and speaking quietly to him.
"Should we say something?" she asked.
Chao glanced to Tiao when her attention was turned on Feisu Zhua, interested in her reaction. Though they had discussed the reality of gods and their children, she hadn't voiced any real opinion other than surprise. He was still looking when she turned to him to ask if they ought to be social, and then he looked back to the tiger striped stranger. They hadn't seen him since they arrived, it was kind of surprising. He didn't seem very social, which wasn't necessarily a good thing in a pride.. but they weren't very social yet, either.
"Yeah."
She nodded but hesitated again before getting up and walking closer. She still hadn't seen him in daylight but he looked pretty much.. normal. Just like he had before. She didn't doubt Mio's declaration of his lineage exactly but it was a surprise that gods and demi-gods could be so normal.
"Hello there," she called.
Chao stayed with his mate but he didn't say anything, wearing a neutral expression.
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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 5:24 pm
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Feisu Zhua was conflicted on the female's initiation...but then it made him realize just who they were. Well, now he was definitely rude for not approaching them first, as he had at least been introduced to them a while ago. The Lady had needed a guard, and he had been the one there when they had returned to Tianxia.
"Hello," he replied, his voice deep and somewhat troubled. He wasn't sure what else to say, and so he let a pause of silence stretch between the pair and himself. "Ah...nice evening," he finally said, unsure as what else to do. His solitude was all the more obvious when he was with others.
Aishang approached the lake, oblivious to the fact that there were others there. She was thirsty, and the lake water always tasted sweeter when consumed at the source, rather than in the clumsy storage containers the artisans were working on. She wasn't very quiet, but there weren't any twigs to snap when taking the common trail to the lake. When she emerged from the brush, she interrupted the conversation that was going on.
"Ah!" That purple was impossible to mistake in the West, and she felt ashamed and happy at the same time. She didn't like to interrupt but she dearly loved Mio's children.
"I'm sorry, you three, I didn't mean to just burst in on you all." She was still intent on getting a drink, but she made the effort to at least nod to the three of them in respect.
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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 5:47 pm
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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 6:07 pm
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Feisu Zhua felt his forelegs shift a bit at the compliment. He had only ever heard them from Lady Ren's mouth, and assumed that as a Lady she was obligated to. It was different hearing it from someone else. "Ah...you're welcome," he said, finally turning to the unexpected visitor.
With a little pause, Aishang walked to the edge of the lake, the tips of her paws getting wet as she bent down to take a drink. It felt a little rude, but her body wasn't going to let her do anything else! Once she felt satisfied, she turned back to the three of them, a warm smile on her face.
"Its good to see all of you," she said, looking at all of them. She didn't let her eyes rest on Feisu for very long, as it was hard to look at such a handsome lion. She could already hear Ren teasing her about it, but Aishang was never very good at relationships. Instead, she focused on Chao. "Are you two doing well here? Is there anything I can do to help you two?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 6:48 pm
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Tiao smiled and looked to Aishang. She'd met her before, of course, but there was something about her that made Tiao very sad. She had to assume she made her homesick somehow, but she tried very hard not to analyze it. There were more than enough triggers around here if she looked for them, it was best not to.
"We're adjusting well, thank you," she answered, though Aishang looked at Chao, "Just out for a walk, it's nice by the lake in the moonlight."
Chao smiled when Tiao answered but he didn't add anything in, though he glanced up the moon when she mentioned it. He was born in the Tianxia but he hadn't thought he'd be back, he'd devoted himself to the moon as the others did.. and now that didn't matter so much. He probably wouldn't have mentioned it at all, he doubted it was helping the pair of them get adjusted to where they were and really giving up on where they had come from.. but he wouldn't have mentioned anything, he didn't have anything to say. So he stayed quiet.
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Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 10:25 pm
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Well, Aishang wasn't sure, but she felt like she was just making things worse. Her ears drooped slightly as she glanced down towards the ground, then back up towards the moon hanging in the sky. "It is very pretty tonight," she answered quietly. Her eyes turned to Tiao, though the pretty lioness seemed as uncomfortable as Aishang was now.
Feisu Zhua wasn't quite sure what was going on. It seemed like a normal conversation, but Aishang wasn't responding as brightly as she had in the beginning. He knew that there was a situation that Tiao and Chao were working through, but he didn't have the understanding of what it would take to go through it. As such, he merely continued to fulfill his position as a guard to all, though a large part of him wished to have more understanding on this level, as well.
"Moonlight is more gentle than sunlight," the while lion replied, clueless as to the origin of Tiao's pride and how it relates to the moon above them.
Aishang felt a twinge of worry with what Feisu Zhua said about the moon, her eyes reflexively looking at his face to see if he knew what he was saying. He seemed peaceful and not at all antagonistic, so she turned back to Tiao. She wasn't sure how the pair would take it, and was ready to try to soften it however she could just in case it went wrong.
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Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:10 pm
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Though she didn't mean to make it happen, Tiao could feel the tension she had caused in answering for Chao. She had only told the truth, though she knew it was enough to tell Aishang that she and Chao were probably in the middle of something very private, personal, and difficult.. and that made it that much worse, seeing her react so cautiously.
She glanced to Chao, looking for help, but her gaze moved back around to Feisu Zhua when he spoke. She smiled before she could even think of how to respond.
More than anything at that moment, Chao was struck by how helpless he felt even in what should have been a pleasant, passing conversation. This was the kind of situation he had been good at getting them through- or at least out of. Selene had been directing their night so far but she clearly needed help again. Making an excuse to depart, especially when Aishang just appeared, felt even more awkward but that couldn't be helped. Especially since now he just wanted to get away.
"It's a good time to be out and about," he said carefully, looking at Feisu Zhua, "We didn't mean to intrude on your night, we only wanted to say thank you."
A pause.
"Tiao, shall we carry on?"
So much for being social. That had gone downhill very quickly.. but knowing immediately that Chao was feeling awkward only made her own feelings stronger. They were not obligated to stay, it was a freedom she most enjoyed but was still adjusting to here.
So she nodded, looking back at Chao.
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Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 12:17 pm
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Aishang watched them leave, doing her best not to cry. It had been a long time since she had failed a conversation, and her eyes stung as she did her best to swallow it down. She may be an older lioness, but there was always a fear of failure and rejection that would come from anyone but Mio. It was the sole reason she had abandoned her home and life, all for the one soul that would always be by her side.
"Was that a rejection?" Feisu Zhua asked the lioness before him. He had never been formally introduced to her, but she did not seem like she was interested in being pleasant at the moment. It seemed like she needed comfort, so Feisu Zhua was recounting the times his father had encouraged him to keep going, to not give up. Perhaps this wasn't the same situation, but he figured the action is what mattered.
"Yes," Aishang replied, her voice cracking on just that one word. "I suppose I won't truly know what it is they are going through, but they may never become the warm, welcoming pair I feel they really are." Aishang wondered if she'd ever speak to them again. She felt useless in this moment, and wondered if perhaps she could find one of her adopted children to help comfort her. It wasn't the best way to handle this, but the lioness couldn't quite handle being so close to Feisu Zhua, let alone being alone with him.
Feisu Zhua wasn't sure how to respond to her words. "Give it time," he replied, knowing that time could change anything. He realized that he didn't know his story, and though he might not necessarily care, he guessed that it might help Aishang figure out her own feelings on the subject. "Tell me what their story is. I don't know all of it, but perhaps you can figure out a solution by seeing it in a different set of eyes."
Aishang glanced up at him, still distraught, but a little confused too. She didn't know what to do, as her head was reeling from seeing Tiao and Chao leave, and having Feisu invite her to stay and discuss it. "W-well..."
It would take some time to explain, but perhaps he was right. Aishang was overreacting a bit, and she needed to learn to let some of this rejection go...time would heal it all, it just depended on how much time was needed for everyone to handle the situation better.
-fin-
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