[ His dearest friend? He doesn't sputter but it is a very close thing and his semi-polite expression settles into a scowl, shooting Xiao Xingchen a disgruntled look which he won't be able to appreciate and a scoff which should get the message across anyway. He is never going to get used to the fact that Xiao Xingchen will simply say such things as if they aren't a big deal at all.
After that, he is almost relieved by the exchange of the usual pleasantries and cordialities and the mutual lauding of good manners. It is all very... Not maybe homey, maybe, but it is very comforting in its familiarity, in exchanging such formalities with someone who is a stranger and still acting by the rules Jiang Cheng is used to. It is nice not to be floundering. ]
Xiao Xingchen has been a steadfast and very gracious friend to me, too. And he always spoke very highly of you. I have been looking forward to meeting you in person.
[ Except for his voice, Jiang Cheng does appear human enough, at least since he is wearing gloves to hide that his right arm is entirely porcelain. White is also peeking out from beneath the collars of his three-layered purple robes, though he has folded them to cover as much of his throat as possible.
He steps aside now to guide them inside the walls. ] Follow me, please.
( the scoff is duly noted and received, and this time not even pressing his lips together can restrain the light-humored quirk at the corners of his lips. few things are quite so entertaining as disconcerting jiang wanyin with genuine friendship, he finds.
but ah, here come the flourishing verbal courtesies - which xingchen supposes that he himself is responsible for starting, but he's not entirely used to such a thing being quite so contagious. and were runyu any more prone to teasing or mischief, xingchen might wonder if the bit about 'repaying him for all he has done' were the next little bit of their benign little war of attrition regarding whether or not he does, in fact, need repayment at all (he doesn't, he'll stand by it), but as it stands, xingchen allows his lips to curl in an appreciative smile - one which only broadens as jiang-xiong contributes his own kind words, to the both of them.
'follow me, please.' and that's precisely what xingchen does, moving to follow as is courteous. as they step through the gates and into lotus pier proper, the floral scent of said lotuses reaches his heightened sense of smell that much more strongly, which he can only assume means that runyu can smell it now as well. ) I had thought you might like it here, ( he offers, more conversational than formal now, with his head turned just slightly to indicate that he's speaking to runyu. ) Granted, I only know it by sound and scent, but Lotus Pier has always struck me as a sort of sanctuary. ( it has this feeling about it that not even the grim realities of ryslig can truly touch. )
[ Runyu’s smile grows with a hum towards Xingchen, agreeing with that sentiment of Jiang Cheng’s home. Reaching a hand out to the walls, he inspects the intricate carving. There’s an elegance here that heralds the architecture of the heavenly realm, and yet the intricate woodwork and encompassing scent of lotus blossoms, the former Flower Immortal’s signature, separate it from the stark facade of the palace. And as a dragonfly zips past, he can’t resist the urge to turn his head and follow it, even lift a hand in an attempt to draw it to his finger. He chuckles when the little insect hovers before moving on. Truly, Lotus Pier brings him a pang of nostalgia, for a mansion on a lake in the human realm, a place he has yet to return to after the war and his great regret. He has not been the same person that used to escape there to play Go and drink in the evening stillness.
Realizing that he is leaving his host and friend waiting, he folds his hands in an apology. ]
Forgive me, friends, there is a poetry in this abode that I had to take a moment to enjoy. It has been far too long since I have seen its like. (He pauses, considering Xingchen’s mood from last night and the simple fact that his friend is blind.) Xingchen did not exaggerate when he called this place a sanctuary. There is a timeless music in the hum of the insects and the sway of the blooms on the clear waters against the dark woods of the manor, which embrace that scenery instead of standing above it.
[ Jiang Cheng may not be the best at accepting personal compliments, responding either with hostile arrogance or by suspecting hidden barbs and mockery, and usually both. Compliments to his home, however, his great pride and joy, these leave him preening, chest puffed out and spine straightened, delight showing on his face before he quickly covers it up with his customary scowl. ]
It is nowhere as impressive as it would be if it were filled with Yunmeng Jiang's disciples, as it should be [ he demurs half-heartedly, quite willing to accept that it is beautiful anyway. Because it is. It is, however true, that it would be even better if filled with life. This... this is actually uncomfortable at times, this empty, lifeless Lotus Pier is uncomfortably reminiscent of what the place had been like right after the war, but even then with Yunmeng Jiang diminished it had been filled with more life than now. ]
I don't know what you would like to see. I would take you to the training grounds if there were disciples here, but there is nothing to see when they lay abandoned. The view from the docks is quite nice still, though the lake you look upon is a different one. [ His eyes flicker towards his guests and he starts walking, leading them deeper into the estate. No matter where they go, they will need to leave the gate behind. ] Or we could have hot tea first. You must be cold from traveling.
( there's no need to ask forgiveness - xingchen is in no hurry, and jiang wanyin would surely forgive nearly any such dallying if it's done in the name of admiring lotus pier. but the appreciation doesn't seem to end there... and as it continues, shifting from talk of sanctuary to the sounds xingchen can hear, and then to the sights which elude him. the blooms on the clear water, the manor's dark wood. simple details, but details which he hadn't known to picture until now.
(was the description for his benefit, or was it simply coincidence?)
his lips curl just slightly into a quiet shadow of a smile, but holds his peace for now, following along as they're led a bit deeper into lotus pier by the same route which xingchen has long since learned to take. regarding what they do or see, another 'glance' to runyu and, ) My friend, I defer the choice to you. ( because he truly doesn't mind either way. he isn't meant to be a terribly active participant in this, more present to facilitate the meeting between his friends. )
[ Runyu smiles as he considers the best position. The host, Jiang Cheng, seems to alter his mood with each phrase spoken. Runyu is not certain if this is a product of his own presence or a defensive mechanism the man has developed over time. It could even be something caused by the changes wrought by the Fog God. But there’s an unrestrained part to the changes that both amuses and puts Runyu at ease. It seems more difficult to dissemble with that character.
Once more, the scales under his robes scratch at the cloth of the warmer layer underneath his robes.
And again, Runyu puts that voice aside.
Perhaps, when I can acquire a blade or if it is an interesting diversion for either of us, we can use the space of the training grounds for a sparring match at a later date. For now, if it is pleasing to you, I think I would prefer a drink of tea. I am still adjusting to the dip in temperature in this realm. I am not usually exposed to winter where I come from.
[ Or perhaps it would be more correct to say that the kind of cold that comes from snow and ice differs from the cold from torture or being forgotten. But Runyu does not wish to disclose that bit of information. ]
Perhaps while we sit and drink tea, you can describe what the view from the lake used to be. If you wish to.
[ Jiang Cheng acknowledges that request with a sharp nod and then lets his feet lead him down one of the paths deeper into the heart of the estate. He won't be taking them to his own room, where he has informally hosted Xiao Xingchen before, but receiving his guest in Sword Hall with him sitting on the lotus-shaped throne is far too formal, so he decides to take them to his study, figuring that place to be friendly enough without being presumptuous in either direction. ]
It is a shame the weather doesn't permit for us to sit outside, it is where Lotus Pier is best enjoyed. But I'm not used to these temperatures, either, and I assume it is only Mana's power that prevents the lotuses from withering and dying for good.
[ The estate's vegetation is still beautiful rather than dismal as it should be now with snow covering it after weeks of freezing temperatures, though that makes for an eerie beauty that shouldn't necessarily exist. Jiang Cheng snorts a little at himself and his own thoughts. ]
Regardless, I will get the tea now, and then I would enjoy speaking to you of Yunmeng and of future sparring sessions. This is the home of a cultivation sect, I would be glad to see the training fields used by more people for martial training rather than rotting away in the snow.
[ Mind you, there is nothing actually rotting, they have winter-proofed all the outdoors equipment, but, well, a home of hundreds has gone down to be a home of two, he feels like he's entitled to some measure of being melodramatic. ]
( that's one more bit of insight gleaned - the lotuses are in season even now, though he should have guessed as much by the lingering scent of them. enchanted, perhaps? by mana's power, as jiang wanyin says.
either way, it seems that they're retreating for tea now, to a room which xingchen has passed by frequently enough to know that it sees some degree of use (the entry smells of jiang wanyin, even if less so than his quarters) but which he hasn't yet visited. ) Regarding a blade, Jiang Wanyin told me of a fine swordsmith - one who was drawn here as we were, albeit quite a while ago, ( xingchen chimes in as they walk. ) I intended to contact him shortly after I arrived, but at the time I had nothing by way of currency to pay for the blade. ( and since then, there had always been something more pressing to attend to. his changes. the hunger that came with them. various flavors of fog-born mayhem or misery to manage. time has admittedly slipped by him a bit. )
[ Runyu glances around them once more. To the lotuses back outside the compound. It strikes him then, another reason why Lotus Pier seems familiar. There’s a striking similarity to the serene fragility of the lotuses in the illusion of the flowers in the heavenly realm after the floral realm took them all away.
Guilt knots in his chest and he focuses back on his host and friend, listening to their words. ]
If there is a worth swordsmith, it would be prudent for me to find the means to pay him for one, too. From what I’ve heard, it is not advisable for me to remain unarmed. And it is not proper to rely on the protection of my host.
[ He looks to his host once more. ]
Until I can find the means to earn some currency, I can fashion some staffs from wood if you would like. Sparring does not require a blade to be useful.
[ He nods along to Xiao Xingchen's explanation, wordlessly confirming his words, then looking quite pleased at Runyu's comments. ]
You are right. Even sparring with wooden staffs, will keep you in practice and it will be a good exercise for your skill as a swordsman to have to transcribe the sword form you learned onto a different weapon. It forces you to consider and question the meaning of each movement rather than merely repeating what you were taught.
[ Realizing that he is falling into the rather brisk voice of the teacher he would be using with his own sect's juniors when he is dealing with a fully grown swordsman in his own right here, he shakes his head at himself. ]
The swordsmith Tsukikage has forged my current blade. You are welcome to examine it and see if it is the work you would like for yourself. He is from Dongying so his work won't be quite what we are used to but it is of highest quality.
[ But for now, he leads them into the study where they can make themselves comfortable at the low table while he excuses himself to get the tea tray from the kitchen. ]
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After that, he is almost relieved by the exchange of the usual pleasantries and cordialities and the mutual lauding of good manners. It is all very... Not maybe homey, maybe, but it is very comforting in its familiarity, in exchanging such formalities with someone who is a stranger and still acting by the rules Jiang Cheng is used to. It is nice not to be floundering. ]
Xiao Xingchen has been a steadfast and very gracious friend to me, too. And he always spoke very highly of you. I have been looking forward to meeting you in person.
[ Except for his voice, Jiang Cheng does appear human enough, at least since he is wearing gloves to hide that his right arm is entirely porcelain. White is also peeking out from beneath the collars of his three-layered purple robes, though he has folded them to cover as much of his throat as possible.
He steps aside now to guide them inside the walls. ] Follow me, please.
no subject
but ah, here come the flourishing verbal courtesies - which xingchen supposes that he himself is responsible for starting, but he's not entirely used to such a thing being quite so contagious. and were runyu any more prone to teasing or mischief, xingchen might wonder if the bit about 'repaying him for all he has done' were the next little bit of their benign little war of attrition regarding whether or not he does, in fact, need repayment at all (he doesn't, he'll stand by it), but as it stands, xingchen allows his lips to curl in an appreciative smile - one which only broadens as jiang-xiong contributes his own kind words, to the both of them.
'follow me, please.' and that's precisely what xingchen does, moving to follow as is courteous. as they step through the gates and into lotus pier proper, the floral scent of said lotuses reaches his heightened sense of smell that much more strongly, which he can only assume means that runyu can smell it now as well. ) I had thought you might like it here, ( he offers, more conversational than formal now, with his head turned just slightly to indicate that he's speaking to runyu. ) Granted, I only know it by sound and scent, but Lotus Pier has always struck me as a sort of sanctuary. ( it has this feeling about it that not even the grim realities of ryslig can truly touch. )
no subject
Realizing that he is leaving his host and friend waiting, he folds his hands in an apology. ]
Forgive me, friends, there is a poetry in this abode that I had to take a moment to enjoy. It has been far too long since I have seen its like. (He pauses, considering Xingchen’s mood from last night and the simple fact that his friend is blind.) Xingchen did not exaggerate when he called this place a sanctuary. There is a timeless music in the hum of the insects and the sway of the blooms on the clear waters against the dark woods of the manor, which embrace that scenery instead of standing above it.
no subject
It is nowhere as impressive as it would be if it were filled with Yunmeng Jiang's disciples, as it should be [ he demurs half-heartedly, quite willing to accept that it is beautiful anyway. Because it is. It is, however true, that it would be even better if filled with life. This... this is actually uncomfortable at times, this empty, lifeless Lotus Pier is uncomfortably reminiscent of what the place had been like right after the war, but even then with Yunmeng Jiang diminished it had been filled with more life than now. ]
I don't know what you would like to see. I would take you to the training grounds if there were disciples here, but there is nothing to see when they lay abandoned. The view from the docks is quite nice still, though the lake you look upon is a different one. [ His eyes flicker towards his guests and he starts walking, leading them deeper into the estate. No matter where they go, they will need to leave the gate behind. ] Or we could have hot tea first. You must be cold from traveling.
no subject
(was the description for his benefit, or was it simply coincidence?)
his lips curl just slightly into a quiet shadow of a smile, but holds his peace for now, following along as they're led a bit deeper into lotus pier by the same route which xingchen has long since learned to take. regarding what they do or see, another 'glance' to runyu and, ) My friend, I defer the choice to you. ( because he truly doesn't mind either way. he isn't meant to be a terribly active participant in this, more present to facilitate the meeting between his friends. )
no subject
Once more, the scales under his robes scratch at the cloth of the warmer layer underneath his robes.
And again, Runyu puts that voice aside.
Perhaps, when I can acquire a blade or if it is an interesting diversion for either of us, we can use the space of the training grounds for a sparring match at a later date. For now, if it is pleasing to you, I think I would prefer a drink of tea. I am still adjusting to the dip in temperature in this realm. I am not usually exposed to winter where I come from.
[ Or perhaps it would be more correct to say that the kind of cold that comes from snow and ice differs from the cold from torture or being forgotten. But Runyu does not wish to disclose that bit of information. ]
Perhaps while we sit and drink tea, you can describe what the view from the lake used to be. If you wish to.
no subject
It is a shame the weather doesn't permit for us to sit outside, it is where Lotus Pier is best enjoyed. But I'm not used to these temperatures, either, and I assume it is only Mana's power that prevents the lotuses from withering and dying for good.
[ The estate's vegetation is still beautiful rather than dismal as it should be now with snow covering it after weeks of freezing temperatures, though that makes for an eerie beauty that shouldn't necessarily exist. Jiang Cheng snorts a little at himself and his own thoughts. ]
Regardless, I will get the tea now, and then I would enjoy speaking to you of Yunmeng and of future sparring sessions. This is the home of a cultivation sect, I would be glad to see the training fields used by more people for martial training rather than rotting away in the snow.
[ Mind you, there is nothing actually rotting, they have winter-proofed all the outdoors equipment, but, well, a home of hundreds has gone down to be a home of two, he feels like he's entitled to some measure of being melodramatic. ]
no subject
either way, it seems that they're retreating for tea now, to a room which xingchen has passed by frequently enough to know that it sees some degree of use (the entry smells of jiang wanyin, even if less so than his quarters) but which he hasn't yet visited. ) Regarding a blade, Jiang Wanyin told me of a fine swordsmith - one who was drawn here as we were, albeit quite a while ago, ( xingchen chimes in as they walk. ) I intended to contact him shortly after I arrived, but at the time I had nothing by way of currency to pay for the blade. ( and since then, there had always been something more pressing to attend to. his changes. the hunger that came with them. various flavors of fog-born mayhem or misery to manage. time has admittedly slipped by him a bit. )
no subject
Guilt knots in his chest and he focuses back on his host and friend, listening to their words. ]
If there is a worth swordsmith, it would be prudent for me to find the means to pay him for one, too. From what I’ve heard, it is not advisable for me to remain unarmed. And it is not proper to rely on the protection of my host.
[ He looks to his host once more. ]
Until I can find the means to earn some currency, I can fashion some staffs from wood if you would like. Sparring does not require a blade to be useful.
no subject
You are right. Even sparring with wooden staffs, will keep you in practice and it will be a good exercise for your skill as a swordsman to have to transcribe the sword form you learned onto a different weapon. It forces you to consider and question the meaning of each movement rather than merely repeating what you were taught.
[ Realizing that he is falling into the rather brisk voice of the teacher he would be using with his own sect's juniors when he is dealing with a fully grown swordsman in his own right here, he shakes his head at himself. ]
The swordsmith Tsukikage has forged my current blade. You are welcome to examine it and see if it is the work you would like for yourself. He is from Dongying so his work won't be quite what we are used to but it is of highest quality.
[ But for now, he leads them into the study where they can make themselves comfortable at the low table while he excuses himself to get the tea tray from the kitchen. ]