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neobeethoven

aoyun and yawen

neobeethoven
Dec 8th, 2017
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  1. (6:37:20 PM) FeldiPhone: A letter born on the wings of laughing bird, bound tight with twine to a leg that has to be handled with care so as not to break the fragile bone underneath.
  2. (6:38:12 PM) FeldiPhone: The bird stays still during the process, used to the treatment.
  3. (6:39:10 PM) FeldiPhone: It laughs once it is let go, right in Aoyun's face, a twinkle in its dark eye. Leaving Aoyun with a story.
  4. (6:42:47 PM) FeldiPhone: "Aoyun,
  5. (6:45:25 PM) FeldiPhone: By now, I am sure you have heard about the execution of the Governor of Qinghai. He was brought to the capital. I was there when he was brought out to the people, and to the executioner's axe-
  6. (6:49:12 PM) FeldiPhone: The sun beats down upon the square mercilessly. The weather has been uncomfortable for weeks now, with no rain for relief. The Khan's guards, clad in practical armor, stand watch at the edges of raised wooden platform, built to host the executions that are commonplace these days in the Capital.
  7. (6:50:15 PM) FeldiPhone: The platform can be seen from a balcony of the palace itself and it is there that Yewan stands, next to the Khan himself.
  8. (6:54:41 PM) FeldiPhone: The Khan is a man built for war, broader and taller than any man Yewan has seen, and nearly any orc. But no orc's eyes have such intelligence and cunning clear to see beneath the surface.
  9. (6:56:57 PM) FeldiPhone: The Khan's head is bare, but he has a carefully groomed beard of dark hair. He watches the platform, great tanned arms crossed over his chest.
  10. (7:01:16 PM) Earthflame: Yawen keeps her eyes down, demure and obsequious, as only depicts her current position... A courtesan seated at the Khan's side is privileged, but at the same time imperiled~ Still, none could fault his choice, a slim beauty of House Chang, her long hair perfectly dark, bound up with fine combs and pins, her makeup pristine despite the heat and her dress exquisite, of soft green and subtle gold,
  11. (7:01:16 PM) Earthflame: every fingernail carefully painted with an elegant design.
  12. (7:02:00 PM) Earthflame: Reputation speaks of her being quick witted and well spoken, skilled with all manner of song, instruments and even other forms of performance- And, rumour says, able to keep up with the Khan, a rare feat for the women he keeps at his side~ Behind the placid mask, Yawen smiles... Rumour is such a useful, easily manipulated thing~
  13. (7:06:18 PM) FeldiPhone: It has certainly infuriated some of the Khan's younger lives, those not yet collected and schooled enough to join in helping run the state with the Khan's blessing. The glares are easy to catch, and one wife, Gerel is doing just that now. From the Khan's quirked lip, he marked his wife's annoyance as quick as Yawen did.
  14. (7:07:14 PM) FeldiPhone: He speaks quietly to Yawen. "If I knew you would be so amusing to have by my side, I might have married you instead of agreeing to this arrangement."
  15. (7:07:38 PM) FeldiPhone: There's a tone of jest in his deep, rumbling voice.
  16. (7:10:07 PM) Earthflame: "Please, my lord, I am not worthy~" She softly teases, resting the fingers of one hand against his arm for a moment. "And I would not wish to cause you trouble... It might have been enough for her to actually hire assassins, instead of merely inquiring about them~"
  17. (7:12:46 PM) FeldiPhone: "Perhaps I should allow her," he says, glancing down at her. "I have yet to see for myself how skilled a member of House Chang is in combat. You are meant to be the superior assassins of this country, isn't that true?" They continue talking quietly, to all watching likely exchanging flirtations.
  18. (7:13:15 PM) FeldiPhone: All watching likely assuming they are exchanging*
  19. (7:15:18 PM) Earthflame: She laughs daintily, raising a hand to cover her mouth. "Alas, to poor Gerel's misfortune, the assassins she contacted Were of House Chang~ She really must improve her studies of the court, if she is to hold her place~"
  20. (7:19:15 PM) FeldiPhone: "I will share a word with my second wife in the morn tomorrow. It wouldn't do for one of my wives to reach so far that I would have to arrange her to prick herself upon a blade in the reaching."
  21. (7:19:58 PM) FeldiPhone: He chuckles, fingertips lightly touching upon Yawen's for a lingering moment.
  22. (7:21:37 PM) Earthflame: "It might be wise, my lord~" She replies softly... Fingers drifting up to twine with his for a moment. For appearances sake. "But, if such does need to be arranged... I would be more than happy to do so, on your behalf~"
  23. (7:29:12 PM) FeldiPhone: He huffs, turning away to look down at the square once more, smiling. "If there is a need...such a thing may be appreciated." Down in the square, there is motion. A man, sack over his head, squirming and jerking hard in the arms of two guards. The Khan sighs. "There is such a lack of dignity in this country. Sometimes I feel like I may have killed the last man who truly understood honor when I claimed this country for my people."
  24. (7:31:54 PM) Earthflame: "I would not say the last man who understood honour, my lord... But perhaps the last man who truly practiced it." She looks to the prisoner, as is only proper... At a public execution, it was noticed if one averted her eyes. Doing so could be excused... But she did not want a reputation for weakness. Not in this guise, anyway.
  25. (7:34:14 PM) FeldiPhone: The governor, former governor, was a portly man when he arrived at the capital. He is not portly now.
  26. (7:35:54 PM) FeldiPhone: The crowd, a mix of the people of the North and those native to the nation, jeer at him as the sack is removed from his head, revealing great sagging flaps of skin, unfilled by fat now. All burnt to keep him alive in near starvation.
  27. (7:37:08 PM) FeldiPhone: He starts to scream, the sound cutting over the noise of the crowd to reach the ear of the Khan, Yawen, Gerel, and the other attendants and guards around them.
  28. (7:37:54 PM) FeldiPhone: The Khan frowns in distaste as he watches the executioner and the guard maneuver the struggling man into place, lowering his head to the chopping block.
  29. (7:38:19 PM) Earthflame: Yawen doesn't let her distaste show on her face... This sort of thing struck her as excessively cruel... Not that the fool didn't deserve it, but simply that it was inefficient and pointlessly gruesome. And yet, seeing such a man laid low did much to placate the common people.
  30. (7:42:06 PM) FeldiPhone: The execution continues. Two men have to hold the howling governor down while the executioner aims his axe. Once aimed, he lifts the axe high and then brings it down. There's a pause as the executioner works the axe free of the governor's neck.
  31. (7:43:36 PM) FeldiPhone: The axe freed, the executioner steps back to talk with the two guards. The governor's head hangs on to its former body by a thin sliver of skin.
  32. (7:44:12 PM) FeldiPhone: Which makes it all the more shocking when it stands to its feet.
  33. (7:44:19 PM) Earthflame: She shakes her head with a slow sigh. "He couldn't even die with dignity."
  34. (7:47:01 PM) Earthflame: She jerks, startled, finding herself clinging to the Khan's arm as her eyes widen... In that moment her reaction entirely sincere, all her find vocabulary insufficient to describe her reaction to the sight of a corpse standing at the heart of the capital.
  35. (7:47:19 PM) Earthflame: *fine
  36. (7:49:40 PM) FeldiPhone: The crowd steps backwards from the stage in a motion born of fear. The guards and executioner seem frozen at the sight of what must be a dead man standing once more.
  37. (7:53:21 PM) FeldiPhone: The corpses lips move as it begins to shout. Its voice unnatural, creaking like an old door, and yet strong. The voice seemingly coming from the air itself, not the moving mouth. "A false Emperor sits upon the Throne!"
  38. (7:56:09 PM) FeldiPhone: Corpse's lips*
  39. (7:57:39 PM) Earthflame: Yawen's reaction is so swift it's almost impossible to notice, especially with all eyes on the corpse... A hand darting to her hair to pull forth a thin jade dart, eyes glinting silver as she focuses upon her target... Before the carved bird upon it soars through the air with unnatural speed, straight towards the corpses heart.
  40. (8:00:23 PM) FeldiPhone: The dart hits its mark and the corpse crumples like a puppet with its strings cut, just as another word was half out of its ashen lips.
  41. (8:02:50 PM) FeldiPhone: The crowd starts to disperse, none wanting to stay long where dark magic is afoot. The mood on the balcony, and in the room just behind is similarly concerned...though to Yawen's eye, two people are reacting differently than she might expect.
  42. (8:03:25 PM) FeldiPhone: The first being Gerel who has gone white as a sheet and causes the next round of commotion as she faints.
  43. (8:04:19 PM) FeldiPhone: The second being that of the Khan himself, whose expression has gone grim, but had a determined edge to it, as if he was expecting this challenge to come.
  44. (8:04:36 PM) FeldiPhone: Has*
  45. (8:05:10 PM) Earthflame: She allows herself a faint smile of satisfaction at the result- Smoothly settling into position at the the Khans side once more, the move looking to anyone glancing their direction as if she was simply trying to compose herself following her fright. Still... She is attentive as always, leaning in to whisper to him, feigning a look of fear, a scared woman seeking reassurance. "I hope my action
  46. (8:05:10 PM) Earthflame: was acceptable to you, my lord."
  47. (8:09:53 PM) FeldiPhone: "It was. I see now how skilled you are. Half of my favoured archers couldn't make such a shot, and you did it with a hairpin." She can see some of the tension flow out of him, a feeling of safety spreading from him to settle the room, all eyes upon him as he turns. "Take Gerel to the chambers of my other wives to be seen to." Two guards start to do just that. "The rest of you, leave me. I will see you again at supper."
  48. (8:10:15 PM) FeldiPhone: Soon enough, only Yawen and the Khan are left in the room.
  49. (8:10:42 PM) Earthflame: "If I may be bold, my lord... You've seen nothing of what I'm capable of~"
  50. (8:10:45 PM) FeldiPhone: He returns to the balcony, looking out at the body laying still in its second death.
  51. (8:11:53 PM) FeldiPhone: From fear of magic, even the executioner and the guards have left, leaving only the slowly leaking body on the platform under the merciless sun.
  52. (8:12:58 PM) FeldiPhone: "I hope that is true," he says to her, meeting her teasing tone with a serious one, eyes not leaving the corpse.
  53. (8:14:51 PM) Earthflame: "...Do you know what that was, my lord?" She asks softly, following his gaze... She'd liked that hairpin. She didn't want it back.
  54. (8:16:53 PM) FeldiPhone: The Khan frowns. "It is like a magic that I have encountered before," he says to her. "And some of my wives as well. Gerel among them....I must ask you to do something for me, Yawen."
  55. (8:17:16 PM) FeldiPhone: As have some of my wives*
  56. (8:17:36 PM) Earthflame: "I am at your service, my lord." She bows her head again.
  57. (8:22:45 PM) FeldiPhone: He reaches into his robe and pulls out a bundle of cloth, wrapped around something about as long as a pair of chopsticks, and as wide as a sewing needle. He holds it out for her to take. "Take this and the head of that corpse to a tent which hangs lamps with green flames just outside of its entrance tomorrow night. The..person inside the tent will know what to do with them."
  58. (8:23:11 PM) FeldiPhone: tent, in the tent City*
  59. (8:23:50 PM) Earthflame: She takes it deferentially, bowing her head. "As you command, my lord."
  60. (8:25:28 PM) FeldiPhone: He nods at her, before turning back to the body again, gaze burning into it. "Now, leave me. I must think
  61. (8:25:32 PM) FeldiPhone: ."
  62. (8:25:59 PM) Earthflame: She bows deeply again, withdrawing... Not looking forward to her duty. Handling an item such as that...
  63. (8:26:03 PM) FeldiPhone: Tents = Yurts*
  64. (8:30:18 PM) Earthflame: Later, within her pleasantly appointed room within the palace, Yawen does something that relaxes her... Penning a message to her dear brother. Although... She looks at the package again. Paired with such dark magic, she hesitated to open it... But the information was important. She does so with care, checking for any hidden threats or bindings... No sense not being cautious.
  65. (8:35:47 PM) FeldiPhone: Inside is an ear, but unlike any she's seen except on murals and in the drawings of the more artistic scholars. A long, tapering thing, dried out with care so it wouldn't rot. An ear of one of the hidden and reclusive race, ancient and wise, and rarely ever seen. The ear of an elf.
  66. (8:37:44 PM) Earthflame: She recoils a moment... But takes the time to describe it at least, before covering it up... Then it's a matter of ciphering and concealing the true message before sending it off...
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