Shen - Tea House, Take 2!

[20:55] <Shen> Shen had risen early with a slight headache from the night before, it wasn't enough to keep him in bed though as the thought of missing his ritual training when he could help it bothered him. He exhaled deeply as he ran, approaching the tea shop he had only just fought in yesterday. Part of the thought made him chuckle between breaths; one moment he was fighting what he had thought was scum, then the next moment he was feasting around the same
[20:56] <Shen> table with said scum.
[21:07] <~Deedles> Though caught in his own thoughts Shen can hear the footfalls of someone approaching behind him, which, as it gets closer, is accompanied by faint panting.
[21:10] <Shen> Shen shifts his eyes to the side slightly, faintly furrowing his brow as the noise gains existence in his conscious. He begins to slow down, the warm breath escaping his lips as he turns around to see who was following him.
[21:16] <~Deedles> It's Mingxia, instead of her usual dress she was wearing a simple tunic and shorts. She was running a bit faster than him, probably to catch up as she slowed down upon reaching him. "Morning." she greets him with a bright smile.
[21:21] <Shen> "Good morning, yourself." he half-smiled upon her arrival, still dazed after tearing himself from his thoughts. "Didn't have you pegged as the heavy training type." he admitted as he wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve.
[21:24] <~Deedles> "I'm not... not really." She admits with a faint blush, though her smile doesn't fade "Just heard you head off and got curious."
[21:26] <Shen> He let out a light sniff of amusement as he caught his breathing again. "Curious?" he shrugged as he motioned lazily around him. "Just going for a run, nothing more exciting than that I'm afraid."
[21:29] <~Deedles> "You, Jian and Yoshi are going to be my..." she pauses as she tries to think of a good word "...companions, aren't you? I'd say that's reason enough to be curious about you." Mingxia replies with a faint laugh.
[21:31] <Shen> "I see." he says, scratching the top of his head as he turns around and begins to walk, beckoning her to follow. "Well, I can't speak for the others much, and I'm not really that interesting myself, but I suppose you're right."
[21:32] <~Deedles> She does, folding her arms behind her back as they walk "I don't think that's true at all." she tells him plainly with a smile. "I think you're plenty interesting."
[21:36] <Shen> "I'll take that as a compliment, I guess." he laughs quietly, looking to her as they walk. "We are who we are, I sometimes forget that those who grew up outside of the village are differnt to us." he muses a bit more seriously.
[21:36] <~Deedles> "How so?" She asks with a curious expression, tilting her head to the side.
[21:40] <Shen> Shen shrugged at the question, he wasn't quite sure how to answer or explain such a feeling, but he tried. "I suppose we grew up and trained in an environment that didn't make us suffer to the same degree as some do here. When we left the village, I was suspicious of every face I didn't recognise, like they were all worthy of suspicion."
[21:40] <Shen> he rubbed the back of his head. "But now I just see faces, no different in nature. Maybe I've been gone too long."
[21:45] <~Deedles> Mingxia looks thoughtful at that as she is quiet "I can relate to that." she finally says after moment. "It's how I was raised, but... I don't like being that way."
[21:46] <Shen> "How so?" he mimics with a grin.
[21:47] <~Deedles> She can't help but giggle as he turns the question around on her. "I don't like second-guessing people's intentions and true motives all the time." She confesses with a faint smile
[21:54] <Shen> Shen does nod at that, mirroring her smile. "It does get tiring after a while." he admits, looking down at the ground before them as they walk, then he sighs. "Though it is also necessary. Giving somebody the benefit of the doubt may be good in thought, but in practice I've learned that darkness can creep into even the happiest of faces." he paused for a few moments before carrying on. "A shadow cast by a man we once met was very, very dark."
[21:57] <~Deedles> Mingxia's smile fades at that, looking concerned "What... What did he do?" she asks quietly.
[22:03] <Shen> He pondered on the question for a moment before he spoke. "He preyed on a village close to the mountain we are headed." he said quietly. "We will likely pass through or near it on our way home. He disguised himself as a master trying to protect the village, while instead he preyed upon its inhabitants." he scratched his chin as he continued.
[22:03] <Shen> "He smiled by day and took villagers away by night. He was planning on taking the life of his disciple too, Chiyoko. But luckily we were there to stop that from happening. You'll likely meet her at some point, she's training her Kung Fu."
[22:05] <~Deedles> She looks away as she frowns, biting her lower lip for a moment. "That's... beyond horrible." she states, her voice barely above a whisper as her hands clench and her eyes shine with determination. "It was Tsuwan... wasn't it?"
[22:06] <Shen> He watched her in silence for a few moments before replying. "It was."
[22:08] <~Deedles> "This has to end. The sooner the better." Mingxia says, one of her hands uncurling before gently gripping onto one of her bangs.
[22:10] <Shen> Shen nodded in agreement, smiling to himself at her determination. "I couldn't agree more."
[22:13] <~Deedles> "And the first step..." She trails off as she suddenly looks a bit uncertain, reaching out to grab one of his arms lightly as she comes to a hault so that she knows that he's facing her, lifting her free hand, her index finger straight. "Don't tell Taishin about this." she tells him with a serious, somewhat stubborn, expression. "Promise, before I tell you."
[22:17] <Shen> Shen's expression tightens as he jerks slightly at the sudden stop, he looks at her suspiciously. "Other than the fact that he'd probably murder me..." he said, watching her. "But if its what you want, I promise."
[22:19] <~Deedles> Mingxia's serious expression softens for a moment as she smiles faintly. "He won't if I tell him not to." she tells him before taking a deep breath and saying. "I want to go to Jinlong."
[22:21] <Shen> Shen looks at her in stupefied silence, blinking a couple of times. "Sorry?"
[22:23] <~Deedles> "I'm blind, not deaf. I heard you three speak of the situation in Jinlong last night at the dinner table." She says to him as that stubborn look returns. "I want to go there."
[22:26] <Shen> He listens to her, still stunned by the sudden request. "No way. Absolutely not." he refuses just as stubbornly. "That is the last place in the world we can take you, Mingxia. You have to understand that."
[22:36] <~Deedles> "But you have friends there that need your help!" She insists as her grip shifts to his hand, clasping it with both of hers "And..." she lowers her voice considerably "And it's not like anyone knows who I am. Just a couple of days and then we'd be on our way again."
[22:41] <Shen> "Its not as easy as that." he disputes, looking down at her, his eyes conflicted. "We have no idea if the Emperor could sense you somehow, with some mystical mojo or something." he says, lowering his voice just as much. "I want to help in Jinlong too, I do, but we can't risk losing you, not now."
[22:44] <~Deedles> Mingxia's hold of his hand tightens slightly before she lets go, turning away "...F-fine." she says quietly, her voice breaking briefly.
[22:53] <Shen> Shen sighs, passing a hand over his eyes then down his face as he watches her back in silence. "Its not me you should be talking to about this..." he says finally as he walks up beside her. "My purpose is to protect you, I swore I would and I will uphold that. But you are also the heir, so before you become too stubborn... talk with Yoshi. It is his friends that are truly suffering."
[22:58] <~Deedles> She lifts her hands to grip onto the sleeves of her shirt "I know... That's why I wished to talk to you first, and then Jian. Yoshi would probably not be hard to convince to go..." she confesses, lifting a hand to her face. "I... also know you're right... Not even Taishin is sure if the Emperor could sense me, but I..." she doesn't finish that sentence.
[23:00] <Shen> "I will go where you go, and where my companions go." he says, folding his arms with a troubled expression. "But I advise heavily against it and not just because Taishin would have my head."
[23:03] <~Deedles> "I just want you three to be able to go... But at the same time I know you can't leave me on my own, even if I assured you I'd be fine." She sighs, slowly letting go of her sleeves. "I'm tired of being in the way. Always being prioritized first. What kind of leader am I?" her hands clench as her eyes shut tight, her shoulders twitching. "So far all I've been is a burden who's been unable to protect anyone...!"
[23:10] <Shen> He watched her still, understanding her feelings so much it almost broke his heart. "I will not leave your side, that is something you cannot convince me of." he stated stubbornly.
[23:22] <~Deedles> Mingxia slowly turns around to face him again, faint streaks on her cheeks for where a couple of tears had crept down "I know you won't." she says, sighing slightly before she manages to smile "You remind me of Taishin, only I can actually talk to you about this stuff. He would just tell me 'No' and stomp off to end the conversation."
[23:31] <Shen> "He cares for you greatly." he replies with a half-smile. "And he probably has a lot more sense than me... But you can't blame him - he, more than anyone else in this world knows the extent of his fathers power."
[23:34] <~Deedles> She sighs again as she nods "I know." she lowers her face towards the ground as she smiles, sadly. "I don't have a choice, do I? ... Not really. Going to Jinlong when we know so little of the Emperor's power is too risky." she lifts a hand to her face.
[23:42] <Shen> Shen sighs soundlessly as he puts a hand on her shoulder. "I expect Jinlong will be our first stop after we leave the village again, there is a lot to do there and knowing you are safe means we can do everything in our power to make things right. Do not blame yourself because of it."
[23:50] <~Deedles> Mingxia lifts the gaze of her faded eyes, blinking before she lays a hand on the one he'd placed on her shoulder. "Thank you, but I don't think I can... not yet. Maybe that's weak of me, but I can't help being frustrated at the fact that I can essentially do nothing." she tells him as that sad smile remains.
[23:59] <Shen> "Its not weak of you to be frustrated when you feel that you are a burden. You are like me in that sense, we wish to help and protect anyone we can... but what happens when you are the person that I wish to protect?" he asks quietly then falling silent. "Taishin does have some plans in place to make life easier for our friends in Jinlong, so at least be at some ease knowing that he is there doing his best."
[00:02] <~Deedles> She nods, hesitating a moment before she moves in to give him a hug. "Thank you, Shen." she says quietly
[00:07] <Shen> He was awkward about it, but he returned it in silence none-the-less.
[00:07] <~Deedles> As if she could sense it she pulled away, turning to the side "Ah... Sorry." she murmurs, lifting a hand to rub the back of her head.
[00:16] <Shen> He sighed through his nose, with a light, slightly nervous chuckle. "No, its my fault." he scratched the back of his head. "You did nothing wrong."
[00:17] <~Deedles> "It's not your fault if you don't like or want people to get that close. I should of asked." Mingxia insists softly
[00:23] <Shen> "Its not like that..." he insisted back, "...I'm just not used to it, thats all." he admitted reluctantly.
[00:26] <~Deedles> "... Neither am I." She admits with a slight laugh as she smiles at him "Recieving hugs that is. I'm usually the one giving them." she tells him
[00:31] <Shen> Shen smiled at that as he nodded, pulling her already close into a clumsy hug. "I thought I was supposed to be the troublesome one." he said with yet another sigh.
[00:37] <~Deedles> Mingxia giggles as she smiles up at him playfully while hugging him back "If you're honest with yourself you know that you're really a softie inside." she teases
[00:46] <Shen> He closes his eyes and looks away. "Even shadows require a light to be cast." he grumbled stubbornly.
[01:02] <~Deedles> "And what are you? The shadow or the light?" She asks in return as her smile widens slightly.
[01:12] <Shen> "Both." he replies, turning back to her with a smile.
[01:14] <~Deedles> "What does that make you then?" Mingxia wonders with a curious and playful look.
[01:23] <Shen> "Shen." he answered simply, his smile light.
[01:24] <~Deedles> She looks thoughtful for a moment before she nods in approval "I like that answer." she concludes with a sweet smile.
[01:26] <Shen> "I'm quite fond of it myself." he admits, rocking his head sideways. "Though I suppose I don't have much of a choice either way."
[01:32] <~Deedles> "I guess..." Mingxia pauses as she ponders on that "Even though I sometimes wish I was someone different when I get frustrated and feel helpless, if it really came down to it I wouldn't want to change who I am for the world." she confesses
[01:34] <Shen> "Then that's something that we both agree on." he notes with a chuckle. "The world needs someone like you."
[01:40] <~Deedles> She blushes at that, lifing a hand to rub one of her cheeks "That's high praise..."
[01:54] <Shen> "From what I've seen so far, it's true." the half-smile on his face is both happy and sad. "I'll need to see about getting some more tea." he says as his arm twitches slightly, gripping his hand into a fist. "I've gone too long without it."
[01:56] <~Deedles> Mingxia gently grips his hand as she smiles "Well, why didn't you say so earlier?" she asks him as she begins pulling him along towards the tea house.
[02:01] <Shen> "To be honest, with all thats happened, I'd forgotten." he admits as he follows along behind her.
[02:02] <~Deedles> "Yeah, it's been quite a flurry of events..." She agrees before she flashes him a soft smile "What is your tea for?" she inquires
[02:11] <Shen> "To stabilise my chi... to a degree." he explained. "Beyond that I'm not too sure of the details. One of the masters brewed it for me, a tea of white jasmine infused in a flask he'd given me." he says as he pulls the empty flask from his waist. "I ran out a while ago."
[02:16] <~Deedles> Mingxia carefully grasps the flask and removes the cork, sniffing the inside "Hmmm..." she looks thoughtful "White Jasmine, a hint of seaweed and... Ah! It must be lotus leaves!" she concludes outloud with a satisfied nod.
[02:18] <Shen> "Is it possible to make more of it?" he asked as he watched her smell the flask.
[02:19] <~Deedles> "I think so..." She focuses as she holds the flask in both her hands
[02:22] <~Deedles> "Hmm, the chi infusion of the flask is the tricky part, but if what's left of your Doctor's infusion isn't enough I'll see if I can redo it... somehow." Mingxia states with a soft smile as they arrive at the tea house. It was still a bit of a mess after the day before, but at least all the blood had been washed away.
[02:23] <Shen> "Anything would really do for now." he stated hopefully. "I won't die without it, but it gets a lot harder to control my chi."
[02:25] <~Deedles> Her smile sweetens as she moves over to the counter "Don't worry, I'm certain I can make something that'll help you." she assures him before she gestures for him to have a seat. "But it'll be easier if I can have a look at you though." she admits
[02:26] <Shen> Shen takes a seat as she gestures, but he looks a little out of place. "How do you mean?" he asks slightly nervously.
[02:27] <~Deedles> "A medical exam, it lets me have a closer look at your chi and how it effects your body." Mingxia explains before she giggles "I'm just gonna feel at a few of your pressure points, that's all."
[02:28] <Shen> Shen nodded, to himself as opposed to the blind girl. "Alright." he confirms, shifting in the seat.
[02:29] <~Deedles> She places the flask on the counter before she moves up to him, laying a gentle pair of fingers against one side of his neck and then the other, looking focused as she does.
[02:31] <Shen> He watched quietly as she performed the procedure.
[02:32] <~Deedles> She feels a few other pressure points before she pulls away and nods. "Alright..." she says as she ponders.
[16:35] <Shen> He felt a little uncomfortable being examined, shifting in his seat from time to time. "So...?" he asks impatiently, obviously not understanding really what she was doing.
[16:37] <~Deedles> "Your chi is really wild and imbalanced." Mingxia replies as she moves over to the counter, grabbing the boxes from the shelves behind it that contain the ingredients she needs. "Something just feels off... nothing sinister, but it's almost as if something is... missing." she tries to explain.
[16:45] <Shen> Shen nods quietly as he rubs the back of his neck, following the girl with his eyes. "My cultivation has not exactly been the most typical of processes." he admits regrettably. "All Storm Dragons who possess the affinity for Heaven, which are most, study the way of Heavens Lightning... But I may of slightly skipped past that part."
[16:48] <~Deedles> "What is Heaven's Lightning like?" She wonder as she gets a teapot onto the counter before carefully measuring up the ingredients, occassionally having a sniff at the flask to double-check that she's on the right track.
[16:56] <Shen> "Everything I'm not, relatively speaking." he chuckled dryly. "It is the teaching for control and proper chi cycling for Lightning. All foundations are based off of it, as is what I've learned... I just can't seem to find the control, the pattern, that others insist I must." by others he had mostly meant Satzu, but it was true that he had become well-known amongst his peers for such failure.
[17:00] <~Deedles> Mingxia seems to ponder on that as she measures up the last ingredient before turning away to get started on hot water. "But... that's no surprise when you have such an imbalance in your body. To me it almost feels like you're missing half of the foundation to your chi, and thus end up having to do some elaborate balancing act to make up for it." she explains with a serious expression as she faces him again,
[17:00] <~Deedles> though the serious edge disappears as she takes a step forward and trips, disappearing behind the counter with a soft 'oof!'
[17:02] <Shen> He opens his eyes again as he hears the soft noise. "Uhh, Mingxia?... You alright there?" he calls out.
[17:03] <~Deedles> "Y-yeah!" She waves a hand in view before she quickly gets back to her feet with an embarrassed smile and red cheeks "I'm fine!" she insists
[17:08] <Shen> He shakes his head with a chuckle he had a hard time subduing. "Try to be more careful." he also insisted.
[17:10] <~Deedles> "I try to be..." Mingxia says with a slight pout
[17:30] <Shen> "You're a woman that constantly tests her own limits." he says to balance his scold. "It's just those limits are often gravity based."
[17:31] <~Deedles> Her blush deepens "Just seems to happen whenever I don't think about it..."
[17:37] <Shen> "Funny how that works." he grins.
[17:39] <~Deedles> Mingxia can't help but smile in return "Careful with that teasing or your tea might cause you to sound like a girl." she replies a faux-threat
[17:40] <Shen> He falls silent immediately. "...That's just evil."
[17:41] <~Deedles> She giggles "I wouldn't actually do it, though I'm fairly certain I could." she assures him with a bright smile.
[17:42] <Shen> "I will remember that then." he sighs, watching her suspiciously.
[17:45] <~Deedles> Mingxia emits a faint giggle "You're funny..." she tells him before she carefully gets the kettle filled with hot water and pours it into the teapot.
[17:52] <Shen> "Only when I'm nervous." he replies, watching her pour the water into the teapot. "So you're able to do it?" he asks again.
[17:54] <~Deedles> "Why you nervous?" Mingxia asks with a gentle smile before she adds "The medicine?" making sure she understood what he was wondering.
[18:03] <Shen> "And the lack of it." he admits as he rubs his arm. "It sometimes feels that others have a better insight to me than I do myself."
[18:05] <~Deedles> "That's probably because your chi is so volatile, it must be difficult to sense anything through it." She tells him softly
[18:10] <Shen> "Maybe so." he partially agreed. "I've never been talented with such things, that's why I've tried to compensate physically instead."
[18:12] <~Deedles> "It seems you've done a good job of that." Mingxia says honestly as she smiles at him
[18:14] <Shen> "Thanks." he says appreciatively, relaxing a bit. "Considering your disability, I have to say I'm nothing in comparison." he admits with a smile.
[18:16] <~Deedles> She shakes her head "I don't think that's true at all." she replies "I may have good senses, but I'm nowhere near as strong as you."
[18:32] <Shen> "Everyone has the same potential." he corrects her, though not reproachfully. "You're stronger than me in many senses."
[18:36] <~Deedles> She nods slowly "I guess... There are different types of strength after all." she agrees before she carefully lifts the teapot and begins pouring the brew into the flask.
[18:44] <Shen> "Thank you for doing this for me." he words gratefully. "I asked Yoshi to help me with it before, but I didn't realise how medicinal in nature it was."
[18:46] <~Deedles> "You're welcome, Shen." Mingxia smiles sweetly at him "If you have the recipe then I'm sure Yoshi would be able to make the tea, but it's the chi infusion that seems to be the tricky part."
[18:56] <Shen> "I'll have to talk with Ziulong when we return to the village anyway, he takes on something of a doctors role in the village." he agrees.
[18:57] <~Deedles> She nods before she carefully lifts the flask, focusing in it "Hmm, I don't want to replace his chi with my own, but maybe I could strengthen his infusion by using my neutral chi." she ponder
[19:06] <Shen> "Its worth try at least, I don't have many options until we return."
[19:24] <~Deedles> "I will do my best." Mingxia promises him with a sweet smile