Shen - A Drop of Water

[03:13] <~Deedles> After leading Mingxia to the townhall and the Elders beginning her training the pair walk out of the large building a few hours later. The blind girl has her hands clapsed behind her back as she turns to Shen. "What now?" she wonders
[03:20] <Shen> Shen yawns from a mix of inactivity and the simple boredom of the elders fillerbustering. "We get as far away from them as possible." he chimes with a deep stretch.
[03:22] <~Deedles> Mingxia giggles softly "Well ... this is your home, and you're my host. What do you want to do?" she asks him with a sweet smile
[03:24] <Shen> "How about... we go for a walk?" Shen offers after a moments thought.
[03:25] <~Deedles> "Sure!" Ming takes his hand as her smile widens "Lead the way."
[03:30] <Shen> He laughs at her sudden enthusiasm. "Good, I have a place I want to go." he says, leading the way. For a moment it seems like he wants to say something, but doesn't, as they continue walking.
[03:33] <~Deedles> "Ohh? Where to?" She wonders as she walks along side him, tilting her head to the side curiously.
[03:38] <Shen> "Heh. You'll see." he said as he walked with her deeper into the village. It almost seemed like it was outside of the village, but deeper into the mountain. Higher than any of the houses of the village towered, even the temples. Shen scratched his chin as he thought. "Say, Blossom... Can I ask you a question?"
[03:39] <~Deedles> Ming blinks before she nods, smiling softly "Of course you can, Shen. You're my friend, ask anything." she tells him
[03:42] <Shen> He remains quiet even after she speaks, but only for a little bit. "How do you see so well without actually... seeing?" he asks her quietly as they walk beween a small area of trees.
[03:47] <~Deedles> Mingxia takes a moment to think "Through using my other senses, but also ... while I don't see like normal people see, I can still see, in a sense. I opened my chi senses enough to be able to see people, and some objects, like plants, through their chi." she explains to him
[03:51] <Shen> He watched her as she spoke but sighed as she finished. "I see..." he replied quietly. "Then I suppose I should improve on my other senses a bit." he said after a while of deep thought. "As I am now, I can't go back out there and help anyone."
[03:53] <~Deedles> Mingxia brings them to a stop so she can grip Shen's other hand too "Shen... You're not in this alone, I will help you, as much as I can... I know you can learn to do what I do. Maybe not exactly in the way that I do it, but in your own way, because we all have our own way, our own path." she assures him warmly, her words confident.
[04:03] <Shen> Shen nodded hazily back at her, he was determined, yes, but skeptical. "I've never been able to utilise any such ability." he confessed as he looked down at her. "Its like being covered with a layer of deafening noise that never quietens."
[04:12] <~Deedles> "But it has quietened now, eversince you fell into the water..." She tells him softly as she gives his hands a squeeze "Maybe now... you'll be able to?"
[04:19] <Shen> Shen shook his head. "When I was younger..." he said, pointing to a place behind her. There was a great lake just beyond of the treeline, completely still as if it was a gigantic mirror on the side of the mountain. "...When I was younger, I fell into that lake and the same thing happened to me. It quietened, but it returned still. I can already feel it growing louder and louder every moment." he shook his head. "I don't think my body can
[04:20] <Shen> take another shock like that again."
[04:25] <~Deedles> Mingxia lifts his hand, holding both of them within hers as she looks determined "Maybe so, but I won't give up until I think of a way to quieten your lightning chi without harming you!" she tells him firmly. "I won't give up!" she repeats
[04:34] <Shen> "...I know." he smiled sadly as he pulled his hands from hers. "Neither will I. " he spoke in a tone which made him seem neither here nor there. He was distracted by a memory that he had only just remembered now. He moved away from Mingxia, fumbling his hands slightly as he grasps for what he knows is there... somewhere.
[04:34] <Shen> It wasn't long before his grasp found the rough wooden frame of a withered training dummy. He ran his hands across it as he stood before it.
[04:40] <~Deedles> She hesitates, reaching out to get a feel for his mental state before she moves up behind him, hesitating a moment before she hugs him. She wasn't sure if he wanted to be alone or not...
[04:53] <Shen> "My father made this for me when I was very young." he spoke as the touch of her brought him back to the present. The dummy was lower, slightly smaller than the dummies back at the village. A great dent had been imploded into the center of its body. Shen slowly and clumsily hit the arms of the dummy with a blank smile on his face.
[04:53] <Shen> He rested his forehead against the head of the dummy and for the first time since he was a child, he cried. "What must I do?" he asks quietly, to Mingxia, the Heavens, anyone.
[05:03] <~Deedles> Blossom finds herself speechless for a moment, feeling her gut twisting as she felt his pain as if it was her own. She moves slightly closer, and though she doesn't tighten the hug she grips onto his clothes gently "Shen..." she whispers, her own voice wavering for a moment as she feels her own faded eyes filling with tears that soon creep down her cheeks. She leans her head in to rest her forehead against the back of his shoulder.
[05:12] <Shen> "I'm sorry." he whispers to her after a long silence consisting of his bated breaths. "I am supposed to look after you when I can barely look after myself... Everything I am, everything I have become..." He gripped her hands tightly as he turned to her slowly. "Like fate has decided to hold it all ransom and asking for a price I can't depict." he sniffed lightly in the cold air.
[05:19] <~Deedles> "You look after yourself just fine..." She insists softly, holding his hands just as tightly in return. "And you've looked after me really well, not just physically, but emotionally." she shakes her head, her own tears still flowing. "Don't think I didn't notice, you always paid attention to me and how I felt!" she bites her lower lip.
[05:30] <Shen> Although his mind is saddened, he is calmed by her touch like always. He doesn't fall to hysteria, instead he turns to her and rests his forehead against hers. "I must be able to give more..." he says to her quietly. "To you, my people, myself... Jian... Yoshi." he shook his head dully against hers. "I cannot - must not - be a burden to them."
[05:32] <~Deedles> Mingxia releases one of his hands to raise her own to his cheek, stroking it tenderly as she manages to soothe him a bit. "You won't be. Yo-..." she trails off as her eyes widen for a moment, before narrowing into a confused look. "Shen... I sense something new in you." she tells him quietly
[05:37] <Shen> He sighs and avoids her gaze, looking down. "I did not mean to bring you here and be like this." he spoke apologetically. "Ever since the lake... I've felt off. Unhinged. Fearful. It is no wonder you sense such things." he nodded as he pulled her hand away.
[05:39] <~Deedles> "No!" She quickly grips his hand again "Please...! Don't push me away..." she pleads of him tearfully, taking a deep breath before she adds. "What I feel... it's not an emotion... It is chi."
[05:43] <Shen> "What do you mean?" he asks, letting out a deep sigh as he raises his head. "What chi?" he asks her, confused, his mind was like a storm in itself and he had a time finding the words of Mingxia at its center. "I don't understand."
[05:46] <~Deedles> Ming lays a hand below his chest, right where the core of ones chi is meant to be "A small spark, like a... a..." she bites her lower lip as she tries to place the sensation, a sudden look of realization on her face. "Like a drop of water!" she finishes in a faint gasp.
[05:51] <Shen> "Water...?" he watches her so closely. "But, that is impossible. You know that as much as I do." he said gripping a hand over hers as if to show her. "Energy burns through my veins, as it did my family before me, I am a Storm Dragon... Don't take that from me too." he looked so deeply into her eyes that if it wasn't for her touch he would be lost in the storm.
[05:56] <~Deedles> Mingxia seems lost, she is certain at what she feels, but she didn't want to distress him. Her free hand comes up to grip the side of his head. She utters soft noises as she desperately tries to think of something to say, when a thought occures to her. "Shen... Having Water chi wouldn't undo you being a Storm Dragon." she tells him "A Storm consists of lightning and water..."
[06:15] <Shen> Shen shook his head as his breathing calmed. "No, I suppose not." he admitted, his face phasing between confusion and sadness, it all felt too much. "I have always felt one step behind myself, like I never understood my own body. Now I know I truly do not." he panted as he gulped for air, feeling almost breathless at the wave of emotion, fighting to steady his lungs.
[06:15] <Shen> "I'm sorry, Blossom. I will not turn from you again..." he spoke softly as his breath ejected mist in the cool air.
[06:25] <~Deedles> Mingxia closed her eyes as she felt his warm breath against her cool cheeks, her hand slipping down and around him to pull him into a tight hug. "Thank you..." she says, her voice muffled as she burried her face in his shoulder. "I will help you, as much as I can, I promise. I won't let you go through this on your own." she tells him, her voice firm despite her speaking in such a quiet tone.
[06:34] <Shen> "Thank you..." he mirrored in a whisper as he hugged her. "I am past the point of simple pride, I will need your help." he admitted as the storm within him calmed, as if entering the eye of it and holding it there. "Just being here helps more than you'll ever know." he finishes quiely.
[06:38] <~Deedles> She gives him a gentle squeeze as she lifts hi
[06:42] <~Deedles> She gives him a squeeze as she lifts her head slightly "Then I shall remain right here." she assures him with a gentle smile "For as long as you need and want me to." she adds.
[06:49] <Shen> "I would say forever." he laughs faintly. "But that would be greedy, and you have places to be." he said with a sigh of slight exhaustion. "So I'll take whatever time Her Highness can spare." he said, his voice warmer than before. "And I'll be grateful for that."
[06:51] <~Deedles> Mingxia blushes as he calls her by that title, her smile widening slightly as she lifts a hand to tap his nose. "That's not greedy. You're my guardian, remember? You're always meant to be by my side." she reminds him warmly with a faint, light-hearted, laugh.
[06:57] <Shen> Shen chuckles back at her. "If the fates permit, then I suppose you're right." he conceded, looking down at her, his eyes red but tearless. "Then I will remain here as part of my duty and my choice." he said with a faint, solemn tone. "But if I'm to truly be your guardian I still must get stronger. I will have to speak with Ziulong about your sense."
[07:02] <~Deedles> Mingxia's smile fades slightly as as she nods "That would probably be wise." she agrees, lowering her face towards the ground. "I know you will get stronger, it is simply who you are, Shen. You don't stop striving just because something is difficult, you'll face all kinds of odds in the name of getting stronger and not back down." she leans up to give his cheek a light peck before she takes a slight step back as she looks sad.
[07:02] <~Deedles> "That's why I know that you'll have to head out again... Not because anyone will ask it of you, but because you don't truly wish to stay here, do you?"
[07:08] <Shen> "For you, with you... maybe." he says as he turns to the lake and takes in the breeze. "But myself and my comrades were not destined for such a peaceful life, I reckon." he muses as he breathes in the cool air. "But I will always return, in some way or another." he turns back to her with a smile.
[07:10] <~Deedles> She looks thoughtful, her cheeks still feeling flushed as she can't help but return his smile "You better return, and that's an order from the Empress..." she tells him with a hint of playfulness, her blush deepening as she speaks.
[07:17] <Shen> "Then I better not disobey my Empress' first order." he returns just as playfully, but with a fading smile. "It just so happens that it aligns pretty well with my own goals." he appreciated with a quiet laugh.
[07:20] <~Deedles> Mingxia moves a bit closer to him again, gently gripping one of his hands "I... I really appreciate how you make me feel." she admits to him "You make me feel ... normal. I know that you're my bodyguard, but... you're more than that, you're my friend, and around you I know that I'm the Empress, but... I feel like it ... maybe, that isn't all that matters." she speaks slowly, trying to piece her feelings together.
[07:26] <Shen> "That is because you are normal." he says, putting his free hand on her shoulder. "Far more normal than most of us in this village in fact." he admitted quite honestly. "Just because you are destined for something important doesn't make you any less you. When I feel you, I sense you. Not an Empress." he said squeezing her shoulder. "And that is who I choose to stand by."
[07:33] <~Deedles> She hugs him close and tight as he says that "Thank you... That's all I can ever ask for." she tells him quietly, her hands gripping onto the back of his tunic. She rests her forehead against his shoulder. "I feel... so silly..." she confesses as her voice trembles slightly.
[07:36] <Shen> "You shouldn't." he replies as he rests a hand on her back. "Even though you are kind of... silly."
[07:37] <~Deedles> Ming can't help but laugh at that "Guess I can't deny that." she murmurs "I just... feel so happy..." she lifts her head, tears creeping down her cheeks as she smiles.
[07:41] <Shen> He could smell the salt of the tears as he wiped them away with a free hand. "Its the least you deserve." he commented genuinely, the emotional display from her almost infectious. "Just try not to leak too much of that happiness." he laughed quietly.
[07:43] <~Deedles> "I'm... trying not to." She pauses as she sniffles "But I... Taishin and Hayato always looked after me, and while Taishin is my friend I, just... I don't know... I just feel so happy." she repeats, blushing slightly as she does. "Having a friend like you."
[17:59] <Shen> Shen didn't know how to reply at first, he stood there unsure how to react, but he smiled anyway. "Then I'm glad I could at least bring you some happiness at the least." he spoke finally.
[18:01] <~Deedles> "I'm sorry..." Mingxia replies as she sniffles, but she's still smiling as she lifts a hand to try to wipe away her own tears. "I must seem ... so clingy and awkward." she shakes her head slightly.
[18:16] <Shen> "You don't seem any such way." Shen huffed faintly. "...But I feel the same." he chuckled. "I want to be around you not just out of duty, but because of who you are." he admitted. "I just have the luxury of justifying it as a Storm Dragon.
[18:21] <~Deedles> She is silent for a moment, one of her hands holding his lightly "Really?" she asks, earnestly, her lips quirking into a faint smile.
[18:28] <Shen> He nods faintly. "Yes." he answers simply. "Does that make me a bad person?" he asks, suddenly rethinking what he had just said.
[18:30] <~Deedles> Mingxia shakes her head "No..." she replies, her smile widening as she gives his hand a squeeze, shifting a bit closer to him. "I actually like that you do, it means I get to spend more time with you." she confesses, her cheeks gaining a pink tint as she feels them go warm. "And I really enjoy being around you... You're so different to me, and yet... you feel similar."
[18:36] <Shen> "The strings of fate have us pretty tied up." he mused with a light laugh. "Back in Yumu, when I told you that maybe our ancestors sat and talked like that..." he shrugged to finish his meaning. "We are different people, with different paths, but those paths run along side each other. Even if at some points they turn away, they will always eventually meet again." he placed a hand on her head. "I know it."
[18:44] <~Deedles> Her eyes close as she feels his hand on her head, a content, yet nervous, smile on her lips as her free hand fiddles slightly with her dress. "Yeah... I feel the same way. I know you're right." she says softly, trying to not let the confusion she feels at her stomach fluttering enter her voice. "Even if we part, we will see each other again."
[18:49] <Shen> He nods to himself in silence, a faint smile on his face. "You can count on it." he says quietly.
[18:56] <~Deedles> Mingxia's smile wavers as she wobbles slightly, gripping onto him as her breathing is getting a bit heavier.
[19:03] <Shen> Shen frowns with concern. "Are you alright?" he asks as he holds her to keep her steady. "What is wrong?"
[19:04] <~Deedles> She lifts a hand to her mouth to surpress a slight cough "With everything I... forgot to drink my medicine today." she tells him between soft pants.
[19:07] <Shen> Shen sighs soundlessly as he looks down at her. "Reckless." he breathed with a smile. "Then we will go visit Ziulong." he said, concern still in his voice as he lifts her up to carry her on his back. "Calm yourself, I know the way..."
[19:10] <~Deedles> Blossom emits a faint laugh followed by a cough as she holds onto him "Thank you..." she says, though despite her cheeks being flushed with embarrassment she rests her chin on his shoulder with a content and happy smile. "You're the best..." she murmurs earnestly, a slight tinge of sleepiness to her tone from the effects of her illness along with his scent calming her.
[19:16] <Shen> Shen chuckled faintly as he walked back to the village, his feet did all the work for him while he concentrated hard on his senses. He felt them improving every day; his sense of hearing had gotten much acuter compared to when he had sight, like his body was naturally compensating.
[19:16] <Shen> His sense of smell had gotten better too, smelling things he had never noticed before - though right now his nose was distracted by his temporary passengers soft scent.
[19:22] <~Deedles> Ming finds that the journey on his back is actually quite comfy, catching herself nearly falling asleep from the comforting scent, her weakened state and the steady rocking causing by his footsteps. She presses the back of her hand against her mouth as she stiffled a yawn before resting her head on his shoulder again...
[19:29] <Shen> They got some funny looks from some of the villagers as they passed through the center and headed towards the Water temple, but Shen pretended not to hear the whispering. "Hayato said you knew how to make your medicine." Shen chimed back to her, partially turning his head. "But Ziulong is a very good doctor... He's a bit of an eccentric, I suppose a genius." he spoke quietly, eager to speak to the mentor about a few things.
[19:31] <~Deedles> Blossom didn't care about the whispers and looks, if she noticed them at all in her dozey state."I... look forward to meeting him." She replies quietly with a faint smile "And yeah, I can make my own medicine, but telling him the recipe would probably be..." she pauses as she yawns again "...good."
[19:35] <Shen> Shen nods as he walks up the steps of the temple and straight inside of it where he began to look for the mentor. "Hey, old man." Shen called out without shouting as he gently knelt down and helped Blossom from his back, making sure to keep a hold of her still.
[19:38] <~Deedles> "Thank you..." Ming says softly as he supports her, smiling sleepily. At first Shen hears silence in response, but after a few moments he hears footsteps from one of the corridors leading to the mainhall. The footfalls stop in the doorway, and more silence follows until Ziulong finally speaks up "Interesting..." he says before moving to Shen and Mingxia to lay a hand on the Storm Dragon's shoulder to begin leading him towards the medical office.
[19:42] <Shen> "Heh, good to see you too." Shen chuckles as he follows the mentors directing. "This one is Mingxia." he notes as he helps the girl along with him. "You probably already know about her, but she forgot to take her medicine."
[19:44] <~Deedles> Ming raises a hand to wave at the Water Mentor with a weary smile. Ziulong looks down at the blind girl "Blind leading the blind..." he murmurs as he walks them to the office "... Interesting." he adds before opening the door. "Sit." he instructs them, Shen would know the medical bed that he always sat on when being examined.
[19:48] <Shen> Shen nodded as he helped her down to sit on the bed, making sure she was steady before he sat next to her. "Yes, very funny." Shen retorted at the mentors humourless jest.
[19:51] <~Deedles> "It was?" Ziulong responds, a hint of surprise to his tone which is more emotion than he usually shows. He grabs a stool and sits down in front of Shen, laying a hand on his forehead to gently lean his head back as he gets a closer look at the young man's eyes.
[19:53] <~Deedles> Mingxia sits quietly, well as quietly as she can while her breathing comes out in soft pants.
[19:54] <Shen> Shen sighs, shaking his head at the hopeless man before he is examined. He leans his head back, feeling the man inspecting his eyes. "I fell into a lake on our way back." Shen informed him. "Trying to deflect lightning from the boat. I couldn't discharge it in time and it through me off. As soon as I hit the water, I fell unconscious.
[19:55] <Shen> "But focus on her first." he said pushing the doctor back slightly. "My eyes will remain the same."
[20:00] <~Deedles> Ziulong blinks and glances at Mingxia, shifting the stool over to her as he grips her chin gently, lifting her head slightly as he feels the pressure points around her throat and around her lungs. "Hmmm..." he looks thoughtful. "I use a medicine to help my blood bind oxygen." the blind girl explains "Yes..." the Water Mentor replies quietly before he moves away. "It consists of White Jasmine... Sea Salt, Nettles and ginseng...  Oh! And I usually add some lemon for flavour." she continues to say as Ziulong gathers the ingredients for the tea.
[20:06] <Shen> Shen sat silently listening to them. "You think you could supercharge it a bit like you did with my flask?" Shen asks Ziulong curiously.
[20:08] <~Deedles> The Water Mentor emits a hum of thought before he nods "Yes." he replies calmly while putting a kettle on the boil before he begins mixing the herbs in preperation. "I've heard that you're a very skilled Doctor, if you ever have the time I would like to come and study a bit here." Mingxia says with a faint smile, lifting a hand to her mouth as she coughs.
[20:16] <Shen> Shen smiled at that as he thought as much, Ziulongs chi was very powerful medicinally and he was glad that it could help Mingxia too. "She is already a great doctor herself." Shen added after she askes. "I couldn't think of a more worthy student."
[20:18] <~Deedles> Ziulong is quiet for a moment, putting the herbs into a pot while he waits for the water. "Yes." he replies in the end, his blue eyes peering down at the kettle before he turns back to the pair and shifts the stool to stand in front of Shen.
[20:19] <Shen> Shen stared blankly but curiously at the doctors presence.
[20:23] <~Deedles> Ziulong looks at him intently as he lays his hands on either side of his head before closing his eyes and focusing...
[20:25] <~Deedles> The Doctor's eyes re-open after a moment, staring at Shen briefly before he nods slowly "It makes sense..." he murmurs
[20:27] <Shen> "What makes sense?" Shen furrows his brow in confusion. "You don' make sense."
[20:41] <~Deedles> "You have a drop of Water Chi..." Ziulong replies calmly
[20:43] <Shen> Shen faintly nodded. "She said the same." he noted as he motioned towards Blossom. "I don't know why or how though." he admits uncertainly.
[20:45] <~Deedles> Ziulong is quiet as he thinks "Don't know, but your chi is calming." he informs the young Storm Dragon. Mingxia looks to Shen in silent focus before she nods "I can feel it too..."
[20:49] <Shen> He looked down at his hand, although he couldn't see the flesh and bone of it, he could feel it through himself. "What does that mean?" he questions quietly. "Could I learn to use it?" he asks as he slowly clenched it into a fist. "Can Water and Lightning really co-exist." he had too many questions.
[20:51] <~Deedles> "I'm not sure. Yes. Yes." Ziulong replies calmly to his questions "I told you lightning and water makes a Storm..." Mingxia chimes softly from where she's sat beside Shen, laying a gentle hand on his.
[20:53] <Shen> He nodded as he remembered her words. "I more meant... my lightning." he said awkwardly, but knew that Ziulong would mean the same. "I know nothing of Water other than fear." he admitted honestly.
[20:54] <~Deedles> "Water is fear. Deep, dark and unknown." Ziulong tells him quietly "Control it." Blossom leans closer to Shen as she slides her arm around him "You don't have to be afraid." she says, hoping her hold could support him in some way.
[20:56] <Shen> "Where do I begin?" he raises his head to blankly to look at the mentor, using the reassurance and calm of Blossom. "How does one control it?"
[20:58] <~Deedles> "I will teach you." The Water Mentor tells him as he lays a hand on the young man's shoulder.
[21:02] <Shen> "Thank you." he says quietly as he drops his head in a low, respectful nod. "I appreciate anything you can teach me... From both of you." he said as he put a hand on Blossom's back.
[21:04] <~Deedles> Ziulong bows his head in return while Mingxia gives Shen a soft smile, leaning in to hug him. "Anytime, Shen. I'll always be here." she promises
[21:07] <Shen> Shen nods quietly as a similar smile forms. "Then I'll always be looking for you." he returns. "I have much to do."
[21:10] <~Deedles> "And you'll always find me, I'll make sure of it." She replies warmly. Ziulong begins to stand "Come." he says to Shen before he turns to Blossom "The water is boiled, and the gourd on the table is infused with my chi. You can make the rest, yes?" he asks, the blind girl nodding in response as she smiles. "Yeah."
[21:11] <Shen> "Will you be alright?" he asks as he shifts off of the bed, he knew she could look after herself, but he thought he would ask anyway.
[21:12] <~Deedles> "I'll be fine." She assures him with a soft smile and blush. "I'll have my medicine and stay here to rest while it takes effect." Ziulong moves over to the doorway, but makes no attempt to hurry Shen up.
[21:14] <Shen> Shen nodded at her words as he put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed before turning and following Ziulong out of the doorway.
[21:17] <~Deedles> "Good luck..." Blossom calls as they leave before she slowly stands to move over to the table to pour the hot water into the pot. Ziulong leads Shen through the Temple and out the back door to a yard covered in ankle deep water. He steps out into the water, rings forming around his feet.
[21:21] <Shen> "Rest well." he calls back to her as he leaves with Ziulong. He doesn't expect the water at first, sploshing a foot into it as he treads. "Wah!" he calls  as his foot gets soaked, letting out a deep sigh. "Great." he grumbled.
[21:50] <~Deedles> "Take your shoes off." Ziulong instructs him, the Water Mentor walking barefoot unnoticable underneath his large coat.
[21:55] <Shen> Shen takes a step back and slips off his shoes, one dry, one soaked. "...Right." he grumbled quietly, as he stepped back onto the water, feeling the cool waters run around his hardened feet and toes. It was cold, but soothing. He was anxious about it, of course, still unsure of being in any pool of water as large as this, however shallow it was.
[22:00] <~Deedles> "Don't be afraid..." Ziulong calls to him calmly as he stands in the middle of the shallow water. He holds out his hand "Come here." he urges the young man "You are water."
[22:01] <Shen> Shen closes his eyes as he focuses on the soothing sensation of the water between his toes. He steps somewhat clumsily towards the mentor, but wih each step he finds himself sliding towards the man. "I am water." he repeated.
[22:03] <~Deedles> "Good..." The Water Mentor encourages him, his voice constantly remaining calm and quiet as he speaks.
[22:05] <Shen> He stands before Ziulong after a short while, his steps stopping as the shifting of water ceases into ripples.
[22:06] <~Deedles> The Silent Ice lays one of his hands on Shen's forehead "Calm your mind... focus on the flow..." he murmurs
[22:08] <Shen> "The flow?..." Shen asks quietly as he tries to blindly concentrate beyond the sensation of the masters cold hand touching his forehead.
[22:09] <~Deedles> "The water, the chi. Chi is water, it flows..." Ziulong replies calmly
[22:12] <Shen> Shen didn't quite understand, the flow was different to what he had learnt from his lightning; the surge, the prickling, the pattern... The Pattern. He spoke internally as he delved inside of himself. A Pattern within, the flow? He tried to make sense of it at first. He felt the energy within him like usual, but it was pulsating, not surging as it did usually.
[22:14] <~Deedles> Ziulong is silent as he watches Shen, not wanting to break his focus as he searching for the flow he speaks of
[22:19] <Shen> Shen lost any sense of the outside as he fell completely into himself. He followed the pulse as it reverberated through his body, chasing the energy through his soul. He did this for what felt like days until he caught up with it, he looked closer at the energy, it was warming and familiar. However raw it may of been before, it was changing, being tamed. "I've changed..." he spoke out loud, his voice quiet and brow furrowed.
[22:21] <~Deedles> "We all change when elemental chi awakens..." The Silent Ice replies quietly "You weren't born with Lightning Chi, no Storm Dragon or martial artist is."
[22:28] <Shen> Shen heard what he said, but not the mans voice. He couldn't hear anything in fact, a memory reminding him of the lake: Muffled silence. He stopped watching the lightning and instead looked around him. He was underwater, back in the lake, bu it was different now, he wasn't alone.
[22:28] <Shen> He couldn't make out the face, but there was another figure floating alongside him, but he knew that it was always there. So he swam towards it.
[22:31] <~Deedles> Ziulong goes silent as he feels the young man fall into a trance...
[22:48] <Shen> The figure is dark, its back turned to him. The distance seems constant at first, like no matter how fast he swims he can't get closer. He reaches out to it and stretches as much as he could, calling out to it. Behind him came a great surge that pushed him forward, it was calm, but precise, guiding him as he swept through he lake. As he gets closer he reaches out towards it and turns the figure around by the shoulder.
[22:48] <Shen> ...A face looked back at him,  that he did not recognise. She was smiling, beautiful but empty. Shen was confused, the calm of the lake began to shudder as he felt himself lose the calm. Who was this? he asked, looking around uneasily at the disturbed lake, then looking back. The face had changed though, it was Mingxia's. "Blossom!" he called out loudly into the real world as his eyes shot open, but he could no longer see.
[22:58] <~Deedles> Ziulong was following the movement of chi inside Shen, feeling it become unrested before calming slightly again before Shen breaks out of his state. He slowly removes his hand from the young man's head, placing it on his shoulder instead "... Blossom?" his voice holds curiousity as he peers down at the Storm Dragon.
[22:02] <Shen> Shen awoke from it like a dream, the sudden shifting of realities causing disorientation as he heard the mentors question. "Blossom." he answered before he shook his head and corrected himself. "Mingxia, I mean... I saw her and someone else, they were the same." he chanted, confusing himself just as much. "But I saw it, the Flow, it came to me."
[23:04] <~Deedles> The Silent Ice smiles faintly and despite Shen not being able to see it he could feel it. "It tries to soothe you..." he says, finally understanding the movements of chi that he'd felt in Shen just moments before.
[23:09] <Shen> He rubbed at his chest as he mulled on the mans words. "I wasn't afraid." he spoke as he nodded. "Even though I was in the lake that took my sight, it did not feel the same." he finished, letting out a deep sigh. "Thank you, Ziulong." he said as he breathed out and raised his head.
[23:13] <~Deedles> "You're welcome..." Ziulong replies as he pats Shen's shoulder "Now you've discovered your own chi." he says as he slowly begins moving around the young man. "How do you feel?"
[23:16] <Shen> "Calmer." he answered simply after a pause to think and reflect. "Clearer." he followed up, exhaling deeply. "Silent."
[23:17] <~Deedles> "Good." He replies, his hands clasped behind him "Tonight, take a bath and meditate." he instructs the Storm Dragon calmly
[23:22] <Shen> Shen hesitates, but nods. "Alright." He didn't have time to just sit and meditate, he thought to himself.
[23:24] <~Deedles> "It will help you feel your surroundings." He tells Shen, turning to look at him again. "Get the girl to help you if you wish." he suggests
[23:27] <Shen> "Yeah, I'm sure that'd go down a treat." he commented dryly, but conceded. "I will do it though."
[23:28] <~Deedles> "Why not?" Ziulong asks with a raised brow, genuinely confused.
[23:31] <Shen> Shen chuckled and shook his head. "Nevermind, Master, I'm sure I'll be fine."
[23:34] <~Deedles> "Fair enough." The Water Mentor nods as he begins moving back towards the Temple "Come along."
[23:35] <Shen> Shen follows the sound of the masters steps and the feel of the ripples back to the temple in silence as he thought.
[23:38] <~Deedles> Ziulong waits long enough for Shen to get his shoes back on if he wished before he continues heading inside.
[23:40] <Shen> Shen doesn't bother returning his shoes to his feet, instead picking them up and following along barefoot. One of his shoes dripping sadly along.
[23:44] <~Deedles> The Silent Ice leads him back towards the Medical office. Once they enter the room Shen can hear the noise of soft breathing, the type someone does when they're asleep, which lets him know what Blossom had gotten up to while Ziulong was training him.
[23:55] <Shen> Shen entered the office and walked up to the bed, running his hand over the side of it to follow the edge of the bed. As he reached the source of the breathing he rested a hand on Blossom's shoulder. "Come on, lets head home and get you some proper rest." he said quietly.
[23:57] <~Deedles> Ming groans faintly as Shen stirs her "Hmm? Shen...? Did I fall asleep?" she asks as she slowly sits up, still dazed from waking. Ziulong wordlessly slips Shen the gourd with her medicinal tea.
[00:02] <Shen> Shen takes the gourd and slips it onto his belt for her, thanking the mentor. "Just a little bit." he chuckles at the question. "Are you alright to walk?" he offers to Blossom quietly.
[00:07] <~Deedles> "I ... I should be." Blossom replies as she lays a hand on his arm as she begins getting off the bed. "Thank you." she smiles sweetly at him, her free hand coming up to rub at her sleepy eyes. Ziulong quietly slips into a chair by his desk, opening a large book that he starts writing in.
[00:10] <Shen> He nods as he guides her out of the office, one arm supporting her, the other carrying his shoes. He turns back to Ziulong just as he leaves. "When should I return?" he asked.
[00:12] <~Deedles> "Tomorrow." Ziulong replies calmly. "Thank you for your help, Master." Ming says to the Mentor with a soft smile.
[00:15] <Shen> "I'll be here." he nods appreciatively as he escorts the young woman with him back to their home.
[00:20] <~Deedles> Blossom follows along. She doesn't really need the arm around her for support to walk, but decides not to mention that as she looks up at him, smiling gently "How was training?" she asks him softly
[00:31] <Shen> He was silent as he thought about it. "...It went well, I found what I was looking for." he quirked a slight smile. "My Water cultivation has begun, at least."
[00:35] <~Deedles> She leans in to hug him, giving his cheek a light nuzzle "That's great!" she tells him happily as they're exiting the Temple.
[00:42] <Shen> Shen chuckled quietly. "Maybe so, but I feel like a child again." he sighed thoughtfully. "Though maybe thats not such a bad thing." he shrugged as he gave her opposite shoulder a squeeze in reply. "I guess going back to basics as I am is a good idea."
[00:47] <~Deedles> "Yeah, probably is, and the basics are the most important." Blossom replies as she leans gently against him "But I'm sure you'll pick it up quickly. Just tell me if I can help in any way, yeah?" she says sweetly.
[00:52] <Shen> "Of course you can." he smiled with a faint chuckle. "I need you. I need to learn to see... properly." he chimed a bit sheepishly. "You are a master in your own way, Blossom... and I'd be grateful to be your student if you'd have me."
[01:06] <~Deedles> She smiles warmly as her hand comes up to ruffle his dark hair slightly "Of course I will." she says in a soft tone as she rests her head against his shoulder. "I'll teach you everything I know." she promises
[01:32] <Shen> "Then I'm in good hands." he confesses as they walk back down the path towards the Storm Dragon estate. "Maybe I should take falling lessons from Yoshi too in that case." he jests subtly.
[01:34] <~Deedles> Blossom giggles slightly "Maybe, he does seem good at it. I should take lessons from him too, maybe?" she lifts one of her hands, giggling still "I so scrape my hands and knees a lot from falling."
[01:36] <Shen> "At least you always know where the ground is." he admits matter-of-factly.
[01:37] <~Deedles> "And you don't?" she replies with a smile
[01:46] <Shen> He looked sideways to her, seeing her face in the lake that he saw earlier. "Sometimes, it really doesn't matter where the ground is, depending on who you are with. Friends, family..." he shrugged with a smile on his face. "Bourbon would probably hit me for saying that though." he laughed faintly.
[01:49] <~Deedles> She smiles warmly, quiet for a moment before she leans in to give his cheek a light peck "I think you're right though. Friends and family... they ground you. As long as they're with you things will be fine." she agrees in a quiet tone.
[02:09] <Shen> Shen nodded, his expression was happy though somber. "Though sometimes they can't always be with you, at least you can carry them in your heart when you are alone... or just feeling that way."
[02:19] <~Deedles> "I felt alone at first, when we were leaving Jiangan." Blossom confesses quietly before a earnest smile curls onto her lips "But not anymore. When I'm around Yoshi, Jian and Rei I feel alright, sometimes I still feel lonely, but... not when I'm with you."
[02:31] <Shen> He was silent as she said that, though the smile on his face betrayed his thoughts, he was glad neither of them could see in some sense. "I'm glad." he says quietly. "I'm glad that I can bring you comfort that you have brought to me."
[02:36] <~Deedles> She wears a smile that mirrors his own "Really?" she asks as she hugs him gently while they walk.
[02:46] <Shen> He was silent again but he didn't answer, he knew didn't need too. She was already too good at getting him to talk. He kept walking with her up the path towards the house. He found that without the distraction of sight, he could think a lot more, he had begun thinking about a lot of things.
[02:48] <~Deedles> Blossom just keeps smiling as she is lead back to the estate by him, focusing on her own thoughts as they walk in silence.
[02:54] <Shen> Shen led her up the few steps and to the front door, where he opened it for her. "You should probably get some rest." he said to her as he turned around.
[02:58] <~Deedles> Her smile fades a bit as she nods slowly "Yeah... That would probably be a good idea." she agrees, her voice a little quiet.
[03:07] <Shen> "What's wrong?" he asks her as he shuts the door behind them. "You can stay with me... If you want." he says quietly. "I have to meditate, Ziulong suggested I do so to work on feeling my surroundings." he recounted to her.
[03:09] <~Deedles> She bites her lower lip, fiddling slightly with her hair "That'd be nice..." she admits, before adding "But I don't want to disturb your meditation... Maybe I could join you?"
[03:17] <Shen> "He suggested I do so in a bath..." Shen says a little awkwardly.
[03:19] <~Deedles> "I didn't mean like... join you in the bath..." Blossom replies as her cheeks go bright red, sifting her hand through her hair nervously.
[03:20] <Shen> Shen laughs quietly. "Then what did you mean?" he asks.
[03:27] <~Deedles> "I meant sit beside you, but ...I didn't now you were meant to do it in bath." She murmurs shyly
[03:32] <Shen> He chuckles. "Well, you still can if you want. I guess its easy to keep modest when you can't see me." he smiles, finding her shyness amusing. "Sit beside the bath."
[03:33] <~Deedles> She pauses for a moment before she smiles slightly "Yeah, that sounds good." she agrees softly
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[04:17] <Shen> Shen nods as he leads her past the stairs and through a door to what resembled a bathroom with a large tub. Shen extended an arm as he felt for the taps at the end of the tub. "It will take a while for it to fill, so make yourself comfortable." he said as he turned to her.
[04:19] <~Deedles> "Okay..." Blossom stands in the middle of a room for a moment before she slowly moves around in search for a good spot to sit, finding a small, wooden stool that she seats herself down on.
[04:21] <Shen> Shen felt uneasy at first getting undressed around Blossom. He was used to it amongst female Storm Dragons, even the pretty ones, but it felt awkward now, something he didn't expect. He dropped his clothes down next to the bath and wrapped himself in a towel. At least she couldn't see this, he thought to himself, testing the water in the bath.
[04:25] <~Deedles> She leans her back gently against the wall behind her, her hands resting on her lap as she fiddles with them nervously. She couldn't see it, she's never been able to see it, so it's never bothered her in the past to have someone undress around her, but now she felt a bit awkward.
[04:32] <Shen> Shen twists the taps a while later as the bath fills and the sloshing of the taps stop. "Are you alright?" Shen calls out, feeling she was there but not quite knowing where... until he felt a twitch, a feeling both powerful but fleeting. He turned to where she was sat. "Would you like to come closer?" he asked her, standing next to the bath.
[04:33] <~Deedles> "Uhm... sure." Blossom smiles demurely as she stands to move the stool a bit closer, about a foot away from the bath as she sits down. "Thank you." she tells him quietly
[04:36] <Shen> "What for?" he asks with a furried brow as he drops his towel and steps into the hot bath. He hobbles quietly as he gets in, the hot water stinging his dirty and scarred body. He makes an inaudible growl as he bites his fist, trying not to raise a fuss.
[04:41] <~Deedles> "I don't know, just ... for everything." She replies as she fiddles idly with her dress, a soft smile on her lips, but it fades as she lifts her head slightly. "... You alright?" she asks softly.
[04:48] <Shen> "F-Fine..." he squeaks as he hits the bottom of the tub and leans back, his mind almost delirious from a combination of his muscles relaxing and his skin stinging from the hot water. "...Fine." he repeats with a heavy sigh as he extends a hand to her.
[04:52] <~Deedles> As Blossom notices that his chi is moving towards her she reaches out to grasp his hand gently in return. "... Alright." she replies, not sounding entirely convinced, but she doesn't push it as she smiles faintly.
[04:54] <Shen> "Don't worry, the water is just warm." he chuckles lightly as he shuts his eyes and squeezes her hand. "Its been a while since I had a bath, usually only showers." he admitted.
[04:56] <~Deedles> "Because of how your chi would react to water?" She wonders as she returns the squeeze before she smiles, a little bit dreamily "Glad you can have them now, few things are as relaxing as a warm bath."
[05:01] <Shen> "Yeah." he replied simply, his eyes closed. "The water wouldn't of hurt me, but it would drain my body of chi, which is exhausting to say the least." he admitted. "But now I can feel the energy within me sated by its sister chi. ...It has no desire for anything else." he exhaled deeply and quietly going silent for a short while before splashing a little water at Blossom with a muted cackle.
[05:04] <~Deedles> Blossom goes to reply, but is interrupted as she squeaks from her dress and hair suddenly getting a bit wet "Why you...!" she laughs softly, reaching into the water just enough to splash him back a little.
[05:11] <Shen> Shen laughed as he tried to avoid it but failed. "Tough guy, eh?" he mock-growled as he settled back down, he could almost feel her presence next to him, it was a strange sensation. It wasn't that he could see her, but he could feel something beyond that sight, forcing him into a sense of solemness. "...When I followed Ziulong, he helped me find my chi." Shen admitted quietly.
[05:11] <Shen> "I fell into myself and found myself in a lake chasing my chi..." he trailed off.
[05:13] <~Deedles> Blossom's giggles die down as his mood sombers, her hands coming to rest on the edge of the bath as she looks towards him "Chasing your chi in a lake? What was that like? What did you see?" she asks him inquisitively, leaning forward slightly to rest her chin ontop of her hands.
[05:17] <Shen> "I saw a woman." he said, looking up without seeing anything but her face. "At first I didn't recognise her, it worried me and the lake grew uneasy. Then when I looked again, it was you. Your face, and I felt truly at peace." he spoke quietly, his voice tapering to silence the more he spoke. "The lake stilled and I found my chi, it helped me to you." he didn't know the meaning but he wanted to tell her.
[05:22] <~Deedles> She's silent, her expression thoughtful, but also mixed between confused and bashful as her cheeks went a bit red, even though she didn't fully understand the meaning of what he'd seen either. All she knew was that her being an image that brought him calm made her really happy. A smile slowly curls across her lips as she tries to think of something to say, but she can't think of any words, she just smiles softly and earnestly.
[05:28] <Shen> He exhaled quietly as he concentrated on the point of his meditation, to sense what he could not with his own eyes in a way that he didn't know how.
[05:30] <~Deedles> Blossom remains quiet as she hears his slow and steady breathing, not wishing to disturb him, instead she lets her eyes slide shut as she does the same, opening her senses to her surroundings.
[05:38] <~Deedles> As Shen meditates he can feel the flow of chi in the water around him, cool, calm and soothing. Then across from him on the other side of the tube he can feel the shape of a human, made up of lush green chi with is gentle and full of life, and currently very serene as she too is meditating.