[08:14:52] Red.

That was the color of her face at his advances, the compliments, the words, the small glances he made to look her over, then the staree- albeit it was short, it felt like minutes passed where he stared into her eyes...

As the kitsune boy sits down next to her, Mizunai takes a timid shuffle away, gesturing it to make room for the boy, but it was mainly her inate fear of being social at play.

However, while being obviously shy to the scenario, she remains seated. The kitsune had quite the silver tongue to not drive her off running away-- or maybe it was that he sat in her way of the stairs, and she was surrounded by cliffs.

"T-The moon is quite pretty... Isn't it..?"

Mizunai quite blatantly hears what Lin Ru says, and though results remain unrepresented through speech, they were shown even more by the deep blush witch ensued upon her snowy cheeks.
(Mizunai)
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[08:25:07] Lin offers a nod at her words, before looking over to observe her again. So much like the moonlight, yes - perfectly reflecting its beauty. Without so much as a thought, he scoots a little closer to her.

An unconscious gesture which somewhat closes the distance, but doesn't put them in danger of direct contact, no. It's clear that she's shy and timid, and Lin would never dare push her too far out of comfort.

His eyes rest upon her pale cheek, observing how light and shadow interact. He tones down his toothy smile, instead replacing it with a gentle grin. Soft, inviting, open.

"That it is."

He allows the subtext to speak for itself, holding his gaze for just another instant before he slightly shifts it again, those glowing golden eyes looking into hers.

"So, what brings you to the Shrines of Light and Shadow, moon princess? Is it the moon's beauty? The chill of the night? The peaceful solitude, so distant from Ardent Cliff proper?"

Lin closes his eyes in consideration, in wonder, before raising his gaze to the moon once more.

"... perhaps the Dawn herself led you to this place, using the moon as a mirror to direct her guidance. A blessing, even in the dark of night."

That reserved grin widens into a toothy smile once more - the reflection of moonlight making his teeth shine in the dark.
(Lin Ru)
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[08:26:49] * You have been awarded 4 Roleplay Points! *
[08:27:40] LOOC - Lin Ru: (i just hit my last 4 rpp check
[08:27:40] LOOC - Lin Ru: (dun dun dunnn
[08:27:40] You learnt the spell Great Fire Wave.
[08:29:23] LOOC - Lin Ru: (b r b
[08:31:56] LOOC - Lin Ru: (back
[08:34:30] Subconciously, as if it were an uncontrollable reaction, she takes another small shift away... Coming across as rude was the last thing she wanted, but being riddled with nervousness put that thought aside, more focused on her personal discomfort.

Eyes which held onto Lin, which looked him over, which has remained glued to him as his own face was pointed towards the moon, become undone off his face, shooting a nervous stare in the other direction upon his gaze.

If the glance was held, it was evident that she held that very blush throughout their entire conversation.

Albeit she faced the other direction out of her purely timid nature, she gives a short reply, and if not noticed before, she holds a soft, quiet, gentle voice, one that sounded as if its tone could cure the deepest of wounds.

"I'm... New to Ardent... I'm just looking around is all.. I thought the view was pretty, so I sat down to look... I'm really sorry if I'm imposing upon the shrine, however..."
(Mizunai)
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[08:43:02] The softness of her voice warms his heart. Such a weak, timid thing, and so lovely, too - precisely the kind of thing he wished to protect.

At the sound of her voice, he diverts his gaze from the bright moon above, looking upon the cheek turned away from him.

"Lady Mizunai, you can set your worries aside. Everyone is welcome here. If anyone should be sorry, I think it should be me. It seems I've nearly scared you out of your skin."

Though she might not be looking his way, he's certainly looking hers. It's beyond aesthetically pleasing - the way that the moonlight falls upon her skin, casting small shadows in some places and shining bright in others.

As if she were a ghost walking among men - a sorrowful soul who couldn't bear to die.

"No one will bother you here. I promise you. If you would rather be alone, simply say the word - I know the value of solitude as well as any. Crowds terrify and overwhelm me, you know."

Comforting words said with the fullest extent of sincerity, as if speaking soul to soul.
(Lin Ru)
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[08:53:16] Her head turns left, then right, shaking back and forth dismissivley.

"N-No, no... You need not be sorry..."

Regardless of the fact that her gaze was diverted at a near half-turn, she felt the presence of his gaze stinging at her back... With a bit of needless shuffling around, she mutters quietly, her voice lowered, but kept the same gentle, soft-spoken tone.

"I-It's mean to stare..."

She didn't mean this to sound overly prideful... It was simply her nervousness at someone being able to keep their gaze on her for so long. Her lack of pigment throughout her body was truly inquisitive, yet wrought the attention of others... Something she really hated-- Attention.
(Mizunai)
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[09:00:57] "My deepest apologies, Lady Mizunai. If I'm honest, I find myself entranced by you - but I will respect your wishes, of course. Unwanted attention is nothing if not impolite."

And like a ghost, indeed, she shies away from any attempts to observe her. Elusive, mysterious - fleeing from the light like a shadow might.

Intriguing beyond end, to Lin Ru.

After committing her appearance to memory, he allows his gaze to drift forward, his golden eyes scanning the dark horizon. They don't search for anything, no - he already knows that nothing will compare.

"Would you like to sit in silence? Two shining lights amidst the darkness, sat at the edge of a cliff... each so close, but so far, and never touching.

... it sounds peaceful to me. Would you like that?"

When he speaks, he tilts his head in her direction, but he keeps his eyes on the horizon except for a single stray glance.
(Lin Ru)
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[09:12:54] Mizunai, feeling the heated gaze of the kitsune taken away from her, relaxes her shoulders of slight. In due time, she'd turn her body towards the horizon, staring up at the moon and the stars.

"I...I would like that, please..."

In attempts to sound respectful and social, she overuses her formalities of 'please' and 'thank you'... How innocent she was.

Her hands fold overtop of her thighs, her back straightening in an elegant like fashion. The moon continued to keep her incredibly pale complexion illuminated with a glow, and acting as a contrast, lay her red eyes, too illuminated by the moon.


(Mizunai)
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[09:19:44] Lin is more than content to simply stare at the moon with her. He raises his gaze, golden eyes settling upon the brightest light in the sky.

"Very well. Simply speak, should you wish to."

While he shifts ever-so-slightly every now and again to avoid developing any cramps in his neck or otherwise, the Kitsune does little else.

His mind is alight with a thousand things he might like to say, but ah -

he would rather be a gracious host. Quiet, at the very least, until the girl is willing to speak. One shining light in the darkness - a pair of golden eyes and pale skin that nearly mirrors the skin of the one beside him.

What thoughts are racing through her mind?, he wonders. What thoughts drive her to such panic? A poor soul, even more paralyzed by anxiety than I.
(Lin Ru)
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[09:24:51] A respectful nod meets Lin's gracious hospitality. Though unnerved by the presence of another, whom she did not expect... Her shoulders grow more and more relaxed, as did her once-tight breathing whenever he spoke. In turn, her blush very slowly began to fade, however, a large portion of it kept solitary.

"..Thank you."

Silence.

Silence is all tha is shared between the two for a spell, neither's lips moved to converse, and it took a whole of several minutes for Mizunai to fully speak up.

"...I can't go out during the day, so I always like it when the sky is clear at night... it's beautiful."
(Mizunai)
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[09:33:23] As they sit together in silence, there is little more than the sound of breath and heartbeat.

Lin's heartbeat seems to grow louder as the silence goes on, as all other sounds phase out of existence. As his focus narrows to the moon, rather than anything else, he enters a near-meditative state.

Where all in his mind is breathing, and where the silence dominates his thoughts.

His day decompresses, in those several minutes. A hundred thoughts unwinding, until he arrives at peace.

When Mizunai speaks up, he isn't surprised. No, her soft voice glides through his perceptions like wings riding the air.

He allows a minute to pass, before he replies.

"It truly is. When I spoke of the moon's beauty, I did not mean only to flatter you - it was admiration for her beauty as well."

A blissful smile makes its way onto his face.

"Such serenity."
(Lin Ru)
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[09:40:12] It was a pleasant surprise at Lin not asking the same question many others do: Why? Why can't you go outside during the day?

A smile finds its way edging her face, lips curling up ever so slightly, and the innocent blush she had remained solitary... unmoving.

Entrancingly red eyes find their way looking up at the moon, glowing as the moon itself stared its beams right back into the eyes of Mizunai... Though only half her face was visible at the time, her smile, her blush, the way the moon made her eyes illuminate was perfectly visible to Lin.

And her smile wordlessly grows at the sentence the kitsune spoke.


(Mizunai)
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[09:50:27] Given her silence, Lin assumes that his guest is appreciating the serenity all the same. He spies a glance her way from time to time, but otherwise remains mostly motionless other than a slight shift one way or another.

As minutes pass, his glances begin to lengthen. His perception is ever-so-slightly drawn closer to her with every moment, though he never allows a full diversion from the moon's visage.

"You and she are sisters."

A strange statement, maybe, but one which softly breaks into the quiet of night. A thousand meanings in one.

"You appreciate each other's company like no other's. Is that right, Lady Mizunai?"
(Lin Ru)
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[09:57:16] The same smile that rested upon her face only widened at his statement. The moon and her... She always thought so highly of the night sky... She adored it, of sorts... Such a statement was truly accurate in one of its several deep meanings.

"I cannot speak on behalf of the night sky... But I am surely grateful of its presence.."

Her smile remains, though her endearing blush began to fade as she felt herself at ease. The usually gruelling task of getting anywhere near Mizunai to have a peaceful conversation had been accomplished by the kitsune in what felt like nothing more than mere moments, despite it being much, much more.
(Mizunai)
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[09:58:08] LOOC - Lin Ru: (i can only take your water spells to mean one thing
[09:58:08] LOOC - Lin Ru: (:lusty:)
[10:06:40] A quicker response than most - this time waiting only ten beats before the reply.

"Thank you for sharing your peace with me."

After the statement - as curiosity takes precedence over restraint, as his eyes glance over more meaningfully, more thoroughly, he sharply inhales in spite of himself.

Just as quickly, he forces his shining golden eyes away, before releasing that breath once more. Slowly, deeply.

She had been just as beautiful that time, yes. A treasure of the night. A hundred different details absorbed in an instant. He carries that image with him, as his eyes raise to compare it with the moon. It truly is as if he were looking up to her, rather than a celestial body.

Except for one thing, of course. He counts five heartbeats before another comment.

"She lacks your eyes."

Spoken without judgment or conviction, but with passion lying underneath. A certain unsteadiness, a certain -

uncertainty, whether it is a flaw marring the moon. A feature looked over when it was made.
(Lin Ru)
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[10:16:54] His first comment would be met with a similar reply-- A curt nod, her hair whisking behind her slightly in such. It looked weightless, and soft as silk, each individual strand of hair had its own personal glisten from the light of the moon.

"Tonight, she may... The moon, unlike many people, has many different forms... Some nights she's small, and others she is large... Some nights she's as white as an Izhuran snowfall, and some she is as yellow as a golden coin... She may lack something tonight, but..."

"Even if the moon lacks something tonight, she will gain it in her own time, when she wants it."

The woman lays back slowly. The moon wouldn't be around for much longer, and she would be driven inside because of this.. She came here under the mask of night, but where would she go as that safety is breached by the rays of the sun?
(Mizunai)
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[10:17:45] LOOC - Lin Ru: (*fingerguns* i was waiting for that)
[10:27:08] * You have been awarded 3 Roleplay Points! *
[10:27:08] Your combat experience has grown! (1 BL Gained)
[10:28:51] As the moon nears the horizon, Lin's eyes follow it. Though Mizunai's words glide through his perceptions the same as the others had before, now his attention truly is stolen by another sight.

The first rays of light, on the opposite horizon, beginning to reach their fingers across the sky. In any other circumstance, a thing of beauty - and in this one, indeed it is.

But for the princess of the moon, it is fear.

Without much thought into the matter, Lin slowly rises from his seat, instead coming to stand at the edge of the cliff, rather than dangle off the side.

He turns his gaze downward to Mizunai once more, as he towers above her. Golden eyes rain down rays of compassion from above.

"It is time for you to set, is it not?"

His smile speaks of his intent - to protect, to pre-empt. A single hand is outstretched to the princess dressed in red and white.

"The Shrine of Yin is dimly lit. A symbol of the shadows cast by the sun's rays. Come with me, and allow its walls to shield you from the harshness of Jiuweihu's light."

Lin shines with pride, with chivalry, with passion and compassion. The sun's rays climb the horizon behind him - beginning to shine out around his shadowed silhouette. He is a beacon of hope who blots out the sun.

"For me to do anything else than offer you shelter would be a sin."
(Lin Ru)
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[10:36:32] LOOC - Lin Ru: (http://picosong.com/wkqbK
[10:36:32] LOOC - Lin Ru: (there ya go
[10:42:30] Kindness.

A seldom thing shown to the woman whos skin and hair held no pigment, white as a canvas, arguably ready to be painted upon.. The brush could be fate, and the paint itself could be all the tears she shed of an ostracized life back in Izhura, or the blood she saw so frequently.

However, that was a discussion that should go unspoken for now.

Red eyes look up to the kitsune boy, an amalgamation of weariness, fear, understanding, desire... All came into play as the emotions danced around in her maroon orbs, both staring at him. Eventually, she is urged on to speak by a closet factor, one even she couldn't identify.

"I... I appreciate your gesture, I've taken it to heart, and I would take it up under several other occasions... However..."

"I wish not to overstep my boundaries. A gesture so kind would require repayment, and of the kind, I have nothing. You're a kind individual,Mister Lin Ru."

The woman gives her old, shy nod, respectfully declining the hand. She wished not to be a burden, to be offered shelter with no method of repayment-- for that would be a true sin.
(Mizunai)
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[10:49:20] LOOC - Mizunai: (i spot a valmasian
[10:50:11] LOOC - Lin Ru: (nah vexx is a defector
[10:50:11] LOOC - Lin Ru: (or just allowed to be here
[10:50:11] LOOC - Lin Ru: (idk
[10:50:11] LOOC - Lin Ru: (one of those two things
[10:50:11] LOOC - Mizunai: (i helped vexx on my main once
[10:51:53] "Ah, Lady Mizunai - you misunderstand. This is not my offer, no. It is Jiuweihu's offer.

She extends kindness, respect, and understanding to all, and as her servant, I extend it further to those who deserve it. She requires no repayment at all."

The outstretched hand remains where it is. Gold continues to meet red, even as the sun's rays strengthen around him - as the moon leaves the sky, and the dawn replaces it.

"... and you do. Truly, I insist. Besides, besides. Allow me to be selfish."

Altruism, decorum, and politeness are replaced by an almost devilish toothy grin.

"I starve for the serene presence of one as pleasant as you. Please... allow me to speak with you longer, Lady Mizunai. Truly - I am the one who would take on the debt."

Devilishness, again, is replaced by a more serious statement.

"I doubt you will find other shelter before the sun's rays burn you. I have kept you out for too long."
(Lin Ru)
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[11:02:59] A small frown appears on her face after his plentiful statements... Cruel reality kicked in, and she would be faced with burns if she remained out in the sunlight. The foolish girl forgot her umbrella on the boat, after all.

Her chin points down, and as a small blush re-appears overtop of the blush which had made considerable progress in fading. With cheeks pink anew, her delicate hand falls into Lins. Her fingers were a chilling cold, comparable to ice, yet soft as a royal's silken kimono.

"...V-Very well, I will indulge myself this once in your offer... But nothing will be owed there on, correct..?"

Rosy cheeks continued to point towards the ground, less so from being flustered, but more so out of embarassment that someone had broken down her carefully structured walls so easily.
(Mizunai)