I'm Xiao Qiao! I live in the territories of Wu, with my Lord Zhou Yu. He's so cool. Him and I fight all the bad guys together. We make sure they don't ever come back!
She knows that she will attract the attention, but nonetheless, she just goes along with it and ignores her gut feeling for once. Maybe it will turn out okay, or maybe it’s that tea remedy that Xiao Qiao spoke of that intrigued her curiosity. “… I see. Then, I’ll just have to wholeheartedly accept that offer.” Yuanji tiredly smiled.
She was slightly shocked when she was brought into Xiao Qiao’s quarters, it was elegant yet cutesy, much befitting of the petite and quirky girl. She sat patiently, making sure she was seated in a good posture as she waited for the young girl to prepare the tea.
“Hmm? Do I like Wei? Perhaps that is a question I’ve never asked myself before, since I’ve not the choice in the matter,” she mused and laughed softly. “I don’t exactly hate it, but there are some bothersome fools whom I cannot stand. Everything has been in turmoil since Lord Cao Cao died, he hasn’t an intellectual descendant to bring us into the times of glory. I side with the Sima family, with my husband, Lord Sima Zhao. As a wife, I have no say in whatever they choose to do. I’m not saying I object; I agree with them wholeheartedly. Principally, I have to stay by Zhao’s side no matter what as his wife. I’m sure you understand that as well, Lady Qiao.” She smiled.
Xiao Qiao listened silently, mixing the tea leaves into the tea pot once hot water was brought to her by one of her servants, whom stayed quiet as well. She had no choice, huh? Xiao Qiao imagined herself trying to give advice to her husband, but thinking of him listening to her words seemed much too far from reality.
Her cheeriness died down because of that. She was glad she was facing away from her guest, so she wouldn’t see her frown. “I understand,” she nodded in response, her voice taking on a quieter tone. She took a deep breath before spinning around with a new smile donned across her features.
“The tea will be done soon.”
Xiao Qiao plopped herself down across from her guest, brushing her hair away from her face, which always seemed to just land in the same spot again. “I know Wei to be filled with a lot of scary people,” she admitted bluntly. “You’re not scary though. So I guess your husband isn’t either, right?”
This time, the reluctance and apprehension she had kept to herself finally began to show visibly on her face. Chen Fang really, really, really didn’t want to hand over the scroll, but now that she had set herself up for this, there was no other choice, it seemed.
“I… Suppose I can let you see it, but there’s nothing that you’d find of interest in it… The item itself is… Personal, yes, personal, and I’m rather protective of it.”
She could hand it over and let Xiaoqiao get her fill of the scroll and be done with it, but at the same time the item was too precious to her to even think of parting with. Decisions, decisions, decisions… From here, the scholar began to start thinking of ways she could back herself out of this conversation and steer it towards somewhere else.
"… You say that Lord Zhou Yu is your husband? How interesting!”
She didn’t catch on to the distaste the other held for her asking for the scroll. In fact, she blew it off completely. Xiaoqiao knew she wasn’t doing anything bad. Seeing it would be good for her, and it’d make important people happy!
“Why? Does it hold all your secrets?” She asked with a giggle, leaning forward and eyeing the traveler teasingly.
At the mention of her husband from the other, the hands that were outstretched to take the scroll were pulled back to her form, her hands clasping together in delight.
“He is! Aren’t I lucky?”
There wasn’t anything else she’d want to talk about more. Her body wiggled a bit, overall happy with how this conversation was turning out. This traveler was so kind! Chen Fang, was it? She’ll remember that!
“Anyway,” she extended her arms again, wiggling her fingers impatiently. “Can I see it or what?”
“Neeeeeee?” His voice was a quiet hissed as his eyes narrowed at the young woman before him. He’d been called worse, but this woman’s voice…was just so…so…
Annoying.
“…The trash is talking to meee….should I shut her up? Yes…that sounds good. If she doesn’t shut her trap, I’ll…ki..ki ki kiyeeeeh…heheh…” He muttered under his breath, looking at his blade, then at the woman. She was such a child, stating that she wasn’t afraid of monsters and the like. Didn’t she see that she was standing before one?
“You’re not a kid, you’re garbage. All the same to me. All that’s left to doooo with you is dispose of you, ne.” His expression darkened slightly as he took a step forward, raising his blade slightly. Truth be told, he only wished to scare her off, but if she didn’t fear him now, she would when she irked him into anger.
“You call me garbage…? Maybe I should cut out your tongue, and feed it down your throat, wench.” His voice was a low growl this time around; the threat was all too real in his voice.
“Run along home now child, and I’ll reconsider painting the treeeees in your blood. Red is such a vibrant color…such a shame it gets dull when left out too long. I suppose I’ll have to keep you alive long enough to see it, ne?”
He raised his blade a little higher, inching closer to the young woman. Hopefully, her annoying voice would leave his head soon…it was making his head cry out in pain. A lazy grin appeared upon his face, slow and creeping. He didn’t care if the people of this land thought of him as a demon or a Yokai, he really didn’t if it meant that trash would leave him alone.
“….Ki ki ki kiyeeeeh….”
Xiaoqiao really didn’t like being called trash. She didn’t look like trash, she didn’t feel like trash, and she certainly didn't smell like trash - so what was crazy man’s problem? Just because he had a giant blade that could cut through a house, he thinks he can insult her? Her brows tilted down and her cheeks puffed out in frustration. Usually, Xiaoqiao tried to be understanding of others (with a limit, of course), because bad people acted bad for a reason.
But something about that blade lifting forward made her not care about his troubles at all.
Cut out her tongue? That’s.. so… vile!
What should she do? If she runs away, he might find their camp, but if she doesn’t…
When he took a step closer, she took a step back. She could run off away from their camp, and try to focus on her lost friend, but what if she ran into more strange guys? This was such a hard decision. It must be what the leaders of the land felt like when faced with all these dangerous situations.
Lord Zhou Yu taught her that retreating was a part of strategy, and not always a loss. How she wished he was here right now…
“L-Look, you big bully,” her voice was tiny at first, but it grew as she continued on as an attempt to hide her fears. “If you’re from Wei, you’ll be in really big trouble! You’re trespassing and as an officer of Wu–” She took about three more steps backward, pausing before she finished her sentence. She really didn’t want to say it. This was an enemy that, if she had a choice, she’d leave to someone else.
♚♚♚♚♚♚ [Although we haven't interacted, I really like your writing x3 I also love your blog, it's so beautiful and calming ahhhhhh]
Send me a ♚ if you like my writing.
ooc; KLDSJLFKSD. thank you so so so much! we should definitely interact soon then! ;w ; and i’m so happy you said that, because that’s what i was going for! ^_^
“Hi there!” she waved to the stranger, whom looked like he had a lot on his mind. She didn’t understand why soldiers had to be serious all the time. People in Wu were always lively. Oh well, might as well answer before he gets upset!
“You’re not going to get me in trouble, are you? It’s no biggie, don’t worry about it!” She waved her hand dismissively, to move on from the topic. “Who are you?”
