Girl trouble (Open)

[Sachi]

One might ask the question what would bring a diminutive pink hair maid who works for Lady Ren all the way from the southlands, to Pu Yang in Yan province many hundreds of miles to the north. Well as was often the case with Sachi, it had to do with a request that had been made of her. Several days ago she had been speaking with Gu Yong one of Lord Sun Quan’s civil advisors, in other words an important minister. He had been reminiscing about his brother who lived far to the north in Pu Yang and it seemed he had written a letter for his brother. Almost casually Gu Yong had handed Sachi the letter and asked her to ‘see that it gets my brother’. Now what he had probably meant when he said that was for Sachi being a maid to go and hand the letter to a currier who would take the letter north. He certainly had not meant for her to go and personally hand deliver the letter herself, but lacking much in the way of common sense Sachi had interpreted his words rather differently. So here she was arriving threw the main gates of Pu Yang, a letter stored in a pouch at her side as she looked around wondering where this man might live. Gu Yong would only learn after the event that when you made a request of Kazuki Sachi, it was best to be careful exactly how you phrased it. A mistake that would no doubt cause Lady Ren to berate him…at length.

Sachi was also really quite hungry, she had ridden all morning to get here and now it was approaching lunch time. She also needed to find someone who might know where Gu Yong’s brother lived. So decided to try and tackle both problems at once Sachi headed for the market district. She could buy some fruit to keep her going, it a favourite of her’s as she could eat with one hand while still working. While at the same time she could ask the merchants if they had any idea where this man might live. She was actually on her way over when things got a lot more troublesome.

On a hot day like this, people’s heads tended to get baked and people with hot heads tended to do stupid things, like say commit crimes. One such person was walking down the street just ahead of Sachi, a burly man with large arms and a dirty looking beard. He snatched a purse away from a woman as they past each other, she screamed of course, alerting a guardsman who was only a few feet away. Clearly not a very competent criminal, defiantly a case of baked brain. With the guardsmen shouting for him to stop the criminal lunged forwards to escape barrelling down the street towards, Sachi the only thing between him and freedom. She reacted mostly on instinct.

As the man lunged at her with his fist screaming “get out of my way.” She moved catching his hand with her’s then pressing down with her fingers on the pressure points in his hand. He screamed again but this time in pain as he lost control of his fingers. Next Sachi reached out to grab him by the shirt, the natural reaction to being grabbed is to pull backwards, so predicting this Sachi changed her grab into a push at the last moment. The much larger man crashed to the ground moments later as Sachi still in control of the thugs hand, circled to his back. Pressing his arm into his back she held him down by planting her knee down into his back as well, effectively pinning him. He wailed in pain but stopped moving knowing that if Sachi twisted his arm anymore it might break. “Please could someone help me with him?” Sachi called out as if that was really necessary at this point.

Words: 662
Tags: Jiang Yi, Jia Lin/Open

[Jia Lin]

     Jia Lin wandered the streets of Pu Yang, an umbrella over her head protecting her from the sun. She had just finished a meeting with an old friend, an up and coming politician that she knew should keep in his good graces. Having contacts and allies is always a good thing. She used the excuse of him getting a promotion to come and celebrate with him. Creating opportunities out of anything was something she was always skilled at. Jia wore a silk blue dress, her black hair put up in her usual bun. Her sandals made a soft clicking sound against the stone path of the city as she slowly made her way towards the entrance of the city. She was more than ready to leave and head back home and get out of the heat.

     Her personal bodyguard followed quietly behind her, his hands never too far away from his sword handle. The politician had already tried to make way too many advances towards Jia Lin, and got way too close. Yet every time he forced himself to sit back and relax. He knew she could handle herself fine enough against that swine and that sadly she needed to grin and bear it for the sake of building contacts. He just wished to hurry up and leave this crowded area. Especially with so many fools around giving Jia Lin dirty and perverse looks. Though it seemed like the problems would get worse before they got better.

     Jia heard some commotion ahead of her and curiosity took the better of her. Several feet ahead there was a large crowd of people gathered in front of a fruit stand, murmurs traveling through the crowd of people. She quickened her pace, and used her small form to get through the crowd as she finally noticed the cause of the crowd. A pink haired woman seemed to be man handling a very large man. She wore what appeared to be a maid's outfit, which only made the scene weirder. When she called out for help, Jia couldn't help but chuckle. She doubted the odd girl needed any help but since nobody was moving, she would do something about it.

     "Bei, help her please."She began to slowly walk forward, not even waiting for a response from her loyal guard. Soon he moved past her, making his way towards the large brute. Removing his sheath, sword still inside, he used it like a battering ram as he drove it right into the stomach of the man. After the brutal blow, the bodyguard grabbed the man by his beard and pulled it as he threw him towards the ground. Before the criminal could catch his breath, he felt a boot on the back of his neck with more than enough pressure to keep him there. Any wrong move and the guard would apply more pressure, possibly breaking the neck with pure strength. 

     Ignoring the scene, Jia Lin continued towards the woman, and as he was dealt with, she did a small courteous bow towards the pink haired woman. She curled her red lips into a smile and said, "You are very brave for dealing with such a brute of a man by yourself. I hope he did not harm you in any way." She looked around at the audience before looking back towards her, "You seem to have attracted quite the audience it seems. Sadly none of these men seemed to want to help you deal with him." This girl was the first really interesting thing she has witnessed in this city that caught her eye. Maybe she would stay around a bit longer instead of rush out.


Words: 613
Tagged: Jiang Yi, Sachi 

[Sachi]

At first it seemed like no one would appear to give Sachi a hand, everyone around had been eager enough to watch the struggle but the idea of getting involved seem to put off for some reason. Was this just human nature? Would none of them ever stick their neck out for someone else unless they were forced too? Sachi sat patiently her knee pinning the man below her about to give up hope on any assistance when finally, someone came to her rescue. A beautiful woman with pale skin and dark eyes and hair pushed her way through the crowd, she ordered a man who must have been her bodyguard to take care of the problem. Sachi deftly hoped off the criminal she had been pinning allowing the man called ‘Bei’ to take care of him. While Sachi studied the women who had been kind enough to come and help instead. To Sachi she appeared quite tall but that was only due to her slightly warped perspective, she must have been no more than 4’11 but at 4’9 herself that seemed somewhat tall still to Sachi. She also seemed to be a few years older but again from the perspective of someone who looked like they were no more than 15 or so, that was not saying much. Sachi could also gather based just on her dress that this lady was someone important or at the very least someone from an affluent background, likely nobility. To Sachi’s surprise the women offered her a courteous bow the sort of one Sachi was used to seeing at Sun Quan’s court. Which further reinforced her observations so far.

When the women spoke she offered words of praise even calling Sachi brave, which caused the young maid to break out into a beaming smile even as her cheeks blushed bright pink. As they always tended to do when someone offered her a compliment. This noble lady could not have known it at the time but being praised by others had a somewhat ‘special meaning’ to Sachi. She had less kind words however for the men who had stood and watched while Sachi had acted, seeming to point out their cowardice. A displease murmur went through the crowd as they dispersed apparently none of them were willing to make an issue out of it while someone as strong looking as ‘Bei’ was around and after seeing how Sachi could move.

“I seem to be unharmed, although I think I might have scuffed the pavement with his face.” Sachi replied as if the condition of the sidewalk was really something of a concern compared to her own health. It was rather hard to tell if she was making a joke or not. She realized then with a start that she had not introduced herself yet and also that she needed to offer her thanks. She let out a little startled noise before speaking quickly. “Um thank you very much milady, I don’t think I can ever repay your kindness but if you need anything you only have to ask.” Sachi said in a way that was if anything far to modest. “Ooh my name is Sachi…Kazuki Sachi.” She said quickly introducing herself.

All the while the city guardsmen were finally arriving, heavily tired breaths as they arrived to finally arrest the would be thief. If they stuck around things would probably get troublesome with the guards asking questions of everyone involved.

Words: 582
Tags: Jiang Yi, Jia Lin/Open

[Jia Lin]

     Jia Lin's smile turned into a grin as the strange woman scrambled to give her thanks. This woman certainly was eccentric, Jia thought to herself as she slowly nodded in response to being told the woman's name. "Kazuki Sachi, what a lovely name. My name is Jia Lin, it is a pleasure to meet..." Jia looked past Sachi and noticed the guards slowly making their way over here. Took them long enough, she again thought to herself. Jia Lin did not have the patience to deal with incompetent people today. Stupid people asked stupid questions, so she knew it would be for the best for her to leave at once. Yet her curiosity was not yet satisfied. She looked back down to Sachi and said, "If you would like to continue our conversation, please follow me. I would love for us to continue. Bei, knock him out and come along." With a quick wink at Sachi, Jia moved into an alleyway to the left of them that would allow them to evade any questioning by the guards.

     Bei smiled on the outside but sighed slightly on the inside. It seemed as if he wouldn't leave the city as soon as he wished. With a swift kick to the side of the thief's face, Bei quickly knocked him out. Attaching the sheath back onto his back, he moved into the alley as well, four to five feet behind Jia Lin at all times. Always within reach with his weapon to protect his lady if need be. He remained alert at all times, yet his face always appeared at ease.

     Jia giggled quietly to herself as she moved into the alley and quickly into another road that would lead them away from the scene of the crime. She was enjoying her trip a lot more than she figured she would and she had this young lady Kazuki Sachi to thank. She did not look behind her to see if Sachi was following, Jia believed that Sachi would follow. Jia Lin said nothing as they moved through the alley ways, trying to remember from her old memories where this road would take them. Seeing another fruit stand at the end of this path, she walked over to it and grabbed something that looked nice and juicy. Quickly paying the owner, she took a deep bite before looking back to see if Sachi did indeed follow her. 

Words: 409
Tagged:Jiang Yi, Sachi

[Deleted]

WHO'S THE BAD GIRL? tagged: Sachi, Jia Lin

Yi was not sold on Puyang. After dealing with a treacherous business partner, she had relocated here in an apartment he, essentially, stole from her. She did so adore her dwelling. It was three storeys tall and had a lavish kitchen, room for entertaining and holding banquets, a discreet library, a room for martial arts practice, a prison, a torture room and a nice terrace so one could drink wine in the sun.



“Urgh, this sun, this heat! A little rain would be nice – thanks.”

---

Yi left her apartments and travelled through the city a little. She had spent many hours investigating the city in the light and illuminated by moonlight. The city did indeed change.



Keeping her profile low, Yi was wearing her airs and graces; her elegant purple robes and headpiece, however, the robes acted as insulation for her body and the heat was beginning to affect her. Yi drew a lavish dark green fan from her robes and began fanning herself slowly while her pace slowed too. Instead of continuing along the streets, Yi diverted into a set-away residential area that had beautiful gardens. The myriad of colours the flowers offered was delightful and Yi cherished walking through there. The lady owner of the gardens raised a hand in greeting to Yi as she meandered past. Yi returned the favour with a small bow.



“The sunlight only serves to illuminate the beauty of the grounds you attend, my lady.” Yi spoker loudly, yet still softly.

“My lady, 'tis your beauty that makes it so.” The lady replied. She was older and would often present Yi with bouquets as she travelled through. Yi enjoyed having tea with her, also. She brewed a strong tea, 'one needs a hearty tea for a hearty constitution!' she would say. Yi agreed. It is also how she preferred her alcohol.



“My dear friend, this heat seeks to sap me of my will to live this day. Might I rest amongst the roses?” Yi enquired, still smiling, still fanning herself.

“You need not ask, my lady. If you head to your left, you will find the pink ones have reached an exquisite bloom. Please, take some with you.”

---

Yi walked into the patch of garden that overlooked the street and sat on the grass amongst the pink China Rose. Yi snapped one in her hand and stripped the stem away a little, perching it over her right ear and moving her hair back so it could be easily viewed.



As time passed, Yi undid her robes a little, her flesh was exposed in the sunlight and she took to fanning her face, neck and torso in turn. The sun, the cool air-stream, a scream.



Yi moved to the edge of the elevated garden and closed her robe yet fanned herself a little quicker.

She something most unusual. A large thuggish man had just been beaten to the floor and was pinned down a pink haired child.



“She lied to me. She has been growing opiates in this garden.”

---

Yi continued to watch and, due to the lack of other combatants, she had to assume that the girl was actually responsible for the man's blindside. The man tried to writhe and wriggle but to no avail. She had him pinned down, in a very technical way.



“Trained well.”



A few moments later, another woman arrived with an escort. She spoke to the man and the child. They both responded, the child to the woman and the man to the brute.

The child acted nervous, almost shifting in her spot.



“Nervous of nobility...”



The woman and child conversed then the woman turned away and walked off. The child followed, as did the escort.



“Clearly entitled.”



Yi decided to follow herself. She descended from the garden but was beckoned by the guards. She did not want to draw attention to her face so decided to act.



“This man assaulted a woman, in this sparkling sunlight! He was routed by a person of bravery, whom fled because of you brutes!” Yi shouted at the guards and the crowd that followed them.

“You do not keep us safe! You take credit for others' actions!” Yi fled quickly after the woman and child. Her plan of keeping incognito went awry a little but she never was a good improviser.



Yi followed streets parallel to the little group that had alighted and found them at a fruit stall. It was a fruit stall Yi herself liked. She stayed a distance away so the owner would not call to her. She wanted to observe a little more first, before she got involved.

OWL

[Sachi]

So she had a name to put to the face now, Jia Lin not that she really knew anything else about her besides the fact she was clearly nobility. Most probably from one the central plains distinguished houses, it explained why she could walk around so confidently, besides her man 'Bei's presence of course. The fact he was here at all suggested she was probably not trained in self defense of martial arts. Then again how many ladies were? Sachi tended to think Lady Ren was the exception rather than the rule in this case. What she did know however that Jia Lin had decided to show her a little kindness and that put her squarely in Sachi's good book. They might have talked some more right there had the city guardsmen not finally shown up, they really were too slow the purse snatcher would have been long gone has Sachi not interfered. Lady Jia Lin seemed to find their presence bothersome and invited Sachi to follow her elsewhere. It was a little strange honestly to be asked rather than ordered to do something, to have a choice. Perhaps that was a sad state of affairs but then the story of her life was hardly a happy one to begin with. She brought both hands up just below her chin while she seemed to think it over quite earnestly.

Sachi really preferred not to be questioned by the guards anymore than Jia Lin did, they would ask a lot of questions the answers to which she preferred not give and besides it would take up a lot of time and she still had Gu Yong's request to fulfill too. She absolutely had to fulfill that request and just maybe Lady Jia Lin might knew Gu Yong's brother as well, he would be nobility too and quite well known to those who traveled in that sort of social circle. It was certainly worth a try. Having made her decision she hurried after Jia Lin and Bei ducking into the alley way just before the guards arrived on the scene. She followed the two of them until at least they came to a stop before a fruit stand. It was only then Sachi remembered why she had gone down to the market in the first place, she was still starving. Pulling out her wallet Sachi retrieved a few coins handing them over to the vendor before picking up an apple. They just so happened to be one of her favorite foods. After taking a delicious bite out of her prize, Sachi let out a content little sigh before finally speaking again.

"Lady Jia Lin, if it would not be a bother, could i ask you something? You see i am looking for a man, his name is Gu Tan" Sachi asked polity wanting to complete her assignment, although the better question she should probably be trying to ask was why Jia Lin had stepped up to help her. Of course one could then just direct the same question back toward Sachi, she had done much the same and at greater personal risk.


Words: 520
Tag: Jia Lin/Jiang Yi

[Jia Lin]

     It pleased Jia Lin to see that Sachi did indeed follow her. Jia wanted to pick at her brain, get to know her a little better. She had a lot of questions, the most pressing one being where she learned how to fight like that. Especially in an outfit like that, where it did not seem to be the most optimal for such maneuvers. Jia continued to watch the girl as she went and got some fruit of her own. Seemed she was quite hungry as well as Sachi took a large bite out of her prize. Jia finished her food first and was about to question her when Sachi spoke up and beat her to the punch.

     Jia gave her a quizzical look, before looking up into the sky for a moment. She had heard of that name before, a noble man. She doubted a woman like her in clothes that appeared to be a maid's outfit would be looking for someone who was not of noble birth. Luckily Jia's line of work gave her much knowledge, especially when it came to the names of the big players around here. "Bei, doesn't a Gu Tan live near the market district actually? The noble one that we met last time we were here." She asked politely to her bodyguard. Bei went everywhere with her, so he knew almost as much as she did. Probably would know more if he cared about this "drivel" as he would call it. 

     Bei looked towards Jia with a slight nod. She had met with him on their last visit several months back, during a noble's banquet. Was the talk of the town for a good while before and after. A lot of the cities richest and well known people went to that party so it was crucial for Jia to get in. It almost put Bei to sleep with all the political correctness and people dancing around people's toes as to not hurt their position. Those people would sell their soul for more money and power if they could. Jia only cared about using that power to help people. That was one of the many reasons why Bei enjoyed serving her. With a smile he said, "Yes mi'lady, he in fact invited us to come visit next time were in town. I can take you both there if that is what you wish since I am more familiar with the city." 

 "Oh yes he did, didn't he? He was one of the few people at the party I actually enjoyed talking with. Shame I have been too busy to come back here. Guess this a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. If you don't mind that is of course, Ms. Sachi?"  

Words: 460
Tagged: Jiang Yi, Sachi

[Deleted]

WHO'S THE BAD GIRL? tagged: Jia Lin, Sachi

As the small group convened by the fruit vendor, Yi slowly made her way closer to them by moving from stall to stall, browsing fabrics, home decoration and even one merchant selling rather enticing jewellery. Yi asked to see a Jade bangle and the vendor even allowed her to try it on. She decided to log his appearance as someone to potentially swipe from later.

As she continued, she arrived at the stall next to the fruit stall. It may have been linked to it, as it sold fresh vegetables. Being a small market, there was a few people walking through and talking but Yi was close enough to the group to hear their conversation.

Gu Tan. Yi had come across him before. He had showed interest in her at a social event held for administrative officials. Yi only attended to lean on people for information and find out where these rich officials lived. Gu Tan had her ejected from the function after he was told about her having been suspected of being a criminal, even showing her up in front of a few guests.

Yi decided to poison the well.

She turned to the group and continued to fan herself slowly, as she turned she decided to quickly analyse the group. A noble woman, Yi noticed her red lips; she liked their colour, her rugged bodyguard and the maid-child. The maid-child confused Yi still. She was almost sure the noble woman was perplexed by her, too. Yi was still considering her fighting skills.

“Please forgive my interrupting,” Yi spoke softly, holding her fan across her chest, “one could not help but overhear you mention one Gu Tan. I feel obligated to inform you that keeping an escort with you is wise. He is not a virtuous man.”

Yi smiled kindly after, as to convey friendliness and hope the group fell for it. Tan made a fool of her yet she will ruin him.

OWL

[Sachi]

It seemed that Sachi had fallen in with just the right people, what luck someone who actually knew where Gu Tan lived. Sachi had been prepared to walk around all day knocking on doors until she found him but this was much better. It was like a benevolent deity was watching over her today, or was this perhaps what people called Karma? She had been a good girl earlier and helped catch that purse stealer after all. Now something good had happened to her in return. Then back when she had a bad selfish girl…bad things had happened to her as well. Yes, the idea of karma seemed quite real to her. And so Sachi nodded her pink little head enthusiastically. “That would be wonderful, are you perhaps some guardian angel lady Jia Lin, sent to light my path?” Sachi asked half seriously following the theme she had been thinking over. She was definitely going to have to ask Jia Lin afterwards if she could help her with anything...maybe she needed some laundry done or something. No she was rich she probably had her own maids, unless Bei took care of that as well...Sachi didn't like to judge.

Before the three of them could set off however on their quest to seek out the home of the nobleman Gu Tan, they were approached by another woman. She had come up to them so quietly that Sachi had not even noticed her first, which was quite unusual. Sachi turned her blue eyes to this lady next making a few basic observations. As a maid she had plenty of experience observing other people, she made her living trying to predict the needs of others after all. Looking at this woman she also seemed to be a bit older, maybe similar in age to Jia Lei but she was taller than both of them maybe 5’5. Her clothes looked expensive as well so one might have assumed she was also nobility but Sachi wasn’t certain of that, nobility tended to have a certain tone and way of speaking. If she were forced to guess Sachi would have said…wealthy merchant’s daughter. It seemed she had come to offer them a warning regarding Gu Tan?

“Not a virtuous man?” Sachi asked as her eyes widened while she brought both hands up to rest just in front of her, a sure sign she was trying to puzzle threw something. In this case the exact meaning of those words. “I see; do you mean he is the sort of man that might take advantage of a young girl?” Sachi asked this lady whose name she was not yet familiar with. She looked a little alarmed at the idea of approaching him now. Yet even so she had to deliver the letter, she had promised to deliver it and Sachi never broke a promise…ever.

Words: 484
Tag: Jia Lin/Jiang Yi

[Jia Lin]

     Jia Lin couldn't help but laugh at the comment Sachi made about her being a guardian angel. A nice good hardy laugh that she had not done in a good while. It actually took Bei off guard for a second as Jia tried to control her laughing fit. When she finally calmed down she looked back down to Sachi and smiled again. "That is the first time someone called me an angel, not even my mother was so sweet to do so. No, I am just a woman who is here to help people that is all. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time it seems." Jia turned to Bei and was about to give him the command to lead the way before someone else caught her eye. 

     Bei didn't even notice the girl walk up to his master, for the first time in a long while he was caught off guard. Bei moved quickly to close the distance between him and Jia to protect her but almost instantly Jia rose her hand in his direction. Bei stopped at once, and held himself back, not saying a word. He began to eye the stranger curiously, trying to discover any possible ill intent or possible danger to Jia Lin. 

     Jia said nothing as she listened to the lady speak, looking back down to Sachi to see her reaction before she spoke. "Well, it seems as if you came at the right time Sachi since apparently everybody here knows about Gu Tan. Though, from my experience he seemed to not be a bad man." Jia looked at the stranger and smiled at her, "What makes you believe he is not a man to be trusted Miss...I am sorry, I don't think we got your name?" It seemed way too convenient that a person just happened to walk by at the perfect moment and also knew Gu Tan. While he was higher up noble, she doubted the probability of this happening. Though the way this lady dressed did show some form of nobility around her. Jia needed to learn more about the facts before she could possibly accuse a person like this. Especially after being treated so kindly.

  Looking back to Sachi, Jia Lin could see the worry on her face. "Do not fret, Sachi. Even if he is a bad man, Bei and I shall be accompanying you, so you have nothing to worry about." Jia reached out and grabbed her hands in a soft and reassuring fashion, hoping to ease any worries the young lady might have had. Jia had come to care about her feelings very quickly. Sachi seemed to have just a nice aura around her that could brighten up any person's mood and Jia appreciated that very dearly. 

Words: 467
Tagged: Jiang Yi, Sachi

[Deleted]

WHO'S THE BAD GIRL? tagged: Jia Lin, Sachi

Yi was unsure of how to approach this more. The girl was clearly open to being manipulated; a trait that Yi love in others. The other woman, however, was clearly learned and had an armed bodyguard. Yi only carried her dagger under her robes but did not intend to fight regardless. Not with these, anyway.

Yi decided to play nice with the girl and more diplomatic with the woman.

“Oh, I do not mean to worry you, my lady,” she spoke to Sachi, “He has never been very appropriate around me. He may not be wed but it gives him no right to wandering hands. With these protecting you, you will be fine.”

Yi then turned to the other woman, she analysed her more closely. With her noble look, she and Yi may have crossed paths before at some function or other. Thankfully, she did not recognise her from the off. Then again, she may have heard rumblings about Yi's extracurricular activities.

“I apologise; my name is Jiang Yi. I live here in Puyang where I conduct business on behalf of others outside of the city. Keeping relations between merchants, supply contracts for taverns and breweries among other things. This is how I have met Master Tan before. I was invited to a function by a grateful client and master Tan saw fit to take me to the side to chat about business. It was a ruse. Thankfully, my business partner came looking for me before things progressed.”

After this, Yi turned to the fruit stall owner.

“Hello again, Li.” She spoke softly and bowed slightly.
“Ah! Ms. Yi! So nice to see you again.” The merchant replied then ducked down under his stall, then quickly rose with a basket.
“I have your order! Lychees, mangoes, pomegranate and passion fruit! All of fantastic quality. You have paid in advance, which you know I greatly appreciate – are you here to collect?”
Yi began fanning herself again a little.
“Unfortunately not. Some business has come up at the moment, otherwise I would. Hopefully, I can return before the end of the day.

Yi was essentially inviting herself along with the little group. She decided to make herself clear.

“After informing you of this, it would be irresponsible of me to let you continue alone. Perhaps I will see a different side of him this time. His house is not far from here. I can lead the way, if you would like.”

OWL

[Sachi]

This was a strange feeling, Lady Jia Lin was laughing, it was a pleasant sound on the ears and one Sachi was a little unused too honest. When she had been a child she had heard that sound very often, her parents were the sort to spoil her since she their only child, back then their house had been filled with laughter like that. It brought back some good memories for Sachi. These days the laughter she heard most often was when people laughed at her ‘eccentric behavior’. Jia Lin’s however had a pleasant honest ring too it Sachi found she starting too quite like her. Of course it might seem like Sachi just liked everyone because she was so polite, but that was too simplistic a way of looking at it, it was just how she was. The fact was that Sachi didn't have many of what you might call ‘friends’ at all. She was also not used to people offering her help. By her nature she tended to take her responsibilities at something she took care of on her own, the idea of asking for help rarely occurred to her. Which was why she was here carrying the letter herself instead of giving it to a currier. Besides the fact she could be something of a natural air head. “Umm thank you very much, Lady Jia if you don’t mine me calling you that.” She said quite pleased to have her along. Especially in light of what Jiang Yi was about to tell her about Gu Tan.

What was this about ‘wondering hands’ was she really suggesting what Sachi thought she was? Jiang Yi went onto tell them an anecdote about what had happened between her and Gu Tan and his ‘wondering hands’. Sachi started to bite her bottom lip this didn’t sound good at all. Who would have thought Gu Yong’s brother was such a pervert? “Ooh is he really like that, I had no idea. Truly the scales have fallen from my eyes” She said bowing her head slightly as she absorbed this information quite trustingly. It was likely that Sachi was really quite impressionable given how easily she accepted what Jiang Yi was saying.

Jiang Yi also went onto tell them a little about herself, she mentioned something about taverns, merchants and other such things but by the time she had finished Sachi had no more idea about what exactly she did for a living than she had before Jiang Yi had started explaining. Other than that it sounded all very complicated. She wasn’t quite sure why Jiang Yi was helping her but maybe she was just a nice person like Lady Jia was? Sachi was still thinking it over when the same lady Jia grabbed her small hands with her own. It was quite a caring gesture and calmed the girl down a little. Sachi looked up into her dark blue eyes as Jia offered words of reassurance, saying she and Bei would go with her to see Gu Tan. “Do you promise?” Sachi asked her with a serious look on her face. To Sachi a promise was quite an important thing after all, if it was a promise she knew she could trust it.

The strange lady with the pretty face who called herself Jiang Yi returned soon having visited the fruit vendor herself while Sachi and Jia Lin were chatting. Jiang Yi also offering to come along and guide them to their destination. She seemed to feel some amount of responsibility having warned them about Gu Tan's perverted nature, Sachi could understand that sense of responsibility at least. Even if she still had no idea what Jiang Yi did for a living. “As long as it would not be a bother too you my lady?” Sachi said just a little uncertainly she didn’t want to inconvenience anyone.

Words: 651
Tag: Jia Lin/Jiang Yi

[Jia Lin]

     Jia Lin could easily tell that Sachi was an easy person to manipulate. Yet while that was a dangerous thing, the girl's innocence and sweetness was something Jia admired and did not want tampered with. Jia Lin herself used to be like Sachi, but she realized that the world was not as straight and clean as she wished it to be. "Indeed, you may Sachi." Jia Lin continued to softly hold onto her hands while she listened to the woman talk.

     She had a name, Jiang Yi, a name that neither Jia Lin or Bei recognized. She thought for a second she recognized her face, but she was probably mistaken. The two women worked in different spheres so she was not surprised. Jia tried to remember her last meeting with Gu Tan, trying to think of his behavior and how he acted around her. Was he being coy and making advances on her and she just didn't care enough to notice? She remembered his words seeming honest enough but perhaps her mind was not in the right place and she just didn't notice. Though one thing she knew for sure, she would not believe this accusations unless she experienced them herself. "Bei, stay close to Sachi, we shall be going. You can come along if you wish, Jiang Yi." 

     Before Jia Lin moved, she softly squeezed Sachi's hand and smiled at her. "While I will not accuse Jiang Yi of being a liar, I will say that we should not judge a person just off of the word of a stranger. This city has a dark side and it is important to know where that dark side begins and ends. Yet what is truly important is believing in people and that they have good intentions until they prove otherwise. Evidence is required before a conviction, and I will not believe Gu Tan is a bad man until he proves otherwise." Jia then gave her a very deep look showing how serious she was. "Not only do I promise to go with you but I promise to keep you safe. No one will lay a finger on you." Jia let go of Sachi's hands and she looked up to Jiang Yi, "Lead the way, Miss Yi." Jia planned on keeping a close eye on this stranger as they made their way to Gu Tan.

Words: 395
Tagged: Jiang Yi/Sachi

[Deleted]

WHO'S THE BAD GIRL? tagged:

“I would never expect you to take my word at face value, my lady,” Yi spoke to Sachi, “I am but a stranger in a strange city to you. If you were to hang on my every word, you would be a fool. I just have some business to finish up; excuse me a moment.”

Hushed away from Sachi, Bei and Lin she put her hand on the fruit stall and moved her other hand out of the middle of her robe, pushing a small pouch of coins with a piece of parchment attached across to the vendor.

“Kindly take the fruit to my apartments when you finish,” she said softly but with intent.
“Yes, ma'am,” the vendor replied and nodded knowingly, “I was just about to finish to deliver the last of my orders anyway.”

The vendor spoke with the two younger boys next to him who started to load things into a cart he owned nearby.
The piece of parchment said only one thing; “change of clothes.” The man knew to eavesdrop while Yi was talking so would know where to find her.

“If you are all ready here, we should go.”

---

Yi walked with intent with along with the group of three. She fanned herself as she walked and spoke openly about the city and how it had always been kind to her, how her luck had not faltered yet people seemed to want to dampen her spirits. She stopped on a stone bridge constructed over a stream leading into the more residential area of the market district. It housed the more well-off merchants, the tax office and various civil officials.

Yi stopped in the middle of the bridge and looked out onto the stream. She noticed some China Rose growing away from the waterline. She so adored China Rose.

“I know what you must think of me, approaching you so rudely and imposing my problems on you, but, travelling with someone so young, I felt that you should be informed that there could be danger. When I met him that night, he was drunk. The wine flowed free and plentiful where I do not drink much. When he approached me, I recognised him. We had spoken before while I represented a client. He had been a little... playful then. When he asked to discuss doing business with me more in the future and ways of keeping communication open, I felt that, for my livelihood, I should endeavour to keep him happy. He had other ideas on how I should keep him happy.”

Yi forced a tear out that cascaded onto her marble cheek. She wiped it away quickly. She would not be able to force another one out and was very surprised she even managed one. However, she was hopeful it had been noticed and would make her story more water-tight. She turned back to the group.

“That is why it is good you have an armed guard with you... Since that night I have fretted about men and being caught away from the Goddamn inept guards that patrol this city!” Yi almost shouted the part about the guards, she was pushing it a little. “I have taken to carrying a weapon to protect myself.”

Yi moved her robes a little so her dagger in its sheathe could be seen, then covered it immediately. Looking around hoping no one outside the group had seen it.

“It is essentially a deterrent only. The dagger is ornamental. Blunt. You would be better to hit an assailant with the handle than the blade.”

This was a lie, of course, although the original of this dagger was blunt and ceremonial, this was a fully working, flesh-rending version. The group could not know that however, as the blade is covered by the sheathe.

OWL

[Sachi]

Sachi could not exactly explain why in words but there was something very reassuring and comforting about the way Lady Jia kept a hold of her hands while she spoke to her. It was almost like the way a big sister might talk to their little sister while explaining something. Perhaps Lady Jia really did have something of a caring personality, either that or something about Sachi was drawing that out of her today. Certainly Jia was far more mature than Sachi, not that she was still a child or anything it was just that Sachi own development had been rather slow. The emotional wounds she had suffered on her tenth birthday ran very…very deep and she had never recovered from them. Her quite innocent, although very honest personality today was a result of that. It was also probably because of the hurt in her past that she appreciated having some like Lady Jia holding her hands today. Sachi was certainly more likely to trust her than Jiang Yi especially because Lady Jia had made her a promise, something that was almost sacred to Sachi. After she release Sachi’s hands the maid finally brought them back down before saying “Since it’s a promise, I’m sure everything will be fine then.” Sachi declared brightly. As they waited for Lady Jiang Yi to finish with the fruit peddler.

Once Lady Jiang Yi had finished paying for her fruit delivery they set off, Sachi walking next to lady Jia as she felt the most comfortable with her. As they walked she thought about something that puzzled her. There still seemed to be something of a difference of opinion on the nature of Gu Tan. Lady Jia had told her she didn’t believe him to be a bad man, yet Lady Yi seemed to have suffered under his attentions. She told them another tale of Gu Tan’s overly affectionate antics as they walked as well. The two stories seemed somewhat incompatible. Unless Lady Yi was simply Gu Tan’s type and Lady Jia was not? Or could it be that Gu Tan didn’t want to risk offending someone who was protected by someone like Bei? There was after all no need to assume one of them was lying yet. Lady Yi even wept a single tear as she recounted her story. “Lady Yi are you saying he tried to force himself on you?” Sachi asked a little confused by the choice of words Lady Yi used and wanting to confirm. Sachi had a habit of taking everything literally, which was another reason to be careful how you made requests of her. Otherwise you might end up like Gu Yong who had expected her to drop off the letter outside the palace.

Lady Yi also flashed them a look at a rather ornamental looking knife she was carrying, apparently out of fear of running into more men like Gu Tan. Apparently it had been rather a traumatic experience for her. Which was strange given what Lady Jia had told her…Sachi really wasn’t sure what to think at this point. Although she did have more than a little knowledge about daggers herself. She currently had one strapped to the inside of each of her legs, which would probably have surprised anyone given her meek appearance. Yet as she had demonstrated earlier Sachi had been trained in martial arts. “Please be careful with that my lady carrying a blade you don’t know how to use isn’t as good an idea as it might seem. It can give you misplaced confidence and possibly escalate a bad situation.” Sachi said repeating some advice that someone had once given to her.

Words: 622
Tag: Jia Lin/Jiang Yi

[Jia Lin]

     Jia Lin stayed silent as they slowly moved through the city. She occasionally looked around but she focused mostly on Jiang Yi. The more she talked the less she believed her, though she was not afraid of her nor worried about her safety. She knew Bei would have a blade at her throat the moment she even thought about causing harm to either her or Sachi. Jia noticed that they were taking their sweet time to get to their location. Every step closer they got, the more Jiang Yi talked about how horrible the man was. She was almost convinced, almost by that tear. Maybe if it was any other person she would but Jia Lin always looked for the best in people and she remembered only good things about Gu Tan. What happened next took both Bei and Jia Lin off guard.

     Bei's eyes widened as Jiang Yi took out her dagger that she claimed was better used as a blunt instrument. He made no movements, but he was ready to unsheathe his sword in an instant if need be. This woman was not normal, she was dangerous. That is all Bei could think of while he waited for her to put the dagger away. He looked around to make sure nobody noticed before he calmed down somewhat. 

     Jia Lin also carried weapons, throwing daggers that were wrapped around her left leg. They were covered nicely by her dress but they were easily accessible if need be. Jia preferred to never touch them and rather talk herself out of any tough situation. She didn't even like Bei using violence, but she knew if she was in dangerous he needed to do what he had to. While she did hate violence, she knew Bei would only use violence if necessary, and that is why she trusted in him so deeply. Jia Lin smiled slightly at Sachi when she gave such advice to Jiang Yi, but continued to stay silent. She continued to watch Jiang Yi closely.

Words: 338
Tagged: Jiang Yi/Sachi