Waterfalls

[Ling Tong]

For a place to rest, to clear your mind or maybe to enjoy the view or have a swim, then come see the waterfalls or lay on the soft grass nearby in the hot sun.

[Sun Quan]

Shou Shi exhaled slowly, the air drawing from his lungs and being cast out into the soft morning as a sigh of relief. Tiring and trouble his life always seemed to be- yet he could still take his time off and go and enjoy his own peace. Lucky, that Sun Quan was a man who understood and respected the humanity in those that served him.

High above the sun began to shine though the nearby treetop, spreading across the ground and showing the rise of the massive star in the sky. The rays eventually reached the warrior their golden and warm presence throwing him into a state of rapture. He drew up a hand and lazily scratched his beard as he sat by the water's edge; all around him was serene and peaceful, nothing awry.

He sighed again, leaning back on his elbows. Life was good, and he felt so light without the dull of his armour, which he'd left off behind a tree nearby. Hidden behind a nearby rock was his sword, just incase. Otherwise, he had not a care in the world..

[Lei Aiduo]

These days Lei Tangyu hadn’t been sleeping well. He went to bed at a respected time, only to lay there for two hours before his mind would finally succumb to peace and slumber. However, something- usually a sudden sound, such as a cat screeching or a dog barking, would always, always stir him up in less than three hours’ time, and it would take about half or even one whole hour to fall back into slumber again. Not to mention the nightmares. Almost every dream was horrible, whether it had ghosts, walking corpses, bleeding skeletons, psychotic killer statues brought to life… with that, Tangyu wasn’t ashamed to admit- those dreams scared him, sometimes even sending him sweating profusely or screaming at the top of his lungs as his eyes snapped open before his heart could get ripped out and his stomach clawed at.

Yet, one could say he had bigger worries on his shoulders; his sister Aiduo was feeling slightly grumpy that morning with a pounding headache that did nothing but grow worse and worse with every passing minute. Of course, headaches were, at times, quite normal, but when you had absolutely no idea how such pain came about, they suddenly weren't so normal anymore. Yes, Aiduo, in between her low grumbles and complaints, did not forget to slip in the fact that she by all means had no memories of the night before- where she was, what she wore, what she did and how she managed to pay, if she did anything requiring money, that is. Tangyu, on the other hand, did. Being her brother, he was fully aware of her split personalities, ranging from a cheerful optimist to a narcissistic man to a quiet bundle of shy humiliation; only last night did she turn into the almighty scholar of pure vanity, donned male robes, waltzed coolly into the nearest tavern and drank herself to the point of alcoholic intoxication. Tangyu had arrived just in time to see her pass out on the floor, and when he realized she still hadn’t paid for the rather despairing amount of wine jugs consumed, he reluctantly pulled out quite a number of silver pieces in her stead, before lifting her up and taking her back to the inn they were staying at.

Initially all Aiduo wanted to do was stay in bed; anything for the unknown major hangover to fade away. Tangyu, however, had different plans- apparently a walk out in nature was a better cure. So, despite all her whines and pouts and petty little threats, she was dragged out of bed, had a randomly selected Han dress thrown at her way and when she had finished changing, her hand was taken gently in his, only for her to be lifted onto his back as he casually headed out the inn with an impish smirk on his face. Yet at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel guilty for all this; in one way or another, he felt that had he not gotten angry at her and called her a naïve idiot for losing their lunch to some homeless child who might as well be lying just for a free snack, she wouldn’t have turned from the previously mentioned bundle of shyness to the self-loving boozer, and if she hadn’t done that, there would be no hangover now, especially when she was, of all available moments in the world for her to be, in her original, optimistic persona.

However, all thoughts of guilt and faint empathy were immediately cut off when his foot caught a rock in the grass, sending the both of them falling straight into the water with a small chorus shriek. “A-Are you okay?” Tangyu sputtered out, only to shriek again at a sudden load of water splashed at him by none other than Aiduo. “H-Hey!” He exclaimed in utmost surprise, before climbing out of the water, Aiduo following closely behind him. Then it was at that moment when Tangyu, having his full attention on his younger sister, whose headache seemed to have disappeared from the unexpected water crash, ran smack-face-first into a tree.

[Sun Quan]

"Help me! Brother.. I don't want to die!" Shou Shi reached out to the his little sister but the heavy wooden beam on his back prevented him. If only he was older and his arms longer. More cries filtered through the crackle of the fire around them, and as the blaze began to roar so did Shi's younger sibling. He, however, remained silent, his face like iron as he struggled.

A might whack could be heard, bringing Shi out from his subconscious state. His body shot forth as he rose up on his arms, still sitting by the edge of the water. Just along the line of the water he could see what looked like a couple in distress.. or, well he didn't really know what was going on. Running a hand across his face, Shou Shi sighed heavily knowing now that today wasn't going to be the day he'd hoped it to be. 'Oh well.'

With a grunt the warrior slowly stood, his robe clinging to his lean form as he adjusted and tightened the large article that had been given to him the day he entered Wu. In a way, it seemed to fit better now that it did ever. An omen that actually meant something good? Things seemed to be looking up-.. Shi gazed back to the two people afar and hung his head. So maybe this wouldn't be any trouble.. either way, he'd find out soon.

After walking over to the couple he eyed them closely and then spoke, his voice strong- even though he was partially unsure of what he was doing. [black]"Do you.. need any help? I couldn't help but notice the commotion from where I was sitting by the water.."[/black] Shi turned, faintly pointing in the direction.

Talking seemed weird for him, as he was still a bit disgruntled by the events of his dream.

[Lei Aiduo]

(OOC: *flails* I lost my internet; really sorry for the lateness of this >3<)

Even a simpleton could see that Lei Tangyu was obviously not the strongest man in the world. However, it would be stupid to say that he was physically handicapped; he was somewhere in the middle, not too weak, but not so buff either. So when his face smacked straight into the tree, he thankfully was not knocked out, though it did take him a good few minutes to haul himself up from the ground, fortunately softened by the wet grass beneath his body. And when he did, he took no time to let himself rest even more- if one allocated the blame with his brain, one would find that Lei Aiduo was the perpetrator. So with that, his eye twitched as his lips curled into a tiny smirk-

Had it not been for the sudden voice projected to the Lei siblings’ direction, Aiduo would probably be shrieking at the top of her lungs with Tangyu chasing her madly. The smirk dropped, and Tangyu turned to face another man, slightly surprised at the fact that someone actually spoke to them; even with the clothes they wore, their grand height and pale faces made it clear that he and Aiduo were not Han, and therefore a minor ethnic group often discriminated by the country’s majority. If that didn’t work, then their behaviour did- they were much more energetic than most Hanmen were, not to mention they could hug and touch each other- not in a sexual way, of course- without any scruples; it was a way for the Red Miao to tell each other they were a tight clan.

Should he trust him? Tangyu did not know, nor did Aiduo. Personally Tangyu never truly knew how to judge a book by its cover. Still, he did sound a little concerned; if not then it was out of manners- and Tangyu did know that it was mandatory to respond to proper etiquette, be it from a stranger or a close friend. Deciding it was best to answer the man, he smiled, putting on a jovial face, before shaking his head lightly, Aiduo following suit.

“It’s fine,” He shrugged casually, his Mandarin dripping with a faint Miao accent. “But thank you for showing us your concern.” Hopefully he said the right words; Tangyu was never truly good with them, to be honest.

[Sun Quan]

Another soul who didn't see much behind talking? Shou Shi sort of smiled, thinking more now of who this pair was, that he had encountered on his day off. They seemed interesting- like there was a story behind them, one worth hearing. Beyond all, it was interesting because normally Shi never looked into people, but he seemed to be as curious as a small child now. Of course, he wouldn't be deterred by the man's words either. Taking a few steps further up, Shi extended his hand, offering it to the fallen man. Was this not the least he could offer to a stranger? His hand? We were all human, we are all here upon this plain together.. why not at least respect one another. Besides, humans sought other humans, such was the way of life. Pushing all away didn't do well for the soul, and only hardened one's heart.

Least, that is what Shou Shi had learned long ago from his master, who'd been a wiser man than himself. Assuming the other man decided to take his hand, Shou Shi would pull him up firmly, speaking a few friendly words as he went about it. [red]"The least I can do,"[/red] Shi defended his action, [red]"Besides, I had not planned to encounter anyone today, and I think I am glad now that I have.."[/red] Bringing the man up and relinquishing his grip, Shou Shi as a proper gentleman walked over to the water's edge, extending a hand to help the woman whom he had remained quiet during the previous exchange. He noticed now that both of them seemed to not be of a Han background, like himself. [red]"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Shou Shi, I hail from Wu.."[/red] He waited for the mysterious lady to take his hand, and for them to introduce themselves, if they truly felt like it. He was just trying to be friendly, after all.

[Jia Xu]

The evening breeze rustled through the grass by the water, creating a reedy symphony that challenged the persistent din of the falling water. Fish, their exact species unknown to Wenhe, silently glided beneath the surface even as the wan moon-light danced atop it, creating scintillating patterns of light that flared against the darkness before being lost to it. It was an almost idyllic scene of beauty; a genuine rarity in these troubled times.

There are times when I feel that such scenes will long surpass us. How unfair that men of vision, men of ambition and courage will die long before what must be accomplished is done.

A part of the old minister tensed with resentment at that thought, but the words of Lao Tzu cut through the anger. “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” He had taken to returning to his studies of the man; the Tao was a doctrine of comprehension and contemplation, perfect for one who no longer had the reckless vim of youth but still held energy for life.

The firmness of the ground welcomed Wenhe as he sat, and the grass felt cool on his hands. He forced himself to refrain from pondering at his age, it had served no purpose when he was advising Zhang Xiu on how to effectively combat Cao Mengde or Cao Mengde on how to battle Yuan Benchu and therefore it would serve no purpose now. He would continue to serve the Han as best he was able for as long as he was able and there was no reason to dwell upon it further then that.

Half-closing his eyes, Wenhe let the cool air caress his face. He could imagine the newest addition to his house, the young girl he had adopted after finding her abandoned in the mountain home of the Wuwan tribes, loving an evening such as this. The girl would want to hunt or fish of course, but perhaps he would bring her here to meditate as part of her training. After spending so much of her life among the barbarians, a little quiet reflection might do her some good.

That of course, would have to be saved for another time. For now, Wenhe would simply stretch out his senses, allowing the night to send him what it would.