Nemo & Tari

[Itari]

Yue Ling removed the rabbit from the trap and carefully reset it. Using her mouth and left hand she tied it up in a manner that allowed her to hang it from around her neck. If she was lucky she'd catch something to take on the road with her tomorrow morning. If she moved quickly, she should be able to reach the next town the day after. A short 5 minute walk and she arrived back at the small camp she had made. A few minutes later and she had a small fire going. Now came the task of skinning the rabbit. It had been 5 years since Yue Ling had lost use of her right arm, and skinning animals was still a task she struggled with. When it came to fighting she had the help of the spirits. When it came to activities in her daily life, they did nothing but whisper taunts to her in her head.

You missed a spot. A black, ghost-like bird appeared on her left shoulder.
"Shut up."
A fishlike spirit with long trailing fins swam out of her right sleeve and circled around her, knocking into the crow. So childish. As Always. The two started fighting. Yueling looked up from her cleaning and swatted at both of them, "Stop that!" The two both disappeared in puffs of smoke.

There's someone here.

Language prompt

Pick one of the two idioms and incorporate it into your post!
피도 눈물도 없다
Lit. translation: no blood or tears
Meaning: to be merciless

꿩 먹고 알 먹고

Lit. translation: Eat a bird with an egg in it's belly
Meaning: killing two birds with one stone

More info and examples here

 

[Nemopedia]

If the Luo sect symbolised life, the current path his father was walking symbolised death. Qiu An was of firm belief that this was the way to track his father when he sought out the clues.

"Put it on the tab of the Luo sect! Say it is from their seventh childe," Qiu An easily flipped his tag when he departed from the inn, a broad smile on his face when he swirled a string of coins in his other hand, satisfied with his loot. "And if you want some extra coin, tell them that I have gone for the south, into the forest, chasing after master Luo!"

A lifestyle Qiu An had maintained for years and planned on maintaining for another while when he left the gambling den. The Luo would pay for it, their honour greater than to abandon Qiu An on his journey penniless despite the debt he liked to rack up. However, lately, the male had been getting better at gambling, his luck increasing, or rather his tricks as the masters were fuming at the money they had lost to him.

But it had borne itself fruit. To socialise and to network came hand in hand with hearsay and information that he otherwise wouldn't have gotten through the righteous channels. The mention of sinister energy gathering in the forest, accompanied with his own senses of lost souls tied to the world, had Qiu An almost convinced that he had found his father, or at least someone connected to the whole cause.

"Shut up," the female in the forest said, as if not alone and Qiu An would have believed her to be either crazy, or possessed, which, given his experience so far in trying to track down his father, didn't seem unlikely. From his trained eye he could tell there was something wrong with one of her arms, though the limb was still attached. From his own cultivation he could feel the sinister energy radiate off it, like he had sensed from his mother.

"I haven't even said anything and you are telling me off already," Qiu An spoke, noticing the tensing in the female's body, as if aware of an intruder. The man never intended to hide himself anyway, knowing that he was to expect fellow-cultivators at all times who could sense and fight at all times. Swords were, after all, drawn for less of a reason than peeking how to skin a rabbit.

"Rather ruthless, isn't it?" Qiu An continued to chide, his closed umbrella gently knocking against his shoulder before he propped himself right across from the stranger he had found, an easy nod of his chin pointing at the fire and then towards her arm.

"Need help? I have both my arms," he exclaims, careful to see what was to come out of this encounter. Whether he was dealing with an underling of his father, or something else.

Prompt:

가재는 게 편이다 [Gajaeneun ge pyeonida]
Literal: Lobster, craw, alike
Meaning: Birds of a feather

Speech colour: #63c19c

 

[Itari]

Yue Ling looked up at the approaching man briefly as he approached. At the moment, he didn't seem to be a threat so she didn't stop him from sitting across from her.

Kill him, kill him!
He looks well off, we should rob him. The money will be useful in the future.

Yue Ling shook her head in irritation, both at the man and Crow. She tore at the last piece skin on the rabbit, tearing off a piece of chunk meat with it and threw it aside. "You sat down at my fire without permission. Rather rude, isn't it?" She stuck a stick through the rabbit and started cooking it near the fire, and wiped her bloody hand on the ground next to her. Then, she took her first proper look at the stranger. "What do you want?" Her camp was tucked a good way off the main road, and the forest was large. It wouldn't be easy for someone to come across her by accident. He must have come looking for her.

Maybe he's a freak like you! hehehehe
Well, you know what they say... birds of a feather...

Fish was right. He did look well off and the money would be useful in the future. Her current location meant that she could avoid staying in inns by spending the nights in the forest. But eventually she'd get to areas where having no money meant she'd have to sleep on the streets. Most people who traveled alone at night were confident in their skills though, and robbing him seemed like more trouble than it was worth. For now she'd wait and see what he wanted.

Prompt

바람을 넣다 [barameul neoda]
Literal: to blow wind
Meaning: to motivate - This can be used to mean motivating someone to do something good or bad

시작이 반이다 [sijaki banida]
Literal: The beginning is half
Meaning: Well done is half begun - It's important to plan and make good decisions

Bonus vocab:
I saw a seal and some of my classmate saw manta rays so
Seal: 바다 표범 [bada pyobeom]
Interestingly, 바다 means sea and 표범 means leopard

Manta ray: 쥐가오리 [jwigaori]

 

[Nemopedia]

Pursing his lips in a quasi-pout Qiu An tilted his head this way and that way before shrugging his shoulders, as if to wordlessly say; 'I don't know!' though he very much knew.

"I hadn't really thought further than sitting down," he tells her, "I saw a fire, a lonely figure, and smelled something sinister," Qiu An counted off the reasons as if trying to convince the other why he should stay seated. Not that Qiu An could be persuaded to leave now, even if he had no other intentions.

"After all, it is a big scary forest and you are alone," he grins, for cultivators never admitted their fear. It was always in service to others.

"And if that isn't enough to convince you of the motivation to my good intentions," here Qiu An moved a hand over his heart, as if pretending to be in pain as his eyes fluttered shut, his green eyes hidden for a moment before they reopened with a hardened glint, the mischievous twinkle gone, yet the smile remaining.

"Why do you stink of wicked arts?"

Qiu An hadn't intended on revealing himself so early, preferring a method of either speaking, or just attacking. However, the female was alone and with one limb less and struggling. It wouldn't have been fair, despite how he felt about the stench of the wicked arts himself.

All the same Qiu An's hand remained on the umbrella next to him, ready to draw should she decide to fight.

Prompt:

아는 길도 물어가라 [Aneun gildo mul-eogala] - Even if you know the way, ask again - don't be overconfident, or don't make assumptions
등잔 밑이 어둡다 [deungjan mit-i eodubda]- It is dark under the lamp - the answer is right under your nose

Speech colour: #63c19c

 

[Itari]

As Yue Ling carefully cooked her dinner, she considered her options. She could attempt to chase him away, but it didn't seem like he would leave easily. She could attempt to just ignore him until he left. But when it came to a battle of stubborness, she would almost certainly lose. She could listen to Fish's suggestion and rob him. But despite his easy manner of speaking, he had come prepared for a fight.

Why do you hesitate? We are strong enough! [왜 망설이고 있어? 우리 중분히 강헤요!] [Wae mangseoligo isseo? Uri chungbunhi ganghaeyo!]
Be Careful. Don't make assumptions. [조심해요. 아는 길도 물어가라.] [choshimhaeyo. Aneun gildo mureogara.] We shouldn't be hasty when we don't know how strong he is.

Yue Ling did her bet to not show her annoyance. Leave it Fish to give contradictory advice just because they didn't want to agree with Crow.

"Why do you stink of wicked arts?"

She nearly laughed at that. If he could smell wicked arts, then it was no wonder that he had found her. "You have a good nose." She looked at him and grinned. "I am the definition of wicked arts." Then she threw her nearly cooked rabbit at him, jumped up, and ran. If he didn't want to leave the fire, then she would. She still had no idea what he wanted. He could be a lone cultivator trying to make a name for himself. Or he could be a member of the soul controlling sect who wanted to erase the stain her father had left on it. There was also the possibility that he wasn't alone. Either way, she wanted to be rid of him.

Coward! Coward! Why do you run? Are you mad he said you smell?
I said be careful! Not run away!

Both of them manifested themselves. Fish circled around her head and shoulders. Crow stood on her shoulder staring back at the stranger. Yue Ling started making a loop back towards the town. If he was someone who care about collatoral damage, he might be wary of attacking her in a public space.

Prompt

홀로 있어도 같이 있어도 외로운 건 같아요	Whether being alone or together The loneliness feels the same	hollo isseodo gachi isseodo weroun geon gatayo	Lee Hi - Holo
맨발로 기억을 거닐다 떨어지는 낙엽에 그간 잊지 못한 사람들을 보낸다	I'm walking barefoot through the memories With the fallen leaves I'm letting go of the people I haven't been able to forget	maenballo gieogeul geonilda ddeoreojineun nagyeobe geugan itji mothan saramdeureul bonaenda	AKMU - Time and Fallen Leaves
작은 미약하나 끝은 창대하리라	The start may be humble, but may the end be prosperous	shijageun miyakhana kkeuteun changdaeharira	Bang Yongguk - Yamazaki

6F9AC4

 

[Nemopedia]

Qiu An had grinned back at the female, an exchange of scornful smiles between the two before he found himself met with animal fat and half cooked meat slapping him in the face, barely catching it before he dropped the rabbit back into the fire where it crackled from the grease that dripped, covering his hands.

As much as he liked meat Qiu An didn't like the way it stained, his hands helplessly spread as he tried not to wipe it onto his robes. They were, after all the clothes of a young master, or befitting to that stature.

"응," [Ew,] the sound escaped him, wiping it off in some grass before he picked up his umbrella once more, running into the same direction as the female had ran off to, following the stench of the wicked arts that surrounded her, growing stronger even as she entered back into the town Qiu An had just left.

It was clear that the female didn't wish to fight. The wicked arts relied on the death, rather than the live and no cultivator, no matter how vile, wished for a fight to break out in public. It was unbecoming, but above all, attracted too much attention from fellow travelling cultivators that may be in the area. No, collisions happened in deserted areas, preferably to their own advantage, and this town wasn't one of them.

Either way, Qiu An didn't think she was part of his father's scheme. The lack of attack suggested so, but the rabbit in his face of which he could still smell the grease did so all the more.

But there was more than one way to cause a scene and Qiu An had never known much shame in inspiring fluster in others.

"하지마!" [Don't!] Qiu An's voice turned into a whine as he caught up, "자기야!" [honey!] He changed his tone, attracting the attention of the townspeople who thought that they were about to witness a spousal dispute.

"남편이 미안하다!" [Your husband is sorry,] he pouts, leaping in front of the female as he slapped the palms of his hands together, bowing in front of her as green eyes peeked over the tips of his fingers.

"얘기하자,알았어?" [Let's talk, okay?] Qiu an exclaimed, doing his best to seem guilty, though the natural quirk in his lips prevented the male from looking all that genuinely sorry accompanied with that twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

Speech colour: #63c19c

 

[Itari]

Yue Ling attempted to lose him in crowd. It seemed like whatever "wicked scent she was giving off though led him right to her.

"자기야!" [honey!]

Yue Ling turned confused, only for the man to bow down in front of her. She realized what was happening too late. She shouldn't have stopped. No, she shouldn't have even come into town in the first place. People were gathering around them now.

"개새끼야! [Bastard!] What the hell are you doing?" Yue Ling wanted nothing more than to beat the man senseless, but didn't want risk someone calling the local authorities. Surely no one would believe this farce? Even ignoring the obvious difference in their social class, they didn't look anything like a couple! He looked at her and smirked, an unmistakable mischevious glint in his eyes. Barely keeping her temper in control, Yue Ling attempted turn back the way she had come from, only to be stopped by some of the townspeople. "남변이 아니다!" [He's not my husband!]

"Don't say that miss!"

"How can you say that to your husband?"

"He's even bowing in public."

An elderly man took her hand and led her back to the stranger. Then he took his hand and put hers in his. "There, there. Let's not fight anymore." He looked between Yue Ling and Qiu An and seemed to just now notice the disparity between the quality of their clothes, "Buy your wife something nice to wear and I'm sure she'll cheer right up. Even if she's just someone you bought, she should still be presentable."

If the stranger had not yanked her back, Yue Ling might have killed the old man then and there. She took a few moments to calm herself until the crowd had dispersed. She could not even pull her hand back because the old man had grabbed her right one. Her stomach growled and her thoughts turned to her wasted dinner. She took a deep breath, "알아써. 이얘기하자. 근데 넌 전녁을 사요." [Fine. Let's talk. But you're buying dinner.]

6F9AC4

 

[Nemopedia]

The farce was working. The crowd was gathering, sympathising with the heartfelt plea of the young husband trying to win back his wife. Qiu An had to school his face carefully, avoiding giving himself away too quickly as another man approached them, a senior in age and life experience as he put her hand into Qiu An's.

Right into his trap, Qiu An gleefully smiled, practically beaming as he tightly held on, swaying it ever so lightly between the 'newly-wed' couple as he nodded.

"아저씨 현명하다," [I shall heed your wisdom, uncle!] Qiu An exclaimed, as he pulled the female closer to him, noting how dry and shrivelled the right arm felt of his faux-wife. As if she was suffering from some ailment. Something that went beyond the basic understanding of health.

And with that the couple went off, blessings following after each other as Qiu An picked a picker inn down the street than the one where he had sat previously, his umbrella playfully bounding onto his shoulder as he walked over to the desk.

"방 하나 그리고 특선 요리 주세요!" [One private room and your specialty dishes, please!] the male announced as he walked in, pushing the fabrics at his waist to the side with his umbrella without releasing his hostage to show his identity tag. "청구서에 루" [Put it on the tab of Luo!] he instructed them, which by now was a familiar claim by all innkeepers in the area. He had been scouting the place for weeks, after all, convinced of the presence of the evil cultivation here.

Soon enough they indeed had a private room, with a large bed and a table full of dishes. Qiu An had let go of the other's arm when they entered the room, quick to sit down as he poured the both of them a cup of wine presented, his demeanour easy-going as ever before allowing the doors to be shut after the dishes came in.

"의사를 만나다," [You should see a doctor,] Qiu An opened the conversation with a jest, but his tune changed swiftly and sharply, "운 좋게, 저는 의사," [luckily, I'm one,] he followed with a simple wave of his hand. He may not look like one, but it was in Qiu An's blood, he knew. Just as much as that he had been a top-disciple within his sect despite his own bastard status within the clan.

"에 대해 말해 개자식들" [But tell me about those bastards,] it came in nearly a growl, even if his lips continued to smile.

Speech colour: #63c19c

 

[Itari]

ㅋㅋ 바보. 잡혔어요. [Haha idiot. You got caught.]
You shouldn't have run.

Yue Ling relunctantly let the man drag her through town. The inn he picked was the nicest building she had ever seen, let alone been in, and she couldn't help but swivel her head to look at the architecture and expensive decor. She was so distracted, she didn't realize that he had requested a private room until they were already being led there. "잠간만. 사긱인 방? 왜식당에서 안 먹어요?" [Wait, a private room? Why aren't we eating in the restaurant?] Despite her protests, the man only let her go after pulling her inside.

By now, the anger had left her body, leaving Yue Ling feeling tired and slightly embarassed by the whole ordeal. "세계에 제일 의사면, 내 팔 못 나아요." [Even if you were the best doctor in the world, you wouldn't be able to heal me.] It occured to her that she had never actually thought of "healing" herself. She needed the power of the ghosts if she wanted to defeat her father. But what about after? Would she live with these voices in her head the rest of her life? Maybe she'd cut off her right arm and return it to her sister. Would Fish let her cut them off so easily though? She sighed and sat at the table.

Spread out in front of her were the most exquisite dishes Yue Ling had ever seen. Her chopsticks hovered in the air, unsure of where to even start or what most of the items even were, "먼저 소게해 안해요? 이름이 아직 몰라요." [Why don't you introduce yourself first? I still don't know your name.] She was only half paying attention to him now, becoming increasingly distracted by the food. It was her first time having such an extravegant meal and drinking alcohol and she wanted to enjoy it.

Changwhi - Ahn Yeeun

Found a song I wanted to share

About the song:
(from a youtube comment by ninenights)
A changgwi is a type of ghost in Korean folklore that was killed by a tiger and cannot pass onto the afterlife, forced to serve the tigers for eternity as slaves unless they succeed in luring in a new human victim to take their place instead. (Tigers were often viewed as divine creatures, and were frequently regarded as lords/guardians/gods of their mountains.)

The song is told from the perspective of a changgwi, who was killed by the very tiger it was trying to hunt and has been serving at the tiger's side ever since. (It's the creepy crouched figure with the ghoulish face whose head keeps tilting to the beat of the song.) The changgwi in this song has found a traveler in the mountains after dark and lures him closer, asking him to listen to its tale. The rest of the song is basically the ghost becoming more and more gleeful at having successfully caught a human to replace it -- and of course, the human must be killed by the tiger. (There's a part of the lyrics where the changgwi cries, "Let's both dance with our shoulders!" but while the ghost may be celebrating and dancing, the traveler's shoulders are most likely moving up and down from the force of his terror.)

게 누구인가 가까이 와보시게 옳지 조금만 더 그래 얼씨구 좋다 (좋다) 겁 없이 밤길을 거니는 나그네여 내 말 좀 들어보오 나뭇잎 동동 띄운 물 한 잔 마시며 잠시 쉬어 가오 나무아미타불 신령님이 보우하사 나무아미타불 신령님이 나는 올해로 스물하나가 된 청년인데 범을 잡는다 거드럭대다가 목숨을 잃었소만 이대로는 달상하여 황천을 건널 수 없어 옳다구나 당신이 나를 도와주시게 얼씨구 좋다 어절씨구 좋다 그대 나와 함께 어깨춤을 덩실 더덩실 정신을 잃고 쓰러질 때까지 이 밤 산신의 이빨 아래 나무아미타불 나무아미타불 무꾸리를 해보자 네 목숨이 곤히 붙어있을지 (나무아미타불 나무아미타불) 무꾸리를 해보자미천한 명줄이 언제고 이어질지 (나무아미타불 나무아미타불) 나무 사이에는 웅신님이 연못 바닥에는 수살귀에 벽공너머에는 불사조가 나그네 뒤에는 도깨비가 (아수라발발타 아수라발발타) 교교하다 휘영청 만월이로세 얼쑤 수군대는 영산에 호랑이님 행차하옵신다 얼씨구 좋다 어절씨구 좋다 그래 어디 한 번 어깨춤을 덩실 더덩실 하찮은 네 놈 재주를 보자꾸나 이곳이 너의 무덤이로다 얼씨구 좋다 어절씨구 좋다 우리 모두 함께 어깨춤을 덩실 더덩실 눈을 뜨면 사라질 곡두여 이 밤 산군의 길 위에서 너를 데려가겠노라

Who's there? Come, come close to me. Right, A little bit more. Yes. EOLSSU, this is great (great) Dear fearless traveler at this night. Please listen to me for a moment. Drink a cup of water with the leaves floating and take a break in here. NAMU-AMITA-BUL, protect me, merciful spirit NAMU-AMITA-BUL, protect me, merciful- I am a young man just turned 21 this year, who died bluff that I could hunt a tiger. With this miserable grief, I can't cross Styx. Oh! Dear, Won't you help me? EOL-SSIGU, this is great. EO-JEOL-SSIGU, this is great. Let's dance a shoulder dance with me Let's dance on this night until you lose your mind Let's dance right under the teeth of the mountain god. NAMU-AMITA-BUL NAMU-AMITA-BUL Let me see how strong your life thread be. (NAMU-AMITA-BUL, NAMU-AMITA-BUL) Let me see how long your petty life thread be. (NAMU-AMITA-BUL, NAMU-AMITA-BUL) Between the trees, there is a bear ghost. Bottom of the pond, there is a water ghost. Beyond the sky, there is a phoenix. Behind the traveler, there is a goblin. (ASURA-BALBAL-TA, ASURA-BALBAL-TA) What a shining bright full moon, EOLSSU! Behold, Now the greatest tiger is coming down to this whispering mountain. EOL-SSIGU, this is great. EO-JEOL-SSIGU, this is great. Let's dance a shoulder dance, let's dance Show us some of your pitiful tricks. Now this will be your grave. EOL-SSIGU, this is great. EO-JEOL-SSIGU, this is great. Let's dance together a shoulder dance, let's dance. This illusion night will disappear when you open your eyes. Now from this haunted path, I'll take you to the mountain god. (translation by xxentertainment)

There also a very good cover of this song by 싱여 Singyeo
And another song by Ahn Yeeun I like

 

[Nemopedia]

Whoever the female was, she hadn't grown up in luxury. If her clothes hadn't given it away her manners had as much as her surprise as dining in a private room. "왜 물론 이야기하다," [Why, to talk, of course!] had been his simple response, but where this was obvious to Qiu An he knew that the other was bamboozled now, which wasn't his responsibility to fix.

"Or were you thinking of something else?" Qiu An sneakily questioned, his smile turning wider as he leaned into the other, that mischievous air of his returning once more as he momentarily let go of his original intent of bringing them into privacy. The memory of the dried and dead feeling of her right arm in his hands brought back the disgust, however, just as much as it brought down his appetite as he wondered what the limb must look like to feel like that through the fabrics of her clothes.

Something that the other had no problems with, however, her chopsticks hovering over the dishes as she was nearly salivating over the specialties picked. Qiu An would have as well under different circumstances, though never so openly, as he still had his pride as a childe of the Luo clan.

"Someone hunting after the 선생 [master] of your wicked arts," Qiu An answered, figuring that it was time to stop bickering now that they finally sat down to talk, but also not wanting to give away too much in case she wasn't in favour of his mission. "저는 치앤-입니다 " [Call me Qiu An].

Speech colour: #63c19c

 

[Itari]

So he was looking for her father. The news wasn't too surprising. Her father was seen as black stain on the Soul Controlling Sect's history. Even if they were already known as a sect that used dark magic, her father had taken things too far. It wouldn't be surprisng if they were still looking for him. Not only that, with kinds of experiments he had been trying lately, it wasn't outside the realm of possibility that the orthodox sects had gotten wind of his actions and were trying to eliminate him. Qiu An didn't seem to fit into either of these categories though. It was hard to figure out his true intention behind his mischevious smile.

"죽을 거예요." [You'll die.] She pause, debating how much she should tell him. Since he did not appear to be from either the Soul Controlling Sect nor any of the orthodox sect, she deemed it safe to tell him more than she usually would. Or maybe it was just because of the alcohol. "이름이 유링 입니다. 찾고있는 사람 졘하란, 내 아버지예요. [My name is Yue Ling. The person you're looking for is Chen Hao Ran, my father.] Not only is he a martial master, I hear he is travelling with his friend, another skilled martial artist. 나도 찾고 있어요." [I'm also looking for him] She drained her wine cup, "Can we order bao zi?"

You should stop drinking.
Alcohol makes you stupid.

some vocab

Since Korean has Chinese roots, there are a lot of words that sound similar. Since you are pretty familiar with Chinese, I thought these words would be an easy way for you to learn some more vocab

Also a lot of korean nouns can be turned into verbs by adding the verb stem 하다 to the end. I've marked the ones that I know for sure can be used as verbs

English	Korean	Chinese
(to) Exercise	운동 (하다)	运动
Credit Card	신용 카드	信用卡
Agree	동의	同意
Library	도서관	图书馆
Courage	용기	勇气
Victory	승리	胜利
Skin	피부	皮肤
Impression	인상	印象
Content	내용	内容
All, Everything	전부	全部
Safety	안전	安全
Dragon	용	龙
(to) Sightsee	관광 (하다)	观光
Market	시장	市场
(to) Prepare	준비 (하다)	准备
Dinosaur	공룡	恐龙
Mountain	산	山
Iceberg	빙산	冰山
Touched by/Moving	감동	感動
Automatic	자동	自动
Brain	뇌	脑
Diary	일기	日记
Cheers!	건배	干杯
Concern	관심	关心
King	왕	王
Princess	공주	公主
Tea	차	茶
Time	시간	时间
Umbrella	우산	雨伞

 

[Nemopedia]

Die. Qiu An laughed at that, or rather, snickered, his shoulders shaking a bit as he nodded to himself, yeah, death was a guarantee to all of them, but definitely a fast track by trying to chase after the madman without a plan.

"Yeah, if his partner wasn't my 아버지 [dad]," Qiu An exclaimed, "No matter how much trouble I cause I don't think 내 아버지 [my father] will want to 나를 죽여 [murder me]," the male confidently states before pushing himself up from his chair, walking over to the door before sticking his head out, waving down a waiter towards the entrance.

"만주, 주세요" [steamed buns, please,] he informed the man before closing the door once more, "master Luo, right?" Qiu An asks with a nod of his face as he returns to his seat, quick to fill his glass once more and downing the drink.

"Looks like we could be 형제 [siblings], or 사촌 [cousins]," the male jests, taking another drink as he leans against the table, feeling completely satisfied with himself as he picks himself some food to chase away the burn, "anyway, what's your plan?"

Speech colour: #63c19c

 

[Itari]

Her right arm ached at the mention of master Luo's name. She could still picture his face the night he had cut off her arm. "How lucky you can trust your father like that. I wish I could say the same about mine." The steamed buns arrived and Yue Ling ate one with relish. It was her favorite food. Delicious, warm, and easy to eat with only one arm and on the go.

Yue Ling refilled her cup and swirled the liquid around inside it. A plan? Did she have a plan? She had left her home in the mountains with the goal of finding her father and getting revenge, ignoring the fact that it was impossible for her at her current strength. "훈련해요. 강해지요. 아버지를 죽이에요. [Train. Get stronger. Kill my father.]" Return my sister's arm to her. "그거 후에... [After that...]" she shrugged and drained her cup in one go.

ㅋㅋ 바보야! [Haha, Idiot]! You reprimand him when you have no plan yourself!

Yue Ling shook her head to clear it of Crow's voice and reached to fill her cup once again, but Fish flew out from underneath her collar and covered her cup.

술을 마서 그만해 [Stop Drinking].

By now the alcohol was making her head feel fuzzy and it was difficult to think properly. For a few moments she simply stared at the spirit, her alcohol addled mind unable to piece together why they should not have shown themself. It finally occured to her that barely an hour before, this man had been chasing her because she smelled of wicked arts. He may not be happy with the fact that she had an evil spirit or two with her. When she was able to gather her thoughts, she slapped the top of her cup, causing Fish to disappear in a wisp of smoke. Then she casually refilled her cup as if nothing had happened, "I don't suppose you have a plan?"

6F9AC4

 

[Nemopedia]

"훈련해요. 강해지요. 아버지를 죽이에요," [Train. Get stronger. Kill my father] Qui An repeated with a cheeky smile, throwing back yet another cup of wine down his throat before picking up a bun to eat. "아버지를 [Father] won't kill me for the sake of Luo, but I can kill him. He has done his duty," was his lackadaisical reasoning for the whole idea and endeavour, but the male internally felt different about the whole ordeal. Not that he was willing to show it, not to Yue Ling that wasn't friend or foe.

"네 아버지가 그랬니?" [Did your father do this?] Qui An moved the conversation, his chopsticks pointing into the direction of her arm as he scrunched up his face, "냄새나는[smells rotten], he really didn't have any 자비 [mercy] on you, huh?"

It boiled Qui An with anger to know how far both fathers were willing to go for the sake of their wicked arts, but he didn't show any of that anger, grinning instead as he raised his cup once more.

"건배 [cheers] to us 불효자 [unfilial children]," he cheered, downing it away once more.

Speech colour: #63c19c

 

[Itari]

Yue Ling pulled her arm into her lap and pulled on the sleeves of her robe, as if by hiding it, she could make the smell disappear. Ordinarily the negative attention it recieved it didn't bother her. But something about Qiu An's tone and the way he kept mentioning the smell made her feel hyper aware of it. The arm often gave her more trouble than it was worth and was part of the reason she avoided going into public areas. It attracted too much negative attention and made her too noticeable. It would have been easy to get rid of it, but Yue Ling needed it. She needed the power it gave her if she was to ever defeat her father. "My father... and yours."

She still remembered the look of mild interest on Master Luo's face as he had attached her sister's arm to her body.

Yue Ling followed his example and raised her cup together with him. After throwing back the drink, she attempted to stand and tell him she wouldn't spend the night here. It seemed too convenient that she met someone who just happened to be the son of her father's good friend and also just happened to share a burning hatred for their father. As she stood though, the room appeared to spin around her and Yue Ling stumbled back to the floor. The spirits living in her arms chastised her, but she couldn't understand them; their chatter reduced to an irritating buzz in the back of her head. She shook her head to clear it, then turned her head away from the table and threw up the contents of the extravagant dinner. The last thing she remembered seeing was both Crow and Fish pulling on her hair.

 

[Nemopedia]

'and yours,' she said and the revelation, though already known, still got to Qiu An, his easy smile and twinkle of mischief dying out momentarily, only to be replaced by a glint of heat and a look of venom and hate.

It went away soon enough, his eyes closing into slits as he smiled once more. "Figured," he says, almost able to see how his father's usually composed mien morphed into that detestable intensity he knew he carried himself as well. Qiu An had his mother's looks, but he knew that certain expressions, especially those of intensity, were carried over from that man to whom he was tied to in blood.

"You should ease up," the male wanted to say when Yue Ling suddenly pushed herself up, her gait unsteady and stumbling before dinner hurled out of her, spoiling the rest. Qiu An had figured that the female may not be used to eating and drinking so leisurely as he did, few did after all, but it had been far worse than what he had anticipated.

"씨발," [Fuck] the male cursed to himself, barely able to catch the female in time before she fell down. "야, 야!" [Hey, hey!] the male called, lightly shaking Yue Ling before checking for her breath and sighing to himself. Out cold, of course. Which meant that conversation was over.

"야, 새 방 주세요!" [Hey, a new room, please!] Qiu An called out from the doorframe, hauling Yue Ling up into his arms as he carried her out of the, now abandoned dinner and vomit, "그녀는 괜찮아," [she is fine,] he reassured the waiter that came rushing over, quickly cleaning up the worst in the room with a dirty glare on his face before leading Qiu An to a new room.

"물 주세요," [Water, please,] he tells the man before laying Yue Ling down to rest in the bed, throwing open the windows for plenty of fresh air and closing the door. Sitting himself down next to the bed he thus waited, eyes trailing over that dead limb Yue Ling carried with her in interest and the vague shapes that pulled at her hair and kept circling around her.

Speech colour: #63c19c

 

[Itari]

The morning sun illuminated the room in a soft yellow glow. Yue Ling groaned and pulled the blanket over her head, rolling to the side. She was stopped by something. Or someone. Her eyes opened slowly and she found herself a few centimeters away from Qiu An's sleeping face. She bolted upright, sending a sharp stab of pain through her head. One hand cradling her pounding head, she looked around herself and tried to remember the events of the previous night. Qiu An had taken her to the inn and they'd eaten together and... talked? About what? And then what happened? Why was he sleeping in bed next to her? She looked down and was relieved to see that both she and Qiu An were still completely dressed.

Awake?
Do you remember anything from last night?
We should leave.

The spirits in her head sounded especially loud this morning and only made her headache worse, but they were right about one thing. Yue Ling had never intended to spend the night with Qiu An in the inn. It was already much later than when she usually woke and the trap she set last night had probably already been raided by other animals. She started to crawl over him and off the bed but was blocked. "What are you doing?" She attempted to leave again and was once again stopped. The two began wrestling against each other, Yue Ling becoming more irritated with each passing second. "What's your problem? Are you crazy? Let me go!"

She pushed against him more strongly, but with only one arm and fighting a hangover, found herself at a disadvantage. The noisy spirits were, of course, nowhere to be found. They never helped her when she needed them. She caught him off guard with a kick and felt a brief moment of triumph as he tumbled off the bed, only to find herself being pulled off with him. After another brief struggle, she finally gave up and stared at him from the floor with a defeated expression. She let out a large sigh. "Water. You'll at least let me have that won't you?"

6F9AC4

 

[Nemopedia]

Water came but night fell and Yue Ling didn't wake, leaving Qiu An to wait in a dimmening room with little to do other than order more wine and food for himself. It was a good way to spent the time, he believed, drinking some more, dining on some other dishes, even ordering himself some rare sweets.

"When will your wife wake?" one of the servants had asked, and Qiu An had lazily looked over, a scoff escaping him, "wanna bet?" he had asked to which the man had looked so scandalised that they had hurried off. A thought Qiu An shared, who had half the mind to ditch Yue Ling and go gamble himself. A decision he decided against soon enough as he kept vigil, eventually deciding that he best get some sleep instead in the bed for which he had paid.

"On the table," Qiu An responded with a lazy drawl when the female did finally wake up, struggling and fighting as she tried to escape his arms. The male had to try hard to hide his smile, his legs wrapping around the female as he rolled off the bed, making sure to land safely on his own back before he opened his eyes.

"You are frisky," he laughs in a tease, but could tell her own exasperation at his absurd behaviour. Qiu An couldn't afford for her to run off after all, his arms stretching as he rolled his joints and sprang up. "Where are you heading afterwards? Shall I order breakfast?" the male offered, as if nothing happened, already up and ready as he threw open the door of the room, waving for a servant to come over.

Speech colour: #63c19c

 

[Itari]

Yue Ling resisted the urge to punch Qiu An and pushed herself off the floor and went to the table. The water helped with her headache, but only slightly and did nothing to help with the slight nausea she felt. "Why do you care where I'm going? Going to follow me?" Yue Ling could remember very little of the conversation they had the previous night, but was fairly positive that they had not agreed to travel together. There was no way she could see herself agreeing to a travel companion, even while drunk. Especially if that potential travel companion was Qiu An.

"I don't need breakfast. I'll pick something up from outside." The rabbit would be gone, but there were still plenty she could forage in the forest. She would worry about dinner later. "Unless you have no intention of letting me leave until after we eat."

She sighed and eyed him warily, resting her head on the palm of her good arm, and tried to remember the conversation from the previous night. Qiu An was Master Luo's son. That much she was sure about. Other than that… she vaguely remembered throwing up and then passing out afterwards. Her face reddened at the memory and she turned her head away from Qiu An to hide her blush. Crow and Fish had been right. It had been a mistake to drink so much. Though neither of them said anything, she could practically feel their smugness in the back of her brain. She was lucky she hadn't thrown up on her clothes.

6F9AC4

 

[Nemopedia]

"Some congee and steamed buns, good man," Qiu An ordered before closing the door once more. Something light and warm would help with all of the alcohol the female had downed, he believed, knowing that she wasn't half the drinker he was. If yesterday's behaviour had been any indicator it was the conversation right now, another plan forming within his mind as his hand clenched the area of his heart at Yue Ling's words.

"Coldhearted," he gasped, allowing himself to fall to one knee, "after everything we went through together yesterday, even sharing a bed!" he exclaimed, most definitely aiming for a misunderstanding of sorts as he put on a pouting expression and set wide eyes.

"Cruel world," Qiu An continued his dramatic play, "to meet such an irresponsible girl, ah, but my mother taught me to be a gentleman, and I shall uphold her good values and her chastity first!" he continued, even when the waiter entered the room with a bowl of congee and a plate of freshly steamed buns, just in time to hear everything, but professional enough not to let anything be revealed in his expression before glancing over at Yue Ling and hurrying himself out.

"And now the town shall hear about the shame!" Qiu An continued, swaying over to the table as he let himself dramatically fall on a chair, picking up one of the steamed buns in his hands as he held it up.

"I suppose," he said, a sniff in his voice, "this shall have to represent this soft heart of mine," he relayed, the drama remaining before he finally took a bite.

"But to be real," he spoke between bites, a nod thrown into the direction of Yue Ling as he finally dropped the theatrics, his smile mischievous as ever as if last night hadn't been long at all, "no, I'm not letting you leave without me. You will need me with that arm."

And of that Qiu An was fairly confident, sensing how the limb was rotting and hurting. No matter how great his father is, the old man couldn't prevent the host body from rejecting it, it seemed.

Speech colour: #63c19c