- Invitation Status
- Looking for partners
- Posting Speed
- 1-3 posts per day
- Multiple posts per week
- One post per week
- Slow As Molasses
- Online Availability
- On fairly regularly, every day. I'll notice a PM almost immediately. Replies come randomly.
- Writing Levels
- Adept
- Advanced
- Preferred Character Gender
- Primarily Prefer Male
- No Preferences
- Genres
- High fantasy is my personal favorite, followed closely by modern fantasy and post-apocalyptic, but I can happily play in any genre if the plot is good enough.
The faint warbling of a wren heralded the arrival of dawn, and caused the dark eyes of a grey-haired man to slowly open. He had been sitting, silent and as still as a rock, in the middle of the courtyard in front of a little wooden house, surrounded by tall, green bamboo.
With familiar, practiced movements, the man unfolded his legs and stood up, facing the brightening sky before settling into a horse stance. Only when the first rays of the sun actually crossed the horizon did he begin to move, every gesture and stance slow but natural, like he was drawing the patterns of a curling river or the gusts of a breeze.
In the distance, the bird continued to sing, before there was the sudden sound of wings. Darting through between the swaying bamboo, the little bird dove down towards the man, before perching on his finger. It fluffed itself for a moment, before man and bird simultaneously seemed to shiver. The man came to a jerky halt, his gaze unconsciously straying away from the bird and turning instead to stare through the gate that led into his courtyard.
With a reluctant sigh, Ma Sheng allowed his hands to fall to his side, his head shaking slightly as the bird startled and flew off into the distance with the rapid sound of wingbeats. It appeared that he would simply have to accept that this morning was a lost cause. Who would have guessed that an old man like him could end up so distracted by something as simple as taking in a disciple? Even just a couple days ago, he would have laughed at anyone who told him his unknown, unseen disciple's arrival would be enough to throw off his morning practice.
It just went to show that even he didn't understand himself well enough yet.
Sighing once more, Ma Sheng went back to the well at the side of his house, drawing a bucket of water before quickly washing off his face and cleaning his beard. Once the bucket was returned to the well, he picked up the nearby broom, and began to slowly sweep the courtyard from one side to the other. However, every so often his gaze would stray expectantly towards the courtyard's entrance.
"Look at you," Ma Sheng scolded himself when he caught where his gaze was wandering. "Are you really that excited to start teaching, or have you just gotten lonely in your old age?"
Almost as though in answer to his question, the sound of two pairs of footsteps suddenly began to echo through the air in the distance. There weren't many who would come this far out of the way for their footsteps to be audible from his courtyard. No one in the sect wanted to be close to him, and Ma Sheng was also more than happy to keep himself at a distance from them. Therefore, the only logical conclusion was that his guests were here.
Setting his broom to the side, Ma Sheng expectantly turned to face the gateway, hands tucked behind his back as he waited to get a glimpse of his new disciple.
With familiar, practiced movements, the man unfolded his legs and stood up, facing the brightening sky before settling into a horse stance. Only when the first rays of the sun actually crossed the horizon did he begin to move, every gesture and stance slow but natural, like he was drawing the patterns of a curling river or the gusts of a breeze.
In the distance, the bird continued to sing, before there was the sudden sound of wings. Darting through between the swaying bamboo, the little bird dove down towards the man, before perching on his finger. It fluffed itself for a moment, before man and bird simultaneously seemed to shiver. The man came to a jerky halt, his gaze unconsciously straying away from the bird and turning instead to stare through the gate that led into his courtyard.
With a reluctant sigh, Ma Sheng allowed his hands to fall to his side, his head shaking slightly as the bird startled and flew off into the distance with the rapid sound of wingbeats. It appeared that he would simply have to accept that this morning was a lost cause. Who would have guessed that an old man like him could end up so distracted by something as simple as taking in a disciple? Even just a couple days ago, he would have laughed at anyone who told him his unknown, unseen disciple's arrival would be enough to throw off his morning practice.
It just went to show that even he didn't understand himself well enough yet.
Sighing once more, Ma Sheng went back to the well at the side of his house, drawing a bucket of water before quickly washing off his face and cleaning his beard. Once the bucket was returned to the well, he picked up the nearby broom, and began to slowly sweep the courtyard from one side to the other. However, every so often his gaze would stray expectantly towards the courtyard's entrance.
"Look at you," Ma Sheng scolded himself when he caught where his gaze was wandering. "Are you really that excited to start teaching, or have you just gotten lonely in your old age?"
Almost as though in answer to his question, the sound of two pairs of footsteps suddenly began to echo through the air in the distance. There weren't many who would come this far out of the way for their footsteps to be audible from his courtyard. No one in the sect wanted to be close to him, and Ma Sheng was also more than happy to keep himself at a distance from them. Therefore, the only logical conclusion was that his guests were here.
Setting his broom to the side, Ma Sheng expectantly turned to face the gateway, hands tucked behind his back as he waited to get a glimpse of his new disciple.