[align=center][div style="width:500px;text-align:justify;margin-top:10px;color:#000;font-family:georgia;font-size:10px;line-height:120%"]I SERIOUSLY NEED TO START WORKING ON STUFF FOR TIANYOU AND HIS COUNTRY AGAIN
[describing the east; narrated from the viewpoint of a wandering writer, haru. notes to myself: use 健宏 & 秀蘭]
Light touched the East in a way that felt surreal; of pastel hues and an indescribable warmth that was different to what I was used to. I felt extremely out of place with hair like ebony and eyes as dark as midnight. The florist was located at the heart of the city, and I followed Tiānyòu closely as we stalked through the town and I tried to ignore the stares that were being sent my way.
The florist was a kind man. "Jiànhóng," he offered with a pleasant smile.
Jiànhóng had blonde hair that looked to be a few shades lighter than Tiānyòu's. It was wavy and pulled back into a loose ponytail. It was probably no longer than mine, and his eyes sparkled in the light; a light wash of lavender that left me staring, and I began to wonder then if everyone in the East was ethereal in nature. He was passionate about flowers and talked animatedly to Tiānyòu of the meaning behind each type or flower that he planned on using for the banquet.
"I do not care for symbolism, Jiànhóng. Just make it pretty." Tiānyòu quipped, the corners of his lips tugging upwards into a teasing smile.
Jiànhóng looked offended. He was about to retaliate when a third voice reached my ears:
"Tiān-gē?"
I looked past Jiànhóng and Tiānyòu, and was met with the eyes of a little girl that gazed at me with piqued curiosity. She had the same eyes as Jiànhóng and there were flowers resting in the rivulets of her plaits.
"Come here," Tiānyòu said with a beckoning hand and she ran over to him. She hid behind Jiànhóng, only to shyly peek at me from Jiànhóng's shadow. "There is no need to be shy."
"Xiùlán-ah," Tiānyòu pouted. "Where is my hug?"
Xiùlán walked into Tiānyòu's open arms and giggled when he picked her up and spun her around. Some of the flowers fell from her hair and onto the floor. Once Tiānyòu let her feet touch the ground, he knelt down until he was at her height and pointed at me.
"This is Haru," Tiānyòu said, in a gentle voice. "He is not from here, but he is a good friend of mine. I need to talk to your brother about something very important. Do you think you can teach him how to make daisy chains? I tried to teach him, but I know that you would be a better teacher than I am."
She puffed out her cheeks and turned toward Tiānyòu before she fiddled with the ends of his blouse, apprehensive since I was still a stranger. I was unsure of what to do. Jiànhóng laughed and shook his head softly.
I cleared my throat, and knelt down so that I was also eye level with her. I picked up a few of the stray flowers on the floor and tied them together very poorly, before holding out the failed chain on an outstretched palm. "Tiānyòu is right. I am not very good at it."
Xiùlán furrowed her brows at my failure. She walked out of the Tiānyòu's embrace and towards me. She picked up the chain with gentle hands, her fingers light on my palm. "You are doing it wrong," she said. "You are not tying them together properly."
"Do you think you can teach me how to tie them properly?"
Xiùlán looked over her shoulder to glance at Jiànhóng, who gave her a nod of encouragement. She then gave me a shy smile. "Yes."
[describing the east; narrated from the viewpoint of a wandering writer, haru. notes to myself: use 健宏 & 秀蘭]
Light touched the East in a way that felt surreal; of pastel hues and an indescribable warmth that was different to what I was used to. I felt extremely out of place with hair like ebony and eyes as dark as midnight. The florist was located at the heart of the city, and I followed Tiānyòu closely as we stalked through the town and I tried to ignore the stares that were being sent my way.
The florist was a kind man. "Jiànhóng," he offered with a pleasant smile.
Jiànhóng had blonde hair that looked to be a few shades lighter than Tiānyòu's. It was wavy and pulled back into a loose ponytail. It was probably no longer than mine, and his eyes sparkled in the light; a light wash of lavender that left me staring, and I began to wonder then if everyone in the East was ethereal in nature. He was passionate about flowers and talked animatedly to Tiānyòu of the meaning behind each type or flower that he planned on using for the banquet.
"I do not care for symbolism, Jiànhóng. Just make it pretty." Tiānyòu quipped, the corners of his lips tugging upwards into a teasing smile.
Jiànhóng looked offended. He was about to retaliate when a third voice reached my ears:
"Tiān-gē?"
I looked past Jiànhóng and Tiānyòu, and was met with the eyes of a little girl that gazed at me with piqued curiosity. She had the same eyes as Jiànhóng and there were flowers resting in the rivulets of her plaits.
"Come here," Tiānyòu said with a beckoning hand and she ran over to him. She hid behind Jiànhóng, only to shyly peek at me from Jiànhóng's shadow. "There is no need to be shy."
"Xiùlán-ah," Tiānyòu pouted. "Where is my hug?"
Xiùlán walked into Tiānyòu's open arms and giggled when he picked her up and spun her around. Some of the flowers fell from her hair and onto the floor. Once Tiānyòu let her feet touch the ground, he knelt down until he was at her height and pointed at me.
"This is Haru," Tiānyòu said, in a gentle voice. "He is not from here, but he is a good friend of mine. I need to talk to your brother about something very important. Do you think you can teach him how to make daisy chains? I tried to teach him, but I know that you would be a better teacher than I am."
She puffed out her cheeks and turned toward Tiānyòu before she fiddled with the ends of his blouse, apprehensive since I was still a stranger. I was unsure of what to do. Jiànhóng laughed and shook his head softly.
I cleared my throat, and knelt down so that I was also eye level with her. I picked up a few of the stray flowers on the floor and tied them together very poorly, before holding out the failed chain on an outstretched palm. "Tiānyòu is right. I am not very good at it."
Xiùlán furrowed her brows at my failure. She walked out of the Tiānyòu's embrace and towards me. She picked up the chain with gentle hands, her fingers light on my palm. "You are doing it wrong," she said. "You are not tying them together properly."
"Do you think you can teach me how to tie them properly?"
Xiùlán looked over her shoulder to glance at Jiànhóng, who gave her a nod of encouragement. She then gave me a shy smile. "Yes."