ζ¦εͺε¨ | Wu Meiniang (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ladyemperor) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
isleofavalon2021-04-07 10:49 pm
ladyemperor) wrote in isleofavalon2021-04-07 10:49 pm
OPEN: catch-all for April
π§ WHO: Meiniang and YOU
βοΈοΈ WHAT: Quests but also anything and everything!
π WHEN: During the beautiful month of April
πΊοΈ WHERE: Anywhere and everywhere
β οΈ WARNINGS: Probably none, but subject to change if anything crops up
General April Shenanigans
i. The Survival Option
[Living as a concubine for many years didn't exactly prepare you to live life on your own, and having to learn to draw her own bath, get her own food was definitely an experience. Made much easier, of course, with the various magical conveniences like running water and electricity.
And made easier still because her first thought when seeing all of it was wondering how it worked, why it worked. That took up time in her day that would have been spent in bed with the covers pulled up and a book she'd only really be reading half-heartedly. Having to learn how to live one's life anew made it easier to try and forget the life she'd had.
The emperor's death feels simultaneously like yesterday and yet like too long ago so she stubbornly keeps the white silk flower in her hair though the pure white clothing she'd worn was impractical and for all that she had to grieve, she'd also been thoroughly spoiled by Rui An and the luxury of the Imperial Palace. So plain clothes it is.
Do you...]
A. Find her at breakfast, 8am
[Learning to wake up this early is hard for a concubine that usually woke up whenever she wanted, but it was either this or go hungry and Meiniang had never liked that feeling. Though she does find herself longing for some plain buns, or even noodles as she eats her cold fruit, chasing it with warm tea and frowning as she does so.]
...I can see how this would be refreshing in the height of summer, but to eat it like this now when it's so wet outside feels odd. [It's definitely why she's already on her third cup of tea at this point.]
B. Find her standing at the top of the stairs
[This would usually be the time when Rui An comes to bring her an umbrella. And also to tell her not to go out. But on her own, Meiniang takes one look at the water then proceeds to pull the bottom hem of her robe up a little so she can actually tie it tight and wade into the water.
She knows more than one of the emperor's other concubines would be raising their eyebrows at her, probably outright saying that was exactly what they'd expect from her of all people but none of them are here. In the end, it's once again just her.
If you're at all hesitant, she turns to you and offers a hand.] Do you need help?
βοΈοΈ WHAT: Quests but also anything and everything!
π WHEN: During the beautiful month of April
πΊοΈ WHERE: Anywhere and everywhere
β οΈ WARNINGS: Probably none, but subject to change if anything crops up
General April Shenanigans
i. The Survival Option
[Living as a concubine for many years didn't exactly prepare you to live life on your own, and having to learn to draw her own bath, get her own food was definitely an experience. Made much easier, of course, with the various magical conveniences like running water and electricity.
And made easier still because her first thought when seeing all of it was wondering how it worked, why it worked. That took up time in her day that would have been spent in bed with the covers pulled up and a book she'd only really be reading half-heartedly. Having to learn how to live one's life anew made it easier to try and forget the life she'd had.
The emperor's death feels simultaneously like yesterday and yet like too long ago so she stubbornly keeps the white silk flower in her hair though the pure white clothing she'd worn was impractical and for all that she had to grieve, she'd also been thoroughly spoiled by Rui An and the luxury of the Imperial Palace. So plain clothes it is.
Do you...]
A. Find her at breakfast, 8am
[Learning to wake up this early is hard for a concubine that usually woke up whenever she wanted, but it was either this or go hungry and Meiniang had never liked that feeling. Though she does find herself longing for some plain buns, or even noodles as she eats her cold fruit, chasing it with warm tea and frowning as she does so.]
...I can see how this would be refreshing in the height of summer, but to eat it like this now when it's so wet outside feels odd. [It's definitely why she's already on her third cup of tea at this point.]
B. Find her standing at the top of the stairs
[This would usually be the time when Rui An comes to bring her an umbrella. And also to tell her not to go out. But on her own, Meiniang takes one look at the water then proceeds to pull the bottom hem of her robe up a little so she can actually tie it tight and wade into the water.
She knows more than one of the emperor's other concubines would be raising their eyebrows at her, probably outright saying that was exactly what they'd expect from her of all people but none of them are here. In the end, it's once again just her.
If you're at all hesitant, she turns to you and offers a hand.] Do you need help?
Slinking in late...
He's looking over the apples with a discerning eye. It's far from the usual season for apples -- only a few varieties will keep in storage until the month of April. Bramley's Seedling apples are the standard for cooking; he wonders if he can find any that are still good at this time of year. There are two others he is looking for; May Queen and Winter King. Yet, he doesn't see any marked as Winter King, as the old name has fallen out of use after the apple was renamed "Winston" at the end of the Second World War.
It is as he searches for the missing Winter King label that he catches sight of the lady next to him. Her clothing immediately draws his attention; it seems reminiscent to the style his friends are fond of. Her features, too, show traces of far eastern lineage, though of what people, his western eyes are not trained enough to discern. Still, he has the feeling that she might come from the same region.
The next thing he notices is her basket. One of everything.]
...Trying new things?
[His voice is young -- not as high as a child, but yet unbroken by the progression of adolescence into adulthood. He is but fifteen years of age, and a little behind in physical development in that regard, though he appears healthy enough, if on the shorter side.]
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The person addressing her though seems to be more knowledgeable than she is. Or at least to be shopping with a plan in mind. Her eyes scan the contents of his basket quickly to see noodles and flour, the rest of the contents though are a bit of a mystery.
She smiles at him though, seeing as he seems friendly enough. That and she's always had a bit of soft spot for those younger than her.]
Yes. There are many things here different from home so I thought I should at least know what I like and don't like. [Her smile becomes a little self-deprecating as she pays for her apple.] I'm not much of a cook, you see.
[But she's also not picky either so it all balances out, hopefully?]
And you? Purchasing things for your family?
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So wrapped up in this thought process is he that, when she asks him if he is buying for his family, the question takes him completely off-guard. He tenses, the movement abrupt, his fingers wrapping, white-knuckled, around the handle of the basket he carries on one arm. His throat tightens without a sound.
For the span of three seconds, he is as still as a statue. Then, he breathes in β deep, measured β exhaling softly after.
His expression is more distant β more guarded β but his limbs relax.]
......No. They've been gone a long time.
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He's hiding something, isn't he? It may have been a long time ago but clearly it still affected him. It's the concubines that she's thinking of as she frowns, straightening up and tucking her own purchases closer to her before speaking.]
...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed. [It's been years since Meiniang has seen her own family, she expected she never would again. As for the emperor, Xu Hui...]
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I suppose I look enough like the locals that it was bound to happen sooner or later.
[The legend of Avalon was directly connected to his country, after all.]
I live with friends here.
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I think there are enough of us here that aren't local though? [Her smile is more self-deprecating than anything. She made a mistake and she's willing to own to that.]
So you're shopping for your friends, then. They're very lucky.
Slow in getting to tags this week! I have much more hours than usual at work.
[He's never had friends before. Not in that sense. But he doesn't go into the whys of it. That would be an odd conversation to have with a stranger.]
As for trying new things, if you aren't much of a cook, you should ask the merchant which fruits are better for fresh eating. Some are suited to eating as they are, while others are better-suited to baking.
[And there, at the corner of his vision, is one of the two varieties he is looking for. He stops to reach over, plucking up a May Queen from a small section.]
This one, for example, is good for fresh eating. It keeps longer than most other apples, so it's probably good even now. The best seasons for enjoying a wider variety of apples are autumn and winter.
That's fine, no worries! Life is like that sometimes (and apologies also for being slow on my part!)
With that said though she's going to focus on the fruit being pointed out to her, a smile deepening at the corner of her mouth as she's pretty sure she knows what Rui An would say if all she ate was fruit. Probably something about it being too chilly for her constitution or whatever it is that he always fussed about.]
I see... It does look delicious and if it's the season for them, I can hardly say no to them. What kind of varieties are good for baking and cooking? [Because while yes, she's not a good cook that doesn't mean she intends to be helpless in the kitchen forever.]
If the fruit is chilly, just warm it!
[Knowing how to make the aforementioned staples of fruit preservation, he's had no occasion to ask.]
Edward VII is supposed to be a good cooking apple, too. [It's just not as popular as Bramley's.]
May Queen and Winter King apples are good for fresh eating even this late. But I haven't spotted any signs for Winter King apples yet...
[There are some apples that look like Winter King apples, but he isn't entirely certain. They could be look-alikes of another parentage, after all.]
Time for her to make fruit soup!
You are very knowledgeable on this subject. [And that effort should be acknowledged, she thinks with a soft smile before she turns to the owner of the stall.]
One of each then, please. [While the owner of the stall takes Meiniang's small bit of money, they remember to mention also that Winter King apples would come soon and that they'd let them know as soon as possible. Of course. Can't lose the possibility of a repeat customer, after all. Meiniang can appreciate that and smiles to the owner, as well, already planning on coming back. While eating too much raw fruit could be too chilly, she does think that apples are the least chilly of the bunch, right? If she wanted to eat watermelon all the time then she really wouldn't know how to face Rui An.]
Or stewed or baked fruit!
Apples are common in my country. We're known to grow quite the variety of them.
[He picks out a few more choice apples, summing up the total in his head before transferring the amount over to the merchant. He's had a little practice with his phone over the matter of the new form of currency, so he has the hang of it even if it still feels odd to not be using actual coins.]
Or jam!
May I ask the name of your country? [Knowing that might not help her. She knows it's unlikely that his country might also exist back in her own world. But at the same time, a small part of her hopes to find something familiar.
As for how familiar he seems to be with using his phone... well, that she makes sure to watch carefully in the hopes of mimicking him for purchases in the future, even craning her neck a little to make sure she can see.]
Or pies, with a few more ingredients! So many ways to have warm fruit.
I suppose you could say my country is a country within a country. I am from England. It's part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
[At least, such is how it is called in his time.]
And yours, miss? Where are you from?
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I am from the Great Tang and born in the county of Wenshui. [Sure she hasn't been back in her hometown for years, probably would never be able to go back there but it holds a special place in her heart regardless.]
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[He's gathered people from different countries don't always use the same name for their lands that the English use, though, so he's not entirely surprised.]
You wouldn't happen to have heard of Great Liang, have you? My friends are from there.
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But at least she has heard of Great Liang.]
...you are a friend of Young Master Li.
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[And for a moment, he seems almost peaceful saying that.]
He and my other friend wear clothes that look a little similar to yours, so I wondered if you might be from around the same region.
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But I think we're from different versions of it.
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......I thought something similar might be the case for me. The clothing you and my friends wear hasn't been associated with that region for a long time now. You're more likely to see it in very old art, or images depicting myths or the long past. But some of the things they have work in a similar way to things much closer to my time.
It's as though something happened back then that allowed them to discover that sort of technology much sooner.
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Still, she puts the thought aside for now to focus on the conversation with a tilt of her head.]
Technology? [That was something neither Li Min nor Gu Yun had showed her.]
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[He's not sure if it is. It's just a word he's known for so long he's been under the impression that everyone is aware of it.]
Technology is... well, the things we use in addition to ourselves to function. Like how wheels made carts and carriages possible, and those things made it easier to travel with more than what you could carry on your own. Advancements in technology make it easier to do certain things.
Just realized some of this tag had disappeared ahhhh
It is a new word. But I assume this technology they have isn't simply carriages and wheels otherwise our worlds really are more different than I realized.
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I think what they have would be classified as steam-powered.
[That's the best way he can describe it, anyhow. He may be from a future era, but his education in traditional subjects of learning is unfortunately a little behind, both due to the war and his work in it.]
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[That is definitely news to her and she files it away as yet another thing for her to read about.]
That's amazing.
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[He still wonders how Gu Yun manages to wear his armour without getting burned. It must have a pretty sophisticated cooling system.]
They might have books about that sort of thing in one of the libraries around here, if you're interested in the subject.
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