[RP] The 'Verse (Accepting profiles)

[DeirdreTonbo]

Midorikawa Aria
Fayra Gardiner

Aria didn't just smile at Jas, she glowed at her as she agreed to return in the spring. It wasn't the smile of a companion, it was the smile of someone who was truly happy with someone they truly cared about

"It looks like the trees are covered in snow, but the air is warm and smells like heaven. Even you will find something beautiful about it, Jaswinder."

--

Fayra didn't mind the silence, her and Jaden were both comfortable with it and didn't feel the need to fill it with awkward conversation that neither of them wanted to have. She enjoyed the ride, taking in the sights on a part of Sihnon she had never seen before.

It took a moment before someone responded to Jaden's knocking, a diminutive woman in a simple servants outfit. She peered up at Jaden and the box on hir shoulder, trying to determine if this was someone she ought to even acknowledge. Fortunately for Jaden, xe was hard to forget and the woman eventually decided whatever ze had was worth her time.

"Can I help you?"  

[Akai_ryu]

Captain Jas Sturm

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Jas returned Aria's smile with a grin. "If you say so. But I..."

Suddenly, the tall blonde trailed off at the thought that had almost managed to sneak past her brain and right out of her mouth. Long ago, she had set personal boundaries between herself and her crew on the advice of her trainers as a young officer. After leaving the military she had relaxed those boundaries some, but not quite enough to want to risk the effects the rest of the sentence she had been about to say would have had on her relationship with Aria.

"I think it'd be wasted on me." she finished carefully after a moment to think. "No appreciation for the beauty of nature, I believe someone said to describe me."

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◣ Jaden Chu ◢

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"Delivery." Jaden grunted at the servant. "Aria Midorikawa's things from the ship."

For a moment ze contemplated harassing the servant for contemplating whether or not she should even acknowledge the muscle-for-hire before deciding against it. Aria wasn't completely fond of the okiya, but she probably would lecture Jaden if she found out that Jaden did hir best to intimidate the servant.

There was a measured stare as Jaden contemplated something before grunting again, "Where should I put it?"

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[DeirdreTonbo]

Midorikawa Aria
Fayra Gardiner

"Mmm maybe," Aria mused with a smile still on her lips. The pause in Jas' words wasn't lost on her but she would not have guessed the reason. At least, not on the first try.

As they walked, Aria pointed out some of her favorite places, they grew closer together as they grew near the okiya. A small shrine here, a park with a large pond over there.

"Do..." Aria stopped her own sentence before even forming two words of it. They -were- in an area dominated by a faction of the Companion's Guild. Aria knew who catered to which clientele and who would be Jas' type. Of course, Jas could find her own type and why was she even concerned about it? Instead Aria sighed. "Will you be staying for dinner?"

--

The woman met Jaden's stare without much worry. Of course ze could take her, there wasn't a question there. But if Jaden had ever been under the impression the Okiya was unprotected ze had another thing coming.

"This way." She moved at a frustrating slow pace, taking Jaden through the least part of the garden to the storage shed. "Will Lady Midorikawa be sending for new things?" Clearly she wanted to know if she needed to keep an ear out for Jaden to return or not.  

[Akai_ryu]

Captain Jas Sturm

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As they grew closer to the okiya, Jas' bodylanguage changed slowly from protective to simply two close friends on a stroll through the pleasant neighborhood. The tall blonde relaxed in some ways, not scanning each person for weapons or possible harmful intent as they passed, but stiffened in others, straightening up and no longer slouching slightly. In simpler terms, Jas changed from the cargo-ship captain who worked on the Border and with the less savory elements to the officer who had once been a rich man's daughter.

"I should get back to the ship. Jin-Li's probably arrived, but I don't think she can supervise the workers that'll be coming by to unload and reload the ship." the captain replied reluctantly before giving Aria a wry grin. "Which, I'm sure your mother will appreciate."

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◣ Jaden Chu ◢

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"I ruttin' hope not." Jaden grumbled as ze followed the woman. "I don't mind carrying Aria's things, but when that woman shops things get heavy real gorram fast."

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[DeirdreTonbo]

Midorikawa Aria
Fayra Gardiner

"Alright. I'll send you a message when I know how long I'll need to be here. With some luck it wont be too long." Aria stopped outside the gates of the Okiya, leaning up to brush her cheek against Jas'. Kisses were for returning home.

She let go of her captain and walked to the gate, speaking briefly with someone there and then entering. As the gate swung closed she looked back over her shoulder for just a moment. Then she was going into the building.

--

"Very well then." The woman escorted Jaden back to the back street she had entered the okiya from.

Fayra waited patiently where Jaden had left her, playing with a handkerchief as she slid her fingers from one corner to the next which watching the street for signs of anything interesting (or, in her case, signs of things she needed to avoid).  

[Akai_ryu]

Captain Jas Sturm

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Once again, Jas automatically leaned down to let Aria brush cheek against cheek. The Companion had her crewmates well trained to accommodate her relative height and as she let go, the tall blonde's back straightened. Jas watched Aria go with a carefully neutral expression, the same carefully neutral expression she had learned to use during inspections and getting chewed out while an officer, until the gate was completely closed. For a moment she had thought she saw Aria look back, but it was hard to tell and now there was a faceless gate cutting her off from her first mate.

Jas stood there for a second longer, just in case, before turning and heading back down the street toward the ship. Now she stuck out even more in this part of Sihnon and there were things to do. Staring at the gate to the okiya would get none of the things done and would not complete Aria's business in there any sooner for the Companion.

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◣ Jaden Chu ◢

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Jaden carefully set the box down before following the woman back out to the back street. Ze could have found hir own way out, but an escort was to be expected. No one wanted someone like Jaden wandering around the compound freely. Before long, ze was climbing back onto the mule beside Fayra and starting it down the street again.

"Right. What do you want to see first?" Jaden asked as they stopped at a cross street. "There's a street market not far from here. It's supposed to be famous for...stuff. Fabrics and clothes, I think. But they sell everything there."

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[DeirdreTonbo]

Fayra Gardiner

"Famous for stuff?" the medic repeated after the muscle, amusement in her voice. She smiled a little, shifting a little when they found themselves on a more used thoroughfare than the road behind the okiya.

"That could be nice." They had yet to see Fayra in anything but her pants and white blouses, but she was a girl. Looking at pretty things had its appeal for her.  

[Akai_ryu]

◣ Jaden Chu ◢

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Jaden simply grunted an affirmative in reply to Fayra's question and continued driving. Ze guided the mule through several narrow streets before the road opened up into a big open area much like the docks, but covered in stalls crammed together. It was loud and crowded, but Jaden continued driving before turning into an area that had clearly been set aside for vehicles like the mule and other small cargo transport vehicles.

"Gotta walk." the muscle-for-hire grunted as ze turned off the bike. "Stay close and watch your wallet."

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[DeirdreTonbo]

Fayra Gardiner

She hadn't really been expecting that volume of people. Really she should have, but in her mind the market would have had the merchants and small number of people shopping. The area they were in now was fairly clear of people, save those who were leaving or getting their vehicles.

For a time, Fayra hesitated in a pocket of emptiness in the parking lot and it seemed she would not join Jaden. After a quick struggle with herself she darted forward to Jaden's side before she could get too far. She lightly crashed into hir side, not enough to make Jaden do more than shift her weight to the other leg. Most surprisingly, the medic's smaller hands wrapped around one of Jaden's in a strong grip.

"Just um... don't leave me behind." Or let go.  

[Akai_ryu]

◣ Jaden Chu ◢

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"Not sure that's possible, doc." Jaden said wryly, looking down at the grip Fayra had on hir hand. Ze seemed to contemplate something before reaching into one of the mostly empty crates and pulling out a sack with straps sewn to it. "If you see something an' want to stop, just say so."

With that, the androgynous figure led the crew's new doctor into the bustle of the market. Vendors shouted to eachother and to the people browsing the market, each of them extolling the virtues of their wares. The section that Jaden led them into was mostly filled with people selling spices and other dried goods out of barrels and crates. Ze strode through the crowd, which parted around hir by sheer force of intimidation, pausing to browse at some of the stalls. Before long, Jaden had managed to acquire a small bag of a variety of spices and a box as small as hir palm full of dried flakes of fish so thin that they were transparent. Then Jaden made a right turn and led them down a narrow alley that seemed to be the back side of a group of vendors before making a left, which brought them out into an aisle filled with fabrics of all kinds in clashingly riotous colors that somehow managed to match eachother on occasion.

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[DeirdreTonbo]

Fayra Gardiner

She gave a wry little shrug, having at least the grace to blush a little. But she didn't relinquish Jaden's hand. As they walked her grip on hir hand tightened and relaxed as the nearness of the crowd changed. But her expression was interested in the things they looked at, smelling the spices and asking questions about some of the more interesting ones. Her awareness of the crowd was constant but peripheral.

When they left the spice market, Fayra smiled and looked with real interest at the wares around them. She did not, of course, release Jaden's hand, but she did touch some of the fabrics with one of her own.

Once or twice she very nearly asked Jaden hir opinion but stopped as she wasn't sure if ze had much interest in the bright colors.  

[Akai_ryu]

◣ Jaden Chu ◢

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Once they were in the fabrics and clothing section of the market, Jaden let Fayra lead a bit more and opted to stand more at the doctor's back while she looked at things to keep the crowd further away. Ze didn't really have much interest in the fabrics and colors and it showed, but Jaden didn't really seem to be bored by any of it. A few people tried to jostle their way past the muscle-for-hire and Fayra without actually looking at Jaden, but Jaden's immovable bulk and warning growls sent them away quickly, muttering apologies.

"If you like something, we can arrange for it to be sent to the ship." the androgynous figure finally said as Fayra stopped to touch another bolt of fabric. "Or a tailor. Aria knows tailors here."

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[DeirdreTonbo]

Fayra Gardiner

Fayra thought about it then shrugged. "I haven't really the need for any of it. Unless blood can be easily bleached out of it, it doesn't do me much good. But they're pretty to look at."

They continued, walking at a strolling pace. Most of the people they passed paid little attention to them other than to get out out Jaden's way.  

[Akai_ryu]

◣ Jaden Chu ◢

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"Black." Jaden suddenly said after several minutes of silence and several stalls full of fabric. "Can't bleach it, but you can't see it either. Not after washing."

But that was all Jaden said on the subject until they reached another opening in the row. The muscle-for-hire grunted something about the ship needing more plates now before leading Fayra down the alley. They passed through several other sections, one of which was a bunch of tiny restaurants that looked more like the back side of a real restaurant, before turning down a row that seemed to sell dishes and other kitchen ware. Knives and pots gleamed in displays and the dishes ranged from the metal that the ship favored to expensive wood.

"Gotta find you a plate." Jaden explained. "And stuff if you're going to stay. Even Jin-Li's got her plate and a couple of mugs."

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[DeirdreTonbo]

Fayra Gardiner

Fayra glanced over at Jaden as ze mentioned hir color of choice. It wasn't even a subtle glance, she didn't bother to hide it. "Maybe. I prefer brighter colors though, it's less... hmm. It doesn't feel as closed in."

When they left the cloth stalls, Fayra trailed after Jaden like a wagon, letting her take the lead. The kitchenware brought surprised expression before she remembered that Jaden did the cooking on the ship. Not what she would have expected if no one had told her.

Green eyes trailed along dishes and she stopped to show Jaden a tiny pair of salt shakers she called "cute". Her fingers lightly touched a few pieces of china, knowing full well they weren't going to work on a vessel like theirs. She clearly had an affinity for the color blue, judging by which plates she gravitated toward.