[Eventually, once the whole 'doll' issue had cleared up, he manages the courage to bring her gift to her.
Though maybe he cheated a little.
Because he waited for the medicine's effect to wear out first. So he's physically five when he knocks on her door. Her present carefully wrapped up in a scrap of fabric in his hands.]
[He smiled slightly at her. Not because he isn't happy to see her but because he's nervous. After all, even though Jeanne said it was good he still...worried.
Still, he did his best to keep it from his face.]
A gift. [Pause.] From father.
[It's still so awkward referring to himself that...
He held it out for her to take. It was wrapped in a handkerchief, the nicest one he could find and it was embroidered with flowers, each stitch precise and neat even if the simplicity of the design implied an amateur.
He'd deny having put too much effort into it, but the only thread with colour in this place is the sort one got from dismantling a sweater or one of the few clothing pieces in town with colour.
Wrapped inside of it, was a silver-coloured bracelet. More a cuff than anything because it had to be big enough to accommodate the carvings of daffodils and daisies and cats and dolphins on it. (A lot of people gave him input and he may have tried to apply too many of them to the final product.)]</SMALL
[ She whispers. Swallowing down the instinct to tell him that he must have her mistaken for someone else, she takes up the parcel in her hand, carefully unraveling it. Even the wrapping seems like it had much touch put into it.
When she finally uncovers he bracelet, her eyes widen as a soft gasp escapes her, the silver catching the light in just the right way that it almost still looks molten. Inspecting it closer, she notes the craftsmanship of the item, the animals and flowers etched into its surface like a mural. She can hardly believe that someone would make something like this for her....--her, of all people! ]
...It's beautiful. [ She admires it further, lifting it up between a finger and her thumb, grateful and humbled. Then her crimson eyes flick back to him, brow slanted. ]
But, what is-- [ Pyra stops, starts again. ] ....did he say why he made it for me?
[He's happy that she likes it. That's one weight off his shoulders. He smiled a little, warm and relieved, but at the question he straightened his posture and his expression became more determined.
Right...this was why he decided to do this while looking like this.]
He noticed you seemed...sad. [What sounded embarrassing when he thought it as an adult sounded...less stupid coming from a child's voice.] He's not very good at talking about these things or offering comfort but...he thought, maybe this would help ease it. At least, whenever you see it, you can know that...even if he's not very good at these things, even if he's not sure what he can do to help or say to make you feel better...you're not alone.
She'd like to believe that she's better at hiding these things, but perhaps she's not as good as she thought she was. She's only known Chu Wanning for a few months, and already he's seen through her smile. ] ...Was I that obvious? [ She chuckles briefly.
You're not alone.
Pyra delicately slips the bracelet upon her wrist, extending her arm out to see how it refracts the light. Her gaze returns to him a few moments later. Telling him that he shouldn't worry, that she doesn't deserve this gesture of kindness... that's not what he wants to hear. Instead she crouches to his level, using that same hand to pat upon his head. The touch is gentle, tired, barely there; no more than what rain would feel like catching upon his hair.
She speaks softly: ]
Tell him... that he's very kind, for thinking of me. [ Her voice wavers just a moment; just a moment. ] I appreciate this gift. It's... lovely. And that loveliness is undoubtedly reflected within his heart.
[Because he knows how embarrassing it could be to be seen through.]
You deserve lovely things. [It's easy to say such embarrassing things as a child. Children are, after all, embarrassing.] You're kind and brave and you're...you're one of the few friends I--we have. You're important to--us. Given all that...it only makes sense that he'd think of you.
[ Her smile fades for a moment. "Kills all conversation"... as in he has a reputation of some sort? Chu Wanning had mentioned something to that effect, before, but...
To her, it doesn't make much sense. Aren't cultivators-- esteemed? Or important? ] ...Now, why would that happen? He has a fairly high position in his world, doesn't he?
[...did he say that? Is it because he's a sect elder...?
He looks confused for half a second before he decides it doesn't matter.]
He is...well known, I suppose. [Understatement of the century because who hadn't heard of the Beidou Immortal? But he...doesn't really like his fame so...] But he's feared and respected...possibly more feared than anything else. He has...a reputation for having a terrible temper and being cold.
I see... [ Aha, she thinks to herself. That will do it. Mythra had the same issue five hundred years ago, but then again-- Mythra did not care if others did not want to associate with her. In a way, she had purposefully been brusque just to push others away, and that had been a true and tried tactic. ]
Has something changed, then, that a cold someone with a temper... would give a near-stranger a gift? [ She jests lightly; a hypothetical question, really. ]
I think he's had that warmth within him this entire time... and I'm glad that it's coming out now. I'm glad that-- [ A pause. ] ...I'm honored, that he has shared that warmth with me.
[ She smiles. ] Will you tell him that, little one?
[He didn't answer her, because the truth was...he's always been this sort of person. But he'd hidden it because the possibility of rejection terrified him. Because he didn't think he was the sort of person people wanted to be close to. Besides, it was a rhetorical question, probably.]
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no subject
Though maybe he cheated a little.
Because he waited for the medicine's effect to wear out first. So he's physically five when he knocks on her door. Her present carefully wrapped up in a scrap of fabric in his hands.]
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Xia Sini...
[ Pyra nods, eyes roaming from him to the parcel he holds. ] ...Oh? What's this?
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[He smiled slightly at her. Not because he isn't happy to see her but because he's nervous. After all, even though Jeanne said it was good he still...worried.
Still, he did his best to keep it from his face.]
A gift. [Pause.] From father.
[It's still so awkward referring to himself that...
He held it out for her to take. It was wrapped in a handkerchief, the nicest one he could find and it was embroidered with flowers, each stitch precise and neat even if the simplicity of the design implied an amateur.
He'd deny having put too much effort into it, but the only thread with colour in this place is the sort one got from dismantling a sweater or one of the few clothing pieces in town with colour.
Wrapped inside of it, was a silver-coloured bracelet. More a cuff than anything because it had to be big enough to accommodate the carvings of daffodils and daisies and cats and dolphins on it. (A lot of people gave him input and he may have tried to apply too many of them to the final product.)]</SMALL
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[ She whispers. Swallowing down the instinct to tell him that he must have her mistaken for someone else, she takes up the parcel in her hand, carefully unraveling it. Even the wrapping seems like it had much touch put into it.
When she finally uncovers he bracelet, her eyes widen as a soft gasp escapes her, the silver catching the light in just the right way that it almost still looks molten. Inspecting it closer, she notes the craftsmanship of the item, the animals and flowers etched into its surface like a mural. She can hardly believe that someone would make something like this for her....--her, of all people! ]
...It's beautiful. [ She admires it further, lifting it up between a finger and her thumb, grateful and humbled. Then her crimson eyes flick back to him, brow slanted. ]
But, what is-- [ Pyra stops, starts again. ] ....did he say why he made it for me?
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Right...this was why he decided to do this while looking like this.]
He noticed you seemed...sad. [What sounded embarrassing when he thought it as an adult sounded...less stupid coming from a child's voice.] He's not very good at talking about these things or offering comfort but...he thought, maybe this would help ease it. At least, whenever you see it, you can know that...even if he's not very good at these things, even if he's not sure what he can do to help or say to make you feel better...you're not alone.
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She'd like to believe that she's better at hiding these things, but perhaps she's not as good as she thought she was. She's only known Chu Wanning for a few months, and already he's seen through her smile. ] ...Was I that obvious? [ She chuckles briefly.
You're not alone.
Pyra delicately slips the bracelet upon her wrist, extending her arm out to see how it refracts the light. Her gaze returns to him a few moments later. Telling him that he shouldn't worry, that she doesn't deserve this gesture of kindness... that's not what he wants to hear. Instead she crouches to his level, using that same hand to pat upon his head. The touch is gentle, tired, barely there; no more than what rain would feel like catching upon his hair.
She speaks softly: ]
Tell him... that he's very kind, for thinking of me. [ Her voice wavers just a moment; just a moment. ] I appreciate this gift. It's... lovely. And that loveliness is undoubtedly reflected within his heart.
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[Because he knows how embarrassing it could be to be seen through.]
You deserve lovely things. [It's easy to say such embarrassing things as a child. Children are, after all, embarrassing.] You're kind and brave and you're...you're one of the few friends I--we have. You're important to--us. Given all that...it only makes sense that he'd think of you.
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It's followed by a giggle; she retracts her hand to cover her lips politely. ] What's all this? Gifts and compliments?
I'm truly lucky to have friends like you two, then.
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But he can't help but blush a little.]
Ridiculous...we're the lucky ones.
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Hm. ] You say that as if having friends is uncommon for you two.
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Rather than uncommon, where he's from he probably only has one friend.]
...where we're from he has a reputation. It's natural that a person who kill all conversation when he walks in to not have many friends, isn't it?
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To her, it doesn't make much sense. Aren't cultivators-- esteemed? Or important? ] ...Now, why would that happen? He has a fairly high position in his world, doesn't he?
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He looks confused for half a second before he decides it doesn't matter.]
He is...well known, I suppose. [Understatement of the century because who hadn't heard of the Beidou Immortal? But he...doesn't really like his fame so...] But he's feared and respected...possibly more feared than anything else. He has...a reputation for having a terrible temper and being cold.
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Has something changed, then, that a cold someone with a temper... would give a near-stranger a gift? [ She jests lightly; a hypothetical question, really. ]
I think he's had that warmth within him this entire time... and I'm glad that it's coming out now. I'm glad that-- [ A pause. ] ...I'm honored, that he has shared that warmth with me.
[ She smiles. ] Will you tell him that, little one?
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...you were the one who shared that warmth first.
[He cleared his throat.]
I will let him know.