Blind Dates: Ren Brokk and Piao Bai

[Long Piao Bai]

Piao Bai looked at Ren's hand for a moment, before clasping it with his. Her enthusiasm was contagious and the night market was ... fantastical. He loved it.

It reminded him of Tian Xia and of home. He answered her questions honestly and without reservation. Though, the homeland he described was the one in which he'd been born, not Tian Xia. When Ren pulled him out of the way, he bumped into her. Craning his head, he looked at the Guardsmen. Their armor was white. Tian Xian armor was not. Interesting.

"All guards are the same, then." Piao Bai grinned down at her.

Ren did not give him much time to contemplate. She drew him off into the crowds and even wrapped her arm around his waist. He found that surprising. Piao Bai moved to embrace Ren as well, but like that she was gone into the crowd, flicking her tongue at him.

Goodness! Did she even know what that sort of thing implied?

Piao Bai followed like a puppy.

[Brokk]

Almost immediately after she began her run, Ren regretted her choice of footwear. Still, there was no time now to take them off, not when the game had begun. In the splashes and blossoms of sound and colour that made up the night market, Ren moved like a mayfly, flitting here and there through the crowd, stopping just long enough for Piao Bai to get a glimpse of her or to smell her perfume before running on again. It seemed random but she knew exactly where she was going. Any good trader could read the ebb of a crowd and even though the market moved each night, she knew the vendors and their stalls intimately. Every timber structure, every side entrance and every loose awning opened to her easily and she used it to run a web around her date. Now and then she'd pass behind him, whistling to guide him along to where she wanted him to be. Just when it seemed that he had lost her, she pounced on him from behind and wrapped her arms about his waist.

"Got you!"

She grinned and brushed some errant hairs from her face as she straightened. Raising an eyebrow, she nodded towards the stall they had stopped beside, seemingly at random. Behind a polished wooden counter of surprising beauty given its mobile nature, was a weathered, nut brown man in a colourful apron, arranging fish and salad leaves artfully onto small plates with a speed and intricacy that boggled the mind. She leaned in and whispered in Piao Bai's ear.

"Kaiseki," she said, her breath tickling his ear slightly, "I've always admired it, though I could never get the hang of it myself. You said you wanted a snack."

[Long Piao Bai]

Piao Bai played along with Ren's game of hide and seek. He liked her playfulness. If he had known her longer, he would have been able to keep up with her better. He possessed a keen sense of sight, hearing, and smell, as good or better than any elf. When she finally reemerged she'd led him to a stall whose contents were pungent enough to smelled over the other smells.

"Fish?"

He liked fish, though he liked curried meat buns the best. Piao Bai grinned at Ren, "A delicacy of Waikoku." Piao Bai turned to the weathered, old man and bowed low. He greeted the man with deference before looking over the various dishes. Turning to Ren, he said, "So, you do not eat kaiseki?"

Paio Bai procured a few Bishani and placed them on the cart's counter before reaching for a bowl of rice and a few other dishes. "You're missing out. So what do you like to eat, Ren Brokk?"

[Brokk]

"Oh, I eat it, though it seems sacrilege to eat art. There's a simple elegance to it that I cannot seem to master," she said, smiling. "Usually, I prefer spiced and seasoned meats, fruits and nuts. Not the most imaginative fare but years of travelling make you appreciate the simple things."

She handed some coins to the man and accepted a small plate of simple colourful greens with thin slices of white fish arranged atop them. Picking up her chopsticks, she took up a small piece of her food and chewed it thoughtfully, savouring it. Humming appreciatively, she swallowed and turned back to Piao Bai, raising an eyebrow.

"And the finer things when they come along. How do you like the market?"

Around them, the press of the crowds ebbed and flowed as organically as ever. For a moment, she felt enclosed, and shivered, pushing the feeling away. She was outside under the sky. Not inside and there were no furry little beasts here to torment her. Settling her mind, she took another bite of her food and savoured it, passing a few more bishani across the counter to the man, who nodded and set a small ceramic bottle on the counter between them along with two small cups. Thanking him, she poured out drinks for herself and her companion, and washed her food down gently. She smiled once more, lifting the chopsticks.

"It's so hard to convince Marnians to be adventurous with food," she said, finishing another bite, "its nice to talk to someone who knows good food comes in many forms."

Grinning, she took another sip of tea and offered him a bite of her food.

[Long Piao Bai]

"I am fond of my comforts. There is nothing finer than a good bottle of baijiu." Piao Bai grinned.

"The market? I love it. The flow of people, the colors, scents, and sounds... wonderous." Taking up the little bottle, Piao Bai carefully poured a cup for Ren. He touched his hand below his forearm as he poured, as if to keep the sleeve of his changsan from getting into the cup.


Piao Bai watched Ren eat, a little smile on his lips. He took the bite he offered and smiled, enjoying the taste.


"Mmm.. Try this instead." He took a piece of fish and the greens, and wrapped them up together in a little folded roll sort of thing. Then, he dipped it in the salty black sauce. Next, he lifted the roll to Ren, cupping his other hand beneath to keep the droplets from falling onto her clothing. "Ah."

[Brokk]

Giggling a little, she ducked forwards and quickly bit the food, chewing it gently whilst cupping her hand beneath her mouth to prevent any spills. Licking her lips appreciatively, she met Piao Bai's little smile with an embarrassed grin as she tried to keep her laughter under control and not choke. The vendor did his best not to stare at them and concentrated on his work. Finishing the bite, Ren took a sip of tea and giggled again before calming herself.

"I'm sorry, we're just being too cute," she said, finally, wiping a tear from her eye. "The sauce is good, though I prefer the clean contrasts for an appetizer."

She smiled again, taking another sip of tea. She was eternally grateful to the Night Market for stalls like this. Organizing proper deliveries of fish took effort and preparation. She could kiss the gnome that built the system. As it was most Marnians tried to ignore the specialty stores, but a stubborn few persisted in buying. She was happy to include herself in their number, even if it was just to get a bead on the competition. Every little bit helped after all. She took another piece of her meal, picking up some sea urchin with her chopsticks. The Bright orange meat almost glowed in the lantern light as she raised it and popped it into her mouth.

"We shouldn't linger too long though, we'll eat all his stock," she said with a smile.

[Long Piao Bai]

"Oh, are we?" Piao Bai grinned. "You're right. There's much too much to see!" Piao Bai turned to the vendor and bowed gracefully, thanking the man in his native tongue. Thick, long white hair fell around his face, pinned at the back of his head with a blue and gold clip.


"Something smells interesting over there." Piao Bai nodded in the direction with his head. He held out his arm as if gesturing for her to lead the way. His other arm was behind his back. "And, I think you promised something about leaping fences and listening to music?" Piao Bai quirked an eyebrow at her. Mischief still showed in his eyes, though.

[Brokk]

Something looks delicious where you're sitting too.

She smiled broadly, finishing her platter and her tea as gracefully as she could manage. Winking her own thanks to the man, she took a moment to ceremonially straighten her dress and glance around before stepping back out into the crowds. The evening was moving on and she supposed she had made a few interesting statements earlier. Statements she fully intended to follow up on.

"Did I? I thought they were more suggestions."

She grinned and lead the way through the crowds, stopping as the mood took her or as things appeared. As they moved, she pointed out interesting artwork and sculptures, tapestries and gnomish contraptions on display. Many of the vendors she knew by name and the rest she knew by reputation, so she chatted and introduced Piao Bai as they went. They were colourful people with a colourful view of the world. She liked them immensely. Gradually, she began to wind her way away from the hurrying crowds and towards the university, glancing around subtly as she went.

"One thing you have to see here is the university's vivarium. Its a technological wonder that you can't see without a pass from the university heads, but if you're quick, careful and not afraid of trouble, you can still get in. Come on, this way."

Ducking around corners, she headed down alleys and twisting turns until she was certain that they were alone. Counting under her breath, she checked and rechecked her position. Security here was finicky at best and she didn't want to give the game away early. Satisfied, she gestured to the wall surrounding the university campus. On closer inspection, the stonework of the walls was curiously uneven.

"We'll climb over here."

[Long Piao Bai]

Had Piao Bai known just how disapproving the local government was of foreigners, especially obviously magical ones, he might have been a tad more circumspect. But, he wasn't, and curiosity was always his downfall.

"Vi... varium?" It was a word he did not know. He questioned, but he followed nonetheless.

Piao Bai eyed the wall, then Ren. He nodded. Moving toward Ren the thought to be respectful of her personal space didn't cross his mind. He had a streak of impulsivity that sometimes got him into trouble.

Piao Bai reached for Ren. He spun her to face him and lifted her up until her butt was perched on the lip of the wall. Piao Bai grinned up at her and wiggled his brows up and down. When he was sure she wouldn't fall, he clambered up the uneven bricks to sit beside her.

"We should hurry, I hear the sound of metal clanking." He grinned and lept to the ground on the other side of the wall.

Turning , he reached up for her and made a come here gesture with his hands.

[Brokk]

Suppressing a giggle at his forwardness, she grinned broadly as she was roughly manhandled onto the wall. Raising an eyebrow at him, she swung herself down after him, throwing herself theatrically into his arms. Safely down, she faked a swoon.

"Whatever would I have done without you, kind sir?"

Sticking her tongue out at him, she glanced around the shadowed courtyard and pulled Piao Bai deeper into the shadows. The only thing greater than Marnian supremacism was their unfailing belief in their own security. Even so, it didn't pay to be lax here. Waiting until the sounds of the night had returned to something resembling normal, she put a finger to her lips and lead the way onwards. University students coming and going had used exits like this for years, but if anyone else tried, well, that just couldn't be allowed, could it? Ducking from corner to corner, she kept an eye out for the Guard and moved towards the Envirotech buildings on the north of the campus. The vast glass dome of the vivarium rose above them, outlined in countless, glittering lights against the night sky. It was off limits to civilians of course, but if you knew where to walk, and when the cleaning staff came and went, you could browse at your leisure. If you were clever about it. Hugging the south wall of the building, she pulled her date in beside her and mimed counting to five, then the nearby door opened and a man stepped out, eyes fully intent on carrying the array of tools he was burdened with. The doors were heavy and gnomeish in design, designed to contain fires, noise and whatever ghastly chemicals the gnomes used to keep this place working. They closed slowly, but solidly, and she pulled Piao Bai quietly between them.

Inside, she took a breath and waited. The temperature here was several degrees warmer than anywhere else in the city, and the vivarium itself was warmer still. A drunken student had once explain, between mouthfuls of 'pork' pie, that this was due to the machinery constantly running. Apparently the building drew three times as much water as the rest of the campus, both to cool the machines and to feed the facility. Glancing down the corridors, she hit the security runes in the right order and grinned as the doors hissed open, showing a glass antechamber and another set of doors beyond that.

"This is a security room. Its designed to stop the critters and plants from being cross contaminated from the outside. Whatever that means."

There was a brief rumble and a hiss, and vapour was poured into the chamber quickly. It stung slightly, but not over much, and moments later the second set of doors slid open. Beyond was a gravel path, choking greenery and the sounds of water.

[Long Piao Bai]

"What is this place? Aren't you worried we'll be caught if it is so tightly sealed?"

His concern did not stop him from following Renn into the room. No, on the contrary, it fueled his curiosity. What was being grown here?
For all practical purposes, some of the greenery appeared to be Tian Xian. It reminded Piao Bai of the jungle-like areas on the south of the continent, where toothy predators roamed. That, at least, gave Piao Bai pause.

"There aren't animals in here, right?" A gravel path, wove among tall fronds and the air was filled with the scent of flowers. The smells made his nose tickle.

[Brokk]

"Pride of Marn University, this," she said, stepping out onto the path, "pride of Marn, really, though most don't know tis here."

She waited until the doors had hissed closed again and smiled hugely at her guest. Being inside should have scared her senseless, but this was almost like being outside and the undercurrent of confused panic drove her on relentlessly. She gestured around them with giddy enthusiasm, searching for the words.

"This is...a test," she said, still smiling, "the plains are dangerous. Naturally dangrous, you see, not just normal dangerous. Vicious plants, massive predators. Nightmare stuff really. Costs em a fortune to keep Shim clear to feed the city. So one day, right, they was sat there thinking, and one of em said 'oy! We got magic, right? We got gnomish wotsits made of metal, ain't we? Why can't we make here more like somewhere else, where its not dangerous, know what I mean?"

She crinkled her brow and tried to plot out the words as she had heard them.

"They call it Terr-aff-forming so they do," she said, "I don't understand all of it, but the gist is this: take worthless, unliveable land and turn it into lush, rich countryside. Imagine if it works! They could turn the whole bloody mountain into one giant farm! Imagine!"

She rubbed her hands together and began to lead the way down the path past streams and blossoming flowers.

"This is a small test to see if it can work long term," she said, "they have to watch the temperature, the water in the air, the state of the soil, all of it, governed by magic and tech, clockwork. Little gears going round and round and suddenly you have trees and grass and all of this. There's no predators yet. Too hard to keep track of them, but there's birds and bugs and all the other little things you need to keep the plants happy. Must have cost a fortune in time and money to make an its just lying here. But nobody comes in at night. Not really. Students up to mischief maybe. Some university nobs running tests. We've got time for some mischief of our own too, long as we're careful."

She giggled and ran off down the path, towards the central pond.

[Long Piao Bai]

Piao Bai listened in rapt attention.

Terror-firming? What an odd word for some thing so wonderous! As Renn teetered off, giggling, Piao Bai followed. Although, his pace was a little less hurried. Tilting his chin, he sniffed the air. He could smell the magic and the technology. The marriage of the two was fascinating!

If he ever made it home, he would introduce this "technology" thing. So much energy was expended using magic, if technology could take care of the more mundane tasks... The sound of splashing water caught his attention. Piao Bai inhaled again, taking in the scents. Fresh water?

"Ren Brokk? Do you hear that?"

Piao Bai wandered off in the direction Ren had taken.

[Brokk]

Lush vegetation surrounded her, pressing in on her like the damp heat that oozed from every crevice of the enclosure. It was stifling, and yet refreshing at the same time, in that confusing way nature had. Pushing her panic at the thought of being inside so much metal and stone, she focussed on the greenery and kept quiet, waiting for Piao Bai to come around the corner. They really shouldn't have been in here, but what harm would it do? If anyone asked, the university would probably just deny all of this existed anyway. Putting such thoughts from her mind, she focused on Piao Bai's approaching steps and steadied herself, waiting until he'd just passed her before leaping onto his back.

"Gotcha!"

Giggling in a sightly manic fashion, she released her grip on her prey and spun around. Gesturing to the artificial streams, she took him by the hand and led him to the central pool at a run, scattering insects and loose foliage as she went. It was so odd to see Piao Bai marvel at the whole thing, she thought, as he seemed to taste the air. She knelt by the pool and traced her fingers through the water, giggling as the fish chased after them.

"Its so strange to think that all of this is fake, isn't it? Sort of sad too."

She shook her fingers dry and glanced up at Piao Bai with her head cocked to the side.

"I wonder how long it took them to catch them all..."

[Long Piao Bai]

Piao Bai knew where she'd been hiding. In the small (relatively speaking) space, he could smell her. He let her have the moment and followed as he was led. When she knelt, he knelt, too.

Leaning forward, his reflection was mirrored perfectly only for a moment. Then, the ripples caused by her fingers skewed the reflection. Little fish scattered. Some attempted to nibble on the strands of his long white hair that fell on the surface. A little smile curved his mouth. When Ren paused, he looked at her.

'It does not appear to be fake."