After The Rain (Yen Wang, Open)

[Sun Qing Liang]

Liang disregarded Yen taunts towards the girl he called Ly'rea and rested her head against his chest. She could hear his heart beating and all she wanted to do was fall asleep. Her eyes slowly closed as the sound of his heart lulled her to sleep. "Hmm...his heart is a lot warmer than I thought." She whispered with a smile on her face. She heard Yen mention the name of his force. Liang had always wanted to leave Wu, and this was perfect. All this thinking upset her raging headache,but she bared the pain without showing her struggle. She rested in his arms, the one place she had only dreamed of being, despite the situation.

She heard the child say something about a snake bite and inside she laughed inside. She hated serious moments in life so she always laughed things like this off. She also heard Yen say his remark on taking her own clothes off and sucking the poison out of her. "You never know..." She whispered while her eyes closed the rest of the way. " Taking me into the city would cause a huge uproar if anyone saw me, then I might as well kiss my freedom goodbye forever. I'd rather have whatever wound get infected and kill me before that happens." She said with her eyes closed. The moon shone through the clouds and irritated her headache. This was the first time she hated the moon, which was ironic because of her title to everyone in Wu.

[shinsayaken]

Insults! He throws insults at me! One minute he's honey and roses, doing what he can to insure his girl's happiness, the next he's biting of my head for trying to help. What was wrong with Yen Wang? All I wanted was help to do something I don't have the strength to do alone and he calls me a coward. If I had done it alone instead of getting him what would have happened? The woman would have died and guess who's fault it would be for not saving her? That's right, mine. Ly'rea's emotions were running away from her too fast. Her mouth wouldn't work and her hands shook. She tried to remember what Rasa had said to her. What her teacher had taught her. When Yen Wang brought up her past she lost her grip on the last straw holding her emotions together. Her legs could no longer support her weight and she collapsed into the grass doing her best to cry an actual river.

[Yen Wang (Burai)]

Yen felt a little nervous having Liang this close to him. He was vulnerable, open for an attack. To make things worse he had to keep an eye on Ly’rea. I am a Ruler, a conqueror not a babysitter. His thoughts were interrupted by something Liang whispered. He
didn't catch it, but she was smiling at him.

Liang made a comment about what he said before. This caught his attention; he looked down at her and raised his right eyebrow. “You are lucky that Ly’rea is present, or I would have to find out.” He stopped walking and sighed. Yen Wang tilted his body to the side, so that Ly’rea was visible. “Wha-" He saw her on the ground crying. “Great…” He restrained himself from shouting at her pathetic state, and calmly approached her.

“Ly’rea, my words are harsh, yes? But, they are true. I can’t have anyone disrespect me. You belong to Rasa; therefore I will hold my venomous tongue. You need to be strong! I bear the weight of not just Liang’s life, but yours’ and many others. I have no time for weakness, nor will I put up with it. You are Rasa’s heart are you not? Be strong, you may hate me. But you that hate to enrage you. I don’t need your approval. I just care about your well being.”

His words were still harsh. Yen Wang tried his best to be sensitive. He felt his words would only make it worse. “Argh…I’m sure there is an inn up ahead where. Ly’rea you saved Liang’s life, by bringer her into my care. I won’t let anything happen to those who are under my watchful eyes.” He looked down at Liang and then at Ly’rea. “Make her smile Liang; I am not suited for this.”

[Sun Qing Liang]

Liang was lost in Yen's heartbeat. She felt much better than she did a few minutes ago, but she still put on the helpless woman....in drenched clothes and a "snake bite" needing some "special" attention. She pushed those thoughts aside and looked at Ly'rea. Every time she looked at Yen something came over her and changed her into a happy girl in her angel's arms. She nuzzled against his chest as she heard a request from Yen. Liang wondered what to do. She observed the child crying on the ground and only flashbacks came to her. She remembered the days she sat alone in her room, wondering why she was alive, why she was burdened with this life of loneliness. It was true that Liang found her purpose in life through Yen, but she still had her doubts. She could be falling into another heartbreak, or maybe this was real. Liang knew she had to get rid of those doubts before they swallow her judgment.

" The faster we get to an inn the better. We all must be p-pretty tired and that scare didn't help." She said. Liang knew Yen could be a bit harsh, but only on the outside he was self-centered. Liang can see right through his shell and that's what she fell in love with. " To think I'm the dying one and I still do what you ask..." She said to Yen with her eyes barely open. It was hard not to fall asleep in his arms, but Liang had to manage for the girl. After all if she hadn't found her Liang could have been dead. " I owe you both my life...after I overcome this illness. I'm not sure if I could trust you two alone without either of you crying.." She joked. Just a bit of humor to lighten the mood wouldn't hurt...would it?

[shinsayaken]

Ly'rea listened to the two lover's word's. She tried to stop crying but the best she could manage was to slow the tears down. She forced herself to her feet and gathered her belongings. Turning her face away so they wouldn't see her tears she made sure her bow was intact and able to shoot if she had to. She was the only one able to defend the three of them if they were attacked, she HAD to be vigilant and tears wouldn't help. She started the journey towards the inn, not checking if the other two followed.

When she trusted her voice was stable enough to speak she opened her mouth. "I..." she closed her mouth for a while then tried to start again. "I know I'm weak. I'm trying to do what I can to look out for myself, but I can't do it alone. If I was older..." She didn't know how to continue that sentence so she started a new one. "I just thought you could help do what I couldn't do alone. I didn't mean to tell you what to do, I'm just trying to do what I can. Even if all I can do is talk. And maybe you'd learn something you didn't know, or think of a better way to do something. You don't have to do what I say, I just thought a leader should at least listen and consider options they might not have otherwise."