Star chess

His nickname made her chuckle, picturing him snoozing away in the middle of some war meeting. "You'd be surprised how many people try it. I guess some people's biggest dream is being able to sleep peacefully for as long as they want."

"I see, I've traveled outside of Penacony only a few times, but I enjoy getting something from the places I visit that remind me of the culture. I'm sure they'll be happy with whatever you gave them. Even if Yanqing has a bad impression of Penacony, I hope you have a pleasant enough experience to change his mind."

"Mostly my travel off the ships has been for missions. Though I have boarded the Astral Express once or twice. Just for social visits." His eyes finally fell on another game. "Hmm, you mentioned racing before. I think I'll go with that." He did have more recent experience with driving than he did with shooting.

Him calling her out had her cheeks flaring all over again, her eyes met his for just a second before she swiftly looked away. "I more so meant your vibe. You seem the relaxing sort." Of course his age may have played a part.

"In that case would you like something more fast paced? Racing, perhaps? Or some of the gambling tables?" She latched back onto his arm, "We still need to find gifts, right? Tell me about some of the people you're getting them for. Are they friends or coworkers?"

"Well, they do call me the Dozing General. As we're already asleep, I suppose I can't fall asleep again." Though if anyone could do it, it'd be him.

At the question, while they walked around looking for their next game, he said, "Ah, one is my retainer, a young man. Another is the master diviner of the Luofu. Neither get to travel much outside the Xianzhou ships. Though the same could be said of many Xianzhou citizens." He gave her that smile again. "My retainer, Yanqing, in particular, could use some traveling. Unfortunately he didn't want to come here, after the stories he'd heard."

At least he seemed to enjoy it, her eyes drifted to the various prizes, there weren't any new ones so she grabbed a plush of the titular character that she already owned, never hurt to have a backup.

She paid close attention as he spoke, her face finally having cooled so she didn't feel embarrassed to meet his eye. "Hmm, that's fair advice from a long-lived General. Your line of work makes winning and losing much more dangerous, though. But as you said, you've lived quite a long time, you are a formidable opponent even if you lose."

She turned towards the rest of the arcade, the bright lights and loud music beckoning people to spend their money. "There are also fishing games, you seem the type to enjoy leisurely hobbies like fishing."

Jing Yuan looked around at it all, his eyes drifting to the fishing games Odette had pointed out.

"Fishing isn't something I've done much of," he said. "Why, are you saying because I'm an old man I must have old man hobbies?" His voice was teasing as he said it, his eyes twinkling.

It was hardly fair, Odette had spent her whole life with these games, but it was her job to make sure that the client had a good time, and sometimes that meant making intentional foibles. As the two approached an unused booth, Odette took the toy pistol in her hand and, going against what she planned, got really into the game.

Out the gate her shots were nailing the standees almost before they were fully raised, earning an impressed "Hmph" from the attendant that, through dream weaving, looked just like Hanu. This praise seemed to only spur Odette on to continue nailing the targets. The final tally between the two revealed the winner of this game was...

Odette, naturally. Who found her face getting a bit red at her lack of decorum. "Ah-- I told you I was lucky." She pressed the back of her fingers against her cheek to try and cool it down a bit, gesturing to the prize cabinet, "Please accept my prize in my stead."

As soon as the game ended and it was obvious Odette had won, Jing Yuan put the pistol down. And when it was obvious she was embarrassed, he laughed and shook his head.

"Keep it. Consider it a souvenir of our evening together. I can always go out on my own another day and play again." He thanked the man running the stand before turning.

"I don't often lose, but when I do, I do so with grace. One doesn't get as far in life as I have by being a sore loser."

"A considerate General. In that case let's try one of the prize slots. Or maybe the shooting games? I'm partial to those." She extended a finger towards a nearby shooting range fashioned after Hanu. "If you'd like a sufficient challenge to keep things interesting, I'd be happy to give you a run for your money."

She took a look at a few patrons that had stopped their games to appraise the two, Odette nestled a bit closer to Jing Yuan and gave the onlookers a smile of acknowledgement. After this, they all turned away and continued to mind their own business, clearly flustered to have been noticed. "Shall we check for an open stall?"

He'd done a bit of reading about Penacony beyond what the Trailblazer told him, and had seen the various characters that were famous throughout their media. Hanu was at the top of the list wherever he looked, so it was easy enough to recognize it.

Whether he noticed that other people were watching them or not, he didn't show. He just kept that easy smile on his lips as he turned from the shooting game back to Odette.

"Well, I haven't used any sort of gun in years, but I'd be willing to give it a try."

#star rail rp #honkai star rail rp #hsr rp #self promo

Battles are chess games- no two are alike.

Indie RP for Jing Yuan from Honkai: Star Rail. Open to other fandoms and OCs. Written by Mysty!

She slid her arm in the crook of his, keeping his stride with ease, which was much more relaxed than she had expected.His casual dropping of his prospected age didn't even cause a stumble, merely a mental correction. "Hmm, you do have a beauty mark, from my experience, those are signs of ones blessed with good fortune." Her finger grazed the mark on the bridge of her nose.

"I suppose we're alike, so we'll have no problem winning these games with all the luck between us." Her once small smile grew just a touch bigger, getting more comfortable in her role.

Arriving at the massive arcade, Odette gave the place a once over, for her own personal objective. She wasn't allowed to on the clock, but she'd make a mental note for later. "You feeling up for prize games or just fun?"

He considered that as he took a good sweep of the area. There were plenty of different games; some were obviously gambling games, while others were actual arcade games.

"Hmm, well, I did promise a few people I'd bring home souvenirs," he said. "Why go with something I can buy when I can give them something I won?" And while many of the 'prizes' were simply money, there were some areas where you could win some toys, gift cards, and other things. "What would you suggest?"

Thankfully she was good at keeping a poker face or his request would have made her snort. It certainly wasn't unusual for guests to visit the arcade, but it was usually never the first idea her clients had.

"Sure, the arcade is a perfect place to start the evening." she moved closer, tilting her head towards his arm. "Care to let me get closer? I'm told I'm a good luck charm." Part of the job, cozying up and making the other patrons jealous that Odette wasn't with them. Gave the VIP's a sense of superiority.

He was fine letting her take his arm, but as they started on their way, he said, "After my first couple centuries I stopped believing in luck, but it's a nice sentiment." There was that lazy smile again, directed right at her like she was an old friend and not a hired escort. "But if we're going with that, I'd say I'm probably the best good luck charm you'll find."

@galacticistic:

〚 ⋆.˚ ☾ .⭒˚ 〛DON'T MIND EVA as she casually crosses the room to place herself right into Jing Yuan's lap like she belongs there — how she managed to even get into the Seat of Divine Foresight is a mystery, a question that'll remain unanswered as long as nobody's prying her for that information. Even then she'd be unwilling to answer, all sweet smiles and playful gaze as one arm reached up to play with the general's soft hair. " Hey there, handsome. "

He hadn't been doing actual work, which was perhaps part of the reason Eva was able to get to him. In fact he was just sitting on the floor of his office, leaning over a chess board, looking at a game he'd been playing with one of the staff members who left on their lunch break.

When Eva so easily slipped onto his lap, he leaned back and gave her a warm smile.

"It's been a while."

#galacticistic

She'd been given a small prep of her assignment for the evening beforehand, though the information was fairly sparse. The General of the Xianzhou was up there on her list of high profiles, but seeing him in person threw Odette for a loop. He wasn't at all what she was expecting, she was fully prepared to see some old, grizzled, angry looking soldier. But this guy was fully relaxed, the origami birds flocking to him like he was a statue.

Still, she had to remain professional, patrons didn't pay for her to be anything but perfect. Starting with a bow, she gave him the barest smile. "Greetings, General. I'm pleased to be your company for the evening. If you have anything you would like to do or see, let me know and I will have it prepared immediately." Should be a pretty standard job, maybe even easier since he was younger.

For now she just needed to stay calm and handle his request with grace.

He was more than used to this level of formality, and in fact many would accuse him of using it himself in situations where it wasn't necessarily needed. So it didn't throw him for a loop at all.

The difference, of course, was the fact that he was supposed to be on vacation. Relaxing.

"Hmm. Well." He made it at least look like he was considering the answer for a bit. "A dear friend of mine visited recently and told me all about everything he did. I'd love to visit one of the arcades here."

@honkaisteinrail

He had to admit that after the Trailblazer told him so much about Penacony, he got curious. He was always curious about other planets, of course, but in this case, he was still technically on medical leave after the fight with Phantylia, even if he didn’t take any of it. Why not relax in Penacony?

He’d just ignore all the horror Caelus described for now.

Being that he was considered a high-profile guest, The Family had wanted to give him the VIP treatment. That included an escort for his first “night out.” They met in the Golden Hour, the young woman already having arrived by the time he made his way there.

“Good evening,” he said with a lazy smile. “You must be Miss Odette.”

((I’d say blame Twiggy for my renewed interest in Jing Yuan but really it’s all my fault. Anyway come say hi to the old man I like writing him.))

#ooc

She followed without another word, at least they were staying in a public area, so she could try and let her guard down just a little. As they sat down she slurped another mouthful of noodles.

"Well, important people have to do the most paperwork, so I guess it shows your station." At least that's how she remembered it. "This Wardance thing has the place feeling kind of festive, do you know anyone participating in it?"

"I do indeed. My apprentice will be participating, as well as the granddaughter of the general of the Xianzhou Zhuming." Among others. "The competition is open to anyone who wants to participate, though, so I'm sure I'll see plenty of familiar faces."

He paused to look at his lunch partner, considering her. "And what are you here for, if I might ask?"

With his first bite taken, she had no need to hold back any more, slurping up a mouthful of noodles. The flavors sang, much better than anything she'd ever had in the shackling prison. Maybe the Xianzhou wasn't all bad, maybe Aurum Alley was okay.

Doing her best to pay attention to him in between bites, she covered her mouth with her hand to hide her vigorous chewing as she spoke. "You got an office job? You're dressed pretty nice, I wouldn't be surprised if you were some bigshot." Gulping down the rest of her mouthful, she decided to pace herself before her next bite, "I don't have very good luck, never have. I guess fate had to give me at least one win every once in a while." And back into eating she goes.

That got a chuckle from him as he directed her away from the stand and to one of the many tables set out to sit and eat at.

"You could say that," he said. Another bite of his own bowl. "I certainly have much more paperwork these days than when I was young."

His generosity was appreciated, as her furiously wagging tail probably indicated, which her cloak did little to hide. Now with the promise of a meal, she watched the vendor put together the bowls with intensity. And once they were presented, she nearly gulped down the whole thing without waiting. But she at least had the manners to give him a polite bow.

"Thanks a lot, kind sir! You don't know how badly I needed this!" Or maybe he did, she figured she looked a little run down.

"I have a feeling I know," he said with a chuckle, picking the other bowl up and taking a few bites of it himself. He would have to come back to this stall later, because it was definitely tasty. Not that this poor, hungry stranger probably noticed or cared.

"But it's no trouble at all. Perhaps it was fate that someone willing to buy you lunch walked by just now? I've been stuck inside so long that the chance of encountering me out here in Aurum Alley was actually quite low."

Her eyes perused the selections, and the various listings on the menu. The more she read the worse her salivating got, she'd been surviving on small things here and there, but a hot meal was too good to hope for in her situation.

"If I had to pick...maybe the kind with the pork...and the egg. Oh with some onion." She was starting to feel sick with how hungry it was making her. Was this some sort of sick joke or was she okay getting her hopes up that he'd be kind enough to spot her a bowl?

The vendor had finished serving the only other customer and had come over just in time to hear her say all that. He glanced at Jing Yuan in question.

"Make it two. The biggest size you have." Was it weird to feed a stranger? Maybe, but he was a weird guy and he'd rather spend a bit to give her a meal than have to hear later she'd tried to steal something. She looked about that desparate.