#thread; lin ming

[storiestotell]

@evcryopeneye​

It was cold outside, the sort of bone-deep cold that made you not want to move, and for once Lin Ming wasn’t out in it, trying desperately to stay warm. She had spent so many winters on her own, living on the street and there had been times she thought she would go to sleep and not wake up, leaving only a corpse that would likely be discarded. 

Now, as she waited for the tea to finish brewing, she was warm and safe even if Lin Ming was so certain that safety would disappear at any moment. Like a dream that you were trying to cling onto before the morning light stole it away. Carefully, she used the lid of the gaiwan to strain the tea into the cup before bringing it over to him, setting it down in front of him.

This is for you, she signed, then pointed to the cup and then to him, certain he would get the meaning.

[storiestotell]

@cxndybxstxrd​

In some ways, he put her on edge. 

Lin Ming had seen him lash out at people and then in the next moment, he would laughing as if nothing had happened. It was the kind of thing that normally would have her slipping into that blank place in her mind, trying to get away, but it had never been directed at her. If anything, so far it had been directed at people who had caused her trouble, and he had even overlooked the fact that she had tried to steal from him. 

That was good enough for her when the bar for the rest of the world was so low. 

On the side of the road, the flowering vines she liked so much were in bloom. They were hardy and would grow anywhere, off anything, and Lin Ming admired that. She stopped, plucking a bunch before hurrying to catch up. Tugging at his sleeve, she offered them to him.

[storiestotell]

@bystcrdust​ 

The plant had a few strange markings on the leaves that looked like burns but Lin Ming had never seen anything like it. It was the placement that was so odd to her; it wasn’t the edges of the leaves or even the stems, but spots towards the middle of the leaves, as if someone had touched it and burned it that way. 

Which was ridiculous. 

Lin Ming pulled out her notepad from her apron pocket and began to write.

I’m not going to ask how this happened, but I think it can be fixed. Some of the leaves need to be pruned, she wrote, turning the paper towards Ava.

[storiestotell]

@mysteryunknown​

She was welcome in Cloud Recesses, Lin Ming knew that, but there was still something about being here on her own that made her deeply uncomfortable. It felt like the sort of place that she would be chased out of, violently if the people were feeling particularly cruel. She had been on the receiving end of that sort of thing more than once. 

As she walked, her eyes darted back and forth, searching for any familiar face but finding nothing. It would be her luck not to find anyway knew the one time that she came here alone. Up ahead, she heard what sounded like someone practicing sword and was preparing to sneak past when Lin Ming realized it was a child, not one she had seen before. He didn’t look like one of the Lan Sect. She felt a twinge of relief and rang her bell to get his attention. 

[storiestotell]

@thesoulshards​

The last of the flowers were hanging on; their petals still firm and colorful but the leaves on the plants beginning to yellow slightly. It always made Lin Ming sad to see them go, even if she knew that they would be back in spring. Flowers were something that everyone could enjoy; they grew wherever their roots took place, sometimes thriving in the most barren of places. 

Lin Ming carefully removed a few stems, smelling the blooms, before continuing on. It was warm and she was in an uncharacteristically good mood, a smile on her face instead of the typical suspicious scowl.

When she passed by the person - their face not sad but lacking a smile - she paused, remembering all the times she would have liked someone to notice her. Turning on her heel, Lin Ming reached out and tugged their sleeve, handing them the bunch of flowers she had picked. 

[storiestotell]

@cxndybxstxrd​

It was easy to move through the crowd, larger than normal because of mid-autumn festival, unnoticed. Lin Ming was good at being unnoticed in the first place; people rarely gave her a second glance. Her clothing was plain, pale green and orange in color, with stains and patches here and there, the hem of her qun ragged. Not the sort of woman that stood out to most people and she was fine with that.

After all, it made it easier to survive.

There was a flash of black as a man collided against her, jostled by the crowd. She didn’t expect an apology and so, partly out of instinct, helped herself to whatever was in his pockets, assuming he would be too distracted by the man who had bumped into him to notice.

[storiestotell]

@thesoulshards​

There was something thrilling about getting into trouble.

It could have been avoided had she been a little more careful - if she had waited until the vendor was distracted before snatching the bun - but running away, loud shouts following after her, made Lin Ming feel alive. Something that was often rare, feeling as though she was going through the motions just to survive.

She took the next turn sharply, looking back over her shoulder to see if she was still being pursued, not seeing the person in front of her until it was too late. Managing not to fully crash into them, she winced. The way they were dressed and their posture made her think they weren’t just an average person. Her expression turned sheepish, a slight hint of panic in her eyes.

Sorry, she mouthed, trying to move past.

[storiestotell]

@ashbound​

She liked watching people; they hardly noticed and it was a good way to pass the time when she had nothing better to do. It would surprise people, Lin Ming thought, to know how much of surviving on the streets was filling time until the next day. Most of the people on the street were as unremarkable as she was and therefore not quite as interesting to make up stories about.

But this person was different.

Lin Ming straightened slightly. Their clothes were rather neat and clean for this sort of town, this particular area, and they had that air about them. The sort of air that felt charged in some way, that another cultivator would recognize as spiritual energy but she only noticed as something different and alive. Watching them walk, she turned the small pebble over in her hand. A grin crossed her face. She tossed it in their direction, watched it bounce off them with a silent laugh.