Chou
(#12470530)
Level 7 Imperial
Familiar
Stonewatch Harpy
Click or tap to view this dragon in Predict Morphology.
Energy: 0/50
This dragon’s natural inborn element is Light.
Male Imperial
This dragon is on a Coliseum team.
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Personal Style
Apparel
Skin
Scene
Measurements
Length
31.66 m
Wingspan
14.99 m
Weight
7320.25 kg
Genetics
Obsidian
Basic
Basic
Obsidian
Stripes
Stripes
Ivory
Smoke
Smoke
Hatchday
Breed
Eye Type
Level 7 Imperial
EXP: 8084 / 11881
STR
20
AGI
15
DEF
16
QCK
14
INT
14
VIT
16
MND
14
Biography
mate: Dai Lin
蝶
Chou
"Butterfly"
Chou
"Butterfly"
IMPERIAL CLOWN
[ LIGHT-HEARTED | FUN-LOVING | PROTECTIVE OF LOVED ONES ]
"little by little I no longer believe that
he’s trying to please with his sadness –
the stage crowded with symbols
and allusions looks vast because
the swirling breeze of the imagination
gently triggers syllables in the brain
he says he’s lonely
he writes poetry, juggling soft signs
that leave even less of a trace than words . . .
he binds himself
he is carving time
he plays a game of tug of war with himself, miserable child,
it seems as if too much probing
has made him a loner, off on his own and
immersed in a game he alone understands
then he’s ripped to shreds
fought over by hordes of visible ghosts
he is tripped up by his own shadow
he smashes every mirror in the room
he tries to escape
he takes me by the hand, teaching me how to caress
there’s no escape . . . I agree
numerous silent thoughts
flash by in an instant – on stage
humanity is everywhere looking for a loophole
he insists on pointing it out without language
he shifts an enormous, invisible boulder on his own –
dribbling an innocent ball
he tells me that this is the planet on which we live
weary of Olympian tasks, he says he wants to take a break
and join the rest of humanity"
- Chen Kehua
"little by little I no longer believe that
he’s trying to please with his sadness –
the stage crowded with symbols
and allusions looks vast because
the swirling breeze of the imagination
gently triggers syllables in the brain
he says he’s lonely
he writes poetry, juggling soft signs
that leave even less of a trace than words . . .
he binds himself
he is carving time
he plays a game of tug of war with himself, miserable child,
it seems as if too much probing
has made him a loner, off on his own and
immersed in a game he alone understands
then he’s ripped to shreds
fought over by hordes of visible ghosts
he is tripped up by his own shadow
he smashes every mirror in the room
he tries to escape
he takes me by the hand, teaching me how to caress
there’s no escape . . . I agree
numerous silent thoughts
flash by in an instant – on stage
humanity is everywhere looking for a loophole
he insists on pointing it out without language
he shifts an enormous, invisible boulder on his own –
dribbling an innocent ball
he tells me that this is the planet on which we live
weary of Olympian tasks, he says he wants to take a break
and join the rest of humanity"
- Chen Kehua
“And now, his divine majesty presents, the Imperial Jester!”
Pop! As if on cue, a puff of colorful smoke appeared, drawing gasps of surprise and amusement from the onlookers, drawing their eyes to the spectacle to come. A man stood amongst the fading fog, a smirk filled to the brim with mischief and joy playing at his sharp features. His robes were a deep black, with designs of gold embroidered on it. He looked as if there was no place he’d rather be than standing in front of the Emperor and his guests, about to perform a show full of who-knew-what. Dai Lin eyed him with curiosity, she’d never seen this particular clown before, he must have been brought in recently. Speaking of which…
Dai Lin turned her gaze to her father, as per usual, Emperor Huang Di sat stone-faced, his expression inscrutable. She sighed, of course, she suspected no tricks or jokes no matter how amusing could make a flicker of emotion appear on his face. She drew her attention back to the performer, who had drawn out a set of multicolored balls and had begun to juggle them. As he did, more and more seemed to appear, until it seemed like a rainbow had formed between his arms. The crowd’s eyes seemed to be glued to the spectacle. The man was still smiling cheerily as he continued his act, revelling in their praise.
Dai Lin was paying rapt attention to the act, watching as the spheres seemed to merge together, until suddenly, they disappeared- one by one. How had he done it? Did he have them up his sleeve? Her questions were quickly forgotten, however, as the jester began the next part of his act. He had dropped into a handstand, the bells on the tips of his shoes jingling merrily. He put his left hand into the air, now only balancing on only one of them now. He stayed in that position for a moment, before flipping back upright. The performance continued like this, and all through it Dai Lin had her eyes trained on the jester, not missing a moment. She gasped as he breathed fire out of seemingly nowhere, and burst into fits of laughter as he offered one of the ladies a bouquet of roses, before revealing it to simply be a pile of cloth arranged in a colorful displa.
Perhaps it was because she was watching him so intently, that Dai Lin noticed the somberness lurking just behind his amber eyes as he stood up straight and bowed, signaling the end of his act. The hall filled with the applause of the nobles. Dai Lin joined in, but couldn’t help ponder on what lay just beneath the boyish smile and mysterious tricks of the court joker.
Chou’s eyes fluttered open, and he groaned. He’d been having a dream, a pleasant one at that. He couldn’t quite place what’d happened. All he knew was that by the end he’d finally felt whole, as if the void that’d seem to replace what’d been a working, beating heart, his working, beating, heart, had finally been filled by something. Whatever it was had been lost in the fleeting thoughts that came with waking up, leaving him with only a vague feeling of elation. But now he’d returned to reality. Chou buried his face in his pillow for a moment, attempting to fall asleep again.
After a few minutes, he abandoned it as a fruitless effort and finally roll out of bed. An unruly patch of dark hair flopped over his eyes, obscuring his vision. Chou grumbled as he combed it back, and pulled on his robes. This was going to be a great day, he thought to himself glumly. He had no responsibilities for the duration of the day, his next show wouldn’t be until tomorrow evening. This left him with two options: Sit in his room all day and mope or enjoy the sprawling palace grounds while he had the time. As appealing as the idea of staying locked away for the entirety of the day sounded, he knew he better take advantage of the chance to explore more of the palace while he still could.
Chou ran a comb through his hair one more time, and paused for a quick glance in the mirror. Vacant, golden eyes stared back at him. He knew he should make more of an effort to keep his spirits up, but it seemed to become harder with every passing day. He knew his performances brought joy to whoever attended them, but it didn’t give him any true fulfillness. They viewed Chou as a toy, a mere source of entertainment rather than an individual. He didn’t have any true friends, not really, who would want to befriend a clown like him?
“What am I thinking?” Chou thought aloud.
He didn’t have time to ponder such matters. He pushed open the door to his rooms, and stepped into the hallway. Chou didn’t have a particular destination in mind, so he resigned himself to simply see where his feet would lead him. Unfortunately, just as he turned a corner he almost bumped into perhaps the person he’d least expected to see on an early morning stroll.
Princess Dai Lin stood before him. Jewels decorated her white hair, and her robes seemed to be a perfect shade of pearl. Her features were delicate, pristine. Chou almost felt as if he was disrespecting them by viewing them himself. He instinctively fell into a deep bow, a gesture he’d grown familiar with when being around nobility.
“Princess Dai Lin,” He said stiffly.
A moment passed, that felt like an eternity.
“You can stand,” Chou was surprised at the tone of her voice, it seemed like less of a demand and more of a polite statement. He drew himself up to his full height, shifting from foot to foot, unsure of what to say. What did someone in his position say? He was standing before royalty, surely there was some sort of procedure for this. But before he could open his mouth to formulate any semblance of a reply, he was cut off.
“A-are you alright?” The princess asked.
“What?” Of all the things Chou had expected, a question about his well being wasn’t one of them.
“I saw your performance last night and I saw this look in your eyes and you just looked sort of-” She paused, “Sad.”
Chou stood frozen for a moment, at a loss for words. He forced his mouth into a smile before replying in a falsely-cheery tone.
“Why my dear princess, I haven’t any idea of what you might be referring to. I am surely the merriest one in the palace, after all, what is a court jester not good for if not making sure everyone is in the highest of spirits?”
Dai Lin cocked her head, before simply shaking it. “I don’t believe you. I hardly think you should be lying to a princess, hmm?”
Chou was about to apologize before realizing the humour in her tone. Was Dai Lin...joking with him? He decided to continue their little game.
“I swear on my heart, dearest princess, my words hold no falsehoods.”
The princess laughed, a light, tinkling thing.
“Now I know you’re lying, sir jester, no matter how poetic you sound. Is there a way I can help? A princess’s duty is to her subjects, after all.”
Chou hesitated. Could this be- no, that wasn’t possible...or was it? Could the princess of all people, actually care for what he felt. He must have been silent for a while because Dai Lin spoke up again.
“As much as I like calling you ‘sir jester’, can I have your name?”
He hesitated before responding. “Chou.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Chou.” The princess smiled.
Chou froze up for a moment again. Her smile was gorgeous, he wouldn’t have been too surprised if she’d begun to emanate light.
“The feeling’s mutual,” Was all he could muster.
“Now Chou, what seems to be the problem?” Her tone was kind, caring. It wasn’t one he’d heard often.
He shrugged, “I suppose I’m lonely. As entertaining as it is to perform here, it doesn’t offer much companionship.”
“I don’t see why, in the brief exchange we’ve had, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself.”
The compliment was simple, but it still brought a blush to Chou’s face.
“Why, ah, thank you. Dear princess.”
“Please, call me Dai Lin.”
“Well then, thank you Dai Lin.”
“If you say you’ve found yourself friendless,” She took a step forward, and smiled again, “I suppose it wouldn’t be too much trouble to extend a hand of friendship to you.”
That was when it all began.
As soon as he’d saw that smile, that bright, beautiful smile, he knew he was lost. What started as a simple conversation as to why Chou seemed solemn, bloomed into a shining back and forth. They exchanged meeting whenever they could. In-between performances, whenever the two of them were free. Chou was surprised to find that he had so much in common with the princess. He was even more surprised, that he enjoyed talking with her. It had all brought him to the door to Dai Lin’s quarters late into the evening. He’d taken great caution to ensure he hadn’t been followed. He wondered to himself exactly what he was doing here. Surely, it was a foolish endeavour. He’d rehearsed what he would say to her in his head a hundred no- a thousand times over now, but it did nothing to remedy his anxiety. The actions of a lovestruck clown that could only end in heartbreak, so why had he gone through with it? Because I love her, he answered his own question. And for once, he was sure of himself.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he gave the door a knock. One, two, three, he counted the seconds as they passed, four, five, six, seve-. His anxious enumeration was interrupted as Dai Lin opened the door.
“Chou.” She said with a smile. He’d seen it many times now, but it never failed to brighten his day. “It’s good to see you, come in.”
She stepped aside, and Chou let himself in. Her quarters were luxurious, a far cry from the small room he curled up in every night. “Dai Lin there’s...something I have to tell you.”
“What is it?” She asked, and furrowed her brow, “Is something wrong?”
“No, no, it’s alright,” He wrung his hands. Why was he so nervous?
“Then stop being such a worrywort and spit it out,” She jabbed his side playfully.
“Dai Lin I-” He choked on his words, before taking a deep breath.
“Dai Lin…I love you. I want to spend every waking moment with you. I can’t imagine my life going in any other way. I wish for us to walk side by side through all of it. I know I’m not the richest o-or the smartest but...I offer my entire being to you.”
Chou trailed off in shame. He watched her intently. Fearful no- terrified of what her reaction might be. What had he been thinking? She was a princess, a damn princess. He was simply the court fool. This had all been a big mistake.
But before he could continue his pondering, all his thoughts were pushed out of the way by the sudden feeling of Dai Lin’s soft lips on his. It took a moment to register what was happening. She was kissing him, and it felt amazing. He returned the gesture, and put an arm around her. For the moment-that-felt-like-an-eternity that they were interlocked, it was as if nothing else existed. It was just him, Dai Lin, and their love. The moment was brought to a slow end as she pulled away, a small, yet warm smile on her face.
“I- I feel the same way, Chou. I want to spend our eternity together. You are perfect, no matter how much money or strength you have or don’t have.”
Chou felt like he could have grown wings when she said that. His response wasn’t words, but another kiss. Not between princess and jester, but between two lovers who had pledged their existence to each other.
——————
Pop! As if on cue, a puff of colorful smoke appeared, drawing gasps of surprise and amusement from the onlookers, drawing their eyes to the spectacle to come. A man stood amongst the fading fog, a smirk filled to the brim with mischief and joy playing at his sharp features. His robes were a deep black, with designs of gold embroidered on it. He looked as if there was no place he’d rather be than standing in front of the Emperor and his guests, about to perform a show full of who-knew-what. Dai Lin eyed him with curiosity, she’d never seen this particular clown before, he must have been brought in recently. Speaking of which…
Dai Lin turned her gaze to her father, as per usual, Emperor Huang Di sat stone-faced, his expression inscrutable. She sighed, of course, she suspected no tricks or jokes no matter how amusing could make a flicker of emotion appear on his face. She drew her attention back to the performer, who had drawn out a set of multicolored balls and had begun to juggle them. As he did, more and more seemed to appear, until it seemed like a rainbow had formed between his arms. The crowd’s eyes seemed to be glued to the spectacle. The man was still smiling cheerily as he continued his act, revelling in their praise.
Dai Lin was paying rapt attention to the act, watching as the spheres seemed to merge together, until suddenly, they disappeared- one by one. How had he done it? Did he have them up his sleeve? Her questions were quickly forgotten, however, as the jester began the next part of his act. He had dropped into a handstand, the bells on the tips of his shoes jingling merrily. He put his left hand into the air, now only balancing on only one of them now. He stayed in that position for a moment, before flipping back upright. The performance continued like this, and all through it Dai Lin had her eyes trained on the jester, not missing a moment. She gasped as he breathed fire out of seemingly nowhere, and burst into fits of laughter as he offered one of the ladies a bouquet of roses, before revealing it to simply be a pile of cloth arranged in a colorful displa.
Perhaps it was because she was watching him so intently, that Dai Lin noticed the somberness lurking just behind his amber eyes as he stood up straight and bowed, signaling the end of his act. The hall filled with the applause of the nobles. Dai Lin joined in, but couldn’t help ponder on what lay just beneath the boyish smile and mysterious tricks of the court joker.
Chou’s eyes fluttered open, and he groaned. He’d been having a dream, a pleasant one at that. He couldn’t quite place what’d happened. All he knew was that by the end he’d finally felt whole, as if the void that’d seem to replace what’d been a working, beating heart, his working, beating, heart, had finally been filled by something. Whatever it was had been lost in the fleeting thoughts that came with waking up, leaving him with only a vague feeling of elation. But now he’d returned to reality. Chou buried his face in his pillow for a moment, attempting to fall asleep again.
After a few minutes, he abandoned it as a fruitless effort and finally roll out of bed. An unruly patch of dark hair flopped over his eyes, obscuring his vision. Chou grumbled as he combed it back, and pulled on his robes. This was going to be a great day, he thought to himself glumly. He had no responsibilities for the duration of the day, his next show wouldn’t be until tomorrow evening. This left him with two options: Sit in his room all day and mope or enjoy the sprawling palace grounds while he had the time. As appealing as the idea of staying locked away for the entirety of the day sounded, he knew he better take advantage of the chance to explore more of the palace while he still could.
Chou ran a comb through his hair one more time, and paused for a quick glance in the mirror. Vacant, golden eyes stared back at him. He knew he should make more of an effort to keep his spirits up, but it seemed to become harder with every passing day. He knew his performances brought joy to whoever attended them, but it didn’t give him any true fulfillness. They viewed Chou as a toy, a mere source of entertainment rather than an individual. He didn’t have any true friends, not really, who would want to befriend a clown like him?
“What am I thinking?” Chou thought aloud.
He didn’t have time to ponder such matters. He pushed open the door to his rooms, and stepped into the hallway. Chou didn’t have a particular destination in mind, so he resigned himself to simply see where his feet would lead him. Unfortunately, just as he turned a corner he almost bumped into perhaps the person he’d least expected to see on an early morning stroll.
Princess Dai Lin stood before him. Jewels decorated her white hair, and her robes seemed to be a perfect shade of pearl. Her features were delicate, pristine. Chou almost felt as if he was disrespecting them by viewing them himself. He instinctively fell into a deep bow, a gesture he’d grown familiar with when being around nobility.
“Princess Dai Lin,” He said stiffly.
A moment passed, that felt like an eternity.
“You can stand,” Chou was surprised at the tone of her voice, it seemed like less of a demand and more of a polite statement. He drew himself up to his full height, shifting from foot to foot, unsure of what to say. What did someone in his position say? He was standing before royalty, surely there was some sort of procedure for this. But before he could open his mouth to formulate any semblance of a reply, he was cut off.
“A-are you alright?” The princess asked.
“What?” Of all the things Chou had expected, a question about his well being wasn’t one of them.
“I saw your performance last night and I saw this look in your eyes and you just looked sort of-” She paused, “Sad.”
Chou stood frozen for a moment, at a loss for words. He forced his mouth into a smile before replying in a falsely-cheery tone.
“Why my dear princess, I haven’t any idea of what you might be referring to. I am surely the merriest one in the palace, after all, what is a court jester not good for if not making sure everyone is in the highest of spirits?”
Dai Lin cocked her head, before simply shaking it. “I don’t believe you. I hardly think you should be lying to a princess, hmm?”
Chou was about to apologize before realizing the humour in her tone. Was Dai Lin...joking with him? He decided to continue their little game.
“I swear on my heart, dearest princess, my words hold no falsehoods.”
The princess laughed, a light, tinkling thing.
“Now I know you’re lying, sir jester, no matter how poetic you sound. Is there a way I can help? A princess’s duty is to her subjects, after all.”
Chou hesitated. Could this be- no, that wasn’t possible...or was it? Could the princess of all people, actually care for what he felt. He must have been silent for a while because Dai Lin spoke up again.
“As much as I like calling you ‘sir jester’, can I have your name?”
He hesitated before responding. “Chou.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Chou.” The princess smiled.
Chou froze up for a moment again. Her smile was gorgeous, he wouldn’t have been too surprised if she’d begun to emanate light.
“The feeling’s mutual,” Was all he could muster.
“Now Chou, what seems to be the problem?” Her tone was kind, caring. It wasn’t one he’d heard often.
He shrugged, “I suppose I’m lonely. As entertaining as it is to perform here, it doesn’t offer much companionship.”
“I don’t see why, in the brief exchange we’ve had, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself.”
The compliment was simple, but it still brought a blush to Chou’s face.
“Why, ah, thank you. Dear princess.”
“Please, call me Dai Lin.”
“Well then, thank you Dai Lin.”
“If you say you’ve found yourself friendless,” She took a step forward, and smiled again, “I suppose it wouldn’t be too much trouble to extend a hand of friendship to you.”
That was when it all began.
As soon as he’d saw that smile, that bright, beautiful smile, he knew he was lost. What started as a simple conversation as to why Chou seemed solemn, bloomed into a shining back and forth. They exchanged meeting whenever they could. In-between performances, whenever the two of them were free. Chou was surprised to find that he had so much in common with the princess. He was even more surprised, that he enjoyed talking with her. It had all brought him to the door to Dai Lin’s quarters late into the evening. He’d taken great caution to ensure he hadn’t been followed. He wondered to himself exactly what he was doing here. Surely, it was a foolish endeavour. He’d rehearsed what he would say to her in his head a hundred no- a thousand times over now, but it did nothing to remedy his anxiety. The actions of a lovestruck clown that could only end in heartbreak, so why had he gone through with it? Because I love her, he answered his own question. And for once, he was sure of himself.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he gave the door a knock. One, two, three, he counted the seconds as they passed, four, five, six, seve-. His anxious enumeration was interrupted as Dai Lin opened the door.
“Chou.” She said with a smile. He’d seen it many times now, but it never failed to brighten his day. “It’s good to see you, come in.”
She stepped aside, and Chou let himself in. Her quarters were luxurious, a far cry from the small room he curled up in every night. “Dai Lin there’s...something I have to tell you.”
“What is it?” She asked, and furrowed her brow, “Is something wrong?”
“No, no, it’s alright,” He wrung his hands. Why was he so nervous?
“Then stop being such a worrywort and spit it out,” She jabbed his side playfully.
“Dai Lin I-” He choked on his words, before taking a deep breath.
“Dai Lin…I love you. I want to spend every waking moment with you. I can’t imagine my life going in any other way. I wish for us to walk side by side through all of it. I know I’m not the richest o-or the smartest but...I offer my entire being to you.”
Chou trailed off in shame. He watched her intently. Fearful no- terrified of what her reaction might be. What had he been thinking? She was a princess, a damn princess. He was simply the court fool. This had all been a big mistake.
But before he could continue his pondering, all his thoughts were pushed out of the way by the sudden feeling of Dai Lin’s soft lips on his. It took a moment to register what was happening. She was kissing him, and it felt amazing. He returned the gesture, and put an arm around her. For the moment-that-felt-like-an-eternity that they were interlocked, it was as if nothing else existed. It was just him, Dai Lin, and their love. The moment was brought to a slow end as she pulled away, a small, yet warm smile on her face.
“I- I feel the same way, Chou. I want to spend our eternity together. You are perfect, no matter how much money or strength you have or don’t have.”
Chou felt like he could have grown wings when she said that. His response wasn’t words, but another kiss. Not between princess and jester, but between two lovers who had pledged their existence to each other.
- By the amazing Crystal4180
——————
Chou had wandered into a part of the palace that was unfamiliar to him. He had been lost in thought, tossing his golden ball from hand to hand thinking about what order he should put his jokes in for a fast approaching feast. Lost in a world of punchlines he hadn’t been paying attention to where he was going. In looking around, and actually focusing on his surroundings he thought that he had ended up in the Empress’ part of the palace. The décor was of her taste, and he believed that he had set off in the direction that would have taken him there. But no…he could’ve sworn that he had passed through the fountain courtyard on his way here…and the Empress’ wing was a right turn from that. He had just kept going straight. So, he was lost. Which, to most people would’ve caused some fear and anxiety. However, Chou merely shrugged and decided to turn around and hope that he would end up in somewhere familiar. One of the hazards of large houses, he thought to himself, the guarantee of guests getting lost. He thought about someone desperately needing to use the restroom and being unable to locate it because the directions were too long and detailed to remember. He chuckled to himself, and accidently dropped his ball. He chased it as it rolled down the hall, but both him and the ball came to a sudden halt at a pair of shoes.
Chou looked up to see a very handsome young man. The stranger smiled, bent down and picked up the ball, “I assume this is yours?” he said holding it out for Chou to take.
“It is indeed…thank you…?” Chou’s voice rose up at the end to indicate that he was unaware of how to address the young man.
“Rui,” the young man said, “I’m Rui.” He held out his hand. Chou shook it.
“Well Rui,” Chou said, “I was wondering if you could help me find my way back to the main part of the palace, I seem to have gotten turned around somehow.”
“Oh,” Rui said, “well..uhm..” he looked nervous and shuffled his feet a bit, “I actually just know that it’s that way.” He pointed behind him.
Chou cocked his head to the side. This was odd. He looked the young man up and down trying to gather information about who he was and what his possible role in the palace household was. His clothes were not those of a servant, that was for sure. Rui obviously could sense Chou’s confusion and curiosity. It seemed to make him a little anxious.
“So, what brought you to this part of the palace?” Rui asked. He was trying to take the attention off of himself and back to Chou. Chou decided that he wouldn’t worry about it. Rui seemed harmless enough.
“I was lost in thought about my jokes,” Chou said, “I’m performing a set of them at the upcoming feast.”
“Oh!” Rui exclaimed, “I love a good joke!”
“Then,” Chou replied with a smile, “Why are dragons good storytellers?”
Rui thought about it for a moment, “Because they get all fired up?”
Chou laughed, “Not a bad answer, but no it is because they all have tails.”
Rui chuckled, “Clever! Is that one of the ones you plan on telling at the feast?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Chou said, “the Emperor is too direct to understand too much wordplay, so I have to limit the number of those I put in.”
“That is a shame,” Rui said, “I never noticed that about her.”
“Yes, well,” Chou said, “when you spend years as the imperial clown you figure little things like that out.”
“Did you always know that you wanted to be the imperial clown?” Rui asked.
“Not always,” Chou replied, “I knew I liked being in front of people, and making them laugh. But actually making a career out of it didn’t occur to me until one of the Empress’ handmaidens happened to hear me cracking jokes in the kitchens.”
“Like what?” Rui asked curiously.
“Well, I had just asked the imperial cook why chefs were so mean.”
“Why are they?”
“Because they beat the eggs and whip the cream,” both Chou and Rui had to laugh, and when he had stopped Chou continued, “and she then went back to the Empress giggling. Of course the Empress asked what had made her laugh so, and she replied that there was a funny looking boy in the kitchen who was telling clever jokes. And then, the rest is history!” He smiled.
“I think you’re brilliant,” said Rui, “and I can see why they keep you around.”
“Well thank you,” said Chou giving his jester bow (which included making it appear that he was about to fall over forwards, overcorrecting to the point of seeming to nearly fall backwards, and then righting himself to bow properly). Rui chuckled.
Suddenly there came a voice calling from behind Chou—sounding like it’s owner was far down at the other end of a hallway to his right. “Rui! Rui where are you?”
Rui’s face fell a little bit, “I have to go,” he said, “but it was good to meet you.” He held out his hand and Chou took it.
“It was lovely to meet you too,” Chou said, “Will I…is there a chance I will be seeing you again?”
“Rui!” the new voice called out again seeming to have gotten closer.
“I’m coming!” Rui said, and then he lowered his voice, “only if you come back to this part of the palace—which you aren’t really supposed to, but I would be glad if you did.” Chou sensed an underlying loneliness in Rui’s voice. A feeling that he recognized—that of being isolated and longing for company.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Chou said smiling, “I should probably be getting back to my part of the palace anyway.”
The smile that burst across Rui’s face was enough to make Chou determined to come back.
They let go of each other’s hands and set off in opposite directions. Rui to where the voice had been coming from and Chou to retrace his tracks.
As he made his way back to places that were familiar Chou couldn’t help but wonder about the strange young man in the far end of the palace. Who was he? He was obviously supposed to be there, and his existence known by other people. He racked his brain to try and think of if he had heard anyone mention the name Rui to him.
Only if you come back to this part of the palace—which you aren’t really supposed to , Chou remembered Rui saying. This implied that perhaps Chou wasn’t supposed to know that Rui was there…but why? Chou tried to come up with reasons that a nice young man’s existence should be secret but he couldn’t think of any.
It doesn’t really matter, Chou thought to himself, he’s lonely and seems pleasant. He liked my jokes. I will find some way to visit him again. Chou smiled, thinking about how he had once been solitary and sad, but the gods had decided to bless him with a beautiful companion. A companion he couldn’t tell anyone about, but one he cherished more than life itself. Perhaps it was his turn to provide friendship to another sequestered soul in the palace, to continue the cycle of good luck. He already had a secret wife…why couldn’t he also have a secret friend?
- topazsunset04
Chou looked up to see a very handsome young man. The stranger smiled, bent down and picked up the ball, “I assume this is yours?” he said holding it out for Chou to take.
“It is indeed…thank you…?” Chou’s voice rose up at the end to indicate that he was unaware of how to address the young man.
“Rui,” the young man said, “I’m Rui.” He held out his hand. Chou shook it.
“Well Rui,” Chou said, “I was wondering if you could help me find my way back to the main part of the palace, I seem to have gotten turned around somehow.”
“Oh,” Rui said, “well..uhm..” he looked nervous and shuffled his feet a bit, “I actually just know that it’s that way.” He pointed behind him.
Chou cocked his head to the side. This was odd. He looked the young man up and down trying to gather information about who he was and what his possible role in the palace household was. His clothes were not those of a servant, that was for sure. Rui obviously could sense Chou’s confusion and curiosity. It seemed to make him a little anxious.
“So, what brought you to this part of the palace?” Rui asked. He was trying to take the attention off of himself and back to Chou. Chou decided that he wouldn’t worry about it. Rui seemed harmless enough.
“I was lost in thought about my jokes,” Chou said, “I’m performing a set of them at the upcoming feast.”
“Oh!” Rui exclaimed, “I love a good joke!”
“Then,” Chou replied with a smile, “Why are dragons good storytellers?”
Rui thought about it for a moment, “Because they get all fired up?”
Chou laughed, “Not a bad answer, but no it is because they all have tails.”
Rui chuckled, “Clever! Is that one of the ones you plan on telling at the feast?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Chou said, “the Emperor is too direct to understand too much wordplay, so I have to limit the number of those I put in.”
“That is a shame,” Rui said, “I never noticed that about her.”
“Yes, well,” Chou said, “when you spend years as the imperial clown you figure little things like that out.”
“Did you always know that you wanted to be the imperial clown?” Rui asked.
“Not always,” Chou replied, “I knew I liked being in front of people, and making them laugh. But actually making a career out of it didn’t occur to me until one of the Empress’ handmaidens happened to hear me cracking jokes in the kitchens.”
“Like what?” Rui asked curiously.
“Well, I had just asked the imperial cook why chefs were so mean.”
“Why are they?”
“Because they beat the eggs and whip the cream,” both Chou and Rui had to laugh, and when he had stopped Chou continued, “and she then went back to the Empress giggling. Of course the Empress asked what had made her laugh so, and she replied that there was a funny looking boy in the kitchen who was telling clever jokes. And then, the rest is history!” He smiled.
“I think you’re brilliant,” said Rui, “and I can see why they keep you around.”
“Well thank you,” said Chou giving his jester bow (which included making it appear that he was about to fall over forwards, overcorrecting to the point of seeming to nearly fall backwards, and then righting himself to bow properly). Rui chuckled.
Suddenly there came a voice calling from behind Chou—sounding like it’s owner was far down at the other end of a hallway to his right. “Rui! Rui where are you?”
Rui’s face fell a little bit, “I have to go,” he said, “but it was good to meet you.” He held out his hand and Chou took it.
“It was lovely to meet you too,” Chou said, “Will I…is there a chance I will be seeing you again?”
“Rui!” the new voice called out again seeming to have gotten closer.
“I’m coming!” Rui said, and then he lowered his voice, “only if you come back to this part of the palace—which you aren’t really supposed to, but I would be glad if you did.” Chou sensed an underlying loneliness in Rui’s voice. A feeling that he recognized—that of being isolated and longing for company.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Chou said smiling, “I should probably be getting back to my part of the palace anyway.”
The smile that burst across Rui’s face was enough to make Chou determined to come back.
They let go of each other’s hands and set off in opposite directions. Rui to where the voice had been coming from and Chou to retrace his tracks.
As he made his way back to places that were familiar Chou couldn’t help but wonder about the strange young man in the far end of the palace. Who was he? He was obviously supposed to be there, and his existence known by other people. He racked his brain to try and think of if he had heard anyone mention the name Rui to him.
Only if you come back to this part of the palace—which you aren’t really supposed to , Chou remembered Rui saying. This implied that perhaps Chou wasn’t supposed to know that Rui was there…but why? Chou tried to come up with reasons that a nice young man’s existence should be secret but he couldn’t think of any.
It doesn’t really matter, Chou thought to himself, he’s lonely and seems pleasant. He liked my jokes. I will find some way to visit him again. Chou smiled, thinking about how he had once been solitary and sad, but the gods had decided to bless him with a beautiful companion. A companion he couldn’t tell anyone about, but one he cherished more than life itself. Perhaps it was his turn to provide friendship to another sequestered soul in the palace, to continue the cycle of good luck. He already had a secret wife…why couldn’t he also have a secret friend?
- topazsunset04
Chou meets Rui in Underwater Forests by Afternoon Pigeon
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