he places his first tile to start them off again. leans back on the cushion, satisfied - now that they’ve made their way through polite chitchat he’s free to broach more interesting topics, to play the game more seriously. “i’ve been hearing whispers,” he comments idly, searches for a reaction on her face. "my brother was gone just as long as you were, and the story he tells is wondrous." jian hasn't, in fact, told stories, but jiyu has his own to tell if she asks. "i wonder what yours is."
of all the things her parents prepared her to do, this is perhaps the easiest one. visiting other nobles, paying her respects. even now, as she and jiyu sit in front of the pai sho board, she can remember her mother's words of advice, that a lady should always be proper and polite, that a choi should never show weakness. their flame is unlike all others, born out of a volcano, prone to explode.
so nara controls herself when jiyu gives her an easy win. is he holding himself back or underestimating her, she wonders. maybe a little bit of both, she thinks. jiyu is too smart to think she is inoffensive, and as true commander he assess her to know how much damage she could cause. not much, nara fears. certainly not as much as she wishes to do, sometimes.
she looks at his choice of starter and makes her move accordingly. she's rust after two years of barely playing, her siblings not enjoying the game as much as she does, but she can keep up with him. it's a game of practice, but one never forgets once they learn how to play. at jiyu's words, nara looks up at him, concern on her face.
"he is alright now, i hope," she says, half out of genuine concern, half just to know. it's always important to know where a house like zhao stands and how their head is doing. jiyu is fishing for information, and nara ponders on what to give him – it's the only way to get something in return, after all.
"i wish i could tell you that i was brave, commander, but in my journey there all i did was run." even now, in the light of the day, her hands tremble as she remembers, so she places them over her lap, looking down. "from things i wanted and things i feared." she looks at him again, expression even. "what story do you have to tell, jiyu?"