50 Shades of Blue (Open)

A week had passed since Niu and Bàozhú had touched down in the island of Spetsopoula on the invitation of the Niarchos family to prepare Bàozhú and the rest of the Japanese team for the 2012 Wizarding World Games. Niu had never been to Greece before and immediately she found herself amazed at the deep blue water of the Mediterranean Sea as Bàozhú flew down though the cloud level to land amongst the tall trees of the private estate that made up one third of the island. According to the coach the plan was to become used to the warm dry temperatures of the summer in order to get an advantage against the more northern Bulgarians who had a natural advantage over the Asian and South Pacific teams who where more used to cold and wet weather during this time of year. The ugly square buildings seemed very large and strange to Niu and everything was so much brighter then she was used to with the sun shining on pale tiles, stonework and water against the tan cliffs and dark green of the forests grown to hide the island from unwanted attention. So far Niu hadn't gotten to see much of Greece as training was a ridged affair of before dawn flying routines followed by giving Bàozhú his morning bath and scrub, Quidditch practice in the afternoon and early evening followed by drill, tactics and one on one work at night.

Today was different, with Bàozhú resting by the beach after his morning fly Niu had joined the rest of her team in taking a boat ride to the island of Kos where so far her afternoon had consisted of following her coach and listening to him translate whatever it was the tour guide was saying as they walked though various museums and other tourist sites to learn about the island's history. It had only taken about twenty minutes for Niu to become bored and sure enough she had soon gotten lost and found herself taking the wrong street away from the hills and back towards the beach where she decided her time would be much better used having a run and hoping that the locals would just think that she was another European tourist. Niu had not noticed the odd number of closed shops or otherwise concerned faces, far away in Japan and China there was no such thing as a economic crisis and so Niu had never come to think otherwise. Niu was enjoying being just another tourist as she ran along the stone path beside the beach, everything was very beautiful she had decided if strange and there was very few people who looked like her. Eventually her water bottle had run out and Niu found herself looking for a shop that would sell her more but she couldn't understand the writing and the numbers seemed very high for what was just a bottle of water.

Niu may have never been to Greece before but she had used Euro's in France and Germany and she was sure that the person behind the counter was overcharging her. Unfortunately neither could he understand her accent when she asked for "Water" over and over again and so with what appeared to be some hostility coming from the shopkeeper Niu gave up and walked back out into the street looking for anyone who might help her "Hello, Could you help? I am trying to buy water in bottle" Niu asked as she went over to a person at random holding out what felt like a extraordinary amount of money.. but that was because it took so many Yen to make a single Euro... Niu wasn't that great with money and while she enjoyed the travel that came with her work she really preferred to be in Magical area's where everything was so much simpler. Instead Niu just had to hope that she wouldn't be taken advantage of by strangers.

Ianto had been traveling since he had taken a quick visit  to his mother in wales to tell her to get Tamika to go home as he was finding hard to deal with her living in his home and trying to get him to come home. Ianto advised his mother that if something was not done he would have to tell tamika the truth about him self and there mothers part in it. 
It was at this point his mother broke down offering more money anything Ianto wanted for just a promas not to tell tamika and Ianto told her it was not the
money or things he just wanted to be himself and with her around he had to keep playing his roll of the prefect pure blood son as best he could. 
This was how Ianto found himself on the island of kos thinking over his mother offer and weather he would except more money or something else to put up with tamika or Demand his mother take her away. 
He had not really been in Europe Muggle or other wise since the economy had crashed but now he was glad that he had stayed in Australia not that the crises had affected his father or the magical community ... Much.
  
 Ianto was walking thro a very empty shopping strip near the beach when a young lady was holding out money to him asking about water and then help. Ianto could not help but to help a damsel in distress nodded and  stepped into the shop walked to the counter not sure if she followed Ianto having travel a lot looking for Axesum the missing battle axe he picked up many languages Greek being one of them not that his family cared that Ianto had a knack of Languages thro he spoke most of them with a Walsh accent.
"Μπουκάλι νερό σας παρακαλώ" the rather unhappy looking Clark when to a fridge and got a bottle and returned 
"4 Ευρώ σερ" Ianto payed the man from his still very full many clip thanks to his mother and turned to the young lady. 
" your water my lady" Ianto held the bottle out to her. 
" I take it your not from around those parts, I'm Ianto Parker " Ianto introduced himself he spoke in English but he could tell form her earlier question although she spoke English she was not from a country that spoke English as its language.  

"Thank you!" Niu called to the very tall young man, he did not look like a local and his accent was different though Niu could not immediately place it. Keeping her eyes low she fidgeted with her backpack worried that she would not see her money again when before she knew it the man had returned with what she had asked for, "Thank you so very much" she blushed a little, avoiding his eye as was polite. At first glance Niu thought the man could have been a Quidditch player himself by his build.. their trainer had been firm in drilling the idea of looking at each person by their apparent strengths and weaknesses on the field first, then by country and blood second. It was very much a backwards way of seeing the world when compared to the ridged social hierarchy of the magical world in Asia. Niu had been fortunate to be born into a class with the freedom to practice magic as her ancestors had and she knew that it was in her right to one day make a bride and have children of her own. Thankfully Niu's parents and grandparents had never pressured her so much on that role 'the reeds fall as they lay' her grandfather had said and yet Niu was not foolish enough to think she could play free and easy with her virtue like she had heard others to do.

Where it not for the heat and being dressed in the clothes provided for her by their sponsors Niu would never have dared dress in such a way but knowing that a man had seen her made her timid beyond her usual level as she took the bottle from the stranger with both hands, giving a small bow in thanks before hugging the cold plastic to her, blushing profusely at being called a lady by a man not of her kin. She was twenty-eight a lucky year but far too old for romance "you are very kind..." Niu managed to say over her acute embarrassment, lucky that nobody from the team where here for they would titter and Niu would be forever shamed. "It is very nice to meet you Mr Ianto Parker, my name is Long Fan Niu" Niu replied speaking fast enough that her name ran together in her strong accent, it sounded pleasing to her ears but had caused no end of confusion when people would call her Miss Long in mistake that it was her first name. Where she in Japan she would not have the same worry for her name was well known for being the seeker of the Toyohashi Tengu's but she had to remind herself that there was many of what they called 'Muggles' living in Greece and elsewhere. To Niu the idea that there was people who did not at all belive in magic seemed as quaint and strange as believing the world was flat and moved about on the back of a giant turtle. "I am here to train with team for the games" Niu explained wondering for a moment if Ianto Parker was in fact a scout sent to learn the location of the Chinese team, there was much set by keeping the pre-game training secret to outsiders and Niu was doubly careful knowing that there was additional laws that made it wrong to even speak of magic to outsiders. "What do you do Mr Ianto Parker?" a nervious smile touching her face as she looked down hoping that she did not speak above her station.

Ianto strode there as the young lady who was quite pretty looking. 
Were did that come from ?  
Ianto listen as the young lady thank him Ianto was in sure what to do now Ianto had never been a person that rescued women in trouble.  As she thank him he could not help but look down at his feet. 
She introduced her self Ianto having traveled thro Asia knew that her first name was in fact her last and visa versa 
She was a qudditch player now Ianto would not have guessed that by looking at her yes she was trim and heathy young lady well young mane his age but still. 
" I work at a school in Australia when I'm not in Europe" Ianto advised her in a rather shy voice. 
Ianto was not sure what he should do now he was not sure if he should ask her to walk with him or stand there and try to make conversation.
" um so what do you think of kos, Nui "  Ianto decided on conversation over walking. 
Ianto jestered to some chairs that were on the side walk and pulled out a chair for his female companion. 

Niu was not good speaking to people of the opposite sex and hoped that it was not too obvious as she shielded her small smile with her hand and looked away when she noticed he too was very polite. While she could not come out and say exactly who she was Niu hoped to have dropped enough hints that if the man was a believer in magic he would know that the Games where not the Olympics team who where in fact in the far less exciting region of Leeds. Niu had first heard of the Olympics when China had won the games, it had been a very exciting night for her Chinese friends who where on non-magical teams to know that their homeland would be hosting the very important non-magical games for the whole world. Niu hoped that either Japan or China would take the Wizarding World Games, she knew it would be amazing to win but so much better to do so in front of a home crowd. Sadly she knew playing Quidditch did not do her well in China for the sport was not nearly as popular as in Japan with not even a national team to field for the games. Niu did not feel too out of sorts about this though as she loved playing alongside the Toyohashi Tengu's and holding her own as part of the national Japanese team.

Maybe one day they would have a Chinese team, Niu would have liked to think of her children playing for their own homeland for as much as Japan made Niu happy she knew China was where she belonged, home in the mountains with the dragons like her ancestors. At least it seemed her concerns about offending the man where not so, she guessed by his sudden shyness at her question that the man must have been on some lower level of the school work. Niu hoped that he did not take her question to be rude but one could not be too careful with the Wizarding World Games just a few months away everyone was on high alert. Reminded that she should have been on a look out for her team Niu made a quick glance around for anyone with the team colours but there was none, in her hast she had forgotten her companion and found herself having to hurry to catch up with him as he walked. "It is very bright" Niu replied thinking of the blinding effect the whitewashed stone had caused the moment she had taken her sunglasses off "and square.. the buildings are very strange" surprisingly Niu did not say old, for when you grew up amgst three hundred generations of continuous family lines european history felt so much shorter in comparison. While she did not complain Niu was glad when Ianto Parker stopped at a side cafe Niu felt lightly dehydrated but while the headache and discomfort was mild she couldn't drink and walk at the same time with company. Taking the seat offered she was about to offer Mr Ianto Parker some of her water when a waiter arrived. "If I may, I would like water with ice please.." Niu ordered hoping this time to be understood. "I have been running..very thirsty" Niu explained to Ianto making a slight show of jogging with her arms to help get her explanation across, though at the same time she did have to wonder about coming across as a complete mad-woman to this young man.

As they walked Ianto listen as she said about the weather and the buildings.
" we'll the Greeks are just weird" 
Ianto was glade that Niu had followed her over to the table Ianto really did like her even after only a few minutes of talking with here. 
Ianto watched as she ordered a water explaining she had been running Ianto guessed as much but said nothing to her not wanting to seam rude.
" Yes Νερό σας παρακαλώ και espresso και ορισμένες Loukoumades"  Ianto ordered the drinks and some Greek donuts. 
"so you are in training for the games what position to you play on the team?" Ianto asked he was sure she was a qudditch player and hoped by asking this question not what sport she play but where she would get the hint that he too is a wizard and they could talk Ianto was so hoping she was a witch if she was they could maybe become friends but if she was a Muggle then he would have to forget about her as she could never know a half elf. 
The waiter come back with the water, coffee and Ianto's plate do donuts.
" you must try this" Ianto interacted the Loukoumades " there like a Greek donut " Ianto was hopeful that even tho she was sports person she would try a least one. 



OOC ---Greek in English **Water please and espresso and some  Loukoumades --

Traveling as she had Niu was quite broadminded for a witch of her age but she still stopped in her tracks a moment when Mr Ianto Parker spoke rudely, how wrong it was to speak ill of their host country? While of course Niu found the Greek customs weird she would never in a million years speak of such openly where anyone could hear. One never offended a host, no matter how odd their actions appeared to be. Where Mr Ianto Parker and herself more accustomed maybe she would speak up her concerns but to do so now would shame him and Niu could not bear to do so when he had been kind and might not of even known the offense he had made. No it was better to hold her tongue and be polite, to share a table was forward enough that she could well bring shame to intrude more so on Mr Ianto Parker's day.

The fact that Mr Ianto Parker was able to speak Greek was very impressive to the young woman "You speak Greek? Very clever Mr Ianto Parker" Niu was shamed to realise her own skills when it came to communicating with the locals was purely though others, you would think a woman who had studied at one of the finest Wizarding schools in the world would be better at languages but the divide between east and west was a thick one and while they learned the Latin of the spells they used and English for business there was little need to know anything else when one was expected to stay where one was. Niu was practical in mind and was much more excited to talk about Quidditch then her inabilities and so smiled brightly, "I am Shīkā that is one who seeks" undoing the buttons on her shirt she turned her back to Ianto to show off the snitch tattoo on her back shoulder "from my first big game.. very exciting" while she didn't think herself to be flirting she was proud of her achivements and not afraid to show them off even as she covered herself back up, a small hint of shame at showing herself so willingly to a stranger.

"Do you play Mr Ianto Parker?" Niu guessed that he must not have been a big fan of the game for surely he'd have recognized her.. but then again the Tengu's hadn't made it to the finals and didn't have as much of a following in the west she guessed. The thought that he was simply mistaking her for a Muggle sportsperson crossed her mind how funny if she had spoken and made such a fool of herself to talk utter nonsense! But she'd been told playing Quidditch was becoming quite popular among Muggles too. How they got their brooms to fly in the air was anybodies guess but for the most part the International Quidditch League had done everything to distance themselves from the entire situation. With the food arriving Niu insisted on pouring a glass of water for Mr Ianto Parker before looking slightly aghast when he pointed to some round sticky looking deep fried food that he described as a type of donut "It looks more like Shuangbaotai.. but very sticky?" Niu sook her head "I am very sorry but we have rules on what must be eaten" Niu herself felt slightly queasy at the sight of the food, it was not that it was friend but the sticky sauce that made it unpalatable to her. "I am sure it is very nice" nodding she did not wish to offend by implying that there was something wrong with the food. Yet neither could she risk eating something that would make her ill or worse.. put on weight that could cause Bàozhú to have to work harder. Even a small change in her routine could be enough to get her off the team entirely. Niu did not think she could live with the shame if that was to happen, so much she had wished to make something of herself and to lose her chance now would mean forever wishing on something that had already passed.

Ianto was sure at some point he had offended her with something he said to her but was not sure what but she had not run away and the complimented him on his greek.
"Yes well I travel a lot so pick up languages really quickly to help me get by I guess" Ianto advised her. she answered his question about training.
"Seeker. cool tattoo l like it it suits you" Ianto could see she was ashamed of showing her tattoo." so you will be heading to london soon then to play" Ianto listen as she asked if he played.
"No i was never very good at Quidditch, I can fly well enough" Ianto was a bit ashamed to admin he was not a player as he had wanted to be but at school he need to in the it crowed to make the team at hog wart.
"Shuangbaotai.. Humm I will have to try that one day when I'm in the asian part of the world, Oh sorry training must have so many rules about keeping in shape I will have them take it away" Ianto was signalling the waiter to come over.
"Παρακαλούμε να αρνητισμού τρόπο και μας φέρει κάθε σαλάτα παρακαλώ*" Ianto told the waiter.
"I am very sorry i will get a salad for you. I hope I have not offended you." Ianto hope that he had not damage this budding friendship with this lovely Quidditch player.



*Please that theses way and bring us each a salad please *