as written by Script and Sentry
It was approaching evening in Yan'Xin village, and the festival was starting to pick up in pace. The smell of fresh food filled the air as the various stalls offered their wares to the attendees, and music was picking up from a spread of performers. The village square had been set up in preparation for the more formal events of the evening, and a large square stage had been set up on one side, with access from the village hall. Only the edge of the square had stalls set up on it, with the centre reserved for dancing later on.
Masked people flocked through the streets, some sitting at the tables of a corner-cafe, others playing carnival games at various stalls, others still just enjoying the sights and the companionship.
As Junwei was perusing the festival's sights - or more precisely, its ladies - he drew the attention of one person in particular. As the giggles of a particularly mature looking fifteen-year-old left the man behind, the girl in question thoroughly amused by his antics, a woman in a white fox mask made her way over to him.
"Hello there, stranger," she said, her voice sweet and gentle beneath the mask. Long brown hair fell out from behind it, over a semi-traditional outfit... one with a notably shortened skirt. A katana was conspicuously sheathed at her hip. "You don't seem to be having much luck." she remarked with a laugh.
____
Junwei leaned an arm up against a stall, smirking lazily. "And would you be the one to change my luck?" he asked, giving her a once-over. Though she seemed fairly young, Junwei had a hope that she was at least more than a particularly mature fifteen year old. It would be just his luck if she turned out to be younger.
"That's quite a nice mask you have there. Foxes seem to be a bit popular."
____
Nariko chuckled coyly, "You'll need more than luck." she replied, folding her arms. "But you never know... And yes, well. Foxes have a lot going for them, after all. Beauty, cunning, wit. The full package."
The woman trailed around Junwei and brought a hand up to brush his mask. "I've not seen another mask like yours around. It's ... fierce." she murmured, "It suits you, though. Very well."
Beneath the mask, she was smirking.
____
More than luck? Well, Junwei certainly had the charm. Or so he believed.
The man smirked, bringing the mask across his face. "So I've been told," he chuckled. "There's much more to the dragon that that, however. As I'm sure there's more to the fox. I'm curious enough to want to learn."
____
Another chuckle. "A lot more." she replied, "Tell me, traveller. What brings you to the festival here tonight?"
Nariko drifted back a few steps to place a more respectable distance between them. "Just the reputation of the village? Or something more... unlikely?" She placed a thoughtful finger to her chin, "You strike me as someone with a story behind them, but one that pales in comparison to the story left to tell..."
She tilted her head. "What thread of your story led you here, now of all times, I wonder?"
____
"A chance meeting with a small boy. He was being robbed, so I thought I should be the good guy and come to his rescue," Junwei hummed. He took just one step toward her. He smirked. "A story? Now, aren't I the one who should be coaxing more out of you?" The man purred. "I don't think my story will be a riveting..."
____
"How noble of you," Nariko remarked, leaning back on one leg with a small chuckle. "That would be the child you arrived with, I suppose? A strange one, that. There's more to him than meets the eye, I think. Much as there is with you. It's so often the chance, coincidental meetings that become the most important."
She drifted away a few steps again flightily before going on. "Perhaps your story isn't yet. But I have a feeling it'll have many twists and turns before it's through." Finally, she paused and turned to offer him a bow. "The name's Nariko. I'm a traveller, much like yourself."
____
"Yes, that little one," replied Junwei. He stared at Nariko, stepping toward her as she stepped away once more. Though she was backing up, she didn't seem to be pushing him away.
"Junwei," he said, deeply bowing at the waist. "I don't suppose you're here with anyone?"
____
"No..." Nariko replied, though she paused as though thinking it over, "Not as such. I think an old friend is in town... but we don't really talk any more."
She stepped closer to him, brushing past - it was almost like a dance they wove around each other, with both their movements and their words. As she passed him, she paused again, "The boy... keep an eye on him. Have an eye for the unexpected." she murmured quietly, before she moved on another few steps.
"Will I see you at the dancing later?" she inquired after she had stopped.
____
"That was already on my agenda. Perhaps it is more important than I fist suspected," he grinned, peering at Nariko through the corner of his eye as she passed by him. Oh, she did like to tease.
He lifted his head and turned half around to raise a brow. He scratched his chin, musing at the sky before grinning again, sharp canines baring.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world."
____
"Good." Nariko grinned beneath her mask, letting out another chuckle. "Because I have a feeling that's when things are going to get really interesting."
She turned back to face him for a moment, "I'll see you there, then... Wildfire."
And then she stepped into the crowd. For a brief moment, she was obscured as a small group walked between her and Junwei. When they had passed, she was gone. Nowhere to be seen.
It was approaching evening in Yan'Xin village, and the festival was starting to pick up in pace. The smell of fresh food filled the air as the various stalls offered their wares to the attendees, and music was picking up from a spread of performers. The village square had been set up in preparation for the more formal events of the evening, and a large square stage had been set up on one side, with access from the village hall. Only the edge of the square had stalls set up on it, with the centre reserved for dancing later on.
Masked people flocked through the streets, some sitting at the tables of a corner-cafe, others playing carnival games at various stalls, others still just enjoying the sights and the companionship.
As Junwei was perusing the festival's sights - or more precisely, its ladies - he drew the attention of one person in particular. As the giggles of a particularly mature looking fifteen-year-old left the man behind, the girl in question thoroughly amused by his antics, a woman in a white fox mask made her way over to him.
"Hello there, stranger," she said, her voice sweet and gentle beneath the mask. Long brown hair fell out from behind it, over a semi-traditional outfit... one with a notably shortened skirt. A katana was conspicuously sheathed at her hip. "You don't seem to be having much luck." she remarked with a laugh.
____
Junwei leaned an arm up against a stall, smirking lazily. "And would you be the one to change my luck?" he asked, giving her a once-over. Though she seemed fairly young, Junwei had a hope that she was at least more than a particularly mature fifteen year old. It would be just his luck if she turned out to be younger.
"That's quite a nice mask you have there. Foxes seem to be a bit popular."
____
Nariko chuckled coyly, "You'll need more than luck." she replied, folding her arms. "But you never know... And yes, well. Foxes have a lot going for them, after all. Beauty, cunning, wit. The full package."
The woman trailed around Junwei and brought a hand up to brush his mask. "I've not seen another mask like yours around. It's ... fierce." she murmured, "It suits you, though. Very well."
Beneath the mask, she was smirking.
____
More than luck? Well, Junwei certainly had the charm. Or so he believed.
The man smirked, bringing the mask across his face. "So I've been told," he chuckled. "There's much more to the dragon that that, however. As I'm sure there's more to the fox. I'm curious enough to want to learn."
____
Another chuckle. "A lot more." she replied, "Tell me, traveller. What brings you to the festival here tonight?"
Nariko drifted back a few steps to place a more respectable distance between them. "Just the reputation of the village? Or something more... unlikely?" She placed a thoughtful finger to her chin, "You strike me as someone with a story behind them, but one that pales in comparison to the story left to tell..."
She tilted her head. "What thread of your story led you here, now of all times, I wonder?"
____
"A chance meeting with a small boy. He was being robbed, so I thought I should be the good guy and come to his rescue," Junwei hummed. He took just one step toward her. He smirked. "A story? Now, aren't I the one who should be coaxing more out of you?" The man purred. "I don't think my story will be a riveting..."
____
"How noble of you," Nariko remarked, leaning back on one leg with a small chuckle. "That would be the child you arrived with, I suppose? A strange one, that. There's more to him than meets the eye, I think. Much as there is with you. It's so often the chance, coincidental meetings that become the most important."
She drifted away a few steps again flightily before going on. "Perhaps your story isn't yet. But I have a feeling it'll have many twists and turns before it's through." Finally, she paused and turned to offer him a bow. "The name's Nariko. I'm a traveller, much like yourself."
____
"Yes, that little one," replied Junwei. He stared at Nariko, stepping toward her as she stepped away once more. Though she was backing up, she didn't seem to be pushing him away.
"Junwei," he said, deeply bowing at the waist. "I don't suppose you're here with anyone?"
____
"No..." Nariko replied, though she paused as though thinking it over, "Not as such. I think an old friend is in town... but we don't really talk any more."
She stepped closer to him, brushing past - it was almost like a dance they wove around each other, with both their movements and their words. As she passed him, she paused again, "The boy... keep an eye on him. Have an eye for the unexpected." she murmured quietly, before she moved on another few steps.
"Will I see you at the dancing later?" she inquired after she had stopped.
____
"That was already on my agenda. Perhaps it is more important than I fist suspected," he grinned, peering at Nariko through the corner of his eye as she passed by him. Oh, she did like to tease.
He lifted his head and turned half around to raise a brow. He scratched his chin, musing at the sky before grinning again, sharp canines baring.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world."
____
"Good." Nariko grinned beneath her mask, letting out another chuckle. "Because I have a feeling that's when things are going to get really interesting."
She turned back to face him for a moment, "I'll see you there, then... Wildfire."
And then she stepped into the crowd. For a brief moment, she was obscured as a small group walked between her and Junwei. When they had passed, she was gone. Nowhere to be seen.
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