Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 2048606" data-attributes="member: 15043">Cousins Meet, and the Party Sets out for MingzhongFelonca apprehensively looked at the door, its brass knocker reflective her own frightened face.What if Nayu was wrong? part of her mind insisted, What if Meiji duped him?  Slowly, her hand hovered in front of the instrument, indecision wracking her mind.  Nayu, duped? another part of her mind laughed.  Felonca, the man was the son of a merchant, arguably a merchant himself.  He can catch someone’s bluff and likely spin it back towards them!  For a few more seconds, indecision stayed her hand, then with a sigh, she finally knocked.“Just a minute!” a familiar voice she hadn’t heard in years called.  The request was followed by a few final clearings of a throat, and a voice singing an tone-perfect scale.    With a creak, the door opened just as the voice reached high C.For Meiji, there was no pause as he saw his cousin for the first time in eight years.  Felonca stood in slight shock as the bigger man literally leapt forward, putting her in a huge bearhug.  The almost crushing nature of the hug dispelled the last of Felonca’s doubt, and she soon was clasping Meiji as close as ever before.“Felonca!  How are you doing?” he sweetly said after the embrace ended.  “I was told you were in town!  How are things? Why aren’t you at the Academy?”The barrage of questions ended a moment later, when she looked down.“I’m not doing too good, Meiji,” she confessed, before giving an ironic, sharp laugh.  “Though considering people are out to kill me for what happened at the Academy, and that the White Wolves are after me, I guess I’m not doing too bad at all!”“What in the name of nine lives did you do to get the White Wolf Clan after you?” Meiji asked, his voice slightly hushed in semi-awe.  With a quick, gentle push, he urged her to head towards a chair in the room, shutting the door behind them.“I...um... did a bad thing at the Academy,” Felonca said slowly, her mind wrestling if she should let Meiji know what happened... if he could be trusted, but more importantly, if telling him would put him in danger too.“One of the instructors?  I heard you and some Quan-Shi were close...”“NO!” Felonca snapped after a minute of staring at him in shock, mouth agape.  Nothing of the sort happened!  “All that happened was I stole some... stuff... from Master Hsiu when I ran away!”“Ah... the infamous big general is ticked at you?” Meiji replied rather calmly with a smirk.  “I’d personally be more worried about him than the White Wolf.  He and those ruffians haven’t been on good terms for a long time... I’m kind of surprised he’d send them after you, instead of hauling after your behind himself...”  The grin told her that he hadn’t changed much since the last time they’d met.  Still cheeky, immature...“Um...” she paused, weighing again before blurting out the truth.  “I stole something that concerns the Imperial Court also... in additional to Master Hsiu...”  Meiji’s smirk suddenly disappeared, and his eyes widened, thoughts running together, his mind piecing things together.  “So... are you the cause for all of those signs outside?” the bard asked slowly, now having realized how grave the situation was.“Um... yes... in a way,” Felonca looked down awkwardly.  I helped get Prince Shikai into Langya, and with this dagger now free from the Academy...  When she found the nerve to look back up at her cousin, she saw his eyes blazed with a certain fire... the determination she’d seen in so many of her family in the past.  “I’ll escort you back to the family home!  They’ll make sure you are safe!” he growled, even his thin, effeminate features taking on the bristling form of his warrior ancestry.  Always Wa-Feng!“They probably wouldn’t want me around!  I fled from the Academy, I brought shame on their names!” Felonca moaned, looking immediately back to the floor.  I’m not worth protecting...She felt an arm grab her shoulder, the grip comforting and fierce at the same time.  “Sure, my father and your dad will be angry to no end, but you are Wa-Feng!  Do you really think your family would abandon you when you are in such danger?”Felonca looked up at him, and read the look in his eyes.  Her mind rushed back to the family sayings, the admonishments and warnings from her mother, father, uncles, aunts and cousins on the family honor, that honor was above all... a creed that she’d broken the day she fled the Academy...“I... I couldn’t bring all of that danger down on them, Meiji,” she said finally, arriving at an excuse.  “I...I can’t go back, at least while this... mess... is going on.”“Then let me help!” Meiji replied, his voice gentle, encouraging.  “Where are you headed, after you leave Mafeng?”Should I tell him?  I’d put him in danger!  For a minute, her mind pondered the thoughts, wrestling with each one...  if she said no, she realized he might just come anyway, and another person along her side couldn’t help, especially with Cho staying behind to help the village...“We’re going to Mingzhong.  It will be safer there,” she said finally, and she saw Meiji start to grin.“Why, I’m going there too, after this gig!” he positively laughed.  You probably made that itinerary in the last minute, Felonca thought, wryly acknowledging the other universal Wa-Feng trait, it seemed: stubbornness. “So... this is the person that will be accompanying us?” Liu said with a tone of judgment some hours later.  Spiced wine flowed as the townspeople celebrated their liberation from fear, and around the party’s island of somberness, there was a sea of revelry.  Meiji had sung beautifully and now was taking full advantage of the town’s hospitality.  He staggered and stumbled until he was in front of them, a bumper of wine precariously held in each hand.“He seems most... ineffective,” Liu added, a sour look on the monk’s face.  Felonca looked at Nayu, and saw the sorcerer was merely holding his head.“Um... how are you, Meiji?” Felonca asked, knowing the question was rather redundant considering the circumstances.  He is still the same... hard party-goer...“Exshellent!”  Wine sloshed out of one of the bumpers as he motioned extravagantly towards Nayu and Liu.  “Your friendsh!  They needa drink!”  The other bumper sloshed as Meiji thrust it forward.  Suddenly, the hengeyokai spun around, looking into the crowd.“I gots ta go... It looksh like a horse... uh...woman,” he laughed uproariously at his own joke, “has decided to shower me wit attenshun!”“Go have fun... but remember we are leaving at dawn!” Felonca called as her cousin already started shoving through the crowd, towards some prey yet unseen.  As he vanished from sight, she turned back to her friends.  Nayu had his head buried in his hands even more, while Liu had the same stern look, only now the monk had crossed his arms.“Is your whole family like that?” Nayu asked from behind his palms.“No,” Felonca said quietly.  “He will not be awake at dawn tomorrow,” Liu said simply.“Dammit,” Felonca growled the next morning as Liu’s prediction came true.  “Meiji!” she shouted, shoving the covered form of the young man.  “Wake up!  We need to go, NOW!”  She then reached over towards the window, and pulled wide the blinds, showering the room with morning light.“But it’s light... and light hurts,” a weak voice complained from under the covers.  Slowly, sluggishly, the amorphous object underneath shifted and shuffled away from her grasp.  “Meiji!  Move now, or I’ll smack you worse than any of your mother’s cuffings!” Felonca snarled, giving him a shove before looking about the room.  Idiot!  He knew we had to leave, and he still got drunk!  Her furious gaze looked around the room,,, and saw his clothes laying scattered about.  She grabbed one rather fine silk shift, and tossed it towards his traveling pack.“Hey!” a tired Meiji complained, his head finally poking free of the covers.  “That shift was – “ he paused, as he flailed an arm about to block the light streaming into his eyes, “-given to me by Lady Wen for a good night!  It’s –‘pensive!”“If you don’t want Lady Wen to be upset, then hurry up!” Felonca huffed, storming towards the door.  “You’ve got five minutes to be downstairs!  Five... not six, but five!”Huffing, Felonca stormed out of the inn and into the street, her eyes avoiding the smirks she knew Nayu and Liu were sporting.“Was he awake with someone, or was he too hung over?” Nayu smirked.A few minutes later, a rather haggard looking Meiji stumbled out of the inn, his pack and other belongings hung from his back, a scimitar hanging from his hip.  As he came into the light of the still rising sun, his entire face became one gigantic squint.“I... need... to... fetch... my... friend...” he said slowly, the light obvious destroying what little thinking ability his hangover rattled brain possessed.“What?”  Felonca glanced over to Nayu... the sorcerer had returned to a standard pose... head in hands.  “Who?  Why?”“I... promised... her...” Meiji said slowly, shuffling away from the inn and up the street.  “Who?” Felonca groaned. Another hanger on... probably a flunkie of some kind... stupid bards and their stupid following hangers-on...“I...don’t...remember...her...name...” Meiji groaned in return, his free hand clawing towards the sun as if to remove the offending orb from the sky.  “She’s a handmaiden,” he said, his voice returning to a strained normal as his blocking efforts were finally partly successful, “she worked in the Imperial Household.  In return for her, um... assistance... last night...”“Gah!” Felonca spat.  I knew it!  She crossed her arms and huffed for a minute, before giving a reluctant sigh.  If it’ll get him moving faster...“Fine... make it quick,” Felonca snapped, hoping she wouldn’t have to groan much more the rest of that day.  About thirty minutes later, she was disappointed yet again.Meiji had lead the party to one of the less well kept regions of the town, to a rather run-down inn... the first sign in Felonca’s mind that there was a major problem.  He then went to a door that was part-way off of its hinges, a second sign in her mind.  However, when he knocked, and a soft voice called for “Mei Mei,” she couldn’t help herself, and a loud groan came from her lips as she rolled her eyes.“Mei Mei... by all the ancestors,” she hissed, hand to her head as the door opened.A young woman peeked her head out, her raven black hair a disheveled mop on her head.  Her similarly dark eyes went wide when she saw Felonca behind Meiji, and she wrenched the door shut just as Meiji put his foot in the way.  The hengeyokai yelped, but the door stayed open just long enough for Meiji to tell her who Felonca was.  The rogue merely crossed her arms in annoyance.“Who are you?  Meiji can’t seem to remember,” Felonca turned to her cousin and scowled.“I... I’m not sure it would be safe to tell you,” the woman replied in a quiet voice.  “I’m... in big trouble.  I don’t want to bring it on anyone else!”  It was then that the door creaked just wide enough that Felonca could see into the room.  It was spartan, with only a tiny traveling pack and a rather ornate cane standing out as the only objects obviously belonging to the woman.  Felonca also for the first time saw the woman’s dress... the remains of what was once an elegantly decorate silk gown, the brown of cranes embroidered into it mixing with the brown of dust and travel.I can see why Meiji went for her... if she had a bath and her hair was done better, she’d be quite stunning... Felonca thought, before noticing something else.  From underneath the silk, she noticed the girl’s arms.  Rather than being waif thin as one would expect from a delicate handmaiden, they seemed small, but rock hard, wiry with power.She’s not as she seems...“Dear...um...” Meiji stalled, looking down in embarrassment, before blurting out, “dearest flower!  This is my cousin, Felonca!  She’s in trouble also!”“You don’t have to tell everyone!” Felonca snapped, an elbow finding its way into Meiji’s rib.  She then turned back to the girl, only to see the young woman almost shaking with fear.Poor thing... she’s frightened to death...  The anger in her heart melted away in concern.  I remember being this scared one, several months ago...“He speaks the truth,” Felonca sighed quietly.  “I am in trouble as well, and by that point, we are in a similar situation.  If you will tell me your name and your story, I shall tell you my tale.”“My... my name is Yari Ai,” the girl said, stammering.  “I...I don’t feel... safe... telling you more,” she said, her voice dropping to the merest whisper.Felonca gave her a quiet smile.  “Maybe, on the road to Mingzhong, we can learn to trust each other, then.”  The girl looked, and returned the barest, shiest of smiles.“Perhaps.”</blockquote>

Verification