Snippet #1841244

"The dragon is dead," came the whisper from Nin's pursed lips. What did this mean? She searched the eyes of Fate, trying to find an answer, but everything was too mixed up. An amalgamation of colours and sounds. This wasn't right. It wasn't. She saw the death of the lanternfish at the feet of Makoto and quailed. "Bad omens. Bad, bad omens." She'd forgotten Sachio's presence; she forgot the festival, the progression, the brewing war. She didn't think about others. Instead, she worried, How will this affect me? Hurt and harm, or business and glee. Something bad was going to happen tonight.

---

As the confused Tengu racked his memory for their earlier memories, Tomoe examined his nails boredly. They needed to be repainted. Perhaps a lighter pink this time. At the question, Tomoe couldn't help but chuckle. "Am I forgotten so easily, Amori-san?" he asked, tipping up his mask to reveal his face. He let the lady comment slide; it was common that he was mistake for a woman, and it had the potential to be hilarious if he could see how long he could drag out the mistake. "You'll have to stick to bars so I don't have to rescue you from the opium den again, if it affects your memory so." Tomoe had only seen the tengu take a drag before he was threatening other den-goers and doing strange karate moves.

Tomoe looked out to the festival with a sigh. Children played merrily, old couples walked serenly, and young couples dipped into giggling shadows for a quick grope and kiss. Tomoe looked into the sky and thought of the night full of promise. But as he shifted his feet, he felt the weight of his sleeves and frowned. He had a duty tonight.

He slipped the mask back over his face to conceal his eyes as they searched through the crowd. "Have you any plans for the night? There is much here to do." But just as he finished his sentence, the oyabun broke through the crowds. Startled, Tomoe pulled off his mask and held it at his side. "Isamu-sama," he greeted with a deep bow at the waist. "The parade has begun?"