As the sun set an entire animal haunch was hefted over each fire to begin cooking. Males brought around big baskets of fresh fruit handing them to the female at each smaller bonfire. Chiaki's basket was delivered by a two-stripe male who had short dark grey hair with matching ears and tail.
"Thank you." She smiled at him. He blushed and left quickly.
Chiaki was fully enjoying the festivities. Mostly from her spot she could watch as an unending stream of young males visited the fires of the five new females in the city. They would bring gifts. And though she couldn't hear what was being said, she was sure it was the same type of lines she herself had heard.
"Chiaki?! Oh it is you!"
Chiaki felt a cold shiver go up her spine at the voice. She looked behind her to see Bai Qingqing running over to her, waving dramatically. Weakly she returned a wave. "Qingqing."
The girl stopped beside her, hands on her knees, panting and out of breath. "I'm -puff- so happy -huff- to see you -augh- here!" She said. "I've been at the Leopard Castle for a few days-," here she sighed, "and I didn't know how to find you!"
"Oh, sorry. I didn't know you made it to the city. The last I heard Parker was saving you?" How do you talk about being kidnapped!? Chiaki turned away from Qingqing so she couldn't see her desperate look.
"He did!" Qingqing said brightly. "But I can't really stay mad at Bluepool, he thought I was so beautiful that I must have been the Mermen's lost female." Qingqing blushed and her hand moved to cover a mark on her that looked like a jumping dolphin.
"Bluepool?"
"Oh! Yes! He's this Merman with blue hair and he brought me pearls!" Qingqing gushed. "He also-" She trailed off with another blush.
Chiaki could guess by the mark on Qingqing's body just what this Bluepool had 'also' done with the girl. Well, she guessed that put a quick end to the teen swearing she would only be with Parker. The Leopard must have eaten his tail when he found out! "So, did you get to see the bottom of the ocean?" She asked.
Qingqing looked sad. "No. We didn't make it to the sea before I got pelted with a giant egg that fell from the sky." Qingqing huffed and squatted next to the fire with a pout. "I spent weeks smelling bad after that! It really upset Bluepool though and when we ran into an Eagle Beast-man not log after that, Bluepool asked him to take me up a mountain!"
"It sounds like you had quite the... adventure." Chiaki replied.
"That's not even the end of things!" Qingqing turned tear filled eyes towards Chiaki. "His name is Muir and now he's asking me to be his mate too!"
"And Muir is?"
"The Eagle!" Qingqing wailed.
"Oh!" Chiaki tried to be sympathetic. "It... must be very... difficult for you."
"Qingqing! Oh thank goodness I found you!" Parker called out as he spotted his mate at Chiaki's bonfire.
"Parker!" Qingqing cried throwing herself into his arms.
"It's okay." He said as he patted her head. Then he recognized the people around him. "Hello again." He said with a smile. "Thank you for watching over Qingqing. I think the feast is too exciting for her." He was still patting her hair and she seemed to be getting sleepy standing in his hold.
"You should get her back to your fire- So she can rest!" Chiaki said quickly.
Once the pair were out of sight Chiaki heaved a heavy sigh. "Thankfully they seem to be a lot further from the main fire!" She said.
Curtis shifted and pulled her into his lap. "Remind me to thank you over and over that it was you who I found with my shed skin." He wrapped his arms around her middle, resting his chin on her shoulder as he spoke.
