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Post by Shizukiri Naia on Jul 18, 2006 22:50:51 GMT -5
Oh, if you only knew. Naia looked ahead again, smiling as he eyed the nearby tents. "Thank you so much for helping me," he said again. "It's my first day here, so I guess I'm a bit disoriented..."
Looking back in time to catch Xue's glance towads him, Naia let his eyebrows perk upwards again. "Hm? Is something wrong?"
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Post by Zhong Xue on Jul 18, 2006 22:55:42 GMT -5
"Huh? Oh, nothing!" Xue waved his hands, laughing. "I was just... your first day?" He raised an eyebrow. "I thought all the recruits got here yesterday... were you late or something?"
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Post by Shizukiri Naia on Jul 18, 2006 23:03:01 GMT -5
Naia laughed a little, letting some embarrassment seep through. "I came from pretty far away, and I planned to arrive yesterday, but I hit a heavy rainstorm not long after I left. I thought it'd be best to wait it out and make the time up later, but I didn't manage as fast as I thought I could." His eyes found the ground at his feet, brows drawn sheepishly.
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Post by Zhong Xue on Jul 18, 2006 23:14:24 GMT -5
"Ohh, that must've been difficult," Xue murmured, frowning sympathetically. "I live close enough, so I got here easily enough... ah, that's your camp right over there!" He smiled at Naia. "Those're a lot of tents... do you know which one is yours? I can help you find it!"
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Post by Shizukiri Naia on Jul 18, 2006 23:41:51 GMT -5
Xue couldn't have spoken more truthfully; the tents spread around them like an ocean of canvas in all directions. Still, though a size estimate of the army would be a good start, it wasn't something that should take a great deal of schmoozing to figure out.
"Well, I know the number I should be in," Naia replied with another small grin. "With any luck, I should find it..." He made time for an artfully distracted pause, then turned back. "You say you live close? It must be nice, near the coast."
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Wu Xiaoszi
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Screeches Like A Girl [China]
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Post by Wu Xiaoszi on Jul 18, 2006 23:49:58 GMT -5
Oh, there he was.
Without warning, a heavy weight barrelled into Xue's back and on to his shoulders. "Squirt!" shouted the attacker, and the other boy didnt' have to look to recognize that voice, or the 'affectionate' nickname either. "I was lookin' all over for you!" said Xiao, easing up on the headlock to allow Xue to regain his balance. "Spoilsport told me to tell you that the General's passed out the night watch duty schedule!"
It was only after this outburst that Xiao noticed the other man. His brows furrowed - funny, he didn't recognize the guy from yesterday, but he was wearing the same uniform. He ducked his head, until his mouth was level with the smaller boy's ear, and whispered loudly, "Who's your companion? Boyfriend?"
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Post by Zhong Xue on Jul 18, 2006 23:54:55 GMT -5
"Xiao!" Xue choked, his complexion skipping right over any shade of red and turning an alarming shade of purple. Though Xiao had loosened his grip on Xue's neck, Xue still wobbled, as if about to topple over and die from the embarrassment.
"Th-Th-That's not it at all! I was just showing Jun to his tent, since he just got here earlier..."
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Post by Shizukiri Naia on Jul 19, 2006 0:08:01 GMT -5
Watch duty schedule? That would be slightly more useful than anything Naia had found out so far. If he could figure out who the less competent fighers were and find out when they were posted to watch, that would win him some points with his employer. He made a mental note to copy one, annotate, and send it as soon as he could.
Of course, he couldn't help but laugh at Xiao's suggestion (and meanwhile, he guessed that 'Spoilsport' was the other tentmate that Xue had mentioned). "I was delayed by a storm and got here early this morning," he explained through a chuckle to head off questions. "I haven't quite learned my way around yet. Xue has been a big help, really."
Naia bowed once he'd finished with his brief explanation. "I'm Xie Jun."
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Wu Xiaoszi
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Post by Wu Xiaoszi on Jul 19, 2006 0:15:54 GMT -5
Xiao's eyes trailed the other stranger as he bowed, and frowned. "I'm Wu Xiaoszi," he said in return, but made no effort to return the polige gesture. The guy was smooth, almost too smooth, with a liquid ease about him that just didn't sit quite well with Xiao. Instantly, he didn't like Xie Jun, and while it might have been an unfair judgement, he always had faith in his instincts. "Where you goin', Xie Jun?" he asked, withdrawing from his friend.
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Post by Zhong Xue on Jul 19, 2006 0:27:24 GMT -5
Xue turned to Xiao, an eyebrow raised. The instant coldness was something new from his friend; he'd even been friendly to Shikang at first, before their disagreement. "I was just going to point him to his tent," he said, a bit hesitantly. "Do you want to come with us?"
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Post by Shizukiri Naia on Jul 19, 2006 0:57:34 GMT -5
Naia glanced quickly between Xue and Xiao. Judging by Xue's reaction to the other's rather cool demeanor, it wasn't something ordinary. Xiao didn't like him, then? Either that, or he could sense something was out of place. Thinking that the former was preferrable, Naia didn't let himself get preoccupied.
"I doubt my tent will be all that interesting," he added to Xue's offer, his voice picking up a faintly sing-song tone, "but I won't stop you if you'd like to follow."
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Wu Xiaoszi
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Post by Wu Xiaoszi on Jul 19, 2006 0:59:12 GMT -5
Xiao bent forward, almost resting his chin on Xue's shoulder. "You gonna go with him, Squirt?" he asked, looking sideways at the boy's profile.
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Post by Zhong Xue on Jul 19, 2006 1:05:47 GMT -5
"Ahhh..." Xue looked back and forth between Naia and his friend, looking more than a little confused at the sudden tension. "Well, if the night watch schedule is up, we should probably get back, huh? Will you be okay, Jun?"
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Post by Shizukiri Naia on Jul 19, 2006 1:15:55 GMT -5
"I'll be fine from here." Naia took a glance around the sea of tents, nodding to himself, and then turning back to the two and grinning. "Thanks for everything, Xue... and nice to meet you, Xiao."
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Wu Xiaoszi
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Post by Wu Xiaoszi on Jul 19, 2006 1:20:21 GMT -5
"Nice meeting you," returned Xiao, by means of a farewell. He walked back in the direction of their camp without looking back, only pausing to let Xue say his goodbyes and catch up. "Y'shouldn't be so nice to people, Squirt," he said flatly, once they were out of hearing range. "You'll get taken advantage of that way, since you're such a pushover already. Next time, don't just go off yourself. Ask me, or even Spoilsport if you havta." He glanced at Xue out of the corner of his eye. "Teamwork, right?"
"Anyway, I don't like that guy," he added, bluntly. He started ahead of his teammate, keeping eyes focused on the road ahead. "He kinda bugs me, dunno why. Maybe you shouldn't hang around with him so much, Squirt. Just in case." For the rest of the trip back, he didn't say a word more.
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