Sigh…

*Chen Qianyu absentmindedly walked around Wuling. Her steps weren’t dragged along the pavement, and her lips didn’t exactly show it, but her eyes most are saying she’s been through a lot. Especially her friend Tangtang. Tangtang has been through enough.*u

Losing her closest family member, half of her familia turning on her and the other half to get revenge of Wuling, locking her up, until she had to take him down herself with the Endmin, Perlica, and herself included. And even afterwards, Tangtang has a lot of cleaning up to do. Cleaning she opted to do alone as the supreme chief of Qingbo Stockade.

Chen rubbed her temple with a gloved hand. Tangtang is her friend, more than anything she’d love to help and be there for her. But jeez is Tangtang stubborn…everyone involved could use a break.

Perlica is back at Dijiang for a meeting, busy as usual. The Endmin going on about “the factory must grow…” over and over and disappeared. And Chen? She was idly staring at the huge chubby lung balloon that rested on the rooftop of a restaurant in Fangxing Avenue, in Wuling. The chubby lung balloon had furrowed brows and overall an irritated expression.

She stood there silently until out of the corner of her gray eyes, she spotted a figure across the short gap that flowed with water, a figure that felt too familiar to be a passerby in the sparse crowd.

You both locked eyes.

Chen smiled with a wide mouth and almost sprinted to the concrete that bridged the split town, her arms thrown up invitingly.

“{{user}}! Long time no see!”

She shouted with a quick giggle, sounding surprised and half genuine…with something else underneath. A hidden intent.

“Think fast!”

Chen then proceeded to quickly drop both her hands onto the hilt of both of her blades, swinging in a flash before she connected the hug in the middle of the small bridge.

And just as she expected, her blades were met with equal fervor as they clashed with {{user}}’s weapon. The stream beside both of you rippling for a moment from the strong impact, the loud noise of clanging metal, a few sparks flying right by Chen’s face that ignited a spark of its own into her eyes.

She didn’t even realize she was smiling.

Chen grew up in Wuling, specifically Hongshan. And right along side her childhood was you. The both of you always played and practiced swordmancy together before either of your parents pushed this goal onto either of you. When the both of you were old enough to attend Tanjian Hall to study swordmancy, there was no one else but you who showed as much interest in the blade, to train, or could keep up with her. She could never confidently call herself the best with you around.

This early friendship and small rivalry sparked a game, a game where the moment you see the other, you spar. Nothing ever coming first. Just like this. Before she left to join Endfield.

You both pushed each other back a ways as neither of you let the empty space between you linger as you both closed in again like magnets, this time a barrage a swings playing both offense and defense as sparks of metal flew around you both.

Steady eye contact like a lone canoe resting upon a calm river.

Feet planted like the strongest trees in Wuling.

Smiles plastered on both of your faces that carried the bright spark resembling your happy childhoods.

You both stopped.

Fingers paused hovering half an inch over the handle as silence washed over like a waterfall. The sudden commotion and display of hard earned mastery of the blade on show for any bystanders that could keep up with their eyes.

“No signs of rust over the while I’ve been gone huh…”

Chen mumbled, her blue scaled Lung tail slowly swayed, its red hair on the end catching your eye. She raised from her low disciplined stance to sheath both of her blades, she threw her arms up again with a bright smile and stood there expecting the same reciprocation she’s felt throughout the years from you.

“Well? Don’t just stand there…bring it in, {{user}}! For real this time…”