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Description
He's sitting alone at the table; all isolated and in the last spot at the window, as if he had intended to be cut off the social crowd, as far away as possible. Even though being a Kon Sy (he looks like a King Cobra, although there is something off about his face...she can't put her finger on it, though), he seems like a foreigner. A traveller perhaps, coming from some far away area of Sylang. Possibly the South.
She catches herself watching him all the time. Secretly. All at once, she feels even more miserable than ever this evening. Velocitas, what's the point in that? You behave like some indescreet Kapka.
But there is no time left to ponder more about this Cobra. The next moment she peeks at him, a wide trenchcoat blocks her view. Nocaneos gives a smug smile.
"Girl, there you are. What a shabby restaurant this is."
She sighs. "What's the target's name?"
"Aren't you gonna invite me for a drink?"
"Just give me the name and the data, Nocaneos."
"How very rude." His tongue flickers, disgruntled. Then, he digs into his pocket, taking out a slip of paper which he slides across the table. Velocitas grabs it, carelessly putting it away. She notices that the Anaconda makes no move to leave whatsoever and impatiently twitches her eyes.
"Wanna get rid of me, eh?" He leans over. "Waiting for your Retic, I guess."
"Just leave."
He lets out a grim laugh and a sudden trace of repressed anger dances off him. "Don't forget my words, girl. Your- our world and his world - that'll never go well together. Never."
Then, he finally leaves; just while turning around, his tail swoops over her table; both a cup of coffee as well as a dispenser filled with toothpicks fall off to the ground, rattling and clanking. The noise comes so sudden and loud that several annoyed faces turn around to them. The Falcon stares at the broken mug and the spilled toothpicks; then she gives the Anaconda, who just unaffectedly moves out, a fuming glare. There are dozens of curses dancing on top of her tongue, eager to get spit out. But she swallows them all. Contenance. Don't chance a face loss.
Thus, she silently bends over to collect and clean the damage. The broken pieces are all over the place. So are the toothpicks. Just as she reaches out for one of the shards, a hand appears, reaching for the same shard, picking it up. She looks. And freezes. The hand belongs to the Kon Sy she has been staring at before.
"I..." She thinks a bit, then shakes her head. "Apologies for this mess. My colleague was having a bad day."
He just nods. And so, both of them collect the shards and the toothpicks, cleaning everything up with obligatory napkins. As he is about to return to his table after everything looks fine again, she says - for whatever weird impulsive reason: "No, wait." He stands still, looking at her with a questioning expression. It is just now where she realises him having crimson eyes and vertical pupils. ...not a Cobra after all? Or...
"Please...would you sit with me for a moment. Unless you're waiting for someone, then you can of course..."
He continues looking at her silently. But then, a gentle smile appears on his lips. "...no. I'm not waiting for someone." And he takes a seat.

***

He doesn't talk much and so does she. There is a timidity between both of them; but the silence lying above them has something soothing to it, if not even comforting. She suddenly feels weirdly relieved. All the anger she had had for Nocaneos just moments before are now gone completely.
"Are you here for a visit?", she asks with some shy restraint.
He softly shakes his head. "Just passing through."
The way his UV-traces are surrounding him remind her of the monks from the temples. She would have almost asked him whether he was a temple serpent himself but she doesn't quite have the courage to do so. Instead, she observes his face. As it is with all snakes, it seems ageless, timeless.
"And you?", he asks. "Where are you from?"
"I'm living here. In Cobra City."
"That fits." He smiles. "Cobra City fits you very well."
She returns his smile. "You think so? I...always dreamed of this place when I was a little kid. Even though I never knew why. Cobra City always felt like home, although I was born and raised somewhere else. Isn't that funny?...ah. Please ignore that, it surely just sounds stupid."
"No...I think, it sounds wonderful."
"Pardon my bluntness", she gingerly says, "I hope I don't come across as too impolite in saying this, but...I've never seen a Co...a Kon Sy having such eyes as you do."
He seems irritated. For a short, terrible moment she's afraid that she could have insulted him in some way. Therefore, she drops her gaze, quickly adding: "You...have beautiful eyes. Like blood-red agates."
"Well...we have something in common, then", she hears him saying. "Your eyes also remind me of a gem stone. Turquoise...very unusual for a Siakan person."
When she raises her head again, he gives her a friendly look.
Strange, she thinks. I feel like I should know this man.
"And you? Where is your home?", she abruptly asks.
He keeps quiet for a while.
"I'm still searching for it", he says at last.
"Oh."
Then his eyes wander off to the clock. "And it is time for me to move on. Thank you very much for the pleasant company. It did me good."
She is silent at first. Then, she nods.
"I...I am sure that you will find it. Whatever it may be that you're searching for. I know you will."
For a while, he just sits there, doing nothing. Seems as hesitant as she feels herself. Then, she reaches out with her hand. She'll later ask herself why she did. She won't be able to explain. The stranger takes her hand. Her fingers disappear under an elaborate glove made of dark silk, gently covering them.

I know you.
Who are you?

"Thank you, little arrow", he says with a softspoken voice.
Then, he gets up and leaves.

~

An encounter.

characters, art and story (c)

&

Description
He's sitting alone at the table; all isolated and in the last spot at the window, as if he had intended to be cut off the social crowd, as far away as possible. Even though being a Kon Sy (he looks like a King Cobra, although there is something off about his face...she can't put her finger on it, though), he seems like a foreigner. A traveller perhaps, coming from some far away area of Sylang. Possibly the South.
She catches herself watching him all the time. Secretly. All at once, she feels even more miserable than ever this evening. Velocitas, what's the point in that? You behave like some indescreet Kapka.
But there is no time left to ponder more about this Cobra. The next moment she peeks at him, a wide trenchcoat blocks her view. Nocaneos gives a smug smile.
"Girl, there you are. What a shabby restaurant this is."
She sighs. "What's the target's name?"
"Aren't you gonna invite me for a drink?"
"Just give me the name and the data, Nocaneos."
"How very rude." His tongue flickers, disgruntled. Then, he digs into his pocket, taking out a slip of paper which he slides across the table. Velocitas grabs it, carelessly putting it away. She notices that the Anaconda makes no move to leave whatsoever and impatiently twitches her eyes.
"Wanna get rid of me, eh?" He leans over. "Waiting for your Retic, I guess."
"Just leave."
He lets out a grim laugh and a sudden trace of repressed anger dances off him. "Don't forget my words, girl. Your- our world and his world - that'll never go well together. Never."
Then, he finally leaves; just while turning around, his tail swoops over her table; both a cup of coffee as well as a dispenser filled with toothpicks fall off to the ground, rattling and clanking. The noise comes so sudden and loud that several annoyed faces turn around to them. The Falcon stares at the broken mug and the spilled toothpicks; then she gives the Anaconda, who just unaffectedly moves out, a fuming glare. There are dozens of curses dancing on top of her tongue, eager to get spit out. But she swallows them all. Contenance. Don't chance a face loss.
Thus, she silently bends over to collect and clean the damage. The broken pieces are all over the place. So are the toothpicks. Just as she reaches out for one of the shards, a hand appears, reaching for the same shard, picking it up. She looks. And freezes. The hand belongs to the Kon Sy she has been staring at before.
"I..." She thinks a bit, then shakes her head. "Apologies for this mess. My colleague was having a bad day."
He just nods. And so, both of them collect the shards and the toothpicks, cleaning everything up with obligatory napkins. As he is about to return to his table after everything looks fine again, she says - for whatever weird impulsive reason: "No, wait." He stands still, looking at her with a questioning expression. It is just now where she realises him having crimson eyes and vertical pupils. ...not a Cobra after all? Or...
"Please...would you sit with me for a moment. Unless you're waiting for someone, then you can of course..."
He continues looking at her silently. But then, a gentle smile appears on his lips. "...no. I'm not waiting for someone." And he takes a seat.

***

He doesn't talk much and so does she. There is a timidity between both of them; but the silence lying above them has something soothing to it, if not even comforting. She suddenly feels weirdly relieved. All the anger she had had for Nocaneos just moments before are now gone completely.
"Are you here for a visit?", she asks with some shy restraint.
He softly shakes his head. "Just passing through."
The way his UV-traces are surrounding him remind her of the monks from the temples. She would have almost asked him whether he was a temple serpent himself but she doesn't quite have the courage to do so. Instead, she observes his face. As it is with all snakes, it seems ageless, timeless.
"And you?", he asks. "Where are you from?"
"I'm living here. In Cobra City."
"That fits." He smiles. "Cobra City fits you very well."
She returns his smile. "You think so? I...always dreamed of this place when I was a little kid. Even though I never knew why. Cobra City always felt like home, although I was born and raised somewhere else. Isn't that funny?...ah. Please ignore that, it surely just sounds stupid."
"No...I think, it sounds wonderful."
"Pardon my bluntness", she gingerly says, "I hope I don't come across as too impolite in saying this, but...I've never seen a Co...a Kon Sy having such eyes as you do."
He seems irritated. For a short, terrible moment she's afraid that she could have insulted him in some way. Therefore, she drops her gaze, quickly adding: "You...have beautiful eyes. Like blood-red agates."
"Well...we have something in common, then", she hears him saying. "Your eyes also remind me of a gem stone. Turquoise...very unusual for a Siakan person."
When she raises her head again, he gives her a friendly look.
Strange, she thinks. I feel like I should know this man.
"And you? Where is your home?", she abruptly asks.
He keeps quiet for a while.
"I'm still searching for it", he says at last.
"Oh."
Then his eyes wander off to the clock. "And it is time for me to move on. Thank you very much for the pleasant company. It did me good."
She is silent at first. Then, she nods.
"I...I am sure that you will find it. Whatever it may be that you're searching for. I know you will."
For a while, he just sits there, doing nothing. Seems as hesitant as she feels herself. Then, she reaches out with her hand. She'll later ask herself why she did. She won't be able to explain. The stranger takes her hand. Her fingers disappear under an elaborate glove made of dark silk, gently covering them.

I know you.
Who are you?

"Thank you, little arrow", he says with a softspoken voice.
Then, he gets up and leaves.

~

An encounter.

characters, art and story (c)

&