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The Asian Festival (Attn: Dana/Open)

Not being a subtle driver Pak had put the 'Lil Bird through its paces but she never even risked scratching the paint on her precious 57 Thunderbird. She loved her car. It was a nice night out so the top was currently stowed in the trunk. She'd have to put it back up when they parked, but for now, she enjoyed having the wind in her hair. Reaching their destination, she parked a fair distance from any other car and under a light. Sliding out of the car, she set about putting the top back in place and locking up.

Apparently, it was cultural awareness month in Nachton as Pak had gone to a Celtic festival with Kem and Aishe last weekend and after some chat had settled on an Asian heritage festival tonight. There should be plenty to do and see. Calligraphy demonstrations in several language, bonsi and origami demos, food, drink, shopping from silk to jewelry to art, dancers were performing, artists were arting and many other things.

Pak absently smiled at the sounds and smells. It was far neater and quieter than the market back home had been but it wasn't that far off.


"Where do you want to start?"Â?

Dana 15 years ago
Dana didn't care if Pakpao drove, as they'd have been gently ferried about in the back of the sedan she'd been assigned for the evening. She was really looking forward to getting her own license and car, but that was weeks away, and she would just have to be patient.

She'd enjoyed the ride, but her hair was a mess by the time they made it to the parking lot of the festival they'd decided on. As Pakpao put her car together, Dana having already ascertained that she would be of no help and only get in the way, she took the jeweled combs that held her hair up, out of their now lopsided positions. Taking a brush from her purse, she set about repairing the damage. She finished just as Pakpao finished with the car.

Tucking the brush and combs into her purse, she looked out over the festival.


"How do you feel about wandering until we find something?"

With a grin, she took Pakpao's hand and shrug her off toward the light flow of people. It wasn't as populated as Dana expected, and she was glad for that. They stopped at a booth or two before coming into an open area where eight men danced using martial arts forms. Instantly mesmerized, Dana moved them to the benches lining the area, finding space for two on one near the front.
Pakpao 15 years ago
Pak wasn’t much of a touchy feely sort but apparently, Dana was and tonight she didn’t fight it. She wasn’t sure if it was a symptom of her edginess about her maker or if she was just that she was lonely. Oh sure she had a fair number of people she’d call friends and she had Kem and Aishe and Reign and the rest of the clan… but … well…. Not that she was interest in Dana. Oh, hell she was going to stop this line of thought right now.

“Wandering works.”

She let Dan more or less guide them. Apparently, there was some kind of martial display going on and Dana was fascinated. Now that was something Pak wouldn’t have guessed about her companion. She looked little and delicate, not the type for this sort of display, still she squeezed on the edge of the bench and watched.

“They make it look easy. I keep thinking I should learn something like this, self defense you know, but I’m never sure where to start.”

Aishe and Kem had given her a bit of a lesson a while ago, but she hadn’t really pursued it. Maybe she should. It couldn’t hurt.
Dana 15 years ago
Dana nodded at Pakpao. "It's like dancing with incredible power behind it. I'd like to learn as well, but I've not met anyone so far that could teach me."

She smiled at Pakpao. "I could take a class, but I hate being around that many people while I make a fool of myself."

From somewhere behind the men, long sticks began to fly through the air, each man caught one with a grunt. They used these sticks to begin "fighting" each other.

"Wow. I wonder what discipline this is."
Aishe 15 years ago
Waiting for the stick-fighting demonstration to finish, Aishe straightened her starched white gi and gave her co-worker, Dan, a pleading glance. His response was to ignore her completely. Aishe sighed and shifted from foot to foot, bending over to stretch for the thirtieth time.

She and Dan had bumped into each other at Liefde's gym several times and although they'd never really sparred they'd developed a friendship. Dan practiced aikido, a form Aishe was a little familiar with since her own style involved similar throws.

A few weeks back Dan had asked for her help this weekend and shed agreed, knowing Kem would be out of town doing some appraisals. So here she was, Dan's guinea pig, here to demonstrate that with the right training a small woman such as herself could easily take down someone of Dan's six feet and change.

Aishe really hated the spotlight but she liked Dan and thought it would be an interesting display. So as the stick fighting ended she tossed her ponytail back away from her face and trotted out onto the raised mats behind him, bowing briefly to the small crowd and letting Dan give his speech before proceeding to repeatedly flip him onto his back. If she let him hit the ground kind of hard a few times, well, that was karma!
Pakpao 15 years ago
“If I knew I would tell you. Hang on.”

Pak stood and made her way to the back of the venue. Ha she guessed right there were both fliers and a schedule. She picked up one of each and handed them to Dana. Apparently this demo was over and they were starting another one. Pak wasn’t sure she was going to be interested and was more than half inclined to leave when a familiar figure caught the corner of her eye. She did a bit of a double take but settled back down to watch.

“Now this should be good. I know her.”

Although she had –no- idea Aishe was going to be involved in anything here. She probably would have come if she’d known.

Aishe was probably above stage fright, however, Pak just sat quietly rather than calling attention to herself. She’d harass her friend when she was threw abusing this guy, some one she recognized as working in one of the accounting departments.
Dana 15 years ago
Dana read quickly over the papers, she recognized some of the words, but most of them were unfamiliar. She'd ask Bao, he seemed to know enough about martial arts to be able to answer her questions and is he couldn't, the she'd lean on the internet a bit.

"Really? This town is awfully small for its size."

A smile curled her lips as she Folded the papers into a neat square. She tucked them into her purse and looked up to see a small woman come out behind a large man. His speech was brief and to the point about size not mattering. Then the young woman proceeded to knock him down over and over.

Impressed, Dana clapped along with the crowd. Perhaps this kind of thing could be added to her lessons. She glanced down at her watch, still too early to go into the office this evening, so she had time to observe more and add to her growing list of questions.[/i]

"She's very good."
Pakpao 15 years ago
“It’s pretty impressive who you run into on the streets around here.”

Vampires, werewolves, street performers the variety was endless. She wondered for a second what Dana’s story was and if she fit any of the three profiles. It was simple enough to rule out street performer as she hadn’t paid for anything in loose change and didn’t dress like a mime. Vampire and werewolf were a bit harder to rule out. Well she hadn’t tried to bite yet so it didn’t matter one way or the other.

Pak winced a few times as the guy hit the mats. That had to hurt, but he kept bouncing back.


“She can be down right scary. Tried to teach me a bit once I think I learned a little but it didn’t stick as well as it should have.”

She thought bitterly about trying to take on her maker in Silicone Valley. He had her utterly out matched, probably could have broken her neck with out thinking about it.
Aishe 15 years ago
Aishe followed the format Dan had outlined for her, helping him demonstrate hip throws, shoulder throws, and more difficult leg throws. She had to admit she was enjoying tossing him around a little.

They ended their demonstration with a fun series of jumps and throws designed to show off Aishe's size-related ability to avoid what were considered common grips in most martial forms. She happily turned Dan's kicks and punches to her advantage, using his own momentum against him to flip him around and down. When they finished she gave a brief little bow again and hopped down from the stage, making way for some of Dan's team-mates to join him for the rest of the demo.

Behind the makeshift dressing screen they had all used she took off her gi and changed into a pair of soft grey yoga-style pants and a flowy dark green shirt that matched her eyes. Intending to retrieve her gi later she headed out into the crowd to enjoy the rest of Dan's demo.

Rounding the corner of the mats she did a double-take. She hadn't expected to see any friends here but sure enough there was Pak! She was talking to the girl next to her, a pretty young woman who seemed interested in what was happening on the mats. She wasn't sure she should interrupt them but, well... It was Pak! She approached the two, pulling her hair from its tight ponytail to let it spill down her back.


"Hi Pak."
Pakpao 15 years ago
Caught red handed! Actually they weren’t red they were the same color they always were, she hadn’t had a tan in decades. But it was nice to see her.

“Hey Aishe. Nice of you to leave some of him for the rest of demo.”

She cleared her throat significantly and jerked her head at some of the other folks on the benches and they obligingly moved down. It wasn’t that she planned on staying for the rest of the show but it was nice to give Aishe a place to sit down if she wanted.

“This is Dana we were assaulted by a bar tender and thought something else might be in order for the evening. Dan, Aishe… slayer of guys in white pajamas.”
Dana 15 years ago
Clapping enthusiastically for the young woman as she left, Dana smiled at Pakpao. "I'm sure you'd be great at it with some practice."

The demonstration continued, but Dana's attention was drawn away as the woman came over and Pakpao introduced her. Had she just called her Dan?! Really, how odd. No one had ever shortened her name to such a mannish moniker. Well, it seemed Aishe didn't fair much better.

With a half smile, she extended a hand to Aishe.


"It's a pleasure to meet you. You're very good at that." She gestured to the men still executing throws and kicks.
Aishe 15 years ago
"Hi Dana, nice to meet you." Aishe shook the young woman's hand, her smile open and friendly. Surely any friend of Pak's was okay by her, right? "Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Dan and I practice together so when he asked me for a favor I couldn't say no."

Her tone of voice made it plain that her perceived obligation was one of casual friendship rather than anything else. She had drawn the line at doing any public speaking though. For one thing she wasn't of Asian descent like Dan and his team mates, and for another her soft accent still made her a little self-conscious. She had been teased about it as a teenager and while that didn't especially bother her anymore she was still aware of her own voice. Dana had an accent too, something not uncommon in Nachton. The city seemed to attract all types - for obvious reasons.

"Have you been here long? That was our last demo for the night and there are still a couple hours before they close the booths up. I was going to take a look around."

Typical of anything "Nachton" the festival would be running until a little after midnight. The shows and demos tended to run until about ten but there was still food and entertainment to be had.
Dana 15 years ago
Dana's smile warmed, as Aishe spoke. "No we've only been here a short while. I'd like very much to see what else there is to offer. I'm afraid though I've only a couple of hours as I still have to work tonight."

She had so many new questions for her "boss." Calling him that made her chuckle a little still, he was more friend she helped out than boss, though her work was very serious.
Pakpao 15 years ago
“And I thought I kept odd hours.”

Pak’s comings and goings were the source of confusion for those new to the department and a bit of a source of amusement for her senior employees. Actually she did keep fairly regular hours but it wasn’t unheard of her for her to work several extremely long days and then take one off or to split her day in two or three chunks or to simply not go home until the sunlight through her office window made it necessary.

Good they agreed, because she wasn’t ready to call it a night yet. She took a long sniff and determined which way the food was.


“I have decided I’m in desperate need of food, and I promised Aishe something with tentacles. The odds are pretty good for finding squid on a stick tonight.”

With that tempting offer she started off in what seemed to be the ‘food court’.
Aishe 15 years ago
Aishe smiled and gave Dana a regretful look. "I know how that goes," she said. "My boyfriend works some odd hours too; in fact he's out of town now doing just that. When I moved here to be with him I took a job that would give me time to be with him. My folks can't seem to ever catch us in now."

She smiled and shrugged. "Still, there's time for a quick bite!" She started off behind Pak, jogging a few steps to catch up. Squid on a stick? Delightful. She did owe Pak though. Not wanting Dana to feel like she was being left out of an 'inside' joke she turned and explained.

"Last weekend I convinced Pak and Kem to eat haggis at the Celtic festival but I had to promise to eat something with tentacles in return." She addressed Pak as well. "I'm sure he'll be thrilled he's missing this week's culinary adventure."

((ooc: assuming Dana is following... I will alter if not!))
Dana 15 years ago
Dana laughed, she couldn't help herself. Who would eat haggis on purpose? She'd lived around something similar, but had never gotten used to the taste and texture and then her human life had ended and so had the need to eat such things.

"I'm not a fan of tentacles, however I'm more than happy to watch you give them a try."

Still chuckling she followed along with the two women. It was odd to Dana to make friends so quickly. She was not accustomed to such casual conversation, ease of companionship or the camaraderie shared by women. It was fascinating and Dana was eager to share her findings with Amir.

It was a nice new addition to her new world, and she hoped it was one she would continue to expierence.
Pakpao 15 years ago
"There is no adventure in watching. Besides, tentacles can be tasty if they are done right."Â?

Apparently the food court was laid out by country and Pak wandered until she found her homeland. Finding the Siamese, ok Thai whatever they called themselves these days, area she kept walking until she encountered a booth with attended by a small very old looking woman and a man of about the same age working on food preparation in back. Smiling softly Pak bowed and spoke to the couple in her native tongue, apparently pleasing both of them.

"They don't have squid on a stick, but one of the Chinese vendors had it earlier today. We can go hunt it down if you'd like."Â?

She directed that to both women, her eyes dancing clearly amused by the idea.

While the other two considered the tentacle option she again switched languages and was handed three small cakes in exchange for a few dollars. Pak gave one to Aishe and one to Dana keeping one for herself.


"Life is short, eat dessert first."Â?

Aishe would appreciate the irony in that statement.

"Try them I promise they are safe. It's Kanom Tan. It was a rare treat at home."Â?

While she was alive they hadn't often had the money or ability to indulge in sweets but once in a great while they were able to have something like this. The small palm flavored cakes topped with shredded coconut.
Aishe 15 years ago
Aishe snorted at Pak. "Maybe not, but the guys who were watching didn't die in the plane crash on the first attempted flight."

She flashed her friend a grin, determined to defend Dana from Pak's snark by returning her own if need be.


"That said, I am a woman of my word. I promised I would eat something tentacle-y and I will. Lead on!"

Before Pak did so, however, she turned to them and offered them each a little cake. Aishe took hers with curiosity, examining its spongelike texture before shrugging and taking a bite. It was very sweet but not in a way that reminded her of American refined sugar. It was more a natural sweetness, like biting into a fresh fruit. She took another bite and nodded at Pak.

"It's good. Let's have more dessert after the tentacles."
Dana 15 years ago
Chuckling, Dana listened to the banter between the two. "I've found a great deal of adventure in watching, sometimes people do the most interesting things when they have an audience."

She listened to the soft exchange between Pakpao and the ancient couple. They used a language she was not familiar with, but it was fluid and lyrical. She took the cake she was offered and sighed inwardly. She did not eat often, as it seemed superfluous, not to mention the very human results of eating. Still she was trying to make friends.

With a smile, she took a nibble of the little cake. It was quite good, like the essence of fruit baked into a spongy cake.
Pakpao 15 years ago
“I don’t think you’ll find much chocolate about, even for dessert.”

Thanking the couple, she bowed again. It was still habit to respect her ‘elders’. That and the cakes had been delicious.

“Remind me to stop back here and get some of those or at least find out if they have a regular place. My cooking skills aren’t what they should be any more.”

Just a few hundred years out of date.

She started them back on the hunt for squid on a stick at a leisurely pace, by way of Korea and Japan from the looks of things. She’d have no issues stopping if the other two found something interesting. And there was plenty to find, the stall often had a ‘native’ look about them with various ingredients displayed in one way or another.


“I don’t remember the last time I turned on the stove in my place. What about you Dana, much of a cook?”

It was hard to judge Dana on appearance. To just look at her Pak would have guessed she was fairly domestic, but given how she’d gone after the guy in Babylon that didn’t seem right.
Dana 15 years ago
Dana dropped the cake into the trash as soon as she could do so discreetly. She did not wish to insult Pakpao, but she just truly did not want to ingest any more than she had to.

"Not in the slightest, most of my meals are taken..." What was the term these days. "On the fly."

That was pretty much the biggest understatement she'd uttered thus far. Hunting was a bit like working as a burgler, get in, get it, get out. Dana preferred it that way, it kept her detatched from her food. She had absolutely no desire to become friends or lovers with her prey. It made her glad that Pakpao and Aishe were women, then if they were men she'd have never done more than fed from Pakpao and been on her way.