Fox Tails & Dragon Boats

[Cookie Waterford]

While rather different than Creta in a million and a half ways, over the years Cookie had concluded that nothing was nicer than Xing in the summer months. The clothes that went on sale were light and trendy, all the winter stuff was cheap since it was out of season, and restaurants everywhere boasted the joys of perfect fruits and vegetables. Really, these were the months Cookie relished. Warm weather meant the surfing and sports were good, and she could revel in all the vegetarian dishes she wanted. It was good to be home, too, even if some part of her head still thought it was funny that she'd accepted Xing as home mre than Creta. But what did Creta have for her anymore? In Wanning, she had her work, and she had the waves, and she had Han to givbe her her marching orders and ship her off to wherever seemed interesting. Her article on the dual nature of Carraig and the commentary about the charming prince she'd met had been a huge hit, even after having the article painstakingly translated into two other languages for Mag X Zine's Cretan and Amestrian publications. More assignment weeks needed to go like that, even if the best parts never made it to print.

But that spread had earned Cookie some bonus points, and being asked to do a fluff piece. It was more a photographic commentary than anything, but Han knew Cookie had a certain flair with her work that caught the eye and a use of words that managed to entice readers into becoming tourists who boosted Xing's revenue. Walking around Xi'an, Cookie idly munched the chicken and vegetable bao in her hand, her other hand shoved in the pocket of her jacket. She was Cretan, she knew, and nothing would ever change that, but walking around and soaking it all in, some part of Cookie knew that she wasn't just wearing a spiffy, unbuttoned jacket with huge sleeves because she was some Cretan on holiday and it seemed the thing to do. The peony-patterened jacket suited Cookie because just as much as she knew she was Cretan in heritage, she had become Xingese in love.

June in Xi'an... It was nice. The people were happy, things smelled great, and the main event would be coming up. "Double Fifth" would be here- that meant Dragon Boat racing on the fivers! And that was an ancient festival that Cookie knew she was bound to get some good fluff shots of, and maybe some commentary if she was lucky enough to run into anyone important. The only real trouble was trying to find thigns to say that hand't already been said by those who came before her to showcase the same event. It had all been done before... Everything from the droll stories of the statesman Wu Zi Xu to the romanticized retellings of Cao Er drowning herself to find her father. But, Han did want mostly photos for this and only selective commentary. May... a short something? A fox in the sunshine with bao surrounded by hundreds of people who didn't know or notice her as they all got ready for one of the big festivals of the year. Something would come up. There was that twitchy feeling that today would be lucky, and all Cookie needed was to find the perfect place to be in at the right time. No problem.