Return to Shenkuu:Part Two

     Alexi found a seat by herself on the boat to Shenkuu. It wasn’t scheduled to be a long voyage, just a few hours. It was mid-afternoon, and the sun was already starting to set over the mountains in the distance. She wanted to take in the natural beauty of it all, but there was something astoundingly soporific about the fading light and gentle rocking of the boat. Usually she’d still be at work at this time of the afternoon, and she was always plenty awake for that. There was probably just something relaxing about returning to Shenkuu, and that was why she suddenly felt so ready for a nap.

     It was the feeling of safety and rightness that always came with returning home, she thought. Shenkuu wasn’t really home anymore, but it still felt that way. It was all so recognizable. Sometimes she had taken the weekends to go hiking in the mountains. When they got a little closer, she’d probably be able to see all those old haunts, if she was still awake by then. She wonders if any of the crew would wake her up upon arrival, or if they’d just let her sleep for the full round trip.

     Alexi’s eyes were slowly closing, when the fading sunlight was suddenly blotted out by someone sitting down on the bench seat beside her. She blinked a bit at the sudden shade, then blinked a bit more in recognition of the figure next to her.

     “Clarise?” She asked.

     The faerie xweetok turned only slightly toward Alexi. She was wearing big, mirrored sunglasses, so Alexi couldn’t be totally sure. The xweetok’s eyebrows quirked up, almost imperceptibly, but recognizably.

     “Clarise!” Alexi repeated, with increased confidence and vigor.

     “Hang on.” Clarise told her, returning her attention to her paws. She was holding a little digital device, typing as fast as her non-opposable thumbs would allow. Digital neomail, Alexi realized. Usually there was only need for that in super urgent cases. Clarise did seem to be sending a pretty urgent message. She was frowning down at her typing, which was quickly elaborating into a full paragraph, noticeably full of emphasis-laden capital letters. Clarise hit send, and returned her attention to Alexi. Clarise looked her up and down, taking in Alexi’s shredded old jeans and T-shirt. It wasn’t what she used to wear. It wasn’t even necessarily what she would have chosen to wear now, but she had to keep the unripped jeans clean for work, and hey, distressed denim was a fashion statement.

     “You haven’t changed at all.” Clarise said, still frowning.

     “Really?” Alexi asked. She reconsidered her clothing. Distressed denim really was coming back into style. “You really think so?”

     “Yeah, I guess.” Clarise said. Alexi reached across the bench seat to pull Clarise into a tight hug. Clarise said something, but it muffled into Alexi’s shoulder. She released her friend, and the xweetok carefully rearranged her sweater and scarf.

     “What have you been up to?” Alexi asked her.

     “Marketing, mostly.” Clarise told her. “You’ve heard of GRUUNDO?”

     No, Alexi shook her head. She had not.

     “The plushie company. It’s based on Kreludor, but most of our executive team is based on Virtupets.” Clarise explained.

     “Oh, wow! That’s great!” Alexi said, and she meant it, too. She considered what she’d say she had been doing these last six years. She hadn’t done anything as impressive as becoming a marketing executive, for sure. For being so busy all the time...she had hardly done anything, really. She had sold those boots that came into the shop covered in mud and doglefox hair. She’d wiped them off, and they had ended up being real leather, underneath the crust. That had been an accomplishment. But was that really her single most impressive accomplishment as of late?

     Luckily, Clarise didn’t ask what Alexi had been doing. Clarise turned her attention back to her neomails, and Alexi could turn her own attention back to the ever-approaching mountains.

     ***

     Terry was the first to arrive back in Shenkuu. She hadn’t planned it that way. She’d read the letter, and then immediately scheduled a trip to Shenkuu. She had booked tickets on the next ship leaving Happy Valley. She had received a flurry of neomails when they docked in Tyrannia for the connecting voyage. Clarise and Alexi both had to make arrangements with their jobs before they could come.

     Terry wondered if Margot had also been working. Was Terry the only one sitting around without purpose, living off her savings from the Neovision show? She’d find out soon enough, she supposed.

     Margot met Terry at the pier. From the deck of the ship, Terry almost didn’t recognize the krawk waving at her. Then she had dragged her rolling luggage down the gangplank, and yes, of course it was Margot!

     “You’ve been painted!” Terry said, obviously.

     Margot paused in spot, as if only just struck by the reality of her eventide scales.

     “You look great!” Terry said, wrapping up Margot in the biggest, tightest hug she could manage with her own tiny kacheek paws.

     “I do?” Margot asked. She very gently patted Terry’s back.

     “You do!” Terry repeated.

     They had agreed, via neomail correspondence, to go back to the dumpling place as soon as Terry arrived. It’d be fun, for the nostalgia of old times’ sake. Of course now, Terry realized, it was mid-afternoon, solidly between acceptable meal hours.

     Any hour could be a meal hour with an old friend, they figured, and trundled down the path together towards the shop. The roads of Shenkuu were steep, winding and scenic. In that regard, Terry supposed, they were a good deal like the roads on Terror Mountain. The difference was that in Shenkuu you could actually enjoy the scenery, while on Terror Mountain you had to focus on not freezing in your own fur or flying off a frozen ledge.

     The dumpling place was a lot like Terry remembered it. It was tucked away behind a neatly kept garden, with a roof that sloped up to a gentle point. The old shoyru woman running the kitchen ushered them in with impersonal congeniality.

     The low-to-the-ground wooden tables had at some point been replaced by far-from-the-ground wooden tables, and backless stools. That was fine with Terry. She could stash her luggage under the table. They hadn’t dropped their things off at Margot’s house yet. There would be time for that after they ate.

     They placed their orders immediately, dumplings to share, and two orders of negg noodles. There weren’t any other customers in between lunch and dinner rushes, so Terry could hear the pots and bowls clunking about as their food was prepared, with the warming hiss of the stove from the kitchen. Terry sighed, completely content in the familiar old setting.

     “I thought it’d be, y’know, fun to see everyone, together again.” Margot said. She sounded nervous.

     “It will be!” Terry was quick to agree. “It already is!”

     Margot looked at her like she was waiting for a punchline.

     The food arrived, and Terry tucked into the negg noodles with gusto. She had always loved how this place sliced the neggs. Too much fish negg in big chunks could be an overpowering flavor, but when correctly incorporated, the texture added a lot to the broth and soft noodles. She’d tried to make the dish a few times by herself, up on the mountain. She’d watched too much cooking Neovision and had dreamed up her next big career move as a gourmet chef. The noodles had turned out okay, but the negg bits had ended up overcooked and chewy. She’d tried again, and even with the neggs finally cooked to tender perfection, something had distinctly been missing. A spice, perhaps, or some unidentified vegetable.

     Or the secret ingredient, Terry thought, sitting across from Margot. Friendship. She had to giggle to herself.

     Margot continued to look like a vernax had just crawled out of Terry’s snout, and even amidst her noodley reverie, Terry could sense the confusion.

     “You sure you don’t want something else?” Margot asked. “I mean, I’d offer to trade, but we got the same thing…”

     Terry shook her head, mouth full. “No, I’m good.” She mumbled through a partially chewed bite. So good.

     “You hate negg noodles?” Margot said, somewhere between asking and telling her.

     Terry swallowed with an audible gulping noise. “I love negg noodles.” She corrected.

     “No, no, you think they’re cheap. I’d always get negg noodles, and you’d get a Belonthiss roll, or something nicer.”

     “I vividly remember eating these noodles, specifically.” Terry said. Although now that Margot mentioned it, she also recalled the sushi here being pretty tasty.

     “Sometimes you’d eat my noodles.” Margot said.

     “There you have it. Clearly I did like them.” Terry said, with finality. “Thanks for sharing your cheap noodles, I suppose.”

     Margot laughed. “What made you get so nice?”

     “I’ve always been nice.” Terry said.

     That made Margot laugh even harder.

     ***

     Margot and Terry were already together, chumming it up, when Clarise and Alexi arrived on land. Wasn’t that just like Margot and Terry, Clarise thought. Always together, a part from and above it all.

     Alexi only brought a backpack with some clothes, but Clarise had actual luggage to hoist back to Margot’s house. They could walk three across on the path from the pier. That seemed about right. The others would run ahead with each other, reminiscing, and Clarise would be left to fend for herself and her wheel-less luggage, dragging behind.

     She rolled her eyes, looked over her collection of bags to decide which would be most easily carried on her back. Frankly, she couldn't believe Margot didn’t hire someone to come help them move the luggage. It was a gross oversight. Whenever a visiting associate arrived on Virtupets, Clarise made sure they didn’t have to personally carry a single effect to their quarters.

     Terry fell back to stand beside the pile with Clarise.

     “I can help.” Terry offered.

     Clarise eyed Terry with some suspicion.

     “I already brought all my stuff to Margot’s house, earlier. My paws are free!” Terry wiggled her paws to demonstrate.

     Very un-Terry-like, being helpful and kind. Clarise shrugged, passed her toiletries bag to Terry to carry. It wasn’t a big help, but Terry was pretty small. The bigger suitcases might crush her.

     They started down the path together, trailing behind Alexi and Margot. It was quiet, early evening.

     “Was I mean?” Terry asked, quietly.

     “You’re literally helping me carry my luggage.” Clarise reminded her.

     “No, no, I mean… during the show? When we were all neighbors. I thought I was just being dramatic for the camera...but was I actually being mean?” Terry asked again. Weirdly introspective for Terry, Clarise thought. Then, it was still a completely self-focused worry, so maybe it was in-character for Terry after all.

     “Not to me.” Clarise said. “Usually to Margot. Sometimes to Alexi.” Clarise had, frankly, been jealous of them both. Clarise would’ve dealt with a thousand of Terry’s snippy little insults, if it had meant actually being acknowledged by Terry. Terry was the big star, and everything revolved around Terry. Clarise had barely been in her orbit.

     “Oh no.” Terry said, like that was new news to her. As if actual video recorded evidence of her being the worst didn’t still air reruns on late night Neovision.

     “I mean, hey, at least you figured it out eventually.” Clarise said.

     “Should I apologize? Is it too late for me to apologize now?” Terry asked. She shifted the toiletry bag to her other shoulder.

     Clarise couldn’t help but roll her eyes again. Of course Terry was worried about apologizing to Margot and Alexi. What could she possibly ever have to apologize to old Clarise for, right?

To be continued…