{Melisa}
Five days remained until the Lunar Festival.
By now, all sorts of rumors had slowly spread through the capital. People said nim were forming gangs to hurt innocent kitsune. People said more nim assassins were hiding in the shadows. Some people even said Melisa herself was here alongside the queen of Syux for no other reason than to try to establish her dominance.
And through it all, Melisa and Rakia kept working.
"Right, right, right, no, left!" Rakia instructed as Melisa helped hang some items up.
The festival preparation area was chaos. Beautiful, organized chaos, but chaos nonetheless. Kitsune performers stretched and practiced routines while others painted massive backdrops. The air smelled like paint, sweat, and that weird incense kitsune loved that made everything feel slightly fuzzy.
"Higher! No, lower! Perfect!" Rakia bounced on her toes. "Oh, this is going to be MAGNIFICENT!"
Melisa's arms burned from holding up the heavy silk banner for the past ten minutes.
