It turned out, Ling Qi thought wryly, that she was terrible at thinking of presents.
"That's a little harsh. Although some of those ideas were a little out there," Sixiang admitted. "You're probably better off with something simple. You're kinda short on time as it is."
Sixiang was probably right, Ling Qi mused. She would put away the more complicated ideas for now. Picture books and the like might be an interesting little project if she ever decided to practice ink painting or something, and she would have plenty of time to see if Biyu was interested in instruments when she was a little older and more settled, the same could be said of a paint set. Something simple and fit for an energetic young girl then…
"You know you wanna, besides it'd give an excuse to introduce me to the lil sprout, and we both know how great I am," Sixiang laughed.
A little dance instruction would probably go a long way toward tiring Biyu out, Ling Qi thought. She had seen dancers performing at the noble parties she had attended last year, so something like that wouldn't even raise too many eyebrows. Besides, Biyu was a much more normal girl than her, and little girls appreciated pretty things, right? A pair of shoes would make a nice present. She could even invest a stone or two to make them a little adjustable, so Biyu wouldn't outgrow them right away.
Biyu had continued chattering away while she had been thinking, and the little girl hadn't even noticed her distraction. Not that Ling Qi had really shown it. It was surprisingly easy to split her attention and answer her little sisters endless stream of questions about birds and flowers and garden fish while simultaneously debating with Sixiang on the pros and cons of gifts.
It was, she noted absently, even possible to still keep track of everyone in the house even while doing both of those things. So, Ling Qi was not surprised when Ling Qingge entered the dining room, her hair still faintly damp from the bath.
"Momma! Morning! Sis-y is here!" Biyu announced happily, seeing their Mother.
"She is," Ling Qingge agreed, taking in the room at a glance. Biyu's empty bowl, the nanny standing quietly by the wall, even Ling Qi's own plate, with one slice of apple left. "Good morning Biyu."
Ling Qi dipped her head toward her mother, savoring the crisp flavor of the last slice of fruit. "Feeling a little better Mother?"
"I am," Qingge agreed, taking a seat at the table. She gave Biyu's Nanny a thankful nod, and the other older woman offered a bow and quietly sidled out of the room. "My recovery was surprisingly quick."
"And just think, you're only getting started," Ling Qi said with a smile. "Ah, what are your plans for today anyway? I have some extra time, but I also don't want to be a bother."
Her mother gave her a curious look as she reached out to begin carefully cleaning Biyu up. The little girl squirmed under her attention, but didn't complain aloud. "It is a market day. I had intended to show my face there, along with Biyu."
"Candy!" Biyu agreed.
"If you behave yourself," Ling Qingge chided.
Ling Qi nodded in understanding, making yourself part of the community was important. Not for her perhaps, but for her Mother, who obviously didn't want to isolate herself in the house. "Hm, why don't I go along today then."
Ling Qingge gave her a surprised look, but seemed hesitant. She didn't look like she wanted to voice it though. For a moment, Ling Qi didn't understand, but…
"I get it," Sixiang chuckled.
Ling Qi winced, she really did… stand out. "Don't worry Mother, I like to relax at home, but I can restrain myself."
"No, I did not mean to imply…" Her Mother began but Ling Qi waved her off.
She took a single deep breath and took hold of herself, dispersing the thick invisible manifestation of her aura. The room immediately grew a touch brighter, a touch warmer. The faint twinkling light in her hair went out, and the music that followed her at the edge of hearing went silent.
Biyu was the first to respond, staring at Ling Qi with wide eyes. "Sis-y is different, why?"
Ling Qingge merely looked at her in surprise. "...Well if it doesn't trouble you. That is fine. Just allow me to get a bite to eat before we set out."
It was uncomfortable, but she could manage. Honestly, having thought about it, she was a little curious to see her Mother interact with the other people of the town.
***
The Sect's war footing was not immediately obvious, here at the foot of White Cloud mountain. At least, not if you weren't looking for it. The guards, typically old men and young men had been supplemented by soldiers, and their equipment while seeming the same to mortal eyes had clearly seen recent upgrades and refitting. Beneath the paved streets of the inner district, dormant formation work hummed with new life, and on the walls, the squads on duty had been subtly reinforced.
As for the people themselves, they seemed remarkably unworried, the general atmosphere was one of wary cheer. It made Ling Qi wonder how much information the mortals in town really got from the Sect. Ling Qi didn't say anything about it to her Mother though, she already knew more than most, Ling Qi suspected.
The market itself was a familiar sight, a square of beaten dirt, ringed by stalls and street hawkers, crowded with people. It had its differences though, and she did not think it merely one of perspective. Whatever the reason, Argent Sect's town was a happier place than the outer ring of Tonghou. It certainly seemed to have done her Mother good. She watched her Mother engage with people, both customers and vendors, and what she saw was encouraging. Ling Qingge seemed more confident in her dealings, less withdrawn and bowed than she had been when she had first arrived from Tonghou. It felt good to see.
For her part, Ling Qi kept her own peace, using subtle flows of qi to downplay her presence and appearance so that she didn't cause too much of a stir as she followed her Mother, holding Biyu's hand. She was content with that, at least until she spotted a familiar head of shaggy dark hair through the crowd.
"Su Ling!" she called, and her friends furred ears twitched. She wasn't the only one. Ling Qi noted sheepishly that several people near her had startled, her greeting having overridden her effort to remain inconspicuous.
"Some things just don't change," Sixiang chuckled.
Su Ling looked Ling Qi's way, her gaze flicking from Ling Qi to Biyu, to her Mother. Only then did she raise her hand in greeting and make her way over. "Ling Qi, didn't expect to see you here of all places."
"I had some extra time," Ling Qi replied. She glanced down at her little sister, whose wide eyes were following the irritable twitching of Su Ling's tails. "Say hello Biyu."
"Hi," her little sister said, almost shyly.
"...Hi," Su Ling replied. Visibly unsure of how to deal with the little girls attention. Around them traffic was resuming. Surprisingly, it seemed that Su Ling's friendly greeting had cause the townspeople to relax. "Still, never known you to spend spare time, not cultivating."
"She has you there. Don't worry though, I won't let you relapse this time," Sixiang whispered.
Ling Qi took a mental swat at the muse. "I've gotten better at time management," she said instead. "What about you? You're not much for spending time in town, last I heard."
Su Ling looked away, scuffing her foot against the ground. "...Helping keep people relaxed. Couple a busybodies pestered me into doing it. S'pose just walking around town for a couple hours a day isn't so bad though."
"I believe that your efforts are appreciated, Miss Su," Ling Qingge said, returning from the stall she had been at. "Many people are thankful for your efforts during the troubles."
"...Yeah," Su Ling said, she hid it well enough from mortal eyes, but Ling Qi was increasingly certain that Su Ling was very uncomfortable with Ling Qi's mother. She wouldn't speculate as to why.
"Well, since we're both out, why not walk together? You can help reassure everyone that I'm not too scary," she said self deprecatingly. While she was keeping her qi suppressed, she knew the richness of her garb was a little alarming still.
Ling Qingge shot Ling a curious look, but didn't object, instead dipping her head slightly. "It would be our honor Miss Su."
"No need to call me that," Su Ling grumbled half heartedly. She hesitated a second longer and then shrugged. "Fine, guess I can't let you go 'round jump scaring people by yourself."
There were a few more pleasantries to exchange, but soon they were following Ling Qingge on the woman's rounds again. Su Ling wasn't much for small talk though and it fell to Ling Qi to resume conversation.
"Anymore news you can share on that expedition business?" Ling Qi asked casually.
Su Ling grunted. "It's happening, before the month is out. I'll be going, Suyin won't be."
Ling Qi's eyebrows rose. "That's surprising. I would have thought she would be an obvious choice."
"She is, that's why they don't want to risk her third realm or no," Su Ling snorted. "I don't know the details, but they want to send us deep."
"I wonder just what the Sect is planning. You can't really do too much down that way," Sixiang mused.
Ling Qi mulled that over as they moved through the crowd and stopped, letting her Mother speak to someone else. "I wouldn't mind being able to watch your back on the trip, assuming you're willing to put my name forward."
"Is that so," Su Ling replied, not dubious but curious. "Why's that."
"Gotta keep climbing," Ling Qi chuckled. "And I thought you could use a familiar face."
"Sis-y going on a trip?" Biyu piped up, pulling her eyes away from Su Ling's tails.
"Maybe," Ling Qi replied, tussling her hair.
"I hope it is one you are well prepared for," Her Mother said warily, returning.
"I think I am," Ling Qi replied confidently, meeting her Mother's eyes.
"And you, Miss Su?" Ling Qingge asked, breaking eye contact after a tense second.
"Ling Qi's more capable than I am," Su Ling grumbled, looking unhappy at the question. "S'pose I'd be glad to have her along."
Ling Qingge frowned. "I cannot object then, assuming my daughter remembers her words."
Ling Qi sighed, she was really never going to live that down was she? Well, she supposed that it wasn't really a big deal, given the maneuvers success. "I'm not quite that flighty Mother. I won't be gone long I'm sure."
What was with Ling Qingge looking to Su Ling for confirmation!
"Probably not more than a week," the other girl grudgingly confirmed.
"Sis-y be good," Biyu added gravely.
Ling Qi huffed, she was being attacked here. "Should we really be loitering like this?" she asked with great dignity, gesturing to the man whose stall they stood in front of. He was looking a little nervous.
"The hell kinda word is loitering?" Su Ling snorted. "But yeah c'mon, let's not give this guy any trouble."
"Of course, my apologies sir," Ling Qingge added bowing her head
Ling Qi let out a huff, she still didn't much like getting ganged up on, even if it did feel a little nostalgic. She stole a glance at the back of Su Ling's head. Xiulan might have left, but that had just shown her that she needed to keep her friends close while she could.
Like hell she was going to let Su Ling go diving into that pit without her.
] Touch Fluffy Tail
