Threads 27 Siblings 1

For a long moment, silence reigned in the bedroom. Ling Qi could feel the turmoil in her mother’s thoughts. There was fear for Ling Qi, a helpless and directionless anger, and many other conflicting emotions. What emerged from that emotional morass, however, was resolve.

“Was there something in that storm worth risking your life for?” her mother asked, drawing her attention back.

“Absolutely,” Ling Qi answered immediately. “The spirit of the mountain was my teacher. More than anything else, I was there to save her daughter.” In her dantian, Hanyi’s qi seemed to both curl up and reach out to grasp hers. “In fact, I actually wanted to introduce you to her, if you don’t mind.”

Her mother leaned back, releasing the squirming Biyu to slide down onto the floor from her lap. “Is that safe?” she asked faintly. “The spirits are -” Ling Qingge shook herself. “No, you would not suggest it if it were unsafe, but… why?”

Ling Qi smiled wanly. “Didn’t I say? She’s the daughter of my master. That makes her my junior sister and my responsibility. You deserve to know the ones who are in our family.”

“I see,” her mother replied, fidgeting with her gown. There was an old and ingrained fear embedded there. Ling Qi knew that to most mortals, spirits were distant and unapproachable things, much more so than spirit beasts with their simpler motives and behaviors. “You are right. As… family, it is only right.”

Biyu, of course, was only looking around with incomprehension, unsure of what they were talking about.

<You’re up. Please be careful, Hanyi,> she thought, giving the young spirit a gentle nudge with her qi.

In front of her, the air glittered, and frost spread across the carpet as Hanyi expressed herself, fading into view. Ling Qi felt the flicker of alarm and revulsion that passed through her mother as the spirit solidified. It hurt a little, but she expected it. She knew that to mortal eyes, Hanyi’s appearance was distressing. A young girl with skin and lips that looked like a corpse, a victim of the cold sleep, and blank white eyes without iris or pupil – of course that would be alarming.

She saw Hanyi’s growing pout and gave her a silent nudge with her qi.

“Hiya,” she greeted with a mildly disrespectful bob of her head. “My name is Hanyi. I guess you’re Big Sis’ family, huh?”

There was silence for a moment until the silence was broken by Biyu, who had backed away and whose eyes were wide with alarm and fear. “Ghost?” she asked, looking to Ling Qi for support.

Hanyi beat her to the response though. “No, don’t be a dummy. You’ll make your sister look bad. I’m a real spirit, not some whiny echo,” she boasted. Ling Qi noticed with some wariness a thread of jealousy and vindictiveness in Hanyi’s thoughts as with regard to her sister. She would have to talk to Hanyi about that later.

“It’s fine, Biyu. Hanyi isn’t a scary ghost. Would I let her in here if she was?” Ling Qi answered patiently, ignoring Hanyi’s words for now. The young spirit shot her a pouting look. “She’s my friend, like Zhengui is. Do you understand?”

“Oh,” the little girl said, still eyeing Hanyi warily. “Where is lil’ turtle?”

“You’ll get to see him again soon,” Ling Qi said with a smile.

“That dummy better be up soon,” Hanyi grumbled.

More importantly, Ling Qi thought, giving her Mother a surreptitious glance, the little aside had given Ling Qingge the time to compose herself and stand.

“Welcome to my home… Hanyi,” she said, offering a polite bow. Ling Qingge hesitated on using the spirit’s name, which was understandable. Generally, mortals would use an epithet. “As my daughter’s junior sister, you are welcome here.”

Hanyi blinked, turning back to the older woman, and Ling Qi felt a complicated snarl of emotions in Hanyi’s heart as she regarded Ling Qingge. “Yeah, um – thank you for your welcome,” she replied with awkward formality.

Ling Qi suspected that Hanyi wasn’t sure what to make of Ling Qingge. Hanyi had a certain disregard for those weaker than her and had little social experience in general, but the role of “mother” was one she understood very well.

There was a moment of awkward silence as Hanyi scuffed her foot against the frosted carpet and Ling Qingge seemed to struggle with her own ingrained manners.

“And I’m Sixiang!” the empty air next to Ling Qi’s head announced brightly. “I can’t say I’m family, but I do live in Ling Qi’s head, so I’m afraid I’ll be intruding on the regular.”

Her mother’s expression was one of blank confusion, and Biyu was once again looking around, searching futilely for someone who was not there.

“You’ve done some good stuff with the house you know,” Sixiang continued, unabated. “Between shifting the furniture around and switching around the decor, it feels way more welcoming. I have no idea how Ling Qi manages to be so dull about that kinda thing.”

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“Thank you, I think?” her mother replied haltingly, looking to Ling Qi for explanation.

“Sixiang is another spirit of mine. They’re a dream muse, the kind that inspires artists,” Ling Qi explained.

“And look at this one, cute as a button. I’d pinch your lil cheeks if I had hands,” Sixiang rambled on, and Biyu let out a surprised yelp as a brush of wind ruffled her hair. “Never woulda guessed you were Ling Qi’s sister.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Ling Qi asked irately.

“Hey, Big Sis is totally cute,” Hanyi said at the same time, stomping her foot.