Threads 97 Contemplation 2

With Sixiang’s instruction and her ability to better tap into the flow of the qi at the Silent Stones, her refinements of the Phantasmagoria of Lunar Revelry art came easily to Ling Qi. The ways in which she had been weaving the flows of qi had been subtly wrong in ways that now seemed obvious, and correcting them was merely a matter of practice.

She could, using the techniques of the art as a guide, briefly step completely outside of the physical realm, and sometimes even do so with guests, but for now at least, doing so without the art acting as a crutch remained beyond her. She thought that she might just need to grow more acclimated to using the art.

Ling Qi couldn’t say she minded the practice though. Sixiang was a good teacher, particularly when she was on the cusp of unreality and she could feel their phantom hands on hers, guiding the steps.

She still preferred composing, but dance had its own charms as a relaxation method.

Chaperoning Hanyi through the sect shops was a significantly more stressful measure. The girl wanted to touch everything. Thankfully, with Cai Renxiang’s silent presence to keep the shopkeepers calm and Meizhen’s help, she managed to wrangle the spirit’s excitement without causing any trouble.

The first task was getting Hanyi to hold still for the dressmaker and guide her away from anything too outrageous. That concern, at least, proved unnecessary. Hanyi had a rather conservative taste in dresses. The one she chose in the end was an elegant white dress with a midnight blue underlayer and swirling embroidery patterns that spoke of wind and clouds. It had a full length hem, a closed collar, and wide, flowing sleeves that covered her hands.

Unfortunately, no amount of cajoling could convince Hanyi of the utility of shoes but with the length of the pale nightgown, she wasn’t flashing her feet and ankles about everywhere anymore.

Selecting a talisman was actually harder, not only because they had used most of the funds provided on the gown, but also because Hanyi seemed to actually want Ling Qi’s input there. Without Xiulan, she was a little lost in that realm. In the end, together, they decided on a small teardrop-shaped white jade locket on a silver chain that would hold a portrait in it.

It was embarrassing to sit with Hanyi in her lap while an artist did a miniature portrait to complete the Argent Remembrance Locket, but Hanyi insisted, and Ling Qi would have felt terrible if she refused in the face of that expression. She didn’t miss the way that Meizhen had covered her mouth with her hand and looked at her with laughing eyes afterward either!

All in all, it was practically a relief to start working on the setup for Cai’s party.

***

Or at least it had been.

“Good evening,” Ling Qi said.

“Fair eve to you,” Xuan Shi said somberly. Ling Qi had been taking a moment’s breather from performing when he approached her near the refreshment table. Xuan Shi looked much the same as he had when she had seen him last, although he appeared to have gotten new robes. His dark green, shell-patterned robe was rather bulky, speaking of many layers or perhaps even armored padding. Xuan Shi didn’t quite seem as energetic as he had been at the start of the year.

Ling Qi glanced away, uncomfortable. It wasn’t like she blamed him for taking her to a place that had turned out to be… inappropriate. He had been just as horrified as her, but things remained awkward after. She couldn’t really bring herself to approach the boy again over the course of the last few months. She had told herself it was fine, that they were both giving each other space, and while that was true in some ways, she also knew that she was afraid and that she had been letting that fear guide her.

<Hey, recognition is a good first step,> Sixiang encouraged. <Now say something in return. This guy is stewing in even more awkward anxiety than you.>

Ling Qi took a sip of her drink to break up the staring contest and put on a smile. “It’s been awhile, Sir Xuan. Has your cultivation been going well?” There. A nice safe topic. No need for awkwardness there!

“As the tide advances, so do I,” he said evenly. Xuan Shi was sitting firmly at the threshold stage, as expected of a ducal scion. His physical cultivation felt a little unsteady; he must have just recently broken through. “Miss Ling’s rise belies the advancing storm still, I see.”

She took a second to decipher that and then nodded, smiling. “Sir Xuan is too kind. And your talisman work?”

“Steady,” he said after a moment. “Miss Ling…” he began, trailing off awkwardly.

She stared back, not quite sure what to say either. Sixiang sighed.

“I’m sorry.”

“This one apologizes.”

They spoke in unison over each other, leaving them both blinking in befuddlement. Ling Qi took a deep breath, wrapped herself in the Carefree Mantle, and pushed on.

“I should not have avoided you these past months,” she said, bowing her head in apology. “It was both rude and unkind.”

Xuan Shi looked mildly alarmed under his hat and high collar, raising his hand to hastily wave off her apology. “Nay, Miss Ling’s reluctance is wholly reasonable given past circumstances.”

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“Nothing happened which deserved any ire,” Ling Qi disagreed firmly. “You did nothing wrong, even if the situation was somewhat embarrassing.” She was glad for the ducal grade screening technique she could sense around them, as impenetrable as a xuan wu’s shell. This conversation could be taken in such wrong ways.

He looked like he wanted to disagree, but eventually, he shook his head and bowed back, lower than was strictly proper given their respective positions. “This one is relieved by Miss Ling’s forgiveness. This one imagined many paths which might have arisen from that day, but the result has been deeply regrettable.”