Sometimes, it's okay to be a little selfish

[the19thbrat]

Huang Rong had been gone, back to the mainland for about a week for some Beggars' Sect business she needed to deal with personally.

It had...not been what she expected, yet at the same time she couldn't really find it in herself to be surprised.

She had known, after all, since a long time ago that Reial had no shortage of horrible and selfish people.

She greeted her father the moment she saw him after returning to Peach Blossom Island and asked where her house guest had gotten to (and asked whether or not her father had picked on said house guest while his daughter had been away).

"The servants saw her wandering towards the gardens."

So Huang Rong set off in that direction, a wrapped bundle tucked under one arm, and her Dog Beating Staff in hand. The smile that seeing her father had brought out was gone as she approached the gardens.

"Ichi! Where are you?"

Comments

[higannobana]

Ichi would have told Huang Rong, if she were asked, that she hadn't been picked on. Not even a little bit. She was allowed to wander as she wanted, and she spent most of her time staring up at the blooming branches of the peach trees, not even noticing afterwards that she trailed petals everywhere she went. (That was how they usually found her for suppertime, following a trail of peach blossom.) Mister Father let her be, and sometimes she simply sat and watched him, content to just be around someone.

Today, she was in one of the many gardens, although she hadn't gotten very far into it until she set herself down in the middle of the stone pathway. Reaching up a finger, she touches a lazy butterfly as it flies by, startling it and causing it to shy away.

"Ah."

[the19thbrat]

"Ichi~." Huang Rong peeked around another tree with a huff. Seriously, where was that girl? (Never mind that Huang Rong was the younger one.)

She hoped Oichi hadn't wandered off the path...or fallen into a pond or anything like that. The way this search was starting to try her patience was a good distraction from her worries.

She quickly spotted her quarry, however, when she rounded a bend in the path.

"There you are!" She made her way over to where Oichi was. "I was looking for you."

[higannobana]

The voice calling, even though she couldn't shake off the feeling that it was the wrong voice, makes her stop reaching for the butterfly. She doesn't turn completely towards Huang Rong though. Instead, she inclines her head to one side, giving Huang Rong a content but distracted smile.

"The little bird has come home. Welcome back. Welcome...back."

[the19thbrat]

What is it with her and birds?

She shook her head before crouching down, package and Dog Beating Staff moved to her lap. She tilted her head to one side with a bright smile.

"Did you behave while I was gone?" She reached out to brush some petals out of Oichi's hair. "You ate all your meals and made sure to sleep properly, right?"