[7rings] catchall for douman

[shiftingwinds]

i'll make this pretty later

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w7, sunday

[shiftingwinds]

[yaaaay they did it

anyway! if douman wanders out to a more secluded section of the beach, they might just spot shi qingxuan, who has stepped away a bit to think. she's looking out at the ocean, and then she untucks her fan from her belt and unfolds it.

and then the winds start to shift around her (if i ever stop linking these gifs that's how you know i've been replaced with a pod person, they're so pretty). although, when she opens her eyes and spots douman nearby, she shuts her fan and the winds die away.]

—ah, sorry! Looking for somewhere a little more quiet?

[commedia]

...Ah!

[Now that's quite a show. Lady Windmaster indeed - Douman gapes as the winds kick up, but there's clear disappointment as she shuts it all down.]

[They shake their head, approaching with a light step.]

No, no, I'm sorry...you shouldn't let me interfere.

[shiftingwinds]

[she chuckles, reopening her fan at the disappointed look on their face. well, in that case -

a flick of her wrist, and the winds pick up around them a bit. it's more of a gentle breeze, at this point, ruffling their hair - not so intense that the wind would make it difficult to hear each other talk.]

You're not interfering or anything. It's fine.

[commedia]

...Aha.

[They lift a hand to trail through their hair as it is borne on the back of the breeze, smiling lightly.]

[It feels like the touch of a friend.]

You got your abilities back as well, I suppose.

[shiftingwinds]

Mmhm.

[well - she has them back for now. how long that will last, once she goes back home, she's not sure. she's still not sure exactly what form her wish will take, but either way...

well, it's fine.]

I've - missed them. It felt like a part of me was missing. [she chuckles] ...silly, right? With or without them, I'm still me.

[commedia]

...I feel the same way about my onmyoudo.

[And they snap their fingers, suddenly, and what seems to be a cloud of birds comes from their sleeve, flitting around SQX in the breeze.]

[They're not birds, though, but pieces of paper with eye painted on them (shown in their hand).]

Even if it doesn't change who you are...its still important.

[shiftingwinds]

[hey uhhhhh what does satan have to do with this

anyway, shi qingxuan smiles and holds out the hand hand that isn't holding her fan so that one of the little pieces of paper can land on it if it feels so inclined.]

...I'm glad you have them back, then.

[commedia]

[Funny you ask! That's Limbo's boss' nickname! :)]

Yes, these are my shikigami. [One of them does land on Qingxuan's fan! It stares at her with its painted eye.] Every onmyouji worth their salt has these in some form to use...

[shiftingwinds]

["nickname". sure. knowing fate/ im more convinced that it's literal satan, thanks.

she giggles when one lands on her fan, then waves to it.]

They're kind of cute!

[commedia]

[WE DON'T HAVE SATAN IN GAME. YET.]

Y-you think so?

[The wing of the paper flaps, as if waving back. The priest themselves seem surprised.]

[shiftingwinds]

[I'M SURE IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME.

anyway she beams.]

I do!

[.....can she pet the paper with a finger. she's going to try.]

[commedia]

[Yeah she can! The paper isn't exactly sentient, but it does have a life of its own, in some ways, leaning against the touch.]

[The others hand on her shoulders and hair. Douman approaches.]

Shoo, shoo, that's enough...don't bother her...

[shiftingwinds]

It's okay, it's okay! They're not bothering me.

[she seems amused.]

...as long as they're not messing up my hair!

[commedia]

I don't think they are, but...come on back. Come on.

[The majority of them flit back to land in a neat pile in Douman's outstretched hand, at the command. One stays behind on the fan.]

[shiftingwinds]

[shi qingxuan giggles and gives the one that remains on her fan another pet with one finger. cute.]

...so, this is really it, huh. We're all getting out of this.

[commedia]

...We are. We really are.

[Yeah, this shikigami is definitely enjoying those pets. Terrible. Douman huffs, slightly.]

Ah, honestly, I...didn't think we would make it. But here we are.

[shiftingwinds]

[it's her friend now]

For a little while, I was worried that we wouldn't. [the last couple of weeks were exceedingly tough.] But we managed it, and I'm grateful for it.

[commedia]

[can't believe this shikigami is such a slut]

...We did.

[But now, the question is...]

Qingxuan...are you going home?

[shiftingwinds]

[be nice to the shikigami



she pauses, though, when they ask that. a moment later, she nods.]

I am. [...] You're going with Ryan, right?

[commedia]

[no :/]

...Yes.

[A glance downwards, as if self-conscious, before reaching out to rest their hand on the back of hers.]

...Qingxuan. Remember what you promised Limbo?

[A pause. Their dark eyes meet hers.]

May I...ask for a dance?

[shiftingwinds]

[oh.

if there was anything she was expecting, it's not that. her eyes meet theirs, and her expression is open in its surprise.

may we dance forever in my dreams.

hurry up and get well, and we can dance for real.

her gaze flicks from their face to their hand on hers, and after a moment, she turns her hand under theirs so that she can hold onto it lightly.]

...of course.

[commedia]

...

[They smile at that, a spark of something in their eyes - happiness? Its hard to say.]

[The shikigami now obediently moves to rest itself on the paper pile, and Douman tucks it away in their sleeve before letting their hand rest on Qingxuan's waist.]

I guess its a fulfillment of a promise.

[shiftingwinds]

In a way, yes...

[a promise made to... a different person? another version of themselves?

is it okay to keep it, given that?

she seems comfortable enough with their hand at her waist, although she does bite her lip, looking up to search their expression.]

...I didn't think you would want to...

[commedia]

Qingxuan.

[A light saying of her name, as if saying that is already stating a fact. They move, turning them around in place with footprints in the sand. Their expression is jard to read, vague, but...warm, all the same.]

I was there when the promise was made, you know. It isn't as if Limbo was the only one with that idea.

gmail my notifs...

[shiftingwinds]

[...that's right. douman was there the whole time.

she wonders what it must have been like, to see all of that - what must they have been thinking, that entire time? it seems almost insensitive to ask, but they're volunteering some of it anyway.

if limbo wasn't the only one with the idea...]

...then, I'm glad that we could dance.