Fic Update Thread 57: Varieties of Fandom Experience

[Mamorien]

Threads of Destiny (the other OEX meat) 443-Cathedral of Winds 2.

Ling Qi's eyes widened. "Ah, Suyin—!"

Li Suyin's spirit beast materialized by the base of her chair. Zhenli was still squat and compact for a spider, with thick, fuzzy legs held close to her puffball pink body and huge, glassy, and unblinking eyes.

"This Zhenli thanks the Baroness Ling for having her," Zhenli said, pedipalps spreading apart to match her lowered head.

"You are welcome, but…"

Naturally, then, the door opened, revealing her mother and sister, who she had sensed coming down the hall. She'd invited them to eat with everyone today, wanting her family to grow more used to other cultivators.

"My apologies for being late. We were held up in cleaning my younger daughter's…" Ling Qingge began, her head ducked low, only to freeze and pause.

Li Suyin had chosen a seat right by the door. This meant Zhenli was directly in her mother's line of sight. Her sister’s, too. Biyu's eyes were widening even as she looked, and Ling Qi rose from her seat.

"Fuzzy!" Biyu squealed, high and loud, but it was not in fear as Ling Qi had expected. The little girl darted forward out of her shocked mother’s grasp.

"A-ah! Young miss. Do not. This Zhenli… Baroness. Help!"

Her little sister pounced on the large, dog-sized spider, squeezing her like a pet.

"Biyu, no!" her mother spoke, voice strangled. She rushed forward to pry the little girl away from the spider, despite the fear Ling Qi could still feel from her.

"Woah, there, little one! One must not touch others without permission." Gan Guangli scolded. Rising to his feet, he carefully helped her mother disentangle the spider from Biyu’s grasp. Zhenli rapidly scuttled under the table the moment the beast felt she could avoid harming Biyu in her escape.

"I'm sorry, Mother. I promise there is nothing unsafe in the room. Please meet Zhenli, my friend's spirit beast. She would never harm her hosts," Ling Qi reassured. She rounded the table to approach her mother.

The woman still looked frazzled, her breathing uneven, but she was swiftly composing herself. "O-of course. Please excuse my shameful reaction, honored guests."

"Madam Ling, I am very sorry for my unthinking action. Zhenli is a good friend, but I forgot how she could be perceived," Suyin apologized, rising from her seat and bowing repeatedly.

Ling Qi sighed as her mother and Li Suyin began their dueling, escalating apologies, and accepted her little sister from the grinning Gan Guangli.

"Biyu, why would you do that?"

"Weird dog was very fuzzy." Biyu curled in her arms, unsure of why people were upset.

"You shouldn't grab onto beasts suddenly. They can be dangerous, or you might startle them," Ling Qi explained.

"But… Sis is here."

And anything around her big sister couldn't be dangerous.

"You still need to ask before touching, little sister."

Even if she wouldn't let Biyu be hurt, boundaries should be respected.

"It's very rude to do so, no matter how cute you think they are, okay?"

"... Okay."

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/21188/...of-winds-2