Chương 855: Epilogue 6: Lin-Lin

"Roll Call!" Hands on hips and lips in full pout, Lin-Lin glowered at her unruly charges and fought back the urge to smile when the bun-buns paused for all of a moment before resuming their disorderly exploration of the cliffside plateau. No matter how many times they did this, the silly rabbits never listened unless there were treats to be had, and she wasn't going to reward naughty behaviour anymore.

Instead, she turned to the few animals who did listen and rewarded them with attention and affection for heeding her call.

"Hi Ping Ping," she crooned, running her hand over the turtle's smooth head as she squeaked in response.

"We had fun this last week, didn't we?" The pretty girl let out a happy gurgle as she stomped her feet and wagged her whole body, a habit she learned from copying Buddy rather than a normal turtle response. It looked so silly, yet was utterly endearing, so Lin-Lin spent a few moments spoiling Ping Ping with scritches and attention before laying out her harness and securing the straps around her shell.

Bouncing back and forth atop the turtle's back the whole while, Blackjack thumped this way and that in an adorably angry huff. Even more adorable was the somersault he performed the moment she held out her hands, flipping head over heels to land flat on his back in her open palms. Gone were the days when the tiny black hare was small enough to curl up in one hand with plenty of room to spare. Now, he was so big he took up the entire length and breadth of both palms, while his furry butt poked out past her wrists.

It was an awkward size that was too big to carry around easily, but too small for a proper squeeze and cuddle. She only hoped he wouldn't get too too much bigger, because if he did, he wouldn't be able to perch on her shoulder or lay flat atop her head anymore. At least he knew better than to go messing up her hair today, not after spending a whole week hunting without a bath.

Licking his chops as he wiggled into a more comfortable position, he groomed his face while she rubbed his round, white belly, a sign of his trust and utter contentment. The spoiled little hare had grown more independent these last few years and would happily disappear for an hour or two to explore on his own, but spent the rest of his time firmly glued to Lin-Lin's side. There might soon come a time when that might change though, as he was ranging further and further with each passing week.

Sweet and loving though he might be, Blackjack was still an untamed predator, and a solitary one at that, so there was always a chance he'd give into his instincts and run off on his own. Best to cherish their time together while she could, as it might not be long before he set out to sow his oats. He was more or less a full-grown adult hare now, one fully capable of claiming territory of his own and keeping himself alive.

He'd been pushing his limits this last week to hunt bigger and more dangerous prey, honing his skills without any guidance or prompting. Though he himself weighed a little under six kilos, he'd taken down a whole goat all by his lonesome only three days ago. A small goat, probably fifteen kilos at most, and he only ate a small portion of it, no more than a whole leg's worth, but still more than she thought he could possibly fit inside his chubby tummy.

Not because he was a greedy little hare, but because his instincts warned him that he should always eat when he could, since you could never know when your next meal might be. Even he couldn't eat the whole goat though, and the rest of it went to Roc and his flock, who picked the rest of the carcass clean after Blackjack's eight-hour gorge-fest, payment for services rendered by keeping watch from above.

It was an arrangement both sides were more than happy with, one wild Cloud Chaser Hares typically fostered with vultures, jattuyas, and other large winged scavengers who had nothing to fear from birds of prey. While Daddy loved to claim they ruled the skies, Cloud Chaser Hares were tiny and looked much like prey, meaning a hungry hawk hovering overhead wouldn't think twice about snatching one up for a snack. Or at least make the attempt.

Whether they'd succeed was another story, since Blackjack rarely sat still for long, always hopping to and fro or popping up on his hind legs in search of threats. Even during meals, and it was both adorable and practical, because for animals, the best victories came from the fights not fought. A shame people couldn't think the same way, since it'd mean Rainy and everyone else would have much more free time to spend with Lin-Lin.

They could take a second, longer tour around the provinces and maybe even visit the East, or if they were feeling really, really adventurous, see what lay beyond the Empire's borders in the Defiled wastes. Now wouldn't that be grand? Spending their days out on the open road and their nights nestled together in a yurt while discovering all the wonders and wildlife the world had to offer…

Blowing a raspberry to do away with her sour thoughts, Lin-Lin put Blackjack's harness onto his limp frame, so utterly relaxed he fell asleep before she finished clipping him in. Gently laying him atop Ping Ping's head, she turned to the flock of Laughing Birds perched all about her at the edge of the grove. A quick count to make sure all ninety-eight were present took almost three minutes, and then she had to count them again to make sure.

Truth was, she didn't have to count them, since they all knew the way back home, but she didn't want them flying around without her. Even though Roc was plenty big and tough, there were lots of bigger and scarier birds lurking about, not to mention other predators who might make a snack of them. Predators the bun-buns seemed blissfully unaware of as they hopped and frolicked about the glade, and Lin-Lin had to fight the urge to roll around in the grass with them.

They were all so cute and floofy, doing little hops and spins and thumps as they snacked on flowers and grass, she could hardly contain her smile. There wasn't time to idle the day away though, because she had to be home at least two hours before dinner started so she'd have time to wash up and put on a dress. It'd been ages since they'd hosted a dinner banquet, so she was looking forward to the occasion, especially since it was only for family and friends.

No stuffy nobles making a fuss over etiquette, no line of merchants and politicians waiting to talk Rainy's ear off throughout the whole night, and no scowling Divinities treating her like an unwelcome intruder or staking their claims on territory throughout the hall. Nothing but good food and fun times amongst comrades and loved ones, a much-needed break from the monotony of village life.

"Copper for your thoughts?" Peering up at her while packing away their spoils, Daddy's silly smile was all bright and toothy, his pearly whites in stark contrast with his warm, bronze complexion.

"What reason does my little Lin-Lin have to scowl and sigh so much on this lovely day? The sun is bright, the birds are laughing, and the bunnies are all hop-hop-hopping about instead of fighting to steal my Spiritual Plants." Giggling at his antics, Lin-Lin didn't shy away at calling him out.

"Only because you're Concealing them from her." Pointing at Mama Bun, who was currently pacing to and fro, she added, "And not well either. She can still smell you and your plants. Poor bunny, she's gonna run herself ragged looking for you, all sad and distraught because you won't feed her a treat."

"Bah." Waving aside her concerns, Daddy glowered at Mama Bun as she hopped on by the boundary of his Concealment once more, her nose twitching all the while. From her perspective, she probably thought she was moving along the edge of the glade and right next to the trees, but she was a good five metres from the edge where sunlight met shadows, wholly unaware that she was moving right past Daddy and his bounty of Spiritual Plants laid out atop his blanket.

"I've fed that fat, floppy-eared calamity everything I care to spare, so she won't get another treat out of me." Daddy scowled so hard his hare ears stood straight up, all aquiver as he declared, "Eighteen Spiritual Plants, we found this last week, and she almost ruined more than half! I don't begrudge her a leaf or three, even a nibble on the stem considering she worked hard to find them, except she goes straight for the roots every time.

We need those intact if we are to have any hope of transplanting these most precious of wild plants and cultivating more of them, a concept her tiny rice-grain of a mind cannot comprehend." Sticking her tongue out and making a face, Lin-Lin retorted, "Still smart enough not to be tricked by your Concealment."

"That she is." Putting aside a bound bundle of cuttings, Daddy turned his full attention on her and waited a beat before continuing.

"Well? You might be smiling now, but I notice you still haven't answered my question. What's got you in such dour spirits? Haven't had your fill of the wilderness just yet?"

"Mhm, nope." Making a face and sticking her tongue out at Daddy, Lin-Lin softened the blow with a beaming smile and said, "As fun as it was traipsing about the mountain range with you like we used to, I'm ready to head home, and not just because we have a dinner banquet to attend. It's been a long week spent searching high and low for Spiritual Plants and Divine Beasts, and I miss everyone already."

Though his smile never faltered, his hare ears drooped just a bit, so she quickly added, "But only because this is the longest I've ever been separated from all of them since we married. Maybe next time, we can stay out a little longer and travel a little further, ya?" It was clear Daddy had missed going on these trips, which used to happen at least once a season back when she was young. They stopped after she married Rainy, for lots of reasons.

First there was the war and subsequent clean up of the Western Province, then they all went and visited the South for a year. When it finally came time to head home to the village, they stopped at several cities along the way in Central and the North to see old friends and oversee new businesses. They only made it back five years ago, except she was always too busy getting their house in order and settling into her new married life to really spend much time with Daddy.

These days however, Lin-Lin seemed to have nothing but time to spare, which was why she invited herself along in the first place.

"Nothing would make me happier than having my precious daughter along for the trip," Daddy said, his hare ears perking back up as he did.

"So long as you are happy to be here too." Giving her a knowing look, he held her gaze for a silent moment before going back to his work, making sure every last sample and collection was properly packed in its rightful place. A quiet reminder was all it was, one Lin-Lin might have once brushed off with a roll of her eyes, but being older and therefore wiser, she took a moment to consider his perspective.

While most could wave off a bout of 'dour spirits' as waking up on the wrong side of the bedroll, a Divinity had to be conscious of their emotional state at all times. Being grumpy wasn't dangerous in and of itself, but being grumpy without knowing why could lead to a downward emotional spiral that could end disastrously for everyone involved. Because tantrums were a whole lot more dangerous when you had the power to reshuffle reality around you and accidentally make things go boom.

Okay, so maybe Lin-Lin's tone had been a bit too harsh when shouting at the bun-buns, and a teensy, tiny bit sulky when thinking about how Blackjack would eventually leave her. It was also true that she'd been sighing quite a bit these days, which was rare considering she had nothing to sigh about. Sure, village life could be dull and stuffy a lot of the time, but she wasn't unhappy there.

Rainy had worked hard with a number of Divinities to turn a nearby mountain peak into a plateau, and then built them a big, spacious manor for all of them to live in. The views were breathtaking, and it was far enough from the village proper to ensure their privacy without separating themselves entirely, and her hubby even built manors for the rest of their family.

Nai-Nai, Baa-Baa, and Set-Set were their neighbours, and while it took some convincing on all their parts, Daddy moved into his new burrow three years ago along with Hua-Hua, his new wifey. Who took surprisingly good care of him, all things considered. Who knew the silly, simple, floppy-eared Divinity could be so… domestic? So ya. Things were great all around, and nothing made her happier than spending time with her hubby and sister-wives.

After so many days apart, she could hardly wait to see them again, especially since she was going home to a big, fancy banquet, where Rainy was likely to do something silly to scare Tali's suitor silly. It was going to be a grand old time, where she'd dress up, drink, and be merry alongside all her precious friends, floofs, and loved ones before retiring to their big and comfy marital bed with Rainy, Mi-Mi, Yan-Yan, Li-Li, and Luo-Luo.

Even with the bunnies' silly antics slowing her down and her preferred form of transportation being slower than Cloud Stepping, they were well on track to make it back with plenty of time to spare, so why was she in such a big mood? It took some long moments of quiet introspection to figure it out, but she finally narrowed it down. She wasn't all sulky because she wasn't happy to go home to her loved ones and take part in a big old fancy banquet. She was being moody because she was looking forward to it.

Excited even, which wasn't a bad thing, except she realized that over the last decade or so, her definition of fun had changed drastically for the worse. There was a time when she went on adventures to fight battles and defy the Heavens, and now she was getting all giddy and excited for an excuse to dress up. Okay, so maybe she always liked dressing up, but not just for the clothes and accessories.

It was the reason that made it special, like a show in the city, a night market to wander, contests to compete in, or a dance festival to frolic in. Not dinner and drinks with friends and family. As nice as it was to get everyone together and reconnect, it wasn't exactly the most thrilling of events, yet Lin-Lin was so impatient to get home and get ready that she was getting all frowny and grumpy because the bun-buns weren't cooperating.

They never cooperated, not once in all their time together, because they were sweet, silly bunnies whose only concerns were sleeping, eating, and playing. Same as Lin-Lin, which suited her just fine, except everyone around her had gone and built themselves a career or a family. Mi-Mi always had her nose in a book these days, and not even a fun, scandalous book like the ones Yan-Yan loved to read.

Who'd done little of that in recent time, since she was always busy at the school and orphanage, often leaving in the middle of the night to oversee some emergency or the other. She wasn't just a teacher, she was also a part-time mother, taking good care of the war orphans and abandoned demi-humans as best she could, and Lin-Lin admired Yan-Yan for it.

It was emotionally exhausting looking after so many kids, having to worry about their futures and their happiness every waking moment, which was why she'd distanced herself from the school after the most exhausting year of her life. Hubby had done the same, but at least he had an excuse; he was working hard to build and fund schools all across the Empire so children everywhere could go to bed at night with full bellies and happy dreams.

As for Li-Li, she'd become even more devoted to the Martial Path, travelling back and forth from the Western Province more than anyone else in the family save Baa-Baa, Nai-Nai, and Grandpa Du. And then there was Luo-Luo, whom Lin-Lin adored, but the Imperial Princess was a woman of… refined tastes. She never wanted to do anything exciting, and there was nothing fun about drinking tea or doing calligraphy.

Plus, she was such a stickler for perfection when it came to teaching music that she made learning more of a chore than anything else. Even dancing along had rules to adhere to, a sequence of 'proper' steps to follow along instead of moving naturally to the rhythm like Lin-Lin preferred, so even though she got along well with Luo-Luo, the only interests they really shared was Rainy and the floofs.

Mostly because Lin-Lin didn't have many interests to begin with, which was why she jumped at the chance to get away for an entire week. It was a nice change from sleeping in with the bunnies, chasing the wildcats through the trees, teasing the bears by the lakeside, the quins and Sir Inky in the lake, or playing pranks on silly Rakky alongside Buddy.

All she did was idle the time away while everyone else was busy with their own pursuits, and she'd long since grown bored of it all, except she had no one to blame for her lacking progress besides herself. Being a Healer was fine and all, but she wasn't confident enough to call herself one just yet, nor could she see herself doing the work day in and day out like Daddy did. The same could be said of gardening, except Daddy wasn't a simple gardener anymore.

He was more of a farmer now, growing whole fields of Spiritual Crops for everyone to eat, with plenty of Divinities eager to work under him for a share of the spoils. Mi-Mi's books made Lin-Lin's head spin, with all those numbers and letters, and she'd already gone into why she couldn't help Yan-Yan or keep Luo-Luo company.

As for Li-Li's pursuit of the Martial Path, Lin-Lin had long since known that fighting wasn't for her, even without all the strict supervision and stringent safeguards required before she was allowed to throw down. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. And Rainy? He was a man of varied interests, in more ways than one, but aside from his family and floofs, he lacked commitment.

He was always happy to put in the work to start his latest venture up, but once he got things up and running, he tended to lose interest in the growth period and move on after handing the reins over to someone else. It kept him busy though, both the work and the effort needed to check up on all his passion projects every once in awhile, which was great for him, but left Lin-Lin little chance to tag along without devoting all her time to understanding what his latest idea was all about.

After the embarrassing misunderstanding about crop rotation last year, she'd all but given up on trying to keep up, and for a time, that suited everyone just fine. How was she supposed to know Rainy meant changing the type of plants grown on a set schedule, rather than rotating the plants themselves? It was an honest mistake anyone could have made, so he shouldn't have laughed so hard… There were plenty of reasons why Lin-Lin had yet to settle on a Path for herself, but mostly it came down to a matter of desire.

Why did she have to decide what to do with her life and plan out all the steps she'd take to get to the peak? Why couldn't she just live her life as she pleased, like Ping Ping, Blackjack, and the bun-buns? They were all too happy to spend their days lounging about, or packing up to go off on a jaunt with little more than a moment's notice. That's what she wanted, to be content with things as they were, but lately she'd been feeling like she had an itch she couldn't scratch because it came from within.

Doing the same thing day in and day out was her greatest fear, but her drive to go out and explore meant leaving everyone else behind. Staying put however felt like she was the one being left behind, her life set in stone while everyone went out and bettered themselves day after day. Even sweet Tali was getting ready for marriage now, while little Tate was determined to join the effort to resettle the West, the two twins all grown up and ready to stand on their own two feet.

Meanwhile, Lin-Lin was still the same as ever, only a little older and much more boring than before, circumstances which clearly did not sit well with her at all. So now that she knew why she was in such a mood, it was time to take steps to change things up. How though? Settle on a career? Ew. No thank you. Travel more? How? As a young Divinity and wife to the sole True Human Divinity of the Empire, Lin-Lin was a tempting target to all too many people, and not just Rainy's enemies either.

Even if he were willing to join her, it still wasn't entirely safe, and while the years of travel after their marriage had been some of the best years of her life, she'd seen the price paid by her hubby in stress and vigilance and it wasn't worth it. Rainy was paranoid sure, but that didn't mean he was wrong to be suspicious of everyone they met.

In fact, he was right more often than not when he suspected someone of ill-intent, and the long track record of betrayals and attempted assassinations behind them spoke volumes to his concerns. Ya, Rainy was much happier and better off living here in the village, which was why he never left after coming back five years ago.

There was more to it than the danger, as he was also trying to distance himself from politics and lessen the strain on their relationship with the stinky Legate-turned-Emperor and the backbiting 'Supreme' Families. Regardless of the reasons, nothing was going to change about Rainy's status, or Lin-Lin's for that matter, so there was nothing to do besides work around them and find a solution that fit her needs.

One that involved more than just going about her days without a care in the world, no matter how much she preferred doing things that way. While it might be all fine and dandy for Blackjack, Lin-Lin wasn't a Cloud Chaser Hare. She was a person too, which meant she had to find a way to Balance her simple, animalistic desires with the more complicated aspects of her humanity.

Something to chew on later, since this wasn't a problem she could solve anytime soon, and there was still much to be done before they returned home. Patting herself on the cheeks, she gave a firm nod and set off to wrangle all the bun-buns into their harnesses. She went one at a time, starting with Tawny One, who was all too happy to hop up next to Blackjack and groom him while he dozed.

Thumper, Flopsy, Hopper, Quake, Cinnabun, Peanut, Ginger, Pepper, Bugs, Lola, Buster, Babs, Fluffy Bunnikins, and lastly George, one by one she buckled them up, cinched their straps, and gave them a kiss on the nose for good measure. They were so big now, she couldn't easily carry more than one at a time anymore without making them uncomfortable.

It wasn't a matter of strength, but size, as she had to support their hind legs at all times else they'd kick and possibly hurt themselves, unlike Blackjack and Guai Guai who loved to leave their hind paws dangling in the air. Once the bun-buns were all geared up, it came time to catch Mama Bun, which was always a mixture of fun and frustration.

The sweet girl was even bigger than Buddy now, a full ninety centimetres long from nose to cottontail, and brimming with single-minded purpose that nothing could distract her from. Try as she might to redirect the big bun-bun, Lin-Lin couldn't convince Mama Bun to sit still long enough to get her paws through the harness, and she didn't dare try to restrain her.

The big bun was stronger than she knew and could very well hurt herself trying to get away, so Lin-Lin stayed calm and kept holding the harness out in Mama Bun's path, hoping she'd hop into the arm holes perfectly and solve the problem herself. And it worked too, leaving Lin-Lin in a fit of giggles as she leaned over to secure the straps while Mama Bun stood up on her hind legs and showered her with kisses.

"Yes, I love you too sweet bunny," Lin-Lin crooned, nuzzling the rabbit's nose with her own.

"But you've eaten a lot of treats this last week, and we can't keep giving you more. You're growing too fast in size and your organs haven't caught up yet, so you need to take it easy and let the Heavens take good care of you, ya?" There was nothing else to be done, because despite being twice the size of her babies, Mama Bun's heart was only slightly bigger. The same could be said of the rest of her organs, when they should be much bigger.

More than double in fact, since size and efficiency weren't directly linked. The problem was her speed of growth, since few herbivores were as spoiled rotten as the bunnies, and none more spoiled than Mama Bun. Once she spent a few weeks short of breath and light of head, she'd figure out the problem on her own and the Heavens would resolve the issue for her, but until she realized she couldn't keep growing in size, they had to limit Mama Bun's intake of Spiritual Plants.

Keeping her on a strict diet these last few months hadn't been easy, and she'd kicked up quite a fuss every morning when she found her meals sorely lacking in delectable treats, but it was much better to have an angry Mama Bun than no Mama Bun at all. Besides, it'd be such a shame for a Spiritual Beast to grow so much only to die of heart or kidney failure. Almost laughable even, if it wasn't so sad at the same time.

Giving Mama Bun a few extra kisses just in case, Lin-Lin ran her fingers through the big girl's long, silky white fur until she found Pong Pong seated deep within. Poking his head up to see who it was, the tiny turtle blinked sleepily and squeaked out a hello, to which she responded with a big, "Hi hi!" He also got a few head rubs, which he tolerated for a bit before retreating back into his warm nest atop Mama Bun's head, his eyes closed and legs splayed out in all directions in a display of utter contentment.

It'd be so nice if Lin-Lin were so easily pleased, but her stupid human ambitions had to go and ruin everything. Then again, it wasn't all bad, because alongside ambition came ingenuity, which brought plenty of thrills and excitement as well. With everyone harnessed and ready to go, she loaded them up into their seats and secured them in with clips, seven baby bun-buns on each side while George sat overhead.

Mostly because he couldn't be trusted to sit still, so keeping him towards the centre made it so his movements wouldn't affect the whole contraption as much. As for Mama Bun, she got a leash, and so did Blackjack once she woke him from his nap, both of which were clipped to their harnesses and fixed securely to Lin-Lin's. After double and triple checking to make sure everything was safe and sound, she put on her hat, tied the straps around her chin, and moved into position between the bun-buns.

Leaning forward onto the main horizontal bar, she held her body at a forty-five-degree angle while slipping her left foot into its stirrup and leaving her right foot on the ground.

"Are you ready Ping Ping?" she asked, her heart racing and cheeks straining to contain her smile. The sweet girl let out a big squeak of affirmation, while Blackjack needed no prompting, already bouncing in place and every bit as excited as she was for the trip home, if not more.

"You ready daddy?"

"Yes, sweet Lin-Lin," Daddy replied, his medicine box strapped to his back and smile wry as he watched her from several meters away.

"You know, the trip would be much easier if you simply Cloud-Stepped home."

"Sure," she replied, giving him a big, toothy grin.

"But this is so much more fun!"

"Alright then." Shaking his head with a chuckle, he waved her off and said, "I'll be right behind you, making sure no one falls off." Or gets attacked, since she'd be moving much slower than a Cloud-Stepping Divinity.

"Safe journey."

"See you at home." Taking a deep breath, Lin-Lin crouched down on one foot and gathered all her power into her legs before Cloud-Stepping straight up into the skies. It wasn't easy to jump with all this extra weight, but it wasn't all that difficult either, especially not with her Plated Domain helping her along. At the apex of her jump, she pulled the release lever to her right and let out a triumphant cry that sounded suspiciously like a squeal as the mechanism unfolded to reveal the contraption's silken wings.

Woven in between a mess of steel fiber no less, with a span measuring over twelve metres wide and a hollow, lightweight, steel-alloy frame. While it somewhat resembled the hang gliders Rainy conjured up in his Natal Palace, this one was far heftier and more complex since it had to seat fifteen bun-buns in addition to Lin-Lin herself.

There were all sorts of fail-safes and precautions built in, many of which she'd been forced to use during testing, but she hadn't had to eject the canopy in almost ten trips now, which was the longest streak yet. And as the wings caught the current and sent her soaring through the clouds, Lin-Lin felt all her concerns melting away.

Blackjack let out a little cry of joy as he Cloud-Stepped alongside her, though half the time he was being held back by his leash since he had a habit of running off to chase prey on his own. As for Ping Ping and Mama Bun, they used their Plated Domains to create little floating platforms to sit in, a feat even Rainy didn't know how to replicate, though he suspected it was largely because he understood the laws of gravity too well and couldn't wrap his head around the concept of levitation.

None of the why or how ever bothered Lin-Lin though, as she was mostly focused on enjoying herself to the fullest. Sure, she could Cloud-Step home, but that was more like running or jumping at best. It was fun, but hard work keeping herself high up in the skies, much less her momentum going, while using the hang glider only needed a simple hop to start off and a bit of Plated Domain to keep the wind out of her eyes.

The bun-buns too, who she couldn't carry along with her if she had to Cloud Step all the way home, though Daddy was more than capable of doing so in her stead. That'd take away from his own enjoyment however, so Lin-Lin had been adamant about taking the hang glider, especially since she'd had little excuse to use it ever since Rainy declared it 'as safe as it'll ever be' almost two years ago.

He still didn't think it was safe enough for general use, and few Peak Experts cared to go to all the trouble, but Lin-Lin knew they were all missing out. Because no matter how much faster or effective Cloud Stepping might be, it was not flying. It was exercise, and while this right here wasn't flying either, falling slowly in a hang glider was the next best thing. The mountains ambled by beneath her as Lin-Lin rode the currents home and enjoyed the sights and scents without compare.

Even the bite of the cold, harsh wind didn't seem so bad while soaring through the skies, and with a bit of clever leaning left and right, she caught the warmer updrafts and made it back to the village in less than three hours, with plenty of time to spare. Landing was always the trickiest part, mostly because she had to be careful not to break the glider when she did it, so she took a long, slow turn before bringing it down towards the lengthy, flat runway Rainy had cleared out behind their manor.

After the wheels touched down, she slipped her feet out of the stirrups and gently slowed themselves down, taking care not to dig her heels in and carve out a furrow like last time. It all came together nicely as she brought them to a gentle stop right in front of the manor's back entrance, and she allowed herself a moment to bask in the pure joy the whole journey had elicited, one she hoped would stay with her throughout the coming days. Because at the end of it all, Lin-Lin wasn't unhappy with her life.

She was just bored is all, and boredom was something she could fix.

"Welcome home." Ready and waiting to greet her with a kiss, Rainy leaned under the hang glider's canopy and gave her a peck on the cheek. That was all she got though, because then he turned around and ran over to give Daddy a big, warm hug.

"Hi Taddy." Suspicious is what it was, but Lin-Lin simply smiled at the heartwarming sight of her hubby acting like a little boy who knew he'd done wrong.

"So don't be angry," Rainy began, which of course got Daddy all worried and frowny.

"But we uh, had a tiny little problem while you were away." Staring at his feet while unable to meet Daddy's eyes, Rainy scratched his cheek and sighed.

"Buddy sorta went rogue this morning and stole a basket of berries from Tali. Then one thing led to another, and long story short, he sorta, kinda raided your garden and uprooted a few plants." The last came out in a hurried rush as Daddy set off for the garden, and Lin-Lin put on a mock frown as her hubby gave her an apologetic look before chasing after him.

"It's not that bad," Rainy continued, his voice echoing across the plateau.

"Only like, five percent damage at most, and nothing we can't fix." Blowing out another raspberry to rid herself of her displeasure, Lin-Lin gave a little huff as she extricated herself from the hang glider and set to freeing Blackjack and the bun-buns from their harnesses. They all usually sat stock still and waited, or at most tried to entice her to bring them back up into the skies again, since they all seemed to love flying as much as she did.

Not today however, not from Mama Bun, who rushed over to Lin-Lin's side and started pawing at her in frantic demand to be set loose.

"Wait your turn," she chided, tapping the big bun-bun's twitching pink nose as she helped Ping Ping out of her harness.

"I know you're happy to be home, but Rainy won't be in the house to greet you. He ran off to fix Buddy's mess."

"Woof." The bark wasn't a loud one, or even emphatic, more of a sullen protest than anything else, and Lin-Lin couldn't help but laugh as the dirt-covered, floppy-eared hound crawled out of the nearby bushes and shook himself free. Padding over with a hangdog expression, Buddy gave her his best performance in an effort to show remorse, but his wagging tail spoiled the show. The silly dog knew he'd done wrong, which was why he'd hidden himself from Rainy and Daddy, but he clearly didn't regret it one bit.

"Oh?" she asked, reaching out to tickle his chin and smiling as he lifted his head and opened his mouth in a big, snaggle-toothed grin.

"Are you saying I'm wrong? That you weren't being a bad dog while I was away?" Buddy barked again, a soft and plaintive sound that transformed into a whine halfway through. Resting his chin in her hand, he looked up at her with his big soft eyes and tried to let his Aura do the talking, and Lin-Lin did her best to parse his meaning. Yes, he might have been naughty and crossed some lines, but he was not a bad dog, to which she agreed.

"You're right Buddy. Who's a good boy? You're a good boy." Giving him a kiss on the head, she knelt down and opened her arms for a hug, and giggled as he threw himself into her embrace. There was so much love in his Aura it was impossible not to love him back, but she also sensed heavy notes of anxiety and stress.

"You're a terrible criminal," she declared, but Buddy didn't understand her words or tone, nor did he care to try as he was too busy enjoying the head scratches she was giving him at the same time.

"If stealing stresses you out so much, why don't you just be good?" To her surprise, Buddy drew back and let out another plaintive cry, upset that she would even imply he wasn't a good dog. That much he understood at least, and he tried to defend his actions using his Aura. All she could glean from his tale however was that he missed them all, was happy they were back, and now eager to leave and do something of the utmost importance. Probably roll around in something stinky.

Add in the long trip and Mama Bun's persistent demands to be set free from her leash, Lin-Lin gave up after a full minute of trying to wrap her head around Buddy's logic, of which there was none. Instead, she just gave him another kiss on the head, brushed a bit of dirt off his body, and set Mama Bun free to run off with him, Ping Ping, and probably Pong Pong too. The dog and bunny didn't so much as look back, but at least Ping Ping had the decency to stay a moment and offer a farewell squeak.

Longer than a moment in fact, and it seemed like she wanted Lin-Lin to follow along, but that wasn't going to happen.

"You have fun," she said, giving the sweet turtle a bright smile and a wave goodbye. There wasn't much more trouble they could get into today, and they'd come home soon enough when it came time for dinner, so she saw them off with a smile before freeing the rest of the bun-buns and heading inside for a long and possibly lonely bath. Stupid Rainy. A week apart and all he had for her was a kiss on the cheek?

It wasn't quite the welcome she'd been hoping for, and in fact had been planning on inviting him to a long and steamy bath with her. Overcome with devilish glee, Lin-Lin perked right up as an idea popped into her head, one she acted on immediately." I'm gonna take a nice, long bath hubby," she Sent, as she set out in search of her sister-wives." I was hoping you'd help wash my hair and back, but I suppose I'll have to find someone else instead. Mi-Mi should be home, right?

If not, then Yan should be done with school soon. Or maybe you could send Li-Li back early so I can help do her hair after we're all cleaned up." There was a long pause before Rainy's reply came back, and she could sense an eager yearning in his tone." I'll be right back with Li-Li. Five minutes tops." A pause." Ten at most. Start up the big bath. We have some new scented soaps and bath oils, but I forgot where we put them."

In the bathroom cabinet probably, since Luo-Luo's Imperial Servants were very particular about everything being in their place, and Rainy knew it too, but he was desperate to delay her without being too too obvious about it." You could maybe check the storage room. Dunno."" Maybe," Lin-Lin replied, moving with a bounce in her step now that she knew she had her hubby on the hook." I'm just so tired from the trip. Could really use a massage too. Luo-Luo gives the best shoulder rubs. You know if she's at the office?"

Giggling as she skipped along, Lin-Lin kept Sending to Rainy and teasing him along, knowing full well he'd caught onto her game, but would still hurry back as quick as he could because he too was a Divinity now, and much like her, had to be conscious of his emotional state at all times.

And right now, with a little prompting, she knew full well what his emotional state was like, one to match her own. Maybe it was a little manipulative to push his buttons so, but she only did it because she knew he wanted the same thing. A nice, big reunion in the bath with all six of them together, with plenty of skin-ship to be had. They had a whole week to make up for after all, and as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder.