Silver hair is not uncommon in Lightning's world. No hair color could be called uncommon in that world, neither was any eye color. No one knew why the pigments in a human muta—ehem, evolved, they just did. But in this world, it is practically non-existent and only the rare and said to be cursed albino had them.
The character for gold seemed odd on the black ribbon mother gave Tian Leiji. She rubbed the character, feeling the different textures under her thumb. She didn't know why mother gave her a ribbon with that character but covered up and it was likely not very important.
Except, everything mother did had some kind of purpose right?
Tian Leiji may be thinking too much of it. But could anyone blame her? Mother never tells her anything and asking is…
She should ask. There is nothing wrong with asking right? But Lightning thinks that it's fine to leave it because everything will be revealed in due time anyways. Did she really want to know?
Leiji closed her eyes and tied her hair into a low ponytail, finding it the easiest. Her mother would always put it in a high ponytail while Light would always do weird things to it and make it supremely uncomfortable…she says it was the hairstyle Music always put Lightning's into and that it looked nice and stuff but it just felt like she was trying to make her go bald.
Tian Leiji had to give it to Lighting, she is a saint for tolerating using such complicated hairstyles and not just cutting it.
Only she herself knows how much she wants to cut her hair. Mother doesn't let her.
…Tian Leiji is not Lightning, or even the others, but they were all "Tian Leiji". At least, everything that made "Tian Leiji" in this world. Tian Leiji her…him…themselves, was the one who controlled the body the most because "she is the body's original soul". Lightning was an Empress, utterly unfeeling towards the people she didn't know or didn't like, meaning the world apart from their group. Lu Leiji is…what could have been.
The other, Zapfino, is asleep most of the time. Tian Leiji suspects that she merely doesn't want to corrupt a child or something similar to what Lightning always says. And Tian Leiji wants to be understanding, but it is frustrating.
She isn't that much of a child is she? Ignoring her physical age, sharing a body with really old souls should count as something!
Maybe? Should this be something that Tian Leiji has to worry about?
Ling Hongyun is out and about doing something that seemed annoying to him, Tian could feel it. It is apparently needed though, because he goes to do whatever he is doing routinely. Leiji can't imagine him going for any other reason.
In any case, Tian Leiji is unfamiliar with the etiquette of this world and Lu Leiji is unwilling to tell her—probably because he completely ignores it too—but she is pretty sure that shouting at someone from their front door is a very rude thing to do. Or maybe it isn't? Was there some kind of weird honor code in revealing all of one's grievances? Does he not feel shame?
In other, simpler words, Old Master Huang—what was his name? Never mentioned? Oh well—is outside and shouting at where he is probably unable to see her and attracting a crowd to do something like dirtying the Tian's reputation or some sh—oot like that.
Leiji has never cared about the Tian family's reputation.
She has never been recognized as one of them, so why should she care about them?
Tian Leiji gets up and out of the room and every step feels heavy. Lightning and Zapfino are still in their own little corner, she misses them already.
"Tian Leiji, you actually dare fatally harm my grandson!" is his starting line and Lu Leiji is snickering, whispering everything that the man has planned as if he himself was an expert at scheming and he probably is but that is something Tian Leiji did not want to focus on.
Unfortunately, Tian Leiji has to accept his help because Lightning and the other are way too straightforward to ever understand these things. Tian Leiji is too, but, uh…
She's…just ten… Maybe this is why Lightning insists on treating her like a child.
"Deferring to the general rules set for duels, injuries gained on the challenger's part are to be expected and therefore not to the blame of—oi, are you listening?" Tian Leiji recites what Lightning tells her to say but the old man just continues to talk as if not hearing her, about Huang Rushan being the genius of his generation or some sh—oot like that. Leiji didn't care.
Blabbering on, something about being a slave to Huang Rushan—Lu Leiji whispered about how slave contracts existed and that they can force one—before being forgiven and how generous they are for even thinking about letting him live.
Ugh, humans. Lightning complains in the back of her mind.
That's unfair, she wasn't created to be human. Even then, Tian Leiji has never seen how slaves were of appeal. Lightning talked about them as if they were mere concepts and Lu Leiji laughs weirdly whenever she asks him. She responds to Old Master Huang with her own thinking because everyone else is mean. "Like any of you are able to do jack sh—oot even if that does happen."
"How disrespectful!" He replies though there is a morbidly amused lilt to it. Good. People should know their betters. "I call bull! Since you clearly know that the place Huang Rushan was injured is nowhere near fatal, merely disarming, the entirety of your lecture is based off of a lie! The Huang family, please, I have never heard of it until the two of you came and so impudently demanded I practically sell my sister! Slave? Why don't you try being a slave, your entire family should be slaves!"
Lu Leiji had told her the last part. Old Master Huang is alternating between ashen and red like a tomato, until he settled on red.
Ling Hongyun for some reason started being amused and was sending down their bond and Tian Leiji looks around and up before seeing the boy staying barely peripherally in vision behind him. There is a distance between them and Hongyun is staring at Old Master Huang like one would stare at a rotten fruit. Disgusted.
Did she want to know why? Absolutely not.
The old man doesn't dare say anything while Ling Hongyun stares at him. Why? Is there something that she is missing here? Lu Leiji is being mean and laughing at her again. Damnit, whatever scheme is out there, show yourself!
"What about," Tian Leiji tries, "we all go inside and have a thorough discussion about the nonsensical grievance you have against us."
Diplomacy is the absolute worst. She had to say words. Words that made sense to other people. Ugh. Unfortunately, of the ones personalities that made up "Tian Leiji" Leiji herself is the only one who would ever do it. The others would murder the old man and dump him to rot in a hole somewhere and no one will ever know anything. No exaggerations here, Lighting and the other can't give a f—udge about "Otherworld-ers".
At least, that is what Tian Leiji thinks. The other has never truly shown her hand before.
Old Master Huang shot her a glare but complied when Ling Hongyun just kept on staring. There should be something going on here, right? Did she really want to know all this sh—oot?
Ling Hongyun swings an arm around her shoulders, Lu Leiji starts cackling madly. Tian Leiji turns a questioning brow to the boy and he sends her a 'go with it'.
Mother's stare is rather disconcerting. She isn't smiling, which is rarer than her smile and the look in her eyes can only be described as unholy as she stares at the arm thrown across Tian Leiji's shoulders. Which is rather concerning, especially when Ling Hongyun sends mother a brief look.
She then catches Leiji's gaze and smiles widely, not a single hint of sincerity in it. That smile is then directed towards their guest who Tian had half-forgotten was there. "I see we have a guest, would you like anything?"
Someone explain why the air is so tense!
Very stiffly, Old Master Huang sat down. Tian Leiji felt like he was about to start crying anytime now, for whatever reason. Ling Hongyun is very amused, taking pleasure in how much terror a little boy can inspire in an old man by his mere presence. Why though, Leiji wonders.
How can anyone be scared of the adorably murderous little Hongyun? Just look at him! Leiji feels the urge to pinch his cheeks until they become red all the time, how can anyone not?
So maybe her views are a little skewed due to Lightning and the other's influence.
"Boy, I don't know whether you're in denial or that oblivious." Old Master Huang says after a moment, looking at Leiji in pity. Tian rolled her eyes at him, not needing anyone to clarify to understand what he had just said. So what if she liked people a little violent? Isn't the entirety of the world Lightning and the other came from violent?
Fine, Tian Leiji isn't allowed to use the word violent or murderous to infer to them! The other is a battle maniac, always looking for stronger opponents to fight with no strings attached. She's just like Hongyun in that regard.
Except Ling Hongyun always looks for Tian Leiji to beat him up first for some reason.
That said, the kids from this world are all weird, aren't they? Even Lightning says so and she can't give a flying fu—dge about things like that.
"What grievances do you have against me now? Let's talk like normal adults." That nets Tian Leiji several weird looks. Right, its very hard to remember one's actual age when memories of being centuries old sometimes pop up. Leiji will have to ask Light what her age is again, she forgot. Such a thing becoming more often now that Lightning is slowly filtering all sorts of knowledge, ranging from "how to properly hold a sword" to "how to incapacitate your opponent under a second".
That said, just what kind of life did Lightning have? Why does she know all this stuff? More importantly, does Tian Leiji want to know?
"You injured my grandson badly, he might never fully recover from it." This, no one knows better than Tian Leiji. At that time, her sword had pierced fully through his shoulder. "And the one who had issued the duel wasn't me."
It isn't her fault that Huang Rushan was that bad in fighting.
This implication has Old Master Huang scowling at Leiji. He fumed and she is suddenly struck by the picture of an angry bull running into red cloth only to realize it hadn't hit the hateful person baiting it. Or something similar to punching cotton. "But it was merely some children's squabble; there was no need for it to turn so fatal…"
…children's squabble?
Tian Leiji may not know her exact age but even she knows that…this body isn't even ten-years-old yet. She can defeat Ling Hongyun because neither of them use weapons—though that is likely going to change very quickly—and that there are two personalities who regularly tell her what to do. Leiji can defeat him because neither of them are trying to kill each other.
Huang Rushan was very easily trying to do so. Leiji had faced actual danger for the first time head-on and though there was some information now being integrated into her knowledge now…
It really isn't worth it. As long as she asked or even imply it to the ones in her head, they would gladly give her all the information she needs. Lu Leiji the mean jerk may be aggressive in how he does it but Leiji can feel that he cares. Huang Rushan could have killed her and it would have been waved off as a mistake because it was simply children's squabble…
Ah, no, Ling Hongyun and mother would never have allowed it. Even Light, as harmless as she seems, would have murdered everyone.
"Get out." She distantly hears herself talking. Tian Leiji curls up and lets Lightning handle it this time, because Leiji feels weird. She wants to sleep, she's exhausted. She wants Hongyun to hug and comfort her, his hugs are rare and always the best.