"Bulawan, we need to get going," Quynh turned to say to his partner, only to realize she wasn't beside him anymore. "...Bulawan?"
The Crimson Dragon surveyed the area surrounding him to see if he could spot her. Normally, due to her brilliant waves of long blonde hair, she was incredibly easy to find even in a crowd – but this time, he couldn't find her anywhere. The city street wasn't too busy, with only one or two wagons traversing the dirt road, and a handful of individuals standing in front of the small restaurants and buildings.
Quynh decided to backtrack a short distance and check inside a few of the shops. Thankfully, due to their deep bond, the dragon could sense his mate's aura and track her shorter distances. Finally, after following his extra sense for a while, he stuck his head through the curtains of the alteration shop that they had passed half an hour prior – and found her still inside.
Just as he was about to call out to her again, he realized that she was talking to someone just out of his sight, behind a bamboo room separator.
"You look beautiful as you are!" Bulawan assured softly. "I promise that your dad will love it."
A young adolescent girl asked, "Do you really think so?"
"I know so," the phoenix replied with a smile. "Come on out, let me see the back, Shimei."
The girl she was speaking with stepped out and into both Bulawan and Quynh's view. She had brown hair tied into a bun, and was draped in very beautiful white mourning robes. Bulawan attentively watched as Shimei spun in a small circle, revealing the lovely knot tied in the back. It was only natural for Bulawan to sense Quynh's presence the same way that he could hers, so it was no surprise when she turned to the door and motioned for him to come over.
Quynh did as he was told and approached the pair tentatively, a little uncomfortable since he didn't know the entire situation.
"Doesn't it look nice?" Bulawan asked, looking at him expectantly.
"It is very beautiful," Quynh answered obediently – but the words were spoken honestly. It was obvious that the garments were of an older style, but preserved so carefully that it looked as though it were brand new.
Shimei turned to look at the two of them with a sorrowful, yet sincere, smile. Her cheeks were gaunt, and her deep brown eyes were hollow and lifeless. Quynh recognized the face of despair and sadness that could only be the result of great loss; it was a face and feeling that he had grown all-too-familiar with. The Crimson Dragon looked at her, then to Bulawan, and exhaled quietly. Despite being an expert at experiencing grief, he never knew what to say in situations like these.
"When is the farewell ceremony, Shimei?" the phoenix asked. "Your father ran the apothecary, didn't he? My husband and I frequented it, so we are both familiar with him – and we would love to come and celebrate his life with you."
"If… if that's something you would like, it is the day after tomorrow, at seven in the evening," Shimei said. Her eyes grew pink as she fended off more tears. "The more people, the better. He… he loved everyone, so I'm sure that he would love it."
Bulawan nodded and said fondly, "Your grandmother's gown suits you very well. It hardly took any adjustments, either! The tailor had a very easy job this time, thankfully."
"Thanks, auntie," the girl replied, then looked to Quynh, "and you too, uncle."
"We're happy to help," Bulawan stepped forward and embraced Shimei briefly. "We will see you at the ceremony of departure, okay? Your mom should be back any minute, and we need to get going."
Shimei gave a slight nod of understanding. "Of course. Have a nice day, thank you for your help."
"You are making your father proud, little one," Quynh added thoughtfully, before leading the way out of the tailoring shop once more.
Quynh and Bulawan walked side by side, wordlessly, completely comfortable in the silence. They were due at the hospital in half an hour, but Quynh always insisted that they left earlier than normal, because he knew her tendency to help others very well. It only took a handful of times of them being late to functions because the phoenix decided to stop and assist someone on the street before Quynh realized that it would be a problem if he were not prepared.
Preemptively ensuring that they leave an hour earlier than necessary solved the problem, because it allowed her to take as long as she needed for the most part. Even if there were no random stops, he still got to spend more time with her – so it was still a brilliant solution.
"She called out to me because she recognized me when we passed by," Bulawan was the first to speak. "Shimei wanted a second opinion on the dress since it hadn't been worn since her grandmother was alive."
"It was good of you," Quynh nodded. "I think she definitely needed you. Sorry I wasn't much help."
"You're never much help in situations like that," the phoenix teased. "Emotions aren't exactly your strong-suit, especially when it comes to expressing them. You did well, though."
The Crimson Dragon heaved a sigh. "Whatever. At least I can help when it comes to the hospital, since it's my money funding the place."
Bulawan grabbed his hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze. "Yes, of course. I can do the talking, and you do the rest. We're a great team."
"Yeah," Quynh said proudly. "We really are."
~~~
"I'm out of cash," Vanna said sheepishly to Quynh. "I wanted a drink and ended up giving it away…"
Quynh looked down his nose at her, "I saw."
The dragon couldn't help but look at her and let out a long exhale. "It was… nice of you. I figured out what Shizuka likes to eat, so we ought to get going while there's still time in the day – that is, if you still want to see the beach."
"Of course I do!" Vanna pouted.
"Come on, then."