Tsubame was the last to enter Tomo's library. As the door behind her closed a figure wrapped in shadows pounced on her from a tricky angle. As the two tumbled to the floor a third individual leaped from the shadowy figures back headed towards Ming Jia Ying. Lin Liqiu managed to react in time, scruffing Schrodinger in midair, teetering a bit due to the cat's increased weight under the effects of its gravity elements. The muscular woman brings the cat face to face. “How many times have I told you not to use your Chi when pouncing on us?” Seeing the cat's innocent look she chides, “Don't play dumb with me or no treats.” Lin Liqiu pulls out a small bag of jerky and shakes it for emphasis.
Schrodinger's weight lessens until he's floating in place at which point Lin Liqiu lets go. The cat first goes and apologizes to Ming Jia Ying by rubbing against her cheek before returning to rest atop Lin Liqiu's head. She passes the cat a piece of jerky which it takes happily. The sight of the greedy glutton munching away atop a nest of short tangled hair was so at odds with his sisters sinister visage that Lin Liqin couldn't help but laugh.
His laughter joined with Tsubame's who was rolling back and forth as a shadow lynx continued to assault her face with its tongue. “Yes, yes. I missed you too, Ankoku,” she giggled as she pushed the large cat off her. Lin Liqiu tossed her some jerky, which she quickly used to distract Ankoku as she got to her feet.
“That is an interesting technique. I wonder if I could replicate it. I've never seen any of the Soul purifiers do anything close, but they do consider the shadow part of the Soul, so maybe there's a way,” a somewhat familiar voice pondered aloud. Turning towards the voice, the others saw a young man standing shoulder to shoulder with Tomo. The man bore a striking resemblance to Emperor Ku Pa, whose visage they'd become accustom to during their stay in the Gaian Empire.
“Egypt's cultivation system is closely tied to their religion, which can muddy things a bit, but I've found rumors such as these are usually based in some distant truth lost to time,” Tomo added as Ming Jia Ying rushed passed him and into Ku Wei's arms.
Small fists rained down on Ku Wei's chest even as he hugged the girl. “You idiot!” she fumed, “Why are you here if you couldn't even make it to Zemin's coronation?”
“I heard he announced your betrothal. I'll make it up to you and Cousin Zemin,” Ku Wei said sincerely. Ming Jia Ying stopped her tantrum as she glanced up and met his eyes. Those intense red eyes, that often make others feel small, in this moment made her feel huge. Like she was the only thing in the world he could see as he spoke, “I swear it.” Other than her only Tomo seemed to notice the subtle wisp of energy that left Ku Wei and bound itself to Ming Jia Ying. Through it she could sense a very literal debt that Ku Wei now bore down to his soul.
As Ming Jia Ying stepped back, flabbergasted by Ku Wei's overcompensation for a perceived slight, he continued, “I really couldn't get away any sooner. Honestly, I shouldn't even be here right now and I need to get back as soon as possible. But, Brother Liqin asked me to be here and I wouldn't miss this for the world.”
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With that, everyone turned to face Lin Liqin, who in turn faced Tsubame. His hands trembled slightly as they reached out and held hers, but his eyes were resolute as he asked, “Will you marry me?” Tsubame's eyes went wide, then softened as she smiled broader and brighter than ever before. Finally, she answered him with a deep passionate kiss, as if no one were watching. Which was mostly true as the others, with the exception of Tomo, all awkwardly looked away out of embarrassment.
When they had finished their kiss Tomo stepped up and offered, “It's my understanding that Duihaiguo customs state that a couple only needs to present themselves before an elder and have them acknowledge their relationship for it to be official. It would be my pleasure to act as your 'elder'.”
“It would be our honor to have you oversee our union,” Lin Liqin said before bowing deeply to Tomo. “But Brother Wei and I have been discussing something a bit more involved than a simple exchanging of vows. That is, if Tsubame agrees?”
With a little giggle Tsubame is practically bouncing for joy as she exclaims, “Whatever it is, I'm in!”
“Ready?” Ku Wei asks and after a nod from the happy couple he begins, “In Egypt, members of the upper class enter into soul contracts when they marry. Now these are often used to secure trade deals and such for your family when joining another. Also the deals tend to favor the men, with slightly stricter restrictions on the women.”
Lin Liqiu and Ming Jia Ying frown at that while Ku Wei gives a slight smirk as he produces a nebulous ball of light. “However, I created this contract with you two in mind,” he explains, “You two are partners in every sense of the word, sharing your lives fully and completely. There is no need for deals or trades. Also, as true equals I would be remiss to impose harsher restriction on either of you. As such, may this contract serve as a bridge, connecting two souls in a way that neither time nor distance can break. When you're ready, place your hands on the contract and guide it to your dantian.”
Tsubame and Lin Liqin stand on either side of Ku Wei's outstretched arm before lightly placing their hands on the contract. It flares to life and when the bright light fades it has split in to, one in each of their hands. Coptic letters swirl within and a faint tether that only Ku Wei can sense ties them together. Gently, the couple guides it to their dantian and feels the contract begin orbiting the core of their being.
-That was simpler than I expected,- Lin Liqin thought.
-I know! I thought I'd feel pressure or some discomfort when binding it,- Tsubame agreed.
The two audibly gasped as they simultaneously thought, -Did I just hear your thoughts?-
Answering as if he'd heard their thoughts, Ku Wei said, “You can hear each other's thoughts as long as you focus on the contract.” Then a large grin spread across his face as he leaned in and whispered in a voice that only they could hear, “While I said it would be unfair to put restraints on one of you that doesn't mean I didn't put some on both of you. If you search the contract you'll find it, it's one of the more extreme clauses from the slave contracts I've seen, but I think you two might be able to find a better use for it.”
With that Ku Wei gave them a little wink before stepping back and letting Tomo finish officiating the wedding. Lin Liqin and Tsubame exchanged simple yet heartfelt vows and when they finished Tomo recognized their union as an elder. Before stepping back, a wave of Tomo's hand produced a red cord and he asked with tears at the edges of his eyes, “Since this is already an unorthodox wedding would you permit me one final ceremony? Where I come from we call marriage 'tying the knot' because we literally tie the couples arms together.”
Tsubame and Lin Liqin were more than happy to go along with Tomo's request. Everyone could feel how important the handfasting ceremony was to him as he spoke on the ties that bind us being more than physical. Lin Liqiu couldn't hold out any longer and began to weep tears of joy when Tomo finished the ceremony by reintroducing Tsubame as “Lin Tsubame”.