"Not at all," he answers, smiling softly at xiao Jedao's wonder. "The man I learned them from used them to keep the children occupied when they had to hide in the caves when we were under attack during the war. I was told he'd allow them catch them, and then they'd reappear, or double or triple." As he speaks, one of the butterflies lands on xiao Jedaos' left shoulder, and another flutters right in front of his nose, close enough that it's clearly only light, however detailed and graceful.
"I never saw it, of course, I was always in combat," he adds. "But he asked me to learn his power, hoping that I might be able to find a way to turn it into a weapon. He was a young man, and shamed at being sent to guard the children while his brothers were fighting." Shen Wei shakes his head sadly. "He brought so much joy in the darkness, where the rest of us brought only death."
His heart breaks a little for the long-ago young man, but true to his prediction, the melancholy of the moment is, if not shattered, at least well jostled when Jeep jumps on the table, trying to bat at one of the gleaming butterflies.
Shen Wei's eyes crinkle with amusement as the little dragon swats one of the butterflies and it disappears in a shower of rainbow sparks, and then two more reform and dart away in opposite directions.
"You're welcome," he answers, turning his smile xiao Jedao's way. "And thank you, for giving it back to me."
He considers the offer, the time, how long it's likely to be before Zhao Yunlan wakes up, and flows smoothly to his feet, the butterflies continuing to flutter and dart for Jeep's amusement. "How do you feel about noodles?" he asks. It's early still, after all, and Zhao Yunlan is notoriously not an early riser.
"I suppose it is," he agrees as he turns towards the kitchen... and then he pauses mid-step, his gaze going distant for a moment, and with a there and gone shimmer of dark energy his robes disappear and he's standing there in a rich blue dress slacks, a crisp white shirt, a coordinating waist coat, and tight blue sleeve garters. A moment later his long hair is replaced by Professor Shen's tidily short hair and a shiver runs down the spine at the loss of its weight. But his is more practical for cooking, really.
He smooths his hands down his waistcoat, then resumes his path to the kitchen. "Rice noodles, I think, if you have rice flour," he murmurs, and sets to work.
[OOC: and fade on quiet cooking of rice noodles, as I'm sure Hakkai has rice flour and anything else needed?]
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"I never saw it, of course, I was always in combat," he adds. "But he asked me to learn his power, hoping that I might be able to find a way to turn it into a weapon. He was a young man, and shamed at being sent to guard the children while his brothers were fighting." Shen Wei shakes his head sadly. "He brought so much joy in the darkness, where the rest of us brought only death."
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"Thank you for sharing it," Jedao says softly.
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"You're welcome," he answers, turning his smile xiao Jedao's way. "And thank you, for giving it back to me."
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"They're yours, that's all," Jedao says.
"Do you want to head home for now, or teach me how to cook something comforting?"
No more pain work today.
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He smooths his hands down his waistcoat, then resumes his path to the kitchen. "Rice noodles, I think, if you have rice flour," he murmurs, and sets to work.
[OOC: and fade on quiet cooking of rice noodles, as I'm sure Hakkai has rice flour and anything else needed?]