RP: This used to be my playground When: September 3, 2003 Who: Cho Chang, the huli jing (NPC), Ziyi Chang (NPC) Where: Chang Townhouse, London Private/Public: Private Rating: All ages Summary: Cho reflects on her first step back into the world she once knew so well.
Cho sat in the deep cushioned window seat in her childhood bedroom. Displaced stuffed animals and well loved dolls were scattered across the floor like casualties from a Russian ballet war. The last rays of the setting sun glowed a sullen red over London's skyline. Sighing she leaned her head back against the window frame and closed her eyes.
The tap of nails on hardwood floors was sharp and loud in the heavy silence. She could feel the shift of the cushion as it leapt up onto the window seat. Four toed paws picked their way delicately up her out-stretched leg. Cho curled her fingers into the heavy, silken, insubstantial fur. Your mind is whirling and filled with shredded bits of thought and feeling, complained the fox. I find it highly annoying.
Her eyes remained firmly closed. "Sorry," she whispered. "I find it annoying myself, but I can't seem to stop." It had been a long, long day. It had been such a boon to run into Richard as she had. He had been familiar enough that she felt nearly comfortable with him and yet he hadn't known her well enough to realize how much she had changed. He had made it easy to pretend for a while that she was still the girl she remembered being and when her resolve had faltered, he had been polite enough to ignore her growing silences and the way that she tended to start trailing behind him rather than walking beside him. The mannerisms she had trained into herself in a rather desperate and ultimately futile bid to win Angdian's approval were so very hard to over come.
She really owed him a great deal for his kindness. She doubted she would have done more than walk the length of Diagon before Apparating home if he had not invited her to dinner.
Ziyi Chang pushed open the door to her daughter's bedroom. The foolish girl had vanished midafternoon and she'd been nearly frantic until the doorwarden elf had informed her of Cho's return. She stared for a moment at her only child, back lit by the dying light and her hand moving in graceful patterns a few inches over her lap as if she was stroking a cat. Her beautiful, sad eyed girl. Cho had never been a quiet child. She was a social, bright, talkative creature. But now, now she was so alone and that simply was not right. Ziyi was resolved to solve that problem. She would find Cho another husband -one from this land so that she would be close enough that Ziyi could keep an eye on her. Surely she would be happier here amongst the people and places that she knew best.
Ziyi clutched at her heavy robes as she moved into the room, her resolve to help her sweet child burning in her. "Cho?"
Cho's eyes flew open and her hand fell into her empty lap. "Good evening, Mother."
This one watches you too closely, Little One, growled the fox deep in her mind. She will cage you if you are not canny.
Cho ignored the huli jing and stood to greet her mother. This day was well worth the price of the scolding she would receive for slipping away.