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You were so busy studying her that you almost failed to notice a small mask laid across her lap. It had long ears, clearly that of a rabbit's, and a myriad of strips along the cheeks and forehead. You were surprised at how well it was crafted given that she only had a few days to make it. You weren't sure if you had ever seen her practicing woodworking nor had you heard of her doing so. You make a motion to step towards her but you feel an almost imperceptible shift in the air. Your current condition betrays you and before you can even react you feel an arm slip under your adam's apple and a hand clasp over your mouth.
"Don't move." You hear Xin Lan whisper in your ear, their voice so quiet you can barely hear it. "She's finishing up and it's very delicate work she's doing." They shift slightly to look over your shoulder before continuing. "Take a step back. Quiet. Slowly." You slowly shift your center of gravity and follow Xin Lan's instructions working your way backwards as if you were attempting to sneak into the Empress's Palace itself. Once you broke free from the clearing, you feel the arm tighten around your throat momentarily before feeling a kiss on the back of your head and being released. "About time you showed up." Xin Lan says, still whispering as you turn around to see them and Tigress, who at the moment seemed to be meditating herself. "Ignore her. She's being boring like always." They say dismissively.
You relax and sit down next to a nearby tree. "What's going on?" You whisper back. Xin Lan takes the opportunity to jump on your lap and lay across it face up.
"Ming says she's channeling her Chi into the mask." They say as they settle in and rest their arms behind their head. "Supposedly, masks protect the exorcist by hiding their identity from the evil spirit. According to her, if a spirit recognizes the exorcist then it's another thing that ties them to the material world. Maybe because of a past friendship that wants to keep them here or even wanting to remain here for revenge. Not sure what she needs to make it magical for though."
"Why a rabbit though? I can guess the reasoning behind the motif though." You ask.
"Funnily enough, Ren's half the reason for it." Xin Lan says. "It's tradition to wear a mask of a different species. Makes it harder for the spirits to recognize you and possess you. The stripes and lines are apparently energy lines or something the body has for Chi. It's only coincidence that they match Stripes's lines." You stay quiet. With that information coupled with the rabbit's upbringing, you now wonder if there was something even more deliberate behind Renshu's linage. The strength of a Tiger with a rabbit's speed now seem far too crude a reason if the crows were the kind of people Xin Lan's mother would align herself with.
