Yin Hu sat on the ground of the porch. No cushion. No lounging chair made to replicate the feeling of clouds and sunshine. He allowed himself a moment of grounding. Watching the courtyard and the world around him.

It started raining. Torrential downpour that turned the pitter pattering it started as into a single ominous sound. More than strong enough to cause flooding. Or revive any dead barren land. Consistently for the past few hours now.

The sun had been hidden behind the dark clouds. Covering them in darkness. Lightning spread across the sky like a spider web in the distance. The only flashes that brightened the gloomy day. Thunder followed soon after, shaking the ground.

Yin Hu watched the strange phenomena.

Strange to him at least.

He forgot what rain looked like. Smelled like. What it had felt like when he was back on earth. He knew what it should have been, but even that had been vague and weak in memory. It was difficult to place how amazing it felt to experience anything other than perfect sunny weather.

The rain did not reach him. Covered as he was by the porch overhead and with his back on the house's wall. He was tempted to step into it. Let it soak him until there was not a single dry spot on his body. Water hitting his head. Cleaning his already clean beard and long hair.

It was so tempting to just stand there in the middle of the courtyard.

He was trying to find a reason not to.

The sky flashed with another series of lightning like webs. Brightening the world once more.

Shui yelped from inside. She reacted every time the lightning appeared in the sky without fail. Clearly hating the lightning. Yin Hu would expect that reaction for the loud and abrupt shockwave of sound that had been the thunder. But not for Shui.

Being weird was her gig after all. It made no sense to him. She was quirky and strange in a whole bunch of ways. From talking to herself. To reacting at the wrong time during a lightning storm.

Yin Hu winced as another clap of thunder exploded from above them. Showing what power and might the lightning carried just from the sound. The rain pushed closer to him in reaction, but quickly returned to the edge it had already set previously.

He waited for Shui to react. Maybe she had been making a mistake the entire time. She didn't. Silent as can be inside the house.

Yin Hu laughed silently to himself and got up. Walking up to the edge of the torrential downpour. Right before stepping into it. Stray droplets hit his face every once in a while, but the robes took care of the wetness immediately.

Odd. Rain falling from above feels so odd. So strange.

It didn't settle right to him. Even though he could recognize that was how reality worked in the natural world. But he had been changed. The only running water he had experienced for eons had been the river current. Never a drop of rain. No snow, hail, sleet, or anything in between. Clear skies during the day and night.

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Almost no variation at all.

He extended his hand. Letting the cold water patter onto his palm. Yin Hu allowed himself to take a deep breath. Closing his eyes and filling his chest with the distinct smell the rain carried. An ozone smell that he enjoyed thoroughly.

Other smells were present too. Like the stank from inside the house that had him out here currently. Or the scarves filled with cologne and perfume to the side of him where Jun and Shui usually sat during their discussions and him studying the Compendium. But they couldn't overpower the overwhelming scent of the pouring downfall.

Who knew rain could be so… nice? Comforting? I don't know how to explain this feeling.

Lightning flashed again. Shui reacted the same way as before. She would be hidden under a blanket if she could. But he would not let her escape. The growth process did not halt or slow down because there was a storm outside.

Both her and Jun were currently inside the building. Bemoaning their horrible fates and what had happened to their new beautiful skin and hair. Neither one was expecting the Dragon Lord's Sky Cleaving Body Contamination Purifying Pills to be so potent and disgusting.

Sludge, black and thick like molasses, seeped from all their pores.

Filling the new super tubs he had given them. They needed replacements after forgetting the original tubs at the well. Yin Hu was unwilling to let the girls go out into the rain and even if they did, the two tubs were probably long gone already. With a new owner who probably didn't even need them.

Hence, he searched his rice bag. Not thinking much of the idea of finding tubs in there, but he had found everything else so far. He found exactly that. Multiple super tubs made of gold and marble. Supposedly helping the cleansing process, healing, Qi gathering, body cultivation, and a dozen other things each.

Yin Hu had too many things inside that rice bag.

He had forgotten the majority of what was in there and how they could relate to one another. Another issue with the missing system. He assumed the search and find function was locked behind it too. Just like all the other important functions he would have needed.

The original plan for the D.L.S.C.B.C.P.P. and its horrific stank had been to wrap his face with heavy scarves filled with perfume. The same ones currently sitting to the side. Stray droplets and splashing made them wet, but unable to get rid of the powerful and lasting scent. The self cleaning function did not work unless he wore them.

If he focused on it, he could smell his most favored perfume. Sweet bourbon and wintery hints that he could almost taste.

The same one he had tested to see how much he could use or waste before there was even a sign of the bottle decreasing. Pouring it out nearly a hundred times before he gave up. Never finding even the slightest difference.

Yin Hu shook his head. Trying to get the smell out of his nostrils. He wanted to soak his being in the scent of the rain and ozone. Experience this new phenomena fully. Even if it would become normal and quite average soon enough.

It wouldn't leave, no matter how hard he tried.

There was only one choice. Of course, he understood he was using this weak excuse to do what he wanted from the beginning. But that didn't matter now. What mattered was getting this smell out of his senses and the one he wanted to replace it.

He stepped off the porch. The rain poured onto him relentlessly. Yin Hu couldn't help the massive smile that bloomed on his face. Spinning with his hands out. He felt like a child with a new toy they absolutely adored. Maybe a new transformers truck or a certain red racing car.

It took a few moments before he finally caught himself. Returning to his stoic Ancient Being persona before the girls could catch him acting this way. Both of them too busy to have seen his antics. But that didn't mean he needed to step out of the rain.

No. He would take advantage of his persona to say out in the rain longer!

Yin Hu pulled out a chair without a back. Wide enough for him to fold his legs on and take on a meditative pose. The silence and emptiness accepted him. Natural tempo of the torrential downpour soothing to his senses.

He closed his eyes. Letting himself truly meditate for the first time since he had left the isolated island. Soaking in the ambience of the world.

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