#fatesaligned | san lang | 01

[rcseadorned]

hurt sentence starters ➽ @tosaveaforest "you're lucky. you could have gotten seriously hurt." (from San Lang~)

Grit stubbornly clung to her arm, even after multiple attempts to brush it away. The minor injury was more of an annoyance than anything, yet it stung with every movement. But the true sting was more than just physical-- it was the burn of wounded pride. A Guardian, renowned for their agility amongst the trees, reduced to a clumsy spectacle in her attempt to be 'normal'.

Yet here she was, days removed from her former role, now merely a shrine keeper. Shrine keepers didn’t find themselves scrambling up trees, grappling with linen tangled in the high branches, but it was their only table cloth. Her only option had been to test her own ability against gravity. Although she had managed to retrieve the windswept linen, it now lay nearby, fluttering in the breeze as though mocking her failed attempt at graceful retrieval. Once pristine and ready to dry, it was now smeared with dirt, back to its original state.

Xiao Hua remained kneeling on the ground, recovering from her hard landing. The sudden shock had rendered her legs weak and her breath short. And to make matters worse, that boy had arrived-- an unfortunate witness to her predicament. Fantastic.

"The stupid wind took the cloth. It's our only one, I can't lose it," she replied, having gotten to her feet and shaking the dust from the bottom of her clothes.

[rcseadorned]

Xiao Hua felt a twinge of indignation at his words. A boy appearing from nowhere with all casual friendliness in the world, barely more than a stranger with a name, telling her to "be careful?" If only he knew. The last few decades of her life had been spent hidden away in a forest, with barely enough spiritual energy to coax a single flower to bloom- let alone fend off a blight and a ghost all in one. Was it any wonder she’d grown a bit prone to the occasional stumble? Graceful as she might be, even she could falter. Her years of solitude couldn’t simply be condensed into a retort, and even if she tried, her words were lost beneath yet another unwelcome remark.

In truth, she still felt like an outsider here at Puqi Shrine, moving carefully and claiming as little space as possible. She wouldn't be a burden- her scrapes and bruises were hers to handle. But now, she’d been found out. Her irritation softened, a tinge of guilt seeping in; it wasn’t her intention to trouble Xie Lian over something as minor as a scratch. After all, what was a scratch, given everything else?

She watched as the boy disappeared into the shrine, her hand half-raised as though to catch the hem of his red robe and stop him- then let it fall back. Bewildered and a little out of sorts, she tried to shake off her thoughts and returned to the remaining chestnuts, calming her heart with each cut and peel. He's Xie Lian's problem. He's his concern, not mine.

But the "problem" reappeared not long after. Xiao Hua glanced at him, then quickly turned away. He knelt close this time, yet with a respectful distance, as though noting her earlier unease with being touched. She caught a glimpse of the small bowl in his hands, the faint scent and color suggesting a freshly made salve. How could she stay angry now? Any lingering irritation faded, replaced by a quiet pang of regret over her unkind thoughts.

Wordlessly, she accepted the salve, replacing it with the peeled chestnut in her hand.

"Thank you," she murmured at last. "I just didn’t want to worry him over something as silly as this. It really doesn’t hurt."

Even in disguise did the Ghost King orbit around those he had given his heart too, and even though neither Xiao Hua nor Xie Lian knew who he really was, or what meaningful past they shared together, San Lang did very well remember. He remembered everything. And even though the only thing he really believed in was the Flower-Crowned martial God, he couldn’t help but think that fate also had its fingers in bringing the two people he had sworn to protect together.

The youth was propping up his chin with his hand as he looked at Xiao Hua, his attention first on the admirable amount of water chestnuts she had already peeled, before it wandered over the wound on the guardian’s arm and her explanation felt like it only served to sour his mood. I get them often. I’ve been hurt worse. Hearing those words his expressive eyes darkened and his cheerful grin vanished as he pressed his lips into a thin line, a feeling of anger and guilt building up in his chest, threatening to choke him. Once again he felt helpless, like a failure. Many, many years ago he had failed to save Xie Lian from White No-Face’s cruelty, and obviously he had also failed to keep Xiao Hua from further harm after once saving her from falling victim to vile creatures in Ghost City.

“Maybe you should be more careful”, he says from between gritted teeth, then he turned to sweep more leaves, this time almost viciously, slapping the poor leaves around as if they were his mortal enemy, and once he was done for good he swiftly walked towards Puqi shrine.

“Gege. Gege! Xiao Hua fell and hurt herself!”

With those words he disappeared inside the shrine, trying to leave his anger behind as he told Xie Lian about what had happened, and luckily the scrap God had just returned from getting groceries, so San Lang could quickly mix a salve which he carried back to where Xiao Hua was sitting. He kneeled down next to her as he offered it to her. San Lang wouldn’t have minded to apply it himself, but he knew the guardian was still flighty around him.

“Here, apply this to soothe the pain. Gege also said you should be more careful.”

[rcseadorned]

A light breeze swept across the courtyard of Puqi Shrine, stirring the neatly gathered leaves San Lang had arranged, scattering them in a carefree whirl that settled at Xiao Hua’s feet. Her fingers moved with careful deliberation, guiding the paring knife in slow, precise strokes; she was still learning the art of peeling and slicing with utensils, and there was still a likelihood of cutting herself without proper concentration. Gradually, she pared away the dark, coarse skin of the water chestnuts, revealing their tender white flesh, which she collected in a small bowl set carefully beside her.

Now and then, her pale eyes wandered to the boy who busied himself nearby. Dressed quite lavishly, he must have been born to a moderately wealthy family, yet here was.. sweeping the yard. An enigma with a pleasant face. Why did he linger here, of all places, his attention seemingly bound to Puqi Shrine and, more precisely, to Xie Lian? It wasn’t that she found the god unworthy of reverence; after all, it was Xie Lian’s bumbling in her forest that had first led her to notice him. But Puqi Shrine was humble, the village humbler still. A figure like San Lang couldn't simply just live there without it causing a stir every day.

Curiosity twisted in her mind, lingering only for a moment before she let it drift. She wasn’t one to indulge in riddles, so she wouldn't.

As her gaze fell back to her hands, she noticed a shallow scratch along her forearm when he asked, exposed by her rolled-up sleeves. The thin streak of red stood out sharply against her pale skin, a tiny wound already scabbing over. “It’s fine. Only a scratch,” she said, her voice steady and succinct. Speaking sparingly was her way; she offered only what was necessary, letting silence fill the gaps, a habit that often left others mistaking her brevity for displeasure. Yet, in her time at the shrine, she’d sensed how her quiet ways seemed to stir subtle concern, and slowly she was beginning to course correct.

“I get them often,” she added, “Where I lived-- ” she went on, her voice faltering slightly. I lived in a forest where it was normal for me to get injured almost daily, but of course she couldn't out right say that. “I fell from trees a lot and I’ve been hurt worse. So it's fine.”

While his disguise was supposed to be casual and non-threatening, it was simply not easy to trick someone with the instincts of a deer. Deer could sense danger, no matter how well the predator was hidden, and even though San Lang did not mean to bring her or Xie Lian harm, he was still a Ghost King impersonating a human and the guardian had to be able to sense something was amiss, even if she couldn’t figure out exactly what it was. He was not surprised when she bolted, it was impossible to fight one’s instincts, but the gaze of his eyes never left her form until she disappeared between the trees that now grew behind Puqi shrine. Then he returned to his task of washing the poor tablecloth until it was free of mud and dirt and once it was clean he tied it around a small branch to prevent it from being taken away by the wind again.

When Xie Lian finally returned he of course immediately invited the youth to stay for dinner, or longer if he had nowhere else to be, then he came to check on Xiao Hua, but he also was not surprised that she preferred to avoid San Lang, he knew she needed some time to warm up to people, so instead he offered her the small bucket of water chestnuts and once she had settled down on the shrine’s front walkway Xie Lian stepped inside to start cooking. For a while San Land remained inside, happy to just chat with the cherished Scrap immortal, but at some point he figured he should make himself useful if he took up the offer to stay overnight, so he took the broom and ventured back outside.

Once more he took in the form of the guardian that was busy peeling the chestnuts and even though she had avoided him earlier he started pushing around the leaves from one side to the other, sweeping them into a neat pile in no time, then he stopped next to Xiao Hua.

“Your arm, does it still hurt? I am sure gege has a salve to soothe your pain.”

[rcseadorned]

Though the day wasn’t particularly warm, the water still felt cool and soothing against her skin. For a brief moment, Xiao Hua let the sensation carry her away, watching the sunlight shimmer across the surface. In that instant, it was easy to forget, her guard momentarily slipping.

Her focus was pulled back as she felt the soft press of his fingers, his thumb and forefinger gently lifting her chin. Her heart skipped, and the hairs on her neck stood on end. A flash of red crossed her mind, sharp and vivid, as if it were the only thing she could think about since this boy had appeared. Not just because of the crimson robes he wore, though she had thought that might be the reason. No, this was different. There was something about him, his voice, his presence, that stirred a memory buried deep within her. But it slipped away like a dream upon waking, leaving her with only fragments of red. No matter how hard she tried, the memory remained just out of reach. Despite her instincts urging caution, she didn’t feel any true fear of this man. Whatever impression he gave her, it wasn’t the cause of her reaction.

Suddenly, she jerked her head away, the movement so abrupt that she nearly lost her balance on her bent legs. She caught herself just before falling, stealing a brief glance at San Lang, realizing how strange her reaction might have been, before rising to her feet. The awkwardness hung heavy and there was no easy way to recover her composure or make a graceful exit. With a quick bow of her head, she turned and walked swiftly toward the far end of the shrine, where she disappeared towards the back.

Xiao Hua didn’t reappear until much later in the day. She found a quiet spot on the shrine’s front walkway, sitting cross-legged with a small pile of water chestnuts to occupy her hands. The gentle task of deshelling them was a welcome distraction. She would have preferred to sit inside, listening to Xie Lian’s usual ramblings, but that boy was still in there, and something about his presence unsettled her. It felt... strange.

Instead, she remained outside, ears pricked to the low murmur of voices drifting through the open window.

San Lang kept his fingers dipped in the water as he waited, pushing around a couple of smooth rocks on the bottom of the creek until the guardian finally joined him. He tilted his head to the side, taking a proper look at her appearance. Her skin was pale and smooth, her long hair a little messy from the fall, the horn on her forehead a little crooked but growing well. Hmpf. Just like with Xie Lian he knew her pain had to be more on the inside as well, tucked away neatly for no one to see. For a split-second anger washed over him and he clenched his fists, but he regained control again effortlessly, putting the usual easy smile on his lips.

“So, how do you and His Highness get along?”, the youth asked casually as she knelt down next to him; it was more a question of curiosity than concern, but still he couldn’t help but ask. Xiao Hua had risen to be a proper Heavenly official and as most officials were not fond of the crown prince San Lang thought it better to make sure her opinion of him had not changed.

Waiting for her response he noticed the way she was holding the mud-covered table cloth, she looked most displeased, as if she was holding the rotting corpse of a critter, therefore San Lang took said cloth from her, dipping it into the water to use it to clean her wounds. He was gentle as he worked, trying not to hurt the damaged skin any further and once he was finished with the wound on her arm, he reached out a hand to gently take ahold of her chin, turning it his way before wiping the cloth over her pale cheek.

“You had mud there. We don’t want the keeper of Puqi shrine run around all dirty and messed up, do we?” San Lang grinned, and while people could easily mistake his tone for mockery, this was nothing more than a gentle tease.

[rcseadorned]

Her glassy blue eyes tracked his every movement, pale brows knitting together though she wasn't remarkably bothered by his presence. It was likely just habit—a cautious response to anything unfamiliar, waiting until the threat passed. Xiao Hua remained in her spot, shifting only enough to keep him in her line of sight. The boy, clad in red and moved with the same casual confidence. For someone who was apparently 'homeless', he seemed unaffected by his apparent predicament. Strange boy. A lingering suspicion tugged at the back of her mind, perhaps a byproduct of her still fresh inexperience with people.

“He went into town to buy things for dinner,” she answered, her gaze never leaving the boy as he walked away. She glanced down at the soiled cloth she held, its muddy state a testament to her attempts at being 'helpful' ( She was still new at this, not quite fully domesticated ). Her thoughts were interrupted when San Lang called her over. A long pause passed before she heeded and joined him. She pushed up her sleeve, the cool breeze brought a fresh wave of tingling sensations to her scratched skin, now marked with tiny red spots of blood. Instead of showing pain, she appeared more puzzled. Could something so minor truly be a cause for concern? She decided she’d let the boy worry about it if it made him feel better and held out her arm.

The visit to Puqi shrine was spontaneous and while he knew Xie Lian did not exactly lead a quiet life, San Lang did not expect to walk in on Xiao Hua climbing a tree to retrieve some piece of cloth and falling from said tree. Amusement was tugging on the corners of his mouth but he suppressed a smile; the height she fell from was not too bad, but he knew that it could still be painful. Plus, he could see the scrapes on her elbows and knees and he would feel bad mocking her about it.

“Is His Highness not here?”, he asked curiously as he was sure Xie Lian could have easily retrieved the table cloth without having to climb the tree, but it seemed like it was only the two of them. He kept his eyes on her as she rose to her hooves, making sure she could walk and was not seriously injured, which was a bit of a miracle itself as falls could often be nastier than they looked, then he went to pick up the table cloth. This was really their only one? San Lang made a mental note to bring some from Ghost City next time he came to visit, then he returned to Xiao Hua to hand it over. It had probably been freshly washed before being taken away by the wind, so now it was all covered in mud again.

“Do you need help cleaning it? I guess I have some time to kill until His Highness returns. Where is he anyways?” Without waiting for an answer he walks through the little garden that had grown behind Puqi shrine ever since the guardian had become its keeper and he knelt down next to the little creek, putting his hands into the cold water, then he beckoned Xiao Hua to come closer.

“Let me clean your wounds. We don’t want them to get infected.”