Norver A03 Blog

These signs of distrust on San Lang's part for you hadn't been present in the last few hours, and you almost forgot there was a stranger in this beat-up home with you and Xie Lian. During sunset, your dinner preparation had been interrupted by a horse-drawn carriage, an acupunctured villager, and a new local being offered your limited resources. Needless to say you had scolded Xie Lian for his carelessness in bringing in another mouth to feed: you could continue to practice inedia for tonight, but with how long he's gone without food, Xie Lian would have to indulge your cooking... and you really hadn't made much to begin with. Your edible resources (or lack thereof) could give away you both were more than you seemed, but thankfully San Lang wasn't hungry and departed for the night before your scolding had begun.

San Lang had been rather cordial yet charming at his departure last night, but had been quite a bit of a pain to you this morning when he showed up. He seemed so smitten with Xie Lian, you have half a mind to think this mischievous behavior was payback for lecturing Xie Lian so late last night...

Yet, time passes, and morning turns to night. And the dreaded question of sleeping arrangements comes up as San Lang wishes to stay.

Xie Lian had put away the pottery he had collected as he noticed the time just after you did. "Yes, I could go to sleep as well, San Lang. Let us just get... the..."

You and Xie Lian both have the expressions of surprise, dread, and embarrassment thrown at each other as it dawned onto you both; you had neglected to make another mat for yourself today as you had planned, and your only one would have to do.

After all you had suspected of San Lang throughout the last night with Xie Lian, you didn't exactly expect him to stay the night. But San Lang―true name and identity unknown―didn't look put off or displeased with your breaking news at all. If anything, the smile on his face only grew into something smug before disappearing back into something more soothing.

It was far from soothing...

There had been a bit of true peace between you three shortly after you all laid upon the mat. You had been first to choose without the other two really getting a say and you ended up taking the center and laying upon your back, at least trying not take up too much space. It was a safe and smart idea for yourself, you justified, when you believed San Lang had some sort of interest in Xie Lian. With how he clung to his side since simply meeting him yesterday, you thought Xie Lian a target of some sort.

But now, with the young man breathing down your neck and shoulders, you wonder if you had been lured in. San Lang had laid down like he had a purpose on your right, and you can tell he was far from displeased as he rolled into his side to basically lay his ear on your shoulder. His excuse of the wall being so close for fear of hitting his head or back had been smart, but it didn't really ease your skyrocketing senses as you became sensitive to his vitals.

Human breathe. Body heat. Stable heartbeat. You can feel all of this on your shoulder and arm, and you can tell whatever disguise this might be... was very good.

San Lang's smug smile flashed just briefly again, while Xie Lian was taking off his working boots and had his eyes everted.

...

... You knew San Lang had been too happy to lay upon your right side against the wall, practically smug as he laid on his side to face you and Xie Lian fully...

After he was finished, Xie Lian had laid upon the outside―your left―and had done so on his back like you had, likely as well for his paranoia, but you couldn't tell with that radiant smile. The Scrap God gave you both a sheepish laugh as he turned to you two then, uttering a, "I'm very sorry it's cramped. We'll make sure to accommodate you properly in the morning, San Lang."

San Lang, draped on your arm in the image of an alluring beauty from erotic paintings, seemed pleased where he lay, "I'm very sorry for the intrusion. I'll make sure to pull my weight in the morning, as I am the guest."

In their discussion back and forth about repayment for room and board, you had quickly become obsolete after they brought back the topic of what happened last night, and you had deemed the situation handled and closed your eyes as they talked over you. You were unsure if you were able to make your body rest and simulate sleep while San Lang was on you, but Xie Lian's presence alone had seemed to temper whatever the other felt towards you, and you took this chance to try.

Try, was a brave word.

And sadly, it seemed only Xie Lian had any luck at his attempt to rest.

For now, the other God was asleep as far as you could tell, and had rolled over to face you and San Lang, body just shy of fully draping over your last remaining arm (you couldn't care anyways, your arms had strong meridians flowing and wouldn't go numb with weight alone). But you did notice the absurdity of both your bedmates laying upon you just shy of when you could feel a strong, overpowering gaze tracing your... everything.

San Lang, it seems, won't go to sleep so easily as well. If he even could.

You could feel your aura flair, and the air just slightly too still for your liking. You weren't prey, because you'd never allow yourself to be so vulnerable, but then what was this inaction? Did you fear that unknown person against your clavicle? Or were you anticipating something unknown to your perception of him to happen... ? Did you expect to wake up suddenly and see San Lang passed out, fast asleep and huddled to the wall?

You can feel the warm breath of San Lang (should a ghost's breath be so warm as to make your skin so heat?) slow just slightly, before it stops. You're sure he's doing it on purpose to tease you, before the next time a breath washes your neck, a whispered voice carries with it.

"My, you're a terrible liar..." San Lang sounded amused. "You're so stiff in your sleep, I almost thought you dead. You're basically grabbing onto him. I expected better from you..."

You wanted to open your eyes and give a soft glare at the crimson wearing man, to ask him what he meant and to try and unpack the statement you'd just heard. But you didn't have time to process how you were going to go about this, much less how to not wake Xie Lian beside you, when movement on your far left side gained your focus.

Xie Lian was awake? When a hand you hadn't felt on your robes suddenly gripped it just a tad bit too hard right above your stomach, you knew it couldn't be anyone else. San Lang's own hand against your arm told you who it must be, so far to your left an inverted grip on you was a dead giveaway to it being Xie Lian's. But why was it balling up your robes so protectively?

The callused, yet gentle hand gripping your robes led to a soft, familiar voice answering back to San Lang. The whisper said, "I did not lie. I simply said I was going to bed... I didn't say I'd sleep." He sounded more sheepish then offended, perhaps knowing somewhere inside him this was a useless debate.

"Yes, you did." San Lang laughs lightly, sounding very assured of this. And he was right. "But what I'm really talking about was what you said about your... roommate here."

"What did I say about him? I will be honest, I talked... a lot, today. You make it so easy to just talk." Xie Lian's expression at the moment didn't come to your mind, as his tone was inquisitive. His tone was far from harsh, but that grip on your robes was something harsh.

San Lang didn't seem the type of man to allow flattery to get anywhere with him, not even your earlier compliments on how effective he was at cutting wood had affected him. But San Lang seemed to have a soft spot for Xie Lian, and any compliment was basically soaked up like water to dry soil. This seemed to be no different, even if you couldn't see their faces.

"Why thank you, I try really hard." It sounded like he actually did enjoy that compliment, from how smug he sounded. "But about him, I meant what you said during the ghost march... how your roommate was just some nobody just like you. At first, I could see it. Now, I don't buy it."

You would have held your breath if your body wasn't already in the rhythm of a fake-slumber. You can feel a familiar hand from San Lang's side of the bed, one previously upon your arm, come up to cup your chin in a feather gentle touch.

"I think you said something about both of you just meeting each other a short while ago, deciding to settle here because of your shared interest." The touch was chaste yet steady against your skin, and you can feel light callouses on the tips of his fingers. "From how you act, I couldー"

Just as the hand feels like it was about to start dragging itself across your jaw, you feel another hand reach to grab at it and mostly jostled it from where it holds you. But something so forceful was not expected and you jumped at the clap right below your chin. Nothing had hit you, but damn was it close.

You guess that was enough spying for one tonight.

Opening your eyes as your facade of sleep could no longer be believable, you are met with both of the joined hands and the faces of your two bedmates noticing your awake. The look between them before they focused on you was one of pleading (Xie Lian) and searching (San Lang), and then Xie Lian regarded you fully with a sheepish expression.

"I'm so sorry, my friend, we seemed to have woken you up..." Xie Lian's face heats right on his cheek bones, and you can tell he didn't want you seeing him like this. "San Lang... just needed his shoes, it was getting cold."

San Lang himself just rolled off of you to lay upon his back―seemingly not carrying of the wall right at his side―but his slightly smug smile did not wipe as he flipped back. He didn't say anything; he didn't agree or disagree with Xie Lian's statement, leaving the Scrap God to make up the excuse.