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WHO: Gu Xiang
WHEN: November
WHAT: Intro and exploring
WHERE: Gazin and other areas
WARNINGS: Mentions of death (will update as needed)

(Streets of Gazin)

The last thing that Gu Xiang remembered was dying. Something that she didn't really want to think about. She'd known that she hadn't wanted to die even with how much her heart ached. A part of her even wondered what had happened to her master. No, her big brother. The title didn't really matter, at the moment, and what did was her surroundings.

She felt severely out of place surrounded by a bunch of strangers in her wedding dress. Even with feeling out of place in her attire, she can't help but be intrigued by the language. Maybe she'd be fine there and maybe she wouldn't be. Only time would tell on that one.

(Various Shops)

There was, as it were, a lot of different shops within Gazin. Some of them seemed new compared to what she was used to and others were completely different. It doesn't, however, stop her from slipping into the shops to check things out. After all, to get to know the shops is to get to know the people. She paid attention to those around her and that's what mattered.

She does, however, eventually need to figure out other things or simply find something or someone familiar to her. Maybe then she'd feel a bit better about the place. Then again, she'd probably feel better once she was in something normal too. Something that didn't have her sticking out to others.

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It's the flash of bright, vibrant color that catches Wen Kexing's attention when he's out walking the puppy his A-Xu had found (no, the puppy found them first, to be fair), and he stops still. Not sure if he could bear taking a closer look and be proven he'd imagined it.

But the whispers finally encourage him to look - and his heart almost stops before he's running without even thinking about it, white hair moving behind him and puppy happily running with him.

"A-Xiang!" Propriety be damned. Let them stare as he reaches her, a desperation in his eyes as he looks her over before reaching out to touch her. Real.

To hell with it. He reaches out to pull her close, careful just in case she's still injured.

The sound of feet on the ground, of paws, has her nearly going on the defensive. It didn't matter if she was in pain or in a strange place. She would do whatever was needed in order to protect herself. Just because she didn't have her whip didn't mean she wasn't capable of doing just that.

It takes her a moment to realize that it was his voice. That very familiar voice. A broken voice as she laid dying in his arms. She doesn't stop him when he reaches out to touch her, to test if she was real or not. A part of her is sure she'd have done the same if in his shoes, no matter what she did or did not understand about the way mortals did things.

The moment she's pulled close, however, she wraps her arms as tightly around him as she can and buries her face in his chest. She was still hurting, but none of that mattered. He was there and if he really wasn't, then it wasn't a dream or nightmare or whatever it was that she wanted to wake up from.

That defensiveness would make him proud. He doesn't need to hear her speak, when he holds her what matters is that she's clinging right back. Kexing sighs and wraps his arms around her in a way to simply scoop her up and carry her away. So she doesn't have to keep walking.

So he doesn't have to let go and watch her die over and over again. He watches the young pup lead the way, instinctively knowing where they're going - home. Just as he knows his expression is fierce, daring anyone to stop him.

"A-Xu is here. We'll take care of you," he murmurs past the thick lump in his throat.

In normal circumstances she'd make a fuss about being picked up and carried anywhere, but these circumstances were far from normal. Nor does she care what a bunch of strangers think. Her master had her and that's all that she cared about. The one person that did everything in his power to protect her.

Instead of the normal fuss she'd give, on any other given day, she merely lays her head on Kexing's shoulder. Whether she admitted it or not this was a comfort. Not because she didn't have to walk or anything as mundane as that. It was due to the fact that it was Kexing. The one person she trusted explicitly through everything.

"That's good," she murmurs back. A part of her wants to close her eyes and relax, but she's still hurting. She also doesn't want to scare her master. "Brother Zhou should always be by your side."

They both know this is far from normal circumstances. He'd lost her, and now he has her again. He's not letting go. He's relieved, not that he'd admit it out loud, that she doesn't closer her eyes, that she stays fairly alert. He remembers, vividly, the last time those eyes had closed.

Never again.

"He's working right now, but he'll be home soon. We'll get you comfortable while we wait for him." Just don't leave him again. There are rooms in their house that are better suited for those who don't require a frosty living area, and once Kexing reaches the front door he carries her inside to it. And the comfortable bed waiting.

Internally he scrambles for what he can do until then without letting her go. But he has to, so he helps her stretch out on the bed and smooths a hand over her hair, plucking the various ornaments from it to set them aside. Ignoring how his hands shake.

"A-Xiang. I killed him for you, just as I promised." Her beloved's traitorous master.

Staying alert is what keeps someone alive. She doesn't know this place or the area they're in, so she stays alert. Even when Kexing has her and isn't letting go. There are so many people and things around them. Unfamiliar faces and places, something that puts her on edge. Even if she'd never admit that.

His mention of Zhou Zishu working confuses her, but that's not a confusion that she wants to deal with at the moment. The idea of either of them working throws her off. Or maybe it was still just the idea of the place she was in now.

The house is cold, but the room warm. Not that it bothered her any at the moment. She was still hurting. Still in pain, but the bed was comfortable. Comfortable enough to stretch out on and not feel like the world was going to turn on its axis. It probably helped that Kexing was removing the ornaments in her hair too.

Those words have her stilling slightly, tears in her eyes, as she reaches out to take one of those shaking hands. That couldn't have been easy on him and she knows it. "Thank you." It's a soft whisper and she knows that she doesn't have to thank him. She'd known that he would keep his promise.

Good girl. His precious daughter.

There are mouths to feed, and his A-Xu hates being idle. The puppy stretches out on the floor, ears perked and swiveling, paying attention.

Kexing removes every last ornament and sets them on the table beside her bed. She can hide them away if that is her wish. Or keep them, to look at them. It's her choice, and one he won't make for her.

He sighs when she takes one of his hands and smiles at her, even if there are answering tears in his eyes as well, threatening to fall. No, she doesn't have to thank him. Ever.

"Silly girl," he murmurs fondly, other hand stroking over her hair again. "You know I'll always take care of you." His heart cracks even as he says those words. He'd failed her once.

Never again.

The ornaments that were in her hair would probably be put away, something to be forgotten about. Something to only pull out when she wanted to remember. At the moment? She doesn't want to remember. It's too painful for her. Or maybe that's her body protesting.

The tears cloud her vision at those words and a soft smile graces her lips," I know." She knew that he would take care of her. That was the one thing she'd always believe when it came to her master. He hadn't been the cause of her death, after all, and he'd still taken out the enemy after. He still took care of matters, of her.

She eventually lets go of his shaking hand even though she leans her head fondly into his other one. Being carried around and still being a little out of it, she hadn't noticed it before. Reaching up she brushes fingers lightly over that white hair.

"Master?" That's more confusion than anything else. After all, he hadn't had white hair during her wedding. This was new and it looked good on him. Just as she knows that he'd asked her to call him big brother, but some things just stayed ingrained in one's mind. He would always be her master, he father figure, more than her big brother.

A brittle little laugh bubbles up at that confused query, and it's his turn to lean into her hand. He smiles and doesn't scold her to not call him master any more. She can call him anything she wants and he'll answer it cheerfully.

"The old monster told me how I could save A-Xu. It should have cost my life, but..." his gaze softens as he remembers waking up. "A-Xu figured out how to share his life force with me. So we're immortal now, as long as we eat snow and ice and live where it's cold."

No more drinking wine. No more tasty human food. He'd given it all up - they both had. To stay together.

Her fingers tangle slightly in that white hair much the same way a child's would, more due to her curiosity than anything else. Though, she scrunches her nose up a bit when he mentions the old monster. The part after that is the slightly better part, minus her master dying. She wouldn't have wanted him to die.

There's a tired, pained, soft smile out of her," I'm glad Brother Zhou found a way. You weren't allowed to follow me." Though, she doesn't like the fact that they have to eat ice and snow. Her master had always had a love for food and wine, especially wine. Brother Zhou too.

"You're both fine now." Which is what matters the most.

He winces just a little, but doesn't shake her hold off. He doesn't have the heart to deny her anything now. He grins at how her nose scrunches up - it's so cute! He strokes a gentle hand over her hair, smoothing it back away from the style it had been in for her wedding.

Kexing ducks his head a little at her telling him he wasn't allowed to follow her. He won't tell her how her death had affected him. The depth of pain it had caused. She's alive again, and back with him. Even if her other half isn't here - that he's seen. He hopes, for her sake, that Cao Weining shows up and finds her.

He all but leaps on the last statement. "We are! A new shield around the city was just put up before you got here. It's safer now." Not that he'll let anything happen to her ever again. He and Zishu will defend her. And he suspects others will help, too.

Those fingers tangle a bit more in his hair before untangling and letting go. The feel of his hand smoothing over her hair has her leaning into that hand. Even if she'd only just seen him not moments before, dying in his arms, the hand smoothing through her hair lets her know he's there. That he's real. This wasn't some trick of her mind. Even if that was possibly something that could happen too.

"Why a shield?" It's a tiredly asked question. After all, she doesn't know enough about the city. Why would a shield need to be put up? Did that mean her master and Brother Zhou weren't safe? Though both could take care of themselves just fine and she knew it. That didn't, however, stop the worry that came off of her in waves.

They were safe. That's what she had to keep reminding herself. They were alive. It was all that mattered.

The good news has him hurrying home, eager to see the precious new arrival. He understands the guilt his Lao Wen carries, the horror of that day hangs over his soulmate like a thunderous cloud. Losing her had left Zishu scarred too - scarred in a way he never shared with Kexing. Gu Xiang is his little sister and now... Now she can be where she belongs.

"A-Xiang." he murmurs in wonder when he sees her, smiling breathlessly and if there are tears in his eyes, surely he can be forgiven, "Welcome back."

Her master had told her that the other was working. Even if that still was a bit foreign to her. He'd stayed with her, even, until she'd fallen asleep and is pretty sure that he'd stayed even after. So, when that door to the room opens and Zishu comes in, she gives a soft yet tired smile.

"Brother Zhou." She wasn't going to comment on the 'welcome back' part because it would just make her own heart ache, knowing that the two had been left behind. Even if it was beyond her control.

Her sleepy smile just makes her cuter and Zishu hurries to her side. He doesn't know if she has experienced her death, but those details just aren't important. She's here and they can keep her safe.

"Have you eaten anything? We don't keep food in the house, but the marketplace isn't far away and, of course, there is also the tavern."

The moment Zishu is by her side, she leans into him a bit. Even if moving around too much still caused a few pains in her body. Kexing had already removed all of the ornaments from her hair and those were sitting on the bedside table still. Eventually she'd put them somewhere out of sight until she was ready to look at them again.

His question, however, has her shaking her head," No. Master brought me straight here." Her and the puppy that she didn't know.

Tutting over Kexing's oversight, Zishu wraps an arm around her, giving her a warm hug. One glance at the hair ornaments tells him everything he needs to know. She has been through hell. A light, nourishing meal would be best if she can stomach it.

"I'll go out and get you something." he arches a brow at the puppy curled up nearby, "I see you have a good guard."

To her? It wasn't an oversight. They'd been clinging to each other and she'd been finding out what happened to his hair. There had been confusion and tears both. As well as him telling her that he'd taken out her enemy. Taken out the very one that had taken her beloved from her.

"When did you and master get a puppy?" She wasn't overly familiar with the pup, but knows that the puppy was with Kexing when he'd ran into her.

Well, he can forgive them for that. But bodily necessities are still important and Zishu hasn't forgotten that most humans need food to survive. The question makes him smile and he calls the fluffy pup to his side with a soft word, stroking over their ears.

"We were shopping one day and this one found us." he glances at her, "Lao Wen had a dog when he was a child. I wanted to get him another one."

Human bodies did need food to survive, but after the hell she went through she hadn't thought of it either. All she'd known is that her master was there and she was in pain. Still was, if she was being honest with herself, but it's ignored for the most part. Rest does a body good too.

"Master told me what happened." It shouldn't take too much to figure out what she means. As for the pup," Have you and master named the pup yet?"

Pain can be addressed too. Zishu remembers how many wounds she sustained; how hard she had fought. The memory has him tucking her closer, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Everything?" he asks quietly, knowing the full truth would be a lot to swallow, "I'll have to ask him. I left that task up to him."

There is also another member of the household that she will likely encounter.

"I have a cat too. Named Pumpkin." his lips quirk, "I didn't name her, though I like it."

Today has been a day where she doesn't pull away from either of them. Her master had picked her up and carried her to the house, and she hadn't made a fuss over it. Zishu has her against his side and she's not bound to fuss over that either. Both her master and Brother Zhou are welcome reprieves from what she's been through.

"He told me that the old monster found a way to save you," she states softly. "And that it cost him his life, but you found a way to use your own life force to save him. Which is good. He wasn't allowed to follow." The words cause her voice to break slightly, but she ignores them. "He also said that you're immortal now and gave up a lot for it."

The mention of the cat gets a tired smile out of her," Pumpkin. Sounds like an interesting cat."

And she is welcome to lean on them for as long as she needs - and likes! Zishu won't complain about having his cute little sister relying on him. They are all family, aren't they? She belongs here with them and if she had lived, he is sure Lao Wen would have coaxed her onto their mountain too. Husband and all!

"We didn't know if it would work. I took the chance because my only other choice was to..." he presses his lips together tensely before giving her a small smile, "He's alright. I am too. We've made a nice home on our mountain, but we only eat ice and snow."

Zishu also realizes that the immortality means Kexing and Xiang will likely never meet again. He hopes...prays...that her sweet soul can find rest.

"She's very...motherly. She might lay on you."

It's probably going to be like that for a while. This was a strange, and new, place that she didn't particularly know or trust. While she recuperated she was bound to lean on her master and Brother Zhou. They were familiar territory. People that she could trust.

She scrunches her nose up a bit," You and master are fine, that's all that matters." She's not overly fond of the idea that they only eat ice and snow. That meant that neither of them could sit and eat with her, or any of that.

"She sounds nice. Where is she now?" After all, Zishu has talked about Pumpkin, but Gu Xiang has not seen a cat anywhere around.

"Mm I wouldn't go that far." Zishu taps that scrunched nose lightly with his index finger, "You being fine matters too. We love you."

He hadn't told her that before, though he had shown it in his own way. Still, it's nice to hear - and she deserves to know it without a doubt.

As for meals... Zishu will gladly sit with her regardless. He imagines Kexing will do likewise. Meals together aren't just about food.

"She likes to follow me to work." he gets up and pushes open the door, smiling at the loud meow that greets him. Pumpkin is a fluffy brown cat and she has no problem with the puppy. Her focus seems to be entirely on Xiang and she hops up by the young woman, tail swishing.

The tap to her nose has her scrunching her nose up a bit more, but she doesn't mind it. Anyone other than Zishu or her master then there would have been problems, not that she'd let anyone else get that close. There was no reason to allow anyone that close to her. After all, she didn't have her whip with her. The only thing she had was her wedding dress and the bracelets, including the one her master gave her, that adorned her wrist.

"What do you do?" After all, Kexing had mentioned work. It threw her off when he had. She does, however, give a soft smile at the cat who seems to bypass the puppy altogether. Those eyes, however, watch the cat for a moment not sure how to react to that. Pets were not really a thing.

"She's cute," She says softly, fingers reaching out and brushing lightly over Pumpkin's spine.

He hopes she will learn to trust others given time. The residents of Gazin are good people - for the most part. They could help her heal; they could help all of them heal. Fighting constantly is exhausting and no way to live. But healing is a choice and she's...

Probably feeling quite defensive after what happened.

"Odd jobs around town. Whatever is needed. Few people want to enter the forest, for example, but monsters don't scare me." Zishu calms the puppy - because cat! - by hugging him, giving Pumpkin a chance to say hello, "She claimed me at the cafe. I couldn't leave her behind."

Pumpkin arches under those fingers and rumbles a purr.

It was possible that she would learn to trust others given time, but that wasn't bound to happen any time soon. She had the two people in her life that she could trust. The only two people that she would ever need.

"Does master go into the forest with you?" She had vaguely paid attention to the forest when she was walking the streets, but she had been distracted. Her master had shown up, after all. Those fingers continue running down the cat's spine and there's a soft, tired smile out of her. Even though she's slept, she feels even more tired. They should probably worry about that food too.

"She followed you home?"

"Sometimes." Zishu smiles at the cute image she makes with Pumpkin. Being around the animals might be good for her too. He can't imagine she learned much empathy in the Ghost Valley, though his Lao Wen probably did his best for her in that regard.

"But he doesn't need to." he clicks his tongue and the puppy perks up, walking to his side, "She did. I guess she chose me."

And now she is choosing Xiang, purring and blinking peacefully. Zishu chuckles and walks to the door, the puppy following him.

"I'll be back soon with food. Try to rest in the mean time, A-Xiang."

Sometimes. Maybe once she was in better shape she'd check out the forest. That, however, was the furthest thing from her mind. Brother Zhou and her master were safer together. So, she's glad (even if it's a sometimes thing) that they didn't go into the forest alone. Much less if it was meant to be a dangerous place to be.

"Okay."

Resting was something that she could do. Even as she watches the puppy walk back over to Zishu, the cat staying by her side. Her fingers idly run down Pumpkin's back and over that fur even as her eyes close slightly. Tiredness was really a big pain.

"Not going anywhere."

Even if she could she wasn't bound to get far anyway, but she didn't want to go anywhere. Not when she had Zishu and her master about.

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Later? :3

Yes! ♥

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