Work Text:
Centuries ago, a new era began with the appearance of spirits, vampires, and werebeasts alike. These creatures terrorized humanity, with thousands falling prey to their bloodlust as their very life force was sapped out of them.
To combat the threats, holy templars emerged with techniques to restrain the supernatural scourge whilst acting as agents for humanity. Trained by the Church, members who specialized in tracking and exorcising the accursed creatures spread themselves far and wide wherever the light would take them. As priests purified the sources of contaminating corruption, slayers would slaughter countless of the beastial brethren, dwindling their presence until almost every trace of them had been extinguished. Among the ranks of persisting undead included a fearsome ancient vampire, known only as the White Terror.
A creature of night, the White Terror was the being of children's nightmare. He was a monster who took pleasure in tormenting nearby villages by various means, from killing the livestock to lighting the crop fields on fire, to kidnapping the children for ransom and only accepting the men’s wives in exchange – who’d then be kept captive in his decrepit castle, unable to resisting his lust as he’d ravish them whenever he pleased.
At least, that was what most people believed. If one thing can be said about humans, it’s their penchant to make the most extravagant of stories.
And like most great fables, only parts of it were true. The White Terror did exist and he truly was a vampire, but his life was ultimately nothing far different from an ordinary human’s – outside the exceptions of him drinking blood and living far longer than he otherwise would.
He didn’t care about the stories surrounding him nor meeting others' expectations at this point in his life. As long as he was left alone in his big old mansion, it was all fine by him. After all, the stories always ended with him being at fault. So what’s a man to do but care less about his reputation?
A few farm chickens went missing? The White Terror stole them! Nevermind that he was wealthy enough to just buy his own animals — and of a much better quality at that.
A charming lad’s love goes unrequited? That White Terror has seduced them! Nevermind the fact he has no social skills lets alone any idea of how to flirt or how romance works.
Someone’s booger-eating children got a fever? The White Terror cursed them! Nevermind that the last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt innocents, especially children.
For every rumor he had tried to squash, three more would have sprouted up by the time he was done. Sick and tired of the wasted effort, the so-called ‘White Terror’ had decided a long time ago to plug his ears and just let the idle gossip run rampant. It was quite convenient actually, as their stories ended up serving as a good deterrent for anyone who dared to even think about intruding onto his home.
Several decades soon flew by for him, and the humans that he had known eventually passed away. His numerous tall tales, however, had been kept alive and well, passed down from parent to child like a cautionary tale. He was no longer the vampire who terrorized the innocent, but a fairytale used to scare little children into their beds at night.
In the present day, there wasn’t a sensible human who believed he existed, and of those who so foolishly did there were none also brave enough to venture into his forest in search of him.
They’d never find the White Terror — or Lu Guang , as he preferred for his friends to call him back in the day — who was currently nestling in his big comfy bed, tucked away from the harsh cold of winter.
The snowy season had only just arrived. Snowflakes sprinkled down to the earth, blanketing the land and turning the orange falling of leaves into mountains of white. Outside, there was little to no activity. Humans too huddled inside their homes, surrounding their hearths and fireplaces. Safe and sound by their side were stockpiles of food to last the long, harsh season.
On rare occasions, there would be some humans attempting to venture into Lu Guang’s forest out of desperation for winter game. But no matter the motive, each and every person would be physically repelled by a magic barrier he’d enacted around his abode centuries ago.
And thus the forest was forever empty of human interference, and his mansion forever safe. With no one nearby, it meant that there was now no one left who could interrupt his weary slumber. No one, except—
"Rise and shine, Lu Guang!"
Except for one particularly pesky priest.
Slowly sitting up on the bed, Lu Guang eventually faced his blurry glare at the person who dared face him back. The pious man across from him had his elbow propped on the bedside whilst leaning way too far into Lu Guang’s personal space, all to gaze at him mischievously.
A too-wide grin spread on his unwanted guest’s face as it was lit by the light of the — what time of day was it, morning? Or was it afternoon now? Yes, definitely afternoon looking at the cozy light filtering in through the window — afternoon. It was such a travesty to be woken up at this ungodly hour by such an unapologetic pup of a man.
Lu Guang pulled the blanket up to his head, shutting himself from the outside world once again much to the priest’s protest.
The priest — who had continued to ignore any decorum of etiquette during his stay, where today he decided to kick down Lu Guang’s bedroom door with a loud crash and then waltz in as if he owned the land — audaciously huffed when his attempt to rouse the sleepy vampire failed. Cheng Xiaoshi — as the priest said he was called — reached a hand through the pile of pillows and blankets, before throwing himself on top of the lump where he thought he’d located his ungracious host’s body resting.
“Wake up, Lu Guang,” Cheng Xiaoshi cheered, playing a one-sided tug-o-war with an ancient vampire and zero caution. “You’re going to miss the first day of winter!”
Lu Guang wriggled away the hands trying to pry him out of bed, instead burying himself further into his cloth cocoon. All Cheng Xiaoshi could hear was a muffled voice mumbling from beneath the white sheets, "Don't want to."
"Come on, you big-ass having vampire! You've been cooped up in your room for almost a week already!" Cheng Xiaoshi groaned pettily as he tugged on the bed blankets again. "Up, up, up! Let's go play outside today already!"
Another grouchy response, "It is cold outside."
"Don't you worry, I’ve got you covered,” Cheng Xiaoshi reassured while patting the lump of vampire, “I have the warmest jacket prepared just for you. And I even made sure to pick out the clothes that best compliment your beauty.”
A pause and then a slightly pouty response, "I want to take a bath, but the water’s going to be cold."
"And I already filled up the tub with warm water for you, should you want to go and take a bath right now."
Cheng Xiaoshi could almost hear the contemplation going on in Lu Guang’s head before he saw the stubborn shuffling and heard another complaint from beneath the blankets. He kept his groan inaudible as to let Lu Guang speak clearly to him as he complained, "I'm hungry."
"Lunch is already on the table, and Elizabeth helped me," he sweetly hummed as if it was the normalest thing to do in a stranger's house. For a brief moment, Lu Guang relaxed into the familiar relief that came with the priest taking charge over their daily meals— the relief in no more animal carcasses being served on their dinner table — before he deflated again from remembering the reality of getting out of bed. No way he was going downstairs. Nope.
“No,” he said definitively and then rolled over.
"But you haven’t even seen the spread I made for us! Or,-" a pause, as if Cheng Xiaoshi was ruminating on something before his tone turned mischievous. “-Do you maybe want to have my blood instead?"
Lu Guang could feel his fangs itching for it. But still, "No."
"Aw," Cheng Xiaoshi sighed in disappointment as if he wasn’t casually on the verge of breaking the strictest of holy laws punishable only by death. “I thought I would taste wonderful.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Lu Guang had once gotten a whiff of his scent by accident that one evening when a stray branch had scratched the priest’s arm. It was a flowing fragrance of sunshine and earnestness, doubtlessly Cheng Xiaoshi smelled delicious . Lu Guang knew that a rich and sweet, mouth-watering bountiful blood flew through his veins.
Such a feat Lu Guang had thought impossible, given the M.O. of all the other priests he’d the misfortune of meeting up until now.
Was he still new to his profession? Lu Guang wasn’t certain, though he had never seen Cheng Xiaoshi active as a clergyman outside of a few recreational hunts through his forest. Despite this, he was the first person who’d managed to enter past his barrier — one which’d stood for six centuries counting, guarding his house without fail up until then — and doing so without alerting Lu Guang to his presence.
Him even being here was a testament to his capabilities — or so Lu Guang had initially thought.
To this day, Lu Guang still couldn’t determine whether his appearance was just beginner’s luck or whether Cheng Xiaoshi was just as skilled at hiding his strength as he was wielding it.
Lu Guang was jittered out of his train of thought by Cheng Xiaoshi who plopped himself onto his bed, causing a mini earthquake across the mattress. He could hear the priest sighed in disbelief.
"Poor Elizabeth."
Lu Guang immediately perked up with alarm from under his blankets and pillows. "What's wrong with Elizabeth?"
Although his voice was muffled, Cheng Xiaoshi could hear the urgency in his tone clearly.
"She’s waiting for you," Cheng Xiaoshi cried while vying to maximize the suspense in the air. "She said that she’s never played with the snow, — that she was hoping her Master Lu would play with her as she’d never felt the joys of winter with her loved ones before their inevitable passing. But alas,-" he paused dramatically, letting the silence seep in, "-Her master is too lazy to get his fat ass down the stairs to spend time with her. Oh,-” he flopped his head back with a flourish, “-what will become of her sweet, sensitive soul when struck with such disappointing news!?"
After Cheng Xiaoshi finished his speech, he was thrown off the bed and onto his butt by the vampire rushing to stand up. A blur of white grabbed the generously prepared outfit from the bedside table before vanishing out the room. He’d left the priest alone to nurse his poor bottom and in a little bit of shock — this had to have been the fastest Cheng Xiaoshi had ever seen Lu Guang move during his two months of stay at the mansion.
When Lu Guang came dashing down to the living room, and Cheng Xiaoshi trailing closely behind, he almost stumbled to the floor when an energetic ball of cat girl launched herself at him.
He embraced her immediately, familiar with this exchange and she squirmed in his hold. The young girl — who didn’t look any older than nine years of age — took a quick peek at him before squealing in delight when the familiar face of her master finally came into view.
"Master Lu!" Elizabeth chirped, beaming at him with a smile that could rival the sun. Her slitted yellow pupils shone brightly, "Good morning!"
"Good morning to you too, Lizzy," he greeted back, albeit in a much calmer tone. “How are you?”
Elizabeth dropped to the floor barefooted — and Lu Guang made a mental note to remind her to put on a pair of boots if she was going out — before she puffed her chest up proudly with hands on her hips. “Your faithful student is more than fine, Master Lu. In fact, I helped Mr. Priest with making lunch!"
Lu Guang knew that probably translated to ‘I taste tested for him while stealing an added bite or two!’ But nonetheless, it warranted praises in his book. And so he nodded, crouching down to pat her. “You did a great job. I’m so proud of you.”
Elizabeth purred at the praise. A thin soft smile graced his face as Lu Guang looked at her closely, combing away her stray sandy hairs while a warm feeling slipped into his heart. He was always proud of how far she had come, how wonderfully she’d grown up under his care. Elizabeth joined his dominion when she was only a cub, still too weak to transform into her human form — hungry, stranded, alone.
But a weak cub she was no more. Now her head reached his elbow as she stood tall in her human form — as incomplete as it was with her feline eyes, furry ears, and fluffy tail still sticking out. She was no longer a delicate little thing made only of skin and bone. Hidden beneath her sweet, short disguise was the strength of a beast already halfway to her maturity. With every hunt she completed, she filled in her genes a little bit more. And by this point, Lu Guang was certain she could take down an adult man without any help.
While his fingers threaded back through her soft hair, he suddenly took notice of the fragrant lavender dancing around her.
"You smell unusually fresh today,” he commented, pausing to choose his next words wisely. “Did you do something special when you bathed?"
“Hehe! I smell like flowers, right?” she asked excitedly, taking a step back. “The priest gave me something to use so I could be more ladylike , and he even said I could keep it!”
She twirled about with the hem of her dress floating after her, until she’d stopped to fidget on her feet instead.
“He also said that he was going to make a special meal for us today, like they used to back at his home. He said that they’d always have this girnormouz lunch on Sundays before everyone would go out and tend the fields together. So he’s gonna cook for us all in the spirit of the tradition and make lots of yummy plates for us to share before we head out to play. So-,” she frowned, “-that meant I had to take a proper bath to wash up first, like the kids are supposed to, if I wanted to follow the tradition with him.” The last part came out mumbled by the pout pulling her mouth.
Lu Guang was stunned. Not only had the nosy Cheng Xiaoshi managed to cajole an ancient vampire out of his slumber, but also managed to convince a stubborn werebeast who hated water so vehemently into taking a bath on her own accord. In comparison, whenever Lu Guang had even tried entertaining the suggestion to her, she would hiss and sometimes even claw at him for the suggestion, before inevitably sulking in her room for a whole day. But for their strange visitor’s sweet words, she’d become as bashful as a new born baby.
All of it raised a few questions that didn’t sit right with Lu Guang.
Why was this man trying hard for the both of them, on this day particularly of all days? They’re practically strangers — or to be more precise, a single father struggling with a recent pest problem that tunneled its way into his home. Well, that’s how it felt sometimes for Lu Guang anyway.
Even if Cheng Xiaoshi felt like an unwelcome intruder, it was hard to ignore his merits. He’d still taken over the kitchen work without asking, all of his own volition — something Lu Guang admittedly could never manage, let alone master. Everything else in the mansion was under Lu Guang’s thumb, under his control at the flick of a wrist. He’d made enchantments to do the simpler everyday tasks like cleaning, laundry, and other important maintenance jobs such as polishing the windows, oiling the hinges, and cleaning the gutters. Thus, Cheng Xiaoshi had nothing else to do during his stay except for loitering around the mansion and cooking, all in between the occasional hunt with Elizabeth from time to time.
So why was the priest getting up to now?
Was it to form a closer relationship? Perhaps he was laying traps while he lowered his guard? Has the time come for him to launch some sort of plan? Cheng Xiaoshi may have ultimately been just a human, but still he was an elusive one nonetheless. Without the means to measure his true capability — especially since it’s still not clear how this nosy man managed to infiltrate his barrier — Lu Guang wasn’t so arrogant nor reckless as to think he could risk a fight with him and come out unscathed.
Even if Lu Guang successfully defeated him, it would be naive to think that there wasn’t a backup plan in place. Maybe Cheng Xiaoshi intended to weaken him first before calling for reinforcements. With his colleagues from the Church, they could probably overwhelm him, ending him for once and for all — leaving Elizabeth and all the others who’ve come to him for refuge in his land exposed, vulnerable.
His breath hitched at the thought alone. He didn’t want that. He couldn’t let that happen.
Somehow, he needed to find a way to contain Cheng Xiaoshi safely without leaving any loose ends.
The fastest way would have been to kill him, but Lu Guang knew killing Cheng Xiaoshi wasn’t an option — not right now anyway. While he hadn’t found out who Cheng Xiaoshi was, he also hadn’t made enough progress on figuring out who he wasn’t. It would be bad if this priest was related to a noble family, ones whose influence could trigger a mass-search in the case of his sudden disappearance. As weak as humans were individually, they could be utterly terrifying when organized in groups.
With the stakes so high, Lu Guang’s mind turned to places he didn’t like it to go. He knew how powerful drinking human blood could make him, improving his odds if he were in a pinch. However, he wouldn’t, couldn’t, and had vowed to never drink a single drop of human blood again — no matter the circumstance.
The vow he had taken was absolute, binding him as an unbreakable rule. And as well as he knew that, his sense of order and propriety would always come second to his chivalrous pride for protecting his people, and all other outcasts and misfits who would look to him in their time of need.
Should such a situation come to pass, he knew the residents of his forest could at least make their escape by ways of an old evacuation route mapped long ago. It was still dangerous and their safe haven would be lost along with him, but they could still have a chance of escape whilst Lu Guang would hold off the attacking humans.
Lu Guang couldn’t tell how likely that outcome was or how close it was to becoming a reality, but he was keenly aware that time was ever passing them by. His current goal was first to find out which faction Cheng Xiaoshi was affiliated with, or which Church he hailed from. Unfortunately, while the priest may have had a loudmouth, his secrets remained sealed. All Lu Guang had to work with for now were a handful of clues about him — the cleric uniform he wore when he first arrived in his forest; the distinct eagle regalia pinning up his cape; the aged dagger he’d take for every hunt and later clean carefully in an odd show of tenderness; or the pocket watch he was always carrying around, occasionally taking it out in times of silence and staring into it with melancholic gaze.
Lu Guang had narrowed down these items as having connections to his shrouded past. But the stories behind them stayed guarded, always zealously hidden behind that cheery, lackadaisical mask Cheng Xiaoshi always wore.
Lu Guang was certain the priest had a motivation behind his nice gestures — all of them did, they always did. In all his years, he’d yet to meet a person so sadly meek or humbly considerate as to lower themselves to the role of a simple maid without want of anything in return.
But despite all this, Cheng Xiaoshi’s hadn’t smelt like deception at all. There still wasn’t a whiff of it around him.
The complications and befuddlement made the hairs on Lu Guang’s neck prickle. It was all coming crashing down in a moment until the tension in him was cut by the sweet, unaware voice beside him.
“Master Lu, you don’t like it?”
He blinked back to reality and found himself the victim of his student’s pouty — and perhaps worried — gaze.
He was so lost in thought, that he’d caused poor Lizzy to look at him like that.
“I love it,” he spoke, fumbling his delivery while trying to smooth his demeanor, searching for the right words to string into a compliment for a girl on the verge of tears. “It's perfect for you. You smell lovely.”
“You love it?” she murmured in wonder, her feline ears perked up. Any trace of sadness vanished as a smile adorned her face, an act Lu Guang could only reciprocate softly.
“Yeah, I do.” The affirmation made her giggle with affection before her voice went back to a more disciplined tone.
"Master, why did you come downstairs?" she asked with her eyes questioning him curiously. "You’re usually asleep for the whole winter."
"I-, wanted a change of pace," he smoothly blurted out. "I want to play in the snow with you."
"Oh. Oh," the little girl gaped at him before schooling her features again. “I mean-, that’s great to hear!”
She knew her master was a seldom man to go outside, especially in this kind of weather. It was already a big surprise to see him coming down from his bedroom. She was always lonely in winters and always wanting to spend more time with him so badly. But even more than that, she didn’t want to be a bigger burden on him than she already was. And so, she was ready to accept another year of staring longingly at his door, never interrupting his rest or asking for any of his spare time for the few moments he did wake and rise from his room to handle his businesses.
She knew he was never one to play favorites, which made it all the more surprising when she heard him coming down. Why did he change his mind?
She first glanced at the priest behind him who caught her eyes. Winking back at her immediately with a sly smile, he brought a finger to his lips as if to tell her that they can keep this on the hush-hush. She almost cried out, ‘Thank you very much,’ right there and then as he grinned at her. While she was still quite wary of the priest, much like her master was, she’d also grown somewhat fond of him as he’d been the one keeping her company these past few weeks. For all of that as well as this, he’d earned her eternal gratitude.
"Let go," Lu Guang said while patting her, his own mouth tugging into a tiny smile, "If I’m not mistaken, we have some lunch to eat."
Eating meals together had changed.
Firstly, there were no animal carcases — mutilated, charred, or otherwise — being served at the table, and thank god for that. Elizabeth loved to hunt, but still had much to learn in the art of cooking her game that came afterwards. Lu Guang continued to sit at the head of the table as the head of the household should, with his right-hand woman sitting right beside him. He’d usually be reading some old scroll he’d archived from centuries ago while sipping on a cozy cup of game blood, the meat and bones of which Elizabeth would be devouring right by his side. She’d scarf it down, raw and bloody, usually in a manner so ferocious it’d occasionally earn her a scolding scratch from Lu Guang that told her, ‘mind your manners, young lady!’ But ever since their long-term guest’s arrival, her table manners had been unusually polished — bringing us to the next departure from the norm.
Secondly, the gruesome twosome had acquired an additional occupant at their table — the charming chef himself, Cheng Xiaoshi. Out of fifteen seats surrounding their unnecessarily long dining table, he’d decided to sit directly beside them — or beside Elizabeth to be more precise, still leaving some distance between him and Lu Guang. He would sit there, playing with his fork like a fool as if the two beside him weren’t at the top of his exorcism hit-list. His antics even encouraged Elizabeth to play back at him with her fork too, and Lu Guang privately bemoaned that this was the only time she ever picked it up.
Thirdly, when it came to cooking, there was no doubt that the priest excelled at it. Their meals were still mainly meat — owing to Elizabeth’s strict hunting routing and exercise quota — and usually nothing more. While Lu Guang had the luxury of wealth to buy most types of food should he please, he’d spent a long time finding out the hard way that those same foods available for purchase clashed with his picky palate. Since Lu Guang didn’t like wasting his meals, he figured it was better if he didn’t buy or cook anything at all. Ever. And thus, the kitchen had become the domain of the dust bunnies for centuries, bar the rare occasions when Elizabeth tried her hand at baking herself a questionable meat pie. That was until their eager chef’s arrival. In recent weeks, the three had grown oddly accustomed to eating together, sharing a standard of three hearty dishes between them.
Today, however, was a particularly luxurious occasion.
When entering the dining room, Lu Guang saw the handsome spread laid out for them. Even if he never needed a bite to eat, he eyed hungrily the mountain of cooked coiled sausages, the skewers of rabbit meats stacked meticulously into a pyramid, the puffs of smokey air rising from the steamed fish. The smells hit his nose too as the aroma of mushroom soup wafted his way, — its umami scents complementing the savory pot of venison stew served neatly with a healthy dose of herbs and vegetables mixed in. It all masked the thick bitter fragrance of rabbit blood permeating underneath from the many, many glasses the two had prepared — Lu Guang’s ‘favorite’.
He sat in his usual seat, at the head of the table in front of the luxurious spread laid out just for them. He was still marveling at it whilst wondering how many days of preparation it must have taken, before his mouth accidentally murmured in awe.
“You really made all of this?”
“Huh?” The priest looked affronted, taking his tone poorly while moving a generous amount of meat onto his plate. “Are you doubting me now?”
Nervous embarrassment made Lu Guang’s heart jump into his throat and he looked to Lizzy in hopes she would quickly chime in for him, but the girl wasn’t even listening. She was far too busy un-skewering the rabbits from their spit instead, with half of the stack already gone.
“No, I didn’t mean it like that,” he blushed shyly. “ I just didn’t think you’d be this… excited to cook.”
‘Excited for us.’
Before his foot could end up in his mouth again, Lu Guang bit into the steamed fish — the only dishes that looked immediately appetizing to his high standards. It was soft, soft and delicious. Not as bland as it initially looked, and it had the perfect balance of sweet and sourness blending together.
In response to Lu Guang’s awkward surprise, Cheng Xiaoshi shot him a look and he wasn’t shy with his exasperation.
“Honestly, you guys,” Cheng Xiaoshi murmured as he chewed on the juicy venison meat. “I can’t believe you eat like peasants when you live in this big ass mansion with a whole ass forest around it.”
Lu Guang was taken with how he expressively spread his arms out while talking, before he found himself on the receiving end of a pointed glare from the priest. He tried to escape by turning to his steamed fish again, but it was no use.
“And you!” Cheng Xiaoshi singled him out. “I thought you vampires had more grace! I mean, your face has it. But when it comes to table manners or food-.”
Lu Guang was already fuming, defensively thinking to himself, ‘I didn’t peg you as someone who’d be so uptight about table manners!’ He could at least distract himself gracefully with Elizabeth, whose mouth was currently dripping with stew. He ignored the priest as he dove in to wipe away the droplets before they could wet her dress, but still couldn’t believe the audacity. ‘You’re the one who came to my bedroom by kicking the door down today. Every day, actually.’
“-Like come on, you still don’t know how to cook at how old exactly? This is the first time I think I’ve seen the kitchen this clean. It’s still not even clean! Why do I get the feeling you’ve never even taken one step inside-.”
‘You wouldn’t learn to cook either if a good few gallons of blood could suffice you for a week,’ Lu Guang thought, as he sipped a glass of blood, swirling it with a deceptively nonchalantly demeanor. While he had mentioned to Cheng Xiaoshi some time ago that he was hungry, and that he couldn’t quite remember the last time he’d been full, he’d forgotten to mention that hunger for vampires was cured by drinking more blood — not eating an entire buffet.
“-And you never use your magic to cook something, there must be a spell for it-.”
Well, excuse him for not being able to find the spells that miraculously bless you with instant god-like cooking skill — not that he’s sure they even existed after all the fruitless centuries of searching. Lu Guang would have used them a long time ago if he’d found them.
“Mfff, prff,- thish is sho delishus!” Elizabeth spoke up with her cheeks so puffy — and so pinchable that Lu Guang had to reign himself — with her voice muffled by the sausage still dangling from the corner of her mouth she was chewing on before swallowing it up all at once. She’d practically finished half of the feast by herself in no time. “I’d like to eat like this everyday. Mr. Priest, would it be possible for you to teach me how to cook like this?”
“Sure thing, little missy!” Cheng Xiaoshi exclaimed, immediately ending his tirade against Lu Guang for her as she cheered right back at him. “If you have me as a teacher, I’m sure you’ll know your way around the kitchen in a jiffy!”
‘Great, now he has more reason to stay,’ Lu Guang scolded internally, the stress of the possibilities and their consequences already eating away at his appetite. He couldn’t correct Elizabeth, and instead tried to keep the headache he could suddenly feel coming on at bay with another swig of blood. He kept sipping through glass after glass until the other two had their fill. Finally ready to leave, Cheng Xiaoshi began to get up from the table.
“Hey, Lu Guang, you should do the dishes,” Cheng Xiaoshi nudged him as he walked past. “That’s how the tradition goes. After all, we cooked. It’s only fair.”
His words sounded like a snicker while Lu Guang watched his ‘esteemed guest’ swagger out of his dining room like he owned the place. Elizabeth was oblivious to the slight, humming softly while rubbing her stuffed belly as the food coma began nibbling away at her consciousness. Lu guang’s eyes flickered back to the dinner table, and all the dirty dishes partly stacked across the table.
Lu Guang sighed with silent resignation – it was fair.
That afternoon, bright laughter filled the air.
Cheng Xiaoshi and Elizabeth chucked snowballs at each other while shouting their battle cries. The whole courtyard was their armory as snow carpeted over every ounce of green in just a day. Tensions were high as the priest had the upper hand between the two of them, his height and experienced providing excellent advantages.
“You think you’ll win this round?” Cheng Xiaoshi asked, as he dodge another snowball thrown by Elizabeth. He retaliated by pitching three more right back at her in quick succession. “Think again! My sister has trained me in the art of snowballing and she never loses!”
Elizabeth, who managed to dodge two out of three shots, was struck by the third snowball sent flying at her and it smashed into pieces across her face. Shaking the snowy shards free from herself, she flared her nose with a renewed vigor. “As the sole vassal of Lu House, I won’t disappoint Master Lu!” she declared, then aimlessly chucked another snowball at the priest.
“Bring it on!” Cheng Xiaoshi yelled back.
Sheltering under an old pine tree, Lu Guang watched the werebeast and priest from afar as they both had the time of their lives. He found himself feeling an emotion he would rarely, if ever, relate to — envy — and was even contemplating whether or not he should join.
It looked like fun. He wanted to join in and throw a snowball with them, but he’d been the one to reject the idea of going outside in the first place. He wasn’t sure if he’s allowed to join in with them. He wasn’t even sure that he knew how to ask, as he’d never before in his semi-mortal life had someone he wanted to play with.
Cold suddenly assaulted his senses regardless, and he blinked a good few times once the snowy assault weapon had crumpled to the ground and off of him. Cheng Xiaoshi was holding onto his stomach as he wheezed at the scene while Elizabeth could only stare on in giddy horror, mouth gaping in excited disbelief.
“Lu Guang,” Cheng Xiaoshi choked out between the giggling gasps, already packing up his next snowball. “Just because you’re a vampire I won’t go easy with you.”
‘Was that a challenge?’
“Say no more,” and Lu Guang clapped.
The air shimmered suddenly — the only warning before a lump of snow fell from the tree above the priest and buried him. Elizabeth squeaked in surprise as he wriggled out of his ice cocoon.
“No fair! You’re using magic,” the priest whined as he shook off the snow. “Who would’ve thought you’re more childish than me?”
Lu Guang shrugged away shyly and picked up a lump of snow with his own two hands this time, “You the one asking for it.”
“Oh! Oh, that’s it!” the priest exclaimed furiously, all fired up as he rolled up his sleeves.
A hail of snowballs kept flying back and forth in random patterns between the three of them from then on out, just as the time flew by in a second’s breath. As the snow war reigned, Cheng Xiaoshi and Elizabeth eventually formed a pact to put aside their differences and to take Lu Guang down. They made a truly formidable alliance, their actions in sync likely as a result of their hunts together. Lu Guang found himself gritting his teeth far too often as the sporadic pelts flying across the sky became more and more orderly, all focused directly at his lanky person. He kept needing to dodge, sometimes ducking and even rolling just to make it out of the way. The result was him being covered in more snow than if he’d just been just let himself be hit. But this way, he was covered in snow by his own choice, not theirs, and that’s what mattered here — Lu Guang was sure of it.
With tumble after tumble, he’d been forced entirely onto the defensive. And sure, he could use his magic to turn the tides or even end it all — but where was the fun in that?
Before they knew it, what took them out of their war game was Cheng Xiaoshi’s noisy sneezing.
"Achoo!”
"Bless you," the young werebeast said with unintentional irony while perched on Cheng Xiaoshi’s shoulder. Lu Guang could see the concern on her face even from far away before she jumped down to check on the priest’s health. Getting a better look at his face, she saw that his nose had turned red and even a bit runny. "Are you feeling okay, Mr. Priest?"
"I'm fine- achoo! Ugh, I’m just a little cold, is all."
"Are you sure? I think we need to go back and get you warmed up!"
"No need to worry, this- achoo! ” With another sniffle, he continued in his now nasally voice, “-This is just a slight setback. There’s no need to call it quits already."
"But Mr. Priest," her soft words trailed off as she pleaded at him.
Before he could protest again, something fell over him — something warm. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Lu Guang without his jacket. It didn’t take long for the shivery Cheng Xiaoshi to piece it together.
He was astounded as he whipped around to ask, "Wait-, Lu Guang, why are you giving me this? I thought you hated the cold!"
Lu Guang raised an eyebrow at his dumbfounded expression. "While you might get your kicks out of playing maid, I don’t look forward to playing nurse for an idiot who got himself sick. Let alone playing nurse for a human at that.-”
‘Human.’
His own words struck him, because Lu Guang had almost forgotten.
Cheng Xiaoshi was a human , someone fragile and short lived. What could be a serious injury to him would be at most but a playful tickle to Lu Guang and Elizabeth. Humans are so fragile, and remembering that had him worrying. It made him wonder if the priest was okay, if he’d pushed himself too far to keep up with them. And then an impulsive thought flitted through his mind, because he then wondered if Cheng Xiaoshi might have finally had a change of heart. If he did, then maybe he was now willing to let the Church go. Maybe he would accept Lu Guang’s offer — the one with him offering himself over to the priest. And maybe then, he would finally let Lu Guang to turn him into–.
‘Don’t be foolish,’ Lu Guang reminded himself, bringing his guard back up as he shook his head free of the wishful wants. He busied his mind with fixing his jacket securely onto Xiaoshi’s human shoulders so it wouldn't slip down as easily. His mouth moved before his brain could churn anymore.
"Let’s go back inside. It's getting dark, and,-” he eyed the wobbling werebeast who wasn’t hiding her yawns, “-Elizabeth looks like she needs a rest."
Cheng Xiaoshi blinked owlishly as Lu Guang picked up Elizabeth who reciprocated the hold. He helped her onto his shoulders into a piggyback before carrying her away, walking them home to their mansion. He watched the scene, silently tightening the jacket around him before remembering to follow after them while calling out, “Hey, wait up!"
The only reply was the crisp sound of crunching snow.
Their day ends in an oddly human way — at nighttime, in front of the fireplace.
With a click of his fingers, Lu Guang had the hearth burst to life with fire that blazed across the kindling lain prior. With better lighting, Lu Guang could gently drape the sleepy Elizabeth across the thick fur rug in front of the crackling warmth. While he stepped out again, Cheng Xiaoshi was more than happy to stay and watch over her. He was ready to huddle together with Elizabeth under one of the many old blankets he’d already pulled out for them — thick textiles embroidered in patterns that had gone out of style generations ago.
It wasn’t long before Lu Guang returned, carrying three cups of hot cocoa in hand and Cheng Xiaoshi couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be a little cheeky.
“Well look at that, you can use the kitchen after all. I didn’t know.”
Lu Guang sighed out his groan in silence, and murmured softly under his breath for him to shut up.
Cheng Xiaoshi could only giggle in response, seeing no-harm no-foul as Lu Guang still offered him a cup. Taking it, he murmured back his own, “Thanks,” as he handed over a spare blanket he’d pulled out for Lu Guang too in their wordless exchange. Cheng Xiaoshi blew at the puffs of steam coming up, waiting for it to cool until he could safely hand it over to Elizabeth — who upon receiving her cup, promptly drank it down with gusto. A few trickles escaped from her messy lips and Lu Guang was once again at the ready for her, his trusty handkerchief moving swiftly at hand.
He blotted her mouth and chin dry as she hummed happily over his doting. Pulling back to drink his own cup, Lu Guang could see another dribble streaking down her chin before he could even take his first sip. He pretended he didn’t see that, instead sinking into the weave of his blanket as he had a taste of it for himself. It was sweet and warm — just like today.
It didn't take long for the Sandman to take him away along with Elizabeth, and they both fell into soft slumber.
Cheng Xiaoshi gazed them fondly over in his own corner, his chest tightening alone as a hand of his squeezed the jacket that was lent to him only temporarily. As a heavy weight joined his eyes from his chest, he gave in to joining them in falling fast asleep.
The fire watched over them safely, its roaring heat keeping them all warm during the undead of this wintery night.