Constant as the Stars Above

This Doesn't Hurt

Once upon a time, many, many years ago, there was a manor hidden away deep within an ancient forest. Even the few that were brave enough to travel through the dark, tangled forest would never be able to find the manor, because it was surrounded by a magic wall that concealed it from outsiders. And what justified such secrecy? Perhaps the manor held a closely kept secret, a secret which some devoted souls had been desperately trying to uncover for years...

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the old wooden floor, and they bent and warped as they followed the floor's chips and cracks. Xie Lian took a break from scrubbing the floor to tuck his hair out of his eyes, then resumed his methodical work. He'd hoped to be done before nightfall, but... oh well. At this point, it wasn't very likely that he would finish before He came back. Xie Lian knew how much He cared about the manor being spick and span, but no matter how hard Xie Lian tried, he was fighting a losing battle. Every time he managed to successfully complete a repair or finish cleaning an area, a new problem arose.

Xie Lian worked up until the last possible moment, when the sun was almost sinking into the treeline, and he knew that if he didn't stop he wouldn't have the time to get ready before His arrival. He dropped his scrubbing cloth into the bucket of water, then used the banister to struggle to his feet and grabbed his cane. With a sigh, Xie Lian looked at the dusty floor yet to be cleaned. There was a clear difference between where he had washed it and where he hadn't.

"Ruoye!" he called to the little white ferret that was curled up asleep in the corner, and he perked up his ears and bounded after Xie Lian, almost slipping on the wet floor. Using his cane for balance, Xie Lian bent down to pick up the bucket and allow Ruoye to scramble up on his arm to sit on his shoulder. He hobbled over to a window and dumped out the dirty water from the bucket, then went down the hall to a nearby closet so that he could stash his supplies there.

Xie Lian began his slow journey up the staircase, every step still a little difficult despite how many years he had been climbing up and down them with his injured leg. While it didn't hurt him anymore, it certainly didn't make his life any easier. His leg had been like this for as long as he could remember; when he tried to think about before his life in the manor, everything was completely blank.

When he reached the top of the stairs, Xie Lian slid open the door to his room. The room was sparsely furnished, with a few odd objects occupying little niches around the space. An old cracked vase that he had found in a storage room, an oxidized copper incense burner that he'd dug up in the garden... Next to his bed was a trunk full of beautiful clothing, fine silks and brocades in a variety of rich colors. Despite their age, the garments were in excellent condition- Xie Lian only ever wore them when He visited, afterall. If he looked his best for Him, then maybe he could avoid some of his wrath.

With careful hands, Xie Lian took neatly-folded robes out of the trunk and set them on his bed, and Ruoye jumped off of his shoulder to stretch out on the blankets. The light coming in from his window was dimming, and so he lit some candles. To ease the pressure off his leg, Xie Lian sat on a stool to change. Awkward as that made changing some of the robes, it was still easier than forcing his leg to support him for so long. The innermost layer of the robes he had chosen was white, and the middle layer was azure. As Xie Lian was pulling on his guazy white outer robes, he heard a knock at the door.

Xie Lian's heart jolted in fear, thumping wildly. Was it Him already? "Yes?" he called, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible.

"It's Shi Qingxuan! I finished making dinner, so I thought that I could help you get ready?" a youthful voice said, slightly muffled.

Relief washed over Xie Lian, although it didn't banish his fear completely. He hid his trembling hands in his sleeves and exhaled an even breath.

"Come in."