Thread by @mzblackpoison

#shl #wenzhou
zzs doesn't mind he's lost his omega, in fact he doesn't even know When he lost it.
he only ever had two heat cycles as a teen before suppressing them & when he lost his sense of smell, well he essentially became a beta.
so losing his omega entirely? inconsequential

it's just that when zzs loses all sense of smell, he realize his omega is just gone - not there anymore.

it doesn't change anything really, he hasn't been able to smell ppl's scents and pheromones for months now, so what difference is it that he's noticed his omega is gone?

things only slightly change when wkx appears and sticks to him like a bur. zzs suspects this shameless, flirty, and oh-so-coincidental man is an alpha, but who knows? not zzs, he can't smell and really he doesn't care either.

zzs ignores wkx's continuous propositions (food, travel, money, cloths, lodging) for every occasion he appears, but there's little he can do when the silly boy zcl attaches himself to wkx - zzs is forced to compromise and adapt.

at least gx has any semblance of shame.

zzs doesn't notice it himself, it's gx who brings it up first: zcl is clinging to wkx like a limpet?

"so? what does that have to do with me?" he asks.

gx makes a funny face. "he's your pup but he's clinging to someone else!

okay, hold up. what?

"he's not my pup."

"aiya, you still deny it. sick man, you sure are weird! just what does zhuren see in you?"

zzs does not take offense to that. in all honesty, he'd like to know as well.

"look!" gx exclaims, pointing a sagging branch to the riverbank, where wkx is teaching zcl to wash clothes. "see? zhuren is going to end up adopting your pup soon!"

"i told you, he's not my pup. i'm merely fulfilling my promise." bring the boy to his uncles and he's clear.

"that's what you Say, but you always feed him first, give him water first, let him sit on a log or stone rather than the ground, and you even comb his hair! sick man, you're his parent!"

why does zzs feel like he's being scolded or smth..?

"ok, ok, ok, you think he's my pup."

gx scoffs and tosses her head back with an eye roll; that reaction is surprisingly similar to wkx.

"zhuren Is right; you're hard on the outside and soft on the inside. Why don't you just admit it?"

....yeah, definitely wkx's influence.

aah, zzs could really go for a good wine right now. he'll have to settle with simply sighing. "is there a reason you bring this up?" he asks.

seems like there is since gx's perks up again with realisation dawning her face.

"that's right!" she points her stick towards with frowned brows, looking more like a tussled dog than intimidating. "stop leading on my master!"

...nvm zzs Really wants a drink rn.

"xiao guniang, i think you're mistaken-" he doesnt get to finish his sentence.

"no, i know! you keep telling him to go away, but you haven't rejected his courting! you let him scent you and you even scent him too!"

what? scenting?

"you're sending him mixed signals; don't give zhuren any hope if you really aren't interested in him! you old drunkard!"

"dumb girl, what nonsense are you spewing now? i can see a-xu's confusion even from the river."

gx squawks clutching the top of her heard giving wkx her typical pouting-glare. "zhuren!"

"aiya, a-xiang is meddling in the adult's affairs again."

the two engage in their regular banter, gx's confrontation forgotten - or rather, ignored - already.

there's no point in trying to bring it up again, he knows wkx will simply deflect and gx will follow her master's lead.

zcl obediently sits where zzs waves him down.

he notes the just how cold the boy's fingers are as he passes him a warmed flatbread. wordlessly, zzs removes his outer robe; wrapping it around zcl's shoulders he ignores the boy's beaming smile.

he Especially ignores gx's very quick raised brow.

this means absolutely nothing.

wkx takes that opportunity to interject. "a-xu, a-xu, what did my meddlesome servant pester you about?"

"zhuren!" gx squawks, "i told you! i didn't bother him."

"quiet, that's your side of the story. i want to know what you said for a-xu to make such a face."

curious. "and what face did i make?"

that gets the man's attention on him immediately, eyes sparkling with delight and wearing a bright smile.

he leans in. "a-xu looks as beautiful and handsome as ever."

zzs rolls his eyes, ofc, he shouldn't have expected a serious reply

"a-xiang must've said smth really ridiculous, so a-xu, don't worry your pretty head over her nonsense."

ridiculous nonsense or not, zzs puts it into the corner of his mind.

zzs huffs a little laughter. zcl the silly boy has fallen asleep on his shoulder. he takes the mostly eaten bread from his dangling fingers and wraps it back in the oil stained paper.

he shakes his shoulder but zcl doesn't wake, only whining and burrowing his face closer.

he's exhausted. too much has happened to the boy recently, the lacking food and travel by foot is doing no help to his physical condition. there's also that wound...

zzs sighs. how could the world be so unfair? barely a teenage, losing his entire family and sect, and now

forced to travel with complete strangers to find martial uncles he's never met before.

zzs sighs once more and fixes his robe around zcl's shoulders. poor thing, the boy's dead asleep.

"a-xu, a-xu, why don't we rest the night in my boat?" he wants to refuse, but shouldn't.

"aiya, a-xu i have no ill intentions. i already sent a-xiang off to prepare. you and the little zhang-gongzi can get a good night's sleep before tmr's journey."

very valid reasoning. zzs looks down at zcl, thinks 'he could use a proper bed tonight' and agrees.

wkx must have expected him to reject the offer.

for once, even for just a moment, zzs sees a glimpse of wkx's true self when astonishment flashes across his face before he smiles. a smile so bright that zzs can see the moonlight glimmering in his eyes.

a Genuine smile.

"perfect!" wkx exclaims jumping up from his seat. zzs quickly slaps him on the thigh, shushing him out of fear zcl will wake, but the boy remains unaware of the short-live ruckus.

"come now, i asked a-xiang to prepare bath water and food as well."

zzs finds himself chuckling lightly. suddenly, gone is the brazen and bold man and replacing him is an excited child.

as wkx packs away their meagre campsite, zzs gathers zcl into his arms.

without the adrenaline of fighting off or fleeing from assailants, zzs now

notices how light the boy is. he wonders if the zcl has always been so thin - lack of muscles considered - or if he's lost weight due to the recent events and exertion.

nonetheless, zzs will make sure he's healthy.

wkx slides beside him so easily and wraps his hand around zzs's elbow like he's done so a hundred times.

zzs allows wkx to lead, following him as they leap across the lake. a steadying hand helped zzs land softly on the deck of the boat - zcl none the wiser of the move.

without removing his hand, wkx leads them into the boat; it is spacious as it looks big. inside is decorated in various hues of red; somehow even the boldest shades are not offending to the eyes.

the room they enter is more modestly decorated than the halls and deck, dark and muted reds and earthy tones with less ornate furnishings. zzs would dare call it 'tame'.

the fluffy blanket is pulled back. zzs leans down to lay the sleeping teen into bed, but

he is unprepared for zcl to squirm in his hold and tipping his weight in one direction. his shin knocks into the side of the bed with a bloom a dull pain as he stumbles to reorient himself before they collapse. a pair of sturdy hands grab him firmly by the shoulders,

there's a bit of a clumsy shuffle of movement before zzs can sit down comfortably and lay zcl on the bed, but with wkx's help, together they tuck the silly boy in.

only, he has one had firmly gripping zzs's sleeve...

the single, pitiful whine zcl lets out when zzs tries to remove his tight grip is enough to cease zzs's attempts. he chooses to remove his outermost layer and spreads it across zcl's sleeping form.

a tap on his shoulder urges him to vacate the room, and he does so.

it's a short walk to his assigned chambers for the night.

"i hope a-xu will find my hospitality adequate on such short notice."

"when have you ever done anything half-way there?" the compliment makes wkx preen like a show-bird. it takes so little to stroke an alpha's ego.

ah.

is wkx even an alpha?

zzs's quickly ushered into the room and doors slide shut with announcement that a servant will inform him when bath water is warmed and meal will be brought later. then zzs is left to his lonesome self.

he paces the room slowly while noting wkx's hasty retreat.

This room is truly tame - considerably modest colours, decorations, and furnishings.

it suits zzs's tastes actually. hm. he wonders if wkx purposely chose this room for him. hmm, pretty attentive then...

zzs is surprised; even the robes provided match what he typically wears.

zzs snorts. to think wkx even owns such insipid robes. wkx always seems to be wearing the brightest coloured robes of utmost detailed embroidery. much like a peacock with its tail feathers always showing.

upon a servant arriving, zzs notes with amusement that even wkx's servants dress more vividly than him. it's certainly a unique outfit - bright rouge included.

the servant doesn't stay alone, giving him peace and privacy to bathe before a warm meal.

on zzs's body, the clothes are just as soft as they felt in his hands. he runs his hands over them a little longer. truly supple.

the last time he wore such fine robes was over a year ago, when he was still the leader of window's heaven.

Right, a whole year as already passed...

he's glad a servant arrives then, cutting off his rapidly spiraling thoughts by announcing his meal is prepared.

zzs follows the same servant and once again he is taken aback.

there's a whole feast laid out, too much food for a quick, late night meal.

sitting down, he quickly calls back the servant. "where is your master?"

wkx isn't there and, in fact, there isn't even another pair of cutlery prepared. surely this all can't be just for him, right?

"xiang-jiejie has retired for the night," replies the servant demurely.

"no, that's not - i meant wen kexing." zzs briefly wonders how does this maid survive when her expressions and thoughts show so clearly on her face.

"ah, wen-da ren has also retired for the night."

so he'll be dining along then. somehow, for some reason zzs feels almost disappointed, or let down, by that.

tch, nvm, Why would he be disappointed?

no, he Does Not stab at the food excessively in anyway, hmpf.

he can't become attached to anyone, it's bothersome and too dangerous - not to mention how Suspicious wkx acts.

it is too much of a coincidence for this man and his servant to appear before them, right in time to help rescue zcl.

at the same time, wkx and gx Has helped them out quite a bit. still, zzs is weary of their intentions and plans. he will remain attentive.

zzs is once again taken about to find no one is planted nearby to spy on him. the entire walk back to his assigned chambers, he did not once take notice of a spying servant. in fact, there were very few servants on the floor of the boat.

none of them seek to conceal their presences. zzs believes they truly are mere servants, not wkx's moles.

frankly, that is more peculiar, for wkx to trust him - a complete stranger. zcl is clearly no threat, the boy is too green to be hiding any ulterior motives.

contemplating alone won't bring him any answers.

zzs pushes aside the exceptionally plush comforter and sits at the edge of the bed to begin meditating.

the sooner he begins meditating, the less intense retaliation from the nails - at least, that's the hope. some nights, no matter his mediation or concentration, the nightly effects are simply to deep.

it is not long before he feels his qi growing stronger and flowing smoothly. like stretching muscles, the more diligent the practice, the better the results.

for zzs, it's nightly meditation to keep the nails at bay from accelerating his imminent death.

given the nature of the seven nails, there is little zzs can do to improve his cultivation, but his nightly meditation sessions help him gauge this internal qi and at least maintain what he has remaining - it isn't much anymore.

it takes longer than ever to circulate his qi

with ease, something that he otherwise never would have struggled with since he was a teenager.

he has just over two years.

concentrated deep in his meditation, it takes zzs a few seconds to realise he's hearing a faint, soothing tune.

he finds his eyes open now, listening attentively to the sound. it's a xiao flute. someone is playing a xiao. a soft, soothing tune, not unlike a lullaby.

yes, it is very soothing.

zzs closes his eyes again and returns to meditation, allowing the xiao to guide his breathing and flow of qi.

not before long the nails begin to retaliate against him. the familiar pain of the nails gripping every fiber of his body, trying to dig in deeper and pulsing fiercely with ill intent.

every pulse making his muscles clench and tense, the pain gripping him so deeply he cannot

relax in the slightest.

he forces out a deep exhale that does nothing to quell the torment. zzs places a few strategic jabs across his torso to slow the effects, but like always, it is merely a temporary solution.

how long he spends fighting the agony and meditating, zzs doesn't know.

when the remnants of the pain fizzles out, zzs forces his hands to unclench along with every other muscle in his body. he collapses on his side.

his chest heaves with heavy breaths and shoulders tingle with receding adrenaline.

ignoring the slickness of his sweaty body, he fumbles into a comfortable position in the bed; too tired to care for cleanliness.

tonight, the nails fought hard.

/part one end.
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