______________Second day of Storm.________________
Haolin stared at the snow that gathered at his feet through the gaps in his shelter. Once it became too much, he tirelessly scooped the snow back outside before silently watching as the process repeats itself. Occasionally, when his scaleless spots hurt he would look away to lick at his wounds. Eyeing the slumbering woman who had curled up into his side, wondering how she could sleep against his hard scales so soundly. Haolin wanted to grimace so he did, his mood becoming fowl after looking at the woman again. Not knowing why the sight of her annoyed him. Whether she lived or died meant nothing to him.
'Haolin! How can you be so harsh towards a girl? The poor child was practically in tears after you scolded her!' His mother's scolding spirit sighed in an exasperated-sounding manner when he didn't look at her. Watching the snow pile up again in silence. 'Haolin, I know that your duties require you to be more, disciplined than others.' She spoke carefully around the subject.
'But, that doesn't excuse you from speaking so harshly to another person. Especially when that person just wanted to speak with you for a few seconds due to a small crush.' His uncle scowled at him speaking more bluntly than his mother when he continued ignoring her. 'Don't bother Jing'er. Although Haolin spoke bluntly, ' he paused before finishing his thought. '-that type of soft child isn't a fit for Haolin anyways.' The two ghosts fell silent at this statement.
Haolin spared the two at the side a single glance of apathy. 'Haha! I heard all about it! Older brother, you're so heartless haha!' Despite her words, the girl standing at his head was laughing and speaking merrily. Her eyes twinkled with amusement. Possibly the only person who understood Haolin, and took his side no matter what he did. She walked around at the base of his jaw fearlessly, seeming to balance on the uneven surface.
'Older brother you can ignore what mom and uncle said earlier. They're just worried you'll be a bachelor forever and never bring in a sister-in-law for me hehe~!" He lowered his head and watched her balance in front of his snout. Her palm-sized face wearing a bright grin and lively pair of eyes that occasionally looked back at him in a teasing manner. She even boldly tapped his snout giggling mischievously 'Older brother, if you ever find me a sister-in-law, she'll have to be someone brave enough to eat the guts of a leopard and pretty enough to knock the slippers off that smug Da Chen from the butchers shop!'
The silver king blinked at her in a sluggish manner, not taking the things she said seriously either. She liked to joke a lot, he took it as another joke she made to make the matters their mother and uncle spoke about less seriously. He also knew this about the ghost. "Older brother.." Haolin side-eyed the muttering and shivering Dai Lu, his bronze eyes trailing over her puny figure digging further into his side. When she settled down, Haolin calmly brought his attention back upon the drifting snow above.
______________Third day of Storm.________________
Haolin disdained the blistering wounds on himself, but he still cleaned them to the best of his ability so they wouldn't bleed and create too much of a mess. He could tolerate pain, but if his scales grew back misaligned again it would be a hassle to pull them out and reshape them properly from the beginning. Looking above them, the first storm seemed about ready to settle down for the night. However, the next one should start up soon so there was absolutely no way the woman could leave even if she woke up. The silver dragon glanced at the woman who had only stirred awake a few times mumbling incoherently. Occasionally she would wake wearing a dazed expression, and mutter about the cold and hunger. Haolin really didn't know what to do with her.
He didn't know what she needed. It had been so long since he had been a human that he couldn't recall what basic needs she required. He knew she needed food, but she had those so-called nutritional packets hidden in a 'spacial bag' was it? And he assumes water was also in that thing. However the problem of warmth...Dai Lu hugged his side for heat making him observe her wearily from time to time. She didn't seem to be in the right condition to use her metal talisman.
So, he supposes he can solve this problem for her if only to get her to stop hugging him. When he wanted to directly stand up, Haolin was slapped by a ghostly hand on his cheek. It didn't hurt, in fact, he felt nothing as the ghostly hand passed right through his face. Nonetheless, it made the dragon who was about to dump the girl from his side and abandon her freeze for awhile and blink once. His eyes trailed that ghostly hand to the owner who was glowering at him with an aggravated expression. Her face was red she was holding a towel and blew her nose with tears hanging from her pretty brown eyes. Out of habit, he wrapped his tail around the ghost while keeping his head low waiting for her to speak.
The long white fur along his spine ran all the way to his tail so the ghost even though she was glaring at him. She still couldn't help running a hand through that soft line of fur. 'Older brother Haolin!! Mother told you I've been sick these past few days didn't she?' She complained and scolded him, pointing her pale finger at his eyeball fearlessly. While the tears threatening to fall from her eyes grew to a wave as she shouted at him in a nasal voice. 'It's been a whole day and I haven't seen you come in and care for me once!!' She slapped his snout again seeming wronged and infuriated by his indifference.
'Older brother I hate you! I hate you when you're like this! Don't you know? Everybody else's older brothers or sisters coax them, play with them, and take care of them when they're sick!!' She hiccups, covering her face and sobbing aggravatedly into her towel. The scene was so heart wrenching it took your breath away, yet Haolin could only watch her and wait for her to finish speaking. However, this time seemed to be different as the girl was crying so badly that her weak body faltered and Haolin's pupils ultimately shook.
He wrapped the tail around her more firmly as if to catch and support her fall. Knowing it was ineffective to catch a ghost, but doing it all the same. 'Older brother-wuuu~! I also wa-wa-want to be handed medicine-! *Hiccup! I-I also want my brother to hug me to s-s-sleeeeeppp~! Waahhh~!!' Her wailing should have been sharp and annoying, but Haolin only felt a great weight pressing on his chest as the girl cried her heart out to him. His mind gradually became a bit clearer because of her cries. Haolin stared at the ghost with an array of emotions fluttering within his bronze gaze. Turning to the dazed human at his side, Haolin leans over to carefully nudge her off himself.
He made sure she was in a corner furthest from the wall before exiting the bunker "LingLing, don't go." Haolin flicks an ear tuff but doesn't stop as he leaves the shelter to search for the things she needs.
______________Fourth Day. Light flurry.________________
'Older brother you can't use such a rough cloth to wash my face! It hurts!' The ghost spoke in a spoiled tone on the side. The large hands that were more used to holding weapons than tools to care for people less delicate than himself paused halfway to Dai Lu's red and dirty face. Kang Haolin pondered for awhile at the old cloth he had in his hand, then at the cloth the woman wore. "..." This thought process didn't take longer than a few minutes and the sound of clothing being ripped came from the pants leg of the woman's suit. It was tough to tear apart, but he had seen her pull out more than one of these suits and didn't think she would be too upset.
He rubbed the rag between his fingers and was a bit surprised by how soft it was, thinking it was suitable he dipped the cloth in the batch of hot water he warmed up before. Then half-heartedly cleaned the woman's face for her. Once she no longer was too much of an eyesore he felt better. Kang Haolin removed her bag from her and mimicking what he saw the humans do, he started pulling out things one by one until he could find something useful. He didn't expect to be able to succeed the first time and he was right, everything he pulled out was wrong or useless. There was something inside this bag that she liked drinking clean water from. He had seen her refill the water at the well before she drank.
So it must have a sort of purifying effect. When he pulled out a total of twenty useless items and finally found the one he remembered holding water for her. Aside from the blanket Haolin carelessly tossed everything back inside and placed the bag at her side. Covering her with the grey blanket, he thought that she was at least sensible and didn't pick anything that was white to bring with her to the woods. If it was his little sister, he was afraid she would bring a needless amount of white handkerchiefs, blankets, pillows, and dresses. Then unreasonably threw a fit saying that he got her items dirty and demanded him to wash them for her.
Remembering those times made his head hurt, however, it still managed to make Haolin smile softly. It was her way of making sure he remembered that he had a sister, even if he lost who he was. Kang Haolin would always remember he had a sister.