"That proof is still only verbal," Gi Elysia commented. She took a seat next to Sun Hayden, who pointed at the almond cookies, murmuring that they were the best tasting ones.
"What is it?" Wyn inquired, watching the disciple skip across the kitchen in a breeze.
Azalea glanced around the room, then excused herself, leaving them to discuss their business in private.
"I met a friend of Gi Gaia, who said she's heading to Bijou Temple," Marshall raised his hand in front of Wyn expectedly, "High five!"
Seeing as the snow deity was not going to entertain him, Marshall took the matters—or rather Wyn's wrist—into his own hands. He cashed in on that high five with a crisp smack, clearly very pleased with himself.
Sun Hayden lifted his head, barely caring that Marshall was back, so he received a slightly aggressive but friendly hair ruffling.
He let out a screech of protest as he tried to push Marshall's hand away. "Mind you! I can't defend myself while I'm eating!"
"You have two hands," Marshall pointed out, tousling his hair even more.
"And both of them are busy!" the blond disciple shot back, holding a cookie in each.
"Then let me help you," Marshall snatched one of the treats and ran around the table.
Sun Hayden's mouth fell open in shock before he immediately clutched the remaining cookie against his chest. "Hey! That's not fair! I got it first!"
Wyn watched, bewildered, unsure if Marshall's energy was coming from confirming Gi Gaia's destination or something else.
The disciple bit into the stolen cookie while looking Sun Hayden straight in the eye with a mischievous grin. "Humm! This one's really good," he announced, chewing loudly.
Gi Elysia cracked up, her face scrunching into a wheezing laugh as she watched Sun Hayden's outraged expression. The blond disciple looked at Gi Elysia with a betrayed look on his face.
"Don't laugh," he whined. "It was the last almond cookie!"
Gi Elysia covered her mouth with a hand. "Sorry, sorry," she managed to say between giggles, her face turning red.
Having finished the treat, Marshall eyed the plates with deep interest, choosing the next one. Wyn took the brief moment of peace to observe the disciple more closely.
Marshall picked up a hazelnut cookie, biting into it with an unbothered sigh.
A possibility crossed Wyn's mind. He leaned forward and sniffed discreetly, recognizing the whiff of alcohol that clung to Marshall, though it was not too strong.
"Did you just sniff me?" Marshall blurted out, raising his eyebrows. The dark eyes seemed to sparkle with an amplified cheer.
"Did you drink?" Wyn countered, unamused.
Marshall shrugged, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips, "I might have. And you look more attractive now."
Gi Elysia snorted at that comment, careful not to spit out the tea. Wyn shot her a questioning glance.
"He's flirting with everyone today. First with Aria to get information on Gaia, then me, now you," Gi Elysia said.
"That's just my personality," Marshall retorted, crossing his legs impishly.
Sun Hayden, who had been quietly picking out hazelnut cookies, perked up upon hearing that. "Wait, I wanted to have a drink too!"
"Too bad, too bad," Marshall snickered, chewing on his third cookie with no signs of stopping.
"You two gluttons!" Gi Elysia interjected, hogging the plate with cookies. "I'm only on my first piece, but you're inhaling them at the speed of light!"
Sun Hayden cackled, reaching over her shoulder, "I can't help it! Sweet things are my weakness!"
"That's why you should eat them slowly!" Gi Elysia admonished, blocking his hand from the cookies with her elbow.
Wyn looked back at Marshall, who seemed to have mentally floated away to his own world, munching on the cookie with a distant gaze.
"I like sweet things too," the disciple mumbled with a sigh, going for the bland biscuit now that the sweets were gone from his reach.
The snow deity scoffed softly, giving him a light pat on the back. "Of course, you do."
"Mm," Marshall gave a hum in response, having a stare-down with the biscuit as if he couldn't decide whether to eat it or not.
"The biscuits are nice too," Wyn teased, enjoying the sight.
Marshall puffed up his cheeks. "I'm not a grandpa, I don't like plain biscuits." He bit a piece of the biscuit anyway, his face scrunching in disappointment, "Ugh, it's not sweet at all..."
"You just said you did not like biscuits. Why are you eating it?" Wyn asked, an amused lilt in his voice.
A long sigh followed. "I don't know." Marshall offered the half-eaten biscuit to Wyn, clearly having no desire to finish it. "Do you want it?"
Wyn chuckled and accepted the biscuit. He did not think much of it, but noticed Marshall staring at him.
Mildly confused at the blatant staring, the snow deity took a bite, and the disciple turned away as if the wind had blown into his face.
Sun Hayden gave up in his attempts to snatch a cookie from Gi Elysia, and leaned back in his seat with a bitter pout. Switching targets, he pointed at Marshall with a complaint.
"Look at him, gobbled down my cookie and now he's just sitting there! So red-faced too! Are you that drunk? Must be nice."
Marshall cleared his throat, standing up, "I'm going to bed first."
Gi Elysia rose from her seat, "Already? Wait, what about the rooms?"
They had split the rooms by gender when they went to change their clothes to Liangdu yellows, so Gi Elysia had one room all to herself until then.
Marshall hummed in thought, but as if deeming it too bothersome, said, "You can have that room to yourself, the three of us can squeeze into one."
She shook her head in denial, "You don't have to do that, I don't mind sharing the room. There are two beds in each."
Sun Hayden piped up. "I could sleep with you," he said, then immediately clapped a hand over his mouth, realizing how it came out.
Marshall and Gi Elysia exchanged looks of hilarity, cracking up.
Wyn arched his brow, feeling his body stiffen. It seemed that they had gotten even closer. This time, what he felt was not suspicion, but jealousy. Such a petty feeling.
"I changed my mind! I'd rather sleep on the floor!" Sun Hayden blurted out, trying to kill the misunderstanding.
"Now, I'm offended," Gi Elysia commented jokingly. She patted him, chuckling, "Just sleep in my room, I don't mind. As long as you don't snore."
Sun Hayden let out a silent sigh of relief, glad to have avoided the embarrassment.
Marshall's eyes widened in realization that he would have to share a room with Wyn. His gaze briefly flickered to the snow deity, then to the rest of them.
"Now that this is solved, I'm off to wash up!" Marshall announced, disappearing from the kitchen.
Wyn was left staring at the kitchen door in puzzlement. He could not understand what had caused the disciple to leave so abruptly, but decided to leave it alone.