Chapter Text
Xie lian was to visit his grandmother, unfortunately he seemed to be stuck with the others passages, since the train seemed to have ran out of coal to run the engine. It wouldn’t take long but when they say that, that mean it will take more than a hour.
The sky seemed a dark grey with dark clouds surrounding miles of land over Romania. The dark clouds looked like it was ready to drench the land. Xie lian looked away from the poorly framed window, to his lap gently rubbing the white card stock letter his gran grand has sent him. His tan skin framed him as a hard worker, even his hands looked in poor condition. Cracks on his skin from the new climate along with chipped nails.
Xie lian only sighed when he felt his body jolt from the train starting up. He looked up to the red exterior of the train, seeing the faces of people now most wore scarfs like him others looked happy the train had started. There impatiens seemed as short as Xie lians.
With the loud thriving chatter the man only found it harder to even think. Putting the dark wool scarf around his head was the best he can do for now. Laying his head down on the leather head rest he can only think of the letter his gran grand had sent.
(November 16 A week ago)
He received a letter…strange he thought his friends were no longer contacting him so who would they send him a latter? He took it out to see his granny had sent it. His heart was so happy jolting with new found joy!
He opened the letter to see the cash first,
“Pfh thank you gran grand.”
He continued to read the letter
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“Dear Xie lian
My dear gran baby.
I have bad news dear about my health, please do spend the money I gave you on tickets to see me. I want to see my little dragonfly again. I do hope you enjoy the train as well like you always did when you were just a little boy.
Love granny ♥️
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Since that day Xie lian could only have dreams of the sweet old gentle lady hugging him, keeping him safe from the monsters.
When he was forced to move away, his heart had never felt the same. Xie lian would not let go of the only happiness he had left in his life. As long as that brave women was alive he would spend the rest of her life with her.
Xie lian had long left the train stop with his luggage walking on a graveled path that seemed a bit to outdated. He awed over the nature of the land, it was still as beautiful as he remembered.
When he came into the nearby town he was greeted with weird wary looks. It might have been his short structure, dressed in a think white jacket with a pair of thick black winter pants, and a big ugly scarf.
He assumed it was snowy in Romania, but was wrong. He was just greeted with warm wind along with foggy skies. He felt embarrassed over the whole outfit. Maybe it wasn’t snowing yet till next week?
He had found a carriage rental shop since he couldn’t afford those rental cars. He only needed a lift anyways it wouldn’t be that far as long as he had the money to even make it fully there.
Xie lian waited for his coach to finish eating inside since he had came in during the mans lunch time. He had put in his luggage inside the carriage. He walked in-front to pet the black stallion to take his mind off things.
Screaming was heard from the distance in Romanian language but Xie lian just ignored it, continuing to pet the horse. The screaming got closer then once Xie lian had turn his body around there was a old man at his face.
Xie lian fell on his butt from the surprise. An old cubby man looked to be from the village was screaming at him? Why? Did he do something offensive?
Once the coach had finished his meal he has come outside to see his only customer in weeks being screamed at by the towns crazy person. Just great!
He chased the man off in a screaming match picking up the boy as he continued to push the crazy man away. He put the startled boy inside locking the door to hit the man in the stomach.
Coach: damn it! My only client in a few weeks and you want to freak him out over a goddamn legend?!
Crazy man: ITS TRUE! He will bring death to us all!! You’ll set death in motion!
Coach: VAMPIRES ARE NOT REAL! There was a legend of a real bastard who impaled people on stakes, that was it! It wasn’t a real vampire!!!
The coach waved him off with a kick to the man’s stomach who kept trying to stop the carriage. The coach got on the the drivers end whipping the horses reins to run off.
The black stallion ran off onto the bumpy old road, jostling Xie lian inside the carriage. He can only guess that the old man needed serious medical help since he kept after the carriage. He got smaller and smaller till he no longer was there.
Through out the ride Xie lian felt so nervous to meet his gran gran but at the same time so happy. His heart still hurt from the news he had received. Xie lian had been brought back to the moment inside the carriage.
He plugged his nose from the cigarette the coach was smoking. Xie lian hated the smell so much he never understood why people love it since it smelled like a skunk rolled into a oil pit filled with pigs.
He looked out the window to see the freeway then looked to the other side to see green forest hills. Fog lingered slowly filling the road becoming too smoky for even the coach to see. It seemed nature was challenging the man’s smoke since it rolled in thick.
Xie lian can only thank the man when he got out the carriage and walked the rest of the way there. Along the path the fog cleared up but just only around him, anywhere else was covered in thick layers of fog.
He should have paid attention to the road ahead but it was to late. He hit a cold metal pole straight to his head. He held his face and grunted in pain. Waiting for the burn to cease he slowly opened his eyes.
The metal pole held signs for the towns nearby. See not to far at all!
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|Belmont castle |_______|chestnut grove|
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Xie lians grandmother is always the whimsical women with a cottage house along with a large beautiful garden. He had made his way over to her magical house when he was only 5. He got to spend summers and winters with her, seeing her eyes light up whenever he was pushed onto her by the monsters.
Xie lian loved her cooking even if it was always a disaster in the kitchen right after. Bad cooking skipped his gran grand only giving it to his mother then skipped him so he was lucky there…..he hoped
He made it to his gran grands neighborhood seeing nothing but clear skies only on her street….
Xie lian wouldn’t question it for now as he went to the old wooden gate. He opened it to see the trees were flourished to its peak. The garden was full of lovely flowers that made his heart sing. The bushes are trimmed with lush decorations of ceramic fairy’s around the yard.
He went on the stone path dragging his suitcase straight to his gran grands door and knocked. Waiting, he took a look at the magical cottage to see a lot of upgrades. There was a tower?! Some new roofing with the alter now bigger? Wow his gran grand must have an amazing job or salary to do all this. He never ask where his gran grand work so maybe he can use that to speak to her and not be awkward.
Once the door open he couldn’t even say hi when his lungs got squeezed by the old frail women in front of him. He hugged back enthusiastically so happy to see his gran grand.
Her chestnut color hair was no longer there, it was only grey with white strands that shaped her still beautiful face. She wore her lovely dress with an apron around her waist. Her shoes still were wide flats with some flower prints on it.
Granny : my baby is home! Agh my beautiful little boy Ogh how you’ve grown strong and so handsome.
“Agh gran gran stop it your making me blush
Granny : nonsense do you know the last time I saw you….well same height but still you’ve grown so beautiful like a flower Lilly in its prime. Oh, I wish I were that young again.
“Mama! You’re still young! You don’t even look…well the white did come but it makes you look more youthful. Being old doesn’t mean you’re ugly.”
Granny : I know I never said I was, I just miss the days were my back doesn’t hurt or my knees creaking when I walk.
“I’m here to help you gran grand now let’s go inside and eat your new creation.”
Xie lian was lead inside by small wrinkled hands. The small woman lead her gran baby to the couch to sit while she gets her baked goods. She went past a door to the kitchen leaving her grand baby alone in the living room.
It seemed a large bat had landed onto her window watching her move the pie away.
Granny : come tomorrow…I would like time with my grandsons today…
The bat only stared with large crimson eyes, it flew off leaving nothing but more questions.
She sat the pie down on the counter with tea along with a platting of china. Once they got their slices they caught up about anything and everything, not a story was ever left out. They had finished but it seemed his gran grand had another story left to tell.
Her put down the empty plate and tea cup, turning his body to her waiting.
Granny : baby I had went to the hospital to get my cheek up, they have token my blood to testing and I came back positive for cancer. They say my cancer will take me soon.
“Mama…wha … chemo therapy is always there! We can go and
Granny : no baby, I don’t want to fight this…it’s my time to go my love I have nothing left to offer the world but me.
“Mama please stop talking like this, we can go and get you healthier please.”
Granny : my own son hates me, he won’t visit me. Your grandfather had passed young leaving me with nothing but his memory. My neighbors fear me since I’m the crazy coot who loves to make crazy food hahaha. I have no one but you and mister Hua cheng.
“Hua cheng? Who is that?”
Granny : he’s a man who’s been helping me make my home bigger, tending to my garden when I couldn’t. He taught me some things to make that will be easy for me to eat. He even taught me the recipe I made just for you.
“That’s sweet mama…I’m happy you made a new friend but where did you meet this man?”
Granny: he lives in Dracula’s old castle, do you remember it?
“Hah yea I remember it wasn’t scary at all but the man who owned it sure was.”
Granny : haha yea he was, but mister Hua cheng had bought the land some years ago. He renovated it made it all nice and kept the old history to it. He had came down to the village and saw me struggling to get one pesky little leaf off my shrubs. He snipped it off offering help, we had hit it off since then. He’s the same age as you I believe so he’s quite handsome
“Gran grand stop trying to hook me on the dream boat you so claim to be this perfect.”
Granny : I’m just saying dear, nothing wrong with trying to get my grandson with someone who will love him.
Xie lian only rolled his eyes but couldn’t get off the subject…he rubbed his gran grands arm asking the big questions.
“How long till…
Granny : 3 months at least…. I’m so tired I don’t think I’ll ever be as grateful as I am now. I get to see my baby here with me.
Xie lians chest tightened as his vision grew blurry. He held his gran grand crying hard into her arms….he was so scared to lose her. To watch her fade away…he wouldn’t be able to handle it…his life was on a thread and the only hope was his grandmother….
Knowing her decision….knowing she would have been in more pain from medication still made Xie lian shaky the rest of the night. He dreamt of the time his grandmother had saved him from the monster.
Xie lians small hands had reached for the candy. It was a maple Carmel hard candy he loved. His tiny jade fingers got one into his grasp.
He tried to open the candy but his wrist was snatched. The candy had fallen while he was lifted into the air by the monster. He cried since it had hurt so much, his arm felt like it would pop out of his tiny body!
Screaming did nothing but make the monster spank him and roar louder. His granny had came in screaming at the monster, shoving the big beast away. He was in the grasp of his grandmother crying into her tummy.
Once the monster had left the room with one last roar that when it was safe to come out. Xie lian looked to see his hero smiling at him giving him half the candy. They shared the candy together while his gran grand kept massaging his arm.
The monsters sat at the table only giving Xie lian nasty hungry stares. They looked ready to eat him alive till his granny caught their attention. She had defended the boy who only wanted a small piece of candy.
Xie lian would never forgive the monsters from taking him away from his granny. He woke up with a soft smile remembering his granny was always there for him. He rubbed his crusty eyes looking around the room he just passed out in.
His new room felt nice, it has a picture of his grandmother in a goth style dress. She had black velvet gloves with black lipstick with red highlights. He loved the piece of art so much it was painted by an unknown man.
His grandmother had said the man called her a beautiful flower and wanted to paint her. She had accepted and only a few weeks later had she received the piece. It turned out to be his grandfather who had painted her like the goddess she is.
He smiled at the picture around the room. He lifted himself off the bed to get ready for the morning to garden with his gran grand.
She was already in some cute trousers with stitches on flowers. Some silver butterflies on her white shirt with her hair tied in a bun. She had a cute basket ready for them to dive into when they found a spot to eat outside.
The backyard was amazing it was filled with life. The flowers were blooming the air is crisp and sweet from the all the scent of blooming life. The pond still had his childhood fish in them, that’s were his grandmother put down the blanket.
Xie lian had sat down to get all the plates out when a knock came at the gardens door. His grandmother walked over to the stained glass garden door with a smile.
The stained glass door was a picture of a bat flying with silver butterflies, how beautiful he thought. The door had opened to a handsome man holding a basket of his own.l
“Granny thank you for inviting me I’m honored you would think about me.”
Granny : well you helped me so much, I also wanted you to meet my grandson. come, come we have plenty of room.
The man wore black slacks that looked tailors to his long legs. His waist held a silver band, that lead his stare to the red turtleneck the man wore. He had silver jewelry all over him.
On his waist on his fingers on his neck on his eye patch, there some even in his hair. It seemed the man loved silver jewelry.
When the handsome man sat his raven locks brushed against Xie lians hand. Long thick raven hair that made Xie lian really wonder what type of conditioner he used to make it so silky soft.
He meet the dark eyed stranger, god it felt like he would melt on the spot if not for reaching out his hand to the man.
“Lovely to meet you I’m Xie lian, I want to thank you for taking care of my grandmother.”
“It’s no issue at all, i am called Hua Chang but I hope that gege may call this one San lang.”
Xie lians face was beat red…the man was a sneaky flirt. Xie lian only smiled.
“Alright then San lang, how long do you stay in Transylvania?”
“Agh I just finished a trip to Taiwan a few weeks ago so I’ll be here for a long time.”
Granny : that’s right, how was that girl?
“Agh grandmother…she was okay though foster care is still being quite reluctant to give her up.”
Granny : I see, well I hope she’s able to be with you soon
“Ogh you’re adopting?”
“Yes gege I am, she was a tiny girl when I first meet her but then she got arrested for stealing. I bailed her out since she was a tiny thing. Foster care had came for her and won’t release her to my custody so I have no other choice but to wait.”
Xie lian stood to help his gran grand sit.
“How awful, i hope for the best of both of you really.”
“Well gege, I am looking for a mother of my child. I believe that’s all the motivation needed to get my daughter back home.”
“Agh!”
Xie lians really didn’t want to assume anything. He tried to keep his blush hidden when he took to pouring their tea.
San lang had token out a whole feast for them all to eat. His grandmother tolled stories while Xie lian and San lang talked, questioning some of the stories.
San lang would flirt a bit with Xie lian when his gran grand was distracted or when she was just to deep into the story. Xie lian felt like a maiden being praised for just existing and talking to the man like he was a god.
“Grandmother….you said you like the spend the rest of your time at the castle? Am I correct?”
Granny : yes…I would like to be were my culture lays even if it was an awful history it’s were I want to be….may my grandson come stay with me?
“Yes grandmother, your wishes I will always grant as well as Xie lians. Please let me help you get ready to pack.”
Xie lian knew about this yesterday but it felt so odd…why would his grandmother be somewhere so evil for her last months alive? Only time would tell which is why he can only punch the sky in frustration of it all.
They all gotten up to clean the mess inside along with packing clothing for his grandmother. Xie lian had gotten to her jewelry box to find nothing but red gems. They were all beautiful rubies in such intricate silver designs.
He put the box away before anyone could notice he just snooped into his granny’s jewels.
They purged her room of all things she didn’t wear anymore.
Xie lian helped San lang load the car with his gran grands luggage and his own since he was coming. San lang lifting anything heavy like it was light work.
“Wow do you work out often on calf’s or triceps?”
“Ogh gege likes checking me out I see, I do calf’s and shoulders.”
Xie lian blushed at the first remark and simply looked away.
“This gege is so shy as well, be careful this San lang might eat you up if you are.”
“Agh, your so insincere.”