the unsung.

legend. - xiaokai

    The sky began to lighten just a tad, signalling the coming morning. Zhuang began putting away the assortment of food wrappers and containers which were left askew all around them as Kuo washed the cutlery and Guanyu wiped down the table.

    Haoran frowned. "You haven't told me Xiaokai-ge's story."

    Zhuang raised a brow. "What is there to tell? Everyone knows that story."

    "And even so," Kuo chimed in, "Let him talk about it himself."

    "Yeah, didi." Guanyu scoffed, mocking disapproval, adding — "Didn't Amah ever tell you it's rude to talk about people behind their backs?" before disappearing into his room.

    Rolling his eyes, Haoran stood to help Zhuang take out the trash — "You know, I've heard about a hundred versions of it though. Passed around, told as some kind of legend. Like Qinny's but less confusing. How much of it is true?"

    No one answered. They were much too sleepy and therefore Haoran had become increasingly irritating, persisting nonetheless.

    "Is it true he was born a tiger?"

    Yes. Thought Kuo.

    "What does his tiger look like? Why does he never shift? Is it true it hurts?"

    He'll shut up eventually. Thought Zhuang.

     "The prophecy — Amah said two tigers, right? Why doesn't he just kill Beau Song-Wilde? Why is he so close to Michio-ge? Why has he been here so long? Why does he love ovaltine?"

    "Oh my GOD..." Guanyu emerged from his room just to protest, already wearing a black T-shirt and fitted pants, his hands half-wrapped in gymnastics tape grips. "If I tell you from the top will you shut your mouth?"

    "Yes." Haoran grinned maniacally, deriving a collective helpless sigh from Kuo and Zhuang. The latter simply rolled his eyes and bade them goodnight with a dismissive wave before disappearing into his room, sighing out annoyances under his breath.

    Guanyu absentmindedly fumbled with the tape, biting some off to tighten it around his fingers. He did this everyday, habitually, and so no longer needed to look down at his hands as he explained — "On the second of September, the year nineteen-ninety eight, the year of the tiger, two Songs were born at precisely the same moment — one in Hong Kong, and one in Paris."

    Haoran's brows at furrowed at Guanyu's patronizing tone, but kept silent out of curiosity.

    "This strange occurrence is widely believed to have been the beginning of what the aunties call 'the last chapter' of Amah's book — the one with all the prophecies, the one with all our names. This last chapter supposedly refers to Amah's successor, her true Heir, the one she's been waiting for all these centuries. No one knows the exact wording since only Amah has read her whole book, but it goes something like...like..."

    Guanyu pouted, "Kuo-ge, help me out."

    Kuo's wide eyes perked up from the kitchen island where he'd been resting his elbows, listening attentively. "Two true tigers born under the same sun. Exact equals, only one can usurp the other."

    "Yes, thank you." Guanyu nodded, pleased, as he finished wrapping his left hand and proceeded to wrap the right.

    "So..." Haoran egged on when the silence begged to be filled.

    "So..." Guanyu mocked, "Amah hasn't declared either of them her Heir, which only leads people to speculate that one would have to kill the other before she formally proclaims a successor. Xiaokai has been in her service longer than anyone else in all of history, and she's very much disappointed in Beau, but Amah's yet to make anything official."