disapproval flickers in concealed depths of ruddy cerulean that flash like blue lightning in the darkened space, lit only by the wavering ambiance of a few scented candles wafting jasmine and cinnamon through permeating air pockets and the dim glow of chandelier lights turned to quarter power. fabric rustles as she shifts her weight to her other leg, an unconscious tic indicative of rising aggravation. ❝ you know i don’t like working with other people. ❞

            her response is only a long, hefty sigh and the creak of weight easing back against polished leather. ❝ i know. but this really is a two-person job. i’d argue even more than that. ❞

             ❝ i can do it myself. remember what you said about the last one? the mortician gig? ‘ ah, sunyoung, this might be too much for you; let me think it over – ’  who got it done? ❞

            ❝ the man you’ll be working with is highly skilled, i promise you – ❞

            ❝ i don’t care if he’s fucking houdini; how am i supposed to know if i can work well with him? maybe you’re not aware, but i put my ass on the line on these jobs, and at the end of the day, it’s not you facing down the police or worse if he fucks up, cause god knows i won’t – ❞

            her angry hisses are cut short by a sharp, quick knock at the door, and her employer rises from the plush seat, leaving her to glower as she folds her arms again, scowling darkly. ❝ why don’t you meet him yourself and see? i think your opinion’ll change then. i trust him, sunyoung, and so should you. ❞

            but that’s like asking the sun to rise from the west.

               he’d been waiting for a little while now, shoulder touching the suede wallpaper of the aisle as he leaned comfortably against it and curiosity being tamed in the depths of his mind as though to allow him to give his ‘partner’ a little more time. changwook was told they had arrived first, and for the brief, yet useful description his employer had given him about the person he’d be working with a while ago, it was most likely that they were enjoying having company as much as he was. it wasn’t like he thought he could handle the whole task by himself -- although he was confident enough to go and do so --, but simply a matter of taste; he’d rather work by himself and face the consequences of his own acts than to have someone nagging by his side or questioning the way he did his job. 

               hopefully, it wouldn’t happen this time, he thought.                              silly boy, he was oh so wrong.

               three knocks were enough for them to come receive him, and he didn’t quite know what to expect when his employer allowed him to get inside with a motion of a hand. ‘ when in doubt, choose to expect nothing and you won’t be disappointed ‘, changwook could almost hear his wise father say, letting himself use those words as guidance as soon as dark-brown pupils found the petite female figure with an expression that could only confirm what he had deducted before; the girl certainly did not want him there, and truthfully, he didn’t care. 

              “this is sunyoung, you may trust her for this task.” the words prompted changwook’s lips to curl in a light smirk, almost unnoticeable. trust someone he didn’t know? not likely. “and i’m sure i do not have to state that i want you both to get along enough to do as i said. i’m paying you guys generously, after all.”

Ⓦ

“This is entertaining, actually." 

“Lovely place. I’ll tell my friends.” 

“Now there’s the smile made of sunlight.” 

“So you’ll accompany me, I ask with my heart in my throat?” 

“You want a slinky dress? I can buy you a slinky dress.” 

“I can hurt you.” 

“I’m very sorry. Did I give you the impression I was asking?” 

“So what is it you need?” 

“You think you’re better than other people.” 

“You couldn’t buy an invite with a diamond the size of a testicle. Course I got my hands on a couple…. Of invites!”

“I see the how, I’m just not getting the why.” 

“That’s a nice pile of things I won’t have to do.” 

“So are we gonna play cards or screw around?”

“Don’t fall asleep now. Sleepiness is weakness of character, ask anyone.” 

“What a vision you are in your fine dress. Must’ve taken a dozen slaves a dozen days to get you into that getup. Of course, your daddy tells me it takes the space of a schoolboy’s wink to get you out of it again.” 

"You’re a brave man/woman.”

“My work’s illegal, but at least it’s honest.”  

“What are you doing here?” 

“He insulted you. I hit him. Seemed like the thing to do.” 

“I never back down from a fight.” 

“I could get naked.” 

“Here, look at me. What’s your story, love?” 

“They teach you that in whore academy?”

“You think following the rules will get you a nice life? Even if the rules make you a slave?” 

“Well, this isn’t going to take long is it?” 

“You have to finish it.” 

“See how I’m not punching him? I think I’ve grown.” 

“Mighty fine shindig.” 

“I got stabbed, you know, right here.” 

“Don’t care much for fancy parties.” 

“I am grateful, you know, for the ill-conceived and highhanded attempt to defend my honor, although I didn’t want you to.”

He was mad and he was drunk. Two states that didn’t match well together, turning the male into a natural disaster, a part of him that is often encased within the confines of his mind. Still half-consious, Jonghyun managed to behave as properly as possible, keeping his cool side on the surface while his strongest and darkest sides were underneath that layer. He didn’t need more problems besides those that have been occupied his mind, problems which implied proper and utter attention, otherwise he would lose a good amount of cash. Being the head of a chain of cabarets not only meant that he was the rich kind of man with a huge ego, but also meant that he had to deal with a few unpleasant situations.

Using alcohol and tobacco to clear his mind was often his escape of problems. Before anything else, he really needed to pour out the tension within him, otherwise he would act on impulse and much likely lose the only opportunity he would have to resolve his problems without major consequences. Getting drunk seemed as well a good decision, as long as he was still aware of his surroundings. Enemies were everywhere, people that would love to see him on his knees were constantly observing him and a moment of invulnerability could cost more than his economies.

He took a sip of his red wine, scanning the room out of habit. His vision was slightly blurry and he could feel his senses progressively losing their alertness. Nonetheless, a voice beside him caught his momentarily interested, his eyes falling on a man that reeked alcohol. Here he thought he was in a bad way. A smirk crept onto his face, however, as he paid attention to the male and his self-conversation, his voice so sloppy that it was hard to understand what he was saying. But Jonghyun understood, anyway. He was able to read his lips and mixed every word into a full sentence. It made him chuckle, obviously. The topic was certainly one that touched his buttons, but the other’s state was far more amusing. The male released a laugh when the other’s voice was directed towards him, feigning a moment of contemplation over his words. “You can count on me, buddy.” his voice was low and laced with amusement, taking in the man’s features and his expression contorted by the alcohol in his system. “But I would love to see you kicking my ass. It’s almost tempting. Tough decision, nonetheless. You know, it’s not fun when in the next morning you won’t remember anything.”  

               changwook have always thought that there was no greater pain than the one that hits the heart when you realize that a cherished person cannot to be reached again by any means. death was cruel and he, better than most people, knew it well, making him secretly hate himself for being such an hypocrite; with a swift blow of a steel he had taken the life of many, never having failed his duties to his clients, but now, there he was, mourning the death of a father, when others surely had done the same -- he was never one to check if a victim had a family. it didn’t matter, it couldn’t matter --, and truthfully, his senses were way too corrupted to allow him think further and reach the point of caring about it.

               assassins, mercenaries, thieves... those, most of the time, were destined to a lonesome life. a fair price to be paid, if one asked his opinion about it. it was simply easier to live only by himself, and with or without having his generator around, life would surely make its way between them both. feelings in general, in whatever form, wasn’t meant for someone like him, there were highly more important things to worry about, and that was solely one day he had let himself feel something, outside many others he had forbidden his own self to do so. by the morning everything would get back to its normal state and deep inside he was eager to it.

 Captain Li Shang appreciation post //