CLOSED !!!

            although the kiss had ended before yongtaek had enough of it ( as if he ever would ), he was in no rush – it was just the two of them there and, at that moment, he felt like he had all the time in the world. with arms still wrapped around the witch’s waist, he let out a soft chuckle in response and smiled fondly at him as he teased lightly. “ do you even want me to? ”

               ❝ yeah, it is, ❞ yuuya answers with a smile. he’s gotten used to having to communicate with her through spirit boxes, or catching glimpses of her through thermal imaging cameras. it’s a welcome change to be able to see her like this, clear as day ( even if it might not be for long ). nicer still is the fact that he doesn’t have to hang around the place she haunts to see her now. does it pose questions about whether or not she should be gaining this kind of power? yes, absolutely, but he’s not going to the be the one to ask them. she’s his girlfriend, the more physical she can appear, the better for both of them. ❝ have you been practicing? ❞

       i looked and, behold, an ashen horse....

Those words were like a knife in his own gut, avisualization of how he felt most of his entire life. “My parents left me todie in a hospital when I was fourteen.” It wasn’t an attempt at one-upmanshipin a game of ‘who had the shittiest life,’ but rather an attempt to forming aconnection, of letting Arcadia know that he wasn’t alone. It was also somethingMinjae had never spoke aloud to another soul, let alone a near stranger. “Theyhad plane tickets to Argentina, and the only reason they came was because theyneeded to sign the paper work.” He shook his head at the memory, willing backthe emotion he had tried to bury well under the surface. “I’m the third child;they didn’t want me then, and they don’t want me now. I understand shittyparents,

The change of topic was a welcome one though, even ifhe’d already made up his mind that Arcadia was his new best friend, that hewasn’t letting him get around those awful people again if he could help it – ifthere was some way to prevent that danger from every getting close again. “It’s…”he checked his phone and winced. “Later than I thought, but I’m sure there’s anall night diner open. That American place near the shopping mall stays opentwenty-four hours. We can get burgers and fries.”

Grease. That was what they needed after such a heavyconversation, and it would help soak up all the alcohol in Minjae’s system.Maybe, it would even mean avoiding the hangover the next morning.

“It’ll be fun! Then we can come back here and you canhelp me clean!”  No way was he going tosay no to that; usually, he just hired someone – but maybe with some friendlyhelp, it might not be so bad. “And you can crash at my place if you need to, Ihave a spare bedroom.”

     not once does it cross arcadia’s perhaps naive mind that minjae was trying to outdo him in some competition of who had the shittier childhood, of who was more embittered and wounded. it doesn’t even occur to the siren that the other could be mentioning such things other than as a reassurance, that other people had awful childhoods and unloving parents like he did, that the pervasive feeling of solitude that had haunted mind and choked heart since he ran away from his mother didn’t need to be as prominent. it’s touching, in a way that threatens to turn on the waterworks, further encouraged by the remnants of alcohol swimming through lungs and loosening already naturally loose lips.

     “thank you.” it’s the only thing he thinks to say in this moment, in the wake of admitting and sharing and hurting old hurts. arcadia doesn’t really know if he’s thanking minjae for the chance to spend more time with him, for sharing that thorned hurt, for silently offering solidarity. maybe it’s a mix of it all, maybe it’s easier to silence the thoughts in mind for a moment. no use dwelling, right ? not when the other has only offered his own slice of pain rather than fluttering hands and concerned tone over implications writ into his tone.

     and certainly no use when there’s the prospect of trying something new. the change in demeanor is a quick one, the siren’s head bobbing eagerly and a bright smile overcoming the discomfort that had been the main character only moments prior. “i’ve never had american food before. is it really as large and fattening as i’ve seen in movies ??” and if it is, it’s exactly the type of distraction the siren is looking for, exactly the type of late night food adventure needed to alleviate any lingering tendrils of discomfort and hurt wound tight ‘round his lungs.

               ❝ not all races can, ❞ joowon retorts, though it isn’t few enough in number that it gives his own species any kind of bragging rights. the amount of planets they’ve conquered, though… that’s more like it. there’s a pause as he considers what to shift into. it can’t be too convincing, lest caspar ask to see what he really looks like – he knows he could shift into anything, but he’s sold himself on the idea that his species is a humanoid one, and suddenly revealing otherwise isn’t exactly smart. lips twitch upwards in a smirk as he makes up his mind, expression evening out again as he mimics caspar’s appearance ( though he’s careful to mess up a few of the details here and there – lips too small, eyes a little too big, just enough to make him look off ). ❝ good enough? ❞

‘ well , i’m sure that it isn’t too late …. but , it’s up to you. ‘ annalise says as she sips on her lemon flavored water , glancing at aaron before focusing her attention on a dying flower in the garden , gently taking the petals into her free hand; caressing them with her fingers as a small frown tugged at her lips. she looks back at him , well - meaning smile makes way to her lips. ‘ i wouldn’t know if it is for that …. i honestly don’t really know what’s going on. ‘