U N R E P E N T A N T

“— i feel like i could eat the world raw.”

NAME: Eun Yeong, these last few decades anyway AGE: 612, he thinks. it’s been awhile [actually older than that] TITLE: the vamp CIRCLE: night OCCUPATION: antique dealer, previous right hand to the orator

HISTORY IS WRITTEN BY VICTORS... OR  PERHAPS.. UNWRITTEN ..

tw: blood, death mentions, allusions to depressive thoughts and suicidal ideation..

staring at his phone, it took everything to not crush it in his hand. it was rare for eun. the desperate feeling under his skin. growing into something could devour. beryl knew but would say nothing. the other in france knew, also said nothing. something foreboding in the man’s voice when they had spoken about the elder vampire’s confusion. it was caution he heard in the youngers voice. his fingers got marginally tighter around the expensive phone. there were things he could not remember before. post often he approached them with a nonchalance that age could allow him. but not now. not for the one he had run into. there was something boiling in his blood, and he couldn’t name it.

so, he thought of other options. mortal psychology was an option. that, however, took time. patience. a love for oneself that eun wasn’t certain he could give to himself in the moment. sleep would not save him, for sleep never came. there would be now dreams to connect the scents and feelings. then there was magic. magic. something he didn’t often rely on simple because being dependent on others to do it rubbed him the wrong way. his distrust of most people in the world made sure he was careful with everyone he encountered. even if it didn’t seem to be that way. his secrets were his own…

the phones metal casing began to creak with the pressure his hands were putting on it. a bone deep ache twisted in his gut when he closed his eyes. the smell, so familiar, like fire on the wind but the warmth of it. comfort. battle with the emotions that seeped between each conscious thought. hunger, but it didn’t feel the same as it usually did. something pleasant curling up like a cat. a contentment he didn’t understand.

those were all muted. nothing compared to the gut-wrenching despair. it colored every moment eun tried to dig more. it grasped at his heart, that some days he forgot he had. he ached. like something raw torn open for the world to touch. the taste of blood on his tongue did nothing to ease it. it tasted like ash. as if he was swallowing down what had been left behind by the fire burning within him. a sympathy of confusion and a pain he didn’t fully understand. when the crescendo of his thought finally crashed… there was only one thing left behind…

with a cry, more akin to a snarl out of his mouth, the phone was crushed in his hand. the pieces thrown to the side as if it had offended him… it starts from there. his rage tearing him apart from the inside out. he is only lucky enough that he somehow keeps himself from leaving his home. the devastation eun would unleash would only be upon himself.

the inferno raged…

nothing near him was safe, as he tore through his living room. priceless antiques. carefully hunted down artifacts. they all crashed against on his cold floor. shards of them digging into his skin but the flash of pain was nothing compared to the inferno in his mind. eun didn’t stop. not when slivers of wood and glass dug their way into his skin. rapid healing encasing them as if they belong there. his bare feet not safe from the damage but it did nothing to cause him to cease.

soon enough, there was no object within the closest of his reach that stood in one piece. nothing but destruction all around him. it was a miracle that he didn’t go further. that he was able to plop onto the ground and leave the moment at that.

in silence, he sat. gone was the heat of his rage. the flames doused in something so numb all he could do for a moment was blink. his own blood covered his skin, but the wounds were healed. tomorrow, he would need to dig out the shards. tomorrow, he may clean up the living room. leave it barren and as empty as he was feeling in the moment. tomorrow he would present himself as if nothing changed. as if there will be no discomfort in his limbs until he picked out every piece out of his skin.

eun would smile and flirt like there was no desperation in his soul. like he didn’t wish to crawl into a cave. never leave. but that wouldn’t due. he had items to get for his favorite little bedlam. she would help him in her own way when they finally got the chance. a sudden strike of anger hit him deep at the thought that he had to wait because of fucking hunters. useless humans that feared everything that was more powerful them... if given the moment, he could kill most of them himself.

there was a sigh, one he didn’t need to let out but the practice of it seemed to calm him slightly. quietly, his eyes closed as he slowly leaned back. soon enough he was laying in the shattered pieces around him as if they weren’t there. one more sigh, moved over his lips as he simply laid there. with intention of moving. with no urge to move, eun allowed his muscles to relax

i want to hold you close skin pressed against me tight lie still, and close your eyes girl as i whisper in your ear i want to fucking tear you apart

trigger warnings: death, blood, murder, sex mentions, drugs, alcohol, viscera 

first. an odd concept to consider. it was impossible for nathan to know really, who truly pre-dated the other. he’d lived enough live’s to make the vampire dizzy, but there was a flash of something. a memory perhaps, that told him eun yeong was right. they had been here first. nate didn’t stay in one place, had a tendency to wander and never stayed in the place of his most recent death, long. the fear was too consuming, the despair visceral. it was a wonder he had made it to the underground again at all in this decade. that they were right did nothing to stop his lips from twitching down into a frown.

his body operated as a machine all its own, autopilot and the high letting it fulfill the work it was currently paid to do. but his mind wandered, twisting in on itself until it was just this moment, and the two of them with the all too familiar body he ground against as a point of focus. it was easy for a vampire to claim firsties when time was so inconsequential to them. nate huffed his annoyance, stealing himself before he turned. eye contact made it much harder to pretend he was with anyone else, doing anything else.

“someone else to seduce and destroy?” he quipped, though no smile would appear this time, his eyes betraying an age his physical form didn’t as he wearily watched the beast. his body aware of the proximity to calamity keeping him hyper aware. eyes now tracking each word the way his eyes had noted the sinking of tapered fingers into leather and the way eun yeong was, perhaps for the first time in a very long one, doing as he was told. the eun yeong they knew would have laughed in the face of an order. but then, who was to say they had ever truly known them at all? maybe that assumption was their first mistake.

“whatever it is, i’m sure it can wait a decade, hm? it isn’t like you don’t have an abundance of time.” the vampire had good chances to outlive them all, him included. “or stay and do whatever bullshit it is that you need to finish, honestly, i don’t care.” a lie, he did care. he cared very much. that was the reason he was here, arms braced along the back of the chair to each side of eun yeong’s neck, body rolling as he leaned in, exchanging breath as he glared down his nose.

“or just get the fuck off the strip. vegas is huge, i’m sure you can find any number of bars and strip joints with less notable dancers and clientele. people go missing all the time, right?” and he didn’t care as long they weren’t disappearing from his club. as long as he never saw this particular monster’s face again. no number of lifetimes would ever be enough to cure the ripping ache in him, could erase the memory of teeth and blood and the wet sound of his own screams dying on a pained gurgle when there was no functionality left to keep emitting the sound.

the song was winding to a close, it didn’t matter, his body had stopped moving, eyes scanning their face for anything. any trace of recognition or acknowledgment. the phoenix isn’t disappointed when they aren’t found. that was fate, wasn’t it? to put him here at a time like this, his murderer paying to watch him dance like a puppet on the string he’d once strung him along on and the bastard didn’t even have the decency to remember it.

“ahh,” the sound left his lips, breath teasing along the other’s face, sure to smell like alcohol and mint. he was no amateur, no one would catch him dead with cigarette breath on the clock. the bitter laugh rumbled in his chest as he leaned away finally. “you don’t even remember do you? of course you don’t.” his head tipped back as the laugh sounded more loudly, a shake of his head ending the acidic mirth. “tell you what, you figure out who i am and i’ll let you have free reign of the joint, seems fair doesn’t it? what with all that time you have. bonus points if you can figure out why it’s taking physical effort not to kill you where you sit.”

───

their voice was lost to the storm in their mind. waves of emotions and hints of memory slamming into them like a typhoon. but what were they to do? in this moment, eun didn’t want to rush away. damn their confusion. damn the echo of pain they didn’t understand. there was something stronger beneath all of it. screaming for them to stay. to listen. to simply be in the presence of the other. no matter the depth of the raw ache that was digging its way through their body, their very psyche.

desperately, they tried to think of who could help them understand. of course, there was beryl. the phantom of memory, just barely breathed against their consciousness. but it was enough to know. even if they could remember in the moment. whoever this person was. whatever they were. they meant something. something deep in the hollow of eun’s chest.

with their voice gone, they could only hang on the words being thrown at them. taste the venom as if it was their own. swallow it done. feel it’s burn. no one told them what to do. in the past it would have been a death sentence for anyone who dared. but there they were. saying nothing. gulping down a bane so bitter they were certain it meant death.

their eyes were locked. eun didn’t know if it was a challenge or if he was as lost as they were. beneath that venom. that hate. the vampire could smell arousal. but it was faint. swallowed by everything else the other was feeling. eventually, it didn’t matter. they couldn’t pick any of the emotions apart anymore. not theirs. not his. an immortal mind on the brink of collapse. so, their hands dug deeper into the chair. they nearly cursed when the other remained so close they could have kissed.

it was with great desperation that they held themself back. even with the confusion. the madness of eternity climbing up their spine. eun still, wondered if a kiss would help. if it would jog something that their being was unable to pluck from the torrent that was their emotions. perhaps, it was that thought that they truly feared the most. dread was not something they were used to. most often they didn’t even remember the word but in the moment, they did. their mind screamed it.

so, eun turned their face. breaking the eye contact they had been holding. forcing themself to stare at the black curtain and walls instead. the laugh they earned was corrosive. no, they couldn’t remember. for once the thought that they couldn’t, simply, hurt.

a challenge was laid out but eun was not sure they were prepared for it. first, they took a breath in, it wasn’t truly needed but they did anyway. an old habit that seemed to die hard. but soothing none the less. then, they turned their had to look them dead in the eyes once more. something like a smirk curling the corner of their lips. “i’ve always loved a hunt,” was all they provided before moving to stand they had no intention of staying any longer. they couldn’t.

taking out their wallet once more, they pulled out a couple hundreds and put them in the seat behind them. where they could see the deep tears in the chair’s arms. they easily moved out of the other’s arms. speed and agility something they constantly used to their advantage, but they made no move to run from them. refused. there had to be something they could cling to. “you’ll see me again…” was the last they had to say as far as they were concerned.

then the phone in their pocket vibrated……

i want to hold you close skin pressed against me tight lie still, and close your eyes girl as i whisper in your ear i want to fucking tear you apart

trigger warnings: death, blood, murder, sex mentions, drugs, alcohol, viscera 

Nate recognized the flash of curiosity like a red flag across a clear gray sky, it meant victory as much as it meant danger, either way he’d gotten what he wanted. This creature would stay with him, and the humans of the club would live to rain tips upon him another day. At least, if it all went to plan. There was no guarantee it would. In fact, there was a decent chance he would end up dead in the VIP room with no cause of death evident but missing flesh and whatever few drops of blood eun yeong didn’t steal. It was unnerving, keeping him perpetually off balance the longer he considered it. Somewhere deep in him, under layers of death and pain, was the softest reminder of feelings he hated to think about.

These lips had never been on that skin, these hands had not touched their body, still he knew it all as intimately as he knew his own. Knew dips and curves he had no business having memorized and the taste of wine stained lips pulled into a tender grin. Lucifer had been the most beautiful of the angels before he’d fallen. Eun yeong could give lucifer a run for his money. All of it churned his stomach like acid, and not the kind offered on thin sheets of paper with the image of the savior on it that would dissolve on his tongue.

lead the way, the words to mark his own funeral march? It was years of practice trying pass as sober when he was a single sheet to the win that kept his smirk in place, body loping sensually as his fingers caught their wrist, a flick of eye contact with the nearest bouncer enough to have the large man following at a comfortable distance as he led them towards the private rooms. These were all the same from club to club. Sure some were nicer, such as this club. Leather chairs filled with plush fibers to keep them comfortable and supportive but allowing for easy cleanup with heavy wooden legs.

He’d worked in clubs with creaking black plastic and glinting metal that had no armrests and a tendency to fall over while you worked. These would hold, theoretically. The music from the club still pulsing through the floor and up through his limbs more comforting than a heartbeat as the black curtain dropped behind them. The bouncer in the hall would come if called, but he knew the drill otherwise. Some of them made their real money this way, trading services for money or other things. It wasn’t his way, but he wasn’t in the habit of judging others for how they managed to survive.

It was a light push at best that guided the vampire into his new throne, the leather accepting the weight with little in the way of complaint, the phoenix letting the beat carry the motions of his body, those ever promising rolls of strong hips and teasing flexes of muscles that had brought better men and women to their knees when placed in the position that the vampire now occupied. He could work and warn at the same time, and the dance had been paid for. The stress released cortisol mixing with the coke in his blood to create a delicious high that spiked adrenaline into his heart and limbs.

“Find somewhere else to hunt.” his voice rolled nearly as smooth as his body did, only slight hesitation in his movements as he dropped himself down into the creature’s lap, following the steps of teasing, the little gives and takes of his form as his words sounded between them as private as they would find in this join. “Actually, find another state to exist in. not hard is it? I’ll be dead in under a decade give or take and i’ll move on.”

───

there it was. a spark that struck through their body. setting their nerves on edge but they couldn’t completely understand why. the feel of the other’s fingers on their wrist edge them close to something. but, for all of their years, they could not see what was on the other side. so, they quietly followed, trying there best to understand the rapid images and whispers in their mind. if eun had been anywhere else than in the moment, there would be nothing but retreat clawing it’s way through his body. the thought did nothing to help them in the moment. their mind ached with something they couldn’t touch. couldn’t truly taste. couldn’t feel. so, they too had a gnawing feeling… so deep, it was hard to understand.

but they said nothing. no, instead they followed quietly, allowing the other to lead. noting the guardian that followed behind them quietly. a thought, sick and cruel, entered their mind when they saw them. they wouldn’t be able to do anything if eun wanted to kill him. again, something raw pulled at the idea of murdering them and if they didn’t know any better, they were close to rage.

soon enough, they found themself being pushed back gently. eun did nothing to avoid it. their mind slowly shifting into something more like a haze than really working.

even with that haze, their eyes ran over the dancer in front of them. putting their arms carefully on the arm rest. facing downward so their hands could do nothing but grip the plush leather under them. despite eun’s normal behavior of not following along with what people said, they were in the moment. not touching. so be it. commonly that was a sign of respect but there was, something different to it. a sharp edge that didn’t just tell them to listen but begged.

when he sat in his lap, it only got worse. despite the hesitation that was noted, their fingers dug into the chair painfully. a mark would be left. at the mention of finding somewhere else to eat, they had to fight down the urge to nod. quickly, accede to the request without a second thought. it nearly made eun snarl with their rage at themself. none of it made sense but the next words made them focus. pulled them out of the building confusion. the rage tickling at the back of their mind.

“unfortunately, i have far too many things to do within this state,” they started, low, like they had been chewing on glass while the other moved against them. “dare i say,” they continued for a moment before pausing to lick their lips and close their eyes. eun desperately sought solace within themself for them moment. but it was no use. every fiber of their being was in tune with the man in front of him. on his lap.

“i was here first,” tension began to bleed into their words. it didn’t matter that they were making their best effort to keep it down. seemed to have little control over themself when it came to the moment. to the man. to whatever the memories in their mind were doing to the very essence of eun while he did nothing but, behave…

Oliver had been debating getting another meal, but he wasn’t truly hungry yet, and the conversation with the siren had been off-putting. He couldn’t put his finger on why, and it was annoying. The time since, he had felt free-floating in a way he hadn’t for many, many moons.

And so since then he had been blankly going about his days, moving from harbor to harbor in the activities of his routine. He was alone here. Perhaps the siren was right that this was not the place for him. He could square his affairs and set out for the next port if he needed to - there were other places, other people, who could catch his attention or make him feel… He paused on the way out of the club and snagged an empty table to continue his melancholy in.

What did he want to feel? He knew what was missing - the silence and un-tethering would never leave his bones. He could never get it back. But what could he have instead? Maybe he would do best to find those like him in the area. As far as he knew there were no sirens, but there were others who felt the Hunger, who were touched or cradled by something other.

It was only habit from life out of water that kept him from slashing towards the voice. Most people were loud, but this was a volume more like those he remembered. He only ever heard it when people meant to be quiet, and he distantly wondered if it was the lungs that made their voices more intense. “I do, indeed.” He murmured in return.

The person across from him had power - he recognized the thrumming of a vampire quickly. There was a poise in this one that came with experience, with age and lives lived. “Yes, I understand I’m a bit of a, how did it go - fish out of the water? I like to think I’ve done well for myself with what I have available.” Ollie looks back curiously, face bright and alert. He hasn’t had much opportunity to observe those of the Night up close. Apparently people got uncomfortable when stared at. “I hope whoever is talking about me isn’t saying anything bad. I’d hate to have a poor reputation already.”

───

excitement run through them like a strike of lightning. there was nothing better than someone being willing to have an open conversation. it seemed that they had been blessed in the last two days to have met people willing to do so. a smile tugged at the corner of their lips when the other creature began to speak. while they watched him, eun couldn’t help but trace his features. from the top of his head to the curve of his hands. each detail being committed to memory that admittedly couldn’t always be relied upon. but for the time being, they would remember.

“oh, i don’t think you should worry yourself,” they finally responded after a beat of the other’s heart. the vampire couldn’t help but wonder if the change for the other was quick. could the siren only shift certain aspects? did he need to be in water? was there any skin sensitivity. question like a curious cat danced across their mind but they swallowed them down, for the time being. wanting to take their time with the discussion that could occur. with any luck, it would not be their only conversation.

tilting their head, they finally continued, “what are heard were rather simple details. just that there was someone like you here.” the siren’s human form was a pretty thing. eun couldn’t decide if that made their curiosity better or worse. if what they could remember of themselves from the past, perhaps they would categorize it as worse…

“i couldn’t help but be curious. i thought i would take the time to meet you,” was added as they leaned against the table. there was no rigidity to their body. relaxed. comfortable in the moment. “i’m eun,” the introduction was easy. no rush to it. simply, clear.

“and i can’t help but hope that we can be friends….”

She almost thought she’d gotten away with it.  Almost thought she hadn’t been caught staring.  She righted the pen in her grip, actually processed a few of the words on the page-

And then the footsteps came back.  They stopped.  The chair next to her shifted.  Noa lost her place in the article again.

An apology was ready on the tip of her tongue as she looked up, more contrite than before, and made eye contact.  At least, she thought she made eye contact.  It was hard to tell with the sunglasses.  Before she could voice said apology, though, they spoke.

Well, at the very least, they didn’t seem offended.  A slow, almost incredulous smile pulled at her lips, as some of the anxiety abated to relief and then amusement.  A normal person.  Wasn’t that a sense of humor.  She took it as a tacit permission to return to studying them, only slightly less intently this time.  She traced their features, then the cup as they lifted it, curious to see if they’d actually drink, before following their gaze to consider her set up.

“Don’t worry about it,” she finally decided.  “I could use a break.”  Noa capped the pen, placing it carefully with the others, followed by the packet of pages, which she exchanged for her own drink.  Somewhat self conscious, she righted herself to sit more properly in the chair before mirroring their motion, though she did take a sip.  And a quiet inhale of its earl grey and vanilla scent to ground herself.  Some of the fear had dissipated, but the subtle twist of danger remained.  It didn’t hang over them so much as drape, like a well tailored jacket.  

“Try to parse the ‘academic language’ for too long without pause and soon enough it starts to all just go in one ear and out the other,” she explained.  “Or in one eye and out the other, I guess.”  The little correction came with equal parts exasperation and amusement, directed at herself.

She rolled her finger tips against the side of the mug a few times, nails clicking against the ceramic, a familiar if meaningless motion.  It helped to bleed off some of that nervous energy, but now Noa found herself more aware than usual of how extraneous the movement was, self conscious again after witnessing such elegant precision.

She pulled the offending hand away from the drink, offering it out instead.  “I’m Noa.  Noa Byrne.”  She smiled politely and then added a preemptive, “nice to meet you.”

───

the heat from their drink just barely touched their lips before the cup was being moved again, this time to rest on the table in front of them. a smile curving the corner of their lips while they eyed the other being near them. clearly, she was dedicated to whatever she was studying. it made eun curious at to what it could be. they hadn’t noticed any obvious books, but they were more focused on the person in the moment than the items in front or around them since they sat down.

her seemingly, willingness to have a conversation with them, tickled something gently within them. nearly an effervescent feeling when they tried to think about it. instead, they only offered a light chuckle at the exasperation they could hear in the other’s voice. eun had never tried to pretend and do the college thing. it had been ages since there was any sort of learning in their life that hadn’t simply been learning about the immortal life as they went along. they weren’t like min.

reaching to take their sunglasses off, they leaned to the table to put them next to their cup before leaning back in the chair, more comfort then worried about etiquette. “i admit, i find myself a bit curious when it comes to the entire process,” danced out of their mouth in a friendly tone that remained since the beginning of them sitting down. “i can’t say i have ever gone to anything that would be extremely academic in a long time.” the smile shifted to show a flash of fang when she introduced herself. it had been some time someone easily allowed themself to speak in their presence. someone that they had just met for the first time. of course, it occurred to eun that they didn’t want to waste the moment. which meant they moved to reach out with their own hand. mindful of their o strength as they shook gently.

“it is lovely to meet you ms. noa byrne. in the east i would be yeong eun. here in the west, it would eun yeong,” they began to greet and explain at the same time, letting her hand go delicately as to now cause any issues when they moved to sit back in their chair. “which is a long way of saying, please, call me eun.”

“would you be willing to satiate some of my curiosity on what exactly you are reviewing?” 

i want to hold you close skin pressed against me tight lie still, and close your eyes girl as i whisper in your ear i want to fucking tear you apart

trigger warnings: death, blood, murder, sex mentions, drugs, alcohol, viscera 

deep within the collective of them the familiarity for this beast sang like a siren. something he could never touch again, but that warmed his blood more easily than any amount of drugs or alcohol ever could. not heady like lust or safe like fear, it was terrifyingly addictive and nate loathed every slippery second as it filled his mind and retreated. he wasn’t cattle. he was no longer the sheep to the slaughter. he knew, unlike the rest of the mortals around them, what it was like to love this particular monster. to stare into the eyes of eternity and have it stare back at him tenderly. how the sensual trace of elegant fingers felt along his skin as intimately as he knew the way this vampire’s teeth would lay ruin to his throat like it was nothing more than spun sugar on the tongue of a child.

a version of him had loved this being once. a love that had led to destruction, as such feelings often did, and though his body never once missed a beat, swayed and rocked, each quadrant a muscle a well controlled machine that functioned together to support his bones and seduce those who slipped inside the club seeking the young, beautiful mortals of night to slake their own special brand of thirst; nate knew that what had started as a night bent on earning thousands would come to a halt with nothing more than the singular hundred now tucked in the string of his little uniform.

his sense screamed danger, and his body longed to recoil, to pull away, retreat to safety. never to run, no running triggered hunting instinct, but to escape never-the-less the male knew he would stay put. allow the creature to remain captivated by him, better his throat than others. at least he would come back. the other poor saps in the club wouldn’t be as cursed. an indelicate snort left him, even as a smirk that would very well look playful from afar but which was filled with venom up close curled one corner of his lips.

“funny. i don’t remember you allowing your food enough time to try it,” he his tone was kept just as even, equally controlled. for all the world an entertainer and their new high roller getting more intimately acquainted while they discussed the nature of their new agreement. already the hands tracing the muscle of his back were disappearing, going to seek other entertainment. not as quickly as he’d like. not quickly enough to save him more time with the vampire, but quickly enough to spare themselves another miserable day of existing.

what a fucked existance he lived, discussing the potential of his own death, again by the hands of the same being as casually as if it was nothing more or less than another night debating take-out. his tongue trailing, nearly invitingly along his bottom lip, it was only the slight pucker between his brow and steel in his gaze that gave away the fact that it was agitation and not delight. “my bills don’t just need paid this month,” he quipped. not the truth, nor was it a lie. the simple fact was that he couldn’t imagine letting another suffer as he had. to feel the biting ice of death through their veins as the heart struggled harder and harder to beat blood that no longer existed to limbs rapidly losing feeling. “so these ones are mine.”

almost laughable really, to be laying claim to other mortals as if this monster in the shadows would care. the reality was there was nothing nathan could do. no amount of words or knowledge that would help him put an end to the horror eun yeong could wreak in a feral state. the collective of them shuddered, but it was his spine it traveled, his skin that pulled tight into gooseflesh at the very idea of it. so there was only so much he truly could do. and in this instance, only one thing he could actually think of. it was lucky he was as fucked up as he already was. sober them would never force down the fear of death well enough to follow through. “follow me to get your private dance,”

he smirked, brow raising to mimic the other. “standard rules apply. i can touch you, you don’t touch me, and if i so much as see a glint of those fucking teeth of yours then hell…it isn’t silver but a chair leg and a stake have a lot in common, don’t you think?”

───·

there was no masking the pleasure that rolled over their skin at their continued eye contact. eun didn’t quite understand why. they had been threatened before. they had been attracted to others before. they had both happen in the same moment before. but there was something. something about the one looking at them with steel in their eyes and a hatred so vivid they could nearly taste it on their tongue. it made something in them ache with a need. if it had been the kind, they were so familiar, it would be easy enough to contain themself… but no, there was no frame of reference that they had, and it was far to easy to lose themself if they tried to chase a tail of a memory that whispered in the back of their mind. like ghosts they lingered and there was no way for the vampire to easily reach them.

so, they watched. they watched and allowed more words to wash over them. words that spoke of that pesky familiarity that eun could not recall. an itch that could not be scratched, but they tried to imagine. that sort of hatred had to come from something akin to killing them. a hint of blood on the back of their tongue seemed to corroborate the thought but there was something else beneath. something that made their heart constrict and hands wish to tremble. a burning in their eyes. made them want to take in a shaky breath to try to ease the burning pain within.

but that wasn’t needed. just a whisper of a memory of when it was. something so ingrained that it was easy to forget. eun let them keep talking. claim the other patrons around. snarl it them like they were the worst thing in existence. a terrible monster. perhaps they were to them. perhaps they had been. never had they ever claimed to be a good person. not since before and before was far too long ago to even count. they were a monster. had been for six hundred years.

still, their head tilted slightly when the mention of a private dance was thrown at them. that was a surprise. it sparked a curiosity in eun that was beyond dangerous. the sort that would have them following along just to know more. wanting to peel away the other’s skin to see what was beneath but there was one thought missing from it all. the vampire didn’t want them dead.  

their reaction to the thought was deeply visceral and full of foreboding. it only proved to make their curiosity worse. gnawing at them like it was forming into a hunger. a need to know.

which is why eun would follow along as directed. to the private dance they were offered. there was only a slight tilt of their head that showed a sliver of their confusion for the moment. a sort they weren’t use to as it began to burrow deep into something that would not go away… they would bite at the proverbial thread dangled in front of their face, if only to scratch the itch... “lead the way…”

Before now, there was then….

there isn’t much eun remembers about his original life. it has been something akin to ages since then. his transition into a vampire had not been kind. his memories thrown into a whirlwind. getting scattered as if they didn’t matter… but some things… he does remember…

he remembers his wife, the curve of her smile. how her laugh rang in his ears. the only reason he remembers his true name is because he can still hear her say it in her voice when he wakes from sleep. even though she had died before he had been changed, he remembers hearing it when he took in a shuttered breath after turning. chung-ae, the memories of her are fuzzy. but they evoke an emotion in him like contentment. there aren’t many little details left. she was sick. so sick. afraid. she died. took their oldest child with her when she went…

his daughter was his first born. bright like the morning she was welcomed into. memories of her are slightly more vivid. how she wished to play. how she followed her mother around. the joy on her face, little body running towards him after he was gone for a skirmish that was required of him. ae-cha, his dear little girl. but those memories are overshadowed by the sound of her cough. the way she had been in his arms. lighter than she should have been, when he buried her and her mother…

his son, oh, min is different. min is detailed. striking and bold. the youngest of his children but the only one to make it into adulthood. he was at most, five when minjun was changed. being torn from the land of mortals and leaving his son behind. instinct wouldn’t let him leave the village. he could not leave him behind. despite his ferocious hunger, he could not kill his son. but he did watch him. made sure that he was with another family. friends that had been close to them when they lived. allowed a surname due to their position in society. but minjun watched and his clever son noticed. he knew his father was still there and when he was an elder teen, his father approached him again. carefully, with a difficulty that is hard to describe due to his hunger.

but his son lived, oh he lived and blossomed into a man that looked just like his father. there was a reluctance in the younger vampire to let his son go. but he could no longer stay around the village. having stayed too long already for someone that ate the humans that were there. but his son, min wouldn’t allow him to leave without him. so, he brought him along. eventually, eventually he gave his son eternity. did his best to be kind. soft. for the only child he still had. but it hurt. minjun could barely contain his own agony at watching his child suffer. still, the pain waned and soon enough, his son was just like him.

Cooking had, in some ways, always been as safe for Connor as reading. The books were a portal, a way to transport him to new and exciting locations when he needed an escape from the real world. Food though? That was different. It was a grounding thing. When he cooked, he was doing it for other people, for himself, to remind them of their place and their safety and offer whatever warmth he could provide. It mattered to these people in this house that he was taking the time to feed them when things were so hard.

He heard the door open, surprised by the sound, but didn’t bother to turn until he had wiped his hands off on the puppy patterned apron that Esmeray had proudly showed him yesterday. Letting her shop alone with his credit card was terrifying. And yet…and yet he had been pretty endeared by it.

It was more shocking when he saw Eun standing in the doorway. Maybe it was how broken his brain was, unable to really process intense emotions in any form they existed in, but he wasn’t intensely angry to see a vampire in his doorway. Clementine existing in his general circle probably was helping that feeling of hatred that was born and bread into him.

“Hey,” Connor said cautiously, grabbing a dry towel and adjusting himself. He still didn’t trust the vampire enough to be facing away from him. Not yet anyway. “What brings you around to the Lot? You looking to see Clementine?”

As much as he wanted to jump on that, to argue and say he didn’t trust him around her, this was one of the few areas that was never going to be his business. He didn’t understand vampires. He never would. So how could it hurt to have one help the little dhampir out?

“I would offer food, but I know you don’t eat, so…that sucks.”

@eunxyeong​

the entire property was suddenly so domestic. after walking upward with cameron and having their moment to talk, eun found himself walking through a home he had never had the chance to previously. satisfaction curled in his stomach over the same thought he had early. how angry the souls of the family would be that he was here. a vampire, yes. but a vampire they were never able to kill. not then, not now. oh, the poor dears. his vindictive heart cackled with glee at the very thought.

but of course, that wasn’t why he was there. just simply a fun side effect of his presence. there had been many times over the years that he had watched kiskaddens and what they had been up to from afar. careful to not trigger any of their defenses, but still keeping an eye on those who came in and out. it worked in his favor that the sun didn’t do much to him any longer. age providing some immunity to it for a decent amount of time before that defense would get over loaded. being inside, was beautiful.

someone was cooking. of course, normally eun didn’t give two shits for such a thing, but it was a scent underlying it that had intrigued him. the scent of a certain alpha pup. in truth, their more recent interactions via text had been something the vampire wasn’t expecting. it had been some time since they had laid together but ever since then, the wolf seemed to hold a special sort of anger from the older man. still, a slight source of confusion at times, but he simply chalked it up to the fact that sometimes he made people uncomfortable. even among other strong creatures.

following his nose for a moment, his curiosity piqued at the idea of seeing what sort of shape connor was in, had him slinking into the kitchen, the package for clementine still under one arm. “hello,” he mirrored softly, wondering how the conversation would go. of course, the wolf had guessed correctly. someone had to make sure the young dhampir actually was eating appropriately. it wasn’t as if he didn’t trust them to try. but if they were the reason, she had been drinking animal blood, well, he clearly could not trust them.

“you’re correct, i would so no if you did ask. but i thank you for the thought,” his words came out easily. almost like he wasn’t being careful with them. trying to actually see what would come of this moment. he knew the other’s emotions weren’t working as they normally would but eun hadn’t come there to start a fight or push connor into a situation he couldn’t get out of.

“i never took you for someone who enjoyed cooking,” a slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he pointedly looked at the apron the man was wearing. “but i must admit,” he began to tease lightly. not the same way they normally were. normally there was some kind of threat in his words but for the moment, there was nothing but light. “it certainly suits you.”

Baby, I wanna fuck you I wanna feel you in my bones Boy, I’m gonna love you I’m gonna tear into your soul

trigger warnings: death,  blood, murder mentions

Beryl would have needed more time and fingers on her hands to express how much she hated being restricted. Her actions, commanded by someone else and not by herself and her sheer will, were nothing but the most atrocious of the sins in her opinion, and Beryl’s opinion was the only one that mattered. Above everything else.

Even so during the first days of the forced isolation, she preferred not to start a scandal so easily and simply use the time in her creations, but the days were long, and Beryl had very little patience. Her home was big enough but never big enough to contain everything the gorgon was.

It wasn’t until her precious vampire planted a new seed in her that wine and stone no longer drowned her boredom, not anymore, only the perfection Eun was could do such miracles from that moment on, and she should have known. As for the vampire could be the only one to survive in a world that Beryl was part of, and if she had to be honest, she would never be against both of them as the remaining ones in Vegas, or earth if she was ambitious. She had shown them most sides of her, only depriving the undead of the serpentines hissing in her, even if her hunger called to keep Eun in stone most of the time, Beryl would set for them the most precious of the exhibitions, but she had stopped herself from it multiple times, and she promised herself this time it would be the same.

No invitation was needed, and the vampire was in her presence as one encounters oneself in a mirror. “My sweet darling, you have arrived.” The gorgon took long steps in their direction, and the motion made the sage green silk of her clothing dance along with her, a perfect sight. “I am aware it has only been so little since I have blessed you with my being, but- oh, allow me to say how much this one has missed you.” She spoke the truth, perhaps it had been the time on her own —even if never alone but with the hissings— that made her speak sweetness instead of venom.

Her softest gaze moved to the barrels behind the vampire, and her well-known smirk pulled the corner of her mouth, in satisfaction. “You seem to have brought relaxation for days, is this your way of telling me you are granting me days of your unlimited time, my love?” Her question came out of her but her attention was away from the other, but in the barrels, never had she had those many litres of blood and life in her home.

Before meeting Eun, Beryl thought of blood as filth, glistening crimson filth, but nothing more than what comes out of a victim when she looked for torture. The vampire and Gorgon were different when it came to murder, and maybe that was why they had the best foundation in their friendship. Eun had taught her the beauty of blood, and from the moment she met them, uncountable moons ago, nothing had been the same.

“I must admit I thought you meant your gift for me was yourself, but I am pleased to know I am getting something else to remember you by.”

their smile grew at the sight of her. tracing the lines of her body for a moment with appreciation in their eyes. also, so exquisite. “i missed you too, my beautiful sin,” of course, it was the truth. they were many tings to each other but most importantly they seemed to matter. in the beginning, and honestly still, eun fantasized about tearing her throat out. how good she would taste.  it was easy to imagine it. the delicious flavor she would have. they could make it feel good for her. be kind with how their teeth opened her throat. savor every drop. hold her tight.

but alas, it was not something to be done. taking her from the world simply, didn’t seem right. eun would be denying others but most importantly, he would be denying himself her company. that truly wouldn’t due. the smile grew to show their teeth as he tilted his head in an easy nod, “i feel as if i may spend many days here. keeping you company. but the nights i can’t promise,” it was only truth that flowed from their lips

“please, open your gift. i took ages to pick it out.” they pushed, as they held the package out. carefully wrapped to protect the soft item within. delicate. carefully hand crafted. eun loved to lounge in silk after bathing the way that pleased them. there was no way, they wouldn’t make sure she too had something flawless and worth laying naked it. “hand made,” they teased while waiting for her to see the item.

the hanfu was resplendent. the colors carefully chosen on their part. hand painted designs that were both stitched and painted into the silk. delicately layered and put together with meticulous precision. nothing but the best for their original sin. “i hope you enjoy. i know you will have many of your own but often there is nothing like a gift from another to lounge in after bathing in blood,” it would be hard to decipher the look in their eyes, but beryl would know. the hunger that colored their gaze. it wasn’t just for blood. or physical contact. no, companionship as well. they hungered for her.

“now, let me carry these to where they would need to be allow us a few days. as well as carry one to the tub,” they were wasting no time in getting things situated. easily they picked up the barrels and moved about the house as required. it was not the first time they had been together in said place. nor would it be the last. eun knew the place just as well as their own. carefully, navigating the areas before bringing what is needed for them to bathe.

the surrealism had not worn off. in fact, it had only seemed to grow deeper with the walk up to the main home of the property. it was a conversation he had not planned for. nor did he plan for his reaction to cameron has he walked him up to the home. most of what was said had simply sat with him but there was a portion, buried deep, that was soft for the other. there had been a short time, compared to the years in between then and now, when eun had taken the time to know cam. truly know him. more importantly, eun let him know things that others did not. not truly.

allowed the other man to have power over him, when all eun did was stand in control. specifically, in control of himself. it was tiring. some days, he was so tired. but soon, with any luck, those days would end, and he would no longer need to keep himself in check. he could finally, truly, be free. the life under his palm when he had touched the other man’s cheek. a memory. something warm and, unknown to him, something he had truly missed.

but that was not his focus of the moment. instead, he came to see a little one. a young half vampire that he held in nothing but suspicion. there were things, that didn’t add up. still, his suspicion did not stop him from wishing to be kind. truly, kind. a rare thing he sometimes forgot he was capable. it is what had him following his senses. blocking out other pieces and smells to zero in on one. a vampire could smell another vampire. even a half one.

it is what lead him through the home, paying little mind to those he may have walked by or seen. his mind solely focused on the one he sought. his short hunt lead eun to the back porch of the building. where the young one sat. staring into the darkness of it all. his curiosity was piqued but the package under his arm was more important for the moment. “hello little one,” he greeted softly, an after was made to edge his deep voice, always closer to a growl, upward. into something that reflect the kindness he wished to provide.

“as promised,” the box came out from under his arm, larger than perhaps she would have thought but there were multiple things within. a cup that could be used to heat in the microwave and travel without being damaged. crazy straws to brighten up her days but more importantly, it was the cooler he held. cam had only told him to keep his sources to himself. that did not mean he could make sure the girl got enough food to not have to worry. the thought of her suffering didn’t sit well with him. especially, when he was looking at her face.

the night was young. a beautiful night for a little bit of a car right. normally, eun didn’t really bother with his car. could just run their faster if he wished to. but he had a package to deliver and had no intention of potentially harming it in his haste. so, it sat in the seat next to him. buckled liked a passenger as he drove outside of the city and into the desert. the top down on his car, little care in the world.

something about the moment was a little surreal. it wasn’t the action or the way he was doing it. it was the ease he had in his bones. every other time he had ever headed out to the specific property that was his destination, it was in secret. to watch the hunters that annoyed him so. the urge to kill strong but for once, he was a good little boy. the inconvenience it would be for the person he cared for so closely. but that was ages ago and the person was gone.

but there was someone new to care for. someone young and impressionable. more importantly, someone that was clearly lost. things she did not know. it was entire reason he was speeding through the desert. to talk to young clementine. the little dhampir that had been feeding from animal blood. the very thought made his lip curl. no one should survive on such a thing. not a vampire and not a half breed. still, it didn’t matter to him in the long run. their choices were their own. it didn’t stop him from smiling when they died.

his speed made short work of the distance. nothing in him willing to care about limits as he began to slow and pull up towards the lot. there would be a point where he would need to be let in. this he could remember. so, eun parked quickly. grabbing the box in the seat next to him and making his way up to the buzzer as instructed by cam. a spark of excitement rolled up his spine due to the it being the first time he was freely walking onto the hunter land. oh, the ghosts of the family would surely be upset. how wonderful.

ringing the buzzer, he waited until he was prompted to announce what he wanted. “it’s eun. i’ve come with my gift. “

there was nothing more to say, so, all he could was wait for when he was let in…

i want to hold you close skin pressed against me tight lie still, and close your eyes girl as i whisper in your ear i want to fucking tear you apart

trigger warnings: death, blood, murder, sex mentions, drugs, alcohol, viscera 

there were few things that could ease the eternal torment of living. most of them were illegal, a fair few could lead to death; all of them were fleeting. moments in time that needed to be actively sought. he was a phoenix. they were used to seeking, it was no neverminded to nate if that meant working as a stripper on the sunset strip. actually, it was more convenient for him. drugs were plentiful, drink always available and more often than not the only thing he paid for at the end of the night was his stage rent, tipping the house and giving their club mom a hefty tip to keep taking care of them so well, and wiping his nose when it started to bleed from the amount of substances he’d snorted before stumbling out to the stage. 

this was one of those rare nights, the heavy ones that lazed along his shoulders as if the shadows had made their home their and something under his skin itched. he was restless. no amount of coke or weed was going to solve it, and the drinks he’d consumed throughout the night left him uncoordinated but still thoroughly in his own control. maybe it was the knowledge that hunters were abound, not that he particularly cared. what good was a hunter against a best that could never die? sure the underground was in lockdown, but he was flesh and blood, like anyone else. his magic hidden so deeply that even the power could never tap it. 

if not the lockdown, he wasn’t sure. whatever was plaguing him, it had been shoved so tightly into the back of his mind that he had nearly managed to forget that it was a problem at all by the time he’d hit the middle of his shift. the energy had shifted in the club finally, the combined energy of lust and life lifting from the club patrons mixing with the heavy bass in the track playing, some song he’d heard a million times before without connecting that now slipped along his nerves as he danced, body rolling and twisting with the subtle changes in the beat. translating language to movement that spoke words all of its own. 

he was very good at his job. making money was never an issue, tonight was no different judging by the singles spread around his feet and tucked in his thong. it was an actual act of the gods that something managed to pull the attention from his captive audience away from him, something nate may not have usually noticed, but was acutely aware of this evening, drug hazed gaze seeking the people around the dais of his stage. these people had come to worship him, so who was it that dared to steal that worship away? 

if he’d been sober he would have realized sooner the odd static in the air. the chilling shiver that ran through him that betrayed the presence of a supernatural, no matter how much they may at times appear. if he was sober his eyes might have worked, instead his pupils were blown so wide his eyes were nearly black and the darkness of the club was nearly a curtain. pulled too tightly for anything other than the occasional passing stage light to break through. 

he’d crawled his way towards the beast without hesitation, thinking that another beautiful patron might be just the thing he needed to break high for the night and leave with a couple thou more than usual or at least another few free drinks. he was nearly nose-to-nose with them before he could think better of it. bottom lip curling in hatred, as his hazy eyes sparked it was years of well practiced ease that he didn’t turn and run, rather continuing his siren’s dance rolling his body towards the thing that had literally been his downfall. 

a well practiced roll of his body had them nearly chest to chest as he slid from the stage, though he kept his face the usual seductive mask, his eyes were hard. “there is nothing for you here,” he hissed at the vampire. a face he’d never forget was clear in his mind. it was easy to forget the good things. the lazy evenings and the touch of a lover. it was impossible to forget the feral snarl that had vibrated in his bones as his throat was ripped out, skin shredded to ribbons as the essence of his life drained to sustain that which had apparently continued to survive. if there were hunters, they were doing a real shit job of it. 

“try in-and-out burger,” he added with a cold smirk, ignoring the hands all too happy to place themselves along his gleaming skin, lights catching the sweat and oil. “at least those cattle are willing.” not entirely true, but then, they were already dead. none of his patrons would lose their lives to this creature tonight. at least not on his watch, when he was gone there was nothing he could do to protect them, but he would do what he could now to run the beast off. 

eun paid no attention to the eyes that had followed them throughout the club. humans and in truth, other supernaturals alike, were very similar. the vampire embodied everything that was written about their kind. the good. the bad. the haunting and most importantly, the tantalizing nature. their mere presence had cause streets full of people to stop. it had been sometime. that he was used to. weak wills and simple minds.

but eun wasn’t prepared for the one on stage to meet their eyes. not for the visceral deep feeling that clawed at their insides. it was different. different than hunger. more like instinct. they knew their confusion was masked easily, while they watched the other slink about the stage. but the closer they came to them, the more something within them reacted. they didn’t know the face. but the smell. the smell was so familiar. captivating. screeched of knowing the taste of the one in front of them. but, when? where? how long ago?

their mind provided nothing. even as the other got close. noses nearly touching. they could feel the mortal’s breath on their lips when they heard it. in the back of their mind. a scream. but the sound didn’t sound like music to their ears. it hurt. something that made them swallow down when the other spoke. there has always been hate in eyes that have looked at him over time. some more than others. but this, was different. different and it hurt.

but they didn’t understand…

even as they spoke. knowing what they were in an instant. telling eun to go eat somewhere else. that there was nothing for them within the club they both existed. all the vampire offered was their eyes blinking in response. the dancer was so close. the heartbeat so strong in their ears. no one else mattered in the moment. not with how their breath mingled for the briefest of beats. he didn’t need to breathe, but this, this they wanted to breath in.

what mattered was they stayed close to them. every line. how their pupils were blown wide. the smell of their sweat speaking of chemicals in their blood. oh, they would probably taste so good. eun’s lips twitched slightly, the small smile turning into more of a smirk for a second. “i don’t normally take orders from -,” the words stopped for a moment, their eyes looking over the dancer’s face. “my food,” was added as they tilted their head slightly. almost as if they would go for a kiss. line their faces up just right.

a ghost of something shifted over their body. warm. contentment. “after they’ve paid your fee. i don’t think it should matter what happens to them afterward,” they whispered but it was loud enough for the other to hear. the others around them wouldn’t. “besides, how will you stop me?” their voice was low but they had moved in even closer. to what breath, along with the words they provided would move over the other soul’s ear.

reaching into their pocket, eun pulled out a hundred-dollar bill without even blinking, reaching to slide it into the other’s lack of clothing with ease. barely could be caught in a blink as they leaned back to simply look at them. it didn’t make sense. no with how it almost seemed as if their heart was beating with a simple look from the other. but still, their eyebrow raised in a way of challenge. hoping the other would take them up on it.

where: a strip club

plot drop: it’s a lock down

who: @fallingreborn​ & eun yeong

trigger warnings: death, blood, murder, sex mentions

it was said there was a threat roaming about. hunters terrorizing the midnight underground. that’s all eun had heard about for days. that had not been stopping them for doing what they wanted to. only for the first day, maybe two days, did they actually stay in place when they didn’t need to live. but that time had come and gone. no more were they going to simply be at someone else’s whims. the last time someone made them feel like that, they died. poor them. gone leaving a vacuum in their wake.

entertaining and annoying, all at the same time. but the vampire was used to such things. used to waves of annoyance and rage constantly lapping at the back of their mind. teeth aching with the need to tear something apart. oh, it had been sometime since eun got to hold them as they died. tasted the last of their heartbeat on their tongue. nectar. ambrosia.

this was the very reason the immortal was walking the streets at night once more. paying little mind to the drama surrounding the other supernaturals. daring hunters to come sniffing for him. they did not taste the best, but their deaths were just as good. eun didn’t need to eat them to tear them apart. hearts made fabulous gifts and they could think of a few people that would be happy to have navarro hearts in that moment. not just themself.

but for the moment, they were hungry. ravenous really. and bored. hungry and bored. they wanted some fun. some levity. something to pull them from the boredom, from the restlessness crawling through their veins.

which was why they found themselves at a club. a club that showed more skin than others. the beat of the music rhythmic and ponding. eun was always a pretty one. it made others susceptible to them. even the street-smart mortals fell for them. always so fun to pull them into a web that was made just for them.

strip clubs were the descendants of the burlesque club. from the red lanterns on the outside of buildings. they were entertaining and when someone had money, people willingly fell into their lap. eun had been so good for days. even the last time they tore out a throat, it had been from someone trying to mug them. terrible choice, really. but they were nearly desperate for the taste of something other than fear. they wanted hunger, the same the reflected in their eyes and this particular club was where they were going to find it.

what eun had not expected, was catching the scent of something that was more than body spray, sweat and desperation of those around him. the smell tickled a memory. it took a short amount of time to find the source. nothing seemed too far out of the ordinary. human but the scent was unique. special. nearly made the vampire’s mouth water. ache with familiarity but for the life of them, they did not recall them. without much thought or any true plan in his mind, eun simply put theirself near the other. life clearly rushed through their veins. humming with the warmth of the sun

where: beryl’s hiding place 

plot drop: it’s a lock down 

who: @serpentaint​ & eun yeong 

trigger warnings: death, probably, blood, murder mentions

necessities, necessities. that’s all eun had been seeing throughout the last few days. oh, necessities. a part of them knew what that meant. food and things needed to survive. of course, the necessary. but, in their opinion entertainment was one such thing. boredom was dangerous and being coped up in their own home was terribly boring. there was a time when a whole village would perish because of simple boredom… frowned upon now, but no one could prove eun had done anything back.

even they didn’t totally remember it. what stuck in their mind was the screams. the taste. sticky sweet, bitter with fear. mm, they loved every flavor.

without the option of taking the time to wipe a city off the face of the earth, they had to settle for something else. something relaxing, perhaps. something they could share with their favorite gorgon of the ages.

it was that thought in their mind, that had eun making their way to beryl. not a single care that there were hunters about. that there were those that could potentially be close to death. well, not true. they were concerned for josefina’s well being but there was only so much they could do without being invited. the very thought made them curl their lip. something feral crawling over their spine as they willed the thought away. it was tiring. playing the role, they had wiggled their way into.

moira was gone. there was no one that truly knew them any longer. no one, other than beryl.

beryl was cherished. beryl was a gift. beryl deserved silks and pearls for simply being. there was no one in the world that would stop them from giving just that to her. it’s what had them announcing their presence at her home. a bag under their arms, delivery men behind them as they couldn’t be bothered to carry the barrels themself. the dark liquid sloshed in the four containers as they were left with them, and the heart beats disappeared. there was only one remaining. a favorite.

“my darling,” they let theirself in without preamble. but she knew eun was coming, that was permission enough. “i have brought some relaxation for us,” was added, a smile lacing their words and worked its way onto their face. “and a gift for you...”