✦ ・— 𝔬 𝔣𝔞𝔱𝔞𝔩 𝔣𝔩𝔞𝔴

001. YOON KYUNGSEOK. | wi hajoon. 「 LOVESHOT — level i cerberus agent. 」 [ INTRO. | MUSINGS. | AES | VISUALS. | DYNAMICS. | THREADS. ] ⇾ pinterest.

002. SASAKI HIROJI | sen mitsuji. 「 ROULETTE — independent contractor. 」 [ INTRO. | MUSINGS. | AES | VISUALS. | DYNAMICS. | THREADS. ] ⇾ pinterest.

003. ROMAN RASK | chris hemsworth. 「 ATLAS — independent contractor. 」 [ INTRO. | MUSINGS. | AES | VISUALS. | DYNAMICS. | THREADS. ] ⇾ pinterest.

⇾ dependent multi muse for cerberuscorp as written by cupid ♡

kyungseok has been avoiding cassian. & he is sure that cassian has been avoiding him in return. that ocean of unspoken words, unwanted feelings, and sharp bitterness keeps growing wider and wider. he finds himself listening for his voice in order to find his quick exit, matching footsteps to familiarity in order to turn around and head the other direction. thus far, they've been able to keep themselves apart. there has been no word about cassian stepping down — but with the debacle of the gala, there's been little word about anything. and he knew they wouldn't be able to keep this game going. but he also knew that they were going to keep trying to push it as far as it could go. so, it surprises him when he steps into one of the lounges there within cerberus ( a fucking break from this ... nothing that he's been instructed to do. ) that he finds cassian there too. that warning about riptides and being careful and watch where you swim because the water is dark and dangerous and can pull you under. & he knows immediately that he should leave, acknowledge those warnings. and he almost does. he turns, places his hand on the door and then — he stops.

it's almost strange, sitting here & watching him. kyungseok has watched him for years but it feels like they've never done this before. there's almost that slight anticipation of a first date — well, not entirely true. there were a few weekends here and there throughout the years that they've managed to get away without too much attention. but never in the city and never where they ran the chance of getting recognized. but seongyeol had done his research & they are situated away from the door, half hidden away by a wall and vibrant green plants that toss their leafy tendrils off the side. the cafe sits cozy in its own little corner, setting a much different atmosphere than what he's used to with most cafes. but seongyeol did not settle for just any place. ( and maybe that's one of the reasons kyungseok found himself pulling closer. he didn't just settle, you had to be worth something. & maybe kyungseok wants to prove that he is. )

"fucking hell." hiroji would mutter that under his breath — but he would have to care if victoria heard him. he doesn't. in fact, after the gala and the absolute shit she gave him for stealing a cigarette — he really doesn't. not to mention the fact that she absolutely handed him his ass there that night. so, he really isn't too keen on seeing her again. and yet! and fucking yet! here she stands. "you got a thing for me or what? because everywhere i fucking go, you're there too. either you have a crush on me which, thanks, but no or you're just that annoying which ... that position is already filled by your fucking truly."

hiroji steps away from the lonely spot there in the hallway. ryuu is at work. hiroji feels like a dog waiting for the door to open, his entire life living in expectation of when the hinges move. how fucking sad is that? so, he's got to fill his time with something. one second the world stands still and the next everything jumps forward, everything organizing itself the way it should. ( or so he would believe it should. )

the issue about not being able to work means that kyungseok is left with time on his hands and he has no idea what to do with that. the day really never had to end for him, a constant rush of things to do that started when he woke up to when he went to sleep and sometimes, he didn't even do that. working kept his mind busy and if his mind is busy then he isn't caught up in the mess of cerberus or those of his own making. now he's — left with these huge gaps during the day to fill out. and what he is supposed to do with that? ( esen suggested relaxing. but kyungseok would rather chew bricks. )

he wanders. very long walks. it keeps him occupied and the change of scenery ( good and bad ) helps. the cold burns in his lungs, dragging needles of ice down his back. a distraction, something to keep his mind busy. he isn't chasing down racing thoughts when he's just trying to figure out where to stop to warm up for a moment. the coffee shop is the first place that catches his eye. it'll do for the moment.

& as he steps inside, he bumps into the shoulder of the figure heading out. "sorry about that. i didn't see you."

emotionally, hiroji is laying on the floor. physically, no — he might not have a lot of dignity but he had some. emotionally, however, an entirely different story. lying on the floor, face down in a stagnant puddle of unknown origin that smells like garbage water and other bodily fluids probably. this being a hospital, that could be just about anything. that's where he feels like he is. instead, he's posted up against the mouth of an hallway left waiting. the person he's supposed to pick up for is late. of course they are, they always fucking are. why call him when you're not even ready for him to be here?

a load of sh — wait a second. the world sort of slams itself sideways as he sees someone through the waiting room. worse, it's someone he both knows and doesn't. they register somewhere in his memory but not enough for him to pinpoint. what the fuck? he takes a step & jumps closer. a few of those waiting jerk in surprise but this world has been lit up and glowing with powers for long enough that hiroji really doesn't give a shit what they think about him. now, faces — eh, he's not very good with. a voice that follows you into unconsciousness, however, hiroji isn't going to let slip away so easily.

maybe it's the news. every so often someone would mention something about what all happened with those extra ordinaries. it sets him on high alert, every muscle tenses to run to the nearest exit, and that means he's looking a little more closely. or maybe this city is actually only made of the few people that roman knows. hana isn't exactly a welcoming sight for sore eyes. the last job he did for her was successful. there would no reason why she would be upset with him — but she isn't someone roman wants much to do with these days. not when he's practically at cerberus's door, begging to be let in & he knows she very much wouldn't like that.

it's a good thing he's a good liar when he wants to be.

the easy smile is a sharp contrast to how cold his hands are, how tight his stomach twists itself into knots, how shaky everything suddenly feels. if he were at all smart, he would quickly turn away and pretend that he didn't see her. the issue is that he can't afford her asking questions to the wrong people. but therein lies the other issue. if word got around that he's here — well, maybe sleeping with the fishes is actually nice.

hiroji is not a fan of the quiet. not a fan of being stuck in this web of nonsense. when ryuu woke up, they went back to something normal except it is quiet. he wakes up, he leaves, and hiroji is left to talk to the dead air left behind. even the texts asking to check in on the little succulent have stopped. & he has no idea what to really do about it. honestly, he figured that ryuu just wanted some space. but needing space quickly trips into avoiding someone and hiroji — well, hates that.

he's done his fair share of avoiding too, thinking ryuu was going to tell him to get out and leave and he just wanted to hold onto ... whatever it was that they had for a moment longer. except ryuu never said anything. the apartment is quiet. they are quiet. & he hates it. ( then again, maybe he hasn't given him enough time or space. maybe ryuu just isn't ready to talk to him. maybe he should — )

of all people in the world, roman never — he never thought that he would ever see talia again. not that he hasn't seen her, glittering and beautiful with that smile illuminating every poster and interview. he just hasn't seen her exist in the same world has him in a very long time. a world can shift so easily, one moment everything stands exactly how it should, exactly how you picture it, and the next — well, you're a stranger standing on the side of a street watching this shred of a previous life disappear into the crowd.

& something in his mind just can't let her go without saying ... something.

hiroji sits — well, sure, one could call it sitting — on a couch he's only half welcomed on, slumped all the way down watching the television blur and blitz and fuzz itself between channels. he nearly busted his head open when he jumped into jaime's apartment. he's been — out of sorts recently. a loss of self, a loss of being, he has no idea. one moment, he's alright and the next it feels like he's unstable. it's like being aware that the next step he makes is going to be a bad one, he can feel it somewhere in his gut.

or maybe he's depressed. the whole shebang with gala and ryuu and everything has him feeling unmoored. & hiroji is not used to feeling lost. there's always a direction, always a goal, always something he's chasing. but right now, he's without his sense of true north — stranded out there on a starless sea with nothing to point him home. ( he knows where it is — he just doesn't know how to get there. )

roman has made an art out of avoiding people. not an easy feat when his shoulders feel as wide as he is tall, a fact he is made all the more aware of as he tries to hide. however, with enough practice and his anxiety making him hyper-aware of his surroundings, he could get away with getting away pretty easily. & that's without even having to — roman will never find the right word for that, will he? manipulate is the only one that works and it is one that fills him with the most guilt — manipulate them into turning the other way.

yet there are a very select few that manage to not only recognize him but he would not be able to ask them to turn away — because he's already done that. those circles didn't often cross into venn diagrams but when they did ... this guy somehow always manages to be there. it's like a talent at this point. & the worst part, because there's always a worst part, is there is a sharp reminder of his younger brother that follows this guy like an afterimage. roman could close his eyes and he would see noah standing there — not a stranger he manipulated, not someone he barely knew but his brother.