haunted

on top of that, i have class until 8:45pm (45 mins before the activity check) on thursdays so if i wait to the last minute to do replies, like i always did on kijung and mina, i either have to speedrun them or put them on hiatus and that’s silly to me too. it seems like it makes the most sense to drop them both for the timebeing and just focus on writing for jaeyong, who honestly has more fun plots with y’all anyway aSDFSDGSDG

i’d like to bring them back one day after i think some about how to bring fresh life into them! but for now, kijung will go travel the world with his fledgling for a while. mina will still be around doing her thing ic, same as usual, and if for some reason you ever want to talk about either of them i’m down!

yujinfey​:

` * ──

“my—,” he furrows his eyebrows. what had he.. almost called sunkyu? he pauses even longer. how does he describe sunkyu to someone else? every single word he thinks of doesn’t even seem to encompass how he feels towards him properly— feels like stopping short in his mouth because it’s not enough. “my best friend volunteers at an animal shelter, sometimes,” yujin mentions, and even.. that doesn’t feel accurate enough. sunkyu is so much more than that. he swallows down the feeling for later.

“maybe if you ever decide to get a pet, he could help you there! or. if you can’t, you can always just go and pet puppies. that’s what we do all of the time,”

@feykijung

( tw: v brief mention of animal death )

eventually, kijung withdraws his hand, content to just observe the puppy, and the happiness he gives the witch that rescued him. he does seem sincere. maybe kijung judged him too harshly too quickly, though he also isn’t so sure having a puppy out on the sidewalk is the best idea either. 

it’ll do for now.

“yes, i go to school,” kijung confirms with a small nod. “i like animals, but i don’t have any.”

he doesn’t have the heart to tell the other male that pets die too quickly. when you live for 400 years, 20 or less is far too little time. kijung stays distant from humans that can live four times that or so.

some people say the amount of love you can give and receive is worth the inevitability of loss. kijung isn’t so sure. maybe he believes it more now than he used to, but at great cost. he tried to prevent that inevitable loss, after losing too many best friends too soon, too young, even in human standards. he turned his best friend into a vampire against his will, and now...

kijung can still remember when kyuhwan was someone warm and full of hope, when he had dreams and a bright future and believed it. that isn’t the case anymore. there’s something lifeless about him, always heavy with sadness, and kijung feels it too, not just because he cares for him, but because it’s his fault. he has no one to blame for kyuhwan’s despair but himself. he’s the one that robbed him of so much by forcing him into immortality. 

he did it because he didn’t want to lose him, but sometimes he wonders if he has anyway. he wonders often now, if it would’ve been better to enjoy a few more years with him as his best friend and watch him outgrow him happily, which pain he’d rather endure. he always reminds himself that it doesn’t matter now. this is the life he brought upon them both. it’s his responsibility to bear, and his to try and make the best of for both of them.

"my brother is allergic,” he answers, watching the puppy a little wistfully, gaze a little distant. it’s true enough. kyuhwan doesn’t trust himself around people; he knows an animal depending on them would only make his best friend sadder. he thinks so, anyway. maybe one day, when their lives are less permeated by grief. he hopes as the years go on, and kyuhwan adjusts, that it will fade. 

“you’re sure he wasn’t just lost?” kijung questions, because he doesn’t want this guy to get too far ahead of himself. it might be too late for that, though; it sounds like he’s already in love with the dog. kijung is sure it could get worse, though.

an animal shelter. kijung doesn’t frequent them too much. sometimes he makes normal animals uneasy; he supposes it’s the vampirism, and smelling different than a regular humans. familiars are kijung’s favorite species because they aren’t nearly as easily frightened. “maybe,” he replies with the slightest hint of another smile. maybe it would be worth a try. in the worst case, he scares all of the animals and goes home right away? no, maybe it’s not worth it.

“what’s your name?” he asks at last, and he silently judges whether it would be appropriate to reveal he’s a vampire to him. what kind of witch is he? he seems harmless enough, but kijung knows better than to assume everything is what meets the eye. 

` * ──

outside, he finds a clear part of the sidewalk to shift him out of his jacket and set him on the ground, crouching down to a tiny siberian husky sitting down on the pavement as he gets out the water, first, and holds it out for him to drink— a gentle smile on his lips, piercings glinting in the light as he reaches out with a free hand, freshly painted nails running slowly through his fur as the dog happily laps it up.

“there you go, sweetheart,” he coos quietly, quite the picture with his leather jacket and boots and purple hair, leaning over to feed the puppy some water with a grin bright in his features.

@feykijung

a tiny treat. what is he talking about? he didn’t see him order a snack in addition to his drink. if he did, that would be extra difficult to carry in addition to a dog, thereby extra foolish, and-- wait, no, did he mean the whipped cream? that’s so rich for a puppy’s system, let alone one that’s likely nervous. if he wanted to feed the dog he should’ve gone to a deli or grocery store and gotten him some meat. 

kijung understands he might have even more trouble with a dog in a grocery store, but really. couldn’t he see this was a poor choice? at least he had the sense to get the dog some water. maybe that was the most important thing here.

the man confirms his suspicions soon enough, and kijung sighs and resists the urge to roll his eyes. he has good intentions, he just isn’t very smart. kijung tells himself this to gather patience. “it’s summertime,” kijung deadpans. the dog was cold? really? 

whatever. it’s not like he can do anything about it now. he’ll just leave the dog smuggler and dog in question to their business then, or at least that’s the goal. in reality, kijung still has some concerns. good intentions. maybe that’s enough for everything to be alright. he just isn’t very smart. maybe that’s enough for it to not be.

he observes the dog smuggler as he somehow manages to put everything in a carrier one-handed, then carry that one-handed, without the dog falling out of his jacket. kijung won’t admit that it’s almost impressive, but it is.

you didn’t get anything? of course he’d ask. his face sours a little at the mention of the whipped cream. there’s something a little humiliating about eating whipped cream out of a container, let alone doing so before a dog does-- inability to eat human food aside. “i just come for the atmosphere. i like to do my homework here,” kijung explains. “sometimes i order stuff just because i feel bad sitting around without paying for anything, but i don’t like coffee and i’m not hungry.” hopefully that’s enough justification, although-- actually, beyond the somewhat overwhelming scent of the scent of the dog, there’s...witch. the dog isn’t a familiar though. that’s definitely just a dog.

interesting. kijung doesn’t mention it for now. maybe it’ll come up later.

truthfully, kijung is still worried about the dog, so he says a simple, “okay,” and follows the apparent witch out. also truthfully, he’s curious to see what the puppy looks like. 

and okay, he has to admit, by the time he escapes the witch’s jacket and kijung can see what he looks like, the puppy is pretty cute. then again, kijung has liked animals more than people for a few centuries now.

@yujinfey:

he looks at him with a bit of a gleam in his eyes, almost like he’s holding back a laugh. “i’d like to see someone try and catch me,” yujin mumbles, and wraps his arm around his chest a little bit more securely, the irony of the situation not lost on him. underneath his shirt, and covered by his jacket, there’s a small bundle, moving around every second or so. in terms of disguises, it’s not the best that he’s ever thought up, but it’s the best he could do on short notice.

he pats the bundle quietly and hushes it under his breath, using his free hand to grab his wallet and slide out his credit card to pay for what he’d ordered— an iced coffee, a cup of water, and whipped cream. on the side.

and it could be that he’s just the type of guy to want his whipped cream on the side, but he stares at the worker for an extra second with wide eyes when the lump under his shirt tries to push through his collar and he coughs and adjusts, taking back his credit card and quickly putting away his wallet so he can address the situation with two hands.

he moves and hopes that kijung is following, at least, as he tries to angle himself against a wall so it’s not as obvious what he’s trying to hide underneath his shirt, while still appearing nonchalant, like he’s waiting for his coffee order like everyone else milling about in the shop.

“look, i couldn’t just leave him there. he’s just a puppy, and he didn’t have a collar, and he kept making these whimpering noises and so. i took him,” yujin’s whispering, shifts a bit and blows air up from his mouth to get the several strands falling into his eyes out of the way so that he could see a little better.

“i’ll feed him, put up posters to see if anyone’s looking for him, but— he was just so thin when i found him, i don’t think anyone has been taking care of him. so he’s better off with me anyways. even if i am bringing him into this establishment that does not allow pets,”

yujin isn’t sure if he’s trying to convince kijung or himself at this point, the small puppy curled up against his chest incredibly well behaved for being hid behind a shirt and a leather jacket. he’s stopped shaking, though, so yujin considers it a win, patting him gently over the cotton as they wait.

looking to kijung, his eyes shine a bit underneath the warm light. “and you won’t.. turn us in, will you? we’re both too young to be on the run,” he says, a slight pout to his mouth, and a small, responsive whimper from the bundle cradled against his chest.

normally, kijung probably wouldn’t say something. he isn’t known for being particularly helpful, more likely to leave others to their own devices, especially these days, if they aren’t someone he treasures (and those people are rare.)

it’s just that kijung, even for as cold as he is, is an animal lover, and it’s easy enough to guess what the other male is up to. well, maybe it’s not a helpful comment so much as it is a sarcastic one, though it could be. if kijung notices, after all, it’s a warning that anyone else could as well. then again, kijung could smell the dog as soon as the man walked into the coffee shop with it.

he watches as the man somehow manages to order something even with a puppy in his jacket, and kijung uses it as his excuse to exit the line without ordering anything. there’s nothing for a vampire at a cafe after all, and if he pretends he’s simply accompanying this man with a glaringly obvious dog against his chest, it makes matters easier for him too.

kijung doesn’t really need to be convinced of why one would pick up a lost puppy, because he knows he would do the same. bringing him into an establishment that doesn’t allow pets? unlikely. he can’t imagine coffee would be worth the risk and the trouble, not being able to drink it aside. “why didn’t you just wait to get coffee?” he asks flatly. “how are you even going to carry everything?” he realizes that question might backfire as soon as it leaves his mouth. something like a you can carry it! and yes, kijung can, but...this wasn’t on his agenda for the day. he wanted a peaceful afternoon of reading and people-watching in the corner of a cafe he frequents, not to be part of some undercover puppy rescue mission.

@feydojun:

“aw, hyung, are you worried?” dojun can’t help neither his teasing tone or the amused smirk on his lips with kijung’s question. even though the witch is more than certain that the vampire isn’t someone has coldhearted as he seems to be at first glance and the fact that their… friendship is mostly based on them bickering with each other, it still comes as a little surprise that kijung would be so forward like that — but then maybe it shouldn’t be considering that kijung is blunt about pretty much everything else. and of course that dojun can’t help but answer that honest concern with more teasing. “cute.”

at least at first because in the next moment he’s serious again, or more like nonchalant about the whole thing in an attempt to really express how much he doesn’t think any of this is that much of a big deal. “but really, it’s going to be fine. i’m not a defenseless human, you know.”

maybe it’s because dojun is a little too arrogant, the reason why he doesn’t seem nervous about walking into a vampire bar to see if he could get someone willing to share him some blood because he has this potion commissioned and he needs that ingredient, assuming that due to witch blood not being as tasty to vampire as any other species’ then there’s no other way that they had to harm him — or more like they won’t even bother to harm him anyway — or how he trusts the protective amulet under his shirt that will keep warn him about ill intent and give a way out for the witch.

of course that he could’ve just asked kijung for it even if he isn’t quite sure if he’d accept it — probably would’ve considering the other option is having dojun be this “dangerous” situation —, besides it just feels a little wrong to ask the other for it. it feels like he’d be taking advantage of whatever they have between them — friendship, what they have between them is called friendship. moreover, he’d have to explain why exactly he needs that for and he knows kijung will give him that judgmental look when dojun would just shrug and say he has no idea (and technically he really doesn’t because it doesn’t concern him what his costumers do after he delivers what they payed for).

instead he’ll receive the judgemental look now while kijung is serving as his (unnecessary) bodyguard in this vampire bar. “besides, i’m too cute for any of them to harm anyway.” he adds completely serious.

“so.” he says as soon as he’s done making sure that everything is in place. “are you going in with me or what?”

at least dojun calls him hyung. kijung takes comfort in this fact; that despite all of his teasing and obnoxious antics, the brat that is ahn dojun addresses him, a highschooler to the eye, with a term of respect. that’s about as far as it goes though, because dojun runs his mouth incessantly. cute, he says, and kijung’s jaw tightens, as it always does in the face of that word. “don’t patronize me,” he warns him, though he doubts it’ll deter dojun.

is he worried? that seems like a stretch. he and dojun aren’t close. kijung holds most at arms length, and ahn dojun isn’t a special exemption, as much as kijung is sure he’d like to think so. he doesn’t consider him a friend; kijung has one best friend, now an eternal one. he doesn’t need more friends than that. in fact, he’d rather not have more, at least of the mortal variety. however, something befalling dojun would be unfortunate. if he happened to die, kijung isn’t sure he would mourn, but it would be...sad. unfortunate. inconvenient. all of the above.

“i’m not worried about you,” he assures him. “i just know you’ll do something stupid. don’t take me down with you.” kijung has too much to lose. it’s easier to worry about that than admit he cares about dojun getting hurt from this grand scheme. 

not a defenseless human. “that’s what i’m worried about,” kijung grumbles. “don’t start a fight.”

kijung rolls his eyes, and doesn’t bother telling dojun that if he was actually cute it might be cause for concern. (he doesn’t bother telling him the nature of some vampires that frequent places like this-- vampires like his sire that harmed him for that very reason. cute. even more than 300 years later, he nearly shudders.)

he sighs. truthfully, kijung doesn’t want anything to do with this. he wants to let dojun crash and burn on his own, but he’s already accompanied dojun this far; he might as well see it through with the hope that his presence will dissolve any conflict before it gets a chance to start.

` * ∞ ─── maybe canon maybe not ──────────

ever since killing that werewolf last year, since his pack hunted him down and he took solace with areum who wiped them out herself, kijung has been more careful. it doesn't sit well with him to simply ignore when someone is in trouble, especially a human, but it's not worth endangering his family for. it's not even worth endangering himself, because if he got hurt, it would hurt mei and kyuhwan by extension.

he tries not to get into trouble. now, he just looks the other way when he sees danger coming anyone else's way.

minho doesn't do that, however, as kijung finds out when...he gets into trouble anyway.

the werewolves are on edge these days, eager to attack anyone that they feel steps in the wrong part of their territory, anyone whose scent they don't like well enough. apparently kijung fits that bill tonight. a werewolf has been training him for several minutes now, and kijung's intuition told him the wolf's intentions weren't good. as such, he didn't return home. he took a detour, walking, trying to formulate a plan of how to shake the wolf without causing more problems for himself in the future.

it ends with him cornered in an alleyway, preparing for a fight that he isn't certain he can win. he believes in his own strength, but he would be remiss not to acknowledge the power of an angry werewolf bent on defending their territory, or their pride, or much of anything, really.

he smells human approaching-- human mixed with bird and a little magic, and kijung identifies it as a familiar quickly. the werewolf in front of him doesn't seem distracted, however, at least until someone behind them throws a piece of trash at the wolf. then another, until the werewolf finally turned around to look at him-- the familiar in question. the wolf growls, and the familiar takes off, the wolf after him, the familiar promptly turning into a bird and drawing the werewolf away.

kijung takes that opportunity to escape, reworking his route to head home again.

he's nearly made it back when he smells the bird again, and hears a heavy landing behind him. sure enough, the familiar, now in his very human and newly-transformed nude, finds his place at his side.

"i'm a vampire. you didn't have to do that," kijung informs him, though a thank you is probably in order. he didn't really know if he could've handled it himself, after all.

the familiar says-- kijung assumes jokingly, because he seems very happy to have done something heroic-- that kijung can properly thank him by answering a question. what's it like to be a vampire?

it's a harder question to answer than it should be. "not being able to have coffee," kijung settles on, equally jokingly, though it's said deadpan and completely expressionless, as most things from kijung are.

“if that’s the worst part, it doesn’t sound so bad," the familiar replies.

"sarcasm," kijung notifies him, just in case he didn't understand.

` * ∞ ─── maybe canon maybe not ──────  accepting

it seems that one of kijung's main sources of social interaction comes in the form of starry nite cafe. it's what he gets for visiting so often, becoming a bit of a regular. he wouldn't admit it, but he feels safe here, among other supernaturals, among staff that wouldn't balk at the news of his true identity. he trusts them not to run him out even if he doesn't order anything, either; even if he's just there to read in a comfortable atmosphere outside of his home, which can feel a little heavy these days. they have drinks he can order here too, or...blood served in a pleasant, unassuming little coffee cup. sometimes he orders some, and sometimes he doesn't. he should really bring kyuhwan here.

maybe if kyuhwan is here, he won't have to worry about the cafe's employees striking up conversation with him on their breaks. they must pity him or something of the like, seeing someone who appears to be a kid sitting by himself. at least no one has asked him where his parents are in a while.

kijung doesn't particularly like siwoo, but he'll humor him, and the question he poses is an interesting one. monsters. "it depends on your definition," he begins. "some think we're monsters. witches, vampires, werewolves, just by existing. so by that definition, some of us are born and some of us are made." kijung thinks the word monster runs deeper than that, however. he thinks of his sire, and the way he took his entire life from him for his own pleasure. that man was a vampire, a manufactured monster, and he never cared to know whether he was always rotten to the core or it was a temperament he grew into. there's no doubt in kijung's mind that he was a monster at the end of his life. "some are born," he decides. "humans that commit atrocities..." he doubts his answer then. if someone is born a monster, can they not be healed? can the evil in them not be dispelled? "i don't know," he admits, staring distantly through the table.

` * ∞ ─── maybe canon maybe not ───────────────  accepting

starry nite cafe is one of the more interesting locations for kijung to linger in. he frequents many cafes and may as well make a list of them based on how much he enjoys them; this one would be close to the top, if only because here, he can actually drink something and not get strange looks from baristas and customers alike for sitting at a table with an untouched coffee. sometimes, he still hesitates to order something even here, lest a human spot the redness that stains the hole in the lid to his drink. ultimately, however, he knows he is in good supernatural company every time. he can smell them, and knows he would have allies here if his identity was revealed to the wrong person while he was here.

dojun is on break, apparently, and why he chose kijung of all people in this cafe to bother while taking it is a mystery to him. maybe it's because he's always by himself. he should really find an acquaintance to bring with him, if only to avoid conversation with noisy people such as dojun. surely he's met enough people in his classes now to find someone. (it can be difficult. kijung hasn't been good at planning anything related to his social life in a few hundred years.)

the beach feels like home, even after hundreds of years. there is something in staring out across the water, whether it be the sea off the coasts of incheon where he was born, the canals of venice, or the han river in seoul. the sea is his favorite, in all of its vastness, grains of sand that he could spend hundreds more years counting and never actually number. it reminds him that even after 400 years, the world is so expansive; there is still so much more to see. he reminds himself of this when the years seem dull and monotonous. the world is so large with so much to see, there are so many books left to read, so many more photos to take to capture every angle of their planet.

kijung is thankful seoyun invited he and kyuhwan to come meet him on his vacation, and even more grateful for his help in persuading kyuhwan to agree to go at all. they sit on the beach now, moon shining bright overhead. kyuhwan isn’t too far away, trying to take pictures of incoming waves, and kijung sits beside seoyun, toes digging into the sand. he watches his best friend, hoping, at some point, to see him smile again like he used to. 

he’s spent so many of the past weeks-- likely months now --trying to find kyuhwan’s smile again. sometimes he wonders if he stole it away forever. that was something like his intention, wasn’t it? turn him into a vampire, keep his smile forever, but no; it’s gone now. not forever, he hopes, but the days don’t go by fast enough, and the fledgling years have never felt so long. he hopes one day kyuhwan will suddenly wake up happy again, but he knows better.

what he doesn’t know is how to make it better, even after his endless searching. he won’t give up, but he is so tired. he feels that as his sire, and the one that robbed kyuhwan of his humanity, it’s his responsibility to fix. it torments him, though. how, how, how? 

seoyun sits beside him, and kijung doesn’t know him well, but he does know he’s studying to be a doctor, and that’s how kyu knows him. he knows he’s a hunter too, and kijung can’t help but feel constantly on edge with him. still, he’s showed them kindness, and kijung can both keep his guard up and have appreciation for him.

he also might be able to get some help from him.

“seoyun-ssi...” he begins, eyes still trained on kyuhwan. “as someone training to be a doctor...how much do you know about depression, and how to help someone with it?” he realizes, moments later, “i’m sorry. that might be a better question for someone studying psychology, i just...” don’t know what to do anymore. he doesn’t mean for the reason he’s asking to be obvious, but he figures it would be regardless.

feyboa·:

` * ──

“Stop following me.” All too acquainted with the predatory pull to keep hunting one’s prey, Boa spoke sharply, hands trembling even as he remained determined to break the vampire’s immersion. Confident he could be heard despite the distance between them, he half-turned to look behind him, slowing down slightly as he squinted at the figure. “Do I… know you?” Something about the gait struck him as familiar, throwing him off, heart still beating madly in his chest and his desperation to find an answer planting a fear that he was maybe being fooled. Whoever it was must’ve been able to scent him already, and if Boa had recognized them, he realized that perhaps it was mutual.

“Who are you?” Boa’s voice was quiet, but loud enough for the other to hear, the werewolf continuing to walk backwards for a few more strides before coming to a stop. The name that finally came to mind also ensnared him with a hopeful sense of relief, audible in his inquisitive whisper. “… Kijung?”

it was his voice that made the pieces fall together in kijung’s mind. boa. 

he knew boa as...a blood source, in the past, while he was still human. fresh blood in exchange for money kijung didn’t really need, and kijung always wondered if it was a difficult role that boa played. he could imagine some vampires would use it as an excuse to mistreat him. although kijung couldn’t say he knew boa particularly well, something told him he didn’t mind the risk of a vampire drinking too much either. kijung never liked it: paying for someone’s blood, like making an object of them, but he always reminded himself it was better they receive compensation than he simply prey upon them.

it still always made him feel a little guilty. maybe that was why he and boa...nearly became friends, or what others might name as such. kijung always hesitated to use that word, especially with humans, but they were acquaintances, and conversation was always pleasant between them.

now, however, his heart felt heavy, expression taught. what happened to him? how did boa get here? (how did they get here?)

“i’m sorry,” he apologized, however, he didn’t slow his pace or turn around, mind set on having a proper conversation with this man that he used to know-- to perhaps ask him if he wanted this, or if lycanthropy was forced upon him. then again, maybe that wasn’t his business. maybe it was still a difficult subject to broach. after all, when was the last time kijung spoke to him? around a year ago? his transformation must not have been too long ago. maybe the memory was still painful.

he gave a single nod when recognition hit boa as well, still walking. “boa,” he greeted in turn, just one word, simple. 

kijung thought, when they fell out of contact with one another, that boa simply didn’t want to donate his blood to vampires anymore. in their last meeting, they spoke about the potential of kijung’s fledgling feeding on boa’s blood. it was a risk, and an understandable deal for someone to back out of. kijung didn’t push. maybe instead, he was transformed into a werewolf, and didn’t have intention to keep in touch with previous presences in his life.

kijung’s life these days is monotone. every day is go to school, pretend to do homework, try to find ways to bring kyuhwan’s joy back, scrape through the day by his side. kijung doesn’t know himself as an empathetic person, but his fledgling-- his best friend --nearly feels like an extension of himself, and as he suffers, so does kijung. the days roll on, and kijung waits for the one that is the turning point: the glimpse of things getting better, that their eternity will not be one of darkness and kijung’s persistent regret. no, he has faith. in time, kyuhwan’s mourning of his human life will fade, no matter how many years it takes. kijung waits for it eagerly.

in the meantime, there is the slightest change to routine: kijung graduated high school mere days ago, and in it comes freedom. soon, he will enter university (barely, his slacking in his billionth time through high school and subsequent poor grades nearly keeping him from further education.) soon, he will be able to truly learn something, and kijung anticipates it. he just has to decide what he’ll study this time. it’s a decision more exciting than many he’s made recently.

it’s what occupies his thoughts as he walks home from the closest library, backpack significantly heavier than it was when he left home today, full of unread books. he’s about to put his second earbud into his ears, a chopin piece queued up to play on his phone, when he catches a strange scent. he pauses in his tracks. no, strange isn’t the word; unexpected, maybe-- familiar, yes. he can’t place it, however.

kijung, as a master vampire, always trusts in his ability to protect himself, and so when he is curious about something, he typically pursues it with little fear of the danger to himself. to mei and kyuhwan, yes, but he doesn’t see any harm in following the scent and trying to place where he knows it from. 

the scent is a werewolf, clearly, but...not a werewolf he’s seen anytime recently. he wracks his mind for those he’s gone months, maybe years, without seeing, but falls short. who is this? he catches sight of him on the sidewalk up ahead, and picks up his pace. if this werewolf has any sense at all, surely he will smell-- or hear --him coming.

feydonghyun·:

` * ──

“My dad always says i tend to forget to filter my thoughts..” a soft nervous laugh leaves him, hoping he hadn’t upset the vampire in anyway. He would hate to lose out on the chance to make a new friend after all! “say… do you like flowers? I could show you the ones i’m growing back at the shop?” There’s a hopeful note to his voice. Not even the slightest bit worried about taking a random vampire back home. Nope, none. 

kijung feels like he should be irritated. donghyun seems something like an over-eager puppy if it had a human form-- or if he was a familiar, perhaps. kijung feels like he has him pinned down already. he isn’t really annoyed, however, despite his often short temper and lack of patience. kijung has wanted a pet for years. he always imagined himself with a cat, or something actually fluffy, but maybe a human with a puppy’s personality will do for now.

kijung simply shakes his head. indeed, he’s not very talkative, and perhaps his response only proves donghyun’s point. he observes with something akin to amusement as donghyun turns red. kijung doesn’t really mind this either. “it’s okay,” kijung assures him. at least he calls him hyung. he can easily forgive any bluntness, especially knowing how blunt he can be himself. it’s merely an observation, and a true one at that.

“that can be dangerous,” kijung warns. if donghyun speaks his mind too much around the wrong person-- or wrong werewolf or vampire --it could get him in trouble, whether it’s a light sentence or something more dire. he suspects donghyun’s father has told him as much, so kijung is content to let it go beyond his initial comment. kijung doesn’t mind this either, really, at least for now, so donghyun is free to babble as much as he’d like. he can simply tune it out if he tires of it.

feyxareum·:

` * ──

she can’t help but smirk once more when kijung speaks, giving a slight nod in response. “you probably should, especially since you’re feeling better.” she glances down at her own bloodied clothing and snarls her nose up at the sight, reminding herself that she’s even covered in werewolf blood from only moments before. “you can keep the clothes. they fit you better than they ever did me.” her attention returns to kijung, running her fingers through her hair with a soft sigh as she does. “try not to get yourself into anymore trouble. i can only do so much to help you, kijung.” what was she even saying? she didn’t really care about him, nor did she care whether or not he actually lived. that’s what she had continued telling herself over the years at least. 

kijung gives a single nod. he won’t thank her then. he thought it was only polite, and he and areum aren’t in a stage of their relationship where they’re past niceties, are they? then again, areum doesn’t seem the type for any of them, regardless of how close or distant someone may be. (areum keeps everyone at a distance anyway. he doubts anyone could ever truly be close to her.) 

he simply stares at the gun offered to him, admittedly surprised. it’s generosity after generosity from someone he previously knew as so cold, and it isn’t like she’s different; no, areum is very much the same, still something sinister always lurking in her eyes, and yet...it’s a sort of contradiction. kijung doesn’t think it’s his business to try and solve the puzzle of it. maybe in time, he’ll learn more about areum, and why she is the way he is, or maybe he won’t. in the meantime, it’s her hand, holding a gun out toward him, and the natural response would be to take it. kijung, however, worries about the scent of it. what will mei and kyuhwan think if he brings home a healthy dose of wolfsbane? wouldn’t it make the potential danger even more dangerous?

he considers his options, and resists the urge to thank her again. it would be good to have the extra layer of defense. he thinks of one of the wolves reaching kyuhwan, still weak in comparison to the master vampires he and mei are, and he figures preventing that is worth more than ensuring his family doesn’t fret over him. he’s already returning home in clothes that don’t belong to him. he may not succeed at hiding anything regardless, no matter how hard he’s tried.

“i have faith in my ability to defend myself with or without a gun,” he points out, despite seeing areum’s point. they would be devastated were something to happen to him; kijung just doesn’t think it will, even with the injury he suffered today. maybe it’s overconfidence. regardless, he reaches for the gun and accepts it, inspecting it more closely, giving a single nod afterwards. “thank you,” he says, despite her previous scolding of him. this is a different occurrence, an action taken by areum that doesn’t benefit her in the slightest. it’s the right thing to do.

he nods once again in acknowledgement. he’ll keep the clothes then, thankful not to need to bother with the chore of returning them to areum later, though he it isn’t as if he would mind seeing her again. “yes,” he agrees. next time a human is in danger, he’ll be more selfish-- protect his own first and foremost, and let the species his kind was created to destroy perish. supposedly, anyway. (only time will tell if he succeeds.)

“i’ll take my leave then,” he decides. “thank you for your help,” he says after a beat of hesitation.

feyhyunwoo·:

there’s a moment of awkward silence when hyunwoo thinks that kijung may not answer. he wouldn’t blame the other if that were to be the case. a long life lends itself to many secrets that people may not wish to disclose. hyunwoo understands that – he understands loss, and he can sense that even under the burgeoning happiness lies a sea of sorrow and loss. negative feelings have far too strong of an impact, he thinks, their power is disproportional to the event itself. 

he understands the feeling of losing everything. he isn’t sure if that is what weighs kijung down, but he can only imagine that over the course of many, many years, that kind of loss would become all too familiar. it never hurts any less, though, he thinks — you just learn to live with it, if you have no choice. 

“you do,” he confirms quietly, and his lips curve up slightly at the corner. he waits for a few moments longer, wondering if kijung will continue on with an explanation, or if the silence will prevail. silence is not always uncomfortable, so hyunwoo doesn’t really mind — in a way, it’s simply nice to see a familiar face from a long, long time ago. 

“a fledgling,” he repeats quietly. he remembers the name mei, he thinks, distantly remembers kijung having mentioned her, even if it was only in passing. “i’m glad you have them, kijung,” he says softly, his voice warm. “it sounds like you have a family… i think we, of all people, know how important that is.”

kijung wonders if hyunwoo has grown kinder, or his own memory of him was smudged by the hands of grief. his presence is warm the way donghyun’s is bright, and he thinks, if they’re to be a bonded pair, that they’ll suit each other well. perhaps foolishly, kijung hopes he can remain in contact with them both this time. he still hesitates to call it friendship, and there is danger in surrounding yourself with people you don’t want to lose if you’re an immortal, but...well, he’ll think about it.

"are you happier?” kijung asks, figuring it only fair that he poses his own question after answering hyunwoo’s. he isn’t sure if hyunwoo looks happier, but maybe. he doesn’t look like he’s suffering, at least, and sometimes, after seeing and experiencing as much as they have, it’s all you can ask.

these are questions kijung can appreciate, somehow easier to answer than how have you been? and more sincere too-- harder to lie in response to. kijung has an inkling that even with all the time that passed between them, they’ll still speak the truth with one another, and it’s...nice, despite kijung’s previous reservations.

feysohye·:

` * ──

she slows as she nears an apartment building—her destination—downing the last of her coffee and disposing of her cup in a trash can. she gets into the building easy enough, and before long she’s standing in front of a door. she’s relieved, but there’s no time to relax yet. tracking this guy down was only half the battle, explaining why she’s there is going to be a whole other story. 

she knocks, doing her best to keep the exhaustion out of her face, both her hands in her pockets when the door opens. “han kijung?” she asks, even though she’s 90% sure it’s him. “your mother would like to speak to you.”

———— starter for @feykijung.

life for kijung is heavy these days, filled with a sort of consistent uncertainty. he has a purpose and no direction simultaneously-- take care of kyuhwan, his fledgling, with no idea how to give him what he needs. the heaviness comes from his best friend, and the weight of his despair: kyu's second christmas as a vampire, second christmas as something his parents look upon as a monster even if they don't say the words aloud. kijung can see it in their eyes, and he knows kyuhwan does as well. his best friend's gaze is empty these days, lifeless like kijung made him to be, and all kijung wants to do is fix it. it is his wrong to right, kyuhwan his fledgling to raise and protect, and yet he cannot.

he goes through his days in search of an answer, in search of solutions that never come. kijung has never been an optimist, but he must cling to the belief that one day they will be happy again. for kijung, 30 years is a few blinks of an eye. for kyuhwan, it is a third of a lifetime, and it will pass slowly, and no promise of life getting better will change the dreariness of these moments right now.

kijung goes to school, and does his homework, and reads as if nothing is wrong, and maybe it's not. maybe this is just their life now. maybe all there is to do is wait for those years to pass, and pretend it is not agony.

he's reading, sitting sideways in the armchair in the living room, legs thrown over the arm, when the knock comes. it takes him a moment to recall that mei is out meeting with a friend who returns to korea only rarely, and that she isn't here to get it. kijung has half a mind to leave whoever knocked in the hall of the building. it's probably someone trying to sell something or scam him. however, kijung is bored, smart, and strong; he won't fall for any tricks, and he is in no danger, so he sets his book on the closest table and rises.

the greeting he receives when he opens the door is unexpected. maybe, if he were someone different, with a lighter heart, less apathetic, he might laugh. it's so strange and unbelievable. instead, kijung simply blinks, processing. he takes note now of her scent, laced with common ingredients for spells and potions. she's a witch. she could be serious then, if she's skilled in the realm of conjuring and speaking to spirits.

the question is, does he want to speak to his mother? part of him still thinks it's a farce, but if so, how would she know his name, and that his mother is a ghost? his mother, the woman he never met, passing away in childbirth. his mother the kisaeng, whom his father he spoke of so fondly, her talent in the arts, her beautiful singing voice. kijung never resented her for not surviving. yes; maybe there is a part of him that wants to know.