✖ iridescent;

It’s one of those fine days where Sehun asked to meet himaround the corner; Joonmyeon, as always, couldn’t refuse a friend in need,seemingly as if Sehun had been a fragile child that he wanted to take care ofthat he agreed immediately, not even bothering on taking his time to change toa more comfortable clothing since he knew where they’re going—as always, to thebeach where Sehun claims solemnity, and Joonmyeon would watch the people aroundin silence, where it is always comfortable between them.

When he arrives, he didn’t know where to look at firstbecause Sehun’s mood would always determine where he would be at the time ofthe day but he knew how he could be at times, but he saw someone waving at himfrom afar and he immediately saw the ebony haired man who’s as pale as him (orprobably paler), sitting by the end of the shore, sitting on a stone while hisfeet were dipped on the water.

“Hey.” Sehun greets, quickly pushing himself up from theway he was seated to place something—wet on his ear, only to figure out that itwas a water flower, which Joonmyeon hastily pulled out from his hair, eyeingthe younger male as he squints his eyes, as if asking for an explanation.

“It’s too wet!” But there’s no explanation that came athand. Joonmyeon lifts it to his eyes gaze, alotus flower.

“Do you know what a lotus flower mean?” He asks, walkingover to sit by his side while shifting a better position because even if hedoesn’t want to admit, the rock is purposely hitting his ass and it’s slightlyuncomfortable to bear. “It means purity. In Japan, lotus flowers symbolizeelegance and independence, how you could survive in the dreadful waves of waterand whatnot; basically if you’re strong, you’re a lotus.” He twirls the flowerin hand, it would still live even if it’s not in a body of water.

There’s a plague, and Joonmyeon isn’t sure how to handle it.It isn’t just a normal one anyway, it’s an epidemic outrage where vampires ofdifferent kind are affected, not just because they are, but because of themedicine that was placed over a certain drink or food, or any kind—and he sureknow who to blame it to. He’s looking at the papers that his butler gave himearlier, pages of medicinal value in front of him, without knowing what to doabout it.

If he was like his late father, he would have gone throughthe lab back in England, but no, he wasn’t a doctor, he was never a doctor; he’sjust Joonmyeon, the history teacher-slash-king of the vampire race. But heneeded this, these kinds of mischief to get him by, with each and every thingthat is happening around him, he knows he could learn from this and it’s one ofthe few things that he’s looking forward to. “Yes, what is it?” He’s walkingaround his office, a pencil behind his ear, lips pursed, puckering to theslightest as he tries to review the complicated words of report that was handedto him, only to be greeted by the sound of a groaning, following after is thefamiliar sound of his son’s voice.

“Myungsoo?” He wouldn’t lie about it, both Joonmyeon andJoohyun doesn’t really look like parents; it’s a trait that most vampires havewhen they turn twenty five, they stop growing, they stop aging and to hisdisbelief, his height is just a matter of something that he should grow accustomedto. No, Joonmyeon, stop thinking about it—you won’t grow any further.

“What happened, exactly?” He places the papers back on thecoffee table, walking by the younger as he places a hand over his stomach, anarm wrapped around his shoulder to guide him by the couch, keeping his legs upto keep him from fainting. Whatever he ate or inhaled caused this to happen andhe couldn’t bear seeing his child grow weary about it. What pains him the mostis the fact that what if he, too, got the disease? “Did you eat something,anything? Where were you? You have to tell me every detail before I could tryand find a cure about this. Do you know that there’s a plague?’ and this iswhat might have happened to Zero, too. He thinks, but he has to think backabout that later because his son needs him and no one else could take care ofhim other than himself.

[ ; It has been a quiet morning. The idea of being able to restfor a good amount of time was sufficed by the engaged thoughts that keptrunning inside his head, despite being asleep, he was still stressed. The nightthat he had was no longer something that he’s holding onto, despite the factthat she was able to rest with him and to reassure him that things aren’t goingto fall in the hands of an opposed solicitor of the crown that was placed onhis head but the fact that tomorrow will be a good day was enough for him tokeep his eyes closed and his mind off the matter. She really is something that graced him from the skiesabove, with her gentle touch, the same caress that somewhat filled his heartwith joy and bliss; he knows that she would never do anything that could seemto suffice the anger bubbling around his chest, and yet there he is, amidst ofthe pile of papers that he has in hand, he has the time to think of her, and tothink of what surprise she has on her shoulders. ] 

( sms; kid apprentice ) Dude, you’re so disgusting. Please go away from me.

The thing about him and his brother (of course platonically speaking) is that they share everything that they have in hand, except, of course, in such situations where they were lured into something, and this time, it’s Minha who took toll on giving him something he’s been craving for. “Did Minho told you to come to me?” Because he knows how busy the younger bloke had been, after their promotions, sure he got some time off, but they still couldn’t see each other after a long time ( and he always blame his disposition in the society, being an idol is very restricting, and he’s more than glad that he found someone who could understand the situation. ). 

Send a '✖' if you are intimidated by me

He gapes, Joohyun watches the man as he secretly tells him how he’s intimidated by him, although no words seem to escape his lips. He didn’t mind, most people really become intimidated to another when they find them...different, and Joonmyeon is all sorts of different, he wouldn’t lie about that, either. 

( sms; kid apprentice ) K.

Send a '✖' if you are intimidated by me

“That was one fucking time!” Sure it was his mistake, but there was nothing going on in his class, and obviously he just wanted a break from everything that is happening. They were taking a test, anyway, his class, he meant by that and with how he messaged the younger was actually due to him messaging him first. Joonmyeon presses his lips together, creating a thin line while looking at his so-called little brother (who’s taller than him, which makes him think the unfair justice in the world he’s in), and compromises his thoughts while stepping a foot back. “I got no words for you but this.”

    A moment or two goes by before a the glass in his grasp simply shatters, small strings of a velvety blood starting to flow down the perfect lines of his delicate hand. “Everything is fucking wrong, Suho.” By now, he’s angry, not at the other but at himself, the pace of a once steady heartbeat now increasing as the seconds go by, the hot blood boiling within thick veins. “My parents are dead because of me. My brother hates me–he barely even looks me in the eyes. I am part of a corrupted Hunter Society that keeps sending their little puppets after me to test my boundaries.” And so his grip tightens, small pieces of a sharp glass piercing through the thick flesh of his body because he doesn’t feel–nothing comes when he’s being ripped apart. Absolutely nothing. “What am I, a toy? Do they think it’s funny? And I don’t have Zero. The one person who could keep me in tracks–he … I lost him. I lost him and I got no one else in this fucking messed up world.”

    To voice out thoughts hidden under seven golden keys, exiled for so long is quite weird, different from when played over and over again within his thoughts; sharing is caring, they say, but what is there to share when there is nothing left? “So you ask me, Suho, what is wrong … everything. Everything is wrong.” For a moment, something burns over the palm of his hand, thought the feeling is soon washed away by the broken glass falling from his grasp, the scent of blood being all too familiar and somehow tempting–vampires, bloodsucking creatures, doomed to live and fade into darkness. Never did he ask for this, never did he know it would be so hard, so lonely and most of all, so painful. Apparently, some people do get what they deserve, Baekhyun just happens to be one of them.

Knowing him for almost all his life would take Joonmyeon in such a state. The beating of his mind, telling him to do something to take care of the younger, he knows him long enough to see the pain lingering in his eyes, not to mention the agony-stricken mindset that he accumulated through the years of friendship.

They were sitting, side by side, like they would always position themselves in grief and sorrow. Baekhyun became his right hand, the person who he could trust more than he trusts himself, simply because he saw the real Joonmyeon before things persisted, before Ying happened, before Kris even started a way between territories from another. He wanted to erase the memory from the younger’s head, out of habit of taking care of people, but then again he knew that he needed that to grow further, to step forward, to move on, and of course, to learn.

With the mention of his brother, and the sight of the blood that was cascading down on Baekhyun’s hand, he somewhat lost it. The image of his brother in his head is inexplicable, not to mention that their friendship was tarnished in such situation where he required to be a king, more than a friend; he betrayed him, and he doesn’t know if he could still have the heart to forgive, although yesterday’s encounter was more than enough for him to see that the man mention was a little sincere with his actions, but Joonmyeon doubts him still. “It’s all in your head, Baekhyun.”

“I’m still here, aren’t I?” Family, it’s what made life interesting and worthwhile. For Baekhyun, it’s Zero, and for Joonmyeon, it’s Joohyun, and his most trusted friends; Zero was once in, but he needed to make sure that the league is still fit for him to see. “It’s all in your head that you’re alone, which is a little dismounting. What am I, a fraud, a nemesis? The funny thing is, you and your brother are the same. Why do you both think like every single thing on earth had forsaken you? Look around, you have a long way to go. Having dead parents sure does take toll on you but it doesn’t mean that you can’t start all over again.” It’s what he told the other man with the same, identical face, Zero, who had a feud with him a few while ago. The betrayal is still fresh in his head, and he couldn’t even see the sense of wondering why, he’s a vampire hunter, and he should have killed Joonmyeon the minute he saw him but they built something more formidable, something strong, with the sense of familiar comfort—they built a family of their own, despite their recognizable differences.

“Everything might be wrong.” He trails, taking his time on taking the younger’s hand on his, wiping the blood stained skin with a piece of clothing. Tongue swiping across his lips as he stares back into the distance where the city lights prevail.

Joohyun is still with Kris, and he’s there, drinking with his best friend (in his defense, he needed the break); all he needs to do is to hope that everything would be back in place, and he hopes nothing but his wife’s safety.