* ＳＥＬＦＩＳＨ ；

ISEUL SHOULD’VE KNOWN. she doesn’t know anyone ballsy enough to follow the sound of shattering glass while wearing heels other than maeve. she knew this girl’s life was on the streets, but shit, she’s something else. although, she was a little relieved that she didn’t have to deal with some random punk looking for trouble. iseul, for the most part, can hold her ground, but realistically-…. someone a little over five feet could easily be snatched up. 

rubbing her tattooed fingers under her running red nose, she grinned. “not without tights, i wouldn’t think so. ” iseul began, trying to make the point that it was chilly out. “-..or are all the soleil girls invincible to the weather too?” the umbra-girl chuckled to herself while rustling her hair and taking another puff from her cigarette. this girl seemed to easily bring out a more playful side to iseul, which is odd because meave was probably her opposite. she wore pretty dresses, heels and smelled like pretty perfume. every time she laid eyes on maeve, she was a little curious of what she’d look like if did too. as if. the only thing they had in common was their tattoo stained skin, and friends.             stepping back, she looked over the ground again- finding two bottles and offering them to her. “all yours.”  

THEY  MUST  BE  AN  ODD  SIGHT,           just  the  two  of  them  together,  complete  opposites  hurling  glass  at  a  brick  wall.  but  both  of  them  have  been  here  long  enough  to  know  that  for  keullu,  they  don’t  even  make  the  list  of  odd  duos.  everything  about  this  city  is  a  little  bit  broken,  surely  because  of  people  like  them,  but  it  does  takes  its  toll  to  live  this  way  too.  maeve  convinces  herself  that  there  is  charm  in  it  as  well.  she’s  never  asked,  but  she  guesses  iseul  would’ve  said  otherwise.

“Ah…” he pauses, mulling over his response as though there could be a potential alternative answer to what is not a question anymore. “Yeah, yeah I guess I did. But you know how it is, Call of the Void and all that. Besides, the street lamp had it coming, was giving me a real mean look.”

This isn’t the first time they’ve played these roles—the one leaning two angles too close to collapse, the other a counterweight barely standing themselves. But somehow they still manage to hold at the end of the day, and isn’t that all that counts no matter which city they find themselves buried in.

“Happy to be of service, but I thought you grew out of your horse-loving phase when we were 12?”

His arms hook under her legs, holding her mass against his back a bit more securely before they set off. Where their final destination is, she hasn’t specified and he hasn’t asked, and for now, he’s content to wander without aim or direction.

“Y’know, this kinda reminds me of that time we snuck out during our parents’ New Years party, went right out the window and just got lost downtown. Your dad wasn’t too happy when we got back, but I don’t think he really liked me to begin with did he?”

SHE  WANTS  TO  ASK,            most  of  all  how  he’s  really  doing,  but  she  knows  rome  has  always  been  this  way  and  worry  gets  her  nowhere.  that’s  the  fine  line  maeve  walks  with  him  —  she  has  already  lost  so  much,  she  should  know  better  than  to  connect  with  anyone,  but  she’s  only  human.  and  he  has  become  an  important  asset  in  her  life  somehow.  «  if  you  look  like  this  i’d  love  to  see  the  street  lamp.  »

          it  hits  her  that  she  thinks  she  knows  him  somehow,  and  that  isn’t  necessarily  true  anymore.  «  a  girl  never  truly  grows  out  of  her  horse-loving  phase,  romeo.  »  she  sports  his  nickname  nonchalantly,  even  if  they’re  not  these  people  anymore,  not  really.  it  helps  to  be  able  to  pretend  though.

          maeve  rests  her  head  against  his  back,  the  heat  immediately  enveloping  her  and  she  suddenly  feels  as  if  she’ll  owe  him  one.  she  has  to  remind  herself  that  it’s  rome,  after  all  —  if  he  needed  her,  she’d  be  there.  well,  if  soleil  permitted  it.  the  lines  of  loyalty  blurred  in  keullu.

strangers was all that they were. strangers that knew names, but not stories, and he liked to keep it that way. maybe one day he’d learn her story when she was covered in blood beneath him, or maybe he wouldn’t. there was no point to it all, the more you thought about it. “nice of you to notice,” he replies quietly, running the hand still blood covered through his hair a little to push it back. “you say that as if i’d tell you anyway, maeve. i won’t. for all you know i’ve been here all long and never left ; gangs do like to plan things behind the scenes.”

OPEN STARTER // 11:54 am 

            THERE IS NO REMEDY FOR MEMORIES. iseul can attest. no matter what she does, where she goes… they follow- & not peacefully. they stick to her like clingy demons, feeding off her sadness. sucking up her ambitions before she can realize she has them. they are the reason she can’t go a day without a cigarette & a week without a drink. at this point, she doesn’t care that it’s killing her, she’s more concerned that it ain’t killing her fast enough. so, as an eager attempt to pacify her anxiety once again, iseul found herself in an alleyway, puffing on her second cigarette, & downing the rest of the alcohol in her second bottle before throwing it against the brick wall just like the first.

the sound of glass shattering was oddly satisfying to her. seeing the broken pieces decorate the ground made her feel as if she was crushing her demons. she knew it wasn’t that easy, but for tonight- she was going to pretend it was.               the COLD air blew her silver hair out of her face, causing her to shiver in discomfort. her arms tucked themselves into a tight hug before she let out a heavy exhale of smoke from her cigarette. “.. fuck, it’s… cold !!” told by the red biting her cheeks, nose, lips, & fingertips… she’d been out there long enough- but she didn’t wanna go home. her eyes searched for another glass bottle, and once she found one- she chucked it at the wall once again. it wasn’t until she heard slow footsteps did she finally look to her right, noticing they were staring. iseul sniffled before speaking. “-…having fun?” 

NIGHTS  LIKE  THESE  ARE  ALL  MAEVE  KNOWS.            in  a  short  dress,  high  heels,  red  lipstick,  and  her  head  held  high,  she  walks  home  on  light  feet,  hoping  for  an  easy  walk  home.  she  has  learned  not  to  trust  keullu  no  matter  how  safe  she  may  feel,  and  soleil  really  is  making  her  feel  invincible  at  times,  even  if  she  alone  makes  no  threat  to  anyone.

Maeve wasn’t someone Minho expected to see at his door, being almost so much of a shock that he was willing to let her stay without further complaint out of sheer curiosity, then the shrill whine hit his ears. And, ah, yes, this is why he liked to avoid dealing with people as much as he could. Tattoed figures tightening around his whiskey tumbler as he tried to plan the most effective way of getting her out that wouldn’t have half of Soleil thirsty for his blood with a light frown painting his features.

The line between his eyebrows deepened at the sight of the watch only for it all to just as quickly be wiped away as realization dawned and instead Minho was fighting the urge to roll his eyes. “You’re a fucking idiot.” He was by the door in only a few moments, one hand locking the door behind Maeve as the other plucked the watch from her hand. “I’m taking this as payment for saving your skin.” The sound of shouting faintly made its way through the walls but he didn’t care enough to give it any mind. The club was more than capable of handling someone who’d shoddily gotten their watch stolen. “You’re lucky I’ve had a good night or I might be shoving you out there to face the consequence of a bad pickpocketing.” He wouldn’t but Maeve didn’t have to know that.

TRUST  IS  A  PRIVILEGE  NO  ONE  CAN  AFFORD,            but  minho  has  yet  to  give  maeve  a  reason  for  her  to  fear  him.  she  knows  he’s  powerful  and  it’s  this  knowledge  that  keeps  her  civil  around  him  —  that  and  the  fact  that  she  actually  rather  likes  him,  even  if  the  feelings  aren’t  reciprocated.  she  doesn’t  really  need  them  to  be.  as  long  as  he’s  not  intent  on  actually  hurting  her  she’ll  settle  for  tolerance.

                           i’m  okay  ,   that  is  all  they  need  to  hear  before  acting  with  their  heart  first  ,  ignoring  the  warning  signs  their  brain  is  signaling .   they  know  they  should  not  ;  they  knew  that  they  ought  to  stay  away ,  but  perhaps  changmin  took    hold  your  enemies  close  way  too  literally   .   with  a  strong  arm  ,  changmin  gently  pulled  her  upwards  and  pressed  her  against  their  own  chest ,  fingers  cupping  underneath  her  knees ,  bridal  style .  

                ❝     you  are  okay .    ❞   they  reassured  ,  voice  low ,  and  frankly ,  changmin  was  just  trying  to  tell  themselves  that .   fear  and  worry  was  creeping  up  under  their  skin ,  scratching  on  their  heart ;  wounding  them  in  ways  they  could  not  think  possible .    ❝     you  are  okay .     ❞     opening  the  door  to  the  passenger  seat ,   changmin  settled  maeve  down  as  gentle  as  possible  .  taking  off  their  own  black  leather  trench  coat ,  changmin  wrapped  it  around  her  for  warmth  and  protection  ,  pulling  out  the  silk  handkerchief  from  their  shirt  pocket  to  wipe  away  the  memories  from  her  temple .  

❝     𝐢’𝐦  𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐚  𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥  𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 .      ❞   surely ,  changmin  was  merely  emotionally  distressed  at  the  moment ,  but  the  probability  of  whoever  did  this  being  castrated  and  left  on  the  road  to  rot  was  highly  plausible .   closing  the  door  behind  ,  changmin  inhaled  deeply  ,  pushing  all  their  thoughts  and  tears  and  feelings  into  the  back  of  their  mind .   get  her  home .   that  was  the  only  thing  that  mattered .   and  it  did  not  take  long  before  changmin  had  started  the  engine  of  their  beast  and  started  the  journey  to  their  own  private  house  ,  knowing  it  was  the  only  place  safe  for  her  .   ❝    maeve .   talk  to  me  .  you  can’t  fall  asleep .  stay  awake ,  okay  ?     ❞

MAEVE  KNOWS  THEY  SHOULDN’T,           but  she  makes  no  effort  to  stop  changmin  once  she’s  in  their  arms,  safely  tucked  in  their  car,  enveloped  in  a  coat  that  smells  like  home.  she  has  always  known  there  was  a  possibility  of  this  happening,  where  violence  would  find  a  way  to  connect  hard  knuckle  against  soft  skin,  but  luck  has  favored  her  before  and  perhaps  it  has  made  her  brave.  silly  girl  —  no  one  is  ever  as  brave  as  they  are  foolish  and  she  must  learn  the  hard  way.

          «  you’re  not  gonna  kill  anyone,  »  maeve  answers,  something  pleading  in  her  trembling  voice,  but  the  sound  soon  dies  as  she  finds  room  to  feel  anything  else  but  just  the  cold.  warmth  is  returning  to  her,  and  the  prize  to  pay  is  the  dizziness  that  follows  with  the  aggressive  nausea.  she’s  had  concussions  before,  always  courtesy  of  her  father,  but  somehow  this  feels  more  painful  than  she  can  recall.

          she  is  supposed  to  be  safe  here.

          hopelessly  she  forces  herself  to  sit  up  straight,  if  not  for  her  then  at  least  for  changmin.  nestling  inside  their  large  coat  she  allows  herself  to  sink,  to  fall  into  herself,  and  she  is  quick  to  wipe  away  a  tear  staining  her  visage.  «  i’m  awake,  »  mae  promises,  but  her  voice  is  somewhere  far  away  and  she  is  not  entirely  there.  «  i’m  ...  i’m  awake.  »

his vices have led him to worse places. he tries to remind himself of this. 

the bar is grimy and he’s certain one too many people have come up to him with long eyelashes and whispers that sends something crawling under his skin - names like sugar, honey, baby - 

his vices may be shit, if only for the bullshit it takes him to. 

tonight is no exception. 

he barely even notices maeve when she appears next to him - another pretty thing in a dirty city, sharp-clawed and soft edged - something close to his favourite or another shitty vice. he hasn’t made up his mind yet. 

he’s hardly adequately tipsy enough to be dealing with tonight, turning over to the girl once he recognizes the familiar voice and even more familiar red-lipped smile it comes from. 

“i feel like you should only be asking me what’s my poison if you’re going to be buying me a drink, though it seems like quite the opposite.” he’s sighing, already waving the bartender over. “whatever my poison is, it’s not killing me fast enough.” 

he turns to look at her, tired eyes and arched brows, surveying lazily. 

“i take it you’re not taking no for an answer. how many drinks will it take for you to leave me to my corner?” 

SHE  SHOULD  KNOW  WHEN  TO  TURN  THE  OTHER  WAY,           but  maeve  finds  easy  entertainment  in  minkyu  and  sometimes  that’s  all  she  needs  to  make  her  evening  complete.  she’s  selfish  like  that,  living  her  life  for  no  one  but  herself,  but  she  supposes  if  that’s  a  sin  she’s  more  than  prepared  for  hell.

          «  oh,  would  you  like  me  to  buy  you  a  drink  ?  all  you  have  to  do  is  ask,  darling,  »  mae  continues,  knowing  very  well  that  she  plays  this  game  completely  alone.  she  twirls  a  strand  of  her  hair  around  a  finger,  looking  at  him  with  a  mix  of  admiration  and  playfulness.

zero glances around as he spots maeve, for once a familiar face gracing him this time around. doesn’t mean he really cares all that much though, especially when she holds the scarf out to him.. which only has zero scoffing quietly. he continues to wipe his hands on his jacket instead of taking her offer. “keep your expensive scarf, don’t care what i’m walkin’ round like when it’s nothing new.” he shrugs. blood wasn’t a new presence on these streets, and zero never cared for being caught. he had tricks up his sleeve to get out of those situations. 

Keullu never sleeps. It was something Minho had heard on his first night in Korea and he’d learned it was true, to some extent. The city never stopped, he sometimes found himself questioning if it was even a city at all and instead a living breathing being. Despite all of that though there were moments it lulled. Alleyways and streets succumbing to exhaustion and seeming to only hum in the night when there was not enough commotion to keep them alight. Nights like those are what he sought out.

The chilly bite and loneliness of the air returning him to somewhere that wasn’t as filthy and infected as the city now etched into his very being. Like with everything though it didn’t last, one moment Minho could enjoy a moment of peace with his own mind but only if it was sure to be followed by something or someone walking in to disrupt it. Or in this case, Minho walking into them. 

Not expecting anyone to be around the corner at this hour, in this cold, he’s more than a little surprised when his body collides with Maeve’s. Hands shooting out to grab her arms before either of them can fall. Lips already curling into a sneer, a thousand insults, and reprimands about what the hell she thought she was doing ready to spill only to be swallowed sharply when her face properly comes into view. His fingers move slowly, bordering on gentle, to lift Maeve’s chin, worry etching itself between the man’s brows. Deciding quickly that red is not a colour that suits dripping down the woman’s face. “You’re going to catch your death walking around like this.”

HER   DREAM  OF  SAFETY  SPLATTERS.          this  is  probably  the  worst  case  scenario  she  can  think  of:  bumping  into  a  stranger,  suffering  the  consequences  of  her  own  bewilderment  and  confusion,  no  street  kind  at  this  time  of  night.  maeve  wonders  only  for  a  split  second  if  there’s  a  way  out  of  this  when  she  looks  up  to  see  a  familiar  face.

IT’S  ALMOST  EMBARRASSING  TO  ADMIT,           but  she  loves  this  scene.  maeve  is  a  girl  of  finer  tastes,  revelling  in  whatever  luxury  she  can  find.  soleil  fits  her  perfectly,  the  elegance  and  refinement  of  the  women  and  their  shared  home,  bottles  of  bubbles  and  silk  against  skin.  

          maeve  is  a  girl  of  finer  tastes,  but  that  doesn’t  mean  she  doesn’t  have  exceptions,  and  as  she  makes  way  through  sweaty  bodies  to  get  to  the  bar  to  order  cheap  alcohol  she  cannot  help  but  feel  jealous  of  how  simple  so  many  of  these  lives  must  be.  she  hopes  one  day  she  feel  that  safe  to  be  that  reckless  among  so  many.  

          the  girl  slumps  down  by  the  bar,  running  a  hand  through  black  unruly  hair  and  reapplying  her  lipstick  easily.  so  she  waits,  knowing  a  man  will  fall  prey  to  her  apparent  beauty  and  innocence  —  and  instead,  she  notices  minkyu,  and  a  smile  grows  on  her  blood-red  lips.

It starts as any night ought to: aimless, the eerie calm before a storm, 50 over the speed limit and there’s the call from the abyss that guides his hands at the second-to-last turn.

It ends as too many of his nights do, in shattered glass and folded metal wrapped pretty around a light, and another constellation of blood loosened added to his growing collection. The walk home, alone and unhindered, should have followed as described by so many past practice runs, but here at last, there is a divergence from plan.

“Oh Maevey-Wavey, what have you gotten yourself into?” he’s still smiling even now, an old habit of reassurance leftover from less tumultuous years in both their lives. His jacket over her shoulders nearly swallows her form entirely, the wool no doubt a heavy addition to the night’s air, but he knows her capable of carrying heavier weights.

“If I’d known this was gonna happen, I’d have kept the car a little longer.”

Things being as they are though, he drops to a crouch, presenting her with his back in invitation. “Come on, I’ll give one free ride this time. Just don’t kick me.”

SHE  SUPPOSES  IF  SHE  IS  TO  BE  FOUND  TONIGHT,           she  is  grateful  it’s  by  a  friendly  face.  there  are  many  things  mae  wishes  she  could  forget  about  her  upbringing,  but  some  memories  she  still  seeks  to  tuck  away  and  cherish,  and  he  has  for  some  reason  become  that  light  for  her  now  that  she  thinks  back  on  it.

          normally  mae  would  bite  back  at  rome’s   comment,  but  she   says  nothing.  instead  she  silently  observes  him  and  puts  two  and  two  together  —   the  lack  of  a  vehicle,  his  disheveled  looks.  «  you  crashed  your  car.  »  it  comes  off  as  a  comment  rather  than  a  question.  she’s  not  looking  for  confirmation,  really.  oddly  and  maybe  cruelly  enough  this  gives  her  a  momentary  distraction.