pandora

Suwei’s scowl only deepened as a number popped up on the screen rather than a new text - she barely liked messaging people, much less actually talking to them. But again, she swallowed her pride (and current hunger) to pick up the phone nonetheless. Nara’s voice was quick - and it went in through one ear and out the other.

“Why would I text you?” She asked, examining a scab on her knuckles with a frown. That hadn’t been there the other day. Absently, she picked at it as she continued. “There was nothing to text about. And I’m at home. We don’t have to get lunch. I’ll make do.”

Suwei always made do somehow, after all - she’d managed to survive twenty-one years so far and was hopeful that she was scrappy enough to survive several more. If need be, she’d always figure something out.

nara ignored su’s attempt to ward her off, starts the car- and then transfers her phone to bluetooth. her mind was already made up. nara declared to herself the su’s attitude was probably the opposite of what she really wants. that’s probably far from the truth but- so far, it’s the only way she can justify not listening every so often. 

“ah, understood.... so i am on my way. i will honk twice, so you know it’s me. kay?” nara turned the corner, her fingers playfully tapping on the steering wheel. “we’ll make do, together.” 

nara was well aware that wasn’t meant to be a shared statement. she is also aware that suwei tries to do everything on her own, always- especially when nara that she didn’t need to. ‘i’ll make do’ - ‘why would i text you?’ things like that irritated her because it made it sound like, ‘i’ll struggle on my own, leave me be.’ and that didn’t feel right to her. / taking a deep breath, nara circled back to suwei’s response. 

“-and-... you would text me cause-.... you should.” 

Fei checked her phone again, in hopes that Nara would have responded to the multitude of texts and phone calls she’d sent to the older woman in the span of the past few hours. It didn’t seem that she was responding— not to her, not to anyone back at the Bureau— and that much was concerning. Fei wasn’t supposed to search for her alone, not in compliance with Mason’s orders, but the worry the younger girl felt overruled her orders in that moment. They often did. But then again, if that was something Mason was willing to cut her off for, wouldn’t he have done it by now? She was practically invincible, if only because she was everyone’s unofficial baby sister.

Boots disturbing puddles along the sidewalk from the earlier evening’s rainfall, the assassin carefully made the familiar trek toward Nara’s place, eyes shifting periodically as if she might come across clues to lead her to her older friend’s current location. Was that how this stuff worked? She wouldn’t know— she wasn’t exactly a detective, after all. Her tracking skills were far better through the scope of a rifle.

Though— it didn’t seem that tracking skills would come in handy in this case.

Just as she rounded the corner to approach Nara’s front door, her fight or flight response kicked into overdrive as the woman she’d been looking for lunged straight for her. “Wh—” Fei gasped as she stumbled backward into a wall to avoid the swing of Nara’s blade. Pinned, the sword pointed directly at her throat. Instinctively, the assassin’s hand reached for the pistol tucked into the back hem of her jeans, though she didn’t dare pull the gun on her superior. Wide eyes studied the older woman’s deranged expression for a quick moment.

“I— Unnie, it’s just me. Mind, um…” the succubus paused for a moment, swallowing the sliver of fear which manifested as a lump in her throat. “…Mind putting the sword down?”

nara heaved for a moment, holding a strained looked until she really stared into the face of her victim. it took focus and restraint to realize that the ‘thing’ on the other end of her blade was NOT herself-... at-least, it appeared so. nara’s eyes darted back and forth between fei’s, not sure if she should believe her. as far as she knowledge goes, her cursed conscious was able to ‘shape shift’. it’s done it plenty of times before. she needed more proof, definitely. 

despite not wanting to harm fei, her blade didn't move. nara look a little more time to think. if she pulled away, and it was herself, she’d miss the chance she needed- however, if she just went for it, there was a chance she’d hurt fei. it was because she cared for her that this was difficult- that will always be naras weakness.. people she cares for.

hearing her voice, she quickly shook her head. “shh, shhhh-... i can not concentrate,” the skin-walker scanned the young girl under her, and shortly after her mind being to rationalize, talking herself down, she stepped back; tucking her blade behind her as if she didn’t already have it inches from the fei’s face. 

nara forcibly began pulling herself together. venor, including fei, before tonight, has never seen her like this. nara was careful to fight it back and kept her personal matters extremely classified. the most anyone could say about nara was that she was strict, classy and sometimes goofy even- but a nutjob? cursed? NO. 

she needed to play it off. but how? 

@naraxmaneo​

Suwei’s first instinct upon seeing the messages was to scowl.

It wasn’t quite that she was busy either - she wasn’t, far from it, but that didn’t mean she needed the attention, needed the contact, needed the food- Well, she did need food. That didn’t mean she needed Nara’s.

Suwei’s second instinct was to reply with a solid No. Even though it had been years since they’d first met, since she’d spent the night on the woman’s couch, there was always that prickle of discomfort that popped up when Nara did something (anything) for her. Said prickle had nothing to do with Nara, really, but rather Suwei herself - it was one that made itself starkly known when she considered herself to be vulnerable.

Suwei hated vulnerability.

But Suwei also owed Nara a debt that likely couldn’t and wouldn’t be repaid any time soon, so she swallowed her first and second instincts, choking them back to instead give in to her third instinct - the one that reluctantly wanted to let people in, to let others feel concern over her, to take care of her.

She curled up as she responded, knees tucking in closer from where she’d been laying on the couch.

[ no ]

[ no ]

[ why. ]

honestly, even before she even received a reply back, nara was already thinking of a place to take her for lunch. her senses were telling her suwei hadn’t eaten today- so even if she said yes, nara wasn’t going to believe it and come get her anyway. 

she was well aware she tended to overstep but, at times like these, she couldn’t help it. she likes to think suwei needed her at one point, while really acknowledging it was the opposite. nara felt comfortable to take on some motherly privileges when it came to her because despite her feeling the reluctancy in the childs voice, su allowed her- that’s all nara needed. 

awaiting her message in the driver's seat, nara gripped onto the steering wheel tapping her fingers patiently. the moment she heard a buzz, she picked up her phone with a grin and opened the message like a child playing a video game. seeing that she hadn’t eaten instantly gave her a reason to bug her further. 

despite suwei’s responses being short and to the point, it made her happy. those two short no’s made her chest hop, and immediately, she skipped texting her and called her. 

“hello? su su, where are you now? let’s go get lunch, yeah? you haven’t texted me in one week- a WHOLE week.” 

Minsik couldn’t say he saw the appeal of coming back to Korea most days. Aching body, throbbing feet, and barely coherent words - check, check, and check. As a new fellow in the trauma department, Minsik was seen as the one who did not fit in, an anomaly in the carefully crafted culture of the healthcare unit. Minsik felt like an invader in the place he was supposed to call ‘home’, and now he felt like an invader at work too. Signing off dutifully at the end of his proglonged shift each day was something he sadly looked forward to now, the once burning passion now flickering with the last of its embers. 

Dragging his feet out of the prestigious hospital, Minsik already began to dread the beginnings of his freedom. After all, it would lead into a repetition of an endless cycle that he despised. Deciding that there was no point being such a little downer, the doctor trudged into the first convenience store he came across to pick up endless supplies of candies, jellies, and snacks. Sweet things cheered him up, and the prospect of lying on his twin’s luxurious couch while gorging himself on them would be a small win, at least. 

He’d been a couple blocks away from their apartment building at most, when an unexpected force jerked him backwards, the edge of a knife pointed precariously against his jugular. Minsik’s first reaction had been to freeze, to formulate a way out of this - he didn’t want to die, couldn’t afford to die. Not right now, anyway. Through the dark, he barely saw his assailant’s face, but he heard the agony in the restraint of her voice, smelled the hint of iron before he felt the warm drop of fluid on his skin. 

Minsik’s anxiety cooled immediately, the logical part of his brain kicking in as the doctor surfaced and took the reins. “I know you can,” Minsik reasoned in a levelled voice, keeping eye contact with the other. He raised his hands - a show that he was unarmed and did not intend to bring harm upon the other or anyone in their vicinity. “Good evening. I noticed that you’re bleeding from your nose. Is it alright if I took a look at it? Nosebleeds may suggest an internal injury and I just wanted to ensure that everything is fine. I am a doctor, by the way. My staff badge is in the left breastpocket of my shirt.”

nara looked down into his eyes, confused to why she heard a man’s voice and not her own. instead of climbing off the man, her eyes squinted and her knife remained in place. she needed time to think. her mind loved to play games with her. it comes to her in all shapes and forms to taunt her- this man, this ‘doctor’ can be one of them. but, she takes a moment to process what he was saying. nara even dug into his pocket, looking for the badge he spoke of. he was not her. a tainted consciousness like hers wouldn’t be able to offer her self care, not even if it was to lure her in. 

her eyes grew wide and she climbed off the man, tugging up the material of the oversized hoodie falling off her shoulders while holding the sword to her side. still showing signs of being out of breath she looked at him, holding her free wrist to her nose and standing. “i almost beheaded you and your first instinct was my nose, fascinating.” nara looked at the badge once more, before tossing it to him. “men like you should not be out walking alone, or trying to nurse someone trying to kill you.. that is your business though, i suppose.” nara trailed off, her gaze looking for someone. 

the adrenaline had done her good, honestly. she had more than just a dripping nose, and she hardly noticed it. nara was covered in cuts, scratches and bruises- for a skinwalker though, she’d heal eventually. she wasn’t even entirely aware that there weren’t shoes on her feet. until a few seconds ago, she had a one-track mind. taking another step to go around him, nara felt a wave of dizziness and nausea. but, she ignored it, breathing in efforts to suppress it. 

alone, in her home- binding herself to a near pitch-black bedroom, nara’s mind and her curse was in action. she didn’t fear the darkness surrounding her, but the darkness in her own heart, feeding off her consciousness. that would explain why she was cowling into the corner as if her mind wasn’t the culprit.  where else can she run though?... when her enemy is herself? 

this wasn’t like any other mind facing a mental demon either, this was something far beyond it. the power her conscious had was foul, and didn’t care for boundaries- even now, it manifested an infant boy; knowing that she’d come crawling toward it, her arms outstretched, crying. ignoring the voice cutting into her.

‘i have to admit, i’m not buying it, nara. you didn’t love, taejo.’ 

 she didn’t even think to respond, her mind was set on wrapping her arms around her baby.. taejo. but, as she expected, the moment her fingertips grazed his the child morphed into herself like she was looking in a mirror-.. except this one had black eyes and livid dark intent. the look-alike walked toward nara, a sinister smile on her lips, taunting her. the skinwalker recoiled, dragging herself back into the corner. 

‘your weeping does not impress me.. a killers tears, does not impress me’ 

nara this time had something to say, covering her face with one arm and holding up a sword with her other, using that to block the double from coming closer. “be quiet-.. be QUIET.” hearing the other continue to speak, nara repeated herself over and over, swinging her sword until she was chasing ‘herself’ around the house. her mind was literally, taunting her- so much that she didn’t even care that she destroying her home, she wanted her.. it, whatever it was, dead. 

eventually, nara was lured out of her home, looking for her enemy. hearing steps around the corner, maybe a voice, her paranoia sprung into action; and before she knew it, she’d pinned a random person, and her sword was pointed right at their neck. blind to the fact, they weren't her. 

wiping the blood coming from her nose, she sniffled. “does this impress you, hmm? i can kill you right now. i can- i will do it.” 

clearly from the bags hanging from her arms- ... it was an ‘everything on that top shelf’ kind of day. after all, shopping was way more amusing than letting a human therapist listen to a problem beyond them. a ‘girl’ could never have enough pairs of stiletto heels anyway. 

leaving the mall, the sound of her heels cut through the traffic on the sidewalk. her height, and name brand fendi fit and aura was enough to draw attention- she was a public figure after all- people couldn’t help it, and nara honestly, didn’t mind it; as long as she had her shades on. // through the dim film over her eyes, the skinwalker caught a glimpse of a little girl holding tightly onto her mother. nara’s eyes smiled, and the simple thought of, ‘if only’ beamed from her lips; but also.. her stomach dropped. before she could even look away, her mind quickly put her in her place. 

“no, not if only...you had that, and you ruined it.” nara responded, ‘i know..’ to herself, forcing her eyes in the opposite direction. 

that was her reality. she knew it. she has for 900 years, but- that still didn’t stop her from thinking about the children she’s been pushing herself onto. suwei, especially. so, getting in her car, she pulled out her phone and sent a quick text, typing and deleting before deciding on the winner. 

what is your muse’s full name and do they have any nicknames?

truly, her name is gwan inhyeon. However, she’s used MANY names in the span of her life time. in the last few hundred years, she’s used nara, as her first name. before that it was duri. but, for now, all her legal documents say gwan nara. she doesn’t have a nickname besides her gang alias. 

what do they look like? include hair, eyes, skin tone, tattoos, etc. !

nara is a taller (about 5′7?) older woman with generally, short hair. she’s got brown eyes, black hair (or coral, or maybe a silver-y blonde) and slightly on the pale side. she’s got plenty of tattoos, she’s got one of two twin snakes on her butt facing off with each other, and a dragon with a sword down the center on her back. she’s got little smaller tattoos along her arms. she’s only got the normal ear lobe piercings! 

do they have any distinguishing features such as scars, unique birthmarks, etc.?

nara does have scars on her body. she used to be ‘assassin’ that specialized in infiltration and disguise so, she’s been through a lot of close-quarters combat. she’s got a bunch of cut scars, and things on her body. as for birthmark, she’s got two freckles on the back of her neck, and a healed cut on her right thumb. 

what is your muse’s friends and family like? who do they usually surround themselves with?

nara had a husband, and a son. her son’s name was taejo, and he was the sweetest child. one of her fondest memories is when they used to run around the house, playing ‘war’. with his little wooden sword, he’d pretend to be a general, and she an evil king, and he’d ‘slay’ her. it was the cutest, and she would kill to get that moment back. her husband was definitely an amazing, and kind man, at least to her. he was the reason she wanted to live despite her circumstances. he cared for her, probably almost more than he did himself- and nara has only really seen that part of him. his kindness scared her though, cause whenever she did him wrong it made her feel guilty. // her friends are usually acquaintances, venor gang members or rich. 

who would you consider the closest person to your muse?

despite it being hundreds of years, it’s still her husband. 

where was your character born and what was their living situation growing up there?

nara was born in goryeo, around the year 1022. she was born to family that worshipped the current family line to the king of goryeo, and lived as an offering to him following a war. their family wasn’t poor, but they weren’t too well off either. 

what is your muse’s biggest fear and does anyone know? if so, who, and if not, why not?

her biggest fear probably encountering her family she’s been running from. meeting her husband, or even her child from back then would be 100 anxiety attacks all at once. it’s been 900 years, so she doubts they are alive but- (hehehheheh)  it crosses her mind often. no one knows because she doesn’t talk about her past. as far as people know, she was just an assassin for a little bit and a merchant for most of her life. no family. 

has your muse ever fallen in love before? if so, with who? did it end well?

yes, with her husband years ago. it didn’t end well. 

what would you find in your muse’s refrigerator right now?

you’d find a lot of healthy meals and side dishes. she has a maid so, sometimes it’s not her who does the grocery shopping but, the meal preps are all her. there will definitely be LOTS of water and energy drinks.   

what does your muse usually wear? you can describe, link pictures, etc. !

nara honestly always leaves the house with something name brand on. fendi is her favorite though. usually, she dresses like she’s some CEO of a company, or lowkey a model on the runway. she’s got a passion for fashion, no doubt. when she’s in her gang stuff though, she does keep things a little more settle. 

what is your muse’s strongest memory that they carry around?

           PLEASE BE ADVISED, SUSPECT IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS. BELIEVED TO BE ARMED WITH TWIN SWORDS. PROCEED WITH CAUTION

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