wicked, sick

Or, was. Until a nagging feeling crept into his subconscious like he was being watched. It was slight at first, something tolerable – something Isaiah was used to considering the notorious nature of his mind that often struck him with paranoia and admittedly, he was used to be stared at outside of that anyways. This though, it felt different. Especially because he knew it was a low episode day, or it seemed to be anyways.

Isaiah’s eyes moved first, desperately searching for his onlooker through his peripheral vision only to draw a blank there. Instead, Isaiah began to move his head, stealing glances around around himself as subtly as possible until he saw it – saw him, a lonely figure off to one side, complete with an art easel and who seemed to be peering in his direction every few seconds. The culprit of his paranoid feelings, no doubt, yet it shocked him. Was this stranger drawing him? Or – painting, by the briefest look at it. Was he supposed to move? Conftront the stranger about what the hell was he doing and isn’t it rude to just paint people without permission? But he didn’t. The thought didn’t even truly cross his mind. Not really, at least.

As soon as that thought came about his hand brought a stroke of white to the man's hair, the blonde gave him away as someone who could be bold or rather -- interesting. Then again, the streak of white among light blonde could also go with purity and cleanliness, the little bit of a dove among crows. There was nothing wrong with being a crow, in comparison to this diligent man who was reading on a bench, Soohyuk was only looking at a man that he wished he could be from a distance.

A long and loving distance.

He was nearly done when the stranger looked up to make eye contact with Soohyuk, who - in return, gave a thin smile as an invitation. Whether the other knew of it or not was up to him, but it was more than created obvious that the artist was making this man the single focal point among the bustle of a city. The blur of colors and almost sickly mingling of colors that would never be considered natural harmonies, it was painful for Soohyuk to see such colors together in one single smudge that was the thin outline of a human walking by.

Amongst all of it, there was this man just smack dab in the middle with his enraging blonde hair and his thin structure slouching over a book, his eyebrows were barely made out but they weren't furrowed in frustration or concentration, no -- they were relaxed and at a comfortable position as though he were reading with complete and utter pleasure.

There, the man had actually walked over and he stood by Soohyuk to look over his shoulder. The artist said nothing but he swelled in his slight chivalry, he stared at the painting for a second before standing up and looking at the other's face intently. His eyes squinted for a thin range of vision, the man was different now. He was hardly as haughty as Soohyuk imagined him to be. There was something different about this man, strangely enough.

"I hope you don't mind," Soohyuk added to the silence by breaking it with his baritone. "-- for some reason, I couldn't help myself with this a scene."

Carefully she walked back. The last thing wanted was an avalanche of medicine bottles and boxes.  It wasn’t the first time she would deal with his cuts and bruises. Besides that, Soojung became an expert to treat little wounds. There had been some movies that were pretty.. rough. Some marks could be played off but it was key to keep her skin pure. The last thing she wanted was people speculating about her rather strange cuts on strange places. A slight blush bloomed on her cheeks by the memories. The experience had been somewhat, special.

‘Eh..?’ Her brown eyes widened in confusion. Wait what did he say? She looked at the bottle of wine to the playful look on Soohyuk’s face. Oh, that. ‘You know how to keep me pleased.’ She gave him a smug smile as she dropped the disinfection and other things on the coffee table. She pulled it off, sort of. She couldn’t believe she thought about work where Soohyuk was. She shouldn’t let her mind wander so much. With a little sip of the wine she shrugged everything off. ‘Hmm..’ She rolled the taste inside her mouth. ‘That’s a good wine.’ With a approving lick over her lips she took her seat next to Soohyuk.

That really stung. 

He momentarily became distracted as he stared at her collarbone, the way that it made itself noticeable without accessory almost gave Soohyuk wonder to how she'd give in to being a model for a painting or a sketch. Charcoal, he thought. No, no. Soojung was too vibrant for something like watercolors, she was an acrylic or perhaps pastels if he was feeling bold. From her collar bones, Soohyuk looked at her jaw and it's sharp contours and shadows that followed behind. Then her cheekbone that smiled with her eyes, the charm that it gave to the rest of her face.

"You're staring at me," Soohyuk let his baritone reply to Soojung's small smile. "-- hey, Soojung, wake up and put the stitches in, I have to call the land lady and ask her to come tomorrow."

He had his payment on the table, he wouldn't forget that. Especially not after all the work he had to do to pay it off since he forgot last month's rent, though he was feeling slouched today. Perhaps not in the "mood" to stand at the sound of the doorbell and properly apologize while giving her the payment. Granted, she let him off last month for not causing any trouble but -- his boss at work said that it was common courtesy to pay back and apologize politely to leave good impressions. Just in case.

Just in case what?

"No, actually -- can you hand my phone? It's right behind you." Soohyuk held his hand out and smirked regardless of what response he'd get from her, it would either be snarky or reckless and he'd have to smirk either way.

He sat and thought for a second before thinking of what to say, then he listened softly to the tap of his thumb to the glass screen.

Home, contacts, Landlady, call.

He listened as he nearly got through, he watched as Soojung got the needle ready. Soohyuk eyed it for a second before hearing the lady's voice, "Ah -- yeah. Hi, it's Soohyuk from room -- yes. I have a plan set for later today, would you be alright if I could drop by tomorrow morning?" He put his hand up against the needle and shook his head softly towards Soojung while shushing her so the landlady wouldn't misunderstand.

"Oh thank you, yeah. No, that's great, thank you. Have a good night, bye."

End.

Just like the weather, a nice seventy-seven degrees today although slightly humid, which ended up being a shame to those with untamable hair. 

Seungjun wasn’t sure if he should be offended or if he should laugh. Of course, not everyone knew him by name or by face — but it happened frequently enough that it still felt odd having to explain who he was. He was still building his empire he supposed, but then again, Lee Soohyuk had never been known for being very perceptive or in the loop. He had always known the other to be aloof, but in this instance it seemed to work to his advantage. He had come into the room ready to pay the other off, but now he was being offered payment. Well, it wasn’t a bad effect to have on people; he’d take it.

“Drugs? I have access to them all, but I sell something even more valuable. And it’s definitely true that my services are out of your price range,” Seungjun replied, long arms folded over his chest. It was easier to see Soohyuk’s features in the dim light of the room in comparison to the flashing ones of the club below. He didn’t look much different than he had in high school — sunken eyes, sharp features, thick lips all painted across pale skin. When he was young he had always thought the other’s gaze was comparable to that of a dead fish, but even then it had provided a sort of appeal. Like some kind of sick-chic, somehow the elder managed to be attractive despite the fact that his individual features weren’t. “I can get you drugs,” he admitted, wandering close despite a very firm rule he had set for himself about not getting within arms length of any client. Did Soohyuk count as a client? How did he refer to the ghost before him? He didn’t know.

“But it depends on what you can offer me in return,” he stated, coy voice flat now as his narrow eyes inspected the other’s face. Reaching out to tip his chin up, Seungjun looked closely at every square-inch of his features, honestly taken aback by how little time had done to him. Then again, he supposed not everyone had to reach the brink of death twice before age twenty-three and fight back to the image of health. Somewhere along the tangled streets of his mind he was met with an abrupt thought as his eyes traveled over the elder’s lips.

I want to kiss him. So, he did.

His ears perked up multiple times but gave no reply, he barely even noticed the tone that had changed slightly in Seungjun's voice. Ah -- he wasn't supposed to call him that, was he? That was a shame, Soohyuk had already forgotten the alias that he was supposed to replace it with. 

There was a difference between Soohyuk and Seungjun, granted the comparison was good enough for a Tim Burton character and a magazine model but nevertheless, the one stark difference was between their separation. Something happened to Jun within those years that they had been given since graduation, just as many things have happened to Soohyuk during those years. Back then, he was invincible. He was a king, and then he left without a trace of breadcrumbs to leave behind. Yet here was Jun, who deliberately acts -- or perhaps became -- another human being for the sake of hiding what was once the Seungjun Soohyuk knew.

And that man was not the man Soohyuk was seeing now, he didn't even hear him walk over.

But it depends on what you can offer me in return.

A kiss, something so sweet and so subtle that it could flutter the heart of any living human being. A kiss, also the deadliest weapon if used correctly. Yet in this situation, Soohyuk suddenly felt the tugging urge to --

No, not to bite back nor to fight back. But to comply and work together.

Opposites - left, right; black and white, heads or tails; dualities born entwined from the womb like the yin and yang. It was natural phenomena yet a hideous mutation that was cancerous to the wary eye. Woobin’s vision filtered the colors of the world into something monochromatic; different shades of gray with no distinctions in between. It was stupid, dangerous even, to think with distinctions. Within the blink of an eye, something changed; at first glance, it was a piece of paper: flat, easy to read; the next: an origami figure, a brand new face with angles and folds that cut through slivers of skin that couldn’t be seen. Is that how monsters were made? Woobin let out a sigh, now pondering this new question. Or were they born?

Just wondering? Woobin’s smile grew wider. Had he forgotten that curiosity killed the cat?

He cocked his head to the side, watching as the other took a sip of his espresso; exhibit A. Woobin knew how it worked - poke it one way, and it would sink to its knees, poke it with another, it would start nipping at your ankles. That was the beauty of experimentation, the core of its teachings was rooted in manipulation. His forte really, the art of seduction and destruction. The man had taught long enough to know how to approach the question for students like that - something that was clear-cut and easily devourable. But the current case was different; the addition of honesty had just made the process a little more complicated.

A drop -- of the chart, kind of thing. As though winter was blowing its last breath to tell Soohyuk that what this man was saying was some kind of truth, as though he were the winter and his last breath. 

Breath, Soohyuk thought. His hands attached themselves to the mug and yet nothing, he felt cold as he did seconds ago and there was no difference coming from it. He took the other's words with heart, thinking precisely to every meaning it could possible take. Would it really be written on their tombstones? Because lately, death had been almost too common for Soohyuk and his thoughts.

"Ah," He pondered softly. His eyes flickered up towards the other's words, what a definition.

A dose of anesthetic. 

Numbing.

Compassion, how strange. He usually heard compassion used with over exaggerated emotion. Compassionate, it meant to do something with complete focus on that emotion. Dear god, were emotions so difficult that there were no explanations? Humans, could they get any better with things like this or would it just forever be an issue?

Soohyuk didn't want to know, he said nothing in relation to it and gave the other a sigh and a heavy sip from his coffee. "Numbing," He smiled softly as he let the bottom of his mug hit the polished wood, sitting forward slightly to lean closer to the other in curiosity. "-- I'd like to think that it would be compelling. Tenderness, humanity, oh the humanity -- I could go on with synonyms. Yet you reply with, numbing."

An interesting fellow indeed, broad shoulders and a stern face. His eyes, specifically were piercing -- Soohyuk could already feel his fingers itching for a pencil or brush. Something about how sharp the other looked, how smooth his tongue rolled to coat words with persuasive honesty. Something about the way his low voice yet did not sound to be so dark, something told Soohyuk that this man was filled with life. But it was locked away and he let his own dragon swallow the key, after all would a monster care for its upbringing?

"Stranger to stranger," Soohyuk shrugged and discontinued his act, it felt strange to be acting so nonchalant and lively this whole time. Perhaps the other could tell, obviously when Soohyuk spoke just now he was different. The corners of his lips fell just slightly enough to bring his out his grim, his eyes did the same for a droop effect that he was rather proud of, and his voice dropped just the same. Perhaps he was born to fall. 

"I'm going to tell you a secret, I'm afraid that it's going to have to stay stranger to stranger presuming this is our first and last time meeting -- if otherwise, the rules remain intact." He smirked very softly to line with his slight mockery towards himself. "I have never felt compassion, I've never felt sadness. I've been ill, I've felt pain but nothing of the heart. I really tried, just now to understand what it meant to be -- emotional but, frankly it's apparent that a sociopath like me can do nothing of the sort. I was just -- born like this."

Jaw going tight at the mention of his disease, he also made the vow to find the weakest points in his bones and press until they broke. For now, he only used his words. “Well, I can tell you it appears to be going a whole lot better than your starving artist act,” he replied sharply, once again letting his eyes travel over the cheap fabrics clinging to his former hyung’s pale skin.

Stumbling forward with Soohyuk’s fumble, his eyes went wide. Preoccupied with catching his footing he didn’t notice the slip of leather from leather, his wallet falling from his pants. Without going to the ground like the taller man he let out an annoyed sound that was quite like a growl as he whipped around to turn his his glare on the one at fault. Quickly enough, the informant’s memory was refreshed as to why he had gone out of his way to travel in opposite circles of the man he had gotten himself alone with. He hated the way the other could stare at him with complete apathy, yet maintain an almost mocking air to his words. He had always seen him for the emotionally vacant creature he was, even when the others could not.

“I have a very important meeting in…” he checked the overpriced watch on his wrist, “…roughly fifty-three minutes, so I’d like to make this quick,” he began, not even bothering to take a seat. He placed a hand on his hip as he stared the other down, the dragon guarding his skin bending in time. “Three years ago I got over my cancer and since then I’ve built quite the name for myself, but in doing so I got rid of everything that came before it. That includes my history, my family and my name. Now, as to not raise suspicion I’ve done my best just to avoid the ghosts of my past, but on occasion,” he paused, flicking his eyes to Soohyuk’s and then away, “it can’t be avoided.”

"I was aiming for it, it's a little exciting." Soohyuk gave an attempt at a smirk, he looked around and made himself comfortable. He looked at the other's frantic movements, the quick story that could barely be verified as truth or not. Quite honestly, at this point the artist could only care less. He was being taken aside to get only that? "You a drug dealer or something?"

He wanted something more.

Soohyuk brought a finger to his mouth and began biting at the skin around his nails, looking at them nonchalantly and slowly bringing his teeth together to a hangnail, or perhaps what was left of his nails. He looked at his finger again, then his hand, were they that big? Such precious things, hands were. After some thought, his hands were rather nice. Long fingers, pale skin and the slight protruding of his knuckles and his bones.

"Yeah, yeah." He replied to the only part he heard, specifically a word that asked if he understood everything he said. Soohyuk deduced that he could understand the other, but he simply didn't hear. So it wasn't the same thing, so he answered correctly. "How much does it cost though? Narcotics, just pills, don't care. A starving artist doesn't have much, I'll do what I need to though."

That sounded like a script, Soohyuk thought. He yawned and continued to look at his fingers before moving his lazy look to Seungjun's gaze. The other was so dark, not only in clothing but in total. His smirk, his eyes, his lips, something about his face surrounded by his body just told Soohyuk to go but of course he wouldn't do that.

He was to go against the norm, he was tired of acting. Step one of curing a sociopath, is to know that they must take advantage of gut instincts. In translation, they much blurt out everything that they think of. The tattoos were a particular interest, Soohyuk was an artist. He's done ink, but not like that. He wanted a tattoo, quite honestly but again the money was so tight. They weren't exceedingly expensive but -- well, that would be one thing he wouldn't be instinctive about since he had no rhyme or reason to back him up.

Seungjun had noticed the footsteps trailing beside him up the narrow stair case that lead to the private rooms and his caution was strong. Hands slipping into the pockets of his slacks, he curled his long fingers around a butterfly blade, an item he was never without. He was prepared to be approach by a thug or an ex-client who had lost their admiration for his skills — but what he saw was much worse.

A ghost from his past.

"Lee Soohyuk." The name shot to his lips before he had the time to think, narrow eyes immediately registering the dull eyes and long features of the other’s face. How many years had it been? Five? Seven? Closer to the latter he was sure. Still, it only took him seconds to remember the taller man, and apparently even less for the other to do the same to him, which caused quite the problem for the informant. His eyes darted to their surroundings, relieved that there was no one with earshot to have heard his name which had a foreign, coppery ring when he heard it aloud. How long had it been since someone had called him that?

Seungjun’s eyes slowly drifted from the dead eyes of the other to the sleeve on his arm he was admiring. His tattoos stood out under the artificial lighting, darkened in contrast to his pale skin which was painted an extra shade of white under the rays. He snorted — was this really how he was going to be outed? Hardly. “Seungjun-ah? Ah, I’m afraid you have the wrong guy, he died three years ago. Cancer — it’s just horrible. Come, I’ll tell you the story,” he spoke smoothly, wheels turning rapid fire inside his skull. Laying an inked hand on the Soohyuk’s back, he pushed him up the last few stairs and into one of the empty club rooms to keep him out of the way.

"You -" He could barely finish his thoughts before he was pushed up the stairs. Soohyuk barely understood what went on in these rooms, whatever they were called. Women and men of the like left and right, up and down, alcohol was undoubtedly part of the party and with that would come -- what was it, he knew sex came somewhere in there but there was always the deal.

At least, from what he heard. A deal, resulting in sex usually. Sex, Soohyuk thought, God would it suck to have sex in a place like this.

He was curious to find what secrets lied in these relatively small rooms, affairs and dealings and conversations left to be unheard of. Either end of him was surrounded by luxury, pure luxury at every crook and turn. Soohyuk had his eyes set on the wine holder, the silver finish would be big bucks. He couldn't help but reach out to touch it and wonder what numbers were at stake here.

"Cancer, huh?" Soohyuk took his fingers from the cold silver and rubbed his fingertips together, enthused slightly at the condensation's effects. "How's that treating you, by the way?"

Soohyuk pretended to trip, he reached back and went halfway down to the floor, reaching swiftly to the other's hip and feeling his hand meet leather as he forced the other to bend down. The leather popped out and greeted Soohyuk warmly by falling to the floor and allowing Soohyuk to stand and simultaneously stick the wallet in his pocket. Nothing difficult, even for an old friend. After all, he barely knew the guy at this point.

"My bad," He scratched the back of his head and headed to the bench that lined up against the furthest wall. "-- I might have had too much to drink."

He turned around to a face he hadn't seen in so long, he remembered Seungjun well. High school, was it? Dark times, quite honestly if anything he remembered the girl he always had by his side. She was practically a Korean reincarnation of Dorris Day, if that even did justice. Straight A's and class president, laddi-da-di-da. Soohyuk could care less what happened to her, she bored him to the maximum but he had to keep his "illness" under the rock. 

The only person who even came close to seeing his truth was Seungjun, he could see right through him. However it's different now, tattoos covered the skin that was once so pale and unbelievable armor for such a frail body. Now, he was so different. Still small, or perhaps Soohyuk had just grown an unbelievable amount.