#opalique

✦ all items are free! // city

      Although Joonmyeon was the embodiment of every dark corner of the world shoved into one person, he still gushed with affection. That was evident around only three things; his son, alcohol, and the late hours of the night accompanied by soft stories and loud laughter. Two of those elements were at play when he’d invited his neighbor for a drink on the roof of their apartment building. It wasn’t uncommon for roofs to be furnished; people hardly bothered with this one, so Joonmyeon took the liberty of creating a space with chairs and string candles that glittered like opaline clouds of flame.       “Ah, so you tap the cheek to make sure the baby is hungry?” He repeated, setting his half-drained bottle of soju down and leaning his elbows on his knees with a soft grin. When her finger tapped his cheek, he opened his mouth in response, even adding a strained “ahhh.” That rose a laugh from the both of them. She was good company, and he enjoyed helping with her son whenever he startled the entire apartment complex at two in the morning. But tonight, he was fast asleep, and Joonmyeon couldn’t help but steal glances every now and then when her smile lit the sky. It truly was dazzling.       “Here…” He murmured, taking her palm under his slim fingers and bringing them back to his mouth, pressing a pair of soft lips to the bend of her digits. They were still cold from the bottle of soju and smelled faintly of baby lotion, causing his lips to curve into another smile. She grew quiet, but he couldn’t find it in him to let go of her hand just yet, pulling back to playfully nip at her thumb.       “I’m hungry. Shall I eat these?”

       Something wasn’t right. The portal was perfect in every inch of chalk, sigil, and coordinate: yet here the demon stood, fingers in his hair and a confused expression knotting his perfectly groomed eyebrows. This building had once been what he was looking for, but there was no sign of enchantment. He nearly turned around to head for the subway when he noticed a young woman with smooth, light hair and a baby at her hip, her free hand waving him over. He glanced around once, then twice, knowing it couldn’t have been a mistake, yet checking out of habit, before walking closer with a warm smile.         After all, maybe this woman knew something about the new location. She didn’t look like demon kin - neither did he.        “Hello.” He greeted, dipping into a steady bow before straightening back up and attempting to tuck away his hesitance for the moment.         “And hello to you, little one.” Joonmyeon’s smile widened to a plump grin, eyes shining and fingers waving at the small child nestled snug in his mother’s arms.