#scranium

@scranium  :     citlali　:　“you  don’t  know  what’s  coming.”

SELDOM  DOES  HE  EVER  KNOW     what  lies  ahead.  It  was  only  a  short  eternity  ago  that  he  had  glimpsed  his  sister  hung  an  ornament  of  the  abyss  -     princess,  they  had  called  her.        Yet  Aether  walked  onward  still     -  walks  onward,  even  now,  under  crimson  glow  of  pyro  beneath  the  moonlight.  He  must  wonder,  prone  as  he  is  to  the  act,  if  anyone  could  ever  truly  know  what  is  to  come. 

Intuition  and  experience  mean  little  before  the  ticking  of  fate's  eternal  hand.  His  is  a  decided  one,  by  his  own  will.  To  live  and  to  tread,  tread,  tread,    until  Lumine's  presence  finds  permanence.     What,  then,  is  Citlali's?  To  warn  and  fail  to  heed?  To  protect  and  guide  though  she  seems  to  hold  a  Knowing  beyond  him?  It  would  be  remiss  to  presume.  He  can  only  give  her  his  eyes,  staring  boldly  forward,  failing  to  burrow  in  their  ancient  hue  beyond  the  surface  he  sees.

"And  you  do?"

the words should have sounded light. they almost did. but underneath was that familiar ache, the one he never fully admitted to anyone: the ache of knowing this world would eat them whole if they blinked too long. HE TRIED TO DROWN IT IN JOKES, IN SWEAT, IN THE RHYTHM OF PUNCHES THAT TURNED FEAR INTO SOMETHING USEFUL. but sitting here, with the quiet pressing in, he couldn’t help feeling the edges of it. he leaned back on his palms, eyes tracing the ceiling lights, their hum like a lullaby that had forgotten tenderness. “     sometimes i wonder what it’d be like, you know? if we’d met in some normal way. college classmates. neighbors. just… two guys who talk about boxing and complain about rent.     ” he let out a laugh, small and cracked. “     BET YOU’D STILL TRY AND BEAT ME UP IN THAT WORLD, THOUGH.     ” there was something in his chest that wanted to say more— that wanted to say you’re the reason i haven’t broken yet, the reason i keep standing back up. but the words felt too raw, too sharp-edged. he swallowed them, let them dissolve into silence. instead, he looked at woo-jin properly this time, eyes steady. “     you hungry? i could kill for some ramyeon. my treat this time.     ” THE QUESTION LANDED SOFT, ALMOST HESITANT, BUT IT WAS ENOUGH. it was always enough with him. and in the spaces between words, geon-woo felt something like peace— fragile, fleeting, but real. / @scranium liked for a starter ﹥ 「 ☆ 」 !

the glance directed towards young-mi,　in all of her wet shih tzu glory,　is not intended to patronize.　quite the opposite,　a soft flutter of long lashes to accompany thoughtful tilting of her head.　poor thing radiates the energy of anxiety incarnate,　and each of se-mi’s subsequent ministrations are deliberately chosen to defuse her fear.　no surprise as to why she may call allegiances into question:　the company se-mi keeps is unfavorable,　unpleasant,　any and every word half-draped beyond her tongue to elucidate her dissatisfaction.　thanos is an over-grown man child,　obnoxious and lacking a brain,　and nam-gyu is a run of the mill misogynist that feels threatened by a woman who will not permit him talking down to her.　gyeong-su exists　—　allegedly　—　and min-su appears more as trepidatious pet hamster than a true teammate in any meaningful capacity.　that leaves her,　only her,　as the team’s outlier.　se-mi prefers it this way.　when the day has run its course,　she has nothing in common with them,　and they have little to do with her.