#ysmo

Five am that particular Saturday morning had every phone in the building set into its usual alarm tone, ringing the people awake in what Devon hoped to be the least aggressive way possible. He’d spent the past half hour explaining everything to his sister in the basement downstairs, receiving apologies for her behaviour from her side as well as occasionally running a hand through her hair or over her back to calm her down too. They’d settled back into their usual understanding where she only asked for clarification of what he told her and did not ask further. He explained to her of the plant he needed and she clarified that it wouldn’t take her as long as he thought it would have to get the plant. Mostly because of the increase in her ability that gave her a wider range to work in, but also because she by now was able to travel faster underground than he had thought possible. On her own, of course, not with anyone else. He’d brought up Seunghoon’s idea of her possibly needing a companion but she, just like he had thought, stated that that was too big of a risk because which explanation would they give towards someone just disappearing from Claell grounds for a good twenty-four hours. Or someone travelling to the very outskirts of the grounds. It didn’t make sense and it would definitely be investigated, so it was for the best if she went alone. She could get them a working garb, however, and that was what she would do after delivering the three Easterners back to their homes. So all informed and completely up-to-date with everything again, she had been okay with him waking the others up. Using his computer to hack into their phones it hadn’t been that hard and all they had to do now was wait for them to come down into the basement like they had done the previous time they’d all gathered.

Five am that particular Saturday morning, Yifan was jolted out of his light sleep once again when his alarm started going off. He’d awoken once in cold when Seunghoon had left and he’d reached out before heading to the bathroom, he’d awoken again when Seunghoon returned but hadn’t said anything and just closed his eyes again and now he awoke a third time after only having been asleep again shortly. Rubbing the painful awakening out of his eyes, he started to move already, knowing that them being woken up meant it was time for the Easterners to go home so they wouldn’t get caught outside of their houses when they were supposed to be in. Moving his legs out of the bed, he took hold of his phone at the same time and turned off the alarm, glad that it didn’t keep on going even though it was put into sound by Devon most probably. Standing up next, he needed a moment to let the world settle around him as it started wildly spinning at the movement he made. Letting out a short groan to voice out his disapproval of his current situation, he tucked his phone back into his pocket and then put on his pants again. He knew he didn’t have to go anywhere and could in fact just go back to bed once the three Easterners had left, but from the previous time he also knew that the empty feeling in his chest was hardly going to allow him any proper sleep anymore once Seunghoon was gone. Swallowing painfully at the mere thought, Yifan turned his gaze over to his companion near the other bed, whose alarm clock had gone off just the same as his had. “Good morning,” he spoke, deciding to use his voice rather than their connection mostly because his head seemed to unstable to trust that. “I hope you can get some more sleep at home once you get there. I don’t think you had much of it tonight.” Lifting a hand to run it through his hair, he hesitantly put himself into motion, only to think better of it one footstep into the movement when he came back to a halt. He would just smoke up and move downstairs that way, hopefully putting himself back together in a better way than he was feeling now. But first he’d wait of course until Seunghoon had left the room as well and was properly on his way downstairs too.

Some ungodly hour of some ungodly day, the foreign sound of a phone ringing jolted Minho awake out of what was probably the best sleep he’d ever had. Groaning at the sound and the feeling of how it was too early to live, he tried to imagine who in their right minds would call him at this unholy hour. Tightening his hold a bit on the shape in his arms, he nuzzled into the person’s shoulder a bit more and placed a kiss there. And it was that just as foreign action that nudged him further awake, enough to open up the barrier to his dogs and let the information trickle in of what had happened throughout the night. Frog’n informed him everything was safe, whereas Gorn matter-of-factly stated how Devon had come to get Seunghoon overnight, Yifan had gone to the bathroom, Tess had spoken with Jinwoo who’d gone to the bathroom and spent time with Merch in the hallway and eventually Seunghoon had returned and Tess had gone downstairs again, leaving Merch to guard Jinwoo’s door again. Letting out another hum and a huff at the whole bunch of information that was seemingly catapulted straight into his brain - although admittedly Gorn was simply reporting and did not just dump it all at once, but it still felt that way to him - he eventually pried open his eyes. “Morning,” he muttered to the other person in the bed, running his hand over her back and starting to smile softly. A smile that died away instantly the second he realised that the ringing sound wasn’t someone calling but their alarm clocks waking them for the moment when they’d have to part. Completely going limp for a moment as the devastation of that thought hit him, the only emotion he could feel then settled in his chest; acceptance. Once again he would have to leave behind whatever semblance of peace and happiness he’d managed to acquire that night and he would have to wait who knew how long to be able to get it back. Turning over, he got out of the bed first and then took hold of his phone to turn off the alarm that by now almost sounded like screeching to his ears.

Devon arrived at the doorstep of his house with his two companions rather easily. Undisturbed by anyone and knowing full well where to thread so no camera would see him, it wasn't long before he could unlock the door of his own house and step inside. By then the two males he'd been guiding would've probably felt their Marks heat up, so Devon didn't even try to explain to them where they were going or who would be there. Entering his house, he quickly ushered his two companions and the dog inside before closing the door behind him and locking it off completely. Making sure no one but him would be able to open the thing anymore, he then turned on his heels and walked over to the wall. This time he simply used the tablet to open the entranceway downstairs, the wall sliding aside easily and revealing the exit. Not letting the others go first this time around, Devon walked down the stairs until he was in the basement again. Waiting only long enough for his three companions to be in his sight as well, he then closed and locked the door at the top of the stairs completely. This was the biggest part of the group already, now all he had left to do was wait for his sister and her Target. Turning towards the living room itself only then, Devon's gaze took in the couch where Lyn was sitting on the ground next to and the Rottweiler was lying with her. Frowning lightly because there was one very important part of this whole thing missing, his eyes went over to the hallway that led out of the living room. "Where's Yifan?" he asked as his gaze returned to Lyn, but before she could even give him an answer, said male already entered the living room. Nodding at the man in greeting, Devon even allowed himself a small smile because it had been quite a while since he'd last seen the other. Turning back to the two he'd brought along not long after, the smile disappeared again. "This is a safe place. We can talk freely here and there will be no one to find out. But I need you to put down all your weapons and leave them at the stairs," he stated in the same neutral voice as always, waiting in place then for the two Easterners to do as he had told them to.

Yifan, who'd been trying his best not to die on the inside in the bathroom, had been woken from his nightmare-filled slumber by the sudden warm sensation on his lower arm. A sensation which hadn't suddenly disappeared again but which had continued to grow until he had eventually found himself forced to pick himself up off the floor and make something of himself again. Going back to the sink and mirror, he'd simply splashed some water in his face and had washed it shortly before drying off. Looking at himself a moment longer then, he turned on his heels and exited the bathroom to go back to the living room. Upon entering, he was not only faced with his own Target, but Lyn's too as well as Devon. Able to at least smile at the latter somewhat sincerely, Yifan then just walked over to the couch and took a seat in it once more where he had been before. Not saying anything to Lyn nor the two Easterners, he shortly looked at the dog on the floor at his feet before averting his gaze  to the television screen against the wall. There were two more couches in the room aside from the one he was sitting on, all three of them two-seaters. A lot of space, but with Devon telling the other Easterners to take a seat, he assumed it was made for situations such as these. Although it would've surprised him if more situations like this one had ever happened before. Devon seemed calm enough for it, really, but then Devon was always calm, composed and calculated. Much unlike Yifan himself. Just sitting there, Yifan waited to see what would happen next.

Minho, upon entering the house Devon had led them to, would've normally made sure to look around, but several yards earlier he'd suddenly come into contact again with Frog'n and the dog had done its share of inspecting the house already, so he knew just what he was walking into. Not hesitating once in his steps, even though his Mark had warmed up considerably and he was entering a strange house, Minho simply walked through the door when the male allowed them to and already headed over to the wall across from it before being prompted to do so. Waiting there for Devon to somehow open the door, he watched the male go down the stairs before looking over at Seunghoon shortly. The other male was eyeing him with the most judging of expressions and Minho realised once again how Seunghoon did not just get all this information he got without having to open his mouth for it. Leery already headed downstairs on her own, turning to the left there and thereby bringing into sight Frog'n and Lyn for him. Feeling himself warm up lightly at the sight of his Target being safe and sound with Frog'n with her, Minho followed a moment in his mind how Leery went over to the both of them and simply lay down next to her cub and his Target. Only when she'd done that, and let out a sigh of relief for being able to rest again, did he focus his gaze on Seunghoon more consciously again. "It's okay," he stated softly, nodding his head before turning and going down the stairs as well into the basement. Halting a step away from the bottom of the stairs, he heard how the door at the top closed completely. Hearing Devon talk to Lyn, his gaze went through the room, wondering who the man might be talking about - whoever was Yifan after all - before then suddenly Kris entered the room as well.

His attention got pulled again then by Devon, who stated they were in a safe place and could talk freely, but that they had to take off their weapons and leave them at the stairs. Looking back at said stairs, Minho then lifted his gaze back up to Seunghoon to see what he thought of it all. Watching his friend look around warily, he waited for Seunghoon to make a decision before moving himself as well and putting down his weapons. Taking them out one by one, he left them on the ground at the bottom of the stairs before then also taking off his bulletproof vest because the thing was still soaked and dragging him down. Looking back up once he was finished, his gaze first went to Lyn automatically before he turned his gaze back to Devon. "Follow me," the male then spoke and Minho shortly glanced at Seunghoon first again before deciding to just go along. Lyn trusted this male, he trusted Lyn, so he was just going to trust this whole fucking thing and go with it. If he'd end up dead because of it, well so be it. But Devon came to a halt again at Seunghoon's question, glancing back to then look over at what Seunghoon meant. "They're not soaking wet and in need of dry clothes last time I checked," he responded easily, turning around and walking on. Minho shortly looked at Lyn and Yifan again too before continuing on after Devon when Seunghoon put  himself into motion too. Heading through a small hallway, they entered a room on their left which turned out to be a bedroom. Devon walked up to the wardrobe there and opened it up, revealing a bunch of different kinds of clothes all nicely folded. "Just get something that fits and change," they were told by the Westerner, who then left the room to come to a halt right outside of it, but out of sight. Looking at the door opening for a short moment, Minho then turned back to the wardrobe to indeed take out some clothes and try them on for size. He knew well enough that he needed to change out of his wet clothes or he would get sick, so he wasn't going to turn down this offer.

Somewhere in the middle of another fruitless attempt at proper sleep, Yifan's phone had rang and rendered every try useless once more. Breathing out a deep sigh, he'd reached for his phone and picked up with a tired voice. It had been his cousin talking to him, telling him he had to go over to Devon's place because they had to catch up. He'd frowned at it and had wanted to ask her why, but she'd sounded so urgent and serious that he'd only told her he would be there soon. Heaving himself out of bed while listening for anything else she might still say, Yifan had paused in his movements a moment upon hearing her words, but had still replied with an 'I love you too' before hanging up. Going over to his wardrobe, Yifan had picked out an outfit to wear simply by taking the shirt on top of the pile, the pants on top of the pile and the first pair of socks he got his hands on. Pulling on the clothes, he'd then grabbed the thickest sweater he had before heading over to the living room. There he'd put on his shoes, jacket, scarf, gloves and hat, tucking himself into the warm clothing completely. Ever since he'd suddenly shifted temperatures for apparently no reason, he'd been dressing as warmly as he could every time he had to go out, simply because he could not risk freezing while he was out on his own.

The past two days had been quiet ones, almost literally. The atmosphere between Lyn and him for some reason had felt awkward and even though he'd held up the usual conversations with her like he would any other day, somehow he'd found that something had been lacking. But if there really was something off or if it was just him once again, that he didn't know. He could still clearly remember the stabbing pain in his chest, however, that had felt like it had killed him back when his cousin had pulled away from his touch and moved out of his reach. He could still remember how she'd looked at him a little later when she'd become human again, too. But mostly he just remembered the look of agony on her face. And somewhere in all of that, there had been a moment that had changed their lives completely. Forever. He wouldn't be able to put a finger on it or explain exactly when or why or how this was, but he just knew something had changed between them. And sadly it seemed to be something unfixable. Or maybe he was being overly dramatic and things would smooth out after he'd just get a decent night sleep in. But that had been kept from him as well. His nights had consisted of tossing and turning in his bed until his eyes would eventually close on their own out of exhaustion, only for them to open again but a meagre few hours later and wake him to more tossing, turning and especially a bunch of nightmarish half-awake dreams that he could never fully shake off throughout the day.

After the unexpected, strange but somehow also nice visit from his Target, Yifan calmly made his way back home. He'd texted Lyn to let her know he was on his way back and had suffered a small delay because of his Target when he'd just left the other, but now he had almost reached home again. Entering the apartment building, Yifan got into the elevator rather quickly and drove it up to the right floor. He picked his keys out of his pocket already as he went for the right door there and calmly made his way into the apartment. Taking off his shoes first as usual, Yifan then walked on through the hallway to enter the living room. Smiling warmly at the girl the moment he spotted her eating at the dining table, he went over there easily. Not allowing her to get up, but motioning for her to keep eating, he simply moved to stand behind her and then wrapped his arms around her middle - underneath her arms so she could still continue eating. "Hey you," he spoke softly as he held his cousin for a moment in a back-hug, smiling warmly down at her plate of food as he let his cheek rest against hers. "It's good to see you." Holding on to her for a moment longer, he then straightened back up to move over to the spot at the table where she'd put a plate for him too. Asking first about her day and how she was doing, Yifan put some food on his plate for himself, getting everything he wanted to have before starting to eat as he listened to Lyn's words. Being questioned then almost instantly how it had been with his Target, a small smile instantly found its way to Yifan's face.

"It went well," he replied loosely, the same warmth in his voice that was visible in his expression. But then he remembered how his encounter had ended and the smile died away as a slightly worried frown came up once more. "He came to ask a few things about Westerners in return for the same information about the Easterners. He asked about how we'd learned how to talk and if all of us could do it. We also talked about our living accommodations and the kinds of weapons we use. Apparently he develops weapons. Seven months ago he came up with an idea for a rifle with thirty-five rounds. He seemed a bit lost when he heard that we have it too now, even though I told him our developers might have just studied one of his rifles and recreated it." Breathing out a slight sigh at the memory of how sad his Target had looked standing there, Yifan couldn't help but smile lightly either. A kind of smile he usually got when he was thinking of someone he liked. Not that he noticed the way he was smiling, he was just thinking of the Eastern male who'd come to him with those questions and whom had seemed just as bummed as anyone would have to find out his ideas had been recreated. In fact, his Target had seemed in that moment like a very normal, very regular human being. Not at all some kind of monster with only the intent to kill. "He left not long after that, I think that news really hit him for some reason. But he did tell me I could go to the East if I wanted to do that. And when I asked for a name he said 'Seunghoon.'"

Returning home after work, Yifan was as exhausted as he was wide awake. With Lyn doing night shifts that week, they hadn't really had much time to talk, as he usually passed out in bed before she'd even get up to leave and he was out for work before she was back. But his cousin had asked him to talk several days ago and that day had been the one they'd chosen to do so. Since he didn't have to work the next, he would be able to force himself to stay awake so they could have a decent conversation before Lyn had to head off to work. And boy did that come in handy right about now. The memories of his Target finding him just to suggest a truce still were fresh in his mind and he had a bit of trouble trying to comprehend how easily the Eastern male had given that peace offering. But more down to the core he had trouble processing how well the male spoke, how good they had been able to understand each other and how alike they apparently were. Rather than being an enraged savage out to assassinate him, his Target had proven that day to be civilised, smart and even had a sense of humour. All things that baffled him considering all of their previous encounters - and there had been many of those - had simply consisted of the other trying to kill him any means necessary. Which made trusting this guy kind of hard, but then on the other hand; should the Easterner turn out to be lying, Yifan would still be just as hard to kill. It wasn't like he would stop smoking away if he wasn't on edge all the time. And he'd still make sure to leave public spaces when his mark would heat up. It really wasn't that hard a thing to do.

One flaming fireball came particularly close to burning him alive, but then of course his defence mechanisms kicked in and the ability he still had not been able to learn how to control made half of his side and one full arm and leg part for the danger in a wisp of smoke. Yifan was still a bit baffled by the easiness with which his body gave up on its solid state in order to protect itself - even more so because sometimes he wasn't even aware of the fact that he needed protecting but his body just did so. Giving the woman who reappeared out of the fire an almost sad look, he still lifted the hand in which he held the gun - one he only had on him because his parents had always taught him to do so and the habit just stuck - and aimed for her upper leg. A shot there would hurt like hell but would not damage her irreversibly like one in the kneecap could do. The other option he had, however - a shot right between the eyes or something to the likes of that - was an option Yifan preferred not to take. But before he could really aim and shoot, something whisked right through him once again, from the left this time, and the gun easily fell out of his now smoky fingers, hitting the floor with a thud but luckily not firing a shot because of that. Making quick work of kicking the thing out of anyone's reach so that his opponents wouldn't be able to shoot them with it either, he turned his head then to look for Lyn.

His cousin - their mothers were sisters, although only half and possibly someone had been adopted somewhere in that family too, but who was keeping track, really? - now had a living flame going up to her, something even the animal shifter couldn't really do much about. So Yifan put himself into motion once again, pushing himself for a sprint and simply jumping on top of the woman. Granted, the moment his solid body touched the fire, it turned into smoke once again, but he blocked the East clan woman's view long enough to distract her from his cousin once again, like he'd been doing the whole time so far. Lyn's job was to take care of the dude who apparently did electric shocks - he couldn't feel those either, although they turned his insides into smoke occasionally and that felt ... well, airy, really - and Yifan's job was to keep the female occupied until Lyn would be capable of taking her out too. Because everyone in the whole wide West - their clan, not the sandy plains from the legends - knew that Yifan wasn't a fighter, let alone a killer.

Breathing out a deep sigh when the woman turned to him once again and became yet another flaming fireball, he closed his eyes as she went through him, feeling the lightness of his weightless form for a moment before he returned to being himself. The sensation was so natural to him by now, but he still remembered the first time it happened when he'd accidentally almost cut his finger. The knife had gone right through, moving his body apart with the air current in wisps of smoke-like matter. Now every so often someone would think it funny to stab something through him to make it work out like that. Oh and one dude in particular found an intense pleasure in hunting him down to try and shoot whatever could come up in his mind through Yifan. But then again, that man was his Target, the one he was supposed to kill and the one who was out to kill him. There wasn't much else you could expect from someone like that. Although he did feel guilty for all the buildings that had been destroyed so far because the missile didn't hit him but whatever was behind him. This woman, on the other hand, had no reason whatsoever to wish him harm other than the fact that she lived on the East side of the River and he lived in the West. Still, she was the one trespassing in West territory, so why was she being so difficult about this all? It blew Yifan's mind sometimes how people had such a hard time sticking to the rules. Everything would be so much easier if they would for once.