THE  CORNER  OF  HIS  MOUTH  LIFTED  BY  THE  MENTION  OF  HER  NAME.   ❛  Alora.❜  ,  he  repeated  then  as  if  he  was  tasting  the  name  on  his  tongue.  ❛  Such  a  pretty  name  for  a  pretty  woman  ❜,  he  calmly  said,  lips  forming  now  to  his  usual  charming  smile  completely  while  he  was  watching  and  listening  to  her.   

The femme observes him,ㅤsilence takes the reigns as the glow underneath the water fractures softly across the planes of his countenance,ㅤcrimson reflections sliding through dark lashes upon that calm and measured expression alike.ㅤThat restrain in him that fascinates her more than violence ever could.ㅤMost people do mistake control for absence,ㅤassuming composure means peace and that discipline,ㅤas plain it may seem,ㅤsomehow erase the things restrained on it.ㅤㅤ❛❛ㅤㅤNo.ㅤㅤ❜❜ㅤㅤA softly murmur,ㅤvoice sinking into the water between them like silk disappearing in the gaps of blood colored tides.ㅤㅤ❛❛ㅤㅤObedience and understanding are not the same thing.ㅤㅤ❜❜​​​​​​ㅤㅤThe words drift into the narrowing space that separates both silhouettes now.ㅤ

Amaranthine lowers towards the restless water gathered around his hands before flying once more to meet his eyes directly.ㅤA butterfly blink,ㅤwithout any fear tinting the expression of the female.ㅤOnly that same dangerous curiosity he already recognized far too quickly.ㅤAnd that is kind of unfortunate for them both.ㅤHe is right.ㅤShe is watching him,ㅤawaiting for the water itself to confess things the other refuses to say aloud.ㅤPart of her believes it eventually will.ㅤ

The currents wind around the ankles pulse faintly as his hand rises towards the wrist,ㅤstopping just short of contact.ㅤCrystal does not move away,ㅤfingers remain suspended near his skin close enough now for the strange coolness beneath translucent fractures to brush against the warmth lingering there.ㅤA silent tension hums between touch and the fragile restaint.ㅤEven if it is deliberate.ㅤThat kind of closure that no one dares to cut with the edge of a knife.ㅤㅤ❛❛ㅤㅤHmmm.ㅤㅤ❜❜ㅤㅤA gentle sound escapes her.ㅤㅤ❛❛ㅤㅤPerhaps people confuse control with affection because both require attention.ㅤObservation.ㅤPatiente.ㅤDangerous curiosity has a habit of finding dangerous people.ㅤㅤ❜❜ㅤㅤShe whispers,ㅤenough that the water nearly steals the words away.ㅤㅤ❛❛ㅤㅤThough I suspect you knew such before approaching me.ㅤㅤ❜❜​​​​​​ㅤㅤFingertips finally shiftㅤㅤ────ㅤㅤnot touching him fully,ㅤmerely allowing the backs of knuckles to grace lightly against the edge of his hand for the blink of an eye and how it graces the touch of a single butterfly that comes into existence.ㅤCool warmth brushes his skin like moonlight passing over the dark tides,ㅤenough to be felt and linger afterward.

❛❛ㅤㅤAs for what I might find,ㅤㅤ❜❜ㅤㅤAmethysts narrow with the tug of dark purple lips turning heavensward.ㅤㅤ❛❛ㅤㅤPeople only warn others away from the truth when some part of them secretly wishes to be understood despite it all.ㅤㅤ❜❜ㅤㅤ

THE  FLEETING  BRUSH  OF  HER  KNUCKLES  AGAINST  HIS  HAND  LINGERED  LONG  AFTER  THE  TOUCH  WAS  OVER.  What  an  ephemeral  thing  it  had  been  and  yet,  the  sensation  settled  beneath  his  skin  with  a  gentle  heaviness  he  could  not  quite  explain.  It  tingled,  like  static,  yet  felt  light  overall.  Minkyu  fixed  his  gaze  upon  her  face,  watching  her  —  the  subtle  curve  of  her  smile,  that...  certainty  lurking  behind  those  amethyst  eyes  in  which  he  could  lose  himself.  But  of  course,  he  also  noticed  the  distance  she  continued  to  maintain;  a  distance  that  kept  the  tension  between  them  alive. ㅤDangerous  curiosity  has  a  habit  of  finding  dangerous  people.ㅤㅤ  Oh,  Minkyu  knew  that  she  was  dangerous,  maybe  he  just  didn’t  know  how  much,  but  he  knew  she  was  right  about  that,  if  only  for  the  simple  fact  that,  in  this  very  moment,  that  was  precisely  the  case.

A  corner  of  his  mouth  lifted  almost  imperceptibly,  it  was  a  small,  nearly  reluctant  twitch  in  reaction  to  her  next  words.  Did  he  wish  to  be  understood?  Perhaps  once,  long  ago..  but  now,  he  was  utterly  indifferent  to  the  idea.  His  desires,  his  feelings  —  they  were  already  controlled  far  too  much.  So  much  so  that  he  no  longer  even  knew  what  he  truly  wanted...  not  since  THAT  DAY.  The  day  everything  changed  and  made  him  shallow,  only  filled  with  RAGE  and  the  need  to  get  REVENGE.  ❛  Most  people  don't  want  understanding,  they  want  validation.  They  want  someone  to  look  at  all  the  things  they’ve  already  decided  and  simply  agree  with  them..  because  true  understanding,  my  dear,  is  far  more  uncomfortable  than  that.  ❜

ㅤ

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤA tone, that radiates ALL but excitement. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤHe could not be blamed. Faulted. Hardly so.

Dry as stone, comes his voice, their head canting in response. While, YES, there was some spectacular element to finding blood buried, Young - Soo, had long since been able to express themselves well. Emotions like EXCITEMENT left them trembling, and fear, left them still. Stony. Each and every appropriate, near human reaction, had been beaten from their body over the course of decades ; a body, can do naught but ADAPT.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤIn many ways, Haehyun was fortunate to escape ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤKyeong - Mook. But, perhaps not so fortunate, in ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤother ways.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ❝ I suppose little in this world surprises me. ❞

A truth, that could not truly be overstated. They do their all, not to chime in over TRAUMAS OF THE PAST, knowing that they could not be changed, or altered in a way that was digestible ; Pleasant, really, to speak about. It matters little, as Min agrees to get soo out of the daylight obscured. Painted digits twitch at handle, and they turn on a heel. They're familiar with the bar ; with to soju, it would serve, and the blood that flocked to it. Tastier patrons there were, but they would abstain from sinking fangs into FLESH before company. Politeness, was cardinal, after all.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ❝ Allergies are a wretched little curse. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤI burn so easily and the itching that comes with it is dreadful. ❞

They begin onward, though their pace is slow, heeled shoes clicking light against the sidewalk. Corset hugs their form tight, and clothes, tighter, still. Yet, they move with the flowing grace of a river, unbothered by those garments that would cause a human strife. They found such affinity, in the clothes of yesteryear, that they'd long since adjusted to the minor troubles. Breathing, though, was never one of them ; not when it wasn't a mandated practice.

Carefully at his side to they move, smile worn thin, soft. ❝ I never much ask Haehyun about their comings and goings ... but, I assume it fair enough to them. Tell me ; what do you think of the entire business, mm ? I imagine it wasn't your lifes' dream to be... well, a criminal. Not that I'm any better. ❞

❛  ALLERGIES…RIGHT.  ❜  he  snorted,  which  was  barely  more  than  a  laugh.  The  words  dripped  with  disbelief,  making  his  opinion  unmistakably  clear,  yet,  he  made  no  attempt  to  challenge  the  statement  further,  or  even  to  ask  any  follow  up  questions.  He  had  already  realized  that  every  answer  Young-Soo  gave  seemed  to  spawn  three  new  questions.  By  now,  he  suspected  he  could  ask  what  color  the  sky  was  and  somehow  receive  an  answer  that  sounded  like  a  centuries  old  prophecy.  But  regardless  of  that,  the  explanation  lingered  in  his  mind  longer  than  it  really  should  have.

The  burning,  the  itching,  the  umbrella, that  strange  discomfort,  even  under  faint  sunlight, ( the clothes ) Something  about  it  struck  him  as  so  odd,  perhaps  even  too  obvious  for  him  to  see  through,  after  all,  he  was  known  for  always  thinking  too  deeply  about  things.  Yet,  every  instinct  warned  him  against  pulling  on  that  particular  thread  —  at  least  not  for  now.  Their  footsteps  echoed  softly  against  the  pavement  as  they  walked  along.  Cars  drove  past,  snippets  of  conversation  or  music  drifted  out  from  open  storefronts.  Minkyu  shoved  his  hands  into  his  pockets,  while  Young-Soo’s  next  question  earned  him  a  long,  glance,  gaze  briefly  grazed  the  others  profile  before  shifting  back  toward  the  path  ahead.  ❛  You  really  don’t  waste  any  time,  do  you?  Most  people  wait  until  the  second  drink  before  asking  about  my  life  choices.  ❜  Despite  his  suspicion,  his  tone  remained  lighthearted,  though  now,  something  thoughtful  was  within  it  and  Minkyu  did  not  answer  immediately.

EVERYDAY LIFE / DOMESTIC

📋 : how organized is your muse?

✅ : what do they pretend to have together that they don't?

🕰️ : what time do they naturally wake up when no one needs them?

☕ : what's their morning ritual, and what happens when it's disrupted?

🧺 : how often do they do laundry?

🪞 : do they look at themselves in mirrors, or avoid them? why?

🍽️ : do they eat to survive, for pleasure, or as comfort?

🏠 : what part of their living space reflects them the most?

🌱 : do they keep plants, and are those plants alive?

🧼 : what's something they're weirdly particular about being clean?

📺 : what do they put on when they don't want to think?

SOCIALIZATION / CONNECTION

🗣️ : are they better one-on-one, or in groups?

📱 : do they text back immediately, or let messages rot?

🫥 : how often do they pretend to be fine to keep the peace?

🎭 : how different are they with strangers versus people they trust?

🤝 : do they make friends easily, or accidentally?

🧠 : what do they assume people think about them?

🌘 : how hard is it to really know them?

🎉 : do they enjoy social events, or endure them?

🪑 : are they the type to leave early without saying goodbye?

INTROSPECT / INTERNAL LANDSCAPE

🕵️‍♀️ : how often does your muse think about death?

🧩 : what part of themselves do they not understand yet?

🫀 : what emotion scares them the most?

👣 : do they believe they deserve good things?

🧱 : what walls are they aware of building? which ones are they not aware of?

🕳️ : what do they spiral about at night?

📉 : what's their most common self-criticism?

💀 : do they trust their own memories?

🌊 : what emotion do they drown in when they're alone?

PERSONAL / DEEP / TRAUMA-ADJACENT

🩸 : what wound shaped them the most, even if they won't admit it?

🔥 : what moment do they replay when they're ashamed?

🧷 : who failed them first?

🕯️ : what do they grieve that no one else sees as a loss?

🪤 : what pattern do they keep falling back into?

🧨 : what pushes them past the point of restraint?

🧬 : what did they inherit emotionally from their caregivers?

🕶 : what lie do they tell themselves to survive?

🩹 : what actually helps them heal, even if it's unhealthy?

HABITS / VICES / COPING

🚬 : what vice do they justify the most?

🍺 : do they drink to socialize, numb, or celebrate?

💊 : what's their relationship with substances, past or present?

🏃 : do they move their body to feel alive or to punish it?

🛏️ : how do they sleep when things are bad?

🎧 : what kind of music gets them through the worst days?

🖊️ : do they write things down or let thoughts rot in their head?

☔️ : do they intellectualize pain instead of feeling it?

🕳️ : what habit would unravel them if taken away?

SEXUALITY / INTIMACY

🫠 : is it easy for them to get turned on, or do they need emotional safety first?

💞 : do they separate sex and feelings, or blur them dangerously?

🛑 : what's an immediate turn-off for them?

🔥 : do they crave intensity or stability?

🤲 : do they like being in control, or giving it up?

🪶 : are they gentle with people they desire?

🍒 : how do they feel about their own body during intimacy?

🎱 : what do they need to feel wanted?

🔒 : do they guard intimacy, or give it too freely?

💔 : have they ever used sex to avoid something?

MORALITY / CHOICES

⚖️ : what line will they never cross?

🩶 : what line have they already crossed and justified? or regret?

🧭 : do they believe they're a good person?

🔪 : what would they do if survival demanded cruelty?

🪙 : what do they value more, loyalty or truth?

🚪 : who would they abandon if forced to choose?

🕊️ : do they believe in forgiveness? for themselves? in others?

🧨 : what would make them snap permanently?

📜 : what promise do they regret making?