asunder.

해금 by Agust D

he  was  a  bull  ,  after  all  ,  hardly  a  snake  .  he  preferred  when  they  saw  him  coming  anyway  . ❛    weird  ,  i  don’t  think  i  know  adam  either  –  but  if  it’s  the  one  i’m  thinking  of  ,  i’ve  heard  a  lot  of  …  interesting  stories  .      ❜  now  the  smile  appears  ,  teasing  the  corner  of  his  mouth  before  a  sigh  escapes  .  it  was  probably  some  cheap  southern  saying  -  another  reminder  of  how  badly  he  needed  to  get  out  of  this  place  they  call  a  town  .  he  continues  to  study  her  ,  though  not  as  closely  ,  now  that  he  knew  what  she  was  ,  until  the  smile  curled  into  half  of  a  laugh  ,  filtering  out  by  the  shake  of  his  head  .  ❛    oh  ,  i  guess  i  should  apologize  ,  right  ?  would  you  prefer  me  to  call  you  my  fair  lady  ?  she  of  the  sun  and  stars  ?  my  bad  ,  i  just  thought  with  that  tone  and  all  ,  you  and  i  were  on  some  kind  of  …  oh  what’s  the  word  ,  that  we  had  some  kind  of  camaraderie  that  i  just  forgot  about  .      ❜  of  course  not  ,  but  there’s  a  part  of  him  that  wants  to  see  her  more  frustrated  ,  to  see  just  what  a  halfling  could  be  capable  of  –  especially  one  half  human  . 

"i don't think i've been mia for that long that we're suddenly STRANGERS." a chuckle escapes her lips as she shrugs her shoulders. despite the lightness in her tone, there's a fondness mingled with familiarity. while she hasn't been around as long as the other, centuries in compared to millennia there's still a kin-ness between them she can't deny. "don't worry, if i've come to actually collect you, you'll KNOW." though she can't help but wonder if that day would actually come and if so, would she truly be the one to collect him. "mmmm, maybe i did miss you, maybe i didn't, who knows." another chuckle followed by a lax shrug of her shoulders. "but i can say it's not so bad to see this PRETTY FACE of yours," a grin curls at her lips as she gives a playful poke of the other's cheek. / @umbraen.

❛    SORRY  ,  NEW  PHONE  ,  WHO’S  THIS  ?      ❜  the  garuda’s  eyes  ,  often  mere  black  pools  set  upon  his  features  ,  practically  glow  to  his  own  amusement  in  what  he  would  consider  to  be  humor  .  it  didn’t  go  ignored  ,  what  she’d  said  about  collecting  him  ,  and  his  response  mirrors  her  much  the  same  ,  with  a  shrug  -  all  too  casual  -  of  his  shoulders  .  ❛    you  think  that  would  work  ?  i  mean  ,  technically  speaking  ,  not  exactly  one  of  this  realm  ,  am  i  ?  could  be  interesting  to  find  out  .      ❜  features  shift  as  his  nose  scrunches  when  she  pokes  at  his  cheek  ,  rubbing  at  it  dramatically  once  the  proverbial  intrusion  was  removed  and  a  laugh  falls  from  his  lips  ,  ❛    oh  ,  i  think  i  know  –  you  absolutely  missed  me  ,  i  mean  ,  who  else  could  you  poke  the  cheek  of  ,  huh  ?  these  right  here  ?      ❜  he  points  to  his  face  like  it  was  some  kind  of  mystery  what  he  was  referring  to  ,  ❛    not  only  the  money  maker  ,  but  very  pokeable  .        ❜  he  grins  too  ,  head  shaking  ,      ❛    so  ,  i’ll  address  the  elephant  in  the  room  ,  why  are  you  here  ?      ❜ 

           ❛   enough with the games.   ❜   she growls softly. hazel eyes beginning to bleed out to be replaced, with the gold,red,black and purple mess, that signaled her heritage. her descendency from the knights. to payne though it was just another sign of what she could never erase. the fact she was far from normal. and no matter how she tried. it was an unwritten truth that she'd never escape.   (   her destiny was written for her   )    fiery eyes leveling on him, as the flames continue to caress her skin. her mind both aware of him in front, and the one sneaking upon them.   ❛   so cut the bullshit and tell me, are you and the ass behind me, here to drag me to hell. or some other fucking mission. as right now im getting tired of the cryptic bullshit!!   ❜    that and she was rebelling against her own mind   ━   as normally if someone mentioned someone else powerful. and her in the same sentence. it only ever translated to her brother. which was a mix, she'd rather avoid.

❛      cut  the  tough  act  and  the  dramatics  .    ❜  he  watches  the  flames  caress  ,  sparks  that  fly  towards  the  very  heavens  they  are  intended  to  burn  ,  and  another  caw  from  above  signals  more  warning  .  sombra  was  his  horus  in  the  darkest  of  nights  ,  the  brightest  of  days  and  he  would  sooner  allow  this  cambion  burn  than  allow  himself  to  .  he  was  no  martyr  to  any  cause  .      ❛    if  they  were  with  me  ,  you  would  be  dead  by  now  ,  and  that’s  a  promise  .  hell  fire  or  not  .        ❜  a  piercing  gaze  takes  on  the  familiar  glow  ,  the  radiant  blue  piercing  the  veil  of  flesh  and  bone  in  warning  .  ❛      now  ,  i  am  giving  you  a  choice  .  direct  that  anger  towards  me  and  learn  what  nine  hundred  years  of  hell  can  teach  a  nephilim  ,  or  …    ❜  eyes  dart  above  her  shoulder  ,      ❛    you  can  accept  the  favor  i  am  literally  giving  to  you  on  a  silver  platter  and  let  me  get  you  the  hell  out  of  here  .        ❜ @hellsurvivr

ㅤㅤ" how 'bout you go ahead and tell your boss that i politely decline? "ㅤwords rise on the curl of smoke that escapes their mouth, their tone remaining entirely too bored for someone approached in such a way.ㅤ" or that i rudely decline. i don't give a fuck. s'not like i've done anythin' worth me bein' labelled as a problem. "ㅤa lie, something they're both surely aware of.ㅤ" so, uh. nah. i'm good, thanks. "

❛      is  this  the  way  you  deal  with  just  about  everything  ?    ❜  he  questions  ,  though  it’s  not  intended  to  come  off  as  a  lecture  ,  his  tone  matches  the  other’s  by  coming  off  as  incredibly  bored  .  ❛    because  i  can  go  tell  him  that  you  rudely  declined  ,  but  if  you’re  even  the  slightest  bit  of  intelligent  ,        ❜  which  right  now  ,  suyeong  doesn’t  think  they  are  at  the  rate  things  are  going    ,  ❛    you’d  at  least  want  to  pick  and  choose  your  battles  ,  so  why  not  you  choose  not  to  fight  this  one  ,  huh  ?      ❜ @byanyan

❝ Most human parents die during the childbirth of my sort-—statistically speaking. And then there aren't exactly resources or support groups for raising a little abomination. I think she had no fucking clue what to do with me or how to guide me and I don't think many would. Some parents don't do enough and the rest simply do their best. ❞

some  parents  may  do  their  best  ,  and  this  isn’t  something  noted  from  experience  .  after  all  ,    his  father  didn’t  do  his  best  —  he’d  created  a  weapon  out  of  something  not  meant  for  the  world  in  which  he’d  been  born  into  .  he’d  raised  a  nephilim  with  the  heart  of  a  demon  ,  ❛      unfortunately  ,  our  kind  tend  to  be  the  biggest  disappointments  for  the  previous  generations  ,  or  is  that  also  a  touchy  subject  ?      ❜

a pensive hum thunders across her breastbone, her index finger idly taps against her chin as if in deep contemplation. truth to be told, ahri enjoys the metaphor of the empty boat languidly floating across the oceans much more than the mental image of an obscure tunnel from which one may never truly escape. ❝ now, this is quite a pessimistic view on life. ❞ her response is feather - light and spoken in jest, but it is evident that her attention has been piqued and that she wishes to know more: it has always been arduous, to resist the pull of temptation. and thus the foxette takes a tentative step forward, as if diminishing the distance between them would aid her in further unveiling what he keeps jealously buried beneath flesh and bones ; she is a docile little thing, all fluttering lashes and honey - sweet simpers, for now. ❝ let me ask you, then ... are you digging a way out ? or are you waiting for the boulder to finally catch up ? ❞

her  question  doesn’t  bring  pause  ,  but  a  moment  of  contemplation  .  what  is  he  in  the  tunnel  ?  perhaps  he  is  the  trapped  ,  running  from  that  which  continues  to  chase  after  him  while  seeking  a  sense  of  end  ,  but  he  could  also  be  the  boulder  ,  tearing  down  obstacles  in  the  fast  paced  ,  uncontrollable  manner  leaving  whatever  is  left  behind  in  the  dust  and  wind  .  ❛      maybe  i’m  neither  .      ❜  he  decides  ,  the  same  sand  that  had  been  grating  his  tone  now  turns  loose  mud  ,  soaked  from  the  very  waters  that  she’d  referenced  so  easily  before  .  through  the  fingers  of  destiny  ,  he  seeps  through  ,  refusing  to  be  held  by  any  hands  of  the  creator  ,  the  enemy  ,  or  perhaps  the  friends  he’s  been  given  (  often  unwillingly  )  along  the  way  .  ❛    maybe  i’m  the  boulder  ,  destroying  everything  in  my  path  and  leaving  others  to  clean  up  the  mess  until  eventually  ,  i  either  stop  ,  or  tumble  out  the  other  end  of  what  i’ve  always  believed  to  be  a  never-ending  path  .  —  but  tell  me  this  ,  wouldn’t  you  want  to  claw  your  way  out  to  avoid  what’s  been  given  to  you  ?  to  be  free  to  choose  your  own  path  ,  no  matter  where  it  may  lead  ?        ❜ @vulpesse

finally, her gaze returns to her interlocutor. ❝ as odd as it might sound, i have never been fond of storms. i do not have a real reason to fear the thunder, but i could never learn how to love its boisterous violence. ❞ somewhere, 'pon a branch far enough from the eyes but close enough for their ears to listen, a wood thrush chirps in obvious agreement. she leans forward then, cradling a cheek in the warmth of her palm and allowing a brief lapse of quietude to settle between them. ❝ there is a kind of comfort, to be found in the dancing shadows of the towering trees. at times, it almost feels like a motherly embrace ... a tender attempt at keeping all the dangers of the world outside. ❞

❛      without  the  light  ,  there  will  be  no  shadow  —    ❜  a  whisper  more  to  himself  than  the  one  at  his  side  ,  the  mantra  of  a  mother  looking  to  soothe  her  young  ,  shadowling  of  a  son  .  ❛    it’s  normal  to  fear  without  reason  ,  i’ve  seen  it  every  single  day  of  my  life  —  wars  raged  over  the  face  of  a  woman  ,  swelling  rage  without  direction  ,  this  world  is  full  of  it  —  an  unbridled  energy  looking  to  drain  every  inch  of  life  .      ❜  it’s  a  testament  of  strength  ,  perhaps  ,  that  those  who  reside  in  this  realm  have  not  fallen  to  their  whims  ,  and  koren  longs  for  the  opportunity  to  return  to  his  home  and  see  that  those  fighting  blood  for  blood  on  the  other  side  having  come  to  their  senses  ,  opted  to  live  in  a  semblance  of  peace  where  he  cannot  recall  a  time  when  it  existed  .  ❛    too  many  live  by  the  idea  that  thunder  is  an  omen  ,  so  it’s  not  as  nonsensical  as  you  might  think  ….  to  be  afraid  .      ❜ @vulpesse

Haegeum (2023)