hide & seek

(...)

next accepted? the bitter drink that she could barely stomach. no alarm bells rang when he implied it was poison, barely registering the fact before he clarified it was just tea. nose scrunched along with the rest of her features, attention turned back to her killer. “you’re trying to kill me for breaking in, aren’t you? why else serve a guest,” ah, a clever attempt to try and mask her faux pas ( slash felony ) “something so bitter?” for crying attempted murder so many times, her conversation was quite calm. a stroke of absolutely useless genius reminded her she clearly didn’t know which way home was. “do you know where i live?”

“One must learn to endure bitterness, for life will not always be sweet.” He nodded sagely. “Not all things good for you will appeal to your taste.” Such could be said about this very healthy herbal tea, or exercise, and much else the current generation avoids in favor of their social media. Seriously, sometimes he would walk around and young people would have both eyes glued to their mobile devices, unable to look away even during a conversation. 

Ah, youth. 

“Yes, I know where you live.” Did that sound creepy? Oh well, in her current drunken state, the girl would probably not overthink his words. In truth, Yiming just had a good memory, and had an idea of who his neighbors were. Myunghwa was the loud cheerful type, so of course he took notice. 

(...)

“I’m sorry, you’re probably not… in the mood to hear a guy ramble about flowers that has significance for grief and loss, but also, I really think that if you asked me, daffodils and forget-me-nots are the best choice—” he sniffs again, too clouded in emotions to realize the lack thereof from the latter.

Well, well, all these excellent options. What would Yoo Hangyeol prefer, Yiming wondered. That man’s opinion was certainly the most important, considering that his death was the one this bouquet would be commemorating. Yiming considered texting and asking. Who knows, maybe the guy was still hanging onto a last breath in that lighthouse he never seem to step out of and could provide him with a final decision. 

“I don’t think I am quite at the I will always love you relationship status yet with the guy.” Yiming admitted dryly, looking at the flowers he was recommended. “Daffodils sound good, we can add a few bunches of forget-me-nots.” He nodded, happy with the selection. “I think I will swing by the man’s residence and figure out the funeral date, then finalize my order.”

Also.

“Are you crying?” Yiming tilted his head in disbelief. The flower shop boy was sniffing a little too much and he’d been at this shop enough times to figure it wouldn’t be a pollen allergy. “Shit, don’t do that.” He reached a hand over and pressed his thumb against the other’s lower eyelid, testing it for dampness. 

What an emotional kid. This kind would not survive in the organization he was involved with back in the day. 

(...)

it was easy enough to find the correct address, tucking the little notebook with his own notes on the investigation into his pocket. he didn’t really want to bring the folder out in public so was keeping it locked up at home. sucking in a breath as he stood outside the door, daejung hesitated for just a moment before reaching out to knock briefly. “hello, guan yiming? it’s the gwasuwon police, could you open the door please? we have a few questions.” a little white lie. there was no ‘we’ involved, but it sounded better than just him being nosy and doing his own investigation. 

He dealt with two kinds of police officers in the past - those that knew when to shut their eyes and lips in exchange for a heavier wallet and those that didn’t. The latter typically ended up dead in a ditch or abandoned alley way, blood mixing with grime, and instead of incense, receive only a cigarette butt tossed over their corpse to honor their death.

The last time Yiming saw one die was during winter, on a day much like today. His boss shot the man himself and warm crimson splashed across pure white snow. Yiming told himself to turn and walk away when his boss did, but his body reacted differently by remaining perfectly still. When the rest of the group left, he slowly sank to his knees, heart heavy as if someone had placed a boulder over it. Until that day, he did not know he was capable of experiencing such agony and finally understood what the families of those they punished felt. 

Was it worth it? He wanted to ask. Justice is only arbitrary. 

“...Sorry, zoned out for a second.” In front of him, the officer was still waiting for an answer. “Yeah. Anyway, please feel free to come in.” Yiming swung the door wide open for the police officer. Came alone, did he? How unwise. Yiming had thought police mostly worked in pairs for the sake of safety. To be fair though, this was a small island and before everything that happened in the last few weeks, it was known as a peaceful place of low crime rate. 

“Tea?” He already had a kettle brewed and was going to pour himself some anyway before the other arrived. Now, he simply had to set down two cups instead of one. 

A quiet meow indicated Li had joined them and Yiming gently scooped the cat up. “This is just English Breakfast.” He poured tea for them both. Li the well-behaved cat remained still in his arms as to not upset his balance. Such an angel he was.

(...)

He knew where to buy beer but a place to sit and drink that was nice enough to share with someone he just met? He wasn’t sure. He looked at his watch, smiling “I’m free starting right now, my shift is officially over”

“Pink room?” Might as well. Yiming had gone there enough times to start getting some smiles when he call out his expressionless greeting. He even got on the old lady owner’s good side by sharing with her the gossip he’d overheard from the coffee shops during breakfast time. 

What?

The widow wanted entertainment, and Yiming excelled at information gathering. Besides, it was all harmless gossip anyway about who slept with who and which kid was deemed the brightest in class at the local high school. 

Corpse of birds in the snow. Red moon bright and eerie up in the sky. A young woman discovered dead in her apartment and people (including the mayor) mysteriously missing. A sane person might be terrified in their electricity-less home, shivering underneath the blankets in fear of the unknown.

Fortunately, Guan Yiming was not particularly sane. While he did not like the darkness, he was forced to get used to and even now finding comfort in it. 

He found a nice place to start a small, contained fire and set out to roast potatoes. Some he would salt and pepper, while others he would top with sweet persimmon jam. Yiming brought two different kinds of persimmon jam for this occasion, one he had purchased from a vendor during the Festival of Wishes, and the other he made himself from as few ingredients as possible. 

Li, his cat, took a liking to the one he made himself and was eagerly licking a drop from his hand. 

“I like you so much,” he admitted with a soft smile, because nobody else was around to hear this secret. This cat reminded him of himself, in a way. Curious but loyal. It followed him everywhere, refusing to stray even when he was out here in the cold. 

Li’s ears twitched. He heard the woman approaching even before Yiming did and leaped from where he sat on the blanket to greet her with a sniff. 

“Hey,” he called out a greeting to the one he had gone on one date with, dear Sieun. “What are you doing out here?” Shouldn’t normal people be hiding indoors? Perhaps she too, was touched by madness. “Potato?” He offered the one that he had just finished roasting and dug out from where it was buried beneath the hot coals. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, it was likely the best one he had made so far and a worthy gift to a friend. 

(...)

“Sounds good. Thank you.” The corner of his lips curled up a little. Having this stranger caring for him despite not knowing him at all, made him think how beautiful this world still was, no matter how cruel it seemed to be in contrast. He offered his hand in greeting. “My name is Seomun Jun. Pleased to meet you.”

“I am Guan Yiming.” He took the hand he was offered and gave it a light shake. A part of him didn’t want to pry into the other’s troubles and thought it would be appropriate to end his good Samaritan efforts here. He was raised, after all, to mind his own business and let other people carry their burdens alone. If they crumbled under the pressure, that would only mean that they were weak and didn’t deserve to exist in the first place.

However, perhaps that mentality was something he needed to combat, now that he had decided to become a different person. Somebody warmer, perhaps kinder. Better than he was and more like what his father envisioned when he took him in. 

People always said: fake it until you make it. Did empathy work like that?

(...)

normally jisu would not go on hard selling the flowers, after all, anyone who finds themselves stepping into a florist’s territory would usually exit with at least a flower in hand. all except for this man. today will be the day that jisu tries to convince this man into buying a flower.

Window shopping, the activity where one looked at goods without any intention of purchasing. This was something he engaged often with this flower shop. It wasn’t that he had no money, and he certainly did like the products they sold here, but Yiming must admit, he enjoyed growing his own flowers. To give someone a bouquet he raised himself...that showed sincerity. 

The flower shop employee chattered on about calla lilies. He was a nice guy - never outwardly displayed any annoyance at Yiming’s lack of purchase. Perhaps he should be the next target of his friendship. The fact he did actually come in with the desire for an actual bouquet today may help. 

hello, with the new event I came up with some thread ideas. please hit me up if any of these interest your character. if you want to drop old threads and do new ones, let me know as well. 

supernatural sighting: did anybody else see a bird with red eyes because that is unnatural.

play date: yiming got a cat and is available for pet play dates. the kitty is a real cutie, though it does have a bit of a weird meow. 

(...)

“I still have a bunch of my ex-husband’s things I brought with me. I also played a shaman on TV once in a show and have some goodies. I think your oranges and persimmons will be just fine. You know… on the island, persimmons are said to hold special properties! At least, that’s what the grannies have been telling me.”

Malevolent ghosts or goblins?

“A pity.” Those were typically portrayed to be less handsome in media. “But yes, let’s go.” Hopefully she wouldn’t change her mind. This wasn’t the first time he asked someone to accompany him to the Northern Village, and every time, something would happen and the trip would fall through. If Yiming was any more of a believer, perhaps he would have thought there was indeed an evil force in that village, trying its best to prevent him from cleansing it out. 

Slinging his backpack over his head, Yiming decided to walk on ahead and lead the way. He figured it was a gentleman thing to do, so that, you know, if they get attacked by goblins they could at least point their weapon at him first. “What else did the grannies tell you?” He asked, figuring they might as well make conversations during this walk, otherwise it’ll feel scarier than it need to. “People keep telling me different things about this island and it is really beginning to fascinate me.” 

(...)

“You’re a difficult man to find, Mr. Guan.” Her voice welcomed him first, squeezing herself through a group of teenagers to stand beside him. Her short stature made it easy for her to be ignored, or lose herself in the crowd. At times, she would have to use her elbows to keep people from crowding her. Her fingers delicately held the charm that had been complimentary with her purchase, but she wasn’t in the wishing mood. “Have you decided on what your wish would be?”

So, don’t be alarmed, but Guan Yiming was asked out on a date. 

His mouth said yes, but his brain didn’t pull up any useful files associated with the word. 

What? Hadn’t he dated before? Well, what do you think, considering he was part of an criminal organization since he was practically a child. Did people buy him drinks? Sure. But those people intended to have sex with him or kill him after, hoping an unhealthy quantity of alcohol would have lowered his guard. More probably for the latter, if we are being honest. 

From what he understood after doing some internet research, while some dates did lead to sex, that wasn’t supposed to be the main focus. Two individuals going on a date should attempt to get to know one another to figure out if they would be compatible as a couple for romantic involvement. Otherwise, one should not bother with a date and simply move forward with a proposition. 

“Hi.” He greeted Sieun a bit stiffly. “This is for you.” According to How to Make Your First Date a Great One, the gentleman (which in this case would be the ex-mafia) should make an offering of fresh flowers. Yiming was supposed to find out what flowers his date wasn’t allergic to first, but there was no time so he had to take a chance with sunflowers. Or rather, a single sunflower. He raised a few on his own using the seeds Aster had given him and all of his sunflowers were very precious to him. While Sieun seemed kind and he was semi-fond of her, he did not wish to lose all of his flowers. Therefore, she shall only get one, and he had it potted instead of in a bouquet so little Sunny would live. Yes, he named them. 

(...)

He couldn’t figure out why he felt so comfortable lying there with Yiming, and thinking of it all; and feeling like a sweater whose loose string had finally been pulled; he wasn’t trying to understand it, but if he did, he wouldn’t get why unraveling felt like such a relief. “If he takes away my gambling, I have nothing else in life that excites me.” 

This must be really bad. 

For once, Jeon Noeul wasn’t hiding his fear. Either this really bothered him, or the little gambler had learned to embrace human emotions better. Yiming wouldn’t be surprised - people were very capable of change. After all, he did too. “Why would a detective question you about a supernatural attack?” Yiming wondered outloud, casually slinging an arm of Noeul as he pondered over this strange situation. 

While he was and should be a non-believer of the supernatural forces, he couldn’t deny what he saw with his own eyes. There were definitely tentacles snatching up people and dragging them into the water. Others who were at the scene described what they saw as well over breakfast at the diner, and from what they mentioned, everything - the slime, the scent of the sea monster and the destruction it caused - felt very real. 

(...)

He took his number, surprised by the offer of drinks yet somehow it sounded more appealing than calling him for the patient none of them knew. “I don’t know many people in this island so the drinks offer is actually a pretty good one, I feel like I’m the one winning here” Because more friends could not hurt and Hyun wasn’t being a dick, for a change. Maybe with drinks he would show more of his true self but that had never bothered him. “I guess drinking with a stranger could be the adventure I need” He assured him with a smile. “You have not told me your name though, it could be a good start you know, to stop being strangers and have drinks with someone I know for a change”

Yiming carefully placed a candy onto his tongue, his lips tilting up ever-so-slightly at the corners to demonstrate his satisfaction. It was dangerous, back in the day, to show what he liked - someone could be watching, taking notes and figuring out how to use the weakness of his desire against him. Sometimes he still felt like someone could be watching, but he also knew he had to learn to let that part of himself go. 

“Guan Yiming. Just Yiming, if you want.” Since they were trying for the friends thing, first names are a must. At least according to How to Make Friends for Dummies, which he started reading for a second time yesterday because he still hasn’t gotten it down. “I am glad you also don’t have a lot of friends.” Was that too blunt of a statement? Would it come off rude? Probably. See, back in his old line of work he didn’t have to be overly cautious with other people’s feelings. “I just meant...We can sort of learn together. Yeah.” There was a certain security that came with sucking at something together. 

(...)

no, something wasn’t right here. head resting back against the hard floor, she tried to process the various evidence gathered to solve the mystery of whose apartment this actually was! first, the locks hadn’t opened. second, the rug was missing. third, the furniture was all wrong. and most importantly, fifth, there was the imposing man claiming it as his. “am i breaking in?” previous confidence was shaken, she found herself questioning the stranger once again. 

“Trying to kill you?” He echoed, deliberating whether or not he should attempt an incredulous gasp but decided last minute that may be a tad out of his comfort zone in terms of acting. He was, after all, still new to this harmless freelance photographer character. “Considering the situation, I should be accusing you of trying to kill me.” Behold, the gaslighting has begun. Yiming would feel bad, really, except guilt was something he was still working on finding again. It might take some time, since he spent a good twentyish years trying to eliminate its existence in order to survive. 

Shuffling over, he helpfully extended a hand to Myunghwa with the intention of pulling her into a more comfortable sitting position. “Yes, you broke in. This is the Jeon residence.” He grabbed an ash tray, which was thankfully cleaned just this morning, and handed it to her. “I don’t own this space, so if you must throw up, try using that.” Hopefully she didn’t need a larger container because his garbage can was new and he did not want it ruined.

“Wild party?” He asked, getting up from his previously crouched position to walk to his night stand. “Have a sip of this.” Yiming unscrewed the lid of his thermo cup and watched steam rise. “Poison, of the highest quality.” He pressed the cup towards Myunghwa, not releasing his hold just in case she had unsteady fingers and would dump the whole thing onto the pristine wooden floor. “I am kidding,” he added in his robotic voice. “It is a goji berry and mixed herbs tea.” Though some did hate the taste of it and considered the brew much worse than poison. 

Now, he should probably get her out of here. 

OOC // Your wish has been fulfilled. The result of this wish will have echoes throughout your character’s  journey. Answer the submit with your character’s reaction to the result; doing so will count for activity.

This cat...was it not intending to attack him?

Yiming stared as the feline approached, a strange little mewl accompanying its white-pawed steps.

“Hello,” he greeted in his typical monotone voice, a little stiffly at first as he anticipated for the cat to raise its claws and swat at his ankles. Or perhaps go in for a bite of his toes, unprotected by his sandals. To his great surprise, the cat touched its soft head to his leg, rubbing contently as if it was happy to see him. “I see...Right...” Yiming became as still as a statue the way one would on a first date going poorly, clearly uncertain about this whole thing. Animals typically hated him, and they were right to do so because he was dangerous. The scent of blood on his hands was something he would never be able to wash away and weight of sins shall sit heavy on his chest until the day he return as one to the earth.

He waited to see if the cat would leave, and when it didn’t, he crouched down and offered it a  hand of potential friendship. The cat sniffed at his knuckles before running its fluffy jaw over them, pleasantly warm against the cold of the night. What a handsome fellow this one was too, all yin-yang chic and balanced.

“Do you want to come home with me?” Yiming asked, carefully giving the cat a pat on the head before rapidly extracting his fingers in fear of losing them. The cat did not attack. “You don’t have a collar on, so this isn’t stealing. And it is not kidnapping because I am asking you first. If you don’t want to come with me, you can turn around and walk away now.” He told the cat, tone serious despite the fact the cat would not be able to understand a single word. “I will give you ten seconds.”

By now, he had forgotten about the wish he made at the festival. Yiming figured this might have been one of nature’s gifts. He hadn’t received them often, but his father constantly reminded him of their existence. Now, thinking back, he could recall the first time he got something when he expected nothing. He was a child then, hungry and cold in a ditch, uncertain of his future. There was a pear tree just over his head, but he did not have the strength left to get himself out and try to climb it. Besides, all of the older kids already collected the pears from the lower branches, leaving only those that were high up.

He looked away from the plump looking pears sitting atop the branches he would never be able to reach and felt bitterness spread like venom through his chest. He hated everything in that moment - all of the people who couldn’t take care of him, all of the people that disappointed him and fate, for having dealt him such a poor hand.

And then a pear fell, just like that, onto his head. From an unreachable place, coaxed by a gentle breeze. It made him temporarily forget hopelessness and push aside hate. Nature’s gift.

Yiming scooped the cat into his arms on the final count of ten. He held onto it tightly, in case it would try to flee. “You had your chance.” He warned, a hint of dark possessiveness in his voice. This was the real him and if this cat was to become his companion, then it should be allowed to see that side of him.

@wondaegsw

Not necessarily alike in appearance, but there was definitely a resemblance. This wasn’t the first time Yiming saw the man in this bar, but it was the first time he stared at the other with intention.

Perhaps it was because he drank too much. Not enough to put him on the table like the person he came with, but enough to put a light blurring effect on people’s faces when he looked at them. 

Yiming got up from his seat and approached the man, knowing full well that it was a terrible idea. What was he hoping to achieve? A chance to reminiscence? Some sort of closure? No matter what he looked for, Cha Wondae was ultimately not going to be able to give it to him, so why was he still walking?

Right, he knew the guy’s name. A lot of people did. That one was the indulgent type, and knew the power his smile had in stirring hearts. Yiming came to this bar not too often, usually with the exact same person since his new friend was the one who preferred this place. He saw Cha Wondae enough times here, extending his charm towards different people each time.

He wasn’t with anybody tonight.

“Can I buy you a drink?” There was no slur in his voice and no sway to his steps. Despite the fact he’d definitely put away a good amount of alcohol, Yiming barely showed it aside from the slight flush of his cheeks. The Accountant could hold his liquor, and everyone knew it back in his old organization. It was something that helped him immensely, especially during all those dinners that went sideways.

(...)

“You’re actually a great samaritan, if he fell and no one helped he could have lost too much blood, you did great, but I don’t really feel like patting your back so we are going to skip that part” He assured him, not wanting to suddenly treat him like a child. “We would usually ask for your number to keep you posted but it’s clear you’re not related in any way so you can go.” Hyun added, thinking the man was probably dying to leave “Unless you do want a treat, we have this great machine with tons of candies and I’m more than happy to give you one for your good service”

See, he was certainly guilty of most crimes one would accuse him of, but not this one. Since he got on this island, the worst thing Yiming did was some turtle bullying and he consider that their fault because they started it. Had they never attempted to bite him, he would have not flipped them onto their backs until he was certain they learned their lesson. “Thanks.” He was not actually expecting a back pat. 

He was also going to say no to a treat, but...

But.

If the man was referring to the machine in the hallway, then Yiming did see it on his way in. There were quite a few different kinds of candies in there and he was mildly curious. Listen, he had candies like twice in the past and both times involved sadness or pain. Since moving to Orchard Island he had promised himself a new life, and escaping his past was part of that. Maybe he could try having a pleasant memory associated with candies, so he could write over the unhappy ones.

“Great, I’ll take a candy.” With that, he walked on ahead towards the candy machine, occasionally looking up to make sure the other was following. “This one.” Yiming pointed firmly towards one particular candy. “Please and thank you.” He added as an after thought.