* 𝕒𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕥'𝕤 ʟᴜʟʟᴀʙʏ.

[aszion]

LOCATION: ukiyo headquarters, shinjuku DATE: 27/09/2142 STATUS: closed for @hirxdo

    park eunjae fucked up. that's all there is to it. followed a hunch he shouldn't have, acted rashly, withheld the truth, which is a prettier way to say that he has lied. the list goes on, and all he wants to do is find solace at the bottom of a vodka bottle. but this is not something he can run away from. not when he fucked up something so essential to who he is today, the organization he is devoted to with all he has — it's not a mistake that can be glossed over. he needs to fix this, whatever it takes.

     it's hard to forget how everything crumbled, the way the leader of ukiyo called off the meeting immediately, men of both sides growing tenser, hands going to their guns. it's a miracle everyone walked out in one piece, and eunjae knows he has a lot of explaining to do, to ares, to his members, but the shame of it burns him to his core, desperation is the only thing that drives him further. he has always been good at self-preservation, taking care of himself first, staying alive no matter what life threw at him — but there are limits to that. his loyalty to the organization and ares comes first, and he knows he needs to do whatever it takes to begin fixing what he messed up.

     and that's how he finds himself at shinjuku. it's not a place where fraternity members should be, and knowing this, he came unarmed, nothing to his name, even a cellphone. it's stupid in a way, and he knows ares will hate him even more when he finds out, but jae is determined to go through with this. the guards at the door raise an eyebrow when he pulls up his sleeves to show the tattoo of jade. "i'm here to talk to sejo." he lets out, and they scoff. it's only after he tells them he is of high rank that they pause. a few moments later they push him inside to what seems to be a waiting room, and tell him little else. he supposes they are checking in with sejo first. they already patted him down, but his own members would do the same, so he stays put. anxiety bubbles in his veins as he picks at a thread on his pants, so nervous, so desperate, he tries to rehearse what he is going to say to the man.

     a while later, they tell him to follow the guards upstairs. two men in front of him, two behind, there is little option to begin with, but it's not like jae is planning to back out now. he follows, quietly, and enters the room when they make it to the floor. "it's park eunjae. from fraternity —" he introduces himself with a bow, and keen eyes watch the man's reaction.

[aiden228]

when darkness falls

[aszion]

aiden228‌:

     aiden can’t help the barking laughter that escapes his lips, one that booms darkly through the obscured and silent alleyways. he had expected nothing else from the human with how proudly they carried themselves, not even able to remember the face of the distressed android they had saved barely 2 years ago. “you really don’t remember me? ah, who am i even kidding… i’m not exactly surprised. it’s just what you do. you can’t help it.” he sounds almost exasperated as he speaks. at least humans had the choice to forget if they really wanted to. they could choose to ignore, choose to avoid, the things that they knew that would harm them. but not aiden and not anyone who had come before or after him. they were forced to live with their demons forever. “don’t worry about your hitman. he’s tied up somewhere on one of these rooftops. i’m assuming you gave the order so you’ll know where to find him.”

     he turns his back on eunjae, unfazed by the gun that is now pointed in his direction. two dead bodies wasn’t going to make this situation any better and eunjae knew it. it was mere curiosity, a way to buy himself some more time as he struggles to tie the right name to the right face. but he gets there eventually, gun lowered as aiden crouches down and reaches inside of the pockets of the dead man’s suit, scattering the belongings out in front of eunjae’s feet. “why i’m here doesn’t concern you so i think the words you are looking for are thank you. but don’t worry he’s all yours now. you can take whatever you need from him. i already got what i wanted.”

     raising back to his feet, aiden takes a couple of steps back until he’s standing in the shadows casted by the buildings again. he’s no threat to eunjae, at least not yet, so if there was anything he needed to handle he’d give him the time and space to do so. “the way i see it a man deserved death and now he got what he deserved. so you’re welcome… for doing your dirty work for you.”

    the laughter sounds ominous as it echoes through the alleyway, making jae's hold on the gun tighten unconsciously even though it's pointed to the ground. the face of the android in front of him is a past memory, almost fleeting, but as he moves and light reflects on its features from different angles, it comes back to him, the thought is in the palm of his hand, and he can't help but feel shocked at the difference. the android they saved versus the man in front of him — there is little likeliness to spot, but jae knows him nonetheless. "forgive me if i can't figure out who you are, at two am in a dark alley —" he bites, though his tone states a fact rather than anything else.

     a curse leaves his mouth at the mention of the hitman, and he quickly holsters his weapon again before sending a text to nearby fraternity members to search the roofs, to find the person in question. they will get a reprimanding at best, and... something else at worst, but ares is the one who gives away punishments, not jae himself. "why? why are you getting involved in our business? you must know how dangerous it is. not all our members are so fucking... incapable." anger bleeds into his words, he can't stop himself. this could have gone worse, so much worse, and truth to be told, jae is mad at their own hitman than anything else. 

     a short moment later, the belongings are thrown down to his feet, and he sighs, crouching down to take the lighter in question. it's gold, with embellishments and carvings. a lucky charm that their target didn't leave behind, he supposes it didn't work very well after all. after the strategist pockets it, he looks up at the android again. "you do realize we were going to kill him already? you just — did it messier, way messier than it needed to be. don't act like you did us any favors." he can't help but point out. at least the word won't spread around, doubting fraternity's authority. this is not an enemy standing in front of him. eunjae can salvage this, he has to. "you're not the only one who wanted him dead, i presume."

[aszion]

hannutrix‌:

     when park eunjae had walked out of hanbin’s life almost six years ago, he had not expected to ever see him again. hanbin had not counted on ever receiving an apology, let alone a proper explanation as to why and he most definitely had not expected wanting it even though it had been six years. still, hanbin was seated in a booth in the far back of his favourite café on campus, clutching his hands around a cup of hot coffee to warm his hands. as it turned out, his urge for closure was bigger than his wrath.

     or maybe it was his lack of anger that had allowed for this conversation to take place. hanbin had changed a lot since moving out of the lower layer. the self-pity and outrage because of what he didn’t have had been replaced with appreciation for the chances he had had. the constant quest for something bigger and better ceased once he realized that he already had everything he wanted. something steady and comfortable with enough leeway to repay his father for the sacrifices he had made.

     hanbin was happy and maybe this was his way of figuring out if eunjae was happy as well. maybe this conversation would confirm what hanbin had suspected all along… eunjae and hanbin just hadn’t been right for each other. their relationship would have fallen apart whether eunjae had left or not so maybe hanbin had to take use of this opportunity and issue an apology of his own.

     he is sunken in thought, his wait spent revisiting memories until eunjae slides into the booth. “you know, i have to say i wasn’t expecting your texts. not even after running into you the other day.” he says, a slight hint of a smile curled around the corners of his lips. “i had to change my number after moving here so i’m surprised you found me.”

@aszion

    it was odd, leaving a life behind. it wasn't the first skin eunjae had to shed to become the person he is now, but it didn't mean that his past lives didn't live any scars. changing professions, identities, locations, and most of all, leaving people behind didn't happen easily, as much as jae acted like it did. there were many regrets that plagued his mind when he couldn't sleep at nights, the what-ifs, mistakes he made, and at times like that, there was little to be done but will the time to pass, or get busy doing something else.

    hanbin was one of those regrets, an odd case, because still to this day, jae knows there wasn't anything else he could have done. maybe that's an empty lie to console himself, maybe he actually means it, jae can't afford to dwell on it. one way or another, he knows seeing the younger again brought guilt in its wake, an emotion that made him want to crawl and drink until he could forget it. however, he was an adult now, and he knew he had a promise to keep. so, he did what he should have done a long time ago, offered hanbin answers he should have had all along.

    an intrinsic feeling tells him to skip the meeting, that perhaps this won't heal old wounds but open them up instead. they have new lives now, other people in their lives, they weren't meant for each other all along, but all of that combined together still doesn't change the fact that jae cared about him, and he still does. or he wouldn't be at the café after all. he slips into the booth across him, trying to battle the rising stress in his chest. he can do this, he will do this, so with an intake of breath, he looks up. as if reading his thoughts, hanbin's the one who speaks first.

    a small laugh leaves his mouth, and he smiles back, a shrug moving his shoulders up and down. "you know i've always been good at computers. when you agreed to meet i — i wanted to keep my promise. even though it's been so... long." he looks down at the paper cup in his hands, idly pulling the holder apart. fuck, he really doesn't know where to start. "how have you been? i hope life's been good for you." unlike me. he doesn't add. he'll get there soon enough.

[aszion]

cvthexiis‌:

skye’s chest heaves with breaths she doesn’t need to catch, a feeling within her that amounts to the closest she’ll ever come to an adrenaline rush in her artificiality. her eyes dart to the end of the alleyway, watching and listening for signs, anything to suggest they’re not out of harm’s way. the panic of the citizens can be heard and felt as they run by, but none have malicious intent at least. they just want to get somewhere safe. it allows her to relax, at least momentarily, so she can check on the male she’s helped.

“i think you did…” she agrees, a frown on her lips, gaze following the blood trailing down the side of his face. digging into her pocket, she pulls out a handkerchief and gently dabs at the crimson color running free, shocking herself after only a moment when she realizes she didn’t ask to do so. “ah, i apologize. you’re… bleeding…” she briefly shows the sullied handkerchief to him, offering it back instead to let him finish.

“is it just your head? are you hurt anywhere else? what about your hands?” she asks, the questions coming rapid-fire but she can’t help it. the last time she’d seen blood spilled had been niji’s own and after that she’d never seen him again.

     his heart continues to thump in his chest, faster than usual as adrenaline pumps through his veins. it's not the first high-stress situation jae has ever been in, but the fall and the injury must be throwing him off rhythm more than he thought it would. he realizes he is bleeding when there is a handkerchief pressed to his face and his eyebrows furrow in confusion. "oh —" the small sound leaves his mouth, eyes gazing towards the hand on his face.

     "thank you. i, i had no idea..." only when he reaches out to touch his head, his hands begin to sting. a numbing feeling washing away and bringing pain in its wake. he can't help but hiss as he looks down, shards of glass stuck and rivulets of blood dripping down to his wrists. "oh, shit — this sucks."  the man lets out in a wince, and when he tries to open his hands further to inspect the wounds, it just pulls another wince out of him.

    "i think that's it, my head and my hands -— it's not that bad really —" he doesn't have an idea, but the fact that he is standing pretty well is hopefully an indication that it's not that bad of an injury. the screams and the sounds of chaos continue to echo from the streets, making him more uneasy before he turns his attention back to the woman. "thank you for pulling me out of there, miss — i —- thank you."

[aszion]

solah9‌:

if sol’s learned anything about the past, it’s that it’s best left alone. forgotten. it’s harder to live the life of a shadow when people know your name. harder to pull yourself through the gutter when there are uncomfortable memories sticking to your skin like glue-traps. that’s how he tries to keep it. but here jae is, sitting across from him in this bar. looking at him like there might be something there. some connection that sol’s long buried. it makes the hairs on the nape of his neck stand up when someone stares at him like that. like they’ve got something worth knowing. it dredges up anxiety, off-kilter paranoia. what’s jae have a right to know about him anyway? it’s been long enough – what, a year now? a bit longer than that, actually.

maybe the boy jae knew has long since been dead too. buried out back with those uncomfortable memories in a cheap coffin.

but still, jae sits. he stares. stares like he has something on his mind, on the tip of his tongue, even. sol almost wants to growl out a preemptive ‘shut up’ but he doesn’t. just drinks too much in one gulp and lets it burn-choke at his throat on the way down.

his name sounds too-familiar rolling off of jae’s tongue, and sol wants to unfurl the knife tucked away at his waist. make him rethink the way his name might taste. he wants it bloody. coughed up metallic with regret. not this bittersweet bullshit, like he might have something he wants to tell him, pulled up a weight. a rough, grating sort of thing before it lurches to a stop and jae cuts himself off. sol eyes him, nearly a warning. “about?” he asks him next. more to drink. he’ll need another soon, but at least it’ll be an excuse to peel himself up off the wobbling chair, away from jae’s eyes. if only for a moment.

sol can’t stop up the laugh that shakes free when jae finishes talking. it’s not what a laugh should sound like though. it’s dry. caustic. and sol’s smile reads vile. the extent of his good humor spread thin. sol’s never been all too good at forgiving. “at least it makes one of us.” his smile widens, and he reaches across the table to crack their glasses together in a cheers. drains the rest of it and muffles the following cough into the crook of his elbow. the smell of smoke lingers like a distraction, san inhales. 

and now he wants a smoke.

“but, fine. whatever. how’s your new clubhouse going? got a friendship bracelet you wanna show me?” he asks him, and it sounds nearly conversational, despite the sarcasm laced tight through the words. he shakes out a pack, glances around to see if he can catch a no smoking sign before he props a cigarette between his lips. 

     the silence stretches between the two, and something akin to guilt traces lines across jae's skin. it's easy, so easy to read that sol would prefer to be anything but be here, next to him, speaking to him — and it stings. it hurts because he never wished them to be this distant from one another, nor did he think his decisions would cause such a drift. perhaps he should have, there are a lot of what-ifs that run around in his mind, but in the end, he knows it's his fault.

     the curt reply slash question feels like a slap, and he can't but avert his eyes, swirling the contents of his drink in the glass as he looks down. jae has never been good with words, nor emotions, his tone bitter and backhanded in almost every occasion, it's hard to speak honest words. but now, he has to try, even if he has no idea how to get his thoughts across to the younger. but he will do his best, because sol is slippery, maybe always has been, and even right then, jae isn't sure if he is going to stay for the duration of the evening.

     "about what happened in the past year — since we've last seen each other." i worried about you, still do, he wants to say, but a part of him knows that's a recipe for disaster, that sol wouldn't appreciate such honesty. there is a fine line with keeping your emotions tight shut, and making sure you're open to your friends, and right then, jae honestly doesn't know which end to go with. probably the first, if sol's reaction so far is an indication.

    at the reply, he just, sighs, end of his lips turned up into something more melancholic than it should be. his glass is raised to clink against the other's, and he takes a swig of it next, letting the liquid burn down his throat. jae fights the urge to say anything negative at the sarcastic string of questions. this is not what he's here for, and sol is not an enemy — reminding himself that just makes it sting more, but there is little he can do.

    "i suppose you can say that — we are branded after all." there is a tattoo of a jade on his forearm, and his eyes flit towards it before meeting sol's gaze again. "what about you though, that's what i'm curious about. keeping your head out of trouble?"

[aszion]

                                                𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐒 𝐊𝐖𝐎𝐍                                                                                             ( @fallenqod )

[aiden228]

when darkness falls

[aszion]

aiden228‌:

if there is anything his time with ishikawa has taught aiden, it’s patience. he did his waiting, 5 years of prayer for a better, a less painful life. that’s the second thing he learnt under the reigns of ceo shiwoo moon. religion is flawed, created for the weak minded who cannot give sense to their own life. god wasn’t going to grant aiden the justice he deserved. no, he would have to take matters into his own hands and seek for a peace of mind himself.

his kill list is long but aiden’s durability proves to be even longer. he has a purpose now and he indulges in the thought of the hunt, haunting his prey before he sinks in his metaphorical teeth and robs them from the same spirit and vitality they had taken from him so many years ago. that’s how he stays patient. rational. a blind, unprepared kill is nothing more than that. empty and mundane. unfulfilling. see, there’s something very gratifying about seeing an individual grow paranoid, to see their arteries slowly slipping shut when confronted with the face of a man who had been presumed to be dead.

that’s what makes aiden human.

the night is cold, much colder than it’s supposed to be, curling a smile around aiden’s lips that sit into an otherwise stoic set of features. he is dressed in nothing but a silky black shirt and dress pants, wind blowing through the light, flowy fabric yet the droid remains unbothered by the chilly weather. there’s no jitters, no nerves, detectable in his posture as he leans against the brick wall of the bar, waiting for his bait to make his exit for his one am smoke break.

he walks out with a cigarette hanging loosely hanging from his lips, hands rummaging around in the pockets of his trouser for a lighter. a sigh tumbles from the man’s lips, squinted eyes scanning the alleyway in search for a saviour in such desperate times.

“hey, care to help a man out?” he asks as soon as he lays eyes on aiden, cigarette now bouncing between his fingers. he is just as brute as aiden remembers him. perfect. “sure.” aiden replies, shoulder coming loose from the wall and fishing a lighter, his lighter, out of his pocket. he ignites it, the flickering flame revealing parts of his face that had previously been hidden in the darkness of the night. the man freezes, eyes growing wide in shock, or maybe it’s fear mixed in with a little bit of surprise. either way, it’s enough to wipe to smug expression of his face, just like aiden had wanted.

“remember me, mister kim?”

aiden does not wait for an answer. instead, he drops the lighter to the ground, hands moving swiftly as he grabs the knife that had been hidden in his belt and buries it into the man’s stomach. aiden’s other hand curls around his neck, lips gently pressing against the man’s ears to whisper some final words. “i really hope your daughter is spared from the same horrors you put me through.”

he wricks the knife out of the man’s spasming body, blood dripping down the blade onto his hands and clothes. the smell no longer bothers him, eyes colouring just as darkly as the crimson liquid as he heaves the knife down one more time but this time directly into the man’s heart. weak, aiden thinks to himself, dropping the lifeless body to the ground and watching the life gush out of it.

there’s not a single hint of sympathy in aiden’s eyes as he kicks the body with the heel of his boot. dead. now that was out of the way, it was time for aiden to take care of the pair of eyes that had been burning holes into his back for the past couple of minutes. before turning around, aiden runs his hands down his cheeks and neck to try and wipe the blood away but he only ends up making it worse.

“are we going to have a problem, here?”

@aszion

     fraternity is known for taking care of things seamlessly and quietly. for the right price, there is little they wouldn't do, and eunjae's task for the day includes just that. it's been in the planning for a week now, various members have been appointed since it was a high-grade job. some tracked the man's movements, some hacked into his accounts to trace patterns. a lot of background research went into it, more than people realized, and it was eunjae's task to oversee them all, make sure they worked together, and they weren't any loose ends they didn't take care of.

     they were at the end of the deal, some would say the actual deal was going with the kill, but eunjae knew how long it took them to find the perfect spot, go through with it the way their client wanted. one of their best hitman had been sent out for the job hours ago, and all jae had to do was to make sure the job was done, retrieve the personal belonging their client wanted from the body. it sounded easy enough, and it was not jae's first rodeo by far. in the past six years, he had seen his fair share of carnage and bloodshed, learned how to distance himself from a lifeless corpse. it was fine, it was supposed to be an easy in-out-job — but little did he know there was more to it than that.

     he steps inside the alley, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled up to hide his hair — it's dark enough that there is no one around to see, but when he gets closer, he meets a silhouette he didn't expect to see. it's not the hitman he had sent, and there is too much blood for it to be a fraternity kill. his eyes widen immediately, hand going back to his waist where a gun is tucked into the back of his pants, and his fingers curl around it as he steps closer to the man. 

     "who the hell are you?" someone an enemy organization? did someone interfere with their kill? where is their hitman? one glance at the body on the ground shows that it is their target indeed, but the fraternity member is nowhere to be seen. once again, there is a lot blood, so much blood, unlike their signature technique of a bullet to the head. they use silenced guns for these kinds of things, and it's apparent the man in front of him had anger towards the man on the ground.

     the light of a nearby lamp illuminates the figure's face once jae steps closer, their face turned towards him— eunjae pulls out his gun to point it at him regardless. a warning; it's nothing personal, he just has to figure out what the hell happened. recollection comes slowly. after he looks at him for a few seconds, eunjae realizes he knows this person. the gun in his hand grows slack as he points it at the ground. then again, knowing who it is only results in more questions than answers. "aiden? what are you doing here? why did you —"

[aszion]

solah9‌:

TWO –

revisiting ghosts with @aszion, late in an undisclosed bar.

the glass feels clammy against his palm. the room feels too warm. the people too loud. a crackle of white noise that buzzes like a swarm of flies overhead. discomfort, and it wraps around him like wet wool. it didn’t used to feel like this, a claustrophobia that chokes at him. jae’s presence a rope wound around his throat. he used to be a comfort, back then. someone he’d seek out. a balm, a thick and honeyed thing, their relationship. like jae knew him. and he knew him better than most. sol has a way about him, a thorny disposition and it’s hard not to cut down deep in the process.

it softened though, over time. at least around jae. at least a little bit. sol identified with him. a kinship that was built up from a shared profession and the loneliness it struck them both with. it made sense, to come together. camaraderie. a shared experience. sol doesn’t have a name for them, really. what they were. but he knows what they are now. that’s easy enough to figure out.

nothing.

and yet – here he is. crammed into this bar with him. sol’s got his shoulders hunched, and his eyes keep sliding toward the doors, like he’s contemplating making a break for it. probably because he is. jae might be able to spot that. if he remembers much about him. not that it’s all too fair for sol to cast judgement. he was technically the one who cut and ran. but he also thinks jae forced it out of him. went off and joined something bigger, something sol had admitted he could never be a part of. it felt a lot like being cut out. cut down. 

cast aside, and that wasn’t new. and that’s what he got, wasn’t it? for trusting someone.

and how did it make it better, when jae asked him along? like an afterthought, and it burned him harsh and raw. because sol hated the thought of it. all he wanted to do was carry on, keep his head down, keep himself afloat. he didn’t want to make waves. he didn’t want to catch attention. he wanted to continue his dead-drift. a ghost of a boy. but what did jae care? and what did jae know about him in the end, anyway? fuck all as far as sol’s concerned. 

“so…” he starts. stops. what’s there to talk about? what an unfortunate meeting, didn’t know you still worked these low-circuit jobs that i do? it tastes flat on his tongue, and so he doesn’t push it past the barrier of his teeth. he drinks it down instead, drowns it in liquid reminiscent of acid. too strong, but that’s what sol’s after right now.

“so.” he tries again, wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand. “don’t you got somewhere to be?” that falls flat too, but it least it doesn’t feel as personal. 

    it's a tricky thing, how life brings up the worst things at the best time, how what seems like a curse unravels to be a blessing. that's how he turned out to be the man he is today, by fucking up a job that was for the fraternity, and years later down the line — here he is, a strategist now. it's impossible to predict the future, what might be for the better for someone in the long run. he had once thought he'd work alone forever, could he really trust someone out there? after everything he went through, could he really? then he met sol down the line, they were similar in many ways, trying to make a living for themselves. alone. jae knew the masks they wore, well enough to figure out the younger was also wearing one.

    eunjae believed that knew sol well, the real sol behind the mask, and so did the other when it came to the front jae put up for the rest of the world. he has always felt... protective towards the younger, knowing the unpredictability of the world they lived in. what turned out to be a blessing for him, could have easily been something that ruined sol's life. and that scares him still to this day. after all, eunjae himself doesn't work alone anymore, has people to count on, gang members, a leader, people he trusts and could give a call if he ever got into something he couldn't get out of. when it comes to sol, on the other hand, jae highly doubts the other has that level of safety, which was why he tried to convince him to join. maybe having a leash around your neck left much to be desired, but it was better, much better than being all by yourself against the entire world.

    a part of eunjae feels guilty now, that perhaps he messed it up, should have worded the offer better, tried to convince sol in other ways, better ways. there was a long-time period where they didn't see each other at all, and many times, sol crossed through jae's mind. he always hoped sol was alright and in once piece.

    so, when they cross paths again by some miracle, he has no plans whatsoever to let him go so easily. he learned his lesson about not making any offers again, but he wants to catch up, wants to know more about what sol has been doing. they sit across each other at the bar, a table in the corner, dim lighting reflecting from the glasses in front of them. jae's eyes watch his movements, and he can't help but think sol is acting like a cornered animal, not wanting to be there, wanting to be anywhere else but there. it stings a little, and he hopes to ease some of the tension.

    the question feels backhanded, but jae knows that he deserved it, probably. by leaving the life of freelancing, finding an organization instead — by trying to make sol join. he had his reasons, but he understands. "no, sol, i don't, really —" he begins, lips pursed before he continues. "i would really like to spend the night talking, if that's alright? we have so much to catch up on, don't we? i'm glad to —" see you alive? in one piece? would that be too much? "—see you." he settles with instead, he doesn't want to offend him. "i'm glad we crossed paths again."

[aszion]

shiwoomoon‌:

@aszion

maverick doesn’t drink. at least not usually, and very rarely in public. liquor slicks up the mask so it slips– slackens his tongue, greases his words so they’re harder to swallow down, his expressions erring on the side of honest.  indulging means far too much risk with too little to gain. 

but everyone else is fair game.

“i’ve got your next one.“ his eyes crinkle at the corners, his mouth crooking higher on the left. rakish. it’s his media smile. the one that matches his brighter dress shirts, his more casual shoes. his pa says it makes him look approachable. like he gives a shit. “and the next. you’re the prettiest thing at the bar. keep me company and i’ll keep them coming.“

     he is annoyed, bitter and knows he needs some time to cool off, again. it hasn't been a good day, nowhere near even. what better way to do that than drink his thoughts away? alcohol is one of his main vices besides smoking, and when jae is done with work for the fraternity, he doesn't think twice before he takes off. god knows he has seen enough of ares' smug face grinning at someone else.

     it's an hour later that he's sitting at the bar, alone, nursing the second of many drinks to come. that's when he hears the stranger talk to him, and jae thinks for a second if he is going to tolerate this. not the first time someone has hit on him at a bar, but the man definitely takes the cake when it comes to being forward. "oh, is that so?" eunjae starts, turning towards him, head tilted. he is bored, and the man has a nice smile — so, why not? he'll play at his game. jae smiles back at him, ends of his lips turning up slightly, eyebrows raised. "what does my company entail, then? and how are you so sure i can keep you entertained?"

[aszion]

inkache‌:

Their relationship is definitely something Rin’s happy to have back. After so many years distanced from each other, after so many years not knowing what had happened to his little neighbor, he feels extremely relieved to see the younger man has been okay — as okay as one can be after running away from home. Rin doesn’t know too much about what happened, he has never asked about it despite being curious about what happened to Eunjae. He fears it was something he could have avoided. But he can’t change the past and he is only grateful to have the other man back in his life, even though the circumstances aren’t the same as they were when the two of them were much younger and the world was different.

He cares about Jae, he really does. Rin remembers the many times he managed to take the younger boy out of complicated situations with Mr. Park — I’ll help Eunjae with homework, he’d say as an excuse to take little Eunjae from his house every time he heard Mr. Park scream at him in another one of his drunk episodes. The two of them would stay at Rin’s place until they were both sure the man was controlled again, and to say the least, Rin’s father also cared a lot about their little neighbor. The Maedas had ( and still have ) huge sympathy for Eunjae.

So when he receives a call from the other man asking for an available slot in his schedule, Rin doesn’t hesitate to save him the rest of the afternoon so they can spend time without worrying about a next appointment ( not that Rin’s schedule is that full, either ). He’s crouched behind the shop’s cashier, looking for the needles he’s gonna need to do the retouch on Eunjae’s tattoo when he arrives. 

“Yep, come in!” The older of the two says in a loud tone of voice to make sure the other hears him and rushes to find the packages of brand new needles he’s gonna use. Once he has them in hands, he stands back up and smiles at his old friend. “Hi, Jae. How’re you?”

     seeing the other is enough to put a smile on his face, face morphing into a grin, eyes crinkling once he spots rin behind the cashier. "rin! hey man—" he moves forward to pull him into a one-armed hug, both of their hands are full, but it works considerably well before he pulls back. "i've been well. busy, taking care of things." talking of their work within the organizations is not something they have in common (it will do more bad than good, he knows), so he steers away from that.

     "what about you though? how has the parlor been doing? have you got any celebrities coming in?" he lets out, smiling at him. he knows the shop hasn't been doing business as well as it used to, but he wishes that it has gotten better. rin is very talented, and so was his dad — he remembers looking at their sketches and drawings when he was a kid, wanting to have one but too young to actually be able to get one himself. now though, he has many tattoos littering his skin, as well as one in the form of a stone of jade. jae has been thinking about getting a new one, but before that, some of his already needed re-touching. when they get to that, he considers talking with rin about a brand new tattoo, he has some ideas, but knows rin will help him through it nonetheless.

     "before that though! have you eaten? i brought some take-out in case you haven't had lunch just yet. thought we could eat together before we move onto the chair?" he lets out, holding out the bag with a grin. he knows rin well at this point, and managed to get his favourite fast-food on his way there. and knowing him, it isn't completely out of the box to think rin might have skipped a meal. "i'll understand if you're busy after this though — we can just put it in the fridge then, and you can have it later —-" he adds quickly afterwards, not wanting to stand in the way of business if rin has any other plans.

[aszion]

fallenqod‌:

HIS CALL WASN’T CONNECTING , and it was freaking him out . his father and haeju had no reason to be near the sudden riot but still — he wanted to make sure . but his call wasn’t going through and he was losing his cool the longer his phone kept ringing . ares presses speed dial once more , biting down on his lip as he waits . ‘ come on , baby . ’ but nothing , the call kept ringing .

ares was so close to flinging his phone against the wall — when his door slammed open . he looks up , startled and wide - eyed , relaxing at the familiar face . but it doesn’t last long as he takes in eunjae’s state . ares ignores the older’s queries as he rips his hands off his shoulders , holding them down as he glaringly gives the other a once - over .

‘ what the fuck happened to you ?? ’ he asks bitingly , panic molding into anger as he takes in the bandages , the bruises , the blood . ‘ fucking christ — were YOU there ? ’

     fuck, seeing ares in once piece is such a relief, all jae wants is to pull him in an embrace. however, he is pushed away instead, and anger isn't an emotion he's expecting from ares. then again, in his worry and pain-addled mindset, he doesn't pay it any mind, eyes searching frantically as he lets the other inspect the bandages on his hands. a wince is pulled from him, blood tainted bandages with cuts that are nowhere near healing just yet.

     "i — yeah, i, yeah i was. i took the rest of the day to cool off," he hopes ares doesn't focus on that particular fact, because well, jae couldn't handle being around him a couple of hours ago. now, though, now, it’s a different situation. so he continues, "and — shit happened. glass fell, i hit my head; there was someone who helped — it doesn't matter." before jae can ramble more, he changes the topic. "were you here then? where is haeju? and appa? fuck, ares, what the hell happened? how did we not know?" desperation sinks into his tone, he is glad to see him alive, but god, they are not out in the clear just yet.

[fallenqod]

severing ties .

[aszion]

fallenqod‌:

HE WAS SECONDS away from losing his fucking cool , especially with how eunjae taunts him over their target’s shoulder — eyes sharp and tongue dripping with filth . it doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together as eunjae’s hand disappears beneath the small coverage the bar counter provides — effectively hooking the greasy fucker in . 

ares scoffs , trying to calm himself as he looks away . he downs his drink in one go before pulling out some cash , tossing it on the countertop as he rises from his seat . he signals eunjae with a look before walking away .

it’s showtime .

he takes his time , weaving through the almost crowded hotel bar , nodding to a few familiar faces acquainted with the fraternity — careful not to draw too much attention as he makes his way towards the elevator . he waits for a car , enters and rides up to the agreed floor .

he makes it to the hotel room and goes straight to the bathroom , absentmindedly pulling out his gun , attaching a silencer as he watches his reflection in the mirror before he waits for his guests . try as he may , his thoughts don’t settle . they were too loud with images of eunjae draped over questionable men , lips hovering over their ears , a smile dripping with a mixture of saccharine sweetness and sin — ares lets out a frustrated sigh as he cuts his thoughts short . 

park fucking eunjae was going to be the death of him , and he wasn’t ready to die yet .

     if it was a game, which it surely isn't (it is), eunjae knows he has won already. he can see ares getting more pissed off by the second, and he hides his smirk in the man's shoulder when the leader scoffs and takes off. his target, on the other hand, is obviously affected by his ministrations, there are more than a few tells that convince jae that they should go somewhere private, or it's going to cross the line between flirting and voyeurism.

    so, he pulls back, hand lingering on the man's lapels when he whispers that they should go upstairs. eunjae must have frazzled the elder enough that he stands up quickly, hand moving towards jae's back under his suit jacket before he leads them both towards the elevator. he is handsy, jae will give him that, and even if under normal conditions, he would be completely annoyed, right then, he isn't. ares has been watching them the entire night, jae has this man wrapped around his finger, and he also knows that ares hates it. what better reason to play the game than that?

    the man's lips latch onto his neck once the doors are closed. the ride to the top takes longer than one would assume, and by the time they make it to their floor, jae is nursing an impressive hickey, both of their hair a mess, as well as clothes all over the place. even if jae knows it's going to piss ares off more to see the man's pants are unbuttoned, he doesn't bother to fix them up. the man's hands don't stop moving up and down, and he can't help but think wow, i really got him hooked. however, there is only so far he is willing to go, and he quickly pulls the man to his room, pretending to laugh under the influence of alcohol, flirty, excited —

     and then, they enter the room. once the door is closed behind them, he pulls the man by the tie to the bedroom, eyes looking around. "ari?" he lets out, the smirk still on his lips, while his target looks completely confused, tousled and trying to figure out if it's a term of endearment or not. “ares?” 

[aszion]

LOCATION: fraternity headquarters, ginza DATE: 14/08/2142 STATUS: closed for @fallenqod

     if he had time to sit somewhere and rest, he would. god, he wants to sleep for eight hours straight, but as it stands, there are more pressing matters at hand. his body hurts in numerous places, the terrible headache hasn't left, he’s happy his head stopped bleeding, but that and his hands continue to sting. the strategist is grateful for skye's help, for both patching him up and pulling him out of the scene. he doesn't know why, but he realizes that he went into shock for some damn reason, for the shortest of moments, unsure what the hell was happening.

    and after they part ways, both worried out of their minds for their loved ones, eunjae rushes towards the headquarters. the city is in havoc, people trying to get from one place to another, police patrols at every corner. he must look like a right mess with bandages around his hands and blood messily wiped off of his face, so people don't bother him, and eunjae is glad. all he needs to know is if ares is alright — a short phone call notified him that the man was there, and that's all he needs to know.

     it takes him longer than he would like to make it to ginza, and he ignores the questions around him, heading upstairs to ares' room instead. he opens the door quite unceremoniously, eyes wide as he searches for the man. god, he is so worried, he can't bother with the façades they put on their faces around each othe, he just needs to know if the younger is alright. "ares!" he yells out immediately, feet taking him to the leader, arms on his shoulders as his eyes frantically go up and down his frame. "are you alright? were you there?"

[aszion]

cvthexiis‌:

↳ @aszion

it’s evening and though employees are just now preparing to leave for the day, skye takes her leave from her usual path of wandering around in front of yoriyoi kenko. usually she hovers around, waiting and watching for the woman who she once claimed as her owner, but lately her visits are becoming farther and few between. she’s realized it’s far too reckless for her to be seen around here, regardless of how infrequent the visits are. there is the matter, too, of questioning herself just why she comes there in the first place. nostalgia and rose-colored glasses and all that, she supposes.

blending in and moving along with the sea of people, she intends to travel back to the lower layer and go home or check in with her fellow members to see if there’s anything that requires her attention. however, the moment she steps into essentially the heart of the district, everything shifts. the sounds of small explosions fill the air, thick plumes of smoke rise up around them, trapping everyone by means of confusion. skye’s head snaps back and forth for sight of the cause, but is quickly distracted by the loud and echoing chants surrounding her.

“NO MORE ANDROIDS! NO MORE ANDROIDS! TOKYO IS OURS, AND WE’LL TAKE IT BACK FROM THEM!”

her fists clenched at her sides at the same time as she feels moisture build up behind her eyes, conflicting emotions of anger and anguish causing every word to cut her in two. she’s seen many an outrage at androids, seen what contempt can drive a person to do, but never on this level, never to this degree. a movement dedicated solely to driving out her and her people. she tries to comprehend it but she struggles.

in spite of the person speaking, people around her bump and push her to get away from the area, eliminating any further attempts she has at decently thinking about this. it causes her attention to re-focus and in that moment she catches sight of someone fallen into broken glass, the male’s attention on righting himself and not the people rushing around to get away. they’re headed straight for him, the group big enough to trample him.

skye acts immediately and rushes over to him, leaving behind the current situation for something she can help with right this moment. none too gently, in spite of herself, she grabs onto the fabric of his shirt and jacket, yanking until he’s forced to get up and come with her. she leads him to the first space out of the way she finds, a tiny alleyway carved between two buildings, and only then does she speak. “are you okay?”

    fraternity business has been... tricky in the last few months, but it has been steadily getting better, something of which eunjae is grateful for. it has been less than a year since he has been appointed as a strategist, and he does his utmost best to make sure they stay at the top. it's insane how things have evolved to this point, but for once in his life, luck has been on his side when it comes to his profession. who would have imagined messing something up so badly would turn out this way? he had been forced to help at the beginning, but that had passed, and he knew he wanted to stay. with friends and people he trusted, eunjae is completely loyal to the organization.

     personal matters, however, is an entirely different subject, and currently leaves him fuming. eunjae is rarely hot-headed with organization matters but ares? god, he manages to tick eunjae off so easily, they both share the same trait of trying to get on the other's nerves. it's just one of many instances where he saw ares doing god knows what, and eunjae knew he needed some time to cool off. and for that reason, he left the headquarters and decided to go to akihabara to pick up some hardware parts, knowing tech stores have gotten new stock recently.

    it's supposed to be an easy trip, to spend some time away, blow off some steam and get his mind off things. when he expects the least, everything turns chaotic, people screaming, smoke bombs, people running from one place to another, the loud speech coming from the speakers. however, he loses his footing, and cannot focus on anything but the sharp pain, glass hitting his head and the next thing he knows, he is kneeling, trying to get up and do something, anything — he isn't prepared for this, and he guesses none of them are. but if he knew, he would at least bring a gun, something; then again, what good would that do when he can't even see?

     before he can concentrate on his surroundings, he is being pulled up to his feet, someone urging him to follow them — his mind is too huddled to question immediately, and before he can say anything, they are stopping, in a quiet alleyway away from the noise. the words reaches his ears and he focuses on the woman in front of him, trying to put words together. he guesses he must look like a mess, hands stinging, and one hell of a headache behind his temples. he feels something wet slide down his chin, but he doesn't realize what. the pain doesn’t register just yet, it’s the shock instead. "uh — i think i hit my head, but i'm fine—" it's an automatic response, but he is grateful for the help. "thank you though, for pulling me out of there, i — kinda lost it for a second. are you alright?"

[aszion]

LOCATION: rin’s tattoo shop DATE: 28/08/2142 STATUS: closed for @inkache

    their relationship is... complicated to say the least. they were close once, childhood friends who knew everything about each other, it was rin and his dad who saved eunjae from the shittiest moments in his life, and god knows what he would do if there weren't there. however, there is also no denying the fact that they drifted apart. so much that they hadn't heard from each other for more than a couple of years. eunjae knew it was his fault, he was the one who ran away, and in a way, eunjae still felt indebted. above that, he cared about rin and his dad a lot. unfortunately, there was the jarring fact that they weren't the same people anymore.

    in two completely different organizations, with different ideals and goals, it was tricky getting along again. it was awkward at first, but they made it work, hung out every once in a while, and jae made sure to visit rin's dad as much as he could. if there was anything he could do for the elder, he did it instantly. and when it came to him and rin, even if they couldn't be as close as they used to be once, they grew close. the other was a good friend, and then there was something else too. completely no strings attached, they knew what each other wanted, and eunjae knew rin had an idea about how emotionally occupied jae was.

    so, when one of jae's numerous tattoos needed a re-touching, he knew who to go, plus it had been around a week since he last saw rin. eunjae made sure by texting rin that the man had a slot available for him, and headed out to his store. eunjae had the rest of the day off, and he decided to pick up something to eat as well, guessing rin could eat as well. when he arrived, his knuckles rapped against the door more out of curtesy than anything else before he walked in. "rin? are you here?"

[fallenqod]

severing ties .

[aszion]

fallenqod‌:

* three years ago with @aszion . 

HONEYPOT MISSIONS were always his least favorite considering he’s never had the patience for it . ares never really knew why his father insisted on going about things this way , knowing full well his own son always went in with guns blazing — because as stated , ares never has enough patience . but here he was , acting as back - up . and ares , oh he does not want to be here .

he wasn’t the lure , his pride was way too high for something like that — always preferring to cut to the chase . no , he was here as per his father’s request — acting as back - up for one , park eunjae who was a seat away with their target situated just between them . and god , ares really didn’t want to be here . not when he was currently in a prolonged spat with said lure — scowling when annoyance hits him once more .

he turns in his seat , glaring at eunjae over their target’s shoulder — looking away sharply when their eyes meet . he finishes his drink , calls for another , before glaring holes at the bar counter — trying not to show just how the whole situation affected him . 

he twitches , knuckles turning white has he balls them into fists — ears hot as he picks up the sound of eunjae’s voice , of the filthy words he lets out as he tries to reel their target in . god , he really fucking hates honeypot missions .

    that bitter feeling never leaves, itching under his skin whenever he sees ares lately. it's pain morphed into apprehensiveness, only one of the two he can showcase without looking vulnerable. lately, their relationship has been... complicated to put it nicely, and a mess in reality. seeing the leader with other people had never been easy, but a part of eunjae had hoped it would end once they were in a relationship, a devoted one — or so he had thought. but now, it's all hanging by a thread, and he can't pull himself together to be the rational one, not when there is so much anger and hurt simmering under his skin.

     those are all good reasons to why this operation is not a good idea; but eunjae agrees nonetheless. first of all, it is an important mission, one that they need to succeed. it's him who can hack into the man's computer and get the data they need, and no matter his private relations, eunjae is devoted to fraternity with all he has. and... on the other hand, the irrational side of him wants to push ares over the edge as well, see his reactions and play at his own game.

     that's why he sits there next to a much older man, both clad in tuxedos. the man apparently has a penchant for young men, and well, — they found out soon that eunjae does match the description. with uncomfortably tight clothes and the right attitude, he knows just exactly how to get himself invited upstairs, so he does just that. a bashful fake smile on his face after a compliment, he flirts back just as easily. a shyer façade but a confident one nonetheless. when he feels hands on his upper thigh; it's hook, line and sinker. all he does next is lean forward suggestively and whisper into the man's ear, eyes meeting ares' over his shoulder. "oh god, yes, please sir — maybe we should continue this upstairs? in... private?" his own hand finds its place on the man's thigh as well, whisper short of a whimper.  "i can be your baby —"

[aszion]

                                                𝖯𝖠𝖱𝖪 𝖤𝖴𝖭𝖩𝖠𝖤                                                                                       ( moodboard 001.)

MUSE NAME: human, 26 years old, fucker hacker extraordinaire. strategist of the fraternity MUSE AESTHETIC: ripped jeans, smell of cigarettes and coffee, hangovers in the morning, staying up until dawn, light of the screen reflecting on glasses, bitter touches, gritted teeth, the overcoming feeling of spite, of frustration. trying to reach somewhere, but never getting there, so you settle. belonging comes in a place you never expected, but it does, and you’re content. VIDEO TO DESCRIBE YOUR MUSE: this is p accurate, and this SOUNDTRACK FOR YOUR MUSE: world gone mad, wilson (expensive mistakes), when the party’s over, habits of my heart FUN FACTS ABOUT YOUR MUSE: he loves sour candy, could live off of it. always wanted a pet but decided not to get one. makes his own hardware with spare pieces, doesn’t like people touching his stuff. doesn’t have a proper sleep pattern, drinks too much at times. even though he is in a criminal organization, he never liked guns, but always carries a knife around.  TIME CAPSULE: the idea of starting from scratch would be very exciting to jae, of course, he would eventually get bored because 2142 is much, much more advanced and he is basically alone; but in the end, i think he could manage to live in 2019.