Heads or Tails

29.03.95 || I'm not lucky, I'm blessed

[shinichiro-watanabe]

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Battlecry - Nujabes feat. Shing02

[atxchance]

New Beginnings

[atxchance]

atxhaneul

{.......}

“I’m sorry for snapping at you,” he said, his voice barely a whisper, “but why confront me about this now?” he asked, shoulders slumping. His gaze lost what little of a glare he had had before. He hated that someone knew that part of him. He had wanted a fresh start. Sure, he was a freak with wings, maybe. But he’d be just a freak with wings. He wouldn’t also be that freak who had been… Haneul stopped his thoughts from going back down there, lest he actually break down in front of Dohyun.

He felt himself release the breath that he was holding, ultimately causing the tension in his shoulders to relax. This was all clearly a misunderstanding, a pretty big one, but a misunderstanding nonetheless. He hadn’t really considered why Haneul was even present at the event in the first place. In hindsight, it was something that he really should have thought through, but in true Dohyun fashion, thinking things through was the last thing on his mind.

“Before I came here, I would sneak out, go to these “establishments” and then go home just to repeat it all the next night. Sometimes I’d stop for a snack, but otherwise I went straight home.”

It was truly a reckless way to live life, but he couldn’t dwell on that fact now. Haneul’s demeanor had morphed into something that he could only describe as defeated, and Dohyun had felt completely responsible for that change. For the longest time he had been completely self absorbed, only concerned with his issues and his problems, but being at the academy was slowly causing him to realize that it’s not all about him. Other people probably went through similar hardships, and by the look on Haneul’s face it seemed that there were some hardships that were even worse. Yet, through all of that pain and struggle, they all managed to somehow be there at the academy, and that had to mean something.  

After waiting a few moments, he finally spoke again, choosing to stuff his hands back in his pockets. “It was an impulse I guess? Seeing you triggered an oddly specific memory and if I didn’t ask or confront you now, I would’ve spent the whole year staring at you in confusion.” He chuckled a little and shrugged. “So I figured I’d make it less awkward and ask but...it seems like I still made it weird right?”

To him, it sounded like a shitty and poorly worded excuse, but he didn’t know how else he could have phrased it. There was a small part of him that had grown worried, but he ignored it and opted to maintain his normal outward appearance. 

“If I somehow brought up any bad memories, I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intention at all.”

[atxchance]

A New Challenger Approaches

[atxchance]

atxyuki:

One look into his eyes and it’s easy to tell he came into this unprepared. From not knowing to how he’s even supposed to prepare himself for a challenge like this to barely knowing anything about this person or his powers, Bogum had simply done what he does best and acted impulsively.

So here he is, fists clenched at his sides as he frowns down at the male who doesn’t seem all too impressed by his appearance or challenge. He hadn’t expected him to. But still, the smirk on his lips was already putting his pride in danger. So, why not pull out of this while he’s still in time? Stupidly proclaim he was joking or wasn’t actually talking to him but someone else sitting at his table?

Simple. He’s bold and stubborn. “100% sure, I wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t,” he delivers, resisting the urge to roll his eyes like the teenager he is in favour of keeping his gaze trained on the person he’s challenging. When he’d first heard of the other’s mutation and what it more or less entailed, he hadn’t thought much of it. It was simply a mutation, some could do that, some could do this, no big deal.

Except, it was. And not because he was actually this eager to win at a card game against him. But rather because he was curious, terribly so. A part of him even wanted to lose, just so he could see it in action. Well, only a small part he wasn’t willing to admit he even possessed.

So here he is. Unprepared and stubborn. And frowning a little harder while mimicking the other and also folding his arms over his chest. “66.”

“66? Interesting game choice.”

At the mention of the game, Dohyun felt himself become more relaxed. It was a simple game, and followed a similar pattern to many other card games he had encountered before. The good thing about this one was that it didn’t require teamwork, it only required one’s self, and the ability to properly strategize plays. He loved strategy games because they forced him to do more than just use his powers to achieve the desired outcome. In addition to actually making him work for a win, they provided him with the unique opportunity to practice his ability. Manipulating probability for himself was always easy, but when other people were factored in, it became a bit more complicated. So even though classes weren’t officially in session, he decided to use this as his first formal lesson/training session. 

With a loud yawn, Dohyun stretched and stood up to meet the gaze of his challenger. “Normally I’d wager some sort of bet, but I’ll give you this one for free.”

With a light nod and a smile, he grabbed his bag and rummaged around looking for his deck of playing cards (they were his “break in case of emergency” set). Once located, he dramatically revealed them to his opponent and dropped the case one the table. “Are we doing this here, or at another time when there isn’t a crowd?”

Some part of him knew that he was being a little too cocky, but he couldn’t help it. The kid had spunk, and he greatly admired him for challenging him, but that also made him an easy target in his eyes. It would be a quick match, but maybe he’d draw it out to let him down easier?

[atxchance]

A Simple Game

[atxchance]

atxclover

“well, i think that some people would actually disagree with you about that,” he offered with a small laugh and a shake of his head. he was quite sure that there were many people out there who instantly just hated everyone they came across and made enemies of everyone they had ever come into contact with. jaehyun wouldn’t even be surprised if he came across such types in this new school. and those people were probably the ones you should be keeping an eye on as everyone around him had powers now.

jaehyun shrugged his shoulder, “why shouldn’t i tell you? it’s better than lying about it and saying that i remember them all.” unless this was the sort of person who would take advantage of him just because he didn’t know the rules and thought he wouldn’t notice something against the rules happening.

now he supposed that he was playing, jaehyun sat himself down, hands held patiently in his lap while he waited for the other guy to roll the dice. seven, he noted, once the dice had landed and settled properly. but he did notice the way this guy said the number, like he was surprised bu the outcome, and not in a good way. “were you expecting something different?” jaehyun wondered as he moved to pick the dice up off the table. how could he, though?

jaehyun simply decided to push it from his mind, not even thinking about his own roll too much. letting the dice drop from his hand after a couple of shakes. “eight,” his shoulders sagged a little, realising that it was just above what he had needed to go first. it was just going to be one of those games, wasn’t it?

In short, he was quite flustered; perplexed even. Dohyun never found himself caring about his opponents roll before, especially since it never mattered to him. However counting those eight black dots had caused him to feel slightly concerned. It was extremely rare for him to slip up like that (if he were to break it down in numbers, he’d say there was a one in one hundred million chance of him slipping up), yet here he was now facing the prospect of going second. It wasn’t a huge disadvantage, sometimes there were benefits to going second in games like these, but it wasn’t how he had planned it.

Under normal circumstances, his confusion and internal disbelief would be seen as excessive and unnecessary; but considering who he was, Dohyun felt justified in his disbelief. His comment had been careless, and if he were going to do this correctly, he needed to learn how to keep those in check. His opponent didn’t seem to be too fazed by his comment, but he wouldn’t be surprised of the man had found it strange. 

Dohyun took a few moments to collect himself before training his gaze back on his opponent. “It’s interesting. I guess that just wasn’t a good roll on my end.” With a simple nod he sat back in his chair, keeping his gaze on the other man. “So I guess you’re going first? You know I never got your name, mine’s Dohyun.”

In the end he had decided that his ironically unlucky seven was a result of pent up nerves and energy. It was a new environment, he didn’t know anyone, and he definitely wasn’t comfortable where he was. He figured he wouldn’t sweat the loss and let his opponent have that roll. After all, it wouldn’t matter once he started to get back into the natural flow of things.

[atxchance]

New Beginnings

[atxchance]

atxhaneul:

{.......}

“Was it a drug deal, an arms deal, or a gambling ring?” he asked bluntly, likely for the first time in his life. “Whatever it was, I’m not going back there, and if you try to make me…. I’ll scratch your eyes out, too.” Haneul was aiming for calm and serious, but he had a feeling he sounded a little more panicked, like a cornered animal in a trap. He wasn’t even sure how he had made his claws appear that one time, and had no idea whether he could do it again, but he would try if it came to force.

On the off chance that Dohyun was telling the truth about them being from two different groups, and he wasn’t there to drag him kicking and screaming back to that hell… Well then Haneul would feel really bad about his threat, but for now, it might be the safest option.

There were two feelings that had registered within him at that moment. The first was the satisfaction that his suspicions had actually turned out to be correct, and not some half realized fever dream. Dohyun was beginning to feel bad for badgering him with his questioning, but it turned out in his favor. The second feeling, however, was a mixture of concern and regret. Haneul’s words were laced with a quiet hostility and intent, something that Dohyun wouldn’t have thought possible from him a few moments ago; and yet, there was a vulnerability there. He had found comfort in confirming his own suspicions, but that comfort had seemed to come at an unforeseen cost.

Before he spoke again, he took a tentative step back and slowly raised his hands. “Look, I’m sorry if I pushed one too many buttons, I really didn’t mean any harm.” He took a moment to take another breath and cross his arms. “It was a gambling event. I don’t know who you think I am, but I’m not them.”

It was true, Dohyun may have frequented these establishments multiple times in any given week, but to him they were just a means for him to secure more income. He never questioned the organizers of the event, nor did he think to look too deeply into the inner workings of those who worked those events. The only thing he was concerned with was money and personal gain. The furthest he ever dared to look into it started and ended with the person who would deal out his earnings at the end of the evening. The politics of the underworld were messy, and he wasn’t even remotely interested in introducing that type of conflict to his life. 

“My main concern back then was always the game and the money I could win from the game. I never had, and will never have, any interest in who actually ran those events.” 

He would be lying if he said he didn’t feel at least slightly offended by the insinuation, but he should have expected that correlation. Logically it was the most sound explanation as to why he had attended the event, so be bit back whatever other remark he wanted to make. It wouldn’t be beneficial for him to ruin the situation even further. 

[atxghoul-deactivated20190820]

luck of the dice.

[atxchance]

atxghoul:

{......}

This whole situation was really a nice surprise. Though they met in the forums, this was someone that she had known before coming to this school. A person she could call a friend much easier than others. Ara raised a hand with a little wave and her other arms crossed over her chest, “I’m Won Ara. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

She walked a bit closer to him, meeting on one side of him to turn slightly and lean against the wall where they stood. “So they let a criminal out of prison or have you been a good boy?” Smiling as she giggled at her own comment. There were things she wants to know about him since he is now in the flesh. Ara wouldn’t mind sharing with Dohyun as well since they both are now students here. If anything, better to make alliances.

With his suspicions confirmed, he allowed himself to release the breath he had been holding. Fate really did have an interesting way of toying with his life, but at least this time it had been in his favor. He would vividly remember spending hours in the library chatting with her on the forums, happy to have someone who could empathize with his situation. It was an important friendship to him, one that admittedly got him through his earlier years as a newly realized mutant.

“Kim Dohyun, resident salt machine and snark master at your service.” He made a showy bow and stood back up at full height. “Well you know me, I’ve only ever been the best boy, it’s not my fault that my ability makes me more susceptible to illegal shit.”

It had been a while since they had last conversed, and he had to admit that it was mostly his fault. Moving back to South Korea had been a tumultuous time in his life, and had also marked the beginning of his explorations into a darker lifestyle. He had become cocky and self absorbed, caring more for himself and how he could better exploit others to his benefit. He lost himself, and as a result, lost touch with his friends and the things that used to keep him grounded. Perhaps this meeting was a chance to fix some of that?

“I’m relieved that you weren’t some creepy 55 year old man trying to kidnap me back then.” With a smile, he casually stuffed his hands in his pocket and tilted his head. “So I trust that at least one of us has managed to survive without getting into trouble?”

[atxchance]

New Beginnings

[atxchance]

atxhaneul:

{.......}

Either way, he tried hard not to let the sudden stiffness in his body show. He felt a sudden need to run, to fly, to escape. It was like he was back in that god awful cage again. “An event, you mean like a convention?” Hopefully that was what it was. “I know they have stuff like anime conventions every so often where people… People dress up as fictional characters. Maybe you saw someone cosplay with wings?”

It was a long shot, but Haneul still hoped. And he was trying so desperately to fight the urge to freak out.

It didn’t seem as though his point was getting across, and Dohyun found himself rooting around his brain for some other way to phrase things, but he was still coming up blank. He was still sure that Haneul was the boy he had encountered that night, and he had a sneaking suspicion that there was some part of him that might have known what he was getting at, but there was no real way to be certain. 

“No not quite...besides I don’t think cosplay wings would’ve done yours any justice.” He attempted to smile in an effort to lighten up the situation, but he didn’t feel that it helped any. There was an unspoken heaviness in the air, a palpable tension between them, which caused Dohyun to go back on high alert. Perhaps he had unknowingly made things awkward? Had this been the other way around, he definitely would’ve started to become agitated and annoyed by the persistence. Maybe confronting Haneul about some half remembered memory was indeed the wrong way to go?

Instinctively he snuck his hand in his pocket and took hold of the clear turquoise die that had been safely tucked away. “It was a night time event a few years ago...one that only a certain group of people would be invited to?” He stopped, gripping the die harder. “We weren’t with the same group of people, actually I don’t remember the group that you were with, but I’m sure that I saw you there? There was a pretty sizable crowd of people between us but...just maybe...” He had furrowed his eyebrows and released his grasp on the die in his pocket. 

“I’m sorry if I’m making things awkward, I just have to know the truth.”

[atxchance]

A New Challenger Approaches

@atxyuki

He didn’t know how he had gotten himself in this situation. Perhaps it was more karma from his past finally getting in the blows he was owed? Or maybe it was just some odd glitch in the simulation that just so happened to work in his favor. Either way, for the first time since he had slipped away from the dishonest world of underground gambling, Dohyun found himself being challenged to a card game. It was inevitable, and he had known that sooner or later, he was going to personally be challenged to something of that nature; but he didn’t expect it to happen so soon

Things like this used to happen all the time, and he had grown used to humoring his opponents until he felt he’d milked them out of enough cash. However,  all of those other challenges had come from people who were clueless about his ability. They accused him of counting cards, hiding cards, and other forms of cheating, not knowing that he had the power of probability on his side; which was what made this challenge especially interesting. After a few days at the academy, everyone eventually grew more aware of each other’s powers, so even if this challenger didn’t know the exact mechanics of it, they still knew enough about his power to boldly challenge him. It was interesting, but still put him on edge.

Oddly enough, the challenge had come to him while he was trying to finish up his sandwich at lunch. He had been making small talk with some of the other people at his table in an effort to appear more sociable when he first heard the aggressive proposal.  

With a raised brow, he quickly trained his eyes towards his challenger, someone who was clearly younger than he was. “You sure about that? Like are you actually sure you want to challenge me?” He crossed his arms and smirked. “Name your game kiddo. Fair warning, I’m not responsible for any injuries to your pride.”

[atxchance]

A Simple Game

[atxchance]

atxclover:

{.......}

he knew that being asked to play was going to come next, but jaehyun still hesitated for just a moment, almost studying the guy for a moment longer. admittedly, he didn’t really want someone to know all about him, but then again he also didn’t think he was going to learn that much just from playing a simple game of monopoly. and maybe he could keep his luck manipulation a secret and he wouldn’t find out and hate him for cheating and not telling him.

“i guess i can play one game,” he offered after a moment, moving closer to grab the car piece and place it carefully next to the cat already on ‘go’, “but forgive me, i haven’t played this in so long and i don’t think i can remember all the rules.”

“Well then lucky for us, we’re complete strangers. You can’t make a stranger your enemy, it’s not proper etiquette or something like that.” Dohyun smiled and carefully retrieved the dice from the box. He considered swapping the plain white and black standard pair with the carefully crafted black and gold pair in his pocket, but he thought against it. Those weren’t a pair he debuted too often, and the occasion just didn’t seem fit enough.

“You sure you want to admit to your opponent that you don’t remember all the rules?” He raised a curious brow and offered up another smile. “Anyways, we’ll roll to see who goes first, then I guess we’ll go around the board once before buying property?”

Reluctantly he grabbed the pair of (subpar) dice and gently rolled them around in the palm of his hand. If he were to break down all of the number combinations, the probability of him rolling two sixes were relatively low, but that was just a minor inconvenience. He grew quiet, and focused his attentions towards the board and the sound of the dice rolling comfortably in his hand. He wanted a high number. He wanted a twelve, and he knew that if he flicked his wrist in a particular way, the outcome would read...

“Seven...Seven? I rolled a seven?” Dohyun felt his pulse quicken as he added up the numbers on the die. One of his rolls had been a six, and yet the other had only been a one. It shouldn’t have been possible, but the numbers don’t lie. He quickly pulled himself together and looked up at his opponent. “Y-Youre turn.”

[atxminwoo]

in all his glory.

[ TW: mention of depression, nudity ] { * @atxchance

Minwoo felt as if he were in a trance– or dissociating, probably dissociating while in a trance. One moment he was enjoying his life, or well, as best as he can since his last relationship is pretty fresh and then his scandal happened and that still really sucks, but now he finds himself back in school. A school filled with mutants. Because no he was one somehow. 

It all honestly was a lot to take in a short time, and to be honest Minwoo was just going to bathe and pretend he did more than unpack one suitcase into his newest dorm room because that was his life now.

Admittedly, he felt better once bathed. Even though he had to wear flip flops in the shower and bring a caddy because new bathrooms freaked him out, it made him feel just a tiny bit better. He didn’t have to wear flip flops in the shower at home. Or choose the bottom bunk of a bunkbed because by god was he going to have the swankiest mini cave to depression nap in if it was the last thing he’ll do. There’s going to be so many photos of his favorite celebrity crushes shoved between the boards, legit glow-in-the-dark stars on the actual boards ( done in a gradient from largest stars to smallest ). There’s so much potential, and he couldn’t wait to try out . 

Perhaps Minwoo was so focused on the fact of choosing his first celebrity to gawk at under his bunk that he forgot to say, cover his trunk, after his shower, and now the knob of his bedroom door is turning. Shitshitshit, Minwoo panics, instantly forgetting where everything he put away is and starts opening his drawers wildly. He curses himself at his disorganization– why is he like this? Why can’t his three braincells work like they’re supposed to?  With no time left the door slammed open, leaving Minwoo only one option and no dignity.

[atxchance]

After spending the last seven years on his own, Dohyun wasn’t too keen on the prospect of sharing a space with someone. He was used to living a certain way and keeping things a certain way, and he had no clue how to factor in another person. People were unpredictable, and maybe if he were more powerful, he’d be able to change their pathways to better benifit him. However he wasn’t that powerful, hence why he was currently dragging his belongings down the hallway towards his room. 

It had taken him a while to choose the items that he’d bring with him to his new dorm room, but he was ultimately happy with what he chose. He picked out the essentials, ensuring that he had a sizable number of outfits and familiar items (namely his carefully curated collection of dice) to make the space seem more like home. Once he was settled into the dorm, he supposed that he would be able to send out for more of his belongings to be shipped to him if need be. To be honest, he wasn’t too sure how any of that would work out, but that would be a problem for another day.

He took a few more steps before stopping in front of his assigned living space, room 108. With a calming breath, he placed his hand on the doorknob and gave it a jiggle. It was unlocked, meaning that his roommate either hadn’t arrived yet or had just forgotten to lock the door behind him. So he tossed caution to the wind and yanked open the door, ready to face whatever was on the other side

The first thing he noticed was his roommate, standing in the middle of the room with a shocked expression on his face. Before he even formulated a proper thought, he soon realized the reasoning behind that expression. The man was completly nudde, save for a strategically placed tube sock that was doing its best to protect the important bits. Dohyun felt his ears warm up and he quickly averted his eyes.

"So...um...so is this a thing you do...like is this going to be a regular thing...in our dorm...?"

[atxchance]

New Beginnings

[atxchance]

atxhaneul:

{....}

“We’ve met?” he echoed in a mumble. The other didn’t look even vaguely familiar. The phrase ‘a few years ago’ didn’t bode well. Maybe the other’s perception of a long time was shorter than his own.

Either way, it was a little rude to keep walking, so Haneul stopped before entering the school to talk. “I’m sorry, maybe I have a bad memory. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before… Dohyun, right?” No, he had definitely never met someone named Dohyun before. “Do you maybe remember in what context we might have met?”

“Well saying that we met might be a stretch...” he trailed off and looked away from the man. He should’ve just went with the other approach, it was loads easier than being discreet and aloof; but it was the price he had to pay in order to keep his past dealings a secret. He came to this school for a fresh start, and bringing up those memories would throw that all away. 

Under normal circumstances, Dohyun wouldn’t have cared who found out about his nightly excursions,  but that was the same attitude that had gotten him in trouble. He needed to be careful about exposing that part of him, especially to people who he didn’t know. 

Once he had enough sense to gather his thoughts, he cleared his throat and began to speak. “It was an event. I think we were both there, but maybe for different reasons? It was kind of brief, but there’s no way I’d forget those wings, and logically speaking the likelihood of it not being you is highly improbable actually. So I had to ask...”

He stopped himself, taking a moment to root around for other possible ways he could divulge more information. Dohyun wasn’t infallible, and although rare, he did sometimes get things wrong. If this just happens to be one of those times, then he could use it as a learning experience.

[leesungjong]

cr: monodrama (170416)

[atxchance]

An Unlikely Pair

atxhyunseok

Dohyun used to live his life without consequence. He would do whatever he wanted because, in most cases, he knew that he could get away with whatever he wanted. He had no qualms about tricking his opponents into betting thousands of dollars, and didn’t even stop to think twice about taking that money when it was awarded to him. Worrying about things like karma had seemed silly to him; if karma was just a cruel twist of probability, then he could easily keep her at bay. Because of this self assured attitude, Dohyun often shrugged off the idea of karma, which had ultimately left him blind to the twisted way in which it worked.

It had begun with his detention. Although he voluntarily confessed his wrongs and admitted to whatever crimes he had committed, the police officers had direct orders to keep him in holding for two extra days (to build character or something to that effect). That holding cell had served as his first introduction to the wicked ways in which karma worked. It had manifested in the form of someone who Dohyun would classify as the most insufferably annoying person he had ever met. The twelve hours they spent together had easily been the most agonizingly long twelve hours of his life; and he all but rejoiced when he had escaped from there. Now that he was at the academy, he was more than ready to place all of that behind him; but that’s when karma reared its ugly head for the second time.

In his orientation group, his group leader had come up with the wonderful idea to place them in groups of two for a bonding exercise. Each group would have to come up with a team name, team slogan, and then use their combined powers and knowledge to solve various puzzles throughout the day. In short, it was torture disguised in the form of a bonding exercise, and he wasn’t on board with the idea. Despite this, he had managed to keep his mouth shut, and even bit his tongue when the group leader insisted that each group was going to be picked at random out of a hat. These were all things he thought he could cope with. However, when he heard his name called along with a name that sounded too painfully familiar, Dohyun had known that he had pissed off whatever god that had been in control of karma.

That smug face and all too recognizable glint in his eye had set Dohyun immediately on edge and he felt his eye twitch. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.”

[atxchance]

New Beginnings

[atxchance]

atxhaneul:

{......}

They were let off relatively early, the reason being the instructor thought it would be a good thing for everyone to rest up after the exertion. It was actually nicer than Haneul thought was possible. After everyone had exhibited their abilities, some physical, others mental, it was a little easier to feel like a zoo exhibit. Everyone had their own quirk. He started to feel maybe just the tiniest bit better about himself, even though his self-consciousness was still through the proverbial roof.

He was definitely off his game. The thoughts and questions that had entered his mind hadn’t gone away, which had most definitely thrown off his focus. When he was unfocused, his powers were unfocused, and there was nothing more inconvenient than unpredictable probability. Despite this lack of focus, he was still mentally present enough to have some sort of control over his abilities. So he played it safe, sticking to what he knew he could do. This resulted in several people mysteriously tumbling down (much to his amusement) and three water bottles landing perfectly cap side down. Not his best, but it was passable.

As the class came to a close, Dohyun was finally given the golden opportunity to speak to his classmate. Outright confronting him and demanding an answer was rude, and would most definitely result in a negative outcome, especially considering that he was working off fragments of some hazy memory. It wasn’t much to go off of, but the feeling alone was reason enough for him to seek out answers. So he figured that being discreet would be the best route to take.

When their instructor finished their speech, Dohyun quickly grabbed his backpack and made his way towards his group mate. As he walked over, the feelings of self doubt began settling in. It was an unpleasant feeling, but he swallowed it down once he had gotten closer to the other.

“Hey, Haneul right? Look, I know this is going to sound crazy, but hear me out. We’ve met before haven’t we? A long time ago?”

[atxchance]

Familiar Faces

[atxchance]

atxasteria:

{....}

but of course, it was fleeting. and by the time he had graduated, it was gone. after all, she had never seen him again after his graduation. ( which she had attended and even gotten him flowers, though she ran away as soon as she handed them to him. )

“of course it’s me! the one and only jo iseul, reporting for duty.” her words are undeniably playful as she salutes the male, a cheeky grin resting on her features. “it’s so lovely to see a familiar face, though you sneaky thing. why am i just discovering you’re a mutant?”

“Well, it’s not my fault, plus you never asked me. You just assumed I was one of the r” He couldn’t remember the last time he genuinely smiled like this, but there was no doubt that he was feeling happy and relieved.

It had been a few years since they last saw each other, and aside from obviously looking older, Iseul still seemed to have the same bright personality. They had been a few years apart, meaning that they never really shared any classes together. Despite this, Dohyun remembered that the few instances where they did interact, happened to be pleasant ones. She was a sweet kid and he didn’t mind lending a helping hand whenever it was needed. The last time he remembered seeing her was during graduation, and it was one of the more positive memories that he had of that day.  

Meeting her again in this setting was definitely weird, considering he’d spent all of his energy into keeping his mutation a secret; but it was a good starting point. If he had just been a bit more open about his powers, he could’ve probably avoided the surprise situation, but it made no sense for him to worry about the past. Eventually everyone would know about his mutation, and he felt much more comfortable knowing that an old friend would be the first from his past to know.

“It seems like we have a lot of catching up to do, don’t we? Are you heading to the cafeteria too?”

[atxchance]

New Beginnings

[atxchance]

atxhaneul:

{......}

He took a breath before breaking away from the group a bit. Now me. “Give me a moment,” he said quietly, slipping his hands into his sleeves so that he could loosen and then take off the harness under his shirt. As the harness fell to the ground, Haneul put his arms through the sleeves again, and stretched his wings out through the slits in his back. Looking anywhere but at his group, Haneul let his wings take him about two feet in the air before landing back on solid ground.

He slipped his wings back into the safety of his shirt, but leaving the harness by his feet. “That’s it for me,” he mumbled, returning to his groupmates.

He had smiled curtly towards his group mate and fixated his attention towards the rest of the group. He felt his heartbeat quicken when the first girl had demonstrated her ability. It was interesting, something that could tangibly be seen and explained. He had no clue how he would even begin to explain or demonstrate his ability. Coin flips were boring, lucky dice rolls were boring, and he couldn’t exactly cause an earthquake to happen either (although he seriously considered it before realizing that he didn’t have anywhere close to enough power to fixate that ratio). If anything, he could always snap his fingers and add in fancy gestures to play off his ability. Maybe even assigning silly names to his gestures would earn a few gasps of admiration.

His internal panic was momentarily interrupted as he realized that it was the next group member’s turn. As soon as he began to wonder what this person’s ability could be, he was quickly answered when a set of black wings sprouted gracefully from his back. Aside from it being one of the coolest things he had seen, the sight had jostled something within him. He could smell the stench of tobacco and cheap liquor that had seemed to hang heavy in the air; and he could almost hear the shouts, the sound of bets being made, and money being lost. But the one thing he remembered clear as day, was the sight of large black wings peeking out from the shadows of the crowd. It was a hazy memory, something that he may have even passed off as a dream at one point. After all, he was probably just dizzy from the smoke and the adrenaline coursing through his veins; the odds of that being real were slim, and the odds of that person being there were even slimmer…right?

“Hey, hello there? It’s your turn you know?”

With a confused blink, Dohyun quickly noticed that the rest of his group had been staring at him expectantly. He had been temporarily entranced, stuck in a memory of something that seemed to have been worlds away from where he was now. There were many questions swirling around his head, and none of them had anything to do with the task at hand; yet, he knew that the sooner he got his turn over with, the sooner he’d be able to ask those questions.

It had taken him a few moments to locate a small table, and even fewer for him to figure out how he was going to demonstrate his ability. “See that table over there? There’s a 30-40% chance that it’s going to spontaneously topple over...”  He turned, focusing his attention on the prop. “...and when I snap my fingers...” with a deep breath, he snapped his fingers and felt an all too familiar exhaustion start to settle in “...it’ll be 100%”

There was slight rumble, as a perfectly timed stunt from another group happened to set off a chain of events which caused his table to dramatically shudder and topple over.

“And voila, that’s how you play with probability kids. Don’t try this at home.” With that out of the way he had stolen a quick glance at the person beside him, and stepped back in place.

[atxchance]

A Simple Game

[atxchance]

atxclover:

{......}

“monopoly?” he spoke up when he was close enough, being careful to try and not scare the other suddenly, “i don’t think that’s the best choice of game to bond with people. isn’t that the game where you end up making enemies more than anything?” jaehyun had only ever played it once before with his family when he was younger, but by the end of it, he had stacks of money and so many hotels and his sister was crying when she owed him thousands after landing on one of his spaces. she ended up not forgiving him for weeks.

it was a not something he really waned to repeat with a complete stranger.

The entrance of the newcomer was expected, and more than welcome in his eyes. Coincidentally, he had pretty much finished setting up the board and pieces to his liking, leaving very little left for him to set up

“I’d have to disagree, rather than make enemies I find it as a wonderful way for you to learn about other people”. He placed the last few orange bills down on the other side of the table and regarded the other person with interest. “You can learn a lot about a person based on how they react under pressure.”

It was a truth that he had come to learn over the years he had spent playing against others in high stakes games such as this. No matter how cool, calm, and collected someone appeared to be, they would always show their true selves the moment something didn’t go their way. It gave him an almost jaded view of the world, but he had enough sense to know that not all people were built that way. After all, it wasn’t as if his former opponents were what one would classify as upstanding citizens. 

“I bet I could learn more about you in a simple 30 minute game of monopoly, than I could during another painfully awkward icebreaker.” He looked away for a moment, taking great care to place the silver cat piece on the “GO’ space, “So, it’s up to you I guess?”