the sound of dawn

like the stars chase the sun. over the glowing hill, I will conquer. blood is running deep, some things never sleep. bae jihyun ( gladiolus )

[moonhyuna]

hairporn goddess at it again…

[brjihyun]

hyekyungbr:

upon the acceptance to her wine offer, hyekyung leans forward to pour the other’s glass. silence consumes as shes focused on her task. but thoughts overtake and theres this sudden comparison to the past. 

when did they start speaking the language of silence when once before laughter adorned every room?

this was cheesy. something she could not stomach because time had solidified her and so she snaps back to the comforting coldness. placing the wine back into the bucket, hyekyung follows jihyun’s lead and begins to slice into the reddened steak. its weird. time aged them; seconds turned to hours and hours to months and then years and distance their outcome, but still hyekyung finds herself reading her friend. perhaps not the words that reside in her mind, or the thoughts that twist annoyance on her features but her gestures. the way jihyun was closing herself off by focusing on her food and avoiding direct stares. hyekyung stops. shes again trying to read the other woman. to see the context that is hidden beneath the lines and glances up to meet familiar warm pair of eyes.

the hwang does not look away. shes bold. but also greedy and tries to capture the emotions that make home in her friend’s stare. but jihyun is strong. gotten stronger, in fact and the hwang knows its useless. biting into her steak, she listens patiently to the response. theres a stumble like the bae doesnt know what to convey before irritation seeks into her voice. hyekyung scoffs. she knows what the other means, the accuracy of her words were legitimate but she chooses to ignore it. “a game that i had learned to play alone once i was abandoned.” she states. its not what she wants to say. there was no use bringing in the past but hyekyung needs the final word. after all she had been through without the other. “we’re not kids anymore. if silence is what you prefer, silence is what you’ll get."  

"abandoned?!" she spits the word out like poison that was about to infiltrate her body. she could feel her core shake, the implications of hyekyung's words send vibrations through her bones and she felt like devouring the other and her pretentiousness and then herself. jihyun felt disgusted about the way her body and mind reacted to the other's voice, the way hyekyung held an unwitting power over her made her sick and she felt repulsive. "no one ever abandoned you. pushing people away is a kingdom and you are its queen." her appetite was quickly dwindling. she was reminded of a time she had been eager to forget and leave behind. the choking feeling of hyekyung's friendship escaping between her fingertips like sand, the sound of hyekyung's voice saying the alien words 'i do' in front of her wedding guests, the way hwang bogum held her like a prize, like a tropy, like a thing. and the worst was how hyekyung was blind, so very blind to all of it. bogum's pearly white smile obscured her vision and made her oblivious to the changes around her. oblivious to jihyun, to her love and feelings. oblivious to the hurt she had caused. "you are right, hyekyung", she said, combining all her efforts not to have a shaky voice. the feeling of speaking out her name felt like a memory from another lifetime. "we are not kids anymore. there is nothing between us. you made sure of that." she was ready for sleep but something in the back of her head told her there wouldn't be much of that on this night. her hand wrapped around the wine glass and she took a few generous sips, despite knowing that this amount would have no effect on a vampire. it was worth a shot.

[brjihyun]

brminwoo:

     jihyun got in return the sound of laughter coming from minwoo. guests probably wondered how entertaining was the conversation going on between the hwang and the bae. her comment had been the result of selective ears. perhaps the woman was not aware, but students of keuroseu recognized everyone’s favorite campus couple, both of them school idols: cha ansook and song ahin.

❝of course you would know about it. isn’t your youngest very fond of ahin as well?❞ minwoo’s voice was tinted with wry. it was in his nature (and his mother’s) to keep his poisonous thoughts hidden under a veil of innocent disposition. bending the neck to appear helpless, fluttering the eyelashes to seem alluring. this unabridged act with the purpose of gaining and keeping connections.

❝as you can see, the people never gets tired of us,❞ ten years of the council were an argument to prove his statement. living in the past would not get her anywhere. she could only dream of her adopted family occupying their place. jihyun never noticed the crack on the crown even after years of dusting the headpiece. in her following question, he saw a chance to prove that he was just as piercing as her sword.

❝now, green doesn’t suit you. aren’t you exhausted of brimming with jealousy?❞ he asked, lowering the volume for the first time. minwoo intended for the bae matriarch to be the only vampire to listen to his question. did she really have an issue with their late entrance, or were her intentions others? in any case, it was getting tiresome to witness her delusions of grandeur — better to extinguish her fire at the initial stages.

ultimately, jihyun did wonder. would hyekyung risk an encounter with her in order to break her beloved son out of the tight grip of this conversation? probably. the hwang was a lionness and always willing to jump into the mud for her cubs, an admirable trait if the entire family wasn't so damn rotten. then again, half the attendees were decayed, infected with the putrid sickness of greed and power. and maybe it was time for jihyun to admit she was one of them. a scoff and a flip of her long, dark hair onto her back was a response to minwoo's inappropriate curiousity in the business of her son. "don't you worry, minwoo. i'll knock some sense into him. you'll do good doing the same with your sister. good luck." the response didn't get any less dry despite jihyun taking a sip of champagne. it was almost disturbing, the ease with which they argued, knowing damn well nothing fruitful would come out of this. it wasn't the right time or place, among a mouthful of hungry gods. this fire, this heat. ultimately, is this who they were? warring families and the natural decay of love and friendship between them? eyes grew dark, a piercing gaze being thrown minwoo's way over the brim of her slim glass. "watch your mouth", she said quietly, in the same manner as he did in order for the words only to be heard by the hwang heir. "you can get back to me once you grow out of daddy's shadow and get your official lackey diploma. after that you can start thinking how you get out of the bottom of the food chain." screw the unfortunate decay of friendship and past memories. it was to no avail pretending hwang, bae and cha could live in peaceful co-existence. in the end, they were monsters - literally.

[brjihyun]

brsiwon:

          IT WAS A SMALL PRICE TO PAY for ansook’s well-being and siwon knew that had there been more than one ex-human at the spot, he would’ve stood fighting until he himself turned to dust. it was a sacrifice he knew he might have to make one day, but he was more than willing to — it would be the only way he would ever leave this world after all, and somehow there was reassurance in that. nothing he ever did was for granted: it was for them. it was a great a cause as any.

never once was he found wanting anything that was out of his reach, and never once was he heard complaining about his duties, because truly he did not mind. he was privileged, of that he was convinced, privileged enough to see his brothers prosper right before him, and it was enough to make him forget his own hardships.

but a golden cage was still just a cage in the end.

he let his mother move him wherever she needed him to be, too tired to put up any resistance. it didn’t hurt him — the wounds weren’t bad and they’d be gone once the boy had gotten some rest: had he spent the night somewhere else, chances were jihyun never would’ve even known. but he sat there in front of her now, attempting to sit straight and smile reassuringly. siwon had never been good at keeping anything from his mother — surely she saw right through his act. «i wanted to check the dorm’s perimeter,» he explained, shrugging slightly. «it wasn’t that far to walk either. don’t worry mom, really.»

maybe more than the tepid words and tired form of his body, it was the forced smile that hurt jihyun most, that gave her heart the deepest sting. just how much did she drill her son to make him feel like it was necessary to keep up this facade of artificial well-being? it gave her the image of her whipping him at the slightest hint of weakness, which of course she could never attempt in all her immortal lifetime. but it did start a gentle protest in the back of her head. there was the elusive assumption that maybe, just maybe, bae jihyun and her judgement weren't impeccable. and that terrified her. she rose from her seat and aimed for the stove, pulling the pot still half full with soup she had earlier cooked for ara onto it and cranked up the heat. a couple of spoons should gift siwon at least an ounce of energy to speed up the healing process. while the stove top started heating up, she turned back to him and dropped herself onto the chair once more. with a heavy sigh she slipped her hand under the few strands of hair that loosely covered siwon's forehead, as if she was feeling his temperature. "baby, it's not that i don't trust you. i just want to -" she stopped herself. it was futile still telling siwon what he should and shouldn't have done. the case of all cases had already occured. "useless to tell a mum not to worry, right? that's what we were born to do," she said with the hint of a smile. "have a few spoons of soup, okay? it will cocker you a bit. ara said it was the best thing she had ever eaten but she says that about everything i cook."

[brjihyun]

brjinho:

jinho beams at his aunt’s compliment. there was no denying the love and warmth that radiated outwards from bae jihyun. the woman his family had put their trust into raising him and his younger brother. there was nothing he felt he could do to repay the woman who took him in and raised him with the same love she gave to her own biological son. he always enjoyed the time they were able to spend together. it seemed he saw less of his aunt especially after he decided to move back home. jinho takes a moment to stretch out his arms to fully display his sweater after they pull away from their embrace. “well i only look regal because of your impeccable taste auntie.” he says with sincerity. 

he smiles at her reaction he knew how sentimental jihyun could be, he could hear it in her voice the gratitude and the sinking feeling in his gut only intensified. he had half the mind to just shelve this conversation for another day. he didn’t want to tell her this news, but he knew the more he prolonged the inevitable the harder it would be to tell her. “please, tea is just the least i could do for everything you’ve done for me, don’t get all teary on me auntie.” jinho’s voice soft and full of fondness reserved for her, he leads her to her seat pulling out the chair for her. “come sit down, i’ll get the tea.” 

"forgive my sentimental soul", jihyun excused herself with the hint of a smile on her lips. she collects her bag again, following the lean figure of jinho in his creamy sweater, who was kind enough to prepare a seat for her. she straightened her skirt, holding the black fabric in place before seating herself comfortably. "take your time, baby". eyes start to wander through the room. ever since jinho had moved out and started to become busy with work, the opportunities for quiet tea times had diminished severely. jihyun couldn't blame him, a full-time job at the council would take up everyone's undivided attention. yet she also couldn't deny the little sting she felt in her heart when she couldn't remember the last time siwon, jinho, ansook and ara had been gathered around the dinner table together with her, enjoying a warm, hearty meal served up by the bae. she decided to make it a die-hard resolution to gather the funny bunch of four at least once his year. "how is work going, baby?" she asked and began to eye those deliciously looking macaroons that were patiently waiting to melt on her tongue. a fresh bouquet of flowers was spreading its scent as it started mixing with the freshly brewed tea carried by jinho. what bliss.

[brjihyun]

hyekyungbr:

“thank you.” hyekyung shuts the door upon her words. their server had done decent work with arranging the food on the table and so, the woman does not wait as she opens up the wine bottle. she understands the situation. the awkward future that entails jihyun and her eating together. them sitting infront of each other after years of pretending their friendship was nonexistent. she understands. her heart more than her mind. but nothing except neutral expressions remain on her face. she became a pro at masking emotions. this reunion would be no different. jihyun was just a moment of her past. 

as the presence of jihyun returns, hyekyung simply nods to the sound of accusation. “of course.” she replies. simple and short. she then begins to pour the wine, measuring the length she needs ( to survive being in a room with jihyun ) before stopping once the plum liquid filled more than half her glass. “would you like me to pour you a glass?” hyekyung askes. although its only out of being polite. she notices the distance when the other pulls her plates closer and holds back a sigh. anyone in a room with them could tell there were unspoken words drifting eagerly in the air above. “im not a disease. nor am i going to kill you. you don’t have to be so weary.” she advises. hyekyung knows, sees the distaste jihyun has over her. an ex-best friend that walks back into her life. even if it was for business purposes. hyekyung was heartless. “since we’re going to be stuck together until tomorrow, perhaps we can get along?” she speaks as if shes at a meeting. as if theres no relationship between them. as if nothing happened. 

as if shes not a woman to blame.  

seemingly out of nowhere, jihyun was reminded of an image ansook had shown her. despite the young one's endless efforts to explain it to her, at the time she didn't manage to fully grasp the meaning it was trying to convey. it was a two panel cartoon, merely the image of a dog sitting in a room with his entire surroundings set ablaze. despite this, a speech bubble appeard in the second box with claiming this is fine. now, jihyun knew how that felt. ansook would be delighted to hear that. "sure, thanks", was the short cut answer she gave her formerly best friend in regards to the wine. only now she realized how hungry the journey had made her, gladly welcoming the bloody steak making its way to her mouth on the fork. she was ready to spend their entire shared time in absolute silence, dead set on the thought of them not speaking a single word outside of tomorrow's gathering. by now, she almost found comfort in that silence. maybe it meant hyekyung felt just as uncomfortable as she did, maybe it meant just as many waves of inexplicable emotions were overthrowing the hwang over and over again. maybe it meant she wasn't suffering on her own. now, what she didn't expect was hyekyung to speak up. and the nature of her words actually made jihyun's gaze wander off of her plate and look directly into hyekyung's eyes for the first times in what was decades perhaps. she didn't age a day and yet she did. rather than time getting the best of her, it was an upgraded version of the woman she once knew and loved. personally acquired regalness was now painted across her face, a certain feeling of maturity in which jihyun could see how it made her look like she was above others, superior. she hated it. everything about it. she looked for the softness in the curve of her nose, the gentle way her dimples formed when she spoke, the light waves of her eyelashes. she couldn't find it. hyekyung had grown hard. beautiful, but hard. "i'm not weary, i'm-" she broke off. to hell with her, jihyun wasn't going to explain herself in front of a hwang. she didn't owe her anything. perhaps the following words hit her even more than the previous. jihyun put her fork down and straightened her back, her napkin on her lap. "hell would freeze over before i pretend any of this is even remotely acceptable. you can play this game yourself. i heard that's what you're best at."

[tiffkyu]

[brjihyun]

brsiwon:

          AND THERE IT WAS — THE FAMILIAR ache of guilt the moment he let his guard down and reminded himself that it was okay to breathe. no one was as hard on siwon as siwon was himself, and never did he think it didn’t pay off — he was at the top of his class, healthy, and his brothers were safe ( though he couldn’t take credit for that, most of the time ).

tonight had seen a rather rare occurrence and siwon seldom had to use his physical power to ensure the prince’s safety. seeing siwon and ansook together, however, was not a rare sight, and it hadn’t even felt like a duty for the older as he fought the ex-human off — the love he had for his brother was real and he had acted on reflex and fear before anything else. it didn’t hurt — at least it hadn’t until siwon found himself alone. he had believed himself to be alone anyway until his tired eyes met the familiar hues of his mother and she had his face cupped in loving hands almost immediately. that worried gaze was familiar for siwon and this was the woman who had raised him to be who he was: he owed her the world, yet all he could do was fake a smile.

«there was a level e vampire,» he hesitated slightly as he tried to recall the incident. «ansook and i were just talking outside after class and .. it just attacked.» the boy had never liked surprises for that very reason. «ansook’s fine though, didn’t get hurt. i followed him back to the dorms —» he began hastily, usually so clearly articulated words having been diminished to only a mumble.

siwon's recital confirmed two things for jihyun. the first was that no matter how safe she felt, how ensured she was in the comfort on her own little empire she had built, ansook and jinho were always in danger, no matter what. it was unsettling that it took a level e attack for that realization to come upon her once more and she deeply resented herself for that. the importance of their safety should always be her constant priority, not only in the back of her head. that's what she owed both of them. and her sister. and secondly, it proved to her just how strong siwon was. she couldn't believe he just single-handedly fought off a blood thirsty, mindless vampire. of course, she had trained him for occasions like this for literal years but the harsh thought of this being an actual reality hit her harder than she ever thought it would. it was an odd mix of pride, worry and fear that was getting the best of her. intently listening to him recalling the events of the past hour she let go of his face, one hand now wrapping around his wrist. without a word she pulled his son into the kitchen, his heavy, sloppy steps following her assured, determined ones. gentle hands pushed his shoulders down to place him on a chair, a flick of the light switch enlightened the scene. jihyun took up the seat next to him, dragging her chair a few inches closer to his. eyes attentively scanned him, stopping at his arms, covered with scratches, some deeper than others. she slipped one hand under his right underarm, his shiftless limb resting on her palm. jihyun gave the thumb of her free hand a lick, slowly and carefully gliding it over a deep cut, waiting for her vampire dna to speed up the healing process of his worn out body. "why didn't you call me?" she said quitely, no judgement in her voice despite the question while her eyes remained pinned on his wounds. "i could have picked you up. i don't want you to walk around like this."

[brjinho]

@brjihyun

jinho opens the box from his aunt’s favorite patisserie the colorful macaroons looking almost too decadent and beautiful to eat, however nothing short of the best for jihyun. the woman who had taken him and his brother in after his parents death deserved more than anything money could buy, there was never anything jinho felt like he could achieve to express his gratitude to the bae family. 

he had set the kettle on the stove to begin boiling, and took out the tea set she had gifted him, the delicate tea glasses rimmed with gold with matching saucers. jinho went over the mental check list in his head countless times. normally tea with his aunt would never have him feeling so frazzled. the two of them spent plenty of time in each others company whether it was over tea or dinners, and of course growing up in her home. jinho always felt the love radiated from jihyun ten fold towards him. it was why when he had arranged this meeting it was setting him on edge.

a comment she had made during a brunch, an offhanded one of him becoming king it was a notion he had brushed off plenty of times over the years. mostly he would grin and bear it, just nod when his aunt showered him with praise he sometimes (often times) felt undeserving of. jinho was still mulling over how he planned to break this news to his aunt. he had no desire to be king, he had no desire to reinstate the old ways of vampire life. how did he break that to her? the person who had more faith in him than he had in himself?

he hears the unlocking of the back door to the kitchen and that sets jinho into motion to  meet her at the door and greet her, jihyun always on time to everything. he tugs down the sleeves of a sweater she had bought him thinking the article of clothing would be a nice touch and hoping that all of this extra effort he was going through would be noted if he was going to break the heart of someone he loves dearly. jinho takes a deep breath hoping to settle some of  his nerves and plasters a smile to his face seeing his aunt walk into his home. “auntie, hello i’ve missed you.” he says sincerely, opening his arms to pull her into a hug. 

[brjihyun]

the horror in jihyun's face when jinho had politely ordered her not to bring any sweets along to his little tea time arrangement was unmatched. the second he had uttered the invitation the bae matriarch had started arranging an assemble of exquisite baked goods in her head which she was going to make all herself, of course. it wasn't that she didn't put full trust in his ability of orchestrating an enjoyful afternoon tea, she just loved impressing people around her with her small miraculous baked inventions. maybe it was a good idea in the end, a servant her entire life ( a noble one, of course, but still a servant nontheless ) being served was quite a change from time to time. the very second she saw jinho in that creamy sweater with the golden bird opening its wings wide across to soar, undeniable pride started to swell in her chest. he surely made no mistake wearing it today when it was a carefully chosen gift by yours truly. she had already forgotten on which trip to which country she bought it for him, all she knew was that it absolutely screamed jinho. now on top of that knowledge she knew he looked beyond stellar in it. "hello, my love", she greeted him with a gentle smile, putting down her bag to match his movement and embrace him for a heartfelt hug. she pulled back after a few moments, hands on his strong shoulders to look him up and down. the way she had to bend her neck was just another reminder of how much he had grown. "my, my. look at you! i'm so happy the sweater fits you so well. you look absolutely regal." her eyes fall onto the gifted tea set, neatly arranged next to the beloved macaroons carefully placed in the box. jihyun nearly gasped. he didn't show it often but he really knew her inside out. jihyun never made it an issue to demand things she preferred, everything she had and everything she did was for her boys. so this thoughtful little reception brought tears to her eyes. "you really didn't have to do this", she said, undeniably with a shaky voice.

[brjihyun]

brminwoo:

      for vampires, special occasions were meant to be representations of either paradise or hell. maybe they were not as different from humans in this aspect. while some parties overflowed with sin and vice, others turned into perfect imitations of the garden of eden. the celebration intended to be the latter. as a hwang, invitations to events fell from the sky. it was only a matter of picking the essential ones. minwoo and his parents tended to apply the arrive late, leave early rule, today was not the exception. once everyone had dedicated them a moment of their attention, they spread around to grace guests with their presence. the first person who approached him turned out to be a delightful surprise.

❝good afternoon,❞ he acknowledged her. bae jihyun, the golden matriarch. an inferno embroidered into the fabric of her dress. she could set the entire room ablaze with a flick of the wrist. minwoo held a limited degree of respect for the grand dame, given her status and well-known skills. nevertheless, bae blood ran through her veins. royalists, or in more colloquial words, cha suck-ups. tension between their families was evident. personally, he could pinpoint the exact moment in history when he had earned her fury. it only took a glance at her horrified face as he rejected the hand of her adopted nephew.

the following comment caused his jaw to tighten. he made an effort to avoid rolling his eyes at her. it was the first confrontation of the day after all. while jinri’s behavior and decisions were a persistent topic of conversation among their family, he deemed jihyun’s particular emphasis unacceptable. she had gone after the wrong target. it made his (hwang) blood boil to overhear comments in regards to his sister, but this was not a new thing and minwoo knew better — a learned apprehension from his father, lessons of good manners from his mother. he limited himself to offer a trained apology.

❝our family prioritizes education. please, forgive my sister’s absence. she is busy making us proud.❞

the defensive act, carefully crafted and cultivated over the years, adjusted whenever necessary. jihyun could only imagine what kind of pride the youngest hwang was bringing to the noble house. according to carelessly uttered reports by siwon and ansook, the matriarch couldn't claim the young hwang spawn was an utter failure in study matters, even proved herself to be quite studious at times. maybe the only character trait thing that didn't make hyekyung and bogum's blood boil. seeing her long lost childhood friend fail in parental matters brought her more glee than jihyun could ever possibly admit. it made her feel victorious, especially when having not raised one, not two but three exceptional sons who could outclass minwoo and jinri at any given occasion and time. "oh, i am sure she is. no doubt about that", jihyun agreed while she probably actually couldn't disagree more. "i've heard she's spending a lot of time with song ahin lately. oh well, birds of a feather, right?" the obvious hint at the young song's infamous promiscuous behaviour was a low blow, even jihyun admitted that to herself. but when facing a hwang there were no rules, everyone always brought every available weapon to the battle of the families. she carefully let the liquid in her long glass swirl, bubbles hitting the surface. she had no intention to spend her precious evening in the presence of minwoo but somehow riling him up proved to be more fun than she had previously imagined. maybe it was time to give him a taste of his own medicine after his countless condescending encounters with jinho. she knew her boy was miles above the other, never lowering himself to minwoo's tasteless level. jihyun, however, didn't mind getting her hands dirty. "quite the entrance the three of you had", jihyun referred to their ostentatious arrival earlier. "aren't you getting tired of being late all the time?"

[brjihyun]

hyekyungbr:

as jihyun’s voice fills in the silence of the room, hyekyung finds herself listening in. the other’s words directed to whomever she was on the phone with and for a moment both are safe. not to mention, hyekyung’s openly staring too. if jihyun manages to glance at the mirror, she would be caught but thoughts collapse once she realizes what shes doing. as if she almost misses the other- drawing a cough to clear her throat, the woman looks anywhere else. shes not weak. so she needs to stop acting like it.

the hwang approaches the mirror as the other moves to her luggage and glances at the reflection. she still glows without her makeup but the heaviness under her eyes convey the stress that resides within her. aside from sleeping, hyekyung was never one without a face of foundation. she almost hates how vulnerable she seems to be at the moment. even if jihyun has once always seen her at her worst.

with no communication, hyekyung draws a breath when the other heads to the bathroom. she figures its probably to change her clothes and decides to do the same. perhaps whoever got to the bed first would be able to claim it as theirs.

reaching for the clothes that lay on the dresser, hyekyung easily begins to undress. she was far from shy. in addition, jihyun was occupying the bathroom. more importantly, the bed needed to be hers. so stepping out from her darkened blue dress, hyekyung begins to slip into black bottoms and a silk tank. she feels the faint breeze against naked skin and for a second, things felt peaceful. it doesn’t last. it couldn’t in their situation and finishing up with her black robe as the final touch, brown orbs again retreat to the mirror. for some reason she needed to make sure she looked presentable. and as a hum slips her throat, the hwang heads towards the bed. she sits on the right side of the mattress before a knock hits their hotel dorm. “i guess the food has arrived.” she speaks up to inform jihyun.  

if there was a way to angrily button up your pyjama top, jihyun was doing it right now. with furrowed brows she watched herself in the mirror, angry at herself for getting riled up over all of this, angry at the situation for even occuring in the first place and especially angry at hyekyung. for everything. for the past. for the silence. for the total lack of acknowledging her existence. and for still being able to evoke all of those feelings within her. for how hard jihyun swallowed when she finally caught a proper look at herself. she eased the muscles of her face, sighing quietly. 'she's not worth the premature wrinkles', jihyun thought and let warm water start running to commence the make-up removal and her general skin care regime. her ring fingers were gently patting in the expensive eye cream when she heard hyekyung's voice calling for her and it nearly made her flinch. again. annoyed by the power hyekyung held over her. as long as she never let the other know in any way possible and somehow survived this short trip, it would all vanish long before she could make even more out of it. she steps out of the bathroom, eyes wandering over to the round, wooden, inviting looking table, which now carried their neatly arranged wine glasses and plates covered with silver domes. the thought of having a meal side by side with hyekyung nearly made her appetite diminish but upon proper examination of that thought it still was the general circumstances of the situation that made her stomachs turn. "i hope you tipped the lobby boy", jihyun said without even looking at hyekyung, maybe the sound of accusation in her voice was heavier than she initially intended it to be. with soft slippers on her feet she made her way over to the table and granted herself permission to seat herself on one side of the table. she pulled her plate, cutlery and glass slightly further from the other arrangement, somehow hoping this would change things. the hair tie that had been resting around her wrist got now skillfully twisted around her hair to keep it out of the way, ready to quench her hunger.

[inkxlenses]

Georges Hobeika Spring/Summer 2018 Haute Couture

[brjihyun]

hyekyungbr:

always two steps ahead, hyekyung welcomes situations. regardlessof the element of surprise, she carries skills to control its outcomes.the wisdom she gained from all her trials, something she wields as a weapon.nonetheless, thishere breaks all of that. this here becomes close to her suffocation and for once, she finds herself not prepared.

hyekyung closes her luggage. she’s finished with sorting herclothes and draws a breath, perhaps heavier than expected. voluminous, darklashes averts to the woman across from her. jihyun’s backher constant welcome. silence has been their choice of language and hyekyungprefers that. no words means understanding — there was nothing to talk about.and the hwang chooses to ignore the voices in the back of her head that sayotherwise. this was no reunion. she was representing the council, not the younggirl she once threw away. drawing the strands of auburn from her face, hyekyungfocuses on tying her hair into a high ponytail. she was simply doing anythingto keep herself busy; to keep conversations empty. if anything her words wouldonly direct jihyun to the couch.

 (even if the bae has full rights to the bed aswell).

her prayers did not reach above when jihyun’s voice bounces thewalls of their room. the soft tone providing memories hyekyung does not askfor. she glances at her phone, purposefully taking the seconds to reply asbrown orbs scan across useless notifications. thankfully none from her children;which meant jinri was hopefully not getting in trouble and minwoo was doingfine. “wine. the finest.” hyekyung then responds and it feels tremendouslyweird. their conversation was civil. perhaps they were allowed to move on;perhaps jihyun already did so. “as for food. whatever you’re having. steak iassume.”

'alcoholic', jihyun thought, yet probably dwelling in the hypocrisy of ordering wine for herself too. why was it that every single word hyekyung said sounded like a judgement? when she closely listened, she could hear charges in every syllable, every statement a vast attack against herself. surely jihyun must be imagining things. when knowing their history, no sane person would put any blame on jihyun for what had happened. no one with an ounce of empathy and logic would possibly assume jihyun had a hand in the happenings of the past and for the longest time she believed hyekyung was one of those people. today, she wasn't so sure anymore. the small phone on the night stand was patiently waiting to get picked up. jihyun passed on their order, a bottle of their best wine and two steaks, rare. a somewhat perplexed voice confirmed their order, it probably wasn't a common thing for guests to order steak at four in the morning. now what? she kept the phone pressed against her ear for a couple more seconds after the other end of the line had already hung up. the second she would put the phone down, it would take her back to the silent, icy state of their hotel room. jihyun swallowed hard before cradling the phone. now sitting on one side of the best, she desperately sought something to keep her hands busy. anything to distract her until the salvation of dinner was going to arrive. she opened her already unzipped luggage once more, digging for her pyjamas somewhere at the bottom of it. the earlier she would get changed and assert dominance over the bed, the better. maybe jihyun should request a second blanket so they didn't have to share one. 'god fucking hell.' not in a thousand years she would have assumed for something like this to happen. with her silk pyjamas clutched to her chest she made her way to the well lit bathroom. quietly closing and locking the door behind her gave her a second of venting. she threw her pyjamas onto the group with all the strength she had, taking a deep breath with her hands curling into fists, avoiding to scream at any chance. 'fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!'

[brjihyun]

this was just right. glistening chandeliers, clinking crystal glasses, muffled voices, rumors and alliances. in was her center, her spotlight, wallowing like a cat in the midday sunlight on a warm stone. gentle classical music was accompanying the intimate get together, jihyun counted around twenty people. the host spared no expenses and had organized a buffet easily enough for fifty attendees. jihyun's perfectly eyeliner winged eyes scanned the room like a lionness overseeing the desert for her prey. she recognized the songs and immediately her long-yearned-for relationship between jinho and ara came to mind. an occasion like this was perfect to casually mention the topic like it was the weather. she picked up a glass of champagne as she started making her way towards them, heels clicking on a light creamy marble floor, when another familiar yet less welcome figure crossed her way. a hwang always had a way of drawing the attention to them. hyekyung and her poisonous husband never failed to make a late entrance, making sure everyone's eyes were on them, making sure their name was in everyone's mouth for one reason or another. the youngest damn spawn couldn't keep a smile on her face for longer than two seconds, manners surely weren't her merit. and this one, the heir, the family's whole pride and sole bearer of accomplishments. he was the worst of them. he had inherited his mother's knack for acting, the act of innocence and purity in public, while behind the curtains he was nothing but poison. jihyun could feel her insides boil whenever jinho told her about their encounters and she was sure he was only telling half the story. hwang minwoo was the epitome of 'the apple never falls far from the tree'. and yet there was not one indication of any of those thoughts crossing her mind when jihyun faced him. "hello, minwoo", she greeted him, the mere hint of a smile on her lips, one arm crossed over her chest, the other elbow resting in the hand of her crossed arm, leaning her glass of champagne against her cheek. "your lovely sister couldn't come? how unfortunate."

@brminwoo

[brsiwon]

❛·° closed — @brjihyun.

          FAMILY FIRST. IT HAD ALWAYS been family first, and siwon had taken that to heart with an unrivalled seriousness that was found nowhere else. he took pride in that, being so devoted and so loyal; but the boy was tired. if someone were to ask him where he belonged, who he was, or what he dreamt of, he would’ve had no answer but a smile that couldn’t possibly belong to him anymore.

and yet, he was never seen without it.

he had been out with ansook as per usual when the level e vampire had attacked, and whilst siwon had been quick to avoid that any harm would come to his brother, it meant that he had taken the few blows in a short-lived duel, and walked away with an unscathed prince and only a few scratches himself that would heal quickly. but as he made his way into his home, steps soundless against the hard floor, his skin still stung from wounds that had proved deeper than siwon had initially acknowledged. deflating as he exhaled when he entered the living room, the boy stopped in his tracks to allow himself just a moment of breaking character — and his smile disappeared.

[brjihyun]

more than enough jihyun found herself in an odd push and pull between worry and trust. she knew she had trained her children well, all of them. all her three sons had grown up to be smart and strong, she had enough confidence in her own skill as a mother and in the ability of her children to reward herself and them with her full, unconditional trust. and yet, there was this damn maternal worry. following her with every step. it sometimes pushed her to handle her sons like raw eggs, especially siwon and ansook, who were still mere children in her eyes. jihyun knew exactly how important the gift of trust and confidence was, so mostly she kept her worries to herself. it was a day of worry. she couldn't imagine being the overly obsessive mother who texts her children when it has been ten minutes past their curfew but short glances at the clock hanging above the kitchen door told her it was late. unusually later than siwon's habitual return from university anyway and jihyun knew his class schedule by heart ( wow there, calm down, helicopter mum ... ). so it had to be another lesson of trust and confidence. the night was drawing to its end and jihyun was about to head upstairs when she entered the living room to turn the light off and encountered the shadow of what was supposed to be her son. his slouched shoulders told a story of weariness, the common sparkle missing from his eyes. the lamp on the cocktail table shone on his skin, illuminating deep cuts that he seemed to be almost unbothered by. but for jihyun, it ripped open a portal straight to hell. "wonnie! baby!" with a leap she was by his side, cupping his cheeks with her hands and gently raising his head to meet his eyes. "what the hell happened?!"

[brjihyun]

@hyekyungbr

taking off jewerly was like removing armour. plate by plate, ring by ring. jihyun carefully placed every single item in the small golden box she had brought along, her belongings neatly laid out on the red velvet that covered the inside. she sighed after she took it all off, as if a weight had been lifted off of her and yet she felt so very heavy. a gentle glance in the mirror of the vanity told her that hyekyung was rummaging in her luggage, probably eager to find something. the headache that was pestering her brain had been carefully cultivated ever since the council appointed the hwang and the bae to participate in a gathering overseas. the rumors of unrest among noble japanese vampire families had reached the head of council and since both hyekyung and jihyun were absolute masters in conversing and socializing, the duty of scooping out the situation has been placed on their shoulders. how the other passengers on the flight weren't shivering from the frozen atmosphere between the two women was beyond jihyun, a flight spent in utter silence and ignorance of each other's existence. the cherry on top was the stuttering receptionist explaining that only one room with a double bed had been booked and nothing else was available. throughout the entire ordeal jihyun was wondering if she had been keeping her will up to date in case this whole thing was going to kill her. pretty sure she split everything evenly between her sons. the air didn't get any warmer between them when they entered the room. admittedly the couch was quite spacious and didn't look too uncomfortable but neither of them was going to drop onto the level of sleeping on a couch. god beware. the hotel room was drenched in utter luxury and jihyun grumpily thought that less gold on the walls and one bed more would have benefitted them more. but here she was and nothing could change any of that. it was just this evening, the gathering tomorrow and by the morning after that she was going to be on a plane to her own comfortable home. her eyes fell on the menu that was accurately placed on the makeup table. a real bloody steak would be heaven right now. "do you want to order room service?" who would have thought that the first words in years jihyun would speak to hyekyung in private would be about ordering food.

[tiffkyu]