Siwon sucked in a sharp breath. Italians. The word echoed in his head with so much distaste someone mightâve made the assumption that he was prejudice. Far from it. He had nothing against Italianâs as a whole, just the ones who called him up at four in the morning because they had a job for him. He knew they were in different time zones, but that was pushing it. Especially since he barely got any sleep as it were.
Now he was standing in the middle of a park in a three piece suit, before the sun had even come up. He was winning every award for suspicious behavior but there didnât seem to be any police trolling the area. They were just getting their day started, which was just as well seeing as how any run-umâs would result in gun fire. The Italian said heâd be meeting his contact in roughly thirty minutes or so. Another con man around the area, which surprised Siwon. He thought he kept an eye on them all. Especially when it came to white collar, then again he spent half of his time running around with a gun and kicking in doors. He couldnât keep tabs on everybody.
The first sound of footsteps caught his attention a moment later. Two hundred yards away. Someone was approaching.
Siwon was having an odd day. The kind where he'd misplaced both of his wallets, the fake ID he needed was in one of them but he couldn't seem to find either. He was also missing his gallery membership card, which was making it quite difficult to convince the curator on duty that he'd been in and out of the place at least twenty times that month for one lecture or another. He tried to charm his way in but she gave him the kind of look that meant she couldn't be dazzled by a nice smile and bright eyes. That was just as well. He did get a kick out of seeing her apologize five times once she was informed that he was a very prominent member on their board. The kind of thing she should've known but he didn't feel any type of way about it.
Flipping his wrist over, he spared a glance at the watch covering it. A gift from a man who didn't need it anymore. Siwon saw it glinting, covered in specks of blood, and decided he needed a momento for that particular trip. He was running late. Eighteen minutes behind schedule but that turned out not to mean anything. The man he was meeting about the Courbet on the wall hadn't even shown up yet.
Siwon took some time to admire the painting. He had never been a real fan of the Frenchman. He found the hyper realism of his photos eerie rather than amazing. He much preferred Hopper when it came to the Realist movement, his oil paintings much easier to duplicate when it came to art cons. Courbet's coloring even when baked and painted over were still extremely difficult to imitate. Hopper on the other hand made forgeries so much more simple. Oil was easy to access and age. He'd recreated one of his own a few years back.
A smile tugged at his mouth as he thought on the scheme for a brief moment. He had to wonder if the painting still hung in the MET. He had never seen anything about it on the news, then again more and more museums ere attempting to keep these things under wraps. Technology was increasingly turning it into the age of the con man. It didn't matter if it was art, finances, or pyramid schemes, they just kept getting bigger and Siwon had to admit that he kept getting better.
He hadn't been eying the painting long, when the sound of footsteps caught his attention. Siwon spared a glance over his shoulder, the sight of dirty blonde hair catching his attention. He found that it was often easiest to con someone when he had a bit more information. Cue the young man he'd seen in a class or two when he chose to do his initial scouting. He found that students were better to interact with than actual officials, and just as smart. Going through the proper channels was often a paper trail he didn't want nor need.
"Ah, Jaejoong I'm glad you could make it." He turned to face him fully, offering a small bow in greeting. "I hope it's not too much trouble asking you to come out and meet here but I've been doing some research on the Realist movement and your interest in it, made me want to seek you out. I hear nothing but good things about you among the faculty. Call me a man of curiosity. I wanted to see for myself. Here's to hoping that you don't disappoint." He turned around again, hoping he didn't sound too pretentious but still elegant enough to come off as a man who'd spent a fair amount of time among societal elite.
Guns. Guns. Guns. This man seemed to strive off guns. He didnât doubt their intellect for a moment but if they were thriving for fear, he wouldnât give it to them just that easily â though he would act like he were. The mute boy was smarter than they thought. As they disappeared to tend to the awful smell now lingering in the air his gaze flickered down to Adley, apology apparent through his ghosty hues before he crouched down to meet her level.
It was a daring move but he hoped that her jaw would stay closed as his eyes fell shut. Time for a mind change. Guixian shrunk down and Marcus took over, the aggressive and vulgar man almost immediately showing through the skin. Staring at the girl long and hard he hesitantly reached out to brush his fingers over her fur, his lips quirked in a half smile before he parted his lips to speak.
"I know you can understand me, love." He paused, flickering his gaze over to the kitchen to see if the killer would waltz back in at any moment. Letting out a small sigh of relief he returned his attention back to the dog, smiling still as he spoke. "Your master killed my mother, I was angry but I am okay now. I am sorry for betraying you, Adley." He spoke slowly, making sure she could understand every word.
The moment the killer came back into the room he shot up to stand, giving the other a wary look as Guixian would. Signing bullshit that made no sense. As they spoke then moved to give him clothes he quietly followed, tugging on the larger sized pants that were once on the floor over his legs before sitting himself down on the couch.
To speak would be too easy, but he had to comply. They had the firearm in their hand but he also had the blessing of a curse, quick movements that seemed inhuman. Leaning himself back he folded his arms over his broad chest and stared at the man standing, crossing one leg over the other before he teasingly opened his mouth to say something only to close his mouth again.
Chuckling quietly he dipped his head down and shook his head a little, tipping his head back afterward to stare up at them with amusement curled up his lips. âWhere do I begin? Didnât I tell you that I was cold and just needed a place to warm up? I didnât mean to come here, my feet took me here.â
Adley wasn't too sold on the idea of disappointing her owner again. Despite his authoritative nature, a good portion of the time he really did treat her well. She was given the best care when he was away. A rotation of three trusted pet sitters came to take her on daily walks, kept her fed, and played with her if she harassed them enough. He would too without fail but only in private.Â
She also had her own room. A former nursery to the previous occupants of the place, he'd had it all converted for her sake. Complete with a dog door so that she could get in and out at night when he was away or asleep.
So she found it increasingly difficult to betray his trust. Although he was unaware of her involvement before, or so it seemed, she didn't want to run the risk of angering him with another mistake. It was in her best interest to remain cautious and that she did. Circling the man who was not a man at all, she emitted a low growl. She then proceeded in a soft whine to make it perfectly clear how upset she was. She warned him that her owner would not be happy with him. He didn't trust very many people to come into their little family. She'd seen her fair share of strangers in previous years, but always from a distance. She didn't think this would be any different and for that she almost pitied him.
Siwon on the other hand, felt nothing as he paced his living room floor. Perhaps the barest hints of disbelief but it didn't last long. "So let me get this straight--" He paused unsure of how much of a nut job he was dealing with.
"I kill your mother, you come scoping me out which is fine. Track down the guy who took away your loved one. I would do the same thing. Break his neck. Sleep fine at night. But you don't do that. You ran. Then we just so happen to see each other again. I decide this time, to engage you so that I can get the upper hand, get a feel on you, get into your head a bit. Only for you to completely ruin my mission. Was it planned? I have no idea, but I figure that's air enough, given the circumstances. Now though..."
He trailed off for a moment because this was just awkward, painfully so. What kind of masochist was he? "You come to my front door for warmth? Did you forget I killed your mother? Threatened to kill you? Don't get me wrong if you're coming back for more I'm sure we can cut a deal; full time torture and all that but you're going to have to let me into your head and I'm going to need payment up front. Or we can play who catches the bullet. I never lose that one."
we were born to kill;Â a mix for couples on the run, with bags full of money and diamonds in their hands, and a smirk on their lips. [listen] [download]
intro (she walks into mine) humphrey bogart | then he kissed me the crystals | dangerous girl lana del rey | my heart belongs to daddy julie london | lies the black belles | sympathy for the devil the rolling stones | ten cent pistol the black keys | that certain female charlie feathers | the prowl dan auerbach | hold tight dave dee, dozy, beaky, mick & titch | off to the races lana del rey |Â sinnerman nina simone |Â canât play dead the heavy | bang bang, my baby shot me down nancy sinatraÂ
                              l
                                  y
like heâs floating to the surface of a lake, kicking and kicking his feet but he isnât moving quickly enough. Heâs aware of the leather straps around his ankles and wrists first, so tight they rub uncomfortably against his bare skin, and the thicker one around his middle. He tries to move â tries to lift an arm or a hand or a foot, he canât tell which, just knows he needs to get out of here because he doesnât know where here is and thatâs w r o n g.Â
But he canât move â canât move because his mind is too muddled, canât move because his limbs wonât cooperate, canât move because everything is moving too fast-too slow.Â
He tries again, though.
And again.
And again.
Sucks in a breath,
tries to s c r e a m
and a woman in a whitewhitewhite lab coat walks into the room and he can see the line of her jaw and pinch of her mouth and he tries to say
         where am i
                who are you
                    what have i done
but no sound comes out because his tongue is like lead in a cotton dry mouth and the woman lifts a syringe and injects it into a little hub by his side and everything goes dark again.
[ â- ]
He wakes again and they run experiments.
They figure out what he can do, and fear coils in his belly when heâs met with three identical close-lipped smiles.
It starts out small.
KILL.
He does, just barely.
Then more come.
KILL.
He does, just barely.
And againâ push push push, poke and prod and provoke until heâs sick with fatigue, can feel the bile clawing its way up his throat.
I canât.
I canât do it. Iâm sorry â I canât â Iâm sorry â
KILL THEM.
He shakes his head so quickly everything spins for a moment, arms curling around himself.Â
I canât.
I canât do it.
KILL THEM.
I canât â
YOU DONâT HAVE A CHOICE.
He does.
But just barely.
Afterward his knees buckle and he vomits, coughing so hard heâs nearly sick twice. He thinks he might be dying, too, because his skin feels too tight and his eyes are hot and burning and he canât, he canât â
Someone steps toward him and hauls him to his feet by his elbow; heâs vaguely aware of making some sort of sound, something that sounds like
             i want to quitQuItQUIT P L E A S E
but they donât look at him because heâs nothing more than a number to them â
                                              M000009.
[ â- ]
They do other things, too.
They take vials of blood.
They run test after test after test
               WHAT DO YOU THINK â
                                   WHY CAN HE  â KILL KILL KILLÂ
                    HOW DOES HE DO IT âÂ
                                       LETâS
                                       FIND
                                        OUT.
He doesnât feel it, not really. Eventually heâs numb to everything, even without the aid of drugs; he doesnât want to feel anything. He prays sometimes, in the middle of the night when heâs lucid enough to realize whatâs happening to him. A part of him â and it grows, no matter how much he doesnât want it to â enjoys what they make him do. That they teach him how to have power over other peopleâ that they show him how to be ruthless âÂ
And he catches the word one day
said between one soldier and another as they pass by his bunker
                  cain
         c a i n
                   c a i n
and he wonders
                         is that really
                                       what i am?
So Siwon is undergoing a minor change. It's not too big, but it is big. I've talked to a few people about future plans I've had for him but they're changing a smidge. Not by much. Current para's won't be affected. Some future one's might. But when I come to that then we can chit chat about it OR you can just message me on AIM and I'll tell you all about it.Â
So the only things changing on his blog will be, the open plots [ it's just going to be under construction for the weekend ], some bits and pieces of his basic info, and maybe his about and abilities page. Not a lot. But you know if you have any questions ask and I'll answer.Â
Blinking slowly, jaw slacking off to the side, Victoria nodded. Just nodded. So it made him regret getting with her, not leaving her. What a load of fuckinâ bullshit everyoneâs definition of love was. How stupid was she to let such a human emotion affect her so much. Wasnât it love that ultimately caused Lucifer to fall, anyway? If she felt brainless for thinking they were in love five years ago, she really felt brainless now.
"Iâve been like this for a hell of a long, time. Way before you were even a twinkle in the scientistâs eye,â Victoria teased, although her tone remained flat and expression thoroughly unreadable. âWhy? Are you going to run again? Do you think Iâm going to kill you?â she mused, her eyebrows raising. She knew he was scared; she was feeding off of it. The thought of wrecking him right here, right now and dragging his ass to Hell was just so God damned tempting. It was very obvious to Victoria that he saw her differently once she revealed this little tidbit about herself, but she couldnât bring herself to care. So why wasnât she laying waste to his flesh like she so easily could right now?
Because she wanted him to suffer. Her world and image of him had been abruptly shattered five years ago and now she was returning the favor. She was getting her retribution by keeping him alive, according to her. Maybe she should be the one to walk away this time.
Siwon had made the mistake of angering someone who might have been capable of killing him, and with the way venom edged into her voice she wouldn't even feel bad about it. Not that he didn't deserve her wrath. He was reacting with the only defense mechanism he knew how to use. Outside of brute force. If he made himself out not to care then maybe they could both walk away from this with ego's no longer damaged. His philosophy was that if it didn't then why care.Â
Which would've worked if he didn't particularly care, but somewhere under the machine he treated himself as, he felt something. All the things he'd given her, words he said to her, and ways he looked at her; weren't in part to his astounding acting. She was that first shot he knew he couldn't have but he downed it anyway. The lingering ache for their previous familiarity was the price he paid for it.Â
"I think you might try. But we both know how resilient I am." Siwon might have been cautious but he no longer showed it. Pulling his hand away from his gun and moved closer to her. Something she said had drawn him into her gravitational anger. If he approached this--her--as just another mission; loose ends to tie up, then that's all he'd ever really be when it came to the two of them. A loose end. As much as it pained him to admit, he didn't want to turn them back into a fleeting memory. Together or not, Victoria was resourceful and someone he'd need in the end.Â
Still in that same vein of thought he wasn't very excited about the prospect of forging a friendship either. She was unnatural, granted he had plenty of his own problems he hadn't really owned up to. But maybe inviting her back into his life would be just as dangerous as sending her away. He guessed it was a good thing he'd been in worse situations.Â
"I don't run. Handle business maybe, but running is the wrong way to say it. You might be--whatever the hell you are, and that's weird as fuck. I have no way of sugar coating it. I can't quite get my head around things. But this is more than just two people who used to screw around having a friendly chat and you know that." He paused staring at her. "So what would you have me do V? I can't turn back time. I don't like owing favors. I'm not that excited about letting you near my dick at the moment. I don't do hugs. So how am I supposed to make up for something you don't seem that keen on letting go?"Â
On the rare occasion when fortune seemed to turn in his favor, it never failed to come as a surprise to Sungjoon. The last few weeks had brought with them an undeniable increase in the urge to travel â that old wanderlust, which this time coincided inconveniently with an even greater dip in his available funds. Little did he know, relief would come in the form of a plain, nondescript envelope, one delivered right to his door.
As phone calls were too easily tapped, this was the preferred method of filling him in on the details. A liaison was needed in Japan. Reading over the letter that morning, heâd vaguely recalled hearing something about how his clan leader had been known to recruit new members from her ancestral home country, and he wondered if that played any part in this assignment. He might be called on to test the mettle of these prospective soldiers to be added to her army. Or perhaps it was merely a routine weapons acquisition, one lucrative enough to warrant traveling to the source â likely for something that wasnât easily available here in the city. Whatever the case it had him packing immediately.
By the time heâd reached the train station freshly shaven and dressed in crisp yet simple clothing, he was in every way the picture of a model citizen â some feat, for anyone who knew him in his daily life. There was nothing of the dirty or depraved left hanging about his aura, nothing to suggest he was anything but a low-level employee who toiled away his days in an office cubicle, nothing to hold up his passage out of Seoul to Busan nor the one from there onward into international waters.
By nightfall he was just one of the crowd spilling out onto the streets of Fukuoka. They found him halfway to the hotel. He wasnât sure what tipped him off, but the sight of the pair of figures half-shaded between two buildings caught his eye â held it, until they signaled him over discreetly. He followed as discreetly, slipped into the shadows and disappeared and held conference with them.
In two days, he was to meet with their boss. Tomorrow, he was to meet with another. Only he didnât know that yet.
He was in the hotel when he got word of it â by way of another letter. He burned this one after reading it just like the last. It struck Sungjoon as curious, that the man had somehow sought him out â specifically â and was clearly eager enough to see him that heâd travel out of the country to do so. But heâd dealt with his fair share of curious customers by now, and he surely wouldnât be the worst of them. If he had enough money to blow on the sudden trip the man was likely to make it worth his while, after all.
It was shortly after midnight when he departed from the hotel. Unlike the night before, he wore no button-down tucked into pressed slacks; he was shrouded in black piled on by the layer and his boots were near silent in their tread across the pavement. An alley near the port, was the intended destination â heâd been guaranteed no one would trouble them there. It served as a small reassurance but he still came armed.
He entered the badly-lit space and when his eyes fell on the man who stood before him, he tried not to betray the surprise he felt at finding him soâ wholesome, almost. Neat and perfectly average-looking in every way. Smart man. A hint of a smile found Sungjoonâs lips as he stepped closer. Courtesy had him giving a small bow, gaze not leaving his face.
"Come a long way, havenât you?" There was nothing like a smile left now, only a sharp gleam to his eye. "Letâs talk." It somehow came out sounding like Donât waste my time.
Siwon prepared himself for the lionâs den. He stood in the alleyway amid the crush of late night traffic. People raced through the midnight drizzle, heads low, some with umbrellas, others with wide brimmed hats. Everywhere his eyes settled, there was something moving in the shadows. Cars crept down the narrow streets between towering skyscrapers. Laundry flapped from balconies like the flags of a thousand nationalities. Crowds milled and flowed.
Even the smells changed with every breeze; the sizzle of pork fat, the burn of spices, the pungent stink rising from the overflowing trash bins, the stale whiff of perfume from a woman passing close by. Calls echoed all around him, as if every single one of them sensed a foreigner. Mostly for the pleas of commerce, drawn by his face.
The cacophony of Fukokoa deafened the senses. Seoul considered itself crowded, but it was a ghost town compared to the squash of humanity found here. The perfect place for underground dealings to occur.
Heading away from the clamor of the main drag, and down a maze of tight alleyâs, the earlier pleas for attention dwindled with every twist. The invitations transforming into sullen glares of suspicion but he paid them no mind. Heâd get back to the original meeting spot in a matter of minutes, but for now he was forcing himself to scout. Whenever one such as himself got involved with anything that required heavy artillery, he found it best to keep track of possible exits and a plethora of witnesses.
He was hard pressed to find anyone willing to speak to the police the farther back he found himself, but he did manage to scope out plenty of warehouses and buildings he could duck into if things got dicey. He wasnât working in familiar territory but it was better to have a general idea than none at all. At least in his mind.
Making his way back to the original meeting spot, he checked that all three of his guns were loaded and ready to be pulled at a momentâs notice. It was in the midst of this inspection that the voice caught his attention. Siwon looked up, a careful assessing gaze sweeping over the man in front of him. He looked a bit young in the face, younger than Siwon thought heâd appear, but that was of little importance to him.
"Depends on what you consider a long way. This is just a hop over the pond isnât it?" He offers with a wry smile. "You talk. Iâll listen." The tone wasnât lost on him, but it did little to irritate. He wanted to get down to business just as much as the other. He could understand. In this line of work, it seemed every major rapper, drug dealer, or kid with a few extra thousand wanted to play with the big guns if given the chance. Smart business was all about knowing oneâs clientele.
Siwon was a good man to sell to. Loyal, and he didnât talk, even when under interrogation. That was all fun and games for him.
"Yes sir," she chimed, stepping out of the car. This time, the cold air hitting her bare skin didnât seem to phase her. Looped around her index ringer was a ring with keys on it. Most were personal: work, home, car, ect. But there was once which didnât belong to her. She spun the keys around her finger, hips swaying from side to side as she headed to the front door. Her heels didnât waver in the slightest, even over the rocky terrain. She was really something different when compared to the girls around her. She was a woman.
She carefully slid the key into the lock, looking over her shoulder to Siwon. She flashed a brief smile before pushing the door open. Her feet stomped against the floor, shaking off all the snow. âThere is heating, but no AC. Thereâs also a fireplace in the den. You may not even stay `till the summer to use the air conditioning.âÂ
The thought of getting intimate never left her mind. It settled in the back of her conscience, while more important things such as work took the lead. She motioned him to follow with her hand, a clip board tucked under the other arm. âI'd say the price is pretty damn good for how much property there is. There's seclusion and no electrical damage.â Her eyes glanced down at the clip board before looking around the room. To her surprise, she was actually impressed with the estate. âOne thing is that there are some deer that pass through the fields out back. Other than that itâs just birds and maybe some rabbits.â
Belourine walked over to the window, looking out at the crisp, undisturbed snow. It was beautiful, and the fresh air made her weak in the knees. She turned her body to rest her back against the wall, eyes closing to relax. She figured heâd go on his way, looking around the house on his own. Sometimes she just got so sick of the stuffy city air, filled with smog and the smell of every food joint on the block. Her jaw fell slack, allowing her lips to part, taking in the clean air.
Siwon watched key after key loop over the ring she held. He kept his distance as she walked to the front door, he would have plenty of time to look around inside. For now he wanted to scope the specs of the outside property. Eyes sweeping over the lay of the land. It was fairly remote as promised, not as much as he wouldâve liked. He could see the tops of homes dotting the horizon roughly seven or eight miles away. Something he wasnât supposed to notice, but a part of himself he didnât know how to turn off. The smile given to him was lost, his back turned as he tried to count the canopy of treetops shielding the place from aerial view. Something else he wasnât wholly satisfied with, but he dare not complain. It was more than anyone else would ever offer him.Â
He only moved, heading toward the front door, when the click of the lock turning over echoed in his ear. He didnât bother to rid his shoes of snow, they were already ruined, and there was no guarantee heâd even move into the place, to care whether the floor got wet or not.Â
The mention of no ac did not deter him. Heâd survived in a hole in the middle of Rwanda with no air condition and very small bouts of oxygen every now and again. He figured he could handle it during the summer. Though he didnât say that a loud. When they were around one another, he didnât talk about his employment often. Mostly because he couldnât. Even with that ban lifted, he found it hard to maintain anything other than tight lipped.Â
"Sounds manageable." He followed the small motion of her hand, and fell in line next to her, ready for the grand tour. "Deer." The word rolled off his tongue as if sheâd just gave him a bit of bad news. He had to assume it was because he was paranoid a good portion of the time. Which meant he was liable to shoot someoneâs head off if they werenât a deer.Â
"No unexpected visitors then thatâs good. How close are those houses?" Despite all the promise the place had, he still didnât like how close they were. Even if they werenât close at all. Experience had taught him that this was probably one of those places kids and teenagers played around in. Far away from home for freedom, but close enough in case trouble brewed. He wanted neither. He might be forced to line the place with razor wire, just to discourage any strays. A few cuts would help them keep their distance.
As she walked away, Siwon did the same. Footsteps echoing through each empty hall as he explored every room wanting to keep a visual map in his mind. Heâd need it later when he tried to figure out if he could make it work. It would need a few different touch upâs but it was nothing he couldnât make do with if it came down to it. Coming back to where he left her at the window, he crept closer until only a few inches separated them; leaning in.Â
With the tip of the barrel pressed against his temple he let out his last sound of a choked sob fighting itself to swallow down his throat, fear building higher and higher with every step he took toward the entrance. He asked for this. Nothing more or less. What would happen behind that door once he was confined he had no idea but it was better than roaming out in the cold where his welts and cuts were vulnerable to unknown substances. At least inside (he hoped) was sterile and clean â thatâs how it appeared last visit before he ruined it.
With his fingertips toying and drumming against one another he stumbled over the steps that led past the entrance. A wave of warmth clung to his ice slicked skin, causing for an inaudible sigh to leave his lips, eyes slipping shut as he broke into a genuine smile. He was truly happy to be back in the norm of a spacious cage. Never did he think those thoughts would come across his mind.
Turning his head slightly as he waited for further instructions he glanced down at their dog Adley who he and Marcus thought to be his friend. At night when Siwon was sleeping soundlessly he would attempt to communicate with her once more, an apology was long overdue. He knew that he had the ability to communicate with her now â hell, she could even be reading his mind as he thought. He stared at her a little longer to see if she would react or simply remain fierce for the otherâs sake.
Gaze flickering to the killer by his side now he hesitantly raised his shaking hand to sign out a question, still unsure if they could understand the gestures considering they hadnât exactly responded well with his last attempt. âWhere would you like me to go? Iâll curl up in the corner or something. Sit by the vent all night. I just want to be warm.â
That must was truth but it stretched to a certain extent. He wouldnât sit still the moment the other would leave to rest their eyes. He would make himself comfortable on the couch for a more restful sleep and hope that Adley would take initiative to mend their short and sweet friendship.
That was the plan. First work on the dog (they were always easy to work with if one had good reasoning) then he would work on the man who killed his mother. Pleasing them soon became an obsession and he hadnât realized it.
Employing a firmer grip on his gun, and the back of the man's neck, a sharp pivot spun him towards the plaster pillar of his porch. Fingers gripping his hair, to torque his head back roughly, and then he sent him flying forward. The movement would disarm the other. The door slammed with a close, and Siwon pressed his gun beneath his chin as he tried to figure out his next move, but the threat didn't last long. Something else caught his attention.Â
His place reeked. He forgot that he'd been cooking, and leaving his unwanted guest alone for a brief moment he went to turn the eye of the stove off. A sullen expression took hold of him, the food he'd worked so delicately to prepare had burned in his absence. It took a great deal of will not to fire his gun into the man's torso, but he had to remind himself that it would be petty, and he liked to think he'd outgrown such temper tantrums.
He made his way back into his living room. It had undergone a renovation ever since the break-in. Something to hide the blood and mess. The entire space was open now, decorated with white furniture with simple, clean lines. The floor was polished bamboo. Potted orchids of every shade and shape dotted the room. He had never particularly been a fan of flowers, but he'd been ordering dozens of them daily for a mission he was prepping for. The white florist van sat parked in his backyard, and the name tag took up residence on his coffee table. He was supposed to be doing reconnaissance for it in a few hours.Â
Now he had other problems.
Staring at the man in front of him, Siwon rummaged through the discarded suit pants that piled at the right arm of his couch. He kicked a pair over to the man, not willing to let him farther in the house while he was naked. Adley was pacing in front of him, her teeth still bared. Siwon took note of the way her shoulders hunched in irritation. She wasn't very happy, and he supposed she had good cause not to be. Her night had been ruined as well.
Forcing her to come to his side, he stared openly at the man signing and shrugged his shoulders. "No idea what you're saying. Not in my repertoire." Nor did he care to find out. "Put on the pants and have a seat." He pointed to the stark white couch, even free of blood, a good reason why Siwon spent the majority of his time on the floor.
"And start talking." It wasn't a request, it was a command. Not that he could force him to say anything, but he was going to have to launch into some type of communication Siwon could understand or he would have to get out and not in the way he wanted.
A soft, barely audible growl escaped her as she was spun back around. For a split second, Victoria almost let herself lose control and return Nealâs gesture with a nice punch to the gut, but she held back. She really was eager to head back and finish her deal, but being given this time to think about it, they had probably fled by now. She sighed as she stared at the man in front of her, completely devoid of any kind of amusement.Â
She didnât move as his hand came up to her cheek, save for her glare narrowing. Staying quiet as he explained his disappearance from five years ago, Victoriaâs narrowed eyes remained but her jaw dropped just slightly. âThatâs why you fled?â She let the question slip without thinking and her expression suggested a similar question of âAre you serious?' She really couldn't tell if she wanted to burst into laughter or make him burst into flames.
Tearing her gaze away from his to stare at the wall beside them, a smile did appear. One of near disbelief. Should she show him that he could have stayed without worry? Should she torture him like that? Her grin widened and she turned to look at him again, this time her gaze darker. With no brown irises or whites to speak of, Victoria stepped toward him, her pitch black eyes widened and her lips grinning wickedly. âYou ran because you thought a human could off me with a gun?â She blinked, revealing the normal colors, and her smile disappeared. Tilting her head and keeping eye contact with him the whole time, she clicked her tongue.
"How would it make you feel If I told you," she began, but paused, her lip curling slightly in the beginnings of a snarl, "that I. Canât. Die?â She inched closer to him with each exaggerated annunciation of her words. This was, of course, a slight lie. He didnât needâ- No, he didnât deserve to know that, however. Torturing others was a favorite pastime of hers and if she could help it, sheâd make sure the guilt she smelled emanating off of him festered.
Siwon feigned hurt with a single palm splayed upon his chest, features drawn tight as though the barbs thrown at him had been flung from an unexpected and terribly important place. âYou wound me V." There was more truth in his words than he cared to admit. The way the question fell from her mouth rubbed him the wrong way. As if he hadn't done something noble.
Despite him pretending as if he didn't care; as if it was all part of the job, a bigger more insecure part of himself thought that he'd been doing something good. A grand gesture if anything, that meant he could die happy because if he didn't save anyone else at least he had saved her. Except, the way she said it. Like it was nothing. Put a damper on the entire idea, and he found his jaw clenching tight as she smiled. It wasn't funny, it was one of the few selfless things he had done. They didn't come often, and for a brief moment outside of his estranged family, he had considered the act he'd done for her, one of the more important things he'd done in his life.
Not even close.
Siwon had seen enough over the past few weeks to be a little less sheltered. He was smart enough to educate himself on the things he didn't understand. He'd come across a lot of terms. A lot of laughable ideas. Werewolves, and vampires. Gods and Goddesses. Witches, and shapeshifters. Demons and angels. File after file of what could and couldn't be and all of it had sparked a fear in him he didn't know he had. Something out there stronger than him. Faster. Older. Different species. Different make-ups. Things that were immortal. Things that he didn't quite know how to approach.
Slowly but surely he was learning. The information kept flowing in. Spells, and blood. Sacrifices. Rituals. An array of things to keep what he was learning at bay if he so desired. He treat it as if it were all just another mission. Something to protect himself against, because there would always be someone trying to kill him. These things were just a different form of weapon. Harder, but that presented him with more of a challenge.Â
She was the last person he expected to fall into that category. For a second he wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. He couldn't be naive, he had a secret part of himself he hid from her. She still called him Neal. Nothing as extreme as this. Nothing that would make her question her existence. Nothing that would tinge her throat with regret the way it took hold of him. What mistake had he made to have her...this fall in his lap.
He didn't know what to say. He just took a step back, hand on the gun at his side. Even though he wasn't sure what good it would do. He just knew hesitation was no longer an option. It didn't matter what kind of relationship they had. The moment her eyes changed he lost sight of her and of Paris. It seemed that she was capable of revealing something monstrous about herself, and so was he.Â
"It would make me feel like I wasted a hell of a lot of time with you V. I mean I'm all for kinky, but you have to admit, this is just down right weird. On a scale of things that turn me on, this falls way way below the radar. Is that a party trick you learned after I left? Or something you kept hidden in that little blonde head of yours while we were together?"
A thought occurred to him, as if he didn't have enough guilt stirring around inside him, that leaving her could've resulted in whatever she was now. What if--got lost on the tip of his tongue and he entertained the theory that maybe once again this was just something he'd brought on her. He swallowed the lump in his throat at that idea. He felt dirty. What the hell had he gotten himself into?Â
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