Coming to the Expo was a little on the frightening side for Miinah. She didnât know what to say, do or think when it came to technology that she did every little thing possible to avoid it. It was just not something that she could see herself attached to, but here she was with Subin, to see what the fuss was all about. Despite the fact that she was in possession of a cell phone, the modelâs knowledge of technology ended with that and cameras. She couldnât emphasize it enough, staying close to her dear friend. With the covering of her arm with a sleeve, she was able to link her arm with her friendâs, eyes shielded by a pair of large glasses so that she didnât particularly look like someone familiar without the use of them.Â
âI-Is this place okay to be inâŠ?â she asked Subin. Being the timid person she was, crowds were another thing she didnât like. âThereâs too many peopleâŠâ
even if she hates to admit it, humankind has really developed their knowledge over the centuries. saying things like âinnovating for the greater goodâ and 'taking small steps for humankindâ is common practice in this day and age. back in the day, they were stupid, consumed by their own greeds and so unbearably stubborn that no advancements were possible to take. not that theyâve become completely selfless now, but they have leveled it out a bit by providing service in return for their high rates and prices.
âitâs fine. just try not to look too intimidated. being nervous will only attract peopleâs attention.â holding her friendâs hand, the dark card guides the other through the crowd. weaving through the bodies, she tries to see the signs that show where each attraction is placed in. not knowing what exactly the other is thinking of visiting first, she pulls the mirror card to a less crowded space. âugh, the crowdâs really bothersome.â clicking her tongue in distaste, she gazes over the swarm of faces. âwhich exhibition do you want to see first?â
hey everyone!!! subin was supposed to get out of the noose, but i realized that the ending of the third solo is pretty ambiguous. after seeing the continuation, i decided that itâll be more interesting if she gets stuck inside after all so yeah. if your character is still inside the noose please hit me up and plot with subin. she will definitely fight and try to beat the shit out of the familiar and probably get wrecked pretty bad. but she will also be willing to help someone hide from the threat and into one of the attractions. anyways just like this post or message me if youâd like to plot. donât let this flop juseyo.
something pulls her into the darkness, an attraction that isnât the fruit of her soulâs belonging to the anti-matter, but another force that she canât unravel just yet. contradicting her initial condition, her feet starts to move from under her, letting her slide over the tiles towards an area in front of her. curling her fingers into a fist, her breaths start to come a little slower. she needs to think fast.
stopping in the middle of nowhere, her senses come stumbling back into her and she feels the shift in aura. the ambience just gets worse and worse, her powers strengthening. that can only mean that there is more evil to come as she feeds on the dark and the rotten souls. at the very least, whatever is coming her way wonât probably have much effect on her. when it comes to mysteries and evil, sheâs one of the best.
without trying to look, she can feel the presence of a magical being. not a hero, and not a card. probably one of the creatures that resides inside the noose. racking her brain for answers, she still canât determine what this creature exactly is. formless, lifeless, hopeless. the very epitome of nothingness. thus, there is nothing she can do to prepare herself.
letâs play a game. a hoarse voice sounds from behind ghastly curtains. at the sight, she almost shivers. an exact copy of the human mindâs interpretation of a ghost. they must be aimed at unknowing humans that are unfamiliar with the supernatural. squinting her eyes, she looks at the creature questioningly. is it fear theyâre trying to induce?
instantly, the setting around her changes, whisked away and replaced with a white backdrop. seeming to be in a meadow, the white screen turns blue gradually, and wind blows on her face as if she was really outside. the nagging feeling inside her keeps her reminded of the evil thatâs hidden under the layers of nature imitation though. looking around carefully, she wonders what could be happening there.
whatâs your most treasured possession? again, the voice comes. swatting the air away with her hand, she whips her head back to see if the creature is still there. no, thereâs nothing.
is it... them? turning on her heels again, she finds herself staring into empty space again. gritting her teeth, she lifts her head. âdonât kid me.â what counters her fury is laughter. a laugh thatâs meant to humiliate and corner another person. anger building up inside her, the dark is seconds away from shouting when the crackling booms again.
look closer. averting her gaze towards the empty space from before, she snickers distastefully. only when her eyes fall on two figures less than 10 meters away did she stop talking. hands falling to her side, she starts to shake her head. fear instills themselves on her eyes and she quickly covers them with her fingers.
tw: mild blood and gore
âno. no.â still shaking, her voice starts to tremble. âthis isnât happening. get them out of here at once.â within an armâs reach are her friends. her soulmates. reaching out to them, she starts walking towards them before something binds her ankles. falling on her knees, her gaze never leaves the couple.
heart thumping against her chest, the card begins to realize whatâs happening. itâs all a trick. the images that are shown to her, the red substance that runs down soojungâs arms, bruises and cuts all over baekhyunâs face, they are all illusions. staring at them intently, she canât help from shaking and trembling, her lips quivering in fear as she protests.
nails digging into the grass, she doesnât notice the red liquid that oozes out at first. all she can see is her little phantomâs painful smile as their eyes meet. unnie, she says, run away. refusing to accept that, she shakes vigorously. âno soojung-ah. iâm staying here until you get out.â
stop being stupid. wake up and get out of here. eyes now landing on the male, the insides of her stomach squirms at the sight. hot tears start to trickle down her face. âbaek... i canât leave you here.â so much for being the tough one, she isnât any stronger than the two of them. tears still rolling down her chin, she lowers her gaze and notices the red stains. from the hole she has dug, the ground is starting to redden, and the grasses lose their green. getting up abruptly, she staggers back in surprise. lifiting her gaze again towards the two, she looks at them in disbelief.
âi have to get out.â turning her back on them, she starts to run away. itâs all an illusion, and she isnât supposed to be consumed in it. the longer she stays, the harder it will be to get out. running as fast as she can, she uses her gift to bring forth the darkness from earlier. letting the beads of sadness fly in the wind, she jumps as the ground once again turns as dark as the night, letting it consume her. progressing down, she lets the darkness embrace her, lulling her into sleep as she gets out of the nightmare.
the first thing that crosses her mind after getting sucked into the portal is her phone. she needs to text both baekhyun and soojung to be careful and go ahead of her, run as far away from the expo as they can. hands reaching into the darkness, she uses her powers to search the floor and the place around her, eyes quickly adjusting to the lack of illumination in the enclosed space. every contact, every object touched by darkness, she feels vibrating on the tip of fingers.
itâs the noose. letting her hand fall by her sides, she crouches down to pick up her fallen phone. there are over 30 people around her, maybe even 40, and it doesnât seem like anyoneâs happy about this at all. focusing her sights, her vision clears up and she can see everyone there. some she can sense right away to be cards, some others she recognizes as heroes, and the rest she presumes are innocent humans. pursing her lips, the gears in her mind start to turn, and before the rest can adjust to the situation, sheâs already trying to figure out whatâs going on.
without a sound, she tries to lift her leg and walk around the place. but alas, she finds herself paralyzed and stuck in place. itâs as if her feet are glued onto the ground, and she scans the floor in alert. cubic patterns cover the ground beneath her, and the tiles can only remind her of one thing. chess. gaze darting up, she canât make sense of any of the images, as everything is blurry, as if an external power is blocking her gifts.
not seeing the kids, she feels a bit relieved. the outside shouldnât be any better with the current situation, but thereâs more space to run and definitely more freedom. baekhyun has his friends, at least, but soojung is supposed to meet her by the gates. her little phantom, in mortal grounds on her own. the dark can only hope the two are not suffering as much as she is.
being set down on a chess board can only mean that they are the pawns, ready to be played at will. dropping her gaze towards her foot, and feeling the emptiness behind her, she can already tell that sheâs not just a lowly knight but something bigger. groaning, she hopes that the game will be over already, and that whoever controls the flow can make a move soon. before that can happen though, she starts to take note of the faces she does recognize.
starting with anthea, sehun, miinah, sueun, and even wonu, her cautiousness amplifies at the realization of how many cards are captured. she canât also help but notice hyelimâs presence amongst the other unfamiliar faces. something big is happening, and she canât tell what it is exactly. once again using her powers, she tries to detect what is on the other side of the board and conclude whether or not death is possible in the realm or if entrapment is the sole purpose of the arena.
zapped, she pulls her hand back with a gasp. nothing is there, just more formless dark energy. at first, she tries to level her breathing and get things right in her mind first. before long, she finds herself hiding a grind behind the black blanket. itâs not another hierarchy theyâre supposed to fight. itâs a fragment of their minds and apparitions. if she can guess, worst memories or fears. none of that really scares her, as she doesnât think she has ever feared anything. but maybe, through this little stunt, they will be able to show her a side that she herself doesnât even know.
running her hands through her hair, she looks straight past the confusion and cluelessness. there is nothing scarier than the unknown, and the dark harbors a lot of those things. this game is one that sheâll win easily, and sheâs more than ready to get out of there and give whoeverâs responsible a good beating or two.
walking with a limp as she breathes heavily, the card finds herself going back to the same tree she was sitting under moments before the battle. that magical girl from before just made her day even worse than it was before, and she canât wait to get home and rest. as the wounds start to patch itself, and any visible damage disappears, the being takes a deep breath as she rests against the trunk.
holding her left arm, she closes her eyes in an attempt to shut the world out. all by herself, she feels empowered and strong. solitary brings the best in her and she grits her teeth as the gash on her arm heals. it's a good thing she's a magical being, she would've died easily if she was a human. heaving a loud sigh, she lets her body slide down the bark, falling to the ground softly. looking up at the sky, she wonders why she even tries to put up with humans. amongst all the beings that live on earth, humans are the ones who are destined to destroy the world. illegal logging, exploitation of resources, violence, wars. one bad thing after another is committed, but none of them are prepared to take the blame.
âfucking hell.â grunting, she pulls out her phone to contact the kids. both baekhyun and soojung arrived separately from her, and she promised to meet up with them at the end of the expo. considering her current mood though, she thinks she should just head home first. with a quick text, she tells both of them that sheâll be by the entrance in case any one of them wants to go home right away. it doesnât seem likely that they would though, as they came with their own set of friends.
getting up heavily, she feels the pain on her legs fade away. her speedy recovery rate is all thanks to her supernatural metabolism, and that is probably the only thing sheâll ever thank humans for. exiting the area, she heads for the gates one step at a time.
the sun is hiding behind the clouds and she feels thankful. at the very least, she wonât get burned to death as she makes her grand exit. refusing to make eye contact with anyone, she looks at the ground emptily. maybe sheâll stay just a bit more, getting out now doesnât seem like a good decision. coming to a halt, she closes her eyes before opening them again. yeah, she thinks, iâll stay a bit more. a runaway thought manages to sneak into her mind, persuading her to stay despite her conflicting opinion on the whole event.
aimlessly wandering around, she starts to make turns on her subconsciousâ accord. each step she takes goes through her head and it feels like sheâs being guided somewhere. a part of her longs to resist the urge, just go back to the main gate and go home. but a bigger part is pulling her somewhere she doesnât know.
more than desire, the feeling thatâs tugging at her is connected straight to her core. itâs as if the carnival is calling out to her very own existence. snapping her eyes open, she finds herself in between to identical tents. some other people are gathered around her, enjoying the festive event without any worries. something tells her the dayâs not going to end as it would normally. looking around, she canât wrap her head around whatâs going on, she canât even tell definitely if there is something to wrap her thoughts around.
âno. youâre just feeling cautious after encountering that hero.â whispering to herself, she takes a deep breath. sliding her hand over her chest, she attempts to clear her mind. âitâs all post-battle alert. donât let it kill your mood.â lifting her head once again, she starts to set off again. while sheâs here, she might as well try to catch up with current technology. before she can go a good five meters though, a scream sounds from behind her. whipping her head back, she staggers to the side.
âyou must be kidding me.â the last thing she remembers before opening her eyes again, is a dark void and an old friend. the hanged man.
hello everyone! i still have a lot of replies and starters to write ;u; but iâm more than ready to plot for this event!
basically subin will get sucked into the noose. sheâs a pretty strategical fighter so sheâll have solos about her getting sucked in and facing her fears. but before the whole chess thing, sheâll try to analyze whatâs happening and make sense of the situation. sheâd try to find people she knows and tell them whatâs going on (will probably be limited to those who are near her though as they are glued in place). basically sheâll try to help people out and tell them to get over their fears (bc subin thinks that overcoming fears is that easy).
her fear itself wonât probably be anything major. so technically speaking sheâll win and escape. i was thinking of her being one of the last to climb up the stairs though as she mostly tries to help other people first. anyways, here are a few plots because iâve been talking way too much!
CARDS
you probably know subin from somewhere and when she sees you she quickly tells you about whatâs going on and offers to help you out by blocking your vision when itâs time to face your fears. you can also offer her help and her reply would depend on your powers and if itâll help her.
MAGICAL HEROES
same as the above with the addition of them quarreling before finally coming together. sheâd try to convince you and you wonât believe her until it happens, and finally you decide to combine forces. it can also be the opposite with subin being the stubborn one and you requesting help.
HUMANS
the dark will try to help you! it needs further plotting as she can help with both the fighting portion and the whole running thing.
if you are clueless, sheâll brief you on whatâs happening and try to explain the magical world and stuff.
if you know whatâs going on, sheâll be surprised but will assist you anyways as you go up the stairs towards the real world.
OTHER SITUATIONS
if anyone decides to die in the noose, it can be that she was trying to help them and fails. this needs further plotting as itâll affect her mental state in the future and maybe even some development in powers. right now, her dark powers are intangible ( they inflict damage during battles but when controlled, she canât really grab people or anything you know ).
if she was assisting you up the stairs and you fell, sheâll try to grab your foot and pull you up but fail as you slip through the darkness.
if she was assisting you in battle and you lose, sheâll feel regretful and wait for you by the stairs until it finally gives in. if you donât show up she will go with a heavy heart and probably feel guilty.
most of the ideas above are very rough, so please hmu for further plotting. if you donât think youâre up for a thread but would like help anyways, just tell me and iâll include you on my solo and you can include sub on yours.
p.s. the reason why iâve been super slow lately is because i have softball practice 5 days a week and iâm usually dead on the other two days because of the exhaustion (and itâs fasting month too). but my piano lessons are finally finished for the month and i can make more time for writing replies and stuff.
hello everyone c: hereâs a quick tracker to keep track of my threads with you guys. thereâs quite a lot and i have around 8 replies to do so please be patient with me ;u;
writing,
downtown (Â @ccyoongi )
beyond borders ( @ccxkana )
no hero ( @ccxtaeyong )
fake ( @ccmyungsoo )
close your eyes ( @sehuncc )
covergirl ( @ccxleo )
peace and quiet ( @ccbaekhyun )
free feast ( @ccjisoo )
waiting,
cheesy romance 101 ( @ccsunggyu )
time-ticking bomb ( @ccxanthea )
humor me ( @ccwonu )
you didnât see a thing ( @ccxsana )
youâre not that cool ( @ccyoojung )
booksmart ( @ccjongin )
drunk disasters ( @cctaehyung )
snowdrop ( @ccmyeon )
what lingers in the dark ( @ccxsoojung )
slipped ( @cchyelim )
asking for trouble ( @ccxsiwon )
virtually speaking ( @ccxsueun )
chop chop ( @ccxirene )
also waiting for an event thread from @ccxmiinah aside from that iâll try to reply to you guys tomorrow because i have the whole day to myself. ah also, hit me up if you want to plot because a plot call will be up tomorrow morning ( gmt+7 ) for the event. regular plotting is also okay although i think sticking to the event would be best for now because iâm getting overwhelmed with the amount of threads HAHA. okay see you all soon <3
the whole event is a breath-taking experience. after visiting the place with sueun in the morning, and meeting miinah right before this, she doesnât know why she keeps on coming back. something about the carnival just seems to pull her in, attracting her in a way that she canât wrap her head around. itâs not the technology, nor the set-up of the place, but something unexplainable that she herself canât put into words.
wandering around the place aimlessly, she finds herself back in the same place. the furthest corners of the place where less people are around. in an arena full of energy, the corners are where she feels most comfortable. it allows her to hear her own thoughts and keep to herself without worrying about prying eyes. hiding herself in the shadows feels natural and fitting, exactly how sheâs supposed to be.
sitting down on a bench nearby, her eyes fall on a cat resting on a tree above her. smiling softly, she lowers her gaze as she takes in the rest of the atmosphere. people pass her by, hand in hand. something in her shifts at the view, but she canât tell what it is. trying to distract herself, she aims her gaze at the ground, fingers raised over her ears slowly as she starts to play with the darkness that falls under a nearby tent.
itâs loud in the technology fair. cheers of excited young kids and shouts of those who are promoting the companyâs newest innovations fight for dominance in the ears of passerbys. loudness and chaos is inevitable when it comes to huge events such as this, and the dark doesnât know why she still agreed to come despite the consequences thatâll follow. her fingers snake towards her hair as she pulls it over her ear, trying to reduce the sounds that hits her eardrums.
âwhat are we doing here again?â turning to her friend, she lets her hands fall once she feels snug under her little defense mechanism. advancements in technology for the past few years has been crazy and truth be told, itâs a bit overwhelming. finding herself in the heart of it all just takes the cake. in every corner of the festival, thereâs something new, and she canât help but have her curiosity piqued.
Fingers brushed along the spines of well-kept books, his footstep silent. Knowledge gazed around, a silent breath leaving him. The library in his mind would have been a thousand times larger than the amount of books here, a constant struggle for him to not get lost in his own head.
Moving past the shelves, a grin reappeared on his face, his prey found.
A quick run, and he literally slid in front of her. His trademark grin framed by his beard greeted the female.
âHey⊠Is it me? Or is it dark in here?â He asked, immediately laughing at his own joke. âI kid. Hey, pretty⊠Got sometime for some knowledge?â He continued, wiggling his brows.
there's a certain pattern to the people who come and goes in and out to library. they aren't necessarily quiet or introverts, but once they lay their hands on a book, they stay focused on the words and the stories. almost as if they're dismissing real life and instead immersing themselves in an alternate universe. once in a while though, a visitor will show opposing personalities. just so turns out, this guy will be the first for the last two months.
before she can welcome him, the guy is already in front of her, wide grin on his face. she almost squints, but she refrains from doing so as it is against the code. it's only when he starts to speak in riddles that she starts to think, an eyebrow raised at his peculiar question.
"huh?" the joke about the dark makes her wonder, and something in her gut tells her that he's not normal. the figure in front of her must be magical somehow, perhaps a card even.
according to the league of magical girls, hyelim is of high statusâ after all, she holds responsibility training most, if not all, of the new magical girls who come the leagueâs way. spiderlily is a sanctuary, a place where magical girls can grow and blossom until itâs finally time for them to migrate to a place of higher caliberâ or at the worst situations, lose their lives to rogue cards and monsters who strive to take away the power that relentlessly fights to bring them down.
to the young, new girls before her, she is a well-experienced magical hero with years of experience on her belt, two years of fighting a war as one of the first magical girls who decided to help the hunt of the cards scattered everywhere. surely, in their eyes, it must be easy for hyelim to capture whatever card she comes acrossâ
and well, they canât stray any further from the truth.Â
she swears she bursts a vein in her head at the sight of her on the streets of busanâ a card who she let slip from her fingers from a battle that had ended in a draw. she gave her, the dark card, mercy as long as she never harms anyone since their encounter. she should have captured her when she had the chance. her whip blades had been so close to her heart, so close to striking her if not for the fact that the card hadnât used her powers for evil.
damn it. hyelim just had to be a goody-goody when it came to her duty.
âhey,â she calls out, waiting for their eyes to meet. she gives a fake smile as she makes her way towards subin, hands folded together. âyou kept our promise, right?â
sunlight cascades down her shoulders as she strolls around lightly. typically, she prefers staying out of the sun and hiding under the shades. with summer around, a couple of the bookshop part-timers have managed to guilt her into coming along on their little trip to the beach. warm breeze ruffles her hair as she pulls a sun hat over her head, shielding herself from the scorching light. pursing her lips, she taps one of her friend's shoulders to tell them that she's going to look around. getting away from the sandy grounds will put her at ease for a bit.
unlike the streets of seoul, busan isn't as futuristic. near the shores, especially, the shops are relatively small and the employees are very interactive. the scent of seafood wafts in the air as she walks, and it tempts her for a bit. food is essential, but her desire isn't as big as those as humans. the craving goes away in an instant and she keeps on trudging forward, aimlessly wandering in a city she's never been to before.
a familiar voice calls out and she stops in her track. turning her head to take in her surroundings, she tries to scan the crowd for a feature she recalls, and her gaze finally meets another's. the female looks at her with a smile that seems oddly out of place. face remains stoic as she acknowledges the other with a simple look.
"of course." replying without a second thought, she waits until the other comes closer to her. the last time she saw the hero was a year back. they had gotten into a fight that took longer to finish than it did to start. in the end, no one emerged as a winner and she's glad she wasn't re-captured right after she was freed.
sly smile taking over her pokerface, she quickly bends the form a little to portray a more genuine look. eyes turning into crescents, she tilts her head just a but. "but who knows who i've crushed in spirits." as her white sundress billows in the wind, she ironically looks more of an angel as opposed to her true dark form.
soojung didnât care how corny it felt to think or say it, but
the night was theirs.Â
the two girls were arm in arm, walking down the streets of the city with neon lights illuminating their every feature. they looked like night and day, soojung with her white hair and subin with her black, but donât let that fool you. the two were children of the night- no.
the night was theirs.
darkness and a phantom went together hand in hand. she was the creature that lingered in her darkness, and she was nothing without darkness to linger in. they were two out of three of a dark trinity.
soojung gave her âunnieâsâ arm a squeeze as they walked in step, grinning widely. âwhat do you want to do first?? can we give in just a little.. i havenât really since we were put away in our paper prisons..âÂ
the phantom never felt more alive as her own deadly self when she was with her counterparts.
with the moon hovering above them, the dark is inevitable. rays of moonlight pierces through the night, but it's all good and comforting compared to the stinging heat of the sun. darkness is her companion after all, the very core of her existence.
when she had first met the phantom and the shadow, she knew right away that the three of them would be inseparable. even with the two's antics and mischievousness, the oldest figure doesn't mind. as much as the dark can love, she'll care for them.
"i know a place where we can play to our hearts' content without anyone knowing." a small smile starts up on her face, a peculiar view to those who does not know her well (which is probably everyone else that is not a card and not an old friend of hers).
leading the younger into an old theatre, she pushes the old door slowly, its creaks filling the air and tickling her ears.
"here we are," she smiles, "there's plenty of room for us to play in, and i brought an old tape for us to watch." waving the cassette, she tries to find where the projector lays. itâs about time they bask themselves in what they do bestâ having fun in the dark.
as required for a small, out of the way shop, joonmyeon often does some simple advertising for carnation. his favourite is to hand out roses to sweet people in the nearby library; they seem to accept it better than anyone else anywhere else heâs tried, and the tranquil atmosphere allows him to forget about his worries about the possible end of his business for at least a few moments.
todayâs gifts are bright gerbera, the varied and vivid colours hopefully eye-catching and memorable enough to tempt a few new customers to his store. while joonmyeonâs favourite part of flower arranging is the meaning behind each piece of flora, he reasons that itâs fine to sacrifice some deeper thought for a better chance at success.
heâs always quiet and careful when he enters the library â any sharp movement never fails to make him feel like an intruder â and turns to offer a smile to the old lady he knows as the owner, but. oh. thereâs someone very different. a much younger girl sits behind the counter, and joonmyeonâs a little intimidated; what if she isnât as generous as the one he was accustomed to, and heâs thrown out at first sight?
a deep breath fills his lungs and he straightens his posture before approaching the desk, an innocent smile already spread on his lips. âhello, miss,â he starts, back bending with a slight bow before he pulls a flower out of the bouquet in his hands to offer to the stranger. âi usually come here to advertise my shop â is that okay?â
it's strange how the first thing she learned upon being released back to the world was the art of flower arranging. the dark card dwelling in an art form that's supposed to bring people peace and enlightenment, isn't it odd? despite her initial hesitation, the old lady's kind words got through her and she started to help out whenever someone needs an arrangement for their household interior or a gift for someone they love.
a symbol of love and coziness, to this day that's how she views ikebana. each flower holds its own meaning though, some not as sweet as others, but it doesn't matter. balance is the key to every element, flower arrangements included. she was often told not to discard old twigs just because they didn't look pretty, because as with life, ikebana is supposed to represent life. starting out as babies, growing up to become kids, adolescents, and finally maturing into adults before diving straight into old age and beyond. that was perhaps the most alluring thing about the art, that it has a story and does not discriminate. young or old, perfect or lacking of some parts, nothing matters because everything matters.
her gaze floats towards the voice as she lifts her head from the book. it's a person she's never seen before, but he doesn't look too unfamiliar with the place. maybe he usually gets in touch with the old lady instead of her, considering she's covering for her shift today anyways. detecting what seems to be a tinge of nervousness, she places her book gently and tries to come off as unthreatening as possible.
"welcome." her speech is soft and almost silent, not wanting to break the calm resting in the heart of the library. the object on his hands quickly catches her eye, wondering why an unknown stranger would bring flowers to a quaint shop. she nods after she talks, without really smiling back. "you run a flower shop?" she hasn't been to one in a while, and admittedly, she misses seeing rows of beautiful plants placed in metal buckets, and some others in pots.
sometimes having company over while he worked was a welcome distraction and even inspiration on the making. most of his sculptures were not requested by the others, however if a wealthy client interested in his style was willing to give him a large sum of money, he couldnât say no to that.
what he had in his hands now was for his own pleasure, practicing upon clay as a new medium when it was as readily available as sand. he preferred it, actually, when it was a lot more malleable than the others. throughout, he listened to the other talk, ears perking up more at the mention of a game and maybe, just for a little, scoffed at the idea of the challenge of drawing his human form. this would be easy.
âi donât know why they would use chickens for that saying. there are other animals out there in the wild that are a lot more skittish than a flightless bird. besides, most that you see around here now are caged up to be used to produce food and be food eventually. they canât run away from their prison no matter how much they tried.â
cooped up chickens living their life as if they had no idea that their future awaited a knife across their throat. did humans use that expression to give the person being claimed to be a âchickenâ a false sense of choice? âare you trying to tell me that youâll be doing it no matter what?â
an amused smile blooms on her face at her friend's interpretation of the saying. it's true, chickens are not the wimpiest of them, there are other creatures more fitting to be labeled cowardly. what they don't know, is that there are probably a lot of aspects that come into play when humans first started using the expression. digging up origins is way too much work for her to think about on the spot, so letting it slide is the best course of action.
"i see where you're going with that. i've seen quite a few people freak out over chickens, actually. it's quite an amusement." a spark of excitement flickers in her eyes. there's always that feeling that comes with the panic of humans. although not as much dark energy is created, the hysterical thoughts that echo through their faces are enough to save her from boredom any day of the week.
watching her friend's hands mould the material into distinct shapes, she watches closely as he does it. his fingers seem to do it with so much ease. there is no hesitation and everything is done with precision. it looks easy, but she can bet half her savings that it's more complicated and elaborate than in appears to be. hard tasks often seem like a cinch when experts do it.
"maybe. i think it'd be fun to do either ways." looking at the boy, she almost smiles for the second time. the curve she keeps hidden though masked by a small smirk. "i'll cook you something tomorrow if you nail this." ending her offer with a nod of the head, her gesture seems to say so?
another bad day leads to another night full of drinks to try and forget everything about it. this was nothing new for ricky, sadly. he would always go to this bar whenever he was feeling down. sometimes, he would stay and have a chat with his drinking partner, jongin. at other times, when he was not there, he would forget about getting a drink and go to the back of the bar to meet up with baekhyun and smoke with him.
though, there were nights when he was just left alone with no one waiting for him outside in the back and no one sitting next to him to drink with. tonight happened to be one of those nights where he had to be drinking by himself, throwing glares at anyone who would even think of trying to make a move on him or start an unwanted conversation. he sighs sadly before going on his phone to see if he had received any text messages from a few acquaintances, people he wouldnât exactly call friends yet, and his favorite little shits. to his disappointment, he had gotten none and he sighs before putting his phone back into his pocket and grabbing his beverage to continue drinking it.
who knows how many bottles heâs had? he wasnât even keeping count. he obviously had a bit more than what he could handle. with the alcohol taking action, he couldnât help but look around the bar for some weird reason. it takes him a while until he notices a girl who seemed to be sitting at a table by herself. and of course, having no other people to go to, his drunken state thought he might as well make a new friend to talk about how much his life sucks to someone else just in case his two friends werenât there. so, he thought he might as well try. he stood up from his seat near the bar and walked over to her table before taking a seat.
âhey, wanna be a pal and hear about my day?â he says, slurring his words. what the hell was he doing honestly?
it's her first bottle for the night and she's barely downed half of it. her pupils are starting to dilate and her sight is fuzzy, head pounding and heart beating like crazy. alcohol is not a good form of escape. clutching her head, she lets out a groan, an empty shot glass on her other hand. even if she has superpowers and whatnot, she's still not a strong drinker. that doesn't mean she's particularly weak either, and the only thing that makes her feel burdened tonight is the amount of mess she came home to after work. she can't blame the kids, because she is the mom of the group and has to suck up her pride to assume her role as a responsible adult and take care of all the domestic things.
mind clears soon enough, and she lets out another groan as she runs her fingers through her hair, pushing it back and letting it curtain over the sides. filling the glass once again she takes another shot, this time making her sight a bit more defined. there was no time to call anyone to come and accompany her and now she regrets being alone in a bar. it's pretty loud with people chatting with one another, and god knows what will happen if she gets drop-dead drunk in the middle of the night. she can only hope that doesn't happen and that she gets home before she can collapse.
a guy approaches her and her eyes follow his every movement. he's drunk, she can see even from a mile away, and normally she wouldn't associate herself with people who's not in their right mind. but in the moment, she too feels a bit feverish, not her usual self. a friend to talk to won't be so bad. "what day? you mean your day today?" she makes zero sense, she thinks, and she shuts herself up immediately. if the only thing she's going to say are stupid things, she'd rather not say anything at all. definitely no stupid thoughts in front of a mere stranger.
âMight be,â Leo replied, an almost nonchalant tone in his soft voice. Taking another sip, he savored the bitterness of the coffee in his own cup - life as a card in this new age is confusing, but it was also a challenge.
Although with him now being captured once more, he could worry less about some things⊠and worry more about the others. His own job, honestly, was more of the relax type - just pose in front of the camera and pocket the money. Selling looks is infinitely easier than anything else. Go figure.
âItâs not as bad as being idols, I think,â he began, chuckling softly. âSo far I can handle the extra attention.â
humans tend to gravitate towards those who are better. be it skills, wealth, or looksâ as long as they're better at something, people will flock towards them. another thing about humans, is that they are superficial. many claim not to be, that they look deeper inside, but no one will ever truly discard the matter of looks for something that takes a while to uncover.
"anyways, do you work with a lot of people?" she sips her drink, eyes finding a poster of a clothing brand advertisement across the street. she wonders if she'll have pictures of her all over the city if she decides to become a model. won't that get in the way of her living her double life?
tapping the table, she looks at her reflection through the drink. "do you even think i can make it as a model?"
why ââ why in the world did he think that he could cope with being both a magical boy as well as a college student without feeling like actual death every day of the week? why in the world did he decide to âupgradeâ himself and why did he love procrastinating as much as he did.
heâll never be able to finish writing this on time and as much as heâd like to blame the damn cards that had distracted him the whole⊠well his whole life, he knows heâs probably the one at fault too.
so he stares at the empty microsoft word page in the middle of the library, types in the words âtheâ before he stands up, fist in the air before shouting aloud, âhoozah!âÂ
itâs only then when he realizes where he is and that maybe screaming isnât exactly the best thing to do.
the best thing about working in a library is the stillness that comes with it. people flip through books without making a sound, soundlessly losing themselves in other people's worlds. unlike the rest of the city, where it's buzzing and loud, she can hear her own thoughts here and it keeps her content. hearing too much things at once bugs her, and modern day seoul had no shortage of that.
typing a few codes in to update the catalog, the girl empties the return box and stacks the books by the keyboard. after they're all checked in, she has to put them back on the shelves. it's a lot of work, but it gives her something to do.
the scream catches her attention as she whips her head to the side, eyes quickly finding the source. a male is standing with his arms up, puzzling her and probably the two people near him as well. in between annoyance and confusion, the librarian purses her lips. only when he finally sits down once more does she avert her gaze towards the desktop once more.
balancing the array of titles on one arm, she starts to make her way towards the bookshelves. putting them away according to their author's name is her job, and despite the details that entail the work, she doesn't find it as bad as putting up with humans.
