Elastic Heart

I'm like a rubber band until you pull too hard. Kim Sunggyu Leader of Team Nightshade

[ccaelius-blog]

Save Me.mp3

[ccaelius-blog]

Wonho doesn’t know where to look, what to focus on. The faceless monster? Sunggyu’s metal leg? Sunggyu himself? His eyes travel back and forth between the monster and hero (hero?!) before his body takes over on auto pilot.

He calls on his power, letting the dark smoke enveloping him. He wills his transformation to go faster, already summoning the pair of chakram before he’s even fully changed. The light shines through the smoke and Wonho still sees the monster on top of Sunggyu, its filthy hands over his mouth.

“Hey!” Wonho shouts. His voice echoes in the empty building and the monster whips his faceless head at him, feral grin melting into a nasty scowl. The monster pulls away from Sunggyu with a hiss and it charges straight at Wonho at top speed. Wonho jumps back in time before the monster has a change to grab him. Putting distance between him and the monster, Wonho throws both his weapons with a grunt and relishes in the pained screech from the monster.

He calls his chakram back to him and runs to the fallen hero. He grabs Sunggyu’s waist and hurriedly runs them both up a set of stairs to the second floor. He hides the both of them behind a large pile of bagged sand and gently rests Sunggyu against the wall, eyes quickly raking over the injuries.

His eyes widen at the large amount of metal on Sunggyu’s body and looks into the other’s eyes, his own searching.

“Is this why you’ve stopped coming back?” Wonho quietly asks. “What happened to you?”

He doesn’t get an answer when the floor explodes, the enraged monster screaming as it jumps through the hole, and Wonho sends Sunggyu a warning look before running around the sand, shouting as he runs forward, chakram already in hand.

[ccsunggyu-blog]

Sunggyu raises an automail arm to shield his eyes from bursts of sand, soon littering the floor to create a more difficult battlefield. He’s resorted to pulling himself across the floor with his arms as his limp, useless legs drag behind him. The color -- the rosy flush of living flesh -- returns to him. It’s a warning sign that he’s near defeat, symbolic in more ways than one. The change in his transformed appearance reveals the reaper’s humanity and with that, his mortality like any other hero.

“You can’t fight this type of monster alone,” he shouts. “I don’t have enough magic by myself to help you.”

If he could summon his only card, their combined magic would amplify and make taking down this type of monster easy. But, he’s given up on calling for his closest comrade and good friend. The monster is highly aware of how dangerous a finished summoning can be and now that it faces another enemy, it’ll try smashing Sunggyu’s head for good.  It can’t risk the hero sneaking in four dangerous words.

The monster jumps to avoid the weapons and comes crashing down, huge arms and clasped hands slamming down on the hero’s head. Sunggyu rolls onto his back and with a stroke of luck, narrowly misses a quick death. He throws up his scythe just in time, hands holding the weapon vertically, and keeps the monster’s arms from coming all the way down. The man cries out in exhaustion and agony as he holds up the weight of the monster’s arms with the scythe’s metal rod. It’s a game of strength which he knows that he’ll lose. His head tilts back and his eyes squeeze shut, but tears of pain escape and run down his cheeks.

“I can’t fight anymore!” he says, gasping for breath. “This is all I have left in me, so go! Leave! Get out!” A bolt flies out of his automail arm and while he doesn’t know what it does, he knows that losing it can’t be good. His agonizing cries evolve into a scream as the scythe’s rod comes closer to his chest. The blade, however, sticks out as though begging for someone -- the monster, preferably -- to slice themselves on it.

[ccsunggyu-blog]

too much info // sehun

@sehuncc

He’s spreading himself too thin.

For many within the organization, the rookie leader’s attitude is being feared instead of admired. He’s spreading himself too thin and during grieving times like these, nobody wants to see their role model fall apart. Everyone knows that he’s overexerting himself, but he’s too stubborn to take a break. He’s come dangerously close to draining every droplet of good magic in his soul into a struggling rookie, praying that it helps them hold onto their humanity for a little longer. Now, there are enough silver hairs worth counting on his head. He’s determined to chop his automail surgery time by three-fourths, despite an accident in surgery that projects him at least an additional four weeks of recovery. He pushes himself beyond his limits; his body is in excruciating pain while simply living daily life, let alone practicing his heroic acrobatics. Baekhyun is making life a living hell by being too nice (if he brings him one more cheeseburger for breakfast, he thinks he’ll puke) and accidentally bringing up a past he’d like to forget. Joshua is slipping through his fingers, crumbling faster than any of them. Jaebum is locked in his house, Eunji is witnessing him at his weakest, and the league itself seems to be falling apart as rebellions and organizations seek revenge on Aku.

He doesn’t know why this is spilling out to a card.

Maybe it’s because the sculpture in front of him resonated with his feelings -- art was supposed to do that, right? -- or he’s too exhausted to hold his tongue, but the weight on his shoulders is exposed. It’s probably not a good thing that such a powerful being knows every last detail of what’s tearing a hero apart. But Sunggyu is standing there, leaning against his scythe for support and with a few drips of monster guts stuck to the tailends of his coat. He’d fought a monster on the way here to see new sculptures, and it’s clear he’s bordering the line of how much stress and tragedy a single human can take.

“That’s how I’ve been doing,” he says, wrapping up his explanation. The simple ‘how are you?’ of greeting (nobody expects to respond to anything but the standard ‘good’) has evolved into a detailed description of how he’s falling apart. “How about yourself? How are you?”

[ccsunggyu-blog]

churros for churro ; chaeyeon

@chaeyeonxcc

Unsurprisingly, PetCo doesn’t have much information on taking care of baby owls. Was he the only one that received an owl so young -- and so fluffy! -- that it could hardly carry his invitation? While trying to make his decision on whether or not to participate in the competition, he’s gotten rather attached to his new companion.

Once he named the bird Churro, there was no going back. He hopes if he delivers his response by hand, then he’ll be allowed to keep the precious creature. Churro already sits on Sunggyu’s shoulder, nuzzles the man’s face with its beak, and coos in response to question.

An overzealous employee gives him an information overload on parakeets and it’s a long, one-sided conversation that Sunggyu is too polite to end. He walks off to the section of bird toys and is immediately overwhelmed by the options. The shelves are lined with everything from swings to puzzle games, all designed specifically for birds. He looks through the clearance bin where he finds a pack of mineral supplements that come in novelty shapes, including burritos and churros.

“This is perfect for him!” he says. “All that’s in this is dried fruit, so it should be okay to feed the little guy.” But when he flips the package over to see the price, there’s no label on the back for him to demand further discounts of. He looks around the aisle for another employee and sees a young woman, whom he approaches with all the politeness and humbleness he can muster. “Excuse me? Do you work here?” he asks. “It looks like someone scratched off the price and I really want to buy this for my ow--parakeet.”

[cmsalistair-deactivated20170308]

❰ back for seconds? ❱ ks&kb

[cmsalistair-deactivated20170308]

Oh, is that a reference that he was making? Because Brian totally got that reference if anybody was asking. He was surprised that Sunggyu would make that reference but he saw the opportunity and took it he guessed. It makes him smile all the same, “Didn’t know you were into the whole Mean Girls craze pops. You’re gonnna be a whippersnapper again one day.” He’s got a smug smile on his face and he’s ready for a vein to show on Sunggyu’s forehead as Brian reaches to give the elder’s head a few comforting pats.

Shrugging Brian keeps his lips zipped because a magician never tells his secrets. Also he would just yell at Brian again for doing something reckless and dangerous because his methods are not very conventional. Brian has always said that he would worry about it when he was dead so he’ll stick by his words until then.

The sudden movement of his wrist is like the feeling when you poke a bruise so Brian doesn’t wince, but there is some pain. “It’s pretty much healed. Just a little sore now,” laughing Brian honestly loves exchanging these little jabs with Sunggyu, “Just give me a week or two and I’ll be holding it out for you to practice your karate chops on.” It’s not that Brian doesn’t know that he’s being serious it’s just that sometimes he thinks kids need a break. It’s boring just training all of the time.

“Yeah well, maybe I thought they needed a little fun in their lives sometimes. You’ve seen some of those kids, they’re literally children. They shouldn’t be training to fight some kind of war.” It’s tough for Brian to see, he’s always been a pacifist ( which doesn’t fit his job description ) but he tries his best to not kill if he can. “I mean I’m glad they’re learning to protect themselves and you do a great job, I admire you a lot if I haven’t told you before, but sometimes I don’t know children should just be children you know?” There’s a soft smile on his face as he says that. “But hey, I won’t mess with practice anymore, promise.” And he raises his pinky up at that.

[ccsunggyu-blog]

Sunggyu’s head might explode into fire and fumes, but he’s not stooping down to such an immature level. He uses the calmest voice he can, but it sounds too forced to be genuine. Sometimes, he wishes he could beat the importance of training through Brian’s thick skull. “Well, they enlisted in a war and are completely unprepared,” he says, gritting his teeth. “Am I supposed to send them out there to die? Don’t you understand that I’m responsible for their lives? If we lose a rookie, it’s because I didn’t train them properly.”

Nightshade’s numbers dwindled significantly after the incident of being challenged by the Hanged Man and everyone recognizes the empty spaces in the training room. Practices seem lonely and somber knowing that some of the smiling faces, bright and excited to learn about magic, have transformed into hideous monsters. It’s even worse knowing that they’re suffering out there, waiting for their loved ones to put them out of their misery. Another number of rookies are showing the symptoms of soul contamination: the beginnings of becoming a monster from the inside out. “They’re in rough shape,” he sighs. “Shit, I’m in rough shape.”

Sunggyu overworks himself to a new level of exhaustion and he forces his good magic onto the rookies suffering the most, even if it’s destroying him too. There are a few gray hairs on his head that weren’t there before and he swears that after exchanging his good magic, he starts seeing hallucinations. “Keep your fingers out of practice, got that?” he says. “I have a hard time believing your pinky promises.”

[ccsunggyu-blog]

pumped up kicks ; leo

[ccxleo-blog]

“You’ll get used to it one day or another, I suppose.“

While Leo might have been very understanding towards Sunggyu’s condition, for him to fight against Sunggyu was an order this time—and he simply doesn’t defy it unless it endangers lives. The golden sword was out of its sheath once more, his fighting form almost looking regal on its own. The card silently grieved for its master, but it’s one of the instances where he kept pain locked in his heart.

A small smirk, a motion towards the male in front of him—come.

But of course, things weren’t going as expected for any of them; having Sunggyu falling down even before he could attack, while it was understandable, poses a new question for Leo: how much longer would it take? He’d seen how the surgery went, seen how much pain the ‘older’ was in, and seen how he’d break down.

How deficiencies kills people, really. And if it doesn’t mentally, it would be physically… as soon as any monster showed up in front of them.

Again, he dreaded that day.

A helping hand was stretched out to the male on the floor while Leo sheathed his sword—being ambidextrous as a human has its own advantage, it seemed. And somehow, the male’s pout made him smile, even if just a bit.

“I’ll run with you just in case, then. Although it would be a whole lot neater if you can just ride me into battles…”

Which is not an option, of course—he’s stuck in his human form until who knows when, and he didn’t know if he could return to his original form.

Oh well.

[ccsunggyu-blog]

“Getting a piggyback ride into battle sounds pretty convenient,” he laughs. “Thanks, Leo.” But, all smiles and laughter is erased from his expression as he’s helped up. He winces in pain as he’s helped up onto unsteady, stumbling feet that refuse to work together. There’s no pricey, faux-skin cover on his metal limbs so the glint of alloy fingers shines as he grips his scythe. Only a week ago, he hadn’t been able to hold a coffee mug in that hand without having it slip through his fingers. There’s definite improvement, but it’s happening too slowly than he’s comfortable with. “They told me that the mistake made during my surgery is going to cost an extra four weeks of recovery,” he says. “That’s their hopeful estimate.”

He’s never so negative and bitter, but the rookie team leader is trapped in a frustrating situation. Sunggyu rolls his shoulders back and the squeak of metal accompanies the movement. “They think I’m crazy, but I’m not going more than an extra week of recovery,” he says. “There’s no way in hell I’m going to take longer than that.”

The hero doubles over with his hands on his knees, just so he has an opportunity to catch his breath. “Sorry I...may have abused my hero power,” he says. “I was afraid you wouldn’t want to help me train if it wasn’t an order. Everyone keeps trying to tuck me back into bed when I need to be here. Uh, no hard feelings?”

He looks up with a soft smile and only then, is he finally ready to start running again.

“Can I put my hand on your shoulder?” he asks. “For balance? I don’t want to fall on my butt again...gosh, just imagine what’ll happen if the kids see me like this. There’s no way I can look them in the eye until I can walk in a straight line and lose this extra weight.” Sunggyu straightens himself out and a small, determined nod signals that he’s ready to resume his training. “I’m going to make it up to you when this is all over.”

The amount of support he’s recieved from others surprises him, but also makes him uncomfortable. No matter how much he spends all his time and energy caring for the people in his life, he never believes that he deserves anything in return. The self-doubt is what had him summon his card and use an order, rather than risk disappointment if his commrade and close friend refused to if given a choice. “I’m going to make it up to you,” he says, once again...because he doesn’t think he can ever say it enough.

[infjisoo-blog]

disclosure ft. @ccsunggyu·

there’s something humorous in how individuals find comfort in trying to forget unfortunate events. she reads stories of young men and women crying on shoulders, drinking their sorrows away, and possibly finding a body to press against if they so desired. seungyeon did none of those things–these were not examples to her, they were not means of escape, it was like a constant reminder of how disconnected she was in the possibility of letting go.

maybe, possibly, if she didn’t hear someone’s declaration of hope in a previous event that faced her with an unresting monster she wouldn’t be so bitter. (to be fair she had all the reason to harbor some hate, but it’s being directed all towards the wrong person.) after nightmares she’s reminded of that voice and wonders what it’s like living life so grounded. down to earth, blessed with a oblivious sense of clarity and absolute positivism. 

again she’s reminded that she’s not human.

she learned long ago that she was undeserving of that qualities that make a person human to the eyes of others. she’s always been labeled a ‘monster’, a ‘card’, but even in the face of the most important person to her she knows she’s something lesser than those who are blessed to be born. not created.

but back to this. the book store, minutes away from closing with seungyeon as the only employee and this familiar stranger the last customer. her stomach had been tightening the entire time, forcing herself to swallow the hate building in her throat as he walks around blissfully before he’s at the counter.

she has her back to him when he moves to leave, looking at though his presence is slowly being lost with each step he takes away from her.

but when she speaks it proves otherwise, “you’re not allowed to leave.” her voice is fueled with confidence as the door that is usually left open for customers to come and go with ease is forced shut with a gust of wind, locking itself immediately. the impact makes it as if the walls are shaking and a loose book falls from its shelf, as if portraying the rage the card had been suppressing for so long.

[ccsunggyu-blog]

“This isn’t the best way to treat a paying customer,” he says. “Do you mind ringing me up when we’re done here? This one’s definitely a keeper.” His words are light and non-threatening as he holds up the book he’s been thumbing through. It’s a small, novelty book with a bright yellow cover and pages of bad puns. That’s the type of book that suits his appearance and personality as a goofy human, hawaiian shirt and all.

A bright, white ring of light forms around the center of his body and splits into two. One ring moves up while the other moves down, and everything they pass transforms. All color drains from his body like sidewalk chalk being washed away by rainfall, leaving nothing but cold, inhumanly white skin. The entirety of his eyes become blank as well, no signs of what they can possibly looking at. As his clothing transforms, the theme of his transformation becomes clear: a reaper.

He snaps off the red, plastic hairclip holding his bangs back. The accessory elongates and unfolds, slowly becoming a red-tipped scythe with a blade that can cut through tombstone. The monochrome outfit feels almost businessman like; a black button down shirt coupled with a white tie, then paired with black and white pinstripe pants. But once the twin-tailed reaper’s coat appears, a black fabric which has an ethereal flow about it, his transformation is near complete. The exaggerated coat collar pops up just as a skull brooch holds the top closed and crossbone cufflinks appear on his wrists. With a pop, a yellow smiley face mask covers a face that would otherwise induce nightmares.

“I’m not the worst master out there,” he says, cringing at the word master. “Heroes have to come up with better words, but nevermind that. The Leo doesn’t want to be freed and The Sun offered himself up for capture. I’m also roommates with The Marionette, but I never even tried to catch him. They’ve become really close friends of mine -- best friends  -- so maybe that’ll convince you to come easily.”

He twirls his scythe in a confident manner, but it’s not as splendid as it usually is; he’s been pushing his automail recovery and the strides he’s made back into special class shape are impressive.

“Otherwise, this store is going to be a mess.”

[ccsunggyu-blog]

garden of words ; flashback

[ccxeunji-blog]

She loves the park. She loves the swings and the slides and the way her father lets her run around and play for almost forever - it’s a great feeling, a feeling of freedom. She’s young, a preschooler now. But Eunji is smart for her age, her words are big and her thought process is advanced. She’s been asked to skip a grade, but she refuses. There is only one reason why she does this. One person, actually. It’s her best friend. Kim Sunggyu.

She can see him now, Eunji smiles wide and releases her grip on her father’s hand and makes her way towards the silent boy. She’s excited, because they haven’t seen each other in a day due to Eunji going to the doctor for a check up. When she reaches Sunggyu, her hand reaches out to lightly touch his arm.

“Gyu,” she speaks happily, voice laced with sweetness. “I missed you.”

It’s only been a day or so, yet her heart always misses Sunggyu. She misses when the other is lead away for being a troubled case - she misses when his Aunt takes him out of class early for some sort of appointment. She misses him when she’s home - she just misses him. It’s her best friend, and she loves Sunggyu.

“Wanna play in the flowers with me? I wanna make you a flower crown.” she learned that from her mother just a little while ago. She can teach Sunggyu how to make one, it isn’t too hard and it’s something the two of them can do together. She loves doing things with Sunggyu.

“Mr. Kimchi can come too!”

[ccsunggyu-blog]

The preschooler pops his thumb back into his mouth and points to the little girl with his free hand. He looks over his shoulder at Auntie, whose watchful eyes are focused on the herd of eleven children playing a vicious game of freeze tag. He gets her attention the usual way: an ill-tempered, strangled sound in the back of his throat and small whimper. Auntie snaps her attention onto the youngest child and upon seeing Eunji, smiles and waves them off. She’s already slathered Sunggyu in sunblock and gave him plenty of milk to last a few hours.

He nods while wearing his normal, pouty expression. One could easily mistake him for acting sullen, but it’s just his resting face paired with the hardship he’s been through at a young age. Sunggyu tucks his stuffed octopus under his arm, then takes her by the hand. His fingers and palms are sticky with who knows what kind of candy, but his new friend didn’t seem to mind.

His gaze wanders as they walk together to the grass, which takes awhile. Sunggyu always stops to stare and tilt his curious little head at each ant and ladybug. He always watches things closely; it’s one of the secret benefits of being a quiet child. Only, he’s too silent for it to be normal among even the quietest of children.

But if there’s one thing Eunji is the best at, it’s coaxing Sunggyu out of his shy and nervous shell. “JiJi?” he says. It’s a voice so quiet, it could be easily lost if he’d not tugged her hand. He lets go to point at dandelion flowers, their yellow petals instantly attracting his young eyes. It takes a minute for him to find his words and although they come out broken and uncertain, it’s sure better than nothing. “I like them,” he says.

[ccaelius-blog]

Save Me.mp3

@ccsunggyu

There were probably a million things Wonho could be doing now, like heading home to sleep, but here he was, walking down some deserted backstreet in the middle of the day. He couldn’t help it, though; something off, something inhuman, was creeping around and damnit if he wasn’t going to get to the bottom of it.

The second he left work, a magnetic feeling tugged at his chest. Wonho tried to follow the pull as best as he could, turning down side streets and alleyways, but the pull felt the strongest when he walked down the large backstreet that housed empty lots rather than homes. Thankfully the sun was out but Wonho could never be too careful.

He turned at a random corner and almost lost his balance at how strong the magical pull on him was. He jogged down the street, panting, as the pull became stronger and stronger until it felt like his heart would rip out from his chest. Whatever this thing was it was strong. Really strong.

Wonho skidded to a stop when he reached another empty lot, some sort of construction site. He walked into the lot, wincing at the crackle of energy in the air, as quietly as he could. He walked into the unfinished building and stopped short at the sight before him.

“Sunggyu…..”

[ccsunggyu-blog]

The monster mercilessly strangles and slashes the battered hero, never giving him a chance to summon his only card. Sunggyu is hurled across the concrete streets, bouncing along with smacks of fragile flesh and the clang of his automail limbs. His fingernails drag against the street, but it’s hopeless. There’s no energy left in him when he rolls to a stop. The scythe slips through his shaking grasp when he tries propping it up to pull himself to his feet, a sight the faceless monster grins at.

It’s blank face and gaping jaws send a shudder throughout the hero, a burst of adrenaline inside a broken body too weak to harness it. Sunggyu spits out blood from having bit his own tongue from being tossed around and he grits his teeth together. He refuses to be taken down quivering in fear, regretful of a life not yet lived.

If he’s going to lose his head, he’s going to go out like a true warrior. He’ll fight with everything he can until the very end and when that end comes, be defeated in the blaze of glory and honor. The monster slashes at his left leg, but the automail holds up; there’s a screech of metal, but the prosthetic stays connected to his body.

“Congratulations, you ruined my pants,” he says, breathing hard. “I summon the--”

The monster yanks him by the ankle and flings him at the brick wall of a nearby building, the impact forcing the air our of his lungs. He slides to the ground in a crumpled heap and it’s then that he notices Wonho. His eyes widen in surprise and a little shame, but he keeps trying to summon Leo by his side. Each time, the monster cuts him off with a near-lethal slam or clamping its hands over Sunggyu’s mouth to muffle his words.

It enjoys playing with its food.

[ccsunggyu-blog]

EVENT PLOTTING TIME! Sunggyu is going to keep you kids hydrated and fueled with delicious, nutritious health bars. He's also going to participate in a sport, but I can't decide what he'd be good at! Definitely not swimming because he'll sink with the automail and I don't want to write him playing table tennis LOL. Please, help a bean out! Ken is going for track & field, as well as fencing! Anyone wanna plot?

[ccsunggyu-blog]

garden of words ; flashback

@ccxeunji 

He doesn’t talk much. even when it comes to communicating with his new siblings and auntie, the preschooler’s words are used sparingly. His little family is spending the sunday afternoon at the playground, as long as the promise not to ruin their church clothes. Not only is his new caretaker a devout catholic -- and technically their group home is a christian one -- but nothing seems sweeter than twelve children following behind their auntie likes ducks in a row. People love asking about the children, the home, and about the whole process of having one of those ducklings for their own.

All his siblings run around in their little button down shirts and lace dresses in a game of tag, but the youngest had given up only in a few minutes. He’s the only one not in his sunday clothes (he’d spilled grape juice all over himself in the car), but in a red shirt and blue overalls instead. It’s precautionary for auntie to keep a plastic bag of extra clothes because sunggyu always manages to wreck whatever he’s wearing.

All ten of his fingers are covered in astro boy band-aids to prevent him from chewing them up, and they grip the chains of the swing set. He twists so instead of going back and forth, the swing spins in a small circle. The five year-old pops a thumb into his mouth as he continues to spin, content to sit by himself if Auntie stands only a few feet away and his stuffed octopus, Mr. Kimchi, is on his lap.

They haven’t been at the playground for long, but he soon sees a familiar face from preschool: Jung Eunji. 

He likes her because she’s nice and pretty and punched a boy in the face for picking on him. The preschooler takes his thumb out of his mouth long enough to wave at her, but neither smiles nor makes a sound.

[ccsunggyu-blog]

bodyguard; wooseok

[lgcdaeyeol]

… okay.

wooseok couldn’t help but to laugh when the other just exclaimed ‘hi i’m dad’ back to him. it was definitely an interesting way to go, that’s for sure. he began to smile, even if his lip and cheek screamed in pain. this person, regardless of their scary image was someone he could rely on. blinking his bright red eyes he gave the other a wary look as he looked back to where those bullies left.

“yeah, they bother me a lot. say i can’t be good at my job, that aku shouldn’t have chosen me.” and they’re not wrong. aku shouldn’t choose anyone but wooseok took on this responsibility. it was only him that needed the blame. it wasn’t anyone elses fault that he took this offer, after all.

but as soon as the other hands him a piece of his own uniform to clean his face, wooseok decides that this ‘dad’ will be the best dad hyung he’ll ever have. he took the piece with both hands, being polite as possible as he turned away from the elder to clean up his face. respectfully, of course.

once he was done, he perked up when he heard the terms ‘ice cream’. holy shit, ice cream! yes! wooseok loved anything sweet and delicious.

“please! i love ice cream! i’ll go get ice cream with you hyung!” he chirped, as happy as can be with a huge smile on his face. immediately he clings onto the other, unfazed by the scythe and general ‘looking like death’. this person was kind and amazing, what’s not to love?

[ccsunggyu-blog]

tw: bullying

sunggyu laughs at the young man’s excitement, the gently takes the used uniform fabric to dispose of once he finds a trashcan. “don’t listen to those kids, alright? there’s not an ounce of truth in whatever they’re saying. bullies only pick on people because they’re angry at themselves.”

he used to be mercilessly picked on as a child. it grew to a point where he would leave school early,  faking stomach bugs to stay home in the morning, and switching schools twice. he knows the feeling of walking home with a bloody nose and the shame of telling your family that your head got dunked in the toilet. he knows the feeling of eating lunch in the bathroom, the taste of dirt, and wanting to hide for life.  “i used to get picked on in school and i think i turned out alright.”

he twirls the scythe in his hands.

“i’ll find them later.”

he leaves it at that and sighs in a pleasant way, his shoulders relaxing and his head tilting to the side. It’s been a tiring day for him as well and he could definitely use something sweet with sprinkles on top. a circle of pure, white light appears around the middle of his torso and splits into two rings. the first ring goes up. and the second ring goes down. a gust of wind blows from where the rings have split, rippling through his clothes and blowing his hair upwards. it only takes a minute for the menacing reaper of team nightshade to become kim sunggyu, hawaiian shirt aficionado and hoarder of animal crossing games. He doesn’t flinch when the younger clings to him, a man whose aura is just as warm as his smile.

“there’s nothing like ice cream to cheer someone up!” he says. “do you have a favorite flavor?”

[ccsunggyu-blog]

belated beans

HELLO EVERYONE! I’m going on vacation for two weeks, so I’ll be on semi-hiatus due to unreliable internet! I won’t have internet access, but I do have a super long 20 hr car ride to type whatever I want during. (Don’t worry, I’m working on replies too! 20 hours is just a super long boring time) :D

Comment with “step on me” if you want me to write you a random starter. Comment with “imma crush you” if you want to write a random starter for me.

SPECIFY IF YOU WANT THIS ON SUNGGYU OR KENTO.

SEE YOU SOON, LOVELY LEGUMES!

[ccsunggyu-blog]

lean on me; JB

[ccjaebum-blog]

the house is dark with all the curtains drawn shut to keep even the slightest trace of sunlight away. the clock on the wall informs him that it’s still early in the afternoon; the perfect time to go outside and actually do something for once but jb stays in place, unmoving from where his parents had left him in the dining table after they had eaten lunch. 

it’s honestly too quiet and the atmosphere in the house simply reeks of grief and loneliness– it’s been weeks since the event but he is unable to move forward from it and his still healing injuries are proof of it. eventually, it’s nora who breaks the suffocating silence by meowing excitedly at the new presence that makes itself known in the presence of sunggyu– the feline quickly pads off her cat bed and nuzzles against the cloth of the elder’s jeans. had it been any other time, jb would have been just as excited as her but these days, he knows nothing about happiness of cheerfulness and anything about the past just stings at his heart. 

“hyung.” he breathes out in greeting; barely balancing on his crutches as he stands up to welcome the other in. sunggyu’s voice soon fills the once quiet space of jb’s home and the younger tries valiantly to keep up but he knows that it will only be a matter of time before his hyung realizes and makes sense of all the pretenses he’s keeping up. “it’s good to see you again, hyung.” he smiles but it doesn’t even cast light on his somber face. “i hope you brought me my favorite fried rice and spareribs otherwise i’m kicking you out.” 

[ccsunggyu-blog]

“whys it so dark in here?” he says. “can we crack a window open or something? all this stuffy air isn’t good for your lungs.” 

sunggyu is back to his doting, forever fussing self. if it weren't for the new condition of his semi-robotic body, it would be difficult to recognize he's been through so much pain. he's been seated for only a few seconds, but he's rocking out of his chair again. it takes the ex-special class hero a few tries to build enough momentum to stand. but when he does, squeaky automail and all, he makes a beeline for the windows.

"what kind of friend would i be if I didn't bring your favorites?" he says. he draws back the curtains, takes a deep breath, and pushes the window up. the cool breeze from outside feels good on his face, red and exhausted from only a little movement. "there's also -- in the backpack right there, right next to the lunchbox -- booze."

his harsh breathing is interrupted with his own laughter. sunggyu crouches down to scratch nora's ears and he assumes the purring means he's doing a decent job. "i had to get out of my apartment," he admits. "this bed rest stuff is driving me crazy."

not to mention, baekhyun wouldn't be able to find him at jaebum's place. sunggyu doesn't think he can handle the pinching and name calling today. he already avoids looking at his reflection in all the kitchen appliances. he needs to focus on the positives: his friends, his co-workers, his hobbies, and an evening with one of his closest friends. "i've been looking forward to visiting," he says, looking up at jaebum. "i miss beating you at board games. Oh -- oof, you're going to have to help me up."

[cmsalistair-deactivated20170308]

❰ back for seconds? ❱ ks&kb

@ccsunggyu

Brian this time (note: this time) decided that he would actually not annoy Sunggyu to the point where he would get his ass whipped again. As much as that entertained the newbies, or anyone and everyone for all that mattered, Brian was still suffering from the last time he made a bad decision so he’s at least got to let his arm heal completely before he decides to injure himself again. He’s been asked a few times if he’s a masochist, but it’s not that he likes getting hurt rather he just gets himself into these situations. So, he’s watching the new kids practice, staying off to the side because the last time he interrupted practice Brian came back with a black eye and a broken arm. Of course, he always comes back with a smile and as much as Sunggyu hates him he’s always ready with an ice pack or bandages for him. He’s such a dad or maybe he’s more soccer mom like.

His arm is basically healed except his wrist is still stings a little when he moves it and his black eye is completely gone so that’s good. It’s just that training is so boring that Brian can’t help but interrupt and want to make it more exciting. Last time he at least got all the kids to crack a smile before Sunggyu beat him into the floor (but hey that got them to laugh so mission accomplished). The injuries don’t actually bother him. He’s suffered enough of them that it makes the medical staff at the hospital he frequently visits wonder how he manages to get them all and he makes sure to tell them an insane story every time that does not match up at all. 

Standing up as the rookies are leaving he doesn’t wave them goodbye this time as he heads over to the one and only leader himself. With a wide smile on his face Brian waves enthusiastically at him to get that roll of the eyes and maybe sigh out of him. He doesn’t hook his arm around his shoulders but he’s nudging the other with his shoulder and his eyebrows, “Miss me Master Oogway? C’mon, just a little bit? I know that I leave an impression on people.” 

[ccsunggyu-blog]

Rookies assigned to Nightshade always breathe a sigh of relief when they first meet their leader, a man who’s all smiles and corny jokes. They enter the training center of headquarters on their first day, expecting easy afternoons. It makes the shock more memorable when a scythe comes swinging at their necks.

Even during this tentative period of easing back into leadership activities, the rookies know better than to take advantage of their mentor’s condition. He could probably still kick their newbie asses, to be perfectly honest. But, it’s only out of respect for his seniority in class that they don’t try. 

Brian as was a completely different story.

Sunggyu transforms back into his regular clothes; he goes from death itself to an unassuming man in the tackiest hawaiian shirt on the planet. He brushes his bangs back and secures them into place with the plastic, red hairclip his scythe is disguised as. “I miss the peace and quiet,” he huffs. “How did you even get into headquarters? You’re not even part of the league! You don’t even go here.”

Nevertheless, he’s already snatching up Brian’s arm to check on old injuries. “It looks less swollen then it did last time,” he says. “How much longer until it heals completely? Until I can break it again if you keep interrupting training.” Sunggyu is rarely angry or hostile, but training is one of the few things in life that can’t be touched. “I mean it, too,” he says. “You didn’t do yourself any favors with that kind of rude introduction. This is serious, Brian! These kids can die if they aren’t properly trained.”

[ccsunggyu-blog]

pumped up kicks ; leo

@ccxleo

Sunggyu wasn’t fully recovered, but he insists on fighting as though he were. He’s sweating after a few steps, but his eyes show no weakness. Stubbornness keeps him standing. Determination keeps his blood flowing. Sheer willpower is what keeps his hands gripped around the scythe, even if he leans against it for support.

“I can’t believe these are the lightest limbs on the market,” he says. “It feels like my shoulder is about to be ripped off.”

He fears that he’s been sitting at home for too long. In his eyes, recovery time warps into nothing but the laziness. Sunggyu is supposed to be resting, but the hero’s heart that keeps him fighting won’t let him relax. “Alright, it’s time for round two,” he says. The man rolls up the sleeves of his reaper’s coat, then takes a steady breath. No matter what it takes, he’s going to whip himself back into special class shape. He needs to be able to look his rookies in the eye, then have his authority respected. “I hope you’re ready!” he says, gritting his teeth.

He runs as hard as he can, compromised speed be damned! But as he lifts his arms overhead to swing his scythe, his automail arm throws him off balance. His left leg swings out in a poor attempt to regain his center of gravity, but he falls to the floor. His metallic limbs clang against the floor of the training room and he sits there, stunned that someone like him could fall on his own ass. “Shit!” he snaps. The stress is getting too much for him. between the constant pain, baekhyun’s meddling, and caring for his fallen heroes, he himself could honestly use some recovery time. But he insists, as he always does, to push himself to his limits – then break those limits day after day.

Sunggyu throws his scythe in frustration and runs his hands through his silky, dark hair. His lips push out in a pout as he looks up to Leo. “How about a round three? I need to at least be able to run in a straight line before I go home.”

[ccsunggyu-blog]

tiptoe through the tulips ; hoya

@ccxhowon

Sunggyu lounges around all day, doing nothing but dozing off and pressing ice packs against his flesh. As evening takes over the clocks, he loses hope of escaping his apartment. Being cooped up indoors isn’t a life that’s meant for him. He needs to be out counseling the kids with nobody to reach out to and training the rookies whose lives he’s responsible of. Daily frustration does nothing but give him pounding headaches that sleep cannot soothe, and he’s been sleeping quite a lot. 

The endless loop between sleeping, medication, pain killers, and automail care is so monotonous that he thinks he’s losing his mind. Sunggyu clicks off the television with a sigh and intent to call it a night. The ice pack he presses against his right shoulder crinkles as he moves about, struggling to make it back to his feet. 

“Hoya, I’m going to–”

He looks over to his roommate, who’s slumped and fast asleep on his end of the couch. His roommate is asleep. His roommate is asleep. His roommate is asleep. This is his chance to escape to freedom! Sunggyu holds his breath as he rocks his way off the couch, doing his best not to disturb his friend. 

It’s hard to be stealthy with heavy pounds of metal stitched to his skin, but he does his best to grab a light jacket and slip into his shoes. He chews on his lower lip and looks over at Hoya one last time, then tiptoes towards the front door. His smile grows wide as he turns the doorknob. Sweet freedom, here he comes!

[ccsunggyu-blog]

hands off ; eunji

If this was the rusty, recovering reaper still adapting to robotic limbs, then one can only imagine what he can do in perfect condition. His heart pounds louder than the pain receptors in his brain can shout at him to surrender. Only minutes ago, he’d been writhing in agony at his apartment. Automail recovery was horrifying enough without there having been complications or mistakes. He spends the mornings in a personal hell recovering from seared nerves that were wired incorrectly in surgery, then severed to be rewired.

But the moment his phone buzzed, all the pain melted away. 

He shudders to think about what could have happened if he never bothered to pick it up, never bothered to read a panicked text from Eunji. The fear of his childhood friend being injured was greater than whatever pathetic, cheap attempts of fright that the monster looming overhead could throw at him. It looks like a hydra – maybe it is a hydra – but he doesn’t care what it is. 

His reaper’s coat flutters behind him and its high, propped up collar casts shadows on eerily marble skin. If it weren’t for his unchanged voice, he looks like death itself. Sunggyu’s hands tighten around his scythe as he stares the monster down, planning out exactly where he’ll make his cuts.

“You shouldn’t have touched her,” he says. “I’m going to kill you and once the reaper has said that, your death is unavoidable.”       

Metal slashes against the monster’s flesh, goopy monster guts fall to the floor, and gravel goes flying as his inhuman footsteps have him flying across the ground. It’s over as quickly as it started; the shredded clumps of what was once a monster now sinks through a portal, back through whatever filthy realm it came from.

Sunggyu bites his lower lip to cry out as the scythe slips between his fingers. His automail leg buckles beneath him and he reaches for his right shoulder, hands gripping where metal is grafted to skin. 

“I’m sure going to feel that in the morning.”  

@ccxeunji