cloud nine

cha hakyeon. archer and assassin.

[jeonephram-blog]

@drchakyeon

     “Aha! Look at that! Jongin!  Jongin?” Yifan looked around for his friend, frowning as he realized the younger boy had wandered off somewhere.  “Well fine then, no need to stick around to watch me get a perfect score on this practice session.  Jerk.  I’m going to put a toad in your laundry basket later.”

     Before he could celebrate anymore by himself though, there was a sharp -wzz- through the air and a crunching noise.  Turning to find out what that was, the white haired archer gasped, fingers curling tightly around his bow.  His knuckles went white and anger seeped into the young man’s features as he realized what had come to be.

     One of the arrows his father had hand crafted for him was split in two. 

     The now pitiful looking piece of artwork, because yes, what his father had crafted was artwork, hung limply from the target, the splintered pieces trickling down to the ground as the wind crept across the practice field.  It was a horrifying sight for Yifan to witness and he almost didn’t recognize his own voice as he cried out to the crowd of other riders waiting their turns.  “Who did that!?  Come forward!  It’s fine if you want to spar, but to needlessly ruin something that belongs to another!?  I will make you pay!”

[drchakyeon]

Twirling his bow around to sling it over one shoulder, Hakyeon cockily hops down from where he’d been scouting out everyone’s practice session from the roof of the nearby building. Seeing someone get a perfect score in a set, well, he couldn’t very well allow that to go uncontested, not if he intended to keep rank as top cat in archery around these lesser dogs. 

Standing back up from the crouch he’d fallen into from his short jump, Hakyeon flicks his head to the side, getting his hair away from his face so he can give Yifan his best ‘do I look like I care’ stare. 

“What? You can’t really be upset? Nobody cares that much about a single arrow. Isn’t it just your pride that’s wounded?” His lips quirk into a haughty smirk, his tone flirtatious but also rudely condescending towards the other as he walks closer, until they’re within touching distance. Hakyeon doesn’t seem bothered in the slightest that he has to look up at the taller. “Come on Yifan, be honest. Don’t be a poor loser now.”

[drcsungkyung-deactivated2015121]

crossfire | lsk + chy

[drchakyeon]

She should have walked away when she could, lest she had herself be caught up in the crossfire of barbed retorts that had already been forming between the two. Alas, that idea was far out of the question now; the two were already quick to each other’s throats - no thanks to her smart mouth, but it would be the depths of hell that would ice over before Sungkyung initially admits her wrongdoing in any situation, including this one.

“Of course.” She snorts, not believing him for half a second. “And that’s why you had the audacity to interrupt my training to fulfill your own whims of wanting to know how to use this obviously basic handling, am I right?” Lips curving into a sneer, she looks up at him haughtily, mocking a bow as she shifts slowly around him. “And so pardon me, your highness.” The words come out a slow drawl, an obviously scathing tone that anyone would be able to pick up on. “I’m afraid I’m unable to grace you with my presence furthermore, for you are far too mighty for me to understand, you knowing all of the weapons of string by heart, of course.” Another sarcastic dip of her head and then she’s slipping past him, with Mirsoth following quickly after her heels with his own directed glare at the boy who’d dared intrude on their session.

Well, he can’t be upset about her calling him ‘his highness’, because even if it is done with sarcasm, it could still be interpreted as something other than an insult. So what if he held himself a little highly? Was there anything so wrong with good self esteem? Or at least the pretense of it? Shit, whatever, its not like she could cotton onto the issues he never talked about to anyone anyways. 

But what he does grit his teeth at is her faux lax manner as she saunters away from him, because she’s rather left him without something witty to reply with in turn. Its not like he would chase after her though, not even to prove a point, so after he’s watched her walk away (while still trying to come up with something to bite back with), he ends up turning his back on her, arms still folded tight over his chest. That only lasts for so long though, before he tosses up his hands and starts pacing in an annoyed stomp. 

“Whatever. She simply can’t deal with the fact that I’m the better warrior here. That’s obviously her issue,” he grumbles to himself, not noticing when Nerezathe starts to prod at him with her tail until she’s whaping him on the behind with it. That certainly gets him to whirl around and snap at his bonded.

“Would you quit it!? At least do something helpful and go annoy her instead!”

Of course Nerezathe does no such thing, and Hakyeon is left sighing in burdened defeat as the black and purple skinned beast innocently takes to cleaning her wings. 

[drcjinwoo-deactivated20151220]

blue skies, open

[drchakyeon]

Jinwoo observes as Hakyeon seemed so tense, always waiting for something to happen. Thinking about it the other rider has always been like that, with this sort of posture. Jinwoo wonders why while Hakyeon sits besides him. “So you just go around following other people? That’s rude.” He says, more amused than angry, he’s not there to hide any secrets anyway. Truly, Jinwoo is not in the mood to train and his light clothes prove it, although he’s still carrying his sword.

He looks around, at the trees slowly dancing to the wind, the blue skies above their heads, a sight that for Jinwoo was always as inviting as water. “Relaxing.” He finally answers, shrugging. “I didn’t want to keep looking at the same boring walls all day long so I thought a little escape wouldn’t hurt anyone.” Jinwoo keeps the part about thinking of his family aside, it’s nothing he should be sharing with others.

At his side he can see Xian’s growling to the other dragon, never one to engage in playing any sort of games; she had always been way more serious than Jinwoo. Go play with her, he looks at his dragon smiling, you can use some distraction while I stay here. Just don’t hurt her. Xian nudges him with her large head and gets up, flying away to the trees, just far enough so the dragons wouldn’t hit the riders with whatever game they decide to play. “You should try it.” He says to Hakyeon, looking at the sky. “Relaxing, I mean.”

Hakyeon simply shrugs at his actions being called rude, turning his gaze from looking directly at Jinwoo being the only admission that he might feel bad. And it would be a very tiny and unwilling admission at that. Hakyeon simply doesn’t do apologies, because that would mean admitting to being wrong. Something that he’s simply not capable of doing, even for something so small like this. Instead he fixes his eyes on the dragons, watching as his Nerezathe goads the larger beast into a game. Watching this like this leaves him entirely unprepared for what Jinwoo tells him next. 

“You should try it. Relaxing I mean.”

Flinching like Jinwoo has just reached out and pinched him, not like he’s simply meant to engage in conversation, Hakyeon’s gaze quickly fixes right back on the other rider. The tension in him actually seems to increase thanks to that comment. 

“What? What do you mean by that? What are you trying to say? Are you saying there’s something wrong with how I conduct myself?” he questions, the words coming quick and demanding as he narrows his formerly surprised eyes on the other. He’s taken it as some kind of insult, not at all as the friendly advice Jinwoo means it to be. 

[drchakyeon]

✏ , ❣, ☯ and ☾.

✏ : What are their creative outlets?

Unfortunately, Hakyeon doesn’t allow himself many creative outlets, instead insisting that he spend his time in a way that will benefit him. Since he considers creative pastimes simple hobbies that won’t help him hone his skills, Hakyeon doesn’t engage in much for the sake of stress release or an escape from day to day drudgery. Instead he channels his outlets into more physical activities, working out more or going for a run around the grounds. 

A secret though? He’s surprisingly adept in dancing, and even if he’s never felt romantic inclination towards a woman, he fancies a ballroom festivity to dance with ladies who are skilled in the various dances too. 

❣: Describe a way that will earn affection (whether platonic or romantic) from them.

Simple respect. 

Alright, so maybe its not always simple dealing with Hakyeon, but being respectful of him is a good way to begin to earn his affection. He also puts a lot of weight on acknowledgment, and not the kind that falls into flattery. If someone truly appreciates his skills, or is able to give him constructive criticism, this will earn Hakyeon’s respect, and eventually, his care and affection. Also an admirer of persistence and dedication in others, Hakyeon can’t help but to feel a pull towards those that are passionate about the things they’re involved in. 

☯ : Do they believe for every darkness there is a lightness? If not, why?

Hakyeon has never really held this belief, instead, he’s felt that the two are constantly at war with one another, vying for ground over the other. He’s of the belief that its like the night sky with a moon set in it, or a sunny day with shadows crawling over the ground, that one can take over almost completely while the other struggles to maintain whatever hold it still has.

☾ : On a sleepless night, what would they be found doing?

Again, more physical exertion of some kind is the likely outlet for any frustrations or anxieties Hakyeon could be feeling to keep him awake. But here, in the nights, his bonded can often cajole him into letting his guard down, and getting Hakyeon to play. Nerezathe is a fairly energetic dragon, but she is her most energized at night. Somehow, her pestering to get him to play around works much better without the sun in the sky, and if he feels claustrophobic in the castle, Hakyeon might be found playing games with Nerezathe. He might even be found laughing at her antics if he’s able to relax enough. 

[drchakyeon]

✗ : Explain how they portray feelings of hostility or dislike.

Hakyeon might have a hard time talking about his feelings, but that certainly doesn’t make him shy in any way. There’s also no hesitation to be had when he holds a fervent dislike for another. His distaste for them will be evident in his expressions from the moment they enter the same room, first through haughty avoidance as he ignores their presence entirely, as if he considers them below him, then through outright glaring if they so much as attempt to acknowledge him. Should any hostility be portrayed towards him by those he’s already got something against, and Hakyeon will quickly step forward to challenge them. With a quick temper and a need to portray himself as someone of strength and capability, he isn’t one to walk away from an insult. To get yourself on Hakyeon’s bad side is a good way of finding a fight of some sort in your near future. 

[drchakyeon]

It’s somewhat amusing, the way Hakyeon’s latched onto him of all people to spill what are clearly long-festering opinions about Jinki. For the most part, Joongki doesn’t blame him. He knows how it can be to constantly hear that his brother can do no wrong, to be exposed to the continuous narrative of Jinki as the personification of perfection. Certainly Hakyeon isn’t as obligated to take orders from him nor does he have to face the common criticism of an unwillingness to forgive and love unconditionally one’s kin, and normally the contrast of Hakyeon’s opinions about Jinki in contrast to everyone else’s would be something refreshing. It’s also interesting to hear about the less favorable bits and pieces of Jinki’s training days that everyone else seems to have conveniently forgotten. Still, he can’t but wonder what would drive someone to so blatantly gossip about the castle’s beloved senior rider to his brother of all people.

He sits in a willing silence, letting the other rider spew his thoughts as they come and listening intently all the while. It dawns on him that maybe Hakyeon isn’t aware of who he actually is to Jinki (because, though it’s no secret, their family ties aren’t exactly something Joongki broadcasts to the world) other than a begrudged apprentice. So he decides to play along. Because why not?

He shrugs a little, his own expression fairly flat and unresponsive. “Dunno. Heard his skills with a bow run in the family, though,” it’s a rare moment of subtle self-deprecation, but this isn’t an opportunity he gets very often, and even though the conversation is about Jinki (because more than half of the conversations people start with him are about Jinki and he loathes that fact), he likes the idea of potentially coming out of it with an acquaintance who sees eye-to-eye with him for once.

Hakyeon doesn’t really much care to listen to what Joongki has to say, this tirade is mainly about Hakyeon getting the rant he’s been wanting to rid himself of off his shoulders. Sure, he’s not opposed to Joongki joining in on the gossip, but to say that he approached Joongki for an actual conversation would be a lie. He’d always assumed the apprentice to be of little sociability as it was, so its a bit of a surprise when the younger speaks up, and has something to add to Hakyeon’s little jealousy fueled fire. At least, it gets Hakyeon to pause for a moment and listen instead of just continuing to chatter on. 

“Family? Really?” His arms cross in front of his chest as he leans himself back on the wall behind him, not boxing the other rider in nearly so much. It seems that Joongki joining in on badmouthing the senior rider has helped calm some of Hakyeon’s agitation. 

“I wouldn’t know anything about his family. Humph. He never talked about them to me, and we were apprentices together.” The fact that his feelings are hurt over this is well hidden by his scowl and cutting attitude. “Does he suddenly have things to say to you? Someone who hasn’t even been here long? Why shouldn’t he trust me and say this to me? What did he tell you?”

[drcjinwoo-deactivated20151220]

blue skies, open

[drchakyeon]

His posture becomes less hostile as he sees it’s just Hakyeon. Xian casts a glance at both rider and dragon, then rests her head against the grass again, not interested on the duo. Jinwoo chuckles at her complete lack of interest, one hand reaching her warm neck and caressing the scales. He will never get tired of doing it, of feeling them under his fingertips, how good they feel.

“And why are you following me?” He asks, sitting down besides Xian. The proximity keeps both at easy, comfortable. Not that they have any problem with Hakyeon and his dragon, but they usually prefer to stay closer to each other, especially out there in the open.

The fact that someone would follow him makes him a little bit uncomfortable. Jinwoo is an open book, he wouldn’t mind if someone had decided to tag along him, but he doesn’t like to be followed or interrupted when he’s doing something so important as thinking about his family. At this Xian slips into his mind again, letting him know that there’s no way the other rider would know what he’s doing. I know, he thinks, but still… The blue sky is still inviting and Jinwoo wonders if he shouldn’t be flying around with the excuse of training. He turns back to Hakyeon, waiting for an answer, curiosity already creeping in his mind.

Seeing the other relax has Hakyeon’s own posture wanting to follow suit. But he doesn’t often allow himself that in the company of others, hardly does even when he’s alone really. He’s always been uptight in this castle, always wanted to hold himself properly now that he’s a rider, and its hard for him to remember he’s allowed time away from that upstanding image now and then. Watching Jinwoo settle down so easily in front of him makes Hakyeon a bit jealous, which is stupid, and he doesn’t allow himself to be stupid. So, striding purposefully over to the other pair, Hakyeon comes to stand close to Jinwoo, before sitting down as well, though his posture is straight backed and shoulder squared as always. 

“Training,” he informs Jinwoo before he’s begun to seat himself, patting a space on the ground like he could somehow get the dust from sticking to him. Nothing as silly looking as a dirty bum should he forget to dust of his backside when he stands again. “Today I had set out to do some tracking runs, and seeing a lone rider fly off seemed like good practice. So I waited until you were no longer in sight, then pursued. Although, now that I am here, there isn’t much to do seeing as you’re not in the disposition for training today. I am curious I suppose, what it is you are doing out here?”

While Hakyeon’s arranged himself into a sitting position and begun to talk with the other rider, Nerezathe doesn’t follow her rider’s ‘proper’ example. The black and purple winged creature instead decides to try and goad the other dragon present into a game, snatching for the end of Xian’s tail with her short snout in what can only be an obnoxious display of affection. 

[paetoi]

[drcsungkyung-deactivated2015121]

crossfire | lsk + chy

@drchakyeon

“I have to wonder, if you can maintain any sort of speed in successive arrows using this,” he says the word ‘this’ with a slightly derisive tone of voice. And 'this’, would be referring to the other rider’s crossbow that he’s currently got in his hands, looking it over with curiosity but also heavy judgment, like he doesn’t see what such a weapon could ever do on a battlefield.

Irritation seeps heavy in all of Sungkyung’s features, starting from the subtle twitch of her brow to the way her lips pull down in distaste at the male’s commentary. Honestly, she hadn’t asked for his opinion in regards to her choice in weaponry, and it was an immediate fuel to the short fuse that burned, and she immediately swipes her weapon away with a scowl. “I don’t do close combat.” She says scathingly, careful not to make contact with bare skin as she pulls away roughly.

“Distance is troubling when airborne, but it’s better than having to use pure force with troubling with drawstrings in archery. This has everything in it already, loaded and ready for the most part. Speed is not a problem for me.” Backing away from the boy, she tilts her head, eyes narrowing. “Of course, it’d probably be a problem for an amateur like you.”

[drchakyeon]

Hakyeon of course doesn’t see it, but the reason he’s often unable to mesh quite right with this other rider’s company is because the two share similar personality traits. If someone asked the question of him that he just asked of Sungkyung, well, he’d probably react in much the same manner. Slightly defensive with a backing air of hostility should she continue to be badgered without reason. Yup, very much the way in which Hakyeon would also respond if pestered like he’s doing to her now. 

Not that he notices this of course. Instead, Hakyeon is far too busy being insulted over the fact that she had to snatch the weapon from him while he was examining it, when he hadn’t been finished looking it over yet! And to give him such attitude in her snarky reply, hmph! Just who does this girl think she is?

Narrowing his eyes right back at her, Hakyeon crosses his arms as his own attitude comes out to match. 

“You think there really is a weapon of string I couldn’t handle? I’m certain I’ve proven myself well enough for that, its just blatant stupidity to think otherwise. I just don’t ever see myself caring to learn the obviously basic handling of that thing. And here I’d been meaning to ask for some sort of demonstration, see if you could change my mind, but I think I’ve learned all I need to just from this.” 

[drchakyeon]

prized

[drchakyeon]

the wind is whistling so loud while she cuts the air that seulgi doubts she can hear anything else. the adrenaline makes her heart jump fast in her chest and the mild notion of danger gives her the sensation of ice pooling on her stomach. it’s one of these days that ysera is being cooperative. it just took a female human attached to her neck, peppering her rough scales with kisses, for the dragon to get up in all her sleepy pride. sometimes, she wonders if ysera does so just to make seulgi feel very thankful. in fact, seulgi gets so happy when ysera is willing to train that hardly something can make her lips curl downwards. especially now that they could fly.

training with hakyeon is interesting. his dragon and him are very different from seulgi and ysera. while they have a quicker and long-range attack, seulgi and the emerald dragon work more with ysera’s large size and a close-range attack. they compliment each other well and seulgi is very happy to see ysera working together with another dragon - and most importantly, she enjoys it. it sends a wave of affection through the rider and she’s glad they’re telepathically bonded so it makes easier for seulgi to control the urge to hug  ysera. she can feel her dragon excited in her mind but also a kind reminder to pay attention to what they’re doing. the girl scoffs but takes ysera’s advice.

a little too late.

her chain mace is swirling in the air, seulgi’s wrist putting just the right amount of force when it suddenly comes to a stop. her eyes grow bigger and even ysera is surprised when the mace escapes the rider’s hand. she squeals and tries to reach for it, only managing to almost fall from her saddle. “my mace, my mace, my mace!” she cries and then she sees when it breaks free from hakyeon’s bow, making its way to the ground and everything seems to be in slow motion. ysera is urging her on her mind while seulgi apathetically looks her weapon falling.

with a gasp then, she finally is landing with ysera. she slips from her saddle, knees buckling a bit when she hits the ground and she takes her - now broken - chain mace in her hands. “my chain mace!” she cries again and looks back to ysera with tear-filled eyes. the dragon makes clear that she thinks seulgi is making a scene, but also feels bad for it. “it’s broken, ysera! it’s broken…”

not knowing what could have caused seulgi and ysera to quit in the middle of training without so much as a signal to hakyeon, the older rider can’t help but to be a little miffed - which is his way of covering up his worry - as he follows the other two down. yet, even before nerezathe’s talons have touched earth, hakyeon can already hear the distressed cries of his training partner, making him all but leap the dragon in a hurry to get by seulgi’s side. its not until he’s pushing past the green dragon and grabbing for seulgi’s arms to assess what damage may have been done does he realize this isn’t about physical pain. 

for a few seconds that hakyeon’s brain processes, his hands holding onto the other rider’s wrists as she in turn cradles her weapon, he can only stare dumbly at the cause of his concerns. the speechlessness ends soon enough though, and hakyeon’s short temper makes itself known when he lets go of her arms to stand up and begin his ranting with an exasperated hiss of a sigh. 

“are you kidding me!?” he yells at seulgi. “you don’t say a single word or indicate anything at all! and you just- you quit in the middle of it and what am i supposed to think happened!? wasting my time and my energy and dragging me all the way down here into this damned muddy basin!”

kicking at a rock with his boot to send it flying into one of the bogs nearby (which nerezathe chases after like some common hound), hakyeon tries to curb his frustrations, to no avail. he was REALLY worried okay!?

[drchakyeon]

@drcjoongki

In a bad mood, Hakyeon’s cornered the first person he could find that wasn’t all chummy with Lee Jinki, senior rider. He’d expected to be promoted this year, to finally put him in the place he deserved alongside the other rider, but the council had apparently thought otherwise. So, now with irritation that needs venting, Hakyeon does so by talking shit about Jinki to a younger rider. He’s seen Joongki following Jinki down to the caverns, and then out to the skies for training, and Joongki always looked so morose about it to Hakyeon. With that he figured it good enough to start into his tirade. 

“-seriously, telling me what to do. I used to help him in training. Hell, I saved his ass from dying plenty of times. Yeah. As apprentices he wasn’t all that, constantly throwing himself off his dragon like some spastic suicide-”

He pauses long enough to add in a derisive snort, before pressing on with more jealousy fueled gossip. 

“He can’t even shoot a bow properly. How can anyone be a senior rider without that skill?” 

[drcjinwoo-deactivated20151220]

blue skies, open

Sometimes Jinwoo likes to pretend he can fly away.

Being a standard rider has its perks as he can use his time as he pleases, and sometimes, contrary to his own strict rules of training until exhaustion, Jinwoo simply can’t stand being in the castle. It’s suffocating, looking at the same stone walls every day.

In those days he calls for Xian, flying away as far as he dares to go, far enough to feel disconnected from the castle, but not too far as to get lost. There’s a beautiful ravine not too far away from the castle where he usually goes, a quiet place where their only company are the trees. 

Jinwoo lies besides Xian, her large shadow hiding him from the sun as he looks at the blue sky. In those days he misses his village and his family; he misses lying on his father’s boat and sleeping with the large lake as his company, coming back by the end of the day with aching hands from throwing and pulling the fishing nets but happy because they got enough fish to sell on the market.

He once dreamed of being a rider, and now that he is one he dreams of going back home for more than a couple of days, but that is now impossible. Xian knows what he is feeling and her big eyes watch him, but Jinwoo only smiles. I’d never come back without you. And he means it, they are one until death does them apart.

Xian is the first to hear the noise, raising her head and looking at the trees. Jinwoo gets up, hands reaching his claymore. “Who’s there?” He asks, still calm, but prepared for everything.

[drchakyeon]

Having been noticed, Hakyeon lets himself down from his perch in the evergreen, elegantly swinging himself off of the branch to land on his feet confidently despite the fairly large drop. Nerezathe seems to take her cue to reveal herself as well, as the black and teal colored dragon walks herself out from between the shadow of the trees to stand next to Hakyeon. Her eye upon the other rider and dragon pair is simply curious, her posture interested, where Hakyeon haughtily cocks a hip slightly and crosses his arms. 

“Settle down,” he tells the other rider, flicking his hair out of his eyes that had fallen out of place with his jump from the trees. “I haven’t followed you for that.”

Nerezathe flicks her tail around Hakyeon’s head then, making him pause as she gets her tail just close enough to muss up his hair again. Doing his best to ignore her, he just seems to scowl slightly at the other rider instead, like his dragon’s bratty side was Jinwoo’s fault. What he’s really doing is losing focus on what’s in front of him to argue with his bonded, mentally trying to communicate to Nerezathe that he doesn’t appreciate her making him look silly in front of the other riders, thank you very much. 

[another-soundtrack-blog]

Visit Original Link

“Unstoppable” by E.S. Posthumus from the album Makara

[drchakyeon]

♆ ♡ ❥

♆ : Are they prone to violent outbursts or thoughts?

While not necessarily combative or sadistic, Hakyeon does possess something of a sharp temper, and when particular lines are crossed, he’s not one to rub it off and walk away. Feeling the need to prove himself, to stand up for himself, Hakyeon will certainly become quite aggressive or tenacious in the face of anyone speaking ill of him. He also leans towards releasing his tension from various stressors through training, which at times can appear violent to anyone looking on. He is not one to seek issues with others though, and would certainly prefer training to be unnecessary, as war is never desired by him. Even if it gives him a chance to prove himself, the thought of losing those he cares about or perhaps losing a battle frightens him. 

♡ : Is there a certain scent that brings about nostalgia? If so, describe a memory this scent brings back.

Contrary to his very well put together appearance today, Hakyeon comes from a country village of agricultural uses, not from any bustling city. Therefore, its not freshly baked goods or the iron scent of rain on cobblestone roads that catch him into nostalgia, but rather, the manure they used to fertilize the crops with. The hay he helped to bundle up and would be scratched by, making him itch around his neck later at night after a hard day’s work. The smell of the barn in winter, all the animals clustered in for warmth, the smell of their grains stored away. He doesn’t catch many of these scents often, living in the rider’s castle as he does now, but every now and then a venture into the grain stores the castle has helps him calm down, remember a time before his bond, before he had a chance to amount to anything. 

❥ : Describe a verbal way they would express complete trust.

[ usually i would apply another head canon here but i talked about this quite in length when i answered this before, so i’m fresh out of thoughts atm ahaha /shot ]

[drchakyeon]

❥ ۞

❥ : Describe a verbal way they would express complete trust.

Ah. Words. Despite being quite verbose, being honest about his feelings with his voice isn’t Hakyeon’s best skill. He was raised in a very traditional community, where men were seen as providers and protectors, and while he doesn’t possess all those views his upbringing brought, he is very much ill equipped to express his emotions through words. Generally, Hakyeon is a tactile individual when it comes to honesty, but if words were truly required, he might find a way to fumble out his trust for someone. 

Showing his care for another, throw words like ‘be safe’, or ‘be careful’ before a risky task, would display his affection and his subsequent trust in them. Talking to someone about his troubles, about the weight of pressure he puts on himself would also be a sign of his trust in them. Any discussion that might point to Hakyeon’s dissatisfaction with himself, anything that might allude to him being less than the haughty outward image he presents, that would certainly mean he has faith in that individual to keep his confidence, and not to ridicule him for his doubts. 

۞: Are there any inner demons they can never seem to get rid of? What are they?

Hakyeon’s stable upbringing certainly did not allow for him to be plagued with heavy scars that hinder his happiness now. Athough, the consistent mindset that men don’t show their emotions certainly affects the wholesomeness of his life today. Because of this, it leaves him with not much to say when the topic of any inner demons comes up, so getting rid of them through analysis or conversation with another isn’t possible yet. Hakyeon is most fearful of his inability to be of use, or to live up to his own expectations. He has it in his head that he must truly be vital to the dragon riders in order to be of worth to his father, though if he were simply to talk to the man about the troubles in his heart Hakyeon would find this to be false. His father in fact is very proud of him, but Hakyeon is fearful of ever failing that pride, of having it slip away, and so he works tirelessly and buries his self doubts under more and more training. 

[drchakyeon]

⊗

⊗ : What is something that causes them to question themselves?

Stagnation in his own growth. Hakyeon is constantly pushing himself towards goals. Even on the daily, he sets minor goals for himself, things like hitting two more targets than the day before during archery practice, or something like holding a core position for working his abdominals for another ten seconds longer than the day before. Without these small increments of progress to mark his growth, Hakyeon’s self doubts will taunt him, making him question if life as a dragon rider is where he belongs. If perhaps this bond was meant for another, a stronger individual, one who would be more worthy of Nerezathe than himself. He might be demanding to those around him, requiring excellence of any who might ride by his side, but even that display is nothing compared to how hard he pushes himself. 

[drchakyeon]

✖ : Describe a way to make them uneasy or apprehensive.

Already somewhat anxious by nature, despite his confident posture and generally unquestioned demeanor, its actually not as difficult as it seems to make Hakyeon uneasy. One way that has never failed to set him on edge is to put him in a situation where he’s of no aid, where there is no task that he can apply himself to to help. Feeling helpless to a group or cause is a very normal circumstance that causes apprehension in many people, but Hakyeon will often cary it beyond simple worry. His agitation will be visible, his temper will shorten to nearly nothing, and he will be likely to lash out at anyone around him if they’re not able to give him a task to accomplish. He cannot stand stagnation or a lack of progress, and will be very vocal about it when he doesn’t see something bettering the future for those in his group.