iâm sad that i havenât been able to get on properly due to personal issues and just general busy schedules but if anyone would like to plot with ahreum for the event, maybe have a small thread? hmu or just like this so i know! iâd love to get some new threads! for those i need to reply to, iâll try and reply to them as soon as i can, thanks for being patient!
otherwise, iâm patiently waiting for the chaos to start!
she never realized how frequent she visited until she has been driven out more than a mile away from the gourmet at the 8th ward. it wasnât the restaurant she had frequented either as the main restaurant was in the 10th ward but it was all the more reasons for her to sneak off and stall before she had gives off that same scent of blood. the car moves and ahreum makes herself comfortable as her body leans against the comfy leather seat, stretching out her legs across the open space. ahreum has her bag attached to her, mostly contained a few daggers and a cute bottle of perfume as well as feeling the paper she had stuffed inside, her hit list of which she kept around in order to help her remember.
she doesnât know long she had kept it a secret, how she felt the discomfort of blood on her hands yet no remorse for those actions. ahreum technically didnât hate hanging around half-ghouls yet it bothered her how nice humans could be. she even felt enough warmth for another, who wasnât exactly her friend per say. she couldnât be honest to madame even if she tried. at least she hadnât asked her anyway.Â
but now she decides to do her job but rather differently, different from her normal method. lu han comes to her mind, his name clearly inside her head as she thinks of him. this was probably a dangerous idea, telling him to kill for her a third? forth time like this but it was better him than her. ahreum was glad that he was nice about it despite her being so nervous and intimidated the first time they met. as she was the same with every other ghoul. she stuffs the list in her back pocket after the car comes to a complete stop and she steps off though she was always nervous to sneak around. the eos group werenât exactly friendly to humans, were they? she forgot.
instead she carefully watches her own surroundings, making sure she didnât run into anyone she wasnât suppose to and trying her best to remember where they always met when she needed a favor, a hand. he never had any problems with blood on his hands anyway as a hitman, she thinks. then she spots his frame, closer within eyesight as she walks closer forward. âfinally i found you. i thought someone was going to catch on that iâm here.â she pauses, reaching for her back pocket to find the piece of paper that she hid inside, placing it out in front of him. âyouâre not busy, right? i need a favor.â she asks, with her sweetest voice.
ânayeon unnie, is this what you wanted to get out of me?â
she wanted her old friend to take it all in, strangely satisfied with seeing the expression of horror in her face. ahreum could never control herself, most of the time she was sneaky and other times just plain shameless. she tried to get away, warn her but alias, nayeon never listens while she kept on pushing and pushing.
the tip of her long blade was stained with blood, her other hand grabbing onto the lifeless body that she slashed. she didnât want to do it, truly but madame wanted this one in particular and ahreum couldnât disobey her ownerâs commands. nayeon struggles to speak, she realizes that this encounter could bring trouble to her.Â
ahreum steps closer to her, the blood drips from her blade onto the concrete floor and her other hand letting the body flop on the cold floor. she kept her eyes locked on nayeon because she looked too pretty yet part of her was always hurting. she wants to show nayeon a glimpse of her world, a part of who she was and she yearned for another personâ touch, a taste even.Â
âcome closer and experience this with me, nayeon unnie.â she wonât kill her friend, right? ahreum had received her target and that target was executed. what is there to be afraid of? she wasnât going to let her friend get away from her this time, reaching for her as she stretches her arm and she grips her tightly. ahreum doesnât care how much it hurts her. blood stains the corners of her mouth, her hands and they reach for nayeonâs soft cheeks and stroking it fondly until her fingers make its way down towards her fragile neck.Â
sheâs so pretty, so beautiful.Â
her other hand grips her shoulder, more gently this time and ahreum realizes that she wants to keep nayeon. she had been too nice to her, she worries for her just like everyone else. oh how cute⊠and there was no way that her friend will disappear again. her nose touches nayeonâs cheek, traveling down near her jawline to the side of her neck.
she smells nice too. sheâs pretty when sheâs trembling. so ahreum leaves her mark on her as the blood stains her neck, her wet tongue extends itself towards her warm skin now as it travels upwards. then she finally plants a firm, long kiss right where the stain was present. now her lips were near her ears, whispering with her most innocent voice. âdo you understand now, unnie? this is me.âÂ
exasperating might be one word to describe her; a maze would be another. eunjae is usually quite skilled at navigating those things. ahreum is on another level. particularly: following her had done nothing to help him learn a single thing about the girl, and at this point, eunjae would rather die than ask nicely.
âahreum,â he says as a way of imploring. he says her name, finally, because it is the only true thing he knows about her. that, and she goes to university, though that might not be true as well.Â
âitâs really important,â he continues, never failing to keep up with her, and trying his absolute best to look as desperate as anyone should upon losing something valuable. âiâll do anything.âÂ
when she wasnât working, she was usually everywhere. unless she was here, at unversity trying her best to actually focus on her studies because learning things she doesnât normally learn was particularly interesting (besides the lectures). she didnât have to obey every one of her ownerâs commands, listen to orders and act respectively outside of the gourmet.
sheâs bored most of the type, trying her hardest to spread her wings, find normalcy outside of what she already knew which wasnât so normal. more like inhuman but it was harder than she thought and now she finds eunjae standing in front of her, sticking to her as if he wasnât planning on leaving her side. then it finally hits her.
âoh! youâre talking about your charm bracelet? hmm⊠iâll give to you, on one condition then.â she declares, wagging her index finger. she wasnât thinking of money, no. something completely different and an idea she had heard about apparently. something youâd ask someone if you liked them⊠what was it? a date? for a moment, she looks at him suspiciously and rather carefully before she pauses.
âhm, i want a date. i want you to take me out on a date! is it a deal?â hopefully she was doing this right or else itâll be kind of embarassing. after that, maybe sheâll see if he was worth it. after all, she was told never to trust humans as they were the scum of the earth. ahreum was bold to ask for something like this, as always.
âGet out?â Jiyongâs head tiled to the left, as he studied the female. He blinked, brows furrowing and his lips pushing out as he thought about it. âWhile I can understand your desire for freedom, and that you may⊠perhaps feel bored here. LeavingâŠâ He chuckles, a slight shake of his head, and he laughed almost as if he remembered a funny joke in his head.
She is a cocooned butterfly, with so much potential to spread her wings and coat the floor with crimson. It made sense however, that for her wings to be strong struggling out of the cocoon is necessary. Madame would probably understand him point, if she did not, well he had other ways of convincing her.
âFine.â He nodded, snapping his fingers to someone beside him and he whispered tasks to be completed. âI cannot allow you to just leave like this. Youâre Madameâs scrapper. Iâd get the identifications you need, and perhaps some fresh clothes. Money as well so that you can try out what you desire out there. For now, just follow me to my office as we await the preparations.
âCould I go out to-â A scrapper beside her voiced out, and before he could complete his sentence, a spray of crimson, courtesy of Jiyongâs kagune, cemented the meal for the lower ghouls tonight.Â
âSome trash thinks they are special like you.â Jiyong grinned, extending his hand out to her. âCome. To my office.âÂ
she knew it was a ridiculous request, asking to take a break from the pools of blood that she created, her shoes and dress stained with red. it was the same as every other day, she was used to it but somehow her mood was particularly sour. if madame was around today, maybe things could have gone differently (she knew it would have). she were to behave normally, normally as in to do her job and to never complain.
she struggles to act differently, as if it was completely foreign to her. âiâm⊠not asking to leave, iâm asking for a day off⊠so, bold request?â ahreum sees him laughing and she knew leaving completely was impossible. she was frightened if she did just that and good thing she never thought of it before. she would never dare because she knew next to nothing if it wasnât slaughtering humans as if it was a sport. what she did know was that she possesses greed, the desire to have the world at her feet.
she pauses, being a little surprised by his answer. âwait⊠youâre saying yes? youâre letting me go?â her tone soft, her nerves kicking in. she hadnât expected him to, while not even sure what she wanted to do next but for now, ahreum doesnât question it however. she nods at his requests, knowing she was a complete mess since the chaos started and her little outburst got out of hand. she was just glad that she didnât get in trouble for it earlier.
ahreum makes her way towards jiyong and she begins to place her hand in his, with him leading her back to his office. âare you sure she wouldnât mind me taking a break? thought youâd say noâŠâ her uncertainty always getting the best of her like a butterfly struggling to spread wings to fly. she had also taken pride in being madameâs favorite scrapper lately, even thinking the place wouldnât run right without her even.
itâs a gradual climb, her becoming a familiar occurrence in his life. itâs as unexpected as it is initially not welcomed into his comfort zone, but soon enough heâs allowing her to get closer. only a bit, nothing worthwhile or life changing but itâs more than what heâs experienced in years.
who would have thought that this would all happen within a bakery? it would be a perfect scene in a drama if maybe they were like a normal young man and woman who were possibly looking for loveâor just any sort of affectionâbut thatâs not what either one of them are searching for. at least jungtae assumes that, a habit heâs picked up from previous events: always assume the worst. if anything what could be would die within the process, because despite their closeness his walls remained high.
her presence, however, brings a reminder that he had a heart. itâs somewhere there between the somber and treachery, somewhere within his rib cage and that reality hits him in the past where she managed to make his heart race. when ahreum voices a suggestion of her staying at his place instinct tugs him to decline but something tugs on him to accept.
heâs silent when they arrive to his apartment, flicking on the lights and going on with his usual routine before heâs reminded that he has a guest over. âhm, so..â by the tone of his voice itâs obvious that heâs not well adjusted in having someone over, at least for them to be staying overnight. he brings a hand to the back of his neck, nails lightly scratching against his skin before he asks, âare you hungry? i donât have anything here so weâd have to order something.â
she didnât want to say that she was desperate to get closer, even if she wanted to. her distance between her and jungtae seemed so far away with no choice but to remain where she was, afraid of stepping closer to keep her feelings at ease. ahreum should stop thinking the way that she does when sheâs around him. she vowed that she would never get close to someone like him, just like half of the population. itâs strange. sheâs human and he was too, meant to understand each other in a way but her hatred for humans made her cold towards whatever feelings were forming.
just the way he comforts her, how his actions made her feel safe and sound had suddenly given her the urge to keep him around. someone to lean her head against, share her feelings on things which seem rather trivial to everyone else. the normalcy that she had felt going into that bakery was refreshing after several visits but not at first, because she had thought she would have wasted her own time by coming. but then she had met jungtae and she felt butterflies in her stomach and then she quickly remembers how unlovable she felt, how a human like her doesnât deserve it. she doesnât need it while ahreum was always used to empty feelings and affection anyway.
and besides, it was safer this way. for the both of them.
she was willing to be open minded, because jungtae had been someone special despite the walls that he had placed around himself. she didnât mind for now but something always tugged at her heartstrings. she boldly asks to stay, to be in his presence for more than several minutes because she didnât want to be alone (at least not every night). he didnât mind, right? âi didnât think youâd say yes. itâd be embarassing considering how boldly i asked you.â she smiles, somewhat innocent as she walks around his apartment, eyes looking before flopping on his couch. âoh definitely. you donât mind? not sure what iâm in the mood for. how about you pick?â she just hoped he couldnât hear the sound of her stomach growling while her eyes lock on his.
jimin likes to watch. he always has. leaning against the rough brick, half covered in shadows as people mill past, not sparing him a second glance. most people donât like peering into dark alleys â are encouraged, conditioned to be afraid of what lurks in the dark, scurrying past quickly, always staring straight ahead or hard at their phones. even if they were to let curiosity get the better of them, shooting a quick look as they walk past, all they see is sweet, innocent jimin. in his nice sweater, with his floppy hair, smile soft. looking nothing at all like something they should be afraid of. it makes jimin want to laugh, grin ruthlessly at the naivety.Â
he lets his nose do half the work when he âwatches.â he likes the scents that linger on people â most of the time. likes to know how they spent their days. if they had coffee. or sweets. jiminâs got a bit of a sweet tooth, he wonât deny following someone pretty home if they give him a hint of chocolate. they always taste a little sweeter when theyâve had chocolate. but he likes flowers the best, itâs why he parks himself near that flower shop so often. itâs why the scent of her lingers near him so often.Â
he catches her scent before he sees her. floral and fresh. itâs a faded memory, refreshed in real time into technicolor. makes his mouth almost water, lips quirking up in a smile thatâs anything but kind. his eyes track her form as she filches little flowers, shoving them in her bag and no doubt breaking a few. jimin scoffs. and waits. sheâll turn and look soon enough. ahreum was always the type to peer into the darkness.Â
she moves, slowly, coming around to face him and he moves in the same moment. heavy, sure steps as he approaches her, gait comfortable. when he nears, his smile sharpens just that extra bit, shadow cast long across the sidewalk.Â
âfancy seeing you here,â he drawls out, taking another step forward, wondering how she would react if he were to box her in. she was always the most fun to play with. âi see you havenât broken out of your bad habits,â he sneers, nodding at her bag, âarenât you afraid youâll kill them?â he tilts his head to the side in question, the irony not lost on him, laughter in his eyes. he loves this.
his face was forever going to be engraved in her mind, heart and she was always going to remember, even if their days were short lived. it was rather bittersweet until she remembered how they started off, come to meet. he stalks her, follows her like a predator attempting to catch their prey but back then she was seemingly clueless, somewhat innocent but jimin never was from the start. the relationship between ghouls and humans could never really work due to how often they were always at war with each other. how ghouls saw humans as scum and humans would think the same about them. except ahreum somehow couldnât care less before she had met him. she still doesnât.
she was still careful, not wanting to cross some sort of line and piss him off which was a first for her. ahreum looks at him and her body grows cold and slightly stiff, âand here and thought the day was starting to become a bit more peaceful. then you decide to show up and show your face after years.â how unfortunate, although there were many words unsaid between the two of them nowdays. she assumed jimin never cared, kept her all that time because she was fun to play with and strung her along like a puppet on a string. âif you want me to go back to being your plaything then too bad, iâm not interested.â she sneers.
she was fooled and just now sheâs angry with herself for not seeing it earlier. he was nice once, made her believe how capable of a boyfriend he had been. yet she was wrong, two people both emotionally constipated and violent never really make a good match, do they? she breathes out, trying to relax herself after seeing him out of the blue and forcing her body to relax but sheâs bitter. âi canât believe i liked youâŠâ and she really did. she listens to his comment and she automatically looks down at her bag, one flower sticking out of it. she hums while darkness just clouds over. âat least with me, flowers live longer than humans at the gourmetâŠâ of course he loved to push her buttons, make fun of her. that hadnât changed. "what do you want?"
âI see. Please wait.â He replied, disappearing back into the room. Screams echoed in the halls, with what sounding like someone being dismembered clearly carried everywhere by the excellent acoustics.
Jiyong walked down to the main floor, his lips stained, blood dripping down his chin and onto his shirt. A wide path was cleared, almost every scrapper eager to not be close to the monster. Madame was not around today, and he had the task of ensuring everything was going down to a tee.
He wiped his chin with his sleeve, pulling out his phone to make a call. A short conversation followed as he continued walking to the cause of the disturbance. After communicating with certain well paid associates at the CCG, Jiyong knew where his prize was. Naturally, he sent better ghouls out to collect the highlight of the night. Keeping his phone, he looked at Ahreum, tilting his head as he walked a full circle around her.
âYou seem troubled. Is there anything youâd like? Perhaps I may help ease⊠such⊠outbursts.â She was one of Madameâs favorites, it was only right he gave her a little more leeway before being tempted to kill.
After all, his rage had already been channeled to the poor souls on the top floor, or whatâs left of them.
she usually didnât care for the mess that was going on in the main room, the mess that she was actually the cause of. it was as if she was the star of this show despite not asking for any viewers but this was mostly her fault anyway. ahreum blocks the screams because it was nothing new, theyâd pride away from her the moment she was in their presence for cautions sake.
it was another one of her mood swings, the part where she didnât want to be there and dismember more humans, ruin her perfectly washed dress again. of course the ghouls who attended the event this time, their eyes make their way towards her as usual. they either looked impressed or straight up cold towards her and ahreum was never really content despite doing this for years.
she was too busy focusing on that bloody art that she apparently created, blood dripping from her blades. her brown eyes glance at jiyong when he made his round towards her and immediate draws her eyes away. she could feel her hands balling into fists from frustration and she drops her weapon onto the floor.
she turns around to squarely face him, licking the remaining blood stains off her finger. âthereâs a chance that i can get outta here, right? itâs too suffocating in here.â she complains, trying her best not to raise her own voice. she took pride in being everyoneâs favorite but there was so much she could take in a week. âno young human girl like me can use all her energy for this! you understand, right?â apparently he was in charge and she just wanted to escape this place.
this is what heâll get for playing her like that. apparently he had a little too much to drink, he sleeps so soundly next to her as he laid on the old couch. madame wasnât home, no one was home so the air was quiet with only the two of them. she could feel the steel blade under her skirt, the dagger that was strapped around her leg and she gently takes it out from its straps. her fingers play around with the handle, twirling the blade with her hand. ahreumâs brown eyes gaze at his closed ones, seeing eunjae so completely vulnerable was kind of refreshing. his mouth wasnât moving and nothing came out of it, even that was relaxing. he was cute just sleeping like that and she smiles for a moment until manages to disappear once more.
âwhy do you gotta play around with me like that? your feelings are real, right? youâre not going to leave me? betray me?âÂ
her questions are paired with uncertainty just like with everything else, she speaks with her voice surprisingly soft. it wasnât wrong of her to question all this? because eunjae was mostly just a mystery to her and she was unsure. maybe he was too good at reading thoughts because he knew just what she liked, just what she wanted. was it lame of her to think it was sort of flattering? of course she wonât ever tell him her real feelings even if he did see her tears before.
âwhat made you become so fearless? i wanna know. i know youâre not afraid of someone like me but i kind of wish you were.âÂ
she continues, placing the dagger downward until the tip of it barely manages to touches his chest and she hears her heart beat pounding hard. she retreats, eyes his sleeping face again. ahreumâs lips ghosts his lips but she pulls away, leaning towards his eyes again before firmly kissing his eyelids instead. she tells herself over and over that she shouldnât be uncertain for the future but that was impossible (in a general sense). her body relaxes again though when her mind forces itself to have her think of something else.
eunjae doesnât let her slip away from him again.
he followed her all the way to university for a charm bracelet. he figured itâs probably not the best idea to confront her to whatever home she headed towards a few days prior. so he follows her here, and since a classroom isnât a good place for confrontation either.
he waits beside the door, wearing the most casual things heâs seen other people wear, and judging from the dark reflection of the reflective glass of the building before him, he doesnât seem to look half bad with it. and he waits, without pause, occasionally checking his watch or chewing on another piece of gum.Â
his mouth smells like a watermelon farm by the time he throws out his fifth, and class lets out â and he sees her, unfailingly, and falls into step beside her without a momentâs pause.Â
âyou have something i own, and i want it back.â and, mumbled out of embarrassment for the item itself:Â âplease.â
ahreum could only hear several minutes of lecture before she starts completely zoning off and gaze out the window from her seat. she places her palm underneath her chin, attempting to think of something else other than history. now that she thought about it, university was one of the only places sheâd come to if she wanted to be normal, do normal things but even her strange sense of security could exist here too.
the bell rings against her ears and sheâs free again at last, passing the rest of the students right after. she avoids their gaze like always because she felt out of place but she shrugs because there was nothing she could do to change that. she blames herself for wanting to stick to this whole routine because she knew it was good for her. one f the things that was good.
she continues on her merry way and she stops suddenly, seeing a familiar face waiting for her in front and then it hit her. she smiles the same innocent one that she always have when meeting eunjae, âyou gotta be more specific, eunjae⊠i have a lot of possessions. besides i donât have anything with me.â crossing her arms in front of her chest, she remembered what she stole from him a few days back. âif you want something back, gotta get something in return. itâs not for free.â
âT-There has been an issue with the shipment⊠b-but weâre working on it at the very moment.â A bald giant of a man almost whimpered as he reported an issue to the male laying down on a luxurious sofa. The male was reading a series of emails on a tablet held above his head.
âRemember how the highlight for tonight was albino meat?â Jiyong whispered, his finger swiping upwards on the tabletâs screen, confirming the attendance for his hosted event tonight. âSo⊠the issue youâre talking about⊠is⊠unacceptable.â
âI-It was the CCGâŠâ The giant male took several steps backwards, as Jiyong swung his feet down from the sofa onto the floor to stand. The words died from his lips when Jiyong wagged his index finger, a pout on his lips.
âExcuses⊠will only result in blood stains on my white shirt.â Jiyong said, removing a coin from his pocket. He began rolling the coin over his fingers on his right hand, observing it before a huge disturbance a floor below caused the coin to fall to the floor.
Walking to the balcony overseeing the main floor below, he leaned his upper body over to see the cause of the disturbance his favorite scrapper. âWhat happened?â His voice carrying over onto the floor below.Â
she hasnât been this frustrated in the entire month, usually she knew how to keep calm whenever sheâs at the gourmet. it has been years and years passed and she has gotten adjusted to the lifestyle. her hands stained with blood as she looked down, sometimes she was impatient and wanting to wash up immediate after everything.
it seemed as though she was the only one suffering from this cruel fate as she leans against the balcony with the wind blowing her hair back. ahreumâs work was halted, no humans for her to slaughter and butcher and this was the only time she could catch her breath, attempting to keep her composure. but sheâs ahreum and when her temper flares, people seem to stare and be alert with caution.
she manages to hear a voice from above and her head shoots up and she sees him. one of madameâs aquaintances, jiyong and she goes quiet again. ahreum was always cautious around him but it seemed as though he was always around to witness her outbursts. there was no point in hiding it now.
âum, nothing. just one of my many outbursts⊠sorry if I caused a disturbance if you were in the middle of something.â god, he could even hear her from up there. she wasnât sure whether or not she was allowed to leave, not sure if she wanted to continue working either. she wonât get in trouble if she said wanted to get out and have a break, right?
ahreum was drawn to the shop per usual with the several flowers hidden inside her bag in all sorts of colors. she always felt as though she was missing something quite special as she stands there by herself in the midst of the potted flowers. they werenât just there for show but for admiration because werenât flowers also a symbolism for oneâs own feelings? then again her feelings were difficult to understand, to her and everyone else simply because she could never control them. they were violent, impulsive and uncontrollable with no way to keep them at ease.
she would think back of the old feelings she had in the past. she remembers anger and destruction, disappointment and resentment, being content but not always happy. when she felt the slightly bit of resentment and uncertainty, anxiety⊠those feelings were the ones she hated the most and especially when those feelings were paired with people of the past. ahreum remembers their names and she remembers their faces when her vision momentarily blurs for a quick moment but she forces herself to forget and they disappear.
she was desperate to figure out her lingering feelings, those spots of resentment while sheâs filled with many other questions. ahreum didnât want to stress herself out so she stops thinking altogether. she plucks another flower, making sure no one was watching her and slipping it into her bag because she liked the color. but the moment she walks out, she sees him. she spots a familiar face whom could only appear in her dreams but she didnât expect this, him in the flesh.
ahreum never knew she had such an interest for flowers. she hasnât been outside much since childhood, only when sheâd manage to sneak out late in the night. the smell of pollen, the sight of them itches her nose once the spring season came but the fresh blooming flowers were a nice scent. sheâs bummed that she doesnât get to pick them often off the ground but sometimes she does while walking on a pile of the green grass.Â
she doesnât do it this time. it was no longer spring and autumn was coming, the bottom of her shoes were wet from the rain. ahreum searches for that one flower shop that she had seen so much when she passed by, flower pots conveniently placed outside and she follows. she finally manages to find the flower shop, her brown eyes tried to take a peek inside to see if yiyang was around or inside. the two have crossed paths, sometimes sheâd visit here again and again where she worked. the worker was too nice to her, she takes advantage of this.
though it was nice to be rather calm when sheâs surrounded by nature.
ahreum sees the perfectly placed, organized pot of daisies, roses, tulips and various kinds of flowers and she wanted to get her hands on them, plant a few seeds outside her home just to sit and watch them grow. sheâs impatient though, complaining that it took a long time but at least it manages to let her waste her afternoon just waiting. she does what she always does, her fingers pressed against the stems and she plucks and she plucks, placing the daisy against her nose because it smelled nice.