ASCENSION.

and the grace of the gods is a grace the comes by violence.

[ignisfatvs]

jang jintae.

@ignisfatvs​ // the school’s third floor. around 1pm.

“ …so i almost wrote yours on the answer sheet instead. ” jintae chuckles as he finishes his anecdote about the exam he has undertaken in the morning, with his breath caressing joonhyuk’s skin and his forehead resting upon his shoulder ; such a mistake is easy to make when one shares the initial in his name with a soulmate whose presence preoccupies his headspace by default. he watches the marks he has imprinted across the senior’s chest disappear behind the fabric his hands work to fasten, and presses another kiss into the hollow of his neck before the action reaches the shirt’s collars. 

the alarm has been sounded to announce the end of the lunch break, and each must return to his classroom. they descend the staircase with their fingers interlocked, then right ahead of the corner where they are supposed to split, he pins joonhyuk against the wall and brings their mouths together again. “ how about we skip the afternoon ? i want to stay with you. ” he whispers. it isn’t unsatiation with what they have engaged in : something is gnawing at his guts, hence jintae feels forbidden from leaving his side. but it is too little too late — the wailing has already erupted down the hallway.

it’s no question that the highlight of joonhyuk’s school day is jintae. any moment he gets to spend with jintae, be they their isolated lunches on the rooftop or a quiet moment in a hallway, is a moment well spent. he endures the monotony of dreary academics just to be able to wrap himself around jintae. though, really, it would be better if they could just skip school and spend all their time together but to succeed, school is a necessary evil. and so, joonhyuk, despite a desire to stay up on the rooftop with his soulmate a little longer, follows him down the staircase. 

“jang joonhyuk or my full name? either way, sounds like you’re in love.” joonhyuk says coquettishly, walking close to jintae. the two gravitate around each other, it’s hard for joonhyuk to pull away even a little, not that the thought ever crosses his mind. he lets jintae pin him against the wall, raising his brows a bit in mock shock. “wow, you wanting to skip? is the world ending?” he laughs at his own joke, though something in his gut tightens at it. he pushes it through it though and leans forward to kiss jintae sweetly. “you know i’ll always say yes—” he’s interrupted by the wailing down the hallway. his head snaps to the sound and, mildly unsettled, he pulls jintae closer by his shirt, “what the hell was that?” 

another wail sounds again, this time closer. the endlessly curious part of joonhyuk wants to stay and find out what’s making that noise but the logical part of him is blaring an alarm in his head. his gut is telling him to run, run, run right now! joonhyuk looks at jintae, his gaze both concerned and confused, “maybe we should go somewhere else...”

[ignisfatvs]

@questesimilimorti   //   house of dragon main home. night time.

the time between one war and the other was but a sliver. their sire wanted them strong then, already anticipating the incoming battles, but the few free moments they had were spent in this very garden. isolated from the rest of the house, it gave them the chance to let their guard down with the only person the other could trust — each other. how many times did they sit by this very tree? not enough. 

now, joonhyuk sits at the tree base, his shoulder pressed against the bark. he is alone. the moon tries to keep him company, bathing the lavish garden with her pale light but he can’t see it. he seldom sees anything these nights. the house watches him wander about the house like a ghost — from their quarters to the garden and back. he is the one who finds his way out of the room but it is sungbae who leads him back when dawn nears. though the sun tempts him fiercely, he cannot muster the strength to incapacitate sungbae or kill them both in his quest for eternal rest. sungbae holds a part of jintae, the only part joonhyuk may have left in this world.

may. the reports of jintae’s disappearance, of his death, have been without challenge. still, a part of joonhyuk finds it difficult to accept them. the body sends the brain signals when it detects trouble — illness, injury, decay. jintae was a part of joonhyuk as much as joonhyuk was a part of jintae. they were irrevocably intertwined. distance pained them but no number of miles could tear them apart. if jintae is truly dead, joonhyuk would have felt the moment he died, wouldn’t he? he would have known the very moment jintae fell and did not rise again. a bigger part of his mind posits: is that not what you’ve been feeling all of these nights? joonhyuk closes his eyes at the thought.

it’s true, these nights have been hopeless, empty, meaningless. eternity was a gift when he had jintae at his side, now it’s only a curse. death holds the cure but it’s too far for joonhyuk’s liking. with the sun out of his reach, he has succumbed to starvation. not even sungbae can force him to feed. his body grows weaker every night, though his days on this earth are still plentiful. it will be a long death. he opens his eyes, looks down at his hands where half-moon circles are slowly healing on the heels of his palms. 

it will be the death of just this body. everything in him died the day the reports came in, the moment he accepted them as truth. inside, the decay has already begun. he leans his head on the bark and wonders if jintae will ask: why have you come? there is only one real answer: you took my heart when you went.

[ignisfatvs]

@questesimilimorti   //   joonhyuk & woojin’s home. around 7:30pm.

JOONHYUK: the first thirty minutes of the company party have seen joonhyuk playing his role of exemplary host. he’s practically made his way around the room giving out greetings and mingling enough to make the guests feel welcome. he makes his way around the room until he finds himself back where he started at woojin’s side. there’s been an addition to the little group in the last few minutes. “nice to see you, yunhong. jinwoo, how’s work?” he doesn’t care about jinwoo’s mediocre blockbusters but yunhong’s mind is replaying a memory of her ordering him to keep shut about his job while jinwoo’s is radiating his desire to do the exact opposite.

YUNHONG: it hasn’t even been twenty minutes is all she can think. yunhong loves jinwoo but his one flaw is his utmost dedication to garbage cinema. goldmoon is filled with film snobs, herself included, there’s no way she’s going to let him discuss a superhero blockbuster in their midst. all jinwoo gets to say, “oh, it’s going well-,” before yunhong smoothly cuts in, “yes, isn’t that great? it’s good to see you, too, president-nim. i was just telling woojin that your house looks amazing tonight. i particularly like your christmas tree.” at that, her gaze flicks over to the tall tree standing at the corner of the living room, decked out in a tastefully muted red and gold color scheme, “it is a pity that i went with blue this year.” 

WOOJIN: it’s comedic, the way jinwoo flounders after yunhong cuts him off. woojin glances at his husband from the corner of his eyes and thinks you did that on purpose. he smiles when joonhyuk slides an arm around his waist and thinks back you thought it was funny, didn’t you? it’s easy to morph the amusement tinging his smile into sincerity at yunhong’s compliment. “oh, thank you. blue is a great choice, better than the traditional colors, if i’m being honest with you. i didn’t think of it when we had the tree put up.” as if he would’ve put that thing up himself. he liked looking at a well decorated christmas tree, not making it. he’d learned that his first christmas with joonhyuk when he had insisted they decorate a tree together only to end up laying on the ground with decorations strewn about them. no trees were decorated that year. “do you have a picture of your tree?” woojin asks but is quickly interrupted by a firm pat on his back. 

JOONGSANG: “scared you, didn’t i?” joongsang asks, amused at woojin’s sudden turn. he goes about greeting the rest of the group, “good evening to you all, you all look great but unfortunately for all of you, my wife looks better.” at that, soojung swats his arm before giving out her own greetings and apologizing for his words. he places a hand over the one she has nestled in the crook of his elbow, “it’s the fact that she’s so gracious about it that really brings a tear to my eye. such graciousness deserves a prize, perhaps a limited edition massage chair?” he looks pointedly at joonhyuk but is met, to no surprise, with laughter from the group. well, no one can blame him for trying. “how’s everything tonight? hyunjung, did you ever answer sungbae?”

HYUNJUNG: taking another sip of her champagne, hyunjung shakes her head, “no, you need to keep a man like him on his toes. you would know.” truthfully, joongsang does a superb job of keeping sungbae on his toes in most of their interactions. the only reason joongsang doesn’t get to her as often is because she’s learned to let his words fly over her head. the first year after the merger was challenging in many ways. she nearly shudders to think of it. instead, she finishes off the rest of her champagne and lets a waiter take it away. “anyways, my sincerest apologies to you, soojung, but that massage chair is going home with me. i’d let you have a fair chance at it but your husband’s the one playing later and i refuse to lose to him after last year.” what an annoying winner joongsang can be when he’s won a prize he knows you wanted. never again.

[ignisfatvs]

jang jintae.

@ignisfatvs​ // president’s office, goldmoon headquarters. around 12pm. 

jintae draws on his cigarette and leans back on the couch, watching as the smoke seeps out between his lips and curls up into nothingness. his brain hasn’t taken any rests in the last seventy-two hours, and the fatigue has translated into a sense of ferocity behind his gaze ; it refuses to soften even against the presence across the room. less than a minute passes before the narcotics mixed into the nicotine begins to kick in, and with the tension being released from his muscles, his vision alters in such a way that everything destabilizes as though he has gotten transplanted into a fever dream. 

amidst a wave of translucent lights splashing onto the walls like watercolours, joonhyuk prevails as the still point around which all else gravitates in suspending motion. his visage radiates with a subtle vividness, catching its beholder startled and mesmerized. he takes another drag, deeper now, and signals for the other to close the distance. pressing their foreheads together, he exhales, feasting his eyes on his mouth as he forces it open with a thumb so it sucks in the poison. a terrible sweetness is boiling up within, and he slides his hands around his waist, pushing forwards for a ravenous kiss. 

lunch sits forgotten on the coffee table between the pair. it’s been an uneventful day so far, putting joonhyuk in a particular mind frame. he was in it from the moment jintae arrived with their food, gave into it when he decided to draw the shades down and lock his office door. in this office high above the city joonhyuk and jintae have been cut off from everyone but one another for the moment. and joonhyuk intends to take advantage of that.

he goes easily when jintae motions for him, skipping the spot beside the other in favor of his lap. his hands find their place on jintae’s chest but one slides up towards the crook of his neck as he takes in the smoke being pushed into his mouth. right as it diminishes, he closes his mouth around the other’s thumb, bites it enough to feel but not enough to hurt before letting it go to kiss and be kissed. he lets jintae push him back slightly, more focused on slipping his tongue into the other’s mouth, but soon enough he’s pushing forward. his thumb presses into the base of the other’s neck slightly, his other hand grabbing at the fabric beneath it. and through it all, all he is thinking is closer, closer, closer. 

[ignisfatvs]

ministry of joongsang.

seo kijung reacted to kim yunhong’s message with ❤️. [ 3:34 PM ] 

seo kijung: do you think it’s too much to pray for a soulmate who is not only smart, rich and handsome, but also has never stopped being infatuated with me ever since he was 19? [ replying to lee joongsang; 3:43 PM ] seo kijung: whenever i go on my annual templestay programme, i feel like buddha is looking at me like this 🙄. so i end up clarifying, he doesn’t have to be on a chaebol’s level. [ 3:43 PM ]

seo kijung: it’s not easy being a hopeless romantic and a g-dragon wannabe at once. so his dedication is pretty admirable, i’ll give him that. [ replying to yoon sejung; 3:44 PM ]

yoon sejung: right!? oh my god, he also keeps trying to bring up his tattoo in every conversation, no matter the context. you know, the one that says: too fast to live, too young to die 😂. [ 3:45 PM ] yoon sejung: thanks god, we won’t have to see him again in the new year. [ 3:45 PM ]

seo kijung: see you both at 4. be there or be square. [ replying to lee joongsang; 3:46 PM ] 

seo kijung reacted to na hyunjung’s message with 🥺. [ 4:30 PM ]

yoon sejung: you’re the coordinator and you aren’t coming to the party, though 💔? [ replying to im sookhee; 4:44 PM ]

im sookhee: i wanted to, but some family issues unfortunately came up yesterday. please send me pictures when the day comes 🤞. [ 4:47 PM ] 

yoon sejung: i think i know exactly what those issues are. expect me in your office in 2 minutes. and don’t try to hide, you know nobody ever escapes these hands. [ 4:47 PM ]

im sookhee: a few of us may find the way they tease ceo park to be quite endearing, but he’s under a lot of pressures with the upcoming year-end meeting and his inherent perfectionism, so let’s not get too carried away that our friendly sparring spirals out of control. [ replying to lee joongsang; 4:49 PM ] im sookhee: ceo-nim, i think it may be beneficial for you to take a look at our workshop on work-life balance after the holiday break. its content has been recently updated. let me know if you’re interested. [ replying to park sungbae; 4:50 PM ]

seo kijung: you requested baby shark one (1) time, and people started treating you like a public enemy, even when you only did so for your daughter 😔. [ replying to kim yunhong; 4:55 PM ]

choi hyungbae: i’m sorry some of you (more like, all of you, to be honest) will never understand how sublime the sacrifices of one’s parenthood are, all right? [ 5:00 PM ]

park sungbae read lee joongsang’s and im sookhee’s messages at 5:01 PM. seo kijung reacted to kim joonhyuk’s message with 😩. [ 5:36 PM ]

seo kijung: yes, president-nim. it’s been collecting dust in my drawer for so long i’m starting to think it’ll never see the light of day 🥺. [ replying to kim joonhyuk; 5:37 PM ]

yoon sejung: will your hot mysterious friend be coming as well, kim joonhyuk? asking for research purposes 👀. [ 5:45 PM ] 

seo kijung: unnie, what are you scheming 😭? he’s not going to become your glucose guardian. don’t get your hopes up. [ replying to yoon sejung; 5:49 PM ]

yoon sejung: why not? he’s living in my head and it’s time i asked about the rents he owes. also, don’t let your dreams be dreams, haven’t you heard 😴? [ 5:49 PM ] 

lee joongsang: we can only hope some chaebol is in their penthouse nursing a crush for you this moment, dear kijung  [ replying to seo kijung; 3:45 PM ] lee joongsang: for you i’ll pray it’s one of the hyundai sons  [ 3:45 PM ]

jo jaehwan reacted to im sookhee’s message with 🙁   [ 4:48 PM ]

lee joongsang: alright, i’ll be nice. then again, aren’t i always nice?  [ replying to im sookhee; 4:50 PM ]

kim yunhong: i was not referring to baby shark, though that is also a point against director choi. i was talking about the time he tried to request a song from the genre “pirate metal”. only a menace would do that.  [ replying to seo kijung; 4:56 PM ]

lee joongsang: spoken like a true father, i applaud you, hyungbae. i wouldn’t want to be you but i applaud you nonetheless  [ replying to choi hyungbae; 5:01 PM ]

park minjae: okay superman  [ replying to choi hyungbae; 5:01 PM ]

kim yunhong: i second minjae, also your daughter may be young but her taste is far above liking “pirate metal”.  [ replying to choi hyungbae; 5:02 PM ]

kim joonhyuk: i’ll think about the car. but first, are you putting the moves on my husband?  [ replying to seo kijung; 5:55 PM ] kim joonhyuk: hahaha, kidding. ask woojin about friends he can connect you with at the party, i’m sure he’d like to play matchmaker  [ 5:56 PM ] kim joonhyuk: yes, with his wife. ask woojin for matchmaking  [ replying to yoon sejung; 5:58 PM ]

[ignisfatvs]

jang jintae.

his necktie is unbound and folded into a square, then tucked away inside the chest pocket of his longue coat as draped over the back of his chosen seat. next, he unfastens the top buttons on his dress shirt and washes his hands in the kitchen sink with thoroughness ; a few droplets that splash onto the counter are wiped up afterwards. his actions are swift and precise, denoting how ritualized they have become within his routines. “ ahn sanggoo’s expertise is questionable sometimes because of his delegating talents, but his keen eye for character and competency has been most impressive. ”

a politician who makes history by securing thirty-five million votes ( seventy percent of the nation’s population ), gambling with suicide via overexploitation of his superpowers in the process, deserves his respect. is he likeable or believable to jintae ? the answer is beside the point. “ and not to you ? ” his attention focalizes onto joonhyuk as the distance closes. he turns his head by an inch so his lips brush onto the other’s when he verges on pulling away, with his fingers wrapped over the nape of his neck to keep its position still for a second longer. “ why, maybe i should do something about that… ”

is it a threat ? there occurs no follows-ups to his words, not even within his mind, which he knows joonhyuk is already probing into, as though he wanted to induce frustration over his ambiguity. two plates are retrieved from a cabinet and placed next to the containers. settling down, he nudges his portion into the middle of the table in an invitation for his companion to take more of his favourites, as is his customs. amongst an assortment of colours, from red and orange to grey and white, he opts to start with the sea bream sashimi — also considered a symbol of celebration and fortune. “ enjoy. ”

“ park sungbae is a stick in the mud, whereas lee joongsang is a wild card. their supplementation of each other explains why they work well together, as much as they hate to admit it. ” cue a nod whilst he listens along to the summary of the meeting ; comments are seldom since neither its progresses nor its conclusions stray from his expectations. “ that’s enough shoptalk. ” he rises and walks over to the refrigerator to get a drink, not without gesturing at the older’s glass to see whether he needs a refill. “ do you and woojin have plans on new year’s eve ? it might be nice if we could have dinner. ”

self-deception is useless. it’s why joonhyuk can admit that ahn sanggoo is many things, things that have been perceived as good by others and, yes, even himself. it’s also why he can admit that despite all of this, he still harbors a grudge against president ahn. though it’s true that every mutant can and should use their power to get ahead in this dog-eat-dog world, it is also true that any mutant that uses their power against himself or jintae will make an enemy of joonhyuk. and though this was one of president ahn’s missteps, it was not his biggest crime. 

no, his biggest crime was this: creating a rift, regardless of its short lifespan, between joonhyuk and jintae. for that, joonhyuk will always consider the merits of breaking ahn sanggoo’s mind in two. he’s fed this grudge, kept it alive for over a decade. perhaps one day he will take it off its leash; not today. he comments, “he’s something alright.”

all thoughts of president ahn leave joonhyuk when jintae turns his head, their lips meeting for a brief moment. his hand falls on the side of jintae’s torso. he digs his fingers in slightly at jintae’s inquiry as if to say not me, never me. joonhyuk can read the minds of many but there is only one mind in this world that feels like an extension of his own. there is only one man who he knows in ways that cannot be understood by anyone but each other.

he lets jintae go with ease (thought not with projecting a quick memory to him, one of wrists being held down forcefully, asking coyly intimidation through punishment?), gets in his seat, talks. when he’s joined at the table by his companion, he starts the meal with yellowtail sashimi. as he recounts the meeting between bites of flavorful sashimi, he occasionally taps jintae’s shin with his foot. “more like sungbae hates to admit it, joongsang likes to tell everyone they’re ‘very good work partners’. it gives sungbae headaches.” 

he hands his near empty glass off to jintae for a refill before leaning back against his chair, a hint of a playful smile on his mouth, "oh, are you and woojin friends now?” the thought alone is amusing. joonhyuk knows very well what his husband’s feelings are towards jintae. jintae knows them, too. still, it sounds like a good outing. “sure, where were you thinking?”

[ignisfatvs]

ministry of joongsang.

seo kijung: it was a last resort because i didn’t have time to place any delivery orders. i never meant to be a food thief 😢. [ replying to kim yunhong; 3:33 PM ] seo kijung: i’ll buy you back a whole box tomorrow, unnie 😘. [ 3:33 PM ] seo kijung:and thanks for your display of camaraderie but director choi’s breakfast consists of whatever remains of the ingredients his wife has used to make their daughter’s breakfast. [ attachment: a photo of hyungbae wherein he was eating sandwich crusts with hollowed-out carrots; 3:34 PM ] seo kijung: i’d rather not mess with such family love. [ 3:34 PM ]

choi hyungbae reacted to kim yunhong’s message with 🙄. [ 3:35 PM ]

seo kijung: lunch is a sacred time to share some of one’s deepest emotional traumas from one’s past and i’m not going to do so with an intern. [ replying to lee joongsang; 3:40 PM ] seo kijung: unless intern frodo has the potential to become my own han woojin, which i know he doesn’t. [ 3:40 PM ] 

seo kijung: you could consider raising my salary instead, ceo-nim 🥺. [ replying to park sungbae; 4:20 PM ] seo kijung: outright owning a rolls-royce with no instalment loans would resolve as much of my millennial bluesas fifteen years of therapy could, to be honest. [ 4:20 PM ]  

park sungbae: your capacity for twisting people’s words never ceases to amaze me. my interests in you are professional and informative, and i’ll reiterate this one last time. we can unwind and talk casually in this groupchat but not 24/7. you need to stop with your constant messages and focus on helping your stressed subordinates tidying up their prioritized projects before the long holidays. if only you could invest one-thirds of the enthusiasm you spend on here into replying to your emails and finishing up your reports for the year-end reviews. [ replying to lee joongsang; 4:26 PM ]  

park sungbae: you will have to direct that to na hyunjung, and ultimately, kim joonhyuk. [ replying to seo kijung; 4:27 PM ]

im sookhee: gentlemen, let’s not add negativity to this busy season. remember our trainings on well-being in the workplace? respect one another’s rhythm, create movement and circulate the energy, but remain in harmony. [ replying to park sungbae;4:33 PM ] im sookhee: all, here’s a friendly-reminder that the registration for our year-end celebrations at president kim joonhyuk’s house will be locked by close-of-business today. if you have any dietary requirements or if you are bringing your family members, please write down their details. thank you. [ attachment: a link to an excel document on the intranet; 4:34 PM ]  

park sungbae: doesn’t na hyunjung’s refusal to explain her passive-aggressive antics against me constitute third-degree workplace cyberbullying? [ replying to im sookhee; 4:48 PM ]

seo kijung reacted to kim joonhyuk’s message with 😍. [ 4:50 PM ] choi hyungbae reacted to kim joonhyuk’s message with 😂. [ 4:50 PM ]

kim yunhong: it’s alright, i understand. sometimes we do what we need to, to survive.  [ replying to seo kijung; 3:34 PM ] kim yunhong: thank you, i will share them with you. ❤️  [ 3:34 PM ] kim yunhong: i won’t lie to any of you, i thought he had stolen someone’s leftovers that day. the things people do for love are shocking.  [ 3:35 PM ]

lee joongsang: would you like to share your deepest emotional traumas in the break room with me? perhaps sejung can join us to give questionable advice. yoon sejung, thoughts?  [ replying to seo kijung; 3:41 PM ] lee joongsang: i doubt intern frodo is the secret son of chairman han, so unfortunately for you the search is still on. stay strong, don’t settle!  [ 3:42 PM ]

yoon sejung: one, my advice is amazing. two, sure, i have some free time  [ replying to lee joongsang; 3:43 PM ] yoon sejung: especially not intern frodo. i bet he’ll try to tell you about the kakaotalk breakup like it’s some huge revelation. it’s been six months, get over it kid 🙄  [ replying to seo kijung; 3:44 PM ]

lee joongsang: excellent. let’s meet and further discuss your traumas and intern frodo’s perceived trauma over a three-week old relationship  [ 3:45 PM ]

yoon sejung: i’m speechless. all that over 3 weeks...  [ 3:46 PM ]

lee joongsang: i’m not reading all of that  [ replying to park sungbae; 4:27 PM ] lee joongsang: congratulations or condolences, dear sungbae [ 4:27 PM ]

na hyunjung reacted to lee joongsang’s message with 👍  [ 4:28 PM ] na hyunjung: please email me, kijung. also, kim joonhyuk, get the girl a rolls-royce, she works hard for you [ replying to seo kijung; 4:28 PM ]

yoon sejung: i was having fun watching them  [ replying to im sookhee; 4:44 PM ]

lee joongsang: park sungbae is goldmoon’s personal angel, negativity isn’t in his nature. he only lashed out because i found out about his feelings. it’s okay, mr park, we can pretend this never happened for your sake  [ 4:45 PM ] lee joongsang: imagine if i told my wife, you know how she gets. it’s best we put this behind us ^^  [ 4:46 PM ]

kim yunhong, yoon sejung, and na hyunjung reacted to im sookhee’s message with 👍  [ 4:46 PM ]

na hyunjung read park sungbae’s message at 4:49 PM

lee joongsang: what happens between a married couple is private. sacred, even. but we could be, why, do you want to share tips?  [ replying to kim joonhyuk; 4:52 PM ]

kim yunhong: my one request is to not allow hyungbae to request songs. thank you.  [ replying to im sookhee; 4:54 PM ]

yoon sejung reacted to kim yunhong’s message with 😂  [ 4:55 PM ]

kim joonhyuk: seo kijung, you have your license?  [ 5:30 PM ] kim joonhyuk: not with you. i’ll ask soojung about it at the party, it’s been a while since i’ve seen her scold you  [ replying to lee joongsang; 5:31 PM ]

lee joongsang: i would tell woojin but something tells me he wouldn’t be averse to murder-suicide  [ 5:32 PM ]

kim joonhyuk: what can i say? it’s true love  [ 5:36 PM ]

[ignisfatvs]

jang jintae.

he stands still, feeling joonhyuk’s hand against his muscles as its slight weight shifts down towards his abdomen, its warmth is rendered inappreciable through his layered clothes. when it stops at the middle button which holds his longue-coat closed, he proceeds to clasp his own over and strokes its knuckles with his index-finger. meanwhile, he has trailed his gaze across the outlines of joonhyuk’s features : his eyelids, his nosebridge, his lips. “ yeah, ” he answers ; an impression of sensuality lurks within his voice, mystified by the close distance between and the vast silence around themselves. 

“ i can order some as an additional portion, if you want ? ” jintae doesn’t mind the decision he has received – a temptation festers its pleasurability in its unfulfillment. stepping aside, he hangs his suit-jacket on the back of a kitchen chair and empties the takeout paperbag : three containers, one he stores away inside the refrigerator for a certain woman who will be returning in the late hours. “ of course. the place is choked by pettiness, but not by lassitude. the president wouldn’t allow that. i wouldn’t allow that. anyways, how did your year-end meeting with the members of the board go ? ” 

"no, i’ll get over it,” joonhyuk decides easily from where he stands occupied with the fridge’s water dispenser. glass of water procured, he takes a step back to promptly down half of it and watches as jintae stores away one of the takeout containers. his thoughts flicker back to woojin for a moment. he’s meant to be catching up with his friend over dinner at their home tonight; perhaps the two would appreciate an after meal snack. he saves the thought, intending to come back to it later, as he sets his glass down on the kitchen table.  

he pries the lid off the containers. tuna, for sure; yellowtail, maybe? “while you certainly help, i can’t help but think that all anyone needs for encouragement is a look from the president.” the ability to whip anyone into shape simply because they’re attracted to you must be only one of the benefits born from a power such as president ahn’s. and though joonhyuk himself is immune to such tricks of the mind even he has to admit, president ahn is good-looking by default. “you’re handsome, of course, but your face is very,” he pauses for a moment, enters jintae’s space once more and cups his neck, “serious. to them, at least.” which is better for joonhyuk. he smiles and leans in to kiss the corner of jintae’s mouth before moving back to the table, “it went well. joongsang was on his best behavior, so sungbae was pleased.” he goes into the specifics as he takes a seat, sorting through the information presented in the nearly three hour long meeting to provide only what he considers important.

[ignisfatvs]

ministry of joongsang.

seo kijung reacted to lee joongsang’s message with 🙄. [ 3:25 PM ]  im sookhee reacted to kim yunhong’s message with 👍. [ 3:30 PM ]

seo kijung: unnie… i know it was but… you’re not saying what i’m thinking, right 😢? [ replying to kim yunhong; 3:30 PM ] seo kijung: we have nobody but each other in a corporate korea populated by stale males…[ 3:30 PM ] seo kijung: and you’re being stingy with me over one (1) bagel 😭? [ 3:31 PM ]

seo kijung: coo-nim, it’s not about the food, it’s about the loneliness of having to eat lunch by yourself. [ replying to lee joongsang; 3:31 PM ] seo kijung: and being reminded that you were born alone and you will die alone, that all the rules the world is drowning you in are simply to distract you from those facts. [ 3:32 PM ]   

choi hyungbae reacted to seo kijung’s message with 😂. [ 3:33 PM ]

park sungbae: see a therapist for your millennial blues, then assign your expenses to  lee joongsang’s budget. i will approve the reimbursement. [ replying to seo kijung; 4:15 PM ]  park sungbae: don’t be flattered but i’m inclined to give any sorts of speeches only when the audience is you, joongsang-nim. [ replying to lee joongsang; 4:16 PM ] park sungbae: na hyunjung i won’t stand for your silence. it’s with my rights to demand an explanation. [ 4:16 PM ]

kim yunhong: i looked forward to that bagel all morning only for half of it to be stolen.  [ replying to seo kijung; 3:32 PM ] kim yunhong: but you’re right in one way, we must stick together. next time director choi leaves his breakfast unattended i will send you a message as to its whereabouts.  [ 3:32 PM ] kim yunhong: if you try to use this against me in a court of law you will lose. choi hyungbae  [ 3:33 PM ]

lee joongsang: should i tell intern frodo to eat with you?  [ replying to seo kijung; 3:35 PM ] lee joongsang: perhaps you will all die alone but i have a wife who i will be convincing to be buried with me in a double coffin. we sympathize with the rest of you  [ 3:36 PM ] lee joongsang: not you, kim joonhyuk, i’m sure woojin will bring up the idea to you too  [ 3:36 PM ]

lee joongsang: i would be happy to support our kijung through these hard times, money isn’t everything to me, mr. ebenezer  [ replying to park sungbae, 4:16 PM ] lee joongsang: well, well, well, the truth comes out. is this your way of confessing? writing all of your speeches for me, i knew you were a romantic deep down  [ 4:17 PM ]

na hyunjung read park sungbae’s message at 4:17 PM

kim joonhyuk: are you two planning murder-suicide?  [ replying to lee joongsang; 4:50 PM ]

[ignisfatvs]

jang jintae.

it only occurs at sporadic intervals when jintae’s administrative affairs can be wrapped up within the legally decreed yet hardly respected business hours, and even then, his cellphone continues to be bombarded with nonsensical rhetorics by opinionated bureaucrats ( read : pathetic attempts at rationalizing their visceral shortcomings with sheer bravado and cheap heroism ). whilst indeed exploitable sometimes through their embedded implications, consciously and otherwise, no sources of worthwhile entertainment are anywhere to be tracked amongst tonight’s unsought divulgences.

as someone else enters the kitchen, he’s in the midst of debunking his obtuse colleagues’ fantastical convictions under his nuanced pretense as an impartial arbitrator between conflicting interests. “ hmm, ” his acknowledgement is subtle whilst the man leans against his body ; even without physical contacts, jintae could still identify this hushed presence by his scents alone. sending a concluding message ( a disguised warning ), he turns towards joonhyuk, whatever traces of exasperation which have emerged across his countenance are slowly dispersing. “ sushi. i’m craving something… raw. ”

connected, joonhyuk’s body moves along with jintae’s. he slips into the sliver of counter space that jintae’s turn has exposed and leans against it so he’s left facing him. they are both close and not close enough. a hand comes up to fiddle with the lapel of the other’s suit. “hmm,” is all joonhyuk says as his fingers descend from the lapel’s widest point at jintae’s upper chest to its most narrow where a button keeps the jacket closed. the image of a lion hunting an antelope comes to mind, its teeth ripping apart furred flesh to reveal red insides. ha. raw. he projects that to jintae and asks, “no eel, then?” 

the question is only halfway out of his mouth when he unbuttons jintae’s suit as if it were his own. he contemplates sliding his hand into the now loose jacket but opts against it. it’s not for fear of rejection, joonhyuk fears nothing from jintae. any other person in his shoes would, but experience has taught him that even the threat of a fist doesn’t bring him alarm. no, even that is thrilling in its own way. done with the suit, he steps away to get a glass of water. “nice to see you out on time for once. the other directors figure they’ll be able to run everything without for a few hours?”

[ignisfatvs]

ministry of joongsang.

choi hyungbae reacted to lee joongsang’s image attachment with ❗. [ 3:23 PM ] 

seo kijung: how are you planning on solving world hunger when you are leaving me hungry, coo-nim? [ 3:24 PM ] seo kijung: i didn’t pack lunch today because i expected you to finally deliver, then you cancelled on me at the last minute. [ 3:24 PM ] seo kijung: so all i ended up having was half a cream-cheese bagel. and it wasn’t even real cream-cheese, it was light cream-cheese 😭! [ 3:24 PM ] 

park sungbae: unlike some people, i don’t get tempted by gift cards offered by dubious providers because i have the financial confidence to afford whatever i would like without the needs for additional discounts. [ replying to lee joongsang; 3:59 PM ] park sungbae: how are you saying that like i am not busy? what entertainment do you derive from dragging me back in here? [ replying to na hyunjung; 4:00 PM ]

lee joongsang: world hunger is a complex issue to solve, as you’re already learning  [ 3:25 PM ] lee joongsang: light cream-cheese ... you’ve suffered today, haven’t you?  [ 3:25 PM ]

kim yunhong: that was my bagel. seo kijung  [ 3:29 PM ] kim yunhong: there are rules about this in our contracts. also, light cream-cheese is better for you.  [ 3:29 PM ]

lee joongsang: light cream-cheese is an abomination  [ replying to kim yunhong; 3:29 PM ] lee joongsang: intern frodo is going to drop off your late lunch, enjoy your compensation  [ replying to seo kijung; 3:30 PM ]

lee joongsang: that’s a lot of words to say you like being scammed  [ replying to park sungbae; 4:00 PM ] lee joongsang: we must feel pity for the poor cashiers who tell you your items are on sale just to receive a speech about financial confidence  [ 4:00 PM ]

na hyunjung read park sungbae’s message at 4:01 PM

[ignisfatvs]

 @questesimilimorti​   //   jintae’s home. around 6pm.

the sun’s nearly finished setting by the time joonhyuk’s making his way into the house. silence cloaks the place as usual but as he switches from his shoes to house slippers, he can feel a familiar presence nearby. years of training have engrained telepathically sensing others into him; it’s second nature now, as easy as breathing, but this presence he knows better than all others. he follows it to the spotless kitchen, keeping quiet so as to not break the home’s tranquility. it’s been a long day at work for both of them. 

jintae’s figure is standing before a counter. cooking? joonhyuk projects before immediately projecting his amusement at the thought. all of these years together had never seen jintae produce a meal that didn’t come in containers from whatever restaurant it came from. he takes his place beside jintae, immediately leaning into him so part of his body overlaps the other’s. “did you order anything?” 

[ignisfatvs]

ministry of joongsang.

seo kijung: said the man who is supposed to buy me lunch for a whole week because he clicked on my phishing emails but keeps cancelling on the pretense of having time conflicts… [ replying to lee joongsang; 3:22 PM ] seo kijung: i know you know i can check your confirmed schedule with a single click 🙄. [ 3:22 PM ]

park sungbae: na hyunjung don’t you have more important things to deal with? [ 3:30 PM ] park sungbae: this group chat was created for professional purposes and i refuse to be harassed into confronting what isn’t included in my contract’s terms of reference. [ replying to lee joongsang; 3:31 PM ]

lee joongsang: i’d never lie to you, dear kijung, i really am that busy  [ replying to seo kijung; 3:23 PM ] lee joongsang: see?  [ attachment: a screenshot of joongsang’s schedule. a few slots are taken by meetings / appointments, the rest are taken by appointments to “solve world hunger” and “bring about world peace” 3:23 PM ] lee joongsang: i hope you can understand my situation, i’m trying very hard to find time for your lunch, kijung-ah  [ 3:24 PM ]

lee joongsang: this group chat is professional, we have very professional conversations here, for example phishing emails. did you click on yours? gift cards were offered, very tempting  [ replying to park sungbae; 3:32 PM ]

na hyunjung: i can multitask. but i am busy, so stop messaging me. [ replying to park sungbae; 3:40 PM ]

[ignisfatvs]

ministry of joongsang.

park sungbae left the conversation. today 3:20 PM

na hyunjung added park sungbae to the group.  [ 3:20 PM ]

lee joongsang: what’s this? mr park doesn’t like us anymore?  [ 3:21 PM ] lee joongsang: and running away instead of confronting us too .. tsk tsk  [ 3:21 PM ]

[primulaceas]

Gabriela Mistral, from a letter to Doris Dana c. April 1949, translated by Velma García-Gorena

[newlabours]

[voirlvmer]

All the more elegant forms of cruelty, I’m told, begin / with patience

Carl Phillips, from “Reconnaissance”