The answers given only called irritation to swell, annoyance to stretch out in him. For fucking once, he would like one of these inhabitants of this plane to answer him, to answer him straight with all the hatred they housed within. These repeated placations of what they thought was his temper, these attempts at appeasements buried in claimed respect, brought the anger he had subsided within higher yet.
Enough, he had quite enough of that.
The sight of this fox, smiling with Nari, and those warm emotions tied to her was a contrast to the edge sorrounding his very mind when facing Joui. And it was not simply some act of preservation, as should be natural when facing such predator. It was defiance in disdain. Hyeonju despised Joui. It measured the High Fae unworthy of her side, her affections and her smile, labelled him well beneath her.
But then, like a gift, the beast pushed forward, tails fanning out behind him, claws bursting through the wood, teeth far more fox than man. Joui leaned forward, his grin deeply sinister, its truth unhidden, daring this creature to pounce. Behind him, he felt mana constrict, his attendants, and attending butler, line casts ready to release in defense of their Lord, to see death to all within the establishment. And yet Joui knew every one wore a smile as dark as his own. For if this creature could yet dare then he would have an outlet to vent his anger, an outlet outside of his own doing.
“Well”, Joui began, looking down to the claws then up to the bared canines.
His hand lowered to his side, pulling up a dagger, without his eyes ever looking away. His hand passed the dagger over the bared claws, slashing away the insult of their presence, blood shooting forward and dousing the High Fae, ruining the sketched creation. The glass was tossed, left hand pulling the fox forward by his ear, right hand bringing the dagger to his jaw, digging in deep to the gumline and yanking hard to see protruding canines removed. “How fucking dare you?” his voice bellowed deeper, though his smile remained.
With a blink the illusion subsided, Joui’s smile and throbbing pain at the sight where the illusionary blade sliced alone remaining.
“To bare your teeth and claws at me”, he breathed calmly, “one would think you are preparing to attack me”, he continued, smile retreating some. “Am I to fear for my safety in your establishment now?” he asked hand rising to pass his jaw, the cast released, sending more than just his mana within the foxes domain. A minor mind wreck was cast, taking hold at his defenses, bringing deeper pain while eating at the vitality of his mind, delivering taunts that would scar and traumatize at the very memory.
It was then he wished he was as gifted as his sister and his aunt at condition delivery but wrapped as the cast was in his own proficiency, it would do. If he delivered the cast as it was intended, to trap the victim in his mind under continuous assault of his illusions, it would see him die within that maze of a mind, without the revoking of the High Fae’s hold. Truly a gift of his 600 years of life. Instead it was minor, lacking the forceful hold but delivering his rage still.
Head tilted, eyes glittering in gold, he held the fox’s visage in his sights. “Though you ran from child conscription and shed the nature of Spades, you still reek of it”, he breathed with disgust. “It is clear in this disgraceful showing of your form”, he spoke, easing up, pushing his locks from his face. “I have a pack of wolves I am fond of, and they only ever bare their fangs when they are ready to attack, not as some display of a possibility, some of us are better at that”, he said then drank from his glass.
“You”, he said, setting the glass down then passing his gaze to the Ten’s workers with a widening grin, letting his eyes pass them all before returning to Hyeonju, “I wonder if you are fit to serve my beloved facecards with such lacking manners.”
Weakness. That’s all Hyeonju could think as he felt the illusion take hold of his mind. He felt each individual tear of fingernail from bed and canine from gum. He saw the splashes of crimson that soaked the Ace’s face despite desperately telling himself it wasn’t real and this was just a masterful illusion meant to put him in his place. But Joui was stronger than him when it came to mind manipulation and though Hyeonju had always suspected that to be true, thinking it and experiencing it were two different matters entirely.
He groaned in agony, hardly hearing the bellow of Joui’s voice over the blood rushing through his head. He cupped his mouth carefully, though blood spilled from both mouth and hand. Hyeonju refused to scream or make any other sound. This wasn’t the worst he’d experienced. It wasn’t the worst. There had been illusions far more in-depth and knowing because the person who’d cast them had known Hyeonju inside out. So when the Ace of Hearts lifted his illusion and left only the traces of pain and misery in its wake, Hyeonju didn’t cower even as Joui embedded the moment into his mind, but he did shudder and bow his head. Another “memory” to lock away when he had the strength and silence to do so.
He forced himself to calm down, to coerce his fox to sit off to the side and simply watch despite all instincts telling him otherwise. The claws and canines that had felt absent and hollow were there once more, but slowly they ebbed away. His ears and tails followed slowly but surely until only his vulpine eyes remained.
He lifted his head cautiously to watch Joui, observe the way the Ace’s smile slipped imperceptibly. A stone of dread sat heavy in Hyeonju’s stomach as Joui continued. Never in Hyeonju’s time in Hearts, especially as a high ranker, had he ever let his mask slip, let someone get to him. Not enough to shift or glower or let disdain and loathing show. He had learned from a young age how to show the world what they wanted to see, what they wanted him to be. It was how he had managed to rise so quickly in rank in Hearts, how he’d managed to make the Vega Gem flourish. So Joui’s words were far more piercing than the illusion had been. Hyeonju felt the mix of self disgust and irritation at his own behavior and that Joui was the one to point out his flaws.
A man of privilege who had never known struggle was looking down on him with such disgust it made Hyeonju’s blood boil—but he said nothing. One—because he did not wish to die just yet; and two—Joui was right regardless of the fact that the High Fae knew so little about the hybrid. His hand not holding his jaw was clenched tight in his lap as Joui compared him to a pack of wild dogs. Less than them. Still, he remained silent, letting Joui speak his peace, sip from his fancy glass, and appraise Hyeonju, his shop, and…his people.
Hyeonju’s heart pounded in his chest. “I wonder if you are fit to serve my beloved facecards with such lacking manners.” That smile more like a beast baring fangs and ready to tear its prey to bits. Anger was still coursing through the Ten, but fear is what dominated now. For himself—and for his employees.
Decades. It had taken him decades to get to where he was now. He had lowered himself to even the cruelest high ranker, gone against every belief he’d had while living on the streets, and killed off innumerable pieces of himself to become what he is now. Became so influential and skilled that there were few he had to bow to. Along the way he had met those who had struggle like himself and when the opportunity had presented itself, he had offered those same people his protection and guarantee that they’d never have to suffer anymore. They had been with him since the Vega Gem’s beginning. He took in the faces of his people—Amaya, Casimir, Elaine, Hubert and Alexei. All of them looking between him and the Ace with fear and trepidation.
“Your Aceness,” Hyeonju lifted himself gracefully from his chair and in the same motion bowed as low as he could. He ignored the shame welling deep in his chest. Focused only on the determination and sincerity he felt at the thought of his livelihood and those who lived better lives because of it. “It is true—I have disgraced myself as a Heart, as a high ranker, and as your subordinate. I have no excuse. Regardless of past experiences I have faced that led to such unsightly behavior, I did the unthinkable and bared my beast to you. I have never and will never commit such a heinous act again, whether to you, yours, or those of my customers. Your satisfaction of my services and the enjoyment of my creations is something I take great pride in. Should you find it in you to grant me and mine forgiveness, I will not dare to fail you again.” Hyeonju stared at the floor, glad no one could see his expression. “I humbly ask for your mercy and forgiveness. I deeply apologize.”
