heartache

song haneul. codename luna. xxix.

[lunaxmia]

— not alone ;

GEON !

song haneul. he doesn’t know the name, but he doesn’t know most of the agents and citizens of meia. he wonders if he should, if this is someone important like maylin herself or one of the head agents. should he have been more respectful, less demanding for information? god, geon doesn’t know. his head is starting to hurt, overwhelmed and confused and not yet at all comfortable with his new environment. settling into social rules, both new and old, has been a hard adjustment.

but he finally sees her, and being able to put a face to the voice and the name brings a sense of relief. she sounded kind, but she looks kind too. it puts geon at east a bit. a little of the anxiety fades with some unknowns brought to light.

he decides that he doesn’t have to speak aloud anymore. he was always told how rude it was to send his thoughts to other peoples’ heads unwarranted, his eyes always carefully trained down to not cause a problem. but haneul is going to hear him anyway, isn’t she? so he may as well use the enhancement he was gifted with years ago, still weak and underdeveloped as he meets her eyes just to make sure it’s going through, he’s not just crazy.

‘i don’t think i envy you,’ he admits, trying to keep his mental voice soft, though still in awe of the power of this woman. ‘people don’t mind it? i was always taught to keep it to myself.’ meia certainly is a different place. geon thinks he likes it, but he’s still a little too unsure to tell. ‘i… i’ve been alone, without a city or agency, for two years. so they just want to make sure i’m healthy, i think. i’m… getting used to things too.’ he’s a bit hesitant to share the full story even if she probably already knows; his turning, his friend’s sad eyes, the promise of death if he stayed. they’re still painful memories.

'don't worry about formalities or whether you should be more respectful,' she thinks kindly, having caught the rushing thoughts even without him deliberately thinking at her. 'you were startled and you are new. i have only just returned. it's natural that you aren't familiar with me.' her voice is reassuring even inside his head, tinged with warmth and a patience that belies the years of effort she's put into controlling her emotions so they don't affect her powers overly. years of suffering that she'd endured for the sake of her brother and any semblance of normality they might have had, fighting through the experiments their father had inflicted upon them so cruelly.

when the curtain is drawn away, she sees geon relax, and she offers him a soft, small smile even as the medic continues to work on her. she can easily remain still while holding a conversation, such is the benefit of telepathy, after all.

'i certainly would agree that it's not something to be envied,' she agrees quietly with him, her tone thoughtful as she listens to the words that he speaks consciously and the memories that float by as he communicates with her. 'newcomers are often surprised and there are those who don't like it, but... i have been here for a very long time, and most people are used to it. in a way, it was a guarantee of who i am, because my enhancement is very difficult to replicate,' she explains patiently to him. 'but for the most part, you can feel safe to be yourself here at meia. people will not shun you for your enhancement, geon.'

his words are simple but she understands that there is so much more to it than just that. there is sorrow and pain hidden behind those words, and she smiles a little bit, choosing not to bring them up if he isn't going to first. 'i understand. you must have found it difficult. if you want... perhaps we can share our experiences, later. if you want someone to talk to.'

[lunaxmia]

⇜ little by little ⇝

REMY !!

he doesn’t know why he didn’t anticipate the telepath talking in his head, but it still takes him by surprise.

“fuck, that is…creepy. okay,“ he comments. she clearly knows him, though, and he doesn’t know if that’s more reassuring or frustrating. on one hand, not only will she be able to tell him stories of what he did, but she knows what his past self thought, too, and that’s valuable information. if she remembers it, anyway. he imagines it’s kind of hard to keep track of everyone else’s thoughts in your own head. if he were haneul, he doesn’t know if he would even want to.

still, she welcomes him, so he sits down beside her, and he feels…sad. he doesn’t know if it’s a past emotion with haneul or a current one. maybe it’s just a bad day, where everything he forgot is getting to him, or maybe something sad did happen between them in his missing memories. either way, he gets the feeling that haneul is nice, and she knew him well enough in the past. he wishes he knew how he felt about her back then, but he shakes his head, because he doesn’t remember.

"you already know that, though,” he adds. jj isn’t a very expressive person, so it’s a bit unsettling to know someone can see inside of his head and feelings, but at least it’s not just him. haneul does this to everyone, right? and he’s sure she’s seen…heard…worse than whatever is rattling around in his brain at any given time. she’s baram’s sister, isn’t she? yeah, she’s definitely heard worse.

“do you always just talk inside everybody’s head?” he asks. “or was that just to prove a point?” he wouldn’t blame her if so. he’d probably do the same thing.

there’s more he’s curious about though, of course: “can you send a thought out to more than one person at once? like, if you’re out on a mission with senior agents and need to send the whole group secret info in their heads?”

that’s not why he’s here though. well, maybe it is to some degree; he does want to pick haneul’s brain a little himself, as a fellow mind enhanced and someone whose ability is quite different from hers.

“do you only get what people are currently thinking? or like…can you tell my brain is fucked up even without me thinking about it?”

perhaps if haneul wasn't so accustomed to negative reactions, she might have found jj's reaction more offensive. as it is, she simply keeps smiling, waiting for him to take a seat. because if he's anything like the jj she used to know, memory loss or not, he'll be too curious to set it aside. she's patient as he settles down next to her, active as always even if he doesn't remember parts of himself. the thoughts rattling around in his mind are scattered and fragmented, but haneul doesn't pay too much attention to them — instead listening for the words that he speaks aloud. jj had always been precious to baram, and she knows how hurt her little brother had been when the other evidently no longer recognized him.

'it's my usual practice,' she responds in the same manner, sitting there peacefully as she stares out at the sprawling buildings and terrain that surrounds meia. 'truthfully, i don't speak aloud very often. it's always been this way, for me.'

at his curious question, her lips quirk up at the corners, her eyes slanting towards him, a soft laugh leaving her lips audibly. 'why am i not surprised that this is a question you would ask me, jj? you've always been curious. i can send a thought out to multiple people at once, but it gets quite confusing when i receive replies, so i try not to do so unless it's quite urgent.'

the smile falls from her lips silently at his next question, and her expression softens as she looks at the boy who had once been so dear to her little brother, who still is even when he remembers so little, and she can't help but wonder if she can help him. after all, she'd been able to help sieon a little bit, hadn't she?

'although i only really can hear what people are currently thinking, if you're focusing on something, i can help prompt your mind into tracing down the path... if that makes sense.'

[lunaxmia]

no matter the future.

HELIOS !

the roof space is just as he remembers it. the long wooden bench that sits just far enough from the railing to still. be able to see over it. so many memories spent wasting time here, daesu thinks with a fond smile as he guides haneul to sit on the bench. he’s gentle with her as he always is, caring in ways that he isn’t with the other agents. 

of course, it’s second nature now. to watch over the girl he loves so dearly. the one had has willingly given his heart to. knowing she will cherish it in return makes the decision all the easier. he often finds himself amazed that he found something like this–someone like her–amidst  all the chaos and suffering. 

he steps up to the rail and leans against it with his hands. the view stretches over invicta and even beyond. his eyes on the horizon and not on the crumbling city below. soon they will say good bye to this city. to this view. he knows that for once he will be heading for that horizon instead of merely staring it down. ‘not leaving them behind, but taking them with us.’ he thinks, shifting to gaze at her. his mind still hiding his intentions. ‘haneul, do you remember the last time we came up here alone?’

she sits down on the bench obediently, letting him guide her down, even her telepathy not giving her an advantage with how good daesu is at controlling his thoughts around her. her lips curl up at the corners as daesu corrects her way of thinking, and her expression softens in fondness, pleased that he can still find such a positive way of thinking even despite everything he’s had to face. she’s always admired his tenacity as it carried him through even the toughest moments, and she’s grateful for his tenacity now, that he had still been here for her to come home to. 

‘it was a long time ago,’ she muses slowly in response, her expression a little wistful, gazing out on the city that they are saying goodbye to, even if the memories they hold will travel with them. ‘the last time we were up here was right after i’d received orders to leave, and we didn’t know when i would be coming back... they were still rebuilding at the time,’ she reminisces. 

she turns slightly to look at daesu, her expression soft and full of love for the male who has always been by her side, watching over her family when she couldn’t. ‘i’m so glad i came home to you, daesu.’

[miahelios]

no matter the future.

with @lunaxmia

the rooftop is empty. a typical thing now that everyone is focused on fussing around the building collecting things. the packing is going smoothly as far as daesu is concerned. this next mission will be a big one but he’s sure they can all handle it. besides it might be fun to move from this area? to see more of the island even if it’s all torn to shreds. who knows. the future could be anything at this point. 

but it’s that line of thinking that brings him to this point. hand in hand with haneul he guides her across the roof past the now covered gardens and to the little sitting area. 

“do you remember when we would come up here as teens? sometimes with seb and seoyun and sometimes just us?” he questions, his gaze on this horizon as he speaks. voice soft. his thoughts focusing on the memories of those days so she doesn’t read what he has planned. it’s always a little taxing to keep things from haneul but he doesn’t mind. makes it all the more fun. 

[lunaxmia]

daesu has gotten so skilled at hiding his thoughts from her, she’s actually impressed. it’s not easy to hide things from her — seb had given up long ago, simply resigning himself to being an open book in front of her, suspicions and all, but daesu had somehow advanced the art of thinking and yet not thinking, masking his true thoughts behind fleeting ones that she catches more often.

so when he starts leading her up to the rooftop, she has absolutely no idea what’s on his mind. but there’s nostalgia, and she lets him lead her to the little sitting area where they had spent so much time in their younger years. 

‘of course,’ she responds curiously, tilting her head slightly as she reads his reminiscence of the memories that he’s thinking about, turning her head to glance out from the rooftop. it might not be the most beautiful sight in the world, apocalyptic, demon-strewn world as it is, but it’s quiet up here, and that’s enough for haneul. ‘we won’t get to see this again, moving to tacetel... it’s a little bittersweet, leaving all these memories behind.’

[lunaxmia]

— not alone ;

GEON !

the voice is back. not with answers to the questions he asked, but with reassurances. they work; geon’s able to observe the voice more carefully this time, no longer so absorbed by fear that he doesn’t know anything other than that something entirely out of the ordinary is occurring. female, he realizes. and it sounds warm, a bit soft. kind. he thinks that he likes it, even if he’s still a bit nervous. part of him still doubts that something isn’t completely and utterly wrong, but two years of surviving alone has taught him to always be skeptical.

“where are you?” he repeats again, because he still doesn’t know who this is coming from. how strong is she that she’s able to project her voice to him without knowing him? without seeing him? geon can’t imagine it. he never really thought about how truly weak his enhancement really is… not that he’s ever had much of a chance to improve it. “i can’t send thoughts to people i don’t know unless i see you. how… how are you doing this?” there’s a bit of awe in his voice, a hint of jealousy in his mind. for all of the physical strength that being a demon gave him, a stronger version of his enhancement was not one of the supposed perks. not that there’s many perks to being a demon.

he’s not sure that he’s any more relaxed, but at least he’s thinking about new and different worries since the voice started talking to him. is she really as kind and friendly as she seems in his head? what does his voice sound like in hers, if she can even hear it? he suspects that she can, apparently she knew he was stressed even if he didn’t say it out loud. that’s weird for him too; he’s always tried to keep his thoughts to himself in case anyone didn’t want them.

“yoo geon,” he answers aloud, still not sure what he should be doing. “who are you?”

her lips curl up at the edges even though the stranger on the other side of the curtain certainly can’t see her face. her mental voice, however, is tinged with faint amusement as the stranger resorts to speaking out loud, surely appearing rather insane to the medic who is helping him. at least, him speaking aloud gives her an idea of where he is — she’d guessed as much from the sound of the clattering, but now it’s very clear that the stranger she had startled in trying to calm him down is actually just on the other side of the thin divider. 

‘hello, yoo geon. my name is song haneul.’ she starts with the easiest question first, and she indicates to the medic helping her to pull aside the divider so that she can meet the stranger face to face. ‘as for where i am, i happen to be just on the other side of this sheet.’ she smiles a little when she can see him, dipping her head slightly in greeting, before she considers the question about her power. 

‘my enhancement has always been a little overactive,’ she thinks, not without a tone of hesitation. it’s a grossly oversimplified thought, but she doesn’t need to unload the history of experimentation and pain to this poor child, who looks even younger and more haunted now that she sees him in person. ‘i have always been able to hear too much, and since i have just returned from quite a long journey... there are many more voices than i’m accustomed to. why are you in the medic wing, yoo geon?’

[lunaxmia]

>> tunnel vision

BARAM !

it all overcomes him so suddenly, like the ghost of a freight train hitting him square in the chest and tossing at him all the grief he’s accumulated over the years she was missing in action. from daesu, his mentor, he had learned how to take every minute of devastation and rage at his loss and bottle it up into a small red capsule, carried under his tongue like a concealed weapon, unleashed only when it came time to destroy their enemies. but there is no room for fury here. 

baram…

my little wind…

tw: implied suicidal thoughts

her heart breaks for him anew as he stumbles towards her, her little brother that she's loved more than her own life for so many years. the little brother she had thought of every night before falling asleep, the boy who once used to only be able to find sleep in her arms after a hard day. she remembers how small he had been back then, the first time their accursed father had targeted baram for his experiments. she remembers how he'd been so insistent on playing still, up until he'd collapsed into his building blocks and haneul had panicked. he had laid there in bed after she'd forcibly tucked him in, his exhausted body suffering from fever, watching through barely open eyes as she flew the airplane for him with tears in her eyes. in her mind, while she had been gone, sometimes he had still been that child.

but the boy stumbling towards her is no longer a child, and that also hurts.

but when he buries his face in her side, her hand slips into his hair naturally, smoothing down the faded red strands and she wants to cry, because this feels right. this is what she had dreamed of, had fought to come back to.

'my little love,' she thinks fondly, the longing in her thoughts almost tangible as she fights the tears that slip down her face despite her best efforts, 'i'm so sorry... i'm so sorry i left you for so long... i fought every day to come back... you were my strength when i thought i couldn't carry on, little wind.' when he tells her that their father is dead, the sharp stab of vicious pleasure that courses through her is almost startling.

but the vehemence shines through even in her thoughts. 'he deserved nothing less. it's okay to be scared... it's okay to be scared. but we'll protect you. i'm never going to let you go again,' she declares, grateful that she doesn't have to say the words out loud. with the tears slipping down her face and the hitched breaths she's softly gasping for, she doesn't think that she would be able to say it out loud.

her hand strokes through his hair, comforting and steady, just like she had when she used to lull him to sleep.

'my precious little brother... i’ll love you even after the world ends.'

[lunaxmia]

— not alone ;

GEON !

we’ll want you to come back regularly so we can monitor your progress, the medics had told him when releasing him from their more intensive care. geon has always followed instructions, so he returns to them dutifully for checkups and blood draws. even though it makes him nervous. even though he’s a bit anxious about being around so many people for the first time in two years, and he doesn’t like the way the needle pokes and stings a bit when it goes in, and he’s just overall still feeling very out of place in meia. maybe it sounds silly, but he never had a chance to learn how to be a demon among men before becoming completely isolated. it’s overwhelming to try to figure it all out now, to say the least.

he has no idea how loud his worries are. his eyes are always carefully trained down, always cautious about his thoughts showing up in someone else’s head uninvited. it’s another thing to worry about now that he’s around humanity again. but maybe that makes it worse, because as he studies the marks and scuffs in the floor, all he can do is think about how he doesn’t know if he should really be here, if he’ll be able to stay in control of that gnawing feeling for blood and chaos, if they’ll ever find a cure for him.

and then suddenly something else breaks through the stormy clouds that are geon’s many worries. a voice, a thought that is not his own. for the first time in his life, geon is hearing a thought, not sending it.

he yelps and startles physically, knocking over a tray with the movement and sending medical equipment clattering down on the floor. “who was that??” he looks around, his view of other patients obscured by the curtains in between each cubicle. “i heard you- i heard you-” that’s not supposed to happen. that’s never happened. geon doesn’t know what it means and it terrifies him.

the yelp and clatter of medical equipment on the floor startles her, physically jumping in response, and she's glad abruptly that she had asked the medic to take a short break before they continued on, having wanted to help the other person quiet down. but the reaction that comes from the person on the other side of the thin curtain surprises even her in its intensity, because in all honesty, she's only had contact with people who are familiar with her. she'd forgotten how strange it might be for those unused to it.

but no, the follow-up thoughts indicate something else, and she blinks in surprise, her own startled reaction calming down quickly in the face of the other's utter panic. 'it's okay, calm down, it's just my enhancement,' she thinks firmly at the panicking male who is apparently behind the curtain. 'you usually can speak to people? but you can't hear them?'

the implication is fascinating and haneul can't help but wonder if that's why the boy's voice had been so incredibly loud in her mind. had he been projecting it through his power, and she had picked it up strongly because of her own enhancement? she hasn't ever really met anyone with a similar power, so that's another interesting thing to consider.

'everything's okay. i just wanted to help you relax a little, but i guess that backfired. what's your name, little one?' she might not be able to see him at that moment, but they'll meet later. for now, she can tell that he needs reassurance, and so she keeps her mental voice very soft, comforting, warm.

[lunaxmia]

again

SEB !

weeks like this are rare, so seb tries to treasure them.

sure, it’s still training. it’s not the peaceful life his mother wished for him, or that he wishes for the baby agents beneath him, but everything feels lighter. the air isn’t so thick with grief anymore. instead, it’s laughter, people making new friends and reconnecting with old ones, enjoying themselves instead of fighting for their lives.

it’s especially so around the bonfire, the grand finale of the week’s events, and for seb, it’s a little bittersweet. he’s always been idealistic; he wishes life could always feel the same way the past week has. the teamwork, the camaraderie, the trust and the safety. he supposes if every week was like this, it would stop feeling so special, wouldn’t it? but seb doesn’t think that would be too bad. if only they were allowed the privilege of boredom; of repeating the same mundane tasks over and over with little excitement. maybe that’s the kind of life they should really strive for. maybe that’s the true measure of peace.

he wishes the fact that all of this is temporary didn’t haunt him the entire night. after midnight, when the bonfire gets put out and they all head back to their rooms, life will return to normal, and he supposes he’s lucky he can even say that after recent events.

until then, he talks with as many people as he can, and tries to take in all of their smiles. he tries to bask in this minor joy, however temporary it may be.

he catches haneul’s eyes right when his conversation with someone else wraps up. he gives them a final warm pat on the back before he turns to haneul fully and makes his way over to her, taking a seat beside her.

he lets out a sigh, though it’s a pleasant one, for once. “i’m glad you made it back for this, instead of everything else,” he comments, perhaps too heavy for the light tone he says it in, but that’s just life, isn’t it? besides, this is haneul, one of his good friends that he accepted he would never see again. he knows she of all people will understand why he says what he does– even if she couldn’t also read his mind.

seb learned a long time ago that there was no use trying to hide anything from haneul. early in their time together, he tried to control his thoughts around her and only think of things he wanted her to know, but of course, that only made the opposite happen. now, he accepts that he has no choice but be an open book with her, and unfortunately, now, that means haneul must know about his reservations about her.

he hopes she can discern the meaning and intentions behind his thoughts better than he can; if she knows why he can’t help but feel a little suspicious of her return so shortly after kaiser also appeared to them. he wants to trust her, to believe this is truly the haneul he knows and loves, but he can’t be certain, and part of him is afraid he never will know. maybe eventually, with enough time with her, he won’t care anymore.

for now, he accepts that she knows this, and also figures she understands without him even saying anything. there was a time where he felt like he needed to defend himself and his thoughts to her, but not anymore, and at least this much hasn’t changed.

“how are you doing?” he asks her instead, with a smile. “loud?” the bustle around them, he means. he can’t imagine hearing other people’s thoughts unprompted.

she had simultaneously expected seb both to come over and not to come over, all at the same time. it could have gone either way — he had made it incredibly clear to her that her return to meia was both welcomed and suspicious, and if haneul is honest, she cannot blame him. knowing the situation that had just occurred, she wouldn't have trusted even a long-time friend in his shoes. she, of course, has the advantage of reading minds — it's easier for her to gauge who can be trusted, and who needs a closer eye on them. she's noticed that juwon, for example, has been avoiding her like the plague.

she remembers him from before, when he had been haunted and quiet, before he had disappeared in the fall. she remembers daesu's quiet anguish over not knowing how to help his baby cousin, and then the mourning when juwon had been presumed dead. and yet he had made a miraculous reappearance, battered and broken, but no one had seemingly questioned how he'd survived. she knows his allegiances, but she hasn't said anything. she has a feeling that daesu knows, and maybe seb, too — but until they bring it up first, she won't say a word to them... not yet.

in the same way, she can't help but understand why seb is suspicious of her. he doesn't have the advantage she does, and without that, she'd also be suspicious. she's glad he is, because daesu was not, and she's glad that someone was looking after her fool of a fiance (whom she loves very dearly, don't get her wrong).

'seb,' she welcomes his approach with a warm smile, the firelight flickering in her face, partially cast in the shadows, and she shifts slightly so that he can sit down comfortably beside her. 'everyone seems happy, today.' she's glad too, that after coming back, despite the disaster that had happened, that people are still resilient — are still able to smile and laugh and enjoy themselves. life's too short to live in sorrow, she thinks.

'loud, but it's a welcome change from everything,' she tells him frankly, that same warm smile curling up the corners of her lips. 'i've missed being with people. i'd started to go a little crazy with the sound of silence all around me,' her tone is wry even if the words are dismaying, and she glances up at him with a soft look in her eyes. suspicious of her or not, seb still feels the same, and she can't help but relish in the feeling of being in the presence of an old friend. he might not trust her, but she trusts him.

'how have you been holding up? it's been a long four years, seb. i missed you.'

[miahelios]

better be . . . professor!

a hp inspired au with @lunaxmia

   his wand is drawn as he approaches the gate. wood tapping against metal and the entrance bleeds away as he passes through before forming back behind him. the wind swishes his red robes around his ankles as he half jogs up the cobble path to the front door. upon reaching the top step the double doors swing open, welcoming him into the yang manor. 

    “hanuel, darling? are you home?” he calls out as he removes his outer robe. the dirtied fabric floats through the air and down the hall. opposite hall that he begins walking down. wand already stored in the hip holster at his side. the wrappings on his left arm exposed now that the robe isn’t covering them. another injury gained on the job–curse inflicted but nothing to fuss over. 

   the halls of yang manor are warmer these days than they had been when he was growing up. he feels comfortable as he passes the paintings in the hall and he knows it has everything to do with the wonder witch who now graces this manor. 

   “you won’t believe what I over heard at the ministry today.” his voids carries as he enters the family sitting room, spotting his lovely wife. a smile pulls across his face as he quickens his step to her. “the department of RCMC have found a nest of doxy in the wizengamot voting hall 3. can you believe that?” 

[lunaxmia]

she's never felt so free in her life before. the threat of her father still looms in the background, but married as she is now, no longer a part of his family, and truly in love with her husband, the influence her father can still have on her is much more limited. she's finally been free to pursue her dream, opening up a school for magical children — no matter their blood status. she might have been raised in a pureblood family with a father who had sneered at anyone with "sullied blood," but haneul didn't care. she never had, and she never will. all magical children are precious, in her opinion.

the warm voice of her husband calls her attention, and she straightens up, moving towards the entrance hall to greet him. a smile spreads across her face as he quickens his steps towards her, and she leans in to kiss him in response, left hand coming to rest on his right arm. "welcome home, husband mine," her voice is full of playful warmth, eyes sparkling, long black hair tumbling in gentle curls down her back.

"a nest of doxies in the voting hall? how in merlin's name did that infestation happen?" she questions curiously as she takes a step back, examining her husband as she always does, worried about his dangerous profession as an auror.

of course, the bandages don't slip past her, and she frowns slightly as she reaches out to touch his injured arm very gently. "you were hurt again?"

[lunaxmia]

— once again ;

true friends are never apart maybe in distance but never in heart.

@miahyejin

the sight of people she had long thought she would never see again will never cease to send happiness thrilling through her. not because she expected that they would die or leave, but because she had thought that she would never be able to make it back to them. but there are also people that she had resigned herself to mourning because they had disappeared, and everyone knows that when someone disappears, the chances of them returning are next to nothing. not in the apocalyptic world they live in.

but maybe she should give everyone else more credit. after all, she'd made it back against all the odds, right?

it doesn't stop her from being utterly surprised to see a familiar face who she had presumed dead during the fall of seaside, once more at meia. a friend from childhood, someone she had always been quite close to (even if hyejin had never really shown it outwardly). she had always understood hyejin in a strange way, even if the other's mind had always been so uncommonly clear — it had almost been a blessing when she'd started losing control of her powers, too strong, because hyejin had always been able to shut off the flow of thoughts.

but seeing her again, just walking in the halls of the agency, has haneul starting in surprise, the shock in her mental voice evident. 'hyejin... is that you, hyejin?'

[lunaxmia]

— somewhere in my memory ;

SIEON !

this is fun—that’s not a lie. everyone is enjoying themselves, especially after a rather tragic incident that cost so many lives. it’s a bright moment within a dark eternity, a glimpse that sieon is certain every agent is grateful for. it’s joyous, he can hear laughter in the air. a part of him wishes this atmosphere could last forever, but he knows it wouldn’t be that easy.

for now, though, he believes they deserve this much. a moment of peace where there should be none, even if it’s a short illusion. maybe someday, the view he’s being blessed with will be an everyday occurrence instead of something that only comes in small doses. that’s what sieon would like to hope for.

still, he’s not too eager to join in on the water battle commencing at this time. sieon opts to sit on the side, watching everyone else get themselves drenched in water. it’s fun to watch, too. he’ll probably be deemed a boring person, but there are limits to how dirty he wants to get. besides, sieon is content just looking at the other agents enjoying their time.

not long after, someone joins him by his side, adorning a comforting smile that he feels he has seen before. it fills him with warmth—and most importantly, it reminds him of his sister. that fact confuses him as much as it soothes him.

sieon senses a voice, but he doesn’t hear it. he stares at her, contemplating, allowing the strange sensation to sit before he ponders over his own answer. it’s mostly because of his hair—jina had spent a considerable amount of time setting it up, he doesn’t want to ruin it by jumping in the water fight. now that he’s thinking it though, he feels embarrassed to say it aloud.

( but maybe he doesn’t have to. )

her lips curve up at the corners when sieon doesn’t respond to her consciously. time has dulled his fragmented memory of her, and she regrets that she hadn’t been able to help him more before being abruptly sent out on the mission that had cost her years of her life. so many near misses and close calls with death. she doesn’t entertain the thought often now that she’s back, seeing how relieved the head agents had been to see her back, but while away, she had often wondered if the mission was an attempt to get rid of her. 

sieon’s thoughts come to her in the way that he thinks them, his own mind pondering over the thought that had seemingly just appeared in his head, and she can’t help but smile in response to those adorable thoughts. she doesn’t look at him, but there’s a smile on her face. 

‘your friend must have spent some time doing your hair,’ she muses while looking out at the agents running around with their water guns and screaming at each other in amusement. ‘it looks nice, though. i don’t blame you for not wanting to get it ruined.’ 

‘meanwhile, i’m here because the medics said i’m not allowed to catch a cold, since i’m still recovering.’ she turns to offer him another smile, her eyes soft with affection and familiarity, one that sieon probably doesn’t know anymore. ‘you don’t remember me anymore, do you, sieonnie?’

[artemisxmia]

>> tunnel vision

be strong and hold my hand // time it comes for us, you'll understand // we'll say goodbye, today // if i could be with you, tonight // i would sing you to sleep // never let them take the light behind your eyes >>for @lunaxmia

agent artemis report to civilian medical wing at 09:00 hours.

early. that's his initial thought when he squints through the muffled darkness of his covers pulled snugly over his head at the pinging notification projecting itself onto the underside of his duvet. that's in less than fifteen minutes, and he only fell into bed to sleep a few hours ago. he's supposed to be recovering - that shrink keeps telling him as much - and he's pretty sure recovering doesn't involve work tests at 8:49 in the morning summoning him to the most depressing, most traumatizing meia structure still standing.

but he knows better than to push his luck with the higher-ups, who don't need much reason to assign him some torturous physical conditioning under the guise of 'discipline.' he drags himself out of his bed, tugging off whatever he happened to sleep in and throwing on the first set of mission-friendly clothes he pulls out of the trunk at the foot of his bed just as haphazardly. it's a hasty teeth brushing and a careless handful of water splashed over his face that precede a few lazy drags of a brush through his hair, and then he is on his way, with three minutes to spare before he has to report.

"i'm here, what is it," he murmurs flatly through half-lidded eyes after a half-assed salute that earns him a warning glance from the stationed agent.

"agent luna has returned."

four words uttered with a certain confidential quiet terseness make baram's face go pale white and then flushed pink in a matter of moments. he feels the world tilt under his feet, and then a strong arm at his elbow, keeping him upright, pulling him back to reality. he isn't dreaming this?

"what did you say?"

"agent luna has-"

"haneul-"

he is all tunnel vision, nevermind the tunnel spinning in unsteady blacks and whites around him, like some tormenting funhouse that's moved itself into the folds of his brain. his eyes are wide and wild, and suddenly everything physical between him and his sister is an obstacle, an enemy, even the air molecules themselves.

"where is she?"

the agent barely gestures down the hall before baram is bolting, darting past medics and patients and agents in a blur, until he spots one of the few closed doors, guarded by another flat-faced senior agent.

"agent artemis, you have clearance to-"

"move!" the world around him has disappeared, he doesn't care about the eyes on his outburst or the cameras parked in every corner. his goal is clear, and he knows he wouldn't even let celest stop him from it if she tried.

"there's a preliminary briefing-"

"i said move,"

"agent, you are out of line-"

he'll regret it later, maybe, the mostly harmless swing he takes at the agent blocking the door, the closed fist that won't do much more than startle him. but right now, in this moment, with his heart pounding so hard it hurts, it is his way in, a window of distraction to grab hold of the door handle and ram his shoulder against the door.

it's unlocked, and he all but topples through it, barely gaining his footing. then he sees her. he sees her. he sees her and she's real.

immediately his eyes well with tears, and his energy shifts, revealing some version of the frightened teenage boy she left behind years ago. he can do nothing but stand there, weeping silently at the sight, because she's here and she's real and she's alive.

"haneul?"

[lunaxmia]

she’s restless in her bed, her eyes open but unseeing, staring blankly at a ceiling that holds no interest to her. she’s been allowed to see daesu, even seb has dropped by briefly, but the other piece of her heart, her precious brother — they haven’t given him... or her, clearance to meet each other yet. she knows. of all people, haneul well understands the reasons why she cannot be allowed to meet other agents freely until she’s been vetted. her power is dangerous, useful, irreplaceable — and untraceable. of all people, haneul certainly knows the best why she hasn’t been allowed to see baram yet. 

but at the same time, ignoring all logic — it’s baram. her little brother, the only part left she has of her family. ( here, she staunchly ignores the fact that their father is still somewhere out there. that person barely even deserves the label of human, let alone father. what kind of father experiments on his six year old son? what kind of father experiments on his children? ) it’s her precious little wind, her baby breeze, and she needs to make sure that he’s okay. that she hasn’t let him down irreparably. 

she hears him before she sees him, his racing thoughts and desperation nearly tangible, and when he bursts into the room, panting, fiery-eyed and fiery-haired, she feels that abrupt change as he sees her. he sees her, and she can hear the moment that he registers she’s really there — but she’s distracted, because that’s baram in front of her, so grown up. he’s so different from the teenager she’d left behind, and yet, when she looks at him, the tears already pouring down his face, it almost feels like he’s still the teenager she knew. 

‘baram — my little wind,’ she reaches out for him, still physically weak, still recovering, and she can’t help the tears that well up in her own eyes to see him really there. she’s waited so long to see him. it’s been more than four years since the last time she’d seen him in person, and he’s so different but still the same — still her little brother. 

‘come here, baram,’ even in his mind, her voice is pleading, soft and full of longing, a slim, frail hand stretched out towards the brother she’d longed to see for so long. ‘i missed you so much... i love you so much...’

right now, she can’t see or hear anything but him.

[lunaxmia]

you were never gone

HELIOS !

her voice resonates in his mind and in the air around them and it’s like for the first time in four years someone has finally turned on a light. the dying embers of a candle are coxed to life once more and he feels that first burn in his chest. the one that got him his name. 

his hand holds her so gently as he surges forward. any and all hesitation is gone. his free hand comes to cup her cheek and his thumb brushes across her skin so feather soft. as if he is afraid to hurt her–as if he is afraid to dirty her. he feels the passing thought in his mind i’ve been ruined but he shakes it away before it can finish. all thoughts of the recent mission and the horribly stupid choices he has made since she left are locked in the back of his mind. 

his streamline consciousness focused solely on her.  

haneul. he whispers in his mind as he sits on the edge of the bed. making sure not to crowd her but he feels if he strays too far away she will vanish. he can feel the heavy weight of tears in his eyes, but they don’t fall. i have looked to the sky so many times whispering your name and wondering if you would hear.

it’s far too easy for him to slip back into the norm of their conversations. to think instead of speak. knowing she would hear it. knowing she would hear all of it. his every through and affection running through his mind was an open book to her. 

he moves his hand to her hair, pushing it back from her face to gently and leaning in to kiss her forehead. not caring even a little that he is supposed to focusing on a task. a mission handed to him by the higher ups. how could they think this is anyone but his moon. the very person who breathes life into his lungs with every breath she takes. how could they think he would turn away from her–if she had come back changed then he would change himself to fit to her. i’m so … im at a loss of words with how happy i am you are back. that you made it home to us. to me. 

leaning her cheek into his hand comes as second nature, her eyes closing almost instinctually so she can relish in the feeling of his skin, warm against hers, and her eyelashes flutter slightly when his passing thought enters her mind, just a fragment, but haneul has never been one to let her loves even get halfway through self-deprecating thoughts if she can help them. ‘never ruined,’ she thinks back firmly at him, her expression so serene but her thoughts carrying the weight of her conviction. ‘you always have been, and always will be, perfect for me.’ 

her eyes water at his thoughts, pulling away slightly only to look at his face, her chest tightening with emotion at the heavy tone of his thoughts, and she smiles ever so slightly at him, her eyes fixed on his, and her response is heavy and heartfelt. ‘it was your voice in my dreams that gave my strength.’ 

his affection is so strong, feeling like an electric current running from him to her, filling the emptiness inside her with love and strength she hasn’t felt in years. his lips press against her forehead, and she closes her eyes, tears trembling at the corners of her eyes at just how right this feels, to have daesu here with her again. her hand in his trembles slightly and she holds onto him with all her strength, her eyelashes damp with tears when he pulls away. ‘i couldn’t give up... it took so long and i missed you both...’ she inhales shakily before she asks him, the one person she had asked to look after her precious brother. ‘is... baram... how is he?’

[ashmia]

helping hand

event starter for @miahaneul​

the hot sun scorches through the sky and beats down on all the agents. but despite its best efforts, the cool breeze keeps them from over heating to much. nevermind the fact most everyone in the area is soaked by the water gun matches–even if they hadn’t taken part. a splash zone at the side of the arena. 

ash had just taken a breather in side when through lace covered eyes she spotted a familiar figure sitting near the large front windows. “haneul?” she calls out, approaching her team leader with a frown on her face. wondering internally if something was wrong. she knows the older agent hasn’t been out of the medic wing for very long. perhaps the weeks events have take a tole on her. as team medic, and as a medic in general, it falls to ash to make sure the older is okay.

even if it mean taking a trip to the medic wing today with haneul in toll. “are you feeling alright?” her hand hovers over the pouch on her hip. even though its team training week, she still kept her medic gear on her. at least some of it. 

[lunaxmia]

the pounding in her head dominates all else, the scattered thoughts and noises bombarding her, and she has to retreat from the fields, blindly finding her way inside and collapsing into a seat by one of the front windows. even in pain, she looks composed, her eyes closed and her hand touching her forehead gently, as though trying to suppress the pain with that soft touch. 

a familiar voice interrupts the pain in her head, and she opens her eyes slowly to see astrid, the current medic for team crow. managing a smile for the younger agent, she reaches out to touch her hand gently. 

‘i’m alright, astrid. just a lot of voices and thoughts to handle. everyone is really happy, and it’s good... just... a little loud,’ she explains to her team member, her eyes slipping shut again as she tries in vain to narrow her mind down to just astrid’s mind. it’s no good — she doesn’t have the control over her telepathy after so long spent in isolation, and when she’s already in pain, it becomes harder to control.  

[mia-zer0]

Fireside Chat

Starter for @miahaneul

He was actually feeling sore after capture the flag, which surprised him considering it was just a game rather than an actual mission. Not that he hadn’t gone all out…okay yeah it made a bit of sense, he thought. Eying suspiciously almost everyone around him, he admonishes himself for not finding any potential rats within their bunch, the idea of traitors amongst them scratching like a terrible itch in the back of his mind. 

There was someone he was thinking of…a potential issue rather than one that would have been an issue during the previous mission, but an issue all the same. As he looked at her sitting alone a little ways from the bonfire, he wondered if others felt the same. Maybe she had nothing to hide, maybe she was like him. 

Sero saw himself awkwardly standing in the natural walkway of people and felt heat in his face from the perceived embarrassment before walking forward with his plate of food. He wasn’t going to learn anything from her by standing there awkwardly. 

He takes the seat by her, not really asking for permission as he does. His demeanor is relaxed but proper, and he takes the time to at least get a bite in of food and swallow it before speaking. 

“Must be strange being the new person twice.”

[lunaxmia]

after so many years out in the wilderness, being around people can be rather difficult. the cacophony of voices and the oppressing sound of so many thoughts can easily cause her a headache with her enhancement, and not for the first time, she wonders if her telepathy would have been easier to handle had their father not gotten his hands on her. 

she wishes that she had been able to protect her brother a little better, at least. seeing him suffering from his own enhancement that he can’t control well because of what their father had done to him... it boils her blood — one of the few things that can actually get haneul angry. 

the feeling of someone approaching her, thoughts getting a little louder and easier to focus on, draws her attention away from those thoughts, and she lifts her head with a small but curious smile to see a rather small boy standing there. no, not a boy — an agent. she’d noted him before, although merely in passing, noting his distinct looks and the unusual height. he’s new, she’d heard. just joined the agency before the mission that had landed her fiancé in the medical wing for two and a half weeks. but he seems to be a good agent, from what she’s heard from jina, one of daesu’s kids; had held his own during the mission and made it back safely. 

‘perhaps a little bit,’ she allows with a small smile. ‘i grew up at seaside, so i guess this is my first time being the new person. my name is haneul. you might know me better as agent luna. what about you? you’re quite new as well, aren’t you?’ 

[miahelios]

eyes on me || au

@miahaneul

 the blaring alarms and red lights flashing through the structure were dizzying. people screaming and trying to escape as a flock of pteranodon’s flood the tourists and workers alike. daesu had just enough time to begin ushering people into the “safety” of the interior. his eyes only on one person though. she’d not been near him when the alarm system went off but he knew where he saw her last. 

“get inside! down to the lower decks!” he shouts, working with some of the other security to try and get the civilians out of range. he knew there would be an escape boat at the edge of the island but getting there would be a whole other issue.

besides, he wouldn’t be leaving without her. 

“take over–i have to find someone!” he pushes through the crowd, jumping onto a tipped over sign to scale up onto a higher level of the compound. his boots slam into the metal as he takes off down the hall. the weight of the tranquilizer gun in his hands a comforting one though it would be little help against the jurassic birds above them all. “haneul!” he calls out over the terror. a single goal in mind. 

[lunaxmia]

she flicks on the alarms, knowing that the time she takes here to ensure the safety of all the tourists and workers here could be enough time for one of the massive prehistoric animals they raise to break in and kill her, but there’s no choice. she can’t let the entire park’s occupants suffer because of a security breakdown. 

she still has hope that maybe, maybe — the raptors will recognize her. she’s the one they’ve been accustomed to, one of the scientists with the highest clearance, and maybe they’ll hesitate long enough for her to re-activate security measures and get out of there safely. 

her heart is pounding in her ears as she systematically moves through the panels, and there’s a thump on the wall, hand coming up to muffle a scream as she sees a raptor hurl itself at the glass observation wall. it’s supposed to be impenetrable, but it doesn’t stop the fear in her heart as she watches its beady eyes focus on her, lunging for the glass again. 

“haneul!” she hears, and she turns her head just slightly to see a familiar figure burst in through the door. “daesu, thank god,” she gasps and she stumbles towards him, casting another look at the dinosaur currently trying to break into the room. the glass is holding, but who knows for how much longer?

[miahelios]

day on the town || au

“we’ll be arriving soon, ma’am.” daesu’s voice breaks through the quiet of the car. they’d been moving smoothly through traffic for the better half of an hour to get back to the company’s headquarters and in that whole time daesu had not attempted to make any small talk. a strange thing for someone who normally can talk a whole lot. despite his job just being a bodyguard for miss haneul, he had also made it a personal goal to befriend her. 

and befriending someone means you have to talk to them. in all his time being at her side he had found plenty of moments to talk with her. small talk, curious inquires, teasing her when he can. he’s a professional, yes, but he’s also a kind person at heart. and he sees something in her. 

he can also see how she over works herself. 

normally he would have just followed through with the requirement to take her back to the company but today he has taken a bit of a detour. hoping she would be too distracted to check out the windows–or that the tinted glass would provide enough of a shade to not show the obvious difference the streets he was going down. until it was too late–which, at this point is kind of it. the car pulling to a park in a wide alleyway that was very much not the under ground parking garage of the company.  “destination reached.” 

now to see her reaction. 

@miahaneul

[lunaxmia]

song haneul is always the picture of perfection, hair neatly coiffed and makeup flawless, appearing put together even under the most intense stress — she never lets weakness show, no matter how difficult the situation is. it’s earned her a nickname as the ice queen, the person that no one and nothing can ruffle. but people close to her know that it’s far from the truth — there are plenty of emotions under the calm veneer that she simply keeps hidden. those close to her know that she spends countless hours at the office, making sure that everything goes smoothly. 

her bodyguard has been unusually quiet during the drive, but haneul hadn’t really noticed, typing away with manicured nails on her phone, answering pertinent emails and making sure she’s not missing anything important, no doubt. 

“thank you, daesu,” she says absently in response when he breaks the silence to inform her of their imminent arrival. she doesn’t glance up or out the window, instead continuing her work, and when he says that they’ve arrived, she glances up only to frown in confusion. 

“... this isn’t the office. where are we, daesu?”