sanguine

@mxminwoo-blog

❝beauty was a Savage Garden . so why must it wound him that the most despairing m u s i c is full of beauty? why must it hurt him and make him cynical and s a d and untrusting?❞ No Minwoo. Vampire. 639 yrs old.

160 posts

elpis. +seunghyun

mxseunghyun-blog

Seunghyun brings another bite of food up to his lips, enjoying the smoothness of his tongue if not to distract himself, and sighs. Minwoo is a mess when it comes to cutlery, that much Seunghyun is certain of. At least he’s a cute mess, Seunghyun has to admit.

The prince pouts in the slightest when Minwoo rejects his offer of help, shoulders slumping in the bratty way that was most common when he was a child. “I try to be a good friend and you say no,” he sighs, teasingly smiling at the vampire. The smile on Minwoo’s lips is fake, forced, and Seunghyun has to keep himself from staring at the lips that had so readily been against his just moments beforehand.

It seems like the kiss had just happened, but at the same time it feels as if it were centuries ago. Maybe it was meant to happen forever ago, but Seunghyun knows better than to think thoughts like that. Thoughts like that are dangerous, and do him more harm than good.

He eats with a slight downturn of his lips, mood taking a turn for the worse, and occasionally sips at the drink set in front of him by one of the magical servers. In a way, being tended too reminds Seunghyun of court. The impending doom reminds him of court, too.

He doesn’t even blink when everything disappears, a fruit disappearing from his fingertips, and he sighs, leaning back and gazing towards Minwoo. “Your right,” he drawls, tired, “We should leave.”

He stands up, frown deeper with every movement of his body, and submits himself to the inevitability of whatever the hell his father has in store for them. He knows he won’t like it, but at this rate he knows he doesn’t have a choice. He never had a choice.

in a way, minwoo is somewhat relieved when the feast disappears. he no longer has to worry about his inadequacy when it comes to cutlery, nor about having to suffer loss of face. everyone will in here—the vampire is started to wonder whether this game is designed to do exactly that. perhaps it’s futile to struggle against it, perhaps there is no way he is going to win this game. but he will try valiantly anyway, and so no one can blame him.

but he’s not foolish enough to think that the maze will give them any respite. surely he has some sort of advantage over the humans—stronger, faster, more durable than their ragdoll bodies will ever be. but he’s a lazy predator, hunts with lust as a weapon; finds himself above clawing tooth and nail at his victims. a sophisticated killer, he thinks himself, but that will not help him in the bowels of this maze.

he wishes he were alone. where before, seunghyun’s presence was a comfort, it now reminded him of the faults in his code—this wasn’t meant to happen. that feeling had been familiar to him once upon a time perhaps, but now he doesn’t have any room left in that rotten core of his.

and the worst is that he knows that if something were to happen, he’d go back. he’d go back for seunghyun, and risk his immortal soul for him.

this is not who he is meant to be; he’s selfish, playing those around him for his own gain; wealth, entertainment, power. an ruthless predator, stalking between humans and naturals alike, taking what he wants with little care for others. and yet seunghyun—

he can’t voice any of this. doesn’t want to lose face to the faery he’s in l—he has feelings for.

so instead he takes a few steps, focuses on the sound of grass crunching underneath his shoes, the sweeping mist rolling over the field. wishes he could make out where to go, what’s close by; but he can only heart he panicked noises of the other pawns in this game. ❝where to go?❞ he wonders. ❝lead the way.❞

#[ + seunghyun ]#[ ! elpis ]

❝「 FRAMED ━ kys&nmw .

she shook her head. what was this man in front of her trying to play at? he knew very well what she meant. her patience was thinning and she wanted to just get it over with. she hated owing debts to people. she hated how minwoo looked like he won something. and that she needed to give him some sort of prize. even if they were willing to pay for having their works up on his gallery.

“you know very well what i mean,” she said underneath a sigh. she shook her head and pressed her lips together as he spoke. “i’m not quite sure.” truth be told, the neighborhood in which minwoo had his gallery was a fairly quaint one. her class wanted their works to be admired but they didn’t deem it necessary for a feeling of success. at least she didn’t. maybe the others were far more greedy than she was.

“i think you may need to view the artworks in their entirety before you say yes,” she suggested. “if you have time, you can contact our professor.” she fished for a pen and paper from her bag and started writing the number down, tearing a page from her notebook. she extended the piece towards minwoo. “if there’s any questions at all, you can also ask him.” she stuffed her writing utensils inside the bag and zipped it shut, bowing down at minwoo. “and i need to take my leave. thank you for your time.”

to have someone point out that he is merely toying with them—to catch him out and actually say that out loud—is rare. people are often too polite, too worried about offending him and invoking his wrath—even though it won’t. to be challenged so openly is a pleasure, simply because of the rarity. he briefly wonders what she’d do, if he’d try to pierce the soft skin of her throat, before he banished that thought.

❝that isn’t a particularly good sign, now is it?❞ he poses. ❝if you aren’t sure whether it will bring in new visitors.❞ he has a good feeling about it nonetheless, doesn’t doubt where she does, but he likes messing around. enjoys the measure of power—petty perhaps, but the truth. minwoo enjoys his power wherever he can finds it.

he takes the number, turns the paper over in his hands. he’ll have to send his assistant, he knows it already—but it’s nothing new. his assistant might protest for the sake of not wanting to move dates and exhibitions around—but she’ll come around. after all, it’s the vampire’s call in the end. he nods, smiling at her, something pleased in his expression. ❝you’re welcome. you’ll hear from me soon.❞

#[ + yongsun ]#[ ! framed ]

a matter of chance. open

Was there really much use for instinct anymore? In the middle of a large city, surrounded by naturals and humans in such neutral territory, there didn’t seem to be. But what about other places, in the forests, seas-not that he was particularly adept at swimming- or other natural places. Would instinct become important then? “Infants probably use instinct more than adults.”

“In fiction we are always so broody and those of us who enjoy our lives are villainous, sadistic, and greedy. The hero wishes to return to humanity. Perhaps it is a small amount of human arrogance to think that an apex predator would willingly decide to return to the role of prey.” He laughed. “Would you ever take a human to bed?”

“They may. Running electrodes through a corpse would still cause it to jerk and spasm long after death. Perhaps that is what moves our own muscles. Or electrical impulses enter through the blood we drink in the form of various ions.” Hm, maybe his next project would be the chemistry of vampire existence…

minwoo laughs, amused at the idea. “perhaps—but they always scream in the moments of death. they always try to fight their way out, fight to survive—is that not instinct then?” he’s so familiar with it, human fear; even as he takes his victims first, surprises them as they are clouded with lust, in the end they’ll always be afraid. if he’s not thirsty, it’s then when he stops drinking. fear pollutes the blood, until it tastes sour to him. he’s more of a sweet tooth kind of guy, if he is honest with himself.

“to enjoy life is to be a monster—to suffer is the human ideal for us. something they tell themselves—the hero would never kill us.” he smiles; it’s predatory, his fangs flash for a moment, and then they’re gone. “do they not realise how boring suffering gets after a while?” he hums, shrugs a single shoulder without any commitment. “perhaps if they are extraordinarily beautiful.”

“or maybe it is just some sort of dark magic running through our veins, some sort of infectious disease—but I do not truly care. I like the enigma of it. I don’t need to know the secrets of our existence.”

#[ + jaewook ]#[ ! a matter of chance ]

#[ * ooc ! ]#[ sorry... ]

elpis. +seunghyun

mxseunghyun-blog

Seunghyun puts the first piece of food in his mouth and frowns. It’s good. It’s annoyingly good, not the best he’s ever had, but it’s good enough to place a grimace on his lips. He wishes that the food could have been subpar, or even gross, but no. It was good, and he hated it even more for it. A part of him was screaming that he shouldn’t be enjoying this.

“I don’t have much of a memory of it, to be honest,” Seunghyun laughed after swallowing a piece of food and dabbing at his lips with a napkin. Princely things. “Drinking tends to do that.”

Seunghyun’s eyes catch on the food as it falls, and he tugged back a smile as he took a sip of the wine in front of him. He mulls over his thoughts for a moment before biting his bottom lip, tracing the rim of his glass as his eyes linger on Minwoo eating the easy access foods.

Well, that was unexpected. He’s sure that the vampire should have been able to use utensils, but on second thought it makes no sense. Of course Minwoo was going to have trouble. Vampires don’t exactly eat their prey with a steak knife, last time Seunghyun checked. Or at least he hopes so.

“Do you need help?” he asks, careless as he brings another piece of food up to his mouth. It’s a question that can be taken multiple ways, really, and Seunghyun’s not exactly sure if he’s ready to admit that he would be willing to feed the vampire if he needed.

No, that’s too embarrassing. Minwoo would probably never ask for it, as well, so Seunghyun supposes he’s shit out of luck. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. It would probably be too intimate, Seunghyun reasons with himself, even if it’s a platonic act. They did, after all, just spend some time kissing.

That in itself brings a dash of red to Seunghyun’s cheeks. He turns his head, mildly embarrassed as he shoves another mouthful of food onto his chopsticks and onto his tongue to keep himself busy.

❝to say i remember what that was like would be a lie.❞ the memories that remain of drunken nights are nothing more than vague smudges on the canvas of his mind; he’d never been drunk much during his human life, and while minwoo has spent more time intoxicated on faeblood than he’d care to admit, he thinks it’s different.

the food leaves stains of grease and flecks of colour behind, the brightness of it stark against his pale finger pads. he’s disgruntled, feels graceless like a baby deer standing on its legs for the first time. minwoo avoids settings that require him to take sustenance as it’ll break the thin veneer of humanity he paints on to blend—and it’s showing now, in a way that’s embarrassing him.

there’s a curl of jealousy there, a nagging voice that says they have it so easy—but he silences it brusquely. vampirism is a gift bestowed upon him (by a maker long since hated) that allows him to be preternatural in a way many can only dream of. (it was completion, he thinks, a shell befitting the monster he was destined to be.)

❝help?❞ he asks. his voice contains equals part outrage and curiosity. would seunghyun truly help him, or would he just laugh and trick minwoo, to play him for a fool? (he could, probably, because of that rattling in his hollow heart.) he decides against it though. ❝no, i am fine, thank you.❞ forces a smile that doesn’t crinkle his eyes, or shine in his eyes; fake, making his eyes flicker back to the food soon enough. the vampire is so embarrassed he can’t meet seunghyun’s eyes.

his vampiric complexion has never been more of a blessing.

his meal is continued mostly in silence, and he’s quick to wipe the stains off his fingers as soon as he is done. the food itself was good, though the sensation of it sliding down his throat was somewhat unpleasant in its unfamiliarity. it’s only when the food disappears that he looks up, and at the sight of their host, minwoo’s face goes carefully blank; betraying the ceaseless anger by the lack of emotions. anger is ungraceful, unseeming, and as such has no place here where there’s the image to be maintained.

a hiss escapes the vampire’s lips as the marks burned, and he stares at it with pained disbelief—there is nothing causing harm, neither silver nor holy water. it must be magic—if only he knew more about it, could place it. he swallows, thinks about what he wants most so close, so in reach that it hurts in a way that is plenty more unbearable than the burn of a mark.

minwoo can’t even manage a fake smile, or something blank to hide the exhaustion in his face as he turns to the faery prince when their host disappears. ❝let’s go then, shall we? i’d rather not spend any moment longer than necessary in here.❞

#[ + seunghyun ]#[ ! elpis ]#reverie:feast

a matter of chance. open

“Is that such a negative thing?” Instincts had kept every species on the planet alive. “Our instincts keep us out of danger, although there are some we could possibly live without.” Sometimes, every so often, it was fun to lose himself in instinct, to revel in a lack of civility. Yes, a freedom in retreating to a more base state. Maybe werewolves were doing just one thing right.

Probably not. When all was said and done, he enjoyed his life.

“I have wondered where this trend came from. Some Dracula incarnations contain a love story. Sex sells is likely the best explanation, or the prospect of sex.” He could take or leave such a thing. In life, the only purpose to it had been to create heirs. Any pleasure derived from it was secondary.

When did humanity really die? Some humans were considered monsters and some monsters desperately clung to their humanity, something that seemed to equate to morals. But were humans really so moral? “Physically,” he hummed, “we are called the undead which implies that we are not living anymore. Dead but not. I suppose in some regard we are walking conundrums. Ghosts appear to retain at least their consciousness if not their physical bodies. Maybe it is all a matter of what constitutes ‘death’.”

❝perhaps not—it does entirely depend on your views of it.❞ instinct was a bother at times; instinct was a lifesaver at others. his image was important, and maintaining iron control was one of the ways contribute to its upkeep; following his instincts is detrimental to his goal. and so he rarely indulges into the flights of fancy brought to him by such, but on rare times he lets himself go and doesn’t hold back; the blood moon was one of them.

minwoo laughs, amused. ❝it’s to humanise us. the vampire love story is only recent compared to the term of our existence. they enjoy seeing us as human beings. it allows them to justify being like us. and of course, it does indeed help that sex sells. after all, they’ve proven they’re willing enough to sleep with us if given the chance.❞

❝i wonder—do our brains still give off those little electronic pulses human speak of? perhaps we could be explained that way.❞ he pauses, gives his own words another thought before shaking his head. ❝i’d rather not though—i’d like to keep the mystery a mystery. much better that way, than finding out our origin and being disappointed.❞

#[ + jaewook ]#[ ! a matter of chance ]

event | solo

it’s funny how this entire might has made him feel more human, more alive, than the past few centuries have. and with funny, minwoo means absolutely horrifying. he wishes he could forget the past night already, bleach the awful gestures of weakness from his mind. part of him wishes he could flush it away with fae blood already—but the reminder of his usual….source leaves a weird taste in his mouth.

love, he thinks, mentally scoffing.

the vampire tells himself not to think about such matters as he exit fades behind him and he wanders much like in the concrete jungle; banishes the quiet question in the back of his mind whether seunghyun made it out or not. no minwoo doesn’t care about others; that’s what he tells himself over and over again. no matter that his heart is torn between what he wants and what he thinks is best; he will pull through this, even if it means burning everyone around him down.

after the happenings in the forest, minwoo would be glad to let off some steam, just to get back in control.

the mist is cool against his skin, a caress of the air; it drags on his limbs like exhaustion. it’s undignified to lay down on the floor, but he wants to. his eyelids feel so heavy, and his knees are about to give out. after everything that happened, just a nap would be fine, right?

he sits down at first, stifling the unnecessary human gesture of a yawn. the fabric of his clothes becomes damp, but barely notices. maybe it is alright if he lays his weary head to rest for just a moment? he curls his arm underneath his head as a pillow, already drifting off.

#[ + solo ]#[ ! event solo ]#reverie:maze #mx:reverie

elpis. +seunghyun

mxseunghyun-blog

Seunghyun laughs, head tipping back in the slightest. “You’re smart. Truthfully, it isn’t as bad as i thought it might be. If you’re drunk enough, I suppose everything is diluted.” His eyes glance to the long forgotten goblet Minwoo had been holding when they first spoke before looking back at the vampire.

His feet move without thought, following Minwoo with empty thoughts, and he made a small sound as the seat was drawn out for him. “Always the gentleman,” he says, a teasing smirk on his lips, before sliding into the seat with the grace of a prince.

The scent of the food up close makes his stomach growl with impatience, and he finds himself sighing in relief that he can eat without fear of punishment. He did his part. He delivered a favor, and in turn the ache in his belly will be suppressed. There’s a low murmur of people eating and speaking around him, and it all seems too comfortable for his liking. Do they all not understand what’s going on? Well, it’s impossible to considering the circumstances, but Seunghyun figured there should be some unrest and anxiety.

Maybe they were all hiding it, like himself.

He picked out a plate, fingers closing casually around a pair of chopsticks and curiously tapping the ends against his lips. “I feel like a pig being fed before going to the slaughterhouse,” he murmured against the utensil, eyes flitting to Minwoo for a moment before looking back to his food.

Nonetheless, he picks up a piece of food and eats it, deciding that the hunger gnawing at his belly is too great to ignore. He doesn’t notice Minwoo’s situation, too vexed with his own problems, and instead sighs around a piece of vegetable. It doesn’t seem like there’s any way to get away from the feast at the present moment, so he may as well fill his belly.

the people around him seem so carefree—minwoo wonders what it’s like. to just sit there and talk, without having to monitor his words or expression carefully. Some people wear that expression that says they’re with friends, or at least at ease. Sure, he too has that little voice whispering of safety and comfort in the back of his mind—but six hundred years of guarding his heart, and in extension, guarding his person—makes for a person who can’t relax.

such as now, faced with a foe he cannot beat; cutlery. it’s been so long that he’s forgotten how to use them. a glass is easy, but chopsticks require more coordination—and he’s never in his life used fork and knife.

so instead, he glances at seunghyun from the corner of his eyes; tries to burn the motions into his mind, trying to shamelessly copy how it works like a child copying an adult. it’s more difficult than he thought it’d be, and for once he regrets not being able to eat.

❝I don’t like that mental image❝ he admits absently—mostly for its accuracy. it almost makes him abstain from the food laid out on the table for him—almost. the hunger raging in the pit of his stomach is too much for him not to, and so he grips his chopsticks tight. there’s something mechanical about the way he tries to bring food to his mouth, something that shows minwoo truly has no idea what to do.

gravity pulls on his food, drags it from his shaky grip; minwoo catches it before it can make a mess on his clothes, cupping it in the palm of his hand. his chests heaves with a sigh, a grimace settling on his face as he slips it back onto plate. what a mess he thinks with a grimace. he glances around to see if anybody has seen it, instead reaching over to grab some finger food—it’ll be much less dignified than him spilling his food all over his chest.

#[ + seunghyun ]#[ ! elpis ]

elpis. +seunghyun

mxseunghyun-blog

Seunghyun smiled, less amused than beforehand as the thoughts of his mind plagued his happiness, “What image?” he teases, glancing to the feast table a few feet away. Like everything didn’t happen. Like he didn’t admit to himself the intense craving, the desire, the need to have Minwoo by his side and in his arms and on his lips. It’s selfish, and ultimately idiotic, but what was a prince to do in the eyes of his unrequited beloved?

“I have quite a few good secrets,” he purred, indulging himself if not for a second more. “Have you ever kissed a werewolf?”

It wasn’t his proudest moment, truthfully, but clubs don’t always have the best crowds. Lonely princes at clubs in the wrong side of town rarely end up doing thing to be proud of in the morning, but Seunghyun was well past the point of caring any longer.

His stomach sinks at the reminder of what the hell is actually going on, gut curling at the image of his father presenting them with the feast. Does Minwoo know? It’s embarrassing, to say the least, and he had to wonder if any of the other faeries in attendance think the royal siblings have something to do with the forest and the feast and everything fucked up.

He wants to voice his worried, having something to lean on as the nervousness piles up and up and up at the back of his mind, but he knows Minwoo isn’t that kind of person for him. Seunghyun would just ruin everything, and he wasn’t in the mood for rejection anymore.

“We should eat,” he muttered, good mood falling back to the dubious thoughts that originally prodded his conscience. “Who knows what they’ll throw at us next.”

There are thoughts at the back of his mind, wandering to his mother. If they even cared if he would have made it off that path. What they would have done if he didn’t make it off the path, or was seriously injured. No, they probably wouldn’t have cared. Perfection is only perfect as observed from afar, and Seunghyun had too many imperfections up close for them to be potentially ashamed of.

the fake image you know he thinks, but he doesn’t voice these words. doesn’t want seunghyun to know that he doesn’t know the real minwoo—then again, does he himself know who he truly is, beyond the plethora of shifting masks that he slips on and off when it suits him? instead he chuckles, letting his head dip forward with a chuckle—at a loss.

another chuckle escapes him; his nose crinkles in distaste—genuine, but not directed at the faery. ❝you think i’d be willing to come anywhere close to one of those werewolves? i’m not a masochist.❞ he hates the smell of werewolves –can pick it up from where he’s standing—and he can’t imagine kissing one—but to each their own.

❝we should❞ he agrees easily, glancing at the table. a table laden with food, something that makes his long empty stomach grumble. it’s been so long, he barely remembers the taste of food—he’s almost curious. knows the hot sweet taste of thick blood sliding down his throat—but food?

the vampire pauses, hesitates—the moment surely has passed but…he can still play the charismatic vampire. minwoo usually cranks it up to seduce victims, but he figures he might as well play it up for now. excuses it as a way to control what’s going on around him; but even he knows he can’t fully rationalise it.

he slides a seat out for the faery before taking one of his own, long legs crossing underneath the table with a hum. his nose is able to pick out what dishes are suitable for him and which aren’t, and he reaches for one of them. pauses before he carefully fills his plate. his motions are exceptionally careful, forcing himself to keep his hands steady.

minwoo’s eyes flicker towards the other guests who are eating, and for a barest second a confused frown shimmers over his face; and then it’s gone, face carefully blank as he picks up a pair of chopsticks. his eyes flicker again as he tries to position them just right—and then he pauses.

❝after you❞ he says gesturing to his prince. and while there’s a smile on his face, it’s a cover up for the fact he has no idea what he is doing.

#[ + seunghyun ]#[ ! elpis ]

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#[ * mood board ! ]#[ + seunghyun ]

elpis. +seunghyun

mxseunghyun-blog

Seunghyun sucks in a breath as they pull away, bottom lip quivering as the pressure of Minwoo’s lips linger. There’s this air about them, and Seunghyun’s not sure if it makes him feel at ease or if the goosebumps raised on his arms are from discomfort. He settles on both.

He likes it.

It’s different than usual. The kisses he gives are fleeting, even when deep and sinful and in alleyways and in bedrooms and nothing like what a prince should be doing, but with Minwoo it feels different. With Minwoo he’s not kissing to get money or gifts or whatever. The kiss may have been for the exchange of food for favor, but if Seunghyun closes his eyes, pretends they’re somewhere else, it feels like they’re kissing just to kiss.

It’s a risky thought, one he knows he should never hold, but he’s already off the deep end. There’s no use in playing hard to get with the matters of his heart when he knows he’s already lost.

“Practice,” Seunghyun echoes, feeling oddly calm as he rests his palm flat against Minwoo’s neck. “I know a thing or two about practice.”

His words are laced with a underlying question, eyes lingering on the lips he so eagerly pushed himself against just minutes beforehand. No use in playing hard to get, he reminds himself. He’s already lost. He may as well come out with his consolation prize.

“Why don’t we trade secrets?” He applies the slightest bit of pressure down, lips quirked up in a catlike smirk. He’s okay with being hurt. Minwoo never meant to hurt him, or so it seems, so in all truth Seunghyun knows he may as well milk their little business relationship for what it’s worth. It’ll just turn into another transaction. Give the poor daddy some affection, and in turn the lonely prince will get his toys. It’s a game Seunghyun never would have seen himself falling into, but he’s too far into it and far too good at it to stop now.

The pain, like it or not, is the biggest consolation prize. But it’s not like this is his first doomed love story.

minwoo’s always been of the opinion that secrecy is a vampire’s livelihood—and if not so, it certainly was his. yet tonight had already been a night where confessions have tumbled over his lips like they haven’t for so long—and he already knows he wants to spill his heart out to this faery half his age—and less tarnished.

so he tilts his head, his eyes dancing with projected mirth and a forgiving quirk lingering in the curve of his lips. rust-hearted he may be—but he doesn’t want seunghyun to feel bad. minwoo is just sick and tired of sharing these should-be forgotten facts about himself. ❝secrets?❞ he asks, and his voice is quiet, like anything beyond a whisper will pop the bubble he imagines them to be in—imagines that there aren’t people around them who might even be staring. ❝don’t you know me at all? i don’t share my secrets. it’d ruin my image.❞

there’s a mantra going through his head, as he tells himself not to spill—don’t ruin this illusion, not now. there’s not much to ruin—but he’s scared to do so anyway. he wants to hold onto this ephemeral moment for as long as he can, imagine a happier life where things would work out—even if he knows the shattering of that glass pane of a wish is right around the corner.

yet he wishes— ❝maybe if you’ve got a good secrets to trade i’ll change my mind.❞ ah, what was seunghyun doing to him? he almost wants to add a disclaimer, something that goes along the lines of i’m not normally like this but it’d feel ridiculous—not in line who he pretends so hard to be. he’d hate it, if not for the fact that it seems there’s a l-word floating around when it comes to the faery.

❝after that i’m afraid i really should eat something—i’m starving and i doubt our gracious host— ❝ and there’s a good bit of sarcasm dripping off that word, ❞would appreciate me feasting upon the other guests.❞

#[ + seunghyun ]#[ ! elpis ]#reverie:feast

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#[ * music box !] [ sorry for the delay of replies on kyung and minwoo i've been swamped w coursework. off to bed now. ] [fun fact this song

a matter of chance. open

Nature. Something that so many claimed to be free of, but retreated into when confronted. How many humans talked of being emancipated from what they considered ‘lower’ thoughts, only to spout the words ‘it’s only natural’ when bad behavior was brought forth? Either way, this was not the time to dwell on such things. “Nature is a cruel master.”

Jaewook hummed in thought. Yes, secrecy was necessary to some degree. When humans had been more superstitious, the danger to naturals had been high. They believed, therefore they hunted. “Sometimes there is something nice about being relegated to fairy tales.”

At least with his family he can relax. They are not like his human one, who had died long ago, but they were something. People with similar experiences. However, sometimes, well…he wanted a different one, a different place. But was it really possible to be alone in one’s own house?

“Some never realize no matter how old they become.” The change from human to vampire had been…not simple, but not difficult either. He had already seen the monsters humans could make of themselves. What was so bad about becoming one of the real things people feared hid in the dark? Blood had been the largest obstacle, mostly concerning how to obtain it without giving up his secret.

“People worry about things they cannot control or don’t know. We have died and returned. Death is not meaningless to us. They cannot come back, have never seen the other side, and have no control over what happens after. Fear has kept them striving for life since their evolution.”

❝she sure is❞ he agrees easily. ❝but even we can’t escape it, can we? even we have instincts that dictate our lives. the sun, the bloodlust.❞ it’s amusing to him—but minwoo’s never been particularly worried. even he knows he can’t fight nature the way he can any other authority—but she has been a better master to him than any other, kinder to him than time or maker; and in no way sentient. always a pro.

he chuckles, nodding. ❝i’d take fairy tales over modern vampire fiction any time.❞ he’d rather be the monster lurking in the dark than the subject caught in a tragic and horribly overdramatic love story with a foolish mortal, domesticated and sparkling—no matter how much minwoo might love theatrics. besides, dracula gets a villainous monologue.

minwoo realised, and realised such things quick; he wasn’t human anymore –if his soul had ever been—and there was no reason to adhere to their standards. having suffered childhood trauma and committing patricide helped with that, but he wouldn’t admit it. he preferred to think of his transformation as something that turned him from caterpillar to butterfly; likes to think he’d always meant to be a vampire.

❝have we truly died, though?❞ he questions. ❝we are not like the ghosts—we’ve retained our full selves. our bodies might be dead, but i don’t think i ever personally have fully died.❞ it’s simple musing; he supposes every vampire has their own version, their own opinion, and while he doesn’t think jaewook is wrong, he thinks the experience is vastly different for every one of their kind.

#[ + jaewook ]#[ ! a matter of chance ]

elpis. +seunghyun

mxseunghyun-blog

Seunghyun feels a little used, if he’s being honest to himself. There was no way Minwoo returned his feelings, that much was apparent. A favor for a favor. The kiss is nothing more than a favor, nothing like a show of affection. He’s sure other people at the feast were doing the same, sharing affection and hugs and kisses and little things that would normal mean something but here, under the moonlight and in front of food that could calm the hunger aching in his belly, they meant nothing.

His mind wanders to the poems and short stories he’s written, piled up in an old shoebox under clothes and miscellaneous things, and wonders exactly where everything started to go wrong. He was happy, using him mind and body to advance himself in the petty, shallow human world, without anything to hold him down. But now, with the object of his affections attached to him at the lips, he feels broken for the first time in a while.

Stories were stories. He knows very well that happy endings are fabricated, writers using their characters to live the joyous lives they’ll never achieve. He’ll never get his Prince Charming, knows that for sure, and there’s no use lying to himself about it. At least, he thinks bitterly, heartbreak gives the mind some inspiration.

And still, he leans forward. He opens his mouth with a breathy sigh and melts into the kiss, falling easily against Minwoo’s body. It felt nice, despite the coldness of the vampire’s body, and he hoped the sound of his heart beating wasn’t too loud.

He pulls away first, not wanting to seem like a food in the eyes of his (one-sided) beloved, and bites his bottom lip. He wonders if he should ask for another favor, for another kiss, but decides against it. He doesn’t want to seem desperate, even though he feels just that churning in the pit of his stomach.

“Where did you learn to do that?” he teases, instead, not moving from the hold on the vampire. He deludes himself, deciding to stay close to the older man just to enjoy the moment while it lasts. He knows very well the possibility that their first kiss could be their last, and he was never one to look the gift horse in the mouth.

there’s this huge temptation to tell the horrible truth, to pass it off as a joke, because minwoo is poe’s spirit of perversity; self-sabotaging, committing an act just because he knows he shouldn’t—something the author claimed to be purely human, but at this point the vampire isn’t so sure. nonetheless, he bites his own tongue hard for a moment to slip the words from coming out. blames it on the wine and not the fact that he’s desperately, quietly alone and somehow projecting some sort of fantasy where seunghyun would put up with the monster he is after he finds out about every gruesome act he’s done in his life.

in fact, he’s thinking that he never wants the faery to know the truth about his past; the murders that matter, the blood of his parents clinging to his fingers, his time at the brothel and everything that follows. seunghyun doesn’t need to know; seunghyun can’t know of the taint of guilt he bears upon his soul—or what’s left of it, at any rate. no, minwoo wants to hold onto him and not scare him away like everyone else—

but here in seunghyun’s arms, despite being in this deceitful forest, having been forced into tasks and hunger—despite all that, he feels safe for once. and he thinks i could do this forever, except that it’s a silly notion. he’ll end up losing everyone in the end—that’s how the story goes for him. that’s how it always goes. if something was to happen between them then—

but why is he even thinking this? the vampire scolds himself mentally. seunghyun wanted affection and minwoo was self-indulgent in return—there’s nothing that ties them together other than the power of the vampire’s black and gold card. to think that there might be something more between them is silly, to hope for such downright setting himself up for disappointment.

the rust-heart vampire realises that they can eat now, if they so wish; he can fall upon the feast like it is any other victim—at least, for a moment. yet despite the hunger gnarling in his stomach, he has no wish to; he doesn’t let go of the faery just yet, relishes the warmth seeping through the fabric of his clothes. smiles down on him, small but inexplicably genuine. he picks up the other’s heartbeat this time, but blames on something purely physical—it’s not even minwoo refusing to see the signs, but unable to trust them.

❝i have been around for a long time now❞ he says instead of everything he wants to say, everything that’s on his mind. ❝i have had time to practice.❞ a hundred kisses given in exchange for money, a thousand as he tumbled into beds or straggled into alleyways or other convenient places, and a thousand more to perfect the ruse of seducer before revealing himself as the deadly predator—but none for love.

#[ + seunghyun ]#[ ! elpis ]#reverie:feast #[ minwoo: I shall not acknowledge the L-word again ]

"Don't chase the rabbit"

send me “don’t chase the rabbit” and your muse will be shown a random memory from my muse’s past. closed

tw for child abuse

“mother!”

#[ ! answers ]#tw: child abuse #[ thank uuuu ]#mxhaejin

Don’t chase the rabbit

send me “don’t chase the rabbit” and your muse will be shown a random memory from my muse’s past. closed now because holy shit i got so many thanks guys <3

she laughs.

he doesn’t like the sound of it.

❝a gallery?❝

the disbelief in her voice irks him, just as the way she isperched so daintily on his new bed, suckles at the end of a cigarette she’sstolen from him. a shame that she’s the first he christens it with—but it is atwo edged sword. as annoying as she is alive, as good she’ll taste. her smellis overwhelming, but he prides himself on his patience. let’s the thrill of itbuild in his stomach, until his blood is liquid anticipation.

he can only see her from the vanity’s mirror as he gentlydabs at his eyes to get rid of the last of the makeup. her voice is so gratingto his ears—if he’d heard her clearly at first he might’ve left her behind atthe club, but as it were, the speakers had overpowered that nagging edge.

❝you said you were a vampire,no? so what are you doing, opening upan art gallery?❝

minwoo rises from his vanity, long legs stretching on untilhe’s looming over her. fear blossoms on her face so prettily, and he suddenlylikes her a whole lot more. the vampire smiles, lips spreading to reveal fangsthe colour of virgin snow before he bends on a knee, so they are vaguely at eyelevel.

❝i like things that arebeautiful.❝ he traces the curve of her cheekbones, the lengthof her jaw. she smiles, thinks his eyes are on her lips, painted some dustypink minwoo doesn’t care about. ❝i like things that havemeaning.❝ her heart speeds up, dancing a delicious rhythmthat has him hungry, and this close to her the smell of her blood maskseverything.

❝most of all, i like showing offmy wealth.❝

the words seem to shock her out of her daze, and shesuddenly tries to push him over—to no avail. her frail little mortal handscan’t do anything to hurt him. he laughs –perhaps even cruelly so—but it’ssimply too amusing not to.

❝that’s it? you don’t have somesort of reason? repentance or anything?❝ she pouts—does she think it’scute? it matters not. he chuckles as he leans closer, lips brushing over hersbefore trailing their way up to her ear. her heartbeat picks up once more.

❝i do not care for you mortals❝he whispers, ❝i do not care for repentance.❝

the sensation of blood filling his mouth drowns out thenoise of her scream.

#[ ! answers ]#[ thank you for sending <3 ! ]#mthsoohyuk #[ set around 2000 or so ]

mthsoohyuk-blog

Meeting your Maker | Minwoo x Soohyuk

mthsoohyuk-blog

“Perhaps that was your fate.” Soohyuk sighed, tilting the chair sideways to cross his long legs. “To be so insignificant, that you were not even worth killing.”

Sighing once more, giving the younger vampire a once over, Soohyuk chuckled. “What amuses me is if we’ve met a hundred years before, I’d probably would have ensured there is no taint to my linage.” His eyes exposed a predator calming accessing his prey, a cold blanket of malicious intent cloaking the room.

“However…” Soohyuk stood, supporting himself up by pressing his hands on the desk. “It would be a waste of my time currently. Since you’re my kin, I’d be honest. I’m looking to cause chaos. As worthless as you are, you might be of use… as much as I doubt the fact of you feeding on anything but mere scraps.”

As he moved, his fingers traced the surface of the desk, reaching the corner until he shifted his eyes from the desk to the other vampire. “Utterly useless… No matter how pretty something becomes, if it’s useless, it’s worthless. Just like the art you seemingly like to surround yourself with.”

“Just like you.”

in a way, he’s glad. minwoo cherishes life—has rarely been among the ranks of tired immortals, weary enough of life that he considers ending it—and as such, he’s very glad he hasn’t been killed because of a defect.

at the same time, it had hurt. has he ever been good enough? apparently not—and while he tells himself it doesn’t matter, shouldn’t matter, will not matter, it still does when it comes from this man. this immortal being that exudes power. old habits die hard, and old habits of an immortal even harder still it seems.

despite the anxiety nestling in his chest in place of a rapidly beating heart, he still manages to find it in himself to roll his eyes. ❝i am so honoured you might consider me of any use.❝ it’s not even entirely a lie, and that’s the worst. it makes him want to bite his tongue and chase after his words, to swallow them and make sure they’d never reach another person’s ears. too late, minwoo supposes.

he cocks his head, eyes narrowing. ❝beauty❞ he starts, ❝has its uses—it is never worthless.❞ the younger suspects he’s being goaded here, and while he shouldn’t be, he feels offended by the outright statement of his worth. offended and hurt. so long he has been telling himself he isn’t, and now…. he tries to ignore the words, but it proves difficult. nonetheless, he stubbornly speaks up. the wariness and weariness of the years, the unease that has the hairs on the back of his neck standing up and the splinter in his heart have him speaking bluntly, lacking the respect he might’ve used a mere minute ago; his calculation is lost for a moment.

❝what do you want from me? clearly you’re not here for a social visit.❞

#[ + soohyuk ]#[ ! meeting your maker ]

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