polar

nam ji-hye. druid. interpreter of maladies. obscura ― specialties

[obsjihye]

Four Times He Did & One Time He Didn’t

[obsjihye]

field larkspur:

Some things simply can’t be helped, such as: when a foo dog is bleeding profusely and collapses at the door of a medic’s place, the environment in which the foo dog falls is bound to become dirtied in some way. As long as this whole thing doesn’t stain Seokjin’s very fluffy and well maintained tail, then he’ll be okay. Seokjin is willing to come by and clean up the mess he’s made, at a later date when his shoulder isn’t aching to be chopped off.

“I should be okay,” Seokjin says, waving a hand dismissively. “I’m not… in the position to ask much.”

Ji Hye is smiling softly, the tired curve of her lips both for herself and for her patient. She had figured that their breathing would become a little less ragged since the worst of Seokjin’s injuries had been dealt with. And the young witch’s shoulders had relaxed in the slightest, and yet, this tenseness lingered throughout her body because of the pain that still lingered through his. Such a sensation would remain for as long as they were in close proximity...she supposed she welcomed the tenseness. Had any pain on his person increased, she was sure she’d feel it.

 She sometimes wonders if these moments paralleled those of her grandmother in Gunsan. If it was all laid out before her, it seemed pretty similar. The grand priestess and her granddaughter both led a life in which they aimed to heal others; in which they aimed to alleviate the pain caused by less than mundane disasters. Ji Hye fought so hard to lead her own life, but in the end there were things so deeply ingrained in who she was, the similarities were somehow welcome. Well, it wasn’t as if she wanted to deny what was in her blood, that would imply that she was ashamed of her lineage, and that she wasn’t, but she hadn’t anticipated Sunseong to feel so much and so little like home. 

The druid shook her head before the thoughts in her head became even more confusing, and focused her eyes on her foo-blooded friend. And the minute she heard him apologize, she scoffed at his words.

“Appa, please tell him that the last thing we’re worrying about is this mess. It’s a clinic, for the moon’s sake, name one time when it isn’t busy.” She shrugged her shoulders, and motioned to the area around her.

Her father was constantly working with animals with all kinds of ailments. There was no reason that Seokjin should feel bad for the mess that was so common for her father.

But, as she had learned, some people were so good as to place such trivial things before their own wellbeing. Having worked with many people who simply couldn’t afford to visit mundane clinics, she had noticed that they were often dismissive of their own ailments so long as they kept the other party comfortable...something about the ebb and flow of things. It’s just that, so long as the other person was hurting, Ji Hye couldn’t bring herself to feel comfort. 

“Aish, Seokjin-ssi, please stop talking like that. You have every right to ask us for anything that makes you comfortable.” She looked to her father for support, and the man simply laughed and repeated the same thing, in his words ‘the patients knows best’.

“Please let us know if you’re in pain...tell me if the clothes don’t fit...hell, tell me if you don’t like these jeans with the sweater.” Swift hands, placed the gauze and tools on the table closest to her father, and allowed him to begin the bandaging on one side, as she begun the bandaging on the other. As she worked, she hoped that she had left no room for argument...there was no way that the daughter nor father would place themselves before their patient. 

[0506th]

[obsjihye]

nam ji hye; druid, student, daughter, lover, witch

[obsjihye]

Four Times He Did & One Time He Didn’t

[obsjihye]

field larkspur:

Though his body still aches and he feels as if he’d been picked up and tossed onto the pavement repeatedly, he finds the will to sit up. He has an image to protect after all, and if he lets others know just how badly he had gotten thrashed, Seokjin fears he might go out of business forever. At least now he’s covered up and not sad and naked all at once. He’d prefer to be one or another, separately, at different occurrences in his life. “Thank you,” he says out loud, but doesn’t define who it’s for in particular. Maybe it’s just to the universe. His throat burns so badly, hoarse and scratchy.

“It was last minute. Thank god you answered, otherwise I’d be dead.”

Ji Hye sat on her calves, holding some almond-colored sweater on her lap as she searched through her father’s clothing. She thumbed through the several pair of pants and jeans in the wardrobe, looking for anything that would look right with the sweater. It’s not like it would matter to their patient, he was mostly just glad to be alive. And really...any pair of pants should do, they were all the same size ― save the oddity here and there ―  and there were only so many articles of clothing being that the wardrobe only held enough for those nights that he pulled all-nighters at the clinic. 

Still, she persisted, the search for a complimentary pair of bottoms distracting her from other puzzling things. The young witch now had a different pair of pants in either hand; in her left, some blue “dad” jeans that could’ve been in fashion a few years ago, and in her right was a beige pair of pants somewhere between slacks and yoga pants. They’d look much nicer with the sweater, but there was no need to get blood on the article of clothing ― was she really thinking about that now?

She shook her head to ward off the distractions and stood up, tossing the beige pair of pants in the wardrobe and opting to hold the sweater and jeans close to her chest. One foot in front of the other, Ji Hye turned around and when her eyes landed on the figure of her patient, she almost dropped the clothes in her arms. 

“Seokjin-ssi?” She cocked her head to the side, and felt her brows furrow.

Some voice at the back of her head whispered ‘yah, child, it’s rude to stare!’; she shook her head and tightened her grip on the clothing, clearing her throat and making her way towards the foo-blooded man. Seeing his face solved a mystery but it stumped her just slightly that it had taken this long to put a name to the face - or snout for that matter.

“Appa, do you have some unopened packets of underwear or something? Having Seokjin-ssi get dressed before wrapping the bandages seems silly.”

Ji Hye set the clothes down near the mortar bowl and pestle she had used earlier, and let her eyes roam the clinic until she found a familiar table holding some rolls of gauze and other necessary tools. 

[obsjihye]

Misleading Perceptions

[obsjihye]

poinsettia:

(...)

He doesn’t take note that it was headed straight for him until the very last moment. Unlucky for him, as it’s too late to put up any defense before whatever this creature may be launches itself onto him. His eyes wide and admittedly panicked, the first thing popping into his mind of what his unknown assailant could be was the only large, white creature he could think of. Thankfully for him, this was in fact not a great white bear from the north, but instead a dog with very similar features. He finds this out a little too late, after the initial shock and small yelp he may have emitted after the pouncing. Before he could raise a hand, his face is met with a slimy, pink tongue that barely gives him a chance to open his mouth in protest. 

Jooheon squirms beneath the dog’s weight, eyes trying to open in hopes someone will come to his rescue. “Yah! Get off of me!” He manages to yell out, though the dog seems anything but phased by this, resuming in it’s endless shower of kisses.

Her pace was quick but not as quick as it could be; it was embarrassing enough that most if not all of the people in the vicinity had turned in the direction of the commotion...she just didn’t want to face Yeong-Cheol’s latest victim.

She’d scold him if his pouncing wasn’t so endearing. From anyone else’s perspective, it was true that the pup was on the uncontrollable side, and that he may have needed a few weeks in behavioral classes, but other people didn’t know him; pouncing was a rarity for Cheols, he didn’t just pounce on anyone...no, Ji Hye had learned long ago that his brash shows of affection were reserved for those who were worthy.

The large dog was a great judge of character. 

As the young witch steps closer to the scene of the crime, she slows down just a little more in order to survey the scene. No matter what she thought about her wonderful great pyrenees, even she could admit that being on the receiving end of his displays of affection was not for the faint of heart. 

If whoever had been on the receiving end hadn’t hit the ground too hard, it was possible that Ji Hye could get away with her dignity intact after a few apologies...and that had been the plan until her eyes landed on the person laying under Cheols. Not only had the large dog pounced on the unsuspecting victim, he had also locked him in a slobbery embrace, licking away at his face.

In all honesty, Ji Hye felt stuck for just a moment, caught in a place between some form of confused amusement, and mortified impotence. It was hard not to find anything remotely funny in the situation, but again it couldn’t have been funny from the other person’s perspective. When she had stopped gaping and her mind had finally kickstarted her body into action, her hands moved to Cheols’ collar, fingers wrapping around the burgundy sash before tugging the beast in her direction, pleading with the large dog and stressing her words with each tug. “Nam Yeong-Cheol, you can’t pounce on strangers...mind your manners.”

Any attempts to fix the situation were in vain, as they only seemed to make the dog more eager; whenever Ji Hye tugged at his collar, he’d tug back and pull her with him. It was an unbalanced tug-of-war, since the much larger beast towered over her if standing, and it was proving interesting to the many spectators caught in her peripheral vision. Cheeks tinted red, and Ji Hye tried tugging one more time, taking a step backwards and guiding Yeong-Cheol in her direction. 

Even if he didn’t want to budge, her ‘intimating’ gaze was enough to have the dog listen for a moment or two.

Ji Hye pulled her weight and his own with her as she stepped back once and then twice. She pulled one hand back from the collar and maneuvering the large dog so that he stood behind her...she turned and nudged him lightly, throwing him a “please stay,” before turning back to the unfortunate victim.

She turned, intending to apologize —and the apologies did pass her lips—but as Cheols nudged her back and wriggled restlessly, she could feel the familiar tingle of laughter bubbling in her stomach. Laughing now would really be the cherry on this guy’s series of unfortunate events, so she Ji Hye pressed her lips tightly together, and eyed the stranger, a tall guy with bleach blonde hair and a face covered in her dog’s saliva. The young witch really did feel guilty, but the comedy was just hard to miss...she tried clearing her throat and avoiding his slobbered face. “Mianhaeyo...he doesn’t normally run loose like that.”

[obscris]

trapped.

[obsjihye]

marsh gladiolus:

(...)

After a few seconds of fishing it out of his pocket, he rolled his thumb down the metal wheel and pressed hard on the ignition button. The first roll produced a tiny spark, but there was no flame in sight. After a few more embarrassing tries, a quick flame arose then died. Today was not his day and although this probably a slow insanity creeping up on him, he felt like the lighter was taunting him. “Uh…sorry about that.” He apologized, hanging his head in shame. “I just wanted you to be able to see too.” As the man picked up his head, an object from the corner of his eye caught his attention. It was small but familiar and he hoped it was exactly what he thought it was. “Did you drop a flashlight during the collapse…because I think I see it to your far left.”

When your one of your senses was limited, all other senses were amplified and being that Ji Hye could see nothing, she became all the more attentive to the words she was hearing...not that she could afford anything less, but the mundane thoughts about human senses kept her calm. The young witch didn’t always find herself in such cumbersome situations, but if at the drop of a hat she was trapped in a cave with a werelion, then...directing her thoughts to anything but their dilemma would slow the rapid beating of her heart. At least until she needed to find a way out of the cave...Ji Hye was sure that it was in the best interest of both parties to think together.

Ji Hye wasn’t all too familiar with this area, and if they made it out of the cave before nightfall, she might be able to save herself from the embarrassment of clinging to the werelion any longer than was necessary. 

She kept her attention on his words, nodding whenever she thought necessary, and unable to alter the frown on her lips.

He had said that he didn’t have a flashlight, which wasn’t surprising, but Ji Hye could feel her shoulders slump once he’d told her. She didn’t usually feel impotent...didn’t ever feel impotent for that matter, and the feeling sat in her chest, weighing heavily on her ego. With something like a sixth sense, her lack of sight shouldn’t have been such a handicap, but the confirmation of his inhuman state wouldn’t help either of them find their way out of this cave.

Without so much as a light, it seems as if they were stuck as they were, with Ji Hye left in the dark and having to rely completely on him. He was surely trustworthy, but Ji Hye just didn’t like relying on people...she didn’t do much of it, and she had a habit of undervaluing the efforts of others.

That would have to change if he had become her eyes...still he had more to say, dangling just a little bit of hope before Ji Hye’s eyes...

And she’d never been so happy to hear the word ‘but’. Her eyebrows raised, and her ears perked up, hoping, just hoping that he’d pull something out of his sleeve. ‘Beggars can’t be choosers’, she told herself...it was a phrase that her maternal grandmother despised with a burning passion — if the woman had anything, it was her pride — but, Ji Hye was sure that her grandmother had never found herself trapped in a cave. She’d almost lunged at him in excitement.

Almost. It’s as if her grandmother’s voice kept her from doing so...‘even a beggar can choose to keep their pride’.  

Here she was, a young witch who had been introduced to magic from the very point of her birth, and at the first sign of a spark, she had nearly lunged forward like the cavemen must have at the discovery of fire. 

The spark gave way to nothing more, and Ji Hye sunk back into a seating position, and even with the odd circumstances, Ji Hye was aware of the red tint in her cheeks...when a beggar let go of their pride, they’d find themselves shamed by the circumstances. 

She almost rolled her eyes at her own stupidity. “Don’t apologize, it was way better than nothing.”

Ji Hye sat back on instinctively looked around, even though she could see nothing. It was an attempt, like any other to fool her mind into a sense of calm. She was now starting to hate the fact that she could do no more than listen...it made her feel dependent and that led to an annoying feeling in her gut. But if it was the only thing she could do, she would do it well.

And again he dangled some hope right before her eyes...this time, she just didn’t lunge at it.

“I don’t want to sound condescending, seeing as you’re trying your best to help me see and I’m not much help, but...you think?”

[obsjihye]

lavandula pedunculata:

Anakin nodded and checked her name down. “Follow me.”

Anakin walked back into the building into the side corridors. He was use to the noise that occurred by the pool, it was inevitable . But even he could understand why a newer student wouldnt be so keen on it. He blew on his whistle.

“No rough housing!” Anakin chided before continuing to walk away

Anakin settled onto the bleachers and gestured the other sit down. Anakin turned the page on his clipboard before turning his attention again to the other. Time to get to business

“So Ji-hye, is this your first time swimming or do you have prior  experience?”

She could picture the glass shattering around the image of a swift escape, and almost hung her head low in defeat...but Ji Hye wasn’t one for such idiosyncrasies. If she was embarrassed she would keep such a feeling tucked away, and simply focus on following her new swim instructor. 

Ji Hye remained silent and took in her surroundings as she followed after the man. The center seemed to have a rowdy air around it, this could’ve been due to the young kids running around instead of playing.

The young witch didn’t want to admit it, but for a moment she nearly scoffed at their lack of discipline; it was something her maternal halmonnie just loved to do.

She shook the thoughts from her head, and followed the swimming instructor onto the bleachers, folding her hands on her lap and listening to his words intently. Ji Hye would hate to explain her reasons for taking classes so late in life, but it was a necessary hurdle in order to appease Mi Young.

Shrugging her shoulders lightly, the young witch began explaining her lack of any swimming experience. “Swimming isn’t something I’ve ever needed to do, and I just never felt like I had to learn to swim...I’ve never been in a situation where swimming was necessary. My halmonnie does think I need to learn, and that’s why I’m here; she says I probably can’t even float because I can be so dense sometimes.”

[obsjihye]

Misleading Perceptions

@obsheon​

Nam Ji Hye remembers the very first day she met her great pyrenees, a loving pup that was larger than life and if he stood on his hind legs...larger than the young witch herself. 

It was during her second year of college that she decided to adopt a companion. Being far from home was bearable when she had been sent to Seogwipo ― she was sent from one suffocating home to the other, but she had reveled in the distance from her grandmother and found the distance necessary for her own growth. And even though she had refused to speak to her maternal grandmother, the woman doted on Ji Hye, called frequently and even sent her care packages she had complied with the other halmonnie. 

With her grandmothers and their constant attention, coupled with the warmth and praise of the students and teachers at Seogwipo, Ji Hye never had a moment where she felt alone.

And then she moved away to attend Ewha’s and for a long time her maternal grandmother  treated her with silence and the occasional passive-aggressive call. Although Ji Hye resented her grandmother most of the time, her absence left the witch feeling as if her days were missing something. 

The young witch knew that giving her father a call was an option, but she had been avoiding that particular call as if it were the plague. She had spent the previous year or so ignoring his calls and watching as his attempts to reach her dwindled. In the end, Ji Hye felt lonely because she had alienated these people from her heart in order to mold herself into someone who could live without them.

She had made herself so lonely, but she could easily undo the feeling.

After flipping through several options ― those of which required the unimaginable task of confiding in others ― Ji Hye’s mind finally came up with the perfect solution...man’s best friend.

It only seemed fitting for her to fill the gap with the affection that a pet could provide; animals were her father’s specialization in the field of magic, and in some way she was also connected to the creatures. Ji felt as if she could love an animal unconditionally and receive the same love, as animals didn’t know how to love in any way but.

The young witch had gone to the pet shelter determined but unsure; she didn’t know if she would find what she was looking for, but she didn’t want to turn back and return to an empty apartment. 

Ji Hye walked through the adoption shelter diligently, eyeing three other dogs before she made it to the fourth; he was a large dog whose height was somewhere around her knees...the sign next to his picture labeled his as a pup, but there was no way that was right?

She’d pointed this out to the teenage boy helping her out and was received with an incredulous laugh. “Pyrenees are really large dogs ma’am, he’ll grow bigger than that.”

Being aware of magic could not have prepared her for the fact that mundane creatures like the dog before her could have such peculiar properties. And yet, she felt that he was normal, perfectly normal...she almost laughed at the fact. It seemed as if she had been blessed to find the inversion of herself; she was small and petite, maybe even mundane in the eyes others, and this ‘pup’ was the opposite, magical in it’s size but nothing more than a dog.

It only took a few minutes for Ji Hye to decide to take the large puppy home and make him a permanent part of her family. From that day and each day after, Yeong-Cheol had become and remained her pride and joy...he’d even managed to reunite the young witch and her father.

She soon found that he was indeed as mundane as she initially thought; in truth Yeong-Cheol was nothing but a large dog who loved to drag her around like a rag doll, and she would have it no other way. That being said, was one incident-free walk too much to ask for?

Each day, without fail, she walked her large dog and each day, without fail, he’d find an object or person into the park that he’d want to chase after. Sometimes he’d drag her around the park relentlessly, and other times ― like this one ― his leash would slip from her fingers and he’d run off, free from his owner and her pushy ideals of ‘self-control’.

Ji Hye had to throw her arms out in front of her, to find her balance as she made an attempt to regain her footing. Being so preoccupied with salvaging her knees, Ji had momentarily lost sight of the white dog...as hard a task as that could be. Maybe it was time for a more secure leash...

Her eyes roamed the park, looking for the large mass of white fur as she moved through the park. She had to find him before he did something rash and pounced on an innocent bystander. When she’d eye the area around a third camphor tree, she spotted the large dog running towards his seemingly human target. “Yeong-Cheol jebal...”

What could have been a simple walk in the park would now be an outing full of apologies...Ji Hye let out an exasperated sigh and began running in the direction of her large dog and his poor victim.

[obsjihye]

lavandula pedunculata:

 Pool Times I Anakin and Jihye 

     There was two individuals, someone who appeared to be a guardian while another in their twenties walking towards the entrance. Anakin quickly blocked the entrance. He cleared his throat. 

“Are either of you, Nam Ji-hye by any chance?”

@obsjihye 

Nam Jeong Sun and Byun Mi Young were very smart women, both of whom spent their days providing advice for their obstinate granddaughter. Jeong Sun’s advice tended to revolve the topic of Ji Hye returning home...and when that didn’t work she made attempts to control the young woman’s diet, her free time, and studies. 

For Mi Young’s advice, she liked to talk over video calls, where she would ask about her granddaughter’s day and later slip in a few ‘words of wisdom’: “soak your onions in vinegar until they have a strong blush”, “are you wearing layers? It’s getting cold”, “are you following the knitting pattern for Yeong Cheols’ scarf?” and the most recent “Jeong Sun kept you indoors for so long, it’s why you’re so small...you didn’t even learn how to swim Ji Hye and you were born in the North Jeolla Province...do they have swimming classes in Sunseong?”

While Ji Hye was aware that there were many things she needed to do in life, learning to swim had never been a pressing matter. 

It was one of the things that she didn’t like nor hate; the alignment of her coven had a relationship with water, but only as a it pertained to its relationship with plants. At the very least, these were the snippets she had picked up from one of her grandmothers.

The other one believed that Ji Hye could only ignore other aspects of magic for so long, no matter how mundane the aspect was. 

And so here she was, having left work and forced her legs to take her to the pool center in Sunseong where she had signed up for lesson. Her grandmother, Mi Young didn’t like to admit it but she could nag almost as much as Jeong Sun, and it wore Ji Hye down enough that she signed up for swimming classes. 

Now, surrounded by small kids splashing around in the large pool, Ji Hye was starting to regret her decision. She rationalized that she was out of place, and that the swimming lessons were something she didn’t need.

For the past few years, Ji Hye had lived in the city, far from any large bodies of water. 

Ji Hye could easily save the lessons for later, call from home and postpone them indefinitely. So she turned on the heels of her feet, and headed towards the door, heels clacking lightly against the floor. 

She nearly reached the door when a figure slid between herself and the exit. It looked like she’d been caught red-handed, and her face would no-doubt display the sentiment. Shrugging ever so lightly, the young witch looked between the figure in front of her and the other figure in closest proximity before raising her hand slight. “That’s me.”

[obsjihye]

mundane* day — 6/?

Do you observe Halloween? If not, is there an alternative that you do observe? i mean, yeah it’s always been a thing to dress up and go trick or treating but then it just became me being dragged along and taking my sister and cousin...still fun  Have you ever dressed up in costume, whether for Halloween or otherwise? What was it? oh yeah I used to dress up a lot. my favorite was a witch, that one was pretty simple with a black pointy hat and everything...least favorite (not the costume itself) was a vampire costume but I learned that i should never let my sister anywhere near my face with paint. What’s your favorite candy? i have a thing for sour candy soo...warheads, sour patch kids, things like that. i’m not too crazy about chocolate but I love twix bars (and snickers sometimes; kit-kats when i’m in the mood) Do you have a monster, urban legend, or creepypasta that you enjoy? Tell us about it! ohoho, please don’t get me started. i have a few favorites, i love these things. the first one i read and got into is the Russian Sleep Experiment; and i had to have more. a recent one is Penpal (it’s in parts and I’m too lazy to get the whole thing: Footsteps, Balloons, Boots, Maps, Screens, Friends) it’s disturbing but it’s so good and it’s my favorite...v long read but SO worth it, and then there’s Borrasca (part two, three , four...if you need an explanation don’t feel bad, i skimmed the first time so i needed one too) which is...it’s something else entirely, it’s a pretty long read and pretty convoluted but not bad...love me that good literary crack that makes me lose sleep. lmao my most recent horror story is this freaking honors program interview i had today. and since we’re talking about monsters and i brought up school, to fulfill a requirement i’m taking a russian lore class but it’s basically a glorified vampire discussion section, i love old literary vamps though, and cursed objects

How are you with things that are horror-themed, such as movies and/or video games? -in a sing song voice- love them! i have a thing for true crime and unsolved mystery podcasts, if anyone wants any suggestions Casefile is a gift to crime podcast people. um, i’m not a super hardcore gamer person but i watch a ton of markiplier solely for the horror games so you know where my loyalties lie. and films...oh my god horror firms are a gift to this earth. i indulge. i also love thrillers a lot and this makes for horrible netflix dates because the bestie wont finish memento and wont trust me when i suggest good thrillers. What is something that you’re afraid of? i mean i don’t want to say that i’m scared of the dark but i have this really nice night light thingy that’s not a night light at all but it is. it’s this square you plug into the wall which has another square that glows this really nice green and the first time i saw it i thought I glowed in the dark. also i don’t like sleeping with the closet door open solely because someone might be in there?? i should be scared the most of walking home alone (and I am a lil bit) but you’ll see me do that all the time so long as i’m carrying pepper spray :) i’m like so indignant about that idk (lmao update 10.03.17: maggots are BIG no) Have you ever been to a haunted house or other Halloween-themed attraction? Alternatively, do you have any ghost stories to tell? no but i’ve always wanted to go. ghost stories, yes, like when i used to live in my old apartment i’d hear footsteps right outside the bathroom door when i was home alone, and once i was babysitting my nephew and he walked over to my parents room (empty and with the lights off) he’s about two or three and he’s having a conversation with someone in the room (he’s standing in the doorway laughing and talking in the direction of the door, a gaping hole of blackness) and you know i started freaking out and ran over there, turned on the lights and had a fit

[obscris]

trapped.

[obsjihye]

marsh gladiolus:

(...)

Walking deeper into the cave, Cris followed her frantic breaths until he came onto another clearing. It seemed this too was a collapsed entrance, dark as the rest of the cave with a lone figure sitting curled up in the middle. She had a small form with long hair and had been clutching onto her bag, out of what he assumed was fear. The werelion figured she might not be able to see, human in race but smelled of herbs and flowers just like a witch usually did. “Looks like we both got stuck in here.” He finally spoke, staying far as if to appear less of a threat. “I’m not going to hurt you, but I can see in the dark and you look scared.”

Taking a deep breath, he spoke once more. “My name is Christian Yu and I’m a werelion. I got stuck down here after chasing something.”

The air she breathed was heavy, her thoughts scrambled and there was no denying that she may have sat there for minutes and minutes on end before she finally came to her senses. 

In truth, the young witch may have relied on the earth to keep itself in order for her own sake...it was a silly thought when the very nature of things was entropy; and still she found herself stuck, unable to slow the beating of her heart. 

Why was the air so thick?

Her eyes roamed the area around her, and of course she saw nothing; it was just something out of habit for Ji Hye. There were idiosyncrasies that never left someone, small ticks that would appear like clockwork even if they would add nor detract any substance to the current situation. The heels of her shoes tried digging into the floor of the cave, as if to find comfort in any form of connection to the earth, and making attempts to regain control of herself and her emotions.

Still, her chest rose and fell at a rapid pace, and the beating of her heart did not slow. If her body would only listen to her, then maybe she could focus on the more important things, like finding a way out of the cave.

As much as she wanted to move function, Ji Hye could do nothing but sit there, holding her bag...holding these magical bits of herself closer to her person. The young witch could work wonders with what the earth provided for her time and time again, but what could she do with natural disasters? What could she do trapped inside a cave with an exit blocked by boulders she knew she had no hope of moving, and surrounded by a darkness that threatened to swallow her whole?

While she was dealing with the crisis in her head, she almost missed a sound that filled the cave, bouncing off of the walls and tearing through the previously quiet atmosphere.  

Ji Hye’s shoulders stiffened and she wondered if her misfortune had only increased, or if she had been lucky enough to have been found by a helping hand. There was a way of knowing, of course, but she had always hated clairvoyance and had never nurtured the skill; the young witch was sure that in her current state of mind, the ability would be useless.

The hands she trusted so much could not divulge a person’s alignment, and the sight she often took for granted was heavily impaired. She’d have to rely on nothing more than a witch’s intuition, and even that shouldn’t have been enough to allow herself to trust a stranger ― Ji Hye was desperate; just as he had mentioned, they were both trapped in the cave, and if he could see in the dark when she couldn’t, he may have been the only hope she had of finding a way out.

He spoke one more time, and Ji Hye just had to laugh...it was something about the familiarity of being trapped with someone else who wasn’t entirely human; it didn’t make the situation any less dire, but the news was a nice distraction. Although he was a stranger, and his magical nature should have worried her much more, Ji Hye knew that could deal with this situation on her own or she could deal with it in the company of someone who wanted to escape as much as she did. 

Ji Hye didn’t loosen the grip on her bag, but she turned towards the voice and nodded her acknowledgement of his presence, “Nam Ji Hye, ‘born’ a witch...I’d say it was nice to meet you, but these are pretty unfavorable circumstances.” One hand motioned to the area around her, and then latched onto her bag one more time...the bag was like a safety blanket; a reminder of control. “I was looking for flowers.”

She didn’t want to ask about the thing in particular that he was chasing, and she was sure he wouldn’t want to tell, so Ji Hye swept that one detail under the rug and tried to think of anything else. Her breathing was a little calmer now that she wasn’t alone, and her mind had busied itself with the newfound distraction ― “You said you could see in the dark?”

[obsjihye]

Memories Latte ― Sedulous Hands

12.24.00

“Put your hand into the snow.” The young child said nothing and followed her grandmother’s instruction, carefully placing her hand flat against the snow and clutching the crystalline flakes in the palm of her small hand.

Ji Hye locked eyes with her grandmother, doe eyed, hands cold, awaiting further instruction.

“Tell me about what you feel...”

“It’s cold?” She scrunched her brows together, and shrugged her shoulders. Her halmonnie’s hawk-like gaze never failed to make her nervous. How could one woman have so many expectations for one young girl? 

Had her father placed her presents under the tree yet? Were the offerings in place? She hoped as always, that her mother was infected with some of the commercialized ‘holiday spirit’ and humored the young witch for at least one day of the year, if only ―

“Ji Hye, pay attention!” Small shoulders drew back, and her back straightened. Cold air filled her lungs with one deep inhale, and created the smallest fog with an exhale. “You’re questioning yourself again, young lady. I asked you a question and you answered me with another question. Now why is that? Is it cold or not?”

Another inhale, and exhale; Nam Ji Hye hated when her grandmother scolded her.

Her eyes lowered themselves to the white blanket of snow, a beautiful picture only marred by her small and reddened hand. The snow was cold ―  freezing even. It was so cold that she felt an annoying tingle at the tip of her fingertips, the sensation coming second only to the numbness overtaking her hand. 

“It’s cold.” She pulled her hand from the snow and shook of any remaining snowflakes before shoving her hands deep in the pocket of her winter coat.

“Ji Hye, don’t make that face, it’s below you...come, give me your hand.” 

The annoyed expression on her face remained ― a small act of defiance that would last no more than five minutes ― but she pulled her hand from her pocket and placed it atop her grandmother’s warm hands. Jeong Sun held her granddaughter’s small hand in one of her own, and pinched the tip of her fingers with the other.

“Hands are the most important for druids...they heal, nurture, and most importantly, they don’t deceive.” Large hands poked and prodded smaller ones. “Now, tell me, what do you feel?”

“Halmonnie, I don’t feel a thing.” When her grandmother made a face, she was sure she was going to get scolded again, but the older woman simply let out an exasperated sigh, as if she had heard the words before. 

“Elaborate.”

“I ― ” Ji Hye cut herself short...her young mind had yet to go through the pain one needs for a sophisticated description of nothingness. “I can’t feel anything? You told me that hands don’t deceive, but if I were to close my eyes I wouldn’t know if you kept holding my hand or let it go.”

“You’re wrong.” Jeong Sun grabbed her granddaughter’s other hand and held it next to the red one. She squeezed the warmer of the two hands, “this is the feeling of your skin against mine; the feeling of my hand holding yours.” She squeezed the much colder hand and eyed her granddaughter expectantly, “this; here you feel the absence of feeling. When you say you experience nothing, you are doing your hands a disservice. They’re feeling; if your hands were deceiving you, then you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between one touch and the other. Understand?”

One full minute passed before Ji Hye felt she truly understood; had she nodded without a full comprehension of her grandmother’s words, the older woman would have all but grounded her for presenting herself with a false face. 

Only a child, and she was far too aware of the lines between herself and her grandmother ― mainly those she’d be a fool to cross. 

If she crossed one of those lines, then their short lesson on one snowy hill of Gunsan would extend itself, presenting the ultimate dilemma for a child who simply wanted to go home and spend time with her father. 

Ji Hye pushed the thoughts from her mind, and focused on the now.

“I should always trust my hands then?” The young witch raised her brows in question, eyes searching her halmonnie’s own face for any indication of disappointment or praise. 

Her grandmother, who loved to pry into her mind more than anything, and invade what little privacy she had as a child, was adept at keeping her face stoic; she knew just how much a face could give away...her own mother was stoic in the presence of Ji Hye...would the child become the same?

Jeong Sun gave her granddaughter a knowing look and nodded. She pulled a rock from the pocket of her coat and handed it to Ji Hye. “Your hands sense an object in your palm, and once your hand works with your mind, you know it’s a rock...now let’s try scrying.”

“Scrying?”

“It’s like clairvoyance.” The mention of the word made Ji Hye’s nose crinkle and she dropped the pebble back into her grandmother’s hand. It was the last thing Ji Hye wanted to learn...her father always made a face at the mention of it, and when he found himself in the same room as his mother-in-law, there was an eerie blank stare ― to clear his mind, and keep his thoughts from his eommeonim. “Ji Hye, please don’t be difficult.”

Her grandmother made an attempt to drop the pebble in the smaller hand of her descendant one more time, but the young witch made no attempts to hold her palm upwards. 

“I don’t want to do it, halmonnie.”

“It’s not about what you want to do, Ji Hye, it’s about what you have to do. I’m not playing around child, give me your hand.”

The hand was extended with a huff, eyeing her grandmother ever so carefully as she dropped the pebble in her hand. “Tell me what you see.”

She didn’t want to do it; didn’t want to bridge the gap between herself and her grandmother...what if it made it easier for her to read her mind?

“Ji Hye, you’re being insolent; I’m not going to make you scry after today, but this is part of your lesson.”

Ji had glared at her grandmother for a minute or two before closing her fingers around the pebble and closing her eyes. Eyebrows knitted together, and lips set themselves in a fine line as she made one attempt after the other to ‘see’ the pebble’s path before landing in her hand.

Finally, she could see her grandmother, walking along a plateau with lush green grass...she searched nearly all day before her eyes landed on the gift from the earth; she felt the happiness that rushed through the woman’s bones, the feeling of absolute elation and luck that fell upon her heart; the tingling in her cheeks because of her smile. It felt intrusive to watch the memory, and so she opened her eyes and gave the rock back to it’s owner.

“If it’s special then why use it so liberally?”

It was Jeong Sun’s turn to raise her brows, and in one of the more rare moments, she chuckled ― something of a grandmother’s chuckle, the knowing, wise laugh that told their grandchildren ‘oh you know nothing, my dearest children’. So she could be like any other loving grandmother?

“What did you see that made it fall into the category of special?”

“What did I see? Halmonnie, I saw you wandering the plateau behind the hills. You could easily let it fall between your fingers after wandering for so long?”

“I could easily let it fall between my fingers because this rock is one of many adorning my backyard.” 

Ji Hye’s brows raised in confusion, “but I saw ― ”

“No, your mind tried to see...I left breadcrumbs, holding the stone to my breast and whispering sweet enchantments; your mind, so young and gullible wanted to follow those breadcrumbs, wanted to know the story.” She fiddled with the small pebble and smiled. “You can trust your hands to feel, but your kind are a mischievous species, Ji Hye, much like now, I will not hesitate to fool your mind, and it’ll only be your fault as you allowed yourself to believe in something you could ‘see’ over something you could touch and feel.”

“How was I supposed to feel with my hands that the rock came from your backyard?”

The older woman eyed her granddaughter warily. “It’s not the point Ji Hye, your hands feel and you can trust what they feel...when your mind tries to fit together a puzzle with no pieces, you will find yourself in a labyrinth, with no way out.”

She didn’t understand then, but one day, she’d use this very knowledge to keep her grandmother from the sanctity of her thoughts.

[obsjihye]

Memories Latte ― Sunseong

“Ne, halmonnie...ne...everything is okay.” Ji Hye kept herself from sighing or even rolling her eyes, sure that her grandmother would pick up on the annoyed edge to her granddaughter’s actions. And how could Ji Hye afford to be anything but annoyed? This had been the fifth phone call in a series of attempts to guilt or scare the young witch into moving back to Gunsan. By the third phone call, she’d almost let her phone slip through her fingers and fall over the side of her balcony where she stood.

The skyline was beautiful, and yet she couldn’t appreciate it because she was all too busy humoring her grandmother. Stress made her temples ache, the few flowers in her new apartment drooping to match her sour mood.

“Ji Hye, being in a new city is difficult, being away from your responsibilities is difficult and if you’re anything like your mother you’re just going to neglect your studies. I need you to come home oka-” “I am not like my mother, halmonnie...we’ve had this conversation before.” “You may say that, but you’re easily influenced and being in a new city with all these people worries me. I’m not around to approve of your friends.” “You weren’t around to approve of my friends at Seogwipa.” “And I didn’t have to be, Seogwipa is prestigious, and I trust that they wouldn’t allow any bad apples onto their roster.”

Ji Hye closed her eyes and took a deep breath, a conversation like this was never ending, and she constantly found herself drained when defending her autonomy against a woman who loved through control ― only through the control of her granddaughter’s life and decisions could she feel that the young witch, the family and coven could be safe.

She understood this, and then she didn’t. Ji Hye had never been able to place herself in her grandmother’s shoes, losing a child and having an extension of her family in limbo because of the lack on an heir.

It was just all too disconnected from Ji Hye’s realities for her to understand; her grandmother was a prideful high priestess who would do anything to protect her coven and would never think to hide her true face; Ji was the granddaughter of said woman, a woman who was projecting the expectations of her daughter onto her granddaughter and keeping her close for obligation rather than love.

The young witch did not doubt that her grandmother loved her...just not enough to let her find herself. If only the older woman could understand that she was suffocating Ji Hye and would only push her away...

“Halmonnie, I’m not going to drift from you or the coven. I couldn’t walk away from it even if I wanted to, but this is too much. If you keep this up, I wont have a choice but to stop answering your calls. This is a courtesy...a privilege I am giving you because I love you, don’t abuse it.”

Ji Hye shifted her weight from one leg to the other, uncomfortable with the words she spoke and uncomfortable in the skin she was in ― why was it that she felt so inadequate in her grandmother’s presence? The marking on her right arm burned faintly, but she held her phone tightly in her hand and held her ground. Neither woman spoke a word as the minutes passed by, the silence growing between them.

If they had anything in common it was their stubbornness. 

“Halmonnie...I love you,” the older woman had an edge; she’d been playing this game for much longer than her young grandchild, and even as her granddaughter broke she held her ground, “i’ll call you soon, arasso?”

[obsjihye]

belated mundane day — 5/?

What’s your favorite animal? Fictional or otherwise! the glaucus atlanticus and axolotl...they may as well be fictional just look them up Have you ever dyed your hair before? If you have, what colors did you use? If you haven’t and would like to, what colors would you use? ah yes, in middle school my hair was this weird brown that wasn’t brown at all, more like mauve, and it looked like the prettiest magenta in the sun, um and after i’ve had several variations of brown but that’s all What television shows did you watch as a child? well...cow & chicken, dexter’s laboratory, my gym partner’s a monkey, camp lazlo, teen titans (the original, not that ttg! bs), ed, edd n eddy, samurai jack, dragonball z (watched it with my dad for bonding time lmao), foster’s home for imaginary friends, codename: kids next door, johnny bravo, the grim adventures of billy and mandy, the power puff girls, courage the cowardly dog, the marvelous misadventures of flapjack, chowder, johnny test, hi hi puffy amiyumi, scooby-doo...and i’m gonna stop there because the nostalgia runs deep and wow that’s a lot of cartoons

How do you like to relieve stress? hm, i’d like to say that i’m good at relieving stress, but no? but i am getting better at it (edit — 9.10.17; i thought i wrote what helps me relieve stress and i didn’t lol...well, music, exercise, hm i gotta think about it) What’s your favorite part of roleplaying? this is hard...but i think it’s beautiful to have two different people with different minds and writing styles connect and work off of each other to create a beautiful thread; even though writing styles are different, they just work together. roleplaying can easily be a chore if not for the people you roleplay with What’s an achievement you are proud of? um...i have lots of achievements but those are mostly academic and any pride there melds into my ego T-T; an achievement away from that has to be having two plays i’ve written produce 

Many of us have returned to or will soon be returning to school! Do you have any advice that you’d like to share? don’t choose classes that are way too early for you too manage (not so much from personal experience but for myself the commute can go awry at any moment so if you can’t wake up early enough to factor the element of surprise then no), oh and pls don’t take an online class, my friend did this and she just stopped doing the work and that’s an F. um, do not procrastinate and do not miss out on readings or skip lectures, i’ve seen people do this and when you’re taking heavy classes you might as well fail right then and there. just stick to it overall (and even if you have two finals on your birthday, you gotta go...so pls remind me that i said this when i go on complaining at the end of the semester) If you have or are pursuing a degree, what is it? rn i’m pursuing a bachelor’s in psychology Do you have any go-to studying tips that you would share? i think a lot of what works for studying can’t be applied to everyone but, i find that writing things in actual pen and paper rather than typing helps (now, i type furiously in class and then write my notes in my binder so that i can formulate things better and remember better), doing the readings and highlighting and annotating are great 

[obsjihye]

Mourning Dove

[obsjihye]

jetfire daffodil:

(...)

Another low, embarrassed chuckle filtered from her, her eyebrows slanting up towards one another to create a worried furrow betwixt them. “I’m very grateful, really—I know these are strange choices.” In truth, she could have left a money offering for all of them and had been done with it, but the thought of that lacked personality and relationship. “I don’t think you could disappoint me. You sound like an expert!”

“There are about six types of hibiscus flower native to Hawaii, but I do think I get the gist of what she wants. The ‘Hawaiian’ hibiscus is quite popular when it comes in a deep pink, but if she wants to feel as if she’s on vacation, then I’d gift our yellow Hawaiian hibiscus flowers, they’re this vibrant yellow color and the center is this deep red that lightens in pigmentation as you move outward on the petals. It’s very much like the Hawaiian sunset in postcards.” After Ji had offered her own slice of advice, she realized that she must not have been as attentive as she initially believed, because the young witch had to replay her customer’s words following the details of the hibiscus she was looking for. 

The pumpkin-haired woman spoke of this friend as Ji Hye would speak of her flowers; of course this was a similarity Ji’s mind conjured because she was well aware of magic...so much so that she had the tendency to forget that others were not. The ‘friend’ in question could have very well been someone from abroad, moving to Sunseong with little to no ties, and after doing so becoming lonely. The ‘friend’ in question was of no concern to Ji Hye and she had to maintain her focus on the customer with the heartwarming interest in flora.

Ji Hye tried her best to keep from meddling into the affairs of others, lest she ran the risk of becoming her grandmother Jeong Sun. She knows that people prefer to keep their privacy, and she knows this from experience. The young witch has always been thankful to have been born without her grandmother’s ability of clairvoyance; it just felt intrusive walking among someone else’s thoughts.

And yet she was gifted with the ability to communicate with plants; it’s an ability suitable for a young woman who finds true comfort in flowers. The contrast was an interesting one, the way in which Ji Hye’s true face was so different than the sanguine young witch that could befriend any person or creature that crossed her path.

A description came of the white chrysanthemums, and Ji Hye immediately pointed over her shoulder, pinpointing a section near the door. “The white chrysanthemums tend to sit in the area closest to the storefront,” she explained, opting to remain mum on the reason why — these particular flowers preferred an arrangement wherein the devoted love they tended to represent was the first thing expressed to the customers when they walked through the door; a flower with an agenda similar to Ji Hye’s after all. Ji placed the flowers at the very bottom of the list, only so because they were closest to the exit, and the two could make a round trip instead of zig-zagging throughout the expanse lobby. It was something the young witch loved to do in order to get her fill of the plants around her, but it wasn’t something that her customers usually wanted.

Sunflowers for a waeguk-saram who married a local; Ji Hye nodded as she refined the checklist she had made in her head. A gardener would be amazed with an uncommon breed of their favorite flower, but would more than appreciate the simplicity of the flora’s most common sub-type. Ji Hye’s brows knitted together for a moment, as she weighed the options; the common man’s sunflower would be a nice touch, they all sat near one another with the daylilies and mountain marigolds. “I know which sunflowers he’d like — at least I think so — when you’re in a profession where you have the privilege of working with beautiful and rare flowers it’s the subtle delicacy of a common blossom that really steals you heart. The flower I suggested before is something he would appreciate, but the common man’s sunflower seems more genuine now that you’ve told me more.”

The smile on Ji Hye’s lips widened, she tilted her head in the slightest, and decided that the elegant zinnias were more than appropriate. “The elegant zinnias then,” Ji wouldn’t ask what the reminder was for, of course, but she could provide a flower to add a little color for the customer and her memories. 

“Hm?” The pumpkin-haired woman’s next words surprised Ji Hye, the prospect of ‘trouble’ hadn’t crossed her mind; the young witch had fun in her own way when she worked on the floor and helped others find the ideal flower. And not all customers blessed Ji Hye’s day with such an extensive list...when they did, it was like being given a new assignment to which she could dedicate a small portion of her day. “Not at all! I’m one of those people who loves what they do, and because you had such a variety of flowers I have the excuse of showcasing most if not all of these beautiful flowers,” she chuckled lightly before continuing, “so please, don’t apologize.” 

“Well we have forsythia bushes of those native to Korea, if you look right over there,” turning in the direction of the flora that came in much larger pots, Ji Hye shot the other woman a glance and raised her eyebrows, “They may require delivery...and by ‘may’ I mean most definitely. Maybe it’s just my own small stature but, it’s more than tedious to pack and unpack forsythias, not to mention the chore that comes with placement.”

Shoulders rose and fell with a small shrug, while she thought of the time frame of the forsythia’s delivery. When she pulled her gaze away from the green and yellow, Ji Hye eyed the other woman and shook her head lightly. “Honestly, I don’t think any choice is strange when it comes to flowers, they’re as diverse as people, so it makes sense.” There was a bias behind her words, and still she felt her words were sincere; they had rang true for as long as Ji had been living. “Thank you! I don’t want to sound boastful, but it helps to truly understand the flowers.” Compliments fell at her feet from the very minute she had taken a breath, and nonetheless she’d almost flushed at the compliment...appraisal as always stroked her ego.

[obscris]

trapped.

[obsjihye]

marsh gladiolus:

(...)

After an hour of the foolishness, the doll was no longer in sight anymore. Even when he waited a few seconds, it no longer appeared. Cris was in unexplored territory at this point and after spotting something at the corner of his eye, he rushed into the cave attempting to catch it. But the cave wasn’t as stable as he thought it was and after a few minutes, the shaking off the walls trapped him within. Damn his instincts. “Fuck me.”

A price tag seemed attached to nearly everything ― living or dead ― in the mundane and abstract world. Some commodities were so precious one had no choice but to label them as priceless, and others were so unfortunate as to be considered worthless. Even if these commodities were priceless to a young witch. Ji Hye had hiked as far as her feet could carry ― and only as far as her legs would allow her ― looking for some wild flowers in the Sunseong mountains. 

The young witch could have easily found the flowers at any flower shop, or even her own flora center, but there was something personal about harvesting plants with her own two hands; she felt as if her potions were better for it.

She had long ago learned that seeking out these plants where they grew in the wild was well worth the effort, and the people she treated reaped the reward. It was why she found herself at the entrance of a cave a few hours ago, picking orange arum-lilies, brunneras, and shiozaki rue anemones. The abundance of plants growing in the shaded entrance of the cave had managed to pique her curiosity; if there had been such a variation at the mouth of the cave, she could only wonder the type of flora she could find once she walked inside. 

Ji Hye had moved aside a cascade of thin vines, and entered the cave with a small flashlight in hand; her eyes tried to adjust to the lack of light but her vision could only make out the faintest blur of a shape here and there far beyond the reach of her flashlight. Even though the musty air was too thick for her to draw a proper breath and even though the dark cave was uncharted ― and maybe even dangerous ― territory, her swift steps held no hesitation. It was true that curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.

Inside the cave she had found rocks covered in moss, and rows upon rows of fungi, most of which she collected and placed in her bag. As she walked a little farther, she came across an incline ― it wasn’t very steep, and when she flashed her light, the floor was no more than a few feet below. Her hands almost reached out for a railing, but the man-made barre was the last thing she should have expected to find in this cave. Ji Hye pulled her hand back towards her body and took careful steps down the slope.

A few more feet and she had found red creeping thymes and mixed astilbe in the twilight zone of the cave. 

The young witch was amazed to have found such flowers, so much so that she let time fly as she collected enough of the plants to fill a small jar each. She treated each plant she took from the earth with care, like a small ritual between the flora and herself.

It was in the middle of one of these pseudo-rituals where she felt a rumbling beneath her feet...and for some stupid reason, dismissed it. Ji Hye continued to collect portions she needed when another rumble ― louder than the first ― stopped the movement of her hands. She placed the last jar in her bag and shined the light of her torch on the walls around her, trying and failing to pinpoint the source of the rumbling.

Common sense dictated that finding said noise was not as important as getting away from it. She had walked far into the cave without so much as scrutinizing it’s stability...such dismissal of her surroundings would be her undoing. But it was too late to really dwell on the mistake she had made...Ji Hye picked herself up from the ground, light focused on the path her feet had left in the moist dirt. The young witch took a few rushed steps when the rumbling began again...her grip on the flashlight tightened and her free hand searched for solace on the cave walls.

She had only reached the foot of the cave’s incline when dust and small rocks began raining down around her. Her body froze, unsure of whether she should rush forward into the spiraling debris or move deeper into the cave, hoping to find another exit somewhere.

Pragmatism reduced her time, and in the process of pinpointing the path with the least resistance, the witch’s window of opportunity vanished. She stumbled over her own two feet as the cave around her crumbled in on itself, rocks falling left and right, covering her hope...covering the entrance.

Ji Hye fell backwards, arms covering her head and stepped back into the cave. She winced at a dulled pain in the palm of her hands ― probably from rocks on the ground ―   and upon feeling the odd sensation Ji tried to shine her flashlight on the source. And she would have if the thin torch was still in her hand.

When had she lost her grip on the small light?

The pace of her breathing quickened in the slightest, and she felt her heartbeat follow suit. The last thing she wanted was to be trapped in a cave, alone and in the dark...such unexpected disasters left Ji Hye reeling, stuck at the mercy of the elements of her craft’s alignment. The irony was a cosmic brutal thing...one that left a sour taste on her tongue and a pit in her stomach. For a moment, she just sat there, clutching onto her bag as she tried ― and failed ― to clear her mind of it’s racing thoughts.

[obsjihye]

Four Times He Did & One Time He Didn’t

[obsjihye]

field larkspur:

Keep reading

Soothsaying tends to absorb most if not all of Ji Hye’s concentration; it’s not as if she can see injuries or ailments with some form of röntgen radiation...her eyes never capture anything other than the person lying before her. The divination manifests itself as a feeling, a projection of another’s ailments onto her own body, heightened so that she can locate exactly where said maladies lie. 

It usually starts with a tingling in her occipital lobe: the ‘visions’ of people’s injuries come as something more akin to a sensation, quite similar to twins and their ‘telepathy’, and when the tingling subsides, she feels the ghost of a wound here, or the shadow of a bruise there. What she feels never remains...and Ji Hye wouldn’t be able to live her life as she normally did if these sensations did remain. Like the pain the beast was feeling for example.

Although his discomfort was dulled to the best of their ability, Ji found herself straining the muscles in her upper back, annoyed by the soreness that mimicked his own. 

She’d move on towards the area near his sides had he remained silent, but instead his voice had yet again reached her ears ― and because her father was the one who normally spoke to animals, the young witch found herself amazed at the scene before her ; Ji Hye pulled her hands away from her patient, and stepped back. His request, since it sounded as if he were asking for her permission, seemed silly to the young woman; he could change so long as he wanted to, and so long as it didn’t put a strain on his body.

His human form could have been a more comfortable state of being for the foo, and of course the good doctor and his daughter would be able to wrap him in bandages without the prospect of wasted bandages once he changed. Of course, Ji Hye could advise him otherwise if she felt that the moment wasn’t right, but he was the one to judge whether he was ready to shift into his human form..and it seemed as if he was.  

She was going to ask him to wait just a moment as she gathered up a few blankets when his own words interrupted hers. This time, she was left speechless...

Ji Hye was born into magic, and knows there’s nothing mundane about her existence nor her brilliant mind...that being said, her mind is no more immune to shock or surprise than the average human. When the beast speaks her name, the confusion begins at the very tips of her ears, tingling as if to ask ‘did he say my name?’; then it moves to her brows, crinkling together to showcase a rare expression from the young witch: bafflement; and finally her mouth is slightly agape, looking for words of question or concern but finding neither. 

She’s unable to follow his instruction for a fraction of a second because she’s still processing his words; she may have still be frozen in place had her father not intervened, “yah, turn around ttal, go find him some clothes to change into.”

Eyes dart in her father’s direction, and when she nods obediently and turns to walk in the direction of her father’s small wardrobe, her mind is still buzzing with questions. The young witch relayed the events of the night to the best of her ability, as she tried to figure out if her name had slipped from her father’s lips...but never called her by her given name ― it was quite the touchy subject ― and to make up for it, he’d call her ‘ttal’ or one of the many pet names he’d deemed worthy throughout the years.

Could he really be the patient she had begun to attend regularly? 

Ji Hye chided herself once more for jumping to conclusions...it just seemed that she could help herself less and less the more that the chips begun to fall into place. She preferred an acute awareness of the things happening around her; and although Ji was usually adept enough to fill in the blanks with what she was given, failure to do so or the simple inability to fill in the blanks left a sour taste in her mouth. The young witch shook the thoughts from her head; it must have been the entropy shrouding the city...and as of late, it had become all too easy for her synapses to fire off in wild directions.

Her feet begin shuffling towards the far corner of the clinic; this time she takes her time with her task, opening the door and sifting through her father’s things. The shirts and sweaters were no issue, because the size was arbitrary...the bottoms on the other hand would prove harder to match to the person whom she’d only seen as a beast ― to her knowledge, that is. She could ask...

Ji Hye clicked her tongue and prepared her words...but she released a frustrated sigh since she was lacking a name; it almost seemed impolite to her that he could address her by the moniker she was given at birth, and yet Ji Hye was unable to treat him to the same courtesy. To make matters worse, if she called him by an incorrect name, she might find herself dealing with an offended patient. There had to be a solution, and still the suggestions her mind conjured did nothing to dull her frustration...nevertheless, Ji had to be patient; once he shifted, she would know. If only her father had saved her the trouble and explained things over the phone.

[obsjihye]

Four Times He Did & One Time He Didn’t

[obsjihye]

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Her eyes seek out the beast when she hears her father’s words, silently taking note of the innocuous detail; in truth, knowing that the beast could shift into a human form would not have changed the course of her actions or the treatment she had administered ― it wasn’t the most important detail, but the witch would have liked to know. Still, she pushes the newfound knowledge to the back of her mind, and again focuses on the beast person’s side. 

She’s curious, but it’s far from her business.

Ji Hye busies herself with covering the rest of his marred skin, gently massaging the elixir into the wounded area until there is no inch of bruised skin that she can see. A hand wipes the sweat from her brow ― and in doing so leaves a dark smudge from the concoction covering her gloves. Ji doesn’t notice, but even if she did, her appearance was not the priority, the magical being in front of her was...and if his much calmer breathing was any indication, the pain he felt must have been dulled. The young witch slipped off her gloves, and tossed them in the smaller basic, her shoulders relaxed, and she could finally breathe a little easier.

...It was only when she rested against her father’s chair that her ears registered a voice; although the voice was familiar, it wasn’t her appa who was speaking. ‘A witch without rest, is a witch who can conquer the world, huh?’ Ji Hye sat up in her chair again, and glanced around the clinic even though she was certain that the source of the voice was laying within arms reach. 

And when the subject of his words truly registered in the witch’s mind, she couldn’t help but laugh.

Where those really the first words he chose to vocalize? While it made sense for him to voice such concerns, Ji Hye had found this particular concern quite pragmatic given his current state. Instead of complaining about the pain ― which he must have done enough of in his head ― the person laying injured on the operating table had concerned themselves with their modesty. At least, they could afford to communicate...so long as holding a conversation didn’t strain his throat or vocal chords.

Ji Hye cleared her throat, and shot her father a quick glance, unable to keep the entertained smile from her lips. Her appa could only shrug, much too busy collecting rolls of gauze, and human-sized blankets ― a rare commodity inside of a veterinary clinic. She would leave him roaming in his own bubble ― if she was tired, Ji Hye could only imagine how exhausted her father felt ― and would therein continue to nurse her patient. 

“Ah, I think we’ve got you covered...quite literally, so I wouldn’t concern myself with that.” 

Had his own clothes made it as far as the clinic, or had he walked through the doors bare? It was a trivial concern in comparison to the other aspects of his visit, but it was his concern and Ji Hye would respect that. If he hadn’t been clothed upon his arrival, he would certainly need a change of clothes before leaving the clinic...if his injuries permitted such extensive movement. With that in mind, Ji was sure that her father kept a drawer filled with clothing for nights in particular where he was unable to go home for his well-deserved rest and much-needed shower.

The creature laying before her was in dire need of the same things, and although he was out of the woods, Ji Hye’s own examination of his injuries was yet from finished. If her father had ever agreed with his mother-in-law over anything, it was the need to be thorough where healing was concerned. She was certain that he wouldn’t like any more prodding of his sore physique; she was also certain that the once-searing pain in his muscles would subside if he allowed her to do as healers do. 

Her own intuition told her that she should begin her final examination of his injuries now ― since there had to be more to his plight than a dislocated shoulder and wounded side ― and she was unsure if there were injuries the beast himself had been unaware of with a mind that had been focused on the more obvious ailments...or even a desire to shift into his human form. The creature could feel the pain now, or feel it later...and with his dulled nerve endings, she was sure that feeling pain in the now was the lesser of the two evils; a faint soreness would be the only thing that remained.

If her fingers nicked a particularly pained spot, Ji Hye would apologize later. 

Pushing herself onto her own two feet, Ji closed the space between herself and the beast, hands feeling a tingling sensation from the tips of her fingers to the base of her wrist. Her eyes scanned his figure, unsure of where to start, and decided that it was simply best to touch her finger to the base of his neck, right above his spine. 

The young witch had recently been able to soothsay expanse regions of an individual’s body without so much as moving her hands from the area of contact. She had shared the news with two proud relatives ― her father and his mother ― and one curt relative ― a grandmother who believed such progress was expected and should not be congratulated. It was the balance of things; in the end her grandmother kept her grounded, and aware of just how much she had to learn, but she was also aware of how good it felt to receive positive affirmations of her magic. Everyone adored hearing positive feedback, it was crucial for the most minute of things...like a patient being told how strong they had been during such a nasty ordeal.

“You’ve done so well.” She voiced this small compliment, but opted to keep silent about much of what was left. It’s not that her touch would hurt him any more than what he felt, but when one was in pain, and highly tender their minds exaggerated the prospect of any more pain.

Her heightened ability could not cover his entire body with one touch, but with the larger area one single touch covered, they would spend less time on identifying his other ailments. Still, it would make things easier for her large patient...Ji knew that had he arrived at her father’s clinic before she honed this particular strength, the poking and prodding would have felt similar to a deep-tissue massage.

The closest injury she could sense was a bruised back...nothing seemed broken and there were no sprains that Ji could sense. His spinal chord was intact, so Ji Hye could easily inference that the injuries in his back were superficial. Something quite peculiar were the fading bruises she sensed throughout his back ― was this person trouble prone? There shouldn’t have been the old bruising she found on his back unless these injuries were a reoccurring thing. 

It reminded her of a patient she had been treating lately...he came to Ji Hye’s own pseudo-clinic more than once and filled with bruises; sometimes they were mild ailments and other times they weren’t. When Ji considered the similarities, she became aware of the familiarity she had sensed in his voice; it didn’t seem plausible that the two would be one and the same...but he’d never divulged his particular species, had he? The young witch was tired, and her mind cloudy...she had to shake her head to banish the thoughts; the last thing she should be doing was jumping to conclusions.