minix

there is a hell, believe me i've seen it.

[songminix]

sshibalx

he was still cowering and still backing away, hands up in defeat and planning an exit. a swift one at that. when you punch song min in the face, expect to be brought to your knees. it was a reaction of fear that limited him and kept him from speaking a much needed apology. he was still shocked by his own actions, and he was 100% regretting hitting her in the face. though her speech would break his silence in due time.

he flinched as she walked past him. he was foolish enough to think the doorframe could hold her. and the signs of him getting the ass kicking of his lifetime seemed all but sealed as she shut the door behind him. the sounds of the door hitting it’s frame turning his blood cold, as the hair on his arms stood upright on his flesh. he shuddered at the sudden goosebumps. his mind traced back to the many signature moves of Nix, trying his hardest to come up with a plan of defense, though she had already incapacitated his mind with a mere look in her eyes. he thought to just fall to his own knees and ask for mercy, though he had to be a man about it. he groaned loud enough for his voice to echo against gym walls and unused equipment. “Make it quick. Knock me out. Do your worst. I can’t promise I can take it, but I’ll try.”

but to his surprise, she headed to the mirror behind him. his mouth fell open in a quick gasp of relief, and that’s when it finally clicked to help his colleague. a quick set of chuckles fell from his lips. how lucky he was to have dodged a bullet from Nix.

his eyebrows furrowed in sympathy, as he shuffled around for a towel to humbly present to her, though she already had it covered. “B-broken?” he shook his head, “Oh my– no…” he tried to help with the dabbing, though his aim was the blood that was trickling down to her jaw. a sigh of a frustrated “Noona” escaped his lips as his own fingers tenderly moved to trace the, in fact, broken nose. his tone softened, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think I had it in me either. I was just–” frustrated? getting his anger out? doing as she taught him? he didn’t have an answer. “Can I take you to a doctor? It’s the least I can do” he issued his own hisses to mimic hers, he felt as if he could feel her pain.

     She could sense how wary he was, he’d always been a little scared of her, the woman knew she emitted an intimidating aura but she didn’t really understand why. Was it because she was so quiet? Or did her reputation tell others to take precautions around her? Maybe she should try to alter it, if she ever mustered up enough care.      Feeling around the break gingerly, her face was throbbing with the dull aching of bruises forming. Glancing across at him, she narrowed her eyes a fraction before wincing when his warm fingers gently pressed along her nose also. “Aren’t you a doctor?” she chastised lightly, leaning back to get out of his reach “besides, there’s no need. A broken nose is a wasted trip to the hospital.” She turned and face the mirror again, lifting her fingers up to softly rub along the sides of her nose to figure out where, in fact, the break was so she could gauge the damage. A deep inhale, closed eyes and she quickly applied pressure and jerked it back into its original position.      SNAP, the sound cut through the air and she inhaled a sharp intake of breath, clenching her teeth together to cease any curse words that were hoping to escape. A fresh warm bush of blood dripped down and onto her chin, caught by the towel that Han was still uselessly dabbing on her neck and chest. “See?” she looked back up at him, eyes damp from the pain of re-setting her own nose “it’s fine now.” Looking back at her reflection, deep purple shadows were already forming around her eyes and nose and she sighed,  pressing the towel in her own hands to her face to try and soak up the moisture there.      “The last time I had a black eye, the person who gave it to me sorely regretted it” she commented, stepping back from the mirror and heading over to Hans water bottle, picking it up and up-ending it over the towel to soak it so she could wipe herself clean. “I swear to the heavens, if this water is mouldy. I will kill you” she said, glaring at him momentarily before wiping her face and neck with the damp towel.

[songminix]

Home, is where the heart is. At least that’s what they say.

I Need U – Minor Version (Smyang Piano, orig BTS)

Songs without words are the ones she resonates with the most, words are useless and often cause more harm than help. She’s such a lone wolf, she won’t even stop to consider that possibly she may need someone elses help, or company. She’s always been alone and believes she will continue to be so.

Nightmares – All Time Low

I told myself that I wouldn’t be scared, but I’m still having nightmares.

Min’s past is one wrought with tragedy and sorrow, her family life combined with her career gives for much horror-inducing material for her to wake up in the middle of the night in sheer blind panic.

What A Catch, Donnie - Fall Out Boy

They say the captain goes down with the ship, so when the world ends will god go down with it?

She has a fairly pessimistic view of the world in general, she’s never found comfort nor solace in religion.

Alive – Sia

I wanted everything I never had, like the love that comes with light. I wore envy and I hated it, but I survived.

She has a strong will to survive, her mother told her she was a worthless mutant her whole life and she’s striving to prove that those words didn’t affect her. She always puts herself and her survival first, she’s been through this much already, and she’ll go through worse.

The Ghost of You – My Chemical Romance

At the end of the world, or the last thing I see you are, never coming home.

Her fathers death had a huge impact on her life, she’ll never admit it openly however. She thinks about him all the time, wondering if things would have been different if he were still alive.

[songminix]

latorre-x

he was shuffling a couple of bar menus in front of himself as he settled in his seat for a much more comfortable position, reading about happy hours, and drinks specials. it was apparent from the confusion on his face that he was way out of his element. fancy cocktails were not at all his cup of tea. he’d just come for a quick drink, maybe two, stare at a couple of people mindlessly, try to avoid a fight, and go home to disappoint his mother who’d smell the alcohol on him. it was a rare occurrence but given the usually tough days he’d been having, the wise woman would see it coming, wouldn’t she? he was struggling, he was always struggling. would he ever not struggle.

he tossed a look to the quiet reserved woman, he tried his best to not pay too close attention to her features. he tried his best to not compare her to his wife, though the set of eyes did cause him to cower a bit. was it that they were just a shade darker than Minan’s? or could he sense a tiny danger in her false smile? the hero days were over, he had to tell himself. he had no business worrying about idle threats. “I don’t.” he shook his head with a frown. “Is it that obvious?” he clasped his hands together in even more defeat before biting down on his lip to begin to ask, “I don’t know what I’m reading anymore. I don’t know how to order a drink anymore, it seems. What would you recommend? Something strong, please. You… come here often, right?” it terrible assumption to make about a person, he shook his head at his words hoping they didn’t sound as one of those terrible™ pick-up lines.

     Lifting a hand to run it through her short hair, she brushed it away from her eyes. She didn’t know, nor care to know, about this man or anything he was going through. But something about this mans demeanour, the absolute defeat in his eyes and the pathetic way he spoke. It reminded her of herself, all those years ago. Perhaps Song Min did have a heart after all, Lucien would have a field day.      The bartender here knew her, knew what she drank and in what order. After she had her glass of wine, she moved on to a top shelf japanese whiskey that was perfectly warming and took the edge off any trauma she could possibly face in a day. Looking to the bar, the man was studying her with a mixed expression, she assumed he was wondering whether to come and rescue her from the clutches of the stranger, he knew she enjoyed her own company after all. A light shake of her head bought a visible sigh of relief from him, she gestured in a familiar fashion and held up two fingers, signalling she wanted more than one. He obliged politely and within a minute or so a glass of the honey brown liquid appeared in front of both her and her tablemate respectively, her empty wine glass whisked away promptly.      “Yamazaki.” she replied simply, lifting her glass in a motion of cheers before sipping it “don’t worry about paying me back for it. The owner owes me many favours.”

[songminix]

thegillionaire

Mismatching socks, each with a different sports team’s logo and color, were propped upon Min’s coffee table. He’d been having fun catering to the idiosyncrasies of his new identity; pretending to be a lumberjack-looking, beer chugging, everyday man of Crystalline gave him a necessary distraction. And while he didn’t always enjoy managing his new alibi, it certainly kept him occupied. “Hey, careful with that newfangled contraption,” he said, raising both hands above his head in jest. “You’ll shoot your eye out.”

A grin of pearly, white teeth shone with all the playfulness of the Cheshire Cat. “I’ll be the one asking the questions tonight,” he said. Slowly, he lowered both hands down until they entered a Dorito’s bag each and rifled for the perfectly shaped chip. “For starters: why do you have a couch if you don’t even have a television?” he said. “What do you do here? Sit and watch paint dry?”

Gil lifted his hands out of the bags and popped two chips into his mouth with deliberate, agonizingly slow crunching. He dusted off his hands. Despite a generously thick coating of chip debris on his fingers, he ran his hands along the leather seats. “Still, I have to admit that you’ve got great taste,” he said. “This is some nice leather. Is this Crate and Barrel or a custom Italian import? You have to hook me up with your supplier.”

     The moment his mouth opened, she regretted not shooting him on sight. Eyebrow twitched in annoyance at his lack of consideration for imposing upon her personal space, her home. Keeping the gun pointed at him steadily, she kicked her shoes off and slid them neatly behind her to their home by the door before padding across the wooden floor in her socks and placing her grocery bag on the island counter. She wondered how he knew where she lived, but assumed either Han or Simon had let it slip they lived in the same building. She wouldn’t put it past Gilbert to break into every apartment in the complex until he found hers, solely for the purpose of ten minutes of humour.      As his hands delved into the chip bags, her finger itched to pull the trigger, eyes widened in horror as he pulled out the small snacks, his fingers coated in dust that was a violent shade of orange. Placing the gun on the counter before she actually did shoot him, she sighed in annoyance and closed her eyes to try and block out the image of him tarnishing her furniture. “I read, I’m sure you don’t know how to do that, but it’s actually a very common pastime amongst civilised people” she hissed between her teeth, choosing to ignore him now and beginning to put the fresh groceries she’d bought away into the fridge and their respective cupboards. At his question about the quality of her couch, she shot him a dark glance and felt a shiver run down her spine at the crumbs that littered the space around him. Not limited to the leather alone they seemed to explode around him like cheese scented, disgusting trash confetti, all over her coffee table and rug also. She’d have to get rid of everything. It was the only option, there’s no way she’d be able to clean all that mess up. “I’m actually in the market for a new one” she replied “you can take it with you, considering you’ve already made yourself at home on it.”

[sshibalx]

laying low was hard. the tensions and frustrations were building up fast. the bloodlust muddied his brain. he was confined to such a small space– his condo lost, his identity was compromised, he had a suspect of a sister who looked at him differently, and no real grasp of reality anymore.  how could he jump back into his life of luxury, debauchery, and murder without the threat of being taken again? and if they took him again? would it be so bad?

if he weren’t taken off guard, with the knowledge he had, couldn’t he have a fighting chance? was that stupid logic? or was it survivor logic? and what was stopping him from entering the Sector of Humanity and mutilating each and every one of them just as they did him?

the rage threatened to bubble over, the anxiousness to do something– anything for revenge infected the mind. it was only due time before he released these tensions.

living with four people– four of the most important people in his life, however made it hard to lie, hard to cover his tracks, and hard to slip out with so much as an excuse.

the gym bag he’d carried would still have a weapon, just in case he couldn’t get all of his frustrations on the gym bag, and his eyes continued to leer towards that thirst after each and every hard punch. the sight of blood anyone’s blood would have quenched any ache in the throat. as he began to only see more red.

they say the gym helps with relieving the stress– it only made his worse. it only heightened this fear and paranoia that he tried to push back and it only deepened the ghostlike pains of the trauma he felt. so when the gym door opened behind him, the fist went flying to the person who interrupted him. it was a reflex reaction. it wasn’t meant for––

@songminix​ || a kiss with a fist is better than none

and the moment he’d realized what he’d done, there were instantaneous steps backwards, as if he’d taken the brunt of the blow. his eyes flew wide open in surprise. he threw his hands up in surrender. and in all honesty, he was ready for her retaliation. having seen what she could do to a man. the only words he could muster were, “Oh… no.” as he continued to cower backwards. the sight of blood not at all gaining the reaction he’d thought. 

[songminix]

     Ever since they’d gotten back from the doves “facilities”, Min could tell that something was off with Han. He wasn’t as childishly irritating, he didn’t purposely try to bother her all of the time and to top it all off he was actually taking their gym sessions seriously, perhaps he was just happy for the company.      She’d spotted him entering the building whilst she was doing her own solo workout, his brow was clouded with darkness that he probably didn’t realise he was displaying to the world, she’d have to talk to him about that. Sighing gently, she continued her weight routine and made a mental note to try and catch him before he left.       Standing from the bench, she grabbed a sanitising cloth and wiped down all the equipment she’d used, small towel slung over her shoulder casually. The woman glanced around for Han-Jae, but couldn’t see him. She’d just call him later. Mopping her brow as she headed towards the MMA room, Min had settled on cooling down with a punch routine with the bag and then a jog. Checking her watch as she opened the door, the woman had barely looked up when her journey was impeded, with a fist.

     Fire spread from the centre of her face, an explosion of lights behind her eyes and the ominous reverberating crack in her ears as she felt her nose surely break. Surprise caused her to stumble backwards, but she caught herself on the door frame before she could fall. Already surprised and confused eyes locked on the offender, a very scared and sheepish looking Han-Jae Song who was quickly backing away from her. Looking over her shoulder, she noted that no-one had yet noticed the interaction, it had only been going on for a few seconds after all, and she quickly stepped into the room and shut the door behind her.      Eyes locked back on the man, her expression more muted now as her body came to terms with what had happened and the dull aching began. She stepped forwards, making her way past him quickly to inspect the damage to her face in the far mirror.       Blood, a lot of it, her lower jaw was essentially coated in the thick carmine substance. Min glanced down and behind her, to the spotting trail that followed her progress along the floor. Looking back at her reflection, she gingerly pressed against her nose with her fingertips, hissing a wince and biting her lip at the soreness. He’d punched her pretty hard.      “It’s definitely broken” she said finally, pulling the towel from her shoulder and dabbing at her clothes to try and soak up some of the blood “I’m impressed.” she chuckled, looking at him again “I didn’t think you had it in you. Mr Song.”

[songminix]

ghculishscn

Dalton took a moment to consider his answer before he answered, “Electric eels are cool, but my favorites are sea turtles. I hope to learn more about them when I’m older. All the creatures that dwell in water.” Ender smiled softly as he listened to his son speak then gently stated, “That’s cool, bud. I’d be more than happy to help you learn about them down the road and I’m sure your other dad will feel the same.”

The fact about frogs caught the attention of both Scott males and made an incredulous look appear on Dalton’s face. “That would be considered adaptation, right? I learned about that in school. Not the cool stuff you just said, but the general topic.” Ender nodded slightly in confirmation before he remarked, “You just absorb information like a sponge, I swear.”

     Nodding once more, she looked back at the jellyfish who drifted along peacefully in their tank still, oblivious to the conversation going on at the other side of the glass. “That’s a nice ambition” she agreed with Ender, “If I had stayed in school, I think I would have liked to study marine biology or something similar.” she sighed wistfully, watching as two of the creatures glided past each other gracefully. “There are a lot more branches of study these days though, so I’m sure you’ll find something that interests you” the womans eyes turned back to the boy.as she spoke.      At his question, she nodded “mmm maja.” she smiled, the soft whisper of her native tongue slipping out unconsciously “that’s correct, there are a lot of animals in the world that do it in order to survive.” turning her attention to the older male, she chuckled under her breath “kids always do, but its often difficult to have them retain it through to adulthood.”

[songminix]

latorre-x

“Do you mind if I sit here–?”

the other places at the bar were taken, he had nowhere to sit, and he was in need of some company in strangers. the people around him had a way of making his illness worse. they tried and tried with their false positivities, the good vibes, pat on the backs and reassuring smiles that everything would be okay. everything, even after nearly three years was still not okay. there was a fear of letting go, there was a fear of forgetting, and there was that fear of the detectives being right. Minan, his wife was gone, and she was gone for good.

being told to give up, and being told to move on wasn’t easy to listen to. if he could close off his ears, he’d have sawed them off like Van Gogh a long time ago, but there was no real reasoning in thinking that his hearing would have gone along with the appendage. without really waiting for his reply, he slide the bar stool from under the bar, and took his seat. this setting a lot more comfortable than the group therapy grief counseling he said he would be at that night. and it was weird–– being in a bar without his wife, not at all the first time for this occurrence, though.

“There’s no where else to sit,” he stated simply, “I hate to impose on your space.” he ran a hand through his curly locks, noting a particular pathetic shameful sadness in his tone.

     Eyeing the stranger with dark, suspicious, eyes she contemplated his question for a few moments. She wasn’t particularly against sharing her space with someone she didn’t know, but with the recent events in the city, her guard was always up. Her dark irises scanned over his form, he seemed morose, defeated almost. Perhaps he was just here to enjoy a quiet drink, much like herself, after all. Min finally acquiesced and nodded, gesturing with her hand towards the vacant seat opposite her. “Go ahead” she replied simply “you’re not imposing. It’s a waste for the chair to not be used” she offered a false, yet convincing smile.      Turning her eyes back to monitor the doors, she lifted her glass to her lips and sat in silence as she listened to the quiet background music they played here. A current song, she’d heard it before but she couldn’t name the title or artist, Min wasn’t much for keeping up with trends. While she was more than comfortable to ignore the other, she sensed the mood around him seemed to be rather negative, and she knew that others weren’t always quite as comfortable to sit silently with a stranger. She was going to have to partake in one of the things she hated most, a shiver ran down her spine and she sucked in a quiet breath between her teeth as she prepared herself, for small talk.

     “Do you come here often? I’ve never seen you before.”

[songminix]

simonmuhn

“I think I’ve been here a handful of times myself. I’m surprised I haven’t run into you until now,” He noted. Then again, the lives he and Min lead weren’t all too similar to one another, so it made some sense that their schedules hadn’t coincided until now. At least it was Min that Simon had run into and not one of the other Syndicate members. Had it been anyone else, Simon likely wouldn’t have bothered saying anything.

Not that Simon hated them. But he often left such conversations with a headache. Unlike Min, who shared his understanding of a decent, quiet conversation. He joined Min in the chair that sat opposite to her. “I am alone. Han’s back at my apartment…being Han,” He admitted. “Sharing a drink with others is only fun when you’re around the right people that won’t leave you with a headache,” Simon agreed. “At least when you drink alone you don’t have to deal with prying eyes judging you for your choice in drink. Or how quickly you drank the whole thing.”

     Nodding, she smiled vaguely at him “I’m usually here fairly late, as my evenings are mostly taken up with work” she explained, lifting the glass to her lips and taking a sip. It was true, often the woman frequensted this particular haunt atg about 1am, just as they were about to close up for the night. Min glanced around the room again as he took the seat, the bar was slowly filling up, but this place never got too full, thankfully.        “I see. How is he doing?” since the rescue effort, she hadn’t had much free time at all and thus hadn’t been able to check in on Han herself. He annoyed the seven hells out of her, but he was a good friend and she was glad to have been the one to pull him out of the labs. “And you? It’s been very stressful lately, I hope you’re keeping well.” she added, her tone dry, yet sincere.

[songminix]

ghculishscn

Both father and son gave nods of agreement when it came to how interesting seahorses are, but Dalton lightly arched an eyebrow at Min’s next inquiry. It didn’t take too long for the memory to come flooding back and he instead gave another nod while Ender simply smiled. “That’s pretty cool,” the younger Scott replied. “Couldn’t agree more, bud,” the detective chimed in.

“Here’s a random fun fact that kind fits that theme. About a third of male fish in British rivers are changing sex due to pollution. Of course, I can’t remember how long ago the study was, so the number may have gone up or down since then,” Ender rattled off. “Clownfish can do that without pollution, right?” Dalton questioned and earned a nod of confirmation from his dad.

     Smile warming, she nodded too “seahorses are pretty cool.” she agreed softly, lifting her eyes to look at the creatures in their glass confine once more. Turning her attention back to the boy, she thought for a moment before speaking up once more “my favourite animals are electric eels, how about you?” 

     Listening to the fact, she nodded and lifted her hand to her chin pensively. “There are a lot of animals who can change their sex in order to survive. A species of frog has a system where the largest and most dominant female will turn male and protect her new harem until a larger, more dominant one comes along.” she said matter of factly.

[songminix]

sshibalx

listen, Song Min, the lovely lady that she is, works too damn hard. It was a miracle that she even had time to shower, as she was constantly busy being showered with praises of a job well done instead. he admired that. she was loyal, despite her saying otherwise, she worked really hard, and she was good at her job. no— she was amazing at her job. she gave Han a run for his money with the clean up she could do. he’d seen it in action, and to this day, it was an ability he wished he could learn.

though there was so much still to learn from his Noona. she had so much to teach him and he had so many more punches to be thrown his way in bothering her for more.

but this wasn’t about that. it was about finally showing her some damn well deserved appreciation. that was his only goal. though the set of eyes that fell on her as she opened the door likely told a different story. mouth agape at the sight and a fluster to look away provided for a very awkward encounter. he shifted in his shoes as he presented that parcel in front of her as if to shield his eyes from the lady disheveled, though still completely gracefully intact with that towel thrown around her. not that he’d never seen her in countless other knock-out disguises on their jobs together— but this was by far his favorite.

and despite his mind running with wild comments of primarily asking her if this was going to be the complete outfit she’d wear the rest of the evening, he was quick to follow instructions. hobbling over to slip one shoe off, while juggling the raw steaks in his arms, and a set of eyes that were still glued on her frame. the curves outlined in such terrycloth– brilliance.

“Mrs. Song, your husband is making you dinner tonight. Though, he’s told me to tell you that we can skip dinner and finish that shower he interrupted. He also says that should that not be an option, he’d like you to remain in the new dress you’re wearing. It’s quite breathtaking.”

he tilted his head to the side, though in her obvious irritation she was already headed to her room. “Tough day at work? No worries, I’m here to take care of it.” it took a great deal of self-control to follow her in all honesty, though… there were steaks to be put on a grill!! “Just a few moments and I’ll get started. Hold the flavor spots, of course. Please get into something more comfortable.” still, he craned his neck, rubbernecking to catch a final glimpse of her in that hallway as she disappeared to change. he continued to busy himself with finding the cast iron. though the bottle of pinot noir that was already opened called his name.

“Babe,” he playfully called after her, “I forgot, where do we keep the wine glasses?”

     His eyes seemed to burn through her, the heat causing an annoyed flush to rise in her cheeks, was she embarrassed? A little. She didn’t really enjoy being caught in compromising positions like this, let alone by Song Han Jae of all people. Was it the most embarrassing thing that had happened to her? Not by a long shot. And it was this thought that kept her feet on their path as she made her way across the wooden floor of her apartment to her bedroom to pull on something to cover herself up with.       Her colleagues running commentary was irritating to say the least, why was it that every time they were face to face he had to bring up that damned time when someone had mistaken them for a married couple? It was absurd to her, and irritating. She was trying her best to ignore him, gritting her teeth through the suggestion they go and shower together, but when he suggested she keep the towel in favour of actual clothes, her fingers itched towards a concealed knife underneath a shelf. By some miracle willpower, she resisted, instead levelling a slipped in his direction, throwing it with a keen ferocity and precision. She’d rather not damage any of her kitchen equipment, or paintwork, with the knife anyway.      Closing the door behind her, Min considered locking it, but reasoned Han knew it would be a suicide mission to even attempt to follow her inside. Removing the towel, she patted her body dry and rubbed the majority of the moisture from her hair. Pulling on the lounge clothes she’d lain out for herself before she’d taken the shower, she left her bedroom and eyed the man making himself at home in her kitchen with dark eyes. At his question, she gestured vaguely “they’re hanging on a rail behind the wine rack under the counter” her reply was a huff, still annoyed at his barging in on her evening. She walked back into the bathroom and began applying her skincare, though she may not look or seem the type, Min was very conscious of her skin regime and looked after herself well. Combing through her still-damp hair when she was done, she sighed at her reflection in the mirror and shook her head, stepping out to go and greet the man taking up residence in her home for the evening properly.      “Why are you doing this?” she asked, plucking a wine glass from the counter nonchalantly and taking a sip, brow arched “I thought I told you I didn’t want any thanks. I saved you because I was told to do so, as you would do in return. I don’t need you to cook me dinner.” Leaning against the counter, she let her eyes settle on his face. It had changed somewhat since he’d been taken, but only in the form of a few scars. He looked the same to her, pompous, smug and arrogant. He was still handsome, not even the worlds worst scarring could take that away from him, she narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. What was his real agenda? Han Jae Song never did anything out of the kindness of his heart, he was much like her in that respect. She’d have to keep on her toes this evening, that’s for sure.

[songminix]

ghculishscn

Dalton and Ender continued to admire the jellyfish, but the eight year old soon slipped away. It was just a short distance. No cause for alarm or whatever, yet the detective still moved closer out of instinct and habit. He managed to catch the tail end of the information that Min shared with his son, enough to put a wonderstruck look on his face. A light chuckle escaped when he noticed that Dalton had the same look painted on his features.

“Cool fact, right?” Ender whispered. The boy gave an excited nod then turned to Min as he held a hand out. “Thanks for the fact. I’m Dalton Scott and it’s nice to meet you. I know a few facts myself.” Ender gestured to a nearby tank that had some seahorses then prompted, “How about those seahorses? What do you know about them?”

Dalton answered in the same quiet tone, “That they pair up for life and aren’t the best swimmers. They use their tails to anchor themselves to whatever is nearby, even other seahorses.”

     The young boys enthusiasm was sweet, even someone as cold-hearted as Min could see that. Or maybe she also was just so endeared by marine life that she felt an empathic bond with the youngster, who knew? She took his extended hand and get it a firm, yet gentle shake and smiled at his introduction. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Min.” Letting go, she let her hands drop to her sides again as the boys father spoke and she also looked up to listen to him.      At Daltons statement, she nodded and looked across at the small creatures idling by in their tank “you’re right. Seahorses are so interesting aren’t they?” Looking back down at the boy, her small smile was still in place on her lips. “Did you know that it’s the male seahorses who carry their babies, not the female ones?” she asked, quirking her head to the side as she waited for a reply, eyes glinting in the faint lights from the tanks surrounding them.

[songminix]

simonmuhn

“I said that I’m surprised to see you here,” Simon repeated. He hadn’t recognized Min at first. Seeing her outside of the Syndicate and outside of their building was a first. In such a large city as Crystalline, coming across surprising faces was a far more uncommon occurrence. But not necessarily an unwelcome one, namely when it came to Min. Simon would rather come across Min than other Syndicate members at least.

He eyed the glass in her hands and raised a brow. “What is it you’re drinking there?” He then asked. He’d come to the bar for a break from his apartment, just a few moments where he didn’t have to avoid Mimi’s distrustful glare, the colors that slowly faded with each change of Han’s bandages, and Rowan attempting to comfort them all with her puppy-dog eyes.

“Don’t worry,” Simon quickly continued. “Your secret’s safe with me. I’m not going to run off and tell Ange you decided to take a break. He’ll be fine for a few days.”

     Dark eyes came to rest on the familiar figure of Simon, a blink in surprise as she shifted in her seat to arrange herself into a more upright position. Min cleared her throat quietly, looking around to see if he had bought along any further company (hopefully not in the form of Han or Gil, she didn’t have the patience for either of those today), but it appeared he too, was alone.      Looking down briefly at the glass that was held firmly between her fingers, the woman spun it idly before returning her attention back to Simon. “Pinot Noir.” she replied simply “this bar sells my favourite kind, so I come here often” she admitted with a shrug and a half smile. She didn’t feel particularly outed that her coworker had discovered her nighttime haunt, it’s not like she particularly disliked Simon in any way. He was pleasant conversation and understood how to be in someones presence without being incessantly annoying.       A huff of a laugh at his statement and a small shake of her head as she smiled at the joke, Min gestured to the seat opposite her in a friendly manner. “And I’ll extend the same courtesy, feel free to join me if you’re alone. It’s nice to share a drink with someone” she inclined her head and gave an almost strained expression “every once in a while” her voice held the echo of a laughter. Although she did prefer to drink alone, she wasn’t impartial to company every now and then.

[sshibalx]

against Simon’s wishes, and despite how little distance it actually was, literally the same apartment complex, Han was good on his word. or rather trying to be. you see, when you don’t get a text back from–

@songminix || 📱 🎁 One good Noona’s worth a thousand bitches

–– you don’t take it personal. she’s quiet, cold, reserved, secretive, and unapproachable. but in his line of thinking the fact that she hadn’t texted him a short “no” meant that she wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea.

because Han owed Min his life. literally. she saved him. she fought hard. well, there was little evidence to that as she’d probably worked a lot hardER in her line of work, as she was just that badass. but given the constant annoyances he supplied in her life, he felt more than obligated to return the favor, and he felt humbled that she hadn’t left him to rot in that compound. yeah, Nix just had to go and make herself one of those people to finally humble Han.

and should she ever be in the same situation, and as the other member of the clean up team™ of the Syndicate, he had no hesitation in saying that he’d do it. for her, he’d kill as many guards as it took for her freedom. it was that simple. she was one of the five people he could count on his hand that he could say that for.

the true sincerity within him begged to prove his childish ways otherwise. she was the first to see him in that broken state at the hands of the Doves, and it was an unsettling feeling to think that. the vulnerability she’d seen in him, and the flushed out state he’d been in betrayed the very pillar for which their relationship was built on– hubris and wife jokes. and it also supplied a fair bit of blackmail, teasing, and “I told you to stretch before any activity” for which Han wasn’t entirely ready for. but it was fleeing wasn’t it? the sight she’d seen in that cell. she hardly remembered it. he could go back to annoying her now, right? their relationship could back to normal– whatever that was, right?  

so the idea came from a couple of suggestions to finalize that end, but the moment she shut down his idea for the “Thank you for saving my ass” cake, his raw meat idea formed. and the string of ignored text messages didn’t stop him from knocking on that door with a broken, yet trying smile, and a package for the Noona.

“It’s a perishable, and shouldn’t be left at your doorstep. You have to let me in.”

he knocked again, trying to speak in his best whiteboy voice to achieve that Ken Lee caliber of country club douchery. surely that wouldn’t annoy her too?

“If you don’t, I’ll scream and blow both of our covers. What left do I have to lose, Mrs. Song?”

[songminix]

      Ever since the rescue operations, the world had seemed to move at a slower pace in Mins opinion. Her coworkers who had been taken were healing, understandably, there was a vicious undercurrent in the mutant world with hushed calls for revenge, to dismantle the doves and destroy everything they stood for. Again, understandable. But Min knew it would take a little more than a couple of bruised egos and a vendetta to take the organisation down. Like their leader Ange said, it would be a long road of careful planning and execution to achieve their goal.       Standing in the shower, she let the hot water cascade over her body, the steam misting the air around her as she washed her hair and sighed in relief. It had been a long day, much discussion with both Wraith and Ange about their mission, details being planned out and all that. She often lamented her joining of the syndicate, she’d dealt with nothing but irritation and pestering since she’d signed her name on that dotted line. Mostly at the mercy of one particular man.      She heard the initial knock and ignored it, moving her face under the water flow to rinse the conditioner out of her hair. Another incessant set of raps was combined with yelling, a familiar voice which bought an irritated roll of her eyes as she shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. Wrapping a towel around herself, her attention was drawn once more to the door where it seemed that he was getting almost desperate for an answer. Emerging from the bathroom, steam billowing out and following her, she marched annoyedly across her apartment and wrenched the door open, glaring up at Han Jae, her hair dripping water onto the floor and into her eyes.      “What do you want?” she snapped, eyes moving down to the parcel in his arms and a glimmer of recognition passed over her face, he had texted her about this, she just simply hadn’t replied. Sighing, she ran a hand through her wet hair to get it out of her face, turning around sharply and heading back into her home with a visible aura of vexation. “Don’t forget to take your shoes off” she instructed as she headed to her bedroom to dry herself off and get some clothes on, he would have a field day with teasing her about this. That much she knew for certain.

[songminix]

ghculishscn

Ender had finally managed to get in touch with a few of his loved ones in the past few days. Most of the phone calls were rather emotion laden as well as full of reassurances that he was just fine, although he felt anything but that. So, as out of half desire to distract himself and the other half to be the best father possible, he arranged a small father-son trip to the aquarium before Dalton went back to be with Ender’s husband. It would be for the best, the detective constantly reminded himself. Best for all of us to lay low for awhile, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do cool stuff for them.

A few minutes into their venture, Dalton had headed towards the tank with jellyfish and was soon joined by his father. “Dad, these guys are so cool,” the eight year old whispered, yet the bright grin on his face gave away all of his excitement. “Yeah, they are,” Ender agreed as he ruffled the boy’s hair. Eventually though, his attention started to drift and brown eyes landed on someone who seemed quite familiar. Despite the annoyance that started to flood every fiber of his body, the 26 year old gave a friendly two-fingered salute and went back to watching the jellyfish.

     The childs whisper bought a smile to her lips, she had to admit that she agreed with him in his statement, they really were cool. Looking sidelong at the father, her brow furrowed slightly in recognition, they had met once before when she was in a vastly different mood. Min wondered if he remembered it clearly. His method of greeting bought an arch of her brow, before she nodded in response, there was no need to be rude after all.      The childs fascination with the jellyfish was endearing, he reminded her of herself when she was a child, visiting the aquarium with her own father and excitedly chattering about all the different fish and crustaceans they had to offer. Stepping round the tank, she moved on to look at another, her eyes dark and peaceful.      The boy came to stand next to her, in front of a tank filled with small, baby jellyfish. His face was filled with wonder at them and she found herself laughing to herself quietly. “Did you know” she began, her voice soft and gentle “that there is a species of jellyfish that is biologically immortal?” she nodded at the tank in front of them “it can make itself young again, grow old, and repeat that cycle, forever.”

[songminix]

     The bar round the corner from her apartment was quiet enough that Min enjoyed going there fairly regularly, it wasn’t too upscale considering it was in Midtown and served reasonably priced drinks, in her opinion. She sat at a tall table, she could see both entrances and keep an eye on the doors to the kitchen and bathrooms from her spot which always put her at ease, even when she was out for recreation she held a cynical view. Lifting the wine glass to her lips, she took a sip of the deep red pinot noir as she reclined on the chair, eyes scanning the room idly.      It was nice to have some peace and quiet, if Ange saw her here he would either scold her for taking a break, or question whether she was okay because she wasn’t at home nor at syndicate HQ. Her eyes rolled automatically at the mere thought of the conversation, the quiet woman was aware that her coworkers thought of her as nothing but a boring workaholic who didn’t know how to have fun. But she just had a different idea of fun, that often involved having no-one else around her so she could actually think calmly. A voice to her right caught Min’s attention and she looked at the person stood next to her with vague surprise, she’d been so caught up in her thoughts that she’d completely zoned out. Very unusual for her.

     “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

[songminix]

@ghculishscn

Where//when: Crystalline aquarium, Saturday afternoon 2:37pm.

     Staring up through the clear waters in the aquarium, dark eyes settled on different kinds of fish in turn as she watched them go about their business, unfazed by the crowds of people who gaped and took photos of them and chattered loudly. Min wondered what it was like, living under such constant scrutiny, wondered if they understood their lives, how they were merely an attraction to bring tourism and money into the city and the pockets of already rich businessmen. A sigh escaped her lips, her forehead leaning forwards and resting against the glass as she watched a shark swim lazily by, they were so elegant, so calm, so dangerous. Everything she aspired to be, and more. She hoped, in her next life, she could be re born as a shark. Yes, she would like that.      Pushing away from this particular section of the tank, she wandered along, further into the building, her feet following the well travelled path that she had taken so often. Through some light curtains, she found herself in the darkened section that held the jellyfish displays, the creatures that floated up and down in their tubular homes, different coloured lights illuminating their translucent bodies and tendrils. It was beautiful, mesmerising to watch. She found herself enraptured at one such display, the tiny animals undulating and swirling in the water in their simple yet complicated dance for the public. A body brushing past her own caused her to start slightly, looking down at a young boy who was heading towards the same tank she was admiring. Stepping to the side to make more room, she fixed her attention back onto the creatures once more.

[songminix]

@prettyamanita

Send 💅 to do my muse’s nails.

     This situation wasn’t one she had exactly pictured herself in when she’d left her apartment to go to HQ this morning. In all honesty, it wasn’t a state of affairs she had ever pictured herself in full stop. At the table in the rec room of the Syndicate HQ, the woman found herself sat opposite a cheery looking Dorothy who had collared her en route to get a drink. Loud, excited voice echoing around them both as the poisonous woman snatched up her hand and exclaimed she had the perfect nails for the polish she’d just bought.      And so, she sat there, under the watchful gaze of the small sentient mushroom being that Min still didn’t fully understand, fingers being carefully painted by Dot in an obnoxious, violent shade of red that the woman hated already. Would she air this opinion out loud? Absolutely not. There was something about the other womans demeanour, and spore creating ability, that set Min on edge. So she endured the manicure, her face blank as her dark eyes followed every gentle brush stroke the other made. Occasionally, her eyes wandered from her carmine fingernails to Dots face, studying her concentrating expression with mild interest. What sort of joy was she gaining from this? Min would never understand.