#ghcstwired

[sharpsuite]

@ghcstwired played: The rain poured down on the city. Ryujin moved with a calm rhythm through the streets, side by side with the stranger he had met hours ago. It was an unusual encounter, after all, because who would wander through the city at night in the pouring rain only to end up walking through the streets with a stranger? And yet here they were, walking together through the 'storm,' and the conversation from earlier hung in the air like a secret.

After a while, Ryujin's gaze wandered to the side and caught sight of Chishiya's profile, illuminated by the glow of the neon signs. ❛ You know... ❜ he finally said in a low voice, loud enough for the other to hear, ❛...most people would have run away by now. ❜ It wasn't a question, just an observation. Many would probably find the silence uncomfortable and would have long since sought an excuse to leave. But this was different. There was something about the silence. It was something grounding, yet pleasant. A siren wailed somewhere in the distance, echoing through the wet alleys as Ryujin raised his voice again. ❛ Not that I blame them, ❜ he muttered. ❛ This city... it eats people alive, doesn't it? ❜

𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘: UNPROMPTED ASK - always delightfully accepting!

Drops fall and slide off the umbrella to fall into puddles upon the streets and sidewalks that they wander, little jewels in the flash of neon only to become part of the ocean once again. Every now and then a gust of wind ripples through the streets, but otherwise the streets remain peaceful despite the storm. ABANDONED , save for two souls wandering in the heart of it all. It says too much about them without saying anything at all. Most would push or grasp for conversation, anything to break the silence buried under the rain ; Chishiya did not push for it.

" Running away is a LOT OF EFFORT. " Chishiya replied casually, but the curve of his lips revealed the truth that he understood what the real weight of the words was. What lurks below the crystal surface of initial commentary. " Most people wouldn't keep talking or company with a stranger either. " A crime they were BOTH GUILTY OF, if only a crime of social norms rather than law. But for all of it, there's a heaviness that is grounding and familiar. Like recognizes like. OPPOSITES ATTRACT BUT SIMILARITIES BIND.

Chishiya contemplated the words for a moment, let them unfold themselves without his touch. " Do you mean Tokyo specifically, or the concept of a city? " A heartbeat passed before he spoke again. " I think the answer would be true regardless. But some cities have a more DOMINANT PRESENCE in the devouring of identities. Cities devour, villages smother. " Or such was his theory.

" Though I'm neither concerned with drowning nor being eaten, in the off chance such should occur, I'm Chishiya. Chishiya Shuntaro. " IT WASN'T OFTEN HE GAVE HIS NAME , certainly not without prompting. It is a rare exception, nearly out of character for him if not for the thread of similarity he could sense.

[blessedrulers]

@ghcstwired

Cool autumn air rustled through the dark red leaves of a maple tree, beneath which Hayden stood. It was colder this year, they thought idly, as the wind gently picked up their hair, gathered halfway up, longer than it had been since they'd been here last. There were crisp leaves lining the tree's roots, curled up and dried out, which crunched softly beneath the weight of their foot.

The image of two children came to their mind as they observed the old, peeling bark; one, bloody and bruised, curled up tightly with their knees to their chest, simultaneously taking comfort in this tranquility and suspicious of it. The other, a dark haired boy with an infectious smile and kind eyes, a laugh that healed and warmed those around him. The only one who made the guarded child feel at ease.

Hayden felt the ache of phantom bruises on their skin, lifting their hand touch it -- their fingertips brushing over the jagged scar tissue that marred their jaw, down their throat, still red in its freshness.

Why did this feel like a grave?

The flash of headlights seared Hayden's vision and they winced, hearing Isen's frantic voice in their ear, and the unwitting, carefree laughter of their friends -- all except one, whose gaze Hayden had sought out first. But when their eyes had met, all Hayden had felt was the visceral horror of knowing it was too late. Their friend's arm had shot out to protect them -- but Ryujin had paid the price.

Ryujin. Hayden sighed, their breath carried away with the wind, as they let their hand drop and checked their phone again. A knot of anxiety tightened in their chest, mixing uncomfortably with hope -- and dread. They'd seen their friend's debut as a solo artist, command the stage with an energy, only... was it the same?

The threat to Ryujin's life sparked within Hayden a rage they'd never felt before, a fresh wound that had been gouged deeper by Isen's refusal to help, as well as that of their mother's family. Hayden would protect Ryujin, a truth as constant and necessary as the air they breathed. But the minutes passed, and that dread began to tighten its hold.

More leaves were crushed into the grass behind them and Hayden glanced over their shoulder. With a loud thump of their heart, they turned to face their friend fully -- and relief stole the air from their lungs... only for something cold to take its place.

There was tension threaded through Ryujin's body, a weight bearing down on him that hadn't been there before. The kind brown eyes of their friend now held something haunted, hollow almost, and guilt sank into Hayden's chest, surer than any blade. They swallowed.

"Hey," came their brilliant greeting, the corners of their lips turning up, though their eyes held a mix of emotion too tangled and fractured to make sense of. They deserved Ryujin's rage, and they would bear it; still... they longed for something, anything, that might quell the ache of their violently severed connection. Hayden's voice held the hopeful familiarity once felt here, tentative and uncertain, this place on hallowed ground.

"Remembered this spot, huh?"

[lawscopedarchived]

"  It's  been  a  while,  huh?  "

𝐖𝐀𝐒  𝐈𝐓  𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃  𝐅𝐎𝐑  𝐑𝐘𝐔𝐉𝐈𝐍  to  look  at  him?  Maybe  it  was.  He  remembered  the  days  when  their  groups  would  run  into  each  other,  where  there  would  be  jokes  about  how  both  of  them  looked  similar  to  each  other's  group  mates.  A  lot  had  happened  in  a  year.  Both  of  them  had  suffered  greatly,  hadn't  they?  Ryujin  had  lost  his  friends,  and  while  Cheol-min  was  lucky  to  have  his  still,  he  was  horribly  injured  and  lost  his  Idol  career.  And  now,  the  situation  with  his  brother  …  Luck  was  not  on  either  of  their  side,  was  it?

"  I  would  have  reached  out  sooner,  but  ...  I  had  a  lot  going  on,  myself.  I'm  sorry.  "

@ghcstwired | SC.

[gorekissed-a]

@ghcstwired   —   continued   from   here

She had anticipated a myriad of responses — anything from a dismissive retort to a sharp, angry deflection. The possibility of the situation spiraling out of control, culminating in an all-out argument between them for the very first time, loomed ominously in her mind. What she couldn’t have begun to foresee, however, was the unexpected warmth of his hands on her waist, the solid presence of his chest pressing against her back, radiating heat that seemed to seep through her clothes.

A scoff escaped her lips, a feeble attempt at dismissing the surprise that coursed through her. Still reeling from this unexpected closeness, reluctantly, she surrendered to his guiding pull, moving toward the grand mirror that dominated the room. As she stood before the glassy surface, it reflected their figures with a clarity that felt all too intimate. He wasn't merely a blurred figure in her peripheral vision anymore, but a tangible presence, every detail starkly outlined. His hair fell across his forehead in a way that highlighted the intensity of his gaze, and the lines of his jaw seemed sharper, more defined under the soft lighting.

Her gaze flitted over their shared reflection, caught between fascination and disbelief. She noticed the delicate flutter of her lashes as his lips brushed against the sensitive skin at the nape of her neck. His arms encircled her tightly, and she could feel the strength coiling beneath his skin, muscles defined when she leaned back into him. The way his clothing clung to her frame added an undeniable intimacy to the moment, as if they were cocooned in a world that belonged only to them. It felt surreal, like a scene plucked from a romantic film, conjuring an atmosphere that was achingly domestic — a kind of safety she hadn’t experienced in years.

In this lavish hotel room, wrapped in elegance and fine fabrics, the contrast to her everyday life was jarring. Her usual existence was fraught with discomfort, a relentless feeling of unease and profound loneliness that loomed over her like a storm cloud. Yet here he was, behind her, whispering sweet nothings that seemed to promise solace, coaxing her in a manner both gentle and persuasive. For a fleeting moment, she found herself questioning the instincts that usually guided her. Should she really prefer the chaos of loneliness over this? Was there truly something wrong with wanting to submit to a little indulgence and softness, a departure from her norm?

Her breath hitched in her throat, and a light, velvety hum escaped her lips without conscious thought. She raised her fingers, tracing the sturdy veins and finely tuned muscles of his lower arms with a feather-light touch, each graze deliberate and charged with unspoken intentions. "I never said I didn’t enjoy it," she countered, her voice now notably softer and stripped of its previous hostility. Yet even then, a semblance of watchfulness lingered in her tone, a cautious flicker amidst the simmering attraction.

"What do you want me to say, hm?" she continued, her words laced with mock playfulness and underlying seriousness. "Do you want me to give in, to transform into your little red carpet accessory, parading around while you bask in all the camera flashes? Should I be your cheerleader in the crowd, all starry-eyed and proud?" Each word dripped with irony, masking the intrigue she felt beneath the surface, but a part of her wondered if this was indeed what he desired — her unwavering support, her unguarded self.

[heartcollected]

@ghcstwired

Concerts were his worst nightmare. He'd been talked into attending this one by a man with a nice smile and a decent aura, despite this strange underlying feeling. Only when he'd heard the story of Ryujin Choi was he convinced -- after all, Yuki could relate to the tragedy of losing everyone you loved in a few horrible, violent seconds. He knew how the scrape of metal on metal, the blinding headlights, the hospital smell of linoleum and pus haunted you. But soon into the show, Yuki was forcibly reminded of why he should've stayed home.

His head was pounding and the music was loud, the crowd even louder. He felt everyone's aura encroaching on him, flooding him with scalding water until he was gasping for air. Taking advantage of his companion's distraction, Yuki ducked through the sea of people in search of a semi-empty area. The crowd thinned and the waters retreated -- but even in this secluded area there was a clear view to the stage, and the unmistakable feeling of malice hit Yuki in full force.

Its source stood rigid, his eyes glued to the man performing. Yuki frowned. He wasn't in the business of hurting people just for feeling something, but...he stayed near the man, just in case.

At long last, the concert ended, and Ryujin was ushered away. The statue moved. He began winding through the buzzing crowd, and Yuki wasted no time following him.

The further away they got, the easier it was to focus. Yuki ensured he wasn't seen, mindful of the knife he'd hidden at his ankle. The man slipped through a door and Yuki lingered, watching him melt effortlessly into the shadows.

Another door opened. That malicious intent flared suddenly, but something stronger assaulted Yuki's senses -- an intense, otherworldly aura followed Ryujin Choi inside. Thanks to his distraction, the man struck.

He grabbed Ryujin by the neck, slamming him into the wall. The knife was in Yuki's hand and he took advantage of the man's position, plunging it into his back. He severed his spine with a skillful movement and his hand clamped over the assailant's mouth. Only when the body dropped was Yuki revealed.

Though blood soaked Yuki's hands, his shirt, his focus was on Ryujin. "Are you okay?"

[egosthrall]

"you'll get cold if you stand out like this for any longer." gentle murmur, whilst jihyun approaches the other, unwrapping the beige scarf currently tied around his own neck, fixing it so it's around ryujin's instead. "here we go."

@ghcstwired / sc.

[mccnlitashes]

𒐴 🢖 · @ghcstwired asked: "Why would you google me?" | Charlotte

Charlie grinned as she popped a few peanuts into her mouth and chewed them with relish while she kept Ryujin waiting for an answer. “Oh, these are good. You should try them!” She held out the bag so he could help himself if he wanted to. “Roasted and salted. I love that.” She emphasized her words with a nod. Then she reached for her drink and took a few sips. How long could she play this game before he got angry? Did she want to push it?

No, not today.

“Why shouldn't I Google you?” She simply shrugged and then helped herself to more peanuts. “Oh, really great,” she muttered, moving her shoulders in her toned-down version of a Happy Food Dance. “You can find everything about everyone online these days. There are very few exceptions where you actually can't find people. I'm one of those exceptions.” She giggled quietly. “People are far too open with their information, and there's really a lot to find out about you.” Another giggle. “Have you ever Googled yourself? If you dig a little, you can find everything that has ever existed on the internet. The internet never forgets, and I just love it. You can find out right away if someone is a total psycho, what their interests are, what kind of music they listen to... Just so much information without even getting to know the person. It's fascinating.”

She dropped the package on the table and grabbed her phone to look something up before turning the display toward Ryujin. “Look. My absolute favorite picture of you. So honest. So spontaneous! The photographer needs to work on his technique, but this is a real moment in life and not that posed crap you find most of the time. Really great.” She let him look at the picture for a moment before turning the display back so she could see it. “Just great.”

[federfinger]

❝  Do  they  just  let  anyone  walk  in  here?  ❞  said @ghcstwired  from  here.

Lucien  smiled  with  that  casual,  knowing  smirk  that  never  quite  reached  his  eyes.  Ryujin's  voice  still  had  that  unsettling  quality,  a  hollow  tone  that  made  him  feel  a  tingling  in  places  he  had  long  since  numbed.  Lucien  leaned  back  against  nothing  in  particular,  trying  to  make  the  question  seem  lighter  than  the  tension  hanging  between  them.  His  thoughts  raced,  instinctively  cataloging  and  assessing,  while  he  pretended  not  to  care.  𝙱𝚞𝚝  𝚑𝚎  𝚍𝚒𝚍  𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎  —  𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎  𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗  𝚑𝚎  𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍  𝚝𝚘  𝚊𝚍𝚖𝚒𝚝.  Ryujin  stood  there,  breathing  as  if  he  had  forgotten  how,  and  it  twisted  something  inside  Lucien.  "Anyone?"  Lucien  replied  with  a  playful  tone,  sweet  but  deceptive. 

"I'm  offended,  Ryu.  You  hurt  my  feelings.  I'm  special  access  only."  He  said  it  jokingly,  but  there  was  an  underlying  tension,  a  desperate  effort  to  maintain  a  sense  of  familiarity  between  them.  Lucien  found  himself  amused  by  the  thought.  Anyone.  As  if  he  had  ever  been  just  anyone.  He  didn't  need  an  invitation  to  enter  places  he  shouldn't;  that  was  part  of  the  thrill.  Yet,  the  way  Ryujin  said  it  suggested  it  wasn't  really  about  the  location.  It  never  was  with  him.  There  was  always  something  elusive  behind  those  words,  a  restless  recognition  that  looked  at  Lucien  as  if  it  knew  him  from  a  forgotten  dream.  He  smirked,  brushing  aside  the  strange  feeling  with  the  easy  arrogance  he  wore  like  a  shield.  "They  make  exceptions  for  charming  thieves  and  those  who  look  good  breaking  the  rules,"  he  said,  his  voice  low  and  casual.