— recovery.
open starter with jung hyejin. takes place the day after the blood moon hunt.
the ringing in her ears is particularly dreadful today.
it’s like the moon itself has been torn to shreds and pieced back together by faulty magic, and its agonizing screams are being broadcast directly into her skull. it’s not the first time hyejin has to deal with the hangover of a blood moon, yet it hurts just as if it was. if not worse.
her light coat is barely enough to keep her warm, but her body would feel too heavy with any other layers. so she seeks the comfort of a beautiful sunny day, legs sprawled out in a comfortable chair outside. in the distance, mostly silence; a few students practice celebratory spells in a dorm room a few buildings over, staff members do their rounds around the school grounds, and even from so far away she can feel the forest animals breathing in relief after yet another successful hunt.
hyejin enjoys the fresh air while noting down what all supplies she’ll need to replace during her next trip into town. she’ll have to return to her duties soon, however, as there are a lot of ingredients to prepare before nightfall. being a moon witch means you are stuck brewing pick-me-up potions well past midnight for the handful of students that don’t handle the blood moon well.
well. does anyone, really?
before she realizes it, she is lost in thoughts again, the annotated notebook on her lap now mostly forgotten. and she only realizes it because she finds herself suddenly very aware of a set of eyes fixated on her. how long have they been staring? she’s unsure.
she bids her time. gives them a chance to move. ends up making a move herself. “you can come say hi, you know.” she is not angry — in fact, she’s mostly used to this kind of stuff by now. her smile is soft. her eyes never leave the horizon and the trees. “i’d love the company.”