chwenotchoi

[chwenotchoi]

TWENTY-FIVE TWENTY-ONE Kim Tae-ri as Na Hee-do part two! (part one)

[chwenotchoi]

for @davinafms, location: royal cove yacht club

"remind me what we're doing here again, princess?" hye-jin nudged to davina, while quietly chewing on the food served right to them the moment they sat down. her dark eyes also started to scan through the venue, immediately knowing that everyone is loaded. she is definitely having a lot of ideas right now, but she couldn't give in just yet. hye-jin is here for her friend, anyway.

she then takes one glass of champagne, still studying this area while eavesdropping on what the rich kids talk about. nothing has changed, as it was still full of designer clothes, travel experiences, and inheriting businesses. it almost made her roll her eyes as a response. "i think we need more food."

[chwenotchoi]

for @rxbysxllivan, location: deadlights

"i'll team up with her!" hye-jin yelled from across the room as a competitive game of pool is about to start. clearly, she wanted to play just so she could humiliate one of the guys on the opposing duo. he had been so full of himself since he waltzed his way into this dive bar, and hye-jin was not sober enough to tolerate his bullshit. especially, when he started talking about women being less beings than men. if it weren't a crowded night, god knows what she could've done instead.

"oh hey. we'll win this." drunken assurance slipped past her lips, letting a smirk form on it too. "do the honors of starting the game? i'm sure you'd kickstart our win."

[chwenotchoi]

for @doncalma, location: outside his place

her first attempt of trying to catch the benito calma was a failure. hye-jin did not know what went to her head, thinking he'd be in sirens at this hour. she looked over at her phone, sighing as she realized that he actually told her his whereabouts. thankfully, his location would not require her to be on her bike for more than half an hour.

soon enough, she was gliding through his neighborhood and immediately spotted him. "there you are." she says, now getting off of her bike. "job's done, by the way." her arm extended towards him, handing paper bags that has food container, money, and weapons in it. "i hope you enjoy korean cuisine." she grinned mischievously.

[chwenotchoi]

for @drewyao, location: the treasure trove

just two minutes of waiting, and i'll go into the store with or without drew. hye-jin thought as she stands right in front of the treasure stove, evidently expecting company. she wasn't entirely sure if the other would show up, as she couldn't remember (or find evidences) if her friend actually said yes to her invitation. retail therapy is much more fun when you're accompanied.

a minute later and hye-jin could recognize the silhouette walking towards her direction. she couldn't help herself but to grin from ear to ear, excitedly waving an arm despite being the only person in the said vicinity. "you came! i was just about to go in and start rummaging through their new arrivals!"

[chwenotchoi]

for @emiracelik, location: permanent record

despite moving to nightrest just a month ago, hye-jin immediately found the right places of this town. the ones that felt like it was specifically built for her, and one of those places is permanent record. during her first visits, it was just tattoos designed by emira. but now, she is actually here to get her septum pierced. is this something that she had thought about for a long time? absolutely not.

"ooh, emira! you're here!" she cheerily entered the shop, a grin plastered on her features. "got any new designs you're workin' on?"

[chwenotchoi]

"oh, you're missing out. not a lot, but you're missing out." she nodded as she drinks some more. the next thing she knows, she's ordering her third bottle. "oh, yeah. just arrived her a month ago. still adjusting, so leaving to a new town after getting shitfaced is the most impractical life choice out there. and besides, i found my people here. i think." she shrugs. "are you one of the locals here? or are you just like me?"

chwenotchoi​:

“yeah, unless you hate yourself on that level. i would support you in getting that poison cocktail.” a mischievous grin formed on the woman’s features as she takes a sip of her drink. “well… you can say that. this part of town can definitely know you’re a newcomer… and they also know how to give you a warm welcome.” she responds, remembering exactly what had happened here during her first night.

x

“Yeah, luckily I don’t think I’m quite at that level of self hatred yet,” he chuckled before thanking and paying the bartender for his beer. “Oh shit, you just moved here, huh?” Malc rose his eyebrows a little - it was hard enough only having lived here a few years with everything going on at the moment, let alone just arriving to town. “How come you’re not running for the next town over yet?” He asked, unable to contain his curiosity. 

[chwenotchoi]

"that depends on your guardian angel. if they're with us, you're not dying today." hye-jin's laughter filled the dive bar, shaking her head fondly at her little joke. "oh yeah? it's not because i leave a striking impression?" she takes a sip from her drink, maintaining eye contact to somehow read his mind. "... and you do that by going to an overcrowded dive bar? interesting."

"hell no, woman, i ain't dying today," he laughed. "you tryin' to get me killed?" at her latter comment, he grinned. "of course i am, that's what i do." he tapped a finger to the side of his temple. "i've got a good memory, y'know." it wasn't completely true, but it certainly wasn't wrong: he had seen her before. "nothin' much," deshaun shrugged, "just...tryin' to avoid being on the streets too late."

[chwenotchoi]

"now that we're talking about it... i have never heard of sailors, pirates, or scuba divers being attacked by sharks... or that's just me?" she tilts her head in curiosity, then shook her head in amusement as she realized that this conversation is actually happening. "don't fuck with the ocean, buddy."

he laughed, shaking his head. "well—i don't know!" he spluttered, flailing to come up with an excuse. "maybe you're a professional scuba-diver or something! or, uh...a sailor. a pirate?" he crossed his arms, thinking. "i mean, it's not impossible." he chuckled, nodding to her latter comment. "you're not wrong," pierce admitted, "sometimes prevention is the best means of protection."

[chwenotchoi]

the more that the woman talks, the more that hye-jin wished she did a lot more research on this path before actually going to the store to get all the things she saw online. but hey, every moment is a good learning opportunity for her. she just followed her to the aisle, still looking around the foreign things on these shelves. "alright... i'll take lavender and rosemary. two each." she says with a sweet smile, feeling reassured that she's not buying random shit. "so... do a lot of customers come in asking questions non-stop?" she asked, then did a double take on some amulet hanging by the shelf. "mmm... what are these for?"

"well, different scents and colors mean different things. it's insanely complicated, and i never remember it all—but lavender usually pairs well with rosemary." as they spoke, they walked up and down the aisle, scanning for the candle they had in mind. "here." she pulled one off the shelf, handing it to the other woman. "rosemary can help with your intuition, and the lavender can help reduce anxiety." they pointed to it. "it's also white, which has a bajillion-gazillion meanings—but usually, it's used as an all-purpose candle."

[chwenotchoi]

"you look good! the dead would wish they're alive to see you looking dapper than ever." the humorous statement had hye-jin giggling like a little kid. if anything, investigators are probably not allowed to be this loud as they do their job. she couldn't help but think that this is why she's better off as someone who does the mess and creates chaos-- rather than someone figuring motives and solving mysteries. "alright, that made me feel less special. but at least you're not walking up to the grim reaper or something." she hummed, then immediately gestured to zip her mouth as soon as he asked her a favor. "alright. you have my word." she assured him, then soon looked up to the signage of mike's auto. "which area would you rather focus on? i don't mind splitting up. that gets the job done faster."

he chuckled at the hat, glancing up at the brim. "does it at least suit me? can't be heading to a crime scene looking bad," he joked, grinning. at her comment, he shook his head. "well, it's not the only one, and i haven't been completely alone. i checked out jake's crash site and ran into riss, and then sita and i looked over the fire sites, and i talked to julia about vivi a bit." dae shrugged. "there's, of course, still the beachfront, but it's been so long now that feels rather pointless," he admitted. "i'm a journalist," he laughed by way of further explanation, "none of us have all our marbles. also—do me a favor and don't tell jieun any of that? she'd have my head." and he was positive she'd find a way to make real on the threat.

[chwenotchoi]

"well..." the woman bit her lower lip as she seemed to run out of ideas to convince him to loosen up. she might as well just trust the process; and for as long and they still hang-out... she believes he'll have no other choice. "really?" the response from hye-jin made her look weirded out, mainly because she has no family left. or ones that actually know her. "sounds melodramatic, but it is actually the most practical and feasible thing that i heard today." her grip tightened onto the glass of beer, letting out a soft sigh as she realized how pathetic her thoughts were making her feel. "eh... i don't mind dying somewhere pretty. like the beach? a grassy field full of flowers?" she shrugged it off, along with the things that occupied her brain. "you're not boring. you just live a less complicated life. a lot of people are dying to have that instead." another sigh left her lips, then looked at the bartender once again to signal for more drinks to come their way.

"can't. danger of the job." he grinned, shaking his head. "hmm...not a dive bar?" dae laughed, mulling over the question. "honestly? back at home, with my family. i don't want to die far away." he paused, the question feeling uncharacteristically melancholy considering the current situation in the town. "you?" at her story, he wrinkled his nose. "good god. not the best day, obviously." he sighed. "my day was fine, i guess. talked to kyle for a bit. went home. i'm a boring man," he chuckled, not quite meeting her gaze. he decided to tactfully leave out his visit to selin's house—it had been a long enough week as it was.

[chwenotchoi]

the younger woman immediately noticed her effect on paisley, which somehow made her feel flattered. one does not easily impress a well-educated individual, especially the ones who greatly contribute to the society. this may just have been a new skill that hye-jin had unlocked. "terrifying to think about. poor little guy..." she mumbled under her breath, then thought of how much more terrifying her situation was. with the numerous patients that paisley deals with, hye-jin had assumed that she had already forgotten most parts of that night. "well, then. i'll keep you company until it's time to go home." that was the least that she could do to repay her for actually patching her up months ago. "cheers?"

chwenotchoi​:

she eventually realized that the man from earlier was someone with bad intentions towards the doctor. the said person immediately left the vicinity as soon as hye-jin was joining paisley. he probably realized that she has company and attempting something would be more trouble. if anything, it really takes one to know one. “oh, that makes sense. you make… the world a better place.” hye-jin says, sounding genuine as she continued listening to the stories paisley was sharing. this situation somehow brought her back to the very first night they met, where she was wounded terribly and every other hospital in the nearby towns are all full. “wait… how exactly did this lego piece fit inside a kid’s nose…?” the younger’s brows were now furrowed against each other, curiosity and confusion was written all over her face. “oh, no. it’s just me tonight. i just wanted to grab a drink before i head home. it was pretty hectic at work too. anyway, what about you, doc? waiting for anyone or it’s a solo flight tonight?”

–

what hye-jin says next makes paisley smile, a slight hint of pink now spreading on her cheeks as she stared at the younger woman. it may have been the first time she’s smiled for the first twelve hours, add that to the fact that their first meeting had been so unique over others, paisley coming to hye-jin’s aid with no question, and now here they are a month later, the doctor still without a clue what has caused for the other to be in such situation. “that…something most of us still are wondering about. but it was a little piece, a square-like tile, i don’t know if that lego piece has a name to it.” she shrugs. it was a little scene in the emergency department in the middle of the afternoon, a crisis which was quickly averted when paisley pulled the piece out herself. “that’s…what i was also planning. i just wanted to have a drink and relax, before i come home to the little one.” she lets out a sigh, it was something she’s always looked forward to after such a long day working in the busiest part of the hospital. “no…not waiting for anyone at all. though, it is much better, having drinks with you.”

[chwenotchoi]

"yeah, unless you hate yourself on that level. i would support you in getting that poison cocktail." a mischievous grin formed on the woman's features as she takes a sip of her drink. "well... you can say that. this part of town can definitely know you're a newcomer... and they also know how to give you a warm welcome." she responds, remembering exactly what had happened here during her first night.

hye-jin figured she deserved a good glass of cheap beer after working overtime at spirits. as soon as she got into the place, she had already noticed a group of people who seemed to be selling something to those who already had a couple of drinks. good tactic, she thought. she sighs, then headed straight to the bar area and was greeted by the bartender who recognized her. one could tell she had been here a couple of times before, as she seemed to memorize the menu like the back of her hand.

“bad choice. those guys hate making that shitty cocktail you’re about to order. they might even put poison with it if you do.” she whispered to the next person, then looked towards the bartender who didn’t hear her. “tastes awful too. the only thing good in that menu is… their mojito.” the suggestion slipped out of her mouth, then offered a friendly smile to the bartender to just returned with her beer.

x @chwenotchoi​

Malcolm was browsing the cocktail menu, which honestly made him laugh a little because this did not seem like the place to have such a menu. He’d obviously paused on the martini for too long, the woman next to him chiming in to save him. “Oh,” he laughed. “Yeah, nah, I think if you order a cocktail in a place like this you got what’s coming for you,” he smiled as he closed the menu, sliding it back between the coasters before ordering “just a beer please.” After the bartender went off to pull the pint, he turned back to her. “So what? You’ve tried everything on the menu then? If you know the only good thing is the mojito?”

[chwenotchoi]

//fake blood

what's a god to a non-believer

who don't believe in anything?

[chwenotchoi]

"good choice. but i wish you'd do it instead." the woman laughed along, shaking her head fondly before taking another sip from her glass. "alright, alright. you're making good points. and i'm sure you bumped into me here before too. that's a giveaway if you could recognize me from your past trips here." she then took a piece of food too, then looked at him. "what brings you here, then?"

he shuddered, shaking his head. "i'm good, thanks." he'd had a couple of nasty drinks in his time—he didn't need to try something laced with poison. smoking was enough. "uh, yeah, i am," deshaun chuckled, "honestly, what would you do after your shift other than this? nope, wait, wait—" he held up a hand, grinning "—my bad, that's just me." at her offer, he raised his eyebrows. "you' not wrong there—don't mind if i do." he nodded, glancing up as he grabbed a piece and popped it in his mouth.

[chwenotchoi]

"you have got to unlearn that and start having more fun, dae-eun oppa." she continued to taunt him, getting more amused whenever she gets a reaction from him. "well... where would your final resting place be?" the question is definitely a good food for thought, especially for someone like hye-jin. she takes another sip from her drink, shrugging her shoulders and pouted. describing her day is definitely a task. "should i start with how my heater broke down this morning. i haven't had it fixed yet, because i was running late at work. then at work, some white woman had to scream at my face for not being accommodated when in the first place... she did not reserve a table." she chuckled bitterly this time, downing her whole drink now. "that's pretty much how my day went. how's yours, hm?"

he couldn't help chuckling at her words, shaking his head. "i know you don't. but maybe i do, so let's not." it was mostly a joke, and he grinned as the bartender set down his drink. "rather not have deadlights be my final resting place," he deadpanned. dae definitely wasn't as social as the other woman was, but when you're a journalist, you learn how to make it work. "well, other than the poison cocktail, how's your day been? do anything interesting?"