pantoxmimes

[pantoxmimes]

( marlene )

  “OH, COME ON, CAS! say you’ll do it. please?” marlene persisted, her tone just shy of wheedling. but in her defense, she had a nose for finding trouble – and secrets. the bigger the secret, the quicker she was able to … sniff it out. “that’s the point! big time loiterers always have something to hide, and in these dark times, we can never be too careful.” she couldn’t possibly miss the irony in that. since, you know, being careful, at least in this particular situation, meant running a little reconnaissance in knockturn alley, a place many light-affiliated magicals avoided like the black death of 1348. and with good reason. “we won’t get caught – if that’s what you’re worried about.”

▎when marlene begged, she really put her all behind it — tone, expression, the works — and that, in turn, made it difficult to turn her and any offer she might or might not have thrown out down. no wonder she’d been so popular with the boys in school. who could possibly say no to that face? “exactly,” dorcas was quick to latch onto the biggest drawback ( and in her opinion, biggest disadvantage ) to taking a wrong turn down knockturn alley. deliberately. “it’s too dangerous, marlene.” the use of the blonde’s full name should have been indication enough of just how reluctant she was to follow along with a plan that could very well get them killed. in fact, she refused to even entertain the notion of losing her best friend — and confidante — to the folly of surrendering ... and perhaps losing what little common sense she could rightfully claim as her own. curiosity was such a dangerous thing, after all. 

▎“how can you be so sure we won’t get caught?” the brunette asked — well, more like demanded. but could you really blame her? marlene sounded almost ... arrogant in that moment, and as she knew, arrogance often acted as a huge contributor to death. which was something she was determined to avoid ... at all costs.

[pantoxmimes]

( ki-woong )

A BURST OF LAUGHTER escaped his mouth, dredged up at the expense of the younger tiguri’s facetious demeanor, and as he reached forward to ruffle the boy’s dark brown hair, a grin curled Ki-Woong’s lips. Leave it to his baby brother to finagle some modicum of amusement from a relatively large arsenal of negative emotions — primed to erupt at the smallest provocation. What other reason could he possibly have for wanting to play along? “Boy, do I look like I need your money?” Loaded question — his worn jeans and faded gray t-shirt didn’t exactly give off the very tricky and often byzantine impression of wealth. But hey, appearances could be misleading. “I don’t care about money or how much you make.” If it was enough to live on, who was he to judge? “All I care about is your happiness — and maybe a slice of banana bread every now and then. Care to treat me to one?”   

               ANYTHING to take his mind off of Junsu. So what if the human’s words still r a n g  through his MIND, making that godawful racket?

    IF he could just stay busy — keep his thoughts away from forbidden territory … Was that too much to ask? Well, to hell with that. It was a done deal. “Really? That’s it?” Ki-Woong gave him such a look of disappointment that one could swear the air practically seethed with it; such was the strength of his determination to mask the pain of having no other choice but to perpetuate this distasteful separation — at the behest of his own human charge. “I guess,” he mumbled, soft enough to skate the very outskirts of human hearing. Their hearing range was ridiculously limited. But thankfully, Jin wasn’t human … so at least Ki-Woong wasn’t expected to carry a normal tone when all he wanted to do was feign ignorance — or change the damn subject.

      And at last — Jin provided him with the opportunity to do just that.

“Don’t I?” A grim frown flashed over the older tiguri’s face, and he took the necessary steps to face Jin properly, bringing his hands up to cup his chin. “Tell me the truth, Jin.” Ki-Woong held his gaze, amber eyes burning at the thought of someone hurting his brother. “Are you in trouble?”

▎pouting at having his hair ruffled, jin-woon hastily ducked out of the path of ki-woong’s hand and held his own hands up, as if intending to keep his brother and closest confidante from invading his own personal bubble. “kind of? — i mean, you look like the kind of weirdo who sits in the park all day, begging for loose change,” he said teasingly, having entirely too much fun poking fun at ki-woong. and since his brother wasn’t the type to take offense at every little joke made at his expense, it made the situation all the better, the mental image proving amusing enough that it even managed to coax a giggle from him — allowing him the chance to forget (for a time) about his own personal, bloodthirsty shadow; a nearly impossible feat, seeing as the revenant was never far from his thoughts, something the older tiguri could obviously pick up on.        “i am happy,” jin-woon hastened to assure him, not wanting to cause the only person in the entire world who loved him unconditionally (without expecting anything in return) any unnecessary worry. “it’s a huge adjustment, moving to an unfamiliar city. but i’ll get used to it.” he would have to, considering what was at stake. because if there was one thing he refused to give up, it was his freedom. 

▎“that depends,” he added after a brief moment of contemplation, one corner of his mouth flicking up into a playful half-smile. “what’re you willing to trade for a slice of banana bread?”     his smile faltered, however, when ki-woong brought into question his state of well-being, wanting to flinch away from his brother’s gentle but firm touch, suddenly more interested in watching the family of two he’d been photographing earlier. “i—i,” he started to deny, but for some reason, he couldn’t force the rest of the words out — and so he fell silent, awkwardly shuffling his feet as he tried to come up with an excuse, any excuse, that could explain away his sudden bout of nervousness.

[pantoxmimes]

( iris )

       she narrows her eyes at his cheek, a hint of irritation bleeding into her otherwise wary gaze. when the teacher first asked her to deliver these papers to her absent classmate, she genuinely considered declining, having heard nothing but bad things about this tao lei. but now that she’s here, facing the beast down in his own lair, iris refuses to let him get to her. and besides, she doesn’t scare easily; her brother can attest to that.  ❛ rabbit? ❜  stifling the urge to snort at that rather unflattering description of her disposition — does she really give off the impression of meekness? — she relinquishes the papers  「  if slapping the stack against his chest can be considered relinquishing  」 with a roll of her eyes.

             ——  ❛ well, if i’m a rabbit, then what does that make you? ❜ 

A real pain in the neck, probably. why couldn’t kai agree to take over this one responsibility for her? the coward.  ❛  you shouldn’t miss so much school, you know, ❜  she feels the need to add, not quite comfortable enough to lump him in with the other degenerate, her very own twin. but leaving now without at least putting in her own two cents doesn’t sit well with her.  ❛  wouldn’t you prefer to avoid these kinds of situations? ❜

▎head tilted in faint interest at her show of courage — quite remarkable for one who carried the scent of a pacifist — tao lei trapped the stack of papers against his chest with one arm before they had the chance to drop to the ground, a glint of amusement softening the edges of displeasure that her untimely ( and obviously unwanted ) disruption had triggered. “i should think it’s obvious, little rabbit,” he drawled, giving her head a condescending pat, fingers gently, casually, sifting through silky strands of dark brown hair before calmly drawing his hand away, then turning to deposit the papers onto the only white bistro table located on the front porch, sandwiched between two mahogany rockers — as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. because willingly touching anyone was so out of character for him that even a stranger, who only knew him by rumor, would have gawked.

▎but at her question — it sounded too much like the beginnings of a lecture — tao lei threw her a droll look over his shoulder. she was entertaining, he’d give her that. “and what situation would that be?” annoyingly persistent girls weren’t exactly something he was used to handling; that was more his brother’s thing.

[pantoxmimes]

( iris​ )

( ¯ ` ★    STARTLED, iris’s gaze jumps to where tao lei is currently perched on the fence’s ledge, parted lips making no sound as she comes to the realization that he’s even more intimidating in person than the rumors alleged. but … refusing to let her nervousness get in the way of her duty as class representative, she gives a single shake of her head before replying —  

               —— ❛ as class representative, i do. ❜ 

SHE has too much respect for her teachers and position to give up now. without giving him the chance to verbally retaliate, she holds the stack of papers up for him to see; a look of determination creeps over her face, driving all hints of uneasiness away. ❛ look, i take my duty very seriously. ❜  maybe a little too seriously, according to some of her classmates. ❛ so i’m not leaving until you accept these papers. ❜ he will have to drag her away, kicking and screaming, by the hair if he wants her gone. 

          extreme? 

    oh, you have no idea.

▎eyebrows drawing together in surprise, tao lei said nothing as he braced his hands against the ledge and jumped down from the fence, landing directly in front of her. but rather than scoff at the stack of papers she practically shoved under his nose and the bravado she brandished like a makeshift weapon, he chose to maintain his silence, the piercing brown of his gaze riveted to her face.           but he did almost crack a smile as soon as he caught sight of the stubborn tilt of her chin — she was pretty audacious to be so ... small. “cute,” he murmured, giving her a once-over as he held his hand out for what he could only assume were this week’s missed assignments and homework. 

▎“and so the rabbit bares her teeth ...” his tone was mocking, his expression even more so as he continued to watch her, curious — despite his usual aversion to company — to see how she would react.

[pantoxmimes]

( marlene​ )

  “WANT TO HELP me stake out that godawful alley that always smells like old, moldy socks and rotten tomatoes?” Marlene tossed Dorcas a long, meaningful look meant to convey her excitement at the prospect of unearthing some dastardly secret the darker denizens of the wizarding world were hoping to keep under wraps. “They’re obviously hiding something.”

@ pantoxmimes

▎”wow, marls.” an amused grin split dorcas’s lips, giving her a slightly mischievous air. “i don’t know what to say. but as tempting as that offer sounds, i think i’ll have to pass.” points to marlene for trying, though — because only she of the colorful, descriptive language would possess enough persuasive power to tempt a perfectly sane witch to set up shop in an alley better served as a rubbish heap. “and of course they’re hiding something. they’re loitering in a rubbish heap — sorry. i mean knockturn alley — which kind of speaks for itself.”

[pantoxmimes]

( seung )

PLEASE FOR MERCY were nothing new to him — he was used to his prey begging him to leave them alone, used to them bemoaning a fate forced upon them by a bloodthirsty predator. he’d heard it all before and then some; you didn’t get to be his age without experiencing every whine known to mankind. but this was perhaps the first time that someone’s pleas infuriated rather than amused him. leave him alone? never. he’d spent too much time — and put too much effort — into this chase to even think about letting him go now. it’d been years since a prey had excited him like this, arousing every damn instinct he possessed, to the point that he was one cry away from shredding the boy’s clothes and feasting upon all that glorious flesh. a buffet he was positively dying to taste in full.            ( ONLY ) then would he take him again and again — until he finally managed to imprint his name on the tiguri’s skin with mouth, teeth, and tongue.

lifting blood-stained lips away from the pretty kitty’s neck, seung peered down at him in slight consternation, his dark gaze aglow with a fierce hunger as he licked his lips, relishing the savory richness of his blood.  ❝  you ask for the impossible,  ❞  he grunted, grip tightening on the stubborn point of jin-woon’s chin, hard enough to catch his attention but not hard enough to leave bruises.  ❝  why the fuck would i go to all that trouble just to kill you?  ❞  common sense should have kicked in by now. wasn’t it obvious what he wanted from the boy? did he need to spell it out for him?  ❝ stop? ❞  he chuckled, the sound dark and provocative. ❝ your body says differently. ❞ with DELIBERATE slowness, he pressed his palm against the zipper of jin-woon’s jeans, cupping him through his pants.      the boy was hard, deliciously so, proof of his susceptibility to his bite.  ❝  shall i prove it to you?  ❞  seung murmured, dragging the nail of his index finger down the hard, jutting outline of his arousal. a pretty sight — but it would be even prettier exposed to his avaricious gaze. soon.  ❝  i’ll have you writhing in pleasure soon enough. ❞

▎was this what it felt like to be trapped? to be so thoroughly ensnared in a web that had somehow — miraculously — skated under the radar, stealthily cornering him until he was positively helpless to escape the shamelessly hot, sensual gleam in those dark, dark eyes, their depths so terrifyingly sharp that it drew a startled mewl from him; fine-boned fingers curling against the material of seung’s shirt, jin-woon stared almost breathlessly at the dark smear of red on the revenant’s lips, having already begun to dance around the sharp edge of hysteria as if testing its validity. and finding it acceptable.

      “you want my blood,” he mumbled, resigned to having a bloodthirsty shadow dogging his steps for however long his interest lasted. and even if he’d rather not be responsible for rousing such a dangerous creature’s notice, he was even more hesitant to encourage the other male’s loss of attraction; it didn’t take a genius to figure out that once a predator grew bored of chasing its prey, it would end it — in such a spectacular way that one couldn’t possibly think it incompetent or clumsy as a hunter. he would know, considering that most tiguris were considered adept hunters. it was just something jin-woon had never been very good at, no matter how hard he’d striven to be a proper ailuran. so it didn’t really come as a surprise that another predator, this one stronger and far more skilled than he, had decided to turn an alleged hunter into prey. that and, well, the blood of an ailuran was said to be very addictive. it was the one lesson his clan had taught that had well and truly stuck with him, even after he’d failed to pass the tests every juvenile tiguri was expected to take on the cusp of adulthood. but maybe that had been for the best. because something told him he never would have succeeded as a guardian, not when he could barely take care of himself.

▎and, of course, seung had to go one step further to prove the impossibility of escape — and maybe the inevitability of surrender — by placing his hand there, the sudden, tactile pressure of such a bold, possessive maneuver bringing a flush to jin-woon’s cheeks, his skin feeling tighter than usual ... and hot, arousal burning through his veins as his own hand dropped to seung’s wrist, giving it a too-soft tug. “w-wait. please. i-i don’t ...” understand. he’d said it once before, trying to come to terms with the revenant’s obvious attraction to him. well, not him per se, but his blood. but this — this strange, new development — didn’t make sense. nothing about it makes sense.

[pantoxmimes]

( ki-woong )

KI-WOONG BIT BACK a grin at the pride he’d caught a glimpse of in his younger brother’s expressive eyes. He was relieved the boy had found something that he obviously liked to do, clearly taking great delight in knowing how to operate a camera and doing so with some semblance of skill. He’d only ever wanted the best for Jin-Woon, wanting to shield him from the recrimination and disappointment in the eyes of the elders and their parents. But at least now he had something with which to focus on, even if Ki-Woong failed to see the joy in it. “Oh, yeah? How much?” He quipped teasingly, not caring about the monetary value of the pictures but rather interested in seeing more of this exciting job his brother seemed so enthusiastic about. “Got any good pictures to show me?” Knowing Jin-Woon, he had several. The other male had always been meticulous with his hobbies and passions, wanting to be the best at everything he tried his hand at. Which was why failing those tests had affected him so strongly — and not in a good way.

           Giving an involuntary wince at Jin-Woon’s question, Ki-Woong heaved a soft sigh of regret for the role he’d unwittingly played in driving Junsu away. It wasn’t going to be easy to convince his bonded that nothing would ever change between them — that he would continue to protect and adore him with every fiber of his being. “Yeah, but he wants nothing to do with me — says he needs time,” he admitted softly, voice thick with disappointment. But then he quickly added, “What about you? How are you settling in?” A change of topic was definitely in order.

▎”enough,” jin-woon returned cheekily, dimples surfacing as his smile deepened the lines fanning out from the corners of his eyes. laugh lines. happy lines. lines of relief and delight, both of which indicated a genuine happiness for his brother’s presence. it meant that he was no longer alone. but just because ki’s destination had led him to seoul — to where jin-woon was — didn’t make his current situation any better. he was still being hunted by that stubborn brute of a revenant. and even if he were to fill ki in on all that had transpired thus far, he still wouldn’t be able to do anything. so — he wouldn’t tell him; simple as that. “why? do you need to take a loan out or something?” he added, somehow managing to keep a straight face despite the bubbling threat of laughter sitting in his chest. there was simply no way his brother would hunt him down for a loan — he had too much pride for that. and besides, that was a human thing, and they weren’t human. 

    “ani — nothing special. just a few trees and some passersby gawking at a naked guitarist. doubt they’ll be worth much.” speaking from a professional standpoint, of course.

▎disappointment. he knew that feeling well. lightly placing his hand on the other male’s shoulder, he gave it a sympathetic squeeze. “at least it’s not an outright rejection — right?” jin-woon felt compelled to point out, wanting only to make him feel better but not quite sure he succeeded.         “m-me?” he looked away, fiddling with the lens of his camera as he thought of his new home and what had led him to settle there. “i’m fine — found a pretty decent place to live.” an overstatement. “and taking pictures is fun. it gives me a sense of purpose.” something his life had sorely lacked before, true enough. “you don’t need to worry about me, ki.”

[pantoxmimes]

( iris )​

( ¯ ` ★     CONTRARY to what she wanted kai to think, iris finds herself hesitating in front of the gate to tao lei’s house, her grip tightening on the stack of papers in her hands as she stares up at the house, a frown of nervousness forming vertical lines on her forehead. but after a long, tense moment of scrutiny, the lines smooth out as she takes a deep breath and presses the square, well-worn button, listening for the buzz that would alert anyone inside to her presence. the sooner she gives him the handouts and homework, the sooner she can get back to her own life.

@ pantoxmimes

▎”what the hell do you want?” were the first words out of tao lei’s mouth as soon as his dark gaze fell upon her. balancing on the ledge of the brick fence, with one leg folded underneath him while the other dangled over the side, giving off the impression of unruffled nonchalance, he glared down at her, a cold gleam in his eyes. he didn’t know this girl — could only identify her by face but not by name. she’d certainly never took it upon herself to visit his house before … so was it any wonder that her unexpected presence had raised his suspicions? the fact that she was pretty didn’t help either. in his opinion, pretty girls were the most dangerous. “you’ve got no business here.”

[pantoxmimes]

meraxki​:

HE’D KNOWN JIN-WOON was in town almost from the time of his arrival, his brother hunting him down before he’d even settled on a place to sleep for the night. And even though he’d wanted to order the brat home, afraid that trouble would not only find his sweet, naïve brother but whisk him away to parts unknown, Ki-Woong hadn’t had the heart to crush his dreams of starting anew with a clean slate.

             “So is this what you do with your free time now?” With a quirked brow, he rested his chin against the boy’s shoulder and squinted into the viewfinder, trying to figure out what had him so captivated. “You and I have very different definitions of cute,” Ki-Woong muttered, wrinkling his nose as he watched the woman mop up globs of applesauce sticking to her son’s face. “Look at the mess on that one. I’ve seen muck cleaner than that.”

▎ki. big brother to the rescue. a smile tugging on his lips, jin-woon quickly snapped a shot of the picturesque scene of the mother and child — before lowering the camera, allowing it to fall back into place around his neck. because if anyone could provide an adequate distraction, it’d be ki-woong. “not just in my free time,” he shot back proudly. he couldn’t make it as a human guardian — those tests had been extremely difficult — but as a photographer, he was determined to be second to none. “it’s my job now. humans pay good money for professional pictures.” on average, they were willing to pay a hundred dollars for a candid shot of city nightlife, tourism being such a big thing here; three to eight hundred dollars for darker-themed photos. “and i think it’s cute. you can clearly see the love she feels with every wipe.” a mother’s capacity for love was something to behold.

▎ “did you find him?” jin-woon suddenly asked, concern for his brother’s situation crinkling his brow. he knew the reason for ki’s arrival in seoul. and unlike him, he wasn’t running from someone; he was running to them. 

[pantoxmimes]

@ meraxki

▎camera at the ready, jin-woon peered through the viewfinder, one eye closed as he brought the picture into focus; with a small smile, he watched the woman spoon applesauce into her child’s waiting mouth, then proceed to wipe his chin clean. “cute,” he murmured, quickly but skillfully snapping a shot of the scene before another variable, unknown or not, had the chance to ruin it. while photography was something he did to pay the bills, he also found that he enjoyed it, especially during impulsive sessions such as this one — when it was done for fun rather than for work.

[pantoxmimes]

( seung )

HE COULD SEE the resignation in the boy’s eyes — could practically taste his defeat with every breath he expelled. he should have known better than to run; a predator of seung’s caliber derived nothing but sheer enjoyment from the chase, bloodlust and desire often vying for control.       and out of all the prey he’d hunted over the centuries, little jin-woon was, by far, his FAVORITE. attractive, with a slender build and a naive disposition, the scent of his blood intoxicatingly sweet, he’d hoped the ailuran would try to evade his notice once more, intensely aroused by the thought of capturing him at last. but instead, he’d decided to end it prematurely, taking up residence in a place that should have been condemned long ago. the state of the property hadn’t seemed to bother the boy, though. to make matters worse, he even seemed ignorant of the various looks of interest he’d garnered over these past few weeks, and that — that was more than enough incentive for seung to take control of his fate. no way in hell did he intend to let him stay there a minute longer, not with the threat of someone else touching his prey hanging precariously over his head.

❝  why not? ❞    he husked, his deep baritone tinged with barely banked HUNGER as he pressed his body more firmly against the boy’s smaller one, a rasping growl rumbling deep in his chest at the warmth he could feel emanating from jin-woon’s skin.  ❝ everything. ❞     lips brushing against the arch of his neck, seung’s tongue flicked out to taste his skin, his hunger demanding as much.  ❝  i want everything. ❞     and he wouldn’t settle for less, the proof of that lying in a pool of his own blood and piss. jin-woon was his, and he wouldn’t allow anyone to come between them.  ❝  kill you? ❞      lifting his head long enough to pin the oblivious jin-woon with an incredulous scowl, seung cupped his chin with firm fingers, holding him still so that he couldn’t avert his gaze from his.  ❝  i’m not going to kill you. ❞    but take him? that, he planned to do. then, without warning, he sank his teeth into the boy’s neck, a groan escaping as the warm, tinny taste of blood exploded on his tongue — enriched from generations upon generations of ailurans.  ❝ mine,❞   he growled into his neck, lapping up as much blood as he could manage, stubbornly refusing to let a single drop go to waste.

▎had he possibly done something in a past life for fate to loathe him so? how else could anyone explain away this travesty of a situation?          he’d never intended to catch the eye of such a dangerous predator — had only wanted to distance himself from the overwhelming feelings of inadequacy and failure. but somewhere down the road, he must have angered or offended a superior being, and now he was paying for it. and the worst part of all was the fact that even with the proof of seung’s brutality staring him in the face — the human hadn’t moved an inch since he’d taken that vicious beating from a revenant hell-bent on sending a message; was he even breathing? — he still managed to look more like some conquering warlord than the violent, cruel monster jin-woon knew him to be.     “i-i don’t understand,” he mumbled as he tried — and failed — to ignore the strangely intense prickling sensation running up his spine, the fine hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. feline by nature, his instincts were keener than some, and those same instincts were demanding he plant a knee in seung’s groin then quickly get out of dodge — and, of course, lay low for awhile, at least until the revenant finally gave up and abandoned the chase; maybe then he’d leave him alone to find some other prey to hunt for a couple years, giving him room to breathe and time to think of another game plan. a better game plan. “why can’t you just leave me alone?” he whispered, a desperate plea in his tone — but then nearly choked on a gasp when the other male suddenly grasped his chin with long, calloused fingers, his strong grip impossible to break free of. “you’re not?” jin-woon stared up at him in tentative disbelief. if the plan wasn’t to kill him … then what was it?

▎he soon got his answer — when seung struck without warning, his fangs piercing the flesh of his neck and breaking the artery wall. jin-woon gave an involuntary jerk, feeling the sting of his bite … before a warm rush of pleasure swept through him; so intense it made his head spin. “s-stop.” his breath hitched in his throat as he brought his trembling hands to seung’s shoulders and shoved at them, confusion turning to fear in a blink of an eye.           but the odd thing was, it wasn’t the revenant’s bite that scared him; it was his reaction to it.

[pantoxmimes]

( seung )

HE POSITIVELY EXUDED FEAR, the sweet scent of it arousing the predator within. it reminded seung of their last encounter — when a pale-faced jin-woon had attempted to CRAWL out of the office window of the old, abandoned warehouse he’d carted him off to after the little cat had impetuously raked his claws down his cheek in a desperate bid for freedom. no one had drawn his blood in a long, long time, and feeling the sting from the bloody welts his clawing attack left behind clinched it for him. this ailuran, with his rich, intoxicating blood and innocent manner, belonged to him now.

❝  you live in a rat-infested hole. too many cloying, pungent scents have seeped into the walls. ❞       for weeks, he’d tracked his scent to that very apartment building. but every time he’d gone inside, the overwhelming stench had DISTRACTED him, causing him to lose the trail. until he’d decided one night to watch from the roof of an adjacent building for his wayward prey to leave — and followed him.    ❝  don’t be ridiculous. you were hiding, ❞  he growled as he kicked the useless lump of fat aside. then, with a vulturous smile and his head canted at a predatory angle, he stalked toward the boy, deliberately cornering him against the wall and skillfully cutting off all avenues of escape.  ❝ why move on when the game’s just begun? ❞     lightly dragging the calloused pad of his index finger — left over from his human days as a warrior — down the ridge of the other male’s jugular vein, seung bent to press his nose into the crook of jin-woon’s neck, breathing in his scent.  ❝ you smell different — better. ❞    only a fool would trade the better model in for an inferior one.

▎he wanted to refute his assertion — wanted to find some excuse as to why he’d chosen to entomb himself behind walls of filth and squalor. but nothing came to mind, and it irked him to say that. because seung was right. he had been hiding. he’d known the man would come looking for him as soon as he could — had known he’d track him down sooner or later. and so he’d deliberately selected the apartment with the worst living conditions and had readily agreed to move in on the condition that he overlook its poor state. the landlord had thought nothing of a seemingly poor freelance photographer choosing to shack up with neighbors that were likely to be found on south korea’s most wanted. he’d even appeared quite eager to accept the down payment — in cash — ignoring the fact that there was no credit history to be found in jin-woon’s background.   but all that methodical planning meant nothing in the end; seung still managed to find him despite the number of miles he’d put between them, and now he had no choice but to accept the inevitable — that shaking the revenant off his tail for a second time would be downright difficult, maybe even impossible. luck might have played a huge factor the first time, but he very much doubted it would again.

▎“why are you doing this?” jin-woon tried to avoid his touch, but seung had made it so he couldn’t move an inch without stumbling into that battle-honed body that positively reeked of danger. he was powerfully built to be so … lean. “what do you want from me?” was it his blood? the elders and his parents had warned him of the addictive properties in an ailuran’s blood. apparently, creatures who consumed blood found themselves obsessing over it, wanting it all to themselves. perhaps that was why seung had gone to the trouble of tracking him down when he could have just as easily found another prey to stalk. “are you …” he visibly winced at the fatality that awaited any prey unfortunate enough to gain a revenant’s attention, then cleared his throat. “are you going to kill me?”

[pantoxmimes]

( seung )​

CROUCHED ON THE LEDGE of a building overlooking the alleyway his prey had just entered, seung followed the little cat’s movements — swift as they were — with an intensely focused, hungry gaze, primed to act — just waiting for the right, opportune moment to strike. it had been days since he’d first unearthed the whereabouts of the wayward ailuran; the boy had taken one look at him — and fled, his fluid fleetness letting him fly under the radar for quite awhile. it wasn’t until he’d inadvertently caught a brief whiff of jin-woon’s sweet scent that he’d realized he was holed up in some hovel, working as a freelance photographer for disgusting cretins who looked upon him with lascivious eyes. but he couldn’t blame them. his kitten was … delectable.    a DELICIOUS morsel that was currently struggling to get away from a man who outweighed him by a good two hundred pounds.

a low, menacing growl climbing up his throat as soon as he caught sight of those pudgy fingers wrapped around the slender arm of his prey, seung straightened from his crouch, and without warning took to the skies, hopping from railing to railing — maneuvering along the fire escapes without hesitation or problem — until his feet finally touched the ground, landing with a gracefulness that paid homage to the warrior he’d been once upon a time. then, seizing the bastard by the hair, he slammed his head into the brick wall, hard enough to crack it — then did it again and again, stopping only after his face had become so mangled that it would be unrecognizable even to his loved ones and the ones who knew him best. satisfied, his grip loosened, and the bleeding man dropped to the ground in a heap of listless limbs, dead to the world.    the THREAT neutralized, seung lifted his head to pin jin-woon with a wicked smile, a hint of the predator in his unsmiling gaze.      ❝ did you really think you could hide from me, little rabbit? ❞

▎city life could be frightening when at it alone, but jin-woon had been so sure he could manage. he was an adult — or so the ambush once claimed — who was perfectly capable of making his own decisions, even if those decisions led to dangerous, spine-tingling situations he would have done anything to avoid. but here he was, being accosted by some heavyset human bent on teaching him a lesson. his ailuran blood should have at least given him an edge — yet just the opposite had happened. was he really no match for a human, of all things? perhaps this was a sign that he was weak … and foolish for running away. “please — just let me go,” he implored the man, ashamed that he would have to ask at all, let alone beg for it. “it was an accident.”   tugging on the fingers clenched tightly around his arm, jin-woon gave the larger male a beseeching look, hoping to appeal to his kinder side — if he had one.

▎but then, out of nowhere, seung — the very man he’d wanted to avoid — appeared, taking care of the problem personally.  visibly flinching as seung drove the human’s thick skull into the wall, repeatedly, until he was satisfied, jin-woon swallowed hard, his instincts screaming at him to run but his locked knees preventing his body from moving as he wished. “i wasn’t trying to hide,” he mumbled, darting gaze already trying to find an escape route. “i thought you would have moved on by now — found another prey.” he’d hoped for that very thing on many occasions.

[pantoxmimes]

@ noxctivagus

 ▎hot-natured, it took a lot for jin-woon to notice the chill in the air, let alone react to it. but as he slipped, fleet of foot, into the alleyway, intending only to use it as a shortcut on his way home from work, the tiny hairs on the back of his neck prickled, a chill creeping down his spine — as though to warn him of imminent danger. just as his instincts did, adding to his need to find an escape route and duck out of harm’s way, intensifying it. but then, just as he rounded the corner of the building, he nearly collided with a thickset man.         “sorry,” he mumbled without looking up and tried to move around him but found his way firmly blocked when the man suddenly grabbed his arm and snapped, “you better look at me when you apologize, boy.”

▎jin-woon’s head snapped up on reflex. “i — sorry?” he winced, trying to wiggle his arm free. but the man was surprisingly strong — stronger than he’d anticipated. “i didn’t mean to … honestly. i just want to go home.”

[pantoxmimes]

character posts | dorcas meadowes —> for @dorcasmeadoweslupin

“ when the world was at war, we just kept dancing. ”

[pantoxmimes]

Taehyung lock/homescreen wallpapers. Dispatch photoshoot 📸

[pantoxmimes]

▎curiosity flickered in jin-woon’s eyes as an unfamiliar but decidedly feminine voice sounded behind him. popping a piece of plum candy in his mouth, he turned to greet the stranger ( human? her scent certainly alluded to the possibility ) with a bemused smile. “i’m used to it — losing.” first with his ambush’s tests and then with his inability to evade seung long enough to set up roots without fear of discovery hanging over his head. “that’s not to say i like playing losing games, though! i just don’t see the point in taking gambles when they almost never work.”

open to: everyone. seriously !! setting: anywhere where gambling/betting can happen. i’m not picky. hell, surprise me. xD. i love surprises.

“ᴏʜ, ʜᴏɴᴇʏ. believe me. you should neither want nor need my bet,” neena says conspiratorially, her posture relaxed & placid in a way that signifies confidence. "you’d be playing a losing game.”