#◟ * 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞 › fire to a flame‚ ignite it

[viragosoul]

*   magnets   ⏤⏤⏤⏤    @efhemra

she only said yes to him because she thought he was joking.

because that's what their relationship seems to be comprised of ⏤ amusement, quips, a sense of no holds barred with thinly veiled teasing. he's a welcome distraction to the disarray that currently makes up her life, the bar becoming an unforeseen point of solace amongst this stagnant town. siyeon has almost gotten used to placating the feelings of others with watered down remarks, but with every jab thrown her way, kojirō makes sure that she doesn't get too comfortable. it's irritating as much as it is enticing in the way that he easily catches every insult she attempts to throw his way, entertaining the words in a way an adult does with a child's toy, that knowing simper before throwing something back of his own. she hopes that enough alcohol will kill the flutters that coat her stomach.

at least the intrigue is mutual, she thinks. when it was revealed that siyeon would have her own space at the exhibition, somehow the topic of conversation would always circle back to him insisting on helping in some type of way ⏤ something about wanting to learn her craft, in his own words. super corny, she replies. there's something about letting people in during her process that makes her feel exposed in a way that's hard to explain, would honestly prefer to work alone so she could be as erratic or obsessive as she wants, but by his third time of bringing it up ( and with a help of a drink he mixes, despite the fact that she downplays how tasty it actually is ) there's a date she gives to swing by the studio after classes to see how much help he truly can be.

that exchange nearly slips her mind as the days pass, throwing herself into the project once the idea gets going. it's only when a flash of ash blonde is comes into her peripheral view that it comes into the forefront of her memory, dark eyes moving from the bottom of her sculpture onto the sight of kojirō at the entrance, widening as they do so. "shit, you were being for real?" she questions with a couple of blinks, then her next thought is something along the lines of how she should have looked more presentable than how she does now ⏤ brunette tresses tossed into a messy bun, on the floor surrounded by wood shavings and decrepit, thrown away planks of wood in several assortments. "well, come on in then. we'll finally get to see if you're more than just a pretty face and a lame mouth," laughter follows as the woman rises to her feet, brushing the wood particles off of her clothes and hands before moving closer, "did you actually come here to learn something or work? or was that just your way of trying to be alone with me?" a raised eyebrow, a set up for another possible punchline.

[viragosoul]

*   don't hurt yourself    ⏤⏤⏤⏤    @plctwists

at this point, siyeon finds herself counting down the days until the exhibition is over.

this being her first showing at mugunghwa, it makes her wonder if all the added stress is truly worth it. if all the late nights, abrupt changes, and added weight within her eye bags would all make sense come opening day ⏤ it has to. her grandfather endorses the fall exhibit during an afternoon check in call, stating that it has merits beyond an academic grade and would bolster her artistic resume to have a designated space there, but even then she's still not sure. mocha colored hues shift over to the sight of mina working on the opposite side of her, and it makes her wonder if her already stellar resume needs bolstering; if it's enough to put up with the other's presence in close proximity.

in all honestly, there has never been a point in time where siyeon has gotten along with her, nor did she ever want to. it was already enough that the two of them were lauded as some of the greatest talent to enter the school in decades, competitive spark igniting to a flame in an instant; but mina's fragile facade was the fuel that escalates it into a wildfire, leaving the ash remains of anything that comes in it's path. and as they are the only two of the red and green club working together on the memorial of jisoo at this time ⏤ using mina's idea that was accepted by the plurality of the group, siyeon not included ⏤ she's trying to make sure that the project doesn't become another victim of their ongoing discord. suck it up for the good of the project, or something like that.

the space amongst them is strained and brittle, like a rubber band stretched to the breaking point, so she remains silent and moves in a gentle manner. siyeon isn't looking for another fight since there's no other choice but to work together, but that also doesn't mean that her defenses are lowered. "pass me that tool over there," she breaks the silence, motioning over towards the tool that was left near mina before their positions changed. you can accomplish a basic task like that, right? dissolves on the tip of her tongue because it's already enough that her tone is hardly sociable, but it's the best she can muster at the moment.

[viragosoul]

*   night view   ⏤⏤⏤⏤   @44m4

the dinner was transpiring rather nicely, but siyeon still needs a moment of reprieve. it's the way she's taking extra precautions to make sure she isn't the source of any drama, the analyzation and overthinking, that causes her to feel like a balloon with too much oxygen; strained. the son's abode is unsurprisingly vast, and it takes a bit of time for her to find a place where the voices of the others don't reach, but once it's located she takes the opportunity to let out a sigh. it's new territory having to mind the feelings of others, even moreso when one among them is your ex and another is one you loathe despite the fact that everyone else fawns over her ⏤ but for the sake of earning her spot within the revered red and green club, she stays.

taking some moments for herself, the back of her head rests upon the wall behind her while allowing for time to sit still for just a few seconds, mind easing from one hundred miles down to forty five. it's only when mingze breaks her out of her reverie with his presence, passing by while oddly dabbing at eyes made of glass, that the pace starts to pick up again. call it self preservation in the way that siyeon decides to keep to herself, instead focusing attention upon the phone upon her lap as a good distraction, in hopes that she could end up regretting. that would be odd anyway, right? to just saunter up to someone and start questioning them during a potentially vulnerable moment. the information she knows wasn't really hers to mind after all, but when the situation with jisoo was concerned ...

when muyeol appears sometime later she comes to realize that she was hardly concentrating on the images on her phone, despite what her hunched position over it might seem. and of course he looks nearly unfazed, as she feels like he always seems unfazed, but that gnawing feeling inside of her only develops within as she comes to wonder if maybe the detective's son passing by in this exact moment the spotlighted sign she needs. even if she did try to drown him once or thrice before. "pssssst, stupid," she calls out in his direction in a mix of a yelling whisper tone that's comical, abandoning her place at her seat to shuffle towards him, "one, what are you doing here? didn't expect you to be this much of a sore loser that you follow me to a private party for a rematch. yikes." purposely pretentious, siyeon moves a section of her hair over her shoulder with a languid flick of her head, though her attention peers over his for sight of the topic at hand, "also, what's up with mingze? looks like he was upset," head nodding in the direction he walked in, "is he okay?"

[viragosoul]

*   out of time    ⏤⏤⏤⏤    @wingedvictor​

all directions eventually lead her to nam minjun, and she can’t fucking stand it.

siyeon holds trust in patterns, motifs in life; things don’t come to people in a repetitive nature out of plain coincidence. no, call it the universe’s way of getting your attention, trying to spur you in the right direction. it’s somewhat of a rule that she has a steadfast belief in, as it always seems to eventually work in her favor in the end. but within the proceeding months of their break up it feels like this same rule is working to her detriment instead ⏤ seeing him in the red and green meetings should be more than enough exposure. does she really need to catch glimpses of him in the hallway while moving from one classroom to the next? or even on the field during soccer practice, despite the fact that they are on two distinctly different teams? it becomes increasingly laborious to pretend that minjun is a breeze of the wind and not the only man that has managed to actually sweep her off of her feet, despite that phrase not matching the minjun of mugunghwa.

and it feels like the more she tries to fight the universe’s demands, the stronger it’s pull becomes. as such, it doesn’t make any sense that he out of all people would also have the same idea as her, showing up in the exhibition hall dangerously close to midnight to get a headstart on setting up for opening day; especially since the main reason for being here this late was to avoid him, among other reasons. it also doesn’t make sense that minjun’s space seems to be only an arm’s length away from hers, making it impossible to not have fleeting moments of eye contact while working amidst the tranquil stillness, thankful that indistinct lighting above hides the abrupt flush that runs through her body at every startling meeting. can you act like you’ve been alone with an ex before, self? thanks.

time passes by like that for a bit, siyeon focusing on her own project at hand and assuming he’s doing the same. but there comes a point where things are no longer working the same way it did while she was in the studio. it’s as if pieces are falling apart, unable to stand up on their own, which would require a little extra work to hold it steady ⏤ a two person operation instead of one. absolutely not. her back remains to the only person that could help her at this time while she busies herself to work on it on her own, groaning each time the structure falls to the ground with a cling clang that rips through the serenity. by the third time of the same, she sighs. “i wouldn’t ask if i didn’t need this,” siyeon says, voice deadpan as she turns to face minjun, swallowing the lump of inconsistent emotions that comes with not working through a sudden break up, “could you just⏤ hold this for me while i put this together?”

[viragosoul]

*   motives    ⏤⏤⏤⏤    @4ntemortem 

siyeon’s mentor had always instilled within her the hidden resilience that comes with standing on your own, as it was better to be alone than with people that make you feel all alone. she wasn’t exactly sure if she understood those words at a younger age, where her incompliant stance was much more of a facade than it is of current times, but she made sure to take the older woman’s words to heart regardless. while not immediately applicable at times, her mentor’s wisdom had never been wrong through out the years of her advisership. and as siyeon stands among her designated space within the exhibition hall, brows crinkling in sharp deliberation at the project that comes together before her, that specific quote finds its way into the forefront of her mind. now, an impasse.

the reverberation of labor and chatter fill the area of the hall, chiefly coming from the red and green club; a good number of which she finds herself on unfavorable terms with, at best. it would be in her nature to leave had it not been for the acclaim and perks that came with being a member ( as she’s working in now ), along with that nagging feeling of being where the universe wants her to be. so as much as siyeon would like to flee mugunghwa, she remains. as much as she doesn’t want to engage with the red and green club ⏤ especially after the one pro regarding said club passed away ⏤ she makes do. and as much as she wants this piece to come together in a seamless manner, it doesn’t. 

running fingers through brunette tresses with a sigh, eyes connect with son jiyeon after breaking away from trance; a beacon of hope amongst precarious waters. the older was a neutral party to her within the club, and held a place of respect within the way she carries her duties and proficiency. but there’s a part of siyeon that hesitates, unable to ask for help in lieu of it being unbecoming, a sign of weakness. before giving herself time to think it over legs find themselves roaming towards jiyeon’s side, an olive branch in the way glossed lips pull into a tight grin, a lock of hair twirling around an index finger, “hey ... uh, jiyeon? you gotta sec? i think i need some advice on my uh ... thing, over there. if you can.” she starts, motioning to her hanging sculpture with a tilt of her head.

[viragosoul]

tag dump !