#imagine blogging away for decades and then the concretizations of your life’s thoughts are gone. the hand of time has wiped you away

[etirabys]

deepdarkfear : because old digital data is so annoying to recover and impossible after a window of time, primarily digital authors and individuals are erased from history

[this-writers-dream]

The Silent Coup

Hi all, this is the first actual original story that I’m posting to this blog, which has been its intended purpose all along. But hey, what’s a few year’s worth of delay to build some necessary anticipation! ...Right?

--

Title: The Silent Coup Words: 3120 Genre: Dystopian alternate history and humor

About: The fate of a nation rests in the hands of a wistful daydreamer with an unlikely power, who plays an important role in the rebellion against a powerful tyrant.

I’m going to tag some blogs because I’m not quite sure how this is done. :) Thanks!

@writing-prompt-s @writerswritecompany @ruinedchildhood @awed-frog @writeworld @liamdryden @moonlit-imagines @yeahwrite @scrawl-your-heart-out @prompts-and-circumstance @dialogue-prompts @justsomewritingprompts @thewritewire @the-modern-typewriter @daily-prompts @ilivetowriteandinspire 

Enjoy!

~

My stomach growled as I made my way down the long corridor with about thirty other Freedom Fighters, the elite forces of the resistance, or what was left of them us anyway. I hoped no one had heard - how embarrassing - and quickly looked down, pretending to fix my shirt so I could take a quick peek at the expressions of those nearest to me. Phew. I breathed a sigh of relief, everyone seemed to be lost in either their own worlds or deep in conversation. We were all headed toward the very back of the base where Stoakes would give her final debriefing in the large lecture hall.

As everything would begin in only a few hours, Stoakes would review the plan a final time and rally everyone together before it was set into motion. Most of the older rebels had been waiting decades for this moment, forced to sit back and watch the world rot around them while holding on to hope that their time would come to make a difference. Well, their time had finally arrived. I could almost feel a buzz in the air, excitement mixed with nervousness tinged with fear, but an undertone of hope surrounded us all like a tender embrace. Or like the hundreds of thousands of pounds of pressure pushing in on us from all sides, what with us being god knows how deep underground, I thought as I straightened and my gaze once more took in the unnatural and massive semi-circular shape of the Rebellion Base. I quickly focused on my feet instead. From the moment I'd arrived at the base about a year ago and the elevator travelled rapidly downward instead of up, I resolved denial would be the best method to handle underground bases. My decision is made, I thought sternly, Hope surrounds us like a tender embrace and nothing more. It was as if Stoakes' firm hand lay on each of our shoulders, urging us forward to a brighter future. It was her plan, after all, that had given everyone this hope. Neither the tyrant nor the government would see it coming, no one ever did. The only problem was that the whole thing relied on me using my special ability. Apparently, my time had come too. I gulped and my stomach complained nervously.

The walk to the debriefing room at the end of the corridor was long and I shuffled forward silently beside the others, favoring the comfort of my own thoughts to the inevitable speculative conversations about whether I felt up to the dizzying task ahead of me. Other than the - my eyes darted up to the ceiling - daunting pressure I felt with all the responsibility placed on me for the plan to succeed, and despite being imprisoned by tons of rock, concrete, and who knew what else, I felt freer among the resistance than I ever did in the Camps. Besides, it seemed to be mostly the same pretty much everywhere; shackles of labor in Juvenile Facilities or Adult Work Camps, or imprisonment in Detention Camps. The tyrant stood by the Equalist belief, "Separate but equal", which ultimately resulted only in many different forms of prison cells. At least my current cell is a Rebel Cell of Freedom Fighters, working to make a difference for the people.

I might have even preferred my assigned work at the Cellular Citizenship Identification Center (CCIC) above ground, but I'd only been granted admission to such a laidback, high-level facility because Stoakes cleared my criminal record before I'd even been born and assigned renegade hackers to track and alter my juvie test records so my work assignment would eventually land me at CCIC, where she she was assigned as an Executive, with the ability to aide my escape to the resistance. I owed her everything. If my mother's Criminal status had been passed on to me, upon birth my infant body would have been 'donated to the pursuit of scientific achievement and advancement'. Instead, I had been granted not only a life, but a purpose along with the means to accomplish it.

My eyes steeled as I arrived at the main doors to the debriefing room behind which a short walkway curved downward toward an impressive oak podium at the center of the stage below. Seats filled quickly as I made my way past rows of staggered seating toward a table with three chairs positioned beside the podium. As my stomach twisted in knots, I regretted my earlier decision to forego breakfast and hoped it wouldn't growl again. I thankfully downed the glass of water that had been provided as I took the seat directly to the left of the podium. It might be enough to quiet my hunger for now. By the time the glass was back on the table, the few seats that remained vacant weren't for much longer and the remaining two seats beside me had been occupied by additional resistance leadership. My heart raced, but I bowed my head and smiled at them in greeting as we awaited Stoakes. I was grateful the wait wasn't long.

She commanded such a strong presence nothing more than her arrival into the room was necessary for everyone to fall silent and listen. Stoakes wasn't physically large, a woman in her late sixties, she stood at a short five feet but her aura was fierce and she knew it. Lively green eyes shone intelligently beneath platinum blond hair cropped short to fall just over her ears as she stepped behind the podium and smiled out at the audience who'd begun clapping vigorously. Of course, her being an Executive Citizen also commanded a certain degree of awe. Although wrinkled with age, Stoakes had been the very first person with porcelain white skin I had ever seen. I imagined she must have been the first for many others in the resistance too, since the majority were like me, or darker.

"Renegades!" She began, her strong voice reverberating across the room. Positive murmurs traveled across the audience. "Rebels!" The murmurs grew in volume and assent. "Freedom Fighters!" The audience cheered loudly and Stoakes allowed them a moment before raising her hands for silence. As they quieted down, she continued, "The time for the Silent Coup has finally arrived!" More cheers. "We've been working toward this moment for many years," she paused briefly. "Decades! We have planned, we have trained, and we are ready!" Eruptions of cheers escalated after each delayed inflection. It was as if the audience was a finely tuned instrument in the hands of a professional.

I felt immune to whatever spell the rest of them seemed to be under. Perhaps because I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders, Not to mention the weight of the rocks pushing down on us all! Cheers continued washing over the stage in waves but I no longer focused on the speech. The words Stoakes spoke became distorted and distant until I could ignore them entirely. I wasn't so certain I was as ready as everyone else seemed to be. It had been years since I had any need to use my ability before I met Stoakes, and while four years passed since then and I'd been training intensely, I couldn't help but doubt my ability to perform under such stress. My attention snapped back to reality as Stoakes clapped a hand against my back.

"...which will all be handled by our very own, Carver," she finished, directing her beaming smile at me and the crowd. More cheers rose up to meet her and my heart pounded in my ears. "At this stage of our plan, it will be inevitable that he," Stoakes almost spat the word, "the despot, the tyrannous President-turned-Dictator, will be de-shtooned!" Silence met Stoakes for a moment before a giggle broke out in the crowd. Her brows furrowed in confusion before she turned quickly to face me. The giggle gave rise to laughter but Stoakes barely missed a beat, acting as if it had been a part of her speech all along. "He will be DETHRONED," she bellowed and the laughter died down. Stoakes smiled and her hand found its way to my shoulder. "Just a glimpse of the power we have at our disposal to help us achieve our goals. Now, amplify this example a thousand-fold to the large scale relentless attack we have planned," she paused for dramatic affect, "and we will have our victory!" Thunderous cheers arose and I breathed a sigh of relief as she withdrew her hand back to the podium, averting the attention that had fallen on me.

She continued on with her speech, the audience never losing their cue. My attention drifted again as I longingly wondered what might be left to eat in the mess hall this late in the morning - I'd honestly be happy with plain toast at this point, I'm starved! I thought, before Stoakes' calm voice drew me away from my thoughts not for the last time.

"Carver, I can only imagine you must be nervous," she began in a kind, low voice. I looked around quickly only to find everyone had been dismissed. Stoakes and I were almost the only ones left in the room. "We've gone over this time and again, you must learn to have disciplined focus. You're capable of incredible things. The time has come for you to claim your destiny." She paused as if to allow me to respond, but I had nothing to say. Stoakes smiled with a sigh and motioned with her hand for us to leave.

"Why don't we go grab you a bite to eat before heading out?" I shot up, smiling and nodding, out of my chair immediately following her out of the room, happy to avoid the conversation she had been heading in.

--

The next few hours passed as if in a blur. I, along with three others who would travel with me, was outfitted with an Equalist security disguise to prevent detection from Loyalist forces as we traveled. Our first task would be to locate the White House, only a few mile's trek and short drive from where the base's elevator let out on the surface. We would then act as security reinforcement, ensuring Citizens remained a safe distance away from the stage that was set up in the middle of a large courtyard directly across from the White House. I would be in close enough range to do the deed, and then we would quickly disperse. It almost sounds easy when I lay it out like that, I thought in an attempt to mask my anxiety as I and the three other Freedom Fighters entered the elevator.

I wasn't sure what to expect when we arrived at the surface. I had never traveled very far on the surface before. When Stoakes helped me escape from CCIC, we had done so via interconnected underground tunnels. What I hadn't expected to see when the elevator doors opened atop a hill overlooking a good stretch of land were the massive concrete walls topped with barbed wire, crisscrossing deep into the horizon. The only exception to this landscape was the city where we were headed, the walls were much taller there, the buildings rose high into the sky.

My mouth gaped, They're are all Camps? I had only ever seen those walls from the insides, I could never have imagined they stretched on so far. My face fell, "No one's free?" The words escaped me before I could stop myself. I hated looking dumb by asking questions.

Two of my companions had already begun their trek downhill, a car would be waiting for us not too far from there, but the third companion had hesitated, waiting for me. When we made eye contact, hers held an almost tangible sadness.

"Executive Citizens are given Premium Upgrades™ but for the most part, it's like this everywhere," she said. "Welcome to the United Corporation of America."

We spoke little after that. When the massive white sky scraper I had noticed from atop the hill was only a few blocks in the distance, we parked the car in a well hidden alley and walked the rest of the way. It wasn't until we were in place, holding back crowds of Citizens as they fought for the best positions to see the stage, that I spoke again.

The tyrant retained few traditions from the past but one he humored was called, The Campaign. Every four years he gave an inaugural speech regarding his plans for the next four years of his 'Presidency'. Large cameras broadcast the event across the nation, but I never had reason to pay attention before now.

A booming voice spoke in what seemed to be an overly pleasant tone over the speakers, "Citizens, thank you for joining us on this momentous day! Before we welcome our President, let us proclaim the Pledge of Allegiance together!"

My eyes shot over to the Freedom Fighter that answered my question on the hill. She shrugged in response. We both took up the chorus as everyone recited the Pledge.

"I pledge allegiance to the nation

of the United Corporation of America,

and to the man for which it stands,

one nation under Trump,

indomitable, with equality and separation for all.

AMERICA IS GREAT AGAIN!"

As the last words rang out across the courtyard the cheery announcer returned, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Citizens and Executive Citizens, please rise to welcome, PRESIDENT TRUMP!"

I was taken aback when the stout man exited a large SUV and began making his way along a red carpeted route to the stage, surrounded by guards. My eyes shifted to my companion once more.

"He's not white," I hissed in surprise. "Orange, maybe tan if we're being kind."

The Freedom Fighter held back a smirk and frowned instead, motioning with her head and communicating with her eyes that I should begin.

My eyes widened in response, worried that I'd already messed up, but I quickly eased my mind as Stoakes had taught me and focused all of my attention on the target.

Everything became muffled and I could faintly hear my heart beat in my ears, soft and strong. The tyrant next worked his way through a crowd of Executive Citizens, shaking hands and greeting them personally. A perfect opportunity to begin. As his lips moved, I established a narrative in my mind, a sort of bad lip reading that under my directed focus would form a sync, causing the target to mirror the scrambled speech in my mind without their knowledge.

As the tyrant climbed the steps to the stage, a government official stepped forward to shake his hand.

"There's Tommy," said Trump jovially, the sensitive microphone on the podium already capturing his voice and broadcasting it. I would only later come to find the fellow's name was actually Edward. "Diggin' the formal shoes, buddy," he continued, "I like those." The crowd, who had all been smiling and cheering, began to falter.

As the resistance had hoped, the despot was too fearsome to correct. The man he had called Tommy nodded awkwardly and uttered a quick, "Uh, th-thanks."

"I like it in Vermont, it's cool," Trump said, waving and smiling as the cameras captured the moment. Tommy/Edward chuckled nervously, unsure of what to do. "Doesn't he look like he should teach at a university?" The tyrant smirked and waved the man off good-naturedly, taking his place before the podium. No one cheered now, many in the audience gave each other curious glances and concerned murmurs could be heard.

"Good afternoon, Citizens," Trump's voice amplified over the courtyard. "I'm kind of cramping up, so try to avoid the lasagna," he began, his face grave. Someone in the audience broke and a laugh erupted, causing others to join in.

One brave advisor must've realized what all the others should have noticed immediately. The longer they allowed their President to make a fool of himself, the worse it would be for them later. The brave advisor stepped forward, interrupting the tyrant in an unprecedented manner, covering the microphone and speaking directly in his ear.

I felt a gentle squeeze on my left elbow and my concentration broke. I made eye contact with the Freedom Fighter and she nodded, indicating it was time to disperse. I watched the tyrant be escorted off the stage toward the White House as I worked my way through the throngs of confused people to rendezvous with the others back at the hidden alley where the car would be waiting.

I was the last to arrive and by the looks of the other three when I did, they had already celebrated our win. I was received with congratulations and smiles, but it felt stiff. I was relieved when we decided to head out and the Freedom Fighter I'd been speaking to sat with me in the back.

"We should celebrate," the driver said, smirking into the rearview mirror and turning the radio on. As he flipped through the static to find a suitable music station, he paused at what sounded like a Nightly News® broadcast.

"Breaking news tonight on multiple fronts, Citizens. A terrorist plot stopped at the White House, and we have confirmation that the President has suffered a stroke. We're going live to-"

I slid forward, gripping the seat before me, "What! That's NOT what happened!"

The driver switched off the radio and the companion beside me placed a gentle hand on my leg, "We know, Carver, it's ok." I slid back in the seat and she pulled her hand back, satisfied once I'd calmed down.

"They had to make up something," piped up the third rebel in the passenger seat. "Make it seem like they know what's going on and have the situation under control."

"Exactly," barked the driver with a laugh. "Bet you they're shitting their pants right now."

A calm voice spoke up next to me, "The first phase of the Silent Coup has started," she said smiling. "The remaining dominos will inevitably topple and we will silence him for good."

All of their voices were happy, calm, and unworried. They felt none of the pressure I did. Guess it wasn't the rocks after all. What they said weren't lies, a crack in the foundation had been broadcast to the entire nation, something that had never happened before and it gave us an incredible opportunity. Stoakes' plan was coming to fruition exactly as she'd said it would.

"Be proud," came my companion's voice beside me once more. "Our victory today was all thanks to you."

I allowed myself to smile as I watched the world blur outside the window.

[lilspice05]

It’s Superhero Time !

Hey, Hey favorite people in the whole wide world and my amazing lil Spicers It’s been a whole week since we last talked and it kinda a sad day as this is my last blog of this season. But, don't you worry my little nutmegs and cinnonmoms, I will be back after a short break. Sit back and relax, cozy by the fire with a cup of hot cocoa while I am away for me! I decided that for this week's blog and to leave all you guys off with an amazing ending till i'm back. I’m going to be creating my very own superhero for you guys and gals and bring back some joy to this crazy year. Now we all know or have an idea what a superhero looks, sounds, and acts like right? Today I plan on switching things up a bit and showing you all something different. Adding my own bit of spice into the mix! Well hopefully this will be like no other hero you've ever seen before and will enjoy what i'm about to bring to life. 

Now my lovelies let's take a full dive right in, like when the Joker and Harley Quinn did into the water while Batman was chasing them in Sucide Squad. This is no regular superhero, this is WolfGirl. WolfGirl is a different kind of story as she is a Marvel Superhero and is not quite an Avenger yet as she didn't start out as the best person or even a hero. It all started back in 1943 at this mansion like home in Wallkill NY, a small town where everyone knows each other and being different is frowned upon especially since she was on the weather side of society. That’s when everything started to change for this 5 year old hero. Amanda Zale was the child of Colleen and Lance Zale. Life was not easy for her as she was the youngest of five with a very abusive mom who was so concerned about what society thought of her and a hard working, wealthy dad that was hardly around. Which is why she only got along with her older brother as he was the only one too seem to care about or for her. It was supposed to be them against the world for life no matter what. Unless it was to give her parents or siblings something they wanted as their intentions were to use her to get them ahead in life. She was a shy, cute,  strong, and independent child. Who sometimes gets in trouble for her curiosity. She had learned that she is not like all the other children in the world. Especially when it came to her four siblings Victoria, Edward, Elizabeth, and James who is the oldest and the many children in her town. She noticed she was different because her nails would grow when thought about, her eyes could change colors even helping her see at night , she could shift into any animal but her favorite was a wolf, and was able to look into people's minds showing them a different reality. She even learned how to show them their worst nightmare. You see Amanda abbitlies came not only from natural ability from a special gene inside of her but were enhanced after she was sold to a scientist called Dr. Flint. A very evil man that was working for Hydra and some to this day says he still does because of the chemicals he used. He discovered that the cells that are rare and doubled  in certain children react differently and poor little Amanda discovered that at a young age. After she was sold to this horrible man by her parents. They had no problem in making the decision since she was a burden to them. It was then, without warning, when she was taken out of Wallkill and taken to this weird base or abandoned homes in the middle of nowhere with children running around. Only a few and even then they were not like her. She met a young boy named Jacob which happened to be the doctor's son in this awful and scary place. They thought they were inseparable as he was really her first and only friend. Quickly they became best friends, but she grew up faster than other children that have bought here before. Her maturity stemmed from everything she was put through, growing up dealing with so much, she had no other option rather than to grow up and face reality. This pleased the doctor and she quickly became his favorite and eventually the only child as she was forced to stay away from everyone else. She even had to sleep in a different building in this concrete room like a prisoner. Being alone caused her to stick to her studies learning how to fight, run fast, control people's minds, and getting chemicals pumped through her body to enhance her abilities the way the doctor wanted. This caused her to have a few scars on her back, arms, and chest as some of the experiments backfired. She did all of this till she hit the age of 16 at only five and  half years later being brought to this horrible place. This was possible because she froze at this age due to the fact her genes and cells would regenerate everyday to help her heal and become the strongest. She then continued these studies and tests for the next few years becoming one the best killer in her generation. She then became a secret weapon for Hydra. She then was sent on many missions for most of her life to try to kill many members of Shield and was very successful killing many agents and leaving many others in mental trauma. She even killed one of the original leaders of Shield in hopes of finding the original serum that made Captain America who he is. Slowly after a decade of doing this for Hydra she started getting pretty well known for her work and was hunted especially by shield and many government officials. Which led Hydra to leave her on her own and abandoned the project she was involved in tossing her into the streets.

After being on the run for so long and being alone for so many decades thinking of her family, mistakes, and wishing she could see her brother again. She started using her powers for common crimes like stealing, cheating, and fighting to survive the harsh streets of New York City. It was these city streets that made her who she really was. It was this environment that made her want to be a part of it all. Seeing all of the corruption and madness tear her society apart, she figured why try and fight it all when I can just join them and be a part of all the madness. Taking action, she told herself was the only way to survive. One day though she ended up picking the wrong person's pocket. That person was no other than Tony Stark himself and she ended up stealing one of his bands that has his next prototype for his big suit and also some secret files showing many heroes around the world. Not knowing she started to walk away and Tony saw her with it and started chasing her. She quickly thought on her feet and used her powers to show Tony a reality that the bracelet was still in his hand. While she slipped away going back to her home, a beat up old warehouse. Slowly after that she is found by not only Tony but also Steve Rogers aka Captain America and they were not happy. She tried using her many tricks and she was almost successful in escaping but they caught up to her and asked where her parents were, where she lived, and did she know what she stole. Naturally she lied as she was trained to. However they caught onto her lies as she looked beat up and lost. They decided to take her back to the Avengers building and give her food, clothes, and shower. When she came out she looked around in amazement but with her guard up. As she was used to everything being so dark, scary and she didn't trust them. This is the part of her story that she has a change of heart, but it's not the reason you think. As she walked those halls she stumbled upon a picture she knew. One familiar face she knew from her days in Hydra. Someone she looked up to as he became like a brother to her when she was training for missions. That person was Bucky Barnes, a soldier brought in after falling off a train. She stood there frozen starting at this picture and this is when Tony and Cap realized why she was able to do what she could. They asked her to stay with them and not wanting to go back to that warehouse she decided to stay and overtime she started to really trust them especially Cap. He told her all the stories about Bucky and she told him what Hydra did to them. She started to really trust again and even would go on missions with them. Wearing her brand new suit that Steve helped her design because her old ripped up clothes didn't keep her safe. It was all black with red lines going through to help her control her transformations. She also wears a necklace with a shape like a bullet charm at the end holding a piece of rock in it. Her brother James gave it to her before she was taken away. She also has these gloves with special made nails to fit over her anytime they grow. All of this helped her realise that life can be rough but if you keep on fighting everything will eventually be ok. This is why she always makes sure all the kids around the world know this message and that they will always have someone to protect them. That is why to this day she has taken Morgan Stark and Peter Parker under her watch after Tony gave himself to save the world. She feels responsible to make sure they are always protected since the two men that gave her a better life are now gone. They become the siblings she never had. Knowing that if she ever would die that she would leave behind a legacy of it is your choice whether to be good or bad in the end. So don't let others push you to the wrong decision, always listen to your gut,  Even if it means leaving all that you know behind. 

With that being said this is where I end this story about my superhero and pick up another one somewhere else after my break or even in my life. As life is really an open book and we can only take it one chapter at a time so be your own hero. I hope this gives you guys and gals the entertainment, joy, and we'll need distraction as it has for me to write it for you lovies. As I also hope that maybe this blog post or the few others I have written help you discover your own talents or maybe even help you write your story. In real life or imagination and remember you can do anything if you put your mind too. Nothing is impossible and like Stan lee said “ If you are interested in what you do, that keeps you going.” Also please my lil Spicers don't forget to take care of yourself. You can't be a hero for others if you are a hero for yourself first. Always eat, drink, sleep, stay safe and smile. These are important things especially this time of year and in this year that we all sadly call 2020. So please mask up because even heroes wear them. Better safe than sorry! I love you all and will see you when I get back. 

[seasonsofreckoningrp-blog]

Congratulations, Tyler! You’ve been accepted for the role of Jae-Sung Park. Please make sure to check our checklist, and you have twenty-four hours to send us your character’s blog. We’re really happy to have you in our family!

We could tell by your headcanons and the reasons why you chose Jae-Sung that you’d do a great job with him. You understand that there's a balance inside of himself about his human times and the struggles of being a vampire for so long to the point he doesn't want to life, he just survives. For us, this is the defining reasons for who he is and how he looks at everything in the world. It's deep, dark, and we love it!

Introduction

Tyler, 23, She/Her, and from the PST

Activity level:

I should be able to come online at least once a day for an hour or two depending on my work and school schedule. I am currently doing a teaching program online, so I should be able to come online/stalk the dash when I am procrastinating. Otherwise, I will most likely be online in the evenings and then hours throughout the day during the weekend.

Further contact:

[Removed]

How did you find the roleplay?

I saw promos about it on the dash!

Roleplay experience:

I have been in group rps on and off since 2010 (which makes me feel like I’ve been on Tumblr for way too long lol). I have been 1x1 rping since 2013. Some links to example blogs can be found here and here.

Triggers:

[Removed]

Anything else?

[Removed]

IC INFORMATION

Desired character:

Jae-Sung Park

Faceclaim:

N/A

Why did you choose this character?

What initially drew me to Jae-Sung is the fact that his humanity is turned off and the life he had lived through since being turned into a vampire. There is definitely two different sides to Jae-Sung, but he’s kept one side of himself locked away after shutting off his humanity. What made me interested about his character through that aspect was the different subtleties that could be portrayed to show off his character. He isn’t a full person and while he seems kind and reserved, there’s just something off about him. Through the century that he has been alive, he has learned how to hide the extreme emotions that make you human, preferring to stay in a neutral state, a simple and safe state. Emotions of happiness, anger, sadness, or anything more than necessary to survive is too much of a reminder of everything he has lost and everything he questions and doubts about himself. I think for him to want to turn back on his humanity, he would need to find something or someone worth living for again, because right now he’s simply surviving day by day rather than experiencing life anymore. But now with a war looming in the future, it would be interesting to see how he would react to seeing that in a place he’s considered home for the past decade.

Para sample:

Jae-Sung woke with a start. Bolting up, he clutched his chest, the rapid beat of his heart reverberating in his rib cage.

“So-Young!” The words fell from his lips as he whipped his gaze around in search of her, but she was long gone. Memories of last night sprung to mind in waves. Memories that were too difficult to process, but were all he could think about. He continued to look around him in the hopes of catching a glimpse of her coming back to him. A pang echoed through him. So much had gone wrong and he hadn’t been able to do anything about it.

It was then his gaze landed on the note beside him, and a bowl of red liquid. The moment his eyes landed on the bowl, something shifted inside of him. His breath became shallow, the quick beating of his heart seemingly slowing down to a loud, single echo, and everything in his vision seemed to blur and focus all at once to the bowl of red liquid. Blood. The smell of metallic filled the air. Somewhere in his head was screaming What is happening to me? but it was pushed aside for the blood that was calling out to him.

He swallowed hard, too afraid to reach out for the bowl, but unable to look away from it. It took all his strength to pull his gaze from it and look at the letter beside it. Something in him went still as he glimpsed the handwriting on it.

So-Young.

The blood was momentarily forgotten as his attention fell to the letter. Jae-Sung tore through it, his eyes scanning for an explanation, a reason, a location to find her, but he wasn’t given any of those things.  

Dear Jae-Sung,

I think you know what I have done to you. I can’t apologize because I’m not sorry. I was given a chance to have a better life and now you do too. You can either die the son of a fisherman or live like me.

So-Young

Jae-Sung’s eyes stung with the appearance of tears and he crumbled the note in his hand. A choice? His sister had not given him a choice, but a death sentence. Choose to die or live as something not human. It wasn’t a choice at all.

Anger swelled in him all over again. His last interaction with his sister playing through his head on loop. The betrayal. The rage. The disgust. The fear. The pinch of pain before it all went dark. Every emotion hit him tenfold, and all he could do was bury his face in his hands. So-Young… So-Young, how could you have done this to me? To our family?

The thought of his family made him realize what he’d be giving up he decided to die. He imagined his father and mother finding him dead, and then finding So-Young gone without a trace. His parents would be losing two children that day if he chose to die. But if he decided to live… No. If he lived, what would he be living as? Was that a life worth living? His gaze slid back to the blood…

Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes.

Yes.

His hands reached out to the bowl. The liquid sloshed in the bowl as he lifted it towards him, a tremble forming in his hands as he made his decision. Forgive me, he said, saying a silent prayer to no one in particular.

And then he drank.

EXTRA

Personality traits:

Positive: Protective, Curious, Sentimental

Negative: Reserved, Melancholic, Strong-willed

Headcanons:

1.  He isn’t close to people for a reason. After a century of wars and death and loss, it is too hard for him to want to make genuine connections with others. When he had his humanity turned on, Jae-Sung had such a huge heart and wanted to give the best to people, especially those he cared about, but after losing so much he has shied away from opening his heart up like that. Even with his humanity turned off, he still can’t help but take an interest in certain people, but he is more subtle in his ways of checking up on others. In fact, unless you knew what to look for in his mannerisms, you wouldn’t realize he cares about anyone at all.

2. He has a box of keepsakes from his former life as a human. He has a comb his mother had, a few fishing hooks from his father, and a ribbon that once belonged to his sister. To anyone who saw it, it would look like nothing more than garbage, but it’s all he has left to remember his family by, so he keeps it hidden and safe so nothing bad could happen to it.

3. There is a deep sadness to Jae-Sung that he keeps hidden and locked away. Whenever he gets that distant look in his eyes, it tends to be because he’s looking at the past. With his humanity turned off, thinking about the past doesn’t bring up as many negative feelings as it does now. He can look back at his past now with objectivity and instead plays back all the moments he wishes he could have changed.

4. For a long time he used to see his sister and every girl he saw. After he first turned into a vampire, Jae-Sung spent the better half of the century searching for her, and hoping to find traces of her in every place he went. It wasn’t until he settled on the island that he paused his search for her, but it still hasn’t stopped him from seeing traces of her in certain people around the island.

5. On his first full moon ever as a vampire, he wasn’t prepared and ended up killing a small neighboring village. He doesn’t have concrete memories of the night, but he can remember the screams, and that has haunted him ever since. Every since that night, he really tried to learn to control his thirst, but it took him more than a few decades to really control it without it getting the best of him. He has prided himself for not shedding anymore blood since then.

6. Jae-Sung has tried to keep up with the times, but he’s sometimes very nonchalant about the modern world. He doesn’t have a cellphone, but does have a laptop at home. He enjoys reading up on the news of the world today, and will sometimes partakes in learning about the new slang and trends. Most of the time he find it ridiculous (emoticons, dating apps), but a few things are amusing (today’s fashion, technological advances).

7. For a long time, Jae-Sung felt anger towards So-Young and the choices she made and forced him into making. He chose to live as a monster because of her, to see her again, but anger had consumed him so much that it wasn’t until much later that he realized that if he had ever found So-Young, he wasn’t sure what he would’ve done to her if he had. There is relief and sadness in him now that he hasn’t found So-Young.