#⁺ 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓 › revenge of krampus.

[nefelibcta]

closed, after the murders  ›  @thvnderr​

“We’ll leave together.”

Except they hadn’t.

And she’d realized too late – on the way home with Meisha, when the news of everything that happened rung in her ears and she could hear her own heartbeat with every injury listed, every name; hoping — praying — that his wouldn’t be spoken. Her entire life, she hadn’t known fear nor God, but right at that moment, Hei Ran would have gladly gotten on her knees and begged to a higher power; to sacrifice herself and the rest of the world — if only it meant he was safe. 

And when Dae-Hyun’s name was listed wasn’t, she felt no more reassured, rushing to his apartment and searching for him. Anxiously looking through every room, every closet — even if she knew that he would have answered her the first time if he was home. 

She wanted to scream; she wanted to tear the city apart, her own mistakes and inadequacies yelling back twice as loud. She shouldn’t have left. She should have stayed with him at the party; should have whined and complained until they left early. She’d found the bath bombs in a shower closet and was close to collapsing on the cold floor in fear and regret. 

Hei Ran was about to storm to the hospital when she heard the sound of the door unlocking. Because although Dae-Hyun was twice her size and capable of handling of himself, no one could escape the cruel grasp of fate, and despite herself, she feared the worst. But fuck fate. She would go into the Underworld if she had to; would hold Hades by the throat and demand her friend back. No trades, no agreements. She wouldn’t be as foolish as Orpheus. No — she would drag Dae-Hyun away, hand-in-hand, grinning up at him the entire way. 

She rushed to the door when she heard the familiar steps, finally letting out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. 

And for a moment, all she could do was stand there and stare at him, trying to ascertain if he was hurt — trying to memorize his features as if she had only met him for the first time, until they were singed into the very tissue of her remembrance. 

But as the relief came, so did the anger. At the situation, at him for not being home — but mostly at herself. She stomped over, stopping right when they were mere breaths apart, her hands coming up to roughly grasp the fabric of his shirt. “Where have you been? People are hurt. How could you be out at night like that? What if something happened to you? Moon Dae-Hyun, are you fucking stupid?” She knew it was wrong of her; was even inappropriate for the situation, to direct her anger towards him. But she couldn’t help it, her breathing quick and words rushed.

[aeipathys]

closed ›  @drkvlght​

Meet me by the fountain. 

Promises spoken years ago echoed against the flowing water outside the winery, trickle of droplets into cold stone the only answer. It had been different, back then — humid Vegas air surrounding her, eyes bright in misadventure. The dull thud of stone dispassionately thrown into the fountain seemed to more fitting to the brisk Nevada night. It had been different, back then — she’d waited. Patiently, foolishly — for a familiar pair of dark eyes that never arrived. 

She wasn’t one to regret, but she also wasn’t one to forgive. And to forget? Well, water had too long a memory. 

Arms crossed as a useless defense against the cold weather, Hansa was halfway through turning back inside when she stopped, her gaze meeting one that seemed to belong to a different lifetime. Too much time had passed, but perhaps also none at all. 

It was a moment before she spoke. “This is not quite what fashionably late means.” 

[nefelibcta]

Not for the first time that night, Hei Ran looked longingly to the double doors that led to the night air — to freedom. Because despite the freely flowing alcohol and her friends standing only a few feet away, she found herself lost within her surroundings. Perhaps once, lifetimes ago, she, too, had fit seamlessly into the picturesque — the gilded smiles, conversation decorated by thin compliment. Nails dug into the delicate flesh of her palm, a reminder to herself to keep the past safely tucked away, her own pandora’s box. 

She only left her trance when she heard a voice near, then champagne flowing into the glass she had emptied only seconds ago. “1988?” she stared at the man with wide eyes. “You mean the year of the plague?” A hand shot to cover her mouth, as if scandalized. “Pretty insensitive of you to call it a good year, mister.”

@anchoragestartersWHEN: new year party WITH: open

Matevos was making his way through another bottle of champagne snatched under the guise of being one of the servants, he could get away with it since he'd stolen the mask used by the servant and his attire was so dab and dry that nobody would think to look past it. He was constantly smiling and being far too polite to those who gave him more than a second glance, if anyone were to ask him for something from the kitchen, he would gladly pretend to head for it. Easy enough, definitely the type of thing he would get into just because his blood boiled for something to do outside of being amongst people. Also the alcohol made him loose his wits a bit, he would be less inclined to fight every moot point made by bystanders, innocent bystanders, who were unfamiliar with Matevos large collection of useless tidbits.

He spotted someone clearly having a bad time at the party, and walked closer to nudge them with the bottle of champagne. "You look like you could use a drink," he said, deftly pouring the contents in the glass that he was already drinking from - bah hygiene. "They say 1988 was a good year, I wouldn't know." He held the glass out.

[nefelibcta]

open event starter @anchoragestarters​ ›  capped ( 0/4 )

She wondered why people even locked their doors at all. There were plenty of closed doors to choose from within the winery, pandora’s boxes ripe for opening. And Kang Hei Ran? Well, she had never been afraid of curses. 

Predicting that this one most likely held the more expensive selection of bottles, she was halfway through jamming her hair pin into the keyhole when she sensed the gaze of another on her back. “Oh.” She turned to them, neither embarrassed nor regretful. “My hand slipped.” Aforementioned hand not bothering to move from the lock, the words spoken in true monotone fashion. 

[nefelibcta]

closed ›  @thvnderr​

In hindsight, maybe this hadn’t been the best idea. From the skeletal moths that were fluttering in her stomach, the surroundings an unpleasant reminder of her past, to Daehyun’s unhinging earlier in the week ( and she would have thought that she would thrill at the idea of him one day going unhinged — if only it hadn’t included the cold fear that ran at the back of her spine when it actually happened ). But really, which one of her various ideas and antics could be considered good? 

She’d left him alone for a couple days after that and even well into the party, half in search of Meisha and Bronx, half afraid the storms that came with her presence would not help. Truly, she wasn’t afraid of rejection — she would’ve attested that she wasn’t afraid of anything — until she had seen the stark vulnerability that had been present in his features. If she was a tempest, then she’d always thought of Daehyun too much like a lighthouse — she’d rather the world burn than see him fall. 

But, in usual Hei Ran fashion, she didn’t stay away for long, prancing over to him at the first hint of boredom, heels finally coming to good use as she propelled herself upwards and wrapped her arms around his neck ( much like an unusually energetic scarf — or maybe rabid animal about to claw his eyes out ), legs dangling lightly in the air. “Do you believe in love at first sight?” she started, half laughing before the punchline even left her lips, “or should I swing by again?” 

[nefelibcta]

closed  ›  @conkniving​​

What was it that the old literates would say? Boredom breeds contempt. 

Or perhaps not, though she was certainly bored and unsettled, which may or may not have caused her to grin as soon as she spotted Fallon Amarin, a companion she usually only saw within the dim lighting of bars and various other sketchy basements so disparate from the opulence of the party. While the element of surprise was still on her side, Hei Ran barreled towards the other, using momentum to slam them both into the nearest wall. 

“Fun fact!” she began energetically, as if this was any other normal, socially accepted greeting. “Anywhere can be a fighting ring, if you try hard enough.” 

[aeipathys]

closed  ›  @mcdesties​

It had been a while since she had seen Fahima. Now one of her closest confidants, the two originally had not seen eye-to-eye when they had first been forced together by their families. And how could they — when they were so different in their aspiration for perfection; Fahima’s out of piety for her mother and Hansa’s out of sheer vainglory. But over time, how could their souls have ever avoided touching, when they were of one heart? 

“Fahima Char-Warhol, it’s been years since we’ve met, but I’m quite surprised to see you now in the business of stealing hearts,” she drawled, grinning, though her expression softened as she continued to speak. “Or perhaps just mine.” 

[aeipathys]

Truthfully, she’d never had much of a pain tolerance. She’d been sheltered her entire life, never having to lift a finger unless it was to point exactly where she wanted the housekeeper to place a new painting. 

So an injury had caused all sorts of mayhem — the incessant calls from her parents; the staff that seemed to multiple by the day, distrustful of those within the hospital to handle all her needs. There was too much going on but also not at all — being kept under watch for trauma and pain, carefully restricted within the four plain walls of her assigned room. The painkillers helped, at least — even if they made her mind dimmer than was comfortable. 

She said nothing when the stranger sat down, mind searching for familiarity but coming up short. All sorts of people visited her, these days — asking questions, trying to find clues. 

“You’re not the police,” Hansa spoke after a moment, “though I suppose if the Grim Reaper had such a handsome face, more people could be persuaded to go in peace.”

TIMESTAMP: after the new years party LOCATION: hospital @aeipathys

In-ho woke to pain, constantly and intense pain, and he knew instantly what had happened as snippets of the last hours and the full night returned to him. Of all the things that could've happened upon his return to this place, this was the last and had been the last he had ever expected to have happened. Surely the world would've not been so cruel, surely this could've been a dream, but it was not. It was not a dream nor an illusion created for his benefit. He had been in the worst pain, he had almost died, he still wasn't completely conscious, and he felt like his stomach was on fire. Or well, that wasn't all he felt, he felt plenty, but this was the only thing he kept his mind on.

He swallowed hard and got up from his bed, holding his stomach, and then his head as he stood from the bed. He checked the charts at the end of the bed, scoffed at the 'mr. Gang in-ho' but didn't plan to find a nurse to rectify it, he might later on. Instead he made his way out of the room and onto the hallway, spending a few minutes walking until he saw her. Well, maybe fate still smiled upon him. Much like himself, he hadn't expected Hansa Xu to be in the hospital right there with him either. But surely this couldn't be an illusion. He set out, and returned with two lukewarm teas, green, hospital brand, barely decent.

He sat down in the chair next to her bed and waited for her to notice him, then gestured at the tea, smiling his charming smile. "Can I interest you in some tea?"