#( listening to you * sungil im. )

[sternenschleier]

Immediately sprawls out on Sungil’s couch like the cat he is. He brought food as offering too, so let him live.

( @sternenkrone ) ♥

[sternenschleier]

Going outside ended up requiring much more effort from his side than he originally anticipated. After what happened, it probably isn’t that much of a surprise for him to be so hesitant and scared about stepping outside, but, if Kiryu has to be honest, he thought he’d be over it after a few days of staying behind the safe walls that he calls Meng’s and his home - their home. However, a few steps after getting outside, Kiryu quickly found himself sticking to his fiance like a shadow, their hands intertwined and him holding onto the other’s arm as if it’s some sort of life line. Meng hasn’t commented on it, but he knows that it makes his beloved worried - and he’s grateful that the other hasn’t commented on it while they made their way to the café Sungil has suggested.

So, when they finally arrive at their destination, Kiryu visibly relaxes, though he makes no move to part from his fiance anytime soon as the two of them walk over to the occupied table, safe from curious glances. “-- sorry for making you wait. It took longer to get here than we anticipated,” Kiryu’s quick to apologize after greeting his brother-in-law with a small wave of his hand. 

( @sternenkrone ) ♥

[sternenschleier]

It isn’t unusual for Sungil to stop by their place. He’s Qiaomeng’s brother, so inviting the other over for dinner (while knowing fully well how much he enjoys eating homemade meals) is only natural. What makes it unusual, though, is for Sungil to stop by unannounced on his own, without so muchas a call or a text to give them a heads up.

Like now.

Kiryu can’t help but stare at the other upon opening the door, for a moment actually fearing that he might have forgotten about inviting Sungil over. But then he sees the other’s expression, even worse than his usual, neutral pokerface (how he’s able to differ between them now, he has no idea). So, without thinking twice, he lets the other inside with a worried expression gracing his features. 

Meng tends to say that the two of them aren’t as close as they used to be anymore, but still, the fact that Sungil still tells Qiaomeng most of the things that bother him is, in his opinion, more than prrof enough that their bond is still there. And Kiryu easily notices when he should retire and leave the brothers on their own. “Uh... do you want me to leave you two alone? You know, to--” Talk, maybe.

@sternenkrone ♥

[sternenschleier]

"Duh." Sungil rolls his eyes. "I know that. I just didn't expect him to shift. He seemed pretty comfortable, lazing on my bed. Naked." The image is fresh in his mind, and no matter how much he tries to ignore it, it keeps circling back. He can't deny Hyojong's existence. "Are you sure you didn't conduct any weird experiments on him? It's a little hard to believe that this is what he looks like when he's not human." While Qiaomeng has since come to Kiryu's rescue, Sungil stays right where he is.

“I was naked, too, when I first shifted,” Kiryu retorts while trying to get Hyojong to stop hiding from Sungil. Seriously, this is getting ridiculous. He can relate where the other is coming from, but if Hyojong continues to behave like that, who knows if Sungil will stick along for much longer? “... c’mon now. You’re supposed to be a majestic dragon. Don’t hide yourself. You’re pretty, you hear? As pretty as you are in your human form,” Kiryu coos softly, his grip on Hyojong’s claws loosening a bit. “You don’t have to be ashamed of yourself. You are who you are, okay? Whether you’re in your human form or your dragon form.”

And Kiryu’s words... they seem to work. Hyojong still hesitates a bit as he stays where he is, but at the other’s gentle urging, he finally lets his claws get pried off, revealing a pair of icy blue eyes that immediately looked around to look for Sungil. It’s obvious that he wants nothing more than to approach his witch, but seeing that the other hasn’t stepped closer yet, Hyojong remains where he is, waiting with bated breath while he feels Kiryu gently patting his head.

[sternenschleier]

The presence of that tail didn't occur to him until now -- though it's only after Kiryu's complaint that the puzzle pieces slowly click together. Sungil gapes at him struggling to pull. Gapes at the scales, glinting in the light overhead, a very familiar shade of burgundy. "... are you telling me /this/ is him?" Hyojong, his mind supplies. It's a nice name. "But when he showed up, he wasn't -- he was a guy."

With a loud groan, the two of them end up sprawled out on the ground when Kiryu finally manages to pull Hyojong out from behind the couch - though he ends up more or less being squashed by that bigger-dog-sized dragon that seems more than willing to curl up in himself so that he doesn’t have to face Sungil. At least not in this form. He’s heard Meng and Kiryu talk about how unusual the form of a mythological beast is, and a quick glance at his claws have been enough for Hyojong to deem himself... well, not good enough to see his witch.

After all, if he got kicked out in his human form already, how high are the chances that Sungil would accept him in his form?

“Familiars may have a human form, but their primary form is that of an animal - or a mythological creature, in this case. That’s probably even rarer than familiars that can turn human,” Kiryu huffs out, struggling to crawl out from underneath Hyojong who still doesn’t dare to face Sungil. “Also,” he pants out, “some help would be nice?” He’s still struggling, if that hasn’t been obvious enough.

[sternenschleier]

A warning /would/ have been nice, indeed. But Sungil has no time to dwell on it, too focused on not tripping over his own two feet. "Use your words, will you? Don't shove me around like that." Sure, he might have done a terrible thing, but that doesn't excuse Kiryu getting so handsy. As soon as he passes the threshold into the living room, Qiaomeng sighs at him. But the stranger part is that his familiar is nowhere in sight. "Didn't you say my -- you-know-what showed up? Where's he?"

“Familiar. You mean your familiar. Don’t treat us as something forbidden just because you binge-watched the Harry Potter with Meng a few years ago and got scared of calling Voldemort by his name,” Kiryu huffs out as he lets Sungil go and glimpses towards the back of the couch. Where the dragon tails is still visible. It doesn’t seem as if Hyojong has made any attempts to get out or shift back yet. “… now excuse me while I try to get your familiar to show yourself. He wants to be called Hyojong, by the way.” And with that, Kiryu has crouched down, both hand grabbing onto the tail as he pulls.

Hyojong lets out a grunt (and it’s a miracle in itself that he doesn’t accidentally burn the couch to ashes) while trying to struggle, though he gets surprised by how powerful Kiryu seems to be despite being on the skinnier side (at least his human form). “– c’mon now, don’t make this more difficult and complicated than it actually is.” Kiryu sounds audibly annoyed by now. “You’ve been whining to me about missing your witch for more than a day, and now that he finally shows up, you suddenly feel flustered? Why are you like this–”

[sternenschleier]

Despite himself, Sungil stops by in the evening. A part of him does feel bad about the entire situation, but another, much stronger one still wants nothing to do with this. He lets himself in, a deep frown on his face. Why his familiar decided to seek out Qiaomeng, of all people, is beyond him. And Qiaomeng's crypticness this morning didn't help in the slightest. "I'm here," he calls out as he takes off his shoes, dreading what's about to come.

Kiryu is startled awake by Hyojong immediately shaking him off and vanishing behind the couch, his dragon tail still visible because he simply doesn’t really fit there. Blinking after the other familiar, all he can do is blink and then exchange a glance with his witch before he moves, the soft mewl escaping him sounding like a sigh. This was not the reaction he has expected from the other after listening to the other whine for a day because he’s been missing Sungil. (Not that Kiryu can’t relate, because knowing himself, he’d act the same if he were in Hyojong’s shoes.)

It doesn’t seem as if the other plans on getting out of his position anytime soon, no matter how uncomfortable and awkward the other looks in his dragon form. Kiryu lets out another meow as he makes his way towards Sungil, on his way shifting back into his human form (and probably accidentally startling the other because a warning would have been nice). “-- about time,” he greets the other, not wasting a second to move behind Sungil and literally shove him towards the living room.

[sternenschleier]

[ → kiryu ] Sometimes, you make it seem like you and my brother share one brain cell. [ → kiryu ] At the agency they work for, of course. Owned by Aurora, in case I haven't mentioned that yet. [ → kiryu ] But I know they offer to meet in a casual setting, also. For people who don't want to make it too obvious. That should fit the bill, right? [ → kiryu ] A cafe or the park or whatever else. [ → kiryu ] Your choice. [ → kiryu ] I'll have to be there, I suppose.

[ text -- sungil ] tell me why I like you again?[ text -- sungil ] aurora, huh. no, you haven’t mentioned it yet. how dare you.[ text -- sungil ] imagine one day all coteries get involved bc of something[ text -- sungil ] ... on a second thought, let’s hope it won’t ever come to that[ text -- sungil ] let’s go for a cafe then.[ text -- sungil ] do you have one in mind that doesn’t attract too much attention?[ text -- sungil ] and I’m thinking about you especially here

[sternenschleier]

[ → kiryu ] Stop by? What, at my place? [ → kiryu ] Oh no. No, that won't do. [ → kiryu ] Pick somewhere public. Don't make it so personal.

[ text -- sungil ] oh.[ text -- sungil ] see, that’s also why I trust you[ text -- sungil ] where did you meet your bodyguards? [ text -- sungil ] I’m bad at this, help me[ text -- sungil ] are you going to be there, too?

[sternenschleier]

[ → kiryu ] Protective? I have no idea what makes you say that. [ → kiryu ] It's not to stop him, per se. But digging up some dirt can go a long way. That kind of thing always spirals out of control, and before he knows it, he loses all his credibility. [ → kiryu ] His job would consequently go down the drain along the way. [ → kiryu ] That's my general idea, anyway.

[ text – sungil ] I’m pretty sure you know what I mean[ text – sungil ] but anyway[ text – sungil ] I like your general idea[ text – sungil ] a lot, actually[ text – sungil ] pretty sure that there’s a lot of dirt on him in the first place[ text – sungil ] hmmm

[sternenschleier]

[ → kiryu ] ... [ → kiryu ] Nothing too drastic, obviously. Just a little scandal. Something to tarnish his reputation. [ → kiryu ] But it looks like that might not even be necessary. You have more connections than I was aware of. [ → kiryu ] Maybe you should go and talk with your friends before I think up something. [ → kiryu ] And in the meantime: bodyguards. I'm serious.

[ text -- sungil ] tarnishing his reputation won’t stop him[ text -- sungil ] I think the worst that can happen to him is when he’s not allowed to be a politician anymore. hah.[ text -- sungil ] I’m planning to, I promise[ text -- sungil ] as I said, that’s why I added you to the group chat[ text -- sungil ] ...[ text -- sungil ] ......[ text -- sungil ] I. I never took you for the protective type

[sternenschleier]

[ → kiryu ] That changes things, then. Here I thought we'd have to tread carefully in case it affects you, too. [ → kiryu ] Like I said, I could try pulling some strings. I can't guarantee anything, though. If this were about a Korean politician, it would be much easier. [ → kiryu ] You'd better look for a different plan, just in case. [ → kiryu ] Didn't my brother say one of your friends has ties to Vabanque? They're pretty big in Japan, aren't they?

[ text -- sungil ] I’m kinda curious about what kind of impression you have of me now[ text -- sungil ] define pulling some strings[ text -- sungil ] I don’t want you to go out of your way to do that, sungil[ text -- sungil ] I mean, I really I appreciate it, trust me[ text -- sungil ] but I don’t want you to risk anything on your side[ text -- sungil ] you already have so much on your plate[ text -- sungil ] and uh. minchan is part of vabanque, yes.[ text -- sungil ] and seokhyun is from denki, if I remember correctly.[ text -- sungil ] and there’s also lys’s brother who’s part of vigilia.[ text -- sungil ] huh, funny how there are so many ties to the coteries.

[sternenschleier]

[ → kiryu ] ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ [ → kiryu ] I'm not sure I want to involve him too much in this, but I guess he does have valuable connections. [ → kiryu ] And so do I. Not enough influence to do something on my own, but if I kiss up to the right people, your father might have a very bad time soon. [ → kiryu ] But, you know, it's all optional. You're the main character here, so to speak.

[ text -- sungil ] just wanted you to know that there’s no need for him to feel left out[ text -- sungil ] ...[ text -- sungil ] remind me to never get on your bad side ono[ text -- sungil ] and ugh, that sounds as if I’m in some kind of drama[ text -- sungil ] it’s also pathetic[ text -- sungil ] I learned self-defense when I was younger, yet I could barely do anything to defend myself[ text -- sungil ] aside from burning some of them  

[sternenschleier]

[ → kiryu ] Well, of course you wouldn't be fine right away. I think that's impossible. [ → kiryu ] Are you going to do anything about this whole situation? Not to jinx anything, but imagine them coming back. [ → kiryu ] My offer still stands, you know. These bodyguards are top notch. [ → kiryu ] You wouldn't even have to pay them yourself.

[ text -- sungil ] ... am I reading too much into this, or did you just offer to hire bodyguards for me?[ text -- sungil ] it. will definitely happen again, I’m aware[ text -- sungil ] kinda also the reason why I added you to the group chat because we wanted to talk about it[ text -- sungil ] and I also want you (and hyojong) to be part of this conversation too[ text -- sungil ] or at least know what’s going on[ text -- sungil ] because seeing a therapist alone won’t make everything better[ text -- sungil ] unfortunately

[sternenschleier]

[ → kiryu ] ... you know, you don't have to remind me that we're a secret all the time. I know that well enough. [ → kiryu ] I'll try to keep my hands off of him when we're at your place. Emphasis on "try". [ → kiryu ] How are you holding up?

[ text -- sungil ] that. wasn’t my intention.[ text -- sungil ] we just wanted to give you two one more place where you can relax[ text -- sungil ] and don’t “try”. meng and I certainly won’t.[ text -- sungil ] and uh.[ text -- sungil ] better, I guess[ text -- sungil ] I’d be lying if I said that I’m completely fine again[ text -- sungil ] ...[ text -- sungil ] scared of being on my own now[ text -- sungil ] getting spooked whenever the doorbell or telephone rings[ text -- sungil ] would’ve been worse though if you and hyojong didn’t arrive on time [ text -- sungil ] again, thank you. seriously.

[sternenschleier]

[ → kiryu ] Did you by chance forget who I am? I can't show up to a gig of yours. And what would I even do at your band practice? Sounds boring. [ → kiryu ] I don't get your logic. These are your and my brother's friends, not mine.

[ text -- sungil ] well.[ text -- sungil ] our band practices always end up in a whole buffet because lys spoils us with his baked goods. I thought you might want to join there[ text -- sungil ] seokkie is your friend, too[ text -- sungil ] also[ text -- sungil ] meng and I talked and[ text -- sungil ] we wanted you to give a set of spare keys to our place[ text -- sungil ] you know, just in case[ text -- sungil ] if you ever need a place to go to that isn’t your home