Eternal City RP

The Online Roleplay Community

Lattes and Laughs (Open to Sunmin and Astraea) [COMPLETED]

It was hard to believe that he had been living with Hanseol and his boyfriend for several months now, time seemed to move so fast since then and everything was new for Sunmin. He still kept to himself mostly but in the mornings he would catch the two of them eating their breakfast together, usually they'd insist that he eat something which he would protest because he didn't want to be a bother but one thing he had learned already was that it was hard to tell Han no. He spent most of his time away from the house though, it was their home and he didn't want to get in the way of their plans, he really only returned in the evenings to sleep. Sometimes he could tell Han wanted him to be around more but he was still figuring out this whole family thing.

To make it up to them for letting him stay, Sunmin had been doing odd jobs and using it to pay Hanseol rent, if the other male refused to take it he would find creative places to hide it to ensure that he got it at some point. He had also into the process of getting himself an official identity, which had taken months of back and forth and some help from the Celestial Wayfinder but about a week ago his passport had arrived. He was officially an American citizen. Things were good, as much as he hated to accept help he realized now how much he had needed it. And to his luck, last week he had been given a job offer to work in a little cafe across the city. He was sure the owner had taken pity on him but it was something, a start to figuring this whole member of society thing out.

He had been mailed the uniform which he was now wearing as he rode on the subway across the city, he hadn't told anything about the job because then he figured if it went horribly and he couldn't continue then he could just quit and no one would know. When the train stopped he hopped off of it before heading to the exit, he kept smoothing down the shirt he was wearing because it didn't feel like it suited him at all. He wouldn't say he was nervous but he was definitely curious to see how working here would go. Thankfully he was a pretty good learner and didn't think he would need long to be up to speed.

He made it to the cafe about 15 minutes before opening but the front door was locked, he frowned for a moment wondering if there was some kind of mistake but before long he noticed someone popping up from behind the counter here and there, looked like they were cleaning. He knocked lightly on the glass to alert them to the fact he was here, it wasn't until he caught her attention that he realized that he recognized that face all too well. His eyes widened for a moment and he looked around for a moment wondering if he should make a dash for it but before he could do anything she was already at the door.

0 members like this

Replies are closed for this discussion.

Replies to This Discussion

AurazinPermalink Reply by ✓ Astraea Wu on July 8, 2020 at 18:48

She wouldn't exactly be surprised if people see her in the light where she could be seen as someone who is particularly naive to how the world operates. Maybe she'd like for them to think it's true, and it wasn't a full lie anyway; Astraea can be incredibly naive when it comes to believing people but she was definitely not someone who just came crawling out of her shell a few days ago to see the world they live in. "Which one do you think I am? Realistic or completely deluded? Somewhere in between?" she mused lightly, it was hard to offend her and Sunmin didn't seem like he cared enough to think what his words meant to the other anyway. It works for both of them. "I do think it's easier for people to hurt you when it matters most to you…" she murmured faintly, she couldn't seem to find it in her to deny it reject people outrightly. Arcadia talked to her about it and it made the Aurazin think of her actions. How was she ever going to move without tripping at the back if she can't say no?

"I wished it was easy for me to come up and say… no. Wonder why it's so hard for me to do that" the last sentence came out as a whisper, as if she was asking herself rather than him. Her cheeks flushed considerably when he called her peaceful princess, it was sarcastic but of course, Astraea would take that as a compliment either way. "Someone needed to be the bigger person, right? It probably makes me an easy target but at least I don't depend on wanting to win everytime." It wouldn't get her anywhere. It seemed like he knows plenty about his brother, which was probably realistic considering that is his brother, after all. "Sounds like a good guy, I assumed he was brought up properly" she pointed out gently. A chuckle escaped her when he deadpanned and told her she won't get to boss him around even with such seniority, "Don't worry about it. I'm always going to be as young as I look, that won't change" and she likes being 19. Unless when she needed to be IDed.

"If only you know how absurd you sound when you put it like that" she teased because him saying your rainbow makes it sound funny, "But yes. In a way. My rainbow glow is what differentiates me from others. Each species had their own distinctive features, no? Celestials with their glow… that makes you an interesting case. Maybe you're a special Celestial" Definitely not a defective one. "If you see someone else with a rainbow glow to them, they're probably like me." Very tragic, she thought to herself and only pressed her lips into a thin line at an attempt for a smile. She was glad the shift finally came to an end because she was tired from the rushing back and forth in a packed space. Don't get her wrong, she didn't mind doing her work but it gets a bit disorienting and overwhelming in a packed space when people are acting strongly with their emotions. Too many cooks would spoil the broth as people would say. Sunmin was doing pretty well on his first day with no prior experience on serving too, which made her smile because nothing beats seeing someone focused on what they're doing.

Astraea stretched her arms and pursed her lips when he asked what's her goal, "Nobody wants to work tables for the rest of their life, I'm here because I need a job and I don't have any other qualifications for others, not yet. I still need to survive for tomorrow and the day after that and everything requires money these days, I'm not too out on how the world operates, Sunmin" she shrugged absentmindedly and fixed the choker around her neck, it didn't feel as uncomfortable because she's always worn a scarf before she heard about that type of accessory. "But thank you, for saying I'm too good at doing what I do. I still like interacting with people, talking and chatting with new souls, they make me happy. I like to surround myself with positive energy, it's the thing that feeds me. Maybe one day… I can have my own tea shop… like the one the old lady owned around the block. I've been helping her out. You? It's your first day here so you must have something else thought out."

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Sunmin Park on July 10, 2020 at 15:02

When she asked him where he thought she laid on the scale he furrowed his brow and stared at her for a moment as though he could actually tell anything from looking at her “Can’t say I’ve managed to figure you out just yet” he responded and pressed his lips together, he did think she was naive but also she had accepted that she was in danger the other night which meant she did understand that there were bad people out there who wanted to hurt her too. “Something like that” he responded and pondered how he would word it for a moment “People can only hurt you if you let them matter to you” he responded thoughtfully, if you didn’t allow people’s opinions impact you then they couldn’t hurt you in return, which is why it was easier to keep everyone at arm’s length.

He scoffed under his breath when she wondered out loud why she found it so hard to say no “Because you don’t want to let anyone down” he responded bluntly, he saw so many people get caught in this trap where they were so busy trying to please everyone else that they didn’t realize they were letting themselves down in the process. Other people shouldn’t matter more to you than yourself, he definitely believed that. “Well, I suppose having a full-on brawl with a middle-aged woman probably wouldn’t be the proper way to resolve things” he commented chuckling in amusement, tempting though if she started the fight. “I’m not sure he was really brought up but I guess he figured out the morals thing along the way” he shrugged his shoulders, Han seemed like a very refined person who had connected to society in a way he hadn’t

“Well that’s pretty much the only bonus” he commented at the mention of her now growing any older, he knew the feeling and honestly he had apprehensions about the fact he would live longer than the average human lifetime because he had no idea where that would lead him and what he would see and experience over the years, always looking like a young adult. “Special is a nice way of saying that I don’t do the things I’m supposed to do” he responded bluntly, he was bitter about it because he never felt like he belonged and always wondered what he was and now he finally knew, he wasn’t even the same as them. “Is there is a technical name for people like you?” he responded curiously “Or should I just call you unicorn girl?” unicorns and rainbows went hand in hand right?

He was usually pretty direct about what was on his mind, he never really filtered things because he didn’t really mind if he hurt someone’s feelings, he wasn’t really ever internally cruel or mean to anyone unless they were to him first but he also didn’t see the point in sugar-coating. He chuckled at her response “I never said you were, I just can see pretty obviously that you’re too smart to be working tables” she was very people smart which was something he wasn’t especially good at. “Everything you just described is like my worst nightmare” he responded when she enthused about how much she loved being around people and interacting with them “But alas, I need a job in order to be able to pay by brother back for giving me a place to stay” and he would be damned if he would live off someone else’s back. She titled his head a little when she mentioned the tea shop she wanted to work in “You’re a fan of tea?” he responded, it wasn’t a judgemental statement, more him pondering to see if she would elaborate on why.

He chuckled when she asked what his plan was “I have no idea” he confessed with a half-smile “Never been the type of guy who even thought making big plans was in the cards for me but who knows, maybe one day I’ll find my calling” though he was almost certain it was not working at this cafe.

AurazinPermalink Reply by ✓ Astraea Wu on August 8, 2020 at 19:00

When he said he didn't figure her out just yet, Astraea grinned sheepishly and shrugged, "Maybe it's because you don't know me that well just yet, give it a while, it's not as if this will be the last time we meet anyway" she was positive that they would meet again as coworkers, maybe then he could evaluate her better. Admittedly, he's only seen a small part of her. Nowhere near close enough to make a solid conclusion. "Must be easy to not care" she mumbled absentmindedly, clearly the Aurazin finds it hard to just turn a blind eye or deaf ear to anything or anyone. She couldn't help herself. But then again, that's what makes her different than most people, and it helps that she is someone who was given a second chance to help people heal. "No… I don't want to let people down" she chuckled softly, that was probably one of her fears. Not being able to live up to her expectations and let down the people she was supposed to help. But then again, this has been all that she's been doing for the past centuries. Nothing else ever came across her mind.

"Why waste your time fighting when you'll only be losing your precious time doing that, right? It's like fighting a losing fight. No point, no benefits, no achievements. You'll only tire yourself out." That was one tip against spoiled customers. "Sounds like someone most people want to befriend" she pointed out when he said his brother kept to his morals. "Is it really? A bonus?" she raised her eyebrows questioningly because Astraea didn't see it that way, not really, "Being young is a perk… or staying the same age forever, but at some point it gets tedious when you stayed that way for so long." Don't get her wrong, the brunette had no qualms with her current appearance but as someone who once wished to grow up and have a family, she gets a bit envious over those who were able to grow up and learn. "You’ll get used to it though, staying this way" she added gently. Better to reassure him instead of playing the negativity card.

"And what are the things you're supposed to do? Aside from glowing? Is a 25 year old any worse because they haven't graduated yet? You dictate your own life, right? You said it so yourself" she exclaimed playfully, "you'll get there. Eventually. In your own way. Can't give up now when you haven't even started… you don’t strike me as the type who would give up before the fight is even up." Perhaps her optimism could be annoying but Astraea didn't like seeing people who beat themselves up. And she knew the last thing he probably wanted her to see him as, was as a pity case, which she doesn't. When she was asked if there was a technical term to call what she is, the Aurazin bit her lip and grinned bashfully, "I'm afraid I'm not supposed to tell anyone that we exist." Their existence was not known until recently by a few, namely the Ailwards. "Why unicorns though? Because of the rainbow?" She didn't mind it, unicorns were pretty and sounded like a peaceful entity.

"You're more perceptive than you'd give yourself credit for" Sunmin read her well even though they've spent a few hours together, which both were working separately at the given time. While she wasn't particularly hard to read, that was still an interesting insight. "Pretty simple, isn't it? If I own a place like that, I'd get to be creative and create new things. I like tea, you give the proper one and you'll be surprised by their healing properties. Most of the time it's calming. My… sister, she taught me a little something on herbal remedies." To be fair, Arcadia is considered to be her sister, the same she would consider the others as her brothers and sisters. "It's obvious I want to give something good and nice to people, I wanna treat them the way I haven’t been treated before. It feels like I've accomplished something." She didn't even realize that she had let a small detail slipped up, the pain she had masked behind. "Let me guess, you're more of a coffee person?"

The Celestial seemed so youthful yet so mature, it makes her wonder how he lived his life before. She got up from her seat and beckoned for him to do the same, "Back to what we were talking about… balance. How many things do you think you can carry?"

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Sunmin Park on August 12, 2020 at 20:01

He gave a somewhat sarcastic chuckle when she pointed out that he didn’t know her well enough yet “You assume I have the time patience to get to know anyone” he commented shaking his head in amusement, he never usually got close to anyone because what was the point when you would need to move from one place to the next before long, only so long before people figured out he wasn’t aging right? “Sometimes, sometimes not, there’s always that niggling part in you which wants to care” but you got better shutting it off when you reminded yourself of all the times caring caused you trouble. “There’s your problem” he responded when she admitted she didn’t want to let others down, it was a trap he saw a lot of people fall in, always trying to live up to other's expectations.

“I mean it might be nice to see the shocked look on her face when she realized someone wasn’t going to accept her bitchy behavior” he shrugged his shoulders, she was right though, someone would call the cops and then he would lose his job and he would be back to square one, not really what he was going for in Evermore, especially if he wanted to stay a little longer. Sunmin shook his head slightly “He makes himself hard to dislike I’ll give him that” Han just didn’t give up, regardless of how much Sunmin told him to. He shrugged slightly when she asked if looking young forever was a perk “Well it’s the only life I’ve ever known so” he had never aged a day, couldn't miss something you never had in the first place right? “What a strange reality we live in” he commented under his breath, he never knew much about what was around them until the past year, for a while he wondered if he was the only one of his kind.

“No idea, but there has to be more of a point to my existence that just living and watching everyone around me” honestly he tried not to think too much about his lack of a glow because it made him pessimistic, he wanted to glow like the other celestials and to be able to do the light tricks they could but no matter how hard he tried, nothing manifested. “Only worth fighting if there is something to fight for” he shrugged casually, at this point he had stopped putting his hopes into things which seemed fruitless, call him a pessimist but it was easier to assume the worst and be pleasantly surprised than constantly disappointed. His teeth sunk into his bottom lip when she confessed she wasn’t supposed to reveal her identity. “Right” he responded, not bothering to answer he questions about rainbow, typical supernatural, so concerned about keeping their own ass safe they would shield the truth from someone who needed it.

The celestial shifted position and leaned against the wall while she continued to talk “Can’t say that tea seems like the most profitable trade I’ve ever heard of but it clearly inspires something in you” he commented noting the way she seemed to light up when she was talking about, there was very few topics he felt that passionately about but he imagined she had a lot of them. When she asked if he was more of a coffee person he shrugged “Guilty” he responded, letting a half-smirk cross his lips for a second “Bitter, seems to suit me better” he winked. As they moved onto the plates he eyed them and sighed “Probably four if I was really focused?” he wasn’t exactly well placed in doing things like customer service.

AurazinPermalink Reply by ✓ Astraea Wu on August 26, 2020 at 20:02

Her pout was almost instinctual as she frowned slightly before dismissing it with a chuckle, "You will if you make the time" she quipped, god knows how he would be able to work with someone like… her. It could either turn out to be for the best or the worst. It was also his first day so there's that too. "Besides, you will need to get to know a few if you're gonna work here, right? Why not start with me, I'm not particularly hard to get to know." As if he couldn't already read her like an open book from afar. When he pointed out what her problem was, Astraea let out a heaved sigh, "Yeah I've been told that a lot it seems." Even Arcadia told her that countless times but did she listen? Well she would nod and smile, making it seem like she was agreeing and heeding the advice but ends up doing the opposite afterwards. Maybe there's a rebellious streak hidden somewhere without her knowing, after all. "Momentary satisfaction" she pointed out wittily, "doesn't last long because you realize you'll have trouble to go through instead of feeling better about yourself. So yeah" How she wished things would be so much easier for customer serving employees because of this.

The way he described his brother made her grin, "See, a good person makes it hard to be unlikeable." Despite being an immortal herself, which was ironic considering she was already dead but still using that term, the brunette never had the chance to explore earth in the previous centuries even when she was helping the others as an Empath. She never stuck around for too long. So she was curious to know how things were for him. Especially for the likes of them who looked younger than most and couldn't age another day. How would that feel? "Everyone has a purpose, Sunmin. You don't just exist to live for a few years only to be buried 6 feet below the ground without doing anything." She supposed it was an effort to cheer him up by telling him he's more than that. The way he responded when she told him she wasn't supposed to disclose any information regarding her identity to her instantly made Astraea feel bad. She could see that his mood soured considerably and it was bothering her, god how she hated seeing people getting upset at her, even more so when they try not to show it to her.

Pressing her lips together, the Aurazin reached out to poke him gently, "It'll stay between us. It has to stay between us, promise me that. If my family knows I told someone about what I am, no doubt they won't hesitate to lock me in my room or bar my windows even." Maybe she was overreacting but god knows what could happen, everyone has been on edge lately anyway. "People call us Aurazin." He wasn't wrong, Astraea was fond of tea, it made her calm and ever since knowing it could inspire the same in others, she was liking every bit of it. "Well if you combine our combination, won't it be bittersweet?" she teased, though he could look cold and nonchalant, not to mention very sarcastic, he is clearly a genuine person. She went over and told him to stand straight, "I mean it, stand straight" she chuckled and tapped his back gently using a stick.

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Sunmin Park on September 4, 2020 at 12:29

Sunmin was watching her reactions carefully as they talked, she was an expressive person and it was quite easy to read her, the hint of a pout on her lips expressed her disappointment with his generally unapproachable persona. Why did he feel a compulsion to avoid her disappointment? It came as a weird pang in his chest which made him shuffle on the spot uncomfortably while she talked about getting to know people. Alright he got the hint, make an effort “Well what do you...like?” he asked bluntly, pressing his lips together for a moment, not exactly a social butterfly, he never really knew what to ask other people about. He signed letting out a hissed breath when she said the satisfaction would be temporary and shrugged slightly “Alright, little miss life advice” he jested with a slight grin, she did seem like a nice person, even if she was naive, he could be around worse company that was for sure.

Sunmin shrugged slightly when she mentioned how being a good person made someone unlikable “It also makes him this...high person to me” he responded biting his cheek, he probably shouldn’t be talking about Han with someone he barely knew but who else was he going to tell if not her? “Feels like no matter what I do, I’m going to let him down” not even intentionally but Han had this picture of who Sunmin was and it didn’t match reality and he knew it was only so long before he realized that. He often wondered what the point was, he had fallen to this earth and awoken alone, spent his life searching for something which made him feel like he fit in only for him to eventually come to the conclusion that he didn’t “Well it’d be nice if the person who wrote mind could give me a hint because I’m clueless” he responded, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

Sunmin was very good at covering his emotions and despite the fact he had been short with her, he hadn’t shown any outward annoyance when it came to his reaction, he was sure she had her reasons for what she did the same as everyone else did, it just often happened to be a selfish choice which left him in the dark for years. He jumped when she poked him because the gesture was so unexpected and he looked back at her with a dumbfounded look as she kept speaking. He wasn’t really sure how to respond to her honesty because he hadn’t been expecting her to tell him and it created a sense of respect for her in his mind. He nodded when she told him it had to stay between them “Aurazin” he responded in a soft voice and then chuckled “Never heard of it, of course I haven’t” his humor was dry but his expression showed a slight softness to it as he bowed very slightly as thanks for her trust “I think I prefer rainbow girl” he confessed playfully.

He licked his lips when she said their combination would be bittersweet “Are you suggesting we balance one another out?” he commented with a raised brow, perhaps she was right there, he made up for her lack of street smarts, she made up for his lack of social skills. He grumbled when she tapped him with the stick but he did what he was asked and straightened his body upright “Not sure how this is supposed to help me carry things” he commented dryly awaiting her next command.

AurazinPermalink Reply by ✓ Astraea Wu on September 5, 2020 at 21:13

When she told him it's better if she takes the opportunity to get to know people while he still could, she didn't expect this at all. So when he suddenly asked her what she likes, albeit awkwardly, Astraea blinked a few times in surprise and gaped, "What don't I like" she joked but tried to think of a particular thing she had a certain interest to, "Unicorns. They're cute. Especially those plushies and soft figures you see. Candy… but unfortunately that's a miss when you can't eat them so" very unfortunate indeed. That was a start, she could see that it was not something he often asked and while he looked extremely funny while doing so, he also looked cute. A for effort. He had a snark to him, she noticed that from the first time but while it made him intimidating and slightly hard to approach, she didn't feel that way whatsoever. Either she was persistent enough or the Aurazin never saw it as an obstacle to befriend the Celestial.

Sunmin is a good person, despite his back-handed compliments and sarcastic self, she could see that he genuinely wanted to make something out of it. Like he wanted to have a purpose, she wanted to help him find that. There was a nagging feeling inside of her that was pushing her to do exactly that. "That's not true, you know" she quipped softly upon hearing him say he was going to let his brother down no matter what he does, "That's an awful way to think. Every effort counts. What you want to make… it counts and he knows it. Besides… how do you know you're going to let him down?" Perhaps Sunmin thought he had this preconceived notions about him, "no matter how perfect he might see you as, at the end of the day, I think he knows to distinguish which is right and which is not. It doesn't make him love you any less."

The brunette chuckled wryly because he wasn't wrong, it would help to get a few hints, "Right? But that's not how it works, Grumpy, it's supposed to make us question things… frustratingly so." Deciding to share this part about her was never planned initially, and technically Astraea shouldn't be doing this but she saw the sour mood and she could see that this wasn't the first time someone denied him the supernatural knowledge when he's one. She didn't want to be the same person to disappoint him, if there was anything she hated most, it was disappointing people. "Don't worry, most never really do" she exclaimed absentmindedly when he said he has never heard of it, "people don't really know we exist. I guess it's because they don't have anything to remember to even think of it. As far as this goes, we're the closest things to guardians." She couldn't refrain herself from the next laugh because honestly, she preferred rainbow girl too, as eccentric as that sounded. "Is there anything else you wanna know about us? For the first time, you know something a majority of people don't."

She wanted to give him the chance to quench his curiosity because she could see he wanted to be the one to know when others don't, and this was a rare opportunity. If she could fulfill that sense of need, why not? "Mhmm, bittersweet makes everything better, no?" Sunmin is tall, but he slouched a lot and Astraea wondered if he could maintain a straight posture the entire time. "Well I'm not going to teach you how to balance 5 to 6 cups on a tray at the same time right away. You need to learn the basics first" she tapped against his back softly, "you slouch a lot. My mother would kill me if I do that."

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Sunmin Park on September 5, 2020 at 23:38

He didn’t really know what made him curious about her, but the fact she’d shown up where he was twice now had to mean something right? Besides as far as people went she actually seemed like she was a good and genuine one. Perhaps a little too genuine for her own good but how could he fault her on that, it seemed like all she wanted was to make those around her happier. “Unicorns huh?” he responded when she answered what she liked “Next you’ll be telling me those are real too” he let out a long breath, it seemed safer at this point to assume everything you heard a rumor about might be real. “You can’t eat candy?” he questioned, tilting his head slightly, well he’d never heard of that before, unless she was especially sensitive and it made her like a hyperactive child. He couldn’t help but chuckle as he pictured that in his head and then shook his head to shake it off.

Sunmin shrugged slightly, putting his hands in the pockets of his pants as they talked, he knew she was trying to make him feel better but it didn’t change the way that he saw everything with Han, maybe he needed time to come around to the idea that someone wasn’t going to turn on him with time. He honestly couldn’t blame his brother if he did after all “Because I’m not the person he wants me to be” he responded and pressed his lips together, it was true, Han wanted someone he could feel close to, he wanted to bond with Sunmin but Sunmin was the kind of person who much preferred to live his life alone. “I’m not ever going to be able to match the idea of family he has in his head, he’s a stranger to me mostly” he pressed his lips together. He’d been trying to get to know him but he definitely discovered they don’t have a lot in common.

He sighed under his breath, she was right, the world wasn’t just going to answer all his questions because he wanted it to. The life he had been given was a strange one, he kinda wished he’d been born a human with a regular family and upbringing, he felt like he would have been a different person if that was the case, if he hadn’t had to face the world alone for so long. Her choice to tell him the truth, it was a brave one, perhaps stupid but he was going to respect her trust, it wasn’t as though he had done much to earn it so he understood this was her taking a chance on him “Guardians” he commented softly thoughtfully “What do you protect?” she must have some kind of supernatural purpose if she was guarding something. Her laugh when he called her rainbow girl again made him grin but he went quiet when she asked if there is anything else he wanted to know “I don’t think you’re going to want to answer the question I have” he spoke bluntly.

He debated for a moment whether it was rude to ask, it was sensitive but he was honestly curious about it “Are you a ghost?” he asked curiously “Because sometimes you seem...like you’re somewhere else too” he didn’t know why it made him so nervous to answer but he found himself looking back at her wide curious eyes. He pressed his lips together when she said bittersweet made things better “I mean I think most people see bittersweet as a bad thing, like a sad movie which gives you a slight happy moment at the end but doesn’t undo all the sadness that came before it” he’d watched a few movies in the library before and one thing he noted was that the happiness never seemed to fully balance out the sad. He grumbled when she told him off for his posture and he sighed slightly “Yeah well I don’t have a mother so” he shrugged but straightened his back like she asked, she could be a bossy little thing when she wanted to be.

AurazinPermalink Reply by ✓ Astraea Wu on September 7, 2020 at 13:26

She was just about to say something about the authenticity the unicorns had in a world of supernatural but ended up clamping her mouth shut, and grinned sheepishly instead. "Shouldn't you feel like anything is possible now? We do live in a world where vampires and werewolves exist. Are unicorns really that far fetched?" she quipped curiously, who knows what goes on inside people's heads. When asked if she couldn't eat candy, Astraea shook her head and frowned, "I uh… it's more to the fact that I can't consume sugar. I guess you could say it's incredibly detrimental to my… health" that was one way to word it. But she wasn't exactly lying, was she? "What kind of person do you think he wants you to be?" Her voice was almost inaudible at this point, maybe because she too, wanted to know what he thought about that. "What kind of person do you think people want you to be?" She wondered how different it was to the person he is right now.

"He's only a stranger to you because you make him to be one" she murmured softly and spared him a genuine smile, "Don't you want to get to know your brother better? Unless you don't like the idea of brothers… then that can't be helped. Everyone wants someone, Sunmin. Nobody wants to be alone, I think you have just resigned to the fact that you've spent a good portion of your life alone and you only ever know that." She didn't want to psychoanalyze him, and the Aurazin was sincerely hoping she didn't come off like that. It was too far of a reach to even put her in the category where psychology is involved. Astraea simply tells what she sees. "You can be the complete opposite of each other and things would still work if you want it to be. You're here talking to me, aren't you? And I know you don't need me to tell you how different we are from each other." You shouldn't be revealing your identity to a stranger, she told herself. But her instincts told her it's fine and Astraea had a tendency to follow her heart. It was her most redeeming quality and despite having it lead to a few questionable acts, she never ignored it. She decided that she was just going to go ahead and put her trust in that.

"Anyone and anything that secretly needs protection or wants protection. I do the simplest thing or bare minimum sometimes. I could be whatever you want me to be; be it a friend, a pet, a companion, or even a fairy godmother for children who believe in fairytales." Throughout the centuries, there has never been anything to confine her in one category only. She gave him a look mixed with confusion when he said she wouldn't want to answer his questions, why not? She still waited for the question to come around and when it did, she had to admit it wasn't what she expected. It rendered Astraea speechless for a brief while. "So you think unicorns aren't real but ghosts are?" she teased in a lighthearted manner, but her voice had a certain strain to it. "Ghosts are spirits who wander the living realm. They don't usually have corporeal forms but they do have souls that keeps them… well them, I guess. I've been dead… and I'm not really alive. So I guess that makes me a ghost."

This was quite possibly the first time someone called her a ghost and it made Astraea evaluate what she is and what she isn't. Sad, even. "It doesn't have to be a bad thing if you don't make it out to be. You don't age, which makes you immortal but not invincible. You know what you are now but you can't connect with it. Will that stop you from seeking more answers even though the truth might not be what you wanted to hear?" Maybe it's because it has been so long since she skirted around the topic but when Sunmin said that word, she stopped almost instantly as if she just remembered it as something familiar. Mother. "Celestials aren't bred but don't you have any maternal figure in your life?" It was a genuine question. She beckoned for him to raise both his arms as if he was forming a T and made sure it was straightened before putting a tray on his right hand and a melamine plate on his left. "You start small first. Try to maintain a balanced posture and don't drop it while I stack it up" she instructed and started adding more weight.

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Sunmin Park on September 7, 2020 at 22:32

He raised his brows for a moment and then shrugged “Call me a pessimist but it seems more realistic to me for the world to create monsters than magical horses that grant people’s wishes” he commented and chuckled under his breath, maybe she was right though, what did he know about how the supernatural world worked at the end of the day, he barely was part of it. He tilted his head slightly when she said she couldn’t consume sugar, that seemed like a weird intolerance to have but what did he know, seemed like a shame though because most of the good tasting things in the world included sugar in them “So you can’t have anything sweet at all?” he bit his lip a little disappointed because that seemed like something hard to accept.

He blinked a few times when she questioned him on what he thought Han and other people wanted him to be “They want me to be happy” he responded bluntly and the truth was that he wasn’t happy, he didn’t really know much about being happy, all he knew was surviving and it was the thing he kept holding onto “I don’t even know if I want to stay in this city” he added and bit his lip “And I know he’s hoping I’ll stay” and so he felt like he was staying to avoid letting him go and making Han feel like he abandoned him. IT felt weird confessing this to someone, anyone really, he didn’t talk about himself and his feelings but there was something about her that just seemed to draw it out of him “Look at me loading you with a bunch of troubles you don’t need” he commented, scoffing a little, mostly to brush off the fact that she was right with a lot of things she said, he didn’t know where to start when it came to getting to know someone so different from him.

“I never seem to know what to say” he admitted with a shrug of his shoulders “I mean we basically have nothing in common, what am I supposed to say to you?” she was right, they were very different from one another and he wasn’t sure they had anything that would connect them either. It seemed like that with most people and it was probably the reason he kept his distance from others. He blinked in surprise when she said she could protect anything that needed it, he wondered how literal she was being when she spoke about the different things she could be “How would you be someone’s pet?” he commented in a somewhat sarcastic tone of disbelief. He paused, seeing her reaction when he questioned her whether she had died, but she seemed to brush it off easier than he expected, the way she spoke about it told him that she didn’t like to call herself that but he had mostly guessed right “You died” he spoke in a somewhat faltering voice, he kinda wished he had been wrong with that.

He could see that his question had upset her and while he normally didn’t care much for the effect of his direct words, he felt bad for asking now. He reached out a hand and patted the top of her head gently in an attempt to be at least a little comforting. Before long he pulled his hand back though “Maybe” he responded honestly when she asked whether he would stop looking if he knew the answers he might find were bad “Can’t say I see the appeal of searching forever for something which won’t change reality” even knowing what he was didn’t change the fact he couldn’t use his abilities or even glow after all. He looked up when she asked him if he had anyone maternal in his life “Once, but then she threatened to kill me and kicked me out of my home so” he shrugged, he said it casually but occurrences like this was common for him and they piled up in the form of distrust “I guess your family aren’t around anymore right?” she seemed sad at the mention of her mother.

He stared down at the plates she had put onto his arms and then frowned, well this wasn’t too bad so far but he knew it was going downhill from here. He lifted his gaze to her and the moment he did, one of the plates started rocking and almost toppled but he swung his arm a little to balance it out.

AurazinPermalink Reply by ✓ Astraea Wu on September 8, 2020 at 19:28

It was a shame that she couldn't savor the sweetness like others could, or she could but she would need to stay home for that and the fact that she had to be cautious about it really made her unsettled. "I'm not saying I'll be like the Wicked Witch of the West when thrown water at if I take sugar, I can still take it but I'm sugar intolerant" if that was even an actual term, "Sugar is like alcohol to me. I take it, I get vulnerable. You wanna pull a mean prank on me when I'm at my most vulnerable? Get me on sugar and you'll get exactly that. A kitten with no claws who is high on catnip." Strangely accurate. When he said they wanted him to be happy, the Aurazin tilted her head to the side in confusion, "and why wouldn't you want that? Is that a bad thing to wish upon someone?" She was genuinely asking him that.

"I know it's unrealistic to be happy all the time" she paused momentarily and bit her lip because she was pretty much describing herself since Astraea Wu is almost always happy. Or at least, she tries to find a reason to be that way. "But being happy doesn't sound like a bad thing." Though she understood why he felt the dilemma when she heard him say he wasn't sure he was even going to stay while his brother wished that, "I'm guessing you move places a lot. Like a nomad?" That would explain why he didn't think he was gonna stay, right? A small chuckle escaped her when he tried to dismiss his worries, "Don't worry about it, if I can help then it makes me happy. I'm not always happy because I'm this stupid girl who overdosed on a peace pill. I'm happy because I choose to seek things that will give me that." She won't stay here forever, what's the point in finding conflict?

"Nothing, if that's what makes you feel you. You don't always need to have a verbal response to everything, Sunmin. You shouldn't have to feel forced to do anything or else you're never going to enjoy things in life." Even though he wasn't as young as he looked, it was a shame to waste your youth on that. "Take it from me, even as an immortal, life can be short. You never know when will be your last day" she certainly wished she could have more time. It was hard to explain the concept of Aurazin in general so she wasn't surprised when he was overrode with confusion, if anything his questions only made her chuckle. "I can shape shift. It's one of the other abilities I have as an Aurazin. I can literally be anyone and anything you want. Including a pet dog if you need a companion. I mean, you will be able to see the rainbow glow on me in whatever form I am in but yeah. My purpose is to console people, to deliver comfort to them when they needed it the most. I could console a widow who just lost her husband in war or I could be an imaginary friend to a child who has been alone their entire life. It doesn't matter." If she could help deliver a sliver of comfort, then it meant everything.

"At least that's one of the things I do anyway. Job description doesn't stop there" she shrugged. She glanced over with her lips pressed into a small yet unconvincing smile as if to mask her sadness, "Yeah… I died. I wasn't born an Aurazin. Like you, we're not bred. Once upon a time ago, I was a human. Well… not really human, I was a supernatural, which was why I died I guess. Because that's a death sentence in a world where humans fear what they don't understand." Death never bothered Astraea as it once did but it was still a sore topic. Surprisingly, she wanted to talk about it, perhaps it was because nobody else stayed to hear it out except Arcadia and that has been half a millennium ago. So when he patted her head gently, she blinked in surprise only to smile softly afterwards. "No point in giving up halfway in the road. You know what you are now, time to find out why you're not like others. Who knows, you could be special like I said. Don't push the possibility off before you try it."

When he said his maternal figure threatened to kill him and kicked him out, she parted her lips in surprise, clearly taken aback by the treatment he received, but it was also clear that Sunmin wasn't the type to skirt around sympathy so even if she wanted to give a hug, she refrained herself from doing so. "I- yeah… I didn't have much of a childhood, but my mother and step father loved me and I knew that. I had a half sister too, I wonder if she found her happy ending." Astraea resigned to the fact that her biological father was nothing more than a sperm donor because of the burden he left but loved her step father dearly. He was holding up better than she expected, "You're a persistent fast learner, you know. It's how I know you won't just leave town when you find out about your identity." Before long, she had added up to 4 plates and 2 cups on the tray.

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Sunmin Park on September 8, 2020 at 20:36

He chuckled when she compared herself to the wicked witch of the west and the image of her melting into a puddle because of a few grains of sugar were thrown over her made him chuckle “Haven’t you seen wicked, she faked it anyway” he grinned slightly and shrugged, he watched stuff sometimes when he had spare time. The way she explained it like a cat with no claws on catnip was a very her thing to say and it made brought a half-smirk to his lips “Never underestimate a cat, even without claws” he commented, thinking about all the cats he had seen on the streets and how good they were at taking care of themselves.

He could understand why what he said made her confused so he continued explaining how he felt about Evermore and his life here, he was sure it was hard to understand how he saw the world if you never walked the same path as him “I didn’t come here looking for a family” he commented in a soft voice, it wasn’t a blow to Han, he was a good person and he did everything right, it was just that Sunmin never expected this reality and he didn’t know how to feel about it. “He wants me to be happy here, like all that time spent alone is somehow healed by someone walking into my life” he shrugged and pressed his lips together, it wasn’t, scars ran too deep for that. She seemed like such a kind person, one who truly put others before herself “The way you are, it’s foreign to me” he responded a little bluntly and grinned sheepishly “Not that it’s a bad thing, I just don’t think I could see the world from your perspective” it was a little too rose-tinted for him to handle.

He raised his brows “Well then shall we end the conversation here?” he joked sarcastically, he wasn’t kidding when he said he could just say nothing and be on his way, it was always easier just to keep his own company rather than try and figure out others around him. He sucked in a breath when she pointed out life could be shorter than you think and then listened as she talked about her kind and what they could do. Raising his brows in surprise as she explained her ability to shapeshift “That would be so useful” he commented under his breath, every time he met another supernatural he felt a little jealous of what they could do because he couldn’t do anything. “I guess not everyone sees what I see then...cause it wouldn’t be all that much use to shapeshift if the person could tell it wasn’t real” he could be perceptive at times, well there was something unique his species had given him he supposed.

He nodded his head slightly, he could sense the twinge of sadness in her voice and yet she kept talking about her kind and what happened, she didn’t need to tell him that much and he didn’t ask for it so he assumed the rest of the information was something she wanted to share. When he reached to pat her head he was actually surprised with himself, but it felt natural to offer some comfort to her as she shared a dark time in her past. He pursed his lips slightly “Joke was on them huh, you survived, you didn’t let it put out your light, rainbow girl” he spoke the words in a sarcastic, joking tone but there was some sincerity to the compliment. She didn’t let them kill her spirit and that mattered.

“I don’t want to be special” he responded in a grumbling tone as he gazed up at her for a moment “Normal would be fine” perhaps it was ridiculous for a fallen star to wish he could fit in somewhere and yet that seemed to be the only thing he had been chasing all this time. He could see sadness in her eyes when she he spoke that way about his mother figure and he swallowed for a moment, feeling strange because of the empathy he could feel radiating from her. She didn’t say anything and he appreciated that, he appreciated the way she didn’t make a big deal about it. He nodded when she spoke about family “With family like you, I’m sure she was stupidly happy” he commented and half-smiled.

He was concentrating on balancing the things hard, he was sure it looked quite funny but he was trying to learn from this, while also attempting not to let her down because she had taken time out of her schedule to help him. “Hey I’m doing it” he commented, widening his eyes as she placed down a few more things “I guess it’s really just about knowing where to put things huh” he corrected his posture again “And standing like a tin man” he grumbled.