He remembered running. Running like his life depended on it, because on that time? It does. Hanseol dragged his feet up and fastened his pace as fast his legs could take him. Someone has been tailing him for a while now, he noticed it from the moment he entered the convenience store to buy a few essential items for himself. However, one person turned to two, and it gradually got bigger. From what he could count when he passed over the alley, there were 4 now. Great. Big bulky men who was hunting him down, per usual. It was a miracle the Celestial lasted this long. He should’ve went defeated in less than a day, much less a year. But here he was, passing through the streets of Reykyavik like someone who had to get back home or he’d die.

Until he went into one alley, where he was then pushed against the cold hard wall, the plastic bag he was holding fell down to the wet pavement, as he tried his very best to get the stranger’s grip around him loose. His struggles were futile, unfortunately, as the grip got more firmer and tighter when the other 3 emerged from the shadows. They were Korean, from their facial features. “놓아주시오! 왜 날 놓아주지 않는 거야? 놓아주라고 했잖아! (Let me go! Why won’t you let me go. I said let me go!)” He was only replied with a punch to the face. “어디로 데려갈까? 우리는 이 토끼를 찾아 아이슬란드까지 여행했다. (Where should I take him? We traveled all the way to Iceland in search of this rabbit.)” The male took out his phone and inquired gruffly. That was when Hanseol kicked him and pushed them against each other before fleeing the rather shady scene and into the crowds.

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The bright haired Celestial awoke himself from his sleep as he could feel the sweat dribbling down from his forehead. Sighing heavily to himself, he let himself hit the bed as he closed his eyes and massaged his temples. It’s the 4th time he’s had a nightmare, 4 nights in a row. At this point, the fallen star wasn’t sure if going to a psychologist is the best thing to do because he was debating with himself, telling his current self that no one would be able to diagnose him properly. Because it wasn’t just normal occasional trauma that plagued his sleep, it’s more than that. Glancing over to the alarm clock on his desk by his bedside, he grumbled to himself when he saw that it was only so early; 9 am. What is he doing up so early on a Sunday?

He rinsed his face with the cold water of the wintery January weather, and wiped his face with the spare towel before tossing it away into its respective place and make his way to his closet. His mocha hues wandered from one cloth to another, from right to left, as he searched for the most proper clothing to adorn himself with, today. He can’t stay inside. He needed to go find some answers, despite Ophelia telling him over and over again that he was not to pursue this head on. Especially alone. And the Celestial was opting to take the advice from his respected wayfinder, but he’s been bothered by the nightmares. Too often he was not able to let it go and pretend nothing happened when he was attacked and was almost captured if it wasn’t because of his friend; Jaesung, coming in when needed.

Someone needs to get to the bottom of this, and who better than him, who’s have the first attack in a while, right in his safe place, in Evermore?

Wrapping himself with a long overcoat to finish his look, he messed his red pinkish hair slightly and slung his backpack over his shoulder as he locked the doors to his home and walked down the streets. The university library was a quite a distance from his place, which was located at the west side of the city, but he enjoyed cardio. It takes his mind off things. Why did he opt to go there instead of the public library? It was because he knew Jae would be there. And somehow, the Celestial wanted his thoughts and views, as well as help, if required. His train of thoughts that was filled with mindless theories were halted on stop when he arrived at the said venue after 28 minutes.He had no idea how the librarian or security allowed him in, even though it was clear he did not possess a student ID card because he wasn’t a student there, but he didn’t mind it. Easier for him to gain access and see Jae.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw a silhouette sitting by the table near the aisle; Jae. As he rushed towards the direction, Hanseol plopped himself on a seat in front of the dhampir and placed the bag aside on the empty chair next to him. “Penny for your thoughts?”

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Hanseol seemed to just have one of those smiles that lit up a room, it was natural and he didn’t even notice, but his happiness almost seemed to radiate from him, it was hard not to smile too when you saw it, Jae had met very few people who seemed to draw people in like that, they tended to be charismatic and likable without even trying. He’d be a little jealous if it wasn’t so precious and lighthearted. Truthfully Hanseol had stirred up a lot of unfamiliar emotions in the dhampir, ones that confused him but also drew him in too, it was all uncharted territory for him, which both scared and intrigued him at the same time, enough that he wouldn’t say anything about it anyway, not until he was certain what it all meant.

When Hanseol finally noticed the girls that had been giggling incessantly for the whole time he’d been here, Jae sighed putting his face in his hands for a moment, of course he would assume it was about him being supernatural and nothing else at all. Thanks to his heightened senses, Jae had overheard most of the things they were whispering about a little too loudly for his liking, one of the curses of being a dhampir and the main problem with his current living situation. After a moment he looked up at the male through his fingers and chuckled “You really don’t know why they’re staring at you?” he asked almost shocked someone could be so oblivious, he put on a voice acting all cute as he repeated some of the things they were saying in a really bad American accent “Oh my gosh the pink haired guy over there is sooooo hot” Jae laughed softly “Do you think he’ll look over here? What if he notices me” Jae pulled a face his voice dropped back to his usual low tone and he raised his eyebrow “I think your supernatural identity is safe” he teased softly.  

Jae had a lot of mixed thoughts when it came to his family, he loved them very much and always strived to make them proud but often their ideals and expectations didn’t align with his and that left him questioning if the things he wanted were wrong “I guess I see everyone around me succeeding and I wonder if I’ll be able to do that” he admitted as he looked down at the paper he’d been writing earlier “Writing isn’t exactly the most reliable skill to have” he shrugged, it was what he loved and he was going to give his all before he gave up on it but he still doubted himself sometimes. “But you can bet I’m gonna give it 110%” he added optimistically, he had to try and make something of himself.

Jae listened curiously as the fallen star likened Jae’s personality to that of a tiger, though the way he explained it was far different from what the dhampir was expecting him to say. He watched the childish like innocence on the other male’s face as he spoke about thinking one of the world’s best predators was cute, Jae ran his tongue over his lip and laughed softly “Only you would call a tiger cute and get away with it” he teased, at this point he was just learning to expect something surprising to come from Hanseol, his whole demeanor was pretty endearing. He liked the fact that the star thought he was protective and loyal as those were things Jae valued, for the most part he trusted people, but anyone who proved unloyal to him would usual lose him forever, his trust was very carefully placed.

Jae’s expression remained soft as he watched Hanseol talk about the kind of person he saw himself as, he always found it interesting to see how people saw themselves compared with how they appeared to others, it was especially interesting with the celestial male because he seemed like he was caught between a person he thought he should be and the person he was sometimes, a lot like Jae when caught between what he knew his family wanted for him and what he wanted for himself “Everyone has a side to themselves they aren’t proud of” he assured in response, he didn’t think there was anything wrong with having flaws, it was what gave people humanity “Hell you’ve seen a little bit of my temper but that’s just the tip of the iceberg” he’d had a lot of issues with that through his life but he’d found small ways of improving.

He could sense the emotion of shame from Hanseol just from the way he held his head low and didn’t look up at the dhampir, Jae felt a strange compulsion to reach out and touch his arm but he restrained himself knowing that might come off weird, instead he placed his hands in his lap linking his fingers together as he took in the words that Hanseol was saying “Really it takes a lot to be able to let something go like that” he admitted letting out a long breath “I’m not sure I could go through the same and say I’d be able to think the way you do, it’s really admirable” his expression was sincere as he spoke, he was stubborn at times and he often got caught up in his own feelings so much that he wasn’t able to let it go, so he could really respect the growth Hanseol must have gone through to be able to say something like that “You should be proud, not ashamed” to recognize the darkest parts of yourself and do something about it, that took courage.

His words resonated with Jae, holding onto emotions that were negative really did make you someone you were not and if you stayed in that state long enough you become in danger of staying the new version of yourself and losing the old “I mean I didn’t know the you before but I like this you” he admitted with a half smile, and Jae didn’t meet a lot of people who he wanted to keep close so that was pretty significant. It seemed like the two of them kept getting sidetracked from the main reason the celestial was here, not that Jae minded, he liked having someone to distract him from all of his problems. Jae knew next to nothing about celestial energy and yet he still felt like the two of them could figure something out if they kept trying to work through all the details. When Han mentioned dark diviners the ball dropped “So it’s not about your people at all, you’re just the tool they need, probably one of many tools” well that was a scary thought considering all the other powerful objects there were in the world.

“But if your energy is as powerful as you say it is, it’s gotta be some seriously powerful diviner right?” he arched his brow a little, from what he’d seen already, celestials themselves seemed to have enough trouble controlling it, let alone someone it wasn’t directly connected. Jae laughed when Hanseol brought up his comments on the sun, the serious moment instantly fading away once more “If I was always serious, I’d be the most boring person on this planet, daystar” he winked, Jae actually found it pretty hard to stay serious for too long.

For the same reasons that seemed to cement his bright personalities, Hanseol was too oblivious to his surrounding, it was almost frustrating for anyone with him. But then again, it might have something to do with his ‘self-awareness’ motive, where he only placed his attention on things that had a high probability of needing his attention. It's difficult to correlate with the Celestial's logical explanations, but that was one of the main factors that made him off-the-record kind of guy. A unique trait he'd like to keep for more years to come. Given that he is allowed to live a few more years, at least. Most of the time, he's never like this, not so optimistic and exuberant around people, unless he's wearing his ‘employer' tag to treat his customers that came venturing to his clinic/shop or his coworkers. Even with them, he was not this casual. He figured it had something to do with Jae's playful and outgoing persona that he could pinpoint from afar.

The two were introverts, who basked in the company of living things such as animals or plants. Who did not wish to go out and socialize with others just because they could. It was the matter of choice, there. Hanseol for most part, was glad he was able to find someone to relate with. They were both so different yet so similar at the same time, it's almost surreal. By the time Jae had inquired him if he didn't have the slightest idea of why the group of girls kept giggling here and there occasionally, the fallen star shook his head in response, with the clueless look still plastered over to his face. It clearly indicates how he truly was confused and wanted nothing more but to find out what they were talking about. “No, I really don't but should I?” Paranoia was his way-to-go daily because he realized, as Celestials, they had this particular glow to them; and it didn't matter whether it’s faint or visible. It worries him.

Until he received the answer from the dhampir, which he still had yet to wrap his head around. Staring blankly for a few seconds towards the dhampir, he tilted his head slightly to the side while still having a look of absolute confusion masking his baby-like face. Throughout the entire session of Jae acting all cringy, the only thing Hanseol bothered to point out was the horrible Valley-like American accent and the pitched voice. “It's not pink though. It's red? It might fade a bit-- but it's definitely not pink.” And that. Though being the impervious bunny he was, he did look over to their table afterwards. Obviously, he hasn't been around modern times too much to actually understand how everything works when it comes to it. The moment he sneaked a peek towards their direction however, the group of girls started slapping each other's backs. “Why are they hitting each other, that's just.. Very sudden and weird. But I am relieved to hear that my supernatural identity remained safe.” He then grinned before sorting out the articles to a much more neater pile.

“A wise man once said, It's okay not to have a dream, you know.” He gave Jae a softer look, if that was even possible-- coming from his natural doe eyed self. “The important thing is to be happy. Happiness is already such in a short supply these days, let's not deprive yourself from receiving them, no? Some people find themselves in their dream jobs and life, but only a few achieved the satisfaction and euphoria it was supposed to tangle with.” How the Celestial wanted to place a reassuring hold on his hand following his words earlier, but he decided against it as it might be a violation of privacy. “I think writing is a good skill to have. You can't always express your thoughts and emotions verbally, right? So if verbal communication wasn't an option, why not resort to another option where you can resonate and amplify it better? I write a few times, to get things off my mind, and venting to a book instead of person, that's a good method.” Hanseol didn't know why, but he hated the thought of seeing Jae so discouraged. To him, the dhampir deserved so much better than what he's had now, if it was possible.

Shifting from one mood to another wasn't a rare occurrence for the red haired Celestial. He could easy simplify things or make it more difficult by changing from a serious demeanor back to his clueless self. “Tigers are cute, though.” He refused to let his standing point waver away so easily. Nevertheless, when he said that, a pout was present. It was one of his unconscious makings. But he did like that he brought a brighter effect to the dhampir. “Well, they do. But it's a bit difficult to relate when your other side would do exactly what your current self despised most. When you live your own life, you will eventually develop a code. Some sort of rule. For example, mine was never to maim unarmed people. It's a bit of a far-fetched idea though, considering I don't take in consideration if they were trying to harm me or not. As long as they dropped their weapons on time, I can't find myself hurting them-- not even a punch to the face.” That should make him feel weak, as his other self would have sufficiently called it, but it doesn't. Hanseol was glad he had his conscious with him.

“Then the other side of me would break and go through those codes so easily like it was meant to be broken. That person wouldn't mind hurting if it means getting what he wanted. The mere thought of it already scared me, much less witnessing myself do it. I fear my time being alone, left with no hope to cling on, made my negative self grew bitter. A few years might take its toll, but I was there for approximately 85 years and 2 months. I wasn't even aware I kept a count.” That was why Hanseol found the fact that Jae said he shouldn't be ashamed for feeling so, very helpful. The Celestial often tried to find his purpose in the world, and lately the only thing he's been focusing on is how to maintain his life, because for once, he wanted to live. It shouldn't be selfish of him to think so, right?

Chuckling softly to himself, he shrugged casually. “Well the me before was rather rebellious if you'd say. I refused a lot. Until I saw where all that selfish temps took me, nowhere pleasant. I travelled everywhere in order to try finding myself. Because although I could already remember my name and what I was, the one question still remained clear as the day-- what's my purpose here? I mean, you don't just fall from the sky for no reason. Surely, there must be one, such as the reason why I was picked etc.” The question still remain embedded in him till this day. But maybe, he would be able to find out soon enough. He smiled thankfully at Jae for giving him such encouragement after telling him that he liked the him now. Hanseol liked the him now, too. What better steps to take appreciating and loving yourself than with help from others?

“It seems so. Our energy is rumored to be quite powerful. I never knew to what extent since as you may well know, our previous encounter with the hit men was the first time I used my ability. Can't exactly drag anyone to be my pincushion, especially knowing fully well it might backfire. I'm not risky enough to go with that option. “Seriously powerful and greedy diviner, that's for sure. We're already finding it hard to control our own in a moderate manner, much less them. Though, I can conclude there has to be a few accidents went wrong. No one's too perfect to get it right on first try.” He couldn't hold in his laughter when he noted the new nickname the male dhampir gave him. “Daystar now, is it? Am I harmful to vampires then.” He exclaimed, whereas he took the teasing to a whole level, leaving the dark and morbid thought of the diviner. “I mean, I suppose I should be harmful. I literally shine like the sun, no? No one would be able to survive staring at me for so long, then. We don't want anyone becoming Icarus.” He quipped, as he flashed a smirk. Which was once again, very rare. But definitely viable to be used to strike anyone down.

Jae had never anyone who was quite so oblivious to social norms before but then he supposed that Hanseol hadn’t grown up through it like he had, the celestial hadn’t ever been subjected to the judgemental comments they made in the school halls or from parents telling him how he should live his life, he’d mostly been free from the social pressure. Of course the fallen star got his own set of troubles in exchange but it did make Jae aware of the way that his upbringing and society shaped him. Such as this particular situation, watching the college girls almost falling over themselves “I guess you wouldn’t” he commented thoughtfully, the way the celestial acted was starting to make more sense to him now.

Whenever Jae felt awkward or out of his element, he tended to resort to joking, he felt most natural and carefree when he was acting silly, it was both a coping mechanism and a habit for him. Jae was very good at being pretty fearless in the name of acting goofy, he didn’t have any shame in poking fun at himself if it resulted in a laugh from someone else “The point isn’t that the accent is good” he defended as he laughed softly shaking his head in amusement, it was hilarious to him how the celestial always seemed to point out things that weren’t the point of what was being said. Jae leaned in a little closer as the male took issue with their observation of his hair, he gave Hanseol a look that spoke the word ‘really, that’s what matters to you?’ and he chuckled again and without much thought he raised his hand and tapped the fallen star’s chin gently with his index finger “You’re too innocent for your own good” he admitted in a soft tone before pulling away.

Something about what the male said meant a lot to him, all through his life he had been told he needed to have his eye on the ball, from the age of 7 onwards he was expected to know exactly what he wanted to do with his life and so it meant a lot to hear someone tell him it was okay, okay to not know the path his life was going to take to every minute detail “I think that might be the first time I’ve ever heard that” he admitted, the realization setting in, perhaps he had been living his life til now in the shadow of someone else’s dream. Jae pursed his lips, often he kept his thoughts about his own passion to himself but talking to the other male about it somehow felt as easy as breathing, it was almost as if you could see a spark in the dhampir’s eyes as he spoke “Writing is…” he paused thinking of the right words “Writing is my escape, it’s the one place I feel like I have complete control of everything going on here” Jae reached up and tapped gently against his own forehead “When nothing makes sense, somehow writing just does, it always has” and that was the best way he could explain it, his parents and his siblings didn’t get it, but Jae got it, he was brave enough to move halfway across the world for it.

Jae hadn’t expected today to take the turn it had, really he’d expected to sit alone until he no longer felt like he wanted to strangle someone and then return back to his dorm to repeat the process over again, instead he found himself laughing uncontrollably as Hanseol pouted at him in insistence that a tiger was cute. How strange life turned out to be, he thought to himself as he caught the stern look from Felicia who shook her head with an amused smile and Jae smiled apologetically pressing his finger against his lips to imply he would keep the noise down.

Jae got the sense from the celestial that he struggled with the emotions that were surely triggered by the reality of his life, though the dhampir would be worried if someone could go through a lifetime of captivity and running and not let it have any impact on who they were. The way Han spoke about his morals was enlightening and really explained a lot of his behaviour the other day when he was being attacked “Doesn’t it scare you that one day you might get seriously hurt?” it worried him, though Jae was hardly the person to judge that, considering how reckless he got when it came to protecting others.

The dhampir had a hard time picturing a vengeful version of Hanseol, maybe that was because he’d only seen half the story, but watching him in that fight the other day, the way he was so hesitant to hurt anyone, it almost felt foreign to him, though he did remember the way that the celestial’s temperament had shifted when he’d faced up to those thugs, speaking with such a determination “At the end of the day, hate is a wasted emotion, nothing good ever comes from it” you only had to look into the history of this city to see proof of that, the way the Initia and Phoenixes always fought one another and how it had resulted in a lot of people dying. But then being the bigger person and letting things go almost felt impossible at times.

The way that Hanseol thought about his existence was very deep, Jae tried not to think about the meaning of life too much, he found that was a wormhole you could lose yourself in and never get any real answers from. The dhampir was focused on the little things, it was a saying he had with his brother about enjoying the small victories in life , if you could learn to appreciate those then every day could be a good day. “I think that’s an immortality thing” he commented with a soft smile, at least every immortal he’d ever met tended on the questioning side, his father had always been one of those people “Questioning the point you know” Jae knew one day he was going to have to ask himself that question too, if he decided to flip his on.

Jae wanted to be able to help Hanseol with embracing his celestial side, that was mostly the reason he had done research on them, they’d agreed the last time they met that they’d help each other become better versions of the people they are after all and Jae wasn’t the type of person to break a promise “One day you’re going to have to practice” he nodded softly “I’m strong enough to take the hit” he offered, though he had the feeling it would take more persistence to actually get Han using his natural abilities. The thought of a diviner being out there that was using celestials for their own power scared him, if they were seeking something so powerful, what were they planning and how long was it before someone got hurt because of it it, Jae naturally worried about the safety others and so he knew that this knowledge would plague him.

Jae chuckled at the nickname that rolled off his tongue, things tended to just come to him, he didn’t usually put massive thought behind them but it seemed to amuse the celestial and that was enough for him “I mean you did knock a person across the room with light, I imagine that might do some damage to a vampire” he ran his tongue over his bottom lip, dhampirs were weak to daystar too but not sunlight. The smirk that graced Hanseol’s lips however caused the breath to hitch in Jae’s throat, turning his gaze away towards the wall he cursed the lack of control he seemed to have over his own self. Letting out a long breath he cleared his throat “So we should research powerful diviners and their connection to the number 9?” he changed the subject for his own sanity more than anything.

Throughout his entire time wandering around the world, not once did Hanseol really noticed the indifference a glance or a look would evidently conclude. He thought it was just something normal and casual. To the Celestial, it seemed colloquial enough. But then again, he wasn't called oblivious for not reason. Perhaps, that was why he once again, had no idea to why people would stare at him. Not knowingly, at least. He then scrunched up his nose in both a mixture of annoyance and confusion when Jae tapped his chin with his index finger, as the dhampir reprimanded him that the main issue did not lie within the problems of accent nor his hair color inaccuracy. “Then what's the point?” he questioned, until Hanseol himself, received the ultimatum to his question after pondering on it briefly.

“Right. I'm too innocent for my own good. I supposed that's not really a trait I should look forward to?” Hanseol might not have noticed it before, but he did got a few reminders from some people around him; telling him how his obliviousness could amount to a level of cute but it also had a negative side effect, like many other traits, which was it had made him a bit dense. Regardless of such word being used on him, calculating from the reaction and expression his coworkers wore when telling him that, he figured it wasn't supposed to be harmful or offensive to him. They were trying to remind him not to be too good to everyone, is all. And he understood that.  But similar to his current age of living-- which was only 5 years, he was still learning. The amount of knowledge he received when he was a nomad wasn't enough to account up to the ones he still lacked. Though, seeing as Jae was there, surely the younger dhampir could assist him in such progress?

The red haired Celestial has heard a few problems coming from family and how their different upbringing ways really had an impact in a child whilst growing up. He may not be close to his coworkers, but they were alas, his coworkers; the people he worked with. At some point, a simple form of conversation was bound to take place and he's heard a few stories about their problems with their family. The fallen star was really upset to see his new-found friend, Jae, being so beaten up by it. So far as he's known the dhampir, Jae proved himself to be quite the kindred spirit, in some ways. But he was admirable to the star's eyes. His undying loyalty and unprecedented desire to protect to weak groomed him to be a fine example of a good person. That alone was enough to make him admirable, much less his other traits that makes up a lot more than seen from the exterior. Well, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, after all.

“Then it's a good thing you find something you like. Something you would take the time off to focus on it solely. Such determination should be rewarded and praised, not the opposite.” He smiled softly, as he tapped the pen he had twirled around his finger earlier, on the book Jae was reading before he got there. “I know it's hard to find yourself. Many others suffer the same crisis. But you're still young, you should live your life to the fullest and not waste it.” Reassuring the dhampir seemed to be the Celestial's way-to-go, not that he minded. He liked spending his time with him, so when he has the chance to prolong their conversation, whether it was empty talk or anything, he would most definitely take it. The doe eyed star twinkled in delight seeing him laugh uncontrollably at his previous comment about the defense he had regarding the tigers. He really did like seeing this side of him more. Hanseol found it saddening to see anyone so optimistic and bright to be discouraged by life. He's been done, and he wouldn't want anyone else to go drowning in the same path.

So when Jae averted his question about himself, Hanseol pondered momentarily before taking the time to answer it. “I would be lying if I said it never occurred to me. Of course, I'd be worried. I'm scared that the day will come one day. I told myself that since its inevitable, I shouldn't refuse nor run from it no more. But, I can't be expected to serve my life on a silver platter, can I? It's not the life I had envisioned, but if that's fate, what could I really have done to change it?” The talks about his life usually dampened his mood, as it should, but with Jae, he felt as if he could willingly talk about it. It wasn't healthy to keep every bottled up too. Because of that, a part of him was glad he asked and resulted the push he needed to talk regarding it. “As you've seen before Jae, I was very reluctant when it comes to hitting them. Remember how I said my code was that I would never maim anyone who's unarmed? Technically, they didn't have much of a weapon, with the exception of the leader. They relied mostly on their brute strength. I didn't want to violate it, but I had to remind myself that I need to alter the code a bit. Hence, why I probably halted momentarily.” The voice of his dropped an octave lower, which was rare seeing as Hanseol usually seemed so bright and bubbly where his voice is slightly in a higher pitch.

“But after seeing you hurt.. I was reminded that I wasn't alone-- that I had another life at my stead, who would get hurt badly if I continued with my ways. I guess it triggered me and I began fighting back. I hated the thought of letting anyone else involve themselves in my mess, because at the end of the day, it's my mess. Mine alone.” Whilst Hanseol was appreciative on Jae coming into his life and successfully made it better, he couldn't place him in such danger. Not again. He would never be able to live with himself that way. “Being immortal actually sucks. I mean-- aside from the whole being able to live forever might sound convincing. But alas, you're not expendable. And if you have no vision to what you are going to do in the future, it eventually gets tedious and you wonder what's the meaning of it all. A shoulder doubt yourself, a time will come when you will start to find faults and flaws. And after that, you get the drill.” His thoughts might seemed a bit dark, but that was just how the world is. It's cruel.

As soon as Jae mentioned about the practice, he was reminded by the pact they've made previously. Nodding in response, the Celestial grinned softly as he talked. “We'll help one another, just as we said we would. But I just said immortals are not expendable, Jae.” At least the dhampir was able to bring a smile and laughter back into the fallen star. “The thought of making anyone as a pincushion or dummy doesn't sound enlightening but I doubt I would actually be able to conjure anything harmful enough. After all, Celestial energy wasn't supposed to be dark-- they're light.” Those were the words of encouragement for himself but Hanseol had a feeling that it's gonna take far more than that to convince him. “That one was accidental, really.” He mumbled as he scratched the back of his head while grinning sheepishly. He really didn't know how he was able to conjure the energy needed to send a blast across the room. Though he also had a clear idea of what it was-- a mild blast.

There were still so much that has yet to be unlocked in his abilities, and it might take time, but the least he was able to do is make sure he practiced them moderately. It's not the usage he feared, it's how he has to defend himself using them. There's only so much his physical helpfulness would abet to his gain. Shrugging smugly, he raised his arms in response. “Eh, maybe. I mean I am a literal light, right? That has got to mean something.” The smirk only turned itself into something much more smug as he noticed the times Jae would turn his gaze back to the wall a few times. Quirking his eyebrow towards the dhampir, he wondered what prompted such shift. “Why do you keep glancing over to the wall? Are you not able to meet my eyes?” Instinctively, he held both his hands out to Jae's cheeks, in order to make the dhampir face him directly, without giving much thought in it that it might have caused the latter to be flustered at the sudden move. “Anyways, that's a steep search but it's a start. Powerful diviners, I imagine there'll be plenty in this world, but the more we could narrow it down, the better chances it will give the outcome.”

Jae liked to think of himself as a pretty observant person, being one of the quieter people in his friends group he tended to always be the one that noticed everything, like the little changes in someone’s behavior that told him they were upset, he found himself pretty good at reading people. But when it came to the celestial it was somewhat like playing a guessing game, he didn’t act like other people, he was surprising and unpredictable, he dived straight into topics most would try to avoid, it challenged the dhampir in a way he couldn’t describe. Jae was half tempted to spit out that the point was that pretty girls tended to stare at handsome men but he bit his tongue instead.

Jae sighed softly, tilting his head to the side a little in response to Hanseol’s question, he would be lying if he said he didn’t find the celestial’s innocent way of looking at the world endearing but there was only so long he could go on being completely blind to the society around him “No I actually think it’s a really good trait” he admitted with a soft smile, there was a way about the male that just made you believe in the good of the world again, where things were simple and other people weren’t a factor in the things you wanted  “I just worry that people will try and take advantage of it” he voiced honestly as he looked back at the doe eyed male, he felt a level of protectiveness over him, wanting to stop anyone from taking that lighthearted part of him and twisting it, because he knew what people were like, he’d seen the horrors of what happened behind the scenes during his time in the military.

Perhaps Jae was too hard on himself, holding himself to standards he knew he was never really going to live up to, his brothers were a doctor and lawyer respectively and his sister was studying to be a vet just like Hanseol was. He wanted to excel at something just like they did but every time he pictured his future, his drew up blank. Jae didn’t know what his picture of happiness was, he wasn’t sure he would ever really know. “If only my parents saw it that way” he commented a little half heartedly, they had told him time and time again that they thought his obsession with the English language was a waste of time and part of him had wanted to give in, wanted to go do some degree in business to placate them. But then the dreamer in him had spoken up and pushed him to go for it anyway “I guess it would help if I actually had any idea what I want” he paused for a moment and sighed, it was never as easy as people seemed to make it out to be, figuring out a future.

Jae had gotten the impression from Hanseol that he was pretty accepting of his own fate but that also came across in a level of fearlessness that was almost scary, so it was good to hear the celestial voice his fears about his own safety “Of course you shouldn’t just wait for it, if anything you should just be prepared for it, so that you’re ready to fight back” honestly it scared him to talk about the idea of his friend being killed, it went against the dhampir’s very nature to even consider it but with all the talking they did about the dangers of being a celestial, he wanted to know where Hanseol’s mind was at. What worried him was that Hanseol’s code would be used against him to hurt him and Jae knew that he couldn’t always be around to put himself between the celestial and those who sought to hurt him. Hearing his explanation of why he didn’t fight back, Jae’s eyes were sad, full of regard but also concern for the other male “Is your code what made it easier to run?” maybe his questions were too much but the dhampir just really wanted to understand what Hanseol was thinking in those moments.

His lips parted a little in surprise when the other male talked about Jae’s part that day, really Jae had just been doing what his gut told him to do, Jae wasn’t the kind of person who could idly watch anyone else get hurt and he didn’t doubt that those males would have hurt the celestial given the chance  Jae also sensed some level of guilt still surrounding the celestial however, he met his gaze, holding it for a few moments before rolling up his sleeve where the cut from the fight had been, there was no trace of the wound left “I’m a dhampir Han, protecting people is built into my DNA” he assured him that he didn’t blame him in any part for what happened, how could he? Hanseol had been nothing but kind to him.

Upon the other male’s comments about immortality, his gaze shifted, he knew that most people assumed that a dhampir would turn their immortality switch on without a second thought, in fact he still questioned his own sanity for not doing so “I-uh…” he bit softly on his bottom lip as he debating how to put it “I wouldn’t know” he admitted before following it up with further information “What being an immortal is like because I’m not one” he let that sink in as he let out a long breath, even his family thought he had his immortality switch turned on, it was a relief to just be able to tell someone the truth really, though he knew it would come with questions.

Jae grinned a little, a cocky smile gracing his lips when the male spoke about expendability “And who says you’ll actually be able to land a hit, hmm?” he raised his brows for a moment, Jae had been trained with his dhampir weapons since he was young, admittedly he was out of practice but from the moment he could, he’d practiced runes and fighting technique, he wasn’t going to be that easy to take down. His teasing faded away and his expression came back to a more serious one however “I’m not scared of your abilities Hanseol” he spoken truthfully “And you shouldn’t be either” he reminded the male, it was a part of who he was after all “Besides I’m sure there’s far more uses for pure light energy than just throwing someone across the room, you owe it to yourself to know who you are” the celestial spoke highly of his ambassador, surely she must know more right?

“More like a ball of burning fire” the dhampir muttered softly in response to the celestial calling himself a literal light, though in the relative term a light seemed like a pretty accurate description. Jae had been doing pretty well so far at keeping his mind from running but once again catching the dhampir off guard, Jae heard hm ask an innocently posed question that caused a blush to creep over the dhampir’s cheeks. He kept facing away from the male doing his best to hide it but then he felt the celestial’s hands pressed against his face, softly pulling him towards the male until he met his eyes. Jae’s lips parted, completely taken aback by the earthy colored hues staring back at him. For once the dhampir found himself speechless, suspended in silence for a few moments as he just took in the depths of the fallen star’s eyes and then he came crashing back to reality, he didn’t have an answer for the celestial’s question so he cleared his throat and changed the subject, pulling back from the other male’s touch as he did so “We’re not going to find any information on powerful diviners here so I guess we should both look into it and come back to it” Jae twiddled his thumbs in his lap.

Hanseol was glad some other person was able to find the positivity in his oblivious trait. It was rare, seeing as it wasn’t the first time he’s heard how that particular one would land him in a heap of trouble someday. Maybe so, but he’s been around it for decades long, he would know what to do with it. But a practice shouldn’t be too much for him to handle, right? Practice makes perfect, after all. Surely, the Celestial could start the journey to diminish the negative bits of himself now. He might not have the longest time nor forever to dwell around it, but he was willing to make the best use of the time he has now. Hanseol knew how most people found him peculiar, thanks to his unanimity air. But despite the insecurity he had, he’s never bothered to take in other people’s regard to his consideration-- until now. Jae’s sudden appearance in his life had made it a progress.

There were no words left to say about what he truly felt for the dhampir. “I’m glad at least someone thinks that way..” He beamed, the delight making its way up his doe eyes as it twinkled under the lights of the library. It had made the male looked more bright, if that was even possible. “Yeah, some might take it for granted or take advantage over it, but I’m sure I’ll be able to identify them. Hopefully, y’know, so I won’t be under the bars when someone decides to attack me again.” Though the thought was far-fetched, the fallen star knew being hopeful was something he should start to immerse himself in. Especially when he no longer wanted to run anymore. He’s had plenty of time to do that, and plenty of time to think about it every single day in his cell. He’s made his ultimate decision; which was to stay.

Because let’s be clear, Hanseol deserved to rest.

Placing a reassuring pat on his shoulders, as he leaned forward slightly, he made sure to offer him a soft smile while doing so. “Parents are tough. Hell, I only had mine for what- 3 months of worth? And they were just the people who doted on me when I first crashed in Busan back in 1930. They didn’t raise me up, so my experience is a germ compared to yours. But they are still your parents, right? Of course you’d feel the sense to make them proud of you. That’s what any child would ever want to gift their parents. You have every right to feel discouraged but do not let it undermine your talent and abilities.” He couldn’t possibly tell him about neglecting one’s parents. “You’re still young, Jae. You have time to find what you want. All those woes will only pressure you. You’ll never truly find what you’re passionate about in, that way.” Seeing Jae that way made something in Hanseol trigger, and maybe in a good way. Hanseol, regardless of having enough moments of seeing the bad imbued in an individual, saw that in the end, good things happen to good people.

Shrugging absentmindedly at Jae’s question, he too asked himself why he ran. Or if it was even a viable option for him initially to be doing that. “I guess so. Running seemed to make it the best choice in everything. It’s not the easiest option, no. But it’s the best one there is at the moment. Living your life running away makes it seem as if you’re a fugitive. Which means you never truly do have time to consider any other choices in your hand, because there’s none. I can’t hurt them, and I can’t let them hurt me either. Because I know I won’t be the only collateral damage being done afterwards. So, running..yeah.” The more he talked about his life in fleeing everywhere, the more he found it harder to correlate himself to it. The Celestial hated leaving everything so easily at his wake and trail. But it wasn’t really something he could have a say in.

“Just because you’re a protector, doesn’t make it any less in it being my fault since it originated from me, no? I’m the root of the problem at first. You wouldn’t have gotten hurt, if I wasn’t the bringer to it. You can be the terminator and I’d still apologize” Jae was being quite persuasive in trying to make the star feel better and not built from him, but the small tinge of guilt is still going to rest in him. It won’t diminish so easily. However, Hanseol was very grateful to possess a friend such as Jae, who seemed to be the person who would stick by him through the storms end. Maybe that was why he wasn’t so taken aback when Jae informed him that he wasn’t categorized under being an immortal club. One look at him and Hanseol might be able to find the slightest hints that the dhampir still had so many to go through in his path, and that he might not turn on his immortality switch until he figured it was right. And Hanseol respected that.

He wasn’t able to say a word about his abilities and practice or training, because he literally didn’t have any words formed to utter. So, he said nothing and kept a silent treatment throughout the time. He didn’t even realize that they’ve been talking about their topic for more than 2 hours. How fast time seemed to pass, ironically. The Celestial did note the stare Jae had sent his way when he forced the latter to see him, but said nothing about it. Glancing over to the clock in his phone, he nodded in response as he began compiling the articles together before putting every single thing he got out previously, inside his backpack. Zipping it together to seal it, he pursed his lips before parting them. “I brought all the animals in the clinic back to my place, because the clinic’s in renovation due to the last incident. Here’s an address. Just so we could keep in touch with each other.” Waggling his phone in front of the dhampir, he told him that he’ll be reminded that he had Jae’s number inside his phone.

Soon enough, the Celestial take his leave and waved a few times towards the dhampir, and of course the girls who was still staring at where they were. He’s an oblivious dork, but a polite oblivious dork.

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