Eternal City RP

The Online Roleplay Community

One and The Same (Open to Sunmin and Hanseol) [COMPLETED]

Sunmin stared at the painting placed up on the counter with intense eyes. He thought he was past stealing random things he found but the moment he had seen this particular canvas outside as he walked the city one day, he had to take it. It was the first time he had seen anything that resembled the mark he had on his chest, the first clue he had found in a long time about his identity. A part of him had wanted to knock on the door of the house and ask how they knew about it but after walking up to the door he had heard two people laughing inside and decided against it.

So now he had a painting of the mark on his chest and no other answers. He had it propped up on one of the pews of the church as he stared at it. He’d run out of money a few weeks ago, at least enough money to afford a bed every night and so he had been crashing here at night and he was pretty sure the pastor knew and didn’t actually mind. He made sure to clean up after himself whenever he left in the morning, something he did before 9am when services usually began, which was precisely 25 minutes away.

He yawned and stretched before he put away his things into his backpack, he didn’t own much so it didn’t really take him long. Sunmin wasn’t religious but he did find the place pretty welcoming and while it got really cold at night he just kept his sleeping bag done up tight. He was just about done rolling up the bag when he heard stirring outside the church “Fuck” he muttered under his breath before slinging the bag over his shoulder and looking for a way out. There was only one door into the church which someone was about to come through so he couldn’t go that way.

In his panicked flighty state, he ran towards one of the confession booths and climbed inside, closing the door behind him and sinking down onto the wooden bench inside. He clutched his backpack against his chest tightly. It wasn’t the first time that Sunmin had gone into hiding so he was pretty good at keeping quiet and not giving his presence away but then he remembered the painting. Which he hadn’t managed to pack away into his bag before running in here. Too late now. He was just going to have to hope no one thought anything of it. He could hear the echoing steps of someone enter the church but it seemed like they were alone, which means it could have been the pastor or someone else who figured out they don’t lock the door.

0 members like this

Replies are closed for this discussion.

Replies to This Discussion

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Hanseol Park on October 8, 2019 at 9:49

Should he have turned him to the police? He probably should've. The entire time he sat across him while staring back at the other male sitting before him, looking all defensive and fidgety. Honestly, Sunmin wasn't the only one feeling nervous. Hanseol could feel his palms getting all sweaty and clammy. Gosh, why is he like this? This is one guy. One guy he doesn't even like. Okay, that's a bit too much. He may have not preferred his behavioral to him but he did brought him here without his consent. The Celestial knew he was partially to blame for that. Something about him just screams out to him but he didn't know why, and what he's screaming at him for. He wanted to ask him so badly who he is, but all he received was a name earlier. Just a name. No surname either. A part of him wondered if he was an orphan. That was until Hanseol told himself he shouldn't care about someone else's identity or welfare, not when he's not even an acquaintance of his.

He wanted to flip so bad when he undermined the sentimental value the painting held to him but held himself back. Jae wouldn't like it if he finds out that Han's totally disregarded his advice and words. The last thing he wanted to do was upset his boyfriend and himself who vowed to be better in his impulsive ways that would eventually eat him up had he adhered to it. He pressed his lips together and sighed, Sunmin wasn't wrong in the least. People are assholes and would only think about themselves. "I know that. They try to make all of the cycle okay because that's the way of life" he made sure to reiterate the last three words purposely to show his own resentment to it. "But still, people may actually think you hate or dislike them just because you pulled it this way. I thought you hate me" he murmured faintly before turning his gaze back on the Celestial, "Wait you don't… right?"

When Sunmin answered his questions about recognizing the pattern with a nod, he knew that there was something more to him than what meets the eye. A constellation such as that is not seen as something of significant worth by most. His eyes softened when he heard that, did he really seem that privileged? Well, technically, he does have it all now; someone who loves him, friends who care about him, a stable job with a considerable amount of wage supporting him, the chance to learn more about the veterinary field, a shelter to keep him comfortable, and most importantly, he didn't have to run. For now, at least. But that is more than what most people couldn't afford. "When I first came here, it was because I followed someone. Perhaps I am privileged now but it's not that fairytale where you were given the chance to work your way up and revel in all of this luxury. I only had this a while ago…" he mumbled, he felt so timid it was unbelievable. Sunmin's words was like a knife that kept on digging without leaving any mercy right now.

Why does he feel the need to validate himself in Sunmin's eyes? What was it about this guy that he craved such validation for? He realized that he may have forgotten how it feels like to live like a runaway now, "You're right… not everyone's nice." Shouldn't he know that? He spent his life running before he got captured. He didn't even have friends then. But all of that suddenly went out the window the moment he showed Han the same mark on his painting, where? On his left chest. Exactly where their hearts lie. The same place his mark is etched at. Whatever the male said after that went completely deaf to his ears because all the brunette could see right now is that same mark he had. It was identical. And it's on the same spot. How could this be? His hand went up to his own mark instinctively and backed away a bit, starting at Sunmin like he just grew two heads.

"Wh-why do you have that mark... " he breathed out, was this possible? He's heard about siblings in the Celestials' community, he knew about the Braelynds siblings, the Belangers. And as far as he knew from what Ophelia told him about Celestial origin and history during their lessons, they have siblings; as in brothers and sisters, but their marks are not at the same spot. His head felt fuzzy now and he eventually fell back to his seat while staring at Sunmin in disbelief. "That's a Gemini constellation. The same as what I painted... " he murmured audibly and dropped his hand to the collar of his shirt before slowly unbuttoning it, his eyes never leaving the other male sitting before him.

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Sunmin Park on October 9, 2019 at 9:57

Sunmin could hear from his tone of voice and the way he held himself that he was trying not to get angry which made the younger male realize how much he must be pushing the limits, he didn’t purposely intend to piss Hanseol off, he never did that but it seemed to happen regardless most of the time. He just wasn’t a people person and never knew what to say to them he supposed. “Yeah well eventually I realized it was going to be easier to just disconnect myself from people, then they can’t let me down” he commented pretty bitterly and shrugged his shoulders slightly “So maybe I don’t hate you but like most people, I don’t particularly like you either” he shrugged nonchalantly, he could be back to his happy life and forgetting about him soon enough.

Maybe Sunmin was a little bitter about the cards he had been dealt, he tried his best to accept the lot he had been given and make the most of it but it was hard to see other people get opportunities he would have loved simply because they had money and he didn’t. He felt like the world treated him as worthless because he had less and that was a hard pill to swallow. “Well at least you had someone to follow” he had been alone for as long as he could remember and no one, literally no one, had given him anything without expecting something in return, he had to fight to live, that was his reality and maybe sometimes like today, when someone got upset over a painting, he felt a little jealous and bitter. “Look. I know I shouldn’t have taken the painting but that’s what I do, I take things to live, that is my reality” which was about as close to an apology as Hanseol was going to get.

“Hell I’m not nice, you can probably attest to that” he wanted to be but being nice usually got you played in the reality he lived in and so he had learned to be prickly with people and generally not let them get too close. He tried to help others in his situation when he could but that only happened on the rare occasion he had more than he needed to survive. Perhaps you could argue a lot of what happened to him was his fault, he always made decisions that could be deemed as bad or wrong decisions after all. But Sunmin got the feeling he would have died a long time ago if he hadn’t.

The moment he showed the mark on his chest he swore Hanseol’s eyes practically bugged out of his head for a moment, Sunmin was worried he had done something wrong again but before long he realized that Han was staring at the mark because he recognized it, which meant that perhaps he had the answers the younger male had been looking for all along. “How the hell do I know? It’s been there since I woke up” he exclaimed back to him getting riled up by the tone the other male was using about it. Why was he acting like there was something wrong with him? He bit down on his lip as he stared back at the dark-haired male “What the hell is a celestial?” he asked frustrated as he looked between the painting and then back to Hanseol, widening his eyes as he undid his shirt “What are you-” he choked on his words the moment he saw the exact same mark in the exact same place on the other male “What the hell” finally the stress got the better of him and he started pacing up and down along the length of the room “You are going to have to explain what you know because you’re talking actual gibberish to me” he kept his gaze averted most of the time but he couldn’t help but glance at the mark every so often “And please put your damn shirt back on” it was clear he was really shaken by what was happening.

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Hanseol Park on October 19, 2019 at 18:27

It was easier to do that, he murmured to himself internally. Truly, what Sunmin said wasn't wrong in any way, he knew he used to think that way too. He used to believe that the lesser people he had, the lesser the chances would be for others to let him down. After all, did people really owe him anything? Other than the fact that he was condemned to a miserable life before? "Well, ouch. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised" he murmured faintly and pursed his lips, "I mean no offense but I don't particularly like you either. I'm probably not even supposed to considering you made me track you down for weeks amidst my schedule but… I guess that can't be helped." Oh sure it can, he could've not stolen that one, he grumbled. Thankfully, Han was considerable enough to keep those inside him only. Being sassy wasn't going to get him anywhere anyways. He wondered how long has the latter been living on his own, he looked young but then again, wasn't he the same?

Had it not been due to his dressing and actions, he would still look the same age as Sunmin would. And he was sure this guy was an immortal, something about him just screams that. But why does he feel so familiar? "Yeah, considering I had to wait for years for that person to come, it was literally the only thing I had to hold onto" Han wasn't bitter, he was grateful to have Ophelia asked his Wayfinder but the period of being locked up still didn't go well with the Celestial and with Sunmin making him wander around the grey areas of impulsiveness, it was easier to see him be resentful. "I should be more considerate, I know. Don't worry about it, it's all forgotten." Honestly, the reason why Han chose to keep him there still was due to this nagging feeling inside him that tells him Sunmin was more than what he appears to be, which was answered when Sunmin showed him the mark etched on his chest. It doesn't seem like he knows what a Celestial is, either. Could he be a new Celestial who fell not long ago? But that still doesn't explain why he had the same mark as his, on the same place of all places.

"How old are you… really" he asked bluntly, he needed to know the exact timeline he fell. A Gemini constellation mark on him, the same one as his, surely that must mean something. Were they siblings? But why didn't he know this? He wasn't aware of how wrong it looked when he suddenly unbuttoned his shirt but he wanted to show him that he had the same mark and it was hard for him to pull the collars down to show it where for proof. His eyes never left the other male's as he followed his footsteps pacing back and forth in the living room, which he also noticed that it was starting to make Byul and Yeontan dizzy, prompting for him to speak up as he buttoned his shirt. "I… assume you don't know who you are or what you are. I don't think I'm the right person to be telling you all of this, though. We have our leader and I think you'd understand better with her-" he paused momentarily because he knew Sunmin wouldn't like talking to another stranger, "You saw the mark on me earlier. It was the same one as yours. On the same spot as well. We are called Celestials, I think you know you're not human at this point." He was finding it hard to select his words too, because he was still shaken by what was happening. Is this actually real? Could this guy really be related to him? "Celestials are basically… fallen stars."

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Sunmin Park on October 20, 2019 at 9:46

Sunmin gave a nonchalant shrug when Han implied he was a little offended at his statement but then he returned it with the same sentiment “Well at least we know where we stand then” he didn’t particularly like Hanseol but he could respect his ability to keep himself under control and not launch himself in anger, which he was sure the other male had been tempted to do at least once tonight “I mean I didn't make you do anything but” he shrugged again and smirked slightly “Point taken” it seemed like if he had picked quite literally any other painting he wouldn’t have gotten such an extreme reaction so this one must be really important to Hanseol. Sunmin couldn’t really relate to being attached to anything material like that, he didn’t really own anything sentimental like that, no family to pass anything on to him and all the things he did come to own were either eaten or sold for money for food.

He could relate to having one single thing to hold onto, he had been searching for who he was for the longest time, it was the one priority in his life and it even came over keeping a roof over his head, he was so used to always having to figure out his living situation but the one set of burning questions he always had in his mind from dusk till dawn was who was he? Where was he from? Why did he never age? And no matter how hard he looked or where he went, none of those questions ever seemed to be answered “I guess I’ve been waiting for someone for a long time too, though I have no idea who they are” which sounded vague as hell but so were the few facts he had about what he was. The fact that Hanseol forgave him for stealing his painting so easily definitely spoke a lot about the kind-looking male “If it means anything, I really like the painting and the style you used with it” Sunmin wasn’t great at complimenting others but the painting did really catch his eye.

The two of them kinda just stood there for a moment, staring at the two marks which were entirely identical. He swallowed when Hanseol asked him how old he was, especially when he added the really to the end “I don’t know” he responded honestly and shrugged his shoulders “I woke up in a hospital one day and didn’t remember my life before that, they told me I had amnesia” he pulled a face “I didn’t even remember my name” he bit his lip slightly wondering if he was going to sound completely crazy to the other male and yet something told him he could trust him with this information “And I have spent the past 21 years of my life trying to piece together what life I had before then” and he had a total of nothing, other than a bunch of urban legends and an annoying habit of not looking any older. After the other male finally buttoned his shirt he stopped pacing and instead started petting the husky which kept brushing up against him as a distraction “Who is our leader? What do you know?” Sunmin said it quicker and more energetically than he intended to because he felt this rushing in his chest for the fact he might finally have some answers right in front of him.

He pulled a face when he implied there was yet another stranger he would have to talk to for answered because he really didn’t do well around people he didn’t know and it was clear that Hanseol did know something. He watched him intently “I mean unless a human is able to freeze their age for several years” he scoffed slightly but his expression did show that he was invested in what Hanseol was saying. He wanted to laugh when he said they were fallen stars but the other male seemed deadly serious “Fallen stars?” he spoke almost in disbelief “As in actual stars in the sky?” he raised a skeptical brow “Is that even possible?”

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Hanseol Park on October 25, 2019 at 9:32

This guy was so blunt and straightforward, he wasn't sure if that was something he was relieved with or not. But with the way things were going, it was better that way. At least, Han didn't have to worry if he would be lying to his face or anything, that's one worry down. Admittedly, the Celestial was pretty mad and pissed off that Sunmin would degrade and undermine his work and their worth like that but he also had to understand where he was coming from and after a while of calming himself down to think about the other male's situation, he felt slightly guilty. He shouldn't be doing that, right? He should control his emotions better. Sunmin didn't have the luxury that he has now, he should be more understanding. That's what he's been telling himself from that minute on and forth. He rolled his eyes at the other Celestial when he pointed out the fact that he didn't make him do anything. Okay, he has a point there. But that painting was very significant to him and the reason warranting that exact significance was a big hole he didn't even want to try and explain.

Hanseol paused momentarily and pressed his lips together, staring at the male across him with an indescribable look that seemed to have encapsulated his confusion and empathy perfectly behind those expressive doe eyes; same pair of eyes he could see on Sunmin too. That was the first thing he saw, his eyes. Had he been waiting too? What happened? There were so many questions bombarding his state of mind right now, each of them itching to know why Sunmin wasn't with them if he was one of them. Did something happen? His curiosity needed to be quenched and Hanseol hoped that he would be able to give him something. The desperate need for the truth is in him too. "Thank you... "he murmured softly, his tone had softened considerably after a while, "Did you search for that person?" Han didn't know who to search for, back then. He didn't even know the existence of their Wayfinder until after he was captured, where he heard about her during his captivity.

Placing his hopes on her to come save them wasn't for nothing though, it came true and he wondered if Sunmin knew about her but seeing the confusion shrouding the other male regarding his own identity leaves him at one part; Sunmin doesn't know. The dots connected, amnesia, loss of memory, etc. "The same thing happened to me. I didn't remember who I was, much less a name to accompany my identity. Though I definitely didn't wake up on a hospital bed" he mumbled faintly, no, he was discovered lying next to a river. "When did you remember your name then?" If he wasn't mistaken, Han remembered his own a few weeks after his 'fall' but things could be different for others for all he knew. "21 years?" How was it possible for him to survive on his own for that long without being hunted down by hunters? "That's a record… I don't think any of us ever went that long without being hunted down… or captured…" Though it would make sense if he didn't know what he was.

"Most of us are here in Evermore. Living in this same section, walk for a few miles and you'll see the castle, that's where we live. Her name is Ophelia… Ophelia Dreyvalian." From his reaction, it was clear that finding out this new information regarding his life made him excited, which he supposed was understandable if he lived in the dark for all these years. "If I had a dime for every time people ask if we're real, I'd be loaded. Yeah, apparently we're real. And we're not from Earth, that's one thing for sure. I wanna say we're celestial beings but that was pretty much stated on the name" he chuckled and ran his hand through his locks, leaning against the soft cushion while still having his gaze fixated on the male who Byul had taken a liking to, "Byul doesn't like strangers. Well, she doesn't bite but she's hard to coerce and here she is, liking you." Somehow, Han feels like that's ironic seeing that it was possible they could be siblings.

"Can you see the glow around me? And no, not the halo kind. It's not that bright because I managed to dim it down thanks to Ophelia. Yeah, us stars glow. Literally." Maybe he could entertain his curiosity, it was clear Sunmin had those. "That mark on your chest. Celestials have their own. The only same ones are for siblings. Though even then, the mark was etched on somewhere else, not the same spot. How come I don't know you?"

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Sunmin Park on October 25, 2019 at 15:08

For his entire life, Sunmin had been searching for some kind of answer about the person he was, why he woke up all alone one day in a hospital with not a friend or relative in sight, it had been scary because no one could tell him anything concrete about his past and he frustratingly only saw blank every time he tried to remember. It quite literally felt to him like he didn’t exist before that moment which scared him greatly because seeing all the humans around him, he felt so different. He felt like he didn’t belong in this world and hadn’t for his entire life so far. So was today the day he was waiting for? Was a painting really the cause of every piece finally coming together and making some sense and if that was the case, did fate have some hand in it? “Hard to search for something you don’t even know exists” for all he knew he could be the only one of his kind on earth and he definitely didn’t want to become some test subject “But I tried, not many people want to share information with a street rat with no money” he shrugged slightly.

To say he was shocked to meet someone who woke a similar situation to the one he did would be an understatement, after searching for clues for years he was slowly coming to accept that maybe he really was the only one and he would never get the answers he was looking for but this changed everything. And despite the complicated way this situation had come to be, he now intended to see the conversation through because Hanseol had given him the first semi-believable information he’d heard in years. “It took about three months, after I went through the portal I remembered my name” he pressed his lips together “Well I think it was a portal, one moment I was in Busan and the next in a field outside of San Jose” that night still confused him and he wondered if he imagined a lot of it. Either way, it had been his ticket to safety in the end. The way Hanseol was talking about hunters and capturing made him part his lips “Hunted?” he swallowed hard and tilted his head “Because they stole things?” he asked curiously.

How was it that he had been in Evermore for weeks and this was the first clue he had found? How had he not seen any of these so-called celestials before if there were many of them? He had so many questions but he was letting Hanseol talk, now they had confirmed they had the same mark it seemed like the elder male was more comfortable telling the finer details “Name doesn’t mean anything to me” he responded and shrugged “Apparently we’re real?” he raised his brows “Way to sound convincing” he commented a little sarcastically and pressed his lips together thoughtfully “So I’m never going to remember my past?” this whole time he had been searching for memories and now the other male had basically told him they didn’t exist, that he was a rock before that. He felt his knees buckle as he sat himself back down on the couch and he stared into space for a moment “So there’s nothing?” he muttered it softly “I don’t have a family, no one’s waiting for me”.

So to say it was a shock to his system was an understatement. Perhaps if he wasn’t in the company of someone he didn’t know the young male might have shed a tear because of it but instead he brushed his hand softly against the husky’s fur who nestled up to his side. Hearing Hanseol speak he looked up for a moment and then back to the dog “You named your dog star” he chuckled amused, realizing Hanseol was talking to him before he glanced up again “Oh animals always seem to like me, not sure why” he gave a slightly sheepish smile. He blinked a few times as Hanseol talked about glowing, his eyes narrowing slightly before he did notice the slight radiating light coming from his skin “Wow” he spoke softly and looked down to his own arms and bit his lip “But I don’t glow” he spoke it softly, great, not only was he a species he never heard of, he was also a defective one? He pressed a hand over the mark on his chest a little frustrated “I don’t know, as is quite evident I have no idea what the hell you’re even talking about” he paused for a moment “Wait...siblings?”

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Hanseol Park on October 25, 2019 at 19:10

He didn't know what to expect from the other male sitting across him right now. He didn't glow, he noticed that after examining him from head to toe. Why didn't he glow? Hanseol was so confident he is just like him, like the rest of the Celestials living in Evermore. He's a Celestial, he had a constellation mark etched on his chest, he suffered memory loss and only remembered his name after a while. It all matched up. The same thing happened to him and he was sure the same thing happened to the others. Perhaps, he lived a low profiled life and didn't get targeted the same way they were, once upon a time ago. That should be a good thing, it meant that he was able to live a life without running away for the sake of keeping himself alive. When he said it was hard to find something he wasn't sure even existed, Han pressed his lips together and smiled, "If that's true, people would have given up on the first try. Did you?" He definitely didn't take it kindly to the name he gave himself, his expression changed drastically when he heard the word 'street rat', "You shouldn't call yourself that. Nobody should be labeled like that."

Han knew Sunmin was probably filled with so many questions, questions he hoped that he could answer because if not, then he'll have to direct the Celestial to his Wayfinder; their Wayfinder. "Portal?" That's new. But that wasn't what he focused on, he heard the name of the place where the other male originated from and blinked a few times, completely blanking out for a few seconds, "Busan? Were you from Busan?" That's another dot connected. "I was from Busan too... " he murmured faintly, though it was as if it was meant for him to hear it rather than anyone else. Before he could ask him further about himself, he smiled sadly at the curiosity the other Celestial held, he had asked him if they were hunted because they stole things and it only made Han reminisce those dark days where he had wished they never had to go through, "No. No, we were not hunted down because we stole things." Far from it. "Quite the opposite, actually. People hunted us down because they wanted to steal something from us. Our Celestial energy. Much like you said, it's hard to trust people. There are so many selfish ones who would do anything for their own selfish gain." His tone grew considerably upset, because he knew they weren't safe from that yet. But with a peace treaty securing their place in the community, it can be.

"I guess you can say you're lucky, you weren't hunted down. That's more than what I could say for the rest of us" he chuckled softly. "I wasn't convinced I was a fallen star when I first found out too, you know" Unfortunately, he didn't find out about his identity in such circumstances Sunmin was in right now. "Actually, I found out after 2 months of traveling… when I came across my first hunter." Telling Sunmin about the Celestials meant reminiscing his past, but it seemed like a fine price to pay. The look on Sunmin upon finding out that he had no way to remember his past made the doe-eyed Celestial frown, he couldn't help with that, did he ever thought about his past? "I'm sorry I can't help with that. I don't remember mine either. All I remember was details from this life, and my name. It's been a while since then... " The moment he said there was no family waiting for him, he could feel his heart wrenching at the mention of that, that's not true, right? Sunmin could actually be his brother, right? But why couldn't he say it outloud that he wasn't alone? It was as if there was a lump blocking his voice from his throat.

Byul looked so attentive while asking for affection from the other male, it made him smile even wider, "Cliche, I know. But when I first rescued her, she was staring at the stars. Wouldn't budge until she fell asleep where I had to carry her. She was just a little puppy then." Meeting Sunmin made him went down memory lane a lot and he wasn't sure if he was happy to do so or not. "You don't glow… which is weird. Maybe it's because you don't know you're a Celestial yet?" Something he'll need to ask Ophelia later on when he could get his phone. His eyes wavered slightly when Sunmin finally asked about siblings, right, how was he going to explain that when he's not even sure? "I'm not an expert on this… which is why I think you should meet our Wayfinder later on. But this one is basic knowledge? But first, please don't freak out." Oh, he's probably going to.

"Celestials who have the same constellation mark are siblings, they usually fell on the same location. But their marks aren't supposed to be at the same place as the other. I was from Busan, the same place where you were from. But how come I don't know you? Well, 21 years ago, I was still locked up in captivity, but I'm sure I would've known if there was another Celestial who could be my brother. But that also doesn't set in, I fell in Busan, 90 years ago, 69 years before you."

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Sunmin Park on October 26, 2019 at 16:10

When Hanseol asked him if he gave up on his first try he shook his head slightly “Would you give up on the only thing you had pushing you forward?” if he didn’t have this quest to understand himself all his life then what did he actually have? “No, I couldn’t give up because giving up would mean accepting this is all there is” he gave a slightly sad smile, he wanted to believe there was more reason to all of this and that there was some kind of life he was meant to lead and it all tied back to understanding who he was and where he came from. “It’s only a bad thing if you make it out to be a bad thing” he commented it with a nonchalant shrug “I live on the streets, I am a street dweller, it’s not a big deal” he held the other male’s gaze for a moment, he didn’t feel sorry for himself or anything like that, he’d accepted his reality a long time ago.

He pressed his lips together and shrugged slightly “It was purple and as soon as I ran into it I found myself somewhere else” if that wasn’t a portal then he actually had no idea how he managed to get here. Though Hanseol seemed more interested in the city he had woken up in “Yeah though I don’t really feel all that connected to it because I had to leave so soon” he had sensed people couldn’t find out he was different and that had sent him on the run. He would have been caught by the police if it wasn’t for the portal. It did seem like they had a lot in common from the mark, to their hometown, to waking without memory of who they were which was why he was hearing Hanseol out. He was curious about this whole hunting thing though, he’d never had anyone chase him down except the police in the past “Celestial energy?” he repeated after the other male with a skeptical gaze, he had no idea what he meant by that, Sunmin didn’t have anything worth stealing “I don’t understand, what is that and why would stealing it be selfish...other than the fact it doesn’t belong to them” he’d never heard of or seen any celestial energy.

“I’m not sure I’d describe 21 years spent hiding what I was without knowing what I was as lucky” he commented pretty bluntly, he’d never really considered himself all that lucky, every time he seemed to have a good thing going he would find a way to ruin it or his lack of aging would force him to move on. He felt a sinking feeling in his chest as he started processing it all, he was glad he had sat down because there was a lot to hear and understand, starting with the fact that Hanseol was older than him and hadn’t been able to remember his past. That made the younger male feel a little nauseous because he wasn’t sure where his path would be able to go if it really was impossible to remember his past. “While I was sleeping I remembered the name Park” he spoke softly “Or at least it felt like remembering, the word felt so familiar” at first he thought it was because of Hanseol having that surname but maybe there was more to it than that after all.

Sunmin remained close with the dog who seemed to understand his distress and was doing her best to comfort him, he petted her slowly to keep himself calm as he tried to listen to what Hanseol was saying and not get himself wrapped up in his own mind. “Maybe she knew” he spoke softly looking between the elder male and then the sweet-faced husky, he got the feeling they had a very deep bond just from the way they looked at each other. “But I know I’m a celestial now and still nothing” he stared at his arm as though it would magically light up or something but nothing happened which made him frown. The other male kept mentioning this Wayfinder person but the mention of meeting more strangers was setting him on edge, along with the unfamiliar environment.

Of course, when Hanseol said not to freak out, that was exactly where Sunmin’s mind went and he parted his lips in confusion as he spoke, what Hanseol was trying to tell him was that they were family. The young male sat with wide eyes as he looked back at the elder male. He was his brother? Was that possible? He was utterly speechless as he stared back at him trying to figure out how he was supposed to feel about the fact he had a sibling, or potentially had a sibling because it was clear the other male wasn’t actually sure. He was overwhelmed to say the least, all these years looking for answers and now here they were in front of him. He was just about to speak when he heard the sound of the front door opening and panic set in, he looked back at Hanseol with confusion about what was happening.

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Hanseol Park on October 28, 2019 at 17:59

He had a point. Who would give up at the first try like that? Nobody would. Not really. He was a bit impressed by the other male who showed headstrong tendencies and resilience in his actions, he's daring, that's for sure. He could see that much off him. In a way, Hanseol respected that. He was also envious that he's been able to live this long while fending on his own, could he do that? If he was left on his own with nobody to turn for help, would he even come as close to Sunmin when it comes down to survival? The fact that he had to question that more than once or twice had upset him greatly because there was still room for doubt. He wasn't confident he could fend. "And you don't want to stay at the room where all you do is accept how things are what things look" he concluded in awe, yeah, he's definitely strong in that sense. "It may sound like a common phrasing, maybe it didn't hold any derogatory terms to it but to call yourself a rat isn't something you should get used to" he murmured, it didn't sound right, "When you get used to something that you shouldn't even get used to, it becomes an unhealthy cycle." Just like how the Celestials shouldn't have to run for the rest of their lives simply because of what they are.

Sunmin wasn't wrong, Han wasn't interested about the portal, well, he initially was, until he heard about the place he originated from, that one piqued his interest and so far with how he had connected the dots, it was for a perfectly good reason too. "You had to leave soon?" He wanted to ask him how soon did he had to leave or why did he had to leave, but a part of him understood that would make the other male feel overwhelmed and that wouldn't make any questions go answered easily. He'll ask later, the next time. He facepalmed for a brief while because of course he wouldn't know anything about the Celestial energy, before today Sunmin didn't even know he was one. He was hardly someone who could explain to a dot about it anyway, he learned a lot from Ophelia but even he had a hard time trying to explain, especially to someone who had no idea what he is.

"Like any other supernaturals, we… have an ability that differs us from humans. Like how others had enhances strength and speed? Healing acceleration? Wings to fly? We have what we call Celestial energy inside us. That's our ability, our power." He purposely made himself glow lighter but not enough to blind his gaze, not that he would seeing as he was so sure Sunmin is one of them, someone he also has a close connection to if his theories were right. "It's like magic, you know? Like how diviners use magic, our energy can be harnessed and since it's powerful, obviously pushing the fact that we're not earthly beings, people want to steal it." Han also decided not to tell him about what would happen if a Celestial were to be killed. Yeah, too much. "They use it to hurt people… and well, I don't suppose you think extracting anything from anyone is painless, right? It's like stealing someone's blood."

Their energy is quite ambiguous, he didn't know the full extent of their full power but they're being sought out for their energy and ability to manipulate time, that's more than enough to tell him that they cannot be the prey if the world wants to survive. He forgot that Sunmin spent all those years alone trying to figure out what he was which made Han murmur a small apology. "At least you weren't locked up in a caged cell, right? That's what I meant by being lucky, I never meant, I mean I never intended to offend you." Could it be that Sunmin's surname is also Park? He had the same constellation mark as Han did, surely they're related somehow. He stared at the Husky and smiled softly, "Maybe she knew." The brunette still couldn't see any glow from him which was very weird, and that unfortunately also meant that Hanseol had no idea how to tell him that. "I wish I knew why... " he sounded apologetic, mostly because he couldn't provide that answer to his question.

He saw the look of confusion and panic setting in the male across him, he was about to calm him down but then he heard the front door opening, which also made Byul's ears perk up because the next thing he knew, the Husky was already running towards the hallway that leads to the entrance which meant one thing; his boyfriend's back. And early. "Wait here, I'll come back soon. Just… wait, okay?" His eyes were pleading for the Celestial to stay as he scrambled to his feet and made his way to the front.

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Sunmin Park on October 29, 2019 at 10:52

“I can’t settle myself with the fact there’s no meaning to this and I’m supposed to crawl my way through life blindly” there was one thing he had been completely sure about, he was different and there was a reason for that and searching for that reason had been his drive for many years, thinking of the people who must be missing him because he disappeared from their life. “Like I said, it’s only derogatory if you make it out to be” he shrugged his shoulders “I’ve accepted my lot Hanseol, things are much more peaceful when you do that” every time he felt like he was getting ahead in life something came along to remind him where he stood and so he accepted that he would always be living from day to day, looking for the next thing but not planning years or even months into the future.

“I was in a hospital with no family or friends there for me, they didn’t know my name nor the cause of my amnesia, you can guess what they wanted to do” a DNA test to find out who he was related to so they could tie him back to his family and make a claim on the insurance for all the medical bills he owed them. “But I guess something told me I needed to get out of there before they could” he spoke softly “So from that day I became a fugitive, no real identity, no fixed address” and so he could never say he really belonged in Korea but he could never really say he actually belonged anywhere, he was a wanderer who drifted from one place to the next when he saw fit, keep people at arm’s length so they wouldn’t miss him when he was gone.

He watched Hanseol intently as he talked about their abilities, it made him curious because his whole life he had only been able to confirm one supernatural thing about himself, he didn’t age and that was it, no glowing, no cool magical skills like Hanseol was talking about. He pressed his lips together as he watched the other male get brighter, to the point where he turned his gaze away slightly because it was kinda like staring too long at a really bright LED “So you mean all this time I’ve had magical powers and never knew it” well that was definitely annoying, he could have used those plenty of times in his life. It frustrated him because not only did he find out he was some magical star today, he also found out he wasn’t like the others, which sounded just about his luck. “So people want to hurt us because it means they can gain power, sounds like people” his tone was cynical because he knew how greedy people could be though that did beg the question of why no one would have gone after him.

“I do wonder if that would have been better” he spoke it softly more to himself as he pressed his lips together, the thought on his mind that at least then he wouldn’t have been alone for so long, he wouldn’t have been forced to sleep on the streets or beg for his next meal, turn to crime as a means to survive. Not that he thought being locked up would be fun either but with the life he led, it might have been an improvement. He gazed at the husky who seemed very calm as Hanseol said he didn’t know what was wrong with Sunmin’s abilities “Story of my life” he spoke softly, even when he got answers it only led to more questions, he wasn’t even surprised.

He was overwhelmed by it all, to say the least, he looked between Hanseol and the door, his heartbeat quickening in his chest as the dog shot across the floor to greet whoever it was that just came through the door. Part of him wanted to wait and hear all of this out but he felt completely weighted and another stranger coming into the picture was the last thing he needed and so he panicked, running through the halls until he found the back door to the house and to his luck it was unlocked. He undid the door handle and hesitated for only a moment before he made a run for it, launching himself over the fence of the backyard and getting himself as far from that house as he could.

CelestialPermalink Reply by ✓ Hanseol Park on November 4, 2019 at 18:31

Han felt a bit guilty that he wasn't able to give Sunmin the answers he had been seeking out all this time. Throughout the entire time they've been together in the same room, ever since he carried the other male back home after he had fainted at the church earlier, the doe-eyed Celestial couldn't get him out of his head. He's this enigma he must know. He's someone to him, he's positive on that. It could be that he's just over thinking all of this and that Sunmin may not even be a Celestial, much less his brother, but it's hard for Hanseol to think that when everything had been checked out. Hearing Sunmin say his name made his heart lurch, and not the kind whenever he flutters at every attempt hid dhampir boyfriend made to cheer him up, the one where he feels protective love above everything else. Whatever it was, he's feeling this and he couldn't just ignore it, he's never been that good at hiding them, curse for being such an expressive guy who could tell a whole life story from his dark hues alone.

"If I accepted my fate a long time ago, if I choose to go with the way the world has planned out for me rather than to fight, I would've died. I wouldn't be here today. I would've run… over and over again until there's no one else to run away from. So I don't believe that… but it's each to their own, I guess." He had to understand Sunmin's life was different from his. He wanted to plan things but it doesn't seem like it's a possible thing for him, the more he talks to the other Celestial, the more he could feel a frown settling in. He was a bit relieved to know that he didn't have to wake up somewhere else that would've been fully foreign to him and while waking up only to be greeted with white blinding light from the hospital 's pendaflour lights, it was secured. "Your instincts told you to get out... " he murmured in realization since that had been the same thing that happened to him when he was walking down the roads of Insadong. He was just minding his own business when he felt a small voice in him telling him to get out of there. He then found out that a pair of hunters had been trailing him for days then.

When he saw him turning his gaze away from his glowing self, Hanseol rubbed the back of his head awkwardly while apologizing sheepishly after dimming himself down. "There should be a hint of a glow to you… I'm not an expert on Celestial anatomy or abilities. I only know enough to last myself, I do train with Ophelia a few times but I either don't have enough questions to ask or there's too much to ask" He still tried to see if there was even the slightest hint of glow to the other male but to no avail, he failed to do so. "I've never use mine either. Well… before this, at least." Now that he's said it like that, Han noticed how bad it makes people sound, honestly he may have thought about that before but he's so focused on reclaiming his happiness that was robbed off him, that didn't cross his head for a while. Truth does hurt, sometimes.

His hues widened considerably when Sunmin wondered if that would've been a better life for him, he couldn't see past why the other male would want to live a life in captivity not knowing if you'll live to see the next sunrise, and even though they were never going to be killed, it was basically a sentence for them to be condemned to almost a century worth of life living like that. Yet he said nothing to that because he didn't know the circumstances of his life to say that living on the streets was better than being locked up. When Byul rushed to the door as soon as the click was heard, indicating the door was opened by someone who had the key and he only gave them to Jae and Yeon. And while Byul likes his Volakiri as much, he likes to make an entrance so that's not him. Rushing towards the hallway leading to the entrance, he was greeted with someone he liked to see. It didn't take him long for his feet to take his way to Jae automatically and wrapped his hands around his waist, pulling him close and pressing his lips against the dhampir's own, "Someone's home early" he cooed, "Oh and by the way, I have someone you should meet!" Before long, Han was already dragging him to the living room.

DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Jaesung Moon on November 4, 2019 at 23:59

It was one of those rare days where everything just seemed to pan out, this morning before lectures he had packed an overnight bag because he was planning to spend the night over at Han’s. He did that most nights now honestly, he liked being there with the Celestial and further building the life they going to have together. Things had almost fallen into this comfortable routine that he was content with, date nights every Friday, game night after work and college on a Wednesday, the weekends they tended to spend tucked up in bed together. Jae really couldn’t ask for more and he was even okay with doing chores at Han’s place because it was beginning to feel more home-like than the little dorm he officially lived in.

The professor had called an early end to today’s classes as a reward for such an engaging discussion they had earlier about a piece of literature. Jae enjoyed those classes where they got to pick apart a book and share their interpretations, he really looked forward to those animated sessions and having the chance to analyze a writing style and the intent behind it, he found there were endless opportunities behind it. He felt energized as he grabbed his things quickly from his room, waved goodbye to his two roommates who he barely saw lately and hopped on the subway.

40 minutes or so later and he was walking up the driveway to the Celestial’s house and fitting his key into the lock, he was actually pretty excited to be able to surprise Han with how early he had managed to get away which meant they had all afternoon and evening to spend together rather than just a few hours before bed. The moment he opened the door he was greeted by Byul who he stroked a few times with a smile before his eyes fell on Han. The Celestial looked pretty giddy and excited to see him with made Jae grin, only just managing to close the door behind him before he sank into a soft kiss against Han’s lips “Someone’s in a good mood” he echoed in response to his words before interlinking his fingers with Han’s and following him through into the living area “Did you bring home another foster animal?” he asked with raised brows.

But before long he saw the darting gaze the Celestial had and a worried frown appeared on Jae’s brow as he looked around trying to find what it was that Han was looking for “Baby what’s wrong?” he asked softly confused as to what was going on and why Byul was standing at the back door like she was guarding it.