'general grace's manor—

@park grace Jongjin nodded in acknowledgement at Grace as he stretched, muscles pulling taut. He hadn't slept as he was incapable of doing so but he did manage to rejuvenate himself if only a little. "I wouldn't mind a bath," he said as he stood up and walked over to peer out the window. It looked as though the guards last night don't have duties in the morning, Jongjin sneered as he saw one of them fast asleep on an empty wine barrel. The weaklings, he'd have them beaten back to attention once he reclaimed his throne. Letting the curtains fall back in their place Jongjin ed his long coat, tossing it on the chair he was resting in not long ago. "So where does one take a bath in this manor of yours?" he asked feeling slightly uncomfortable as he wasn't used to having to somewhat ask for permission or directions. It was a strange feeling, he usually just did whatever he pleased but in this case he couldn't just go around and explore Grace's manor, what if someone spotted him? He'd rather swallow his pride and ask than give his hideaway before it was time to reveal himself.

@won jongjin (semi-hiatus) Curled up under her sheets grace slept peacefully through the night. The fact that Jongjin was right beside her didn't scare her, no it calmed her. It meant that things were going to be fine again. The kingdom would be safe again soon and everyone be able to go along their daily duties, or nightly ones, without having to fear the shadows at night. Subconsciously her body was pulled towards his presence, laying almost on the edge of her bed, facing her only king.
Hours later when the sun crept through her curtains, sunlight brushing over her skin, warming it, the female was slowly pulled out of her deep sleep. Stirring with furrowed eyebrows she made a disapproving sound. She didn't want to wake up yet and still it was time to get up. Opening her eyes they immediately landed on the figure besides her on the armchair as a knock on the door startled her. "No! Don't come in!", she called out just in time for her maid to not open the door. "Miss, but your bath." "I'll take care of it myself. Please prepare two breakfasts for me please", she called out after sitting up, hearing feet walking away again. Turning to Jongjin she stretched, her blanket sliding down before quickly pulling it up over her chest again. "She'll think I've brought a male back home again. But you need to eat before we leave. If you want to take a bath, be my guest", she said softly, motioning towards the bathroom. I hope you slept well.

@park grace Jongjin's eyebrow rose as a look of amusement crossed his face. Him? Get hurt? Nonsense. But if it made the girl feel better he wouldn't tackle on any beasties tonight. He paused mid thought, 'make her feel better?' When had he ever cared how anyone felt? He scowled at Grace's peaceful face, how can she sleep so peacefully knowing that a ruthless killer sits barely two feet away from her? He let out a breath, one thing he was sure of was the fact that he'd never understand this woman. Dragging a hand through his shaggy locks he resigned himself for a long night. Knowing he was just barely a few steps away from solving everything made waiting that much more unbearable. "I hope Hades is in for a world of surprise," he murmured to himself as he let his eyes drift shut.

@Won Jongjin Watching Jongjin from her point she was still standing at, Grace lowered her gaze for a moment before nodding. Making her way back to her bed she slipped back under the blankets, shivering slightly at the cold fabric before curling up. Looking at him she rested her head on her pillow and slid over to the edge her eyes on him. "You shouldn't go anywhere. If you get yourself hurt I have to patch you up again and that takes energy from me and you. Of course I can't force you to stay but I would rather have you pacing the room the whole night, than have you hurt in any kind of way. It wouldn't be good." Rolling herself to lay on her back, Grace closed her eyes. "But if you want to go out and get yourself hurt then be my guest. My window is open if you make it back here." Sighing softly she finally fell asleep, curled up into his direction again, a fist infront of her face and the other one trapped between her thighs, sleeping soundly.

@park grace "What a coward," he commented as he watched the guards from a distance. He still could not believe the people of Kurokage wanted to replace him with the new../pest/. He mildly wondered if they regretted it yet. Yes Jongjin had been ruthless but at least the kingdom had been safe from anything outside its walls. Jongjin heaved out a tired sigh and made his way over to a plush chair, "Fine. I'll stay, but I wont make any promises that I wont go anywhere if I so feel like it," he warned as he took a seat and let his head fall back against the cushioned backrest. No he could not sleep, but he could rejuvenate and clear his mind a bit. Though he doubted the second, it was probably best if he not tire himself out before they even step foot into the underworld. "Tomorrow will be a long day, go to bed," he said as he looked over to where Grace was still standing, his eyes dark and commanding.

@Won Jongjin "But you need rest. Don't you think you've been running enough? You should at least stay somewhere tonight, the night before going to the underworld, where you don't have to worry about anything or anyone. No one will be here, no one will enter without me calling and there is no need to worry about those things at this place either." She shrugged lightly at his comment about her sleeping attired. "I do, does that bother you? I don't see the point in putting clothes on while I'm sleeping when I am the only person anyway. Except for when I have a prince suddenly invading my home of course", she teased softly before stepping over to peek out the window. Watching the guards stopping and looking over to them, or at least their window, Grace turned and nudged Jongjin a bit further aside. "Guarding has been tightened since you've left. The new one is rather scared of anything and anyone and allowing those demons free reign makes itself noticeable, especially at night. No one but the guards are on the street."

@park grace Jongjin swung a leg out over the ledge of the windowsill, "No, you sleep and meet up with me later, I don't sleep and sitting here doing nothing will just irritate me," he said as he turned and took in her body with a raised brow, "Always sleep do you?" he smirked and chuckled as he looked down below to see if there was anyone outside that could see him. He could tell the general didn't want him to leave, but he could take care of himself, he'd been doing so longer than she was around. Spotting two castle guards doing nightly rounds Jongjin ducked back into the room and slid to the side of the window, waiting until they passed by.

@Won Jongjin "Only when we were both craving", she responded lightly in amusement at his words. Persephone wasn't exactly fond of her husband anyway but Grace doubted that any woman would be happy, forced to marry a man who didn't love her or paid attention to her. "Oh thanks I thought you wanted to go now. I'm way too tired to fight at the moment." With a relieved sigh she started to pull her clothes off again. Placing her knives on the nightdesk she turned around at his words, tails wrapped around her body to cover her a bit up at least. "Don't worry about that for now." She took her hairpin back out and securely into a box in her night desk before she turned around at his words. "Jongjin, stay." It was a silent offering for a place to sleep for the night and easier for her to look after him, a fact he didn't really have to know but she didn't want to let him go anywhere far away from her again.

@park grace (OTL sorry its so short Dx)

@park grace "Persephone huh? Visit the devil's liar often then?" he scoffed and with a sweep over Grace's appearance he scoffed again, "From the looks of you we'll have to set off in the morning anyway," he knew the full moon must be messing with her so close to its zenith, he needed a fully capable warrior to go into the deepest pits of the earth and not some sleep idled woman who could barely keep her eyes open. "Get some rest, I want to set out at sunrise and I need you to be one hundred percent," he stood up and stretched, "You might have easily entered and exited the underworld but they wont show the same hospitality towards me, we'll be lucky if we even get in and out with our limbs still intact," not that he was even remotely worried about that seeing as he'd probably just grow it back and it wasn't like he could die anyway. "Meet me at the edge of the dark forest, we'll set off from there," he said as he made to leap from the window.

@Won Jongjin Grace almost flinched back when she heard Jongjin's laughter. It was a wonderful sound to her ears. Deep and it seemed as if it broke out of him like he hadn't been laughing in quite awhile and was now foreign to him. A small smile appeared on her lips, glad she was able to make him smile and laugh as well as annoy him to hell. She didn't like to serve someone who couldn't see the joy in life sometimes, even if it was just small things like a joke.

"He's quite red if I may point out, in his natural form. Red, big and probably scary to others. I've only met him once when I visited...Persephone." The memory made her grin again. In the shape of a handsome young male, Grace had paid a visit to Hades' wife back then. They had fun back then and she couldn't deny the fact that she would probably do it again if she got the chance.

Listening to his words she felt a strange clenching in her heart. She could easily picture Jongjin as a child, a young boy, abandoned and left on earth to live and fight for himself without his parents protection. Eventhough her family was already in heaven a very long time ago she had still been able to spend her childhood with them. Her parents were always good to her and she still remembered the day they were shot dead, painting the snow underneath them red. Revenge had been everything she was able to think of. "He was just afraid of you and I guess, looking at you now he was right to do so. You've grown up well, are strong, independent and I'm sure a better reign than he can ever be."

Rubbing her eyes she yawned. "Do you want to go to the underworld now or shall we go in the morning?"

@park grace (OTL /loves the percy jackson series)

Jongjin smirked and tilted his head towards the general in acknowledgement. Although surprised at Grace's unafraid demeanor, he could still appreciate a woman who wasn't afraid of laying her life down. He wondered, for the millionth time since he had left, as to why Grace was so willing to help him out. What was in it for her? After all Jongjin is not the nicest of people out there not to mention he can just be a downright pain in the to anyone for no reason. So why? Deep in his thought, Jongjin suddenly felt himself shake with laughter at what the general said, surprising himself as this was the first time in a while he had allowed himself to laugh in front of anyone, "If you say he doesn't look as /bad/ in his human form then I wonder how old and wrinkled the old man really looks," he snorted as the image of a wrinkled old man came into his mind. He knew that his father was an eternal being, so of course Hades was probably still young looking but it didn't hurt to insult the man in return for abandoning him as a small child. Jongjin sobered immediately though as he answered, "I don't even know exactly why I am not allowed to enter," he clenched his fists at his sides again, "But from what information I received, the demons say the reason why I am not allowed to enter the underworld is because Hades himself fears his own /creation/." he gestured towards himself with a mocking look in his eyes, "Would you look at that, the almighty Hades banished his own son, sent him out to die, in favor of keeping his precious thrown." he let out a dark chuckle wondering if the reason for him being this way was because of his inheritance of his fathers genes. Oh what he wouldn't do to be able to slit his own fathers throat. He knew nothing of his mother so he had no way of knowing if she had agreed to his banishment, but if she had then she would be next after his /dear father/.

@Won Jongjin (I reply from my phone as well so it's okay haha and yes I was thinking about Percy Jackson too haha)

Her eyebrow slowly lifted at his threat before she laughed out loud. It was a cold one with the lack of amusement before she focused her gaze back on him. "Right now I am the only person in this whole kingdom who doesn't want you dead and probably the only one you can even trust. Do you really think killing me would be such a good idea?" She tilted her head. "Besides if I was afraid of dying I wouldn't have decided to be a knight." He might have been the king and still a prince but... he was still just a person she looked after. And to a certain point cared for.
Her gaze wandered back up to him at his question and she nodded. "Yes those are Drachmas. They're money and we need to pay the boats man for him to bring us to your father's place." Smiling lightly at his question she shrugged. "He doesn't look as bad as someone would think I suppose but that might have been his more...'human' shape when I met him." A question was still bothering her. "Why were you not allowed in the underworld? "

@park grace (LOL thats okay xD i'm sorry for mine being short OTL i usually reply from my phone so mian o.o<3 oh and PERCY JACKSON WOOT WOOT!)

Jongjin glared at the knight for her condescending tone, not appreciating the way he was being spoken to. "Watch it. Just because I need you at the moment doesn't mean I wont kill you if you push me to that point," he gave her an icy look before a slight bit of confusion played in his eyes. Drachmas? What were those, he wondered with a slight bit of anger rising back up inside of him. If he'd not been banished then he might have known all about his rightful kingdom down in the underworld. "Are they oddly shaped golden coins?" he asked looking at Grace, "If they are then I have a sack full of them," he had nicked them off of the demons he slayed, after all one couldn't know when something otherworldly would come in handy. "Hades..," he said trailing off with a smirk replacing his constant frown, "I wonder if the old man is as frightening as everyone says..?" he would show Hades exactly how unafraid he was.

@Won Jongjin "I see." Nodding to his words she glanced back up to his face. Locking her eyes with his she tilted her head and felt a little how he was holding back that certain information from her. He did at least know who his parents were, she was certain about that as he did know who his fater was. Stroking his shirt straight again so no wrinkles would be left she took a step back and crossed her arms as she cocked her head. "Really now. I don't need a watchdog anyway, I can take perfect care of myself, thank you very much your royal highness", she replied with a saracastic tone. Grace had always had troubles being respectful towards people who tended to not really having earned her respect. Didn't mean she wouldn't take care of him anyway like the good knight that she was.
Nodding to his question again she held her hand out. "I need money to do so though. Preferably drachmas. I hope you have some otherwise paying Charon will be a real difficulty and getting to Hades pretty much impossible."


[omg this is short...OTL]

@park grace Rolling his eyes at her teasing he let out a sigh, "My father rules the underworld," he said sardonically, tensing a slight bit when Grace gripped his shirt and leaned in close. He sensed her taking in his scent and tried not to snap at her for getting so close to him without his permission. "I don't even know what I am..," he trailed off as the information that he managed to gather from the demons he slayed ran around in his head. They had told him, upon being tortured of course, that he was the son of Hades and his mother was none other than Hekate, the queen of darkness herself. On his more recent slayings he found out that he was also an only child from the two, a fact he wasn't sure was a good thing or a bad thing yet. "I have no idea if you can..that's your decision. Just know that you're not my responsibility, if you fall to any trickery there you're on your own," he let his fingers trail over his sword, knowing that if worse comes to worse he'll be able to rely on his demon sword to keep him in his right mind. He knew of a theory of how to get into the underworld but he would need someone alive to open the gateway. "You do know how to get into hell don't you?" he asked Grace just to be sure. He didn't want to make it all the way there and then have to turn back because they were missing something.

@Won Jongjin Grace took all her energy not to roll her eyes at the prince, forcing herself not to comment on his sentence but was unable to keep another one in. "Me in a pool of blood? That would look so unattractive and dear, I wouldn't look good with a scar." She covered a side of her face with a hand, making big eyes obviously teasing him a bit as she didn't get scars. But that was another story.
Nodding at his words she raised an eyebrow when she heard him saying father. "Your father lives in the underworld?" Tilting her head she took a step over to him. Locking her eyes with his she leaned in, her fingers gripping the front of his shirt. Closing her eyes she took a small breath, inhaling his scent before releasing him again and stepping back. "What are you? And shall I just wait at the entrance or go inside with you?" Jongjin's scent was different, a fact she never really paid attention to, never really cared about but it might be important now. She needed to remember his scent so she would find him wherever he went again. Grace didn't plan to let him disappear like before again. It was time to face all troubles and deal with them and if that meant dealing with a way too cold prince, handsome though, than that meant she had to accept that fact.

@park grace Jongjin glared at the general, "And since when have you ever heard me say /please/ of all things?" he stepped past her and leaned up against the window ledge his dark shaggy hair covering his face a bit, "You're lucky I need you otherwise you would've been lying in a pool of your own blood just now," he crossed his arms over his chest and clenched his fists. He ignored the way his sword thrummed against his side at the mention of blood as he thought about what Grace's questions. He did not know if he could enter the land of the dead yet and he didn't know if anything living could tag along. He was not human, not alive in any way that counted and the gumiho, well she was atleast a bit more alive that he. "No," he finally answered, "I need help getting into the Underworld and back but that's all," he slammed a fist against the wall, "My.../father/ I can talk to alone," he didn't know how much Grace knew about him, about who he was and where he came from but now seemed like the best time to get questions out of the way if need be. Once in the deepest pits of Hell there would be no distractions. All of their focus had to be on getting there and back with their limbs still intact.

@Won Jongjin "Beheading me would be such a waste of time anyway really", she responded sarcastically and got up to walk over to him, stepping right into his pacing way. Many people had tried to do a lot of things. Beheading her usually required to catch her and that was difficult enough, not to mention to actually keep her before being able to fulfill their plan.
Crossing her arms as she stood at him, she tilted her head as a small chuckle escaped her lips. "Say 'please please General, show me the way to the underworld' and I'll help you." Fearlessness was one of her treats. That was the only way to survive in a world this dark and be able to get up and face a man who was feared by more people than daarkness itself. She never made a secret out of the fact that she would not be intimidated by him. Why would she? He was nothing worse than what she had seen already and if she was scared of him he would have probably eaten her up in some kind of way.
Getting serious again a moment later she rubbed her eyes, still tired and walked over to her nightstand. "Will you need help with the one in the underworld?" Tying her hair up she put it together with a hairpin before facing him once again, her eyebrows furrowed. "I don't want you to go alone and would rather be going with you." Even if Grace was rarely ever intmidated, at least not by him, the underworld was no joke and he was still her prince.
To be protected, honored and loyal to. Always and forever until the day he left, she had vowed upon entering the royal guard. Park Grace always kept her word at best as she could. And this vow was one she didn'tn plan to be ever breaking.

@park grace Jongjin smirked, "I'm a bit disheartened that you did away with any traitor to be honest for as you know I like to kill my own prey, but I'll let you off just this once as there are a lot more important things to worry about," he stood up and paced in front of the window. He needed to find a way to get rid of all of these damned creatures of the night but there was no way he could do it alone now that there are this many of them. Scowling darkly he dreaded the fact that he would need to ask his "father" for some assistance. Jongjin let out a breath of air and ran his hands through his hair, "You wouldn't just happen to know how to get into the Underworld would you?" he asked sarcastically. No this was going to be a lot more difficult than just getting there, as if that wasn't difficult enough. Being a banished prince of the underworld because his father feared his own sons' powers didn't help make matters easy either. No the real challenge would be to get his father to listen. And that was one thing Jongjin did not find pleasure in having to do as he was so used to people vying for his attention rather than the other way around.

@Won Jongjin "Nobody was allowed to walk into my room, not even you back then and you know that's for everyone's own safty usually." His cold icy tone didn't bother at all as she lifted a hand to pull her hair over one shoulder. Sighing she rubbed her eyes and bent her legs. "Couldn't you have waited til morning I hate going out when the fullmoon is close, you know that." Glancing up at him again through her full lashes she tilted her head as she caught his gaze again. He was still not sure if she had been part of the betrayal. As if she would do such a thing. That would be an unneccessary waste of her energy after all.

Nodding at his words she finally slipped off the bed. Clutching her blanket to herself she made her way towards her closet. The moon shining through the window, enlightened the backside of her body, her white tails visible through the night. "Are we going anywhere or can I like...dress casually?" Not waiting for an actual reaction she dropped her blanket and opened the wardrobe to grab some clothes.
Covered in black fabric and turning back while tying her hair with a ribbon she walked back to Jongjin. Dropping onto her bed she attached her knife to her ankle she crossed her legs afterwards. "Things went downhil annd I'm sure you've seen it. Not much has happened. I'm tryng to do my best to keep the citizens safe but it's hard to do so when so many are doing nothing to prevent the darkness to take over the country." Slipping a tiny knife in a knife sheath between her while leaning slightly forward she glanced up once done. "Oh yeah I got rid of a bunch of traitors for you, I hope you don't mind. I was hungry", she smirked gently.

@park grace Jongjin took in her disheveled hair and the blanket she was clutching around herself before smirking, "It would have been, but from what I'm aware I shouldn't have to do such things, or have things changed?" he asked with an icy tone, referring to whether or not Grace had betrayed him after all. "And besides I'm still not all too welcome here..my own kingdom..," he trailed off with a murderous look in his eyes as he looked out the window towards the castle. Jongjin had heard a lot about what happened with his kingdom when he was driven out. Once while he was undercover at a flee market trying to see if he could pick up any information, he heard the people talk about how the new king wasn't able to handle all the demons that spill out of the dark forest. At the time he had found it reassuring, maybe it wouldn't be all too hard to pick up followers if their family members were being picked off one by one. When he was at the throne he dealt with any wickedness that presented itself, and being a demon prince made it all possible. But now, now he was angry. He had wondered why the people were in their homes so early into the night and as he made his way towards the manor he understood. Jongjin had seen demons everywhere, in every nook and cranny. The kingdom would be deserted at the rate the demons were taking souls. Kurokage would fall. He couldn't allow that. "I need you alert at the moment, get into a change of clothes I want you to tell me everything that happened after I disappeared that night." he said to Grace as he turned to face her.

@Won Jongjin The night carried dark secrets with itself. Shadowing the whole country in darkness it allowed all the dark creatures to get out from their hiding places to get their work done.
Embraced by the same darkness was a young lady, a word many would argue about, sleeping soundlessly in her room. A light blanket covered her body as she laid on her stomach, face covered by her pitch black hair. Unmoving and unnoticed by her, another person had invaded her home but Grace didn't even stir. Barely anything was able to wake her when she was at rest, something she didn't get very often. Too many times had she been spending the night wide awake, staring up at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep, get lulled in by silence and shut her brain up.
How many nights has she spent wrecking her brains of ways of how to find him again? Her king was gone, he had left the place awhile ago and she was probably the last person who had seen him. Spending her nights thinking about him and his whereabouts, she usually rolled from one side to the other until the sun broke through the curtains, calling for her to get up and ready for the day.

But tonight a sharp sound interrupted her sleep. Wrinkling her nose, eyebrows furrowing she stirred lightly. Her hair was tickling her so she pushed it asode before his last words finally woke her up. Eyes snapping open she rolled over, pulling the blanket with her and sat up. "Jongjin?" Her eyes took a moment to get used to the darkness before she spotted the male on the chair besides her bed. It was really him! "Unfortunately I am unable to get up and give a curtse. I don't believe I am decent", she replied and pulled the blanket higher. "Knocking would have been a possibility", she suggested in a light tone, shifting to get a better sight of him.

@park grace In the darkest of night, with the kingdom silent and its inhabitants asleep, a dark shadow darted through the streets as swift as lightning. Even if there were someone awake somewhere they'd not be able to see this swift darkness blending into the shadows around itself seamlessly. Jongjin stood in an alleyway staring straight across at the manor in front of him eyeing it for any traps that could have been placed. Knowing who lived there, he wouldn't put it past her to have rigged the place up. He let his eyes drift over the manor looking for...there. An open window. He smirked to himself as he moved again slinking from shadow to shadow before he disappeared in smoke only to reappear sitting at the windowsill he was staring at a minute prior. Darting inside before anyone could spot him, Jongjin made sure to step inside carefully so as not to make any noise. He took the room he was in as best he could before his eyes landed on the figure sleeping under the covers not to far from where he was standing. Striding over to the chair near the bed and took a seat, folding one leg over the other. "Park Grace. Wake up," he said in a tone that he knew with experience would carry straight into a persons ear regardless of how quiet he was speaking. "General I dont think its all to appropriate to be sleeping in front of your ki- prince..," he trailed off, clenching his fists tightly at the memory that came to him once more. "Get up Grace."