› lontano dal paradiso

@[Police Chief]Park Bom This center was quickly becoming her baby. She had been thrown into this life and had seen first hand what happened to the kids who didn't have money or who came from broken homes. She didn't want to see them end up like her. If she could find a way to stop this mess from continuing into the next generation, she would.

That was the purposes of the youth center. Looking over at the officer, she smiled and nodded. "Yes. It's one that I'm building in my part of town." She knew the Dragon's would try recruiting around the area it was being built, so she was having her own members guard the place and the kids once it was opened. She knew Jae wouldn't do something like that, especially to her territory.

Feeling the need to use the bathroom, she got up and smiled. "Excuse me for a moment." Walking into the bathroom, she did her business, washed her hands and came out. This time though, part of her tattoo that ran from next to her chest to her mid thigh on her left side was visible. It was the one that said Black Diamonds. When she sat back down, she looked at her companion as he told her she had missed call and picked up her phone to call the person back. It had been Rain. When he answered, she was concerned, because he sounded so breathless. "Are you okay? Wait wait. Rain, slow down. Now what happened?" She listened and nodded. "Okay. Did they do it?" When he said that two of her members admitted to destroying public property, she sighed. "Okay then. Lock them up. I don't care. They had no reason to do that and I'm sick of trying to make them understand that we don't go around smashing stuff up. Let them see what it's like to sit in jail."

She looked at Joo and nodded, knowing he'd know exactly who was being arrested. It wasn't important though. They would get out once the damages were paid, but she was going to let them sit there for a while, so next time they'd think twice. Her dad had forced her to be a gang leader, but he couldn't make her lead the way he had. She cared more about helping people than she did killing or stealing. Well, unless it was from Suho and his gang. He deserved it after the torment he'd put her throught while they were married.

Looking back at the beautiful woman across from her, she smiled. "So, what part of the city do you run?" She was curious if this was Rain's and Yongguk's boss.

@[B.D. Leader] Boa Boa...and Byungjoo. Hnh. The names sounded vaguely familiar, but Bom couldn't quite place them. She watched the two of them, calm on the outside, inwardly perplexed. Figures such as these should be distinctive enough that she'd know them - and yet she didn't.

She listened absently to their conversation with one ear. If she hadn't seen them around before, but they lived in the city, then - they had to be new, or hiding. One or the other. There were only a handful of prominent, affluent figures in the city, wealthy enough to afford the likes of a pet white wolf or most of the things this woman was wearing. She would have recognized their names. Moreover, the woman didn't smack of the same highborn arrogance many of the city's wealthier inhabitants were steeped in. She wasn't modest, no, far from it. Just...different in her haughtiness.

New money, or old trickery. The first option brought to mind trophy wives, girls bought and sold in exchange for company shares by their fathers. She studied the woman: there was no doubt she was gorgeous, but she had an air of sleek toughness, a certain dangerous pride that no trophy wife would dare exhibit in public. No, this was a woman of her own making, not some rich man's mewling pet. The other possibility: a drug kingpin? The madam of some house of ill repute? She was well acquainted with those characters, too; this wasn't any of them that she knew. Although there were always the looming mysteries, routine criminals whose identity no one could pin down for certain.

Could she be a gang member? Bom was reminded of the dark trace along the woman's skin. A tattoo, she'd thought. It was possible. Still, it left more questions than answers to be wanted.

A youth center? Bom tilted her head. Maybe she was being too suspicious. Maybe this woman was really no more than a charitable trophy wife of sorts, or, more likely, a businesswoman in her own right, maybe an overseas actress who had decided to retire here. She felt suddenly guilty for her theories. "A youth center?" She smiled at the woman, leaned forward a bit, trying not to seem prying. "How wonderful. If you don't mind me asking - which one is it?" Knowing which center the woman was involved in would tell her the major funders for the center; that, in turn, might help her learn more about this mystery woman.

@[G.D. S-I-C] Won Jongjin She felt as if her heart froze. Was this the right thing to do? Shouldn't she stop? Wasn't she taking this too far? Yes, a little daydreaming, maybe gentle friendship - surely Rin would have been all right with that. But this - this he would have been hurt by, in life, wouldn't he? Starved for company was no excuse, she reminded herself. Loneliness was the price she'd paid, and would continue to pay, for her negligence that night. It was her fault he was gone. She had to at least respect his memory this way, remain perfectly devoted to him in death, the way she she had been to him in life.

Or did she? Was it so wrong, to want to love again? Surely not with a gang member, she told herself. That was the catch. No matter whether she decided to stay true to Rin or not, she couldn't afford to fall into a trap like this. No fraternizing with the enemy.

She could feel his breath on her lips, warm; there was the hint of something hanging between them, faint, vaguely pleasant smelling. A false dream. She didn't pull away. She looked at his eyes, saw another pair of deep brown irises, hinting of laughter, in their stead. She whispered, "You're a gang member. I'm a cop. This..." She wanted to say it was impossible, patently absurd. Instead, she said, "This might be hard to hide." Fickle. Fickle, but true. She hoped he'd agree, would call it off, would stop teasing her like this. In her heart, she knew otherwise.

@[Police Chief]Park Bom Boa could see this woman didn't quite believe what she was saying and although she had a boyfriend, she looked the woman over. Not bad she thought. She was the kind of girl Boa liked. y, smart and dangerous. Unfortunately, she was still a cop and that just wouldn't do. After all, even though she hadn't done anything illegal, it wouldn't matter. Yongguk had made that clear a few days ago.

As she looked back at Joo, her phone went off and she excused herself to answer it. It was her brother letting her know that the items she'd order for the youth center would be there in 2 days. That meant she would be ahead of schedule. That was always good. When she returned to the table, she Joo what the call was about.

When the officer introduced herself, Boa thought it would be rude to not return the gesture and her mother had raised her to be respectful. "I'm Boa and this is Byungjoo. It's nice to meet you ma'am." Just then, her phone vibrated, alerting her she had received a text. Unlocking the phone she looked at the photos that were sent and she smiled. Holding the phone out to Joo, she asked, "Do you think those would be good for the center? I mean for the little kids anyway since they're big and bright." Even if she was the leader of a gang, she wanted to help out her community and building a place for kids seemed as good a place as any.

@[B.D. Leader] Boa Hmm...odd. A wealthy, mysterious woman from the other side of the city coming here, to a low-rent pizzeria in a seedy neighborhood? She couldn't be a socialite, then, foreign or otherwise. She definitely wasn't a regular or prominent member of the local working-class crowd, or Bom would know her face. So she had to be something else entirely. Assuming, of course, that she wasn't lying...

Bom shook her head. No reason not to trust the woman's word - at least not yet. For the time being, she'd have to assume the woman was telling the truth, though she'd be on the lookout for discrepancies in anything the woman said or did.

She frowned. The wolf story still didn't seem quite right to her. She looked again at the young man next to the woman, saw how affectionately they interacted. A son? No, he was too old, and she too young. A brother? There was...something about their interaction that suggested otherwise. A boyfriend? It was possible. She hadn't seen him around here, either; his blue eyes were striking enough, next to his Asian features, that a single glance would probably have cemented him in her memory forever, had she seen him before. Maybe knowing who he was could help her get a lead on both their identities. Smoothly, she said, "Where are my manners? My name is Bom. Park Bom." She smiled, cordially as she could make it, given the thoughts swirling around in her head. "And you are - ?"

@[G.D. S-I-C] Won Jongjin In that moment, she had to admit, she was lonely. The only real friend, certainly the only nan, she'd had since Rin's death was Shin-so. She hadn't looked at a man...in this way...in forever.

This man...he seemed innocent. She inhaled again, softer; there was something different about him, here, now, the sparkle in his eyes, the strong yet fine shape of his features: the way the light fell across his collarbone, yes, and the light smell of something woody, almost homey, that seemed to follow him. It was a multitude of details, the sorts of things she hadn't noticed since college - since Rin.

Weak, yes, she was weak. Selfish, too. But weak for letting herself notice him like this,nor weak for thinking she could've avoided it for so long? She sighed. Rin was gone, and...maybe she owed herself this. Just for tonight. She couldn't trust a gang member for longer than that...docile or not, truthful or not. Innocent or not.

She smiled back, felt her heart fluttering like a schoolgirl. Good god...she had fallen that far? Ah, but the things spring love did to one's mind. "Docile, hm?" She scooted over, took the proffered space. They were close now, so close she felt like she could sense the heat of his skin - or maybe that was her imagination. It was uncomfortable...and exciting. "Docile is nice...but I'd also like to see what you're like when you're not holding back." Fraternizing with the enemy, as Shin would say, only she hadn't known how sweet it could be.

@[Police Chief]Park Bom Boa listened and smiled at the waiter when he brought her B-Joo's drinks. She sipped her quietly as the other talked. Deciding to clear up the misunderstanding, she shook her head. "Oh, he's mine, but she's taking him for a bit. He is rare. I got him as a pup and he's my best friend. He's the only family I have left." She didn't mention what had happened to the rest of her family, because in truth, she didn't like thinking about them. It hurt too much to remember her past and what had caused their death.

Boa crossed her legs and relaxed as much as she could. Given her occupation, she was never completely relaxed. Even now, her body was tense, but there wasn't much she could do about it. Ever since she and CL had robbed Suho's crew, she had been on edge. She didn't feel guilty, after all this was a game to them, but she was worried about him coming after the rest of her gang. They hadn't had anything to do with it and she hoped he would know it was her. As they sat there, she again shook her head. "We're from a different part of the city. We live near the Han." She loved where their home was located. Some nights when she couldn't sleep or even just needed to clear her head so she could finish working, she'd go down to the river and just walk or stare at the night sky. She loved nature and there was no place better for her to calm herself. Often, she'd take Joo with her and let him run. Boa's outfit consisted of mostly leather and it was all black. Her shirt though did reveal a good portion of skin and when she saw the woman's gaze land on her bust, she looked down to see that her tattoo was barely covered. She nonchalantly adjusted her shirt and pulled her jacket off.

Just then, their pizza arrived and she smiled at her baby. "Best pizza in the whole city." When he tasted it, he grinned and nodded. "You're right Nuna. It's amazing. Thanks for bringing me here." "No problem honey." She grinned back and ruffled his hair affectionately. It was nice to have him by her side.

@[B.D. Leader] Boa Getting to know this woman? Now that would be interesting. "Of course," said Bom, and smiled. Beneath her jacket, her hand relaxed from its position at her hip. "Good to know you're looking after your ward so well - that's a beautiful creature your friend has, and I'm sure it's quite rare," and besides, it wouldn't be good for either the wolf or those involved if it got loose. She didn't say that last part aloud, though. She might seem aggressive to this mysterious woman, which she definitely didn't want to be.

"So," she continued, pulling over a chair, watching the young man casually. He was handsome, in the same slightly haughty way as the woman, she noticed; his eyes were strikingly blue, which niggled her memory somehow, but she couldn't quite say why. "I haven't seen you around these parts recently. Visiting?" Now that she was up close, she could see clearly the luxury clothing the woman was wearing: all of them highly expensive brands,nines she could name, though not by firsthand experience; these were far out of reach of her sometimes meager salary. When the woman moved, Bom thought she caught a glimpse of something dark, just under her clothes - a tattoo? An unusual accessory? A trick of the light? It could have been anything. Overall, she had a sleek elegance, muscular and smooth...like the wolf. Hm. No wonder the woman looked so good next to the wolf, Bom thought with amusement. Unless she simply looked good next to anything. And, she had to admit, the woman was beautiful.

Still, it perplexed her. What would a woman like this be doing around in this part of town? The only explanation she could think of was that she was some sort of eccentric traveling heiress...one who visited Itaewon-style pizzerias walking white wolves, dressed in luxury brands and fitted out for fashion magazine material. Hm. Perplexing indeed.

@[Police Chief]Park Bom Boa looked up at the woman that had interrupted her time with her baby and smiled. She let the woman talk and nodded when she showed them her badge. So she was a cop. Well, she was one y comp, but then so was Rain, so that wasn't surprising. When she asked about the wolf, the gang leader didn't even hesitate to answer. "Oh he hasn't been abandoned. A friend of mine was waiting for him back there. She's taking him out while have lunch."

For reasons of staying unknown, she couldn't tell the woman that the man next to her was the wolf. Hybrids were extremely rare and expensive, so not many people in Korea had one. She was used to having to think on her feet though as a business owner. So her face remained straight and convincing. It wasn't that she lied a lot, but when she was forced to, she did it well. To make it even more convincing, she smiled sweetly. "Would you like to join us officer?"

As she awaited the woman's answer, she could see her baby was tensing up. To calm him before he struck, he she laid a comforting hand on his thigh and squeezed. He immediately relaxed under her touch and she winked over at him before casting her gaze back at the woman in front of them.

@[B.D. Leader] Boa Bom looked up as the door jingled open, saw an exotic looking woman with an even more exotic pet, all white fur and blue eyes and claws, and a haughty stare to match its owner. She watched with interest. It wasn't every day that a white wolf came into the little shop.

She tried to guess who the woman was. White wolves were expensive. Millionaire socialite? What would someone like that be doing here? The woman was ordering now, coolly pointing out pizzas like any other person would, white wolf or no. Some sort of street performer? That made a bit more sense. Still... She couldn't help but watch as the woman sent her pet off to the back of the pizzeria - where the restrooms and kitchen were - then sat down herself, waited for the food to arrive. Why would she send the wolf off like that? How did the animal respond so well? She must have been one heck of an animal trainer, not to be scared of letting her pet off the leash like that.

She waited for the pet to return. It never came. Bom frowned, tensed a little, one hand instinctively going to her sidearm. If it was running loose back there...that was a potential threat to civilians in the vicinity. She thought of going to look for it, decided instead to ask the owner, just as a young man came towards them from the back of the pizzeria.

Bom hesitated. He was sitting down with the woman, talking to her comfortably like an old friend, one she'd been expecting. Should she interrupt or...?

She shook her head. Off duty or no, she had to take care of a potential security threat. She walked forward and cleared . "Uh, excuse me, ma'am...I'm an officer," she flashed her ID, "and I noticed you had an...apparently tame wolf pet with you - " gawd, this sounded so weird, even though she was trying to be accurate - " - which isn't here any more. I wanted to make sure there's no immediate threat...that is, uh, that the wolf has been accounted for...not abandoned or anything."

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@[G.D. S-I-C] Won Jongjin That one definitely caught her off guard, but she complied anyway: just a sip and she could taste it, exquisite as he said it was, cool and sweet and tickling to the tongue, a little like one of Rin's playful kisses late at night, after they'd been watching old movies together, snuggling longer than should have been legal. It was a new feeling, too, being this close to another person. She wondered what headquarters would say, her coworkers and subordinates, if they knew she was doing this - a cop drinking with a gangster on her off time, the local chief no less: fraternizing with the enemy, making a joke of their serious efforts. Right now, though, she was tired and lonely and missed Rin more than a little, and the beer tasted good and she enjoyed talking with him - she actually did, she realized that now - and she couldn't bring herself to care.

She felt like she should be interrogating him about his gang life, in this rare moment when they could actually talk freely, but at the same time she felt like it would break this - this, whatever it was, this strange black magic that had grown up around the moment. So she didn't ask. Instead, she smiled. "It is good, I have to admit. Are you a beer connoisseur, then?" She wouldn't be surprised; it was the sort of thing a high-profile gang leader might be interested in. "There's actually some really good microbreweries around, here in Korea. You could go sometime..." There, she was doing it again. Talking to a gang leader as if he were...just another person. Was she crazy? Or had she been all along, and was only now beginning to see how things were?

@[G.D. S-I-C] Won Jongjin She had to admit, she was surprised he knew her this well. Her age was no secret; neither was her name. Still...he'd done his homework, hadn't he? She felt a strange blush creeping up on her cheeks at the way he talked; it had been a long time since any man had talked to her like that - well, since Rin, really. She decided to take the light banter in the same spirit he did - it had been a long day, and, she admitted privately to herself, he wasn't bad-looking. Even if he was a bad apple at heart, he was...just a person, actually, right now. Outside of work. Just a young man, getting a meal like any other citizen. It was easy to forget who he really was...who she was. It made her feel young again.

"Gracing?" She snorted. "Not much grace in it, if you ask me. But thank you. That's sweet." She eyed his beer. "Which brand is that? I don't recognize the label." She had used to drink microbrews with Rin, when she was younger; it had been their hobby, trying new breweries together, happily debating which one was best and why. After, she'd stopped. In Jongjin's eyes, though, she saw a hint of the old Rin, just a ghost of the fire, the brilliance. It intrigued her.

@[Police Chief]Park Bom It had been awhile, since Boa had been able to take her baby out. She'd been so busy at her office that she hadn't come home before 3am all week. By the time she got home, all she'd wanted was her bed. For that reason, she'd only put in half a day today and she was spending the other half with B-Joo. As the walked down the street, she watched the people on the street. They looked at her strangely and the wasn't really shocking since she was walking next to a wolf. Most people in this part of the city didn't know who she was which was fine. Anonimity had it's perks. When they reached the pizza shop, she opened the door for her beautiful pet and followed him inside. She ordered a mushroom and pepperoni pizza for herself and a steak pizza for Joo. As they sat down to wait, he went to the restroom to shift back to human form. He never did it in public unless he had to. That way, people wouldn't freak out. When he came back, they discussed what they would do for the rest of the afternoon. It was going to be just the two of them.

@[G.D. S-I-C] Won Jongjin It had been a long day, but a boring one, reflected Bom, nursing water in her favorite corner of the pizzeria, by the window. Terrifying run-ins with gang members? Pah. Forget that. She'd had terrifying run-ins with her branch director and the fax machine. At least it had been boring, not injurious to her health. Or only mildly, anyway.

She grimaced, stretched, watching passerby as they went into and out of the little joint. Her eyes narrowed. That young man. He looked familiar, didn't he? Then it hit her like cold water. Jongjin...Wong Jongjin, wasn't it? Leader of the Golden Eagles. Too bad she wasn't on duty. She kept her hand on her gun, concealed beneath her coat, and approached him carefully.

"Hey." She smiled, trying not to make it as forced as she felt. She pulled up a chair carefully. "You looked lonely over here. I'm Bom." She couldn't help but smile a bit sadly, this time. "And I'm off duty. In case you recognized me." She nodded, like an old friend. No hard feelings.

@[G.D. Leader] Suho Oh thank you pumpkin.
//smiles and continues eating as people stare at us
Yea citizens don't worry, he is use to eat pizza with holes in them.
He calls it cheese.
//me and others laugh and goes to play with the jukebox
Hey rich guy, any money to spare me.
//looks at the number 7 and softly smiles remembering my first foster family
Nevermind.. It's useless anyway.
//nods and pats the jukebox
Broke seven years ago.. When I slammed into it...
//chuckles and people stare
Well nice to meet you
Pumpkin

@[B.D.] CL /looks at you with nonchalant face
you're really amusing, honey
enjoy yours too
while its still hot

@[G.D. Leader] Suho You don't?
Really Pumpkin?
//grins and ruffles your hair
Oh I get it, your bodyguards do all the dirty work and you don't lift a finger at all.
I like to call that lazy but I guess that's what rich people call working.
//shrugs that shoots a hole through your pizza
Whoops my fault, the safety wasn't on.
//acts innocent and thinks my deep pan pizza
Well enjoy your pizza...
//thinks of a name
Pumpkin.
//smirks and heads back to my table to eat

@[B.D.] CL /stops my bodyguards as they aimed their gun at you with a glare
/looks at the gun then back at you
Hybrid eh?
/chuckles
Fair chance?
I don't need this to have fair chance to kill you
Honey
/emphasize the word Honey and smirk as I straighten up and sit back on my seat, taking another slice of pizza

@[G.D. Leader] Suho //grabs your neck and slowly tightens my grip
//my eyes turning red and voice becoming deeper
Trust me. I will not hesitate and eat you alive
//my teeth sharpen up and I pull away
Don't think you're very tough fella
//pushes you against the wall and chuckles
I can and I will.
//takes my gun and puts it in your hands
Why don't you keep something you need to kill me..? It will give you a fair chance

@[B.D.] CL not in the slightest
/nods, looks at you
hate eh? such strong word
/moves behind you in one swift motion, grab your hand and pin it on your back, pushing you down to the table
if you think I like being nice to girls, you're wrong
woman or man, I don't care
/releases you and straighten up
come find me if you want to kill me
that's if you can
/chuckles

@[G.D. Leader] Suho Am I sweet? For you to call me honey?
Come find me at night then
//puts the leftover pizza back in the box
Because I hate you. I'm fighting the urge to kill you right now
//puts my fingers in a gun shape
Bang!

@[B.D.] CL Give me a reason of why I want to kill you
and I'm not someone who would do that
in broad daylight, honey
/smirks

@[G.D. Leader] Suho //grabs one of your slices and eats it
Oh you don't.
//smirks
What if you wanted to kill me?
//leans back and continues eating

@[B.D.] CL I dont need gun to kill someone
/chuckles, eats my pizza
I know you must've thought the same about those cops
not that I care anyway

@[G.D. Leader] Suho //rolls my eyes
What if you are alone?
What happens then?
//smirks
Aww as a cop I'm offended
//lies and laughs
Kidding!

@[B.D.] CL /laughs
I'm serious, i carry no guns
why would I when I get people to kill whoever I want?
/smirks
oh yeah those cops
are just that useless
/chuckles

@[G.D. Leader] Suho //laughs and looks at you
Oh come on Suho.
Not one gun on you.
//lies my gun on the table
Everyone in here has a gun, for protection
From gangs..
//looks around and sees people carrying them
See, no one care if you have a weapon or not
It's whether you use to kill or not
//leans closer
The cops don't even care.

@[B.D.] CL dangerous?
I dont walk around carrying knifes or gun
/chuckles
and you looked more dangerous to the citizens more than I do
/smirks

@[G.D. Leader] Suho Oh that act so innocent..
//sits across from you
You are a leader of something...
//smirks
Something very dangerous to citizens
//looks at you and folds my arms
How do I know that you may ask?
Well let's just say.. I'm also a criminal to your people