ˋ❖ Bubble Bubble

@❀ seungcheol c。 Chris was in his own world as he sat at the bar sipping at the unknown alcohol in his cup. He had asked the bartender to give him whatever was strong enough to take the stress away and it tasted like and not the good kind but he didn’t care. He had a high tolerance when it came to alcohol, something that developed over his time in the military. That was the only thing closest to drugs they could get. A liquid depressant that always ended in fist fights and really bad hangovers.
He was sitting near the entrance so he could see who came in and out, his eyes landing on a male who took his seat just a few chairs away from his own, he watched for a moment as the male fiddled with his phone and eventually looked away, knowing it would be a little bad to interact with people right now.

@☾ chris h。 he huffs softly while rubbing the back of his neck, grunting a bit as it felt stiff under his fingers and he grumbles under his breath
god, i should probably get home and take a hot bath...
he stumbles down the road to the nearest bar, deciding to have a couple of drinks before heading back home, and he enters a bar called "bubble bubble", finding it being such a cute name as he saunters inside, smiling up at the bartender who does the same as him
i'll have myself a beer, please. thank you
slowly settles down at a high chair, placing his brief case on the floor near his feet then he simply took out his phone to check through all of his social media accounts, all the while leaning against the counter with a quiet hum

@☆ donghae l。 Jihoon sat there, baffled by the man in front of him but was glad to be told that the warlock does have spells or curses for him to use. And it made him even happier to hear that discounts will be applicable if he stayed and spent some time with the man and so, Jihoon did what's best, agree to his request. The asrai wraps his slender fingers around the cold glass and brings it to his lips, sipping from it quietly while occasionally darting his gaze to Donghae. He wonders why this man is constantly drinking and wonders if something happened to him as well. However, he brushes the thought aside while a more important question pops up. "So.. About the discount- How much are we willing to offer?"

@❀ jihoon l。 (anything you want)
It resonated inside Donghae's thoughtless mind brought by the loud banging of the music and the alcohol didn't helped much either. It seems as if the little asrai was willing to do as much as he can just to get the job done, worried and hesitant, the warlock leaned a few inches back and just took a moment to decipher on what degree this male in front of him is in need of his help. " yeah, I do curses.. of any kind to any kind.. " he replied, now with a more amused and playful smile. " meet me at my cafe the day after tomorrow.. and we'll talk about the details then, " the warlock snapped his finger, a shimmering cerulean spark faintly ruptured from the gesture and a glass with sparkling red margarita appeared in front of the other male, almost as red as his hair.. " but for now, will you accompany this old lonely man? I'll give you a discount if you do "

@☆ donghae l。 (That's my liver too and guess what? scREW IT)

Jihoon sat there, staring at the other with squinted eyes. He's unsure if the man in front of him is sober or drunk but by the way that the warlock had placed his hand on his back, he's already sighing. Another person to invade his personal space. "I need a curse. Do you do curse?" the asrai pauses. "Actually, no. Anything will do. I just need to him over-" His last sentence was a mumble, aimed mostly toward himself and he straights up a little to look at the other male. But when he heard the price being brought up again, his heart starts to hammer in his chest, unsure what to do. Maybe he could seduce Donghae to drop the price? But then again, Jihoon isn't sure if he even has the look or ability to do so. If he was that attractive, why would people avoid him at all cost? The smaller male runs his fingers through his red hair. "I'll pay you what you want," he concludes.

@❀ jihoon l。 [ it does /sound/ fun, but I think my liver is screaming "b i t ch we still wanna live slow tf down" lmao ]

"not here to party?!" Hae reiterated, sounding a lot more dismayed by it rather than the fact that the bartender skipped giving him his shot; followed by a teasing "boo" he sneakily rested his arm behind the smaller male's back. As he was about to follow the taunting, the other male showed off his powers by freezing a drink that was meant for him to consume and it was enough reason for him to sober up even just a bit. "so you're the asrai who contacted me earlier" the warlock mouthed spoke just as loud as the other male did, "I apologize for overlooking at out /appointment/ I got carried away" a quick clearing of throat, Hae used his hand for support for his chin as he leaned on the counter, his eyes fixated at the asrai as if reading the other's mind. "alright, well spill it. what spell or potion do you need from me? the pay will depend on what kind of job you want me to do" and quickly he switched from the party boi hae! to the business man that he is.

@❀ hyunjin h。 as an incubus, it was vital for mingyu to at least get some sort of ual gratification once every two days. it wasn't simply a pleasure for him, the insides of his body feeling as though they're being squeezed and melted at the same time if he was left untouched for more than he's allowed to be. the agony comes instantly, all at once and leaves him paralysed before he passes out for days, invading dreams to make up for what he has lost. it wasn't pleasant, not when he isn't allowed to ask for consent before he enters the realm of unconsciousness. he was left bent over the sink right after, acid rising from his throat and marring the ceramic white tiles of the bathroom. it's something he's dealt with once before and vowed to never have to go through again.

it's the whole reason he's here now, at the bar as he usually would have been every night if he hadn't met the raven-locked blacksmith those months ago. the boy seemed to occupy most of his time now aside from work, be it when they were together or not. the fairy manages to occupy every space and corner of his mind without a fault, leaving the demon with a warmth in his chest that he couldn't quite describe but it definitely wasn't something demons are used to. it's the reason why he's here in the first place, looking for a companion for the night. with so many feelings pouring in at once, mingyu would hate himself if he were to rush the other into things and possibly lose the one person he's ever positively felt a kind of romantic attraction to. it'll be fine as long as he doesn't find out. that's what he thought as an arm loops around the waist of a certain witch, leading her out towards the entrance.

but oh was he so wrong. as soon as he meets a pair of familiar emerald-tinted spheres, he could feel the weight of his heart drop right down to the bottom of his torso. he freezes in his tracks, azure pools still in their wake as his quickly parched lips attempt to form words. "hyunjin."

@✞ mingyu k。 there was a spring in the boy's step for some reason as he made his way over to the bar - a place he would never have imagined himself going to on his own will. but this time was different. this time, he had a reason - and that reason was kim mingyu. of course, hyunjin hardly knew why he felt so attached to the other but he couldn't deny the strange affect he seemed to have on him. he'd never been too good with people in the first place, but he got even more tongue-tied around the incubus. was it his confident and cool aura? was it his deep, dark eyes that were so easy to get lost it? was it his low voice that tangled him up in sweet words? the boy had no idea, but all he really knew was that he wanted to see him.

before he could get lost in his thoughts, a familiar face in the distant brought a bright smile to his face. there he was. unable to contain the sudden rush of excitement, hyunjin raised his arm and began to wave it wildly. "mingyu hy--" he stopped. there was that heart fluttering smile, but this time, it was being directed to someone else. he couldn't help but to just stand and watch as he took notice of the other's arms, playfully wrapped around the stranger as the two exchanged words and laughs.

it hurt. now, he knew that the two of them weren't anything special and of course, kim mingyu didn't belong to him -- honestly, hyunjin always questioned why he hung around someone as lame and inexperienced as him -- but for some reason, seeing the other smile so brightly at someone else .,, hurt. if he wanted to have some fun, he could've come to him, right? was hyunjin not good enough? did he not mean that much to him?

[ wh a t i s this i apologize ]

@☆ donghae l。 (Ooooo!! Sounds like fun haha)

Jihoon's brows furrowed at the drunken man's words, not amused by all of it but still decides to take the seat offered to him. The small male didn't think he'll find Donghae drunk already and apparently had forgotten all about their deal and meeting spot. "Sir, I'm not here to party-" he gets interrupted by another drunken man on his other side, who seems to be trying to push a drink into his hand and is now starting to scream at him to chug it. The asrai immediately freezes the drink and slides it back to the stranger before turning his attention back to the warlock. "I'm offering you a job," he says loudly in hopes that the magic user can hear him over the loud music playing overhead and the obnoxious cheering from the drunk men. "I need you to do something for me." Jihoon nods afterward, showing that he's done speaking and he sits there staring at the man and wondering if he should've said that he's going to pay the dude. Maybe he can find another job to help pay for this request or just start robbing banks.

@❀ jihoon l。 [] so sorry for this late reply.. I went to several parties these past few days hehe

Day off- .. it was more than just a day off to him. A night where he frees himself from all the self loathing and pity parties and actually enjoy a really party.. with booze and such. Donghae, alas, finished from catering the needs of his costumer on his newly opened cafe, yells on top of his lungs " one round of drinks on me! " followed by the crowd and bartender's scream of reply " hell yeah! ". Downing a glass of his favorite drink, whiskey bourbon, the warlock sat back down with a sinister grin plastered across his face. It was only with the help of alcoholic beverage does he 'actually' enjoy his existence. Nothing was on his mind that night besides from getting ed up and wasted, there's nothing to look forward to so why would he bother?
*Lee Donghae* The now light headed warlock quickly snapped out of his drunken thoughts as soon as he heard someone call out his /whole/ name. " heyy there, baby.. what's up? what can I get you?" being flirtatious as he is, Hae comically cleared the seat beside him, even blowing at it as if it had some dust on it or something and offered for the red headed male to sit on.

@✞ sota f。 "is there something wrong with having selfish needs?" he leaned back in his chair, ready to immediately become cold and defend himself and his reasonings if he had to. "with you? mmm, well we'll see what i start craving but for now, i just wanted a distraction - maybe just a drinking buddy or maybe more."

he couldn't help but notice how well the other took the alcohol and it sparked his usual competitiveness as he reached for the bottle to pour himself, yet, another glass. quickly downing it, he grimaced at the taste but smirked as he felt the alcohol begin to take over. "ah, you're gonna keep me waiting then? i guess i'll have to look forward to what it is now --"

@☾ seunghoon o。 "I see, so just for selfish needs then." He voiced, eyebrow rose a bit as he had met many whom were selfish in their life. He sipped his drink before he spoke up, "Hyung it is, so tell me hyung, what type of fun do you believe being with me may rise up?"

Eyebrow rose as he poured himself another drink before he drowned it instantly, the alcohol of this place hardly kicked in or gave him a buzz to the least. He looked at the other wondering if the male was feeling the kick, eyeing the male slowly before he cleared his throat. "I'll think of something before we say our goodbyes, so dont fret." He gave the other a grin, before leaning back in the stool.

@☆ donghae l。 Jihoon walks into the bar, his eyes flickering around to find a certain male while he slowly claims a stool by the actual bar itself, ignoring all the look he's getting. It's quite strange to see a short male with bright red hair walk into the bar and sit by himself so the looks are not that surprising but still, he much rather not draw attention to himself. However, he can't really do anything about it as he lacks the material to properly blend in with the crowd. This is most certainly the first time he's ever done something like this and it really surprises him. Jihoon knew he hated the human with all his guts but never would he in a million years see himself hiring a wizard, whatever the the dude calls himself, just to get revenge. Not to mention, he has about absolutely nothing to his name. He's homeless, wandering around Halloweentown after being abandoned by his own kind. All this past conflict that took place really did a number on his personality and perspective on life. Now he knows how dangerous trust is. Jihoon has felt the pain, faced the consequences and he vows to never do it again. When his dark brown orbs land on the exact male he was looking for, he slides off his stool with some difficulty and walks towards him, slender fingers reaching out to gently tap at a broad shoulder as he clears his throat. "Are you perhaps, Donghae? Lee Donghae?"

*blinks as I get stuck in a bubble. the bubble just floating around*
yah get me out of this!
*growls as I can't get out the bubble*
I hate bubbles

@✞ sota f。 "simply because i'm just naturally bored. all i crave is something fun to pass the time, consequences don't really concern me."

flashing a /hopefully/ charming grin at the other, he leaned forward to rest his chin on his hand as he felt a gentle buzz from the alcohol. "alright, you can call me hyung then -- i don't get called that often so this is nice."

peering over, brushing his bangs out of his eyes with a curious raised brow, he tilted his head as he wondered what the other would say. "and what should i call you -- "

@☾ seunghoon o。 "And why is that?" He asked, eyebrow rose out of curiosity at what the Male said.

Tilting his head to the side, his light brown hazel orbs focused on the other as he found the other interesting. Unpredictable in a way which peaked his interest even more. Lips curved, "I dont mind, I think itll be different and I like different." He said before he spoke up.

"But if I call you hyung then youd have to call me something too."

@✞ sota f。 crossing his arms across his chest, he leaned back in his seat as he simply shrugged in response. "well, good thing i'm not really aiming for a good ending. i'm simply here for fun and pure entertainment."

watching the liquid fill his glass, he could already feel the effects of the alcohol start to spread in him - but he took the drink, not one to refuse a good time. as he raised it to his lips, he paused at the word 'cute.' he'd never cared for that word -- it made him feel like other's were looking down on him, treating him like a child.

"ah, you don't have to call me hyung if you don't want to. i'm not sure how i feel about being called hyung by someone who's much older than me --"

@☾ seunghoon o。 "Some pity, nothing is good about giving people pity. More if you feign innocence." He voiced with a sturdy tone as he poured himself more of the liquor and he looked back at the other with his eyebrow rose.

"If you do things just for your advantage and for a solely greedy purpose--" He pauses for a moment, "That is not good, nothing usually never ends good."

Seeing how the male got he smiled to himself as he poured the other more of the liquor, "In human years, you are my hyung. And since you are still alive, and you look pretty darn cute. I'll call you.. what's the word again- hyung?"

@✞ sota f。 gives you a light shrug, setting the glass back down on the counter as i run my finger along the rim. "who knows -- it could invoke some pity and i could use that to my advantage, no?" it hadn't been once or twice since he's pulled the pathetic, innocent card but he knew, from past experiences, that it worked pretty well.

he paused, a light frown adorning his face as he realized he was being stripped of his 'hyung' title in less than a minute. "i - i haven't died like you so i guess that makes you older.,," my voice unconsciously comes out as a grumble, already feeling like a child based solely on our age difference.

@☾ seunghoon o。 "Hm, I dont think being pathetic can bring you a lot of good." He responded before he rose his eyebrow and his lips curved as he noticed the smile, making him look over the other for a second.

his bottom lip out of habit as he let out a soft chuckle from what the other said, "Twenty-four? Alright then, but for how long have you been that age?" He questioned, his eyebrow rose as he stared into the other.

"I passed away at this age, and seemed to have took on a role of a grim reaper." He speaks as he looks at the Male and grins, his smile a bit boyish and charming a bit as he spoke.

@✞ sota f。 "well, if being pathetic gets me whatever i want, then i can play that part too -- though, i'd like to think that my natural self is far from pathetic." he gave off a smile that told the other that there was much more to learn about him, but of course, he had no plans to reveal any more about himself to just anyone.

simply raising a brow at the unexpected wink, seunghoon continued to busy himself with the liquor, wincing at the burn as he downed it a bit too quickly this time.

"twenty two, huh? then it looks like i'm your hyung," a small smirk couldn't help but appear. having a sense of seniority always made him feel good. "i'm twenty four."

@☾ seunghoon o。 Setting the glass down as his eyebrow cocked up as he took note of the males aura change as if giving off a different vibe. His lips curved up at the ends as he spoke up to the Male, "Many different things then, but being in the pathetic category is not one of them for sure."

A small chuckle escaped his lips, before he rested one elbow on the bar counter, his fist under his chin as he kept his light hazel orbs locked onto the other. "Whatever I want? That interests me." He spoke, curious but more interested by the words.

"For now, how about we drink a bit more and see how long this chit chat lasts before you show me a different side." He said, a playful wink towards the other as he poured the male a bit more of the liquor and he hums out.

"What's your age? You seem around my age- I'm twenty-two and you?"

@✞ sota f。 taking a sip this time, trying to savor the taste for once, he nodded as he repeated the name to himself. "sota fukushi, huh. well nice to meet you too, i guess." the male leaned back in his seat, wondering how he should present himself to the other.

as if he had flipped a switch within himself, a coy smile suddenly spread across his face as he gazed over at the other. "i don't like limiting myself to one category -- i find that i can be .,, many different things." taking another small sip before he continued, he made sure never to break eye contact. "i could be whatever you want me to be."

@☾ seunghoon o。 "Possibly, but never hurts to be a bit outside the box." He grins, pouring the male more of the liquor as he rose his eyebrow to him as he learned his name.

A smirk arose his lips as he gave a small dip of his head, "Fukushi, Sota Fukushi. Good to meet you, Seunghoon." He said, pouring himself another drink as he rose his eyebrow as he noticed a quick smile and he mirrored the quick smile.

Lifting the glass to his lips he spoke, "Mind me, but since you dont fall into that pathetic category. Then what do you fall under hm?" He rose his eyebrow, sipping his drink as he finished it and gave a pleased hum at the strong taste.

@✞ sota f。 picking up the glass in front of him, he downed the liquor before even beginning to respond to the other. "a good boy, huh? well, considering the fact that i didn't stay behind, i guess that shows i don't fall into that pathetic category." with a raised brow, he extended the glass out as if asking for more.

"the name's seunghoon," he responded, flashing the other a quick smile, disappearing as soon as it appeared. normally he wasn't one to interact with others -- clearly he'd been more bored than he thought. though, it couldn't hurt to try and entertain himself with this new stranger.

"and you are --?"

@☾ seunghoon o。 "Not many do huh, guess I decided to pop in at a good timing then." He voiced with a shrug, walking inside before he took a seat on the stool. Reaching over the bar counter as he pulled up one of the bottles, and two glasses for them as he placed one glass before the other as he poured ththe male a drink.

"Well, you followed and I'd say that is some sort of luck. You could've been a good boy and stayed behind." He voiced, pouring himself a drink as he placed the bottle down, lifting the glass with his thumb and pointer finger as he took a drink of the strong liquor.

"Mm, so what's your name?"

@✞ sota f。 [ i agree !! ]

following after the other male, seunghoon continued to adorn his bored expression as he looked around at his surroundings, giving a small nod of approval. "well, we'll see if i'm really the lucky one. but yeah, not a lot of people here know how to have fun." entering the bar, he immediately took a seat and tapped his fingers against the counter.

@☾ seunghoon o。 [] because felt it's better here then the lounge to continue []

Looking over his shoulder to see the other following him, lips curved as he scowled his pace so the Male matched his own stride. "Seems you are the lucky one to follow me, guess others didn't much brave hm?" He voiced, as he led the Male to one of the bars he frequently visited mostly because he worked there.

@✞ mingyu k。 [ your starter was freaking beautiful and i ruined it with my reply i'm -- proceeds to fling myself off a cliff ]

stepping into the bar was the hardest thing hyunjin had to do in the past month. groups of people, lack of personal space, and the stench of alcohol were not things he necessarily enjoyed dealing with - yet, here he was. standing awkwardly, obviously out of place, he glances around nervously as he waits for a worker to approach him. stepping towards the other male, his voice lowered to a hushed whisper, he quickly explains to the man what he was there for. giving the boy a curt nod, the man walked off, disappearing into the ‘workers only’ zone.

a minute went by, then five, then ten. he already felt dumb enough, standing there in his slightly dirty t-shirt and ripped jeans. everyone else seemed so classy, so full of poise, class, and elegance - and here he was, looking like a kid who had just been playing in the dirt at a nearby playground. he'd never really been one to care about how people viewed him, but he stuck out like a sore thumb, he couldn't help but want to hide himself away.

dusting himself off, as best as he could, he made his way over to an empty table, safely tucked into the corner of the room. it seemed as though he'd be there for a while, so it couldn't hurt to get comfortable -- though he was honestly the most uncomfortable he'd ever been. maybe if he'd busy himself, people wouldn't bother him - nodding to himself as if that was the best idea of the century, he picked up the drink menu, scanning the page listed with things he'd never heard of or could even pronounce.

being so caught up with the strange liquor, he almost didn't notice the sudden presence of a stranger. almost. setting his menu down, he found himself face to face with a stranger -- tanned skin, long limbs, a sweet, boyish grin, he oozed charm and hyunjin could already feel himself getting swept up in it.

"ah, i'm hyunjin," his voice sounded like a child and he cleared his throat, as if it would induce a change. "and no, i don't mind." trying to swallow the lump that seemed to be caught in his throat, he did his best to pull off the facade that he was used to this setting. flashing his signature, almost angelic, smile at the stranger - mingyu, right? - he hoped his face wasn't reflecting the chaos and panic that was running amuck in his mind. why on earth was someone this gorgeous, this charismatic, talking to someone like him?

@❀ hyunjin h。 he slips through the doors, the tinkling of the bells signalling his entrance before he takes steps towards the open counter across the oak floorboards. the place had a cosy ambience to it, the scent of alcohol - most prominently beer - mixed in with a hint of sandalwood that the bar was adorned with in practically every corner. mingyu found comfort in the way everyone seemed to know each other here, how the bartender greeted him with a 'ay, look who it is!' and a lopsided grin that had not even a single hint of ingenuity each time he entered. it felt like...home. not that the town was any less welcoming, but this was his favourite part of it. not to mention how easy it was to find someone to bring home for a night of fun here, where the monsters were more than open for intimacy.

as he settles himself upon the bar stool, he requests for a pint of beer before swiveling on his feet to survey the area. he notices a few familiar faces, ones he's brought home with him before or possibly more than once as long as the conditions of no strings attached are still valid. pressing his elbows onto the counter, he leans back with a short sigh of leisure, violet tinted orbs flicking every inch of the room before they land on a rather captivating visage - one he hasn't seen around before, not even around the little town full of mischief and excitement.

hearing the soft thud of the mug against the counter, mingyu spins back on his feet and slips a bill out from the pocket of his fitted jeans to slide it over to the man behind the bar with a appreciative smile. with slender fingers wrapped around the handle and a well-known glint in his purple spheres, he's off to do what he does best. the bartender knowingly shakes his head albeit with an amused smirk as he watches the demon saunter over to the booth in the corner of the place where a raven-haired boy sat isolated.

mingyu honestly wondered how a beauty like him didn't have men and women coming up to his table every minute or so. it was a common gesture here, a silent freedom of being able to woo someone of their interest. in other words, the bar was the demon's domain - other than the nightclub, of course - but he much preferred the serenity here than the booming speakers and dim lights that sometimes left him partially deaf as he stumbles out of the scene. he knows it's rather peculiar as an incubus how he prefers to have a little conversation before he gets under the sheets with any of his chosen candidates, but it leaves him feeling a little more fulfilled knowing they somehow clicked intellectually as well.

"hey, here alone?" he questions as he nonchalantly slips himself into the booth, settling himself right across the attractive stranger where he cradles his face in his palm and where a prepossessing smile rests against his tanned complexion. his canines dig into his lower lip as he gazes at the boy, not so subtly tracing his features and what is visible of his form as purple swirls around his irises. "i'm mingyu and you're too pretty to be here by yourself so i hope you don't mind me joining you."