» ㅤcemetery。

@jongin k。ʰᵉˡˡᵇʳᵒᵏᵉ during her free time and in between appointments at her work place, lin has read this book about mythical creatures and there is this one particular creature that caught her attention. it is the hellhounds. there's no saying how exactly accurate this book can be but it is the most she can derive from to learn all about the species that live on this very same island as she does. she then spectulates that they eat raw meat and therefore, on her off day, she actually drives down to a butcher-shop, buys a slab of raw red meat which is now covered in thin paper coverings and put into a small plastic bag. its smell is overpowering but she'd do anything just to see a hellhound.

next she drives down to the cemetery, as according to the book which states they can be found in cemeteries and parks right at the entrance, killing off the car engine with a twist of the car key, alighting the vehicle with the said meat and locks it with the pressing of the button on her car keypad. thick fog swirls around the entrance gates like vines and at first glance, it looks nothing like a cemetery but a breeze passes by and the fog clears up, revealing rows and rows of various types of tombstones beyond. "it's really creepy but all in the bid to see a hellhound up front," she mumbles to herself, her body unconsciously shivering due to the goosebumps that now sprout up all over her skin. with courage she picks up, her legs carries her a little closer to the gates and takes out the meat, removing its cover and then holds it up in the air. a few minutes passes and nothing happens. "not even a ghost appear. Let me try another approach," she clears and spread her legs a little apart. "Yooohoooooo! yummy red meat for yooooooooooooou!" she yodels out as she swings the red slab of meat up in the air, disgusted at the blood flying here and there.

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@bobae k。ˢᶜʸᵗʰᵉ Though he claimed to have no power over the living, the Phoenix was fairly certain that Bobae's true power lie within his restraint in choosing not to abuse it. "I can only imagine... What kind of world we'd be living in if the messenger of death was so easily swayed." Minseok felt a bit fidgety under the intense gaze, not unlike the ogling he was used to from various customers and men but something more, as though the reaper was taking in the sight of an old companion long forgotten. And that smile... Why did his whole body feel warm and fuzzy at the discreet action? "So I was right. When I... I couldn't explain why or... Why I wanted to come here but I wasn't scared or worried. And seeing you... It felt familiar..." A having sigh left the noirette, hand raised against his chest to still the delighted thrumming before another, much warmer smile fell upon his lips as he took in the male once again, eyes searching to commit every feature to memory though he new deep within that it was nowhere near the man's true form. "My memories may be gone but that only means I have room for new ones right? I hope you won't mind my company while I'm still living. It must have been a long time since we last spoke.. How long have you been here? In Magnolia?"

@minseok k。ᵈᵘˢᵗ²ᵈᵘˢᵗ “You are quite correct there. I am not able to kill anyone living as surprising as it may be. Though... if the Grim Reaper were swayed in helping the dead seek revenge- it would be an unprecedented nightmarish world.” Bobae’s temporal line of sight sweeps its way along Minseok’s body, as though he could see through him or past the clothes he wore out that night. His lips would curve into a small smile- one holding warmth and that of recognition one would hold with a close friend. “Dear Minseok. You have kept me company for many many years in my personal hell. For that I am thankful despite your memory of those meetings having been erased, by me. It’s an unfortunate circumstance but a blessing of one. I would give myself to have the chance to remove my own.” The fallen finally moves forwards into the moonlight even further, looking away from the man and into the graveyard.

@bobae k。ˢᶜʸᵗʰᵉ No hesitation, nothing but certainty in the man's declaration of Minseok's nature. It was startling but none as much as watching the intimidating darkness take on corporeal form revealing the silhouette of a man both familiar and foreign. This was the person recognizable in the app's photograph causing the sharp, feline orbs to round in alarm to come face to face with the reaper. There was something hauntingly beautiful about the man, a being trapped between life and death, probably the only other person who could understand the painful cycle of his many lives. "You can't really get to know someone just through an app right? I like to know the people in really talking to. And now seemed a good a time as any. Besides, I thought you were in the line of collecting souls not murdering them." He countered with a sheepish smile though it was true the eerie setting would probably make any other person turn tail and run but Minseok was a strange entity always up for a little adventure even under the most unpredictable circumstances. "Just because I can doesn't mean I enjoy dying. At least if I were to die now, we're already at a cemetery so it would be easy to get rid of my body," A morbid joke but Min laughed nonetheless. "Besides I think even a reaper would enjoy a break from solitude every once in a while so... Here I am."

@minseok k。ᵈᵘˢᵗ²ᵈᵘˢᵗ “A Phoenix, I am quite aware.” The man decides to show himself then, a thought that he believed would lead for the other to feel more secure. He silently stepped out of the fog as well as his shroud of shadows, the human form he had adopted serving him well at this moment in time. The reaper would regard the man before him with a sharp bow and a raising of the eyebrows. “I am a bit surprised to see that you chose to come... after all you hardly know me.” His gaze would travel slowly across the cemetery before trailing along Minseok’s being itself. A lazy smile gathers on his lips. “Alone in the midst of the night, with a stranger. Though I suppose a Phoenix can afford the risk.”

@bobae k。ˢᶜʸᵗʰᵉ Cradling his arms around his petite frame the phoenix shuddered at the cool breeze that coursed through the graveyard. The moon was still high in the sky providing enough light for the time being but if this was all for nought, there was no point in staying longer than necessary, the temptation to just fly away and enjoy what was left of the starlight tempting. A minuscule gasp escaped the male when bright orbs fell upon the hazy shadow before him. No, not a shadow but something different entirely, not of this world. "Bobae?" He questioned again uncertain if this was indeed the man he was looking for. "I... Thank you for having me. My name is Minseok, and no I... I'm not a wolf. We talked before in the chat but you probably wouldn't remember. I hope I'm not intruding, I just didn't want to be alone tonight and thought since the invitation was open..." Stopping himself from rambling further he stepped closer to the figure in question. "I... I think you know what I am."

@minseok k。ᵈᵘˢᵗ²ᵈᵘˢᵗ Alas, the night was young and the midnight fog was just beginning to roll in from the mountains. It was the best time of night as it was approaching the witching hour quite quickly. Already having met two wolves enjoying their time during their blessed full moon, Bobae found himself eagerly passing gravestones. To most he would look a dark, slender ghost of which traversed the cemetery grounds night after night. Haunting those who peacefully live in eternal slumber. However, Bobae was not a ghost at all. He had been so peacefully humming a soft tune to himself when a voice tickles his senses. Mayhaps he received another canine visitor? Without hesitation the being appeared a few feet from the source of sound, his shadowy features crinkling at what he saw. Curiosity burns inside of his chest - the same emotion that lead him to speak out. "You know my name, but you do not smell of a wolf... welcome."

@bobae k。ˢᶜʸᵗʰᵉ It was late. The sun had long fallen from the sky replaced with the bright silver of the glorious full moon and twinkling stars dotting the night skies. It would have been beautiful under average circumstances but Minseok was alone, wandering towards a path of sacred ground in search of the guardian that had sent out the invitation. In truth it had been intended for the wolves of the community but the phoenix couldn't deny his own intrigue in the matter which led to his current predicament. Coal rimmed feline orbs peered through the darkness in search of a familiar face; or rather, an unfamiliar one that he only recognized through the miniature display picture of the dating app used by nearly the entirety of Magnolia's citizens. "Bobae? Please tell me you're actually here and I'm not roaming around a graveyard for nothing..." Though he wasn't afraid of the dead, of being in a place filled with long lost souls, it was a little unsettling being reminded that he was here all alone.

@jimin p。ʲᶦᵐʲᵃᵐ "Hmmm. Maybe you should take up hiking, or go see Dove for some Yoga lessons. Do something physical that will help your perspective. Sometimes in my worst moments, a walk in nature can recharge me, I bet spending a lot of time doing that could only help even more."
Yoongi suggested, crouching down to try and read the old engraving on the headstone. -

@yoongi m。ᵃᵍᵘˢᵗᵈ “Potions and magic. That’s what makes me happy and I enjoy but even now it feels suffocating.” Sighs deeply and takes a seat upon a tombstone. “Maybe I do need to try something new but what? I’m not good at anything else. And I know. But there’s no point in both of us being off or not happy because of my dumb head. He’s been working a lot anyways so it’s easy to slide it past him. We really only see each other when we’re going to bed.”

@jimin p。ʲᶦᵐʲᵃᵐ Yoongi was quiet for a few moments as he digested what Jimin said. "Mm...you know... I wonder when was the last time you did something you enjoyed? You don't talk about any hobbies really. Maybe it's time to revisit something, or try something new. I've learned lately as well that... When you have a partner who cares for you, it's sometimes better to let them worry for the real reason you aren't okay, than to have them fret over the possibilities, or in some cases, they feel unwanted. Sometimes you have to let them worry about a silly thing they can't do much about so it doesn't become deeper. "

@yoongi m。ᵃᵍᵘˢᵗᵈ “I just don’t want to worry Kookie, he can sense when I’m off. Like he’s always on it. I don’t want him to worry his pretty head over something I can’t change. Not only that , I want to feel like me. It’s so frustrating feeling like a whole different person and you can’t do anything about it,”

@jimin p。ʲᶦᵐʲᵃᵐ "Ah, yeah. Sometimes you're just empty for a little while. I spent a lot of my teenage years feeling like that. I still get a few days here or there where you just can't even give the worst of yourself because there's just not enough of you left in your soul. You'll recharge in time. The changing of the seasons can be a hard time." Yoongi kept close to Jimin as they walked, ears twitching a little beneath his knit cap.

@yoongi m。ᵃᵍᵘˢᵗᵈ Jimin ponders the words in his head still not completely sure. He looks down between them to their hands, squeezing back. “Yeah I guess you could say that. I mean I’m not myself. My sense of humor is gone and I hate it. I wanna make people laugh. But I feel like a ing walking corpse.”

@jimin p。ʲᶦᵐʲᵃᵐ Slowing down a bit and looking at Jimin, Yoongi considered something for a moment before reaching over to take his friends hand, squeezing it gently.
"you feel apathetic and bothered because you feel like you're supposed to feel something the rest of the time?" Yoongi guessed in a gentle tone.

@yoongi m。ᵃᵍᵘˢᵗᵈ He follows behind the Yoongi breathing in the crisp air, “actually I just- I dunno. Like nothing’s wrong but I feel nothing kinda? It’s weird. The only time I feel things is with kook but I truly have no desire for anything else. Which is weird? I’ve been in this slump for a whole week now.”

@jimin p。ʲᶦᵐʲᵃᵐ "ah, I totally understand." Yoongi agreed. "I was relieved you didn't want the bar. I don't have a great alcohol tolerance." He went into the hug easily, squeezing Jimin for a moment before leaning back and stepping towards the path the head in.

@yoongi m。ᵃᵍᵘˢᵗᵈ “Yeah I’m okay. Honestly, there’s nothing else open and I don’t wanna be near alcohol.” He admits a little sheepishly. He surges forward to hug his friend, squeezing him. “I just wanted to talk in a more quiet space anyways.”

@jimin p。ʲᶦᵐʲᵃᵐ Bouncing a little on his heels, Yoongi perks up when he sees Jimin, offering his friend a warm smile even if his nose is a little pink. "Jiminie babe~ hey. You doing okay? Why'd you wanna meet here?"

@yoongi m。ᵃᵍᵘˢᵗᵈ Jimin takes the bus to the bookstore then walks the rest of the way over to the cemetery. He shoves his hands in his hoodie pockets hoping his thick sweats are able to fight off the cold night air. A smile takes over his face upon seeing Yoongi. “Ayeeeeee, Yoongles.”

@jimin p。ʲᶦᵐʲᵃᵐ After a quick drive over to the Cemetery, Yoongi parked and got out, looking around with a confus d frown and a bit of a shiver. He pulled his scarf out of the car before heading to the gate to meet Jimin. While he waited and looked around, he wrapped the thick scarf around his neck.

@yukhei w。ᵈˣˡˡˣʰˣⁿ "no problem," soojung replied smoothly, though she wondered why yukhei couldn't have possibly done the same thing she did. weren't headless beings more intimidating than ghosts with broken legs? granted, her broken bones weren't visible and it wasn't as though they stuck out of her flesh on a daily basis, but that just strengthened her point even more. "maybe with enough practice, you can do it as well," she offered, suppoedly words of encouragement, though she doubted that it would be of any help. after all, she herself didn't even have to practice for this — perhaps animals were simply more terrified of those that they couldn't touch.

how unfortunate for yukhei, then.

she blinked in surprise, as she watched his head (literally) fall in front of her. her eyes immediately twinkled with curiosity, unmasked interest washing over her pupils as she crouched down, making sure that her skirt was placed comfortably in between her thighs and legs. there wasn't even a hint of hesitation when she reached her hands out toward yukhei's head, cupping his cheeks and she lifted him up with ease. to her surprise, it was light. maybe because... yukhei wasn't alive anymore? most of the dead people she met were either completely weightless or as light as a feather.

or perhaps it was because she was a ghost herself, and things such as gravity didn't apply to her anymore. whichever the reason, she didn't truly care. she was more curious about how being a dullahan worked. it wasn't everyday she met one, after all. without even a warning, she lifted him up even more and she tilted her head, trying to look underneath him. the neck wasn't severed as cleanly as she expected (as for how she recognized it, she'd credit it to all the medical books she'd read back in the days), and briefly, she entertained the thought of asking yukhei about it.

she didn't. she knew how uncomfortable it could be to ask about someone's death. even she hadn't completely moved on from how she died. she didn't think she'd be able to do that anytime soon, anyway.

instead, she stood up from her position, and she turned the head around, holding it to her chest. "how should i help you, though?" she asked, positioning the head so that he could see his body... if that was how it worked. "you should really work on your stitches," she said, and walked nearer the tree. if need be, she'd be prepared to catch his body as well — she doubted she'd have any problems with that. "or have you ever thought of asking someone to... permanently glue your head to your neck?"

@soojung j。ᵏʳʸˢᵗᵃˡˡᶦⁿᵉ although it had surely been only a minute or two since yukhei had sent the message, it honestly felt like ages the longer he clung to the branches, attempting to keep all his limbs from the snapping jaws of the wolves. soojung /had/ to be nearby, right? she had to reply eventually, and even though she was a ghost (from what he could remember), maybe she'd be able to do something. he didn't know much about ghosts, really - even if his job was to turn people into ghosts. he didn't know much, really, but still - he needed help from /someone./

and help was received, eventually. yukhei spotted the girl from the top of the tree, hearing her drawl. she didn't seem to be making fun of him, given how rather... apathetic she seemed to the whole situation. after all, it wasn't every day someone saw a fully grown man stuck in the branches of a tree. but still, yukhei couldn't help but be rather defensive about the whole thing - climbing the tree was his reflex, damn it. "hello to you too," he huffed, shaking his head in an attempt to seem dignified, even in his current situation. "i can't help that they're such es just because i'm dead."

yukhei watched as soojung focused her gaze on the wolves, his eyes widening as they scurried away after a single gaze from the girl. damn. ghosts could do that? actually... could he do that? yukhei knew animals hated him because they were afraid of him, yes, but could he... actually intimidate them into running away? he'd always felt too guilty to do anything to animals even as he got mauled by them - plus, he didn't think he was exactly the most intimidating guy. he could barely keep his head on his shoulders, for 's sake.

"thanks, i needed that," he sighed in relief, already beginning to make his way down the branches of the tree. however, one tiny little thing bothered him - in his struggle to scale the tree as quickly as possible, his stitches had gotten loose. he'd planned to fix them when he got home, or to take his head off his shoulders and carry it around on the date (soojung was dead, too - she had to understand, right?), but what he didn't expect was for it to become almost completely loose while he was still on the tree.

and so, yukhei's head fell off his body, landing on the ground in front of soojung with a painful thud.

"," he cursed. damn it, he must look like a fool now - first, he was stranded in a nearby tree, and now his head had quite literally fallen off his shoulders. to others, it may seem gross, but to yukhei, he knew what he looked like - a joke.

which wasn't right - he was the headless ing horseman, for 's sake.

and clearly, soojung could see that right now.

"yeah, uh, would you mind helping me out a bit more?" he asked the ghost, swallowing his pride. "i can't really see , and i need to get my head back on my body, so..."

@yukhei w。ᵈˣˡˡˣʰˣⁿ soojung's steps were light and soundless as she walked out of town, toward the cemetery. it was a location she had only jokingly suggested, not even serious in the slightest, but to her surprise, yukhei actually said yes to it. now about the man himself, she knew very little about him, other than the fact that he was a dullahan. surprisingly (or perhaps not?), she was quite knowledgeable about his kind. she had read quite a lot of books about them, and had met one or two before she arrived in magnolia springs. and it seemed as though there was something spreading throughout the town... she wasn't affected just yet, as she hadn't smelled anything yet so far.

or who knows? being a ghost dulled a lot of things for her.

she blinked in surprise when her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket, and she quickly slid it out. her eyebrow raised in confusion as she read yukhei's message. 'a small problem?' she repeated in her mind, mindlessly walking toward the cemetery. the eerie atmosphere of the place didn't bother her in the slightest (why would she even be bothered? she was a ghost, first and foremost; almost nothing scared her at this point of her life), and she quite literally passed through the graves as she typed in a reply.

from: krystalline
to: dxllxhxn
what small problem?

however, she didn't even get the chance to press send, the faint growling reaching her ears. she raised an eyebrow and looked up from her phone. wolves in the cemetery at this time? it wasn't the first time she'd met wolves in the cemetery (and she stayed in one quite a lot; don't ask why), but she didn't think there'd be wolves around here... oh well. she immediately went to the source of the sound, and what greeted her was something she didn't think she'd ever see in her death.

there was yukhei, on top of a branch, and a trio of werewolves underneath, glaring. oh, she thought to herself. animals truly disliked yukhei, didn't he? she could recall going into the chatroom and seeing that conversation. "heeeh," she drawled out, shoulders slumping, before she headed toward yukhei's tree. the wolves, most likely sensing the rather uncomfortable aura the ghost had, moved to give way to her, attention now onto the dead lady. "animals hate you this much, huh?" she said, and she turned to look at the wolves.

yukhei wasn't the only one that animals disliked. soojung was feared by them, being completely dead, and so she narrowed her eyes at them, her aura intensifying to the point of suffocation and fear. it was more than enough to send the wolves running away, back into the forest where they belonged. she heaved a sigh (even if, technically, she didn't need to breathe), and tilted her head up. "you can come down now."

@soojung j。ᵏʳʸˢᵗᵃˡˡᶦⁿᵉ yukhei honestly regretted coming out here at all.

sure, he'd downloaded the app in hopes of meeting new people like him, but now that he was hunched over in the large branches of one of the trees in a goddamn cemetery, of all places - yukhei was starting to wonder whether downloading that app or not had been worth it. at first, sure, he'd been weirded out by the strange location his date had proposed, considering the fact that the two of them were quite dead, but that was fine. maybe soojung just liked cemeteries, he didn't know - despite the fact that he was a bit more irritated than he usually was, he had never been the type of person to judge someone based on their interests.

and that would have been fine - at least, until he'd spotted the wolves.

it was a well known fact that animals hated him - hated all dead supernatural beings, in fact. they just seemed to have an extreme hatred for him. maybe it was because he was quite undead, he didn't know - but what he did know was that he'd rather not get bitten and scratched and cut open by some sharp teeth. animals could actually harm him, unlike ghosts - which is why he'd decided to make a run for it before they saw him. but of course, wolves had pretty keen senses. as soon as he turned around, they started coming for him.

his reaction, of course, was to scale the nearest tree as fast as humanly (zombie-ly? dullahan-ly? headless horsemanly?) possible. he got by with absolutely no wolf bites, but the fact remained - the wolves weren't going away any time soon. which meant that he was stuck here. in this damn tree.

but maybe not. after all, he /had/ come here to meet someone, hadn't he? sure, he was late by nearly ten minutes, but maybe she could help him. how, he didn't know, but yukhei was damn desperate. he was pretty sure that wolves had rabies- and even though he couldn't get sick, yukhei would rather not risk the mutilation of his limbs or something; he already had his decapitated head to deal with.

pulling out his phone from his pocket, yukhei began to type out a message.

from: dxllxhxn
to: krystalline
hey so i know i'm late but i kinda have a small problem