▸　❛ rooftop

@❛ changmin shim。 lithe digits clasp at a cup of chamomile tea, winsome doe eyes glazed over with fervor as the girl makes her way to the rooftop, a woolen cardigan pulled over her thin shoulders. the combination of a picturesque sky, a glacial breeze that caresses honeyed skin, and a cup of warm tea would certainly assuage her meek soul, right? for that's what she desperately hoped for. melancholic days that entranced the girl into inebriating bouts of introspection and instances of blatant disassociation bring her forth to stand atop the rooftop, loving irises kissed with chocolate scanning over the empyrean blanket of a sky, effervescing with scintillating stars that enrapture all the love and affection there is to give.

her one place of solace, a sweet reverie that steals her away from the misfortunes and downfalls of a reality all too vexing. feeble sentiments are lodged in the back of and render her breathless - she wants to shut her eyes to a dim realm, cover her face, and yet an escape is impossible; all exits are blocked and her vulnerable, frail self is left in solitude within the confines of a tenebrous labyrinth. even the cream bandages laid out across her covered wrist, still healing from a recent act of self-harm, is an all too heavy reminder of the girl's recklessness and frailty.

a sharp inhale of that frigid night air draws yein back in, collecting the splintered shards of her mind. for a short-lived moment are roseate tiers upturned into a benign smile at the sight of a resplendent world that all at once seemed to appease her, filching conceptualizations that were always black-hearted and hefty in matter. standing at the doorway of the rooftop do the female's eyes linger across the obsidian night sky in sheer adulation before falling across a familiar figure standing beside the railings that line the rooftop.

"officer shim." her voice is placid in comparison to the booming voice that always seemed to greet the officer in differing tones of elation, and ochre orbs that seemed to always illuminate with life are, for once, quite sullen and dull. "mind if i join you?"

⎡ ᴊᴜɴɢ ʏᴇɪɴ's sᴄᴀᴠᴇɴɢᴇʀ ʜᴜɴᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘ.ɪ. | ᴍᴏᴠᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ 7/10, "ᴍɪɴᴜᴇᴛ." ⎦— rooftop

will you accept me, for who i am? with all my fractured shards and marble, doe eyes that have only known how to wear a facade, feign personalities i could never consider my true self? a veil of sheer silk, a cosmic persona i wear—a sonorous hiraeth. lustrous scintillae coruscate this corrupted labyrinth of mirrors like staggering phosphenes that ache the irises.

to proceed, head on over to: where it should have all began—the lost thread.

+ the letter is handwritten and taped against the railing alongside the rooftop, a stem of fabaceae (leguminosae), “wisteria,” taped to the backside.

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@❛ baekhyun byun。 "aw, come on now - i believe naeun already has that as my contact name." lips graced with timorousness are pressed together in a forced smile at the attempt of a joke. while she figured it didn't do much for the two, she still couldn't help but appreciate the effort - anything for these two broken souls would help tremendously at this point. at least, that's what she was desperately hoping. another slow sip of that delectable ambrosia seeps into and assuages all worries for a short-lived moment before the girl manages to focus upon her dear friend once more. had she been her usual self, apprehensive irises of dark bistre would have narrowed with their entirety of luminescence sparking from within. eyebrows knitted together paired with such a look of umber orbs would have given a dreary look of anguish. but instead, there's a deep pang from within the frail girl's chest, a plethora of vexation at the sentiment of...empathy, in truly being able to relate with this man, rather than purely sympathize. "i can only wonder how many of us tenants here are orphans..." that sepulchral gaze remains upon the horizon of peach and cerise. while the topics of their discussion remain dismal, nebulous, doe eyes effervesce with avidity at the realm all too bewitching for her harrowed soul to forget. the fine aestheticism of fulgent hues too enrapturing for the demure shards of her tainted core emanate sedulous words of serenity, carefully spoken in a hushed whisper - tantalizing zephyrs that caress honeyed skin with a tender touch. "four years ago, my parents were..." a grit of the teeth causes a pit of despondency to coil within her gut, nearly exuding a groan with undertones of exasperation. agonizing seconds ticking by on the clock pertain to the girl's assiduous convening of heartrending emotions that had once only been lain out before her as mere conceptualizations she never fathomed to suffer beneath; an incessant maelstrom of malformed cogitations. "...they were murdered. even today, the killer runs loose as i sit here with a broken heart." a festering shaky voice gives out to a hitch of her breath, tugged back into with a hard gulp. "i was...blamed for their deaths, suspected of having done such a terrible deed. it was...hard to trust for years - that's why i can't help but constantly blame myself when it comes to things like this. so no matter what, i'm glad you've decided to stick by my side, baekhyun. it truly means a lot, even if i can't express it like so. and because you've suffered as well, i'm sorry."

@❛ yein jung。 the dark haired male allows himself a weary sigh before he sits himself down next to the petite female, fingers reddened from the cold surface of his bottle. "maybe i should change your contact name— to lightweight yein." what leaves his lips is a tried joke, though his voice is dry, as though his parched throat had been touched for the first time by the alcohol that poured from his bottle. he ignores her apology, it seemed that she had spent so much time being stubborn, refusing to apologize for any of the chaos she had caused between their acquaintances, that now the dam had been cracked. "can i blurt something random?" he questions without an answer, as he soon continues after another swig of his drink: "it's my mom's tenth death anniversary. so let's be orphans together."

@❛ vernon chwe。 After a long day of work, Soonyoung only had one thing on his mind: to go upstairs and see sweet Cali. Cali was the name he'd given the apartment's stray cat, a gorgeous little calico with the most piercing green eyes. Despite not having much luck making friends with any actual residents yet, he always knew that when he came to unwind, he'd have Cali to look forward to. He goes to his apartment and grabs a can of cat food before he heads up to the roof, a smile spreading on his face as he sees the kitten sitting obediently, as if waiting for him. Soonyoung walks up slowly, not wanting to scare her away, and slowly places down the food, crouching beside her as she eats. "There you go, good girl," He cooes over her as he tentatively starts to pet her soft fur, only getting bolder with his affection when she adjusts to his presence. "Eat well, Cali, I hope you like this kind~" Maybe he should be embarrassed for talking to a cat so lovingly, but he doesn't care much. It was just him and her, so he could be as ridiculous as he was so inclined to be.

@❛ baekhyun byun。 "...okay, maybe i /am/ lying. but i'm trying...so i appreciate it." a lighthearted smile adorns the girl's PALE COUNTENANCE as THIN DIGITS grasp ahold of the pack of tissues, firstly taking a sheet of paper in blotting at her visage and teary eyes. breaking out of her depressive bubble for a short-lived moment does yein take the bottle of beer from the male and laugh softly, only nodding her head. "i know, i know. because i'm lightweight, hm?" SACCHARINE TIERS meet that INEBRIATING, SWEET NECTAR and an audible sigh is exuded from past PLUSH, ROSE-STAINED LIPS upon taking a swig of the beverage. "i suppose it might be good if we talk about ourselves. i kinda blurted out random stuff, like my parents passing away and all that, so sorry..."

@❛ jooheon lee。 "Yes, I want that batch done in warehouse #3, not #2... Well because warehouse #2 contains nuts for our body and face scrubs, and it would not be following code to produce our new line of soaps near those allergens," and with a calm, yet firm tone of voice, Nicole mumbled a 'yeah, bye' into her iPhone and hung it up. Sat down at a glass table with four chairs surrounding it, the do-it-herself businesswoman sat perched with her work sprawled across her station with her laptop right in front of her. Focusing her attention back to the screen, she finished typing out her last email for the night; a notice to her head staff that she would like to hold a Skype call within the next week to discuss the distribution and future sale of their new soap line. Having already sent out the product samples to her core staff, she finished the email just in time to hear the semi-loud crash of the roof top door closing behind two sets of feet- well, rather one set that was resting, and the other running around without a thought of stopping.

A small smile was pressed on her lips, but was quickly drawn away by the papers in front of Nicole that sang to her of their 'urgency', and with a quick flip of the wrist, she picked her pen up to start reading through the fine lines, waiting to sign the signature upon her finishing. As if on cue, her attention is drawn away from the stack in front of her at the sound of a familiar tone. Turning in her seat to face the caretaker she has grown to appreciate way more than she thought she could, she shrugged her shoulders, emiting a soft hum, "Pretty good.. we're just starting production for a new product that we're pushing out within the next month or so. Our summer line of soaps. We're going for a gentle breeze kind of summer with a lavender, lemon, and oats kind of vibe if you know what I mean. I have a couple of samples left over down in the apartment if you would like some, it would be nice to get some feedback, so it would actually be really helpful-" Realizing she was starting to ramble on, she softly chuckled, waving her hand in the air as if she was waving away her words, "Well.. how are you Jooheon? How's taking care of my little monster?"

@❛ nicole zefanya。 So he had finally got her out of the confines of her own room. Yes, this was not part of his job and it could have been considered as him overstepping his boundaries but from human to human standpoint a suggestion that fresh air would do Nicole good was fair statement. Jooheon kicks away the door stop the had been propping the door open. Still able to open it from the outside he lets the door close behind him. "No more mae- I can't- I'm out of breath. Let's play here for a while." Jooheon's hands were placed over his bent knees as he over in an attempt to catch his breath. What was it with kids and stairs anyway? Why was it so fun to walk up and down a billion times unless the fun was in watching their care taker in immense pain because they clearly were not as fit as the child.

Jooheon exhaled loudly before he straightened up, and he was off once again one step behind Lilamae. His eyes often search for Nicole however, she still seemed so buried in her work. The nature of her job demanded her attention, of course but in the time that he had known the girl, he hadn't actually seen her take a break. A real break at least. Of course she was home a lot of the times he took care of Lilamae, and maybe she did take time for herself, just not that he was aware of. "How's work going?" Jooheon asked, as he sat on the cement floor. Maybe he was intentionally trying to distract her, but in his defense wasn't that the reason agreed to come up anyway? For a well deserved break. The sun set and the wind had brought on a certain chill to the usually hot summer day, but what good is it if it went unnoticed?

@❛ yein jung。 “stop lying,” he responds as soon as her words leave . hands now free, baekhyun reaches into his hoodie pocket and pulls out a small, unopened pack of tissues— he had noted how she had cried so pitifully over the phone, allowing her tears to dry into streaks upon her visage rather than wiping them. handing them to her, he takes a seat next to the tiny female. “lets be sad together,” sighs baekhyun, and he finally allows himself for a moment to come to terms with, and admit, that despite what he had been telling people for the past few days, he is indeed not fine. “try not to drink too much.” lithe diGITS find their way around the neck of a beer bottle and pull the glass closer, only to pop off the cap and push it in yein’s direction. “i won’t hold back, though.” with these words he grabs one of his own, and tilts his head back as he takes a large gulp.

@❛ baekhyun byun。 the sound of gentle footsteps catches yein’s attention, and a lighthearted smile fills the canvas of her face upon coming face-to-face with her friend. “hey, i’m all good now. or we can be sad together, you know.” a soft chuckle elicits past her lips as she beckons baekhyun over, eyeing the drinks in his grasp. “besides, i think it’s only fair i see what you’re like drunk since you uh, have videos of me.”

@❛ yein jung。 having been clad in only his sleepwear when he received yein’s invitation, baekhyun allotted himself some time to make himself presentable— once he only felt like a mess (rather than looking like one), the dark haired male grabbed his gifts and made his way toward the fated rooftop. in his hands he bore his unfinished beer pack and a bottle of tequila (along with its average bearings). eyes finding the petite female’s figure which was illuminated by the capture of the bleeding sky, he slowly sauntered over. “why so down,” his voice dripped with sarcasm as he made his presence known. “let’s cheer up a little.” with these words, he rather heavily showcases the alcohol he has in hand.

@❛ baekhyun byun。 blotches of mauve are entangled within the empyrean sky of orange hues, and though dark auburn irises are filled with a loving and endearing gaze, the girl's mind is anything but. there's a missing shard inside of her dim soul, and she's hoping that perhaps this meeting will assuage her worries, even if just a tiny bit. the fresh pizza she had just ordered sits beside her still in its cardboard box, yein huddling her knees close to her chest as she waits for her friend.

@❛ youngho seo。 dusky tendrils waiver about in the cool breeze felt atop the roof, and darks orbs of ochre are nebulous, doe eyes glossed over with yearning in more ways than what was obvious. treacly temptations bombard her mind and the only thing her brain can possibly register is the private investigator before her, existence so alluring she wanted to forfeit and offer up her entirety; she yearned to give in to those clouds of hazy greed and lust and love and dear god, what other unnamed emotions were wrecking her poor soul that had never felt so much at once before, never felt with so much ardor and zeal. there’s a lump in the back of yein’s throat, heart rate accelerating as cool air hits her back—her grasp around the male’s necktie briefly tightens, and though she’d like to toss her arms around him out of fear, she’s eager to put up a fight and mask her frailty when it came to a fear of heights and, of course, death. “you’re funny...” is all she can make out, nearly a low growl that still waivers as the girl pulls the private eye flush to her body so that she can pepper kisses against his jawline. her breath audibly ragged from the inclining fear pulsing in her chest, and yet she tries her best to hide that, only distracting and indulging herself as lithe digits loosen that silk, obsidian tie, undoing just enough buttons of the shirt beneath so that hazy irises inked like dark coffee can linger over that pale canvas. “don’t mind me then—i’m digging right in.” eyes flutter shut as the lithe girl begins to feast upon that flesh and work on a piece of art, that sultry wet muscle running over the skin of the man’s porcelain skin, dragging the wet sensation until she’s at the crook of his neck, where incisors gently nibble and tease at a patch of skin.

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@❛ yein jung。 that dynamite touch of the woman he held so dear is all but a pistol cocked directly against his heart and demanding to have his all– or else. no natter how much he resists, tries to convince himself not to fall so damn deep for the tantalizing temptations, youngho is no match. the man knows what he wants and in that moment could care less for much else. even if tomorrow would bring a new day, another internal delusion that jung yein has no power over him, today he would relish in the sweet comforts of being driven absolutely ing insane for a girl who had always managed to push all the right buttons. “hm.. i like that sound of that.” despite edging on the brink of danger he maintains his composure as hands grip tight around the other’s tint waistline and hoists up the weight with ease, bringing yein to sit upon the railing. behind her is nothing but cool midnight air and a rather long descendent down to the silent streets below. “i’m not being a coward or running away. so go ahead, prey all you’d like. do your worst.” a wicked smile beckons while the tight grasp keeping her balanced gradually loosens, a single hand smoothing down along her sides until resting upon a thigh. between chapped lips does his cigarette remain burning ever so painstakingly, filling the spave between them with more clouds of grey smoke. still he manages to mumble softly, “i dare you.”

@❛ youngho seo。 “oh, fine. you yourself are practically like a drug to me,” comes out through small gaps of air in their fervent act. her free hand trails up his clothed chest, pale digits coiling around that silky necktie with a gentle tug as if to keep him so stiflingly close, a prisoner of their liplock. it only just hits her how much she had desired this one man through their mess, their ups and their downs—albeit cruel to say, she could easily find another person to place her zealous desires within. but she always found herself coming back to the tenant from B12, truly addicted like a sort of drug or toxin her body always yearned for. the girl with eyes fluttered shut meanders through the private investigator’s lead and, when her back is met with a hard, cold surface, she momentarily breaks the kiss to gaze back; having expected a wall, umber irises are met with the railing barricading her from the dizzying view of the dim ground beneath. a small “oh,” escapes yein’s plush lips, unsure of if she felt aroused or frightened—probably both. “yes, i said i’d like to prey off my greed toward you. why?” per usual, that sickeningly sweet grin of hers teases and beckons, though her voice waivers, unsteady breaths hitched in the back of at their close proximity at the edge of the roof.

@❛ yein jung。 “just face it, honey,” youngho whispers against the very surface of her lips with each kiss they share only lures out and encourages that same old playful demeanor as he all but taunts, “you’re in no position to lecture me on my vices.. you’re one of them.” a teeny tiny voice of reason begs from the back of his mind to leave it at that and simply walk away from the scenario. however the private eye once again opts to fall deeper into an endless pit of passionate impulse without much care for whatever the consequences may be.
it was insanity to continue down this looping path they travel together and he knows it well. maybe that’s why he always finds himself coming back– she drove him absolutely mad and what a lovely feeling it was. in the midst of feverish indulgence the male clutches at her waistline and guides her movements further towards the edge of the rooftop, pressing yein’s backside to lean against the railing as dangerously close as possible. “did you say something about prey?”

@❛ youngho seo。 “that’s only because i drink too. i’m not very fond of the smell of cigarettes.” brows are furrowed for a moment before the girl snatches a taste of those luscious lips, her own tiers lingering against his. “though i suppose i don’t mind the taste of it.” and she’s back to her usual self, stifling a laugh at their amusing interaction she had missed—their intriguing dynamic she could not attain with anyone else so perfectly. “you’re the irresistible one here, seo youngho. do you mind if i prey off that greed for a moment?” hushed whispers are delivered in a sweet singsong voice as the girl coaxes with another intoxicating liplock.

@❛ yein jung。 a brow raises with defiance to the dainty girl’s blatant challenge, though not at all in surprise– already she is back to the same old yein as he had grown familiar with. “it’s hypocritical of you to say that at all. if this were a flask in my hand, you wouldn’t even bat an eye now would you?” the male retorts and yanks away his wrist so that once and for all he may take the first puff; blowing out a tiny ring of smoke that billows forward the dissipates once their lips mesh together. the bittersweet taste of tobacco and cherry gloss lingers where their promise was sealed with love rather than hate, acting as a soft reminder that it’s okay to let down his guard every so often. “you’re irresistable, you know? no better than this damn cigarette. i’m addicted.”

@❛ youngho seo。 the air is hefty for a moment, sultry even, though yein feels that a weight has been lifted off her shoulders—for once, her chest feels light and airy. she’s assuaged and a sigh elicits past plush, rosy lips as she uncoils her lithe digit from their pinky promise to gently grasp the male’s wrist, attached to that of his hand wielding his lighted cigarette.
“hey... you shouldn’t smoke too much. it’s hypocritical of you to say that and then proceed to destroy your lungs.” marble eyes now glazed over with endearment trail over the taller male’s countenance, gaze lingering over that set of tiers she had longed to taste. her lithesome self stands at the tip of her toes, leaning in suffocatingly close to press a gentle, sultry kiss upon lavish, saccharine tiers, an inebriating exchange of a waltz. “i understand and i promise—cross my heart and hope to die.” upturned lips release a small giggle as she finally relaxes for the night.

@❛ yein jung。 of course he got jealous, absolutely green with envy. would youngho ever openly admit to such? not a chance.. at least not now when he was exposing just a tinge of his vulnerabilities, still ever so cautious to keep up some of those invisible boundaries which safeguard him from any further emotional damage. again furrowing his brows with frustration, the male silently scoffs and digs into a pocket to retrieve that same cigarette pack from earlier. he’s tense, agitated, itching for some sort of release; usually he might have sought out comfort in the form of a sugary sweet kiss from the girl he had previously been keen to call his lover. now though? things were different. he could sense himself growing.. attached.
“blaming yourself is not the same as accepting responsibility. don’t let those nasty sort of thoughts take their toll on you, alright? i, uh, appreciate the effort though.” with the flickering of a tiny flame he lights a single stick of death and uses the other free hand to link their pinky fingers together in a pure exchange, a raspy chuckle echoing into the evening breeze. “promise not to steal my again too. that’d be great.”

@❛ youngho seo。 recalling the scenario she had been placed into alongside her pianist friend mere days earlier, yein’s doe eyes dilate ever so slightly at the idea that perhaps youngho has gotten...jealous, though she does not voice those ideas. “it doesn’t matter. i hurt you a couple days ago when i stole your flask. i didn’t realize it meant so much to you, so i’m sorry. i won’t take that apology back.” irises kissed with shades of dark coffee blink at the cement ground, the wetness in her eyes finally drying. “truce. just...promise to tell me if things bother you like that again? i’ll do the same.” a gentle smile laces roseate tiers as the girl lifts a hand to extend a pinky.

@❛ yein jung。 “well i’m no perfect little angel myself, so..” finally the clutch around her wrist loosens until setting her free again. all seems well right up til the very moment she delivers that pathetic apology. “would you shut up?” the male sneers as he towers from high above, beginning to fidget his hands and gnaw habitually against the plush flesh of a lower tier from pure anxiety that builds in rapid pace. “it is not your fault, okay? it’s mine, i– i was.. well i saw you with youngjae and i don’t know what came over me.. and everything else just ticked me off.” in total exasperation does he heave out a shaky sigh and steps back again in fear that the feverish passions brewing within may be carelessly let loose again. “forget it. that’s behind me now. truce?”

@❛ youngho seo。 time seems to stand still in the moment she is held back, breath in the back of , heart frozen in her chest, yet it continues to beat ever so fervently. she stands there gritting her teeth in the solemn night, unsure of what to say now that she had received the confrontation she had been yearning for. she was told perhaps she needed time away from this man to sort her thoughts and let time do its thing, and yet she couldn’t help but to spill forth black-hearted emotions and blame herself for her downfalls.
“n-no, i’m sorry too, for...being reckless... i know I hurt you and—you probably don’t even want to see me right now, i—” that waivering voice diminishes and arms that yearn to take the male into her grasp only remain at her sides. “i never do anything right. i’m sorry.”

@❛ yein jung。 “hey–” just as yein was making a beeline for some way out, hoping to escape the heartache of whatever tensions still lie between them, her wrist is snatched into a steadfast hold which refuses to let her go even an inch further. “don’t. stay.” even still he maintains such vehement grasp, tightening around the fragile skin until he can sense her own heartbeat pulsating against the veins of her wrist. a plethora of mixed emotions floods through chaotic thoughts and the closer he steps, killing icy cool space between them until able to make out those glistening streams of tears that roll down her rosy cheeks, the more he is overcome by remorse.
“you’re right.. i’m a coward. i’ve been lashing out and avoiding my feelings and– well, i’m sorry.”

@❛ youngho seo。 her view of the milky moon further becomes blurry as tears that stain her pale visage threaten to onslaught the girl with an uncontrollable cry of deep anguish that may leave her gasping for air. she’s practically finished for the night, having dismissed all emotions and recalling the kind words comforting tenants offered regarding her situation, though the sound of familiar footsteps clacking up those stairs reels her back in. she doesn’t even have to bat an eye to know who it is on the rooftop beside her before he even speaks—the timbre of that voice she had missed but dared not speak of, and yet she wants to escape it all, disappear into the night sky. eyebrows are knitted together in bitter frustration as yein nips at her trembling lips, clutching her cup of tea in one hand as she attempts to dart for the door in silence, having planned to not utter a single word, albeit transparent that the male had heard her foolish words that bellowed into the glittered sky.

@❛ yein jung。 he needed to just get away from it all– the chaos, neverending mental and emotional torment, every prying eye watching his every move like a hawk and awaiting for the moment he might burst into a billion pieces. so there youngho was leaning up against the wall just outside casia apartments, basking underneath the moonlight and letting midnight breeze brush against honeyed skin like a gentle lover’s touch. in utter silence does he exhale little clouds of hazy smoke as he simply enjoys the peace and quiet while decaying amidst bitter longing.
however that therapeutic smoke break comes to a screeching halt once hearing his very own name echo into the black void above. thick brows knit together in confusion as the male peers up above towards the rooftop. flicking a half–burnt cigarette on the ground and angrily stomping the flame out does he then make his way back inside and climb the levels to answer that agonizing siren’s call. “what the ?” a soft and husky voice inquires as jung yein is instantly recognized, approaching forth with some reluctance. “you want someone to file a noise complaint or something? i could hear you from the street..”