▫ janitor's closet

@† park seonghwa ( not me listening to the song i just posted in inspiration, 'rise' as i type this XD )

Daemon always had this unique quality about them (he didn't want to misgender them, of course), where they could be able to smell or sense the direction of their target. CB97 wasn't quite sure how it worked but he was always amazed by it. He knew the raven was smart. Their species were widely known to be, however he hadn't ever met nor seen a raven until the very second he arrived in South Korea all those years ago. It wasn't entirely his fault, of course, due to being literally sheltered his entire life and only seeing a bubble of what he was allowed to see. Nothing beyond that. So he never got to learn about the outside world and still doing his best to grow accustom to it. It's been years, yes, and he probably should've by now, however - one look at the state of the world right now would be enough of a reason to understand why he's been struggling with it. But that's besides the point. Daemon was pretty much his only guide through the lands and through the cities, and Daemon also never failed to lead him to where he needed to go. Once he learned that, his trust had been earned and they've been inseparable ever since.

Daemon was never his pet, nor will they ever be. And he was never their master, never wanted to be. They were both their own free wills that chose to go this path together as something more than partners. They were friends. And, yes, a part of the hunter felt silly for that. The fact that he chose a damn bird to be his friend over everyone else who attempted to get close was ing comical, and a little pathetic too but that's okay. He honestly didn't really give a if people thought that was weird. The raven was considerably much better company than the others could ever hope of being anyways so he was better off. They established a deep rooted trust for one another that the hunter would (quite literally) have someone's head if they hurt Daemon (because, yes, people have tried). It was the only thing that /really/ pissed him off, and then whoever was behind it would have no mercy given to them. That kind of trust also meant that CB97 trusted Daemon's judgement. The raven also helped him determine whether or not someone was lying to him or if someone was innocent. The raven's judgment was his own judgement but of course they disagreed sometimes, that's a given.

This was a prime example. Daemon really like Seonghwa. And Seonghwa was a vampire. If the guy was at least another hunter then he wouldn't have been so annoyed by it. He was clearly displeased by the other's company, it showed in his heterochromatic hues as they glanced back but he was also in no mood to bother arguing. He was tired, not in a good mood at all, and he just wanted to make sure that girl got back alive. That's all he cared about right now. If Seonghwa was going to tag along, then he better stay out of his way because that would probably be the last straw of his sanity. And /then/ he'd be really ing grumpy.

He hope that message conveyed in his stare before he finally looked to the sky, where Daemon was now flying towards. The hunter watches for a close minute before noticing the signal as they take a smooth dive towards the right. He looks in the direction and it was a path into the woods. Fantastic. That means no riding in his bike. But by the looks of it, Daemon appears to see that they were still very close and that itself was good news. This must have just happened. The timing couldn't have been more perfect - had he actually chosen to agree and take a nap, then the girl probably wouldn't have made it through the night. Determination flares in his veins and he sets off towards the path with haste in his step and a pistol in his hand.

@✠ cb97 Confliction, worry, wand and need versus duty, Seonghwa didn't need to be able to sense emotions to be able to tell that the human was going through it, trying to decide which path to take. He could tell that this hunter was someone who was very much committed to his duty, someone who pushed himself to the brink of exhaustion. He could see it on his face. Looking into the man's eyes, Seonghwa frowned once more, letting him leave the closet for whoever was waiting outside - Seonghwa knew it was a human, and he could sense the worry leave and relief set in once the hunter came out of the closet.

Seonghwa stayed out of sight for the time being, hiding behind a wall as the conversation continued. Only once the other human had left did Seonghwa leave the closet, quickly falling into step with the hunter. He stayed at an arm's distance because he didn't know exactly how well the hunter would appreciate the physical touches. He smiled when the raven on the human's shoulder let out a happy sound at his presence.

Before the hunter could look at him in any certain way, Seonghwa merely held his hands up in mock surrender for a moment. "Don't mind me, I'm just tagging along and making sure you don't collapse. I don't think birdie here would like it very much," he said. He lowered his hands and continued to follow the hunter's path. His mind drifted off to the thought of the rogue the hunter was going after. Rogues. Seonghwa had many thoughts about these divisions among the everyone.

@† park seonghwa Days likes these made the hunter think back to when he had it easy. Back when he lived in the bunker in Australia. A part of him missed it. A part of him wondered if the place was still functional. Maybe another surviving group found it and took shelter. That's what he would hope for, at least. He knew he wanted to go back at some point to visit the graves. It's been a while since he was able to and, given the current state of this place, it probably won't happen for a long time. Months, maybe even years. The guilt of what happened made him keep going back and it drove him toward the path he's on now. The touch of doubt has him wondering if it what he's doing is even worth it. They're gone, he can't change that. Killing vampires won't make it any better, though it will help ease him enough to be able to lay his head down at night. Sometimes, CB97 tells himself that he's doing the right thing even when he doesn't think he is.

The offer was tempting and he won't lie. Diverting whoever it was that was looking for him for the sake of a small nap was impeccably tempting. Being able to lay down after nearly two weeks of non-stop working, even he himself was wondering how the hell he's lasted this long. Maybe if he wasn't mortal then it'd be understandable. However, he was 'fragile' and 'weak' so he needed sustenance and rest in order to be able to function. Having those meant he could do this job well and efficiently and as of lately, he hasn't been all that proud of his work. He's been making mistakes, and making mistakes were not like him. CB97 /needed/ that rest before something monumental happens on his watch. However, what if something happens while he was busy resting? Sure, it won't be his fault but it'll still plague his mind for a couple of nights.

He couldn't. But he promised himself that once these two missions are out of the way, he'll turn his damn phone off and lock all damn doors in his home. Maybe then people would get the hint to leave be for a week. Turning to face the other, he dips his head in a small albeit polite bow, showing his gratitude towards the vampire for even the thought (again, what a concept). 'Don't bother worrying,' his gaze said as his head lifts, eyes locking. 'Don't waste your time.' Seonghwa, huh? So that was his name? He'll make sure to remember that the next time he returns. The hunter lingers for a moment before eventually turning for the door, leaving it open behind him this time as he steps out into the hallway. The person looking for him, obviously another human, sags in relief and dashes over to begin explaining things. Apparently, a rogue that briefly took refuge here took his sister. He didn't have much money to offer but he was /begging/ the hunter to save her. CB97 reaches out and touches his shoulder gently. The contact was unexpected and the male immediately quieted down, wide-eyed. The look he was being given by the hunter was one of reassurance. The little money he had to offer was rejected. And the mute hunter moves past him, letting Daemon fly through the doors first with an enthusiastic caw.

His first mission can wait (as can the vampire who gave it to him). It's hunting time.

@✠ cb97 Seonghwa was thankful during these times that he was a vampire, less susceptible to death than many of the humans were. He ventured out of the facility on occasion and knew that he along with everyone within the facility was lucky to be alive. He knew that not all humans were willing to live in a blood farm, but it was a lot safer than living out on the streets as of late. Having seen the world crumble before his very eyes over the decades and centuries, the vampire was quite saddened by the state of the world now. Oh how things got so very out of hand. He understood how vampires got to the top, but he never wished to abuse that power, hence why he had taken up a much less authoritative job.

As he took in the hunter before him, he could sense the exhaustion, the absolute longing for some peace and quiet. The vampire had definitely noticed how many times the raven and his hunter had been in and out of the facility as of late. It made sense why the hunter must be so exhausted. When the hunter pocketed his knife, Seonghwa relaxed minutely and smiled gently, at both the hunter and the raven. He didn't exactly have a very nice relationship with blades.

He turned to the raven and tilted his head at the comment. Before he could say anything, though, he too heard the commotion outside just as the hunter was leaving and frowned. The hunter was tired, and he was a human. He needed to rest. He ever so softly cleared his throat to grab the man's attention, knowing better than to physically tap his shoulder. "My name is Seonghwa. I'm a janitor here at the facility," he explained, "Hence why we're in here," he added. "I can tell that you're tired... If you'd like, I can send them off in another direction for now. When the coast is clear, we can head back to another room somewhere so you can rest? Perhaps a nap?" he whispered.

@† park seonghwa As of lately, people have been getting on his last nerve, plucking his patience like a freaking banjo. Not only has it been infuriating, it's been stressful. With the uprise in recent vampire attacks, more surviving humans were no longer with them and the hunter has been sworn in left and right to try to handle the damages. To protect, instead of kill (though there were a few odds and ends of course). CB97 would, more times than not, have to a group of humans to the Blood Farm so that they could finally reach safety. And despite his own opinions and thoughts on the place, he's aware there is some good in it; they have been sheltering the humans who live within its walls. It might not be ideal but it was certainly significantly better than living outside. The streets were quickly being swarmed by violent rogues. Even during the day they've been able to land surprise attacks. The hunter was aware that he was one of the very few humans still living outside of the farm's protection, which was troubling and actually brought concern to the people who pay him (what a wild concept; people caring about him).

All in all: he's just exhausted and overworked, teetering on the edge of actually collapsing despite forcing himself to push forward. There were innocents that needed his help, and he wasn't about to turn his back on them just because his body was becoming worn down.

Now that it was just the two of them, he could study the other male closer. The vampire was taller but then again so was everyone he met apparently. His mismatched eyes scanned the other head to toe, methodically slow so he could take in every detail and place judgment accordingly. The fact that Daemon seemed pleased with the vampire's company was enough for him to think things over. Perhaps his exhausted mind was warping his view on reality. Sleep exhaustion was never a fun thing to deal with when you're carrying weapons nearly 24/7. Sighing deeply, CB97 eventually pocketed the dagger and the little raven makes a soft rumble of contentment. With his anger now subsided, now he was just curious. Normally, Daemon stayed perched on his shoulder simply because it didn't like flying around. The separation anxiety it had when it came to the hunter was pretty bad, ever since that one fateful day a few months ago (mission went awry, they got separated somehow and when Daemon finally found him, he was on death's door). To see his feathered friend enjoying company that wasn't his own sparked some interest. Good interest, at least.

'Curious.' Daemon cawed softly, head cocked to the side as it watched the hunter observe the vampire. 'Very curious.' Deciding it was time to go, he has a mission after all, CB97 turns for the door and unlocks it just as some commotion could be heard just outside in the hallway. Someone was looking for him, asking around to see where he went in hopes of catching him for an 'utmost important urgency.' The hunter bristles for a second before emitting a quiet groan, pressing his forehead against the door for a couple of seconds as though to both drown in his own turmoil and also try to reel his broiling irritation. He just wanted some ing sleep.

@✠ cb97 Seonghwa had made eye contact plenty of times with the human, but never had he been the target of such anger and distrust from him before. Perhaps wary and a little confusion was what he had felt in their previous moments where their gazes met, but never this level of anger and annoyance. He could feel the human's emotions even from a distance, so when he basically charged down towards Seonghwa, he simply was surprised and even let the man shove him back into the closet. He watched on in surprise as the man locked the door as well and spun back around to face him.

The vampire eyed the dagger in the other's hand, then to the man's eyes and then once more to the raven. He understood what it was saying and furrowed his brows as he turned back to the man. "I did not mean to anger you. I can assure you that I do not hold anything against you. You just have a very sweet raven friend..." he said calmly, slowly even to make sure the human understood that he really had no bad intentions towards him. He stood there, still as a statue as he thought about what might have caused such a reaction. "I suppose I have been told that I have a- what was it called? A resting face? Well anyway, I've been told that my resting face is a little... intimidating. I apologise if it's made you uncomfortable in any way," he explained.

He didn't bother swearing anything to this man. He knew the human was a hunter, had heard stories every now and again about a man who fit his description. Seeing the earlier exchange just proved the stories to be true. Seonghwa had nothing against hunters, they were doing what they thought was right, and he knew that there was a very low chance of him becoming the target of them. Well, he supposed that that low chance probably was the man in front of him. "Your raven friend really does care about you. It always is around wherever you seem to be. I don't know too many wild birds who willingly come indoors just for a person," he commented, looking over at the raven when he noticed it looking just a tiny bit more settled.

@† park seonghwa He never enjoyed coming down to this place, yet avoiding it was even trickier. Most of the people who employ him reside within these walls. To the hunter, it reminded him more of a cage than a blanket of safety. He never did like being locked up when he clearly had his own agenda. Sometimes, he'd be instructed to work undercover. Other times, it was the rather interesting mission of a vampire paying him to kill another vampire that pissed them off. For some reason, this always amused the hunter; even they have it out for one another. The Blood Farm only seemed to give him more of a reason to not trust anyone, whether they be a vampire, hunter, or just a regular human struggling to survive.

The world has plunged itself into chaos and he wants no part of it.

The man who handed him the contract this time was another vampire. Apparently, an old flame was acting up and it was causing a scene. They wanted it handled and were willing to pay a hefty sum for it. He couldn't help but stare at the rather heavy pouch in his hands for a moment before looking up at the vampire with a cocked brow, as if to double check that they were actually okay with this amount. It was considerably much more than he was normally paid. And the guy actually takes a bit offense to that and ends up stacking some bills into his hand with a snappy, "That enough for you, hunter? You'll get the other half when you return." Other half? Man, this guy really wanted his ex dead.

Something caught his peripheral and then he noticed someone lingering down the hall. He recognized them. Although they had yet to interact, the hunter has seen him around every single time he's ever had to come here. Somehow, they'd end up in the same area and every time CB97 would look up, they'd make eye contact. At first, it never bothered him. A lot of vampires eyed him, not just because he was a hunter, but because his blood type. However, the more he saw the other vampire, the more he felt like something was up. Not only would Daemon leave its usual perch on his shoulder and fly over to them, but the bird sometimes would appear almost reluctant to leave. It was starting to piss him off. So as the vampire in front of him finishes giving some other tidbits of information and walks away, the hunter turns on his heels with a menacing glare. Practically charging down the hall and shoving him into the janitor's closet, CB97 shuts the door behind them then locks it before turning to face him. Specialized dagger in hand, mismatched eyes piercing as they bore into vampire before him; displeased and angry. Daemon caws softly, flapping its wings as it returns to rest on his shoulder.

'Angry. Distrustful. Wants answers.'

@✠ cb97 For a little while now, Seonghwa had noticed a new resident at the blood farm, one which was neither human or vampire, but a raven. The vampire being the animal lover that he was, he immediately noticed it's presence one day when he was out in the garden to admire the flowers and nature in general. Funnily enough, with the raven's presence, came one of the humans too. Seonghwa had yet to interact with the human, but he knew enough from the raven itself that it was the human's companion. He could feel the affection from the raven, as well as understand it when it would say it's short phrases to Seonghwa.

Seonghwa had yet to interact with the human, but he had definitely seen the human around enough to know that he seemed to come and go from the blood farm on the odd occasion. It was intriguing since Seonghwa knew most of the humans at the blood farm were content enough not to venture out so much - and from the visits Seonghwa had made out to the city, he could understand why most of the humans stayed at the facility.

It was another day, Seonghwa was just coming out of the janitor's closet after checking and putting away some of his equipment when the raven, which he affectionately called 'birdie' land on the top edge of the closet's door. The vampire looked up and greeted the black bird with a sweet, "Hey birdie," before looking around to see if the human was around, and lo and behold, he was just down the corridor. Seonghwa looked over at the human who seemed to just be finishing up a conversation with another resident vampire. It was so curious.

@☨ lee taemin Being a frequent visitor to the medical wing, it was only natural for Hyunjin to have heard of the gossiping both humans and vampires mentioning a certain nurse, particularly hostile to his kind. Thankfully he had been lucky enough not to meet him yet but it seemed like his luck wouldn't last for long. As he was trying to catch up his breath he noticed a vampire nurse was already inside and he stood up quickly, dusting off his clothes in an awkward manner. "Oh...hey...so this isn't the restroom. Sorry must be the concussion." He rubbed the back of his head nervously, acting as if he was completely clueless. Playing dumb was his forte. "So~...what's new around here? How's doc Josh?" He asked with a casual tone as he leaned his back against the wall and forced a friendly smile on his face even though he was actually struggling to compare whether he preferred dying from an evil nurse or a pissed macho businessman twice his size. He opted for the androgynous guy in front of him, even though he seemed dangerous as well, he was less likely to go all Rey Mysterio on him.

@☩ hwang hyunjin if there was anything Taemin despised more than humans, it would have to be his job as a nurse. He hated that his mother forced him into nursing school and she told him to join the blood facility. She knew how he acted amongst humans, yet she didn't give a second thought upon signing him up for the occupation. Due to the academy he went to, Taemin earned many awards and certificates underneath his belt. He almost could have been a doctor but his mother opted for him to join the more physical approach of being a male nurse. At the facility Taemin was assigned humans and he was known for being rough with them when it came to drawing blood. He wouldn't warn them of the IV needle invading their skin while he inserted it. Thus, the long-haired male was demoted temporarily to a janitor for a week. He could have been suspended without pay, however the hospital management came to an agreement with him. He stood inside of the janitor's closet searching for a cleanser that would clean off blood from a patient's bed when he heard the door shut. He turned his head over his shoulder; immediately he smelt a human. Their disgusting scent brought a scrunch to his nose. Silently, the androgynous male creeped towards the direction of the human's form and their scent. He saw them against the wall of the door seated on the ground. "Hey," Taemin called out to the other, "What the hell are you doing in here?"

@☨ lee taemin Hyunjin walked out of the blood donating room with a smug smirk on his face as he rolled a wristwatch around his index finger. The vampire once again was too intoxicated with his blood to notice his personal belonging missing. Under other circumstances he would have already made a run for it but he was kind of dizzy, the er must have more than he was supposed to. It didn't take long for the thief to hear a gasp and without a second thought he started running through the corridor, past the medical wing. Thinking no one saw him he quickly entered the janitor's closet, closing the door carefully as he slid down the wall, his elbows resting on his bent knees for support. "That was close." He chuckled to himself through his heavy breathing, silently cursing the headache that had overwhelmed him from the blood loss.