‣ cloud recesses

@☁︎┊lan joohyun ᵇ sehun's gaze lingered on the gravestone, catching the faint glimmer of sparkles in the etched lettering. ' what about marble?' he mused aloud, his tone thoughtful but resolute. ' it’s not like it’s going to survive only a year. ' his words carried a touch of practicality, but the protective way he wrapped his arms around joohyun spoke volumes about where his priorities truly lay.

the weather of gusu lan was merciless, and the biting cold finally began to register when his hands ached for the warmth of his gloves. he adjusted his grip on joohyun, holding her closer against the chill. his sharp eyes softened as he caught her expression. ' his what? ' he repeated, startled, his brows knitting together. the question hung between them, unanswered, as the icy wind pressed on.

sehun glanced down at his sister again, his tone turning gentle yet decisive. ' do you want to go back to our old house? you still have the keys, don’t you? it’s probably time someone cleaned the dust out of that place.' a flicker of mischief crossed his face, lightening the moment. ' and we can check if anyone’s dared to trespass, though I doubt anyone would. '

with a final, somber look at the gravestone, sehun turned away, guiding joohyun down the hill. the slope was slick from frost, but his steady grip on her arm ensured she wouldn’t slip. their cars waited in the distance, the sight of them promising shelter and warmth.

sehun’s steps were sure, but he couldn’t resist one last glance over his shoulder at the grave. the memories weighed heavy, but his sister’s presence anchored him. together, they moved forward, the past behind them and the road stretching ahead.

@☁︎┊lan sehun ᵃ Joohyun glanced at Sehun when he pointed out the worn gravestone of their beloved father, "What kind of material does he liked?" She asked the other before looking back at the gravestone. She leaned more towards her brother for warmth as the weather is getting colder every day, "I just cleaned his grave before you arrived," Joohyun pouted at him. "Plus I think he's fine with it." She told before cuddling her brother.

"You know, Sese." She uttered before looking back at him, "Dad wanted to give you something before he..." Joohyun pauses before continuing again. "Before he was arrested and all of the excitement was forgotten because of it." Then she holds Sehun's hand tightly, "But I know where he kept it." She smiled at him.

@☁︎┊lan joohyun ᵇ sehun's frown deepened at joohyun’s words. she looked lighter somehow, as if the weight of the world had left her physically drained. yet, the tired shadows under her eyes, masked beneath layers of expensive concealer, spoke the truth. gently, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, rubbing it in slow, soothing circles. she leaned into him, her frame fragile against his solid presence.

sehun took a slow sip from his cold drink, his eyes falling on the grave before them. the grim look on his face mirrored the heaviness of the moment. he knew exactly where her thoughts had wandered - they lingered in the unspoken corners of grief, tangled with guilt and lingering what-ifs.

' it wasn’t your fault, ' he said softly, his voice firm yet gentle. his gaze shifted to the bundle of incense sticks in her hand. with a quiet nod, he took one, lighting its tip before driving it into the frozen ground near the cobblestone marker etched with their father’s name. the flame flickered briefly before steadying, sending delicate threads of smoke into the icy air.

' do you think we should replace this?' he asked, gesturing to the weathered stone. ' it’s looking old… maybe something new, something he would’ve liked.' his words carried a faint smile, though his cheeks were flushed pink from the biting cold.

@☁︎┊lan sehun ᵃ "He would. Dad always tells us to be strong, and he wasn't wrong with that." Joohyun leaned close to her brother with her head rested on his chest as they glanced at the marbled grave of their father, it would have been different if Joohyun was born from other packs aside from Qishan Wen, they would have been with their father by now.

"I'm having troubles sleeping, as always." She turned to look at Sehun, she smiled at him before she pinches his cheek gently, "You get a little chubby, you must have eaten a lot lately." Joohyun teased the other before looking at the incense before giving a stick for him to light it, "You need to light these up, I bought them in a local store. It would make our dad more happy with it." She giggled a bit before arranging the flowers that Sehun brought with him.

@☁︎┊lan joohyun ᵇ sehun’s gaze softened as it lingered on the weathered photograph resting against the gravestone. the image captured a simpler time—he and joohyun as children, wide-eyed and full of life, standing proudly beside their father. now, only memories remained, etched into the stone beneath his feet.

a bouquet of white lilies was tucked carefully under his arm, the delicate flowers wrapped in humble brown paper. he took a slow sip from the cup in his hand, the warm tea battling the biting chill of the gusu air. his father’s name, carved into the cobblestone, gleamed faintly under the pale winter sunlight.

sehun crouched and placed the lilies gently beside the pot of flowers joohyun had brought earlier, their contrasting colors creating a quiet harmony. his father had been a fine man—respected, steadfast, and ultimately, a man who gave his life for love. sehun once thought such sacrifices were foolish, cringe even. but now, with luhan in his life, he understood.

straightening, he turned to joohyun, her form draped in a brown trench coat that mirrored his own. without a word, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. her head rested against his broad chest, and for a moment, the cold seemed distant.

' i think he would be proud of us,' sehun murmured, his breath visible in the icy air. his gaze returned to the gravestone, the faintest smile tugging at his lips.
the silence stretched, comfortable and heavy with unspoken emotion. after a moment, he broke it, his tone gentle. 'how have you been?'
his eyes drifted back to the photo, a bittersweet pang settling in his chest. time had changed so much, yet here, at their father’s grave, the essence of their family remained unbroken.

@☁︎┊lan sehun ᵃ Joohyun went off to Cloud Recesses to visit their beloved father, a once great general that served the Gusu Lan very well. But Because of love for Wen Jiyuan, his life was forfeited. She always thought her existence was born from a mistake that their father had made with her mother, whom her grave was never marked in the very graveyard as she was a Wen.

She walked inside the graveyard, wearing navy trench coat with a cerulean blue scarf that wrapped around her neck, a gift that her father had given to her in their last Christmas together before looking at the newly polished grave. Every three or four months, Joohyun always took care of their father's grave, she always talk to him, even though he is already resting six-feet underground.

Joohyun brought him flowers, it was her mother's favorite... Or that's what their father told her. She placed it on his grave gently before sitting in front of her, she looked at it and smiled. "I'm sorry I came here than the usual, Dad." She told before touching the marbled stone in front of her, "Sehun's coming, he wanted to visit you too." Joohyun smiled and gets her wallet with the photo of her with his father when they were children, she placed a small pot of incense along with the picture with already a lit stick from herself before placing another stick on the ground.

Then in a few minutes, she glanced on the side to see her favorite drink handed over by her dear brother, Sehun. She couldn't help but to smile and takes the drink gently before patting beside her as she wanted to spend time with him and their father. She took a sip on her caramel latte, "That's alright, we'll go back to school later. I know you're as busy as I am." Joohyun told her brother before giving him a stick of incense to light it up for him. "I wanted to spend time with you and dad." She told him as she stared at his grave.

@☁︎┊lan joohyun ᵇ after sending her a message, sehun got into his lamborghini and drove away from the gates of the lan pack's estate. he knew where he had to stop. there was a cozy little coffee shop in cloud recesses that he and his sister, joohyun, used to adore. the cold weather was perfect for their favorite frappes.

the drive to gusu took around two hours. before the trip, sehun and joohyun talked about going to visit their father's grave together, but she beat him to it. it wasn’t the first time she’d gotten ahead of him on this visit. sehun tried his best to shake off the lingering thoughts as he ordered the drinks before heading back to the car.

the drive to the cemetery was short and familiar; sehun knew it by heart. a few twists and turns, and he found himself parked next to joohyun’s car. with two frappes balanced carefully in his hands, he stepped out of the lambo and walked toward the gravesite, the familiar stone looming in the cold air. his sister was already there, her figure standing next to the headstone as if she were speaking with the past. sehun approached quietly, taking a moment to breathe in the crisp mountain air, feeling the chill that seemed to hang around his family like an unseen presence.

without saying a word, he walked over, handing Joohyun her drink with a gentle smile.
' i brought your favorite,' sehun said, taking a deep breath. ' we can stay here as long as you want.' he tried to catch snowflakes with his free hand, clad in black gloves.

Sunghoon sat on the roof of his home, legs neatly crossed and his eyes respectively closed as he meditates. His hair blows in the wind, a serene expression resting on his features. He liked to hide up here. Though it was technically in plain sight, the mist usually concealed it enough to render him unnoticeable. The heir softly inhales, wind whistling as it ushers inside of his mouth, almost eager to participate in his focus. He was just reaching tranquility when a loud thud causes him to pause, exhaling while his eyes crack open, the male staring directly at the figure that had fallen onto his rooftop. “…May I help you?”