San Francisco, CA

@[G] Kristina Rose "I told you to run, and that doesn't include me! Who're you calling dimwit!?" Stephen's eyes water at the pain searing through his ligamens, and the chaos ensuing afterwards made him had to shout to even be heard - another screech from the empousa followed, to which he still managed to throw another lightning bolt at.

"I'm /so/ going to /kill/ that thing," he panted while running past the doors in the hallway, hopefully to the right way out; he didn't even know where Kristina was leading him, but he trusted her guidance anyway. They were losing the distance, though; their common enemy, unfortunately, could fly.

But then again, he could as well.

Gritting his teeth at the deafening screams from the mortals, Stephen slowed, looking back once more only to pull her down - "Duck!" - just in time he nearly got his neck clawed out. He was in no shape to hold his position against such thing, but there had been an x-factor there, something that could turn the tide; there had always been.

If it could turn the tide at all.

The empousa went above them, stopping at the near end of the hallway leading towards the door out, and turned towards them.

It was insanity; he'd thought she was a normal human girl, and now she's a demigoddess - never had Stephen thought there would come the day when he was going to ask her to fight, but it came anyway.

"Kris, can you fight?"

@[R] Stephen Krause Kristina wasn’t surprised by the fact that she had just encountered a monster—what she was surprised about was the fact that the female demon spoke to in such a way as if he’s just like… her. A demigod. He couldn’t be, right? All these years they spent dating, none of them ever mentioned a thing about their real heritage. All there was for him to know was that she knew nothing about her real mother, and that all she knew about was that she was raised by her father, until he met her witch of a step-mother (with the addition of the two idiotic step-sisters). She was confused, alright, that all she did was to stare and listen to their conversation despite the fact that a camera was capturing each and every move they make, perhaps even recording each and every word they speak. She was dumbfounded beyond words, rooted in her very spot.

It didn’t seem to register properly at once. Stephen is a demigod. He can see through the mist. He sees the monster’s real form. They were having a spiteful exchange of words. The empousai wanted to have him. She mentioned she was an ex (boy, that would have pissed her off big time had she not been in too much of a shock). Stephen may or may have just said obscenity in a language she couldn’t remember what.

Stephen is a demigod, and the empousai mentioned something about killing her.

Kristina didn’t even have enough time to let out a scream when the empousai attacked; Stephen had already been there in no time. A gasp instead escaped her lips as she landed on the floor, an arm shielding herself in reflex as lightning hit the wall.

Who /exactly/ was Stephen? Suddenly, she wasn’t all too sure whether he really knew him or not.

Unfortunately for him, Kristina was stubborn. When he said ‘run’, she actually opted to do the opposite. Why would she run? This empousai is honestly, honestly getting on her nerves.

She stood up, noticed the red stain underneath his blazer, and decided perhaps it /is/ better off if they run.

Gods of Olympus knew she won’t even plan on leaving him. The sudden jolt of lightning might be enough to actually distract both mortal and demon eyes. Once she was able to steady herself, she grabbed a hold of his forearm and started pulling him away.

“Come on, you dimwit. Let’s go!”

They were in serious trouble, alright. Ah, the life of a demigod.

@[G] Kristina Rose Somehow, Kristina’s voice broke through the silence Stephen was confined to, and just like that, accompanied with a loud screech, his mind was forced into a state of alertness. The first thing he saw was Kristina—as beautiful but not as seducing, and by Jove, he should have known better. But if Kristina’s eyes were on the man holding a camera up, his eyes were on someone else… or /something/ else.

If a paparazzi isn’t trouble enough, this one sure is.

A female vampire with a bronze leg, staring straight at him, and knowing that somehow she had manipulated the Mist so that mortals wouldn’t see anything else past her disguise, he returned the stare coldly.

“To think I almost had you, son of Zeus… too bad your girlfriend interferes. Or is she an ex now?”

“Scortum obscenus vilis,” he voiced harshly, not realizing that he’d just cursed in Latin as a cold anger seeping into his tone; it roughly translates to ‘a vile, _____ed _____’. The Mist around them shifted with a flick of his hand—the people that were surrounding them suddenly scattered in confusion. “I’m going to rip you into pieces and send you to Tartarus. Again.”

“In front of her, really?” The empousa said with a sickeningly sweet voice, and at the realization, doubt stole into his heart. “I know you, son of Jupiter… isn’t it because I followed you to her house that you left her without a word? To protect her? It’s all in vain, my boy… I’m going to kill this /demigoddess/ in front of your eyes before I drink your blood.”

The distraction had worked; Stephen had then looked at Kristina confusedly, because she /really/ didn’t seem to be affected with the Mist as she should be—and the empousa took the chance to strike. Everything had happened in a blur; her aiming at Kristina, a flash of gold and the sound of metal clanging right after he instinctively pushed Kristina away from the danger.

‘We take pride in sacrifices.’

Red had begun to seep into his white shirt. The monster wouldn’t have an advantage over him in normal situation, but even Stephen knew he wouldn’t last long with his main hand injured. Not to mention the Mist had flickered around them once more; mentally, he cursed at himself for not having been to camp for the past few summers. Then again, where could he go when what’s left of Camp Jupiter was ruins?

The next second, a jolt of thunder strong enough to fry several humans to death hits the wall, and at the back of his mind, he knew people might die—but anger had taken control of his actions. People screamed, the lights in the hallway flickered dangerously… he was losing. There’s just no time to think other than parrying the dangerous slashes that kept coming from the vampire. The Mist would fail him soon. In fact, he didn’t know if it already did.

And yet, deep inside, Stephen knew that the danger had always been him. Always.

“Kristina… run.”

@[R] Stephen Krause The brunette almost forgot to breathe as she heard her name roll off his tongue every so naturally, like the way he had always said it. She was supposed to hate him—she knew she hated him—but what now? Still, despite the sudden hammering of her heart against her chest, she forced a smile to the crowd, hoping it seemed as natural as it had been the moment before it was officially the lad’s turn to voice out his own evaluation. Sorry, he said; so publicly, in front of such a crowd, beside such known personalities, and in front of the cameras. From the collective gasp of the audience, she figured they must have thought he was about to give her a low score; and at this, her face fell, even the forced smile no longer lightening her features. She didn’t know whether she was more nervous of the fact that she might be getting a low score or the fact that her ex-boyfriend was one of the judges who’ll evaluate her performance.

He regrets not being her partner, he said. He’s sorry, he said. Had she not been in such an open area with so many people watching her every move, she would have rolled her eyes. When he left, wasn’t it only natural for her to hold such a grudge against him? Sure, past is past. But whatever happened in the past is a part of the reason why she’s the person she is today. Technically, it’s still a part of her as a whole. She couldn’t easily let go of it, especially when there was not even a farewell, nor a warning. It hurt knowing things ended like that between the two of them.

Despite such thoughts, however, she mustered the most grateful smile she could ever show, and bowed to the judges. “Thank you so much!” waving one last time to the audience, she made her way out of the skating rink.

She removed her skates almost immediately and rushed to the dressing room, fearing she might /actually/ tear up after what happened. No matter how much it’s all been in the past, it did still hurt looking back—and as much as she wanted to try not to look back, his face just had to remind her of /everything/. She sat on her seat in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection, willing herself not to cry. No way she’s going to cry. That’s something a weakling would do, and Kristina wasn’t weak.

The female didn’t even notice her stylist, Kate, approaching and praising her for her outstanding performance. “I need to go to the restroom,” she said and excused herself, making her way out of the dressing room. It felt suffocating inside all of a sudden, and she needed some air to breathe. Much to her surprise, what welcomed her as soon as she got out of the dressing room was a female pinning a familiar figure of a male. It didn’t take long until she realized who it was—but what caught her attention more was the fact that the female’s appearance seemed to flicker in her vision. Like the Mist failing to obscure her vision from seeing something—or someone’s real form…

“What do you think you’re doing?! Get away from him!” her voice echoed through the corridor as she pushed the female away from the male, getting in between of the two. She was just about to say something else, a camera flash cut her off.

And just like that, they were officially screwed.

“Gods of Olympus.” Was all she could mutter. They were in deep trouble.

@[G] Kristina Rose Trying to focus on his evaluation, Stephen had then completely ignored the uneasy feeling he’d gotten; until the black-clad female danced beautifully on the ice. Her jumps were effortless, though her technique wasn’t as advanced yet. But what caught him the most was her eyes, those pair of orbs that stared at him as if she could see through him—and not once did it cross his mind that he was being scrutinized for the blood flowing inside his veins.

Soon enough, the performance had ended with a total score of 8.3, and hearing the next performer’s name, a poignant smile crossed Stephen’s lips.

He hadn’t heard much of the female ever since he left without any sort of explanation due to an incident. But if there was one thing he knew about her, it’s the fact that she would very much like to be recognized for her own abilities, not being recognized as a daughter of his father… and it’s a sentiment they both shared. If luck was on his side, Kristina would be here, he’d thought—and turned out he was right.

She’s still as good as she was—in fact, better. Much, much better. He’d remembered those times when she led him into the rink, easily leading him into a dance only she could lead… looking at her now, she seemed much more mature. The red rose had given her just the right amount of a newly-established identity, one that would easily be remembered by the people watching.

She was stunning.

The panel had given their evaluation of her performance; the score had been 8.3, 8.5, and 8.7, and the final score - whether she’d rank on the top five contestants - depended on him.

“Kristina,” he began, already hinting at the difference between him and the others—all the judges present had called her by the last name, even mentioning her father’s name. A short pause followed, in which his voice nearly got stuck in his throat, and the audience was suddenly silent.

“In my own defense, I am not being biased here, but there’s just one thing I’d like to say,” Stephen took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” was what he said, leading the audience to gasps thinking that he would give her a score that would lead to her lost, but it wasn’t that. He’d pretended just enough, but at the same time, it was a sincere apology—for his sudden leave, for everything he needed to be forgiven for.

A long silence followed, and he smiled then at the camera before turning to her with the smile intact… as if his earlier comment was just a tease.

“I regret not being able to play your partner. You’ve outdone yourself this time. I’m giving you 8.9.”

Loud cheers erupted from the audience, and he just laughed at the comment of the judge sitting by his side—’you nearly got me there’. But they announced a break soon after, and at the first chance he’d gotten, he headed to the dressing room.

It might be his only chance to explain things.
What he didn’t expect was for her to stand in front of the dressing room, looking expectantly at him. The closer he’d gotten to her, the more everything else faded away… and before he knew it, she had him pinned against the wall in the hallways, her hand tracing his jawline.

And he couldn’t think of anything else, not even the strange pulses his ring emitted.

“Kris, I—”

“I’ve missed you,” she cut him short, leaning in so that their lips were only centimeters apart…

Stephen closed his eyes.

@[R] Stephen Krause Even until now, her father’s assistant (slash her stylist) wouldn’t stop fussing over her—her makeup, what she wore, her hair, everything. Kristina was already set, alright—she doubted the flower that adorned her hair would ever fall off, and she doubted her hair would ever get into a mess. What she wore was stunning, to simply say it—her father’s creation had always been so stunning. She couldn’t believe herself she’d be wearing such a masterpiece. It was an art she had once seen in a piece of paper, and now here she was, actually wearing it.

“Kate, I’m sure you’ve already done a marvelous job,” she tried placating the female whose brows remained furrowed as she checked Kristina at every single angle. “I’m sure I’ll /slay/ the show, thank you very much.” Fortunately for her, her words worked—the female relaxed at last, slowly setting down on a stool beside Kristina, letting out an exhale of relief. Things always worked that way for the brunette—her words always work like a /charm/. “You look gorgeous tonight, Tina.” The older female complimented as she looked at her reflection in the mirror in front of them. “There’s no doubt you’re a step-daughter to your step-mother, and a step-sister to your step-sisters. You’re no match to any of them.”

Kristina’s laughter echoed throughout the dressing room. “That makes me feel so much better. You shouldn’t give my confidence too much boost. You’re spoiling me with too much flattery, Kate.” The older female laughed along at Kristina’s words. She must admit, though, despite how lighthearted she seemed, she was actually nervous—this was going to be broadcasted. It seemed only yesterday when she was still starting with figure skating, barely even knowing how to keep her balance in her skates. Yet here she was now, actually making a name for herself. She didn’t want to be known only as a daughter to the famous owner of a clothing line, Kristopher Rose, nor did she want to be known as a demigod daughter of Aphrodite. But would they ever remember her? That’s one thing to know after the competition.

When Kate started fixing the makeup she used to prep up the younger female, Kristina could only stare at her own reflection, taking in the art even Kate had made her to be with her delicate hands. She placed a hand against her chest, hoping to slow down her rapid heartbeat. Will her father be there to watch her? Will he be free for once, just to give his daughter moral support for this one competition? She hoped so. That would be the best thing to ever happen to her.

“You’ll be up in 5 minutes, Miss Rose.” Kristina almost stumbled forward when she stood up, her legs suddenly feeling slightly wobbly. Okay, Kristina, she thought to herself. This is no time to be nervous. She had to be courageous if she wants to be able to perform properly in front of a crowd and the cameras. She moistened her lips (oh, the cherry flavored lip gloss Kate used on her) and straightened up, her skates in her hand, before waving goodbye to Kate, who now made her way to the audience so she could watch her. With a deep breath, she made her way outside the dressing room. On her way, however, she happened to pass by a fellow contestant. Kristina halted once the other female passed by her, frowning slightly. The female… she had a strange aura… she radiated something else… it was unnerving. It was when the staff called her out did she snap out of her thoughts and went out in the rink, putting on her skates before pulling herself up, rounding the rink slowly while pulling her only prop—a chair. She waved a hand to the crowd before making her way to the center. The lights dimmed, and she sat into the chair. When the music began, her performance started.

All she did was to pretend as though she was still practicing on her own in a performance level, pretending as though the crowd didn’t exist. It was hard, because of the cheers and the applauds, but she managed—and before she knew it, she had already finished her performance. For a few seconds, she remained in her final pose, before finally standing up and giving a bow to the audience. A vibrant smile made its way to don her features as she waved to the crowd. Some of them were cheering her name, some even tossed roses to the rink. Only when the host called for her attention did she finally turned to look at the board of judges.

Her face contorted to a look of surprise upon seeing a familiar lad. She must admit he looked… gorgeous clad in black. Recovering shortly from her surprise, she curtsied to the judges, and waited for their evaluation of her performance.

Amidst the evaluation, however, came the same feeling of unease when she was just on her way to the rink earlier. There was something strange about that girl… the other performer for tonight’s competition. She just couldn’t pin point exactly what it was, but it gave her such an unease, she found herself fiddling against her skirt.

@[G] Kristina Rose [ PLOT RESTART ]

Being the only child of a renowned Hollywood actress does have its perks, or at least that was what half of the people around the ice ring thought when the huge monitor caught his face as he entered the venue, followed by a group of TV reporters; Stephen only smiled and waved at the cam before taking his seat at the VIP row. Of course, this was a rare occasion—for once, the usually hidden child of Joanna Krause suddenly shows up in the place of his mother, and Stephen knew he'd probably be featured in the infotainment news for some time after this competition was finished. The camera flashes, luckily, didn't bother him at all; it was just like a much tamer version of lightning.

Clad in black, the young male fixed his suit before leaning back on his seat, and as expected, questions were asked, to which he answered readily to.

"So, Stephen, are you familiar with figure skating? This is unexpected—I mean, we are supposed to have Joanna as a special guest judge today. I'm sure a lot of people questions."

"I daresay I'm more familiar with this place than my mother," he said, laughing lightly. "But if anything, my mother wouldn't let me go in her place if she doesn't think I'm capable."

"Wow. Do you do figure skating?"

"I've been in the ring, playing partner with a figure skater, if that counts," he chuckled. "Actually wondering if she's one of the would-be-performers today."

Of course, many had gone wild at this comment, but oh, let them speculate, he thought—always tell the truth but not the whole truth. In fact, he /did/ wonder—Kristina was good at this thing, and yes, it was her that he referred to. But there was something else he didn't quite take into count: it's only when they left him alone that he realize his ring was emitting pulses of magic, momentarily making his fingers froze at their place. And at the same time, amidst the crowd, a pair of dark orbs met his eyes.

Black. The kind of black that stood out because of its sheer elegance. A sharp gaze that held his eyes in line... and yet an uneasy feeling stole its way into his heart. But for some reasons, he couldn't take his eyes off the dark-haired female, not until she disappeared with a last fleeting smile at him.

A powerful magic at work, and he was at the midst of it.

But no one else realized, and just like that, the competition had begun.

@[R] Kim Jongin Tiffany, breaking her daze at the bridge for a moment to look at her friend, nodded alowly as she listened to the other's words. It was the mainstream reason why demigods tend to escape the camp for a while. One of the reasons why she went in San Francisco is this. She shouldn't be doubtful about it.

"She must be a great dancer like you. And I bet you would do the same." she said genuinely with a soft smile plastered on her face. Jongin dances really well as if his dance moves obscure the pessimism in this world, and she knows that. Incidentally, with his tone, Tiffany isn't that gullible to detect weariness in it.

Just as the other asked her, Tiffany reluctantly stared back in the bridge with a grin. "I just missed the human world and all that comes with it. Being human and being with humans." she sighed. "I went here to witness the bridge itself because I'm really tired of staring on it in the books, if you know what I mean." she chuckled.

@[G] Tiffany Hwang Jongin plucks out a piece of grass in front of him and lets it float in the air riding with the mind. "I was actually..." He paused for awhile. "I mean, I was kinda bored while training at camp earlier and so I decided to travel here. As I admired the view I fell asleep." He finishes off with a chuckle. It was true. He was always hyped when it comes to training but somehow this time he doesn't feel like doing so. He shrugs to himself and stared at the bridge.

He had been in San Francisco once. It was with his mother. It was years back. He was about ten years old. He was wearing Blue San Francisco hat, A striped shirt and Jeans. They were both enjoying the day, But domething weird happened that day that made her mother told him that they should go back home quickly. She had said the reason why before but somehow he had forgotten it now.

"Mother loved this place." He suddenly said as his lips were a bit chapped. "She would have danced all day right on this spot." The thought of his mother so suddenly made him want to find her. Wherever she was. He then smiled a little then changes the topic quickly. "How about?" He beams at her. "What made you come here?" He asked her good old friend who he hasn't seen much lately.

@[R] Kim Jongin Feeling a warm presence of something on top of her head, apparently a hand, Tiffany shifted her sight upwards to where whose hand is it. She thought it was a friend from the mortal world—but the sight bemused her. She couldn't believe that she was actually looking at the person she least expected to see today. Well, at the frist place, she didn't expect seeing a fellow demigod, especially Jongin, the son of Pluto.

She had to use her right hand to block the blinding rays of sun blocking her sight to double check if her assumption was right. Afterwards, a smile twisted on her lips in surprise.

"Jongin! I didn't expect to see you as well!" she exclaimed. "Smarty pants, huh?" she continued and chuckled along the other.

Jongin has been a good and close friend of Tiffany. Being good friends with this Roman is quite delightful, for he is the only friend of hers from the other camp. He has constantly been noted as the cold guy by the demigods. That made Tiffany think how lucky she must have been to see the other side of Jongin.

She nodded after the other questioned her. "Yeah, I really love it. To say that it's amazing is an understatement." she said while facing the bridge, grinning to it as if it is grinning back at her. She glanced at the figure who is seating beside her. "Say, what made you come here?" she asked him, tilting her head a little.

@[G] Tiffany Hwang Jongin awakens from his short nap. The crisp green grass touching his skin by both of his arms. He stare at the sky above him, It was different from the sky before he fell asleep earlier. He wondered what time it was already. Probably by mid-afternoon. He blinks his lashes still dazed from his nap. It was deep and dark nap. He saw the world in pitch black, children crying and screaming for their mothers, demigods gone mad, gods battling each other. But that was normal because he was a Demigod. He always get such dreams, but he doesn't let it sink in on him like others would. Why would he even worry on such things, when he knows that It will never happen?

He sat upright and rakes his black hair with his right fingers. Jongin immediately saw the view of San Francisco's famous bridge that definitely reminded him of someone. Whenever he sees structures that is so exquisite to a human's eyes, He will always remember one person only. She had a liking for structures and had big dreams of building something amazing than that one day. She was always determined and smarter as well. It's been awhile since he last saw her and wished he could see her right now and at least catch up with each other.

However down the hill, He saw some figure. She was a woman. Her hair laid long behind her back, her arms wrapped around her knees and eventually was looking at the same view he was looking at. Jongin stood up and shook his head then looked up the heavens. "Father, Are you a genie of some sort?" He chuckled and half-ran to the person. As he got closer the view got bigger and clearer. The woman admiring the view was silent yet contented.

He then placed his hand on top of the woman's head gently and a smile quirks up at the side of his lips. "I never thought I'd meet you here, Smarty pants." He chuckled at his comment and sat down beside her but also leaving a bit of gap between them. "You love the scenery in front of you, Don't you?" Jongin said as he took a glimpse of the bridge then to the woman's face.

It's been like forever since Tiffany has visited the Human World. The feeling was overall peculiar—she is not used to live in a place where it is studded with ordinary people and extraordinary people who turns into monsters. Tiffany grimaced in wry amusement at the thought.

Nevertheless, Tiffany felt relieved knowing that she had the chance to escape Camp Half-Blood for a while to spend time for herself. Yes, inside the camp she spends most of the time with her colleagues, doing combat training and the like. If not, in the library, doing random research about random stuff. To make it short, Tiffany needed a leisure time that isn't found out inside the camp.

San Francisco sounded really nice to her ears while at the same time her mind is bombarded by various sceneries found in the breathtaking city. The ever-famous San Francisco bridge was bolded in her mind therefore, she decided to stay wherein the great bridge is beyond her sight.

Tiffany settled herself aside, away from the other people lurking around. She sat on the grass silently then curled up her knees, facing the bridge. Good thing the place is densely-populated in this afternoon. The idea of being alone never felt this good before, she thought and smiled a little to herself. Looking back at the bridge, appreciating every single detail of it, Tiffany couldn't help but ask herself what kind of eminence might the engineers have. How she wished she could build something like or better than that, soon.

@[G] Byun Baekhyun [ replying through walls bc back to camp! lol. ]

@[G] Krystal Jung Baekhyun had never been a fan of dogs.

His sister, Agnes, had been allergic to them. It was really nasty. By the time Baekhyun showed the little girl his new puppy, she was sneezing and sniffing like there was no tomorrow. His friend whom he gave it to was more than happy to adopt it. Baekhyun didn't like the fact that Agnes could've died because of him, so his hatred for dogs soon appeared after the incident.

So when Baekhyun saw the massive dog right in front of them, he nearly let out a manly shriek. The dog was as big as Clifford in that one cartoon he watched when he was still a kid. Only this one looked much scarier. It appeared right after Krystal blew a whistle. Probably hers, he thought. No surprise that she invites some scary pet of hers to the party.

But the monster was catching up to them, it was pretty close. He saw Krystal on top of the dog. He looked back and calculated the time. It was now or never. Sure, the dog must be scary but he trusted Krystal. Monster or dog. No competition right there.

Baekhyun hopped on behind Krystal and--with deepest regret--hugged her from behind. He had no idea what Krystal was up to but he had a gut feeling that this ride was gonna be messy as hell. The manticore was approaching, almost out to reach him the suddenly...

They were gone.

Seconds passed before he gained his senses back. Drawing a low breath, he got off the massive dog and laid on his back. They were back.

He managed a weak smile. "Camp never looked any better." Exhaustion roughened his words. Not even caring that he sort of failed his first job, Baekhyun closed his eyes and let the breeze pass over him. A number of campers were looking at them both, but mostly they were scared of the sudden appearance of Krystal's pet. Baekhyun couldn't blame them.

@[G] Byun Baekhyun Gaea.

The dirt face was Gaea—Mother Earth. Now she completely remembered. But how could it be? As far as she knew, the goddess has been long defeated. Her forces no longer remains in the surface of the earth—oh, how dumber can she get? Of course. Of course Gaea wouldn’t take long enough before she decides it’s a good time to reschedule her awakening.

But the goddess knew something about her—and that was enough to bring her back to her senses. The face already disappeared, yet she stared blankly at where it had been.

‘No wonder he spared you.’

“I don’t know!” she moaned in frustration. “Give me a moment, please. I’m no child of Athena!” Struggling to get the rope off her, she looked up just in time to see the enormous monster advancing. It was a manticore. /The/ manticore.

She twisted the ring around her finger, and the ring elongated and turned into a dagger. Thank gods, how convenient it was. Well, then, she should be thanking Hades for this. If not for her enchanted weapon, they would be entirely hopeless. At this rate, if the manticore decides that running would be better, they’re doomed; luckily she was able to cut the ropes around her quick, allowing her to cut those around Baekhyun right after.

“So we run.” Though she doubt they’ll be able to run fast enough to get away from the manticore… then again, they’ll have to try if they were planning to live long enough to get back to Camp Half-Blood in safety and report to Chiron whatever they saw. “That way!” She pointed at the opposite direction and made a run.

Krystal wished she had the whistle. If anything, it could be their only chance. Hopefully, it could be somewhere in her pockets….

She slipped a hand inside her jeans pocket and—thank the gods, really—she was able to grasp a metal whistle. Sparing a glance behind her, Krystal wished she never did. The manticore effortlessly sprinted towards their direction, and it was already catching up. May she be in trouble later or not, she had to do it anyway. Hey, it was her father’s fault she had to do this. And so she blew the whistle, praying at least she’d be seeing an enormous dog somewhere…

@[G] Krystal Jung Yeah, look at us, Baekhyun thought scathingly. We're both tied up inside of god-knows-where.

"What do you want?! We only came to kill those damn eidolons." But he knew the answer to his own question. Maybe the demigod world was like high school, with its own cliques and allegiances. Maybe the dirt talking was best friends with those possessing creatures. That would make sense.

"Is he awake?!" The same old man Baekhyun wanted to murder for hitting Krystal came into view, his eyes set straight at the two demigods. "Oh, there you are! Bring me back my--" his words stopped short at the sight of the female face on the ground. "--m-my lord, Gaea. You're here."

My lord? Huh, now that answered his questions. Apparently those two had been serving this woman. Baekhyun felt himself shrink a little at the thought of such powerful creatures in front of him. The weird thing, though, was that the old man was looking for his sister. Baekhyun didn't remember anything except that he passed out. Perhaps it died when he slept? No, it couldn't be.

"I always thought you were the patient one," the voice hissed at the eidolon. "Just wait. Your sister will come back from Tartarus. I will make sure the god of sleep never intervenes with his children's tasks."

Tartarus? That must've mean that... it must have been slayed. And why is his father included in all of this? There was only one logical explanation. But Baekhyun refuses to believe it. No.

The lips on the ground formed into a smile, petrifying Baekhyun. "Byun Baekhyun. Your father must be fuming right now. His son refuses to accept the truth that his father had saved him. I would give him an A for the effort but still, you've fallen to my hands."

Baekhyun almost sweared at the woman, but decided at the last second not to. So, he was right. His father did save him, nothing miraculous had happened like the eidolon just decided to go to Tartarus for a vacation or whatever. Scowling, he thinks that he would have wanted to be killed rather than to be saved by him.

The voice spoke yet again, but it was almost like a whisper. "I will see you two soon... this is not the time for you to die yet. I won't forbid you a little taste, though." Baekhyun didn't knew who she was talking to, the monster or the old man because the next second, the face vanished and what was left was just dirty soil. Although he was glad that she said they won't die yet, he's not sure what he feels about the latter part of the sentence.

"Krystal, what's our plan now?!" He didn't even bother being discreet. They need to have a plan fast.

@[G] Byun Baekhyun Krystal was relieved the other woke up. “Yeah, I could say the same to you.” She muttered, though she’d bet she look worse. She probably looked like a demigod gone bonkers. Even the fact that she couldn’t see her face, she already knew her hair looked like a bird’s nest already. And not even a hand of hers was free to fix her wayward hair. Oh, never mind.

Just as then—thanks to Baekhyun mentioning the eidolons—she remembered why they were here. They were supposed to capture the eidolons, not the other way around! She fought back a frustrated scream and buried her head on her knees. If they do survive this, she’ll be sure as hell they were both doomed once Hades finds out about their failure. Lovely, she thought sourly.

The ground shook, making her look up in surprise. That very moment, she was unsure whether was she supposed to be scared or disgusted. A huge face out of earth… boy, that didn’t seem appeasing. It was a face she had never seen before. Eyes shut, yet lips moving—it /did/ crept the living daylights out of her. “Who are you?! Why did you bring us here?”

She remembered having been told about a story once, some story from Chiron. It was about a dirt face, too… but she just couldn’t quite remember /who/ that creature is. “Such lovely sacrifice… I have a feeling this will be my awakening.” The way the enormous lips moved gave her somersaults, she didn’t even knew she was already cringing behind Baekhyun. Wow, so much for being a brave daughter of Hades, eh?

They needed to escape. For Olympus’ sake, if she had known this would happen, she wouldn’t have agreed with this ‘task’.

“You’re only sleeptalking?” she dares to speak, making a face. Well, isn’t that amazing? Sacrifice to wake a dirt face… oh, such corking reality, it makes her want to cry out of joy…

Not.

“Oh, Soojung dear,” the dirt face chuckles, and Krystal’s eyes shot wide. “Bold and brave… you’re pretty impressing for a child of Hades. No wonder he spared you.” Krystal stiffened. This person—/this/ creature knew /something/ about her. “And I see you’ve found your match! Ah, interesting. Look at you two.”

Wow, this dirt face is looking for a fight.

@[G] Krystal Jung Baekhyun was already used to getting headaches after waking up from any kind of slumber so he wasn't surprised when a familiar pain got to his head in the instant he woke up. Shadows kept drifting through his vision but he forced his eyes to open. It was dark. He couldn't really see much because of that.

Only the sight of the monster in front of him made him concentrate on his surroundings. It was the first time he ever saw one and hell, he wished he never saw another one again. They looked exactly like the type they show in movies, only this time it was actually real, not the one you see inside a television.

His eyes glossed over to the familiar person beside him. Krystal was a mess, that's for sure. She looked like she had been in pain just as he was. "You look like hell," he stated.

A look of shock etched in his features, his look turned cool. He can speak? Does that mean...? Baekhyun tried to wriggle free from the rope holding his body. That confirmed his suspicions. He got his body back, alright, but where were they? The monster looking directly at both of them was not a pleasing sight, Baekhyun would do anything to get out of here.

"Where are we?" He felt that they needed to be more discreet in conversation so he asked it in a lowly whisper, but loud enough for the both of them to hear. "What happened to those eidolons? What the heck is that thing right in front of us?" His head ached from talking too much.

The ground shook the next second, giving him no time to speak again. What happened next scared him out of his wits. A face formed on the earth. And for the first time, the monster wasn't looking at them but down below. Baekhyun kept his eyes shut, feigning sleep. "Daughter of Hades... Son of Hypnos..." the voice came out of nowhere. "...I know you are awake. Come and face me like the real man you should be."

He did as what he was told just as the last word was said. He caught the earth-formed lips as it said it, voice merciless and cold. It send down chills on his spine. Who was this? It looked more powerful than the monster, plus it could control the earth.

@[G] Byun Baekhyun She wasn’t even able to say anything else at once she was knocked off, and she fell flat into the ground.

Monsters never spared women, she noted. She couldn’t even think properly anymore, and she knew any moment now she’d be engulfed by pitch black unconsciousness. Krystal wondered why she was still conscious, yet unable to move a limb. Maybe she really was already unconscious? But then she could still hear the voices from the eidolons—a voice of an old man and Baekhyun’s voice.

How hopeless they were. Okay, it was unfair that she was suddenly outnumbered when it was supposed to be fair, honestly. If, by any chances, this wouldn’t be their last then she’d be as sure as hell to never—ever—do any favor like this for her father again. Would have been better if it was for Chiron—but oh! It had to be something from Hades. Goodness. How splendid.

Even before her thoughts were completely shut off, she was able to catch a word coming from the eidolon possessing Baekhyun.

Mistress.

With that, she completely blacked out.

Had it been hours, Krystal had no idea. All she remembered was being hit in the head—and even that, she fretted might give her difficulty in remembering things. Surely being an amnesiac demigod wouldn’t be so great at this rate. A massive headache struck her the moment she tried sitting up, yet that very moment she realized that she was tied in a rope, in what seemed like a cave. It was dark, but she knew they weren’t alone. From a distance stood an enormous monster which she couldn’t quite tell what kind.

“Baekhyun!” she hissed to the familiar figure just beside her, hoping he’d at least stir. The pain in her head made her groan.

[...otl. I meant @ss lolol I forgot it wasn't allowed. ]

@[G] Krystal Jung Baekhyun had never been punched for once in his life.

He thought he never will when he entered camp. If he was to get hurt, only weapons would be used against him. It didn't even cross his mind that demigods can actually punch. The pain from the strike was unbearable and he doubled over. He hoped he wasn't the only one actually feeling all this pain. The eidolons should be able to feel pain, right? It should be in their job description.

Baekhyun stood up, distaste in his features. "You b--" Krystal's dagger pointed right in front of his face stopped him from saying his next words. Would she really not kill him? Well, she said it herself although Baekhyun can't help but feel a little gleeful that she decided to save his life.

"You always get yourself in trouble." The voice came behind the demigodess's back. Baekhyun didn't even try to see who it was because the next second, the owner of said voice struck Krystal in the head and made her fall to the ground. Baekhyun wanted to scream and curse the hell out of the man--recognizing it as the old lady's partner--but his energy was slowly deteriorating. He swears that if he falls asleep on his first job, he will curse his father for eternity. He doubted that he could actually scream, though, seeing any attempts of speaking on his own accord were all failures.

The eidolon possessing Baekhyun spared no time and picked up where the weapon flew off. Smirking again, he gazed at its sharp edges. "Who should we kill first, sister? This poor boy right here was good while it lasted. He is somewhat powerful, though. Shall we bring him back to our mistress? However, that girl... I want to make sure her death would be slow and pain--"

"--Would you shut up?" the other one cried in annoyance. Baekhyun did. "And point that weapon away. It's stygian iron. Your idiocy will only get yourself killed in the end, I'm telling you."

Baekhyun did, shocked at what the twin sister apparently said. "Hm, makes sense. His dad was from the underworld. Still, this kind of thing is quite rare, don't you think? I'm telling you we should bring him back to Ga--"

"--Haven't I already told you to shut up?" Looks like twin sis isn't here for Baekhyun's needs. "We will both bring them back. I'm sure Hades wouldn't be entirely too pleased about his daughter getting captured."

Baekhyun just eyed the helpless form of Krystal. Please be alright. Please be alright. I owe you a lot for saving my wimpy _____ a countless times, he thought. But would it bother you to try and Krystal... please... wake me up.

His thoughts stopped when entire blackness took over him.

"What the..." the other eidolon had just noticed that Baekhyun passed out. "...sis? Sis?!" The old man bent and shook Baekhyun's unconscious body. "Sis, what happened?! Wake up!? This... this is a work of Hypnos, isn't it? Agh!" The entire building shook as the man screamed in agony.

@[G] Byun Baekhyun Krystal wasn’t even aware she was already—only—clutching the hilt of her dagger so tightly, her hands were already white and shaking. She tilted her head as Baekhyun, having possessed by the eidolon, tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. To barely find the words to say was what Krystal hated the most—especially at this very moment. The daughter of Hades was supposed to be strong and bold, but where had her own bravery gone off to?

What the eidolon—in the voice of Baekhyun—said caught her off guard. Surprised, she accidentally lost her hold on the hilt of her dagger. The loud clank of metal against the floor told her she was now unarmed and vulnerable, despite the fact that the weapon wasn’t even at least a meter away from her grasp.
How silly, she tried to tell herself. The eidolon is only looking for a chink in her armor. Her own feelings? Well, he could be partly right about that, about her own feelings hindering her…To hear that had her mind clouded with thoughts, the restless souls starting to whisper urgently, and for once she didn’t care. It could be lying, for all she knew. It could only be fooling with her. Then again, as far as she knew, eidolons know everything once they enter the living system of their host.

Suddenly, realization struck her. She knew this eidolon. She had already encountered it. Baekhyun was not who it wanted to kill—it was her. Last time, it was able to break through the camp, possessing a camper and almost having her skewered. “You won’t kill him.” She tried to sound bold, but her shaking voice gave her away. It sounded more like a desperate plea; like the daughter of Hades was begging for the eidolon’s mercy rather than the other way around.

But to see the dagger pointed straight into his chest finally had her senses functioning properly. Fifteen seconds…

One, two, three… she had to think of a plan. It not to be a child of Athena, she thought grimly. “You won’t kill him.” She repeated, this time having more authority in her voice. Right, authority. How had she never thought of that? “Neither would I.” Gritting her teeth, with all the strength she had mustered, she punched Baekhyun’s gut and kicked the weapon off his grasp. Oops. Wrong move, but oh well. Given that it was necessary, surely he would forgive her, right?

“You son of a mother,” she hisses, snatching her dagger from the ground. Stabbing him was unnecessary, she thought. When (the possessed) Baekhyun tried standing up, she pointed her dagger in his face, keeping him unable to move. Krystal wasn’t dumb enough to believe the eidolon would kill himself. It was either it was entirely and utterly stupid that he didn’t know he held stygian iron, or he was really just challenging her. Either way, she was honestly very pissed. At this rate, it was /her/ that was stupid, for letting her emotions take over… for the love of gods, does she really feel that way to be threatened that easily?

@[G] Krystal Jung Having no control over your body .

All of his senses were still intact, but his sense of touching seems to be in no way in his control. That damn old lady... of course it was her. It would take no genius to figure out with the way she looked at his dagger back then. Ugh, why was he such an idiot?

His body advanced towards the female, but stopped right short just a few inches from her body. He doesn't get it, why wasn't she attacking? He could kill her any minute! Well, technically, he won't do any killing but Baekhyun won't ever forgive himself if he laid one hand on Krystal.

A menacing smile formed on Baekhyun's lips. "Ah," his voice spoke. If he wasn't freaked out already, well, he was now. Hearing yourself speak words you don't mean--it scares the hell out of Baekhyun. "Krystal... the daughter of that bastard. Why don't you fight me?" He let out an evil cackle as he tucked Krystal's hair behind her ear. "Don't tell me that... your own feelings are hindering you?"

What in Zeus' name is the spirit even saying?, Baekhyun thinks. And why isn't Krystal moving? How do I get out? Oh my god, I'm a goner.

Taking a step back, Baekhyun swung and played with his dagger with a full smirk trained on his lips. "C'mon, attack me, Jung. This boy is just no one, right? You can kill him in peace and I will surrender, that I swear. When you're done, we can both forget that this ever happened. This poor boy... are you seeing it with your own eyes Mr. Byun? Seeing the one you love... contemplating on killing you?"

It's official. Baekhyun hates his goddamn voice.

But what can he do? They both probably knew that killing him would be stupid. He doubted that eidolons would submit in defeat after leaving his lifeless body. Krystal should think of a plan.

When seconds came and nothing happened, Baekhyun's smile went to a thin straight line. "I was never a patient one... that's my twin sister. I'm giving you fifteen seconds, Krystal Jung. If you don't want to end this lovely boy in front of you... then--" Baekhyun raised his dagger and pointed it straight to his heart. "--I will just have to do it myself."

@[G] Byun Baekhyun Flickering life auras and murmurs of restless souls—Krystal had been more distracted the moment they stepped into the place where the explosion came from. Shut up, she hissed inwardly, and the souls no longer whispered in her thoughts. It was a big distraction that she was surprised until now she managed to remain sane enough to even be here.

She looked around, taking baby steps to approach the shattered glass window. To cause that kind of explosion… she wondered how anyone could be able to do that. If an eidolon possessed a human… then the explosion must be caused in a ‘mortal’ way. But if so, having to be able to slip through the security of the building without getting caught bringing any explosives inside… it’s either the explosive had always been inside the building, or the host of the soul were never mortal at all—or at least, not /purely/ mortal.

Eyes wide, she watched as Baekhyun went for the elevator, and into the woman who was stuck there. For one thing, to save someone from grave danger, she finds it hard. It was an irony for her to be called a ‘hero’, as they, demigods, are oftentimes called by the immortals, because she never had the guts to save mortals. Maybe it was because she was on the dark side—death. The creatures on her side feeds on death. It could be the reason why she hesitated, and simply allowed the male to save the mortal.
There were no signs of eidolons. She cannot feel their presence… not at all. Earlier, outside the building, she was sure the souls were directed to this place but they were no longer here this time.

Or so she thought.

“What happened there?” she calls out, frowning slightly, approaching Baekhyun. The old woman was no longer there. The elevator doors had completely been shut close. “Hey,” placing a hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder, she caught a glimpse of his face—his eyes—and immediately backed away. Gold. Pure gold. His eyes were pure gold. “Oh gods. Please tell me you’re not possessed.” Obviously, he is. Before she knew it, he was already advancing, dagger drawn. But she can’t fight him, at this rate, for crying out loud! This was no training… and she was sure in his possessed state he won’t think twice of killing her.

“Baekhyun, don’t—” but of course it would be useless.

@[G] Krystal Jung The explosion left truly left a mark on the next floor, where in the walls seemed to be disintegrated into piles of rubble on the floor. Baekhyun timidly touched his shoulder while gripping his dagger tightly. He kept his eyes trained on the shattered glass windows. Pretty sure this was all the work of those eidolons. That must mean they must still be around here in this floor, if not then they were one of the swarming people who left. But Baekhyun doesn't really expect them to leave without causing harm to either one of them.

He drew out a long breath and hissed it slowly, gesturing for Krystal to follow up. "C'mon, let's look around."

He blundered forward, the sound of his sneakers hitting against the floor the only thing to be heard of--if you don't count the blazing alarm and people rushing out. In no time, reinforcements will come breaking through the door and well, that will surely mess their plan of seizing those demons.

"He-help..."

He stopped short on his tracks. "Did you hear that?"

Not waiting for an answer, Baekhyun trailed after the voice, sweat dripping down on his forehead. Sure he was no part of a rescue team but still, if being a demigod takes away the human in you, Baekhyun makes sure he keeps his intact.

The voice, apparently, came from inside the other elevator. Baekhyun cursed out his luck. It appears only one person can fit through the gap and he didn't have the guts to make the demigoddess do the ruthless task. Plus, it was his idea to help out other people, anyway.

"Stay here." A simple command. But it can save the other one's life.

"Help me..." The voice drawled and Baekhyun wasted no time in squeezing through the little gap, even though he wanted to look at Krystal one last time. Cursing his fear of closed spaces--especially elevators--, Baekhyun seized the chance and forced his body to go through. The elevator closed just as he managed to look at the female's face.

It moved, Baekhyun noticed, it was going up another floor. Looking down, he saw the familiar old lady who came out of the cab. There was blood oozing out of her legs, but he didn't see something harmful anywhere. Shaking his head, he bent down, asking, "Are you okay, ma'am? You have to get out of here!"

A small smile played on her lips. "Oh, of course I'm alright. It's yourself who you should be worrying about, Byun Baekhyun."

Baekhyun didn't have the time to assess what the old lady had just said, and how the hell did she even knew what his name was because at the next second, blackness was the only thing he can see. And maybe those creepy eyes staring back at him.

@[G] Byun Baekhyun Having to be in California would have been nice, considering the fact that the weather is perfect—but then again they weren’t here to take a good stroll and enjoy the view. California is where Mount Tamalpais is located, probably the worst and most dangerous place a demigod could be at. To think this is where the Mist works the most, and the mortals could care less about what was actually happening in reality.

Well, let’s face it. As much as children who’ve heard about myths and legends about demigods wanted to be one themselves, once you do realize you’re a child of an Olympian god… it’s not the best thing to experience.

“We fight them, yes. If they don’t decide on possessing us,” she replies, although the last sentence came more like a whisper. She’d heard about eidolons from the other creatures of the underworld. Once they possess someone, all secrets are laid bare, as they are able to enter a body and view his or her thoughts. For Olympus’ sake, may she not be their target. Then again, it’s not like it’s only one of them. They’ve got two to catch.

Just as when she was about to tell him something about how they were to catch the eidolons (which she hoped would work), the sudden commotion the broke off distracted her. By the moment she whirled around, Baekhyun was already in a distance, and she had to sprint towards him to be able to catch up.

With a faint purple glow, the ring encircling her right ring finger turned into an obsidian dagger. Yeah, like she’d be able to stab anything with it. The thought made her roll her eyes inwardly. So much for staying on focus.

Hopefully, they won’t be doomed after this one (and probably last, if they survive) encounter.

Reaching the floor where the explosion came from, she merely looked around. A messy office was all that welcomed them, surprisingly… the employees must have panicked so much they barely cared about the documents that were until now being blown by the wind coming from the open window. But the eidolons… where were they? She was sure they must have had a host for causing that one explosion earlier…

@[G] Krystal Jung Okay, this wasn't really the best idea.

Eidolons sound like those little devils he had seen possess people in movies. They had always been the reason why Baekhyun couldn't sleep at night or peed his pants at the thought of them hunting him. He can already see himself being clueless and stupid as hell once the eidolons start possessing someone. He always had this insecurity that he was the dumbest in the world so it came as no surprise when he realized he had been thinking that way.

"Er, right. Do we just fight them, though?" He had this uneasy feeling that the evil things were just near so he had to be sure of the plan. Chiron had said that if you slew something, its remnants will go to Tartarus or Krystal's home or whatever.

Suddenly, there was a shattering sound from behind them and in the spur of the moment, shards of window glasses came flying through the air.

Baekhyun wasted no time. He swung about and advanced towards the entrance of the building. Leering through the sound of the alarms going off and the swarm of people wanting to get out, he motioned for Krystal to get moving. "C'mon, I'm pretty sure it's them."

A frightened looking man was just standing there beside the elevator, looking like he had the shock of his life.

Baekhyun jolted to his direction and asked, "Sir, where did the explosion come from?" When the man didn't answer, Baekhyun made the effort of grabbing him by the collar to make him go back to his senses. It seemed to have worked and he pointed upstairs.

Since the elevator most likely didn't worked, he darted to the stairs, taking two steps at a time. If they're lucky, the eidolons might still be there, waiting for them. He had his doubts on it being lucky, though.

@[G] Byun Baekhyun The silence would have made her feel relaxed somehow; but for some unknown reasons, the atmosphere between her and Baekhyun felt a little too tense to feel assured. Maybe he didn’t like the idea of doing this task with her. Then again, who would even like the idea of going out with her just to fulfill a risky task? To think they barely had any idea of where these eidolons are…

“They’re souls from the underworld,” she replies. “Eidolons are amorphous. They only possess living things to do what they want.” And at this rate, they really needed a vacuum for fugitive souls. What a father Hades is to not even think of providing them any useful instruments. Does he really expect the two of them to be all friendly to the vicious souls and say: ‘Hi, please go back to Tartarus, thank you!’ like they would obey once immediately? She’s sure the eidolons are smarter than that.

“It’s not difficult to know if one has been possessed, though. The hard thing is where exactly to locate—” she was cut off upon the sudden cold air passing through her, making her gasp for air. If her instincts were correct, it was an eidolon—one of them, perhaps—that swept past her. “They’re here.”

A thought struck her. She might not get things right—but maybe they could use their weapons to the essence of the soul and bring them back to Tartarus. Perhaps Stygian Iron was made special that way. Thing is, how will they even do that if eidolons cannot be seen unless it possesses someone—or something? That, they have to figure out.

“They know who we are, and what our intent is. And they’re not happy about it.” Krystal mutters grimly, looking around cautiously. She couldn’t be any less of a victim to be possessed. Surely, she wasn’t looking forward to being so.

@[G] Krystal Jung Baekhyun knew that this was a bad idea from the very beginning he set foot out of the camp's borders.

First of all, he wasn't familiar with this city. Depending on a girl would hurt his pride, he thinks. So, he forged ahead of Krystal, without even looking back. It didn't matter, anyway. The girl probably knows that he was unfamiliar with the place. Still, he did his best to look like he already visited this city for countless number of times.

"So, uh, what are eidolons?" The silence was killing him. While ogling at his surroundings, he can't help but feel sick of the tension they were both feeling. Baekhyun was feeling on edge so he decided to speak up the first that came in his mind. After all, he was just at camp half blood for about 3 days only. She can't expect him to know much about things, right?

A cab stopped right short in front of them and an elderly couple walked out from it. The old lady stared at the dagger Baekhyun was holding, and he gulped. Even though he was informed about the mist, he can't really help but feel shivers running down his spine with a dash of panic every time someone looks at them. He coughed a little nervously, and the old lady looked away, linking her arms with the old man before passing by them to enter the building behind Krystal and Baekhyun.

"Where are those damn things?" He muttered, looking around again. The weapon he was holding was becoming heavier by the second again, and he did not like it. If he can't even swing the damn thing by the time the monsters appear, his life would be at stake.

@[G] Bae Suzy The thing is, the other girl didn't seem to be posing a threat - if anything, it seemed like Sojin is the threat, given the confused look on the girl's face. Sojin wonders why this is so but keeps her face blank, set into a little grimace. She could be planning something. She could just be hiding her intentions behind a mask of bewilderment.

The other girl blinks and Sojin blinks, too, surprised at the lack of action. Here she was, trying to intercept a battle, but instead, they're standing near the bridge and probably looking like a pair of fools. Sojin blinks again before giving up her fighting stance, just in time to see the girl surrender with both her hands up.

Jumping off the bridge? Hostility gives way to genuine curiosity (and more alertness; Sojin was fully awake now, thank goodness) as she approaches with caution, cocking her head to the side. She pokes tentatively at the other girl's cheek, noticing how her eyes have closed. Was she scared of Sojin?

"I wasn't trying to jump off the bridge, and I won't kill you if you don't try to kill me first," Sojin says, her tone neutral. "Who... are you?"

( hehe, suzy is so cute. c: )