[ You have to respect a girl who gets so intense about what's happening, that she kind of misses what's actually happening right in front of her. Though maybe happening isn't the best way to describe Hyunsu's extremely tattered looking existence right now.
He awkwardly looks down at himself, taking a moment to take in his own ragged appearance, before looking up at her. He certainly doesn't look injured at least, so that's... something? ]
I'm just confused. I don't really know what's happening either.
[ Please don't make him explain why he looks like this right now... ]
[ she pauses to really look him over as they slowly make their way towards what looks like the main town. because she still has to second-guess herself, she adds quietly, ] Aren't you? Should I find help for you?
[ she's glad she's fed, really, though there is something about the blood she can smell that doesn't seem all too appealing for a vampire, even a vampire who has recently been turned, her appetite nearly insatiable if she's not careful.
but she doesn't ask him why – otherwise she would have to explain the stains on her own clothes. ] Maybe we can figure out what's up at ...wherever everyone else is headed! [ it's the town hall, caroline. ]
[ Though Hyunsu hasn't stopped to consider how his very blood might have changed, it's true that it has at this point. People don't gain the ability to regenerate almost any injury at breakneck speeds without some very heavy changes to their biology, and that likely makes him a less than appealing snack for even a hungry vampire.
He does look down at himself now though, taking in the state he's in properly now. It definitely looks bad, but... ]
Ah, I'm not actually bleeding though...
[ And it's true. If she were to examine him she wouldn't find a single fresh cut on him. He clears his throat and looks towards the direction he was heading. ]
[ her eyes narrow for a moment. well. she doesn't smell any fresh blood so she can't call him out for anything. maybe he heals as quickly as she does? he isn't a vampire, though. she can at least tell that much from a brief assessment. as blunt as caroline can be, she at least has more tact than to ask someone what they are. that certainly wouldn't go over well with her, after all.
she doesn't answer him immediately, turning her attention to the chattering of the other visitors milling about. it isn't easy, her focus all over the place, ricocheting from one conversation to the other. tutting in frustration, she shakes her head. ]
Ah! The town hall. We should find answers there, apparently.
[ and without a thought, she takes him by the sleeve ( gently! ) and begins steering them both closer to the entrance. ]
[ It's a hard question for Hyunsu to answer too. "Monster" is a pretty broad category that covers all kinds of strange creatures thought to not exist by most people, but it's the only word he can really use for himself at this point. What people rapidly started transforming into in his world varied too much for anyone to do anything more than place them all under a broad umbrella with a word that already existed.
He appreciates not having to have this conversation now, however, because while she can tell that he's not human, he can't really tell the same about her. There's nothing special about his sense of smell or vision that would tip him off to that, and he's too caught up in the strangeness of the moment to observe things that might seem off about her.
Besides, her energetic personality is making it hard to concentrate on much else other than her actions.
Hyunsu blinks rapidly at the grab to his sleeve (one of the only parts left of his shirt at this point), and follows without any resistance. ]
I've been listening to other people talking nearby, [ she informs him proudly. good detective skills, vampire caroline! everything else is a trial, but focusing her hypersensitive hearing on conversations taking place yards and yards away is a walk in the park.
by the time they actually get to the steps of some small, sorta neoclassical building, caroline pauses. – it looks similar enough to the government buildings back home, but different enough for her to deduce that they probably aren't in america. the entire experience so far has been jarring but it's only as she sets one foot on the first step to the entrance that it truly sinks in that this isn't a bizarre dream she might be having.
she pinches her side just in case.
but it's all real, from the confused visitors, to the eerie, dreamy portside town, to the confused and bedraggled boy she has decided to latch onto.
[ That she was at any distance doesn't even occur to Hyunsu, because plenty of people here seem to be mingling in small groups at this moment. Hell, if you can count two as "a small group" both of them are currently doing exactly that. So anything that might ding the "not a human" bell goes right over Hyunsu's head in this moment.
He's also a little caught up trying to take in the sights himself. He's never been outside of Korea before, and he can definitely tell he's not still there. Beyond that it feels so strange to see civilization looking intact and if not thriving then at the very least easily surviving.
Hyunsu gazes in what is just shy of awe at the people passing by them as they go about their daily business, and only snaps his attention back to Caroline at the question. ]
[ just as he seems to miss caroline's subtle displays of powers, caroline misses the way he marvels at everything around him a little more than the average (?) person loading into this town hall for their orientation. it would make sense, of course. caroline has seen enough movies about that kind of thing, living through the apocalypse, and hyunsu seems to fit the bill looks-wise since he does not look like he came from a happy place.
she manages to smile kindly and chirp back using the same name format he has used to be polite, ] Forbes, Caroline!
[ suddenly she points to some chairs in the back of the small auditorium. ] Let's go grab those seats just in case.
[ As unhappy as she first seemed to be with the situation, her seems to have managed to get upbeat pretty quickly. Hyunsu only really displays one of three emotions these days, and none of them are particularly happy, so it's a little hard for him to relate to that.
Still, people like Caroline are a bit more pleasant to talk to than people like him, and he's aware of that fact. He'll be better off sticking with her and letting her ask questions while he stands to the side gormlessly.
Also, as much of a loner as he is, he doesn't actually like being alone. Especially in confusing situations like this one. So he nods as he follows her point. ]
[ in the company of someone else, she feels immensely better though not entirely at ease. though how could she possibly feel at ease under these unusual circumstances? she had only just been getting used to being a damned vampire and now she has to deal with all of this? and without any possible rudder to help her steer through these treacherous waters?
she presses her hands against her lap and forces herself to focus on this so-called orientation. it sounds like it's all spoken in english, at least to her, but judging from the way others sounded on the way in, everyone else seems to process it too.
they're here to. vacation? from their lives? does that sound right?
[ Hyunsu hadn't exactly been getting used to his new life being assaulted regularly by monsters, but he had come to expect that was going to be his reality for the foreseeable future. It had been kind of dangerous to fantasize too much about what life would be like not in constant danger, because it could fast spiral him back into the depression he normally wallowed in.
So being here where it seems largely safe and peaceful is... weird. He's not feeling the same frustration about having to deal with this as Caroline is though, because there is a genuine relief for him in being here, but it is strange.
She might be hearing things in English, but he's hearing them in Korean. Korea isn't a very big country, and while there are people outside of it that do learn the language, it's not one that he would expect an entire room of non-Koreans to know. As that thought sinks in his brow furrows a little in thought. He's still listening to the explanation about a break, but his eyes wander as he takes in the other people who look as bewildered and in some cases as ragged as he does. ]
Mm...
[ The most ominous part of all. Eerie enough that Hyunsu isn't sure how to feel about it. ]
They said they hope we enjoy it here, because they can't get us back to where we come from for now.
[ there have been plenty of instances in which caroline has felt like her life was not in her control. sure, some of it has to do with being a type-a sort of girl, but part of it is definitely to do with the supernatural forces that have been crowding around her hometown.
she's been a vampire's plaything and a pawn in someone's scheme – even if that scheme meant taking her own life as some strange act of revenge. or perhaps to save her.
being alone in this new world without her friends or even her mom ...
tears well up in her blue eyes but she takes a deep breath and stares down at her lap, at her hands as she opens her fists so she can stare at her palms, red crescents dug into the flesh from her manicured nails. ]
It sounds like no one else signed up for this vacation getaway either, huh.
[ Hyunsu's eyes travel around the room, taking in the assortment of reactions from the people gathered. It's hard to say what people are saying just from a quick reaction to some frankly very bizarre news, but it none of them seem like they were expecting what is now happening, it's true.
Finally he looks back at Caroline, brows furrowing with worry as his fingers tap nervously against his bent knees. He doesn't know how to comfort her, or if she'd even want him to try, but it doesn't feel good watching the first person who tried to help him getting so visibly upset.
It's hard in a way, because her feelings seem so far removed from his own about this. It's definitely alarming and concerning, but whatever weird nonsense might be going on here, it has to be better than what he just came from. If nothing else, at least he doesn't feel like his life is in immediate danger.
That doesn't mean it's the case for everyone else. He doesn't know what was happening in the rest of the world, with communication as cut off as it was, but apparently things weren't as dire as they had been in South Korea. ]
Sorry, ( she blubbers, shaking her head. ) I'm, like - not very good at keeping it together sometimes and I'm just freaked out.
Maybe it'll be nice? They don't seem like .... evil.
( famous last words, she thinks, but she also doesn't want to draw any more attention to herself with her little outbursts, even if she is surely not the only one who is upset about this turn of events. why bother pretending to be sweet and personable when everything is so far out of your control?
maybe it won't be bad. maybe she can spend some time here, get away from everything, from other vampires, from katherine, who seems to have her on a leash these days since she always needs someone to do her bidding. maybe she can actually rest and relax after the last few months of craziness. )
[ It's sad how bad Hyunsu has gotten at comforting people these days, but he does nod slightly at both Caroline's confession, and her optimism that maybe the people here aren't so bad. They don't seem bad to Hyunsu either. The weird part is just how they got into this mess in the first place.
Hyunsu glances up at the friendly and open faces of the people who are greeting them into their little town. It's definitely a nice change from the fear and open suspicion he's become used to seeing on people's faces these days. ]
It seems nice here?
[ Is the best he can volunteer in way of soothing some of Caroline's anxiety.
It's not much though. He's sorry. He's so bad at this. ]
( she turns to him and smiles uncertainly, an attempt to be vibrant but failing miserably. stefan said her emotions would be unstable while her body acclimated to this new version of herself, but she can't handle the rush of tears that threaten to fall because she's just so darn overwhelmed.
sharply, she looks away from him. right. rest and relaxation. a vacation. enjoying herself.
no school.
she'll find a way to get back in touch with the others at some point but for now ... caroline tilts her head back as if willing those tears back into her body, fluttering her long lashes and clearing her throat. even if the presentation isn't quite over yet, she stands up anyway. )
[ It says a lot about Hyunsu that he feels more out of his depth when it comes to comforting the girl who is about to cry sitting next to him, than he does with being spirited away to a mystery island somewhere (probably) in Europe. He really doesn't know what to do about Caroline's panic though, and for a moment looks down at his hands, wondering if he can pretend it's not happening.
That doesn't seem right though, and for whatever reason she grabbed onto him out of all of the people she could have milling around the docks.
So with some slightly reluctance he looks back up at her, still sitting. ]
Do you want me to come with you?
[ Not that he's going to be able to do much more than that. ]
( if they weren't in the middle of this presentation and town hall session, caroline might make a big deal out of not wanting to bother him, not when she's already tugged him to and fro in the short period of time they have known each other.
she's already at the end of the row, looking over her shoulder with a furrowed brow, trying to hold it together while she's standing and potentially attracting someone's attention to the commotion. )
[ He made the offer, but Hyunsu still looks a little surprised when she actually says yes to that. He might just be too used to people wanting to swallow feelings when people are watching, like he was always expected to do when he was in school.
Surprised or not, he does still nod as he gets to his own feet. ]
Okay. Let's go.
[ It sounds like they learned everything they needed to from this gathering anyway. ]
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hypercritical) wrote2021-02-19 12:29 am
no subject
He awkwardly looks down at himself, taking a moment to take in his own ragged appearance, before looking up at her. He certainly doesn't look injured at least, so that's... something? ]
I'm just confused. I don't really know what's happening either.
[ Please don't make him explain why he looks like this right now... ]
no subject
[ she pauses to really look him over as they slowly make their way towards what looks like the main town. because she still has to second-guess herself, she adds quietly, ] Aren't you? Should I find help for you?
[ she's glad she's fed, really, though there is something about the blood she can smell that doesn't seem all too appealing for a vampire, even a vampire who has recently been turned, her appetite nearly insatiable if she's not careful.
but she doesn't ask him why – otherwise she would have to explain the stains on her own clothes. ] Maybe we can figure out what's up at ...wherever everyone else is headed! [ it's the town hall, caroline. ]
no subject
He does look down at himself now though, taking in the state he's in properly now. It definitely looks bad, but... ]
Ah, I'm not actually bleeding though...
[ And it's true. If she were to examine him she wouldn't find a single fresh cut on him. He clears his throat and looks towards the direction he was heading. ]
I do want to know why we're here though.
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she doesn't answer him immediately, turning her attention to the chattering of the other visitors milling about. it isn't easy, her focus all over the place, ricocheting from one conversation to the other. tutting in frustration, she shakes her head. ]
Ah! The town hall. We should find answers there, apparently.
[ and without a thought, she takes him by the sleeve ( gently! ) and begins steering them both closer to the entrance. ]
Let's go!
no subject
He appreciates not having to have this conversation now, however, because while she can tell that he's not human, he can't really tell the same about her. There's nothing special about his sense of smell or vision that would tip him off to that, and he's too caught up in the strangeness of the moment to observe things that might seem off about her.
Besides, her energetic personality is making it hard to concentrate on much else other than her actions.
Hyunsu blinks rapidly at the grab to his sleeve (one of the only parts left of his shirt at this point), and follows without any resistance. ]
You know where it is?
no subject
by the time they actually get to the steps of some small, sorta neoclassical building, caroline pauses. – it looks similar enough to the government buildings back home, but different enough for her to deduce that they probably aren't in america. the entire experience so far has been jarring but it's only as she sets one foot on the first step to the entrance that it truly sinks in that this isn't a bizarre dream she might be having.
she pinches her side just in case.
but it's all real, from the confused visitors, to the eerie, dreamy portside town, to the confused and bedraggled boy she has decided to latch onto.
wait. ]
Oh – shoot. What's your name?
no subject
He's also a little caught up trying to take in the sights himself. He's never been outside of Korea before, and he can definitely tell he's not still there. Beyond that it feels so strange to see civilization looking intact and if not thriving then at the very least easily surviving.
Hyunsu gazes in what is just shy of awe at the people passing by them as they go about their daily business, and only snaps his attention back to Caroline at the question. ]
Huh? Uh... Cha Hyunsu.
no subject
she manages to smile kindly and chirp back using the same name format he has used to be polite, ] Forbes, Caroline!
[ suddenly she points to some chairs in the back of the small auditorium. ] Let's go grab those seats just in case.
no subject
Still, people like Caroline are a bit more pleasant to talk to than people like him, and he's aware of that fact. He'll be better off sticking with her and letting her ask questions while he stands to the side gormlessly.
Also, as much of a loner as he is, he doesn't actually like being alone. Especially in confusing situations like this one. So he nods as he follows her point. ]
Okay.
[ And starts to make his way back there.
Caronline has found herself a big talker here. ]
no subject
[ in the company of someone else, she feels immensely better though not entirely at ease. though how could she possibly feel at ease under these unusual circumstances? she had only just been getting used to being a damned vampire and now she has to deal with all of this? and without any possible rudder to help her steer through these treacherous waters?
she presses her hands against her lap and forces herself to focus on this so-called orientation. it sounds like it's all spoken in english, at least to her, but judging from the way others sounded on the way in, everyone else seems to process it too.
they're here to. vacation? from their lives? does that sound right?
she glances over at hyunsu. ]
Did you hear that last bit?
no subject
So being here where it seems largely safe and peaceful is... weird. He's not feeling the same frustration about having to deal with this as Caroline is though, because there is a genuine relief for him in being here, but it is strange.
She might be hearing things in English, but he's hearing them in Korean. Korea isn't a very big country, and while there are people outside of it that do learn the language, it's not one that he would expect an entire room of non-Koreans to know. As that thought sinks in his brow furrows a little in thought. He's still listening to the explanation about a break, but his eyes wander as he takes in the other people who look as bewildered and in some cases as ragged as he does. ]
Mm...
[ The most ominous part of all. Eerie enough that Hyunsu isn't sure how to feel about it. ]
They said they hope we enjoy it here, because they can't get us back to where we come from for now.
[ Can't or won't though... ]
no subject
she's been a vampire's plaything and a pawn in someone's scheme – even if that scheme meant taking her own life as some strange act of revenge. or perhaps to save her.
being alone in this new world without her friends or even her mom ...
tears well up in her blue eyes but she takes a deep breath and stares down at her lap, at her hands as she opens her fists so she can stare at her palms, red crescents dug into the flesh from her manicured nails. ]
It sounds like no one else signed up for this vacation getaway either, huh.
no subject
Finally he looks back at Caroline, brows furrowing with worry as his fingers tap nervously against his bent knees. He doesn't know how to comfort her, or if she'd even want him to try, but it doesn't feel good watching the first person who tried to help him getting so visibly upset.
It's hard in a way, because her feelings seem so far removed from his own about this. It's definitely alarming and concerning, but whatever weird nonsense might be going on here, it has to be better than what he just came from. If nothing else, at least he doesn't feel like his life is in immediate danger.
That doesn't mean it's the case for everyone else. He doesn't know what was happening in the rest of the world, with communication as cut off as it was, but apparently things weren't as dire as they had been in South Korea. ]
I don't think so, no...
no subject
Maybe it'll be nice? They don't seem like .... evil.
( famous last words, she thinks, but she also doesn't want to draw any more attention to herself with her little outbursts, even if she is surely not the only one who is upset about this turn of events. why bother pretending to be sweet and personable when everything is so far out of your control?
maybe it won't be bad. maybe she can spend some time here, get away from everything, from other vampires, from katherine, who seems to have her on a leash these days since she always needs someone to do her bidding. maybe she can actually rest and relax after the last few months of craziness. )
no subject
Hyunsu glances up at the friendly and open faces of the people who are greeting them into their little town. It's definitely a nice change from the fear and open suspicion he's become used to seeing on people's faces these days. ]
It seems nice here?
[ Is the best he can volunteer in way of soothing some of Caroline's anxiety.
It's not much though. He's sorry. He's so bad at this. ]
no subject
( she turns to him and smiles uncertainly, an attempt to be vibrant but failing miserably. stefan said her emotions would be unstable while her body acclimated to this new version of herself, but she can't handle the rush of tears that threaten to fall because she's just so darn overwhelmed.
sharply, she looks away from him. right. rest and relaxation. a vacation. enjoying herself.
no school.
she'll find a way to get back in touch with the others at some point but for now ... caroline tilts her head back as if willing those tears back into her body, fluttering her long lashes and clearing her throat. even if the presentation isn't quite over yet, she stands up anyway. )
I need some air.
no subject
That doesn't seem right though, and for whatever reason she grabbed onto him out of all of the people she could have milling around the docks.
So with some slightly reluctance he looks back up at her, still sitting. ]
Do you want me to come with you?
[ Not that he's going to be able to do much more than that. ]
no subject
( if they weren't in the middle of this presentation and town hall session, caroline might make a big deal out of not wanting to bother him, not when she's already tugged him to and fro in the short period of time they have known each other.
she's already at the end of the row, looking over her shoulder with a furrowed brow, trying to hold it together while she's standing and potentially attracting someone's attention to the commotion. )
Yeah. That'd probably be good.
no subject
Surprised or not, he does still nod as he gets to his own feet. ]
Okay. Let's go.
[ It sounds like they learned everything they needed to from this gathering anyway. ]