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jueunbe · 7 months

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hello, loves! it's just lil ol' me, the mun behind chaerin and haein! jueun is a beloved muse of mine that i've had for about four years but never got the chance to write out, so i tweaked her a little to fit at wannabe! hopefully, she fits in well. you can find her profile here and an introduction to her below the cut! as always, please like this post if you'd like to plot!

her background! born in suwon, south korea to a father who works for samsung and a mother who works as a japanese interpreter. she also has an older brother who is currently just an engineering student

dad was busy with his corporate job while mom was more of a freelancer so naturally, jueun ended up spending much more time with her mom. mom always wanted a daughter so when she ended up having jueun, she started throwing all her childhood dreams onto her

that mostly consisted of pageants, beauty contests and whatnot so jueun's grown up having to always win and be in the spotlight. plus, she's always had to take care of her appearances and that habit remains till today

as she grows older, she stops winning as many competitions, and so her mom kind of gives up on her. there's a mix of emotions during her last contest because she's so relieved that she never has to go through this again but also upset because it makes her feel worthless

anyway, as you can tell she has a lot of issues when it comes to trusting people because of the competitive world she was in from a young age and she always seeks approval from others! sort of acts overly confident to cover up the insecurities that she does have

currently, she's a university student majoring in fashion, works part time at olive young for the sweet cj points and discounts and also does freelance makeup work! nothing fancy, but she'll do cheap makeup and styling for fellow college students if they're shooting profiles and such

doesn't really dream of being an idol (for now, at least), but she has imagined herself being on television and kind of seeks the attention that comes with a job in this industry. becoming an idol or just being famous in general would really fulfill the approval and attention she seeks from people

kind of instagram famous but not really. probably has a decent following but it's niche. people who like fashion and makeup might know her feed but if you're not into that stuff, she's just a college kid

i explained some of her personality above, but she really does fake it to make it more than she'd like to. her mother has put her down quite a lot since she was young and her dad was never home enough to give her any love, but she is very close to her brother. the two pretty much only had one another to count on. she's kind of wary of people's true intentions when she first meets them but puts on a very outgoing, friendly facade to get to know them. almost like getting to know her enemies better before they become her enemies! if she were to debut as an idol, i can see fans finding her to be a lot more quiet than they expected her to be because she's constantly acting to have people like her and enjoy her presence

deep down, she is a lot softer than she appears. again, she acts more confident than she actually is because that's how she was trained to act since she was young. jueun would love more than anything to be a little more genuine, but it'll take some training, and she'll have to make some real friends for that to happen

kind of lives by the motto of why give a 100% to everything when she can give her 70% and get away with it. life's been pretty smooth so far (or so she likes to think) so she's not a work hard every day kind of girl

i am open for all sorts of plots but here are a few that just popped into mind! perhaps your muse hires her for makeup, you're a frequent shopper at olive young and you always seek out jueun because she seems to have the best recommendations, a roommate would be nice because she's going to school in seoul but her house is suwon, someone who catches her in a vulnerable moment and sees a more watered down version of her, some real friends (would require more intense plotting though!), exes/crushes/flings and whatnot (the latter will be very recent because of her age, of course), etc. again, i'd be more than happy to discuss things so please do throw me any ideas you have!

#( ✦ . ˚ — ooc. )#be:intro

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13ceremonialskrp · 6 years

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STEP LIGHTLY, CHILDREN OF THE MOON

THE COVEN WELCOMES THE 4:30PM CEREMONIAL, KANG SEULGI, A 24 YEAR OLD SIBERIAN CAT FAMILIAR

idiosyncrasy

At first glance Seulgi seems arrogant and standoffish, and in a way she is. She prefers to be on her own and fully believes she doesn’t need to rely on anyone for anything, save for the bond she has with 4am. She’s irritable and uncaring of any business that isn’t her own, almost to the point of selfishness because why should she help if it doesn’t benefit her? If she does agree to help (or is forced to help), she treads carefully because any misstep could cause her curse to knock off another few years of her life.

However, despite the cold exterior, Seulgi can be a fiercely loyal friend, who will go to any lengths to protect those dear to her. She’s not ungrateful to those who help her, being more tolerant of those who do and she hates having any kind of debt to others. Alongside being cautious, she’s mostly levelheaded because she knows mistakes are born from emotions, although this also means she’s a tough nut to crack when it comes to revealing her emotions. On the off chance her guard is lowered, she can be a little clumsy and a little tsundere, but you’d have to be really lucky to get to see that.

proficiency

In her cat form, Seulgi is gifted with exceptional night vision, being able to clearly distinguish between people, objects and animals. She has a great sense of balance, is very quick and agile and her keen hearing helps to keep enemies from catching her off guard from behind. She is quiet in her cat form, making almost no sound as she travels; however, not the same can be said for that pesky tail of hers.

ineptitude

Still trying to understand her role and her ‘gift’ as a familiar, one of the things Seulgi has troubles with is the control of her tail. Sometimes without thinking, she’ll knock something over on her way out, or (very loudly) rustle some leaves, alerting others of her presence. While she has keen hearing, it’s useless if the person, animal or familiar coming up from behind her is light footed. Without a keen sense of smell, she also cannot distinguish if they are a friend or a foe. While most cat familiars also seem to be able to see spirits outside of their realm, it is largely undeveloped in Seulgi. Sometimes she’ll see a flicker of light, or the slightest shadow, but because her abilities manifested later than others, she doesn’t have much control over any that aren’t of a physical nature.

Seulgi is also weak when it comes to confrontation. She is more likely to evade than attack and any physical blows can cause considerable damage, depending on where it lands. If forced to attack, her claws are weapon, although she’ll keep her attacking to a minimum, just enough to create an opening for her escape. This is less of an issue in her human form as she’s taken up martial arts to make up for it.

sanctions

The myth is that cats have nine lives, but that’s not how it goes for Seulgi. In fact, Seulgi doesn’t know how many ‘lives’ she has left. She’s been cursed with her ‘nine lives’, where she has nine chances to get out of nine life-threatening situations; however, she doesn’t know how many chances she has left or how many have already been used. What she does know, is that after her nine chances are up, something bad will happen and it’s not something she wants to find out.

The only clue she has to finding out when her chances are maybe being used is the pain she feels in her chest when she’s in a dangerous situation. This can sometimes cause her to falter in her escape and cause more harm in that particular situation, though the pain can be negated with the help of either magic or specially brewed medicine.

memoirs

Born on a moonless night, Kang Seulgi was very much a mistake.

Born to a faceless father and a mother who never wanted her, she was passed to the first person who would take her and maybe, that was the beginning of her bad luck.

ii.

She’s raised with her grandmother in a small farming town outside of the city, having only seen her mother through old, faded images. Secrets are always eventually leaked between the gossiping neighbours and she’s soon enough branded as the child of a whore, and the local kids have something to tease her about, though she doesn’t understand.

If her parents didn’t want her, then why did she need them?

When she repeats those words to her grandmother later that night, the elder’s lips curl up into a slight smile, hushes her and tells her to finish her meal.

iii.

They’ve never had money and it’s a struggle to put Seulgi through school. Her grandmother was getting too old to work, her mother barely sent any allowance anymore and so at 15 she drops out to pick up odd jobs. Commuting to the middle school in the next town was a hassle anyway. Her grandmother doesn’t approve, saying that they’d somehow find a way because the neighbours always helped, but it was because the neighbours always helped that they were beginning to want to stop.

This world was never made to be fair.

She leaves her grandmother at 16 to move to Suwon. At the very least she would be able to pick up better paying jobs, more money could be sent home and luckily, her boss offers her the cramped storage room above the restaurant, even though instant rice is all she has for a while. Its her first time in a big city and she gets scammed once, stolen from three times, but calls are still made every other day, payments are made fortnightly and somehow, they manage to survive.

iv.

She’s almost 18 when her world is turned upside down.

Everything happens at once – her grandmother passes, the payment for the latest medical bill is being followed up, she needs to leave the storage room to make way for the new tenant that wanted to expand on the second level and then there’s the unsettling feeling in her chest that won’t go away. She quits her jobs and heads home as soon as she can, the feeling in her chest only getting tighter the closer she gets to home, but reality doesn’t hit her until she’s standing in the same room as the woman rumoured to be her mother, in front of her grandmother’s dead body.

They don’t talk, but Seulgi cries because her world is gone and from the looks of it, her mother didn’t even want to be there. She doesn’t leave that night, doesn’t invite her mother home the next morning and by evening on the second day, she’s gone. There’s no note, but there’s cash and Seulgi doesn’t know if due to guilt or responsibility, but she’s thankful in that moment that she can at least give her grandmother a proper funeral.

She manages to make a bit of money by selling the stuff she doesn’t need or can’t keep. She keeps some jewellery and some photos, but the rest she burns, because those memories aren’t hers and she doesn’t need any memories of her mother. At 18, she finds someone to help her rent out the house and for once in her life, money is not an issue.

The issue is when her mother turns up once more out of the blue and demands the keys to the house, and all Seulgi can do is scream at her in the street and run away. Running, running, running, because she needed to get away and who the hell does this woman think she is? Traitor. Her emotions flood through her, the anger, sadness, loneliness taking over, moulding into one, and then she’s running faster than she’s ever run before, but the world seems different.

The lights and shadows seemed to dance in her peripheral, her senses became a little sharper and somehow, everything looked a little bigger.

A little too big.

She slows down, because by now she’s well towards the outskirts of the town and looking down, Seulgi almost gets the shock of her life. Since when was the ground so close… and why did she have paws?

vi.

When she returns home, its because her time as a feline is up. She doesn’t know who to go to for help, but when she arrives, the lights are on and her belongings are heaped outside of the gate and Seulgi doesn’t need her mother to tell her what she wants. Gathering her belongings, she makes sure she has everything and then turns on her heel to leave– this time, for good.

vii.

By 20, Seulgi’s figured out this transformation trick of hers. Without someone to teach her, trial and error becomes her teacher and eventually, she finds small uses with her new skill. Having made a little home out in an abandoned cabin the forest, fruit growing on trees is easier to obtain and free snacks in town were easier to come by (though taste is a different matter). But the more she stayed changed, the more energy she used until eventually, Seulgi would come home exhausted and sleep the day away.

A visitor waiting for her outside her cabin after one morning run is all she needs to find out that she’s actually something called a familiar. She learns that because she’s relying on her own power, she’s unable to do much in her cat form and that she needs to be bound to a witch to create a relationship of mutual benefits.

She doesn’t like the sound of needing to rely on others, and the words could also be sweet lies. If there’s anything the world has taught her, is that reality is harsh and free is rare, but her curiosity gets the better of her and besides, don’t they say cats have nine lives?

viii.

She’s never been in this much pain before.

The pain sears through her chest, forcing its way into her veins and Seulgi’s curled up on the floor, clawing at the wooden boards in a futile attempt to find some sort of distraction, but nothing can distract her from this. She’s gasping for air like a fish out of water, but every breath feels like a knife to her lungs and the only thing the Witch can seem to do is stare with a look of disdain.

“You rejected it.” She says plainly, as soon as Seulgi can hear over the blood rushing through her ears.

“What the hell did you do?” She hisses through clenched teeth. It’s almost a miracle when’s she’s able to push herself up into a sitting position, her head starting to clear up and cool down, but the pain doesn’t subside and throbs in her chest, almost with an iron grip around her heart.

“I told you I could help.”

This time Seulgi’s eyes are defiant, narrowing them at the woman standing on the other side of the shed. “I don’t need you.” The only person who had ever needed and wanted her was now gone and the only person she could rely on was herself, because all anyone else had done was smile to her face and talked behind her back.

She doesn’t need anyone.

ix.

It turns out that she does need someone.

The pain comes and goes in waves, better on some days than others. It hurts to transform, so she doesn’t, and she spends her days rationing the rest of her food and staying curled up in her bed. It’s easier to tire, so the days are spent sleeping until she’s gathered enough energy to be able to bring herself to get more food, only to repeat the cycle over and over.

The pain also never fully goes away, intensified when the Witch shows up at her doorstep once more and this time, with another. They ignore her hostile greeting and sit her down, the second Witch more respectful than her counterpart, offering her a medicine of sorts. It helps to calm her down enough to listen to what they have to say, but what they tell her is not the kind of thing she wants to hear.

“The contract backfired because you rejected it,” is the first thing she hears. “And the resulting negative energy is now acting like a curse, because you’ve let your body become so weak.”

She learns then that the contract was not supposed to be broken or rejected in the manner it was and that the rejection was a big deal between familiars and witches.

Somehow, they manage to figure out some of the details of her curse, finding out of her nine chances to get lucky in life threatening situations, although what will happen when her nine chances are up is left to fate. The one thing that’s clear is that she can no longer form a bond with the first Witch and that in order for her to survive, she needs to partner up with another.

“I’ll think about it.” Are the words she tells the witches, and with a sigh they get up to leave.

“Think fast, for you may not have very long left.”

She moves to Busan soon after, wanting to leave her past behind. There was nothing waiting for her but bad memories and ruins of what used to be her old life. Maybe the ocean could wash all her worries away, but even she knows it’s not as easy as that. Eventually she makes up her mind and researches ways to entice some witches in her direction, because if she wanted to live, she’d have to make some compromises.

Maybe one day they would be able to rid her of her curse, but until then, she’d have to play nice.

“Hey. You’re a witch, right? Looking for a familiar?”

#4:30pm #13:accepted #kang seulgi

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ehyde · 6 years

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A Void Between Two Stars

Chapter 8

Fandom: Akatsuki no Yona Series: Alien Larp AU Wordcount: 24,351 (so far), projected to be about 27k total Characters: Suwon, Judo, Keishuk, Minsu, Zeno, Kyoga, Yonhi, misc OCs Ships: there are several spaceships

The latest installment of my sci-fi au, in which Suwon is an AI leading Kouka in a rebellion against his former extraterrestrial masters. When the connection between the AI and its human host is severed, Suwon–both of them–must learn to live as only half of himself, while Judo faces the challenge of trying to figure out which one, man or machine, is truly his king.

For more info about the AU and other works in the series, check out the series masterpost. Thank you to my beta readers @greymantleish and @luckyfilbert!

Keep reading below the cut or read from the beginning on AO3.

“We’ll take it from here, General.”

“Right!” The Fire tribe official bowed to Judo as the last of the alien prisoners was led into the wagon. Arouk gave him one last pleading look before the door slammed in their face. And with that, they were no longer Judo’s responsibility.

He turned to Keishuk, standing by his side. “They speak Koukan now.”

“The AI altered their memories last night. Now they won’t be able to say just who it was they came to kill. The language treatment was an afterthought, to make things in easier in Saika, I suppose.”

But that wasn’t all of it. “Arouk thanked me for the care I’d given them. Thanked me!” That was when he’d understood their minds had been altered, and it had almost made him sick to his stomach.

“Yes, well, I suppose remembering that you were the one who…foiled their attack...would make it a simple matter to deduce that Suwon was the AI.”

So it was practical. But—and especially after what Kyoga had to say yesterday—it felt wrong. They were enemies, and while Arouk might not deserve much, they deserved to know him as such. Did the computer see things so differently?

Judo was just turning away when a bell started ringing, and it took a pointed glance from Keishuk to realize that the sound was coming from his own belt. Right. That communicator...thing. His old one had stopped working during the attack, and the one he carried now was taken from one of the attackers. It worked a little differently, and it took a few frustrated button presses, with Keishuk looking on in amusement, before he could hear the king’s voice. “Yes, Your Majesty?” He shot Keishuk a glare as he answered.

“General Judo, I’ve gone into the city alone. Come find me.”

Judo’s first instinct was to panic, but Suwon’s voice was calm. He wasn’t hurt or in danger. “Which ‘you’ are you talking about?” No, of course the computer couldn’t go anywhere. Wait. Who was he talking to right now? “ He went into the city, and you didn’t want him to.”

“Despite what you seem to think, General, I am not trying to control every second of Won’s life.”

Won. He called him Won. He—acknowledged him as someone else. “Good!”

“Maybe so, but you used to always follow me into Kuuto.”

“...dammit.” He was right. Judo couldn’t let the king wander the city on his own. “Is he still wearing that thing? Can you see where he is?”

Suwon laughed, and Judo wondered at that. After yesterday, acting so friendly was far too suspicious. “Where’s the fun in that, General? I’m sure you can find us.” The machine’s laughter sounded so natural, but then, it always had. And with that, the communicator shut off before Judo could demand more answers.

Suwon wasn’t hard to find; he was in the second place Judo looked: a teahouse the king had often frequented when visiting the town incognito. Suwon looked up at him in surprise—but to Judo’s disappointment, he was indeed still wearing the circlet, and his words didn’t match his expression. “I knew you’d find me, General!”

Judo scowled at him. “So you wander off on your own but you still parrot his words?” Suwon opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, frowning. “What’s this about?”

Silence. His expression changed, ever so slightly: he was listening to words Judo couldn’t hear. As the silence dragged on, his eyes darkened, and his frown grew more severe. Then, suddenly, he smiled, dark mood gone in an instant. “Judo. Would you like some tea?”

“No, I bloody well don’t want tea!”

“Sit down, General, don’t make a scene. It’s really delicious.” Against his own wishes, Judo sat. Waving down a hostess, Suwon ordered a cup of tea for Judo and, despite his protests, a tray of sweets too. The king knew he didn’t have a sweet tooth—he’d end up eating them all himself. Sure enough, as soon as the hostess returned with the order, Suwon reached to grab a snack off of Judo’s plate. “I miss these,” he commented, taking a bite. “They were delicious.”

“Don’t do this. You came down here to relax and be yourself, didn’t you? So take that damn circlet off and be yourself!”

“Myself…” His face was expressionless now, deliberately masking his human side. “You know that’s not possible anymore.” Another long silence. The king sipped his tea; Judo did not. “He wants this right now. It won’t be permanent.”

“It’s completely unnecessary in the first place.”

“We’ve already begun working out—”

“Don’t say ‘we’ when the person I thought was my king can’t even speak to me!” He stood up, slamming his fists down on the table, spilling both his and Suwon’s tea.

“General, this is neither the time nor the place—”

“Then we’ll leave. I didn’t want to come here. And if it’s the computer I’m talking to, then neither did you.” The waitress was already hurrying back to their table, and Judo pulled out a handful of coins. He didn’t bother counting. Suwon sighed and bowed his head, but then he stood up. Judo grabbed him by the hand and pulled him out of the teahouse before he could change his mind. Either of them.

“I don’t understand this,” he fumed as he dragged the king through the streets of Kuuto. He didn’t know where he was going. Anywhere. “You’re not a puppet. I know the computer is the king, but I can’t even say that you’re not.”

“Judo, if you would stop for a moment and let me explain—”

He didn’t want to hear any explanation until the king wasn’t wearing that thing and he knew who was giving it to him. “You have to be capable.” No, that wasn’t it. “You are capable. Stop pretending you don’t know that. That’s not the Suwon I know.”

Behind him, Suwon pulled his hand away. Judo turned to face him. “General,” said Suwon. “I’m not the Suwon you know. Isn’t that what you’ve been insisting all along?”

Finally a response. “I—I don’t fucking know, all right? You’re different. You’re not inferior. And I’ll prove it.” They were in the shipping district. Judo grabbed Suwon by the arm and pulled him inside the nearest warehouse. His right-hand sword was halfway drawn before he realized this was that same tea warehouse he'd brought the king after the attack. Well—all that meant was he knew they wouldn’t be disturbed.

“Judo…” Suwon’s eyes narrowed. At least he had the man’s attention. “Just what is it you intend to prove with this?” Judo glanced down at his sword. What the hell was he thinking? Challenging his king? But he’d gone too far to back down. “You won’t know I’m not directing his moves,” said Suwon, back to that unreadable expression.

But here, Judo thought the machine might be wrong. They had sparred before, of course, in training sessions, and Judo might be the only man who’d seen the king’s true skill. Learning just how fast his mind could react had explained so much—but he recalled the slight, nearly-unnoticeable pauses whenever Suwon parroted the computer’s words. “Direct them all you want,” he said.

Suwon’s eyes narrowed again—and the tiniest smile appeared on his face. He drew his sword. “Very well.”

Judo drew his second one. He wouldn’t be holding back.

Suwon evaded his attacks as smoothly as he always had, parrying and dodging, parrying and dodging, and at first it seemed like this would be for nothing. Like Suwon hearing that whisper of where to step, what defense to raise, really could fight as well as when that mind had been his own. But the tide didn’t turn. Always in their sparring came a point when Suwon evaded quick enough, sword and twin-sword’s follow-throw, that he could begin making his own attacks before Judo struck again. Judo could tell he was thinking about it. He could tell where Suwon meant to strike—

—parry, strike—

—and he could block his attempts with ease. Suwon was going to try again, and this time—

He moved to attack, then switched directions mid-swing. Not a feint, but an awkward misdirection, and Judo caught the blow with his offhand sword—and aimed the other at his king’s throat. “You’re two slow. You’re of two minds, and you’re too slow.” He flicked his blade upwards, hooking it between that damned circlet and the king’s temple. On the king’s face itself, not a scratch, but he ripped that circlet off and spun it away into a dark corner of the warehouse. “Again,” he demanded. “Fight me as yourself this time.”

Suwon’s sword swung down before Judo finished speaking.

A brief jolt of panic coursed through Won's veins, but it vanished almost instantly. In this battle—as Judo had rightly surmised—the computer was a hindrance.

Suwon didn't need him.

At any other time, he might have suppressed that thought—just as he might have suppressed the part of his mind that instinctively reached for a name that was more than just a mask. But in the heat of the moment, in the fleeting instants between attack and parry, there was no time.

Judo stepped back, raising his offhand blade to meet Suwon’s while swinging an attack with his main sword. Suwon was out of the way before it hit. The graceful attacks of Judo’s twin-sword technique formed a dance that Suwon knew well, one he could evade indefinitely if he so desired.

He did not. He meant to end this quickly and decisively. Judo wanted proof? Suwon would give it to him.

He ducked away from the oncoming blow, spinning around behind Judo, raising his sword to strike the hilt of his offhand blade before Judo could process where he’d gone. A clean disarm. Judo didn’t back down. He was nearly as skilled with just one blade as with two, and this wasn’t a victory yet. Suwon smiled to himself. Judo was honest—he could have just let Suwon win and called it his proof, but instead, he was giving it his all.

Suwon pressed forward, into the depths of the warehouse. A calculated risk—Judo had always had better night vision, and the light from the street struggled to reach. But now Judo was backed into a corner. The darkness made the glint of their swords all the more obvious, and Judo only raised his blade in defense now, until—

“I yield,” Judo grunted, out of breath. Suwon held his sword aimed at his heart. He nodded, lowered it.

“General,” said Suwon. “I know what I am capable of.”

“You damn well better, after a fight like that!”

“A fight you insisted on fighting, General, need I remind you.” Judo had the decency to look down, at least. “I know what you were trying to do. But it wasn’t necessary.” Or was it? Suwon had known the truth, yes—but until the heat of battle, he hadn’t wanted it.

(And did he want it now? Perhaps not. But at least he knew that he could.)

“It only took a few days of pretending to be him again to realize it could never last," Suwon continued. “We were trying to explain, but you…” Judo’s anger had confused Suwon at first. The general had known the truth, had never before thought that a machine could be less of a king. What had made him so averse to the idea now? “...did the thought that I was being misused really bother you so much?”

Judo didn’t dignify that with an answer. “Then why were you still doing it? If you were trying to explain, why were you letting him be you? ”

“Do you know, Judo...if I had never had the experience of having a human body, of living a human life, I’m sure I would never have turned against the Company? I was never truly human, but being human made me who I was. And...he misses it. I thought...coming into the city, as we both enjoyed...” He looked down. “But I can’t be what he lost any more than he can be that for me.”

Judo paced back and forth outside the computer’s—the king’s—chamber. He’d come straight from town, and he probably looked a mess. Muah and Gyoku watched him anxiously.

“General? Did something happen? Is something wrong with the device?”

“Nothing’s wrong with him!” Shit. “It! You’re dismissed.”

The two guards hurried away, and Judo continued to pace.

“Are you planning on coming inside, General?”

Judo stopped. Of course the king could see him. “Do you even want me here?”

“Very much so.”

A weight Judo hadn’t realized he was carrying suddenly fell away. He stepped into the room. “I don’t know what the hell I was thinking,” he admitted.

“I can’t fault you for not fully understanding the situation,” said Suwon. “I’m still processing all the implications myself.”

“I’m trying to apologize for something, dammit!” Judo slammed a hand down hard on the mainframe. “Don’t say ‘I can’t fault you’ when I can tell you were bothered.”

“Well,” said Suwon, “I suppose that’s fair.”

“Gah!” Judo began his pacing again. “It’s just—for two days it was just him. And I could tell he was still my king, even if he couldn’t.” Even if he’d been...a little off. Suwon had been unwell; he hadn’t been someone else. “Then you came back, and you weren’t him, and—”

“And in the meantime, you learned just how I acquired a human body in the first place.”

“That’s neither here nor there,” Judo snapped—but that was a lie. “I should have known already.”

“You’re right. I’m at fault for keeping that from you.”

“No, I mean—I had everything I needed to piece it together. I’d had that all along, and I never let myself think about it.” Which should only have shown how little that meant now, in the present, but somehow— “Look, you were both the same person, but he wasn’t part of you, and—”

“And for a while, we both hoped he could be.” Despite having no breath, Suwon sighed. “We are two people now. We may even be two different people. As for which of us is your king—”

Judo bowed his head. “If you’re going to dismiss me, just do it straightaway.”

“Dismiss you? Judo, why would I dismiss you?”

“Because—I questioned my loyalty. I questioned you as my king! I—I challenged you to a duel!”

“Oh? I remember a friendly sparring match.” So he really was going to let that go. “Your questions were valid. Next time, ask them to my face.”

Was that supposed to be a joke? “...you don't have one,” Judo muttered, and Suwon gave a sad laugh.

“As for your loyalty, General Judo, I am your king...but so is Won. You weren't wrong about that. And if you ever find our orders are in conflict...please use your best judgment.”

“Your Majesty. You would trust—?”

“You’ve chosen between two kings before, General. I hope the need does not arise, but if it does...I do trust you, Judo. I would ask one thing in return.”

“What is it, Your Majesty?”

“Talk with me, from time to time?”

Judo blinked. “...what?”

“Here, or with your communicator, or in the ship, it's all the same. But when I say I miss being human—I miss good food and drink, yes, but most of all I miss the people. You know, Muah and Gyoku tried talking to me? They don’t know what they’re guarding, but they were curious. I kept silent, of course.”

“I’m not the only one you can talk to.” Surely he couldn’t be.

“There’s Keishuk, of course. He talks to me like a piece of equipment, but he does talk to me. I’m in communication with Lady Lili and Lady Yunho, and a few others.” Distant communication, Judo knew—or did that matter? “Yona speaks to me alone on the bridge of her ship, when Hak is asleep.” And that could hardly be the friendly conversation he sought, either.

“And Lady Yonhi is still offworld,” Judo finished.

“...yes.”

“Agh, of course I'll come talk with you.”

“Though I can't share a bottle of wine with you anymore…”

“That happened once.” Already this felt like the dozens of times he'd met with his king down here before, as if nothing had changed at all. How had Judo let himself believe this wasn't Suwon? ”Your Majesty—I’m sorry,” he said.

Suwon fell silent. “When the time comes, I know who you’ll choose,” he said, finally.

Judo wanted to deny it—wanted to at least argue that he didn’t know—and he hated that he couldn’t. “I don’t blame you,” Suwon continued. “I was always going to be human, in the end.”

“Just what do you mean by that?”

“You know what offworlders think of AI. What do you think the galactic congress would make of me, as Kouka’s king?”

“So don’t tell them.”

“It’s not an option. You know that, General. When we make our case, the Company will respond in turn. However it happens, the full story is going to come out.”

“...and come back here,” Judo realized.

“If the galactic congress is to recognize Kouka as an independent planet, it must be a planet governed by humans. And that’s as it should be. But it’s not just that. They won’t allow a Company AI to remain in operation here at all. They’ll consider me far too dangerous.”

Judo remembered what Keishuk had told him—how AIs like Suwon had been outlawed on most planets, their governments too wary of putting so much in the control of a single entity. And Suwon had already turned against his creators. Dangerous? Of course he was. “That’s bullshit,” Judo said. “If they’re going to consider you a thing —” it left a bad taste in his mouth “—then you’re Kouka’s thing. Spoils of war.”

“They might allow us the ships, but as for me, they won’t back down.”

“Just how independent is Kouka going to be?” Judo asked, narrowing his eyes.

“It will be a careful balance, I’m sure. But better than being the Company’s.”

If the galactic congress wanted nothing else, but wanted Suwon, it would be too much. And Judo knew Suwon would disagree. “What will happen to you?”

“I imagine Keishuk will try to intervene. I’ll be disassembled, my memory core shipped off to his university for study…”

Just as Arouk had meant to do. “You don’t really think Keishuk would—”

“I’m sure he’ll consider it a kindness,” said Suwon, and Judo knew he was right. “But it won’t happen. Rather than let my fate be decided like that, I’ll choose my own fate. I’ve known for a long time that I—that Won—would be human in the end. I just didn’t expect to still be here, watching it happen.”

“Your Majesty—” Of course Suwon planned something like that. Of course he thought it was the only way out. For someone who was supposed to be inhumanly intelligent— “Don’t talk about dying when we still have work to do.”

“I don’t mean to worry you, Judo,” said Suwon. Once again, Judo wished he had a face, any way at all to guess what the computer was thinking. Not worry him? After telling him something like that?

“You were wrong, weren’t you?” Judo demanded. “Shut down, and you won’t go on as a human. He will.”

“The distinction wasn’t apparent before. Or relevant. Judo,” Suwon said, “there’s no place for a discarded planetary AI in Kouka’s future.”

“The galaxy is a big place. Or so I’ve heard.” And that meant nothing if his king had no purpose, did it? Maybe even more than before, this Suwon, the AI, was someone who existed to carry out a purpose...and he still missed the side of himself that was more than that. “You should tell more people the truth,” Judo said abruptly. “If it’s all going to come out in the end—I can’t be the only one you talk to.”

“Perhaps you’re right.” He paused. “Minsu. He’s been familiar with aven technology for longer than most, and he’s close to Won and Keishuk.”

And unlike any of the generals, if he doesn’t take it well, it’s of little consequence. But Judo nodded. “Muah and Gyoku have kept secrets for you before, too,” he added. “If they’re already curious…”

“We’ll see,” said Suwon. It was something. “Judo, you needn’t look so glum. What did you just tell me? ‘Don’t talk about dying when we still have work to do?’ There’s still a long way to go.”

#there is a swordfight in this chapter because I am predictable #two swordfights?#you might be able to call it two #akatsuki no yona #alien larp au #my fic

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another-miracle · 7 years

Text

Exodus, a GeunHo origin story

A/N: Dedicated to @peachchanvidel who has been inadvertently spurring me on to finish up this damn story. And who also has brilliant art for the AnY series - do check her out!

Click here if you would like to read the story from the beginning.

Enjoy!

January

The boom of fireworks resonates overhead, signaling the start of the new year. Yun-ho and Geun-tae have taken to one of the palace’s many balconies for a little respite from the oppressing- almost dastardly- court air that has permeated this year’s celebrations. Rumors have spread about how the Earth Kingdom’s revered general has finally been enamored by a young girl barely brushing womanhood. As such, Geun-tae’s romantic affairs have instantaneously become the spotlight for many, many nobles tonight, and frankly, he has quite enough.

Geun-tae stretches his neck, tilting his head towards the night sky and breathes out a heavy sigh. “This is why I hate coming to events like these. Nobody knows how to mind their own business!”

Yun-ho’s giggles ring between the fireworks. “Well, at least it’s almost over, Geun-tae-sama. Only an hour more and we can return to our quarters.”

Geun-tae groans, causing another fit of giggles from his partner. Cracking open an eye, he watches as her face lights up in different shades of orange, purples, reds. The smile she dons is resplendent, and Geun-tae cannot help but reach out. Their hands intertwine with the comfortableness procured over the past month of almost daily conversation, exploratory touches and equal standing. Her smile is then directed to him and Geun-tae wonders over how much has changed between them, how much more he has fallen.

“Hey,” he squeezes her hand, voice soft. At her inquisitive hum, he ducks his head and stares at their fingers, running his thumb over her knuckles. “I’m glad you’re here. You were a really great help today.”

And she was. Geun-tae recalls how Yun-ho, despite her many years as a lady-in-waiting, blended right in amongst their peers. With all the grace of a noblewoman, any questions directed at the two were evaded or redirected with wit. To the pleasant surprise of many who doubted the garish general’s tastes in women, Yun-ho was perfectly capable, yet sweet – ever armed with a nicety or compliment to quell any rigorous conversation should he have felt uncomfortable – a kindness he has never known he needed and appreciates immensely.

“It is a pleasure, Geun-tae-sama,” she responds in kind. Yun-ho gives a little quirk of her knees in a laughable parody of a curtsey, and Geun-tae smirks. They’ve discussed her incurable need for formalities, almost to the point of frustration on his part, but he eventually conceded and now allows these subtle gestures leftover from her training. It’s…cute.

He steps a little closer to her, shielding her from the cold winds that cut through their clothing. At this point, the fireworks have ceased and over the balcony, the citizens of Kouka have begun to migrate from the castle grounds, a few lingering in the celebratory atmosphere a while longer.

Yun-ho’s other hand covers their joined ones, and he looks up. At this proximity, Geun-tae is able to lose himself in her wide auburn eyes, familiar with the little dimples under them, and completely enraptured by the way they soften with an emotion he can only dare to hope she feels as he does. They flicker briefly to his lips, and abruptly his heartbeat quickens. He moves closer. As does she. A hair length’s apart, he breathes her name. Her eyes close-

“There you are!”

The two of them spring apart.

Geun-tae’s hand immediately flies to his forehead, his head flinging backwards towards the sky. “The fireworks are lovely aren’t they, Yun-ho?”

“Y-y-yes, Geun-tae-sama,” Yun-ho replies. “Ab-absolutely lovely.”

“The fireworks were over ten minutes ago, General Geun-tae!” Geun-tae regains some semblance of his sanity and looks down toward the intruder. The young prince Suwon, son of the late Yu-hon, stands unabashed, a rather wide grin on his face, with his hands behind his back.

Grinding his teeth, Geun-tae bites out, “What are you doing here, brat?”

Suwon laughs at Yun-ho’s scandalized gasp. Well, he is the young prince, formalities should be given- but to hell with that.

“Nothing much. Just scouring the area- oh! King Il has called for all the generals to gather. You might want to be present for that!”

Geun-tae sighs through his nose. He really hates these events, and what just happened has fortified his resentment ten times more. With a slight slump of his shoulders, he grunts an acknowledgement at the boy before gesturing for Yun-ho to return indoors. She squeaks- pfft- and quickly retreats towards the main hall.

Before Geun-tae steps over the threshold, he feels a tug of his sleeve. Suwon still wears that maddening grin.

“…Yes, Your Highness?”

“General Geun-tae, from what I have observed, it would seem that entertaining rumors is not your forte,” Suwon quips. “In the future, maybe it would be wise not to express physical affection to your partner, whom you have yet to issue a formal request for marriage to, in plain sight.”

Geun-tae coughs into his sleeve.

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

The smile Suwon returns is ridiculously bright and twenty times more infuriating. He turns and skips off back to the main hall. Geun-tae watches him go.

Seems like I’ll need to get to work.

#GeunHo #Geun-tae x Yun-ho #Akatsuki no Yona #Exodus #yixin's fic #yes #there will be a proposal #and a wedding

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idolapps · 7 years

Text

let me know - bts

OOC INFO

NAME/ALIAS, PRONOUNS, TIMEZONE: ali, she/her, est

RESERVATION: 000

MEMBER PROFILE

FACECLAIM: yoo yeonjung

NAME/STAGENAME: bang jooyeon

BIRTHDATE/AGE: august 3, 1999 / 17

COMPANY/POSITION:

trainee at galaxy entertainment

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 167cm / 52 kg

TRAINING PERIOD/JOINING YEAR: february 2016

INTERESTING FACTS:

from south jeolla, south korea

auditioned a total of seven times at different agencies before being accepted into galaxy in 2016

attends seoul school of performing arts

can play both the piano and guitar

has an undying love for sweet potatoes

can imitate any studio ghibli character known to man

STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES:

singing ( + ) high notes! a natural talent she has, strengthened with vocal lessons she began around the age of thirteen. it’s still a work in progress, something she has to work on when it comes to live singing but hasn’t given up, practicing as often as she can.

singing ( - ) live singing! jooyeon has problems when it comes to live singing, mainly because her voice gets shaky when dancing. she’s tried slowing down, maybe even stopping and just moving her arms/upper body when it comes to singing her lines but she’s still trying to figure out a successful solution.

dancing ( + ) rhythm! a good singer needs good rhythm, a skill that has followed her into dancing. and while dancing is certainly not her best skill, she loves to build onto it and lives for that extra wow it gives to a performance.

dancing ( - ) memorization! it’s hard remembering a routine, especially with all the different formations to learn. dancing is a skill she’s developed and is still working on and while she normally has no problems memorizing lyrics, choreography is a whole other story.

rapping ( - ) jooyeon has little to no experience when it comes to rapping, she thinks she sounds silly while doing it. if she ever raps, she’s doing it for laughs and never seriously - and even then, it’s not very good.

BIO/PERSONALITY:

s t a g e o n e

a thumb sucked between her lips, jooyeon stands beneath jiho - cowering behind the long legs of the twelve year old boy as her chubby fingers clasped onto his jeans. the four year old’s lip quivers as she raises her eyes to stare at his finger that extends to press a button. a loud chime sounds behind the doors looming over the children as his hand returns to his side, naturally falling to rest upon the dark locks adorning his sister’s head.

“oppa,” jooyeon’s tiny voices breaks the cold of south jeolla's winter air, tugging on the fabric the child held between her fingers as she beckoned for his attention. “where’s mommy and daddy? can we go home now?” it had only been two days since they had seen their parents but to her it felt like forever. and even though her and her brother spent most of their time in their rooms, taking comfort in one another while their parents seemingly had better things to do than spend time with them, it still helped to know they were there.

now she knew nothing about where they were or what they were doing. and what would they think of their children now, standing in front of a stranger’s home with intentions of something too complex for a child of her age to understand? the thought didn’t settle well with the child, especially as voices began sounding from the opposite side of the wooden doors - growing nearer with each breath.

her brother crouches down to her level, taking both of her hands in his before giving them a slight shake. “hey, don’t worry about them okay? they just went on a trip, they’ll be back soon.” his voice was comforting to the young jooyeon and she could only nod in response. with hands clasped around her waist, jiho lifts his baby sister effortlessly into his arms before settling her against his side. “in the meantime, we’re gonna stay with our aunt and cousins. it’s kinda like a playdate, but this one lasts a while.“

the child seemed unconvinced but she nodded anyways, a pout plumping her lips before she hid in his arms at the sound of the door opening. a few words were exchanged before the siblings were being led into the house, a house that would some become their own.

s t a g e t w o

jooyeon calls for jiho from her spot on the couch, already dressed for school as she plays around on her phone and as always, waiting on her brother. the middle schooler is invested in some random game when he bounds down the stairs - hair still a mess and uniform askew.

jiho ruffles her hair as he passes on quick feet, dodging the pillow jooyeon throws his way by darting into the kitchen. moments later he emerges mouth full of toast but appearing ready to go. “let’s go, joo.” he calls, already putting on his shoes at the door and paying no mind to the three other students clearly not in the room.

“we have to wait on everyone else, stupid.” jooyeon shoves her phone in pocket as she approaches him, groaning in pain when he delivers a rather painful flick to her forehead. “you little shit, i thought i told you to stop calling me that-”

“hey. watch your language, stupid.” soobin taunts from the stairway, little suwon at her side with a scandalous look etched across her tiny face. shit, a rather vulgar word to a six year old. geun, sporting that ever so notorious bitch face of his, moves past his sisters and into the kitchen - uninterested with his cousin’s little slip up.

jooyeon cackles from her spot at the doorway, sticking her tongue out at her older brother before beckoning over her cousins with a wave of the hand. little suwon seems to have forgotten about jiho’s words as her sister bends down to put on her shoes for her - a job soobin did every morning.

"alright, alright. practice after school i got it." her aunt enters the room with a uninterested geun by her side, picking up suwon as the child runs for her mother with a squeal. jooyeon's cousin only grunts in response before he too was putting on his shoes - waving bye to his mother and baby sister as he and jiho walked out the door. jooyeon and soobin waited a few minutes after the two boys before starting on their way - arms linked, thick as thieves.

s t a g e t h r e e

"c'mon joo, let's got! what've we got to lose?" soobin sits on jooyeon's bed, assaulting the mattress with her joyful bounces and kicking feet. her cousin seems rather excited about the trip to seoul she just announced but jooyeon on the other hand - well, she had never been found of surprises. apparently the other had taken it upon herself to sign them up for an audition at crystal media. an early birthday present she had called it but she wasn't buying it.

the two cousins had been close all their lives, even more so after jiho had left for college. they experienced everything together, finding their passions and talents included. the two had found a love for music together after joining their high school choir, moving on to take vocal lessons and cover groups together. soobin had always been a bit more open with her talents while jooyeon's shyness often got in the way.

which is why she's a bit confused as to why soobin signed them both up.

"we could stay with your brother in seoul, pleeeaase jooyeon." chewing on her lip, the girl looks uncertainly at her cousin, more refusal ready on the tip of her tongue. the hopeful look soobin's sporting causes her to hesitate - does she really want to disappoint her?

"alright, i guess we could-" the teen doesn't even get to finish before she's being tackled into a hug, choked by the arms around her neck and deafened by the squeal right in her ear.

a month later in seoul, the two arrive at crystal media with high hopes and nerves - one leaves ready to go back home and pack her bags, the other with a heavy heart.

s t a g e f o u r

hair tied back into a braid, jooyeon sits at her desk - writing away in a notebook as she waits for jiho to return home. it's been almost a year since their crystal media audition, a year since she wished soobin a bittersweet congratulations as she moved to seoul to pursue her career. it was sad, lonely even back in jeolla without her, eye opening to the fact that this was what she had to look forward to if she gave up. a life watching soobin succeed, experience happiness while she settled. and there was no way jooyeon was going to settle.

so she moved in with jiho in seoul - a place to get her out of her bubble, allowed her to focus on her talents while her brother was busy with medical school. it had been a year and many failed auditions later and she was still going strong (soobin was glad to hear that).

jooyeon believed she had improved, it was proof enough when she didn't feel like vomiting every time she sang in front of a crowd. countless vocal lessons with the occasional dance class gave her the confidence to keep trying.

and she's sure galaxy entertainment would be the one.

s t a g e f i v e

"again, from the top girls! where's your energy?" sweat coated the trainee's forehead, matting wisps of stray hairs to her face and sticking her shirt to her back. jooyeon's energy is flattering - exhausting weighing down her limbs even as the music starts up once again. other trainees surround her, just as sweaty and tired as her.

another run through and they're down, each of the girls collapsing on the floor as they panted with effort. "jooyeon you were behind, a lot actually." an older trainee calls from across the room - meeting her gaze through the foggy mirror with a raised brow. jooyeon laughs sheepishly in response, offering her an apologetic smile. "sorry, unnie. i'll try better next time."

an attempt at aegyo follows her words, receiving groans of embarrassment from around the room. yet another apology sounds from the girl and she laughs again as a near trainee slaps her arm. "sorry~" she knew they secretly loved it, no matter what they said.

jooyeon was as cheesy as you could get - getting even worse when a camera was on them. but she got along well with the others, working well with everyone the best she could.

just trying to reach her dream.

#female #trainee #galaxy #submission

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