#turn your lies into truths for you ( hyuk — verse two. )

[ofgentleresolve-a]

@jeoseungsaja​ sent in: BUT ALSO "You can tell me." (Hyurick iN THE BLACK KNIGHT VERSE 👀) || emotional vulnerability all of my muses’ worst nightmare great 🙃 ( ft. you can tell me meme )

A bitter laugh. His arm stings, a bullet having grazed it, ripping through the fabric above. It’s like a wall, wound after wound piling on top of one another. But it’s all good, the human body is meant to be regenerative- as long as he can walk and fight, he can take as many as NECESSARY.

Although perhaps the Black Knight would have preferred for the bullets to graze well, maybe lower.

Anywhere that doesn’t intersect with the burn scars. But then again, he supposes that would quite the demand- asking the bullets to avoid his arms, his shoulders, and his neck. The easiest places for someone to strike.

( The oil they poured on him trickled down like water and when the roads were paved, the FLAMES followed that path. )

It doesn’t take an expert to know they’re scars from long ago, but Hyuk would know from first glance they’re burn scars. He’s seen his fair share of burns throughout his time at Gangnam Station. That, and that young woman taking up his apartment, the one who occasionally feeds the pigeons with Myungdae, Suki, he’s probably seen her scars up close for long enough to recognize severe ones when he sees them.

“And why would you want to know? I’m not your friend. You’ve already made it very clear you couldn’t care less about what happens to me.” Well it’s the TRUTH, isn’t it? The Black Knight keeps breaking into his office, threatens to stab him on a frequent enough basis, and spits on the memory of himself Hyuk’s dear dead friend. Understandably, Hyuk would be hostile. Bitter.  The only reason Hyuk doesn’t fight him on it is that the Black Knight is his only means of getting closer to the truth. Or so the detective thinks.

( Perhaps it’s getting to be that time. Breaking the partnership, for Hyuk’s SAFETY. Patrick will be alone again, but at least Hyuk will be safe. )

And yet the Black Knight averts his gaze, chastised. The hat shifts to one side- he readjusts it, finger rubbing over the brim. He shouldn’t have said that. That’s not like him, this bitterness welling up and bleeding through like an open wound.

But then again, it not like Hyuk either, showing open concern. Let alone insisting the Black Knight’s arm needs treatment.

Ironically though, it’s probably the most open Patrick has been with his dear friend in years. So Patrick can’t lie to Hyuk, even with the mask and the tall collar covering his face. That doesn’t mean he can’t withhold information or EMOTIONS for that matter.

That doesn’t count as lying. Not really.

( Pawn would point out that sounds more like an excuse. )

“You think you’re the only one with a vendetta?” He turns away sharply, ripping his arm out of Hyuk’s grasp. It burns now, unable to differentiate between current pain and GHOST of older ones. “You do realize you’re your friend wasn’t the only one ANACHRON made an example out of.”

#gun tw #trigger warning bc of the image :D #jeoseungsaja #jeoseungsaja ( ft. lee hyuk ) #i having made you “a liar” would turn your lies into truths ( ft. patrick & hyuk || black knight verse ) #( verse: a knight is never without their sword. ) #you: gives me sweetness with hyuk and mrs nam- I SAW THAT AND I WANNA RESPOND/REACT TO THAT SOON 🥲 #me: *this happens HESJJSJDJE 😭😭😭* #PATRICK GRACE- WHAT ARE YOU DOING #NO #C’MON ur best friend is just trying to be a decent person and THIS IS WHAT U DO #literally you wouldn’t be in this place if you JUST TOLD HIM….. #but also Patrick biting back hard….bc any time someone tries to pry into his past he gets defensive- fast #and of course later now the line he would be open with hyuk but for now- Low key think this is actually?? #the first time he’s being open about how he feels about this situation…. #which is bitter af and he can’t admit it but he hates that most if not all of his connections #all go back to him being the black knight and them needing him to be 😰 #basically he feels like the person he really is….they don’t see that as valuable #WHICH JUST?? IS MAKING HIM ESP RESENTFUL ATM IM SORRY HYUK #but also hyuk really seeing the scars now….so how is he going to react when he puts two and two together #that Patrick as the black knight also has these scars….. #🙃🙃🙃 Patrick’s going to hate bc that’s one of MANY things he would not want hyuk knowing #along with just how he’s coping with well life in general #ANYWAYS I WORDVOMITED SO IF NONE OF THIS MADE SENSE FEEL FREE TO IGNORE IT ALEX!! #THANKS FOR SENDING IN ILL PROBABLY BE ANSWERING THESE OUT OF ORDER….🥲 #BUT ALSO HAVE A GOOD DAY!! and if you want me to change anything do let me know ☺️ #under the same sky ( queue. ) #cull the shame ( aka ferre talks. ) #( answered: patrick. ) #that would truly be wonderful ( answered. )

[clemencetaught]

and we'll find some version of okay, one day ( ft. myungdae & hyuk || verse two )

a/n: did someone say hyurick? today is alex ( @jeoseungsaja )'s birthday SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRIENDO :DDDD thank you so much for the all the wonderful stories, muses, smiles, and laughs u've given me ( and all ur friends and ppl on dash ) over the years; i hope this trip around the sun will be a happy one for you!! care you lots <3 &lt;3 <3

Being in a relationship with Hyuk is surprisingly easy.

No, easy, isn’t the right word. ‘Easy’ implies a lack of effort to make what is between them now. ‘Easy’ implies what they have is intuitive when it is anything but. Hindsight is 20/20- it becomes more apparent to Myungdae that perhaps the last five years didn’t have to be as painful.

( He could have told Hyuk what was happening from the beginning. He could have revealed himself to Hyuk when he arrived in Seoul. He could have taken a moment and realized that perhaps keeping this undertaking to himself was only going to cause more grief for all parties involved. Maybe then, Hyuk wouldn’t have gotten fatally stabbed. Maybe Hyuk wouldn’t dissociate, wouldn’t be considered invalid in the eyes of the public, having ‘lost the plot’. The should-haves and could-haves echo in Myungdae’s ears like his ghosts and if Myungdae thinks too hard about it, they’ll start piling the guilt one on top of another, like the stack of essays he still hasn’t graded. And when that happens, the stacks will climb higher and higher like Icarus until it inevitably burns and falls- )

So being in a relationship with Hyuk is not easy.

But it is simple.

Their relationship reminds Myungdae of a heist, except not as nearly meticulously calculated. But the principle is ultimately the same- watch your back and watch your partner’s back. If your partner needs help, even if you can’t do anything, be there for them. Or in Myungdae’s case, in the aftermath.  Wounds are like cats- easy to see, harder to catch in the moment.

Of course, simply being there is a plan too vague for the Black Knight’s standards. It’s a concept with one too many external factors and one too many uncertainties to consider.

And yet somehow, their relationship works.. Actually, it might be even more painless than any heist. Sure, the obstacles come unexpectedly, but the solutions don’t require nearly as much finesse. As a matter of fact, the most effective solutions to their obstacles are much…simpler. Less thinking, more doing in the moment.

For example, Myungdae needs to bolt? Well he can do it, but Hyuk’s going to have to follow him or at the very least find his hiding spot once the smoke bomb has cleared up. Hyuk needs space after an episode of derealization? Catch Myungdae lingering just around the corner, waiting to be let in. Myungdae doesn’t mind the wait either.

He’s always been good at abiding for time- most times.

There’s still more to figure out about each other though. It’s not like they can go back five years. And no single conversation is going to give Myungdae everything he needs to know about his dear…friend? Partner?

( Myungdae decides he’s not going to think about that right now- he’s also not going to say anything about it to anyone. Nell and Alfred already have their suspicions, and god forbid if Quinn and Taiyang found out. Myungdae already wants to stab the latter two whenever they cross paths. And he doesn’t need one more tempting reason. Not that he thinks Hyuk would mind too much- okay, maybe Hyuk would. A quirk of being part of law enforcement, but no one’s perfect. )

Besides, Hyuk reveals himself in layers- like a book, one page at a time. It’s an incorrect metaphor, the open book one, Myungdae can’t help but think. An open book implies all the facts and details laid out, plain and easy to interpret. That’s no book. Or at least not a novel- to read a novel and understand it in its entirety takes more than one read-thru. It takes turning one page at a time, studying every scene and word to comprehend how it contributes to the whole, making careful annotations in the margins, and recalling the most vivid of phrases and moments to truly know a book.

And isn’t that what Myungdae and Hyuk have been doing all this time?

Granted, once more, that isn’t to say it’s been easy. Old habits are, well, the cliché could not be more accurate- old habits die hard. Like how Hyuk still zones out for hours on end without saying a word to anyone and how he’s given up on art in favor of reading and rereading files with yellowed papers on cases that have lost relevance years ago. Or how Myungdae refuses to show skin in front of anyone and how he barely reads and  reads only for necessity.

Or how they both still have nightmares. 

Sharpened teeth need to sink in somewhere. If not someone else, then themselves. Maybe those habits will never die. Maybe even if they have each other, they’ll never be okay, never be whole once more.

Nevertheless-

“Your hair’s getting long,” Myungdae murmurs, hand carding through Hyuk’s hair. It’s a Sunday at an hour too early to be awake and of course, they’re in Hyuk’s office. Myungdae didn’t sleep well the previous night and he suspects it’s the same for Hyuk, from the way he couldn’t stop moving. Or the way Myungdae heard him gasp in the middle of the night, only to curl a little tighter against him on the sofa bed.

( Of the new couch- the old one, that two seater with deflated green cushions and scratchy fabric that must have been repurposed from a potato sack, Hyuk had replaced not too long ago. Myungdae won’t admit that he likes the new one- a three seater with chenille fabric that can fold out into a bed- more now that he’s had time to get accustomed. )

Hyuk grumbles, head in Myungdae’s lap. “It already is.” His arm loosely draped around Myungdae’s waist, Hyuk peeks up at him. Myungdae can see the lines under sleep deprived eyes.  “Do you like actually being a pigeon? It’s too early, Dae-yah.” A warm hand finds purchase on Myungdae’s hip as Hyuk groans, groggy. “Lie down.” 

Next to me, Myungdae can hear from the breeze blowing in. The lilies of the valley on the window sill jingle, tinkling and singing.

“You should get it trimmed.” Myungdae says instead, fingers tangling themselves between the strands of hair. They’re smooth. Fresh-smelling too like his shampoo. “It’ll get in your way.”

Hyuk flips to his back and looks up at Myungdae. “Don’t need to.”

“It falls over your eyes when you’re reading.” An observation, on Myungdae’s part. Hyuk grumbles.

“Doesn’t matter.” Which is translation for ‘I’m fine’. But Myungdae knows this is Hyuk’s way of saying, ‘I don’t want to.’

‘I can’t.’ 

Myungdae tilts his head, thinking as his fingers knead down to the scalp. What would make Hyuk steer away from hairdressers? How does this connect to the full picture of his dear friend now?

There are still so many things he has to learn about Lee Hyuk.

“...What If I did it?”

Hyuk raises a brow and suddenly, the window where the lilies of the valley sit looks very tempting to jump through.  It would take him, say, eleven seconds to through the window if he doesn’t grab his jacket with the smoke bombs along the way. 

“Do you even know how to cut hair?” Hyuk asks. It’s not a ‘yes’ but it’s not a ‘no’ either. 

It’s a silly overreaction, Myungdae realizes he just had. Myungdae could ask Hyuk a question and Hyuk would give him the truth. This is the way it’s always been- they don’t, or rather they can’t lie to each other. Sooner or later, the truth comes out and that’s a lesson Myungdae has been learning the hard way. 

They probably need to have a conversation about that sooner or later.

But once again, it is a Sunday at an hour way too early to be awake. This time, they can take the detour. Hyuk might think there’s no time like the present these days, but Myungdae is more than content to take the roundabout way.

“If I can use a sword, a pair of scissors can’t be any worse.” Myungdae says. It’s a half-lie. Hyuk still looks at him skeptically. “I’ll cut straight- you won’t lose more than a few inches.”

Hyuk huffs, a loose strand still landing in front of his eyes. Myungdae tucks it behind his ear. “...I’ll think about it. But on one condition-” Myungdae yelps. Rolling off of his lap, Hyuk half-coaxes, half-wrestles him into the spot next to him. Alarm rolls in, only to recede once Hyuk’s hand presses against his back and Myungdae is once more face-to-face with his dear friend.

“We rest for longer.” Hyuk finally finishes, triumphant.

“We’ll have to get up soon.” Myungdae points out. “Nell is no good in the kitchen. Hiro’s going to complain.”

Hyuk huffs. “They can wait a few hours. Who gets up at six on a Sunday morning, huh? Huh?”

Myungdae snorts, a hand carding through Hyuk’s hair, his fingertips padding against his scalp. Hyuk leans into it and sighs in approval. “Okay. Just a few more hours then. We can get up later.” 

Yes, between the two of them, they still have a lot of problems and no actual solutions: ANACHRON is still at large, Hyuk’s caseload never dies down, and the Black Knight still has heists to execute. 

Hyuk still zones out and Myungdae still doesn’t relax for any occasion. But at the same time, Hyuk doodles more now and his derealization episodes come around less often. And Myungdae sometimes wears short-sleeved shirts and will even pick up a short story to read for leisure.

It’s not quite perfect, but it’s progress.

The lilies of the valley tinkle in the sunlight. Myungdae presses closer to Hyuk- maybe they’ll never go back to the way they were before, maybe they’ll never have something easy, but if they have each other, they can be something like okay, one day.

.

.

.

fin.

#turn your lies into truths for you ( hyuk — verse two. ) #the knight ( verse two. ) #jeoseungsaja #ALEX!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRIEND!!!! #pls accept this little something from me <3 <3 <3 #i'm so so SO grateful to be able to call you my friend and to be considered ur friend #and i'm very sure many of your partners ( and our mutuals ) would agree!! #absolutely a joy to see whether ic or ooc; WRITE WITH ALEX OR FACE MY 🔪🔪🔪 #( i borrowed it from myungdae he said 'talk to my b(f)f or i'll 🔪🔪🔪 you' JFLKSDJFLSKDJF JKJK ) #of course this is hyurick themed - this year i gave myungdae the chance to talk #and he?? ran with it <3 #i put this in the future when they get together/are reunited #so i hope it's okay that i jumped a bit in the timeline <3 #of course nothing here has to be considered canon....i was also just thiinking about the haircut thingy we talked about once #AND THIS?? happened :'D #ANYWAYS MOST IMPORTANTLY!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX MY DEAR FRIEND <3 <3 <3 #i hope 2day is a wonderful day 4 you and that you get to relax a lot with friends and family/doing the things you want to do <3 #and if not i will curbstomp the fates 😤😤😤 #OKAY HAVE A WONDERFUL BESTEST BIRTHDAY OKAY??? :DDD

[clemencetaught]

when there is no paper one must learn to adapt ( post-it note meme w/ @rippleofwords & @jeoseungsaja )

annnnnd to continue xia's ask, here's the hyurick edition of this one meme :D

verse one:

“I’ll be back in an hour and hopefully not longer- you know how Ratliff gets when he’s behind a podium…do you want fish and chips for dinner tonight, by the way? Elise and Hiro will both be out tonight; we should go out for dinner. My treat!

-Myungdae”

( Placed on dining table in Patrick's townhouse. )

verse two:

"10:47 PM, Daesung Technologies- they’ll be appearing there tonight. I’d stab you to make sure you won’t go, but I don’t think that would stop you, unfortunately. If you get caught by the police, that’s on you.

-♞"

( Left by Black Knight on Hyuk's office desk. )

verse three:

“Call off the gathering. Someone in your group spilled the beans; the head peacekeeper’s bringing in extra units for tonight. I can’t talk him out of it."

“Hyuk, please. For me.”

“You really think you’re that subtle?”

“Just…try not to let them see your face this time. You being a victor is not going to stop them from drawing the gun on you. I don’t know if I can mediate. Please, please be careful.”

( Stuck to Hyuk's fridge, one on top of the other. )

#rippleofwords #jeoseungsaja #jeoseungsaja ( lee hyuk. ) #the gentleman ( verse one. ) #the knight ( verse two. ) #the victor ( verse three. ) #a question of justice ( answered. ) #the gentleman ( answered. ) #the victor ( answered. ) #the knight ( answered. ) #until the end and then a little more ( hyuk — verse one. ) #turn your lies into truths for you ( hyuk — verse two. ) #if he wasn't there i wouldn't have a reason to be strong ( hyuk — verse three. ) #oh my god there were so many tags :'DDDD #but i figured that since korean is a commonality between the two of them #and patrick likes to keep his communications private....he'd write in hangul for hyuk in verse one and three #verse two he's still under the disguise....that and hyuk would recognize his handwriting right away </3 #and as for verse three....i was just thinking about patrick like writing multiple post-its bc he can hear hyuk's responses and JUST?? #responds to all of his reactions at once....and then puts the sticky notes into a stack for hyuk to rip off one by one JFKLSJDFLKSJDLKFJ #also verse two myungdae says it's on hyuk not to get caught #but we all know myungdae can't relax until hyuk is safe :'D #OKAY BUT LMK IF I SHOULD CHANGE ANYTHING HERE ALEX #AND ALSO XIA!!! thank you?? SO MUCH FOR SENDING THIS IN AND ENABLING ME <3 <3 <3

[clemencetaught]

@jeoseungsaja sent in: things you said with blooming bruises and stinging cuts (for Black Knight verse...I feel I'm gonna regret this one due to endless tears and pain but 🙃) || when the unspoken is named ( things you said prompt. )

19. things you said with blooming bruises and stinging cuts

“KNOB.” It’s said so quietly, for a moment Myungdae doesn’t think that Hyuk picked up on it. Myungdae’s not supposed to be here, getting treatment once more for injuries that according to Alfred, could’ve easily been avoided. Maybe that’s why Hyuk’s shoebox office ended up being Myungdae’s hiding spot from the police once more- he tells himself it’s because he didn’t want to listen to Alfred’s tirade, even if it will be rooted from concern. Actually, there isn’t a point in trying to avoid it because sooner or later, Myungdae will have to return to the clocktower and inevitably bear the consequences of his actions. But for right now-

“I told you, I don’t need it.” Myungdae continues rather petulantly. “You’re wasting your resources on me.” And yet he stays rooted on the stool Hyuk opened for him. Stays still even when the saline pads come out and Hyuk gives him the expectant look to remove his jacket. That last part is always the worst- makes Myungdae want to bolt out the window right there and then. 

Myungdae doesn’t comply because he wants to. It’s because he knows the last time he tried to bolt, Hyuk trapped his arm in a vice grip, smacked him upside the head for being “irrationally stupid", and called him pabo. So what that cut nicked his artery- so what if he crashed into Hyuk’s office once more half way to death’s doorstep. He’s survived worse. He will survive worse. He always pulls through in the end. 

( He has to. )

Yes, Myungdae stays still because he doesn’t feel like getting into another scruffle when he’s only barely managed to scrape his way out of the previous one. It’s not because Hyuk will glare at him in a mixture of frustration, concern, and strangely enough, understanding. It’s not because that last part hurts the most. “At least when I get injured, it’s for a reason. I don’t go picking fights that don’t concern me. Unlike someone.”

The corner of the detective’s mouth twitches, which in a messed-up way, brings a sense of relief as the saline pads come out. One might consider it a maladaptive habit, a humorless play they repeat over and over- the one where the Black Knight prods at the detective to get a rise out of him and the detective, disgruntled, ignores him, plowing through the same business as gracelessly as he does with everything else he does when it comes to the Black Knight.

( “Neither of you would make it in the comedy scene.” Alfred said. And then Nell pointed out they were both, instead, masochists.

“What else would you be?” Nell said. “You’re both broody three-fourths of the time and you’re also like ‘grrr’ for years.” She even included the claw motions with her hands for emphasis. Myungdae decided to ignore both of them. Pointedly. )

“And considering how easily the police manage to catch you, I’m assuming you also keep A SIREN in your pocket at all times- argh!” The bandage is slapped over one of his bruises more roughly than the previous one. Myungdae hisses; out of the corner of his eye, he sees Hyuk snort. It must be his way of getting back at the Black Knight. He’s not the kind of person to simply take things lying down, anyways, not if there’s a chance to dish it back. 

And as for Myungdae? Well apparently, that slight of a reprimand is enough to make Myungdae scowl, greatly annoyed. “Knob.” He repeats once more, if not sullenly. 

It were coming from anyone else, he’d take it more solemnly, especially if it’s coming from either Nell or Alfred. It comes from a good place, he knows, and so the best way to show that he cares is by listening to it sincerely, even if it hurts. Their concern hurts often, in the worst ways because he knows ( and they too ) he won’t stop.

Someone once said that it’s not that the grief grows smaller over the years, it’s that a person’s life around it grows bigger. And sure, he’s made something of a life outside of five years ago, something like a life outside of the Black Knight. And yet, the horizon never appeared. Myungdae doesn’t think it ever will and that life he’s made for himself, going through the motions it demands, can only keep him grounded for so long. Little by little, that life he left behind pulls him back under, this time under the guise of a top hat, a sword, and the alias, the Black Knight. 

( For all the dangers it brings, sometimes being the Black Knight is the only time he can breathe easily. From swords clashing against one another, from sirens roaring in the background, the adrenaline that follows reminds him that he is still alive. Maybe that’s why Hyuk keeps diving head first into fights- it’s a reminder that he’s still alive, somehow, in spite of it all. )

Is this why a scolding from Hyuk inspires more…annoyance rather than grief then? Even when his cuts are getting cleaned out one by one? Because they’re more similar in that aspect: STAGNATING- unable to find healthy ways to move forward. It takes one to know one.

With a majority of the wounds and bruises cleaned and bandaged, the detective takes up a needle and thread and Myungdae feels the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. Stitches. That’s right- he forgot that he needed them for the last one as per Hyuk’s diagnosis. 

“I’m not doing this again.” He decides when the needle makes its first foray under his skin. Hyuk raises a brow. Oh wait- the Black Knight just said that aloud. Unfortunately, the Black Knight also isn’t allowed to take back his words. Myungdae bites the inside of his cheek. “This is the last time you’ll have to do this, you hear me?”

( They both know that’s a lie though. Maybe Alfred is right- they should never become comedians. )

Hyuk goes back to working. Brushes off the Black Knight’s words with a grunt. Myungdae grumbles.

“I’m SERIOUS.”

To which he gets a ( gentle ) smack upside the head. And a threat that he’ll get socked in the face if he keeps moving. Oh, if Alfred and Pawn saw him right now, they’d never let him live it down. The Black Knight…sitting in a shoebox office like a scolded puppy because the detective told him off. If only they knew, that the Black Knight’s kryptonite was, in fact, a person. 

Hyuk asks the Black Knight if he’s going to call him a knob again. Through the mask, Myungdae glares at him.

“You're a git.”

#jeoseungsaja #jeoseungsaja ( lee hyuk. ) #turn your lies into truths for you ( hyuk — verse two. ) #the knight ( verse two. ) #the knight ( answered. ) #JFLKSDJFLKJSD so.....i guess this is not nearly as painful as u were expecting?? :'D #myungdae was grumpy and decided he wanted to be petty and unfortunately hyuk is his victim....how toxic of him <3 #granted he was the dumb one #probably jumped headfirst into something that if he actually thought things thru....he wouldn't have been nearly as injured fjsldfjslkd #i was?? actually originally planning for this to be painful af #but then myungdae said nah not day JFKLSDJLFDKSJ #LMAO but if u want pain....don't worry i'll make it up to you <3 JFKLSJDFLKSJDFL :DDDD #but for now...hyuk can scold him to his heart's content #and myungdae will bite back bc he knows hyuk is the exact same way #so he doesn't have to feel guilty about his injuries as with say #nell or alfred :'D #JFKLSDJFLKJS but alex i hope?? #i didn't write hyuk out of character here too much ..... #but if i did lmk and i can change things here #HOPE EVERYTHING IS WELL ON YOUR END AND HAVE A GOOD DAY <3 <3 <3

[clemencetaught]

@jeoseungsaja sent in:

He'd been out all day. And this time not to get physically wounded in the process (nor to be frantically consumed by a case that's been taking his sleep away for years), but to take a last-minute trip to the beach. To send messages upon the sand. When he was little, his mother, Da-Eun, used to tell him that messages written on the sand, when touched by magnanimous waves, would be sent to those who are no longer among the living. 'Think of them as angels in the water,' she used to say with a smile, whilst taking Hyuk's small hand and guiding him to the endless grains of salt, 'they will take your message anywhere, so the one you're sending it to can read it.' He remembers writing one for his biological mother. And as time went by, he remembers writing many to Da-Eun, too. And now, to his best friend, Patrick. If it was for him, he would've sent his dear friend an entire book of thoughts. However, it's always been hard to realize that these are the only letters that, maybe (even if it's a product of imagination), will get to him. Lines on the sand, taken by sea's foam. He just writes a simple message. Hope it gets somewhere; somewhere, near him. Happy Birthday, Dae-yah. You are missed. He drinks tea in his name. Eats one of those curry puffs he liked so much. Then he heads back; head heavy. He doesn't expect anyone to be there; he told Suki and Jae-Hwan to take the day off, too. Nevertheless, when he twists the doorknob, he sees that familiar shadow again. The Black Knight. He wonders if he knows. If he cares. Well, if he read Patrick's file, then he would know. But who knows if he cares. "I'm not in the mood to see anyone today." A bitter grumble; dark eyes (saddened and tired) looking up to see the covered figure. "Any business you may have, bring it another day." But not today; not today, where he wants to remember Patrick's LIFE instead of his DEATH. He sighs, then basically pushes a bag upon the Black Knight's chest. It's a plastic bag, with the legend of red 'thank you's' written all over it. "Here, have this. I don't need it anymore." Inside, there's a foam container with multiple curry puffs. He doesn't tell him why, there's just an impulse of giving this to him, somehow. As if feeling this man is more or less similar to him. Barely eats. "Now go. Please." Nicely, because as he looks into those eyes, something simply...itches. Gnaws. Pulls strings. "I'll...see you soon." Hyuk forgot to take out the receipt from the bag. The yellowish strip has doodles made with blue ink; a hedgehog with a party hat. It also has the message 'happy birthday, best friend' written next to the drawing. Maybe letters in the sand are sent, after all. They arrive, perhaps. Not in the same of foam, but in the shape of silly doodles and receipts. (HELLO DEAR FERRE, I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND ME SENDING THIS YOUR WAY WIUEDHWIUEDH, there's no need to reply or anything BUT, I HAD TO SEND IT, EVEN IF IT'S A LITTLE LATE; HOPE THIS IS OKAY, TAKE MUCH CARE, CARE YOU TONS!!)

He shouldn’t be here.

Well, there are a lot of places Myungdae shouldn’t be, but when has that ever stopped him? So he offends ANACHRON and the law and probably a bunch of other people by trespassing, but isn’t that the Black Knight’s job in the first place? Stepping on the toes one person, one organization, one complex at a time in order to get the desired result. Waiting around and playing by the rules clearly doesn’t get him or the victims anywhere so he shouldn’t feel any guilt for this set of felonies.

And he doesn’t. Not really.

It shouldn’t be any different here, especially when neither the law nor ANACHRON ( or ARGOS for that matter ) are involved here. 

That being said- a different kind of guilt sets in his stomach here. It’s the kind where he promised Nell he would take the day off today of all days because according to her, ‘it’s your BIRTHDAY, you’re not supposed to work on your birthday’. She didn’t even let him make breakfast for her, Hiro, and Elise like he usually does. 

“Your only job is to relax for today, mate,” she had said, jabbing a finger at him that morning.

( Embarrassingly, or maybe it’s been his preference, he had forgotten about it- his birthday, one chilly day in February. When ARGOS made his new identity, it had taken Myungdae a long minute or two to remember:

“Birthday?” The stenographer had asked, fingers clicking away on his typewriter. In comparison to Nell’s typing, it was cacophony, inhospitable as the grey walls of the facility itself. Nothing at all like Nell’s. He hated it, the way it filled the silence between the probing questions.

Myungdae wavered, eyes glued to the table. When was the last time someone had asked him that? He closed his eyes trying and failing to summon an image of a calendar. “…February.” Which day was it? It wasn’t at the end, but it wasn’t quite at the start either. “Tenth.”

Could you blame him though? When the bulk of his five years were spent purely on a. avoiding ANACHRON, b. making sure ARGOS didn’t think he was burden, or c. most importantly, survival, birthdays, in turn, seem rather…ridiculous. Facetious when there are more important things to be concerned over. )

Myungdae stared back at her, eyes still groggy from having slept bent over his desk instead before she huffed, hands on her hips. “Birthdays are days only good things are allowed to happen, yeah?”

( She was kind enough to just serve him his usual first cup of coffee, however. Nevermind the hearty breakfast that she and Hiro had technically made for him; they could always have leftovers tomorrow. Alfred was kind too- simply gave him his usual coffee order and claimed it was ‘on the house’- he was practicing Latte Wednesdays, you see. )

Which implicitly also means- no BLACK KNIGHT activities today.

And yet here he is lying to her. And slipping into Hyuk’s shoebox of an office in the dead of night. He has yet to truly ask himself- why does he keep returning, coming to this mulishly hard headed detective? This detective whose bite is about as acidic as the words he flings out both carefully and recklessly. It stings each time, each visit like a scab picked off too soon. 

Myungdae tells himself each time he leaves- this will be the last time. Last time he sees his dear friend. Last time he sinks into the past. Last time he’ll put Hyuk in danger.

Sure, Hyuk won’t forgive him, just as he probably hasn’t forgiven Patrick Grace for leaving too soon, but he’ll be ALIVE.

And isn’t that the most important thing, above all else? What other reason would those last five years have been for then?

The detective is not there when Myungdae at first arrives, but air is still abloom with the scent of lilies of the valley and dust. He checks the pot by the window sill- moist, for once. Looks like the detective remembered to water it for once. 

And speaking of which, the door opens. And Myungdae dives into the shadows without another moment to spare. Oh, how Hyuk truly is a conundrum in the way he makes Myungdae’s heart race both in anticipation but also in fear. 

Myungdae is quick to roll his eyes- since when is the detective ever seeking out company? If anything, it’s the other way around: company seeks him out and then clings to him like wet seran wrap. But then he looks up, confused as suddenly, he’s carrying a bag- what’s that smell? It’s fragrant and delightful and familiar and-

He peeks inside before pulling out one of many curry buns. 

Oh. Aren’t those more common in the United Kingdom? If one really wanted to eat them here in Seoul, they’d have to go out of their way to find, like some place in Itaewon. He drops the curry bun back into the bag.

“...I’m not here on any business.” Well, does he ever have a good reason to come back here over and over again? He’s about to dish out another quip when Hyuk’s voice gives him pause. For some reason, it’s almost…hurts to hear. There’s no acidity, no anger- just…melancholy. And a hint of desperation- like he’ll BREAK if the Black Knight says another word. The Black Knight shuts his mouth, frowning.

It stings again though, a little bit more than usual- being told to leave, even if Hyuk will be expecting him on another day. “Very well. I’ll…I'll come back another time.” He opens the window and pauses before leaping out. “...Sleep somewhere that isn’t your desk. Otherwise, you’ll blow your back out.” 

A fair distance away from the eyes of the detective and the rest of the city, Myungdae removes his hat and then his mask before reaching into the red bag. He pulls out the receipt- oh. That’s why.

And here Myungdae thought the detective would have…forgotten after all these years. Isn’t that what time is supposed to do to grief anyways- soften the edges and make the details a little blurrier, a little more difficult to remember? Fingers glide over the hedgehog and underline the hastily scrawn message: happy birthday, best friend.

Myungdae sighs.

( When he gets back to base, Nell and Alfred are both waiting for him. Alfred, for once, sympathetic, and Nell, a little peeved, but can she be blamed? They all know this lifestyle is all-consuming- once you start, it’s hard to put the sword back down. Addictive. Myungdae doesn’t say anything, only perching on the table and setting Hyuk’s bag beside him. He opens the container, takes out A CURRY PUFF and takes a bite, chewing. Slowly.

It’s still warm. Just a little bit.

He takes another bite. )

#jeoseungsaja #jeoseungsaja ( lee hyuk. ) #a question of justice ( answered. ) #the knight ( answered. ) #turn your lies into truths for you ( hyuk — verse two. ) #HAHAHAHA PAIN. SUFFERING. THAT'S ALL THIS VERSE IS 😭😭😭 #i'm SO SORRY hyuk....myungdae does not...comprehend emotion jk i swear he does he just doesn't let himself feel them 😭😭😭 #i think it's also that seeing hyuk in like genuine pain #like?? scares myungdae?? like he doesn't know how to interact with a mourning hyuk ( but that's also bc he 's more used #to a snarky and mulish detective ) 😭😭😭😭 #BUT ALSO HYUK MY CHILD 😭😭😭 #THE WAY HE LITERALLY DOESN'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT HIS BFF'S DEATH OR CASE TODAY OF ALL DAYS.... #AND HOW HE LIKE BEGS MYUNGDAE TO LEAVE BC HE CANNOT?? DEAL WITH JUST LIFE (TM) RN #honestly dude.....i would probably do the same too :'D #MY CHILD I SWEAR!!!! u'll have happier celebrations of this day coming to you I promise 🥲🥲🥲 #once myungdae gets his head out of his ass JFksljdflksj 😭😭😭 #myungdae.exe did not compute RIP #BUT ALEX LET ME SCREAM ABOUT THIS MY GOD #ignoring an ask from you?? never :) #u will have to pull ur ask out of my cold dead hands b4 that happens :) #JFLKDJFLSKJFL but also i hope?? this works!!! #and if not i'm more than happi to change things up #HAVE A GOOD DAY IN THE MEANWHILE ALEX AND CARE U LOTS <3 <3 <3

[clemencetaught]

verse two -- the knight.

#the knight ( verse two. ) #the knight ( answered. ) #the knight ( headcanons. ) #the knight ( about. ) #the knight ( dash games. ) #the knight ( dash commentary. ) #interactions ( verse two — a knight is never without their sword. ) #turn your lies into truths for you ( hyuk — verse two. ) #a little bit like hope ( nell. ) #to protect something important ( alfred. ) #a knight a pawn and a rook ( nell & alfred. ) #vestiges of a life long past ( felicity — verse two. ) #tell me how to end it ( quinn. ) #tbt ( jae hwan tag. ) #tbt ( suki tag. ) #tbt ( taiyang tag. )

[ofgentleresolve-a]

🔥 (oKAY BUT ALSO??? BLACK KNIGHT!HYURICK, I?? I'll elaborate on this through the ask you sent me 👀 but I SEE IT, I SEE IT FROM HYUK'S PART, TOO? I hope it's okay to send these in ;W; PLS TAKE MUCH CARE AND I HOPE YOU'RE RESTING LOTS!!!)

@jeoseungsaja *cries in ‘this is completely my fault, but i’m still gonna cry over them anyways*🥲🥲🥲

HELLO AGAIN I KNOW I SAID ID ANSWER THIS PRIVATELY BUT ALSO I NEED THE DASH TO KNOW ABOUT THIS ONE TOO 🥺🥺🥺 if main verse hyurick is wholesome, sweet with a lonnnnng ass slowburn, then hyurick in black knight verse is PAIN AND SUFFERING…..with a hint of hope 🥲

( also this is me @ hyurick in black knight verse....FOREVER CONCERNED EVEN IF THEY BOTH SAY THEY’RE DOING FINE...THEY REALLY AREN’T I DON’T CARE IF DETECTIVE SOURFACE MAKES A FACE AT ME 😭 )

I’m so glad we’re on the same page here bc now?? I get to tell u my thoughts on hyurick in this very painful au that somehow spawned from wholesomeness shsisidjdj

i think it’s very much like you’ve said: both hyuk and Patrick fragmented, shells of the ppl they used to be….whereas hyuk is even more belligerent, apathetic, and isolated from the world around him, Patrick is more anxious, jumpy, and even quieter….the last five years have NOT been kind to them…😭 and yet they’re both still hyper focused on their respective goals ( hyuk: finding out the truth behind his best friend’s death and Patrick: protecting hyuk by taking down ANACHRON ). And by being fixated on these goals, they justify the  ( very self destructive ) lifestyles they lead.

something important to consider here is that when they do reunite, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll revert back to the ppl they were before Patrick’s ‘death’…..I can’t speak for hyuk ( although any emotions good or bad he might feel is COMPLETELY VALID….patrick did lie to him and he suffered for five years over that lie ), but I know Patrick, when he initially reunites with hyuk, will have to acclimate to being emotionally vulnerable with another person. like of course, hyuk can still read him like an open book but it’s one thing to be able to read the book…..it’s another thing to be GIVEN THE BOOK to read if that makes any sense….basically, at the beginning patrick will definitely be hiding ( or at least try to hide ) the depth of his feelings/how he’s been coping with, well everything bc that’s something he would be mortified for hyuk to find out 😭 along with that, Patrick also has to relearn every detail about his dear friend bc it’s not just hyuk who has to readjust what he knows about patrick...hyuk has also changed drastically in the last five years- good thing this is a topic patrick is very passionate about studying JFKSLFJKSL

but….BUT I do genuinely think their rekindled friendship ( and eventually something else too ) is something that will be GOOD for the both of them. for one thing, hyuk has something to lose again, but in patrick’s case, he feels like his sense of peace was taken in those last five years, so i think being around hyuk, someone he feels completely safe and at ease with, would in a way give him back some of that peace, if that makes any sense...? basically i think in being each other’s home, it wouldn’t necessarily fix each of them, but in wanting to be there for the other, i feel like their relationship would encourage each of them to begin to piece themselves back together....not necessarily into the ppl they were before, but more into people who are stabler and overall, happier...but YEAH I JUST...hyuk has always been a cornerstone in patrick’s life and especially in light of what patrick has gone through, he understandably would want to find home again. but not just ANY home, he wants the one that makes him feel safest and the comfiest aka hyuk and so in this sense, the only two ppl i could see patrick ending up with in this verse is either hyuk or felicity...but felicity’s dead, so hyuk sorry ur stuck him 4 life 🙃

BUT IN TERMS OF JUST?? THE TOUCH BARRIER?? if hyuk is more prone to breaking it, pls expect patrick, once he acclimates to being around hyuk and knows hyuk will be around for the long run, to be even MORE shameless about giving and wanting affection from hyuk via touch bc a. hyuk needs the reassurance that patrick is here in flesh and b. hyuk’s presence reassures and calms him, great for the paranoia really. ( also just patrick holding hyuk back and like, at first just being surprised that hyuk actually stopped...also pls catch patrick in this verse to be stopping hyuk from fighting via hugs WAY MORE OFTEN 🥲 ) BUT...just expect patrick to be brushing shoulders and knees with hyuk alot, wanting to hold hyuk’s hand a lot, and a TON of resting against hyuk’s shoulder bc he’s TIRED and REALLY WANTS TO REST ON A PILLOW CALLED HYUK’S SHOULDER IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR 😭😭😭

i too could go on for hours about these two in this painful verse ( i take full responsibility for sjdfklsdj ) THANKS SO MUCH FOR SENDING THIS ALEX AND PLS HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY 🥺🥺🥺

#jeoseungsaja #that would truly be wonderful ( answered. ) #i having made you “a liar” would turn your lies into truths ( ft. patrick & hyuk || black knight verse ) #ALEX!! THANK SO MUCH FOR SENDING THIS?? #but also like thank you so much for all our wonderful dynamics regardless of the verse and for your wonderful presence as well 🥺 #i will make a request to anyone else who is reading to PLS WRITE WITH ALEX #SHE'S WONDERFUL AND YOU'RE MISSING OUT IF YOU AREN'T #also send attention to hyuk in this verse....i will be reading very enthusiastically....lmao also just the thought of any muse who knows #both patrick and hyuk in this verse would totally be stuck in an awkward situation of 'what am I SUPPOSED TO DO' #BUT ALEX!! pls also consider that #nell and alfred really making theories about patrick's love life... #and then they see hyurick and they're like 'ohhhh. got it. yeah the professor's taken' sjdkflsjdfl #and also just the fact these two are literally gonna be two peas in a pod....won't see hyuk anywhere anymore without patrick somewhere #around the corner jsdkfldsjfl #team checkmate just being shocked by how clingy patrick is to hyuk #considering how he previously avoided him like the plague sjdklfsjdkl #ANYWAYS BEFORE DUMBLR CUTS ME OFF #THANKS AGAIN ALEX AND PLS HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY YOU WONDERFUL PERSON 🥺

[ofgentleresolve-a]

@jeoseungsaja sent in: "why should i trust you?" (Patrick & Hyuk, Black Knight Verse IUWHDIHDE) || ...alliances anyone?? ( ft. 400 random dialogue prompts meme )

"What do you have to lose by not?" He circles Hyuk, footsteps soft on the cheap floor of his office. The light above them flickers; Hyuk has yet to replace it. The Black Knight simply uses it as a means of keeping his face obscure. As if the mask and the voice modulator aren't enough to hide his real identity. "You said it yourself; you have nothing to lose at this point, Detective."

( And it doesn't feel like enough. Even if Hyuk is nonetheless wiser, somehow he still manages to hit past the MASK. Words that keep waking up the ghosts of the past- it scares Patrick how troublesome. )

Perhaps it's not a very wise decision, on the Black Knight's part, to keep his sword sheathed, especially in the presence of one who, on more than one occasion, has had to hold himself back from punching the Black Knight. Or choking him. It's the Black Knight's own fault though: provoking Hyuk into doing so by throwing pointed words on sore subjects. But it's easier this way if the detective looks at him with contempt and distrust than with anything akin to WARMTH. Gratitude.

That would just break Patrick’s resolve.

It's better this way too- better to have Hyuk hate him than to have Hyuk be…disappointed. DISILLUSIONED.

Because for all Patrick might tell himself keeping his distance is to protect Hyuk, he knows deep down it’s not entirely selfless. Why else would he keep breaking into Hyuk’s office without sending a heads up? Why else would he send warnings instead of just putting Hyuk out of commission? Patrick must be getting SOFT. Now that he thinks about it, that was a word that people used to describe him, five years ago. Not only was he the good professor, but he was a gentle one too. Sincere, honest, and kind. That’s the Patrick, Hyuk is mourning. That’s the Patrick, Hyuk clings so tightly onto to the point of picking at old wounds until they bleed again.

Patrick doesn’t think he’s that person anymore. If he comes back, he can’t be that person anymore.

“But you've hit a WALL, haven't you?” He brushes past his dear friend, who turns sharply towards him. They may have come to a truce of sorts, but that doesn’t change the mistrust palpable in the air. The way that Hyuk’s jaw clenches says it all. “And you know the longer you take breaking through, the further away the truth gets."

ANACHRON is slippery like that, always moving at the pace of a second hand on a clock: steady, but relentless. Keeping up is like running a marathon and Hyuk’s getting farther and farther behind the pack.

“I don’t have access to police records the way you do. And while I could break in and get the information myself, it’s certainly a hassle. I could be using that time to find out more about my enemy. You want to find out why Professor Grace died, and I want to take down his killer. It’s quite simple, no? The enemy of my enemy is my FRIEND.”

Although Patrick highly doubts Hyuk would consider him his friend. Most certainly not.

"I think we can be of use to one another. At the end of the day, we both get what we want.”

( That and Patrick knows there’s no changing Hyuk’s mind. Actually, he knew that from the beginning- once his dear friend sets his mind on something, nothing will stop him from getting it. And if that is the case then, this way, Patrick can keep an eye on Hyuk. Make sure he gets out of this in one piece. And filter which TRUTHS Hyuk gets his hands on. )

The Black Knight rubs the rim of his top hat, pulling the fabric over his eyes. “Unless you decide you want to keep being obstinate and chip at a wall without a chisel. That’s fine too, I suppose."

#i having made you “a liar” would turn your lies into truths ( ft. patrick & hyuk || black knight verse ) #( verse: a knight is never without their sword. ) #( answered: patrick. ) #and i call this ask....why patrick needs therapy like seriously pls go see a therapist you HAVE PROBLEMS #GOD THIS HURT TO WRITE ;-; #it's like dark humor with these two in this verse....u laugh a little and then CRY OVER THE IMPLICATIONS LATER #like god??? the fact that patrick doesn't think he can be the patrick hyuk misses?? even though i don't #think hyuk would fault him for being different than he was five years ago?? #bc that's a long time...no one stays the same way ?? and esp considering what patrick was doing in those five years #but also i went off of the plotting we did?? if that's okay with you?? #just that even if hyuk isn't part of the gangnam police department anymore #i assumed he would still have better access to the files than say the black knight?? #but if this doesn't work for you lmk!! and i will change it #THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SENDING THIS IN ALEX!! :D #i both enjoyed myself and cried when writing this JFKLSDJF #pls have a wonderful day friend <3 #jeoseungsaja ( ft. lee hyuk )