forum "How come you haven't run away from me yet?"//oxo//Closed

Started December 12, 2020 by @knightinadream group

tune

Jimin tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at him as he circled her. The other court ladies had definitely made up or exaggerated a few things about the prince, from what she could tell. Other than his deathly pale skin, he didn’t seem sick enough to be confined to his bed, and he certainly wasn’t an uncivilized monster. Although…
“My name is Hwang Jimin, sir,” she replied, her voice steady. “And with all due respect, I only just got here. It seems pointless to leave now, don’t you think? And no, I suppose that’s not all. I must ask if you are feeling well.”
She simply stood there, still with her hands folded in front of her. Her eyes followed the prince’s trail.

"Hwang Jimin.", Kangdae repeated, "You must be Doctor Hwang's niece and your father is part of the state council as well, is that right? Pleasure is all mine, sorry I cannot give you the honor of introducing myself." Funny how they have crossed paths before and yet he is only personally meeting her now. Mother might have talked about her at some point previously, but he cannot recall. His hand gradually curled up into a fist. The shear frustration hidden under a smile. "Well then Jimin, I guess you are right. Getting to here from the west side of the palace is awfully time consuming; it's only easy if someone is swift. It's up to you then.", he sighed.

Kangdae faced his wrist up then pressed two fingers on top of it. Sure, he may still have a heart, although it does not work the same way a human's would. He's barely had a pulse ever since. Spirits would only know what would happen if anyone figured it out. Temperature was something he did not worry much about. His body always felt cold. The coat sleeve fell down covering his arm. "Check it if you want, but I am perfectly fine.", he stated, "You can tell Her Majesty that there is no use in worrying about me. I could probably fight some of the kingdom's most strongest men and still be in my current condition."

Resting his chin on his palm, he stared up at her. Waiting for a response, his other hand rested on top of the book. Without looking away he rolled up his left sleeve then placed his arm down again.

“I am, and he is,” Jimin said simply. She’d nearly forgotten that he would’ve recognized her name. “I must stay.”
In the silent moments that the prince checked his own pulse, a thought came to her. She obviously couldn’t figure anything out by just looking at him, but she thought she remembered hearing something about how the prince seemed more awake at night then during the day. Ah, but of course, that was why she was watching him in the evenings. She would have to wait to see what might happen then.
It took a moment for her to register his voice. “Hm? Oh yes, Your Highness, I’m sure you could. I would still like to check though.”
She paced toward him a little cautiously, at first unsure how to approach. His eyes were on her as much as hers were on him. But she found herself only a foot away from him, and there was a moments hesitation before she brought out a hand and reached out to feel his forehead.

Kangdae tried to remain as relaxed as possible. Every time Jimin took a step closer, the urge to move back kept gnawing at him. His other hand bunched up some cloth from the coat he is wearing. In his peripherals, he could not help but notice the way she walked. One foot slowly coming in front of the other. Till she was right in front of him, he watched intently with a sneer. "No need to be scared, it's okay. Am I really that intimidating to you?", he chuckled while tilting his head up.

Just as she placed her hand on his forehead, he glanced off to the side. The smell of blood was constantly floating around him. While the temptation of it was enticing, there was no way he can do it. Something about doing so felt different from previous times. Closing his eyes, he took a deep exhale waiting for Jimin to take her hand away. The more he thinks about it, the worse it may get.

Pondering, that is all the prince can do at this moment. He will not be able to just sit there for the next hour or so. Still, he does not know the exact details the queen has given her, but time is going to feel awfully long. Too long to not do something about it. But what could he do? Her job is to watch him after all.

After awhile, he carefully pushed back then stood up. "See? I'm fine." Kangdae walked over to the other side near the balcony doors. Taking the two pieces of fabric on his coat, he tied them together in hopes it'd keep the coat together. When he made the finishing knot, he leaned over unlocking the doors. "How about I cheer you up? May I show you a trick I learned?", he asked. Facing Jimin, he smiled, "One thing though, you will have to close your eyes. It'll be fun."

She stayed silent at his first question. For some reason she felt it would’ve been unwise to speak. She wasn’t scared of the prince, and she didn’t find him to be intimidating, exactly. It was the first time they properly met, after all, and his high status and royal blood seemed more intimidating to her at that moment than the person himself.
He was cold. Jimin didn’t mean to keep her hand on him for longer than a moment, she almost wondered if what she was feeling was because of her nerves or something. The moment he moved to push her hand away, she quickly drew it back herself.
“My apologies, sir, but… you’re so cold,” she murmured. “Are you sure you’re fine?”
As the words left her mouth, she realized that, although she’d never seen or touched something like that before, the cold of his skin could be equated to that of a dead body.
Then her eyes went hard the moment he said, ”How about I cheer you up?” and she tried to keep the hardness out of her voice as she said, “Forgive me Your Highness, I suppose it’s an honor to see your… trick, but if I close my eyes, how would I see it? Besides, I cannot have you out of my sight.”
She silently thought to report the coldness of his skin back to the Queen. She knew others had had this task before her; had they felt his skin too? Could it perhaps be explained? Or perhaps she was overthinking, and he was only cold because… No, the temperature of the room had nothing to do with it. It wasn’t cold in here.

The temperature of his skin is going to set off an alarm to others. His mother will surely get more worried if she ever hears about it. Previous physicians or other servants were much easier to convince somehow. Luckily it was always feasible to get rid of any evidence from their findings too except for one. What a predicament he has been put into. Most likely Jimin will be reporting all of this to the Queen the next morning, if his assumption is correct.

For all one knows, any word about this is going to cause a lot more trouble than he can conjure; much more than he can deal with all by himself. The imaginary space between him and the throne is closing in. He cannot afford for the gap to widen. Doing anything to this court lady will only raise suspicion too. What to do? Oh what to do?

Next to the sides of the door were candles on the wall. They were not hard at all for him to reach. "I assure you that I am.", he said. Kangdae gently slid one door just a tiny bit then made his way to pinch the candle flames out. The heat from the flames instantly disappeared. It did not hurt, it just felt like a quick prick. Wiping the moisture from his fingers off, he turned around to put the other one out. When making his way over, he also carefully moved the other door creating a small gap between the two.

His eyes settled back onto Jimin. The light in his eyes shined as his lips curved into a small smirk. Within a second, it faded away. "The outcome of the trick is what should be seen, not its process. That is what makes it fun after all.", he explained while pacing around.

Kangdae darted over, suddenly appearing right behind her. "I can guarantee that it will be easy to find me.", he whispered, "You will not have to stress over finding me. The trick is meant to be fun, that's why I want to show it to you, Jimin." Keeping a small distance, he leaned closer taking in a deep inhale. Again, his eyes turned red except this time they rapidly faded away. "I only ask that you close your eyes and count to twenty. Then you may open them up again." He patted her on the shoulder then ambled back over to the doors.

Jimin murmured her doubts as he put out the candles, watching his every move with her arms crossed. Still, she gave a small hiss of surprise as he appeared behind her. Why did he suddenly get so close? How did he get so close?
She was still quiet when he finished speaking, wondering if it was possible that he wasn’t just physically ill, but mentally. She sighed.
“It will be easy to find you, you say? So you’re going to hide?” Why was she not surprised? She couldn’t keep a hint of annoyance from her voice. “With all due respect, Your Highness, I am not in the mood for tricks. What will you do if I refuse?”
She wouldn’t put it past him to punish her, but she wouldn’t play his game if she could avoid it. But what if she was forced? Could she try to not look for him at all, and simply report to the Queen? Perhaps, but she wasn’t sure how well that would turn out in long run. Who knows where the prince would run off to in that time. Of course, he could actually be telling the truth about how he would be easy to find, but still, she wasn’t sure how much she wanted to trust him.

A small gap between his lips ready for all the words piling up to spill out. Instead, he shut it then pursed them together. His jaw clenched as he frowned. Would any of it be fun if he told her? It is the exact opposite of what a trick is supposed to be; or at least according to his own definition. Typically he did not plan to pull off something like this till the second day, although the others usually only lasted two to three days. But this is not any ordinary person he is talking to right now. Very feasible for him to tell only by the expression in her tone and eyes.

Kangdae stepped out onto the balcony. For a second, he looked up at the moon as shined. Lowering his vison just a bit, he stared at the roof then at her. "Let me give you a hint, but you must keep your eyes looking up." Not giving any time for another response, he slid the doors so that they were almost closed.

Quickly he got to the right corner, dashed over to the left side of the rail, jumped onto it, then got onto the roof. The distance from up here to the the balcony floor was not too high for him to struggle with. Getting on here was something he has done ever since discovering he could do so. And not a single scratch every time he landed too.

Letting out a quiet laugh, he warily sat down on the side. If she really is one of the most regarded ladies in waiting, she would have to come outside. Right? Most likely yes, on the other hand that meant she will also tell Mother about this too. Kangdae shook his head as he glanced down. Now is not the moment to worry about the morning. He will have to wait and see how this goes first.

(Kangdae: aight imma head out)
(Jimin: I am so done)

…Oh. You’d think he’d handle this with more dignity.
She sighed again, already walking quickly to push the doors open and out to the balcony, her arms now swinging stiffly at her sides. The distance from the rail to the roof was more difficult for her to cross, being shorter than him, and she didn’t want to go through the trouble of going after him anyway, so she just stayed down.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but this fails to amuse me. Why are you up there?”
Jimin would definitely have to report this to the Queen. And, if she was being honest, that’s what amused her the most. It was like that time, many years ago, when she had caught her brother horse-playing with a few of his friends. The sweet satisfaction of telling her father and seeing him reprimand her brother for once nearly made her laugh her evil laugh.
“Perhaps you should come down and find another way to cheer me up?” she tried to coax him, not really expecting it to work.

(Lmao, that sums it up pretty much.)

"Why not?", he simply asked. Was he being too aloof? Surely if he was going along with what he had previously done then he wasn't. And yet here he is with posture becoming more stiff than relaxed. Shame though. Kangdae wished she would have moved a bit forward so then he could have jumped down then lock the doors. Or this might have been better if she kept looking around.

So much for being paired with this lady in waiting against his will. Is his condition that really much of a concern for his mother? At least he is fine and more than well; especially if he can get on top of these slanted roofs without any trouble. Wasn't him still alive not enough for her? His abnormalities are something that can possibly be more helpful for the dynasty and kingdom than if he were a normal human prince.

Something about looking at Jimin made him clench his jaw. Clearly being on this roof is not causing much trouble for her. He can only guess how much it's doing the opposite. Dammit. What do you have up your sleeve? No use of hiding anything around me, I can guarantee it. Kangdae let out an impatient snort as he glimpsed up at the sky.

"How tempting, although I cannot really think of any other ways. Well, that is a lie, but I will not say them." , he said, "Maybe I should stay up here till I can come up with another idea, unless you do before me."

Jimin couldn’t resist snorting back at him. “It would certainly cheer me up if you came back down here, sir. As my uncle would sometimes say, ‘If you have a patient and you don’t know what’s wrong with him, you must look very close and you must look all over.’ And I certainly can’t do that with you on the roof.” She held up her pointer finger as she quoted her uncle, keeping her eyes on the prince.
She was starting to wonder if this little stunt was a sign of some mental imbalance within him. Either that, or he is just really desperate to get away from her for some reason. Of course, she couldn’t ignore his cold skin either. Was it perhaps a product of the mental illness, or the cause? Or simply another sign? For obvious reasons, she couldn’t say anything definitively.
What if he didn’t come down? She couldn’t deny that she was getting slightly anxious about it. She swayed on the balls of her feet, trying not to let her gaze drift to the full, pale moon behind him.

Kangdae rolled his eyes in response. Next morning after she does all of this examining, she will just tell his mother everything. Right after that she is going to ask for the physician journal from three years too. Then he will really be in a predicament. Seems as if there is no immediate way of stopping her. Interesting. He cannot be in the same state of desperation as his mother though. Even if suspicions are raised, he mustn't act too boldly or brush it off.

Sooner she does whatever she has to, the sooner she will leave and he can go. On the other hand, he can just stay here and do nothing. Leave Jimin waiting till time is up. Now that he thinks about it, no matter what he does next, there would not be any time for him to leave the palace and come back. "Ah, son of a bastard.", he mumbled under his breath. Hopefully this will only be a one time thing, who knows how long his stamina can carry him through this mess.

Carefully, he got up from where he sat. His arms rested at his side as he walked along the edge of the roof to the left side of the balcony. Pausing for a moment, he looked over his shoulder at the moon. It was not full yet, almost. Kangdae deeply sighed before getting back down. "Now what? I assume you want to get back inside in order to 'look all over'. I wish you do not get too close to me though.", he scowled. A strand of hair fell in front of his field of vision as he brushed off the sleeves of his jacket. His eyes stared down as he tried to move it back into place.

(oh- nvm, I didn't realize my school hasn't blocked this site! lol)

Jimin stared at him for a bit too long as if she was surprised that he had actually come down. Then she clapped her hands together as if she was about to get to work.
"Of course not, Your Highness, I won't get too close. And anyway, I remembered something else my uncle once said. 'Always ask questions first.' We don't need to go inside to do that if you wish it."
Her gaze lowered and she went silent, thinking through her words. There were many, many questions, and for a moment she had to reassess what she was trying to do. I'm not trying to cure him, I am no uinyeo. Why do I feel like I have to cure him? She made a small, rapid shake of her head. Overachiever. I'm only trying to figure out what's wrong.
She took a glance at the prince. His skin seemed almost pearlescent in the moonlight. Why did he seem so frustrated? She tried not to smirk with amusement as she spoke. "You've had other physicians examine you, yes? What have they said about you?"

His eyes stared off towards the pond. As he listened, he kept watching the moon's reflection in the water. A mixture of a discontent yet keen sigh escape from his lips. Kangdae still kept his rigid posture even as his thoughts tried to sway away to what has been in the back of his head the whole time; blood. Oh the mental obstacles he has to go through in order to get back to reality. This is not even the night he typically escapes. Hidden under his sleeve, he formed a fist.

Ah of course, all the previous physicians. Incredibly talented and wise, for working with regular people. Examining him was new and confusing; he made sure it was terrible. Some tried to preform procedures from the west that required blood withdrawal while others attempted to listen for his heartbeat. He is very certain that he burnt all of their records or kept a few hidden. "If they had said anything important, they would still be here. You, along with my mother and everyone else in this palace, would know. But they have not, so I am fine."

Difficult to find a heartbeat…Lack of wanting to eat…Extremely sensitive to metals…Similar characteristics to a dead person…Unusually energetic in the evening… Really, Kangdae can write a whole book worth of what they have said. It was incessant. Endless numerous amounts of statements and questions yet never a single firm conclusion. He even made a bet against himself to see if the next one will end up saying the same things as the last physician.

In the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Jimin. Are the corner of her lips trying to hold themselves down? Does she think this is funny? Unbelievable. "What are you thinking?", he asked taking a step forward, "Have I really cheered you up? You seem like you are about to burst with laughter there."

But Jimin’s brow had already furrowed itself in a knot and her mouth was suddenly a frown at his answer. Quite the disappointing and unsatisfactory answer that it was. Had all the other, far more skilled physicians really have had nothing to say? So much for trying to figure him out from what others have said.
“Not so, my prince. My uncle has admitted to making mistakes before. Just because the doctor says so doesn’t mean it’s true. And besides, it’s not like I haven’t heard strange things about you, no offense.”
Then her mind went blank at his remark on her nearly bursting with laughter. What? She wasn’t laughing- wait.
Though her gaze landed somewhere around the prince’s sleeve and the rail, she wasn’t really seeing it. Her voice lowered. “Forgive me, Your Highness, I-“ the words caught in her throat. She turned her eyes back to the princes pale face, but then quickly stared at his chin, not making eye contact. She murmured something that sounded like, ”Perhaps it’s because…” and, ”Why do you remind me of my brother all of a sudden?”
Jimin coughed. Might as well be plain with him. “Forgive me, sir, but maybe your apparent frustration amuses me. Perhaps you have cheered me up, at least for a moment.”

Kangdae scoffed as he crossed his arms. When he says he is fine, then he is. His word will become the law of the land in the near future anyways. By that point, he will not have his condition be the talk amongst the palace staff. No more constant visits from physicians as well. Everyone will perceive him as somewhat normal because he is after all. Normal according to the standards he was forcibly given.

"Of course you have. You work for my mother, you probably have heard every single piece of rumor that has flew throughout this palace." From concubines to the military soldiers at the front gate, they all have spoken about him one way or another. Even the servant that always follows him around throughout the day has definitely uttered a word. Surprisingly a very small amount of them have brought up the possibility of him being a bloodlust monster.

He could have sworn that he heard her say something under her breath. So soft he was not able to decipher a good portion to make any sense of it. "Perhaps it's what, Jimin?" , he questioned, " Is there something else on your mind at the current moment?"

As he let his arms drop to his side, he gradually started to take steps forward to her. His frustration actually making someone more amused than fearful or worried; what an interesting first. "Something troubling you right now?", he asked. Kangdae gently grabbed Jimin's chin forcing her to look into his eyes. He stared right into them while tilting his head.

Jimin was silent, trying to find her words. She had taken a few steps back when she noticed he was coming closer, but she was too slow. There was a soft intake of breath as Jimin felt him grab her chin, her eyes and nostrils seemed to widen and her chest heaved for a moment. So being plain wasn't enough for him, apparently.
She felt blood rush in her ears. "Um, I… I am… Are you sure you want me to be honest this time, sir?" she stuttered. Even the tips of his fingers were cold. "What was on my mind is most definitely of no use to you."
She tried to pull from his grip, though not so forcefully as to appear rude. The way his eyes stared into her seemed more intense than she would've thought or liked. She began to wonder how much of tonight would be relayed back to the Queen.

(hhh apologies for the brevity)

At first, he only just stood there. Kangdae kept his grasp from becoming tight. "No matter what I am to you, you may speak freely to me, but I advise you should be more careful." Regardless of whether her focus was of any importance him or not, surely it sparked his curiosity. Is he acting out of impulse or is he agitated over this absurd situation?

Surely he is acting more unusual to his own accords. Always desperate to make a turn into something that'd amuse him or offer gain, yet he keeps ending up more perplexed than previously. The light sneer on his face disappeared being replaced with a bleak expression right away.

His attention slipped noticing her ears turning a bright shade of red. The fragrance of iron filled his senses lighting them up. Kangdae let go only to reach out and brush the side of his hand along her neck. As if someone took ahold of his wrist, he hesitated. Careful. Act more boldly and she will retell all of this word for word.

He mumbled a short apology while backing away. Glancing back up at the moon, he kept his arms crossed. "It's getting late and I think you have enough for a first report.", he said, "Go." Another attempt at trying to make her leave, this time it might be more likely she will. First time he is being unsure about anything in a longtime. The evening cannot last any longer. Probably is best for Jimin to go while still can; get some rest then go tell his mother about how strange he is.

(It's okay, I appreciate it! :D)

(oh I'm glad :D)

Jimin was still for a moment, focusing on calming herself down. How many times had she been touched by a man? Probably enough that she could count with one hand. Speaking of, she could still feel the cold mark his hand left on her neck and chin. She shivered.
"I am usually careful with my words, Your Highness, but I suppose whether tonight was an exception or not is up to you," she murmured, her gaze on the floor. "I have only one simple question before I go."
She forced herself to look at his face. "Does the cold bother you? Do you feel cold, or is it just that your skin is cold?"
She'd kept the question in the back of her mind ever since he had offered to show her his trick. She took deep breaths, trying to slow her heart.

Kangdae did his best to not make eye contact with her. Finally the tension from his body was released making him feel less uptight than he was moments ago. Still, he is not sure how that happened or why he has this unfamiliar sense of regret. The feeling is not big enough for him to worry about. He simply pushed it away by facing inside so that he didn't look over as much.

Her question is what made him unfold his arms. It was just one of those examination ones she is going to use. For almost four years, his skin has felt frigid. In the first couple of weeks, it did bother him. He kept panicking whenever he was left alone; though the lack of heat wasn't his main reason for so. Then, the trait was unbearable. Now, it is as if he has never had warm skin in his entire life. Kangdae rolled his eyes then said, "I do not feel it in the slightest. My skin is just cold." Saying that him and his father sharing the same body temperature is not too far off. The main him concerning him now is what Jimin will say.

And with that, he went back inside. Staring up at the moon did not make him feel any better. Glancing over at Jimin also did not lighten his mood. He did not bother mention anything about closing the doors. There is not point of it as much as there is to go out tonight. Once she is gone, he will have to come up with a plan for the next day. Undoing the straps on his coat, Kangdae sat back down in front of his desk. The book was still in the middle just as he left it before. Pushing it to the side, he grabbed his brush and a piece of paper. Falteringly, he glanced over his shoulder at her.

(Just so we can get this out of the way, after your response, do you want to skip to the morning with Jimin meeting with the Queen?)

(Yea sure, I’ve been kinda waiting for her to show up tbh haha)

Jimin nodded. “Alright, just curious.” Inwardly, she sighed with disappointment. So I guess that also leads nowhere.
But her disappointment was the least of the emotions swirling about like a thick soup in her mind. She rubbed her temple as she watched the prince’s walk inside, and after a moment she followed suite. Ironically, exhaustion made her walk quickly across the room, straight to the doors. Whatever the prince was doing at his desk did not interest her in the least at that moment. It was something else that made her freeze just as she was opening the doors.
She let them close and turned to the prince, a hand still on the handles. “This was certainly an interesting first evening, Your Highness,” she said stiffly. “Goodnight. You can expect me here at the same time tomorrow.”
She made a small, quick bow. Pulling the doors open, she left the room. She took her binyeol back from the guards and wordlessly inserted it back into her bun. Then she was off down the halls of the palace, the strips of shadows and moonlight rippling in her wake.

(Okie dokie! Well the time has come, lol)

Opening the lid for the ink, he placed it underneath then dipped his brush in it. Kangdae really didn't have a plan on what to write necessarily. A basic short poem perhaps or a letter to his servant about a plan for the morning. Whatever words come from the brush strokes will be dried onto the paper. The sooner he got his mind off of Jimin, the better. He needs to forget about this so he can go on with himself. Especially since he needs to force himself to fall asleep at this hour like a regular person would.

"Goodnight to you as well. Have a safe walk back.", he acknowledged. His eyes flickered from the paper across to Jimin. Hearing her mention about the next evening made him hitch his breath, but he chose to ignore it for now. Returning the bow, he gave a simple head nod then went back to writing.

Only mere minutes passed by when he decided to go to bed. Pretending to be a human was something he would never thought was possible. Doing feasible things like sleeping was weird. Kangdae felt like he could run to the outskirts of the capital and back still be wide awake. Setting his brush down, he skimmed what he wrote. The unknown obediently sparking a flame. The fire bold to warm and shine in my dim obscurity. What is this unsettling feeling flowing through my veins? He shrugged in response then went to close the doors and go to bed. The paper fell onto the floor.

(time skip :D )

Queen Seohyun sat in her room waiting patiently. She had trouble falling asleep last night thinking about things were going. It all was so unpredictable. Deep down she knew that she could trust Jimin, it was just, she was not sure how Jimin would handle her son. Better yet, how would Kangdae handle her lady in waiting. He always is showing up afterwards complaining about he truly is fine and that nothing is wrong with him. Something is off for sure, even if the problem is just a health condition, something is not right.

The sun has already been up for the last two hours; its light shone through the door. It was roughly around eight in the morning. The queen had already been up for awhile now. Getting up for her was not a problem at all. She wore a yellow, light blue, and lime colored dangui with a golden binyeo that happened to match. Afterwards, a servant came in with a tray of magnolia berry tea.

Not bothering with the tea, she kept her hands laying on her lap. Every now and then her dark eyes would glance over at the door. At any moment the first report should be coming in. Oh how the queen hoped things would turn for the better this time.

After a moment, the door opened. Jimin entered in a new clean hanbok of the same color she wore the previous day. Her eyes were a little dull with tiredness, and her expression poker-faced. She took a few steps inside and kneeled before Queen Seohyun.
"Good morning, Your Majesty." her voice was lower in pitch than usual, as she usually found it to be in the mornings. She stood back up. "I'm assuming you don't want to waste time with pleasantries, so I suppose we'll get right with the report. Would you perhaps remind me of how you would like to go about it? Did you have a list of questions to ask me, or do you want me to recount what happened in chronological order?"
Her voice, aside from its low pitch, was less monotone, and her posture was more relaxed. She was clearly more comfortable here with the Queen than the prince.
After a night's sleep, she was able to properly process what had happened. Her mind searched through her memories, going through the more important observations and information she found.