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jeoseungsaja · 2 years

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When he hears the sirens, the Black Knight knows his cue to disappear. ANACHRON knows it’s their cue too, slipping back into the shadows, yet again. Dammit, he was so close too! And yet, his first instinct isn’t to run. But rather, when he realizes a certain detective is within the vicinity, ready to fight his way into the circle, the Black Knight's first instinct is to grab that detective’s hand and then run. Never mind the ache building in his leg or the protests on Hyuk’s part, the important part is that he gets Hyuk as far away from both ANACHRON and the police as possible. Hyuk might be familiar with the Gangnam Police, but even he cannot hope to get away without repercussion should they find out he shares a connection, however minuscule the thread is, to the Black Knight.

The Black Knight only stops once they’re in an alleyway. It’s in one of the more rundown parts of Itaewon, which is also where the Black Knight’s base is located ( Rook is not going to be happy- what if the detective starts poking around here too? ) .His leg is aching. And his side stings from a bullet graze. And yet he forces himself to stand tall, sword still unsheathed. The sound of metal dropping against the cobblestone barely registers.

“You really don’t listen, do you? Keep loitering around these spaces and you’ll be lucky to get out in one piece. Is that what your friend would want?”

Letting go of Hyuk’s hand ( they haven’t done that in years ), he turns away to make his escape, only to pause. Why does his vest pocket feel empty- panic floods in. Where is it? He couldn’t have dropped it, that’s never happened before, and- the Black Knight whirls around.

It’s Hyuk, picking up his POCKET WATCH, the one Felicity gave Patrick all those years ago.

Patrick’s stomach drops.

And without thinking, he lunges forward, snatching his watch out of his dear friend’s hands. The watch dangling between the two of them, Patrick stares at Hyuk in bewilderment. And fear. Hands shaky, he shoves it back into his coat pocket. Patrick turns away.

“You’re lucky this time. Next time, I’ll stab you.”

( HI ALEX!! SO THIS PART OF THE INBOX CALL :DDD pls don't mind me flood u with a few unprompted asks sjdkflsj, but also...so hyurick in black knight verse?? I went overboard and basically he was one step forward, two steps back 🙃, but also feel free to ignore this if you think this doesn’t fit!! Have a wonderful day and care you lots!! <3 )

@ofgentleresolve ♚ hyuk didn’t get stabbed but i did...right in the heart--

♔ ———–

Sirens roar and even its incessant bellow is not enough to push him away from the scene. It should, shouldn’t it? After all, he’s been nothing but a menace to the police, who already have sent him away previous times with a warning (as well as with long, tired sighs from the detective currently handling the cases Hyuk would officially and legally take care of, once upon a time). Tickets of caution can only last for so long and one day he’ll face the real danger by being dragged behind bars for obstruction and suspicious activity. No matter how careless Hyuk’s gotten now, he cannot afford to go to jail, for that’s precious time he cannot waste by simply counting the days until a release. All minutes, seconds --- they should be dedicated to find out the truth.

The truth about his best friend’s death.

Still, he takes a step forward, toward the smoke; swirls that seem all too familiar at this point. There are spots of dirt on the detective’s skin, as well as cuts that might heal if he lets them be; a victim of his own heedlessness. The adrenaline in his veins does not let him feel the exhaustion, or the way the open wound on his forehead burns. He steps into the fog and as he tries to adjust his vision, he’s unexpectedly yanked by a gloved hand.

His first instinct is to tug back, but his palm is well-adhered to the other’s fingers, as if knowing he’d fight back. A frown; long legs unwillingly bend toward this uncharted territory whilst trying to see who has him under their grasp.

He’d recognize that top hat anywhere. The all-black attire. The high collar of his coat. The sword shining under the bashful moonlight.

“Yah, let me go! Let me go!”

But the Black Knight won’t relent, will he? Oddly enough, that’s something they both share: Thick stubbornness. While one pushes, the other tugs...but, ironically enough, they keep colliding onto the same paths; onto the same places.

Growls of protest echo through, gaze registering the surroundings. What is this place? It looks dilapidated, with paint peeling off the walls and buildings resembling an ancient world long forgotten. A rundown neighborhood, a side of town not many would care to look at. It seems the Black Knight is aware of desolated spots, for he walks as if he’s utterly familiar with the surroundings. Not even him, who’s well-versed in pinpointing several streets due to years of patrolling and case-chasing, would think about heading to this place.

Why did he take them there? Is it a simple detour, or should it mean something? Hyuk cannot allow any details to slip away.

“I’ll break your arm if I have to, is that what you want? Because I will break---”

Finally, fingers get harshly unlatched from the strange warmth of cloaked hand when the Black Knight loosens his grip. Hand turns into a fist, nostrils flare at the unwanted scolding, jaw tensing at the mention of his friend.

“What do you care, huh? Who do you think you are? Stop using my friend as an excuse to make me reconsider. He’s not here anymore. The one who used to think things over isn’t here either.”

Pieces of him decayed when Patrick passed away, like a sunflower that no longer has the sun by its side, or a shrub of forsythias losing its color because the healthy Earth has open cracks of dryness; wounds that remain and never really close. Parts of Hyuk died when his best friend did, or perhaps they’re deeply buried somewhere he blocked from memory so he’d never find them. After all, the one who could retrieve them is no longer living, so why would Hyuk want them?

“You don’t listen either. I told you to never come back again with your warnings and needless advice, remember? So why do you keep---”

He, indeed, does not let any details slip. His ears take note of a sound; a descent. Metal colliding upon cobblestone. Once shy, the moonlight becomes stronger in that alleyway. It guides him, lets him know there’s something on the floor. A watch.

Silence. The detective bends down; catches watch’s circular body with his palm and thumb; chain feeling heavy between his fingers. He stands up and some of his steps falter when keeping his gaze glued at the item --- not because he’s not watching where he’s going, but because he knows this watch. The details on the tightly shut cover, they look worn, as if fingers kept rubbing and grazing to the point of getting edges blurry, but they’re still there, staring back at him.

Patrick’s watch. The one Felicity gave him years ago. This one and his dear friend’s look exactly the same. The only difference is that the one on his hand has suffered due to the hands of time...but the same thing would’ve happened to Patrick’s watch if he was still alive, wouldn’t it? All items, no matter how precious, start to show signs of wear after years of usage. Much like the mandarin duck plush he still keeps somewhere in his apartment.

Eyes lifting, he sees the Black Knight’s back. His hand tightens around the watch. And he remembers, he remembers he couldn’t find Patrick’s pocket watch under all the rubble when he went to London to see the chaos himself. He remembers that the evidence never showed any pictures of that watch, not even signs or traces of charred metal or clock’s hands and numbers bent by the merciless waves of fire. He also remembers that this was one of the factors Suki considered suspicious when Hyuk commented about it.

And if this is, indeed, Patrick’s watch, how did it end up here? In South Korea. Under the Black Knight’s shadow.

Speechless, he witnesses the vigilante suddenly whirling around. He’s forgotten something, hasn’t he? The watch is still on Hyuk’s hand, but he’s too stunned to react quickly; his own fingers trembling as palm shows the other what he’s found.

“How?”

But he gets no answer. Not a verbal one, at least. The watch sternly departs from his grasp; gazes locking. Is the confident brown of those eyes hesitating? Is the smug Black Knight scared? The detective is trying to learn as much as he can, even if the high collar of the other’s coat doesn’t let him see if lips are twitching or not, even if the mask might cover a widened expression. His eyes. Hyuk’s slowly learning to decipher them.

And the Black Knight’s hands. They seem unstable.

“Where did you get that watch?”

Hyuk reaches out, tries to stop the vigilante from leaving, but his hand only catches air.

“No, no, you have to---where did you get it?!”

The detective starts to run after him, but it seems the vision of the watch causes him to have a million and one thoughts; a trigger of a lack of balance. His hand lands on a brick wall; jog halts.

He starts to get flashbacks of Patrick showing him the watch for the first time. His face of happiness when he says that Felicity gave it to him. The love of his life. He remembers the times Patrick takes the watch out of his pocket, just to fondly stare at it. A precious memory of someone he unfairly lost. He takes note of the echoes of his voice, and they seem so near, yet so far. Like he’s watching all of this through the grainy screen of a television.

A groan; dizziness kicks in. He presses one side of his body to the wall, breathing in and out. This isn’t the time to disconnect from the world, Lee Hyuk. Everything around him looks blurry; the wound on his forehead starts to remind him of pain. He slowly slides down in an attempt to sit down, gather his senses so he can at least return to the office without a hassle.

Jae-Hwan and Suki must not know about this. They might suspect something is going on already, though. He up and left without saying anything, like he usually does. That doesn’t mean they don’t worry...they always do.

The fire. The charred wood; the strong scent of burnt. Whoever started it knew what they were doing. Nakamura’s voice invades his head now. They wanted you to think the fire was accidental.

I couldn’t find any signs of his watch. Why? He kept that watch with him at all times.

All the models of watches in existence, and the Black Knight had to have that one. A pocket watch, nonetheless. Something that a lot of people don’t use frequently these days.

God, he has to stop thinking. He closes his eyes.

The last thing he sees is the distant and distorted view of a battered clock tower.

———– ♔

#ofgentleresolve #♔ || verse three (arc two).#♔ || i'm in it with you (patrick | black knight au).#EXCUSE ME AS I HECKIN' SCREAM OVER THIS IWEUHIWUEDHIWEUHDIEH #JUST IMAGINE ME RUNNING IN CIRCLES AND YELLIN' AS SOON AS I READ IT AND SAW THE WATCH BEING REVEALED TO HYUK---#against Patrick's wishes bUT Y'KNOW WHAT SOME THINGS DON'T GO AS PLANNED MY DEAR PROFESSOR--WIEUDHIUEWDHIUWEDH #THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SENDING THIS IN FERRE :D NEEDLESS TO SAY I GOT VERY EXCITED --- EVEN IF THIS VERSE IS PURE PAIN IT'S SO INTERESTING TO #SEE THIS SIDE OF THEM / THE WAY THEY'D REACT AS THE TRUTH SLOOOOWLY UNCOVERS #HYUK IS SUCH A CONFUSED MESS HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO THINK WIEUDHWIUEDHWDH #I also hope Hyuk's reaction isn't exaggerated or anything of the sort #sometimes this happens where reality gets warped #and he doesn't know where he is for a moment in time #he gets overwhelmed and since there's the ongoing repression of emotions -- wELL --#bUT YEAH IF IT'S?????? TOO MUCH OR ANYTHING DO LET ME KNOW AND I CAN TOTALLY CHANGE THINGS #I did mention it was going to be a long post 👀#iwudehiweudhUIHWEID COULDN'T HELP MYSELF / HYURICK MAKES ME SPILL ALL THE PARAGRAPHS---#I HOPE WHAT I WROTE MADE SENSE AND IT'S SOMETHING TO WORK WITH DEVELOPMENT-WISE ;WWWWWWWW;#Sorry Rook you are perhaps going to be upset because....now that Hyuk has seen the area...he's probably going to stick his nose around IWUHE #he leaves no stone unturned (wHEEZE)#Also Hyuk acting all tough when saying 'stop using my friend as an excuse.../he's no longer here...' when I know he's breaking inside C:#IUHWEIUDHWEDI #ALSO I HOPE IT'S OKAY THAT I MENTIONED SUKI HERE????#I took those lines from what you told me on Discord ;W; BUT IF??? YOU'D LIKE ME TO CHANGE THIS I WILL JUST LMK <3 #ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU HEAPS FOR SENDING THIS IN / LOVED REPLYING TO THIS WIHDIWUEDHUH #AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING HYUK BE PART OF THIS WONDERFUL (BUT SUPER PAINFUL) VERSE UwU #Also watch him arriving to his apartment just to take a shower and put on other clothes #since the other outfit he was wearing got full of dirt due to him sitting on the ground for a while until his dizziness subsided #and after that going straight to the office to refresh his mind about the watch IUWHEDIWUEHDIH #PLS HAVE A NICE DAY FERRE!!! CARE YOU HEAPS ;W;!!!#♔ || queue.

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crystalkleure · 2 years

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Bad memories at 2:30 AM

I broke my arm once, when I was really little. I was in like preschool, I think. I hopped off the side of the back porch. It was a really low rail and an under-3ft fall into a thick layer of fallen leaves, so in theory that should have been fine. How do you hurt yourself like that? You get the heel of your boot caught in the lattice board and get flipped upside down so your entire body weight lands awkwardly on your arm that you are flailing to try and right yourself or catch yourself with, that’s how.

I screamed, I shrieked, I saw my mother look out the window and roll her eyes at me and then ignore me. So I got up, holding my arm, and walked back up onto the porch to continue screaming at her for help. I couldn’t even get back inside by myself, couldn’t open the back door. Eventually, she got tired of listening to me scream and sob right outside her window, so she slammed that door open and angrily stomped out, spitting a warning “What?” in my face.

I told her my arm was broken. I absolutely knew it was, it hurt and I heard the horrible sound. She told me no it’s not, there’s no way I could have broken anything in that short and very cushioned fall, stop being melodramatic, look, I’ll SHOW you that your arm is fine.

And she grabbed my broken arm. And she twisted it. Hard. Very roughly, in every direction, for several seconds. And I screamed harder.

My brother had to come out and convince her that um, maybe she needed to take me to the hospital. And she agreed only because she said it’d be an excellent punishment for me, to be publicly told off by the admission staff for wasting the medical professionals’ valuable time by lying about a bone being broken for attention.

So she took me to the ER, apologized for the fact that I was crying and making such a scene, and wrenched my arm around AGAIN right in front of the admission staff to demonstrate how “melodramatic” I was being by making me scream at the top of my fucking lungs again. And then she shamed me for being so loud and disruptive and hurting everybody’s ears, and apologized for my bad behaviour again.

Yeah, the nurses whisked me away from her immediately. They gave her horrible dirty looks. They were actually solidly convinced that she was the one who had broken my very clearly broken arm [“It’s not supposed to bend like that”], but she hadn’t [that time], so they weren’t able to get me to say she did -- I just kept telling them I fell off the porch. Because I did, that time. For once I didn’t have to lie about it being an accident. I kind of wish I had.

To this day my mother still complains about how much she hates doctors, because she could never take me to any of them without them giving her nasty looks. She accuses me of “lying to them” by “making them think she’s some kind of child abuser.” Actually, I don’t have to lie. The fact that I DID lie about my injuries always being from freak accidents, oh I’m just clumsy, was frankly probably a big part of what gave it away that she was abusing me. Because I’m a shitty liar and wasn’t convincing. I was so visibly terrified of my mother that me saying “She didn’t do it, I just fell” wasn’t convincing when it WAS the truth.

#How hard is it to not grip and twist a preschooler's badly broken bone?#.It speaks #Abuse //#Child abuse //#My mother just...does this; actually. She does this exact sort of thing for any problem.#Because she doesn't want to deal with it. So she'll insist the problem is not real and demand everybody else agree and affirm that as well.#''Look!! See?? It's not broken! I'll prove it!'' *Twists broken arm in a way it's clearly not supposed to move* ''SEE? It's FINE! Shut up!''#Exactly the same as how she'll cover a rotted-through hole in the wall with garbage and furniture #''See?? There's no hole! I don't need to fix anything! Do YOU see a hole?? Say there's no hole there. Say it.''#And so the hole rots worse; lets bugs and mold in; and ruins the furniture that's been stacked on it #She killed her cat over this.#He was sick. I told her she needed to take him to the vet. He couldn't breathe. He was wheezing so bad.#She told me he was clearly fine; stop trying to act like I know better than her about how to take care of her pet; get off that high horse #He deteriorated and suffered for months. From a problem that could have been cured if only she had admitted it was there and done something.#I loved that cat. He didn't have to die.

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