Lapislazuli (1/1)

The forest was humming. It was the usual buzz created by life itself, but to Kyungsoo's well-trained ear, it was apparent that the forest was content. He froze with two palms of water halfway to his already wet face. Paused to listen. The sound calmed him. Every forest siren had this deep connection with their surroundings - it was both a blessing and a curse, but this was a healthy forest, their people ensured that much. Now one might assume mystical forest sirens just spent their days lounging around, maybe creeping up on unsuspecting humans when they got bored. This was utter nonsense, of course. Old-fashioned human fairy tales that made their people scoff. Of course every folk had their own tales, and Kyungsoo wouldn't be able to deny that they, too, had some ghastly tales about humans, elves, dwarves and the likes.Point was that Kyungsoo had a very stable life and daily routine.Maybe so much so, that secretly, he yearned for some adventure....but no, Kyungsoo told himself he was perfectly fine. First thing in the morning, he attended the village's communal breakfast, where he sat among his friends, ate and exchanged some words, depending on how awake he felt. Today was a good day though, and so he conversed with Minseok, a water siren that resided in their village and had become a well-accepted part of their community. Afterwards, he went for the Birch Wood board, to pick a task for the day. It was separated in categories, and since Kyungsoo was one of the singing sirens, he scanned the bottom left, ultimately scratching off 'Fruit trees, nursing and reaping'. Kyungsoo wasn't picky in what he serenaded, really, but being in the Eastern part of the forest was the most pleasant to him. Nice and far away from the Western border, where the local dwarves kinda distracted his senses, and definitely far away from the Southern border, where a human town was close enough to give Kyungsoo a headache. It was a little ironic, since humans feared sirens for their oh-so-awful voices which drove them mad. Kyungsoo wanted to complain that the cocktail of so many lives living on a small space and the addition of suppressed and domestic life drove his senses mad.So after breakfast and choosing his task for the day, Kyungsoo would move to the respective part of the Eastern forest, seek out the plants (or animals) in question, warm up his voice, and then sing for them. Not every siren was capable of nurturing others like this - it was a talent, and the result of dedicated training like most things were. Kyungsoo dared to say he was one of their better singers, even though there was always room for improvement.He sang to encourage the peach trees and enlighten the sea of flowers laying at its roots. Then he collected a few fruits, enough to fill the basket on his back, and wandered back. In the late afternoon he was free of responsibilities but Kyungsoo wasn't one to be idle for too long. There were several options he had, and on the first day after New Moon, he liked to help prepare dinner. On other days he taught young sirens how to sing nice enough to attract even the most shy of animals, or he'd pick another task off the board, one that no one else would want to fulfill. If he didn't feel like exerting himself, he spent time at the pond, lying in the grass and listening to the water sirens going about their day.Yes, Kyungsoo was happy with his life. Until one day he woke up and realized that something was missing. Kyungsoo stared at the wooden ceiling, still huddled in his blankets. And he scrunched his brows.'Something is missing?' he thought. But what might that be?Why would anything be amiss? He had been just fine the past days and weeks - it was actually difficult to remember a recent time where he had not been fine.But being fine and being complete were different things, after all.Kyungsoo almost got a heart attack as he heard the voice.He didn't fall out of his bed though - for he was already sleeping on the floor.'Oh god', Kyungsoo thought. Where did this voice come from? And what was wrong about sleeping on the ground, where else would he be sleeping? At the ceiling?So many questions were running through his head-...this voice was reading his mind. It was looking inside his head, and this was really spooky. Kyungsoo tried not to think anything anymore, but that was easier said than done when panic was crawling up his spine.-but Kyungsoo was a pragmatic person and was aware of the fact that he probably would not find any answers sitting around in his room and staring at the ceiling with wide, owl-like eyes.'Owl-like eyes? Excuse me?' Kyungsoo thought, as he begrudgingly slipped into his daily clothing to escape his room and hopefully leave the voice behind, too. Maybe he could ask some sirens to exorcise his place. Obviously, some weird and possible malicious spirits had settled there. ...or maybe they had settled in his head, because the voice wouldn't leave.So Kyungsoo impatiently combed through their tiny village in search of their sage, hoping to find answers to his question.It was narrating his life. Except that the voice was oblivious to Kyungsoo being very well-aware of its presence. And very freaked out, too, to be honest.The question of what might possibly miss in his life-'No, the question is about what you are and how I'll get rid of you,' Kyungsoo thought grimly, gracefully hopping over a root without looking, because he knew the forest inside out.But then he was stopped by his brother-'Oh no,' Kyungsoo thought, but there was already a voice calling out to him.-Luhan."Kyungsoo, good morning," the other said in a voice that was a tad too bright, and while Kyungsoo would have loved to tell him about this creepy voice, he knew his half-brother was terrified of any spirits he couldn't touch. So he just stood there with a forced smile, impatiently waiting for his brother to spill whatever words were still resting on his tongue.His brother wanted him to go to the human town!Luhan opened his mouth, but Kyungsoo was quicker."No.""You didn't even hear me out," Luhan said with mild accuse, crossing his arms. "Since I gotta fill in for Baekhyun, I got no time to do the shopping today, and you know our parents look forward to the dinner tonight. Come on, just this once. Please?"Kyungsoo was delighted by the offer and took it immediately."Definitely not," Kyungsoo argued with finality.At least that's what Luhan would have liked to hear. In reality, the grumpy siren wanted nothing less than to be around disgusting humans on such a nice, sunny day.'Damn right I don't,’ Kyungsoo thought, despite being slightly offended."Kyungsoo. Just this once. Come on," Luhan pleaded, never shy of putting up a weak and pouty act in front of his brother. Kyungsoo didn't usually shoot him down this vigorously, but he wanted nothing less than to possibly obey the voice in his head, so he shook his head again."I really can't. I need to see Sehun, and I need to see him now."Luhan lit up at this- a really bad sign."Oh, but Sehun is out meditating today. He won't be back until late into the afternoon, anyway, so what's the harm in spending your free time doing our family a huge favour?""Then why can't I fill in for Baekhyun and you go do the shopping?" Kyungsoo asked relentlessly, and Luhan stared at him with his mouth slightly open, hesitating.And Kyungsoo couldn't possibly ruin his brother's chances at impressing his long-term crush.His what?Kyungsoo stared at Luhan, and Luhan stared back."Really now?" Kyungsoo said blankly. "Byun Baekhyun, of all people?"Luhan's gaze dropped and Kyungsoo sighed. Deeply.    A million unfamiliar scents were permeating the air - some of them could be identified as cooked food, others smelled like perfume or freshly dyed fabrics. Every booth added to the overall chaos and there were more humans than Kyungsoo had seen in years. He was torn between glancing at the cobblestones so he wouldn't trip or actively taking in his surroundings. The market was built at the foot of a magnificent clock tower, and there were lots of colorful fabrics strung up between booths, in shades of magenta, green, gold and orange. Some of them were transparent enough to cast vibrantly colored shadows across his face and dip his elaborate accessories in new colors.To humans passing by, Kyungsoo must look like a slim, enchanting creature from another world.Kyungsoo huffed. Yeah sure. This voice that had wasted so much time on describing the market place sure was unworldly. Yes, Kyungsoo wore elaborate clothes of an attention-seeking, deep forest green with an amount of carved and colorfully painted stones and wooden accessories that he felt severely weighed down by them, but to humans, this didn't equal 'enchanting'. It equaled scary. Yes, beneath the thin veil of trade, humans were afraid of sirens, which was why no siren was allowed to enter the town without a face mask, the open promise not to speak. Kyungsoo wore one, too, though there was a beautiful veil fixed on top of it to make it look less like a muzzle. Sirens had their pride, too.In short, Kyungsoo felt like a public criminal as he walked amongst them, clattering with every step of his thin leather soles. It was an unspoken rule to always dress to your best abilities when entering the human town, and that Kyungsoo had done. Still, it wasn't very comfy. The sun was burning down on him and without leaves to catch the heat, the sensory overload was almost painful.In short, he was not in the best mood.'And you're not helping,' Kyungsoo added with a venom the voice was blissfully unaware of.He should just hurry and find those exotic fruits their parents liked so much, along with a present for them, maybe. Humans had horribly tacky taste, but if he got lucky...Then it happened.'What?' Kyungsoo asked the voice, but then someone bumped into him and he almost tumbled to the ground.When he whipped around to glare at the culprit, he was faced with off-putting beauty that made him forget all about his anger.It was a young man with worry written all over his face. He stood there with a palm stretched out, hesitating to actually touch."I'm sorry, I should have watched where I was going," he said immediately. Maybe ‘off-putting beauty’ was a bit too much, but there was definitely something about this human. His skin was a bit dark in comparison to the other townsfolks’ - it had an almost golden tan to it - and while both brown hair and eyes were completely common, something about his sleepy look and generous lips made him stick out of the mass. Somehow."Are you alright...?"Kyungsoo wanted to say something before remembering that he wasn't allowed to. That he shouldn't want to talk to obnoxious, stupid humans anyway. So he first took a step back before giving him a curt nod, unable to tear his gaze away for a second, maybe two.Maybe four.Startled back to reality by the voice, Kyungsoo took a sharp turn to continue his search for fruit. He didn't dare turn back for as much as a single second. Humans were weird. He wanted nothing to do with them. And it wasn't like he could communicate with them, anyway.It sufficed to fill the basket on his back to the brim with foods they couldn't grow in the forest and another, newly-bought basked he had to carry along. He traded their peaches for rice, and even found a few very nicely grown fruits.He was still not too happy about the presence of humans all around him, but closely watching the booth's goods made it a bit easier to drown them out - together with the annoying voice that had started to describe the beauty of the sky and somehow managed to compare it to that human boy from earlier (which was completely uncalled for) and the sea (which was just plain weird) - Kyungsoo had begun to assume the voice that attempted to narrate his life must be leading a very strange life of its own.Either way, the last time Kyungsoo had been to the town was many, many winters ago when he had still needed to hold onto an elder's hand. Things had changed - the people were just as loud and brash as he had remembered them, but the things they were importing and creating had evolved a lot. Many booths offered things Kyungsoo had never seen before, devices he wasn't even sure whether they were more of a decorative or functional nature. If he was really curious, he observed the object and waited for the voice to pick up on it. Some terms like old-fashioned rubber bands didn't help him a lot, though - not to mention that the salesmen and women praised it as the newest revolutionary import good from the north. Kyungsoo didn't immediately see the practical worth in stretchy cords and quickly moved on. As fsr as he was concerned, cords were there to firmly hold things together, not to wobble around.He'd spent a fair amount of time on the market when he saw something so beautiful it just forced him to stand and stare.A couple of stones were littered across silky fabric, all of them shiny and pretty, but they were mere decoration. The people at this booth sold paint. A variety of little pots displayed powder in any imaginable shade of color. There was blood red, a color Kyungsoo's folk could easily create themselves by using certain types of berries. Orange, yellow, various shades of rosé to magenta. But Kyungsoo only had eyes for a small glass container containing blue powder. Neither dark nor light and more vibrant than the prettiest corn flower he'd ever seen."It's made from lapislazuli, a foreign stone."Kyungsoo's head whipped up to see the boy from before, this time behind the booth, looking just like a kid who involuntarily had to act as a salesman."My family makes paint for a living," the brunet provided, and Kyungsoo was getting paranoid here - could this boy read his mind as well? But the other only offered a soft smile and rummaged in some nearby box before his tanned hand offered Kyungsoo a small stone."You wanna take a look?"There was no harm or belittlement in his voice, and so Kyungsoo took him up on the offer because he was curious.Kyungsoo suspiciously stared at the stone for a second. 'Fine, voice. If you say so,' he then relented and took the stone, careful not to touch the other any more than necessary. It was smooth and just as incredibly blue as the paint. Kyungsoo wondered what this stone's home might have looked like. Probably beautiful.He attempted to put it back on the silken cloth, but changed his mind midway and gingerly put it back in the boy's hand with a slight nod, no eye contact. He felt odd right now.Because the other's beautiful aura was stunning him to a point where he feared he might blush like an idiot if he looked up now.Kyungsoo's brows furrowed. Well, that might be a... bit of a stretch. It was more that this boy was trying to be friendly to him, and Kyungsoo was in no position to return that friendliness. Sure, he wasn't very sociable, but he wasn't flatout rude, either, and the boy was intriguing, though certainly not for his shimmering brown curls or nicely sloped nose the voice was currently blabbering about.And then there was a promising spark in his eyes, inviting and mysterious-Kyungsoo blinked, eyes lowering to the tablecloth again. This voice was driving him nuts. 'Inviting and mysterious', how did that even really go together? It made the human sound like a shady, dangerous person.The boy didn't say anything and Kyungsoo felt his eyes on him. He didn't move though, indulging himself in looking at the patch of vivid blue teasing him through crystal clear glass. The container was rather flat, no doubt because the powder inside it was luxurious beyond belief."I can tell that you like it," the boy hummed, hands resting on the edge of the table. "It's like nothing you've ever seen before."He didn't say it like he was looking down on him, nor like a salesman pulling a trick. It sounded like... a mere observation.When Kyungsoo looked up at him with a tinge of mistrust and silent questions in his eyes, the other took a step back, a shy grin tugging at his lips."Ah, I'm sorry. I just meant to fill in the gaps since you can't talk here."Kyungsoo just kept staring, an obvious 'why and how' written all over his eyes. Jongin just offered the little glass pot."You want it? Here, take it."An obvious mistake. Kyungsoo's brows furrowed and he immediately took a step back. Was this human pitying him?'Not to mention that this color is probably extremely expensive', Kyungsoo added to the voice he was actually agreeing with on this one. He did feel kind of insulted right now; like a stray puppy getting generously fed by a human thinking too much of himself.With a muffled huff, he turned on his heels and walked away, ignoring the way he was called after. Humans. They always managed to be so casually arrogant, it was ridiculous. He had wasted enough time here, anyway - the sun was already beyond its zenith and he should leave this big stone cage and get rid of his muzzle and annoying traditional clothes.The moment he stepped out of the town and his feet touched familiar, soft soil leading to their forest, he ripped the mask off to noisily inhale the sweet, sweet forest air. The voice was still babbling (about the slight sheen of sweat in his nape and the specific way his clothes rustled as he walked - this was getting weirder by the minute) and a serious headache was creeping up on him.And the sun was still glaring down, reflecting off his inky black hair as 'wait, wait', echoed after him.Wait, wait-"What?!" Kyungsoo snapped, and a sudden silence made him aware of the fact that this hadn't just been the voice acting up. He whipped around to see the brunet from earlier, Kyungsoo's basket of fruits dangling from his hand, all forgotten.Kyungsoo quickly covered his mouth with a hand but the damage was done and they both stared at each other with wide eyes.Stunned into silence, Kyungsoo cursed himself for being so careless.This was all the damn voice's fault.It was true that the voice of a siren didn't drive humans insane by default - a siren had to want it to cause harm, just how a siren's voice could bring bliss and happiness to people if the intention was there. Considering this, the poor boy had probably felt a sting sharp enough to bring him to his knees. But... that wasn't the case. The other was just standing there, looking at him with genuine surprise. Finally, the human smiled."Your voice is deeper than I expected, but it's really beautiful. I can see how the forest would be enchanted," he said, and closed the distance between them, perfectly unaffected. How? Why was he immune to a siren's voice? While Kyungsoo stared at him, hand still raised up to his lips, the other offered the basket again."You forgot this."Silently, Kyungsoo took the basket. He didn't trust the emotions in his voice and so he just nodded curtly. The other took a step back, still smiling."Have a nice day. I hope you decide to visit us again."With this, the boy turned to leave and only stopped in his tracks when he heard a melodious "Thank you" - but the second he turned around, Kyungsoo had already vanished into the forest with a nervously pounding heart.  Ever since that fateful moment, the boy wouldn't leave his thoughts.'That's entirely your fault,' Kyungsoo thought sullenly.The second he closed his eyes, he saw the other's gentle face and his blinding smile, heard his tinkling laughter.It wasn't even that wide and blinding, this was a total exaggeration. And had he even laughed? Because he didn't, not as far as Kyungsoo remembered.By now he was sure that this... this thing he'd never felt before was real love ."It's been three hours, for god's sake!" Kyungsoo yelled at nobody in particular, earning a few weird glances from sirens around him.Real. Love.He groaned, burying his face in his hands."When will Sehun be back? I really need to see him," he complained, and a splash told him that Minseok was using his tail to play with the water, a thing he did when his curiosity was sparked."I actually think he returned a while ago. The air has begun to taste sweet again."His voice was neutral though all of them knew that water sirens preferred salty water. But that's the way it was with Sehun around. The question of "What's bothering you?" was lingering in the air unanswered as Kyungsoo had already crossed half the glade on his way to the sage's dwelling.And his voice! It had sounded like melted milk chocolate with drops of honey and brittle giving it a unique flavour.Kyungsoo didn't know what brittle was, and he certainly wasn't impressed by a human's voice - that would be ridiculously low for a siren.Of course sirens had magical voices, but while Jongin's voice may not move a plant or animal, it surely had moved the siren's heart.There it was again. Sometimes, but only sometimes, the voice seemed to hear his thoughts and accommodated the tale it was weaving. At other times, it seemed to weave Kyungsoo's future without asking first - just how it had acknowledged Kyungsoo's opinion on siren voices, but completely disregarded reality by blabbering about the human boy moving him oh-so-much.Point was, the voice had to go because it was seriously creeping him out.Kyungsoo didn't bother knocking or announcing his presence and just took the stairs leading up one of their most magnificent trees, to finally climb up the ladder leading to Sehun's den with grace. The main area was round, and there were no walls - only a few wooden poles held up the second floor (which did have walls, for privacy reasons). Sehun preferred the airy lifestyle, and as long as he was present, no one would easily fall to their death or freeze, no matter how biting the cold. As a rare and powerful wind siren, the air around the den always worked in his favour.The floorboards were completely covered by precise, colorful carvings in all colors imaginable, forming a clean circle in which Sehun was currently standing and then turned towards him with a small smile."Kyungsoo. I'm surprised to see you. You don't usually come here."Sehun could have greeted him by name without sparing him a glance, like a cool hero. But cool heroes tend to be douchebags, too, and Sehun was not going to look like a douchebag in front of his former childhood crush.Childhood crush?"Kyungsoo? Are you alright?"Kyungsoo blinked. Stupid voice."Actually... not really, sorry. I came to seek your help on something," he began, walking towards the other to sit down and talk on eye level. Sehun's brows rose a bit in surprise and worry."Oh?"And Kyungsoo told him everything. "Okay, can we start the ritual?"Kyungsoo opened his eyes with an unhappy expression, fleetingly taking in the lanky form of Sehun by the slim ladder leading up to his chambers."I'd actually love to, but the voice isn't ready yet."The other cocked his head to the side in mild question."How can it not be ready? Did you not say it narrates your life like a fairytale?""A badly written one, yes. But it's still hung up on comparing your hair to mashed carrots and your freckles to... chocolate sprinkles? I'm starting to think the voice is just hungry."Sehun looked confused."Why would it care so much about my hair color?""I genuinely don't know, it does it to everyone I meet, no matter whom," Kyungsoo groaned. The sage nodded slowly and Kyungsoo was grateful that they were so close, had been since their childhood, really. Anyone else would have declared Kyungsoo possessed and potentially dangerous by now. For a while, Sehun waited patiently while Kyungsoo hoped his legs wouldn't fall asleep on him.The wood was digging into his folded legs uncomfortably, and Kyungsoo really hoped the ritual would start soon.Finally."Okay, I think we're ready," Kyungsoo said out loud, and closed his eyes.Sehun had fixed a lot of exotic-looking strings of windchimes in between the poles and now the wind picked up, shaking every single object.It sounded like rain angrily pattering against every available surface and for a second, Kyungsoo couldn't hear the voice anymore. It was quite a blessing, to be honest.He wasn’t nervous, for these type of readings never hurt. What exactly did Sehun read and how? Well, Sehun might be able to elaborately explain if he had been blessed by any type of education by other wind sirens. As it was, he just followed his instinct - currently, it had him pacing around Kyungsoo, he vaguely felt it. He walked a full circle before his voice reached out to him, over the rattling of wood, stones and sea shells rattling against each other.“I can see the owner of your voice,” he said. “The wind paints him for me. It’s a human, young and male.”For a second, Kyungsoo’s heart skipped a beat and his mind thought of the young man from the paint booth, despite realizing how stupid this was immediately after. This human was definitely not the voice. He’d been nowhere near this obnoxious and invasive.“He’s writing the story of yours, on a board with number buttons,” Sehun said, sounding rather intrigued himself. “I don’t think… no, he definitely isn’t aware of our existence, neither yours nor mine. Let me reach a little further.”Kyungsoo waited anxiously - a human was unknowingly looking inside his head. He could only hope the being wasn’t of malicious intent.“He’s from a world where humans are the only species aside from animals.”Kyungsoo huffed bitterly. As if that was new - even the humans in his world roughly thought the same way.“He assumes he’s simply coming up with this. He’s a book writer, Kyungsoo. A book writer from another world who can somewhat see your past and future, and can also influence it with his own mind. That is some impressively strong magic.”The rustling slowly ebbed down. Kyungsoo only opened his eyes when perfect silence fell upon them - Sehun didn’t like being watched while he listened. He thought it looked weird, for some reason.A clear result of being teased over his expressionless face as a child - being seen with glowing, glassy eyes made the wind siren extremely uncomfortable.Aaand it was back again, immediately spilling private information again. Kyungsoo was endlessly glad that only he could hear the voice.“I’m sorry, I lost the connection,” Sehun said, subtly holding onto a pole - a motion that didn’t go unnoticed by Kyungsoo. “It’s tough when the other is trying to reach our world at the same time.”“So what am I supposed to do now? Is my whole life seriously in the hands of some weird human now?” Kyungsoo asked, urgently talking over the voice which was rambling something about the ritual telling him that Jongin was his long-needed soulmate or something.“And if it’s so smart, why doesn’t it realize I know of its existence?”Sehun actually grimaced a bit - an expression his facial features were perfectly suited for.“You should embrace that fact. If he was able sense his own role in this, that would tremendously change the way he writes your story and could very well mess with the dimensions themselves. Imagine he decides to write you visiting his world - I’m not actually keen on finding the limitations to his magic. I’d like to keep you with us, all healthy and in one piece.”“Then what am I gonna do?”“Nothing, for now?” Sehun asked, looking a bit clueless himself. “I guess his story will find an ‘end’ very soon and then he’ll move on to another tale.”With a hopeless sigh, Kyungsoo stood up. His legs felt surprisingly wobbly, too.“You mean that I might find an end very soon,” he muttered bitterly.“We should try to reach out to him in - apparently, he’s living by a very different flow of time if he’s constantly able to follow your life. Listen carefully to it, and try to find a pattern. We’ll try to reach out while the human is asleep, if that’s possible. Let’s meet again tomorrow?”Kyungsoo nodded, quite sulkily to be honest, and trudged towards the exit when the taller one called after him.‘I get it, I’m short,’ Kyungsoo thought sullenly, and he could see Sehun waiting for him to focus on him.“Don’t worry too much,” he said, and was that a tease of the bratty grin that had been the bane of his childhood? “I don’t think the human is going to kill you. There was nothing murderous on his mind, not even a hint. You know, usually he just writes cheap erotica.”Now Kyungsoo was known for being unaesthetically pale - only the slightest tinge of green, very far away from the healthy green forest sirens swooned about on others.But at those words, he paled even further, rivalling a snowflake.That evening, after a rich dinner full of vividly described hair colours, heights and tinkling laughter, Kyungsoo lay on his sheets, cleaning out the inedible objects he’d purchased in the human town he was determined to not set foot into ever again. There, at the bottom of the newly acquired basket, sat a little glass container filled with vibrant blue powder.Kyungsoo remembered the way the basket had dangled from the human’s hands. He must have snuck it inside.As he lay there spread out on his back, he held the glass up against the light to thoughtfully study the blue sand inside.Soulmate, the voice echoed inside his head.And Kyungsoo wondered whether that was something the owner of the voice saw or merely wanted to see.  The next days were easier - it wasn’t like Kyungsoo got used to the voice, because he most certainly wouldn’t ever get used to it, but apparently, the voice deemed his life boring without Jongin being in the picture. The following days passed by uneventfully, it had said, and after that Kyungsoo was blessed by silence. How convenient would it be if Kyungsoo’s life would just stay boring forever from now on? But no author would end a book like that, and he kind of feared the moment the human would deem it time to make exciting things happen. He was especially concerned about the nature of those things, really. Erotica. The mere thought had him shudder. But to be fair, the voice didn’t seem intent on anyone ripping off their clothes, at no point in the tale. And Kyungsoo was pretty confident that erotica weren’t supposed to waste that much time on describing the amazing glittering puddles in the golden afternoon light.His sessions with Sehun seemed to be mostly unsuccessful, but it was hard to stay truly worried when the voice was so dead-silent. The only thing that silently, stubbornly remained in his thoughts was the open-minded human from the town. The one who had never introduced himself, but whom the voice called Jongin. It wasn’t strange, obviously - the voice had gushed so much about him that Kyungsoo would be surprised if he’d managed to forget any detail about the beautiful specimen, as his brilliant author called himKyungsoo had almost managed to convince himself that all this had been a freak accident. Almost. And then it returned. It was a rainy day in summer when Kyungsoo peeled himself out of his home to join the others at the dining hall.‘Heavens, no,’ Kyungsoo thought, tempted to slam his face into the wall hard enough so he might fall back asleep and wouldn’t have to deal with this - but if he stubbornly stayed huddled up in his sheets, who knew what the crazy human would think of to lure him out? He didn’t want to risk anyone getting involved, and so he obeyed grumpily.Dinner went well, as usual.Kyungsoo looked around suspiciously, and dismissed everyone expressing worry over his particularly anti-social behaviour.He picked a job off the board, choosing to go with the cherry trees.With a raised brow, Kyungsoo scratched through the respective task, silently challenging the voice.Everything went well, as usual. With his beautiful voice, the cherries would survive the strong rain and continue to grow nicely.‘That was a word repeat’, Kyungsoo thought dully as he wandered through the forest, a little unhappy about the rain pouring down on him. ‘Besides - why would you even mention all this if nothing happens anyway?’The voice didn’t react because of course it didn’t. Kyungsoo shrugged it off and did his job, enjoying the silence inside his head as he sung a reassuring melody, wandering in between the cherry trees that were spread out across the forest’s south-eastern area.He had just finished serenading the last tree-Normally Kyungsoo would be internally thanking the voice for at least allowing him to finish his work. Right now though, he was mostly focused on what was next, silently hoping his suspicions might turn out to be true.-when he heard something that sounded like a muffled sob.Now Kyungsoo had excellent ears, but he would have never made out that sound over the harsh rain. Well, according to the voice there was someone sobbing though, and Kyungsoo set off towards the place the voice insisted the sobbing came from. He shouldn’t have been surprised, really. Neither by the location - which was the border of the forest - nor by the curled up person seeking shelter beneath a particularly large tree. And if he listened closely to his own heart he wasn’t surprised, either. It still beat to a strange rhythm at the sight of the young, drenched human hiding his face in his arms.The rain was beginning to ebb down.‘Thank you,’ Kyungsoo thought, only partly sarcastic. Humans were so fragile when it came to rain, wind or nature in general, after all.Slowly, he sidled through the roots and up to Jongin, only to keep a polite few steps of distance between them. Jongin’s head whipped up as if he’d felt Kyungsoo’s presence - because there was no way he’d heard him - and he looked quite pitiful, like a wet dog. He blinked up at him with puffy, red eyes and upon recognition, gave him a small, sad smile.Kyungsoo thought that Jongin was the most peculiar human he’d ever met.“Hello again,” he said and scooted over, naturally assuming Kyungsoo would want to sit with him.And god yes, he was dying to.Kyungsoo followed suit, but echoed the words inside his head with the filthiest sarcasm he could muster, hoping the voice would take the hint. Sadly, it was distracted by the amazing opportunity to describe the way Jongin’s thin clothes clung to his skin like a second skin, wet and delicious - Kyungsoo wondered whether the humans over there were cannibals, but the thought was pushed aside for he had to focus on actually living his life, not just listening to this poorly educated narrator.He opened his mouth but then hesitated. He’d talked to Jongin before, but the other remained human. Speaking up towards a human outside of the forest was a crime, and he was lingering around the grey area that was the border.“Do you like the rain?”Kyungsoo peeked over at the other, who had his head rested on his knees, looking at him almost absently. Well. If he wanted to talk, so be it.“It nurtures the world,” he replied calmly, just to be certain of the other’s safety. Jongin hummed, and they listened to the receding pitter patter of heavy raindrops hitting the leaves above them.“What’s your name?”, he asked after a long period of silence, sounding a bit sick and raspy already.“Kyungsoo.”He wasn’t sure why he had even replied - it certainly wasn’t related to the voice going loco inside his head right now - but a part of him thought it to be fair.“I’m-”“Jongin. I know.”Jongin actually shot him a surprised look at this.“Can you feel these type of things, too?”Kyungsoo tensed up. What did he mean? Did he have a narrator, too?“What exactly do you feel?” he asked carefully, and Jongin furrowed his brows - whatever he was doing, it seemed to be a bit difficult in his current state.“...feelings. I can feel feelings,” he replied softly, eyes blinking and gaze dropping to the ground as if he was concentrating on something his vision was only distracting him from.“Right now, you’re wary and alarmed. Why?”Kyungsoo blinked.He tried to control not only his face, but also his feelings.“It’s nothing to be concerned about,” he said evenly.Jongin hesitated at this, obviously unable to read the atmosphere clearly. So that had been the reason the human had treated him so strangely back in the town. Somehow, he knew what he felt. First the voice and now this human - Kyungsoo felt like an open book and ironically enough, his story would soon become one in a whole different world.With a faint nod, Jongin let him off and after another period of silence, the human pulled out a piece of wood that had been safely tucked in between multiple layers of fabric, to save it from the rain. Wordlessly, he pulled out a knife he thoroughly dried before he started carving. Kyungsoo silently watched him, tuning out the voice describing his every move (and graceful fingers). Wood carving was something both humans and sirens were well-versed in, though they used vastly different techniques. Kyungsoo watched, attentive eyes trained on what looked like the figurine of a human house. The rough little carves had spread across half the roof when Kyungsoo finally asked.“Why were you crying earlier?”It wasn’t his place, especially since he just denied the other an answer of his own.Jongin replied nonetheless.“Sometimes, being different is quite difficult.”Kyungsoo didn’t say anything to that; Jongin was right and there was nothing to add. He didn’t know his story and he didn’t ask. That was not what the human had been searching here, far away from his home and all alone.The occasional drops of water and carving sounds were soothing - surely, Jongin thought so, too.But maybe, just maybe… he had been searching for something. Or someone. Maybe he’d come here, searching for him.Kyungsoo berated the voice for its typically human, egocentric way of thinking.A rather dull sound ripped him from his thoughts - Jongin sighed a little in annoyance over the rough cut sticking out from the already rather uneven structure stretching across the roof.

Kyungsoo watched the figure, and then the tick of frustration that flickered over Jongin's face. He could almost feel the tears and rain that were currently drying on his skin, pulling it taut and making him feel dirty and miserable.With practiced ease, he reached into one of the pouches dangling off his belt and scooted closer, eyes not straying from the wooden figurine. The knife was lowered but neither resistance nor protest followed when Kyungsoo’s much paler fingers touched the wood, traced and explored the surface.“I’m not very good at this,” Jongin whispered, and Kyungsoo pushed aside the odd tingling sensation he felt at this (while the voice all but jumped at it).“This wood is very hard and stubborn,” he said instead, voice soft and low, a simple effort not to cause the human discomfort. He opened a little tin container, displaying a shimmery gel. Without any restraint, Kyungsoo scooped up a generous amount and spread it across the wood, holding onto the figurine and the human’s fingers for stability as he smeared the gel with his thumb, concentrating on evenly rubbing it into the wood.“It’s a mixture of beeswax and orange oil,” he explained quietly, and it seemed like the other was holding his breath as he sat there, perfectly still. “It gets soaked up by the wood and softens it a bit. Carving comes easier like this.”Slowly, tentatively, Jongin’s surprisingly warm fingers moved against his, trying to imitate his moves.“It smells really good,” he whispered, and Kyungsoo had to agree. He loved the scent of beeswax, how it was smooth, heady and sweet, but the fruity, fresh scent of oranges was nice, too. For some reason, it reminded him of the human he was being way too close to right now.Both their hands were helplessly sticky and the wood well-coated and yet he wasn't all that inclined of letting go just yet. This was new and strange, and Kyungsoo didn’t know what to make of it. When he blinked up to look at the other’s expression, he saw dusty pink cheeks and eyes that weren’t sure where to look. And because Kyungsoo wasn’t sure what to think, he decided to listen to the voice, which had switched to a tense, excited way of talking.The brunet could feel the siren’s mood and now he could also feel it through his voice which spoke of a silent, probing affection that warmed his cheeks. The double sensation was a little overwhelming.Oh. Was that true? Did his voice give strange signals, was it betraying him in any way? Was there something to betray?“You should give it some time to sink in,” he said, barely above a whisper, slow and soft. “Half a human hour should be enough.”The brunet tensed up even more as Kyungsoo’s voice washed over his muscles like a hot bath, relaxing and satisfying. Was it the magic of a siren’s voice? Probably. But that didn’t mean the siren wasn’t genuine. The confusion and curiosity, the intrigue and silent allure, were all lingering in the air, adding to the scent of orange oil and beeswax and making his skin tingle.Kyungsoo knew the voice all-too well. It was probably shamelessly exaggerating right now. So why did Jongin’s eyes shine so much right now? Why did he almost look feverish as his gaze dropped to his lips and why did Kyungsoo not move away?The black-haired siren met him halfway, their lips crashing together with passion and want, tongues meeting and then battling-Kyungsoo flinched away from Jongin, withdrawing his hand as if he’d been burnt.The other quickly shrinked back, too, wide-eyed and clearly embarrassed.Right. Erotica.There was no way Kyungsoo would- No. Just no. Over his dead body.He quickly got back up to his feet and disappeared into the woods under the shy and regretful gaze of Jongin, who remained sitting on the ground, looking like a lost child.Sticky fingers were hastily spreading the gel across the skin, just so that he could lick it off-Kyungsoo groaned, praying it would stop soon. He was confused enough as it was, and questionable, disgusting sexual acts involving beeswax in places it should definitely not go didn’t help clearing his mind. They really didn’t.  The confusion and humiliation lasted a couple of days and Kyungsoo stubbornly ignored the voice and its desperate attempts at having him visit the human at night. It was getting weirder by the day and could seriously need some advice on how non-Erotica works were written. Kyungsoo felt like the human author had no idea how people could possibly bond if not via sex. The author must live a lonely, strange life.All that aside he couldn't deny that Jongin, the odd human with the careful smile, was lingering on his mind. Kyungsoo was a proud siren though, and he'd never admit this out loud or act on it. The voice seemed frustrated with him, and went from fantastical, sexual fantasies to a more subdued, genuine asks for him to go and look for Jongin. Well, Kyungsoo was frustrated by the voice, too, for that matter - he wanted to make his own decisions. He did plan on meeting Jongin again. Maybe he'd pay the town another visit and give Jongin something in return for the paint. But first he'd need something to offer to him. He was determined to wait for the next reaping of beeswax to put together a nice bottle of hydrating gel. But the voice had other plans.It was a misty morning when it started to speak up after a couple days of silence.Today was the day. Today the siren would finally seek out the human, he couldn't wait any longer.Kyungsoo yawned and internally told the voice to stop referring to people by their race or profession - he'd done so an innumerable amount of times already, so he doubted it'd have any effect.Really, he couldn't contain himself anymore. The misty, gloomy atmosphere made him crave the other's sunny smile.'Nice try', Kyungsoo thought and with an eye roll, he went to get some breakfast.But...Kyungsoo picked up a slice of fruit as the voice hesitated. That happened occasionally - it meant that the author was currently thinking hard how he might get Kyungsoo to to what he wanted. 'Tough luck', Kyungsoo thought as he bit off a piece of juicy apple. But not today.But that wasn't the real reason he went to the town.Kyungsoo stared at the table with a blank expression, daring the voice to do it.He went because Jongin needed him.This tripped Kyungsoo up, whose annoyance was whisked away in a split second.Kyungsoo just knew it, a small voice inside his head told him, like a warning whispered into his ear. Jongin needed him, and he had to hurry.He blinked, looking at nothing in particular, food forgotten and thoughts about the author maybe being lucid dancing at the seams of his mind, kept at bay by the dominating worry. Was it true? Did the voice just think of this and should Kyungsoo just stay put? Because the voice wouldn't harm what it deemed his love interest, it would probably think of an alternative. But what if it was true?The siren jumped to his feet and quickly made his way to the town, ignoring the imploring questions following him.He hesitated for two more seconds before he decided that he shouldn't risk it. The voice was probably being overly dramatic, as usual, but there was no harm in visiting the town, anyway. If Jongin was fine, he could still silently make his leave before the other knew it.Kyungsoo still threw on his most pompous clothing and accessories. Just in case.Stones were clicking together with every step and this time Kyungsoo didn't frown upon the town's gates and just absently tugged up his face mask, eyes sharply scanning his surroundings as he walked down the main road leading to the market.An ominous feeling lingered in the air, and Kyungsoo heard the yelling before he could pinpoint the source.Yelling? Kyungsoo picked up his pace, thinking that the voice must be slightly ahead of him right now. It was easy to make out the incriminating sounds over the rather dull, shocked buzz that filled the market - the voice said something about guards pulling at Jongin's arm, hurting him in the process, and Kyungsoo pushed through masses that flinched back upon seeing his attire. He almost stumbled out of the mass and into the circle people had formed. In the center stood the aforementioned guards, two of them holding Jongin in between them while a few others held back what was obviously Jongin's family, judging by the ages and gender of the people. Kyungsoo had no eyes for them though - Jongin looked like a mix of panic and despair, eyes red and limbs struggling against the hold. He froze when a guard yelled at him, took out his sword and pointed it at the shivering boy."Enough," he said sternly, and Jongin looked like he'd start crying again any second. "Do you or do you not possess over demonic powers?""I-" Jongin stammered, shaking his head without breaking eye contact, "they're not evil, I don't intend to harm anyone-""That didn't answer the question! Do you possess inhuman powers or not?"Jongin bit his lips and lowered his gaze."I... I do. I'm sorry."How could he apologize for this? Kyungsoo watched the scene in confused disbelief. What was going to happen to Jongin now? Would he have to serve someone?They would execute him.Kyungsoo felt his heart sink and simultaneously jump in a way only dread could make you feel.The guard turned to the other struggling humans, voice still strict and face a carefully schooled mask."Which one of you carries the demonic blood in them?""No one!" Jongin yelled, suddenly struggling to get free again, "No one! It's just me, they can't do anything like this- please don't attack them because you're scared. I can feel you are, but it's me you're afraid of, so please-"Just as the guard whirled around, Kyungsoo made a decision and pushed through the crowd to step out.The yell of 'Take him away' was drowned out when a fearful murmur went through the crowd and sudden movement widened the circle.Jongin stared over the guard's shoulder with wide eyes and when they realized that a siren has stepped among them, they stilled in confusion. When Kyungsoo silently, in one swift move, tugged off his face mask, every weapon was pointed at him in an instant. The siren just stared at them, at every guard and at the crying mother seeking to shelter her daughter while she was torn between fearfully glancing at Kyungsoo and calling out to her suffering son. Humans were so repulsive and stupid. Kyungsoo had always felt like that. Mingling with them brought nothing but stress and frustration. This was all true, and yet Kyungsoo stepped forward.Slow, sure steps. Kyungsoo felt the weapons pointed at him, felt the tension in the air. Humans were so arrogant, thinking they could control a being like a siren by holding its mouth shut. Just like this, Kyungsoo could start screaming and they'd all be doomed. Only now, with the open threat, did they truly realize that.He wasn't looking at them though - he was looking at Jongin, who was surprised, confused... and relieved. Relieved to see him, despite not knowing what was going to happen next. Kyungsoo wasn't so sure he knew either. He dully realized that he was moving, that the guards let go of Jongin in favour of shirking back and pointing sharp metal at him. He stopped when he was close enough to see even the tiniest detail on Jongin's face - taking him in very closely as he considered his choice one more time. But it's been made already, made by him.The voice was silent, holding its breath.With a sure grip, Kyungsoo placed the face mask on Jongin, fixing it behind his head with utmost patience under the boy's wide eyes. He tugged the veil in place. It looked foreign on him. From the flowing fabric to the traditional, golden embroidery and tiny, polished stones woven into the leather strips dangling at the sides. It suited him.Kyungsoo placed a hand on his back and the other over his own mouth as he shot a look at the guards around them. A long, meaningful look as he led Jongin on, prompting him to follow. The other was clearly rattled, but didn't hesitate. People backed away left and right as the siren without the mask walked away with the human in tow. Away from the market and down the main street, where his hand slid from Jongin's back and down his arm, to finally intertwine their fingers. By the time the guards had returned from their stupor, the siren had already disappeared into the forest with the human. Just like an old nymph of the sea, a siren had come to take one of theirs away. No one tried to retrieve the human boy, for he had been tainted by demonic powers. It was a lesson, the townsfolk whispered among themselves - if you're crooked, a siren shall come to take you away. When Jongin showed resistance a while later, making both of them stop by the firm grip on his hand, Kyungsoo expected him to ask questions. To be afraid, worried, or maybe angrily demanding for answers. What he didn't expect was for Jongin to show the braided leather cord he'd been toying with. At the very bottom of it was a vividly blue stone, clearly painted. There was a happy glow dancing in his eyes, and Kyungsoo huffed with a small smile."You were right," he admitted. "I did like the color. A lot."Jongin smiled, he could see it despite the mask, could see it in his eyes.Kyungsoo smiled back, squeezing his hand.  And so Jongin became the first human in a village of sirens. It wasn't always easy, and he was still the 'different' one, but his hardworking, benevolent nature eventually carved itself a place in the community. Kyungsoo was still a grumpy siren who just wanted to sing and who never set foot in the human town ever again - though he sometimes asked his brothers to buy him certain goods, just so he could surprise Jongin when he returned after a long, strenuous day. He hadn't planned it like this, hadn't meant for Jongin to permanently stay with him, but that's how it ended up being. Kyungsoo wanted it, Jongin wanted it, and the voice had wanted it forever.What happened to the voice, you ask? Well, it had taken a liking to Kyungsoo and Jongin, it seemed - and Kyungsoo had grown rather fond of it as well so he decided to stop trying to chase it away. He owed the voice quite a lot, and having it around to give him occasional glimpses of the future wasn't all that bad. He still argued with it a lot, still silently tried to take the wheel whenever he wanted and maybe lead the voice to a path of more enjoyable literature. There was still a long way to go, but that was alright.Besides, if the author really published countless erotic novels as Sehun had said... his sex life might be ridiculously written, but always mind blowing and amazing, so there was that.   As usual goes - if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask :3

Love,

Sugar-and-Salt