A/N: hi, quick message...

if you're struggling with everything that's going on, i jus wanna let you know i'm here.

a lot of people are going through it right now, and maybe that 

doesn't include you, but if you are in need of a person to talk to,

or even someone to give you words of encouragement, i'm here.

anyway! on a positive note, i played lots of horror games yesterday

and feel quite happy with the way my life is going-- i mean, at least i don't have a fucked up mutation of a monster hiding in my closet waiting to come after me when my flashlight dies! ;)

luvusomuch (wow chapter 50!)

izzy

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Jimin stood up from the armchair the moment his father was secured in the room. He rushed forward, helping Taehyung detain the man who was bucking around wildly in the blonde's headlock. 

"Shit!"

Taehyung grunted as an elbow shoved into his ribs sent him flying against the large table in the center of the room. Mr. Park's success brought on a malignant laugh from the old man. Jimin scowled at the noise, it only egged his anger on. Jimin wanted to check on Taehyung, he really did, but first he had to stop his father from doing any more damage.

"You fucking asshole!"

The half-blood closed the space between him and his father. A clenched fist met with the old man's jaw, sending his neck back with a painfully loud crack. Mr. Park recovered freakishly quick, chest rising and falling with vehemence. 

Jimin didn't miss a beat to rile his father up more. Making a demon angry was dangerous, but it also made them more prone to mistakes. He gave his father a practiced smile, one that dripped with false sweetness. 

"That felt nice, punching you. Always wanted to do that."

Mr. Park growled at his son, throwing a hand up to try and get at Jimin's weak spot: his throat. "I will make sure you regret that, Jimin. Lucio will be the first to feel your mistake."

Jimin dodged each attempt of a choke out that his father tried to inflict upon him, veering around to Mr. Park's back. With a sharp kick to the base of his father's spine, Jimin hurled Mr. Park forward, toppling the old man into the armchairs. The poor pieces of furniture shot sideways, breaking against the walls. 

Taehyung recovered by then, walking towards the old man with fire in his eyes. "You will get no where near Lucio. I'll fucking kill you first."

Jimin watched as his father spun around with an armchair in his grip, smashing it against the side of an unsuspecting Taehyung. Tiny splintered wood bits exploded outward with the force of the impact. Jimin covered his eyes with his arm, trying to block himself from the barrage of wood dust. 

Mr. Park lunged towards Taehyung, a leg of the armchair still in his hand. Before he could hit the blonde, Jimin kicked his father's feet out from under him. 

"Jimin..." Mr. Park growled lowly as he scuttled up to his feet. "If you kill me, you'll never stop the army. Only I know how to stop them."

Taehyung ignored the old man's words as he moved forward, remembering Florian's advice about attacking Mr. Park's weak spot. Apparently, Florian had sensed some kind of weakness in Mr. Park's legs; Florian had seen Mr. Park using a cane from time to time and figured it was a little more than just a fashion statement. The Parks were never ones to consider style over utility anyway.

"My ass!"

The blonde planted a swift kick to Mr. Park's kneecap, which let out a crack. The man cried out, crumpling to the floor. His dark eyes widened just a fraction as he took in the injury Taehyung had delivered to his leg. Before he could make his fear too obvious, he jumped up, anger masking the worry shining in his eyes.

Jimin roughly wrapped an arm around his father's waist, trying to hold him back from getting back at Taehyung. "Father, we don't need you to stop an army. You're not as important to us as you think."

Whipping around, Mr. Park used his other hand to punch Jimin square in the jaw. Jimin grunted, losing grip on his father as the man charged towards Taehyung. The blonde didn't back down, tackling Mr. Park to the floor as he intercepted a blow to his chest.

 Although both were demons, it was clear one was much stronger. Mr. Park rolled them so that Taehyung was underneath him, defenseless against a flurry of blows Mr. Park unleashed upon his face. The blonde yelled out as his face snapped left and right, blood oozing from his nostrils with each punch. He kicked out randomly to try and get the old man off of him, but to no avail.

A unrecognizable shriek of both worry and anger spilled from Jimin's lips as he saw his father beating Taehyung mercilessly. Jimin shoved various furniture pieces aside, eyes blazing at the scene he rushed towards.

"FATHER!"

Mr. Park rolled off of Taehyung the second Jimin was there, barely missing the blow meant for his head. Jimin lurched forward with his unused inertia, smashing against the door and cracking it down the center. 

Taehyung struggled to crawl towards Jimin, face bleeding pretty badly. According to plan, Jungkook urged him to stick by Jimin in case he got injured. Jimin had the power to heal, to help the blonde in case things got as messy as they were now. His face dripped blood on to the ground as he tried to drag himself closer to Jimin so that the older could heal him.

Mr. Park sensed what he was doing--he wasn't stupid. He knew the extent of Jimin's powers and how others could use them to their advantage.

Reaching out fast, Mr. Park clutched onto Taehyung's ankle and dragged him backwards on the floor. The blonde cried out as his shirt caught the floorboards and tore, head smashing into the leg of the table as his limp body yanked back.

"Tae!"

Jimin's blood boiled as he scrambled up from the doorway, launching himself at his father. Mr. Park couldn't get away fast enough. His arm released Taehyung's leg as Jimin latched onto his shoulders. The father-son duo flew together through the air with the force, breaking the wall separating them and the hallway. Mr. Park's hands flew up to Jimin's throat--one managed to get around the half-blood's throat before they landed in the center of the hallway, nearly missing a passing servant. 

The servant blanched, releasing the towels she had been carrying as she ran down the hall. Some of the portraits decorating the hallway rattled in place and some fell to the ground, their frames shattering. Glass sprinkled the carpet running along the interior of the hallway, and Jimin cursed himself for being too harsh with his father. The whole point of the plan was to contain his father, not unleash him into the open hallway.

"I should have..." Mr. Park dug his nails into the flesh of Jimin's throat. Tiny rivulets of blood spilled from their hold. "...Killed Lucio long ago!"

"FUCK YOU!"

Jimin kneed his father upwards, launching him against the ceiling of the hallway. A nearby chandelier came crashing down next to Jimin's head as his father's back smacked the ceiling. Jimin winced as he brought a hand to his throat, trying to heal the damage done there in the brief pause before his father collected himself.

Mr. Park rose from the floor, grabbing a nearby portrait frame littered on the floor. He threw it hard towards his son's form, laughing when it hit Jimin directly in the chest. Grunting as his body absorbed the blow from the frame, Jimin struggled to stand as his father stalked towards him.

"YOU FOOL! YOU THINK YOU CAN KILL ME? I'M STRONGER THAN ALL OF YOU!"

"LIAR!"

Blinded by rage at the cruel man that was his father, Jimin kicked the chandelier across the hallway. Screeching against the floor, the sparkly piece of décor collided with Mr. Park's legs. The old man grunted, falling backwards from the impact. It took him a little longer than usual to stand up, Jimin noticed.

From the crack in the wall, a bloodied yet alert head popped out. Mr. Park didn't take note of the Kim heir peering at him with disgust. He was too focused on his own son, the one that was going against their family bond--going against the Park bloodline.

"Fuck OFF old man!" 

Lucky for the blonde, Jimin and his father had created a hole right next to the tea table inside the servant's room. Without reaching too far, Taehyung had access to a plethora of fine dishes, cups, spoons, and kettles. Without further ado, he began to pelt Mr. Park with them, loving the sound they made as they broke upon his scowling face.

Mr. Park's fury was palpable. He turned towards his blonde pursuer, swiping at the dishes thrown his way. Taehyung's cheeky grin pissed the old man off ever more. 

"YOU LITTLE FUCK!"

Taehyung tossed another tea kettle at the man before reaching for something better.

"Tea time isn't over, Grandpa!"

Taehyung grabbed the sack of sugar kept in one of the cabinets and launched it at the man. Mr. Park barely got a chance to lift his arms up before the sack collided with his body and exploded white dust everywhere. Taehyung took the brief opportunity of blindness to find Jimin and get himself healed so they could finish the job.

"I'll kill you first, KIM!" 

Mr. Park screamed through the powder. Taehyung hurried forwards, spotting red eyes through the mess. Quickly, he hugged Jimin's side, breathing in his scent as the other took to healing him quick. Jimin's light hands passed over his face, and Taehyung reveled in the soft blue sensations rippling in his wounds.

"This'll have to do, Tae." Jimin planted a brief kiss to the blonde's cheek as he moved away. The sugar had all but settled. "Now let's end this."

Taehyung, feeling much better, nodded and stepped forward with Jimin at his side. With each step they took, Jimin noticed something off. It was too quiet.

Something very wrong.

"Where...is..." Jimin breathed out, beginning to panic.

"SHIT!" Taehyung screamed, running forward. "I'm so fucking stupid! He got away...he fucking got away. Shit, Jimin-"

The half-blood grabbed Taehyung's arm. He struggled to keep his voice steady as he reassured the other. "This isn't your fault, Tae. Let's just find him before he does any damage."

The blonde pursed his lips, upset with himself. However, he didn't have time to regret things now. They had to catch Mr. Park before he got to the kids.

"Okay." Taehyung picked up his pace, sprinting alongside his demon boyfriend. "Let's fucking kill him."

*     *     *

In Jungkook's arms, Eonjin felt quite safe. It had been a while since she'd felt that secure sensation that one feels in a home or space of familiarity. She'd been trapped in Mr. Park's clutches for days now, waiting for her time to make Florian proud. 

But now, she knew better. Florian was alive. And that gave her a surge of hope over the feeling of safety she felt now in Jungkook's arms. Maybe something even more than hope. She felt...

Power.

"Jungkook." She tried when the two were almost to the foyer, where the others were supposedly waiting. "Did you know I was going to stab you today?"

The ravenette laughed gently. "That's what I was told, yes. Do you still have the knife on you?"

Eonjin tensed, in shock that Jungkook trusted her this close to him even though she might have injured him badly. "Y-yes. But I wasn't going to-"

"It's okay, Eonnie." Jungkook set her down on her feet once they got to the door leading to the foyer. Eonjin felt warm at the nickname that only Florian or her brother typically used with her. "I know you wouldn't hurt me."

Eonjin breathed a sigh of relief, most of her guilt subsiding. The Oak Prince, if you could still call him that, really did have faith in her. Even if it was because of her relation to Taehyung, she really didn't mind. It was nice having someone that believed in her, no matter how cold she had been acting recently. 

"Thank you."

Jungkook motioned for her to open the door, leading her by her forearm. Before Eonjin could lay a hand on the door handle, she felt a sudden surge of worry pass through her.

"Wait." Eonjin felt a blue intuition blossoming in her gut. She knew something was wrong. Normally, she was very intuitive, but around Jungkook it was like her sensitivity increased tenfold. "Something's...not..."

Jungkook gave her a questioning look. "What is it? Do you not want to see Florian?"

Eonjin shook her head. She glanced briefly behind her back, at the way they'd come. "No, that's not it." 

"Then what-"

"Something's wrong." A bubble of panic began to rise in Eonjin, and she felt as if something had slipped through her hands. "They lost him."

At the words, Jungkook released her, face drawn into shock. "What! What? Who are you talking about, Eonjin? Who did--don't tell me-"

Eonjin creased her brow as the feeling left her. She couldn't quite tell what had been bothering her, not when Jungkook's hand left her arm. "Tae is okay. Jimin is okay...I think they lost...Mr. Park."

Jungkook's expression fell from fear to relief to alarm in a matter of seconds. Without saying anything else, he opened the door and gently pushed Eonjin into the foyer. She made a confused noise as she stumbled into the room, whipping around to see Jungkook deathly serious in the doorway.

"Stay by Florian. If you see this door opening for any reason, find a safe spot to hide. I have to go."

"Wait!"

The door slammed shut, leaving her to stare at the Laurel Symbol etched into the door. By now, her heart was racing wildly, the intensity of all of the events making her weak in the legs. She wavered, hands clutching at the edges of her cargo pants. Before she knew it, strong arms wrapped around her waist, steadying her. 

For the second time today, a stranger was at her back, trying to pull her away from a door. In her fearful daze, she opened her mouth to scream.

"UNHAND ME!"

The arms listened, or so she thought, releasing her for a second. Then they were back on her, gently this time, spinning her around. She gasped, blinking a few times to make sure she was truly seeing him.

"Hi, Eonnie."

Florian gave her an apologetic smile, caressing her shocked cheek with one hand. In his eyes sat a guilt that she was oh so familiar with. It said, sorry things had to go this way. 

Eonjin dove onto him, hugging him tightly as if he'd crumble apart in front of him. She grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him even closer to herself.

"I thought you died, Flor."

For the first time, she saw Rose and Lucio huddled in the corner over Florian's shoulder, giving her scared looks. It had been awhile since she'd seen either of the kids, and the look of them brought tears to her eyes. Florian rubbed gentle circles in her back, whispering into her neck.

"I'm here, Eonnie. I'm here."

And they stayed like that, hugging, blocking out the screams of the battlefield that wormed their way into the castle walls from the outside. Only five Laurel Soldiers guarded the interior entrance, most of the Laurel force busy fighting the undead on the battlefield.

It wasn't until the screams got so close that they could hear the gargles of a man dying outside of the doors that they released each other. Rose and Lucio whimpered while the five soldiers got in a fighting stance, watching the locked doors with impending dread.

"Let's grab the kids."

Eonjin jogged over to pick up Rose, Florian following to lift Lucio from his spot on the floor. The kids clung to them like cats over water, afraid of the noises that groaned and echoed outside.

"What do we do, Flor?" Eonjin asked desperately as she eyed the back door Jungkook told her to watch. "We can't leave because Mr. Park  is on the loose inside the castle, but those entrance doors aren't going to last very long."

"Shit, you're right."

Florian was as pale of a ghost, realizing the situation they were in. The Laurel Soldiers paid them no mind, focused intensely on making sure the doors stayed up. As the seconds ticked by, the doorway was pummeled more and more, the undead hands from outside beating a steady rhythm of doom against the wood.

When cracks started spreading across the door like veins, Florian grabbed Eonjin's wrist and motioned to the back door.

"I don't care what Jungkook said. I'd rather die trying to kill Mr. Park than be pulled apart by a bunch of zombies."

Eonjin bit her lip as a loud scream floated into the castle. She nodded, looking about her in panic as the Laurel Soldiers raised their swords and called out orders to get in formation. 

"Okay, okay. I'm following you."

Eonjin rushed forward, Rose clinging to her body as the loud sound of the entrance doors cracking resonated in the air. Lucio screamed into Florian's shoulder as a horde of zombies poured into the castle, crawling over one another like a rotting, pulsing wall. Limbs sprawled left and right, murky skinned bodies bleeding blackish goop out of their various cuts and scratches as they threw themselves forward, right at the poor soldiers meant to protect the castle.

"GO GO GO!"

Florian yelled out, pushing Eonjin through the door as he followed. Lucio made himself invisible out of pure panic, which made Eonjin freak out almost instantly.

"WHERE'S LUCIO! IS HE IN THE FOYER STILL?! I'LL GO GET-"

"Invisibility is Lucio's power. He's okay, Eonjin. I have him."

Florian patted the boy's head, which to Eonjin looked like he was patting air. She reached a careful hand out, glad when her hand swiped against what felt like a cheek, albeit a wet one. 

Sighing in relief, she grabbed onto Rose tighter, and the duo went deeper into the now infested Laurel Castle, hoping to find safety in a building teeming with demons and the undead.

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