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@✧ Jisung The other seemed so relaxed, a state Minho wished he could reach too but for now that was most likely impossible for him. He sighed and nodded. "Yeah, things are crazy everywhere even though you cannot see it." Life was chaotic for Minho, had always been, and sometimes it was definitely overwhelming, even for him. He knew how to juggle his chaos but sometimes it was hard to get through it. He huffed and brushed through his hair. "Hiking is rather relaxing, I agree. It helps to get your head free of so many things." He sat down next to the other. "I am Minho, by the way."

@✧ Minho Jisung sat in woods, humming softly among the trees. He was on one of his usual hikes when he had stopped to sit on a stump. He just wasn't in the mood to deal with everthing right now... And a hike was the perfect way to get away from it all. He looked up when he heard a quiet voice. "Ah.. Yeah... That's exactly why I'm here..." He said, smiling a little. "You too then?" He gave a small yawn. "I've been out here for a few hours now... Hiking is my favorite pastime..."

@✧ Jisung Sometimes fresh air was all Minho needed. The castle was full of people talking about political crap and despite most of them knowing nothing, they claimed to know everything. So here Minho was, taking a walk. He liked getting away from the buzz of the world so he made his legs work. There was a trail around the castle, going a bit up so one could watch the city from there and it always calmed him. Usually he was alone there but not today. Surprised he saw a handsome young man not too far away. "Trying to get your head free from all the chaos?" he asked softly so he would not scare the man away. He had seen him before but he could not quite pinpoint where. Maybe the library, maybe the supermarket. Right now he was not sure.

@✧ Chris "I didn't question it, don't worry," Minho said and shrugged. "Your hair colour is totally fine." He smiled slightly. It must be something Chris was used to as he explained it do people. Poor guy, it must be bothersome. But he also seemed okay with it so there was that. "If it bothers you, you can colour it though. But honestly, don't. You look cute in blond" he then said and shrugged a bit but it was the truth after all. The other looked handsome and cute the way he was and Minho was too confident to not tell him.

Nodding slightly he sighed. "I know. People have heard horror stories of Malum and even though 90% of them aren't true, they are still scared." Minho shook his head. "We are getting there though, don't worry. It'll take some time but we will get there sooner or later." He patted Chris' shoulder lightly. "If you have questions, always come to me. I'll help. Do you have a phone?" They could exchange numbers after all.

Slightly Minho shook his head. "Honestly I don't know. She might be somewhere. But don't worry, she never voiced out discomfort about you or your sibling." Sure, the white Queen didn't like the red one but she didn't mind her children. "So, don't worry." He nodded slightly. With opening the gates they had opened so many parts of problems, but more like people being self conscious because of things they had never thought about. But the children deserved better. The people of Malum deserved a chance and Minho was here to fight for it. Minho was here to make sure they had a possibility. "Okay, then come along, I'll show you around. Have you been in the city already?"

@✧ Daesung It is always a wonder how an individual of power can crumble and spill important information to a total stranger with just a few mugs of ale flowing in their systems. This was a fact which Ten took total advantage of, except instead of /an/ individual, he had at least three significant figures drunk on alcohol. He did not touch a single drop the whole time, only watching the old men with a serene smile as they took cups after cups of alcoholic beverage, slowly but surely becoming tipsy and losing their sense of alert. It wasn't difficult at all for the young Constantine to obtain the needed intel from these old men, just needing to say a few charming sentences to coax them and throw a few well-timed flirting gestures to get their hearts beating one second faster. And once Ten had everything he needed to know, he gave a nod and a wink and a wisecrack, slid a note to the hardworking bartender, before sliding out of the doors of the bar.

Finding a way into the castle without being caught by patrolling guards wasn't easy, at least if you aren't a master at stealth and agility. Not only that, courtesy of the dense political faces, Ten was able to know a few shortcuts around the castle, avoiding the guards splendidly by using some hidden passages and routes which no one usually take. Very soon, Ten found himself outside the council room, and thank the Heavens that one of the windows was pushed open, so he could hear the discussion going on inside.

Gluing his back to the wall, Ten evened his breathing as he listened to the conversation taking place on the other side of the wall, focusing as much as he could on the words carried through the air. He kept his attention on his surroundings from the corners of his eyes, observing askance for any oddity in movements and environment. He had come this far, he wasn't planning on getting caught any time soon.

The thing was, Ten needed to find something. This object that he was finding was of powerful magical use, and could be very dangerous if not handled correctly. Obviously, the good guys had to know about this artifact, and to makes matters worse they were also searching for said object. For starters, Ten doesn't trust the 'heroes' with anything magical that has demonic characteristics, period. Second of all, Ten could definitely make use of this item one way or another, and even if he doesn't, at least he has more belief in himself to keep it safe than any of these self-proclaimed saints.

However, the powerful good guys had more lead on this ancient treasure than Ten, a mere con-man exorcist, possessed. As such, here the twenty-four year old was, eavesdropping on an important meeting among the high-profile heroes. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right?

@✧ Minho Chris mumbled a thanks under his breath, still feeling slightly embarrassed that the son of the Starks had to witness his mistake inside the castle—out of all people and out of all places. The other boy looked about his age, maybe a tad bit younger but definitely not as young as Felix. The way the male carried himself felt very poised, knowing himself and knowing his place in this world very well. It was a confidence and knowledge of his capabilities in himself that Chris had yet to achieve.

Chris caught the way Minho’s eyes flicked to the top of his head, wondering about his hair color for the shortest of all seconds but not making a comment about it. The Red Queen’s son was used to this and did not blame everyone that had been or is still currently confused about his hair because he himself did not have an answer to their questions. “Yeah, not red, but blonde, I know. Just born like that I guess.” Chris shrugged nonchalantly, sweeping his fingers through his blonde locks once before a smile grazed his lips at the other’s words. “I’m glad you think that way. I know some of the others aren’t as…nice.” Chris pursued his lips just the slightest to make sure that his thoughts would get across accurately. It was always difficult talking about the other descendants of evil that were born in Malum because they were all different, but most are trying their best for everyone’s sake. “But there’s more to them than their manners so I’m glad that they’ve—we’ve been given a chance.”

Chris listened intently, nodding his head at the current situation in the castle. “Ah, so the White Queen is not here?” There was nervous hesitation in his voice at the mention of his aunt, although Felix and him never really referred to her as such. It was forbidden to talk about anything that had to do with the Red Queen's little sister and Chris and Felix never really had a reason to go against that. “Not that I'm trying to avoid her, but she probably doesn't want to see me and I don’t want to make it uncomfortable.” Chris was unsure of how the White Queen viewed him and his brother, but he didn’t want to take any risks, mainly for her sake. “If that’s alright then that would be nice, thanks.”

@✦ Minsung “Haven’t you heard already?” Ten asked in feigned curiosity, a brow quirked as he spared Minsung the briefest of glance. He has always been an art enthusiast no matter the style, though given that he and Minsung weren’t even close to begin with, it’s no wonder the other wouldn’t know about that little fun fact. Even if indeed he wasn’t ‘admiring the architectural structure of the castle’, he’s not lying by saying he appreciates art.

“My price?” Ten laughed, sharp, loud and mocking. “My price is revenge,” deadpanned Ten, knowing the other was becoming annoyed and antsy. A smirk graced his lips seeing the other’s composure falling apart. “Look at you, becoming so anxious and scared. I didn’t think the child of the Dark One can become quite worried about getting caught. I guess you don’t have enough experience on that matter.”

@✦ Ten "Oh of course, it's a well known fact you are an architecture enthusiast, right?" Minsung said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he tried to follow every move Ten did, his head moving from side to side while the other walked, knowing quite well the other won't easily help him, not after the way Minsung bailed on him the last time they worked together, but Minsung couldn't get a no for an answer, and so he decided to take another approach with the other male.

"everyone has their price, so why don't you name yours and we could both get what we want out of this castle?" MInsung asked with his head tilted to the side, lips smacking against each other, clearly irritated and impatient, he knew that every minute that they spent out in the "royal garden" was minutes that could make them get caught, or worse minutes for others to take what he wanted from the castle.

@✧ Chris "It is hard to know all the rules and get along without having anyone guiding yourself so do not feel bad," Minho said and shrugged. He was trying to understand how people must feel after all. Getting the ahng of it without knowing how was not the easiest and while there surely were a few guides for Euphoria, it was still a lot to take in. So how could he blame the young male in front of him? He was friendly and seemed very ready to do better so there was nothing to be worried about at all.

The other's hand was warm in his and Minho showed him a friendly smile, small but honest. "It is nice to meet you too, Chris." Crims, yes, that made sense. Though Minho was surprised the other's hair was not red as his brother's, if Minho remembered right. But who knew what the answer or reason to this was, it was none of Minho's business after all. "You are friendly too so there is no need to be unfriendly to you, as far as I can see," the younger said and chuckled slightly. "You also come off warmly so that is nice." It was not a secret that quite a few people were unhappy with the situation but they had to just it up.

"That is true," Minho snorted amused and shook his head. "The castle is a must though currently barely anyone is here. The Council already left and well... I was just wandering around." He shrugged slightly. "You were not disturbing me from anything," he then added. "I can show you around if you want me to?" he then offered and curiously looked at the man next to him. "I'm free. I just did not want to go home if that makes sense." Sometimes just wandering around felt a lot better.

@✦ Minsung Ten would punch the smirk off Minsung’s face, but he knew his energy shouldn’t be wasted on a cockroach like Rumplestiltskin’s son. Instead, he just hummed absentmindedly to whatever snarky remark the other threw at him, showing little to no attention as he mused, “Can’t I show interest in a little bit of architecture?” He noticed an open window some storeys above, glancing around for any way to climb upwards, only paying partial of his focus on Minsung.

Snorting, Ten asked, “Who said anything about a watch?” There were many things in the castle which Ten could get his hands on, but he didn’t want to be too obvious lugging around a bunch of magical objects. He would just have to make do with whatever he could hold without alerting the guards for now, and also artefacts that are actually helpful.

“Why should I help you with whatever you’re looking for?” He finally asked the million dollar question, still not looking at Minsung. “You seem to do just perfectly fine without my help.”

@✦ Ten Minsung stood in the silence for a few seconds until the other turned to him and when Minsung noticed Ten's surprised expression as he turned around, making the dark haired male to smirk, his left side of his faint red lip tugged upwards creating a sinister smile, one that saying he got the reaction he wanted. "Oh, of course you don't...I mean why would you know about the watch hiding behind those walls, you are here cause you lately got your interest set on architecture" Minsung said mockingly, letting a soft chuckle escape his soft tiers, knowing that his snarky attitude will probably get him nothing, but how could he stop himself when the other practically begged for it.

"Listen, we all know you have your way through the castle tunnels, and I have my magic to get us through there without getting caught" Minsung said while watching the other closely, clicking his tongue in thought. "You can have the watch, cause my mind is set for something else" he finally admitted, knowing that true magical item was a small bottle of fairy dust, an item that was well known for its powers.

@✦ Minsung Ten was just walking around the perimeter of the castle for the moment, going into the garden and entering the courtyard as he looked up the expansive walls of the stone structure. He was trying to figure out a way in without being noticed by the guards standing at the front gates, he didn’t want to be too obvious with his entrance. Just as he rounded back to the front, he heard some speaking in his general direction and glanced up, an unamused expression instantly adorning his features at the person before him.

“Hello, Minsung.” Ten greeted curtly, turning away to look up the castle again. He made a point to not physically acknowledge Minsung’s presence as he asked, “Know about what?” He had an idea of what the other was implying, but he won’t say it out loud. Last time he had aimed to gain something by working together with this man, the item was tricked out of him and he was stuck in a dangerously sticky situation with a demon. It’s only with him flipping the bird heavenwards that he managed to narrowly escape death.

@✦ Ten Minsung was always known for the guy who gets his way and what he wanted, so when he found out the castle had a new magical object in hold, he was the first to snoop around and find what it was about. apparently this magical pocket watch was something that helps you stop time, and after earlier incident this week he knew he needed it for the near future, cause relaying on his own magic was never a good idea. He always hoped to be like his mother, all mighty and powerful but in the end he was a lot weaker and his stamina when it came to his magic ran low very quick.

After days of investigation Minsung found out that the person with most information about the item was Ten, and the idea of coming to the other male and ask for help made Minsung shiver in his spot, but all magic comes with a price and apparently up to Ten was his price to pay to get what he wanted. Taking a few steps into Euphoria, the black haired male found the person he was looking for, and unsurprisingly he was just near the castle. "So you know ha?" he asked, almost like he appeared out of no where

@✧ Minho Because Chris had decided to take the opportunity to actually live in Euphoria for a while, he had done a little bit of research on the Council. Just enough to know that the boy in front of him was a descendant of the Starks. “Ah, sorry, my bad. No one told me about signing in. I’ll make sure to do that.” Chris sheepishly brought a hand up to rub his neck. Day one and he had already made a mistake, but thankfully the other boy didn’t seem to mind too much or else the guards would have already seized him or something similar of that sort if it truly was a significant mistake.

Chris stepped closer to meet the other halfway, taking his hand for a friendly greeting. “It’s nice to meet you, Minho. I’m Chris of Crims and some of us just arrived into the city,” he responded while referring to him and the rest of the descendants that had crossed the river. “I think I’m pretty lucky. So far, people have been welcoming despite knowing who I am.” Chris stated nonchalantly, knowing all too well that not everyone that he will come to encounter here would be comfortable in his presence knowing who his mother was. But he didn’t blame him, nor did he take it too personally. Chris could understand why.

“I—” A reason? If there truly was a reason why Chris had been so drawn to the castle, he certainly had no idea, nor would he be able to describe the feeling. “No, no reason, really. I wanted to explore the city and you can’t really leave the castle out of the list.” He partially lied because he didn’t want to sound like he was crazy to the other. “Sorry if I disturbed you from whatever you were doing.”

@✦ Minsung Ten could feel the eyes following him as he traipsed the castle's ground, posture relaxed and face stoic as he allowed his feet to carry him. These people knew he was from Malum, hence their high alert, gaze burning holes into his being as they scrutinised his every movement. They were waiting for him to err, so they could have a reason to pounce on him and tear out his throat, which was such a laughable thought he almost snorted.

Truth was, Ten had a motive for being here. He had information about finding clues on an artifact he was searching for at the castle. He wasn't sure where these 'clues' could be found, but he followed the intel anyway, knowing that it wouldn't be wrong. How could he be so sure? Well, convince yourself otherwise after sitting your for almost an hour listening to an old fart rambling in drunken stupor- oh, and the old fart has a high position in the council, Ten made sure of that when he got the man pissed tipsy.

@✧ Chris While Minho was actually allowed to go home and do whatever his heart desired, he was not really feeling going home. It meant empty rooms filled with static noise of the machines and computers and Minho really loved the technology, but sometimes the silence of the castle was so much nicer than being caught at home where he felt watched. So here he was, sorting some documents and carrying them away to their rightful spot when his eyes fell on a young male, probably his age. He had not seen him before, but ever since the gate had been opened, he had seen quite a handful of people he barely knew anything about. He had read about most, though. His memory was good. But sometimes people fell out of his mind.

Chris. This guy was Chris, son of the red queen - red queen? Well, son of the 'off with their head' queen so there was that. Minho tilted his head curiously. "You are actually allowed to visit the castle. If you note down your name in the book at the entrance," Minho said and put the documents into one arm, stepping closer and holding out his hand in a friendly manner. "I'm Minho. I haven't seen you around before but do not worry. Usually the people are friendly." Cautious, very cautious but friendly most of the times. Minho knew that not everyone was easily welcomed and even though everyone acted like they were welcoming the newcomers, he knew quite a few were just faking it.

"Was there a reason why you got here?" he asked curiously and looked at the other male with curious eyes.

@✧ Minho Chris received information that the castle, home to some of the Council members and their families, was open to the public and did not need special permission to enter the common grounds. He had a gut feeling, an inward desire, that pulled his legs and being to the castle as one of the few places he decided to explore first. Felix had other plans, however, and Chris made him promise to behave and to try his best to not threaten anyone with cutting their heads off, to which the younger reluctantly agreed to. There was something about Chris going alone, entering the castle alone. He doesn’t know why, nor does he understand it, but something in him is telling him that this was going to be an important moment in his life.

Chris made it to the front of the castle, mouth nearly gaping at its grand appearance. The Red Queen’s castle is exceptionally, and almost obnoxiously, grand but Euphoria truly outdid itself in building such an extravagant castle. The guards acknowledged his appearance as Chris made his way inside, slightly nervous despite being a prince himself. This was not his territory and the guards were only doing their job. Chris doesn’t know where he was going, nor if there was anyone even in the castle. He had arrived at what looks like a lobby, or probably one of the many lobbies that existed and made eye contact with a male around his age. The other seemed to have been doing something or had been going somewhere and had stopped to stare at the intruder, which was him.

“Um…sorry. I was told that we were allowed to visit the castle. I can just go—"

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@✧ Daesung It is always a wonder how an individual of power can crumble and spill important information to a total stranger with just a few mugs of ale flowing in their systems. This was a fact which Ten took total advantage of, except instead of /an/ individual, he had at least three significant figures drunk on alcohol. He did not touch a single drop the whole time, only watching the old men with a serene smile as they took cups after cups of alcoholic beverage, slowly but surely becoming tipsy and losing their sense of alert. It wasn't difficult at all for the young Constantine to obtain the needed intel from these old men, just needing to say a few charming sentences to coax them and throw a few well-timed flirting gestures to get their hearts beating one second faster. And once Ten had everything he needed to know, he gave a nod and a wink and a wisecrack, slid a note to the hardworking bartender, before sliding out of the doors of the bar.

Finding a way into the castle without being caught by patrolling guards wasn't easy, at least if you aren't a master at stealth and agility. Not only that, courtesy of the dense political faces, Ten was able to know a few shortcuts around the castle, avoiding the guards splendidly by using some hidden passages and routes which no one usually take. Very soon, Ten found himself outside the council room, and thank the Heavens that one of the windows was pushed open, so he could hear the discussion going on inside.

Gluing his back to the wall, Ten evened his breathing as he listened to the conversation taking place on the other side of the wall, focusing as much as he could on the words carried through the air. He kept his attention on his surroundings from the corners of his eyes, observing askance for any oddity in movements and environment. He had come this far, he wasn't planning on getting caught any time soon.

The thing was, Ten needed to find something. This object that he was finding was of powerful magical use, and could be very dangerous if not handled correctly. Obviously, the good guys had to know about this artifact, and to makes matters worse they were also searching for said object. For starters, Ten doesn't trust the 'heroes' with anything magical that has demonic characteristics, period. Second of all, Ten could definitely make use of this item one way or another, and even if he doesn't, at least he has more belief in himself to keep it safe than any of these self-proclaimed saints.

However, the powerful good guys had more lead on this ancient treasure than Ten, a mere con-man exorcist, possessed. As such, here the twenty-four year old was, eavesdropping on an important meeting among the high-profile heroes. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right?