ㅤ ┆ 013

@❛ ⚜ ₊ joohyun b. ᵇᵉᵃˢᵗ chaewon was at a loss for words for a moment, unsure how the woman had seen through the facade and correctly guessed that she wasn't actually an exorcist. her regular customers seemed like they hadn't had a clue. still, chaewon didn't like to admit defeat, and she scoffed. "that kind of dressing is way too stereotypical, we're living in the 21st century," she said, though she was considering it in the back of her mind.

chaewon paused to consider the other's offer. it seemed mutually beneficial, though the details were still kind of hazy. but the woman didn't seem like she was trying to lead chaewon into some sort of trap; she didn't seem like to type to. chaewon tightened her grip on the woman's hand, and nodded. "pleasure to do business with you." she then looked at the woman. "so, how are you going to help me with my conning skills, and whay kind of help do you need?"

@❛ ⚜ ₊ chaewon p. ᵖᵉᵃ ᵖʳᶦᶰᶜᵉˢˢ joohyun then walks up close to chaewon and looked at her, "do you want to improve your conning skills?" then she pointed at her lesser exorcist outfit. "wearing casual outfit such as this doesn't count as a real exorcist," she explained, "what you need is bead necklace, wearing ward charms, holding a warding fan, and you must act as if all the spirits are all over you." she told her.

"i can help you con more people and attract rich people too, and in return, you will help me write a book about exorcism. that way i could earn money and 'you' could earn money from me." she then takes her hand, "is that a deal?"

@❛ ⚜ ₊ joohyun b. ᵇᵉᵃˢᵗ considering all that chaewon had seen irene do, the other woman's approach should have scared her. yet, chaewon didn't stay rooted to the ground because of fear. no, it was the confidence that irene wouldn't hurt her. sure, the woman did lure her to her apartment and called it a "den", but chaewon knew if the woman had wanted to cause harm, she could have done it when they first met.

so, chaewon looked back into irene's red glowing eyes and held her gaze. "why did you ask me to come to your... uh, den?" chaewon asked. irene's (or not-irene, now that chaewon was enlightened) words raised some questions, but chaewon decided to wait for later to unpack them, seeing that the woman had something to share.

having her question answered, chaewon followed up with another. "so, what do you want to discuss? help to exorcise the ghosts in your place?" she then turned and pointed to the kitchen, where she had heard the sound. "but those were all you, weren't they?" she questioned. "so what do you want me to do, and why should i do it?" turning back to the woman, she asked, "and what should i address you as now?"

@❛ ⚜ ₊ chaewon p. ᵖᵉᵃ ᵖʳᶦᶰᶜᵉˢˢ "those rumors are just stories i made, so you'll go to my den." joohyun told her as she walked closer to her, "my eyes are always like these ever since they turned me into a monster." she muttered and averts her gaze from her before looking at the papers that the other had hands on. "my name isn't irene, the draft that i made... they rejected it because it is no longer a kid's book." she told her and the draft character she made in those papers is named 'irene' as the protagonist.

"when i first saw you, i already knew that you're different from the fables i met. this is why all of those stories i told you, is to make your way into my lair and we could discuss something that would interest your expertise." she explained and cross her arms as she looked back at the other again.

@❛ ⚜ ₊ joohyun b. ᵇᵉᵃˢᵗ a realisation dawned on chaewon, and her eyes widened in shock. pointing at irene, she concluded, "so... you're beastly ira?" so, the rumours that irene had told her about were... about herself? the woman was truly enigmatic. "then, are the stories you wrote about yourself?"

chaewon leaned forward slightly to take a closer look at irene's eyes, trying to confirm that they were indeed not contacts. "why are your eyes suddenly red then?" she asked. "they were pretty normal the last time we met."

chaewon pulled the paper closer to her chest, despite irene wanting to gave it back. "what's this, then?" she asked, though she was aware it was a draft for a story. "i read a bit, and it's, uh, pretty gruesome," she said, with a small shudder at the thought.

@❛ ⚜ ₊ chaewon p. ᵖᵉᵃ ᵖʳᶦᶰᶜᵉˢˢ joohyun looked at her, a little shocked that the other isn't scared of her and didn't know that irene is beastly ira. "no, because beastly ira is just an anonymous author who hides herself from people." when the other pointed out about her red glowing eyes, she told her. "i'm not wearing contacts, these are my real eyes." she told her nonchalantly before looking at the papers that the other was holding.

"why are you holding those?" she asked before walking closer to her, "give it to me." joohyun shows her hand, wanting the other to give those papers she wrote. she looked at her seriously, joohyun had already taken her mask off as soon as the other made her way inside her room.

@❛ ⚜ ₊ joohyun b. ᵇᵉᵃˢᵗ at the sound of a familiar voice, chaewon turned around to see irene standing in the room. the piece of paper still in her hand, chaewon stood up to talk to the other. as she had expected, there was someone in room 013. however, she had not expected it to be irene. tilting her head in confusion, chaewon asked, "what are you doing here?" a sudden thought popped into her brain and she gasped. "so, you do know beastly ira?"

chaewon stepped forward to talk to the other better, and that was when she noticed irene's glowing red eyes. chaewon was well aware that irene wasn't fully human, but still, she hadn't seen the red eyes the last time they met. "are you okay?" she asked. pointing at her own eyes, she said, "what's up with the eyes?"

@❛ ⚜ ₊ chaewon p. ᵖᵉᵃ ᵖʳᶦᶰᶜᵉˢˢ joohyun removed her glamour ring, she took a deep breath as she slowly transforms into her beast form, her eyes redden and it glows in the dark. then she slowly walks out of the bed room, slowly and steady, trying not to alert chaewon. but at the last minute, she decided not to show her beast form so she puts back her glamour ring and went back to her human form, her red glowing eyes are still present before she closed the door of her apartment. trying to make the other focused on her red glowing eyes, "you really did come for me." joohyun told her. without her hoodie and her glasses, all the other could see is a beauty of the beast.

@❛ ⚜ ₊ joohyun b. ᵇᵉᵃˢᵗ at the sound of glass hitting the floor, chaewon swiveled her head in the direction of where the sound had come from, letting out a little yelp.

perhaps beastly ira was in the kitchen? chaewon took cautious steps towards the kitchen, until she felt herself step onto something. lifting her right foot and looking down, she saw that it was a single piece of paper out the many on the floor.

chaewon bent down to pick up the paper, remaning in a squatting position as she read its contents. after a quick scan, she concluded it was some writing draft. it seemed that irene had been telling the truth, and beastly ira was indeed living here. she looked up from the paper, hoping to find the elusive writer.

@❛ ⚜ ₊ chaewon p. ᵖᵉᵃ ᵖʳᶦᶰᶜᵉˢˢ the beast hide beneath her bed before she click another button where something fell off from the sink, it was a glass cup so the other would turn her attention to the kitchen as joohyun will walk towards her to scare the hell out of the fake exorcist. but her living room is full of papers, all of it are ideas from her upcoming book but the publishing company rejected it for being too gruesome.

@❛ ⚜ ₊ joohyun b. ᵇᵉᵃˢᵗ chaewon waited for a few moments, before the door to room 013 opened. chaewon widened the smile on her face, ready to greet, but there was no one in the doorway.

the smile on her face quickly gave way to a confused expression. she peeked in slightly, still outside the room, looking for signs of life. she didn't see anybody, but she took the door opening at her knocking to be a sign that there was somebody inside, and they welcomed her presence.

chaewon stepped into the room, albeit hesitantly, and called out, "hello? is anybody in? i'd like to speak to the resident."

@❛ ⚜ ₊ chaewon p. ᵖᵉᵃ ᵖʳᶦᶰᶜᵉˢˢ joohyun went home as she went to bed as soon as she got home. but she didn't expect that the other would come for her apartment and she haven't prepared any scares for her but the papers on the floor and her open laptop on the coffee table seems fine. but when she heard a knock, her eyes opened and she woke up quickly before getting up. she pushed a button where the door from the front to open itself, letting the other to come in on her own, inside the beast's lair.

@❛ ⚜ ₊ joohyun b. ᵇᵉᵃˢᵗ chaewon walked along the corridor of doors, scanning each of them, until she caught sight of the number she had been searching for.

013.

the room was indeed not very far, as the receptionist had mentioned. in fact, the receptionist had been pretty surprised that chaewon was visiting room 013. perhaps, the rumours that irene had told her about were indeed true.

if they were, chaewon would definitely be getting that bag today. as she stood in front of the door of room 013, she knocked on the door and waited for her potential customer to open it.

*yawns while typing on her laptop as she dozed off again*