➤ 021
beyond the pale
bad things - chapter four
snsd, gen; pg; 1276 words
vampire au
this chapter is a bit later than i said it would be, sorry :( the good news is that i have quite a few scenes written out already, so updates should come a little faster than they have been! ...or that's the plan, anyway.
previous | next | universe masterpost
Sunny’s waiting at the same booth as last time when Seohyun shows up, a glass of blood already in front of her. Seohyun feels a shiver roll down her spine as Sunny looks her up and down and prays that she’s made the right decision coming here. Sooyoung had been rather understanding about canceling the movie night they’d been planning for a month now, but she, like Taeyeon, had cautioned Seohyun to be careful. “Sunny, her whole line-they’re known for being ruthless,” she’d warned over the phone. “They don’t usually leave humans alive.” Seohyun had reassured her that she’d be fine, but now, sitting across from Sunny, she’s remembering why those warnings are so necessary. There’s something about Sunny that draws her in even with her guard up, even when Seohyun knows exactly what she can do. And has done, multiple times. Just looking at her makes Seohyun’s heart pump a little faster, as if her body is physically rebelling against the very idea of Sunny’s existence.
But enough of that, Seohyun scolds herself. She’s got a job to do.
“So what is it like?” she asks, pen poised above her notebook. “Being a vampire?”
Sunny hums thoughtfully and takes a sip of her drink. “You’ve heard those stories about mothers lifting cars to save the children trapped underneath, right?”
Seohyun nods. “They have a rush of adrenaline that removes the limitations our bodies place on our muscles, so they become really strong.” The tip of her pen leaves a smudge of ink on the paper. “But I’m not sure I understand what-”
“That’s what it’s like,” Sunny interrupts. “Vampires are faster and stronger than humans because those limitations died when we did.”
Seohyun frowns. “But wouldn’t your bodies wear out? I mean, that’s why those restrictions are there, because if our bodies were to be at their full potential all the time we’d rip our muscles apart.”
“That’s what your bodies would do. But ours-” Sunny leans in. “‘The life of the flesh is in the blood.1’ Blood is pure energy, pure lifeforce. Blood is what keeps us going even though we’re physically dead. It heals all the wear and tear on our bodies at a much faster rate than a person because it’s completely undiluted. Humans are already alive, so drinking the blood of other people does nothing for them, but the undead need it to continue existing.”
“What about animal blood? Can’t you drink that?”
Sunny shrugs. “Technically yes, but you wouldn’t want to. After all, eating nothing but saltine crackers would keep you alive, but you’d spend the whole time longing for real food. The only time a vampire would consistently drink from animals is if there were no humans to hunt. Or if she were an ascetic, but most of them vanished a long time ago.” She pauses, then adds, “The other major power that we have is glamour.”
“Glamour?” Seohyun echoes.
“It’s like hypnosis. Human minds are extremely susceptible to suggestion; all we have to do is plant an idea.” Sunny props her head on her hand, eyes fixed on Seohyun. “Vampires are extremely charismatic, no? So it doesn’t take much for us to captivate a human.” She bares her teeth in what almost passes for a grin. “A…friend of mine believes that it is for the good of our prey, since glamouring a human before you feed on them lets them feel no pain.”
“…Am I glamoured now?”
Sunny smirks at her. “If you were, you wouldn’t even be able to ask that question.”
Seohyun nods and scribbles it all down, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. “So, um, what else is true?”
Sunny raises an eyebrow. “Pardon?”
“I mean what other myths?” Seohyun elaborates. “Do you really hate garlic and crosses? Can silver burn you?”
Sunny shakes her head. “No to all three. Many vampires avoid religious symbols in general because it is such a strong reminder of our human selves, but they don’t affect us physically. Silver is a myth that was started long ago to mislead humans. As for garlic-our senses are much more powerful than yours, too. If you think garlic has a strong odor now, imagine what it’s like for someone who can smell it from half a kilometer away.”
“And the sun?” Seohyun presses. “Can that kill you?”
Sunny purses her lips. “Think of the worst sunburn you’ve ever had and multiply it by five thousand-that’s what it’s like to be in the sun for us, or near extremely strong heat. It won’t kill us immediately, but it’s extremely painful because of how sensitive our skin is. Eventually everything just sort of...melts off.” Seohyun shudders. “Not to mention that it’s too bright for our eyes to handle.” Sunny swishes the blood in her glass a little. “The older a vampire is, the more time they’ve spent in the shadows, and the more difficult it is for them to be in the sun. The really old ones haven’t seen the sun in literally thousands of years, and one glimpse is enough to blind them.”
“I see,” Seohyun murmurs. She glances up at Sunny. “Is it okay that you’re telling me all this?”
Sunny tosses her hair over her shoulder. “We’ve been out of the coffin for almost three years now. Frankly, I don’t see how it isn’t already public knowledge.” A lock of hair falls in front of her face as she tilts her head and smiles at Seohyun, the expression a little dangerous. “But there’s no reason for you to go attaching my name to your articles, is there.”
Seohyun’s eyes widen. “I would never do that. You have my word.”
That startles a laugh out of Sunny. “Your word? How eccentric of you.”
Seohyun flushes and ducks her head. “I just meant that you could trust me.”
A cold hand descends on top of hers, and she looks up to see Sunny studying her, face neutral. “I know.” She sits back a moment later, fingers moving to the small ruby pendant at her throat. “Is there anything else you wanted to ask me?”
“Um.” Seohyun shuffles through her notes. “Is it true that you can’t enter a home without being invited?”
Sunny nods, a wry smile pulling at her lips. “Yes. That’s the one thing I can’t provide an explanation for. It’s just a rule we have to follow, for some cosmic reason.”
“Okay.” Seohyun presses her pen firmly against the paper to form the final period, then reaches over and turns off the recorder. “Thank you so much for your help.”
“You’re welcome. And, Seohyun-” Seohyun looks up, and suddenly Sunny is in her lap, pinning her against the seat with an arm across her throat. Seohyun freezes as Sunny’s eyes bore into her own, and she tries desperately to will her heartbeat to slow down. “Don’t make me regret this,” Sunny says softly. Her knee is digging into Seohyun’s hip. “This is the second time you’ll walk away from me still alive, and if I find out you’ve done anything to hurt me or those in my line....” The bone of her forearm presses harder into Seohyun’s windpipe. “There will not be a third.”
Then, just as abruptly as she was there, she’s back at her own side of the table, and Seohyun is left gasping for air as white spots cloud her vision. When they finally clear, Sunny is holding out her recorder. “Have a good night,” she says sweetly.
“Yes,” Seohyun manages, taking it from her with a shaky hand. “Y-you too.”
1Leviticus 17:11
concrit → pm or dadilada@gmail
bad things - chapter four
snsd, gen; pg; 1276 words
vampire au
this chapter is a bit later than i said it would be, sorry :( the good news is that i have quite a few scenes written out already, so updates should come a little faster than they have been! ...or that's the plan, anyway.
previous | next | universe masterpost
Sunny’s waiting at the same booth as last time when Seohyun shows up, a glass of blood already in front of her. Seohyun feels a shiver roll down her spine as Sunny looks her up and down and prays that she’s made the right decision coming here. Sooyoung had been rather understanding about canceling the movie night they’d been planning for a month now, but she, like Taeyeon, had cautioned Seohyun to be careful. “Sunny, her whole line-they’re known for being ruthless,” she’d warned over the phone. “They don’t usually leave humans alive.” Seohyun had reassured her that she’d be fine, but now, sitting across from Sunny, she’s remembering why those warnings are so necessary. There’s something about Sunny that draws her in even with her guard up, even when Seohyun knows exactly what she can do. And has done, multiple times. Just looking at her makes Seohyun’s heart pump a little faster, as if her body is physically rebelling against the very idea of Sunny’s existence.
But enough of that, Seohyun scolds herself. She’s got a job to do.
“So what is it like?” she asks, pen poised above her notebook. “Being a vampire?”
Sunny hums thoughtfully and takes a sip of her drink. “You’ve heard those stories about mothers lifting cars to save the children trapped underneath, right?”
Seohyun nods. “They have a rush of adrenaline that removes the limitations our bodies place on our muscles, so they become really strong.” The tip of her pen leaves a smudge of ink on the paper. “But I’m not sure I understand what-”
“That’s what it’s like,” Sunny interrupts. “Vampires are faster and stronger than humans because those limitations died when we did.”
Seohyun frowns. “But wouldn’t your bodies wear out? I mean, that’s why those restrictions are there, because if our bodies were to be at their full potential all the time we’d rip our muscles apart.”
“That’s what your bodies would do. But ours-” Sunny leans in. “‘The life of the flesh is in the blood.1’ Blood is pure energy, pure lifeforce. Blood is what keeps us going even though we’re physically dead. It heals all the wear and tear on our bodies at a much faster rate than a person because it’s completely undiluted. Humans are already alive, so drinking the blood of other people does nothing for them, but the undead need it to continue existing.”
“What about animal blood? Can’t you drink that?”
Sunny shrugs. “Technically yes, but you wouldn’t want to. After all, eating nothing but saltine crackers would keep you alive, but you’d spend the whole time longing for real food. The only time a vampire would consistently drink from animals is if there were no humans to hunt. Or if she were an ascetic, but most of them vanished a long time ago.” She pauses, then adds, “The other major power that we have is glamour.”
“Glamour?” Seohyun echoes.
“It’s like hypnosis. Human minds are extremely susceptible to suggestion; all we have to do is plant an idea.” Sunny props her head on her hand, eyes fixed on Seohyun. “Vampires are extremely charismatic, no? So it doesn’t take much for us to captivate a human.” She bares her teeth in what almost passes for a grin. “A…friend of mine believes that it is for the good of our prey, since glamouring a human before you feed on them lets them feel no pain.”
“…Am I glamoured now?”
Sunny smirks at her. “If you were, you wouldn’t even be able to ask that question.”
Seohyun nods and scribbles it all down, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. “So, um, what else is true?”
Sunny raises an eyebrow. “Pardon?”
“I mean what other myths?” Seohyun elaborates. “Do you really hate garlic and crosses? Can silver burn you?”
Sunny shakes her head. “No to all three. Many vampires avoid religious symbols in general because it is such a strong reminder of our human selves, but they don’t affect us physically. Silver is a myth that was started long ago to mislead humans. As for garlic-our senses are much more powerful than yours, too. If you think garlic has a strong odor now, imagine what it’s like for someone who can smell it from half a kilometer away.”
“And the sun?” Seohyun presses. “Can that kill you?”
Sunny purses her lips. “Think of the worst sunburn you’ve ever had and multiply it by five thousand-that’s what it’s like to be in the sun for us, or near extremely strong heat. It won’t kill us immediately, but it’s extremely painful because of how sensitive our skin is. Eventually everything just sort of...melts off.” Seohyun shudders. “Not to mention that it’s too bright for our eyes to handle.” Sunny swishes the blood in her glass a little. “The older a vampire is, the more time they’ve spent in the shadows, and the more difficult it is for them to be in the sun. The really old ones haven’t seen the sun in literally thousands of years, and one glimpse is enough to blind them.”
“I see,” Seohyun murmurs. She glances up at Sunny. “Is it okay that you’re telling me all this?”
Sunny tosses her hair over her shoulder. “We’ve been out of the coffin for almost three years now. Frankly, I don’t see how it isn’t already public knowledge.” A lock of hair falls in front of her face as she tilts her head and smiles at Seohyun, the expression a little dangerous. “But there’s no reason for you to go attaching my name to your articles, is there.”
Seohyun’s eyes widen. “I would never do that. You have my word.”
That startles a laugh out of Sunny. “Your word? How eccentric of you.”
Seohyun flushes and ducks her head. “I just meant that you could trust me.”
A cold hand descends on top of hers, and she looks up to see Sunny studying her, face neutral. “I know.” She sits back a moment later, fingers moving to the small ruby pendant at her throat. “Is there anything else you wanted to ask me?”
“Um.” Seohyun shuffles through her notes. “Is it true that you can’t enter a home without being invited?”
Sunny nods, a wry smile pulling at her lips. “Yes. That’s the one thing I can’t provide an explanation for. It’s just a rule we have to follow, for some cosmic reason.”
“Okay.” Seohyun presses her pen firmly against the paper to form the final period, then reaches over and turns off the recorder. “Thank you so much for your help.”
“You’re welcome. And, Seohyun-” Seohyun looks up, and suddenly Sunny is in her lap, pinning her against the seat with an arm across her throat. Seohyun freezes as Sunny’s eyes bore into her own, and she tries desperately to will her heartbeat to slow down. “Don’t make me regret this,” Sunny says softly. Her knee is digging into Seohyun’s hip. “This is the second time you’ll walk away from me still alive, and if I find out you’ve done anything to hurt me or those in my line....” The bone of her forearm presses harder into Seohyun’s windpipe. “There will not be a third.”
Then, just as abruptly as she was there, she’s back at her own side of the table, and Seohyun is left gasping for air as white spots cloud her vision. When they finally clear, Sunny is holding out her recorder. “Have a good night,” she says sweetly.
“Yes,” Seohyun manages, taking it from her with a shaky hand. “Y-you too.”
1Leviticus 17:11
concrit → pm or dadilada@gmail