Ghosts of the past

[kyunnii]

Muses: Shim Changmin (quiescents) and Cho Kyuhyun (kyunnii)
Status: Closed; completed
Date / Time: 06/23, morning
Rating: G
Type: Thread
Summary: In 2004, Kyuhyun moved away with barely a goodbye to a young Changmin. Ten years later, immortal and medium are once again in the right place at the right time.

Comments

[quiescents]

Since transferring to the university, Changmin had explored... maybe ten percent of it. The photographer in him, the thirst for new sights and adventures, had been subdued by Study Max, the guy with his head in a book all day, coming straight home to study, go to bed, and do it all over the next day. However it'd been a couple of months since moving here, and he'd gradually started to do more than just schoolwork. He'd been meeting people, actually making the efforts to spend some time with them. Naturally the sort of person who preferred to be on his own, lately he hadn't wanted to be. Maybe it had to do with the fact that the spirit world had been more "in his face" than ever since moving here; he had no idea why or how, but he was seeing them everywhere. Possessions happened nearly every week. If he didn't have other people to focus on, he would have started going crazy

[quiescents]

Changmin was listening intently to what the other said, his hands in his lap, eyes wide and searching, sucking in everything that was said to him. What was perhaps strange was that the shock of learning the other man wasn't a normal human, still wasn't as strong as the shock of simply seeing him right in front of himself. Changmin had honestly never thought he would see this person, ever again. He was quiet, thinking, looking down slowly at the question.

"I tried to stop it from happening for awhile. But it wouldn't, so I stopped trying to get rid of it. I moved here... and it's.." He paused, frowning, shaking his head slowly. "It's worse than ever. They're eveywhere, always with me, always... in me." His expression was tired for a moment, fatigue in his eyes, but then he was looking back up at the other's gaze instead. "How long have you been.. alive?"

[kyunnii]

Did Changmin not know about the power nodes? From how he spoke, it didn't seem like it. Kyuhyun's eyebrows knit together slightly at how exhausted the kid looked. He had to bite his tongue to keep from saying it wouldn't be so bad if Changmin had heeded his advice ten years ago and learned to work with his ability instead of hiding from it.

Ah, his age. That always came up at some point or another. "In a few short centuries, it'll be two millenia," he said dryly, resting his elbows on his knees. "And if you call me gramps I'll string you up from the ceiling."

The amusement faded slightly from his expression. "If you're still avoiding who you are, Hong Kong is the last place I'd expect to see you. Why did you even move here?"

[quiescents]

"Two millenia...." he repeated in a murmur, eyes on the surface of the table for a moment. It was a lot to take in.... yet at the little quip he was looking back up, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly -- a surprised amusement of his own, (for a moment he almost said But you are so old) but it was slowly dissolving as well at the question.

"Things were getting bad... I needed to get away. I had a friend who lived in Hong Kong and helped me transfer to the university. I wasn't sure I should still be pursuing medicine.... (again, there is the image of a future doctor and the dead are all around him, flashes into his mind), but in the end, here I am." He gave a little shrug of the shoulders, before curiosity tilted his head slightly to the side. "Hong Kong is the last place you would expect to see me?"

[kyunnii]

As suspected, not a mention of the power nodes. So Changmin was completely unaware of what he'd stumbled into, like Nicole had been. Nicole who had been so baffled by the sudden resurgence of her mutant power. Kyuhyun exhaled slowly in a weary sigh.

"You mentioned that your ability has been stronger since moving here," Kyuhyun started, glancing towards Changmin. "That's because Hong Kong is what supernaturals call a power node. It's a hotspot of magic. Magic affects each of us differently... In your case it doesn't just heighten your ESP, it also attracts spirits to the city like moths to a candle."

[quiescents]

That word. Supernatural, it had Changmin blinking, looking up at the man opposite him with surprise. The last time he'd heard it mentioned was from another strange man, the one he'd... attacked in the subway restroom while possessed (he didn't like to think about it). Why was this all happening in this way? It was truly like he was in some alternate universe, his mind spinning. Of course he had heard about the 'supernatural' world in his life, and obviously he had to admit that other worlds existed; he was living in one ever day. But the way Kyuhyun said it, "supernaturals." Like there was a bunch of them or something. This man had others like him in his life? How many immortal people could there be walking around the world? And then his mind flashed back to the other strange people he'd seemed to run into the past couple of weeks.... the two women with the dark eyes. They were something... else. Not what Kyuhyun was. But he couldn't admit that it was real

[kyunnii]

Magic? I don't believe in things like that -

Kyuhyun was so startled by the admission he lost control of his composure, breaking out into surprised laughter. It lasted just a couple seconds, but still managed to completely destroy his calm and mature 'thousand-year-old' appearance.

"...Really?" he snorted, leaning back against his hands and fixing Changmin with a look that told exactly how stupid he thought that statement was. "You've been seeing spirits for twelve years. You've been possessed by at least a fifth of them. You've pointed out I can't possibly still be the exact same age I was twelve years ago and now you decide magic isn't real?"

[quiescents]

It was the first time he'd ever witnessed Kyuhyun laugh like that - really laugh. It was just as startling as the information he'd just heard, Changmin blinking and sitting up straight, shocked at the reaction, before he was making a face, eyebrows furrowing.

"Think about what you're telling me! You're telling me there's magic out there, and that this place is some kind of... of breeding ground for it? How can that be possible? What happens to me...it's just.. it's just a freak occurrence. And I don't know how to explain people living for two millenia but it doesn't concern me anyway." He stood, reaching for his bag, eyes still wide as he looked down at the other man. "I've accepted that spirits will always be in my life now. I don't welcome them, but I accept it. But whatever else is out there... it just... doesn't concern me."

[kyunnii]

"That's just it; I am thinking about what I'm telling you," Kyuhyun replied, watching Changmin without making any effort to stop him. If Changmin wanted to leave, that was his own decision. "But are you? Magic keeps me and every other long-lived supernatural alive. Deny it's existence, and you're denying ours as well."

The amusement was slowly fading out of his expression again. "You're not going to be able to keep burying your head in the sand, Changmin. Not in this city. If you truly want nothing to do with any of this, then the only thing you can do is leave. Book the first flight out of here, and don't look back. But if you want to stay here, you're going to need to know exactly what you're getting yourself into. I can show you that it doesn't have to be scary or 'freak occurrences'. But I can't help someone who refuses to believe in the very thing that keeps me alive."

[quiescents]

Changmin was very quiet as he stared down at Kyuhyun, breathing in and out softly, just listening to the words the other male was saying to him. His doey blink lagged on the last sentence, eyes giving a soft twitch. Mouth opened and closed. Whether he could fully accept it or not (and a part of him knew he already had, he just couldn't admit it aloud or that'd make it real), to say he wasn't concerned with something that this man said kept him alive was too much. "I'm.. sorry. I didn't know it was so... important."

He was thinking, running his hands over his face, pressing his fingertips gently against his closed eyes, before slowly lowering them with a deep sigh. "I met two different women, and neither of them were human. They're something... else. One of them lives in my apartment complex, and I never even knew. I met a man whose mere presence induced the spirit of some... angry samurai to forcefully possess me and try to kill him. Things like that have never happened to me." He paused, and looked back up at Kyuhyun, his expression

[kyunnii]

If Kyuhyun hadn't been able to see the remnants of the younger Changmin in this older, more sure of himself version before, he did now. In some ways, Changmin was still the child Kyuhyun had wanted to help all those years ago, dropped into a situation he didn't ask for with no idea of how to cope. Kyuhyun doubted he'd seen anything other than the bad side to his abilities.

"You can start by not running away," Kyuhyun said, voice a touch gentler than before. "It makes it harder on you than it needs to be."

[quiescents]

Changmin was still standing in front of his chair, quiet again for a few minutes, thinking, thinking...... Then he was speaking again, quietly. "If what you're telling me is true, then I need to run away, don't I? Shouldn't I leave this place? My ability... it is stronger here, like you said. It's taking over my life." He shook his head, frustrated. On one hand he still clung to denial. On the other hand, the facts were all there and he would be stupid to keep blatantly refusing to accept these truths. It all made sense. Even if it wasn't the kind of sense he'd prefer

[kyunnii]

Time to think was better than a flat-out refusal, which was what Kyuhyun had been bracing himself for. He could only hope Changmin meant what he said and wasn't just trying to escape from the room. Kyuhyun wouldn't admit it, but he'd missed the kid. Showing him the ropes of this new world he'd stumbled into would be just like all those years ago.

At Changmin's words, seeking some sort of confirmation, Kyuhyun nodded. "I teach this class every Monday morning," he replied, a small smile appearing. "Come see me whenever. It's good to see you again, Changmin. I'm glad you're doing all right."

[quiescents]

The reply had him giving a little nod, dipping his head as if in a bow. "Ah, okay." So Kyuhyun taught here consistently... He would be able to find him again. He didn't display the relief at that, back into his carefully maintained composure, but he hesitated before adding: "It's good to see you again, too... Take care." And then there was a little smile of his own, the quirky little mismatched eyegrin he hadn't done too much of as a kid back then. At least these days, even if things were confusing, he wasn't quite as serious and depressing as he'd been back then.

With that, Changmin was stepping out of the door, as the thoughts continued to circulate around his mind. Yes, he had a lot to think about. But although it was heavy, though things were very strange, there was a lightness that came from seeing his old neighbour again. He'd missed him, he realised, as he walked.

[kyunnii]

Did Changmin not know about the power nodes? From how he spoke, it didn't seem like it. Kyuhyun's eyebrows knit together slightly at how exhausted the kid looked. He had to bite his tongue to keep from saying it wouldn't be so bad if Changmin had heeded his advice ten years ago and learned to work with his ability instead of hiding from it.

Ah, his age. That always came up at some point or another. "In a few short centuries, it'll be two millenia," he said dryly, resting his elbows on his knees. "And if you call me gramps I'll string you up from the ceiling."

The amusement faded slightly from his expression. "If you're still avoiding who you are, Hong Kong is the last place I'd expect to see you. Why did you even move here?"