( he understands what he's getting at and slowly shakes his head. but not to disagree with him. it's an attempt at levity, his hands dropping from qiu's face as he pushes him back enough to make space between them.
because he has to stand, has to move. )
All of them, ( baby says, slowly getting to his feet. the outfit he'd been given for their final show had been tossed carelessly on the bed, a crumpled pile of black against pale sheets. ) Especially Jinu. He's the reason I'm here.
( this life, this opportunity... he'd only met qiu because of him, and he doesn't want to consider what that actually means.
instead, he tries to focus on qiu, watching him beneath a half-lidded look that conceals the majority of his thoughts now. he's going to break so many rules doing this, and unlike his relationship with qiu, it's going to endanger them both. but it's a truth he's wanted to tell him for so long, a part of him that gets buried in the lifestyle of an idol and a romance with his bodyguard. and he's frowning at his hands as he speaks. )
Remember when I asked if you'd give me your soul? ( baby doesn't wait for an answer, slowly curling his fingers into his palms. ) That's the whole point of the Saja Boys. We sing, and those stupid people love us so much for it that they're going to give us everything. Because we're demons.
( it sounds ridiculous, but baby can't stop now. ) I'm a demon, Qiu. And this show – this show is it.
[ when baby draws away, qiu realizes there is no joke to be found here. that for however perplexed he is, however absurd it all seems, baby is being 100% serious. perhaps the most serious he's ever been.
it's... a lot to process. and qiu likes to think of himself a man who is hard to catch off guard. not necessarily unflappable, but as close to it as one can get while still retaining some warmth. turns out, for all that he's ever tried to prepared to everything and anything, there are truly some things here far, far beyond his understanding.
a demon. a demon. qiu can sense baby is being honest here, and yet there is still that instinctive part of him waiting on that poorly-timed punchline. because how can that be true? how can baby be — that?
sitting back, he stares at baby unblinking. maybe "demon" is supposed to scare him, but right now all he can feel is confusion. this whole thing was... what? a scam? for souls?
(he tries not to think what might have happened, that night baby had asked for his soul. how things might have been so very different, if qiu had told him yes.) ]
( the silence coming from qiu unnerves him. he's gotten so good at reading the pauses, his expressions when they're supposed to mask his thoughts, but baby's so highly strung that without any comment from qiu, he begins to pace. begins to think of the most impossible things.
they could run. but where? he could try to disappear, but gwi-ma's power over him would make it absolutely unbearable.
or he could... he could give qiu up. he could, and it would hurt. it would hurt to the point of numbness, making performing easier. and then he'd go back to the lifeless drag of being a demon, of being no one.
his thoughts race so quickly he almost misses when qiu finally speaks. )
I don't know, ( he says reluctantly, moving until he sits in one of the chairs across the room. ) Everything's supposed to change. ( baby draws his legs up and slips his arms around them. ) If you want details, ask Jinu.
[ ask jinu. it ranks quite high on the list of things that qiu absolutely does not want to do right now, most of all because it would require him to separate from baby. and that feels like it would be a colossal mistake to do right now.
still, there is a very specific part of qiu's brain that itches not knowing the details. he spares a few seconds to bury a wince between the pinch of his fingers, catching there along the bridge of his nose. ]
Alright, [ he says. it's meant to reorient himself. focus. ] Alright.
[ without all the information at hand, there is very little he can do or affect right now. so he brings his attention back to baby — the only goddamn thing that matters here anyway. bringing himself right up to that seat baby occupies, qiu frames the other's smaller body with his arms, resting on opposite arm rests. ]
So you're a demon. [ it feels weird on his tongue, but it doesn't for a second occur to qiu that he could be lying. ] You need the souls... to live? Is it food?
[ baby may not know much about the grander plan, but there ought to be some things he can tell him anyway. ]
( qiu's acceptance of the fact is either too quick or just impossible, but baby isn't logically thinking about any of it. the fear of separation, of knowing the pain of a broken heart and being able to do nothing about it—it catches him so off-guard that he's motionless. he doesn't even settle when qiu traps him within the confines of his arms, leaving no room to do anything but look at him.
slowly, almost carefully, he shakes his head. )
They're for Gwi-ma. ( strangely enough, he whispers the demon lord's name as though speaking it too loudly would draw his attention. ) He rules over us. Demons. ( there's another pause, once again uncertain. ) And he's been trapped by the Honmoon for so long... If we do this show, he'll be free.
( he's yet to explain about the honmoon and huntrix, how they're all related. how all of it's just been for this one thing. before, baby had been happy to comply—almost thrilled to do it. it meant leaving the demon realm and living in this luxury lifestyle of an idol. it meant experiencing a taste of freedom that he hadn't had in centuries. nowhere in all of that had he planned on falling in love with qiu.
baby looks at him then, shrinking down into the chair. )
He'll take every soul he can find then. Yours too. ( and that would be the end of it. )
[ there had been a moment there, where qiu had been so focused on problem-solving that the worry began to seep into his expression, softening the usually hard edges of his seemingly perpetual scowl. but the second baby mentions gwi-ma, the instant qiu realizes none of this is for baby himself, qiu's expression shutters up again. his eyes grow cold and sharp, and his answer is swift. ]
Not a fucking chance.
[ maybe, if it were just for baby, then maybe...
it doesn't matter. there's no point in thinking about what-ifs.
taking baby's hand in his, he gives it a brief squeeze. there are still options here — there has to be. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
because he has to stand, has to move. )
All of them, ( baby says, slowly getting to his feet. the outfit he'd been given for their final show had been tossed carelessly on the bed, a crumpled pile of black against pale sheets. ) Especially Jinu. He's the reason I'm here.
( this life, this opportunity... he'd only met qiu because of him, and he doesn't want to consider what that actually means.
instead, he tries to focus on qiu, watching him beneath a half-lidded look that conceals the majority of his thoughts now. he's going to break so many rules doing this, and unlike his relationship with qiu, it's going to endanger them both. but it's a truth he's wanted to tell him for so long, a part of him that gets buried in the lifestyle of an idol and a romance with his bodyguard. and he's frowning at his hands as he speaks. )
Remember when I asked if you'd give me your soul? ( baby doesn't wait for an answer, slowly curling his fingers into his palms. ) That's the whole point of the Saja Boys. We sing, and those stupid people love us so much for it that they're going to give us everything. Because we're demons.
( it sounds ridiculous, but baby can't stop now. ) I'm a demon, Qiu. And this show – this show is it.
( the end of the saja boys. the end of them. )
no subject
it's... a lot to process. and qiu likes to think of himself a man who is hard to catch off guard. not necessarily unflappable, but as close to it as one can get while still retaining some warmth. turns out, for all that he's ever tried to prepared to everything and anything, there are truly some things here far, far beyond his understanding.
a demon. a demon. qiu can sense baby is being honest here, and yet there is still that instinctive part of him waiting on that poorly-timed punchline. because how can that be true? how can baby be — that?
sitting back, he stares at baby unblinking. maybe "demon" is supposed to scare him, but right now all he can feel is confusion. this whole thing was... what? a scam? for souls?
(he tries not to think what might have happened, that night baby had asked for his soul. how things might have been so very different, if qiu had told him yes.) ]
What happens after the show?
[ the end can mean so many things, after all. ]
no subject
they could run. but where? he could try to disappear, but gwi-ma's power over him would make it absolutely unbearable.
or he could... he could give qiu up. he could, and it would hurt. it would hurt to the point of numbness, making performing easier. and then he'd go back to the lifeless drag of being a demon, of being no one.
his thoughts race so quickly he almost misses when qiu finally speaks. )
I don't know, ( he says reluctantly, moving until he sits in one of the chairs across the room. ) Everything's supposed to change. ( baby draws his legs up and slips his arms around them. ) If you want details, ask Jinu.
( and he absolutely sounds bitter about it. )
no subject
still, there is a very specific part of qiu's brain that itches not knowing the details. he spares a few seconds to bury a wince between the pinch of his fingers, catching there along the bridge of his nose. ]
Alright, [ he says. it's meant to reorient himself. focus. ] Alright.
[ without all the information at hand, there is very little he can do or affect right now. so he brings his attention back to baby — the only goddamn thing that matters here anyway. bringing himself right up to that seat baby occupies, qiu frames the other's smaller body with his arms, resting on opposite arm rests. ]
So you're a demon. [ it feels weird on his tongue, but it doesn't for a second occur to qiu that he could be lying. ] You need the souls... to live? Is it food?
[ baby may not know much about the grander plan, but there ought to be some things he can tell him anyway. ]
no subject
slowly, almost carefully, he shakes his head. )
They're for Gwi-ma. ( strangely enough, he whispers the demon lord's name as though speaking it too loudly would draw his attention. ) He rules over us. Demons. ( there's another pause, once again uncertain. ) And he's been trapped by the Honmoon for so long... If we do this show, he'll be free.
( he's yet to explain about the honmoon and huntrix, how they're all related. how all of it's just been for this one thing. before, baby had been happy to comply—almost thrilled to do it. it meant leaving the demon realm and living in this luxury lifestyle of an idol. it meant experiencing a taste of freedom that he hadn't had in centuries. nowhere in all of that had he planned on falling in love with qiu.
baby looks at him then, shrinking down into the chair. )
He'll take every soul he can find then. Yours too. ( and that would be the end of it. )
no subject
Not a fucking chance.
[ maybe, if it were just for baby, then maybe...
it doesn't matter. there's no point in thinking about what-ifs.
taking baby's hand in his, he gives it a brief squeeze. there are still options here — there has to be. ]
What if he doesn't get free? What happens to you?