First off: Sorry for taking over a month to do this. but i'm not really all that sorry.

wanna know why?

CAUSE NONE OF YOU SAID ANYTHING!

i'm the kind of person who nags if a person goes Awol on their story. I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO NAG! in fact i encourage it! what do you have to lose? if you nag me with comments 1. im happier and work faster because i know you care and 2. you get free karma! you cant lose!

Second of all: i think this needs clearing up.

Laeri is not gaining confidence. She is not learning to trust the boys. She does not really like any of them.

If it seems like she's trusting them, just keep this in mind. She's been beaten into such a submissive state that she would sooner harm herself than disobey and order. She does not trust. She simply acts in the way that she thinks they would deem appropriate so that she doesnt get hit or worse.

Thirdly: Someone is REALLY going to like this chapter ^^ for multiple reasons. i'm sure some others of you will too but i know one specific person will be bouncing off the walls. like super happy. so i'm just gonna say your welcome right now.

Ok i is done with the beginning notes now

You walked quickly directly behind the blonde while the other two trailed quite a bit farther behind. You knew they were as scared as you were, but you stuck obediently close when scared to avoid trouble. Yoseob glanced over his shoulder, then subtly motioned you up to him. You cautiously approached his side.

"I'm sorry for all that. I know I probably scared you to death, but it was more for those two. One of us has to act mature on these trips, and since Gikwang has reverted to his normal personality, it has to be me. Usually, Kiki is fighting to reign himself in, so he behaves more maturely. Then, we just let him be the grounded one. But it looks like it's my turn now." You could understand that. The other two were getting a little out of hand. "On the upside, just look at them. They look like I'm gonna eat them alive! It's hilarious," Yoseob said with a grin. You looked over your shoulder and found that what he said was true. Gikwang and Dongwoon were both extremely pale and carefully keeping a good distance.

The rest of the walk and the elevator ride, which became increasingly awkward with the two nervous ones hiding in a corner, were spent in comforting silence. You didn't mind listening to people, but you didn't like to participate in conversations, mostly because people rarely understood you. Even if people could understand you, you tried your best to avoid having any opinions which sometimes made more people mad than having the wrong opinion. There really wasn't a way to win, so you usually decided to stay silent.

The younger two of the three boys decided to stay back, still, as you exited the elevator and headed across a bridge to the opposite walkway. Yoseob led the way down the east part of the top of the T with you following close behind while poking your head over the handrail to look down at the people walking.

"Do NOT fall over the edge," came a stern warning from the eldest. "One of us would catch you or else someone below would, but then we'd all be fussing over you the rest of the day which I don't think you'd like. Not to mention that Hyunseung would kill one of us. Or all of us. Even if you don't tell him, he would know. He's scary like that. It's kinda like how your parents know you've snuck out after curfew even though you're very careful and quiet as a mouse."

You stepped back away from the railing but continued to peek through the glass panels below at the mix of humans and demons wandering around. You saw one human girl who looked about your age dressed in a bright pink strapless dress and a white cardigan skipping toward the elevators while dragging a demon boy with yellow eyes and scales in a long cloak behind her. You could have sworn you saw a reptilian tail flicking under the cloak.

The girl seemed to be leading the demon as her auburn curls bounced around her smiling face. The demon was following with a scowl, but his eyes were alight with amusement and maybe even affection. You watched in amazement as they got into the elevator and the girl started chattering animatedly to her demon . You felt the blonde step closer to you and saw him looking the same direction you were.

He slipped his hand into yours and pulled you back toward the side away from the rail. "You'll see a lot of that here. Most of the humans are used to the safety of this place and will in fact take charge. Actually, it's usually just the girls. I think it has something to do with clothes and shopping," he trailed off with a fake thoughtful face. There was a playful gleam in his eyes as he swung your connected arms slightly while you walked. "You will begin to get use to this, too. Or at least that's what our goal is. Anyway, we're here, so I'm gonna make nice with the other two." You stayed where you were and watched the blonde stalk over to Gikwang and Dongwoon. He crossed his arms and seemed to be scolding the two who were currently cowering slightly. Yoseob said something that made both boys straighten up and nod energetically. The blonde started walking back to you with a smile and the other two trailing close behind while talking excitedly to each other. He grabbed your hand and dragged you toward the store. The door opened with a ding, and a pair of big brown eyes popped up from over a style magazine.

The owner of the eyes set his magazine to the side and turned off the small television set that was placed on the desk he was sitting at. When he looked over at the doorway, he gazed curiously at you. You looked around, fidgeting with discomfort at the casual scrutiny. The shop wasn't even half the size of Suzy's, but the entire place was immaculate, all surfaces pristine and reflecting light. There were four different stations that were all set up the same way, and they each had a clear cylinder container full of combs and scissors and other things any hairstylist could ever need. In the back, there was an area partitioned off for washing hair and coloring it. You let your eyes slowly drift back to the brunette behind the counter.

He was still casually watching you. No one had moved to make introductions or even moved at all. You felt the uncomfortable pressure of eight eyes settling on your body, forcing the air out of your lungs. You silently whimpered and felt a shiver go down your spine as you stared at your shoes and fiddled with your fingers. Eventually, you glanced up at the brunette behind the counter and signed 'Good Afternoon'.

It was as if the silence popped like a bubble when your hands moved through the short sequence of signs. "Woah, cool. That's sign language isn't it? I've seen it used a couple times around here, but I don't actually know much. I know this is yes," he moved a fist up and down, "and this is no," he tapped his first two fingers to his thumb. You nodded and earned a bright smile from him. "This is hello isn't it?" He held his first two fingers against his brow and swept them up in an arc with the palm of his hand facing you. You shook your head and did the same motion but with all your fingers up. He looked at you in confusion so you did it once more. When he still didn't understand, you walked over to him and put his hand in the right shape. His owl eyes widened even more and his mouth formed an O. He tried again, and you nodded with just a hint of a smile gracing your lips. "Ah, I get it now. My name is Kyungsoo, by the way, but everyone calls me D.O." He held out his hand, and you cautiously shook hands with him.

"Don't let him try to fool you. We all call him Kyungsoo. He's been trying to get that D.O. thing going for years," Gikwang stated.

"Well, I wouldn't have to keep trying if you people would stop telling everyone that no one calls me that!" Kyungsoo's lips formed an irritated pout.

You started to sign something, but you stopped before you could thoughtlessly get yourself into trouble.

"Laeri, what is it?" Yoseob asked with concern. You shook your head in an attempt to dismiss the action. He frowned and said, "We aren't going to get mad at you, and if you're worried about getting in trouble, just keep in mind that refusing to answer my question could get you in trouble, too." You froze then. You literally felt unable to move. Your hands were stuck in mid-sign as you contemplated your predicament. There was no way to win, it seemed. You felt the blood rushing through your ears as your heart rate went crazy. "Hey, calm down. Breathe," Yoseob said as he put his hands on your shoulders. You visibly stiffened before you cringed away slightly. The hands on your shoulders flew away instantly and the blonde moved back a few paces. "Sorry. I forgot. Calm down, please. I promise I won't get mad at whatever you wanted to say."

You went over your options. If you stayed silent, you were guaranteed to get in trouble for not answering. If you said what you wanted to, you could get in trouble but maybe not til later. You took a few deep breaths and forced your hands back into movement.

It is easier to sign shorter names. D.O. would be easier for me to sign quickly than Kyungsoo.

You indirectly proved your point with your statement. You braced yourself for a negative reaction and stared at the ground fearfully. You heard some laughter and peeked up nervously through your lashes. "Well, we can't say no one calls you D.O. now." The brunette in question blinked in confusion. "It's easier for her to sign than Kyungsoo."

"Oh!" He turned to you. "Will you show me?" You were still trying to figure out if you were in trouble, so you glanced at the blonde who simply smiled and nodded towards Kyungsoo. You brought your right hand up with your first finger up and your palm facing to your left so your hand looked like a lowercase d. Then, you folded your finger down to make an o. "Oh, that's easy. I think even someone who can't sign would get that. And now I won't be lying when I say that people call me D.O." He grinned brightly at you then stuck his tongue out at Yoseob, Gikwang, and Dongwoon. "Anyway, what's the plan?"

"Hyung, Gikwang and I are gonna go next door. Come find us when you're done, 'kay?" The two younger ones disappeared out the door without waiting for a reply. The eldest shook his head with a sigh.

"I don't care what you do to her hair, so long as she's okay with it." Yoseob walked over a chair and sat down as D.O. came around and grabbed your hand.

"First things first, hairwashing!" He dragged you back to the partitioned area and pushed you into one of the chairs. You heard faucets being turned and then rushing water. D.O. hummed as he worked to get the water temperature right. "Sit back, please, and let your head rest on the edge of the basin here." When you didn't move immediately, he grabbed your shoulder and pulled you into position. You stared up at him with a stunned look on your face. "Don't look at me like that. I'm use to resilience. I have gotten to the point that I won't put up with it if it prevents me from doing my job. Eyes closed." You blinked, and he held the water sprayer over your face threateningly. You closed your eyes immediately. Warm water ran over your hair as gentle hands weaved through the strands effectively soaking all the golden waves. When your hair was properly wet, you felt long fingers massaging a sweet smelling shampoo through the locks, lulling you into a calm, pleasant state of mind. You lay still and peaceful as Kyungsoo hummed something light and upbeat. All too quickly, you felt warm water rinsing the suds out. "Alright, up, up, up!" You sat up, and a towel was wrapped around your head. Then, you were towed toward one of the stations where Yoseob was sitting in the chair, spinning around in boredom you assumed. "Yah! Get out of there!"

"Why?" the blonde asked cheekily. "Oh! Were you going to have her sit here?" He widened his eyes in mock astonishment. "I didn't know. My bad," he snickered.

"You know, I might kick you out if you keep irritating me," the brunette growled.

Yoseob stood up and moved over to the side, laughing and holding his hands up in surrender as D.O. glowered at him. You glanced at the brunette, who was still fixated on staring down the blonde, and moved around him to sit in the chair, folding your hands politely in your lap. D.O. stared at you with a curious look before shaking his head with a small smile. He swung a plastic cover around you to keep you clean, and then he undid the towel around your head, releasing the tangles of hair. He grabbed a comb and started gently detangling your hair. As he worked, you noticed a small frown overtake his features. The frown grew into a grim look over time. Yoseob had been watching Kyungsoo with apprehension since he started frowning. With all of your hair now detangled and laying still damp against the back of the chair, the brunette came around in front of you to look in your eyes. He brushed your hair out of you face and asked, "What happened? And don't even try to play innocent."

Yoseob was now in hyper-alert, worry mode. "What's wrong? Is she okay?"

"She's fine, but her hair tells a different story. You can't tell when her hair is dry because the style hides it, but when it's wet, it's obvious her hair was cut with a blade." You shivered at the truth in his words. Yoseob's eyes widened, and he joined D.O. in front of you. Faced with the conflict, your eyes dropped down, and you cautiously brought up your hands.

I misbehaved once. My master grabbed me by my ponytail and ripped a knife through it. He warned me that the next time it would be my neck.

Your hands shook through the last sentence, but you managed to get the point across. Kyungsoo looked to Yoseob to interpret, but the blonde was just staring at you in horror. Eventually, the brunette dragged his focus away and coaxed him to relate what you had said. D.O. frowned and nodded. "I had figured as much. I just wanted to know if you would tell me. Do you mind short hair?" You shook your head 'no'. "Well then I think I'm gonna cut it to about here." He put his hand at a spot just a little below your shoulder and you nodded. "Is your hair naturally wavy? Or has it been magicked? Do you know?" You thought hard and could vaguely recall a time when your hair had been... Different. You weren't sure what it was before, but it wasn't wavy.

I think my hair was magicked.

Yoseob, even though he was still in a state of shock, relayed the message. "Ok. Do you like it wavy?" You thought for a minute. You liked wavy hair on others, but you felt it didn't fit well with your features. You shook your head 'no'. "Hmm. Would you mind letting me magic your hair?" You shook your head again, and he smiled softly. "Then I want to try something, if that's ok with you." He looked at you for permission, and you nodded. He gave you a huge grin and turned the chair away from the mirror. "Yah! Blondie! Stop moping. I can't work with moody people around."

Said blonde snapped out of it, began pouting childishly, and stuck out his tongue. The brunette just laughed and pulled a comb through your hair once more to insure that it was still tangle free. Then, you heard a rustle and a slight sound of metal scraping metal, and you knew he had picked up the scissors. You could feel yourself visibly tensing as you blood ran cold and memories started to surface. The brush of freezing metal, the sharp bite of skin being split apart, the feeling of warm wet blood turning pale white to red in little rivulets. A shudder wracked your being, and you had to force down the memories.

You felt fingertips gently trailing across your shoulders causing slight shivers to whisper down your spine. You tried not to fidget too much, but the ghost of a touch was tickling your nerves and made it harder not to move. The fleeting touch paused, and you felt your hair being swept back. There was a few clicks and suddenly your head felt immensely lighter. Your breath caught in your throat at the speed with which the task was accomplished. A smiling face popped up in front of you. "Different?" the hair stylist asked. You nodded numbly. He laughed and walked away for a minute. When he returned, he had a smoking vial with him.

You stared curiously at the amber liquid. "If you don't remember getting your hair magicked, then I'm not surprised if you find this strange." He swirled the vial slightly, and it started to glow. "I'm going to put this in your hair and dry it. Your hair will be completely different from now on. If you ever want to change your hair after that, you can come back and visit me. Ready?" You nodded.

He grinned and swirled the vial until its contents were glowing gold. You watch in rapt amazement until he moved behind you and gently tilted your head back. "Keep your head here please, and close your eyes just in case." He lightly tapped your forehead, and you closed your eyes. You felt a liquid dripping through your hair. It started out feeling cool on your scalp, but as he worked it through the strands, it grew warm and made your skin tingle. When he had finished working the elixir into your hair, he pushed your head back up and grabbed a hair dryer. A few minutes of deafening noise later, D.O. set the dryer down and put his hands on the arms of the chair you were sitting in. "Ready?" Your face softened in the quiet, and you nodded. His face was overtaken by a smile that stretched from ear to ear. He turned you back toward the mirror.

You stared at the girl across from you. She had pretty blonde hair that fell just past her shoulders in lovely loose curls. Her hair was shiny and smooth and soft to the touch. She had sweeping bangs that just slightly covered her left eye if she tilted her head the right way. She looked so beautiful, and it took you a few moments to realize that you were looking at your reflection in the mirror. You reached a hand up to touch your bangs, brushing them slightly more to the side and out of the way. You combed your fingers through your curls and marveled at the way they bounced back into place perfectly. Where as the wavy look had been chaotic and messy, this style was refined and pretty. And it was so soft! You couldn't help the tiny smile that spread across your lips.

"You like?" the brunette asked knowingly. You nodded with the same awestruck look plastered on your face. Yoseob looked completely decimated by your new look. His jaw was on the floor and eyes looked like they were trying to pop out of his head. Kyungsoo snapped his fingers in front of the blonde, who blinked rapidly as he came back from his space walk.

"Wow. Kyungsoo, I apologize for any mean word I've ever called you, all the times I teased you, and anything critical I thought about you but didn't necessarily say out loud. She's looks amazing." The brunette smirked smugly."You look so beautiful right now. You're practically glowing," Yoseob told you. You blushed and signed 'thank you' quickly. Kyungsoo undid the smock that was around you and shook it off before hanging it on it's hook. You stood up and were enveloped in a huge hug.

"Don't let them scare you. They don't mean any harm, really. And if they ever hurt you or frighten you, just call me, and I'll come get you," D.O. muttered quietly in your ear while slipping a card into your pocket. You gave an imperceptible nod, and he released you. "Yoseob, how's that one girl? The one you brought in last month for a coloring? I never remember her name, but she looked like this." You watched in astonishment as the brunettes hair grew long and straight, and his body morphed into the shape of a girl you were familiar with. Where the stylist had been standing moments ago, there now stood Addy or an exact replica of her.

"Oh! You mean Addy? Yeah, she's doing well. Still barely talks, though. Laeri seems to get along with her well enough." The blonde then noticed your lack of attention and laughed at the face you were currently making. When Kyungsoo or Addy or whoever was standing in front of you gave him a WTF? look, he turned to look at you as well. He laughed as his features morphed back to normal.

"Sorry! Forgot to mention that I'm a shapeshifter. It comes in handy quite a bit for my line of work, plus I don't have to try very hard to do my own hair." He beamed at you, but you only continued to stare in shock.

Yoseob took pity on you and grabbed your arm. "Um, well, you have the card on file. I'm just gonna drag her out, so we can go find Kiki and Woonie. Bye!" You shook your head to clear it as you were being pulled backwards toward the door. You quickly signed 'Goodbye D.O.' before you turned to follow the blonde outside. He walked to the neighboring store and opened the door for you.

You walked into a cacophony of noise and sights. There were different kinds of anything and everything any demon or human could ever want to buy. You looked around in wonder at everything. Yoseob waved at you to get your attention before he motioned toward an area of little trinkets and puzzles that had seemed to have caught the attention of the younger two. They were flitting to and fro between the shelves and bins with big grins attached to their faces. Dongwoon picked up a tube that looked like a woven basket. He slid a finger into either end and then pulled. The cylinder pulled tight around his fingers and refused to release him. His eyes widened in fascination. Then, he noticed Yoseob.

"Hyung! Where's Laeri?" he asked in confusion. Yoseob glanced at you and back to Dongwoon. You shyly stepped forward a few steps. "No way." His face mirrored the same gobsmacked face the blonde had been wearing earlier. "Kiki!" the youngest yelled over his shoulder. "Come look at what Kyungsoo did to Laeri! Your not gonna believe it!"

The head of the missing member of your band of misfits popped around a shelving unit. Dongwoon's eyes were still fastened to your face, so Yoseob motioned him over. As he walked toward the three of you, his face flashed through confusion, recognition, shock, and awe. "Oh my god. What did he do to you?" You dropped your face to the floor in embarrassment. "How did he do this?" You felt fingers sliding through your hair. "It's so soft and shiny. You were pretty before, but God. You look gorgeous right now." He pressed his lips to your forehead, and then, hugged you. You could feel your cheeks coloring, and you stopped breathing for a second. He let go, and you awkwardly fiddled with your hands for a minute.

"Uh, Hyung. I need help." You looked at the youngest, who currently had been incapacitated by a Chinese finger trap. You lips quirked into a slight ghosting of a smile as you watched him struggling to try to break the simple toy in his attempt to escape.

"I don't know how to get out of those either," the eldest confessed.

"I don't even know what those are," Gikwang deadpanned.

Dongwoon looked helplessly at all three of you again before glaring at the flimsy paper tube. You decided then to put an end to his troubles by explaining the trick of the toy.

You won't get out that way.

You started walking toward him as you signed.

The harder you struggle, the tighter its hold becomes.

You couldn't stop the words now. At this point, you knew that there was a hidden message in your words.

If you want to be free, you have to give in and stop fighting it. Your only chance of escape is to hope that someone comes along and helps you.

You glanced behind you at the older two, who were minding their own business, and looked up into Dongwoon's eyes. A flicker of realization passed behind his eyes making a sad smile form on his lips. You gently grabbed his wrists and pushed them towards each other, so the trap loosened around his fingers. Then, you carefully held the tube at either end, so it wouldn't stretch and tighten again. You looked up at Dongwoon again and mouthed 'move'. He easily slid his fingers out of the toy which you preceded to drop back in its bin with its identical counterparts. You closed your eyes and thanked the powers that be that you had escaped the encounter without touching his hands.

You turned back to the other two who were obliviously looking through things. You had had your back to them while you had been helping Dongwoon, so they had missed that conversation. "Go ahead and look around. I'm going to let them play a little longer before we leave." You nodded politely at the blonde and walked in a random direction to a different section of the store.

You passed a few different board game displays including a big area set up for Twister matches. A few aisles later, you came up to another spread out area with some bins off to the side that only a few people were looking through. You wandered through the opening of the roped-off area and moved toward one of the open bins to peek inside. What you found were fans: dancing fans, battle fans off to the side in a glass case, and just childish paper fans that little ones liked to play with but broke easily. You dipped your hand into the pile and pulled out a golden fan with cream colored lace around the edge and suns embroidered in the middle section in a shiny yellow thread. You held the fan delicately and felt an impulse that had long since disappeared. Turning around, you found yourself understanding the reason for the roped off area.

Eventually, you took a few steps into the open area, finding it impossible to restrain the rushing thoughts and instincts running through you. You moved the fan through the air, starting slowly at first, turning easily and gracefully and moving faster as the moves came back quicker. Soon, you had moved to the middle with a second fan in silver and black, flipping through the air and turning at speeds that shouldn't be possible. As your routine came to an end, you crossed your arms over your chest and started spinning as fast as you could to build up momentum. Then, you jumped into the air flipping so your head faced the ground and swung your arms out, turning into a small tornado six feet above the ground. You swung one arm back in, so you did a sort of mid-air cartwheel, landing easily on your feet. Using up the rest of your momentum, you slowed your spinning while moving your arms up and down to give the impression flight.

When you stopped, you realized everyone had crowded around the ropes, and now they cheered ecstatically as you finished. You stared around in embarrassment, suddenly overwhelmed by the pressure of hundreds of eyes on you. Finding no way out, you simply bowed awkwardly around the area before sheepishly walking back to where the bins were. You were only a few feet away from the table when you were dragged into a tight embrace.

You glanced up at the blonde who smiled brilliantly down at you. "Where did that come from?! That was amazing! I've never seen any dancer move like that!" He released you, but then you were pulled into another hug, this time by Gikwang.

"Apparently, you have a hidden vixen side. I like it." He smirked down at you. "And you're very flexible."

Yoseob grabbed Gikwang by the ear and dragged him away from you. "That is quite enough out of you." He gave a sharp tug and was rewarded with a loud 'Ow! Hyung!'.

The youngest now stepped up to you and wrapped his arms loosely around you. "That was very impressive. You looked like a professional out there! I wish Hyunseung was here to see it. He would be flipping out right now."

"He would," the other two said in perfect unison.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?"

You escaped the arms around you and turned toward the voice to see a girl standing there, arms crossed.

"There's only one person I've ever known who could pull off a triple spin upside down butterfly flip," she said with a sneer.

Do I know y-

"Oh yes. Little Laeri. The poor, innocent thing. Couldn't speak a word." Her tone was mocking, making you feel small and insignificant. "But you don't remember me do you? The confusion's written all over your face. I have to say I feel quite offended." Her tone had become light and teasing now. You could almost place a name with it, but it was still fuzzy.

Then, she tapped the back of her hand. You felt like you'd been hit by a train. You walked quickly up to her against the protests of your keepers. You grabbed her hand and tapped out the letters.

Anna?

duh Duh DUH!

so i have a few afterwords.

1. this entire thing spawned from various sources. the whole Kyungsoo (DO) thing came from me reading EXO facts blogs and such.

the fan thing actually spawned from a fan i got in Washington DC (Eli's hometown! woot!). i like to get fans and collect pretty ones and i play with them in front of my mirror. so that happened....

DC it's self was amusing because we did oodles of amusing things. like sherlocking across the steps of the lincoln memorial..... and dancing/singing to fantastic baby in front of the lincoln memorial. btw the Lincoln memorial is close to the korean war memorial... so there were people who knew what we were doing and it made things awkward. cause i'm from a place where people go "what's k-pop?" and i'm not used to the comprehension.

however Oppa, Gangnam style has hit our school like a hurricane and its awesome. go PSY!

link to us sherlocking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydkLUzAQDKQ

yeah it was kinda more of a sad attempt..oh well. btw thats not my youtube account so don't get excited. actually it's my ex-friends account but oh well.

2. I know this was really really really really really long....... and i apologize.... immensely. it got out of hand. but i am trying to use bigger words. and better writing skills. more descriptions and such. feel free to give me feedback. i mean really. if you cant understand half of what i write please let me know.

3. i'm trying to decide how i want to do the other point of view chapters. i can either do as i originally planned and post them in this story in the places they go, or i can post them in a different story and just link you across. What do you want me to do?

4.Im going to start responding to comments that are made in every chapter at the beginning. this is your incentive. COMMENT!

5. I want to do a "sign language of the day" type thing for every update just for fun.

THIS IS HELLO. MATCH THE POSITION AND FOLLOW THE ARROW.

woops caps lock. oh well.

6. Last thing i promise. i need some french practice so if any of you are native speakers.... i need help and practice..... yeah. so your little french phrase of the day: Je suis mal à la tête. I have a head ache. pronunciation key (attempt): Juh(like u in put) swee mall ah la tet.

Bye bye chicos and chicas!

Byeol-i bitnaneun areumdaum bam-iya-iya