Nightfall.  It was another chance for the whole group to stop and stretch their legs and Ryeowook was more than ready for just such a break.  Nor was he the only one.  As he was beginning to feel, nonhumans were not meant to be crammed close together for any extended period of time and tension was rife among the group as they fled the interior as quickly as possible.  The Shims and Songs were among the first, followed by several of the healthier wolves, though the Hunters and humans, including the possessed and wolf-kin, lingered behind to stay out of the way.

                “You’d think there was a fire or something,” Jiyong sighed as he pushed himself against the wall so he wouldn’t accidentally be stepped on before he peered up at the opening.  If he jumped, he might be able to reach it, but mostly they had to rely on nonhumans for assistance.

                His peers shrugged, fairly used to the rush by now, though Dongho rubbed his tired face with both hands, nose wrinkling preemptively, “It’s probably the smell.  You know they’re more sensitive than we are and it’s more than bad enough for us.”

                “Don’t remind me,” Jieun pouted with a dismayed glance at her oily, brown hair while Hana nodded in silent agreement beside her, similarly examining her own blonde locks, though the black roots were starting to show through.  Regular bathing opportunities weren’t exactly available on a whim so most of them, the nonhumans included, were more unkempt than usual.

                “Anyway,” Eli exhaled as he hopped to his feet, running a hand over the messy crop of blonde strands sitting on his head.  “I’m just ready to stretch my legs.”  He raised one long arm to the opening and grimaced.

                “Need a hand?” Ryeowook offered hesitantly, glancing around the trailer as the rest of the occupants seemed a bit surprised.  The Chas were still in the corner, though they were talking with Kyuhyun, and the Hunters had been busy with Minsoo so he figured he could at least try to be useful.  It was the least he could do considering how much trouble he’d caused them already.

                Eli raised a brow at him while he looked down at the much smaller vampire.  They both glanced at AJ who stood up next to him with a similar look of skepticism.  “I don’t know how much help you’d be,” he admitted, scratching his cheek with one slender finger.

                Behind him, Kyuhyun chuckled under his breath, and Ryeowook just gestured with his hands.  “May I?” he asked, carefully gripping Eli’s waist.

                They weren’t unused to the assistance so he begrudgingly nodded.  “Sure.”  With permission, Ryeowook hefted Eli up almost as if he were a child, to the larger male’s chagrin.  “Yah!” he gasped, immediately clutching the slender wrists before he frantically reached for the lip of the opening.

                “There you go,” Ryeowook smiled, pushing the flailing feet up next so Eli could finish crawling out, only to stare back down in mild amusement.

                “I swear I’ll never get used to that,” Jihoon laughed outright, a toothy grin appearing when he hopped up and clapped once with youthful exuberance.

                “I don’t know why you’re surprised,” Minhyuk snorted once with a shake of his head, ruffling the mid-length growth of hair in the process.  He smirked and gestured for Ryeowook to give him a boost up, grabbing Eli’s hand as he neared the opening.

                “Seriously.  We’ve all seen Hyoyeon,” Yookwon confirmed, quick to stand so he could follow after the taller male.  Ryeowook practically tossed him up where both Minhyuk and Eli caught hold of him, laughing at the enthusiasm.

                “And Sunny!” Jieun and Hana exclaimed at almost the same time, laughing at the lapse.

                “Me too!” Luna yipped, bounding into view where she stood shorter than everyone around her.  She nudged her way into the center so she could hop up and clamber through with no assistance needed, grinning at the three men on the roof before she waved for the next person.

                “Point in fact,” the large eyed but tall Minho chuckled, indicating the small werewolf.  He prompted Ryeowook to create a stirrup for him and then allowed himself to be hefted up and pulled free with ease.

                In short order, the rest of the humans were handed out swiftly, funneled between Ryeowook, who continued to listen to them speaking among themselves, and Luna who tirelessly hauled them up.  They were definitely more aligned with the wolves, but most of them at least had come to a grudging acceptance of their vampire companions.  They were actually more standoffish with the Hunters, if anything, which was probably why they were still waiting in the back corner just watching everything unfold.

                Jongup and Jiyong finally stepped up when the humans were shifted out and the former hesitated so the taller male could go first.  Neither complained when they were assisted though and they were followed shortly by the possessed.  Daesung ushered Baekho and Ken through before nodding quiet thanks at Ryeowook and taking his turn.  And that left him alone with the Hunters, the wounded wolves, and the remaining vampires.

                “Scuse us,” Yongguk murmured while he approached the opening with Minsoo between him and Mir.

                “Sure,” Ryeowook nodded, stepping back to give them space.

                “Luna?” Minsoo called, smiling when the short werewolf stuck her head inside.

                “I’m ready,” she grinned, reaching a hand in preemptively.

                Ryeowook retreated briefly to the vampires while the Hunters took care of themselves.  “Is it normally like this?” he asked, leaning against the wall while he glanced down at Kyuhyun before he let his eyes slide to the Chas.

                “Mostly,” N confirmed, tilting his head.  “The Shims are always the first out, but with their senses, they need the fresh air most.  I don’t know how they bear it like they’ve been doing,” he admitted in no small amount of awe.

                “They have to,” Kyuhyun murmured softly with a shrug.

                “Yeah, but we all have our limits,” Hyosung huffed, pushing to her feet to brush her rumpled clothes out and shake her hair needlessly.  “You coming Channie?” she asked with a nod towards the open space, free of obstruction for the moment.

                Himchan glanced at N before the elder vampire simply ushered him off with a gentle wave.  “Ne,” he chirped, bouncing to his feet so they could both jump through the opening.

                “That everybody?” Luna asked when they’d cleared the entrance, sticking her head inside so that her hair hung behind her in a thick, bound strand.  “Hang on guys,” she called towards the wolves in the corner, flipping herself back in effortlessly.  “We’re coming.”

                She approached the injured group first but it didn’t take long for the trailer to shift slightly as Sanghyuk, Hyoyeon, and Sunhwa came in to help the rest.  Joon, Taekwoon, and Sulli were easy to get to, requiring only a little aid since the one’s depth perception was off and the other two were dealing with missing limbs, but Hongbin required considerably more care.  As a group, the wolves worked together to carry the pack leader out with as much control as possible, making sure not to jar or jostle him.

                Ryeowook watched the proceedings with an air of awe and fondness.  It wasn’t anything spectacular, he knew, but to see them working together so unanimously gave him hope.  Even if it didn’t extend wholeheartedly to the rest of the group, there was cohesiveness here.  “Are we going too?” Ryeowook asked after Luna waved at him and exited to join the rest of her group.

                “In a minute,” Kyuhyun confirmed, watching N instead.

                The Cha wrinkled his nose and pulled his rather resilient phone free, staring at the message he’d gotten earlier.  Apparently.  “Kiseop’s trying to join up with us,” he explained as he his lips before nibbling on the bottom one thoughtfully.  “He’s got company but they’re also being tracked.  So he thinks anyway,” he explained with a frown.

                “Is he flying here?” Kyuhyun asked, alerting Ryeowook to the fact Kiseop was another Cha.

                “I think so.  Apparently there has been some concern with missiles,” N grumbled while he rubbed his forehead.

                “Aish,” Kyuhyun sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers.

                “Youngjae managed to craft him some dummy targets the last time they met up and I think they’ve been working well enough but it’s a near thing,” he admitted nervously.  “Will we really be better off near the border?” N asked as last, leaning close so his voice wouldn’t carry.

                “We’re trying to cross the border?” Ryeowook blinked, interested in that tidbit of information.  “Why?  What are we aiming for?”

                Kyuhyun looked at him with a thoughtful expression and finally sighed.  “We’re traveling more blind than I prefer.  The country is in an uproar and we need a better line of eavesdropping in order to stay ahead of the curve.”

                Ryeowook blinked at the comment and then his eyes widened slightly.  “Are you saying you want to attack a base too?”

                Both N and Kyuhyun frowned at the wording but neither denied it outright.  “Nothing like what Changmin had in mind.  No,” N stated with an emphatic shake of his head.

                “Though what he does is not without benefit to us,” Kyuhyun conceded with a nod of his head.  At Ryeowook’s confused frown, he waved dismissively and at least admitted, “No matter what the humans think, not all of us are monsters.  Trust me,” he murmured beseechingly, holding Ryeowook’s gaze evenly for a change.

                Caught off guard by the statement itself as well as the unusual blatant honesty, Ryeowook nodded almost by rote.  “I still don’t understand,” he murmured uncomfortably.

                “You will in time,” Kyuhyun insisted with a glance at N.  “Now.  We’ve a lot to go over and sunrise comes much sooner than I’d like,” he sighed with a grimace, looking out the opening longingly.

                “First things first,” N chided as he stood up and firmly pulled Kyuhyun along as well.  “Food, talk, then train.  In that order,” he instructed, pointing at both Kyuhyun and Ryeowook who had the grace to look slightly embarrassed.

                Frankly, there was little point in arguing with him: one, he was right after all, and two, it was N.  “Come on, Wookie,” Kyuhyun urged while he stepped towards the opening.  He was weaker than usual but at least he could manage that part on his own.

                Ryeowook easily followed after him, still marveling at his physical ability to navigate the jump with ease, and let his eyes scan the encampment.  It was mostly desert around them, which was both good and bad, meaning it would cool off considerably during the night and no one was likely to bother them unless they were aggressive.  Even then, their group would be able to see them coming a mile away.  A couple of the wolves had already managed to gather what appeared to be a handful of rodents and reptiles that some of the humans at least were cooking over the low fire hidden mostly beside the trailer and fueled with bits of debris that had also been scavenged from the surrounding area.

                Nothing was thrown away and even after the humans picked off most of the good meat, the wolves, in animal form, crunched down the rest of the leftovers, bones and all.  Ryeowook could tell it wasn’t exactly satisfying but he supposed it was better than nothing, even if the thought made him cringe.  His expression turned to one of surprise when he additionally noticed Daesung returning with the vampires Minzy and Zhou behind him, each dragging what appeared to be a massive cactus.

                “Water and food,” Kyuhyun murmured, catching Ryeowook’s wrist to pull him along gently while he headed towards Junsu.  “The wolves will smash the plant to strain off excess fluid and create a pulpy mass to eat after that.  It’s all incredibly bland but it’s food.  Speaking of which,” he murmured, catching the Kim pack leader’s attention.  Junsu didn’t seem particularly thrilled to be called on again but he didn’t complain when Kyuhyun explained how they needed to eat.

                “Hyoyeon,” he called the young woman over, nodding towards Ryeowook with a resigned look.

                “Ugh…” she groaned with a frown, though the wolf didn’t complain as she stepped close to Ryeowook and offered her wrist to him grudgingly.

                “But I-”

                “Drink, Wookie,” Kyuhyun instructed, watching him intently as he stood next to Junsu.

                It was the first time he was actually going to be cognizant about it.  Admittedly, he wasn’t particularly fond of the idea, feeding off a relative stranger, but neither did he want to hurt Henry again.  Or any of the other humans for that matter.  It just felt weird…  Stifling a grimace, he wrapped his fingers around her slender arm and stared down at the expanse of pale flesh exposed to him.  It was warm and inviting, emitting a strong pulse within he could feel under his fingers, and almost hear it if he concentrated hard enough.  Rather surprisingly, his mouth watered at the thought and he beat back the immediate horror he felt at finding himself excited about it.  He was a vampire after all.  Whether he liked it or not.

                “Drink,” Kyuhyun instructed again when he appeared to delay too long.

                Taking a quick breath, Ryeowook raised the limb to his mouth and shivered from the delicious, heady smell, feeling his stomach clench nervously.  “Go ahead,” Hyoyeon encouraged blandly, watching him with bored eyes.  He nodded briefly in understanding and finally placed his teeth against her flesh, biting uncertainly until he broke the skin, and then it was just a matter of following instinct as the hot liquid filled his mouth.  His body knew what he needed, even if he was unsure.

                “Hey!” he blinked in surprise when a strong hand abruptly pushed him away, denying him of his food.

                “Enough,” Hyoyeon growled softly with a glance at Kyuhyun who nodded at her once.

                Off kilter, Ryeowook immediately felt embarrassed and realized he hadn’t exactly been aware of himself for a moment.  “Sorry,” he whispered, ducking his head as he bashfully stood where he was.

                Hyoyeon sighed but then ruffled Ryeowook’s hair in an almost patronizing way.  “You new vamps are such a pain in the sometimes,” she laughed, shaking her head in belated amusement.  “I’m gonna make another rodent run,” she looked up to inform Junsu who simply nodded once.

                “Hyoyeon,” he called before she could leave though.  “Take Joon with you if he’s up for it.  He’s been itching to run,” he commented with a glance back at the gathering of injured near the humans.

                “Will do!” she beamed, giving Junsu a thumbs up sign even as she bounded towards the one eyed male in their midst.

                “You should go check on your brother,” Kyuhyun encouraged while he continued to stand beside Junsu.  He hadn’t touched him yet but neither seemed to be in too much of a hurry.  “I’ll be along shortly.”

                Suddenly nervous about that idea, Ryeowook looked between the camp and Kyuhyun, rubbing his arm slowly.  “Yeah.  Sure,” he forced a laugh and smile, awkward all of the sudden.  His last conversation hadn’t gone spectacularly, but Henry had been speaking with him so maybe things would be slightly different this time.

                With another glance at Kyuhyun, he finally turned to trudge towards the humans, feeling far too out of place.  He was briefly distracted upon noticing Sanghyuk and Luna squashing bits of cactus between two fairly large rocks which they pressed together.  The water inside dripped from the bottom to land in a plastic bag that was held open by Jongup who continued to smile the whole time.  Just off to the side, Taekwoon and Sulli were working as a team to gut the already smashed pieces.  Together, they ripped the section in two and then clawed the insides out with their good hand to pass them off to Jiyong who was collecting it all in another plastic bag so it could be distributed shortly.  Now that was teamwork in action.

                When they were through with the outer shell, they handed it off to the Hunters who worked to remove the spines, collecting them in a pile beside them.  Yongguk and Mir handled the prickly parts and then gave the cleaned shell to Minsoo who worked at peeling off the outermost layer so they could use the thin strips to braid into twine and place the hardy, meaty layer on a hot rock to cook over the fire so it would soften.

                Beyond them, Ryeowook could also see Jinki and Sungmin walking the perimeter, keeping an eye on the surrounding area.  Occasionally, they would signal Sanghyuk or Sunhwa who then ran off at their instruction and usually returned with a small mammal or rodent or something of that nature.  After a moment, Ryeowook had to shake himself and return his focus to his brother.  He knew he was just stalling for time but it was nerve-wracking trying to approach the younger male…

                His stalling was taken from him though when Henry noticed the vampire just standing there.  “Wookie,” he called, waving him over with a welcoming enough smile.

                Nerves coiled immediately in Ryeowook’s belly but he forced a smile in return and headed over to join the wolf-kin.  “Hey Henry,” he greeted, easing to his knees at the outer edge of their circle just off to the side of the rest of the humans.  “JR,” he added hopefully, glancing at his brother who was sitting between Ken and Baekho.  The younger male looked up and nodded at Ryeowook, his expression guarded.

                “Hey.  What about us?” Baekho teased as he reached across to nudge Ken.

                “Right,” the other possessed chirped with a pout.  “Are we not special too?”

                “Oh!  I didn’t mean that,” Ryeowook flailed, aghast at his lack of appropriate greeting, which faded with confusion when he noticed JR laughing at him softly.  “What?” he asked, mystified.

                “I swear,” JR started with a glance at the others nearby, who seemed equally confused by his response.  “Even as a vampire, you still can’t tell when someone’s teasing you,” he snorted, his tone a fine line between derision and actual amusement.

                Ryeowook gaped at him for a second, not sure if he should be offended, but then it passed and he laughed himself, relaxing considerably.  “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to figure that out,” he admitted with a genuine smile, though his right hand gripped his left wrist tightly, fearing the moment would be lost at any second.

                “And here I thought you were supposed to be all superior and stuff,” he added, his tone losing some of it’s playfulness as he intently regarded his brother, waiting for a response.

                The other three felt the tension between them and while it was obvious that Baekho and Ken in particular wanted to alleviate it, Ryeowook noticed Henry wave them off subtly before they could.  He wasn’t sure if he was grateful or not but he chewed his lip and shook his head in response to JR’s statement.  “That part of me hasn’t changed,” he explained, shrugging his open hands on either side of his shoulders.

                “But you have changed,” JR persisted with a statement that came off almost like a question.

                “Well, he’s a vampire now,” Henry stepped in at last, his tone light and informational.  “But that doesn’t mean he isn’t still Wookie,” he added with a reassuring smile towards the vampire in their midst.  Ryeowook’s heart clenched with emotion at the silent support and he wanted to cry for the sheer joy of knowing at least someone was on his side like that, but he simply smiled back at Henry and nodded towards his brother.

                “Hey.  I bet it’s not unlike when Hyukjae takes over with me,” Baekho motioned, looking around the circle.  When confused expressions turned his way, he rolled his eyes and explained, “You know.  I’m me until the spirit kicks in and then I’m still me but not.”

                “That was a weird way of explaining it,” Ken responded with a raised brow and a shake of his head.  “Especially because you’re not you when they take over,” he added, pointing his finger at Baekho.

                “Physically you are,” he retorted immediately, frowning with a laugh at being contradicted.

                JR leaned back to stare at the finger hovering in front of him before he looked to either male and then promptly placed his hands over both their mouths, snorting when they murmured some sort of muffled complaint.  “I know you’re still you, Wookie.  But you’re not gonna become an are you?” he asked with a significant glance at Kyuhyun, making no effort to hide his disdain.

                Ryeowook cringed at the bald and fairly insulting question but shook his head.  There was no point in arguing the matter and he wasn’t even going to try.  “Aside from the fact that I would probably be good at sports now, I don’t think much else has changed.  Oh.  But I could beat you at Trivial Pursuit finally,” he nodded matter of factly as he recalled Kangin’s penchant for memorizing the answers.

                “Cheater,” JR grumbled, though both he and Henry in particular were amused by the sports comment.  Ryeowook was notoriously bad at physical activity growing up and he had no qualms about admitting it.

                “Perfect memory?” he shrugged uncertainly with a nervous laugh.

                “Aish!  I wish I had that in school,” Ken frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.

                “Don’t we all?” Baekho chuckled as he rubbed the back of his blonde head.

                They all nodded in agreement and JR finally offered another comment as he tried desperately to play it cool.  “I’m still mad at you.”

                “I know,” Ryeowook nodded, mutely amused that he could see right through his brother.

                “Liar,” JR muttered back, though the hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

                “I suspected,” the vampire defended himself earnestly.  Even if he hadn’t been sure, he was happier with him being angry as opposed to afraid.  That was considerably more preferable.  Granted, he didn’t like either emotion being directed at him, but if he had to choose…

                “So… what happens with you now?” JR asked, uncertainty rife in his expression.

                The question was immediately more complicated than it first appeared and Ryeowook frowned in thought as he mulled it over in his head.  It wasn’t just a question of him as a vampire, but it also pertained to being JR’s brother.  He wanted things to be the way they were, without the confusion that had been upon him, and he’d wager his brother did too, but it wasn’t that simple.  He his lips and took a breath just to steady his nerves.  “However you look at it.  I am a vampire now.  And I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you beforehand.  I am,” he added in earnest, feeling the familiar sensation of guilt and worry clenching in his gut.

                “Jerk,” JR muttered flatly, evidencing he hadn’t forgiven him for it yet.

                “Sometimes,” Ryeowook nodded in miserable agreement.  “It’s… both better and worse than I thought it would be, to be honest,” he admitted hesitantly.  While the benefits to turning were fairly exceptional, the drawbacks could be absolutely detrimental.  Avoiding the sun was probably going to be the hardest part.  And the whole feeding thing…  Yeah.

                “Was it worth it?” JR surprised him by asking, his voice tense, just like his hands clasped in his lap before him.

                “I don’t know yet,” Ryeowook admitted easily, searching JR’s face for a sign of something.  “But, I’m still your brother,” he confirmed while his gaze dropped down to his hands.  “And if it helps me at all in keeping you safe, then it will be.”  Dark eyes rose to meet JR’s in the short distance between them as he tried to convey all the emotion he could in that brief statement.

                By the answering look in JR’s gaze, he thought he succeeded, but then they both heard Ken crying and all the attention shifted to him.  “I miss Chaerin,” he sniffed wetly while tears welled on his lashes, threatening to spill over at any moment.  Ryeowook flailed where he sat, inadvertently guilty of causing the upset without ever meaning to.

                “It’s alright, Ken,” Henry promised, slinging an arm over his shoulder as he pulled him close and rubbed his back.

                “I’m sure she’s fine,” JR promised while he rubbed the nearest arm brusquely.

                “Why can’t I be a brother like yours to her?” he sobbed dismally with snot starting to run down his nose.  Ineffectively, he wiped it away with the back of his hand only to have more show up in the next instant.  “I'm only a year younger!  But she’s always protecting me…”

                His cries progressed into all out bawling so Henry pulled him even closer to muffle the sound against his chest.  “Shh,” Henry soothed while he started rocking in place.  “It’s okay, Ken,” he promised, waving at Ryeowook with an embarrassed smile.

                A glance around the encampment showed they were briefly the center of attention and Ryeowook was relatively grateful when Kyuhyun caught his eye and beckoned him over.  “Sorry,” he whispered apologetically while he stood up.  Ryeowook made sure to catch his brother’s eye, nodding once, before he headed off again, definitely feeling conflicted about the whole situation.

                “Well that turned out different than what I expected,” Kyuhyun commented as he drew near.

                “You were listening?” Ryeowook blinked in irritated surprise.

                “Vampires and wolves have really good hearing,” Kyuhyun exhaled with a finger pointing towards his ear as he made no effort to deny it.

                “Ayah…” he groaned in response, shoulders slumping at the entire camp pretty much knowing what was going on between him and his brother.

                “Come on.  You need to learn about being a Cho,” Kyuhyun explained while he gripped Ryeowook’s wrist once more and pulled him to the outskirts of the perimeter.

                Seated directly in front of each other with their legs crossed and knees practically touching, Kyuhyun coached Ryeowook through the early stages of understanding his new abilities.  Perfect recollection had a trick to it that wasn’t entirely unlike what he’d first envisioned, only it happened in layers; sequentially as it were.  Everything was accessible but to get to it, one had to go through every memory or series of memories before it, which was why it was particularly taxing when tapping old information or particularly complex pieces.

                “Once you get the trick of accessing information, you can then learn to streamline your approach and basically create a pipeline in your head,” Kyuhyun explained as he tapped on his skull.  “The other problem with accessing information is that it utilizes energy and activates a greater number of synapses in the brain so you have to regulate the amount that you try to engage or you could potentially overreach yourself.”

                “Like what happened to you when you turned me?” Ryeowook asked as he winced and cradled his head in one hand.  He hadn’t done much at all and already he had a substantial headache paired with an irritating sensation of buzzing in his ears.

                Kyuhyun grimaced but nodded.  “Same difference.  Different circumstances.”

                “Kyu,” Ryeowook murmured while he frowned in concentration, trying to ignore the ache as he struggled to pull his thoughts together enough for the question he wanted to ask.  When the other vampire nodded at him, he his lips and went on, “In the cave.  You were hacking at the time.”  Kyuhyun mutely agreed and blinked at Ryeowook in a silent prompt to continue.  “Well.  That’s a recent skill.  I think.”  Computers hadn’t been around all that long…  “So why did you have a hard time settling your memories if you only had to access recent information?”

                Immediately, he could tell it was a question that didn’t particularly make Kyuhyun happy, since the vampire frowned and took a slow breath.  “You’re not wrong,” he murmured flatly, expression tense.  “Unfortunately, no matter how focused you are, there is the possibility of thoughts intruding even when you’re thinking about something else.”

                A peculiar flutter appeared in Ryeowook’s stomach and he sat up straighter, the headache briefly forgotten as he tried to follow the possibility.  “So… you were thinking about…”

                “You?” Kyuhyun interrupted before he could finish.  At Ryeowook’s hesitant nod, Kyuhyun glanced down and added, “The problem with having so many memories is that a lot of them link together with familiar subjects.  Even after your immediate task is done, this takes a while to settle,” he explained, tapping his head as he looked back up at Ryeowook.  “In extreme cases…” he started to speak, falling silent after a moment as if he was having a hard time finishing.

                “You can get lost in the memories can’t you?” Ryeowook prompted for him, remembering the way Kangin had explained how the Chos didn’t live as long as the others.

                “It’s… possible.  Yes,” Kyuhyun admitted very slowly as he maintained eye contact.  Uncertainty flickered across his features, making him appear briefly vulnerable and Ryeowook was struck with the urge to reach across the distance and comfort him.  But Kyuhyun spoke before he could.  “Just as much as you make it hard to focus sometimes, you also-” he stopped abruptly and regained a measure of his poise, pulling that damnable mask back in place again.

                “I what?” Ryeowook asked, maddeningly curious about what he kept himself from saying.

                “You have a lot to learn,” he stated simply, attempting to divert the conversation.

                “Kyu,” Ryeowook muttered flatly, irritated by the shift.

                “Just like accessing your memories, generating additional electricity is a similar-”

                “You make it really hard to like you, you know that?” he spat with a frown, glaring at the vampire over crossed arms.

                “-practice,” he ended quietly, his face softening just a touch in the moonlight.  Shaggy brown hair framed his face as he regarded Ryeowook for a long moment, his expression guarded for all that there were numerous emotions swirling in his eyes.

                When he didn’t say anything and Ryeowook started to get uncomfortable with his scrutiny, he murmured, “What?”

                “Nothing,” Kyuhyun was quick to respond, giving himself a shake as he focused on the moment again.  Ryeowook wanted to pull his hair out in frustration.  “Come on,” he urged, grabbing Ryeowook’s hand as he clasped their palms together.

                “Eh?!” Ryeowook gasped, feeling a flush stain his cheeks embarrassingly.

                “If you learn nothing else right now, I need to make sure you can generate a charge and match mine.  My strength isn’t what it needs to be yet to provide a consistent cure if necessary,” he explained, back to being the professional instructor once more.

                “But I don’t-”

                “Like I said.  It’s similar to when you access memories, but you focus on the now,” Kyuhyun explained, pressing his free hand to his head so that Ryeowook would mirror him.  “Slowly at first,” he warned, calling electric sparks to dance over his person in a gentle sort of buzz.

                Huffing under his breath, Ryeowook concentrated on the feeling through Kyuhyun’s hand and then turned his focus inward as he tried to emulate it.  The buzzing sound in his head increased, which was a good sign, but then it didn’t level out and his vision suddenly went black.

                “Wookie,” an even but slightly concerned voice murmured nearby as something patted his cheek.  “Come on, Wookie,” the speaker went on, jostling him this time.

                “Ow…” he groaned, prying open one aching eye to blink at Kyuhyun leaning over him.

                “There you are,” Kyuhyun smiled softly, tracing his fingertips over Ryeowook’s forehead.

                “What happened?” Ryeowook questioned, reluctant to move just yet.

                “What always happens the first time,” Kyuhyun chuckled as he gingerly helped Ryeowook sit up while his world spun for a moment, making him lean against the elder vampire for support.  “Too much activation here,” he tapped Ryeowook’s head with his finger, “without dispersion throughout,” he pointed towards the rest of his body, “typically results in a blackout.”

                “Oh…” Ryeowook mumbled against Kyuhyun’s chest.  It was ridiculously comfortable where he was and he dearly didn’t want to move yet.

                “It’ll probably happen again next time too,” Kyuhyun warned gently as he rubbed Ryeowook’s arm comfortingly, apparently enjoying bracing him against his body as well.

                “Goodie,” he sighed in irritation.  “Do I have to try again now?” Ryeowook asked, still wincing from the pained wakeup.

                “No.  You can rest for a bit.  But you will need to try again soon,” Kyuhyun explained, shifting his position so that they could both rest more comfortably as he sat with his legs on either side of Ryeowook’s body.

                “It’s going to be a long night, isn’t it?” he sighed dejectedly, already frowning.

                “Ne,” Kyuhyun nodded, tightening his arms just a bit more.

                “Great.  I can’t wait,” Ryeowook snorted once, taking a small breath as he tried to get himself ready for the next round.

(a/n: I honestly don't intend for these to go on like they do sometimes, but there's a lot of info to cover.  And a lot of people to continually incorporate in the story as best as possible.  >.>  lol  We'll get back to Changmin before too long and you will have noticed mention of a Kiseop (U-Kiss fyi).  Presumably, he'll also come into play shortly.

While I did hit a stumbling block in the middle, I apparently made up for it anyway...  lol  Also, things aren't completely patched between Ryeowook and JR but they have made progress.  I keep messing with Ken, I know, and I'm sorry (not sorry  :/  haha).  Cacti are edible as well, some of them anyway, and Daesung went to help them locate some of the safe ones (you'll remember that Donghae is a healer of sorts and more familiar with flora in general - old spirit, young body).  Additionally, they do have a ton of water in them for the most part.

We've also got a little bit of insight with a Cho's powers.  I'm trying to explain it in such a way that mostly makes sense.  haha  If I'm not, feel free to let me know and I'll try harder.  ;)  But I also managed to sneak a little bit of a KyoWook moment in there too.  Woot!

I will admit I was a bit surprised that no one really had any particular wants/requests as per the last a/n but no worries.  The story will continue regardless and I'm just grateful for your continued support.  I've got plans for the next update already and we should see a spot of combat or two coming up before long.  ;)  I do rather enjoy combat scenes myself.  hehe

Anyway, thank you for reading and please look forward to the next update!)