Chanyeol had immediately clambered down the tree, JinJu hot on his heels and muttering harsh curses under her breath. Why, why this morning? All she wanted was a squirrel. That was all. But no, Baekhyun had to appear. She bit her lip, looking worriedly at the sun hanging high in the sky- she and Chanyeol only had around thirty minutes to get back, and that was if they were lucky.

She jumped from the tree, worn leather shoes hitting the forest floor with a dull thud. Straightening out, a scowl graced her features to see Chanyeol approaching a pure white leopard- but she couldn't help but be impressed that this Baekhyun had managed to slay a snow leopard. Not that she'd ever admit it.

"Baek! What... Why are you here?" The joy in Chanyeol's voice was practically tangible, and it filled JinJu with an unexplainable rage. Eyes narrowed, she watched on as Baekhyun shifted; form stretching and contorting and blurring, all in a matter of seconds, to reveal a man.

Beakhyun was nothing that JinJu imagined him to be. He was shorter than Chanyeol, undoubtedly so- but was still taller than JinJu- and had glossy, loosely cropped hair almost exactly the shade of black ink. His build was leaner than Chanyeol's too, and he didn't look all too strong; but even in the way he stood, he was stealthy and graceful, enough to make JinJu envious. She'd be lying if she said he was unattractive, with pale, smooth skin and small yet beautifully shaped eyes- his mouth was small and pink, and the quirk at the corner oozed likeableness.

"Chan." Arm outstretched, he clapped Chanyeol affectionately on the back, smiling happily. "I thought I'd come see you again... You know, before I'm shipped off. My sister was getting on my nerves- couldn't stay in the house much longer anyway." Chanyeol nodded understandingly, and JinJu felt a flare of jealousy at their friendship. So now Chanyeol 'understands' the family, eh?

"I was just hunting- sorry, I can't stay long, JinJu's gotta get to school in like half an hour, so..." Chanyeol shrugged apologetically, as if to say 'what can you do?' and JinJu glared poisonously at his back.

"JinJu?" JinJu didn't like Baekhyun's tone; too excited for the tone of a person talking about her. "As in the Geum JinJu? She's right here?" Chanyeol nodded, and Baekhyun's smile widened. He then set his gaze in her, and she resisted the urge to growl as he strode over, hand outstretched. Chanyeol followed with a mildly worried expression on his face. "Hi! Byun Baekhyun, it's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot abut you from Chan." He came to a halt in front of her, proffering his hand for a handshake.

JinJu looked at his (annoyingly pretty) hand for a few moments, before grudgingly taking it in her own. "Geum JinJu." she stated bluntly, mouth not straightening out of the stormy scowl; she shook his hand robotically, before dropping her arm to her side.

Chanyeol frowned. "Don't mind her. She just doesn't like Skinwalkers. It's nothing against you personally, just a hostile little vendetta against the world."

At this, Baekhyun laughed. "Not a problem. Actually, I don't blame her. We're a fastidious bunch, and the world is pretty y too." He sent JinJu a smile, a genuine smile, and winked. "I won't take it personally, Doll." JinJu honestly didn't know whether to hit him or blush- because goddamn was he smooth. Somehow she managed to quell both urges, maintaining her poker face as she stared silently at Baekhyun.

Chanyeol broke the silence, striking up some inane chat with Baekhyun about one thing or another- JinJu tuned out, as something more important had caught her eye. Behind the pair of boys, some ten metres away, was a deer. A deer. Enough meat to feed her family for days.

Slowly, very slowly, JinJu drew a pouch out of her shoulder bag. The contents fell out with a soft clink; JinJu soon held a whip in either hand, the spotless, deadly steel glinting in the daylight. By this point, both Baekhyun and Chanyeol were shooting her strange looks- but she couldn't care less. "Skinwalker," she said quietly to Baekhyun, "Don't be too quick- but that's not one of your friends, is it?"

Baekhyun turned to look in the direction she nodded in, shaking his head no once he saw the animal. JinJu smiled somewhat evilly. "Perfect."

It all happened in a flash. One moment the deer was grazing at a patch of grass beside a tree; the next JinJu had jumped forward, flicking her wrist and elongating the whip to curl around the animal's torso. It let out a strangled noise as it fell to the ground, legs jerking in every direction in a panic, and JinJu ran to its side, unsheathing her dagger as she went.

"Sorry, little deer," she murmured as she knelt beside the creature, before sliding the blade just underneath its ribcage, piercing its heart. The deer shuddered once, blood gushing from its mouth; then it went limp, head falling to the ground with a decisive thump. JinJu pulled her knife out, grimacing at the blood before wiping the blade on the grass beside her. "Gross."

A low whistle sounded from behind her. Turning around, she saw Baekhyun walking forward with an impressed look on his face. JinJu relished in that, but noted enviously the litheness of his stride. "Good thing it's not a Shifter," he remarked offhandedly, "You would've been in a tiny spot of trouble with the crown."

At this JinJu laughed. "I bet I wou