The Bead Bracelet

Lucifer's Butterfly

Unlike with the other demons, she found him before he went to her. Taemin was a panther but paused when she entered the garden. The big cat pushed its head against the boy's hand once before gliding away. Sensing her entrance, Taemin froze up like a deer in headlights but forced his muscles to relax although his heart wouldn't. Although SHINee have been schooling the girl recently, Taemin had never been alone with her.

She stopped a little ways away and sat on a rock. Luna circled around her before settling between the two. "Hey," her quiet voice greeted him shortly.

"Hi," he responded just as simply. After a long pause he continued, "...So, I hear you talked to the others. How was that?"

She shrugged noncommittally.

"So I guess it's my turn then?" Taemin shifted into a more comfortable position. Luna flicked her tail at his nervousness. The demon glared lightly at the wolf. "Shut up Luna," he mumbled.

The girl examined the exchage without comprehension. "So can you speak with all animals?"

He was relieved at her invitation to a conversation. "Most of them."

"Hmm....," she made a sound in response. "So...you obviously are faster and stronger than normal people. And you understand animals. What else makes you different?"

"From humans? A lot." He listed characteristics in a calm voice, not wanting to sound prideful. "My nails are harder than normal people's and they can come to a point if I want them too. I see really well in the dark. My sense of smell and hearing are heightened. I have pretty good balance and flexibility. Oh. And my canines are a little sharper than a human's. But there's a concealment charm on them so that they appear normal."

"So that's how you bit me so easily."

He looked bashful. "I'm sorry noona...."

The girl stared hard at him and then changed the subject. "Can you control all animals?"

"Not at all." He was inwardly offended. "Animals choose to follow me. I don't control them."

"So if you meet a dog on the street or a hawk in the woods, you can't tell it what to do?" She found it hard to believe. She remembered the murder of crows that came out of nowhere to attack the humans at the campsite.

"A dog on the street would probably follow me. They can sense that I'm stronger and smarter than them. Essentially an alpha. Most animals I meet will obey me just because they feel the aura of dominance that I emmit. A few, need a little convincing." He remembered when he obtained his companion panther that would not be tamed for a good month. "And then there are those I raise from youth that just grow up as my companions." Almost as if he had read her mind but probably only coincidentally, he continued with the mention of crows. "There are lower level animal demons out there that I have contracts, treaties, or are just friends with too. Those animal demons basically look like your normal wild animal just a bit bigger and can control those of their species. So if I ask a favor from one of those demons, they have a whole pack or flock help me out. Like the crows." He knew he risked bringing back bad memories but he wasn't going to sugarcoat his story when she wanted to learn everything.

"Is your whole family like you?" The other demons she had spoken to earlier described members of their families with related but slightly different abilities.

"More or less yeah. We all have the same basic abilities. Just some of us prefer certain animals. My mother loves birds. Her hair is even colorful like one. My cousin only likes big cats. My grandmother likes marine mammals and can hold her breath for a long time underwater, and my great grandmother raised only marine invertebrates. I like a variety. Most of my companions are carnivores though."

"I noticed." She recalled his many play fights with beasts with sharp teeth. "So what made you move to the big city of Seoul if you belong in the woods?"

"Hmm...it looked fun." was his simple answer.

"And join SM?"

"I liked to dance."

It was really that simple with him. "Animals are not so complicated. If we're curious, we go investigate. If we want to play, we play. If we want to eat, we eat. If we want to be noticed, we act flashily. If we want to be hidden, you won't find us. SM training and SHINee activities is all a very big game that is sometimes tiring, but good fun overall. Minus the the majority of annoying fangirls, the occasional paparazzi, and the sometimes hard to please producers, I actually really like this job. Keeps me from getting bored."

Luna yawned. and Taemin fiddled with his jewelry durng the short moment of silence.

"You always wear that bracelet," she nodded towards his wrist. "Why?" Many of his fans knew that he never held a stage without the brown rosary. Most admired the small show of religious devotion, but now she was curious because he surely was not religious.

Taemin the polished beads of the bracelet.

"They say on my profile that I'm Catholic. But it makes no sense for a demon to be a Catholic." Luna flattened her ears as the young male pat her head.

"Is it part of your ruse then?" she asked.

"Hm...I guess in part." It was times like these when he sat calmly and had a look of contemplation on that he looked mature.

"I guess I'm going to tell Noona a story." The wolf rested its large head on its paws and adopted drowsy eyes and the boy-demon it. "It actually involves little Luna here too."

"When she was a pup, she wandered off without any of us knowing. She was gone for a long time. Too long. Luna's mother finally asked me for help and I went out looking for her."

"How old was she?" inquired the girl.

"I think old enough to leave the den and eat solid meat but lacking hunting practice. She couldn't even catch a fat, old rabbit if she tried at that point." The wolf snorted and flattened its ears at the insult. "I tracked her down and found her nibbling on a human male that literally just died. Luna was thin and desperate. If the guy hadn't died already, the vultures were surely going to wait for Luna to drop dead."

The young human woman made a face at the thought of the beautiful wolf eating human carrion. Luna turned sheepish at the human's reaction.

"He was actually a priest from what I could tell. Must have wandered too far away his camp and gotten lost since I found nobody else around. Had a sprained ankle, if I remember correctly," Taemin recalled.

"So he starved to death then?" She felt a little nauseous.

"No. Allergic reaction to a wasp sting. But he did look kinda thin, so he probably would have died anyway. What's interesting is that Luna here, told me that the human priest didn't look scared of her as he approached death's door. Luna was whimpering in the bushes as this man fell against the trunk of a tree. He knew he was going to die when he saw this pup shivering pathetically in the shadows. He apparently willingly offered himself to the circle of life for Luna's survival. And then I came in on this scene of Luna eating this human who had this calm smile on his face."

She listened intently to the story and found it hard to believe.

"Weird right? So I actually wear that priest's rosary as thanks for saving Luna. Even if I was just minutes away from saving her myself."

Her eyes were wide as the story sank in. "But you didn't pick up the religion did you?"

"I wear it out of respect for his actions. I might disrespect humans in general and think them beneath me, but I can respect good actions towards me and my animals. Took me a couple decades, but I understand now that respect can be earned. Even for humans." Taemin finished.

Luna stood up and shook out her fur. She stretched and then strayed a little away from the pair to sniff around the garden.

Taemin looked the girl in the eyes. "Can I earn your respect though, Noona?"

She pondered the question. "I think I can respect you as Lee Taemin the human." She glanced downwards and pulled a the weeds. "I'm glad you respect some humans, but I don't know if I can respect Taemin the demon." Taemin held his breath when she looked up at him again. "And I don't think respect is the thing you're looking for from me."

Only the chirping of birds could be heard for a few moments. "You're right, Noona. I am looking for more. But no matter what, I hope we'll come to respect each other. The fact that we're talking civilly to each other right now means you respect me a little right?"

She examined his face for a moment before looking at the clear blue sky through the glass ceiling. "Hm..."

________________

Thea's Corner<3

So...I thought I knew what I wanted to write for the chapter. Then I started to write the chapter. Then I realized I didn't like the direction I was going. Then I just stopped writing for months >.< Sorry. For some reason, I really wanted to work Taemin's rosary bead bracelet into this. I don't know why. I read somewhere that he always wears it, and you can see it sometimes in videos. Finally just went 'the hell with it' and continued writing and I finished the chapter and I still have no idea what direction I went with this. But anyway, hopefully next chapter won't take me months to write. I have an idea of what I want to write for Onew. Pray that I don't hit a wall again.

 

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Posted: 16 June 2013

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ebonyexalted #1
Chapter 68: idk if you’ll ever come back to this but i for the life of me hope you’ll finish it. you’re sooo close and such a talented writer like you and this story deserve closure. ik it’s been over 10 years but quality never dies. i came back after all this time and can’t believe there was never a final resolution!!
jonginybear #2
Chapter 1: this is sooooo good!!
Yeoliipopp
#3
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Yeoliipopp
#4
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Yeoliipopp
#5
!!!!
Yeoliipopp
#6
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Yeoliipopp
#7
I want to complete it
Yeoliipopp
#8
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Yeoliipopp
#9
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Yeoliipopp
#10
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