In a relative daze, Ryeowook remained on the couch long after the vampires had stopped talking.  Kyuhyun was still beside him, one hand wrapped possessively around his arm, but he did nothing to dislodge it.  He wasn’t even sure when Himchan had slipped around to his other side and grabbed his hand in a supporting manner, but he was grateful just then.  It was a lot to take in…

                “Do you see why being a human is a liability at this point?” Kyuhyun murmured into Ryeowook’s ear, making the smaller male flinch as he leaned away and into Himchan.

                “It can’t be true,” Ryeowook whispered, staring at the vampire with uncertain eyes.  There was no way that a large portion of the assassinations covered in the news were accomplished by vampires and werewolves.  It just couldn’t be possible…

                “It is,” Kangin nodded once, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the other male try and come to grips with everything.  “Most of them are the Songs or those bloodthirsty,” he snorted at the word in obvious ironic amusement, “Chois and Jungs.”

                “And things are only going to get worse, Wookie,” Kyuhyun explained with a shrug, grimacing slightly at Kangin.  “There are more of us all over the world than you even begin to understand.  Make no mistake.  When the fighting begins in earnest, we will be the victors in that war,” he promised darkly, no trace of doubt in his tone.

                N stood up and gestured with his hands in a nervous manner.  “Now Kyu.  We don’t know that,” he warned, stepping away a hair when Kyuhyun glared at him.  “We have limitations we can’t exactly get around and you know only two of the packs are going to be in on this for sure.  Moon’s Light, Kyu.  The Kims and the Hans are just as likely to be against us as are the humans,” he grumbled with a shake of his head.

                “Even if they’re not with us, their concern will be with protecting the humans,” Kangin shrugged as he leaned forward.  “But the Parks and the Lees could be convinced in our favor.  You can bet I’d want those towering beasties on our side,” he commented in all seriousness, leaving Ryeowook baffled again.

                He’d only ever seen the giant wolf form, which couldn’t be what Kangin was talking about, and the werewolves in their human form.  That couldn’t be right either, but he had no time to ask before the conversation moved on without him.

                “What about the puppets?” N asked curiously, tapping his bottom lip in thought as he stepped around Kangin’s thoughts to the other vampire’s irritation.

                Kyuhyun waved his hand dismissively and snorted, “Inconsequential.  They’re too few in number to be counted for anything useful,” he explained, leaving Ryeowook so very confused once more.  He didn’t know anybody that could be considered as such and certainly couldn’t understand why they were being mentioned at all.  They didn’t sound very helpful in any event…

                Himchan noticed the look and leaned in to offer a brief explanation.  “The puppets are only a handful of people who are possessed by angry gypsy spirits,” he nodded, wiggling his fingers in a manner that was supposed to indicate magic.  Presumably.  “Ow!” he yelped, shying away from the hand that had just smacked him.

                “Quiet,” Kyuhyun pointed sternly, his hand hanging in front of Ryeowook.

                “That’s rude,” Ryeowook mumbled, pushing the hand down with an annoyed look at the vampire as he sided with Himchan, feeling slightly more loyalty towards someone that was at least partially like him as opposed to the stupid vampire that kept trying to tell him what to do.  He had to stifle a satisfied smile when Kyuhyun actually looked surprised at his comment and he could have swore Kangin was trying not to chuckle.

                “You’ll have to forgive Kyuhyunnie.  He tends to forget his manners,” N winked in a cheeky manner, utterly unrepentant, though he kept his distance.

                “You shut up,” Kyuhyun muttered, glaring daggers at the standing vampire.

                “And if I don’t?” N shot back, taking another step back though his grin never wavered.  When Kyuhyun’s expression remained nigh on murderous, N simply laughed again and added, “I’ll just fly out of reach you know.”

                “Not if I catch you first,” Kyuhyun mumbled, snorting at the other vampire.

                “When was the last time you caught me?” N retorted with his arms crossed over his chest in amusement, letting his gaze slide over to Kangin who was thoroughly enjoying the verbal sparring.  He paused to blow a kiss to Himchan which might have also been to Ryeowook, to the latter’s confusion, though when he felt Kyuhyun stiffen again, he understood it was meant to be a partial taunt.

                Vampires were strange creatures.  That was all there was to it.  And he was stuck right in the middle of them.  “Are they always like this?” he leaned over to whisper at Himchan, eyeing Kyuhyun in irritation.

                “Fine.  I’ll just burn your room down,” Kyuhyun shot back with a flip of his hand.

                “You’ll burn the rest of the house down too,” N responded in a sing-song tone.

                Himchan nodded and patted Ryeowook on the back.  “Usually.  At least they’re not actually chasing each other around this time.”

                “Yes, but I have a haven,” the seated vampire smirked with a glance at Kangin that drifted back towards the carport where their vehicle was parked.

                “So do I,” N shrugged innocently, his eyes drifting towards the back of the house where presumably there was some sort of safe house or room.

                Ryeowook groaned and slapped his palm over his face, sighing heavily.  “I didn’t sign up for this,” he grumbled, homesick, overwhelmed, and flat out irritated with the vampire beside him.

                “Neither did I… oh wait a minute,” Himchan started to say before he caught himself.  “I guess I did,” he snorted, waving his hand to catch N’s attention.

                Kyuhyun’s hand shot out to grasp Himchan’s wrist as he glared at the half-turned icily.  “What?”

                “Kyu,” Kangin warned in a soft tone with a shake of his head as he nodded towards N whose face had lost all traces of mirth.  Muttering under his breath, Kyuhyun shoved Himchan’s hand away and leaned back into the couch with his arms crossed over his chest, expression dour.  Immediately, N calmed down but the joking air was lost.

                “Here.  Why don’t I take Ryeowook out for a walk around the town?” Himchan suggested, grabbing the other male under the elbow as he gave a gentle tug.  Kyuhyun sat upright at the comment and partially bared his fangs at Himchan, making the half-turned freeze.

                In the blink of an eye, Ryeowook noticed a blur of something out of his peripheral vision and then he heard a smack followed by Kyuhyun yelping in pain.  “Yah!”

                “Stop threatening what is mine!” N hissed as he pointed a finger in Kyuhyun’s irritated but guilty face.  His gaze flickered to Kangin when the other vampire snorted but his ire remained fixated on the other male directly in front of him.

                It took Ryeowook a second to realize the black things mantling behind N were wings and his eyes widened perceptibly.  “Wow…” he breathed, shifting closer to Himchan who took that moment to stand up, dragging Ryeowook with him.

                “Go ahead Himchannie,” N nodded as his wings relaxed and drooped behind his back, evidencing a shift in his anger.  When Kyuhyun sat back up again, the standing vampire pointed his clawed finger in his face once more and shook his head.  “The sun’s almost up and Himchan will take care of him.  You know this,” he hissed angrily, jaw firmed.

                With a heavy sigh, Kangin got up and shoved N to the side in a practiced gesture before he reached down to retrieve his friend.  “Come on, Kyu.  We’ve got work downstairs anyway.  N’s always breaking he doesn’t know how to use,” he teased, smirking at the shorter vampire as Kyuhyun got to his feet reluctantly.

                “That’s not fair, Kangin!” N retorted, demeanor shifting back to what Ryeowook was more used to seeing.  He wasn’t sure how he felt about an angry N…

                Kyuhyun yanked himself away from Kangin and seemed about to approach Himchan before he caught himself at a cough from N and zeroed in on Ryeowook instead.  “Trust no one.  And remember what I told you about the hunters,” he warned with one long finger almost touching the shorter male’s nose.

                “God you’re so melodramatic,” Himchan huffed, pulling Ryeowook away with a determined yank.  “I bet you haven’t even let him see the sun since you grabbed him,” he added over his shoulder with a disappointed frown.

                “Yah!” Kyuhyun flailed as Kangin took hold of him again and hauled him after N as they departed further into the house.

                Confounded, Ryeowook just followed along and blinked in dazed wonder as he stood on the front porch of the house without being under the watchful eye of the vampires for the first time in days.  It was strangely liberating and… peaceful.  As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, which didn’t seem that full of shadows after all, he felt a smile pulling at his mouth when he noticed the first rays of dawn trying to peek over the horizon.

                “It’s the one thing I think I’ll miss the most,” Himchan sighed quietly, slinging an arm around Ryeowook’s shoulders as he held him close.

                Breathlessly, Ryeowook could only nod in agreement as he saw the sun rise over the edge of the earth and grace him with her warmth, the sight making his eyes sting.  Four days now.  Four days since he’d seen the honest light of the sun and not just the paltry glow from under the edge of the door.  “It’s beautiful,” he whispered, leaning into Himchan, grateful for the company and the chance to see such a thing at least once more.

                “Come on.  Let’s drive around for a bit and I’ll see if there isn’t something else I can help explain that your damn vampire has declined to tell you,” he winked with a mischievous smirk.

                “What was that about?” Ryeowook asked as he pointed back towards the front of the house, brow furrowed in confusion as he watched Himchan open the other side of the garage where a considerably more normal four door Hyundai was sitting, silver paint job giving it a dark grey color in the shade.

                Himchan hissed quietly through his teeth and gestured for Ryeowook to get in before he answered.  When the car purred to life, he tapped his hands on the steering wheel and looked over at his passenger.  “Vampires have a very… eh… strict sense of what is theirs,” he explained, wrinkling his nose in the process.

                “But I’m not his,” Ryeowook muttered, pouting at the statement.

                “Whether you think so or not doesn’t matter,” Himchan shrugged, easing them onto the road quietly.  “Kyuhyun thinks you are and that’s all that makes the difference.”

                “So,” Ryeowook huffed, turning to stare out the window with a sad look in his eyes.  The sun was almost too bright but it was gorgeous.  He really had missed its warmth.

                Himchan took a breath and hummed quietly.  “The quickest way to start a fight between vampires is to mess with those they’ve turned or claimed.  They just get really touchy about us halfways,” he shrugged with a snort, shaking his head in the process.

                “Why?” he asked, slouching further in the seat as he just rode along, wishing he had his phone.  “Never mind,” he interrupted before Himchan could answer, glancing at the other male with a hopeful expression.  “I don’t suppose I’d be able to make a call would I?”

                “Sorry, Wookie.  No can do,” Himchan shrugged, clearly at a loss.  “Even N and Hyosung wouldn’t be able to save me from Kyuhyun if I did that,” he explained, his mouth twisted to the side in a wry manner.  “Kangin would probably help him too…”

                “What’s the big deal?!” Ryeowook yelled, flailing in his seat as he was suddenly overwhelmed by the restrictions placed upon him and the situation he’d seemingly arbitrarily been into.  Himchan gave him a pitiable look which was almost worse than any explanation really.  “It’s not like anyone would believe me if I told them about what was going on anyway,” he closed his eyes and fought back the sob that threatened.

                “You’d be surprised,” his driver commented seriously.  “They’re not half as hidden as they wish they were and Kyu was right you know.  War is coming.  It’s just a matter of time,” Himchan admitted as he bit his lip with a furrowed brow.

                “That doesn’t even make sense though,” Ryeowook groaned, rubbing his face with both hands roughly.

                “Depends on who you ask,” Himchan admitted, easing them into the heart of town.  “Oh look!  That’s where I work,” he grinned, pointing out one of two major hospitals in the area.  Ryeowook followed his direction but didn’t comment, shuddering at the building.  He hated hospitals.  They were places of illness and death, never mind they were supposed to save people.

                Chaffing his arms against the unbidden chill, Ryeowook pursed his lips and tried again.  “What was Kangin talking about with the werewolves?  They didn’t look that bad to me,” he added, thinking back to Ravi and Micky.  They were large for wolves, yes, but they hadn’t looked particularly vicious all things considered.  And Luna certainly hadn’t, the little squirt that had apparently turned into a short young woman as well…

                “You haven’t seen one fully transform yet?” Himchan asked in awe, mouth hanging slightly open in obvious amazement.  At Ryeowook’s shake of his head, he gasped, “Damn!  No wonder you have no idea.  If you think vampires are nasty pieces of work, they’ve got nothing on werewolves except speed.  And flight if you’re a Cha,” he added, almost as an afterthought.

                “Really?” Ryeowook murmured, blinking in confusion.  How bad could they be?  “If I had to guess, I’d say you thought werewolves were better.”

                Himchan just laughed at his response.  “I won’t lie that they’re awesome, but boy are you in for a surprise.  If there was a choice in the matter, I think I’d be a werewolf but you’re either born one or you’re not.  You can’t be turned,” he frowned.  “So a vampire’s the next best thing!” he grinned, reaching out to slap Ryeowook on the arm.  “Just don’t tell Hyosung I said that,” he whispered, looking around in nervous fear automatically.

                “Sure,” he responded, leaning against the door with his hands pulled up against his chest.

                “Relax.  I don’t bite,” Himchan chuckled, giving his passenger a playful leer as he spoke.  “Unless you want me to.”

                “Ack!  No!” Ryeowook responded immediately, pressing himself further against the door.  “Why are all vampires so creepy?” he whined, his expression pitiful.

                “I’m not one yet, thank you very much,” Himchan grumbled, annoyed by the reminder.

                He couldn’t help it.  They really hadn’t given him much reason to believe anything else yet.  The Parks had been incredibly guarded when he’d been with them but that could also be because they were trying to hide what they were.  Kyuhyun, and his ilk for that matter, seemed to revel in showing themselves off to those who were inculcated to their circles…  It was irritating.  Quite frankly, he’d heard enough about vampires lately and wanted to get a little more clarification on werewolves.  Henry had lived with them for the past two years after all.  Maybe that was why he’d been so distant and odd during the time he’d spent with him.

                “So…  What can you tell me about the werewolves now that the vampires aren’t around?” Ryeowook murmured as he his lips, leaning over hesitantly to hear better.

                “Oh, now you’re curious,” Himchan commented, looking him up and down.

                “Well.  My best friend is a kin… folk?” he offered by way of explanation.  It was what had gotten him into this mess in the first place and since Kyuhyun wasn’t up for giving answers, he was more than happy to go through someone else if need be.

                “Ah!  I see now,” Himchan giggled, bouncing in his seat.  “No wonder you’re so… pissed off,” he winked, tilting his head to the side in amusement.

                Ryeowook declined to comment.  It wasn’t like werewolves and vampires were supposed to be real after all.

                Himchan didn’t seem to take offense by his silence though and simply cleared his throat as if he was going to go into considerably greater detail.  Ryeowook wasn’t exactly wrong…

                By the time his driver was finally finished with telling as much as he knew on the surface about werewolves, Ryeowook didn’t really know what to believe.  Like vampires, the media portrayed them in a rather skewed light if Himchan was to be believed.  As Kyuhyun had said, there were only six primary clans, though he himself didn’t know why.  The same could be said of the vampires and the possessed as well.  Not to mention the Hunters.  He knew they existed but he couldn’t give origin stories for any of them.  Those secrets were closely guarded and clutched tight by the Chos, if not other memory keepers of the races.

                That did nothing to negate the fact that everything Ryeowook thought he knew about Henry had been… tainted.  At least in recent years.  If Himchan was to be believed, and at present he had no reason to doubt the other half-turned human, there was so much more to them than met the eye.  They could transform at will, though it was a slow and painful process.  They were all abnormally strong in any form and in the combat transformation, they were truly terrifying.  Silver did hurt them more than regular weapons and fire did almost as much damage.  Like vampires, they weren’t truly on the side of humans and the closest approximation Himchan could give was the situation that he’d seen in X-Men with the mutants versus the humans.

                “So the Kims and the…”

                “Hans,” Himchan added when Ryeowook failed to find the right name.

                “Ne.  They’re on the X-Men side?” he asked for clarification.

                “More or less,” Himchan shrugged with a nod.  “They think the humans and the supernatural creatures can coexist if we can all just find some sort of common ground in the middle.  It’s a lot nicer on paper than it is in reality,” he sighed with a shake of his head.  “There are exceptions and as I said, the Chois and the Jungs are flat out against any such union.”

                “So where do the Parks and the Lees fit then?” Ryeowook asked again, brow furrowed.  He wouldn’t care as much except Henry was a cousin to the Parks and the last time he was aware, they were pretty close.  That would put him in close proximity to whatever they were getting involved in which made him worry.  Despite the crap that had gone down to get him stuck here, he still felt Henry was his best friend.  Kyuhyun and his vampire wish be damned…

                Himchan grimaced and scratched the back of his head as they sat at the stoplight waiting for it to turn green so they could go in the midst of traffic again.  “They’re a bit harder to nail down.  I gotta admire them for being able to walk the line like they do.”  He chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully as he tried to find a better way to explain them.

                “So are they good… or bad?” Ryeowook hedged, remembering the work the Parks did when he was with them.  They were really good at rehabilitating the injured wildlife in the area, including werewolves apparently.

                “Neither really,” Himchan admitted.  “They’re as close to neutral as you’ll get.  If one side gets hurt, regardless of affiliation, they’ll help, albeit grudgingly if you’re a vamp,” he chuckled.  “I can’t say the same of any of the other four packs personally.

                Ryeowook fell silent as he mulled that over for a moment, tapping his bottom lip with his fingertip.  “And hunters?” he offered, glancing over at Himchan with a nervous flip to his stomach.  He’d met the Bangs who he had liked after all, but since his partial transformation, he’d had to take another look at them in turn.

                “Depends on who you run into,” Himchan huffed, irritated by something.  “You’re better off if you just don’t mess with them.  You won’t find a vampire that trusts them for one and some are definitely worse than others.  I’ve heard the Chas talk about them a time or two but they’ve never met when I was around,” he explained grudgingly, clearly uncomfortable with such talk.

                “Are the Bangs dangerous?” Ryeowook asked in a quiet, small voice.  He really didn’t want to think ill of them.  Especially Minsoo since he’d been so nice with Luna after all.

                “They’re all dangerous,” Himchan laughed, though he quickly curbed his enthusiasm.  “Look, Wookie.  As someone that is no longer fully human, you can’t trust any hunter.  Believe me.  They just don’t take kindly to vampires,” he explained with a pained expression.

                “I’m not a vampire though,” Ryeowook defended immediately, against the idea one hundred percent.

                “But you might be!  And that’s all they care about,” his driver sighed, lips pursed in frustration.  “Though… the Bangs are the lesser of the evils from what I’ve heard.”

                That alone was enough to make Ryeowook breathe a small sigh of relief.  It wasn’t much but it gave him just enough reason not to fear them as much.  Maybe there was some sort of common ground they could meet on or something…  “That’s good to know,” he smiled gratefully, reaching out to grab Himchan’s shoulder in his hand, squeezing once.

                “I know,” the half-turned nodded in understanding.  “It took them nearly a decade to give me that much information.  You better be glad I like you,” he chuckled, pointing at Ryeowook before he hit the brakes and paused in traffic again.

                “Um.  Himchan?” Ryeowook murmured, his lips again before he focused on the driver.  Himchan turned his head to peer at him attentively.  “You sort of mentioned something about the puppets earlier?” he began tentatively.

                “Ne.  What about them?” Himchan asked, gaze flickering between his passenger and the road with practiced ease.

                Ryeowook got the impression he did this fairly often but that didn’t keep him from forging ahead with his inquiry.  “You said they were vengeful gypsy spirits?”

                Himchan nodded and chirped in response.  “I haven’t actually seen them but Hyosung’s told me they’re the ghosts of a couple clans that have sort of haunted a family or two each generation.  If I understood her correctly, they can take over and possess the bodies of their hosts to give them other abilities.  Though… neither N nor Hyosung have ever told me what exactly…” he grumbled in irritation.

                “So… would you think that maybe a brother and sister pair who were very strangely bipolar might be candidates for being one of these so called puppets?” Ryeowook asked with a very specific pair in mind.

                For a moment, Himchan frowned in mute thought and then nodded once.  “Maybe.  It’s possible.  Why?  Did you see them?”

                “Maybe?” Ryeowook responded, not at all sure.  He had no strong evidence other than the fact that they really had acted weird a couple times, but he’d never personally seen anything particularly out of the ordinary.

                “Ah well.  You don’t have to worry about them,” Himchan urged with an unconcerned wave of his hand.  “They aren’t really apt to bother you too much if the Chas are to be believed.”

                Ryeowook simply shrugged in response and let his gaze focus on the outside world again.  He had more than enough to go over in the meantime and he almost thought nothing of it when Himchan stopped to get gas at a local gas station.

                “Wait here for a sec.  I’ll be right back,” Himchan smiled, turning the car off and stepping out with the keys in hand.

                Decidedly uncertain, Ryeowook eyed Himchan out of the corner of his eye to make sure he was focused on the gas pump.  Only when he knew he wasn’t being watched did he start poking about the interior, trying to find a spare key or a phone or something.  He paused frequently to check and see how Himchan was doing but when the initial search revealed nothing, Ryeowook undid his seatbelt and carefully tried the door handle.  It was unlocked.  Holding his breath, he eased the handle open until he heard it click and then looked back at Himchan.

                The other male was watching him, frightfully enough, but he merely waved and smiled.  “You doing alright?” he asked, glancing at the pumps before focusing on his passenger again.

                “Ne!” Ryeowook forced a smile, willing his heart to slow down as he waited for Himchan to pay more attention to the pump.

                “Just checking,” the other male commented, finishing up with fueling as he moved to pull the nozzle free.

                It was now or never.  Ryeowook nodded once and his lips before he pushed the door open and threw himself free, sprinting as hard as he could.  If he could just get away from Himchan, no matter how guilty he might feel, he could call Henry and get this whole damn thing straightened out.  He could make sense of this nightmare and reverse this damn curse afflicting him.  He could-

                “Idiot!” a voice suddenly hissed in his ear as he was abruptly caught in a painfully tight hold that threatened to drive the breath from his lungs.

                Reactively, he lashed out and rammed his elbow into Himchan’s face, bashing the other male’s nose completely by accident, which made him howl in pain as his grip loosened slightly.  Without further delay, Ryeowook tried to run again and gasped when he was grabbed once more, one hand wrenched behind his back painfully as he was guided back towards the car.

                “That was stupid,” Himchan grumbled, sniffing in a pained manner.  “Get in the car,” he growled, practically shoving Ryeowook into the passenger seat.

                “Ow!” Ryeowook yelped, rubbing at his wrenched arm while he glared at Himchan as he got into his seat.

                “Don’t you dare,” Himchan warned, pointing a stern finger at his passenger.  “The walkers are hardly forgiving creatures and you better be damned glad it was just me that caught your stupid ,” he muttered, slamming his door and starting the car with a severe glower.

                “I’m not even supposed to be here!” Ryeowook shouted back, tempted to try and smack Himchan though he already felt bad about the bloody nose he’d managed to cause completely by accident.

                “Tough Wookie!” Himchan shot back, his countenance baffled.  “I don’t even get it.  You’re in a position that so many people actively want and you just don’t understand,” he murmured, confounded.

                “Because I don’t want to be a vampire!” Ryeowook gasped, fighting back tears.  “I never did!”

                Gritting his teeth and swallowing harshly, Himchan wisely kept his silence and nodded once, biting his bottom lip in the process.  “I wish I was you right now,” he admitted quietly, gulping loudly before he put the car in drive and aimed them back home: to N’s place at any rate.

                The silence was uncomfortable and Ryeowook curled into as much of a ball as he could in the passenger seat.  He didn’t feel bad about trying to run away.  He didn’t.  No matter how pathetic Himchan’s expression was every time he looked over at him.  He didn’t.  Nope.

                “Inside,” Himchan jerked his head when they pulled into the parking garage, staring at the steering wheel with both hands latched around the object.

                “Himchan…” Ryeowook murmured hesitantly, finally admitting that he was at least a little bit guilty.

                “Go!” Himchan barked, still refusing to meet his eyes.

                Uncertainly, Ryeowook nodded and got out of the car, casting another look over his shoulder to see Himchan sitting in the driver seat, his expression a myriad of mixed emotions.  No.  He refused to feel guilty about it.  Really…  That didn’t stop it from hurting as he stepped back inside under the other half-turned watchful eyes.

                He froze and jerked in complete surprise when he felt fingers wrap around his arm and hold tight, yanking him close in the blink of an eye.  “Happy now?” he heard as he looked up into Kyuhyun’s dark eyes, his visage less than a few inches from Ryeowook’s own face, dark and irritated.

                Steeling himself, Ryeowook yanked his arm free and frowned back.  “No.”

                “Tch,” the vampire snorted, rolling his eyes as he let Ryeowook’s arm go with an irritated shove.

                Caught off guard by the relative dismissal, Ryeowook stood uncertainly in the room and blinked in confusion, watching Kyuhyun walk off.  He caught Kangin’s eye as he noticed the other vampire glance between him and Kyuhyun but it didn’t last at all.  Even more alarming was N who approached him confidently, a glare fit to match any parent’s alighting his expression.

                “You tried to escape didn’t you?” N demanded, pausing directly in front of Ryeowook as he glared at the half-turned human intently.

                “I… um…  I…” Ryeowook trailed off, fidgeting in place nervously as his heart hammered painfully in his chest.

                “He got a little antsy is all,” Himchan rescued him, appearing as if by magic at his side when he threw his arm over Ryeowook’s slender shoulders.

                “Is that all?” N asked, clearly unconvinced.

                “N-ne!” Ryeowook jerked when Himchan squeezed his arm to prompt him accordingly.

                For a long moment, N just looked at him and the Himchan who maintained a perfectly neutral expression.  “Ugh.  Fine!” N grumbled, rolling his eyes in reaction.  “Go to bed, Himchannie.  It’s getting late for you,” he chided, pursing his lips as he looked at Ryeowook with a perplexed expression.

                “Will do!” Himchan nodded in agreement, bowing slightly, an action he forced Ryeowook to join him in.  When they stood upright, he heaved a sigh of relief and finally turned his attention back to his companion.  “You owe me one, brat.”

                “Sorry,” Ryeowook murmured with both hands raised to his mouth, hiding the lower half of his face.  He was pretty sure Himchan had just saved him from a sound reprimanding and he’d somehow prevented Kyuhyun’s wrath too.  For the moment, he could accept being quiet.  That was good for him.

                “Come on, newbie.  Time for a shower before we go to bed,” Himchan exhaled as he dragged Ryeowook along, the other too confused, stunned, and otherwise grateful to resist.

(a/n: So it took me longer than usual with school and everything.  I apologize for the delay but I hope this chapter has sort of given you a better framework to understand the supernatural creatures from.  Detailed nuances are to come later but blanket statements are psuedo acceptable right?  lol  Thank you for being patient though and I hope you've enjoyed this latest update.  Please look forward to the next as well!  Thank you!)