Recaller Choi Seunghyun is kind of an anomaly. Everyone worth knowing about knows his name, and the clean sharp way he holds himself. Born with an enhanced ability to recall, he's worked with the police force since he was legal. He holds himself high, and rightfully so, when he has single-handedly solved most of the problems faced by the city. He's not bragging, of course. It's just, he's very good at his job. He's mostly perfectly and coldly cautious, but only to those who don't know him. And that's why he's an anomaly. Strange, an outcast, but usefully competent at the same time. 

"Are you sure about this," Dongwook asks him. He can see the lazy drifts on Dongwook's skin. For a moment, Dongwook's eyes flash, and there is only Tablo. "It's exponentially dangerous," not-Dongwook rasps. "You can still, like, back the out." 

"It's not my first recalling, 'blo," he says. "I've been in threatening situations, I'm sure I can handle a few more before I keel over." 

Not-Dongwook slash Tablo shrugs, movements lazy but sure, hidden intelligence coiling in every orifice. "If you're sure." 

There is a genteel flash of scales over skin, and then Dongwook is sighing at him again. "Why're you so determined to do this anyways? It's dangerous. You'll die if the nymph doesn't accept the terms. And we don't even know what elemental it'll be!" 

Dongwook is getting hysterical. 

"Seriously Dongwook, I'll be ing fine, stop flipping your , god," Seunghyun grumbles. "I've got protection, I swear." 

A snicker. 

Shut the up, Ri. 

"What, from your flighty little wind elemental? Yeah, right. He isn't much for protection, anyways," Dongwook sneers, and Seungri lets out a rattling growl in Seunghyun's head. "Your whole elemental veneer isn't towards protection, you motherer." 

"Look 'wook, just shut the up and check the bindings, or we'll be here all ing day." 

Let me at him! Seungri snarls, jazzed-up mind talons scrabbling against Seunghyun's frontal lobe. 

Woah, woah, Ri, Seunghyun soothes as Dongwook kneels down with a huff, shimmering fish scales flashing. Chill, he doesn't mean it. Even if he does, you're waaay cooler than his masking veneer. You slice things up, man, , you're the ing boss! 

Seunghyun discreetly tries not to mention anything about the flighty part, because well. Seungri isn't very dependable most of the time. 

Seungri chirrs anyways, preening proudly. Hell yeah I'm the coolest. He settles down more firmly, cloaking Seunghyun in black feathers. Alright dude, protection granted. 

Thanks Ri. I'll pay the end of your bargain soon, kay? 

Hmph, Seungri decides, talons gripping Seunghyun's mind gently, then sinking in all the way. 

"I'm done," Dongwook announces. "They should be secure enough for an embodied nymph. I'll be here with Tablo in case anything goes wrong." 

"Let's get started then," Seunghyun says, cracking his neck smoothly. 

Ri? 

I'm here. No danger yet, dude. 

"Wait, wait, lemme just call up Tukutz, just in case," Dongwook says, scrabbling in his backpack and emerging with a knife and a dried up flower. 

"Wow," Seunghyun remarks as Dongwook cuts his finger open just a little and drips three drops onto the flower. "He changed his price." 

"Yeah," Dongwook shrugs. "He got bored of blood offerings. Now he wants flowers or plants or whatever with the blood." 

There's a brief pause as Seunghyun waits for Dongwook's earth elemental. 

Why is he so paranoid? I won't let you get hurt, is he doubting me? 

Aww, Ri, you care about me after all. 

Course I do! If you died I'd be bored! 

...Ouch. 

"Right," Dongwook says. Now there's brown crusting on his arms and leaves in his hair in addition to the shimmer of scales. "We'll be masking ourselves first. Signal me when you want it dropped." 

Seunghyun nods, snickering at Dongwook's messed up hair. He shoots a dry look at Seunghyun, and Seunghyun raises his hands up innocently before the rush of water over his skin shuts him up. Tablo's presence feels like a cool stream in the summer heat leading to a sea with dark things curling deep in the underbelly in juxtaposition of Seungri's own. Seungri's feels more like the slice of razor sharp blades through his mind with feathers ruffling calmly in the aftermath. That's what he gets for leaning towards the offensive destroyer veneer, he supposes. 

"I'd give you double layered protection, but it's slower to undo, so you'll have to make do with one," Dongwook says, "Also I'm not sure you're worth double layered protection." 

"Ouch," Seunghyun mocks, "that hurts me deep. So deep." 

Dongwook levels him with a stare that could shrivel leaves. 

"Can we start now," Dongwook says flatly, and then promptly fades away. Well, not exactly fade away. His presence does, making it feel like it's only Seunghyun and the clearing, except Seunghyun knows his presence is smothered too. 

Okay, he can do this. He drops down into a crouch, right in the first layer of offerings at the outermost circle. Fresh flowers and leaves for earth; glittering scales and shells for water; plucked feathers and bound rats for air; and, just in case a fire elemental shows up (they most probably won't), spices and the smooth obsidian of polished volcano grit, all in their respective corners. 

He thinks of Bom and her springtime scent of earth and life, and about how many ty paintings of pretty things he'll make for her, just in case. 

Seunghyun closes his eyes and concentrates, focusing his energy in one single sliver, condensed and powerful and thrumming through him. It's enough for Seungri to tug in a vague direction, and Bom, thank for Bom, she holds it down tight, anchoring it. 

Behind him, he hears Dongwook gasp lightly. 

Seungri bristles and Bom starts fidgeting. 

.... 

"O mighty forces of the elements four," Seunghyun starts, and he feels like a posh brat. "Heed me and my offerings. Come forth into the world from the ethereal realm, show us the way and path of the right." 

For a while, there is only silence. 

The wind picks up its pace in an ominous manner, and he hears Bom say, very quietly, oh. 

It's coming. 

The trees rustle loudly, and it might be an earth elemental, but the wind is blowing a little too hard, so it might be a wind elemental too. It's been a while since his last recalling, but then again, it's not much of a recalling than a summoning. 

Nothing happens for a while, and then he hears Dongwook let out a minimal noise behind him. He almost turns to look, but then he is hit with a feeling of pure chaos and destruction, and his hands itch like they burn and he wants to destory everything, burn everything down and turn them into ashes and- 

Back the off! 

Thank for Seungri, too. 

There's an amused noise, but it's not Seungri's timbre or Bom's smooth pitched alto, or even the rasp of Tablo's odd underwater voice. 

"So, recaller," a voice says from the innermost circle. "What have you called me here for?" 

Most nymphs take on a vaguely human shape when recalled, just for a short while to bargain their clauses, with a few unhuman bits and pieces here and there, but only ever in a fuzzy, kinda misty form, and wow. This one- this one has actually taken the shape of a dragon. A ing dragon. A really solid, white-scaled, huge dragon. 

Dongwook lets out a panicked hiss, and Seunghyun realises one single thing, for it to be able to see through their masked presence so easily.

It must be a level 5, because Tablo is a level 4, or at least a higher level 4, because Tablo is good, but the dragon here is better. 

"Level 5!" Dongwook shouts, and the dragon swivels its large head in his direction, making another amused noise. 

"And here I thought we were going to bargain," the dragon drawls slowly. "Instead there are two wibbling infants." 

Something in Seunghyun flares up. Level 5 or not, nobody talks to him like that. "Hey you! I haven't even said anything yet, ! He might be a wibbling infant," and he jabs a finger in Dongwook's direction, ignoring the indignant noise he gets, "but I sure as ain't what you just said I am." 

The dragon laughs, and it's laughter is... strangely pretty. 

"I'm glad I amuse you," Seunghyun says dryly. Inside his head, Seungri snorts. 

I think it gets that, dudebro. 

Seunghyun sighs, ruffling his hair with his palms, and steps into the second circle. "Okay," he says, and waves his hand for Dongwook to drop the mask. 

"Okay," he repeats, and he sits the down, because it's gonna be a long and wild ride.