Velvet Necrosis • vampire tk

Seven

From the shuttered front windows of the mansion, Taehyung peeks at the garden with rose bushes washed in moonlight. In the distance, past the darkened street with lit gaslamps, the outline of a cross shines on the roof of a neighborhood church. It's faint, pale wired lighting gleaming through the blurred black nightscape, a forgotten beacon that yearns to be noticed.

Here, in the Garden District, the past coexists with the present, and the reigning prince of darkness lounges as church bell rings every Sunday. The peacefulness is almost disarming.

"The past is never dead. It's not even past." A voice sounds behind him calmly.

"Very original." Taehyung responds flatly.

A chuckle. "It's true though, and not just for us, but for the humans too. We all carry the past with us, no matter how much we try to rid of it." Namjoon pulls a glass bottle out of the matte black electric warmer on the marble counter.

"And what's your stance on the future?"

"Well." A toothy grin, as an empty crystal glass clinks on the counter, "I think the two of us have long agreed to disagree on that: I'd rather believe that vampires exist for a reason, and that reason shall be revealed to us one day."

"Does Hoseok share your belief?"

The scarlet fluid trickles into the glass and glistens under the chromed pendant lighting. Namjoon gives him a look, "You know he's for once on your side when it comes to this- this perpetual debate of ours. Strangely pessimistic. Heck, he barely wants to talk about the past or the future."

"An admirable quality, something we can all learn from." Taehyung picks up the filled glass that Namjoon has slid over, "Although personally I would trust Hoseok's opinion on this, seeing how he may have some inside connection on the matter."

"Ah but what's the point of having an unlife if you don't have hope." Namjoon responds, and tucks back the long strands of black hair that have escaped from the velvet tie.

Because hope without reason is sheer stupidity, Taehyung thinks to himself but curbs his words.

"I mean, if anyone had told me a year ago that you of all people are to take in a fledgling and grow a newfound glow from it, I would've laughed in their face and called them delirious, but here we are, my friend. Isn't that proof that anything is possible in this world?" Namjoon is rubbing the cuff links of his dark navy silk shirt, and the speck of forest green glistens under his thumb. Jade, a gem that he has a specific penchant for.

Taehyung hesitates. That's the thing about knowing someone for centuries - they know each other so well that most arguments become a dejavu of a chess game, where each of Namjoon's sentence echoes his own thoughts.

"I didn't take him in. It just happened." He murmurs. And there's no glow. Taehyung keeps that thought to himself.

"You make it sound so simple, as if you're not one of the oldest Ancients that have never sired." Namjoon tugs at his lips, bemusement glinting in his eyes, "I do like the kid though. Sweet and adaptable."

Taehyung hums noncommittally, before adding, "You mean, he actually survived turning?"

"survived turning by you, yes." The grin turns wide and toothy, "Tell me, Taehyung, what would you have done if he went delirious, or dumb enough to be out of control?"

Taehyung furrows his brows at the question, and refuses to dignify it with an answer. Namjoon responds for him, "But of course. You would've finished him off yourself, we all would've. A fledgling that cannot control himself does not deserve to survive."