Meridian ◈ Seungjin

41 ◈ Grim Reaper

Forewarning: Descriptions of blood/minor gore

Hyunjin stayed close to the human's rushed steps, each thump of his sneakers meeting the hallway floor barely passing the back of Seungmin's shoes as they hustled.

Students popped their heads out of dorm rooms, light murmurs arising in the air as their gazes chased after the pair before chasing after the other curious crowd beginning to conglomerate. Something was up. Something was different. Something was going on. And if they hadn't already caught on to the odd staleness hanging in the air as an alerting pendulum swing dangling to warn them of the coming penumbra, then they knew now that the world wasn't right. They knew as soon as they passed their inquisitive eyes through the threshold. They knew as soon as the mutters arose in the enclosed walls. They knew as soon as they spotted Hyunjin and Seungmin jogging briskly through the human dorm hallways; The former of which, wasn't supposed to be within or even close to the premises in the first place.

Not entirely sure where they were going himself, he hadn't exactly been familiar with this dorm building afterall, Hyunjin chased after Seungmin as he lead them through the never-ending corridors of row after row of wooden doors hinged on metal plates opening to the same copy and pasted rooms on the other side, he lead them through, around corners, around again, hustling down a flight of steps, more corners, a flight of steps, the door that swung open and nearly knocked Hyunjin down, students here, students there, students waiting on a flight of steps, students waiting around a corner, Seungmin pushed past them, not an apology slipping from either disrupting parties as their shoulders tapped and their eyes locked, he kept running towards the commotion.

Before Hyunjin could become too mixed up in the labyrinthine blandness of the building, Seungmin pulled him around a final bend, and the two heavy alarm doors welcomed their gazes with open arms. They hustled forward. Seungmin first. Hyunjin in tow. His palms slammed into the bar handle with a velocity unknown to mortal man. The opening gave way to their begging path. As they stepped through, they were met by the cool, crisp sunset ocean breeze of tangy sea salt whisking by, whipping their navy blazers into a flurry of dancing performance, a readily accepted chill compared to the heaviness of their overexerted breath charging onward.

Carried on that sea salt wind was another aroma.

A bit out of place for a school environment, the smell assaulted Hyunjin's nose; Rich, deep, an elaborate mix of a nutty acidity and a gentle sourness of smoke, multiple scents he had experienced on previous days swirling to create one clashing cacophonous masterpiece of aromas blending skillfully, as if their gritting ideas conflicting with one another had been a talent all in itself. It took him a moment to decipher what those different smells most equated to; Flowers, almonds, campfire smoke, roasted, steaming over a pot of a dark warmth. It took him a moment longer to piece together what those different smells where attempting to tell him, there was only one perfume those pinpointed stretches were attempting to impose as.

Coffee. 

A strong and out of place aroma mimicking boiling coffee.

"Wait," Hyunjin spoke up as Seungmin went to step off the outside steps leading up to the front of the form building. Before the human could escape too far from where they stood, he pinched the fabric of his uniform blazer to root him in his spot, an almost scowl adorning Seungmin's features as he did so. Brushing off the light glower, Hyunjin murmured, "There's this smell in the air, like coffee. It's not that pleasant. It's too strong."

"Elaborate," Seungmin prompted. He shifted to face the vampire head-on.

Hyunjin released his clutch on the younger's shirt as he dropped his eyes to the cement, his hand coming to fidget with a spot on his neck. Thinking. Wondering. Connecting familiar times to now. Remembering repeated actions to now. The strong scents, unpleasant yet alluring in the worst mimicry possible, as if his cheek had been hooked by a fishing line and he was being dragged in by it's merciless pull. That disgustingly intoxicating undertone which lingered underneath the simplest of actions. Papercuts and scrapes, slip ups and failures, a mistake, or two, made in class, made outside of class, it would hesitate in the space. Hesitate around him. His senses, fogging them. That creeping shadow which lurked in the corners of his eyes and in the building grime sinking his throat. That was the feeling glowing with the scent of coffee.