Long Journey || ATEEZ

Flowering Hyacinths

"You know them?" asked the brunette witch as he turned to the half-holin incredulously.

"Well duh. They're some clients of mine," the Ghost Queen said, regaining her composure as she leant a hand on her hip.

The witch raised an eyebrow.

"Are they the—" He gave her a thumbs down, "—ones, or the—" A thumbs up, this time, "ones?"

The Ghost Queen glanced at the pirates, before giving him an over-exaggerated thumbs up.

ATEEZ gave each other puzzled looks.

"Oh. That's good," the witch said, relieved, and the crimson Magik surrounding them dissipated. The iron gate didn't budge, however. "Well Cin, what should we—"

"Don't call me that!" she hissed, pointing at the pirates.

"Oh, so then what would you prefer? Ghostie? My Queen?" he said, leaning closer with his arms crossed, a playful smirk dancing at his lips. "Boo?" he suggested, grinning and giggling as he pulled back.

"You're demoted," the Ghost Queen deadpanned.

"No, no! Don't you get it? Because you're the Ghost Queen and boo's like— you know, ghosts and all that and romance and you know, we're—"

"No I got it," she said, albeit a little smugly, "but now's really not the time for this," she hissed.

"Awww, come on, you love me really."

"Um, would someone care to explain?" Hongjoong asked tentatively.

The witch gave the Ghost Queen a look. She glared back at him, before giving in to an unspoken argument. She spread her arms wide, her expression ever-so unenthusiastic.

"Welcome to the witch sanctuary," she said.

"That's not really an explanation??" the witch said, raising his eyebrows.

"No-one asked for your input!" the Ghost Queen bristled, crossing her arms. She turned back to the pirates. "Uhm, surprise?" she said awkwardly, waving around jazz hands. "I didn't kill the witches, I kept 'em safe."

"You WHAT?" Wooyoung said, his voice echoing around the field.

The witch sighed.

"We're sitting down for this," he said, running a hand through his hair.

* * *

Soon enough, they'd settled inside a large marble building at the centre of a bustling community, thousands of times more vibrant than that of the outside world, and full of witches of all ages. It was the Ghost Queen's second base, apparently, and it was just as lavish as her last.

They settled in her office, the large, imposing portrait of that same middle-aged man hanging behind her desk.

"How about we start with names?" the Ghost Queen's witch companion said, smiling as he settled beside her. "I'm Jo, and this is..." Jo gestured to the half-holin, prompting for an answer.

She put her head in her hand, pinching at the space between her eyes.

"Hyacinth," she said through gritted teeth, refusing to meet any of the pirates in the eye.

"Hyacinth? That's surprisingly...not you, of you," Seonghwa commented, his brow lifting a little in surprise.

"Says the assassin whose name means 'to become a star'," Hyacinth muttered. Seonghwa rolled his eyes. San mouthed 'That's such a pretty name' at the ex-assassin in surprise, to which he shrugged with a little shy smile. Hyacinth sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. "Just ask, and I'll answer whatever question you throw at me."