House of Emblem: Freefall

For now just sit back, relax

Purple Orchids
-Sumin-
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5th of March;
Sovereign Year 1143

It's not the first time he's been given any type of leadership role but it's certainly the first time he's been in charge of people he thinks are... more qualified for shouting orders than him.

"You're getting better with a knife, Kai." Is not a sentence he thought he'd ever say to the prince of his country like they were on even ground, let alone one he's sure his father would approve of but here he is, "Just make sure you keep your finger tucked or..." He trails off. There was one mishap over the weekend but luckily he's been able to figure out just who's suited to be around a blade that isn't meant for killing.

And the place hasn't burned down yet. Their professor congratulates him after the breakfast shift, tells him he'd make a fine commander when it ever comes to it; not his favorite line of conversation but he takes the compliment with a smile anyway–will make sure to leave that out of the letter to his father at the end of the month.

"He's missing again." He hears Jake call from the corner he's been delegated to–or banished to, whichever one suits trying to juggle silverware–and there's a collective sigh from a few of them.

Sumin chuckles to himself, tastes a soup that's a little too salty for his liking but surely won't kill anyone, "Better send Minjae to find him."

"Me? Why me? I'm in the middle of something." To Minjae, standing in the middle of the kitchen looking over the menu for the tenth time to appear busy is something.

Junmin'd caught on to the ruse earlier, is the first to pull the piece of paper from the other's hand with a sigh, "You found him the first time."

"Is that now my responsibility every time?" The other's voice raises, not nearly as threatening as Sumin should find him considering he spent two summers scared out of his mind to even approach the older, looked up to him as the pinnacle of a soldier, of a captain.

He hears a snort behind him, a low laugh as Jungwon's hand reaches for the spices and he quickly pops the lid on the pot before it can be tampered with, "I can see the epithet now, carved in stone under his statue: Kim Minjae, Famed Junghoon Wrangler-"

It has a ring to it, has an aura for sure as Sumin turns around and sees Minjae reaching for an unused knife, "Please put the knife down." It clatters back against the counter. Minjae's hand immediately taken into Junmin's, has something whispered into his ear before Minjae finally relents and sets off on his search. A good thing, Minjae's skill set is better used not blocking the path through an already small kitchen that's crammed full of seven students with varying degrees of vegetable related aggression. But also, "Are they..." He whispers to Jungwon, looks over his shoulder to see Junmin stare after Minjae's retreating form with far more fondness and far less daggers than he'd seen the past couple of days. Jungwon is mildly more patient than the average stray cat, giving Sumin all of five seconds before his eyebrows twitch upwards while the younger grapples with finding the words.

"They seem nicer to each other now." is what he settles on.

"Oh, that." Jungwon chuckles, voice dropping when Junmin walks past him and waits a moment for the latter to get out of earshot, "They'll do that sometimes–go at each other's throats for a bit before they realize they can't stand not being in the same room as each because they wilt like flowers." Which isn't something he was entirely unaware of. It didn't take more than a couple council meetings to realize that wherever one body went, a pair of eyes would follow on it.

"I see." He replies, wary of the way Jungwon nearly dumps a handful of some imported spice into a pot of chickpeas. When Jungwon takes a quick look over his shoulder his head snaps back faster than Sumin can blink and he pretends he didn't hear an audible crack along with it. He looks up and finds Junmin staring at them–staring at Jungwon with eyes that soften considerably when they meet Sumin's. That's not his problem, definitely not something he's curious about, definitely doesn't read on his face-