bakerstreet | body heat

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body heat

THE BODY HEAT MEME

Post with your character! They're now stuck in a very cold place of your choice. It can be anything, such as a freezing chamber, a cavern or a small cabin in the midst of a blizzard. The choice is up to you.

Comment around! Now your character has some company in this bone-chilling environment. The two of them share two things in common: clothes completely unfitting for this weather (be they summer clothes or even lingerie) and a blanket. A blanket? Yes, just one warm blanket and no other ways to escape the cold. The two of them will have to share it in order to stay alive in this weather. Don't worry, you're sure to find a common language in this terrible situation!

So, uh, have fun, I suppose. Try to not freeze to death!

Protip: friction and body heat are both excellent ways to fend off cold.

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[ he expects the denial because they're all usually a bit shy at first, but geumsun goes on into another topic entirely, one that makes him momentarily stop drinking, moving, and breathing. a chill settles over him, swallowing around the sudden tightness in his throat.

his bad days can never just be bad - they always have to take a nosedive into spectacularly awful. rotten luck just seems to follow him everywhere he goes, and for a long, long moment, he just looks at his drink, half expecting someone to drop dead behind him. ]

No. [ god, he's bad at this. a better reaction would have been to keep up the flirting and gloss over the query entirely. geumsun has to know now that he's bothered by the question.

he switches his straw into his new drink, getting to work on draining it equally as quickly. there's already a buzz coming on with no food in his stomach to help cushion the alcohol, and he pulls out his phone to finally text his waiting client back, sending over the promised photograph, a nude one where he's draped across a table. ]

Do you?

[ the reaction makes it obvious that something he's said is something mars experiences, though he can't say he knows just what it is. his answer isn't believable, but geumsun continues with his own drink, leaving it for a second as he asked the same in return. ]

Mm, I guess you could say I do. [ he finally finishes off his drink and keeps his fingers wrapped around the glass, not wanting the bartender to approach just yet. ]

Whatever happens with you, it stops while I'm around, doesn't it? [ the one thing he knows is that mars can't see the spirits that linger. very few humans can. but he knows they're doing something to him now. that reaction to his questions was a bit too tense to be taken as simply thinking he's ended up drinking with a crazy person. ]

I can explain more, if you want. [ it's up to mars. geumsun doesn't feel the need to offer more if the human wants to remain in denial. ] If you want to keep avoiding it, I won't come by the store anymore. I just thought I might be able to help you.

[ this isn't something he talks about. he's always had the awful feeling that if he delves too deeply into it, something much worse than being kicked out of yet another foster home will happen. something bad like the way his parents died, and then, years later, his closest client. he no longer makes a habit of caring about people, because that seems to be the thing that seals their fate. it's much easier to hide behind a screen. ]

Who are you? [ but that's not what he really wants to ask. what are you is the more appropriate question, and that thought terrifies him, because all of this terrifies him. the thought that there's something sinister in the dark, something that's latched onto him and taken away the things he loved most - he doesn't want to think about it. ] How are you making it stop?

[ he's seen it before, even fairly recently, where something is drawn to a human that seems to act like a curse. spirits, monsters... things that he can see as a goblin, things that he generally doesn't bother with unless they're destructive or troublesome or threatening. geumsun isn't sure that's the case with mars, but he thinks he's worth checking on. ]

Geumsun. I'm a goblin. [ some humans fear them, but goblins aren't threatening. for the most part, he lives his life and acts like he's human as well while dealing with more supernatural things as he needs to. ] Spirits seem to like to follow you, but they hate creatures like me. So they leave while you're near me.

[ he does wonder if any of those spirits have mentioned goblins if they talk to mars, but he doesn't press that. ] I'm not a threat to you, if you're worried. I'm only a threat to the things bothering you.

[ it just keeps getting worse by the second. this man seems nice enough in the moment, but he's dropping bombs left and right, like this is normal. like mars is just supposed to somehow trust this one bizarre thing over every other bizarre thing that's happened over the years.

not a man. a goblin.

maybe he's dreaming. maybe he never even woke up this morning and he's still in bed, the spirits having evolved into elaborate visions instead of just voices in his head. he's so tired of this. of not knowing, of not being able to sleep because all he hears is screaming, of the fear and the isolation and feeling confused and alone. it's all become second-nature but it's exhausting just the same. he can't even keep track of what the voices say anymore, threads of stories that he can never seem to tie together.

he doesn't say anything for the next few moments until he picks up his phone again, doing a quick search and then turning the screen toward geumsun to show him an array of small little cartoon goblin images. they're all green and all ugly. ]

This is what comes up when you type in goblin. You don't look like one.

[ the revealed search makes geumsun snort as he pulls his own phone out and searches for 'dokkaebi.' the images are useless, a video game character dominating the results, but there are a couple of vaguely helpful pages and he selects one before he places his phone on the counter and slides it over to mars. it's accurate enough -- deities who interact with humans, tricking and helping them, generally considered harmless by most who believe in them.

given, the appearance still leaves room to question, but he knows it's easy enough to prove what he is. he just doesn't intend to do it in a bar where other people might catch sight. ]

If you want proof, I can show you somewhere else.

[ that's only if mars wants it, though. regardless, he'll be leaving soon enough, whether the human is with him or not. ]

[ he looks over the article, using one finger to lightly scroll down as he reads. if geumsun is really what he says he is, then mars has no idea if this is one of those moments of trickery or genuine help.

what he does know is that there's absolutely no way he'll be able to walk away from this. and that knowledge is possibly the worst of all, that he can't leave this alone no matter how much he wants to or how badly it dredges up old memories.

he drains his second drink and sits there feeling vaguely nauseous before he leans forward and orders two shots. both of them are for him. he downs them in swift succession, then opens his wallet and pulls out the last remaining bills to tip with, leaving them tucked neatly beneath one of his empty glasses. ]

Show me.

[ geumsun hasn't forgotten mars' mention of not having eaten much during the day and he knows what the lack of food does to a human while they're drinking. so seeing him finish off his second drink then down two shots so quickly makes him sure that he's going to be in the company of at least a tipsy person soon enough.

with a nod, he closes out the tab and stands, pocketing his wallet and phone, waiting for mars to stand and move away from the bar to let him lead the way out again. he wants to remain close to him in case everything sets in at once, knowing he's at least part of the reason for the amount of alcohol he's had in such a short period of time. ]

Tell me where you want me to show you.

[ it would be incredibly stupid for him to bring geumsun back to his own place, but he's struck with a sudden bout of apathy, because he's probably going to be evicted again anyway and maybe geumsun will just put him out of his misery altogether and murder him in his own home.

it's the alcohol talking. he doesn't want to die. death is another one of those things that frighten him, having seen it too closely a few too many times.

how the hell is this guy a goblin? ]

I live this way.

[ his rubs his eyes and then puts his icy hands back into his pockets, setting off down a street away from the lights of the shops and restaurants behind them. it gets progressively darker, and he normally hates this walk because the voices always get more persistent, like they're trying to tell him something. or attempting to make him lose his mind.

but there aren't any voices now, which lends a certain credibility to geumsun's claims even if he doesn't entirely believe him just yet.

they approach an older collections of buildings, and mars brings them into one that could stand some better up-keep, leading them up three sets of creaky stairs before he stops in front of a door with the paint chipping off in four different places. there's no preamble, no warning, no rules set out before geumsun is allowed to enter. he only stops because it takes him a minute longer than usual to fish his keys from his pockets.

it's cold on the inside as well because mars doesn't run the heat unless he feels he's on the verge of hypothermia. the small one-bedroom unit comes into view when he flicks the lights on. the living area is mostly empty, only a few boxes pushed into the corner. the small kitchen is a bit too bare, but pristine - he doesn't like mess, though he doesn't have a lot of stuff to make messes with in the first place.

the only room that looks lived in is his bedroom, a computer desk and chair set up at the base of the bed, the open laptop and camera the only two expensive-looking things in the entire apartment. the movable arm of the tripod is set up above the bed, which he pushes out of the way now so he can sit on the edge of the mattress. ]

Okay. [ his nerves flare up again, sudden nausea returning to his throat, but he swallows it down, fixing his gaze on the other man. he intentionally fails to mention that his laptop, though it looks off, is set up to record everything that happens in this room. he doesn't use the footage for anything but to obsessively scrub through on the nights that he can't sleep, trying desperately to find the source of the sound, but it can't even be heard on film. ] There's no one else here. Show me.

[ he expects to be led out and to a quiet area nearby, just inside an alley or even just around a quiet corner. being taken all the way to mars' apartment is more private than geumsun's thinking things are going to get, but he supposes he shouldn't be surprised when he did ask for the privacy in the first place. letting mars lead the way, no matter where they end up, is better than suggesting an alley and sounding like he's planning to murder him the moment they're alone together.

though it might still seem like that for all he knows.

geumsun follows without question, his own hands pushed into his coat pockets as he looks around at the area they head to, taking in the look of the building they end up entering. it's clear that the modeling isn't paying as much as it could.

they make it to mars' apartment and geumsun follows him inside, the chill continuing right into his home. he expects them to stop once they're behind the closed door, but they continue right on into the bedroom, the setup inside of it making that side job more obvious.

mars takes a seat and geumsun keeps some distance from him, glancing around the room before giving the laptop a lingering look. it doesn't last long before he returns his attention to the man in front of him, lifting a hand as blue flames form in the air near it. he reaches into them and produces one of the candles from the shop, a place he's been so often that he can perfectly visualize it. ]

Is that enough? [ the blue flames disappeared once he pulled the candle out, but more form near his other hand as he pulls what looks like a blindfold out. maybe it seems threatening at first, but after tossing the unopened candle on the bed beside mars, geumsun lifts the blindfold to his own eyes and, once he ties it, he disappears from sight.

he's only gone for a couple of seconds before he pushes it up and reveals himself again, reappearing once his eyes are uncovered. ] Or did you need to see that, too?

[ he's glad he has a steady buzz going, because otherwise he thinks he'd be too terrified to move. it's not that geumsun himself is overly frightening. it's the knowledge that he exists at all, and if he exists then that means that there's a wide world full of the unknown, and for some reason, part of it has latched onto him.

hesitantly, he reaches for the candle. it looks completely genuine, pulled out of a pocket of nothingness but still somehow solid and real and even fragrant. when he looks up, geumsun is tying a blindfold over his eyes, and in the second that mars blinks, he's gone.

he rises to his feet, the candle still clutched tightly in his hands, looking desperately at the empty space and trying to quell the feeling that he's finally, completely lost it.

he blinks again, and suddenly geumsun is back like he never went anywhere at all. like there's nothing completely insane about any of this. mars has always been afraid of his mind turning on him ever since his parents' death, and the notion feels closer than ever now. ]

I want to believe you. [ unless he likes to toy with his prey first, geumsun probably isn't going to kill him. ] But I've been hearing these voices for so long that I don't trust what I hear or see anymore. You can't just do tricks to earn faith.

[ he returns his gaze to the candle. ]

Maybe this is what they all saw before they died. And now it's my turn.

[ he's not that surprised that mars can't just take his word, or his actions, so easily. being stuck listening to spirits for as long as he has would make any person question themselves and their sanity. and being presented with the display he's just given probably just comes across badly for someone who might not even trust their own eyes.

what mars says, though, earns a furrow of eyebrows from geumsun. ]

They? Who are you talking about?

[ he hesitates for a second then reaches out to rest a hand on mars' shoulder. it only remains there for a few seconds, squeezing for a moment before he pulls his hand away again, not wanting to come across like he's trying anything. ]

I'll stay here tonight. Sleeping through the night without hearing anything might help.

[ he wanders to his computer table, setting down the candle and reaching for a book of matches. it lights like normal, the flame flickering to life and the pleasant aroma of vanilla and spice hanging in the air. ]

All the people that died because of me.

[ he doesn't face geumsun when he says it, keeping his eyes on the tiny flame, and he doesn't make a habit of ever speaking about this, so the words feel foreign on his tongue. they're heavy and sour, guilt rotting away inside of him, and he doesn't look up until he realizes that geumsun has invited himself over for the night. ]

Is this supposed to be an experiment? I don't have a spare bed.

[ but it's certainly odd that he hasn't heard any voices since geumsun appeared at the shop's doorstep. even now, it's silent. ]

[ he just watches mars after he answers, smelling the scent of the candle once it's lit and tilting his head a little at the thought that anyone has honestly died because of the man in front of him. there isn't an immediate reply to that as he mentions a spare bed, the worry waved off by geumsun. ]

Goblins don't need sleep unless they're low on energy and I'm fine. I can sit outside of your bedroom, but you should leave the door open. The easier it is for spirits to sense my scent or my presence, the less likely they are to bother you.

[ which means the candle probably isn't the best thing, but he's not going to argue against it right now. ]

Can you tell me what you meant earlier? About the people who died because of you?

[ geumsun wants to touch him to offer just a small amount of comfort, but he gets the feeling there's still fear regarding him. so he keeps he distance, eyes on mars all the same. ]

You can't sit outside my bedroom all night. You'll get really uncomfortable. And I'm not sure how you think I'm supposed to sleep with a stranger hanging around.

[ the floors are hard and cold, and the only chair he has is his computer chair with old pillows to make it comfortable. geumsun's actual strangeness wouldn't bother him as much as his own poor hospitality skills.

he hears the question, but makes no immediate attempt to answer, instead going to the window and jiggling it open with a loud squeak, propping it up with a small cardboard box. after a few moments, a black cat slinks inside, a stray that stops by for food and water that he leaves in two tiny bowls in the corner. it mostly ignores him, but he doesn't mind. his landlord doesn't even allow pets. ]

I've only loved three people in my life. My dad, my mom, and one of my clients. [ he's never said these words aloud before, even if they've been running through his head for months. ] They all died the same way. Suicide, with identical letters saying they're sorry. They were all happy people. But they had me in common.

[ he moves to his chair, taking one of the pillows and setting it on the bed while he moves the fluffier one over to the other side. ]

You can have that side.

[ he thinks about protesting and maybe pointing out that he can pull a chair from his own apartment, but mars is off opening the window and he just watches, tilting his head at the appearance of the cat. geumsun's glad he doesn't try to argue anything when he hears the explanation. it's curious, he can admit that. humans can end up cursed or marked, stalked by monstrous creatures worse than spirits. he hasn't seen one lingering around mars, but he does wonder if that's the case with that kind of string of self-inflicted deaths.

he won't say that it's mars' fault because, in truth, it's not. a human wouldn't know about something so sinister coming for them or those they love and geumsun's not even sure that's what this is. but, regardless, he knows that mars isn't the cause of the deaths he's dealt with in his life.

the offer to take one side of the bed earns a surprised look, but he shrugs and moves toward it, reaching out to switch the pillows back so mars has the fluffier one. before the human can switch them again, he sinks down to the mattress and lies back, not bothering to take any of the blankets as he rolls to rest on his side facing mars. ]

You're not the reason for their deaths. All of this sounds too strange. [ geumsun looks thoughtful as he looks up at mars from his spot on the bed. ] When did you start hearing the voices? Before or after?

[ he doesn't say anything when geumsun informs him that he's not at fault, and neither does he answer the questions right away. believing that seems impossible. deep down, he knows the guilt he carries is well-deserved and that keeping himself on the edge of loneliness is a necessity. he doesn't think he would be able to handle another death when the mere thought fills him with a bone-deep sorrow that he hasn't ever been able to shake.

eventually he sits on the bed, leaning back against the wall and trying not to think about how there's a literal goblin in his bed. ]

Before. A little before. [ before his parents' deaths. first his father, then his mother just two weeks after. then the on and off nightmare of foster families had begun. ] Do you know a lot of people like... like me? People who hear this stuff, I mean. It's not just me?

[ there isn't much doubt in his mind that mars is innocent in this, despite the way he obviously feels. geumsun has some suspicions, but he decides to keep them to himself for the time being. he doesn't know enough to make assumptions and saying things that could be off the mark would just be harmful to the plagued human in front of him.

watching him sit, he listens to mars answer his question and then ask his own. the answer lends toward his suspicions and he nods slightly, leaving the subject as is for the time. ]

I wouldn't say I personally know a lot, but you're far from the only one who hears voices like that. But most humans can't see spirits, so assumptions of craziness get thrown around. [ some spirits are restlessly chasing loved ones or those they despise and some are just shit-stirring assholes even in death. what's different about mars is that he seems to have more than one, from what geumsun's caught fleeting glimpses of. ] But you're not crazy. Not even close.

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