Kitsune

ii. winter

It's been a year since Hoseok had brought you- a demon- back to the home of his superior Lord Fuuta. In that year he has also not once come back to that manor. He never knew what became of you, or of that old man who was on his deathbed; in fact, he pushed you both so far back into his mind he had forgotten after so long. He wasn't aware of Taehyung's actions or assignments. The only words he exchanged with his lord were short messages of demons that plagued areas that came to him on the talons of crows acting as messengers.

It was the dead of winter once again in Japan. Hoseok had hardly changed when it came to his mindset and his all-around opinions. Physically, his hair had grown enough for his dark bangs to brush annoyingly in front of his eyes. With traveling and battling being his day-to-day occurrences, he began to grow more fit as time passed. Still wearing his keikogi and crimson haori. His eyes also withstood the trial of time; remaining as cold as they did for as long as others could remember.

He was currently sat at a small stand selling fresh dango and tea. Pulling one of the three dumplings off the wooden skewer, he ate silently at the bar on a wooden stool. A clay, green painted mug of steaming tea sat to the right of his small saucer- the warmth of the beverage chasing away the winter cold.

The stand itself was a small one- hardly the capacity for the treats to be made behind the countertop and just big enough to squeeze in four stools- making a successful business a hardship. It was located in the middle of a busy city street. The city he was located in was far busier than any he had come across in the region alone.

Buildings that varied from small to large with at least four stories to them. All strung with lanterns and candle lights every which direction to light up the bustling, frozen, dirt roads. Travelers trotting through the city on horseback. Women in loose yukatas- despite the freezing weather- to tempt men and women alike into the brothel in which they were employed. Shops and stands of all sorts; from foods to antiques that were filled with items that were more than obviously fake; sellers only looking for a pretty penny for worthless trash.

Scamming was a whole trade in itself these days it seemed.

Fabric shops, sit down places for dining, tea houses, smiths and weapon trades, even sexual desire personified existed in the city- if you look for the right part of the city that is. The city was filled with any one person's wants and needs if you knew just the right places to look for them.

Hoseok hated cities.

He hated how his senses dulled because of the constant noise and movement around him. He had to always be on edge because even big 'safe' cities like this one were exactly the place where all the right things start going wrong. Population does not equate to safety; a fact that most people ignore like fools.

If he had it his way, he would already be long gone. However, Fuuta had contacted him via his ever-familiar crow and requested Hoseok to come to this city in the first place as well as a stay until further notice. Fuuta even prepared Hoseok room and board in an inn that was acquainted with the lord.

Fuuta never explained why Hoseok was to come here and sit on his rear end in a waiting game with no visible end in sight. He angrily bit and pull off his second dumpling off the skewer at the idea that this could have been an 'order' for Hoseok to relax from fighting. Hoseok wasn't one to care for himself- pushing himself over and over with injury or illness. Some might say he was devoted to his work, others- more specifically Fuuta and Taehyung- called him a reckless idiot for never knowing when to stop.

Taehyung used to often reprimand him for pushing his limits constantly. Beating him to a bloody pulp in training and literally trying to beat into his head some sense. It never worked, however. Hoseok wasn't always so stubborn, but after an event that sent him reeling inwards in trauma, he's changed drastically.