Who do you carry that torch for?

[Reagan Ryang]

This "SUSU" guy was disgustingly rich, wasn't he? Living in the beautifully renovated center of town, with all the modern buildings and businesses. There was a swanky apartment in the area but even that seemed like it wasn't good enough for a man of wealth and means. Rae heard this guy had more than one home and he probably even had one of those damned mansions up in the mountains. That car, he saw it. He saw the way he dressed. Everything about "SUSU" screamed MONEY.

Rae was jealous, for sure. There was no denying that. He just wished that Alva would've listened to his suspicions because Rae sure as hell thought the weirdness permeating the town was coming from witches like "SUSU". That guy was behind it, he just knew it. If there was some kinda witch mob, this guy was with it. And he and Josh? They were getting to the fucking bottom of it. Now.

Especially since after the weirdness of the void? Rae didn't know what else to call it. One minute, they were partying it up with vampires and the next minute, his head was filled with nonsense memories that couldn't be real. And then the next, he was balling his fists up, infuriated and cussing out every witch he ever knew. Admittedly, he didn't know a whole lot of them but first and foremost, the one at the forefront of his mind and his personal enemy--"SUSU"--that was where they were going first.

Also, Alva was probably with him and it would do Rae good to see him alive and well. Because he had some not so good memories and visions in his mind pertaining to him. He didn't like them and he needed to get rid of them. It was like picking at a scab. But he wanted to find something clean and healthy underneath, not something repulsive.

He parked his truck in front of the fancy apartments.

"If he's not here, there's gotta be a lead to him somewhere in there," he said as he yanked his keys out of the ignition and practically kicked the door open. Now wasn't the time for subtlety. Honestly, though, he didn't get why Josh gave two fucks about the witch when he certainly couldn't care what happened to Alva. But he wasn't asking questions because he needed Josh. (Not that he'd ever admit it.)

Rae cracked his knuckles. "All right, let's get some answers, shall we?"

Blue

[Kang Taebin]

"Eh." Rae was talking and Josh wasn't listening—not really. He never really listened to the things that Rae had to say, unless they involved him (Josh) in some way. Honestly he wasn't even sure why he was here right now, looking up at an expensive, well-maintained apartment building. Maybe to make sure that Rae didn't come back missing his other ball, since Alva had already busted one in the break-up. What a goddamn nightmare.

The past few days had been rough, what with the weirdness that happened with the vampires, and waking up with a good chunk of his memories gone. Josh idly ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up a little and then absently smoothing it back into shape. He looked over once at Rae, almost distractedly, and shrugged. "Yeah let's go." At least focusing on someone else's problems meant that he didn't have to deal with his own. Josh had a feeling that he wouldn't like where his missing memories would lead him.

Slipping out of the truck, he took one last look up and down the street, and then ambled up to the wide glass doors. There was a doorman outside who politely opened the door for them and Josh walked inside like this wasn't new to him—which it wasn't. He was accustomed to fancy apartments and hotels. Rae, however...

Josh discreetly slipped a look over his shoulder and smirked. He could practically feel the resentment and jealousy radiating from Rae, like a heat wave in the middle of summer. It wasn't even worth it, over some crippled fox and a screw-up witch. "Which floor?" He asked with his finger on the elevator button, to call it down to the lobby. "How do you want to do this?" It was a rhetorical question; Rae only knew one way to deal with things, which was a solid punch to the face.

[Reagan Ryang]

"Top floor."

Rae made a face. Some suite or other. Lucky bastard. It seemed like everything a person could be good at, that bastard had it. Rae refused to believe it, though. If he couldn't have Alva, he'd just... make sure nobody else could, either. Not that he'd hurt Alva. But he'd stalk, threaten, maim, injure, and even kill (would he? that last one?) anybody who got in his way. Yeah. He wasn't so sure about that last one but he was pissed off enough to think about going through with it.

A couple of werewolves against a witch. He ought to know how this was going to turn out but he never gave a thought to losing. He would win, no matter what it took.

Josh would help, too, he was sure. Even if Josh didn't give any fucks about Alva or Rae's relationship with him, he had to at least agree that the bastard witch deserved some kind of comeuppance for what he did.

He looked over at Josh as if to ask if he was really asking how he wanted to do this.

"I want to make him pay. Whatever we do, it has to be permanent, though. Scar him. Take off his damn legs if we have to." Alva couldn't love somebody with the same issues as himself, right? Two people without the use of their legs... together? Hah. ...or maybe that would bring them closer together. Fuck. Whatever, he'd figure it out once they were face to face with that fucker.

[Kang Taebin]

Penthouse, huh? Josh entered the elevator after it landed and pressed the button for the very top floor. What that rich witch saw in Alva was beyond him. Hell, what Rae saw in him was beyond Josh, too. Why was everybody somehow taken in by that cripple? What did he have that others didn't? Josh leaned against one of the elevator walls and crossed his arms, inwardly scoffing. It was probably that whole helpless act. Pretending to be oh-so-brave, but in reality being so useless in every way.

"We'll have to take him by surprise." Better to not think too much about Alva, or else he'd want to rip out somebody's throat. Josh shifted slightly. "After what he did to you last time..."

A slight smirk evolved on his face. That witch really got the better of Rae, back in the forest, when he completely immobilized him--a grown werewolf, with the strength of the virus behind him. Knowing Rae, that was probably what fueled the fire now--that and the fact that the witch had bewitched Alva. If anything, Josh should've been thanking the witch for taking Alva off of Rae's hands but... here he was.

Fuck, who was the real idiot between the two of them?

"All right, here we are." He exchanged a meaningful look with Rae. "I'll go first, you follow up." The witch knew Rae's face but Josh thought that he could get away with playing distraction. Slipping out of the elevator, he walked up to the door and knocked--politely.

[Shimizu Susumu]

"Those vampires really have no idea what they're doing," Susumu said with a slight tsk. He set two glasses of orange juice down on the kitchen table before he slid into his seat beside Alva. "If they were looking for attention, they got it but I don't think they realize what kind of attention they're really getting."

Hunter attention. Personally, Susumu found it amusing enough since he would have the chance to pick off a couple of hunters he was already aware of--plus pinpoint a few new ones that he wasn't aware of. The vampires had done Susumu something of a favor but they hadn't done themselves a favor. It didn't look like they cared, though. There didn't seem to be any thought in their moves, just some entitled sense to the humans of the suburbs.

"You should drink that," he said as he reached out and gently squeezed one of Alva's hands. "It'll make you feel better."

He was about to say more when he heard the sound of a polite knock at the door.

"Now, who would that be at this hour?" he asked, slightly tilting his head and regarding Alva as if he knew the answer to that. After a moment, he gave Alva's hand a pat and then he let go of him. "I'll be right back."

He assumed it was another hunter-hunter like himself or one of the witches in the Hazleton coven. Instead, it was a fairly pretty young man with dark eyes. Strange. Maybe he was a new apprentice in the coven. He wouldn't give himself away, in case he was just a delivery boy at the wrong floor.

"Good evening," he said, slightly raising a brow. "How can I help you?"

[Alva Ren]

Sighing, Alva nodded his head in agreement with Susu—the vampires were doing nobody any favors, least of all themselves, by carrying on the way they did. Worst still, they were dragging others into their mess. Others like... Rae. "It's like they think this is all some kind of game." Didn't they realize that lives were at stake? Or did they already know, and not care? Alva didn't know which was worse, really.

He accepted the glass of juice with a grateful smile and squeezed Susu's hand back, taking a small sip just to appease him. Alva's appetite had taken a sharp dive in recent days, what with worrying over Rae and with the curse still running itself through his system. Still, the curse hadn't gotten worse, for which he was infinitely grateful, and he was optimistic that sooner or later Rae would come to his senses and abandon his reckless pursuit of... whatever it was that he thought he could find with the vampires.

"I'm not expecting anyone..." The knock surprised him but he assumed it was a neighbor from one of the lower floors, or perhaps the building manager. Or someone in need of help. Maybe an acquaintance of Susu's? Alva himself wasn't expecting visitors. He knew he had a million messages to respond to—probably more than a few from a worried cousin—but no one would randomly show up here. If anything they'd go to his house to find him.

Curiously watching Susu make his way to the front door, Alva toyed with the glass of orange juice. A wave of dizziness made him clutch onto the countertop as he tipped forward. For a split second, he could've sworn that he saw... "Aldon?" It was as if Susu's kitchen melted and out of nowhere, he was face to face with Aldon. Alva ran a hand over his face. Was he seeing things? There was no way that Aldon was here in the kitchen... was there? A little paranoid all the same, Alva looked all around but there was only himself in here, and the sound of Susu's voice at the door with the stranger.

Except that wasn't a stranger's voice and Alva sat up suddenly in his chair, alarm on his face. "Susu!" He called out as he quickly wheeled himself to the door, in time to see Josh's leering face. "Susu watch out!"

[Shimizu Susumu]

Everything happened so quickly.

The door was opened and he was speaking to the man at the door. Then before he knew it, Alva was shouting for him in an urgent tone that certainly made him turn to look. The next minute, there were two people in the door way and it wasn't because Susumu was seeing double. It was because Alva's old boyfriend was here and he used his friend as a ruse.

Before Susumu could utter anything--a defensive spell, perhaps--the ex-boyfriend punched him directly to the throat. Susumu couldn't breathe and for a moment, everything went black. He came to with his back to the wall and Alva's ex-boyfriend saying something to his friend and then suddenly, he was shaking his head like a dog and loosening his grip on Susumu. Taking his chance, Susu shoved him back. A thousand questions ran through his mind but annoyingly, the only sound that came out of his mouth was an undignified croak.

[Aldon Huang]

"What the hell are you doing Rae?!" Josh snapped impatiently, as Aldon reeled and pivoted on his heels, trying to gain a sense of reality from the chaos that was ensuing.

"Rae?! WHERE?" Aldon clapped his smarting hand to his throat, because his voice didn't sound like his voice at all. He stared at the witch that was dating Alva, with the bruise forming on his throat. The one who shoved him. Except he didn't look as tall as Aldon remembered him. "What's going on Josh? Where's Rae? Where am I??"

"...get out of the way," Josh hissed impatiently at him, shoving him even further back while lunging at the witch.

Aldon tried to reach out a hand to stop him but it was too late—he watched, horror-struck, as Josh went down in a heap with the witch. Then, Alva came into view and Aldon goggled at him too. "Alva!"

(Lmao the transition is a hot mess! But I'll assume Ald's here now and keep posting in his account in this thread.)

[Ryland Ren]

Wh-what?

"Alva...?"

He blinked rapidly but the images of some ritzy apartment weren't going away. Nor was the scene of Aldon's friend Josh attacking Alva's new boyfriend. Eyes widening, Ryland attempted to run over to get between them but instead found himself pitching forward and dropping face first onto the ground. The chair he'd been sitting in came down with him, too, resting uncomfortably across his back and...

and...

and...!

His legs! His eyes widened further as he tried to get a look at them.

"My legs! They don't work!"

[Aldon Huang]

"Alva!" Aldon side-stepped the fight (of which he wanted no part in) to run over and help Alva up. Why Alva, of all people, was complaining about his legs not working and sounding deeply shocked was beyond Aldon, and in the heat of the moment he wasn't really in a competent state to figure it all out. Gently easing the chair off of Alva, he tried not to focus on the sounds of fighting behind him while helping Alva back into the chair.

"What's going on Alva?! Why are they fighting??"

Aldon swore he sounded like Rae. Was that normal? The last time he got shot out of the mist and into the streets he didn't sound like Rae—he sounded like himself. Confusion all over his face, he nervously gripped the handles on Alva's chair, prepared to wheel him to safety if need be. Did Alva get shorter too? He seemed... a lot lower down than Aldon remembered.

[Ryland Ren]

Alva?

Rae was calling him Alva... As he was helped up into a chair, he realized that his legs really weren't working. He couldn't force them to move, no matter how hard he willed it and it sent a panic through his core being. He had always taken his ability to use his legs for granted. Alva? He looked down at the legs that were definitely not his and he ran his hands over them now that he was sitting safely in ALVA'S chair. How did... When did he...?

He slowly put his hands up to his face. The nose was definitely all wrong. It was a smaller nose, a pert little nose that he had grown up looking at all his life. He put his hands over his cheeks, smooth cheeks, into hair that wasn't too much unlike his own in length and texture. But the nose. That was definitely his cousin's nose.

"I'm Alva?" He stared at Rae, not even realizing he was asking about why "they" were fighting. But he did hear the fighting, the sounds of two people locked in a gripping fight for supremacy, the grunts and sounds of pain. He stared down at his legs again. "Oh my god, I'm Alva."

[Aldon Huang]

"...yeah? You're Alva?" Was Alva having a mental breakdown or something? Aldon slowly began to pull the chair backwards, into the safety of a room with a door that he could lock. Didn't matter if this was some other guy's house, he figured that he could carry Alva out of a window and into the street if need be—if Josh came out on top, for example, and came after Alva the way he always threatened he would out of Rae's earshot.

"You're Alva." He repeated it in Rae's voice, an inane comment, as he swerved them around a corner and made a dash for what looked like a bedroom. There was a bed inside, anyway. Aldon closed and locked the door and then ran to the window, only to let out a cry of dismay. They were a million floors up! "WHAT THE HELL!" Frazzled, he put a hand to his hair and scunched it up tight, then released it.

"Alva, we gotta get out of here! Something screwy's happening!"

[Ryland Ren]

"How?" He rubbed his temple in agitation. One minute he was reunited with his long lost lover and the next minute, he was Alva. And as much as Ryland dearly loved Alva, he didn't want to be Alva. In fact, he was really freaking out. How did he become him and how did he get back? And Rae kept saying it, like it was obvious. Duh, he was Alva. Good god, he hoped Rae didn't try to make any moves on him. He watched as Rae moved around the room in a state of agitation himself. It wasn't like Rae was ugly but... Ryland never thought this was ever going to be a situation he'd be in. Luckily, Rae seemed more worried about getting him out of the building than making out.

"Calm down," he said, putting out a hand. Knowing how volatile Rae was, he really didn't want him to start swinging and swearing. "I'm sure there's some way out of this... But uh, I think we need Susumu's help and he's getting his head dinged in by Josh out there......"

[Aldon Huang]

Calm down. Yeah. Calm. Down. Good. All he needed to do was calm down, except Josh was trying to tear out Alva's new boyfriend's throat just outside their door and Alva was going crazy and so too was Aldon, he was almost 100% sure. Breathing hard from the mouth, he looked around for another avenue of escape but... well, being this high up, there was only one way down. Unless they could fly, which Aldon sure as hell couldn't.

"What?! Get the witch to help?! He's fighting to the death with Josh right now!!" Did Alva want him, Aldon, to get in the middle of that?! Aldon was notoriously bad with pain. Like, he was pretty sure pain was not normal, and therefore wanted no part of it. He whirled around to stare at Alva, who looked frazzled himself—understandably so, as his boyfriend was getting his head dinged in by a vicious feral.

"You want me—" Aldon jabbed a finger at his own chest. "You want me to go out there and stop Josh?! Even Rae can't stop Josh when he gets in a fight!" Judging by the sounds of the "altercation" outside, Josh was getting well into it with the witch.

[Ryland Ren]

"He probably has something to do with this, though!"

That was all he could think: a witch had to do this and why not this guy? No, no. Alva would have known what was going on, wouldn't he? He would have warned Ryland, especially if he was going to deposit him in his body. But was Alva here with him? Inside the body? Ryland thought at himself: Alva? Alva? You in here? Nothing. It just seemed like him, inside Alva's body. When he looked down at his hands, he knew they weren't his. They were familiar though. He'd seen his cousin's hands a thousand times. He knew these clothes, too. This chair, everything. Somehow, he had been deposited into Alva's body.

Maybe Alva was inside his body...?

No wonder Alva didn't have time to answer his worried messages. There was some kind of weird hostage situation going on. Rae was here to play rescuer...? It seemed like it, except he was being awfully cowardly about it. What little Ryland knew of Rae, he didn't normally say things like that--that he couldn't stop a guy in a fight. He'd do it anyway. He was kind of a reckless asshole that way. And that was why he was here, right? To fight Susumu for Alva?

Wait.

"Did you just refer to yourself in third person?"