While Jin could appreciate that Moon-ssi was trying to be nice, he didn’t for a moment believe that the young yangban was telling the truth. It was that bad… and they both knew it. He accepted the talisman back gracefully however— resisting every urge to crumple the thing. In the end, his pouting got him what he wanted, even if he couldn’t keep up the charade for long.

Moon-ssi’s offer was so hesitant and sweet that Jin broke into a grin, muffling a small laugh. He didn’t know why the other was trying to be so gentle with him; he really, really was terrible at writing. But that closed lip smile and unnatural tension in his shoulders was what did it.

Jin sat up and nodded. “Ne, gamsahabnida,” he agreed quietly. “I know I could use it. And you don’t have to pretend,” he added, wryly. “We both know it’s true.” He pursed his lips together and moved the terrible talisman to the side by the corner as if he was discarding something smelly. Then, smoothing down a new, bright white piece of paper, Jin stared at the empty page. He was sure he could do it with a bit of help. At least enough to get through this assignment.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song

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   Ahn-Bo Jeong

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* Jin takes potions and enchantments at times to give his voice a persuasive quality.
His performances, or even a simple conversation, can sometimes suggest thoughts
and ideas to his audiences.

Ahn-Bo hadn't the slightest idea what Jeong-ssi found funny at first. He had been doing his best to tiptoe around the subject of the vampire's skill level (or lack thereof, rather) since he'd thought him rather sensitive about it. That didn't mean he didn't also grin, though, especially when what they had both been thinking was said out loud. The quidditch player visibly relaxed in relief, the playful smirk returning so naturally as if he were born with it.

"I've seen worse," He persisted, unable to keep the amusement from his voice. Starting fresh seemed to be the best course of action, so Ahn-Bo waited in what he hoped was encouraging silence for Jeong-ssi to try again. He stared at the paper, ready to give whatever advice it was that might be helpful. Jeong-ssi stared at the paper, apparently not ready to do anything at all.

Half of him wanted to continue to play it safe and simply wait patiently for his classmate to begin. The other half told him to be supportive and offer some words of encouragement—though that half was also the side that got him into trouble the most frequently. Ahn-Bo lifted the hand closest to Jeong-ssi and poked him in the ribs, teasingly. "Did you fall asleep, Jeong-ssi?"

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Ahn-Bo speaks in Korean to his family unless otherwise stated in posts.
He has a noticeable accent when speaking in English.

Set by the amazing Fox! • plot with me

The amusement in Moon-ssi’s voice was like welcoming the sun. Jin hadn’t realized how cold it could be without it until it returned to him from places yet unknown. He rolled his eyes playfully in response, still believing none of the gentleness Moon-ssi was spouting.

As he stared down at the blank page, Jin waited for some kind of instruction. Or maybe he was trying to convince himself to start. Either way, he jumped a bit at the poke in the ribs and shied away from Moon-ssi dramatically with a laugh. He was ridiculously ticklish. (Not that Jin knew that, yet.) “Ne, Ne!” He burst out, to a terribly disapproving look from the librarian who happened to be wheeling past. Jin closed his mouth apologetically and stifled another laugh.

“You’re going to get us in trouble!” he whisper-teased back, accusatorially. Then, with less ado, he scribbled out the talisman again on a fresh piece of paper. It, too, looked like it was being run away.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song

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* Jin takes potions and enchantments at times to give his voice a persuasive quality.
His performances, or even a simple conversation, can sometimes suggest thoughts
and ideas to his audiences.

Jeong-ssi's laugh made him burst out laughing, so it was the pair of them that received dirty looks from the librarian. That didn't stop Ahn-Bo from attempting to sober himself, pointing dramatically at the vampire as if to say 'it was him, not me!' That had been the first time he'd heard his friend's laugh, and he found he wanted to hear it again and again. Jeong-ssi had said that he didn't have any friends like Ahn-Bo, bright and cheerful and friendly. So it could be said that maybe nobody else had made him laugh like this. Just Ahn-Bo. It made him feel special, as if he were incredibly important. Possibly even essential. "Sh!!" He chuckled and then in his own dramatic whisper said, "You're being so noisy, Jeong-ssi!"

Whatever had made Jeong-ssi hesitate from scrawling his talisman had seemed to pass... though this wasn't any better than the original. It may have been even worse, in fact. Ahn-Bo preferred not to look at it too closely. "Um... maybe let's try something else," he suggested, "What if I show you and you follow along?" He picked up his own brush and a fresh rectangle, his non-dominant hand holding back the sleeve of his robe. Once Jeong-ssi was ready, he began as slowly as possible, one stroke at a time. It wasn't as easy as he'd thought to explain to put pressure here, release your thumb just at the tip of that curve, flick the tip at the end of this one but only just so.

His own hadn't turned out quite as neatly as usual, but that wasn't what was important anyhow. "How'd it go?" He leaned over to get a good look at what would undoubtedly be Jeong-ssi's best attempt yet.

  

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Ahn-Bo speaks in Korean to his family unless otherwise stated in posts.
He has a noticeable accent when speaking in English.

Set by the amazing Fox! • plot with me

His laugh was as much a surprise to Jin as it was Moon-ssi. He couldn’t remember the last time he made that noise, frankly if ever, and he was almost embarrassed by it. He was grinning like an idiot, trying to suppress it, as Moon-ssi pointed at him when the librarian gave them a dirty, knowing look. He stuck his tongue out at Moon-ssi behind her back and scoffed playfully, aghast at his implication. “Hah!”

They settled in then and he scrawled his talisman hastily, determined to get it right. When he looked up, the expression on Moon-ssi’s face was less than convinced. Jin gave him a wide-eyed, confused look and frowned. Was it that bad? He put his brush down self-consciously and folded his hands into his lap. Maybe it was… The other’s suggestion was a good idea however and so Jin nodded.

They both picked their brushes up and Jin tried it again, watching and trying to enact his motions based on Moon-ssi’s instructions. It wasn’t easy, but some of what he said made sense. Maybe Jin was trying to be too gentle? His inflection points were not obvious enough and the brush seemed ready to wiggle out of his grip. He pushed his tongue up against his front teeth in concentration. By the time they were done, he looked up proudly only to see that Moon-ssi’s talisman was still very legible while his… was runny. Jin frowned again. “I don’t understand why this is so difficult,” he sighed. “It’s just up and over and then down…” he made the motion with the brush in hand in the air. Was he moving his wrist incorrectly?

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song

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   Ahn-Bo Jeong

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* Jin takes potions and enchantments at times to give his voice a persuasive quality.
His performances, or even a simple conversation, can sometimes suggest thoughts
and ideas to his audiences.

"You did better this time!" He scanned over Jeong-ssi's last two attempts, trying to spot something that he could point out as improved. Ah, there! Ahn-Bo pointed just over the paper, careful not to touch the still drying ink. "Your bushu at the end is really close! See how you've got it nearly symmetrical now?" He hadn't even had to invent the compliment either—there was a definite difference between the attempts. A little thrill of confidence shot through his spine, making him sit up a bit straighter. Maybe he could add being good at tutoring to the list of his many talents.

Something occurred to him just then that he didn't know why either of them hadn't thought of (or Ssongsenniem for that matter), but was it possible that Jeong-ssi's issues had to do with the fact that he used his left hand to hold his brush? "Daebak!" Ahn-Bo's exclamation earned another warning look from the librarian, along with a verbal warning that she would kick him out of the library if he didn't quiet down. It wouldn't have been the first time. Nearly vibrating from the excitement of his discovery, he explained in a loud whisper, "You use the brush with your left hand and I use my right—so you've got to do the opposite of me. Start at the bottom of the radical and go upwards instead."

Maybe he should test it out first, before he got Jeong-ssi overly excited about it. (Not that Jeong-ssi had been overly excited about anything thus far... though learning to fly a broomstick had been close.) He pulled a fresh paper rectangle, deliberately looked at the vampire as he switched the brush to his left hand—holding back the sleeve of his robe with his right, as proper positioning required—and then began his attempt.

bushu: radicals (Japanese kanji characters are made up of various components, called radicals) [OOC note: I know absolutely zero about Japanese kanji, so hopefully google is reliable.]
daebak: "Awesome!" or "Amazing!" Used to express excitement and surprise about something really impressive.

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   Seojin Jeong

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Ahn-Bo speaks in Korean to his family unless otherwise stated in posts.
He has a noticeable accent when speaking in English.

Set by the amazing Fox! • plot with me

Moon-ssi’s energy was the only thing keeping Jin even vaguely positive. He desperately appreciated the young yangban’s attempts at finding improvement in his work, despite the fact that there was… very little at all. From his perspective this attempt looked about the same as the others and Jin stuck out his lower lip in frustration. Kanji characters were as difficult for him as Hanja, if not more so because he was less familiar with what they should look like. At least back home Abeoji had put him through some basic tutoring before his first year to learn how to properly read and write and he continued to work on it over the holidays… but Kanji was another beast altogether. Where Jin’s Hanja was a disaster at best, his Kanji was impossible.

The sudden exclamation from Moon-ssi dragged Jin out of his thoughts and he eyed the eager quidditch player wearily. He was a little surprised that Moon-ssi had noticed he used his left hand to write; his tutor was constantly forcing him to change hands and even Seonsaengnim had scolded him once or twice for it— but Jin was (marginally) better this way. He had more control. (And the fact that he tried to write with both, to Moon-ssi’s new point, was probably exactly the problem.) Jin’s eyes lit up briefly as he considered it. Yes! Moon-ssi made a very good point indeed!

Jin watched eagerly as the other made an attempt. It was a little bit wobbly, but the intent there made a lot more sense. He pulled a fresh rectangle and made to imitate the motions. This time Jin felt a little more confident; he was able to hold the brush steady with his other hand holding back his robe and make motions that seemed intentional rather than questioning. The end result was— still squibbly. (But the idea made sense.)

Squinting down at his talisman, Jin frowned. “It’s not much better but I think you’re onto something,” he mused, leaning forward to practically press his nose into the ink as he examined. “The way you moved your hand this time looked easier,” he sat up and turned towards Moon-ssi with a serene expression. “It makes more sense to me this way.” Jin lifted his brush and wiggled it slightly in his grip, trying to trace the characters in the air again. He cracked a sudden grin. “At least it’s not my Hanja,” he joked, self-deprecatingly. “Then I’d be really embarrassed.” And since the school didn’t force them to practice Hanja, Moon-ssi never had to find out the truth.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song
* “By the late 19th century, Hangul had gained wider use among the common people, especially women, but the ruling class still primarily used classical Chinese characters, known as Hanja, for formal writing.”So we’re going with that for Abeoji’s expectations lol

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   Ahn-Bo Jeong

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* Jin takes potions and enchantments at times to give his voice a persuasive quality.
His performances, or even a simple conversation, can sometimes suggest thoughts
and ideas to his audiences.

Ahn-Bo's attempt using his non-dominant hand would have had Sseongsenim throwing it out and making him start over—though it was still better than what Jeong-ssi had produced thus far. It was legible, at the very least. (Not that he'd ever say such a thing, and if his friend brought it up, he would deny it vehemently.) He beamed proudly. His idea seemed to have made it through to Jeong-ssi, who actually seemed excited to try it out. He watched the paper intently, fully expecting a miraculous change in the results. And... there was a change, but it was infinitesimally better.

This was going to take forever if he didn't sort out how to get Jeong-ssi to improve. At this point, he was fully invested, because now it reflected on his ability as well! (He wouldn't admit he understood where their teachers were coming from, but realistically, he kind of did.) He watched as his friend traced the characters in the air (incorrectly.) If only he could just do it for him. Then it would click.

Oh! His own private tutors had helped him with his hanji by holding his hand and moving the brush through the proper movements. It was much easier to communicate the feel of the brush by actually... well, feeling what the brush was supposed to do. "I'll show you this way; maybe that would help," Ahn-Bo said, rising from his chair to stand closer to the vampire.

He had nearly wrapped his hand around Jeong-ssi's but then drew it back quickly. Yesterday, he'd thrown his arm around him no problem. And Ahn-Bo grabbed and pulled at his friends just as much as they did him. He didn't want to make Jeong-ssi uncomfortable, though, so it was probably best to ask first. His cheeks pinkened, "Is it okay?" He lowered his hand to a few inches above Jeong-ssi's to hopefully demonstrate what it was he was asking, because 'Can I hold your hand?' was far too embarrassing to utter to another thirteen-year-old.

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Ahn-Bo speaks in Korean to his family unless otherwise stated in posts.
He has a noticeable accent when speaking in English.

Set by the amazing Fox! • plot with me

Jin was still wiggling his brush in the air, trying to make out a path forward that was reasonable enough to finish this assignment, when Moon-ssi came to another conclusion. The first one had been a flash of brilliance so Jin looked at him eagerly. He’d never imagined Moon-ssi was dumb (maybe just a tiny bit lazy) but here he was, coming up with all kinds of great ideas and breakthroughs! Jin smiled at the thought quietly to himself. He’d never have guessed two days ago that he’d know such a thing, or— that he’d be so glad he did.

Moon-ssi rose from his chair and came around back to which Jin shifted in response, making room for him. Feeling the slightly larger quidditch player behind him, Jin looked over his shoulder briefly and realized what he intended to do. A blush heated his cheeks as he went but it wasn’t until Moon-ssi paused outright and asked if he could continue that Jin felt a small pang. Somehow— he felt like he’d dulled Moon-ssi’s carefree, easy way of being. It was sweet that he was so considerate, but Jin suddenly felt guilty and warm under the collar. He gave a small, nearly imperceptible nod. Maybe if he agreed enough, the effect would wear off. He rather liked Moon-ssi in spite of (or in light of) his carefree, easy informality. At least when it was just the two of them like now, buried between stacks of books. In more public settings it was a good thing to be cautious. He didn’t want to make things any harder for anyone than they already would be.

The moment Moon-ssi’s hand settled on his, Jin forgot what it was he’d been thinking about. A little zip of *something sparked between them and they both pulled back instinctively. He felt some strange little flutter in the pit of his stomach as Moon-ssi carefully made to show him again but, refocusing on the task at hand, Jin trained his eyes on the talisman paper and steadied his arm. He watched as the ink glided over the page and focused on the movement of it. Up, right, lift, and so on. When they were finished, he let out a soft breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding but Moon-ssi stayed beside him.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song
*static electricity

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   Ahn-Bo Jeong

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* Jin takes potions and enchantments at times to give his voice a persuasive quality.
His performances, or even a simple conversation, can sometimes suggest thoughts
and ideas to his audiences.

The little zap had surprised him—and Jeong-ssi too, it would seem. Strange... maybe it meant they were imbuing the vampire's talisman a little bit? That didn't explain why it had happened over a still-unused paper, but it was the only explanation his naive little mind could come up with. Nor did it explain why he felt the need to hold his breath as his hand wrapped around Jeong-ssi's, carefully demonstrating the proper movements.

The little vampire's skin felt cool to the touch. He hadn't expected it. Soon, his mind would be filled with a dozen follow-up questions that were likely invasive. But not yet. In the moment, the only thing he could focus on was how soft and delicate Jeong-sii's fingers were. When they'd finished, he'd let out a soft breath at the same time as Jeong-ssi. Apparently they had both been holding their breath. His heart pounded a bit faster—probably because he'd been holding his breath. He flashed a sheepish grin at Jeong-ssi, in case he'd noticed.

Softly, Ahn-Bo released Jeong-ssi's hand to inspect their handiwork; the typical warmth of the library was a stark contrast from the vampire's touch. "It worked!" He leaned forward to get a better view, accidentally brushing his arm against Jeong-ssi's. The quidditch player tried to play it cool, as if he hadn't noticed. "At least, I think it did. Try again, and let's see." His pink cheeks were a dead giveaway for how he truly felt.

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   Seojin Jeong

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Ahn-Bo speaks in Korean to his family unless otherwise stated in posts.
He has a noticeable accent when speaking in English.

Set by the amazing Fox! • plot with me

The moment Moon-ssi’s hand left his, Jin instantly felt colder. He hadn’t realized in the moment how warm it felt to have Moon-ssi’s hand over his own, almost unusually so. It wasn’t so strange for Jin to be cold the majority of the time; one of the things he’d unfortunately inherited from his father alongside his pallid complexion and pointed canines was a firm lack of circulation. His appendages were always falling asleep and he ran at a cooler temperature than might be normal for non-beings, but it had never been so stark. At least, from the few interactions he’d had with Myeong forever ago it hadn’t seemed like it…

Shaking the thought from his mind, Jin startled a bit as Moon-ssi brushed him again. It was clearly an accident but his cheeks felt fiery; he didn’t dare glance up at the other. Instead, Jin cleared his throat. “Y-ye!” He agreed quickly ducking his head and focusing on the paper. He made the exact same motions over again and the characters danced into existence.

The result was enough to sober Jin into a soft sigh. He’d never been one to cheat but for the first time in his life he wished he could just have Moon-ssi scribble the stupid talisman for him and call it a day. The one they’d done together was honestly the best of the lot. It was definitely passable compared to his usual, anyway. Deciding that was that, Jin pulled a fresh rectangle and sat up very straight. He lifted his hand, pulled his robe away from his wrist, and held the brush over the page in the air before glancing back at Moon-ssi with a very determined look on his face.

“Alright,” he informed the other. “One more time, together, and that will be that.” Whatever came of the effort would be his assignment. They had better things to do than re-write the same dumb talisman over and over and over again. (Right?)

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song

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   Ahn-Bo Jeong

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* Jin takes potions and enchantments at times to give his voice a persuasive quality.
His performances, or even a simple conversation, can sometimes suggest thoughts
and ideas to his audiences.

This was it—this was the moment that he would have fixed it all for Jeong-ssi and... nope. It would be an exaggeration to say that the next attempt had a degree of improvement. The one they'd written together was more accurate—and that was with two people holding the brush, one of whom wasn't even used to writing with his left hand. Ahn-Bo worried that his friend would be frustrated and give up. He would have been sorely tempted to in his position. If it had been any of his other friends struggling, he would have just told them to figure it out and gone about his day. But Jeong-ssi seemed to truly care about this.

"Ye," he agreed, his own determined expression mirroring Jeong-ssi's. This time he was prepared for the spark when their hands touched, though that didn't stop him from holding his breath (nor did it stop his cheeks from burning hotly.) Ahn-Bo tried to be even more deliberate in the way he directed Jeong-ssi's fingers. They'd been working hard at this; surely there would be some type of improvement that would confirm their progress.

While this attempt was better than the last one they'd done together, Ahn-Bo had very low expectations for Jeong-ssi's next and final solo attempt. Which was a good thing, considering he would have been sorely disappointed. "Maybe you just need to keep practicing until it feels more natural," he gave a consolation pat to the vampire's shoulder before stepping away with a self-deprecating grin. "I would offer to help again but I don't think I was very helpful after all."

  

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Ahn-Bo speaks in Korean to his family unless otherwise stated in posts.
He has a noticeable accent when speaking in English.

Set by the amazing Fox! • plot with me

The second time they tried, Jin found it harder to focus on the characters and not on how warm Moon-ssi’s hand was on his. He slowed their motion deliberately and tried to shake the distraction from mind. At some point his tongue pressed up against the back of his teeth again and Jin frowned in concentration. Up, right, lift— left, down, turn— The talisman wobbled, this time literally, as the ink swayed a bit on the page. At least it was working, if only just. The magic he was meant to imbue was there even if it wasn’t as potent or determined as Seonsaengnim would have liked. Jin knew he was never going to be some great court shaman advising and protecting anyone though. He just needed to survive this class without failing.

When they finished, the final result was… ok. It wasn’t great by any stretch of the imagination but Jin figured it was good enough to call it done. (It was certainly better than what he’d managed on his own as yet.) He let out the soft breath he’d been holding and turned, cheeks still warm, towards Moon-ssi. “Gamsahamneida,” Jin said, honestly. “I think this is… good enough for now.” He gave the other a wry grin and fanned the talisman to help it dry a bit before rolling it up. “Seonsaengnim won’t expect me to become an expert overnight,” he reasoned, despite knowing better. “And you did help me, quite a lot actually,” Jin blushed again and dropped his gaze. “I will keep practicing. And I’ll keep your teachings in mind Moon-saengnim.” The latter was said with the hint of a tease as Jin flashed Moon-ssi a warm smile. He appreciated the help tremendously; he just felt bad they’d wasted so much time on it.

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Ahn-Bo Jeong & muse song

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   Ahn-Bo Jeong

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* Jin takes potions and enchantments at times to give his voice a persuasive quality.
His performances, or even a simple conversation, can sometimes suggest thoughts
and ideas to his audiences.

Now it was Jeong-ssi's turn to offer flattery over honesty, but Ahn-Bo didn't mind. As long as his friend wasn't disappointed, he would be satisfied with their efforts as well. Seonsagnim was definitely going to expect him to approve overnight, and they both knew it. It wasn't worth dwelling on at the moment; his last attempt was passable-ish. Maybe next time it would be a bit better.

An unexpected laugh burst out of him at the honorary title that he definitely didn't deserve. That didn't stop him from reveling in it delightedly, though, even as the librarian came over and told them enough was enough and Ahn-Bo needed to leave. He bit his lip to keep another laugh in as they both scooped up their supplies and hoisted their bags over their shoulders. Their next class would be starting soon anyhow.

After their classes ended for the day, Ahn-Bo would invite Jeong-ssi along to quidditch practice. Technically, his friend already knew a fair few of the other players already. That would help him feel more comfortable, wouldn't it? It wasn't like he was going to be near anyone anyway. The stands were typically empty during practice. In the end, the little vampire accepted, and Ahn-Bo spent the entire practice going completely overboard with showing off (to the point that even his friends were annoyed). He could hardly bring himself to care—that look of admiration on Jeong-ssi's face had been entirely worth it.

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   Seojin Jeong

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Ahn-Bo speaks in Korean to his family unless otherwise stated in posts.
He has a noticeable accent when speaking in English.

Set by the amazing Fox! • plot with me