Jin could visibly see Taesu-ah defrosting and he smiled, letting out a soft breath of relief. Of all his brothers, Taesu was the one that worried Jin the most and probably the most consistently. They had a shared past that had once exposed to Jin the depth of his brother’s fears and struggles, and it wasn’t something that was easy for Jin to forget, especially when they had a quiet moment to themselves. Though they were similar in so many ways, and they all suffered and found some solace in the trauma bond that tied them together with a little red string, Taesu had never fully surrendered to the belief that anyone could truly, actually care for him. Not even the four other souls that remained by his side, loyally, and indefinitely.
Maybe that was why, at the first hint of returned affection, Jin felt the ridiculous confession bubble up and out into the air between them. He never dared utter such revealing words aloud, to anyone really— because they opened a window into his true sentiments that was so easily weilded like a weapon. By Abeoji or, potentially, those people he declared himself to in the first place. But the words tasted right, even if they were unfamiliar on his tongue, as the gentle tease ruffled his brother’s metaphorical feathers. So right, in fact, he said it twice.
Grinning, Jin snickered to himself and took another bite of Taesu’s food. “Gamsahabnida~” he chirped back, in a sing-songy, playful voice. “Gamsahabnida, Taesu-ah, for giving me a reason to wake up in the mornings.” It was as much jest as it was reality. All his brothers were the reason, and over the years, Jin had needed that. He wasn’t sure where he’d be now if it wasn’t for Abeoji’s collecting them, like a little miserable herd, to keep him going.
He held out another bite for his brother as Taesu changed the subject and pulled back from him. Jin frowned slightly, wiggling his wrist in prompting, but he inclined his head at the words that came out of his brother’s mouth. “The polyjuice?” he echoed, trying to follow the train of thought. “Isn’t… that a good thing?” Jin lowered the chopsticks and his voice along with them. “You don’t have to do that here anymore, ne?” He was about to ask why Taesu-ah would need the potion but the look on his face, or rather the evasiveness with which he spoke, made it clear. "Ah."
Jin let out a soft sigh, thinking. He didn’t know what was going on in their Abeoji’s mind any more than the rest; but it had seemed obvious to him that there would be no more polyjuice if there was no need to perform under disguise. He’d never considered that it might be more comfortable for Taesu that way, hiding behind the mask of another person’s face as he was forced to sing and dance to such atrocities. It was a means of escape; a disassociation of himself from the performance. But he didn’t need to do that anymore because he wasn’t being asked to perform. Somehow, Jin knew that his suggesting that this was a good thing was not going to appease his brother in the slightest.
“Molla,” he admitted quietly, growing somber. “But… is it so terrible to breathe as yourself, just this once?” Jin hedged carefully, then went on quickly before Taesu could snort at him and shut down again. “There will always be ways to find more! I learned how to brew it at Maho and it takes some time, but it’s not that complicated. It’s just… This could be a new opportunity, for all of us.” Jin tried to give an encouraging smile. “You’re so lovely, just as you are, Taesu-ah. Maybe, if you give people a chance to see that, you might meet a new friend who likes you for all of it, not just the parts you want to share.”
Maybe that was why, at the first hint of returned affection, Jin felt the ridiculous confession bubble up and out into the air between them. He never dared utter such revealing words aloud, to anyone really— because they opened a window into his true sentiments that was so easily weilded like a weapon. By Abeoji or, potentially, those people he declared himself to in the first place. But the words tasted right, even if they were unfamiliar on his tongue, as the gentle tease ruffled his brother’s metaphorical feathers. So right, in fact, he said it twice.
Grinning, Jin snickered to himself and took another bite of Taesu’s food. “Gamsahabnida~” he chirped back, in a sing-songy, playful voice. “Gamsahabnida, Taesu-ah, for giving me a reason to wake up in the mornings.” It was as much jest as it was reality. All his brothers were the reason, and over the years, Jin had needed that. He wasn’t sure where he’d be now if it wasn’t for Abeoji’s collecting them, like a little miserable herd, to keep him going.
He held out another bite for his brother as Taesu changed the subject and pulled back from him. Jin frowned slightly, wiggling his wrist in prompting, but he inclined his head at the words that came out of his brother’s mouth. “The polyjuice?” he echoed, trying to follow the train of thought. “Isn’t… that a good thing?” Jin lowered the chopsticks and his voice along with them. “You don’t have to do that here anymore, ne?” He was about to ask why Taesu-ah would need the potion but the look on his face, or rather the evasiveness with which he spoke, made it clear. "Ah."
Jin let out a soft sigh, thinking. He didn’t know what was going on in their Abeoji’s mind any more than the rest; but it had seemed obvious to him that there would be no more polyjuice if there was no need to perform under disguise. He’d never considered that it might be more comfortable for Taesu that way, hiding behind the mask of another person’s face as he was forced to sing and dance to such atrocities. It was a means of escape; a disassociation of himself from the performance. But he didn’t need to do that anymore because he wasn’t being asked to perform. Somehow, Jin knew that his suggesting that this was a good thing was not going to appease his brother in the slightest.
“Molla,” he admitted quietly, growing somber. “But… is it so terrible to breathe as yourself, just this once?” Jin hedged carefully, then went on quickly before Taesu could snort at him and shut down again. “There will always be ways to find more! I learned how to brew it at Maho and it takes some time, but it’s not that complicated. It’s just… This could be a new opportunity, for all of us.” Jin tried to give an encouraging smile. “You’re so lovely, just as you are, Taesu-ah. Maybe, if you give people a chance to see that, you might meet a new friend who likes you for all of it, not just the parts you want to share.”
![[Image: HjIYkam.png]](https://i.imgur.com/HjIYkam.png)
* 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.