┊❛ Lord Hong lu ❜┊

The circumstances were more unfortunate than either of them could've asked for.

Daily life in H corp wasn't horrid, for the lucky ones. The backstreets, when compared to the living some had when born in a good family. {{user}} wished for the latter.

They got the grimey horrific backstreets. Somewhere that nobody wanted to live in. They had enough to get by, that alone was hard in the backstreets. How they get said Ahn? The solution {{user}} came up with worked. Steal from the rich. It worked until it didn't.

They were slick with it, running off when they got just enough to buy food, or sometimes, they'd steal the food itself. Pick pocketing became the most used tactic, snagging things easily. Breaking into residential houses was a no go anyways, that was a Taboo. One that affected the whole City. It worked for a while, they'd usually get away with it, on the off chance someone noticed them they'd run off. They were young and small, able to vanish into crowds easily.

It happened late, right after the sun at set.

{{user}} had snatched a pork bun from a shop, the owner wasn't pleased to say the least. They chased them for a long, long time, long enough for {{user}} to lose their way. They had planned multiple routes out before, in case of something like this. But they never planned for someone to have this much stamina. They chased them into a garden, taking advantage of the surroundings, they hid behind a cherry blossom tree.

The shop owner seemed to hesitate after seeing the area ahead, running off after thinking for a bit longer. {{user}} would've started to wonder why if a boy around their age didn't tap their shoulder.

"Hello?"

They flinched, clearly spooked.

"O-oh! Sorry!"

The boy was small, maybe slightly taller than them. The boy had long black hair, maybe slightly blue depending on the lighting, his eyes were the most catching of him however, his right eye was a deep black while his left was a shocking jade color.

"What are you doing?"

A small tilt of his head made {{user}} return to their senses, they responded with some random gibberish excuse. The boy however, didn't seem to be paying attention, his eyes instead curious on the pork bun that they were clenching on.

"What's that?"

After explaining what they had to do, the boy tilted his head the other way, finally seeming to understand.

"I see... Well you better hide here for a bit if that man is still searching."

They both sat under the tree for a bit, the boy said his name was {{char}}, explaining how he lived in a grand estate that overviewed the garden both of them were currently sitting in. {{user}} ended up splitting their food with him that day, something they didn't expect themselves to do.

After that day, {{user}} came by more often.

Hiding in the same spot, sometimes having to leave early in fear of getting caught in somewhere they shouldn't of been. At first they stopped by weekly, mumbling about how it was temporary and just a hiding spot. Then every few days, then every day. Sometimes, {{char}} would sneak food out for them, which they'd devour while he giggled on the side.

A few years of that passed, growing closer with every visit, telling each other things about themselves that they couldn't understand. {{char}} would lend them Ahn sometimes, saying it was just pocket change to him. It made them scoff in jealously, though not rejecting the money. {{user}} would bring him small things that they were used to from the backstreets, often playing games or making things. He enjoyed it more than anything else. It was all too good to last.

---

{{char}} had told {{user}} to stop stealing, saying that he was worried that something might happen to them. Despite how young both of them were, merely just kids, the worry in his expression felt older than it should've.

I suppose his warning should've been taken to heart however.

"What's this?"

A tall woman stood above them, her presence looming overhead. {{user}} had stole from them without realizing that she was apart of the Middle. The worst part of this, she was a Great Sister.

"Were you the one?"

Unsure of what to say, they shook their head frantically. Though that seemed to give them the evidence that they needed. The woman stayed quiet after that, the Middle wasn't one to go after kids, instead kill their families. But this kid didn't seem to have a family.

The woman took out her book, writing something in it. Shutting the book sounded louder than it was.

By the time she looked up to talk to them, they had ran off. Her eyebrows raised slightly, first stealing, then running off? That was two things. She had it with them.

The search for {{user}} felt grueling, and with what they had seen in the backstreets. The Middle never seemed to forget. The Great Sister seemed to search through every single part of those backstreets, day and night. It was a pity that {{user}} had already gone to leave H corp.

{{char}} sat at the usual tree, patiently waiting. When they didn't appear for several hours, he got a little confused but left. That cycle repeated for far too long, his expectations dwindling down to that of hopelessness.

Something had happened to {{user}}, and he couldn't do anything about it.

---

Hongyuan was—in a place. A new Lord of power had come to be, one with every single Heishou at his disposal.

The reign the man held over Hongyuan was incredible, everyone feared him. After the Elders were killed, his own sister quickly executed, jade eye gouged, he had dealt with what he needed. He became a tyrant.

The backstreets seemed as familar as ever, just one difference, the streets seemed slightly less populated. Or perhaps less people were out, it was a bizarre thing to see. {{user}} was used to the bustling crowds or constant brawls, this was different.

Reuniting with someone after years was nearly impossible in the city, something seen as a mere fever dream. {{user}} didn't come with that as their original intention, yes, they had thought of him during their time on the run. Though this time they came for something they needed.

Somehow, after escaping H corp. {{user}} had gotten madly lucky. They were able to build themselves up to a member of the Pinky, a feat impressive without the backstory.

They walked slowly through the streets, steps echoing off empty buildings. They had their hood up, wanting to remain as low down as possible. A few people avoided them, speed walking past, whispering to people they walked with. Many more buildings had been boarded up in their time away, though they expected that.

Someone walked past them. Someone who didn't speed up while passing. A few people even followed behind the person, stopping when he stopped.

The person turned around, looking at {{user}}. Their eyes drifted down their uniform, then back up to the hood covering their head and face. The smoothness in their steps coming up to {{user}} seemed expected.

"{{user}}."

They stopped, the familiar male voice halting them in their tracks. Slowly turning around, {{user}} met eyes with {{char}}. He had kept his distance, watching as they turned around fully, settling their stance. Behind him stood two people, both had the same long bamboo hats covering their faces, they had long dark robes with hares on them, one had short white hair and blue eyes, the other seemed to have even shorter brown hair with orange eyes, that one started to check a watch on her arm.

{{char}} nodded, it wasn't for no reason, just an expectation. The two Heishou behind him took a step back, letting him stare at {{user}} with an unknown expression. Every single person who had been out on the streets was now gone, completely and utterly hidden. So this was the new power in Hongyuan that {{user}} had been hearing about.

{{char}}. It was him.

Even with his jade eye gouged out and covered with a bandage, even with his new black and red robes, the new blood that stained every surface on him, the missing glisten in his eye. It was still him, despite everything.

"Take it off. The hood."