Chapter Text
Somewhere Atop a Mountain Near Gucheon-ri ~ The Soulmates
The star-crossed pair gaze outwards across the sprawling, rain soaked plains that stretched below, pressed together chest-to-back as the icy wind dances around them.
“I waited for you, Elizabeth. Every day, hoping you’d come back to me,” says the taller of the pair, grabbing at the shoulders of his partner and spinning him around to look deeply into his sweet, brown eyes.
“What if I didn’t want you to wait, Jacque?” says the smaller man huskily, covering his eyes with the back of one hand and turning away like he can’t stand to look at the other any longer.
There’s a choked sob, as the first drops his grip on his lover and dramatically clutches at his heart. “How could you say that to me?” he cries, handsome face screwed up in agony.
At this Jimin breaks into a fit of giggles. “Okay, okay, we need to focus!”
Taehyung nods stoically, “Anything for you, My love,” he says, in the same dramatic voice as before.
Jimin has to bite his lip to stifle another giggle. “Taehyungie!” he cries, pushing at his boyfriend's chest in playful warning, “I really can’t laugh while doing this, Okay?”
Taehyung grins at him boxy and lopsided, proud of making him laugh. He's become himself once more as he mimes zipping his mouth shut and throwing away the key.
Jimin lets out a steadying breath and closes his eyes, slowly raising his palms to face open across the expanse of land below them. There’s a moment of stillness, where the only movement comes from the wind whipping around their face and ankles, pulling at their clothes and biting their skin. Then Jimin’s body slowly floats upwards off the rocky ground. His eyes snap open, completely white, when he reaches full height. The wind swirls around just him now, stirring up dust from the floor in a little vortex and getting in Taehyung’s eyes. He moves back to give Jimin space to work.
Lifting his arms skywards and throwing his head back in a silent scream, Jimin sends white light from his palms and mouth into the clouds. It makes them crackle and rumble in the distance with the excess electricity.
This afternoon the pair have been manipulating the weather for the coming week. Reading the patterns of the current systems through Jimin’s affinity with weather and predicting forthcoming phenomena with Taehyung’s divination. It's not what either of them had thought they'd be using their magic for back when they started university, but that was before they knew each other, before they knew the Min brothers. Yoongi once made a joke at the market about them being the most successful meteorologists in the nation, which led to them being known as The Weather Boys to the villagers of Gucheon-ri. Jungkook teases them about it but they don’t mind. It’s cute.
Whilst manipulating, they don’t like to mess with nature too much. So they only make sure storms do the least amount of significant damage, or just miss the areas of farming that are particularly vulnerable or important at that time. Or in periods of drought, they ensure there’s enough sprinkles of rain throughout to give the plants and animals a helping hand without completely disrupting the seasons of the landscape.
When they’re finished for the day they make their way down the mountain hand in hand to their car. They're soaked to the bone from the small rain cloud that Jimin had accidentally summoned during the process, but neither grumble. It's a common occupational hazard for them.
They drive along the winding country roads, heads bobbing in tandem as they sing along to the radio all the way to the little Hanok their coven calls home. It’s a sweet, old building tucked amongst townhouses and low-rise apartment blocks. One of the only traditional homes left in the area, it’s been passed down through the Min family for generations.
Always home to a witch or two.
As Taehyung and Jimin make their way through the courtyard garden, hopping from stepping stone to stepping stone like little frogs making their way across a pond, they can see the living room aglow with warm light from the fireplace.
“Told you they’d be home.”
“Your powers astound me more every day,” says Jimin teasingly, as he gestures to the rooftop chimney, “Reading smoke signals in the sky now.”
Taehyung grins, “I’m sorry you can’t be a powerful oracle like me,” he says as he shucks his shoes off, stepping up onto the decking and sliding open the door. “Honeys, we’re home!”
~~~~~
Home ~ Jungkook
Jungkook glances up from the long wooden table where he’s sitting, pouring candles. “Welcome home, Hyungdeul,” he says distractedly, reaching for a new jar to fill with fresh wax.
The pair remove their dripping outer layers, hanging them on the coat rack by the door and then shuffling towards the fireplace to warm themselves. As Jimin twists and turns, making sure all parts of his body are being dried, Taehyung gazes into the flames, eyes far away.
Jimin smiles as he notices, but doesn’t interrupt. Eventually Taehyung comes back to the room and turns to look at Jungkook over his shoulder.
“Who lit this?” he asks, in the voice he uses when he’s trying to be casual, but the excitement is clear in the giddy edge to it.
“Hyung did,” says Jungkook, lifting an interested eyebrow, “Why?”
Taehyung’s cheeks bunch up as he wiggles his own brows, looking sly, “No reason,” he says mysteriously.
Before the maknae can complain about Taehyung’s antics, Jimin butts in sulkily. “Jungkookie, can’t you just dry us off,” he pouts, now holding his socks up in front of the fire, “I’m tired.”
Typical Jimin, always saving Taehyung's butt. Jungkook sighs, they're lucky he loves them so much. Not that he says it out loud. Vocalisation of such things doesn't run in the blood.
He finishes the candle he's pouring and then gets up from the table and makes his way over to the pair. Jimin flashes him a charming grin that's got the pair out of countless amounts of trouble. Jungkook can't help but smile back, it's probably fairy magic or something. He places a hand on each of their shoulders and sends a drying heat down through the clothes, making them feel freshly pressed. He hasn’t quite got a hold of drying hair yet - the last time he’d tried Jimin had cried for a week about his fried ends - so he leaves that to be towelled off instead.
“Thank you, Bun!” chorus Taehyung and Jimin, each pressing a fleeting kiss to his forehead. He pushes them away with fond slaps before they skip off to their bedroom.
Not long later, Yoongi comes out from his work room, “Did I hear the kids?”
Jungkook, back at the table finishing off the last three candles, looks up at his brother murmuring a quick positive response. Yoongi pads to the kitchen to refill his cup with coffee. He’s been in his work room all afternoon drawing out a protective sigil for the baker’s son to burn into his delivery cart.
“Hyung, you always call them that, but I’m the Maknae,” Jungkook wonders aloud, as he lightly taps the jar he’s working on against the table to remove air bubbles.
Just then there’s a screeching from Jimin and Taehyung’s bedroom, followed by a dramatic cry of, “I’ll save you, ELIZABETH!!”
Yoongi looks at Jungkook with a raised brow and Jungkook nods understandingly. Point made.
“Besides, you haven’t been a kid since Halmeoni died,” continues Yoongi as he turns to fiddle with the coffee canister to avoid eye contact, “You’re my kid brother, but sometimes I wonder who's the eldest around here, me or you.”
Jungkook rolls his eyes at the back of Yoongi’s head. Like Yoongi wasn’t the one to take over the family business at 17, looking after the village and Jungkook all by himself. Like he hadn’t been adamant that Jungkook leave the nest for university whilst he stayed back.
“Okay, you know that’s an exaggeration because you’re practically an Ahjussi. I’m still in the prime of my youth,” Jungkook says.
Yoongi huffs a laugh, grinning gummily at him over his shoulder and tapping at his teeth, “Still got me gnashers though.”
It makes Jungkook giggle, and that makes Yoongi smile harder before he turns back to his drink. That’s always been there dynamic. They keep it light even when the situation is anything but. Yoongi takes care of him, gently and carefully, while pretending not to. Well thought out actions are hidden behind a goofy remark or a dismissive shrug of the shoulders. He prefers it that way and so Jungkook lets it be. But sometimes he wishes that his Hyung would acknowledge how much responsibility he has, and how much he’s helped people.
“So how are the candles for the market going?” asks Yoongi, finally done with his drink and now leaning casually against the counter.
“Nearly done,” Jungkook says, gesturing for Yoongi to look.
He wanders forward, glancing over them and nodding satisfactorily. They decided to create some general candle spells for sale at the markets one of the village farmers sells their produce at. Usually the spells they create are specific, for individuals, but the farmer mentioned there had been interest when he told a customer about one he’d purchased. And extra money is never bad.
“I’ve got a delivery for Lee Daesung-ssi tomorrow, so I can take them to Kang Farm afterwards.”
“Alright, sounds good,” says Jungkook, getting up from the table to rummage around the cupboard for some good snacks. After he’s done pouring the candles he’s going to play some Genshin and he doesn’t want to have to get up from his blanket nest. “Hey, did we run out of Banana Kicks?”
“I saw Tae eat a packet last night, but you didn’t hear it from me.”
Jungkook closes the cupboard door, a packet of Honey Butter crisps under his chin and a box of Choco Pie under his arm. He narrows his eyes in the direction of the soulmates’ room but doesn't make a move to confront him. He’ll have the last of the probiotic yoghurt for breakfast instead.
Yoongi laughs, making his way back towards his work room.
“Oh, Hyung!” Jungkook calls out, dropping his haul onto the table for now. He’s still got the last two candles to pour.
His brother stops with his hand on the door handle and looks back at him expectantly.
“Full moon is coming up,” he starts.
“5 days, February the 27th,” says Yoongi automatically, making Jungkook laugh.
“Someone's keen.”
Yoongi’s hand flies off the door handle and into his hair, brushing it back off his forehead in a not so subtle move of nerves.
“Uh, yeah. Just looking forward to charging the crystals, they’ve lost their oomph you know?”
It’s a lame excuse. And Jungkook wants to ask the real reason why his Hyung is looking forward to it, but he knows he’ll spook Yoongi if he goes in too direct, so he lets it slide for now.
“Sure, Hyung,” he says, raising a hand in a small wave to indicate that Yoongi is free to scurry away from the conversation at his leisure. He takes the offered ‘out’ immediately, sliding the door to his work room open and giving a jerky wave to his brother when he closes it. He doesn't even bother to ask what Jungkook had originally meant to ask about.
~~~~~~
Home ~ Yoongi
Inside the room, Yoongi puts his mug of coffee down and stands with his hands on his hips as he stares at his desk. He probably got away with it. Probably definitely. Jungkook is a smart kid but he can be clueless. Yes, it’s all good.
He sits down in his chair and pulls it in towards the table.
The reminder of the date, brings his mind back to the subject he’d been mulling over for the past few weeks. This is THE month. He’s doing it.
He’s going to talk to Kim Namjoon.
~~~~~~
Home ~ Kim Namjoon
The morning sunlight pouring in through the ceiling-to-floor windows has the high rise apartment aglow. The white marble countertops, stainless steel appliances and spotless ivory walls reflect light around the room to the extent that sunglasses wouldn’t be amiss.
Namjoon has been making his usual rounds in the living space, saying “Good Morning” to his house plants and ensuring they’re sufficiently fed and watered.
“Looking a little bit dreary today?” he says, fingering the heart-shaped leaves of the philodendron. He checks the moisture level in the soil by sticking his finger in. It’s dry for the whole length of it. He mustn’t have given it enough of a drink yesterday, poor thing. He uses his wand - he’s working on wandless magic for his water charms but he’s not quite there yet - to create a shower of water. And then presses his palm to the soft dirt, sending an absorption charm down into the soil for good measure.
The plant immediately looks healthier, and Namjoon moves on with a smile.
The last of his babies to receive his love and attention is his bonsai. He lingers with it, telling it about the part he’s just read in his book and what he has planned for the day. The little tree preens at the attention, bristly leaves rustling faintly, as if a breeze passes through them, when he says something particularly interesting.
He fetches himself a coffee and then returns to sit on the sofa beside the small table the tree is kept on, protected by charms to make sure it gets just the right amount of light in the bright apartment.
“I hope I see some crabs today. Last time I went to Igidae Park we’d just had a storm and they must’ve all gone into hiding, but we’ve had pretty good weather recently so hopefully there will be some.”
He enjoys the ocean view as he chatters on. It’s a vital part of his morning routine. Living in Marine City means that he has numerous beaches at his fingertips, but it also means living in a concrete jungle. It’s not like Busan is as busy as New York by any means, or not even Seoul. But there’s still a lot more pavement and a lot less nature than Namjoon’s magic truly craves.
He’s nursing his second cup of coffee and telling the bonsai about how he plans to rope Hoseok into a trip to Upo Wetlands sometime soon when Jin appears from his bedroom. He’s looking perfectly polished in head to toe designer clothes, stylishly quiffed hair and tastefully expensive accessories.
“Morning,” the eldest of their coven greets, pouring his own cup and walking to the couch. He picks up the remote and turns the large flat-screen TV on, hoping to catch the news before he leaves.
On the screen, an equally well made-up woman is standing prim and proper beside a police chief as he makes a statement to the press regarding a series of high profile robberies. Jin groans loudly and switches it off with a flourish of his wrist. Not bothering with the remote.
“You should really stop that,” Namjoon says, “You know our magic messes with human hardware.”
“Who cares,” says Jin, taking a long sip of his drink, “She’ll just buy a new one. Probably better. Actually that’s a good idea. Maybe if I malfunction she’ll just replace me !”
Namjoon looks at his Hyung in equal parts exasperation and sympathy. The way he’s dressed only means one thing.
“Family brunch today then?”
Jin nods dejectedly, “Technically, but it might as well be an official review at this point.”
His Eomma is a well known Enchantress that works with the government to aid in the investigation of large scale crime. She uses her magic to compel suspects to tell the truth about their involvement and also rat out their accomplices. Jin also suspects that she uses her powers to send these people back in, under her control, to work as spies, but that isn’t officially recognised.
Jin was born with the family knack for enchanting as his Eomma, but the idea of enthralling people or animals has never sat right with him. He prefers applying his charms to inanimate objects, to make them more useful for everyday people. But she still expects that Jin will turn his powers to follow in her footsteps.
Once she realises it won’t happen, all the support the coven receives financially is sure to be rescinded. So he doesn’t directly defy her. But Namjoon knows that living in the apartment she provides makes Jin uncomfortable. He’s working hard alongside his Hyung to save money so they can move out and Jin can feel freer. But it’s not easy with her constant watchful eye.
Namjoon wishes him luck, as his Hyung chugs down the last of his coffee and then stands up and stalks to the dishwasher to place his cup inside. Jin nods a thank you, standing at the large round mirror near the door to double check his hair and subtly applied make-up.
“And Hyung, do you have time to stop by the roof?”
Jin checks his Rolex, “Can do. Better make sure Seokie gets some real breakfast in him. As much as he might like to think he’s photosynthetic he does actually need food like the rest of us.”
Hoseok, a light witch and the third and final member of their coven, likes to start his day with sun salutations on the communal roof space.
Namjoon considers pointing out that both of them have only consumed coffee so far that morning, but then thinks better of it with Jin’s current state.
“Thanks Hyung!” he calls, as Jin rushes out of the door.
Namjoon goes to change from his pyjamas into board shorts and a t-shirt. He’ll shower when he gets back from the beach since he’ll get covered in salt and sand anyway. When he emerges, Hoseok is in the kitchen with a glass of water. When he sees Namjoon, he giggles loudly, covering his mouth and beckoning for him to come forward.
“Sunscreen,” he remarks, as he rubs the missed lotion in above Namjoon’s eyebrow.
“Thanks Hobah,” says Namjoon, holding still for his friend to examine the rest of his face.
“Alright! You’re done!” Hoseok announces with a grin, slapping his butt as he turns to walk away. “Pabo,” he mutters fondly.
With anyone else Namjoon would feel silly, but he knows Jin and Hobi understand. Kim Namjoon is a genius witch with a tendency for obliviousness about the tedious little details of life such as a stray smudge of sunscreen, or making sure his t-shirt is on the right way round.
Hoseok always jokes it’s because his brain is too preoccupied with more important things, like solving world hunger, or trigonometry. Jin prefers the explanation that it’s only fair that he’s balanced out. An act of God.
Whatever it is, Namjoon is glad he has his brothers to keep him organised.
He does make sure that he grabs a granola bar and that Hobi is sitting down with a bowl of cereal himself before he leaves the house.
“See you later!” he calls, “Hyung will be late so I’ll pick up Jajangmyeon for dinner.”
Practically a domestic king.
~~~~~~
Lunar Gathering ~ Namjoon
“Namjoon, don’t you dare leave that iced coffee in the car,” calls Seokjin over his shoulder, waist deep in the trunk of the car, fishing out some equipment as Namjoon slams his own door shut, heading towards the tent to set his babies down.
He looks over his shoulder and sees the offending object sitting in the centre console, the face of some famous idol who promotes the brand grinning up at him from the bottle tauntingly. Huh! He’d forgotten they purchased it during their pitstop at the petrol station.
Tentatively, he rests the crate in his arms on the roof of the car, opening the door and reaching through to grab it. Still cold. Winning.
He hears his Hyung muttering about how long the smell of spoiled milk takes to get out of the fabric of the seats, but ignores him. Slotting the bottle in between two of the logs in the crate, he picks it up again and heads towards the tent once more.
Ducking his head to avoid bumping it on the metal bar that runs along the top of the entry, he lets the flaps of the opening brush over his shoulders as he makes his way through it. The disparity between the inside and the outside has long lost its effect on Namjoon. After years of camping in Manyeo's Field for the monthly full moon gathering, he is used to the way the little one-man tent has been modified to hold three bedrooms, a sitting area and a kitchen.
“I’m leaving these on the table,” he calls to Hoseok, who is unloading a shopping bag in the kitchen.
“Sure,” Hoseok responds distractedly, “Hey, can you ask Hyung if there’s another bag in the car? Because I can’t find the ramyeon.”
Namjoon heads back out to the car to find Jin talking with someone. Namjoon doesn’t recognise them, but that’s not surprising. People are drawn to Jin. It’s part of his magic. His powers in enchanting make him incredibly charismatic. Strangers can’t help but want to approach him. It makes him reluctantly popular at these kinds of events.
The irony of an extreme introvert with the power to charm.
Namjoon quickly assesses his Hyung’s expression and deems this interaction one of those in nature. Time to intercept.
“Hyung!” he calls, “Hobah needs your help with something.” He throws his most sympathetic face at the stranger as he says it, and Jin does the same, saying a quick farewell before picking his bags back up off the floor and jogging into the tent.
Namjoon searches the back of the car for another shopping bag himself but comes up empty handed. Frowning, he slams the car boot shut and heads back inside.
“Thanks, Joon,” Jin calls from his bedroom when he sees him enter. “He was telling me about his great-grandfather’s cauldron polishing regime and I was running out of polite things to say.”
Namjoon snorts. “No worries. Hey, you didn’t bring another shopping bag in did you?”
“Nope.”
Looks like it will be a ramyeon-less trip after all.
~~~~~~
Lunar Gathering ~ Seokjin
After unpacking, Namjoon begins setting up his work station outside the tent and Hoseok goes to buzz around to different covens being the actual social butterfly of the group. Left to his own devices, Jin decides to visit Hyejin. Ever since he’d been seriously thinking about what to do with his magic, independently from his Eomma, he’s been meaning to talk with her.
He’s seen her at Lunar Gatherings many times since graduation of course, their covens are on good terms with one another, but they’ve only caught up from a social standpoint. He doesn’t know exactly what she’s doing for work in their shared field of magic.
When he gets to their tent, he calls out, “Yoo hoo! Anyone home?”
“Seokjin Oppa, is that you?” replies a voice from inside.
“Sure is. Shall I come in?”
There’s a giggle and then Wheein’s face pops out of the hangings. “Yo,” she says holding her fist out for Seokjin to bump. Before his knuckles make contact with hers, another voice from inside calls out and it makes him pause.
“No, don’t encourage her! She started greeting people that way ironically and now she can’t stop!”
There’s panic in Wheein’s eyes at being called out. Then she punches forward, knocking her knuckles against Jin’s painfully before yelling, “No take backs!” and rushing back inside the tent, cackling gleefully.
When he follows her inside he finds Byulyi sitting on a plush sofa, phone in hand as she looks at her admonishingly, “You’re a child.”
Wheein sticks her tongue out and pokes her cheeks adorably. It’s enough to crack Byulyi’s faux stern attitude and make her smile fondly. “You’re a menace.”
“You love it,” quips Wheein, throwing herself down on the couch beside her. “Anyway, Oppa. What brings you to our humble abode?”
Jin laughs, taking his own space in one of the squishy armchairs opposite. “Just came to check in on my favourite coven.”
Both girls grin. “You smooth talker,” Byulyi laughs. “But Unnie isn’t here”
Jin rolls his eyes. Byulyi likes to tease him about the fact that he’d once had a crush on her now girlfriend, and the eldest of their coven, Yongsun.
“You’ll never let that go will you?” he sighs.
Byulyi shakes her head gleefully, “It’s much too fun. Especially when Unnie is around and your ears go all red.”
“Aww, don’t pout, Oppa,” says Wheein, at the way Jin just sits and sulkily takes the teasing, “It’s cute!” she says springing up out of the chair again and reaching forward to boop his nose.
Jin swats at her hand, but misses, making the girls giggle louder.
“I take it back. You’ve been demoted. Jackson’s coven is my favourite now!”
Byulyi lets out a bark of laughter, “Name three of them fast.”
Jin considers for a minute and then shows her a rude gesture instead, making the girls cackle.
“See Oppa! We’re irreplaceable in your heart,” Wheein trills, before skipping off towards the kitchen. She stops suddenly in place, standing stock still for a moment, staring into nothingness. “Oh, Hyejin is on her way back. Unnies staying behind,” she says once the premonition is complete, and then she’s off towards the kitchen again.
“There we go, you’re safe,” Byulyi smiles.
Wheein soon returns with drinks for them each, and a bowl of crisps under her arm. And when they’ve nearly finished the bottles, Hyejin arrives.
She comes almost tumbling through the tent entrance, over laden with bags and a broomstick tucked under arm. Her hair is messy and in her eyes, as she uses her chin to hold her hat to her chest.
Byulyi automatically stands up to relieve her of the bags, and Wheein uses her wand to make her broomstick and hat float to the dedicated hooks alongside the entry.
“Thanks loves. Flying conditions were atrocious. So damn windy,” Hyejin says rearranging her hair, and then noticing Jin’s presence she smiles, “Oh, Hi Oppa!”
“Hey Hyejin,” he greets, standing up, “I was going to pick your brain a bit, but I think you need to rest first.” He gestures to the other armchair.
“What’s the time?” she asks, looking around anxiously.
“Still plenty of time until the bonfire,” says Byulyi, “Sit down and Unnie will get you a drink.”
Hyejin was actually the first of the coven that he met. Once she found out that Byulyi and him were same-aged friends, she made sure to introduce them, and the rest is history. But he’s got a particular soft spot for his Dongsaeng in the same field. She’s sweet, talented and works hard. And perhaps most importantly for him, she doesn’t like his Eomma.
Many of the other witches in the same department as them treated him differently when they found out who his Eomma was. But not Hyejin. She had barely concealed a grimace when she heard the professor he had been helping in the orientation for first year students mentioned the connection, and that very day Jin had asked her if she was free for lunch.
It was nice to know that if they were to be friends, it would be through his own virtues. And thankfully everything worked out.
“It’s alright, Oppa. I’m fine now I’m off my feet,” says Hyejin, raising her legs and dropping them across Wheein’s own for dramatic effect. “What’s up?”
“I wanted to ask you what you’ve been working on lately, get some fresh perspectives you know?”
Hyejin shoots him a knowing smile and happily explains that lately her work has mostly been in charming people to getting over their fears or bad habits. “It’s similar to how humans use hypnosis, but more effective,” she winks.
Unlike his Eomma’s morally questionable brand of magic, it’s a use of compelling humans that Jin can’t argue with.
“That actually sounds really great,” he says, “I’d love to see it in action one day, if you and a client would be okay with it?”
Hyejin grins, “Sure! Let me know when you’re free and we can make it work.”
He doesn’t think it’s an application of magic he wants for himself, but it will be good for him to learn about nonetheless. It’s nice to see his powers through a fresh lens, because sometimes he can’t see the good in them.
While waiting for the bonfire to start, the pair discuss various options for Jin to explore. Although he has talked with Namjoon and Hoseok about it, it’s nice to discuss things with a friend of the same gift. Specifically one he knows won’t let word slip to the very woman he wants to keep it from until the last possible moment.
When they eventually make their way to the bonfire pit, in the centre of all the tents, Jin says farewell to the girls and goes in search of Namjoon and Hoseok.
Namjoon is easy to find as he’s loitering close to the tent so he doesn’t have to be too far from his plants. This month he has brought three Moonflower Cacti to try and bloom under the full moon, and they are sensitive plants so he has been paranoid about caring for them since he received them from a seller.
Hoseok is harder to wrangle.
Just as the district lead organiser is about to start her welcome speech, Jin spots him chatting to a boy with a cute bunny smile. Regardless, there’s no time for flirting!
He waves his arms to get his attention, and when that doesn’t work he sends a poking charm his way. The little ball of light zooms from the tip of his wand, chaotically zooming left and right, up and down to dodge the crowd. Eventually it makes it to it’s target and Hoseok lets out an undignified shriek.
It makes the bunny boy laugh at him.
Hoseok turns to look angrily into the crowd. He knows his assailant. It’s a favourite technique of Jin’s afterall. He just doesn’t know where he is.
When he finally spots Jin he narrows his eyes further. He turns to the boy, saying something that makes him laugh again and waves him off happily, before storming towards Jin.
“About time you joined us,” he says smugly, side-stepping as Hoseok tries to flick him on the nipple in retaliation.
His response is drowned out by the voice of the district lead organiser booming across the space, her wand held against her neck to magically amplify the sound.
“Welcome everyone!” she says, smiling into the crowd, “I trust you’ve all had a pleasant and productive month since we saw each other last. I’m so happy to see you all for another night of rejuvenation, networking and magical exchange under the potent light of a beautiful full moon.”
Her speech is short and sweet. She welcomes the young witches amongst them, coming to socialise and form the first important bonds that will lead to covenship. She pays respects to the older, more experienced witches. And she lets everyone know that if they need anything she’ll be outside her tent throughout the evening.
And then the bonfire is lit, and the night officially begins.
~~~~~~
Lunar Gathering - Yoongi
The tent that Yoongi’s coven uses is much older. It’s leftover from when his parents used to attend lunar gatherings, over two decades ago. It’s still larger on the inside than it appears, but it’s smaller than the more modern ones. Made for a nuclear family. And it’s dated.
Calling the kitchen appliances retro would be kind. Especially when cupboard handles keep disappearing and no amount of fixing charms on new ones seem to do the trick. The charm that adheres the fittings to the tent must be faltering. Soon the furniture will start going.
They’ve improved what they can with spells to clean and update the paint and upholstery, but in regards to furnishings, they’ll probably need to purchase a new one.
Sitting cross-legged on the double bed, Yoongi pulls out the containers of crystals and trinkets they’ve brought to be charged. He’ll wait until the area around the bonfire has dispersed a little bit before going out to the front of the tent and starting to draw up the sigils in the ground.
The kids have gone socialising. The gatherings are more for them in that way. Of course Yoongi recognises the importance of magical exchange and collaboration, but he prefers the company of fewer witches. Especially since many of the covens here are from well established families.
It’s not been explicitly said by anyone, but he can feel the way some covens look at them with judgemental eyes. He knows how they look to outsiders. Young and scrappy. No money or connections.
It’s probably why it confuses people that the soulmates decided to join them.
A soul-mated pair is rare, and their connection makes for powerful magic. Especially considering Jimin’s fairy heritage. For Jimin and Taehyung to then turn around and join a coven of two unknowns was a strange move. But those two are strange. In the best of ways. They never do things because society says they should. They live by their own morals and standards. They dance to a rhythm only the two of them can truly hear.
And to Yoongi, that makes them endlessly admirable.
He’s also incredibly grateful for the way they took Jungkook under their wing. He was a shy, little country witch when Yoongi shooed him off to university. Their friendship, or brotherhood really, had allowed him to blossom. He’d grown into the confidence he deserved. It was something he’d never have been able to give him alone.
So although he doesn’t say it much out loud, he hopes the way he treats them lets them know his grateful heart.
So while the kids flit around and do this and that, Yoongi usually sits by the tent, looks after the moon charging and enjoys the atmosphere. Sometimes he’ll be approached, sometimes he won’t.
But one witch in particular has caught his eye.
When he first saw Kim Namjoon he was being chased. A guy, who Yoongi later found out to be his convenmate Kim Seokjin, had enchanted a spatula as a prank. It was following his clumsy running around the vicinity, trying to bonk him on the head, as Seokjin laughed, loud and goofy.
After realising that he wasn’t going to outrun the thing, Namjoon had turned to challenging it head-on instead. He’d attempted some (very poorly executed) Taekwondo moves against it, to only louder guffaws of laughter from his friend.
Yoongi had quietly watched, utterly endeared by the sweet, lumbering witch. It had been summer then, and the amount of smooth, muscular, tan skin on display, thanks to a blessed tank top and short combo, was much appreciated.
Ever since, Yoongi has kept an eye out for him during the gatherings. And he’s grown more and more fond. He knows now that Namjoon is a plant witch, and the way the large man so gently cares for them makes Yoongi’s heart swell.
He’d once seen him at the patch of forest on the far side of the field. Yoongi had been there experimenting with practicing drying spells on leaves, seeing which plants were a viable option for Jungkook who was still struggling with drying living things. Namjoon had been digging in the roots of a tree near the forest entry and talking to himself encouragingly when he entered.
Yoongi had worked up the courage throughout his whole visit to approach him on his way back to camp, asking him about what he was working on, but when Yoongi was finished Namjoon was already gone.
So they haven’t talked much, or at all really. Since the only words Yoongi has uttered to the guy are quiet greetings that so far have been unreturned. He’s not sure the plant witch even hears him, or maybe he just doesn’t know who he is. It wouldn’t be surprising.
But tonight is the night. He has decided he is going to be direct. He is going to approach Namjoon and talk to him. A proper conversation.
He just needs a tiny bit of time to work his courage up to the task.
~~~~~~
Lunar Gathering ~ Namjoon
It had started with a video Namjoon saw on his ‘Plant Dad’ Insta feed. The Moonflower Cacti, a special plant that only blooms once in its lifetime, only during the full moon, and decomposes within 2 hours of blooming. He’d spent weeks looking for a supplier, the plant isn’t native to Korea after all.
But he’d finally got his hands on some. Three of the beauties.
He’d travelled to Jeollanam to an eccentric old witches greenhouse and grafted them from the tree they had then growing on, onto three separate logs.
The moonflower grows epiphytically, meaning it attaches to the outside of other plants and takes its moisture from them. Jin had called it a vampire when Namjoon explained, but in reality there’s no negative affect to the host plant.
What drew Namjoon to the plant was not only the thrill of witnessing it’s short blooming period but also the fact that it contains a potent poison. Or more accurately, it produces a potent poison in the small window of time the flower blooms. One so powerful it could take down a dragon.
This had regained Seokjin’s interest, until Namjoon revealed that the flowers release an acrid smell as they begin to decompose.
“Vampire poisons are cool and all but you can keep the flower farts to yourself,” he’d said, patting Namjoon on the arm as he left the table.
Hoseok had been more confused as to why Namjoon wanted a poison in the first place.
“Well, I’m so glad you asked Hobah!” said Namjoon, happy he still had the rapt attention of one of his friends and he could continue enthusing about his project.
“The poison works by paralysing the muscles, eventually stopping the heart. But there’s potential that if it was extracted, distilled and adjusted, it could be a powerful pain relief. I’m in touch with a toxicology focused healer who is very interested in receiving a sample if I can provide it.”
So now he’s sitting on the ground with the crate in front of him, talking with the little closed buds as he ensures they're in prime condition.
He’s got his vials ready, one for each plant. He’s been practising extracting poisons from plants, using the much more common Monkshood, by charming the tincture to come to the surface of the flower and combine into one single drop that can be floated into a vial.
It’s a time sensitive process and he doesn't want anything distracting him.
So of course this is when, of all people, Min Yoongi approaches him.
He can only have bad intentions. He’s not a nice witch. Namjoon saw him burn a plant once just for the joy of hearing it’s death. He can still hear it’s desperate scream in his head, and he’s vowed to stay away from the guy.
The witch keeps to himself - a recluse Namjoon's brain supplies - but Namjoon has seen him staring. Whatever he has against nature, he’s obviously trying to find a way to use Namjoon’s powers for evil.
He will not let him interfere.
“Hi Namjoon-ssi,” Yoongi says in a quiet, almost shy, voice.
He will not be fooled.
“Stay away,” Namjoon says firmly, not even looking up from his plants. The less eye contact the better.
“Oh,” says Yoongi, faltering slightly. “It’s okay I know my way around poisonous compounds.”
Namjoon’s head snaps up. Is that a threat?
Yoongi takes advantage of Namjoon’s panicked silence and tries to keep on talking. “I was just wondering if-”
“I don’t want to hear it,” snaps Namjoon, heart thundering in his chest as he stares darkly at the man, “Stay away from me!”
Yoongi has the guts to look shocked for a moment. What does he expect?
He looks like he’s about to walk away when all hell breaks loose.