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Rich brown eyes glinted every so often, reflecting the dim glow of the moon every time he turned his head upwards to look at the sky. Kalopsia has fallen. He knew it in his heart and he came to terms with it in his mind, but didn't think such a thing would happen. Wars happen, conflicts happen- he understood that well. The majority of his young life was spent fighting for it. He's hurt people to get what he wanted. Stole, blackmailed, framed, he's no stranger to this. It happens and it's naive to think even great nations are immune to it. He knows this. Then why does he feel this way? It wasn't a painful feeling. It was more like meeting someone, deciding you want to be friends, but never see them again after your first encounter. With no way to contact them, you begin to question if they existed to begin with. Kalopsia existed, however. He knew this for a fact. He and the many dejected bodies walking along side him were proof of that. Throughout history, countries break apart and form possibly even stronger countries. He hopes that is what they'll become. He'd hate to be on the losing side.
He followed a couple yards behind Leo, watching in amusement as he noticed his shift from weariness, to being tired then exhausted. But despite his own feelings, he still held onto Peanut. If it were Jeong, he'd let the fat pom-pom walk. She obviously needs the exercise. Of course he means it in the most affectionate way possible. He liked Peanut. She's a cutie. He'd much rather babysit her than his spoiled prince. But if the older man doesn't do it, who will? He wasn't sure if anyone could handle Leo. Even Jeong had his moments of wanting to ditch him. Leo just gave him more work to do. An example of this is Leo losing his bag. Usually, Jeong would have noticed the misplacement and returned it - or hold onto it himself. But the twenty-seven year old payed no mind to his prince for a while to make sure they still had everything before continuing on. He realized the bags' disappearance miles later followed by the sigh of a man who is both mentally and physically drained. He was annoyed with himself for allowing such a thing to slip past him and he was annoyed with Leo for not remembering it. But, there was no use thinking about it now. It was behind them, literally, and they had to move on. If anything, he'll just give some of his clothes to Leo, though he may not like the difference in style. Oh well. Princey is free to walk around naked if he so desires.
Following the crowd, Jeong yawned and rubbed his eyes, quietly willing the pain in the sole of his feet and the stiffness of his muscles away. His shoulders ached from the bag hanging on each one and he had a sinking feeling his skin had turned a bright red from the pressure. The dark mask pulled up and over his mouth concealed most of his face as long brown bangs easily covered his forehead. His dark clothing seemed to blend in with the night, though the white backs that he carried gave him away. The man was bone tired, but if Leo wasn't complaining, he wasn't going to either. Complaining wouldn't get them far either. Speaking of that, where were they going? Did Axel have some plan in mind? He wasn't sure if he trusted him very much, but he was the one to rise and lead them somewhere when everything else was at a standstill. Jeong wasn't going to give him any credit yet. Anyone could stand and say "follow me" but not everyone has what it takes to be a leader. Will he crack under pressure? Will his rise to leadership spark more conflict? Will he be he leader everyone needs, but doesn't want or vis versa? Only time can tell. Let's just hope Robinhood here knows what he's doing- or at least has some idea of it.
His thoughts kept him company as he continued distantly. His dark optics landing on Leo every so often to make sure he's okay before returning to the silence of his mind. It was the small gasp of someone beside him that forced him back to reality. Expecting danger, his eyes darted to Leo who was still following along with the others. Agitated at the false alarm, he turned to look at the person who made the sound. She seemed to be staring off into the distance in awe. Narrowing his eyes, he followed her gaze and blinked a couple times in dismay when a building stood there. Towering above them, it really set the scene for a nighttime walk in the forest.
Now, all that is missing is an ambush. A pause. Not pleased with the abrupt intrusive thought, Jeong pushed it out of his head and carried on as though he didn't hear it. Though, he slid his hands casually into his jacket pocket and began to play with the pocketknife hidden within it.
As they reached the hotel and went their separate ways, Jeong could be found close behind Leo and Peanut. He was dying to get the weighted bags off his person, but he forced himself to wait until Leo was situated first. He didn't like to admit it, but Leo came first. It was softly drilled into his head from a young age. He owed Leo nothing. His family, however, was another story. Watching over him was Jeong's way of thanking them for taking him off the streets and giving him a proper home. Also, being an individual who enjoyed fighting, he had no qualms about being taught how to properly hold his own. But understand, Leo is a grown adult now. If he got himself into trouble, Jeong expects he would also be able to get himself out of it. They weren't children anymore. But of course when Leo is unable to fend for himself despite attempts or if the situation is way over his head, Jeong will step in without a moments hesitation. Leo is a good guy, really. It's not clearly seen through a couple interactions but it's undoubtedly there. At least, Jeong hopes so.
After Leo found his room, Jeong took the one beside his. He didn't care if the place was falling apart or not in the best condition. This room had a bed and a door he could shut everyone out of. It was perfect. Dusty and carried an odd smell, but perfect. He was too tired to complain. Tossing his bags to the side, he rubbed his shoulders and flopped down face first into the bed. Pulling his mask below his chin, Jeong sighed softly and closed his eyes. His power nap felt like a couple seconds when there was knocking on his door. Instantly, he thought Leo wanted something and answered with a tired groan. Instead of his prince, Axel's voice echoed in his room notifying him of a meeting. Every fiber of his body was telling him to stay in bed, to not go to the meeting, "five more minutes, mom," every excuse he could possibly think of resonated in his mind. After a few moments of mental and physical preparation, Jeong rolled onto his back and sat up, rubbing his heavy eyes. Sucking in a quick breath, he rose to his feet and stretched, a large yawn parting his lips. Blinking slowly, he pulled the dark mask back over his mouth and nose as he opened the door. Small crowds of people could be seen walking down the hall; some sluggish, others excited. Shifting his eyes to look at Leo's room, judging by the open door, he has already made his way to the meeting area. He best not fall behind then.
It took him a while to locate Leo in the crowded room. His eyes hurt from the lack of sleep and his tired brain made it a challenge to focus on anything that wasn't his bed. Granted, it was hard and smelled gross, but he longed for it. Making his way through the crowd, Jeong came to a stop beside Leo. Now that he knew he was safe beside him, the man ignored his existence for the sake of paying attention to Axel. There was only so much he could focus on in this tired state. As he listened, he gave a quiet hum in acknowledgement. Alright, he liked where this was going. They'd rest here for a bit then continue their near-end journey. The finish line was in sight and he was eager to cross it. Not to mention he was feeling their new name. Blackfall? Hell yeah. Would they be referred to as "Blackfallens" then? Metal. Eyes lidded in a drowsy manner, his attention turned to Leo when he spoke up, desperately fighting against the laugh that nearly fell from his mouth. No, no... it's fine. He wasn't going to make fun of the other if it's something he's genuinely concerned about. Instead, he waved his hand at Axel, gesturing to him that he'll handle Leo's last two concerns. "
I doubt it's anything to worry about. As he said, our stay here is temporary so rest assured. This place appears pretty worn down so if there is a curse, my guess is it's not as effective as it used to be." If that was a good enough response to Leo's worries, Jeong would cast tired brown luminaries in the direction of Axel before speaking again. "
This new system, what do you have in mind? Or will there be a follow up meeting after we've reached our destination explaining the details and whatnot?" He added the last bit in consideration of their situation. Many were tired and as Axel had said, he wished to rest as well. If what he wanted to know was going to be explained in the near future, speaking about it now and holding everyone up made zero sense.
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