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Tae winced as he woke up and was confronted with the consequences of his actions as his body tensed with the first sign of movement. In no way did he regret those actions. Dancing at the ball had been the most fun Tae had had in a long time, so he was okay with having to put up with the pain the morning after. It was a pain that he was no stranger to and so he slowly pulled himself into a sitting position before reaching into his bedside drawer for one of the pre-rolled joints he kept in there. After taking a few hits and letting them take effect, he got himself out of bed and ready for the first day of school.
After classes ended, Tae found himself outside of the Umbra Coven dormitory with a joint, the day having taken its toll on him. He was mentally preparing himself for the sleepover later and while he decided that while he didn’t want to be high, he at least wanted to be in an ignorable amount of pain. He wasn’t alone and at one point, his companion, someone he felt he could at least call a friend, asked him for a light. Tae reached into his pocket, pulling out the lighter that he more or less always had on him. After helping the other man light his cigarette, he took a drag of his own, staring at the sunset as he felt the effects of the marijuana taking over and dulling the soreness in his limbs.
When he felt satisfied, he let his companion know that he was going inside before leaving to get changed out of his smoking clothes. Once changed, he took a moment to reconsider attending the sleepover, knowing that Renlin would definitely be there, but his sister had convinced him that if he didn’t, Renlin would be winning, which was a good enough reason for him. He left his room and went to join the other members of Umbra.
Tae was in no way relaxed as he entered the dimly lit room where the sleepover was taking place. The supposed brotherhood never truly felt like home to him and the one person he was closest to wasn’t there. He subtly winced as he walked past Vinnie initiating a new member into the group, remembering his own initiation. He had planned to just keep to himself for the evening, speaking only when spoken to but that plan went down the drain when he overheard a group of members discussing whether he and Renlin would speak to each other this year. Tae rolled his eyes, not wanting to acknowledge it, but then they brought up his brother. He opened his mouth to correct them that no, his brother hadn’t had the chance to be in Umbra, when Renlin decided to open his mouth.
It was a small comment, one that wouldn’t have bothered anyone else but for Tae, it was the final crack that shattered the thin layer of patience he had for his cousin. It was a simple distinction but also a painful one because no matter how hard he tried to belong, the word ‘half’ hung over him as a permanent marker labelling him an outcast. His feelings took over his judgement and before he could think it through, he felt his fist colliding with Renlin’s face.
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@Madilfill - Renlin