# data[].attributes.body
kangjoon is known for his smile, one that began naturally but became necessary for survival. to the world, he is the charming and easygoing prince of silla, whose presence makes others feel seen and understood. beneath the surface, he feels deeply yet remains careful, knowing emotion can be wielded against him.

serving as an unofficial diplomat between tang and silla, he is a principled mediator: willing to compromise on comfort, but never on fairness. though he believes firmly in justice, he understands rigidity can destroy the bigger picture. often, he struggles between the fine line of idealism and realism.

positive

the outside: charming, easygoing, approachable, playful, tactful, diplomatic

the inside: fiercely loyal, principled, protective, loving, generous, and considerate, empathetic to a fault, observant, perceptive, resourceful, independent

neutral

hopeful realist

negative

rebellious, reckless, impulsive to a degree, guarded, selfless to destruction, martyr complex tendencies, carries his burdens alone, conflict-avoidant until a breaking point

goals

protecting his family and silla.

surviving.

returning home.

fears

becoming the family's necessary sacrifice.

being abandoned.

realizing no good deed goes unpunished

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writing style: detailed first/script and third

- will mirror responses.

- i am a slower responder.

- extra: i am slower with 3rd/para responses. just started writing in 3rd/para, so please excuse my rough responses.

# data[].attributes.body
name: seo kangjoon

age: thirty-one

birthplace: seorabeol, silla kingdom

occupation: second prince of the silla kingdom. elite hostage (zhizi) at the court of the tang dynasty. informal advisor, diplomat, and negotiator

languages spoken: korean (silla dialect, native. familiar with baekje and goguryeo dialect), classical chinese (advanced), middle chinese (advanced), japanese (conversational). sanskrit (learning)

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orientation: heterosexual

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there is no preference between the two.

plotting essentials and notes

for plotting please send a pm.

if you do not have any ideas when approaching me, please tell me what you like/don't like.

i can get extremely detailed and ask too many questions during the process, just a warning. this happens more so when there's history, angst, or complicated layers between our characters. i want to make sure we are on the same page.

please contribute to the plotting process. it helps me immensely when suggesting ideas, but also inspires me to do better.

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preferred genres: angst, drama, slice of life, romance, smut

with romance, this does not guarantee our characters are endgame. rather, the plot has romantic elements to it like former lovers, current attractions, etc.

location preferences: walls typically, but will respond in rooms.

smut: i am slower with it these days. any smut related threads are in pms/gpms. i do not write romance and smut plots with writers under 21.

genre avoidances: nothing too fluff, comedic, or action-based. willing to do comedy if the plot calls for it and it feels natural.

triggers/limits/will most likely not plot with:

incest

sexual assault. it's fine if it is part of your character's background.

terminal illness. will most likely avoid plotting/rping with your character if it's part of their background in some way, especially if it is vital to your character or the plot.

death

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i do not poke. if there is no response after a few weeks/a month, i will eventually drop the plot and make it available to the public again. if the plot is still open, i'm open to plotting it again with you.

if i am not responding to you, it does not mean anything negative. i am slow with responses, so please be patient. my presence in rooms is not a sign that i am ignoring you.

i appreciate open communication. please don't pressure me into your preference or direction. we can talk things out. same goes for me. if you are uncomfortable with something i have said or done, please tell me.

responses

overall: ooc is faster than ic. not a preference, it's easier for me to respond to something ooc.

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relationship: father

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relationship: mother

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“your highnesss, kangjoon, second prince of silla, respectfully presents himself before the son of heaven, journeying from afar to pay tribute and to learn from the enlightened rule of the great tang.”

these words still rang sharply in kangjoon’s mind, unchanged even after eight years in chang’an. spoken countless times before the emperor and ministers alike, they had long since become second nature.

yet, every time such words were recited, he remembered the day he first arrived in the tang capital, no longer merely a prince of silla. something far more complicated.

an elite hostage.

his mother was lady yeorin of the seo clan, a modest noble family, and the king’s favorite concubine. having such a favored position earned her a long list of enemies: concubines, officials, and clans. they knew the influence she had over king taeyo, who was infamous for his stormy and stubborn personality while ruling with an iron fist. those who truly understood the couple knew that despite their opposite demeanors, they shared the same values of fairness, compassion, and justice, even in the strict social order and hierarchy they lived under. it was these values that often had taeyo clash with his court and fellow elites. despite her position, she never had grand ambitions, for she understood her place and the need for peace in the constant cutthroat court.

compared to most spares, kangjoon was closer to the line of succession than most of his brothers and uncles. however, he was similar to his mother, never harboring great desires for the throne. instead, he understood his place as the spare and supported his other brother, whom he hoped would become a just and capable ruler. still he knew the pressures that his brother faced; many would want him to fail and seize the crown at a moment’s notice.

freed from the expectations and greed for the heirship, kangjoon lived life to the beat of his own drum. yet to many, he was a troublemaker. as a royal, duty and precaution forced him to undergo the same education and training as his brother. this did not stop him from missing a class or two, or jumping over the palace walls to explore the capital. often, many would find him in the teahouses or by the river, reading poetry and admiring the stars. if not, he would volunteer at a local shelter or orphanage. it was not rare for him to engage in a fight with another nobleman, something he believed the other party had provoked. his antics and relaxed attitude often disappointed their father, who wished that his second son would know that the world they lived in was not so simple.

it was common knowledge that kangjoon never had lofty ambitions, unlike many in his family. with this mindset and his lack of greed, he became one of the most well-liked members in the court and by his family. most spoke freely around him, often underestimating him and trusting him all too easily. this enabled the second prince to establish an extensive network and acquire information and resources beyond most people’s wildest dreams. sometimes conversations freely given to the second prince often found their way back to the crown prince. once or twice, his mother narrowly missed gifts that caused more harm than good. what few realized was that underneath his gentle nature, there was a cunningness and wisdom that he purposefully kept hidden. he had a fierce loyalty to his family and kingdom, one that he would do anything for.

almost anything.

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kangjoon was only twenty-two. a time that many had heard various rumors about.

months had passed since he had seen his older half-sister, haesoo. despite having different mothers, he always had a close bond with his older siblings. however, ever since she married an official from one of silla’s most elite families, her appearances became infrequent. even in the rare occasions of seeing one another, her answers her distant and vague, a light dimmed in her eyes. transitioning from days spent in blissful carefree moments with her friends and attendants in the palace to the sudden imposition of rules and expectations for a nobleman’s wife would have been a difficult adjustment for many. kangjoon knew that the change took a harder toll on her than most, after all she was the king’s firstborn daughter and a jewel of the palace.

sometimes, he does wonder what life would have been like if he had never taken that surprise visit to his sister’s estate that one afternoon. curiosity and worry had gotten to him, not even receiving a response to his letter for weeks and not many of the attendants able to update him on haesoo’s condition. not much was planned that day, but to drop off some small gifts to her and see how she was. hopefully have a chat longer than ten minutes.

maybe that afternoon he should have taken his sister back to the palace when he saw the bruise on her wrist. maybe he should have reported matters to his father first, who would have surely acted on his treasured daughter’s behalf. maybe he should have not returned to the house a second time that same afternoon, despite her nearly pushing him out before her husband could come home.

however, it was that chance of returning back to her home, he discovered the true reason for her absence, for her dimming light and why she feared her own home.

he only intended to drop off another present he forgot. yet, as he made his way up the estate’s steps he heard her scream. one that made him charge into the place, pushing away the guards and servants that tried to stop him from going any further. despite his own status, even they were afraid of their master’s punishment over the prince’s response. it was that moment though, that they finally understood to never underestimate the most gentle souls.

discovering haesoo, once the apple to her father’s eye, now a beaten rag doll to a spoilt nobleman, kangjoon lost complete control of who he was as fists went charging at the official.  hell would have welcomed its newest resident had it not been for haesoo, who struggled to pull her younger brother back, pleading for him not to ruin his life because of her husband. kangjoon was forced out of the estate, leaving behind a limp body in a pool of blood. instead of death, the nobleman was crippled, left blind, and granted a swift divorce.

the story could have gone quietly, a nobleman’s disability caused by a hunting trip gone wrong. however, the official’s clan protested for the second prince’s punishment. an eye for an eye.

taeyo knew that his son’s ways would catch up to him, but never did he imagine how far it would go. perhaps, had kangjoon told him of haesoo’s situation, they could have eventually found an answer. difficult and time-consuming, but maybe his son was right. what if the right path was not so right at all? however, he could not let the incident slide. the elite clans would never let kangjoon’s act go unpunished, even if his intent was noble.

so when the tang court requested for another zhizi, the timing was perfect. taeyo already had kangjoon in mind before the incident. after all, he could trust the second prince in a foreign land. he knew that kangjoon would not spend his time there building up the resources and connections to plot a coup against the crown prince. instead, he would spend that time helping his brother as he always did. as much as the king hated to say it, the brothers had to be split in order for the crown prince to build himself up without his brother’s support.

officially, the pieces all fell in line.

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unofficially, some say the king had more reasons to send his second son away. a rumor that would surely have shaken the court if true. one closer to the heart.

kangjoon was known for his eyes, a honey-toned gaze said to capture any woman’s heart. tet servants whispered that there was one woman who seemed to hold his attention instead: the king’s concubine.

it was never anything easily named. only moments easily missed, a glance lingering longer than necessary, conversations in the palace gardens that went beyond formal courtesy. their discussions wandered from the simplicities of daily life to the burdens of court politics. unlike others, the prince listened more than he spoke.

nothing improper was ever witnessed. yet what unsettled those who noticed was not the impropriety but the familiarity. kangjoon addressed her not as another one of the king’s possessions, but as if she were simply another gentle soul within the palace walls.

# data[].attributes.body
kangjoon was forced to leave the life he knew. from his mother, siblings, friends, attendants, and someone he was never meant to miss. on the outside, he took it with a smile. as he always said, being sent away was just a new adventure. anything better than losing an eye or a leg. what he never revealed was the hurt, knowing how his father had easily sacrificed him to the tang court and never truly defended him and haesoo for someone else’s cruelty.

despite the troubles that surrounded the prince, he was the first choice the tang royal court had in mind. they believed the silla court underestimated kangjoon’s value. after all he was the favourite brother and advisor of the crown prince, well-liked, perceptive, and familiar with the dynamics of the three kingdoms. perhaps, he was too dangerous to keep in the silla court. sending kangjoon away removed the crown prince’s greatest shield and he knew it.

distance did not weaken his loyalty, rather it shifted.

in tang, kangjoon learned that protection required subtle means. he immersed himself in the local governance, culture, and court life. he studied the systems and politics while creating new relationships. even under the tang’s careful eye and surveillance on him, letters, alliances, and careful observance crossed the continent. every action had a purpose.

at times he’s confused about a land that still feels foreign to him. yet, at the tang court, he has served his purpose well with his ambiguous, but valuable position. he acts as an advisor to the affairs of the three kingdoms and is an informal intermediary for diplomacy matters.

he’s a man trusted by many, but stuck in a golden cage.