I Am The End Of It All

Back from Death

jongdayofthedead‌:

Jongdae feels the clap on his shoulder, and life seems so much different from what it was for him all those years ago. Seeing Kyungsoo looking at him like he used to, it felt like a punch on the gut. He looked a bit different, but deep down, it was still them.

“I sound nuts, don’t I?” He said with a weak laugh and a bit teary eyes. He then smiled at Kyungsoo’s joke and laughed louder, shaking his head and smirking as he chuckles. “I’m amazing, aren’t I? The prime example of fittest in survival.”

His fingers gently traced along his form as he furrowed his brows and huffed. “Yeah. I guess that’s true. I remember the pets. All the bones around your room.” He said as he lifted his shirt and felt around his chest before moving to his pants, patting them.

“Did they steal my fucking phone?” he muttered with a growl, a bit more animal than human thanks to his years as the part animal he got from his shifter side. He paused and then breathed slowly, his hands shaking.

“Honestly… I don’t have a way to explain why I’m just… Alive again. I wish I could explain it, but I can’t. But I guess I’m an anomaly.” He said before he groaned.

“Can I borrow your phone? I wanna call mine. Maybe they left it with my body.” He said softly before he sighed. “Maybe I should just go get food.” He said, feeling his stomach ache.

He wasn’t all too inclined to hang around a cemetery and find himself possessed by a lonely ghost.

“Not everybody can be God’s perfect idiot.”

He feels the tug of a smile at his lips and this time it actually feels genuine. Jongdae has always been able to find a way to make him laugh. But he’s always been able to do that with pretty much everyone. Kyungsoo doesn’t have that gift: when he makes people laugh, it’s usually by accident and at his own expense.

“We’ve seen a lot. This isn't exactly strange in comparison.”

He… doesn’t like to think about how strange it was that he kept piles of puppies in his room. Normal people would find it morbid and perhaps a little disgusting. Jondgae thinks that and still accepts him anyway. It’s kind of nice.

At the mention of a phone, he frowns.

“They probably hocked it with any other valuables you had,” he says, ”because dead guys don’t have anyone to call.”

He scratches at the nape of his neck, trying to come up with something plausible. How does he even know what’s possible if there are beings out there that he thought fictional? The former were-dude… shifter… would probably know better than he would. And he doesn’t seem to know anything either.

“We’re gonna figure it out at some point, but maybe not right now.”

#( VIE. )#jongdayofthedead #(( i did a SINGLE REPLY huzzah ))

jongdayofthedead‌:

The half form stops, with the beg from Kyungsoo’s lips. Jongdae felt the hands fall away. Air filled his lungs as he gasped and shook, his finger’s quaking and barely holding the planchette in place anymore. Rapid tears fell from his eyes as he stared at the partial form. It fades, in and out before he saw it take on an almost solid looking tone.

“Can you see him?” He croaked out, his voice still weak as he felt the lingering pains. He’d be bruised, as would Kyungsoo, but ti was the last thing on his mind now as he stared at the looming spirit. It’s body was barely there, sharp and jagged rips across the other’s form.

kai looked like he’d been tied to a horse and quartered.

And Jongdae was sure it was form after his death. He could see it. The flames on the walls flickere in a manner that he could only call denomic. Lare shadows mo ed in and ot of sight around them as Kai stared at Kyungsoo.

The white skin stretched as Kai opened his mouth and moved closer, hovering centimeters away as he groaned. It sounded like the sind though old glass windows, almost like a whitle if you listened.

his hand rose before he traced Kyungsoo’s jaw again and let out a sharper whistle.

“You were mine once.” it whispered. “You were mine, and now you are no more. Where is the rest of me?”

It reached out for Kyungsoo again, hands held out wide to grip his neck. Jongdae couldn’t bare to watch it again. HIs hand came off the planchette and the ghost snapped toward him. He gasped as he felt the hands around his neck and ushing him back.

Jongdae fell to the floor, his chair clattering and his body dragged across the floor, almost to the wall. He grunted and closed his eye, shaking as he scratched at the hands. How many years had it been sine he had been this scared.

He looked at Kyungsoo, an echoing howl in the distance. “Keep your hands on there! Try to move it!” He gasped before struggling again and shaking. It hurt, and his lungs were starting to burn. He only hoped this would distract him enough to allow Kyungsoo to move the peice. But the tight grip on his neck made him feel like it wouldn’t.

Kyungsoo feels the pressure on his neck alleviate and it’s as if he’s just resurfaced after being underwater. His lungs inflate and he coughs, hacks, eyes watering. You’d think he’d be used to this by now.

“Can you see him?”

It’s almost like a joke. But nothing about this is funny.

“No,” he says, throat aching with every vibration, “... I can, kinda feel him, though.”

From his perspective, they’re sitting in the apartment in the dark; the only light comes from the windows of the office building next door. They’re alone, almost nothing out of the ordinary. If it weren’t for the mess on the floor and the weight of the presence in the room, he’d assume that he was hallucinating.

Everything is quiet for a long time. The only sounds are the hard breathing of the men in the room and wind outside - until he feels Kai again. There’s a whistle and ice runs through his veins; it reverberates against his eardrum as invisible fingers touch his face. He only hears snippets after that. It’s as if the entity is trying to speak to him over the roar of a concert.

“... -mine... no more-“

The tears finally spill over. It’s like his stomach drops out underneath him. His eyes immediately fly to Jongdae.

“Where is the rest of me?”

If he wasn’t horrified beyond belief before, he becomes so as Jongdae is thrown backward out of his chair. He doesn’t even hear himself yell in protest as he gets to his feet, an action that forces his chair back loudly over the faux-wood flooring. But he keeps his hands on the table.

He can’t stop crying. It’s getting hard to see, but now doesn’t seem like a good time to call it quits. Jongae’s words force him into motion. He keeps one hand on the planchette and wipes his eyes on the crook of his other arm before sniffling and trying to focus.

“Okay, okay.”

He pushes with his fingers and there’s a little resistance, but eventually the felt pads on the underside of the piece give and he moves it to “hello.”

“Kai, is that you?” He… doesn’t really have a plan at this point, but this is probably going to be the only shot they have. Should he try to reason with a spirit that seems like it hates them? Or should he attempt to force the whole thing to an end. If he knows anything about the former man, Kai isn’t going to go down without a fight.

“Let him go!” He’s never been outstandingly intimidating, but this is the most important moment of his life right now, so it feels like an occasion to raise his voice. He slides the planchette over to “goodbye.”

“You aren’t welcome here anymore! The game is over!”

dancxtaem:

–{ ° } soft, scenty pastries littered the counter to their right in an organized mess of tans, creams, browns, and the occasional bright pop of color from small fruits. the aroma filled every corner of the small pastry shop they were seated in, across the small table from each other. it was a quaint little shop with only several customers coming in at a time, few spending much time inside except to purchase a goodie and leave with it. the two of them, Kyungsoo and Taemin, though, had been sitting for a little over half an hour discussing the former’s self-proclaimed ‘ ability to speak to the dead ‘. having taken up a seemingly sudden interest in the dead, the afterlife, anything supernatural revolving around death or God– Taemin was engrossed. his eyes shone with curiosity whenever the other man explained literally anything, trying to take all the info in and memorize it. it was a little odd he was so interested in learning this as he’d never shown interest before. someone could preach to him they were a living God and Taemin would kneel before them. maybe he had ulterior motives.

unexpectedly a small group of policemen entered the little shop, Taemin having been seated facing the door now sort of ducked his head and rested a hand to cover half of his face. his cheeks flushed pink in anxiousness, becoming flustered easily at the sight. he kept his eyes focused on Kyungsoo but it was mighty obvious this was bothering him. always trying to be one step ahead, Taemin did not want the men in uniform to see him even once, he preferred to be completely unseen so as not to draw any attention to himself. stuttering, he asked the other politely if they could switch seats. at least this way the back of his head would be to the policemen ( rather than his profile ).

❝ why are you so paranoid and scared all of a sudden? it’s just the police.❞

“ ehhh … ” Taemin chuckles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to keep his eyes trained on Kyungsoo. “ heh , you’re right , nevermind – ” usually there wasn’t much that made the blond unsettled, but the job he’d completed only several days before meant cops would at least be on the lookout. he hadn’t been seen but it was better to take no chances at outing himself. sometimes he said some stupid things ( and wanted to make no chances to say those things ). “ I’ll stay here , no problem . ” stopping himself from rambling he ruffled his hair and offered a smile, a hint of tension still visible in his gaze. before his posture shown of relaxed confidence, now though his shoulders were hunched and he looked smaller, both physically and with the look in his eyes.

“ go on . ”

“If they make you uncomfortable, we can switch. But it may draw more attention than if we just wait them out.”

Kyungsoo hasn’t had such a peaceful period in his life in a long time. It’s only been a few hours, but he’s loathe to let it go. He didn’t even miss the bus on the way to this meeting. It’s been a good day. He’s gonna do his best to keep it from being ruined.

Taemin is perhaps the first person to seem genuinely interested in his specialty since he returned, and he seems nice enough. There are a few questions that pop to mind as the mood of the table changes, but he knows better than to ask most of them. His mind continues on without him.

What would this man have to be afraid of the police for? Maybe he committed a crime? Several crimes? Maybe he’s the murderer whose general profile is all over the news? There hasn’t even been a witness, so there aren’t any sketches…

Or he’s just had bad experiences with law enforcement. It’s getting to be a bigger issue recently. Don’t judge a book by its cover, right?

And Kyungsoo isn’t exactly a saint, himself. He’s already half-confessed to this guy that he does illegal things like, say, grave robbing - though, not in so many words. He hasn’t exactly mentioned that he doesn’t have a permit for the bones he uses. He’s in no position to be overly suspicious.

He offers a reassuring smile to his companion and takes a sip from his iced coffee. Over the past forty or so minutes that they’ve been sitting here, he’s managed to finish almost half in between questions. When he sets the cup back down, it leaves a ring of water on the napkin he’s using as a coaster.

“No reason to worry. And I could probably give you more targeted information if you’ve got a specific goal in mind. Most people don’t look me up unless they’re looking to make contact for one reason or another.”

The officers have shuffled just a little closer, away from the register and towards the pastry displays. They’re talking amongst themselves, some sipping at paper coffee cups. Waiting for a to-go order. He observes them from the corner of his eye, but isn’t especially concerned.

Then he looks at Taemin and wonders if maybe he should be.

#( VIE. )#dancxtaem #(( hope you dont mind i started a new post for this!#also i probably wont do icons or anything most of the time #but i wanted to start off with one for symmetry sdafsdf ))

jongdayofthedead‌:

Jongdae hunched over, feeling a hot breath on his neck and an almost wet feeling around his wrists and fingers. He could see, an almost invisible chain over both their hands, keeping them stuck to the board.

“Don’t remove your hands. Don’t try to move it.” He hissed quickly, looking around, trying to find the source of the mayhem around them. He felt finger’s now, pressing and crawling across his skin. Usually, the ghosts don’t do physical manifestations, as they’re much more power consuming.

His eyes were wide as he watched the hands slowly climb their way up both their arms, leaving marks on their skin. His hand shook as it held the piece still, eyes looking up to Kyungsoo.

Then he saw the smallest smidgen of a face. He gasped, unable to stop himself.

Sunken eyes, with only a pinprick of white in each hole, stared at him from across the table. A face he knew so well, but almost couldn’t recognize.

Kai.

There was not even a full piece of him. Jongdae could see the soul was torn… Ripped apart. His skin was no longer the bronze it once was, no, it wasn’t even washed out. He was pure white and grey. HIs lips, what half of them were left, were dry, cracked, and nearly black.

Jongdae wouldn’t even call this a ghost.

It was a horror.

He held completely still, seeing this half-life creature holding Kyungsoo’s jaw, tracing it slowly before its fingers started to wrap around his throat. He felt a mirroring grip on his own neck and shook. He felt his voice gone, and he couldn’t find the words to speak.

When Jongdae speaks, he freezes. It comes out a little strange, slightly strained. Extremely urgent. If pressed, Kyungsoo would probably admit that yes, he’s a little afraid right now.

He watches as his friend appears to register something in the room. At first, he’s almost relieved, because at least now they’ll know what they’re dealing with. But any hopes of a peaceful resolution are shattered with one small gasp.

His eyes level with Jongdae’s and he sees fear - pure, unadulterated fear. And then he feels it: hands on both of his arms, moving from his wrists to his shoulders. He looks down in time to see black marks like ash appear on his skin.

He almost screams, but isn’t able to. There are invisible fingers turning his head, tearing his eyes away. It’s a feeling so familiar that his heart almost stops. God, he wishes he could see what Jongdae can. It’s a little twisted, a little selfish, but he can’t stop himself from thinking it’s not fair in the few seconds before his airway is crushed.

He knows who this is.

It takes all of his willpower to keep one of his hands on the board while the other flies up to grip futilely at his neck. There’s no real wrestling with a ghost, is there? His lungs are protesting, his heart is racing, and he’s going to die here. He finds himself looking at his friend instead of the ceiling.

The medium is still sitting, almost still - except for the trembling. It looks like he’s struggling to breathe, too. Kyungsoo can feel the tears starting to well up. He doesn’t want his last thought to be “I fucked up.”

“Stop!” His voice is raspy, quiet - similar to a hiss. He almost isn’t able to get anything out, the grip on his neck is so strong. “Stop it. Please.”

Back from Death

jongdayofthedead‌:

“I…” Jongdae felt his blood slowly drain from his face. His heart beat faster as he tried to change, to move his bones and reform his shape again. Nothing. Had he… Lost Minseok’s final gift to him? He tried again, his eyes wide and hands shaking. Nothing.

“I can’t change… I’m human again?” He asked weakly. He rubbed his arms a bit before he pulled his shirt down, rubbing over the scar on his neck. The bite. It was still there and he…

His eyes slowly turned to Kyungsoo and he shook away the realization before he slowly leaned against a gravestone.

“Soo… The day you disappeared… Was the same day Minseok died.” He said, the pain of the loss coming back now. He’d thought he’d adjusted well, but it hurt to remember. “There’s… I don’t remember if I told you. Minseok was a shapeshifter. He could change who he was, meld his form into another, turn into animals… And he had a pack. One he wasn’t- He hadn’t been with them for a long time. But they found him. And consequently, me. It was like a pair of dogs fighting over meat. I was dragged into the fight, then bitten.”

He pulled the shirt down and showed the bite again to the other. “I was changed into one of them. I don’t remember the night, but… I attacked Minseok. And because of that, plus the wounds he sustained in the fight, he died.”

He held the scar and stared at the ground. “Do… Have you ever tried to bring back someone who wasn’t human?”

Was that why he lost his power? Did the animal inside him die so he could live again?

Oh, god. Minseok.

How could he have forgotten? Jongdae was so in love. He’d finally had something good in his life. Kyungsoo’s heart breaks at the news.

But he keeps moving. He’s learned how to keep going, even when it seems like the sky is falling. He leans in to inspect the scar on his friend’s neck.

It was definitely teeth - bigger than a normal person’s, but the number looks about right. And it’s old; definitely healed over a long time ago. His brain has trouble updating for a minute. There are shapeshifters now? It doesn’t seem real, and there isn’t really any proof besides the bite, but this doesn’t feel like a lie.

So he accepts it. Of fucking course, right? There would be fictional creatures in a world where people can see spirits and raise the dead. Not quite a stretch.

He takes a deep breath in, claps a hand on Jongdae’s shoulder.

“I’m so, so sorry. He was a wonderful person.” He gives a reassuring squeeze. “And that sounds… incredibly stressful. You did great, though. Managed to stay alive long enough to get yourself killed.”

He attempts a smile and a chuckle, though he can’t quite force the humor.

“I, uh, didn’t know there were people that weren’t human until today. But I used to bring back pets a lot.” He lets his hand fall to his side. “You’re still the most intact… being… to come back, though. By the time people find out I exist, by the time I find a grave to dig up, things are usually a little more bone and a little less breathing.”

He suddenly feels like he could use a cigarette. This is all a little too much for one night. Too bad he doesn’t smoke.

“The fact that you’re warm, your organs are working… you’re alive. I don’t even know if I could do that to a normal, human person.”

#( VIE. )#jongdayofthedead #(( catch me misspelling all my buzzwords in past replies lmfao ))

jongdayofthedead‌:

“N…. Nothing yet. Just the leftovers. Ectoplasm, anger, energy. Nothing that leads me to think that there’s enough of something here to hurt us…” Jongdae murmured as his eyes scanned the room and he glared at the other.

“My jokes are perfectly applicable. The issue is something else. We’re using this stupid board dude.” He mumbled as he looked at the planchet. “I hate these things.” He grumbled as he crouched a bit and shivered, feeling a hot breath tickle his neck. “God awful things are attracted to these.”

He bites his lips before shaking his head. “Close it. Say thank you. I can’t keep this up.”

“Then why are my candles getting thrown on the floor?”

He purses his lips, trying to decide if he wants to keep going and figure out what’s chilling in his apartment. He’s seen enough horror films to know that it’s probably not a good idea. Hell, he’s lived through a couple of them. They both have. And maybe he doesn’t want anyone in the room possessed (again).

“... Okay.” He nods, mostly to himself, and turns his attention back to the decorated board on the table. “Thanks to whoever or, uh, whatever showed up to play this game with us. Unfortunately, we have to go now. You know how it is.”

He usually uses this thing in his tiny storefront, mostly just to maintain the illusion of mystery that he’s built up around his brand. People get a kick out of it. Now, it’s not so entertaining.

“Bye.”

He waits, fingers ready to follow the planchette to goodbye… and keeps waiting. Then he tries to move it himself. No dice.

He starts to freak out.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, Jongdae it’s stuck.”

Back from Death

#( VIE. )#jongdayofthedead #(( really short but we movin along ))

jongdayofthedead‌:

Jongdae didn’t have to look hard to see the other was dealing with the repercussions of Kai. They both were. It left his stomach feeling hollow and his heart beating painfully in his chest. The way that the other left them was painful in its own right, but the trail that led back to the both of them was worse.

Jongdae remembered how these rituals went. He’d seen Soo perform enough of them to be able to tell he really must have died for that to work. It didn’t suit him. Death, and the bringing back of them. Jongdae thought Kyungsoo had a smile that was brighter than any awful night.

“That’s true,” Jongdae mumbled, knowing that if it weren’t for Kyungsoo, his fate would have been sealed and his life would have stayed ended, three feet below the surface. He shivered at the thought. Then nodded. “And… That is also true. I guess dying did help me with one thing.” He said softly.

He then looked back up at Kyungsoo, seeing that the other was mostly ready to leave and slowly bumbled his way to a standing position, swaying on unsteady feet. He held onto the grave before he looked at Kyungsoo as he questioned his wholeness. He made a face and shrugged. “Maybe it’s cause I was only three feet down?"

He took a few steps forward before he paused and then held up his hand. "Oh. No. It’s more likely because of what I am now.” He said softly, trying to sense his animal side again. He was lucky he didn’t wake up from that going savage on the other’s alone. “I… Huh… I don’t feel it anymore.” He mumbled, no longer sensing the beast that once mirrored his thoughts and actions, bubbling beneath his surface.

Kyungsoo finds himself wishing that things could’ve turned out differently. He wouldn’t have put himself and his best friend in harm’s way. He hadn’t considered that people would be after Jongdae too, even after the stint they did together under the watchful eye of the necromancer’s ex boyfriend. Fuck.

“It usually only helps with one or two things.”

His brow furrows at the other man’s next few words. What I am now? He’s always been something special, but, while seeing ghosts is pretty nifty, it’s not altogether “out there”.

“What are you talking about?” He squints, unlocking his phone again to take another, better look at Jongdae. Dark hair (now it’s now a little longer), dark eyes, a little more toned than he was… but it’s the same guy he used to know. “You look… almost the same to me. Could definitely use a shower, though.”

He picks up his bag and slings it over his shoulder, adjusting so that it’s not digging into his neck.

“You get bit by a radioactive spider or something?”

jongdayofthedead:

“Hmmmm. I think it was referring to you.” Jongdae responded with a smirk before he felt a candle they had set up fly by. He frowned with wide eyes as he watched the candle clatter on the ground nearby, the flame out but the intention clear. “Oh my god Soo, you made them mad.”

Kyungsoo is about to protest when everything goes haywire.

He has to take a second, ground himself, before he can say anything without his voice shaking. He keeps his fingers on the planchet. This was supposed to be a joke.

“Maybe it was you. They’re tired of your jokes, Jong.” He smirks, but it doesn’t sound believable, even to him. “Do you see anything, though?”

Back from Death

#( VIE. )#jongdayofthedead #(( I DONT REMEMBER IF KSOO KNOWS ABOUT JD TURNING #but in this timeline im gonna say he doesnt if thats okay ))

jongdayofthedead‌:

“I… I did not. I couldn’t-” He mumbled a bit shocked, eyes wide before he touched his tongue. Almonds… Wasn’t cyanide meant to taste like almonds? He felt his cheeks and a shiver passed over him. He’d been poisoned and then buried. It left a chill inside him.

He still felt immense relief as he held the other in his arms and sniffled. He didn’t care if he was filthy, he was so happy to have the other in his arms again. Alive again. It felt like a piece he’d given up finding was found again. And it was like solving a puzzle you’d long ago given up on.

“I remember. Your house was in ruin. I thought they’d killed you as well. I… It left me all alone.” He mumbled weakly, his voice strained as well as he kept crying tears.

He looked down at the tissues and smiled weakly, nodding a bit and rubbing his face with the tissue before rolling his eyes. “It’s not that bad. I just… Might have made a name for myself getting evidence for the police to solve murders. You know, usual medium stuff. But I’ve made lots of enemies since you left.”

He scratched his head and sighed a bit, the knowledge someone killed him sinking in. “Lots of enemies.”

He barely remembers the sight of his apartment before he’d been blindfolded and dragged out of it when he was taken. He’d knocked over a chair and the coffee table trying to get away, then his assailants proceeded to kick his bedroom door off of its hinges. There were books and papers everywhere. And then he couldn’t move, and he couldn’t see.

The memory leaves him feeling hollow, and he derails this thought train before it can get to where he knows it’s going. He gets to his feet, brushing dirt off of his pants. Then he starts picking up his burnt-out candles.

“I know. Sorry.” He sticks the candles into his messenger bag and picks up a small bowl from the top of the headstone, looks at his friend. “It must’ve been hard. I’m sorry. If I hadn’t met… Kai… we wouldn’t have been in this mess.”

He takes a deep breath, exhales, and pours the contents of the bowl onto the pile of dirt at his feet. Blood soaks into the soil, a dark on dark stain that is barely discernible. Even if things turned out to be a disastrous, colossal mistake… Kyungsoo still feels a pang. Heartache. How stupid.

“Most people that kill people wouldn’t want to be caught, I think.” He huffs out a sort of half-laugh. “But maybe not so many of them will be after you now that they think you’re dead.”

He drops the bowl into his bag with the rest of his stuff.

“Speaking of, I’m really not sure how you’re still whole. Most of the guys I bring back aren’t quite so… alive.” Now that he thinks about it, he’s a little perplexed. “Normal bodies decompose pretty quickly. So unless you’ve been under like, less than a day or two…”

Back from Death

#( vie. )#jongdayofthedead

jongdayofthedead‌:

It’s the chuckle that makes Jongdae squint. It’s the familiarity with it that makes him stare for a moment, past the light that’s shown on his face. He can’t see just yet, the sudden light blinding him, his eyes heavy with dirt and lack of us. He tilts his head, squinting a bit more before he digs his nails into the ground and pulls himself the rest of the way out, heaving a bit as he spilled some dirt out of his mouth and stomach. IT tasted like dirt, of course, but of almonds and bile as well. He doesn’t remember eating almonds.

He shook for a bit, panting and groaning before he glanced up. HIs eyes went wide as he finally saw the other’s eyes. Finally saw his face. The hair pushed up and skin still as soft as the day Jongdae last saw him. He looked a bit older, his cheeks a bit fuller, but still opaque with the look that only can be akin to death.

Was it the horror that hit him? Or was it relief?

He sat up and slapped Kyungsoo’s thigh and frowned, the tears starting again as he shook and frowned. He slapped Kyungsoo’s leg more before he started to cry and slowly clenched his fist into the other’s pant leg fabric. “You bastard… I thought you died.”

He sniffled and rubbed his eyes before he hissed as he pushed more dirt into his eyes. Whether that was what was making him cry or not, he wasn’t sure anymore, his heart a mess of emotions at finally seeing Kyungsoo again after all this time. He looked up and smiled.

“Well, for one thing, I was only three feet down. There’s another body beneath me.” He said as he gestured to the grave and sat up, looking at the tall brick of stone. The light from the phone lit up the name of the poor person’s grave Jongdae had been tossed into. Sorry, mister Lee Sang, he hoped he was resting well now that he didn’t have a random person above his casket. “And two, I think I got messed up with the wrong people. I was in an alley, talking a ghost to pass over, then it all went black. "

He took the inside of his shirt. flapping the dirt out of it with a disgusted expression before he smiled and looked up at Kyungsoo while he cleaned his face. He scrubbed away the tear tracks of mud and the dirt that kept getting pushed into his eyes. "Do you got a towel? Kinda dirty after getting buried alive."

He hadn't expected to be called a bastard right off the bat, but he guesses it might be warranted. He had dropped off of the face of the earth. To be fair, it wasn't his fault.

He hadn't planned to go missing.

“Yeesh. You really did die, though. We're both in trouble.” As the other man clings to his leg, he realizes there's no way out of this where either of them are clean. So he gives in to one of his quicker, softer instincts.

Kyungsoo leans over his funny, messy, teary friend and wraps an arm around the guy's shoulders. It's gross but comforting, and maybe he lets out a couple of tears, too. Years, years, of pent up frustration, loneliness, and homesickness have finally been released in the runoff. It feels like he can breathe again.

“Nah.” It comes out strained, because he's still feeling sentimental, but he continues. “Some of those bad guys took most of my stuff.”

He fishes around in his pockets when his hands are free again and produces a half-empty travel packet of tissues, then offers them up.

“What kind of trouble did you get into while I was gone?” He wonders bemusedly if it’s as bad as what he’s been through. “Jongdae, making enemies. Never thought I’d see the day.”

Back from Death