— eᵃᵗᵉʳʸ

TAEHYUNG: CHECK.
HAKYEON: CHECK.
SEHUN: CHECK.
MINGYU: CHECK.
WONWOO: CHECK.
JAIJIN: CHECK.
HOSEOK: CHECK.
EUNWOO: CHECK.

[part 10]

When Eunwoo entered the cafe du monde, even the staff that usually greeted their customers brightly, became more somber. Without saying a word, they guided him to a table in the corner and handed him the menu. It was like someone had just died. Well, that's what Eunwoo looked like anyway. After distancing himself from /that place/ sufficiently his hunger began to overwhelmed him. The plan was to ignore it and go back to the hotel and repent some more, perhaps pray for redemption a few times as well. To his embarrassment, the hunger won over him. Only with the last shred of pride he had, the priest in training was trying to suppress himself from feeling any enjoyment from this. He didn't deserve it. Perhaps after a week of punishment he would forgive himself. With a dark, tense expression he took the menu and pointed to the food he hated the most: onion soup. He really didn't like onions. But how could he ever look at himself again, if he chose something he liked now? To drink, he chose grapefruit juice. Another thing he really did not like. Unknowingly, the waiter was looking at him a bit strangely. He had never served a customer before who had such an obvious post- glow, who became sadder and sadder the more he ordered. He must have had some absolutely terrible . Oh well, he hoped the depressed male would at least tip well.

~~ THE END ~~

TAEHYUNG: CHECK.
HAKYEON: CHECK.
SEHUN: CHECK.
MINGYU: CHECK.
WONWOO: CHECK.
JAIJIN: CHECK.
HOSEOK: CHECK.

[ Part 10 ]

Execution had been flawless. Within an hour of the priest's death, the church was in chaos, people were wailing, mourning — Hoseok didn't understand why he had to do what he did, what benefit it created for the anonymous author, but he understood the pain the priest's follower's felt. He may not be religious, but a life is still a life, and one everyone in this city cherished dearly. The man had spread nothing but goodwill and positivity; everyone stepping out of the church felt more hopeful and strength in their ability to carry on with their lives. To kill such a person.. it was worse than accidentally killing an innocent.

By now, it was around 22:00. Almost a whole day since his mission last night. Reliving those memories, added to these — Hoseok was already shivering, wanting to get out of here already. His stay here was extending for far too long; if anyone caught him here, he'd never see freedom again. Inconspicuously, the male sat at an outdoor café, trying to swallow down as much food as he could before he took his leave from here. Who knew when next he'd get to have a proper meal.

Throughout his meal, flashes of last night haunted him. The stench of alcohol, cigarettes and in the club, the scantily dressed es littering the premises, his.. his ex-Master. Only now was it really hitting him that he was no longer bound to someone; he no longer had anyone to answer to, and whatever he did, they were based off his decisions, choices and wishes. It was definitely overwhelming. And then, he thought about the priest, his followers, his loved ones— it was too much. All of it struck Hoseok in one big rush. The bile that he had been suppressing all along suddenly rose, unbidden. An alarmed waiter came rushing outside, concerned for his customer who was throwing up on the ground. "Sir! Are you alright?" he asked, offering Hoseok a glass of water and some tissues. The young boy looked up, relived at the help. But then he saw the other customers' eyes on him and his fatigue-fried brain could come up with only one decision — he fled.

TAEHYUNG: CHECK.
HAKYEON: CHECK.
SEHUN: CHECK.
MINGYU: CHECK.
WONWOO: CHECK.
JAIJIN: CHECK.

@mingyu k. 〈 kmin Even if wonwoo was aware, that Mingyu could tell whether his broken arm was hurting or not, or that the painkillers wouldn't do much, he still tried to assure the younger. It was futile, but he got to see more of mingyu's sincerity. Soon the drugs worked its magic and wonwoo was able to sleep for a couple of hours until it wore off. He was drowsy rather than sleepy when mingyu woke him up. "Uhmn.. yeah". Wonwoo was never a morning a person. One would think that wonwoo should be used to waking up early, considering his line of work, but he wasn't. It took him a while to get himself off the bed, thanks to his arm. The major problem lay in getting dressed. "Idiot! You're supposed to help me." Wonwoo complained to nothingness, groaning he somehow got himself in loose khaki pants that matched well with the t-shirt he had on since yesterday. And for that reason alone, wonwoo used an amount of deodorant and perfume. He can walk down the road in a pair of underwear, but can't walk a step with smelling like drool of last night.

He soon found mingyu outside the building without anything to save him from the morning chill. "Shouldn't you be a responsible lad and not catch a cold?" Wonwoo jested-- voice a little sleepy and faint, mouth slightly curled up at the corner while he eyed the younger. There was nothing negative in the way he spoke, except a little of concern which wonwoo prayed wouldn't annoy the younger. He had dealt with a handful of adolescents and none of them were pleasant memories. Their mood swings were beyond his understanding. "We'll get you something warm when we find a cafe, and I definitely need a large amount of caffeine in my system to function." Wonwoo announced, walked a few steps ahead before he paused and realized he was walking in the wrong direction.

"Sorry, I'm still not awake enough." He rushed out in a soft voice, and then he asked mingyu to lead the way. It took him a while to recall the familiarity of the streets, but he recognized it anyway. Then again there was only one place around tat area where their kind holds meetings and all negotiations. Before going to meet with the Louis person, he was a half Korean and half British, a good friend of his, wonwoo, like stated, bought two cups of mocha for them as soon as they arrived at the Cafe Du Monde. He would have bought warm milk for mingyu but restrained himself from doing so. It wasn't hard to find the person they were to meet. Wonwoo was friends with him which mingyu might not be aware of. "There he is." Wonwoo mumbled, going ahead. The meeting went smoothly. When they came out of the cafe, wonwoo was holding a key and information to the whereabouts of their first target.

"Let's go to the market." They were told to meet the fruit shop owned by a Korean, at the end of the row, to get necessary weapons and that also includes all chemical drugs to kill.

@wonwoo j. 〈 jīn |SH| In his opinion, Mingyu was nothing like his father. As a child, things were normal until he was forced to fight and the sweet father he was knew was slowly vanishing from his sight. His mother left. And that's when his father truly changed, cold, heartless and no longer able to love. Mingyu had blanked out at that point, unresponsive to what Wonwoo was saying. "I still feel bad, I'll make it up to you somehow just give me time for this brain of mine to think of something half decent." Mingyu could feel his lips curve up into the slightest of smiles as he recalled his father's last words, 'tell your mother I love her.' And now he needed to find his mother because she was all he had left.

"You know I've been in more than enough situations to know that you're still in pain hyung." Mingyu rolled his eyes playfully, getting up from his spot to chuck the cloth in what seemed to be a bin, but at this point he couldn't care less where he chucked it. Mingyu then froze in his spot as he heard the other joke, shrugging it off, though o the inside he was grateful that Wonwoo had changed the conversation. For once there was someone who cared about the words they said. "Don't worry about me too much, you're the one who should be resting because of that arm." He ped the bag, reaching in to grab the tramadol and a small bottle of water, before making his way back over to Wonwoo and handing everything to him "I'll make sure to wake you up when we go meet up with that person. Good night Wonwoo." Mingyu slipped himself on the other side of the bed, laying down and staring at the ceiling, noticing the odd specs of mould growing before turning on his side and pulling the provided blanket over Wonwoo.

It was 5am when this Louis the second person called up, he answered as quietly as he could in attempts not to wake up the other sleeping soundly next to him. Mingyu closed his eyes for a split second, soon drifting off to sleep. Though it wasn't long until he woke up, gently he nudged the older's shoulder and hopped off the bed. "Wonwoo wake up, we have to head to this cafe du monde." Mingyu glanced over at the other before grabbing hold of the keys to the room and his own stuff. "I'm going to go check out, I'll wait outside for you so take your time." And with that he left for the lobby and slipped a few notes into the tip jar. He stood outside, it was cold but that was expected when the sun had just barely risen.

[ 1 / 10 - anonymous ]

He sits quietly in a booth to the far left, hidden away from prying eyes except those behind the counter. A waitress greets him - bright, peppy, fake - and Jaijin almost opens his mouth. Brain catching up with the silence he turns the menu to face her and points to a random item. Jaijin hadn't bothered to read what the cafe offered seeing as he didn't even like sweets. Tooth-rotting sugar, sticking to the roof of his mouth and remaining their for the rest of the day. It wasn't something he liked to experience. Once she left he tilted his head down to peer at what he'd aimlessly chosen before sighing. Setting the laminated sheet onto the checkered counter the dark-haired man then turned to look outside.

Green eyes stared back at him, watery in the window's reflection but displaying no emotion. He rested his head in his hand and allowed boredom to claim him. Jaijin made up his mind that going outside wasn't his best idea. People were annoying, as they were also mundane and loud. The day-to-day sameness of humanity drove Jaijin mad with the need for /change/. He thinks the world would be much more interesting if half the population died, or animals somehow became sentient. Mayhaps he'd speak to a tiger, lest he be eaten by strong jaw and yellow teeth.

Amusing.

Broken out of his trance by the dull click of a plate he turns away from the window and glances up to a different waitress. She doesn't offer him a smile (to which he's unsure of whether or not he should be grateful) and simply pulls a straw from her apron, placing it next to his cup and leaving.

Jaijin shrugs to himself, looking down at the food and wrinkling his nose at the sight of chocolate cake. Peanut butter sides and cookie-crumble topping aren't the least bit appetizing. Since he ordered he might as well eat though, the thought spurring Jaijin to reach for the silverware that had been there since he arrived. As the tips of his fingers brush along the coarse material of the napkin he feels something beneath the cutlery. Blinking, Jaijin pushes the wrapped objects aside to find a piece of card stock laying there innocently. It's cream-colored, containing no words and folded in half.

As he takes the supposed note Jaijin looks up to try and find the waitress, but she must be in the kitchen because he can't see her. Another shrug, and he's opening the note with a blank expression.

'greetings, jj & jinx'

Just the first sentence and Jaijin can't help the shock that runs up his spine. Whoever this person is, /they know/, and he's unsure of what to do because most people don't get the chance to find out about him and Jinx. If they do it's either a "friend" or someone who's bound to die /so who is this?/ He keeps reading.

'you don't know who i am,
but i know you two very well.
my request is simple - please
kill anyone within 24 hours
of reading this, or face the
consequences. - <3 toothy'

Appetite gone Jaijin pushes the plate away and sets down the note, reading it over and over again with a sense of unease. He doesn't get uneasy - Jaijin nor Jinx. The man wishes he could consult his other half for some form of advice or guidance, but it seems he's alone right now. Glancing at the slice of cake Jaijin shakes his head, taking a look around the eatery before slowly getting up. As long as he didn't eat it he doesn't have to pay - so, he leaves, and tucks the note into his pocket while making his way down the street.

@jeongguk j. 〈 jeon |H| TAEHYUNG: CHECK.
HAKYEON: CHECK.
SEHUN: CHECK.

[ 3 ]
Why did it always seem like he was moving backwards? Everyone was actors. Everyone was actors and he was having some sick prank pulled on him. His forearms rest against the linoleum of the diner, aviators set off to the side and in a proper, folded position. His eyes dart up to the woman that’s loudly chewing bubblegum next to his ear. She must be enjoying it.

“What’ll it be, doll?” Her english is heavily accented, years of southern drawl bred into her.Dripping from her periods and lulling her consonants. A smooth string of syllables instead of the harsh dialect he was used to from his English years in school. “Uh,” His teeth work worry into his bottom lip, and his finger points shakily to the drinks. “–C=coca?”

“Pop?” She accentuates it with a pop of her bubblegum, mint bursting in his nostrils, burning ever so slightly and he nods dumbly. “Pop.” His way of saying it is with pressured p’s and a low ‘ah’ of the o. But it must be endearing, because she’s smiling and going to get his drink order. It gave him time to think about what to eat - although the entire time she was gone, Taehyung stares blankly at the menu. Fingers ghosting over the laminated pictures of egg and steak, fingers drawing silly smiley faces on the pancakes that look so so fluffy, and so so good.

“What’ll you have to eat?” Eat, that’s right. His stomach growls with this, as if urging him to order something already. “Eggs… And…. Steaky?” His nail taps lightly against the menu, towards the steak and eggs combo that was so nicely portrayed there. “Of course.” SHe’s scribbling with a pretty pink pen, sparkly and gel and it looks so smooth. Smooth enough to eat -- not that he would eat the gel pen ..

Okay, maybe he would if he didn’t get his steak and eggs quick enough. His nails bite into the fabric of his sweater, not even bothering to cup the cold glass that was sweating condensation. His lips wrap around the plain straw and he drinks - this burn was more soothing than the alcohol from the club. There was something about it that brought back good times. Was the answer to life coca=cola? Interesting..

He didn’t know how long it had been, but when he looks down at the napkin in front of him, there’s little squibbles of green. Scribbles and scratches that are supposed to be a picture, and the waitress is bringing his food. “Cute, y’can hang it up on my fridge anytime, doll.” She’s sweet, and it’s almost like she knows .. She knows and it upsets Taehyung, because people can easily spot the vulnerability in his eyes. His chest seizes as he stares at the food in front of him, suddenly overcome with ravenous motions. His hands pulling apart the napkin that keeps him from the silverware. Stabbing the steak and bringing it to his lips -- oh, he had an idea. Stabbing the egg and letting the yolk drip out -- perfect.

He’s shaking and gasping when he finishes – it’s a surprise he doesn’t get the hiccups from eating so quickly. The waitress comes silently each time to fill up his coke, and in return, coral lips wrap around the straw and he greedily takes in the carbonation that was bringing the lovely burn to his throat. The next thing pressing down next to him is a paid receipt and a smiley face attached.

“Go home, Kid. You look beat.”

Strangers .. Were so patient, sometimes. He’d never forget the woman in the diner.

㊁
A long journey usually meant rewarding yourself from time to time with good food. Hakyeon had to admit that it greatly to eat with a crippled arm. Cutting steak was a pain in the (perhaps he should have considered that first before picking something off the menu), thus he had ended up swapping his meaty meal for a slice of strawberry shortcake.
He could have easily brought the piece of meat to his lips and chomp down on it like a wild animal, but he needed to blend in to the elegant and sophisticated atmosphere of the cafe - unfortunately.

His eyes wandered from the delicious sweet treat to the man by the window. He was with a woman again, but one different from the night before at the club. Her soft blonde hair glowed under the sun, and her eyes were warm and filled with love. He, on the other hand, only had a face of annoyance, shutting down each and every of her question when she tried to keep the conversation going.

Hakyeon raised his hand up quietly and the waitress who had served him previously stopped by his table. "What else can I help you with, sir?" She asked, a gentle and polite smile on her face. She seemed quiet and meek, someone who was unlikely to reject someone or say no to a bad idea that she disagreed with. Hakyeon returned the smile with one of his own, gesturing her to lean downwards closer to him. She did, and Hakyeon inched closer, voice low.
"That man wearing the blue collared shirt... The one sitting at the table on the left by the window..."
She turned slowly, scanning the general area Hakyeon had pointed out before exclaiming, "Ah! You mean Mr. Kim? He's a regular here, along with his wife."
Hakyeon's eyes gleamed before flashing another smile. "And they come here often?"
"Oh yes, they're a sweet married couple. They come here once or twice throughout the week."

And through this casual conversation with the waitress, Hakyeon learned that the lady was indeed the man's wife - not that Hakyeon particularly cared. But he could put this information to good use later on.
Mr. Kim, or as Hakyeon likes to call him - "The Dip", had a reputation to hold. Ever since he managed to remove the label 'Neighborhood drunkard' off his name when he got back on his feet after getting a job, he's become prideful and arrogant. This was years after the incident, but Hakyeon always held a grudge, never being able to forget the pain and grief he had to endure as a child.
Why does a loathsome man like him get to live a life better than he deserves?

Hakyeon knew more than enough to kill off this disgusting man, but his skills have become rusty since he stepped foot onto the island.
In all honesty, he wasn't exactly used to this 'get to know your enemy' thing either; He was never much of a patient person, after all. Hakyeon is usually much bolder and rash, preferring to dive straight into the kill without thinking twice about the consequences. Stalking and learning the victim's routines and habits was just a waste of time, he'd like to think. But that aside, Hakyeon knew he wanted this to turn out exactly the way he wants it to. Ashamed about the last mistake he had made, he believes he cannot afford anymore miscalculations or faults in his plan.


The last bite of his cake disappears into his mouth and Hakyeon placed the fork down, still watching the man like a hawk. He and his companion stood up together and headed towards the counter to pay. Hakyeon took that as a sign to get ready to leave too, immediately wiping his lips clean with a napkin. Just as the couple headed out the door, bell clinging lightly at their exit, Hakyeon made his way towards the counter, only to have a stranger bump into him, spilling the scalding coffee all over his shirt.
And instantly, the stranger caused a big scene, yelling and blaming Hakyeon for being careless.
The commotion made heads turn and Hakyeon was definitely not in the mood for the unneeded attention. The hot drink seeped through the thin fabric, burning at his skin, but he took no mind to it. Instead, he reached out to grab onto the stranger's arm, fingernails digging deep into the flesh.
"If I lose this chance," He started, voice low and warning, "You will be next on my list." He slowly let go, blood on the tip of his fingernail as the stranger stood there in shock and anger. Slapping the bill onto the counter, Hakyeon turned heels and left as quickly as he could before the stranger could respond.

part 2

A couple of years back, he would have flinched at that. He would have reeled back in his chair, as if she had slapped him. Now, her jab only brought a weak smile to his lips, a tired roll of his eyes following, as he absentmindedly massaged the bullet scar on his thigh, thumb pressing into the dent it had left in his flesh.
"Why should I?"
"Because you claimed it was love.", the beautiful woman answered without missing a beat, leaning forward to lower her voice until he was the only one able to hear her whispered words. "And my sister would have wanted you to care, Sehun."
"It's Shixun.", he corrected her harshly, thumb pressing deeper into his leg in anger. "He's not mine. And neither was your sister. It's pure generosity I am keeping you and the kid safe."
Now it was her turn to roll her eyes, the smile on her lips borderline cruel as she lifted a hand and brushed it against the side of your face. "You used to be a better liar, my dear Shixun. You were so good at lying to her all the time, I am amazed you lost that ability. Don't. Lie to anybody else, but I know you. You're doing this, because your mother thinks the boy is her grandchild and she would rather die than lose him too."
"Like she lost me.", Sehun finished her sentence, staring at her with burning chocolate eyes. "Generosity."
She snorted, running her slender fingers through the tips of her light brown hair, twirling it around her index finger. "Just get the job done, Shixun, and I won't bother you for another five years."
He didn't need to give her an answer. She knew he would do it. They both did, no matter how hard Sehun still struggled with himself to complete his task. When she left him, the book was still laying on the table next to him, the paper clutched in his balled fist. Charles Bukowski, the title read and for the first time that day, his heart clenched painfully in his chest.

[] Part 4 of Shixuns journey


part 1

Cafe Du Monde looked like something out of movie to him. Perhaps, the whole city did. It was like walking through a different time, through a different world he didn't understand. And while the streets around the parade were packed with celebrating people - most of them drunk out of their common sense - the cafe looked peaceful, like a rock in the middle of a raging sea. The windows were glinting with the street lights, soft and warm and inviting, but to him... it was like a lamb walking right into a lions den.
He was the lion, the one whose soul was stained and dirtied, too tainted to even set foot into a place like this. In a different life, maybe, he would have chosen this cafe for a date. A sweet one, innocent. A first date with a girl he really liked. Once upon a time, he thought with a bitter smile as the door swung shut behind him and the warm smell of coffee and sugar wrapped around him like a blanket. It would have been possible, once upon a time. A fairytale world in which Sehun didn't have to wear a fake name, didn't have to make people belief he was the good guy, the white collared pediatrician with gentle smiles and even gentler touches. He had given up on that dream so long ago, it was barely even there in the back of his mind, like an old photograph that was slowly losing color, slowly slipped away into a world of black and white.

And there it was, the thing he had tried to run away from the entire night, on an aching leg. She was sitting at one of the small round tables in the back of the cafe, fingers folded gracefully around a book, thumb turning the pages. He remembered her wearing glasses, thick rimmed and fashionable, bangs falling into her forehead just like his were now. She had changed over the years they hadn't seen each other, just as he had. The way she sat there, one leg over the other, the tip of one foot swinging up and down to the beat of the soft jazz music playing in the background, how her now long hair fell over one of her shoulders. The girl Sehun had known back then was gone, softness replaced by a stern woman with a worried crease between her neatly groomed eyebrows.
The raven haired man hesitated for a moment, looking between his cup of coffee on the counter and the long way towards the table, sure he would spill most of the hot liquid all over himself, but he didn't really have a choice. The cut rattled quietly against the saucer as he picked it up and carried it to the table as carefully as he could, letting his leg drag long with him more than he tried to limp as he had done the entire day.
It was getting worse and worse by the minute, he noticed and when he sank down into the leather cushioned chair across from her, it was like slipping into a cloud. She didn't look up from her book at his arrival, trying to make it seem as if they weren't meeting for the first time after years, as if this was a normal situation for the both of them, an everyday occurrence.
"What happened to your leg?", the brunette in front of him asked him silently, not even looking up, thumb turning a page. "You didn't limp the last time I saw you."
Sehun frowned at that, taking a sip of his coffee and leaning back in his chair to stretch out his bad leg underneath the table. He took his time to answer, knowing that it was probably driving her up a wall, eyes studying her face in silence.
"Things change.", he only shrugged in reply and saw her click her tongue, although there was no sound following the movement of her plush, red lips. "You don't have to know about the things happening in my life."
"Indeed.", she shot back, finally closing the book and pushing it away across the table, just close enough to his hand so he could easily pull the slip of paper from between the pages discreetly. "But old habits die hard."
He scoffed, looking away to the side and out of the window, watching a drunk couple stumbling by, giggling and clutching at each other like the other was a lifeline. "There is no habit that would justify you not keeping your distance. I would prefer it."
The woman in front of him met his eyes without a single hint of fear, her lips curling into a sneer as she let her hazelnut eyes wander over his face, over the new color of his hair, to the scars on his throat and the sides of his neck, to his scarred knuckles. "I was never your biggest fan. But I hoped you would at least be human enough to care about the child."

OPEN.