Back Alley

@♗ Choi Seunghyun [H] Chisa was frozen on the floor in the dirt. For a full minute it felt like a silent stand-off. He couldn't breathe. Why was he staring at him? Was he mad? Did he notice he had secretly speeddialled someone? What was happening? Ugh. It smelled horrible here. Chisa wanted to get up, but he didn't want to get any closer to the other person. What? Why was he talking as if Chisa was the aggressor here? Chisa swallowed a whimper when the man - and the knife - got closer. "I-" He couldn't bring himself to speak, emotion welling up inside him and the tears that had just been rimming his eyelids now spilled over his cheeks. The homeless man reached out, touching his cheek and Chisa flinched, eyes flickering to the dirty hand. There was a scar there and somewhere in the back of his mind he heard bells ringing. It reminded him of someone. A second person appeared and Chisa's eyes widened. . . Wait- Marin? Chisa's lashes fluttered in confusion. ...Marin? Hyun? What? A chill ran down his spine. Marin was not a common name. He knew a Marin. He'd known a Marin. She was dead now. She was. That's what he'd said. They were both dead. They were dead. What? Chisa's breath quickened. He felt faint, on the verge of a panic attack. He couldn't hear the homeless man. His head was spinning. What?

~"If I see you here again I won't be as kind."~

Chisa snapped out of his daze and looked in front of him to check the homeless man's face but he'd already stood up. He was moving to walk away. He shouldn't do this. It was stupid. Risky. He had a knife and he wasn't friendly. Still- still, he was so confused. He had to know. Chisa pushed himself up off the ground and practically threw himself at the other, arms grabbing onto his clothes. "W- wait!!" Chisa's heart was beating in his throat. In his mind he was replaying that moment where Jaejoong had shown him two corpses bludgeoned till they were unrecognisable. He had been too emotional to rationally check for details then, although he doubted whether he would have found any either way. Could it be... Seunghyun and Marin were alive? Should he tell Jaejoong? Did he have to? Did Jaejoong know they were alive? Was it a test? Chisa felt sick. "Wait! I- Marin-" He was crying again. "You- don't you know me? You know me right? Right?" He desperately wanted them to be alive. That day he'd heard they had ran off and gotten killed- he would never be able to forget it. For the moment he wasn't thinking of the hatred and betrayal he'd felt along with the despair. For the moment he just wanted them to not be dead. The rest would come later.

@♗ Chisa As the panic settled in Seunghyun thought about what to do next. Obviously he didn’t want to bring harm to the other person but it was his job to protect his friends who were resting further down the street. If this guy just attacked them from out of nowhere then it left Seunghyun no choice, especially since he was armed. When the homeless were sleeping it was always a dangerous time. You could get mugged or murdered in your sleep. To Seunghyun's relief it looked as if the knife hasn’t been used, except for a few nicks here and there which could be from anything, but no blood was always a good sign. When Seunghyun took a step forward the intruder reached for something, curious Seunghyun didn’t move for a solid minute. Until he held the knife out towards the other man, with the sharp edge pointed towards him Seunghyun crouched down. In a low whisper he spoke, whilst reaching out to put his hand over the phone between it and the man’s face. “Who are you and what are you doing in my alleyway? With a knife?”

Still holding the knife out he waved it a little closer. “I’m not going to hurt you, but you need to talk and quickly. Are you a drug dealer?” He stared at the look of terror on the other man’s face, soft features gave into fear and he was crying. It wasn’t unusual for dealers to send new guys over here. With the back of his hand Seunghyun wiped a tear from the man’s cheek, he had a prominent scar on his left hand that had been with him since birth and Seunghyun quickly retreated his hand. From behind another person approached them and called out to him. “Hey Hyun, Marin is about to head back with… stuff.” He peered at the man on the floor suspicious of him. “Anyway, let me take over the watch, just let him go. She's gonna need your help with the... stuff.” The guy pointed back down the alley as he spoke. Seunghyun was still staring at the intruder but slowly rose back to his feet, patting the new arrival on the back to greet him. “Alright, I can’t give you your knife back but get out of my sight.” Seunghyun tucked the knife into his coat after giving the man a once over. "If I see you here again I won't be as kind."

@♗ Choi Seunghyun Chisa had panicked and attacked the man and it had.... big surprise.... not worked. Instead of stabbing him or at least scaring him off, Chisa was tripped up, fell to the floor and dropped thhe knife. His cheeks flushed in embarrassment. He felt sick. People had probably peed right where he was kneeling on all floors. The knife! Chisa's head jerked to the discarded metal and he scrambled to grab it, suddenly not worried about the filth covering the cobble stones. He almost had it, but the man snatched it from right before his eyes. A chill ran down his spine. Chisa was half-kneeling, half-sitting on the ground, backed away from the hobo who was playing with his knife with what looked to Chisa like a menacing grin. His breathing thinned, fear setting in his veins. To recap, he had been approached by a tall homeless person in an alley right after getting money, they had reached for... something, Chisa had panicked, fallen to the floor and lost his only weapon in the process; a weapon the hobo was now holding. Just like anyone else who did what he did in these parts, Chisa had a lot of unpleasant experiences under his belt. It was part of the job. As a consequence, however, he usually expected the worst. Right now he was expecting to get robbed and probably stabbed as well. Well, maybe others had more mental fortitude, but Chisa got scared easily - always had. Back at the home he'd been quite a crybaby, much unlike Marin, and now as well the first tears sprang to his eyes. His bag still hung loosely off his shoulder. He reached in for his phone, fingers quivering, and pressed speeddial nr 1. Chisa's teary gaze never left the hobo's and he didn't move otherwise, didn't make a sound other than his nervous, fluttered breathing.

@♗ Chisa Scrutinising over the appearance of the man before him Seunghyun couldn't really place the voice to the man's appearance. He was confused, Chisa had never really appeared like this before. Some things seemed familiar and yet everything was different, his clothes, his poise, the way he felt above this place. Chisa had been nothing like that so this couldn't be him. Did Chisa have a twin? However, there was a nagging doubt in the back of Seunghyun's mind, an instinct which informed him that something wasn't quite right here. Well, it wasn't a particularly clever thought. You didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know that a crop top in the cold was a dumb idea, or that the man was clearly dressed like a woman which begged the question of was he even a man at all? Seunghyun had no ing clue and the more he thought it about the more confused he became. He shook his head.

"Sit down? I'm not a dog you can just order around-" Seunghyun was about to fly off into another rant when suddenly the stranger vaulted at him. Though he was physically quite weak Seunghyun could hold his own and he side stepped away from the knife, sticking his foot out to trip the other person up. "Cute. Real cute. You should put your knife away before you cause a scene." That was one plus to being entirely numb, pressurising situations didn't affect him as much as it would for someone who cared about their life. He reached for the knife that had fallen onto the floor and looked it over in his hands. "Nice knife, it's mine now." He flipped it over in his palm with a small smirk.

@♗ Choi Seunghyun Chisa had changed in the last four years, physically at least. Firstly, he had grown taller. Secondly, his hair was longer. He had had long-ish hair four years ago already (he was growing it out at Jaejoong's order), but now it fell all the way down to his waist. His hair colour hadn't changed. The "dirty blonde" was his natural one, inherited from his late father. Thirdly, the make-up he wore made his matured face look more effeminate. He didn't cake it on, but even just eyeliner and blush could really change someone's loook. Fourthly and finally, he dressed differently at least at work. Tall heels, dangerously short skirt and cropped tops. Before he'd started working he hadn't cross-dressed. Now he wore skirts so often even in his free time he often couldn't be bothered to change out of them.

Chisa's angry expression betrayed relief when the hobo stopped and raised his hands- although not very far. Was he making fun of him? Was he not taking Chisa seriously? The cross-dresser shifted nervously. "That's right. Stay where you are. -No, sit the down." Just as he spoke the man moved back and Chisa let out a shaky breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding in. The man reached for his side and Chisa's mind immediately spun into overdrive. He couldn't hear his apology. No, he could, he just didn't believe it. He was reaching for something and it was definitely a weapon. A knife? A- a gun? No, where would this guy get a gun from. Adrenaline shot through Chisa's veins. Even though he could throw a fuss and threaten people, he wasn't actually much good in a fight. He never had been. When it came to actually, metaphorically, pulling the trigger he would chicken out. Chisa was never meant to be muscle for Jaejoong's organisation, but his cowardly disposition definitely disqualified him from it. Chisa's mind was spinning. The man hadn't finished speaking yet, when Chisa launched forward, plunging his knife towards the other. He was aiming for his shoulder and if the other didn't do anything about it, it would sink right in. Chisa was a coward, yes, but he'd been mugged enough times to work up the courage to fight back.

@♗ Chisa "H-hey, hey, whoa-" Seunghyun stammered, immediately raising his hands as high as he could which wasn't that far and halted mid-step. He wasn't looking to die tonight, even it would end his prolonged torture. The glint of the knife was visible under the faint light of the street lamp that flickered behind them. Slowly Seunghyun took a step backwards, he had to live since the people behind them depended on him. The man's words didn't surprise him, disgusting, garbage, dirty street trash. It was all Seunghyun had heard before, another way to dehumanise everyone who was suffering because of the people above them, the forgotten street rats. Used and thrown away. But what stood out to the homeless man was the other's voice, it felt vaguely familiar. It reminded him of... of... Seunghyun lowered a hand to clutch at his aching side where an infected scar tore at his abdomen. However, to the stranger's eye it appeared as though he was reaching for something. "Sorry, I just thought I knew you." He commented under a pained hiss. "I must've been mistaken."

@♗ Choi Seunghyun [TW: abusive language]

@♗ Choi Seunghyun Chisa saw the guy push himself to a stand and immediately tensed. Why the was he getting up now? Couldn't he just keep sitting there till Chisa passed? He didn't look too steady on his feet, but he was definitely approaching him. Chisa's breath hitched and he took a step back, hand in his bag clutching the hilt of his knife. He flinched when he brushed the filthy wall and let out a hushed curse. Chisa looked over his shoulder back the way he'd came, muscles tense and ready to run- or to stab this guy in the gut. . Why today. Couldn't life just leave him alone for a minute? Chisa wasn't particularly concerned for his safety. He was more annoyed than anything else- and the smell was getting worse the closer the guy got. Chisa took another careful step back, unwilling to trip and land on the floor. Chisa shivered. Did he just say his name? "Back the off!!" Chisa didn't waste time thinking about how the dirty-looking person would know his name. Maybe he'd mentioned it to his client and the guy had overheard him. He was probably just trying to get something. He saw money exchange hands and now he wanted to rob him. That was probably it. Chisa wasn't falling for his stupid act. He pulled his knife out and held it towards the other threateningly. "I will ing cut you.", he growled darkly. Ugh. He smelled revolting. "ing disgusting!", Chisa cursed and spat on the ground between them. He didn't recognise Seunghyun in the shadows, buried under filth, an originally handsome face now marred with signs off malnourishment and drugs. To Chisa, this was just another homeless druggie trying to steal his hard-earned money. It wasn't even his money really. It was Jaejoong's and Chisa did not want him thinking he was stealing from the man. Nope. No thank you. He was going to protect his 50$ even if it meant touching this piece of - albeit only touching with his knife.

@♗ Chisa [tw drugs]

It was cold and the cool crisp air was enough to make anyone's hair stand up on end. Usually those types of nights were the worst ones. If you were out on the street you'd have be woken up every couple of hours by a watchful friend, just so you could move and not freeze to death. The ones who hadn't made friends obviously... perished. Seunghyun was on poking duty, since he couldn't sleep. It had been a while since he successfully got his hands on some sleeping pills and without them it was hard to relax, hard to shut off his mind that raced a mile a minute. Still, he bundled up in the only clothes he had and periodically shook his friends awake. It was rather uneventful, between the buildings Seunghyun could see a slip of sky which was just... cloudy, great. Nothing to stare at there then. He thought about getting another hit, sneaking a hand up his sleeve to itch at the track marks. Then he heard voices approach and a very obvious exchange of... less noble favours. It wasn't above Seunghyun to do the same but the person offering didn't seem hungry, didn't seem to be from around this area, if anything they looked too glamourous. Seunghyun frowned as he watched the exchange unravel, slowly rising to his feet whilst using the wall behind him as an aide. He slowly approached the remaining person, his voice low as not to wake up his sleeping friends. "C-Chisa?" Seunghyun questioned after rubbing his dirty face on the back of his palm. He swore his face looked familiar but he wasn't so sure with the clothes he was wearing. If he was Chisa then it had been four years since they had last seen each other and that couldn't be possible, right? "Is that really you?"

@♗ Choi Seunghyun Chisa hated meeting in places like these. It stank to high hell here. He glanced behind him into the alley at the sad figures crouching in the dark and shuddered, arms wrapped tightly around himself. The homeless made his skin crawl. Chisa wasn't under any delusions that he was bougie or anything of the sort, but he had a roof above his head, washed regularly and didn't pump poison into his veins. At least he wasn't street trash. A nervous-looking client showed up and Chisa smiled at them. He rubbed his heeled foot against his calf in an attempt to keep warm as the client explained what he was looking for in hushed tones. Chisa had forgotten his hoodie at the last motel and now it was ing cold. God, couldn't this guy just hurry it up? "Yes, of course, no worries!" Chisa let out a light laugh and reached out to the man, patting his arm reassuringly. "I'll take care of you." He his lips and fought to keep the kindest expression he could muster on his face. "Where do you want to meet? How about Sunset motel at 6? Oh, too early?" Chisa chewed on the piece of gum in his mouth and checked his calendar on his phone. "How about 10 then? Yes? Great! Room 105, don't forget hm?" Chisa winked at the man and then reached out, grabbing him just as he turned away. "Honey, it's 50$ deposit for my time now. Don't worry, it's taken off the full price. Mmhm. I'll see you there~" He looked nervous so Chisa leaned in and gave him a peck on the lips. "Looking forward to it." Chisa eye-smiled at him, waving lightly as the man distanced himself and once he was out of sight let out a soft groan. "." Now he'd have to run from one place to the next just to make it in time. Oh well, time to get some food. Chisa turned and almost fell then there from the stiletto of his heel getting stuck between the cobble stones. He managed to catch himself without touching the grimy walls and cursed in relief. Carefully, one step in front of the other, keeping as far away from the homeless in the alley as possible while also not touching the wall, he walked forward. It smelled like someone had just pissed against the wall. He wouldn't put it above these disgusting people. During his conversation some of the homeless had 'relocated'. There was only one guy left, but Chisa didn't relax, a hand on his bag where his knife was located. He'd a few run-ins with these people and it was never nice.