Unexpected Circumstances

[Jihae]

start !

"One day the two men met in a restaurant, who by each other's first words they clicked and meshed in companionship. Their relationship would be like, like possessing a large emerald, an emerald displayed in a jewel box. Forbidden to falter. Forbidden to be touched by anyone else."

How did this happen? ❞

Those blaring sirens and flashing lights sent chills down everyone's spine. At the first sight of the white and black car Dom bolted out of the situation, leaving Yoon Tae bruised, out of breath, and utterly fucked. He couldn't do anything. He was tired, in shock, and aching in every fucking nerve in his body. All Tae could do was stare absentmindedly at the man stepping out of the police car, walking towards Tae with a certain stride that said, "You've fucked up big time."

"What's your name, kid?"
"Y-Yoon Tae Choi."
"Yoon Tae Choi, you're under arrest for destruction of property and disorderly conduct. You have the ri--"

Tae exhaled a single break of disbelief before his knees gave out entirely. His body collapsed to the floor, every muscle in his body weightless and limp as a ragdoll. His brows furrowed into in dismay as his breathing grew shallower and shorter in attempts to stop tears from flowing down his eyes.
"Yoon Tae, get up."
"Wait.. I'm so tired.."
Tae spoke in a voice that begged and pleaded to be pitied. His lip quivered as his head slowly cocked up to look at the man who was about to arrest him for something that wasn't supposed to happen. Tae understood what he had done. He had caused everyone to break apart. He was the cause of this mess. It was all his fault. If he didn't invite the Pack to the fucking restaurant they wouldn't have suffer--
"I'm going to ask you one more time to get up."
How the hell did this happen? As if making a final deal with the devil, Tae gulped before getting off of the floor with a hesitant struggle, his hands pushed against his knees as he could hear this back popping in flawless rhythm. His inner thighs hurt like hell. What a way to make him remember just how vulnerable he really is. Money, paid sex, and black market deals couldn't hide his lack of virility.

He voluntarily held his wrists out, closing his eyes to get a few seconds of blissful "sleep" as he heard the solid click of the handcuffs hugging his wrist tightly like an obsession. Tae was led to the car swiftly, the blue, white, and red lights seeping through his heavy weighted eyelids. Tae's eyes shot open as his head was pushed into the car, his body following right after it. As the officer shut the door, Tae was led back to reflection and penance. He conjured up images and scenarios in his head one after another as streetlights and other vehicles whizzed by: The Pack talking shit behind his back, the Pack disowning him. The murder. His rape. Noeul, his best friend for god knows how long, no longer wanting to be seen with a freak lunatic. All of it was too much to handle. As the car pulled up to the station, Tae came to a conclusion that he would have to break contact with the community around him so he could mature and learn from the mistakes he caused by himself and himself only.

Tae stepped out of the car and walked straight into the station. He was led by the same cop through the halls and straight into a cell. It was tarnished, bland, and unforgiving with a single bed to accompany it. This was the sort of wake-up call Tae truly needed. If he could, he would stay in this cell until his body rotted away from starvation, or insanity. Either way, he stepped into the cell and as he heard the iron doors clang behind him, he plopped his rear right on the bed and sat still as a board. Tae was silent and remained on that bed for so long that the clouds moved and changed their configuration in the little window of the room before the silence came to an end.
"Do you need anything?"
Another officer in uniform. Tae nodded politely, the bags under his eyes growing darker as he stayed in his cell.
"I need to use the restroom, actually."
"You don't seem strong enough to do anything stupid, so I'll let you go unattended. You head straight and it's the third door to your left."
He nodded again, not saying a word as he walked away while his shoes squeaked under polished tiles.

Tae went to the bathroom where he could be alone once more, for he felt quite shaken. He examined himself mechanically in the mirror above the filthy sink that was badly cracked and full of hairs: the image of his own existence. The dark, tarnished mirror scarcely reflected any image. Maybe his physical existence had vanished? This illusion soon passed and he saw his entire face distorted by the tarnished mirror; His eyes sunk into his skull as the weight in his face and entire body were almost nonexistent. The hair on his head was messy and small cuts were scattered on his face. He looked way older than his age. He hasn't eaten, nor has he slept, for the past three days. He looked like a distorted skeleton one would see at a cheap haunted house. He studied himself and mused: so young and yet so tarnished. How could he have possibly won the fight in his state?

Finishing his self-reflection, Tae headed straight to his cell, where a different officer opened and closed the bars for him. Tae went straight for his newly acclaimed bed and just sat there for more thinking, a simple ritual he had already become accustomed to in the past what, hour? Two hours? How long had he been in the station? Would anyone bail him out? Although he wanted someone he knew to come and bail him out, he also dreaded seeing someone from the Pack after the fight that broke out. Tae finally laid on the bed, its stiff mattress comforting his sleep deprived state of mind. He closed his eyes once more but he wouldn't dare try to sleep. He attempted it once, and the nightmares of hands groping his body came flooding. No more. He was tired, in pain, in regret, and most of all emotional. He didn't want to live anymore. There was really no point. His pride, ego, and self-esteem are rotting in hell while he was still living. Breathing.

In order to break away from suicidal thoughts, he spoke blankly to the cop right outside of his cell. "If anyone comes for me, please don't let them bail me out. Send them away. Please." Tae didn't bother to hear if the cop complied to his favor or not, because once he said his request, he was out like a light, sleeping for the first time since what seemed like forever.
And just when Tae thought he could sleep for more than five minutes, that's when his subconscious flashed the same setting he didn't want to see. That fucking alleyway and those fucking hands.

@Pray4me @Jihae ★

 

[MUSΞ]

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[BCOLOR=transparent]A weak smile was plastered across Noeul's pale face as he sat in the lobby of the county jail, hands rubbing each other anxiously. His eyes refused to focus on one spot. They jumped from each event happening, studying and examining everything around him. Most were waiting patiently for reasons, young mother's with children in tow or a pair of elderly parents arguing hushly with each other. Their appearance bounced against the sterile white lobby, shiny white tiles against white painted walls. The only accent colors came from the vomit green seats and the neatly placed black magazine stands that held various pamphlets and readlettes about topics concerning those incarcerated, the law, and post-jail help.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He brought his black sleeves over his hands, bringing them to his face to blow warm air into them. His black puffer jacket with the neon blue trim was littered with tiny droplets of rain, scattering with each movement of his body. His black beanie soaked up the dirty L.A rain while his slate hair was tinged with wetness. The morning spent looking presentable with a nice, black sweater was a waste. An unheard of rainstorm was plaguing all of Southern California, dropping buckets of rain constantly across the normally smog covered area. Streets were near flooding for days, pushing back the days he wanted to come to the jail thanks to the major delays on the bus routes.Finally, the storm let up just enough for Noeul to make the venture to the county jail across the city. The bus ride went smoothly because of the brief pause the storm, but from the sound so the beading rain beating against the windows, the storm was starting to pick up.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul couldn't help but wanting to dress up a bit for the trip to the county jail. He felt looking like he usually did, rushed and unkempt, was a inappropriate for a visit to jail. A part of him hoped looking good would give him a cut in the wait for jail visits. Compared to everyone else who looked like they were involved with the law in second hand clothes, Noeul seemed like a boy ready for his high school graduation.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Leaning slightly forward in his seat, Noeul stared up at the digital clock just above the front desk hidden behind a shield of bullet proof plastic. While time was going by slowly at the county jail, everything that had happened since the fight at Aloha Mi Amigo ticked away at the speed of sound. It felt like a good three months since Noeul had seen Tae when in truth it was stretching to about two weeks. So much had happened since Tae's sudden kidnapping by the police that Noeul wasn't really sure where to start if he was ever going to get the chance to see his best friend.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Stepping up to the counter, Noeul rested his elbows on the counter of the front desk, smashing his face against the bullet proof shield. Behind the counter were a team of administrative assistants on computers updating the database or having to look up information the old fashion way by chronological documents in oversized file cabinets. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"It's been two hours. Is my group up next for visitation?" he asked the clerical worker, a middle age woman who kept her ginger hair in a tight bun.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Name please."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Noeul Soo."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"And who are you here to see?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Tae...his full name is Yoon Tae Choi."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Can you spell his name for me?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"...fuck...umm…" Noeul's eyes rolled up as he tried his best spelling Tae's full name, sounding out each syllable. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The clerical worker hurriedly danced her fingers across the keyboard, repeating the letters Noeul spoke to her. She paused, scrolling the mouse across the screen to display Tae's mugshot on the screen. Her eyes scanned his profile, nodding.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Take a seat. Looks like an officer is on their way to grab him for you. Someone will call out for your group in just a few minutes," she answered, closing the window of Tae's profile.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Thanks," Noeul returned to his seat, sitting restlessly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]County jail was always the last place Noeul ever thought he would see Tae bunkered at. His friend seemed so cautious and meticulous about doing anything that would attract the law. Knowing that Tae was suddenly caught by the police and whisked away before anyone could react was mindblowing to Noeul. It made Tae seem...sloppy. Even during an intense fight, especially with some guy like Dom, Tae seemed aware of his surroundings, able to sense the approach of the police miles away.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Tae had been acting so disconnected and remorseful that being taken into custody gave Noeul the for sure reason something was very off with his friend.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul stood with the rest of his group as an office announced their number. Following the group down the single hall with a dooming door at the very end, Noeul took in sharp breaths. His body felt heavy with each step closer to the door, making the walk feel more like a forced drag. This was his first time at county jail and Noeul felt slightly embarrassed for that fact. He ran with a group where all had some trouble with the law or trouble mentally while the worse he ever did was steal some bikes that weren't properly locked up.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He felt so tiny, like a lost little child among the visitors and cops that ran the jail. It was clear to everyone around that he didn't belong here. The look on their faces questioning why someone with such an innocent, boyish face would even know someone in jail. This place wasn't for him. Oh no, someone like Noeul should be at home safe and sound and away from any troublemakers that could drag him into any messes. Noeul looked like a good boy.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Most would feel thankful knowing they didn't belong in this shadowy life of society. Noeul felt weak, a joke, a pipsqueak in a housing holding those he admired. Sure, the criminals were caught and sure, most were common troublemakers Noeul wouldn't even bat an eye at. But, there had to be a few higher ranked criminals, ones well known in the street with power and influence over dozens of people. Ones that deserve and demand respect based off their actions and struggle getting to the top. Ones with a easy flow of cash and other treasures. Ones where they still could call the shots even behind bars. Those were the ones Noeul constantly researched during his breaks at work.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The officer opened the door to the visitation room, a giant room with multiple stations separated into small rooms by half walls. Each person sat in their own tiny station, holding gifts they were only allowed to show through the glass. Maybe he should have brought something for Tae. A photo of what he did to Dom would be the perfect gift. Noeul giggle-snorted at the thought of seeing Dom's face when he ran outside, but soon frowned remembering seeing the police car speed away with Tae handcuffed inside.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He took his seat at the far end of the room, surrounded by gray walls and a single glaring white light just above him. Beside was a black phone that connected to the phone on the criminal's side of the glass. Noeul breathed deeply, resting an elbow on the counter and his face snuggle into his hand as he waited for Tae to show up.[/BCOLOR]


@Jihae

 

[Jihae]

choi yoon tae

As sunrise kills an evening, as stars die and a night sky is grieving, as man sees what he has when it's leaving, you gone is as asthma to breathing. That's how much I need you in my life. I'm never gonna ever leave you in my lifetime.

x interactions x

"Is it your first time here?"
"Yes." Tae stated flatly, the voice that used to be happy and bubbly years in consistency now a tired and emotionless tone.
"Do you have any intentions of harming yourself?"
"No." Tae stated again in that same tone, which raised a sneaking suspicion from the jail staff.
"How are you feeling?" the staff questioned, hoping to dismiss the early onset of a suicidal criminal.
"Fantastic."

Nevertheless, the staff directed Tae into a strict admission procedure, getting all ten of his fingerprints on a measly sheet of paper before moving on to x-ray the inside of his mouth in case of any hidden weaponry he might have kept when he first got arrested.

Tae soon began to lose the concept of time the longer he was in jail, and the fact that he barely got any sleep didn't help his case. Just getting officially signed into the county jail was a time consuming task. Since no one bailed him out the first day, his new life thus far consisted of being forced to undergo a terrifying strip search and a new headshot. Once he was dressed in a fashionable shade of orange, he was informed that much like the other lowlifes residing in the jail he would be moved into a shared cell. That news alone struck a major nerve with Tae due to his "circumstances." Tae has never had a criminal record before in his life, nor did he never sleep with a complete stranger, especially ones who were convicted of doing something dangerous. So Tae knew that the more time he spent in jail, the more it would drastically alter his position at work and ruin his reputation with a few clients of his.

At this point he was falling further and further down the rabbit hole and so was his six figure salary.

The cell gates opened and as Tae walked into his new abode, he was surprised to see that the person he would be sharing a cell with was one of his old coworkers. How lucky. His new cellmate used to be a stereotypical rich boy in California. He had achieved more wealth than half of the Californian population before he reached twenty-one. The male named Jun Sung, or "Jun" for short, left Skin Adorn five years ago abruptly because he was falsely convicted of a double homicide and armed robbery. Once Tae stepped foot into the jail, the male had a surprising gleam in his eyes when he saw Tae. Tae would be lying if he said that he wasn't happy to see a familiar face.

After a few heart-to-hearts and a couple of laughs, Jun already informed him on the ins and outs and strict routines of the county jail. When they were released for break, Jun introduced Tae to a couple of inmates and they accepted Tae into their little coterie straight away. Tae's new jail buddies assured him that if he needed anything, anything at all, they would get it for him. This sort of support was what Tae truly needed to keep living. He was able to eat well and sleep well inside a jail than the outside world, and that alone shocked Tae in such a surprisingly good way. Soon enough, the bags under his eyes lightened and he gained some of his weight back, of course not without a few days of him throwing up all of his food right after he ate.

Tae blended in perfectly with the society constructed inside the jail. Muscular, tattooed, and experienced, Tae was already favored by the majority of the prisoners in under a weeks time, and because of his experience as a part time tattoo artist, he even started a hidden but well-known "business" with stick and poke tattoos. The more he was in jail, the more happier he got and the more favor and popularity he was graced with.

At the same time, there was a small yearning inside of him that wished he could go see the Pack, especially Noeul. Within time, that popularity gained some negative results as other cliques started to do anything they could to provoke Tae into a blinding rage. Tae was never one to get pissed off at anything, and now that he was in his right state of mind, he made it harder for those groups to get under his skin.

Tae started to look a bit more alive and healthy now that he was away from an open world, and even gained an unofficial but romantic relationship with one of the guys in there. Tae told his "somewhat" boyfriend Ho Yeon Lee everything, from his occupation to why he was arrested in the first place, completely skipping over his rape due him still suffering from severe trauma. Yeon Lee was a tall, lanky, and tattooed male who through conducting human trafficking sentenced him to 3 years in jail. Flirtatious and extremely supportive, he bolstered Tae's mood greatly just by being there.

It's been about two weeks since his time in jail and Tae was starting to remove his old life from his memory and started to focus more on his life in jail. The more he thought about his old life the more he wanted to be stuck as a captured criminal. It wasn't until one of the staff called out for him and told him that someone wanted to see him he even thought about going back to his house, or the Pack. As he walked toward the visitation area he was surprised to find that his "boyfriend" had someone to see as well. Though Tae wasn't paying attention to the guard when he said who was visiting, Tae promised a skeptical Yeon Lee that it wasn't some lover from outside the gates. Yeon Lee promised the same, telling Tae that the person who was seeing him was his mom, who always visited twice a week.

Entering the visitation room, it didn't take a blink of an eye to see Noeul. He didn't fit into the jail life at all. The two completely contrasted in appearance and personality that Tae sometimes questioned why they were stuck together like glue. Noticing that Tae was meeting a male, Yeon Lee had some suspicions again. Tae reassured Yeon Lee easily, telling him that he was simply a close friend, and that he had always been loyal in relationships. When the two jailed men walked to their designated visitors, Tae's heartbeat began to increase the closer he got to Noeul. He wasn't sure why he was feeling like his, but Tae definitely missed his best friend after two weeks of isolation. Once he sat down, Tae gave Yeon Lee a quick wink and a smile before turning his face around to see Noeul, his face immediately going blank.

Picking up the black phone that connected Tae to his harsh reality, he waited for Noeul to pick up on the other end before speaking almost awkwardly.
"Hey, haven't seen you for a while. How's life?"
@Pray4me

 

[MUSΞ]

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[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul sat up straight in his seat when Tae sat across from him. His eyes widen before blinking a couple of times, grabbing the receiver in unison. He stayed silent after Tae started off their conversation and only stared. Seeing Tae in that bright orange jumpsuit that draped over his frame, the way his friend held his composure in front of the plexiglass that separated them, the blank, dead eye look he gave, nearly made Noeul regret coming to visit. It was the first time he ever felt different. Out of everyone in the Pack, somehow Tae made Noeul feel a near equal in the little group. Around Tae, Noeul never felt like the tag-along the others nearly placed him to be. He never felt like had to prove himself and constantly make himself heard around Tae like he did with everyone else. When Noeul was first invited into the Pack by Andrew, it was Tae who treated him normally while the others seemed to ignore him and focus on themselves. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul grew within the Pack, gaining a certified place in the group and given a position only he could fill. But, he never caught the eye of the rest. Obviously he was different, normal. Noeul felt like the others saw him in a low way. Tae didn't seem to. Their partnership grew to a friendship, and soon to the rare status of best friends. Noeul felt equal until now.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Huh...oh. Shitty, man. You won't believe all the mess you missed," Noeul snapped back to his usual self, cradling the receiver against his ear and palm. "I'm startin' to think maybe you lucked out bein' in here. I don't know where to fuckin' start with this."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Sighing loudly, Noeul's eyes wandered around the little section they were in. Scribbles connected the stab points of the ball point pens in the wooden counter and walls, showing the anger, frustration, and sadness of those who sat in this seat before him. Hearts with multiple lines through them were the main sketches on the counter and walls with 'I can't live without you' being a very close second. His eyes circled back to Tae.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"So, good stuff. Your fight wasn't a waste. After you were gone me and the rest surrounded Dom who had hurried off like a lil bitch since no one else from the Pride showed up. You could hear him bitch out his whole group on the phone when he sped away in that fancy car of his. It was a big win for the Pack...but it wasn't really enough to hold us altogether. Tae, man, I don't know if the Pack has enough to keep it around for long. I don't know if we can ever recover losin' Andrew. I'm tryin' my best to keep everyone together, but without your help...I'm just not sure."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He shrugged hard, letting out a loud exhale into the receiver. A stressful flush began to form on his cheeks, the rising body warmth making Noeul take his beanie off his head. His hair stood on its end for a few quick seconds before falling into misplacement. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"But, more good stuff. I don't think the Pride is doin' any better. We haven't seen any of them since the fight outside Aloha Mi Amigo. Oh, by the way, we got banned from that place. Fuckin' unbelievable, right? Where the fuck am I supposed to eat for super cheap? No other place has a three combo meal deal for $2.45 with a free drink. That shit lasts me at least a good four hours before I'm hungry again. You been eatin' right? I always figured Aloha Mi Amigo catered to the jail here. Anyway," he shook his hand, dismissing the previous topic of food. "I haven't really talked to anyone much since the fight. Bambi texted me askin' about you, umm, and so did Derrick. All three of us are wonderin' why are you still in jail. Didn't you meet the judge yet? Did he give you your bail? I mean, it shouldn't be that much. What charge did you get? Assault or somethin'?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He stuck out his lips, pressing them tightly together as he peeled the receiver from his ear. A soft 'the fuck...' could be heard as he wiped the black pay phone onto the side of his pants. It left a dark, almost tar-like stain on his light blue jeans. The receiver was placed back on his ear, a concern look appearing on his face.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"How are you doin' in here Tae? You look...alright. Better than I would have thought for bein' in jail. No one is, like, messin' with you, right? You know how I watch those prison documentary shows every Saturday. It's fuckin crazy how it's like another world in there. And it's fuckin' gross. How is someone like you dealin' with sleepin' and shittin' in the same room with someone and usin' those communal showers?"[/BCOLOR]

 

[Jihae]

I'm lazy to put the code in because it's 4:46 in the morning. Give me a break I'll do it later~. xD @Pray4me
​

Tae's face relaxed into a friendly smile as he heard his friend finally speak. It was nice hearing Noeul's voice after weeks of being separated from him. If he could, he would tell Noeul that he missed him, but knowing his past attempts of showing a bit of affection to Noeul had turned into uncomfortable tension and rejection he decided to keep his mouth shut. He could feel a small squint of happiness rise to his eyes, obviously ushering his friend to speak for as long as he needed, as he was always there to listen. Tae couldn't quite put his inconsistent memory on the relationship he had with Noeul, but he knew that he would and had always been there for his inexperienced ass.

Forcing out a small laugh at the mental image of Dom getting beaten up by his family, he commended Noeul for putting up a fight by clapping his hand against his wrist gently, the sound of his handcuffs clattering against each other. It wasn't until Noeul mentioned that the Pack wasn't doing to well that his free hand retreated to lay on the lame excuse of a booth that separated him from his best friend.

"I.. I didn't think I played such an important role.." Tae spoke to himself a little too loudly. It was true, Tae never really felt like he belonged in the Pack despite his experiences with the rest of the members. He was brought up by a high standard middle class Korean family, and when that left him despite his academic degrees he obtained a substantial amount of wealth because he believed that money could solve all his problems, even loneliness. If it wasn't for Andrew bringing Noeul into the Pack, he would still be a selfish prick who spent his wealth and happiness on himself and himself only. Tae was logical, restricted, and fairly satisfied with life, but that didn't mean that he fit in with the pack of misfits he had grown so close to. One quick look at him, his mannerisms, his clothing, his face, his body, his speech.. his everything, he looked like he belonged to the Pride and that fact alone bothered him for a long time.

Tae's eyes drifted down to his lap to stare at them sternly, the orange suit sticking to his legs and flattening against the cold metal chair made him realize that he needed to lose weight terribly.

His eyes shot back up, finally seeing his friend's stressed body gesture. His hand instinctively reached out to touch the scratched and dirtied Plexiglas that separated best friend and he, almost as if to comfort Noeul in some sort of way before clearing his throat. "I'll take care of it.. I mean.. We'll take care of it. You and me. The Pack's going to be fine, don't worry..." His voice drifted off in case he was going to go on some tangent that gave him false hope. He wasn't sure if the Pack was going to be fine. After Andrew's death there was a lot of things wrong with the Pack. It felt as if every single one of the members fell into some sort of rock bottom. Tae looked towards Noeul with concern, eyeing him up and down as best as he could to figure out if his best friend had anything troubling him. Just the thought of Noeul feeling anything negative made Tae feel a bit irritated.

Moving on to the topic of food, his eyes widened when Noeul told him that they were now banned from Aloha Mi Amigo. With his right hand still holding the phone close to his ear, his left hand ran through his clean jet black hair in disappointment. That's all his fault too. He knew that if he didn't send that stupid fucking text message none of this would have happened..

He still needed more time in jail. He didn't want to go back to face everyone. The Pack's probably enraged that he let a fight break out. Now they're banned from the place that held every fucking memory they had? Why was he so stupid?

Tae didn't notice that he was grinding his teeth in irritation until Noeul asked about his bail and he was left without a response for a couple of moments.
"Huh?.. Oh yeah, my bail. Uhm, no, I haven't heard from the judge yet, but it's probably not expensive since it's just for assault and disorderly conduct. I can pay for it myself with my own money, but you're going to have to go to my boss for that. You're the only one I trust with my money so that's why I'm telling you this now. What you have to do is go to Skin Adorn, you know where that is right? Anyways, you're going to have to find a man by the name of Jordan..."

Tae's voice trailed off again. Just by the mere mention of his boss' name Tae was already experiencing another anxiety attack. His lips started to quiver and he felt his chest get heavier by the millisecond. Just the thought of what happened in that alleyway sent Tae into holding back tears. Tae darted his eyes away from Noeul in case he started to actually cry before clearing his throat and speaking, trying his best to not sound like he was a little bitch.

"Sorry!.. Lost my train of thought there.. Anyways, Jordan, my boss. You're going to speak to him, tell him that I sent you, all that good shit, oh, he knows that I'm in jail so you shouldn't need to explain much. You're going to pick a random number that's less than 755,000 since that's how much I earn and you're going to tell him that you need that amount in less than 4 minutes. I'll probably be able to get a phone in jail and text you my bail amount as soon as you get the money..."

Tae was too busy talking that he didn't even notice that Noeul put the phone down for a quick second. As soon as Noeul put the phone back to his ear he clarified. "..Got all of that Noeul?"

Tae shook his head, dismissing his plan. He shrugged instead, answering Noeul's question about jail life as best as he could. "Yeah I'm actually really great in here. This is like my second home. As for people tryin' to start shit, yeah they've been trying but they're not gettin' to me right now. And I fuckin' told you to stop watchin' those shows Noeul, the hell? You know those shows are not good for your mental health.. Anyways, yeah everything's fine, I do tattoos sometimes for some of the guys in here with a needle and smuggled ink, don't make money from it obviously..." Tae laughed softly, feeling glad that he was able to talk about everything with his best friend again.
"Oh, yeah dude, I was scared shitless when I found out that I was gonna be sleeping with someone, but! Turns out my cellmate used to be a coworker of mine. He's pretty chill and was falsely accused unfortunately. Oh, and the showers? Come on Noeul, I'm gay. I'm all homo. Seeing dicks are a fucking godsend. Speaking of me being gay.. I kind of have a boyfriend in here, can you believe that? I say kind of because not one of us has asked yet. What do you think, should I ask while I'm still in here? Or should I just fuck the relationship two ways from Sunday and not give it a second thought.. Come on, I want to hear your honest opinion. He's really nice, cute, good body.. Really flirty, and honestly if it wasn't for him I would have been..."

He stopped his ramblings short, being very cautious about what he was going to start saying from this point forward. He never really told Noeul that he was feeling suicidal, let alone depressed and experiencing severe trauma. Tae shook his head, dismissing his jail stories completely.

"Never mind. You heard what I said a while ago, right? About what you should do to get my bail money?.. You know I don't like when I repeat myself."

 

[MUSΞ]

[BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]And just like that, all of Noeul's worries and stressed washed from his face. A soft sigh escaped his lips, a youthful, relaxed smile formed on his face. Any concern he had was instantly gone as soon as the conversation went forward. Any previous thoughts and self doubt his mind created were gone when listening to Tae. Even with the plexiglass separating them and the place they were in, things felt like they were back to the ordinary. For weeks Noeul had been on edge, dangerously tipping towards falling into that pit of depression the rest sadly fell in. Those dark thoughts swarmed him, and without Tae, Noeul was forced to attach himself to anyone that was available. With the Pack on an indefinite separation, all Noeul had to fall back on were old high school friends, especially when he found himself in his own worries and troubles.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul shuffled in his seat to get himself comfortable. For two hours he could escape from the outside world and enjoy his time with Tae. While they had much to talk about centered around the Pack and Tae's predicament in jail, Noeul was looking forward to simply being around Tae. All he had to do was keep the conversation focused on the Pack and Tae and things should continue being pleasant...for the most part.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Hearing Tae taking initiative in helping with the reformation of the Pack, a relieved laugh echoed in their booth. Noeul let his elbows slip further down the counter, the phone squishing against his cheek as hopeful eyes gazed at his friend.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You don't know how fuckin' happy I am to hear that," Noeul commented, catching the brief eyes of concern from Tae. He sharply looked away, feeling his lower lip curl into his mouth.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Everything was under control. With Tae being gone for two weeks, Noeul found himself forced to figure out the best way to handle everything that was placed on his shoulders, including the small things that were happening to him personally. No one needed to worry about him. There were other more urgent issues that needed to be addressed and worked on. Everyone in the Pack had their own personal demons brought into light by the unexpected death in their family. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul bit his lip, nibbling it slightly to hold back the words that were gathering in his mouth. Everyone had it so much worse than him. It felt wrong to even concern them with anything going on with himself.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Uhh, yeah yeah," Noeul answered after the brief cleaning of the receiver. "I heard you...somethin' about somethin' blah blah."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He gave his attention to Tae, listening closely to his friend's time being in jail. Noeul found it a bit odd to see jail as a second home, but compared how things were doing outside those bars, jail sounded like a needed vacation for Tae. He felt better knowing Tae had people he knew inside and that the other prisoners weren't messing around too much with him. Noeul's paranoid dreams of Tae struggling in jail following jail rules were for nothing. Maybe Tae was right. It was about time he stopped watching those prison documentaries and maybe go back to watching freak accidents instead. Every night for about two months Noeul called Tae after every nightmare of a reenactment of an unfortunate accident he saw on multiple gore sites. The calls ranged from "Tae you won't believe how this thing can kill you" to "Tae, oh my fuckin' god you should see how your body looks when smashed into a wood chipper" to finally "Please don't let me do somethin' stupid."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The freakouts from the gore accidents became so bad he refused to ride in any car for a few good weeks in fear of being crushed in a car accident. It further put Noeul getting his driver's license last on his list to the dismay of a few of the Pack members.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul's face instantly cringed when the conversation skimmed over the topic of showers and dicks. His tongue poked out his mouth as he shook his head revulsion, holding up a hand in a plea to end the talk that walked dangerously close to Noeul's squirk line.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"...what?" Noeul's body sat straight up and parallel to the back to his seat. "What do you mean you have a kind of boyfriend? Oh my god…"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul fell out in his chair at the news, his limbs all sprawled out while his body kept slipping more and more forward. His stomach tightened listening to Tae describe this new guy, his heart feeling like it was trying to punch its way out his chest. He refused to look at Tae and stared at the ceiling instead. Of course this was going to happen. Tae had a worse case of loneliness than he did. The guy couldn't go a couple of days without some sort of physical contact from some random.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Gathering his composure, Noeul smashed his face against the plexiglass in an attempt to look around Tae's side of the room in case this 'boyfriend' was around.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Hit it 'n quit it. You're about to get out of here as soon as you get your bail. Do you really want a jailhouse boyfriend before you leave? Those don't even count outside this place," he sat back in his seat with a twisted face. "Let's say you make this guy your boyfriend. Are you really goin' mail this 'boyfriend' of yours weekly to keep up with the relationship when you leave jail? Fuck no. Just keep what you two got goin' now since I guess it's helpin' you."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]His voice went soft while his heart continued to beat loudly to the point Noeul could barely hear everything around him. He hated hearing and seeing Tae light up as he described this guy he was spending his time with. Noeul hated knowing that in reality he had to thank whoever this guy was keeping Tae altogether while he was gone. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul was crazily protective of Tae to the point of near obsessive possessiveness. When it came to pure physical contact that came from Tae's job, Noeul didn't give two cares about that. It was when it went beyond physical, to a bond that could danger the incredible bond Tae and he had. Any threat like that scared Noeul to death.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]But at the same time, all Noeul was is the best friend. There were some things he just couldn't do for Tae.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]A brief pause. Noeul looked up at Tae, tapping the receiver with his finger resting against it.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Uhh...I heard Skin Adorn and some guy named Jared or someone. You want me to, like, meet that guy right?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It had been a while since Skin Adorn was brought up to him in conversation. Noeul always kept his distance when it came to Skin Adorn, preferring to establish the few rare boundaries the two friends had. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I'll do whatever you want me to do to get your bail money. It's time to end this vacation of yours and come back to me."[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]@Jihae[/BCOLOR]

 

[Jihae]

Tae exhaled in irritation, eyeballing Noeul with vitriol as his friend got up to scan the other side of the room for his "boyfriend." .. Why the hell did he even bother to ask? Tae leaned back in his chair with an expressionless face, making sure Noeul knew his feelings about another rejection. Every time he had some sort of opportunity for love, Noeul always shot it down like it was nothing and trash talked his potential boyfriend. It almost got to the point where it was downright annoying. Tae needed a much more deeper connection than a friend or a desperate woman could provide, and Noeul's tendency to be possessive was halting him from achieving that sort of bond. Despite all this, Tae always listened to Noeul's opinions and ignored every single love interest he had because of him. There were some occasions where Tae ended up hiding his relationships from Noeul due to the constant rejection, but he always dumped the guys he secretly dated a few weeks later because there was this lingering feeling in the back of his mind that made lying to Noeul an utter damnation.

"Okay okay.. I get it. Yeah, you're right as always. Having a boyfriend in jail is too ratchet. I have high standards. Once I'm out of this cage he's out of my life you can just relax. Although, what if he asks me? What do I do? Ugh, he's so sweet there's no way I can turn down th-.. No, no, never mind. I'll shut up now."

Tae sighed heavily into the phone so Noeul could hear once again just how disappointed he was for another veto. Though there was this disappointment lingering between their booths, Tae kind of liked this over protectiveness, as he's never experienced anything like it. He liked it a little too much, in fact. Even though he hates not having a boyfriend, Tae would much rather prefer Noeul getting possessive over him than running the risk of a heartbreak and six cartons of Ben & Jerry's.

It's almost as if Tae relied on Noeul a lot for advice and making important decisions. Noeul was capable of making Tae feel mentally sane no matter how fucked up and worthless he made himself out to be. There were many times where work sent Tae into morbidity and isolation. The Pack knew him to be a "talented" tattoo artist for many years, but there was a lot more work to be handled under the surface that even Noeul couldn't know about. In those exact times of misery and inner destruction, Noeul came to his house out of either coincidence or a strong psychic bond. And once Noeul stepped foot into his household, he always made Tae feel better even when he didn't know what was bothering him in the first place. Tae made a habit of relying on Noeul's jokes, comments, and words to bring him back to the positive personality everyone was used to.

If Tae could compare Noeul to anything, Noeul to Tae would be a teen's brain on their first week of trying drugs: Happy, curious, and completely engrossed.

The more time Tae spent with Noeul separated by a single plexiglass and a pair of handcuffs, the more he wanted to leave and be in near proximity to his best friend.

Tae leaned forward with a stern look on his face, tapping his index finger against the plexiglass to capture Noeul's attention with every sentence he spoke. He pulled the phone away from his ear and right in front of his mouth, not even caring about the lack of sanitation and more about getting his orders through to his friend.

"Noeul, listen will you? I told you I fuckin' hate repeating myself. My boss' name is Jordan. You got the Skin Adorn part, surprisingly. Just go into my work, find him, and ask him for money that's less than $755,000. Maybe like six-hundred grand or something. I'll find a phone in here and text you the bail amount. But, go overboard with the spending and I can't pay for your food once I get out of here. Tell him I sent you if he ever questions you. Actually, if he dares questions you, come straight to me once I'm out of jail I'll fucking beat his ass this time. Oh.."

Tae's voice halted, coming across a thought that shook him up a bit. If Jordan told Noeul anything about his rape he's fucked. At this point he regretted giving Noeul the idea of meeting Jordan, but it was too far into the conversation to change his mind and he needed to get out of jail.

"If he says something that sounds like he just pulled it outta his ass, don't even fuckin' believe a single word of it. You hear me? Just get the money and get the fuck out."

Satisfied with the last of his requests, he leaned back into his chair and returned the receiver back to his ear. His shoulder was met with a firm grasp and a voice that screamed authority.

"You've got five minutes left."

Realizing what that meant, Tae nodded before looking Noeul in the eyes. Time always flew by so quickly whenever he spent time with Noeul, and most of the time Tae just wants Noeul to get out of his hair as soon as possible. This time, however, was different. It could be because of the setting they were in, but he felt a bit melancholy that he had to leave so suddenly. Nevertheless, he reassured himself that they would meet sooner than expected. Tae cleared his throat before speaking, his tone of voice becoming nervous again, not because he had any feelings for his friend, but more because showing any affection or kindness towards Noeul was always awkward no matter what he said or did.

"I dunno if you heard that, but I have to leave soon... I actually wanted to tell you this since you first came, but you talked to damn much that I completely forgot until now. I miss you. Well, missed you, since you're here and shit. Um, thanks for visiting me. I'm glad it was you and not anyone else from Pack... God I'm going to throw up in my mouth this is too weird.--"

He thanked god as his speech was cut off by one of the jail staff, signaling the end of their time. Tae nodded obediently before going back to his conversation, his heart beating out of his chest in worry, trying to find what else to say in such a short time.
"We better be catchin' up on these two weeks of being apart Noeul once I'm out of here. Clear your schedule, 'cause I'm ready to bail. See you soon."

Tae stood up from his chair, smiling softly. He put the phone back on its stand, the click of the phone hanging up already giving him mixed emotions. As the staff announced that the time was up for everyone, Tae was immediately swept away in a sea of orange malefactors. He returned to his cell in a couple of minutes quietly, his cellmate waiting for him on the opposite side of the cell. Tae sat down on his bed, hugging his paper thin pillow close to his chest.
"How was visitation?"
"Pretty good. Damn, having a best friend is really fuckin' nice."
"I'm sure it is."

@Pray4me

 

[MUSΞ]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul let his eyes bounce from Tae's disappointed face to focusing on the phone wire that connected the two sides together. He didn't need to see the disappointment Tae was displaying. Noeul could feel the heavy fog of it in their personal booth, trying to dig into his body to bring on a wave of guilt over him. He nibbled on his lower lip, trying his best to combat the sudden change in atmosphere around them.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He wasn't ready to let Tae move on from him. Noeul knew once Tae found the man perfect for him, their friendship would be changed forever. Tae wouldn't need him anymore. He couldn't rely on Tae anymore. Their dynamic would turn into some strange neighborly connection where the two would occasionally catch up once every full moon. It's what happened to every best friend relationship. When a third party joins in, everything is shattered.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul was use to that cycle of being cast aside when someone better enters the picture. He expected it to always happen even with Tae. Their friendship was running on years, but every morning Noeul couldn't help but think today would be the day their friendship finally ran its course. It's why he constantly stays in contact with Tae, replying to every text instantly, accepting any invite Tae gave, being with his best friend nearly 24 hours and seven days a week. The more time he spent around Tae, maybe his friend would never forget him and move on.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Easy, listen this is what I do when some girl tries to get with me," he began to break the silence between them. "If some girl ever asks for somethin' more, right before she does I give her the best damn kiss I can give. Somethin' to sweep her off her feet and really get her in that mood. She forgets what she wanted to ask and then I never talk to her ever again. Do that with your kind of boyfriend if he tries to ask. By the time he remembers to ask, you're out of this place."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Nouel nodded confidently at his great advice, crossing his arms against his chest. He smiled at Tae, but soon that faded at the sound of the deep sigh that echoed in the phone. Whatever, it wasn't like this guy was good for Tae anyway. Tae deserved better than some jailbird, even if the guy is 'sweet'. He deserved a normal guy, someone independent and confident that has his shit together, financially stable, a law-abiding citizen. Someone the complete opposite of Tae to keep his friend in balance.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It was someone nearly impossible to find and the thought brought a guilty smile to Noeul's lips.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul sat up straight in his seat at the tap on the plexiglass. He nodded along with Tae's directions about getting the money from Skin Adorn, making sure to make an extra mental note to remember the boss's name. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Yeah, I got it all man."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]His eyes narrowed slightly at the sudden end of that topic of the conversation. Tae didn't need to tell him about getting the fuck out of there once the money was handed to him. Skin Adorn was the last place in L.A he ever wanted to go to. He wanted nothing to do with that place. If it wasn't for the situation Tae was in, Noeul would have been gave a 'fuck that' to the idea and pawned it off to someone else in the Pack. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]His eyes relaxed at the site of authority tapping Tae on the shoulder. He blinked, nodding at the explanation of time running out. Noeul sighed, resting his elbow back on the counter with his hand cradling the phone. How did two hours go by so fast? There was still so much to catch up on. Current events, TV shows, drama in his neighborhood, some new food he wanted to try, even sports, something Tae gave zero care about. The two weeks without Tae had been so lonely even when surrounded by people Noeul knew. No one could replace Tae. And, that thought made Noeul's throat go dry.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It took everything he had to not attempt to break through the plexiglass and hug his friend.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Uh, yeah I figured we have only a few minutes left," Noeul said. As Tae continued to speak, expressing his feelings of missing him, Noeul could feel his cheeks begin to grow a shade of hot pink, bringing the only color within the gray booth. He looked away, staring blankly at the wall beside him. He rubbed his lips together, wanting to be brave and share the same thoughts he had. He took in a sharp breath."...come on man, get the fuck outta here with that soft stuff."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]I miss you too.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You know I wasn't goin' let anyone else from the Pack visit you before me. What kind of bro would I be if I let that happen?" he laughed awkwardly, scratching lightly at a blushed cheek. "Yeah man, we better fuckin' spend some goddamn time together when you get out. We got a lot of shit to catch up on and do. Like I said, this vacation you're havin' is over."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul stayed behind as the guards collected each prisoner from their conversations and leading them out the visitation room. He gave Tae a small wave goodbye before seeing his friend disappear through the door that led back the cells. Noeul followed his group back out to the lobby and into the rain that awaited him. Pulling the hood over his head, he slipped his hands into his pockets and headed to the bus stop, mumbling regrets about not speaking his feelings.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]*[/BCOLOR]​

[BCOLOR=transparent]Skin Adorn was located a good ways from Noeul's usual hangouts, almost completely across the L.A town they all chose to claim. It was hard for some to believe that Los Angeles was simply a small town and not the giant city they thought. The L.A area was riddled with dozens of little towns and districts that seemed to mesh so well together that it gave off the appearance of being a city-state. It was confusing to drive, let alone solely rely on public transit like Noeul had to. Luckily for him, he had the knowledge of the bus routes, but his schedule made things much more difficult than it should be.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He wanted to go to Skin Adorn the next day after visiting Tae, but work forced him to hold off for a week. Thankfully, he didn't receive any text yet from Tae about the bail amount. The last thing Noeul wanted to do was be the one that held off Tae's freedom from jail.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He sat on the brightly lit bus, smelling of olive oil French fries in most of his In n' Out uniform of a white polo shirt with the logo on the right pocket, his name tag clipped into the collar of his shirt to hang down, and a bright red wristband on his left wrist. The only exception to the uniform was the baggy khaki pants. Noeul refused to wear those outside work and always changed into a pair of gray slim fit sweatpants he rolled the bottom up slightly and white Converse.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The bus rolled along during the night storm, feeling like it was skidding on a thin plane of oily water. Last Noeul checked, he got out of work at 8pm. If the bus continued on this slow pace, he would reach Skin Adorn in about 30 minutes. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Zipping up his white sweater hoodie, Noeul balanced his wet umbrella between his legs, letting the water dripped onto the floor and rolling back the length of the bus. It was only him on the bus, making the ride feel depressing. Every few minutes Noeul would check his phone at the Pack's group chat, but there were no response to his multiple messages about his visit with Tae and how everyone was doing. There were also zero responses to his texts from his dad. His mom already blocked his number.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul pressed his forehead against the slippery window of the bus and closed his eyes to only open them in what seemed like a second at the sudden stop of the bus.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Jumping off the bus, Noeul bloomed his white and navy blue umbrella and made the short walk to Skin Adorn. The other stores that lined the streets were closed for the night with their lights shut off. This part of town wasn't really known for friendly businesses. It mostly consisted of randomly owned businesses with unusual sells to be offered. Many of them were internationally owned and only spoke it's specific language. This area wasn't a place where you hangout with friends, but a place where you want to get in and get out quickly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul stood in front of Skin Adorn, taking several breaths. He stared into the giant display window, wondering if it was still open at this time. The front desk was still lit, but completely void of life. Shrugging, Noeul walked in, the bell signaling his arrival. He quickly shook his umbrella out the door before folding it quickly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"'Ey, is anyone here? All I need to do is meet with some guy named Jordan. 'Ello?" Noeul peered over the counter of the front desk to see a mess of papers and pens scattered around.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Beside the desk was a short hall that led to a closed door with a very small window opening. Noeul quietly made his way there, tapping on that small window before placing his hand on the handle to open it.[/BCOLOR]

 

[Jihae]

[SIZE=2][COLOR=#ffffff]@Pray4me[/COLOR][/SIZE]

Love's either got you over heels or overdosed. It's got you off your feet or on your toes. It's got you out your seat or in your place. It's got you digging it or your grave.

YOON TAE CHOI

23

"TATTOO ARTIST"

◯ ◯ ◯

After coming back from visitation, Tae felt overwhelmed from the amount of things that he needed to do. From giving people questionable stick and poke tattoos to scheduling a bail hearing to finding a phone to text Noeul. Tae always completed his tasks in a timely concise manner when working at Skin Adorn, starting from the hardest then working towards the easiest.

He started asking his community to see if anyone had a phone. After just three days of asking, Tae already found a superfluous amount of stories that could take up a whole magazine. All sources say that there is a phone among the county jail, but what people said about the phone itself was varied. The brand of the phone wasn't even clear: Was it an iPhone? Samsung? Blackberry? a Nokia?
How the phone functioned was the worse of the rumors. The phone was either haunted, glitchy, only used for sending/receiving porn, or tapped by the FBI. No matter what was true or what was fake, Tae needed to get his hands on that phone. Luckily, his cellmate Jun, knew the guy who had the phone and was determined to get it for him. All he had left to do now was wait for his bail hearing.

--

For what seemed like an eternity just waiting for his scheduled bail hearing, Tae spent his time exercising inside a crammed cage out of sheer boredom. He was in the middle of doing tricep dips on cold cement when one of the many guards announced that his hearing would start in an hour. Tae got up, feeling the coldness of the floor leave his palms rapidly, was put in handcuffs, into a police car, and was headed straight to court.

Upon walking into court with one police officer more officers seemed to follow. They surrounded Tae with stone cold glares even before entering the courtroom for his bail hearing. There were 4 officers surrounding him in a square formation which didn't make Tae feel relaxed at all. Was he seriously that dangerous? He came to the conclusion that his appearance, specifically the tattoos on his neck, chest, and hands, could be the cause of caution and decided not to push it any further.

Tae entered a completely empty courtroom apart from the four officers and a slim woman with glasses who was standing in front of the defendant's seat. The woman who was Tae's lawyer, was looking up at the high ceiling of the room in patience, waiting for the hearing to start.
In the very front of the room there was a large rectangular desk with two flags set on top. The left flag being the United States flag and the other being the seal of a superior court. Just observing the room in all of its exuding authority gave Tae chills. Noticing just how official a bail hearing was due to the building's interior, Tae would have to be extremely respectful to the one person he was about to meet in order to get what he wanted. Freedom.

To speak of the devil, the judge walked in from a side door and straight for the judge's seat. The judge was a tall man who looked to be in his fifties with gray hair and glasses, like it couldn't get anymore stereotypical. The man sat down with a posture as straight as a ruler, and as Tae was asked to sit in the defendant's seat he could see the judge fiddling with his papers and adjusting his glasses with an index finger.

"Yoon Tae Choi, born in Monmouth Oregon. Age, twenty-three. Occupation, tattoo artist at... Skin Adorn."

Tae gulped as soon as he saw the judge scribble something on a on one of his papers, worried that maybe law enforcement knew about Skin Adorn's true business, a business he was conditioned to withstand. Tae tried to recollect his past memories to see if there was any mishaps that happened with Skin Adorn, any secrets that leaked out, any coworkers that left and never came back, but Tae's anxiety stopped him from thinking clearly as the judge just sat there, analyzing him. Judges were legally able to deny bail altogether depending on the circumstances. If he couldn't have bail because of the Skin Adorn, how would he tell Noeul? How would he tell the rest of the Pack? His mother and father didn't even care about their only child since he finished college, so they were out of the picture.
Who else did he know?
The more he thought about it, the more anxious he got. He genuinely was lonely at heart. Tae didn't even know that he stopped breathing until the judge continued speaking, drawing a long and relieved exhale.

"Level of education, Bachelor's Degree in Translation and Interpreting. Associate's Degree in Criminal Law."

How ironic. He got an education in Criminal Law and now he's standing before a judge awaiting to be free of a crime he committed. For two straight years he was studious in how the world of prosecutors, defense attorneys, and paralegals work. He pulled all-nighters learning the ins and outs of major crimes and how criminal cases played out. He shut himself away from friends and family members to devote his heart solely to modern day law. His education in high school was no different. He constantly shut himself behind books and good grades in order to please the parents that no longer gave two shits about him.

"Yoon Tae, do you have any close ties to relatives?"
"No, your Honor, I do not."
"No parents?"
"No, your Honor."
"How will you get out of bail, then?"
"I have a friend, your Honor."
"A friend?"
"Yes, your Honor."

Tae spoke to the judge with a sense of sophistication and high respect. After years of working at Skin Adorn it has become a habit to put on a porcelain mask to please the people he just met.
Tae sat tall in the defendant's seat, chin up, eyes directly at the judge. He exuded confidence and displayed power, something that he had begun to believe was false interpretation after his encounter with Jordan. If he didn't have a full sleeve, piercings, and muscles, he wouldn't have matched with the words "confidence" or "powerful." Tae was a push-over, a people pleaser, a kiss ass. Everything he did, he did for other people. Never had he ever put himself first before anyone else, and perhaps that was the reason why he was in jail. Maybe that was the reason why the Pack got banned from Aloha Mi Amigo. It was the reason why he allowed Jordan to do what he did.

Tae's thoughts continued to run over the judge's and his lawyer's sentences. He looked around the courtroom, trying to gather all of his thoughts in a line. He started using his skills and education to predict how much his bail would be. He started off with the influences: He didn't have any close relatives, he was arrested for disorderly conduct and assault, he's a first-time offender, he has a stable job that produces twenty-dollars an hour, his community considers him to be well-rounded and respected, he's a citizen of the United States since birth.. His bail shouldn't be that bad. In fact, it should be around--

"Yoon Tae Choi, your bail has been lowered to $550."
Tae's eyes widened at the booming voice of the judge. He looked to the front of the courtroom with a beaming smile. It took him a lot of self control to not jump out of his seat and laugh. He hasn't been this happy in a while.
"That's not bad at all your Honor! Thank you."

Tae was guided up from the defendant's seat and right back to his cell, the whole time he was trying very hard to hide his happiness. He can finally go home, relax, and be stress free.

--

Once he entered his cell, Jun already located the person who had the smuggled cellphone and Tae was advised to meet him once break had started. This wait didn't take long at all and soon enough every prisoner was sent out to disperse among the basketball court despite the awful weather. Tae made a beeline straight for the dumpster, which was stupidly and conveniently placed away from unwanted eyes against the dull-painted wall of the county jail, a person already standing beside it.

"Oh! You're the guy who did my tattoo. You're the one who needs a phone?"
"Uh.. Yeah?"
The guy who owned this glorified piece of technology was around the same height as Tae, perhaps even the same age. Scars scattered his face and his forehead glistened under the pouring rain, giving an obvious sign of a receding hairline. He was a bit overweight, but well off enough to run quickly when faced with debt collector. His emerald green eyes glimmered with kindness and generosity, but Tae had a sneaking suspicion that his good traits came at a price.

"How about you and me make a little deal with this phone of mine, hm? Kill birds with a stone or whatever."
"I make deals for a living. What do you need?"
"Since you gave me a tattoo, I make you use this phone for free, how 'bout it? We don't have to pay each other nothin'."
"'Kay."
"Make sure you delete your sick shit when you're done. Last guy who borrowed this phone left his fuckin' dick all over my damn gallery."
".. That's nice."

Tae was given the phone, which was a Blackberry with a screen quality that looked like the phone fell from the Empire State Building, cracked into pieces, and rolled into the Marianas Trench right into the Oregon Trail game filter. The phone was so ancient it made Tae regret leaving his glasses at home and gave him a fiery passion to buy a new phone for the guy. Nonetheless, Tae squinted his eyes successfully to input Noeul's number into the messaging screen:

"Hey noeul, I just got my vouirt bail!! $550, not bad rifht? I'm such a good person lol. Remember, when you get to my wrk less than $700k ok? I'll see you soon dude. <3 :)"

Not even noticing all the typos because of his bad eyesight, he pressed send then deleted the message from the phone's history. Tae placed the phone under the dumpster and got up, his heart shooting out of his chest in fright when he saw Yeon Lee standing right behind him, thinking that he was one of the guards.

"Hey babe."
"Jesus fuck you scared me."
"I'm sorry. Anyway, I heard you're getting bailed out pretty soon! I'm so happy for you seriously, but, I'll miss you."
"Yeah! I was just texting my friend the bail amount, actually.. Oh.. Uhm... I'll miss you too."

Hearing himself say that made his heart do somersaults. He had one person to share his true feelings with. He had one person that was comfortable with his affection, and that person was found in jail, a place that he had to leave.

"I was thinking, actually.. Look, Tae, I really like you, you know, and.. I know you've shared these feelings with me since we met, and I was just hoping that.. You'd want to start being serious? I don't mind if you're out of jail and I'm still in here. I just.. I would really, really, be happy if we could start dating."

Shit. Tae slapped himself mentally for saying that Yeon Lee could ask to be boyfriends during visitation. The way he asked was a bit unrehearsed, but it was cute nonetheless.

Tae would be lying if he said that he didn't have feelings for Yeon Lee, and he would also by lying if he said he didn't want to start dating. Upon Yeon Lee's request to be in a beautiful relationship, Tae was in a heated debate with himself. What should he do? Should he start being serious with Yeon Lee or continue to be under Noeul's protective arms? The thought of Noeul made Tae remember the advice he gave him while they were talking.

Just kiss him. Make him forget.

Without even thinking, Tae grabbed Yeon Lee by the waist firmly before pressing him up against the dumpster. His actions made both he and Yeon Lee jump out of surprise and excitement. As soon as he saw Yeon Lee's widened and curious eyes, Tae kissed Yeon Lee with such hesitant yet believable passion that even he himself questioned if his feelings at the moment were real.

As Tae pulled away from the kiss, he looked to Yeon Lee quickly for any sign that made it seem like he had forgotten to get Tae's answer on being boyfriends. But the more he looked into Yeon Lee's eyes, the more he fell head over heels.

"Tae..?"
"Y-yeah?"
"Do that again."

Tae smiled brightly at his request, feeling relieved that Noeul's advice worked and Yeon Lee had forgotten what he'd set out to do.

Being a people-pleaser at heart, Tae obeyed Yeon Lee without falter or question, this time his feelings were truer than law. It was a bit romantic that they were kissing in the rain, but the fact that they were kissing against a dumpster completely contradicted that mood. Tae felt his longing and his sexuality stir the more he made out with this man, a feeling he didn't think he would have anymore since Jordan. He hesitated a moment, just as his hands were reaching out to take a hold of Yeon Lee. In this moment, with a shudder he heard his inner voice, and the voice said 'no.'
Just as he was about to pull away from Yeon Lee, another guy he didn't even know already beat him to it, shouting at the two with an orotund voice.

"Hey gaybies, could you stop fucking each other's brains out? Break's been over since 5 minutes ago."

Tae and Yeon Lee looked at each other with blushing faces, what they had done hitting them like a train. They immediately walked away from the dumpster, giggling and laughing the whole way to the jail's entrance. Tae knew that Noeul would despise him if he ever told him about this silly little make out story, so he decided he would keep his mouth shut once he got out. Tae also knew that he would have to leave Yeon Lee behind, but it was nice to feel a little giddy while he still could. Tae would have to keep pulling on Yeon Lee's heart strings until Noeul bails him out, just to have that feeling of affection and compatibility linger in his mind for months to come. Tae went back to his cell for the third time today, jumping into his bed like a little kid.

"Tae, every fucking person in here saw you and Yeon Lee making out behind the court for like ten freaking minutes. It was so fucking disgusting.. It was even more disgusting when you guys didn't even pay attention to the guards. How they hell did they not catch you two in the middle of it? Beats me."
"Shut the fuck up Jun. I'm enjoying him while it lasts."

​

 

[MUSΞ]

​

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I should have taken a day off instead."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul stood on the corner a block away from Skin Adorn, a black shoulder bag nearly buckled onto his body. Above him, a single dim streetlight shined on his worn out body, illuminating the heavy bags that sat just beneath his eyes. Everything about Noeul screamed of a man at the point collapsing, the way he let his shoulders fall making him seem hunched, his neck barely supporting his bobbing head, and his eyes fluttering in the light. Two hours. It took two hours for Noeul to get Tae's money thanks to the hoops he had to go through just to prove he was sent by Tae and that he was a trusted friend.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He was met with another tattoo artist when he opened the door that lead into a hall full of tattoo rooms. The guy, a near six foot tall, heavily pierced, lanky individual who styled his hair into a sort of preppy side bang cut. Before Noeul could introduce himself, the guy whisked Noeul away by his wrist and threw him into a tattoo room, locking the door behind him.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]After a good 15 minutes of Noeul telling the guy he wasn't there for a tattoo and another five minutes shrieking at the guy to not touch him, the tattoo artist left with a slight disappointment on his face to find some sort of management for Noeul to talk to.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Multiple employees arrived to talk to Noeul, pushing him onto the next employee to deal with until Noeul was met with the bookkeeper who was also in charge of the payroll. Noeul sat in her office, reminding him of a principal's office down to the tiny paperclip dispenser he always stole from. She introduced herself simply as 'Miss' and began to interrogate Noeul about the reasons of being at Skin Adorn asking for money. After repeating what Tae told him to say, 'Miss' cut her eyes to Noeul, making him slid down in the seat nervously.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]'Miss', your standard black hair, bright red lipstick retro woman with excessive eye makeup, forced Noeul to sign an agreement document and pay stub after proving he was a friend, stating that Tae's pay was given to him and if any mistakes were made trusting Noeul with the money, all responsibility and fault would fall completely on Tae. Noeul felt sick having his full name and ID number on file at Skin Adorn, but there was no point in arguing about it. The woman scared him and it was midnight by the time 'Miss' was done counting the money in front of him. She placed the ten bundles of $60k in cash into a shoulder bag and secured it with a lock.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul quickly said his thanks and ran out Skin Adorn into the near darkness of the shady street.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]By the time he was done, the bus service ended for the night. With Tae in jail and no one else reliable, Noeul was stranded at this section of town until the buses started up again at 4am. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He opened his umbrella at the feel of a light drizzle falling on top of his head. The rain quickly fell harder, the droplets glowing underneath the streetlight he had to stand under. In such a shady area, Noeul felt too uneasy to leave the safety of the streetlight with $600k in all cash on him. At least in the light, he would see whoever approached him and had a chance to run if he got jumped.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Taking out his phone, Noeul scrolled through his contacts in desperation for anyone to pick him up. He posted a message in the Pack's group chat in hopes someone would see it and sent out mass texts to all his other friends he kept separate. He blinked at an message from an unknown number, opening it to see paragraph full of typos. A small smile appeared on his face, realizing the text was from Tae. He laugh at the amount the bail was, breaking the gloomy environment around him. He went through that much trouble at Skin Adorn to discover the bail wasn't even $1,000.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I'm goin' to kill him," Noeul laughed to himself.[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]A firm grasp held onto his shoulder, twirling Noeul around. Shoving the ringed hand away, Noeul took a step back.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Who the fuck do you think you...wait...Kenny? Kenny is that you?" he widened his eyes, letting his tense body relax. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Noeul, why are you out here?" [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Kenny stared blankly at Noeul, his fingers curling inside the pockets of his blank skinny jeans. He towered over Noeul by a good four inches, wearing nothing but a black T-shirt, the jeans and heavy black boots. On his head was a black wide brim hat, able to shield his extremely thin body from the rain around him. His movements were slow, yet flowed like a dancer the few times he moved. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"There are rumors spreading about you Noeul," Kenny continued, his eyes lazily scanning Noeul.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"What the fuck are you talkin' about Kenny? I haven't seen you since high school graduation and this is the first thing you say? No, "'ey wassup Noeul! How you doin'?'" Noeul scrunched his face, holding the umbrella tighter in his hand.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"They say you're a suspect in a murder of that little gang you've left us for," Kenny went on in his slow, punctual voice. "That's hardcore for you."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I didn't do shit-"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Andrew deserved it."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul's bit his bottom lip, stiffening his body from how cooly Kenny was talking about Andrew. Kenny had always been a weird guy since growing up in the same neighborhood. Many avoided him, but Noeul, being the social acceptable type of guy, befriended him. They weren't super close growing up, but every so often Noeul would hang out with Kenny to check in on him.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Seeing Kenny in this sketchy area talking about Andrew, Noeul had a feeling Kenny had some sort of business being here. But what? Noeul took another step back, glaring at his childhood friend.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Don't say that shit in front of me Kenny. Andrew didn't deserve to get what he got. How do you even' know about him or what group I'm taggin' with?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"There are also rumors you got kicked out your house because of it," Kenny brought a hand to his smooth hair and combed through it feline-like. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"...the neighborhood is talkin' that much about me?" Noeul asked quietly, briefly forgetting about his growing frustration about Kenny's coldness towards Andrew's murder.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Kenny reached to grab the strap of Noeul's shoulder bag, tugging Noeul towards a white '10 Honda Civic parked across the street. Noeul smacked his hand from the bag and looked away.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Man Kenny, you're still as fuckin' weird as ever. Nothin' changed with you," Noeul played with the strap of the shoulder bag, constricting it into his shoulder. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Kenny sat into the driver's seat of his car and reached over to push open the passenger door. The back seat was stacked with various binders of different sizes and filled to their limits. On the floor were poster tubes with dozens of wall sized charts rolled tightly inside. Noeul blinked, stepping closer to the back window as his eyes landed onto a small, black lock case that was hurriedly pushed underneath a seat.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Are you still playing baseball?" Kenny waved a hand in Noeul's view, a single finger then pointing to the open passenger door. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"...no I quit that…" Noeul stood in his spot firmly, eyes glued onto the passenger seat.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You were the star on the varsity team. Only you would quit something you're gifted at."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"It's not that…"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"And leave to be with someone you can never relate to."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"What are you sayin' Kenny…?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Their eyes met. A stone cold gaze into eyes of a skittish wide-eyed doe. Noeul broke the gaze as the rain picked up, the strength starting to make his umbrella collapse under the weight. He looked at his phone, silently praying for any messages from anyone. His thumb swiped across the screen of his phone frantically, his heart breaking with each unread message.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul made his way to the passenger seat, the door slamming on its own as soon as he settled inside. Bringing the shoulder bag to the front, he held it tightly against his chest, holding his breath as the doors locked. Shifting the car into drive, Kenny pulled out into the street, switching on his low beams and wipers as the two sat in the dark.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You should think about getting back into baseball Noeul."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul stared out the window, tugging softly at the lock on the bag. His sigh turned into a loud yawn as he fought to stay awake.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Just drop me off."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]*[/BCOLOR]​

[BCOLOR=transparent]There was only one gray cloud during the mid morning and it had to block out the sun. Noeul pulled his beige beanie over his forehead, waiting impatiently for Tae's release. He wished he could make the reunion into society more special than bringing Tae an iced coffee...that he already drank half from. It was just him waiting outside the side door of the jail where they release the prisoners. Beside him was a taxi parking lot for the drivers who actually wanted to pick up newly released prisoners. The wait outside was dreary, full of standing puddles and bits of cigarette buds soaking up the dirty water. Noeul looked up, hoping at least the sun would make its appearance to bring a cheerier mood.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Included with his typical outfit of jeans, a worn down jacket, and white Vans was the shoulder bag holding the rest of the money. Posting Tae's bail was a funny event. All Noeul had to do was meet with the bond agent and drop half of one bundle of money from the backpack. The eye the agent gave Noeul when counting out six $100 bills made Noeul fail at hiding his laughter, ending up whistling instead as he tried to hold the laugh back.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He couldn't wait to hand over the shoulder bag to Tae. Keeping such a large amount of cash on him was too overwhelming. It was the most work he had done since...well ever. He took better care of looking after the money than he did himself. Once the money was handed back, things for Noeul could go back to normal where the most worry he had was making it to work in time and couch surfing.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul placed a hand on his stomach, sighing at the feeling of his stomach grinding. It felt like hours since he last ate. His stomach was on the point on eating itself. Noeul groaned, glancing down at his phone to check the time.[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]@Jihae[/BCOLOR]

 

[Jihae]

​

Tae was on another break and accompanying him was Yeon Lee, who was sitting nearly twelve inches away from Tae with an uninterested look plastered across his face. Yeon Lee was leaning on rusty bleachers, his arms crossed over his chest and not paying Tae a great deal of attention. In the back of his mind Tae was questioning why Yeon Lee was suddenly ignoring him and acting like the make-out session they had yesterday never happened, but at the same time because he was going to be leaving soon he didn't push Yeon Lee's inattentiveness.

Occasionally, if Tae wasn't watching the other men play basketball and swear at each other for a false foul, he would shoot a couple of glances at Yeon Lee, not for love or longing, but because of boredom. Tae looked at Yeon Lee long enough in the past few minutes of his break to realize that he had a type: Pretty boys with wealth to pay for ten student loans and a skin with over ten tattoos. His type was certainly hard to come by these days, but because of where he worked, his main interests came flocking like customers on Black Friday.

Tae was about to let the athletic boys on court take up most of his attention before a woman hopped up on the bleachers. As soon as she sat next to Tae, Yeon Lee left immediately, mumbling words inaudible for Tae to hear.

The woman was sickly pale and sickly thin, and it didn't take long for Tae to realize that she used to be one of his devout clients. She was the exact same age as Tae for they both shared the same birthday, yet she had the grace and poise of a newborn giraffe who was given a sip of vodka as soon as they came out of the womb. She was tall and towered over Tae by a couple of inches, and before she was in jail she always accentuated her height by wearing a pair of 6-inch designer heels every day, pairs Tae had paid for.

Her face was her distinct feature. The woman had no flaws on her. No pimples or wrinkles. Her eyes were extremely small and circular, her mouth thin and pouty, her forehead covered by eye-grazing bangs, her cheekbones gaunt and pinched. Her nose was eye-catching, with a bridge as flat as a ruler. It was a nose Tae had also paid for, along with the rest of her face. Tae knew this woman quite well because she always came into his office once a week begging for money. Tae didn't know nor did he care what she used his money on, but started to understand whenever she came with a bandage on her face or a newly shaped jaw and hairline. As soon as she sat down next to Tae, she turned her head to the side, insecure of her already plastic face.

"Hey Tae. I heard you're getting out really fuckin' soon."
"Yeah, I am Niki."
Niki always spoke in a high-pitched voice, obviously faked and practiced to mediocrity. Her voice always cracked or faltered, proving just how fake she really was. She had the mouth of a sailor, always trying to slide swear words to embellish her sentences. She wasn't mad or anything, it was just how she talked. A simple 'There's a slight chill in here' will roughly translate to 'It is fucking freezing holy shit' in her tongue.
"You think when you're out you can hook me up with some fuckin' cash? So when I'm out I can go to the doctors to get my damn face fixed?"
"We'll see."
"What the hell do ya mean, 'We'll see?' Man fuck you. Actin' so cold all of a sudden. Why? Is it because you fucked your boss senseless for drugs in an alleyway that now you wanna do a 180? Shame on you Tae. Didn't know you was like that. Fuckin' desperate cocksucker."
"... What the hell did you say?"

Tae froze and so did everything around him. His hands were sweating bullets out of anxiety as he looked to Niki with widened eyes.

"Don't act like you don't fuckin' know what the hell I'm talkin' about. I get that you fuck a lot but come on, Jordan? Really? For drugs you probably already have stashed in your bedroom? Damn Tae, that's rock bottom right there."
".. Where the hell did you hear that I was the one who fucked Jordan?"
"None other than the man himself."
"What?"

With his shocked surprise Niki raised her hand up to her ear, making a phone handshape with her fingers and shaking her wrist around. Just hearing that Jordan spewed nothing but false bullshit around to god knows who made Tae enraged.

"That's not what happened Niki," Tae said, with a voice that sounded like he was about to slit a throat.
"Your jailhouse boyfriend.. Who was it.. Yeon somethin' or other, sure thinks that's what happened."
"I don't give a fuck about him anymore. Niki, Jordan is bullshitting that's not what happened he was the one who--"

Tae choked up on his words, still not finding the courage to tell anyone what happened. This coward inside of him didn't prove to be in his favor, as the more he tried to say what happened, the more it looked like he was lying.

"Yeah fuckin' right. Jordan told me everything. He said you couldn't stop screamin' his name and shit."
".. Stop."
"He said that you went a little rough too. Hurt him a little bit. Slapped him or somethin'. Damn Tae, didn't think you were that nasty."
".. Stop."
"He even said that after you were done, you were on the fuckin' ground lookin' exhausted as hell. One of the best times he's ever had, he says. How the hell could you have sex when you found out your fuckin' friend was just murdered anyways? You're a fuckin' heartless animal or somethin' Tae... I'm dropping you from my contacts. I don't wanna be doin' business with a desperate bitch. I hope your salary drops--"
"I said stop!"

Tae jumped from the bleachers, shouting at the top of his lungs. He captured the attention of the people on the court as well as the prison guards, but that didn't matter anymore. Tae was on the verge of tears and just like that break was over. He was headed back to his cell whilst hearing Niki's maniacal laughter fade with every passing step. His whole body slouched over and he tried his best to avoid the dangerous glares of the people he passed by, whispering sweet evils to each other and topping their insults off with snickers. As soon as he entered his cell Jun was waiting for him with a cunning smirk, ready to mess with all that's left of his sanity.

"Damn Tae. What the hell happened out there? Someone fuck you over from behind or somethin'?"
".. I didn't.. I wasn't the one who.."

Tae couldn't finish his sentence. Instead, he curled up into a comfortable fetal position, calming his rapid beating heart through silent hyperventilation. He stayed curled up like that for what seemed like a few hours until one of the guards came to announce that Tae's bail had been paid for, and the person who bailed him was waiting outside. Upon hearing that announcement every single one of Tae's nerves had been pinched. After what he heard from Niki the reality that was waiting for him outside of cell bars were going to hit him like a freight train. Tae being desperate, a druggie, a heartless bastard, and a kiss-up to Jordan.

That was the reality he was heading back to.

-

The guard led him through a ring of papers, plastic bags filled with personal items, and even more paperwork. When Tae got back his clothes from the day he got arrested, he took them out of their bag as he was led to another room to change. Tae immediately made the decision that he shouldn't wear clothes he wore a month ago, but, having no choice, he slipped his clothes on, feeling the insecurity he left a month ago come back to him like a tidal wave. Tae looked down at his clothes, as there was no mirror in sight.
His body looked shameful and vulnerable in a black turtleneck. Not only that, but he looked downright depressing. Thinking about what to do about this fashion dilemma, he suddenly remembered that he wore a muscle tee as an undershirt. Rummaging through the plastic bag, he found the muscle tee; a dirtied white, GIVENCHY Paris branded shirt with the sleeves cut so low that both his rib tattoos could be seen in full. His right side had the words "PASSION" written on it, but looked at from a different view and a tilt of the head, the word "PASSION" turned into the word "PLEASURE." His left side made home to three angels, all acting in different ways to recreate "See, Speak, and Hear no evil." In the middle of those angels was a sword, engraved the words "Fear no evil." Those tattoos were his Pride and Joy, so if he had the chance to show them off anytime he could, he would.

Slipping the tee on him with ease, he looked at himself from his own perspective one last time. He nodded to himself, thinking that he looked decent and that the bruises Jordan had given him should be gone by now so he shouldn't have to worry about his body. Heading for the door, his heart started to beat out of his chest at the thought of seeing Noeul and being physically close to him. At that point, he was ready to leave as soon as possible. He notified the guards that he was ready and he stuffed his turtleneck into the plastic bag, carrying it along with the rest of his belongings.

The door opened with a silent swing, and it was as if Tae had a best friend sensor stuck to his body because he found Noeul sitting in under a second. Although his encounters today made him feel like absolute shit, it would be a dick move if he went to his best friend feeling depressed, so he tried his best to mentally practice a happy mood on the spot. Upon thinking of how to make Noeul not suspect there was something going on, Tae was feeling grateful that he had a friend who would do almost anything for him. Tae admired that Noeul took the time out of his day to get his bail money, the act of friendship made him feel a bit sentimental.

Noticing a bag hanging on Noeul's shoulder, he used it as a way to start up a conversation with a guy he hasn't hung out with in a month. A guy that he missed dearly.

"Wow. Is that a designer shoulder bag for me? That must have cost a lot of money. You shouldn't have, seriously. Thanks for the present."
Tae walked over to Noeul with a big smile on his face, standing over his best friend and taking the bag off of Noeul's shoulders, slinging it over his own. For the first time in his life Tae had never been more ready to be with his best friend. He felt like he could stay with Noeul for an eternity and still enjoy his company like they had just met for the first time.
"I'll hug you when we get outside 'cause I'm ready to fuckin' leave this place. Shit did not go well in there today."

@Pray4me

 

[MUSΞ]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Hearing the loud, suckling sound of an empty drink, Noeul raised the plastic cup up to his eyes to inspect it. A frown appeared, realizing he finished off something he bought for Tae. It didn't matter. He had the whole day to buy Tae something, a huge gesture for a financially struggling Noeul. The temptation in the shoulder bag constantly screamed at him, suggesting to borrow a single bundle of money to help him get by. Tae had plenty of money, what was one $10k bundle missing affect him? Knowing Tae, he probably had a rainy day fund stashed somewhere in his house. One missing bundle wouldn't be a big hit at all.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The thought screamed in Noeul's dreams as he slept on his friend's couch along with the brief conversation he had with Kenny. Seeing and talking to Kenny after years of being separated wasn't the reunion Noeul wanted. All it did was remind Noeul of where he came from and how it seemed like he couldn't run from his home. Every time Kenny came to his mind as he slept, it tugged at Noeul to give up any drive he had of being sufficient outside of what was normal to him. He didn't want the cycle to be the same with him, growing up and staying in his little ghetto area.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]But seeing Kenny, Noeul felt a slight relief. While he never put on a show in front of Tae or the Pack, Noeul felt like he could breathe much easier around someone who grew up just like him. They were raised the same, grew up the same, went to the same schools and participated in the same street activities. They both were raised in that lower income environment with Kenny's family being one of the poorest. Yes, Kenny was extremely odd, and when it came to interests the two were very different, but Kenny was more...relatable.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Chewing on the straw of the drink, Noeul caught the swing of the door that revealed Tae into freedom. If it wasn't for the straw in his mouth, Noeul would have gave the girliest squeal as he ran up to his best friend, tossing the empty drink onto the floor.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"'Ey Tae! My god it's great to see you! Look at you! Did you lose some weight in prison?" Noeul circled Tae, admiring the tattoos he rarely got to see this clearly. He delicately lifted the front of Tae's tee to see the rib cage tattoo in full, peering down at them. "Ohh...is this all you have to wear? It's kinda cold outside and still kinda wet...nah, you're fine I'm sure."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He released the front of Tae's tee, patting it down gently. Noeul stood up straight in time for Tae to remove the shoulder bag from him. Already Noeul's body relaxed from the weight of the shoulder bag.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Take that fuckin' thing away from me. It caused me nothin' but trouble. Take real good care of that bag. It has all your money in it. I went through hoops to get your money man. Next time, have it fuckin' wired to some offshore bank account or somethin'. They thought I was just some random guy tryin' to pull a fast one on them."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Leading them outside the jail, Noeul stepped in front of Tae with the stupidest, tightest grin on his face.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"...oh come here man! Hurry before anyone sees!" he nearly let his body fall against Tae, wrapping his arms tightly around his friend's body. Noeul squeezed hard, nearly tossing Tae side to side like a doll. "You don't even know how fuckin' happy I am that you're free. Shit man, I was so lonely without you. I even missed your insultin' mornin' texts you send me before work. You're happy to be out, right?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Releasing Tae from his embrace, Noeul took a step back and looked over Tae. He blinked, eyes scanning his friend's body. His stupid grin changed into an unsure pout, his lower lip sticking out slightly as looked over Tae. Noeul's eyes then landed on Tae's face, looking at his friend intently. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Yeah? What happened durin' your last day in jail? Was it your kinda boyfriend? You did what I said right? It should have worked. Don't tell me couldn't go through with it…" his face fell as he sighed heavily. "Well, screw that. You won't be seein' him for a while so don't worry about it."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Feeling a wet, cold breeze, Noeul flipped his hood onto his head, stuffing some of his hair behind his ears. He pulled the drawstrings of his jacket, tightening the hood onto him. He listened to Tae, feeling his phone his pants pocket vibrate constantly. He slapped the outside of the pocket his phone was in, too lazy to take it out and see who was messaging him. Today, all Noeul wanted to do was get Tae settled back into the usual routine they had before Tae was sent off to jail. Unfortunately for Tae, that meant spending half the day out on the streets using the bus or calling for an Uber. Noeul requested for a pickup and drop-off from someone in the Pack, but again his message fell onto a dead group chat. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul didn't have the heart to tell Tae that the Pack was near the point of near collapse. He didn't want to tell that Andrew was finally given back to his family a couple of days ago and the cremation was already performed. While it seemed like Andrew was a lost thought, Noeul had been keeping tabs on Andrew's final voyage thanks to the multiple social media sites Andrew joined. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]While everyone seemed to have moved on, Noeul still hadn't. He couldn't until he could say his farewell to a friend that never deserved to meet that end. He couldn't live with himself without discovering who murdered Andrew, but it felt like he had zero help on his mission. There was no way he was going to ask Tae for help. Noeul knew Tae was battling some personal demons based off of his friend's behavior since the death of Andrew. Tae's stay in jail looked like it did his friend some good.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Let's get your mind off all that stuff with some good food. You should be starvin' for somethin' good since all you've been eatin' is jail food. Let me guess, you and your rich self was able to afford the good, junk food in jail huh? Top Ramen every night, huh? Maybe one of those gas station frozen bean burritos?" Noeul laughed, standing beside Tae. "Uhh...what you feel like havin'? I'm up for anythin' that's not fuckin' In 'n Out. I don't want to smell that thousand island sauce for a long ass time. Oh! How 'bout one of your favorites? Sushi? There's a good sushi bar somewhere around here."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul began to take the lead, grabbing onto Tae's wrist to tug him lightly to get him going. The Los Angeles County Jail was in a cross section of the city with downtown being across the overpass and Chinatown being just around the corner. There was also a metro station, that was crudely designed to blend into Chinatown, that barely connected the giant L.A area to each other. The sun shined high, signaling the start of lunch. Police officers exited the jail in packs, piling into the various fast food and eat in restaurants that sprouted new every couple of weeks. With the sidewalks becoming more crowded, Noeul jumped into the bicycle lane to give him more room.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He stretched his arms high above his head, hearing his shoulders let out a sickening pop.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"What are you goin' do now that you're out of jail?" Noeul asked, slipping his hands into his pockets.[/BCOLOR]

 

[Jihae]

*cough cough.* Noeul, you know who you are.
​

He scratched the back of his head shyly as Noeul began his stream of compliments. He looked down as his friend was pulling at his shirt a little bit, proud that there was finally someone who admired the tattoos that adorned his skin.

"It's not all I have to wear, but I'll be fine. I don't wanna be wearing a turtleneck. Gotta show of what I got you know what I mean?"

He laughs softly as he was led outside, admiring and savoring every moment of Noeul's toothy smile. It was a smile he got to see often, but it was nice to see every single time. As he was given a warm and welcoming hug, the reality he was coming back to didn't seem so terrible with a best friend by his side. Tae wrapped his arms against Noeul's waist tightly, leaning his chin on his friend's shoulder as he was being suffocated by a giant bear hug. Being locked in a hug, Tae noted that he wouldn't mind receiving this sort of adoration and embrace once in a while, even as Noeul was swinging him from side to side, Tae lifted his friend off the ground for a few seconds before bringing him back down to Earth. The hug broke, leaving Tae cold from the rare weather.

"Of course I'm happy to be back. I can go back to work and earn money like I've used to, I can eat real food bought organically, and most importantly I get to catch up on missed times with you. Damn, it's so good to see you Noeul. I miss your insults and your daily calls about how shitty your lunch is." He gives Noeul a playful shove and laughed silently to himself until that smile immediately faded from his face. He hoped that his friend wouldn't bring his last day in jail to the surface, but the subject of his misery will never go unnoticed when it came to his friend. He clears his throat a couple of times as a way to stall, trying to get his thoughts together in a flawless cohesion.

"My kind of boyfriend was definitely a part of the problem but he didn't play a huge role in it. I actually made out with him yesterday. I decided in jail not to tell you about my hook up, but now that we're talkin' about him I might as well spill everything. Today we just kind of fell out... For the better, I guess. As for the huge part of the problem... You don't wanna know so I'm just not gonna tell you."

Tae's lips turned into a dissatisfied pout when he felt a cold and wet breeze hit his bare skin. The unusual California weather sent chills down his spine, the hair on his neck and arms raising as his limbs stuck to his body for warmth. Occasionally he would hear Noeul's phone vibrate against fabric, but trying to get his hands into the front pocket of his skinny jeans took up most of his attention.

When Tae's body finally succumbed to the weather, he decided to really think about his freedom. In reality, he was scared shitless about what was waiting for him without a single idea as to what he was going back to. The man who had used his body like a rag doll was going to be waiting patiently behind a glass door, with stacks upon stacks of paperwork being waved in front of his face. Tae would have dealt with his boss easily if he was the only problem, but the fact that there are rumors spreading about how falsely promiscuous he actually is made him sick to his stomach.

The last thing he wanted was good food. The last thing he wanted was to actually eat. The mere thought of it made him nauseous, but because it was Noeul and seeing his best friend eat was the most rewarding thing for him, he was going to put up with it. He shook his head at every guess Noeul had for his daily meals. "Let's look at it this way man. I'm rich, sure, but I'm in a house full of authority. I don't fuck around with authority, you know that. If I did, I would have ran away from Dom and from the cops as quick as I could. Just because I'm rich, I committed a crime that was 100% my fault. I deserved no privilege in there, and they didn't give me any to begin with."

Satisfied with his answer, he nodded, a proud smile slathering across his face. "... Noeul, I know how your brain works already when it comes to us and eatin' out. You're gonna take me out to sushi, be all excited 'n shit, make me fall for that smile, you're goin' to eat like a motherfuckin' king, and then when the bill comes you're goin' to make me pay for it. Why? Because you're a fuckin' bitch. That's why. Luckily, I have a solution," he says, tapping at the shoulder bag with a giant smile.

"I wanna see you be a gentleman. Treat me for once instead of me treatin' you. It's the least you for me can do since you were so excited to see me outta jail. And I know you're gonna do it because you're my best friend, and best friends do everythin' for each other, right?" he says, quickly wrapping his arm around Noeul's shoulder right after his friend tugged him along.

"I'm gonna see you pay for the bill with my own two eyes. It's goin' to be such a sight I might have to film your pretty face when you do. God, my financially unstable best friend payin' for my meal... It's too good to be true."

It was nice to finally be able to pick on Noeul after a month of separation. Noeul always made it easy for everyone in Pack to pick on, and Tae was no exception to that verbal abuse. Out of the two of them, Tae was always the better person even though he did have his moments. Those moments always had Noeul on a string of meat, his friend seeming to spot his moments from a mile away before he noticed them himself. It made Tae a bit wary whenever Noeul pointed them out, but it was better than having his friend sugar coating his multiple issues.

When Noeul hopped into the bicycle lane, Tae followed alongside him, playing with the straps of the shoulder bag leisurely.
"Probably do the inevitable. You know, goin' to work, makin' it rain... And hangin' out with my best friend in the entire world!" he teased, shoving Noeul's side very roughly, taking his friend's wrist and pulling him back into the lane so he wouldn't be so close to the road. He wrapped a single arm around Noeul's waist, bringing him close to him. He then pulled away in an instant, realizing how sensitive his friend is to public displays of affection.

"Where are you gonna take me out Noeul? I'm startin' to get kind of hungry."

@Pray4me

 

[MUSΞ]

[BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul walked closely beside Tae, his attention jumping from the road beside them, to the sidewalk they were avoiding, to the street up ahead where the more local restaurants were located. He always preferred the more 'hole in the wall' type of places to eat than those on top ten lists or featured on national news. Those were expensive and always felt so trendy. Noeul enjoyed socializing, he enjoyed people, and one of his favorite people to get to know were owners of family restaurants and others working in the food industry. There was the hope that some would appreciate his friendliness so much that free drinks and appetizers were offered, but there was something about learning about how someone created their restaurant from nothing that intrigue him.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]And yes, at some places he did get his free food.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Feeling an arm around his waist, Noeul jumped to the side as soon as Tae pulled away. A smart car, a two seater toy car anyone could purchase off shelf, nearly swerved into the next line to avoid him. Giving an apologetic smile and wave to the driver, Noeul stood closer to Tae for safety. Noeul and city streets were not a good combination. At least twice a week he was nearly hit by some sort of vehicle, either by his own fault of never looking both ways when crossing the street, or a typical Los Angeles terrible driver. He always joked being hit by a car would be his destined way to go. It should convince him to be more cautious, but Noeul never was one to learn from multiple mistakes.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul sighed happily hearing that the kinda boyfriend was out of the picture. Things could definitely go back to normal with life being Tae and him only. They can continue having days like today, just the two of them walking the streets to get some food. With Tae, Noeul felt no worry or stress. Life felt simple and ordinary with no sudden surprises. Days with Tae felt like an endless summer, where the stresses of life always seemed to dwindle away to be replaced with a carefree flow. Sometimes he felt guilty about putting so much on Tae without his friend really knowing. He depended on Tae much more than he should, but the few times he tried to distant himself from his friend, to give Tae the space he needed, something always pulled Noeul back. It was always something that was completely out his control.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]When waiting for the light to change at the intersection, Noeul tried his best to keep face. Tae couldn't be serious about him buying the sushi. Noeul suddenly chuckled awkwardly, glancing at Tae who was starting to ask about lunch.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You know what Tae…" he began.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]By now, everyone who was familiar with Noeul knew when he started anything with 'You know what…' a speech with nothing but bullshit was about to spew from his dry mouth. While he liked to think of himself as a complicated man, Noeul was very easy to read and figure out most of the time.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"...sushi is, like overrated. I mean, what's new with sushi lately? Nothin', that's what. You probably want somethin' more...uhh...down home. Yeah, somethin' more sustainin' since all you've been eatin' is jail grub and drinkin' tap water and not your fancy purified, diamond water shit," he spoke, crossing the street when the light allowed. "I didn't even ask if you were that hungry. I bet you ate already before they released you from jail. You're not that hungry. How 'bout somethin' that reminds you of home? Like Subway...oh, we're here…"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul smiled, standing in front of the sushi bar. It was a very tiny place, only enough for about twenty people to fit comfortably inside, with a single bar in the center of the lobby. There were only four people eating inside, sharing a medium sized platter of food while drinking out of a pitcher of beer. Noeul looked at the menu posted on the door, his mouth nearly dropping to the floor as his body almost fell through the glass door of the place.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]His eyes scanned the prices, trying to total up how much the lunch would cost between them. Usually when they went out for sushi, the bill was always over $200. That was about two weeks worth of work for one eating session. Noeul stood back up and looked over at Tae, eyes squinting as he began to think over the risk of eating here. Tae was bluffing. He wouldn't let his poor friend pay for some outrageous bill knowing his financial situation. To celebrate today of Tae's release, Noeul was willing, for the first time in years of knowing Tae, to split the bill completely down the middle. That was close enough for treating his friend. In fact, if Tae was still hungry, because Noeul knew he would be, he would buy some sort of sweets for the both of them. Something on the cheaper end, like ice cream or donuts. He still wanted to buy something on his own for Tae, but hopefully there would be more appreciation for the act than the product.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Holding open the door for Tae to enter first, Noeul followed after and sat at the bar. Above was the menu, categorized by single items, plates, and specials. Two ice cold waters were placed in front of them by their server, an older woman with a tired, dropped face who spoke loudly and quickly. She recited their happy hour specials, selected items were 15% off along with all alcoholic drinks being half off.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"We'll take five of everythin' on that happy hour special thing," Noeul cut in before Tae could. "And just water."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]With the order received, their server rushed into the kitchen. To replace her, a tannish man with a thick black garden of a mustache and monstrous sized hands stood in front of them behind the sushi bar. For a giant man, he was surprisingly delicate when it came to crafting the sushi. Noeul watched curiously at him creating each piece, nearly forgetting Tae was next to him.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Oh yeah, I meant to ask. What are you goin' to do with…" Noeul leaned to the side at Tae and changed his voice to a whisper, eyes still on the man. "...you know, the stuff in that bag? Did you really think your bail was goin' be that much? Or did you have plans for the rest of it?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent] Astounded by how perfectly the rolls turned out, Noeul nearly pressed his face against the glass of the bar.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"'Ey, what kind is that? Is that salmon? Can I try that one on the end? You don't serve ends right?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent] The tank of a man shrugged, passing Noeul the end piece with his chubby fingers. Noeul sat back and popped the piece into his mouth, chewing slowly with a smile. He gave the man a thumbs up, making the man try his best not to grin.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"As much as I want to, I can't stay out with you all day. I have to go into work around...5pm? But I'm plannin' on usin' some of my sick days to spend time with you and deal with some other stuff. Let me know what days you might get off 'cause I'll plan mine on those too. You know where we should go? The coast. I haven't been there in years man. I feel like it's callin' us for a reason. I don't know why," he stared at Tae, swallowing hard. "How you like this place? It's a lot smaller than I thought it would be...thank god it's lunch or it would be weird takin' you here for dinner. This place feels like a place you would take someone on a date or your last dinner before killin' yourself."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It had a similar vibe to Aloha Mi Amigo, but much more high end. The place was minimally decorated, the upper half of the walls were painted a mocha brown while the lower had the bricks exposed and painted white. There were no individual hanging lights, but the entire ceiling was made with lighted tiles. The only focal points of the room was the bar that held the sushi on square, white plates and a wine case that held the different imported alcohols. There was a speaker system set up on each corner, but with the dust covering it, it was obvious they were never used.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Taking a sip of water, the server returned with their items. The sushi was a mix of traditional pieces with American, served with two small house salads and your choice of soy sauce, wasabi, or ginger. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Your utensils," she said flatly, placing them on the tray tucked in tightly wrapped napkins. "Is there anything else I can get you two."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Nah, thanks," Noeul nodded as she walked away before he could finish.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He counted each piece loudly with his finger, feeling his heart skip with joy at the sight of fresh sushi in front of him. The total cost was a distant memory as Noeul began to portion out the sushi between the two, selecting his favorites and passing the others onto Tae.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Uhh, enjoy? You better enjoy this 'cause this really is a rare treat for you. Don't expect somethin' like this until your birthday. And even then, fuck you. You're not gettin' sushi."[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]@Jihae[/BCOLOR]

 

[Jihae]

​

Tae took out his phone from one of the bags he's been hauling around, turning it on and being surprised that the battery was full of life despite a month of inactivity. In the corner of his eye he saw Noeul almost being run over by a smart car he wouldn't dream of driving in, rolling his eyes as his friend stood closer to him. He felt a bit irritated for no particular reason, so as soon as Noeul stepped closer to him he stepped a little bit closer to the sidewalk, his eyes glued to the bright blue screen. Wiping the rain off his phone with his skinny jeans, he fixated his eyes on the month's worth of missed notifications, all of which showed a bunch of spam messages that all came from an initiative-taking Noeul. Seeing that none of the Pack responded to his best friend's texts, Tae got a bit angry at them for not paying Noeul much attention, a problem that seemed to be expanding ever since his low-income friend joined the coterie.

The bitter Los Angeles weather didn't make his mood better at all, in fact, the light drizzle and cold winds only made it worse. Even with Noeul, the only person that can cheer Tae up just by being there, wasn't doing much for his thinning patience. Tae will take time away from Noeul with every opportunity he could get his hands on, but as soon as he was feeling under the weather, he would go crawling back to his friend like a relapsed drug addict.

At times of existential tribulations, Tae will admit to himself that he just uses Noeul as a walking mood booster, but there was something Noeul offered that left Tae dependent, something that he could not put his finger on. Even if he feels like he's just using his friend for his own benefit, if Noeul were completely out of his life for more than two days, or if Noeul was ever upset at him for whatever reason, it almost feels as if he's committed a dreadful sin. If the weather was a bit brighter and a bit more warmer, just the fact that Noeul was within arms reach will make him feel at ease. But his mind is easily swayed by how nice the weather is, so at this point he wants nothing more but to go home and be alone.

Tae stayed silent for the rest of the walk, clearly not in the mood. Tae tried his best to include himself into Noeul's ramblings by saying agreement noises once in a while but even then the weather overpowered his mood. As soon as he heard Noeul start with his 'You know what' preaching, Tae huffed loudly, stuffing his phone in his pants pocket with irritation lingering in his fingertips. He took the turtleneck out of his bag after a successful attempt of putting it on using one hand, his eyes and hands were back on his phone, using his peripheral vision and Noeul's back to pay attention to his location. He almost bumped into Noeul as soon as he stopped abruptly in front of the sushi bar.

He took a quick glance up from his phone, disappointed but not surprised at the establishment Noeul picked out. How predictable, he thought, his eyes darting down to a new notification, feeling incredulously indifferent about eating sushi.

"Thank you," he said flatly, appreciating Noeul's nice gesture of opening the door for him even though his face didn't show it at all.

After sitting at the bar right next to Noeul, he puts the shoulder bag as well as his other belongings on another free seat beside him. As soon as their server came up to them, Tae opened his mouth to speak, his lips immediately closing shut as Noeul spoke for him. His face falling flat, Tae bobbed his head as the woman walked away without his say in the matter. His hand quickly found its way to his phone in frustration. There was nothing that Tae hated more than people speaking for him or people cutting off his sentences, and Noeul should have known this pet peeve by now.

Tae didn't even notice the large man making sushi in front of him, his attention being drawn in by tattoos, videos of puppies, and muscular men on Instagram. He was about to stalk a shirtless guy's profile until Noeul started talking. Out of shock Tae hurried to click the power button on his phone and turned his screen face down, his head turning to the side to face Noeul. His eyes fluttered as he gave Noeul a sweet smile and all of his attention.

"Oh, you mean the money?" he stated loudly. He wasn't ashamed of having wealth in a shoulder bag so why his friend spoke quietly was a complete mystery to Tae. He continued to speak freely, disregarding Noeul's attempt to keep things on the down low. "To be honest, my arrest was only for disorderly conduct and assault so I knew it wasn't going to be that much. I just wanted you to go out of your way for me since I had the opportunity. If you want the extra cash go ahead and take it since I'm probably just gonna waste it on somethin' stupid like shirts that cost way too much or shoes."

Tae's focus turned to the man Noeul was speaking to, wondering how long that man had been standing in front of him making sushi He looked back to Noeul eating, then back to the man holding back a smile, then back to Noeul, understanding his friend's tendencies to buddy-buddy everyone he sees. Tae goes back to his phone, his screen showing the half-naked man from before. Tae held his breath as he quickly force closed the app. He changes Instagram to the weather, looking at it in hopes of lightening his mood. Seeing that it was going to be gray for most of the day, he sighed. "Yeah, you can go ahead and work. I think I just wanna be by myself today... Yeah, okay. I'll check my schedule." His emotions started to drain the longer he looked at the forecast, but he couldn't look away, his mouth slowly turning into a frown. "Yeah, the coast sounds cool I guess."

Noeul's question about the restaurant made him shut his phone off, realizing he hasn't taken the whole place in since he stepped foot inside it. He shrugged, taking a small sip of water before speaking his thoughts out loud. "You know, it's not really my style, and neither was Aloha Mi Amigo, which is what this place is remindin' me of. You know I'd much prefer somethin' really high class, but hey, it's better than nothing. Thanks for bringin' me here though, you could have taken me to McDonalds or somethin' ghetto like that but instead you brought me to somthin' a little more, but not quite, my taste." he finished, taking another sip of water.

Seeing the food set right in front of him, he wasn't as happy as he would have liked to be, contrary to other times when food was presented to him. His eyes took a quick glance at Noeul counting the meal with his finger, his heart skipping a beat when he saw that whatever Noeul picked out for himself, he didn't want to eat. Tae organized his sushi neatly in front of him but was surprised to find that as soon as he picked up his chopsticks, he was mindlessly poking at his food, not feeling up to eating. Nonetheless, he picked up a piece of sushi and forced it into his mouth in two bites.

It was as if Tae had already eaten a Thanksgiving dinner because as soon as he picked up his second piece of sushi, he was starting to feel nauseous. He didn't want to be rude to Noeul, after all, his friend was going to pay for the whole meal. In order for him to feel just a tiny bit grateful, Tae pushed his lack of appetite aside and began stuffing food into his mouth in hopes that his nausea would go away. His sloppy eating eventually worked and Tae slowly decelerated his chewing into common table etiquette, his negative mood picking up slightly.

Food is always the answer.

Tae waved at Noeul's comment and nodded until he had no sushi in his mouth. "Yeah yeah, I'm grateful man. And if I'm not gettin' sushi for my birthday what am I gettin'? Come on, tell me, I wanna know." he smiled at Noeul, leaning to the side in genuine curiosity as his right hand held up a sushi on chopsticks. "Oh, no, let me guess," he mused, plopping the sushi into his mouth before swirling the chopsticks in the air, as if all the presents in the world were floating in his presence and he had to pick a few favorites by grabbing at them with his utensil. "A new car?... No, clothes? No, a free porn subscription? Nah.. Oh! I know, a bag of Hot Cheetos and Cosmic Brownies. Yeah, that's more you." he joked, gently pushing Noeul playfully as he stuck another sushi into his mouth.

Noticing that his mood had lightened immensely, he changed the conversation back into the one they had before, "Do you have work tomorrow too? Because if you're free tomorrow you can spend the night at my house. If you have work tomorrow though you can fuck off and sleep at your house 'cause I don't wanna get in trouble for keepin' you up all night... Wait, pause, that sounded weird. You know what it's out there now I'm not gonna take it back." he said with a small laugh. His other hand reached for his phone as his right hand reached over for one of Noeul's pieces of sushi, sticking it into his mouth and smiling happily at his satisfied appetite.

He set his chopsticks down, feeling proud that he finished all of his food at a restaurant Noeul chose. Scrolling through old messages on his phone, he smirked. "I'm still gonna make you pay for all of this Noeul."

@Pray4me

 

[MUSΞ]

[BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]With his cheeks already stuffed with two rolls, Noeul chewed slowly as he stared at Tae. There was that noticeable look, that common habit of him being entranced by what was on his phone. The nonchalant way Tae threw in some shade at anything that was happening around them. Something, or someone, suddenly brought down Tae's mood. Near the beginning of their friendship, Noeul always tried extra hard to lift Tae out of that random mood swing. Until, he realized how frequent it came and went. For such a tough guy Tae portrayed, he seemed to be easily triggered by the most random and sudden things. Eventually, Noeul learned to let Tae figure himself out. And, for him to ignore it. The risk of getting Tae furious with him was too high.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You really love puttin' me through a lot, huh? You don't even have a clue what shit I went through that day to get you your money. I went after work at 9 o'clock dead ass tired, rode a wet bus that smelled like cat food to get there, then almost got felt up by some random before bein' interrogated by Mistress 'I'm a lesbian but have to work with guys too' and havin' to sign my name to get that money released. She kept me for fuckin' hours to the point the buses stopped runnin'. So there I was, stranded in that hell hole street in the stormin' rain not knowin' what the fuck to do until a super old friend from my childhood showed up out the blue like a vigilante hero. Thank fuckin' god he was there for who knows what reason or I would have been walkin' all night back to where I'm stayin'. You got me bent backwards and upside down man...makin' me run around for your entertainment. Keep your money. I don't want it 'n I don't need it you manipulative, royal bitch."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]However, thoughts rang in Noeul's mind about accepting Tae's offer of the money, screaming at him to suck up his pride and just take it to survive easily for a couple of months. The thoughts begged Noeul to accept a few thousands to help, at least enough to pay off monthly bills on time and keep food in his stomach until he could find a better job and a permanent place to stay. Just enough money that if he felt guilty he could return the money to Tae even if his friend didn't need it. No matter how loud the thoughts screamed, Noeul's strong- willed pride continued to hush over rational thinking and refuse the help. He couldn't accept it. Life lessons were engraved in him too much about accepting money from others. There was no such thing as free money. Eventually, the money will have to be paid back in some way. Accepting the money means you owe that person until it's paid off somehow. The best sort of help is to help yourself. Noeul was firm on that belief. A couple of dollars here and there was no issue to him, but touching Tae's money held in the shoulder bag was out of the question. Money was extremely tight, but he had a job. He had friends that were willing to keep him every couple of weeks until he found his own place. Life was harder since Andrew's death, but it wasn't devastating. All Noeul needed to do was keep his job and work every chance he got to stay within his monthly budget. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Uncaring about formal chopstick etiquette, Noeul stabbed his chopstick into the next roll and ate it quickly, eyes diverted away from Tae. Being an always happy guy who could easily look past and let things go, the few triggers he had was anything involving his work or education. Noeul was a dedicated slave to the minimum wage, hourly system, completely depended on it to make the money he needed to get through the month. He lived paycheck to paycheck with most going to the few bills he had and the previous of paying a small rent to live at home. With Tae thinking how hilarious it would be to make Noeul go to Skin Adorn to get the money for nothing special while he probably had the $500 or so at his damn house made Noeul feel a burning pain across his body with it being visible on his food filled cheeks. He almost skipped work that day to get he money and nearly skipped work the next. He almost lost two days worth of pay. It felt like all his effort was crushed.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The more Tae talked in his mood, the faster Noeul ate. Soon, most of the sushi he had was gone along with the salad meant for two. With most of his food gone, Noeul drank his water in one go without pause. No matter how hard he tried to look pass Tae's indifferent words, Noeul couldn't help but feel stupid and used for being extremely kind-hearted to his friend. Talking about his concerns to Tae about how exploited he felt when nearly skipping a day of work to get him his money was a waste. That $96 for a full working day didn't seem like much to those better off with a better job, but for people like Noeul it was desperately needed to make ends meet. One skip day of unpaid work left him those dollars short to his monthly budget. And with how financially unstable he is now, Noeul couldn't look passed nearly missing that next day of work being stranded because of Tae's dumb game.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul remained stone-faced and bothered as Tae's mood picked up, barely listening to the chipper attitude in Tae's voice as he spoke. The playful chatter of the chopsticks holding a roll came into his view, but all Noeul did was slightly turn his head away from Tae, letting his hair fall from behind his ears. He let Tae shove him playfully, eyes fixated on his empty plate. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You don't need a new car 'cause you already got a car. You don't need new clothes 'cause you already got clothes. You don't need a subscription to porn 'cause the good porn is easy to find and is free. You don't eat that junk food. Let me think...what do you deserve...uhhh...I got it. How 'bout a giant cake? I mean, one of those cakes that can fit a stripper inside, and while you're anticipatin' on who's goin' pop out, it'll be me surprisin' you with a fat punch in your fuckin' smilin' face. Pow! Happy fuckin' Birthday..."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Ready to go, Noeul raised his hand to call over their server. She came instantly, placing the bill in a small leather bound folder, and hurried away to deal with the others who were just about to leave. He opened the folder slowly, his pupils pinning at the amount everything came out to be. He quickly closed the folder, waiting a good thirty seconds, and opened it again hoping he saw wrong.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The total came out to be $150, cheaper than what was normally paid, but still more than what Noeul totaled up when it came to a happy hour/lunch special. On top of his pissy mood formed a layer of melancholy. Originally, Noeul planned to use his charming sweet talk to persuade Tae to split the bill. But, he had a burning desire to ditch his friend for the day and just go to work early.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Pulling out his phone that held together his debit and bank card with a dirty rubber band, Noeul placed his debit card into the folder and waited for the server to pick it up and charge his account. He finally gave his attention to Tae, finding it difficult to land his eyes on his friend.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"No, I don't have to work tomorrow. I was planin' on takin' a shift if someone I worked with needed tomorrow off. I thought you wanted to spend the rest of the day to yourself," he handed the folder to the server. "I'm not some fuckin' teen so you don't have to worry about gettin' in trouble for keepin' me all night. I'm free like a unwanted, mangy dog on the streets."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He checked his messages that were bothering him earlier, seeing an unknown number spamming him multiple times. His brows furrowed as he read, thumb scrolling upwards until the mystery messenger stated a name. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"How?" Noeul suddenly stood, his chair slamming onto the floor.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Feeling the eyes of the other customers exiting, Noeul quickly picked up his chair in time for the server to deliver his card and a receipt. Seeing that the charge went through, Noeul wrote in the tip and signed his signature for confirmation and pocketed the thin piece of paper. With a tensed look on his face, Noeul looked over at Tae.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You know how to get back home from here, right? I don't know. Call a Uber or somethin'. Or follow me if you want. I'm takin' the metro. If not, then I'll see you later," lowering his head, he left the restaurant and headed back towards the direction of the county jail for the metro station.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]All he wanted to do was work to get his mind off his mood, standing in front of that fryer or outside taking orders to help the drive-thru. He wanted to replace the money he spent at lunch that felt like a huge waste. Today didn't go as planned like he had in mind. His 'welcome to freedom' gift of lunch felt like that birthday present at the very back of the stack, an appreciative gift for that moment, but right after the birthday it would be forgotten. The delight of seeing Tae walk from that door in jail was clouded by the looming thought of being toyed with, the unappreciative notion of going out his way to gather the money, and the risk of skipping that needed day of work because of being abandoned in the pouring rain. It reminded Noeul how low and entitled Tae could be.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul stared at his phone as he jogged up the concrete steps to the above ground metro station, quickly buying a ticket at the booth and nearly jumping the gate to stand at the platform. The view of Chinatown and downtown in the misty storm was hazy with blurred lights as a freezing wind started to pick up. His hot cheeks cooled, being replaced by his natural, pale-ish skin tone.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The announcement over the intercom read of his train arriving in 15 minutes and that there was a slight delay because of the storm. Noeul glanced around him, the platform completely empty except for the piles of trashed plastic drinks left on the steel benches and the dull lights shining a tinge of ghastly yellow on him. He zipped up the rest of his jacket up to his mouth, covering it completely. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He saved the number and texted back:[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Hey man. Yea I'm good. I tldr that text block. Yea we should hangout soon.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]*[/BCOLOR]​

[BCOLOR=transparent]His place of business was only a twenty minute walk from Tae's home. It was a relief of not having to worry about the buses for the night. Ever since life took a dramatic turn after the death of Andrew, everything that seemed simple suddenly wasn't. Something as basic as riding the bus was becoming more complicated. Constant delays, close calls to end of service, the increasing fares. It pushed Noeul more to finally save up to afford a used car after getting his license.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He said his goodbyes to his work friends, a big smile plastered on his face as each made it their mission to get in their farewells before Noeul left. After changing into his street clothes, Noeul left with a bag of dinner for Tae and himself. He knew Tae probably wouldn't eat a Double Double with cheese and a medium size fries with a large diet Coke, but at least he offered.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Giving off his favorite scent of fries, Noeul popped open his umbrella at the light sprinkle of rain starting up. The streetlights guiding him in the direction of Tae's home, the busy end of rush hour keeping him company on the street beside him, and the music being played from his phone. Occasionally he would check his phone, seeing what was new on social media, if there was anything new in the Pack's group chat, and keeping tabs on friends and acquaintances.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]On Facebook, he was sent a DM by an acquaintance with an urgent update. Noeul gasped loudly to himself, his balled hands trembling at the news. With a single word reply to the DM, Noeul updated his status 'Will be seeing a friend off. It's what I have to do.'[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Jogging the rest of the way to Tae's neighborhood, Noeul jumped the gate and over the two steps to Tae's front door. He ran the doorbell once, then kicked the door lightly.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Tae! It's me! Open up! The rain is startin' to pour! Dinner is gettin' all wet!" Noeul shouted loudly. [/BCOLOR]



[BCOLOR=transparent]@Jihae[/BCOLOR]

 

[Jihae]

Being called a manipulative, royal bitch didn't bother him in the slightest. Being threatened to get punched in the face on his birthday wasn't at all intimidating. As his mood was climaxing into satisfaction from the food he ate, he could notice Noeul becoming more and more of a killjoy. Tae ran down the list of recent crimes he had committed to make Noeul so pissed off at him, looking for a conviction that might stick. Pushing Noeul a bit closer to the road as they walked to this now lackluster establishment, asking him to pay for the meal in full, that one time he called Noeul a 'fat pig' for two weeks straight. Never did it occur to him that he might be innocent.

He stared at Noeul questioning the unstated fact of the bill price, it was too expensive for his friend, much like everything else. Wanting to pitch in an act of sympathy, Tae leaned back into his seat, thinking of what to contribute to Noeul's dilemma. Giving a friendly smile, perhaps a small ring of laughter, anything that would transition into him saying, 'Hey, I was just joking, I'll pay for the meal.' would have been perfect, but he knew that if he talked, Noeul would be one inch closer to actually punching him in the face. Instead of doing anything, Tae just sat back and watched as Noeul paid for the whole meal. He should have been proud and appreciative, but the thought that Noeul was probably paying for the bill just so he can leave made Tae feel more remorseful than anything.

The way his friend forced his pupils in his general direction made him shift uncomfortably in his seat, and if his silence couldn't get any more quieter, Noeul used his exact words against him, denying the offer to hang out later because he wanted to be by himself today. Call him sensitive, but he couldn't help but take it to heart.

Seeing Noeul's thumb scrolling through what he could guess were only text messages from someone else, made him feel like jack shit, especially with the actions of his friend that followed after, an overreaction crossing over into a rushed and inconsiderate goodbye.

There was someone who was more important to Noeul for the time being, and that's what bothered him the most. Finally getting up from his chair, his legs started to cramp for sitting completely still for too long. He walked out of the door and in the opposite direction from Noeul a small frown forming on his face.

Seeing the slight drizzle of rain return, he sighed as he continued his way home on foot, the only method of transport he could think of despite Noeul's suggestions. He had nothing to protect himself from the rain but the earphones inserted into his ears, playing a rhythmic playlist that could protect his mood from days like this.
It took him half an hour to get home, but because of his healthy lifestyle, the distance wasn't at all provocative.

A few feet away from his house, Tae spotted the blur of a person sitting right in front of his doorstep. A few steps away from his doorstep, he realized who the person was. He gasped, dropping all of his bags to the earth.

"What?!" he exclaimed, rushing over to give the person a massive bear hug.
"Tae! I've missed you!"
"I've missed you too! Oh my god, I haven't seen you in forever! Where the fuck have you been Sen?"

Sen, a childhood friend who like Tae has grown to become a all-rounded, good-looking, and mature man. Much like Noeul, Sen had been bound to Tae by the hip. Their friendship lasted from their kindergarten years through high school, but due to priorities and aspirations the duo had parted ways after high school graduation in order to pursue their education.

Sen was the first person Tae came out to during freshman year, and they gladly bonded over fried foods, academic studies, and sugary drinks, a past Tae had almost forgotten since meeting Sen for the first time in years. During sophomore year Sen also discussed his sexuality with Tae and the two enjoyed their queerness through duplicitous means. Stacks of Cosmopolitan were topped with an unread issue of Boy's Life or Sports Illustrated, and their decoupage projects were concealed beneath the sporting equipment they never asked for but always received. When asked what they wanted to be once they began their transition into college, they constructed a plan to hide the truth together and listed who they wanted to sleep with when they grew up. The amount of secrets kept between the two of them made their bond even stronger, and even with years of catching up to do, their warm greetings almost made it as if the years weren't even there.

"I just came over to see how my best friend is holding up under Skin Adorn." Sen said. His voice was sing-songy and rushed, but his tone was pleasant to the ears.
"How do you know where I work?" Tae questioned suspiciously, pulling away from the hug to look at Sen right in the eyes.
"I work for the store in Oregon."
"Shut up! That means we're technically coworkers." All doubts aside, Tae playfully hit Sen on the chest, taking in the news that they could be doing business together.
"Technically? We are coworkers!"

Laughing happily at the notion that he could be catching up with Sen, Tae urged his long lost friend into his house with a spring in his step, picking up the bags he dropped before heading inside. His house was much too large for him to be living by himself, but because of his wealth he put the thought of living in a simple house aside. There was a lot of modern furnishing that made the house come together nicely, but like his house it was obvious to see that the furnishing was purchased just so he could waste his money. The purchases were made a long time ago, back when Tae only cared about his own personal gain and pleasure. His wealth was at an all time high and so was his selfishness and ego. At this point in his life he considered taking up with Noeul's tactics to save money, but he couldn't get to learning his friend's ways because he didn't need to and still doesn't.

"Hey, do you still do drugs?" Sen asked, finding himself at home easily and sitting on the marble island in Tae's large kitchen, crossing his legs.
"No, I got clean a long time ago."
"Good for you, but now I have no idea what to do with these." he says, grabbing the large black backpack and plopping it on the island. The clattering sound of pills inside their containers and the clinking of metal against metal disinterested Tae. He already knew of the contents inside the bag without having to look at them, but once his correct judgement was sprawled out messily on the island, Tae felt the temptation in his body lingering.
"It's fine. I can just give them to clients or something."
"Oh. Hey, I need to talk to you about Jordan. He talked to me about--"
"What did he say?" Tae's head snapped to face Sen, his expression a mix of fear, curiosity, and anger.

"You probably already know this, but he told me how you fucked him for drugs. I thought the whole story was complete bullshit by the way, I know you're not like that. But, it was also why I brought the drugs, since I thought you still used them... Hey.. Are you okay? I feel like Jordan's story had a bit of truth to it.. I just wanted to hear both sides of the story, which is also why I stopped by. A thought crossed my mind that you were..." Sen's voice trailed off, wanting to say something but hesitating to do it. He crossed the word out, continuing his sentence.

"Which is why I rushed immediately to you. Found your address and everything. Had to make sure you were okay and not suffering by yourself."
"I'm fine. I asked Jordan for drugs about a month ago since I was having a rough time. That was all." Though he wasn't wrong, Tae still wanted to hold back a crucial part of the story. For a few moments there was a bit of tension in the air, Sen probably suspecting that Tae wasn't telling the truth. Tae placed one of the needles out of Sen's bag in between his middle and index finger, twirling it around and hoping that suspicions wouldn't arise.

It didn't. Instead, music started to play loudly from Sen's phone, the tension being filled by stupid sex jokes and manic laughter. The two exchanged phone numbers, promising to keep in touch after their meeting today. Sen was shocked at the massive change since their meet, questioning on occasion if Tae really stopped drinking soda and eating corn dogs.

"Yeah, I stopped eating that food group a long time ago too. Although, my best friend really likes them, so I always buy them for him and eat fries whenever there's no other option."
"Best friend?" Sen questioned surprisingly. There was a certain look on his face that screamed jealousy and confusion, a face that questioned who claimed his spot.
"You know Noeul right? I've talked to you about him when we were on chatting on that one messaging app."
"Oh. Him." Sen said with a monotone voice. "He sounded chill."
"He is. You'll like him. Everyone does."
"Sure. Hey, I have to leave---"
Sen's voice was cut off by the ringing of a doorbell and a light kick. The voice coming from the other side made Sen droop his face into a blank expression. Tae noticed a slight change of Sen's attitude as soon as he mentioned Noeul, but chose not to question it. A person could have more than one best friend, right?

"Do you want to meet him real quick?"
"Yeah! Real quick though, I've got work in ten." Sen's mood and voice changed immensely, almost as if he was practicing not to punch Noeul in the face for usurping his position by being chipper. As they walked to the door, Sen put his arm around Tae's waist to bring them closer together, telling a quick joke to make Tae laugh. Tae opened the door, the smile from the joke lingering on his face as he motioned to Sen.

"Hey Noeul, I want you to meet a childhood friend of mine. This is Sen, we're like, best friends."
"We've been best friends for a long time, actually. We were just catching up after how many years again, TaeTae?"
"Six years I think?"
"Yeah! six years. Anyways, I have to go to work now so sorry I couldn't give myself a proper greeting. Hey, I'll call you?" Sen pulled Tae into a tight hug, smiling widely and waving as he hastily departed.

Tae looked at Noeul quickly before letting him inside. He disappeared into the kitchen, moving the unused drugs to the other side of the island with a quick swipe of his arm. Sitting on a bar stool and crossing his legs, he thought about what happened a few hours ago, his nostalgic mood with Sen suddenly dropping into this slight tension with Noeul. Biting his lower lip, it was obvious that Noeul wasn't pissed off anymore, but Tae still didn't know what to say to him. He wanted to be considerate towards his best friend. He didn't want to start up another fight and he knew that the reason why Noeul was pissed off this afternoon was all his fault. He didn't know what he said or did to commit such wrong, but he wanted to talk about it. He wanted to apologize. He wanted to be civil with Noeul for once.

"What the fuck was that this afternoon? Why were you being such a bitch?"
There was always a short circuit between his brain and his tongue whenever he and Noeul spent time together, thus 'Hey, you seemed kind of pissed today, was it something I said?' comes out as 'Hey asshole, something's up with you once again and it wasn't my fault.'
Unsatisfied with his questions, he shook his head, piecing the words together to come up with a better phrase.
"I'm sorry. I know I pissed you off today. It was somethin' I said right? I need to know what I did. It's been botherin' me all day."

He grabbed the bag off of Noeul, reaching in to take out the fries and soda. Remembering the times he used to eat unhealthily with Sen, Tae got a bit sentimental, drinking the diet Coke and eating fries like he's been eating fast food his whole life.

@Pray4me

 

[MUSΞ]

[BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]He fumbled with his umbrella trying to close it and shove it into place, the rain increasing around him. Droplets of water rolled down his hood as he tried to stuff the two paper bags full of fries and burgers underneath his hoodie and the drinks resting carelessly beside him. Hearing the door creak open, Noeul slowly swung his head to the side to shake the water that was starting to roll down his face.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Fuckin' finally. I thought you were goin' to keep me out-"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Cutting off his sentence, Noeul stopped his body from falling forward when he approached as the sight of an arm was wrapped around Tae's waist. He stepped off onto the leveled ground, eyes widening as he focused his eyes to see Tae with another man beside him. All Noeul could do was stand stunned underneath the falling rain, his face slowly morphing into complete alarm. Time stopped for him, his body feeling like it was being sucking into a bottomless pit of his irrational fears.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]No…[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The way the man held Tae by the waist, how Tae was smiling and laughing, the genuine happiness the two were having with each other, brought nothing but near sickness to Noeul. He exhaled deeply, trying to fix his face to look normal as Tae spoke to him. The words fell on muffled ears. All Noeul could think about were past experiences of Tae meeting other men and how for a few weeks to even a few months he was slightly pushed to the side. He thought they were passed this with the ending of what could have been a relationship with that guy in jail. Noeul felt sure Tae was going to go solo after that near relationship ended and the other drama that surfaced while in jail. Another problem like this was not on Noeul's radar, especially one that already came off as a code blue. That smile on Tae's face was so complete, how happy his voice sounded when talking to him, how that guy had the same exact expression with longing eyes as Tae spoke. At that moment, Noeul felt like dropping dead.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent] Unwarranted resentment burned in his heart for this random man standing in front of him, an aura of hostility radiating from his body. A thousand yard glare was placed on the man as Noeul scratched at his cheek in irritation.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Oh...OH! Ah no way!" the loathing aura shattered, revealing Noeul's pleasant, happy-go-lucky presence. "What's up man?! This is fuckin' excitin'. Tae! Why didn't you tell me you were havin' a reunion with a old friend?! I would have brought more dinner...uhh...okay, well see you around?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Noeul stepped to the side to let Sen pass by, giving him a quick glance before he left. Hurrying inside Tae's place, he made a beeline to the island, dropping the damp bags and drinks on the marble countertop before hopping up one of the bar stools. After a long day on his feet, his body melted into the seat, Noeul laying his upper body on the cold marble to gather a few breaths. Fingers ripped open the bag of food, pawing at the cheeseburger to bring closer to his mouth. With a giant bite, he chewed slowly, cheek resting against the marble as he relaxed.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It felt so relieving being in a place he was familiar with. Tae's house felt like a second home to Noeul with his bed unofficially being the couch in the main living room. The house felt like a mansion to him, a quiet place to be himself and forget about everything else. It felt like a vacation, a place he never wanted to leave. He usually never did. At times he stayed a good month at Tae's place until Tae got fed up with him and kicked him out. But, Noeul would always return the next day like an outdoor cat.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Huh?" Noeul paused his chewing, eyes staring up at Tae talking to him while eating fries. "What the fuck are you talkin' about? Wait...ohh, that."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He swallowed hard. Leaning his head up temporarily to take a sip of his root beer, his head was placed back on the marble.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I got pissed that you made me go to Skin Adorn 'cause you thought it would be funny. You said somethin' like 'I had the opportunity…' I wasn't sure if you were jokin' or not, but it really got to me. That whole day was nothin' but a mess and I almost missed work days 'cause of it. 'Course I wouldn't mind if you really needed me to go, but just thinkin' you puttin' me through that for fun…it made me feel like my effort wasn't worth much. Especially you admittin' you didn't even need that much money for anythin'," he shrugged, taking another bite of his burger. "I can't afford to skip unpaid work days man. I'm broke and I'm near home-"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]His teeth sunk into his burger, filling his mouth with a mixture of bread drenched in thousand island sauce and lukewarm meat. Noeul sat quietly as he chewed, his eyes instinctively looking away from Tae. Noeul wasn't the type of guy to complain about his misfortunes. He firmly believed to keep those to himself as most had it much worse than him. It brought a shadow over his persona, making him seem too real in front of people. Noeul rather had people think life for him was going well and he intended to keep it that way.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The burger was gone in about four bites, the wrapper only holding a tiny piece of tomato and lettuce. Reaching over towards Tae's bag, he grabbed the cheeseburger inside.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You're not goin' eat this, right?" he took a bite before he was given an answer. "But, yeah, that was why. I know I ruined lunch and probably your day 'n shit. I guess I must have overreacted. I'm sorry man. You can forgive me, right?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Leaning up, he smiled over at Tae and laughed awkwardly. Apologies were never easy for Noeul no matter how big or small they were. He rather forgive and forget quietly than admit them. If serious enough, Noeul was more of the type to buy an apology gift and maybe write an apology on some corny card than say the words 'It's my fault. I'm sorry.' There were few he would go out his way to apologize to. Everyone else could go fuck themselves in Noeul's mind. Most who knew Noeul knew he was a guy that had zero filter when it came to things and rarely thought through actions and consequences. It was one of several bad qualities Noeul was plagued with, creating a lot of unnecessary drama between those who chose to be in a deeper level of relationship with him.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Finishing off that burger in record time, Noeul gulped his root beer. Wanting to shake off the feeling of guilt with ruining lunch, he moved onto the next big topic.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"So, tell me about that friend of yours. Sen, right? That guy was really in a hurry...that's too bad. I really wanted to meet the guy. I always thought you were some loser without friends growin' up. This was a real shock seein' someone from your past," he laughed hard, waving his hand in a joking way. "How long will he be stayin' for a visit? Once you get tired of just bein' you and him all three of us should hang out. We can take him to all the places tourists usually want to go to. Sunset Boulevard, the Hollywood sign, Beverly Hills, all that bullshit. Give him the fake Los Angeles experience before the real one."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]An opportunity to meet someone new was always exciting to Noeul, especially someone Tae knew personally. There was always that separation between Tae and Noeul's friends that were outside the Pack. Few of Noeul's friends knew of Tae and he was sure few people Tae knew was familiar with him. Sen may be the first friend Tae ever introduced. The idea of being acquainted with a best friend from Tae's past gave hope of learning more about Tae's past. Noeul was generally interested in learning more about Tae's childhood, but always felt like that topic wasn't allowed to be brought up. He couldn't argue about it. Noeul never really wanted to talk about his past and family life.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Pinching the tip of his straw, Noeul realized how hypocritical he was being. While he was looking forward to meeting Sen and learning more about his and Tae's friendship, he refused for Tae to ever meet his childhood friend, Kenny. The coincidence of them both being found by childhood friends at the same time was uncanny, but held very different views. Tae looked ecstatic being reunited with Sen. Noeul was hesitant and anxious allowing Kenny back into some parts of his life. There was always something about Kenny Noeul could never put his finger on besides Kenny's extreme bizarreness and superior personality. There was also the fact of Kenny's familiarity about Andrew, the Pack, and Tae that bothered Noeul. No matter how many times he asked Kenny through text about it, Kenny always moved past his questions.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He snapped out his deep thought, dumping the fries in the bag and piling six ketchup packet worths on top. The heap of ketchup globbed over the cold fries, but the unappetizing meal wasn't enough to keep Noeul from going to town on them. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"That was weird he left so fast. Didn't he arrive today? Where the hell he needed to go so soon? It's only...10pm? Whatever, let me spend tonight and tomorrow with you before you spend every wakin' moment with your old friend before he leaves. Oh! Man, so I got two weeks off startin' this weekend from work. Usin' up my paid sick days. I figured you would be takin' off weeks pretty early. We're fuckin' free to do whatever the hell we want!" done with his meal, he balled up his trash in the paper bag and shot it in the garbage bin, making the shot. "In the mornin' I have to run a quick errand early. Just wanted to let you know in case you wake up early and see me gone. It's, uhh, pretty important. I should be back before 9am."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Feeling warm, Noeul stripped off his damp hoodie, bringing up his white T-shirt underneath to expose his flat belly, and tossed the hoodie near the front door. He fixed his shirt, smoothing it out before tugging it down.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Let's get fuckin' drunk while watchin' a movie. I know you always have a good stash of drinks here. You get the drinks and I'll pick the movie. What do you feel like seein'? Action? Horror? Adventure? Somethin' crazy like a documentary? I'm up for anythin' as long as it doesn't put me to sleep."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He made his way into the main living room and jumped onto his side of the couch. Grabbing the remote, he switches the TV onto Netflix and began to browse through the selections.[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]@Jihae[/BCOLOR]

 

[Jihae]

He took small gulps of the diet Coke as he listened to Noeul's reasoning. He understood his friend's anger completely. From time to time, the tendency to be a privileged asshole came out of him, hitting anyone he was around like a freight train. It all originated when he got his first few paychecks at Skin Adorn. All of that money was spent on useless things, things that made him feel rebellious like more drugs or designer clothing. They were materialistic items his parents would physically abuse him for if he swung them in their face. Even though he was raised in a traditional, middle-class family, the last things his parents wanted for him was to look like a part of a gang, and to become filthy rich. The thought of his parents not showing up at his high school graduation had him set for the life of a troublemaker, breaking all the rules his parents had set for his life as a strong and straight male. He ate at his fries slowly, Noeul's voice fading into the background as his father's berating lectures popped up in his mind.

"Always eat your food in such a way that it won't turn someone else's stomach. Try to walk like a confident man and not like the manwhore you're so devoted on becoming. This is how you should buy food so you can please your future wife. Is it true that you're spending your school lunch actually hanging out with friends? You should be studying to get into Harvard or Yale. You better not be hanging out with those street kids. They're trouble. You'll know if you see one of those kids when they start talking back. You don't get a degree talking back, you hear me Yoon Tae? This is how you clean a room. This is how you clean an entire house. This is how I will punish you if I see that B on your report card, understand? This is how you should behave in the presence of women who don't know you very well, and once you've learned that maybe they'll convert you so you don't turn into the gay slut you're so dead set on becoming."


His little nightmare dissipated when he saw Noeul's hand reaching for his bag. "Huh? Oh... Why the hell did you fuckin' ask when you're eatin' it anyways?" He laughed, feeling like he just ate a buffet table after finishing his fries. "Yeah man, not a big deal. We're good."

It was nice to see that their small dispute ended mutually and civilly, appreciating Noeul's rare apology. He knew Noeul was the type to always speak his mind and disregard the consequences, but it got him worried sometimes because that led his friend into a pothole of trouble for not apologizing. At times, he felt that Noeul depended too much on him, especially when he got himself into big issues, but he would be lying if he didn't like the dependency. It justified his reasons to be dependent on Noeul whenever he felt extremely depressed.

He burped quietly after finishing his diet Coke, listening to Noeul. He smiled, ready to talk about his childhood friend. "Yeah! His name is Sen Anderson. Half Korean half American like me. We met when we were in elementary school and we've been friends all the way to high school. He was the first person I came out to, can you fuckin' believe that? Lucky thing he was acceptin', 'cause turns out he liked men too. When he came out to me, we kind of had this thing, dated junior and senior year. He got me into a lot of my interests today, and he was the one who suggested I become a tattoo artist. We haven't talked to each other in years though, the last time I saw him was durin' our high school graduation."

He smiled the more he recalled all the things his friend had done for him, but a fatal thought hit his brain, the observance of Sen acting a bit jealous at the mention of Noeul. He cleared this throat, wanting to be completely honest. Although the thought of having his two best friends conjoin and having a small squad for his own, he'd much rather have Noeul stay away from potential drama.

"Gotta be honest with you though, when I told him that you were my best friend, he was throwin' some eyes at me. I could immediately tell that he was jealous of you. I get him, you've got me all to yourself. Your little plaything. I think it's best if you guys don't hang out. Plus, you know I don't like odd numbers in social shit, someone always gets left out no matter what. I'm either chillin' all by myself, or with you. I don't really want Sen in the picture right now. Hope you understand."

He looked at Noeul dumping the packets of ketchup on his fries. He was absolutely disgusted by the sight that he felt like throwing up his own fries. Even though he was a drizzle kind of guy, that was too much ketchup for his own good. He laughed despite his small concern, reaching over to take a couple of fries. "Damn, when you eat you make everythin' look good. You don't get acid reflux eatin' all of that ketchup? Or like, teeth erosion or some shit?" Stuffing the fries in his mouth, he clapped his hands together to get all the salt off his fingers.

"Oh, Sen works at Skin Adorn too and we all have different schedules dependin' on what appointments we have with people. Guess he has a client. I dunno though, since he works for the one in Oregon. Oh! That's chill. Since I got out of jail I'm not expectin' a lot of work until later in the week. We can hang out until I get a call from Jordan. What should we do? Amusement park it up? Movies? Goin' shoppin' at the mall? Hit up Cheesecake Factory? Shop for clothes? I'm down for whatever."

His eyes gleamed at the thought of catching up with his best friend. A month seemed way too long to be separated from each other. He remembered on his third day of jail he called almost everyone he met Noeul. He shuddered at his withdrawal symptoms, but rolled his eyes seeing Noeul's hoodie being thrown near the front door. His house was always a pigsty whenever Noeul visited. It was the primary reason for kicking his friend out of his house until he cleaned everything to perfection. He walked to the front door to hang up the hoodie, but before that he gave Noeul's stomach a soft punishment slap, laughing hard at the noise the flat skin created.

"Stop throwin' your clothes everywhere. This house ain't a strip joint."

Nodding, he went for the kitchen refrigerator, proud at all of the organic healthy food he saw, completely disregarding all the cold alcohol he had in there. He was about to grab two bottles of tequila and Bacardi but realized that he was on a diet to lose weight and had to cut alcohol completely. Sighing at his own harsh discipline, he grabbed the two bottles of alcohol anyway, plus a bottle of water for himself. He headed straight for the couch, standing in front of the TV to not only put the two alcohols on the coffee table, but to block Noeul's view of browsing Netflix. He stood there for a while, smiling and looking at Noeul. He walked over to the couch, sitting on Noeul comfortably.

"We can watch whatever, but let's not do horror alright? Especially at this hour. You know I scare myself sometimes with those movies. And the last time we watched horror movies you always liked to scare the shit out of me whenever the fuckin' music kicks in. Asshole."
As revenge for their past, he snuggled into Noeul, moving around so he would be clinging onto his friend's body. Having enough fun, he got off of Noeul and onto his side of the couch, laying on one of the comfortable throw pillows his house had to offer. He quickly read through the movie titles as Noeul scrolled, not having much of a say in the matter.
"Hey, those two bottles are for you man. I'm on a diet. Let's see how long that'll last though, those bottles look really appealin'."

After getting comfortable on the couch he was slowly letting his muscles relax after a long day. He ended up pulling his phone out of his pocket moments later at the sound of a text message alert. The name of the sender made him want to throw his phone across the room, the message itself made him want to burn it.

"You've got work to do. -J"
He sighed loudly, reaching over to take the Bacardi bottle and having large gulps of it.
"Noeul, I've gotta go to work tomorrow at like, 6 in the morning. You think you can buy yourself food until I get back in the evening?"

His work paid him a lot due to the amount of hours he stayed there. He usually lasted from 5-6 in the morning and ended at 10 or 11pm. It was a tiring job, having to deal with people who were so desperate that they had to resort to illegal means, but his coworkers made those tiring days worthwhile. He was excited and scared to be going back to Skin Adorn, not sure how well all of them took Jordan's claimed rumors.

@Pray4me

 

[MUSΞ]

[BCOLOR=transparent][/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]"Whoa whoa whoa, wait a minute...you're half Korean?" pausing from searching for a movie, he blinked several times as he looked over at Tae. He didn't see any American in Tae the more he looked, but that was sometimes the case when it came to bi-racial people. Shrugging, he went back to searching for a movie, leaning back into his spot on the couch as he listened to his friend. "Damn, so this is more than just a childhood friend? Aw, lil Tae walkin' to kindergarten with his best friend Sen, probably holdin' hands and switchin' lunches, study buddies and all that shit. It must have been a great time growin' up with someone you were that close to. The more you talk 'bout him, the more he kind of sounds like you. He must be a square like you too since he looks so straight laced when I first saw him. I wonder what's his story. How did someone like him get sucked into workin' at Skin Adorn like you?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]It was always the good students from good families that got sucked into the darker lines of work. Noeul couldn't even process why they would switch to that line of work when they were being raised in a good family in good neighborhoods. What exactly lured these privileged people into working at places like Skin Adorn when they had nearly everything? Family issues was a common problem throughout economic classes. Mix that with cultural expectations and Noeul could see how someone in any class can fall from grace when being pressured with high expectations. But, they knew better. Unlike those from the boondocks who were told constantly that they could never escape poverty, people like Tae probably knew ways out of their mess. But, they still decide to stay. The perks of these shady lifestyles must be what keeps them there, unable to drop all that to live in average society. Noeul could understand that. Going the right way in life, working from the bottom and barely making it up, constantly striving to be better but with no clue on how to get better, switching paths always seemed more tempting. While Skin Adorn wasn't a good fit for him, there were other career choices that could bring him near or even over the salary that Tae got. It was only the issue of finding said job in that hidden society.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The category switched from comedy to action on Netflix, going in chronological order from movies made in the 70s to recent times. Noeul skimmed through the summary of each movie, eyes following each sentence quickly to make a decision to skip the movie. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I'm guessin' you two haven't talked 'cause you moved here? That's how it is when you graduate. You're always losin' a friend 'cause of life. You make promises to stay in contact, but life gets in the way. It's somethin' Sen found you out of nowhere. You really had no idea he was comin' to see you? What a fuckin' surprise! I can see it on that face of yours how fuckin' happy you are the guy showed up here. Oh! I know where we can take him! Since I bet he's all booksmart like you, I saw this new exhibit at the death museum on the worse Medieval torture devices ever. That would be a interestin' day for us…"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Nouel's voice trailed to a stop, the hand holding the remote falling to his side. He sighed, completely let down at the fact Tae decided to keep Sen and him completely separate. The excitement of meeting a friend from Tae's past was instantly crushed, Noeul's mood dropping. He should have known better than to get excited over it. This was a regular occurrence in their friendship, keeping their personal lives separate. Noeul couldn't help but think Tae was lying saying Sen was jealous of him. Who would be jealous of Noeul? If anything, it would be Noeul being jealous of Sen. Sen had history with Tae, growing up in the same area attending school together, coming out together and dating briefly while all Noeul had was a few years with Tae in the Pack and both being suspects in a murder.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Tae was embarrassed by him. That was it.Tae didn't want Sen to be around him, realizing how much of a downgrade Tae went to replacing Sen. Tae didn't want to risk Noeul's ways, how unpredictable Noeul tended to be. Tae didn't want Sen to see Noeul's less than acceptable etiquette, Noeul's childish ways, his uneducated grammar and mannerisms. Noeul didn't fit in with the two. That part was right. While Noeul never minded being the third wheel, well it was impossible for Noeul to ever be the third wheel because of his demand for attention, he knew exactly how he would be treated around Tae and Sen. Shunned, pushed aside, only tolerable because he was Tae's friend. Noeul scratched at his cheek, trying to spin a positive on this. At least Tae will be with reunited with a lost friend? At least their bond can regrow? At least Tae will be with someone that's more like him and worth his time? At least he will be with someone who is stable and not have to play hero with?[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Yeah...I get it man. It's alright," Noeul said flatly, resuming his search for a movie.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]He tuned out of Tae's further talk about Sen, not seeing a point in learning more about the guy since he wasn't allowed to meet him. Noeul flicked his lower lip with his teeth, reading the summaries of 90s action movies. No movie really spoke to him yet. He switched categories to thrillers, hoping an intense, surreal plot would grab his attention and mind from thinking such negative thoughts. His mood slowly began to brighten as he listened to Tae's suggestions on what they should do. Smiling softly, Noeul looked over at Tae, his cheeks a soft pink.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Oh shit...all that sounds fun...oh! OH! Amusement park! I haven't been to a amusement park in fuckin' years! There's so many around here too! I'll take your ass to Six Flags. Put you on those hardcore roller coasters. You know like half of those rides were on scariest rides list in the past? We're goin' go on all of them twice. We'll go on the weekend since I think it's still goin' to be rainin' until Friday. Until then we'll just do what everyone else does 'round here, hangout at Starbucks and pretend we're big shit when we aren't."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The weekend couldn't arrive quicker. After their terrible month of being separated, lost without each other in serious drama that still plagued them, a break spent at Six Flags was what the two needed. It would be a day to take a break from all their worries and concentrate on having fun and not vomiting after every ride. Already Noeul was planning the day. They would arrive right at open gates in the morning, spend the first half of the day riding every ride, take a long break because by then Tae would probably be complaining, eat lunch, have Tae complain again because he won't go on rides after eating, ride the rides a second time, eat again, and repeat unless some special event was happening. On a day like that, his phone needed to be turned off. All outside drama needed to stay outside the theme park so all his attention could be on Tae.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Seeing the Barcardi bottles brought Nouel's mood like it was before, ecstatic to finally be spending some time with his best friend. He grabbed him a bottle, unscrewing that cap and taking a quick shot. His body shuddered as he swallowed, letting out a loud breath as a wave of alcoholic relaxation washed over his body.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"That hits the fuckin' spot! You know we've had rough times if we're drinkin' straight rum," he pouted, immediately switching from the horror category he was about to land on. "...it's not my fault you're fuckin' scary. I was goin' to have us watch The Babadook too. I heard lots of good stuff 'bout that movie. They say it isn't that scary...you sure you don't want to give it a chance?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Already knowing Tae's answer, he finally decided on the movie 10 Cloverfield Lane. It had everything they both would enjoy in the movie, the surreal, questioning plot for Tae and tons of mindfuckery for Noeul. Tossing the remote onto the couch, Noeul let his body slide partially down, resting his head on the very edge of the back of the couch. Out the corner of his eyes he saw Tae approach, the weight of his friend against his body as Tae clinged to him. Noeul managed to slip his arms from between Tae and pushed away his friend playfully, feeling Tae's body slowly peel from him. He huffed, kicking his friend lightly as Tae laughed while plopping back on his side of the couch.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Keep yourself over there Tae. You don't get the right to hold onto me since we aren't watchin' a horror movie. There's no excuse to be all clingy," scrunching his face tightly together at his friend, he smiled.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As the movie played, Noeul grabbed himself his bottle of rum, looking forward to getting completely wasted while watching a movie that was known to have a good amount of shock value.The movie had an extremely slow start with built up dialogue surrounded by developed characters sharing their stories.The only saving grace so far was the cinematography showcasing a grim, gray almost military-like atmosphere. Noeul took another gulp of rum, the burning liquid running down his throat to pool into his stomach.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Huh?" he eyed his friend suddenly taking several gulps of Barcardi. Frowning slightly, he shrugged. "Yeah, I'll be good. I got shit to do in the mornin'. Guess I'll stay out all day until you're back from work. I can't be waitin' in a house all by myself."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]There was a hint of disappointment in his voice, but he understood. Tae must be so behind in work after his month long stay in jail that he was needed as soon as news was heard of his release. That meant Noeul was stuck having to find something to do after running his errand. Usually, he knew when Tae went into work and always planned a day for himself. Most of the time, that meant going around to various hangouts and chatting with casual friends he knew or simply riding his bike around while drinking an iced coffee. Tomorrow was going to be different, in hopes of what he planned to do would move the Pack forward into accepting the death of Andrew and coming back together as a family. Noeul replayed the scene in his mind over and over, seeing the smiling faces of everyone coming together as they prepare a final goodbye for Andrew. Everyone in the Pack would eventually thank Noeul for his efforts, being the one that brought everyone back home, setting the course of moving on and focusing on regrowing as a big, happy family. Finally, Noeul would make his mark in the Pack, gaining the respect he deserved and feeling like one of the crew. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]The day would have been a lot easier if Tae had the day off so he could return safely from his errand. But, Noeul could manage. All he had to do was stay low.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Put your phone on silent and look at the movie. You already look all stressed," Noeul instructed. "Tomorrow shouldn't be so bad for you. Just go in with a smile on your face and pretend your stay in jail was a needed break. Don't be lookin' like you are now, all scared and weak or people are goin' to pick on you. How 'bout this? After work we'll go and get you that good tea from my friend's tea shop. I heard he has this tea that's also made out of grind up bones that's suppose to give you this trance-like experience. That's what you look like you need. Somethin' to make you tune out from reality for a good hour."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Taking his own advice, Nouel put his own phone on silent and placed it on the coffee table in front of him. He shook the bottle of rum in front of Tae's face, encouraging his friend to drink a bit more to help relax. Noeul always felt like it was his duty to pull Tae away from always being concerned about his job and personal inner demons. Tae thought way too much sometimes, resulting in episodes of extreme self-doubt. It was hard for Noeul to see Tae at that point knowing there wasn't much he could do. The best way to stop that from happening was prevention of it.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]As the movie dragged on for a good two hours, Noeul found himself entranced by the plot of a kidnapped woman being forced in a bunker by two men claiming the outside was in a chemical warfare. By now, the bottle of rum was nearly a third gone, putting Noeul in an extremely buzz state. At times, he would shake Tae's leg to get his friend to focus on the movie, pointing out the elements of foreshadowing or a metaphorical device and screamed whenever one of the men shouted aggressively at the woman to follow commands. Near the end, Noeul was slumped over the armrest of the couch, eyes glued to the TV, as he fell into a drunk state.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Once the movie was over, Noeul suddenly stood and over-dramatically applauded, rating the movie a 5 out of 5 on Netflix. He crashed back into the couch, grabbing the remote.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Ahhh Tae...man...that was good, right?! It had me, like on the edge of my seat! You, uhh, you want to see another movie, man?" letting his body fall completely on the couch, his head rested just besides Tae's leg, poking the remote into his friend's stomach. "Come oooonnnn...one more? It's only...midnight. You don't have to go to bed yet man. Here, here, pick the movie." Noeul placed the remote delicately on Tae's stomach, trying to get it to balance. "Any movie you want. I am givin' you power of the remote 'cause you're my best friend 'n I love you man."[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]@Jihae[/BCOLOR]