‘Have I ever told you the story about the Sun and the Moon?’

There’s an awkward quietness in the air. One that Hoseok doesn’t know how to diffuse. He’s not sure if he should diffuse it. Namjoon is also clearly feeling the same.

It’s now been over a full Standard day since they warped out of Ynqaba and Sk’jin had finally emerged from his room. He had refused food, company, or treatment and had stayed inside his room. Taeh’yung had spent nearly half that time sitting in front of his door, not saying anything but sometimes humming, sometimes sending small triangles of light floating in and out of Sk’jin’s closed door. He only left after Jimin left his Cabin, pulling him away to go check on Jungkook, Yoongi trailing behind them like a quiet shadow.

And now, as though nothing had happened, as though Sk’jin hadn’t entirely shut them all away for an entire day after his strange recovery, he enters the Bridge exclaiming that he would very much like to know everything that happened while he had been taken.

Sk’jin smiles just as beatifically at them as usual, his skin almost entirely healed, almost no injury to be seen. His skin was a little dim, a little heaviness under his eyes. If you weren’t made aware of his injuries, you would have been able to dismiss those minor observations.

But the strangest thing in this was not the somewhat superficial injuries on Sk’jin but the change in his wardrobe.

He’s not dressed in his usual soft silky fluttery robes, long sleeves fluttering behind him like wings.

Instead he’s dressed in rather normal clothing. Dark trousers, a full sleeved shirt on top.

It feels inherently wrong to see him dressed like this.

‘Is there a problem?’ he asks them, eyes widening a little in carefully constructed worry.

‘We’re good,’ Namjoon says before clearing his throat. ‘So- uh, how are you feeling.’

‘Exceptionally well considering recent incidents,’ Sk’jin replies smoothly before sitting down. ‘How about all of you? I see we have a new addition in our numbers. Who and what is he? Did Taeh’yung rope him in or did he just climb in accidently?’

‘We’re fine,’ Namjoon waves a bandaged hand dismissively, partially patched eye rolling in an alarming way. ‘Well- as far as we know, his name is Jungkook and it was Jimin who brought him on-board.’

‘Jimin?’ Sk’jin raises his eyebrows.

‘Yeah- he’s…he’s interesting,’ Namjoon says slowly before briefly summarizing all that had happened.

‘I see,’ Sk’jin nods slowly, ‘So basically GI agents have been in this area before, if they have uniforms identical to Yoongi’s. They must have been everywhere if they had enough to actually store them as part of their loot.’

‘That’s what we thought too- and there’s something else actually,’ Namjoon continues, ‘The reason why Jimin brought Jungkook in. He’s the same like Yoongi.’

‘What? A Human?’ Sk’jin asks, a deep frown forming between his eyebrows.

‘No- based on what we know, a Vicitra from Pravasi M’hanun,’ Namjoon explains.

The oddest light flickers over Sk’jin’s eyes but it vanishes almost as quickly.

‘Interesting. So then- he’s…he’s from an egg?’ there’s a stiffness to Sk’jin’s tone. It’s almost imperceptible but it’s there. Namjoon doesn’t seem to notice as he pulls up Jungkook’s health-tab, a life-feed of his monitor system.

‘We have reason to believe the Yisheng’s might have been there for a while, maybe part of some GLA diplomatic mission or something.’ Namjoon tells Sk’jin as he turns the holographic display towards the Khol’isa. ‘It’s most probably related to the Gaia case though, considering the fact that the Omhlophe were headed to that System to collect eggs.’

‘That sounds about right,’ Sk’jin comments, his tone easy and agreeing as he reads through Jungkook’s health tab. His hands are steady, but Hoseok notes how his nails have practically been chewed off.

It feels wrong.

‘Was there anything you might have caught on to when you were captured?’ Namjoon asks the Khol’isa. ‘You had a closer look into the Ynqabans in general.’

Sk’jin blinks once, twice, then with a blinding smile says, ‘No Joonie, other than their lack of hygiene, one could not glean much.’

Namjoon grimaces with a nod.

Sk’jin was obviously lying. But Hoseok doesn’t know what to make of that. Sk’jin wouldn’t keep information away from them on purpose. Not one so closely related to what they were doing. So maybe this was something else?

Sk’jin must have felt his gaze because he glances over. There’s a pause, like Sk’jin realized that Hoseok knew he was lying. But instead of addressing it, or even waving it off with a flirtatious smile or something along that line, Sk’jin just looks away.

Something definitely happened, and it was something bad. That was the only way to describe or explain Sk’jin’s behavior.

The Khol’isa was still as snappy and sharp-tongued, but there was something else to him. Or rather something missing. He was so completely closed off it was almost alarming. Except there was nothing any of them could do.

‘Interesting,’ he comments as he reads over Jungkook’s health-tab.

‘What is?’

‘His healing rate is very high,’ Sk’jin comments. ‘Though based on this it could be better with improved diet.’

‘Well the Vicitra are very carnivorous,’ Hoseok comments, watching Sk’jin’s reaction carefully. ‘Just meat should be fine. Maybe on the bloody side.’

Sk’jin doesn’t say anything, only swiping along the holographic projection and pulling up the type-field.

‘Suggested diet for the Vicitra based on their biochemical data is fresh blood.’ Sk’jin reads out.

‘Hahaha,’ Namjoon actually huffs out the syllables, his expression frozen in a strained smile. ‘What?’

‘The Vicitra feed primarily on meat- flesh; mainly for blood,’ Sk’jin points out unnecessarily as he taps on a section of Jungkook’s physical examination. ‘Bloody flesh. This diagnosis of his stomach contents, plus looking at his digestive system, bodily functions- he’s not just a Vicitra, he’s a thoroughly pure Vicitra. Not tainted by changes and introductions of different biochemical introduced to his system through centuries of evolution- he is, in short, a very bloody carnivorous scavenger. Just look at his bone density- but most notably look at his circulatory system.’

‘…it looks fine?’

‘I’m talking about his blood you bionic lump,’ Sk’jin rolls his eyes. ‘His blood count is low-‘

‘-that could just be due to his health, his deprived environment-‘

‘-the Vicitra, and others who hail from that wonderful planet all require blood as part of their diet- their digestive system works in completely different ways to us- they are cannibalistic yes, but don’t let that hide the fact that starvation due to lack of necessary minerals missing in the biochemical balance of their bodies is what kills them fastest.’

‘So you’re saying cannibalism started as a means of survival?’

‘Well, I highly doubt during their Genesis period they looked at their fellow species and thought ‘wow tasty, 12/10 would eat’ and then just glomped them.’ Sk’jin raises an eyebrow.

‘So…so he needs blood.’

‘We could just give him the minerals he needs to survive,’ Hoseok chimes in, trying to save Namjoon and give him time to collect himself.

‘Did you know that the Khol’isa can actually survive only breathing hydrogen?’ Sk’jin asks unexpectedly.

‘…no.’

‘Yes- we can, if you replace oxygen with hydrogen, our bodies can adapt to break that down to use in a way similar to oxygen,’ Sk’jin smiles but it’s icy. ‘However, we become half-life, incapable of our full abilities and capabilities- we are also unable to withstand the mental strain on our minds- we end up deteriorating into our cocoon stage but we never come out right.’

‘So he needs this in the form of blood?’

‘Yes. So unless we’re willing to donate our blood on a regular, I suggest we find a place where we can find and buy blood, and lots of raw meat.’ Sk’jin announces primly. ‘Or this will effect him- probably physically. Stunted growth, skin issues, physical weakness.’

‘You sound like you’ve met a starved Vicitra before,’ Namjoon rolls his eyes. ‘Been friendly with them in the past?’

There’s no mistaking the way Sk’jin blanches a little, eyes widening a little, hands clenching just a little.

‘We have blood in the Medical Bay- not a lot, but that could last for a while,’ Hoseok says slowly, changing the subject and focus. ‘So we can plan where and how to get the uh, new food items.’

Namjoon grimaces.

‘Also, might I add that we do need to get some maintenance done on the ship,’ Hoseok adds, ‘We don’t have major damages, but I am not risking anything – not when we’re…when we’re like like this.’

‘I’d ask you to clarify but I know exactly what you mean,’ Sk’jin comments blithely before adding, ‘I also need new clothes.’

‘A priority indeed,’ Namjoon mumbles under his breath.

‘What was that?’

‘An epiphany-,’ Namjoon says clearly, ‘-indeed. We all need to get supplies- Medical Bay needs to be restocked as well, not to mention the anti-matter cells.’

Sk’jin eyes him with distrust.

‘All right- let’s make a list, and find potential places to restock. Considering our camouflage at the moment, we could safely pass through certain borders but let’s still take all of our previous precautions,’ Namjoon concludes, already pulling up their trajectory on the Navigation Table.

‘What comes after we reach Grisial?’ Sk’jin asks. ‘I know that Grisial is basically our halfway point before we get to Bhumi- but I don’t think we’re equipped to get there.’

‘No we’re not. We’re supposed to continue in warp for 8 days after Grisial- but we need to get supplies,’ Hoseok replies, ‘From what I know of the area, it’s a strictly mining zone. Grisial is mined for its minerals, and nearby asteroid belts are also mined. We could find a mining-dock, that would be easier to dock in, without being too close to any GLA-infested zone, and without too many potential Underverse spies either.’

‘Mining zones are normally run by Androids right?’ Sk’jin asks as he eyes the holographic map of that galactic plane, ‘Androids and cyborgs normally.’

‘Yeah but the Pits are normally run by the GLA Boring Committee.’ Namjoon comments, highlighting the mining zone in orange against the blue of the holographic map.

‘Is no one going to make fun of that name?’ Sk’jin sniggers.

‘It’s a running joke at the Venture Unit,’ Hoseok offers as he highlights the Pits, essentially Docks or cities where the living Beings of the mining industry placed there lived. They looked a bit like Docks but were much larger to facilitate maintenance areas for very large machinery and Transporters.

Sk’jin snorts.

‘But will we find the uhh, necessary food supplies in the Pits?’ Namjoon raises an eyebrow. ‘I mean I get that they basically serve the same purpose as Docks so we should find a Flotsam and Jetsam kind of place there.’

‘You’d be surprised to know that blood actually does constitute as a main ingredient for a lot of Species,’ Sk’jin remarks as he pulls up information about the Pits in the zone. ‘Well, there’s a total of 21 Pits in this entire plane. That’s a lot.’

‘Good- if we can find one close enough to Grisial, it means we can still the planets natural resonance to block ours-‘

‘Except we don’t have to anymore,’ Namjoon reminds him, ‘We’re basically invisible now- we can choose any of these Pits and we’d still be hidden. I think we should go to the ones closer to the border- that would allow a broader range of available items rather than the ones that are too close to the planet itself.’

‘-well in that case, why bother with this trajectory at all? We could sail past unseen, undetected anywhere. We could fly right past Tayi and no one would know,’ Sk’jin offers.

‘No- regardless of how safe and hidden we are, we have a mysterious group of Beings who know of Jimin and his abilities after us – we can’t risk it.’ Namjoon shakes his head immediately. ‘They’re going to be hell-bent on us.’

‘Isn’t there a way of finding out who or what they exactly are?’ Hoseok asks, ‘They’re related to the Gaia Case, there’s no doubt about it. But based on what we read, not related to the Akramanese though there’s an uncanny resemblance,’ he nods at Sk’jin who smiles a grimace at him.

‘They should have left some form of record- sightings, something,’ Namjoon ruminates. ‘Especially if we were to dig into Systems that are more or less suffering due to the GLA and their treaties.’

‘You know the more I think about it, I think Jimin’s System cut off part of their planet-count to block out the GLA from getting back at to them.’ Sk’jin remarks unexpectedly. ‘We’ve seen all of this happening- places that the GLA have been to, and then left behind- discarded really, barely able to survive unless they turned to another source of help- like in Ynqaba’s case, with the Omhlophe.’

‘We don’t know that for sure,’ Namjoon states firmly. ‘We can only speculate.’

‘I guess,’ Sk’jin replies absentmindedly.

‘Jinnie?’

They don’t have time to really turn around before Taeh’yung flings himself across the length of the Bridge and tackles Sk’jin into a tight hug.

‘Ouch -!’ Sk’jin crashes into Hoseok who crashes into Namjoon who thankfully is able to hold them up.

There’s a gasp and Jimin appears by the doorway, wearing a beanie over the bandages wrapped around his head, and he too is quickly approaching the Table and also dives in to hug Sk’jin.

‘Okay- okay, oh Spaces-‘

Hoseok has never seen Sk’jin this uncomfortable. His hands hover awkwardly, his neck bent all the way back while Taeh’yung buries his face into Sk’jin’s chest, squeezing around his waist. Jimin is hugging the two of them from the side, head leaning on Sk’jin’s shoulder, beaming brightly at the highly uncomfortable Khol’isa who was now earnestly pushing Hoseok down in his attempt to move away from the sudden display of affection.

‘Buggy- could you let up-‘ Hoseok asks through gritted teeth, trying to smile as Namjoon tries to push him up to stand straight. But then Yoongi appears, pausing in front of them, face blank.

‘Wait Yoongi don’t-‘ Sk’jin’s eyes widen but then the Human follows Taeh’yung’s and Jimin’s example and approaching from the other side hugs him too.

‘Someone please do something,’ Sk’jin pleads in a small breathless voice.

Reaching over Sk’jin, Hoseok gently cards through Taeh’yung’s soft hair and with the gentlest voice he can produce under such pressed (literally) conditions says, ‘Buggy, it’s okay, Sk’jin is all right-?!’

Taeh’yung lifts his head and to Hoseok’s and Namjoon’s surprise instead of seeing joy or maybe even tears of worry, there’s a bright glaring fury in the Zhak’gri’s eyes.

‘Oh -‘

Suddenly Hoseok is being pulled away by Namjoon and Yoongi has somehow managed to get to Jimin’s side, pulling him back.

‘I warned you,’ Taeh’yung says in a disturbing low tone. ‘I warned you, and you let go. Don’t do it again.’

‘You can’t tell me what to do- this is mine now,’ Sk’jin replies, equally low though he sounds chastised.

Hoseok’s ears pop and he realizes with alarm that something had happened with the pressure in the Bridge. Judging by Jimin’s alarmed face and Yoongi’s defensive stance, he wasn’t the only one to feel it.

Then easily enough and with a bright smile, Taeh’yung hugs Sk’jin again with a giggle.

‘It’s good to have you back Jinnie.’

‘Yeah yeah,’ Sk’jin replies tiredly before catching sight of Jimin and Yoongi properly, both of them watching the whole thing, one with a smile, the other as impassive as ever.

‘Yoongi if you’re going to punch me then you can do it now-‘

‘No punching,’ Jimin states with a disapproving look. ‘No fighting.’

‘You’re right this is weird,’ Sk’jin says to no one in particular before saying, ‘Yes, no fighting Jimin, we won’t fight.’

Jimin nods slowly to that, eyes narrowing just a little bit before he states without preamble, ‘Have to wake Jungkook.’

‘All right…’

‘Is he going to be this authoritative all the time now that he can speak Standard?’ Sk’jin asks no one in particular again. To Hoseok’s mild alarm, he notices how Yoongi’s hand seems to flex almost in a clawing motion though he stands still. No doubt because Jimin had a hand around his arm.

‘He’s still recovering,’ Hoseok says, addressing Jimin, ‘There’s a lot that’s happened to him so we need to-‘

‘Actually- waking him up now might be a good idea,’ Namjoon interrupts, ‘Vicitra are not known to be the sanest or the most civil-‘

‘I think all things considered, any species of Beings have the complete ability and potential to become highly functional members of society,’ Sk’jin interrupts smoothly. ‘Judging the outcome of a species based solely on the exaggerated beliefs of their most famed stereotypes is wrong.’

‘No one was saying he wouldn’t become a highly functional member of society,’ Namjoon quotes tensely. ‘I was just saying we need to be careful with how we proceed. This has nothing to do with stereotypes, but everything to do with precaution. Regardless of species, someone who has been subjected to unknown and obviously cruel treatment should be approached with caution. And I should probably say it’s a given that cannibalism is not a stereotype when it happens to be an integrated part of their culture.’

There’s a tense moment where they glare at each other. Jimin is watching them with apprehension in his eyes, hand gripping Yoongi’s arm, this time as though asking him to intervene. Taeh’yung is also quiet, watching Sk’jin with something like sorrow in his expression.

‘Can we move on,’ Yoongi requests after a few more tense seconds.

‘Why do you want to wake him now?’ Hoseok asks before Namjoon and Sk’jin can heads again.

‘Important,’ Jimin repeats what he said in that underground cell, ‘Jungkook is important. Must have answers.’

‘There’s no guarantee he’ll know anything,’ Sk’jin says and it’s almost gentle, and instead of addressing Jimin, he’s addressing Yoongi.

‘I need to understand,’ Yoongi states. ‘He is like me- another born how I was. Maybe he has seen Dreams. Maybe he has Known for a longer while. He knows his name. It means someone spoke to him- he has a name, he is himself.'

There it was again. Yoongi’s belief that he wasn’t Yoongi. Or that he was no one.

Jimin seems to be having the same thought, his hand sliding down Yoongi’s arm to take his hand in his instead.

Who knows, maybe they were right. Maybe Jungkook would be the key to figuring out everything.

‘We can make it safe,’ Taeh’yung proposes unexpectedly. ‘And I agree with Pa- he’ll be weak right now. But he knows Chim- he’s also seen Hobi and Yoongi. We can make it safe, for all of us.’

‘And I am gaining strength again,’ Jimin adds, ‘I won’t be with no protection. Jungkook will not hurt me.’

‘We also have the reassurance that Jungkook would recognize his rescuers- he would know that they don’t mean harm-‘ Namjoon is saying but there’s a huff of complete disgust coming from Sk’jin.

‘Namjoon sometimes the things you say shocks me,’ Sk’jin says sharply, ‘Just because you “rescue” someone, and that too the way Jungkook was taken, regardless of where and what his situation was, would in no way make you pliant to this potentially new threat. Yeah sure maybe this new place isn’t covered in , but I think you and I both know that cruelty isn’t only born in a -hole. Maybe reflect back a little before you open your mouth okay?’

Everyone watches them silently again, still unsure how to react.

‘You’re right,’ Namjoon replies unexpectedly, looking at Sk’jin with a strange sort of understanding. ‘I wasn’t thinking and that was insensitive of me. We proceed with waking Jungkook up then. Jimin’s protection and safety is our priority but so is Jungkook’s- he’ll be confused and he might react violently- we need to make sure he doesn’t hurt himself.’

‘Before waking him up we could administer a light sedative, make him a little sleepy?’ Hoseok offers.

Sk’jin shakes his head, ‘That won’t work- it will confuse him more. If we’re going to wake him, we should do it when he knows he’s fully in control of his body- we don’t want to start the entire thing by making him feel like he’s under captivity or in any way being regarded as a thing.’

‘Lisai, when will Jungkook stabilize?’ Hoseok asks.

‘5 hours 21 minutes.’

‘When is it advisable to wake him from delta-sleep?’ Sk’jin asks pointedly.

‘8 hours.’

‘Is that good for everyone?’ Namjoon asks, glancing at everyone.

There’s collective nodding (or in Sk’jin’s case a single-nod) and Namjoon continues, ‘Okay- so let’s lay out a plan to make sure things go as smoothly as possible.’

‘I will be there,’ Jimin chimes in at once. ‘Jungkook knows me- he will feel safe.’

‘Okay yeah- Jimin will be the one to basically wake Jungkook up,’ Namjoon concludes, ‘And then once Jungkook is reassured enough- we introduce ourselves slowly- Yoongi, Hoseok, Sk’jin, me, and finally Taeh’yung-‘

‘Why am I at the end?’

‘You knocked him unconscious- he’ll be afraid of you,’ Namjoon frowns.

Taeh’yung sulks at Namjoon.

‘He will need to be washed- I don’t know how we can do that- if he’s lived his entire life in captivity, he probably doesn’t know the concept of bathing or washing,’ Sk’jin ruminates from where he’s gone to sit, watching the video feed from the Medical Bay.

‘I had to block the CleanBots from the Medical Bay,’ Hoseok frowns, remembering how he had seen one of them attempt to clean Jungkook. Hoseok had very quickly rolled the Bot out, worriedly checking the slumbering child in case he’d been cleaned with whatever UV-powered stain-remover the CleanBots were outfitted with.

‘We’ll take it one step at a time,’ Namjoon nods, ‘Once he’s better accustomed we get him to clean up-‘

‘I can help,’ Jimin offers at once.

‘Me too!’ Taeh’yung offers eagerly.

‘Maybe just Jimin,’ Namjoon quickly says, ‘I think it’s safe to say he trusts him the most.’

Taeh’yung sulks at Namjoon again.

‘And then once he has adapted- or at least feels comfortable and is used to us, we can start asking him questions,’ Namjoon says with a look at Yoongi who nods.

‘I have a difficult question to ask,’ Sk’jin says, not looking away from the screen in front of him. ‘What do we do after?’

‘What do you mean?’ Taeh’yung asks, skipping up to the Khol’isa.

‘Well,’ Sk’jin begins slowly, a strange anger thinly veiled in his tone, ‘We have taken him out of his environment- of course it was a terrible place to live in- to exist in, no doubt. But what if he doesn’t have the answers- what if he doesn’t know? What if in the end, he’s just a blood-drinking helpless and wild Being who is of no use to our team? What do we do then? Our mission’s success, its direction, relies solely on our cooperation and mutual understanding of each other. We cannot leave him somewhere at random- we cannot expect him to survive. He’s one of the eggs, the GLA would be all too willing, and by tracing his whereabouts, the Special-Jury would realize this is related to us, narrowing our movements and giving clues of our plans. What do we do then?’

The Khol’isa looks up, looking straight at Jimin.

‘I understand that you need answers, but did you think about the consequences of what your actions could bring about?’

Jimin doesn’t look away, doesn’t react outwardly. His expression is calm and neutral; a practiced face, one that Hoseok has seen on the faces of Judges, politicians, priests- people who possess power.

‘He will stay,’ Jimin states simply.

‘Did you not hear anything I just said?’ Sk’jin demands, frustration bleeding into his words. ‘You can’t just make decisions-‘

‘My ship,’ Jimin says quietly, his expression still neutral. ‘My authority.’

There’s a stunned silence that follows this statement. Even Yoongi looks a little surprised, glancing a little at Jimin with slightly wide eyes.

‘Wow,’ Sk’jin slow claps, his tone light but his expression heavy. ‘Wow- will you look at this!’

He stands and makes his way towards Jimin, his posture relaxed, almost lazy.

‘A little lord, who was napping for centuries, wakes up and thinks he still has the authority to order the Beings he should remember are there to help him- Beings he would have been completely lost without had he been woken by some other means- what if his place and Jungkook’s place had been switched? This little lord needs to realize he can’t just make decisions that are impulsive with so much at risk-‘

‘You’re afraid,’ Jimin cuts across, taking a step forward to meet Sk’jin halfway. ‘You’re afraid of the answers.’

Jimin breaks out into a small but genuine smile, hands reaching up as though to take Sk’jin’s in his.

‘Don’t be afraid.’

‘Don’t ing try me-‘ Sk’jin hisses, body lurching forwards towards Jimin, eyes flashing neon red but he doesn’t make it any closer.

Yoongi is on him, tackling the much taller Khol’isa to the ground, managing to get Sk’jin’s arms behind his back, a knee placed over his sternum.

‘No Yoongi!’ Jimin is quick to pull the Human off of Sk’jin, who recovers from his shock and shoves Jimin’s hands away before struggling to his feet.

‘I am sick of this!’ Sk’jin hisses out. ‘You should have just stuck to your plan and left me in Ynqaba to just live. all of you, all of this!’

He pushes past Jimin roughly and storms out of the Bridge.

Hoseok lets go of the breath he had been holding without meaning to.

‘Yoongi you okay?’ Namjoon asks, approaching the Human who had a hand placed over his side.

‘Sore,’ is all Yoongi says with a dismissive nod of his head.

‘His Soul is afraid- he is filled with fear,’ Jimin says quietly, glancing towards the Bridge doorway, ‘Fear, guilt, anger.’

‘I’ll go talk to him,’ Taeh’yung says quietly but to everyone’s surprise it’s Namjoon who stops him.

‘No wait- let him cool down for a bit. Then I’ll go talk to him,’ the Kutsoglerin declares. ‘I don’t want you two getting into a fight, the ship can’t handle that. But I do want to talk about what Sk’jin mentioned.’

Jimin ducks his head down at that, sighing before he nods.

‘I thought about it,’ he admits. ‘But I know Jungkook can help. I don’t know how- but I know he will.’

‘We have no evidence of that,’ Namjoon tells him gently, ‘We cannot prove that- that’s why we need a back-up plan. I understand your decision, your choice- I would have done the same too. But we now need to think of what we can do in case things don’t go how we intend them to.’

Jimin nods.

‘If, like you said, Jungkook is able to explain or give you answers, what happens after that?’ Hoseok asks as well. ‘This is a responsibility we need to look over very carefully.’

‘You understand why we can’t keep him, right?’ Namjoon asks gently.

‘We can,’ Taeh’yung says, ‘I was not part of this mission, but I’m here.’

‘Because you are aware, Tae,’ Hoseok reasons, ‘We don’t know how Jungkook will react- how he will cope. He is innocent- what we’re doing- what we’re doing right now is not innocent. We cannot expect him to live and go through all we’ve gone through the way we have so far.’

‘Jungkook is not animal,’ Jimin states simply.

‘No he’s not,’ Namjoon agrees, ‘He’s a child. And what we’re doing, what we’re headed into, is not suitable for children.’

Jimin exhales out, his actions showing that he accepted that, that there was no arguing it.

‘We can take him to a safe place,’ Hoseok offers though he’s not sure how that was guaranteed. Clearly Jimin is doubtful too. ‘There are places of refuge, Safe Stops, opened by the GLA and the Yishengs in several Systems solely for Beings escaping war, or Beings who have lost their homes and planets- there are normally no authorities in places like this, to encourage the normally illegal aliens to feel a little more comfortable- mainly agents working in that field who blend in with them. We could leave Jungkook there with them.’

‘But what if Beings like Seulgaan take him? We cannot trust them- we don’t have guarantee,’ Jimin argues. ‘He’s too important. We need him. To understand.’

‘Once he wakes up, and we are able to study him, then we can make our decision, okay?’ Namjoon says kindly but firmly. ‘We cannot make concrete decisions right now but we need to make room for the possibility of things to go differently.’

Jimin nods to that after a few seconds.

‘Okay then,’ Namjoon sighs out tiredly. ‘Let’s plan the next steps for Grisial. Taeh’yung could you go to the Kitchens and tell me what we need stock on? Yoongi, could you compile a list of the weapons infirmary and list what we need restocking in? Jimin if you could, please check on the device we’ve installed to make sure it’s running as it should and then could you come back up? We need to plan our trajectories based on your System. Hoseok and I will start narrowing down our next docking location.’

Everyone nods in accordance to their duties.

‘We’re going to do everything we can to avoid what happened in Ynqaba, and even before that. We have a new source of worry added to basically the entirety of the GLA, Venture Unit, and Yishengs. We will do everything to find out more where and when we can, but please remember that our safety and security is our highest priority.’

*

Namjoon doesn’t know what to expect when he stands outside of Sk’jin’s Cabin. But he sure as hell wasn’t expecting the door to open after his first knock.

The Cabin is dark, illuminated only by the filtered warp light streaming outside of Sk’jin’s window. Sk’jin himself is sitting on the desk that has been placed against the window, his silhouette stark against the warp light.

The door closes behind him and Namjoon stands for a bit before sitting down on the ground, leaning back against the door.

‘I’ll apologize to Jimin later. For what happened in the Bridge, and for leaving him behind in Seulgaan’s ship.’ Sk’jin announces without preamble.

‘I’m not here to talk about that.’

‘I know why you’re here. I was just telling you what I plan on doing later.’ Sk’jin replies, his tone lacking his usual snappy quality.

‘We’re going to wake Jungkook in an hours time. We came to a plan of sorts where we will find a suitable planet with a Yisheng-based Safe Camps and deliver him there.’

‘You know that’s not feasible. Jimin knew what he was doing when he brought him into the ship,’ Sk’jin says quietly. ‘He knew we couldn’t allow someone like him to run off free- he knew we wouldn’t, knowing what we know now, and knowing what he is.’

Namjoon shrugs, a little in agreement, and a little in who cares now kinda way.

‘You wanna talk?’

‘There’s not much to say Namjoon. I’ll apologize, Jimin will of course forgive me, Yoongi will look for any opportunity to deck me again, and everything will return to normal.’ Sk’jin intones lightly. ‘That seems to be the pattern.’

‘Not about that,’ Namjoon repeats quietly. ‘Did something happen in Ynqaba?’

It’s silent.

Sk’jin’s Cabin is different from the times he’s seen it in passing. It’s strangely bare, weirdly spacious even though Namjoon knows all the Cabins are the same size.

‘Did something happen? Sk’jin?’ Namjoon repeats.

‘Nothing,’ Sk’jin replies quietly. ‘I just thought I had been abandoned- and I came to terms with that. And then- and then I thought I died. I was…’ Sk’jin laughs under his breath. ‘I thought to myself finally-I am free of this stupid mission, free of annoying crew members, free of all this bull- and then I’m back again. And your stupid face is the first thing I see.’

It almost feels good to hear the insult and Namjoon reminds himself not to accept insults as a general norm.

‘I knew someone just like you,’ Sk’jin says conversationally. ‘, that same denseness, that same stupid will to do the ing right thing- t’s like you’re doin’ that on purpose- just to in’ get on m’nerves. You even have the same in’ dimples- I hate it so much. Same ing eyes.’

Namjoon wants to apologize though he knows there’s nothing to apologize for. Besides, Sk’jin would most likely get pissed off by his apology.

‘You’re the ing same- , I hate all of this so much.’ Sk’jin ends with a whisper.

‘I can’t speak for Yoongi but we had no intention of leaving you behind,’ Namjoon tells him quietly. ‘The honest truth behind our actions was that we needed to divide our time carefully- make sure that-‘

‘-there’s no need to explain to me darlin’,’ Sk’jin snorts out, ‘I wasn’t a priority- Jimin was- and I get it. It’s fine.’

‘It’s not fine because you thought we left you behind. We didn’t- we had no intention of doing so,’ Namjoon repeats firmly. ‘We came looking for you the moment we realized what happened- Taeh’yung found you. We thought we lost you.’

‘Yeah well- you should have just left me.’

‘Why are you afraid?’ Namjoon asks instead.

‘I’m not afraid,’ Sk’jin replies.

‘You are. It all makes sense now- you’re afraid. Why are you afraid-‘

‘I said I’m not afraid!’ Sk’jin hisses, turning around on the desk to glare at Namjoon, eyes glowing malevolently at him.

‘Then why won’t you tell me what happened,’ Namjoon demands.

‘You know I thought I knew exactly how this would go- and in fact, everything has gone exactly how I knew it would go- and that makes so so angry­-‘ Sk’jin actually shakes a little bit. ‘I knew what would happen, but I’m still here, a damn in’ fool.’

‘You knew what would happen?’

‘You live as long I have and you’ll start seeing how everything just repeats itself- , the Yisheng’s were right- everything is a in’ loop, in’ continuum.’ Sk’jin laughs humourlessly. ‘ sometimes I forget you’re all so ing young- even Taeh’yung despite the others- you’re all so ing young, ing babies all of you.’ Sk’jin mutters under his breath.

‘I know that-‘

‘No Namjoon- you don’t know,’ Sk’jin interrupts tiredly. ‘You really really really really don’t know.’

‘Then tell me.’

He thinks back to the talk he had with Hoseok the previous day. It was true, Sk’jin was broken, but carefully carefully put back together.

‘If I tell you,’ Sk’jin whispers, leaning his head against the window, his body curving and suddenly he looks incredibly old. His hair appearing white, and his skin fragile as light refracts through his fingers. ‘Then you’ll be afraid too.’

‘But you won’t be alone.’ Namjoon offers.

Sk’jin slowly turns, facing him a little. Two neon orbs stare out at him amidst the white warp light, studying him.

‘You’re just like him.’ He says and it’s almost accusatory. ‘What curse is this? This has to be a curse or some other bull.’

Sk’jin turns forward again, fuming under his breath.

‘Who was he?’

‘My best-friend,’ Sk’jin answers quietly. ‘My best-friend, my right-hand, my moral-compass, my laughter, my promise. Spaces I ing hate him.’

This is probably the rawest Sk’jin will ever be, Namjoon realizes.

Hoseok recognized his anger.

Jimin recognized his fear.

‘What happened to him?’ Namjoon asks though he’s quite sure he knows, judging by what he saw in the Nightmare Planet.

‘He died Joonie,’ Sk’jin tells him simply. ‘He died, and I tried. But I couldn’t.’

And as clear as day, Namjoon can see his pain.

*

They gather one by one in the Lobby outside the Medical Bay, waiting for everyone to gather. Taeh’yung is fidgeting with the length of Hoseok’s sweater sleeve that the Ngfy’widan had removed and tied about his waist instead. Jimin appears next, trailed after by Yoongi. Yoongi’s injuries were almost entirely cured and healed over though he still carried himself with some care especially around his ribs. Jimin was also almost all healed-up, and though he didn’t have the bandages about his head anymore, he still wore the soft-fabric beanie. Namjoon wonders if it was to make him feel better or something.

And then Sk’jin enters.

Immediately the atmosphere tenses and Jimin is worrying his lower lip between his teeth, eyeing Sk’jin carefully but not lowering his stance. Yoongi doesn’t move or even look at Sk’jin, but there’s no doubt in Namjoon’s mind that the Human was very aware of Sk’jin’s movement.

The Khol’isa stands some feet from Jimin, posture a little stiff but relaxed before he clears his throat and begins.

‘Good afternoon in Standard Time,’ the Khol’isa announces before continuing in his usual grand manner. ‘Before we start I would like to apologize to Jimin for 2 offences. The first is for leaving him in Seulgaan’s ship- I should have thought and planned my movements better and remained to give Yoongi the opportunity to bring you back to the ship. I did not, and I apologize. The second is for my earlier behavior- it was wrong for me to insinuate you weren’t planning ahead when in fact you did in fact bring in a potentially vital resource into our mission that could benefit us and our next step. I will not apologize for asking you questions regarding this unknown Being’s presence though. I felt that it was in my authority and place in the ship to ask these questions.’ 

‘I thank you, but there is nothing to forgive,’ Jimin replies and then bows his head down and says, ‘It was wrong of me to use my authority in that way- to say I am more powerful, that is wrong. I am sorry.’

‘I am sorry I knocked your tooth out,’ Yoongi adds in a blunt tone that sounded anything but apologetic. Jimin lightly steps on his foot and the Human adds, ‘I am sorry for leaving you behind and allowing you to be captured. If I had not done that, you would not have been caught in that explosion.’

Sk’jin’s smile is stiff, his hand closing to a tight fist for a moment before he nods, ‘I accept both of your apology.’

And as though to somehow try and show his acceptance of their apologies he extends a hand up, clearly aiming to ruffle their hair or something along that line. But Jimin flinches back and Yoongi grabs Sk’jin’s hand and twists the Khol’isa away, pushing him into the Lobby seat. Sk’jin looks up, expression incredulous and shocked.

‘ing hell Yoongi I was just-‘ Sk’jin begins but Jimin is quick to try and explain.

It was almost as though he forgot he could speak Standard, breaking out into his own language before hastily correcting himself, ‘-it’s okay- Sk’jin I’m sorry it wasn’t-‘ he breaks off into his own language, occasional Standard thrown in.

He just stops and then reaches up and pulls his beanie down.

There’s an audible gasp from Hoseok and Namjoon is angry.

One of Jimin’s most notable feature was his hair- soft, silky, strangely anti-gravity with the way it seemed to float about almost in slow-motion about his head as he moved. It was a unique colour, both silver and gold at the same time- both starlight and sunlight at the same time.

But none of that was left anymore- and despite the obvious attempts made to heal and treat the injuries around his head, one side of his head was still blue and black, some areas still a little swollen, and clear indications of the scalp having been shorn, with shiny new skin growing over the reddened areas.

‘It- it was-‘ Jimin looks down, eyes downcast, ‘Still shock- still shock.’

It was obviously done against his will, and whoever did that to his hair had done with little to no care. It had obviously traumatized him, so when Sk’jin had reached forward, he had reacted instinctively and as a result triggered Yoongi to react.

He quickly covers his head again, still looking down as though ashamed. Namjoon is distracted by sudden movement from Sk’jin who stands abruptly and makes his way towards Jimin. The latter watches with wide eyes though he stands his ground.

‘Uh-‘

Sk’jin stares almost blankly at Jimin before an annoyed expression takes over his face and with a rough shoulder-grab, pulls the latter closer towards him and shakes him.

‘Hair is superficial you hear me? It’ll grow back- and it’ll grow back ing beautiful you hear me kid?’ Sk’jin says as he shakes Jimin who nods in haste. ‘You know what, hair is dumb anyways, I’ll shave  my hair off- no, you know what, we will ALL shave our hair off. Actually, better yet we’ll shave Namjoon’s hair off-‘

‘-what the actual -?!’ Namjoon splutters out.

‘-because you shouldn’t feel any less about who you are- you hear me?’ Sk’jin shakes Jimin again. ‘There’s no need to feel shame!’

‘Y-yes!’ Jimin manages to get out, a small smile on his face.

‘Good. You wear that bald head with pride, you hear me?’ Sk’jin lets go of Jimin before announcing, ‘I’m getting that shaver, Namjoon stay put.’ And walks out.

‘Wait-! Is he serious?!’ Namjoon demands, eyes widening in legitimate panic because he’s not sure if Sk’jin is joking or not. ‘Wait- Sk’jin we have things to do first!’

The Khol’isa doesn’t return.

‘I think he’s just a bit embarrassed,’ Hoseok comments quietly with a smile. ‘He’ll come back-

‘I’m sorry for stealing your underwear Hobi!’ Taeh’yung pipes in, hand raised, ‘And I stole Jinnie’s pudding too it was really tasty- and Yoongi it was me who left all those crumbs on your chair, and Pa-‘

Namjoon almost flinches back while Hoseok splutters to the side.

‘-I’m sorry for using your toothbrush, shampoo, and soap.’

‘…that’s okay Tae,’ Namjoon says slowly.

‘Great-‘

‘-but please stop using them,’ Namjoon concludes before he looks around and asks, ‘Does anyone have anything else they want to apologize for?’

‘I used your lotion too!’ Taeh’yung throws in.

‘-…yes- okay, that’s fine, don’t do it anymore,’ Namjoon sighs out before glancing around to make sure no one else had anything else to add.

‘I also-‘

‘It’s fine Tae,’ Namjoon tries to smile at the Zhak’gri. ‘There’s no need to confess anything anymore let’s just- let’s just move forward yes?’

‘And next time maybe ask permission yes?’ Hoseok adds, eyeing Taeh’yung briefly before asking, ‘How did you even steal my underwear? When?’

‘It’s nice fabric!’ is all Taeh’yung says, ‘It’s really comfortable!’

‘-wait are you wearing them now?!’ Hoseok demands.

‘Shouldn’t we wake Jungkookie now?’ Taeh’yung changes the subject, hopping towards the Medical Bay and dragging Jimin with him.

‘Right- yeah let’s do that,’ Namjoon nods, hoping to turn the events a bit more serious. ‘Jimin are you ready?’

Jimin nods as he pauses for a while by the door.

‘Okay so- this could go very wrong.’ Namjoon announces with a sigh. ‘But I agree that we should do this quickly, and if he can somehow give us the answers, or provide us with information, this will greatly benefit us and how we can plan our next step forward.’

Jimin nods in agreement to that from where he’s standing. Namjoon notices how Sk’jin reappears by the stairs, watching from the shadows as they revised.

‘However we do need to take full precaution.’ Namjoon adds, ‘We need to ease him into the environment, make him feel safe, and that he’s not being threatened. That means-‘ he turns to look at Yoongi, ‘No sudden quiet movements- that’s freaky enough even when you’re a fully functional adult Being.’

Yoongi actually has a small frown on his face, as though affronted by Namjoon’s words.

‘He saw you in the cave with Yoongi so I think he might register you as someone who was involved his rescue but that might also trigger pain and panic- so precaution,’ Namjoon tells Hoseok who nods in understanding.

‘And Taeh’yung…’

The Zhak’gri perks up at his name, blinking rapidly for a moment, rapt with attention.

‘Don’t…don’t freak him out. Or like, spook him- be gentle and careful, he’s not exactly-‘

‘He’s a baby!’ Taeh’yung exclaims with a sulk, ‘I know how to behave with babies!’

‘Right okay,’ Namjoon doesn’t look reassured at all- if anything he looks even more worried.

‘So Jimin will be there when he first wakes up- we will let him handle everything first- okay, from the top,’ Namjoon addresses Jimin, ‘What is the first part of this plan.’

‘Jungkook wakes up,’ Jimin recites easily, ‘I stay there, help him and tell him he is safe. If he is dangerous, I will make him sleepy again. If he is only little bit dangerous, I will calm him down. And no one should come until I say so. When he is ready, I will call Yoongi, and then Hobi. After that, we introduce everyone else, but slowly, and from distant.’

‘Perfect,’ Namjoon nods and adds, ‘Right- so, like we all agreed, only Jimin is going in first, and none of us are to show up or intervene. Jimin was in the exact situation before but with worse conditions and factors- they are in a controlled and safe environment and we will maintain that unless things get out of hand. Is that clear?’

It’s directed more towards Yoongi and Taeh’yung but everyone nods nonetheless.

‘Ready Jimin?’ Namjoon asks.

Jimin nods and holds up a thumbs-up before stepping into the Medical Bay. The door closes only partially behind him and everyone lines up outside in order of their introduction.

‘Lisai pull Jungkook out of delta-sleep, and provide life-feed to Lobby 1,’ Namjoon orders.

‘Understood.’

A holographic-screen projector pops up from the table before the couch and the usual colour-spectrum ripples across, forming the holographic projection of the surveillance from the Medical Bay. Jungkook had been unrestrained, any infusion-tab on him removed and sealed. They debated using a light sedative and decided that it was better to leave the young Being in complete control over his consciousness. If things escalated, Jimin would be able to control the situation.

Jimin stands by the Medical Bed, waiting as Jungkook is pulled out of delta-sleep. Hoseok keeps an eye on Jungkook’s health tab, watching as his pulse slowly increase, his brain-wave patterns start increasing, and within a few seconds everything sky-rockets and Jungkook lurches, back arching terribly as he cough violently, throwing up a little of what looked like something terribly like decomposed flesh.

To Namjoon’s amusement, Hoseok turns a little green.

Jimin doesn’t move, doesn’t say anything, until Jungkook is panting heavily, limp and obviously not in full control of his body. It’s after a few seconds that Jungkook seems to realize someone is there.

His movements are shockingly fast and Sk’jin swears under his breath as Jungkook half leaps, half rolls off of the Medical Bed and barrels into Jimin. Yoongi twitches next to him, watching the feed carefully, his hands in loose fists. Taeh’yung is gnawing his lower lip, watching the feed and then eyeing the partially open doorway turn by turn.

‘Jungkook- safe.’ Jimin says, partially hidden from view as he’s on the floor, Jungkook crouching over him, letting out a loud growl. ‘Safe- Jungkook safe, no hurt.’

They wait with bated breath before after what feels like ages, Jungkook stops growling and his crouch is less stiff. There’s a strange choking strangling sound.

‘Jimin-‘

‘Here. Safe here,’ Jimin tells him gently. ‘Not hurt. Safe. Home.’

‘Safe?’

‘Safe.’

‘Where?’

‘My home.’

Namjoon can’t help but glance about at everyone else at Jimin’s words. Hoseok has a soft look in his eyes, watching their interaction carefully, eyebrows almost pinched. Taeh’yung’s face is covered in tears and snot, while Sk’jin watches with a blankness that rivals Yoongi’s. Speaking of the Human, Yoongi is by the door, standing quietly, head turned towards the opening. Namjoon would be mad but he knows, or at least hopes, that Yoongi is professional and wouldn’t undermine their plans.

‘Why?’

‘Why?’ Jimin repeats, sounding curious.

‘Why am I here?’

This interests Namjoon. Jungkook was clearly much more aware than they had all initially thought.

‘You help me,’ Jimin tells him quietly. ‘You help me, I help you. Make you safe.’

‘What do you want?’

‘He’s smart,’ Sk’jin says almost inaudibly, ‘I don’t think he was born in whatever pit you found him in. He’s too smart for that.’

‘I want you to be safe,’ Jimin tells him earnestly, ‘And I want you to help me again.’

‘Help? How?’

‘To understand where you come from,’ Jimin replies, his hand appearing to gently through Jungkook’s hair. ‘To understand everything we can.’

‘Will they hurt me?’

‘No one hurt you-‘

‘-not animal. I’m not animal.’

‘You are not animal,’ Jimin repeats soothingly.

‘Why is everyone standing outside? This is a cage?’

‘Well .’ Sk’jin looks mildly impressed.

‘Jimin- ask him if he wants to see us all- if he can sense us, he knows how many of us are there- just tell him,’ Hoseok says quietly.

‘My home,’ Jimin tells him quietly, ‘Family- my family.’

‘Like you?’

‘Yes,’ Jimin carefully sits up on his knees. ‘Safe. Remember? Yoongi, Hoseok- family. Safe.’

‘Scared.’

‘Okay- stay behind me?’ Jimin offers, standing up slowly.

Jungkook, still crouched, nods a little.

‘Namjoon- walk outside,’ Jimin says. ‘Jungkook and me, outside.’

Namjoon glances at the rest of them, gesturing for them to separate a little so as to not appear like some massive threatening bunch.

Taeh’yung quickly shuffles towards the center of the Lobby, while Yoongi takes a few steps away from the door and stands some way from the opening. Hoseok goes to stand some feet from Yoongi, and Sk’jin quietly makes his way towards the opposite end of the room. Namjoon stands from where he’s sitting on the couch.

‘We’re ready when you are,’ he replies back.

‘We go outside slow,’ Jimin tells Jungkook, helping him stand straight. ‘No- not afraid. Safe, okay?’

He raises a thumbs up, tilting his head in question. Jungkook stares at his hand and then carefully and deliberately wraps his hand around Jimin’s thumb.

Taeh’yung clutches dramatically at his chest while Hoseok looks like he’s trying to fight a smile.

‘Yoongi? Door?’ Jimin takes slow steps towards the doorway. Yoongi steps towards the opening, still keeping his distance.

‘Lisai, open the door slowly please,’ Namjoon orders quietly.

The door slides open quietly and slowly, giving Jungkook time to adjust to the movement of the automated doors. Jungkook is looking around, eyes wide and body curled into himself, making himself smaller than Jimin. He doesn’t seem too shocked by his immediate surroundings yet- the technology around him not blowing his mind. He’s seen it before- maybe Sk’jin was right, maybe he wasn’t born wherever Jimin had been placed. Maybe he had been forced in there.

It’s obvious when Jungkook spots Yoongi standing outside.

He flinches, gripping onto Jimin’s shoulder and ducking down even more.

‘Yoongi safe,’ Jimin’s voice says clearly from beyond the open door. ‘Remember? Yoongi safe.’

Yoongi looks like he’s attempting a smile.

‘Who? Who is- who are you?’ Jungkook asks, stopping Jimin from stepping forward, watching the Human over his shoulder.

‘My given name is Yoongi,’ the Human replies. ‘I am the weapons-specialist aboard the Užkulisai.’

Jungkook considers this for a while before Jimin tries stepping forward again slowly. They step out carefully before stopping again when Jungkook spots Hoseok.

‘Carry-‘ the Vicitra says quietly. ‘You carried me?’

‘I did,’ Hoseok smiles and it’s more effective than Yoongi’s attempt. ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t able to protect you more from the rain. That must have hurt.’

Jungkook doesn’t reply but his slightly relaxed reaction, though minute, is a good sign.

But the moment he sees Taeh’yung, Jungkook shudders and shuffles backwards, taking Jimin with him. Taeh’yung is, mildly put, distraught.

‘No- oh no- baby it’s okay- I’m sorry I scared you-‘

They back into the Medical Bay again, Jungkook sinking down to crouch again behind Jimin’s legs. Taeh’yung also crouches down, crawling forward, eyes wide with remorse and an eagerness to placate.

‘I’m safe!’ he says gently, ‘Safe- I won’t hurt you, you’re my baby, please?’

‘Taeh’yung safe,’ Jimin tells the crouching Being behind him.

‘I’m sorry baby,’ Taeh’yung croons as he pauses some feet in front of them. ‘I’m sorry I scared you.’

‘Hurt you-‘ Jungkook says from behind Jimin’s leg. ‘Hurt you- p-please don’t hurt me.’

Jungkook curls into himself even more, a hand letting go of Jimin’s trousers to grip at his head where his wound had healed over just some hours ago. His fingers press into the previously shallow open wound and he shudders.

Taeh’yung expression goes blank, eyes widening as though in understanding. And then to everyone’s alarm, he crawls forward even more and hugs Jungkook as he clung to Jimin’s legs.

‘I’m not hurt- I’m all right. Thank you,’ Taeh’yung says gently, patting his head gently with one hand and carefully removing the Vicitra’s hand from his head. He cards through the matted strands and shiny new skin and tissue carefully before gently directing the Vicitra to look out of Jimin’s shins. Jimin watches them apprehensively, hands held up as though ready to intervene. Instead Taeh’yung beams a bright grin and cupping Jungkook’s face in his hands says gently,  ‘I’m not hurt- you were scared, we are safe, okay baby?’

Namjoon waits with bated breath until Jungkook nods into Taeh’yung’s hands.

‘Good!’ Taeh’yung leans in and places a loud kiss on Jungkook’s nose, causing the latter to flinch again. But when Taeh’yung pulls away to sit comfortably on the ground, Jungkook is watching him wide eyes and Namjoon doesn’t see any fear in them. Just confusion.

Which is probably the most common reaction to Taeh’yung anyways.

Namjoon guesses now was a good time to introduce himself. Making his way over in obvious and open movements, Namjoon edges into Jungkook’s field of sight. Jungkook crouches a bit more but doesn’t take his eyes off of him.

‘Hi Jungkook,’ Namjoon smiles, also crouching down to sit down. Hoseok and Yoongi slowly do the same. With some difficulty, Jimin also crouches down and sits down as well.

‘I’m Namjoon- I’m the Captain of this ship and the Navigator. We’re very happy to have you here.’

Jungkook looks down, head bowed a bit more.

‘Captain?’

‘Hmm,’ Namjoon nods slowly, before saying, ‘It’s just a title- no one listens to what I say.’

Jimin and Taeh’yung chortle at that and Hoseok grins a bit.

‘We’re going to shave off his hair later, wanna watch?’ Sk’jin asks, appearing from the side and sitting down on the floor as well.

Jungkook’s reaction is completely unexpected.

Namjoon would have expected Jungkook to maybe flinch or recoil like he had done so far. But his eyes widen even more, posture opening up and expression that could only be translated into one thing: recognition.

Clearly, Sk’jin is surprised by this too.

‘Hi Jungkook, my name is Sk’jin and-‘

Jungkook pushes himself away from Jimin and half crawls, half scuttles across the floor towards Sk’jin.

‘Oh Spaces-‘ Sk’jin’s eyes widen for a moment as Jungkook pushes into his space and then baffling everyone in the room Jungkook reaches for his temples, dirty trembling hands shaking before he places them on his temples.

‘Missing- why,’ he asks in a whisper.

Sk’jin’s eyes widen even more, glancing over at Namjoon as though demanding to know why he wasn’t doing anything.

‘Same,’ Jungkook says slowly, ‘Same- my mother.’

Sk’jin’s expression turns from shock to confusion and wonder.

‘Mother?’ he repeats, trying to sit up a little from having tried to back away.

‘Mother,’ Jungkook repeats, ‘Same. Same, my mother.’

Sk’jin’s expression changes rapidly, his face almost contorting.

‘Did you have brothers? Sisters?’ Sk’jin asks quietly, raising his hand and with more gentleness than Namjoon thought Sk’jin could ever possess, rubs soothing circles over Jungkook’s cheeks.

‘2 brothers, 3 sisters- big family,’ Jungkook recounts, eyes closing. ‘And mother- two mothers.’

‘What happened to them?’ Sk’jin asks.

‘I don’t know- dead, taken,’ Jungkook answers. ‘Long time.’

‘Did they look like you? Or different?’ Sk’jin asks.

‘Some,’ Jungkook replies, eyes still closed, inhaling slow and deep. ‘Mother look like you.’

Sk’jin looks up at Namjoon at that.

Another Khol’isa? Other species? More Vicitra?

‘What happened to you?’

‘Taken,’ Jungkook replies, ‘Kabans took me. Like animal. Not animal.’

‘No you’re not,’ Sk’jin says gently, his eyes downcast, ‘You were taken from your family, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that happened to you.’

Sk’jin’s apology sounds broken and heavy.

‘Why don’t you have this?’ Jungkook asks again, fingers brushing across his temples.

‘I lost them,’ Sk’jin replies, ‘I lost them when I lost my family.’

‘No family?’ Jungkook asks quietly.

‘Not anymore.’ Sk’jin shakes his head.

‘Who gave you your name?’ Yoongi asks suddenly.

‘Mother,’ Jungkook replies, only flinching slightly. ‘Our mother gave us all names.’

‘Your mother who looks like me, what was her name?’ Sk’jin asks.

‘Darling,’ Jungkook replies earnestly. ‘Her name- Darling.’

‘That’s a beautiful name.’ Sk’jin smiles.

It’s the most genuine and open smile Namjoon has seen from Sk’jin. Not over done, not practiced or constructed.

Jungkook suddenly recoils, arms roping and pressing down on his abdomen. He growls and coughs in obvious pain.

‘He’s in pain- I think he might be hungry,’ Hoseok says as he stands up, ‘I can get him something to eat?’

‘I can go get and get him-‘ Sk’jin begins but Jungkook lurches into the Khol’isa, not allowing him to move away.

‘Maybe we start him off easy- just water?’ Namjoon offers, glancing over at the others. Yoongi is already standing, situated behind Jimin who was still sitting. His expression is melancholic, hands forming tight fists. Taeh’yung is still crying, clearly stopping himself from crawling forward and hugging the young Vicitra.

‘Just water, his system won’t be able to handle solids until he settles with the light stuff first,’ Namjoon tells Hoseok before the latter quickly jogs up the stairs.

‘Hey- drink something okay? Make you feel better,’ Sk’jin tells him, adjusting the Vicitra so that he could sit back against the couch seats.

Jimin and Taeh’yung crawl forward but give him space. Sk’jin sits next to Jungkook, his entire demeanor somehow just indescribably exhausted and sad. If Namjoon could, without upsetting Jungkook, he would have told Sk’jin to remove himself from this situation. But considering how Jungkook seemed to calm down a whole lot with Sk’jin close to him, he doesn’t say anything.

‘Eat something and then-‘ Sk’jin begins.

‘Had to- had to survive. Eat-‘ Jungkook shudders, his body quaking. ‘Couldn’t stop- it hurt-‘

Sk’jin holds him close, regardless of how filthy Jungkook was, and gently rocks him.

‘Not anymore okay? Not anymore- you’ll be fine now- you’ll be fine.’ Sk’jin says in a soothing tone. ‘You’re safe here. Safe, Jungkook is safe, okay?’

Jungkook still shakes, clinging onto Sk’jin’s arm. Hoseok appears from the stairs, holding a small plastic cup in one hand, and a broth Namjoon knows Sk’jin had made a few days ago before any of this had happened. He also has a few bottles under his arm.

‘Hey Jungkookie,’ Hoseok smiles as he approaches the Vicitra, making his approach known. ‘I brought you some water okay? Make you feel better hm?’

Jungkook looks up, eyeing the bottles of water with some nervousness.

Hoseok pours some into small cup and hands it to Jungkook.

Sitting up as straight as he could, Jungkook takes the cup with both of his shaking hands. He drinks messily, the water pouring down his chin and neck, creating streaks across the layered dirt that covered his skin.

It takes a while, but he manages to keep in the water, almost half of the bottle Hoseok had brought, before he moves onto the broth. It was a light and savory broth, and Hoseok had spooned out only the liquid. Jungkook drinks it up hastily, and in his enthusiasm, bites onto the lip of the bowl, leaving clean deep indents from his sharp looking teeth onto the plastic.

He breathes heavily, clutching at his abdomen again. He struggles valiantly and manages to overcome the cramps, clearly refusing to throw up.

‘Does anything hurt?’ Sk’jin asks gently, still not moving away even though Jungkook’s eating session had left him splattered in broth and ionized water.

‘Not a lot,’ Jungkook replies.

He was still not super comfortable, his posture still a little stiff, eyes still darting about, catching every single movement from everyone. He was still jumpy, but Namjoon suspects that might be for a while.

‘Do you want shower?’ Jimin asks, having moved closer to help him eat. ‘Be clean?’

Jungkook hangs his head before saying in a small voice, ‘Yes.’

It was as though they all came to a silent unanimous decision not to question Jungkook just yet. Though Namjoon feels, judging from what he’s heard so far, that Jungkook might not be able to give the answers they exactly want. It was almost as though Jungkook was entirely normal, not born of an egg, not born fully formed without a sentient awareness that Yoongi and the other GI had been born out of.

The Khol’isa he called his mother had been an egg too, there was no doubt about it. Not to mention his sisters and brothers. How many were there? And how many of them were still in Ynqaba, awake and aware? Living lives without knowing their full history? Or perhaps they did know, perhaps Jungkook does know but he doesn’t remember anymore?

Sk’jin and Jimin helps Jungkook stand. Not crouched or hunched over, Jungkook is actually quite tall- almost Hoseok’s height. His limbs are incredibly thin and his skin pulls tightly over his cheekbones and jawline.

Everyone slowly makes their way up and they wait outside while Sk’jin and Jimin guide Jungkook into one of the Cabins to help shower him.

‘He was born Awake,’ Yoongi comments. ‘He was raised.’

‘But he’s the same,’ Taeh’yung adds unexpectedly from the doorway to the Cabin where they hear the gentle sound of water. ‘Same.’

‘Maybe same, but different,’ Yoongi tells him quietly before he backs away into his own Cabin.

‘Jinnie likes him,’ Taeh’yung comments.

And Namjoon wouldn’t put it that way, strictly speaking. But there was something about Jungkook that seemed to effect Sk’jin in a level none of them could understand.

By the time Jimin, Sk’jin, and Jungkook reappear, it’s with the latter all cleaned up, smelling like shampoo and soap. His skin now cleaned, is still an unhealthy tint that now clean shows all of his scars and injuries all too clearly.

His Vicitran features are more apparent now too, with his almost ruddy fingers that are a bit pale at the moment, and reddish skin around his eyes, ears, and back of his neck. His hair is clean but still in need of a good t. He’s in clothes that look like Taeh’yung’s that the latter stole from Jimin who had initially borrowed them from Hoseok.

He’s still nervous, holding the back of Sk’jin’s shirt as he follows them out into the much larger Lobby outside of the Cabins. Taeh’yung is quick to grab his attention, talking enthusiastically but not standing too close despite clearly itching too. Jungkook squirms behind Sk’jin who smiles at the Vicitra, pulling him forward gently.

‘Wanna see something cool Kookie?’ Taeh’yung asks, gesturing for him to come sit at the couch with him.  

Almost as though asking permission, Jungkook looks at Sk’jin and Jimin. Sk’jin is a little taken aback but he nods. Jimin is quicker to catch on and he nods too before looking around with a small frown.

He waits until Jungkook and Sk’jin make their way to the center of the Lobby with the wide circular table and soft couches before making his way towards Namjoon.

‘Yoongi?’ he asks.

‘In his Cabin,’ Hoseok tells him. ‘Was he all right in the shower?’

‘Happy- he was happy,’ Jimin smiles and it widens more as he adds, ‘He likes Sk’jin.’

They watch Jungkook sort of sink into the couch, eyes widening as though surprised, frozen a bit where he sat. Taeh’yung has made himself smaller than Jungkook and was now pretty much snuggling to his side. Jungkook looks unsure, but with a look at Sk’jin who smiles at him, Jungkook tries a small smile at Taeh’yung.

‘You’re going to love me, I promise,’ Taeh’yung sniffs, eyes watering, alarming Jungkook who inches closer to Sk’jin.

Jimin beams at them before turning to address Namjoon.

‘I accept all wrong- all mistake,’ Jimin tells him earnestly. ‘All problem, that is coming from this situation- because of this situation.’ He corrects himself. ‘My responsibility, I will listen, and acting-act, for best result.’

Namjoon nods, accepting Jimin’s pledge.

‘We will do all we can to take the safest way for Jungkook, for all of us.’ Namjoon replies. ‘We will work together as a team- as a family.’

Jimin smiles even more widely at that, bowing his head in thanks. He walks away, watching the trio at the couch before quietly making his into Yoongi’s Cabin.

There’s a small gasp and Namjoon and Hoseok turn their attention back towards the center of the Lobby.

Jungkook watches, absolutely entranced, as Taeh’yung makes small glowing lights appear, soft green rings and triangles, making it fall about him.

‘I think they’ll be fine,’ Hoseok says in a quiet tone. ‘We should go back and reset our trajectories again.’

Namjoon nods slowly before saying, ‘I think we need to do something.’

‘About what?’ Hoseok asks, looking away from the trio in the Lobby.

‘We need more information- and we know what information we need now,’ Namjoon tells him quietly as they turn to make their way up the stairs. ‘It’ll be risky- but if it works out well, we will probably be able to make sense of what happened in Ynqaba, to Jungkook. And to Sk’jin.’

‘Sk’jin?’ Hoseok repeats quietly as they reach the top of the stairs.

Namjoon nods, ‘Something happened in Ynqaba- I don’t know what, but something happened. In the Bridge, he said "You should have just stuck to your plan and left me in Ynqaba to just live"- he didn't say to die, he said to live. Something happened, and it's changed him.'

Hoseok nods to that and says, 'I noticed yeah.' before asking, 'What do you plan on doing.’

They pause by the doorway to the Bridge that lights up at their entry.

‘I’m going to contact an old friend.’

*


 

Jimin steps into Yoongi’s Cabin and finds the Human sitting on the edge of his bed, looking up at him as though he’d been expecting him. He’s holding a screen in his hands over his lap. Taking a seat next to Yoongi, Jimin slips a hand around his arm.

‘He was born different,’ Yoongi says. ‘He has memories.’

‘Yes- but he was born same place,’ Jimin tells him.

Yoongi doesn’t say anything, just looks down at the screen. There’s turbulence within Yoongi, one that Jimin doesn’t even need to concentrate to sense. So Jimin starts to hum quietly under his breath, reaching up run his fingers through Yoongi’s hair.

‘That song,’ Yoongi breathes out quietly, eyes closed.

‘Song?’

‘Where is it from?’

‘Memory.’ Jimin replies, ‘I hear it. In Memories.’

‘What do you remember?’ Yoongi asks, leaning into Jimin’s touch.

‘Remember when?’

‘The mountain. When they came.’

A shudder runs down Jimin’s back, pain that lingers just under his skin spreads out, wakening under his veins, flooding his body in memory of how his heart broke that day.

‘Yoongi tried to stop,’ Yoongi tells him quietly. ‘Yoongi didn’t want to go- he didn’t want to leave you. He tried so hard- he was reaching through darkness, through their hands, through music- he heard you singing. He followed until-…until he couldn’t hear it anymore.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Jimin is horrified to hear his voice crack into a whisper, throat constricted, tongue heavy. His eyes burn and his vision is blurry. ‘I’m sorry-‘

He wraps his arms around Yoongi, holding him tight.

He doesn’t know why he’s apologizing.

Apologizing because Yoongi remembers? Apologizing because he can’t answer Yoongi’s question with absolute confidence about who he is, what he is, and why he was here? Apologizing because he can’t do anything about it? Apologizing because he’s selfish?

Yoongi shifts, hands taking his arms away and tilting his head up.

‘Why are you crying?’ he asks.

‘Because I cannot do anything.’

Yoongi wipes at his face, rather stiffly and with probably a bit too much strength but that was okay, because it makes Jimin laugh a bit.

‘He said he would come back to you,’ Yoongi says quietly. ‘But I don’t know if this is what he meant.’

Yoongi’s memories were tricky. Jimin himself didn’t know what to feel or think of it.

While his heart, his mind, his spirit, and his Soul was different, this Yoongi was in front of him. And something deep in Jimin tells him that the Yoongi he knew, the Yoongi who died in his arms, who kissed his lips and called him sunshine was long gone.

And Jimin doesn’t know, can’t understand how or why, but Yoongi’s eyes remain the same.

Because regardless of the changes in the Human, regardless of everything different- the one thing that curled and drew into Jimin’s very Soul was the way Yoongi looked at him.

‘Have I ever told you the story about the Sun and the Moon?’

He remembers how the Yoongi in the past had an extraordinarily pure soul- not touched or tainted by the death of Megibīya. How no erosion took a hold of him. He was fatigued yes, but the Death that seeped through everything and everyone had no power over the Human.

This Yoongi…

Jimin dabs at his eyes roughly.

This Yoongi was his. Regardless of everything, he had come back to him.

‘He loved you.’ Yoongi tells him suddenly.

Jimin feels an excruciating pain in his chest- but its not of regret or anger or sorrow. It’s strange, the pain, but it’s almost...it’s almost a Yoongi pain.

‘I know- because I feel it.’ Yoongi reaches up to touch his cheek. ‘I feel it- when he looked at you. Sunshine. Sun. My sun, my light.’

Jimin knew- he knew, he saw it, he saw the way Yoongi looked at him, the way he held his hand, the way he lived just to be by his side until he could no longer do it.

‘And you loved him.’ Yoongi adds. ‘I could see it when you looked at him. You were shining.’

‘I did,’ Jimin whispers.

‘I’m sorry,’ Yoongi says rather simply.

Jimin doesn’t know what he’s apologizing for.

‘This is Yoongi,’ Yoongi says quietly as he looks down, tapping once on the screen.  

And Jimin understands Yoongi’s meaning.

Yoongi had come to accept that he was different- not just someone who had forgotten his memories, not just someone who had been reborn from the old. He was new, he was alive, and he wanted to live.

But he also accepted his past- understood it, remembered it. And now, because he knew that he was the only one who would be able to give Jimin this small memory. He was going to be able to understand, and maybe, maybe let go.

It was almost as though he felt that Jimin deserved to know more about the Human who within a short period of time, managed to become not only a part of his most cherished memories, but become a part of his very being.

This way, Jimin would be able to keep Yoongi in his heart, his memory alive, pulsing with the music of his Heart.  

‘Read with me?’ Jimin asks quietly, ‘Difficult for me.’

Yoongi nods.

The first part of the whole archive is just basic records and logs or academic history, or travel logs, and Immigration passes. It’s when they reach a section titled Interviews that Jimin pauses. There were video logs recorded. With a shaking hand, he taps at the first square.

Yoongi, the Yoongi he first met, appears.

His chest burns.

‘Hi, uh, I’m Min Yoongi. Nice to uh, meet you,’ there’s an almost awkward smile. ‘I am Human, obviously, and yeah, right, I’ll be 76 sols in a few Standard months, but I think I was nearly a hundred last year because of our proximity to this black-hole. Let’s not do that again.’

‘I keep telling you that was a mistake-’

The video feed cuts off to another shot.

‘So uh yeah- uhh what am I supposed to do here again-’

‘’s sake-’

The video is cut again and another shot comes back, this time with Yoongi sitting facing the camera, clothes a little neater as though attempts were made in trying to look smarter.

‘Yeah, okay, I like watching movies from AE period, I also like sunset walks on the beach, and have a real fondness for poetry meaning I’m deep a-f-’

The camera feed cuts again and Jimin laughs under his breath despite the burn in his chest.

Yoongi appears again, this time gingerly nursing his arm as though he’d been punched there.

‘I am specialist in Development Technology from the-‘ the audio cuts here ‘-GLA. I have been requested and asked to be part of the exploration team specializing in adapting and understanding alien technology for the betterment of the Known Universe.’

‘Are you excited?’

‘This will be my 10^th mission, yeah I’m excited,’ Yoongi grins lazily, and a familiar ache echoes inside Jimin.

It’s like watching someone else, Jimin thinks to himself. Watching someone he once knew, someone he once met- someone he loved.

‘You’re smiling.’

‘Because I’m happy.’

They watch more videos, some serious ones that are records of Yoongi’s findings and reports (Jimin saves them to show Namjoon in case he finds something useful and important in these), or Yoongi’s own self-taken videos of strange looking planets, footage of his team members, all the same Beings Jimin met. Amic is shown frequently, tall and gangly, laughing alongside Yoongi as they hiked and climbed about, or sat hunkered down stressed over some strange tech.

There were a few videos of Yoongi much younger, standing next to a young girl that Jimin recognizes at once as Yoongi’s little sister. Her hair is always accessorized.

There are other videos, clearly taken on Earth, of Yoongi when he was much younger. Maybe Jungkook’s age in some of them. They watch all of the videos quietly, and after a while Yoongi takes his hand in his, placing oddly timed kisses over his knuckles and the side of his head.

The videos come to an end, and Jimin feels oddly lighter and at the same time weighted as though drenched in water. There’s more, records, logs, reports, statements. But it’s enough. At least for Jimin. So he puts the screen away over onto the nightstand.

‘I’m sorry,’ Yoongi tells him quietly again. ‘He couldn’t come back.’

‘You’re here,’ Jimin tries to explain. ‘That’s all I want.’

‘Does it hurt?’ Yoongi asks, taking his free hand to place over Jimin’s chest, ‘Because it hurts.’

Jimin takes Yoongi’s hand from his chest, kissing the back of it before placing it over his, feeling for his pulse.

‘Why does it hurt?’ Jimin asks, looking up from their hands to face Yoongi.

‘I don’t know- because I don’t know. I am not Yoongi- but I know how he feels, how he thought- I remember his memories now- but why do I remember them, if I am not Yoongi?’

Jimin doesn’t have the answers for that, can’t possibly explain any of this.

‘What can I do?’ Jimin asks, squeezing their hands. ‘What can I do to help- to not hurt?’

‘Talk more,’ Yoongi tells him rather bluntly and then rather belatedly adds, ‘Please.’

‘What do you want to hear?’ Jimin asks softly as he sits back on the bed and then guides Yoongi to rest his head on his lap.

‘Anything, everything.’ Yoongi replies, eyes closing. ‘Please.’

‘Have I ever told you the story about the Sun and the Moon?’ Jimin asks quietly, brushing through Yoongi’s hair again.

‘No.’

‘The Sun was powerful and beautiful spirit, all grew in light of the Sun- all life thrived and rejoiced in the Sun,’ Jimin tells him quietly, choosing his words carefully. ‘The Sun was powerful and strong, but the spirit was another part of the balance- where there is life, there is death, where there is light, there is darkness. There is a balance. And to balance the beauty and life of the Sun, there existed the Moon. A cold and white light, and all life hid, for this spirit was a hunter.’

Yoongi turns onto his back to face him, watching him carefully. Unable to look away Jimin continues.

‘The Sun and the Moon never saw each other, only hear whispers and quiet talk. The Sun was afraid, the Moon was more afraid. But one day- one day they met. They met high above- light and dark, life and death- it was short, it was too fast, too…too less time.’ Jimin finds himself whispering. ‘But that time was enough- because the Sun was not afraid, and the Moon was not afraid- fear became love.’

Yoongi doesn’t even blink.

‘And they could no longer stay. They could not dance. They had to balance.’ Jimin says quietly. ‘The Sun had to go, the Moon tried to follow- but there was no way- their paths changed. And it changed again and again and again- but their love remained- longing and seeking- circles and circles. The Sun remained the same- life and light. But the Moon changed, sometimes shrinking, sometimes growing, but it was always the Moon. And when the time was right, when they were aligned again, careful and slowly, but less time, they would dance again, and go again.’

Yoongi reaches up to gently thumb under Jimin’s eye, dragging slowly at the soft skin there. Then slowly he sits up, facing him and settling close. Yoongi continues to gently touch him, fingers caressing his face, down to his throat, his neck, just shy past the collar of his shirt.

‘Why couldn’t the Sun and Moon stay?’

‘Because there is balance,’ Jimin can barely hear himself, caught up, unable to look away.

‘But will you stay?’ Yoongi asks, leaning in until their foreheads touch.

‘Yes. Will you stay?’ Jimin asks, lips brushing against Yoongi’s.

Yoongi stills for a moment, dark eyes searching his, a turmoil of light and dark, emotions, and thought.

‘I will always come back to you.’ Yoongi finally says, kissing his words against Jimin’s lips.

Jimin’s breath hitches in his throat- the kisses Yoongi has given him before, were almost child-like. Innocent presses of lips against skin, kisses of reassurance, kisses of comfort. This feels different.

Desperation.

Bliss.

Sorrow.

Ecstasy.

Their paths had aligned, their meeting not destined by fate, but written and narrated by serendipity. But just like the Sun and the Moon, they could not remain. They could not remain, they could not stay.

And again, just like the Sun and the Moon, they found each other again.

‘Am I yours?’ Yoongi asks, eyes closed shut, forehead leaning down against his shoulder, shivering a little as he holds Jimin like he never wants to let go.

But this time.

This time.

He would stay.

‘Mine, as I am yours.’

*

(Author’s Note)

Ah- my internship ended but wow, I can safely say that I love my supervisor to death

Not only is he an intellectual whose bias is Namjoon, his favorite song is Run, favorite album is Dark and Wild, and loves Jungkook’s falceto

Not just that

He loves Taeyang and didn’t know if he was jealous of his wife or jealous of Taeyang because he couldn’t handle how perfect they are for each other

He is also a massive Sistar fan and worships Hyolyn like the queen she is

We spend days listening to everything from bts to twice to taeyeon to sunmi to big bang

He nearly cried when i told him about my experience at Wings when the tour came here to bkk

as a goodbye present you know what he got me?? So he loves got7 and when he found out that I did too and that we both are in love with the perfection that is Park Jinyoung, he gave me his Jinyoung poster from the Eyes On You album and I think I cried on my way home. Okay I didn’t but I was close.

They were so sweet! I had a lot of fun there and it was surprisingly greatly educational and actually felt like I was doing constructive work. Mainly because I was actually doing constructive work and participated in a lot of major projects. It was great!

But ah, here we are, somewhat a bit more free with time. The next update with be on time, please look forward to that.

I will also be updating that NamJin one-shot this upcoming week so please look forward to that for some nice fluffy awkward pure softness and nerdiness.