#252: The Boy, his cat and other stories
Prompt: #252
Title: The Boy, his cat and other stories
Pairing: None, Jongdae-centric
Rating: PG
Word count: ~3.8k
Summary: Natsume Yuujinchou!AU - There are two periods in Jongdae's life, Before Cat (BC) and After Cat (AC). AC is the one he's living in.
1. BC, AC and time
If there is a timeline Jongdae could use to describe his life, it'd be a long stretch of line with two periods. On the far left is his past and the far right the present heading towards the future. In the middle of the line, there'd be a division of Before Cat (BC) and After Cat (AC).
BC stood for the time before Jongdae moved into the quaint countryside home of a faintly related family relative from his father's side. BC consisted of what Jongdae would call his Dark Times; chucked around from one family to another, dealing with distrustful glares and fearful taunts from his peers and relatives alike. An unwanted stray.
<<"Mom, Jongdae is lying again."
"That child is giving me the creeps. Why did you take him in?"
"He's always staring through me like he's ready to steal my soul. And the things he says make no sense."
"Always looking for attention. Annoying brat."
"I don't want my child anywhere near him. What if he's contagious?"
"I saw him talking to himself and looking like he's talking with someone else. We should send him to hospital."
"Give him to someone else. I can't deal with him anymore."
"He's so quiet. It's like he's waiting to attack us in our sleep."
"Stop lying, Jongdae. There's nothing there.">>
He wasn't a liar. The thing is, he could see things, stuff, creatures, ghosts maybe. BC was a time Jongdae couldn't handle his Sight, where he could see just about anything ghostly to pass his shoulder.
For as long as Jongdae could remember, the supernatural has always followed him around. Dark shadows tailed him as he walked home. Big, one-eyed creatures jumped out of bushes with their mouths opened wide, threatening to eat him. Wispy figures with horns and standing on hind legs passed him along his way to the house he was staying at, their gleaming eyes following his every movement. Some of them even looked like real humans.
The last category is troublesome since Jongdae ends up talking to them, which technically translates into Jongdae talking to something that isn't there and to the world, he may as well have lost his mind. The other category that is more troublesome is when they start chasing him, attacking him from all sides and technically trying to kill him off with accidents.
BC was the time Jongdae rather not talk, much less think, about.
AC, however, is a little different. Jongdae isn't sure how it happened, how everything seemed to have changed, how those ghostly creatures don't usually scare him as they used to, but he knows it has something to do with the Cat. The Cat dropped into his life in the form of a good luck porcelain figurine. It had bounced off Jongdae's chin as a grand greeting when Jongdae encountered a shrine in the forest by accident and proceeded to announce his intentions pompously.
<<"I'm not just any cat, not even a cat. I'm THE CAT and I will eat you until there's nothing left of you in this world and inherit your powers and that precious book of yours."
Jongdae stared at him, unimpressed, as THE CAT stretched out one of its hind legs to start its licking bath. Jongdae then pulled out a stalk of catnip and tapped it on THE CAT's head until the other turned itself onto its back and pawed at the catnip, purring out loud.
"Right," Jongdae smiled. "Not a cat. I'm so convinced."
THE CAT froze and quickly slapped the catnip away with a paw. "I'll have you know that my true form is very powerful. It's four times this size and it's most definitely not a huge cat."
"Right. I believe you. So what should I call you?"
THE CAT scoffed. "Like I'd give you my name and get myself imprisoned by your puny human lot?"
"I can't just call you THE CAT all the time, can I? I can call you Mittens? Purrsnickitty?"
"Fuck no."
"Potty mouther then?"
"You are mocking me, human."
"The name is Kim Jongdae."
"I'm not interested in your name--but you smell really powerful so I'll just eat you out right and nobody will notice." THE CAT pounced on Jongdae, paws stretched out with his gleaming nails sticking out. Before THE CAT could sink his teeth into Jongdae's throat, Jongdae punched the fake good-luck cat into the ground. "Stop it, you fat cat!"
"Ow~." THE CAT groaned.
"Serves you right."
"Fine. You can call me Baekhyun."
"Seriously?"
THE CAT bounced into Jongdae's face. "Insolent brat! Of course I won't give you my real name. It's an alias for a reason.">>
AC depicts the time when THE CAT has become his closest companion--the first close friend he has ever taken home.
AC is also the time where he finally finds a home.
--
2. Family and home
The couple, who have taken him in this time, are elderly--something between their forties or fifties, no children.
Jongdae doesn't question their age and tries to keep to himself. He doesn't want to be another burden. He doesn't want to stand out, not enough for them to question his sanity. He won't bring trouble at their door.
Did they hear about his other relatives about his tendencies to talk to air? Did they hear about his penchant for lying? Will they kick them out after the first week? Like everybody else who has ever taken him in?
But for how long will he be able to keep from them?
They are nice people, though.
Uncle Shim Changmin is some distant relative from his father's side. Jongdae hasn't met him a lot to gauge his overall personality, but so far Uncle seems quiet and easy-going. Apparently, Uncle usually attends family reunions once in a blue moon. He works as a teacher at a local middle school and has some interest in pottery, noted from the collection of tea cups in the cupboard.
Aunt Qian is an amazing cook. She often asks what he would like for dinner, especially when Uncle Changmin gives her "whatever you like" or "anything this season" or any other vague answers. She tries to make Jongdae comfortable, always asking how his day was and about his friends at school (which he doesn't really have, to be honest...).
Jongdae hopes fervently that the Shims won't ever catch him in a situation where explaining the supernatural would bring fear in their eyes whenever they look at him and distrust in their hearts.
<<"Can I... uhm... can I keep him?" Jongdae held up Baekhyun THE CAT in his arms.
Aunt Qian looks surprised. "Ah, such a round cat."
"His name is Baekhyun. I--I'll take care of him, don't worry. He won't be a bother, I promise. He's not filthy or anything and-"
Aunt Qian smiled. "This is the first time you've asked me something."
"I'm sorry." Jongdae stammered and dropped his eyes.
"I'll ask Uncle Changmin for you." Aunt Qian said as she reached a hand and scratched the round cat carefully.>>
He doesn't want to leave this house. The house that is filled with warmth and safety.
He doesn't want to leave. He hopes he could stay forever.
Even when he knows, forever is an intangible concept that doesn't exist in Jongdae's life for as long as he remembers.
--
<<3. Inheritance of power
In a small box of mementos, Jongdae finds the reason why the supernatural creatures are out to kill him. The box belonged to his grandmother--containing some school notebooks, a few tickets, library books well past their lending term, pencils and a book with strange writings.
"Book of Friends." Jongdae reads the cover of the strange book.
It's a notebook filled with names.
It's a notebook that gives Jongdae the ability to command whoever name is inside. Something very valuable for Baekhyun to stick around for.
“It’s not something a human like you should ever have.” Baekhyun has said.
They have made a pact. As long as Jongdae lives, Baekhyun will stick around until Jongdae passes through death’s door and the Book of Friends has lost its master.>>
--
4. True form
It was a dark, thunderous night when it happened. The winds howled outside the window, water droplets pitter-pattering against the glass like finger nails scratching the smooth surface begging to be let in, and flashes of light illuminating the grounds every few seconds, before pitching the area into endless darkness.
While the alarm ticked off each second, each minute of the time, it did not hide the crying winds in the night. Instead, the winds sounded like someone whispering in gibberish. The silhouette of the cherry tree branches outlined against the window curtains, swayed left and right with the strong winds, creating a shadow play of thin, long, bony fingers that reached out slowly to the futon in the middle of the room.
Huddled underneath a thick comforter, was Kim Jongdae, with his eyebrows creased together and clenched jaws.
Can't breathe.
Heavy.
Something heavy.
Can't move.
His lungs compressed. Breath stuck in the back of his throat. Teeth gnashing.
A thick plume of foul beer smell fanned into Jongdae's face. He scrunched his nose. The smell wouldn't disappear. Instead, it continued to waft into Jongdae's face.
Tuna. Rice beer. Sour wind. Vomit.
This was familiar.
It stinks.
Jongdae peeled his eyelids open. And did not just let out an undignified screech when his wide eyes was staring into a large red throat bared open in his face. The frigging passage way into the stomach welcomed him with breezes of last night's digested lunch and loud growling sounds.
"Get off!" Jongdae punched into the owner of the open throat and rolled off his futon as fast as he could.
The culprit yowled in pain, thrashed around on top of the futon, long thick snow white fur swirled as large paws trampled around in the room. His bedroom was too small for the mayhem, so Jongdae ended up in the path of open claws and big-boned limbs.
He punched the culprit over the head again and scrambled away as far as he could.
Finally, Jongdae recognized the form of a large snow-white wolf-like creature in his room, yellow cat eyes rimmed red with blood.
"Baekhyun!"
With a poof of smoke, Baekhyun reverted back to his fake form; a thick-fur cat with tiny paws but huge round body.
"Che, weak sauce. I was protecting you from those spirits." Baekhyun rubbed at his bruised cheek.
"By swallowing my head?" Jongdae deadpanned. "I find that hard to believe."
"Look, kid." Baekhyun scoffed, "While you're asleep, all your defenses are down. You make a nice snack for any ghoul passing through. With the full moon out, there bound to be someone latching onto you."
"But you're nearby so you won't let it happen, right?" Jongdae rested his head on a palm as he looked at Baekhyun.
"As if," Baekhyun scoffed, "I'd rather eat you instead and get that gain your Book of Friends once you're gone."
"But you won't," Jongdae smiled, and reached out to scratch Baekhyun behind the ears, "Awwwww."
Baekhyun sputtered, giving a weak protest, "Stop it! Stop it, human!" Instead of swiping at Jongdae with his clawed little paws, Baekhyun ended up rolling onto his back, baring his fluffy stomach and purred, completely taken in by the scratching.
At times like this, Jongdae hardly took Baekhyun's warnings to heart. Nobody would want to take a round cat with a funny face seriously, especially not when Baekhyun's poking his paws in the air as his thoughts floated about the stomach rubs he was getting.
"You probably should've been a dog." Jongdae said absently.
With this comment out in the open, Baekhyun stuck out his nails and swiped at Jongdae's offending hand with a growl, successfully scratching his forearm.
At that time, Jongdae had never thought soul possession could happen when he himself was considered a powerful human. He had assumed that being powerful meant, not one of the spirits would try to do funny business by taking over his body for their own gains. They usually didn't want anything to do with filthy human body, but were all after either the name that they lost or after the Book of Friends he had in his possession.
--
5. A request
Aunt Qian had asked him to buy groceries after school. While carrying tonight's dinner ingredients in plastic bags on one hand and his school bag in the other, Jongdae was on his way home, taking a turn to the bridge that was built over a small lake running from the main river to the forest river.
It's when he turned back to the road did he see an odd disruption in front of him. There was a huge red paper parasol obstructing his way. Birds and butterflies decorated the paper around the corners.
Is this one of those... them again? Jongdae had wondered absently and sidestepped the parasol. why was it in the middle of the pedestrian sidewalk? was the owner hurt or did he fainted? Curiosity got the better of him, as Jongdae peered around the parasol to look at the owner.
"Do you need help?" His voice trailed off when he realized there's a black blob of something underneath the parasol. Two bright eyes were staring at him.
Not human.
His breath was trapped in his throat.
Before Jongdae could jump a few steps to safety, the blob screeched, "So you can see me, human?" and shot forward so fast Jongdae didn't have time to stumble back or defend himself.
Two cold hands had wrapped around Jongdae's neck, squeezing him tight and holding him halfway over the bridge's railing.
"Filthy human," The black blob turned out to be a scarred figure face, bandages draped all over its face, and he was standing taller than Jongdae, "Give me your body." The blob-turned-bandaged-face demanded, "Or I will squeeze every bit of air out of your body."
Black spots start appearing in his vision, the face in front of him blurred around the edges, his head was swimming from the lack of oxygen. Jongdae scratched at the chokehold, coughing and gasping for air.
"Jongdae!" Baekhyun immediately pounced on the chokeholder. "Release him, low life."
When the large hands finally retracted, Jongdae was gasping for breath, leaning heavily against the railing. The sound of battle served as background noise until Jongdae finally recognized the seriousness of Baekhyun going all out over the mummified choke-holder. Wisps of smoke and slurs were flung around creating gusts of violent winds and blowing leaves abnormally away from the bridge.
"That's enough, both of you." Jongdae dropped his fists on both of their heads.
"Chanyeol. It's all right." A voice unlike the choke-holder suddenly spoke up. The source of the voice Jongdae traced to the wine skin the choke-holder had tied against his hip.
Jongdae paled.
Someone is in there. In that wineskin.
Was it trapped in there?
"But Yixing--There's no time. We have to hurry by full moon. Tomorrow you can perform your last rite to Master SooMan." the mummified choke-holder, Chanyeol, was getting agitated.
"It's all right. You've done enough..." the wine skin prisoner said, his voice growing quieter by the minute, until it's all silent.
"Yixing?" Chanyeol asked, leaning down a bit to speak to the wine skin.
Nobody answered him.
Chanyeol caught Jongdae's fearful eyes.
"He's asleep. Don't worry."
Chanyeol grabbed his paper parasol, jumped onto the ledge of the bridge and pushed himself off to enter the dense river streaming underneath the bridge.
--
6. Dream
Jongdae sometimes dreams.
Water droplets from last night rain made tinkling sounds as they dropped from the tree leaves into the pond of water. The moon is at its brightest, large and round spotlight in the night sky, sending silver beams to the surface of the water pond and the nearby areas. A small crowd is sitting around the pond underneath several large red umbrellas. One of the umbrella holders, Jongdae recognizes as Chanyeol--all bandaged up with scabs of impure skin sticking out from his cheek.
In the middle of the water pond, there is a large pink lotus flower in full bloom. Yixing is in the center, dressed in long, colorful robes that Jongdae recognizes as probably some Imperial dress code with all the golden silk and fine embroideries patterned on the cloth.
Yixing is playing something, fingers shuddering across the strings as he drags out a note into a lilting song of love and regret. Jongdae can't hear it though. But he feels the vibrato of the lute slithering into his skin, entering his bones and filling his heart with words that go unsaid in the melody.
Then Jongdae's fingers crack.
The melody stops abruptly.
One by one his fingers crumble from the lute.
His face starts melting off as well, until he's slumped over the lotus flower and his beloved lute. More crumbling. Jongdae feels his existence turning into dust. The last thing he remembers is Chanyeol's shocked face as he rushes forward and calls out to Jongdae, "Yixing!"
Jongdae thrashed awake, breath heaving, chest constricting and sweat clinging to his face. He finds himself back in his room, sheets pooled around his waist and the familiar sight of his study table. He quickly checks his hands, his fingers and finds them whole. He pressed his hands against his face, feeling the contours, the cheekbones, his nose. Everything still in place.
"Just a dream. Just a dream." He sighed in relief.
Or maybe a memory?
The next morning, Baekhyun was staring wide-eyed with shock at him. "Your hair-."
"What? What's wrong?" Jongdae asked. His throat was parched. His eyeballs hurt from the inside out. His head felt really too heavy. Baekhyun handed him a mirror and when Jongdae stared into his reflection--instead of his own reflection, Jongdae sees a stranger.
Apparently, tinted hair has a special meaning.
"Signs of soul possession." Baekhyun explained.
Chanyeol, who has somehow spent the night, was smiling eerily at Jongdae, all teeth and half-moon eyes.
"I've placed Yixing into your body last night." He said proudly.
"You WHAT?" Jongdae shrieked.
--
7. Melody of the Moon
At school, Jongdae has chosen the roof as a good enough place to ask Yixing for details. While they conversed, Chanyeol has already run off to make the stringed instrument for tonight's concert.
"I apologize for what Chanyeol has done." Yixing said, using Jongdae's voice.
Jongdae will probably never get used to this. It doesn't feel any different with Yixing's soul also hosting in his own. But then again, as long as he doesn't focus on the 'other soul in his body' part, it feels like talking to someone speaking in his head. At least it's not an evil spirit. Baekhyun doesn't seem that concerned when he found out who exactly is also in Jongdae's body. At least Yixing's soul didn't violently pushed Jongdae's soul out of the body. That'd be dangerous.
"It's okay." Jongdae said quietly. "So tell me why you want my body? And what will happen during full moon tomorrow night?"
"Tonight, it's the full moon where the path opens to the other realm. It's when Master SooMan would hold court and request for music."
"I see. So... you want to play and you need a body to do this?"
"Yes." Yixing was quiet. "I'm sorry I'm using you for my selfish whims."
"That dream-- so it wasn't exactly a dream where you crumbled and turned into ash? It's real. That's what happened to your real body?"
Jongdae could hear waves of Yixing regret coming off from his own head. "Yes."
"Look, it's okay. Baekhyun doesn't seem worried so I think it's okay just for one day."
"Thank you, Kim Jongdae."
"Is this play that important to you?"
Yixing was quiet again, carefully contemplating how to answer. Jongdae knew, because they were in the same body. "It is. It’s my last time with the Master. It is important to Chanyeol as well."
Somehow Jongdae didn't think this is the whole story, but he didn't pry. "All right. I'll help."
Tonight, the full moon was brighter than ever. The ethereal light brightened the forest, dousing it in fairy lights of white sparks. Chanyeol was tugging at his wrist on one hand, while the other cradled the lute for tonight's show. Jongdae struggled to keep up with Chanyeol's enthusiasm. His knees were shaking and walking through patches of high weed was not a good idea in the middle of the night. He nearly stumbled over his own feet and kicked a large ants nest. Thank goodness for the bright moonlight leading the way.
"Here is good enough." Jongdae said, but it was actually Yixing speaking. Jongdae stopped walking and remained rooted to the place.
"But Yixing, what about Master SooMan?" Chanyeol frowned.
"I've decided this is enough. My time in court has ended." Yixing tilted his head, looking earnestly into Chanyeol through Jongdae's eyes, "Won't you listen to my song?"
Chanyeol opened his mouth, but no words came out until he finally resigns himself. "Yes." He lowered his head, "Please."
That night, Yixing plays a song, a melody on the newly-made lute. The song fills the area, coats the forest in a warm blanket and makes the silver beams of the moon light shiver with anticipation. The song Jongdae hears is nothing like he has ever heard in the human realm. It's the song that vibrates into his inner core, straight down his bones and veins. It is the song that speaks to the forest, the moon and land, the sky and the clouds, in a language only Yixing and Chanyeol could appreciate.
This is the last song Yixing will ever play.
This is the first and last time Jongdae will ever hear this ethereal song of another realm.
--
8. Full circle
The lute Chanyeol and Yixing had left in his care lays against the wall in his room.
Jongdae has never played any kind of instrument before. So he was surprised when last night's concert had gone really well. Tears had streamed down from Chanyeol’s eyes.
Jongdae held the lute in his lap, studied the bamboo skin and the fish strings and let his fingers trail the details before he plucked a tune.
"You suck." Baekhyun commented offhandedly from the corner where he has settled between the pillows. He poured alcohol into a tiny cup and downs the content all by himself.
And Jongdae laughed. "Right, of course." He propped the lute back against the wall and rests his face between his palms as he stared at the instrument, pulling up the memory of last night's concert.
AC is also filled with laughter.
The End
Author's note: Your prompt is really cute but the story might not be what you wanted. For that, I apologize T_T but I hope you'll still enjoy this.
Title: The Boy, his cat and other stories
Pairing: None, Jongdae-centric
Rating: PG
Word count: ~3.8k
Summary: Natsume Yuujinchou!AU - There are two periods in Jongdae's life, Before Cat (BC) and After Cat (AC). AC is the one he's living in.
1. BC, AC and time
If there is a timeline Jongdae could use to describe his life, it'd be a long stretch of line with two periods. On the far left is his past and the far right the present heading towards the future. In the middle of the line, there'd be a division of Before Cat (BC) and After Cat (AC).
BC stood for the time before Jongdae moved into the quaint countryside home of a faintly related family relative from his father's side. BC consisted of what Jongdae would call his Dark Times; chucked around from one family to another, dealing with distrustful glares and fearful taunts from his peers and relatives alike. An unwanted stray.
<<"Mom, Jongdae is lying again."
"That child is giving me the creeps. Why did you take him in?"
"He's always staring through me like he's ready to steal my soul. And the things he says make no sense."
"Always looking for attention. Annoying brat."
"I don't want my child anywhere near him. What if he's contagious?"
"I saw him talking to himself and looking like he's talking with someone else. We should send him to hospital."
"Give him to someone else. I can't deal with him anymore."
"He's so quiet. It's like he's waiting to attack us in our sleep."
"Stop lying, Jongdae. There's nothing there.">>
He wasn't a liar. The thing is, he could see things, stuff, creatures, ghosts maybe. BC was a time Jongdae couldn't handle his Sight, where he could see just about anything ghostly to pass his shoulder.
For as long as Jongdae could remember, the supernatural has always followed him around. Dark shadows tailed him as he walked home. Big, one-eyed creatures jumped out of bushes with their mouths opened wide, threatening to eat him. Wispy figures with horns and standing on hind legs passed him along his way to the house he was staying at, their gleaming eyes following his every movement. Some of them even looked like real humans.
The last category is troublesome since Jongdae ends up talking to them, which technically translates into Jongdae talking to something that isn't there and to the world, he may as well have lost his mind. The other category that is more troublesome is when they start chasing him, attacking him from all sides and technically trying to kill him off with accidents.
BC was the time Jongdae rather not talk, much less think, about.
AC, however, is a little different. Jongdae isn't sure how it happened, how everything seemed to have changed, how those ghostly creatures don't usually scare him as they used to, but he knows it has something to do with the Cat. The Cat dropped into his life in the form of a good luck porcelain figurine. It had bounced off Jongdae's chin as a grand greeting when Jongdae encountered a shrine in the forest by accident and proceeded to announce his intentions pompously.
<<"I'm not just any cat, not even a cat. I'm THE CAT and I will eat you until there's nothing left of you in this world and inherit your powers and that precious book of yours."
Jongdae stared at him, unimpressed, as THE CAT stretched out one of its hind legs to start its licking bath. Jongdae then pulled out a stalk of catnip and tapped it on THE CAT's head until the other turned itself onto its back and pawed at the catnip, purring out loud.
"Right," Jongdae smiled. "Not a cat. I'm so convinced."
THE CAT froze and quickly slapped the catnip away with a paw. "I'll have you know that my true form is very powerful. It's four times this size and it's most definitely not a huge cat."
"Right. I believe you. So what should I call you?"
THE CAT scoffed. "Like I'd give you my name and get myself imprisoned by your puny human lot?"
"I can't just call you THE CAT all the time, can I? I can call you Mittens? Purrsnickitty?"
"Fuck no."
"Potty mouther then?"
"You are mocking me, human."
"The name is Kim Jongdae."
"I'm not interested in your name--but you smell really powerful so I'll just eat you out right and nobody will notice." THE CAT pounced on Jongdae, paws stretched out with his gleaming nails sticking out. Before THE CAT could sink his teeth into Jongdae's throat, Jongdae punched the fake good-luck cat into the ground. "Stop it, you fat cat!"
"Ow~." THE CAT groaned.
"Serves you right."
"Fine. You can call me Baekhyun."
"Seriously?"
THE CAT bounced into Jongdae's face. "Insolent brat! Of course I won't give you my real name. It's an alias for a reason.">>
AC depicts the time when THE CAT has become his closest companion--the first close friend he has ever taken home.
AC is also the time where he finally finds a home.
--
2. Family and home
The couple, who have taken him in this time, are elderly--something between their forties or fifties, no children.
Jongdae doesn't question their age and tries to keep to himself. He doesn't want to be another burden. He doesn't want to stand out, not enough for them to question his sanity. He won't bring trouble at their door.
Did they hear about his other relatives about his tendencies to talk to air? Did they hear about his penchant for lying? Will they kick them out after the first week? Like everybody else who has ever taken him in?
But for how long will he be able to keep from them?
They are nice people, though.
Uncle Shim Changmin is some distant relative from his father's side. Jongdae hasn't met him a lot to gauge his overall personality, but so far Uncle seems quiet and easy-going. Apparently, Uncle usually attends family reunions once in a blue moon. He works as a teacher at a local middle school and has some interest in pottery, noted from the collection of tea cups in the cupboard.
Aunt Qian is an amazing cook. She often asks what he would like for dinner, especially when Uncle Changmin gives her "whatever you like" or "anything this season" or any other vague answers. She tries to make Jongdae comfortable, always asking how his day was and about his friends at school (which he doesn't really have, to be honest...).
Jongdae hopes fervently that the Shims won't ever catch him in a situation where explaining the supernatural would bring fear in their eyes whenever they look at him and distrust in their hearts.
<<"Can I... uhm... can I keep him?" Jongdae held up Baekhyun THE CAT in his arms.
Aunt Qian looks surprised. "Ah, such a round cat."
"His name is Baekhyun. I--I'll take care of him, don't worry. He won't be a bother, I promise. He's not filthy or anything and-"
Aunt Qian smiled. "This is the first time you've asked me something."
"I'm sorry." Jongdae stammered and dropped his eyes.
"I'll ask Uncle Changmin for you." Aunt Qian said as she reached a hand and scratched the round cat carefully.>>
He doesn't want to leave this house. The house that is filled with warmth and safety.
He doesn't want to leave. He hopes he could stay forever.
Even when he knows, forever is an intangible concept that doesn't exist in Jongdae's life for as long as he remembers.
--
<<3. Inheritance of power
In a small box of mementos, Jongdae finds the reason why the supernatural creatures are out to kill him. The box belonged to his grandmother--containing some school notebooks, a few tickets, library books well past their lending term, pencils and a book with strange writings.
"Book of Friends." Jongdae reads the cover of the strange book.
It's a notebook filled with names.
It's a notebook that gives Jongdae the ability to command whoever name is inside. Something very valuable for Baekhyun to stick around for.
“It’s not something a human like you should ever have.” Baekhyun has said.
They have made a pact. As long as Jongdae lives, Baekhyun will stick around until Jongdae passes through death’s door and the Book of Friends has lost its master.>>
--
4. True form
It was a dark, thunderous night when it happened. The winds howled outside the window, water droplets pitter-pattering against the glass like finger nails scratching the smooth surface begging to be let in, and flashes of light illuminating the grounds every few seconds, before pitching the area into endless darkness.
While the alarm ticked off each second, each minute of the time, it did not hide the crying winds in the night. Instead, the winds sounded like someone whispering in gibberish. The silhouette of the cherry tree branches outlined against the window curtains, swayed left and right with the strong winds, creating a shadow play of thin, long, bony fingers that reached out slowly to the futon in the middle of the room.
Huddled underneath a thick comforter, was Kim Jongdae, with his eyebrows creased together and clenched jaws.
Can't breathe.
Heavy.
Something heavy.
Can't move.
His lungs compressed. Breath stuck in the back of his throat. Teeth gnashing.
A thick plume of foul beer smell fanned into Jongdae's face. He scrunched his nose. The smell wouldn't disappear. Instead, it continued to waft into Jongdae's face.
Tuna. Rice beer. Sour wind. Vomit.
This was familiar.
It stinks.
Jongdae peeled his eyelids open. And did not just let out an undignified screech when his wide eyes was staring into a large red throat bared open in his face. The frigging passage way into the stomach welcomed him with breezes of last night's digested lunch and loud growling sounds.
"Get off!" Jongdae punched into the owner of the open throat and rolled off his futon as fast as he could.
The culprit yowled in pain, thrashed around on top of the futon, long thick snow white fur swirled as large paws trampled around in the room. His bedroom was too small for the mayhem, so Jongdae ended up in the path of open claws and big-boned limbs.
He punched the culprit over the head again and scrambled away as far as he could.
Finally, Jongdae recognized the form of a large snow-white wolf-like creature in his room, yellow cat eyes rimmed red with blood.
"Baekhyun!"
With a poof of smoke, Baekhyun reverted back to his fake form; a thick-fur cat with tiny paws but huge round body.
"Che, weak sauce. I was protecting you from those spirits." Baekhyun rubbed at his bruised cheek.
"By swallowing my head?" Jongdae deadpanned. "I find that hard to believe."
"Look, kid." Baekhyun scoffed, "While you're asleep, all your defenses are down. You make a nice snack for any ghoul passing through. With the full moon out, there bound to be someone latching onto you."
"But you're nearby so you won't let it happen, right?" Jongdae rested his head on a palm as he looked at Baekhyun.
"As if," Baekhyun scoffed, "I'd rather eat you instead and get that gain your Book of Friends once you're gone."
"But you won't," Jongdae smiled, and reached out to scratch Baekhyun behind the ears, "Awwwww."
Baekhyun sputtered, giving a weak protest, "Stop it! Stop it, human!" Instead of swiping at Jongdae with his clawed little paws, Baekhyun ended up rolling onto his back, baring his fluffy stomach and purred, completely taken in by the scratching.
At times like this, Jongdae hardly took Baekhyun's warnings to heart. Nobody would want to take a round cat with a funny face seriously, especially not when Baekhyun's poking his paws in the air as his thoughts floated about the stomach rubs he was getting.
"You probably should've been a dog." Jongdae said absently.
With this comment out in the open, Baekhyun stuck out his nails and swiped at Jongdae's offending hand with a growl, successfully scratching his forearm.
At that time, Jongdae had never thought soul possession could happen when he himself was considered a powerful human. He had assumed that being powerful meant, not one of the spirits would try to do funny business by taking over his body for their own gains. They usually didn't want anything to do with filthy human body, but were all after either the name that they lost or after the Book of Friends he had in his possession.
--
5. A request
Aunt Qian had asked him to buy groceries after school. While carrying tonight's dinner ingredients in plastic bags on one hand and his school bag in the other, Jongdae was on his way home, taking a turn to the bridge that was built over a small lake running from the main river to the forest river.
It's when he turned back to the road did he see an odd disruption in front of him. There was a huge red paper parasol obstructing his way. Birds and butterflies decorated the paper around the corners.
Is this one of those... them again? Jongdae had wondered absently and sidestepped the parasol. why was it in the middle of the pedestrian sidewalk? was the owner hurt or did he fainted? Curiosity got the better of him, as Jongdae peered around the parasol to look at the owner.
"Do you need help?" His voice trailed off when he realized there's a black blob of something underneath the parasol. Two bright eyes were staring at him.
Not human.
His breath was trapped in his throat.
Before Jongdae could jump a few steps to safety, the blob screeched, "So you can see me, human?" and shot forward so fast Jongdae didn't have time to stumble back or defend himself.
Two cold hands had wrapped around Jongdae's neck, squeezing him tight and holding him halfway over the bridge's railing.
"Filthy human," The black blob turned out to be a scarred figure face, bandages draped all over its face, and he was standing taller than Jongdae, "Give me your body." The blob-turned-bandaged-face demanded, "Or I will squeeze every bit of air out of your body."
Black spots start appearing in his vision, the face in front of him blurred around the edges, his head was swimming from the lack of oxygen. Jongdae scratched at the chokehold, coughing and gasping for air.
"Jongdae!" Baekhyun immediately pounced on the chokeholder. "Release him, low life."
When the large hands finally retracted, Jongdae was gasping for breath, leaning heavily against the railing. The sound of battle served as background noise until Jongdae finally recognized the seriousness of Baekhyun going all out over the mummified choke-holder. Wisps of smoke and slurs were flung around creating gusts of violent winds and blowing leaves abnormally away from the bridge.
"That's enough, both of you." Jongdae dropped his fists on both of their heads.
"Chanyeol. It's all right." A voice unlike the choke-holder suddenly spoke up. The source of the voice Jongdae traced to the wine skin the choke-holder had tied against his hip.
Jongdae paled.
Someone is in there. In that wineskin.
Was it trapped in there?
"But Yixing--There's no time. We have to hurry by full moon. Tomorrow you can perform your last rite to Master SooMan." the mummified choke-holder, Chanyeol, was getting agitated.
"It's all right. You've done enough..." the wine skin prisoner said, his voice growing quieter by the minute, until it's all silent.
"Yixing?" Chanyeol asked, leaning down a bit to speak to the wine skin.
Nobody answered him.
Chanyeol caught Jongdae's fearful eyes.
"He's asleep. Don't worry."
Chanyeol grabbed his paper parasol, jumped onto the ledge of the bridge and pushed himself off to enter the dense river streaming underneath the bridge.
--
6. Dream
Jongdae sometimes dreams.
Water droplets from last night rain made tinkling sounds as they dropped from the tree leaves into the pond of water. The moon is at its brightest, large and round spotlight in the night sky, sending silver beams to the surface of the water pond and the nearby areas. A small crowd is sitting around the pond underneath several large red umbrellas. One of the umbrella holders, Jongdae recognizes as Chanyeol--all bandaged up with scabs of impure skin sticking out from his cheek.
In the middle of the water pond, there is a large pink lotus flower in full bloom. Yixing is in the center, dressed in long, colorful robes that Jongdae recognizes as probably some Imperial dress code with all the golden silk and fine embroideries patterned on the cloth.
Yixing is playing something, fingers shuddering across the strings as he drags out a note into a lilting song of love and regret. Jongdae can't hear it though. But he feels the vibrato of the lute slithering into his skin, entering his bones and filling his heart with words that go unsaid in the melody.
Then Jongdae's fingers crack.
The melody stops abruptly.
One by one his fingers crumble from the lute.
His face starts melting off as well, until he's slumped over the lotus flower and his beloved lute. More crumbling. Jongdae feels his existence turning into dust. The last thing he remembers is Chanyeol's shocked face as he rushes forward and calls out to Jongdae, "Yixing!"
Jongdae thrashed awake, breath heaving, chest constricting and sweat clinging to his face. He finds himself back in his room, sheets pooled around his waist and the familiar sight of his study table. He quickly checks his hands, his fingers and finds them whole. He pressed his hands against his face, feeling the contours, the cheekbones, his nose. Everything still in place.
"Just a dream. Just a dream." He sighed in relief.
Or maybe a memory?
The next morning, Baekhyun was staring wide-eyed with shock at him. "Your hair-."
"What? What's wrong?" Jongdae asked. His throat was parched. His eyeballs hurt from the inside out. His head felt really too heavy. Baekhyun handed him a mirror and when Jongdae stared into his reflection--instead of his own reflection, Jongdae sees a stranger.
Apparently, tinted hair has a special meaning.
"Signs of soul possession." Baekhyun explained.
Chanyeol, who has somehow spent the night, was smiling eerily at Jongdae, all teeth and half-moon eyes.
"I've placed Yixing into your body last night." He said proudly.
"You WHAT?" Jongdae shrieked.
--
7. Melody of the Moon
At school, Jongdae has chosen the roof as a good enough place to ask Yixing for details. While they conversed, Chanyeol has already run off to make the stringed instrument for tonight's concert.
"I apologize for what Chanyeol has done." Yixing said, using Jongdae's voice.
Jongdae will probably never get used to this. It doesn't feel any different with Yixing's soul also hosting in his own. But then again, as long as he doesn't focus on the 'other soul in his body' part, it feels like talking to someone speaking in his head. At least it's not an evil spirit. Baekhyun doesn't seem that concerned when he found out who exactly is also in Jongdae's body. At least Yixing's soul didn't violently pushed Jongdae's soul out of the body. That'd be dangerous.
"It's okay." Jongdae said quietly. "So tell me why you want my body? And what will happen during full moon tomorrow night?"
"Tonight, it's the full moon where the path opens to the other realm. It's when Master SooMan would hold court and request for music."
"I see. So... you want to play and you need a body to do this?"
"Yes." Yixing was quiet. "I'm sorry I'm using you for my selfish whims."
"That dream-- so it wasn't exactly a dream where you crumbled and turned into ash? It's real. That's what happened to your real body?"
Jongdae could hear waves of Yixing regret coming off from his own head. "Yes."
"Look, it's okay. Baekhyun doesn't seem worried so I think it's okay just for one day."
"Thank you, Kim Jongdae."
"Is this play that important to you?"
Yixing was quiet again, carefully contemplating how to answer. Jongdae knew, because they were in the same body. "It is. It’s my last time with the Master. It is important to Chanyeol as well."
Somehow Jongdae didn't think this is the whole story, but he didn't pry. "All right. I'll help."
Tonight, the full moon was brighter than ever. The ethereal light brightened the forest, dousing it in fairy lights of white sparks. Chanyeol was tugging at his wrist on one hand, while the other cradled the lute for tonight's show. Jongdae struggled to keep up with Chanyeol's enthusiasm. His knees were shaking and walking through patches of high weed was not a good idea in the middle of the night. He nearly stumbled over his own feet and kicked a large ants nest. Thank goodness for the bright moonlight leading the way.
"Here is good enough." Jongdae said, but it was actually Yixing speaking. Jongdae stopped walking and remained rooted to the place.
"But Yixing, what about Master SooMan?" Chanyeol frowned.
"I've decided this is enough. My time in court has ended." Yixing tilted his head, looking earnestly into Chanyeol through Jongdae's eyes, "Won't you listen to my song?"
Chanyeol opened his mouth, but no words came out until he finally resigns himself. "Yes." He lowered his head, "Please."
That night, Yixing plays a song, a melody on the newly-made lute. The song fills the area, coats the forest in a warm blanket and makes the silver beams of the moon light shiver with anticipation. The song Jongdae hears is nothing like he has ever heard in the human realm. It's the song that vibrates into his inner core, straight down his bones and veins. It is the song that speaks to the forest, the moon and land, the sky and the clouds, in a language only Yixing and Chanyeol could appreciate.
This is the last song Yixing will ever play.
This is the first and last time Jongdae will ever hear this ethereal song of another realm.
--
8. Full circle
The lute Chanyeol and Yixing had left in his care lays against the wall in his room.
Jongdae has never played any kind of instrument before. So he was surprised when last night's concert had gone really well. Tears had streamed down from Chanyeol’s eyes.
Jongdae held the lute in his lap, studied the bamboo skin and the fish strings and let his fingers trail the details before he plucked a tune.
"You suck." Baekhyun commented offhandedly from the corner where he has settled between the pillows. He poured alcohol into a tiny cup and downs the content all by himself.
And Jongdae laughed. "Right, of course." He propped the lute back against the wall and rests his face between his palms as he stared at the instrument, pulling up the memory of last night's concert.
AC is also filled with laughter.
The End
Author's note: Your prompt is really cute but the story might not be what you wanted. For that, I apologize T_T but I hope you'll still enjoy this.