Free Will

Burial Rights

Jimin wasn't expecting to see snow on the ground when he exited his tent, but considering how cold it's been recently he really shouldn't be surprised. Hoseok and Namjoon sit by the fire, waving to him but not calling out because of how early it is. He watches as they throw more logs on the fire and sip from their waterskins.

For a moment Jimin contemplates going over to say hi but it's been a while since Jimin has the opportunity to walk around in the morning frost. He motions to them that he's entering the forest, and they silently nod their acknowledgement. Hobi point to the waterskin in an offering but Jimin just shakes his head, he won't be gone so long that he'd really need it.

It's hard to keep his steps quiet when the snow underneath his feet seems to want to crunch so much, but he's had a long time to practice so Jimin doesn't concentrate to much on it, even if Jungkook is one of the lightest sleepers he's ever met. He smiles softly at the loud snores that come from Tae's tent, one of the few sounds Jungkook is immune to.

Once he enters the forest Jimin lets out tension he barely even realized he had. It'd been there since last night, the remnants of the encounter with Yoongi. Jimin isn't afraid of him, but he's aware the Yoongi could be potentially dangerous. Fire is typically a pretty unpredictable gift, many who have it are executed for witchcraft at a young age. Yoongi is lucky that he escaped such a fate.

As Jimin continues to pick his way through the forest, listening to the calls of the birds, his mind travels to what Yoongi had said. He'd been confused by the fact that Jimin didn't immediately burst forth with some sort of violent gift, as if the only exposure he got to gifts was the kind that could bring harm to others. This raises a question Jimin almost doesn't want the answer to.

What on earth is Taehyung's gift?

Whatever it is, it isn't tame, Jimin can guess that much at least.

He forces himself to stop thinking about the subject once he reaches his destination, the clearing he'd found Yoongi at last night. He can't dig a grave, he has no shovel- not to mention the ground is frozen anyways. The best Jimin can do is perform the funeral rights for these men.

When he was younger he tried out being a priest, and it hadn't really been his thing, but the knowledge he gained in those years comes in handy at times like these. Jimin picks up a stick and, in the light layer of snow, begins to write the basic runes for the deaths of those whose who should be forgotten, creating a large circle around the burnt corpses. Once he's done he simply sits outside the rune circle and begins talking to them.

"I know it wasn't fair of Yoongi Hyung to steal from you, and I know it was cruel of him to torture you in this way just because you wanted revenge for his thievery. I do not condone his actions, but I will not punish him for them. Your souls are no longer welcome here, you've attempted your revenge and have failed. Take this as a sign and leave this world."

Just as Jimin utters his last words their scorches remains collapse into the ashes they belong as and begin to float away, leaving him alone in the forest. Their souls have moved on to the shadow realm now, compelled by whatever force it is that calls on them. Jimin has never reached the next world, and likelihood is he never will.

With a sigh he stand and begins to rub away the runes, not wanting others to notice and question their presence. Once he's done Jimin begins his treck back to where the others are camping. If he's lucky he might manage to get back before everyone is awake and questions him.

Jimin is never lucky.

As he approaches the campsite he can hear Taehyung and Hoseok yelling- although it doesn't sound like their yelling at each other. From his time with the men Jimin can assume that those two are just messing around for the sake of messing around. He's probably gonna walk back into camp and see Tae making snow angels while Hobi tries to rile Yoongi up with snowballs.

Upon entering Jimin can see that he's close to right. Tae isn't making snow angels, instead he's making himself into pile of snow by covering himself with as much of it as possible, and Hobi and Jungkook seem to helping. Jungkook, noticing him, waves as he dumps a pile of snow onto Taehyung's shivering body.

"Where were you, Chim?"

"Honorifics!" Jin calls from across the campsite.

Jimin ignores the elder man. "Just taking a walk. Can I ask why we're trying to freeze Tae to death?"

"I asked for it!" Cries out the quaking male underneath the sad excuse for a snow pile. "I'm going to become a snowman!"

"You're going to become a dead man." Jimin corrects. "Don't make me drag you out."

"Don't. Touch. Me." Taehyungs voice is harsh, and a drastic change from his previous light hearted attitude.

"I won't! I was just kidding!"

Taehyung ignores his words and stands up, snow clinging to his form, only to disappear into his tent. Jimin stares after him, wondering what had shaken up his friend to this extent.

"Chim-ah, we're going to be moving into someone barn today. Can you help us pack?" Namjoon says, not so subtly trying to distract him from Taehyungs abrupt exit.

Jimin nods, and the time consuming project of taking down camp ensues. At some point during it Tae emerges, and while he says nothing about why he just walked away from Jimin he does fill what had been an awkward silence with mindless chatter. Although Tae is undoubtedly annoying everyone in the clearing by switching between bad renditions of emotional ballads and imitating chickens, not a single member of the group said a thing to shut him up.

As they approach the barn they'd been promised they could stay in, the group grows more solemn and seems to be taking up defensive positions, hands on their weapons. Jimin can take a few guesses as to why, but has no solid theory, so he says nothing about their actions. Even as Hoseok nearly kills the owner of the barn with a single well placed glare he says nothing and asks no questions. If there's something important they need to tell him he just has to believe they will.

"Ah~" Jin practically sings as he falls onto the hay. "It's been too long since we slept indoors. So nice to not have to worry about rain for once."

"Two things. One: with how rickety this building is I wouldn't be surprised if rain makes its way through the roof. Two: there isn't even rain right now, the weather is too cold for that."

"Namjoon?" The eldest says in a very polite voice.

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"That- that's fair." The clumsy man doesn't even try to argue, although if it was one of the others he would have at least tried to defend himself. He would have failed, but at least he'd have tried.

Jimin blinks. "Oh."

"What? What's 'oh'?" Jimin nods towards the two men, and Jungkook laughs. "Yeah, that's the biggest and most frustrating 'oh' since before the beginning of time."

"Is it an 'oh' that's likely to figure it out?"

"It's an 'oh' that we don't mess with."

"Whatever you guys are talking about, stop it! I'm trying to bask in the concept of shelter!"

"Yes Eomma."

"Yah! You're dead Jeon Jungkook!"

Jimin scuttles back and watches as the youngest of the group indulges the eldest of the groups childish ways. As they tackle each other and get covered in mud, egged on by Tae and reprimanded by Namjoon, Jimin as one thought that stills his breathing for a moment. He clings to that thought tightly, because he's sure that even though it was just meant to cross his mind in passing he finds it to be so incredibly true.

Jimin has found his family, it's weird and slightly dysfunctional, but it's his.