𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙖~ 𝘽𝙏𝙎 𝙃𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝘼𝙐

XVI

"King this, Queen that... Who are these kings and queens anyhow?" Jimin was elated with the fine telling of the story.

Though, he still lacked the notice of the idea behind it.

"One king. One queen, not plural." The other picked at the disheveled strands at his coat.

"Okay, blah blah. But who are they then? I'm sure he told me for a reason." Jimin truly did enjoy the story. But he did not enjoy not being able to understand. He wanted simplified answers for his mind.

His mind that finally was,

Too little for adult conversation.

"Foolish, aren't we? If I had a cigarette for each time we've answered questions like these, I might have withered away by now. Again." The taller tilted at the ashtray to peer at the ash that dusted around it.

"But you're already withering."

Namjoon paused.

He was slowly mounting himself on top of an insufferable damnation.

But that wasn't his fault.

"Yes. But not by cigarettes Jimin." Namjoon shook nonchalantly at Jimin who boasted about the realization.

"And that is because of me, I know that! I have gathered that much. But where does my recollection take place in that?"

Jimin's questions were always the same, just worded differently.

By now, he shouldn't be so disappointed whenever he receives the same answers.

"You haven't the slightest idea as to what your own mind is. You do not understand, so you do not remember."

Namjoon was right. Partly. Maybe he was naive himself.

"Right, but I am trying to understand. I know I need to figure these things out myself, but I need more than just analogies-" Jimin kept kicking at the floor, more so just to irritate and persuade Namjoon to give a suitable answer.

But he still wouldn't.

"You've seen the blood shed from Taehyung's self harm and your promise within forgetfulness. You've seen the tear of his heart, three times, and the forbidden clock that ceased that. Those are not analogies. You bedevil yourself over the concept of them being illusions, rather than the reality that conceives you." Namjoon was relentless with his comments and their diminishing. Still, he continued to flick at a lighter to light a cigarette.

Jimin was too mental to listen to phrases only the others understood.

The point was for Jimin to understand.

Namjoon knew that. They all did.

Perhaps they simply enjoyed vexing Jimin.

Teasing him.

It made the emotional ping against one another mutual.

Because Jimin did the same to them. In various ways.

"I am mental enough to have already deceived myself. I have just grown smart enough to tell the difference." Jimin was surely insane. But he was not...

Smart. Not even close.

"Wrongly so. You still stand incorrect. I know you Jimin, but Taehyung knows you best. And you know us better than anyone. I also happen to be the smartest. And I know that you enjoyed seeing him bleed."

Jimin bit at his tongue.

Nobody had been around to see Jimin marvel at the blood from Taehyung at his hands.

Jimin thought he had done well enough to hide it from Taehyung as well.

"You forget the relation between our insanities. All of us Jimin. Remember who the mental ones truly are."

Jimin did remember for fucks sake. He remembered that.

Clearly they were born with mania.

"And you Jimin, are the worst of them all. Thoughtless. Stubborn. Sadistic."

"I am not sadistic!? I wish to harm no one!"

Namjoon bit down at his cigarette.

He pulled it from his lips, flicking the ash onto Jimin's hand.

Jimin huddled away whenever Namjoon bent down to blow out the lasting smoke.

"Then why do you continue to do so. Why did you." Namjoon took another drag at his cigarette, standing back up.

Jimin frowned. He really did not intend to diminish anyone, let alone harm them.

He at least thought so.

He winced, inhaling briskly whenever Namjoon took his cigarette to his shoulder to put it out.

"What the fuck!? That hurt!"

Namjoon hushed Jimin.

"Exactly."

xxx

Taehyung liked to bleed.

He liked to see the terrorizing behaviors it gave Jimin.

He knew Jimin liked it. And to be honest, that did scare him.

But it helped.

With what? Taehyung wasn't going to say. Because Namjoon was right.

He knew Jimin best.

And some things, Taehyung simply wished to keep to himself.

Because he was greedy.

And resentful.

But so was Jimin.

Jimin was so ignorant.

But he will remember. Because Taehyung will be damned if he doesn't.

They all will.

"He is beginning to become worried about Jungkook. He understands the disappearance was not an altercation within his perceiving."

"Then tell him the reason behind it." Taehyung looked up at the person who stood warily at the doorway.

"We were told not to be patent Taehyung. Keep to your words, and I will keep to mine."

Taehyung dropped his tea.

"I do not want to wait on his ignorance!" His anger surged, the other sighing.

"Do you wish to build on his vulnerability, or to keep him with his increasing strength that will eventually overwhelm us?" Yoongi posed himself in front of Taehyung to pick at the shattered porcelain.

"Mind your manners Taehyung. A hatter cannot veil his madness without the manic matter that is needed to be hidden. You need him to be weak and drained." Yoongi allowed the shards to poke through his fingers for a dainty string of blood to paint them.

"I do not mean to lose my mannerisms, I just long for his remembrance. It is draining me, rather." Taehyung fell down into his hands, huffing within his faults.

"And what do you deem will push him to remember." Yoongi set the piece down next to Taehyung's senseless shivering.

"...Our blood shed."