"Your tie is crooked," Hoseok pointed out.

Yoongi growled back, "No shit."

Hobi puffed out his bare chest, put his fists on his hips, and made a mocking frown with his face half-soped in white shaving cream. He did it behind Min Yoongi, out of the way of the mirror that Yoongi was peering into, so that the black haired sass expert didn't see.

The foam dripped one, two gobs of white from Hobi's face. He looked like one-half of a shirtless young Santa Clause--one with washboard abs. With a tiny mirror in one hand and a razor in the other, Hoseok stretched his face into wide-mouthed, silly expressions as he continued with his shave.

Hobi was wearing nothing but a pair of baggy grey sweatpants and a light sheen of sweat over his torso and arms. They were having A/C trouble that day. Just add it to the list of broken appliances and repair needs their shuttle was racking up at rapid pace, because Min Yoongi and his crew were too busy with his 'important projects' to do any proper maintenance.

Meanwhile, the feisty tech specialist was busily focused on getting his club round style bowtie knot just right. The slick black silk was tricky between his pale fingers, but he managed. He smoothed out his white dress shirt and tucked the folds into his tight black pants. Then he folded the stiff wings of his collar down around his bowtie, shaping the starched material carefully between his fingers.

"Hurry up, Hoseok. We gotta go."

"If someone hadn't forgotten to shine his own damn shoes last night, instead of me getting all mucky this morning, then I'd be ready by now."

"Hmph."

"Yah!" Hobi was trying not to move his mouth as his blade curved around his chin. "Suh jus shuh up!"

Though he had been using his own wall mirror, Suga walked over and plucked up Hobi's tiny hand mirror as the red head was mid-stroke, blade to neck. Then Yoongi peered into it and flicked his black shaggy hair around his eyes for a moment, scrutinizing. Passable.

"Yaaaah!" Hoseok whined.

Yoongi gave a grunt, then propped the hand mirror back up so that it was facing Hobi again.

Hoseok rolled his eyes.

The tech specialist walked across the room to where his suit jacket lay draped over one of the boxy, rust colored chairs that were bolted to the floor around a thick metal island that sprouted ventilation shafts and random drawers from its sides. He slid his arms into the sleek black suit jacket. Now, shoes.

"Where are my dress shoes?" Yoongi asked.

Hobi whipped the remnants of foam from his face and slapped his towel over his sweaty bare shoulder. "I left them in the showers. That grease is disgusting. Not that you would know."

"It makes you smell more like a man," Yoongi said bluntly, smacking Hoseok on the butt on his way out of the room. Hoseok jerked his leg to side-kick Yoongi in his butt for revenge, but missed.

Yoongi gave a laugh that echoed down the hall.

When he came back carrying his sleek dress shoes, Yoongi asked, his voice higher an octave in concern, "Where are your dress shoes? There was only one pair in the shower."

Hobi had his hands on the hips of his baggy grey sweatpants now, his wide grin beaming. "I'm not wearing dress shoes. Not in this godforsaken heat."

"Well you can't go barefoot. It's not that kind of party."

Hobi pointed to where his plumb-pink suit was hanging from a cabinet handle. A pair of open-toed sandals with colorful stitching in the arches lay on the floor below it. Hobi beamed down at those sandles like a proud father.

Yoongi looked from the sandals, to Hoseok's goofy grin, then back down at the shoes with a blank expression on his face. Yoongi gave two quick blinks and said a flat, dull voice, "Why."

____

Today, Shae and Ava had been given their own small black bands on their left wrists, just like the Noon Mool crew wore. The ladies both happened to still be wearing the invisible wrist bands that Lilith had given them alongside the black, though they didn't tell the Noon Moolites so.

Standing in the bright sunlight, having stepped from the parking bay and out onto the main open lawns of Nohmu Kuhn Stadium, Shae kept fidgeting with her band, trailing her fingers along its edges and thinking to herself how weighty it felt, even though the material was light as air.

When Shae wasn't fidgeting with her band, she was tugging at the bottom of her black minidress and wondering to herself whose idea it was to throw her into such a scantily clad outfit for such a classy occasion. Especially while Ava got to wear a cute knee length black dress that flared in girlish ruffles and bounced amicably as she walked, accenting her curves. Oh, the contrast.

Meanwhile, Joon and Tae wore matching black suits, long black neckties, and pristine white collared shirts underneath.

Shae and Ava walked behind Tae and Joon. The leader of Noon Mool was whispering underneath his breath, "...I can't believe Chimin chose that, of all the dresses...."

Shae's face burned. She tuned in closer to hear what Tae started whispering back to Joon in a stiff voice, "It may have been Chiminie's bright idea to dress Shae like a sexpot, but don't think for a second that gives you an excuse to lose track of today's goal, alright? People are counting on you. Stay focused. Today isn't about you."

Joon's shoulders and arms seemed to grow tall and stiff the more Tae spoke into his shoulder. Shae could see a muscle bulge in Joon's cheek as he clenched his jaw threateningly. "Taehyung." His voice was low and smooth, but the anger beneath it felt like a fist to Shae's chest as she tuned in to hear. "I know my job today. So why don't you shut the fuck up and worry about yours, eh?"

Tae didn't say anything back.

Shae thought to herself how it was a miracle in itself that Joon and Tae weren't rolling in the dirt that very moment, trying to knock each others' lights out.

Jin had explained the strange truce to her and Ava before they left: "Tae made a choice, and Joon is trying to figure out how to fix it, if he can. Joon's angry but... he still loves Tae. And the fact that right now our crew is stretched so thin, well, we need all hands on deck. But I can identify with how Joon feels. I'm more than a little pissed at Kim Taehyung myself."

The four of them paused just behind a row of unfolded white wooden lawn chairs, which were mostly empty and directed towards the open, sand-covered arena where the mysterious games wound take place. Joon addressed the group.

"Taehyung. No getting sucked into the dice tables. You don't wanna miss your arena slot. Got it?"

Tae's face flickered with a momentary smile of satisfaction.

"I mean it." Joon pointed a warning finger at Tae. "You miss your round, and we have to pay a severe penalty. You know the rules."

"No problemo, Captain Kim," Tae answerd, his tone of voice far from light. "I won't miss my time slot in the pits."

"Good."

Shae felt her insides twist up whenever Joon offered her his arm, but in that swarm of bodies bustling through those sandy stadium lanes, she knew she'd rather stay close to him than get swept away in the crowd. She looped her bare arm through his. His eyes avoided lingering on her sleek curves for too long, she noted.

"We'll rendezvous later," Joon said, giving a nod of farewell to where Tae and Ava stood stiffly next to each other. Then Joon began leading Shae through the crowd.

Once Joon was out of earshot, a mischevious grin appeared on Tae's face. "C'mon." He took Ava by the wrist and started pulling her along through the crowd without making eye contact.

Ava asked in a biting tone, more than a little peeved to have this infuriating and infuriatingly handsome Kim Taehyung pulling her along by the wrist without her permission, "Where are we going?" She was ready any second for fisticuffs, despite Jin's peaceful pep talk from before.

"To play some dice."

____

Joon kept his focus on forward motion, his eyes skimming over the people they passed and mentally notating each face—who they were, where they were from, what allegiances they represented, what resources they monopolized and which they were vying to slice a deal over today if they could. Joon's brain ticked, ticked through the kalediscope of needs, desires, and hustles packed into the crowd that they were passing through.

Beneath that slicked back white hair, Joon's mind ticked through these calculations of the crowd of faces like he was balancing a spreadsheet in his mind about where Noon Mool stood in comparison to this diplomat or that one. Who had which resources and needs that Noon Mool could partner with and break even? Who did he know needed something from his team, that he could leverage to Noon Mool's advantage?

Shae wasn't sure what to think of Joon's silence, but she didn't resist his lead as he continued to gently pulled her through the crowd. She was relieved that they weren't attempting to make forced conversation with each other.

Onward they walked. This colosseum was supported by metallic pillars and filled to the brim with glamorous bodies in black tie even more overwhelming on the ground than it had appeared from the air as they were landing. An umbrella drink here, a couple in the throws of a hot make out session near some restrooms there, a woman with a rainbow colored bird perched in her hat, and on and on the sights buzzed around them.

Shae's eyes fell curiously over a set of figures ahead of them who were not dressed in fancy attire like the rest, but instead wore minimal leather armor over their tanned and battered skin. The three figures were chained together, and a host of five guards were walking in tandem with them, leading them along.

Joon noticed the way that Shae's hand gripped a little tighter around his arm, then his eyes flickered to see where her gaze fell.

He explained, "Today's games are a tournament of sorts, in case Tae forgot to make that clear. It has different stages. The first stage, the preliminary round, criminals and outlaws are put in the ring and given the chance to fight for their freedom. If they win, they get a reduced sentence."

"Is it life-and-death?" she asked softly, as her eyes traveled timidly over the heavy chains clinking around the prisoners' necks and wrists. One of the guards gave a prisoner's grimy, sweaty shoulder a shove to keep a move-on.

"Yes." Joon was a bit distracted to be much fazed by the sight in front of him, a scene he'd seen hundreds of times before.

"How awful."

"The fighters who go free don't necessarily agree," he muttered.

Shae wasn't in the mood to argue. She knew if she started, she wouldn't stop. "Didn't you mention something about Tae having a slot in the pits just now?" Shae couldn't help but still feel concern for the young man, betrayed by him though she was.

"In the second stage of the games, duels go on. Everyone has a representative from their team compete and the rosters are stacked at random, but the aim isn't to kill your opponent or anything for those. It's just a duel. It's supposed to be a chance for people to show off how fierce their crews are, be intimidating, make an impressive display. That sort of thing. Today Tae's competing for us."

"Oh."

Something in Joon's chest swelled at the smallness of Shae's voice in response, bringing him out of his own head again. "In the past Hobi, Kookie or Chim would compete for Noon Mool. But seeing as none of them are available at the moment...." Joon let his voice trail off, and Shae decided she had nothing more to say for now. They walked on in stiff silence.

Even after all the strangeness that had transpired between them, the gross truths and the disappointment, Joon still couldn't help but notice the delicateness of Shae's touch. Of her eyes and her voice. Why does she have to be so good and wonderful? Something burned in his gut, and it wasn't indigestion.

Joon and Shae had reached the white staircase that lead to the private box suite. A pair of broad-shouldered guardsmen stood at the base of the staircase. One of them held up a hand, a command to stop, and then pulled out a black metallic rod. Joon held out his black wristband towards it, and the rod flickered with a small light and a high-pitched sound of recognition. Shae copied his motion, and the rod made the same flicker of light and sound again. The guards nodded, and they were let through.

The narrow staircase was surprisingly busy, with bodies rushing up and down or lingering between steps to shout up at someone on the next landing in a tipsy, wide-grinned greeting.

"Are your shoes comfortable enough?" Joon asked in a surprisingly soft, boyish voice. "You can lean on me as we go up the stairs. It's fine."

Why oh why did his caring tone make her heart flutter, even when she had vowed in her heart to loathe him forever? "Thanks Joon."

He took her left hand in his left hand for her to brace against, and he walked slightly behind her as they took the narrow staircase up. In case she slipped, he thought—but damn. That short hemline was going to be the death of Kim Namjoon.

When they reached the top landing, a stronger breeze swept up around the two of them beneath that awning covered open space, and the coolness of the air felt good against their collectively warm skin.

Joon turned his gaze to survey the room, trying to peel one of his favorite new angles of Shae out of his brain. It wasn't quite working. Especially with those damned angelic memories of her from Petra's place flickering through his mind in tandem.

Shae gulped, her throat dry. If this tension of caressing voices and hand-on-hand action was how this business was going to go of being with Joon all of the time without being with Joon anymore... well, for starters, she was going to need a drink.

Joon's scoping gaze found a fellow representative he needed to chat food exports with.

Before Joon could lead her across the room, Shae pipped up, "Do you mind if I go snag a drink? I'm parched."

Joon nodded and said absentmindedly as he adjusted the ends of his suit sleeves, "Just don't wander too far. I want to be able to watch you."

He realized what he'd said. Their eyes met for a tense moment, then fell away from each other.

"I mean, to see where you are. For safety." Joon cleared his throat. "Right." Then he stumbled out of that bubble of awkward tension and made a beeline for a tall gentleman named Elani—who happened to be a thick man with polished chocolate skin and a brilliantly white smile.

As Joon and Elani exchanged grinning bows of greeting, Shae couldn't help but notice that Joon looked like a beanpole next to this Elani fellow. It made her smile without thinking.

Ugh. Stop thinking about how cute he is. He's also a self-serving arrogant ass, remember?