Prince of Bones

23. Chaos ensues

Seeing the crew try and pull off what Seonghwa had showed them was... amusing to say. Clearly all of them had underestimated the true difficulty of the whole merging thing and everything turned out to be more fun than Hongjoong had anticipated.

He himself had not yet tried to get his shadow to merge with him, staying back with Seonghwa to check on the others and he sure did not regret it.

Where even would he start describing the utter mess that the ship had become?

Maybe with Mingi who was being chased around by his umbra that seemed keen on slipping inside of him by kissing him.

Maybe with Yunho who was rolling on the floor, trying to close his mouth around the arm that kept appearing to try and get out of it.

Maybe with San who had been pushed against the mast by his double and lost himself in the pleasure of his own self sucking at his neck instead of actually doing something.

Maybe with Wooyoung's shadow who kept telling him he had to eat him instead of just slipping inside already.

Maybe with Jongho who was walking in slow circles together with his shadow, both ready to lunge without giving themselves any opening.

Maybe with Yeosang who had peacefully become one with his other half but was now sitting against the railing with a pale face, clutching at his chest.

The whole thing was hilarious and Hongjoong really just wanted to stay and laugh at them but Seonghwa's smug eyes kept reminding him that he would not do any better. Of course it would be strange the first time.

Hongjoong glanced at the others and then back to Seonghwa who had his shadow standing aat his side, yelling orders at the chaotic group of men that had collected in front of them. He was still impressed with the other man discovering and mastering that particular technique, wanting to show him off all over the seven seas as the precious gem he was so proud of.

"Mingi ye jelly boned thumb suckin' crud bucket just let 'im do it!"

Hongjoong was impressed with the level of pirate slang Seonghwa's shadow had already accustomed to, wanting his own Seonghwa to drop the whole playing nice with them but also understanding if he did not want to. Yeosang still only spoke in actual words too.

"No, it be cold, I don't wanna!" The redhair dangerously leaped over a wooden crate, the grin on his double's face unsettling even to the people not directly involved.

Hongjoong saw Yunho finally settle down, breathing harshly where he was laying on the planks calmly now with that telltale dark mist flickering around him. Hongjoong walked over to him to kneel down at his side, carefully checking if he was coherent.

"Yunho, do ye 'ear me? Which one o' ye be it?"

"It-it's me, cap. But 'e- goddamn it this be so fuckin' cold. 'e isn't fightin' me but 'e sure as 'ell be gettin' comfortable." The man clutched at his chest with a heaving breath, a grimace settling on his face while they sorted themselves out. He would be fine.

Hongjoong looked over to San who had finally become one with his shadow too, standing on wobbly legs like some newborn foal and with one hand still supporting his body on the mast next to him.

"Alright, let's go o'er an' kiss Wooyoung now.", he quietly spoke to himself and his body strode forward with much more power suddenly, San's eyes going wide when he lost his control over it. Shadow San easily made him kiss shadow Wooyoung and San did not really complain but he did grumble about his double tricking him.

They had to be careful.

Of course the shadows would only harm themselves if they tried to get them into actual trouble but they had to take care as to not let them play any pranks on them. Obviously they did not want to succumb completely and let their powers be exploited.