#(Companionship is a luxury many only dream of. Thread)

[fangsofdestruction]

Continued from: ( ☾ )   || @lured-into-wonderland Verse: Human Modern

Seth arrived at the café as he would on the days he had some free time and wanted to be away from his work. He settles down at the table he normally sat at, intent to fish out a book for him to casually read in peace when he hears a voice of a young woman speaking to him. Golden eyes glance up to a young woman.

At first, he’s a bit confused, but he notes that she looked vaguely familiar. The woman takes a seat at the table without waiting to listen to his answer, and he mentally muses that an answer may not have mattered to her anyways. She was bold, he’d give her that. At the joke (he assumes it to be one) that they should leave small treats for the other from time to time, he finally recalls who she was.

A month prior she had given him an extra treat for the promotion they were doing at the café. To return the favor, he’d assed the owner of the shop to return the favor a month later. He does recall that today was the exact month after Valentine’s day, so it must be correct.

He may have recalled seeing her a few times in the café, but he could sometimes be slow to recognizing people that he didn’t know very well on a personal basis. As a CEO, the number of people he meets on even a weekly basis would astound a regular person, so it sometimes took him a moment to connect the face to the acquaintance.

The man didn’t feel the need to answer a few of her questions, such as how he knew she’d be coming here—he didn’t, he just knew that she comes around sometimes. It was only a matter of time. Did he also like this place? If he didn’t, he wouldn’t visit somewhat frequently when he had the time. The sketch of him in her notebook was impressive to say the least, especially given that it was done by memory. He nods his head at her question that she did well with the sketch.

With the way she only gave a first name, he would do the same. He may be a CEO, but it wasn’t as though he was a celebrity personality, so many common folk didn’t know who he was. He did try to keep as low profile as he could, after all. “My name is Seth.”

[fangsofdestruction]

It certainly wouldn’t be easy at first, but at the same time, it may be easier than anticipated. Though one couldn’t say that humans and Demons didn’t share any common grounds with one another, it was true to say that there were aspects that humans couldn’t would struggle to understand.

For instance, you could be enemies one moment, and then within a month, be sworn brothers who vow to fight alongside each other battling through fire and ash together. Strength was tantamount to justice for many Demons, so it wasn’t unheard of for a Demon to swear fealty to the victor in battle. There was pride in serving a Demon of high caliber worthy of their servitude. Jaken’s line was a prime example of such, as the line of Imps have served their Lord Sesshomaru for centuries.

More than likely, all it would amount to is having to put up with scrutinizing stares for a short while before the rest of the Gumi come to accept Mukuro’s presence. Knowing this, Hebisuke stayed silent to hear her answer. He was a bit surprised to hear that she was receptive to the idea, considering she’d lived this long mingling among humans, so he’d half-expected that she did so because she preferred their company over that of Demons.

“It may take getting used to, but everyone warms up to people quicker than other Demons would. The Kumicho does prefer fostering an open environment.” No doubt because of his half-brother being a hanyo, and his sister-in-law being a Miko. Sesshomaru himself had once taken in a human child under his wing, so he didn’t have the attitude of discriminating against others based on species- just attitude and aptitude. “You weren’t the first who tried something against our Kumicho. You could ask Sai for those details.” Hebisuke was trying to help assuage her of any nervousness she may have due to the fact she’d been tasked to assassinate Sesshomaru before.

The girls didn’t know what Hebisuke was talking about, and Tama wiggles her tail a little bit in Mukuro’s hand. It was a behavioral quirk of hers for when she was annoyed: keeping secrets isn’t fun! Let them in on the secret too! “Are you done brushing? Maybe we can brush Jii-chan later!” Kazehime giggles.

Mukuro wore a genuine smile on her lips when the two younger yokai children were clearly excited when Mukuro saw them all as friends。 Since Mukuro really couldn't agree with or deny Tama's claim as to Tanukis being the best friend to have, Mukuro would just smile and nod, giving a little laugh as she did so。 

The Kitsune's attention would switch from one child to the next as the topic changed to humans having a fascinating imagination and those skills leading to the creation of Gods。 Mukuro's head would tilt slightly when she learned the method of how one of the children's parents was born, it sounded familiar to her, something she either read about in the texts she was provided here or during her typical late-night information deep-dives on the internet。 Since her knowledge before now was just limited to what human word-of-mouth was, and who could say how accurate that was, Mukuro was still relatively new to all of this but。。。 she was learning。

Mukuro was thankful for Hebisuke stepping in after Hime's small onslaught of questions, the moment did give her time to think through the questions a little more rather than having to answer on the spot。

「I'd love to visit more if I could,」 joining them。。。 would be an interesting route, on one hand, it would give Mukuro the chance to be around her kind more and that could be rather beneficial for her and she'd finally have a feeling of finally belonging somewhere。 But on the other hand, with the kind of first impression she gave here, there was the chance that a lot of people here could disapprove of the idea of Mukuro joining。 It's definitely something to see if she was given the option to。 「Joining。。。I think I'd like that。」

[fangsofdestruction]

Continued from: ( ☾ ) @halfdemonasagi

Sesshomaru’s eyes travel to the herb she was holding, taking note of its appearance to stow the information for possible future reference. Information is tantamount to power in various instances, and one would be remiss to disregard information when readily available to you.

From her scent and her pointed ears, he could tell that the woman before him had some Demon lineage along with her human parentage. In other words, she was a Hanyo. She must have been quite lucky if she could remain unfazed in the presence of a full-blooded Demon.

       ❝A Demon of this Sesshomaru’s caliber has no need for fear at night.❞

Not to mention that this general vicinity was relatively safe, else humans wouldn’t have settled nearby. Though strong Demons still roamed the lands, there weren’t many who could contest Sesshomaru head to head.

       ❝Most fear coming to my attention and flee before my presence.❞

He spoke the truth of the matter to educate rather than to pompously prop himself higher on an imaginary pedestal. Though humanoid he may appear, he was in truth a massive Demon canine, and most beasts would think twice before appearing before him. The scent of a predator was not one animals would ignore.

        ❝What herb is so precious that you come at night to procure it?❞

[fangsofdestruction]

Continued from:  ( ☾ ) @blossomingbellflower​

Just as Kikyo understood him well, so did he of her. It was an unspoken mutual understanding that very little could get past the other, so to be more time efficient, it was best not to fuss. Kikyo and Sesshomaru both had the tendency to downplay whenever they were hurt, the former doing so because she’d been through worse and she knew she was not in any mortal danger. The latter, as a Demon knew that what appeared to be fatal for humans was nothing more than a minor setback.

The man had lost an entire forearm at one point and continued to live his life, quickly adjusting to the change. While he trusted her personal assessment of herself to know that she was in no danger, it was still ultimately safer to address the injuries than to leave them for later. There was no telling if some Demon had sneakily done something and somehow had it slip under the radar.

He’d reached for his shoulder and smoothly removed his haori to lightly drape it over Kikyo’s smaller frame. She did not look presentable to be seen by others, with the blood stains and the visages of the fabric she removed to bound the 3 boys. Using a spell to shroud them from being detected by others perception, Sesshomaru took to the skies to take a faster and more direct route to the gumi.

       ❝Leave the rest for others to deal with. Now, we shall get you checked.❞

There was no room for argument here as he’d as smoothly as softened butter, scooped her into his arms and left for the gumi to have their doctor check her over to ensure that the spirit hadn’t done anything sneaky with its dying breath. Placing curses upon their mortal enemy was more common than one would think, and removing curses was a simpler task when caught early on.  

​

[fangsofdestruction]

As she’d somewhat predicted, the Demon was already awake, but he was peacefully resting with his eyes closed. Fully aware of his surroundings, he waited to figure what her next move would be. Would she dare touch him in hopes he wouldn’t wake from his ‘slumber’?

She did so by gingerly touching his hair that had always cascaded down his cheek. For a warrior, his hair was sleek, smooth, and pristine. Perhaps it was  a show of how well he kept his fur groomed when in his actual canine form.

The corners of his lips tugged upwards almost imperceptibly. Anyone would have missed it if they weren’t paying attention to his lips especially.

Perhaps it was an unconscious reaction to her touch, or the truth was… feeling her touch brought him joy and he couldn’t help but break through his stoic façade with a ghost of a smile.

Kikyo surely was his weakness, he’d admit to himself alone.

Kikyou knew it wouldn't take much to rouse the demon, even if he was in the arms of a deep slumber. Even the slightest of touches could awaken him, should he not be awake already.

Regardless of whether he was truly asleep or not, the temptation to touch him was there. Fingers itched to reach out and tuck some of those strands away from his visage. To gently trace a path down that jawline, akin to the caress of the softest winds.

Did she dare to do so ?

Slender fingers extending to move a few strands that dared to obscure his face from view. A tender wisp of a smile continued to tug at full lips.

Her dear Sesshomaru. The fearsome demon of the Western Lands or so he was called back then. One of impeccable strength, intelligence and wit. Here he lay..asleep, with his heart offered to a human of all things.

Time and experiences of life..were certainly curious things.

[fangsofdestruction]

Sesshomaru sighs, having already undone the illusionary spell he’d always cast around him to appear even more human than he otherwise would without it. Yes, he had a humanoid form, but there were still aspects about him which were unorthodox, such as his fur.

He’d figured that seeing him in a form most familiar to Inuyasha would be relieving to some degree. Perhaps not.

       ❝You being a hanyou didn’t stop this Sesshomaru centuries ago. It wouldn’t be a bother in modern times either. There are ways of mitigating risks.❞

The elder of the two brothers looks Inuyasha over. How long had he been in this time period? Why wasn’t he currently with Kagome? Had a falling out? Many questions left unspoken at current.

        ❝How long have you been in this era?❞

[fangsofdestruction]

Moved from ( ☾ ) || @blossomingbellflower

Kikyo’s consideration and patience was one of the big reasons why the two could work so well, as she understood that he had much to consider on his own being the one with the lifespan that was expected to far outstretch her own and that of their hanyou children. He understood that it wasn’t such that they both wouldn’t be wrought with many trials to struggle through, but he was the one who would have to live through the pain brought about by their choices for longer as Kikyo would likely pass on before any of their children. He too would outlive them and perhaps even their grandchildren.

Ultimately, he loved the woman by his side, and if being a mother to their children would bring her joy… he wished to bestow that opportunity upon her. He believed that much like how her passing would hurt him, the happiness and the pleasant nostalgic memories they shared as a family unit would far outweigh any thoughts of regret that may pass over him. With that logic in mind, he only needed to resolve himself emotionally and mentally for what the future held for him.

       ❝In due time, we can decide the proper timing to attempt bringing life into the world.❞

Of course, it was not opportune to do so now. It should wait for their marriage, and certainly after Kikyo had met his Mother. There was a proper order to things, and it would set his mind at ease to have introduced the important women in his life to each other and hope that they could be on amicable terms. He dare foresee that his venerable Mother would at the very least find Kikyo fascinating at the minimum. Anyone who could thaw his icy heart was worthy of being thought of as an exceptional being who defeated all odds.  

       ❝My Mother would be entertained by the thought that her son had finally found spring. After so long without a sign of pairing with another, many theorize that I’m simply incapable of love.❞

It was rude of the hushed whispers that reached his ears over the centuries, but it wasn’t without some truth, as he couldn’t find himself falling for any women who had attempted to catch his attention. They had either found a way to digust him, or he’d compare them to the female figures in his past that he had a stronger emotional pull to.

Even if his Mother wasn’t the most affectionate in the overt sense, he had a firm understanding that he was precious to his Mother, and he’d met not one mother who didn’t enjoy bragging about her children given the chance.

       ❝Surely she would enjoy the opportunity to speak to my future intended about my past.❞

As embarrassing as it may be to recount some stories of his past, he couldn’t deny how entertaining the thought would be to learn about a time you weren’t privy to. He unfortunately could not enjoy the same privilege as Kikyo’s parents have already passed on, and he wasn’t sure if or when he’d ever meet Kaede to request her to recount stories of their past to him.

When they’d finished their meals and had moved the trays aside, he welcomed Kikyo coming to his side. Effortlessly his fur had moved to create a cushion for her to sit upon and an arm and drawn her closer to him in a warm one-armed embrace. He hadn’t forgotten that she was still afflicted by monthly woes and knew that being warm was quite the effective remedy for the pains.

       ❝I will make note of that for the future, should your presence be needed.❞

It certainly would be in the future as the future missus of the Gumi, and with Kikyo by his side any wayward eyes who were aiming too high for their means would have to think otherwise. Some things were better left to his future wife to deal with.

       ❝Likewise, being by your side is what soothes the weariness of a long life. Tell me the date of the event later so I can make arrangements to my schedule.❞

He nuzzles his nose into her neck gently, enjoying their gentle skinship.

[fangsofdestruction]

( ☾ ) Moved because the thread got wonky and wouldn't let me cut. Not havin' that.

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It would be unwise for Toga to be querulous towards the young pup’s disobedience and stubbornness. This was no act of rebellion nor is it a provocative attempt to undermine his authority both as the youngling’s father and the Lord of the West. Merely, a pup whose loyalty and preference resides more at his mother’s than the absent father. Patience would surely be something that should triumph in this endeavor. 

Without sound, the elder dayoukai merely leaned past the barrier and took hold of the young pup by the scruff of his neck. Lifting the smaller dog demon up and off the walls, a subdued growl before diving past the clouds and onto the skies. 

Given that this would indeed merit a squabble behind closed doors, he had planned to make the entire journey as humbling as possible. Not to mention, one that would rile up his wife a little too over the edge for reasons he would rather not dwell in.

As they soar through the skies, he had thought of dropping Sesshoumaru to test if he had gotten around the skill of flight without the safety of plummeting onto Kimi’s opulent gardens or servants rushing to ensure the young prince is unharmed. 

Jaw now slowly unhinged, he peered down at the pup to elicit a reaction that would determine the next course of action. Whether to drop him through a confident response or be swift enough to catch him should the very second he’d hear him whine in fear or worry.

There was wisdom found in the notion that patience was a virtue, especially for in the case of an absent father. Sesshomaru had been told many things about his Father, how wonderful and powerful he was. How he was an excellent general, and that Sesshomaru had big shoes to fill in. Of course, there was pride to be found in having such an exemplary Father.

This and disobeying his Mother’s direct orders were a different matter. As the parent who had more presence in his life, he would listen to his Mother. Not only that, it was normal for most children to be obedient to their Mother, as it was important for survival.

He’d been picked up by the scruff and the pup tensed, his body curling like a cooked shrimp when his feet no longer touched solid ground. Sesshomaru was quite upset by this, but the subdued growl heard behind his ears prompted his ears to be pulled back, tight against his head. It took no genius to know by body language that he was nonplussed.

Now past the barrier, despite Sesshomaru’s obvious actions to not go past the barrier as per his mothers directives, Toga had taken it upon himself to do as he pleased, without so as much as even explain his thoughts. All he’d done thus far was to vaguely speak and leave Sesshomaru questioning and theorizing what was going on.

When he felt the jaw holding him loosen slightly, Sesshomaru made no move to react, still quite stiff. He wasn’t quite sure what was Toga’s intent, but he was schooled enough to know that remaining calm and collected was paramount to keeping yourself safe and levelheaded. Whatever Toga had decided to do, he’d come to find out.

The question has ever been the same for the past while: was Toga ready to accept the outcome for all the actions he’s decided upon thus far?

@fluffyinupapa

[fangsofdestruction]

Continued from: ( ☾ ) || @thecursedpriestess

When the human woman started crying before him, the Daiyoukai didn’t know how to react initially. In his mind, he could contemplate on the number of times that humans would be reduced to tears so easily. Their tear ducts were clearly much weaker than their Demon counterparts.

What reason Kikyo had to cry in this moment, he couldn’t quite understand. All he knew was that the onlooking humans were now glancing at him as if he were the perpetrator of making her cry. As much as he did not care for how others perceived of him, it certainly was less than satisfactory to have humans look upon him as if he were ‘human trash’ for making her cry.

What he didn’t realize was that the judgment increased as he simply stood there like a lame log of confusion.

      『It would seem this lifetime of Kikyo’s has weaker tear ducts.』

 A piece of information to stow away for future reference. As awkward as it made him feel for her to cry, he didn’t hold it against her. Most humans were weak when it came to bottling their tears. Knowing her past, it made sense that the floodgates would eventually burst forth in the form of cascading salty droplets. While he’d much prefer this moment to have occurred at any other time than the public eye, it was within her right to express her immense emotion in this way.

Feeling upset that Kikyo was distressed to the point of shedding tears, he reached out to wipe away her tears from her eyes before she took his hands captive. With his hands taken up by her own, the only remaining free option available to him was—to plant a chaste kiss upon her forehead.

      ❝Smile, the onlookers believe me a man who caused a woman to cry on Valentine’s day.❞    

He understands that he has things to make up for (in relation to her past life), but this is an unusual punishment, he thought. Of course, in reality, he much preferred her smile, so he hoped to see it grace her features sooner than later.

[fangsofdestruction]

@thecursedpriestess​

A small child ran out from a dark alleyway, falling onto the side road, scraping their knee. The child had just been chased by a dark figure who didn’t dare step pass the safety of the dark.  With a small sniffle, the child shakily stands on their two feet and hastily looks back into the dark alleyway, only relaxing once realizing nothing was going to come out.

This scene being quite unusual around these parts, the child garnered some attention from the casual passerby. As more people started paying attention to the child, some tried to approach, but the suddenness startled the child who was already on edge. Then suddenly, the child bolts into the street towards the local park. They were small and fast, so it wouldn’t be that difficult to hide within the trees of the park.  

At this time of day the park tended to be pretty empty aside from children playing with their mother's watching over them. There was the occasional person who may come around to talk a stroll while on a break, but it still stood that this time yielded the least amount of foot traffic in the park, the child could be alone if they did things properly.   

The child ran for safety, finally resting underneath a giant tree in the park, fabled to be the oldest tree in the park. Now resting, the child could finally assess the injury on her knee. “Ouch…” Now alone and feeling safe from harm, the child finally releases her tears. “Mama…” She sniffles, the anxiety now kicking in full throttle. 

[fangsofdestruction]

( ☾ ) @thecursedpriestess​

Having watched over humans for centuries now, Sesshomaru could tell that this is what some call, ‘being stubborn,’ or ‘being in denial.’ Those who were used to bottling everything may believe everything to be fine, that their feelings did not warrant any particular attention.

       ❝It sounds to me that someone would rather the opposite, that I do concern myself over you.❞

He’d seen a common pattern with some human women, where they would say one thing but mean another. In Kikyo’s case, it may very well be that she meant her words, but it was not the best way of going about things. Spurned by her past, emotions and affections were things to guard against.

       ❝Hm. Perhaps it’s that. You deem me unworthy of knowing your thoughts and concerns as a Demon, unlike you, a human. How could I, Sesshomaru, begin to understand the inner-workings of humankind.❞

Was he peeved? Perhaps. Was he instead making a point by pretending? Mayhaps. Was he already turning away to give her space as human women usually required when upset? Absolutely. If he’d learned one thing by observing human couples, hell knew no wrath quite like a scorned woman.

[fangsofdestruction]

       ❝This Sesshomaru has fared well. Some outcasts have been taken for the sake of this experiment.❞ 

The Daiyoukai nods his head and the twin-headed dragon steed approaches Shishiwakamaru to allow him to board its back so it could follow alongside Sesshomaru. The imp takes to clinging onto Sesshomaru’s fur and they take to the skies.

“Which is to say that any outlandish humans who were ousted by their own kind were prime targets. Those who dared to speak to Mi’lord instead of groveling at his feet aren’t fit for life.”

It was what modern day humans would later term ‘natural selection’. IF they couldn’t understand when they were severely outclassed, they weren’t meant to pass on their faulty cognitive skills to their offspring.

Sesshomaru lead them to an open clearing where a couple of humans were tied up. “There are more humans that were prepared. They are currently housed elsewhere,” Jaken explains. Would be a shame if all the humans within the area were to perish and render their experiment a short one. There were many things to look into, after all.

       ❝Perhaps starting with allowing the souls to be consumed first should be a worthwhile endeavor. It would be fascinating to see if the Tenseiga can revive a body without its soul.❞

✧ Riding atop someone's fur sounded rather unseemly. Both of them taking great pride in their appearance. The meeting they planned, this meeting, it wasn't for anything but a curiosity between the two of them. And his sword was ready to be drawn.

"Oh I have been quite well and I hope you have also been well since last time we spoke."

He looked down at Jaken. "What's more you should clear the area shouldn't you?" Poor thing. Truly, did that imp have no energy to make a human form such as himself? Was he not trying is best to get stronger or was he just shadowing someone much stronger than him like a leech. He almost felt bad.

A sword that could heal vs a sword that stole the soul of anyone too weak to resist it, which one would prevail over whatever victim they found. "I would be honored to ride with you, Lord Sesshomaru. Your fur is too nice to be stepped on." And while he did pride himself on how clean and neat he was, he'd offer this well deserved compliment toward the demon.

[fangsofdestruction]

@miwaku-tekinamiko​ liked for a starter: ( ☾ )

Sniff sniff

The scent of a familiar smell rouses him from his ‘meditation.’ The Demon Lord peers down from his lofty position atop a tree branch. 

       ❝Miko.❞

To what does he owe the pleasure of you appearing before him?    

[fangsofdestruction]

@mcuntainbcrn​ liked for a starter: ( ☾ )  [I’m going off past interactions bc I like continuity]

What a lonesome life he leads. With fearsome might and a time-defying lifespan, this Sesshomaru finds not many worthy of his companionship. Likewise, there are too far in between that there exists a being that can catch even an iota of his interest. 

Margaret was one of the rare few who caught his interest, if not for the sheer fact her resilience was a trait he acknowledged. He climbed up a familiar mountain, navigating himself towards where he remembered settling the human he’d acquainted himself with. 

Where could she be on this vast mountain? His nose would tell. 

[fangsofdestruction]

@babysitterjaken​​ liked for a starter: ( ☾ )

       ❝In the time we haven’t met, you’ve gotten bold.❞

Guess which honorable and mighty being had caught Jaken talking all sorts of ‘nonsense’? This Demon Lord has. 

Do you feel the grip of Death itself wretching your heart?    

[fangsofdestruction]

mcmcntomorii​:

「I’m Mukuro, Ito Mukuro,」 Mukuro introduces herself with a little smile, she was happy that she had someone else to converse with。 And she couldn’t really blame him for not reciprocating the ‘ nice to meet you ‘ she had given him, after all she’d be quite surprised if someone told her that they found it was nice to meet her。

Overall, Mukuro did feel a little foolish about how she didn’t know much about her fellow yokai and how that such a large community of them were almost within a stone’s throw of where she lived。 She had become too accustomed with living amongst humans not to mention she really didn’t keep in touch with any other yokai or demon or had any that were employers, or at least if she did, she had no clue。

Maybe living amongst humans had dulled her senses, she wasn’t too sure if that was possible but she wasn’t going to fully rule it out。

「I hope I didn’t interrupt your night。」

The snake boy blinks a few times before he motions for her to wait. He exits the inner courtyard, and within a few minutes, a soft rapping at the door sounds. “It’s easier to hear face to face than to mouth-read.” It wasn’t as though Mukuro was told that she couldn’t open the door for anyone who wished to visit, moreover she was given the okay to speak to others if they were open to conversation. Hebisuke was the one child who was given his own freedom to decide if he’d like to converse with Mukuro or not, and there was reason behind it.

Though he appeared a child, he was much older than he looked. Being part deity, the way he aged deviated from how normal living beings aged. It was purely based on the amount of divinity he housed within his body that dictated his appearance. By years, he was more or less a young adult, but in regards to the divine, he was nothing but a child wet behind the years. No where near qualified to become a Shrine Kami.

It was up to Mukuro to decide if she would let him in to converse or not.

“I hear you’re not too versed with Demon kind. I can help you with that.” He too didn’t quite fit in with other Demons, but he at least has been with them for quite some time now, so he could offer some information and insights for her.