#I do like that after he murdered the village he immediately murdered his own parents that genuinely feels really good as a story beat
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trans-leek-cookie · 6 months ago
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geto is such a fucking. I love him As A Character. He's got a good design and is interesting. There is no merit to defending his beliefs because the options are 1. You're defending a fucking eugenicist who regularly dehumanizes people and extorts them for his own gain. Or option 2. If sorcerers were actually oppressed in JJK (which. Fucking are they? It doesn't seem like it! It seems like sorcerer families are pretty FUCKING powerful! Considering the Gojos whole shit.) WE DONT NEEEEEEED MORE "THE OPPRESSED MINORITY IS SOOO EVILLLLL".
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Gaara is truly the Character of All Time
-Introduced as main antagonist in a tournament arc, the terrifying bloodthirsty ninja from a strange desert village who kills without remorse and has survived every mission without getting a scratch on him
-He's 12
-Character design 10/10 he has bright fucking brick red hair, literal raccoon eyes, a face tattoo that says "Love" and carries that weird ass gourd; between the fun elements and the interesting tie-ins to Tanuki Lore, I have never seen a more charming design in my life tbqh
-Immediately more emo and chuuni than Noted Emo Heartthrob Sasuke Uchiha by virtue of reciting weird poetry after killing a guy in cold blood
-We get his tragic backstory and by fucking GOD is it sad. I cry just thinking about it. Literally everything about it is just horrible and devastating.
-Talk No Jutsu at end of the tournament arc, Gaara realizes that he should, in fact, go to therapy and immediately decides to turn his life around
-The first thing he decides to do is apologize to his siblings <3
-Shows up a handful of arcs later with a cool new outfit and becomes friends with the kid he literally tried to murder and nearly permanently crippled in one of the best fights of the entire series
-Liam O Brian's English dub of Gaara is Stellar ya know what. The raspiness of the original appearance morphing into the Deepest Voice That Any Kid Has Ever Had Ever was a genuinely hilarious choice
-Has the only good filler arcs in the old show; he's such a good character that the entire show molds itself and rises to meet him
-Post timeskip he is Desert Ninja President at the ripe old age of 15 and is extremely good at it because he's the weirdest little nerd with no social skills (on account of his tragic backstory) and diligently applies himself to doing paperwork and going to meetings
-Has a fanclub in the village mostly of girls his own age that he never seems to talk to?? Or realize have crushes on him?? Oblivious king we love him.
-Dies in one of the most genuinely moving scenes. Comes back like 20 episodes of fighting later because where would we be without him honestly?
-Becomes Super General Ninja President of the Grand Army of whatever where he accomplishes such feats as forgiving his asshole father and emotionally healing from his childhood trauma, stopping a meteor, and nearly dying a second time.
-Collects cacti as a hobby
-Has the only good sequel series arc where it's revealed that in addition to continuing to serve as Desert Ninja President, he's decided to adopt a couple of orphan ninja kids so that he can break the cycle of parental neglect and stupidity that created his tragic backstory in the first place.
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candycandy00 · 1 year ago
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Serve Me, Save Me - A Sukuna x Reader Fanfic Part 1
After Ryomen Sukuna inadvertently saves you while killing his enemies, you decide to devote yourself to him as a servant. But the trauma from the attack triggers panic when you find yourself in his bed.
Part 1 | Part 2
Smut (not much in this part). 18+. Slow burn. Softer Sukuna than I’ve written before but he’s still a monster. True form Sukuna. Rape and its aftermath feature prominently as a plot device but rape does NOT occur between Sukuna and Reader. Features PTSD, panic attacks, etc. 
If you’d like to be tagged in future parts (I have no idea how many there will be), comment to let me know! You must have your age in your bio or intro post or just tell me you’re an adult in the comment! Likes are appreciated but comments and reblogs (especially with feedback in the tags) make me feel all warm and squishy! Seriously any feedback at all is so wonderful! Divider by @benkeibear!
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You ran through the village as fast as you could, fleeing the men armed with swords who were currently cutting down everyone their blades could reach. They spared no one, not women, not the elderly, not even children. Your parents were among the first victims, your younger brother next. And all you could do was run for your life. 
This village was supposed to be safe from attacks like these. After all, it was under the protection of Lord Ryomen Sukuna. Your village worshipped him, and in turn he cut down any who would attack it, most often in nightmarishly brutal ways that served as warnings to his potential enemies. That’s why this attack was so shocking, so unimaginable. Who would dare? 
But Lord Sukuna was away, conquering some other town, bringing more enemies under his foot. Someone sent a shikigami to notify him of the attack, but who knew when it would reach him, or if he would even bother coming to the village’s rescue. 
Even though you and your village honored him as a deity, none of you were stupid. You were under no illusion that he actually cared about the people of the village. But he did care about his reputation, his pride. And an attack on this village was a clear declaration of war on Sukuna himself. Surely he wouldn’t tolerate such blatant disrespect. 
You reached the outskirts of the village, where a small shrine had been erected for Sukuna. There was a much bigger shrine for him in the village proper, but this one was well cared for despite rarely being visited by him. 
The shrine was the size of a modest home in the village, enough room to house at least five people comfortably. So you had plenty of room to hide inside it, closing the door behind you and trying to be perfectly silent. You thought you had outrun most of the attackers, having stopped hearing pursuing footsteps several minutes ago. 
But you were wrong. 
The door slammed open, and four men stomped inside, kicking and breaking things as they came, gleefully flaunting their disregard for Sukuna’s shrine. They went straight for you, and you prepared yourself to die. You closed your eyes and waited to be cut down. 
Unfortunately for you, these four men were in no hurry to kill you. 
*******************
When Sukuna received word that one of his villages was being raided, he went there immediately to see what fools would intentionally earn his ire this way. He didn’t really care how many villagers were slaughtered, but he was intensely annoyed that anyone would have the gall to attack them when they were technically under his “protection”. 
As he moved through the village, he sliced up the attackers into increasingly small pieces. It took no effort at all, barely a thought, and they were reduced to tiny chunks or ribbons of bloody flesh. 
He found a gang of them in his shrine in the middle of the village, making a mess of the place, the shrine maidens murdered. It was a direct insult to him, so he slowed down, took his time, sliced up their limbs and left them to writhe on the floor in pools of their own blood. He could come back to them later, force them to tell him who their leader was. If any of them survived long enough, he could enjoy making examples of them. His mind was already coming up with creative ways to display them outside the village, preferably still alive. Their screams of torment would work well to discourage future attacks. 
As he moved through the village at a leisurely pace, picking off the remaining enemies who had scattered like insects before his wrath, he remembered the smaller shrine to him. It was on the outskirts of the village, but if the attackers ransacked his main shrine, there could very well be some of them in the smaller one. 
When he reached it, he immediately heard screaming coming from inside. A woman’s voice, crying, in pain. He walked inside almost casually, and leaned against the door frame. The people inside didn’t even notice him at first, so caught up in what they were busy doing. 
Four men were in a half circle around a young woman, clearly a villager. She was naked save for some ripped pieces of clothing here and there that clung to her, and one of the men was presently thrusting into her while the others held her down. She was screaming, struggling, trying to break free of their grasp, but it was futile. She was covered in bruises, scratches, even a few cuts from their swords. Her lip was busted and bleeding, one eye already swelling, and various other small injuries littered her form. 
“Having fun in my shrine, I see,” Sukuna said. 
All of the men froze, then slowly turned to look at him. Whatever they had heard about Ryomen Sukuna, they were still unprepared for what they saw: a tall, monstrous man with four arms and four eyes. 
The one raping the village girl pulled away from her and stood up. Before he could pull his clothing back on, his body was chopped into twenty different pieces, his blood splattering all over his comrades and the girl on the floor, who screamed and scrambled to get away from the carnage. The other three men were foolish enough to draw their swords, but they were all just chunks of meat on the floor before any of them could take a step toward him. 
Finished with his task, Sukuna turned to leave, but then he heard a small, frightened voice say, “Thank you, Lord Sukuna, for saving me!”
He looked over and saw the girl bowing low to the floor, her bloody, violated body trembling. 
Saving her? She’d already been brutalized before he arrived. Ah, but the four men would have killed her, probably after raping her several more times. He responded with a dismissive wave of his hand. He’d had no interest in helping her, but if she was “saved” as a byproduct of him killing his enemies, so be it. 
He left the shrine and returned to the center of the village to speak to the survivors. He would need to tell them to clean up his shrines, and he supposed he could give them assurances that the enemies would suffer unimaginably for their crimes. 
For the next week, Sukuna remained in the village, torturing the lone survivor among the attackers into giving up the name of the man who ordered the attack, as well as overseeing some of the repairs to his main shrine. The villagers brought him gifts and offerings, heaping praises onto him for protecting them, even though he’d done very little in that regard and the attack had come in the first place because someone wanted to challenge him. 
One day a young woman appeared at his shrine, her beauty quite striking despite the faint bruises and small scars that dotted her skin. She bowed after being led inside and into his presence. 
“I’ve come to offer myself in service to you, Lord Sukuna,” she said. “You saved my life. It’s only right that my life belongs to you. I would be happy to work in the shrine, prepare your meals, whatever tasks you need done. Even if you choose to kill me for your amusement, I am eager to serve.”
He was sitting in a seat custom built for his large frame, one elbow propping up his head as he leaned onto his hand. He grinned down at the woman. He quite liked this type of submission. “Stand,” he told her, so that he could get a better look at her. 
Just then, he recognized who she was. The girl who was gang raped in his smaller shrine. She looked quite different now, fully clothed with her hair neatly pinned back. “Why offer yourself to me?” he asked. 
She glanced up at him, and he made a motion with one of his hands to signal she was allowed to look at him and speak. 
“I really do feel that my life belongs to you, my Lord,” she said. “And I have no life in the village now. No man will take me as a wife after… after what happened.”
Ah, yes. This village, as well as several others, had the ridiculous custom of requiring brides to be virgins. Sukuna himself never understood it. He’d fucked virgins as well as mothers of several children, and in his opinion the mothers were far more satisfying. But he didn’t really care what their customs were, so he made no rules when it came to things like that. 
Looking at the young woman before him, he thought to himself that the men of this village were fools to pass up a beauty like her for such a stupid reason. No matter. 
“I accept your offer,” he told her, gesturing for her to go deeper into the shrine, where rooms were available for servants. 
She bowed again. “Thank you, my Lord.”
*******************
Walking through the shrine where Sukuna spent most of his time in the village, you feel a sense of relief. After your ordeal during the attack, there were precious few options open to you. The two most obvious ones were becoming a servant or joining a brothel. The latter option was something you just couldn’t bring yourself to do. The thought of sleeping with strange men brought too many horrible memories to the front of your mind. 
You were not naive. You knew that being Lord Sukuna’s servant meant you would probably end up in his bed at some point. But you’d given it a lot of thought. Sukuna was away from the village quite often, and he had other servants he used for such purposes. You decided that you could handle occasionally being bed by one man better than entertaining several men every night. 
And… Lord Sukuna was a god. He was extraordinary, and he was beautiful. If you did have to sleep with someone, better him than anyone else in the village. 
That had been your mindset at the time. Just survive. Just make the best of a cruel situation. Shove the nightmares and trauma to the back of your mind and try to live out your life in relative peace. 
The first few days at the shrine were uneventful. You swept floors, washed laundry, and sometimes helped in the kitchen. You saw Lord Sukuna often, but had little interaction with him besides pouring sake for him a few times. 
All that changed on the fourth night. You were on your knees in the hallway, mopping the floor with a rag, when Lord Sukuna stepped out of the bathing room and walked down the hall. He wore a simple white robe and nothing more. His hair was still wet, water droplets dripping down his neck and to his chest. 
He stopped beside you, looking down. You paused your work and bowed low, waiting for any instruction he might have for you. 
“You,” he said in his smooth voice, “Come to my chambers within the hour.”
Fighting the urge to look at him, you kept your head down as you said, “Yes, my Lord.”
He walked away, and you hurried to finish up your chore as your face burned and your heart pounded. You didn’t think it would happen so soon, but you supposed it was inevitable. 
As you freshened up in your room, smoothing your tied back hair and changing into a robe slightly nicer than your work clothing, you tried to calm your nerves. You kept telling yourself you could handle this. You hadn’t been intimate with anyone since the attack, and honestly the thought of it terrified you, but this was different, wasn’t it? This wasn’t just any man, it was Lord Sukuna! A god to your village! Being invited to his bed was a great honor.
When you walked into his chambers, he was standing by an open window that stretched from floor to ceiling. Sheer curtains were swaying in the warm breeze of the summer night. While yours was not a seaside village, it was quite close. You could have walked to the beach in around an hour. As such, the smell of the ocean often drifted in on the wind. 
He turned to face you, and his tall, powerful form looked imposing. The room was well lit with oil lamps, making every detail of him clearly visible as he untied the silken belt around his waist and opened his robe, then let it slide off his shoulders. 
You couldn’t suppress your gasp. Standing nude before you was the most magnificent being you’d ever seen. He looked like a statue, like he was cast from smooth stone. Muscular, with black tattoos lining his body, he stood with two of his four hands on his hips, one holding the robe he’d removed, and the last touching the back of his neck. Four piercing red eyes sat above a very confident smirk. 
Confident because he’d noticed exactly where your gaze had settled. Between his strong thighs hung two enormous cocks, not even hard yet and already intimidating. You probably should have been frightened of him, of his unusual body, but at that moment you could only think that he was beautiful, that he was divine. 
“Disrobe,” he commanded, and you fumbled with your own sash, hurrying to untie it. Then you opened your own silk robe and pulled it off. You were not especially shy, but you did feel a bit self conscious in the presence of such a perfect being. 
His eyes moved up and down your body, seemingly pleased with what he saw. He stepped closer to the bed, and motioned for you to join him. When you reached it, he pushed you onto your back, and you felt your heart racing as he climbed on top of you. 
At first, you thought you were merely excited. You could feel a slickness between your thighs, and were relieved that you were even still capable of being aroused after everything that happened. But then two of his hands grabbed your wrists, pinning them to the bed, as his remaining hands moved over you, groping and squeezing your flesh. 
Your breaths became rapid and shallow as unwanted memories invaded your mind. You desperately wanted to avoid thinking about the last time you were naked and pinned down while other hands roughly explored your body, but the sensations were there, the fear was there, imbedded in your mind, burned into your body. 
At some point Sukuna had pushed your legs apart, and you felt two ridiculously large erections brushing across your body. You shuddered, images and sounds from that terrible day flooding your mind. Multiple shadows looming over you, men’s voices laughing and mocking, hands grabbing you, hitting you, hard cocks tearing their way inside you…
“No!” you suddenly screamed, bucking against Sukuna’s grip. 
He didn’t hear you, or he didn’t care. His mouth was on your neck, his hands still holding your arms in place. 
You jerked again, trying to close your legs. “Please stop!” you cried, tears bursting from your eyes. “Lord Sukuna, stop!”
At this point you were full on panicking, struggling against his infinite strength, screaming incoherently, sobbing when you ran out of energy to scream. You knew this would anger him. He would probably kill you, but you couldn’t help it. Your brain was full of vivid memories of the worst moments of your life, and you could do nothing to dispel them.
***************
Sukuna had planned to have an enjoyable evening at his shrine. He’d had a fantastic meal and a relaxing bath, and his plan was to fuck one of his servants before getting some sleep. Considering there were several beautiful servants currently living at the shrine who were all eager to please him, this should not have been a difficult plan to work out. 
So why the fuck was the woman beneath him shrieking and crying as if she was being murdered? She had seemed fine just a few minutes ago, not showing even a hint of reluctance even upon seeing his twin cocks. In fact she had seemed quite enamored with them, her eyes drawn to them while her face became flushed. When he’d first laid her on the bed and begun touching her, she was noticeably wet. 
Now she was hysterical, causing him to stop touching her, though two of his hands still had her wrists pinned down. When she realized he had paused, her screams died down and she laid there, panting, staring up at him with terrified eyes. 
Oh. It was her. He’d almost forgotten. He’d invited her to his bed simply because she’d happened to be there in the hallway and looked pretty on her I knees in front of him. He’d given no thought to her history, to what had happened to her during the attack on the village. In all honesty, he really didn’t care what had happened to her. She had voluntarily become a servant in his shrine, knowing what that would entail. 
It wasn’t as if Sukuna had never forced himself on a woman. It was rare, as there was simply no need for it. He could go to any of the villages that revered him and have women vying for the honor of pleasing him. But occasionally he used it as a way to punish his enemies, taking their wives in front of them. In most cases, the wives ended up moaning and cumming on his cocks while their pathetic husbands were forced to watch. 
In even rarer instances, so rare it had only happened a handful of times throughout his life, he had forced himself on powerful Jujutsu sorceresses who had tried to defeat him. Those cases were not even about sex for him, but about power, about dominance, about conquering their bodies to assert who was strongest. There was a thrill in breaking them. 
Looking down at the sniffling, teary woman in his bed, he felt no thrill whatsoever. There was nothing exciting about conquering something so weak, breaking something that was already broken. With a sigh of annoyance, he climbed off her and stood up. 
“Leave me,” he said, picking up his own robe from the floor and pulling it back on. “Your blubbering has made my cocks soft.”
The woman scurried out of his bed, then immediately dropped to the floor in a low bow. “Forgive me, Lord Sukuna!” she cried. “It hasn’t been very long since… since I was…” Her voice trailed off. 
“Since you were raped, I know. I saw.” 
Her face reddened. Was she ashamed that he’d witnessed at least a small part of the assault? Another thing about ordinary human women he didn’t understand. Why was she ashamed of the actions of others? Ah well, it didn’t matter. 
“I haven’t been… with a man… since that happened,” she continued, her eyes on the floor. “I beg for patience, my Lord. I’m sure that after some time has passed, I won’t be so frightened.”
He sighed again. He would have preferred for her to simply leave his chambers without a word rather than prattle on about her problems. “Fine, fine,” he said, waving one of his hands dismissively, “now go. I’ve suddenly grown bored and sleepy.”
The servant quickly pulled her robe on, saying, “Thank you for your mercy, my Lord!” before rushing out the door. 
Mercy? Sukuna scoffed. He’d simply found her annoying and sent her away. He considered sending for another servant, but he was no longer in the mood. So he sank into his bed and let sleep take him. 
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sadist1224 · 8 months ago
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A FREE IDEA FOR FAN FICTION
Sorry for the mistakes, English through translator.
In general, this post is for readers too, but mostly for the authors.
I'm too lazy to write a whole fanfiction, but I'm not too lazy to illustrate it, in general…
ROYAL AU!
I NEED A ROYAL AU!
I have already read enough medieval stories, and I have not yet seen such a plot, so I will summarize it briefly.
The main character is the reader /"Y|N"/ you are the indirect heir to the royal throne. That is, you seem to belong to the royal blood, but you are not close to the board at all. Your father is the king's cousin, so you don't have much chance to rule, and you don't need to. You and your family have been slandered in every way possible to keep your parents away from the capital and the palace. Of course, as a child you were in the palace, at balls and so on, but that was a long time ago.
You and your father lived on the outskirts, in a small estate with an adjacent village. You weren't poor, but you weren't rich either. You know what it's like to live in the common people, what hunger and disease are. You don't need the throne because you have a deep resentment and dislike for the crown, which is why your family suffered.
You had almost no childhood. Your father had his own crazy mission - to teach you everything he knows himself. Politics, economics, even military affairs and fencing. Sometimes it came to paranoia. One of his lessons turned out to be a disaster for you and now your back is decorated with a long torn scar (you can make up a story).
And one day, your father is called back to the capital. He doesn't tell you the reasons, but he's coming back after a month. Really sick. Over the next week, you had the feeling that your father had been poisoned. He's dying in your arms. Weak, exhausted, not like himself.
And a year later, 4 horsemen with the coat of arms of one of the most powerful clans in the kingdom come to your estate. 141, headed by the family of John Price. Along with him come the "dead knight" Simon "Ghost" Riley - his right-hand man and chief adviser, John "Soap" McTavish and Kyle "Gaz" Garrick (you can also add Roach and others here).
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Price announces to you that practically the entire royal dynasty was killed in a coup and now you are the first in line to the throne. At first, you give up the crown and send them back, BUT then you agree.
1) Price uses blackmail (how exactly and what kind of blackmail is at your discretion)
2) You need to find out what happened to your father (the main reason you agree.)
3) You really don't have a choice (why?yes, the dick knows, we need to come up with)
FURTHER SPOILERS!
The irony is that you were chosen for a reason. The former king and his family were frankly terrible rulers, and in fact it was 141 who staged the coup (but the reader will learn about this as the story progresses)
Price's plan was to put someone on the throne, in the role of a puppet. In that case, he would have the power. And Price is not a bad person, he wants only the best for your country, but he cannot entrust its development to anyone.
That's why he chose you, but you ruin his plans almost immediately.
You're really taking control of the country into your own hands. You don't let yourself be controlled, you are constantly learning and developing. You're really smart! It is important! More importantly, you can't trust anyone from the royal court. After all, in addition to 141, there is another clan - CorTak (who is in charge of it, who is in it and what they do is up to you. THE ONLY THING is to add Koenig, I love him, and women, because without them there are only men in the palace).
Whether CorTak will be involved in the coup is also up to you to decide.
The main conflict can be tied to foreign policy. For example, Shepard is the ruler of a neighboring country, and his representative in your kingdom is Graves.
Maybe Shepard wants to take over your lands? Was he involved in your father's murder? ???
You can also add Laswell to your side, as an ambassador on your side.
A FEW HEADCOUNTS OF CHARACTERS:
JOHN PRICE
Cunning, smart, wise. Do not think that behind his "calmness" there is really "calmness"He has a good command of his face. A great political player, an excellent leader with his dark secrets and injuries.
Military, fighter, fencing at the highest level. Kapets is so strong. He can be mean. I'm used to achieving my goals. He usually avoids harsh immoral things, but when things "smell fried", he will do anything to protect his clan.
Did he have a wife? Maybe, but he's got a lot of mistresses. Rather, he is single, or frankly does not love the woman he married.
Really RICH. He's a lord or whatever. He has lands and he is one of the king's confidants, his adviser, even if the king is dead, John still holds this position.
She can blackmail the reader, and in principle, at first treats her with distrust and prejudice. After some time, he begins to deliberately annoy her, attract attention to himself and behave quite boldly (for example, enter her personal space). Sexual tension is 100%. But he's still a gentleman.
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SIMON RILEY
I think he probably has an estate with a village, but most likely it is empty, or he is being looked after by several servants. He hardly ever shows up there.
Otherwise, it is a canonical rough, hard, cold Ghost, with its own backstory. He serves Price faithfully.
Sleeping with Johnny? I don't mind, we're all a bit perverted here.
JOHN MCTAVISH
Ahhh, typical Johnny. A funny guy, a fucker, shamelessly flirting.
He can run after skirts. He'll end up with Simon anyway. \(-_-)/
He has a BIG family. Right now, yes. I think he's from a small town in Scotland. Maybe Price found him?
KYLE GARRICK
The same story as with Sope.
I also have a family, but I don't think it's rich.
In general, sexual relations between 141 are welcome. Let's be honest, "141 x reader" is much more interesting when chemistry flows between all its members.
Speaking of love lines: 141 x reader + KorTac x reader.
You can put Vaqueros and Graves in here. I love everything, I like everything.
DESCRIPTION OF THE READER
I repeat that the reader is smart! This is really important! The reader is not naive, he does not have pink glasses.
Stubborn, arrogant, strong in spirit and character. responsible and independent.
He also manages his face well, but not at the same level as Price.
About 22-24 years old.
The reader has a lot of skills, but he will have to learn a lot more to run the country.
He doesn't like luxury. More for practicality than beauty.
She knows etiquette, can play the piano and violin, and she loves music, but she rarely gets to do it.
He doesn't like dancing. She's cold enough for balls and social evenings, but she can't do anything about it.
He reads solely because of the information. Uses any free minute for any activity.
He doesn't know what rest is. The guys have to forcibly drag her out for walks. She won't say, but she's grateful to them.Sincerely loves to laugh.
She can be sarcastic. I like to put people (especially those who deserve it) in an awkward position. It amuses her.
SOME SCENES THAT TAKE PLACE.
Damn, I can see how Price is sending Sop and Gas to convey some information to the reader, which is not very important, but he requires transmission right now. Imagine the guys' faces when they find you naked in the bathroom, sitting with your back to them, with a book in your hands. And in fact, you are not embarrassed by their presence, but begin to nightmare them, amused by their reaction. Or maybe Price won't send anyone, but will go looking for you himself. Or will it be a Ghost?
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In general, I need such a story on AO3 or here, it doesn't matter. I just hope someone gets inspired by it and writes it. And also. Leave a link in the comments to the fanfiction, if any.
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melonteee · 9 months ago
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I think the thing that’s both odd and interesting about Zoro (especially when compared to the other Straw Hats) is that I think he’s the SH other than Luffy that I find the most difficult to articulate and map out the trajectory of. Like every other Straw Hat I feel like I can point to specific panels and go “That. That’s their damage.” But with Zoro… it’s not that he *doesn’t* have those moments, but it feels like a lot of his thematic character beats are buried in a lot subtext; and like there’s a lot of gaps.
Like I find it curious that Zoro’s the only Straw Hat whose arc didn’t take place in his home (or in the case of some later crew members a symbol of it), but he’s also the only one who has flashbacks throughout the story. Yet, even then, we still don’t know as much about him as we do others. With everyone else, you can easily answer where they slept or ate and what the relationship with the community at large was like growing up, but Zoro? The snippets we get don’t extend beyond the dojo - and the recent revelations about that only raised more questions. I can’t be the only one who thought it was weird of Oda to drop that nugget that the blacksmith in his childhood village was a pirate (or at least wanted by the marines) and then died not long after that. Or that Zoro doesn’t seem to know that he’s related to Kuina’s family at all (Zoro didn’t even know the blacksmith was her grandfather until after he died) despite only being 2 generations removed from the founding of the village. What could have possibly happened in the time between Zoro’s grandparents and parents that means Zoro - who had to have been an orphan in the flashbacks we have seen - is so far removed from his own family and the village history?
I think the other thing that’s odd about his relationship with Kuina/her death (and I think a big reason the theories that Kuina was murdered, secretly Tashigi, etc. continue to persist no matter how many times they’re debunked) is that the circumstances of her death kinda rub against other parts of the series. For instance, if you consider that “the weak don’t decide how they die” to be a through line in One Piece (not saying I do) then Kuina’s death feels like a direct counterpoint in the same way Katakuri telling Luffy “people don’t die because they didn’t want to live badly enough” does. But then, even though Zoro’s flashback on her death (which I love in the manga for how that’s Zoro’s life flashing before his eyes) ends on “humans are fragile” but then this very idea is immediately countered by Luffy the rubber man deflecting bullets; then later Zoro kinda rejects that concept of fragility in Arlong Park altogether when he declares he can’t allow himself to be killed by anything that would kill a normal human. Not to mention how in-universe there’s only theories as to what his Asura form is, which is about as far from Kuina’s mundane human fragility as you can get.
Honestly how Zoro’s character arc is laid out made a lot more sense to be when I heard Oda’s original outline for One Piece was a five year storyline. It might just be me, but it feels like there’s a few missing puzzle pieces, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Oda is saving some of those gaps in information for a specific moment.
I really appreciate this long ask and you've clearly thought a lot about it, but I don't think anything is missing with Zoro at all. Because, first off, his story does take place in his home - his home is in the East. That's like saying Nami's story doesn't take place in her home because Bellemere found her as a baby on a different island. The east is still Zoro's home, nothing says otherwise, and it's explained with Zoro just being an orphaned boy who was running from village to village looking for a challenge.
Usually you'd ask where the orphaned boy was from, but we know One Piece is just a world like that. He has a full name, his face is on wanted posters, and no one has looked for him or said they know him apart from as a Pirate Hunter. His Roronoa name wasn't known in Wano at all, and apart from his very minimal connections to the Wano family, there's nothing there that matters.
Also, all of the Strawhats stories are kinda only presented in flashbacks dfghjkdf
Oda put Zoro's story in an SBS because, to me, he's stating first and foremost Zoro's past BEFORE Kuina does not matter to Zoro. It feels Oda just made that SBS as an Easter egg people could have fun with. If Zoro were told of his parents, or his origins, why would he care? He didn't know them, it's not like he ever thinks about his mother nor seems to even remember her - unlike Usopp, Robin and Sanji. If you told Zoro he had a mum and dad, he'd probably be like Luffy and say "?? okay? so what?"
Zoro's story, first and foremost, is about the future. Because the monster trio all parallel each other in this regard. Sanji is about the past, Luffy is about the present, and Zoro is about the future. The only time Zoro's past ever matters is with Kuina, and that's because Zoro's story IS Kuina. We see it clearly with Wano, the only reason the blacksmith matters is because it connects him to Wado, which connects him to Kuina, which lets Zoro know where KUINA was from and why WADO is such an important sword to her family - and now to him.
"The weak don’t decide how they die" is a quote said by Law, that is taught to him by Doflamingo - an insanely cruel person. Law THOUGHT this was the case, but this does not MEAN it's the case. Same with what Katakuri said, we are encountering different people with different lives and different experiences. Kuina's own death, in my opinion - WHILE possibly being a murder or suicide - was meant to show Zoro that no matter what you do, or how strong you are, the world will be cruel enough to take those you love away. There's a tragedy in that simplicity, and that's all we need to know about Zoro. To me, there is no other mystery in the way he acts or the way he fights - it's all right there within Kuina's promise and death.
When Zoro learns things about the past it's about his swords, it's about Kuina, and it's never his OWN past - because, again, he is a character about the future. I cannot see him caring about parents he never knew, nor seems to even remember, nor caring about his social life around the dojo when he had one set goal in mind - which was to become a master swordsman.
Luffy was the one who introduced him to the power of bonds and love, along with the rest of the crew as they grew around him, and he grew to love them back. I don't really see any other setup for Zoro, because again, why would he care? How has it affected him BEFORE Kuina? We simply have no reason to see that, and Zoro has no reason to care about it either. The only piece missing, in my opinion, is WHY Zoro cared so much about PROVING his strength as an orphan. But that could easily boil down to...because he was an orphan, and had nothing better to do as a rowdy kid lmao.
Zoro's life is filled with coincidences, that's true, but I'd be shocked if they mattered at all? Oda also connected Otama to the Kurozumi family, but he said it didn't mean anything, it was just a coincidence.
I'm not totally opposed to Zoro having MORE backstory, I am just unsure why it'd matter when...there's nothing to answer. We HAVE the answer for why he's an orphan, and it's because pirates raided his village when he was a kid. It's pretty standard stuff, and that's all it has to be. Because Zoro only looks forward, and that's the only place he'll ever look. He's not being chained down by his past, he's being pushed by a promise, so he will run towards the future if it means fulfilling that promise.
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writerfae · 10 months ago
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(Warning! these are angsty)
1 Can you talk about what was it like when the family found Ranva dead and the immediate aftermath of her death?
I mean, I imagine that Henry has to have had a moment where it dawned on him that he was going to have to be the one to take care of things, right?
And I remember you saying that poor 8 yo Aiden was the one to find her body, and...😭
Also Henry comforting Aiden with his nightmares😭😭😭
2 (a bit less angsty?) What did Henry used to do if Aiden was upset or sad? (Especially after he was the main person taking care of him)
And a little bit related to this: fun fact about my ocs that I thought you'd enjoy:
Ákos and Adél both cry easily (her more than him). Yes, he learned it from her, because she said that when he's upset he shouldn't keep it bottled up. (Yes, this was one of the things that annoyed Endre to no end before the incidentTM)
And sometimes when Ákos cries, he will put his head in Adél's lap and turn toward and bury his face into her stomach, and cry like one would cry into a pillow. It's impossible to hear a word he says when he does this.
Hi! :) I’m sorry that I’ve been a bit slow with interactions this week, I’m sort of stressed 😅
1) I will not go too much into detail here cause it makes me sad (I hope you don’t mind)
When Ranva died, Milan and the boys were out hunting. When they came home, Aiden ran ahead to show his mom a cool crow feather he found and that’s why he found her first. Milan and Henry came in shortly after though.
Of course they immediately ran to her, but it was pretty obvious what happened to her. And while Milan all but clung to her body, Henry saw Aiden just stand there frozen in place and immediately tried to get him out of that situation, putting his own shock aside (or maybe just acting on instinct).
Henry also went over to their neighbor after he wasn’t able to get his father to let go of Ranva and he didn’t know what to do.
Milan was pretty much traumatized and blamed himself and he was in a constant state of denial/apathy that his childhood friend tried to get him out of but it didn’t work. His condition was really bad and though his friend tried to tell him that his sons need him he couldn’t really bring himself to care for them anymore and instead needed care himself.
Henry pretty soon realized that he needed to take responsibility for his family and Aiden especially like he promised his mom once. Him and Aiden worked through a lot of their grief together but Henry only really allowed himself to cry when Aiden wasn’t around (he had a lil breakdown in Holly’s house).
Aiden and Henry would often sit under their mother’s apple tree together to feel close to her. Sometimes Henry would look for Aiden and find him napping curled up under the tree. Like I said, they grieved together mostly, Aiden slept in Henry’s bed for like half a year after their mother’s death.
(Aiden had nightmares to that time, among them the one with the girl with the crown of thorns and there was a time where he asked Henry if she was the one who killed their mom)
At the beginning Milan’s friend cared for the family completely but over time Henry started to take over more and more responsibility. Holly still helps them out a lot, especially when caring for Milan. She also did most of the cooking before Aiden started to take that part over. Meanwhile Henry pretty much filled in the role of the “man of the house”, since Milan unfortunately never fully recovered.
People assumed that Ranva was killed by a bugler and they were searching for the murderer a while but quickly gave up since there was no trace. Ranva was buried on the village’s graveyard near Milan’s parents. In the years after she passed a tree started to grow there. It’s an apple tree.
2) Henry was always good at dealing with an upset or sad Aiden. What he would do depended a lot on the situation and Aiden’s age, but it was always what he needed. Henry would sing or read to him or give him a hug/cuddle up with him. Sometimes he just let Aiden complain and listened. Sometimes he just left him alone.
When Aiden was very little, he would make jokes and do little magic tricks to cheer him up or pick him up and just let him cry into his neck (he did the same for Aiden after their mother died and for Callan after he lost his father). Sometimes just being there is enough and Henry was always a quiet yet supportive presence.
I love Ákos and Adél, they’re so cute. Thanks for sharing this adorable fact about them with me! ^^
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chaosnocontrol · 1 year ago
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Sonic oc junk
uh
Uh
Silly sonic oc introduction thing?? I guess
This is Kira, aka Kurai
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(the more I look at this shitty drawing, the more I feel like I can't draw )
Backstory under the cut, for those who wanna read it :)
Ok so uh, his backstory is still being rewritten, due to the fact that the last 2 I did didn't make much sense, and he was too emo to me, soo.. Yeah, but his backstory now goes something like this:
once apon a time, a hedgehog scientist and a normal wolf lady fell in love ,they get married, blah blah blah, The hedgehog scientist starts to experiment with dark Gaia energy, testing how it affects the mobian body, (this taking place WAY before unleashed) but his reaserch is inconclusive, but just as he started losing hope,getting desperate , he did the unthinkable. He did the experiment on his (sence pregnant) wife, and it worked, just not in the way he expected it to, as it turned her into, what whould be deemed a monster (Basically a werehog but wolf, a werewolf if you will,) and instead of attempting to find a cure for his were-Wife,like a decent husband, He, basicly left her.
So now, the very much pregger single-mom is essentially hated and hunted by the village she once lived in, due to her new form(its in like,very late 90s- early 2000s-ish, and that village was isolated as hell ), so much so , its was to the point that people made folktales about her, (although folktales about beasts in that area were rather common ) and while that was happening, she basicly had to take care of this child, with little to no parental experience, and no one to help her, in the middle of the woods(and probably too stubborn to just give up or ask for help), she did her best to raise this child on her own, skipping a bit through the story...were-wife finds her deadbeat husband, and uh," accidentally" murders him...skipping through more of the story, her child is now, about, four, and she's been doing a surprisingly good job parenting. But remember the folktales? Well now people are claiming to have seen a beast in the forest, causing people to start actively hunting for said beast, and well, it was a bad few months to be a werewolf single mom cuz uh. She got confronted by said hunters, she defended herself(And probably killed one of them..), she was critically injured in the exchang, she retreated, they tracked her down and finished the job..Darn! Right in front of her four year old child! I'm sure that won't cause any issues in the future..
Time skipping a few years.
Kira is like 7 now and has no friends. Nor family (That he knows of :) )
And has just been living off the trash of the local village, small rodents, and the occasional fish, and the locals think he's some sort of creature or pest and children tease him for being weird.
And one day, he met a person,or rather, a fox. Briana fox to be specific (her name is still a wip and might change)an aspiring scientist and engineer who happened to be passing through the village. Blah blah blah, she takes this child under her wing
Yet another timeskip,later..
Briana, at this point, has been working on a project, a project to change the world. (Literally) observing the constant loop of interaction between sonic and eggman: eggman creates a deadly machine, sonic,+Co stop and destroy it, the world continues to constantly be destroyed and rebuilt, and in the eyes of Briana, its like a spiral of ants. Constantly circling in an endless loop untill the inevitable demise of the planet . And she's sick of it. So she devises a plan to enact whats known as the "Genisis wave", using the power of the chaos emeralds, and a machine of her creation. With the assistance of Kira, (whom she re-named "Kurai" after experimenting and geneticly modifying him),and others (Who are still being worked on,but might be revealed in due time )
Those assisting Briana in her hunt, were modified to be able to fight spasific people in sonics "Immediate friend group" (That of whom she just assumed were friends with sonic)
Kurai/ Kira was then modified to be able to go toe-to-toe with sonic himself, matching his speed with his spetilized Water Based "Air shoes" (shoes??? Boots???I don't know anymore), and semi elastic limbs (I wonder where did those come from..)
and thats it! I think-
Thank you for listening to me rambling about my sonic oc :)
ALSO PLEASE EXUSE MY SPELLING MISTAKES AND STORY INCONSISTENCIESh, I WROTE THIS AT LIKE 4 IN THE MORNING-
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heres a Kira doodle icon thing for your troubles :)
also, fun fact, if you Google his name, one of the first things that oops up is his old ass wiki page from over 2 years ago that I wish they would delete and I need to rewrite. But I have no fucking clue how . :,)
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wellthebardsdead · 2 years ago
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Sylas: *pulling his hood up and covering his face with his shawl so only his eyes can be seen* right. Let’s get to whiterun and tell this Jarl that this stupid village needs protection. *huffs and keeps walking*
Taliesin: not to be rude but are you always so short tempered?
Sylas: yes. All I want is to be left alone but humans just can’t help themselves and always find a way to ruin my life. *holds out his hand shooting ice shards through a deer killing it instantly*
Taliesin: good shot. I take it you were alive during the whole Ysgramor ordeal then?
Sylas: no. But my parents were. I was born in a sanctuary to auriel a few hundred years ago… The betrayed falmer found us and slaughtered everyone in sight. I only escaped because a knight Paladin threw me from the cave entrance before sealing it off… I was left on my own. *sighs* I wandered for a while before encountering a human, I thought he was nice… he introduced me to his friends and… the next thing I knew I was in a cage in some wealthy nobles house. Just a pretty little ornament for him to show off to his guests… so I gutted him alive and made his wife and children watch… after I escaped I kept trying to find places to hide and to live, but each time humans just had to come along and ruin it for me. I got lucky though, hiding in barrows, I could pretend to be a draugr, my skin is the same colour as theirs, all I’d need to do is hold still and hide my face and wait for anyone to pass… so I could spring them and rob them blind.
Taliesin: … *gently pats his shoulder immediately pulling away seeing the falmer tense up from his touch* the alarming coldness of discussing murder aside- I understand you were hurt but… hiding away like that is no way to live… and that hatred towards humans, it won’t get you far…
Sylas: It’s kept me alive for nearly 400 years. I think I’ll stick to it thanks… *huffs and starts skinning the deer* do you want the antlers for anything?…
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thesilmarilchick · 1 year ago
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The War of the Dead
Chapter 18: The Terrible Mine
Arda, Dunland, Mine of the Three Brothers: T.A. 2995, August 12th
Denethor may not have exactly lied about giving the brothers troops to command, he stayed true to every word he had said, it was just the words he hadn’t that he disregarded. After all he swore they’d have troops, not competent troops. The Army of the Three Brothers was giving the greenest of the greenest boys to swell their ranks. The Youngest of the three brothers, might even have complained – it still felt like a betrayal even if the young man had no legal way to prove it so – but over the years of his rule, Denethor had developed the nasty habit of having anyone who didn’t immediately agree with him, whipped. Sometimes until they’d stopped moving permanently, so the boy for once decided to remain silent.
Besides it didn’t matter how green his soldiers were now, by the time they returned they would all be warriors. The battle the youngest brother had planned on his return, would have been one for the history books, a final stone in the coffin of the pests known as the Dunlanders. Yes, it certainly would have been…had there been a battle.
They’d arrived at the Mine of the Three Brothers in good time, or rather they arrived at what should have been the Mine of the Three Brothers. What they actually arrived at was a giant grave: the entrance to the mine had been caved in and flowers of an unpleasant aroma had been spread all around. There was no sign of his brother or the other miners. Some small part of him tried to convince himself that there was still hope: they might have gotten away before everything collapsed, but the rest of him knew it was a long shot.
His brother had been murdered by the enemy, the Dunlanders, and now he was going to butcher every one of them in return, right down to the very last child.
***
If you had gone up to one of the warriors of Dunland and told them they were now at war, they would have most likely replied ‘of course I am, now get out of the way you’re blocking my spear’. However, if you had gone up to one of them and said they were at war with Gondor, they would have dropped their spear and collapsed in a fit of laughter.
You see up until around a week ago the people known to the wider world as Dunlanders, were not even aware there were men of Gondor in their lands. Why would they be? The land the three brothers had claimed was a cursed one. After all what fool would choose to cross the lines of the dead? They were having enough trouble keeping their own from breaking, they didn’t need to go looking for death to find it.
For the last four years the tribes of Dunland had ceased contact with the outside world – not that they had had that much to begin with, but even the raids on Rohan had stopped. No one else really gave it much thought; it was Dunland, who besides Rohan cared about it anyway. Even Rohan didn’t really think much of the silence, other than a relief that the savage Dunlanders had finally learned their place, and that Rohan’s villages would be safe from marauders for a time. But there was a reason for the silence, a very good one, and that reason was indeed a war; just not one with anything living.
The Dead had begun to rise, and they weren’t the dead of men. Oh they looked like them alright. There wasn’t a man, woman or child that couldn’t pick out at least one sibling or parent among the ever-growing army of bodies. But the family and loved ones that they had buried in the ground weren’t there anymore behind those eyes, something was though, but it didn’t belong to any spirit of man.
The Dead spoke in a strange and unearthly tongue, but they were intelligent, and they knew what they were doing. Since the day they’d arrived on this plain, those spirits had snatched up every dead body that fell within their sight. Which considering their territory had expanded past the Dead Forest and through most of the fishing clans’ territories, that was a lot of bodies to add to your army.
Their enemy’s ever-increasing presence had pressed the clans closer together, both physically and figuratively. Times past most of them would have gladly put an arrow through a member of a rival clan’s throat, but now the sight of anyone living was one to be welcomed and rejoiced at. Clans that had once guarded their crafts – the way they wove, the way they prepared certain dishes, even the way they made and fought with their weapons – with a fierce jealousy now shared and mingled them with the crafts of Clans who they once called enemy.
Dunland was becoming a land of united peoples. United, some even said, by a single leader. Of course, it was in no way official; clans were still clans and they all had their own chief, but it was commonly known that even the mighty Rhys of the Bear Clan would heed the call of the Leomhann. Falkirk Leomhann, the mightiest of all chiefs; a man whose voice it was said could make the dead tremble in their graves. So, you can imagine the bewilderment of the messenger lad, who had been sent to tell the great man the news of the strangers claiming the caves of the dead as their own, when the Leomhann was struck dumb at the news. The poor boy had been positively terrified when upon telling the greatest of all chiefs the second part of his news – that the strangers had sent for an army to try to erase their land of all Dunlander blood – the mighty man had presently fallen to the ground racked with fits of mirth.
***
Five Days Later
Falkirk stood at the mouth of the foul smelling cave and covered his nose with his cloak. As did many of the men that surrounding him, the place reeked of sickness and decay, even more so than the Burning Caves.
The Cave’s walls stretched into the blackness contained within, no man could live and work in there and stay sane…or living if the smell was anything to go by. The men behind the mighty chieftain had faced the dead on the battlefield a hundred times over, and yet not one of them was willing to set foot in this place…this place where it had all begun: this place where the enemy had arrived.
As he walked further in – cloak firmly wrapped round his nose and mouth – Falkirk couldn’t help but grip his sword tighter. Men had been in this place, recently if the reports were correct, yet there was not a sign of them to be found. Even if they had been attacked by the forces of the dead, there should at least be the tattered remains of their camp, yet there was nothing. Not even their blood on the walls. They could have just up and left, it would be what any sane man would do, yet the Leomhann had the growing suspicion that that was not the case here. Something had happened here, something terrible.
As the smell grew in intensity many of his men had to kneel to the ground and wretch, many of them in fact couldn’t go on at all. But Falkirk had to know, so he couldn’t stop, not yet…not before he found the bodies.
There was no way to see what they were walking into now, the blackness was so thick, not even the torches they carried would stay lit in a place as foul as this. But in the end, they didn’t need their eyes to find the men of Gondor – or what was left of them – for they were not yet as silent as the dead should be. Leomhann’s foot hit something soft and fleshy, and the youth beneath him cried out in pain.
The large man kneeled and reached a hand down to ease the boy into a sitting position. They could worry about such things as language barriers after they were free of this place. One of the soldiers’ torches flared into life and the Leomhann was finally able to see the face of the lad, and his hand reeled back. The boy should have been dead, was dead if the gangrene on his face was anything to judge by. Yet the spark of life was still in his eyes, real life not the forced one the dead were made to live. The Plague…the plague had been through here.
A scream from behind him spun the large man around to face his men again: they huddled together in a defensive pile, their swords and spears stuck out before them creating the illusion of a giant deadly…hedgehog. If the days had been fairer the Leomhann might well have laughed at that image, but these were not the days for such whimsical bouts of jubilance and as the light of the torch’s flame grew, he could see the cause of their terror. The walls of the cave around them were not made of stone, nor were they statuary. They moved and wriggled with the weight of the bodies trapped within them. Men and boys’ faces looked down on the warriors with vague interest, their necks and bodies covered with what Leomhann had originally thought was limestone but now saw was a red, raw mound of flesh, moving in a rhythmic, thumping fashion as if it itself actually took breath as a man would.
The Leomhann’s sword was fully out of his scabbard now, and the boy on the ground choked out sobs of mercy. To whom he begged such things the chief was not sure, but whomever the cry for mercy was directed at, the Leomhann would be the one to answer it. Oblivion could be the only solace for these souls now, not even the dead would welcome such creatures into their arms. The man began to approach the wall, his sword held high; and the faces of the men who had once lived here opened their eyes and watched him. Then just as he was about to swing, they opened their mouths and began to sing.
‘Ring around the rosy, a pocket full of posies! A tissue! A Tissue! We all fall down!’ Their voices were young, unburdened by the cares of the world. The warriors and their chief readied their swords, and their spears to plunge into the writhing mass of pain that was the wall before them. The creatures screamed when their flesh was pierced, and the walls of the cave began to shake and crumple. The Leomhann gave the order to run, but it was already much too late for that.
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sukirichi · 4 years ago
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scarlet
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“How long has it been? Five hundred years – a thousand?”
“Forever. It’s been forever.”
CONTENT/WARNINGS. vampire! megumi, reincarnation au, somnophilia, blood drinking, smut, murder, suicidal thoughts, angst, war, violence, all the dark themes you can expect from vampire!au such as biting, scratching, slight blood play, character death + UNEDITED. I’ll edit this tomorrow because I really want this to be of good quality but for now yeah, sorry for typos and awkward grammar 
NOTE. thank you so much to vampire nonnie for requesting this, I absolutely LOVED writing this, I think this is my favorite ever work. It’s totally different and a lot more serious than what I usually write too, so thank you!
WC. 13k+
PLAYLIST: I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Zayn, Taylor Swift) ; Fire on Fire (Sam Smith) ; Dusk Til Dawn (Zayn, Sia) ; My Nocturnal Serenade (Yohio)
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“How long has it been? Five hundred years – a thousand?”
“Forever. It’s been forever.”
“Was it worth it? Was I worth the wait?”
“Of course you are. You always will be.”
BLUSH [001.]
The morning market bustled with people, the villagers bumping your shoulders left and right. You tried your best to squeeze through the crowd as you followed your mother. You’d recently come of age, and now you had to come with your mother to retrieve food and supplies while your father hunted and chopped wood for the upcoming winter. 
Your mother pinched the apples of your cheeks whilst she smiled, reminding you that you could meet a nice young man at any moment and you had to look as presentable as ever.
The idea of living out the same fairytale your parents happily created for themselves had you gazing up at your mother in wonder. 
You came from a happy family, with a doting mother and a supportive father who never stopped smiling through the hardships. While your mother was the fire that warmed the hearth of your humble home, your father was the sturdy wood that kept each and everyone steady and strong, and you? You were the light of their lives.
To be able to find a soulmate like that and have a family of your own, you wanted nothing more.
But your mind easily changed when people pushed past you, sending you scowls and profanities when you bunched your skirt up, your tattered boots hitting against the wet mud of the market. Your humble village wasn’t blessed with the warmest weather, but it was fine, since your family brought enough sunshine to your life that you never minded. Until now, that was. 
Your boots were soiled and you were panting as you ran after your mother, her eyes crinkled as she chit-chatted with the vendors. Inside her basket were two fishes, five apples, and a few pinches of herbs that wouldn’t have really satisfied any of you.
In this side of the town, your village received the poorer suffrage of lack of food. Nevertheless, your mother’s smile and glee upon having her basket half-full reminded you that there would be better times. Not wanting to lose her again, you clutched your arm around her bicep, panting for air while she gazed back up at you worriedly.
“Child,” she cooed, cupping your face. “What ever is the matter? What could’ve had you gasping for air this way? Is there something you are running away from?”
“Mother, you are the one I am running after,” you informed her with a laugh, and your mother gasped in surprise.
“My, I am so sorry! I completely forgot that you were still new here! Oh, and your boots—”
“It is fine, mother,” you reassured, your hands coming up besides her cheek this time around to stop her from fretting over your shoes. It was beyond worn out, tattered and mouth almost opening. They had promised to get you a new one for your birthday, but a single pair cost more than a week’s worth of food that you didn’t have the heart to let them do that.
Both your parents were disheartened; they wanted to give you the best, of course, but it didn’t matter to you. 
You understood the notion of wanting to look your absolute best in hopes of catching the eye of a future lover, but the idea didn’t sit entirely well with you if they had to base their attraction on mere physical appearance. Besides, it was called soulmate, was it not? There had to be a connection – a pull, of sorts – between two souls, and not from the perspective of the naked eye.
If you really were to meet your soulmate, they would see right through your skin and deeper than the depth into of your bones, their eyes looking directly onto where everything mattered most – the heart, the soul, the core. 
Your mother’s gaze softened at the sight of you, tucking a stray hair behind your ear as she cooed at how beautiful you were. 
Endlessly, she reminded you that you were the most precious blessing of her life in par with your father, and when your mother doted on you like that, how could you not flush with appreciation, eyes bashful and chest swelling with love?
You were a firm believer people were their most beautiful when they radiated kindness and are capable of unconditional love. After all, what could be more beautiful than a compassionate soul? Undoubtedly, you wanted to love someone like that, a person capable of kindness and strength even in the darkest situations; one who could see beyond the weary boots and dirt-stained old clothing you wore.
It seemed that someone had the same idea in mind for you felt a burning sensation at your face. Eyes flitting over your mother’s head, your breath hitched when you were met with soft, blue eyes that put your village’s stormy sky a shame.
Midnight blue swirling with warmth like hot milk on a rainy day, the feeling of having your lover’s arms wrapped around you and their gentle breaths whispering against your ear – that’s what you felt like when you saw him for the first time.
He stood outside his father’s shop frozen, eyes wide and locked with yours, the amount of scrapped metal suddenly weighing a ton despite his growing muscles.
Unsure of what to do but appreciative of the wondered boy, you shyly ducked your head down, peering up at him under your lashes with the smallest of smiles visible on your face. You raised your hand to wave at him when your mother tugged you away, chattering about getting you a cheesecake despite not having much to afford it, only because she felt something good would happen today.
And your mother was right – she rarely wasn’t, in the first place.
Nearly stumbling over your steps, you turned back to the young man, no longer hesitating before you beamed at him, fingers flickering into a small, delicate wave perfected by young women your age. 
His reaction was immediate – a mad blush to his cheeks, and his body growing rigid at being caught staring at you. 
You didn’t mind though. If anything, you felt giddy, and there was an unmistakeable bounce in your steps all the way back home.
BLUSH [002.]
His name was Fushiguro Megumi. He was the son of your village’s infamous blacksmith, who everyone dubbed as ‘Scarface Toji.’
All kinds of rumours about his father spread around the village, ranging from how he used to be a bloody merchant who worked for the King and lived a life without regards for others. As long as he was given enough coins, Scarface Toji would do anything.
Your parents had pinched your waist the moment you mentioned it to them. Your father shook his head disapprovingly over a cup of fresh milk, reminding you again and again that you shouldn’t believe rumors. Apparently, Scarface Toji was just a widowed man left with a baby son before he could even say goodbye to his wife, and he migrated from another town to here in order to start all over again in hopes of giving a better life for his son than the one he previously lived.
It was hard to believe it at first. Toji was a huge man who always carried multiple weapons, but after learning that he just made them and never wielded them, you eventually believed that the man was harmless. 
Your respect for him only increased when his son came mere days later, his hands trembling in his chest as he requested to have a presence with you, flowers clutched in his chest.
You were at your room that one dewy morning, fluffing and fixing your bed when your mother squealed from the doorway, followed by your father’s light hearted voice telling her to calm down. Not moments later, your mother had clipped ribbons in your hair and flattened down your housedress, the grin on her face unexplainable and slightly terrifying.
The burning question at the back of your head was soon answered when you were met by the same young man you’d smiled at the other day. Fushiguro Megumi, he introduced, and until now, you could still remember the way your heart skipped a beat as he said, May I court you?
Only that time around, your father answered for you.
You were actually flummoxed he didn’t take out his hunting gun – like how he always did when other males requested a presence with you – and patted Megumi’s shoulder instead, asking to accompany him at the back to go chop some wood.
It was unspoken tradition that suitors had to impress the lady’s father first. You were more surprised when Megumi happily agreed, rolling his shoulders back to prepare for the task.
The smile he sent your way was boyish, shy even, but determination and anticipation shone through them, somehow leaving you wanting more than before. You and your mother, too curious as ever, wouldn’t stop giggling as you watched both men chop wood in the back, talking about the most mundane things ever like how Megumi’s father was faring, or how his studies was doing.
Megumi felt at ease enough with your father, the sleeves of his shirt pushed all the way to his elbows while he raised the axe. He was effortless in splitting the wood in two, not a break of sweat evident on his translucent skin.
“My, he’s a strong one!” your mother praised, her body practically thrown all over your body as she watched Megumi do more work while your father chatted his ear off. “Handsome too!”
“Mother!” you scolded, though the embarrassed giggles let her know you weren’t really complaining. She was right, Megumi was strong and definitely handsome; with a chiselled jaw, a pointed nose, striking eyes and arm littered with veins and cuts that he got from early ages of hard work.
Once your mother noticed that they were finishing up, she hastily yanked you back into the kitchen. She fretted more than you did about teaching you how to make the perfect meal; that the best way to reward them for their hard work was through a nice, warm meal.
You were too shy to ever vocalize that you wanted to impress Megumi with your cooking skills. Thankfully, your mother pried no further when you quietly asked her to leave the meal to yourself, already preparing out the ingredients while she picked the best flowers from the front yard to decorate the table with.
When Megumi arrived, his eyes roamed around the humble walls of your home almost as if looking for something.
You stood there at the corner, teeth sunken into your lip while your toes curled inside your slippers. Soon, his gaze landed on yours, his lips breaking out into one of the sweetest smiles – one that was far sweeter than the nectar you sipped from the flowers in your youth.
There was no proper explanation to why you stepped forward, a dip in your brow as you wiped at the beads of sweat that had now accumulated beneath his eyes.
His hair stood up in spikes pointed in different directions. You chuckled when it wouldn’t tame down at each stroke of your finger, and Megumi mimicked the melodious sound pouring from your lips. Too lost in the sensation of having his soft strands running through your hands, you forgot that Megumi was technically still a stranger, and you froze when his touch wrapped around your wrist.
You looked up at him then, an apology right there at the tip of your tongue for invading his privacy when he murmured, “Hi. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
If the sound of his laughter was harmonious before, then his voice could only be compared to honeydew and pastel splatters of the skies clashing in the horizon. Warm, gentle, soothing – you were right, he felt like the embrace of a kind soul in a stormy, cold day.
So you melted, unable to fight back your smile as you leaned closer into his touch.
“Hi.”
BLUSH [003.] 
It was one of those rare days that the sun shone down brightly onto your village. The sun had stopped hiding behind the clouds, extending its fingertips down to graze at the greenery of your home, the light filtered through the thick branches of trees that you were currently hiding at.
You had to muffle your giggle with the back of your hand, eyes darting around to inspect if Megumi was anywhere close to you.
Half a year had passed ever since he courted you, winning not only your heart, but the approval and warm welcome of your parents into your home at the same time. It made sense that he had easily placated himself beside you at all times that Megumi eventually earned a seat at your dining table. Not only was he the loving, gentle soul you had always yearned for, but Megumi understood you in more ways than one.
In fact, it almost felt like you had lived your life with a missing piece of yourself.
Now that you had found him, the both of you showed no signs of wanting to pull away. Shy hand holding had transitioned into sneaky kisses, strong arms pulling you into a corner to kiss you goodbye before he retreated back home, your mind hotwiring as you reminisced his lips over your cheeks over and over again. Funnily enough, it became harder to sleep.
Why would you want to sleep and dream when every waking moment was magical enough?
Just as you tip-toed behind another tree to hide from your lover who hadn’t stopped attacking you with tickles, you stepped on a dry leaf, the crunching sound resonating onto the wide forest.
“Blast,” you muttered to yourself, eyes closed as you awaited the impact.
Just as you’d expected, Megumi came running behind you. Graceful in his movements as ever, you both laughed as Megumi flipped you both over before you could fall, your weight falling on top of his while his back hit the flowery fields.
“Found you, lover,” he teased, his hands curious as they ran up and down your sides. “It’s going to take a lot more than that if you want to run away from me, you know. No matter where you are, no matter how long it takes, I’ll do what it takes to find you and have you in my arms all over again.”
“Silly,” you teased as you leaned close to him, rubbing your noses together that pulled out a boyish laughter from him. “I would never run nor hide from you, my love. Where you are is where I wish to be?”
“Is that so?”
“No doubt it.”
“Then,” he interlaced his fingers with yours, gaze solemn as the sun shifted. The looming trees overhead provided you both privacy and shelter, nothing but small streaks of light caressing both your skins as Megumi’s lips padded over your knuckles, thumbs grazing at your wrists. Nothing could prepare you for what was to come next. You couldn’t tell what would happen, but he’d grown serious, voice low as he announced, “Marry me. I’ll take care and love you for the rest of my life. What else do we have to wait for?”
Your heart drummed in your chest loudly that you could no longer hear his next words.
Whether he said something or not, none of it mattered. For spending those six months with him already felt like a lifetime and you were greedy – you wanted to be with him more, to hold him tighter, and kiss him a little longer. He was right – there was no need to wait.
And you certainly didn’t wait as you yanked him by the collar, your lips meeting in a heated kiss. You could feel each other smile as your arms wrapped around his neck. 
The kiss told him everything you couldn’t put into words. A hundred yes, a thousand I want to be with you for the rest of my life, and a million I love you’s. Megumi released all the love and passion he held for you when he pushed his lips against yours just as intensely, his scent blanketing over you like a veil of comfort.
There was no need to wait.
You and Megumi ran hand-in-hand all the way back to your home, the joyous laughter of the memories of youth and innocent summer romance the only music that era would ever know. Slamming the door open, both chests heaving with air and pinkies looped together, your smile fell off your face when an unfamiliar gentleman faced your way at the sudden intrusion.
He was tall, taller than Megumi and a lot broader. His long, dark hair was pulled back in a slick knot, ears pierced with black earrings that added to the darkness of his aura. His smile was nothing but eerie as his unwelcomed gaze travelled all the way down your form before his eyes darkened to the hand yours was connected with. 
Sat behind him were your parents; even with their heads turned away from you, the grim looks painting their faces was evident.
“Mother? Father?” you stepped closer to Megumi, not missing the way the gentleman’s frown deepened. “May I ask what is the meaning of this? Had I heard we’d be having a visitor, I’d have stayed to welcome him,” turning to the gentleman, your back arched into a deep bow. “Forgive me, Sir, I was direly uninformed of your presence. I do not mean any rudeness. Please forgive me.”
“She is perfect, just as I’ve heard.”
Before any of you could react, the man had stood up. If he was tall before, his stance was terrifyingly imposing now as he looked down at both of you and Megumi. Your lover stiffened beside you before his arms encircled your waist, pressing you flush against him while your palms flattened on his chest.
His accelerated heartbeat matched yours, lips turning dry at the situation.
The man scoffed for a moment upon seeing your comfort for your lover, then he smirked, head lolled to the side as he announced the words that would soon end the ruin of your life.
“Ah, yes, young love. What a magical thing to experience,” In the blink of an eye, he pushed Megumi to the side, your body crashing into this man’s broad chest while he possessively placed a palm over your head. You couldn’t move, eyes wide and mouth dry as your mother began to cry, while your father simply kept his gaze to his feet. Megumi mirrored your stance, hands clenched into fists though he too, made no move. 
There was no telling what would happen next. 
“But that is all in the past now. Fortunately for you, my dear, you’ve wonderfully fulfilled your duty as a child to be your parents’ future. Now come with me, you’ve got some dolling up to do.”
BLUSH [004.] 
They lied to you.
When your parents told you that poverty didn’t mean anything and a family was still a family no matter what happened, they didn’t mean it. It was all a lie.
Memories of being dragged outside your house and thrown into a carriage fancier and more expensive than anything your parents could ever afford even after a lifetime’s work remained burned in your head like a searing memory. You couldn’t remember how your parents reacted at your disposal; you couldn’t even look at them, the betrayal sitting hard and square right at your face.
But he remained at the back of your mind.
You had only been so young then, hopelessly in love, and you still are, you very much are. You closed your eyes as you fought back the tears that threatened to spill when you replayed the image of Megumi running after the carriage while you cried out for him, begging for him to save you. Your new husband had only snickered to himself then, well-aware your lover could never catch up.
Soon, Megumi grew tired, the dark patches of mud so familiar to you from your village transforming into wide greenery that led to bridges crossed to another town that would eventually lead you into the castle.
Suguro Geto, a man twice your age, barely had to lift a finger when he decided to buy you as his wife. 
He was a higher ranking official under the King’s command himself. Wealth, power, luxury – he had them all, and he could and did provide everything you needed with just a simple request. 
You supposed you should feel thankful. Days of sleeping with an empty stomach and a parched throat was nothing but a distant memory now, your skin soothed with only the finest silk and people bowing the moment you walked through the door. Gone was the poor girl from the countryside who wrestled with pigs once in her life when you’d accidentally dropped a slice of bread in the pig pen – only a refined, intelligent, and extremely obedient wife of Sir Geto was in place.
Or at least, that was how it was supposed to be.
Geto, despite his tyrannical personality and no hesitance when it came to abusing what he was capable of, was extremely disinterested in you. It was no secret – to both you and the servants – that he brought women around all the time. Even after years of marriage, not once had he laid a finger on you, opting to buy a bigger bed instead to keep the space between you both.
You were perfect for him; you were everything he wanted.
A woman who did everything he asked, a lady who smiled and chatted exuberantly when needed, both beauty, brain, and elegance combined into one, but most of all, you did not want him. And that was why Suguru treasured you above all, for you were the one who prevented him from being tied down to even worse women who were obsessive with him. In payment to your silence and submission, he provided you with all the comfort and luxury you could ever ask for. 
Though you never did ask for anything.
Your only wish was to return home – but you dared not utter these desires for you knew it was as far away as a distant galaxy. Nothing but emptiness and dread accompanied you with each passing day, the image of Megumi soon faltering into your memories.
You’d lost count of the times you cried yourself to sleep while Geto laid beside you, his palms pressed into his ears while your sobs coated his velvet walls until the sun rose. If it were not for the cream spread all over your skin, people could easily see that you were a restless, broken wife instead of a happy one like you pretended to be; that your soul withered with each second.
There was no more hope, no light, no love present in the large, empty hallways of your manor. 
Suguru was out for the night, probably lurking underground casinos fucking whoever whore was desperate enough to warm his cock for the night. Your servants had long retired to their quarters, and with nothing much else left to do, you left your room, the nightgown barely wrapped around your shoulders as you padded to the garden barefoot.
The grass was a lot softer here in his manor than it ever was back at home. Home – wherever that was. You couldn’t find your way back to it.
Everything here seemed tens of thousand times better than anything, and yet it felt so empty. Hollow. Dark. Meaningless. Even as you perched yourself upon the swing, feet kicking into the ground until you soared high enough that the moonlight caressed your skin, you found no beauty in everything.
Everything you once treasured faded into the night.
A rustling sound made you plant your heels flat on the ground, eyes narrowed at the source of the sound. The bushes behind you stilled, and you sat up from your seat, hands coming up to tug your gown back to your body as if it would protect you. “Who’s there?” you demanded, “You are not allowed to trespass the Geto Manor or else—”
Your words were swallowed right back when the figure appeared from behind the bushes. Even after years, you would still be able to recognize that face anywhere. The untamed hair, the flat lips, those eyes that had always reminded you of the skies you’ve grown tired staring at – your feet moved faster before your mind could comprehend it.
Megumi barely staggered as he caught you in his arms, your cries muffled by the collar of his shirt. Your heart tore into pieces and healed right back when Megumi buried his face into the crook of your neck, muttering I’m sorry over your skin over and over again.
“I’m sorry,” Megumi’s voice cracked, “I’m so sorry it took me so long to get here. I am sorry I couldn’t run after you. I am sorry I didn’t—”
You silenced him with a kiss, your hands trembling as you cupped his cheeks. Too long, it had been too long, and your hands were everywhere. On his hair, at the nape of his neck, grabbing at his shirt to pull him closer – you ravaged him with your lips and hands that a string of saliva threaded between your mouths when you gasped for air, only to kiss him harder the second time around.
Megumi’s hand came up to clutch at your bottoms, his body now firmer and bigger than the last time you remembered. He smelled like home, felt like heaven, tasted like bliss and the saltiness of your tears mixed in with his delectable self.
“I love you,” you declared, the sobs wracking through your chest before your head fell on his shoulder. Megumi doesn’t stop you when you fisted his shirt, his hands only patting your back as you hiccupped, the tears now drenching his shirt. “I love you, I love you, please, my love, run away with me, let’s live somewhere else, okay?” You cupped his cheeks, your thumbs swiping away at the tears that had also stained his pretty face.
Megumi nodded, not wasting another second when the both of you treaded through a very thin line by kissing you all over again, his lips flushed with yours.
There was no need for air. The only thing you needed at this moment was to have him beside you, and just as Megumi pulled away to tell you he’d do anything for you, blood spilled past his lips. You watched as the red liquid splattered from his lips and dripped down your chest, and that’s when you felt the piercing pain through your chest.
Megumi dropped you, your body colliding on the ground with a loud thud. Your chest bled from a shallow cut, though that was the last thing you paid attention to when Geto stood behind your lover, red eyes shining through the brilliant night and long fangs sinking down his chest.
Your screams were muffled with Geto’s palm as he showed up right in front of you in a flash, his cold touch sending shivers down your spine. 
He forced you to watch as your lover fell in front of you, a sword poking through his chest. You struggled against your husband’s hold, but he was far stronger and bigger than you that you fell limp into his chest. Geto barely blinked an eye as your nails sank down to his skin hard enough to draw blood from his pale skin.
“Watch, darling,” he purred into your ear, “You wanted to be with your lover forever, right? Then let me grant you wish – I’ll give you the forever you always wanted.”
“Why are you doing this?!” you bit back through the palm covering your mouth, vision blurred as tears coated your face. “I did everything for you! I did everything you asked me too – you didn’t have to kill him, he was the only one that mattered to me, how dare you?!”
“No reason, darling,” Geto pushed you off his lap before tugging Megumi’s shirt, revealing his lifeless and bloodied face staring right at you. “I was simply…drunk, you could say. I was not pleased to find my wife locking lips with another man.”
“I was never yours,” you spat out, hands dug deep to the earth underneath you.
“No, you’re not. Your heart was always owned by another, was it not?” Geto tipped his head as he watched Megumi’s lifeless form crumble back to life, a guttural groan echoing through his throat. Your eyes widened when his head snapped upwards, striking blood red eyes that resembled Geto’s glowing under the moonlight. You crawled backwards until your back hit the three, unable to recognize the man in front of you. Geto stands to the side, his long and sharp tongue darting out to lick at his lips. “Young ones are always the most dangerous. I cannot wait to see how this one goes.”
“Megumi!”
“Thirsty, are you not?” Geto taunted. At the sound of his voice, Megumi leapt to him with dark claws extended. A scream ripped from your lips, one that was immediately silenced when Geto effortlessly wrapped a hand around Megumi’s neck, choking him until his limbs flailed helpessly in the air.
“Ah, ah, ah, I won’t suggest drinking my blood. You would find it repulsive,” A sickening snap resonated in your ears as Geto broke Megumi’s arm to turn him your way, fangs bared and animalistic growls making your lover seem unrecognizable. You sat there, frozen and panting. Why couldn’t you move? “Your human lover is right there, though. Go on, take a look,” he whispered in the younger man’s ear, his red eyes glinting with amusement. “See her luscious skin? Hear the rapid heartbeat pulsing at the juncture of her neck, begging you to ravish her? That is what you’ve always wanted, right? To claim your woman as yours?”
Megumi’s fierce growl was enough to make you bury yourself harder in the tree trunk, the tears streaming freely down your face before Geto released his hold on him. “If it makes you feel better, I never touched her. She is all yours for the taking. Now, drink.”
At his command, something snapped in Megumi.
All hell broke loose. The last thing you saw was a beam of crimson eyes paired with a red flush to his face maniacal with thirst. His name came out in a broken cry, Megumi’s claws ripping away at your clothes until his fangs sank down into your skin.
Your legs kicked out beneath you as you gasped for air. From behind Megumi, Geto crossed his arms to himself, soon disappearing into the night.
Megumi kept gasping and growling as he drank from you harder. The grip on his hair eventually faltered until your hand fell on the ground, his eager tongue lapping at what else dripped from the holes he’d punctured at your neck. He doesn’t let up once, hands coming up to crush your windpipe until your bones cracked at one clench of his muscles, merely a reminder of what he could now be capable of.
Was this death? you wondered before black completely clouded your vision, you were not ready for it.
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ROSE [005.]
Megumi hunched over his seat, his hands making quick work of jotting down tiny details of the modern life in his notebook. It had been two hundred years since he last saw you, and the world had drastically changed ever since.
It wasn’t easy getting over your death – especially not when he snapped back into consciousness, the painful reminder that you had died from his hands haunting him in his sleep.
Not that he ever had much sleep to begin with since he was always tired and restless, his skin hollow and pale, with dark circles finding home under his metallic blue eyes that had lost their previous warmth. After years of trying to learn how to control himself through isolation in the mountains, Megumi eventually wandered back down to the city, surprised that time had flew by so fast and your old village was now unrecognizable.
People wore lavish clothing and had parasols made out of lace, making his throat dry up at the thought that lace back then cost way too much than he could ever afford.
Too much had changed indeed. So much time had passed that Megumi’s previous anger and hatred to himself had now been filled with nothing but a lingering, empty feeling that gnawed at him. No matter how much he tried to blend in with society and keep his true form a secret, nothing ever really took away the fact that he was a monster that could hurt anyone if he even lost the slightest best of control.
He didn’t even know the name of the man – no, the creature – who made him this way.
Megumi sighed as he snapped his notebook shut, conversing freely with this human friend he made. They were ‘of the same age’ as Megumi introduced. Itadori Yuuji wasn’t top of the food chain, per se, which is exactly just what Megumi wanted since the last thing he wanted was unnecessary attention. Right now, he accompanied his friend – the only person he could care about – as he got his suit fitted. Yuuji stared at his reflection endlessly, tapping at his bottoms with a thoughtful hum.
Just then, something familiar wafted into Megumi’s senses. At first, he thought it was the scent of the soap he used, but this was too…different – he was sure he’d caught whiff of it before, but he was beyond a hundred years old that it was impossible to pinpoint what it was.
His eyes fluttered outside the shop as he looked for the source of the smell. It was soft, leaving behind a lingering flutter of his chest, and before Megumi could realize it, he’d already shot up from his seat, captivated by the sound of laughter and giggles across the street. Then, he saw you. You were right there, head thrown back in laughter as you chatted with your friends, lips painted a flushed red that only broadened at something your friend had said.
“Fushiguro – where are you going?”
“My apologies, friend. I’m afraid there is somewhere I have to be,” Quickly, he stashed his notebook inside the front of his coat jacket, pushing past against the crowd and crossing the street. The closer he got, the more he recognized your laughter, your features sharpening into a crystal resemblance of the person he’d lost years ago.
He couldn’t believe it, could barely stop himself when you walked away, his hand naturally falling to grasp at your wrist.  
“Excuse me, Miss. I—” Megumi was stunned when you turned to him, your smile polite and bright as ever, not the least bothered that he pulled you out of nowhere.
“Yes? Is there something I can help you with?”
“I…I just thought I’ve seen you somewhere before. I’m sorry if that came out weird,” not wanting to be rude (your friends were glaring suspiciously at him), Megumi retracted his hands by his sides, gaze planted to his feet as it was considered impolite to hold such eye contact with the opposite sex – especially to a stranger. He could feel himself grow warmer despite his lack of body heat inside his heat, your mere presence prompting his undead hear to beat once more. It made Megumi step backwards, throat falling dry. “Uhm, I suppose I should turn back—”
“Would it be odd if I said I felt the same way?”
His head whipped up to yours so fast that it looked comical, and he was blessed by your amused smile. “What?”
“You feel familiar, and I wish to understand why,” At this point, the sound of his heartbeat that had long been forgotten drummed loudly in his ears, so much so that he could barely hear your words anymore. He had to stare at the way your lips moved, hypnotized at the same time as he tried to fathom what you said. “Would you like to have lunch this Friday? Perhaps we could…familiarize ourselves with one another more.”
It had been a long and painful two hundred years – but you were here – that Megumi would be insane to say no.
ROSE [006.]
Megumi made sure to be silent as he slammed the door shut, not wanting to wake his lovely wife who’d long retired to bed after a long day of work. The eminent darkness in your home told stories of how late it was this time of the night, nothing but silence and the faint cricketing of insects heard in the dead night.
Upon seeing you on the bed, soft breaths spilling from those lips he could never get enough of ravishing, his shirt doing a terrible job at keeping you modest, Megumi’s jaw clenched.
Tugging his tie off and discarding his jacket to the ground, Megumi made quick work of spreading your legs open, his breath caught in his throat because his naught wife decided not to wear anything. His fangs bared on instinct, the tent in his pants growing.
You were always tempting him – and despite being a fearsome creature, Megumi was always weak to resist your teasing.
Glancing at your peaceful face, Megumi bunched your shirt up above your breasts, your nipples hardening at his cold touch. Megumi sighed, not wasting another minute before his tongue dove into your awaiting lips that had already bloomed open, always so ready to welcome your husband’s eager tongue even in your sleep. He groaned at your arousal mixing with the tangy taste of tonight’s dinner.
Soft sighs could be heard above from you when Megumi licked a flat line from your hole all the way up to your clit, his hands kneading at the soft flesh of your thighs before he sucked generously at the pearl hidden by your hood.
You quivered in response as Megumi’s tongue finally entered your drenched core, his tongue teasing and expertly licking at the bumpy ridges of your walls. It gave him great pleasure to see his not-so-innocent wife trembling upon his hold, that even in your sleep, you were so responsive to him. Your reactions stirred him to plunge his tongue deeper into your hole that would normally be so filled to the brim with his cock, not stopping until you fisted at the sheets, cumming on his tongue.
Megumi drank at your juices like it was a thirsty man, making him chuckle a bit because he was always thirsty – both for you and the life that throbbed in your veins.
Kissing the inside of your thighs, your head fell to the side, unaware that the sheets were now stained with your arousal. Megumi hoisted himself up to press a kiss on your lips, his other hand gripping at his hardness before he slid himself in, low groans emitting from his lips when your warmth finally engulfed him.
He was at home.
He had both arms planted beside your head as he kept panting at your ear, his thrusts slow and passionate in order not to rouse you from your sleep. He knows how tired you are and he wanted his pretty wife to get all the rest she needed, but it was getting harder with each passing moment when you clenched around him, pupils blown wide the moment his nails dug into your hips.
“I am sorry to wake you, my wife,” Megumi apologized while littering kisses all over your skin, your moans now uncontrolled and breathy now that you were completely aware to receive the pleasure he was eagerly giving you. “I couldn’t help it – not when you are so heavenly laid out for me like this.”
“Mmh, take me as you wish, my love,” you groaned around him, your arms finding home around his neck as you pulled him closer. One of your legs was placed around his waist, the other knee pinned flat on the ground so Megumi could fuck into you deeper, turning you into nothing but a whining mess. “You know you can always have me whenever and however you want. If it’s you, I would never mind,” Megumi pulled his head away from your neck to gaze into your eyes instead, glowing red orbs meeting yours while his hips snapped harder. You would’ve smiled had it not been for his dark circles turning at least two shades darker, his skin gray and a little flake.
“You are pale. Have you not been feeding properly again?” Megumi intentionally ignored you, and you knew he was trying to distract you by thrusting harder into you, having never liked you to remind him of what he was. It worked for a moment, nails scratching down his back, but you cupped his cheeks you’re your warm palms, holding him tense enough that he was forced to look at you. “Megumi. Megumi, look at me – have you not been drinking well?”
“You know I refuse to.”
“You need it. At this pace you’re going at, you’re going to – ah – you might get sick and weaken, my love.”
Megumi shook his head indignantly, “I would never sink my fangs down a breathing human’s body. I refuse to give in to the demon they have made out of me.”
Your eyes softened at how those blood red eyes faltered, his fears showing through the moment his thrusts grew slower, his touch gentle against your hip. It almost felt like he was making love to you, and you gasped when his cock hit your most sensitive spot, your walls clenching and gripping around him like a vice. “You are no monster,” you told him, “Your heart is warmer and kinder than any other beating hearts I’ve come across with. You are a good person, Megumi, giving into to your hunger does not make you a demon,” when hesitance still crossed his face, you pulled him in to see the sincerity in your gaze, passionate enough to make him stutter his hips inside you. “It would be a lie if you call yourself such an atrocity when you are nothing but tender and loving when it comes to someone as fragile as I am compared to your grace.”
“I do not want to hurt you.”
“You could never, my love,” you assured him, baring your neck to him. Megumi’s eyes zeroed in on the rapid pulse visible at your tender skin, the sight enough to make his cock twitch. “Now, drink.” At your words, Megumi froze. He’d heard that same phrase before – right before he killed you by drinking you dry, and Megumi scrambled away from your hold with fear written all over his face.
Not again, not again, no, he wouldn’t hurt you – Megumi never got the chance to leave when you shushed him with a kiss, ankle buried in his back to keep him inside you. “Please, my love, let me make you feel good. I no longer wish to see you this way. Drink my blood – do it for me.”
That was enough to push him over the edge. Sending one last questioning look your way, to which you responded with a nod, eyes hazy with desire, Megumi punctured your skin. 
You cried out from the pain that added to the pleasure, and with Megumi rutting his hips fast and hard into your abused cunt that was still sensitive from your previous orgasm, your husband brought you over the edge. He came not long afterwards, spilling his seed deep inside you – one you were both not worried about since he could never impregnate you.
Megumi doesn’t stop from lapping at your wound, pulling his cock out before his lips swooped down to your breasts, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.
You were both breathing hard, Megumi trying to calm down the tremors of your body from the orgasm while sucking your tits, his hand caressing the other one to not leave it unattended. Hands coming up to card through his fingers, you kissed the shell of his ear, your sweat bodies desperately clinging around one another. “Megumi,” you mumbled sleepily, “Turn me.”
Megumi stilled above you. In a split second, your husband was off you, standing at the edge of the bed with all his muscles rigid and tense, eyes blaringly red as he hissed, “What did you say?”
“Have you not thought about it?” you winced as you sat up, the discomfort apparent upon feeling both your cum drip down your ass to your cheeks. “How you will remain the same after all these years, and I will die and wither like a wilted flower? I do not wish to part from you, Megumi. That was the vow we took in our wedding – that you’d be with me my whole life.”
“Until death do us part,” he reminded you, pointing at the wedding band that adorned both your fingers. “That was the vow.”
“So you won’t turn me?” you scoffed in disbelief.
“No. You only say this because you are blinded with love, but you will soon come to regret it once you become like me. A creature of the night, fearful of the light, taking life from others to preserve yours and unable to provide warmth to my beloved – why would you ever want to be like me?”
“Because it’s the only way I can be with you.”
“Are we not enough the way we are now?” Megumi ran his hands through his hair as he sat back down, his extended claws hastily pointing at the both of you. Even through the dim lights, you could see how his face had darkened. “I am happy, you are happy. We both love each other – what else could you want?”
You gritted your teeth at his words, picking up the pillow beside you before throwing it at him. “Stop being selfish!” you exclaimed, your husband’s eyes flushing a deep shade of rose when he glared at you. “Think about me! A few years from now, my body and face will sag to the point I am unrecognizable. I will no longer be beautiful in your eyes and soon I’ll even lose the strength to cross from our chambers to the washroom. Soon, I’ll be nothing but a drained human because we are weak, and what do you do? You’re just going to watch it all. You will let me get sick and die just because you refuse to live longer with me?” you repeated his words with a scoff, tears stinging your eyes when your voice dropped a tone lower, your arms wrapped around your chest as you rocked side to side. “Do you even love me?”
“Do not dare assume I do not. I waited for you for two hundred years.”
“That is exactly my point, you no longer need to wait for me if you’d just turn me!” you bit back, full on crying at this point with little to no regard that you would wake the whole neighborhood with your discord. “I want to be with you, Megumi, forever. I’ve lost you once and you lost me too, why would you want to put us both through that pain again?”
“Because the pain of losing you will never amount to the misery you would feel once you see that this is not a glorified life,” his gaze softened, his claws retracting until his hands reverted back into its normal ones. From where you sat, you could see your husband falter little by little, his tone turning tender. “I would rather see you die and lose you again than hate yourself because of what I’ve done, even if it was to fulfill your wishes.”
Silence coated the room. Only your heartbeat and his raspy breaths were the only things audible, and when you spoke, the sound of your heart shattering followed. “You would rather see me die? You would rather watch me slip away from your grasp?”
“Yes.”
The fact that he held no hesitance in them just told you everything you needed to know. You turned away from your husband, laughing bitterly. “That makes everything clear then,” you stood up and walked past him, not bothering to cover yourself up as you trudged to the washroom. “I guess I will just continue to please you until my human days are over. Not that it would bother you though, am I correct? You could always satisfy yourself with another body while I slumber for a few more years.”
“You will hate yourself if I turn you.”
“You not need worry about that, husband,” you told him, coming out of the room with a fresh towel and cleaned legs. Megumi still hadn’t moved a muscle from where he stood, his eyes now a longing shade of blue when you burrowed under the covers, back turned away from him. “I already hate you a lot more than I could ever feel for myself.”
ROSE [007.]
Your human body was weak. You get sick and Megumi refuses to heal you, and you died in despair that he didn’t even care about you. A plague had hit your city, and you fell victim to it. After months of being isolated in your quarters until you could no longer taste food or have enough energy to even drink a sip of water, you knew you had to accept your fate.
Megumi stood beside your bed, your hand almost as cold as his when he held it tenderly, regret pooling in his eyes at his refusal to heal you. You were still so young, so fragile – yet he could never bring himself to do it, even if it was your dying wish.
“Will you really not let me live a few more years with you, my love?”
“I am sorry,” he cried out, finally breaking down despite his insistence to stay strong and stoic for the both of you. If you had enough strength, you would’ve cried too; it was the first time you’ve seen Megumi lose himself this way, and he kept sobbing into the crooks of your palm, breaths stuttered and words broken. “I truly am. I cannot do it. Forgive me – forgive me.”
“Don’t cry,” you soothed weakly, thumbs brushing his tears away. “I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to heal, my love. I’m sorry I can’t stay any longer.”
“I’m going to miss you,” he shook his head desperately, lips pressed against the weak heartbeat from your wrists as if that would magically heal you back to life. His words broke you a lot further because you both knew that maybe this is where you would end, and you couldn’t even spend that much time with him. A few months of marriage in comparison to the years he waited for you was simply unfair. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I will miss you too,” you rasped out, “I hope in the next life we meet, I’ll get to stay with you a little longer,” Your breath wracked as your chest tightened, the virus making its way all voer your body and depleting you of everything you once had.
Though young still, your cheeks had hollowed, the light leaving your eyes as your lips flattened into a thin line.
You were inherently frail next to Megumi’s unwavering health and strength, and your smile was weak – forlorn – as you gazed up at him for the last time, trying to print his features deep into your soul.
“It feels like the world is always against us, don’t you think? If so, then maybe you and I are not meant to be as we thought.”
Megumi kept kissing your hands, kissing your tears away until you said your final goodbyes, your hand falling from his onto his lap. You couldn’t stay long enough to hear him pour his love out for you the same way he stood under the pouring rain, watching as the rose placed upon your tomb he likened you with wilt and wither.
Why was it that he could never be good to you?
First, he had caused your death, and now, he couldn’t even give you a proper one. You lived an unfulfilled life. There were still so many things you wanted to do, a multitude of places you wanted to go, and you wanted nothing more than to spend a little longer with him. Even as he walked away from your grave with his dying for what seemed like the hundredth time, Megumi still couldn’t find an answer when he asked himself, should he have fulfilled your wish?
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CRIMSON [008.]
Along with arising modern human civilization and technological advancements, war was bound to come. People clashed with one another until humanity was abandoned, moral beliefs thrown to the side in replacement of exerting dominance over one another.
In a way, it soothed Megumi to know maybe he wasn’t the only one who’d completely lost touch to everything he once cared about; a little comforting that people had turned to monsters as well. But this thought vanished into thin air the moment gun powder and explosions covered the once blue sky, smoke choking the fresh air people once breathed and the battlefield painted red.
Megumi watched his comrades die one by one. He’d grown tired of hearing their last wishes and he cursed at his nature, because why couldn’t he just die?
He’d taken a hundred bullets and a thousand more beatings, yet he remained his stance, pushing through the enemy’s front line like a beast. At least here, he could unleash the monster he’d tried so hard to conceal. Even if he wasn’t entirely sure what exactly he was fighting for, Megumi had enough anger to overwhelm the opponent with his presence alone.
Blood splattered to his mouth, fuelling him to keep fighting and running, slashing at everyone’s throats with a flick of his sword, the growl leaving his chest entirely animalistic.
He should’ve focused more on his task instead of being blinded by rage.
Too lost in wanting to avenge his comrades, Megumi’s sharp senses failed to hear the oncoming grenade thrown his way. His eyes widened a fraction before he was thrown away, his ribs breaking and his skin splitting apart from the impact. Megumi choked out blood; he should’ve fed properly before he got drafted in the military, but he refused, denied his needs and drank animal blood to tame himself instead.
His self-righteous need to rebuff his true nature backfired, biting him on the ass this time around. He was half unconscious when he was lifted by the rest of his commanders who’d thrown him in the medical tents before taking off to war once more.
Megumi’s vision blurred. Everyone around him paced back and forth to tend to the other soldiers lucky enough to have been brought here for a second chance at life, their voices muffled and turning into nonsense. Megumi chuckled bitterly, which he shouldn’t have done because it made him cough up a lot more blood, but could he help it? He didn’t want a second chance at life. He had never seen you again, not even a whiff of your scent, and his heart and soul had reached a point beyond decomposition that he wished to have died on the battlefield instead.
His attention was diverted when warm hands that smelled like rubbing alchohol patted his face, a harsh beam of light shone down his eyes. He winced at the light before the object was taken away, worried eyes peering down at him instead.
Megumi’s gasp was frail, too weak to manage a proper greeting because the sounds of gunshots, explosions, and final screams surrounded both of you and it was the worst setting to find you in but he was relieved – beyond relieved to see that you were there, fixing him up and muttering something he couldn’t understand. You were adorned in the healer’s uniform, your touch nothing but gentle despite the sting of ointments on his wound.
He couldn’t believe it.
“Y-you,” he managed through splatters of coughed out blood, “I found you again.”
“Soldier, focus on me! You cannot die us on now, we are relying on you to save the world, do you understand?” you snapped at him, moving back and forth at such speed that put his supernatural abilities to shame. “Do not forget your duty. Think of your family, your friends, everyone you cared about waiting for you back at home while you fight honorably in this war,” you declared, the cold scissors cutting through his uniform somewhat distracting him from the sound of your voice. “You must think of them.”
“I don’t have anyone else,” Slowly, his consciousness slipped away from his fingers no matter how hard he tried, and he sighed when your furrowed brows became a lot blurrier and unfocussed. At least you were here, he reminded himself, a small smile on his face as he did so. “Everyone I’ve ever cared about is in here in this room with me right now.”
“Live, soldier,” you commanded, teeth snapping the thread as you hastily sewed him back up. He didn’t need it, but you didn’t know that, and he actually quite liked you fretting over him like this. “Live for the future, fight to live – live for me.”
Megumi had fallen unconscious, but your words planted itself deep at the back of his head. Your words were enough to revive him back to life hours later, and he scrambled at the edge of his seat, calling for your name and searching for you with frantic eyes. Living for you was something he could fulfill, so where were you?
Before he could glance at you one more time, you had already disappeared, and Megumi was shoved back into the battlefield.
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SCARLET [009.]
The forest was dark and eerie as you ran through it, the pads of your feet chafed from tireless running and hands still sore from the burn. Countless women were forcefully ripped away from homes in your village at the assumptions anyone who didn’t dare bow down to the aristocrats were devil worshippers, and you were only lucky enough to get away, though barely.
At the back of your mind, you were still screaming as you fought against the binds while they burned you, the ends of your dress tattered and burnt.
The woman that saved you, you didn’t know your name, much less get the opportunity to thank you before she’d freed you, pushing you in the direction of the mountain you were taught to fear. Although that fear vanished as you kept pushing tree by tree, completely unaware that the higher you trudged onto the fearsome land, the atmosphere grew suffocating and too dark.
It didn’t matter now, this was your only place and chance of escaping.
Too dazed in your need to survive, you failed to notice the strong stench of blood, the rotting flesh and bones scattered everywhere upon the steps that led up the abandoned castle. It had been forever since the war that led to the fall of mankind’s chance of modernization, resulting in the world falling back into the ruins that you all had suffered before.
You were panting for air just as you’d reached a few feet before the eerie, looming gate. You had to clutch on a nearby tree to catch your breath, completely aware that you were insane for going to this place as a last resort for a safe haven even if you knew that people had told countless stories to children that a blood drinking monster resided within; whether it was a story told to prevent children from roaming around at night or it was actually true, you would just have to find out soon.
But you’d grown weak, body battered and bruised, stomach deprived of its nutrients and lips cracked from dehydration.
Your legs gave out before you until your body crashed onto the ground, no longer hearing the slight creaking of the gate.
SCARLET [010.]
There was something…wet and warm grazing over your skin, the sensation tickling enough that it stirred you from your slumber. With a groan, you cracked an eye open, all the muscles in your body  chilled when the man sat before you kept wiping at your wounds tenderly, his cold blue eyes sending shivers down your spine once he’d noticed you’ve woken up.
“You are free to stay here until you heal,” he announced, his voice deep yet gentle – nothing like the stories made him out to be. You opened your mouth to thank him – for the clothes that adorned you, the glass of water beside your bed, and for nursing you despite your apparent confusion – but the legendary vampire King himself had stood up, a bowl of water and a bloody towel clutched in his hand before he retreated to the door. 
Then, he paused at the doorframe, head barely tilted your way as he warned, “Do not leave the grounds unless you wish to die. I cannot guarantee I can save you one more time.”
SCARLET [011.]
Megumi was a mysterious person. He never stayed around much, and the castle was far too big for you to ever run into him. No matter how hard you tried to meet him out of want to thank him for his unnecessary kindness, you couldn’t find him.
He mostly left you to your devices. Every morning, you’d find fresh meat, a glass of water – sometimes warm milk – and a pair of his clothes that you’d have to make do with.
You’ve lost count of time of how long you’d stayed under the castle, still terribly confused as to why he hadn’t killed you yet, much less help you. One thing was for sure, however: the infamous King who painted the skies red for years out of bloodlust was not the monster people made you believe he was. After all, what predator cared for his prey this way?
You were beyond determined to show him your gratitude, not having anyone care for you this much your whole life. Growing up in the slums and taken as a child into pleasure houses, this type of privacy and freedom was more than welcomed – a freedom you wouldn’t have ever had had it not been for him. So you stood at the edge of your window every night, a slight bounce in your steps as you waited for him to show up. You rarely ever saw him, but there was no harm in trying, right?
The clouds shifted away, giving way to the moonlight that illuminated the tall figure speeding through the gates. He’d come from hunting his dinner.
With an excited squeal, you rushed past your room with a small towel, running all the way to the lobby to greet him. Your speed put his to shame when you sprinted his way, your excited form rendering the vampire shock still under the dusty chandeliers for a moment, his muscles tensing harder when you smiled up at him.
Your gaze fell down on the blood stains at the edges of his lips. His eyebrows were pinched together, about to ask what you needed when you stood at the tips of your toes, wiping away the blood with a towel.
As he spoke, his voice was gruff and hoarse, almost as if he hadn’t made a squeak of noise for centuries. “Human,” he began, a slight irritation underlying his words, though he made no move to push you away. “Are you not afraid of me?”
“Why would I be?” you queried with a lilting tone, “You saved me, after all. The vicious monster they painted you out to be is far kinder than anyone has ever treated me.”
His eyes darkened at your implications, preventing you from completely wiping the blood away from his face as he gripped your wrists. His claws were long and dark, undoubtedly able to kill you should he wished, but you didn’t fear him, not when he still held you like you were a fragile being. “So just because a devil saved your life, suddenly they are an angel in your eyes?”
“I do not care what you are,” you told him honestly, staring him straight in his eyes swimming with emotions you couldn’t fathom.  “I care not for what you’ve done or who you are supposed to be. All I know is that you are good to me – and why else should I care about anything else other than the fact I have never felt safer my whole life? Should this comfort be in the hands of a monster, I would not question it. I would only be grateful I met you.”
He didn’t speak for a moment, his grip only tightening a bit before one of his arms wound at the curve of your waist.
There was no telling who leaned in first. You were beyond lost in pleasure when he tugged you into his arms, his lips aggressively kissing yours. You groaned at tasting the animal blood still coated in his lips and tongue, but you didn’t care.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, mattered in this world anymore as you jumped into his frame, his arms strong and effortless as he carried you into his room.
The night faded with you tangled underneath him, your clothes ripped and torn, thrown at the other side of the room while he situated himself between you. His hands were no less than zealous as he cupped and touched every curve and dip of your body, his lips never leaving yours.
You moaned when he cupped your drenched core, legs opening further as his thumb grazed over your clit. Whining at his slow teasing that contrasted with his previous needs, you sat up to kiss him harder, pushing his back with your feet to press him closer to you. Both of you groaned when his cock teased along your wet slit, just enough to give a promise of what was to come, but he held onto your hips, his kisses faltering as he panted. “Human,” he growled, “Human, stop. If we go any further, I cannot guarantee I can control myself.”
“Do I make you lose control, Your Majesty?”
“It’s been a long time,” he pulled away from you, all traces of his darkened lust replaced with nothing but softness in his gaze now. He held you there underneath him, his gaze nothing but appreciative as he drunk in your bare features.
It made your chest swell with pride to see him with fussed up hair and bruised lips like that, knowing that you were the only one who had triggered his undoing. “I am only getting back in touch with the restraint I’ve abandoned centuries ago.”
You kissed him once more, this time a lot more gentle and sensual. “Then we shall stop, Your Majesty,” he fell beside you, pulling you closer until your cheek rested above his cold chest. He had worn you out with just simple touches, and sleepiness washed over you like a blanket, mindlessly murmuring things as you traced patterns on his skin. “I wish you would stop avoiding me from now on,” you mumbled, “Sometimes…sometimes I see you in my dreams, and they feel so real,” he stiffened at your words, knowing full well what they meant. “I feel like I’ve known you my whole life.”
Before he could speak, you’d already fallen asleep, leaving him with no other choice but to sigh and pull a blanket over your naked bodies. Pressing a kiss at the crown of your head, he made a silent promise to show you another time.
SCARLET [012.]
You and the King have grown more comfortable after the not-so-subtle declaration of each of your affections to one another. In your eyes, he was your savior and the man you adored most. In his eyes, you were his precious human, his long-awaited lover, and he’d run to hell and back just to be with you all over again.
But…things were different now.
He found it hard to be explicitly pinning you down his bed to let him ravage you. Memories of your past lives, his mistakes, and all his regrets never left him once in his hellish lifetime. Funny, he found it, that the moment you were gone, the moon refused to show itself, but every time you came after a moment of forever, he feels alive all over again.
“Join me? The water is quite warm tonight.”
He merely raised his brow, arms crossed over his chest as he watched you paddle into the water. There was no proper water supply in his castle, resorting to both of you retreating to the lake deep into the forest every night. This night was no different, but as always, he refused to bathe the same time you did in fear he might not be able to hold himself back. “I have no concept of what is warm and cold, human.”
“Would you like a demonstration then?”
He scoffed, smirking at the way you wiggled your brows. He would say he missed the vulnerable, frail human that always submitted to him, but that would be a lie, since he thoroughly enjoyed how you never shy in expressing your desire for him. “If this is your plan of getting me to touch you,” the King began to discard his clothes, his cock swelling at the way your eyes darkened as he unbuttoned each button of his shirt. “I cannot say I have complaints about it.”
You smiled, triumphant in your goals.
It doesn’t take him long to dive into the water with you, his tongue slipping past your lips while he hoisted your body up, cold hands cupping your ass. Bare like this, your nipples brushed across his chest in a mind-numbing sensation, and he doesn’t stop kissing you until his cock is nestled between your ass cheeks, allowing you to feel that he could be warm in just one place only.
“Mhm – Your Majesty,” you tugged at his hair, neck naturally falling to the side as you let him suck at your skin, his fangs coming out to graze at the sensitive flesh every now and then.
“Megumi,” he squeezed the flesh of your ass, “My name is Megumi. Call me nothing but my name,” you nodded absentmindedly, unable to focus on anything else other than his hands roaming each and every skin of your body despite him having already memorized it after loving for thousands of years. He only stops when you shudder in his arms, pulling away from you with a string of saliva attached to your lips. “You are shivering. And you said the water is warm.”
“You are cold, my love,” the nickname slips effortlessly from your lips that Megumi doesn’t even get the chance to be surprised, “I cannot help it.”
Megumi groaned into your mouth, testing the waters by fingering you under the water for a moment. You clamp around his fingers, begging him to finally touch you, and when you were so good and needy for him like that, how could he resist?
He carried you both and ran back to the castle, wasting no moment as he slipped inside you, both uncaring that his bed had been soaked wet. After living an impossibly life, Megumi learned it the hard way that being immortal didn’t mean he could do whatever he pleased. Time was still precious and gold even after an abundant amount of it, and forgive him for being impatient with the way he snapped his hips to yours for it had been forever.
Watching you fall apart under him, lips parted to let out pretty moans and your cunt still taking him in so well even after so many lifetimes, Megumi only falls for you harder than the last.
He interlaced his hands with yours once he saw you desperately grabbing for something, breasts bouncing at the inhumane speed he started. Megumi’s hips were brutal as it snapped to yours, your hips bruised and blue from his strong grip, fangs bare and eyes a blood red while he fucked deep into your cunt. You gasped as you clutched onto his bicep, toes curled at the sensation he was drowning you with.
“Megumi,” you cried out, eyes shut tight from the overwhelming pleasure. “Please – mark me. I wish to be no one else’s but yours.”
Megumi growled at your words, taking both of your legs and locking them to your side. The sudden stretch exerted on your muscles made you whimper as Megumi sat back on his thighs, watching the way his cock was sucked in by your slippery walls. “I will make you mine. You have always been mine long before you were aware of it,” he stated, forcing louder moans from you when he leaned forwards, bending your legs harder before he bit your shoulder.
Your nails scratched down his back, eyes blown wide open when you saw it, saw him. Megumi kept fucking until you were crying, face flushed and damp with tears.
The ceiling of his castle disappeared as the marking he gave you brought you back to a thousand years ago, playing in your head from your first kiss, to how he had drank you dry, all the way until your marriage and from accidentally leaving him during the war.
You were crying – both from the pleasure and pain that beat down on your heart – and Megumi lapped at the blood flowing from the wound, his tongue searing against the open flesh.
“Do you remember me now?”
“Megumi. Megumi, I’m sorry. You’d been alone all this time and I was not there with you. I am so sorry.”
“You are here with me now. It is fine, my love.”
This timed, you pulled him close enough that space and distance became nothing but a myth, lips desperately moving against one another. Megumi groaned into your mouth when you clamped down on him, prompting him to fuck you harder to reach both your highs. His thrusts soon grew sloppy and your cunt was past spent by the time he came inside, painting your walls white with thick ropes of cum.
Megumi remained inside you even as his cock softened, too comfortable inside your heat to want to be anywhere else. You sighed and kissed his cheeks, his eyes, his nose, then his lips, almost worshipping his beauty and soul you’d fallen in love with over and over again.
“How long has it been? Five hundred years – a thousand?”
“Forever. It’s been forever.”
“Was it worth it? Was I worth the wait?”
“Of course you are. You always will be.”
You closed your eyes, the tears still salty on your cheeks when he kissed them away. The arms wrapped around him tightened for a moment, heart pounding in your chest as you relived your past life in that moment. “Megumi,” you whispered, “Grant me the wish you could never fulfill for me before. Please, I no longer want to live another lifetime without you.”
This time, Megumi no longer frowned upon your words, kissing you once more before he cradled your neck and jaw, those blue eyes softening like the cloudy skies you both danced under in your first lives.
“Forever, my love,” he promised, “I’ll be with you forever. Whatever it is you want, I would give it all to you.”
SCARLET [013.]
Your head rested on Megumi’s shoulder, his arms wrapped around you protectively. The halls of his castle were dark and the soft music was drowned by the screams of the angry mobs outside, their fists banging and guns blaring to tear the place down.
Time had passed and you came to understand why Megumi never wanted you to be like him. He was right – there was nothing to be glorified in becoming a monster despite the gift of immortality. This much you knew after slaughtering villages with him, feeding on parents and snatching away futures from children all to feed your thirst.
Both of you were painfully aware and burdened by the bane that was your existence, which is why you two kept dancing, not minding the fact that castle was slowly crumbling down.
You had accepted your fate. You had gotten your wish.
Megumi had lived millennia of forever’s with you that you were both satiated, happy, fulfilled. When the song hit a high note that the record broke and the chandelier fell, crashing a few feet away from you with its glass shards cutting both of your skins, you kissed Megumi one last time, his grip on your hips as gentle as ever.
The doors had opened.
Gasoline spilled from every corner of the castle, torches thrown and fire licking up everywhere. Gunshots were fired. Anger was vexed and thrown your way as you clutched onto your lover with salty tears on your cheeks, the roof falling completely open until the sun shone through. Both of you hissed through the kiss when it burned at your skin, hot and scorching enough that you just wanted to die in that moment. And you would, in just a few moments, you knew you would.
Megumi pulled away from you, his smile lopsided and sad as he pressed his forehead into yours, etching your features in his soul once more just in case he’d never see you again. “See you in the next forever, my love?”
“Only if you’ll keep waiting for me,” you grinned, and Megumi reached down to plant one last kiss onto your throne, reminding you that you were his lover, his soul mate, his Queen – his world and his everything else. Of course he’d wait for you. There was no need to ask him this – he would always wait for you.
“Of course I will,” he promised, “I will always wait for you.”
This time, you were wholeheartedly prepared for your death.
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black-velvet-lady · 2 years ago
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"Who's scarier? Ozai, Azula, Hama, or Koh?"
I think a question like this directly ignores some legitimately terrifying characters that we were introduced to in avatar last Air bender. Such as General Fong, the earth bender Prison Warden, Zhao, Avatar Yangchen, Fire Lord Sozin, Fire Lord Azulon, Combustion Man, the dragon of the west, and Long Feng to name a few.
Now many of these characters are undercut by little screen time, narrative framing, being overshadowed, or having their information be supplemental material.
Going in order of the books the Prison Warden of the earth bender Prison is a legitimately terrifying boss with violent impulses as volatile as a grenade locked behind a hair pin trigger. This guy throws fire at a prisoner's feet and locks him in solitary confinement for a week for coughing while he was talking. Coughing. Not only that he tossed his captain overboard for asking a question, he didn’t even know it was the captain. Then later near the end of the episode Haru throws a rock at his head and he immediately went to burn the kid for the offense. Course this is undercut by the end of the episode with him meekly saying he can't swim and Taro calling him a coward.
General Fong is another character that is legitimately terrifying due to his actual power hungry nature. Fong wants to weaponize a twelve-year-old boy and brandishes guilt upon the boy to achieve these ends. When told no he uses violence to achieve his goal against not only Aang, but Katara and Sokka as well. He buries Katara alive to force Aang into the Avatar State endangering the lives of his comrades and the injured stationed at his base, and he doesn't learn his lesson. He still believes he was right in doing all of this by the end of the episode cause he wants to wield the Avatar as the ultimate weapon and carve a bloody path of vengeance through the fire nation straight to the royal palace. Still he's undercut by sharing screen time with Azula who arguably steals the show from every major villain in the series.
The Rough Rhinos are kind of undercut by the fact that they always loose to the protagonist characters, but they were instrumental in the war effort as the forward troops. Not only that but they also have a canonical body count since they were responsible for the deaths of Jets parents during the burning of his village and they did have murderous intent in the village of Chin.
Sozin. Picture is worth a thousand words and I got two.
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Enough said.
Azulon. Man was responsible for 90% of the hundred year war and ordered the death of his grandson cause his second son insulted him. He's a horrible POS.
Long Feng. Controls the largest city in the world through mind control and fear and is able to kill kids with impunity cause he's controlling the King like a puppet. Even when placed in prison he is still a danger to the city and its people.
Combustion Man. I think it's very telling that the gang will fight the dangerous ladies but their go to strategy with him is run and hide.
Yangchen and Iroh seem to stick out like a sore thumb now don't they? Don't be fooled. Yangchen's original lore actually states she took her job deadly serious. Yangchen was a fully realized Avatar at 17 and terrorized the world into such a state of paralyzing fear that there was a lasting peace for an entire generation after her death cause everyone feared her wrath. The framing around her and Kyoshi kinda makes them seem like the other way around but I find it very telling that Yangchen says you must sacrifice your own needs to protect the world while Kyoshi equates not lifting a hand to save Chin from dying to be the same killing him.
Iroh is the last one cause honestly you don't need me to explain why Zhao is bad. Let's keep one thing in mind with Iroh. He met the dragons before Zuko was born. He learned that fire is life 9 years before campaigning in the Earth Kingdom and laying siege to Ba Sing Se for 600 days. He only stopped when his son died. Did nothing as his brother took the throne and burned his son. Retired to the place he laid siege to. Brought the white Lotus into power and they continued his father's inhumane prisons on the red Lotus.
And Ty Lee is the scariest and most effective member of the dangerous ladies. No I will not elaborate.
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heavymetalchemist · 3 years ago
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Okay actually I'm still thinking about Yu Ziyuan and here's the thing, okay?
She IS a villain, depending on what story you're telling, but she's not the ONLY villain.
If we're telling a story about toxic family dynamics, she's making things worse! She's being awful! But she's also trying to defend her children in a world that highly values reputation and her husband is just sitting there exhibiting such clear favoritism that it's a subject of gossip in other sects! Her husband is out there breaking off engagements without asking her or her daughter how they feel about it! This is not to say the engagement shouldn't have been broken - ultimately I think that worked in xuanli's favor and was good for them - but it's telling that Madam Jin and Madam Yu are close as sworn sisters and set the engagement, but it's their husbands who break it off. And the comments about how Jiang Fengmian wouldn't have come to Cloud Recesses if it were Jiang Cheng that was in trouble... like... so you're only here to break up this engagement if Wei Wuxian doesn't approve? That's a yikes. Also JFM is a shit dad and this is just another example.
But anyway! The thing is that she hits this specific antagonistic role that is very real and very personal. This isn't some poor nameless villager getting a faceful of corpse powder, this is "oh my god is she actually going to cut off WWX's hand?!?!" It matters that she does things specifically TO the protagonist, and not some nameless side character or some named but ultimately not integral character. We don't get a scene where Jin Rusong has a playdate with Jin Ling, by the time we meet the Yi City crew the tragedy has already happened and is in the past, we hear about Xue Yang's finger but not about some poor terrified Chang child hiding under their bed as their whole clan is murdered, y'know?
I mean even empathy with Nie Mingjue happens after the fact! There's this framing that happens where it's already *done* that, weirdly, doesn't resonate the same when WWX is flashing back to his own life experiences. There is an immediacy in "YZY whipping WWX" that is not present in "JGY is poisoning NMJ with the songs of turmoil."
But there is this immediacy with YZY that somehow makes her worse, even though there are actual villains in the story who do so much more obviously terrible, murderous things than her. And we really can't discount the misogyny in giving JFM a pass that she doesn't get. Who brought WWX into the Jiang household? Who immediately was like "hey son say goodbye to your dogs (the only gift I have ever given you)"? Who refused to deny allegations of affairs, who refused to be on his children's side for marriage alliances, who didn't pick up his own son hardly ever?
There's this part of the book/show where WWX says that JFM has to be more strict with JC because he's the heir, but JFM *isn't* strict, YZY is! YZY fills the strict overbearing parent role! She is the one constantly expecting more/better from her son! (to an unreasonable extent that makes him feel like a failure? YUP! But at least it's there!)
JFM isn't strict, he just doesn't care. I feel like when I look at the motivations of characters, I can see why YZY behaves that way. I get why people make her the villain of stories - because if you're looking at bad family dynamics, she is the aggressor. But the thing is, JFM is right there flying under the radar, undermining all these relationships, introducing all sorts of doubt, not doing any emotional labor at all. Like what kind of asshole says to his small child "say goodbye to your dogs here's your new brother! ok sleep tight in your new shared room I'm off to bed byeeeeee."
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sukunarii · 4 years ago
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Pairing: Yandere! Sukuna x Reader
Warnings: (Sukuna’s Era!) Yandere | Unhealthy relationship | Murder | Blood| This fic is much darker than my usual style! Please beware when you read it. 
Synopsis: In the early morning, you would play your koto in your garden. It was a show for one audience: a stranger that refused to step out of the shadows. A stranger that perhaps grew too fond of you.
Wordcount: 3.0K
A/N: A koto is a Japanese instrument kind of like a harp. Also this fic might be very historical inaccurate. This fic is inspired by a poem by William Blake titled “Song:  When early morn walks forth in sober grey.” 
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The sky was gray on the day you first spoke to him. It was early morning, you were in your garden, under the gazebo as usual where you go to practice playing your koto. You enjoyed it, for it was one of the only times where you could feel absorbed in your own world, in your own solitude and tranquility. However, you have noticed that lately, you were not so much alone.
"Behind the willow tree, I know you're there," you called out. You could see the shadow shift, but the person behind did not step out into your view.
"I see you have noticed me," a masculine voice replied. It carried a hint of playfulness.
"Of course I have, you've disturbed my peace for a few mornings now," you replied.
"Am I not welcomed?", he asks.
"What brings you here?", you asked back immediately.
His answer did not come as quick as yours, as if he chose his words carefully  "I was captivated by the music you played," he complimented you.
You were flattered, you had to pause and recollect your thoughts for a moment. If he is just here to listen....well there's no harm, right?
You let out an airy laugh, "As my only audience, I supposed you are welcomed to stay." 
You resumed to playing your koto. From behind the willow tree, Sukuna stole a few glances at you. Along with the beautiful music you created, you looked so effortless and absorbed in your own world while playing. A world that Sukuna could step a foot into by observing you from afar but felt too delicate for him to disturb. You were like an angel while he was a curse— a monster. He shouldn’t have any business with a girl like you. 
Yet you called him, 'My only audience'...he liked the sound of that.
You were playing for him only, and he was glad that he did not even have to capture you for this. After all, a caged bird does not sing the same.
However, the serenity of dawn was disturbed by the loud and abrupt chime of the bell.
With a jolt, you stopped playing.
"Ah, that was the wake up call for the village, I got to go now," you said and got up.
From his shadow, you see him stand up too. You hesitated but decided to ask anyways, "Will you tell me your name?"
He laughs lightheartedly, "A musician does not need to know the name of their audience."
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The buds on the dull brown branches were blooming into beautiful flowers that decorated the garden. Summer was approaching. It became routine, he would come to your little concert every morning. It was romantic even. You did not know who he was, but sometimes you would carry little conversations with him. You knew that he was not from the village, he said he travelled up from the valley every morning to visit you.
Knowing that he was not from the village also gave you a sense of security as you could tell him anything and everything without worrying that he would spread rumours. Afterall, you were the daughter of the richest man in the village, from suitors to enemies to your family's reputation, there was so much that you had to keep to yourself. You've learned to express these thoughts into the music you played, but being able to say them out loud in words was relieving.
He was your audience and you were his musician.
Nonetheless, most of the time, very few words were exchanged. It was just you, him, your music in the air and the garden in the surroundings.
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You were wearing a purple kimono the day you asked him if you could see him. He gave you the same response as the day you asked him for his name, "A musician does not need to know the appearance of their audience."
You sighed, disappointed, "How about if I ask you as a friend?"
From the flickers of his shadow, you could tell he hesitated. Your heart started racing, in hopes that you will finally see your mysterious friend. But, you were left disappointed, "Not today, my darling. You're still not ready yet."
You looked at his shadow quizzically, what did he mean by not ready? Did he have self-esteem issues? Or a scar? Or was he really ugly...? Not that you would have minded of course, you pouted, "That's not fair. You get to see me all the time."
He chuckles, "I think this is for the better."
The urge to show himself to you or even take you for himself was very strong. However, he had to hold himself back, he didn't want you to be afraid of him. For one, you just called him a 'friend'. And he knew that if he did show himself however, this friendship would be over. You were an angel. He was a curse. Sometimes fate was cruel that way.
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The green leaves that fell from the trees were fluttering in the summer breeze. Lately Sukuna has been observing you more and more throughout the day. Instead of rampaging the nearby villages, he would spend more time observing you from the outskirts of your village.
The more he observed, the more he noticed the amount of unsolicited male attention you get when you stroll in the village. Had he not been a curse, he wished he could be strolling by your side and indicating to all of those nuisances that you were his.
The village was not very large, thus, Sukuna has come to recognize most of the faces. However, one time there was a strange man with black hair that appeared in the village. Not that Sukuna cared much as long as he didn't try to flirt with his little darling — except the man did this very thing: he stopped you.
Sukuna could not hear what the man said to you, but he could certainly feel the rage rising in him. The urge to kill this man was very strong. In fact, in the heat of the moment he feels like he could kill everyone in this village to prove his point. Seeing another man try to talk to you so intimately enraged him. He has held himself back multiple times from rampaging your village and taking you home with him. Taking you as his. But for your sake, he has managed to suppress these dark thoughts. But not this time.
He approached you, or specifically the stranger menacingly...with killing intent. But once he was in hearing distance, he heard you tell the man firmly,
"I'm not interested."
The man paused. But insisted again, "Why not? I can treat you right."
"I'm interested in someone else," you told him.
Sukuna paused. Were you talking about him?
"What? No way, who might this be and how come I've never heard of this before! You're just making up lies to turn down my love," he argues back condescendingly.
You shot him a dirty look and you tried to leave but he grabs your arm, “Hold it there girl, I’m not done talking yet.”
That’s it. You slapped him. Not a weak slap, a hard one. The man's face flipped towards the other side.
"That is none of your business. Now if you would excuse me," you said angrily and turned around and left.
Sukuna smiled, 'That's my girl.'
He didn't even have to do anything.
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You ran your hand through the calming blue water of the pond in your garden. You have strained your hand from playing on the koto for too much, they were sore and calloused. You tried inviting your friend to come feel the water too but he refused, insisting on remaining well hidden from your view.
"He is from this powerful family, the Zenin clan I believe. And he seems really interested in me."
Sukuna didn't answer.
"But I'll keep rejecting him, I don't like him and don't care for his advances," you rambled on, then sighed, "However I can't say the same for my parents. They are interesting in getting a hold of the powers of the Zenin clans."
"Why don't you leave the village with me?" he finally answered you.
You didn't think he was serious, but you entertained his idea, "They're not just your normal powerful families. They are very powerful as in even if we leave the village, there's nowhere left to run."
"Then I'll just kill them. Everyone of them."
You laughed bittersweetly, what could he possibly do against them when he was too shy to even show himself to you? The Zenin clan was one of the most powerful sorcerers of the eras!
"Haha, yeah that would be nice. But with all of the curses rampaging the nearby villages, we really need the Zenin clan's protection. It really sucks but they're powerful jujutsu sorcerers, it's a miracle that our village is not destroyed yet unlike the our neighbouring villages,” but swiftly, your fake optimism fades. You couldn’t play your koto today, but this stranger was your friend and talking to him gives a sense of comfort. He was listening to you and he was trustworthy.
You say softly, “If only something happened to their third son so that he would stop trying to woo me all of the time...." then, you laughed sheepishly, "Of course I'm just joking haha, I mean it's awful to wish death on someone..."
But Sukuna only heard the first part.
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With summer abruptly coming to an end and winter approaching, sunrise came later every day. The sky was still black the morning you broke down crying to him. It was moonless.
"I-I know I said I wished he was d-dead, but I didn't mean it f-for real," you said between your sobs, "I just didn't w-want to marry h-him, but he got killed by a curse and I f-feel like I cursed him."
"Wasn't that what you wanted?", the intonations of his voice came out as cold as the autumn air. However, you were too absorbed in your sadness to pick up these nuances.
"No! I would never truly want anyone to die! That’s awful!”
“Now you won’t have to worry about unsolicited attention anymore,” he answered briskly
You hugged your knees closer to your chest and buried your face into them, “It didn’t make a difference...the Zenin offered their s-second son instead..., so it wasn't cancelled regardless..."
"What wasn't cancelled?", Sukuna asked.
"The wedding...”
Sukuna's jaw tightened. He was upset. Furious. You’ve mentioned that the Zenin family was interested in you but you’ve never mentioned that there was anything official. He didn't like that you didn't mention this to him at all. 
"Leave with me."
This time it wasn't a question. It was an order. Yet, you refused it again.
"I can't. I can't leave my family behind like that...if I run away, the Zenin clan would bare a grudge against them, who knows what they’ll do..."
For the first time, Sukuna finally stepped out of the shadows.
But you didn't notice, nor did you see him, the obscurity of the lightless sky hid him from your vision.
"Pathetic, why would you care about family that are selling you off to strangers? This is why you humans are so weak. Being emotional for things that do not matter," he says, words dripping with menace.
Your eyes widened, alerted by the swift change of mood. Tension high in the air. He did not sound like the friend that you knew. It’s as if he was a real stranger.
"That's not true! It's wrong to be selfish, they're my family. I have to listen to them and it's for the best of the village," you tried to reason but you were worried that he could hear the slight fear in your trembling voice.
"Oh yes because the Zenin clan will protect your village from curses. You think too highly of them. When I killed that nuisance, he was crawling and crying, begging for his life. He may be a little stronger than your average jujutsu sorcerer but he was still a weak human." Sukuna was tired of keeping up his calming and human-like demeanour. He topped off his statement with a sadistic laugh.
However, you didn't answer him. Not immediately at least, you were soaking in the words he just said. You gasped.
"Y-You mean you killed him?!"
You took a step back in shock and fear. You were told that he was killed by a curse...if this stranger you've befriended was a curse and one strong enough to kill someone from the Zenin family....you were in deep trouble.
Sukuna continued laughing, "Ah, yes I killed him. I sliced his body into pieces but I preserved the head so he could be recognized. It was a masterpiece, you should of seen the expression of anguish on his decapitated head!"
All of his efforts of wanting to preserve this friendship, fearing to taint your innocence, and scared of not being delicate around you, all thrown away in the heat of the moment. It didn't matter anymore, not when annoying jujutsu sorcerers were going to get in the way and take you away from him.
You screamed, "Get away from me, you monster!"
Your fight or flight instincts kicked in, this man in front of you— no this curse in front of you— was not a friend. You have befriended something much more sinister, he was a killer. A powerful killer and from the enthusiasm in his voice, he was a sadistic one too. You turned to run back to your house.
To your surprise, he didn't follow you. He watched you and even if you can't see him, you can tell that he was smiling.
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You didn't dare to leave the house the days before the wedding. You were also too scared to tell anyone about your foolish encounter with a curse. Instead, you urged your parents to push the wedding earlier. The earlier the better, much to their delight.
Luckily, you did not hear about him and it seems that things have returned to normal. But your instincts say otherwise. If you play with fire, you ought to get burned. And you seemed to have attracted the attention of something very ominous.
You were wearing white on the day of the wedding. A veil covering your face. As per tradition, you were patiently waiting for your groom in another room, waiting for him to lift the veil off your face and take you to the main ceremony room to present you to the invited guests and families. Then allow the head of the households to pronounce you as husband and wife.
Maybe it was your nervousness, it seemed that every minute went by slower. Almost as if the ceremony has been delayed. But with your eyes covered by the veil, all you could do was wait.
Then finally, you heard someone approaching you. You feel a hand gently lift the veil off your face. To your surprise, the person who brought you out of the darkness was not the second son of the Zenin family. There he was, the powerful curse that rampaged villages: Sukuna. You might be the only person who has seen all four of his arms and eyes up close and lived to tell the tale. Not that you would have anyone to tell this to.
He was covered in blood. You were not sure who's but from the silence and the lack of wounds on him, you can formulate a pretty good guess. You drew in a sharp breath and jerked away from his touch, hoping to crawl away even.
"Help!", you shouted out hoping that anyone would hear — anyone at all....wasn't half of the Zenin household here? What were they doing?
"Shh, I was late because I had to take care of some trash, but don't worry, I'm here now," Sukuna says to you. You recognized his voice right away.
You were so terrified that you didn't even notice tears started coming out of your eyes. You struggled to get away from him, you clawed at him, tried to push him away, but it didn't work. He didn't even flinch.
"(Name), stop that before you anger me," he warned you.
You didn't listen.
"You're a monster," you spat at him and you tried to slap him but he stops your hand midair, the blood on his hands imprinting onto your white kimono.
"I'm not like those pathetic Zenin, you'll have to try harder if you want to hit me," Sukuna says with a taunting voice.
Despair washes over you. He was right, if even the Zenin couldn’t win against him, then what could you do? There was no way you could win this nor escape him.
When he carried you bridal style out towards the main room of the ceremony, you’ve stopped struggling. The room was plastered with blood. You recognize some of the body limbs on the ground, the remains of the guests, of your family, of the Zenin family. They were barely remains, mostly just little pieces. You had the urge of throwing up. No one was coming to save you.
It was just you and Sukuna.
Sukuna laughs, he can hear the whiplash of the puddles of blood as he steps over them. He was proud of his work, "Just like usual, only you and me. I'm your only audience."
The blood that covered him stains onto your previously white kimono.
Sukuna always compared you to an angel. And he was a curse—a monster. You two were not meant to be, fate was cruel like that. But Sukuna can be even crueler.
You are his bride.
And it was a red wedding.
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ginazmemeoir · 3 years ago
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Since it's Krishna's birthday I couldn't help but write his birth story. So here y'all go, you're welcome. Oh also fun fact about Janmashtami : it always rains tonight. It might be just a drizzle, but it always rains tonight.
Devaki’s screams rent the air as she pushed and kept pushing. This was the eighth time she was giving birth to someone. The prison guards could hardly be bothered, and instead laughed at her like hyenas, their mere gazes leaving marks on her skin. Vasudev covered the prison bars with a flimsy cloth, and went back to assist his wife.
She was crying when Vasudev returned back. He bent down by her side, supporting her, and was about to go in front to assist with the delivery when Devaki squeezed his hand and stopped him. Panting, she said, “I don’t know if I want this child Vasudev.” Vasudev was stunned upon Devaki’s proclamation. She had given birth seven times, all sons, and six times had watched them being murdered by her own brother, the brother who had loved her more than any brother could love a sister. The seventh time, Vasudev had quietly given the baby to his first wife Rohini and instructed her to head to Gokul, where his friend Nanda lived. They had simply lied to Kansa and cited that Devaki had miscarried.
How cruel fate was. The couple had watched six of their children murdered in front of them in cold blood, not even a day old. The seventh, they did not know of his fate. Of his first words or his favourite food or the way he laughed. And yet, this eighth child carried hope. This child would be their salvation. Devaki continued “I cannot bear to watch another child snatched away like that Vasudev. Please I’d rather this child die on my womb, or I die while giving birth so at least I don’t have to watch him die. Please Vasudev, I cannot do this anymore” cried Devaki, tears raining down her once lustrous bronze skin, her once luxurious locks lying limp and lifeless by her side like her soul. “No Devaki. I cannot imagine the pain you endure, each time you push another life from inside you, but know this – this child is our salvation. This child is the reason six of our children were murdered. This child is the reason we sent our seventh son into hiding. This child is the reason we have wasted away in this prison for years. Devaki this child must live. Our child must live to avenge the deaths of our children. To avenge us. This child must live if the universe carries even a shred of mercy for us. For Devaki I would sooner kill both of us than watch another child tortured by your brother.” Vasudev’s eyes burned with an intensity Devaki hadn’t seen in a long time. Most of the time they were sad or scared, reminiscing their past. Their married bliss had ended the day it began, with her brother imprisoning them over a prophecy. Vasudev’s words breathed new life into Devaki. She would not let this child die. She would live. She would make sure the child lived. And she would make sure she heard her brother whimpering in agony as her child crushed his skull open.
The gods had given a prophecy. Devaki and Vasudev’s eighth child would be the death of Kansa. And Devaki did not want to prove the gods as petty liars.
With a final push and a scream, that was thankfully masked by a loud thunderclap, Devaki expelled her child out. Vasudev cut the umbilical cord with a flint stone he had dipped in cheap somaras which he had stolen from the guards yesterday, and cradled the child in his arms, lying beside Devaki, giving this child his parents’ touch one final time, the shared breath and heat warming him. He was dark, dark as the rainclouds that had gathered over the entirety of Brijbhumi that day, as the moonlit night that held secrets and wonder. A small glow emanated from his body, barely lighting his immediate surroundings. The couple kept looking at their son, prerplexed, and the baby looked back at them. He had big soft eyes, and instead of crying, he just looked up at them and gave a small laugh, reaching to grab his mother’s hair. Devaki’s tears fell on his face, as she kissed his forehead and hugged him tight. She then looked at Vasudev, and they understood what had to be done. Vasudev took the baby, and opened his prison door. Turns out if you get drunk with the guards ever so often, they don’t notice things like missing keys.
Vasudev stepped out, and half thought that he and his son were going to be hacked into pieces, but the entire cellar was quiet. The whole world seemed to hold its breath, time itself felt suspended. Only minutes ago the guards were cackling, and yet they now slept a deep slumber. Vasudev quickly stole a dagger, and placed the baby in the laundromat’s basket, covering him with a heavy warm cloth. He exited the prison quarters and entered into Indra’s wrath. The clouds overhead boomed with thunder, and rain covered everything as far as the eye could see. Unperturbed, Vasudev kept walking eastwards, until he reached the Yamuna. He looked for a boat, searching the banks of the usually idyllic river, which now coursed with the strength and vigour of the mighty Saraswati, and yet found no boat to carry him and his son. Time was running out, and his son’s life outweighed a safe passage for him, he could already imagine Kansa’s men running towards him. Vasudev then did the only thing he could – let the river decide his life. He walked into the river, determined to reach the other side. The yojana wide river divided Mathura and its outskirts from the countryside – where his son was to find sanctuary. Vasudev kept walking, and the Yamuna’s waters kept rising and rising. The heavy rain pelted Vasudev, and he kept his swaddled baby on his head in his basket. The spaces between the bamboo basket refused water from filling in. Somehow, he reached the middle, when he felt the water threatening to reach his chin, the river hell bent on drowning him and his son. No mere river was going to stop the descendant of the mighty Shuri, the prince of the Vrishnis today though. Vasudev held his breath and kept swimming forward, the basket safely above the surface of water. Surprisingly, there were no crocodiles in the river. Vasudev had only swam a bit further when the river level started lowering and lowering, until it reached his waist. Vasudev was perplexed, the river was usually the deepest at this point, then why did it suddenly lower down to below his waist? Lost in his thoughts, Vasudev almost missed the giant creature slithering towards him, and that is when he realized he and his infant son were about to be devoured by a sea monster that liked toying with its prey. The creature reached Vasudev, its smooth obsidian scales emitting a green glow, extending to its full length, spreading out its thousand hoods and shielding Vasudev and his son from the merciless rain. Had he not known better, Vasudev would’ve thought it was Adi Shesha, the thousand hooded snake, upon whose infinite coils Narayana rested. Time was running out, and Vasudev picked up speed, the serpentine creature slithering along. Climbing out of the river, he kept picking through the wilderness and hamlets, the creature’s presence scaring off any hungry predators.
At last, Vasudev glimpsed the village of Gokul. Overjoyed, Vasudev rushed down the hillock, which was dotted here and there by the occasional cow. He entered the safety of the village, his frayed nerves calming down, and started searching for Nanda’s home. Even though he was the village chief, his house was tough to spot, the only thing differentiating it from others was a larger gateway and a bigger courtyard. Surprisingly, Nanda was already standing at the gates, waiting for him. Vasudev rushed up to him, and began to speak when Nanda asked, “Vasudev, how did you come here? How are you barely wet?” Vasudev looked behind him, and found the creature had returned. Maybe it was scared of society? “There’s no time for that Nanda. I have come to entrust my last son to you,” said Vasudev, as he hastened to enter Nanda’s home. There was a lantern in front of each room, and the large house was empty except for the cows in the outside stables. Vasudev kept searching along the corridor, until he found Nanda’s wife’s room. He expected to see his elder son sleeping with her, but instead found her snoring loudly, with a baby lying beside her. Vasudev quietly placed his son beside her. The baby started crying, clutching onto his father even as he laid him on the bed. Vasudev quietly removed his hand from his grip, and sang him a lullaby. It was about a bee returning to its hive after a busy day in the meadow. He had never got a chance to sing this lullaby before. Devaki and he and spent each day perfecting it in prison. The baby quietened and went to sleep, and Vasudev left, his vision blurry, when he was stopped by Nanda. “Wait here.” he said. Nanda then returned from his wife’s room, his baby with him, and handed it over to Vasudev. “Here you go Vasudev. You may take my daughter home with you.” Vasudev looked at Nanda with disgust. Was his friend so lowly that in favour of a son he would condemn his daughter to the confines of a prison, frequented by a monster that would kill her the moment he got to know? “I know what you were thinking, and I would never do that Vasu” said Nanda, sensing his friend’s thoughts. “Yashoda gave birth to her yesterday, and hasn’t seen her since. I took her to Goddess Gauri’s temple the same day, to seek her blessings. I can’t explain what happened Vasu, but I heard Gauri. She spoke to me and she instructed me to give her to you when you came. Why do you think I was waiting for you outside?” “Oh come on Nanda, you’re just making up stories now.” said Vasudev, even more repulsed now. “Why would I lie Vasu? Is this what you think of me, a murderer? Trust me Vasu, Gauri Devi spoke to me, she told me to give my daughter to you! Who are we to defy the will of the gods?” Nanda reassured him.
“The gods don’t care about us Nanda. They stopped existing for me when they made me watch my sons’ heads being bashed against walls or crushed by hammers. But even so I will take your daughter. Maybe Kansa might spare a girl?”
Saying so, Vasudev took Nanda’s daughter and vanished into the night, heading back to his prison. Even though the babe wasn’t his, he had already named her – Maya – after this night, an illusion, a reality that felt like a dream. He did not know what fate awaited this girl, but at least his boy was safe for now.
Maybe the gods did have a plan. A plan that was tucked away under Yashoda’s arms in the tiny hamlet of Gokul, snuggling against the only mother he would ever know.
222 notes · View notes
chosonore · 4 years ago
Text
cynosure
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cynosure [noun. one that serves to direct or guide; a center of attraction or attention]
pairing: sukuna/f!reader
summary: in which sukuna re-discovers being human one aspect at a time, through many lifetimes, at the price of losing you over and over.
wordcount: 8.7k
content/warnings: reincarnation au, slow burn but also not really because there's only hints of romance? language, it's not canon at all, just pretend sukuna was never sealed away, lowercase is intended
a/n: this is more self-indulgent tbh sukuna is probably uncharacteristically soft? sometimes i'm reminded of the fact that he used to be human and while we don't exactly know how he became a curse just yet, i kinda felt sad about it lol i'm too sympathetic with everything, it's gonna kill me one day fhuierhfa a lot of these moments are based on my own experiences, where i had to remind myself that even the small things in life are really good and important, especially during the pandemic. that being said, i hope you enjoy and stay safe everyone :) (and please don’t judge me too hard on this lol i haven’t written in like what. six years?)
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001.
“oh,” you stared at the tall, pink-haired man in front of you. “i didn’t think anyone would be here around this time…” he stared back at you, not replying nor making any move to scoot over so that you could sit on your bench. it was only then that you noticed the black markings framing his face and adorning his wrists. you were a little dumbfounded - your mother had always said that you had a poor survival instinct. though you supposed that his pink hair eased your nerves a little; surely someone with pink hair couldn’t be as evil. but you couldn’t recall ever seeing someone like this around the proximity of your village. maybe he was a vagrant. 
“i don’t mean to be rude but… that’s my bench and i would appreciate if you could maybe… scooch over?” you asked gingerly, not wanting to upset the stranger. you approached him slowly, grasping your basket tightly. if he got a little rowdy, maybe you could just wack him with the basket, right? although it probably won’t hurt but it surely would stun him long enough for you to run.
“i don’t see why i should move just because it’s your bench,” the stranger answered gruffly, crossing his arms. were you naive or just stupid? “do you not know who you’re talking to, woman?” 
you cocked your head to the side, not sure what he meant. maybe he was one of those famous poets or musicians that your parents liked to talk about. you weren’t entirely sure. even though he sounded annoyed, the look in his eyes didn’t quite match the hostility - he looked rather bored, unamused even, but not hostile. maybe you could humour him a little. “am- am i supposed to know you? i’ve never been outside of the village so i don’t know much. only what the merchants tell me. i apologize if i’ve offended you,” you explained hastily, then pointing at your basket. “i just came here to enjoy the sunrise. um, today is my birthday, so i treated myself to some dessert!”
“if- if you scooch over a litte, i could share some with you…” you tried to bargain with him. now you were truly starting to sound desperate but this was your favourite spot and it was the first time in a while that you had a free day to relax. out of all days, just why did he have to be here now? you’d be damned if you let your day get ruined by this unfriendly stranger. 
“are you trying to bribe me?” the stranger narrowed his eyes at you and you thought this was it. he was going to kill you and bury your body in the forest and your parents would come look for you, only to find your empty basket and then start a huge search party to find you and- the pink haired man moved to the side, refusing to look you in the eyes. “sit.”
you let out a squeak in glee, quickly taking a seat beside him. he watched in silence as you unwrap your desserts, glancing at the objects in question. even though you’d offered to share with him, he didn’t actually expect you to give him some of your food. sukuna was surprised when you handed him a… round squishy thing? 
“what is that? how is that going to satiate me?” he asked, almost offended, which made you giggle. you didn’t reply, instead thrusting the mochi towards him until he begrudgingly took it, closely inspecting it in suspicion. 
“that’s a daifuku mochi. it’s made out of rice flour and filled with red bean paste. but come to think of it… do you even like sweets? i’m sorry if you don’t particularly enjoy it,” you explained and grabbed one as well. you were about to bite into your mochi when you saw the stranger opening his mouth, ready to devour the entire mochi in one go. in horror, you quickly grabbed his wrist to stop him, only to have him suddenly pin you down and tower over you.
“i’m sorry, i’m sorry!” you hastily said, now suddenly aware of the dark, threatening aura that he was emitting. maybe he was a killer after all. “i just didn’t want you to eat it in one go! they’re kind of difficult to eat in one go… plus you’re supposed to savour and enjoy it, take your time eating it!” 
sukuna stared at the girl in disbelief, you’d grabbed him out of nowhere just to stop him from eating too fast? not only were you not aware of who he was, you apparently did not know how to be cautious around strangers. it irked him that you were acting like he was a harmless human being. so much so that he briefly contemplated killing you. “who are you to tell me how to eat?” he growled at you, not softening his grip. he saw the panic and fear in your eyes but for some reason, he couldn’t quite put a finger on it, it didn’t fill him with joy as it usually did.
“i’m just telling you how we usually eat mochi!” you harrumphed, now annoyed that he was acting like you just committed murder. “you didn’t know what these were, so i was just trying to explain! food is supposed to be enjoyed, not ravished all at once. you have to appreciate your food because there might be days where you won’t have any. and besides, enjoying and properly tasting your meal is the least you can do to show gratitude to the person who cooked it for you.” sukuna let up and sat back on his previous spot, seemingly accepting your answer. you sat up, adjusting your yukata and pouted at him. what a rude stranger! you at least expected an apology from him but seeing that he was already taking a bite from his mochi, you guessed you should just let it go. it wasn’t worth getting angry over anyways, not on this day.
“why are you looking at me like that, little girl?” sukuna questioned, taking another bite from his mochi. he did actually enjoy it and it took every bone in his body not to hastily eat more and to savour it like you’d told him to. maybe this wasn’t so bad after all, it made him think about his meals a little more. not eating for the sake of eating, but for enjoyment, he mused. sort of like living for enjoyment, not for the sake of living. 
“you never told me your name,” the girl replied innocently. sukuna sighed. so you really weren’t aware of who he was. “my name is y/n! now it’s only fair if you tell me, especially because i shared my food with you. please?”
before sukuna could reply, he sensed someone quickly approaching. they were hiding somewhere in the forest; it likely was a jujutsu sorcerer, trying to exorcise him. he could deal with them later, but not here, not with you around. the girl looked at him in disappointment when he abruptly stood up, turning towards the forest behind them. unfortunately, he had the inkling that you wouldn’t let it go until he answered: “my name is sukuna, king of curses.” your eyes widened in recognition but you didn’t immediately react or scramble away from him, most likely frozen in fear. 
“now go. someone is coming and you do not want to be in the crossfire.”
002.
as a seamstress, you’ve encountered all kinds of customers. ranging from rude and bratty to eternally grateful, you’ve seen it all. your supervisor had always told you to remain calm and polite, to just adhere to their wishes to not cause any ruckus. after all, people of status often assumed that they were untouchable and could treat others poorly. it wasn’t worth the hassle to start a fight with them, you could lose your job after all. there was moments you’d have to stand up for yourself but this wasn’t it. fortunately, your employer paid you well, enough for you to provide for your family. the customers were high-profile after all.
you looked at the clock on the wall, your next customer was supposed to come soon. it was a nobleman that apparently travelled here from far away, having heard that the store offered beautiful, one of a kind fabrics. you just hope that he wasn’t rude and that you could leave in time. you’d been working overtime for weeks now, taking every appointment and customer that you could get. your mother’s birthday was approaching and you’d been saving up to buy some of the soft and silky fabrics to sew her a new yukata. your mother had always sacrificed her own comfort to buy the best items she could afford for your siblings and you and now that you were older, you could finally treat her to something nice as well. your employer was even willing to give you a small discount and you gratefully took up on her offer.
the chime of the doorbell made you look up, the good feeling in your stomach slowly fading when you saw who entered. you were familiar with the customer after all; he was well known in the area, being a rather volatile and sometimes scary aristocrat who had the reputation to be particularly difficult and having outrageous demands. you hastily stood up, brushing the wrinkles out of your clothing and walking over to greet him. you bowed politely, taking the outerwear that he took off and placing it on a nearby armchair. “sir, i’ll bring you a few samples shortly. do you have any colour or pattern preferences?” you asked him, placing a pot of tea and a cup on the small side table for him to enjoy. you made note of his wishes and disappeared in the storage room to pick up the samples. the customer had made himself at home, eyeing you scrutinizingly. he made you queasy, looking so incredibly unfriendly and you could tell that you were not going home early tonight.
you showed each of the fabrics to him, explaining what materials they were made of and what occasions they were good for but with each explanation, he just looks more and more uninterested. not to mention the snarky remarks he made, seemingly not happy of the choices you presented him. you were running out of options and you didn’t know what else to do to please him when suddenly you heard someone enter the shop. both the customer and you looked over confused - you weren’t expecting any more customers today, it was already late after all. a tall, pink-haired man entered the shop, scowling at your customer. you jumped slightly; he looked scary and you were terrified, not sure what to do in this situation. not only were the black markings on his face and body terrifying, there was also a threatening aura surrounding him, dark and slowly spreading out, all your instincts were screaming at you to run. should you politely ask him to leave? he looked like he wouldn’t take it too well. before you could ask him whether he was looking for something, the stranger spoke up: “you know who i am, leave.”
your eyes widened, slowly inching back towards the back of the store. you were not aware of who this man was but by the looks of your pale-faced customer, he surely did. “this is outrageous!” he exclaimed indignantly, jumping out of his seat. “you can’t just burst in here and demand that i leave! i have an appointment! are you aware of how long the waiting list is? this is the finest shop in the entire prefecture and i would rather die than to give up my spot for a scoundrel like you.” the stranger raised his eyebrows at the shorter man, clicking his tongue in annoyance. you slowly reached out to grab your pair of scissors. they probably weren’t of much use but it made you feel more safe, knowing you could at least somehow defend yourself.
“oh? you would rather die? i’m sure that can be arranged,” the stranger threatened and it was with horror that you watched his fingernails, sharp and pointy, grow in size. he wasn’t human, you’d just encountered a monster. he would kill you and it wouldn’t take him much effort to do so, you were sure he could just stab you with those fingernails. your customer squeaked and left the store in panic, slamming the door in the process, while you quickly hid behind the counter. you hoped he would leave you alone, you didn’t want to get involved. this wasn’t your problem, you were innocent and it was an unfortunate coincidence for you to be here. 
“stop hiding,” the stranger commanded, slowly approaching the counter. you peeked from below the counter, holding your breath. what else could he possibly want from you? demons surely didn’t need money. oh god, was he going to kidnap you?
he swiftly rounded the corner and knelt down to take a closer look at you - you couldn’t react fast enough, he’d already grabbed your chin and made you look at him, turning your head from side to side as he examined you. his fingernails were slightly digging into your skin, making your face scrunch up in discomfort. “so it is you,” he exclaimed in a low voice, then abruptly standing back up. you were confused - what did he mean by that? at least he didn’t kill you, at least not yet. but what else could he possibly want from you? “i need a new kimono. that scumbag just left anyways, make one for me instead.”
a kimono? a simple kimono? you couldn’t believe what you just heard. this demon just came in here, threw a fit but all he wanted was a simple kimono? you couldn’t help but scoff at the situation though it probably was difficult to enter a store without people fleeing or refusing to serve him. while he did look human, the markings on his face made it difficult not to feel threatened. but why did he know you? you had never seen this man in your life before. not in passing, not on drawings, nowhere. no matter how hard you wracked your brain, you just couldn’t recall. “d- do you have any- any colour preference?” you questioned him, watching how he took a seat and grabbed himself the cup of tea. 
“white,” he answered curtly, taking a sip from the tea. “i’ll leave everything else up to you.”
you felt uncomfortable but there was nothing else you could do than follow his orders. you grabbed a few plain white fabric samples and slowly inched over to him, holding them out with your trembling hands. “what?” he deadpanned. you huffed in frustration. 
“sir, you should… you should choose the fabric. it’s your kimono after all, you might not like the feeling of the fabric or it might not be a good fit for your everyday life,” you explained.
“i don’t care, just choose whatever. i’m above the comfort you stupid mortals choose.”
“that’s stupid,” the words left your mouth quicker than you could stop yourself and you slapped your hands over your mouth. the stranger looked at you as equally shocked. “i mean- i mean there’s nothing wrong with indulging in comfortable clothes!” you explained quickly, pressing the samples into his hands. “see you wouldn’t like scratchy clothes, right? or fabric that quickly makes you sweat or feel too warm! i always talk to my customers about what kinds of fabrics they would prefer… i believe life is too short to wear ill-fitting clothes or ones that don’t feel comfortable! good clothing should make you feel like… like a warm hug.”
the stranger didn’t look like he understood what you meant, making you scoff again. some people really didn’t care about what they wore and how they looked like and it just bothered you. good quality fabrics and well tailored clothing could make you feel confident and safe, even in the worst situations. how could you possibly relax if your clothing was maybe scratchy or ill-fitting? “i’ll prove it to you!” you exclaimed and left the room to gather your supplies, then coming back to instruct him where and how to stand so you could take his measurements. now that he was towering over you, you were suddenly very aware of how tall and broad he was. you felt like a dwarf next to him. up close, you noticed more details about him. he was attractive, you couldn’t deny that - the long wispy eyelashes, the watchful ruby eyes and his soft-looking pink hair. if he picked up on your staring, he didn’t comment on it.
once you were done taking notes and choosing fabrics, you gave him a slip of paper, noting down time and date for him to come back to pick the kimono up. “as for payment-” you started but the stranger dropped a huge bag of coins on the counter. you gasped, pushing the bag back into his arms. “sir, that’s too much! i’ll calculate the exact price for you but-” 
“take it,” he insisted and pushed it back towards you. “i have enough. you need the money right? see it as a generous tip.” your face flushed, you didn’t even know what to say and instead only profusely thanked him. it was so much money, the tip was enough to cover your family’s expenses for a year.
when sukuna picked up his kimono weeks later, he still didn’t understand what a hassle you made about the choice of fabrics and why you were so diligent in taking the measurements. he was fine with everything as long as he had something to wear in the first place. he didn’t care, he wasn’t a measly human that whined about the mildest inconvenience. in the private of his abode, he tried the kimono on, abruptly halting his movements as soon as the fabric touched his skin. so the girl was right, the fabric did feel incredibly good on his skin. it was very smooth and silky, a little cool on his skin. very lightweight but not flimsy. the kimono wasn’t too short and fit his tall statue well, you really did a good job he supposed. he glanced at himself in the mirror. it did look good on him, even the matching colours and patterns were chosen well. you really were a good seamstress, no wonder everyone was flocking to the store.
now that sukuna wore the kimono, he suddenly didn’t want to take it off. it was comfortable and soft, reminding him of you.
003.
your favourite spot was one below a tree, on top of a hill where you could see everything. the small city below, the horizon, the stars in the sky. you often came here when you felt like your life came crashing down your shoulders. it didn’t feel like your own anymore, not with your future already laid out for you without you being able to control it. complaining had always felt redundant and ungrateful to you - you had everything you needed, a loving family, food on the table and your family was wealthy enough to not have to worry about money. but in return, they expected everything from you, their eldest daughter. sometimes, the pressure was too much for you but they expected you to do as they say. everything was well until they announced that you were to get married and they’d found a suitor for you. you couldn’t even protest, the decision had already been made behind your back and you couldn’t refuse. you sniffled quietly, wrapping the blanket tighter around you. you didn’t know this man; he might be a complete asshole and not treat you well at all.
the wind was biting at your skin, cold and unrelenting, and yet you felt safe here, away from all your worries. the starry sky made you feel like your worries were miniscule, reminding you that there was so much more out there for you to discover. you’d always liked the sight of stars, they always made you happy. on lucky days, you’d even get to see a few shooting stars. you’d close your eyes and clasp your hands, hopeful that whatever wish you made would come true. the crunch of leaves and twigs made you look up in alarm, scared that your parents had found out you left the estate and now found your secret hiding spot. you couldn’t quite make out the figure in the darkness, only being able to tell that a tall person was approaching you.
you were wary, inching towards the tree behind you to hide but froze when a voice rang out: “i know you’re there. i was looking for you all over the city, little one.” a man clad in a kimono was coming closer, stopping right in front of you and looking at you in disdain. your eyes lit up as you recognized him; you’d met sukuna a couple of times in the city before, mostly when you went to pick up some books to read. he’d been there one time when you were choosing your books and scoffed at your choice. you’d ask him about it, wondering why he thought that your choice was a bad one. he went on and on about how historically inaccurate the book was and that the information about curses was wrong and how an author like that should be ashamed to even publish it. you appreciated the dialogue, you liked having someone to discuss with you. your parents didn’t like that you read fantasy books and books that talked about supernatural events and beings, dubbing them as nonsense and that you should focus on your studies instead.
after your third meeting, sukuna had finally opened up and told you his name. your meetings became more frequent then but you’d never met anywhere other than the bookstore. you were surprised that he even found you here; you decided not to question him though, sukuna always seemed to know where you were, always sensing where you were headed. truthfully, you looked forward to spending time with him. he was attentive and always listened to you, barely ever talking. oddly enough, it made you feel like finally, someone was paying attention to your thoughts and needs. lately, a heavy feeling in your chest was always accompanying you when you met up with him. it was a dull ache, some kind of yearning that you couldn’t quite put a finger on. it didn’t help that you felt like you’d met him before, but you really couldn’t recall where you had met him before. “what are you doing here?” you questioned him, scooting to the side to offer him some space on the picnic blanket.
unceremoniously, he sat down and glanced over to you. he didn’t reply, simply shrugging. “why didn’t you bring a coat?” you asked another question instead, frowning at his choice of clothing. aside from his kimono, he wasn’t wearing anything else. “you’ll catch a cold!” you scolded him, swatting his arm before tugging on his sleeve and signalling him to move closer to you so you could wrap the blanket around his shoulders. you struggled a little to reach him, almost stumbling - sukuna’s arm immediately shot out to hold you so you wouldn’t fall. your cheeks flushed red and you were thankful that it was dark. you cleared your throat and sat back down, snuggling into the blanket and his side. 
“by the way, i read that book you disliked the other day,” you told him, rambling about the contents of the book and what you thought of it, all while sukuna simply listened to you. he only spoke up when he challenged your way of thinking or to agree, otherwise staying silent and just watching you.
suddenly you grasped his hand in excitement, pointing at the sky. “oh, oh! look!!” sukuna’s gaze followed the direction you pointed to, spotting some shooting stars flitting across the sky. “you have to wish for something!” you squeezed his hand and nudged him, then squeezing your eyes shut to prepare yourself to wish. 
“what would i even wish for?” sukuna frowned and pinched your cheek. “what do you wish for?”
“you’re not supposed to share wishes! if you do, they won’t come true,” you argued back and stuck your tongue out at him. sometimes, he really was too skeptical, never indulging in harmless fun. it might be childish to believe in these things but sometimes that little spark of hope was all you need to wait for better things. you sighed when the shooting stars disappeared and let go of his hand, screaming internally. did you really grab his hand like that? you sure hoped you didn’t unsettle him. 
“i don’t think i told you, but my parents have found a suitor for me,” you confided in him quietly, staring at the grass near your feet. “i’m supposed to marry him next year but… i don’t want to, i don’t know this person and i just want to live my life with no one controlling it.”
“i see. there’s still time to get to know him, isn’t there?” you knew sukuna was trying to console you but it wasn’t exactly working. your words frustrated you a little; subconsciously, you’d hoped that he shared the same opinion and maybe, just maybe, help you do something reckless. 
“i don’t want to get to know him,” you huffed and crossed your arms (sukuna thought you looked like a petulant child). “i… i already like someone.”
“you do?” sukuna looked at you surprised and that was the first time that he’d shown any other emotion than indifference. you nodded shyly, hoping that maybe he’d get the hint. you weren’t confident just yet to confess to him but maybe he’d get it from your description alone? 
“i recently met him and i really like that he makes me feel like, you know, important and always pays attention to me. he doesn’t talk a lot but i think that that’s okay, we still have a silent mutual understanding, i guess. and i also think he looks really handsome! although i-”
sukuna had enough of your rambling, he felt annoyed that you were telling him about your stupid crush. whatever boy you had a crush on, they would never amount to the likes of him. why would you look at someone else when he was right there? right here, with you. sukuna reached over and grabbed your cheeks to make you look at him before pressing his lips on yours. you froze for a short moment before returning the kiss, holding onto his kimono when he wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you closer. why would you pay attention to someone else when he could be with you? for the first time in his existence as a curse, he briefly felt human again. maybe shooting stars were the key to wishes coming true after all; in this moment he wouldn’t mind being human again, being alone with her with only the stars as your witnesses.
004.
gradually you were really starting to dislike your night shifts. usually, you’d ask to cover them because it was quiet, there were no nosy customers and the only people that ever came in so late were sleep deprived students that pulled all nighters to write papers or study. well it used to be that way until a group of, presumably, freshmen started coming more and more frequently - they wouldn’t have been so annoying if it wasn’t for them talking and laughing obnoxiously loud. they would stay until late in the night and kept ordering drinks. the audacity to have oddly specific orders, to watch you like a hawk while you were preparing their drinks, it made your blood boil. to top it all off, one of the guys kept flirting with you, even when you’d already made it obvious that you were not interested at all. no matter how uninterested and abrasive you acted, the guy would not leave you alone and his friends would try to act as wingmen. clueless and horrible wingmen.
you were glad that you were never alone during your night shifts, depending on the weekday you’d work in a team of two or threes. whenever they could, they’d cover for you and you were thankful but also felt bad, which usually resulted in you taking over anyways. you placed the basket on the counter, grabbing a towel to dry the cups you’d just washed. the chime of the doorbell made you look up, your heartbeat speeding up at the sight of sukuna coming in. like the group of freshmen, sukuna had recently started to visit the café more and more. he usually only came late at night and he probably was your favourite regular. scratch that, he was your favourite, no one was as calm as him and he never caused trouble. yeah, maybe those night shifts weren’t all that bad, you thought to yourself. you looked forward to him visiting every time you had a night shift.
“hi sukuna,” you greeted him softly and gave him a smile, placing the cup on a shelf. “the usual?” he took a seat near the bar, placing his wallet on the counter and taking off his coat. sukuna was peculiar, not particularly in a bad way. you always thought that he was a little mysterious. he always wore the same kimono - who wears kimonos everyday in this day and age anyways - the same white kimono but maybe he just owned mulitple of them. you could never tell what he was thinking and he had never shown any emotions other than brief moments of bliss when he was having his usual order. his order had always and would probably always be a simple black coffee and some daifuku mochi. it was a weird combo, you mused, but somehow fit him. it was a sharp contrast, just like his tattoos and the soft pink hair. you finished up the order, pushing the cup of coffee and the plated mochi towards him - you’d sneaked another one in just for him, knowing how much he seemed to like them. sukuna looked up at you, ready to protest but you just brushed it off, telling him that it was okay.
out of the corner of your eye you saw your not so secret admirer approaching with an empty cup and you instantly knew you were bound to be annoyed again. you sighed, returning to the cash register to take his order. “so, when am i finally going to get to take you out?” the guy asked, leaning on the counter to get closer to you. you gritted your teeth, ignoring his question and instead took the empty cup, placing it in the kitchen sink behind you. 
“oh come on, don’t ignore me, baby,” he whined, not letting up until you answered. you were annoyed, so so annoyed. your co-workers were currently organizing the inventory so you were all by yourself - usually that would be fine but you’d had enough. this week has already been awful and you just wanted to be left alone. you glanced around, spotting sukuna on the side. suddenly a lightbulb went on in your head and you faced your admirer confidently. 
“i’m sorry but please stop flirting with me and trying to ask me out,” you started and pointed to sukuna who was innocently taking a bite from his mochi. “i already have a boyfriend and i don’t think he appreciates you cornering me like this. you being this persistent is really annoying, girls don’t like that.”
upon hearing his name, sukuna looked up and as if on cue, he glared at your admirer. “yeah, i suggest you fuck off. get a hint, you creep, she’s mine,” he snarled, making a move towards the other guy who was already scrambling to get away and profusely apologizing. mine, mine, mine. his words kept repeating in your head, your heart squeezing painfully. was he interested in you? would he ever come to see you more than just a barista? you sighed in both relief and affliction, trudging over to sukuna. 
“i’m sorry i dragged you into this,” you apologized embarrassed, shoulders drooping and you stared at the floor just so he wouldn’t see your reddened cheeks. “he’s been pestering me so much and i kind of thought that that was the only way to get him to back off.”
“i don’t mind,” sukuna replied curtly, resuming his seat. he didn’t say anything else and you slightly panicked, you wanted to keep talking to him, stay in his company for a little longer. 
“ah uhm sukuna, i want to thank you! if… if you don’t mind, i would like to treat you to another drink?” you suggested, your face now beet red. this was the most straightforward you had ever been with a guy, usually too shy to make a move. in distance you could hear the chime of the doorbell and the doors slamming, indicating that the group had left. you were alone. sukuna didn’t reply at first and you were sure you’d fucked up and got ready to backtrack and laugh it off when he nodded. 
“go ahead, little one,” he nodded towards the counter. “you choose the drink.”
you didn’t know why sukuna kept calling you little one but for some reason, you didn’t mind. it did however make your heart ache in what you could only describe as melancholy. you weren’t sure why. while you started brewing some green tea for the two of you, the sound of thunder rumbled in the distance. the pitter patter of raindrops against the glass front was the only sound audible in the entire café. sukuna hadn’t uttered another word, not even making a sound of acknowledgement when you handed him the cup of tea and sat next to him. 
“you didn’t bring an umbrella,” you noted, looking out of the window. it was raining heavily, with no signs of it stopping anytime soon. “i guess you’ll have to stay here for a little longer, otherwise you’ll get sick. i hope you aren’t sick of me though.”
sukuna took a sip of his tea. “i don’t mind your company,” he replied, looking at you. you couldn’t tell what he was thinking but you sincerely hoped he wasn’t joking. hearing that gave you a little hope. 
“i like moments like this,” you confessed to him, clutching the warm cup with your sweater paws. “having a warm cup of tea and watching the rain from the comfort of your home. or in this case, a café. the sound of rain is really calming, isn’t it? makes you forget about all your worries for a while, it’s just you and your cup of tea.”
again, sukuna didn’t reply for a while. you thought you’d bored him to death with your monologue until he spoke up: “i don’t see how it’s any different from having a cup at any time of the day.” your cup was placed back on the counter. you frowned, not sure how to explain it to him. in moments like these, sukuna seemed to be something of an old being that has seen everything, feelings now dull and locked away. 
“well, see it like this. making yourself a cup of tea or coffee everyday is a normal thing to do, right? it happens almost automatically because it’s just part of your daily routine, you like how it tastes, it makes you feel more awake or helps you sleep. but… but you never really take your time to enjoy it, right?”
sukuna was contemplating, you almost giggled at the little frown on his face. but you were glad that he was willing to listen to you and discuss it with you, instead of dismissing the topic entirely. “but what does that have to do with rain?” he finally asked. 
you pointed outside. “you wouldn’t really go out in this weather, right? not if you have any emergencies or urgent matters to attend to. and same goes for everyone else; it kind of… kind of forces you to stay inside, to fully enjoy your warm beverage. the sound of rain is pretty calming, it’s some kind of whitenoise that might block out intrusive thoughts, at least it does that for me. so it’s only you, the sound of rain and your cup of tea. for a few minutes, you can just relax and have a moment for yourself.”
sukuna still didn’t quite understand how humans worked. it’s been hundreds of years since he’s ceased to be human, he’s forgotten what is what like being human. what human emotions entailed. but he agreed, it has been a while since he’s felt at ease and peaceful even. it was a moment of bliss, a moment that caused a flare-up of old, buried feelings inside of him.
004.1
you still hadn’t mustered up the courage to actually ask sukuna out after you dragged him into that fake dating-situation. he did still come late at night, being the most loyal customer of the café at this point. it was almost… almost as if he’d seeked out your company. though he did tell you that he didn’t mind your company; your ego deflated a little. sukuna still wore his kimono but paired it with a thick winter coat - it was winter after all and the weather had been very extreme. the ground was covered in inches of snow and you hadn’t seen the sun in weeks. sukuna insisted on walking you home when your shift ended. you weren’t sure why because he’d never offered to do so before. you were thankful though since it was still snowing and the streets were completely empty; even though the snow looked beautiful, it was still a little eerie to walk home in this weather. especially since a lot of busses weren’t running anymore due blocked roads.
“sukuna, aren’t you cold?” you asked as you switched off the lights and fumbled with your keys. finally finding the right one, you closed up, shoving the keys back in your back and fishing out your gloves. “you don’t even wear gloves!” you gasped when you saw his bare hands, handing him one of yours. sukuna looked at you as if you were crazy.
he wasn’t cold but he couldn’t tell you that, couldn’t let you know that he was a curse. but handing him one of you gloves? you were too nice, always thinking of others first and never being selfish. sighing, he put on the glove that was uncomfortably small but he’d endure it for your sake.
“it’s been a while since we’ve had this much snow,” you mused and took a few steps around, giggling at the sound of crunching snow beneath your feet. sukuna simply followed you, looking comical with the bright yellow and tiny glove on his hand. you smiled at him, admiring how etheral he looked underneath the streetlights with the snowflakes flurrying around him and some getting stuck in his hair. your heart suddenly ached, a far away memory emerging. it was blurry and unclear, a cold night similar as this underneath the stars and a face staring at you. you couldn’t tell who it was nor were you sure whether it was just a case of déjà vu.
“you know, this kind of calls for a snowball fight,” you grinned at sukuna mischievously and grabbed some snow, beginning to form it into a ball. he raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, looking at you defiantly. 
“i’m not going to indulge in childish business like th-” he didn’t get to finish his sentence as you hurled the snowball at him and giggled like a maniac as it hit his shoulder. you quickly hid behind a bush as you quickly tried to form another, enjoying the dumbfounded look on sukuna’s face. clearly, he didn’t expect you to follow through with your plan and was caught by surprise. “oh you’re on,” he growled after a moment and grabbed himself some snow as well. you quickly threw another snowball at him, this time only being able to hit his leg. eyes widening at the sight of sukuna raising his arm to throw his snowball at you, you let out a squeak and dove behind a tree - the snowball still hit you square on your back, making you yelp at the cold feeling.
for minutes you could only hear the crunches of snow, loud laughter and snowballs hitting objects. you sat on a bench, exhausted from running and ducking away and your belly was starting to hurt from all the laughter. sukuna caught up to you, juggling a snowball in his hands. “you gonna give up?” he asked, a smirk gracing his lips. clearly he was winning, being able to aim a lot better than you. you missed him most of the time but had fun regardless. 
“never!” you replied, holding out your arms to defend yourself from the incoming snowball. it never came and instead sukuna was inching closer with an evil look in his eyes. oh no. what was he up to? you yelped when you realized that he was aiming for your neck, jumping up to get away from him. sukuna was quick to react and grabbed your arm, pulling you back into his chest and holding you close, smushing the snow against your neck. “ew sukuna, stop!” you laughed and squirmed in his arms until he threw the snowball away, rubbing your back gently. 
“that was really cold, you know,” you pouted, burying your face in his chest. 
he wrapped his arms around you, sighing quietly. “i know, i know, sorry.”
you swore that you felt his lips on the crown of your head.
005.
you were, undoubtedly, lost. your phone was about to die and you were stranded in the middle of the city, not sure where to go. to be fair, it was very, very easy to get lost here and it was your first time visiting. your grandparents lived here and while you’ve visited before, you couldn’t quite remember anything anymore. you were a child back then. and the city had drastically changed too, making it difficult for you to navigate yourself around. though your poor sense of direction was probably at fault as well. you sighed, trying to call your grandparents again. no one was picking up. you turned your phone off to save some of the battery, maybe you could call them later.
luckily, you’d brought your cameras so you could at least keep yourself busy until someone freed you from this misery. you walked towards the nearby shrine; there didn’t seem to be any people here, it was very quiet aside from the sound of cicadas. you took a few photos before continuing your journey, soon finding yourself standing on top of the hill. the view from here was breathtaking, even more so because the sun was starting to set, painting the sky in a beautiful yellow and orange hue. you fumbled with your camera again, trying to take a photo when someone suddenly moved into your shot. you paused and looked at the person in front of you who was staring at you as well. considering they were wearing a kimono, you assumed that they must work here. did you make a mistake? maybe you weren’t supposed to take photos and this person came to tell you off.
“i’m sorry!” you said quickly, quickly shoving your camera in your bag. “am i allowed to take photos here?” 
the stranger frowned at you, clearing his voice before replying: “how am i supposed to know? i don’t work here.” 
you groaned, rubbing your face in embarrassment. of course you’d say something wrong, you always did. and now you probably annoyed him too - he looked really annoyed. but since he wasn’t working here and there was no one else around, you guessed you could take photos after all. there was no one to tell you off anyways. however, the stranger was still standing there, looking at you in what seemed like interest. you felt awkward just continuing your endeavors without acknowledging him, so you asked: “do you live here? i’m just visiting, so i’m not very familiar with the city.”
“you could say that,” the stranger simply replied. when he didn’t say anything else, you decided that it probably was okay if you just continued taking photos without acknowledging him. though it did make you queasy, knowing that he was just watching you. didn’t he have anything else to do? a few minutes passed. he sighed and walked over, pointing at your camera. “what are you doing?” you were surprised at how straightforward he was, not expecting to engage in a conversation with you. maybe people in this city were just extra talkative and you’d have to get used to it. your grandparents never told you about this though. 
“ah i’m visiting my grandparents here and i thought i’d document my stay here. so i can look at these photos whenever i want and just have the memories on photo,” you explained and rummaged in your bag to show him the polaroids you took earlier. “i particularly like polaroids because you can’t edit or change them… whatever moment you capture, it’s true to what you saw. there’s no need to make photos beautiful when they hold a special place in your heart and are tied to a specific memory.”
the stranger nodded, pointing to your polaroid camera. “and you take them with this device?” his choice of words startled you a little, he didn’t seem to be familiar with this type of camera which you found odd. everyone knew what these were nowadays, almost everyone owned them. but you didn’t want to judge him or make him feel stupid though, patiently explaining to him how the cameras worked and where he could purchase them. he seemed to be really interested, closely inspecting the camera, turning it around and fumbling with the buttons. only after you finished rambling, you realize how much time had passed - it was almost dark now and your grandparents were probably worried sick. your phone was turned off the entire time and you forgot to call them. 
“excuse me, i really need to call my grandparents!” you looked at him apologetically, leaving him with your photos and camera. normally, you would be very wary; normally, you wouldn’t even show anyone your photos, rather keeping them to yourself because they were your precious memories. but something about him resonated with you, he seemed familiar and yet he didn’t.
you found a spot a few meters away from him calling your grandparents and profusely apologizing to them for not calling sooner. you promised them to wait at a popular and well known spot nearby so they could come to pick you up since it was already getting late, then hung up. to your relief, the stranger was still standing there, watching you intently. “thank you,” you smiled as he handed you your belongings. “my grandparents are picking me up soon, thank you for keeping me company. won’t you be going home soon?” 
suddenly his face expression turned rather… sad? somewhat melancholic and you feared you’d said something wrong until he shook his head. “i have to go somewhere later. let me walk you for a bit, it is dark after all.” you looked at him a little dumbfounded, not expecting him to suggest something like that.
“oh you don’t have to! i’ll totally be fine, i-” “i want to. let’s go,” he interrupted you, already beginning to move. you hastily followed him, clutching your bag in your hands. the entire walk was rather silent, none of you saying a word. it wasn’t a tense and uncomfortable silence though - you very much enjoyed his presence. it made you feel safe too, even though you’d told him earlier that you didn’t mind walking by yourself, it was comforting to know that he was by your side. you were in an unfamiliar city after all. hell you even got lost, so who were you kidding. you wondered who the stranger was, what his story was, what his personality was like. this was a one time meeting though, so you didn’t really have any hope of meeting him again. that was very unlikely.
“okay this is the spot. my grandparents are going to pick me up here, so it’s okay if you go,” you pointed at a café and gave him a reassuring smile. he didn’t look impressed. “o-oh wait, i need to thank you somehow.” you held a finger up to signal him to wait for a bit and fished out a polaroid you’d taken earlier. it was a simple shot, only the temple, bits of the trees and the sunset in the background. but you thought it was appropriate, the two of you had shared this moment after all. 
“here, this is for you. it’s not a lot but i guess… it’s a really nice photo and maybe the start of your collection, if you decide to get a polaroid camera?” he took the photo from you, inspecting it before nodding and thanking you. he looked like he was about to say something else but was interrupted by some bright car lights and the sound of honks.
“ah, i have to go! it was nice meeting you,” you bid farewell to him and waved, running towards the car. sukuna watched your figure retreat, arms dropping to his sides.
006.
it was so cold, so incredibly cold. you really hated disliked these long winters, the sky was constantly dull and grey, the days were short and you hadn’t seen the sun in weeks. it made you feel sluggish and unmotivated, you were just hoping that spring was coming earlier this year. you yearned for sunshine and warmth, to be able to go outside without freezing and just spend more time outside. regardless, you held onto your daily walks because they gave you some peace of mind in your hectic life. you were approaching the last year of your studies and the amount of exams, assignments and your looming thesis were just suffocating you. but soon, soon you were done and could finally take a breather, until then, the only moments of relaxation you’d have were your walks.
despite the cold, there were a lot of people near the park; children who were engaging in snowball fights, elderly who were walking their dogs and some joggers too. your eyes were wandering around, watching all the busy people around. too absorbed in your task, you didn’t notice the man in front of you until you bumped into him. you quickly removed your earbuds and apologized to him, about to continue walking when he suddenly grabbed your arm, holding you back. you were confused, did you maybe accidently hurt him when you bumped into him? you looked him up and down to make sure that he was okay; there really wasn’t anything wrong. he let go of your arm. “is something wrong?” you asked concerned and turned to him. 
“y/n?” 
you froze at the mention of your name. how did he know you?
“who are you? i’ve never met you before.”
in all your past lifetimes, you’d taught him how to be human again, how there was value and joy in even the littlest of things. with each iteration of your existence, sukuna thinks that he’s learned to love you more than the last. when he sees how at ease you are spending time with him, a curse that is feared by everyone, he contemplates confessing to you. but something holds him back, it’s the fear; the fear that you won’t return his feelings. he’s seen you be with someone else, see you fall in love countless of times. he yearns for it to be him, hoping that you do choose him, love him. for thousands of years, he’s spent his time finding you - your reincarnations don’t recognize him and it pains him to get to know you anew each time but nothing pains him as much as his existence. he wants to hold you, be yours, grow old with you.
for the first time in thousands of years, sukuna wishes to be human again.
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ps.: i am so sorry if i hurt your heart there omg
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tiesthatbind-tf · 4 years ago
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I accidentally deleted 2000 words of story for poor Soundwave last night and had to rewrite everything but tbh, they’re absolutely worthit.  Their armor definitely makes me want to experiment with Celtic motifs for Hot Rod!
Full story below.
Suraya Widodo was born to parents Wijaya and Ni Made Saraswati on the island of Madura, Indonesia. They noticed that something didn’t quite seem right with their baby, who was fussier than most, threw fits when brought into crowded spaces and seemed mostly lost in their own thoughts, though this did little to dampen their love.
The name ‘Widodo’ (healthy) was given to Suraya (despite the masculine nature of it, which does lend to Suraya’s nonchalance about their gender in later years) in hopes that they would grow up alright despite their quirks.
Wijaya, a fisherman who wanted to give his family a better life in the more industrialized town of Bangkalan west of the island, pushed himself hard at his work, hoping to earn enough to allow them to settle down there comfortably.
He began to risk venturing out into ocean areas which were occasionally used as smuggling routes where more lucrative catches laid, careful to fish there during specific times to the day to avoid crossing paths with pirates and smugglers.
However, his luck ran out one day when a smuggling vessel came across him in broad daylight and silenced him from alerting the coast guards to their existence with five shots.
Suraya was five.
Saraswati, desperate to find a way to care for her child as the new breadwinner thought she had gotten lucky when a job scouter for a factory in Bangkalan came to the village. They were looking to offer work to single mothers as part of their corporate responsibility programme and extended the offer of employment to her and promised a hostel and training so she wasn’t out of her depth in the assembly line.
Seeing it as the best option, she left Suraya with her husband’s family while she worked and lived in a worker’s hostel on weekdays and returned to see Suraya every weekend.
She would give money to the family to care for Suraya in her absence, which was crucial since they weren’t fond of Saraswati (they had not agreed to Wijaya’s marriage) and found Suraya’s odd behavior off-putting and claims of ‘hearing voices’ potentially a sign of mental illness (which was fodder for them to demand even more money from Saraswati with the excuse that Suraya was a handful).
This routine continued until Saraswati was suddenly killed in a factory accident.
Suraya was nine.
The compensation for Saraswati’s death was enough for the family for only a few months and after it dried up, the neglect and abuse began. Though at times it was odd because Suraya seemed to know when they were in a bad mood and when they were looking for an outlet for their anger, and  the child would somehow almost always magically disappear during those times.
Then an agent claiming to be from the government came to see them.
He claimed he had heard about Suraya via their mother and wanted to inspect the child to see if they would qualify for a place in a ‘special school’ for ‘different’ children, and this had sounded tame enough to the family, who allowed him to see the shy, withdrawn little waif.
However Suraya immediately could tell what his true intentions were—-to have them locked up in a testing facility to figure out their ‘mutation’—-and attempted to run, only to be caught by his fellow officers outside the home.
The family was paid compensation for officially relinquishing Suraya’s care to the state, and did so without question, only relieved to be rid of their ‘burden’.
Suraya was taken to facility after facility in the state for the first few years to have a battery of tests, many painful, run on them to figure out their ‘special ability’ as an Outlier and to see if it could be replicated.
When they were in their early teens, they were transported overseas to a different facility as a bargaining chip for intel, tech and the like, coming into the ‘care’ of people who intended to use them as a government asset.
They never saw daylight except during transportation and they began to plan their escape as they studied the facility’s layout.
Their first attempt at escape didn’t go well however; they were caught, dragged back and had their eyes burned and blinded as punishment (at this point they had shown their handlers that their highly-enhanced hearing made them capable of navigating the world in total darkness, so said handlers didn’t not see this as ‘damaging the goods’).
If the handlers thought that the punishment would deter them however, it didn’t; Suraya just became more careful and subtle with the planning of their next attempt.
The second attempt came during a transport session where there were less guards and less access to tech to subdue them, though it came with a problem they did not plan for.
In their first attempt, they had tried escaping into the countryside. In this one, they hurled themselves out completely unprepared into a world louder than any world they had ever known; downtown London on a weekend.
The cacophony completely overwhelmed their senses and they barely managed to crawl-stumble into an alley as bounty hunters were enlisted to track them down.
It was here that they ran into one Ramiro Vasquez (Ravage) who was immediately concerned about their situation and once figuring out the nature of their distress, gave them his headphones to drown out the noise and kept them safe and hidden until the bounty hunters had left.
He then took Suraya back to the rented apartment he shared with Lara Soelberg (Laserbeak) and both agreed to let the waif stay with them for as long as they needed to be alright, and the three formed a little familial unit as Suraya grew deeply fond of the two Beast Men whom they saw as two of the most compassionate people in a horrible world.
Ramiro however understood that Suraya needed tutelage to properly harness and deal with their Outlier ability; having heard whispers of a secret Outlier school run Senator Sharifuddin Waseem (Shockwave) and knowing Sharifuddin as one of the few good men in the Senate, he decided to take the risk and confronted the Senator about the matter, promising to keep the secret a secret in return for helping out Suraya.
As it turned out the threats were not necessary, as Sharifuddin was genuinely  concerned for them and came to see them personally at the apartment. Initially,  Suraya was apprehensive about meeting someone else about their abilities, remembering full well how the first such meeting ended, but to their pleasant surprise, they detected no malice in Sharifuddin’s intentions; only the desire to help.
They agreed to enroll in Sharifuddin’s Outlier institute, coming back home to see Ramiro and Lara every weekend.
They excelled in their classes and soon mastered their ability and knew how to deal with the overstimulation that came from it, to the point where they could walk the streets with no problem.
In the wake of murders of Senators Nikomedes Momus and Gayathri Sharma, Suraya offered to become a spy for Sharifuddin, who was determined to solve the deaths, and Sharifuddin began bringing them to Senate meetings under the guise of them being his new aide.
They caught the eye of Senator Radbourne (RatBat) who seemed to pick up the fact that they were an Outlier, but rather than bring up the matter, requested that they work with him as well on.... matters regarding his constituents with disabilities.
Sharifuddin has his reservations about Radbourne and Suraya knew they were up to no good and both agreed to the arrangement so Suraya could dig up more information about them.
As it turned out, Radbourne was dirty as dirty as politicians came, but he had nothing to do with the murders. Rather, he was mostly preoccupied with an individual named Morgan Trayton (Megatron), the same individual whom Omar Parvez (Orion Pax)  a friend of Sharifuddin’s, had mentioned as a great writer.
Radbourne asked Suraya to track down Morgan with an offer the man hopefully wouldn’t refuse and Suraya, intrigued about this man with what they’d heard about him from Omar, agreed to do so.
They found Morgan in a vast underground fighting ring in Moscow, and after voicing some skepticism about him walking his written talk, he allowed them to peek into his mind to see how genuine and committed he was to his cause, and it took them aback for a bit to meet someone who despite being mired in tragedy, had Sharifuddin’s desire to make a better world and the iron will to back it up.
They pledged themself to be among the first members of Morgan’s rising revolution (which was aided by Omar spreading his writings through an underground press) and told them about Radbourne’s offer to supply weapons and augmentations to increase profits from the pitfighting racket.
Morgan agreed if only to use these exact items against the Senate once he’d acquired an army.
It was during this time with Morgan that they also met Ramsey (Rumble) and Friedel (Frenzy), a pair of dwarf miners who the man had been friends with for years, and almost immediately got along with their boisterous, gregarious natures. 
They continued to be Radbourne’s liaison with Megatron until the start of the Clampdown when they watched Morgan kill the owner of the Pit, free those who wanted their freedom and take those who were loyal to him to meet with Sharifuddin to formally establish a rebellion.
It was about this time that Suraya found out that Radbourne had been conducting illegal experiments on Beast Men, something they took grave offense to, and they kept mining Radbourne for more information about where the experiments were taking place.
Upon finding out, they personally hunted down Radbourne as Stefan Scavarro (Starscream) initiated the Senate massacre to Radbourne’s labs, where he tried to fight them off only to finally find out the true extent of their abilities.
Badly-injured, his attempt at stopping them from freeing the captive Beast Men—-his “property” as he would yell at them—-ended up with him hurled into a genetic splicing pod (commissioned from a ‘Mesothulas’) which he accidentally activated.
The process twisted him into a Rat-Bat-human hybrid, and rather than kill him, Suraya decided to leave the option to the Beast Men he tortured for profit in what they saw as poetic justice.
After those who wanted vengeance were done with Radbourne, Suraya gave the  Beast Men the option of leaving free or coming with them to be a part of Morgan’s revolution which would ensure that they were never mistreated and ostracized by the larger world again.
Two of the Beast Men took up the offer; Bastien Saville (Buzzsaw) and Gan Go-eun (Glit).
When Morgan, confident in Suraya’s abilities asked them  to establish their own division focussed on spying and intel gathering, Suraya chose Ramiro, Lara, Ramsey, Friedel and Bastien to work alongside them.
While Suraya occasionally questions Morgan’s actions, two things they have never questioned are his dedication to his cause and the compassion he shows to those they care for, and it’s enough for them to consider themself a true Decepticon till the day his objectives are achieved.
699 notes · View notes