#Unsure what he looks like as he didn't even exist in my brain this morning

[ibijau]

It's always funny when an OC just. Pops into existence without asking for permission.

Like hello sir. Oh, you're called the frog god and you have a full backstory and you're going to hang around now, uh? Neat, I guess.

[yeonmuse]

BUTTON EYES

Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | All Chapters

PAIRING | OT8, MC SEONGHWA

WORDS| 2.7K

GENRE | Coraline au, angst, suspense,

SUMMARY | What happens when Seonghwa returns to the home he was once fond of as a child? This time around making his return as a full adult with the company of friends. Nightmares and old friends return and the button eyes that Seonghwa desperately escaped as a child have returned to haunt he and his friends.

WARNING | Graphic descriptions, mentions of death, ghost children, witchcraft, grsphic nightmares, arson, lost memories

MORE | Based on the childrens novel & Henry Selick film Coraline

Before i go any further i want it to be known i am in no way claiming Coraline as my own. I wrote a concept for a part 2 or spinoff long ago and I just felt that it was time to finally put it to use. I do not own Ateez or any Coraline named Characters in this story but the Storyline is indeed a self made one.

And so the four boys found themselves huddled up by the fireplace sitting in silence. Mingi hasn't spoken a word about what he heard and Seonghwa seemed lost in thought. He couldnt stop thinking about his night terror from the previous moment, he hadnt had any nightmares since he was eleven.

"So what exactly was it that you heard Mingi?" Yunho spoke up finally deciding to break the silence.

"Sounded like..like a kid, i woke up to get some water and when i passed the art room there were i dont know silent cries or something, if ive learned anything from the movies Jongho has forced me to watch its if you hear things like that you run the opposite direction." Mingi babbled without even stopping to take a breath.

"Have you been forcing him to watch horror movies again?" Yunho turns to look at Jongho who simply shrugs his shoulders in response.

Yunhos eyes then shoot to Seonghwa who hadnt spoken a word since the four of them set up their space down there. He could tell that something was wrong but he didn't want to question it. All he knew was that distant look in Seonghwas eyes showed he saw something that shook him up.

"Movie or no movie, i know what I heard."

The next morning while Yeosang took the others into town Seonghwa found himself alone in the house as he awaited Hongjoongs arrival. The fact that he couldn't remember much even having spent soo much time in the house bothered him. As he waited he decided to search around as Yunho had said the previous day. Many doors remained locked and he couldn't hide his curiosity as to what lay beyond the other side.  The man tried every key that he'd found in the kitchen drawer, but to his dismay neither worked. It didn't quite add up to him that there wasn't a key in the house that seemed to work.

When Hongjoong arrived the two sat silently drinking tea in the kitchen. Needless to say it was quite awkward between the two, after all thirteen years had passed without the two having talked with one another.

"I assume you didn't simply call me here for company while you drink your tea Seonghwa..so what is it that you need from me?" Hongjoong asks as he places his up down onto the countertop.

Seonghwa sat silent for a moment as if thinking over what he should say. "What happened here Joong, Ive been racking my brain trying to remember something, anything from my past here yet it seems like any memory of those days are non existent in my mind." At his words Hongjoong seemed to stiffen in his seat and this didn't go unnoticed by Seonghwa

"So you dont remember anything...? Nothing at all from your stays here..?"

"I know you know something about this place, you were eager to leave the moment you let us into the place when we arrived. Yeosang said that Mr. Bobinsky told him stories about this place, what is it that I'm not remembering.. what happened here"

Hongjoong could sense the desperation in Seonghwas voice but he still remained unsure on whether he should bring up any memory of the past. Perhaps Seonghwa was better off left in the dark about everything he had experienced there. Hongjoong had never had it as bad as Seonghwa when it came to the old manor but there were a few moments HongJoong spent in the house that just the thought of sent chills down his spine. As if the lord had answered his prayers to end the conversation there was a soft click as the door opened before loud voices were heard in the foyer.

"They were into me, I could have had two dates for that movie drop tomorrow night." A voice unfamiliar to Seonghwa whined amongst the many other loud voices before a voice he recognized as yeosangs spoke in response.

"Two girls out of the many that already fawn over you already I think youll be fine Wooyoung." He spoke menacingly before pushing the door to the kitchen open. In walked the others, this time accompanied by two men unfamiliar to Seonghwa but familiar to Hongjoong.

Hongjoong locked eyes with Yeosang, a look that spoke a thousand words but most of all a look that said to him "we need to talk"

Pulling Yeosang from the kitchen and away from the others hongjoong brings his arms up to his chest. "What have you been telling Seonghwa?''

"What?''

"What have you been telling Seonghwa about the house yeosang?" hongjoong questions once more, at his serious tone Yeosang finds himself somewhat cowering before him.

"Not much, after all i don't really know much he gave me a tour earlier and i just told him about the stories that my grandfather would share with me about the place i didnt think it was such a big deal-" he shrugs

"Leave the story telling to your grandfather Yeo, there's a reason Seonghwa left this place, all the ghost stories, the things youve heard about the manor. Keep them to yourself or refrain from telling Hwa. the last thing we need is him running around here looking into things that will only hurt him." at hongjoongs words yeosang fell silent. He had never seen his friend this serious about the topic. To be honest though he knew he should have simply listened to what his best friend had been telling him, yet instead he found himself getting even more intrigued by his sudden change in demeanor.

The next morning each of the guys went their separate ways, Mingi found himself exploring the garden out back, Yunho and Jongho had gone out into the town to search for a job that actually interested them in the small old town. This meant that once again seonghwa had been left in his home alone. After unpacking the boy had grown bored and decided that he'd explore the rest of the house. It had been so long since he walked those halls and he couldnt seem to pull a single memory from anywhere in his head. As seonghwa made his way down the hallway his eyes had landed on a space beneath the stairwell, the wallpaper had been peeling and he could have sworn he could make out what looked to be a door. He drew closer and as he reached out his hand to brush across the wall he heard a faint whisper and then there was a knock at the door. He chalked it up to him simply hearing things and made his way up front to open it.  As he swung the door open there stood hongjoong with a smile on his face.

"Hello there mars~'' he greets him in a sing-song voice before pushing past him and into the house.

"Are you seriously back to calling me that again?'' Seonghwa groans at the use of his old nickname, one that Hongjoong had used to greet him ever since they were children.

"For as long as we know each other yes, I plan on using it for the rest of our lives.'' Hongjoong laughs as he made his way into the kitchen.

"Used grandmas recipe made bibimbap, kimbap, kimchi and tteokboki, figured you guys hadn't had time to grocery shop yet and since she didnt add the proportions to her recipe book i accidentally made enough for at least ten.'' he laughs as he places all of the food into the fridge.

"Thanks no matter the amount i'm more than sure Mingi, Yunho and Jongho will be grateful they could eat for days.'' he laughs as he rests his head on his palms.

"Hongjoong, was there any construction or something done to the house while I was away?'' Seonghwas question earns a confused glance from his old friend.

"Construction? No I don't think so why?''

"Well I was taking a look around the house and the staircase, it seems like someone blocked off something.'' hongjoong pressed his lips into a thin line, he was well aware of what hid behind the wall but he refused to tell Seonghwa, so he found himself struggling to come up with a lie, any sort of lie when the front door opened and in walked Jongho and Yunho. Hongjoong immediately sighed and thanked the gods.

"Ah Hongjoong you're here today.'' Yunho sang happily as he took a seat at the counter beside Seonghwa.

"Yes yes, I came to drop off some food how was the job search?'' Hongjoong avoided Seonghwas gaze knowing very well that he had been waiting for him to answer the question.

"Well I start my job at the daycare in a week and Jongho here will be working at the theater with Wooyoung and San." he cheerfully pinches Jonghos cheeks earning a glare from the latter.

"Well this calls for a celebration, yes? How about we go out tonight grab food and some drinks  at the old pub across the street from drearylane park?'' Hongjoongs suggestion got immediate yeses from both jongho and Yunho who nudged seonghwa to get excited for it as well. Seonghwa on the other hand had been too lost in his thoughts wondering why Hongjoong had avoided his question. Ever since seonghwa had arrived back there hongjoong seemed to be acting weird

Later that night when Seonghwa was finally able to gather his three routy roommates, Hongjoong gathered the other three and they all made their way into town. Along the way Hongjoong had been telling the guys the history of the town, the backstories behind the few buildings that were actually left in the town.

"Wait, so some fire took everything out? How come it didn't take out everything?'' Yunho asks, only getting a shoulder shrug from Hongjoong in response.

"That part I'm not sure of. Grandma only ever tells me bits and pieces since you know..she doesn't really remember much, there also isn't much about the fire or what caused it in the town library files." the others nodded in understanding as they followed along

For the rest of the night the eight of them stuffed their faces and drunk until every word they said was barely audible, well everyone except Seonghwa that was. He kept thinking about the door and the house, something about being there bothered him. Why couldn't he remember a single detail? He remembered crying his eyes out as a child when his mother told him he wouldn't be going back to grandmas but he couldnt for the life of him even remember any memories of having been ther with her. Standing up from his seat Seonghwa slipped away from the group of guys that were now drunkenly yelling at one another over a game of mafia. As soon as he stepped outside he took in a deep breath before taking in the old town, his eyes then landed on the old park and to his surprise a little girl stood there staring back at him.

"Are you lost..? Why are you out here all alone?'' he asked? Worry laced in his tone as he looked around in search for the little girl's parents.

No answer.

"Where are your parents?'' he further questioned, once again being met with silence.

"Who are you talking to?" Yeosangs voice startled him, pulling his attention away from the little girl only momentarily.

"Um i was asking her where her parents were.'' Seonghwa responds, earning a confused glance from Yeosang.

"Who?'' As Seonghwa turned and raised his hand to point into the direction of the girl his eyebrows knit together as he too now grew confused. The girl had been standing right there and it was as if she had just vanished.

"You know what nevermind, did you need something?'' he turns back to yeosang who only shrugs his shoulders at the mans odd behavior.

"Well mafia got out of hand and Wooyoung bit Jongho and now he's chasing him around the pub like a maniac and Mingi is chasing jongho trying to get him to sit down.'' At his words Seonghwa sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why is it always those two.'' He follows Yeosang into the pub taking one last look back in the area in which the girl once stood.

Their night out ended with them all walking back to seonghwas place, wooyoung with a pout on his face having been turned into a human punching bag by Jongho and Jongho with a smug grin on his after having gotten Woo back for biting him. They each disappeared into their rooms San and Wooyoung sharing one of the guest rooms and Yeosang and hongjoong having their own rooms, unbeknown to them this would be a rough night for each of them.

This was part of the reason Hongjoong hadn't slept in that house and barely stepped foot into it since Seonghwa had left. The night terrors, the nightmares that all seemed to come flooding back due to just one simple visit to the house.

As Hongjoong walked along the garden he could hear faint whispers from the woods behind him. Unwillingly his body moved towards the whispers and they grew louder and louder as he began to close the distance. A familiar black cat circled his feet as if forbidding him from moving any further but he continued on. He found himself looking back at an old memory one hat he thought the pills had helped bury deep.

He and aYoung seonghwa stood shouting and screaming as the woman in black held Seonghwa by his neck, her slick fingers squeezing tight enough to draw blood. Hongjoong bit her ankle making her hiss and drop Seonghwa to the ground before reaching out for hongjoong. It was then that Seonghwa raised the medallion and a loud screech emitted from the woman before she disappeared. It was then that Hongjoongs eyes locked with his younger self and he woke up in a pool of sweat

He found himself quietly making his way down the hall to grab some water from the kitchen, now finding it hard to get himself to sleep again. To his surprise he found Seonghwa sitting at the window with a cup of tea in his hand.

"I guess you couldn't sleep either?'' Hongjoong chuckles and makes his way over to the fridge pouring himself a glass of water.

"Not really haven't really been able to sleep since we got here.'' Seonghwa sighs and pulls his legs to his chest to make room for his friend to sit.

"There are so many details that just arent adding up in my head, so many things I feel like i'm missing being here.'' he sighs and Hongjoong immediately felt guilty he knew why but he vowed to his grandma coraline that if he ever returned he wouldn't speak a word.

"Hongjoong you know something, I'm sure of it. Ever since I came back you've been acting weird and ever since that day you pulled yeosang from the kitchen you've been even weirder. What is it you aren't telling me?'' hongjoong sighs, he couldnt help but grow slightly annoyed at his friends' persistence.

"Seonghwa there are some things just not meant to be remembered, whatever you think it is that you feel you should be remembering do yourself a favor and let it go. It'd be best that you just carry on as if there's nothing bothering you. You're better off not remembering.'' he stood from the bay window with his water in hand and made his way to the door.

"I'm going back to bed, you should try and get some rest." Honjoongs leaves the room with a sigh, leaving seonghwa alone to wallow in his silence.

After finishing his tea Seonghwa silently shuffles back to his room. He thought for sure that Hongjoong would give him something, even the tiniest of detail of what had happened back then but instead he told him nothing, and basically asked him to completely forget the thought of any past memory here.

Seonghwa closed his eyes and tried his best to fall back asleep, it felt like time had gone by so slowly until he naturally found his eyes fluttering shut and soon his entire body relaxed as he finally fell asleep.

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 2 - Unwritten Laws

The next morning, Katrina woke up better than ever before - It was a beautiful morning with an even more refreshing feeling - Something she hasn't experienced in a very long time. She had a soft smile on her face so she dressed in the kimono of that annoying colour and braided her hair, doing a cute bow to tie it, only for someone to randomly pop up - Or, pop down, rather, from a tile from the ceiling. 

The man was dressed like one of those Ninjas in Naruto, only to have modern-day glasses that gave him away, somewhat. "Hello. I know we haven't properly met each other, but I was there when you went through the wormhole." he explained, making the girl snap her fingers in realisation.

"That means you have an idea of what and/or why it happened, right? Are you a scientist?" the woman asked, gesturing for the man to get out of the ceiling and sit down with her and chat properly.

"Yes. I am a post-graduate in Physics. We entered the wormhole at the same time, however, I arrived four years prior to you. And in this time spent here, I came to the conclusion that we are in an alternate timeline. I arrived at the place where Uesugi Kenshin collapsed. I saved his life with my knowledge of modern medicine. If this were our timeline, Uesugi Kenshin should be dead by now. Also, the Warlord Takeda Shingen, who is supposed to be dead by now, is also alive. Well... I predicted that you would do a time travel as well, and I searched for you, but I never imagined you would arrive four years after me." the man chuckled cheekily, making the woman look down with an amused smirk.

"Well, well, finally, someone who has brains around this place. Trust me, it's a real wonder. I'm a doctor now, but in the only day spent here, I didn't get to use my skills." she hummed in mock-superiority. "Anyway, I see these 4 years have been kind to you. To become such an excellent ninja requires true hard work and dedication... Not like you had anything else better to do, anyway. To think both Kenshin and Shingen are alive right now... As well as Nobunaga... Mitsuhide wasn't the traitor, he hasn't died in less than a week, and Hideyoshi isn't Japan's unifier yet... There truly are a ton of discrepancies compared to our own time's history. Well... Not like I know a ton about universal history and all. As you can see, I'm not exactly 100% Japanese, and most of my time I spent in Europe. I know the basics of history, with some details from some Wikipedia searches and... 'The Age of Samurai' documentary from Netflix. But I guess it matters for nothing now that we're pretty much re-writing history by just existing." Kat smiled wryly, admitting to her own ups and downs in common knowledge, but then she grinned charmingly, tapping the side of her face, pondering.

"I don't think we will need too much history knowledge with how much things have changed, but I suppose you could say that seeing the famous warlords of the Sengoku with my own eyes is a dream come true for me. My parents were big history buffs so I got my name from the Legendary Ninja that served Yukimura Sanada. Sarutobi Sasuke, the leader of the Sanada 10 Braves, the fictional group of 10 ninjas that supposedly assisted the warlord Yukimura Sanada during the Warring States, and since that's pretty much my name, I've basically taken his place, so my impact on history is pretty low. Unlike yours, Physician Princess." he sniggered friendly, making the girl shrug playfully.

"Rumours fly around faster with a ninja around. Anyway, I know we have no actual technology around... Except for what we were caught with in the wormhole, and that only works on the left-over batteries... But do you have any idea if there's any way to go back home? There must be a wormhole some time soon, right?" she theorized, and thankfully, the ninja scientist nodded in relief.

"According to my data, the next appearance will be in three months... But I'm still unsure of its location, so I believe it will be best if you spend these next three months here, since we're in the midst of a chaotic civil war... Ah, someone's coming. I'll be staying with my employed in the city below. Send a smoke signal and I'll come to your aid quickly. Bye, Kat, it was lovely meeting you." and with that, the scientist completely disappeared.

"Goodbye to you too..." the girl muttered, getting up and opening the door to her room, only to see Mitsuhide, wearing his usual fox-like smile, and two very soft and sweet looking women behind him, both holding some big boxes of unknown content.

"Hello. Please, do come inside... Although, I don't have any tea or snacks to serve you." she stepped to the side, welcoming the trio inside her room.

"What a lovely welcome, from one fire fox, to another silver fox. Well, I will be direct with you. Lord Nobunaga is calling for you. He wants to see you." crossing his arms and nodding to the girls to open the boxes, revealing several hair pins and hair decorations, along with a beautifully embroidered and painted flower-patterned black, golden and red kimono and matching haori and zori sandals.

"U-Uhm... I would like to thank you for your consideration... Truly, I appreciate the thought... But I simply cannot accept such a gift. I have done nothing to deserve or earn such expensive outfits and jewellery, therefore I must decline." the red haired woman looked away, embarrassed, fidgeting awkwardly with her fingers.

"My, my, how modest of you, little Princess. Well, then take it as an early payment for all the hard work you're going to put throughout your stay here, at Azuchi. Besides, if you don't accept them, it will be me Hideyoshi kills. He pushed these onto me and said, and I quote, 'She can't go dressed like that, take this to Lady Katrina'. Don't worry so much and let these maids take care of you today, then, you can do whatever you want." Mitsuhide bargained with the girl who remained quiet for a while, and then simply nodded. Whispering a soft "Okay." and "Thank you.", the two maids had Mitsuhide leave the room and called Katrina to take a bathroom.

The Faux Princess had to insist a few times to be allowed to wash herself... Alone... By herself. She enjoyed the soothing hot water that calmed down her overworked and stressed muscles, and soaked much longer than she realised, but damn, the relaxation was so worth it. She didn't even care for the wrinkly skin, she was just so happy.

Her apartment back home was pretty small, so she didn't have enough space for a bath tub, only for a shower, so there wasn't any chance for her to relax like this. Not bad at all... Maybe this will be a pretty fun trip... A vacation, maybe? Definitely worth it. With just this bath alone, Kat was content.

After what may have felt like ages for anyone waiting on her, the physician woman got out of the bath and dried herself off, allowing the maids - Aiko and Maki - To take of her however they felt fit, trying to erase the embarrassment she felt in allowing others to pamper her like that. But this kindness and politeness... Yes, these women were nice and all, but it was all fake. After all... She was a Princess, and everyone wanted to gain favour with the Princess, and by default, gain favour with the Lord who assigned them to do this. She's seen enough Imperial Chinese dramas to know the drill.

The girls carefully combed her long, crimson hair, and they made two decorative braids in the back, loosely tying them together with a beautiful, golden ribbon. They helped her with dressing, and then gave her some food - And an excellent dessert - And shockingly, Masamune was the one who cooked for her! Kat knew, cooking wasn't rocket science, but cooking in the 16th century, and especially something so spectacular... She was intrigued, to say the least, and it's the first time she was actually interested in learning something that wasn't revolving around her work-space.

When she was finally able to leave the room, she saw that Mitsuhide was still there, and he smirked at her, satisfied. "You look lovely, Lady Katrina. Shall I take you to Nobunaga's room? I don't believe you know your way around the castle yet well enough." he spoke, gesturing with his eyes to be followed.

"Thank you for your thoughts, Mitsuhide. Although... Please, do not use such honorifics when addressing me. You and I both know I'm not... Well... I did nothing to earn such a high social status, nor the respect of anyone, therefore, such words are nothing more than empty pleasantries that are used as an attempt at gratifying and elevating one as someone greater, yet it has no meaning, nor worth." she finally spoke after a while, making the silver-haired warlord stop in his tracks and look at her with slightly widened eyes, surprised by her words.

Instead of addressing her statement, he merely hummed in amusement and understanding, and took her hand, kissing the back of her hand. "I thought I'd ease your nervousness, yet somehow, I may have missed the mark. You seem even more tense. What dark thoughts are plaguing your mind, little fox?"

She didn't dare look at him - She could feel her cheeks reddening slightly, as she could only look to the side, fidgeting with her fingers and biting her lip. "I... I shouldn't... It's not..." she muttered softly, almost as if afraid to say anything, her eyes darting around carefully.

"There's no one here who could hear you, there is nothing to be afraid of, little one. Your voice is soft enough that not even I may hear it." the warlord mused, encouraging her with the teasing.

"In my time, what you did is a romantic gesture. All that considered... It never happened to me before. That's... That's all that I was thinking. Nothing of importance. Forget you heard it." and with that, the red haired girl stepped ahead, getting in front of Nobunaga's door, only to peer behind her shyly. "Although... It wasn't too bad saying it to someone. Thank you, Mitsuhide."

And thus, hearing a soft snigger from behind, the leaving footsteps left her all alone, in front of the beautifully painted landscape from Nobunaga's paper door. Announcing her presence to the Warlord, she was invited inside, only to see Drew already sitting there, playing Go with Nobunaga. And he was losing very shamefully.

Looking down and fidgeting with her fingers, Kat felt awkward and didn't know what to do, so she just stood there, by the door, awaiting further instruction. It didn't come until Nobunaga completely decimated Drew's forces and he won. Drew threw a tantrum and flipped the table, having all pieces fall around the room, but Nobunaga sketched no reaction - His face was hard and cold as an ice statue's.

The poor girl could only look away, very embarrassed at being associated with him, but also, feeling incredibly uncomfortable with having to witness such a... A fight. A one-sided fight. The man didn't even bother speaking to her - Instead, he stormed out of the room, cursing the warlord left and right. As well as him, the girl said nothing either, but unlike him, she moved for the first time since getting there. She got one of the vases that held the red pieces and began picking up each piece. However, as she was doing that, Nobunaga suddenly moved, grasping her wrist, stopping her at once.

"Why are you doing this? It was not you who made a mess of my room." he spoke, his eyes cold and almost ruthless.

"Yes, but what he did wasn't okay. A man shouldn't behave like a spoiled brat. He's always been a sore loser and would make a huge show whenever he lost at something. Mind you, he was never a great player at... Any game. As well as that, we are both from the future, and having him show such disrespect makes it look as if we are some ill-mannered savages or something." she explained, placing down the vase and putting her other hand gingerly over his.

"You feel responsible for his actions, is that it?" he scoffed, seeing the girl offer a small smile.

"Unfortunately, I do tend to do that a lot." she mused, freeing her hand and continuing picking up the pieces. "But I think it's more shame and second-hand embarrassment."

"A leader always takes the responsibility for his subordinates' mistakes, likewise, they are responsible for teaching them accordingly. Katrina, I do not understand you. It came to my understanding that you and that man were married, or in courtship, therefore you are not a leader, just a maiden trying to pick up the discarded sword of a broken peasant pretending to be a warrior. You could become an Empress, but you sell yourself short. It's pitiful, if not, pathetic." he grimaced, making the girl hang her head, but nod, nonetheless.

"Yes, you are right. I am aware of that - But it's not like I have much choice in the matter, do I?" she let out a dry, sardonic chuckle. "We are not married, and, truth be told... I don't have any positive feelings towards him either. I could end it any time, should I find something better -- I just hadn't found anything better than this wretch yet.." she shrugged simply, though the bitterness was evident on her face.

"Enough self-pity and servant-work. I did not call you here to clean my room." he swiftly ended the conversation. "A scout reported from the East. One of the daimyos there wants to revolt against me. We are facing a force of more than 2.000 men, so it is very small. I am going to lead the attack with my own army of only 500. You will be coming with me. Here's your chance to bring me luck again." he finally spoke with more vigor in his voice, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Oda Nobunaga, the Demon King of the 6th Heaven almost died... He must be weak, we can finally take our chance and win against him. We can defeat his army and take over Kyoto." Kat smirked softly, humming in amusement. "You're going to make quite the statement, Nobunaga - A 1 to 4 army... Very bold." she tapped the table, a habit she took whenever she was being playful or amused. "Is it true what they say? The safest place for anyone is near the general, for it is the most guarded one? Is there anything I should be afraid of?" she teased playfully.

The brunet warlord let out a boastful laugh. "You are brave, woman! Brave and witty, yet foolish to believe there is any place safe under the Sun. Get up, we are leaving now!" and saying that, he lunged to the girl, getting her up and leading her out of the room and into the stables, leaving her mute from shock as she, once again, was dragged up onto Nobunaga's horse with crazy ease.

Nothing more was said until they arrived at the camp - They sat on small wooden chairs, awaiting... Something. Tension was high in the air, and screams of rage, agony, war cries were splitting the air. It wasn't like in the movies, Kat knew that, but even so, curiosity, intrigue and slight fear mixed together in her heart. She wanted to watch, to observe, to analyse, but at the same time, she wanted to stay away and be safe. It wasn't that she valued her life much, but she didn't want to give it away too freely either.

Then, one of the warriors came by to his warlord, alerting that the enemy commander sailed out, risking his life in battle - Nobunaga was almost impressed, he could even say he was half-intrigued... Or maybe a quarter at most. And yet, the Lord got up from his chair and put his hand on the katana hanging from his waist.  He was going to go there and put an end to the enemy's life by himself.

"You must be bored of sitting there, silent. You'll come with me, I want you to see this." the man commanded, already striding to his horse, leaping up and going ahead.

"... You should have waited for me, at least." the girl muttered, and seeing that no one else was around, she held her clothes up, allowing more freedom of movement, and ran after him awkwardly, muttering curses under her breath.

Suddenly, she heard a loud, authoritarian shout - "Aim for Nobunaga's head!" - they said, making the girl's head snap up to the Lord's silhouette, barely a few meters in front of her, and then she saw an archer to her right, drawing his bow towards her. 

"Do I look like a man to you?!" she shouted at him, and seeing a dead soldier on the ground, she leaped down, grabbing up the corpse and using it as a way to cover her body as much as possible.

The familiar sound of an arrow being released, and Kat closed her eyes, not having a clue what else she could do to shield herself - But than the splitting of air by a sword was heard, and a familiar voice boomed through the place. "I am your enemy! Don't mistake me for someone else!" and with that, Kat peeked from behind the dead warrior as Nobunaga decapitated the archer, his blood splashing around like an artesian fountain. So that really was as flashy as in movies. "Katrina! Observe diligently what is happening around you!" he commanded, and with that, he turned around and went ahead to create more carnage.

Thankfully, the war didn't last much longer, for the warlord got to the enemy, and the red head ran up by his side as soon as he leaped down from the horse. "A demon!" some of the enemy soldiers shrieked in fear, seeing the merciless eyes of the sadistic warlord, along with "This man is a monster!" Nobunaga's cold, lifeless, killer eyes seemed to terrify the soul out of everyone... He was enjoying the way he scared and intimidated his enemies.

But Kat wasn't scared. Instead, she kinda felt sad hearing such words. In a period of only war, to call someone so gifted in the art of war, a monster, just because you're lesser than him - No, never mind, humanity hasn't changed.

The woman walked by his side, in front of the cowering enemy leader who was kneeling and praying, begging for his life to be spared. But Nobunaga was having none of it. None who rebel against him may live. And he struck him down on the spot.

"You lost to number less than half of yours. You should be cursing yourself for thinking you stood a chance. Understand it already! This is the end for you. And it goes without saying, your foolish vassals will accompany you on your fate." and thus, he ordered everyone from the castle to be pulled out - They were all bound and taken away - It seemed to Kat like they were inmates on death row, or maybe lambs to the slaughter, awaiting the guillotine blade to fall down on their neck.

Was he going to kill all of them? Even those who weren't involved in any way in the war, and just had the misfortune of being born in the wrong castle area? It seemed unfair, and yet, she wouldn't be surprised in the least. It's the Sengoku era, and she remembered how completely heartless Nobunaga was said to have been, killing and lighting up buddhist temples, women, children and anyone that was unfortunate enough to cross his path.

She could only look at them go by her with lingering sorrow, feeling her heart sinking, but she was saying nothing. She understood, and it wasn't like a warlord would take back an order and choose the mercy route, just because of a woman's plea. He was Oda Nobunaga, and he was a Warlord. The most feared one in the whole country.

As a physician, she looked at the irony presented in front of her - A woman who vowed to save as many lives as possible, next to a man who vowed to bring his success by killing. Did he even care about others' lives, or did he just see humans as pawns in a chess game, playing only to win? Was he truly not afraid, even by a little bit, of being in the middle of the war, among so much death and danger?

She went back to Azuchi almost robotically, not being aware of anything around her, as she was too deep in her own thoughts. Maybe someone tried to talk to her, but she behaved rudely by unintentionally ignoring them. But she wasn't sorry, she didn't want to do it, those thoughts were too intense and interesting to speculate.

And so, she got back to her own room and slumped on the ground, resting her elbow on her knee and propping her jaw on her palm, looking unfocused and just...Pondering. That is, until the room to her door was opened and, unexpectedly, Hideyoshi greeted her. She saw the man and gestured for him to sit down next to her and have the conversation he wanted - Why else would he be there, anyway?

"You seem unexpectedly well after what happened. Are you sure you come from an era of peace?" he asked with light amusement, no doubt trying to lighten up the atmosphere.

"Yes, I am sure." she smiled softly. "I've always been great at hiding what I'm feeling, and I naturally am level-headed and don't fall under the pressure, so I guess my rational thinking and composure saved me from panicking too bad. Thank you for your concerns, Hideyoshi, I truly appreciate your thoughts." she nodded as a thanks.

"I did come here to bring you some basic necessities and see how you were doing, but I suppose you are pretty fearless." he stated. "Did anything happen to put you in such deep pondering?" he asked, almost as if he were a big brother concerned about his little sister after her first day at school.

"Well... An archer tried to shoot me. The arrow was aimed at my face. That was scary. I leapt to shield myself with a body from the ground, but thankfully, Nobunaga was there in time and sliced the arrow... And then the archer. It was scary back then, but the adrenaline surging through your veins makes it bearable. When you relax, it's when the fear actually catches up to you - Rationally, at least." she recalled the story with a sigh. 

"Yes, I suppose for a woman who never even saw weapons her whole life and lived such a sheltered existence, having an arrow pointed at you and almost dying must be traumatic." he nodded, a serious expression on his face - But then he patted her head with a nice smile. "But that's not what's on your mind, is it?"

"No... You are right." she admitted. "After he killed the enemy lord, Nobunaga tied up all the vassals, including the women and children. In our history, he is known as a merciless man who kills anything in his path - However, there are enough discrepancies in this timeline from my own... So, I was wondering... Are these war prisoners going to be killed? Or will they be used as slaves or something?" Kat asked, looking pensive at the vassal in front of her.

"Kill? Lord Nobunaga would never do something so wasteful. The traitor will be stripped of his land, which will be put under the control of a new daimyo. The wounded will be treated and sent home to work the land as farmers and peasants once more. They won't be allowed to become samurai or warriors again, though." the man explained to her the process of taking war prisoners.

"I see. I suppose that makes sense. That means I will finally have some proper work to do of my own these days, that's great. I figured he wanted to get rid of this revolt quickly, with as few people as possible, to show that he's stronger now than ever, even in spite of the fast-flying rumours about the Honno-Ji incident... So he's thoughtful first, then merciless and valiant. I think I understand him and his reasonings better now." Kat nodded in understanding, letting a pondering silence veil the both of them for a while.

"I still don't yet approve of you, but now that you are a member of the Oda forces, and you have already been through one war, you have to try and understand what is going on around here. Things won't be easy for you, but I am sure Lord Nobunaga wouldn't put you in direct danger, considering he needs you alive. But that's all I can tell you now. Once you've calmed down and had enough time to sort out your thoughts and feelings, go to Lord Nobunaga and thank him." and thus, he extended his hand towards her, to help her up.

She graciously gave him a smile and got up with his aid, and they nodded at each other. "Thank you for coming here and explaining these things to me. I needed that. You're a very nice man, Hideyoshi, whether or not you approve of me. I appreciate it." but then, the man smiled and hummed cheerfully.

"Don't thank me. Also, before I forget - Have this. Put this on your wounds. While I won't trust anyone who seems suspicious until they prove me wrong, I wouldn't leave an injured woman untreated. It's not my style." and thus, he stepped out of the room, waving at her goodbye.

"Thank you, Hideyoshi!" the girl went out as well, waving at him as well.

"Thank Ieyasu, not me. I'm just giving you leftover medicine he made." he chuckled lightly.

"Ieyasu is interested in medicine as well?!" the girl's first real reaction - True interest and excitement - Painted on her face, her eyes gleaming eagerly.

"Yes, he is very gifted in this domain. He may be skeptical and apprehensive at first, but pay him no mind, he's just introverted. You can learn many things from him. I'm sure you will be his favourite student... And only one." with an amused look, he left the place, leaving the girl to her own thoughts.

"Fascinating... Very fascinating..." she muttered to herself as she found her feet taking her towards the Lord. "Well then, here we go again..." 

And thus, Katrina sighed, gathering herself and her thoughts, and calling out to the Lord, awaited for approval to walk inside - And she did hastely.

She walked in the demon's den as fearlessly as he expected.

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[silent-sentinels]

Plural Asking 100 Questions: Part 7!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

61. When did you first discover your System? we're still pretty new to this! we celebrated our 3 month syscovery anniversary just last week! :D (we gotta celebrate the little things, gang, it gives us something to look forward to hkjhg :])

62. How many Members did you know about during your Syscovery? maybe about 19 out of the current 25, more or less? we know jaded and mom came later, at least, and it took us a little to consider core as an actual member. fun fact, Distance was actually part of the original line-up, then (fittingly ->) convinced us Distance didn't exist and removed herself from the fucking list hkjgh like!! i know that's your job but STOP PRETENDING YOU DON'T EXIST HKGJH

63. Was accepting your Plurality a challenge for you? LMAO BUDDY IT STILL IS!! i don't want to jinx it, but i think Harlowe might be coming around? though she definitely still uh. causes the occasional turmoil, she hasn't been as adamant these days. then again, she usually only brings it up in the mornings, and our sleep schedule got re-fucked up so we're usually not awake around that time hkjhg ough we'll see. in the meantime, we've mostly come around to it?

64. How did you learn about Plurality? we've had several system friends before, so we learned a lot of terminology and acceptance from them!! though we think a lot of them were anti-endo so... wishing them well, nevertheless?? hkjhg but we first learned about plurality in 2016 maybe?

65. Where there any signs of your Plurality, if you look back at your past? we've always preferred using we and we tend to think in dialogue! we liked giving ourselves different names and chatting like we do in bullet points (when we were young, we made like, several sonas who all talked to each other to work through our problems hkjhg and then we watched sander s!des and made personal ones for that too. goddamn we sure were comfortable with breaking ourselves into different facets hkjh) also lmao look at this shit:

^ what the fuck bro hkjhg NO SERIOUSLY WHAT THE FUCK BRO HKJHG??? my god we can't even comment on this, like hjkghgk

66. Do you think your Syscovery changed a lot in your life? outwardly, no, since we're still singlet-sona-ing it up in almost all other aspects of our life. but inwardly, its changed a lot about how we think. we chatter a lot more than we used to hkjgh it gets really loud in here. ([personally, it means i need to be stricter on the secrets we keep.] - 🌫️)

67. If you're out to others as plural, have they ever told you later on that they already thought about it before you realized? we're not out to many people as plural, and we have no idea if they thought we were plural before :P

68. What was the biggest struggle during your Syscovery? lmao HEAVY denial, from MANY of us, not even just harlowe. maestro has this whole lack of control thing ("i actually always think like this. all of these thoughts are mine and i'm in perfect control of all of them, so we can't be plural") that still isn't fully resolved. someone thought it felt too much like fiction? like roleplaying with ourselves, controlling characters.

oh lmao we're looking back at our doc we made when we were questioning and it is just a lot of floundering hkjhg we were just. so very unsure of ourselves for a while. but! we got through it! still getting through it hkjghg

69. Was there any big event that led to your Syscovery? lmao 69 nice, anyway, two big ones: 1) we read A Cracked Foundation by UnstableAnatomy which completely changed our brain chemistry lmao. like. kim in denial that he has skills. this will surely say nothing about us hkjgh it kinda set the foundation (heh) before: 2) we tried to make personal disco skills. and by trying to figure out "different parts of my personality to make into skills" we accidentally identified ourselves and gave ourselves names and solidified our presence. whoops, plural time babey!

70. What is something you want questioning plurals to know? WE LOVE YOU AND YOU ARE SO COOL AND EVERYONE'S EXPERIENCES ARE DIFFERENT!! just because you don't fit into the descriptions that everyone says about plurality doesn't mean you're not plural! we're a blurry monoconscious median system with no specific host and a very hazy headspace and we all like talking together because we're hard to separate distinctly! AND WE'RE STILL PLURAL!! a lot of our experiences are rarer in the community, and going into this we thought we weren't valid! BUT WE ARE!! AND SO ARE YOU, no matter how different your experiences may be from the norm, because everyone has their own unique situations!! please take your time figuring it out, you've got time! YOU ARE COOL, YOU ARE LOVED, IF YOU FEEL LIKE PLURALITY FITS YOU, THEN GO FOR IT!!!

[lesdemonium]

18 please :) I also want to say I really appreciate how much writing your doing when I know your life is crazy. It’s super fun and wonderful! ☀️

i will fully admit that this is quite a bit selfish because i’m definitely using it to better be able to handle everything else being... wild. but i’m glad that my coping mechanism has been enjoyable for other people!!

also damn sunshine you’re so good at picking exactly the prompts i’ve been wanting to write??? i’ve literally been thinking about how i wanted to write an amnesia au from the POV of the person that has amnesia???

18. waking up with amnesia au

When Jaskier woke up, he could tell that something was wrong. It wasn’t uncommon for him to wake up in a bed he didn’t quite recognize with someone else. It was a bit more common than even he’d like to admit for him to wake up with someone else that he didn’t recognize anymore. Usually, though, that bed partner he didn’t recognize didn’t hover over him as he awoke, as if checking for damages.

“Um, hello?” Jaskier said, as amber eyes examined him quite thoroughly.

“Jaskier, you’re okay,” the man said, relieved. 

His hands then took over exploring Jaskier’s body the same way his eyes had, and Jaskier stiffened a little. Jaskier didn’t mind being manhandled a little, he enjoyed it actually, but he much preferred to be asked. Or, at the very least, flirted with. Though he had often woken after falling into bed with someone without much of a memory of the previous night’s activities, Jaskier was sure he would remember this man. The man looked like he had stamina, and Jaskier was sure if they’d had a romp, he would both remember it and feel a touch more sore.

“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” Jaskier insisted, pushing the roaming hands away. “Have we met?”

The man snatched his hands away as if they were on fire. Good. The way his eyes widened in concern, maybe even fear, but not annoyance, however, was not good. Fear didn't’ seem like an emotion that belonged in this man’s eyes, and not only because he was built like a horse and riddled with scars. Something about it just seemed wrong.

“You don’t remember me?” he asked, unsure, and leaned back on the bed. At least he was no longer hovering. Jaskier took that moment to push himself back to lean against the wall behind him. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Well,” Jaskier started confidently, the picture in his mind clear as day. “I was walking through the forest. With… someone.” That was strange, a moment ago their facade had been so clear. Now all Jaskier could picture was flashes of white. He shook his head and moved on. “I was going to a castle. No… a tower? A cottage? Some sort of… building…” he trailed off again, the memory growing more and more fuzzy. Jaskier rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes. Now, he could only picture the trees. Where had he been going? Who was he with? “I don’t… I can’t. I don’t know. Everything is… a bit vague, now.”

The man swore and shot up, rifling through a bag for something. Jaskier just tried to remember what he had last been doing, but found the memory getting farther and farther away.

--

“What do you do for a living?” Yennefer asked.

When Yennefer had shown up, just jumping out of a portal as if she owned the place, Jaskier had groused, only for the man--Geralt, has he had now been told--to say he had called her. Well. Hard to complain about a sorceress turning up unannounced when she had, indeed, been invited. Yennefer, he remembered, and he would have been quite happy to not have her see the aftermath of a drunken night gone wrong. Though, why the devil was he not hungover?

“I’m a bard, obviously!” Jaskier began confidently, grinning at the man--Geralt--as he was the only one who didn’t know this information. “I sing songs about the… the great…” His brain took on that hazy edge again, and he was starting to develop a headache from it. “Oh, bollocks. Not a very good bard if I can’t even remember what I sing about.”

Yennefer hummed a little, and, really, these people were going to have to stop doing that. Geralt’s eyes were wild as he looked at Yennefer, but Yennefer kept staring seriously at Jaskier.

“How did you and I meet?” Yennefer asked, and Jaskier sighed.

“You saved me from dying. And then threatened to make me a eunuch. And then you and… No, I don’t remember where I was going with that. But thank you for bringing up that particular memory. I’d quite like to hop off that trail.” Jaskier crossed his arms. Despite his joking--though he wasn’t exactly joking, he really didn’t like to remember how he had met Yennefer, it was a stressful ordeal all around--Jaskier felt a growing sense of dread. Something was very, very wrong, he just didn’t know what.

Yennefer finally turned to Geralt. “You said he was hit with a mage’s spell?” she asked.

Geralt nodded. “I almost had her. Then Jaskier got too close and she noticed him. I yelled at him to get away and she turned her attention on him, saying something about really hurting me, more than any weapon could do, and said something too quick in Elder. He went down, she portalled away, and he didn’t wake up until this morning.” His voice sounded thick and his arms were tightly crossed on his chest. His face was pinched and Jaskier felt the sudden desire to smooth away the harsh lines. That was stupid, though.

“She took away his memories of you,” Yennefer said.

“She did what?” Jaskier asked, his eyebrows shooting up. So he did know this man? Well, shit, this was a mess.

“You can start the memory, but as soon as it involves Geralt, the details are erased. She has erased his existence.” Yennefer even looked apologetic, though it was definitely aimed at Geralt. Shouldn’t her sympathies be directed at the person who actually lost their memory?

“Fuck,” Geralt said, running a hand through his hair. Jaskier couldn’t help but agree. “What do we do?”

send me a number for a geraskier ficlet