#suzaku kenran

[bitway-arts]

title: A Professional Chat characters: Suzaku Kenran, Tasuku Ryuuenji pairing: suzatasu summary: Visiting Earth is better when meeting with the Boy Wonder. a/n: for day 7 of @buddyfightshipweek ! its free day!

[gabrielscovenant]

⭐

suzaku kenran/variable cord!

[aragami-rouga]

Not to talk shit throw shade or hate buuuuuuttt u do know suzaku kenran was a MAJOR doooooouche right? Just sayin.

This ask is old and I just saw it today (sorry) but lemme answer real quick for you.

I am Jerksexual. Assholes, Pricks, douchebags, you name it. If they’re funny and cute I’m into them.

[chibicrow]

What if Kyoya gets Disaster back together, and adds the big muscle guy wuth the green hair, suzaku kenran and Doctor Gara to the roster?

NO. SUZAKU MUST NOT COME BACK. NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOO.

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

Ah, a trinity is completed. Part three of this and this, with less painplay and more father-son chats. Now on ao3!

Jack's head whipped in Suzaku's direction as he quietly stepped out of Tasuku's room, pressing a finger to his lips as he gently shut the door behind him.

"He's asleep now, very peacefully." Jack scowled at the innocent smile he dared to put on, his play of blissful innocence making Jack want to scream. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but I think it can wait until he's conscious, right?"

"Why can't I just ask you?!"

"Would you believe my answers if you did?" Suzaku's smile widened slightly, and Jack clenched his jaw to keep himself from digging his fangs into the other instead. "Besides, it's his motives you're more interested in, right?" He broke eye contact, walking past Jack to move over to the couch. "After all, you have a very interesting buddy." Jack hoped Suzaku could feel him glaring as he flopped onto the couch, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Whew! He gave me quite a workout, too. I think I’m going to nap as well."

Jack grumbled something under his breath about the other “running away”, turning away as he prepared to think about how to distract himself while waking for Tasuku to wake up, but he didn’t get far before Suzaku’s voice stopped him again.

“Oh, by the way. It’s rude to spy.”

Figuring enough time had passed, Jack nervously approached Tasuku's room, recognizing the gentle sound of his buddy waking. He hesitated in the doorway, and after a moment Tasuku let out a groan as he lifted himself up. Wincing as he stretched, Tasuku turned to the barely open door, and though he had braced himself for it, Jack stiffened at the sight of bruises on his neck and face.

“Suzaku, is that you?"

Jack pushed the door open and stepped into view, feeling his stomach tense as he watched Tasuku's face fall, likely realizing what he looked like to his buddy. "...Oh, Jack. Good- well, I guess it's not morning. It's pretty uncommon for me to take a nap, huh?" Jack's frown dragged downward with concern at the familiar sound of Tasuku's laugh, just as gentle even while strained with nervousness. 

Hopping onto Tasuku's bed, Jack placed a small clawed hand into his buddy's shoulder, Tasuku's expression sombering as he sensed Jack's mood.

"First impression makes me think that things didn't go well with Suzaku." Tasuku put on a reassuring smile, and Jack wondered if he could sense that Jack was playing dumb. 

"I know it looks bad, but... Well, this was necessary. I think we'll be able to work with each other alright for a while."

"This was necessary to be able to work together?"

"Yes, well..." He glanced away, avoiding Jack's eyes for a moment before quickly smiling again. "I'm fine, Jack! It went better than you think!"

Jack frowned, a million questions in his mind but none he truly wanted answered.

"What, exactly..." He didn't have to finish his question before Tasuku averted his eyes again, and Jack finished with a sigh instead. "... Look, I- I saw a bit. I'm worried."

Tasuku looked about to tell him not to worry, but he couldn’t summon the words, instead lowering his eyes as one hand rose to touch the faint marks left on his neck.

“... How much did you see?”

“N-Not much.” He could see his buddy was uncomfortable, and he felt no better, but he knew it would bother him if he was left with unanswered questions. He thought he knew what was going on, though it felt odd to apply the term sado-masochism to his buddy. What worried him more was if Tasuku knew- he was so young, and Jack couldn’t help but feel a chill go through him at the thought of Suzaku taking advantage of Tasuku’s innocence.

“I...” Tasuku’s voice broke Jack’s train of thought, bringing his eyes up to see his buddy’s firmly set in his lap. “I can’t explain it. I know I shouldn’t... I shouldn’t let him do those things to me- I shouldn’t enjoy it, I shouldn’t have-” his face twisted into a mixture of embarrassment, shame, and confusion, “-I shouldn’t have asked him to do those things to me!”

“Tasuku, it’s alright. I’m not here to tell you what you were doing was wrong.”

“Really?” When Tasuku looked at him, his eyes were full of fear and vulnerability, and Jack realized that the last thing he wanted was for his buddy to feel like something was wrong with him.

“That kind of thing... It’s not as uncommon as you think. Wanting... That, well, wanting that isn’t wrong.”

“Jack...” His smile was filled with relief, and the expression helped subside the uneasy feeling in Jack’s stomach.

“What I’m more worried about is who you’re doing it with.” Jack watched Tasuku’s face drop agian, but he nodded with understanding. “I don’t trust him. He could hurt you in ways that aren’t so easily recovered from.”

“I don’t think he would do that.” Jack was suprised to hear him speak up in Suzaku’s defense, even if his voice wavered with uncertainty. “He never has before, anyway, and if anything...” His eyes fell to his lap in thought, mouth tightening with concentraition.

"I’ll tell you exactly what I’m going to do.” Suzaku’s voice was thick with amusement as he stared down at Tasuku, pinned to the floor by Suzaku’s foot over his wrist. “I’ll start by bruising that soft stomach of yours, just like this.” He dug the heel of his other foot into Tasuku’s stomach, hard enough to force some of the breath out of him but gentle enough to leave him aching for more- just a preview of what was to come. “Then, I’ll work my way up to your neck.” He dragged his foot up Tasuku’s front as he spoke, pushing in against the dip of his chest, before resting the curve of his foot against the round of his throat. His toes curled with tense excitement, and their position made it clear what would happen next without him having to explain- Tasuku’s breath catching at the thought. Suzaku’s eyes narrowed in satisfaction, quickly dragging his foot back down his chest to dig his toes into his stomach. “And when you can’t take any more, we’ll start over.” The explanation didn’t feel like it was out of consideration for him- it was a threat, a chance to experience the pain in his imagination before it even became reality. Even so, Suzaku watched him patiently, eyes gleaming meanacingly even in the dim lighting of the room. “Are you ready?”

“If anything... He always seems to give me a chance to stop him before anything happens.” It wasn’t a thought that had ever occured to him- it always happened in ways that felt like taunts, daring him to back down and admit his weakness or his fear. He had never thought about what would happen if he did tell him to stop, but the more he searched his memories, the more he realized that every new action had come with some kind of warning and request for permission. Tasuku’s eyes widened as his mind moved back to earlier that day, puzzle pieces clicking into piece. “He’s never done anything he wasn’t sure I was alright with. I think... I think he does it more for me than himself.”

“Oh, I enjoy myself a fair bit as well.”

They both looked up as Suzaku entered the room, a smug grin on his face. “After all, it’s entertaining to watch you get so desperate for me.”

Suzaku ignored how Jack tensed as he walked over to the bed and sat down on the other side of Tasuku, sliding an arm around him to dig his fingers into a bruise on his side. Tasuku winced, shoving him away as his face started to redden. 

“Not right now.”

Suzaku only grinned, Tasuku grimacing as his eyes moved nervously to Jack. Jack moved his gaze to the wall, trying his best to pretend not to see.

“I thought you said it was rude to spy, Suzaku.”

“This was revenge.” Suzaku moved to affectionately irritate Tasuku’s bruises again, Tasuku’s noise of complaint becoming more irritated as he slapped him away. “Besides, you could hardly say this isn’t my business.”

Jack let out a grumble, restraining the urge to glare at Suzaku in favor of continuing his staring contest with the wall, feeling his discomfort rise every time he felt Tasuku shift beside him.

“I’m still not comfortable with this.”

“Well, good thing you’re completely uninvolved then, hm?” Tasuku let out another noise of complaint, the reason for which Jack adamently refused to think about. “Besides, I don’t think your buddy here was lying to you when he said this was neccessary for us to get along.”

Will finally breaking, Jack glanced back at Tasuku and Suzaku, sliding on a nervous frown.

“...Is it?”

Tasuku met his eyes uncertainly, glancing over at Suzaku, who he’d apparently given up on prying off of him.

“Well... It gives me a chance to take out some of my frustration on him... And a reason to get angry at him that doesn’t get in the way of saving the world.”

“Likewise for me.” Suzaku grinned as he dug his nails into Tasuku’s side again, the latter grimacing as Jack looked away again.

“Tasuku... Are you sure about this?”

“...I am.”

Jack sighed, fighting down his frustration at Suzaku’s pleased chirp.

“I don’t like to think about you getting hurt... But if it’s what you want, then I guess I’ll try to be understanding. As long as it stays within reason.”

“Ah, I guess you’ll finally be able to scream to your heart’s content, Tasuku~!”

Jack turned around, bareing his teeth.

“You’d both best try to keep it to yourselves, or you’ll be the one screaming, Suzaku!”

“Calm down, both of you!” Tasuku put a restraining hand on both of them, looking between them with a more relaxed worry. “Jack’s right, Suzaku, let’s just drop it, alright? This is getting embarrassing.”

“Alright, then let’s talk about how you slept through lunch. I’m starving.”

“Alright, alright.” Tasuku got up from the bed, laughing a bit as he made his way to the door. “Now I know what Gao was talking about when he was living with Drum and Axia...”

The other two looked at each other, Suzaku giving Jack a reassuring smile. Jack only sighed, hopping off the bed to follow Tasuku.

[yaminetto]

Asmodai: This is... inside of Yamigedo’s stomach!

Everyone swallowed by Yamigedo: -marvels in horror-

Variable Cord/Suzaku: It looks like the remains of many worlds are scattered around in here...

Burn Nova/Ban: More like someone doesn’t know how to chew their food.

Yamigedo: -bellowing echo- RUDE!

[dae1patch]

rotate

[bitway-arts]

this dude has been in my head for a while so I must draw the pretty mean dude

[bitway-arts]

title: Never Trust A Vampire characters: Tasuku Ryuenji, Suzaku Kenran/Sixth Omni Lord Variable Cord summary: It's his duty to kill all vampires- a vampire lord is no exception...or it shouldn't be. {vampire au}

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

Whoops I accidently wrote a sequel to this. Because everyone wanted to know what happened after Jack shut the door, right? I did. (Tasuku/Suzaku consentual painplay, mostly biting this time.)

“So, what next?”

Suzaku released his grip on Tasuku’s bangs, the boy falling against him as his fingers dragged further down Suzaku’s back. His voice was horase from his own ragged breathing and the effort of supressing cries, his body trembling against Suzaku’s as he rested his chin against the taller man’s shoulder.

“Bite me.”

Tasuku breathed the order against Suzaku’s ear, and the sensation was delightful, and shiver running down his spine.

“Was that a snippy insult, or do you mean it?”

“I mean it.”

Suzaku laughed, and he felt Tasuku stiffen against him, the nails biting into his back starting to send waves of pain through his skin. 

“It sounded like an order. I want you to beg.”

Tasuku let out another frustrated noise, and it was enjoyable watching him get so stubborn when he wanted this so badly, when he wanted so badly to deny that he wanted it, to get angry at him for something they both tacitly agreed to. Because in cases like these, Suzaku knew that tacit agreement wasn’t always enough, and he enjoyed the arrangement too much to go about it incorrectly.

“... Please, Suzaku,” A moan slipped into his voice, and Suzaku couldn’t help but let out a laugh, voice qivering with adrenaline. Tasuku gasped as Suzaku pushed him against the wall, looking him over like a piece of prey.

“Where should I start?”

“I- I don’t know... My neck.”

“Not a bad choice.” He licked his lips just to watch Tasuku react, and the response was immediate- Tasuku swallowed hard, eyes dilated as they watched him. Suzaku leaned in, pressing himself as close as he could while bending so his face fit into the crook of his neck. He could feel Tasuku trembling against him, and he ghosted his lips across Tasuku’s skin, the other letting out a gasp at the feeling of his lips parting. “Do you want to relocate?” Tasuku let out a confused noise, disappointment leaking into his tone, and Suzaku laughed again as he lifted his face to smile at him. “You can barely stand right now, and this will be harder if I have to worry about supporting you.” Tasuku frowned at him, shifting uncomfortably between Suzaku and the wall, both too close for him to disguise the shaking of his limbs.  “There’s a bed right there, why not use it? Unless you’d rather rest?”

“No!” Suzaku’s grin inched higher as Tasuku winced at the sound of his own desperation.

“Alright. Should I carry you, then?”

“I told you I’m fine!” He shoved Suzaku away, and Suzaku looked on in amusement as Tasuku’s legs almost immedately gave out from under him, his first step sending him staggering so Suzaku reached out to catch him on instinct.

“Denied.” Tasuku only let out a dejected groan as Suzaku carried him to his bed, climbing on top of him in the same movement that he laid him down. His sour mood disappeared as soon as Suzaku leaned in to breathe against the skin of his neck again, Tasuku’s own breath hitching in response. “How long have you been thinking about this?” Tasuku only let out a moan in response as Suzaku nipped his earlobe, hands balling into fists against the blankets.

“Suzaku, please-”

“Too gentle?”

“I’m not exhausted as you think I am.”

“Or more like, if I don’t hurry up, you’re going to fall asleep?”

“Suzaku, I’m begging you!” The words came as more of a frustrated assertion than a plea, but the sound was amusing nonetheless, and Suzaku let out a sigh against Tasuku’s jaw as he lowered his face to his neck, this time letting him feel his teeth drag across his skin as he opened his mouth. He bit down slowly, gradually increasing the pressure as Tasuku tensed under him, the beginnings of a moan starting to touch his breathing. Suzaku shifted his position so he had one hand free, fingers wrapping around the other side of Tasuku’s neck and searching for his pulse. He bit down hard, winning him a sharp gasp as he released and moved further down his neck, pinching his thin skin between his teeth before biting down fully again. The new position gave his fingers more room to roam, and slowly he slid the sharp of his nails under Tasuku’s chin, satisfaction purring through him at the feeling of Tasuku’s throat bobbing under his palm. 

“Can you imagine, if I was in my true form? You wouldn’t have a neck anymore.” Suzaku felt Tasuku’s pulse start to race under his fingertips, moving his face to drag his teeth up the side of his neck. “My beak is sharp enough to tear your soft skin apart easily.” Tasuku let out a moan this time, one hand reaching up to tangle in Suzaku’s hair, and immdiately it dug in to hurt. “Be careful not to make me angry, or that might still happen.” The grip on his hair tightened, and he wasn’t sure if it was to edge him on or on impulse, but it was hard enough to make him wince, the sound drawing Tasuku’s eyes to him. Suzaku couldn’t help but laugh at the obvious pleasure Tasuku got in hearing him suffer, digging his fingers harder into Tasuku’s neck and getting a harder pull on his skull in revenge. Despite the pain it caused, Suzaku lowered his head again, mood getting the best of him as he trailed kisses down Tasuku’s neck, each steadily more aggressive until he bit down hard at the base of his neck, winning him a cry.

“Suzaku!” He gasped, tensing harder. “Ah- Jack will-!”

“Don’t worry about him.” He struggled to keep his voice level with all the adrenaline running through him, letting just enough strain into his voice to give Tasuku the satisfaction of causing him pain back. He pressed a kiss against where he’d just bitten, hard enough to make rising bruise sting, and then rose, propping himself up so he could bring his other hand to Tasuku’s neck, digging his nails into the bruises he had made as he tightened his hold just enough to constrict his breathing. “Tasuku, may I kiss you?’”

“I- what?” Tasuku was coughing around his words, eyes barely open to look at him skeptically as he struggled to get in enough air.

“Excuse me, the rush is getting to me. I just thought I’d like to feel you gasp against my lips.”

Tasuku pushed against his hands, making a pained gasp at the pressure before Suzaku understood the signal and moved his hands away. Tasuku breathed thankfully, distangling his fingers from Suzaku’s hair to guard his neck instead.

"... Thank you. And, I don’t want to kiss you.”

“Fair enough.” Suzaku rose fully into a sitting position, putting on his neutral smile. “Should we call it off here, then?”

“I...” Tasuku rubbed at his neck, letting out a sigh. “Yes, I think I’ve had enough now.”

“I’ll leave you be then. Thanks for the fun~” he gingerly stepped off the bed, watching Tasuku a moment. “Should I tell Jack to come in? If you’re rattled?”

“No, I think I’d rather be by myself now. Tell him I’m resting.”

“Will do.”

Tasuku closed his eyes, letting out another deep breath as he spread himself out. Suzaku only smiled, quietly stepping through the door to meet the anxious Jack in the hallway.

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

The small apartment where Tasuku and Jack lived had become a tense space since they had all returned from the distant future- all of them including Suzaku Kenran, who, needing to be ready to join Tasuku’s deck at a moment’s notice should Yamigedo make a move, had temporarily moved in with them. 

Jack considered Suzaku untrustworthy- his dislike of him magnified during their time stranded together in the distant future, solidified by the memory of his last moments with his buddy, betrayed and desperate, before they were forcefully separated. He could tell Tasuku’s feelings towards the Omni Lord were similar, given the heated glares they often exchanged across the small living space. Suzaku didn’t look at Jack anymore- they’d shared too much sorrow, too much hopelessness in the ruined future for there to be any direct aggression between them, but Tasuku was different. The tension between them was palatable, like they were always barely restraining the urge to be at each other’s throats, desperately straining against a pull towards the other they both wanted badly to give into.

Occasionally Jack feared they would- the truce for the sake of stopping Yamigedo falling apart in the midst of violence, and now was one of those times. Jack nervously paced around the short hallway outside Tasuku’s room, knowing Suzaku and Tasuku were together behind the closed door.  Tasuku had told him to avoid lingering too close- said he didn’t want to worry Jack, that he had a plan and could handle it. Jack wasn’t even sure what they were talking about, what they even could be talking about, and for a moment he thought it was just his paranoid imagination that made him hear his buddy scream. Then he tensed, the reality of the painful sound ripping through him, and he carried himself to Tasuku’s bedroom door as fast as his mini-form’s wings could take him.

Only the fact that Tasuku didn’t call for him stopped Jack from immediately rushing into the room, instead inching the door open and peering through the opening. His jaw clenched at the sight of Suzaku sending a swift kick to Tasuku’s jaw, silencing the dying sounds of his cry.

“Idiot- if you don’t stay quiet, I won’t be able to play with you anymore.”

Tasuku was slumped against the wall, exposed skin already bruised and clothing in disarray. He slowly looked up at Suzaku, conciously steadying his breathing as he met his disdainful gaze with steady eyes. Suzaku smirked, Tasuku visibly bracing himself as he moved forward, kneeling down to roughly grab each of his wrists. “It’s funny, even this weak human form is enough to overpower you.” Suzaku all but laughed as he pulled Tasuku’s arms over his head, Tasuku wincing as Suzaku dragged him up the wall. “I don’t need the power of an omni lord to crush you under my heel, right, Tasuku?” Before he could respond to his taunts, Suzaku threw him roughly back onto the ground, stomping hard on his crossed wrists as he let out a cry. His feet scrambled under him as he tried to push himself up, but with a narrowing of his eyes Suzaku sent a sharp kick into his side, sending his lower body sprawling. The brief moment where all his weight was pressed against the thin bones in his wrists was likely several times more painful than the kick had been, and Jack could hear Tasuku’s stiffled shame and frustration in his ragged breathing, his face tensing with the effort of holding back the beginnings of tears. He turned his face away, as if aware of Jack watching him, and his body shuddered as the sound of a sob finally broke in his throat.

“Oh? Don’t tell me we’re done already?” Tasuku didn’t move as Suzaku looked down at him with something that almost looked like concern, the expression baffling Jack and keeping him frozen in place despite his body long shouting at him to charge. “You can always surrender.”

“No...” Tasuku turned his gaze back up at Suzaku, tears staining across his face. “No, I can take more.”

“Good.” He ground his foot into Tasuku’s wrists again, Tasuku’s body tensing and spasaming in pain for a moment until he stopped again, Tasuku sucking in a relieved breath.  “I want to try something different, then.” Suzaku’s face dropped into a feigned boredom, and Tasuku looked up at him in confusion as he felt his foot lifting from his wrists, only to wince as he drove it into his gut instead, dragging him against the wall. “I want you to beg.”

“What...?”

Suzaku gave the slightest hint of a smirk as he retracted his foot and stepped away altogether, crossing his arms with an air of supirority.

“You heard me: beg for it. I’m not going to do a thing until you ask.” Tasuku glared at him, and from his position in the doorway Jack frowned in confusion, no longer sure what was going on. Suzaku glanced away, suddenly playing disinterest. “I could always find something more interesting to do then toy with a human child.”

“No!” Suzaku looked over with a grin as Jack jolted, confusion mounting at the desperate sound in his buddy’s voice. Tasuku seemed to shrink under Suzaku’s interested gaze, his buddy swallowing as his mouth opened and closed around unspoken words. “Come... Come down here.” The words sounded as if they were being forced out, Tasuku’s voice barely above whisper as his eyes fell to the floor.

“What was that?”

Tasuku looked up to glare at him again, scowling in frustration.

“Come where I can reach you.”

“Can you not stand?”

“No, I can...” Tasuku shifted so he was sitting against the wall, Suzaku stepping onto Tasuku’s hand before he could use it to push himself up any higher. 

“Then how about instead, I drag you to my level?” To demonstrate, he snarled a hand into Tasuku’s bangs, gripping tightly enough that Tasuku’s eyes squeezed shut against the pain. He let out a whimper as he nodded, the motion only making the pain worse, and Suzaku hit his head against the wall. “Wrong. Open your eyes and say it.”

Tasuku slowly opened his eyes, whole expression strained with pain as he let out a shallow breath. Suzaku met his eyes intently, red centers burning twice as fircely to make up for the vulnerable trembling of his body.

“Do it.”

“Tell me you want it.”

Tasuku winced again as Suzaku’s grip on his hair tightened, eyes slowly opening again to refocus on him.

“I... I want you to. Please,” he let out a strangled cry as Suzaku stepped off his hand and slowly pulled him up by his bangs, Tasuku’s hands scrambling for the cloth draped over him before, dragged up to his full height, they instead slid over his shoulders, cloth bunching between his fingertips as he dug his nails into Suzaku’s back.

“So, what next?” Suzaku’s eyes suddenly met Jack’s, and Jack’s body froze before reflexively closing the door, the point Suzaku had made haunting even before it had fully sunk in. 

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

“You do realize I’m the sixth omni storm lord. Do you have any idea what I could do to you?”

Two long golden talons pinned Tasuku to the ground, the weight of the mighty neodragon crushed against his chest. Tasuku’s breaths were coming out in gasps, but his gaze was steady as he looked up at Variable Cord towering above him. 

“Whatever you do, I’ll pay you back twice over.”

Variable Cord shifted its footing so that its sharp middle talon loomed above the boy’s face, its golden glow casting eerie shadows across his featues. Tasuku only let out a breathless laugh, born of equal parts fear and adreniline. Taking that as an answer, Variable Cord pressed its foot down, center talon swerving away at the last second to dig into the ground above his shoulder. Tasuku let out a cry at the sudden pressure, arms raising in a feeble attempt to push the talons off of him as he writhed underneath. His body trembled with strain and breathlessness and his hands slipped across the dragon’s rough scales, his face turning to press into its middle talon.  Variable Cord shifted to push back against his head, turning Tasuku’s face upwards again before slowly sliding its talons down his body. Tasuku’s closed eyes fluttered open with the burning sensation of claws dragging across his chest and over his arms, air suddenly returning to him in a painful gasp. Before he could stop himself, his voice came out in a weak wimper, his hands balling into fists as his trembling increased. Its talons lifted, toes curling and then pressing down against his tender skin, the pressure sending waves of pain through his body that brought tears to his eyes. His vision was an unfocused blur of gold glow and dark silhouette, his lungs paralyzed with the shock of the pain even when the weight on his chest was weak so he could only let out choking cries. 

“You’re so boring, Tasuku. Where did your spunk from before go?”

The rounded edge of Variable Cord’s talons dug harder into his gut, this time producing a scream as all the air in him was forced out. The strain overwhelmed his senses, so he didn’t even notice Variable Cord revert into its human form until the much softer touch of fingers cupping his chin made him refocus his vision, his breath still coming in heaving gasps as he looked dazedly into the face of Suzaku Kenran.

“Ah, your expression really does look better from here.”

He straddled Tasuku’s weakened body, the latter too fatigued to resist as Suzaku traced the trail of a tear down his cheek, dragging a nail against his neck in a way that caused Tasuku to wimper softly into his touch. Suzaku made a satisfied grin at the sound, leaning back to more fully examine his work.  Letting his trailling finger dip into his collarbone, he started to trace the angry red slash of his talon, Tasuku hissing in a breath as he pinched the skin half-way, watching blood pool between his fingers with a soft chuckle.

“H-Hey,” Suzauku looked up at the dry sound of Tasuku’s voice, the latter lookng at him with a half-lidded gaze, “how painful is it when you’re destroyed in battle?” Suzauku put on a smile, eyes narrowing with amusement. 

“Why? Already planning how you’re going to repay me for this?”  He dug his knuckles into Tasuku’s gut, twisting them deep against his wound and making him wince.  “If you try to make it even, I’ll just get harder on you, you know. Unless you think I’ll back down first?” 

Tasuku sucked in a breath, bracing himself against the pain to make a reply, but before his voice recovered, Suzaku sent a solid punch into his gut, his whole body bucking with the impact.  The buddymonster slowly stepped off the boy, smiling coyly as he examined his unconcious features. With a contented sigh, he bent down and scooped him up in his arms. 

“Don’t worry- as your buddy, I’ll be sure to get you safely home.”  He looked down again at the long vertical scar down his front, letting out a laugh. 

As he started the walk home, he thought of the strength in his buddy’s red eyes, firey and determined to the last. He laughed again to himself- did he really think his frail human body would be able to take more punishment than the omni storm lord?  Thinking of the revenge the boy was likely dreaming about, a shiver went down the neodragon’s spine, his smile tightening. 

“Well, whatever he’s planning, I’ll just have to repay him twice over...” 

[master-deckbuilder-retsu]

Tasuku’s trembling, Variable Cord pinched still between his fingers, held apart from the rest of his cards- four dragonarms. 

He’d avoided using that card until now- even while tuning the deck Baku had made for him with a heavy heart after Variable Cord had unexpectedly returned, holding in its talons its desperately needed omni lord emblem. No matter his opponent, he’d charged it when he drew it, refusing to work with him even though the deck was built around him- Variable Cord was this deck’s buddy, but Tasuku’s was Jack.

“You’ll do it, won’t you? You know what’ll happen if you don’t.”  There’s a laugh in Variable Cord’s voice, like he’s been waiting for this moment- like he came back to the present just for this.

Tasuku grits his teeth, looks with a heavy heart at everyone watching him with desperate eyes. If he loses this fight, their only lead to finding Yamigedo will be gone- and with it, any hope of getting back their friends. He lets out a sigh, pulls the card away from his gauge. 

“I call Sixth Omni Storm Lord-” 

“That’s not it.”

His voice stops in his throat, and when it returns, it cracks painfully against his words. 

“I buddycall... Sixth Omni Storm Lord, Variable Cord, to my center, and gain one life with buddygift!” 

“Yes, don’t forget this is a gift I’m granting you, human.”  Variable Cord appears, tall and magnificent on his stage, great wings stretching to their impressive wingspan. Everything about it looks wrong to Tasuku, who yearns to see tough, battle-hardened green scales mounted with white and gold- who sees a golden glow and wishes it were neon blue.

“I add my four held cards to Variable Cord’s soul.” He looks down at the dragon arms in his hand as they disappear under Variable Cord, watches the mechanical enhancements surround the neodragon and imagines them malfunctioning, spluttering sparks and tearing jolts of electricity down its body. The image is equal parts painful and liberating as he fliches at the vivid memories that inspired them, dragging his mind back into the fight as Variable Cord gives him a knowing look.

When he uses Variable to turn the tide of battle, he almost finds himself enjoying the fight again, almost accepting the dragon as a worthy partner in battle. He almost forgets, for a moment, what Variable Cord put him through, until his opponent’s turn ends and Tasuku draws, the image on the card hitting him hard in the gut. Buddy Recall.  He looks at the image of him and Jack, remembers making that card, and the smile falls away from his face, set into a bitter grimace. It’s the only card in his hand, but he refuses to charge it, doesn’t care if it’ll leave him defenseless. In fact, he almost welcomes it- he suddenly yearns to see Variable Cord wiped off the fight field even as he declares his attack.

Maybe he could’ve ended it sooner. Variable Cord looks over at him again as Tasuku avoids attacking the center, but he doesn’t want to see Variable Cord lead him to victory, wants more than anything to see him eliminated from the center, to assure himself that he doesn’t belong there. 

Every time one of Variable Cord’s souls is destroyed, there’s a moment where it winces under the force of the attack, explodes into a shower of golden light before returning with heaving breaths and missing a chunk of its power, only speeding along its demise. It’s a beautiful, gradual weakening that accelerates as it goes, and the sight of it becomes addicting- the sudden destruction, the slow beating, and each time Tasuku feels the breath get knocked out of him. The sight leaves him shuddering and gasping for breath, and while those watching might have thought it was out of empathy, Tasuku feels himself waiting for the next blow with anticipation.  Finally Variable Cord’s souls run out, and he lets out a final, anguished cry as he leaves in a spray of golden sparkles bigger and brighter than those before, and Tasuku stumbles back as if it has a recoil, breathing hard from the repeated breathlessness. He can feel everyone watching him with worried looks, but when he raises his head, he’s grinning. 

Thanks to the soulguard, he hasn’t taken any damage, and even wiping out Variable Cord was enough that his opponent’s turn ends without being able to attack his exposed center. Nonetheless, he’s in the same pinch he was in before, but this time his ragged smile is unfaltering as he looks down at the cards in his hands. His eyes are still filled with the light of Variable Cord’s final defeat, a sight he feels like he’s been yearning for since the deck was placed into his hands.  He draws, and it’s a dragonarm. He looks at Buddy Recall still in his hand and laughs through a strained smile. 

“If you thought you were done with Variable Cord, think again! He’ll be taking more punishment than that!” 

As he calls his “buddy” once more, Tasuku realizes, with blood pounding in his ears, that no matter how powerful the sixth omni lord is, once they’re on the fight stage, Tasuku has total control. He decides when the storm lord fights and who he faces, and the great neodragon is left at his mercy- nothing but a small square of paper between his fingertips.  He can tell Variable Cord realizes it too. Even in his dragon form, Tasuku can see how the energy has drained from his posture, his supiriority and amusment gone now that Tasuku is no longer struggling under the weight of his own pain, his own regrets. Variable Cord knows that from now on, he exists in that deck to be destroyed- that every battle is another sweet chance at revenge, even if it comes at the cost of betraying the one he’s revenging by calling Variable Cord his “buddy”. 

They take a moment to celebrate after his exhausting victory before going back to planning how to seal away Yamigedo, utilizing their new information as they consider their next move. Tasuku is still shaking when he asks to go rest, and they gladly excuse him, deciding he deserves a chance to recooperate. 

Variable Cord has been silent since the battle, remaining in card form while everyone was together, and Tasuku is too tired to notice him leave the deck case until a hand shoots out, pushes back on his neck and pins him roughly to the wall. 

“Punishment? Is that what you put me through back there?” 

His voice is low and menacing as the face of Suzaku Kenran leans dangerously close to his own, icy blue eyes narrowed in thinly veiled rage. Tasuku starts to reply, but Suzaku forces the words back down his throat, his grip tightening painfully as sharp nails dig into his skin.  “That was a risky play you made back there- I thought you were less sloppy.” Tasuku’s eyes flutter with breathlessness, and Suzaku pushes down harder, sending Tasuku into a coughing fit. “I’d be more careful if I were you, considering you need us omni lords’ support for your mission. Unless punishing me is more important to you than sealing Yamigedo?” He suddenly releases the pressure on his neck, and Tasuku gasps for breath, still coughing as Suzaku watches him, waiting for an answer. When Tasuku’s breathing steadies, he says nothing, staring back with piercing red, and after a moment Suzaku tilts his head, starting to reapply the pressure to Tasuku’s neck, feeling him press back against the wall. “Well? Aren’t you going to beg for my forgiveness?”

Tasuku gasps slightly against Suzaku’s hand, hissing in a shallow breath as nails once again bite into his skin. This time, however, his eyes are fixed on Suzaku’s, steady despite the racing pulse underneath his skin. 

“I figured you’d just punish me in return.” 

He barely breathes the words out with what little breath he has, but they still cause Suzaku’s eyes to widen. He looks for fear in his eyes, looks for a bluff, but all he sees is anticipaition. 

“It almost looks like you want me to punish you.”

Tasuku gives a breathless laugh, the shallow rise and fall of his chest quickening. 

“It’ll give me something to get back at you for next battle.”