#yttd kai satou

[exmartialgod]

The house is too quiet. 

Kai sits on the floor of his room, the silence drilling an unpleasant buzzing into his brain. Today of all days, the quiet hurts more than usual. For once, he wishes his mind would conjure an imagined Sei to keep him company.

The stillness of this room he once shared with his brother is far too much for Kai to bear. He has to go somewhere, anywhere else— 

His escape is brought to an abrupt halt the moment he enters the main room. For once, he’s not alone in this suffocating house. 

“...Father!” How long has it been since the two were home at the same time? 

Father doesn’t react to his voice, although truthfully Kai didn’t expect him to. His father has existed for the past three years in a trancelike state, barely aware of anything. Today is a day like any other; Father is blank and emotionless, staring straight ahead.

Kai clears his throat slightly. “Father…?” Still, no acknowledgement. Kai sighs. “Today is—”

“I know what today is.” Father doesn’t look at him. Kai would be lying if he said it didn’t crush him. 

He knows his father resents him. Kai is his greatest disappointment, a failure who cost the life of his beloved, successful eldest son. Kai is utterly useless, an assassin who can’t kill. Sei could kill. Sei never disappointed Father. 

Sei is dead, and dead sons don’t disappoint. They are preserved in perfect, golden memory. Kai is infinitely jealous of his dead brother, and he hates himself for it.

He sighs softly. “Sei is sixteen today.” Father flinches, very slightly, at the name. No one but Kai could have noticed. Or perhaps Sei, had he been alive to see it. “Have you wished him happy birthday yet?” 

“Not yet.” Father is still staring straight ahead. Kai follows his gaze to a blank stretch of wall and sighs a little louder. 

“He still deserves to be celebrated. Even if he’s…” he swallows, “...not here.” 

Father says nothing. He’s always worse on special days, even more absent than his usual, almost dazed state. Although Kai understands better than anyone, it still stings that his father won’t make an effort for his surviving child. 

“I will make a cake,” he says into the silence. “Not tiramisu.”

“He hates tiramisu,” Father contributes finally. 

It doesn’t matter. Sei won’t be eating it. Kai doubts he and his father will do much more than pick at a slice each. It’s a waste of time, food and effort. Kai will make it anyway. 

Father still makes tiramisu, but he rarely eats it. Kai wonders what happens to it. Does he give it away? He can’t think of anyone he would offer it to. After all, Father no longer speaks to any of his friends. 

He doesn’t react as Kai moves about the kitchen, gathering supplies. Although his father is no more than a few feet away, Kai feels utterly alone. 

“Father, could you…?” Kai’s eyes fall on the vanilla extract just out of his reach. He doesn’t expect a response, but even after these past three years, there is a child in him who craves his father’s attention. 

Father pushes it in Kai’s direction robotically. His motions have always seemed inhumanly perfected, but in the years since Sei’s death they have become increasingly soulless. Father himself appears to be hardly more than empty shell. Kai cannot hold it against him; he feels just as hollow.

“Thank you,” Kai says into the silence. It’s been many years since a slip in manners could elicit scolding from the man before him, but he is his father’s son. Formality is ingrained deeply into him. 

Preparing the cake is comforting. Kai can lose himself in the ingredients, just as he did before Sei died. He can pretend his brother isn’t dead, his father is still present, that he isn’t a failed assassin who will never amount to anything or make his family proud. He imagines that he lives a normal life with Sei and Father, that they’re happy, and alive, and—

The once-pleasant ding of the oven shatters the illusion, and Kai becomes aware of how dark it’s become in the kitchen. He edges around Father, who hasn’t moved, to flick the lightswitch on before retrieving the cake. A heavenly smell fills the house, and Kai closes his eyes to picture Sei skidding into the room, battered and sweat-sticky from training, practically high off adrenaline and eager to try the first piece of cake. He opens his eyes again to a spotless kitchen, sight drawn to an empty space where his brother should be. Father is looking in the same direction. Sei’s absence is so palpable that it’s painful, harsher than any training Kai has ever endured. 

Tears drip onto the counter, but not a single one lands on the cake as Kai meticulously frosts it. He is an expert in food preparation, and an expert in grief. He cooks and he cries. Sometimes it feels that’s all he does. 

He smiles shakily at his handiwork once he’s finished. It’s perfect. Sei will never see it. 

Father’s gaze drifts to the cake silently. Kai has long since stopped hoping for praise. He cuts two slices, hesitates, cuts a third. It would feel wrong not to. 

Father says nothing, as usual. He used to talk to them in the evenings after training. Sei always pestered him with questions. Kai doesn’t know how to speak to Father anymore. 

He picks up his slice of cake, places it on the table. Father follows him, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table. Neither have the heart to move the third slice, though they both keep glancing at Sei’s empty chair. 

Tears are spilling rapidly down Kai’s face as he smiles at the cake. “Happy birthday, Sei.” 

[youknightedneighshun]

This is cannon Kai Satou wdym??

[zomblitz]

kai pls come home ur husband (me) misses you...

[kubominero]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAI SATOU !! (JUNE 2ND)

[daily-yttd-something]

Day 135: looking out for her!

[imp-thing]

A very normal and sane qkai edit made by a very normal and sane person

I'm JOKIIIIING btw (sorta /j)

[slimeciclecuethusitixst]

Kai WILL come back (i am not coping shut up

i am not going back and fact checking just nod and agree that i am correct and true

list under the cut (‾◡◝)

1.there wasnt a "KAI EXPIRES" when he diede and theres one of those for all the oepgkle ("Joe expired", "mishima expired" ,"Kanna/SOu expired", ETC) AND THAT HAS TO MEAN SOMETHING

2.HOW ELSE WILL WE LEARN ABOUT KAI AND JOE'S CONVERSATION??? joe was literally sucked to death on screen (and expired like i said b4) so he cant but KAI COULD!!!!!! i am very curious about what that was about actually...../.... could be kai telling joe that sara was keymaster cause how else would he lknwo??? he couldve been lyiing but idk

3.hwes an assassin so he could probably make himself look dead for long enough to properly fake it also also he probably knows first aid as a homemaker

4. ALSO ALSO i saw someone else say this on reddit but his had is wayyyy to tense for him to be dead in this cg and it hasnt been long enough for rigor mortis or whatever!!! SO so yeah

[shrimpyjackal]

I love all characters in the game, but damn he is one of my favourite

[poofmalyakaet]

out of your friends which one are you?

[exclusively0ccupied]

frames for a yttd animation/animatic im working on!!

[exmartialgod]

Kai doesn’t want to do this. 

He has never been fond of the idea of killing, even as a small child. Kai has an excellent memory; he remembers his first days of training, the confusion, the pain, the fear. He never wanted to be a killer, even when he was too young to understand the gravity of death. 

His hands are shaking. Kai tries to force his thoughts to cooking, fighting to envision himself in a kitchen, food sizzling on the stove…

He fails. His anxious thoughts keep coming back. How can he possibly take someone’s life today? Kai has never liked death, but now every corpse looks like his brother’s. The scent of blood always brings him back to that island where Sei died. Kai’s breathing picks up. How will he survive this? How will he kill someone? How will he do this alone?  

Once, Kai could have gone to his father for advice, but those days died with Sei. Now, Father avoids the house where his dead son once lived like the plague, burying himself in his work until he has no excuse to keep him from returning home. Kai doesn’t know where he is now, but it’s not here. He hasn’t seen his father in four days.

The silence of the house is suffocating. It was never this quiet when Sei was alive. If only Sei were here... Kai wants nothing more than to ask his big brother for advice; he would know what to do. Sei was never afraid of killing people. Kai would even say he might’ve enjoyed it. 

Kai isn’t stupid. He knows he should have been the one to die in that trial. He sees it in the way his father looks at him. He catches himself beginning to envy his brother again, and quickly shakes his head to clear the thought. How horrible, to be jealous of his dead brother. 

Certainly now that he’s older than Sei will ever be. 

Kai swallows hard, his throat painfully dry. The seconds are slipping away—the house is so silent, he can hear the clock’s soft ticking. Sei always hated that sound. He squeezes his eyes shut and tries again to imagine himself in the kitchen, the counters freshly cleaned and shining. What is he making? It smells like fried eggs, and—

“The hell’s the matter with you?” 

Kai opens his eyes and sighs in disappointment at the sight of his dead brother. Of course he would show up now. He’d tried so hard not to think about him too much—

“Hel looo ?” Sei snaps his fingers in front of Kai’s face, pouting when he realizes it won’t make sound. Forever just short of thirteen years, Sei finally has to look up to meet his little brother’s eyes. 

“Sei.” Kai frowns. “Now isn’t a good time.” It’s not Sei’s fault. After all, he’s dead, and currently a figment of Kai’s imagination. His brother isn’t in the room with him; he’s six feet underground, decaying. But Kai has never been able to cope well with Sei’s death, despite witnessing it firsthand. 

Kai has clearly offended his dead brother, judging by the hateful glare. “Sei—” 

“Every time it’s the same shit!” It’s too late. Sei has already begun his angry rant, and now there’s no stopping him. Kai sighs, resigned to his fate. “‘Now isn’t a good time’, ‘this isn’t healthy’, this isn’t real’, what-fucking- ever ! It’s like you don’t even miss me.” 

“ Are you real?” Kai inquires. 

Sei stops for a moment, gaping. “The hell’s your problem?? Am I real ?”

“It was only a question, Sei—” 

“Am I real ?” Sei repeats in disbelief, muttering. 

“Where is Father?” Kai interrupts. Sei stops to stare at him as if he’s grown a second head. 

“Fuck if I know. Not like I’ve been talkin’ to him, been a bit busy being dead—” 

“A real ghost would know,” Kai says superiorly. 

“When did you become an expert on ghosts?” Sei crosses his arms, and Kai hesitates. 

“If you aren’t simply my imagination, tell me something I don’t know.” 

“There’s a lotta things I know that you don’t.” Sei looks around the room, eyes falling on a small, faded stain. “When we were kids, I spilled some shit on the clean carpet and blamed you, how’s that?” 

Kai gasps. “I knew that was you! How could you…??” 

Sei shrugs. “Anyway, what’s up with you? How come this is such a bad time?” 

Kai frowns, his spirits falling. “I… I have a job to do, soon.” 

His brother lights up, in stark contrast to Kai’s somber mood. “You’re gonna go out and do real assassin shit??” He takes Kai’s miserable silence as confirmation and starts bouncing in place. He makes no sound, a heavy reminder that none of this is real. Tears threaten to spill, and Kai closes his eyes for a moment to regain his composure. As comforting as his brother’s imagined presence may be, the realization that he’s still dead always hits Kai just as hard as it did the first time. Soon, Sei will vanish and Kai will be left alone again, in this silent house. 

“Ouch!” Kai opens his eyes just in time to dodge the second kick. “Sei…!!” 

“Shouldn’t hurt.” Sei aims another kick at him. “Since I’m not real .” 

“Sei…” Kai pouts. “I didn’t mean to offend you— that hurts , Sei—” He tries to step out of his reach, but his brother only advances on him. “Big brudder?” he tries. 

Sei halts his kicking, and Kai sighs in relief, his abused leg stinging. There is silence between them for a moment, and Kai becomes hyperaware of the passage of time once more. The precious seconds are speeding by; soon, he will have to leave, and Sei will disappear. 

“Big brudder,” he begins carefully, “what does it… feel like?” 

“What does what feel like?” Sei rolls his eyes. 

Kai hesitates. “To kill.” He’s not sure if the imaginary Sei can offer him quality advice, but he clings to this delusion for as long as he can. 

Sei shrugs. “Good, I guess? Didn’t really feel like anything, I was just tryna win.” 

Kai goes quiet for a moment. “You should have won.” 

A long, heavy silence. “...Yeah, well. Doesn’t matter what shoulda happened. I’m dead and you’re not.”

“I wish I was.” The words slip out unexpectedly; he’s never said them aloud before. Who would he tell? 

Sei scoffs. “No, you don’t.” 

A small spark of fury ignites in Kai at his brother’s patronizing tone. What does he know? “Yes, I do.” 

“You don’t.” Sei is calm, unbothered. “It’s lonely.” 

Tears are spilling down Kai’s face. “I’m sorry.” It’s all he can say. Words are useless. Nothing will bring his brother back. 

Sei shrugs. He won’t meet Kai’s eyes. “Don’t die. Would really suck if I got myself killed for nothing.” 

Kai nods rapidly, wiping his tears away. He doesn’t want to know the punishment for being late, but the idea of leaving pains him. He knows his brother won’t be here when he comes back. He’s rotting alone in the ground, and Kai is alive. 

He squeezes his eyes shut, and when he opens them, Sei has vanished. Kai never knows when he’ll be back, if he ever will be. His delusions don’t obey him. 

The house is silent once more.

He hopes Father will be waiting for him when he returns home.

[midgetbug]

Composition is difficult. I can't 😔

[wormspoodle]

trying to get back into drawing again

[kubominero]

(2ND/JUNE) Happy birthday, Kai Satou! <3

[daily-yttd-something]

Day 65: Canceled husband

[imp-thing]

KAI SAUTO!!!!!!!

KAI SATOUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!