Threads Tangled Together

—Enough.

The growl pulls her back to the world around her. Blissful laughter is cut short by confusion. Lips still parted, lost in her own thoughts as the two stand nearby; All eyes now focused on them and then to her as the drink falls. Spilling out across the floor, legs just narrowly avoiding the small splash.

' —Spiked? '

Bankotsu watched the embarrassment flare across her face before it settled into anger, and he understood it immediately. Wounded pride always looked sharper than fear. Most people, when confronted with how close danger had come, either collapsed into panic or laughed it off to protect themselves. Instead, she straightened beneath the haze of liquor and humiliation, gathering herself with a composure that caught his attention more than the trembling coward still lingering beside them. The man opened his mouth, likely preparing some pathetic excuse, but Bankotsu’s gaze slid toward him with the cold weight of an executioner’s blade. “Get out.” The stranger stumbled back without argument, vanishing into the crowd so quickly it was almost laughable. Predators like that only hunted where they thought there would be no consequences, but the moment real violence entered the room, they folded like wet paper.

The ravenette exhaled slowly through his nose once the man disappeared from sight, though his shoulders never relaxed. Clubs were crawling with vermin like him. Men poisoning drinks, hiding behind music and flashing lights instead of castle walls. His attention returned to the woman before him. “You being distracted isn’t the problem. Him deciding to take advantage of it was,” he said at last, voice lower now that the threat had passed. The neon lights shifted blue across his features before bleeding crimson a second later, painting the sharp lines of his face in alternating colors. Around them, the club had already begun moving again, the crowd eager to pretend nothing had happened. Music swallowed tension quickly in places like this, but Bankotsu didn’t move away yet.

His eyes flicked briefly toward the rest of her group scattered nearby, some only now realizing something had gone wrong. “Tch.” A quiet sound of irritation left him. “You shouldn’t leave drinks unattended,” he muttered, though the words lacked real bite as it was more observation than scolding. “Especially in places like this.” His hand reached toward the bar behind her, grabbing a fresh glass of water from the bartender with the kind of silent authority that made people obey before realizing they had. He placed it in front of her with a dull tap against the counter. “Drink that instead.” He leaned back slightly, one arm resting against the bar as his gaze drifted once more across the club like he expected another problem to crawl out from the dark the second he looked away.

𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 -

01. avoids eye contact or looking at the floor. 02. wringing hands together in silence. 03. fidgeting with the hem of their shirt, unable to stay still. 04. looking at receiver in long silence before looking away. 05. silently leaves a folded note on the table in front of the other. 06. touches the others arm but pulls back out of guilt.

𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 -

01. slams fist onto a table without saying a word. 02. exhaling sharply through their nose and clenching their jaw. 03. throws an object across the room. 04. crossing their arms tightly, digging fingers into their own skin. 05. pacing the room with heavy steps. 06. glares at the other with a clenched fist.

𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 -

01. gently pushing stray hair behind the others ear. 02. resting their forehead against the others. 03. cups the others face with both hands. 04. pressing a kiss to the others forehead in silence. 05. lingering touches against the others face. 06. wraps their arms around the other from behind and rests their head on the others shoulder.

𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 -

01. wiping their eyes before someone can notice. 02. pressing their face into a pillow to muffle sobs. 03. pulls the other into a desperate hug and wont let go. 04. silently reaching for the others hand, needing comfort. 05. walks into the room with red-rimmed eyes and no words.

𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 -

01. spins the other around without warning in a hug. 02. links arms with the other and tugs them along happily. 03. provides the other with a handmade gift. 04. tackles the other in a sudden and joyful hug. 05. kisses the others cheek unexpectedly and grins.

𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 -

01. backing away slowly and looking for exits. 02. hiding behind the other and peeking around. 03. flinches at sudden movement from the other. 04. presses their back against the wall with eyes darting around the room. 05. jumps at a noise and instinctively grabs the others hand.

𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠

01. tucks a blanket gently around the other person's shoulders. 02. applies a bandage with slow and deliberate care. 03. brings them food and water and watches to ensure they eat. 04. runs fingers through their hair in efforts to soothe. 05. rubs soothing circles on the others back while they cry. 06. stays silently by the others side in support without saying a word.

𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠

@fedua1era asked: Bankotsu lounged against a sun-warmed stone, one leg stretched out, the other bent just enough to rest his elbow on. His grin was lazy, confident, the kind that had unsettled enemies and charmed fools in equal measure. Across from him, the elf sat with all the presence of a quiet afternoon breeze, her attention fixed on a small, worn grimoire in her lap. “Tch,” he clicked his tongue softly, tilting his head. “You always this enthralled by books, or am I just not special enough to get your attention?” The male pushed himself up, sauntering over with that loose, predatory ease. He stopped just within her space, close enough that most would’ve stiffened, flinched, reacted somehow. The ravenette leaned down slightly, peering upside down at the book, his face suddenly in her line of sight. “Whatcha reading?” he asked, voice dropping into something softer, almost conspiratorial.

Before she could respond, he reached out, quick and deliberate, brushing a stray lock of silver hair back behind her ear. His fingers lingered just a fraction longer than necessary. “So,” he said after a beat, squinting at her like she’d just rewritten the rules of the game. “That’s it? No flustered look? No heart racing? Bankotsu let out a short laugh, dragging a hand down his face before dropping beside her instead of looming. “Alright,” he muttered, leaning back on his hands. “New plan. I’ll just keep trying ‘til something works.” He glanced sideways at her, eyes glinting with something playful, stubborn. “I’ve got time.”

Despite   her   facade   of   aloofness,   Frieren   was   very   much   aware   of   the   mercenary's   lingering   stare.   She   just   simply   chose   to   ignore   him.   Her   assumption   was   that   he   was   bored   and   wanted   to   seek   her   out   as   a   way   of   entertainment.   Unfortunately   for   him,   the   spell   in   her   grimoire   wasn't   only   incredibly   beneficial   to   herself   but   the   group   as   a   whole,   thus   -   learning   it   took   priority   over   becoming   his   playmate.   However   Her   silence   didn't   seem   to   deter   Bankotsu,   instead   it   seemed   to   welcome   him   into   pestering   her   more.   He   was   even   bold   enough   to   touch   her   hair,   his   fingers   warm   against   her   cool   cheek.

"You   realize   this   isn't   just   book?   I'm   fairly   certain   I've   already   explained   the   concept   of   grimoires   to   you...   so   you-   ...."   words   trailed   off   as   he   leaned   in,   foresty   greens   intertwined   with   those   mischievous   blue   eyes.   (What   a   cocky   man.   )

A   brief   silence   followed   ...   before   the   band   of   seven's   leader   let   out   his   complaint.   Slightly   confusing   the   elven   mage.   "Is   that   the   reaction   you   wanted   from   me?   To   fluster   like   a   young   noble   girl   meeting   her   wealthy   suitor?"   a   ghost   of   a   smile   curved   pon   her   lips,   almost   amused   at   the   absurdity   of   it.   "I'll   have   you   know   that   no   one   has   ever   made   my   heart   race..."   And   then   she   leaned   in   slightly   closer,   her   smile   prominently   wider   and   more   playful.

"But   I   am   slightly   curious   to   see   your   other   attempts.   Perhaps   you'll   be   the   first   to   succeed?"

@fedua1era asked: Bankotsu had already decided persistence was going to be needed but sneakily. The human approached without announcement, dropping down behind her beneath the shade of the tree where she sat reading, her long silver hair spilling freely down her back like it had no weight to it at all. “You take no care of it,” he said at last, voice lower than usual, almost thoughtful. His hand lifted slowly giving her time to stop him if she wanted as his fingers slipped into her hair, gathering it gently, testing the texture like he hadn’t already noticed how smooth it was. It slid easily between his hands, cool and soft, catching the light in a way that made it look almost unreal. “It’s nice,” he muttered, almost to himself.

The ravenette smirked, just a little, before separating the strands and beginning to braid them with a surprising amount of care. “Most people I’ve met,” he went on, tone casual but quieter than before, “They try too hard. Dress things up, make a show of themselves.” His fingers worked steadily, weaving the sections together. “You don’t.” His hands adjusted again, and this time, as he smoothed a strand into place, his fingers brushed lightly along the back of her neck. A brief, deliberate contact to allow cool skin beneath calloused warmth.

“Still,” he added, quieter now, “ You don’t need anything to enhance your beauty. It’s better than most.” He continued braiding, slower than necessary now, letting his fingers drift just slightly as he gathered the next section, another light brush at her nape, less teasing this time, more absentminded or at least, pretending to be. The braid took shape between his hands, neat despite his rough nature. When he finished, he tied it off loosely and let it fall over her shoulder, his fingers lingering at the back of her neck again. Bankotsu stilled for half a second, then let out a quiet breath through his nose, a crooked grin pulling back into place. He laughed under his breath, pulling his hand back at last, but not moving away as his blue eyes stared directly into her own gaze. “Did it work? Is your heart racing yet?” he asked.

The   benefit   of   having   larger   ears   was   that   one   could   hear   significantly   better   than   the   average   human.   Frieren   knew   of   Bankotsu's   arrival   before   he   had   even   reached   her.   Though   because   he   was   a   trusted   ally   she   made   no   attempt   to   move,   even   when   he   sat   himself   right   behind   her.   "I   don't   see   the   point   of   it,   hair   is   just   hair   ....is   it   not?"   When   the   mercenary's   fingers   found   themselves   lightly   running   through   her   moonlit   strands,   mage's   silken   lashes   fluttered   closed,   the   man   had   styled   her   hair   before   so   she   wasn't   put   off   that   he   intended   to   do   so   now.   If   someone   else   wanted   to   deal   with   the   hassle   of   it,   that   was   fine   by   her.

Though   she   hadn't   anticipated   his   sudden   influx   of   compliments.   words   were   smooth,   even   sultry.   Which   caused   suspicion   that   he   was   up   to   something.   "Well....   aren't   you   full   of   flattery   ...   what   is   it   you-"   words   halted   on   her   tongue   when   the   warmth   of   his   fingers   grazed   against   sensitive   skin,   causing   her   to   shift   slightly.   It   wasn't   a   dramatic   reaction   but   if   her   companion   had   been   paying   attention   he'd   see   she   DID   react.

And   then   came   the   compliments   once   more   .....   "Mm....   is   my   alluring   beauty   the   reason   you   requested   I   join   you?"   she   had   intended   to   say   more   but   his   fingers   were   at   her   skin   again,   causing   another   shift,   this   time   more   obvious   .....   it   was   clear   he   was   doing   it   on   purpose   now.   His   question   after   finishing   her   hair   also   proved   that.   "......You're   such   a   pain"   gaze   did   not   turn   from   his   while   her   lips   formed   into   the   faintest   of   a   pout.   "treating   a   pure   maiden   this   way   ...."   she'd   opted   not   to   answer.

Bankotsu: Omnisexual describes a sexual or romantic attraction to people of all genders or sexualities. These individuals can still have distinct preferences for certain personality or physical traits, or favor dating specific genders, even though their capacity for attraction includes everyone. This is the closest I to him as he’s attracted to strength which is not just physical, but also mental as well. For examples typically he’s attracted to men more than women due to their strength and personality. He can be attracted to women as well though.

𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 :

➔ you're gonna be okay , just keep your eyes on me. ➔ don't move - you're going to make it worse. ➔ it's not that bad. ➔ you saved me once before , now it's my turn. ➔ you fucking idiot , you weren't supposed to take the hit for me. ➔ i told you not to do that! now look! ➔ you're lucky that i know basic first aid , or you'd be dead! ➔ stay with me, okay? stay awake. ➔ i'll be as gentle as i can be , i promise. ➔ you're bleeding - oh my god , you're bleeding. ➔ you told me it was a scratch , this is not a fucking scratch! ➔ there's so much blood. ➔ next time you want to play here , just don't. ➔ stop fighting me and let me help! ➔ you're banned from doing anything remotely dangerous. ➔ you could have died , what were you thinking? ➔ if you die on me , i'm going to be pissed off. ➔ you didn't have to be so reckless just to prove a fucking point. ➔ the wound will heal but you'll have a scar.

𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 :

“All this worry, for what?”

Kikyo followed him out of the tavern as each step was measured, deliberate, though nothing about the act of walking felt natural anymore. Her hooves struck the warped floorboards behind him with hollow clicks that echoed too loudly in her ears, each sound a reminder of what her body had become. The tavern door groaned open, and the moment she crossed the threshold, the air changed. Kikyo’s gaze remained fixed on his back, on the coarse brown fur spreading across his neck, on the way his spine arched unnaturally beneath his clothing.

As she chuckled, humans were delightful! Their little hearts fluttered so prettily when threatened, their faces twisting into such entertaining masks of fear, but this one? Oh, this one was different. Bankotsu’s pulse hadn’t spiked once, not even when she’d kissed him with teeth sharp enough to split his tongue. His breath hadn’t hitched when the ice wall sealed them in. Even now, his grin stayed lazy, unbothered, like they were discussing the weather instead of his potential murder. How fun.

“Refusing to help me, when I have been nothing other than nice, like not eating you?”

Truly she expected such refusal, humans never failed to disappoint.

But this?

The moment her fingers snapped around his wrist, Bankotsu knew exactly where this was going, and there wasn’t even time to click his tongue about it. One second,d he was standing there, half-amused, half-bored, and the next, her body shifted. Legs melted away, bone and flesh rearranging with that wet, splintering sound that echoed louder than it should have. The sudden weight change yanked him forward hard enough to throw off his balance, boots skidding against frost-slick concrete, and then the world broke. The impact into the water punched the air out of his lungs in a violent rush, a shock so sharp his chest seized before he could even try to hold his breath properly. Saltwater forced its way into his mouth, burning his throat as instinct kicked in too late. The impact blurred everything, sound, sight, direction, as they plunged beneath in a churn of bubbles and fractured light.

Halsin's gaze settled on her when she offered her name, and in the midst of rot and shadow, it struck him as something strangely unbroken. He inclined his head once, solemnly, the gesture carrying more gratitude than words could easily hold.

Kikyo. His tongue never shifted in such a manner, nor did his lips as he pronounced it. He let the name settle on his tongue with quiet care, committing its shape to memory.

“I will guide you to the edge of this land.”

"You have already done more than most would dare." He spoke with a low voice, roughened by pain but steadying with each breath he drew. His broad hand pressed briefly to the blackened bark of the woven dome, feeling the curse eat at the living strands one patient bite at a time. The corruption moved slowly. Sluggish. Still, it moved all the same, and that alone was warning enough.

"Let us not waste the mercy you have given me."

The archdruid straightened to his full height despite the weakness that still clung to his limbs. Driven with determination, he turned his face toward the darkness beyond the failing barrier and closed his eyes for the briefest moment, reaching outward to listen not with his ears -- but with his deep connection towards beasts, roots and soil.

Beneath the screaming corruption and the smothering blight, the land still remembered itself, however faintly.

"There is an old trail." Halsin said quietly, opening his eyes. "Half-swallowed by stone and deadfall. It bends northeast toward the mountain pass. Before this curse, deer once crossed there in spring, and shepherds drove their flocks through the higher ridge."

With a soft snap of his fingers, a flickering mote of golden light shot forth, darting along the floor to outline a rudimentary trail of golden threads.

"If any path remains to us, it is that one."

As if in answer, a sudden noise struck the outer wall.

The vines shuddered. Black seeped through the lattice with long, grasping tendrils. Another impact followed, then a scraping chorus, hungry and persistent from every side at once. Halsin wasted no more breath on caution, stepping beside Kikyo as his shoulder nearly brushed hers.

"When it breaks, do not turn for any cry you hear behind us. The curse has many voices, and none of them speak the truth." The warning came from hard experience, though he suspected she needed to no lesson in danger.

The dome gave way a heartbeat later, bursting apart in a storm of leaves, thorns and fragments that once were.

Kikyo’s gaze did not waver as the dome shattered. She felt the vibration of the collapse under her feet, the hiss of corruption licking at the edges of the remaining lattice, and yet she remained composed, a slender figure of stillness amid the sudden tumult. The ravenette’s grip on her bow tightened, not out of fear, but in anticipation of what was to come. The shadows surged forward, writhing like smoke, black tendrils clawing at the air where the barrier had been, but the torchlight cast from the druid’s hand kept them at bay for now, flickering reflections of their rage dancing across her calm features. The human moved without hesitation, matching his stride as the air was heavy with the stench of rot and death, but Kikyo inhaled lightly, drawing strength from the faint pulse of light within her. Each step into the darkness felt deliberate and measured, yet the forest seemed to twist beneath their feet, roots writhing as though to snare them in a final act of spite. She ignored it, letting her own spiritual energy form an invisible corridor of safety around them, a subtle but constant warmth that pushed back the ever-pressing malice.

Her brown eyes flicked to the golden threads that danced along the ground, illuminating the path Halsin had uncovered. The woman could sense the faint echo of the land’s memory, the whispers of life that had once moved freely through this valley. It was weak, faint, but it guided her as surely as the stars once did across an open sky. She followed without a word, letting Halsin’s magic outline the remnants of the trail, noting every curve and jagged obstruction, committing it to memory should the threads falter. The shadows scream, beg, and threaten, and would twist into the voices of those she might have once known, but Kikyo had learned long ago the difference between truth and illusion. Her lips pressed together lightly, and she inclined her head once, acknowledging him, a silent promise that she would heed his counsel.

The first wave of corrupted matter recoiled at the torchlight, hissing and twisting in irritation. The priestess stepped forward, letting the flow of her energy pulse faintly in tandem with the torch’s glow. The trees themselves seemed to part subtly in their wake, guided by the faintest influence of her divine presence. Her hand brushed lightly against the shaft of her bow, fingers tracing the carved runes etched into its surface. Every instinct told her that danger was all around, not just from the shadows that now lunged hungrily toward them, but from the deeper corruption that waited silently, coiled beneath the earth, patient and inevitable.

“Why have you come to these lands, Halsin?” she murmured softly, her voice low, deliberate as her eyes scanned the surrounding gloom, the dense black of the Shadow-Cursed Lands pressing in from all sides. Yet, she stepped forward with confidence, letting the pulse of her spiritual light radiate outward, protecting, guiding, and affirming. The path ahead was narrow, treacherous, and far from guaranteed, but Kikyo did not falter. The priestess carved through the rancid dark beside him, a silent sentinel of light and precision, unwavering as the shadows shrieked and lunged. With a final glance at Halsin’s resolute form beside her, she allowed the first arrow to rest lightly against the string of her bow, ready for whatever shape the darkness dared take. “Let’s move,” she said again, softer this time, almost to herself, and stepped into the trail of gold, letting the rhythm of her footsteps fall in time with his own. The shadows would not take them as long as she drew breath, but they needed to keep moving as fast as possible before the curse would consume either of them.