𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑹 𝑳𝑰𝑳𝒀.

      This wouldn’t be the first time a demon tried to teach him about the morality of their kind, how they were both, good and bad, how he lad to learn to distinguish them. Which he did, once, a choice he hadn’t regretted until this point. He was aware of the diverse types of creatures and how not all shared the same nature, but the lingering pain in his memories couldn’t let him accept it yet.

      He was hurt, all the tragedy accumulating in his heart. Still, somehow, he was able to continue the conversation with this creature; him, who is not even able to talk that freely with humans. ❝ The ones in my world were once humans, the cruelty within them is what made them choose that path.❞  

          What terrible irony to hear that human cruelty makes them into crueler demons—unsurprising, her life considered. If Susukihotaru was someone different, a bolder sort of girl, it would just be a point of amusement, perhaps. As it stands, she isn’t. Too much of a bleeding heart from this one. It all sounds a bit tragic in the end.

it’s here, it’s here — he knows that it is for the earth tells him so. but the connection remains weak, only able to supply the same information again and again. the shrine bead, a lost keepsake only the size of his palm, was here; somewhere in this area, somewhere within this crowd. or even perhaps, lying halfway buried between the roots of a tree; kurowli could not know.

he grits his teeth in anger, cursing the limitations of his abilities as eyes search with a desperation for any signs of the glass orb. it was worthless in this city, serving no other purpose than being another pretty item. but, it held sentimentality — one he could never care to admit, until it somehow ended up missing. so when a sunburst of amber shone through the digits of another, a growl escapes him, along with the bloom of mixed emotions. 

he begins to move, weaving through the masses to match their step and reach out; a hand firmly wrapping around the span of their wrist,  “ — give back what is not yours, girl ! ”

@florablade // sc

          She is more fox than magpie and more fox than girl—a teetering existence, and at times, the delicate nature expected of girlhood suit her well. Her eyes are often drawn to shiny things, precious things, be they flowered hair ornaments or trinkets picked and plucked from here and there. Though these stranded treasures are not always hers to find and keep—the connection her power can display at just a touch means that she cannot always find it in herself to keep hold of lost items.

          While her powers here are stilled and stoppered, it comes through sometimes. The bead she now holds carefully between her fingers is proof enough of that. It is much too precious to someone ( who ? well, that she unable to discover, a good thing too, perhaps given how untethered an intrusion of memories makes her feel. ) to be left discarded on the ground.

          Fate, strange as she is, has other plans it seems. For better or worse.

        “  people start their work at a far younger age than i may have thought,  even here…  ”     —–  he isn’t one to talk,  invested in his own craft even as a child,  he was at least given the freedoms of a branch without proper establishment or even a name.  hiromasa was a surprise enough as is and though not as young as susukihotaru or even kagura,  the threshold lowers at an alarming rate;  he knows firsthand the sacrifices at the very basics,  though there’s no way to speak for other worlds.  even still,  seimei can’t help but mutter his concerns whether she agrees or not.          “  i’m always worried that such a burdensome profession will burn out young souls who should be free to enjoy themselves rather than be chained down by heavy responsibilities.  though,  that can be turned around as a point of praise,  too.  ”

  (  @florablade​      ❤ ‘d     for a starter !!  )

     Unknown worlds intertwined with each other, the gift to share knowledge and get stronger, but why did it seem that demons would always prevail?

     Too many encounters to understand the complexity of those creatures, the diverse cores beneath their morals and actions. Convinced his response was not for her benefit and yet—

      He decided to spare her.

     ❝ Only to keep you far away from humans.❞ A reason felt needed to be said, misunderstanding in his actions could put in question his loyalty. ❝ Your nature seems different from the demons of my world.❞ Ruthless and sadistic monsters leaving more victims as the moon rise, the contrast from the delicate innocence emanating from the one standing before him. To not be deceived by his eyes was his only wish. 

          His words and demeanor are unsurprising—caution and distrust laid bare. It is taken with an easy acceptance; this is her life, after all. His too probably, in a way, given the brief comparison made. Susukihotaru knows well that her nature is different even from most back home; there will always be a rift of a sort, always a clashing between human and demon.

  “ Yes, that’s correct.” there is no harsh tint to her tone as her expression remains open. blake knew others often found it difficult to ask her about the faunus in fear of coming off the wrong way, especially humans. it was a bit easier to speak of them to someone similar to herself, a person who could be judged simply for how they look and being nonhuman. a slow nod of her head is given at the other’s explanation. “ Youjin..? I see. And yeah, there’s a lot of variation among the faunus. I’ve seen spider faunus, aquatic ones, and even a few that fly. I..don’t think there’s a limit to what a faunus could be. Some are more difficult to come across than others, though.” and for a moment, her expression falls. so many were hunted down and killed for how they looked, for being more animalistic than the humans.

     “ But they exist. Most of the faunus live in one place. Do those like you reside all in one area, too?”

If the girl would have known Kokichi any better, she would have known that he wouldn’t just help anyone, without mocking, or at least teasing them a little. And so, this situation was, unfortunately, no different. 

“Sure thing! You did this for the first time for real? That’s so weird! From which cavemen hole did you come from again?” It sounded way meaner than he really meant it. He was really interested in her background, and if he really would have looked down on her like that, he wouldn’t have helped her out in the first place. For some reason though, she did seem like a rather interesting person… Speaking of which, she had some unique looking fox ears too, didn’t she? 

“Are you also some sort of demon or whatever they call those animal-like people here? Those ears are the real deal after all, aren’t they?” She’d better answer fast, before he’d touch them to test it out himself…

          ❛  I wouldn’t exactly describe Meiji era Japan as a hole, but I won’t deny there are some shortcomings and lack there compared to here.  ❜ No need to admit the time she did spend away from a proper city or town, as far back into her childhood as it is. She knows what she knows now, and it isn’t much, but she is trying. ❛  We just started using the Gregorian calendar, after all. Though I don’t think you’d want to be bored with those details.  ❜

   “ eh, i wouldn’t sweat it too much darlin’ - “ she ruffles the others head, careful not to touch the ears that sit atop it. “ in fact you’ve helped me out here, best i gather my bearings soon if i want to make anything out of my time here. “

she raises a brow “ a month though huh? how’re you finding it? “

          The woman is kind, careful, too, that Susukihotaru appreciates more than anything. It makes relaxing enough to speak her feelings easier. ❛  It is very different and strange, but I am managing well. I’d like to think so anyway. A very good friend of mine is also here, besides, so it isn’t as if I’m completely alone.  ❜ 

“ uh yeah how to explain that without a world map. ” geography? not really his thing. “ so in my country there’s a whole ass continent extending lengthwise called america, okay? texas is on the lower side of the upper part of the continent, more or less. it has the sea but also a whole lot of hot deserts. ”