moonreader ☂︎

Eirwen found herself waiting in eagerness, like a child waiting to be read the final chapter of the intriguing story she was told the night before. 

There was so much expectation and anticipation going on, yet at the same time, she was not sure what to expect or anticipate. Just anything the god decided to tell her, she supposed, for his eyes went so deep and his aura shone so bright they perplexed her mind, making her doubt if she ever really understood any of the emotions, memories, and knowledge accumulated throughout her years of existence on this earth. That was something even a few encounters with Circe her mother did not get Eirwen to experience, making this entire situation scary, yet fascinating. Just any sneak peeks into who this god was would be a treasure she held close to her heart, Eirwen was sure, so when it happened, she appeared to absorb every single word he uttered. 

“Oh, so you’re a friend of goddess Psyche!” 

She concluded, shielding the tide of feeling she almost got caught in just by listening to his sharing. Why could she get this inwardly emotional, just because her guest’s emotions seemed to tiptoe beyond the serenity he was trying to maintain? She had seen people bawling their eyes out, thrashing around screaming, even losing their mind over the greatest of agony known to men, and none had stirred up a powerful emotional response in her. But this god and his small story over a long gone past effortlessly did. Eirwen wanted to freak out, but her curiosity for him remained dominant. 

Not wanting to push him to reveal his identity, Eirwen resumed talking with the tidbits she knew that related to the goddess, hoping that it would give him the space and time to calm down and regain his composure. 

“I learned about this bakery and got ownership of it thanks to a…good friend of mine, Giselle, she’s Psyche’s daughter,” she said, already taking a mental note to ask the demigoddess about this special guest to see if she knew any better about him. “It’s my honour to welcome you back here, sir. My team and I strive to keep the bakery’s good reputation, I can guarantee that the blueberry pies won’t disappoint you.” 

He told himself it wasn’t the case when she seemed to have only scratched the surface of his deepest emotions. Although it did surprise him when she uttered that name he had not spoken nor heard in a while, and this brought another surge of feelings rushing in. But something had balanced it out, and it shocked him to admit that it was the innocence of her response that brought a pleasant rush of joy within him.

She then went on to steer the topic away from that episode, and he couldn’t have been more grateful. She had a special power to display interest without being overbearing, and it wasn’t as if she had to hide her intentions, for to him, they were crystal clear, which was pure curiosity.

When was the last time anyone showed even the slightest interest towards him?

Susanoo found his supreme power in the storms, and himself in the ocean. He had to share the sky with his two elder siblings, his sister was also his sworn enemy, while this elder brother was persistent with his apathy customized for the rampant youngest. But in rare moments like these, when his mind was not soaked in wrath and his heart not drowned in suppressed sorrow, Susanoo knew what he had was still much more than what he had lost. 

He owned the seas, and along with that, everything they could offer. In fact, he had a lot to offer, and he would offer a lot, if only his goodwill had not been continuously rejected and tarnished by unfounded doubts. 

The calm water surface rippled, the waves rose slightly higher, but the disruption was short-lived. It was a full moon night, and the unspoken truce between Tsukuyomi and him remained valid.

That was confirmed when his elder brother let out something close to a smile. Susanoo was not invested in figuring out the meaning behind the noise Tsukuyomi just made, all he cared to see was that the other had not yet wanted to turn away. Looking back at the history they shared, it marked a milestone worth celebrating. 

Susanoo gave a low chuckle before turning over and walking slightly farther to the sea. When his knees disappeared under the surface, he bent down, letting his right hand sink into the warm water. A larger wave soon arrived, not as large as the one that wetted the tips of Tsukuyomi’s shoes, just enough to bring what Susanoo demanded right into his palm. 

Leisurely, the god travelled back to the shore, his right hand curled into a loose fist. The luminous round moon was now behind his back, quietly bathing the whole shore, Tsukuyomi, and the mochi box in its silver light. 

Susanoo stopped walking, now standing an arm’s length away from his elder brother. Still with no words uttered, he took Tsukuyomi’s sleeve in his left hand, lifting the other’s arm slightly up with it. Then, his hand went on to hold Tsukuyomi’s hand, flipped his hand open, then put the thing he got from the sea into the other’s open palm. 

To the touch, it was cold, solid, and somewhat rough. Susanoo stepped aside, taking his own shadow away so that the stone could be seen clearly under the moon.

To him, it didn’t feel like this truce would last. He knew how strongly his younger brother felt towards him and their elder sister, and nothing would change this unless they change their behavior from their side, too. Amaterasu was definitely not going to budge, and Tsukuyomi was not about to complicate things. All he knew was that Susanoo probably understood how he truly felt towards him, that he wasn’t the evil spirit their sister thinks he is, and that itself was enough.

Looking up to see Susanoo now standing before him and shielding him from the moonlight, he quickly widened his eyes into a puzzled expression, almost about to reject the sudden touch like his instincts told him to. Yet the cold and damp object that landed on his palm was of a strong presence, one that he knew just by touch.

“You threaten me here and your life is forfeit; don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Belatedly, her eyes sought her twin, whom she could feel was lurking just near a few of the dilapidated shelves. Once upon a time he had been her ally. Today it seemed she would have to remind them yet again why she ruled their pantheon.

When their divine swords crashed slap-bang against each other, a sharp clap of thunder joyfully shrilled through the sky. And with it, rain started to fall. 

Cold wind kept gusting in, leaving all standing in their way in a shambles despite his elder sister’s echoing warning. At the sight of a thoroughly armed Amaterasu, Susanoo chuckled. Speedily, a whirlwind formed around him, bringing in water dusts that circled his vessel before solidifying themselves into his shining armor. Surely, to her he was always a monster, and he would be a monster that know how to play it fair. 

“Oh spare me, Amaterasu.” 

 He articulated her name with a sonorous voice, all formality purposely abandoned. This place was not Takamagahara, and her light was so dim now it barely reminded anyone of the fearful, almighty empress she once was. While she surely held that fiery spirit and legendary stubbornness tight to her core, they had gone through enough fights for Susanoo to recognize the flaw she was trying to conceal. 

Another swing of his sword came without warning, this time not directly at her, but at the raging thunderstorm outside. Answering his command was three boisterous gusts; they punched through the windows standing in three different directions, assembled into one big flow, and whirled towards Amaterasu with all the glass shatters and everything that got sucked in along its path. 

Meanwhile, like the eye of the storm, Susanoo stood still and watched how their Empress was going to deal with the attack. He stole a quick glance at Tsukuyomi, acknowledging that his brother, despite his physical inconvenience, still got that instinct in his bones to shield himself from his siblings’ battles. 

Good for him, Susanoo thought, even though his smirk remained aiming straight at Amaterasu and her sword. 

Funny how he seemed to still know her so well. He didn’t know whether she merely appeared to be a stranger to him but was still so familiar, or whether it was the other way round. Maybe he didn’t want to be familiar in any way, whether it was on the surface, or whether it was deep within.

His brother’s actions were much more predictable without having to have much knowledge of him, however. Susanoo always made his intentions easily known, like he screamed them loud and clear constantly. He weathered the storm that now swept across the premises, and mustered the last of his wits to take difficult steps forward, ready to meet the two distinctly unique powers in the middle.

Tsukuyomi’s business wasn’t quite exactly how he left it a month ago, as his month-long absence gave Hel a chance to clear out almost half of his works. He knew it, that she kept them for her own enjoyment and amusement, frankly. He didn’t have the energy to chase after them just yet, though. He’ll deal with that later.

Putting the items away from their eyes, Minry smiled widely to the younger, asking politely if he was looking for a gift for his girlfriend, fishing for vital information. The demigod in front of her admitted he had no partner, ah, such a fool. With that, Minry's smile turned sweet, fixing her hair behind her ear and speaking softly. "Oh I find that hard to believe, an handsome man like you?" The other blushed intensely, easily being drawn to her web thanks to Minry's powers. The older demigod noticed the shenanigans happening, how the chat dragged on between flirtation and brief jokes. That made the older demigod rilled up and trying to intervene.

When his speculation was confirmed, he wasted no time discreetly tapping the button hidden beneath the counter his hand was already resting on, before returning his attention to the two peculiar men who seemed to swim along hot and cold waters of infatuation and intimidation. What was it that Minryeong was capable of again? He never got to know his employee better, for he didn’t pay much attention to her background when he first hired her. To him, it didn’t matter at all, but now he considered checking himself off as wrong on this matter.

“You mean Susanoo’s been drowning you with his antics?” Tsukuyomi threw the comment nonchalantly as he sat in a relaxed manner, eyes fixed at the bit of skin protruding from the edge of his nail. He reminded himself to get rid of it as soon as he could. “Looks like he’s been having fun, judging from the way he comes back for more and more of you.”

At his question of how to assist her, she couldn't help the small smile to quirk upon her face. Such familiar words, said in a such a familiar tone that Amaterasu felt her heart ache for a bit at the loss.

"No that is not..." She shook her head as if trying to regain her train of thought. She gives a soft sigh and for a moment she could not meet his eyes. Not that he could return her gaze after all. And that was yet another one of her sins.

His escape to Fukushima may also have gone unnoticed. He wondered whether the other would know he went not just to complete what he saw was a deity’s duty, but also to run away from the situation. Funny, as she would’ve spotted it right away if it were still the old days.

The moment she stepped close enough to feel the aura emitting from the god, Eirwen felt something tugging at her heartstrings. Unexpectedly, inexplicably, she wanted their conversation to last, so that she could stay this close to him for just a little bit longer. 

That seemingly normal wish was shocking to Eirwen, a proud, reclusive, emotionally detached soul. Even with Giselle, it took a long while for her to truly let the other demigoddess in, to have a sneak peek of the girl (or should she say the witch?) behind the impeccable facade. Yet, all the god had done was step into the bakery and ask for a blueberry pie, and she had already felt the sadness of watching him walk out of the door. 

What the hades is happening? 

“Oh, I’m sorry, sir, it seems like the mini blueberry pies still need just a little while to get ready. I hope you don’t mind, just about five minutes is all.” She lied, because all the sizes of blueberry pies had been put in the display cabinets, and despite being steaming hot, they were ready to be taken out. 

“Can I invite you to take a seat while you’re waiting? There’s a chair just three steps behind you.” She told the truth this time, keeping herself from over-assisting the god to sit down unless she was explicitly asked, yet her eyes kept following his movements, just in case. 

Eirwen could swear to her divine mother that she did not have any ulterior motives, except for buying herself some time and a pretext to get to know the god. At least, she had to know his name, so that maybe, she could find out the reason behind this sudden emotional attraction she got toward him.  

“Have you been here for long, sir? I believe this is the first time I welcome you here,” she restarted the conversation, taking a seat at a proper distance from the god, even though she could not help leaning just very slightly toward him. If there was a mirror around, Eirwen would be embarrassed by how round and sparkling her eyes had got. Right now, the expression on her face uncannily resembled a curious puppy, eager to learn about her very first human, or in this case, god friend. She tried not to let too much excitement shown in her voice tone, but it was there for the world to hear. 

His insides were about to burst from the overwhelming emotions that burdened him, but he realized he didn’t mind being held back longer. He couldn’t see, but he took his time to sit down on the chair she led him to, and felt her presence next to her. Was she leaning in closer? Perhaps not, but that was how it felt like, her curiosity and her longing for the moment to last longer was almost palpable in the air. He didn’t know who’d feel that way towards him. Maybe his unusual demeanor was just too obvious.

Yes, that was it. He was too sensitive, after all.

At her question, he had already expected it to be raised anytime soon, and had already written a nice, respectful script in his head to welcome it; something about never having visited this establishment prior. He was about to recite it, but what came out instead was—

Tsukuyomi was back from his long trek in Fukushima, and although many daunting things waited for him, oddly, he was least looking forward to getting to be in Hel’s presence again. Like he’d aged even further in just a month’s time, he was too tired to get witty with this bratty goddess, and his back slumped in defeat, a sigh of woe leaving his lips.

To confess that Xiwangmu was curious would certainly be accurate. Perhaps he may not physically see her, but she had a suspicion he could see more than one may be led to believe, had talents beyond the physical planes; he worked in such an establishment after all. For a moment, her own gaze drifted to the shining jewels encased nearby; oh, how they seemed like stars on earth, how absolutely lovely they were!

( dialogue prompts taken from episodes 1 & 2 ( "romance dawn" & "the man in the straw hat" ) of the netflix live action one piece series. feel free to edit and change as you seem fit. )

❛ do you have any last words? ❜

❛ the sea's been calling. well, not exactly calling, because i pretty much can't swim, but you get the idea. ❜

❛ so what do you say? are you with me? ❜

❛ liar! i know zoro must be after me. who else is worthy of his pursuit? ❜

❛ who's the most powerful pirate on the seas? ❜

❛ first things first. do you have any food here? ❜

❛ you don't look like a pirate. ❜

❛ i'm not afraid of getting hurt. and i'll prove it to you. ❜

❛ i don't get it. why would anyone want to be a pirate? ❜

❛ you have the wind on your back, the salty sea air, your loyal crew by your side. you never know what's on the horizon. it's all about being... free. ❜

❛ you should never let anyone tell you what you can't do. ❜

❛ well, remember the name, 'cause i'm gonna be king of the pirates. ❜

❛ people often visit shrines to light candles for those they've lost. who are yours for? ❜

❛ you've been following me for three days. what do you want? ❜

❛ look, i've been practicing what my face is gonna look like on my wanted poster.❜

❛ i've no doubt your mug will be on a wanted poster one day. ❜

❛ all he did was spill a drink on me. ❜

❛ you should've fought back! why didn't you kick his ass? ❜

❛ not everything can be solved with violence. a man needs to be strong, but he also needs to be good. ❜

❛ you're not a real man. you're nothing but a coward. ❜

❛ you ate a devil fruit? ❜

❛ ever since i was a kid, i wanted to protect people that can't protect themselves.❜

❛ if that's what you want, i think you should do it. i'll help you out. ❜

❛ my crew was attacked by pirates. i barely managed to make it out alive. ❜

❛ rice balls. for you. ❜

❛ you shouldn't draw your blade unless you're prepared to use it. ❜

❛ don't kill me, please. my father will give you anything you want. ❜

❛ i'd say you live up to your reputation. ❜

❛ what's up with the third sword? i mean, where does it even go? ❜

❛ what do you say, puppy? do you want to do a trick for me? sit up and beg. ❜

❛ i kill your kind for a living. ❜

❛ i mean it. i don't owe you anything. ❜

❛ you are going to get us both caught if you keep stomping around this place. ❜

❛ that was amazing. admit it. we do make a pretty good team. ❜

❛ so why did you decide to become a thief? ❜

❛ i needed to eat. you do what you have to, to survive. ❜

❛ you're right. nothing is more important than food. ❜

❛ all great fighters call out their finishing moves. ❜

❛ i don't work for you. ❜

❛ i'm sensing a little bit of tension amongst the crew. ❜

❛ before we met, every choice was made for me. but now i'm gonna do what i want to do. ❜

❛ next time we meet, we might be enemies. but for now... we're friends. ❜

❛ i'm feeling so... so piratey. ❜

❛ well, you're gonna end up feeling watery if i have to throw you overboard. i told you i need absolute silence. ❜

❛ don't mess with my hat. ❜

❛ oh, i'm sorry. were we interrupting your beauty sleep? ❜

❛ don't like what you see? look away. ❜

❛ you have a lot of names. i bet everyone in the east blue knows who you are. ❜

❛ are you making fun of my nose? ❜

❛ i know your type. if there's nothing to gain, you're out. ❜

❛ truthfully? i'm kind of hungry. ❜

❛ who are you trying to impress? a lost love? an absent parent? or was it someone that you worshipped? ❜

❛ i used to know a pirate that wore a hat just like this. ❜

❛ for a time, i even thought we were friends. until he betrayed me. just like all the others. ❜

❛ he wanted to keep me out of the spotlight! he wanted to keep my star from shining too brightly! ❜

❛ is that what he did to you? did he betray you, too? ❜

❛ you can slice me and you can dice me, but i'll always put myself back together again. ❜

❛ i've been thinking about you for years. ❜

❛ i know you're upset, but you should eat something. ❜

❛ you're never not hungry. what's going on? ❜

❛ you can spill a drink on me and i'll let it slide, but don't you ever threaten my friends. ❜

❛ you can't make people love you. just like you can't make them smile. ❜

❛ you really think anyone is coming for you? they don't care. and no one is gonna miss you when you're dead. ❜

❛ get lost. ❜

❛ i'm just glad that you're okay. ❜

❛ what was that? i couldn't hear you over all the drowning. ❜

❛ you really don't fear death, do you? ❜

❛ what's the plan? you do have a plan, right? that's your thing, plans. ❜

❛ you want out? you know the price you have to pay. ❜

❛ you want a piece of me? let's see what you got. ❜

❛ i think i'll miss you most of all. ❜

❛ we're gonna be the greatest pirates the world has ever seen. even greater than your crew. ❜

❛ this hat is the most precious thing i own. it means the world to me. and i want you to take it. ❜

❛ when we meet again, you can give it back to me. ❜

❛ is every day gonna be this crazy with you? ❜

Tsukuyomi was back from his long trek in Fukushima, and although many daunting things waited for him, oddly, he was least looking forward to getting to be in Hel’s presence again. Like he’d aged even further in just a month’s time, he was too tired to get witty with this bratty goddess, and his back slumped in defeat, a sigh of woe leaving his lips.

Closed starter for @mpxtsukuyomi