⚜ @akuroi sent: ❝   You  make  me  feel…  human.   ❞  An  admission  of  unexpected  vulnerability,  Sayuri  would  no  doubt  claim  her  verbal  outburst  a  momentary  lapse  of  weakness  induced  by  the  special  occasion    —    for  now,  however,  her  eyes  remained  alight  with  sincerity.   ❝   I’m  still  deciding  if  that’s  a  compliment.   ❞  (for  whoever  vibes  most!!)

Nara knew she could be robotic. She was very much aware of the rumors that surrounded her spread by those who judged her. Not that she would ever let it get to her. Not openly anyway. They were merely jealous of her.

She was used to being alone, or at least, she had accepted it. But meeting Sayuri had allowed her to... open up in a way that she hadn't experienced often in her life.

"Well, I will choose to take it as one regardless." The woman raised her glass of wine. "A toast. To... a new beginning. I too find your company... agreeable." There it was again. That stoicism that often kept others at arm's length. Yet she'd somehow met someone who found it grounding.

"Now tell me, Sayuri. Why have dinner with me? Surely someone as sociable as you would have other plans for an evening like this?" Because who wouldn't?

Wrangling  her  isn't  easy,  though.  It's  none  too  different  than  wrangling  a  wild  cat,  although  her  claws  were  sure  to  leave  more  of  a  sting.  Her  knack  for  holding  a  grudge  might  be  a  touch  worse  than  a  vengeful  spirit's,  and  Kai  knew  that  better  than  most.  His  gaze  lingers  on  her  back  as  she  persists  in  her  march  of  self-destruction,  leaving  a  deep  crimson  stain  to  chart  the  course.  Finding  her  before  anyone  else  couldn't  have  been  anything  less  than  a  stroke  of  good  luck. 

Cruel  as  it  might  be,  he  left  her  be.  No  stranger  to  blood  and  gore,  it's  not  as  if  he  couldn't  act  when  she  collapsed.  Better  then  than  now  and  sparking  yet  ANOTHER  fight.  One,  he  doesn't  doubt  she'll  fling  herself  into  with  the  same  zeal.  Ignoring  the  tang  of  copper  assailing  his  every  breath,  he  follows.  His  pace  settled  at  several  steps  behind,  while  any  objections  were  made  without  words.  Well,  for  a  moment.  Biting  his  tongue  isn't  his  strong  suit;  never  has  been,  and  never  will  be.  He  likes  to  think  it's  what  makes  him  oh  so  charming. 

"When  ya  land  face-first  in  a  pile  of  trash,  remember  ya  said  that  before  findin'  a  way  to  pin  it  on  me,  oh  prettiest  and  stubbornest  of  them  all."

the man has just finished his mission tonight, slaying a demon who was lurking in the florest at night, taking advantage of the lost people in there and killing them.

of course, hunting the demon down wasn't the only thing genya did. he decided to consume the demon this time. it wasn't that strong as the others, so even in his oni form, he was strangely calm.

wiping off the blood in his mouth, he quickly put his shotgun back in it's place.

... he walked away from the rests of the corpse, that were slowly turning into dust. that was too easy, almost too easy, really. isn't that suspicious .ᐣ something's strange. after walking so much that it felt like an eternity, the man froze.

... is... is that a woman .ᐣ lost .ᐣ she doesn't seem lost. she seems... very aware. so calm, too. why does that creep him out? no... no, something's wrong.

genya doesn't know why, but his hand suddenly gripped the sword on his back. he felt like he needed to do that. he swallowed once, then, still in his demon form, he finally spoke.

— ... oi.

dumbass, why would you do that .ᐣ.ᐟ a potential demon is right in front of you, and you call out their attention .ᐣ no wonder your brother says you should leave the corps.

⟡ ݁. ⊹ ₊ ask meme ( not accepting ! ) ✦ @akuroi ₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡

「 ⤷ txt: Sayuri 🔪🥵」 goddamn 「 ⤷ txt: Sayuri 🔪🥵」 i'm sure you hear it all the time but you're hot 「 ⤷ txt: Sayuri 🔪🥵」 so is this an invitation to come over or are you just trying to torture me?

Hopefully it isn't the latter, though some small part of him remains convinced this is a trap. A brutally placed snare designed to lure him in, keep him hanging by a thread while she torments him for her own amusement. The worst part is that the demon would let her, gladly.

He attempts to return to whatever he had been doing before she derailed his evening. The effort lasts all of thirty seconds. There is no salvaging his concentration now; every thought circles back to her, to the photo. The fragile restraint he pretends to possess is rapidly being consumed by desire, the fire catching faster than he can smother it. At this rate, she could text him a single period and he'd probably be halfway to her apartment before common sense had the chance to intervene.

ㅤㅤ. ݁₊ ⊹ .𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔 ݁ ㅤ 「ㅤ@akuroiㅤ」ㅤㅤpresented a perspective: ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ⤷ㅤ“Do you know what love is? I'll tell you: it is whatever you can still betray.”

Something shifts softly beyond the window pannelsㅤㅤ────ㅤㅤrain,ㅤor the wings of a butterfly that quietly passes,ㅤthrough darkened corridors.ㅤThe silence follows feels heavier than the world suspended surrounding them;ㅤbetrayal is a language that those that understand may be quarrelsome with loyalty at the edges drenching it too much,ㅤto wish to embrace the previous state.ㅤThe cruelest of things about love is it's ability to force change.ㅤㅤ❛❛ㅤㅤThat's a terrible cynical definition.ㅤI think reducing love only to its capacity for betrayal gives pain far too much authority over it.ㅤㅤ❜❜ㅤㅤThe other believes it completely,ㅤpeople do not tend to arrive at beliefs like that without being able to survive something sharp to carve it there permanently.ㅤThere's truth within it and the pinkette does not dare to pull the thread away unraveling what's beneath it,ㅤbetrayal only matters when affection has lingered first and strangers cannot wound one another in quite the same way.ㅤ

A pause ensues,ㅤthe bridge becomes too thick between one and another.ㅤㅤ❛❛ㅤㅤGiving someone the tools and the opportunity to be wounded in such manner and the other does not dare to cross such line is why what you've spoken can or cannot be true.ㅤAnyone can stay while things are beautiful.ㅤLove reveals itself in the moments where cruelty and betrayal would be easier.ㅤ❜❜ㅤㅤThere's an exhale.ㅤSome may call it obsession,ㅤsome may call it hope among despair.ㅤShe has seen both sides of the coin;ㅤa tale of light and darkness,ㅤwhere the darker tones aren't usually meddled with the light.ㅤA faint breath exhales,ㅤalmost tired,ㅤalmost thoughtful.ㅤㅤ❛❛ㅤㅤPerhaps people who have been hurt too often stop believing those choices are possible at all.ㅤㅤ❜❜ㅤㅤ

that was really stupid of you, and you know it. (gojo! she's probably just looking for an excuse to call him stupid)

danger prompts. // accepting.

❝ oh? is that right? ❞ the grin that appears on satoru's face is . . . completely insufferable. he dusts off his shirt ( rather, pretends to -- dust does not collect on him due to his technique ) and continues.

❝ don't tell me you've gone and started caring about little old me . . . that would be so embarrassing for you. ❞

How she managed to track him down to this particular hot spring spoke of her skill. Hidden among the mountains it takes careful navigation skills to find this spot. From what he learned from the neighboring village is that one didn’t find this hot spring.

Coordinates and instruction were given to those trusted by the community. His blacksmith and tattoo artist had given him the location. Repairing his katana would take several days so they invited him to enjoy one of the rare luxuries in the small village.

If only knew he had sensed a shadow had been close by.

“Still after my bounty? With your skills, there are others you can turn in without this much effort.” He pushes himself to stand, finding her through the steam. The water runs down his naked form, but he moves with the same lethal grace and skill that earned him the high payout.

Stepping onto the stone step, he turns to fully face her unfazed by his lack of clothing.

“Leave,” he demands. If it wasn’t for the steam he’d try to place her in an illusion. Get her to forget this place. His one sanctuary against the rest of the world.