#doll reader

Men and women complete each other.

That's what Yae Miko told Raiden Ei when she wanted to abandon the prototype, that she didn't have to start over, the answer was simple: if he was too emotional to rule over Inazuma, she just needed to make another puppet to complement him, to be naturally obedient and help him with his duties, and what better would it be than to make a female puppet? As the saying goes, behind every great man is a great woman, and she just needed to make that great woman.

It took a while to make you, but it did not disappoint. You were done, another puppet whose duty was made clear from the moment you opened your eyes: serve the prototype and make sure to be his right hand anywhere he goes.

At first you were shown the Raiden Shogun's main residence, taught the basics of life to ensure you knew at least the bare minimum before meeting the prototype, and that was when Ei realized she might have made a mistake. You were too meek, too soft for anything, you were as emotional, if not even more than the prototype.

That was when Ei was ready to abandon you both, to scrap everything and start over like she meant to. Yae Miko came again and suggested that maybe this was for the best, that if the prototype had to be with a puppet as emotional as him, he would feel some type of connection. For a great ruler and his right hand to become, they needed a deep emotional connection that could be built through recognition. 

He could recognize himself in you, and in that recognition, find something worth protecting. If they were both weak in the same way, then neither could remain that way forever, because someone would have to take the first step, and perhaps they would learn to stabilize each other, to grow not despite their emotions but through one another. 

And if his first duty was something simple, to care for someone like himself, then maybe he would begin to understand responsibility before being given power.

The first time she introduced you to the prototype under her and Yae's supervision, it was... strange to say the least.

They didn't expect immediate connection, but they also didn't expect the thick silence to stretch the way it did, as the two of you stood there, facing each other with no idea what to do with it. 

You looked at him, and he looked at you, both of you aware of the other in a way that made it harder to move instead of easier, your hands held too still at your sides, clutching at your kimono, your posture too careful.

You tried to speak, but so did he at the same time.

The words overlapped and cut each other off before either of you could even get them out properly, your voice catching as you stopped immediately, gaze dropping while he did the same, both of you stepping back at the exact same time, shame radiating from the both of you.

Ei and Yae stood there watching the interaction, and neither of you managed to recover from it.

The meeting ended shortly after that.

Ei, with a low sigh, concluded the first meeting as a failure.

So she did something else instead. From the next day onward, you were made to meet him for two hours, every single day, in the hopes that simple exposure would do what intention could not, that being placed beside each other again and again would slowly ease the tension between you, allow familiarity to settle where awkwardness once held its ground, and, eventually, bring the two of you closer.

And of course, like everything that Ei planned that had gone wrong before, this did too, as at first nothing changed at all.

You would sit across from each other, or stand, or even walk slowly along the same path under supervision, both of you aware of the other's presence in a way that made it impossible to relax into it. Not a single word was exchanged, only brief, subtle glances that never lasted long enough to mean anything - except perhaps, a quiet, mutual judgment, as if neither of you quite knew what to make of the other being the same as yourself.

It went on like that for days.

Yae had even snickered at it once, something quiet and amused at the way neither of you could manage something as simple as speaking, let alone reconcile that strange, mirrored discomfort, which in her eyes was absolutely hilarious, two puppets judging one another for being the same? Unmatched.

Ei did not find it amusing. She needed this to be resolved as soon as possible, so she could finally lock herself away to meditate, maybe she should've abandoned you both and started over.... But she's far too gone now, she has to make it work, somehow.

Annnddd, there was absolutely no progress to acknowledge, no connection forming in the way it was intended to. When Yae saw Ei's distress, that's when she suggested something else: to intervene more directly, she would go to the prototype, and Ei would go to you. That both you and the prototype seemed eager to please, as endearing as it was seeing you both try to work hard, trying is not enough, they needed progress.

He was pulled aside first. Yae told him, plainly, that he needed to speak, she didnt say it as a suggestion, or that he should try to speak - no. Straight up, you have to talk, thats a task.

You were given the same treatment, Ei's instructions were just as direct: you were to converse with the prototype, it was a task.

The next time you were left together, the weight of those instructions sat heavily between you as you both tried to speak... Which turned out at the same exact time.

"I-"

"Did you-"

The words collided and stopped again, both of you freezing mid-sentence, eyes wide as you looked at each other before the silence dropped back in, heavier this time because you had both tried and still failed.

Your face flushed immediately, heat rising too quickly as your hands clenched slightly at your sides, your thoughts scrambling for something to fix it, to prove you were worthy, that you could do what you were told, but finding nothing, the embarrassment settled in faster than you could push it away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- I just-" you started scrambling, words stammering against each other as you stepped back, your gaze lowering further in shame and embarrassment as the feeling built.

"I wasn't- I didn't- it's fine, you- you can go first," he said quickly, his own voice just as unsteady, his hands flailing around, his eyes flickering away from you as though that alone might make it easier.

"No, it's okay, you can-"

"It's fine, I don't-"

The overlap happened again, and somehow that made it worse.

Your breath caught as the frustration and embarrassment tangled together, your chest tightening as the situation slipped further out of your control, your body reacting before your thoughts could settle.

"I'm sorry-" you said again, quieter this time, before turning and running away quickly without waiting for anything else, vision blurring slightly as tears gathered in them.

"Wait-!" he called after you, the word coming out suddenly.

You didn't stop, you kept going.

Your steps carried you further than you meant to, past the halls, past the servants who tried to stop you, and into the garden, the open space hitting you all at once as your breathing grew uneven, your chest tightening as you moved toward the familiar sakura tree without really thinking about it.

By the time you reached it, you couldn't hold it back anymore.

The tears came before you could stop them, your hands coming up to your face as your shoulders shook, the frustration settling in heavier than anything else.

You couldn't even do something simple.

You were made for a purpose, given a role from the moment you opened your eyes, and your merciful mother Ei made it easier for you by giving you time to adjust, to get used to him, and you couldn't even manage to speak properly let alone start working, to the one person you were supposed to stand beside.

Your breathing broke as the thought settled deeper, your fingers curling slightly as you pressed them against your face.

"I can't even do this right..." you whispered to yourself, the words slipping out without meaning to as you continued to cry.

For the next few moments, your painful sobs were the only thing heard in the garden before careful, hesitant footsteps approached slowly behind you.

"H-hey..." his voice came, quieter than before, unsure in a way that matched the way you felt.

You didn't turn immediately, your shoulders still trembled slightly as you tried to steady your breathing, your hands lowering just enough for you to glance back at him after you made sure no more tears came out.

He had stopped a few steps away, like he wasn't sure if he was allowed to come closer, his gaze fixed on you with the same uncertainty that had been there since the beginning, though now concern was mixed into it.

"I didn't mean to mess it up," he said after a moment, his voice uneven but steady enough to continue. "I just didn't know what to say, and then you started talking and I thought I should answer but I think I interrupted you and then it just-" he stopped briefly, his brows pulling together slightly before he continued, quieter now. "I don't think you did anything wrong."

Your breath caught slightly at that, your gaze dropping again as your fingers tightened against the fabric of your long sleeves.

"I did," you said softly, your voice still unsteady. "I couldn't even talk properly. We're supposed to work together and I can't even do that, I don't know how I'm supposed to help you if I can't even- "

"You don't have to know right away," he said, the words coming a little faster this time, like he didn't want you to keep going down that line of thought. "I don't know either. I think that's why they put us together, because we're both bad at it." he continued, looking totally serious.

You let out a quiet pfft at that, you couldn't help it- he looked so funny concentrated like he didnt just call himself (and you) bad.

He flinched slightly at the sound, clearly not expecting it, a hint of embarrassment crossing his expression, because why were you laughing at his very, very hard attempt at comforting you? before the feeling softened into something quieter. His gaze lingered on you despite himself, drawn to the way you looked when you laughed, when you smiled, so different from the tearful expression you had moments ago, and from the usual meek look you had on your face almost all the time.

And, somewhere in that realization, he felt a small, unfamiliar sense of pride settle in his chest, knowing he had been the cause of it.

So he decided to approach you, though he did hesitate for a second before slowly stepping closer, very careful to reach you and not make it feel too sudden.

His hand lifted briefly, plucking a flower from the cherry blossom tree's bent branch, and before you could ask what he was doing, he gently placed it into your hair, tucking it just behind your ear with a touch so light it barely registered at first.

"There," he said quietly, like he was trying to fix something even through his embarrassment, "You look... better."

You blinked, your breath catching in your throat slightly as your hand came up instinctively, brushing against the small pink flower where he had placed it, your tears stopping completely.

From a distance, unseen by you and him, Ei had been watching as Yae stood beside her, observing the scene that unfolded just as closely.

When Ei shifted slightly, as if preparing to step forward, Yae reached out and stopped her without a word, her gaze still fixed on the two of you, and when Ei looked confused, Yae looked back at her and just shook her head no. For once, Ei didnt argue.

From that day on, something changed.

At first, it was the next time you were sent to prepare tea under the supervision of other servants (so you don't burn yourself), your hands still a little clumsy as you tried to remember the steps you had been taught. Your attention stayed fixed on the motions in front of you, measuring herbs, pouring the steaming water with precision to not splash anywhere, until you felt a presence beside you.

When you glanced up, he was already there, standing closer than usual, watching your movements with a quiet focus before taking the teapot and attempting to copy them himself. His motions were hesitant, slightly stiff, and when he got it wrong by pouring too fastly letting the water splash, he paused, staring at the mess like he was trying to understand where it had gone wrong, then looking at you as if waiting for correction without actually asking for it.

"You're holding it too tightly," you said softly, reaching out just enough to adjust his grip. "If you loosen it a little, it's easier to control and it won't splash next time,"

He nodded enthusiastically at your explanation, trying again, slower this time, more careful, his attention sharpening as he followed what you told him. And when he finished, seeing that he didnt splash nor did he overflow the cup, his gaze flickered back to you and lingered a moment longer to see your approval. You smiled and praised him while clapping your hands, he averted eye contactt with a sheepishly content smile. 

After that, it happened again when you were practicing writing.

You had already started before he arrived, the brush already moving across the paper in slow, careful strokes. He settled beside you without a word, taking his own sheet of paper as his brush hovered uncertainly above it, before he finally began to imitate the characters you were forming.

The strokes came out wonky at first, breaking where they shouldn't, and he paused halfway through one character, his brows pulling together slightly as he looked at what he had done, then back at yours, then back at his paper again, trying to see the difference.

"I think I did this wrong," he said quietly, tilting the paper just enough for you to see.

You leaned closer without thinking, your shoulder brushing lightly against his as you looked over it, your finger hovering just above the ink as you pointed out the mistake.

"It's this part," you explained, your voice low and steady. "You stopped too early. It should connect here."

He followed where you pointed, trying again more carefully this time, and when he finished, the line held properly. He stared at it for a second, before letting out a small breath and setting the brush down.

"Okay, thank you," he murmured, almost to himself, though his gaze drifted slightly to the side anyway, just enough to catch your expression again.

That day, he noted quietly that you seemed to like being asked for help.

Then it started happening outside of tasks.

You were in the garden one afternoon, crouched near the base of the sakura tree as you gathered fallen petals into your hands, your attention drifting as you watched them slip through your fingers. You didn't notice him at first, not until he lowered himself beside you, close enough that his sleeve brushed against yours as he reached for a petal as well.

He didn't say anything, he just copied what you were doing. Picking one up, turning it slightly between his fingers before letting it fall back to the ground.

You glanced at him briefly, then back at your hands, and after a moment you shifted slightly closer to him without thinking, the space between you closing just enough that it felt.. easier.

After that, it became something you started to expect.

When you were sent somewhere, he would appear sooner or later, sometimes a few moments after, sometimes already there like he had known where you would be. At first he kept a little distance, still unsure in the way he moved, but that distance grew smaller each time.

One time, when you were sent out to retrieve a few items as part of Ei's practical instruction for you, he had come with you without being asked to because, well.. hes almost always with you now. On the way back, you had both noticed a group of children playing something unfamiliar, running, chasing, laughing like it was the most fun thing in the world.

Curious, you had approached the group of children and asked them what it was, they explained it easily, calling it "tag," going over the rules as if it was something everyone was supposed to know already. Taking in the new information, you glanced to the side to see him already glancing back at you before giving a small, quiet nod - an unspoken agreement had formed between you.

To say you both wanted to be human was an understatement, so anytime one of you discovered something new about humans, you would tell one another to practice it when nobody was watching.

And so, the next time you ended up walking through the garden together without being told to, one of you eventually asked if you could try the game you had learned about before, as part of wanting to feel more human. The suggestion lingered for only a moment before it was agreed upon.

At first, it was just that, something you did in the garden when there was no one around, a simple agreement between the two of you to be more human.

But it didn't stay like that for long, it was fun. Thats basically it, you both had alot of fun playing this human-made game that it came naturally now as something that both of you enjoyed more than something that bloomed out of trying to be human.

Sometimes one of you would start running without warning, laughter slipping out in quiet bursts as you chased each other through the garden paths, your movements less careful than what you're taught to do. Your hands would brush when one of you reached out instinctively, neither of you pulling away as quickly as you used to. It didn't stay in the garden either, sometimes it carried into the hallways, even in the middle of errands or tasks, one of you would scream tag before the game started all over again. 

After that, he started staying longer, actually, scratch that, he started staying with you all the time.

So much so that the servants began to look for him when they saw you, grinning when he appeared a moment later, as if it confirmed something they had already begun to assume. And if one of them needed either of you, they would simply say to search for one, because you would always find the other.

"Two peas in a pod," they began to say, watching as the two of you moved through the residence side by side. It was almost as if the intention behind your creation showed itself in the way you stayed near each other, like two halves that were always meant to move in tandem, never quite complete apart.

And somewhere along the way, without either of you realizing when it happened, he stopped coming to you because he didn't know what else to do, and started coming because he wanted to be there. 

Before you were made, there were nights where he couldn't sleep, lying awake with a quiet, suffocating feeling of being incomplete that sometimes broke into silent tears when no one was there to see it. But that didn't feel the same anymore. Not when he was with you. Not when, for the first time, that emptiness didn't sit as heavily as it used to, because somehow, being beside you made him feel complete.

Raiden Ei decided it was enough, seeing the significant progress that had been made. Once she reached that conclusion, she withdrew from everything just as quietly as she had observed it, sealing herself away within her plane and leaving the rest in the hands of Yae Miko without telling any one of you.

From that point on, everything changed faster.

Yae took over what Ei had started, guiding it into something more official. The days after that became more organized, more demanding, as preparations were rushed forward and work had to be done. Even if you did not fully understand the weight of it at the time, you felt the shift in the way people treated him, in the way they spoke around him, in the way their attention lingered longer than before, and how Yae forbade either of you from playing around in front of people, unlike before.

The day it happened stayed with you like it had been carved into memory.

You were both prepared for six long hours, dressed and refined with careful precision, servants moving around you in practiced silence that felt unfamiliar as they were a little casual around you and him before. You were dressed in a layered dark kimono with different deep purple and lavender accents, heavy with fabric and detail, adorned with accessories that screamed wealth and royalty. Your hair was arranged to suit your pretty facial features, your face carefully painted with makeup meant to sharpen and elevate your presence, turning you into something formal, something that matched his position rather than just his company.

You were made to stand beside him, just as you always had, your place already decided long before you were made, before either of you understood the weight of it. The space around you was filled with voices layered over one another in formal tones, words spoken with intention rather than the ease you were used to, each one carefully chosen instead of simply allowed to flow. They carried expectation, and something heavier than either of you had been prepared for.

He stood still through it all.

You could feel the tension in him even without looking, the way his posture stayed too rigid, the way his hands remained too still at his sides, like any movement might disturb the weight of what was happening.

As much as you were concerned, you still stayed as formal as you had been taught during the days Yae had trained you, careful with your posture, your tone, your words. As you stayed where you were always meant to be, beside him.

When the title was given, when everything settled into place around him, it felt less like some type of beginning and more like something being placed onto him all at once, something heavy that did not leave room to step back from it. You were named as well, not apart from him, but as something defined alongside him.

When it was over, when the voices faded and the space cleared as servants cleaned everything up and changed you from formal clothing to light ones meant for sleep, you returned to your room and he came after you, as by now he not only followed you during the day, but he even decided to sleep next to you, saying it eased his occuring nightmares and you - feeling concerned for your beloved other half, the person who you were made to serve, agreed to not tell anyone and let him in everynight now.

He exhaled the second he stepped inside as he closed the door behind the both of you, he made his way to your bed and sat, his shoulders dropping slightly like he had been holding that tension the entire time.

"That was.. a lot," he admitted, his voice quieter now, lacking the composure he had held. outside.

You smiled at him, your expression soft and natural, unlike the rigid one you had moments before as you stepped closer.

"You did well," you said gently.

He flushed faintly at that, a soft pink rising to his cheeks as his gaze drifted to the side for a moment, like he didn't quite know what to do with the praise. Still, he reached for you anyway, pulling you into him with a touch that was still a little uncertain despite having done it many times before.

You melted into him easily, your arms wrapping around him without hesitation. And as the moment softened, his grip adjusted carefully until he shifted the both of you down, settling back so you were tucked together under the covers, half draped over him as he held you close.

"Thank you," he murmured after a while, so quiet it almost blended into the silence.

You didn't ask for what, as the comfort of him already lulled you to sleep.

After that, the duties piled.

At first it was manageable, things he could learn through guidance, through Yae's careful instruction. But the expectations grew quickly, the weight of the position settling deeper with each passing day, and it showed in the way he started coming to you later and later at night.

Your duties were far lighter in comparison, smaller tasks, simpler instructions that were usually polishing up his work, basically things that usually ended earlier in the day. So by the time night settled in, you had already returned to your room, waiting.

There were evenings where he would arrive barely speaking, his movements slower as he stepped inside, his shoulders carrying a tension he didn't know how to put down. You would shift closer without needing to ask, your presence enough to ease it as he leaned into you, his guard lowering only when it was just the two of you.

You began to sit in on meetings when you could, your place beside him never questioned, though the people within those rooms did not always hold the same quiet acceptance.

There were those who spoke carefully, fully trusting Ei's decisions and having faith in their now  new ruler.

And those who saw themself in higher regard didn't.

"You expect us to accept this?" one of them had said once, a person from a prestigious family, their voice carrying a sharpness that cut through the room, their gaze fixed on him with thinly veiled disdain, as if the mere thought of a puppet ruling over them cut through his pride. "A puppet placed in a position meant for the Shogun herself, expected to rule as if that is enough to replace her presence? Hah, you make me laugh."

The room had gone still after that but he didnt respond.

He stayed composed, his expression controlled in a way that hid more than it revealed, but you felt it, the shift in him, the way something tightened beneath the surface even if he refused to show it.

It followed him back.

That night, when he came to you, it didn't take long before the composure slipped. He was already holding you close, his arms around you like he couldn't quite let go, and the weight of everything he had been carrying finally broke through.

His face stayed pressed against the plush of your chest as he spoke, his voice muffled, uneven, breaking in places he usually keeps hidden outside.

"They're right," he murmured, shaking slightly as he clung tighter. "I'm not... I'm not even human."

Your chest tightened at that, but you didn't move away. Your hand lifted gently, resting against his back as your other slowly threaded through his hair, nails scratching against his scalp to soothe him.

"That doesn't mean you're nothing," you said softly, your voice calm despite the way it pulled at you. "You're still you, and I'm the same as you are. So if that makes you less, then it makes me less too, and I don't think that's true."

He stilled slightly at that, the words sinking in as he stayed pressed against you, his grip tightening for a moment like he was trying to hold onto them as much as he was holding onto you.

"We're the same," you continued, quieter now, your fingers still moving through his hair. "So we'll figure it out together. You don't have to do it alone."

He didn't answer, but that night he stayed closer, clinging to you like you were his lifeline. Shaking softly as if letting go of it would mean falling apart completely.

But after that, things didn't get easier, if anything... they grew worse.

The voices against him grew louder over time, the discontent no longer something that stayed behind closed doors or slipped through in careful remarks. It grew into something harder to control, something that followed him into every room, every meeting, every space where he was meant to be acknowledged as the one in power.

At first, it had only been one voice at a time, a single person speaking out of turn, testing boundaries that had not yet been enforced.

Then it became two.

Then more.

Meetings that were once controlled began to shift, the tension no longer sitting quietly beneath the surface but rising openly, voices overlapping as arguments broke out in ways that no one bothered to conceal anymore. They questioned him directly now, their tones sharper, louder, no longer disguised as concern but something closer to defiance.

"You expect us to accept this?" one voice cut in, immediately followed by another before the first could even settle.

"A construct placed into a position originally meant for the Shogun, expected to carry out governance as if function alone is enough to replace authority!"

"-tradition, and the will that once defined it," someone else finished over them, not as agreement, but as continuation of the same accusation.

The room did not settle. It only grew louder.

"Power is not simply the execution of orders!" another voice pushed through the noise, refusing to be drowned out. "It is recognition! It is inheritance!"

"What you present is neither inherited nor recognized, only assigned!"

"This is not what Inazuma stands for-"

"We will not be led by something that was created to imitate-"

The room would fill with it, voices rising over one another, each accusation layered over the last, no longer a discussion, but refusal made audible.

And every time it happened, you flinched.

At first, it was small, barely noticeable, the reaction contained in the way your shoulders tensed slightly, the way your hands tightened where they rested. But as it continued, as more voices joined in and the volume rose, it became harder to hide, your breath catching more often, your gaze dropping as the sound pressed in from all sides.

He noticed. Even when he didn't react to them, even when he held himself still through it all, his gaze would flicker toward you for just a second.

But the meetings never stopped - and neither did the voices.

That night, when the doors finally closed behind you and the quiet returned, it didn't feel the same.

You sat beside him, your hands clenched slightly in your lap, your thoughts still caught in the echo of it as your voice came out softer than you meant it to.

"...what if something happens?"

He looked at you, the tension still lingering in his posture, though his expression softened slightly at the question.

"They're getting louder," you continued, your fingers tightening as you looked down, your words coming slower now, more uncertain. "Every time we go there, it's worse than before. They don't listen anymore, they don't even try to hide it, and I don't know what they're going to do if it keeps going like this."

Your breath caught slightly before you looked back at him, your voice quieter now.

"I'm scared."

The words settled between you, heavier than anything else. And for a moment, he didn't respond.

Then he shifted slightly closer, his hand reaching for yours, his grip gentle but steady.

"It's okay," he said, his voice softer now, more certain than before, like he was trying to anchor the both of you with it. "Nothing is going to happen. I'll fix it."

You searched his expression for a second, like you were trying to hold onto that certainty, your shoulders easing just slightly as you nodded.

"Okay..." you murmured, your voice still quiet, but steadier than before.

You believed him.

Or at least, you wanted to.

But he didn't fix it.

Because they got to you first.

It happened in a seemingly normal day, you were walking down the garden, everything was quiet as it always was, your steps slow as you walked along the path, your thoughts already forgotton the protests because, funnily enough, they all calmed down recently..

You didn't hear them approach, not having time to react as hands grabbed you suddenly, rough and immediate, your breath catching sharply as your body jolted in surprise, your voice barely forming before it was cut off, your surroundings blurring as panic hit all at once.

"Wait- I didn't- let go-!"

Your words broke apart as they pulled you back, your feet losing balance as you struggled against them, your movements uncoordinated as fear took over, your heart racing too fast to keep up.

No one stopped them, no one really saw what happened, as everything was already closed for the night. And so you got kidnapped.

And that same night, something felt wrong.

He was in his office, still working through a few documents, when suddenly he felt as if something had been removed from where it was supposed to be, a feeling so overwhelming he couldn't just shrug it off.

So he looked for you at first without really thinking, expecting to find you where you usually were, the garden, playing with stray cats or flowers, maybe already waiting for him in your bed or secretly eating sweets in the kitchen since everyone was asleep. He moved through all the familiar places he would usually find you in.

But you weren't in any of them

And the longer it went on, the heavier it became, the realization setting in piece by piece as the space around him felt emptier than it should have.

Incomplete, like something had been taken from him.

The news reached him soon after, not from a concerned servant, but from a secret letter sent with intention, delivered as something meant to provoke rather than inform.

They had you. And they made it clear what they wanted, the return of the real Shogun, give up his position, or consequences that would not stop with just you - a clear message of a revolt waiting to happen.

Thankfully, It didn't take him long to trace which family sent this, and the moment he had a clear name, he didnt wait. The same night he went,

The estate was guarded, as expected, with figures stationed along the entrance and within the grounds, already alerted enough to stop an intruder, but not prepared for him. They moved the moment they saw him, stepping forward to block his path, voices rising in warning, weapons, polearms specifically, drawn out, mistaken him for an intruder, how irritating, he's the Raiden shogun, the ruler of Inazuma, and these people can't even recognize him?

He really should have asserted his authority sooner, should have stopped trying to please everyone, to listen to every concern in the name of being a good ruler. Look where that had gotten him. They saw too little and took too much.

And now it was too late to regret it, wasn't it? Now that they had taken the only thing that had ever been meant for him.

He didn't slow down as the guards moved the moment they saw him, stepping forward to block his path, but they didn't get far. The moment they tried to stop him, he used his electro power.

The strike was immediate. It hit them before they could react properly, their movements cutting off as their bodies locked, a sharp, broken sound leaving them as the current ran through them. They didn't last long after that, collapsing where they stood, their weapons slipping from their hands as everything went still.

He had never used that power before. Not once, even after being given the Gnosis, as his creator built it into him, he had never felt the need to. But now that he did, it didn't feel unfamiliar, and it didn't feel wrong like he originally thought, it felt right, being in power, showing people their places in an immediate manner rather than using safer options that usually have him look weak in the end.

He didn't stop to look at the lifeless bodies around him.

He continued forward, deeper into the estate, and anyone who tried to stand in his way met the same fate,a strike of electro cutting through them, their resistance ending just as quickly, voices cut short before they could form anything more than warning. What had been structured quickly unraveled, order breaking apart into scattered attempts to stop him that never reached completion.

By the time he reached the inner halls, there was nothing left to slow him down.

The silence that followed wasn't natural, but when he finally found you, everything was already over.

You were locked in a room, your hands shaking as you sat there crouched in the corner, sobbing quietly to yourself, the fear still clinging to you before the sound of a door snapping open suddenly had you flich, your head snapping up.

You froze as you watched him standing there, just beyond the threshold.

His clothes were stained, the pure white fabric marked heavily with deep crimson, the sight of it jarring enough to make your breath catch as your eyes widened, your body going still as he stepped closer.

The moment he saw you alive and well enough, he felt a flicker of relief, but it was quickly overshadowed by an undeniable anger at what they had done to you. Your clothes were tattered, your usually silky hair from being meticulously cared for now disheveled, your eyes still teary like you had only just stopped crying.

For a second, you didn't move, not fully understanding the situation, but then he smiled. Soft, familiar, like nothing had changed.

"Let's go home," he said, his voice gentle in a way that didn't match anything you had just experienced.

Your breath broke as you stood, your steps unsteady as you rushed toward him as the relief of seeing him overcame what concerns you had about the red in his clothing, your hands reaching for him without thinking. Relief crashing into you all at once as he held you just as tightly, his grip firm like he wasn't going to let you go again. 

The next day, the entire nation heard it.

The way treason was almost commited, how the entire clan got wiped overnight for kidnapping the Shogun's right hand.

His voice carried across Inazuma, steady and unwavering, leaving no room for doubt as it settled over everyone who listened.

"Take this as a lesson," he declared, his tone calm in a way that made it sharper while he held your shoulder by his side, "Because from now on, those who dare to defy me, or lay a hand on what is mine, will face the Raiden's judgment without exception."

And from that day forward, he was no longer just a nameless puppet.

He gave himself a name.

Kunikuzushi.

──── ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ ────

“Let’s get you ready, miss.”

The servant’s voice was soft as she stepped behind you, her hands already steady as she guided you toward the seat in front of the vanity, the polished mirror reflecting your image back at you. You allowed her to sit you down without resistance, your hands resting neatly in your lap as she began her work, brushes and small containers laid out in careful order across the table.

Her fingers were gentle as they moved across your skin, applying each product with practiced precision, her gaze focused in a way that made it clear she had done this many times before.

“You don’t need much,” she murmured quietly, more to herself than to you as she adjusted the angle of your face slightly. “Your skin is already as smooth as porcelain... it holds everything well.”

There was a pause as she leaned back just slightly, observing her work before continuing, her movements light as she added only what was necessary, enhancing rather than changing. Being a puppet had its advantages, your features untouched by imperfections, your skin naturally even, clear from blemishes, almost too perfect in a way that made heavy makeup unnecessary.

Today wasn’t a normal day, though. It was a celebration, held for the day he became an Archon. You had been woken since the early hours of the morning, attendants already waiting to prepare you, guiding you through everything from bathing to choosing the right layers of clothing.

From the moment dawn broke, the entire residence had been in motion. Servants moved quickly through the halls as preparations were rushed forward, everything carried out with a sense of urgency.

Your gaze drifted slightly as the servant worked on your hair now, carefully arranging it to fall in a way that framed your face perfectly, securing pieces in place with luxurious accessories that matched the outfit laid out for you. Dark silk fabric, deep and rich in color, layered with accents of purple and soft lavender, elegant in a way that stood apart from everyone else's.

knock knock

You blinked, your attention shifting back as your voice came out softly, “Come in.”

The door opened as he stepped inside.

Kunikuzushi carried himself differently now, the presence around him heavier, more defined, carrying authority, yet the moment his gaze landed on you, something in it softened just slightly.

“Are you ready?” he asked, tone fond if you looked close enough as he stepped closer.

You nodded.

The servant immediately stepped back, lowering her head respectfully as she moved aside, her presence fading into the background the moment he entered.

He reached for your hand, and you took it without hesitation, a small, closed-eyed smile forming on your lips as your fingers curled lightly around his.

As he led you out, walking through the open hallways, his gaze flickered toward you again, lingering this time now that no servant was around.

“You look pretty,” he said, quieter now, the words meant only for you.

You smiled, your grip on his hand tightening just slightly, “You too, Kuni.”

The name still felt new, even though it had been five hundred years since he chose it for himself.

It was strange. The moment he told you, you hesitated, not because you didn’t understand it, but because you did. Kunikuzushi - a name that meant nation destroyer, something that definitely isn't something meant for a ruler, let alone him, a person who was the embodiment of gentleness itself. But even then, you accepted it without question.

You remembered how he used to hesitate whenever names came up, how something in his expression would turn insecure whenever servants spoke about naming their children, their voices filled with pride over something he had never been given. He never said it directly, but you knew he wanted one. Even when your creator, Ei, never gave him one, even when she had already decided he would take the position of the Shogun, she still left him without something as simple as a name.

You had wondered about that more than once, but never enough to ask.

So when he chose one for himself, you didn’t question it, even if it carried a meaning you didn’t like.

You accepted it because it was his, and because of that, you chose one too, naming yourself y/n.

The walk continued quietly after that, your hand still in his as you moved through the halls, the space clearing naturally wherever he stepped.

“C'mon, let’s go to the garden first before the shrine,” he said after a moment, his tone soft again.

You nodded eagerly, “I’d like that.”

Even after he had become an Archon, with duties piling up more and more, never seeming to end no matter how many hours he spent in his office, you found it endearing that he still made time for you, even if it meant abandoning his work sometimes just to stay by your side.

He led you along a different path, your steps light despite everything waiting ahead, but before either of you could react, a servant rushed around the corner too quickly, her attention elsewhere as she collided straight into you.

“Mmf-”

The impact knocked you off balance immediately, your body tilting back before you could steady yourself, but his grip tightened instantly, pulling you back toward him before you could fall, his arm steady as he held you in place.

The servant stumbled back from the collision, disoriented, her body dropping to the floor as she scrambled before looking up - and froze.

The moment she realized who stood in front of her, her expression shifted entirely, panic overtaking everything else as she immediately lowered herself, her hands and knees pressed to the ground, “My apologies- Archon, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to, I wasn’t looking, please forgive me, I-”

Her words tumbled over each other, rushed and desperate as she bowed repeatedly, her voice shaking.

He didn’t hesitate, didnt even think for a moment, letting her word register to him, “Take her to confinement,” he said flatly, his tone leaving no room for discussion.

The words didnt have time to settle in the air before two guards came and took her away.

You stilled slightly beside him, your fingers tightening instinctively as your gaze shifted away, not wanting to look at that poor woman, your expression faltering just enough to show the discomfort you couldn’t quite hide.

Since that day, the day you were taken, something in him changed drastically. He was firmer now, cruel even.

There was no hesitation in the way he handled things anymore, no room left for mistakes or forgiveness where it could be avoided. People respected him, feared him even, and it showed in the way they reacted, in the way the servant was already being pulled away without protest, knowing that talking back would only lead to more punishment.

The first time you saw it happen was when he electrocuted a servant for accidentally spilling tea on you, a new girl who clearly hadn’t meant any harm. You had screamed that day, horrified that he would go that far over something so small, your voice shaking as you tried to make sense of it. 

You cried that night, the image of it stuck in your head no matter how much you tried to push it away, and even when he came to you, trying to comfort you like he always did, you couldn’t bring yourself to respond. You ignored him for a full day, turning away from every attempt he made, until he finally gave in and promised he wouldn’t do it again, saying he would send them away instead of killing them.

But it was something you still hadn’t gotten used to, and you weren't sure you ever would.

His gaze shifted back to you, expression going from stern to soft again, “I’m sorry,” he said, quieter now, the edge in his voice gone as quickly as it had appeared. “I hope that didn’t ruin your mood.”

You shook your head quickly, offering a small smile despite the way your chest still felt tight, “It’s okay.”

He relaxed slightly at that, the tension easing from his shoulders as he continued walking, your hand still held securely in his. But the silence didnt last.

“You know... you didn’t have to punish her like that,” you said carefully, your voice soft as you glanced at him. “It was just a mistake, she didn’t mean to-”

He abruptly stopped.

His head turned toward you sharply, the movement sudden enough to make you flinch, your words cutting off as your breath caught.

“What?” he asked, his tone low, unreadable.

“I- nothing,” you said quickly, your voice smaller now as you shook your head. “I’m sorry.”

He exhaled slowly, the tension shifting into something else as his hand lifted, his fingers gently but firmly tilting your chin upward until you were looking at him.

“Look at me.”

You did. His expression wasn’t angry, it seemed almost concerned, though it felt almost.. forced.

“Are you scared of me?” he asked, his voice quieter now, but more serious than before.

Your eyes widened slightly at that, your head shaking immediately, “No- no!, Of course not, I'd never be scared of you, Kuni.”

He held your gaze for a moment longer, searching it like he was looking for something specific.

“I don’t want anything happening to you,” he said, his tone softer now, the concern clear in a way that made your chest tighten for a different reason. “People take advantage of kindness. If I let things slide, they’ll think they can get closer, and I won’t allow that.”

You nodded, even if the feeling in your chest hadn’t fully settled, your hands tightening slightly, “I understand.”

His expression softened almost immediately at your answer, the tension disappearing as quickly as it had come, “Good.”

His hand moved from your chin to your head, patting it lightly before he continued forward again.

The garden came into view not long after, the space opening up into the familiar view. He didn’t say anything when you got there, just loosened his hold slightly and let you walk ahead, knowing you would anyway. It had always been like that with you and this place.

It was filled with blooming flowers, carefully tended, rows upon rows of them in different colors, their petals bright under the light as the sakura trees stood tall above it all, branches stretching gently overhead while soft pink petals drifted down with the breeze, settling across the stone paths and grass.

He had this made for you, every part of it.

Because he knew you liked flowers, the way you would stop to look at them, touch them carefully like they might break, the way you had once told him you wanted to grow something with your own hands, the way you would spend hours just playing with fallen cherry blossom petals. He remembered that, even when you didn’t think he would, and this was the result of it, a space made entirely from something as simple as your preference.

You stepped further in without thinking, your gaze lifting as you took it in, your shoulders easing as the tension from earlier slipped away little by little. Your fingers brushed lightly against a nearby bloom as you passed, your movements slower now, calmer and content.

He watched you for a moment instead of the surroundings, his expression softening just slightly, the faint tension that usually stayed in him loosening in a way it didn’t anywhere else. This was the only place he didn’t mind wasting time in.

That moment didn’t last long, though, as a servant approached from the side, her steps quick but more controlled than before, as she stopped a short distance away and bowed deeply.

“Archon, the ceremony is about to begin. They’re waiting for you.”

He clicked his tongue under his breath, a faint scowl crossing his face at the interruption, irritation settling immediately.

You glanced at him, the reaction so familiar that a small giggle slipped out before you could stop it, soft and light against the quiet of the garden.

“It’s okay,” you said gently, your voice easy as you turned slightly toward him. “We can come back later, you know.”

He looked at you for a second, the irritation easing just slightly as he held your gaze, before giving a small nod, “Alright.”

He reached for your hand again without thinking, his grip steady as he turned away from the garden, leading you back the way you came.

──── ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ ────

“Congratulations,” Yae said, her voice light, almost teasing despite the weight of the moment, her gaze settling on him with a knowing curve to her smile. “It seems Inazuma has gained quite the Archon. I do hope you plan on living up to all of this attention, hm?”

He glanced at her, his expression steady, though there was the faintest hint of something behind it, something that didn’t quite match the ease of the celebration around him.

“I don’t plan on disappointing anyone,” he replied, his tone even, not quite playing into her teasing, but not rejecting it either.

Yae hummed softly at that, amused.

“Mm, how reassuring,” she said, though the look she gave him lingered just a second longer.

The shrine was filled with people, voices cheering in celebration, formal at first but loosening as the night went on, the air warmer with movement, with praise, with expectation that never quite left him no matter how much they dressed it up as something lighter. You stood beside him through it all, just as you always had, your presence something that naturally belonged there.

He handled it well as always.

He responded when needed, acknowledged what had to be acknowledged, his composure steady even as person after person approached him with words that all sounded the same after a while.

“Your Excellency, this is a historic moment-”

“It will be remembered,” he answered calmly.

“Inazuma is fortunate to have you-”

“I will ensure it remains that way.”

Praise. Congratulations. Expectations layered beneath polite smiles.

You stayed quiet through most of it, offering small responses when spoken to - which is quite rare as being the second puppet to the archon usually has you being forgotten or overshadowed  - your attention drifting more than once because the place felt too loud, too full.

By the time he had made his appearance, greeted who he needed to, and fulfilled what was expected of him, everything became calmer. The celebration spilled outward, people moving away from the shrine, conversations breaking into smaller groups, laughter slipping in where formality had been before as the festival truly began.

And for the first time that night, no one was paying attention now.

Your gaze shifted slightly, watching as the crowd dispersed, the weight of their attention lifting just enough that it felt like you could breathe again, and without saying anything, you stepped back, quietly and carefully.

Slipping away before anyone could stop you.

The shrine halls were emptier now, most having already moved toward the festival outside, leaving the inner rooms quiet, undisturbed. You made your way into one of them without hesitation, closing the door behind you as you moved quickly, already reaching for the small disguise you had hidden away earlier.

By the time you stepped back out, the change was enough to go unnoticed, your appearance softened, altered just enough to blend in rather than stand out, wearing a casual festival kimono rather than the extravagant one. 

And the second you opened the door, ready to enjoy your time in the festival, you froze.

A man with strange blue hair was standing right in front of you.

You jumped slightly, your breath catching as your hand came up instinctively, eyes widening before you relaxed just as quickly, realizing it was just Kunikuzushi, of course you'd know it was him. Even without the disguise, even with it, it didn’t matter. You would always know.

“Kuni-!” you breathed out, half startled, half relieved, your brows pulling together slightly. “Don’t scare me like that...”

He tilted his head slightly, watching your reaction with something faintly amused, though it didn’t last long.

“You were going without me?” he said instead, his tone quieter, but there was something in it, something that made it clear he didn’t like the idea even a little.

You blinked at that, caught off guard for a second before you shook your head slightly.

“I just thought you’d be busy,” you said, softer now, leaning to the side just enough to look over Kunikuzushi's shoulder, checking toward the direction of the shrine. “Don’t they need you there?”

“I don’t care,” he replied immediately. Then, just as easily, his expression shifted into something more innocent, something that reminded you of who he once was before.. Everything. As a small grin tugged at his lips. “Let’s go.”

He took your hand before you could say anything else, his grip firm, already pulling you along as if the decision had been made long before you even stepped out of that room.

By the time you reached the festival it was already deep into the night.

Lanterns lit the streets, warm and glowing, casting soft light over everything as people moved through the space, laughter and chatter filling the air in a way that felt completely different from the shrine. It was louder, messier, but in a way that felt alive with normal people.

You slowed without meaning to, your gaze lifting as you took it in, the small details catching your attention one after another, the stalls, the lights, the games, everything feeling new even if you had seen parts of it before.

Your hand tightened slightly in his without realizing.

“It’s pretty...” you murmured, more to yourself than anything, your gaze lifting as the lanterns above cast a warm golden glow across everything, the soft light catching on your pretty face and in your eyes as it flickered gently with the night air.

He glanced at you instead of the festival, his attention lingering on the way the light softened your expression, the way your features seemed to glow under it without you even realizing.

“...yeah,” he said after a second, quieter now, though it was clear he wasn’t looking at the same thing you were.

You didn’t notice, already pulling him toward one of the stalls.

The candied apples caught your attention almost immediately, the glossy red coating reflecting the lantern light as they were displayed neatly, and you paused there without needing to say anything.

Before you could even reach for one, he had already paid for it, already taken notice that you wanted it even before you fully arrived at the stall, placing it into your hands like it was nothing, like it was expected.

Your face lit up at that, a soft smile forming as you thanked him, already taking a small bite as you continued walking around, the sweetness immediate.

You didn’t get far into the festival before your movement was interrupted.

His hand shifted, fingers wrapping around your wrist just enough to guide it upward, pulling your hand closer to him before you could react, and then-

He leaned in and took a bite, a big proper one at that, right from your sweet sweet candid apple.

You froze, face flushing almost instantly as a pretty shade of pink dusted over your cheeks, your breath catching slightly as you stared at him, completely thrown off guard.

“K-Kuni- what are you-”

He pulled back, chewing once-

And immediately made a face.

His expression twisted, brows pulling together, his face scrunching in disgust as he turned slightly, spitting it out without hesitation.

“..that’s disgusting,” he muttered, his voice flat, clearly unimpressed as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

You stared at him for a second before bursting into laughter, you couldn't help it.

“You don’t even like sweets, why the hell would you do that?” you said between small bursts of laughter, the earlier embarrassment slipping away completely.

He clicked his tongue, his brows pulling together slightly as he looked at you, clearly unimpressed with your reaction.

“Tch. You’re laughing at the ruler of Inazuma?” he said, his tone carrying that familiar bite, though it wasn't the one he used to intimidate officials, the one you heard oh so clearly before this was nothing like it, “The one and only Archon of this land, reduced to this-”

He gestured vaguely to the mostly-bitten candied apple in your hand, his expression sour.

That only made it worse.

Your laughter picked up again, softer but no less amused, your shoulders shaking slightly as you tried and failed to hold it in.

“Kuni- pfffft” you tried, but it broke off into another quiet laugh.

His expression shifted at that, irritation flickering into something else before he reached out suddenly, his fingers catching your cheek in a quick pinch, not hard enough to hurt but firm enough to make you stop.

“Stop laughing,” he muttered, as a faint flush dusted his face before he let go a second later.

You blinked at him, still smiling, your laughter fading into something softer.

“...you’re mean,” you mumbled, tone completely fond.

“..you started it,” he shot back almost immediately, before clicking his tongue again and looking away.

“...I don’t know,” he added under his breath, like he was backtracking, before taking the stick from your hand without warning. “I’ll get you another one.”

“Kuni, I can still eat this one-”

But he was already walking off.

You watched him go for a moment before following after him, though you slowed when someone stepped into your path.

A man. He greeted you politely, though there was a slight eagerness to it, something in the way his attention settled on you, his eyes lingering on your covered cleavage for more than necessary.

“Ah- sorry, I didn’t mean to stop you,” he said quickly, stepping back half a pace like he didn’t want to seem too forward, “I just.. saw you earlier, walking around, and-” he hesitated for a second, like he was trying to word it properly without embarrassing himself, “I thought I’d regret it if I didn’t say something.”

His gaze flickered over you again, softer this time, a little nervous but genuine.

“You look really beautiful tonight.”

You blinked at that, a little surprised, but you didn’t think much of it.

“Oh- thank you,” you replied softly, your tone gentle, your posture easing slightly as you smiled back out of habit more than anything. “You didn’t have to come all this way just to say that, though.”

“I don’t mind,” he said quickly, almost too quickly, stepping just a little closer without realizing it. “It’s not often someone like you is out here like this. I thought I might at least try to speak to you while I had the chance.”

You tilted your head slightly at that, not quite catching what he meant, or maybe just not thinking too deeply about it.

“It’s nice here,” you said instead, glancing briefly toward the lanterns, the stalls, the movement around you. “I wanted to see it properly, not just from a distance.”

He nodded, watching you more than the festival itself.

“I’m glad you did,” he said, softer now. “If you don’t mind, I could walk with you for a bit, just until-”

“You don’t need to do that,” you said gently, shaking your head slightly, though there was no rejection in your tone, just simple honesty. “But thank you.”

You smiled again, polite, kind, the way you always were, and that should have been enough.

It should have ended there, but you didnt notice when Kuni came back. But he noticed everything. The way the man stood too close, the way you smiled, the fact that you didn’t pull away.

By the time the man finally excused himself, offering a slightly awkward goodbye before stepping away, you turned back-

Only to find Kuni already there, looking at you.

Something about his expression made your chest tighten slightly, the earlier warmth from the festival dimming just a little under it.

“What?” you asked, your voice softer now, a hint of uncertainty slipping in as you tilted your head slightly. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

His hand closed around your wrist before you could say anything else.

Tighter than before.

“Why were you talking to him like that?” he asked, his voice low, controlled in a way that didn’t quite hide the irritation underneath.

You blinked, caught off guard, the question not matching what had just happened in your mind, “...like what?”

“Like you didn’t know what he was doing,” he said, his gaze narrowing slightly. “You’re not that naive.”

Your brows pulled together slightly at that, the confusion settling deeper now.

“I was just being nice,” you replied, quieter this time, the earlier ease gone. “He came up to me, I didn’t want to ignore him.”

“You shouldn’t be talking to people like that,” he said, sharper now. “You’re not just anyone. You’re-”

He stopped.

But the words had already settled between you.

“I’m what?” you asked, your voice softer, but there was something else in it now, something more fragile than before. “I’m still allowed to talk to people, Kuni. I know what I’m doing.”

“No, you don’t,” he snapped, quicker this time. “You don’t have the Gnosis, you can’t protect yourself if something happens-”

“I don’t need to be protected all the time,” you cut in, your voice tightening, not loud, but firm in a way it rarely was, being the meek little doll you were. “I’m not helpless.”

The silence that followed wasn’t calm, it pressed in sharply as neither of you moved.

Your grip on trying to argue loosened slightly, your gaze dropping just a little, not in submission, but because something about this felt.. wrong. The night had been different just moments ago, lighter, softer, like how things used to be, like how he used to be with you before everything became so heavy.

Before this.

“...you weren’t like this earlier,” you murmured, barely above a whisper, more to yourself than to him, though you knew he heard it. “You were laughing with me.”

You stupid, stupid girl, that didn’t make it better. If anything, it made it worse as his grip tightened enough to make you wince.

“We’re going home,” he said, final, leaving no room to argue.

“Kuni- wait-”

But he didn’t.

He just pulled you along with him, back through the festival, past the lanterns, the laughter, the stalls you hadn’t gotten to see, the candied apple you never got back, all the way to the Shogun’s residence.

By the time you got back, everything felt colder.

The moment you were inside, you pulled your hand away from his without looking at him, going straight to your room to change out of the disguise, your movements quicker than usual, like if you stopped for even a second you’d start crying. When you were done, you went to your bed without waiting for him like you're used to, slipping under the blankets and curling into yourself, your back turned as you pulled the covers up higher.

It didn’t take long before the tears came quietly, your shoulders trembling slightly as you tried to keep the sound down, your fingers clutching the fabric near your chest as everything from earlier replayed in your head, the warmth of the festival, the way he had been smiling with carefree energy - one you didnt see from him for awhile now, the way it had all shifted so suddenly.

You had been happy, and then it was gone, just like that.

After a few moments, when the only sound heard in the room was your quiet sobs, a creak of a door opening changed that.

You didn’t move, even as you heard him step inside, the soft sound of the door closing behind him. There was a pause, like he was looking at you, taking in the way you were curled up, the way your breathing wasn’t steady.

The bed dipped slightly as he sat at the edge, and for a moment, he didnt say anything before-

“...Are you crying?” he muttered, quieter than before, like he wasn’t sure how to approach it.

You sniffed slightly, tightening the blanket around yourself. “sniff I’m not.”

He almost scoffed at that, you were shamelessly crying your sobs heard loud and clear, and you still had the audacity to lie - he doesn't know if she should find that annoying or pathetically adorable.

“...you’re a terrible liar,” he said flatly, though there was no real bite to it.

You didn’t respond this time, only turning your face further into the pillow like that would somehow hide it better.

Then you felt him move.

The mattress shifted again as he leaned closer, his hand coming to your shoulder, not rough this time, not like before, but still firm enough to turn you back toward him despite your weak resistance.

“Kuni-  no..” you mumbled, your voice small, embarrassed, your hands instinctively trying to pull the blanket higher.

“Stop hiding,” he said, quieter now, his brows pulling slightly as he actually looked at you.

Your lashes were damp, your cheeks flushed, your lower lip trembling in a way you were trying - and failing - to control.

For a second, he just stared, then his hand moved.

He pushed himself closer, one hand bracing beside you as the other came up to your face, his thumb brushing just under your eye, catching one of the tears before it could fall further.

“...you’re still crying,” he murmured, softer now.

“I said I’m not,” you insisted weakly, your voice breaking anyway.

“Idiot,” he muttered under his breath.

Before you could react, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of your eye.

You froze.

His lips lingered just long enough to catch the tear there before he pulled back slightly, only to lean in again, this time closer, brushing against the damp skin beneath your lashes, almost instinctively, like he was trying to get rid of them himself.

It caught you completely off guard.

“W-what are you doing-” you let out a small, shaky laugh despite yourself, your hands coming up to push lightly at his shoulder. “That’s weird-”

He clicked his tongue, though there was no real annoyance behind it.

“You’re the one crying everywhere,” he said, like that justified it entirely.

You huffed a small laugh at that, the sound uneven but real, your shoulders loosening just slightly as you pushed at him again. “Stop-  Kuni-”

He didn’t move far, but he did pull back enough to look at you properly.

And for a second, it felt normal again.

The tension eased, the heaviness lifting just a little as the remnants of your laughter lingered between you.

But it didn’t last, this all felt so temporary, how could you bathe in these sweet moments when you don't know when he flips? Your smile wavered, your lower lip trembled again. You tried to look away before he could see it, but he already had.

There was a small pause before his hand shifted, tugging lightly at your sleeve.

You blinked, looking back at him, still a little teary, a little confused, “...what?”

He hesitated, just for a second but he still sighed, and reluctantly continued whatever he was planning to do, “...can you brush my hair?”

You blinked again, caught completely off guard. “..what?”

“Brush it,” he repeated, a little more direct this time, though his voice had lost its earlier sharpness. “Help me.”

You stared at him for a second like you were trying to process it, your expression softening without you realizing, “..now?”

“Yes, now,” he said, a little impatient, though it didn’t sound serious. “You like doing it, don’t you?”

Your expression brightened almost immediately, the sadness easing just enough as you pushed yourself up, nodding quickly.

“..okay.”

You slipped out from under the blankets, following him as he stood, your steps lighter now as you made your way to the vanity together. He sat down without another word, waiting, while you reached for the brush.

Your fingers wrapped around it before pausing. 

It was the one you gave him. A simple comb, tinted faintly purple, your initials carved carefully alongside his.

For a moment, your chest tightened.

You remembered when you gave it to him, how he had looked then, how gentle he used to be.

Your expression wavered slightly.

Then you shook your head, small and quick, like pushing the thought away before it could settle, and stepped closer behind him.

You started brushing.

Slow, careful strokes, working through his hair, smoothing it out, easing through the small tangles without pulling too hard. The motion came naturally to you from the amount of times he used to ask you to brush his hair after you gifted him the brush, how bashful and embarrassed he used to be after asking you, your hands steady, gentle as you hummed softly under your breath.

He didn’t say anything, but unknown to you, in the mirror, his eyes softened, his shoulders dropping slightly. Yes, he asked you to brush his hair only to comfort you since he knew you liked being helpful to him, but this was for him as much as it was for you, even if he'll never admit it.

He leaned into it just a little, his expression shifting into something quieter, something almost meek, almost obedient, like he was letting himself relax completely under your touch.

It made you smile seeing your work in use for him, so you kept going, softer now, more focused, your fingers careful as you worked through the ends before a mischievous thought bubbled up, your hand shifted slightly, brushing his hair back from his neck.

The electro mark was exposed.

You paused for just a second before leaning down and pressing your lips against it. The kiss lingered, warm, a little firmer than it needed to be, almost feverish.

He inhaled sharply.

His entire body stilled, a faint flush rising up his neck, his fingers tightening slightly against the edge of the vanity.

You pulled back with a small smile, a little pleased, like you knew exactly what that did. You knew how insecure he is about it, how he brings his hand back to press that symbol whenever he felt stressed, as if the proof of him being made, not born, fueled his self-hatred.

Before you could say anything, his hand shot up, grabbing your wrist.

You blinked, surprised, your gaze meeting his as he turned slightly in his seat, pulling you closer.

And then he kissed you directly.

Your eyes widened, a soft, startled sound leaving you as you pulled back slightly. “...Kuni- wait- what are you-”

He didn’t let you get far.

His face stayed close to yours, his grip still around your wrist, his gaze locked onto you in a way that made your chest tighten.

“You were made for me,” he said quietly, like it was obvious, like it didn’t need explaining. “So stop looking at other people like that.”

Your breath caught.

“..I wasn’t-”

He didn’t let you finish, kissing you again.

This time deeper, more insistent, his hand tightening slightly as he pulled you closer. You hesitated for only a second before your resistance melted, your hands lifting slightly as you leaned into him without thinking.

Your breath hitched softly against his lips, your thoughts slipping as the kiss lingered, growing warmer, heavier, until he bit your lower lip, a small gasp escaped you.

And in that moment, he deepened it, closing the space further with his tongue, pushing it in to swirl it around yours, like he was testing how far he could go, like he was claiming something he had already decided was his.

By the time he pulled back, your expression was soft, dazed, your gaze unfocused as you looked at him, your lips slightly parted.

He watched you for a second before standing.

Without a word, he guided you down into the chair, switching places with you as he reached for the brush again.

“Give it to me,” he said simply.

You did.

He started brushing your hair the same way you had done for him, slower than usual, more careful than you expected, his fingers occasionally brushing against your neck to the matching electro symbol you have as well, as he worked through it.

A small, content,  cute sound slipped from you before you could stop it, your shoulders relaxing as you leaned back slightly, your eyes lowering.

And just like that, you melted into it.

──── ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ ────

After that night, things didn’t go back to how they were before.

There was something new sitting between you, something unspoken and unsure but still soft, its better than before, definitely.

So when you went out again, dressed in a disguise and slipping into the streets like before, you found yourself smiling more than usual, your steps lighter as you wandered through the market, looking at things without urgency, simply enjoying being there.

You didn’t notice him until you walked straight into him.

The impact wasn’t hard, but enough to make you step back slightly, your balance falling back a little as your hands lifted instinctively.

“Oh- I’m so sorry,” he said immediately, his voice calm, soft in a way that felt as gentle as the winds breeze. He reached out slightly, steadying you before you could stumble further.

You blinked, looking up at him.

And paused.

There was something about him that stood out immediately, his red eyes, to his pale cream hair that had one red streak that matched his eye color, and how soft his expression looked - so calm even though you've bumped into him.

“It’s okay,” you said quickly, your voice softer now as you straightened. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

He gave a small nod at that, his hand dropping back to his side before you gave in to your curiosity.

“...are you from here?” you asked without thinking, tilting your head slightly as your gaze lingered on him, more specifically, the red streak in his hair, it was pretty unique.

He looked a little amused at that.

“What makes you think that?” he asked, his tone light, not offended, just curious.

You glanced at his outfit, then back at him.

“You don’t dress like everyone else,” you said, your gaze lingering on him for a moment longer. “Not like you’re from somewhere else, but... it feels different. Like you don’t stay in one place for long.”

He glanced down at himself briefly, then back at you, a faint hint of amusement in his expression.

“...is it that obvious?” he asked lightly.

You shook your head slightly. “Not obvious, just.. the way you carry things, and how your clothes are arranged. It looks practical, like you’re used to moving around a lot.”

That seemed to catch his interest.

“..that’s not wrong,” he admitted. “I travel often. I don’t stay in one place for long.”

“With someone?” you asked, your curiosity slipping through naturally.

He nodded slightly.

“With a friend,” he said. “We’ve been moving from place to place for a while now.”

Something about that felt... nice.

The idea of it.

Freedom.

You didn’t realize you had gone quiet until he spoke again.

“If you’re not busy,” he added, “would you like to join us? We’re staying at a nearby ramen stand. It’s not far.”

You hesitated instinctively.

“No, I don’t want to intrude,” you said, shaking your head lightly. “You’re with your friend, I shouldn’t-”

“It’s not an intrusion,” he replied calmly. “We wouldn’t have invited you if it was.”

You paused again. Then nodded, a little more hesitant this time.

“...okay.”

The walk there was quiet, but not uncomfortable, it felt like he was a quiet person by nature more than anything, so it was relaxing in a way. When you arrived, you were introduced to his friend, Tomo, who greeted you easily, his personality more open, more direct.

You sat with them, ate, and talked.

It wasn’t anything complicated, just simple conversation, small things, questions about where you were from, what you liked, what you did, things you answered carefully, not lying outright but not revealing too much either.

At some point, he asked your name.

You paused for just a second trying to think of a good name then-

“...Tsubaki,” you said.

There was a slight pause.

You could tell from the way his gaze lingered for a moment longer than necessary, like he understood it wasn’t your real name, but he didn’t question it.

“...that suits you,” he said instead, letting it go easily.

And that was that.

When you left, you felt.. happy.

Genuinely.

That night, when you were already settled in bed, he noticed.

“Why are you so happy?” he asked, his voice quieter, but there was something observant in it.

You turned slightly toward him, the smile still lingering on your face.

“I met someone today,” you said simply. “His name is Kazuha. He’s a wanderer, he travels with his friend, and they invited me to eat with them. We talked for a while and it was really nice.”

There was a pause, you didn’t think anything of it, too trapped within your own happiness to see his annoyance.

“...is that so,” he said, his tone neutral.

You nodded, already settling back into the pillow, falling asleep completely oblivious to Kuni's gaze.

After that, it didn’t stop.

You met him again.

By coincidence at first, running into him in the market again, the conversation picking up easily like it hadn’t ended the first time. This time, it was simpler, walking together through stalls, trying small street foods, talking without hesitation.

You enjoyed it. But this time you didnt notice someone, a specific someone, seeing the interaction.

When you returned that night, the atmosphere was different.

You felt it immediately.

“What were you doing?” he asked, his voice calm, but there was something tight beneath it.

You paused slightly before answering,  “I was just out,” you said. “I ran into Kazuha again, we were just talking-”

“You went out to see him again?” he cut in.

You frowned slightly, “It wasn’t planned,” you said. “We just met again.”

“That doesn’t matter,” he replied, sharper now, stepping closer as if the distance itself annoyed him. “You shouldn’t be going out like that.”

Your brows pulled together, “...why not?”

“Because you don’t understand what you are to other people,” he said, gaze locking onto you like there was no room left for anything else. “You were never made for them.”

You stiffened slightly, “What does that mean?”

Instead of answering verbally, he reached for your arm.

His fingers caught the sleeve of your kimono and pulled it back just enough to expose the doll joint beneath, his touch slowing there like it was familiar, like it was something he had memorized long ago. His thumb traced over it gently. 

“You always used to do this,” he said quietly.

You blinked, “...what?”

“When I couldn’t sleep,” he continued, his voice lowering. “When I didn’t understand what I was, when I thought something was wrong with me.” His fingers stayed there, pressing lightly over the joint. “You would trace it like it made sense to you. Like you weren’t afraid of it.”

His gaze finally lifted to yours.

“Human hands would hesitate,” he added. “They would flinch. They would pretend not to see it or act like they don't think it's uncanny, an inanimate object made to mimic humans,”

His grip tightened just slightly on your sleeve.

“Do you think he would love you like this?” he asked.

You froze.

“He’s human,” he continued, voice steady, almost matter-of-fact, but with something sharper underneath. “He has a beginning and an end. A life that breaks in half the moment it starts. Do you think he would stay when he understands what you are? When he realizes you don’t end where he does?”

His fingers pressed lightly again against the joint, like hes trying to prove the point of what you are.

“And even if he did,” he went on more quietly, “it would still end the same way. He grows older. He forgets himself. He disappears.” His hand finally lowered. “You don’t.”

Your chest tightened.

“...then what am I supposed to do?” you asked, voice unsteady now. “Am I just supposed to not feel anything? Not talk to anyone? Not-”

“Let me,” he said.

You blinked, “...what?”

“Let me love you,” he repeated, slower this time, like it was the only answer that had ever made sense. “No one else is built for you. No one else stays. No one else understands what it means to exist like this.”

He stepped closer again.

“But I do.”

A pause.

“I know what you are,” he continued, softer now, almost certain in a way that left no space for doubt. “I know what I am. And I know we don’t break the same way they do.”

His hand lifted, briefly brushing your doll's joint on your wrist again like a habit he couldn’t unlearn.

“So don’t look for something temporary,” he said quietly. “When I’m already here.”

The silence that followed wasn’t empty as the words lingered.

Your expression softened slowly, like something in you had stopped resisting, “...I love you too,” you said quietly.

──── ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ ────

Yae started noticing something.

You and him had always been close, that much was expected, encouraged even, something she herself had once pushed for, but this felt.. different. It wasn’t just proximity anymore, not just the way you stood beside him or followed where he went, eager to please, or how he always tried making time for you, it was in the way his attention lingered too long, the way your reactions came too naturally, like there was something unspoken being passed between you that no one else was meant to understand.

At first, she dismissed it.

It wasn’t unusual for the two of you to rely on each other, especially after everything that had happened. If anything, she had expected it. So she let it go, choosing not to look too deeply into something that could very well mean nothing at all.

But then she saw you in the garden.

It hadn’t been intentional. She had only been passing through, her attention elsewhere, she had personal matters to attend to, until movement beneath the sakura tree caught her eye. And when she looked-

She stopped.

You were on his lap.

No, it isn't that you had your head in his lap, sleeping, maybe you were fully straddled across him, your knees resting on either side of his waist, your pelvis pressed into his, your bodies close enough that there was no space left between you. Your hands rested loosely on his shoulders, his hands settled at your waist like it was the most natural place for them to be, like neither of you had thought twice about it.

You were talking to him softly.

Close enough that your faces nearly brushed when one of you leaned in just a little too far.

You weren’t kissing. Nothing about it was outright inappropriate.

But it didn’t matter, something about it felt wrong.

It sent a chill down her spine, something instinctive, something immediate that told her this was not what was supposed to happen.

She didn’t interrupt, nor did she make her presence known or confront either of you,

She just watched for a moment longer than she should have before turning away, her expression tightening slightly as she continued on like she hadn’t seen anything at all.

That was when she started paying attention.

Really paying attention.

It didn’t take long for more moments to reveal themselves, things that might have been brushed off before, things that no one else seemed to question.

One afternoon, she stepped into the kitchen, expecting to find servants preparing the next meal, only to pause when she realized it was just the two of you.

That wasn’t unusual, you had always liked cooking together, well, it was spending time together overall, but anyway. What was unusual was the way it played out.

You stood beside him, focused on what you were doing, your attention on the pot in front of you as you stirred carefully, unaware of the small smear of sauce left near the corner of your lip. You must have tasted it, and it smeared. He noticed it before you did, his gaze catching on it immediately as his hand lifted without hesitation.

He wiped it away with his thumb.

And instead of stopping there-

He brought it to his lips and licked it off.

You blinked at him for a second before letting out a small laugh, the sound light, unbothered, like there was nothing strange about it at all.

“Kuni- you could’ve just told me,” you said, smiling as you turned back to what you were doing.

He only clicked his tongue, looking away slightly like it didn’t matter.

Yae didn’t step in despite the weirded out expression she had on.

She simply turned and left.

Another time, she saw you walking through the halls together, your hand loosely held in his as he spoke about something in a low voice, your attention fixed entirely on him. That alone wasn’t new, but what caught her was the way he stopped mid-sentence, reaching up to adjust something in your hair that didnt need adjusting, his fingers lingering just a second longer than necessary, your expression softening immediately at the touch like it was something you enjoyed.

It was natural to you.

That was the problem.

The adjusting itself isn't necessarily weird, but as things stack up, underneath the normal display, things just feel off.

She started asking the servants after that, subtle at first, phrasing it like casual curiosity rather than concern.

“They work well together,” one servant said, not thinking much of it. “They’ve always been paired like that, haven’t they? It’s what they were made for.”

“They’re close,” another added, more thoughtful, though not suspicious. “The Archon relies on her. It makes sense.”

None of them hesitated or questioned it.

And that was what bothered her.

They didn’t see anything wrong, because to them, your closeness had always been explained away as duty. You were made for him, placed at his side from the beginning, shaped to assist him, to remain with him, to complete what he lacked. To everyone else, what they saw was simply the result of that design.

But Yae knew better.

That wasn’t what she had seen. That wasn’t what this was. Too close. - far too close.

That night, she decided to confirm it for herself.

She slipped into her kitsune form, sneaking into the estate, past the guards, and moved through the hallways with ease. She made her way toward your room first, expecting to find you there like usual.

It was empty.

That alone was enough to make her pause.

You should have been there.

Her ears twitched slightly as she listened, picking up on the faintest shift in presence somewhere deeper within the estate. She didn’t rush, but her movements became more deliberate as she followed it, slipping further in until she reached one of the inner rooms, one that opened out toward a quieter part of the garden, the window left slightly open as the night air drifted inside.

She only needed a glance.

She didn’t step in.

She didn’t need to.

Because the moment she had a peek,

She saw everything.  

You were on a low futon, both of you completely naked. Kunikuzushi had you folded beneath him in a deep mating press, your legs pushed up and spread wide, knees nearly touching your shoulders. 

His hips drew back slowly, the obscene glint of slick shining on his cock as it slid almost fully out of you. Then he pushed back in with one smooth, deliberate thrust, burying himself to the hilt. 

A broken whine slipped from your lips. Your body squirmed beneath him, back arching as much as the position allowed, fingers clutching desperately at his shoulders. He leaned down, pressing soft, almost reverent kisses across your flushed face, your cheeks, your fluttering eyelids, the corner of your trembling mouth, while one hand rested possessively on your breast, thumb brushing over the nipple.

It wasn’t something that could be misunderstood.

It wasn’t something that could be excused as simple fondness of one another.

Her expression tightened, something sharp settling behind her eyes as she pulled back immediately, not giving herself time to look longer than necessary, even though she already did.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

Not like this.

Not between the two of you.

Yes, she told Ei to make you both anatomically correct, to have you built as realistically as it could be, but she didnt think it would turn out like this.

She turned and left without hesitation, her pace quicker now, her thoughts already moving ahead.

This had gone too far.

And if she didn’t intervene now, it would only get worse.

The next day, she didn’t bother with formalities.

She entered the estate directly, her steps steady and authoritative as she made her way to his office without announcement. The door slid open with a little aggressiveness she couldn't hide.

He didn’t look up.

He sat on the floor like usual, documents spread around him, brush in hand as he continued writing, his posture composed, unaffected by her clearly irritated display that screamed you're in trouble.

“What,” he said flatly.

Yae stepped inside fully, the door closing behind her as her gaze settled on him, sharp and assessing.

“I’ve been hearing things,” she said, her tone light, but her eyes weren’t. “About you and your little companion. Tell me, just how close have the two of you become?”

He didn’t pause.

“Nothing has changed,” he replied calmly, his brush continuing across the paper. “You’ve seen how we’ve always been.”

She watched him for a moment, then tilted her head slightly.

“Is that so?” she hummed. “Then let me ask you something else.”

This time, there was a brief pause in his writing.

“If the time came,” she continued, her voice steady, deliberate, “would you take a wife?”

The question lingered in the air as he didn’t answer immediately, but his brush resumed, slower this time.

“If it was required,” he said, his tone neutral. “It would be done.”

Yae’s gaze didn’t leave him.

“And would you choose one yourself?” she asked instead, eyes narrowing, “Or would you have one chosen for you?”

There was a brief pause, but his brush didn’t stop this time, the ink continuing across the paper as if the question felt irrelevant.

“No,” he said simply. “A consort isn’t necessary. I can handle state affairs on my own.”

Yae watched him for a moment, her expression unreadable, before she crossed her arms over her chest, clearly unimpressed.

“Don’t try me, Kunikuzushi.”

His brush didnt stop, clearly not caring for whatever she had this time but-

“I saw you,” she said, the lightness gone completely now. “Last night, I saw everything clearly. Don't play dumb, I already know,”

That was when he looked up.

His expression unreadable but dark, his gaze meeting hers without flinching, without denial, not even a hint of surprise.

For the first time since she entered, he gave her his full attention.

“And what will you do?”

Yae blinked slightly at that, the question catching her off guard.

“What?”

He didn’t look away from her.

“And what exactly will you do about it?” he repeated, his tone calm, but there was something else sitting underneath it now, something firmer. “You’re the one who told Ei to make her in the first place. You pushed for it. You said I needed someone, didn’t you? Someone to stand beside me, someone to stabilize me. You made her for me.”

His gaze didn’t waver.

“So what exactly is the problem now?”

Yae’s expression tightened, her composure slipping just slightly. “Kunikuzushi, don’t start twisting this into something it’s not. That’s not what she was made for, and you know it.”

He let out a quiet scoff, setting his brush down this time.

“She’s mine,” he said plainly. “That was the entire point. Or did you forget your own reasoning?”

“That doesn’t mean-”

“And did you really think I’d take a human as a wife?” he cut in, his voice sharper now, something irritated slipping through. “Some fragile thing that would wither in a few decades? Something I’d have to watch die while I stayed the same?”

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze narrowing.

“No one is worthy of that position,” he continued, more quietly now, but more certain. “No one except her. We were made the same, we’ll remain the same, and we’ll exist for the same length of time. There’s no replacement for that, no replacement for how she treated me, for how pathetically adorable she is, so eager to help me in more than one way.”

Yae’s patience snapped at his clearly disgusting implication.

“Kuni, don’t you dare try to justify this,” she said sharply, stepping forward now, her tone losing all pretense of lightness. “This is wrong, you-”

“We what?” he cut in immediately, his expression flattening. “Say it properly.”

Her jaw tightened, “You’re crossing a line.”

He stared at her for a second before letting out a quiet, almost amused breath.

“Are you implying we’re siblings?” he asked, his tone edged with something mocking now. “We don’t have blood, Yae. We don’t have biology. We don’t even have real bodies in the way humans do. So what exactly are you trying to compare this to?”

That was it.

Something in her expression hardened completely.

“I’m taking her,” she said.

He paused, and the shift in the room was immediate.

“What?”

“I said I’m taking her,” she repeated, her voice firm now, leaving no room for misinterpretation. “You’ve taken this too far.”

His gaze sharpened, irritation settling fully now, “No, you won’t.”

“Try me,” she shot back without hesitation. “By the time the sun sets, you’re on your own, Kunikuzushi.”

Before he could respond, she turned and left, slamming the door shut behind her.

──── ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ ────

That night before the sun fully set, she didn’t wait.

She moved through the estate unseen again, careful this time because the servants haven't fully left, so she kept avoiding them, slipping through the halls without leaving a trace. She didn’t need anyone witnessing this.

By the time she reached your room, everything was quiet.

You were inside, seated at the vanity, gently brushing through your hair, your movements slow and absentminded, unaware of anything beyond the routine.

The door slid open.

Before you could react, her hand caught your wrist roughly.

You let out a small, pained sound as she pulled you up to your feet without warning.

“Wha- Yae? What are you doing?” you asked, confused, your voice unsteady as you tried to pull back slightly.

“We have to go,” she said quickly, her grip not loosening. “Now.”

“Huh? Why-?”

She didn’t answer as she kept pulling you toward the door.

You stumbled slightly trying to keep up, your confusion growing as her urgency made no sense to you, your free hand instinctively reaching for her arm.

“Yae, wait- what’s going on? Why do we have to-”

She stopped, not because she felt the need to explain to you what happened but because he was already there.

Standing in the doorway and blocking it.

He looked at the two of you, his eyes half-lidded, a small smile resting on his lips, but there was nothing soft about it. It sat wrong, the kind of expression that didn’t reach his eyes at all.

Yae didn’t flinch.

“Move,” she said flatly.

He tilted his head slightly, “And why would I do that?”

“Don’t play dumb,” she replied, her grip on you tightening slightly as she pulled you a step back behind her. “You know exactly why. Move.”

Thats when he opened his eyes fully, the smile gone, a dark glint on his indigo eyes.

“What,” he said slowly, “so you can take what’s mine?”

His gaze flickered to you briefly before returning to her, something darker settling in it.

“No,” he continued, his voice lowering. “I don’t think so.”

Yae shifted, pushing you back slightly behind her.

“Kunikuzushi-”

He didn’t let her finish because the moment she moved-

He struck.

The first hit came too fast to anticipate, cutting through the air and landing before she could react properly, the current snapping through her body as it locked for a second, a sharp breath forced out of her as her footing staggered. It wasn’t that she couldn’t fight back, it was that she hadn’t expected it, and that single moment was enough.

She shoved you further back immediately.

“Stay back-!”

Her vision flared in response, energy pushing outward as she forced herself to counter, the air cracking between them as she blocked the next strike, but it didn’t fully stop it, the current still slipping through enough to make her body jerk again, her stance breaking as she dropped to one knee.

He didn’t rush or hesitate.

Another strike followed, stronger this time, the power behind it heavier, the kind that didn’t leave room to recover easily.

“The first one should have been enough for you to understand,” he said, his voice even as he stepped closer, completely unbothered by her attempts to steady herself. “But I suppose I expected too much.”

She tried to push herself up again, her movements slower now, her breath uneven as the aftershock still ran through her.

He continued like it was nothing.

“I know kitsune are supposed to be clever,” he said, almost conversational, another surge of electro building in his hand, “but this is a bit much, don’t you think? Sneaking around, trying to steal something that doesn’t belong to you.”

Another strike landed.

This one forced her fully to the ground.

“Aren’t Tanuki's the ones known for stealing?” he added, clicking his tongue lightly as he watched her struggle. “It’s disappointing, really. A Kitsune - something that represents Inazuma - acting like that and a shrine maiden at that.”

She still tried to move, tried to get back up but she was too weak now, her movements slow.

He stepped forward, stopping right in front of her.

“Stealing from the Raiden Shogun of this land,” he continued, his tone lowering slightly, something sharper settling into it now, “do you know what that’s called?”

His foot lifted-

And came down hard, pinning her head against the ground before she could move again.

“Treason.”

The word settled heavy.

“And you know what happens to people who commit treason, don’t you?” he went on, his voice steady, almost calm in a way that made it worse. “They’re executed.”

There was no pause after that. No hesitation as he pressed down harder.

A wet, sickening crack split the air as her skull gave way beneath his foot. Bone shattered like porcelain, and dark blood gushed out in thick, hot spurts, splattering across the floorboards and soaking into the edges of her outfit. It pooled quickly under her head, glossy and crimson in the dim light, her pink ears twitching once before going completely still.

And that was it.

“You’ve overstepped,” he finished flatly, his foot still resting there, grinding slightly into the ruined mess even after she was long gone.

Then he looked up to glance back at you and smiled, like this was normal, like he didnt just crush someone's head in front of you.

Your hands were already covering your mouth, your breathing uneven, eyes wide. And the moment he took one step towards you, you instinctively stepped back. 

His expression shifted immediately.

“...why are you moving away?” he asked, the smile fading, something sharper replacing it.

You didn’t answer, taking another step back, smaller this time as a small broken sound slipped from your lips, something akin to a scared whine.

He paused as annoyance flickered across his face.

“Why are you acting like that?” he said, more firmly now, stepping forward again, closing the space you tried to make. “Why are you scared?”

That made something in you snap.

“Scared?” you repeated, your voice shaking, your hands dropping from your face as you looked at him properly now. “You- you just killed her. Right in front of me. And you’re asking why I’m scared? Are you fucking serious Kuni?”

His brows pulled slightly, like he didn’t like the way you said that.

“She was trying to take you,” he replied, like that explained everything. “What was I supposed to do? Let her?”

“She wasn’t doing anything wrong!” you shot back immediately, your voice rising without you meaning it to. “She was probably trying to help-”

“Help?” he cut in, his tone dropping. “By taking you away from me?”

“Yes!” you snapped before you could stop yourself, your chest tightening. “Maybe she should have, if this is how you’re going to act!”

The moment the words left your mouth, his expression hardened as something in his gaze went cold.

“...you don’t mean that,” he whispered, voice laced with disbelief.

“I do,” you insisted, even if your voice wavered. “What is wrong with you? You weren’t like this before. You weren’t- you didn’t-” your words caught, your breath hitching as everything started catching up to you all at once. “You didn’t hurt people like this.”

“I did what was necessary,” he replied flatly. “You just didn’t see it before.”

“That doesn’t make it okay!”

“It does if it keeps you here.”

The way he said it was so simple, like your freedom was nothing to him at all made your stomach twist.

“You can’t just decide that!” you said, your voice breaking now. “You can’t just decide that I don’t get to choose anything, that I don’t get to talk to people, that I don’t get to leave-”

“You don’t need to,” he cut in again, sharper now. “No one else is needed. It’s just us. It’s always been just us.”

“That’s not true!”

“It is,” he insisted, stepping closer again, his presence overwhelming in a way it hadn’t been before. “Who else has stayed with you this long? Who else understands you? Who else even can?”

You didn’t answer.

Because you knew.

And he knew you knew.

Yae only stayed around for duty, her loyalty to your creator - your mother, is what kept her around, she doesn't particularly care about either of you personally she just cares about keeping inazuma safe for Ei, and talking about her, your "mother" dosent care about either of you too, she made you for her selfish wish of throwing her responsiblities to someone else, all other humans lived and died right before your eyes. You only had him.

“We were made like this,” he continued, his voice lowering, more controlled now, but no less intense. “You and me. The same. We don’t leave. We don’t change. We don’t disappear like they do.”

His hand reached for your wrist, gripping it, not as rough as before, but firm enough that you couldn’t pull away.

“So stop trying to act like you belong with them,” he said. “You don’t - we don't.”

The adrenaline that had been holding you up, that made you argue, started to fade quickly.

Your chest tightened, your breathing hitching as everything crashed down at once, your vision blurring as tears gathered before you could stop them. Your other hand came up shakily, fingers brushing over your wrist where his grip held you, tracing the visible doll joint there.

“...then why?” you whispered, your voice breaking, your fingers pressing lightly against it. “Why were we made to feel anything at all?”

He didn’t interrupt.

You looked down at your own arm, your thumb dragging slowly over the seam, your shoulders trembling as the tears started falling properly now.

“This isn’t fair,” you continued, your voice cracking as the words came faster. “I feel things the same way they do. I think the same way they do. I want things the same way they do, so why,  why does it matter so much that I’m like this?” your grip on your own wrist tightened. “I’m not any less than them just because I have this.”

Your breathing hitched.

“So why does it feel like I am?”

For a moment, he just looked at you.

Then his grip shifted, loosening just enough for his hand to slide over yours where it held your wrist, stopping you from pressing into it any harder.

“You’re not less,” he said, quieter now.

Your gaze flickered up.

“You’re more,” he corrected, his thumb brushing over the joint you were so focused on, “You don’t break. You don’t fade. You don’t get left behind by time like they do.”

His hand guided yours away from your wrist slightly, not letting you keep staring at it like that.

“And you think that’s cruel?” he continued, his voice steady, like he genuinely didn’t understand why you were hurting over it. “To exist without that weakness?”

“I didn’t ask for it,” you said immediately, your voice shaking. “I didn’t ask to feel everything and still be.. different.”

“You didn’t need to ask,” he replied. “You were made exactly the way you’re supposed to be.”

Your brows pulled together, tears still slipping down your face.

“For you?” you whispered, the words coming out before you could stop them.

There was no hesitation.

“Yes.”

The answer came too easily - too naturally.

“And I was made to be incomplete without you,” he added, his gaze not leaving yours. “So why are you looking anywhere else?”

Your breath caught.

“I don’t want you to look at yourself like something’s wrong,” he continued, quieter now, his hand still over yours, grounding it. “Not when I’ve seen every part of you and never once thought that, just how you didn't see me as any less.”

His thumb brushed lightly over your wrist again.

“You didn’t pull away from me,” he said. “So don’t expect me to do it to you.”

Your chest tightened further at that, your emotions tangling together until you couldn’t separate them anymore.

“What happened to you..” you whispered, your voice small now, breaking. “Kuni, you’re- you’re so mean now. You weren’t like this. Why do you keep hurting people like this..?”

For a second, something in his expression flickered, he wanted to say how other people ask - no beg to be hurt from their own idiocy from their own superiority, like a heartbeat is what makes them superior when it's the very thing that stops them from achieving immortality. But he didnt say any of that, instead-

“..I told you,” he said, quieter now. “I’ll make it up to you.”

Before you could respond, he sat down at the edge of the bed first, the mattress dipping slightly under his weight. Then, without giving you time to react, he pulled you forward onto his lap in one smooth motion, your legs over his to the side. Your balance caught instinctively as your hands came up to steady yourself against him.

His hand came up to your face, holding your cheek, his thumb brushing just under your eye where tears had gathered.

“You’re still crying,” he muttered, almost under his breath.

“Kuni-” you started, your voice unsteady, your body still tense-

He didn’t let you finish.

He leaned in and kissed you.

You made a small sound against his lips, more of a whine than anything, your hands instinctively pressing weakly against him, not enough to push him away, just enough to show the hesitation still there.

He didn’t stop.

His grip on your waist tightened, pulling you closer until there was no space left between you, the kiss deepening despite the way your breathing still hitched, your fear not fully gone.

“Stop thinking about it,” he murmured against your lips, not really giving you the chance to. “Just stay.”

His hand shifted, sliding down to your thigh, gripping it before lifting it slightly, guiding your leg on the other side over his lap until you were properly straddling him now, your light yukata lifting over from the movement, exposing your legs as he pressed your pelvis against his.

You gasped softly at the movement, your hands catching onto him more firmly this time.

He took advantage immediately, pulling you back into the kiss, slower this time, more sensual, like he was trying to overwrite the violence and blood with something else.

While his mouth moved against yours, one hand sneaked up under the hem of your pulled-up yukata, palm gliding over the curve of your ass. 

When you gasped again at the contact, he deepened the kiss, tongue slipping past your lips to tangle with yours. It turned into a slow, heated make-out, tongues sliding together. Neither of you needed to breathe - being puppets -, so the kiss went on and on, deep and consuming.

His other hand moved from your cheek to the back of your skull, fingers threading through your hair as he pressed you closer into the kiss, holding you there firmly.

Under the yukata, his fingers found the edge of your panties. He tugged lightly at the fabric, then paused.

“Lift your hips for me,” he murmured against your lips, voice low and gentle.

You obeyed without thinking, raising yourself just enough. He slid your panties down your thighs in one smooth motion, letting them catch at your knees before they slipped further. The cool air brushed against your now-bare pussy, making you shiver.

Only then did his fingers reach down. The first slow stroke of his fingertips through your folds had you whimper softly into his mouth, making him smile into the kiss. He circled your clit gently at first, then rubbed two fingers against your entrance, smearing your own slick on yourself before he pushed both digits inside you, curling them deliberately. 

He explored with patience, each downstroke of his fingers working through your walls, pressing and rubbing against that sensitive spot inside that made your thighs tremble and vision blur.

“Ahh- Kuni...” you whined cutely, the sound small and shaky even though you didn’t need air. “You’re getting so wet already.. One of the only things she did right is making you automatically correct... who could've thought a pretty little doll could get this soaked?” he purred between kisses, voice low and velvety. “Just for me. You were made for this, weren’t you? Made for me.”

Your chest tightened. The pleasure felt good - too good - but the memory of the sickening crack and the dark blood gushing across the floor flashed again. 

Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes even as you rocked against his hand.“Kuni... I saw-” you started, voice breaking into a soft gasp as his fingers curled harder.

“Shh. Don’t think about her,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to the corner of your mouth. “You’re mine. Ei made you for me. Not for this world, not for anyone else. Just me and she tried to take that.”

Before you could reply, he pulled his fingers out slowly, the loss making you whine in protest. 

Without hesitation, he brought his slick-covered fingers up to his lips. His tongue slipped out, slowly licking a long stripe up his index and middle finger, savoring the taste of your slick with lazy laps. He even closed his lips around one digit for a moment, sucking it clean while his indigo eyes stayed locked on yours the entire time.

You stared back at him, wide-eyed, the display so lewd it would have made you burn with embarrassment if your mind wasn’t already fogged over with pleasure. Instead, all you could do was let out a tiny, mortified whimper.

After watching him for a few seconds, before you could stop yourself, you asked-

“...What does it taste like?” 

Kunikuzushi raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by your question. Then a faint, mischievous spark lit in his eyes as an idea formed.

“Wanna try for yourself?” he murmured, voice low and teasing.

You - already flushed from the question you asked and not wanting to embarrass yourself further - nodded slowly, though that wasn't all, you were curious, being both puppets, artificial in every way. What did something like this even taste like to beings like you?

He brought his slick-coated fingers slowly in front of your mouth, tapping your lips slightly in a silent instruction to “open up.”

You parted your lips slightly, tongue slipping out as you started in small, kittenish licks - tentative and shy at first. You dragged your tongue along his fingers, tasting... Nothing.

There was no real flavor at all, only a faint, neutral wetness. It felt strange, almost disappointing in how empty it was.

You blinked up at him, still licking slowly. “It... it doesn’t taste like anything,” you whispered, a tiny pout forming on your lips between licks. “Just.. wet.”

He let out a soft, amused huff.

“Exactly,” he murmured, watching you clean his fingers with those delicate little licks. “Because you were made for me. Nothing about you is supposed to be for anyone else’s senses.. only mine.” 

Then he rested both hands on your hips so you don't squirm as he started grinding up against you, the friction of his clothed cock rubbing right against your soaked pussy drawing more helpless sounds from your throat.

“Mmm.. haa.... Kuni..” you gasped, hips twitching despite the guilt twisting in your chest.

With one hand still steady on your hip, he reached between you and undid the obi of your yukata, letting the fabric fall open and slide down your shoulders, baring your skin. 

His darkened gaze dropped to the swell of your breasts, taking self-indulgent glances before he took your arm gently, lifting your wrist to his lips, kissing the delicate doll joint there, then each finger one by one, then the joint at your elbow, soft, worshipful presses against the places where porcelain met synthetic flesh. 

The tenderness made your breath hitch. Before he could say anything else, you leaned in closer, fingers threading into his indigo hair. You tugged his head back gently and pressed your lips to the back of his neck, right over the glowing Electro symbol.

Your reverent kiss made something in him snap.

A low, feral sound rumbled in his chest. In one swift motion, he shrugged off his own yukata, letting it fall off his shoulders as he pulled down his briefs. His cock sprang free, hard and flushed, already leaking precum. Guiding your hips forward so the head of his cock is probing against you before he started smearing his precum over your entrance.

The blunt pressure made you both sigh.

For a moment he just held you there, tip pressed against you. 

Then, slowly, he began to push in - inch by careful inch. You felt every ridge, every stretch as he filled you. When he finally bottomed out, fully seated inside you, both of you were slightly breathless in that strange puppet way.

“..There,” he murmured, forehead resting against yours, voice rough. “Just feel me. Don’t think about anything else.”

He stayed still for a few heartbeats, letting the fullness settle deep inside you. Then he started moving, slow drags of his cock pulling almost all the way out before sliding back in, the withdrawal wet and obscene. His hands guided your hips at first, pulling you up and down on his cock. Gradually, your own movements joined his. You rose and fell on him without fully realizing it at first, grinding yourself down onto his length. 

A soft, shaky whimper left you.“Kuni.. I can’t stop seeing it..” you whispered brokenly, tears slipping down your cheeks even as pleasure bloomed inside you.

Kunikuzushi’s grip on your hips tightened, but his voice stayed low and soothing against your ear, “Shh... let me fix it” he murmured, “You’re doing so well for me.”

The pace quickened as he buried himself to the hilt with every thrust now, the wet sounds of your bodies meeting filling the room. Your breathing hitched into small, needy gasps feeling his tip hit against your g-spot in every thrust.

“It feels.. so good.. but she ah-” you whimpered, the words catching as another deep thrust made your voice crack. “Kuni.. I saw the blood..”

“That’s it.. just like that,” he whispered encouragingly, pressing a kiss to your temple. “Focus on me, she dosent matter,”

Pleasure coiled tighter and tighter until it finally snapped. You came hard around him, clenching and pulsing with a soft, broken cry, “Kuni-!” 

Your body trembling uncontrollably in his lap as fresh tears spilled over.

He wasnt too far behind, the moment you clenched around him his hips jerked up once, twice, and then he came too, burying himself as deep as possible while he spilled inside you with a low groan. 

You felt every pulse as he filled you with his release.

Both of you were panting softly, chests rising and falling out of habit more than need, when you felt him twitch and harden again almost immediately, still buried deep inside your slick, cum-filled pussy.

“Kuni...!” you protested weakly, voice shaky and tired.

He only grinned against your skin, something dark and hungry flickering in his indigo eyes. “Maybe I’m not done yet,” he murmured. “Let me have my share of you.”

Before you could say anything else, he flipped you onto your back on the bed, pressing you down into the sheets. The pace changed completely. He started fucking you harder, deeper, the wet sounds of his cock driving into your cum-slicked cunt echoing louder in the room. You lost count of how many times you came that night, each orgasm blurring into the next, your voice growing hoarse from crying out his name between broken sobs and whimpers.

At some point he turned you over again, pushing your chest down against the bed so your ass was raised high, your face buried in the sheets. He fucked you from behind with rough, relentless thrusts, one hand pressed firmly between your shoulder blades to keep you in place while the other gripped your hip hard enough to leave faint marks on your synthetic skin.

You were a trembling, overstimulated mess by the end, “No more... Kuni, no more..” you whimpered desperately, voice cracking as another wave threatened to crash over you.

He buried himself to the hilt one last time, groaning deeply as he came again, pulsing and flooding you with even more of his seed for what felt like the millionth time that night. Only then did he finally slow down.

He pulled out slowly, a thick trail of mixed cum dripping from your abused cunt onto the sheets. Your body collapsed fully onto the bed, exhausted and trembling, unable to hold yourself up any longer.

Kunikuzushi didn’t care about the mess. He simply gathered you into his arms, pulling your limp body against his chest and holding you close. His hand stroked gently down your back, fingers tracing the delicate joints along your spine.

“Sleep,” he whispered against the top of your head, voice softer now, almost tender.

You could still feel the warm stickiness between your thighs and the way his cum slowly leaked out of you, but his arms were secure and warm around you. 

“..it’s just us, right?” you asked quietly.

His hold tightened slightly.

“Yeah,” he said. “Just us.”

With your head tucked under his chin and his steady presence surrounding you, exhaustion finally won. Your eyes fluttered shut as you drifted off in his embrace.

──── ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ ────

The Beginning :

Waking up in an abandoned toy store with the only faint memories of your maker were your first moment in Gotham city, the rain was hitting the windows while you tried to get your bearings and get down from the shelf you were on.

After falling down the shelf, you took a look around and noticed you were surrounded by toys in various state of disrepair or in serious need of cleaning. It’s as if whoever made you simply left you there but didn’t bother cleaning the rest.

You tried making some noise, maybe whoever left you here was in another room, a faint but foolish hope as it soon became clear that you were completely alone.

It saddened you to be honest, why make a toy and give them life somehow only to leave them alone ? Who could do that ? And why ?

You were too afraid to go outside yet as the cars and people looked scary enough for you so in the meantime you made yourself at home in the toy store and even found an outfit for you to wear ! A beautiful red and black dress with some flowers and even an umbrella.

With the perfect outfit in hand, you started learning how to speak and write using an old radio to listen to people and going out at night to find some journals to practice reading and writing.

Soon you mastered all of that ! You didn’t like your voice too much but your writing was very elegant, in all modesty it was the best in Gotham.

On a cloudy night you left the store for the first time and explored the city, or at least the block you were living in. The city felt very gloomy and depressing “who could live here ?” you asked to no one.

“Foolish people… or those with nothing left to lose.” a tired voice answered, you nearly screamed at the sudden voice but decided to speak to him more, after all he wasn’t scared of you even if you were a living doll.

He told you much of this dreary city, it’s inhabitants, heroes and villains, the daily struggle of it’s people and that you were too hopeful, too optimistic but he smiled and told you to always be yourself.

You offered him a spot in the store to live with you and he seemed surprised for a moment, kindness ? In this city ? You met him barely moments ago and you were already helping him.

His name was Joel, down on his luck after being fired from his job and owing money to the wrong people, you had none to give to him but a warm (and dusty) place to sleep in was more than enough.

As a thank you he taught you how to brush your hair since he laughed when he saw it the first time, it looked like a hurricane went through your hair. A small token of appreciation that meant the world to you.

You still remember this day, he sat you down in the bathroom in front of the mirror and taught you how to brush your hair, for him it was nothing but to you ? It meant everything.

The first time someone did something for you and you never forgot it, he was your first friend after all.

That’s how he came to tell you more about the people whom he owed money to, The Penguin and his goons. You were more fascinated by his tale than afraid and you soon declared you wanted to work for him.

Genius idea right ? Work for a known criminal and make money, however Joel wasn’t too keen on it. He didn’t want you to put yourself in danger because of him and another part of him didn’t think you could achieve much as a Doll, you were a curiosity and that was all.

What a beautiful little human you are. Needs a mask to survive, oww... Why were you even there? Cute little creature... looking so lost and scared. What a vulnerable, delicate pet! They all love you so, so much, you can be sure of that. So stop crying, it doesn't suit you. There's no point in you crying and begging for them to take you home. There's no way they can understand you unless you don't speak English or Na'vi. They love it when you speak, since they don't understand whether you curse or beg. All they hear is your sweet voice and weird words.

It doesn't make any difference if you speak English anyway. They just sush you immediately. Neytiri and Jake give you some gentle punishments if you happen to curse. Doesn't matter if one of the kids snitches on you or you curse directly to their face. They're afraid of hurting you, but they scare you by getting angry and hissing. Grabbing your tiny little arm and squeezing it or putting you somewhere high and not taking you down until you apologize works fine. Maybe some spanks on your butt too. But the whole "gentle" process is scary enough for you.

Neteyam punishes you by himself too. Since he sees himself as the responsible one and he's the oldest brother, he takes it as his duty to take care of you. He already gets orders from his father to keep an eye on his siblings and you, but he has this weird urge to make sure that you're bring a good girl. He's not the one who snitches on you, but he blackmails you, telling you to obey what he says or he'll tell his dad. He never gives you away, though. But you fall for that every time, how amusing. He lectures you in a serious tone and explains why you're not allowed to curse. Then he gives you a punishment like his father does to him. "No more speaking for the rest of the day, understood?" He needs to see if you behave. It's important for him to know that you see him as an authoritative figure. He wants to have an authority over you like his parents have over you and them.

Jake knows that some humans are weak in nature and they get scared very often, especially the little ones like you. After Jake tells Neytiri that you need some belongings in order to feel safe and it's just how human brain works, Neytiri refuses him to go and grab some for you. She wants to make them by herself, even though the concept of it is strange for her. Needing to cover yourself so you can feel safe and protected? She can hold you in her arms! Even though she can't understand, she makes a nonfunctional blanket. She wants to see you feel safe around "her" craft. After all, you need to feel safe around your new family and only around them. You belong to them, what do you mean you need outside belongings in order to feel safe? Isn't your family enough?

Jake finds a way to provide some of your human wants and needs anyway. And he knows that you have to stay in the base regularly. Humans can't just live outside constantly. He knows he can trust Spider for keeping you safe and "secured". Jake discusses this with Neytiri, the kids talk to their mom and make her see your point. She wants you with her all the time, it's so painful to let you go. But she eventually accepts, since all she wants is for you to stay with them without causing any troubles, and of course, for you to be happy and healthy. Neytiri also builds a nest for you because apparently it's necessary for your emotional comfort and Jake, of course, makes some "small" changes. Neytiri is not happy about them but again, Jake knows humans better than anyone else.

The family just want to fill your growling tummy with lots of delicious human-friendly food, hold you in their arms, pet your soft little body, tuck you in a handmade blanket (not actually warm since Pandora is hot enough) and give you a handmade stuffed animal or something because for them, it's highly possible that you get scared. Sometimes Tuk tells her mom that you're so timid. Kiri says you're so quiet. Lo'ak argues that you need to leave your nest more often and join him to explore the world around you. Neteyam thinks you're not capable of taking care of yourself and you need protection, that's why you should stay in your nest. Spider supports Lo'ak, but he knows you'll check every oportunity to run. He thinks Lo'ak would trust you too much and leave you alone for a while or stop watching you. He would never do that.

Neytiri washes you personally. She can do it in front of anyone, doesn't matter. You're her baby and you can't do it on your own. You're just so weak and... it's so complex for you. It's not something to be scared of, why are you crying? Why are your cheeks get red everytime? Maybe she needs Jake to help. If he's not around Kiri, Neteyam or Lo'ak can help their mom very well. It's not their first time holding you in their arms while Neytiri washes you. You just need someone to hold you, right? "Shh... Just breathe, just breathe..." They say while their mom cleans you.

You don't wear human clothes. Neytiri covers your private areas similar to theirs. Similar to Spider, but you wear special materials. She doesn't understand why you make a fuss when she makes you wear them. "Kiri! Hold her." Kiri totally ignores how naked you are and pulls you in her lap after sitting on the ground. "Shh... It's okay." She whispers into your ear while her mother holds your leg. "Neteyam, bring her... MaJake, what was it called?" You scream and try to kick her but she hisses and makes you whimper. "It's pacifier, baby."

But she understands why you make a fuss when Spider tries to paint your body like his. Although she'd like to see you as one of them, she doesn't like Spider a bit. She looks at Jake. "I don't want him around my baby, he belongs with his own kind." Then she hisses at Spider, wanting to grab you, but Lo'ak defends him. He stands between Spider and his mom, trying to convince her. "No, no! It was my idea. She'll look so cute in blue, trust me." Then Tuk says. "Pleaseee!" Neytiri doesn't want to upset her kids and lets Spider to paint you, only to wash you afterwards.

Spider is a human born, yes, but mentally this guy's a true Na'vi. You were excited to see him for the first time, hoping he'd help you out of this messed up situation. But he came out as sick as the others. He's feral, he paints himself, he covers only one part of his body, he hisses... Human body, Na'vi mind. You're so shocked about it. Why would anyone do this willingly? Why would he want to be one of them? Did they brainwash him? No, no... He was sick already!

You're just beyond upset because you were so close to escape when you met this crazy family. While running around, you saw Spider and you thought you could trust him. He's a human, after all. Instead of keep running, you stopped and let him grasp your arms. You thought he was just worried because you were crying. You ignored his tight grip. You begged him to save you. "Hey, hey... Don't cry, okay? I'll help you. C'mon, this way!" Then he brought you to his "brother" Lo'ak. You've never felt so betrayed before. Apparently Spider was looking for you with the rest of the family. "Thanks bro!" Lo'ak said and wrapped one of his arms around you, while the other went to his neck. "Devil Dog, Devil Dog, this is Eagle Eye, over." ... "Spider found her, she's with me."

Jake was also a human once, but it was a very long time ago. He feels like he's born and raised in Pandora. He sees himself as one of them, not a human. His human life wasn't... well, perfect. Even though he was lost and didn't know who he was before, he later found his true purpose. "A father protects. It's what gives him meaning." You are his family too, except... you're more like a little pet to him. He doesn't see you as a fellow human or an equal. You're just one of the sky people, except you're innocent and naive. You could never hurt even the smallest flower. That's why he wants to protect you. He wants to protect your pure heart and pure mind.

And that's why Eywa loves you too. Everyone is aware of that Eywa watches over you. They know it since the first time they saw you. They witness it every time woodsprites lay on you. But especially Kiri, she can almost feel that Eywa loves you. She can't explain it, she just knows it. It makes Kiri push closer to you, she can feel the bond between you getting stronger because of this. Kiri loves to show you the world through her eyes. She wants you to see and feel Eywa the way she does. Expect a lot of spirutal trips with her. You want to run while she lays down and zooms out, but Spider always comes with you to keep an eye on you.

Kiri is the spiritual one, you coded her like that. She always says something about Eywa whenever she's with you. You can relax a little around her since she doesn't tire you. All she wants is for you to listen. She takes your tiny hand and place it on your heart. "Close your eyes." Then she keeps talking and explaining the world around you. You often fall asleep with her. Then one of them carries you to your nest.

Lo'ak is the careless one, at least, to an extent. He's also your chance to escape. He often tries to steal you from them and take you with him. "We're gonna have so much fun together." Sometimes you go to him and pull his arm, pointing the forest. You want to go very often. Spider, of course knows what's happening unlike Lo'ak. You wanna go alone and get mad whenever Spider or someone else wants to join. You try to push Spider and yell. "Whoa, whoa... Calm down. It's not gonna happen."

Tuk is the tiring one. She just wants to play with you all the time. Please jump around with her and play like her age. When you sit and do nothing, which happens all the time, she complains. "C'monnn, get up! Why are you doing this?" She pulls your arm and makes you stand up, but you sit back and turn around. You're so stubborn.

Neteyam is the responsible one, you can say. He's always around and always checking on you and his siblings. Partly because his father demands it, but mostly because he wants to do it. But you notice him paying exta attention to you. He often gives you some food and kneels, watches you as you slowly bite it and look at his eyes. He expects a thank you and you give him. He thought you how to act in certain situations. He loves to pet your head and smile. "Let's lay down together. You can sleep on my chest."

Neytiri is the possessive one. She's already very protective of her family and she's extremely jealous of you. You're like her adoptive child, but not quite like Kiri. She sees Kiri as an intelligent being and equal to her children. You're totally like a reactive human... doll or something. She literally treats you like a brainless pet and she makes you feel like you don't have any capacity of thinking by yourself. You hate it so much. She expands her arms and nearly babytalks to you while smiling. "Come, my baby. Come to me."

Jake is the leader in your eyes. You notice how he leads his family. He knows how to be strategic and how to make a move. After all, he was a marine. Neytiri wants to attack right away, but Jake stops her and explains why they should wait or do something else. And he shows his leader side by wanting to make sure you have everything. Is your nest comfortable for a human? Are you healthy for a human? How much do you sleep? He makes sure that you meet your human needs. He places you in his lap and checks your body to see if there's any injuries. He touches it gently and examines every part of your body. You yelp and struggle in his arms. "Shh... easy, baby girl. We're so grumpy today, huh?"

Spider technically isn't family, but... he is actually. Neytiri hates dislikes him, Neteyam has his own priorities, Jake has other stuff to think about and Tuk simply couldn't care less. That's all. This situation doesn't seem to bother him, though. He just wants to hang out with Lo'ak and Kiri. And you. He's the watcher. Always, always makes sure that you're not running away. You hate him. "Hey, where are you going?"

Chuuya

You were a present from Mori to Chuuya. He isn’t entirely sure where Mori got you. And he doesn’t really want to know.

Mori wrapped you up in a box, and when Chuuya opened it he was pissed. Event though you don’t need air, sleep, or food to be healthy.. He was still pissed. It’s not humane to just cage someone up.

He set up your own room at his penthouse. Plenty of clean blankets and comfy pillows.

It took awhile for Chuuya to warm up to you. The situation was pretty weird..

Once he did, he spoiled you a ton.

He noticed you were pretty much a little kid in terms of understanding the world. But you were learning pretty fast.

Chuuya’s ability did not help with your basic understanding of physics.

Like when you were just understanding the concept of gravity— You were totally perplexed. How do something’s fall but others float?!

He had to stop using his ability at home for a little while because it confused you so much.

But you get smarter everyday! So there’s that.

You’re actually pretty helpful for organizing and taking notes and keeping track of time and stuff. Almost like an assistant.

Dazai

The agency shut down an illegal trafficking ring and had come into possession of you.. Most of the traffickees were real human people. But you weren’t.

There wasn’t exactly anyone you could go home to.

Dazai volunteered to look after you, and it took a lot, a lot of convincing..

He let you take his bed for the first few days and he would sleep on his futon in the living room.

That was until he realized that you don’t sleep. Or eat. Or breathe. Huh. Weird.

When he realized you don’t need to sleep he reclaimed his bed. But he didn’t necessarily kick you out of it either.

You kind of just stared at him as he fell asleep. It was weird but it helped him fall asleep somehow.

The two of you just kind of naturally bonded from being around each-other so much.

Since it’s kind of just in your nature to be helpful you end up doing a lot of his reports for him and tidying up his abysmally dirty apartment.

Kunikida got really really fucking mad at him for having a literal protected witness do his work for him.

So Dazai had to literally pry his documents out of your hands after that.

Have you ever tried to take a toy out of a determined childs hands? It’s difficult like that.

But yeah, overall he’s decent to you.

Fyodor

He used the book to create you, so you exist purely in his vision.

He probably created you to be perfectly obedient, and to echo his goals. You definitely hate the agency, you definitely hate ability users, (except for Fyodor.. and maybe Nikolai.) And you most definitely hate Dazai.

He uses the fact you’re not human to manipulate you. He’d convince you the agency would lock you up and hurt you.

You of course blindly believe him. You take comfort in his ‘honesty.’

You help him with his plans, and work. You help him organize his documents, finalize his plans, keep track of what’s happening, etc.

You enjoy listening to him tell you stories of what the world is like, and listening to him play the cello.

You probably beg with puppy eyes for him to teach you. He says maybe some other time.

He treats you pretty well, but he’s also pretty manipulative. But that’s the best you’re gonna get out of Fyodor, honestly.

Ayatsuji

He built you. He used one of the abilities of a criminal he had to kill to bring you to life.

He was surprised by how fast you learned pretty much everything. At first you were like a kitten. You looked at everything with these big curious eyes, and followed Ayatsuji pretty much everywhere.

Even though you don’t have to eat or sleep, he makes sure you do.

Despite how cold and blunt he is to everyone, he’s pretty nice to you. One, because you’re a doll and he’s absolutely enamored with dolls. And two, he can actually trust you.

The number of people he can trust is a very slim pool. So having you, someone he knows he can 100% trust, because he knows literally everywhere you go and have gone, helps a lot.

He treats you very well. He hand makes all your clothes, shoes, accessories.. etc.

He makes sure you have hobbies and something to do while he’s at work. He doesn’t want you going stir crazy while he’s at work.

He also shows you how to take care of the cats while he’s at work.

When he comes home he has two kittens running up to him at the door; and a living doll.