#various x reader

"Mr. Iguro?"

The black-haired man jolted a bit at his name being called out. He quickly turned so that he had his back to her, not wanting to see her pretty face. But after another long moment of silence, he spoke, "L/n... how are your injuries?"

"Huh?" Y/n tilted her head in confusion, not that the Serpent Hashira could see it.

"I heard about the train. And that you were in a coma for a few weeks. How are your injuries?"

Y/n smiled, "They're fine! Shinobu just wants to observe me for the next week to see how my condition is. It's very kind of you to ask, Mr. Iguro!"

He went quiet again, but this time he actually turned to face her.

Iguro didn't want to admit it, but ever since he saw her at the Hashira meeting, she'd occupied his thoughts. And now she was smiling at him. It just might be too much for him to handle.

His eyes darted around the room, looking anywhere but her face, when they landed on the nightstand, where her broken hairpin was.

"Is that yours?"

Y/n gave a sorrowful smile, "Yeah, it is... apparently one of the Kakushi found it on the ground after the battle. I don't think it can be repaired..."

He went quiet again. Then, finally, he spoke, "Feel better soon." He then wordlessly left. Going in the opposite direction that Shinobu was in.

She was about to say something about it, but decided to leave it.

| A Few Hours Later |

A knock was heard at her door. Kanao walked through the frame, carrying something behind her back.

"Oh, Kanao! It's good to see you!" Y/n smiled up at her from the bed.

Kanao's cheeks flushed a bit, now nervous about giving Y/n the gift she had bought earlier.

"It's good to see you, too, Y/n." A faint smile crossed her lips, "I'm sorry about your hairpin. I know this won't be able to replace it, but...!"

The tsuguko quickly shoved a small piece of jewelry into Y/n's hands, "I hope you like it... If you don't, I can try to find another one."

Y/n looked down at her hands. In them was a small bracelet, one with cute little butterfly charms hooked onto the metal ring with f/c beads in between.

"Kanao... it's...!"

The black-haired girl looked a little ashamed, her glance sweeping to the side, "I don't know if you like butterflies, but-"

"I love it." Y/n smiled at Kanao, "This was really thoughtful of you. Now, every time I wear it, I can think of you, Shinobu, Aoi, and the others here."

Her cheeks turned a bit pinker. This really wasn't like her. She never felt so weird giving someone a gift. Y/n was a friend, right? Friends give each other gifts all the time... so why did this feel strange?

"Kanao, are you alright?"

"Yes... Sorry, I hope you have a good rest of your day, Y/n." She quickly made her escape. Kanao seriously had to figure out why Y/n made her heart beat so fast.

After Kanao left, Y/n stared at the empty doorway, a little shocked by the sudden appearance and disappearance. But then she glanced down at the bracelet in her palms.

She smiled at it, carefully putting on the piece of jewelry and smiling even wider as the charms caught a bit of the light coming from the window.

The next day was a bit weird.

Zenitsu was practically dangling from her side.

Inosuke kept hounding her about going to the garden for some reason.

And Tanjiro was doing his best to mediate between the two boys.

All while Y/n was fighting a major headache. She's had it since she woke up that morning. When she consulted Shinobu about it, she simply told her to drink as much water as possible and that the cause was most likely dehydration.

So here she was, sitting on her bed with a gourd in her lap, Zenitsu and Inosuke fighting about who would take Y/n to the garden, and Tanjiro trying to stop them from brawling.

As she was taking a sip, her eyes widened at the sight of a figure in the doorway.

There was the Serpent Hashira again! He stood quietly, taking in the scene of her with the three other boys.

The room went quiet at his presence. When his eyes caught sight of the boys, they narrowed a bit.

"L/n, hi."

She smiled at him, "Hello! Two days in a row, you must have something important happening with Shinobu, huh?"

Iguro tensed a bit but then relaxed after a brief moment, "Not today. I have something for you, actually."

Y/n looked a bit confused, but she brightened as he pulled something out of his haori sleeve.

It was a hairpin! A pretty silver one with a swirling design, he held it out to her and let her take it.

"It's beautiful! Thank you so much!"

While this exchange was going on, the three boys were watching in astonishment.

A single thought was going through all of their minds:

Since when has Y/n gotten so friendly with the Serpent Hashira!? Why is he giving her a gift like that!?

Zenitsu was the first to speak up, "Why are you giving Y/n gifts!? Who said you could do that!? We'll be married soon, Homewrecker!"

Iguro seemed a bit annoyed with the blond, and so did Tanjiro and Inosuke.

"Zenitsu, please, calm down..." Y/n smiled at him, "We've only known each other for so long, don't you think it would be weird if we got married so quickly?"

Zenitsu flailed his arms around a bit in protest, "Not at all! You're my true love, Y/n-chan! It's not weird! Not one bit!"

Inosuke decided at that moment to punch Zenitsu in the back of the head, "Stop trying to steal my right-hand woman! I'm the boss, so she's with me, got it!?"

Y/n sighed. Ever since he woke up on the train, he had been referring to her as his right-hand woman, which she wasn't exactly sure what to make of.

Tanjiro put a finger to his lips. He spoke with a bit of a quieter tone, "You guys, let's quiet down, yeah? We don't want to make Y/n's headache worse."

The h/c haired girl smiled gratefully, "Thanks, Tanjiro."

Iguro glared a bit at the boy; the way Y/n was smiling at him gave the Hashira a small pit in the middle of his stomach.

Y/n turned back to the black-haired man, "Thank you again for the hairpin, Mr. Iguro! It's very beautiful!" This time her smile was directed at him, and the pit went away.

"It's no big deal. Let me know if it breaks, alright? If it does, I'll buy you another one."

The girl was about to respond, but Zenitsu cut her off.

"Don't get so cozy with Y/n-chan! I'm the only one who should be buying her things!"

Y/n silently shook her head as Zenitsu glared at the Hashira.

She took another small sip from her gourd, grinning after she placed it back in her crossed lap, "How about we all go to the garden? It's a nice day out."

Iguro's eyes brightened a bit, but they dimmed again after a fleeting glance to the other boys, "I have business to attend to, but maybe some other time."

Y/n smiled at him, "Sounds good to me, I'll see you around then."

He nodded and quickly left the room.

Silence stood between the four of them, but Y/n broke the brief bit of quiet, "Let's head to the garden, I think some fresh air would be nice." She made a move to get up, but Tanjiro was faster

He offered her his hand to help her from her position, "Don't rush yourself, Y/n, Shinobu wanted you to take it easy, you can lean on me if you need to."

Zenitsu huffed at Tanjiro's words, "She could lean on me, too!"

Inosuke shouted, an expression of irritation morphing onto his boar mask, "Why would she lean on you two when the boss is right here!?"

Y/n sighed, taking Tanjiro's hand and standing up, albeit a little wobbly. 

"I'll be fine, you guys, don't worry so much." Y/n gave the trio a reassuring grin, then walked toward the door and out to the engawa of the Butterfly Mansion.

When they were all settled, it became a lot more peaceful. The butterflies drifting across the breeze gave a calming effect, quieting everyone with their gentle fluttering.

And even after a few arguments came and went, it was nice to just spend time with the three boys. 

But something wasn't right. Her headache wasn't improving whatsoever; in fact, it was worsening. 

She felt like she was forgetting something, something important. Y/n looked down at the gourd in her lap, focusing on what it could possibly be.

Back before she woke up... a voice... a face? Something so familiar and close...

Her expression must have been grim since Tanjiro had gently placed his calloused hand on her shoulder, asking if she was alright.

Yet his voice sounded so hollow, like he was far away. She glanced up to see his face, but the world seemed to spin. 

With a sudden ringing in her ears, the colors of the world twisting in her vision, and the nausea-inducing way her head was pounding...

And in that instant, the memory of her old home came back. The woman who looked just like her. Her ancestor. And her mother. 

Then... Psyche. The technique they talked about... it all flooded into her mind.

The forms, the movements, her thoughts were overtaken by the sheer amount of information. 

She blinked, and the world seemed normal again.

Tanjiro still had his hand on her shoulder. He asked something, but she couldn't quite hear.

"Wh-what was that?"

"Are you alright? You seem out of it, Y/n."

Y/n blankly stared, thoughts coming together again, a smile formed on her lips, "I'm fine, Tanjiro. I was just..."

She glanced down at the gourd in her lap, "I should get a refill, I think the water's helping my headache."

Zenitsu stood up in a flash, taking the gourd and running off with a pleased grin, "I'll fill it for you, Y/n-chan! Just wait here!"

Inosuke ran after him, "No, I'll do it! You're too weak!"

That left just Y/n and Tanjiro on the engawa. Y/n giggled at their sheer enthusiasm.

Tanjiro still had a worried expression on his face, "Y/n, are you sure you're okay?"

She turned to him, e/c eyes meeting his dark maroon ones, "I feel great, Tanjiro. In fact, I'm... I'm happy."

His worried look was replaced by one of confusion, "H-happy?"

Y/n laughed, "I feel like I'm making progress, ya know? I think I want to start training tomorrow."

Tanjiro's mouth fell open, "But your injuries are-"

"Perfectly fine. Really, Tanjiro, I'm good." She tilted her head as she grinned, "You and everyone else here make healing a lot easier, so as long as you're all by my side, I'll be in top shape in no time."

He stared at her, searching her features for any sign of pain or hesitancy. Then he sniffed the air a bit; all he could smell was a certain calm and ease from Y/n, reminding him of the time before they became demon slayers. A smile slowly came across his lips, "If you're sure... then I'll join you."

Quietness overtook them, with something gnawing in the back of Tanjiro's mind. 

So Tanjiro took his hand in hers, opening his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

It was only a few moments later that he spoke, "And I... I won't let this happen again. I won't let you get hurt like before." His smile got wider, "For you, for Nezuko, and everyone, I'll get stronger."

Y/n smiled in return, eyes softening, a comfortable silence now brewing between the pair.

Tanjiro stared into Y/n's eyes, thoughts swarming, heart beating ever so slightly faster, he was about to break the bit of silence with three simple words, but was interrupted by a shout from Zenitsu and Inosuke.

"WE GOT THE WATER!!! DRINK UP, DRINK UP!"

He could only sigh in response while Y/n was given the gourd from the other two. It wouldn't have been the right time to say it anyway; there was so much to do before it'd even be close to the right time.

Tanjiro could wait. He'd wait for her for as long as it takes.

.

.

.

TO BE CONTINUED

Taisho Whispers and Rumors

Obani spent three hours picking out the hairpin; it has a swirling design like a serpent

Kanao spent two hours looking for the bracelet in the market; she ended up making it herself (That took one hour)

Dante - Embarrassed & Calls You Out

“It’s so hot out here!”

Your eyes snap over to Dante as the words leave his lips. You’re about to make a retort about the humidity and whatnot, but you’re blindsided by the sight before you.

In a rush to relieve himself from the heat, you watch as Dante grabs the neckline of his sweater and pulls it over his head. In his rush, however, the boy fails to realise he’s grabbed the edge of his shirt until it’s already been pulled from his body.

You silently stare at the boy as he awkwardly fumbles around with his partially-removed clothes. He’s just managed to separate the collar of his shirt from his sweater when his eyes suddenly dart around and- whoops!

He caught you.

“Hey!” With his arms still pulled through the sleeve of his sweater, Dante attempts to shield his bare torso from your gaze. It doesn’t hide the flushed expression though. “Stop staring at me!”

Nervous laughter bubbles up in your chest as you awkwardly avert your gaze. 

“Don’t laugh at me!” The boy huffs.

“I’m not laughing at you!” You quip in retort.

“Then what are you laughing at, huh?”

You pause for a moment, the image of Dante’s torso still floating around in your mind. He takes good care of his body, that much is clear, but you don’t think he wants to hear that right now. Instead, you shake your head. “Nothing.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Travis - Embarrassed & Doesn’t Call You Out

You don’t usually find yourself sitting at Dante and Travis’ dining room table, but you’ve learned not to question Aphmau when she sends you to retrieve ‘super-secret-amazon-deliveries’ from Dante. In reality you know she just wants to surprise Aaron with a gift, but you don’t understand why she’s chosen Dante as her dealer.

Either way, you’re stuck waiting as Dante rummages around in the basement.

You bide your time by scrolling one of the several social media apps on your phone, but the sound of stomping feet suddenly catches your attention. 

You’re not scared since you saw Travis’ car in the driveway, but you’re surprised by how quickly he descends the stairs. And, wait, is he running down the stairs with wet feet?

“Dante!” Travis calls as he descends down the stairs. “Dude, I found your-”

Travis stops at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes locked on your figure at the dining table. You, on the other hand, can only notice how the boy is half-soaked and practically naked.

Your eyes flit between the boy’s exposed torso and the towel that’s loosely draped around his waist. “Hey Travis…” You start. Trying, and failing, to look away from Travis, you awkwardly wave at the boy.

It seems like the sound of your voice is enough to make Travis snap out of his momentary trance as he retreats back upstairs.

His footsteps make it halfway up the stairs before approaching the bottom once again. As if hesitating to face you, Travis hesitates.

“Can you tell Dante I found his hair gel?” The boy asks, though he stays hidden from your gaze.

You hum to yourself, partially amused, before replying. “Sure thing.”

Once you give your reply, the boy retreats for good. It’s almost a shame how quickly he fled. You never would’ve been able to guess that Travis had a sleeper build.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Jeffory - Nonchalant & Calls You Out

You haven’t been going to the gym with Jeffory for a long time, but you’ve gone enough to be surprised by his commitment to sweaters. There’s nothing wrong with wearing a sweater while you work out, but at this point you’ve started to grow curious about what lies beneath.

Yes, you know that you could just ask Jeffory to take his sweater off but that would require a level of shamelessness you have yet to acquire. That being said, you’ve come up with a plan.

Just as your companion is finishing his final few sets, you stand off to the side by the mirror wall.

“All done?” You only glance over at Jeffory as you ask him the question.

You can hear your companion quietly grunt as he places his dumbbell back on the shelf. As soon as you know he’s looking, you flex in the mirror and take a photo of yourself.

Jeffory walks over and leaves a respectable amount of space between him and yourself; exactly what you’d expect from him. “Looking good!” Jeffory compliments you so earnestly.

“Thanks… I’m sure you look better, though…” As you meet the boy’s gaze in the mirror, you’re suddenly unsure of yourself. As a matter of fact, whose bright idea was this, anyway? Getting Jeffory to strip by comparing physiques? That’s never going to happen!

A nervous laugh bubbles up in your chest as you reach for your sweater.

As you start to pull your arms through the fabric of your sweater, you suddenly hear the sound of fabric hitting the floor. You’re pretty sure that can only mean one thing!

Your head snaps around to Jeffory but you’re taken by surprise. Not because of his physique, but because, as it turns out, Jeffory doesn’t wear a shirt under his sweater!

“Jeffory!” The boy’s name slips out unceremoniously.

The boy glances back at you with those green eyes of his before smiling. “I’ve recently started cutting.” He replies. “Juding from your reaction, I assume it’s going well?”

With no thought spared to pick your jaw up off the floor, you nod. “Respectfully, it’s going very well.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Garroth - Nonchalant & Doesn’t Call You Out

As the summer heat begins to wear you down, your only saving grace is the thought of cooling off in your neighbour’s pool. The boys have allowed you, as well as the majority of your friends, the liberty of using their pool. All they have to do is send a text first.

You, of course, sent a text as soon as you saw the heat warning pop up on your phone. You’re pretty mindful not to come too often. You may have the OK, but you’re not one to push your luck.

That being said, you didn’t expect to find a floating body face-down in the pool when you arrived.

“Garroth?” You nearly drop your phone as you run to the edge of the pool. “Garroth?! Are you okay?! What are you-”

You’re cut off as the blonde boy suddenly flips his head to look up at you. “Hey! You finally made it!”

“I finally made it?” The relief and irritation slip out at the same time. “Garroth, why were you floating in the pool face down? I thought you were dead!”

The boy gives you a strange look before shaking his head. “I was seeing how long I could hold my breath!” He explains. “I almost made it to a full minute.”

Finally feeling your adrenaline start to subside, you can’t help but laugh. “You’re such a dork.”

“Hey!” Garroth frowns as he swims to the edge of the pool. He stops right beside you. “Is that any way to talk to the person whose pool you’re about to swim in?”

“No, but I…”

The two of you lock eyes for a moment but it doesn’t last long. As Garroth pulls himself out of the pool, your eyes drift down to his exposed chest.

Gosh, you feel like such a pervert as you watch the water roll off of Garroth’s body, but you also can’t seem to pull your eyes away. Even as the boy follows your gaze down to his body, you can’t find the decency to at least pretend you’re not gawking at his body.

Garroth smiles at you, perhaps knowingly, as he walks by. You try to distract yourself by walking over to a lounge chair, but the real distraction comes when you glance back to see Garroth’s back on full display.

It probably wouldn’t hurt to swing by the pool more often.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Laurance - Plays It Up & Calls You Out

“Take that, soccer boy!” You stick your tongue out at the boy. “You owe me push-ups, loser.”

Though Laurance pouts, the coy tone he takes gives his true feelings away. “Hey! I only lost because you distracted me!” He argues on the brink of his own laughter. “How about double or nothing?”

You laugh and shake your head. “That was the double or nothing round. You don’t get two double or nothings.”

“Can’t you let me skip out on the punishment? It’s so hot out here!”

“Not a chance. Pay up.”

Laurance sighs dramatically as he gets down on his knees. Before he gets down on his hands, however, he looks up with that cheeky grin of his. “Not even if I beg?”

“Not even if you cried.”

The boy holds your gaze for a beat longer before uttering “fine.” As soon as he does, the boy gets down on the ground and begins doing his penalty push-ups. About half way though you can visibly see the boy beginning to struggle.

“You don’t have to do them all at once.” You comment, though it seems like he takes your comment as a challenge instead of a suggestion.

“No way…” Laurance utters breathlessly. “...I may have lost, but I’m no loser.”

Just as you’re about to make another retort, Laurance gets up just long enough to pull off his shirt before returning to his push-ups.

Damn, is it just you or is Laurance secretly built? Like, he has a really nicely defined body beneath that shirt of his.

In the middle of all your admiration, you catch the boy’s eyes as he reaches the peak of current rep. On impulse you nearly look away, but the boy, in all his glory, prevents you from turning away by calling your name.

“Don’t you want to make sure I do all my push-ups?” Laurance makes a show of every push-up now; giving a low grunt with every rep before peeking up to catch your gaze. Every time he looks up, you can see that grin of his growing wider.

Since that’s the way he wants to play, you’ll play too. But you’re not gonna go easy on him. Oh no, not a chance. You’re a winner, after all.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Blaze - Plays It Up & Doesn’t Call You Out

You look up at the address of the building and cross-reference the address to the one Blaze sent you. It’s the same alright. You’d think a construction worker would be working outside but the boy is nowhere in sight!

You already tried to call him and no one can tell you where he is. Didn’t he say he’d meet you at the front doors?

Just as you’re lamenting the loss of your thirty minute break, you catch sight of the boy approaching you. He’s a bit far away but Blaze is pretty hard to miss when he’s wearing his high-visibility vest.

You can tell he’s noticed you, too, since his ears begin to perk.

“You really came! Does that mean you bought me lunch?!” The boy practically runs over to you with his tail wagging.

You roll your eyes and attempt to feign annoyance - though perhaps a part of you isn’t feigning. “Yes, I did. You’re welcome.” You hold the bag out for Blaze to take and he takes it graciously.

“Heck yeah! My favourites!” The boy immediately grabs the Powerade you bought and slams back about half the bottle. In drinking so quickly, however, the drink begins to spill down the corner of his lips and down his neck.

“Your drink isn’t going anywhere.” You comment, your eyes unconsciously trailing after the liquid that’s trickled down beneath his vest. “I, on the other hand, am-” 

Your train of thought is abruptly derailed when your eyes catch sight of the boy’s exposed torso beneath his vest. Surely it’s against health and safety to be shirtless while outside, right? I mean, being exposed to the sun is the leading cause of skin cancer! And it would be such a shame if his abs- no! I mean, if your friend got skin cancer!

You look up at Blaze only to see him staring at you. Yet despite being caught, the boy simply hands you his Powerade and opens up his vest.

“It’s so humid outside.” He yawns while stretching his arms above his head. “I’m getting too hot.”

Catching the slight grin tugging on the boy’s lips, you simply utter a quiet “you already are.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Vylad - Teases You & Calls You Out

“I told you not to jump across the stream.” Says Vylad as he gently presses his fingers against your already swollen ankle. “Does it hurt?”

Though you don’t immediately reply, you’re pretty sure the wince that slipped out was more than enough for Vylad to understand the current state of your ankle. At least, you’re pretty sure that’s the case. He dove into his bag pretty quickly after touching your ankle.

You watch curiously as Vylad rummages around for something or other. Of all the things he could’ve pulled, you’re surprised to see an instant-cold pack in his hand.

“Oh no…” You groan, not bothering to hide the embarrassment in your tone. “Don’t tell me you anticipated that something like this would happen.”

Vylad shakes his head. “No, I didn’t. I just like being ready for anything.” The boy looks up at you for a moment, his smile soft and warm, before gesturing for you to hold the cool pack against your ankle.

You comply with the boy’s silent request and watch him dig around in his bag. “What’re you looking for now?” You wonder.

“Something to keep the cold-pack against your ankle.” Vylad replies. “It’s only going to get hotter outside. If we’re out here for too long, we might get heat stroke. And considering the current state of your ankle, It’ll probably be better if I just carry you to the car.”

“Would you like me to help you look?” You offer but Vylad shakes his head.

“No, it’s fine.” Despite what he says, the boy searches his bag with nothing to show. You didn’t even know his bag had so many pockets! When the boy eventually gives up, he turns his gaze to you in a way you could only describe as nervous. “You know I would only resort to this because I can’t find the gauze roll, right?”

Before you have a chance to inquire further, Vylad takes his shirt off.

Not to say you assumed to know what Vylad looked like beneath his shirt, but you can’t say you’re surprised. He’s not what you’d call buff, but he’s fit. You didn’t think all his hiking and yoga would provide the boy with a figure that’s, well, easy on the eyes.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” Vylad’s voice suddenly cuts through your thoughts and causes your gaze to snap up from his chest. “Oh good. You’re done staring.”

“What?!” You gasp. “I wasn’t staring!”

“Are you sure about that? Or are you too embarrassed to admit it?” Vylad smiles at your ever growing embarrassment. Thankfully, knowing the kind of person he is, Vylad doesn’t force you to sit in your flustered state for too long. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

“Wait, what about my ankle? Aren’t you going to tie the cool-pack to it?”

“I already did. Though, I guess you’d only know that if you weren’t staring at my-”

“Vylad!”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Gene - Teases You & Doesn’t Call You Out… Directly…

You lean against the white picket fence of your neighbour and stare down the driveway. You stay there for a little while, staring at the motorcycle laying down in the middle of the pavement. 

You’re 90% sure that’s Gene’s motorcycle, but why isn’t he around to claim it? Or at the very least, why isn’t anyone keeping an eye on it? If you were a lesser person, you would take it and hide it around the side of the house. Just a little scare, you know?

Seeing as no one’s around, you walk up to the vehicle to get a closer look. Just as you kneel down beside it, however, the front door to the house swings open.

On instinct you move to stand up but get distracted by the figure standing in the doorframe.

“Oh, hey.” Gene greets you as he draws near. “You checking out my ride?”

It takes a moment for the words to process in your head. You can’t say it’s your fault though. No, the fault would fall solely onto Gene and the fact that he’s emerged without a shirt on.

You try not to be indecent but you can’t help but notice the grease stains across the boy’s forearms, the towel that hangs across the boy’s shoulders and, oh, the fact that his entire torso is on display for everyone to see.

You blink and try to shake any indecent thoughts from your mind.

“It’s not like this is the first time I’m seeing your… motorcycle…” Your voice waivers as the boy kneels down right beside you. Though you only glance over for a moment, you catch the knowing grin that stretches across the boy’s face.

“You wanna take it for a ride?” Gene speaks a little quieter than before. “We can go right now if you’d like.”

“No thanks. I’m pretty sure neither of us are in proper motorcycle riding attire.” You attempt to play coy and roll your eyes, but that ends with you staring down at the boy’s exposed torso once again.

“Don’t worry.” Gene chuckles before shifting ever so slightly. “I promise I’ll be gentle.”

Feeling the boy’s gaze, you look up and suddenly realise Gene is staring right at you. “Perv.”

The grin on Gene’s face grows wider. “If I’m a pervert, what does that make you?”

“I’m just a girl. Can you blame me?” Knowing your face is already flushed, you give the boy a playful shove. “Besides, why go outside shirtless at all?”

“So I can get pretty girls like you to-”

-He taught you everything you needed to know and used you to get extra energon and scraps from unsuspecting passersby. No one could resist a helpless sparkling. Maybe not the morally right thing to do, but since you got stuff from the scams too, you didn’t complain. Your sire could have kept all of it to himself, giving you only enough not to starve.  

-Your adoptive sire was a scammer, sold things at high prices, and practiced medicine without a license. However, he was not the worst sire you could have had. He kept you fed, taught you how to survive, and even taught you some stuff about basic medicine. He wasn’t emotionally or physically abusive. Though he often said that once you were full-grown and could fend for yourself, he would be out of your life. 

-So you grew, learned to survive, did side hustles to earn some money, and became experienced enough to spot lies and dangers that could get you killed. You even adopted your adoptive sire’s habit of digging through trash bins and scrap yards for treasures you could sell or use to treat someone. 

-At the age of your teens, you had pretty much seen every place on Cybertron, the worst of society, and met bots, who were at the top of criminal wanted lists.

-Even though Gadget taught you not to be highly empathic, as it could make you an easy prey for exploitation. You never stopped feeling for the bots, who suffered under Cybertron’s system, wishing you could do something to ease their struggles. However, as you were technically just another lower-caste bot, with no power or influence, you kept it to yourself. You only helped when it was possible and brought no consequences, as the current society had made it impossible to do kind acts without getting killed because of it. 

-The only bots you were openly able to help were sparklings and some elderly bots. Thanks to Gadget teaching you some medicine, you were able to treat their basic injuries with scraps you found, though Gadget often complained about wasting good spare parts. The sparklings were fun to play with, and the elderly bots had good stories to tell since society paid no attention to them. 

-So, despite being a lower caste bot, your life wasn’t that bad. It was not how the bots in higher class lived, but you made the most of it. 

-Now, you were only a few days away from becoming a full-grown adult. You and your adoptive sire stuck around in a city, thinking about what you could do as an adult.  Despite what he said about leaving after your creation day – or the day he found you — Gadget actually stuck around and threw some suggestions what you could do for a career. Since you were technically already his apprentice, you could start trading together which could add more profit to the business.

-You told him that you have been thinking about going to medical school since you have already learned a lot from him. Gadget said that medical school was expensive and getting the license was not an easy task, thanks to society. That’s why he dropped out. If you were serious, you could just learn from other underground doctors and do it at a lower price.

-You shared that you wanted to help people and treat them for free, believing their right to healthcare shouldn’t be locked behind an impossible paywall. And you have actually been collecting money through donating your energon since those paid pretty well. 

-Your sire scolded you, saying that giving your energon to public donations could get you a profile and be tracked by the system. You reminded him that you used a fake name so you shouldn’t be too easily recognized. 

-He shook his helm and stated that it was still a foolish decision. 

-He then said he will be happy that you won’t be his problem anymore, and, surprisingly, gave you a metal wallet with a hefty sum of money. As a parting gift to help you get started with your new adult life. 

-He added that if you failed miserably or dropped out once you saw that medical school was impossible, you would be welcomed to become his business partner if things became desperate. 

-You only smiled and thanked him. Though he was a scammer and an illegal doctor, his spark wasn’t completely dim. 

-You then had a small celebration when your creation day came. Gadget brought you to a bar and allowed you to drink alcohol for the first time in your life. In his words, your introduction to one of the greatest pleasures in life and your best friend when you need to wallow in misery. He definitely took embarrassing pictures of you when you got drunk and experienced your first hangover the next morning. Of course, he denied it, but you decided to let him have it. 

-Little did you know, your adoptive sire was right, and that your energon donation side hustle would end up taking your life to a completely different direction. 

-Because the next day, after recovering from your hangover, you were collecting spare parts or scraps from trash bins. Suddenly, you were approached by law enforcers, asking if you were the person with your fake name. Like you were taught, you told them no, but when they showed a surveillance picture of you leaving the donation center. You ran for it. 

-They gave chase, and since you knew the streets, they struggled to keep up. When it looked like you were about to get away, more of them suddenly appeared out of nowhere. You were grabbed, put into handcuffs, and dragged along. 

-You immediately thrashed and yelled at them to let you go, as you hadn’t broken any laws. They didn’t let you go, and you were taken from the streets you knew. At that moment, you felt some fear in your spark, as anyone taken by law enforcement never returned

-Well, you didn’t end up before a court or in a rusty cell, accused of crimes the law enforces made up. But you were put into an empty room and kept in cuffs since you were being ‘difficult.’ You didn’t know what they wanted, and it made you scared, even though you didn’t show it. So, in that situation, you demanded a public defender. When they kept quiet, you began lightly kicking the table, making noise.

-When someone finally arrived, you demanded a public defender again or to be released, as you hadn’t broken any laws to your knowledge. This guy suddenly revealed that you were not being arrested and said your cuffs would be taken off if you agreed to cooperate.

-Begrudgingly, you agreed, and your servos were finally free from the cuffs. 

- You asked what you were brought in for then, and the guy then started explaining something about your energon results having been checked and that long ago, Forseti, the principle of Justice and son of Prima Prime, was murdered with his conjux and his heir had been missing for cycles. Your energon matches that lineage, and there was a high possibility that you were the long-lost heir of justice. 

-At that moment, the only reaction you could give them was to burst into laughter. 

”I knew you guys had a hobby of making things up so you could arrest people. But this is just ridiculous,” you said between the laughs. “Ever considered a career in comedy?” you asked with a grin. 

-Baffled, the guy insisted that he was telling the truth. 

“Yeah, sure. Then that means the psychiatrist downtown is Primus,” you replied.

-You then asked if the joke was over, and if you could go now. 

-But despite that, the guy was insistent, even showing you the energon results and how your CNA was a match with the supposed CNA of Forseti and his conjux. However, you were not buying it, claiming that CNA results can be fabricated.

-The guy looked tired, and then he said that there was one person who could prove to you that you were, in fact, the heir of justice. You were then brought to Iacon’s archives and met this old guy named Alpha Trion. 

-He said you shared some similarities with your grandsire Prima. You were honestly getting tired of this joke. The law officers told him you had a matching CNA, but you were insistent that you weren't who they thought you were. 

-From the corner of your optics, you noticed a red and blue bot who was watching the scene curiously. He was kinda cute if you were being honest. 

-Alpha Trion then said that there was one way to find out if you were truly Forseti’s long-lost sparkling. He suggested giving you the sacred treasure that belonged to Forseti, explaining that only those from the principle of Justice’s lineage can activate it. If it activates in your servos, then that proves it, and if not, then that should clear all doubts. 

-You weren’t convinced, but accepted the little challenge. You asked them if you could go free if you touched it and it didn’t do anything. The enforcer guy sighed and said yes. 

-You were then given what seemed to be a small dagger. It looked like it was made of gold and had strange markings on it. In the middle of its guards was what looked like a small white gem. A pretty-looking trinket, but it didn’t look like anything special. 

-You swirled it around and waited for something to happen. Others watched too, but time passed. 

“Wait,” you said, tensing up and looking at the dagger,  “I think something’s happening!” 

The others watched in tension, but Alpha Trion seemed to furrow his brows. 

“IT’S! IT’S … Absolutely nothing,” you said with an indifferent expression. 

Everyone except Alpha Trion groaned. 

“You certainly share Prima’s poor sense of humor.” Alpha Trion stated. 

-The enforcer guy groaned and finally said that maybe there was a mistake. 

-You glanced at the gem in the dagger and asked what it would do before touching it. The gem suddenly glowed, and then the dagger suddenly transformed into a sword, shining with golden light. 

-You held it with both hands as it became a bit heavier. 

-Everyone watched in stunned silence. The enforcer guy looked like he was delighted and claimed that you were indeed the heir of justice. 

-Okay, now you were freaked out. This doesn’t look like it could be fabricated or faked.

-You try to deny the performance and say the blade could probably activate with everyone. 

-The enforcer guy groaned and touched the blade’s gem. It immediately turned back into a dagger, proving it doesn’t activate under anyone else's touch. You are the first one who's been able to activate it since Forseti’s passing. 

-You then asked what would happen now. The guy went on about how it's a celebration that the lost heir had been found. You said no and that you were fine with the life you already had. 

-The mech looked like he was infuriated with you, complaining about your constant questioning. You told him that questioning everything is what helped you survive. 

-Alpha Trion suddenly stepped in, saying stuff about how this is new and that you should be allowed to learn about your lineage instead of being forced into it from the life you were familiar with. 

-After that, a thought crossed your mind: if you now had influence, maybe you could get money to help out your adoptive sire and the bots in the lower district. 

-With that thought in mind, you finally agreed.

-The next few days were tiring, to say the least. You were brought to a place that was supposedly your creator’s home, having been empty since the day they died. It was spacious and lavish, definitely different from what you were used to. It even had a berth that had soft cushions. 

-You were then cleaned of all the dirt and scratches you had on your frame. It was at first a bit embarrassing to get washed by servants, as you could have easily done it by yourself, also because some of your scratches held good memories for you. 

-After the cleanup, you nearly didn’t recognize yourself. You were now able to see some similarities with the people who were supposedly your creators and grandsire. You were able to compare as there was a portrait that showed Forseti and the one supposedly your carrier. 

-They honestly looked like ordinary people, happy even. You looked at the sparkling that was supposedly you and recognized the blanket the sparkling was wrapped in. It was definitely the blanket your adoptive sire found you in, and the one you had used through your sparklinghood. 

-It had dulled from its original color and lost its softness over the cycles, but you could recognize it anywhere. 

-Maybe you were the heir of justice. 

-Next, you met this governing guy, who introduced himself as Virtue. He explained that he would be acting as your guide and helping you get introduced to high-class life. 

-Following Virtue’s lead, you attended a high-class party — a celebration for the return of Forseti’s heir, apparently. There, you were introduced to the members of the High Council, and they told you a lot of stuff, though you didn’t pay much attention to them. You also felt like you were a spectacle to be watched by the high caste bots.

-They shared a lot of condolences for your creators’ demise, which felt weird because you couldn’t really feel sad for people you never met or knew.

-When you asked about how they died, they shared that your creators were killed in an ambush by lowly criminals and that you disappeared after the attack. It was then assumed for a long time that you were kidnapped and held hostage by the culprits, but you didn’t resurface till now.

-It felt odd because from what you heard, Forseti was a respected judge, and even criminals held him in good regard. 

-The bots then began to remark on things about your behaviour and the way you stood. Virtue said that you behaved that way because you grew up on the streets, but with proper etiquette, it could be corrected. It made you frown. Okay, you already didn’t like this guy. 

-The next day, Virtue took you to the infamous courthouse of justice. There, he showed you the courtroom, where your sire used to hold trials and give judgment upon those who were brought forth. 

-There was this large-scale-like device called The Scales of Aequitas. Apparently, it measured the truth of the spark held in court and the energy produced by the evidence provided by the court. If the energy of evidence held heavier than the spark, then the person would be guilty, but if the spark weighed heavier than the opposite energy, then the person was innocent. Usually, the judge gave the final word, but since Forseti’s death, the court had operated on the device’s judgment. 

-Virtue then allowed you to see it in action and watch as a person was judged before the device. The person was, apparently, a thief, and you watched as the bot was found guilty and given a rather harsh sentence in prison. 

-You didn’t know if you liked what you saw. It felt like another spectacle for the high classes to watch the low-class bots suffer, since there were stands where the high caste could watch the court proceedings. 

-After the introductory days, you were given a schedule and told that you would be taking classes to properly educate yourself. You found your way back to the Iacon archives, where you met Alpha Trion, who then taught you about Cybertron’s history and stuff about your lineage. Honestly speaking, he seemed like the only honest mech and didn’t mind your questions. 

-There, you met the blue and red bot again. You started a conversation with him and learned his name to be Orion Pax. Apparently, he was an archivist and Alpha Trion’s apprentice. You two talked for a while, and you found it surprisingly easy to talk with him.

-So, the next few days, you mostly came to the archives to see Orion and listen to the lectures whenever your mind agreed to listen. He taught you about history, law, and philosophy, which even you found interesting. You listened to him better than your assigned teachers, so Alpha Trion discreetly let Orion do the teaching.

-In return, you told Orion about your life on the streets. He looked fascinated and listened, even though some of his opinions were a bit naive.

-Realizing he hadn't ventured much outside the archives, you convinced him to tag along and see some places. He felt hesitant but agreed when you asked him to show you around Iacon. You agreed on a date.

-The week was eventful; then you remembered your adoptive sire and decided to check on him, or at least let him know you weren’t dead. You grabbed your cloak and covered yourself, since you looked like a Shiny now, which was a term used by the lower caste to describe the high caste. You also took whatever money you could to give him.

-You tracked down Gadget, who was surprised to see you alive. You told him everything that happened, and when you told him about the blanket, he agreed it made much more sense now, since the day he found you was rather strange. He momentarily complained about how he could have received a high reward if he had returned you to the authorities when you were sparkling, and how he wasted resources in raising you. 

-He went quiet quickly when you showed him the bag of money you brought, snatched it, and said it's a good payment for taking you under his wing. 

-You then shared how you were in a position to help other low-caste bots, especially after you finished up your education and took your sire’s place. 

-Gadget warned you not to trust the high caste easily. The low-caste criminals were known liars, but the high-caste bots were the greatest schemers, more dangerous even. Who knows if the high-caste bots had a greater plan for bringing you in?

-You promised to keep that in mind, then told him about Orion.

-He looked at you curiously as you talked about the bot, teasing you about befriending a book nerd, and then hinting that you might like the mech more than as a friend.

-You denied his teasing. You had a feeling that Orion was an honest one, which you saw as a rarity among the Shinies.

-When you returned to your new place, Virtue appeared panicked, especially when you went out without protection. Now that you have been found, you should not take your safety lightly. Who knows if the criminals who killed your creators might come after you next? You were valuable to society itself.

-You promised to keep it in mind next time and shared that you just went to inform your adoptive sire that you were doing fine. 

-Virtue then became rude and said you no longer needed to associate yourself with a low-class bot. It made you angry, and you snapped at him, telling him that your adoptive sire might be of low caste, but he raised you, so he deserved some respect. You could have ended up in the hands of someone worse. 

-Virtue apologized and agreed with you, though it sounded fake. 

-On the following days, you were given the opportunity to act as a judge in the courtroom, especially after you memorized most of the known laws. You took a seat on the throne, and Virtue stood on your side, giving you instructions on how things worked.

-A bot was brought before you. Definitely a bot who was poor and looked scared, not a hardened criminal you had seen on the streets. You were then told that this guy was found guilty of stealing supplies and had evidence of him committing the crime. The evidence spark went down. 

-It looked clear enough, but you saw the bot was not given a chance to speak. You interrupted the side judges, telling them to give the bot a chance to explain himself and why he was stealing the stuff. 

-The guy looked startled, but then spoke, admitting that he did steal. There was no work, and he and his conjux were going hungry, for they lived in a poor district. 

-His spark on the scales went down, equalizing the weight, which meant he was telling the truth. 

-You asked more, and he told you that the economy of his district was poor and that there wasn’t a lot of work. You believed him because you had visited that district before when you were younger

-Virtue and other judges spoke about giving a judgment since the scale was balanced. You spoke again that imprisoning someone over stealing, especially due to rough conditions, was rather harsh, and his conjux would have no one to care for them. 

-You suggested instead of imprisonment, the mech would be charged a fine for stealing, as that was in the written laws, and as a way to pay it up, he would do community service. And during that time, his conjux could be given care during his absence. 

-Virtue and other judges looked speechless, and since it was the law, they concluded that it was fair. That was then passed as the judgment, and the bot bowed his helm constantly, thanking you for the fair judgment. 

-As the next trials followed, you did a lot of speaking, letting the charged speak up. Most of them weren’t even serious criminals; one even seemed to have been charged over a misunderstanding. For some reason, Virtue and other high-class bots seemed displeased or bored. 

-At the end of the day, you thought you did a pretty good job at it. 

-However, Virtue acted rather differently. He said that, though you did what a proper judge would do, it would be easier to let the Scales decide on the judgment than question everything and make it fair. Not every bot on Cybertron deserved a fair trial. 

- It made you raise a brow, and you asked are you not supposed to give fair judgment. 

-Virtue shook his helm and explained that it might be easier for you to follow the other judges’ lead since you were still pretty young. Your word will be followed once you are older and more experienced. 

-His explanation made you feel suspicious. It felt like he and the other bots wanted you to follow a script or something.

–It was strange, but you forgot about it when the date with Orion arrived.

-Orion had his duties sorted, and Alpha Trion had given his blessing for a free day. Honestly, the old guy seemed encouraging about Orion going out. With those set, you then dragged the archivist outside the archives.

-As planned, Orion showed you around Iacon, well, the nice places at least. You had been to Iacon before, though in its shadier parts.

-You two also talked openly while walking on the streets.

-Orion complimented the way you handled the courtroom trials. He said he was there to see it and how they seemed much fairer than the trials held in the past.

-You felt your face burn a little since that was the first compliment you received after that day. 

-At the end of the tour, he had planned to run an errand on the way, but struggled to find the item he was looking for at a lower price. You revealed that you knew a place and pulled him to the lower districts you usually stayed at after your travels with your adoptive sire.

-He looked around curiously, most likely having never seen a lower district market before.

-You also took it as a chance to show off street survival knowledge.

-You got him a vendor who sold the items he was looking for. The vendor immediately tried to sell the item at a high price, which you intervened in and prevented Orion from being scammed.

-Orion got his item and seemed amazed by how you seem to be able to notice a lie from one word only.

-You bragged that on the streets you needed to be a good judge of character, before pointing out that he was technically shiny, then proceeding to pinch some dust on him to make him a less interesting target.

-You walked around the district for a while, and you greeted some people who knew you. Orion gave polite nods. You told him about each of them and how you have technically known them since sparklinghood.

-Orion did express his concern about their poor appearances and how they lived rather poorly compared to the middle class. You shrugged your shoulders and said that you survived with all you could get. The lower caste communities take care of each other when they can.

-You two returned from the date, and he expressed that he had a fun day and that maybe you two could do it again. You encouraged a trip in early future and encouraged a little mischief of skipping a few lessons. Calling him a bit of a two-goodie shoe.

-And as you promised, you took him out on a few more dates. Technically, a few times, you kidnapped him from staring at datapads all day and spent time with you outside. You tried to avoid Alpha Trion's notice, but you noticed him shaking his helm a few times and didn't make it an issue. So it looked like the old mech didn't mind.

-You brought Orion to places that showed amazing skylines, brought him to see good lower-district places, and sometimes you ended up running away from gangs that Gadget owed money to. You and Orion survived them, though you got a few bruises, which the latter helped you patch up while lightly scolding you.

-Maybe giving him a few lessons on street survival since you noticed that he was a terrible liar.

-One time, you did genuinely ask him for help carrying stuff. He agreed since it wasn't another skip, and he followed you to a place while seeing you were carrying medicine, fresh frame parts, and things that looked like items used to treat people.

-You took him to one of the poorest parts of a lower-caste district, greeting several bots who had seen better days or were missing limbs.

-He then watched as you delivered medicine to some bots, who you managed to get a doctor appointment and description since they couldn't afford. How you used medic skills you learned from your adoptive sire to give the amputees their limbs back, and how you gave new toys to the sparklings and energon canister that could last the community for weeks.

-Orion seemed shocked by their state and after your trip, you explained how it came to be and how most of those people couldn't even afford basic medicine.

-He admitted that he hadn't thought it was that bad for the lower caste, while you said that there were worse things, before thanking him for his help.

-Orion said how he admired that you sought to help people.

-After that, you had an opportunity to introduce him to Gadget. Gadget was a little rude until you warned him a little, and he was civil with Orion. He teased you in front of Orion and noted how he had seen you two spend a lot of time together.

-After pushing Orion to wait for you elsewhere, Gadget teased you about nerdy archivists being your type and bluntly told you that you were falling for the red and blue mech. He saw through your denial and said that he knew the look of love when he saw it.

-When you thought about your time spent together. Orion had looked after you during lectures, shared energon during breaks, and even gave you a blanket once you fell asleep. And how often he asked how your days were whenever you visited.

-Okay, maybe you did like Orion.

-Gadget admitted that Orion seemed like an honest mech, a type that would definitely get eaten alive on the streets.

"Not if I'm there to beat the bad guys up," you replied.

"Aw, look at you. Already protective of your future trophy conjux," Gadget teased.

-Okay. You loved your adoptive sire, but sometimes he made you want to beat him up.

-With the supposed freedom and access to your family assets, you started donating money and stuff to charities and to the bots from your district. You even sent some to Gadget since you could help him out.

-However, the first time you did so, Virtue pulled you to the side and started acting strangely again. He vented about you moving in public and wasting your resources on charities. You questioned about it, and whether you were allowed to use your family’s money. 

-He said that legally, yes, then said that there are better things for you to care about — things that really matter to society. 

-You pointed out that helping lower caste bots out prevents them from turning toward crime, so technically, you were helping society out. Also, because no other high caste bots seem to be doing the same. 

-He appeared annoyed, but dropped it when you said that legally you can do what you want with your money. 

-However, it got you thinking. Maybe you could talk to the High Council members about the problems in society and convince them to fix them. 

-You presented this idea with Orion, who supported it, saying that with your experience, they might notice issues that have gone past their notice.

-So, at the next party, you willingly attended and spoke with the council members. You tried to address the issues and throw suggestions on how to fix them. There had been a rise in criminal activity, and most of these were caused by the fact that making a living honestly had been impossible due to the high taxes, low wages, and growing prizes. You experienced these as a young sparkling, so you knew what could fix them. 

-Some of them promised to consider your suggestions, while some of them seemed dismissive of the problems. Some of those bots ended up giving critiques about you donating to charities and helping the lower-caste bots. 

-It felt like talking to rusted lampposts, because all the things you brought up vanished in the next conversation. Even Virtue acted dismissively about it. 

-It left you more suspicious. Especially because then your schedule got busy, you had less free time, and Virtue gave someone else the job of handing your donations to the charities. It also prevented you from seeing Orion, which pissed you off in a way.

-You were put through repetitive lessons and things that actually felt like they had nothing to do with preparing you to take up Forseti’s mantle.

-It felt like you were purposely being confined in your creator’s home, forced to go through repetitive lessons, and not allowed to walk freely. 

-To escape these, you claimed to want to read other materials in Iacon’s archives. Thankfully, Virtue bought it, though you were made to be accompanied by a guard or two. Still felt oppressive, but you were given a chance to chat with Orion. 

-You confined in Orion about this and feel like you are being trained to be a puppet rather than the next Arbiter of justice. Orion admits that there are issues with the high class and the current system, telling you that he had noticed a pattern that once appeared in the past, and feared the current society was headed toward it once more. 

-While browsing through some historic text, you spotted the date when the caste system was implemented, then out of curiosity, checked the date when your creators passed away. What caught your attention next was that the years were awfully close. The caste system was implemented two years after your creator’s death.

-However, Orion claimed that he didn't think of the council members as manipulative and that maybe there was a reason.

-You challenged him on this, telling him that the things he had seen in the districts were because of the high caste, and that's why the High Council had allowed such poverty to exist in the first place. Not to mention that while he was terrible at lying, he also didn't have the best optics to spot lies.

-It was a back-and-forth for a while before Orion reluctantly agreed to the possibility of the High Council being manipulative.

-Orion then revealed that he had been speaking to a gladiator from Kaon, who had been appealing before the High Council to receive a chance to speak with them. 

-You knew about Kaon, having been there before as a sparkling, and knew some kaon bots were either forced or could participate in gladiator matches to earn a living. It was a violent thing to survive, and not for the weak. Perhaps also the only possible way for Kaonians to get some money to feed themselves. 

-He then suggested a meeting and that maybe you could work together on the idea of reforming society. 

-Though the idea of a bot from Kaon wanting to reform society sounded new, you agreed to it. 

-So, after agreeing on a day and escaping your babysitters, you joined Orion, and he introduced you to a mech called Megatronus. A large mech with a fierce appearance, who was also apparently in charge of the new movement that had been going about Cybertron. 

-Despite his appearance, he was surprisingly civil and easy to talk to when you conversed about the issues with Cybertron. He had apparently seen the few court trials you oversaw and found it pleasing how you handled them. 

-You spoke about your current position and how you have noticed you seemed to have been treated more like a puppet than an actual heir. But you could see if you could get him a chance to speak to the High Council. Megatron expressed his gratitude and stated that if you succeeded and required assistance from him and his movement in the future, they would owe you one. 

-After that, you tried to have an audience with the High Council members. Of course, Virtue tried to keep you busy, so you had to slip under his radar and approach the members yourself. You told them about Megatronus and the movement, and about giving him a chance for an audience. 

-Due to the growing movement and public attention,  you managed to convince some of the members, and they were enough to sway the rest. You enthusiastically messaged Orion about it and let him deliver the news to Megatronus and the meeting date.

-Feeling yourself prepared to handle more trials, you asked Virtue if you could go again about overseeing the trials. Strangely, your presence is not required, or that you should study more. 

-You are pretty sure you have already read all the materials you could to take a court exam and become a public defender. 

-When you insisted that you could see through trials, and that staying away won’t get you the experience you need to become the next Arbiter of Justice. 

-Virtue finally relented, and you found your way back to the courthouse of justice. You oversaw the trials as before, checking everything and throwing your suggestions. 

-But then the scales device acted differently. After the discussions, the opposite energy suddenly became heavier even though it was balanced or lighter than the charged spark. Virtue and others insisted all was fine and that you should trust the machine’s judgement. 

-It did not feel right at all, especially when it happened again for other trials. One moment it was balanced, then the scale went to guilty. You watched as the charges spoke and the scale dipped in favor of the evidence, which usually meant the charged was lying. However, you were able to tell that the charged was telling you the truth. 

-You insisted on checking if there was something wrong with the Scales, because now it seemed like it was tipping when the charged was telling the truth. That perhaps it had been tampered with. Virtue insisted that all was fine, and that perhaps the charged was truly lying. It was impossible to tamper with the Scales of Aquetas, as it was also a severe sin. 

-You then watched helplessly as most of the bots held in trial were given a harsh sentence. 

-You tried to discuss it with Virtue about checking the device just to be sure, but he then went on about how you were possibly tired and that he had a mechanic check the device later. 

-You could not stop thinking about the entire thing. You shared this with Orion, who had watched the trial and found it strange too. The Scales had not acted that way before. 

-He helped you check the blueprints for the device, and you checked all you could, memorizing them.

-This also deepened your suspicion about the High Council using foul play.

-While browsing through archives, you decided to look through the strange coincidence between the years when the caste system was implemented and your creators’ deaths. Before your creators’ deaths, the system was much different back then, less classificatory.  The caste system came to power after their death and the society began to regress ever since.

-It was said your creators were killed by criminals or terrorists, but considering that fact, you had a strange feeling. 

-Could it be possible that your creators weren’t killed by criminals? 

-You decided to approach Alpha Trion and discuss with him about the society and honesty. You had asked him about your creators before, but for sure, you asked if either Forseti or Prima would have approved the system today. He was rather vague with his answer, sharing that both Forseti and Prima shared the strong sense of justice.

-He then gave you a data key, saying that with it, you might bring light into the things kept in the dark. It left you suspicious. Did he know things he couldn't say outright?

-You tried to think about his words and the data key. At night, while walking back, you swayed on your path to see Virtue about checking the Scales device. At the door, you heard him talking to someone, and you froze at what you heard. 

-You heard Virtue talking to one of the council members about how molding you into a puppet had been challenging. Due to your upbringing on the streets, you were much more stubborn. With the remote control, they can control the Scales device to follow their verdict. Then maybe you will feel less inclined to play fair judge. 

-So, the Scales were indeed tampered with.

-You backed away and kept your intake shut, even though you wanted to burst in and beat Virtue until he was nothing but a pile of bolts. 

-With this latest discovery, you began thinking about the data key Alpha Trion gave you and the possible truth of your creators' passing. Looks like you need to do some digging. 

-Finding a chance to sneak out and go uncover, you approached Megatronus and asked for his help in uncovering a secret. He introduced you to Soundwave, who specialized in hacking and decryption.

-You and Soundwave snuck into the data archives of the High Council, thinking you might find the secret there. It was a bit unfortunate that Megtronus’s meeting with the High Council was on the same day, and you were gonna miss it. 

-You gave the data key to Soundwave, and he used it to hack into the data centers. You asked him to look through anything about Forseti and the day of his and his conjux’s death.

-It took a while, but then Soundwave found something. You looked through old documents, which revealed the assassination plan against your creators by Virtue and the High Council. Forseti opposed the system idea, which was only implemented after he was gone. He was taken away so the High Council could take power. 

-The ambush was actually orchestrated by the High Council. You were hidden away by a servant so you wouldn’t be exploited by them. It made much more sense.

-That was perhaps the first time you felt angry for your dead creators.

-It also strengthened your idea that they were trying to turn you into their puppet. They never intended to give you any form of power. 

-You got out of the data centers with Soundwave and thanked him for his help after getting out. He gave a subtle nod before departing.

-You reunited with Orion, who then shared what happened during the audience between Megatronus and the High Council --- how he had intervened and how he and Megatronus had a huge disagreement afterward.

-You shared your sympathy for him and assured that maybe he and Megatronus will make up once the latter cools off.

-You then shared with him what you found out and the truth about your creators’ death. Orion was shocked, as expected, especially to find out the High Council was responsible for your creator's death.

- You told him that the High Council needed to be exposed for their crimes. Orion insisted that since you had the evidence, you could do it without violence. You argued that the High Council had never been fair to anything, so why should they be treated fairly? He then reminded you that striking them with violence would not be any better.

-A fast argument grew between you. You made points about all the crimes the High Council had committed, and Orion pointed out that a society's reform can't start with an execution.

-You asked him why he argued so hard about it since you both are against the High Council.

"Do you really want to know why I'm arguing so hard about this?" Orion asked.

"Yes!" you said with your arms spread.

"It's because I don't want to lose you!" Orion exclaimed.

-That silenced you as you tried to process what he said. He didn't want to lose you?

-Orion sighed, calming himself down. He slowly confessed that he had grown to care for you more than just a friend, and that he found himself afraid that this might consume you, or worse, lead you to death.

-You processed this quietly. He cared for you?

-You knew you liked him, but... You never really expected him to like you back.

-With this knowledge, you decided to share that though Gadget had taught you to never deeply become attached to people, you had grown to care for him more than you should.

-Releasing a sigh, you calmed down and told him you were convinced to take a less violent approach in exposing the High Council. Orion looked relieved. You agreed on a date to plan this out.

-You returned to your house, feigning to Virtue that you were out for a walk for fresh air, and then asked about future trials. Then Virtue spoke about a future trial and how a lowly underground medic had been arrested. 

-You froze when you realized who he was talking about. Gadget. They had imprisoned your adoptive sire. 

-Virtue then hinted that if you played nicely and followed the trial, then your adoptive sire might be given a milder sentence. However, in prison he had to go since he is a criminal. And in which prison he can stay might be up to you. 

-It made the energon in your veins boil, and you tried to contain yourself from doing anything rash. Thoughts filled your mind.

-Forseti would have demanded a fair trial. Gadget would have told you to slit his throat before he had the chance to strike first. For the first time, you weren't sure which lesson you should follow.

-But one thing was for sure. You had to see Virtue taken down.

-You agreed and faked a smile. He bought it and looked satisfied, promising you don’t need to trouble your helm with idle matters. 

-Little did he know that, as a street rat, you knew a few things about how to move stealthily and steal things from secure places. 

-In the middle of the night, you broke through the security and approached Virtue’s office. There, you found the remote control you saw and took it.

-You then disappeared into the night after taking all you could need, since you won’t be coming back. 

-Moving on the streets, you moved toward Iacon, as there was one last thing you needed. 

-You went to the archives and secretly took the sacred treasure that belonged to Forseti. However, before you could make it out. Orion found you. Of course, the bot had to be on archive duty.

-You didn't decide to lie and told him everything and the situation with your adoptive sire. You apologized, explaining that the High Council had gone too far and you needed to save Gadget. The society couldn't be fixed. It had to be taken down completely.

-Orion said that doing this would mean no turning back. You told him that you were aware of the consequences, but now that Gadget's life was on the line, there was no way you could stand on the side.

"Then... do what you have to do," Orion said.

-You felt mildly surprised but didn't say anything. Walking past him, you stopped for a moment, not looking at him. If you did, then you likely wouldn't be able to do it.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way," you said, nearly in a whisper, before leaving.

-Orion glanced at your leaving frame, raising his servo toward you, but then lowered it. Despite what his duties would have demanded of him, he never raised the alarms.

-On the day of your adoptive sire’s trial, Gadget was in cuffs and forced to stand before the Scales of Aquetas. Strangely, to all the bots present, there was no sight of you. 

-The court proceeded as usual, and the opposite energy tipped heavily against him. As the judges were about to deliver the harshest sentence, the courtroom doors were kicked open. Everyone turned their helms and saw you standing there, carrying your sire’s sacred treasure.

“Objection!” you yelled, holding the glowing sword. 

-Virtue and other judges were startled and visibly panicked. People murmured about how they heard you had better things to do, while you only declared that none of it was true and that they attempted to sentence your adoptive sire, who had raised you, and use him as leverage against you. 

-You accused Virtue and the council of tampering with the Scales, using them to give judgments as they pleased. They denied it, of course, and claimed that you had been brainwashed. 

-You then asked if they could one hundred percent prove that the device had not been tampered with and that all trials had been fair. They concurred. 

-You then struck Forseti’s sword into the Scales, startling everyone. You then opened it up and pulled a device that was not part of it.

“So, all trials had been fair?” you demanded, holding the device. 

-You then took the remote control and demonstrated how the device sabotaged the Scales with the button, exposing the lie. 

-You took out the controller device and smashed it against the ground. You then accused Virtue and the council of the murder of your creators. 

-You showed the evidence, and the scales dipped in your favor. Virtue and the council were forced to answer, but their lies did not balance the scales, exposing them further. 

-Virtue ordered the guards to apprehend you. Too bad for them that you had a sword and you had fought on the streets before. 

-You used the sword to beat down your opponents and then struck the cuffs of Gadget’s servos. You two made the run out of the courtroom house. 

-Outside, there was suddenly fighting everywhere. It was an entire warzone. You defended Gadget as best as you could while trying to flee from Virtue’s people.

-When you got surrounded, seekers suddenly rained fire on Virtue’s people. They had a symbol on them that you recognized as Megatronus's movement's symbol.

-Your optics then locked with Orion across the battlefield. For a moment, you hesitated, but then turned away.

-You grabbed your adoptive sire and left. 

-Since that day, Cybertron was never the same. What followed was an all-out war. The High Council was no more. Megatronus had renamed himself Megatron and declared himself the leader of the Decepticons. Orion Pax, through fate and ordeals, earned himself the Matrix of Leadership and became Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots.

-No one knows what became of you. Some say you had escaped Cybertron with your adoptive sire and those you could take with you. Some say you perished during the war, which also meant the end of Prima Prime's line.

-Even though the medic would deny it, Ratchet had grown fond of you and your siblings. He had accepted that you had continued to prove him wrong with each assumption he had made about the Predacons. 

-Seeing you grow this much made Bulkhead a little sad and nostalgic about the day you first opened your optics. It made him feel strange panic when he contemplated the day he could easily fit you all on his palm, and now you weighed like boulders. June explained that it was called parental panic, which was completely normal. 

-Perhaps in a few more years, you and your siblings will be full-grown Predacons. Optimus suspected that, according to your growth speed and the fact that you were constantly growing. You and your siblings will be at least ten Earth years old when you become fully grown Predacons. 

-Bulkhead didn’t mind that since it also meant he had eight Earth years left to enjoy you and your siblings still being babies. Omega One was safe enough to help you grow till then. Well… until it got destroyed by the Decepticons. 

-After the mission with the Omega lock went wrong, he and the rest of the team soon found out that the cons had pinpointed the location of their base, forcing them all to escape through the ground earth bridge separately. 

-Bulkhead was sent out with Miko, you, and your siblings.

-Since you and your siblings couldn’t blend in among the humans, you all were sent to a location filled with forests.

-You and your siblings moved through the forest effortlessly. But sometimes, Bulkhead would have to drive on forest roads whenever the terrain became too bumpy to use his alt-mode. You and your siblings managed to follow him without an issue, using your sense of smell whenever you lost sight of them. 

-Bulkhead would be on guard 24/7, anxious for Miko’s and your safety. 

-When you made a stop at a meadow, you would be napping with Miko while your siblings wrestled with each other to pass the time, while Bulkhead and Miko waited for Wheeljack or others to arrive. Watching your siblings play would ease Bulkhead’s anxiety for a while. 

-When Wheeljack arrived, having escaped the cons after having been captured for buying Bulkhead and the rest of the team some time to escape.

“Papa. Who is that?” you started as you and your siblings looked at the new mech.

-Bulkhead then introduced Wheeljack to you, his Predacon sparklings. Having not found a chance to introduce you, since Wheeljack was travelling a lot and Ratchet had refused to allow the bomb-loving mech to be introduced to you. 

-Wheeljack would tease Bulkhead a little and ask if his friend conjuxed himself to a spiky lady until Bulkhead and Miko told him the full story of how the team found you. Though finding the story funny, Wheeljack would respect his friend for stepping up. 

-As Miko had told you and your siblings a little about him, you all brightened in realization. 

“Wait! You’re Uncle Kaboom?!” you asked excitedly. 

-Wheeljack would be a little confused by the nickname until Bulkhead and Miko explained that when they were telling you all about him, you struggled to pronounce his name, and thus you all ended up giving him a nickname due to his love of explosives. 

-Understanding enough, Wheeljack nodded and fully accepted the nickname. 

-You and your sibling asked him a lot of questions. When you asked if you could see an explosion, aka kaboom. Without hesitation, Wheeljack would detonate one of his bombs at a safe distance for you all to see.

“Woaaah!” you and your siblings said in unison after seeing the bright, loud blast. 

-Though he would have loved to show you more, he turned you down when you asked to see more kabooms since you all were supposed to be hiding from the cons. 

-Night came. You and your siblings were galloping around, trying to track down some energon with your sense of smell. Wheeljack, Bulkhead, and Miko walked behind you, planning their next move. 

-You and your siblings disappeared for a moment. Then suddenly, a large dragon-like metal creature flew down from the sky. It screeched and attacked the bots, breathing fire down on them. 

-The wreckers barely avoided the blast.

“A Dragon?! Where did the cons get a dragon?” Miko yelled. 

“What’s a dragon?!” Wheeljack and Bulkhead asked. 

“A giant, flying, fire-breathing lizard?!” Miko pointed. 

-While dodging and trying to avoid getting scorched to death, they would recognize the creature as another Predacon, though a different kind, since this one could fly. This Predacon was definitely after them and would later be known as Predaking. 

-Bulkhead covered Miko when Predaking slashed with his claws, giving Bulkhead a pretty bad gash. 

-When Predaking prepared to blast them with his fiery breath, you slammed against his head in your ball mode. Staggering, Predaking stepped back and roared at you. Snapping back on your feet, you roared back at him. 

-Soon, your siblings followed, moving down the hill in their ball modes and using rocks as ramps to pummel Predaking from different sides. 

-The biggest of your siblings clamped down on Predaking’s tail, beginning to pull and tug him back. This gave you and your siblings a chance to hit the larger predacon with your tough shells. 

-Predaking attempted to strike you with his claws. You pulled into ball mode, his claws scraping against your shell. However, it did not penetrate it, leaving you unharmed. 

-Bulkhead quickly joined, after seeing Predaking trying to slash through your shell, tossing his wrecking ball against the Predacon’s face. Wheeljack joined as well, using his bombs and blasters. He also gave your ball modes a kick, which allowed you to slam against Predaking again. 

-Seeing that he was being overpowered on the ground, Predaking broke himself free and prepared to blast his fire. You all scattered to avoid it, but you weren’t fast enough. Everyone watched in horror as you disappeared beneath the flames

“No!” Bulkhead and Miko yelled. 

-But instead of being harmed by the fire, you shook it off, and everybody watched as your body seemed to absorb the heat. Your body then began glowing, and you roared at the larger Predacon. 

-Startled, Predaking stood back. With this chance, the biggest of your siblings grabbed you by your tail, unaffected by your burning shell. Then, like how Miko once taught you, your sibling tossed you toward Predaking.

- You turned into ball mode and struck Predaking, the fire in your body combusting out after hitting him, like a bomb. 

-Injured, Predaking roared at you. You and your siblings only roared back at him as he then retreated. 

-You were smoking from the crevices of your shell and had some ashy smears, but otherwise, you were unharmed. 

-You all looked at Bulkhead in excitement -- most likely expecting praise. 

-Miko didn’t hesitate to come up to you and praise you. 

“Good job, (Name).” She touched your armor. 

“Ow! Hot! Hot! Hot!” She pulled her hand away, shaking it wildly. 

-Bulkhead was relieved, though he said that he had no idea you and your siblings could do such a thing. 

-You grinned. "I didn't know either. But did you see that? I went KABOOM!" you said, raising your paws up, clearly excited. This also caused you to fall backward and land on your shell, swinging around upside down.  

- Bulkhead only shook his helm and helped flip you back on your feet after your frame cooled off enough. 

- Miko reasoned that since your nest was near a volcano, maybe your type of Predacons had a unique tolerance for heat and an explosion ability, considering the way the heat combusted out of you after you hit the new Predacon. 

- Wheeljack definitely warmed up to you, saying how you all were natural wreckers with the way you fought. 

-After the fight, you all were found by Ultra Magnus. The Autobot commander would be sceptical of you and your siblings until Bulkhead explained that you were his adopted sparklings and on the good side. 

-Wheeljack, of course, goes. "You got a problem with that?"

-After boarding his ship, you all set course. 

-Though you behaved well in Ultra Magnus's ship, the bots soon found out that being in the air makes you four travel sick. Ultra Magnus would demand Bulkhead keep you all from vomiting in his ship. But since there wasn’t really anything he could do, Bulkhead would just sit with you and pat your and your siblings' helms.

-At the Decepticon wreck, Harbinger, you reunited with Ratchet, Bee, and Raf. You and your siblings ran out of the ship, recovering from the travel sickness after getting your paws back on the ground. 

-You all charged at Raf, Bee, and Ratchet when you saw them. 

-Raf giggled when one of your brothers ran up to him and laid his helm down, wagging his tail like an excited puppy. Raf gave your brother a few pats, telling him it was nice to see you all. 

-Bee enthusiastically did the same when you and your siblings greeted him, circling him and Raf around, which was your way of greeting. 

-You all then ran up to Ratchet, circling him and telling him everything that had happened. He would be mildly annoyed but glad to see you alive and safe. He would freeze and give Bulkhead a judgmental glare when he learned that the green mech had allowed Wheeljack to show you explosives. 

-His relief would also die down when he realized that you had met Wheeljack and the wrecker likes you. Oh, no, his worst nightmare has come true. 

-While Ultra Magnus made up a plan to attack Megatron’s New Darkmount, you and your siblings were left behind in Ratchet's care. Though you were able to stand your own against Predaking, you were still technically toddlers, so Bulkhead did not allow you to go. 

-After Optimus's return and finding a new base, Ratchet would keep his optics on you and your siblings, dreading the moment Wheeljack would try to teach you something bad if left unsupervised. 

The head of the house, Shinobu, theorized that it was due to extreme exhaustion. The accounts of that night from Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Rengoku, it seemed that while she was still suffering from the stab wound, Y/n pushed herself too far when joining the fight, even though said wound was able to heal.

She lay motionless in her room, with dark circles under her eyes, even though she'd gotten nothing but sleep.

A worried and strained expression was constantly on her face as if fighting through some pain.

And everyone couldn't help but wonder if she was ever going to wake up.

It was hard seeing her like this. Tanjiro sat next to her bed, his hand holding hers. His thumb rubbed imaginary patterns into her skin, thoughts anything but clear.

He felt like he had failed her. Even though she was in pain, even though she was injured, she still fought tooth and nail to save a life. He wasn't the type to drown in self-pity, but Tanjiro couldn't help it.

This was the woman he cherished more than anything. And he couldn't help her. There was a wall between him and his success, and he wasn't able to get past it.

Tanjiro paused for a moment, looking up from her hand to her face. 

He had to grow stronger. No doubt there. He needed to be able to protect her, no matter what. He made a promise to her. He'll finish this mess. He'll defeat Muzan. For Nezuko and Y/n's sake.

"Tanjiro! We have dinner waiting for you!" One of the butterfly girls called from down the hall.

His grip loosened on her hand, and slowly, Tanjiro got up from his chair. He walked to the door, turning to face her once more, worry etched into his features.

"Please wake up, Y/n. I have to make this up to you."

With that, he left her room. He practically dragged his feet to go eat dinner.

She wasn't supposed to leave her box during the day; she knew that. She knew that Shinobu wasn't going to be happy about her leaving the shaded den where she resided for Y/n's room across the mansion.

But Nezuko didn't really care at the moment.

All she wanted to do was see Y/n, whom she hadn't been able to catch a glimpse of for weeks.

Nezuko knew that she had been in a coma for those few weeks, so she felt nothing but worry for the girl.

So as she crept through the halls in her smaller form, Nezuko was intent on seeing the girl she loved so dearly for so many years.

When Nezuko reached Y/n's room, she hummed a worried tone under her bamboo muzzle.

She crawled to the bed, climbing on top of Y/n, and lying on her chest. Nezuko let out a pleased purr as she snuggled into the h/c-haired girl.

The demon girl lay there for a while, just basking in the feeling of being near Y/n. Her clawed hand slowly reached for Y/n's soft fingers.

She laced her hand with Y/n's all while letting out a happy rumble.

Her thoughts turned to prayers. Hoping that her friend will wake up sometime soon.

Nezuko then slowly drifted off to sleep, fully realizing that she was going to get the scolding of a lifetime from Shinobu later.

But at the moment, that didn't matter. All that mattered to her right now was that she was with Y/n. That's all she needed for now.

He spent a long time crying. Worrying. Hoping. Wondering when the love of his life was going to wake up from her coma.

This had been going on for weeks now. He would enter her room, sit by her side, and tell her stories from the day. From the weird to the slightly amusing to anything regarding Inosuke being stupid, Zenitsu would talk to her for hours.

He didn't know for sure if she could hear him at all. He hoped she could. He wanted her to hear him. But there was really no way to know if she could unless she was awake to tell him.

Today, he sat next to Y/n and told her about the really good piece of tempura he was about to have, but Inosuke stole and ate it right in front of him.

But after telling that silly story, Zenitsu paused. His eyes were filled with tenderness and love.

"Y/n, I hope you're okay..." He held her hand, bringing it close to his chest, so she could feel his heartbeat, "I want to hear your voice. I want to hear your laugh again."

Tears started to fall from his eyes, "Y/n... you're worrying all of us..."

Zenitsu gripped her hand a little tighter, "I really do want to marry you, Y/n. So please... wake up. So we can be happy together."

A shadow cast over his face, heart aching slightly. He slowly placed her hand back where it was. Then he stood and walked out the door, wiping away any stray tears.

Inosuke was kicking himself. He felt like a loser, and he hated it. He wasn't able to do anything after the train crashed.

Specifically, he wasn't able to do anything for Y/n. She had jumped into the fray without a second thought. He should have done that. He should have been the one injured, not her.

For some reason, he couldn't understand; he felt funny around Y/n. Inosuke couldn't help but want to impress her with his strength. To bring her nice things like acorns and pretty rocks.

He didn't hate this feeling, but it was just... different. Inosuke wanted to protect Y/n, but he failed to do that.

Right now, Inosuke was out in the garden. He was picking up acorns that he thought would be a perfect gift for Y/n when she woke up.

The boar man sifted through the grass, picking up small and large rocks that were particularly pretty. And if he found a nice, full, and shiny acorn, he picked those up as well.

Soon, he entered the mansion with his haul, hands cupped to hold his bits and bobbles.

When he arrived at Y/n's room, he set the acorns and rocks on her nightstand. They clattered a bit and then settled in a small pile.

Inosuke was silent for a moment. He walked closer to her bedside, just standing there, unsure of what to do from there.

"I found these." He was quiet again. It was hard to render Inosuke speechless, but she had unknowingly done it.

"Don't stay asleep forever, Bug Eyes. After fighting like that, you have to fight me next. Got it?" Inosuke was mumbling, but he couldn't raise his voice any higher.

He turned and left the room, slightly hesitating when he reached the doorway, but he continued into the hallway.

She came every day to check on her. Every so often, she would change the flowers in the vase on her nightstand.

Kanao had been feeling strange. Ever since the day Y/n told her to follow her heart, she hasn't been the same.

Slowly but surely, she would make decisions on her own, without the coin.

It was odd for her, at first. Kanao would feel the urge to grab the coin from her pocket, but then Y/n's words would come into her mind, and she'd stop.

A warm feeling bloomed across her chest every time Y/n had crossed her thoughts. She didn't exactly know what it meant, but it was a nice feeling nonetheless.

Today, she noticed something she hadn't before. It was a hairpin, one that Kanao remembered Y/n wearing all the time. It sat on the table next to her bed; it wasn't there the day before.

Kanao went and asked Aoi if she knew about it.

"The hairpin? One of the Kakushi found it at the train sight. They didn't know who it belonged to until Tanjiro recognized it. So they put it in Y/n's room for when she wakes up."

The girl nodded and went back to Y/n's room. The hairpin was broken, which she was sure of. The clasp of the pin had snapped off, the piece right next to the rest of it.

Kanao delicately picked it up, wondering if she could fix it somehow. While inspecting it, she concluded that the pieces were too chipped and damaged to put back together.

She put it back down. Y/n was definitely going to be disappointed about it. If she wore it all the time, it must have meant something to her. 

With a frown on her face, Kanao left the room, trying to think of what she could do to fix it. 

She didn't even have to flip the coin to know that this was something she wanted to do. Kanao was following her heart. When Y/n woke up, she would be happy to hear this.

Y/n just had to wake up. Any day now.

As a doctor, Shinobu was worried about her patient's condition and lack of lucidity. 

And as a friend, she was worried that Y/n was never going to wake up.

She would walk into her room every day, give her some medicine, and check where the stab wound was.

It still baffled her that there was no sign of it. From what Tanjiro said, it was a rather deep cut, but when she looked at the area he indicated, nothing but Y/n's smooth skin was seen.

When Y/n woke up, she'd ask about it.

As that thought occurred to her, a troubling bit of anxiety crossed her mind.

What if Y/n never woke up?

She shook her head; that thought process wasn't going to do her any good. Shinobu had to have hope.

For the sake of the younger girls, the Insect Hashira stayed smiling. They were worried enough already. If they saw her sweating about this, they would only feel worse.

But she couldn't stop the feeling from chipping away at her hopes. It had been three, nearly four weeks of Y/n's endless sleep. The constant troubled expression on the girl's beautiful face didn't help either.

It was as if she were fighting through something. Or maybe she was focusing too hard. Whatever it was, it didn't quell Shinobu's concerns.

The black-to-purple-haired woman stood next to Y/n's bedside. She had just finished checking where the stab wound was. Still nothing.

She sighed, a somber expression on her face, 

"You're quite the troublemaker, Y/n. You're worrying us all. You're a medical anomaly. And you make my heart beat too fast." Shinobu's hands grazed Y/n's fingers, wanting to take hold of her hand, but also being too nervous to do so.

Her voice went quieter, "I didn't think I'd fall for someone so hard... but you seem to be full of surprises."

Shinobu's expression softened, "Surprise me again. Despite all of this... wake up. Please... I don't like to beg."

After a moment of pure silence, she turned away. Hesitantly walking toward the door and leaving for the hallway.

Rengoku was finally able to visit. Shinobu had put him on bed rest for the past few weeks, even though he'd been dying to see a certain girl. One he's decided something about. 

He was in love with her. No doubt in his mind. He may have only known her for a short time, but it couldn't be anything else.

Her bravery. Her strength. Her beauty. He loved her. She had saved his life without hesitation, and now he was sure that he would do the same for her. 

 Y/n L/n was remarkable to him, someone who ignited a fire within his heart.

Today, he sat at her bedside. Silent as could be, with a frown on his face.

Even though she should've awakened weeks ago, she still had her eyes closed in a deep slumber.

Rengoku wanted to thank her endlessly. To dote on her and show his affection. But he couldn't. Not like this. Not while she wasn't conscious.

He stared at her, silently willing her to wake up. To open her eyes and smile at him. He wanted this more than anything. 

The flame-haired man reached over and caressed the side of her face, tucking a small piece of loose hair behind her ear. 

His warm hand lingered on her cheek, holding it for a moment.

He could swear, if only for a moment, that there was a faint smile on her lips at his touch. 

When he pulled away, he looked down at that same hand. It felt even warmer than it did before. A ghost of a smile came onto his features. 

He decided to look forward to the moment when he could do this all the time.

On the day that turned three weeks of sleep into four, something strange happened. 

She stirred a bit. No one was in her room to see, but slight movements came from under her covers. 

Her fingers would twitch a bit. Then her arms and torso. 

All until she jolted upright. Her breaths started to heave, her mind completely and utterly blank for that moment.

What the... Where am I!?

Y/n glanced around the room. It was slightly familiar. The layout reminded her of... the Butterfly Mansion! That's where she was.

A small sigh of relief escaped her. At least she was somewhere she was acquainted with.

The h/c haired girl stretched a bit, her muscles a bit stiff. How long had she been lying here? What was the last thing she remembered?

That had to be falling asleep in Rengoku's arms, his smiling face looking down at her.

But there was something else, wasn't there? Something in between then and now. Though she couldn't recall anything else.

Slowly, she swung her leg off the bed, letting her bare feet touch the hardwood floors.

Y/n stood up; her legs were slightly wobbly. Just how long was she asleep for? It felt like she hadn't walked for days!

Once she got her footing, she started to wander down the halls of the Butterfly Mansion.

No one was around, so she had to go find someone and ask them some of the millions of questions she had plaguing her mind at the moment.

She spotted someone at the very end of the hall, and it was Tanjiro!

A grateful smile crossed her face, "Tanjiro! Hey!" Her voice was slightly groggy, but it should have been loud enough for him to hear her.

Tanjiro froze for a moment. He blinked slowly, rubbing his eyes and then staring back at her.

"Tanjiro! Can you hear me?"

Tears sprang to his eyes. He started to run towards her, enveloping her in a giant hug, holding her tightly as if she could disappear at any moment.

"Thank goodness! Thank goodness!" His tears started to drip onto her shoulders as he squeezed her tightly, "Y/n... I'm so glad you're awake!"

"T-tanjiro! Are you okay!?" She held onto him as well, wrapping her arms around his torso, a worried expression taking over her features.

"You were asleep for so long...! I thought... I thought I'd never talk to you again!"

"Huh? How long was I asleep for?"

He pulled back a bit, facing her with tears still dripping down his cheeks, "Today would make four weeks..."

Well, that explained why she was so stiff.

Y/n smiled up at him, "Sorry for worrying you, Tanjiro. I really am..."

Tanjiro shook his head, "You don't have to apologize! Let's go find everyone else, okay? They'll be happy to see you, too!"

She nodded, letting the boy take his hand in hers and guiding her to the other rooms.

Everyone was glad, of course, but Shinobu wasn't feeling right about something.

"Y/n, you really shouldn't be out and about." Shinobu sternly said.

"But I feel fine, really, I don't feel pain anywhere. Maybe I'm a little tired, but that's it!"

Shinobu frowned, still unsure about how Y/n had healed. If she went into a coma after being exhausted, as Shinobu thought, then her muscles should be aching. Or her legs wouldn't let her stand. There should be no way that Y/n is this healthy after a scare like that.

"You really are a medical anomaly." Shinobu sighed, deciding to take it in stride, "Just be careful, alright? If you get tired, sit or lie down."

She then turned to Aoi, "And make sure she's getting three meals a day, okay?"

Aoi nodded.

"I want to watch you for the next week or so, okay? I need to see how you react to being out of your coma."

Y/n nodded as well, going to her room to lie down in her bed, trying to get comfortable. Her back was a bit stiff from lying in the same position for those four weeks.

Shinobu and Aoi had gone in the other direction shortly after their conversation, but Shinobu almost lingered a bit, like she wanted to say something but couldn't.

It wasn't until they had both left that someone she had least expected to come into the room.

What was he doing here?

.

.

.

TO BE CONTINUED

Taisho Whispers and Rumors

The three youngest butterfly girls were really worried about Y/n; they visited every day to check in on her

Aoi was also very worried, but she tried to hide it to make everyone feel better

Flins could barely hide the grin on his face

The sight of you in that outfit was better than anything he could have hoped for on your anniversary

And that mischievous glint in his eyes— you knew it was going to be a long night from that look alone

He wanted to take his time with you, tracing a gloved hand down the expanse of your thigh, slowly reaching the hem of your skirt, then peeking under it at the same speed

Nothing under it

Flins could feel his patience being eaten away; you had deliberately planned all of this, just to rile him up, to make him lose his gentlemanly composure

And it worked, for better or for worse

His lips met every inch of your exposed skin, teeth sinking into your flesh whenever you squirmed; it was only fair, you were impeding his process

Then once he was done kissing you all over, he peeled away that scandalous outfit, baring you to his pretty yellow eyes

Your anniversary night was long. And pleasurable

Illuga couldn't look

He couldn't face you— lest you see the growing problem in his pants

The squad leader almost left your shared room in a hurry, if only to deal with said problem in the bathroom

But you, his significant other, wouldn't let all the careful planning you did go to waste

With your arms wrapped around his lean torso, chest pressed against his back, and your sex pushing against his ass, he could only feel that problem grow even further

The stutter of your name left his lips in a flash, cheeks growing redder by the second, a silent plea for you to relent in your teasing

Of course, that wouldn't happen

Straddling his waist after you coaxed him to the bed, he could only let out breaths of hot air at the heat pooling in his stomach, practically begging for you to continue with small wiggles of his hips under yours

His voice was increasing in volume, whining your name like a prayer all night; Illuga could only let out gasps at your ministrations, far too overwhelmed by the pleasure that your cute outfit was mere background noise

Not that you minded; all you cared for was pleasing your sweet boyfriend for the night, which you accomplished very well

When you had called Xiao's name, he wasn't sure what to expect

But of all things he could've expected, this wasn't it

The sheer top, covering so little, yet just enough to have the adeptus yearning, the tiny, tiny skirt leaving much of your thigh in his view, and the fact that he could get a glimpse of what was under that skirt was driving him wild

A dull flush rose to his cheeks rather quickly, turning away to hide such a matter from you

He could hear you get up from the bed, the soft caress of your hand on his back, then his arm, and finally you spun him to face you

Your gentle hand reached to his cheek and pulled him down for a kiss, which he couldn't help but melt into

Xiao's arms hovered around your waist, unsure if he should fully wrap himself around you

But you guided his hands to your frame, pulling him closer for a deeper kiss, then parting for a moment, lowering your head to kiss the expanse of his neck, giving tender licks to the exposed bit of his skin

Xiao's only response was heavier and heavier breathing, his mind swarming

The sight of you in that outfit, your ministrations, it was almost too much for him; and in a split second of overwhelming pleasure, he came in his pants...

-Ratchet scoffed and started talking about how Predacons never developed advanced brain processors to learn speech. Neither had there been proof. Though you and your siblings showed a certain level of intelligence, it only showed you were able to learn tricks like the ones taught to an Earth dog. 

-And you and your siblings already spoke in chirping and loud screeching. You were talkative enough. 

” Oh, you’re such a party pooper.” Miko said, then tried to encourage you and your siblings to talk. 

-Funny enough, you began trying to mimic her tone of voice, though it was a mix of chirping and croaking. 

-Jack noted how that was pretty smart. 

-After that, you and your siblings usually wrestled with each other or played games with Miko and the kids. But then you would sometimes stop and observe how the kids and the bots spoke to each other. You became interested in the tone of their voices and sometimes tried to mimic it.

-Bulkhead would notice that you were acting a bit differently and join in mimicking voices with you, thinking it was a game. 

-Then one day. 

-Bots were out scouting energon. The kids were chilling on the couch, watching a movie. Ratchet was doing something with his tools. Your siblings were wrestling with each other. And you... were observing Ratchet.

”Ah… frag,” you heard Ratchet utter when something went wrong with his gadgets. 

-You tilted your head, curious about the word. You then began releasing croaking-like sounds, catching his and the kids’ attention.

-Jack questioned what was going on. Miko recognized it as you trying to mimic sounds again. 

-”... Frag.” you suddenly uttered. 

-Everyone froze. Even your siblings stopped what they were doing to look at you curiously. 

“Did… did (Name) just speak?” Jack asked in stunned disbelief. 

“Frag?” you said again.

-A loud squeal would leave Miko. She quickly runs up to you and holds your cheeks, excitedly shouting about you saying your first word. 

-Seeing her excitement. You began repeating the Cybertronian curse word enthusiastically. 

-Passing through his shock about you speaking, Ratchet tried to shush you and tell you not to say the word. 

“Frag!” one of your siblings suddenly spoke. 

-Then soon the rest of your siblings followed, managing to spell out the word. Now there was an entire pack of Predacons sparklings shouting the Cybertronian curse word.

-When the bots returned to base, their face would turn into utter bewilderment when they found a pack of Predacons yelling ‘frag’ over and over again.

-Bulkhead got through his initial shock quickly and became more appalled about your and your siblings' first word being 'frag'.

“Ratchet! You taught them a curse word?!” Bulkhead yelped in shock. 

“Not intentionally!” Ratchet yelled back. 

-It would take them an entire day to make you and your siblings stop saying ‘frag’ — teaching you to say something else. After a hard effort, they managed to teach you to say their names. 

-You learned to say Miko’s name. One of your brothers learned to say Jack’s and Raf’s names. Your sister learned to say Bee, and your other brother… well, he struggled to learn anything new, so his default word became ‘frag’. 

-Miko never allowed Ratchet to hear the end of it.

-And whenever Ratchet threatened to throw a wrench at Bulkhead after accidentally breaking one of his tools again, Bulkhead would also pull the card about accidentally teaching you a curse word, which calms the crumby medic down. Though not often, because he doesn't want to abuse it. But he doesn't deny that he likes having leverage over the ambulance bot.

-Bulkhead would nearly have a spark attack from cuteness when you and your siblings started calling him ‘Papa’ thanks to Miko’s influence.

-He had learned from her that it means the same as sire.

-And surprisingly, after hard teaching, you and your siblings began picking up more words and started talking. Not in perfect speech, but you managed to speak in words.

” Papa! Papa! Me Want Outside!”  would be your way of speaking. 

-Bulkhead would be proud and say how you and your siblings were growing quickly. It also made it very easy to tell your wants and needs. 

-Ratchet soon grew used to you and your sibling’s talking. And that you asked a lot of questions. Fulfilling your curiosity was not easy since he had to simplify everything so you would understand what he was saying. It did not help when you and your siblings had short attention spans or left mid-discussion when you got distracted by a game or got bored.

-Ratchet would silently admit that he was wrong about Predacons being as smart as Earth dogs, but then he would say that though you could talk, you couldn’t do something only modern Cybertronians can, which was transformation. 

-But soon their unique ability caught your attention too. 

-After learning speech, you began observing the bots when they transformed into their alt modes. You watched it happen whenever they went on a mission or left the base to collect the kids.

-It clicked something within your mind, making you wonder if you could do it too. You asked Bulkhead about it, and he tried to explain it as best as he could. 

“Me want to transform too!” you declared. 

-Ratchet scoffed and told you that Predacons couldn't do it since they never reached that evolutionary stage.  

-It only fueled your determination, so you began trying to transform. 

-So, for the next few days, you tried to transform into robot mode --- imagining yourself changing, trying to stand on two feet, or shaking your whole frame. 

-Bulkhead complimented your determination as he didn’t know what else to do. Ratchet only scoffed and tried to tell you that you were wasting your time. Raf said that maybe letting you figure it out yourself was the best option. 

-Then one day, the impossible happened. 

-It was one of those days when Bulkhead stayed at the base to spend time with you and your siblings. You were trying to change again. Then something clicked inside your frame. 

-You suddenly turned into robot mode and stood on two pedes. Not used to standing on two feet all of a sudden, your arms swung around wildly as you fell off balance. Bulkhead quickly placed his servo beneath you, so you wouldn’t land face-first on the floor.

-Everyone froze as they looked at you. 

-While you just threw your arms up in victory.

-Miko would squeal in excitement again. Bulkhead would be confused but happy for you as you tried to learn to walk on two feet. Ratchet would feel his soul trying to leave his body, especially when your siblings followed your lead, transforming into robot modes too when you told them how. 

-Well, apparently, Predacons can transform. 

-Soon, the Autobots had a pack of Predacon sparklings running around after learning how to walk on two feet.