#yokai reader

sanji had been irritated for exactly thirty-seven minutes.

zoro was asleep again.

not regular asleep—no. flat on his back right in front of the kitchen door, arms crossed, swords beside him, snoring like the floor belonged to him. sanji had already stepped over him twice and nearly tripped the third time.

the crew had gathered like it was a show.

“ten berries he doesn’t wake up,” nami muttered.

“he’s gonna get so mad,” usopp whispered.

chopper looked nervous. “should we stop him…?”

robin smiled. “let’s see.”

luffy bounced in place. “DO IT!!”

sanji grabbed a bucket and filled it with cold, fresh water—nothing dangerous, just enough to shock someone awake. he lifted it, aimed—

—and the kitchen door slid open.

“oh—hey, um… did you guys need something?”

you stepped out with a small plate of snacks, mid-smile, completely unaware.

sanji froze.

“WAIT—Y/N-CHAAAN—!!”

too late.

the water came down.

it soaked you instantly, drenching your head, your clothes, the plate slipping from your hands and clattering uselessly to the floor.

the deck went silent.

your smile faded—not into anger, but into something distant.

then the air shifted.

something sharp curled beneath your skin, energy crawling up your spine. your head tilted slowly, water dripping from your chin as your eyes darkened.

not yours anymore.

“…wow,” the voice echoed, layered and amused. “that was cold.”

usopp screamed.

“IT’S OUT—!!”

chopper hid behind nami. “I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN—”

zoro cracked one eye open. “what’s with the yelling—”

sanji dropped to his knees.

“Y/N-CHAAAN—!! YOU’RE STILL BEAUTIFUL—EVEN LIKE THIS—PLEASE DON’T BE MAD—THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR MARIMO—!!”

the yokai turned slowly toward him.

“…this one cries a lot.”

then—

“HAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

luffy laughed loud and bright, like this was the best thing he’d seen all day.

“IT HAPPENED AGAIN!! THAT’S SO COOL!!”

the yokai snapped its gaze to him, irritation clear.

“…you.”

luffy grinned. “you again!!”

“I hate you,” it said flatly. “you’re too warm. you ruin everything.”

luffy jogged forward without hesitation and wrapped his arms around you from behind, hugging you tight, cheek pressed against yours.

the yokai jolted. “HEY—DON’T—”

heat spread instantly. luffy was warm—always was—and it grounded you, chased the cold away. the yokai hissed, squirming, clearly annoyed.

“you again,” it grumbled. “always hugging.”

luffy laughed and squeezed you gently. “yeah… i miss her! give her back to me!”

“…she was mine for a second,” the yokai snapped.

luffy tilted his head. “but she’s mine all the time!”

that made it pause.

steam curled faintly in the air as warmth overtook the chill.

“…tch,” it muttered. “annoying. warm. stupid pirate.”

then the pressure lifted.

your eyes cleared.

you sucked in a breath, suddenly very aware of everything—your soaked clothes, the crew staring, and luffy still holding you like he never planned on letting go.

“…luffy,” you whispered.

he brightened instantly. “you’re back!”

your face burned.

you hid it by burying your face into his chest, mortified. “oh my god… i’m so sorry… that’s so embarrassing…”

luffy blinked. “why?”

“because everyone saw that,” you groaned.

sanji collapsed face-first onto the floor. “THANK THE STARS—!!”

usopp nearly cried. “I THOUGHT WE WERE DEAD—”

zoro sat up. “lunch still happening?”

robin smiled softly.

luffy tightened his arms around you anyway. “i like that part too!”

you peeked up at him, flustered. “luffy—”

“it’s part of you,” he said simply, grinning. “and i like all of you.”

your heart melted.

somewhere deep inside, the yokai scoffed—

annoyed.

but quiet.

because even it knew—

you were safe.

and very, very loved.

It may take Thoma some time to notice your presence in the Chinju Forest - there's a huge variety of strange creatures wandering around there, including ones that have the ability to take on humanish forms. But before long, he starts to spot you from the corner of his eye and takes an immediate interest, since he’s been reading so much about yokai recently, he absolutely has to investigate!

It’s almost like a game of hide-and-seek to him - he doesn’t outright chase you, but he certainly makes attempts to follow and track this new forest inhabitant. When that doesn’t work, he tries to bribe you into coming out into the open, leaving yummy snacks and shiny trinkets out in places he’s spotted you in more than once. He catches on to the shapeshifting aspect of you fairly quickly thanks to your distinct mannerisms and markings. 

Thoma is nothing if not persistent - there’s no way he’ll stop bombarding you with niceties until he’s managed to befriend you (and even then he’ll keep going!). He’s well trusted by even the more mischievous creatures in the forest because of how he brings any leftover food from the estate to hand out to others. 

He’s super excited when you finally deign to approach him for the first time, but he works very hard to reign it in, worried about accidentally scaring you off. It’s almost painfully obvious that he has about eight trillion questions for you, and his fingers twitch as he suppresses the urge to reach out and touch your fluffy ears and tail. He makes sure to speak in a soft, kind voice while moving very slowly towards you as he introduces himself. 

Thoma is extraordinarily patient - though he can get overexcited pretty easily at times, he does his very best not to startle you or do anything that might scare you off. He takes note of your favourite kinds of snacks and trinkets and brings them along whenever he visits. He usually drops by around midafternoon on sunny days, shortly after lunch once he’s finished hanging the laundry. Some days, he’s too busy to make it, which he’s so apologetic for, bringing you extra offerings to make up for it.

He has so many questions for you, from every category you could possibly think of, he tries to be considerate and not ask anything that pries too much, but he may occasionally let something odd slip out (“Can you even wear hats with big ears like that? Wait, was that a mean question. Is it a sensitive subject? I’m sorry - hey, why are you laughing?!”). He’s super fascinated by your shapeshifting abilities, and will often ask to see them in action.

Thoma often talks about how lucky he is to have you as a friend, and how cool it is that he’s friends with an ‘actual, real-life, honest-to-archons yokai!’ 

He also has a bit of a tricky side himself, and will more than happily engage in miniature prank wars with you - once, this culminated in him treating some random forest creature like you for a solid several days. You’re never quite sure if he had really fallen that hard for your trickery or he was just toying with you in return, but it was pretty funny to watch him have a fully-fledged one-sided conversation with a squirrel. 

Thoma likes interconnecting his friend groups, and will tentatively offer to introduce you to some of his other contacts (only if you’re comfortable with it, of course). He’s super lovely and excited about it all, and makes sure that nobody ever feels left out or overwhelmed. He’ll extend invites to various events and festivals, but he never gets upset if you turn him down for whatever reasons. He’s just super glad to be your friend! 

You cackled as you lunged into the air, the laughter morphing into a short-lived 'caw' as you flapped upwards. The turtle Yokai you had snatched the weapon from was yelling at you.. too bad.

Once you considered yourself a safe enough distance up, you looked down to the prize clutched between your claws and frowned.

Wasn't it glowing when you saw him use it? That's what drew you to it in the first place, after all.

"What's wrong with it..?"

You grabbed it by the handle, swinging it a few times.

Nothing.

Sighing, you dropped your prize.. right into a blue, glowing portal.

Blinking harshly, you looked down to the alley you had emerged from.

The turtle you had stolen the weapon from had it back in his hands, and was now surrounded by three others, with similar weapons.. all glowing.

"Ah.. bloodline enchantments.. oh dear."

The one you had stolen from flicked the ball of his weapon towards you, tangling you in the now-glowing chain and dragging you to him. This was the first time you had been truly caught for your theft, and frankly, you were unprepared.

The four turtle Yokai surrounded you, the biggest of them all, donning red, approaching with hands on his hips.

"Why're you stealin' from my little brother? Huh?!"

You looked away, eyes trained in the ground.. near the orange clad turtle's feet.

"My apologies.. I was merely searching for shining objects to add to my best. Your weapon seemed perfect when in your hands.. the glow… mesmerizing."

"Nest?'

The one you had stolen from spoke up, seeming far more curious than mad. You glanced towards his face, opening your beak to speak before you were cut off by one of the others, wearing purple.

"They're a bird, Mikey. A.. raven? Crow?.. corvid of some form. But the theft for nest objects? Really? Couldn't you just get sparkly things from the trash?"

If you had a nose, it would have been wrinkling in disgust. "I'm not putting trash in my nest.. I sleep there, you know!"

"Ah.." the blue masked turtle lifted a hand to his chin, seemingly deep in thought. "Y'know, we could probably help you to get some stuff for your nest.. if you promise not to steal anything else."

"Nothing from the trash, we promise!" The one you had stolen from spoke up again, a genuine grin crossing his face. "I mean, some of the things may be considered trash, but they'll be clean."

"..alright then. I.. promise to not steal anything else. But I'd still like some more sparkle for the nest.." You tucked your wings into your sides, flapping gently in thought. "It's not very large right now; I've just left my parents'. So nothing too massive.. If that's okay."

"Done!"

The orange-clad turtle reached to his side, rummaging through a bag you hadn't previously registered. When he pulled his hand back out, he was clutching a.. canister, of some form.

"Here! Something to remember me by! The can's empty.. if you shake it, it makes noise.

You did, wings puffing as a clinking sound filled your ears.

"Oh.. wow.."

"Ta-da! Now you'll never forget your new best friend Mikey!"

"Mikey..? I am (Y/n). This is perfect.. thank you."

He grinned, watching as you tilted the spray can back and forth to hear the marble roll against the sides.

You were pulled from your mindless actions when the largest of the four cleared his throat.

"We should get goin', guys. Dad said he wanted us home soon.."

The other three muttered sounds of agreement, though your 'new best friend' seemed apprehensive.

"We will meet again, Mikey.. won't we? The Hidden City isn't all that massive, you know."

He brightened almost instantly at the reassurance.

"Yeah, you're right! I'll see you around, (Y/n)!"

---

Kidnap...

Could you do such a thing?

It was no later than midnight and you couldn't help, but feel the sour edge of tension and restlessness at such a late hour meant for sleeping. But it couldn't be helped for your leader, of the feared Yokai Clan known as ****, had entrusted you with a task of utmost importance like no other. He could have given it to his dearly trusted second in command. His own flesh and blood son. But no.

He gave it to you.

You smirked, probably because of your powerful origins. It was known to all even though you weren't the second in command, no less, the leader. You were still blessed with power unlike any other. Thanks to this you, for the most part, have had a good life. It was hard being who you are. Disguising yourself day in and day out to be one of those pathetic beings called humans.

You inwardly cringed just thinking about those horrible beasts. The devastation when they raged war on each other. Disrupting the peace of all the villages over trivial matters that could dissipate quickly if they only let their small minds actually think for once in their puny lifespan instead of making rash decisions for what they called the greater good.

Unlike humans Yokai, were beautiful and gifted with magic and all areas alike by the very gods themselves. The only reason they feared you was because you were blessed.

Every single day you would have to run away and hide in fear of being captured and taken up to the palace. They were only rumors, but you had heard the Yokai became servants and some even sex slaves.

You snapped out of your own thoughts getting back to the urgent task at hand. You jumped from the castle rooftop, where you had earlier been scoping out the guards routine walking schedule and found out you could have half of an hour to even a full hour of no interruption, silently to the floor below just as the guards rounded the corner.

You only would have half an hour to kidnap the prince, it was enough time, but you should always plan on something going wrong. You slid the door open silently and slipped in, careful of your tail and traditional garments as you closed it back up to avoid suspicion and invasion of privacy. Your (E/c) eyes widened seeing the prince sitting up straight, awake, and staring out at his small private garden. You were hoping he would have been sleeping.

Tiptoeing you way behind him, wary of the floorboards, though you knew they were new and not old and creaky, you stopped and froze statue still as the prince turned around.

You almost gasped at the prince's appearance. You had anticipated in him being beautiful, but to put it bluntly, he was gorgeous.

His garments were obviously expensive and created from the finest materials Japan could offer. Much more flattering and formal than your own (F/c) garments. The colors were a mix of bright and dark. Overall black with intricate details in a shimmering white and red, for the flag of his country.

His hair was long, a good guess being four to five feet long, maybe even more. It looked as if it was itself made of the finest silk, shiny and soft looking with the help of the full moon rising behind him. His pitch black hair that almost molded with the darkness of the room almost made you feel self-conscious of your own (H/c) hair in a normal (H/s).

And oh. His face! His skin was pale, a sign of royalty, and perfectly flawless. Rid of any possible blemish and any other imperfection. His eyes were a rich brown almost hidden away by his precisely cut bangs.

This man was most definitely a young god.

You watched in horror as the prince's eyes widened in shock, his mouth opening to call out for help, but before he could do so you clamped your left hand over his mouth, your right holding his left forearm, silencing so he couldn't make any noise to alarm the guards of your unwanted presence.

He squirmed in your tight grip, his right hand coming to your wrist to try and pull your arm away, but you were too strong for the pampered human. You let out a small 'ssshh', as you fixed your sharp gaze on him. It must have unsettled him for he eventually calmed down and stopped moving, but you knew he was undeniably scared for his life. Evident in the way he breathed heavily through his nose, chest heaving slightly, and his body was shaking.

Surprisingly, fear looked good on the prince.

You tilted your head, a look of contemplation printed on it, wondering what you would do. Then it came to you. You hadn't conversed with a human for centuries.

Playtime.

"I'll let you go," a look of relief washed over the prince at your declaration, "if. And just if. You don't alarm the guards I am here."

The prince nodded his head quickly at your generous offer. You smirked, happy he accepted, letting go of his mouth, careful of you ever so sharp two inch long nails that could slice flesh open. You didn't want to hurt him, even though humans disgusted you. But this one seemed different.

Your right hand was kept on his forearm to keep him and to stop him from running away, even though that would be impossible. Your knees were tucked underneath you and he was the same, though his garment was like a dress and covered everything and the floor beneath him to your own knees.

You examined him further, staring deep into his eyes with the rich brown hue with your own color of (E/c). He seemed to be less scared than earlier, but fear was still shown in his eyes, you almost felt guilty. You sneered internally at your own thoughts. Feel guilty for a human? Never!

You stopped thinking as he began to speak. And just as you had imagined his voice was smooth and light like the water that spilled into his garden pond behind him. "Why?"

You were caught off guard, did he just ask you why? You responded curiously, "What do you mean?"

"W-why-" his voice almost cracked at the start but regained his voice a few seconds later. "Why are you doing this? If it's for ransom my father, the emperor, can pay you in plenty of heavy pounds of pure gold. Just, please... Please, don't hurt me..."

You're inhumanly heart clenched painfully at his desperation and fear. It was clear the young prince knew nothing of war. Nothing of the sins the world held. You almost wanted to protect him from those things.

"Ie. It's not for ransom," you responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I've come to take you to my leader. By my appearance, you should know why."

The prince looked at you in confusion, his eyes roaming to your ears and tail, a (F(ur)/c) color. You could see it click in his mind what you were, but that didn't seem to change his mind about what you were going to do with him.

"I know not what you speak of, but may I ask you a question?"

You tilted your head once again, indicating you were listening as he spoke.

"Why do you onry have one tair?" You blinked in surprise not expecting such a childlike question from a royal blood. (Though you wanted to smile at his cute accent) He seemed to notice your quick pause and spoke again to justify himself. "S-sorry! It's just you seem to onry have one. I thought kitsune usuarry have nine."

You nodded guy understanding just what he was asking about."That's actually a myth. It's only some kitsune really. Some are born with nine and live one immortal life. While others have nine immortal lives. I am simply on my very first life of my nine. I'm only 123 years old you know," you said proudly. Many kitsune didn't live as long as you. While some lived for millenniums.

The prince nodded in awe, he had never met a kitsune. And to know you were 123 years old was something of an extraordinary wonder.

"Can I pet you!?" Yet again you blinked. This human was very childlike, but you found it to be adorable. You sighed on the inside, almost giggling actually, as you nodded, with a small 'Hai'.

The prince's eyes widened in wonder and his hand reached atop your head to pet your sensitive (Fur/c) colored ears. You blushed at the sensation as your tail curling in your lap. You decided to feel his too, I mean he was doing it to you so you had the right to return the action.

Your left hand raised, your right sill securely holding his forearm, and you brushed his bangs away from his eyes. You could feel his hand momentarily stop, his brown eyes gazing at your own color of (E/c). His eyes widened a fraction at your action, he probably didn't expect you to be so affectionate.

You still continued anyway, letting you long fingers glide through as much hair as you could before you had to stop because of its amazing length. It was soft and as silky as you had thought. He must have used many oils and taken plenty of baths to require such a beautiful shine. He was like a woman. I mean, you almost had mistaken him for his sister, the princess. Good thing you were wrong.

You decided to voice your opinion, mumbling lowly, "You're like a woman. Long hair, delicate features, beautiful clothes. Even," you twitched your ears which he still held onto,"soft and small fingers."

He blushed at your statement, he tried to suppress it, but that would be impossible for him.

"Well," he began," I can assure you I am a man. If you're looking for women you should rather consult with my younger sister."

You looked in a bit of shock as he almost grumbled the words out. Is he jealous? You smiled at the thought of the prince being jealous of somebody they just met.

"Don't worry, I came here looking for you, the prince. Didn't I?" You questioned knowing he knew you were right. "But it'd a shame, my leader wanted me to give you to him as a sex slave. It seems like a good offer since you humans have done that to us."

You scowled, but stopped as he spoke confused, "W-what do you mean? I've never seen any of your kind in the palace before. Surely, my father doesn't have yokai sex slaves..."

A small smile crossed your (Plump/Thin/etc) lips at how naive he was. It was inhumanly cute. "You've had a sheltered life. Away from sin, away from the horrors of this disgusting world and all the creatures that inhabit it." Your left hand cupped the prince's soft cheek, running your thumb back and forth in a soothing motion across his smooth skin. "You will learn. And you'll turn into a man. Into an emperor. And all your innocence will evaporate with the rising sun of this country."

You stopped in shock as tears brimmed at the prince's eyes and started to flow over his cheeks, wetting them quickly. His hands had left your ears and had lowered to clasp onto your yukata. You hurried to calm him down, whispering how sorry you were for frightening him. Realising he was defiantly sheltered. More than you had originally thought.

"Do not worry, my prince," you whispered as if you were talking to your own child. "I'll make sure you are safe. No one will dare harm you, as long as we both shall live."

The prince's tears had stopped for a bit, but sniffles like a child as he looks up at you with his big doe-like eyes.

"So...you won't kidnap me and take me to your leader?" he asked.

You chuckled at his question,"Correct. It seems I want you all for myself. You alright with that?"

The prince started to stutter out a reply, a blush coating his cheeks. You hushed him a with a peck on his lips. It shut him up quickly as he touched his left hand, the right still clasped on your yukata and ghosted over his plump lips. Embarrassment, well this kind, and being lovesick looked good on him too.

"Though tell me your name," you almost ordered, "I want to know the name of my mate."

"H-honda, Kiku," he mumbled out. "You have permission to speak of me by my first name, seeing you've already kissed me..."

You nodded, expecting nothing less. "It's an honor," you stated honestly. "But seems I'll have to take my leave. I've been here too long, the guards will be here soon." You stood up the princes, no Kiku's, hand left your yukata, and you took away your hand. "I won't be able to return to my Clan since I've failed my mission. But that's alright, I have you to look forward to every morning."

As you began to walk towards his garden, now you think about it you should have just entered from there since it was not guarded all around and was open to the sky, you turned back to see Kiku, waving a goodbye.

"W-wait!" he shouted. You stopped from crouching to jump and turned back around to see him get a box, surprisingly he was still sitting down after all this time. "Come here, please."

You followed his instructions and crouched in front of him again. He opened up the black and gold encrusted box about as long as half a meter. And 1/3 of a meter high. To reveal, it empty?

"What's the box for?"

Kiku smiled as he pulled all of his hair to be over one shoulder, he brought his hand forward in front of you. You understood and placed your larger hand in his confused. Before you could comprehend what he was up to the next thing you heard almost scared you out of your tail and ears.

Slice!

"Hey! Why did you-" Kiku stopped you as he simply picked up his hair, binding it neatly and setting it in the box, closing the lid.

You were shocked, he had cut his hair. With your hand. Nails, but still your hand. It seemed your nails were the perfect length for it was cleanly cut and now his hair only reached his chin.

Before you could ask why he did such a thing he spoke first.

"You said you won't be able to return to where you were once accepted. I cannot live with the fact you'll be scorned by your former family and friends. So in order to make things right," he said scooting the box closer to your figure, "I wish to give this to your leader. I'm sure he won't decline. I've never cut my hair. And if they don't accept you can always stay here. And if my family doesn't accept you, we'll simply run away. My father can always have more kids," he half-joked.

Your eyes widened, you almost felt like crying. He would do such a thing for you?

You moved forward in a flash, wrapping your arms around Kiku's small body. Your body slightly shook in appreciation.

"Thank you. Thank you, so much" you chocked out. "This means a lot to me. No human has ever been as kind and as generous as you have."

"Promise me you'll come back."

"Of course, anything for you," you promised.

You composed yourself, letting go of him and picked up the box in the crook of your left arm. You cupped your right hand under the back of his head making him look up at you. You placed a soft and chaste kiss once again on his lips, closing both of your eyes, savoring the taste of him before you had to go. You would kiss him, who knew when you would visit him again. You slowly let him go as he opened his again in a bashful manner. You smirked at his expression. You would look forward to this.

Hopefully, you would be able to come back.

You reluctantly let go of our head and retreated to his garden, peering up at the moon as it still continued to climb the sky.

"Before you go, may I know the name of the yokai wishing to win my heart?"

You glanced behind your shoulder at the prince. He looked the same as when you had first met him, even though that was about 45 minutes ago, but he was different now. His hair was cut short, he still looked like women, his cheeks were a permanent pink and his eyes were incredibly lovesick. And his right hand brushed his lips, desperate to feel your lips on his again.

Yet it wasn't just his appearance that was different. He seemed less naive like he had learned a valuable lesson. He now knew of what lay beyond the palace walls. You almost regret telling him such a thing but knew he would learn it eventually. And early would be better than when he had become emperor.

"(F/n). (F/n) Bonoama."

You smiled as he whispered your name to himself. "(F/n), till we meet again."

You nodded, "Till we meet again Kiku ouji-sama."

You laughed at his surprised expression, before jumping away. And with the swoosh of the air, you were gone. Nothing indicating you were there other than the flustered prince left behind.

"(F/n)"

~*~*~*~

It was like a dream. Your leader was shocked when you had given him the quarter pound of hair from the prince. Surprised even more when it was willingly given. You leader had instantly accepted, declaring no war to start between your yokai clan and the royal palace.

You had even been moved to a high position in your clan. But even so, you only wished to meet him again. So with the permission of your leader, you were able to be with the prince. It was a dream come true indeed.

~*~*~*~

~Two Days Later~

"(F/n)! You're back!"

You almost fell over as the body of your new lover crashed into yours. To your surprise, he was standing. And he was quite short. You're a full-blooded kitsune yokai, most of you were tall (Gomenesai!).

You hugged him back, your tail swishing back and forth curling happily. You settled your head on top of his. "Of course, I never break my promises."

"Then promise me."

"Hmm?" You hummed. "Promise what?"

"You'll marry me."

~The End~

Translations:

-Japanese-

Ie: No

Hai: Yes

Gomenesai: I am very sorry

(Not in the story, but it's just so you know~)

Ouji-sama: Prince-sama

(Sama is for people that have a higher status than you and/or is someone you respect)

Fun Facts:

-People in ancient China and I'm sure many other areas of Asia at the time, sought out to have long shiny black hair, for it symbolized you kept good care of your hair. And you were of high status. Japan having long shiny hair signified he kept good care of it, and he was of high status. But it also goes along with how hair is a gift from the gods and should never be cut unless on very special occasions (Moreso in Asian countries)-