Fantasy Higanbana | Rose & kurishiri

[roxybirdie]

higanbana 彼岸花

Rose & kurishiri are permitted to post here only.

 

[roxybirdie]

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VESPER KRELL

life is fleeting, death is eternal, but wealth is ever changing.

Summer 2020 — Higanbana, Tokyo

“Fi-fi-fiv—“ stuttered the man.

A delicate eyebrow arched in response. “Did I stutter, Yamada-san?” inquired the informant.

The aforementioned man flinched. “B-but, we agreed to ¥100,000,” he squeaked.

He tilted his head, burgundy-tinted raven bangs sweeping to his left. A glimpse of a crimson orb poked through the curtain of silky tresses. “Yes, but I do not tolerate tardiness, Yamada-san. Are you saying ¥500,000 isn’t merciful?” A steely glint glimmered inside his mismatched hues.

Yamada paled. Without warning, the man bowed. “N-no, Dragonheart! I-I’ll pay,” he wheezed.

A deceptively soft smile graced the informant’s angelic features. Dragonheart leaned forward, patting the older man’s head; akin to a misbehaved pet receiving a rewarding pat on the head for good behavior. “Have the money wired to my account by the end of the day and I’ll tell you all I know about the man you want to kill in cold blood,” he announced blithely, as if he were talking about the weather instead of murder.

The man swallowed thickly. “Y-yes, Dragonheart.” Without another word, the cowardly man scampered out of the designated meeting room in the back of the informant’s favorite bar, Homura.

A chuckle rumbled inside his chest. “Run, run, little lamb,” Dragonheart murmured. The dark-haired informant rose into a standing position. He pivoted, ambling out of the quaint room. The bar’s owner and main bartender glanced at the direction of his dangerous regular.

“I’m surprised I didn’t have to clean up,” the older man drawled.

A huff of a laugh escaped his lips. “I have more control than that, Hōzuki-san,” Dragonheart — now Vesper — mused.

The fair-haired man arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Say that to the three hours it took for me to scrub off the bloodstains from your last client,” Hōzuki groused, but in spite of his gruff tone, it contained no bite. The almost-thirty year old had a soft spot for the avaricious informant. Perhaps, it was unquestionably insane, but despite his profession, Vesper Krell was one of his best customers.

The informant had the gall to pout. “Muu, I’ll bill you for that comment,” Vesper grumbled.

The bartender rolled his eyes. “The usual?” he inquired.

He approached the counter, taking a seat on a barstool. “With extra drizzle,” Vesper replied. As his friend — not that the informant would admit it. He didn’t have friends — prepared his special, the heterochromic-eyed man surveyed the bar. Homura was located in the lesser side of the quiet suburban town. Despite its seedier location, Homura was, without a doubt, the best bar in the town. Contrary to belief, while the outside location was dreadful, the inside wasn’t sleazy or unsanitary. The interior was modern with a touch of tradition; not a speck of dust in sight. The soft lighting made it feel unquestionably warm and homey.

“One Dragonheart Special,” Hōzuki announced, placing a mug in front of the shorter male.

His visible eye glimmered with greed. “Heavenly.” Without another word, the informant accepted the red velvet hot chocolate with all the fixings. The elaborate drink was a work of art; aesthetically pleasing and absolutely divine. Unbeknownst to ignorant bystanders, the Dragonheart Special contained something more than a copious amount of red velvet and chocolate. The moment the ravenette sipped his drink, a sensuous moan escaped his lips.

The bartender snorted. A part of him was grateful his bar was empty, minus his regular.

— template by astraea —

 

[kurishiri]

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KOUYA

beauty—a veil to cover the darkest and the most toxic of one's heart.

The forest was a calm scene—the moonlight tinted the leaves on trees and shrubs silver, and occasionally the sound of cicadas would buzz music to Mother Nature's ears, and the fireflies' green light floating about as if they were specks of magic. In the midst of the beauty was a demon... Kouya. To those who've heard it, it strikes fear; otherwise, it's simply a name.

A very human-like creature, but very much not a human at the same time. Many have died by his hands, sometimes by accident. When he spotted a tree, probably centuries years old from its height and thickness, Kouya sat down, and unconsciously, his hand touched the grass beneath him. By the time he realized, it was too late: the grass had already withered, its life forcefully and completely drained years earlier. As Kouya glances at the blackened, withered grass, he curses under his breath. "Damn, not again..."

Kouya leaned against the tree, drinking its warmth while enduring the excruciating pain that felt like something was ripping his heart apart mercilessly in two going through his heart.

Despite the pain, he couldn't stop a wry chuckle. As a demon, he never thought he'd have any form of a so-called "heart". But him feeling this pain is proof that he indeed does. It'll go away soon... The pain only served as a drive to find the person who could cure him of this damndest Hanahaki disease.

After what felt like an eternity, the pain finally subsided, and Kouya sighed. He brought his hand to his chest, the pain ebbing away slowly yet surely. He knew he was near a place where there were people—not a lot of people, but even one was better than none. When the pain completely subsides, which should be any minute now, he decided, he'll go to that place.

I have to find him. No matter what.

— template by astraea —

 

[roxybirdie]

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VESPER KRELL

life is fleeting, death is eternal, but wealth is ever changing.

Unbeknownst to the avaricious-driven informant, the strings of fate binding him to another soul started to unravel from its previous dormant spool. On a pure and unadulterated instinctual level, the not-so-human-but-not-so-supernatural sensed a certain presence on the outskirts of the quaint suburban town the Dragonheart claimed as his domain. It cried out to its other half, sobbing, begging, yearning. Buried in the darkest pit of his core and concealed behind layers of darkness, bloodshed, and greed, the soul-bond awakened.

In spite of the oppressive shackles binding it in the deepest crevice of his soul, the strings of fate seeped past the spiderweb fractures formulating along the surface. Nothing, not even the Dragonheart’s renowned greed, can prevent a soul bond from seeking its potential mate.

On the outside, Vesper remained oblivious to the proximity of his supposed destined. After succumbing to the darkness of the world, he became detached from the physical aspect of a ungrounded soul-bond. Instead of the hollowness of an incomplete bond, greed consumed his heart and filled the void.

“It’s getting late,” Hōzuki commented, eyeing a nearby clock on the wall; almost half past ten.

Vesper hummed in response. He licked off the remnants of chocolate off his spoon. “Are you kicking me out?” he inquired, unbidden amusement evident in his heterochromic gaze.

The bartender huffed. “You know the type of company I get at this hour,” he pointed out.

A chuckle rumbled inside his chest. “Aww, is the great and powerful Hōzuki-san afraid for my safety?” Vesper teased, tone undeniably mocking.

He rolled his eyes. “I’m more concerned what you’ll do to them. I’d rather not lose my customers,” Hōzuki deadpanned. As his friend-slash-acquaintance laughed in response, the caramel-haired man smacked the shorter male with his towel. It was a testament of their amicable relationship that the informant didn’t retaliate with violence.

— template by astraea —

 

[kurishiri]

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KOUYA

beauty—a veil to cover the darkest and the most toxic of one's heart.

Several minutes pass slowly before the pain finally subsides. By the time the burst of stinging pain was over though, it had completely exhausted Kouya. Placing a cool hand on his chest, he stood up, though he was evidently a little wobbly on his feet. Despite this, his resolve was like an infallible steel as he took one step at a time, consciously using his arm to support himself on trees.

As he slowly neared the town, which was now in his bare sight, Kouya started to feel his lower back warm up. It was a mysterious sensation—it was warm, but it certainly didn't burn him to the point it hurt. It was strangely... comforting.

And not to mention: it was a very familiar feeling.

He's somewhere here. The fact that he is feeling this warmth on his lower back, where the mark is located, proves that whoever his soulmate was was near. Somewhere in the town. Before he could enter the suburban area though, Kouya hesitated. Usually, he was careful to not let his hands touch anything, but he can't always avoid accidents... irreversible accidents at that.

In the end, Kouya decided to place his hands behind his back and made sure to be extra careful. Even if he couldn't see the distinct, crimson-colored higanbana mark anywhere on his body, he'd still know by the warmth of his own mark and if he would be unaffected by his touch... though the latter was always a risky check.

Walking into the quiet suburban area in the dead of night, Kouya meandered through the streets in slow, deliberate steps. He listened to his own footsteps making fwich against the sand and other dust-like pieces of debris. Additionally, he also kept his ears wide open for anybody else's footsteps, but he kept his blue-green eyes fixed to the ground.

— template by astraea —

 

[roxybirdie]

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VESPER KRELL

life is fleeting, death is eternal, but wealth is ever changing.

“It’s-it’s—“ a voice choked.

“Shh, you fool—“ another hissed.

Slim fingers placed a couple of crisp bills on the polished countertop. Ignoring the incessant whispering from lesser-than-noble customers trickling inside the bar, Vesper slipped off his barstool. In spite of his parsimonious nature, the informant treated his favorite establishments fairly. Most of the time. Honestly, the ravenette preferred manipulating a susceptible lamb to pay for his treats, but since he was alone, Vesper adapted accordingly. It was a testament of how much he favored the bartender since he rarely paid before he left.

“S-s-so cold,” a man whimpered, sensing the bone-chilling aura surrounding the renowned informant. If Death existed on the mortal plane, the empath had no doubt the monster hiding beneath an angelic face was its vessel.

“Quiet,” another growled, the sound more wolf-like than human.

A chuckle rumbled inside his chest. “Have fun with your sheeple, Hōzuki-san,” Vesper announced, loud enough for the crowd to hear. A few of the braver souls bristled at the comment, but once he directed his attention to them, they wilted. Honestly, it was pathetic.

The bartender waved half-heartedly. “Troublesome,” said man grumbled.

With a fleeting laugh, the Dragonheart exited his favorite bar. He pivoted to his right, sauntering down the seedier side of the rundown street. Vesper hummed underneath his breath, every inch of his slender frame unassuming and vulnerable. The deliberate façade was part of the informant’s favorite game. He always had the nasty habit of playing with his prey before going for the kill.

If the ravenette noticed an unusual warmth surrounding a certain marking on the crease of his left cheekbone, near his eye, it didn’t show. Vesper continued humming underneath his breath, a long forgotten melody stemming from his earlier years.

— template by astraea —

 

[kurishiri]

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KOUYA

beauty—a veil to cover the darkest and the most toxic of one's heart.

Kouya's steady pace continued, and with no vivid destination in mind, he continued meandering through the streets. That is, until he could hear voices. They were faint, but Kouya knew that they were voices... of humans. They sounded... scared? Frightened of something? Because of the distance, he couldn't distinguish individual words very clearly.

Finally, Kouya's initially steady footsteps come to a stop when he hears another voice. This wasn't the scared voices he had heard several minutes before. No, it was more than that.

It sounded like a clear bell in comparison to the other sounds around him. The voice is humming a tune—one that Kouya is not familiar with, much to his surprise. His mark grew more warm by the minute, and with a sudden, almost inexplicable rush, Kouya moved toward the voice. Half of his body felt like it was moving on its own, as if he was a marionette being manipulated by invisible strings attached to his limbs.

Kouya froze when he found the one who was humming the mysterious tune. With it came the ever-growing warm sensation on his lower back. He slowly raised his eyes, looking at the figure. Is this... him? Kouya felt pretty confident that this figure bore the same mark of the red spider lily, so he approached the figure, reaching one of his hands out.

— template by astraea —

 

[roxybirdie]

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VESPER KRELL

life is fleeting, death is eternal, but wealth is ever changing.

Soft lips curled into a deceptively sweet smile. The seemingly mysterious tune was enchanting with a haunting quality. As the informant continued forward, the not-so-human-but-not-quite-more detected blips entering his radar. All of the sudden, a presence — one that seemingly materialized out of nowhere — appeared behind him. Before it could touch him, Vesper whirled around. He caught the wrist aiming for his shoulder, pivoted, and pressed a obsidian-colored dagger against the figure’s throat; a weapon made of Stygian iron. He tilted his head, a crimson orb peeking through parted strands of ebony. Once his bangs shifted, a glimpse of a certain mark was evident on his cheekbone.

“My, my, my,” Vesper breathed, a faint chuckle rumbling inside his chest. “I never thought I would attract a demon with my singing,” he mused. The crimson eye hidden behind his bangs illuminated a brilliant vermillion. “Powerful too. Your aura is simply divine,” he added. Out of nowhere, the marking on his cheekbone burned, evoking a faint hiss. The ravenette retracted the palm clutching the demon’s wrist, rubbing the marking on his cheekbone.

A huff escaped his lips. “How troublesome. I don’t know why it decided to burn,” he grumbled, mostly to himself. Had he been anyone else, the answer would of been apparent. However, since the informant found the concept of soulmates to be trivial and bothersome, Vesper forgotten about the first sign of two unbonded mates in close proximity to each other.

Ironically, if the situation involved a client, the avaricious ravenette would of recalled the piece of information without hesitation. Nothing, especially the concept of a destined bonded, hindered his profits.

— template by astraea —

 

[kurishiri]

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KOUYA

beauty—a veil to cover the darkest and the most toxic of one's heart.

"Ah!" Even though a part of Kouya knew that something of this nature would happen, the whole turn of events felt so abrupt that he still couldn't stifle a little gasp of surprise. He silently cursed himself — he couldn't do that in the future... especially not with someone like this person, who had nimbly pressed a Stygian iron dagger to his throat. I underestimated him.

But at the same time, he felt that not any human would be able to do what this boy just did... in such a short time as well.

Once the boy tilted his head, Kouya could see the red spider lily mark, but another feature caught his eyes: the color of this boy's eye, originally concealed beneath his raven-colored hair, was a brilliant crimson, as if to confirm Kouya's suspicion that this boy may not be completely human. Despite his general dislike for such a color, he found this boy's eye... beautiful? As such, he felt unfazed by this boy's sharp expression.

The boy seemed to experience some sort of pain, but he seemingly recovered later. Only then did Kouya decide to respond. With a veiled smile, he murmurs, just loud enough for the boy to hear, "Your voice is beautiful, and I'm impressed you could react this quickly. Do color me interested." There's a short pause, but Kouya speaks again, "I felt the same sensation. Don't you think that means we're destined to meet? And not only that—" Kouya lightly placed his light, cold fingers around the mark's location on his face, "—you're unaffected as well."

And just as lightly, as if his touch was something akin to a fleeting feather, he retracts his hand.

— template by astraea —

 

[roxybirdie]

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VESPER KRELL

life is fleeting, death is eternal, but wealth is ever changing.

”—you’re unaffected as well.”

His eyebrows furrowed in response. “What—“ The ravenette paused, registering the implications surrounding the demon’s comment. All of the sudden, realization dawned on his expression. Slim fingers traced over the warmth radiating around the tattoo-like marking he had since birth. In spite of his earlier lapse of judgement, Vesper wasn’t a fool nor was he blind. “How delightful,” he mused. A tinkling laugh escaped his lips. His visible eye upturned, amusement evident in the violet gaze.

“Many would kill for this moment,” Vesper pointed out.

His lips curled, forming into a seemingly genuine grin. “Many would die for this moment.” Another laugh escaped his lips. A haunting lilt was evident in his tone. The Stygian dagger traced over the demon’s neck, the touch exceptionally soft and fleeting. “I witnessed so many lives ruined because of this moment. I made a killing over it,” he murmured. The vermillion orb behind his bangs illuminated brighter.

For a second — a moment of raw, unadulterated hope — a fleeting emotion penetrated his impish demeanor. However, the genuine emotion stemming from his awakened bond drowned in the darkness encompassing the ravenette. Without warning, all traces of his smile vanished. The temperature surrounding the destined pair dropped rapidly. The shadows surrounding the demon and not-so-human roiled, licking at their ankles. “I have no interest in such a bond,” he deadpanned, tone cold and unyielding.

The prior emotion, no matter how fleeting, suggested otherwise, but it seemed the informant didn’t realize he projected the said emotion. Vesper opened his mouth, pearly blunted human teeth morphing into sharpened points. “Leave now or I’ll kill you myself, little demon,” he hissed.

— template by astraea —

 

[kurishiri]

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KOUYA

beauty—a veil to cover the darkest and the most toxic of one's heart.

For several moments, Kouya let the sensation of the cold knife lightly gliding across his throat sink in. The boy's glowing vermillion eyes only drew him in more... until all of it was gone. The way the boy suddenly threw away all his emotions was something Kouya thought was strange, or alien, so to speak.

The abrupt change made Kouya think of what happened just seconds before was like a fleeting dream, appearing for one second as a paradise before disappearing the next, bringing him back to the harsh reality.

Even when the boy deadpanned on him, Kouya couldn't simply forget the expression the boy had cracked. Although it was slightly risky, given his current form, it was probably still worth a try. So, he smiled. It wasn't necessarily genuine in the sense that it had reached his eyes, but it wasn't a smile of mockery either.

"Really now?" Kouya inquired. "Is that to say the expression you made just moments before was simply a lie?" His smile widened, unfazed externally by any sign of a threat. "Do you truly want to kill me?" His voice was nothing but a murmur, speaking directly to the boy in front of him, who was supposedly intending to kill Kouya. This time, his index finger gently touched the boy's smooth lips. "Or is it that the words you speak from these lips simply... a lie?"

Despite the mild smile he wears, it is difficult to miss the more haunting quality his voice possesses... especially at the word lie. He liked that word—lying is such a natural thing to do that one is normally shocked when someone tells them that they have just told a lie. Of course, that was a general quality.

Somehow, however, a small voice in Kouya's mind told him that this boy... may be an exception. Not that this fazed him; on the contrary, it was something he found rather interesting.

— template by astraea —

 

[roxybirdie]

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VESPER KRELL

life is fleeting, death is eternal, but wealth is ever changing.

”Or is it that the words you speak from these lips simply ... a lie?”

All of the sudden, the shadows lapping at their ankles stilled. Before he could react, a cold finger — it reminded him of the touch of death — pressed against his plush lips. Such a feeling would make the mightiest of men cower, but the achingly familiar temperature — so much like his own — filled him with an overwhelming sensation of completion. For a split second, the shadows roiling around their ankles shuddered.

However, instead of succumbing to the sensation, a thunderous growl emitted from the raven-haired male. Accompanied by the sound was a multitude of whispers, the bone-chilling sounds originating from the shadows surrounding the destined pair. “I’ll devour you myself,” Vesper snarled. As the temperature lowered further, ice crept on the ground. Without warning, a overwhelmingly foreboding aura of death radiated from the not-so-human-informant.

“I find myself curious...” A dark chuckle rumbled inside his chest. A crazed gleam reflected the visible violet orb. “...will you taste like the sweetest of ambrosia or will such an act poison me from the inside out?” The sclera of his heterochromic eyes darkened, as if shadows encompassed his luminescent hues. “Either or ... I refuse to be shackled.” Without another word, the informant lunged. Vesper slashed at the older demon with his Stygian dagger, aiming to kill.

The changes to his appearance are subtle — luminescent eyes, black sclera, sharpened teeth, sharpened claws — but his aura, on the other hand, reeked of death, despair, decay; the end of all things. Everything befitting for a perceived bad omen; a harbinger of death.

While his soul cried out for the demon in front of him — begged, sobbed, yearned — the hollowness of the unfinished bond never reached the bloodthirsty informant. His heart, body, and mind are unquestionably consumed by the poison separating him from his soul-bond. Not in a literal sense, but it was undeniable that something was horrifically unhinged inside the raven’s soul. Vesper felt the warmth radiating from his identifying marking, but the connection between them was muted, as if something blocked it.

— template by astraea —

 

[kurishiri]

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KOUYA

beauty—a veil to cover the darkest and the most toxic of one's heart.

This was probably a natural reaction from a demon, but Kouya felt a rush through him. He couldn't explain it in words.

Was it thrill, possibly? Ecstasy? He didn't know, but at the same time, he had no interest in putting such a rush into words when words couldn't possibly be enough to describe this sensation.

The sight in front of him drew out this inexplicable yet addictive reaction... the sight of this boy who is revealing a little bit of the darker side of his heart—the side that normally stays hidden within the depths, never to be seen by anyone, no matter how observant or how much curiosity they possessed.

'I find myself curious... will you taste like the sweetest of ambrosia or will such an act poison me from the inside out?'

The boy's words rang in Kouya's ears like a bell chiming the hours before death. He felt impressed that the boy did not react to his touch—Kouya knew that no matter who he touched, the receiver would always feel death by their side, murmuring their lullaby. That was the power that the higanbana, the unforgiving flower of death, gave him... and it discriminated nobody when it came to that feeling, that sensation.

Kouya laughed, his voice sounding like a beautiful yet infinitely haunting song luring anybody to a certain boat leading to the underworld. When the boy lunged at him, Kouya grasped the boy's wrist—the one holding the ominously gleaming Stygian dagger—before pulling him in so that both of their chests are touching; their bodies were of such a close proximity that the boy would probably notice that Kouya bore a heartbeat so faint that this close distance was necessary in order to hear the soft dum, dum of his heart. "Hm, in all my years," Kouya commented, "I've noticed over time that curiosity is the seed that blooms into a flower called interest."

"And trying to run from the inevitable, are you now...? If that's the case, then I can say to you with confidence that"—his enigmatic smile widened—"... you've caught my interest."

— template by astraea —

 

[roxybirdie]

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VESPER KRELL

life is fleeting, death is eternal, but wealth is ever changing.

Before the tip of his wickedly sharp obsidian blade perforated the demon’s heart, a pale hand shot forward, grasping his right forearm. His lips curled back, hauntingly angelic features twisting into a dark snarl. The vermillion orb behind his shadowy-like bangs — his raven locks morphed into billowing shadows — pulsed. The black pupil thinned, forming into a serpentine-like slit. All of the sudden, the demon tugged him forward with surprising — expected of a demon, but the older man’s appearance suggested otherwise — strength. As Vesper pressed flush against the demon’s chest, the overpowering scent of death washed over him. His breath hitched in response, the shadows surrounding him shuddering from the intoxicating aura. At this angle, Vesper heard the faint thrum, thrum, thrum of the demon’s subtle heartbeat.

”...you’ve caught my interest.”

Never had Vesper Krell, the greatest informant in the world — the Dragonheart in the underbelly of the dark lands — felt a otherworldly being so unbelievably and irrevocably intertwined with death’s sweet, sweet embrace. Not once has Vesper met a creature unquestionably harmonious with the monster inside his heart. No man, be it human or beast, sung the haunting lullaby resonating inside his soul. While the demon didn’t technically sing, Vesper heard his song through the fleeting, but ethereal laugh.

His destined, his soulmate — the demon in front of him, without a shadow of a doubt, was his other-half; the last piece to fill the overwhelming void encompassing his heart. No one can ever truly make him feel complete, except the man clutching his wrist.

It terrified him to his core and instead of embracing the sweetest phenomenon, Vesper rebelled.

“No,” snarled the informant.

Without warning, the not-so-human dissolved into an obsidian shroud. The congregation of shadows slithered a few feet away and solidified. As Vesper regained his physical form, he glowered at the demon destined to complete him. “I choose death over being shackled,” he hissed. The ravenette pivoted, facing a portal-like black hole materialized on the wall of the closest building in his vicinity. “I’d rather die than have a soulmate.” Vesper stepped closer to the portal, intending to vanish in the shadowy depths. Traveling by shadow was his signature mode of transportation.

— template by astraea —

 

[kurishiri]

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KOUYA

beauty—a veil to cover the darkest and the most toxic of one's heart.

The two of them stayed in this position for a little while now: a position that surrounded the both of them in death. However, before Kouya could continue further with his whisperings, the boy once again rebelled, pushing him away and hiding within the shadows before once again reappearing several feet away from Kouya. Initially, Kouya was surprised, but he quickly regained his composure and chuckled. "Transportation by shadow, huh. How very clever."

As Kouya took a single step toward the boy, he took one step back. Kouya could see the dark portal that formed behind the boy. Inwardly, he felt a sense of panic hit him—it was a painfully familiar feeling. The feeling he had soon after he had first caught the wretched Hanahaki disease, slowly killing him on the inside with beautiful, blooming flowers. With Kouya, it would probably take a lot longer, but it still didn't change the fact that death was nearing itself; he could gradually hear its eerie, ethereal tune.

In order to hide any signs of panic, Kouya laughed. "Aren't you a stubborn little boy... let me teach you a little lesson about me, then." His blue-green eyes seem to illuminate more brightly, giving him a generally more ominous aura, "If I find something that interests me... I will never, ever let it go. Not even death will stop me." Not like the last time. For a moment, his expression morphed into something more severe, as if someone had inflicted an eternal wound where it hurt him the most... but that moment was so brief that one may end up questioning whether it was reality or merely a figment of the imagination.

If I'm going to get what I want, I cannot be passive about it.

This time, Kouya wasn't as gentle as he was before—he lunged forward before grabbing the boy's wrist and pulling back. This time, he flipped him over so that the boy landed flat on his back, but he still used a little bit of basic magic so that the boy wouldn't break his back. Afterwards, Kouya kneeled down so that he could make eye contact with the boy's hauntingly brilliant vermillion eyes and smiled. In the darkness, his eyes seemed to glow more eerily. However, in contrast to that, his voice was saccharine. "How about telling me your name, at least, my beautiful higanbana."

— template by astraea —

 

[roxybirdie]

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VESPER KRELL

life is fleeting, death is eternal, but wealth is ever changing.

”...Not even death will stop me.”

All of the sudden, the demon vanished and materialized in front of him. The speed was incredible, but at the same time, not surprising. Demons are notorious for their heightened agility and reflexes. Unfortunately, before Vesper could retaliate, the demon clutched his left wrist. He opened his mouth, a snarl on the tip of his tongue. However, as his back slammed against the concrete ground, all the oxygen siphoned from his lungs. For a moment, the informant laid on the ground, staring at the luminescent greenish-blue eyes zeroing in on his fallen figure. Such beautiful, haunting eyes; the color of the purest teal. It contrasted exquisitely with his heterochromic violet and crimson.

In spite of his vulnerable position, every inch of his slim frame screamed pure and unadulterated defiance. Soft lips curled back, revealing a row of razor-sharp teeth. “I’ll never be yours,” Vesper snarled, the soft tenor tempered with unyielding steel.

”How about telling me your name, at least, my beautiful higanbana.”

Against his will, shivers trickled own his spine. The marking on his left cheekbone hummed with approval. “You have to earn it,” whispered the informant. His mismatched hues gleamed with a combination of unbridled fury and deliberate resistance; a silent challenge threatening the elder demon.

While the surface of his back throbbed from the unfortunate setback, Vesper lunged at the demon, talon-like claws aiming for the creature’s throat. The ravenette preferred avoiding a direct confrontation, but since the demon blocked his portal, he had no choice. The Dragonheart was many things, but weak and defenseless he was not.

— template by astraea —

 

[kurishiri]

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KOUYA

beauty—a veil to cover the darkest and the most toxic of one's heart.

I'll never be yours.

The boy's voice was gentle, but undeniably, it was as hard as forged steel blessed by the strongest of gods. Beautiful, strong... defiant. Although Kouya felt a little seed of irritation within him, he suppressed it as if it was a lethal poison that would kill him if he let the seed even break into a vulnerable bud. After all, he could not simply deny the other feeling in his chest, dominating and rocking his soul.

He liked this boy's obstinance. Whether it was a reaction of being bonded by the soul or a typical reaction of his demonic self, it was nonetheless the hard, raw truth... one he couldn't run away from, not that he intended to though.

With his fast reflexes by nature, Kouya managed to catch the boy's claws, but that still didn't stop his claws, sharp as a dagger, from cutting into Kouya's hand. If he was in any sort of pain, Kouya's smile veiled it all. "I'm impressed. That obstinate personality of yours... I really like it, you know." Blood dripped from the wound on his hand, streaking his pale skin crimson, before it made contact with the boy's cheek near his lips, drop by drop. "It only makes me more interested in you〜" His voice possessed a more sing-song quality, but it was not any less alluringly haunting.

Kouya also had to admit... he didn't dislike the boy right now as he looked—his steely expression that contrasted with his vulnerable position, and his face stained slightly with Kouya's blood. Although he was somewhat irritated at getting cut, the boy's current appearance easily made up for that.

— template by astraea —

 

[roxybirdie]

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VESPER KRELL

life is fleeting, death is eternal, but wealth is ever changing.

Drip ... drip ... drip.

Out of nowhere, an overwhelmingly intoxicating scent invaded his hypersensitive nostrils. His luminescent eyes pulsed, the violet orb unobscured by his shadowy-like bangs shifting into a brilliant vermillion. The former heterochromic eyes transformed into identical pools of fresh blood. Vesper breathed in deeply, inhaling the sweetest ambrosia clinging to his moonlight skin. Slowly, the informant raised his free hand, wiped the droplets staining his cheekbone, and pressed his fingers against his lips. His breath hitched, shivers trickling down his spine.

Sweetest ambrosia, indeed.

”It only makes me more interested in you〜”

His tongue swiped the last remnants off his claws, mindful of not puncturing his tongue. “I have made the impossible possible since the day I was born, demon,” Vesper murmured. His lips curled into a deceptively soft smirk. “This won’t be any different.” All of the sudden, his skin rippled, a thin layer of shadows encompassing his frame. The raven-haired informant was on the verge of dissolving into shadows. Instead of solidifying, Vesper intended to vanish inside the portal and solidify on the other side.

As the shadows slithered across his hauntingly pale skin — most individuals likened it to the moon, but others equated it to the color of bleached bones — the soft whispers emanating from the darkness grew louder. Such a sound, especially to a mortal, was indubitably unnerving; bone-chilling even. However, once he embraced the darkness, Vesper found the otherworldly sounds undeniably comforting.

“You’re not the first demon I faced,” he pointed out. In spite of his seemingly soft smirk, his vermillion eyes resembled hellfire; tempered and defiant. “Pursue me if you will, but your endeavors are pointless.” As his skin darkened, his solid appearance rippled.

— template by astraea —

 

[kurishiri]

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KOUYA

beauty—a veil to cover the darkest and the most toxic of one's heart.

Kouya noticed the way the boy shivered as he licked the demon's blood off. His unreadable smile morphed into something like genuine curiosity. This was probably another sign of being bounded by soul—he wasn't really sure his blood was supposed to taste that good, given that he was a creature born from darkness; he was a far cry from "pure".

He frowned more at the boy's words. "I must confess I feel a little hurt that you see me as all those other demons you have faced," he said softly yet laced with an icy coldness. He bit his lip when he saw the boy try once again to flee. "I guess we will have to see if I'm like those other demons, no?"

His grin possessed a mix of slightly more impish and deceptive quality as he lifted his blood-stained hand before cutting himself with his magic. The cut he inflicted on himself was deep enough to make blood gush out at an almost alarmingly fast rate, though it wasn't near enough to kill him. He held his hand above the boy's lips, letting the blood drip down in steady amounts.

Even he could smell his own blood at this point, so Kouya figured the scent must be strong to the boy, who seemingly had a more sensitive sense of smell than a normal human or demon, for that matter. The boy's reaction when he licked off the blood was still engraved into Kouya's mind. "I wouldn't mind giving more to you."

Kouya offered his hand, stained with more of his own blood than ever before, not as an act of pity or mockery, but rather, his honest feelings.

— template by astraea —

 

[roxybirdie]

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VESPER KRELL

life is fleeting, death is eternal, but wealth is ever changing.

”I wouldn't mind giving more to you.”

A delicate eyebrow arched in response. “What—“ All of the sudden, the demon inflicted a small, but vicious gash on his wrist. It was deep, but hardly life-threatening for a creature of darkness. Vesper opened his mouth, a scathing remark on the tip of his tongue, but without warning, the overpowering scent of the sweetest ambrosia assaulted his nose. The informant stiffened, the shadows clinging to his skin shuddering from the intoxicating aroma. Before he could react, the ravenette instinctively retracted his shadows. As the darkness receded, his form solidified. Vermillion eyes zeroed in on the bloodied palm inches from his face. Pure and unadulterated desire reflected inside his luminescent hues.

Mine, mine, mine— The mantra resonated inside his soul. His crimson orbs gleamed with avaricious glee. Slowly, Vesper raised his palm, clutching the offered wrist. He inhaled deeply, savoring the delectable aroma. Contrary to the misconceptions surrounding his bloodlust, Vesper wasn’t a blood-sucking undead miscreant. To be frank, the informant loathed the majority of all vampires. His thirst for blood was a preference, but far from a necessity. Unlike the bloodsuckers infamous for it, the Dragonheart of the Underworld didn’t require blood to survive.

Souls, on the other hand, are a different story.

As if in a hypnotic trance — in reality, his instincts took over — Vesper pressed the bloodied hand to his plush lips. The moment the coppery nectar invaded his mouth, a sensuous moan escaped his lips. The informant grazed his teeth against the skin, but he didn’t puncture the wrist. He swiped his tongue across the gash, gathering a generous amount of life-blood inside his mouth. Vesper shivered in response, his grip on the offered palm painfully tight.

Behind him, the dark portal shuddered and rippled. It vanished completely, the connection severed from the raven-haired informant’s intensive focus on drinking his fill. The marking on his left cheekbone illuminated, pulsating from the indirect connection. Deep down, his soul cried out, reaching for the demon’s; yearning for completion.

— template by astraea —

 

[kurishiri]

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KOUYA

beauty—a veil to cover the darkest and the most toxic of one's heart.

It hurt.

Even though Kouya knew the wound wouldn't be enough to kill him, it still hurt him. But even more than that was another feeling that outweighed any sense of pain: happiness. No matter how brief the moment, it was still an undeniably real moment in time.

The boy held onto his wrist painfully tight, as if he was afraid Kouya was going to forcefully pull back. Concealing any sign of pain, he shifted himself so that both he and the boy were in a more comfortable position. Aside from the boy's moans as he licked the blood, it was silent around them.

Afterwards, Kouya was unsure of what to do next. He felt tempted to stroke his seemingly silky raven-colored hair, but after all Kouya's been through, he wouldn't want to go back to square one... or zero if he was quite unfortunate. Kouya didn't utter a word either; he didn't know what to say; he reckoned the words he wanted to say would come out differently than it sounded in his mind.

So, in a relaxed posture, Kouya let the boy have his fill. He subtly observed the boy though. His crimson red eyes illuminated, giving the boy a somewhat... wild look that contrasted his beautiful, ivory-like face. Kouya felt like he could watch this forever and never be bored. The fact that he was with his destined one also made him feel more complete.

Finally, Kouya whispered, "You are the only one I'd ever go this far for." His whisper was so soft; he honestly didn't know if the boy heard him.

But nonetheless, it was almost as if he was sharing a little secret... just between the two of them.

— template by astraea —

 

[roxybirdie]

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VESPER KRELL

life is fleeting, death is eternal, but wealth is ever changing.

Mine, mine, mine— A growl, dark and possessive, rumbled inside his chest. The whispers emanating from the shadows hissed the word, mine, as if the roiling darkness and the informant shared a single mind. His iron grip lessened, the pain-inducing sensation tempering to a gentle, almost revered grip. He cradled the injured forearm, claws stroking the smooth skin.

”You are the only one I'd ever go this far for.”

His blood ran cold, as if a bucket of ice washed over him. All of the sudden, his vermillion orbs regained clarity; the clouded desire dissipating from his crimson gaze. It took Vesper a moment to register his current position. His eyes widened slightly in response. A flicker of horror fluttered across his face.

Without warning, the ravenette released his grip and stumbled back. Rivulets of blood slid down his chin, plush lips stained a pretty red. “I can’t, I won’t—“ A gleam of defiance reflected inside his vermillion hues. All traces of horror vanished, to the point the fleeting emotion could be considered a figment of your imagination. The informant increased the distance, but before he could react, his back met the brick wall directly behind him.

“I won’t,” Vesper hissed, angelic features darkening into a twisted scowl. Behind him, a familiar portal materialized. Slowly, the ravenette started sinking into the congregated shadows. “It doesn’t matter if you’re different from the other demons, higanbana. I refuse.” The marking on his left cheekbone flared to an almost painful degree, but Vesper ignored the sensation.

— template by astraea —

 

[kurishiri]

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KOUYA

beauty—a veil to cover the darkest and the most toxic of one's heart.

The change was so sudden that it was enough to pull out a slightly surprised expression from the demon; that was quite a feat, as not many things were able to faze him. Looks like my words ruffled his feathers a little too much. Was there anything to make the boy stop running away?

Kouya noticed the portal materializing in the wall, leading to a dark place, where no end was seen—just black. Once again, that familiar sense of panic shakes his soul, and with it came a rare emotion... somewhere along the lines of dread, or possibly even anger as well. Despite the turmoil brewing internally, Kouya's expression only changed slightly in comparison: his lips curled down in dissatisfaction, and his already luminescent eyes gleamed even more, making them an exquisitely teal color.

"Higanbana, huh..." Kouya smiled wryly. "Despite its implications, it has a beautiful ring to it, don't you think?" Suddenly, it felt like the temperature around them had plummeted by at least five or ten degrees.

Kouya approached the wall and gently picked a miniature flower next to the portal as if it was a priceless treasure before holding it up to the boy, letting him watch the life of the flower forcefully drained—it wilted until it lost all its vibrant colors and turned into nothing but an empty crust of its former, small yet glorious self. "... No wonder it is known as an unforgiving flower representing death..." He dropped the flower corpse to the ground before stepping on it, letting it crumble beneath his feet. "... and yet, it possesses a beauty that could trap you in like a spider's intricate web."

And then, without warning, Kouya leaned in, pressing his smooth lips on the boy's, whose lips were still stained crimson with Kouya's blood.

Kouya felt his mark located on his lower back pulsate... almost painfully so, but that did not stop him from deepening the kiss—though he did not use his tongue; it was simply lip-on-lip contact—and slowly pulling the boy away from the portal simultaneously.

— template by astraea —

 

[roxybirdie]

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VESPER KRELL

life is fleeting, death is eternal, but wealth is ever changing.

”Higanbana, huh...”

All of the sudden, the temperature surrounding the destined pair plummeted. Puffs of white exuded from the raven-haired informant’s blood-stained lips. Had he been an ordinary human, long exposure to the current freezing temperature could be undeniably fatal. However, instead of experiencing discomfort, the cold atmosphere was unquestionably soothing. Vesper was a creature of pure darkness; he reveled in the cold.

Hellish temperatures, on the other hand, are a different story; the informant loathed warm temperatures.

Vermillion eyes zeroed in on the delicate flower crumbling under the demon’s decaying touch. In spite of the tempered defiance overtaking his expression, his crimson hues glinted with faint interest. Vesper was capable of siphoning life from his avaricious claws. On the other hand, without a doubt, the demon’s and his abilities aren’t particularly the same. Yet, the eventual conclusion mirrored each other; inevitable death.

Mine, mine, mine— At this point, not even Vesper could ignore the hypnotic song resonating inside his soul. The strings of fate thoroughly and irrevocably decimated the shackles binding it in the darkest corner of his core. His instincts screamed to let go; to relinquish his control and accept the soul-bond. Not even the whispers emanating from the shadows slithering across the ravenette resisted. Mine, it whispered. Mine, mine, mine. Overwhelmed by the sensation, Vesper clenched his eyes shut. Suddenly, before he could sink into the shadowy portal, something unexpectedly warm pressed against his lips.

His eyes snapped open. Once he registered the sensation, his vermillion orbs widened. Out of nowhere, the marking on his left cheekbone pulsed, invoking a gasp. Instinctively, Vesper clutched the front of the demon’s robes. “Nnng...” Shivers trickled down his spine. Due to the close proximity, the informant could taste the demon’s soul. A full-body shudder surged down his spine. Never had he tasted — even if it was a small whiff — something so intoxicating. Nothing — he devoured a unicorn’s soul willingly given once and it paled in comparison to this — matched the pure and unadulterated potency of the soul.

Sweetest ambrosia, indeed.

Vesper opened his mouth, an obstinate comment on the tip of his tongue, but a moan swallowed the words. He barely registered the demon dragging him out of his portal. Acting on pure instinct, the ravenette returned the bloodied kiss.

— template by astraea —

 

[kurishiri]

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KOUYA

beauty—a veil to cover the darkest and the most toxic of one's heart.

The boy didn't seem fazed by the colder temperatures—far from it, he seemed to find comfort in it, if anything. His eyes glimmered mostly in defiance, but Kouya knew there was more than that. If defiance was all that filled this boy's eyes, after all, he'd likely already have looked away by now. Instead, his crimson eyes were locked on the wilted flower.

Only the slightest bit of interest is capable of spinning an intricate web.

The moment the boy closed his eyes, the spell his crimson eyes had seemingly cast on him was broken. It hit him hard like a slap on the face then—Kouya was attracted to those deep, vermillion eyes notwithstanding his general aversion to the color. This boy... is the only one. It cannot possibly be anybody else.

With his eyes closed so tightly, he almost appeared as vulnerable as when he was lying down flat on his back on the ground. He honestly found it adorable.

Kouya felt... light. It was a strange sensation, yet it was nonetheless one that brought him some form of pleasure. It felt like the boy was reaching down to the depths of Kouya's soul and slowly yet surely dragging it out of its darkest cage. When the boy tightly grabbed onto Kouya's robe—likely an instinctual gesture, but nonetheless one he didn't dislike—Kouya in turn cupped his cool hand around the boy's cheek on the side that bore the higanbana mark so that the tips of his fingers grazed the slightly glowing mark; the boy must be feeling the same warm, pulsating sensation on that spot because Kouya heard him let out a little gasp.

Where it's hot... you mix it with cold, no?

Kouya was just as surprised when the boy returned his kiss. He could taste his own blood on his lips—mostly salty but with a slightly sweet flavor as well. He deepened the kiss whilst fleetingly tracing the contours of the boy's face with his long fingers until they reached his chin, where he gently lifted the boy's face a little bit. At this time, the two of them were a significant distance away from the whirring, dark portal. A success on my end. Even though Kouya knew that the boy was still capable of escaping himself with shadow manipulation, he still wanted to feel more of the never-felt-before light, slightly dizzying sensation that this boy gave him seemingly so easily.

And in turn, he would give the boy what he wanted, which—Kouya reckoned—was probably his soul... in its most purest, unadulterated form.

— template by astraea —