debt collector

"take before you're taken." Affiliated with Isola Radiale House 126

[acaciacollector]

Eclipses are always like this. Confused people stumbling around, always right into his turf, and then Gyuutarou has to decide what to do with them. He’s already changed a little, not as indiscriminate with killing, but man are newcomers annoying. Maybe he should ignore it all for the night.

No, some things can’t be ignored. There’s a scent hanging in the air, something halfway familiar that he can’t put his finger on. Rising to his feet, Gyuutarou trots along the rooftops towards the source, scratching at his neck as he goes. Whatever- no, whoever’s got that scent isn’t moving very fast, so it should be easy to find them. When he finally does catch sight of them on the street below, there’s still that sense of only being half-right. 

Gyuutarou drops to the ground, and it all clicks into place just a little. Hard to mistake that silhouette, but it’s still off. “Hey, Rui,” he calls, walking towards the other demon. “Something wrong with you, man? Changing your style? Ask Daki for advice, she-”

That’s what’s wrong. He doesn’t smell a demon.

Gyuutarou clicks his tongue, grimacing towards the boy. “Hey, kid. Turn around, look at me. I’m not gonna ask twice. Don’t make me wait.”

@cutwarmth​

[acaciacollector]

splittwice​:

At least the conversation had Gyuutarou speak more then just a few words. If he could get someone talking, then that makes them easier to deepen whatever bond they have together. Unless he decides to break his trust then that’s when he’ll regret ever crossing one another’s path. But why look at the negative side of all this? No, this is a time to forget about what had happened, and focus on gaining friends; or allies, whichever floats off the tongue better for others.

“I’m glad to see then nothing has changed much. If you think about it, coming to a strange new world all of a sudden and not knowing what’s what would make one think that everything is different.” But it’s good to know that wasn’t the case.

It was interesting to hear how the other would describe food. As if he wasn’t human at all. Not that it would bother if Twice ever found out what he really was. Like it was stated, as long as they don’t betray one another. Twice’s tone of voice went back to being serious. Stern. As if to get a point across to the other. “Ahhh I see. Narrowing it down with that, I think you made it very clear of who you are. Let me tell you something Gyuutarou. With me, you can be comfortable being yourself. I don’t want you to hide what you are. As long as we can agree to a condition; you don’t go off and kill any of my friends to eat them. If that were to happen, then you’ll not like the outcome.” 

It would be his only warning. Twice would hope the message was sent and received. If the other thought he could get away with killing off someone he knew, then they really don’t understand one another at all. “Phew… I’m glad I got that out of my system. It’s like an instinct that I should start warning others. Threaten me all you like, but do it to someone else will result in getting my hands dirty. Believe me, I don’t usually like doing the dirty work unless I have to, you know?”

Twice continues taking the lead as they approach their first destination. “Aaaaaaaaanyways, I only know so much about this place- but I wanted to take us to a karaoke bar! We can get a private room if you’re too shy to sing in front of others and go to the convenience store. And if none of those work… then there’s a bar that can accept freaks like you and I.” Not yet time to introduce him to the boss, but it might peak the other’s interest.

Hiding? Is he hiding? He hasn’t been subtle about it, but he hasn’t been forthright, either. Even just spending five minutes around Twice tells Gyuutarou he probably wouldn’t care to learn his new companion was a demon, along with all the baggage that came with it.

He snorts, waving away Twice’s threat. It’s not like he could kill him anyways. “I don’t waste my time chasing people like that unless I need to. They come back, and I don’t need people trying to hunt me down. Had enough of that back home. As long as your friends don’t cause problems in the red light district, there won’t be any trouble.”

Twice continues talking, because evidently he doesn’t have an off switch of any kind. Gyuutarou only half-listens, only nodding when there’s a moment of silence. “Suit yourself,” he says. If Twice or any of his friends make trouble, then he won’t hesitate. But there’s no point in saying that now.

Twice’s ideas of a fun time sound like a bore, and more than that, a pain. Although Gyuutarou doesn’t recognize the word karaoke, he can piece it all together from context. “That’s the kind of thing you do for fun?” he says, dragging his nails down his face. “Sing, drink, and... buy things? Not even my sister likes most of that stuff, man.”

He stops walking, thinking about the people who might be getting away because he let himself be dragged along for a night on the town. “This is a waste of time. Man, listen. I don’t do things for fun, I do them because they’re what I need to do. You get it, right? I don’t-”

This makes him sound pathetic, he thinks. What others think of him doesn’t matter, but man does this make him sound whiny. Fighting a sigh, Gyuutarou grits his teeth.

“That kind of stuff isn’t fun to me. Fighting people, spending time with my sister, I enjoy that. But shit like that isn’t my thing. I don’t have fun.” He half turns around, waving a hand at Twice. “But I still won’t kill you. Don’t read anything into it, man.”

[acaciacollector]

lxnarprophet​:

@acaciacollector

Waka ran his fingers over the edges of his headdress, silently contemplating on whether or not to continue wearing it. He had initially donned it in order to disguise himself from Yami and his hoard, who were hell bent on taking his life due to him being the sole survivor on the ark. By hiding the golden hair that marked him as a member of the Moon Tribe, who had also been victims of the demons, he could masquerade as a mortal in Nippon while keeping a low profile. Of course his flamboyant outfit, visions and ability to levitate, along with his weapon were dead giveaways, though fortunately for him, most demons had minimal intelligence and cared little for the finer details. 

That had been in Nippon. This city was a whole other creature, which meant a different approach was needed.

He could risk taking it off, for he had not sensed any demons nearby, nor did he find anyone else from his world. This meant that he was far safer here than where he had come from, so he could chance showing off his true appearance. However, the fact that he was brought here meant that there was a chance others from his world would arrive, including Yami, Orochi, or any number of demons. If they were to arrive and spot him, he had no doubt that he would wind up dead, especially since he no longer had Pillow Talk to defend himself with.

A sudden snap of a branch caught his attention, banishing all further thoughts. Instinctively he reached, albeit slowly and casually for the wooden sword at his hip while blue eyes scanned the surrounding area for the source of the noise.

Once his eyes settled on an ever growing shadow, he called out in his usual light, airy tone. “And to whom do I have the pleasure of meeting?~”

Gyuutarou takes his time. He’d rather let his quarry tire themselves out, let them run and run until they think they’re safe, and then when they turn around, let them see him. It doesn’t get any better than that.

The fog makes it a little harder than usual, but it’s nothing he can’t handle. Once he’s got the scent, Gyuutarou doesn’t let people escape. He’s a debt collector, and if someone owed him and got away, what would happen to his reputation? So when the person he’s hunting finally stops running, he figures it’s time to reveal himself. He steps out of the fog, grinning.

“Finally gave up, huh? You should’ve been smarter, man. Shouldn’t have taken debts you couldn’t pay.” He reaches out and clenches his fist, not flinching when his nails dig into his skin. As his hand opens, the blood congeals, taking the shape of a wicked sickle.

He laughs at the man’s question. “Didn’t they warn you at the club? I’m the debt collector, man. And you owe something that I’m gonna-”

Gyuutarou stops as the fog clears enough for him to see the man in front of him. His arm drops, and the weapon dissipates into a small puddle of blood. “You’re not the guy I’m looking for,” he grunts.

Sighing, Gyuutarou scratches at his chest, looking from side to side. The guy’s gotta be around here somewhere, just bad luck that he lost the trail right here. “You see anyone come through here, man?” he says, not offering the other man a glance. “I came to collect, and I don’t like leaving empty-handed.”

[acaciacollector]

abyssalanne​:

@acaciacollector

Splat splat splat splat splat

Skipping back to her apartment ( she’s never had her own place before and the novelty has yet to shake off ) the beat of rubber heels against asphalt unexpectedly turns from light footed thuds to a succession of sickening squelches. The path feels sticky under her steps and she’s pretty sure something warm just splattered across the exposed skin of her legs.

Confused, Lucy’s gaze dips to investigate only to be met with swathes of red fluid coating most of the sidewalk. She’s seen enough blood in her lifetime not to freak out and her first instinct isn’t even to flee the scene or wander inside whose arteries the blood belonged. No, Lucy has far greater concerns plaguing her warped mind.

“Oh gross, my shoes, they’re totally ruined!”

Can’t blame a guy for getting hungry once in a while. Everyone’s gotta eat, even demons, and although meat doesn’t make him feel any stronger, it’s a nice reminder to the people of the city of what the food chain looks like. Maybe he should be more careful about where he eats, though. Maybe.

Crouched over a half-eaten corpse, Gyuutarou turns at someone’s cry of alarm. Not at him, no, but at their clothing being ruined. Eyeing the girl, he wipes the blood from his mouth, but doesn’t move any closer. Let her run and tell someone if she needs to, he doesn’t care.

“You got the wrong priorities, man,” he says, fixing his lazy stare on her. “Aren’t humans supposed to care about each other? Well, they’ve never been much good at that, have they?”

He turns back to the body, shaking his head. “Too late anyways, man. This guy’s long gone, not that he was worth much. Your average deadbeat, no one’ll miss him.”

Gyuutarou tears another piece of meat away, taking a bite to fill the silence. Tastes disgusting, the guy should’ve taken better care of himself. Although he’s not looking for another meal, he does hate being watched, so he turns back to the girl, still holding a half-eaten arm.

“But people might miss you, right? So get out of here, maaaaan. I got better things to do.”

[acaciacollector]

direheterosis​:

“Sometimes it is okay to simply enjoy what is on the surface. Snow can be appreciated as snow without knowing what lies beneath. Here, well, the mist is like nowhere else in the city. It obscures things, yes, but it is also something entirely its own.” She wasn’t exactly sure what she was saying, but she said it with a sort of dreamy confidence that might make you believe that she did. 

Maybe.

Hiding? Wait- what had he said a moment ago? I don’t see you. She looked down and well, she saw herself, of course she did. It took a few moments longer for her to notice the faint glittering on her side of the veil. Oh… Of course. 

“Ah, forgive me, just a moment;” And a moment was all it took for her to fade slowly back into sight, standing tall as if it was the most perfectly natural thing in the world. To her credit in a slightly inebriated state, she remembered to keep the Lifehunt Scythe still invisible. That’s as far as the credit went though, because she continued to lean on it quite obviously, giving the impression she was putting her weight on an invisible lamp post.

“Hooooooy little one, I do apologise if I startled thee.”

“I hate snow,” grunts Gyuutarou. He doesn’t go further than that, because there doesn’t seem to be much point in it. Even though he can’t see the woman speaking to him, it’s hard to miss the slur in her words that indicates a few too many drinks, and drunk people are already hard to talk with. Judging by how high up her voice comes from, it must have been a lot of drinks.

An apology comes, and then the woman fades into sight. Gyuutarou’s seen worse; his initial response to the giant, scaly woman standing before him is a narrowing of his eyes and the slight grit of his teeth. She’s big, and she’s drunk, but she doesn’t seem to be a threat.

“Weird shit is the norm in this city, huh?” he says, scratching his neck. “Explains the smell. Couldn’t really tell what you were, man. Not a demon, not a human... Place is just full of surprises. I’m not really a fan.”

He can’t deny he’s a little curious about what people like this might taste like. This lady’s covered in scales and she smells... a little bit like the lizards he used to catch and eat as a kid. Gyuutarou smirks to himself as he imagines it.

“You didn’t startle me. You’re hard to miss, even if I can’t see you. Stomping all over the place like that, you’re lucky you didn’t smash anything. Well, not anything I can see. But I don’t really care about that.”

He’s mostly interested in why she’s here. “Don’t see a lot of people like you coming through here, man. Imagine the cover charge was pretty high. Or... Did you come for somethin’ else? You into smaller people, man? Gotta be careful you don’t crush ‘em,” he cackles, still scratching at his own skin.

[cutwarmth]

TWEETS MY MUSE WOULD MAKE ABOUT YOURS. // ACCEPTING.

@acaciacollector​ said: 🐤

[418688]

Send me a 🐤 for a Tweet my muse would make about yours.

@acaciacollector​ said: 🐤

[kimetsu-no-yaiba]

Whether we’re cold or we’re hungry, we’ll be perfectly fine.

[acaciacollector]

splittwice​:

A night owl it seems. Perfect! Best time to go out and do anything is at night after all. If crime was always done during the day, there is a chance you’ll be caught by some damn hero who just so happen to be patrolling that one area. Devious acts were always better done at night.

“I can tell you here and now, you aren’t missing much in the day. There are too many people around, too many things going on that would give any insane guy a massive headache that would go out and do something crazy to get himself into trouble. Lives are more active during the night after all.” He would never even think his new friend was anything but human. That just seem like a typical night goer response.

Now the real interesting part was the other’s way in forming his sentence. Good to pay attention to, and good to keep in the back of his mind so when the other’s true color’s are revealed it wouldn’t be a 100% shock factor. Maybe 70%. “Not a fan of human food!? Don’t tell me you’ve been eating animal food instead. What a life to live! Perhaps good for the future when our actual food begins to spoil and kill us all veeeeeeery slowly. Maybe I should eat cat and dog food to build up some tolerance for when the time comes. You’re way ahead of our time. You fucking genius I love you! Do you have recommendations?”

Well that was the awkward part, when you bring a hand out to shake and they just leave you in the wind. Not like you can bring your hand back to rest behind your head and do the ‘haha’ laugh as if it wasn’t awkward at all… and that’s exactly what Twice does. “Haha.” And silence. Now that he got that part out of his system things can be a bit more normal between them. Whatever anyone would consider this interaction as ‘normal’. “Gyuutarou sounds like a badass name you have there. Also the fact that you find any time to threaten to kill me is getting a little worrisome. Not that I mind, because if I die, then I die!” Not like it’s already happened. “But at least this time I won’t feel that same guilt as before. Maybe if you did kill me I would feel not as bad. We still need time to bond our friendship before you can actually hurt me. Don’t try and kill me that fucking hurts.” Twice went on for a moment as he lead the way around the red district area that he heard had some pretty nice bars to sit back and have a drink.

“If this isn’t to your liking I have one more idea that could work… but I’ll save that idea for the end. I’m nervous about this date, eeehe!” 

He knew what happened during the day, Daki told him sometimes. She’d be up from time to time, tucked away indoors as far as she could possible get. Being an oiran demanded that of her at times, demanded that she be up with the sun. Luckily she’d been alright, but they don’t take any chances now. Night time’s more interesting, anyhow.

“Yeah, I know,” says Gyuutarou. “We live in the red-light district, man. All the interesting stuff happens after dark. You don’t have to tell me twice.”

Was referring to it as human food a mistake? Who cares. None of the other demons he knows really goes around advertising what they are, but it’s not exactly a secret, either. They don’t have any enemies in this place who would care, anyways. He simply waits for Twice to finish talking, scratching deep cashes into his neck.

“I only eat what I kill, man,” he says, flicking his blood from his fingers. “So even if the night isn’t interesting, I’ll at least get a meal out of it. Get it?”

Maybe he does eat human food, then. Gyuutarou snickers to himself at the thought.

Nobody’s complimented his name before, and Twice’s words make Gyuutarou grit his teeth and turn away. His name sucks, it’s almost as bad as Daki- as Ume’s. Just names they took because no one else would name them, names that marked the tragedies of their lives. “If you say so,” he grunts in response.

Without any more words, he follows behind Twice, even though he definitely knows his way around the district better. His eyes flick to the scenery, and he frowns again as he surmises their destination; a bar. Hadn’t he already said it didn’t do much for him? 

But... maybe Twice knows something he doesn’t. He’ll wait and see.

“It’'d be surprised if you showed me something new in this place,” says Gyuutarou, side-eyeing the people that wander past. They give him a wide berth- that feels right. “It’s not home, but I know how places like this work. Guess it’s the same no matter where you go.”

He eyes the neon lights and gentle wisps of fog that begin to roll in, marking the transition from the evening to the actual night. Should have plenty of time to get home before the sun rises, no matter what Twice is planning. “Where are you headed, man?” he asks. “Since you think I’ll like it so much.”

[acaciacollector]

helpingthelongrain​:

     Although he held back a sigh of relief, internally, he felt a heavy weight lifted off of him— his own demeanor calming slightly. To think, he’d have had the luck to meet her sister beforehand… well, she certainly helped him out that one time, but perhaps the saving grace he found today helped make that previous encounter with her entirely worth it, now.

… No, perhaps that was somewhat callous of him to think— her less than congenial personality aside, she wasn’t horrible. Regardless, her brother certainly was a different sort of beast…

“If you know both of them, then that’s a relief. But, so she was your sister… I suppose it must be somewhat of a blessing to be here with someone you’re related to.” Idly, Rinnosuke clears his throat. “… That aside… I’m not here for that sort of business, myself. I can’t say I’m interested in the usual sorts of services found here.”

“I come looking for merchandise, you see. I’m the owner of a second-handed goods store. And the sort of items I tend to find here either tossed or abandoned are some of the sorts of items I’m interested in. Erm… well, here, like so.” Reaching into his pack, the man pulls out a slightly chipped tea cup— one clearly in need of repairs. “I just found this a moment ago. While I’d prefer to find rarer items, I often come here to collect objects such as these. Then I clean, repair, and sell them later on.”

     A pause.

“As for why here specifically… there’s nowhere else with goods like these. Traditional Edo-style pieces such as these I find are both charming, and nostalgic. … I’m used to doing the same in similar environments. Like I said before, I’m not all human.”

     Gingerly setting the cup back within his pack, he also puts the satchel of chestnuts back in along with it— leaving only his mini-hakkero and platter still half-full.

“Oh yeah. Don’t wanna imagine what life would be like without my little sister, man. She got the shit end of it though, she was here for a while without me. But you might’ve noticed that already,” says Gyuutarou, scratching at his chest.  “All the more reason to watch your ass if you’re alone, right?”

Gyuutarou only half-listens to the other man’s dull explanation as to his presence. He raises an eyebrow at the chipped teapcup- trash would be a better descriptor.

“Homesick, huh? I get it, we’re all far from home. Still, I don’t miss it enough to be digging through people’s garbage.” He swipes the cup from the other man’s hand, letting it dangle between his fingers. For a moment, he wonders: why does a place like this have items from Japanese history? It doesn’t make any sense.

“Lucky for you, I like ugly things too,” he smirks, tossing the cup back. “All the trash and junk of the world, we have a kinship. Still, don’t think that means you’ll get a free pass in the future, man. Human or not, I don’t care. Just make sure you pay what you owe, otherwise I’ll come to collect your debts. You understand, right?”

A vague threat, hopefully something that’s enough to scare the man into thinking twice before wandering through the district. The last thing he needs is Daki on his ass for accidentally gutting someone she was fond of. Thankfully, it seems like the guy gets the message, as he’s beginning to pack up.

“Got a name, man?” says Gyuutarou, leaning in. “Just so I remember the next time I find you looking for garbage after midnight.”

[acaciacollector]

clarentheir‌:

            OH   , he’s done it now. 

            Mordred is far from what one would call a responsible knight — much less a responsible Servant. She was well aware of the leaps and bounds between the strongest humanity had to offer, unhindered by magic or anything like that, and the weakest of Servants. She was well aware, but aside from innocent bystanders, there was a limit to how much puffing up she was willing to humor from non-Servant combatants — and that threshold was very small indeed. She should have gone for his head the moment he dared to talk about her body… But this will do. 

        ❝   Tch— !   ❞   The blows connect, but they may as well have been paper flicked by an unruly child from across the room. Mordred sees them coming, of course — taking note of his speed… Far too advanced for a human. She’s seen quicker. The wood seeks to sink into her flesh, but it’s as if the scythes have hit a stone wall; she simply cants her head to the side, tilting her chin upwards in defiance.   ❝   You’re bothering to use the pieces of shit they gave you when you got here ?  Now you’re just tryin’ to piss me off !   ❞   Even so, her grin only spreads. He’s appealing to that most reckless, most dangerous side of her — that lust for blood and chaos, that call for precisely what she was made for. 

        ❝   Use that speed of yours and ya just might have a chance.   ❞   A petite hand wraps around his wrist, baring down as the tendons flex; he’s more resilient than a human, that’s for sure… But if she wanted the fight to end this soon, she’s pretty damn certain she could snap that wrist like a twig. She’ll settle for rearing back her opposite fist, barreling straight for the side of his face like a bullet loose from its chamber. She may not have access to mana burst to make it really leave a crater, but it should still be enough to regard a human head like a watermelon. For the sake of her entertainment, Mordred hopes he’s as sturdy as he looks. 

        ❝   But I’m not leavin’ here until I’ve got your head under my arm— !   ❞ 

Gyuutarou grits his teeth in annoyance as his blades come to a halt. He should’ve known something was up from the way she didn’t even bother to react to his attack; shitty as they are, his wooden sickles haven’t failed him when it comes to sticking into humans, so this just means that-

His instincts howl at him to dodge, and Gyuutarou moves his head to the side as the girl’s fist comes barreling at him. With the grip she’s got on his hand, he can’t  get away- this is as much as he can do. There’s that sensation of simply being not as fast as he was before, the feeling of his body being unable to keep up with his mind.

Gyuutarou feels the wind whip past his face and the blood that drips from the fresh wound as the girl’s fist grazes the side of his face. It’ll heal before long, but the oddest feeling of all is how much it hurts. When was the last time he felt pain?

“Tear off my head and I’ll rip your throat out with my teeth, man,” he growls. But a moment later, a look of excitement crosses his face as he looms over the girl. “You ain’t human either, huh? Should’ve guessed with all the crazy shit that happens in this city. Not that it’ll make a difference in the end, man. Human, demon, god, I’ll kill anyone who crosses me. Maybe your guts decorating the streets will send a good message.”

With his free hand he reaches up to the wound on his head, which is already beginning to close, and flicks his deadly blood onto her face. If she’s not human, maybe his demon blood won’t bother her, or maybe this city will have nullified it in the first place. Either way, it’s enough of a distraction for Gyuutarou to wrench himself free.

His mind works overtime as he raises his weapons again, not bothering to create any distance. Even if his sickles don’t work, they’re more or less all he has, so if they won’t pierce the girl’s flesh he’ll just have to aim for softer targets. Eyes, ears, mouth, things like that. If she’s as quick as he is, he’ll just have to overwhelm her until he can find some kind of weakness. Again and again he swings his weapons down at the girl, aiming for the face. If he can take her eyes out, he can just do as he pleases and gut her at his own leisure.

[direheterosis]

@acaciacollector

It wasn’t… The most direct route home, no. But there was something about the red light district at night that reminded her of a far off place oh so long ago. Also, she’d had a couple of drinks. Several couples of drinks in fact. So she drifted through the misty area with a serene look on her face, her form invisible but the occasional disturbance of the fog apparent in her wake. 

So occupied was she internally that she almost swept right into someone, oh dear. 

“Oh- whoops. I do apologise.” She came to a halt as she gathered her bearings. “Hoyyy, I almost did not see thee there, please forgive me. Is not the mist beautiful?” 

She hadn’t realised she was still under the invisible veil, but a cloud of glittering blue smoke was added to the fog as she exhaled through her nose that was perfectly visible.

[acaciacollector]

City life’s more complicated than Gyuutarou would’ve thought. Everything was pretty straightforward back home; just keep their grip over the red light district and an ear out for the blue spider lily. Never had to worry about the details because they didn’t matter, but now every little thing is important. It’s distracting. His nightly patrols of the district help a little bit. Even if it’s not for Muzan, this is still their turf.

The odd smell tips him off first. His senses are duller than usual, but it’s still pretty easy to pick out humans. This scent is... something else. It distracts him even more; Gyuutarou doesn’t notice anything is amiss before something knocks from from his perch. As he lifts himself up, a woman’s voice sounds through the fog from somewhere above him. Gyuutarou turns his gaze from side to side, looking for the source as he drags his nails across his neck.

“Yeah? Funny you say that. I don’t see you either, man,” he answers. Now that he’s looking, he can see the signs of gentle movements in the fog that seem to push it aside. The sparkling mist that comes from nowhere is hard to miss too.

“Beautiful? Yeah right. In this place, the fog only hides all the ugly stuff. Just makes it easier on the eyes. Not that anyone who comes here really cares in the first place.” He sighs, scratching his cheek as his eye focus on the spot where the mist seems to be coming from. “Why don’t you come out of hiding, man? I hate it when I can’t look people in the eye.”

[acaciacollector]

“First she’s got herself a new boytoy, now she wants a cat... Soon Daki’s gonna end up taking in all the strays in this damn city, man.”

[acaciacollector]

cutwarmth‌:

The other Upper Moons didn’t understand it? Rui can get their thought process, he thinks; it was so drilled into their heads that any level of cooperation was just impossible, that demons would inevitably tear themselves apart. And Rui was one of those, wasn’t he? If anyone so much as stepped slightly outside of the arbitrary, ever-changing line that he had set up without rhyme or reason, he’d destroy them. He knew from how his family had looked at him that it wasn’t the same as Daki and Gyuutarou, even if they did work together as a family to some extent.

Rui hangs his head slightly, trying to duck away from Gyuutarou’s gaze. He understands it and he understands how the two of them would be stronger together, but even the slightest implication that Rui’s family and Daki and Gyuutarou’s bond might be the same has made him too uncomfortable.

“He’s been here,” he admits after a pause. “He wasn’t… happy with me for failing.”

What an understatement. Rui’s hand raises to rest gently against the skin underneath his left eye.

“But,” Rui continues, “he left. And… there had been others. Kokushibou-san – ah…” That’s too casual. “… Upper Moon One, he was here. And there were no issues. He even gave me a gift, once. Without Muzan-sama, we… we’re happier. All of us have been happier, no matter how briefly we’ve been here, I think.”

Except his own family. Rui opts to not comment on that. His fake mother and sister would probably prefer he mention them as little as possible. It hurts to admit that, and it hurts to admit that Muzan was never anything to them but someone who instilled such fear in their hearts that they lost their own purposes. Rui catches himself starting to doubt Muzan and instinctively shoves those thoughts aside again, too.

No more talk of his family and no more talk of Muzan.

–it takes a lot more to not jump when Gyuutarou puts his hand on Rui’s shoulder than he cares to admit. It’s embarrassing how skittish he can be, here. He wishes he weren’t.

“Mm…”

“I still don’t think–” No, if he insists that Gyuutarou doesn’t owe him one at all he’ll probably have Daki angrily messaging him later about how he ‘shouldn’t take Onii-chan for granted’. Rui shakes his head and fixes his response into an awkward, “… alright.”

He doesn’t mean to just stand there, lingering. It would have been easy enough to just turn and leave, but Rui stays standing there lost in thought for a moment, only drawn out of them when Gyuutarou speaks up again.

“I – don’t eat as much. Anymore. Not any more than I have to. And I’m not very hungry right now.” But he lifts his hands, his threads appearing sharp between his fingers. “–but if you think you might need it, I–” There’s no polite way of saying ‘I know how useless we are when we first arrive here, so I’m probably better off than you are’, so he surprisingly just doesn’t. “–I could tag along.”

That’s a chilling idea, that that man might’ve been in this city at some point. It’s hard to articulate what Gyuutarou really feels about him; respect, awe, some kind of fear, maybe a touch of resentment. He seemed fond of Daki though, and as long as she was happy, so was he. Kept them on his good side.

“Probably better this way,” he mutters. “For everyone. Can’t imagine he’d be happy here.”

Even Number One had relaxed in this city? Gyuutarou had only met him once or twice, and he’d never seen that guy show any emotion at all. Was it really all Muzan’s influence that did this to them? Kept everything repressed out of fear that it could be taken away from you because you pissed someone off? It wasn’t something he thought about; he didn’t really care. So long as he could keep doing what he liked he didn’t really care.

“Happier, huh?”

He doesn’t follow up that thought.

Gyuutarou scratches a long gash into his chest to collect his thoughts. Gives him something to focus on, something that’s concrete. He’s not good at getting philosophical. He snickers a little at Rui’s comment, leering down at the kid. “C’mon, you know how many Pillars I’ve killed? I can take a regular human no problem. Doesn’t matter if they take things from me, they can’t take away me. You get it?”

Still, he wouldn’t mind some real weapons, he thinks as the light catches Rui’s threads. Even something made of metal would beat these crappy wooden sickles they gave him. At least he still has his claws. They should be enough.

He turns back towards the district, scratching at his neck again. “Don’t do shit because you think I want it. Good way to get people taking advantage of you.”

He cracks a grin at Rui as he steps forward into the fog. “But if Daki’s taken a liking to you, I’ll indulge her, man. Besides, she’ll get all pissy at me if I just ignore you.” Gyuutarou taps at his his temple, still grinning. “Remember what I said? Stronger together.”

[acaciacollector]

helpingthelongrain‌:

     Right. This one wasn’t patient, was he? He shut his trap pretty quickly on as Gyuutarou continued. He’d have to choose his words a bit more carefully… the man really wasn’t used to this sort of sensation. After all, the usual predators he was used to didn’t consider him prey.

He was nervous. But, Rinnosuke could put up a good enough front. Regardless, it was very clear that if he was going to keep talking, he should make what he says count…

Though he flinched slightly at the sight of those claws scratching the other’s skin, his arm being suddenly grabbed a hold of, and the sudden shaking that followed.

“… A-ah… erm. I can’t, recall their name, since it had been a while, but—! He had pale skin like yours, and white hair. He looked like a young boy. Uh…”

     He pauses. Wait— he knew someone else, too.

“—And, I met a girl here who also eats people, by the name of Daki… or so she said, anyways. Those two are the only ones I know. … Are they… friends, of yours?”

     In hindsight, the fact that he had met two man-eating people when coming here probably should have been a decent suggestion to not come around here anymore. But, compared to those two, the situation was never quite like this one.

He might just kill this guy anyways, just for annoying him so much. It wouldn’t be the first time a corpse appeared somewhere in Cotes, and like always, the locals would just brush it away as another person taken by the nekomata. Super convenient for Gyuutarou and his ilk.

“Can’t remember? Better try a little harder, maaaan. I’m running out of patience here,” he says, giving the man another shake.

As the man finally mentions a description, Gyuutarou’s countenance instantly relaxes. “Oh. I know him. Good kid,” he says. If Rui didn’t do anything, then- Well, Rui’s a bit of a special case. Kid’s a bit soft, so whatever.

But when Daki’s name comes up, Gyuutarou’s eyes widen, and he pulls his hand away. If Daki didn’t kill this guy, she’d probably be upset if she found out he did. She’s weird like that, sometimes. Takes a liking to people. Usually doesn’t last long, but he won’t push it.

“Yeah, I know Daki. She’s my little sister,” he says, straightening up. The grimace on his lips becomes a sly grin as he stares down at the other man. “Looks like it’s your lucky day. If she let you live, I don’t want her to be pissed at me when she finds out I gutted you. Sometimes she’s a little weird like that, you know? Sentimental. It’s fine, though, whatever makes her happy.”

Gyuutarou leans over the man, fixing his yellow eyes directly on his own. Is he nervous? The flinching was kind of hard to miss, but it’s hard to tell. This guy’s got some guts. No smarts, though.

“Alright man, follow-up question,” he says, still leering. “If you’ve met two other demons in this district, why do you keep coming back? That desperate for company? Golden Ward’s got plenty of places you could drop some cash to make sure you don’t spend the night alone, ehehehe!”

[acaciacollector]

namenayo‌:

“Ehhh… I mean, if you want my honest opinion,” He makes a ‘so-so’ hand motion, “given the choice of ink there, not much of one? I’m just saying, man, I dunno if you were going for ‘Rorschach Test’, or–?”

“I’m going for your fucking throat, man.”

[acaciacollector]

brackenprincess‌:

“K-kunio would never… he likes me a whole lot… and he’s super tough… a-and….”

“A-alright, alright, stop crying, I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“I guess if he’s a human stupid enough to fall for a demon, then you two must be a decent match.”