Ghost of Tsushima has stolen my heart. Itâs just so good.
I havenât written anything in well over 10 years or so...Iâm not completely happy with this, but I did it in one go.
Hopefully Jin doesnât seem too OOC; he has his moments and the hotspring reflections in-game could at least get fairly emotional...
Jin x Female OC, post-game
As Jin moved himself down into the hot spring, closing his eyes as the heat eased his aching body, he could almost forget that Tsushima was still not free from the Mongols. The sounds of nature around him were peaceful - he could hear the twittering of birds in the surrounding trees, the rustle of the leaves as they blew in the wind, and the soft lapping of the coast in the distance.
The Khan was dead. The remnants of his army, scattered. The new samurai could arrive at any time but Jin would not wait before he made his move to fully eradicate the Mongols from Tsushima. Shogun and jito after his head or not.
Almost lost in the tumultuous turn of his thoughts, Jin nearly missed the soft breathing of someone nearing the hot spring. His muscles coiled, ready to spring into action, only to relax when he recognised the familiar scent.
âI knew Iâd find you hereâ
He didnât turn to her, but tilted his head to show that heâd heard her and was paying attention.
âYou are predictable, my love. Even when we were children, you would soak in a hot spring when you were troubled, as if the water would give you all the answersâ
Her lilting tone was teasing and he huffed a small laugh. Even with his back to her, he knew exactly the type of expression she would have; that small smile that bordered on a smirk, her eyes twinkling in joy. It was late in the evening - she would only be wearing the lightest layer of her kimono, given the privacy of their home, and her dark hair would be down, finally loose from the style it was traditionally kept in, ready for him to inevitably sink his hands into whenever they curled into bed.
The rustle of her clothes gave her movement away as she positioned herself behind him, brushing his hair to the side with her fingers as she positioned her knees perfectly for him to tilt his head back onto her lap. With soft touches ghosting across his face, Jin felt the tension in his body slip away and let out a long sigh.
"Is that so?"
She gave the long sigh of a woman suffering in the absence of her lover, and rested her hands on his chest. She leant over him as much as she could; her nails scratched at his skin, catching on both long-healed and fresh scars, hair falling in curtains to hide his face from the world. Her perfume surrounded him, heady in its freshness - she must have applied it before coming to find him - and it took all his willpower not to agree to her silent demand then and there.
âEverything you think youâve lost is still with youâ
Objectively, Jin knew it to be true. His father was the guiding wind at his back, his motherâs favourite birds continued to discover the hidden gems of Tsushima with him, his uncle lived on in the teachings that he would never fully abandon. Even those who still lived - Yuna, Masako, Kenji, Ishikawa, Norio - were with him despite their absence, the memory of their shared struggles and their influence on his life, his principles, and his actions undeniable.
He couldnât help but let out a soft laugh.
â...youâre rightâ
âNaturally. Thatâs why you keep me around! One of us has to keep you from forgettingâ
âThatâs not the only reason Reiâ
It was her turn to laugh, a soft sound that reminded him of the wind chimes he kept to distract others.
âDo you remember...back when we were children...our mothers and Lady Masako would drag us all to Omi Lake? My brothers and Lady Masakoâs sons would go and play in the water, they were so eager to fight. I thought youâd be the same but you always sat with me under the trees. Kasai would tease you so much but you never left me alone...even when I made you come out again at night so I could see all the fireflies above the waterâ
His heart tightened at the memory. He could hear the wistful reminiscence in her voice, the tremors that came whenever she spoke of her lost family. He lifted his hand to rest on hers where it was placed on his chest. He didnât offer words of comfort, she didnât need them to know he grieved with her.
The silence between them was heavy, both of them lost in the memories of that fateful day when everything changed.
âWatching you all ride away to that forsaken beach was the hardest day of my lifeâ
âIâm sorryâ
âYou came backâ she said it simply, like the words wouldnât drag on his heart and drown him
âToo late. I couldnât protect you. I promised to protect youâ and there it was, his grief, breaking his speech and catching in his throat at the admission.
A soft kiss pressed against his forehead.
âYou canât protect everyoneâ
The truth wasnât easy to hear, especially from the one person who knew him better than anyone else - living or dead. She had always been dutiful; the honorable daughter and wife, trained to protect her home from any threat, to open her doors to her people in a time of need. She knew exactly what it meant to be unable to fulfil your sworn duty to your people, to sacrifice everything and still fall short.
âYou know, you donât have to do this Jin. Let the new jito organise his samurai and hunt down the remaining Mongols. There arenât many left. You have sacrificed so much for Tsushimaâ
Yet as always, and much to Reiâs eternal amusement he was sure, his soak in the hotspring had given him the answer he sought and renewed his drive to see it through.
âI have to try. I canât rest until the Mongols are goneâ
He felt her move again, felt the awkward ghost of her lips against his own as she leant over him. A second kiss followed, more comfortably placed on his forehead. Her hands hands away from him as she slowly stood, taking care to softly place his head on the ground. By the time he sat up and opened his eyes, he was greeted only by a small group of fireflies flitting back and forth above him.
The familiar weight settled on his chest once more as he lifted himself out of the water. He looked down at the undisturbed grass around him as he picked up his clothes and made his way back to his refuge.
Once inside, Jin lit a candle to keep the darkness at bay while he prepared the Ghost armour made for him by Taka. By now, putting on the individual parts were almost meditative, providing the perfect time to slowly ground himself and mentally fold himself into the Ghost. Only two things had been added to the armour since Yuna had given it to him, two extra elements for his ritual to remind him of his code and who he fought for.
First; a tanto gifted to him by his uncle after he had deemed his training complete.
Second; around his wrist, Reiâs bright yellow and bloodied headband.
As he stepped out into the night, the wind pushed at his back, towards the flickering lights of the fireflies that guided him towards the path he needed to take.
Despite the half mask covering his mouth that provided the frightening visage of the Ghost that would hunt and haunt the Mongols until none were left, the glassy eyes of Jin Sakai remained.
Jin Sakai, the nephew to Lord Shimura, who had lost and sacrificed everything for his people.
Jin Sakai, the Ghost of Tsushima, who had nothing else left to give but himself.
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