Hi, my name is Nat, and I'm a hobbyist artist and writer. For my art stuff, you can check out my portfolio and character design on my Carrd. The rest, you can try looking up #nathaliawoaart if I remember to tag properly in the future (no promise tho lol)
As for my writing, I cross-post on Tumblr and AO3, where all of my little writing series are also linked below, including cool artworks to go with them:
Angels Do Exist | Devil May Cry AU (masterlist)
A New Reason to Be Alive | Mononoke AU (masterlist)
There are some foods that Yukina can’t enjoy, and one of them, unfortunately, is buckwheat.
Word Count: ~4.4K
“Hello, welcome!”
The hostess happily greeted Kon and Yukina at the entrance of the establishment. Behind her, the restaurant was packed and bustling. Patrons dined at their tables, conversing with one another while waitresses went around serving and placing orders. The sound of pots and pans clashing could also be heard from behind the kitchen pass, and the aroma lingering in the air smelled delicious. For a weekend night at one of Japan's largest trading hubs, this level of crowd was expected. The other restaurants nearby weren’t much different, except that this one had less of a line in the front. It was the main reason they chose to eat here.
After Kon and Yukina reciprocated the friendly greeting, the hostess glanced between them and then asked, “Table for two?”
“Yes,” Kon confirmed, the corners of his painted lips slightly curling up in a pleasant smile. Yukina was grateful that Kon wasn’t bothered by the crowd like she was.
The hostess looked over her shoulder, scanning the place for a second before turning back to them with a smile. “Perfect! Follow me.”
Leaving their sandals by the entryway, the couple followed the woman to their seat, squeezing between rows of chabudai tables until they reached a small one in the corner—a perfect size for the two of them. In the corner of her eyes, Yukina noticed Kon patiently waiting until she took her seat before sitting across from her. It was a common occurrence whenever they went out to eat, and her heart couldn’t help but flutter at the sight of his gentlemanly behavior.
“The waitress will be with you shortly,” the hostess said once they had settled down in their seats. “But may I get you anything to drink?”
Likewise, Kon simply glanced at Yukina, letting her order first. So, she did. “I would like water, please.”
“I’ll have water too,” he added.
The hostess nodded and bowed before taking her leave. This was when Yukina took the time to take in her surroundings. The place was beautifully decorated, to say the least. Paper lanterns hung from the ceilings, casting a soft, yellow glow on the painted walls around them. One side had a mural of what looked like a summer festival with townsfolk wearing vibrant kimonos and playing outside in the sun at various concession stands. The wall adjacent to them had a lineup of different farm animals together. Bulls, cows, horses, peacocks, and chickens, all standing side by side as if they were marching in a parade.
Yukina then turned her attention to the other patrons nearby. Most were merchants and samurai, judging by their attire, though none of them looked remarkably close to the one sitting across from her. A medicine seller, donning a dark, colorful kimono reminiscent of a butterfly, and makeup that resembled more like a kabuki actor than his self-proclaimed occupation. Not that Yukina had seen a play herself, but she would love to see him star in one, watching from the audience as he moves about gracefully and narrates the scene in that smooth voice of his.
“See something you like?” Said silky voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
Yukina chewed the inside of her mouth as she felt her cheeks heat up a little. His half-lidded eyes were on her, and his little smirk told her that she was staring at him far longer than she realized. It was a tease, and despite officially being with him for a few months now, he still had his way of making her heart do somersaults. Of course, her immediate thought was to say “you,” but she was glad that the hostess returned with the pitcher of water before she babbled something stupid.
Once their cups were filled, and the hostess left for good, Yukina instead answered with a feeble smile, “I just like spending time with you. That’s all.” Yes, that sounded more appropriate to say.
The teasing smirk on Kon’s face melted to a warm smile at that. “So do I,” he said, his voice carrying a purr behind it. “Even during the calm before the storm.” Lifting his cup, Kon took a delicate sip and regarded her with a steady gaze for a second, making her heart skip a beat again.
There was truth behind his words, Yukina realized. Both of them were here looking for a mononoke that appeared to be moving from one town to another, based on the carnage it left behind. Unfortunately, they still haven’t pinpointed the mononoke’s location yet, partly due to Yukina’s limitations. She could only travel so far before wearing herself out. That, and she had to eat and sleep, unlike her seemingly immortal partner. Still, she refused to stand on the sidelines and watch Kon sacrifice himself for humanity. Otherwise, if it were up to his decision alone, she knew he would have wanted to shield her from this life and have her live a normal one instead, even though she never had one in the first place. But like him, Yukina had a duty to fulfill—a promise she made to herself to help those in need. It was only fair, and besides, she was just as capable of handling mononoke as he was. Medicine seller or not.
So here they were, making a quick stop at this restaurant to refuel her stomach. At least, it was a treat that Kon decided to join her for dinner before they returned to their inn for the night. Hopefully, they’d have better luck tomorrow at cornering the mononoke, and that it hadn’t caused any more damage since then.
With that, they spent the next few moments in comfortable silence, enjoying the calm and each other’s company before the storm hit, as Kon worded it. Luckily, it didn’t take long for the waitress to arrive at their table, albeit in a hasty manner.
“Good evening, sorry for the wait! It is quite packed today,” she apologized with a bow, and Yukina could see the sweat clinging to her face. Places like this could get warmed extremely fast, especially if one were running around and taking orders all day like this waitress.
“It’s no problem, really.” Yukina offered a sympathetic smile as she watched her straighten up again.
Although she had never served in a restaurant herself, Yukina had served large banquets frequently hosted at the Katsumi residence. It was never a fun task, even with the help of the other servants. The cooking, the cleaning, the large, noisy crowds of many nobles she couldn't care less for. The only activity Yukina enjoyed during those times was to sneak away and enjoy herself in a nice, quiet corner. Those days were long gone, thankfully.
The waitress nodded, smiling at her. “So, is this your first time here?” Her eyes swept to Kon and then back to her.
“Uh, yes, we are passing through for the night,” Yukina answered when she noticed that Kon wasn’t going to speak up yet, most likely letting her take the lead in the conversation. Not like Yukina minded this one. His yellow eyes simply gazed between her and the waitress, watching leisurely with little interest in butting in.
Regardless of their first time here, the waitress’s eyes lit up in response. “Oh, then welcome! You came to the right place. We serve delicious food here.” That, she did not have to say, as Yukina could already smell the mouth-watering food from where she sat. She was dying to dig in until the waitress mentioned, “For tonight, we have kake soba, mori soba, and chazuke. We also have unadon as our seasonal dish.”
Yukina’s body stiffened as her stomach dropped. “Soba?” she asked, staring at the waitress and hoping that she had misheard her somehow.
But she didn’t when the waitress beamed instead, seemingly ignoring the shocked look on her face. “Oh, yes! We are very well known for our famous soba dish!”
Blinking dumbfoundedly, Yukina was at a loss for words. Nowhere had this restaurant screamed it was more of a soba shop than anything, not even the name of the shop hanging outside gave any clues. But a quick glance at the other tables confirmed her words—several patrons happily enjoying their soba dish, ignorant of the inner turmoil happening within her.
Yukina could not have soba noodles. Buckwheat was like poison to her.
This was a fact Yukina discovered in her early days at the Katsumi residence. It happened when she first started working as their servant. It was a regular day, and a day when Yukina was still getting used to her new role. For every meal, the family was first served before the servants could enjoy themselves in the kitchen. On one occasion, the family had soba noodles for dinner. Soba was a dish Yukina had never tried before, as the only food they gave her while keeping her locked in their basement for so long was rice and scraps. Prepping the dish was nothing to note, except for the aromatic smell that tugged on her hunger, but when it came to enjoying their meal, that was when disaster struck.
First, Yukina had only taken one bite before the head of the household, Takao Katsumi, requested her presence. She did not remember for what exactly, now thinking back, but she remembered what came after. Her throat started flaring up and itching the longer she talked with him. Initially, she thought she was coming down with something, but kept that to herself. However, after Takao finally dismissed her and she made her way back to the kitchen, her throat started closing up, and she couldn’t breathe properly anymore. The servants screamed when she stumbled back into the room, saying how swollen her face was with hives breaking out all over her neck.
Eri, one of the older servants, was the first to identify the cause and had her vomit in a nearby waste bucket, while the others fetched incense and medication for the rash. Yukina didn’t remember much after that, most likely fighting to stay awake, trying to breathe, as they lay her down in bed. The pain was memorable—her whole face and neck felt like it was set on fire, swollen and numb, and her lungs burned at the lack of oxygen. It was a miracle that Yukina survived after the whole ordeal because the whole household heard the commotion, including the family members.
The following day, the Fox Whisperer made his appearance on record time to check on her. Not because he cared, but because he couldn’t afford to lose the most valuable asset in his trade, although Yukina would have wished she had died that day. Face stoned cold, he ordered the Katsumi’s household to scrub the whole place from top to bottom and ban any portions of buckwheat from ever entering again. The only person opposed to this was Takao, for his love of soba noodles. Though he had no choice but to oblige if he wanted to continue business with the Fox Whisperer.
But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t take his frustration out on Yukina because of it. Meal after meal, Takao would pull Yukina away from digging in, requesting her presence for nonsensical tasks. Some would take hours, draining her more throughout the day without a proper meal. Her food could only stay warm for so long, and Yukina often found her plate cold when she returned. She got used to it, but eventually, Takao slowly stopped calling for her like that.
It had been years since, and Yukina hadn’t had another incident again. But unfortunately, she was left with a hard choice right now. They had already waited so long for a table, and it wasn’t like they could simply head to another one without facing the same issue. Her initial thought was to choose another dish. The unadon sounded nice, but the back of her mind told her that it wasn’t safe. Yukina knew how a kitchen worked: if one seed of buckwheat got in, then the rest of the kitchen was contaminated.
So, she went with plan B.
“O-oh, um…” Yukina licked her lips, finding them dry as she mustered up the courage to lie. “I’m not feeling well. I think I’ll head back to the room, actually.”
Both the waitress and Kon looked surprised at that; the latter shifting his complete focus to her, his painted brows raising. That definitely got his attention, though Yukina only spared him a glance before turning to the waitress, who wore a pitiful expression.
“Oh, no, are you sure?” the waitress asked, frowning even more. “We can make something for you to take back to your room. A meal that will surely replenish your strength—”
“No, no, it’s fine!” Yukina winced internally when she caught herself interrupting her rather rudely, but eating from here was the last thing Yukina wanted to do. Standing up, Yukina decided to cut her stay short. “I’m not feeling hungry either. M-my stomach hurts too much to eat anyway—I’m so sorry!” There, she bowed at the waist in apology.
In the corner of her eyes, she caught the perplexed look on Kon’s face, staring with equal parts concern and shock. She felt bad for causing a scene, but truth be told, Yukina planned on making a quick stop elsewhere to eat while Kon stayed here and dined for the night. Even though he didn’t have to eat, Yukina didn’t want to deprive him of the pleasure of doing so for her sake. He enjoyed food, and he rarely had the time to sit down and eat in peace during missions.
Meanwhile, the waitress’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times like a fish out of water, clearly flabbergasted and at a loss for words at her display. Truly, what else could she say besides offering her prayers? Though Yukina preferred that she didn’t say much.
“Then, let’s head back to our room,” said Kon as he swiftly rose from his seat, his painted face void of the initial shock. Now he looked serious, concerned for her well-being.
A cold wave washed over her as her stomach twisted at the realization that Kon intended to leave with her.
“No, it’s fine! You don’t have to leave. I’ll be fine in our room,” she pleaded, her voice teetering on the edge of desperation. Knowing him, he’d start doting on her the second they step into their room. And for what, a sickness Yukina was faking the whole time?
However, that did not deter him in the slightest as he stepped closer to her, his lashes lowering, and a coy smirk spread on his lips. “Come now, what kind of husband would leave his sickly wife all by herself?”
Her face warmed. Now he was pulling out that card—a common tactic used to tease her, or in this case, put her in a position where she couldn’t refuse his help. Rarely did he publicly state their relationship, most likely for her protection, and only did so if he was trying to checkmate her because he knew, like her, that Yukina didn’t have the heart to say no, especially in front of others. And his trick worked because the waitress let out an “aww” next to them.
Smart bastard.
“He is right; you shouldn’t be all alone while you’re sick. Let him take care of you,” the waitress cooed, obviously joining his side and giving Yukina less of a reason to refute any further.
There went her plan B.
Defeated, Yukina reluctantly gave in, her brows creased. “Okay… let’s go.”
Kon hummed at that, his smirk shifting to a smile as he appeared pleased with his victory. Turning to the waitress, he then bowed and thanked her for her hospitality before they departed. From behind, the waitress wished them a good night and a fast recovery for her health, though that didn’t make Yukina feel any better as they headed out the door. Kon had said nothing else the whole time, only sticking close to her with his hand resting on the small of her back, guiding her back to their hotel room. But Yukina could feel his curious gaze on her, boring into the side of her head, desperate for answers.
All the while, Yukina continued to look forward, not wanting Kon to get an inkling of her lie. Truthfully, she thought outright announcing her predicament would cause a headache for him, of them having to leave the establishment and find somewhere else safe to go. But now, it was even more of a pain having to play as the sick patient. Guilt started to gnaw at the pit of her stomach as it growled measly underneath her robe.
Oh, well, it wouldn’t be the first time Yukina went to bed hungry.
“You are not sick, are you?”
Yukina stopped dead in her tracks, her head whipping at Kon and staring at him like a deer caught in a hunter’s sight. Kon also stopped in his tracks but said nothing, only staring back at her with a calculating gaze. Oh, he knew, and to her worst fear, she could see the gears slowly turning in his head as he waited for an answer.
Tongue-tied, Yukina managed to ask, “H-how did you know…?” She still couldn’t believe it, but she had to know what gave it away—what mistake she had committed now.
Whether it was a blessing or a curse, Kon was not one to hold back on his answer. “You seemed visibly upset when the waitress mentioned their soba dish,” he said, as a matter of fact, before tilting his head as he let out an inquiry hum. “Is it perhaps that buckwheat is poisonous to you?”
Jaw slacked, Yukina could only stare at him, stunned, in that moment. She truly didn’t expect him to come to that conclusion along the same line of thought, at least, not without further investigating or probing. But then again, this was a key part of his profession: always observing with a keen eye and, most often, having to come to his own conclusion to slay mononoke. Nothing could escape his watchful eyes, she realized, not even her bluffs could fool him.
Her eyes cast down, and a resigned sigh fell from her lips. “Yes.” She then paused, wondering for a split second if telling him this was a good idea, but she felt compelled to do so anyway. “I almost died the last time I tried it for the first time at the Katsumi residence. Ever since then, I have avoided it as best as I can.”
Despite the business of the street they were on, Yukina heard a sharp intake of breath from him, the kind that expressed his shock. Below, he reached for her hands, gathering them between his own and enveloping them in his large palms. Such an act made Yukina look up at him. When she did, she found his eyes filled with apprehension and sorrow, his lips pressed into a very tight frown.
That was when it hit her—he wasn’t upset over her lie or losing their chance to eat a good meal. He was worried about what could have happened. If Yukina had died that day, then they wouldn’t have met. Or worse, if she had risked ordering from the same kitchen, she would have died under his watch. Yukina frowned at the thought. She didn't want to lose him and have him go through that grief when his life as a wielder was already full of it.
Kon seemed to share her unspoken sentiment when his yellow eyes softened as he brought one hand up and cupped her face, tender and delicate. “Let us not reenact that again, yes?” he said, attempting a faint smile to lighten the mood, but his eyes still held sorrow, and his voice was tight with emotion.
Yukina nodded feebly as she blushed. Her eyes couldn’t stop themselves from quickly darting to the side, trying to see if others were watching them. They were out in public with Kon holding her so intimately. This conversation should be held in private, but a squeeze of his hand on her cheek brought her attention back to him.
“Yukina.” His eyelashes lowered as his tone took on a firmer note. “Please do not hesitate to let me know about this. I'd rather you tell me outright, regardless if it comes out as rude or not, than let you suffer from something preventable.” He continued, though it was hard for Yukina to focus on his words. A shiver traveled down her spine at the sensation of Kon’s nail grazing her skin as he traced a fingertip down her cheek and hooked it underneath her chin, gently lifting her face to look at him. “Your health and safety are my priority.”
For a moment, they locked eyes with each other in silence as Kon waited for an answer of some sort. Unfortunately for him, it was still difficult for Yukina to formulate words at this point when he had her melting under his touch. Her tongue felt heavy, and her mind felt fuzzily warm as if she was captured in his spell. Yet the gentle sweep of his thumb over her lower lip brought her back to her thoughts again. He truly had her in his palms.
Wordlessly, Yukina nodded at first, but quickly tacked on in case Kon needed that extra reassurance. He deserved one, after all. “I will—I promise.”
The corners of his lips quirked up into a pleased smirk as his eyes lit up. All of the tension melted from him, yet he looked so coy that it reminded Yukina of a sly fox winning his way for a treat. She almost laughed at the thought and made a mental note not to be afraid of giving in as long as it made him happy like this.
“Shall we find another place to eat?” Kon asked as the hand on her chin moved down and clasped hers again, giving them a soft squeeze. However, the reminder of their situation made Yukina groan.
“But everywhere else is so packed! And we don’t know if they also serve buckwheat.” It was also harvest season, Yukina remembered.
Though that didn’t stop Kon from trying, his head simply turned to the side, humming as his narrow eyes scanned the street—no doubt looking for a suitable place that checked off both boxes. But Yukina didn’t need to see how packed the other restaurants were since people were still lined up outside various buildings for a nice meal. It was futile.
“It’s fine, Kon. I can wait until tomorrow morning when it’s less busy—”
“No, we will not do that.” His yellow eyes slide in her direction, his tone firm, leaving no room for argument whatsoever. Obediently, Yukina shut her mouth as she watched Kon lean in, getting close to her ears before whispering, “I can get food from the Juuyoku, and I can assure that it will be free of buckwheat too.”
Now that had caught her interest. The Juuyoku was a place she was familiar with after Kon had brought her there for an emergency a few months ago. It was the closest Kon could call home, and it was a home he happily welcomed her into, as she had nowhere else to go here in the mortal realm. Many new faces, and many new revelations she had learned about herself and others. In fact, they had come from there before being sent on this mission, and as an otherworldly realm, she knew that the Juuyoku served good food. Never once had she complained about the quality of the food, nor did she have to worry about buckwheat.
Thinking about it, was there ever buckwheat there? Yukina didn’t recall coming across such a dish while eating in its great, grand halls. In fact, she had never seen it laid out in front of her among the other dishes for her to choose from. Almost as if the place secretly knew of her condition.
Either way, his offer made Yukina pull her head away to look at him curiously from the side. “Really, you can do that now?”
Kon simply grinned at her, his canines peeking out. There was that coy look again. “You seriously don’t think I pay a quick visit there during my travels?”
Yukina pouted at his teasing question as she could feel her cheeks warming up again. She knew he could pop in and out between both realms with ease. It was how he managed to stay fresh, both in appearance and energy, when they had first started traveling together, and he couldn’t reveal the sacred place's existence to her yet. Whenever she was asleep for the night, that was when he would teleport over there, he once told her before. Time did move differently in the realm of the Shuuga, but that didn’t stop Yukina from making her point.
“I know, but we’re hunting down a mononoke. Isn’t it dangerous to go?”
“Hardly.” He hummed, his smile not going away. “We haven’t found the mononoke yet, nor is it nearby to pose a threat.”
When he put it like that, Yukina couldn’t argue anymore. Ordering takeout with her partner sounded ideal. No crowds. No noise. And no traces of buckwheat anywhere in sight. Just the two of them enjoying their meal together in the comfort of their room. It was essentially the perfect date.
“Okay.” Yukina nodded eagerly, excitement swelling up inside her as she smiled. “Let’s do that then.”
The man she dearly adored grinned at that. “Excellent.” He said before taking one of her hands, and they both started heading towards their inn again.
As they continued down the road, their footsteps falling in step with each other, Yukina couldn’t stop sneaking glances at her partner. There were many times when she didn’t believe she would end up with someone like him—someone so selfish, full of compassion, and beautifully handsome. It almost felt too good to be true that Yukina was sure that she would wake up from this dream and end up back in that godforsaken place. But when Kon caught her looking, the soft squeeze of his hand and his smile reassured her that this was real. That this was her life now, and she was happy to spend it with him as long as she could.
It has been a million years since I've been this in love with a character design, he is so beautiful ~(￣▽￣)~* He is the prettiest lil thing (when I saw he had fangs for the first time I might've gone a lil feral rrgrghrghrgrhr)
Only just saw the anime like 3 days ago with my sister, and we've just finished the 2 movies as well yesterday.
Been referencing a bunch of screenshots of the anime (2007 mwah, absolutely stunning visuals) and Dam, this boy is the most has the most expressionistic non-expression face. The anime does subtle expression so incredibly well, like DAM, its soooooooooooooo good, every tiny detail is required to perfectly convey his limited expressiveness and somehow they portray a huge amount of emotion with the smallest details, it's amazing. beautiful. I could stare at his face all day (I have been and) I love his face so much, mwah mwah mwah, perfect fox features. He's also probably the prettiest fox-featured character I think I've seen that actually looks like a fox.
Also, is it just me, (it could seriously just be the blonde hair, pointed ears, and similar pointed features) but does he remind anyone else of Link? (Legend of Zelda, duh) first time i saw him i was Immediately hit with Link vibes, like heavy, like it's kinda giving TP Link but if he was a Sheikah?? I could just be insane, but alas.
Yukina has fallen ill, an illness driven by desires and lust. When she accepts the Medicine Seller’s help, she isn’t sure how to make sense of their newfound connection. After all, he is a man with many mysteries, much like her.
Previous Chapter | AO3 version | Masterlist | Next Chapter (soon)
The Sixth Act: Scars Not Yet Healed
Sharing the same bed for the night stirs up heat between them again. That is, until some unwelcoming thoughts invade Yukina’s mind.
(⚠️ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!!! ⚠️)
Word count: ~12K
(Author's note)
Unfortunately, I won't be posting chapter six here on Tumblr due to content warnings surrounding darker themes. So, for my Tumblr readers, sorry, but you will have to read it on AO3, linked below 😅
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Next chapter, we should be back to our regular schedule 🫶 See ya!
