What search engines are everyone using? I'm so tired of AI being shoehorned into EVERYTHING
Just opened up ecosia to find that they've fallen, too :( and their image search is completely broken. You will not find a single real image on there. It's all AI
Siren!Pakunoda x AFAB reader (She/They pronouns used)
Wordcount: 9.4K words
Warnings: Minor character death, descriptions of raw meat, smut, babytrapping(?), oviposition
Author's Note: This is my first time writing smut AND my first time writing in second person, but there's not enough Pakunoda x reader content out there, and I will be the change I want to see in the world. Hope you like it!
Most ships avoided staying on the water this far into the night. And so far from shore, too. The locals all knew the ghost stories about what lurked in these murky depths. The ocean held something much more dangerous than any spirit.
Sirens ruled the coast with an insatiable hunger.
Humans knew to steer clear of the beaches after dark. They tended to stay inside entirely, following an unofficial curfew. The sirens were left to gorge themselves on foreigners who came in on freighters. They chose to settle near a port city for exactly this reason. Food was always in abundance here.
That’s why Pakunoda was baffled when she saw such a small fishing rig out. Most sirens didn’t typically question the foolishness of humans, but the arrogance of it baffled her. The vessel was worn, barnacles clinging to its hull. Even if the humans weren’t from the area, the other fishermen would’ve made it a point to warn newcomers.
They couldn’t be catching any fish. The puny things swam away as if on fire after catching sight of the first shimmering tail in Pakunoda’s group. It really made no sense for the humans to be out here.
A chittering noise below her drew her attention. Chrollo nodded encouragingly. His dark hair floated beautifully in the murky water, glowing violet eyes assessing her performance even now. It was her first time leading a hunt. She felt uncomfortable in the position, but Chrollo had insisted that they all take the lead occasionally, in case something were to happen to him.
As if any of them would still be alive if anything were to happen to Chrollo. Pakunoda would never voice such a thought, but she thought it all the same.
What should we do? Chrollo chittered. He’d schooled his expression to be wide-eyed and naive, reminding her of when they were young.
Pakunoda looked to the rest of the pod, who were all looking back at her expectantly.
Machi and Shalnark, swim to the surface and lure the humans in. She ordered. Uvogin, Nobunaga, Franklin, and Phinks, you two watch for weapons. If you see them pull anything unfamiliar out, I want you to rock the boat. Feitan, Shizuku, Bono, Kortopi, and Chrollo, you’ll wait below for the humans to enter the water. Kill them quickly.
She glanced towards Chrollo for approval, but he gave nothing away. It made her insides squirm.
Well? Get to it, she clicked her tongue, and the sirens dispersed.
She, Machi, and Shalnark were by far the most beautiful sirens they had. At least, by human standards. Humans liked their brightly colored hair and large, colorful eyes. Pakunoda didn’t personally understand it. Feitan had the sharpest teeth, by far. Uvogin had the longest tail. Chrollo was the quickest swimmer. Nobunaga and Shizuku both had exceptionally shiny scales. These were typically considered more attractive traits for sirens, but humans had different, stranger tastes.
It made little sense to her, but she supposed it didn’t have to. She watched as the group swam into formation, everyone taking their places as if actors on a stage. Machi swam up first, sapphire eyes peaking over the water. Pakunoda could hear movement on the boat. Footsteps. That’s when Machi started singing.
The footsteps paused for just a moment before continuing in a rhythmic, entranced state. Pakunoda felt tension rising as the footsteps grew closer. It was all going exactly right. Until a second pair of footsteps frantically ran across the ship’s deck, halting the first human. Confused, Pakunoda dipped her head above the surface, trying to assess the scene.
What she saw did not make sense to her. She frowned, trying to understand what she was looking at. An older man, clearly caught in Machi’s spell, was trying to fight his way off the boat. A smaller, frightened woman had her arms clasped tightly around his middle while her heels dug into the ship's floor.
Shalnark popped his head up and began singing as well. Perhaps two voices would be stronger than one. But it made no difference. The human woman only became more frantic, shouting incoherently and beating the man with her hands. Luckily, it made little difference as the man continued, carrying both of them towards the edge. Her screaming was shrill, now, causing Pakunoda to wince. She’d never heard humans make such an unpleasant noise before.
She ducked her head under the water. Everyone was looking to her for orders in this strange situation. Panicked, she looked at Chrollo, but his hard stare told her that she was on her own for this one.
Rock the boat. They’re holding onto each other; we should be able to knock them both into the water. She ordered.
The sirens fell into action swiftly. The boat lurched as they swam hard into the side. The peaceful water exploded into bubbles and ripples as the two humans crashed into it. The sirens were on them in an instant, dragging them deeper and deeper into the water until their shrill screams ceased into a blissful silence.
Later, Chrollo tried to reassure her that she did well under the circumstances.
I’m glad that you were in charge of this one. You need to trust your instincts more. He assured her.
Pakunoda turned her head towards him. I just don’t understand why she seemed immune. She was entirely unaffected, Chrollo.
Chrollo shrugged. Some humans are. It’s rare. How do you think stories of us made it to land in the first place?
He offered her a reassuring glance. You did well. Stop being so hard on yourself. That’s an order.
Pakunoda chittered in amusement, but nodded. She did her best to put it behind her.
----
They found your uncle’s boat floating aimlessly in the sea a week after he’d disappeared. You two hadn’t been close, but his daughter, Rose, was one of your closest friends, and she’d just lost her father and his new wife. She’d called you in tears when they didn’t come back, and you wasted no time abandoning all responsibilities to drive across the country straight to her.
Once the detectives finished searching the boat for clues, they came back with a simple conclusion: That your uncle and his wife had simply walked off the boat of their own accord. There weren’t any signs of struggle, and nothing was missing from the boat. The weather had been peaceful that night. No storms. They had simply jumped off the boat of their own accord, killing themselves in the cold, dark ocean waters. Case closed.
“Case closed? Case CLOSED? What the fuck do you mean, case closed? He wasn’t suicidal! He wouldn’t do that!”
You reached out to squeeze Rose’s hand, but she jerked it away.
“Don’t touch me! You’re wrong. Something bad happened. He wouldn’t do that!” She was shouting at the police officer, and you were grateful that he seemed more patient than the law enforcement you were used to.
“I understand that this is difficult to hear,” He kept his voice slow and gentle. “But there is absolutely no evidence that a violent crime was committed here. We have to close this case.”
“NO!”
“Rose…” You urged her, tugging at her arm. “We can consult a lawyer. Right now, you need to calm down.”
For a moment, you thought Rose might hit you. Your jaw tensed at the wild, angry look she gave you. But she just turned and stomped away towards her car. You sighed before looking to the officer.
“Please forgive her. She’s not usually like this,” You said, voice even.
He gave you an odd look that you couldn’t name. “Are you okay?”
You cocked your head. You?
“Of course.” You frowned. “Is there anything that needs to be done on the boat?”
The look the officer gave you told you that he didn’t believe you, but he seemed too uncomfortable to challenge the statement. He couldn’t wait to get out of here, you thought. It made you feel prickly that your misfortune was a nuisance to him. He cleared his throat before jerking his head towards the boat.
“The ownership of the boat likely goes to the daughter, but the lawyers’ll have to sort that out. For now, I’d advise you retrieve any personal belongings you don’t want going missing.” He said.
You nodded, shoving your hands into your pockets.
“Are there a lot of burglaries on these docks?” You asked.
“Oh no,” The officer chuckled. “Not at all.”
You raised an eyebrow. “No? That’s surprising.”
Security wasn’t exactly state-of-the-art, from what you’d seen.
“Yeah, folks don’t really like coming out here. Especially at night. Even the thieves steer clear. They’re superstitious.” He explained.
“Superstitious about what?” You asked. The officer looked uncomfortable once more.
“Ah, urban legends. Sirens or mermaids or something like that.” He looked away.
Hm. You suppose that made sense. You weren’t sure what you were expecting, in retrospect. The boat looked to be in good shape. What kind of mark would something like that even leave? Scratches? Bites? You weren’t sure why you were entertaining the idea. You’d been ghost hunting a handful of times before, sure, but mermaids? Sirens? It was a bit much, even for you.
“Thank you. I’ll go take a look, now, if that’s okay?” You suggested taking a step towards the boat. The officer seemed relieved to have a way out of the conversation. He quickly nodded, taking the opportunity to excuse himself.
Later that night, after Rose had long since fallen asleep in her bedroom upstairs, you found yourself still awake. The pull-out couch in the living room was decorated with a crumpled gray blanket and a pillow that was too flat for your liking. The sleeping conditions weren’t to blame for your insomnia, though.
You were hunched over your laptop, scrolling through page after page of ultimately useless information. You scoured Reddit forums, and you watched YouTube essays. You’d even fallen down a rabbit hole of TikTok conspiracy theories. It all seemed far-fetched and incorrect. They talked about things like Atlantis and curses, and you sensed more than a few of them were just political pipelines in disguise.
You sighed, falling back on the couch. This was stupid. Why were you even entertaining this? What stage of grief was this, exactly?
You considered asking the locals. Maybe the library would know? Someone at the bar? An older person at the community center? It all seemed futile. The officer himself seemed like he’d rather crawl out of his skin than talk to you. Though maybe that was just because pain often made people uncomfortable.
…You could just go look.
No. You shook the thought from your head. That was silly. Where would you even begin to look? The docks? The beach? There were too many people there. And who’s to say there would even be a siren there?
…
You glanced at the clock. 10 PM. Hadn’t the officer said that people steer clear of the coastline at night? They would avoid the area even if there were no urban legends, right? Common sense dictated that humans steered clear of dark waters. It was basic survival etiquette, really.
Which made this all the more ridiculous, you thought. You shouldn’t go. Even though you would make the perfect bait. Sirens weren’t real; you’d be wasting your time. You’d only end up more frustrated and confused than you were already.
An hour later, you were turning your engine off after parking just next to a trailhead marker. There was no real parking lot, so you had to leave your car parked on the side of the road. It wasn’t your preference, but you figured that the traffic would be light. The docks might be too busy for a siren to approach. If you were a siren, you’d want to spend your time somewhere more private. Somewhere with tide pools. So, that’s where you went.
The crunchy gravel quickly turned to dirt beneath your feet. It would be a short hike to the beach you’d found. Pausing at the treeline, you pulled out a flashlight, a pair of earplugs, and noise-canceling headphones. The headphones emitted a loud, white noise.
You wouldn’t need it, of course. You were sure you wouldn’t find anything. But… it was okay to look a little silly when no one was watching, wasn’t it? And on the tiniest off chance that this was all real…
You shook the thought from your head and carefully began maneuvering your way through the trail. It wasn’t the first time you’d gone on a nighttime hike. Probably wouldn’t be the last. You’d likely keep going until you were caught and someone told you to stop. And then you’d go a few times more.
When you broke through the treeline and stumbled onto the beach, your breath caught. You hadn’t expected the water and shore to meld together into such a uniform sea of black. You’d have to be careful not to get too close.
…But a little closer would be fine.
You made your way to rockier shores, where you could take a squatted seat on the rocks without worrying about the water lapping at your ankles. The flashlight stayed on. You didn’t want to trip or step on anything living. And you thought it might attract the sirens’ attention.
The waves rhythmically pulled in towards the shore, and then back out. You watched them for a while, occasionally pointing your flashlight towards the water. When you tired of that, you watched the stars. They were brighter here than in the city. Worth the hike out here on their own, you told yourself. Still, you found yourself feeling more and more silly as time went on.
You pulled your phone out of your pocket. 3 AM. Witching hour. How fitting. You sighed, putting the device away. The sun would be out soon. Exhaustion came over you like a wave. Your muscles ached, your head hurt, and you wanted to lie down. Had you really been ignoring your body for this long? When was the last time you’d slept? Or hydrated? Or even showered?
You pushed yourself to stand, wincing as you straightened out your legs. Your head was throbbing now. You were just about to leave when the horizon tugged at your attention. A part of the water that looked… wrong. Broken.
Breath caught in your throat, you pointed your flashlight out towards the water. You couldn’t make out what it was. Or rather, you didn’t stick around to get a good look. As the light hit the object in the water, it reflected back to shore in two pointed gleams. Like a cat in a dark room. A predator.
The flashlight clattered to the ground, and you sprinted back to the treeline. The run was a blur of panic, branches, and roots. You tripped at least once, but you got right back up and kept going. It was a miracle that you were able to find your way back to your car through the darkness, but it wasn’t one you were about to question.
Rose was still asleep when you returned. Your heart hadn’t stopped racing from the moment you laid eyes on the creature in the water. You were already halfway home when you realized that your headphones were still nestled onto your head. As well as the earplugs. Sleep wasn’t something you could muster even if you wanted to. But a shower seemed like a good idea. Especially considering that you’d made your mind up about going into town and pestering the locals.
The library seemed like a good place to start. Holders of knowledge and books? A place of learning and archival? You hoped it would be your only stop. Unfortunately, it proved less useful than you would’ve liked. A couple of college students were working the service desk, and when you asked them about any mythological creatures that could be found locally, they got that look that people get when they’ve already decided that you’re crazy.
Rude.
Still, they pointed you toward books on ancient myths and folk tales. There weren’t any concrete books on mermaids or sirens, to your disappointment. It seemed they weren’t as flashy or as popular as fae or spirits. You were stuck sifting through large tomes in search of small sections of rather unhelpful information. A lot of it was stuff you’d already seen on the internet. Most of it was just the same few facts repeated over and over again.
The community center was your next stop. The schedule outside listed a square dancing class that was just getting out. Jackpot. You waited on the bench as people began to filter out. You stopped anyone who looked older than 40.
“Excuse me! Do you know anything about the local siren legends?”
“Hey, do you have a minute? I’m doing some research -”
“Good afternoon! You look well-read and in the know! I was just wondering…”
…No one was particularly receptive to these lines of questioning. And pretty quickly, one of the city employees shooed you off the property. You huffed in indignation as you left. What was wrong with these people? It’s not like you were asking for much.
The local pub was your last stop on your crusade for truth. If nothing else, you could get a consolation drink. It was a little early in the day, but if there were ever an occasion for day drinking, wouldn’t today be it?
You slid onto a stool at the bar and rested your cheek against your hands. The bartender was an older woman with curly grey hair and a plethora of faded tattoos across her arms.
“What can I get you, angel?” she asked.
“White wine, please.” You said after careful consideration. You couldn’t retain any new information if you were plastered.
The woman raised an eyebrow, but turned to pour some wine into a plastic cup.
“Where are you from?” She asked, not unkindly.
You smiled and thanked her as you took the wine.
“I’m from further east. I’m just here handling some family matters.” You didn’t want to seem standoffish, but admitting that you were here because someone had died felt like it would be a misstep. “Is it that obvious that I’m not local?”
The bartender - Rita, her nametag said - Rita laughed and shook her head.
“Well, it’s only obvious to me. I’ve never seen your face in here, and I’ve worked this job for, oh, ten years now? God, time is a thief.” She said.
You perked up at this. “So, you’re pretty local, then? Can I pester you about some urban legends I’ve been hearing about?”
Rita eyed you a bit more seriously, now. “You mean the sirens?”
Your mouth went dry. You nodded eagerly, doing nothing to hide your desperation.
“What do you wanna know?” she asked.
“Um. Anything, I suppose.” You felt completely unprepared for this conversation. You just realized that you didn’t really expect anyone to indulge you today. “What do they like? Do they speak a human language? Are they intelligent?”
Rita stared at you for a moment before laughing. You froze, dumbfounded. Well, at least it was a better reaction than the others you’d gotten today.
“Sorry, sorry. Lots of people are curious about the sirens, so I’ve gotten a lot of questions over the years. I have to say, I’ve never gotten those before.” She chuckled, shaking her head. Your heart sank a little thinking that you were out of luck yet again. But she continued.
“To answer your questions, yes, they are intelligent. I don’t know what languages they speak. I don’t advise getting close enough to find out. And they like shiny things. Raw meat, clearly. Fish, probably.”
You nodded, slowly. Her face became serious, then.
“But don’t you go looking for them, okay? I don’t want to hear anything about you going missing.” She said sternly.
You nodded enthusiastically. “I won’t, don’t worry!”
That night, you were back at the same trailhead. It was after dark, around midnight. Once again, you pulled your car to the side of the road and parked it. You had a backpack with you this time. You'd made a few stops after your chat with Rita - the grocery store, a crystal shop, and a department store that specialized in hunting and camping. You weren't crazy enough to try to fight a siren, but it seemed unwise to come back without at least a switchblade to keep you safe. Now that you were here, putting in your earplugs and fitting your headphones over your ears, you regretted not getting another flashlight.
Your phone's flashlight was dim, but it did the trick, keeping you from tripping over tree roots as you hiked out to the beach. The cuts on your knees still hurt from the night before. Once you broke out of the treeline and onto the beach, the darkness became nearly impossible to ignore. It was cloudier tonight than the night before. You couldn’t even make out the ground beneath your feet. You stood on nothing and walked towards nothing, and nothingness surrounded you.
Cautiously, you made your way back to the rocks you'd found last night and made yourself comfortable there. You had the foresight to bring a blanket this time. Sprawling it across the hard surface, you sat down and did your best to get comfortable. The wind coming off the water blew through your jacket and chilled your skin.
It emerged from the water less than ten minutes later. Closer, this time. Even without the flashlight, you could see the silhouette of its head easily. Actually, it was quite a bit closer...
…Had it come back for you? Did it even leave? How long had it waited?
Pain bloomed behind your eyes. The sensation was reminiscent of a migraine, but it assaulted both sides of your head equally. It brought you to the ground, groaning and hugging your knees to your chest.
"Hey! Can you hear me?" Your voice came out shaky and quieter than you would’ve liked. Rita's warning nudged at the back of your mind, but you pushed it away.
The pain stopped, momentarily. A chill ran down your spine. Was it singing? Was that what it was? You reached into your pocket and turned up the volume of your white noise.
"I have a fish for you! You like fish? It's a big one!" You shouted, unzipping your pack. A shudder wracked your body as the cold skin of the fish touched your hand. Still, you swallowed down your discomfort and pulled out the specimen, waving it over your head.
"Can you understand me? Fish! Fiiiiiish!" You shouted.
The siren did not move.
Then, pain. White, hot pain. The fish dropped to the ground as you doubled over, nearly throwing up from the pain. When you managed to lift your head up, you saw that the siren had swum closer. You could make out some of her features now. Blonde hair, slitted pupils, razor-sharp teeth - and an open mouth. For a second, you were so offended that you forgot about the pain. You straightened your back, frowning.
"What the fuck, lady? I bring you a fish, and you're still trying to eat me? Me?! Where are your fucking manners?" You huffed. "You know what, fuck this. I'm tired. I'm going home."
The siren stopped singing as you folded your blanket and emptied your pack. She watched with what you assumed was curiosity, which was certainly preferable to hunger or malice. You carefully left the fish for her, and you arranged the various opals, rose quartz, and moonstones around it. With that, you left, ready to put this chapter behind you. Coming here was pointless, and you refused to waste any more time on it.
The next night, you parked at the same trailhead marker and fell into your same routine of securing your ears. The butcher had given you an odd look when you'd come in for the second day in a row, requesting the largest whole fish he had.
"What happened to the last one?"
"What do you mean? I ate it."
You were starting to make pretty good time on this hike. You considered timing yourself, but the thought hadn't even occurred to you until you’d made it halfway to the beach. Oh well, perhaps next time.
Tonight, when you stepped out onto the beach, you froze. The moon and stars were out tonight, illuminating the shore. She was there, on the rocks you'd sat on yourself. She was nearly fully out of the water, just the tip of her tail staying in the safety of the ocean. In the moonlight, her scales shimmered in hues of lilac purple and silvery blue. Every time you thought you'd pinned the color down, it seemed to change again. Her human half was completely nude. In retrospect, it made sense for sirens not to bog themselves down with clothes, but it flustered you nonetheless.
She was beautiful.
Neither of you moved. Well, it wasn't as if she could come closer (you hoped). And you were too busy gawking to move forward. Beneath a well-endowed chest, slits lined both sides of the siren’s ribcage. Gills. Her skin fluidly morphed to scales just below that. Her skin shimmered with water droplets. Water droplets and something else… Squinting your eyes, you tried to make out what you were seeing -
Oh.
Strings of the opals you'd given her draped across her chest and down to her tail. Your heart pounded triumphantly at the sight.
"You like the opals?" You called out.
She tensed when you spoke. Her eyes stayed glued to you, unblinking. The severity of the situation tickled at your brain, but refused to seep in at the same time. This was dangerous. Really dangerous.
There was a slight tremble in your step as you slowly inched forward. Just a little bit. You raised your arms to show that you were unarmed. Did she know what it meant? What if this was an aggressive gesture in her culture? You quickly dropped your hands to your sides. About six feet away from her, you stopped.
“Can you speak? Do you understand me?” You were probably shouting. You couldn’t hear yourself.
What if she’d only gotten this close to make sure you heard her? That thought was particularly frightening. Even if you couldn’t hear her, her song would incapacitate you at this distance. She’d have no problems reaching you and dragging you into the depths with her.
The siren cocked her head. Her mouth moved, and you braced for a pain that didn’t come. Asking her anything was stupid, in retrospect. Even if she could answer you, you wouldn’t be able to hear her. Perhaps you could convey your peaceful intentions some other way.
Crouching down to the ground, you unzipped your pack and pulled out the fish. When you looked up, you were startled to find that she was already closer, looking at the fish in your hands with great interest. Her mouth was moving again, but you couldn’t hear the noise she was making.
“I brought this for you,” You (shouted) said.
You tossed the fish towards her and had to suppress a gasp as she caught it in her hands and began tearing into it with her sharp teeth. When she sat on the rock, simply watching you, it was easy to forget what she was. She was just as dangerous as she was ethereal.
As she ate, you took the opportunity to observe her a little more closely. Her fingers weren’t clawed, but they were webbed. That made sense, you supposed. Who needed claws when you had teeth like that? And swimming quickly was likely a priority to a predator like her.
Her skin looked less human from here. She probably lived deep in the water, where the sunlight didn’t reach. It looked grey in the dark, but you imagined it would take on a blue hue in the daylight. Something gnawed at your insides. You wanted to see it.
The siren tossed the bones of the fish once she’d expertly cleaned every bit of flesh from it. It was impressive how diligently her tongue had worked to strip every little bit of the meat. The thought made you feel too warm for your liking, and you tried to push it away. Objectivism was needed right now. Not whatever filthy thoughts were trying to form in your head.
Her lips were moving again, and she was staring at you intently. You wished you could understand her. You wished you could hear her. Your fingers fidgeted as you thought about taking off your headphones and earplugs.
She pursed her lips, as though she realized you still couldn’t hear her. And then, she was crawling closer. You gasped, stumbling to your feet, but she was already upon you. Her fingers were icy against your shoulders. And strong. She held you in place as she inspected your headphones, face scrunched up in annoyance.
Gently, one of her hands came up to touch them. She watched your face with an intensity that made you feel less like a human and more like a specimen in a lab. Her eyes felt like the white lights hospitals were so fond of. She poked and prodded at the headphones, never taking her eyes off you. Then, she poked your head. You must have flinched, because her gaze softened.
Carefully, she slid them off of you and dropped them into the sand. You didn’t stop her. Whether that was because you were too afraid to move, or because some part of you wanted her to take them off, you couldn’t say. Or rather, perhaps you didn’t want to.
Her mouth moved again, and you could hear a muffled, rhythmic clicking sound. Your eyes lit up at the realization. Was she trying to speak? Could she? You raised your arm to remove your earplug, and the siren halted your movement. She clicked admonishingly and tried to force your arm back down.
“No, no - I need to take the rest out,” You tried to explain. She stared at you blankly. So much for her understanding you… But you weren’t ready to give up on speaking with her just yet.
You turned your head, trying to show her the insides of your ears. You couldn’t see her face, but her hand left your forearm. Your heart beat hard inside your chest as reality tried to set in once more. Cold fingers gently grazed your ear. You shuddered and gasped, and she paused.
“Sorry - it’s okay. I’m fine,” You assured her. Warmth flooded your face. What the hell was wrong with you?
After a beat of stillness, she resumed, pulling out the earplug. When she was done, you turned your head to repeat the ritual on the other side. The sounds of waves and gentle winds reached you first. In an instant, the beach seemed to grow around you. Vulnerability shocked through you like a current.
Beside you, the siren clicked her tongue. A soft cooing sound left her mouth melodically. More than anything, you wished you understood her, now. Her eyes lit up when she realized you could hear. She spoke faster, now, more animatedly.
“I’m sorry, I wish I knew what you were saying.” Your lip quivered.
The siren pouted, then seemingly remembered something. Releasing her hold on you, she returned to the rock she’d been perched on when you first arrived and reached her hand into the water. When she pulled it out, she stared at you pointedly, clicking her tongue. Reluctantly, you came closer until you were within arm's reach.
Holding her hands up, she presented you with your sopping wet flashlight. She looked proud, too.
“F… Fi-uss.” She said.
You must’ve looked quite shocked, because she frowned.
“Fist.” She tried again. She thrust the waterlogged flashlight towards you, urging you to take it. You took it to be polite, though the flashlight was most certainly useless now.
“Are you saying fish?” You asked.
Her eyes lit up, and she nodded enthusiastically. “Fiss.”
Your mouth quirked into a smile.
“Flashlight. Flash. Light.” You gestured to the flashlight.
The siren didn’t seem to understand. You slipped the flashlight into your backpack and then turned to the siren. How to explain such a thing?
Well. You’d do your best.
Animatedly, you began miming the way she’d eaten the fish earlier. Then, you pointed towards the sea. And finally, you slowly said, “Fish.”
The siren smiled and pointed at your pack. “Fiss.”
Well. Perhaps you’d try again another day.
----
Pakunoda didn’t tell anyone where she was going, night after night. All she’d told her family was that she was being courted. She would’ve liked to keep her taboo engagement a secret for a while longer, but they pried when they saw the opals, of course.
Where did they find so many shiny rocks?! Shalnark had gaped at her.
Pakunoda laughed and brushed off the question. It wasn’t as though she could ask, exactly. The language barrier was frustrating, yes, but she could hardly refuse such a proposal. And the human was beautiful. Soft, alluring. They brought her gifts each night. Food, more shiny rocks. Sometimes the human would play music for her on one of their magic boxes, and Pakunoda loved that more than anything.
She’d sing the tunes to sailors when they went hunting. It made her feel as if her mate were still there, still providing for her.
No one knew that her suitor was a human. It would be… hard to explain. And Pakunoda didn’t really like thinking too much about the logistics of it herself. They’d have to leave for warmer waters soon. Would the human come with her? They seemed to be a weak swimmer. And much, much too warm for the frigid ocean.
Not that Pakunoda disliked their warmth. On the contrary, she’d taken to wrapping her tail around them and trapping their warmth in her arms. She delighted in siphoning the warmth for herself. And they never seemed to run out of it! They whined about it, sure, but they settled down quickly.
They struggled with her language, so she’d set out to learn human speech instead. Chrollo had caught her, once, eavesdropping at the docks.
What are you doing? He asked, startling Pakunoda.
Ah! Don’t scare me like that! She chided. I’m just… watching. I’m bored.
Chrollo stared at her with a scrutiny that made her feel skinned in front of him.
If you’re bored, we can find you something more productive to do. It’s dangerous to be out here alone during the day. Come. He ordered.
Tonight, Pakunoda fidgeted nervously while waiting at the usual meeting place. She had something special planned for tonight. The human had already begun the proposal when they left her those first gifts. She was flattered when they kept bringing her gifts each night. No one had ever pursued her so fervently. She wasn’t sure what she did to inspire such dedication, but after a great deal of consideration, she’d made up her mind.
She accepted the proposal.
The sound of crunching gravel announced the human’s arrival, and she sat up excitedly. Her heart felt like it would beat out of her chest. They didn’t wear those strange ear coverings anymore. Pakunoda hated the things, but begrudgingly understood that they were to thank for protecting the human from her song those first two nights. She was grateful she hadn’t eaten them then.
The human bared their teeth at her when they approached. When they’d done it the first few times, it startled Pakunoda. Why would anyone bare their teeth at her when they’d just started courting her? Humans were bizarre.
After observing humans at the docks, she realized that this gesture meant something more submissive to humans, so she tried to train herself to return it. It still felt wrong.
Hello, Mate! I have excellent news! She called out.
The human’s eyes were bright and excited as they sat next to her. Such a pleasant change from the fear she’d seen in them those first few nights. Though they must have just been nervous about proposing. Pakunoda felt much the same way tonight.
“Hi. Fish?” They offered her food from their sack, as they did each night they came.
Tonight, however, there were more important things to discuss. Pakunoda bared her teeth to put the human at ease, and then she set the fish aside. Taking a steadying breath, she reached into the water and pulled out a string of pearls. It had taken weeks to find so many. When the others caught on to what she was making, they offered to help her find more, but Pakunoda insisted she do this on her own.
She held her breath as she held the gift out towards the human. Time seemed to slow down. The sound of the waves and the cool winds melted to nothing as Pakunoda waited for an answer.
Their lips formed a small “O” shape as they reached up and ran their fingers over the wet strand of pearls. Feeling braver, Pakunoda reached forward to tie the engagement gift around her mate’s neck. They shivered adorably as her cold fingers grazed their heated skin.
“Mine.” Pakunoda had been practicing her human speech for this. She hoped she wasn’t making a fool of herself. She placed a hand under their chin, gently lifting their face towards hers. Then, again, softly, “Mine.”
The human’s eyes were wide and glittery as they looked at her. They didn’t pull away. That was all the confirmation she needed. Pakunoda’s chest swelled with pride, and she chirped with excitement as she enveloped her mate in her arms. The human whined and shivered, but she merely shushed their complaints as she had many times before.
Eventually, the human settled down. Pakunoda didn’t ease up her grip. She had the feeling that this next part wouldn’t be as comfortable for the human. She hoped they would understand. If not at first, then eventually. The human seemed quite inflexible, but Pakunoda couldn’t fault them for it. Plenty of sirens were set in their ways, as well.
That would be an uncomfortable conversation, later…
The sound of birds preceded the sunrise. Pakunoda knew it was time, but she was scared. She gazed into her mate’s eyes one last time. They were so innocent and filled with awe. This could be the last time they looked at her like this. She didn’t bare her teeth, though she knew it would put them at ease. She couldn’t bring herself to do something so hostile during such a tender moment.
She caressed the human's face before she opened her mouth and began to sing a gentle melody. One that her mate had shown her several times. She hoped the familiar tune would be more soothing than a foreign one.
The human’s eyes glazed over, entranced by Pakunoda’s voice. She continued singing as she dragged the human into the water, being mindful to keep their head above the waves. The season was changing, and they were out of time. She needed to leave, and her mate was coming with her.
----
It was an odd sensation. Being in the audience while the world moved around you. Was this what out-of-body experiences were like? You wondered.
Distantly, your body began going numb from the frigid cold. You should’ve been screaming and thrashing. You should’ve been drowning. But the song - the beautiful song. Her voice was like the most addictive drug, lulling you into a softened state. She swam quickly, pulling you alongside her.
Your eyes weren’t really focused on anything. The sky was blue, now. It had been a while since you’d seen any birds. She must’ve dragged you out pretty far. The songs she sang were familiar, you noted. They were some of your favorites - ones you’d played from a playlist you made specifically for her. Begrudgingly, you admitted that they sounded better when they were colored by her voice.
After what must have been hours, but could have been days, you felt something solid beneath you. The singing stopped.
The cold was unbearable. A shuddering gasp ripped from your throat as you curled in on yourself. You climbed further onto the shore. It… You couldn’t really call it an island. It was a tiny slab of land, speckled in wet sand. You could see all the edges from where you lay curled up into a ball.
Behind you, Pakunoda cooed, worriedly. Her hands almost felt warm for once as they gently rubbed your arm.
“W- why did you - take me back!” Your teeth chattered as you curled further in on yourself.
You hated how sympathetic she looked as she continued to comfort you.
“Okay?” She asked.
“No! Not okay! Take me back!” Your voice was threatened to rise, but even now, you didn’t want to yell at her.
She just cooed at you again and continued comforting you. Then, she went rigid. Her worried face morphed into a hostile one. For a moment, you thought she might’ve decided to eat you after all.
She began furiously clicking her tongue and hissing as she looked at something just over your shoulder. You tried to move your head, to look back, but her grip on you tightened when you moved. Behind you, a separate voice began speaking back to her in a similar cadence.
They argued for some time before falling silent. Pakunoda continued to glare at the water, wrapping her tail around you possessively. She stayed like that until yet another siren popped out of the water and climbed onto the small clump of land. Pakunoda let you look at this one, but she didn’t seem happy about his presence, either.
The blond-haired siren spoke animatedly to her while sneaking curious glances at you. When he wormed too close, she snapped at him until he backed away. Truthfully, you were as curious about him as he was about you. But you were sure that Pakunoda understood the danger he posed better than you did, and you weren’t about to argue with her.
After several minutes of bickering, they seemed to come to a resolution. The other siren slipped back into the water.
“Paku?” You asked, voice shaky. “Where are we?”
“On a rock.” She responded, still keeping an eye on the water. “Rest.”
You frowned at that. She wasn’t being purposefully obtuse, you knew that. There was only so much she could say to you. You opened your mouth to press her again, but froze when the blond siren reemerged. A pink-haired siren and a dark head of hair peeked out behind him, not getting too close but ogling you all the same.
Was this what it was like to be an animal in the zoo? It seemed about right.
The blond-haired siren had a fish in each hand, and one in his mouth. Still alive and wriggling. He slowly crawled towards the two of you, careful not to anger Pakunoda, who still had you pulled snuggly against herself. Then, he piled the fish in front of you two.
Pakunoda’s grip on you loosened as she took one of the fish and began eating violently. You stared as it wriggled hysterically in her hands. Eventually, it went still.
Something wet touched your hand. You looked down to see the other siren nudging one of the fish towards you. Dread and disgust seized you.
“N - no thank you,” You sputtered, pushing the fish away.
The siren clicked his tongue admonishingly before reaching forward and pulling your lips back from your teeth with his hands. Pakunoda slapped his hand away, hissing, and he grinned back at her.
Snatching your fish, the other siren began ripping into the flesh, picking out the bones, and shredding the raw meat into tiny pieces that he then dropped in front of you. The fish stayed alive for much longer than you expected it to. Your mouth went dry as you stared down at the raw chunks of sandy fish. It was probably salty, too.
What if you didn’t eat it? Would Pakunoda leave you? Perhaps she would think you weren’t worth the trouble of bringing along. Who knows how far out she brought you? Would anyone even think to look for you all the way out here?
They didn’t look for your uncle. Or his wife.
Maybe you could pretend it was sushi. Maybe you could close your eyes and pretend you were anywhere else at all. Someone else was eating it, not you. You weren’t even here. You weren’t even you.
Shakily, you took a piece and brought it to your lips. The salty taste and slimy texture had you gagging immediately. Tears pricked your eyes. You focused less on chewing it and more on swallowing the foul sustenance as quickly as possible. Suddenly, the act of tearing the fish into small pieces seemed like the ultimate mercy.
When you opened your eyes, the sirens looked concerned. All eyes were on you.
“Okay?” Pakunoda asked, rubbing your back.
You swallowed bile as it tried to climb up your throat. The fish felt like it was lodged somewhere in your chest.
“Yes. Thank you.” You said, picking up another piece.
The next several days were spent mostly under Pakunoda’s spell. The other sirens began getting closer to you. Pakunoda explained that they were curious, but even she seemed uneasy. It was clear that she was antsy about reaching wherever she was taking you as fast as she could.
The sirens sometimes brought you bottles of water. You didn’t ask where they got them from. You were afraid of the answer. The fish was starting to go down easier. Pakunoda looked relieved when you stopped gagging and coughing each time you ate. And then the water got warmer. The clouds were more sparse here. Your skin became sunburnt, but you tried not to complain too much about it.
When you finally reached land, you cried out in relief. You snapped out of Pakunoda’s song on a cove with a nearby cave. This place was entirely unfamiliar, and there were no signs of humans, but you didn’t care. The ground felt too good beneath your feet. You got to be dry. This felt natural to you.
You were a little wobbly at first, but that didn’t stop you from running up and down the shore, laughing giddily. You explored the entirety of it within a few hours before choosing to set up “camp” inside the small cave. The ocean water reached inside, allowing Pakunoda easy entry, and you felt uneasy being away from her after being practically attached at the hip for so long.
She seemed nervous as well, but you chalked it up to the same separation anxiety you’d been feeling. You were wrong.
When night fell, you found yourself alone with her for the first time since she’d stolen you. The other sirens who’d been so keen on observing you and following you around dispersed as soon as the sun set. It was peculiar, but you brushed it off easily. If you were honest with yourself, it was a relief to be away from them.
The cave was dark. You had a vague idea of how to start a fire, but you were too tired to do any of that tonight. The stone was hard beneath you, so you opted to curl up against Pakunoda instead. She welcomed your warmth, pulling you in closer and closer.
Quietly, she spoke your name.
“Hmm?” You hummed. “What is it?”
“Not safe.” She said, solemnly. “Sorry. Mate. Love. I’ll make you safe. Okay?”
You didn’t entirely understand. What kind of danger could you possibly be in? Surely there was nothing more dangerous than her around.
“Okay, yeah.” You nodded, hoping that it would soothe her.
Her eyes glowed in the dark, causing your skin to prickle. She looked more like a predator like this.
“Okay.” She said quietly, leaning forward.
Sharp, hot pain exploded across your neck and shoulder. You cried out, grabbing onto her and scratching at her shoulder blades on instinct. Panic seized you. Oh God, she was eating you. You’d been a fool. She’d been saving you this entire time for this exact moment, and NOW SHE WAS -
The pain melted away as quickly as it came on. All that was left was heat. Brutal, uncomfortable heat. You whined, squirming against her. Her skin felt like heaven - cold and soft and perfect. Her teeth left your neck, and she began apologetically licking at the wound she’d left behind.
“Safe.” She cooed. “Mine.”
A whimper tore out of your throat as she began sucking bruises into the crook of your neck. She nipped her way to your jawline, sucking at each mark she left. One of your hands reached up to caress her cheek as you turned your face towards hers. She seemed taken aback at the action, but you tried to mimic the noise she’d used so often to soothe you. Her cheek warmed under your hand.
“Try it like this,” You whispered, before gently pressing your lips against hers.
She was stiff at first, but tried to follow your lead. You could taste blood as she nipped at your lips, but her tongue was quick to invade your mouth and lap at the wounds. You let out a moan, encouraging her to explore your mouth further, tangling your own tongue with her rough one. You licked at her sharp teeth, shivering with delight as she let you.
Strong arms gripped you by your waist before laying you flat on your back. The cold stone felt good against your feverish skin. She pulled her mouth away from yours and began tearing your clothes away with her teeth. You whined, wriggling under her - it’s not like you had a change of clothes waiting for you, but she held you down easily and continued to strip you bare.
She preferred the sight of you out of the coverings, anyway. Why would you want to hide from her?
Her mouth dipped down to your chest, sucking and licking at the soft flesh she found there. You gasped when her teeth grazed your nipple, and she paused, looking up at you.
“Like? Hurt?” She inquired.
“L- like! But, gentle!” Your voice was soft, betraying your torment.
Pakunoda cooed before returning to your chest, this time making sure to keep her teeth away. Cold lips wrapped around your pert bud as she sucked bruises into you there as well. Her tongue circled the sensitive skin while you arched into her, crying out.
If she couldn’t smell the arousal wafting from between your legs, she’d worry that she was hurting you. But the mating bite seemed to take. You seemed more than open to this. To her.
Pakunoda felt greedy. Shifting her attention to your other breast, she let go of one of your arms to slip her webbed fingers down to your hip. Your hand immediately tangled itself into her hair, tugging at the roots while you whined. Pakunoda hummed in satisfaction.
You couldn’t think anymore. Each touch sent currents shooting towards your core. You had to remind yourself to breathe when you felt yourself getting lightheaded. Pakunoda continued kissing down your abdomen, letting go of your other arm. You were far past putting up any kind of resistance, now. All you could think of was her, and all you wanted was more.
When her hands pushed against your legs, you let them fall open for her. She cooed appreciatively at your wet slit, letting her fingers rub through your folds. With a sigh, you opened your thighs even further.
She surprised you by sinking her teeth into you again. You let out a choked gasp before all thought left you entirely. Your eyes were shut tight when she cast you an apologetic glance. She didn’t intend to bite you again, but your thigh looked too appetizing to pass up the opportunity.
Her tongue followed closely behind her teeth, lapping at the wound tenderly. You were trembling with need, now. You tugged at her hair, pleading wordlessly for her to move her head just slightly. Just a little. If she were a crueler siren, she’d make you beg for it. On your knees, looking up at her.
The thought of you, teary-eyed and desperate, stirred something gnawing and starved in her. Perhaps another time.
Cold wetness consumed you. Pakunoda lapped at your folds as though she were trying to swallow every drop of essence you had to offer. Her tongue plunged inside of you, reaching depths you didn’t think were possible. Within moments, your thighs were clamping around her head as your hole pulsed around her tongue. She stayed there, devouring you until you were pushing her away, overstimulated.
…It wasn’t enough. Tears ran down as you realized it. It wasn’t enough. You were overstimulated, overheated. You couldn’t think straight! But something - something was missing.
Pakunoda cooed at you, pushing up to meet you face to face while your lip trembled. She leaned down to kiss you, and you could taste yourself on her lips.
“Okay?” Her voice was warm and syrupy. It pulled you further into that unbearable heat.
You let out a sob, shaking your head.
“No - No, something’s wrong. I need… I need…” You didn’t know how to finish that sentence. Your core was on fire again, slick running down your thighs and pooling under your ass.
“I know.” Pakunoda soothed, nuzzling her face against your throat. The first bite she’d given you. “I can help.”
Something hard nudged against your center. Your brief confusion melted away to instinct. Yes, yes, yes. This was what you needed. This would help.
“Mate. Trust?” She whispered into your ear.
“Yes,” You nodded, wrapping your arms around her to bring her closer.
Slowly, Pakunoda nudged the appendage she’d been hiding from you between your folds. She took her time drenching herself in your fluids. When you whined because she was taking too long, she shushed you and nipped at your neck. You quieted down very easily. She liked that about you.
It was large. Larger than any toy you’d used before, and distantly, you wondered if you should be worried about that. But those thoughts melted away as she began pushing in. Her eyes were the only thing you could really see, and her nonblinking stare made you squirm. Every time you tensed, she paused, gently grinding against you until you relaxed again.
When her hips met the backs of your thighs, she stopped. Her mouth was against yours again, gentle and soothing as she waited for you to relax against her once more.
“Okay?” She murmured against your lips.
You nipped at her bottom lip in response. Her hand reached behind your head to grip your hair.
“Use words.” She ordered, ignoring your whining.
“Okay,” You pouted.
“Good.” She began moving at a slow, deep pace that had you gripping her back.
Pakunoda ignored your scratching as pleasure overtook her, too. With each thrust, her movements became wilder, hungrier. Each movement pushed you further into the stone floor and closer to your second orgasm.
It ripped through you without warning, and you cried out as you tightened around her. The pleasure made you go brainless beneath her. In that void, she nudged further, using small thrusts to pry open your cervix and slip inside. Even in your fucked out state, you whined and squirmed, and she brought her lips down to yours to try to soothe you. Or to drown out your pained whimpers.
Once inside, you felt a pressure unlike anything else filling you. Pain broke through the pleasure, but Pakunoda held you firmly when you tried to move. She shuddered as her egg left her, lodging itself safely in your warmth.
One was enough this time, she decided, retracting herself from your poor, abused hole. Once she was out, she licked the tears from your face, cooing at you as she wrapped her tail around you.
“You were so good. My good mate.”
The pain melted away quickly, but the pressure, rather alarmingly, stayed. Exhaustion overtook you. You should’ve asked her about what that was. You should’ve probed as to why she did it.
Instead, you drifted off to sleep in the safety of her arms.
This artwork was a huge influence on me when I was writing "Fortunate Son." In that fic, I delved into the class division between Illumi and Chrollo, which strained their chemistry.
I also had Illumi led unwittingly by pure chemistry, orchestrated by Chrollo. The scenes between them are deliberately uncomfortable and Chrollo is very much in charge of directing things . Their uneven dynamic ultimately is a huge factor in Illumi's final decision at the end of the fic. I feel this artwork expresses it all very well.
This was originally supposed to be just me cleaning up a photo of a sketchbook drawing in ibis paint but I ended up redrawing a lot of it and adding a bit of color and texture and stuff...
hi :D thanks for the tag, abbi <3 !!! and now.. on with the questions ↴
last song: the idol lightstick dance song from the tomodachi life ost...... i really like it XP
favourite colour: green :3 (and also pink and blue)
currently watching: "crime pays but botany doesn't" videos on youtube >:D it's so great; i learn so much; like 101 plant facts and how to insult things in devastatingly hilarious ways !!
currently reading: yeah, also kinda not much tbh...
current obsession: the matrix (it's coming up to a year that this franchise has been rotating in my head lmao) + tomodachi life: living the dream (!!! ah ha ha ha i've been playing it nonstop since i got it (which is why i've been kinda quiet on here lately oops), though it is, in all honesty, partly a vessel for my matrix obsession XD i have started branching out to other things: like, i made team free will from spn and the mane 6 from mlp + the married couples have started having kids so there's just a gang of next gen kids running around lmao) (okay i'll stop rambling about tomodachi life now X3 !! )
currently working on: .....quite predictably, if you read the above paragraph or happened to glance at my blog even in passing, i'm working on a matrix x tomodachi life drawing ha ha (don't know when it'll be finished mind, seeing as i can scarcely pull myself from the game, but we'll see...)
last google search: cookie dough recipe :P
i know it says only ten, but i can't decide and i like tagging lots, so that's what i'm doing -> @datasoong47, @shakibone, @plaudiusplants, @pheonixed, @phineasgage, @gunn-hinge, @bluesakura007, @cats-coding-on-my-keeb, @daria-a-random-artist-81, @ro-fromthestars, @pinkwesker, @clonekiss, @electrostul, @stellarwormy, @theviridianbunny, @terrifiedtornado, @swordguy2001, @cyanbyte, @gallamy, @leaiii, @anonymousfromthematrix @leathercircuits, @agentcest, and anyone else who wants to answer a few littl questions >XP
Favourite colour: Right now I'd say dark red, but I love most shades of green and blue
Currently watching: rewatching Red Dwarf and The Royle Family. I'd definitely recommend it for any other britcom fans, it's great. Also rewatching the comic strip presents episode; Red Nose of Courage bc why not
Currently reading: Red Dwarf - Better Than Life
Current obsession: TV shows of all kinds but that never changes. So probably still Red Dwarf
Currently working on: A few fanfics for various britcom fandoms
favourite colour: quite partial to navy blue and crimson at the moment
currently watching: Half Man. I've also been getting round to watching Peep Show and Ashes to Ashes :)
currently reading: The Princess of 72nd Street by Elaine Kraf
Current obsession: what else except Withnail & I.
Currently working on: two separate poster tasks an a 1000-word explainer that have to be handed in this week 😅 also speed-writing a fic or two for @/aplatonics-assemble's fandom event.
Last google search: world's busiest shipping channels. I knew the answer but I just wanted to check anyway in case I got caught out at some random trivia night.
tagging: @lost-long-ago @scientistsfoundafriendinspace @violeteclipse2002 @yuri-osity @angrymantheater and anyone else who wants to join in!
Favorite Color: Any warm colors against a dark background
Currently Watching: Developmental psychology vids (trying to understand feathers better)
Currently Reading: Seek by Scott Shigeoka
Current Obsession: Cute old men w kingly/mentorly energy... age gap shit... my roots
Currently Working On: Besides clearance signing and planning outings for my vacation, revising the children's book I wrote and letting yaad & thistle fairytale au fic stew for a while
Last search: coleccionista de canciones (was stuck in my head)
@bipedalseal @fleshmesh and anyone else who wants to add!
Last Song: Chattering Lack of Common Sense by Ghost and Pals but then I realised they got cancelled for being an abuser I think? so I deleted it
Favourite colour: purpleeeeee like thistle
Currently reading: Project Hail Mary
Current Obsession: Thistle <3 precious perfect elf. not perfect that would be so boring but he is perfect to me. I love him. he is wonderful. he is so amazing.
Currently working on: throwing my thistle plush
Last search: thistle dungeon meshi
Oh, I forgot to tag !! @thistlepickle @igrab @longing-machine
favorite color: ggreeeeennnnnnn like yummy yummy grassssss
current obsession: WITCH HAT ATELIER WITCH HAT ATELIER WITCH HAT ATELIER WITCH HAT ATELIER WITCH HAT ATELIER WITCH HAT ATELIER WITCH HAT ATELIER WITCH HAT ATELIER WITCH HAT ATELIER AGOTT ARKLAUM WITCH HAT ATELIER WITCH HAT ATELIER WITCH HAT ATELIER
currently working on: making mac n cheese. oh also expanding my many WHA aus
last search: zenni the glasses store. bc i am going blind.
tags: @ask-agott @ask-richeh @ask-tetia @ask-star-olruggio @ask-silverhairedqifrey your mains tho. idk yall's mains sigh reblog with your mains lmao
(Tounges and Teeth is a great song btw! Crane Wives 5ever)
Favorite Colour: Big purple and blue enjoyer.
Currently Watching:
Mononoke and Blue Eye Samurai are amazing! I will glaze them eternally.
I haven’t gotten super far in The Summer Hikaru Died, but I’m liking it so far!
I don’t know if it counts as “watching”, but I’m also working through The Magnus Archives, which is also amazing.
Currently Reading: This book by Kent Monkman, one of my favourite painters.
It's even a signed copy from the book tour!
(WARNING: it has an INSANE name).
Current Obsession: Been really in on that Witch Hat Atelier.
Especially with all the mischief we’ve been getting into in the #askelierverse
But I’m also a big Hunter x Hunter fan! This is my second year participating in the HxH Big Bang, an annual event that pairs artists with fanfic writers to help enrich the fandom :D
Currently Working On: soooo many sewing projects.
cosplays soon?
Last Google Search: Shia LeBeouf (don’t ask.)
(I have glasses from zenni and they’re pretty good, btw.)
I don’t know who to taggggg uhhhh @stonecoldsensitive I choose you!
One of the most compelling parallels of Chrollo and Kurapika to me are how they define and utilise empathy. Chrollo weaponises it while Kurapika is burdened by it. While empathy is traditionally viewed as a heroic trait, Togashi subverts this by showing it as a tool for manipulation in one hand and a source of agony in the other.
For Chrollo, empathy is weapon he uses. He possesses empathy in the form that he is able to understand someone else's emotions without him caring about their suffering. Some examples of these are how he lured the assassins in yorknew by projecting a faint trail of bloodlust, knowing that it would compel them to seek him out, he identified Neon's loneliness, her desire to be seen as a human rather than a tool for her father and mirrored that validation to steal her ability and he weaponised Kurapika's love for his friends against him. Chrollo only allows his empathy to work in a traditional sense within the circle of the PT and MC. To the rest of the world, his ability is solely yet another tool for him to use.
Conversely, Kurapika views his own empathy as a weakness. He views himself as a man on a suicide mission and empathy is the humanity that prevents him from becoming the cold blooded executioner he thinks he needs to be. Despite his efforts to isolate himself, Kurapika's inherent goodness constantly attracts people who care for him and he views these connections as shackles that hinder his goals. During the second half of the yorknew arc, Kurapika's distress stems from his realisation that the spiders are not mindless monsters. Seeing their genuine grief for Uvogin and Pakunoda's willingness to save Chrollo, forced him to understand them. Kurapika hates his empathy because it's easier to kill a monster than a someone who feels human emotions. By understanding the spiders' humanity he is forced to acknowledge that even someone ruthless like them can love and form bonds.
Chrollo looks outward to see how the world's emotions can serve his goals while Kurapika looks inward and sees his emotions as an obstacle to his goals.
gummygunk
stormborns
baratheonpilled
ellievsbear
snowghoul
dededos
pixelskylines
germansingergirl
