" The thing with an order is, it needs to benefit everyone to hold power. It's pulled in all directions at once, balanced on an fundamentally impossible idea.
Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you’re interested.
— Dororo-chan, give it to me — [Reader] whispered.
Then she gently wrapped the cloth around Hyakkimaru's head.
She watched for any human reflex on his part. But the hazel, dead eyes were fixed on some other point. Perhaps they were staring into her soul, debating what colour it had become.
— It's so quiet in this wilderness that it gives me chills. What if it's still too loud for him?
— There's not much we can do for now.
— Hearing is the most shocking sense he has regained so far. He sank into an ocean of sound. He must learn to choose only what he wants to hear — said the blind, old man.
The girl walked up to the man, staring at the dark, dense forest around them. She didn't feel safe. She was right. She managed to retreat towards the trees in time because a moment later Hyakkimaru sensed the monster.
The huge bird fell from the sky with an impact, then snapped its beak, almost cutting its opponent in half. However, Hyakkimaru threw away his prosthetics, revealing two deadly blades. He was ready to fight.
— Dororo-chan! — a scream tore from [Reader's] throat, confusing the boy.
She felt the blood begin to circulate faster in her veins at one moment.
With her head bowed, she ran the distance, catching the child. She saved it from the feathered beast.
It was only on the other side of the camp that she realized she had been holding her breath. Her head was pounding and she was sure she was going to faint but just in time she felt Dororo holding her.
Red soul
Evil
Death
The fight continued. Hyakkimaru, confused by his sudden recovery of hearing, was coping hopelessly. His ragged breathing could be seen. Unlike the bird, which attacked second by second, not caring about the blood flowing from its wing. However, before the claws reached the victim, the old man took action. In a few deft, murderous moves, he slaughtered the monster.
The worst was behind them but for a long time it was difficult to calm their frayed nerves. Especially since the boy had cut himself off completely, more than usual. He flinched when the child raised his voice, then swatted away the hand of the monk who began to speak loudly into his ear but those were the only reactions. He was lying on his back, his head wrapped in cloth, showing no signs of life other than blinking and breathing.
[Reader] encouraged Dororo to go to sleep but the older man was in no rush to do so.
— I wonder why you're traveling with them anyway? — asked the saviour.
— Are you really interested in this?
He nodded.
— Because they are not like others. Especially him.
It was a short answer. However, she seemed to have satisfied the man, who assumed a strange, thoughtful expression on his face. She didn't feel like continuing the exchange. She felt uncomfortable every time she had to explain to others how she felt.
Feeling her eyelids heavy, she lay down on the ground and fell asleep.
— Look what I have!
A little girl happily waved a wreath of wildflowers.
— [Teacher's name]-sensei asked me today what I wanted to be in the future. And I told her that when I grow up, I want to be a beautiful princess and marry a handsome prince, and be like my mother, and rule the clan well...
The servants gathered around the old cherry tree smiled at the sight of the heir to the family. She was running with disheveled hair, almost tripping over the ends of her robe. However, her charm could not be denied.
Suddenly there was a series of bows — the Lady honored them with her presence.
— Of course, dear. The mother lifted the little girl up, earning a giggle in return.
The young teenager felt a dormant rage.
— I don't want this burden, I don't want this marriage, I don't want to be like my mother, I don't want to live like this!
— Silence! You don't appreciate how much your father and I sacrificed for you.
She saw tears in her mother's eyes. She hated her. She hated that she could always summon up tears that made her feel guilty.
She knew she couldn't protest anymore. She has already taken advantage of all the opportunities she had. She didn't have a single card left up her sleeve.
— This marriage is beneficial to both clans and he is delighted with your beauty...
She cast a pleading look, which was met with a cold refusal — all in the name of tradition.
— I see. — She bowed.
She left quietly and silently, as befits a clan heiress. She could not abandon the respect due to her parents.
It was only in the garden that she gave vent to her emotions.
— You don't want to jump.
— What? — She turned back.
She saw a child and an unnaturally still boy standing at the edge of the forest.
— You've been standing here for a while, so I don't think you're actually going to do it.
— You do not know anything about me.
— You're that beautiful princess whose engagement everyone is talking about, aren't you? — She saw wide, curious eyes.
— Yes I am. And my future fiancé is a mean old snake who sees me as just a pretty doll to play with and wants to take me abroad but that's not my only problem.
— You know, people have it much worse than you. Look at this one here. — She pointed at the strange companion. — He was born without any body parts and for each one he got back, he had to kill a monster.
— Stop making me feel guilty. My mother did exactly the same. — She furiously moved towards the edge.
— He sees souls. He came here because of yours.
— Did he like the inside of the degenerate daughter and irresponsible heir to the clan?
— He wouldn't have dragged me here if he hadn't seen something good in you.
This was too much. The would-be suicide fell to her knees and realized that the child was right — she didn't want to die. She burst into heartbreaking sobs.
— You can run away from here, you know? — There are still many things in the world that you haven't seen. There's no point in ending a game that hasn't even started yet. I'm Dororo.
The girl raised her tearful head and turned it towards the house for the last time and then, wiping her tears, she accepted the hand extended to her.
— From now on, call me [Reader].
She woke up, gasping for air. She felt her clothes sticking to her sweaty skin. It wasn't a nightmare but she definitely didn't like remembering unpleasant events from her short life. It happened too often for her liking.
She glanced at the sky. There were still about three hours until sunrise.
The grass was covered with dew, soaking her clothes. The summer wind cheerfully moved the green leaves. A brisk morning. No sign of war.
She lumbered towards Hyakkimaru and sat down next to him. She brushed away strands of black hair, examining his features.
Who was he really to her?
She sighed quietly, feeling her heart beating faster.
He didn't know what she looked like. He wasn't like the people around her all her life. He did not admire her for her origins or beauty. He saw only her soul and as a colourful blur. He cared about what was in her heart, not what was on the outside. She believed he would remain that way even when he regained his sight. Moreover, he didn't judge her at every step. She finally felt free, like she used to when she was a child. She could finally forget who she was and decide about her own life.
She was grateful that he stopped her then.
Suddenly she noticed that Hyakkimaru was rising to a sitting position and removing the blindfold he had worn yesterday from his ears. He moved closer to her chest, causing her to panic slightly. She felt heat rising to her cheeks. However, she quickly realized the situation. He approached from the left. She couldn't be angry at him. On the contrary, it brought a gentle smile to her face.
She placed his head on her lap, giving him close access to a new sound that interested him.
— It's a heartbeat — she whispered as quietly as she could, afraid to scare him.
He turned his brown eyes towards her for a split second and then looked back at the place where the steady knocking was coming from.
Warnings: mentions/alutions of child neglect and depression (Nui), Reader is a father figure for Tahomaru, canon divergent.
• We already know that Tahomaru trained from a young age, so it wouldn't be surprising to think that he had several teachers growing up, some more competent than others. However, Daigo wasn't satisfied with the results. Tahomaru improved physically, yes, but not in other important aspects of combat (strategy, persuasion, cunning, etc.).
• For this reason, Daigo ended up selecting one of his old generals who was still in service, Odysseus! Reader. Not only the best strategist he'd ever had, but also a two-faced man who would be able to fool the twelve demons with his smooth talk.
• Although, let's be honest, Odysseus! Reader probably wasn't too keen on the idea, especially since his wife was with their newborn son when Tahomaru's training began to demand a higher level of toughness. But Odysseus! Reader knew better than to question the lord who made deals with demons, so he reluctantly heeded the call.
• Tahomaru had probably heard stories from his father during the war about Reader, a great warrior, yes, but whose greatest strength lay in his intelligence and cunning. To say that Tahomaru was excited to be trained by one of the "heroes" of his father's stories is an understatement.
• I imagine that the first impression of these two was quite surprising on both sides. Tahomaru, as excited as he was, was expecting an intimidating guy with a similar, if not worse, character than his own father. Only to find himself faced with a seemingly normal-looking soldier, with a few scars here and there, but above all, very... playful? Talkative? Maybe "familiar" was the word. It was as if he were talking to an uncle he hadn't seen in a long time instead of his new mentor.
• Let's just say that seeing Tahomaru so excited and intimidated at the same time made all of Reader's reluctance disappear and his paternal instinct took control of the situation; Whether it was introducing himself to Tahomaru in a friendly way, asking him things about himself, what he liked, what he didn't like, etc.
• The first training sessions, ironically, weren't physical, but rather intellectually based. How? Playing Shogi. Yes, you read that right. Odysseus! Reader would set up a giant improvised board in the yard, using rocks for the "pieces" or, as he called it, "his army," and would play with Tahomaru to correct his "game" tactics and improve his strategies and tactics, so that he would see it as a real battlefield.
• Reader didn't even hold back with Tahomaru; he took every opportunity to beat him at the game and repeat the process. And they wouldn't stop until Tahomaru won, at least once. Let's just say that thanks to this, Tahomaru has a love-hate relationship with board games (and absolutely refuses to play with Reader).
• Okay! Next step: learning to lie. That's how Tahomaru saw it, at least. Reader called it "learning the gab," meaning learning to speak in a way that would get you what you wanted (whether it was true or not). Young Tahomaru had a lot of trouble learning this, especially when his opponent was THE KING OF LIES.
• Reader: My eyes are brown, I'm short, AND I WAS ONCE ALMOST CRUSHED TO DEATH BY A HORSE.
• Tahomaru: Pfft. Isn't this supposed to be difficult?
• Mitsu: ...Young master, his eyes are blue.
• Tahomaru: ...WHAT ONCE WHAT?!
• Ironically, Lector was less particular about Tahomaru's physical abilities. After all, he knew the boy was healthy and strong, but it takes more than that to survive in this world, especially with a father like Daigo of all people.
• It didn't help that the few times Odysseus!reader saw Nui, she was either praying to the statue in her room, completely ignoring her son's existence, or staring off into the distance whenever Tahomaru tried to get her attention in increasingly dangerous ways. The number of times Reader had to climb nearly 10-meter trees just to get Tahomaru out of there is uncountable.
• It was obvious that Tahomaru's parents weren't paying him enough attention; even with his playmates/training partners, it was obvious Tahomaru craved other kinds of attention, which made his parental instincts kick in again.
• Whether it was giving him compliments after a job well done, asking about his day or the things he'd learned from his other teachers, or even bringing him some toys his son no longer wanted to play with Tahomaru (like one of those old-fashioned jojos).
• I like the idea of Odysseus!Reader returning Tahomaru to his room after a long day of training, carrying him on his back, even covering him up before he falls completely asleep :,)
• Tahomaru meeting Reader's family! There's a good chance that Odysseus Reader either 1- took Tahomaru out of the palace under the guise of "field training" or 2- straight-up stole him from his study sessions because the man was missing his wife LIKE CRAZY, but wasn't going to leave the kid alone.
• Either way, Tahomaru is respectful to Reader's wife, maybe too much so, making those exaggerated bows, following her like a waddle wherever she goes while Reader is with their son, etc. Let's just say Reader's wife quickly notices this and asks him for help with some chores around the house (getting her things from the shelves, fetching things for her, etc.). He always receives a thank you and a pat on the head (Tahomaru doesn't know what's happening, but he enjoys it, A LOT).
• Tahomaru and Odysseus's son! Reader end up growing up similar to an older/younger brother :,) Tahomaru still remembers when the boy, still a baby, would get so excited every time he came home with his father, or the first time he was allowed to hold him as a toddler; he was so small and soft!
• Reader is proud of the man Tahomaru has become, but still fears Daigo will use that against him, even more so when the city starts suffering losses due to poor harvests.
• If we're talking about the reader in the story's canon, he probably wouldn't hesitate to take Tahomaru's side, but he wouldn't let Daigo lie about what happened. Reader suspected for so long that he had made a deal with the demons, but he never thought he'd be willing to offer up his own son. Obviously, it's a complicated situation; if Hyakkymaru is killed, everything will go back to normal, but is it really fair? After everything he's been through because of Daigo?
• This would probably cause the biggest fight Tahomaru and Reader have ever had, a pretty big clash of morals. They both want the same thing, yes, but who would be willing to go the furthest?
• Though honestly, they just have to remind Reader that if the earth doesn't improve, his wife and child could die too, and he's ready to kill Hyakkymaru. Sorry, man, Reader has priorities.
• Let's go the canon-divergent route for the sake of my heart, okay? OK :,)
• After the fire, you can bet Reader searched for days, weeks, through the rubble in case he could find Tahomaru's body, driven by anguish and the hope that he was still alive. When he eventually appeared, Reader hugged him so tightly he probably broke a couple more bones. But it's not like Tahomaru was going to hold it against him after seeing him cry so much, crying with relief that he was alive.
• Tahomaru: It's been a few weeks, you can stop following me door to door.
• O!reader: NO.
• Reader becomes slightly paranoid, especially about demons or if Daigo's land curse could worsen/return, but he's still undoubtedly one of the most important generals in Tahomaru's new regime.
• Honestly, there's very little these two can do from now on, but that remains to be seen.
Request: May I request Dororo: a Hyakkimaru x Deaf reader?
Warning/s: none.
Note: notin.
Hyakkimaru walked endlessly through the valleys yet again.
Every step he took he wondered how Dororo and the priest was doing. Where they ok? Are they safe?
And he reminds himself yet again. That everything was alright. That the country was slowly patching up bit by bit after what happened.
After all, those two were brave so he didn't have to worry. So he continued to walk by himself. No more missing limbs, no more demons inside him and no more difficulties.
But he did feel quite lonely at times. Maybe it was because he got used to the company of Dororo's short figure who would talk endlessly beside him. He could only chuckle in nostalgia.
That was, until a figure caught his eyes.
A girl sat by a tree, staring at the ground. Her body was so thin, that maybe the flies would soon think it was dead.
But she was alive alright. Just clinging onto life with effort.
He walked towards her, squatted infront and looked at her.
Maybe she noticed him, because her e/c stared at his own. One thing Hyakkimaru could say. The only thing that looked so pretty at the moment were her eyes.
With the words he were taught.
He slowly says,"Are...you....okay?.."
Though, what he didn't know was the girl before him didn't have the ability to hear. So she could only blink wondering if he said something or not. She could only ask with a head tilted to the side. Hyakkimaru found it... What was that word... Ah that's right cute.
He found it cute. (That's the word right?)
He could only ask again, not slower this time. It was like he's gotten used to saying that.
"Ah," he hears her voice "I'm sorry..." It was all so beautiful to listen to, yet he doesn't understand why she was apologizing in the first place.
"I can't hear anymore"
Ah, so that was it. Hyakkimaru nodded in understanding. After all, he's been there as well except the fact she said 'anymore' meant she wasn't born with it.
"Do you...want...rice ball...?"Oh wait, he just realized he did something stupid. She couldn't hear oh right, dammit.
Then he decided to just take the food out handing it over to her. A soft smile gracefully on his lips.
"Thank you..." She accept as she devours it almost like an animal.
Then he tugs onto her dirtied shirt. Like a child, she thought. Then he grabbed her thin arm and dragged her up.
He didn't know what to say, he couldn't actually. Plus he couldn't write well either so he could only hope she would understand with gestures.
"What is it?"
He points to the valley, and Y/N understood. Even though it was a poor gesture she nodded.
"I'll follow if you like"
He smiled, a smile that the girl seemed to like. His smile was soft it made her cherish it more. With a returning smile, Y/N held his hand as they both walked to wherever they reached with their feets.
Guys how's u? I'm Alice, a multifandon writer, requests are open. Please read it, if you want to request!
I'm gonna repeat the rules 'cause some requests are coming differently from the rules, so I'm being very specific on these ones. Any questions hit my ask box!
Thank you!
I write: only male character x female reader ( It's more easy to me.)
Romance/ flirt whit kisses and affection overflowing...
Comfort / romance
Angst/ romance
Yandere ( easy with the reader) / romance
Short ones /romance
Enemies to lovers
Jealousy ( Characters disputing the reader)
Fluffy / romance
Character analysis
I don't write: character x character or OC
I don't write: smut
I don't write: Incestuous and these things
Pls avoid ask about daughters and sisters and these things
Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you’re interested.
The villagers were preparing to face Daigo's army. The women hugged their children while the men tried to figure out where to go. Everyone was feeling nervous. They turned their heads every now and then, as if listening for the sound of hooves announcing the arrival of the samurai.
[Reader] promised to stay with the people, meanwhile Dororo will try to help Hyakkimaru. However, the plans quickly changed.
— On the left! — the girl screamed when she saw the rearing horse.
The boy failed to hold the rope. The horse raised his front hooves up. Before it could escape, the girl grabbed it tightly by the mane and jumped on its back. It kicked and then ran in a direction known only to it.
The girl felt pain. The branches lashed her face and she clung to the animal's neck. She drove half-blindly through the forest, hoping to find the source of the commotion.
It only took her a few minutes.
In the middle of the clearing she saw a huge mare. Her mane and tail seemed to be like fire and emitted a strange light. She looked like the embodiment of fury. She must have been the demon that people in the village were talking about.
[Reader] jumped off the ridge and into the tall grass. She failed to completely cushion her fall, which resulted in pain in her left arm. As soon as she stood up, she saw Tahomaru's bodyguards stabbing the huge horse with their blades. The gore-dripping animal did not remain obedient and, in a final act of despair, bit off Hyogo's head and attacked Mutsu. Within a few seconds, all three of them were lying motionless in a large pool of blood, to which the grey-haired boy quickly ran, followed by Dororo.
The girl felt terrible pain in her hands. She guessed that Hyakkimaru had regained new body parts. As soulmates, they shared suffering. She knew he must have been close. So she looked up and saw him nearby, kneeling in a strange position. She managed to get up and walked towards him on wobbly legs.
— Hyakkimaru!
He didn't turn around.
He didn't react to seeing her.
He ran away, with Tahomaru following him.
She knew her soulmate wasn't quite himself but it still hurt her. She didn't know for sure if he cared. Their relationship seemed to be pure chance and not the will of the gods, as the monk had sometimes presented to her. It was difficult to read the boy's signs and intentions. This caused her particular problems at the beginning, when he couldn't even hear her. Over time, however, she learned to see the care and straightforwardness in his actions. She just wasn't sure if it was enough for her.
— How can we stop them? — Dororo asked.
— Perhaps one of them will simply have to die — said the monk standing nearby.
— Listen, it's either your brother or us — interjected a man who had come from the village to check the situation.
— Say it again...
— It wasn't supposed to last forever. Peace built on the sacrifice of one person... We cannot defend what we have not earned with our own hands — said Lady Nui. — I don't have the strength to stop my own children.
— We spent our whole lives complaining about samurai, hoping that they would do something for us. You have to act like Hyakkimaru and snatch happiness from the gods with your own hands. — [Reader] clenched her fists.
— Then we have to be stronger — the girl said.
— But also careful. You saw how they fought. Too much force can make you lose your humanity — the monk added.
— Strength alone is no threat if you have a heart. And my brother has it! We have to start taking action.
The girl recalled the image of the carnage he had caused a few months earlier and wasn't sure if she should nod.
— I think we all agree.
— The hill is on fire! — Someone shouted from the small crowd.
Everyone turned their heads as if on cue. Flames consuming the palace could be seen nearby. Clouds of smoke rose up and from behind them, silhouettes of people running away in panic could be seen.
— Let's go!
— Don't lose your humanity. Let them take away your eyes, ears and hands. You don't need them. We will be your eyes, ears and hands if necessary. Don't become a demon, Hyakkimaru — [Reader] prayed.
— Who do I look like, Hyakkimaru? — [Reader] asked jokingly, trying on a kimono at one of the stalls.
— Mom — he replied, pointing at her.
— Mother? — she sighed indignantly. — I'm not old! How dare you...
