a hot mess of a wip. first chapter
set in some super aesthetic made up universe idk idk idk
ft. kagami as a fresh new warrior bab meeting some weird af people during a special celebration
izuki shun as Prophet to Seirin Clan, full of puns and secrets, interacting w (momoi, takao) who are also full of secrets. not so much puns.takao might have a few up his slutty, slutty sleeves.
my heart wants to work this with izuki pining after kiyoshi and takao pining after midorima but with ultimate izutaka endgame, but also want 3P, and definitely want momoriko, and likely want kikasa, and WHO TO PAIR KAGAMI WITHHHHHHH
don’t mind me i’m just spewing here i’ll try to refine it, but if u have any opinions at all i’m fuckin beggin u pls hmu
[And He’s Watching Us All With the Eye...of the Taiga]
Kagami, hungering for the thrill of the fight, sits in a hall dense with the scent of raw power, surrounded by the highest tier of elite warriors in the country. Explicit instructions to “sit right here” and “behave” and “seriously don’t move I’ll kill you Bakagami” were given to him about half an hour ago.
Boring, but it’s not like he’s gonna start a fight or anything. Jeez.
The hall is massive and regal, with creamy beige curtains and rich red tapestries covering the ceiling and walls. A warm yellow glow illuminates the space, but the source of light remains a mystery. Similarly, the faint plucky melody of some string instrument rings through the din of the crowd, but no player is in sight.
Everything is refined and intricately designed, even the low wooden tables arranged throughout the hall. As expected from host Rakuzan, the kingdom’s most powerful clan, and host to this most resplendent celebration of the leading clans.
...Or so Kagami is told. This is all pretty new to the fresh new warrior who hails from a much different kingdom.
He’s is sitting by one of the back tables, folded awkwardly on silk cushion that is way too small for his ass, just praying he’s wearing his decorative soldier’s uniform properly. Black and white robes lined with red, folded over his chest asymmetrically to expose his left shoulder. Ankles, wrists and biceps bound with black metal bands; feet bare.
Technically no weapons allowed for such a peaceful and illustrious event, but Kagami’s never been one to wield anything but his blazing force of will. That, and his undeniably superhuman skill in hand-to-hand combat. Hah.
Setting aside from his unquenched desire to one-on-one some of these powerhouses, Kagami is also hungering in the more literal sense.
Just as he’s about to take advantage of the only good thing about this banquet and shove an entire platter of ...whatever the fuck these little white puffy things are…a man appears suddenly.
The sensation of being taken off guard like this is not unfamiliar to Kagami. But he wasn’t expecting it to happen without Kuroko around. This ..surprise man...bounces down to Kagami’s level out of nowhere, a shiny golden whirlwind, as if manifesting from the mysterious lights.
“Hey~” he hums, then pauses as Kagami coughs food up out of his esophagus. Blinking through the tears of agitation sprinkling his eyes, Kagami blearily gives this guy a once over:
Ornate silver chains hang off his exposed chest, jewelry dangling from his wrists and ankles, chiming gently with his every movement. Stunning blue cloths wrapped around his waist. He’s tall (but not as tall as Kagami, hmph), and built (....but not as much as Kagami...maybe), exuding all the essence of a highly trained soldier.
Ah, but there’s thin white veil covering his eyes...so he’s one of the Prophets?
Either way, Kagami’s nose flares: he smells dangerous.
“Seirin clan-chan, right? Right? Say, where’s Kurokocchi ??”
Maybe it’s just a trick of light, but there seem to be sparkles floating around this guy’s eager expression.
“Kurokoch-??? Uhhh, Kuroko?”
An eager nod. Wh….what’s up with this guy?
“N-no, he was kept back ‘cuz of-........due to inju-”
The sparkles immediately wane and fall, as soon as it’s clear Kuroko is not here. The man lets out a sigh of unmasked disappointment.
“Ah, is that so...he’s really not here, then. That’s too bad,” he remarks dryly, the original warmth in his voice cooling in an instant. He’s already turning his attention away from Kagami, rising to leave.
Wh-
WHO does this fucking guy think he is?!
A blood vessel pulses under Kagami’s eye, and he too half-rises, mouth open. But as the golden Prophet gets up, Kagami catches a scent...a flowery incense….no, aside from that….could it be?
Blood?
“Oi- AHH!”
Kagami is cut off by a sharp pain to the back of his head and falls back down to his seat.
“Coach!--ah no, Riko--.....Aida-sama?”
“Calm down idiot. I leave you alone for five minutes….do you even know who that was?”
Snaps Aida Riko, co-leader and clan representative to Seirin, **outfit
“Uhhh,” Kagami mumbles, eyes watering, not sure how to respond to what is almost surely a rhetorical question..
“Kise Ryouta. The esteemed battle-prophet of the Kaijo clan. Bakagami. You should know at least that much.”
Battle-prophet?!
“So he’s strong ..”
“What do you think.”
“Whatever, he was asking for Kuroko?”
Riko sighs heavily, adjusting her robes to take a seat next to Kagami.
“I had him stay back because I know he’s a little too popular with this crowd, but I didn’t realize his connections ran that high up,” she mutters absently, almost to herself, popping one of the little white puffs into her mouth.
“Mmrm, these are pretty good. Maybe I should try making them sometim-”
“NO THAT’S OKAY, COACH”
“And just what do you mean by that, Kagami-kun ? HMMM?”
As Kagami dodges a hit-to-kill from Riko, he feels something bump into his back.
he feels his elbow hit something behind.
He looks up to apologize:
“Ah my bad-”
A pair of bespectacled green eyes glare down at him. Another weirdo guy, this one slightly taller than the last. Long, conservatively fitted robes the colour of fire; a single onion sitting in the palm of his bandaged hands; green hair, bangs falling over his glasses to add a more sinister shade to his face.
There’s a lot going on here. Kagami glares back, his prevalent animal instincts telling him not to back down from this confrontation. A long pause, at least thirty seconds, where they stay perfectly still, eyes locked in a stalemate.
Who knows how long this would last, if not for the interference of a third party. A man in similar robes -- same clan?-- tugs at the sleeve of Kagami’s opponent, pulling him away.
“WHAT are you doing, Takao’s about to take his place, let’s go Midorima”
Even as he’s being dragged away, the Green Asshole maintains eye contact with Kagami. Just before he’s taken out of earshot, he narrows his eyes, and says clearly:
“Hmph.So this is where Kuroko decided to lay his loyalties? Pathetic.”
?
???????
MMMMMMMMMMMWhat. Is wrong with these people?!?!?!?
“Who the fuck-?”
“Midorima Shintarou. Archer for Shutoku, they say his aim is infallible,” Riko leans in to explain , shoving a few more puffs into her mouth aggressively. The implied slight against the Seirin clan does not go unnoticed.
fsdhkhsdfkhsdflkjhsdflkjh he gotta meet ahomine and the touou crew here
“Where’s Izuki-senpai?”
Riko gestures to the front of the hall. The representative Prophets sit together, as the honourable guests of the evening.
[Bird’s Eye View]
...This place really is crawling with VIPs. A lot of elites. (Ehh...the wordplay needs work..)
Izuki Shun, Prophet to the Seirin Clan, bearer of the Eagle Eye: That Sees From Above, has yet to accustom to the fact that he too is now one of those ‘elites’.
He can’t help but feel out of place in this hall of veritable monsters; warriors, leaders, and prophets whose names and clans are all dripping with power and renown, while his own name and clan have been kept in the dark until recently. No one prepared him for this dizzying fate of being displayed as an honourable guest in the country’s most esteemed event.
Still, Izuki maintains a calm composure: his posture perfect, but not overly rigid, as he sits atop his appointed cushion seat. At the very least, he’s no stranger to performing under pressure.
Gently, he brushes his fingertips against the shimmery white veil hanging over his face, testing the feel of the silky material.
It makes sense, having the clan Prophets to shroud their eyes as a symbol of good faith. An occasion like this calls for a ceasefire, no matter the current relations or political climates. Plenty of information will go around over the next few days, but keeping the Prophets and their notoriously lucrative powers on a leash is probably for the best.
Izuzki can still easily see through the milky fabric, which was specially designed to obscure his ‘eagle eye’. He scans the crowd below to see what the others are up to:
In the far right at the back, Riko is dragging Kagami away from...is that Touou’s prodigy warrior? First time at a formal celebration and Kagami-kun’s already starting a fight, such hot-blooded youth~
Kuroko and Hyuuga stayed behind, so that leaves...where’s Teppei? Izuki can’t see him…. He better not be…. kirisaki daiichi***
The prophets are arranged in a row at the front of the hall, on a raised platform. In the centre sit the two most powerful clan Prophets. Host and head of the Rakuzan Clan, Akashi Seijuro, bearer of the Emperor Eye: That Sees Beyond. White formal robes trimmed with pale blue hang from his small but imposing frame like wings. No jewelry save the rings on his left hand, said to represent each one of four his respective generals. King’s rings.
Laughing merrily to Akashi’s right, sits the glittering force of charisma that is Kise Ryota, warrior and prophet to Clan Kaijo, bearer of the Capturing Eye: That Becomes What It Sees.
Whether on the battlefield or in the bedroom, Kise’s reputation and accomplishments reach far beyond expectations. His aura is bright but untouchable. Ice cold gold.
Next to Kise is Momoi Satsuki, the jewel of powerhouse clan Touou, bearer of the All-seeing Eye: That Sees Within.
Peachy pink hair, the colour of cherry blossoms, ripples down her back, in stark contrast to her imposing black robes. Whenever Momoi moves, the shimmers of silvery butterfly print illuminates under the warm glow of the hall’s lights.
Easily the most notorious for information-gathering and tactical analysis that brings her clan’s physical prowess to almost pure victory in times of conflict.
Izuki sits beside Momoi, at the end of the row. Fitting for a member of ‘dark horse’ clan Seirin and especially fitting for Izuki himself, who is well aware that his personal reputation has earned him some…..less formal names. He wouldn’t mind this much, but..
There are two empty seats to Akashi-sama’s left: One for the yet-to-arrive Prophet of Yosen, and the last for Kazunari Takao of Shutoku, bearer of the Hawk’s Eye: That Sees The Unseen. Like Izuki, his place is at the end of the row. For a reason.
Kazunari’s seat is empty because he’s right here, chatting happily (and LOUDLY) with Momoi Satsuki. In contrast to the other Prophets, he wears his robes (of a gaudy, imposing orange) casually, slipping off one shoulder and exposing part of his bare chest. Black beads, like those of a temple priest, dangle from his wrists, rattling happily with every emphasized movement.
Izuki tries not to pay attention, as he has a hard time dealing with these two. Even covered, eyes that have the ability to see hidden things, behind a person’s heart ….uncomfortable.
“And who would’ve thought the five clans-- ah I suppose now it’s the six clans”.
There is a pause, where Momoi and Kazunari turn their veiled faces expectantly towards Izuki. A delicate black fabric veil for Kazunari; deep scarlet for Momoi. Thin enough to betray cloudy glimpses of dangerous, curious gazes.
It’s times like these Izuki finds himself envying his sweet little kouhai Kuroko’s uncanny ability to be ignored. How to misdirect unwanted attention...
“Izuki-san. This is the first time we’ve met under formal circumstances, yes?” So says Momoi, holding up an elegant glass decanter full of red liquid. She fills a silver chalice and offers it to Izuki, who nods politely and accepts the drink with both hands.
Sip.The taste is sweet, fragrant. A flower wine?
“Fermented flower-….fer-men….for men to ferment petals and...peddle them as wine. Ah. Not bad…” Izuki mutters to himself, wishing Riko had let him bring along his notebook.
“Hm?”
“Yes, the first time for us, although I’ve had the pleasure of conversing with the Touou clan leader on several occasions,” Izuki replies without missing a beat, taking another mouthful of wine. That was a little reference; no doubt she’ll get it.
She does. Momoi’s lips twitch up, but she swallows her budding smirk by popping a cherry into her mouth.
“Our Imayoshi-san has been in your care.” That’s one way to put it.
“Ehhh~, what’s this?” Kazunari chimes in, resting his chin on his palm, shifting his long legs to fold them. Relaxed, confident movements.
“So Seirin’s songbird has a voice after all? I’m glad, I thought we’d be getting the silent treatment from Izuki-san all night~”
He raises his own chalice to his lips, pausing to gauge Izuki’s reaction.
A Hawk calling an Eagle a songbird, he certainly doesn’t hold back. Though he’ll have to try harder to test Izuki; with this level of boldness, two can play.
Izuki tilts his head to the side, almost coyly, pressing his fingers against the red band wrapped around his throat.
“Ah, I’m sure you’ve heard, I typically only put my mouth to use after an exchange gold.”
Kazunari nearly spits his wine out. He reaches behind his veil to presumably wipe away the speckles of tears from his eyes.
“OHhhh my Gods, Izuki-san...wh-..whatever can you mean?”
“I find it hard to believe that the infamous Hawk’s Eye couldn’t see that before I worked as a pro-”
The words catch in Izuki’s throat. Wait. Wait wait wait.
He clicks his tongue and glares sharply, taking both Kazunari and Momoi aback. Did he finally get upset…?
“Before i was a prophet I was sold for a profit --, OH. NICE ONE, ME “
Momoi can only stare blankly, while Kazunari succumbs to a fit of silent laughter.
This somewhat absurd bonding moment is interrupted by the belated arrival of the Yosen Clan.
Lead by a small but formidable dark-haired woman with sheathed twin swords at her hips, the Clan enters the hall in succession. Their gentle flowing white and lavender robes do not suit their imposing statures at all.
The din of the hall quiets down as the Yosen clan makes their way to their appointed seats, and so their mumbled conversation can be heard even from here:
“Maybe if Muro-chin hadn’t gotten lost along the way….”
“In his defense, Atsushi, he’s pretty blind right now”
“Ehhhhhh, whatever”
The final Prophet is here, the enigmatic Himuro Tatsuya, bearer of the Blind Eye: That Remains Sightless. In lieu of a veil, Himuro has white bandages covering both eyes, rendering him quite literally sightless. He is escorted up to his seat with the rest of the Prophets by violet menace Murasakibara Atsushi, the ace warrior of Yosen.
Izuki glances back at the crowd. Kagami-kun visibly paler, still for once. To be expected, poor thing. Perhaps he can resolve his troubles over the next few days. Time for introduction ceremony. Takao gets up. Izuki notes that he pauses as he passes akashi, his mouth set in a hard line. ;sdfjlkjl;fdjl;sdkjf COMPLETELY UNFINISHED IDK IDK IDK