Something he hasn't been asked before (as much):
💋: How easily is he tempted?
(Absolutely does not have to be in *that* context. Think material gain, favors, etc)
Buckle up, this is gunna be long and a RIDE.
The trick is when it comes to Kumo on the topic of "tempted" (and not that as you said) is there are two sides to this ->
The idea of tempting or the idea of giving into temptation.
Considering the original question doesn't specify which side we're going to, we're going to go with temptations.
And there are a lot of them and if you want to view things like candy, sugar, indulgences, etc - Kumo gives in often and easily.
The thing about it is though, is, that it's entirely riding on an outsider's perspective of Kumo's actions and if someone like, say Kaze, were to just let Kumo be and react to situations for a week however he so pleases and then judged him on how he reacted over that week -> through an outsider's lens it would appear that Kumo caves to temptations at nearly every turn.
But we're not going from an outsider's perspective. We're going from Kumo's perspective and that is an entirely different situation. This is also why the boys clash so often because the outsider's perspective simply doesn't know / understand why Kumo is doing what he's doing.
In Kumo's mind, he almost never caves to temptations and when you look at the world from his eyes - he's right.
It's taken over two years - real time - for Kumo to dance in front of Kaze (dance in general) totally carefree and to just move, DESPITE the fact, his body tingles and his skin prickles whenever he hears the sound of any form of tune. Kumo hears sound with his entire body but he hasn't combusted yet with his overwhelming full body urge to just move. And when he wanted to sing, he removed himself from what he assumed was Kaze's earshot because he did not want to nor did he feel comfortable doing so in front of the man. He made himself smaller instead of just caving to the urge and singing regardless of whether or not anyone could hear him.
He resists the urge to just flip himself upside down more often than not because he knows it annoys his Other to no end when he does so and he hasn't taken to the sky to just go exist inside a cloud for thirty minutes because of a previous threat to shoot him down if he flew ahead.
Kumo needs to be in the air to breathe properly but yet he has remained mostly grounded due to his extreme fear of angering Kaze. And I do mean extreme.
In Kumo's mind, he doesn't act outside of the boundaries that have been set for him, to the point of even denying his own needs to an extent, if only to keep the peace.
An Outsider's perspective would lead them to tell you that Kumo is a spoiled child that gets whatever he wants, whines and cries to achieve that and lives of sugar and candy that sleeps all the time.
Kumo's perspective would tell you, he is a terrified abuse survivor who is slowly dying due to a curse that is killing him little bits at a time so he sleeps as much as possible because he's running out of energy, who only eats what sugar they can afford and deemed acceptable despite needing it to literally function, drinks half the water he needs because of lack of storage issues, and only cries when his emotions become too much and he can no longer control them. The emotions only come out when the bottle holding them cracks.
An Outsider's perspective would tell you "Spoiled Royal."
And Kumo would even resist the temptation then to tell that person to go fuck themselves because spoiled is the last thing he's ever been. Those two words rub him raw enough to make him bleed but he won't say that either because causing confrontation is improper and he has an aversion to fighting and yelling so he avoids them at all costs.
How often and easily does Kumo give into temptation? He doesn't.
And I say this for a multitude of reasons but mostly that when Kumo "gives into temptation" for something, he's not giving in at all actually. He's been given permission to do something, so he is acting on that permission.
As a prime example, in Kumo's mind, his relationship to Kaze (not with. TO) functions solely around the sentence "I obey you." Because that is how he feels about that man at its root core. He loves him. He cares about him and one might think that his vision is being deluded by his feelings towards Rorahm, but Kumo told himself to come to terms with the fact that Rorahm was dead many months ago.
He no longer sees Kaze as that man. He sees the essence of Rorahm the person as dead but the name Rorahm remains as simply a name and that is why Pilvi and Seejvariil will still use it. But at the core of it, that's where Kumo's mind sets "I obey you." so he would never dare defy someone like Kaze - someone he holds extreme fear in even if "giving into temptation" is doing something is literally a basic need for his survival.
And he's been like this his entire life so whether Kaze is aware of it or not, Kumo was built with a foundation that tells his mind to obey before all else and that includes giving into any form of temptation that could be for his own benefit. Even at seven, Kumo would ask his teachers "Could we maybe color?" instead of just simply coloring as a seven year old should.
Even as a child, he was asking for permission before he did something and that includes: coloring, singing, dancing, drawing, painting, napping, cuddling, eating his favorite foods or really anything at all.
Kumo doesn't give into temptation because he defaults to permission before all else. Even in a relationship type context, Kumo didn't even haul off and kiss Kain. His brain absolutely thought 'I would like to kiss him' but instead of just doing so - Kumo proceeded to ask Kain "Would it perhaps be acceptable if I kissed you?"
Kumo is obsessed with the concept of consent and he means that by way of his own AND everyone else's. He does not just do things to do them. He will check to make sure he's not inconveniencing anyone by doing something. Even if that thing is a nap. He will tell someone he is going to take a nap before he does so. He will also tell that person they can wake him for any reason if they require him even if sleep for him right now is literally life saving.
Kumo's body has become a shattered broken mess of spreading soul scars because he won't fall to temptations of any kind for any reason. He will not prioritize himself for anything and his childhood had a lot to do with it. His current day issues also are what's causing this because having events like:
the 12 years of torture and abuse of all kinds in Gaudium,
Kaze's use of aggressive force, degrading language and dismissive attitude (using his body to intimidate, putting Orthrus flush to his neck to intimidate, back handing him with Orthrus for breaking eye contact, " you foolish boy"/ "spoiled royal" / "spoiled brat", calling him a liar when kumo said he loved him, telling kumo he needed to throw away his love because he was a sword, and an all around lack of general care or concern for Kumo's well being),
and the recent recapture by Anarchy
has only worked to solidify his belief that he needs to inconvenience those around him as little possible and that his existence and needs are things that can inconvenience others.
He doesn't function for material gain either. Ever. He didn't haul off and just go buy the Makea Meloni. No, he begged Kaze for it. (He asked for permission) Even with his goals to take the throne and become King of Wonderland aren't for material gain. He's literally doing this to heal the pain and turmoil in Wonderland to starve out Chaos - therefore weakening their enemy so they can stand in the face of it without causing so much death and destruction.
He's literally aiming for that seat, not for material gain or power. He's a Misterican Royal - they serve their people, not the other way around - so he's doing it to enlist himself into service of the people of Wonderland and therefore the Universe and he won't just declare himself King, even though the seat is currently empty. He is working to get Wonderland's approval before he does so.
Because at the end of everything, no matter what the situation is - Kumo operations on permission before all else.
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ He doesn't understand why his hair is getting stroked so lovingly but he also doesn't know why he's finding it so hard to pull away. There is a small hand brushing through white locks over and over and he doesn't quite know how he ended up leaning his head up on His Excellency’s chair like some kind of lounging cat but here he is doing just that nonetheless.
His stomach twists in disgust as he realizes the true stakes of the situation and now if he moves wrong that hand in his hair will turn into a variable claw in the matter of a few moments. He hates how he can't remember ever laying down like this and quite frankly he can't remember waking up this morning either.
It's becoming more and more frequent in recent days. He's missing entire chunks of time and he doesn't quite know what to make of it. He's missing chunks of time and he can't remember when was the last time His Excellency killed him. Somehow this seems like more of a bad thing than a good thing for as strange as that sounds. Shouldn't one want to be spared the pain of death? Well yes, and of course he does too but this also means that when the time comes that he inevitably messes up again, when His Excellency makes a move for punishment it will be the most severe one he's received to date.
He's not stupid. He knows how this game works. Praise and Punishment walk hand in hand with this little beast and right now those same hands are in his hair and he can't move. He can't pull away no matter how much he wants to and he can't even flinch or breathe wrong unless he wants those small but deadly fingers ready to tear snow colored locks right out from his head.
It's always such a wretched sensation.
Nothing is worse than the feeling of his hair being pulled. He hates it. He hates the feeling and he hates the way it makes him feel so vulnerable. How the pain of it will bring him to his knees and have him fighting back the tears at the sensation. You would think one who has died as many times as he has would have more pain tolerance for something seemingly so simple but the sensation of even the root of his hair going taunt is enough to send his nervous system into overdrive.
But what he hates the most is how he can feel himself start purring. He doesn’t know why he does it. He tries to tell himself to stop but he can feel those fingers grow softer as they stroke through snow. The louder he purrs the softer they get and he hates himself for finding so much comfort in the sensation. He hates himself for finding peace in this. He should be running away from this beast as quickly as his body would carry him. He should be fleeing at any chance he gets but instead he allows himself to sink into his place on the arm of this chair as that little monster continues to comb through fluffy spikes with a gentleness that could only be described as care.
That can’t be right.
That’s just not possible, and he hates how many times he feels like he’s had this conversation with himself as of late. The beast does not love him. The demon does not care. The little devil felt nothing for him but yet those lips part and purr out affections of their own.
“You’ve been so well behaved as of late, Precious.” The small emperor sounds as his hand continues to work. “You’ve done your tasks so well. I’m proud of you, my Little Cloud. You’ve been such a good pet. Perhaps you deserve some time out of the castle? I think you’ve earned it.”
He only increases the volume on his purring in response as if doing so will show his gratitude for such a notion but his lips are hanging in a frown behind the thin metal covering his face as the boy of pink continues.
“You can go with Herba the next she leaves.” The Tyrant offers as he finally pulls his hand away and out of the Misterican’s hair. “But when she leaves you know the rules. Her word is as good as my word and you are to do whatever she asks of you. You understand, don’t you Precious?”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“That’s my good boy. You’ve become so well behaved. I’m so proud of you, Makenshi.”
His purring only grows louder as those hands return to his hair and he doesn’t know how long he stays like that but it’s long enough that he doesn’t remember falling asleep. Did he fall asleep? He doesn’t know. He does know that he woke in his own quarters the next morning and he was met with Herba throwing her arms over his shoulders to bring him into a very tight and very unwanted hug and she leaned to try to push a kiss to his cheek and he could only lean himself the opposite direction so far to avoid contact.
“Makenshi.”
His name was trumpeted in his direction in a small but authoritative voice and it has the Misterican standing up straight giving this damnable woman the space she needed to push those poison painted lips directly to his cheek even if it was covered in metal. Dull jade is looking forward into the main hall with the entirety of his form tingling to both get away from this woman and get off the ground. The place just above the little demon’s head is calling his name because then he is both in eyesight but at the same time away from this gaggle of absolute morons.
If he could never associate with any of them for the rest of his life ever again, he’s sure he could find a way to be happy. If only Rorahm could finally wake up - but - jade moons downcast at the thought because at this rate his sun would never rise and he was going to be stuck here for the rest of said life. Should he make the most of it? Should he adjust?
No. No. Listen to yourself Makenshi. You’re falling for that monster’s tricks!
But are they tricks?
It’s been too many years and he doesn’t know anymore. He doesn’t remember the sound of his Mother’s voice and he can hardly remember his Father’s face. He tries not to think about them too much because he doesn’t want to get himself all upset and then in turn upset His Excellency. The Tyrant isn’t exactly one to be any form of comforting if he were to simply explain that he was thinking about home. In fact, he doesn’t want that little monster anywhere near anything to do with Misterica in the first place, so it would probably be for the best to simply forget it all anyway. If he can’t remember then the little beast can manipulate it against him.
He can’t seem to remember most things lately anyway.
He can’t remember going to sleep the night before and he hardly can make sense of the morning. He just wants this woman to get off of him but instead she lets herself sink down to wrap her arm around his and lean herself up against him like they were anything that could be considered close - which was comical in his mind when the closest he would like to be to this
woman would be to watch her burn.
Still he just adjusts to the feeling of her hanging off his arm as he focuses his attention on His Excellency instead because the only thing he ever needed to do was to keep the little gremlin happy and as long as he did that he’d keep his head. Why was the beast smiling at him the way he was? He doesn’t like it. It’s making his skin crawl almost as much as the feeling of the plant witch hanging off his arm is.
“Makenshi, I am assigning you to assist Herba today. I expect you two to cooperate while you’re out in the field. Herba knows what needs to be done, so you simply need to follow her lead, and I shouldn’t have to repeat myself with what we discussed yesterday, do I?”
“No, Your Excellency. I remember.” He sounds, raising his free arm to cross it over his chest to give this pink haired abomination a half bow. What he was saying he remembers, he doesn’t know. Quite frankly, he doesn’t even even the day before. Yesterday? He couldn’t tell you. Herba’s face was where his memory picks up and he hates that too because there is something about thinking about yesterday that is turning his stomach but he couldn’t tell you why.
So now they’re returning to that damnable airship and he hates being on it. It’s nauseating and the amount of pollen in the air is enough to make him sick. His stomach is twisting in knots As he takes a seat. He doesn’t feel well but there is the sound of jingling chimes in the air as he looks over to the open deck just to the right of him. Chimes blowing in the wind and it's enough to tell him to just focus on the sound of something pleasant for once as he lays his head down and tells himself to just go back to sleep. She’ll wake him when they get there. She always does.
And he’s sure it’s for something nasty. It always is.
He won’t do it this time though. He’ll never kill again and he doesn’t care how badly His Excellency beats him to death for disobeying orders. He will not stain the Holy Blade with yet more blood of the innocent… He just needs to not think about it and sleep. He’ll fight with her when he wakes up. His Excellency might be able to get the better of him but Herba won’t. He will never let that woman -
“ ‘kenshi-darling? ‘Kenshi-darling, wake up you silly willy. If you told me you were tired, I would have gotten you a blanket, lovely.” She smiles at him with a face that is possibly dripping with more venom than it ever has before. Her smiles are always fake and they turn his stomach, but she is taking him by the hand and he’s letting her. He doesn’t feel like fighting with her.
It’s a quiet town they’ve found themselves in this time. It’s closer to the outer reaches of Wonderland but not quite all the way out. A town that has larger than normal buildings built up and a large building he wonders if it is a church of some kind on the other side of town. She has him by the hand as they walk, and the people of this village don’t seem to be paying them any mind. Children are laughing, the smell of fresh bread is in the air and the city itself seems at peace.
Herba is leaning herself in to cling to his arm as if they were some sort of couple and it is taking everything in him not to shake her off. She just seems to be happy to take a stroll with him and he doesn’t understand what the catch is. Why did His Excellency let him out of the castle if there was nothing wicked for him to do? Why let him just come take in the sights of Wonderland if they didn’t mean for him to cause some kind of havoc?
She’s strolling through the local bazaar with him as his nose catches the smell of sugar and it’s been so long since he has got to eat anything truly sweet. He sniffs once and then again and she’s making an Oooh? Sort of sound that he doesn’t like as she takes him by the hand to lead him towards the source of the scent.
“You like sweets, don’t you, ‘kenshi? I’ll buy you something. I’ll buy you something nice, for how good you’ve been lately. Tell me what you want. Anything and you can have it. We all deserve a little treat every now and then.”
Is she serious? She can’t be.
The Church bell is ringing in the background as she pulls him along. A grin slipping on her lips as she pulls him into the middle of the marketplace, only to look back at the Misterican with bright eyes and a poison purple smile.
“Anything you want, ‘kenshi-darling. Name it, and it’s yours.” She pauses to look towards the church and watches as the streets seem to fill as if the building is emptying further with each chime. “Must be noon.” She sounds returning her gaze to her companion only to watch as a pale hand reaches back towards the hilt of his blade to rock it free with a single click.
“ ‘kenshi-darling?” She sounds but still just continues to watch the man move. The swordsman takes his blade up into his grip and it is held out towards her at length as if extending the tip in her direction. Mist rolls out from behind bared teeth in plumbs when the devil growls. He’s pushing off a foot to take off in a dead lunge in her direction but instead of striking at the object of his absolute hatred, the man of white races past her directly towards that of an older man down the way of the lane of the marketplace and cleaves the poor soul clean in two.
More Mist rolls out from parted pale as his blade is swung to send a flood of white colored energy racing through the stalls like a spark on a wick until it reaches its destination and half the bazaar goes up in a massive explosion. Screams fill the sky as citizens start to scurry and scatter.
“The White Devil!!” They cry. “The White Devil has come for us all!”
Red stains window panes and runs along the cracks of the cobblestone as the carnage continues. The man of snow does not cease his hellsent symphony even as men and women alike fall to their knees to beg for their lives. Their lights are snuffed out regardless. Children struck down with little concern and explosion after explosion brings building of stone tumbling to the ground.
Before long the symphony of sayonara falls silent and the Maestro of the Massacre stands center stage, crimson dripping from the Holy Blade stained with sin once more.
Only one other life remains and a dangerous gaze of dimmed jade is turning to glare daggers at the plant like woman. He’s raising his blade and taking stance to charge her when she merely raises her hand in his direction and snaps her fingers together.
Jade eyes go wide before they start blinking rapidly and soon their owner is looking all around him with horror etching itself into his features. Anger overcomes him as he refocuses on Gaudium’s Lord of Plants and Potions only to scream.
“What did you do?! Answer me! You didn’t have to kill them!”
But he only gets a small laugh in response as she floats over to him to rest just over his shoulders.
“What did I do? I didn’t do anything. You did this, ‘kenshi-baby. This was all your work. You killed them all gracefully and you didn’t leave a single one alive. Truly expert skill.”
“You’re lying!” He hisses as his mind starts to reel at the possibility. Her lungs didn’t sound like she was lying.
“Am I though?” She asks coyly. “Look at your sword.”
And her hand is pointing a finger down causing jade eyes to drop along with it even if he’s scared to do what she’s asking. The Maken is in his hand and it is covered in blood. He’s covered in blood.
His hand is trembling as the Maken is released and a deep guttural scream escapes him from down in his belly as the Holy Blade clatters to the ground. His hands are flying up to slip into white locks in between his horns only for the scream to get louder.
What was going ON?!!!! This wasn’t right!!! He doesn’t remember ANYTHING!!!!
His entire body is shaking as his knees hit the ground. All he can do is scream. He killed these people. He slaughtered an entire town and he doesn’t even know how or why. He can’t remember their faces. He never knew their names. He slaughtered these people and -
Herba is wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she hovers there next to him for the moment, nuzzling her face in close to his own.
“ You did so good today, ‘kenshi-darling. Let’s go home and tell, His Excellency, about what a good job you did. I’m sure he’ll reward you. Oh and !” She’s letting her feet hit the ground to shuffle over to the now destroyed stand of the vendor from earlier that had been selling all sorts of sweet treats and she picks up what appears to be some sort of hard candy on a stick and extends it out to him. “I said I’d get you anything. A treat for doing such a good job.”
But he couldn’t eat anything now. Now it would only taste bitter.
Vision is blurry as jade eyes open. He doesn't know where he is. He doesn't know what happened. One minute he was fighting that beast with Szél and the next minute he was here.
Where is this and what happened to Windaria?
Small hands pat against the ground to find cold stone beneath them. It's cold. Everything around here feels so cold. He can hear water running through the walls and an echo from something he can't identify. There are footsteps so that means at least someone is here.
But from the appearance of this place, he can only describe it as a palace of stone. Stone pillars and stone walls. Stone archways make the ceiling and the floor stretches out into intricate patterns of carefully laid pieces that fit together like a marble puzzle.
His hands continue to pat against the ground until he finds his grip on cold crystal and there is at least some sense of relief when he does so. He can feel both her and the other half of himself swirling within the object and the young prince wastes no time pulling the sword closer to his form.
"Missä minä olen?" (Where am I?)
He asks aloud as a cloudy head turns to look about his surroundings.
"Mikä tämä paikka on?" (What is this place?)
The footsteps are getting closer and he can hear multiple sets. He can hear at least two and from what he can tell one of them is small and the other sounds light. He's bringing the Maken to chest out of sheer instinct as if to protect it over himself. Should he hide? He doesn't know how he even got here - is he in someone's home?
"Oooh what do you make of him Your Excellency?"
The voice sounds like a woman but he can't tell what she's saying. So arms hug the sword within them a little tighter as snow colored brows raise.
"It seems we have an uninvited guest, Your Excellency.".
Now the voice sounds like a man, who seems to have appeared from the shadows as if he existed within them and summoned himself from thin air. There's a child with them and they are yet the only one to speak.
Mist coated lips part before he even has a chance.
"Anteeksi." (I'm sorry) He sounds out in a worried tone.
"En tiedä miten jouduin tänne, enkä tiedä missä olen." (I don't know how I got here and I don't know where I am.)
Snow colored brows upturn as the Misterican frowns.
"Voitko auttaa minua?" (Can you help me?)
The woman is making a face at him before painted lips grin in his direction and she speaks those strange words again without ever breaking eye contact with him.
"Oooh. This should be fun. Your Excellency let me play with him before we kill him. Please oh pretty please. It's always more fun when they don't have a clue."
"Quiet Herba."
The short one snaps at the woman and the white haired swordsman is still sitting before them with a confused look on his face continuing to hug his sword to his chest as if it is his only lifeline.
"Your Excellency, if I may, I believe this man might be Unlimited. We could use him."
"I believe you're right, Oscha. We'll have to put it to the test of course."
White clad arms are holding onto his blade like a precious object as fear starts to make its way into jade eyes.
"Voin auttaa sinua, lapsi." (I can help you, child.)
He can’t understand why the short one is calling him child when he obviously is one himself but there is something about looking into those pale eyes that makes his stomach twist and then he wonders if the being before him is all that it appears. There is something about it that makes him feel like he’s shrinking into the floor and getting smaller by the second. There is something about the pink one that makes his skin crawl and there are voices in his mind shouting at him,
‘Juosta! Juokse pois!’ (Run! Run Away!)
But he can’t get himself off the floor and even if he did, there’s something that tells him he wouldn’t get away. There’s something that tells him he wouldn’t get very far. So instead his grip on his sword only tightens and he sounds again with a little bit of firmness in his voice that hadn’t been present only moments prior.
“Kerro missä olen.” (Tell me where I am.)
It’s a bit more of a demand than a request but it certainly doesn’t sound like one with the way his voice refuses to stop shaking. It sounds much more like a request of a frightened child and perhaps that’s why the pink one is calling him as such.
“Olet paikassa nimeltä Wonderland.” (You are in a place called Wonderland.)
That woman’s face is twisting in its expression and he can’t say he cares for it. She’s looking at him with eyes that speak of wicked things and he can’t say he’s ever had anyone look at him like that before in his lifetime but the way they are is making his stomach twist. So he finds himself pulling in on himself further, legs pulling up towards his chest as he clutches the Maken as close as possible.
He doesn’t know anything about any Wonderland. It sounds like a lie. It sounds like some kind of fairyland and he can’t say he cares much for being toyed with. But this one - this pink one - his voice does not waver and his heart - it - he cannot hear his heart - why can’t he hear his heart?! All living beings have one but yet when he looks deep into this one’s eyes there seems to be nothing else but the ever unfolding expanse of a universe.
Just what is the best before him? There's a twist at his center that is telling him not to cross this one. That the boy is more than he seems. So he nods to show his acknowledgment of the child's words before he sounds again with any authority that was once in his voice slipping out to disappear and never be seen again.
"Kuka sinä olet?" (Who are you?)
And the boy's brow raises as those pale eyes soften and his lips grin.
"Minut tunnetaan nimellä Earl Tyrant. Onko tuo terä sinun?" ( I am known as Earl Tyrant. Is that blade yours?)
He nods again to give a silent confirmation while his grip on the blade's hilt only tightens. He could draw it. Even wrapped up in his arms like so he could draw the Maken right now if he wanted to.
"Joo. Se on Maken." (Yes. It is the Maken.)
The pink haired boy is nodding, looking the Misterican over as if processing the man before him. As if he could see through him to his core.
There is nothing said between them for several moments. The green woman and the dual toned man are silent behind him - both of them simply watching him with gazes he could say he cared for.
"Tämä paikka on kotini. Tämä linna tunnetaan Gaudium ja olet tervetullut asumaan täällä nyt. Me autamme sinua, lapsi. Sinun ei tarvitse pelätä."
(This place is my home. This castle is known as Gaudium and you are welcome to live here now. We will help you, child. You don't need to be afraid.)
They'll help, he says. He can live here, he says. In this strange castle known as Gaudium in this odd world known as Wonderland. What could be so wonderful about it and really though - what happened to Windaria? Did the beast they were fighting take it too? Take it like it took Misterica?
It doesn't seem like he's going to find anywhere else to go and who knows how large this world is…or what its people were like. Who knows if they would be kind to him or if they spoke those strange words the man and the woman were. Would the people of this world even be able to understand him like this pink haired boy could? He's gotten awfully lucky to be found by someone who speaks his tongue. A blessing from the Celestial Mother surely. What else could it be?
So his head drops as he tilts his horns towards the floor, still clutching the Maken to his chest as if losing it would be the very end of his life itself.
"Kiitos." (Thank you)
He sounds the word with eye contact to the floor. He doesn't know any other way to express his gratitude for such a kind gesture so for now this is all he can do. To think that he would be so fortunate to find someone willing to take him in a second time after losing all he knew. The Celestial Mother must be watching over him. He can think of no other explanation.
"Your Excellency, do you really think this is wise?" The masked man asks as he leans over in a way that no living body has any business doing.
"What?" The woman interjects in frustration. "I can't understand a word of it. What did His Excellency say, Oscha?"
"He told the boy that he could live here and the boy thanked him, so it seems we have a new addition. That means.."
"...Be on your best behavior, Herba. Lay a hand on him and I'll be mad." Comes the boy's warning and it only leaves green eyes looking back and forth between the lot of them with confusion in his sight.
He can't understand anything they're saying once again but the woman seems upset and the child seems like he's the one giving orders here and it leaves the prince wondering if this being is really a child at all, all over again.
Those pale blue eyes are fixating on him while, as equally pale lips stretch out into a soft smile - as soft as a look like that could be considered anyway and the child turns to speak to him once more.
"Tervetuloa kotiin,..." (Welcome home…)
There is a pause in the boy's words as if searching for his name and once again there is a voice in his head begging him to keep his mouth shut. That speaking such a sacred title into life in front of this being would be something he would live to regret. So mist coated lips remain closed as the child searches.
"...Makenshi."
It's an odd sounding name but at the same time near fitting considering how it contains the name of his blade. Is that how the child produced it? Those pale eyes are fixated on the sword nestled between his arms and they don't seem to be rising any time soon.
So this would be his name now? This is who he was from now on? Valkoinen Pilvi no more, that boy long since laying dead with the remnants of his lost home. Holdfény forgotten with the land of Winds that gave birth to such a child. Now Makenshi only left in the wake of their demise. Now Makenshi only left to survive this Wonderland.
Whatever that meant anyway.
"Now the first order of business is to fix that horrendous tongue of yours." The boy sounds as those pale eyes seem to pierce straight through his form.
"You will go with Oscha and he will teach you how to speak properly."
The boy's words only earned him a tilt of the Misterican's head as a white brow raised in question.
"Oscha." The boy sounds again in annoyance, small hand swinging back around to point at the tall masked man. "Oscha. Go with him."
He doesn't entirely understand but something is telling him that he should be following that tall man, who he assumes is called Oscha, to go somewhere.
"Come along, Makenshi."
So he is rising from his place on the floor and there are two voices in his head. One telling him to swing the Maken around and replace it upon his belt and the other telling him to keep it nestled in his arms - safe - where it can't be taken from him. Celestial Mother knew exactly what would happen if it was taken from him and that voice in his brain that was telling him to run just moments ago is warning him that staying here is a grave mistake.
But the boy seems nice and he speaks his tongue, so it couldn't be all bad - could it? This had to be better than staying out in some strange place where no one could understand him. Is this a world of Soil or Mist? He supposes he'll know the moment he has the time to go investigate but for now he is allowing himself to rise just above the ground to float after the tall masked, but there is the sound of the boy clearing his throat almost in a rude sort of way making jade eyes turn to see a small pale hand raise, one finger extended and point to the ground.
The woman is frowning and the masked man has crossed his arms over his chest. Suddenly the air around him feels so heavy and it's making the Misterican sink back down to the ground like a lead balloon. Did he do something wrong? The frown on the boy's face only slightly lessens as soon as his feet touch the floor once more.
Is floating considered rude to these people? Can they not do the same?
Somehow, he feels like he's already in trouble when he hasn't done anything out of the ordinary. Even Szél and Aura knew that floating was just a natural part of Misterican life and that they needed to do so every now and then to survive.
So it feels odd to follow after this man on foot. He's not used to walking even after living on Windaria for three years. Even with the ban on flight, his Windarian family still let him float about the house as much as he so desired - just so long as he didn't do so when they were out. Just so long as he did not do so where any eyes could see.
Even Szél understood that his Other needed to touch the skies in some way or another in order to survive. Even Windaria, while as misinformed as they were, had to understand something if they were calling the Sacred Vessel of Tiamat by the name 'Anu'. They acknowledged him as Lord of the Skies from the get-go so that had to count for something - did it not?
So he’s training on foot, and it isn’t like he can’t walk - it’s just that he preferred not to when floating was so much more efficient. This wasn’t a piece of himself he could hide now but he also was slightly grumbling inwardly to himself that he even needed to. Regardless, he follows the tall man to a very fancy looking room within this castle and takes a seat when a green gloved hand motions to one of the chairs in the room.
“Now Makenshi, we can’t have you speaking like that. If you’re going to live in Wonderland then you are going to learn to speak properly. His Excellency has a certain space of order here and you are not going to mess it all up with your tongue. So I need you to speak correctly.”
There is a sigh because the jester can tell that the face looking at him is blank. Misterican eyes looking at him curiously but with a complete lack of understanding, so the man is moving around the room to pull out a sheet of paper and a pen.
“Kirjoittaa aakkoset.” (Write the alphabet.) He commands and hands the pen to the newest member of Gaudium’s ranks. “Jätä kirjainten väliin välilyöntejä.” (Leave spaces between the letters)
So this leaves the swordsman moving so his blade can lean against the chair as he moves to do as instructed. Once it’s completed, he is returned the paper covered in letters and lines like he had no idea would be in this world. The Goddess Language. They are all matched to his own handwriting as if to say which letter compares to the other.
“Se on jumalattaren kieli. Voin lukea sen.” (It’s the Goddess Language. I can read it.)
Upon this new found information the tall man is writing on the paper again in the language of the goddess until he hands it back to the boy with a single word written on it. Jade eyes stare for a long moment as he puts the letters together in an attempt to sound it out. It’s not a Misterican word and it takes him several moments until he finally manages to read the word aloud.
“M-Ma-ken-shi?”
“Yes.” The tall man replies. “Makenshi. That’s you. That’s your name.”
And jade eyes are narrowing again as they squint a little, the swordsman looking in confusion.
“Na-me?” he repeats the word trying to scour through his mind to see if it sounds at all similar to a word he knows. “Nimi?”
They sounded similar. They must be the same. They must be and there is an exasperated sigh leaving the taller man at the youth before him. He can only nod. At least it seems he’s gotten one word right.
And it went on like this for several months. Each and every day for several hours, he sat with this man going over text after text - learning word after word from a language that was not his own. This man - this Oscha wasn’t the teacher Opettaja Valo could be but he was getting the hang of it. He was getting better, even more so because he wasn’t permitted to speak in his own language outside the walls of that room - and the more he learned of this Wonderlandian, the less he was allowed to ask questions in Misterican.
So that meant outside of his lessons if he could not think of the words to speak properly as His Excellency called it then he simply did not speak at all. Which was odd for a man who was such a boy so talkative but also it was fine because there was something about the three he had landed himself into living with that didn’t set quite right.
He didn't want to talk to them and that woman he wanted even less to do with. The boy - They all called him His Excellency and he was quite positive at this point that just because he bore the body of a child - he most certainly was not one. He seemed far too old to be simply a boy - even if he had a habit of throwing fits like one.
Mother and Father would never. He can't imagine any of his teachers suffering such behavior out of him and Revon certainly wouldn't have. He knows full well the Aurorean would have simply lifted him and carried him out of the room. Had a stern talking with him coupled with a firm ‘Valkoinen’ and that was something he never wanted to hear out of the man ever.
Even if he would give anything and take any kind of lecture if it meant he could have the knight with him now. He hasn't seen him in three years and it's three years too long. He hasn't seen any of them in three years and he doesn't know how he's supposed to survive without people so close as his Soul Binds, but he's had to figure it out by the day.
Those days have not been easy.
Windaria was one mess to figure out but this was entirely another one and it didn't seem like he would be leaving this world any time soon. The Child gave him an awful feeling that he couldn't quite explain. He hadn't done anything awful (to his knowledge) but that doesn't mean the sensation that somehow found its way to his bones ever left. There was something rotten in this castle and he couldn't quite figure out what it was.
Months passed and he never figured it out. Months into a whole year and while his grasp on this language was a bit better now that doesn't mean he liked speaking it - so he tried to remain largely silent.
He had taken up space on the right side of the room, to His Excellency’s right side against the wall where he could see what was going on but at the same time remain out of the way (and hopefully out of anyone's mind) so that he didn't interfere with things he wanted no part in any way.
Today a screen is dropped at the front of the room and they are watching the way people in a village are going about their day with Herba on the other side.
“Herba.” His Excellency calls out to her and stops for a moment as if to listen with no face to look back to. “I'm tired of the way the people in this town disobey me. They've been organizing with the rebels. I just know it.”
“So then what would you have me do, Excellency?”
Her voice is a low purr as poison purple lips curve up into a smile and if that has been anything to adjust to for the Misterican, it's been the color purple being anything related to poison.
“Kill them. Kill all of them. I'm sick of this village. It's an eyesore. Wipe them off the map. They don't deserve to live in a world as beautiful as my Wonderland.”
“Consider it don-”
“Wait.”
That's the right word isn't it? The prince can only ponder as he lets it jump out of his throat and into the air as if a plea for attention to be drawn to him and him alone.
Pale blue eyes are on him while the woman of poison remains in her place.
“Wait. Please Wait.” The swordsman sounds again taking a single step forward with desperation in his voice. “They haven't done anything. You can't prove it. There's no reason to kill them, they're innocent.”
Pale lips are pulling from the heavy frown they hung in to curve up into a sly fox-like smile as deep blue galaxies continue to take all of the Cloud in.
“Makenshi.” It's an almost purr of his new name as the Tyrant's attention shifts to him entirely. “It is unlike you to speak out of turn. Tell me child, are you scared for them? I know you are. I can feel it when you get scared.”
There's something about the way those blue eyes are looking at him that makes the boy suddenly feel larger than he is. There is something about the way pale lips curve up into an eerie smile and the way Oscha seems to fade away into the shadows as if he was never there at all to begin with.
“I -” The Misterican stammers. “I mean I-”
“You can tell me the truth, Makenshi. There's no point in lying. I already know you're upset. I can feel it. I can feel your fear for them. You don't want them to die, do you?”
He shakes his head in place of the language he's been taught over the course of this last half year slipping from his mind for a quick moment.
“So then what will you do? I'm hungry Makenshi and I have to eat. Will you trade me pain in their stead? Will you trade me suffering? Will you sate my appetite, boy?”
Snow falls as jade eyes look to the floor and the prince sighs. There is something deeply unsettling about the entire situation. There is something off about all of it and he doesn't know what to say. If he dies, does that mean these people get to live? If he gives up his own life then will they be spared?
“I - I don't - En halua kuolla.” (I don't want to die.)
“I know, child, but you have a choice to make and if you're going to chime up for them then you need to stick to your convictions. Will you give me suffering in their stead?”
He's sighing again as his eyes remain locked to the floor. He's sighing again as the screen goes dim until it disappears entirely and he doesn't know what is about to happen. All he knows is this is going to be a terrible talk.
“You know, for a swordsman you're such a Little Cloud.”
And he hates the way the boy’s voice purrs when he speaks to him. He hates the way the room feels so stiff and stuffy and the air becomes so … hard to breathe.
“Come over here, child.”
But the Cloud doesn’t move. He doesn’t want to. He doesn’t know if he can. He’s positive if he goes over there something bad will happen. He’s positive if he goes over there then it’s going to hurt and he doesn’t want it to hurt. They have been kind to him since he got here.
Mostly kind.
Sort of kind.
Tolerable.
It’s better than living out there lost and alone, isn’t it?
Now he doesn’t know if it is. He doesn’t know if he made the right choice but that voice is booming again in a low angered demand that is no longer patient with him as it had been before.
“I said come over here Makenshi. I have finally figured out your place. I have finally figured out what to do with you, My Little Cloud. “
But he still isn’t coming over and he is still staring at the floor and he is still feeling a twisting pit in his stomach that will not go away. So there isn’t time to react when something is stretching and growing out of His Excellency’s throne. There are long tendril-like vines that look to be made of blood and flesh. Fear fills him in a moment, but he’s not quick enough to get away. He’s twisted up in their grasp and being drug back over to the ruler of this world as the boy groans at him in frustration.
“You made your own bed child, now you have to sleep in it. You wanted me to spare their lives but I need someone’s pain instead so now I’ll just have yours.” There is a small hand burying itself into his hair and wrenched his head backwards as icy blue eyes glare down at him as he’s pulled directly next to the small ruler’s throne.
“Let me make this perfectly clear to you, boy. This world is mine and everything and everyone in it is also mine. That includes those villagers and that includes you. You are nothing more than the poor pet that didn’t have a place to go or a home to run to so I took you in and that’s honestly more than you deserve after everything that’s happened. So now you will pay me back in kind for all I’ve ever done for you.”
He - doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t know - he doesn’t want to die. He doesn’t want to die. He’s survived all this time and through the destruction of two worlds. He can’t die like this. He can’t go out like this. Not in this place. If he dies - will his Mist even make it back to the Celestial Mother? He - can’t -
Screaming
The tendrils that are wrapped around him are squeezing and he feels like he’s being crushed. It’s impolite to scream but how polite can one be when someone is trying to kill you.
“Fight back, Holdfény.”
He can hear Szél’s voice in his mind and of all the years he just spent with the man that would be his Other, at the very least he needs to know what happened to him. He can’t go out like this. So there is a click at the back of his belt as his sword raises as if with a will of his own and he orders it to attack. To lunge forward and strike down the beast that would threaten him but a second tendril catches the blade by the blade and merely holds it in place.
“Don’t fight me, Little Cloud. You agreed to this, you can’t back out now. Unless you want me to tell Herba to go ahead and wipe that village out afterall.”
How - how is he holding the holy blade and not feeling the shock back that Lady Tiamat renders to all who would touch her grace without her permission?
He only feels the beast squeeze him harder until his screaming feels like it will knock his own hearing out when his sumunaamio splits down the center and he lurches forward if only to cough up the blood that’s torn itself from his throat.
He can feel the tears rushing down his face. The blood running down his chin. Everything hurts. He’s dizzy. His head is spinning and everything His Excellency is saying is starting to sound like he’s being held underwater.
He doesn’t want to die.
So he’ll fight. He’ll fight with everything he is. He’ll thrash and fight and squirm and do anything he can to get away from this monster but never in his life has he ever felt so powerless. He’s been able to do things no other person could his entire life. He’s been accepted by the Celestial Mother herself so why can’t he get away from this monster?!
“STOP RESISTING!”
There isn’t enough time to really process the words as he’s raised into the air and slammed back down against the marble floor. His head cracks against the polished surface and his eyes go wide if only for a moment before jade blanks out and his body hangs limply in place and soon he’s dropped to the floor to lay in a pile of himself as blood stains snow white locks.
“Your Excellency.” Oscha sounds as he resurfaces from the shadows. “I believe you killed him. What would you like me to do with him?”
“Throw him in his room and wait. If he is as I believe - “
“- Of course Your Excellency. “
It is a hard GASP that escapes him and he jerks to set up, nearly knocking himself into the mask of the man standing over him.
“Oh good. Makenshi you’re awake.”
“Wh-what happened?” The swordsman stammers out as he looks around a bit bewildered.
“Oh. You don’t remember. I suppose that makes sense. You died, Makenshi.”
“I - “ Jade stares at him a bit bewildered and confused. “I - died? That’s not possible.”
“Oh but it is, child. You’re exactly what we thought you were. You, Makenshi, are Unlimited.”
white cloud + TRUTH + out of the four "original" lords of gaudium, which one do you hate most?
SEND ‘ TRUTH ‘ + A QUESTION AND MY MUSE HAS TO ANSWER. NO LYING ALLOWED.
"Herba easily holds that title, if not with Pist in a close second. I have a different set of feelings towards Oscha that are messy and complicated and none of them are nice. Herba is simple and straight forward and the things I would do to her if I ever got my hands on her are as brutal as the things she's done onto others. I hate that which and I have seen the brutal, horrible, miserable ways she's tortured and experimented with living beings like they were her simple play things.
I have seen with my own eyes the horror and trauma she's caused to the people of these lands and if I am in debt to His Excellency, then she is in debt to Wonderland. I'm more than happy to collect for them."
🛠️ + What's one thing that'll get you angry right away?
"Angry right away? You mean like a hot button? Well my friends and family are a hot button and that includes my beautiful ladies. I don't really care if no one else understands it but they're more than just machines to me. They're my inventions and I put my blood, sweat, and tears into building them. So damage to them or the loss of them really gets me going. I've already lost Catharine and Jane, if anything happens to Sylvia I swear I'll lose my mind.
But on another note that also means my friends and family. The people of the Comodeen raised me. I don't remember anything else - they're all I know and then there's Kumo - he - might have been our enemy at one time but it was hardly by choice and then to see what they did to him when he went against Gaudium and protected us.
He almost died. He was bleeding out when we found him after that last battle with The Earl. Who knows how much longer he could have lasted if we hadn't stumbled upon him. Kumo may be immortal but Chaos can kill him and that wound - I can't get it out of my head. Whatever it was ran him straight through.
I hate seeing my loved ones hurt. It always gets my blood boiling because my loved ones are all I have."
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ There are jade moons narrowing down on the traveler in question as arms cross and hidden lips hang in a frown.
"That's complicated issue. It depends on what you mean by it. Should I be seen? Yes and no. People should see all the good I'm doing for them but that miserable wretch messed everything up for all of us and now I can't show my face in just about any village or town here in Wonderland without getting promptly chased out of it - even if I have no ill intentions for it's inhabitants.
I can't be seen with Black Wind. I can't be seen in any village and I certainly can't be seen dealing with Gaudium's remnants. Here I am trying to bring these people betterment but because of the transgressions and negligence of that demon now I have to clean up his mess as well as Gaudium's. Really it would be better for all of us if he would just disappear.
I have a plan to put in place and an enemy to starve but it's hard to do that when my mere presence strikes terror into the hearts of Wonderlandians everywhere simply because of that beast. He's made my job twice as hard as it needs to be, but I suppose despite that all. Even if he made the mess, then it should be my job to bury him."
