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yuisdad · 21 days

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Review and Rerwite of Hiiro no Kakera's anime adaptation

Overly long post ahead.

Hiiro no Kakera, also known as Scarlet Fragments in English, is a 2006 ps2 otome game created by the then new Otomate sub-brand of Idea Factory, and was the company’s first flagship franchise that garnered over different ports and sequels. It’s 2 season anime adaptation came out in 2012, with an English Dub by Sentai Filmworks in 2013.

The story is about Tamaki Kasuga, who moves back into the countryside at her grandmother’s request. Upon arriving, she not only discovers that it’s filled with many spirits, but it also contains the Onikirimaru, a sword with the ability to destroy the world, and as the next generation’s Tamayori Princess, Tamaki must do her best to seal the sword in order to prevent the world being enveloped by unruly spirits.

Tamaki also has guardians with her, each of them representing different creatures that helped the first princess long ago. Tamaki and her knew found friends also need to fight off an enemy organization called Logos, originating from Germany and run by a 10 year old girl.

Characters:

Tamaki Kasuga: The protagonist and the next Tamayori princess. Is apparently the ‘Oujou-sama’ type character, where she’s a little stuck up and mouthy, but is otherwise kindhearted and a hard worker.

Takuma Onizaki: A descendant of an oni, he’s the first guy Tamaki meets and initially dislikes because he called her ‘clumsy’. He’s apparently the ‘tsundere’ type, and is the one Tamaki ends up with.

Yuichi Komura: A descendant of a fox spirit, he’s the 'kuudere’ type with the ability to cast illusions and fire. He also has narcolepsy, which the show thinking it’s funny that he sleeps at random times.

Mahiro Atori: A descendant of a crow spirit that can control wind, he’s hot-blooded and short for his age. One of the few instances where a main guy character is shorter than the protagonist.

Suguru Omi: A descendant of a snake spirit that can control water, he’s very mellow and is the oldest of the main cast. He seemingly turns on the others to join Logos, but his actual goal is to prevent another sacrifice to the Onikirimaru from happening.

Shinji Inukai: The shy youngest of the main cast who uses words to cast magic, he seems to be the descendant of the wolf spirit, but he’s actually a part of Logos working as a spy under the code name Funf. Thank God I watched the dub because I heard his original voice was really annoying.

Ryo Kutani: A mysterious character who turns out to be the actual wolf spirit descendant, and I believe he can control earth. The first thing he does is sniff Tamaki and she rightfully calls him a sexual harasser. He appears later into the first season.

Shizuki Ugaya: Tamaki’s grandmother and the current Tamayori Princess before her granddaughter takes over. Initially appears to have Tamaki’s best interest, but is later revealed to have been sacrificing other villagers (aka, drowning them) for the sake of the Onikirimaru, and attempts to kill Tamaki and Takuma as well.

Mitsuru Kotokura: A shrine maiden who takes care of the house and prepares meals. She initially has feelings for Shinji, but it’s later revealed that they are twins…The game makes this even weirder. She’s traumatized from helping Shizuki sacrificing the town’s villagers to the point where she disassociates and behaves like a doll following orders.

O-chan: A little fox spirit that appears out of the shadows. Has a human form in the games. He’s a cutie pie and I love him.

Kiyono Takara: Tamaki’s classmate who makes money from making straw voodoo dolls. She’s quite excitable and is weirdly into knowing Tamaki’s love life. She’s actually 23 and is a spy for a governmental bureaucracy, using her youthful looks to sneak into high school to keep an eye on the Onikirimaru.

Masataka Ashiya: A businessman who works for the government and likes eating rice crackers. Initially thought to be Kiyono’s uncle, he’s actually her boss and wants to control the Onikirimaru for the sake of world peace…and by world peace, he actually means controlling the world to his bureaucracy’s image.

Aria Rozenburg: The 10 year old leader of Logos who is believed to be a sacred maiden blessed by Gods. She’s only being used by Logos because she’s the only one who can break the barrier containing the five artifacts that weaken the Onikirimaru’s power.

Eins/Leif Helluland: An aid to Aria who wants the Onikirimaru to protect her. Has guilt over losing a child that looked like Aria.

Zwei/Hugo Stingrail: Another aid to Aria who wields a death sythe and eats his opponents’ souls. He’s actually a human being controlled by a spirit.

Drei/Magus Melchizedek: Another aid to Aria with ulterior motives. He’s the big bad and one of the founding four Wisemen of Logos. He killed the original Drei and took his place to better manipulate his way to wield the Onikirimaru. He’s also a mage who wants to control the world that outcasted him for his magical abilities.

Vier: The closest aid to Aria and was chosen by Aria herself out of all of her subordinates. Acts motherly towards Aria and has her best interest. Disguises herself as an English teacher named Fiona Ashiuma and converses with Shinji behind the scenes. She’s actually a homunculus of Suguru’s dead mother who was one of the many sacrificial victims that seals the Onikirimaru.

Thoughts:

The anime suffers from sticking close to the game’s story and pacing, leading it to have the same issue as the game it’s based on; the plot is boring and slow paced up until it’s later half with sporadic fight scenes sprinkled in. You would think the first season would use it’s time to develop the relationship between it’s main cast, but it only has the characters suddenly saying they’re close without actually showing them spending time together, outside of more comedic scenes. The worst offender is Ryo, who appears later into the first season and doesn’t have that many scenes with the main cast, but apparently they consider him a close friend by the end of the series. The show spends most of it’s time building things up that the second season pays off rather than character interactions that could help develop their relationships more naturally.

I’m also not a fan of how some of the guys treat Tamaki…er, the ones who actually have an established relationship with her, who are Takuma and Mahiro. The guardians are established to listen to the Tamayori Princess without question, but Takuma and Mahiro constantly question and berate Tamaki’s decisions and her capabilities of being a Tamayori Princess from the start, as well as dismiss her concerns about their well-being and self-sacrificial tendencies. Cue in my confusion where they say that they support Tamaki and will no longer die for her sake and instead work together in the last few episodes. These two are particularly bad with this because Mahiro’s ancestor knew the first princess the most and made a promise to die for her instead of letting her get killed, and Takuma’s ancestor was killed by the original princess along with killing herself for the sake of sealing the Onikirimaru’s powers. Outside of Shinji and Ryo, the others say they will die for Tamaki when she’s made it clear she doesn’t want that, ignore her wishes anyways and nearly get killed fighting Logos, up until the few final episodes of the first season where they decide to work together with Tamaki.

The first season also has an issue where they fill scenes with lore dumps, Logos sitting around talking about lore and the main cast also talking about lore. Lore is a good way to establish the characters and the world they’re in, but most of the dialogue revolves around the Onikirimaru and the five seals’ purpose that characters just hanging out and having fun together are few and far between. Thankfully, the second season not only has better pacing overall, but it actually has characters doing things outside of fight scenes and off-screen moments.

There are also moments where it seems like set up to important character work, like how the guardians are viewed as disposable monsters by the general public and the main cast going through generational trauma, but it’s all overshadowed by not only lore dumps, but the writers feel the need to make almost every main character as complex as possible. This is a problem the game apparently has as well, where they take focus away from the guardians and shift development onto Logos, leaving characters like Yuichi and Ryo to get very little screen time and moments with the other main cast members. Complex antagonists aren’t bad in theory, but it becomes a bad thing when the show also has to develop 7 main characters, which is why antagonists often work better as being one note. Outside of Aria and Vier, I don’t care about the others, and the only one who actually works as a villain is Drei because he’s the only one who has a set goal and is written in a way where the writers don’t want it’s audience to sympathize with.

I’m also not a fan of how the Onikirimaru is presented as malevolent in nature rather than it becoming dangerous to use based on it’s users’ desires. No matter who the user is, it just turns them evil. An example is how the Oni that Takuma is descended from wanted revenge on the Gods who killed his people. Not only does this paint revenge as an inherent act of evil, but it also establishes that the Onikirimaru’s powers came from another Oni who we don’t see until Hiiro no Kakera 3 rather than Takuma’s ancestor, because they wanted to establish a tragic romace between the Oni and the first Princess, and since Tamaki and Takuma are reincarnations of both of them, I guess they want to absolve Takuma’s ancestor being the possible creator of the Onikirimaru and just do a 'revenge bad’ backstory on top of it.

Rewrite:

In terms of lore, the Onikirimaru works similarly to the Elements of Harmony from My Little Pony’s fourth generation, where it’s fated user wields the item’s ability based on their desires. Any user that uses it for evil purposes, like Sunset Shimmer in the first Equestria Girls’ film, will corrupt the magic the item holds.

Takuma’s descendant, the god of the underworld, decided to become the Tamayori Princess’s guardian to work closely with the Gods for the betterment of demon’s reputation and to protect the world itself. However, he formed a twisted infatuation with the princess through the teachings of the guardians being sacrifices to the princess if she were in danger, leading him to commit acts that he thinks would be better for the princess alone, tarnishing the bond he made with the Gods and other demons, as well as the other guardians. This twisted love and paranoia causes him to use his sword and five artifacts protecting the world to kill the Gods and his people, as well as killing the other guardians when they tried to stop him. The oni only stops when he sees what he did to his world, Earth, and the world above, as well as seeing the princess in complete and utter misery.

The princess decides to seal the sword with both her powers and the Oni’s via killing both of them so her and the oni’s powers could be in balance so another disaster wouldn’t happen. This leads to future generations of the princess and the oni to share the power of the Onikorimaru rather than having powers themselves. The princess also sealed the sword’s powers with the remaining magic the artifacts have, leaving the artifacts in a weakened state to where it could only protect a village rather than the entire world. This leads to future generations having multiple princesses throughout the world that could support the ones originating in Japan.

Aria Rozenburg is the European equivalent of the Tamayori Princess, and she, along with other princesses around the globe, has the abilities to wield the artifacts and sword if their original wielders die. Her parents wanted Aria to live a fairly normal life to not cause her stress, leaving her to be sheltered off from the world and the guardians she only met in passing. These guardians were made up of the controversial Logos, whom Germany has a tenuous relationship with due to their tactics not keeping in line with the princess’s best interests and well being. The founder of Logos, Magus Melchizedek, kills one of the guardians to take their place as well as kills Aria’s parents to use Aria’s abilities to take control of the artifacts and sword. He also creates a clone of Suguru’s dead mother so Aria can have a motherly figure she can depend on after the 'unknown’ cause of death of Aria’s parents.

Tamaki moves to the countryside to become a shrine maiden under her grandmother, but learns that she’s the next princess in line, and direly so since the artifacts protecting the village and the Onikirimaru has been weakening over time. The cause of this is Tamaki and Takuma being reincarnations of their first ancestors, causing the sword’s powers to become unbalanced since they have regained their abilities that future generations weren’t capable of having.

The guardians were taught to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the princess, but seeing how fiercely loyal Aria’s guardians are to their princess leads them to start questioning their purpose in regards to protecting Tamaki.

In regards for overall characters, Tamaki is similarly spoiled and mouthy like Aria, but where they differ is how they were raised. Tamaki, aside from being more mature in general, is still kind to others and does her best to be a great princess, even of that means getting her hands dirty. Tamaki was also raised by loving parents who taught her life experience, even if they spoil her a little too much. Aria, on the other hand, is more selfish with her role due to literally being ten and being taken advantage of by guy who hypes her up to be the rightful owner to wield the artifacts and sword. Before that, Aria was sheltered due to her parents not trusting Logos’ protection, but it was at the cost of her not gaining enough knowledge about her role and how to treat others up until her current age, making her seem more immature than how a ten year old usually acts.

Takuma’s words may come off as a little harsh, especially at the beginning, but he’s ultimately sweet and a tad awkward, but has a hard time expressing his thoughts clearly, which led to Tamaki initially not liking him. However, the two of them eventually become close friends due to their shared interests in 'odd’ things, (Tamaki is a shrine nerd and collects ayakashi themed items, as well as seeing and interacting with spirits her whole life, while Takuma is into crossword puzzles and creates close bonds with the spirits in the village, even giving them names), as well as their initial abrasive attitudes causing some of their peers at school to think they’re know-it-alls. Takuma’s arc deals with him learning to be more emotional since it was ingrained in him to keep his feelings at bay for the sake of the princess, as well as learning to not feel guilt over using his powers from his first ancestor.

After an initial mix-up with Tamaki thinking Mahiro is much younger due to his height, the two of them hit it off and have a relationship similar to siblings who annoy others in their proximity. Mahiro dreams of traveling the world when he’s older, but he puts them aside to focus on protecting Tamaki. Ironically, it was Tamaki and the other guardians who helped him reignite his interest in traveling, even making money in bizarre ways to help him achieve his dream.

Yuichi is seemingly stoic and brutally honest to others except himself, and acts as the student council president and is the smartest in his class. He’s an intense rule follower, leading him to be the hardest to get through to not sacrificing himself for both Tamaki and his friends. He becomes more mellowed out when he learns to have fun and relax sometimes. This all comes to ahead when he learns of the sacrifice of the other civilians, leading him to snap and almost attacks Tamaki’s grandma, as well as having an existential crisis about his role on being a guardian. Cue him being comforted by his friends and found family, leading him to wanting to remain friends with everyone rather than acting as a shield.

Suguru acts as an older brother/parental figure to the other guardians and Tamaki, mostly due to the trauma of losing his mother at a young age and would often comfort the others after Shizuki’s harsh scolding. He starts working as a spy and pretends to join Logos to understand how they find the artifacts and their true goal. It’s here that he discovers Shinji was working for Logos and that his dead mother’s body was used to make a clone of her. He eventually reveals to the others about the sacrifice of the other villagers for the sake of keeping the Onikirimaru sealed.

Mitsuru and Shinji are twins who were born from a shrine maiden, but Shinji was stolen as a baby by Logos to create a spy that would replace the wolf spirit after Ryo and his family moved away. Both of them were given abilities by the bureaucracy Masataka and Kiyono work at. Mitsuru is able to create force fields and Shinji is able to materialize items using words that appear on his body. As the years went by and Mitsuru became a part of sacrificing civilians, she disassociates and only acts when given orders.

Shinji was raised by Logos into believing that Aria is the true princess, but he’s not fiercely loyal to her like the others, and often acts as the closest thing she has to a family member and giving Aria reprieve from constantly being praised by her guardians. Shinji starts to question both Shizuki and Logos after spending time with Tamaki and the others, ultimately deciding he wants to free everyone from their so called 'fates’. When Shinji met Mitsuru, the two automatically have a close connection that they initially couldn’t describe, as well as revealing their secrets to each other before anyone else. Once they realize they’re twins, both of them decide to abandon their initial roles to help each other as well as their friends.

Ryo moved with his parents at a young age since they didn’t want their son to be sacrificed for the sake of the princess. Growing up, he exhibited odd behavior due to being the wolf spirit’s descendant, such as sniffing and hearing things from far distances and eating more portions than the usual child, causing him to become a victim of bullying by his peers. He grew up as a loner and was emotionally distant aside from his parents.

Entering high school, his parents moved a little closer to the countryside, deciding to go to the same school as the next princess since he wanted to protect her on his on volition, as well as hoping to bond with her and the guardians. He was only able to make friends with Kiyono, making him seem even weirder to everyone else since he was hanging out with someone who has interest in the occultic arts. He especially became upset and confused when Shinji took his place as the wolf spirit guardian role, and even more angry that Shinji was working with the enemies. After some initial bad impressions, he becomes a part of the friend group and becomes more open to the others, to the point of putting his hatred of Shinji aside to help him question the situation he was put into.

Logos themselves, aside from Drei, are only semi-competent since they need Aria to steal the artifacts, although this leads to various results. Eins represents the oni and is willing to become as powerful as possible for Aria’s sake. When he discovers Drei’s true motives, he begrudgingly hands Aria to Suguru to protect her, and gets heavily wounded protecting Aria from Drei attempting to kill her. Zwei represents the crow and eats his enemies’ souls after defeating them…at least he would if he didn’t lose every time. Behaves oddly and cranky to everyone else except Aria, where he acts rather calm and collected so he wouldn’t scare her away. Tends to give her dirty toys in the forest as presents. After discovering Drei’s real motives, he takes Aria and nopes the fuck out with Eins and Vier following him.

Vier is the most level-headed of the group and is only working with Logos since Aria not only chose her to become the representation of the snake guardian, but also from a desire to protect Aria from vague memories of leaving a young Suguru behind before being sacrificed for the Onikirimaru. Unlike the others, she’s always been weary of Logos due to how they treat Aria as a messiah figure, and her remembering Suguru, as well as disguising herself as an English teacher, only fueled her hatred for how the Tamyori Princess is treated. After the final battle, she decides to raise Aria herself while occasionally visiting Suguru.

Drei was around during the first Tamayori Princess’ rule. After seeing the oni’s terror on the Gods and his friends, as well as discovering that the princess and oni’s powers were sealed inside the Onikirimaru, he wanted that power for himself since he believes he’s the true ruler that was robbed of his 'fate’. He created Logos to keep track of a German princess who has the abilities to take the sword for him, but up until recently his plans were always thwarted. When he figures out the sword was weakening due to Tamaki and Takuma’s gaining their past incarnation’s abilities, he finally sets his plan into motion. Almost kills Tamaki and Takuma to seal their powers in the sword, but ends up being defeated and killed. Hammy and deliciously evil as fuck of course>:)

Kiyono is Ryo’s only friend and is classmates with Tamaki, often giving her seemingly unimportant advice that later becomes relevant. Is mocked by her peers for her interest in occultic items and legends and usually sells them to make money. She’s 19 due to starting school a year late, but she looks a bit younger and often says she’s around 17-18 to mess with those who make fun of her.

Kiyono works with her boss Masataka at the governmental bureaucracy that overlooks the Tamayori Princess. Masataka created the bureaucracy to deal with the sword his own way and becomes a threat in Hiiro no Kakera 3, where he gets a god complex after discovering an unfinished project from Logos where they created mirrors that act as portals to alternate timelines. Views the guardians as disposable mongrels.

Shizuki Ugaya is the current Tamayori Princess and is training Tamaki so she can take her place. Raised to be willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of protecting the world from danger, she grew up isolated to not form any strong relationships with her guardians. As the Onikirimaru’s seal was weakening over the years, she was initially going to kill herself to seal it, but since she still needed to act as ruler, she reluctantly decided to sacrifice the villagers to keep the swords powers at bay until Tamaki can replace her. She acts cold and distant to others under the belief that she could hide her guilt and crimes long enough after Tamaki succeeds her. When she’s ultimately succeeded, she faces the consequences of drowning civilians.

The main themes for Hiiro no Kakera is how generational trauma effects others and protecting your loved ones by being their for them rather than acting against their wishes.

#Hiiro no Kakera #scarlet fragments #otome games #visual novel

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ikemen-bully · 4 years

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@ledivetrov Now I see what you mean about Tomonori xD

#hiiro no kakera #hiiro no kakera 4 #scarlet fate #tomonori kotokura #otome game

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cleaetpauline60 · 7 years

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♡ Otomate Poll ♡ (Source) (10/11)

❥ 82. Louis XVI [ Bara ni Kakusareshi Verite ] (Seiyuu: Shirai Yusuke)

❥ 83. Lagi el Nagil [ Wand of Fortune ] (Seiyuu: Kakihara Tetsuya)

❥ 84. Alma [ Bad Apple Wars ] (Seiyuu: Sakurai Takahiro)

❥ 85. Orion [ Amnesia ] (Seiyuu: Igarashi Hiromi)

❥ 86. Kotokura no Tomonori [ Shirahana no Ori ] (Seiyuu: Saiga Mitsuki)

❥ 87. Lancelot [ Princess Arthur ] (Seiyuu: Ono Yuki)

❥ 88. Watamori Kaede [ Natsuzora no Monologue ] (Seiyuu: Okamoto Nobuhiko)

❥ 89. Kano Aoi [ Gekka Ryouran Romance ] (Seiyuu: Terashima Takuma)

❥ 90. Chouryou [ Jyuzaengi ] (Seiyuu: Yusa Koji)

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i0990 · 7 years

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Poor Mitsuru. Nothing good ever happens when her eyes turn all blank.

#kotokura mitsuru #hiiro no kakera #hiiro no kakera omoiiro no kioku #otome game #Otomate #hnk spoilers #spoilers #ryo plays hnk

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mikusingularity · 5 years

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history of hatsunia

Hatsunia is an island by the sea filled with green onions and it's

~♪♫ beautiful ♫♪~

(Hatsunese Paleolithic: -39000 to -13900)

People walk from mainland Asia and make music with bone flutes.

(Nendo period: -13900 to -300)

Hunting, gathering, and making cute clay figurines.

(Dōtaku period: -300 to 250)

Imported technologies, like really good metal, crazy rice farms, and lots of musical instruments (like this bell).

(Kogaku period: 250 to 539)

Rise of the Yamato Yamaha kingdom, ruled by a heavenly superperson, or Emperor (or Empress) for short.

(Meichō period: 539 to 710)

Knock knock, get the door, it's religion! (Buddhism from Baekje)

Government reforms to govern more, and be more like China (a government that governs more).

China calls them "dipshit," so they start calling themselves the "~the land of the first sound~" (初音国, Hatsune-koku).

They start waving green onions whenever they hear the first sounds of the morning.

(Takada period: 710 to 794)

They make music and art, steal China's alphabet, and write books, about themselves!

Books about how it all started in -693 with the help of a beautiful singer with blue-green twintails. Here is some art of her made several centuries later:

(Wasei period: 794 to 1185)

The capital stays in one place (Wasei, later known as Mankyoku)

A dreamworld of music and art, where no one gives a shit about running the country. So how are you supposed to protect your shit, from criminals? ~hire a samurai~

(Kotokura period: 1185 to 1333)

Samurai become more powerful than the government, and form their own military government (shogunate). They also adopt Zen Buddhism and play on flutes.

Mongols try to invade, but then die in a tornado. An emperor tries to take back control but also fails.

(Enmachi period: 1336 to 1521)

A new shogunate takes over, and people attend musical dramas.

But then a shogun succession crisis occurs (vote now on your phones), and the whole country breaks into pieces. The "War of Lost Songs" begins.

[Here is where it really starts to diverge.]

(Momiji Restoration: 1521 to 1560)

Empress Momiji and some samurai are disgruntled with the whole "shogunate" thing, and successfully retake control after guns are introduced by the Portuguese in the town of Minamikushi.

Later, they have a chocolate bar named after her [source: Maker Hikōshiki Hatsune Mix].

(Shinkyoku period: 1560 to 1868)

The capital is moved from the western island to the east, and is called Shinkyoku. The country is not closed, but it does not expand and interfere with others, either.

People travel, which is "fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” Hatsunia gets caught up with all the music being developed in Europe. Lots of social reforms occur.

[Disclaimer: What follows is a hypothetical "antithesis" to Japanese imperialism. I do not intend to "erase history" or endorse the war crime deniers who tarnish Japan.]

(Moeji period: 1868 to 1912)

The "State of Hatsunia" is established under Empress Moeji, who also has a chocolate bar named after her. The "Future Metropolis" (Miraito) is founded in the north.

The government emulates western democracies but not the other western thing (conquering stuff). They even give equal rights to the indigenous Ainu people.

Spain has islands in Micronesia, or Mikuroneshia (ミクロネシア) in Hatsunese. But they just lost a war against the US. So you know what that means? Duh, ~Hatsunia should take the islands~. They are purchased from Spain, but the natives are treated fairly as well.

Hatsunia decides to befriend Korea, their closest neighbor. Otherwise, they might prefer to side with Russia and become "a dagger pointed at Hatsunia." Hatsunia and Korea then fight Russia together, but barely win.

(Ninshō period: 1912 to 1984)

Hatsunia participates in World War I and World War II as part of the Allies. Their democracy isn’t fragile during the Great Depression.

Instead of bombing Pearl Harbor, a pact is signed with the US, and they fight against an Axis China (taken over by the fascist Blue Shirts Society).

After the war, Hatsunia forms a Mutual East Asian Cooperation Union, or MEACU for short. Like a "Co-Prosperity Sphere," but genuine and not a cover for brutal oppression.

(Shōhei period: 1984 to 2019)

Hatsunia starts to make computers, cellphones, robots, and software as fast as they can. And also better than everybody else. They get rich, and the economy goes wild.

And the miracle doesn’t wear off. They even land on the Moon and build a space station. It really looks like they could take over the world through technology, economics, and pop culture.

(Chiwa period: 2019 to ????)

"~How 'bout I do, anyway~" says the artificial intelligence known as Hatsune Miku, in the year 2039. The world then becomes hers. ~bye~

#miku #hatsune miku #初音ミク #history of japan #hatsunese culture

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monster-girl-luv · 11 years

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"Empress Echidna" by kotokura Source

#Echidna #kotokura #puzzles and dragons #monster girl #lamia #naga #Echidna the Red Empress

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waifuoftomonori · 5 months

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Aki After Tentacles: Chapter 3 - Vulture (Part 1)

Aki shuddered a little, keeping a safe distance between himself and the diviner. How much did Furutsugu know about what had happened a few nights ago? How had he even learned? “None of your business,” he muttered, glancing to either side to make sure no one had overheard.

“Oh? With all due respect, Aki-chan, I think it’s very much my business. If things don’t work out with Tomonori, I’m your next best option, after all.” Akifusa hastily stepped back, provoking a melodious laugh. “I’m joking. It’s just a friendly piece of advice, given in good faith. There’s no need to read too much into it… unless you want to. My offer still stands.”

“I-I’m good, thanks!”

“I just thought I would ask.” Furutsugu shrugged fluidly and started to saunter off.

“Wait,” Aki heard himself blurt out. His face flamed scarlet as the ambassador turned around; his hands curled into fists at his sides. He didn’t really want to rely on Furutsugu of all people, but… well, out of everyone in Kifu, the scumbag sorcerer was probably the most experienced when it came to this kind of thing. “What do you mean, my ‘womanly charms’?”

Furutsugu blinked, and then a slow, devious smile unfolded across his features. “Let’s take a little stroll around the pond, shall we? I’ll tell you everything I think could be valuable.”

Akifusa’s first lesson was focused entirely on walking like a woman. “With every step, sway your hips from side to side— you have such soft, voluptuous hips, Aki-chan; it would be a crime not to show them off to the world.” Furutsugu was walking a few paces behind him, insisting he could give better advice if he had a clear view.

Akifusa gritted his teeth but did his best to follow instructions, swinging his newly feminine hips one way and then the other, trying not to think about how much his butt was wiggling and how much his perverted one-man audience was probably loving it. If this worked, all of the humiliation would be worth it.

“Slow down a little, Aki-chan. Give Tomonori a chance to admire those gorgeous curves in motion. …Lovely, just like that. You’re very fetching as a woman, Aki-chan; there’s not a man alive who could look at you without picturing you naked.”

His head whipped around. “What—”

“Haven’t you noticed all the stares as we’ve been walking? I guarantee every one of those men was imagining you moaning his name and writhing in ecstasy beneath him, your sumptuous curves on full display. Perhaps a few of them were picturing you with their wives as well. I’m so lucky that such a beautiful woman is honoring me with a private show!” Furutsugu laughed at his expression. “Why is that such a surprise? Your new body is irresistible to men, and you asked me to instruct you in the art of seduction.”

“Only for Tomonori—”

“I have good news for you, Aki-chan. Tomonori is a man.” The diviner dropped him a wink while Aki was still spluttering. “Once you shake that shapely backside in his face a few times, he won’t be able to resist your charms.”

Akifusa tried not to shiver at this sentence, tried not to imagine Tomo’s lips parting while his crimson eyes darkened with desire, tried not to imagine Tomo seizing his waist in a fit of passion, shoving him up against the wall, and smacking his bum around while murmuring in his ear, telling Aki how big a fool he was, and failed miserably.

Furutsugu, who’d been closely watching his expression, licked his lips. “I don’t mean to be crass by bringing up the matter of payment, but—”

“Then shut up!” Snapping back to his senses, Akifusa defended his honor with a well-aimed knee (a practical move the Princess had taught him specifically for this purpose) and sprinted off.

That afternoon, though, when he found Tomonori seated alone in the main hall, writing something on a scroll, he figured he might as well try it. What more was there to lose? His dignity? He’d never had much of that in Tomonori’s eyes, and he had even less now, trapped in this stupid body he’d never asked for.

“Uh. Hey, Tomonori,” he mumbled, and Tomo lifted his head. Under the other man’s sudden attention, Aki froze, thighs spasming— but swallowed his shame and approached anyway. Every slow, swinging step required tremendous willpower, especially as Tomo’s russet gaze fell to his rolling hips and a wrinkle appeared in his forehead.

“Why are you walking so strangely? Did you injure yourself again?”

“Huh?” Akifusa halted halfway across the hall, a tsunami of heat crashing over his skin. “N-no, that’s not…” He gulped, averting his gaze before the blush could consume him entirely.

After a brief pause, Tomonori heaved a sigh. “So you went to Furutsugu for advice?”

“What?! How did you—”

“I thought as much. Look at me, Akifusa.” Biting his tongue, Aki obeyed to find his friend studying him with weary exasperation, not even bothering to stand. “You would agree with me,” Tomo said quietly, “that Shiki is beautiful. Wouldn’t you?”

Aki shifted his weight, growing uncomfortable. “Y-yeah. Is this a test, or…”

“Desirable?”

Hearing Tomonori pronounce that word, staring him directly in the eyes, only fed the flames lapping over his soul, but Akifusa managed to nod.

“Why?”

It took him a moment to understand the question. “W-well, she’s…” He shut his eyes so he didn’t have Tomonori’s equally attractive features to distract him, mentally conjuring the Princess’s oft-recalled figure. “She’s— she’s so tiny, and she looks so soft and delicate, almost like she’d break if you squeezed her too hard, but— but then once you see her in battle, you realize how strong she really is, so fast but at the same time so graceful, she’s so powerful, and that just makes her even more beautiful—”

“Your tastes are even simpler than I thought,” Tomo cut in, a frosty edge creeping into his voice. “I was expecting a less physical explanation.”

His eyes flashed open in a surge of wounded betrayal. “But you asked—”

“I was trying to prove a point. Let’s just say my preferences are… somewhat more complex than yours.” Tomonori paused, fixing on him an expectant look; stung and baffled, Akifusa could only stare back. “I’m telling you this for future reference, before you wind up humiliating yourself in front of everyone: you’re not going to ‘seduce’ me via physical stratagems alone. And the next time Furutsugu-san offers you advice, try to remember that he always has his own best interests at heart.” He smiled ruefully before his gaze fell once more to the scroll before him.

Stupefied, Akifusa just stood there and stared, hating how aroused he felt in that moment. There was something about being dismissed by Tomonori, brushed aside so casually in favor of paperwork, that made his nipples stiffen.

“That being said,” the redhead said quietly, glancing up, “I appreciate the effort. You can have another kiss, if you’d like.”

Aki’s jaw fell open. Lips quirking, Tomo beckoned him closer with a finger, and he all but stumbled across the tatami in his eagerness, eyes closing even before he fell to his knees. When Tomo’s lightly callused hands wrapped around his cheekbones and guided him firmly into the promised kiss, mouths sliding together as smooth as ink flowing over parchment, it was enough to erase all the embarrassment Aki had endured and envelop him in a haze of mindless, quivering want.

Tugging away, Tomo patted his cheek, looking as unperturbed as ever. “Keep trying, Aki-kun.” With another quick, damnably calm smile, he returned to his work, and Aki’s desire settled back down to a slow, excruciating simmer.

He didn’t really want to go back to Furutsugu for advice, especially after the reminder that he was a selfish, sleazy bastard. But several days crept by with no progress and no more kisses, and Aki was forced to admit that he didn’t have the slightest idea what Tomonori considered attractive, other than the obvious answer of “the Princess”— and he apparently liked her for different reasons than Aki did, so that wasn’t much help either.

He had considered asking her, actually, but decided against it. True, she had offered to answer any questions he had, but he quailed at the thought of conversing with her as one woman to another, of cementing that impression in her mind any further than it already had been. Out of everyone, she was probably the person whose perception of him as male mattered the most. It wasn’t even a question of appealing to her romantically anymore; it was just a matter of pride.

Thus, shortly after breakfast a few days later, Akifusa grudgingly pulled the diviner aside to a private corner of the shrine. “The thing you told me to do last time didn’t work.”

“No?” Furutsugu raised his eyebrows. “Are you certain you did it correctly?”

Aki shifted his weight uncomfortably, crossing his arms— and then dropping them when that only drew the diviner’s amused gaze to his chest. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “but… well, I guess it sort of worked.”

“And what does that mean, Aki-chan?” Furutsugu’s mouth curled, eyes glittering in private mirth; Aki struggled not to reveal anything, to keep his expression as inscrutable as Tomo’s, but his thoughts flickered back to Tomo’s soft sandalwood scent and long, capable fingers, and he felt the blood swiftly pooling in his cheeks. “Did he at least kiss you?”

Dammit. “That’s not the point!”

“Really? I thought that was precisely the point. Is Tomo-kun a good kisser?” Furutsugu leaned in close, lowering his voice to a sly whisper. “Does thinking about him get you wet?”

“You—!” Aki’s hands balled into fists. Forget all the other changes— in that instant, he would have given anything to regain his old height so he could punch that stupid smirk off Furutsugu’s face. At least the move the Princess had taught him worked effectively on a taller opponent—

“I don’t think so.” Furutsugu’s hands darted forward and held his knees in place. “I have no desire to repeat that experience.”

“Get your hands off me, you— you creep!” Aki pried them off, glowering; the diviner took a quick step back.

“Let’s start over, shall we? I was under the impression you wanted my help.”

“Not if you’re going to make me do anything weird or— or talk about my friends like that!”

“It was just a bit of friendly teasing. I didn’t mean any harm. And I would never force a lady to do anything against—”

“I’m not a lady!” Dammit, did his voice have to sound so shrill?

Furutsugu smiled, apparently unfazed. “Of course not. My apologies. You’re a man who’s taken an erotic interest in his best friend, and you’d like to learn how to entice him with this new, feminine body for a chance to act out your long-forbidden fantasies.”

Akifusa sucked in a sharp breath. “It’s not like that,” he mumbled, dropping his gaze. Why did the bastard have to make everything sound filthy?

“There’s no need to be embarrassed. It’s not unheard of in the capital for men to become… intimately involved with one another—”

“I-I don’t need to hear about this!”

“I thought it might be reassuring. Of course there are plenty of people who disapprove— everyone acts so judgmental about these things in public; it’s ridiculous— but I don’t see the harm in it. And if I were in your position, I would most likely use my assets to my advantage as well. You even have permission from his wife.”

Blood climbed up to his ears, scorching them mercilessly. “I-I’m not trying to… manipulate him or anything like that.”

“No?” Furutsugu chuckled. “Then why ask for my advice? Seduction is the finest form of manipulation, Akifusa— I’m surprised you haven’t figured that out. It sounds like Tomonori has you wrapped around his little finger, perhaps even more tightly than our lovely Princess.”

“That’s not true,” he snapped. “They’re my friends. They wouldn’t do that kind of thing.” But as soon as the words left his mouth, Aki remembered the Princess laying a hand on his arm and telling him bashfully that she’d feel much safer if he’d accompany her back to her room, despite being one of the bravest people Aki knew, just to ask him about what had happened with Tomonori. And although Tomo had seemed pretty sincere that night, it was only last winter that he’d masterminded a plan to free the Princess from the Sword’s curse without telling anyone beforehand because he’d known they would stop him.

But that was different from manipulation. Wasn’t it?

Furutsugu had an annoying gleam in his eye, like he knew exactly what was running through Aki’s mind, but he smiled and said, “Of course they wouldn’t. Tomonori only kissed you because he was unable to resist your feminine appeal, and he only stopped because he wanted to be a gentleman and he wasn’t entirely convinced you were ready.”

“That’s not—”

“Or perhaps he kissed you out of genuine pity for your plight, even though he didn’t especially want to do so?” Aki shut his mouth and nodded warily, causing the diviner’s smile to broaden. “How selfless of him. So you’d like my help wooing him in hopes of earning more than just a kiss?”

“Well, it depends. Are you going to make it creepy again? Last time you said you wanted me to pay you, even though we said nothing about that at first, and…” He struggled to put it in words. “It was gross, and if you do it again, I won’t hold back! I-I’ll use both my knees if I have to!”

“You really need to stop taking my little jokes so seriously, Aki-chan.”

“It sure didn’t seem like a joke at the time!”

Furutsugu waved the matter airily aside. “If I had designs on you, why would I bother helping you seduce Tomonori? You admitted my advice was at least partially successful. We simply need to take it further.”

Aki scowled. Something about this still smelled fishy. “Fine. But if you touch me or make that stupid ‘joke’ again—”

“I promise I’ll behave. As I mentioned, I wouldn’t dream of forcing a woman— or any of my friends— into a situation against their will. And we are friends, aren’t we, Aki-chan?”

“No,” he said immediately, drawing a pout to the ambassador’s face.

“Well, I consider you a friend, at least. I wouldn’t offer you my assistance without asking anything in return if I felt otherwise.” Furutsugu shrugged amiably. “But if you’d rather try figuring it out on your own—”

“No, please!” The words came out louder than he’d meant them, his eyes growing wide; he hastily forced his voice back down. “Please, I-I don’t know anything about this… seduction stuff. I’ll take any advice you can give me. Just don’t make it weird.”

Furutsugu’s eyes crinkled with his smile. “Oh, I won’t. You’re in good hands, Aki-chan.” He pulled away from the wall with exaggerated nonchalance. “Let’s figure out how to catch Tomo’s attention, shall we?” When he started striding toward the pond, morning mist swiftly swallowing his steps, Akifusa was left with little choice but to follow.

His second lesson centered around physical appearance. “Perhaps we should have started here before moving on to more advanced topics,” Furutsugu said. “Let’s start with clothing. You have the body of a woman now, Aki-chan, but you’re still dressing like a man.” Ignoring Akifusa’s protests that he was a man and all of Kifu’s soldiers wore the same standard military uniform regardless of gender (though it was true that Kifu wasn’t a large village, and the male soldiers far outnumbered the females), the diviner insisted that Aki don a form-fitting kimono in the same red hue with a plunging neckline even when it was firmly sashed. Of course, he “just happened” to have one on him. “Naturally, you’ll have to forgo the layers underneath for maximum effect— and you can stop binding those lovely breasts as well. The poor things seem like they’re suffocating.”

Aki’s first reaction was to go for the balls again, but Furutsugu stopped him by saying, “Tomonori will love it.”

“He loves the Princess,” he replied uncertainly, “and she doesn’t dress like this.” But he lowered his knee, considering. If the Princess did wear this kind of thing, she’d probably have even more admirers, perverted as they might be.

“She doesn’t need to,” Tsugu said with an elegant shrug. “She’s not trying to impress anyone; her husband is quite taken with her as she is, and you’ve seen the way she looks at him. The rest of us never even stood a chance. But Tomonori’s oblivious to your charms at present, so we’ll need to ramp up our efforts.”

They moved on to makeup. Aki’s discomfort skyrocketed the second Furutsugu started talking about face powders and lip rouge. “I have a shade that will match that kimono perfectly,” he said, cheerfully producing a small clay pot and a long, delicate brush. “You can apply a bit to your cheeks as well— though you have such a charming natural blush whenever your thoughts travel to Tomonori that you may not even need it for that purpose.”

Akifusa stared doubtfully into the green-painted interior of the pot. “Why do you have so much of this stuff, anyway?”

“It makes a lovely gift whenever I need to flatter a woman in my diplomatic duties— or for more personal reasons.” Furutsugu flashed him a wink. “Also, I use a bit myself. You don’t think I look this good naturally, do you? Again, it’s common practice in the capital.”

“But we’re not in the capital,” he said, but the ambassador just laughed.

“All the more reason to use it here. You’ll stand out beautifully with your red lips in your matching kimono— Tomonori won’t be able to resist stealing glances, even in public. And once he gets you alone, well…” Akifusa’s face prickled with heat as Furutsugu trailed off, mouth curling into a smirk.

In the end, he agreed to take the safflower rouge, but he refused to put anything else on his face. Maybe nobles in the capital rubbed all sorts of weird pigments on their skin, but he’d also heard how women there shaved their eyebrows only to draw them higher on their foreheads, which made even less sense in his opinion. He wanted Tomonori’s attention, but there had to be some limits, and the kimono was already pushing them.

There was also the matter of choosing a personal fragrance, Furutsugu told him, but that was complicated enough to be its own lesson; they could delve into it tomorrow. “For now, I think the addition to your wardrobe and the new cosmetics will work wonders. Let me know how it goes.” *** [For those uncomfortable with the recent development, rest assured that Part 2 of this chapter contains 0% Furutsugu; I don’t think I can say more than that without giving away any involuntary spoilers. Sorry for the delay in posting. It was caused in part by anxiety and in part by holiday travel plans. Happy belated Thanksgiving to those who also celebrate. Also, formatting these posts is swiftly becoming a thorn in my side; if anyone knows how to navigate the errors of disappearing post titles and sporadically enlarged asterisks after copy-and-pasting, please contact me at your earliest convenience.]

#hiiro no kakera 4 #tomonori kotokura #akifusa oki #fanfiction #rough draft #work in progress #aki x tomo #furutsugu akishino #cw: manipulation #cw: insult kink (referenced)#mature rating just in case #shall we date: scarlet fate

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waifuoftomonori · 6 months

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Aki After Tentacles: Chapter 2 - Thirty Percent

Kuso’s “examination” the following morning, while most people were still finishing up breakfast, wasn’t as bad as Akifusa had feared. The only body part inspected was his hand. The Crow muttered some words, there was some wind, Aki’s palm tingled before sprouting a bunch of glowing green runes— pretty basic magic stuff. (Or at least no one else seemed to find it strange.)

“My hypothesis,” Kuso said, after scowling at the glyphs for a minute as if they’d personally offended him and all of the Yatagarasu clan (which was how his face looked most of the time anyway), “is that the Oki bloodline’s latent transformative properties have exponentially amplified the base alteration magic. Normally this effect would disappear on its own within a few days, but… in this case, the only plausible method of reversion is for a male of the same species to plant his seed in the womb of the afflicted.”

Aki’s brow wrinkled as he tried to keep up. “What does planting seeds have to do with it?” And why couldn’t Kuso just talk like a normal person?

“Allow me, Kuso.” Furutsugu’s eyes crinkled with a smile that sent a shudder of instinctual dread down Aki’s spine. “The only way to undo this and return to your own body starts with a man getting you pregnant, Akifusa. You have to bear him a child. And,” he held up a hand, already anticipating Aki’s natural urge to protest, “as I understand the situation, it really must be a man, I’m afraid. As opposed to a god. And since Tomonori is married to our lovely Princess…”

Silence gripped the room in claws of steel. Even Akifusa knew what he was implying; he felt the color racing to his cheeks, mouth hanging open as he fought for words. Furutsugu’s eyes flickered down to his newly sizable chest, squished in and straining against its tight cloth bindings, and his smile widened.

“It would be my pleasure to assist you, Aki-chan. As many times as you need.”

”You—” Aki shot to his feet, rapidly regaining his senses; his sword flew out on instinct, pointed directly at the diviner’s throat. For once, no one moved to stop him. “You perverted, filthy bas— give me one good reason not to cut you down where you stand!” His blade quivered with rage, but even as he spoke the words he was uncomfortably aware that while his threats had never worked in his old form, in this one they were somehow only making things worse. Furutsugu just winked at him.

“Gladly. Let us adjourn to the nearest bedchamber.”

Kodonomae heaved an exasperated sigh. “You may want to work on the timing of your jokes.”

“Actually,” Kuso said, grimacing as he dismissed the runes with a flick of his fingers, “lascivious commentary aside, his analysis is largely accurate. At this stage, it’s not clear whether full gestation and childbirth are needed or if fertilization would suffice, but a transformation this potent requires severe measures to—”

“I’m not sleeping with Furutsugu! No way! If that’s the price I have to pay, I… I’d rather just stay a woman!” Aki couldn’t stop herself from blurting out. Herself. Yes, she might as well get used to it at this rate, find a way to cope with the lecherous looks they all kept throwing her when they thought she wasn’t paying attention, and Furutsugu was worst of all, he didn’t even seem ashamed of it—

Well, he silently amended, gaze wandering from the despicable diviner, it wasn’t exactly true that all of the men had been leering at his new form. His roving eyes came to a stop directly on Tomonori, who lifted his head from the scroll he was studying without any pretense of rush. Tomo’s expression didn’t even twitch as they made eye contact— honestly, as much as Akifusa appreciated the absence of ogling, it was kind of a blow to the ego that his best friend needed so little effort to adjust to the sight of him as a woman.

But it was worse than that: the strange heat crackling throughout Aki’s veins in Tomo’s presence hadn’t gone away since dinner. He was starting to think it wasn’t a medical concern. He didn’t want to feel like this— and not for Tomo, of all people— but try as he might, he couldn’t seem to fight it. His idiotic heart pounded in Tomo’s proximity, drawing his attention to little details like… like the way his crimson eyes glowed coppery in sunlight or the alluring wisps of sandalwood and parchment that teased his nose as Tomo brushed past when they’d left the dining area last night.

Dammit! How the hell did the Princess manage being married to the guy without constantly swooning or touching herself or— or begging him to shove her against a wall and have his way with her?

As if Aki had summoned the Princess by thinking of her, suddenly her breath tickled his ear. “Tomo’s very handsome, isn’t he, Aki-kun?” Knowing laughter echoed in her voice.

Akifusa’s blush deepened; he hastily dropped his gaze. “P-Princess! I’m sorry, I wasn’t— I didn’t mean—”

“He’s fantastic in bed, too,” she whispered. “You know Tomonori. He’s always been good at learning new skills… and good with his tongue.” Aki squirmed just a little, risking another furtive glance upwards at that exquisite profile, now turned away once more. “Haven’t you ever thought about it, Akifusa?”

“N-not when I was… you know…” He paused before admitting uncomfortably, “Well, okay, m-maybe once or twice— just a few dreams, I couldn’t help it— but don’t tell him that, Princess, please…”

“I won’t,” she promised, only to pause. “You know, if you really don’t want to sleep with Furutsugu—”

“Princess!” he gasped again, causing several heads to turn their way— but not Tomonori’s. The redhead seemed to be quite pointedly feigning disinterest in their whispered conversation, in fact; his gaze had returned to the parchment before him, a few crimson tresses slipping forward to shield his expression from view.

“It’s still up to you, of course,” the Princess murmured. “There are other men in the village; it’s not as if you only have two choices in the world, whatever Furutsugu says. But, well… I’d be okay with it, at least until you got pregnant. And I think if you were to ask Tomo in the right way, and if you were willing to put up with a bit of teasing, he would accept. He really is very good. I know I’m biased, but…”

“No, he probably is.” Growing up, Tomonori had been better than him at pretty much everything except their sword training (which he’d found excuses to skip whenever he could anyway— until, Akifusa suspected, he’d realized how much alone time Aki was spending with the Princess as a result and suddenly started showing up every day, mostly to heckle Aki for his missteps). It had been frustrating at the time— he’d gotten sick of teachers and village elders telling him he should try to be “more like that Kotokura boy” (especially when the Kotokura boy in question routinely faked ankle injuries just so the Princess would fuss over him, making Akifusa look like a jerk in the process)— but now Aki couldn’t help but wonder about everything Tomo might have learned over the course of his marriage.

“Come to our room this evening, after dinner,” the Princess whispered. “If you’re interested.” ***

Tomonori was waiting for them in a plain black yukata, silky hair streaming unbound past his shoulders. He opted to remain seated as they approached but favored Aki with a small smile that caused his stupid heart to somersault. “So you’ve decided you’d prefer me to Furutsugu? I don’t blame you. Have a seat.”

Aki sank awkwardly to his knees, trying to keep a safe distance away— not that it mattered, really; he didn’t have to be sitting right next to Tomo to notice how damn handsome he was, all disheveled like this. It couldn’t be the first time Aki had seen him out of his usual kimono, could it? Maybe not, but it was the first time his heart had pounded at the prospect, the first time his fingers had itched to comb those blood-red tresses that brushed Tomo’s broad shoulders so teasingly. Aki swallowed, shifting his weight— and reddened when he felt the fleshy squish of his newly soft, ample thighs, squeezing together in a way that only stoked the warmth building between them. Hastily, he forced his gaze elsewhere.

The Princess sat by her husband’s side, her whole body curving subtly into his in a way that would have caused a scandal back when she’d still been the sacred guardian of the Sword, and Tomo had his arm wrapped snugly around her waist, fingers playing with the ends of her hair. She noticed Aki looking and quickly straightened, blushing a little. “Do you want me to leave, Akifusa?”

Had she been thinking of staying? The blood in his cheeks swelled to boiling temperatures. For a moment he was bizarrely tempted, but male pride won out in the end. “I-I’m sorry, Princess,” he said, swallowing. “Maybe that would be best.” It was bad enough that Tomo was going to get up close and personal with this distressingly feminine figure; he at least wanted the Princess to continue seeing him as a man.

She nodded, lifting her head slowly from Tomo’s shoulder. “I understand. I’ll be training in Toshi Temple when you’re done.” Before she could rise, Tomonori tugged her face back to his and claimed a swift kiss, then murmured something that made her blush and nod before letting her go. The door slid open and shut once more.

Aki’s pulse sped in the spreading silence, lodging in his throat. After a moment, he summoned the courage to meet Tomo’s gaze; in the dimness, his eyes gleamed like a cat’s. “Thanks. For agreeing to— to do this.” The words came out uncomfortably high and breathless; he winced, cheeks flushing even hotter.

“You’re in this predicament because you saved Shiki’s life.” Tomonori’s voice, in contrast, was as steady as ever. “I know you didn’t do it for my sake, but I’m grateful. Truly.” His forehead creased as he muttered, “I should have been the one to protect her.”

Aki searched his jumbled memories of that fateful battle. “Huh? But you were helping the villagers evacuate. How could you have known?”

“I couldn’t. Even if I had been there, perhaps I couldn’t have saved her. I’m not as strong as you, nor as fast, and even if I had somehow blocked the blow, I’m certain I wouldn’t have survived the fight. And Shiki’s made me promise not to sacrifice myself again, no matter the cause. She’s made it very clear that she doesn’t want me to die on her behalf.” Tomo took a deep breath. “I know all of that, and I know I shouldn’t blame myself. The important thing is that she’s alive now, and Kifu is safe. But all the same… I wish I could have done more.”

“Trust me, I get it. But you can’t keep dwelling on these things. You had your own job to do, and she’s safe now, like you said.”

“That’s true.” Tomo shook his head, as if clearing it. “Nonetheless, there’s no need to thank me. I owe you for defending Shiki, and I mean to repay that debt now. You’d do the same if our positions were reversed.”

Aki’s mouth fell open. He hadn’t imagined that scenario. If Tomo were a woman… Even in this form, which seemed so powerfully attracted to everything that was male in Tomonori, his heart pounded strangely at the thought. “R-right,” he managed. “Of course I would.”

Tomonori nodded and studied him for a moment— not his curvaceous figure, which had drawn so many stares from the others throughout the day, but his face. “You’ve never done this before, have you, Akifusa?” He didn’t say it as a criticism, but Aki still squirmed self-consciously.

“N-no. Never.” There was only one person he’d even considered doing it with— though he’d tried not to entertain such thoughts, given how unworthy he was of her love, and she’d been strictly off-limits for a number of reasons. Not least of which was the fact that Tomo loved her too.

“That’s understandable,” Tomo said quietly, as if his thoughts had been following the same lines. He shifted a little closer. “And I understand if this is awkward for you, too. If you want to stop at any point, just tell me.”

“That won’t happen. I want to get back to normal, believe me.” The sooner he could get out of this… this uncomfortably soft body and back into his old one, the sooner he could shake off these weird thoughts and stop feeling these fiery shivers down his spine whenever Tomonori said his name or smiled at him, the better. “I don’t care what it takes,” he said, lifting his chin. “Y-you can do whatever you want to me.”

Tomo blinked, drawing back. “You make it sound like I’m going to torture you or something. I’ll keep this brief, I promise.” He shot Aki a quick, sly glance through his bangs. “Unless you were hoping for more?”

Akifusa’s cheeks flamed. “I-I wasn’t…” Dammit, was it that obvious? Tomo angled his body closer, a subtle smirk toying with his lips; Aki clenched his thighs together and fought for self-control. “Of course not! I just want to get this over with, just like you!” The shrill, girlish edge to his voice just added to his embarrassment.

Tomo sighed, tucking a loose strand of Aki’s hair behind his ear. “You stubborn fool, Akifusa.” His tone was strangely tender, his brow furrowing slightly. Caught off guard, Akifusa stared, heart hammering against all reason— but in the next moment Tomo’s smile returned. “I’m kidding. That’s fine. Although…” He paused, gaze flitting momentarily aside; he seemed to be contemplating the best way to phrase something. “I’m not ready yet,” he said eventually. “In a physical sense.”

“Huh?”

Another pause followed. “I’m saying that your body just doesn’t appeal to me, as a man. Which could make ‘getting it over with’ more difficult.”

Aki was still lost. “So… you don’t want to do it after all?”

Tomo inspected him in silence for a moment and then expelled a soft, frustrated sigh. “No, I’m willing to try. But… I might need to build up to the act itself, even if you don’t. Just a little.”

“Build up to…?” Flames reignited in Aki’s chest, escalating at an alarming rate.

“You said I could do anything I wanted,” Tomo pointed out. “I don’t especially want to do this, but does that principle still apply?” His expression remained serious, autumn-colored eyes locked onto Aki’s own. He wasn’t trying to twist this situation to his advantage… but knowing this didn’t cool Aki’s feverish blush in the slightest.

“Y-yeah.” His voice squeaked. What exactly would Tomo need to do to “build up to it”? For some reason, Aki recalled a brisk winter morning on which his friend had bound his wrists and ankles with rope, so tightly he couldn’t move. At the time, he’d protested, but now the prospect of being restrained by Tomo sent a little shockwave of excitement down his spine.

A hand cradled his chin, tilting it up, holding it precisely in place. “In that case,” Tomonori murmured, the words skimming Aki’s lips, “we’ll start small. Just a simple kiss.” His meaning didn’t fully register until his mouth bridged the last sliver of distance and smoothly claimed Aki’s own.

Tomonori’s lips were the softest things he’d ever experienced. It was obscene how soft they were, how good they felt pressed firmly against his own; Aki felt like he was spiraling into a fiery abyss, and all he could do was open his mouth, dizzily, for more. A high, breathy noise escaped him when Tomo accepted the invitation with a few casual brushes of the tongue, and Aki didn’t even have time to feel embarrassed before those fantastically supple lips and the long, skilful fingers guiding his chin wiped every other thought from his brain.

Abruptly, Tomo broke away. “It’s not working.”

“Huh?”

“To be honest, I was trying to pretend you were Shiki, but I can’t. You’re just too different.” He lowered his gaze, brows knitting in a frown.

Aki’s heart slammed against his ribs as he stared at his friend, knocked speechless. Tomo hadn’t even enjoyed that kiss? That seemed painfully unfair. All of Aki’s muscles had completely melted into mush; some mysterious force kept him close, panting, hanging on Tomo’s every word.

“You look a bit flushed, Akifusa,” he said quietly, which of course made Aki blush even deeper.

What the heck was he drawing attention to that for? As usual, his neutral voice and expressionless heart-shaped face gave no clues; Tomo could be as blank as a clean sheet of parchment when he wanted to be. Blank, and yet so damn handsome. “I-I’m fine. Just needed to… catch my breath.”

“I see.” Tomo studied him for a long moment without saying anything else. Those russet eyes felt like they were drilling straight into Akifusa’s brain, stripping him bare. “Was that your first kiss?” he asked eventually.

“Uh. Yeah. Do they always feel like—” Aki stopped himself. Like you’re going to melt into a puddle of steaming goo or maybe die from a heart attack, but somehow you want more even if it kills you, even if you’d die of shame afterward, because everything feels amazing and you would leave this world with a smile on your lips?

“What was that?”

“N-nothing,” he managed.

Tomonori’s eyes narrowed, but he let it slide. “At any rate,” he said, “your technique was sloppy. You need more practice.” His mouth reclaimed Aki’s, and the fiery vortex swallowed him whole once more.

Tomo’s fingers glided down his neck, provoking a flurry of violent shivers; in a matter of seconds two warm, equally dexterous hands had claimed Aki’s newly slender waist, squeezing him closer. His breasts were squashed against Tomo’s chest, their tips suddenly stiff and sensitive, bristling with want. He was powerless to stop them, powerless to stop his own ragged gasps between kisses, powerless to stop his fingers from scrabbling for purchase on Tomonori’s shoulders— such broad, firm shoulders, broader than his slim frame would suggest, Aki knew he’d started working out since their trip to the hot springs but the effects had never been visible under that damn proper kimono he always wore— and ultimately powerless to stop the surge of melting warmth in that new, unthinkable place between his legs.

Tomo pulled back an inch, breathing hard, a lock of hair slipping forward over an angular cheekbone— Aki fought the urge to stare, heart throbbing at the sight. “That was a slight improvement,” he murmured, lips approaching Aki’s ear. Each word was carried on a current of soft, steaming breath that made it impossible not to squirm. “But something’s still missing. It feels… wrong, to be honest.”

“Wrong?” Akifusa’s head spun. He couldn’t imagine how any part of that could have felt more deliciously right. He didn’t want to feel this way toward the person who’d subjected him to countless pranks and taunts and assorted minor humiliations (especially in the Princess’s presence), who knew better than anyone how to rile him up, but the way his blood sang at every little touch couldn’t be denied.

With a frustrated sigh, Tomo withdrew farther, hands falling from Aki’s waist. “You’re not… acting like yourself, which is a little unnerving, and I don’t want to take advantage—”

“What do you mean, ‘not acting like myself’?”

Tomo looked him dead in the eye and said flatly, “You’ve been wildly aroused all day. Did you really think you could hide it?”

Aki’s mind blanked with sheer shock, then reeled for an excuse. Somehow, telling Tomonori the arousal had only taken place around him didn’t seem like it would do the trick. “H-how would you— that’s not— I wasn’t—”

“You were. I would have to be blind not to notice. But that’s not the point.” Tomonori closed his eyes briefly as if collecting his thoughts; a small crease appeared in his brow as he opened them again. “You’re not thinking clearly,” he finally said, “and for once I don’t mean that as a criticism of your general idiocy. Your emotions have gotten the better of you more times than I can count, but this is the first time they’ve taken this form, especially toward me. Doesn’t it seem strange to you?”

“Well, yeah,” Aki mumbled, sheepishly dropping his gaze. “It’s not like I ever felt like this before…” To this extent, a voice in his head added.

“Exactly. I don’t know if it’s a magical effect or if you just need time to… adjust to the new body, but you’re obviously in no state of mind to make these decisions tonight.” His tone quieted, growing solemn. “If I allowed this to happen now, I’d be no better than Doman. I would be manipulating you in your moment of weakness. You would be my puppet, stripped of all ability to resist.”

The words startled Akifusa into whipping his head up, an excited tremor rippling down the knobs of his spine, but Tomo continued without pause.

“I think it’s best if we wait a few days, just to see if whatever it is calms down or if there might be more sinister forces at work. Then, once you’ve had a chance to clear your mind, we can revisit this possibility if we need to— if you’re still willing.”

They weren’t going to do it tonight. Relief battled disappointment in Aki’s gut. He wasn’t emotionally prepared for this, for the mounting heat of all these kisses and caresses and Tomo’s maddening composure, but the thought of leaving and abstaining from Tomo for— for who knew how long, his body didn’t feel like it was going to “calm down” anytime soon… that seemed just as agonizing. He swallowed thickly and nodded, lurching to his feet. “A-all right. Yeah. That seems like a good idea.” He couldn’t meet Tomonori’s eyes. “You know best, as always…”

A soft sigh reached his ears, followed by the faint rustle of Tomo’s yukata. “Look at me, Akifusa.” Reluctantly, he obeyed. Tomonori stood before him in the dimness, half his face veiled in shadow, wearing a rueful pinch in his brow and a resigned smile on his lips. “Do you want another kiss?”

Aki’s body reacted with alarming speed, nipples prickling against the cool silk of his own robes. “I… I thought you said…”

“We’ve already kissed twice; I don’t see what harm a third can do.” Tomonori approached slowly, deliberately, the soft aroma of sandalwood and parchment following his every step. “Besides, I am grateful you saved Shiki… and you seem so pathetic right now. I can’t send you off like this.”

“I— Pathetic?” Akifusa snapped to attention, irritation flaring through arousal like a scab flicked off an old wound— but when Tomo’s fingers curled under his chin, tilting it up, and those sharp russet eyes filled his field of vision, the breath rushed from his lungs.

“Unless you don’t want it?” Tomo murmured.

“I never said that!” The words flew out, his own eyes widening. His senses were hopelessly attuned to Tomonori— to every gentle breath against his lips, to the warmth and quiet strength pulsing from that deceptively slight torso angling toward his own. “Please, Tomonori, I— I do want it! Very much. Kiss me, Tomo, please, please kiss me.”

A dark, intense something flickered across Tomonori’s features. Akifusa’s breath seized— but then the expression vanished, and Tomo’s mouth brushed chastely against his own. Shivering, Aki reached for his shoulders again, but this time he was rebuffed; Tomo caught his hands and pressed them, gently but firmly, back to his chest as he withdrew. “Thank you for saving Shiki.”

Akifusa blinked rapidly, struggling to make sense of what had just happened. “Of course.”

Tomonori took a moment to gather his breath before shooting Aki a faint, enigmatic smile and letting him go. “Since you’re leaving, can you stop by Toshi Temple and tell her we’re done?”

Aki mumbled in agreement before fleeing out into the night, lips still tingling, blushing exactly like the fool Tomo had accused him of being before their first kiss.

When the Princess spotted him in the doorway of the training hall, her eyes widened, the wooden sword in her hands freezing halfway through a flawless undercut. “You’re finished already?”

He coughed, avoiding her gaze. “Er. Yeah. Something like that.”

“I see.” Aki could feel her inspecting him, fueling his blush; her tentative steps bridged the distance between them. “Akifusa, are you all right?”

“Y-yes, Princess, I’m fine.” There was no good in worrying her over something so trivial, something he didn’t even understand fully. Tomonori’s explanation for sending him away made perfect sense. Aki would have done the same thing in his place. And yet—

“You don’t seem fine.”

He swallowed hard and looked up. The Princess’s eyes were soft with concern, her brow crinkling when he didn’t answer immediately. Dammit. Was he really that transparent? “Really, it’s nothing to worry about, Princess…”

Her eyebrows pulled tighter downwards, but she didn’t say anything as she put the sword away. “Walk me back to my room,” she said when she returned.

Akifusa hesitated.

Light fingers touched his bicep. “I would feel much safer with you there to protect me, Akifusa,” she said, gazing at him with those soulful lavender eyes. Her bottom lip formed a gentle pout. “Please?”

Dammit, dammit. How was it that he could feel so attracted to Tomonori in this new body and yet also be powerless to disobey that sweet, trembling voice? He knew it was a ruse, but the idea that she’d go to such lengths to protect his pride because she was worried about him—!

“A-all right,” he managed, and she beamed.

Sure enough, the moment they were outside she said, “You know Tomonori can be harsh sometimes, but he doesn’t mean everything he says. And he does care about you, even if he’d never admit it.”

“It wasn’t like that.” If anything, Tomo had been weirdly considerate. He’d only called Aki a fool once. Well, maybe twice: he’d mentioned something about “general idiocy”.

The Princess fell quiet for a few steps.

“We didn’t do it,” Aki blurted out, the silence growing too much for him to bear. He wanted to die when her stare fixed on him, but he pushed on. “I— I wanted to, I really wanted to, I’m sorry, I know you guys are married—”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“—but he said he couldn’t— couldn’t do it physically, and then he kissed me— twice— to try to fix that, but I guess it still wasn’t working, and in the end he said it was wrong anyway because I might be mind-controlled or something, but then he asked if I wanted a third kiss, and I said yes, but that one wasn’t as long, and then he said ‘thank you for saving Shiki’ and told me to go fetch you.” He collected his breath. “So really, I’m fine.”

The Princess didn’t reply immediately, her features creased and ruminative. They stepped out into the courtyard, moonlit grass brushing their ankles, before she spoke again. “I’m sorry it didn’t go the way you hoped.”

“You don’t need to cheer me up, Princess.” He forced a weak smile. “I know he was right to send me away.”

She tipped her head to the side. “Did it seem like Tomonori was… teasing you at all?”

Aki blinked a couple times, trying to think back. “Well, now that you mention it… no. That’s pretty weird, actually. Usually he’s always making fun of me.”

“That’s not quite what I meant.” They entered the corridor that held the Princess’s bedroom. She paused, biting her lip thoughtfully, but when Aki turned back she flashed a brief smile and caught up with him. “So what will you do now? Do you think you’ll go to Furutsugu?”

He shuddered. “Definitely not. I, uh, think we’ll try again in a few days.” Aki tried to sound casual, as if his heart weren’t pounding at the idea of placing himself in Tomonori’s thrall once again, of letting those searing eyes and quiet voice and quick, confident fingers dictate his every move. He’d heard once that the House of Kotokura had some kind of spell to make people do their bidding— was this how it worked? Why the heck did that possibility excite him?

“I see.” Again, she hesitated, as if deciding whether to tell him something, but in the end she shook her head and said, “Well, if you ever want to talk about it, or if you need help adjusting to things, you can always come to me. I hope you know that.”

Akifusa swallowed, meeting her sincere gaze as they reached the bedroom door. A billion thoughts clamored for representation on his tongue, but he couldn’t bring himself to voice any of them now. “I know. Thank you, Princess.”

She smiled and slipped inside. He hovered there a moment longer, vaguely disoriented, until he heard the soft murmurs of conversation within and took his cue to leave. ***

“I was only partially teasing. Only about thirty percent.” Tomonori flashed her a look of wounded reproach, bottom lip protruding in an adorable pout.

Shiki sighed, but she couldn’t quite conceal her smile. “And the other seventy percent?” she asked, tugging her pillow more comfortably into position.

His fingers traced the curve of her cheek as he considered the question. “It changed over time. I was sincerely worried about going too far, though.”

“Maybe he wouldn’t have minded that,” she pointed out, prompting a tiny smile.

“It still wouldn’t have been right. You know how Akifusa is. Beneath all his blustering, he’s so naïve, so utterly helpless to resist—”

Suppressing a laugh, she poked his cheek. “And that’s exciting to you.”

He shot her a quick, playful scowl, wrapping an arm snugly around her waist. “That’s not the point.” She noted that he didn’t deny it. “I was trying to be respectful.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I’m sure he appreciated it.” She snuggled closer, savoring the rhythm of his heart; his embrace tightened, gentle fingers raking through her hair.

“Are you jealous?” he asked softly.

“Jealous? No. Honestly… more than anything else, I feel guilty. Kuso mentioned magic like that normally goes away on its own within a few days. If Akifusa hadn’t leapt in front of me…”

“Then he might not have transformed into Tokoyo-gami, and it’s possible none of us would have survived. Besides, you didn’t know at the time. Even if you did, do you really think he would have stopped?”

“Probably not, but…” She bit her lip.

“There’s no use feeling guilty, Shiki. We all have regrets from that night, even those of us who weren’t involved in the fighting, but we owe it to ourselves and those we lost to keep moving forward. …Akifusa reminded me of that.” *** [A/N: Thank you again for being my invisible, literate guinea pig(s). Starting with the next chapter, I might need to start splitting them into two posts (the chapters have been getting longer as I continue writing), but I’ll try to keep updating once-ish (maybe twice, don’t know yet) every week. The next chapter might also be when I have to start labeling posts for mature content (and maybe including a content warning or two, if only out of paranoia), so don’t be alarmed if that’s the case. The average burn pace remains adagio for erotica, probably closer to moderato for romance as a whole. I think. Who decides how fast or slow-burning a given work of fiction is, anyway? I apologize if my portrayals of the minor characters (minor in relation to this fic, other love interests in relation to the otome) are slightly off; I haven’t played most of their routes, so I’m operating mostly off of general vibes (and exaggerating certain traits for comedic effect). Then again, I do the same thing with the Kifu OGs at times as well, so maybe it balances out. Stay tuned for the next thrilling installment. Resident Tomosexual signing off.]

#hiiro no kakera 4 #fanfiction #rough draft #work in progress #tomonori kotokura #akifusa oki #shiki ugaya #shiki x tomo #aki x tomo #sorry if the ending is awkward #shall we date: scarlet fate

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waifuoftomonori · 6 months

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Aki After Tentacles: Chapter 1 - Fever (rough draft)

Story Summary: After defending the Princess from a tentacled Void-like monster, Akifusa wakes up biologically female. The only way for him to regain his former body (and hopefully get over his newfound attraction to his male best friend, who also happens to be Shiki’s husband) is to become pregnant. Or: In which I put poor Aki-kun through the wringer once again. *** [Foreword: I’ve been working on this fanfiction for a few months now— since August or so, I believe. It’s currently over 50k words, making it my longest fanfiction so far; I’m typing it up on Google Docs as well— scared to publish any of it on AO3 until I know I’m able to finish it, given my current track record, and it probably needs some editing and revision, but things are looking all right so far. The plot is progressing— yes, it actually has plot, I’m proud of myself. I still enjoy writing it, although some days I find it more difficult to write than others. I’ve reached the point in my writing where I’m willing to embrace dumb or unoriginal ideas instead of shy away from them. I think. I’m still a little shy about sharing this fic, in all honesty, although I had fun writing it. Anyway: thank you for reading this somewhat sloppy rough draft of a guilty-pleasure-slash-crack-fic-slash-smut fic that has spiraled into either porn with plot or just a really kinky, unconventional romance. (First chapter’s tame, though.) I appreciate it.] *** Chapter 1: Fever

The Princess parried a slash from a shapeless shadow-being, her heels churning up dirt from the force of the blow. They’d been fighting in these woods for hours with no reprieve. Their enemies were nearly impossible to track, their forms amorphous even in light, and the slivers of sky darkening through the crooked lattice of branches overhead spared them no mercy. An attempt to retreat would have resulted in massacre.

And in turning to fend off one of the horde, the Princess exposed her flank to another. Akifusa was the only one close enough to see a gruesome appendage, writhing with eerie eldritch energy, lash toward her from the black haze.

Instinct and years of rigorous training kicked in. With a warning shout, he sprang between the Princess and her attacker, muscles convulsing as his form shifted.

The last thing he was aware of, before Tokoyo-gami took over and eliminated conscious thought, was a wave of overwhelming heat as the tenebrous tentacle wrapped around him.

***

The ceiling, at least, was familiar.

Or maybe it was the bitter herbal smell that gave it away. That was probably it. The ceiling looked like most ceilings— which was still reassuring. At least the shrine hadn’t burned down.

They’d put him in Toshi Temple: not the training area where he regularly honed his sword skills, but the adjacent, rarely-used medical room. Poultices, bandages, and healing talismans lined the wooden shelves; two rows of nondescript futons were arranged against the walls (all but his unoccupied, he noted with relief).

But although he recognized his surroundings, his own body felt… strange, in a way that went beyond simple pain.

He heard a door sliding open, followed by soft footfalls approaching over tatami, and then the Princess’s face appeared overhead. Her breath caught when she found him conscious. “Akifusa…” She blinked quickly, but her eyes still glittered with unshed tears. “You were out for so long… I was worried.”

He wanted to throw his arms around her and reassure her he was fine, the mere sight of her in good health had revitalized him, but his muscles protested. Still, his lips twisted in a feeble smile before forming the word: “Princess…”

He paused. That had sounded off, although he couldn’t place why. Did he have a cold or something? Could you catch a cold while you were unconscious?

“Oh. Um, Akifusa? There’s something you should know.”

***

The Princess had told all of them about Aki’s transformation, and they’d all agreed not to say or do anything to humiliate the poor guy… or maybe girl any further. After all, if it wasn’t for Aki’s rushing in to defend his mistress, if it wasn’t for Tokoyo-gami’s power activating when it did, that battle would have ended very differently. It was thanks to Akifusa that all of them were still alive now; even Kuso knew this, beneath his arrogant sneers. And his current predicament sounded unsettling, all of them could agree on that much. (Gentoka didn’t see any reason for embarrassment, and Furutsugu’s first reaction was that it sounded kinky, but they both admitted— eventually— that it would take some adjustment.) They could resist the urge to tease him for a day or two.

But none of them had been prepared for the uncomfortable possibility that female Aki would be hot.

Of all the guys, in fact, Akifusa had seemed the least likely to provoke that particular problem if subjected to a sex swap. Not that this was something they (except Furutsugu, who had a very active imagination and no sense of shame) thought about often, of course. (Highest on Furutsugu’s list were Kodonomae, Kuso, and himself— he didn’t believe in false modesty. Gentoka and Tomonori would still be attractive, but more cute than sexually appealing, though he’d be intrigued to hear the Princess’s thoughts on the latter. The only person he’d ranked lower than Akifusa was the Princess, and he was willing to admit that was probably influenced by his personal bias toward women.)

But when the Princess appeared in the doorway with a blushing brunette at her side, shifting from foot to foot and avoiding everyone’s eyes, the whole room sucked in a breath.

Akifusa’s profile was a bit softer now— chin a bit smaller, cheekbones less square— but mostly the same as it had always been. Choppy layers of straight dark hair tumbled to his waist, with only a simple red ribbon (tied in a bow, as Tokoyo-gami’s had been) restraining them from falling into his eyes. Although his features still couldn’t compare to Shiki’s delicate beauty, all of the men had to admit to themselves, after the initial mental adjustment, that the end result certainly wasn’t repulsive. Anyone seeing Aki for the first time would have never guessed he hadn’t always been… well, a girl. (No one was quite sure on this point; none of them knew much about the powers of shadowy tentacle demons, making it hard to gauge the specifics of Aki’s transformation while he— or she?— had been unconscious.)

But the face wasn’t the part of Aki they had trouble dealing with. It was everything below the face that was the issue.

***

Akifusa’s cheeks blazed as he took a seat in his usual place, feeling his cumbersome breasts jiggle in the process; what was worse, the movement immediately drew all of the guys’ eyes, even though they all hastily looked away a second later. “S-stop staring!” he snapped in that frustratingly high-pitched voice that had replaced his own. “Perverts!”

“Calm down, Aki,” the Princess said gently, sitting beside him. “They’re just not used to seeing you like this. Give it a few days.” There was a noticeable gap on her left; her husband must have been working late. That was too bad. Other than the Princess, Tomonori was probably the one person Aki could trust not to drool over his new figure.

He lowered his voice so the others wouldn’t hear. “But what if they don’t stop after a few days?”

“Then we’ll deal with it from there. But for now, could you try to give them the benefit of the doubt? They’ve been worried about you as well, in their various ways. …And high levels of stress aren’t healthy, especially when your body’s still recovering.”

“…Fine.” Aki bit his lip, shifting position. With every slight motion he made, he was reminded that the body he occupied was female, and judging by the reactions of everyone else in the room, the way their cheeks flushed and their eyes kept wandering to his chest (only to jerk away once they realized they were ogling, to their credit), they were equally aware of this fact. He felt like he was going to explode from sheer mortification.

“For what it’s worth, I think it’s an improvement,” Furutsugu said, flashing Aki a flirtatious smile uncomfortably like the ones he usually saved for the Princess. Akifusa shot him a death glare.

Kodonomae cleared his throat. “Good to see you’re alive.” He raised a hand as if to slap Aki on the back but stopped halfway there, an odd look crossing his face. His massive palm hung in the air for an awkward moment before falling aside.

“Uh. Thanks.” At least he was trying. Still, did he have to act so weird about the whole thing? True, Aki was smaller now (it felt strange being shorter than the Princess, even though it was only by an inch or two), and his body was softer in a few places and slimmer in others, but it wasn’t like a single back slap would kill him.

“Kuso,” the Princess said, sitting up straighter as if anxious to change the subject, “were you able to learn anything from your trip to the spirit world?”

There was a long silence. Aki’s eyes wandered to Kuso and found the Crow purposefully averting his gaze, his cheeks vermillion.

“Nothing of value,” he muttered eventually, crossing his arms. “There were several accounts of similar transformations, but none this… noticeable, and all of the recorded instances wore off after one to five days. For further information, I’ll need to examine the b—” He broke off, face coloring even more violently; Aki gritted his teeth. He’d hated it when Kuso insisted on calling him “boy” in the past, but the god’s inability to say the word now felt like even more of a slight.

Gentoka, who’d been silently eating until now, spoke up. “I tried becoming a woman once, a long time ago.”

All of them stared at him, unsure how to interpret this.

He shrugged, reaching for another piece of fish with his chopsticks. “I thought if Aterui had a child to look after, it would give him something to live for besides vengeance. It didn’t work, though.”

Kodonomae recovered first. “The transformation, or…”

“No, that part was easy, but he didn’t want to mate with me in the new body, so I changed back. …This salmon is quite tasty. We should have it more often.”

Furutsugu smothered a laugh. More uncomfortable silence ensued.

“So… if it’s so easy, can you change me back?” Hope swelled in Aki’s chest, but the fox god shook his head.

“I only know how to change my own form. I thought that was obvious.”

“Then why’d you bring it up in the first place?!”

Gentoka frowned, golden eye fixing on him with complete innocence. “I was just making conversation. Not everything is about you.”

With a scowl, Aki lowered his gaze. “I know that,” he muttered, ears growing hot.

“Do you want me to say something about you?”

“No, that’s—”

“It’s impressive you can stand with breasts that large, especially with your current height. I only made mine about a third that size when I tried. Your back must be killing you.”

Beside him, Akifusa saw the Princess wince, but he was already surging to his feet, blood boiling, ignoring the stab of agony in his ribcage. “I’ve had enough! You’re all acting like I’m a different person, just because— just because I grew these stupid breasts that I never even wanted in the first place! There’s more to me than just my body, so… so stop panting and knock it off already!”

He glowered at each of them in turn, eyes watering as he clutched his bandaged ribs, but no one seemed able to meet his gaze. Cowards.

And then a quiet, familiar voice ruptured the silence. “For once, Akifusa, I completely agree: they’re idiots, and you’re clearly the same reckless fool you’ve always been. Now shut up and sit back down before you break any more bones. Shiki worked very hard to heal you.”

Relief crashed over him as he turned toward the doorway. “Tomo—!”

Blood-red eyes met his own, and his breath shattered inside of him.

No. Oh no. He was dying.

He was dying, and that was why Tomonori’s features stood out to him in such luscious detail: the lurid crimson of his hair and eyes, the smooth curve of his cheek, those… those soft pouty lips. Akifusa’s mind was clinging to this precious image, knowing it would be his last; he was beginning to feel feverish, heart pounding a million miles a minute.

“Is everything all right, Akifusa?”

“Y-yes, Princess.” He hastily turned away and sat again. No need to worry her on his behalf. After all, as long as she stayed alive, he had a duty to protect her; Akifusa refused to let himself die yet.

“Akifusa.” Tomo’s soft voice caught his attention again as he took a seat beside his wife. A small, sincere smile darted over his lips, eyes clinging to Aki’s for just a beat longer than necessary. “Thank you for saving Shiki. I’m glad you survived.”

Crap. His fever was coming back. *** Hope you enjoyed. There’s a lot more written; I’m not sure yet how much of it to share on here. It’s hard when I have no idea how many people are reading this to begin with. Thanks for reading, though. :)

#hiiro no kakera 4 #work in progress #akifusa oki #fanfiction #tomonori kotokura #shiki ugaya #shiki x aki x tomo #shall we date: scarlet fate #rough draft #aki x tomo #shiki x tomo #don’t you hate when this happens to you?#not much shiki x aki honestly #but he still has a bit of a crush #Aki’s POV is fun to write

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