Fandom ❉ lacuna＊: fruits basket

[Steve Jobs]

The Dragon continues her search

Zhou Rui Xi

"Let's tell them. Every single one of them. THEY ALL HEAR ME, DON'T THEY? GOD ON ANOTHER FUCKING ONE OF HIS TANTRUMS, BUT THIS TIME THEY'LL KNOW EXACTLY WHY! I WON'T LET YOU MAKE ME OUT TO BE THE HEADCASE YOU CLAIM I AM! IT'S YOU! YOU AND THE OTHERS ARE SICK AND TWISTED! LIARS, MANIPULATORS, FOR EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE! WHERE IS IT?! THE LIFE YOU PROMISED ME! THE LIFE YOU ARE TAKING AWAY FROM ME NOW!"

Rui Xi turned her body from the scene, not out of fear or disgust but to ensure some deniability. Whether the blade pierced flesh or clattered to the ground, her mind was already searching for a solution. In the past it had been just her and U-Jin covering up crimes; however, it was difficult to predict where this would lie. While it wasn't uncommon for people within the compound to lash out, Arashi was, by far, the most unhinged. A life laying around the compound and coddled by sycophants made him less a god and more of a child, lashing out against their nanny.

And just like a child, it would be up to their older siblings clean the mess.

They could not trust the servants (not that she ever did) and Rui Xi's knife work was shoddy at best. Cruel as it was, there was only one person suited for the job.

Rui Xi grabbed Nova's wrist as she saw her emerging to the courtyard, pulling back with a surprising amount of strength.

"DON'T! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT! YOU RAISED ME FOR A LIFE I WOULD NEVER HAVE! YOU SAW IT, IN YOUR VISIONS. YOU SAW THE BIRTH OF THE FINAL ZODIAC AND YOU KNEW. YOU KNEW WHAT WOULD COME AND YET YOU SAID NOTHING," shrieked Arashi from behind them.

"I know you what you're thinking, but I need you to look away. Concentrate on me. Ignore everything over there until everyone's gone," Rui Xi hissed, draconic pupils boring into the Tiger's orange irises. "If you want to protect everyone then you'll wait for U-Jin's word. Can you do that for me?"

It wasn't a question, but a command borne from too many close calls. While she wasn't stupid, she was still honest and too moral for her own good. Rui Xi wouldn't allow Nova to indict herself by witnessing whatever transpired.

If they were lucky, Rui Xi was being over dramatic and Nova's presence would be entirely superfluous. Given that they were cursed however, the two-technically three of them needed to prepare for the worst. Ten years ago, she would have died before involving another host in their illicit activities but everyone was an adult now. They could alleviate the burden between the two of them.

A few moments passed before a body hit the ground and Arashi began yelling once more. "I WANT ALL OF YOU GONE!" God screams. "OUT OF MY COMPOUND! I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU OR ANY OF THEM! YOU ARE NOTHING WITHOUT US! YOU TAKE ME AND PRETEND TO BE MY MOTHER! YOU TOOK ALL OF US! I'M NOT YOURS ANYMORE! I AM GOD, AND YOU WILL NO LONGER SERVE ME!"

“If you’re staying, we need to do some work. We’ll need to get rid of Gaku’s body. If we can wrap it up for transport my men will come and take care of it,” U-Jin announced.

"As far as you know, this is your first time stumbling on the scene. You saw nothing, you heard nothing, you will never speak of this. Am I clear?," Rui Xi repeated to Nova before leading them to the Snake, "alright let's go."

This wasn't her first time assessing the damage done to a corpse, but certainly the first time doing so to a servant.

"Well at least he died doing what he loved," the Dragon sighed, perhaps too casually given the situation. Rui Xi should have been angry that he made accomplices out of damn near everyone. She should have been nauseated or horrified that Arashi murdered someone, but instead she was just exasperated. A part of her wished it were as easy as turning into a dragon and gobbling up the corpse, but she couldn't stomach the moral implications.

Her only reprieve was seeing Inori slumped on the floor and U-Jin's suggestion to finally learn what the attendants had done for all of these years. As dark as it seemed, the murder presented the opportunity to fill in the gaps left by her trip to the museum.

"The sooner the better," Rui Xi replied, fangs barely hidden beneath her smirk. "But first...let's bring this body to the nearest bathroom."

mood | Too old for this

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location | The Compound

outfit | Black, gradient overcoat and casual wear

tag | U-Jin buckybaernes Nova Shadow Alpha

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[Skryeb]

Yori

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There was a shift in air as the first rays of sunlight cut through the remnants of winter, warming the scene that Yori had stuck his nose into. Unable to sleep since their arrival back to the compound, he grabbed his cane, heading out to walk to anywhere that would let him be outside of the stifling four walls of his room when he heard the shouting. An instinct shifted within him at the sound of Arashi’s loud voice and before he could fully comprehend what the God was actually saying, his pace was quickening towards the center of the courtyard, his cane tapping against the stone of the pathway.

Rounding the corner, the tap of his cane sounded sharp against the stone as he froze, taking in the sight before him. Others had already started to arrive as well, Yori catching the sight of U-Jin moving towards the scene with a determined stride and Arashi… his chest felt tight as he saw their God in the center of it all, crowned in the dying winter sunlight as they raised the blade in their hand.

Everything moved too fast after that, like the blade was the signal to the grand finale of their little show. The three occupants in the center of the courtyard moved in a clumsy dance as the rest of the Zodiac joined them as a captive audience.

In the end, Yori’s eyes firmly settled on Arashi as they took their hasty leave. As if pulled by a string, he moved to follow, catching sight of a few others moving as well, but one stood out the most to him. Konishi, their brave little sheep who had made her disdain for the God very clear for the last few weeks, was moving towards them with what seemed to be little hesitance. He was slightly behind her, so he couldn’t read her expression well enough to know her intention, and he couldn’t fully dissect the reason why he thought so, but he knew one thing: he couldn’t let her go alone. He quickened his steps, cane once more making a sharp tapping sound against the stone, until she was within reach and he was able to softly wrap his hand around her wrist, pulling on her so that she was facing him. His eyes searched hers for a moment as if trying to read her thoughts enough to know where her head was at, until he gave her a tight smile. “You shouldn’t go alone,” he said quietly, worried that if he spoke too loud that it would cause their already off balance world to tip further. He tried to keep his grip comforting yet keep her from pulling away, his thumb brushing against the inside of her wrist. “I’ll go with you. Just… stay close to me.” He wasn’t sure if his words were more for her comfort or his own.

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[Shadow Alpha]

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Interactions

buckybaernes Steve Jobs

Location

Courtyard where all hell broke loose

Nova Torazawa

The Tiger

Nova had been feeling quite sluggish early on in the day so she had retired to her quarters sooner than the other zodiacs. She could tell that the effects of the curse were beginning to affect her energy levels as she would prefer sleeping in most days versus being the overly productive chef she was known as. Her room had been changed to accommodate her animal form as well with her normal bed being replaced with could only be considered a gigantic, plush bean bag bed that was custom made. Pillows were strewn haphazardly across it while her limbs splayed out and taking up as much room as possible.

Needless to say, she was less than enthused when a piercing voice forced her awake. Her mind to have time to catch up to her body and she quickly found herself standing with her heart hammering in her chest. There seemed to be some small portion of her brain telling her that their God was in a panic state, it was that nagging pull that she often tried to ignore. By the time she made it outside to the source of the commotion, Arashi was already on the ground seemingly tussling with one of the servants. The outward display of uncontrolled rage and stress from Arashi was entertaining in a way that brought a ghost of a smile to her face. The being that was a beacon of leadership for the Zodiacs had finally begun to crumble in an almost unimaginable way. In her eyes, she had stopped viewing Arashi with any lens of humanity long ago and honestly could not fathom how far and quickly the mighty could fall.

The remnants of her smile faded as soon Arashi proceeded to stab the doctor as if he were a pig sent to the slaughter, "Holy shit!" Nova could feel her hair standing on end, she was no novice to blood or even butchered meat but the sound of death that escaped the man's mouth while his eyes pleaded for anyone to step in and help would be ingrained into her soul. She gritted her teeth as some sick instinctual part of her saw the man on the same level as a dish to be consumed.

She could hear her heart pounding in her ears as the others around seemed to fall into a panic as Arashi fled the scene. During their God's lowest moment, they suddenly appeared as nothing more than a frightened child with too much responsibility dumped onto their shoulders. Nova's own pupils had begun to dilate while her breathing was slightly uneven, it was a sight that she was unable to tear herself away from until she heard Rui Xi demand her attention. It felt like the older woman was trying to use the Dragon's overbearing presence as a way to ground her. Nova began to take much slower breaths and did all she could to adopt a colder expression. She dragged her hands through her already disastrous hair in an attempt to ground herself.

"I hear you loud and clear Rui Xi, granted I'm not doing this for Arashi's sake. Cleaning up his messes protects us in the long run." Nova followed closely behind Rui Xi like a small pup, unsure of her role in all of this since they have been deemed the clean-up crew. Nova offered U-jin a nod of acknowledgement and audibly growled as took in the visage of Inori, the one who seems to know a lot more about the curse than she originally let on. If U-jin wanted to torture the information out of Inori, Nova would be glad to assist. Any means necessary are seen as morally correct in her eyes in this moment.

She crouched down beside the soiled remains of Gaku and curiously nudged his corpse as if she needed confirmation that he was dead. She gazed upon him like one of the many animal carcasses that she had butchered and broken down. "Big Snake Bro, what's the plan for this human colander that Arashi made? I genuinely hope you didn't tell me to stay because you wanted me to eat him even though the animalistic part of me would be okay with that, I would definitely need Saki to counsel me for the rest of our days. Pretty sure on some level that's still considered cannibalism too." There was never a situation that Nova wouldn't allow her internal monologue to come out, as most of her brain function was still running on adrenaline and countless thoughts on how this was going to affect everyone that witnessed it.

Spoiler: Sleepwear Outfit

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[kunikuzushi]

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THE CAT

mood: shock

interactions: @e v i @leviohsa

location:
courtyard

Reiji smelled it first before he heard the commotion; The acrid scent of thunder. Sharp and crisp and accompanied by the scent of ozone. It was overwhelming, like a lightning storm had overtaken the compound. It was such a chilling distortion of the God’s familiar petrichor scent that the Cat couldn’t help the involuntary appearance of his claws.

The smell only seemed to amplify as Reiji reached the scene, just in time to witness crimson spilling onto the ground and the silhouette of a fleeing God.

Whatthefuckwhatthefuck.

Pain and fear. The smell pervaded his senses, now coupled with the tang of fresh blood. Reiji could only wrinkle his nose as he tried to piece together what he had just witnessed. Clearly, he was dreaming or suffering the effects of sleep deprivation because there was no way that he had just witnessed someone commit murder in the compound.

Blue eyes closed as Reiji tried to stabilize himself, but the God’s last screams before he left still lingered in Reiji’s mind.

“-You take me and pretend to be my mother! You took all of us-“

The words had sent a chill down his spine yet they resonated with him. Unlocking some emotion he thought long buried. It was true, he and Arashi had no parents to speak of but the servants from the compound; Strangers wearing pleasant masks. It was pitiful, his and Arashi’s situation. As much as Reiji hated it, an unpleasant tendril of sympathy seemed to take root in his heart, though it was dampened quickly by his hate for the God.

He forced his eyes away from the scene and opted to observe the varying reactions of the Zodiac. Distress, exhaustion, anger… What irked him most of all was the older zodiacs. Reiji was discontent with how quick the Dragon and the Snake were to handle the situation, like it was something to cross off a list.

Now, they were all accomplices to a murder.

❝ What the hell just happened. ❞ He practically snapped, whipping his head towards the nearest person who he was grateful was Akane. Her white hair beckoned to him like a halo and he approached her with eyes pleading for another soul to confirm what he had just seen.

He wondered how she was faring, seeing the man she was so intertwined with, commit such a violent act. Fists unclenched and his voice dropped to a softer tone at the realization. ❝ Oh, are you alright? ❞

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[Lost Echo]

Konishi couldn’t sleep in her room. She sat on the bed, more ovine than human, curled in her nightgown. She knew it was not safe here. She’d hidden, disappeared like she had as a child, but even without any more visits she couldn’t get to sleep. The servants had entered her hotel room with ease, how could the lock to this door make any difference?

But she knew this place. She had to stay in the compound, but there was no reason she had to stay here in this room. She knew good hiding spots in the compound. She could choose one outside and let the sun wake her. Though her arms were covered in wool, she determinedly grabbed a robe to wrap around her shoulders. It was difficult to remember how hands worked, her fingers harder and refusing to bend, but she got it tied and left the room.

If they didn’t know where she was, they couldn’t find her. She’d be safe. Her brain had shifted too far into a sheep's for her to think of cameras. Her hooves seemed loud against the wooden floors, her steps more wobbly than a newborn lamb’s.

It was a relief to reach the grass of the courtyard. She forced herself to stay bipedal, as she honed in on the bushes that lined the open space. Behind one of those, she would be safe. As she dropped to all fours, her transformation finished. Entangled in the robe and nightgown, she used her mouth to pull the fabric further back, and curled up, hidden in the shadows.

Before she fell asleep, her last thought was maybe she would feel safe when she was a sheep for good.

~​

Voices. Yelling. They wake her, automatically causing her to panic. It was not safe. Not Safe! Trying to flee, she backs up, still caught in her night clothes. All she manages to do is hit the wall of the compound. Her wool is caught in the bush she’s half under, causing her to feel further trapped with every pull. But she did not call out. She’s still human enough to know that any noise would bring danger, not help.

It was with that thought that she froze. Did they hear? The yelling didn’t seem to be any closer, nor had it stopped. She flinched as it got louder. This time she recognized the voice. Arashi. Words. What was he saying?

“GOD ON ANOTHER FUCKING ONE OF HIS TANTRUMS. BUT THIS TIME THEY’LL KNOW EXACTLY WHY.”

Was he mad at her? Did he know she was here? Craning her dark head forward, she looked beyond the branches of the bush she was under. No. She could see the head servant, Inori. The two were not quite in front of her, making it possible.

She could see the movement of another man. She opened her mouth, to bleat out a warning, but as the light caught the syringe, a memory overlaid what she was seeing. A younger Arashi. The same man. And her, hiding in the doorway. She couldn’t remember when it happened. Sometimes during her fog. After she’d realized she’d lost her parents for good. She’d skipped school. It was the first and last time. She’d heard a commotion. That was before it was commonplace to hear Arashi’s tantrums. She’d gone to look, curious instead of just afraid like she later was.

He’d been trying to kill himself. Or maybe someone else. Her memory blurred with the current screaming.

“I won’t fucking do it anymore.”

She cowered. Then and now. She wanted to run away as she had then, back home where her kind parents hadn’t remembered her. Had they wondered long who the girl coming to cry at their gate was? Or had Rui Xi erased that memory too? Konishi had fled when she realized they didn’t know her. Still.

A smell, one she recognized, but wished she didn’t, brought her focus back to now. Bringing her panic to the forefront. Instead of seeing a collapsed Arashi carried off, like in her memory…he was…he was…oh gods he was…Konishi whimpered.

Bent over the older man. It was impossible to deny what she was seeing. U-Jin knelt beside them, forcing him to stop…stabbing him. But then Arashi attacked the servant. At first Konishi thought it was the knife again, that glints as it goes into the woman’s throat, but no…the syringe is emptied instead. He still strangled her until a coughing fit saved her. Then he stormed away.

“Go after Arashi, someone”

Konishi knew it had to be her. This was her fault. She’d known. If she had just told someone, this wouldn’t have happened. She had to reach him. She had to follow.

She lunged forward, only to be held back by the branches. She pulled and pulled, but they would not release. Turning, she mouthed at the woody hands, but quickly realized she’d have to be human to get free. And for her God, she could. She transformed, Her pale skin scratched by the branches, the tufts of wool left behind not enough to protect her. She stumbled as she stood, ignoring her nightgown in favor of her robe, which she tied around her as she walked, straight toward Arashi.

Her mind was so focused on her goal that when she was stopped again, she turned to free herself, instead of immediately realizing there was a person who stopped her. She blinked, her rectangular pupils making it difficult to see him, but she knew the Monkey’s scent. Yori. His thumb brushed the inside of her wrist, bringing her back further.

It took her a moment to register his words. He was not stopping her. He was going with her. Then she needed to tell him. He needed to understand that this was her fault. “I knew. I thought. I.” She shifted her hand to take Yori’s wrist in turn. “Myyy fault,” She bleated.
peachiepalette Skryeb

 

[cwosont]

arashi.

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A gloom hovers over the city. Rain pours from the heavens, and splatters at Arashi’s feet. He does not flinch when lightning streaks across the sky, nor is he startled by the boom of thunder that follows shortly after. They were taught to never fear a storm, but to respect its power instead. It was his namesake, after all. Storm. Was that why the air smelled of burning ozone when he cried?

“Okaasan.”

He thinks of his other name. Kamiya. Not the name of his father, but the cursed gods who came before him.

“What if I don’t want to be a god?”

—

Ringing, and the sound of his own labored breathing, is all Arashi can hear as they stumble away from the courtyard. Their mind is racing, unable to form a cohesive thought. Adrenaline keeps them moving as far away from the scene as he can possibly manage.

Arashi does not make it as far before his legs give out from beneath him. His stomach churns as he trips over his own feet. There is hardly any pain as their knees scrape against stone. They do not feel much of anything aside from nausea and fear. He squeezes his eyes shut and his head spins.

His hands are wet, almost sticky. Blood stains his pale fingers. Arashi is too frightened to look and face the reality of what he has done. Was he dead? They can not remember what the doctor looked like after U-Jin stopped him from stabbing the man again.

Arashi takes a ragged breath. Stabbed. He stabbed him. And for good reason. A surge of rage seized them, his conversation with the doctor in his bedroom replaying in his head. The syringe. Their face twisted in anger. The bastard deserved it. They didn’t do anything wrong. But would the others believe that? Or would they turn on him, as they always did? Could U-Jin protect him this time?

Anxiety entangles itself in his anger. His pulse quickens, nausea clawing its way up his parched throat. He digs his nails into his stained palms and inhales sharply. Shallow, as if he drew no breath at all.

Arashi hears footsteps.

“No,”

they whisper. He doesn’t want any of it. U-Jin’s unwavering support, or Kazue’s twisted devotion. Even worse, Akane’s misguided infatuation.

“Leave!”

They shout, pushing himself to his feet. Arashi sways and takes another shallow breath.

“I don’t-”

The God stops and stares.

—

“You will cease these sick indulgences at once. You are the God of Zodiacs, these perversions will not be tolerated.”

“I don’t need to listen to you! I am God, so I will do what I want! I am not yours to control anymore!”

Inori is quick to raise her hand. Arashi recoils, but there is no avoiding it. He clasps his cheek and bites back tears. “You are God, but he is not. End it.” She steps closer. “Or he will suffer for your pride.”

—

Arashi is haunted by trembling fingertips brushing against tender, bruised skin. Promises whispered into flushed cheeks and the clumsy kisses which follow them. His dreams turn to nightmares as long, tangled hair as dark as the night sky slips from his grasp. He turned away first, but selfishly dared to hope the first step would never be taken. Then the fateful day came, and Arashi did nothing to stop it.

“Why are you here?!”

Arashi demands.

“I don’t have the energy to deal with your fucking judgement, Kenta, so if you would both do us a favor and leave me alone!”

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joji

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