ROLEPLAY HQ - lost-with-the-spirits

Triggers: Death, Violence, Gore Potential sexual content, Drug abuse

“Nah, that’s too cliche...” Mumbling and muttering, Faolan started scribbling out the first sentence of his story. The humid afternoon was starting to give way to twilight; a cool summer breeze gently blowing and causing hair to get into Faolan’s face. He quickly pulled it away, staring blankly at the notebook on his lap. It was the first day off he’d had in a while, and here he was wasting it away; the need to have the absolute perfect first sentence gnawing at him. He’d probably already filled half of this damn notebook with scrapped ideas for that one vital part, along with abandoned plot points and scenes. He sighed, leaning back against the park bench to stare at the sky. Gorgeous pinks and oranges melted together as the sun started to lower itself below the horizon; it almost made Faolan wish he were an artist instead of an author. Alas, fate had decided his gift was more with words than paints. He felt his phone buzz suddenly, probably a text from some coworkers. While he worked freelance, he still had a group of workers he typically worked alongside with. They, more often than not, were begrudging beta readers for whatever half-cooked story plot he had thought of. He checked the phone screen, unlocking it with his thumb. Sure enough, Ian had texted him. ”Sup dude! Wanna come out for some drinks tonight?” Faolan stared at the screen, debating on how to answer. He hadn’t gone out for fun in a while; maybe a few weeks? Months even? He looked between the phone and his notebook, chewing on the pen he was using to write. After a moment, he gave a bit of a sigh, replying to his coworker. ”Sure, what bar are you guys going to?” (C)

03:11

It didn’t take long for Ian to get back to him with the name of the bar, explaining he and a few other coworkers would be there within 10 minutes. Faolan adjusted his glasses, pressing his lips thin. Of course, they just had to choose the bar across town. He ran a hand through his chestnut hair, hazel eyes staring at the sky once again as he thought. He could either get an Uber and cut into his drinking money, or he could find a shortcut. Judging how he was already kind of strapped for cash, finding a shortcut seemed more appealing. Plus, he always loved a good walk. Getting up with a groan, Faolan started making his way to the bar. And now I see the flaw in my logic, Foalan thought, looking at the unfamiliar surroundings. My sense of direction is awful. The sky was now a sea of dark purples and blues, the stars competing with the streetlights in order to be noticeable. Faolan went to check his phone, and felt a twinge of annoyance as the phone screen turned on, only to power off a few seconds later. Great, so now he was lost with no cellphone. Faolan sighed a bit, pinching the bridge of his nose underneath his glasses. He started looking around, nothing looking familiar except for one thing. The alleyway to his right. Had he passed through it before? He couldn’t remember, but it seemed logical to try and walk through, to try and see if he could find anywhere even vaguely familiar. With no hesitation, he started walking through. (C)

03:11

The first feeling that something was off didn’t come right away. The man had started daydreaming again, not realizing exactly how long he’d been walking down the alleyway. Once he did however, he blinked, eyebrows furrowing. He wasn’t anywhere near downtown; he didn’t think at least. So why was everything suddenly so...colorful? Not to mention bright; he squinted his eyes as they adjusted to the change of scenery. He spun around; maybe if he turned around, he’d find his way out and back to the street. Once he did, he walked for even longer, with no signs of the street he was just on. He continued on like that for a while, getting more and more turned around as the environment became more and more colorful. Completely disoriented, Faolan decided to sit down on the floor. Okay, either someone slipped me something, or I fell asleep in the park. He thought to himself, taking out his pen again to chew on. Maybe this is just a weird kind of Wonderland.

"Lord Hideaki-sama. A human has entered this realm." "Lord Hideaki-sama. A human has entered this realm." "I know. Bring him to me." "Yes, Lord Hideaki-sama." "Yes, Lord Hideaki-sama." The sound of a small bell chiming, ringing through the air. The world between life and death itself was home to many mysterious spirits: The Yokai. Powerful spirits and ghosts of all shapes and sizes claiming this realm between heaven and hell their own as they belonged in neither of them. Some of them were good and kind while others were evil and destructive. Some were born in the human realm, human tools gaining consciousness after existing for 100 years while others born out of malice and evil thoughts of humans. Some were almost as powerful as the kami themselves but would always belong in this realm. The realm between was always where they could return to. A realm that was not meant to be seen by mortal eyes. Yet those who saw it would never return to their realm. What the human saw now was similar to the inn of a traditional Japanese mansion, floors stacked on floors in a seemingly endless tower, the floors connected by seemingly staircases hovering in the middle. Everything was bright, surreal, covered in vivid patterns and colors. What seemed even more surreal were those bizarre. Creatures with horns and fangs, fur and scales from all shapes and sizes seemed to wander this realm, flying through the air, gathering in small groups, walking along the different floors, sliding paper doors open and closing them. Not soon after the human had entered this realm began the whispers. "A human." "Mortal." "How did he get here?" The Yokai began to stare, looking at the human with signs of shock and some of them, hunger. Slowly a small crowd began to approach the human. "He looks delicious." "It's been a while since the last Mortal found his way here." They were growing restless, impatient with many eyes resting on the human now who seemed to have disturbed their harmony.

10:32

@Angel™🌸

Faolan had stopped paying attention for a while, just chewing on his pen as he tried to figure out exactly what had happened to him. He was in town, went down the alley, then...all of a sudden he was tripping balls? While the environment was beautiful (in it’s own weird way,) he would much rather be at home, curled up under the blankets, feeling his cat curled up in the crook of his knee. He didn’t know exactly how late it was when his phone died, but it was probably later than he was normally out. Hopefully Kennifer had enough food in his bowl to last the night. It’s no biggy, he thought, not noticing the crowd of Yokai starting to surround him. I’m sure I’ll wake up tomorrow morning in that weird alley, and be able to get home with enough time to feed Kennifer and shower before work! I just... His thoughts started to trail off after that, finally looking up to see the Yokai. He let out a startled yelp, starting to crawl back a bit to try and put some distance between himself and the ever-growing crowd. “O-okay, yup, definitely tripping on something.” He said out loud, furrowing his eyes as he tried to think of exactly how in the world he’d be tripping right now. “I...I have no idea how, but I’m definitely tripping right now. This...this can’t be real.” The poor man was stumbling over his words, feeling a sense of panic rise in his throat as he continued to try and take in the sights around him. Gone were any childish notions that this could be anything like Wonderland; too many monsters, not enough cute fluffy rabbits muttering about being late. (c)

15:06

“I-I don’t suppose you guys like stories, do you?” He asked, trying to think quickly as he stumbled to his feet. “I-I know a few good ones! Like, do you know the story about the little girl who was a tender sweet young thing?” He rambled on, trying to distract the Yokai with the first story that came to mind. Unfortunately, he started stammering a bit too hard at the end. “A-and so she w-was...and m-mighty tasty t-too...” He finished, his words weak. He had forgotten the ending had the little girl get eaten by the tigers. I-I mean, He thought to himself, swallowing hard as he kept looking around. A-at least I’m not wearing patent leather shoes...or perfume...or ribbons...Maybe they *won’t eat me?* @MJ'oras Mask🎭

As the human was talking the crowd began to close around him, seemingly not getting distracted by his attempt of telling a story. "How funny." "A mortal trying to entertain us with his stories." "We don't have all day, boy!" "I'll get the brain." "NO ME!" "I think his legs look rather delicious…" The Yokai began to ramble, their voices hissing, cackling, growling. Long claws and hands began to reach out for the human, few Yokai now seemingly starting to stumble over themselves in an attempt to get the first grasp at the human. The sound of a small bell chiming, ringing through the air. The crowd turned their gaze away in confusion before seemingly splitting in two for 2 little girls slowly approaching the human. The other Yokai looked at them in fear, some of them hissing or growling at them but still letting them get through. The two rather human looking spirits wore white traditional Miko clothing, a white piece of cloth covering their faces. Both held a little lantern in front of them with little bells attached to them. One thing that made it evident that they were no human were the pair of black ears peeking through their short black hair. The two stopped within 2 meters of a human, bowing their heads lighty. "Lord Hideaki-sama demands your presence. Follow us." "Lord Hideaki-sama demands your presence. Follow us." The two girls spoke seemingly in perfect unison, only waiting for a moment before turning around to take their leave in slow graceful steps, not waiting for the human to follow. @Angel™🌸

As the Yokai kept coming closer, Faolan swallowed hard. Sure, he probably wasn't the best story teller, but he was hoping that the story would at least distract them enough for him to think of a plan. "I-I kind of like my brain in my skull...a-and I kind of need my legs..." The stammering was getting worse, even his body started to shake slightly from the idea of getting devoured. He flinched away from the claws, his heart pounding as he saw gnashing teeth and heard the growling. The only thing that gave him a moment of pause was the sound of a small bell. His eyebrows furrowed more, trying to find the source of the bell. While he did that, he didn't notice the two girls right away. However, he noticed the creatures in front of him parting a bit; his eyes quickly looked to the two girls. The only thing that came to his mind was that one horror movie, with the twin girls in the blue dresses. Great, why'd I have to think of that? he groaned internally, adjusting his glasses with a defeated sigh. Despite that, the comparisons grew as they spoke in unison, talking about some lord. The questions kept growing and growing, and he looked at them stunned for a second before they turned to walk away. "W-wait!" He called out despite himself, quickly trying to catch up. It didn't take too long, considering he was taller than the both of them. "Who are you talking about? Can you tell me where I am? Because, I-I was trying to meet up with friends and..." His voice trailed off, realizing they weren't even looking in his direction. It was like they couldn't hear him. Part of him wanted to try and get their attention, but he decided against it. He had no idea what was going on, and the last thing he wanted to do was annoy the two beings who saved his skin back there. @MJ'oras Mask🎭

The Two girls went forward with steady steps, not turning around nore reacting to the human's question at all. It was not their order to speak with them. Their only purpose right now was to bring the human to their master. The two girls guided Faolan up many of the stairs, higher in this mansion, through a maze of hallways with vibrant colored shoji and lanterns hovering in the air. After some time walking they slid open one of the many shojis, taking their wooden sandals into their hands before entering the room, only to slide another one to the left open. Left, right, through, right, through, left… it was hard to keep up, every room more colorful than the last. Soon the two girls stopped before a particularly fancy shoji, seemingly being the entrance to some different chambers. "The human has arrived, Lord Hideaki-sama." "The human has arrived, Lord Hideaki-sama." The two girls bowed before the shoji. "Come in." A new male voice spoke. It was smooth and rich and shortly after, the two shoji slid open. The room was larger, a bit more dimly lit with two Geishas dressed in beautiful kimono robes sitting on two pillows in the corner, playing a rather formal little tune on two beautiful wooden shamisen. As they moved more through the room the girls slowly approached two larger shojis, depicting a beautiful white fox with nine tails before they kept their distance to leave. Smoke seemed to hover in the air around it along with his odd and indescribable scent. "Come closer." The voice came from behind the shoji, a thin silhouette of a tall man laying on the side being visible on the rather light and see-through background. In front of the shoji was a red pillow for the guest to sit. @Angel™🌸

Despite keeping up with the girls, Faolan still looked hopelessly lost. It seemed like every new twist and turn only disoriented him more and more. His head was spinning, trying to keep track of where they were going. However, he almost bumped into the girls once they stopped, stumbling as he did his best to not knock them over. He furrowed his eyebrows as they spoke, and almost seemed to jump as another voice replied. By this point, the man had realized this new place had a heavy traditional Japanese influence; before he followed the girls into the larger room, he slid his sneakers off, holding them loosely in his hands as to not loose them. "Woa," The man's voice was soft, hazel eyes wide as he took in the surroundings. The music the Geishas were playing was beautiful, and it was at this point he tried to find his notebook. After patting himself down with his free hand, he gave a sigh of defeat. He'd lost it somewhere already, as well as his pen. He glanced at the bigger shojis as they approached, eyeing the attention to detail and even admiring it. I wish I had my notebook, He thought, feeling a small wave of disappointment. All this could be a wonderful setting for a story. However, he jumped a bit as the voice told him to come closer. He took a few hesitant steps closer, trying to place the smell of the smoke having in the air. He didn't sit down at first, rather shifting a bit as he stood in place, but once he eyed the pillow, he sat down on his knees. "U-uhm, sorry to...intrude I guess?" He said, not exactly sure what to say in this situation. "I-I was just trying to find my friends; I went down an alleyway, and then I'm here. I have no idea how in the world I got here." @MJ'oras Mask🎭

The silhouette behind the shoji seemed to tip her head lightly, chuckling a little. "How interesting…" Another portion of smoke curled through the air, this time it smelled oddly sweet but the smell seemed to shift constantly. "Tell me human, do you know where this so-called alleyway led you to? Are you aware of where exactly you are?" @Angel™🌸

Faolan watched the silhouette, his eyes following the smoke. He wished he still had his notebook; this was weird enough to be a solid setting for something surreal. Maybe it'd be enough to finally get a book published, instead of joining the ever-growing pile of rejects from the publisher. However, when the silhouette asked if he knew where he was, he shook his head. "Honestly, I have no idea." He admitted, giving a bit of a sheepish laugh. "I'm still pretty sure I'm either tripping somehow without any drugs, or I fell asleep somewhere after reading a fairy tale." Sure, he knew both options were fairly impossible, but there was no way this was real. "Or who knows, maybe this is some sort of pop up art exhibit I didn't know about; I've walked into those a few times at least." Despite his predicament, Faolan seemed rather talkative. His coworkers always joked that he had no off switch, and he seemed to be proving the idea right. He only paused to adjust his glasses, clearing his throat a bit in embarrassment. "S-sorry," he said, his tone matching the sheepishness of his laugh earlier. "M-my coworkers say I'm a chatterbox, especially when I'm nervous." @MJ'oras Mask🎭

The silhouette listened to the human rambling, seemingly trying to comprehend where he was and what he'd gotten himself into. "Those are all interesting assumptions of you, but I'm afraid every single one of them is wrong." The man behind the shoji chuckled. "Am I right with my assumption that none of the beings you've met looked human to you?" He asked curiously. @Angel™🌸

Faolan paused for a second, taking in the mysterious man's words. True, none of the beings even looked vaguely human, but at the same time... "I mean, makeup artists are basically real-life wizards." He said thoughtfully, starting to chew on the tip of one of his fingers. "They make humans a living canvas, distorting and adding different features until they no longer look human." Despite saying that, he kept thinking. Sure, that would explain the pop up art exhibit, but not the other two possibilities. "And maybe this is a weird trip or dream; maybe you're like...my consciousness or something? In all of the fantasy books I've read, there's always the wise man trope; ya know, the person who guides the protagonist through the new world they've found themselves in. Who knows, maybe you're supposed to be my guide to enlightenment or something." Even as he spoke, the seeds of doubt had been planted by the simple notion the stranger had brought up. If his notions were wrong, all that was left was that he really did end up in some weird surreal world. That couldn't be true though, right? "Besides, if this is somehow real, why me?" He asked, his words growing thoughtful as he mused the possibility. "I'm just a carpenter who's a wannabe author; I'm a far cry from someone important enough to wind up in some fantastical world mostly filled with monsters." He kept chewing at the tough skin on his fingers, having little feeling from years of accidentally hammering them. This was just too wonderous to take at face value; this was something that only happened in books. He couldn't accept that this was reality. "And even if this is real, it doesn't explain why you're here." He added, his words slow as he thought through them. "I mean, you're human too aren't you? It'd explain why you're hiding...but then again, those two girls said you were a Lord, so that wouldn't make sense unless you're really good at bluffing." @MJ'oras Mask🎭

Taking another pull from his pipe the man listened to the human rambling, trying to comprehend what had just happened to him. "You are an entertaining one." He chuckled, exhaling the smoke into the air around him behind the shoji. Yet he stopped for a brief moment once Yeshua mentioned that he had to be human. "Oh my... what a bold assumption to make." The man said in a rather cunning voice as he sat himself up. The human would be able to see noticeable changes in the man's silhouette. At first it appeared as if nothing had changed until suddenly, something long appeared behind him. Something big and fluffy curling around him and then in the air, then one more and more until there were a total of nine tentacle like things part of the man's human like shape, but in truth, they were tails. "Who said that I was a mortal like you?" The man or creature now chuckled a bit louder. To him it was clearly pure amusement. "But you are correct. You are no longer in the mortal realm by now. This realm is what the we call "The Inbetween". A space inbetween life and death itself. A place home to many souls and spirits you humans call "Yokai" and so I am indeed one of them." He explained, the grin that the man wore behind the shoji was evident in his voice. "Noone here is human, except you." He shrugged a little, taking another pull of his pipe. @Angel™🌸

Faolan had been feeling confident that this was all just a weird dream; after all, it made the most sense. However, before he could say anything, the man had mentioned how he had made a bold assumption. He looked over at the shoji again, opening his mouth to ask why ahen he saw the weird shapes curling around the now most certainly not human. "W-wait, what the-" Before he could finish his sentence, the man continued to speak. The more he explained, the more Faolan's face fell. A space between life and death? Yokai? None of this seemed plausible. He adjusted his glasses, for once being quiet for a moment. "So like..." he said slowly, trying to make sense of all the information. "Did I like...almost die then? Did I get hit by a car and now am in a coma, and my brain can't handle the information, so now I'm trying to cope with my impending death with a world full of Yokai and some wise not-man talking to me to encourage me to let go?" After rambling, he took a deep breath. Freaking out wouldn't get him out of here, and he knew it. He stared down at the ground, processing the information he had just been given. Shortly, he slowly started to nod. "Okay...okay. I'll accept this, take it on the chin." He said, looking back up at the silhouette. "So...how do I get home then? Kennifer-my cat, not a person, everyone gets that confused-is probably hungry, I need to go home and feed him." @MJ'oras Mask🎭

The man listened to the man fumbling over his words as he seemed to be thrown off by his changed appearance behind the shoji, as expected. "I can guarantee you, you are not dead... yet." The man chuckled amused. "However, I'm afraid leaving is no option." He said, shrugging rather unbothered, taking another pull of his pipe as the tails on his back shimmered around his arms, curling around his set up leg. @Angel™🌸

Faolan listened carefully, watching the silhouette as he continued to talk. However, when he nonchalantly dropped the fact he couldn't go home, the panicked rambling came back. "Wait...what do you mean leaving isn't an option?" He didn't try to hide the panic and fear in his voice, eyes going wide. "I-I have my job, my shitty apartment downtown...Kennifer...I can't just not go home to take care of them!" His heart pounded in his chest, running his hand through his hair. "That cat can be a mean old bastard, but he still needs food and pets! No one else will wanna take care of him, and I can't have him do more time at the shelter, I just busted him out of there!" The humor of him worrying about a cat over being stuck with beings who could easily kill him wasn't lost on him; rather, he started laughing at the absurdity of it all. "I need to go home, I can't be stuck here, there has to be a way home." He said, adjusting his glasses as the nervous laughter continued. "P-please tell me you were kidding around, wanted to see me get freaked out, I won't be mad I promise!" @MJ'oras Mask🎭

"I'm afraid I am not making any jokes. There's no way for you to return home at this point, but don't worry. Time here runs... a bit different compared to the mortal realm." The shadow behind the shoji spoke rather amused then actually worried. "I'm afraid you have to stay here a little longer." He shrugged, exhaling another swiff of smoke into the air. @Angel™🌸

Faolan shook his head, running a hand through his hair again as he tried to wrap his mind around the information given to him. "N-no...no you have to be wrong, there's now way..." However, deep down, a part of him knew the silhouette had to be right. Without thinking, he stood up, running off without another word. Surely, he had to be wrong. There's no way this was right. Picking a random direction, he started to run. The hallways twisted and turned, disorienting the man as he continued to sprint. He checked through open entry ways, looked in every nook and cranny, but could never find his way out. Rather, he just kept ending up in the same room, with the same shoji, with the same silhouette. After what seemed like ages, he finally stopped in front of the shoji, panting as he sat back down. He didn't say anything, just tried to catch his breath. His lungs burned, his muscles feeling like jelly from non-stop running. "Why..." he started, still breathing hard. "Why does...it all lead back here..." he wanted to cry, scream, do something, but he was too tired. The panic, the running, it was all exhausting. "The architecture makes no sense here...nothing makes sense here..." @MJ'oras Mask🎭

Behind the shoji, Hideaki watched the human get up to bolt. He didn't even make an attempt to stop this human and just decided to watch. His gaze followed Faolan run through one of the shojis on the left side only to watch him reenter his room through a shoji on the right. This behavior went on for a bit until the human seemed to be finally out of breath. Hideaki's chuckle turned into a soft laughter. He was clearly amused by Faolans desperate behavior. "Are you done now?" He asked after his laughter had faded away, taking another pull of his pipe. "Of course nothing makes sense here for you. Time and space are not the same here as in your realm. Here it is moldable, twisted and turned only for us spirits to understand. No matter where you go, you will always end up back here because I want to." Faolan would be able to hear the mischief in Hideaki's voice, feeling his sharp gaze rest on the human. @Angel™🌸

Faolan listened carefully, pursing his lips as he listened. Hearing the silhouette laugh, he felt irritated, patronized even. "Well, why do you want me here?" He asked, his tone indignant. "I'm not some shiny new toy." His eyes narrowed as he stared at the shoji, frustration bubbling in his chest. He crossed his arms, trying to focus on the frustration. Frustration was better than the panic and fear; plus, he didn't have enough energy to start running again from the fear. "Besides, if you can control this place, why can't you help me get home?" He asked, his eyes lowering to the ground. The question seemed to take the wind out of his sails, his tone going from indignation to something softer, or even sadder. "If you can change things around here, why not have one of these weird hallways lead back home?" @MJ'oras Mask🎭

"If I would've let you run outside, this horde of hungry Yokai would've devoured you in a blink of an eye." The silhouette replied rather bluntly. "Unfortunately that is not something I can do." He said in a bit softer tone after seeing the human slowly sinking into despair after him mentioning that he could just make a way to outside. "On the other side we could come to a little... arrangement." He shifted his position a little in curiosity, his tails flicking a little. "You see, I am terribly bored and just letting you go out there to ve eaten would be a waste, wouldn't it be?" He noted, taking another pull of his pipe. @Angel™🌸

Faolan went to open his mouth, to give any sort of retort, but paused. The silhouette had a good point; he hadn't forgotten how the Yokai had been talk about him, like he was a new delicacy added to the menu. He swallowed, barely catching the silhouette explain he couldn't just make a way to the outside. "I see..." he said quietly, adjusting his glasses some. They were a bit dirty from the day, so he took them off, pinching the lenses between the fabric of his shirt. However, when he mentioned making an arrangement, Faolan looked back over. He listened to the silhouette explain his boredom, and how much of a waste it would be for Faolan to be eaten. "Well, what were you thinking then?" He asked, placing his glasses back on his face. "I mean, I can tell you stories I guess; I might be a carpenter, but I do like to write on the side." This still wasn't ideal, but the ideal was impossible. If he couldn't get home, at least telling stories and not getting eaten by monsters would be second best. @MJ'oras Mask🎭

"Oh is that what you have to offer? Very well then." The shadow sat up behind the shoji, taking another pull from his pipe. "You shall be under my protection and have a place to stay as long as you can offer something to entertain me. Do we have a deal?" The silhouette asked, a faint glow visible behind the shoji of two yellow eyes. @Angel™🌸

Faolan mulled the notion over, trying to figure out if it would be beneficial. On one hand, he wouldn't be able to go home. Kennifer was still on his mind, and he felt his throat tighten up at the thought of the poor cat going hungry. On the other hand, he'd be able to not get eaten. Slowly, he started nodding, making his decision. "A-alright...deal." he said with a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. He'd much rather go home, but he knew it wasn't going to happen. Looking back at the shoji, he looked at the faint glow coming through the thin paper. "Oi, if I'm gonna be your entertainment, can I at least see your face?" He asked, not looking away. "Seems only fair ya know. Besides, it'd make it easier for me to trust you." His tone had a hint of the same indignance as before, but not nearly to the same degree. He wasn't going to pretend all was fine, and he was 100% on board with being stuck here as some shiny new toy. However, as much as he didn't want to admit it, the idea of being able to tell stories to someone was a pleasant one; even if the only way it could happen was being stuck in some alternate universe thing. @MJ'oras Mask🎭

He held in for a moment, seemingly considering his offer. "Very well then." The shadow spoke after a moment of silence. In one swoop, the two shoji doors slid open open, revealing a man with long flowy white hair dressed in a beautiful red and golden kimono with a beautiful sewed in picture of a crane, a jade pipe in his hand with long sharp fingernails. He was sitting rather relaxed and leaned back with one knee up, resting his head in a hand that was resting on his hand, the jade pipe in his other hand. His unnatural yellow eyes were underlined with red eyeliner along with some more lines on his cheekbone and a little swirl on his forehead. Around his back a total of nine white fluffy tails were curling around his shape and figure along with a fitting pair of two big fluffy ears peeking through his hair. A shiny jade ring and a few other piercings decorated the lower parts of his ear. Further golden bracelets decorated his arms along with a big sigil like ring on his left hand index finger and another necklace tugged beneath his kimono. "Better?" He asked the human with a mischievous smile, tipping his head to the side a little as he found it all very amusing. @Angel™🌸

Faolan watched as the doors opened, revealing the man behind them. His eyes widened some, caught completely off guard. He was expecting someone...well, he didn't know. He just knew he wasn't expecting someone who was actually kind of handsome. It took him a second to register what the man had asked, but once it did he gave a nod. "O-oh! Yea, yea that's better." He said, his words becoming a bit mumbled after his initial exclamation. He wasn't exactly sure why it had surprised him; he could vaguely recall old stories about nine tailed foxes after all. Maybe it was because he was vaguely human shaped? Or maybe it was how handsome the being in front of him was? He shook his head. No, no that couldn't be it. There was just something...different about this guy. He just couldn't put a finger on it. @MJ'oras Mask🎭

His mischievous smile grew slightly more in amusement as he saw the human stare, completely flattered by his appearance as expected as he heard the human fumble with his words. "There is only one thing that has to be done to confirm this arrangement." He spoke after chuckling a little. "Come a little closer." He spoke glancing over at the human with his yellow eyes. @Angel™🌸

Faolan felt his heart pound slightly as the man before him asked him to come closer. He felt his eyebrows furrow at this; why was his heart pounding? Was he under some sort of spell? No, that didn't make sense. However, he knew he couldn't be quiet for forever. Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he shook his head. "I...don't think that's a good idea," He said, starting to chew on the tip of a finger again. Damn he missed his pen. "I-I mean, how do I know you're not gonna eat me if i get too close?" While a valid question to him, he also felt...weird. Yea, weird was a good word for it; he felt weird about the guy in front of him. He wasn't sure why, but it was a really awkward feeling, especially when he felt his yellow eyes examining him. His face felt warm as he shuffled in his spot awkwardly, trying to avoid those eyes. @MJ'oras Mask🎭

He chuckled only at the hesitation of the human, noticing the blush on the man's cheeks. Without saying anything further he lifted his head off his hand and flicking his finger into his direction before seemingly pulling it back to himself in a quick flick. Faolan would feel how his body would begin to move on its own, seemingly having lost complete control over it as he stepped closer and closer towards the kitsune. Soon his body would settle down close in front of Hideaki on his knees, sitting almost into the kitsunes lap before Hideaki shifted towards him with a grin. "I will do you no harm, remember?" He spoke softly, yet in a teasing way as he now sat partly in the human's lap, tipping the human's chin up before closing the gap between their lips in a kiss. His kiss was soft, yet hungry, his tongue slipping inbetween the others lips to entwine the others tongue. As he did, his hand moved along from his chin to the man's cheek, his other hand resting on the man's shoulder to keep the human close. After a moment of holding this rather intimate kiss, Hideaki parted his lips from the human, a thin trail of saliva stringing between their lips. "Your lips taste good~" he chuckled softly, licking over his lips and still keeping the human close. "Now every Yokai will know to whom you belong and whom you serve. Nobody wolill dare to lay a finger on you unless they have a death wish." He reassured chuckling, gazing deep into the human's eyes to see the humans face. @Angel™🌸

Faolan looked puzzled for a second, trying to figure out what the hell the man was doing with his hand before his body got up. Without him wanting to. A small spark of panic flared up in his chest as his feet moved on their own, and eventually resting in front of the man in front of him. I will do you no harm, remember? The words rattled in his skull, his face heating up even more as the man tipped up his chin. Before he could think of anything else, his brain blue screened as the man kissed him. His heart raced in his chest, pounding against his ribs like a debt collector as he felt the man's hand move to his cheek. As the man pulled away from him, his face looked pale as his brain tried to process what just happened. His mouth opened and closed a bit, looking like a fish gasping for air. In the midst of his confusion and panic, he hadn't even registered the man's compliment. His lips still tingled slightly from the kiss, the skin where the man had touched feeling like static. ...Wait, those feelings were usually in those cheesy paperback romance novels he'd sneak from his mom's bookshelf. Upon that realization, even more panic was added to fuel the fire. He felt as though the wind in his lungs had evaporated, knots in his stomach as he tried to decipher the physical symptoms he had. "O-oh, I-I'm sorry what?" He asked, finally registering that the man in front of him had said something. He stared back into the yellow eyes in front of him, almost as if searching for answers. Just exactly who was this man? Why did he make Faolan feel so strange? "O-oh, by the way, m-my name's Faolan." He added, finally able to tear his eyes away from the man's. @MJ'oras Mask🎭

The expression on the human's face was one of confusion and shock. He was completely startled. It was quite the amusing sight. "I said you belong to me now." The kitsune said with a low voice as he tipped the human's chin up again. "Faolan... what a pretty name." He noted, giving the human an almost soft smile, yellow eyes piercing through the human before he got off the human, picking up his jade pipe on the way. "Hikaru. Kaoru. Show our guest his chambers and make sure he gets a proper meal." He looked over to the two servants. "Yes Lord Hideaki-sama." "Yes Lord Hideaki-sama." "It would be best to remember my name well Faolan." He turned around to walk towards a open slid shoji, his jade pipe glistening in his hand but giving him one last mischievous glance over the shoulder. Meanwhile the servants had made a little bow, looking at the human before turning around in unison to bring Faolan to his new chambers. @Angel™🌸

Faolan felt his face heat up even more as the man in front of him had said he belonged to him now, swallowing a bit as the kitsune lifted his chin again. "O-oh," His brain couldn't process the english language, unable to form any words as he stared back at Hideaki. He felt his heart skip a beat as he complimented his name, a weak smile pulling on his lips as Hideaki got off of him to take his leave. When the two servants spoke up, the man's name finally clicking in his head. Hideaki? he asked himself, then his brain started going off the rails and thought if teriyaki. The thought of food made his stomach grumble slightly, but he ignored it as he saw the servants walking away. He stumbled to his feet a bit, quickly trying to follow them. The last thing he wanted was to get lost again; even if Hideaki had said he had belonged to him now, he didn't want to take any risks with the other Yokai around here. Again, the memory of them swarming him, talking about eating him, made him shiver. @MJ'oras Mask🎭

The two girls guided the human back through the labyrinth of hallways and corridors, this time seemingly easier for the human to remember the way. After a shorter walk, the slid open a door to a smaller tatami mat room. It was decorated relatively simple, showing part of the luxury through small simple accessories that stood on the cabinet and through the scroll that hung on the wall. The room itself was lit by smaller lanterns that were spread across the room. In the corner of the room was a more elevated tatami bed with some fresh clothes draped on it, a desk and pillow to sit on in the center. Behind one of the shojis, the sound of running water could be heard, indicating that there was a small onsen for the human to freshen up. On the table stood a tray with a traditional Japanese meal prepped in little bowls, reaching from fish to rice and miso soup. "Please return to Lord Hideaki-sama after your meal." "Please return to Lord Hideaki-sama after your meal." The two girls spoke after a little bow and closing the doord behind the man as they took their leave, leaving Faolan all alone in his new chambers without answering further questions. @Angel™🌸

Faolan looked around the hallways, trying to take in the layout despite knowing it probably wouldn't stay that way. He didn't care though; it was easier to think about the layout instead of his own feelings. He'd never felt like that before; not with guys, or anyone really. Then again, he didn't think he'd been in a situation quite like that. He kept pondering these things until they had reached the room. He looked at everything in the room, eyes wide as he stared in amazement. He barely registered their request-or, was it a command?-before he looked over to see the two girls gone. "Huh..." He had no idea how to take all of this. He was confused, but felt a little better after he saw the food on the table. The smell of it caused his stomach to growl, and he gave a bit of a chuckle. "Well, can't figure out what to do on an empty stomach." He said to no one, once again running a hand through his hair. He walked over to the table, sitting on his knees almost instinctively as he looked at the food in front of him. He ate rather quickly, but still neatly; despite the speed, he didn't spill any food. After he had eaten, he gave a content sigh. "Okay, that was great." He said, chuckling to himself. When was the last time he ate something other than frozen foods from the gas station by his apartment? Too long if he had to guess. After sitting for a bit, he sighed again. The respite from the weird world he found himself in was over now; the girls had said he had to see Hideaki once he finished his food. He gave a bit of a groan as he stood up, carefully collecting the dishes so they were in one tidy pile. He looked around, trying to find a sink, but he couldn't find one. Grimacing, he just made his way to the door, trying to ignore the guilt he felt with leaving a mess for someone to clean up. Instead, he looked around the hallways, trying to find the right door. @MJ'oras Mask🎭

The room Hideaki was in earlier had slightly changed. Hideaki himself was laying sideways on a sort of couch, but he wasn't alone. Four men were surrounding him around the couch, seemingly admiring the kitsune. The most prominent two were two young men, the one behind the couch with black hair holding Hideaki's arm up by the wrist and gently placing kisses on his inner wrist and on the palm of his hand. Hideaki himself was occupied with another man, one with white hair and a long white braid on the back of his head, similar to the one of the man with the black hair. The white man was leaning over towards Hideaki, the Two sharing a passionate kiss. Hideaki held the man close by his chin with his remaining hand, eyes closed as he seemingly enjoyed the kiss as the others hand slid up his collarbone towards the back of the kitsunes neck. Both of theses two men seemed tall and broad chested, not very different at first glance, but the one thing that made the two different were the two giant black and white patterned snake tails that were curling around on the sides of the couch but also leaving the other two demons enough room to act. @Angel™🌸

All the hallways seemed to melt together for Faolan; everything looked the same. He kept feeling disoriented as he walked, trying to figure out where Hideaki was in. Every door he opened wasn't quite right; he didn't really understand what was going on behind them. However, when he finally peaked through the right door, he felt his face heat up. He watched for a second as Hideaki was having fun with the other demons; two of them kissing on him, and another few caressing his chest and drawing circles with pointed fingernails. Feeling slightly embarrassed for himself, he quickly turned away, taking a few steps away from the door before sitting on the floor. Well, I don't think I was supposed to see that, he thought to himself, burying his face into his hands. His glasses were dislodged a bit, falling to the ground with a quiet clatter as he tried to calm himself down. Always a private man, he felt a slight sense of shame for walking in on Hideaki while he was clearly busy. I'll just...wait here until he's less...busy. He decided, but still hid his face as to not show anyone how red he'd gotten. @MJ'oras Mask🎭

Before Faolan had to wait any further, the human would feel something on his back, something cold and slick touching his hands before this something quickly wrapped around the human's upper body, keeping his hands fixed to thr side. In one swoop he got dragged into the room, lifted up with ease and now hovering above the ground. Faolan would be able to see that this something that had wrapped around him had been one of the giant snake tails and when he looked around towards Hideaki on his throne, one of the Twins had been missing... "My, who do we have here~" a voice spoke from behind, the missing Twin now suddenly behind him, a cruel smile on his lips. "It is rude to spy on other people like that. Don't you have any manners human?" He scolded him like a child in a playfully offended tone, yet the grip of his tail tightened a little more. Hideaki himself seemed pretty unbothererd, continuing to make out with the other Twin and share passionate kisses with him. @Angel™🌸

Faolan felt himself jump slightly as something slick and cold went up his back, his heart pounding even more as it wrapped himself around his torso and arms. He wanted to grab his glasses, but whatever had grabbed him held him too tightly for him to move. He gave a startled yelp as he was yanked back into the room. He glanced back over at Hideaki again for a second, but quickly averted his eyes as he saw the man was still busy. However, when the missing twin started speaking, he gave another small yelp as he looked over his shoulder. "I-I didn't mean to I'm sorry I was told to find Mr. Hideaki once I was done with my meal-" He felt the tail tighten around himself, his eyes widening slightly. The fear on his face was clear; he looked like a rabbit caught in a snare, looking up at a hunting dog. "I-I can go back to my room I'm sorry I really didn't mean to interrupt." He added quickly, his rambling words tumbling out of his mouth almost as quickly as his pounding heart. He knew he was in danger; it was obvious. He didn't want to die, not like this. His body started to tremble underneath the twin's grasp; even if his vision was blurry without his glasses, he could still feel the hungry stare pierce through him. "I-I promise I won't snoop anymore, I-I didn't even mean to in the first place please just let me go I'm sorry!" @MJ'oras Mask🎭

"Why don't you stay a little longer..." Sebastián chuckled, placing himself in front of the wrapped up man, lifting the humans chin up so that Sebastián could inhale the scent of the human before his fangs began to elongate, his mouth open unnaturally wide exposing more teeth, a hissing sound audible as he was about to sink his teeth into the side of the human's neck. "Sebastián. Enough." Hideaki spoke in a serious tone, yellow eyes now fixed on the Naga who promptly stopped in his movement, straightening his back as he backed off from the human a little. "But he looks delicious..." Sebastián looked over at his master, a grin on his face as he looked back at Faolan with hungry eyes. "My brother is right. Can't we just have a bite? I promise we will share~" Adrian added, the white haired twin now looking back at Hideaki with a mischievous grin. "You two know that this human is under my protection. You forget your place." Hideaki shifted his gaze back to Adrian, lifting the man's chin a little higher with his gaze growing an inch colder. "We would never dare such a thing Lord Hideaki-sama." Sebastián added innocently, his tail still wrapped around Faolan, but it shifted now a little. "Then let him go." Hideaki ordered the man, Sebastián scoffing almost unnoticeably before he bowed his head a little, unwrapping the human from his grasp and letting him drop to the floor. "Leave us now." Hideaki glanced into the round, watching how all the demons got up with a small, yet disappointed bow and left, Adrian catching up to his brother, both giving each other a side glance, looking over to Faolan one last time before they all left. "I apologize for the Two." Hideaki spoke after a moment of silence, shiftinh his gaze towards Faolan. "Their behavior can be quite impulsive. You must understand that a human in this realm is very tempting for every Yokai here." He chuckled a little, his fluffy white fox tails curling around him a little. @Angel™🌸

Even if his vision was blurry, Faolan could still see something in the being's mouth get longer after he spoke. He tried to focus his eyes, but a part of him was thankful he couldn't see his death clearly. He closed his eyes tight, waiting for the sharp pain that was sure to come. However, once Hideaki spoke, he opened one eye, looking in his general direction. He felt clammy, his skin having broke out in a cold sweat as he heard the two Naga try and convince Hideaki to eat him. He tried to keep up with what was happening, but fell onto the floor with a soft oof as some air escaped him. He rubbed his arms a bit, trying to take some deep breaths to calm himself. "D-don't worry," he said, dusting himself off. He swallowed a bit, trying to figure out where to go. The world was just a blur of colors without his glasses, so he tried to walk in the general direction Hideaki's voice was coming from. "I-I didn't mean to interrupt you by the way." He added softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was told to find you after I was done eating, if I knew you were busy, I'd have just stayed in my room..." he was quiet for a moment, then sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Also, I can't really see right now, I'm sorry about that too. I need to find my glasses." @mj

07:13

@MJ'oras Mask🎭

"Don't worry. If you prefer to join next time, feel free to chime in earlier. I'm certain that one of my servants will suit your taste." Hideaki chuckled, a little mischievous grin on his face at the sight of the boy's nervousness when it came to rather intimate activities. At Faolan's mentioning of his glasses, Hideaki spotted them with ease near where Faolan had been dropped earlier. With a flick of his finger the glasses began to float towards Faolan, settling down softly in his hands. "Here you go." He noted softly before picking up his pipe again and shifting a little. "I wanted to discuss with your something further for our little arrangement." @Angel™🌸

Faolan felt his face flush once again at Hideaki's proposition, quickly shaking his head. "N-no, it's okay-I mean, I appreciate the offer, but uh-" The poor man kept stumbling over his words before he felt something drop in his hands. He could feel immediately they were his glasses, and he quickly put then back on. Being able to see clearly had him relax some; at least now he could see if he was going to get eaten and run away before there was a chance. "Thanks," he said softly, a small hint of a smile on his face. He glanced over at Hideaki, finally feeling himself calm down a little more. His heart wasn't hammering anymore, and the cold sweat had stopped. "Oh yea? What'd you need to discuss?" He asked, pushing his glasses up further with his index finger. @MJ'oras Mask🎭

Shifting in his seat a little, Hideaki looked towards the human. "You told me you were an author. I am interested in hearing about your work." He tilted his head a little in curiosity, taking a pull from his pipe. "Go on, entertain me." He added with a little mischievous smile @Angel™🌸

"O-oh! Really?" Faolan would be lying if he didn't feel some relief. He was worried it'd be something bad, but this was great! "Well, I don't have the full story fleshed out yet," he started, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "But I have an idea for a kind of forbidden love/soul mate kind of story! Like, these two are reincarnated over and over, but in every life, they just aren't allowed to be together; whether it's because one was a God and the other wasn't, or nobility and a commoner, that sort of thing! Although, I don't have a concrete idea on how to go about it yet," he added the last part sheepishly, adjusting his glasses again. "L-like I said, it isn't finished, I kinda hit a wall with it, but I can keep working on it if you'd like! Or I can think of other stories!!" While his main reason for excitement was having another poor soul possibly be a beta reader for his future stories, the sense of relief lingered in him as well. After accidentally walking into what he saw, he was worried he'd be recruited into a harem of sorts; having never been in a relationship, that would be all sorts of embarrassing for the poor human. @MJ'oras Mask🎭