Nanba Prison (Nanbaka RP Group) discussion
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A fierce blush consumed Asahana's face due to Tano's insistence that his lap was more comfortable than any cushion, but it became impossibly brighter, this time thanks to guilt, when Tano implied he interrupted his good mood. At the moment, he could hardly imagine anything worse. Tano'd come to him looking for a release from whatever had irked him, and here he was, bringing it up again!
"I-I'm sorry, Tanoshi-sama!" Asa squeaked, his ears, which had perked forward at the compliment, flinching back. Luckily, he trailed into a soft giggle after Tano's continuation. "I don't think I have any of those, Tanoshi-sama, but I'm glad you're comfortable. I'll try to keep your mind from wandering back to whatever upset you. I'm sorry for bringing it up. You just rest now, alright?" And on that note, he fell silent.
For a long while after that, Asahana simply ran his hand through Tano's hair, playing with it and unknowingly lulling him into a deep sleep. Back and forth, he stroked, weaving his fingers into Tano's curls. Unfortunately, despite no cramps arising, a slow wave of exhaustion settled over Asa, aided by the gentle sunlight streaming in through the window behind them, warming his back. He laid his head on Tano's shoulder, intending to rest his eyes for just a moment, which eventually led to him dozing off with one hand still in Tano's hair. This, of course, was the same position Tanoshi woke up in, with Asahana passed out on top of him, one tail curled in his face and the other over his hip, and a hand deep in his hair.
There was, however, one addition that had not been there when Asahana fell asleep. A freakishly tall, dark-skinned, green floaty-haired man crouched about three feet away from the pair, and likely the reason why Tanoshi had awoken in the first place.
In a dark, rich voice—the kind that rumbled in the speaker's chest and resonated deep someone else's—the stunningly handsome specimen purred only four words: "You must be Tano."
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After a while of silence, with the sun hitting him, a nice warm lap underneath him and a gentle hair running through his hair, Tano was lulled to a nice sleep. He remained unconscious long after Asa ended up dozing off and making himself comfortable.
However, Tano's eyes were immediately open and fully aware of the moment he felt someone come too close. His gaze took in the sight of Asa's body curled over him and his tails finishing the cacoon. He was not complaining, mainly because his tail was super soft. However, Tano's gaze did not linger on Asa's sleeping for longer than a second; instead of landing on the stranger who'd approached them. Tano didn't like people, not really. He enjoyed fucking with them and playing with others. However, only a few would he allow near himself at such a vulnerable state. This stranger was definitely not one of them.
Tano took in the sight of the supernatural man before him. His gaze drank in the sight of the attractive guy who crouched still a good distance from them. Tano knew this guy was well aware of the fact Tano would have woken up at that distance. It was deliberate and it made Tano want to pull hard on that hair and knee him in the solar plexus. Tano was an arrogant man but he despised the arrogance of others.
Nonetheless, when the sexy specimen spoke, Tano flashed him a smile, making no move to get out of his still very comfortable position. He could if he needed to but he mainly remained where he was because he wanted to make a statement. He didn't feel threatened by this powerful man. Even when he said his nickname. "And you're hot," he drawled, his husky voice rasped from his slumber. "However," he continued, staring the guy down with a growing smirk, "I don't recall giving you permission to call me that. Osoreru is fine."
The devilishly handsome man did not smile, Tano's comment flattering, but unwelcome. He flashed a quick glance at the slumbering Asahana and then returned his green-eyed gaze back to Tano. He didn't look particularly friendly.
"My apologies. Asahana. He speaks of you often. Too often. I didn't like it, so I asked around the prison and found a strange demon child who seems quite fond of you. She only referred to you as Tano, so that is my mistake, Osoreru." He stopped. Did he really want this horny child to know his name? Perhaps he should say his least favorite. "You may call me Saam and nothing else."
On that note, he lit a flame on his index finger with a twirl of his hand, purposefully showing off his beautiful black and white tattoos. Holding intense eye-contact with Tano, he let the flame die into an ember and then flicked it right onto Asahana's cheek. It took five slow seconds for the demi-cat to jerk awake. He batted at his face, sat up, and blinked rapidly, making the mysterious stranger's lips twitch.
"You're neglecting your duties, Asahana."
Asa, who'd been peacefully dreaming of snuggling with Tano in a sunlight, flower-covered meadow, jerked awake sharply to a stinging on his cheek. Pawing at it frantically, he blinked to clear the sleep from his eyes. He sat up and began to ask for the time, only for a familiar voice to cut him off. Wait, I know that voice! Deep and manly and— He whipped his head up and squealed, "KARIM!!!"
Luckily, he stopped before launching himself at his old companion, remembering Tano's head on his lap. Now sidetracked by his crush, a blush lit up his cheeks. "S-sorry for yelling, Tanoshi-sama... Did you have a good nap? A-also sorry for falling asleep on you, I didn't mean to." He noticed one of his tails curled in Tano's face, squeaked, and hugged it to his chest. "I-I'm sorry! They have minds of their own!" Then he remembered Karim and blushed even harder. "Ah! Um, T-Tanoshi-sama, this is my friend Karim! Or...Saam or Rahman or Javed or whichever name he told you. He, um... He was my friend before I lost my memory and helped me a lot in the beginning. K-Karim, this is Tanoshi-sama..."
"I know, Asahana, you've told me of him."
"Karim, don't tell him that!"
"I am sure he's flattered. You are neglecting your duties, Mr. Librarian. The rest of your nap will have to wait for another time. I had to distract that crazy woman with the braids until she got bored. You are lucky I didn't let her blow this place up."
Karim stood and walked away, leaving Asahana trapped beneath Tano and looking like a scolded child.
"I...I'm sorry, Tanoshi-sama, he's right. I should really get back to work..." He trailed off, though, like he wanted Tano to keep him there, or invite him to cuddle more. More so, the latter.
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"Of course he would," he drawled, a smile curling his lips officially, "I haven't heard anything about you, on the other hand... I'm at such a disadvantage." If his actions weren't an attempt to get a good reaction from this individual, his words surely were. Why despite knowing they're powerful, you may ask? Who knew what was going through Tano's fucking head, ever.
"Little bubbles?" he mused, chuckling at the irony that he talked to the rare other people that didn't hate his guts. "It's impossible to tell her no, cuties be like that, eh," he drawled and stared him down. He waited to see what he would do, it was too clear to him that he didn't like him. Unlike a rational person, Tano was getting a thrill out of it. "Saam," he tested the name, a crooked grin taking his expression. That was a challenge and Tano was dying to test it. "Cute."
Tano didn't back down from the intense stare-down, watching him curiously. In the back of his mind, he addressed his interest in exploring all those tattoos but those thoughts changed when the dimmed ember hit Asa. Tano's hand gripped Asa's leg and he felt the first inclination to move since Saam had arrived. He exhaled a long, loud breath when Asa woke up and Saam turned his attention to Asa.
Tano turned his attention to Asa when Asa stirred and sat up. His eyes checking over him to make sure he wasn't actually hurt. His trust in others didn't exist. However, he did learn something by Saam's action- the name he would not want Tano calling him. He tucked that into his pocket to use later.
"Hello, I am still here," he drawled, his eyes half-closed with the smile he shot up at Asa. He chuckled at his apology, "I was having a good nap until it was interrupted," he told Asa, raising his hand to brush against the cheek the ember hit. "I felt nice and warm, nothing to apologize for," he told him and had lowered his arm when Asa realized the position of his tail. Tano smirked, "am I complaining? They're very soft," he told him. The fucking cutie and he had half a mind to slyly attempt to steal the snatched-tail back just to see his reaction to it. However, that thought died when Asa remembered the shit that interrupted his nap. Tano slid his gaze back to look at Saam, a sly grin on his lips with the side look. "Friend huh... I guess I should thank you for helping our little Neko here," he drawled... but didn't. A friend of Asa's that he hadn't heard about- how frustrating for both of them.
Tano wasn't even attempting to hide his smug grin after the reconfirmation and embarrassment of Asa's about how much he talked about him. "Especially flattered," he immediately cut in before he could clench his jaw and stifle the groan of irritation. What had a stick up this guy's ass? What a fucking annoyance- he was going to be a constant issue. Tano didn't let any of that show on his face, instead, he finally sat up once Saam had left. Tano was then immediately on his feet before Asa could react and was petting his head, hunched over looking down at him. "If that's the case, I'll just have to watch you and make sure you're doing your duties correctly," he drawled. As much as he would like to remain to cuddle, Saam had left an itch that he needed to scratch. Plus, having Asa half concentrated on something could mean he could dig out more about this... friend... of his.
Karim didn't seem too pleased with Tano's teasing, but went about reminding Asahana of his duties and left without giving Tano any more attention. Asahana, on the other hand, was always so readily wrapped up in Tano's words, and this time was no exception. Nothing Tano said went unnoticed by his devoted follower, not even the caress to his cheek, which he leaned into eagerly. However, despite Tano's reassurance, Asahana again found himself apologizing.
"I-I'm really sorry, Tanoshi-sama... I wish we could nap more, but... Karim is right, I really shouldn't leave the desk unattended..." Luckily, before he could continue to beat himself up, Tano leaped to his feet and gently patted his head. Asa giggled and smiled brightly. "Yes. I'd love for you to stay as long as possible, Tanoshi-sama!" With Tano's help, Asahana stood and began packing up their picnic. "Next time, maybe we can snuggle during my break, or maybe Karim could keep watch for me. I know I pass out everywhere, all the time, but it's been a while since I've slept that well." He grinned brightly up at Tano, arms filled with their things. "Thank you for staying." With a quick glance toward the front of the library, Asahana stretched up on the tips of his toes to giggle into Tano's ear, "It would be boring if only Karim was here to keep me company. He's not the most...fun person in the world." Biting his lip shyly, he blushed lightly and then skipped off toward his desk.
Karim, who'd apparently been waiting on him, cleared his throat impatiently. "Please don't make out when you should be working."
Asahana flushed brighter and stuck his tongue out at Karim. "We weren't making out!" Not that he would've minded if Tano wanted to do that kind of thing with him. "I was just thanking Tanoshi-sama for having a snack with me. And for staying to hang out for a little while longer!" Karim groaned. "Oh, don't even! You can't possibly know you dislike him after only a minute!"
"Trust me, fluff, I know."
Asa rolled his eyes and ducked into his office slash bedroom behind the counter to return his armful of items to their rightful places. Meanwhile, still leaned against the desk, Karim turned toward Tano.
"Why, exactly, are you staying? Do you not have work?" There wasn't a trace of kindness on his breath-taking face, nor his stunning eyes. All he exuded was judgment and dislike. "I also must ask, what is a garbage can like you doing around an innocent being such as Asahana? Do you take pride in dragging good people down to your level?"
(Karim's pickin' a fight XD)
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Tano helped Asa to his feet and once he had the things together, Tano replaced the seating to where he'd found them. "Don't worry about it too much," he replied, returning to Asa's side and swiping some of Asa's load for him, leaving him with the blanket. He didn't allow Asa to even comment on it but was treated to a surprise attack that he hadn't expected from him. However, despite the closeness, what had Tano grinning ear to ear was his fucking comment. His chest first began to rumble before he threw his head back from laughter. He eventually lowered his gaze to look down at him, "a tragedy," he drawled before they made their way down to the main floor. He returned the picnic things to Asa to put away at his demand just as Karim interrupted them once more. Why was he still here like an annoying little fly on the wall? A sentiment that didn't show at all on Tano's face when he only smiled at Karim. He was quite on edge for someone Asa has never talked to him about before.
Tano glanced down at his side at Asa, watching his reaction to the comment that had his smile turning to a bemused smirk. He let his little Neko handle the situation. He wasn't too worried about it and frankly, he wasn't really listening to their exchange since he deemed Karim irrelevant. Though, the fact that Karim didn't like Tano wasn't a surprise. Hell, it only had his smirk widening. His aim was never to be liked. He just did what he wanted, when he wanted, with the people he wanted to do it with. Tano watched as Asa darted off to put the things away- leaving him with the annoyance- who immediately struck up a conversation.
Tano glanced at Karim, the smirk completely gone from his lips. His expression was stone cold and expressionless as he casually wandered closer. His hands stuffed into his pockets as he leaned against a small across from Karim. Tano debated for a moment to even humour the guy with some small talk but decided it would provide a lot of fun- especially by the end of his little rant. Cute.
"I didn't know I was going to meet mother so early... I always thought it was the fathers that were supposed to be overprotective..." Tano mused, stroking his chin. He had been looking away but gave him a side-eye an a twitch of a smirk. He wasn't the only guy that could pick a fight- though he was now just retaliating. "Nevertheless, to answer your questions..." Tano adjusted the hand still on his chin so only one finger wasn't hidden, "cause I can," he then moved his hand away from his head and held up two fingers, "I'm glad you know how jobs work," he stated with a tone of dry sarcasm, "and you know how garbage is. It just gets everywhere whether we like it or not. However, making the judgement on what Asa is capable of is insulting," Tano drawled, lowering his arm to rest a thumb inside his pocket. "You think I'd be able to drag Asa down to any level? What faith you have in your...friend. Besides, if I was doing anything he deemed wrong... would he be so willing to have me stick around?" Tano hummed thoughtfully, all in mockery.
Tano then pushed off the shelf, stepping closer to Karim until he had narrowed closed the distance between them. He arched his gaze a little higher, not faltered by their height difference.
"If I meant actual harm, you wouldn't be so roundabout trying to pick a fight with me," Tano said, not overly worried about Asa hearing for obvious reasons. He leaned in close, staring Karim right in the eye. His expression was dark and a bit twisted, not hiding a trace of all the gunk he was hidden behind his usual poker face. He smirked, opening his mouth to speak, "I so hope we get along from now on," he said, the expression flipping on a hot dime. His eyes were closed and a nice, open and friendly expression was on his face that matched his change in tone. "I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on," he practically sang. He side-stepped Karim to lean against the desk a good arm's length away from the guy, patiently waiting for Asa while he rested his head on his propped hand tilted in Karim's direction.
The most unusual thing about the entire moment was there was no ulterior motive to it. Tano was only humouring Karim after all, he knew he'd encounter this guy now since he had no intention of staying away from his little librarian. He'd undergone this type of situation one too many times, alas not with someone that was actually more stronger than him but wasn't overly a concerning factor in his mind. Should it be? Yes. But it wasn't.
Asahana shut the door to his bedroom-office and leaned against it with a sigh. Karim appearing out of nowhere was odd, though he couldn't help his excitement, but he worried more about the tension already arising between him and Tanoshi. Would it be too much to ask for them to get along? Tano's laugh played over in his head. He smiled. Perhaps it was too much, but if it brought more laughter out of Tanoshi, then he couldn't complain. At least, not a lot.
It was odd though. Why was Karim here?
Karim...
Asahana flinched at the unfamiliar voice in the back of his mind and lifted a hand to his temple as his head began to pound violently. Doing what he could to keep his movement to a minimum lest it anger his sudden headache, he lowered the picnic supplies to the floor and leaned more fully on the door. Panting hard, he blinked in hopes of clearing the blackness closing in at the edges of his vision. What the hell was happening to him?
Karim...
A low whimper wheezed out of him, the talismans scarring his otherwise flawless skin beginning to burn. He couldn't form a coherent thought. Not one of his own. It didn't seem anything was his anymore. His body began to feel strange; the room felt foreign. What the hell was going on? Why didn't he feel like him? It was similar to when his "narcolepsy" consumed him, but...different, in a way. Almost as if he was...fading. But the voice got louder, stronger.
Karim.
And when he looked up into the mirror, it was not his gaze, but someone else's, who stared back at him.
Karim remained silent while Tano retaliated, the only emotion in any of his features being amusement, which shimmered in his gorgeous green eyes. That very same humor is what spread a slow, sexy grin across his face the moment Tano finished speaking, as well as was what led him to follow after Tano when he moved away. Just as Tano had to him, Karim got as close as he dared, leaning over him.
"If it weren't for my little kitty," he tugged on one of Tano's curls, "I'd consider eating you up right this second. You're very cute when you're cocky."
Unfortunately—or, rather, fortunately?—the moment was shattered by a scream. Asahana's.
Karim raced to the door and ripped it open, only to find Asahana half-unconscious on the floor, his eyes shut, the roots of his hair a blinding white. A familiar white. One that he shouldn't possess. Furrowing his brows, he knelt beside Asahana and gently picked him up. The scars on his back were hot even through his clothes, irritating Karim's skin. He carried Asahana over to his weird circular bed and laid him down.
It was too early for this. They could usually go six months before he tried to make an appearance. Honestly, Karim never minded seeing his old friend and secretly yearned for it, but not when it put Asahana at risk. Despite his deeper connection with him, he'd come to care for Asahana as well, and wouldn't let harm befall him. Even if he knew it pissed him off. If they wanted to stop him from reappearing, they would have to go back to the temple sooner than they'd been hoping. Asahana wouldn't be happy.
Karim sighed. "He should come to soon. Tell me when he does," he grumbled to Tano as he stood and stalked toward the door. As he brushed past, he finished, "He'll be fine," and left to contact the temple.
(Sorry it's kinda shit;;;;)
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Tano looked up at Karim when he closed in the distance Tano had just made, tilting his head with a curiously raised brow. He didn't bother raising purely his head to match Karim's gaze since the angle would have killed his neck, it was vague with him looking as high as he could get with his eyes, using those good ol' peripherals.
When Karim's statement escaped his mouth, Tano was fucking grinning ear to ear. The guy just alluded sexual energy and tugging at his hair a bit was lowkey hot despite being definitely a little threatening. "That's fucking kinky," he drawled with a wink, "too bad I can't-" he was about to joke only to be cut off by Asa's scream.
Once more Tano's entire demeanour flipped on the drop of a dime. To simply put, the expression that overtook his face could only be described as murderous. He was right behind Karim and only faltered due to the sudden sight of Asa's hair. White? He's never seen it that colour before and... Karim clearly had based on what Tano read off him. His brows immediately furrowed. Something he didn't know about from his little Neko was not something he wanted to occur ever. Tano entered the room after Karim had laid Asa down on the unusual bed and headed towards them. The murderous expression had completely been wiped from his face but it left him unreadable.
"And how do you supposed I do that?" Tano drawled, not bothering to stop himself from rolling his eyes. He ignored the brush past and simply, immediately went to sit by Asa's side and put a hand to his forehead. Tano wanted to scoff, Karim's vague and easily dismissable reassurance only had Tano's irritation returning. Being kept in the dark was irritating and he also didn't trust a word Karim said. So that also didn't help. All Tano could think was: better. He'd better be fine cause Tano was not going to be entirely happy with any other outcome.
The white in Asahana's hair, which had grown more prominent while he was in Karim's arms, shrunk back under Tano's touch as if recoiling from it. Even his panting calmed as he reflexively leaned into the contact. His flesh, however, remained hot and flushed even after his eyelids flickered open several minutes later. The white in his hair was now only an inch thick, but when he slowly opened his eyes, half of one was still the angry, violent purple he'd seen in the mirror. Not that he could process much of anything past his raging headache and Tano's presence.
"T...Tanoshi-sama...?" he mumbled, his voice strangely raspy. It sounded foreign to his own ears, which flinched back. Pushing past the awful pounding between his temples, he continued, "The man... Is the man gone...? He... He scared me, is he gone?" Slowly, the white began to grow again. As did the amount of purple in his left iris. Tears pricked his momentarily, heterochromatic eyes. "T-Tanoshi-sama, he... He really scared me. I can't... My head hurts so bad."
Cringing into his squishy mattress, Asahana curled up against Tano's leg, pressing the heels of his hands down on his temples and shutting his eyes against the pain. As if in response to this, the markings on his body—all burned into the skin of his chest and back by his former caretakers—began to glow a bright, ice-white through his clothes. Not that he could see it. This intense light, however, seemed to soothe Asahana unknowingly, the tenseness of his body relaxing somewhat as the white in his hair retreated once again.
Unfortunately, Karim, who was distantly conversing with someone—perhaps over the phone?—in that lovely deep voice of his, did not come to offer Tano any explanation. At least, not yet.
(Sorry it's kinda short and shitty;;;;)
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Tano moved his hand from Asa's forehead, moving it up to run his hair away from his face. He then shifted his gaze to meet Asa's when they flashed open. He noticed that one was a colour he'd never seen on Asa before but it wasn't like it frightened him. Rationally, Tano definitely should be but instead, he only found it fascinating. There was just more and more to find out about his little neko. Tano's full attention was Asa at this point, both hands on him, one on his forehead as he kept check of his high temperature while the other cupped the side of his face belonging to the unusual eye colouring.
Tano smiled down at Asa, "the one and only," he drawled, running a hand through Asa's hair when he'd flinched. His voice sounded different and as more time passed, the more his mind was making the assumption that Asa wasn't the only one in his body. However, the means of that may be. When he began talking about a man- and considering he hadn't seen one... Tanoshi was making more of the connections click. "It's you and me right now," he told Asa, beginning to lightly rub his head, noticing the facial strain. When he noticed the white growing and more of the purple claiming his eyes, Tano's earlier fascination was just replaced with concern. As much concern as someone like Tano could muster.
Tano didn't allow Asa to remain curling on the bed, he scooped Asa up and pulled him hard against his chest. Wrapped with Tano's arms and placed on his lap, Tano ignored the pressing heat the seeped off Asa's body and almost akin to burning his skin wherever it did touch him. It wasn't overly a concern for Tano as he cuddled the distressed neko. He felt more heat seeping off Asa, along with some sort of light that he didn't truly care about. All that mattered was that Asa seemed to soothe after it occurred and the whiteness began retreating again. More importantly, his tense body began to relax in his grip.
Tano shifted himself to sit more properly on the bed, keeping Asa with him and once he was comfortable, began running a hand through his hair again. "Is your head still hurting?" he asked, looking down at him, his expression impossible to get a read on. He looked amused yet deadpan at the same time yet it was hard to tell if he felt either or anything.
((?? Idk hope that's okay??))
(Uhhhhh... Profanity warning lmao)
Asahana leaned into Tano instinctually, his cold touch welcome on his fevered skin. If he'd been fully aware of anything at this moment, he probably would've passed out due to embarrassment, but, luckily, the vicious pounding between his temples managed to keep his emotions in check.
"Y-yeah," he mumbled in response to Tano's question once his body had relaxed enough to allow him to speak. The white at his roots was about half an inch thick now, but the purple still flickered in his blue irises when he finally met Tano's gaze. Almost immediately, his cheeks grew bright red. He'd finally registered the closeness. "S-sorry... I um... I don't...really remember if this has happened before, or not..." His brows scrunched together, his eyes growing distant as he raised a hand to his head. "I... After I came in h-here... Everything gets fuzzy... I can't remember..." He clamped his eyes shut, a sharp sting of pain flashing through him. "I...I'm s-sorry, Tanoshi-sama, I r-really don't—"
Karim finally reentered the room. However, before he could speak, Asahana's intense, uncharacteristically furious gaze stopped him.
"You," he growled, voice deep, raspy, and not his own.
The white from his roots spread down, down, down, until only a few inches of tawny remained. His left eye, with the spot of purple, became a harsh, glowing violet, the sclera filling with black. On that same side of his forehead grew a pointed horn, blood dripping down his temple. Fangs and claws elongating, Asahana lunged at Karim, pinning him to the door with a hand around his throat.
"You bastard!" he roared.
"Yoru, calm do—"
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH! How dare you tell me to calm down! You sick piece of shit, you probably keep me sealed 'cause you like him better. You always did say I was too brash for your taste. Is this your type? Weak? Vulnerable?" He glanced down. "Or maybe you just have a thing for brunettes... How long has it been?"
"I don't know what you're—"
"HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN, YOU ASSHOLE??? HOW LONG?!"
"About four months, if you don't count the times you sneak a peek through his eyes when he sleeps."
"His eyes?" the creature, Yoru, as Karim called him, asked with chilling quiet, his head cocking to the side.
Karim, wisely, kept quiet.
"His eyes? Say it again, Karim. I fucking dare you. Say it again."
"I'm sorry—"
"You can take your useless fucking apology and shove it up your ass. Maybe, if you drive it far enough up there, you might actually be able to taste remorse."
Ripping his hand away from Karim's throat as if it hurt to touch him, he whipped his head around toward Tano. The second he made eye-contact, the headache worsened ten-fold. His tails writhed behind him, a growl pushing past his constricting throat. Glaring at Tano with the fire of a thousand suns, he snarled, "I fucking hate you," and then collapsed.
Karim hesitated a moment before going to Asahana's aid. Or, at least, he hoped it was Asahana now. Rolling their body onto its side, he carefully lifted their left eyelid. When a white sclera and unfocused teal iris met him, he released a long, relieved sigh. Swallowing dryly, he cautiously picked Asahana up, avoiding the small horn that still protruded from the left side of his forehead. He gave Tano a quick glance and then laid Asahana back down on the bed.
"I'm sure you have lots of questions. I'll have to take him back to the temple for a few days, so out with it. Now, before he awakes." Clearly, the he Karim was referring to was not the kind, adorable librarian Tano knew, but whatever beast shared his skin.
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When Asa managed to respond to him, Tano pressed a thumb to his temple, massaging it as he met his gaze. Seeing that oh so familiar blush illuminate his cheeks. However, Tano's finger fell as he watched Asa. His expression was impossible to read as he stared at the stammering Neko in his embrace.
He wanted to know. He desired to know what was happening, why his head was hurting, what was going to happen if the white hair and purple eyes took over. Tano wanted to see it. Tano opened his mouth to speak- a moment too long after, however.
Karim entered the room, causing the next chain of events that prevented from Tano saying anything to Asa... who was once Asa. The moment Tano heard that voice come from Asa, a chill ran through him. He could feel the goosebumps forming as a grin slide deliciously onto his lips. Tano's gaze pinned itself to Asa. He didn't care about the person who invaded their space. He was devouring the sight of Asa's change. He'd never been felt so thirsty while sucking back drool.
When... not-Asa launched from Tano's grip, Tano's gaze remained on the space he'd left. His fingers flexed, curling in and out at the absence of the heat and weight before they ascending against his face and he dragged them through his hair. He fisted them in the middle, giving his black locks a good tug to keep his urge to laugh inside.
In a second, his arms dropped, his gaze snapped to the duo on the ground. He positioned himself so that he was comfortable, on the edge of his seat as he watched the show before him. He rested his head on his hand, propped by his elbow pressed on his thigh.
Tano was silent as he watched. He didn't even attempt to hide the smirk that was stretched across his face. He only silently watched Asa's altered form rage at Karim. What a hot sight to behold. Though, that wasn't the only thing he was taking in. He was absorbing what he could of their conversation and got the gist of it. With every second that passed, the more amused Tano got. The fact that whoever... this was that existed with Asa, hated Karim was just straight satisfaction for Tano.
When those eyes of seething hatred consumed Tano's gaze, his grin only increased. He felt hotter than he had held him. It didn't help that the tails moving about only made Tano want to bug this personality more. He was incinerated by that purple gaze, each word hitting deep in his gut. However, it wasn't a negative sensation. Tano was thriving off it instead. He could barely remain seated- and instantly it was gone. Asahana's body collapsed and Tano sucked in a deep breath. He straightened up, eyes closed as he took a moment to process and calm himself.
Tano opened his eyes once more and was swiftly up off the bed. He didn't even fancy Karim a glance as he weaved around him, allowing the space he needed to lay Asa down. Once he was settled, Tano was standing beside it, looking down at Asa. His gaze was on the small horn which he of course... touched. The finger-pet was feather-light as he listened to Karim.
"I have questions," Tano drawled in agreement and he finally arched back to look at Karim. "Why is he contained? What makes him something you had to lock in a mental cage? " Tano wasn't an idiot, he knew how immensely powerful that... Yoru... was but he knew there must be something else. Tano wanted desperately to know. A sentiment that shone a predatory glint in his eyes as he looked at Karim. Any other questions though... he mainly only had them for and only wanted them to be answered by the creature who hated him.
Karim crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall, his lip curling in response to Asahana/Yorushin's whimper at Tano brushing their horn. Only once the gentle glow of talismans on their body soothed them and made the horn begin to shrink did he turn his attention to Tano. He didn't like this man, nor did he wish to speak to him, but he supposed he deserved an explanation. At least, for Asahana's sake.
"When an ancient, otherworldly being cannot conform to the changing times and becomes a danger to those around him, he needs to be...subdued. Yorushin couldn't accept civility and insisted on living like a barbarian, so he needed to be stopped. The shrine keepers didn't want to lose their...mascot, so they sealed Yorushin by molding iron into the shape of several talismans and burned them into his flesh. Hence why Asahana is the opposite of Yorushin. He's soft. He's weak. Kind." Karim's eyes narrowed. "Naive. Which I'm sure you know well. He's easier to manage. But every several months, Yorushin starts to break through the seals, so I have to bring Asahana back to the temple so the talismans can be...reenforced."
Despite only having given Tano the information he'd asked for, Karim felt as if he'd said too much. Even if Tano was relatively tempting, it didn't mean he would readily give up private information about his closest companions. His sharp jaw clenched.
"Don't worry, Osoreru, Asahana will back to his usual self after the ritual."
He stepped around Tano and carefully scooped Asahana up into his arms, Yorushin's horn now half the size it had been when he'd fronted. Turning around, Tano now blocked their exit.
"If you don't want to be murdered by Yorushin in your sleep, I suggest you move out of my way."
(I kind of lowkey need Tano to persuade Karim to not have Yorushin re-sealed.)
Mod
Tano let Karim's words sink in, washing over him like waves. He took his time caressing and considering them, digging deeper into their meanings and implications. He knew he was only being fed the minimum. There was more to the tale than what he was given and it was left to him to figure out the gist of the rest and twist it to suit what he desired. At this moment, the gleam that consumed his opened eyes was focused on Asa. Weak. Naive. Kind. Soft. Tano enjoyed Asa's presence due to his personality but what had just occurred in this office was something that was harmful. And it was not Yorushin.
So Tano positioned himself leisurely against the door frame, blocking Karim from taking Asa anywhere. His back was pressed against the frame, his feet crunched against the other side with his arms crossed on his chest. Tano's head slowly turned to face Karim, his expression curling into something of complete overconfidence. "At least that's a risk I would be willing to risk," Tano practically purred. He craned his neck, making it appear that he was not only leaning towards them but looking down at Karim with scrutinizing eyes.
"I can't begin to imagine what it was like," Tano began his drawl, not allowing Karim to get a word in until he was finished. He was ready to get slaughtered. "But I didn't take you for such a coward. Or a pushover for that matter. To let your best friend be used and abused- oh... my bad. You aren't friends at all," Tano purred, his smugness having visibly lessened but his condensation dripped with every word he spoke. "It sounds like to me... you didn't try hard enough and now you're continuously creating a bigger and bigger problem. What did they say about viruses? Since you seem to be viewing Yoru as one, we'll go with that comparison. A virus if left not properly taken care will continue to grow and mutate, becoming more and more immune to what stopped it before until...." Tano smirked at Karim, "nothing can stop it. Personally, I'd love for you to reseal him. Especially knowing he'll break down the seal every few months. It means I might be able to witness the aftermath of your decision. I know it'll be exciting."
The look in Tano's eyes was... intense. It was hard to look away from the sheer ferocity and provocation contained within them. Tano pushed off the door and stalked towards Karim, slow predatory steps. "Though, I also look forward to the moment Asahana learns about it all. What you've been keeping from him and been allowing to have happened to him. " Tano doubted Karim was telling Asa what was really going on and he was willing to bet on it with Asa's reaction of fear when Yoru started coming on. Tano had no way to know what made Asa and Yoru but one thing he did know, is that they were two very distinct people that lived through the same body. In essence, he had the potential of getting two playmates out of one body. He just needed to ensure that Yoru was left unsealed. Which, in his opinion, was a daft way of handling the situation. It was like trapping a hungry beast in a cage and then continuously taunting it with grade A meat. The longer you did it for, the more pissed the beast would be when it got out. It amused Tano to no end the stupidity of people.
((welp, Tano isn't the normal persuading type, not that Karim would listen to him regularly if he did. so hope that's in the right direction))
With each line of shit that came spewing out of the cocky bastard's mouth, the looser Karim's grip on his temper became, the more he thought Tano's face looked punchable. While the weight of Asahana/Yorushin in his arms kept him grounded enough to keep from harming Tano directly, the blackening sky and rolling thunder outside displayed his fury flawlessly. As did the embers glowing in his eyes, and the restless writhing of his floating hair. It was all he could do not to squeeze Asahana and accidentally harm him.
"Are you finished?" his deep voice snarled. "Good."
Not even a second passing, Karim shifted Asahana into one arm and clasped Tano's throat with his newly freed hand, slamming him back into the door as Yorushin had done to him, not minutes ago.
Thunder roared, and lightning flashed outside as he growled, "You assume too much, human, and I look forward to the downfall that causes. Luckily, I'm smart enough to realize that you didn't say any of that out of concern, but for your own sick amusement, otherwise, I might've actually fallen for it. You best hope we don't cross paths when I return, or I will roast you alive." Indeed, Karim's breath already smelled of fire and smoke. "If I hear you've told Asahana anything or have taunted Yorushin to front, I will make your death even slower. Now, get out of my fucking sight."
Taking a single step back, he threw Tano across the room and replaced his arm under Asahana's legs before swiftly leaving the room. To the direct left, one of the enormous windows flew open, an intense bout of rain and wind now whipping through the library.
Stopping for only a moment, Karim hissed under his breath, "And to think, I humored the idea of screwing him," and then flew out the window. Not even a minute later, the weather cleared, the day once again sunny and cheerful, no trace of a storm left save for the soaked library carpet.
Eight days later, a tired-looking Asahana complete with uncharacteristically loose robes sat the front desk of the library. As per usual thanks to his impaired hearing, he didn't look up when Tano entered, though that might've also been due to the half-asleep, zoned-out expression on his unusually pale face.
(Never said it would work :P. Trust me ;) )
Mod
The moment Karim shifted Asa in his grasp, Tano's gaze finally fell away from the other very attractive man, instinctively drawn to the status of his sanctuary only for his large, heated rough hand to seize the thing that allows him to breath, with the addition of his back gracing the door roughly enough for some of that good air to escape. Tano's gaze didn't leave Asa's body though, despite a grin curling onto his face and only one of his hands lifting to clasp over Karim's fingers that seemed to burn their imprint against his neck. If he had enough air or really any space to speak, Tano would have uttered 'kinky' without hesitation.
Tano listened to the snarled lecture by the... thunder causing creature. It was a bit of a shame he didn't provoke him enough or get his way. He was stuck in the in-between of those two options and it didn't overly sit well with him. Nonetheless, it wasn't like he had any choice in the matter. It was clearly out of his hands. Even if he had a million retorts he could immediately roll off his tongue. It was all for nought really as he was manhandled by the other man thoroughly by being thrown across the room. The moment he felt his body soar, he curled up as he crashed into the wall and then down onto the cot. [?? directions >~<]
If his wind was slightly knocked out before, it was across the world now.
Tano was left there, struggling to inhale with that grin on his face that refused to waver. When his vision finally cleared and he wheezed in much-needed air, he stared at the open door, rubbing his throat.
"Well this has gotten interesting," he said raspily.
During those eight days. Tano visited the library every day. Just to check in to see if Asa had returned yet. However, aside from working his regular shifts [or skipping them], he had begun researching. He was called out for being ignorant so he decided to educate himself on some things he'd assumingly connected to possibilities with Asa.
When he entered for his usual check-in to see if Asa had returned from Karim's clutches, he saw the dazed neko at the front desk. Without hesitation, he beelined for Asa. As soon as he was in front of him, he leaned down, lifting his chin to bring it up to look at him. Tano didn't say a word nor was there any expression on his face as he brought his other hand to lay on his forehead while lowering the one at his chin to fix his robes.
"You're not looking very professional my dear Asa," he drawled, his tone seeming softly playful by the slight uplift tug of his lips.
Tano did have to fight the inclination to unrobe the other man to try and investigate what they'd done exactly- if he could even find it himself. It wasn't the same type of inclination that had him blindly visiting the library despite Karim's obvious threat.
"I could have easily stolen a book without you even realizing it."
((I feel like I won purely because he contemplated screwing him soooooo. but now I'm just thinking of Isra.... >~< xD))
Tano closed his eyes once more, determined to keep them close until he is to wake up after this nap. He shifted his body a bit, finding the exact position and location of absolute comfort in connection to Asa' lap. Tano remained still from that moment on, enjoying the feeling of Asa' fingers running through his wild hair. It was lulling him to sleep- the only hand that could lull him to sleep. That is until Asa spoke again. "I'd forgotten until now" he mused, knowing that it would make Asa feel a minutely guilty. "You must have some healing powers," Tano teased, his voice low and quiet, "like magic all my irritation has vanished into thin air."