I Died And Reincarnated As A Tiger Prince?! | BSD!AU

I Died and Reincarnated as a Tiger Prince?! | BSD!AU

( . . . ) I've been watching too much isekai/slice of life/fantasy anime lately, so I'm just gonna put some random stuff here and just- tackle it later, I don't know what's become of my brain- (Welcome to my brain, I am sorry in advance)

Right out of the park: Atsushi ends up dying in the orphanage.

The next thing he knows, he wakes up to an otherworldly universe that's full on fantasy; I mean "Dahlia in Bloom", "By The Grace of the Gods", HELL EVEN "Snow White with the Red Hair" too.

We have magic, guilds, monsters, mystical beasts, you name it!

Anyways- he wakes up in what looks to be an infirmary, but it was... different. For one thing, there was a nurse and someone else there.

They introduce themselves as the royal doctor, Yosano Akiko, and the royal captain guard, Byakko, who she claims to be his mother though the difference between her and Atsushi were evident; she was a pure shapeshifter but human, and Atsushi is a white tiger half-human.

They kept it vague but explained that he was now safe, and would be living with the royal family in the mountains, where they are now currently. He doesn't have to worry about what happened before, but he has a hunch it's something similar to the orphanage, though he never brought it up.

Byakko teaches Atsushi all she knows about this world, their home practically converted into a big library. Which he didn't mind, he adored reading as much as he did back in the orphanage. Although his new features are still something he needs to get used to.

He becomes acquainted with the people in the castle; their staff, the administration, and the royal family. But the most he found himself staying close to was his mother when she does guard training or the bandaged brunet prince and his begrudging advisor who is half/half wanting to strangle said prince. But if either were busy, he would hole himself in the castle library or befriend the people that live in the castle besides the royal family.

As he grows, Atsushi learns about combat and magic to the point he's mastered even his mother's magic besides his own (that being turning into a tiger) and especially how the world works. But never once has he left the castle, only ever staring at the castle walls and into the town on the mountain with them. Because even then, the mental scar from the orphanage still haunt him that the outside world was dangerous.

News spread quickly of the royal family gaining a new member, a white tiger human with unique colored hair and eyes to boot. Atsushi thought that it was normal as people can be born half-human. But apparently not as rare as a white tiger half-human. Nevertheless, that hasn't stopped him from living a life that he wished for years.

By the age of 18, a royal family from the coast came to visit for some kind of business; an alliance of sorts. They have been neighbors, but things have always been neutral but it has for as long as history reads, so they may as well start an alliance supported by a trade system and something else.

At first, they were thinking of a marriage proposal between their gingerheaded guard captain and the bandaged brunet, but it seemed the news of the new tiger prince reached them, and suggested a second marriage proposal; this time with either half-human black dragon siblings and Atsushi.

(A/N: Damn, this really happened because I'm got invested in slice-of-life-isekai-fantasy anime, christ. This post was supposed to be vague bullet points on an idea that seemed interesting [hell I even did the cheesy name title and everything] but the more I got to typing this and visualizing it in my head, the more it became fleshed out and- hhhhhh T~T"" | aaaaaaaaaaa yeah I don't know what else to say other than it'll be a while until I flesh this out entirely, and yes I made this entirely because I've been watching By the Grace of the Gods and just- yes- I don't know what else to say on that- | Atsushi getting to know everyone is-like- season 1. The marriage proposals and surprise surprise SSKK is season 2.)

Wrong Tiger

“Hey… Midoriya?

“Yeah?”

“I don’t know if it’s just me, or did your white tiger get bigger? Like massively bigger that it’s unheard of for a tiger to grow this big since this morning.”

Midoriya stared at his classmates before looking up to meet the tiger’s eyes.

“Midoriya, did you somehow lose your white tiger and unknowingly started taking care of another white tiger?”

“I-I don’t… know?”

“HOW THE HELL DO YOU NOT KNOW?!”

“K-Kaachan, I can’t tell the difference between two white tigers!”

“IDIOT! The tiger you took care of on day one is small and with blue eyes! This is twice as big and with yellow eyes!” Bakugou screeches, wildly gesturing at the large tiger while the lion he was taking care of and Uraraka look closer, a red panda perched on her head.

“Actually, there might be some purple in there.” she remarks, carefully outstretching a hand and yelping when the red panda took that as a platform and jumped on top of the tiger’s head. Before they could react though, the tiger simply jolted on the spot before not at all minding as the red panda played on them.

“At least they are docile!” Asui points out as she holds a bucket with a seal inside.

“Thank goodness for that,” Todoroki comments as he feeds his penguin another fish. “This reminds me of some stray news about a white tiger terrorizing towns and cities a few months ago.”

“Okay, that sounds terrifying.” Kaminari shudders, clutching the basket of baby chicks.

“Guys, this isn’t the time to be scared over old news,” Jirou points out with a snowy owl perched on her shoulder. “Right now, we have a different tiger in hand from the one Midoriya should be taking care of.”

“But how do we find a missing tiger? NOT TO MENTION where this one came from?” Kirishima asks as he leans against the rhino.

Midoriya frowned in thought and looked at the tiger who watched them with an observing eye. “Do you know where you are, where you came from?” he asks.

“Deku, are you seriously trying to copy Koda-?”

The tiger suddenly chuffs and moves its head elsewhere. They all turned their heads towards the entrance into the room.

“You… came from the entrance?” Midoriya tries.

The tiger lets out a quiet moan before shifting up to their paws. Leaning their head down, they transferred the red panda back to Uraraka and headed to the door.

“W-Wait a second, I don’t think you could make it through those doors!” Midoriya panics, making the tiger stop. “We can go through the gate! You want to go outside this enclosure?” he asks.

The tiger blinked before turning back around and gazed at the boy. He just stared back. “You… seem to understand me.” The tiger blinks again before ducking their head, ears lowered slightly. “N-Not that it’s weird!” He looks at the others.

“Guess we’re taking these guys to see the guests.”

---MEANWHILE---

“Atsushi-kun became small.”

Dazai, Chuuya, and Akutagawa turn around to see Kyouka resting a hand against a tiger that was a head taller than her, curled around and rubbing their chin against the top of her head.

“Huh, you’re right.” Chuuya remarks as they walk over. “Last I remember, the tiger kid is a lot bigger than this. Probably two-three times bigger?”

“And usually he wouldn’t want to keep this form on for much longer,” frowned Akutagawa, reaching a hand to pet the tiger’s head who chuffed happily under the attention. “Nor does he seek much affection.”

Dazai sighs in a fond manner, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head. “My my, Atsushi-kun. I suppose us coming to the zoo would have done something.” He reaches a hand. “Now come on, stop playi—”

Dazai’s eyes snapped open to come into contact with soft fur, and… nothing else. Chuuya, Akutagawa, and Kyouka stare with wide eyes at the Dazai and the tiger, the brunet’s hand firmly planted on the tiger’s head all while the animal chuffed happily at the new contact and rubbed itself against his head.

“He didn’t change back.” Kyouka instantly snapped her head to give Dazai a blank but threatening stare. “Why isn’t Atsushi-kun changing back?”

Dazai just stared and pulled back and used his other hand. Nothing. No bright flash of light of No Longer Human canceling out Beast Beneath the Moonlight, no human under his hand, and the tiger just being happy in their company. And last they remembered, Atsushi woke up on his wrong side in the closet that gave him a bad knick in his neck, causing him further aching that he more or less brushed off, albeit with a grimace and a bad mood.

That was actually the entire reason Dazai decided to drag him invite him on a trip to the zoo, and may as well bring the two mafiosi and Kyouka.

“Wait a second, isn’t there a white tiger enclosure?” Chuuya asks, looking at them. “Do you think the tiger kid is able to sneak off and another tiger just started following us?”

“Or maybe one of the keepers mistook Atsushi-kun if he did turn into a tiger,” Kyouka suggests.

“Does this count as another Jinko-kidnapping?” Akutagawa inquires.

“Boy, your boyfriend is missing!” Chuuya scolds and promptly bonks him on the head.

“This zoo is massive, and it’s closing soon.” Kyouka adds.

“Guess we have to go and see,” sighs Dazai.

“YOU TOO, S--TTY MACKEREL! FOCUS!”

“Ow, ow, Chuuya!”

“Come on, move it! Gosh, are me and Kyouka-chan the only ones worried about this or something?! YOU TWO ARE HIS BOYFRIEND AND MENTOR, DAMNIT!”

“Aww, but we get to see you’re caring side more~”

“DAZAI-”

“You really have to stop provoking him, Dazai-san.”

“It’s mostly empty, guests are leaving because of the early closing.” Jirou said as she looked around.

“But that would be easier, right?” Midoriya asks.

“I guess,” hums Kaminari.

The tiger looked around, letting out quiet roars and sniffing the air.

“Hear anything?” Midoriya asks.

The tiger shook its head and pawed at its face, moaning and shaking its head more.

“Too many smells,” Todoroki suggests. “They must’ve come from somewhere else.”

“Hey, we’ll help you buddy.” Kirishima pets the tiger’s head, smiling reassuringly. “But I need you to be real with me; can you actually understand us?”

The tiger looks at him and looks at the rest who all looked back. Sheepishly, it nodded.

“Did you come with people from outside the zoo?” Midoriya asks.

Another nod.

“How?” Asui asks, confused.

“Are you someone’s pet? I feel like rich people are able to own tigers or lions or just exotic pets.” Uraraka whispers, staring at the tiger. Instantly the tiger recoiled, growling threateningly. “Not a pet, not a pet! Sorry!” she panics. “It has too much human sentience for a tiger. And to be fair, I don’t think anyone would want to be called someone’s pet.”

“That’s cringe,” Kaminari blurts out.

“But it’s odd that you can both understand us and respond as if you are a human.” Midoriya said, looking at the tiger.

“Ah, there you are Atsushi-kun!”

They all turn their heads to see four people also with a white tiger walk over.

“There you are!” Midoriya exclaims in relief, opening his arms and letting the small tiger barrel into him.

“Who?” Uraraka asks, confused.

“Atsushi-kun,” the short girl said, pointing at the large white tiger.

“You… named your tiger Atsushi?” Kaminari asked, confused.

“No no, you misunderstand.” the brunet smiles. “This tiger here is actually my mentee!”

“But it’s a tiger.” Bakugou glares.

“Nope!” He reached over and booped the tiger’s nose.

A bright flash of blue light caused them to look away, but when they looked back, there stood a young man with platinum blonde hair in one-sided choppy bangs, bi-colored purple and yellow eyes that could parallel ametrines, and a face entirely red in embarrassment.

“A-Apologies for all the trouble I’ve caused,” he bowed his head.

The students all stared with their jaws to the ground while the white tiger happily trotted over and nudged against him. They blink in slight surprise before smiling quietly and pets the tiger.

“W-Wait- What?” Kirishima asks, confused. “Is that your Quirk?”

“Quirk? Oh no, not that. Something different.” the man smiles. “But anyways! We shouldn’t keep you long, nor should we overwelcome our stay. Best we be off now!”

And with that the brunet ushers his group off. And calling over his shoulder, “And please do keep an eye on your little tiger! They’re quite curious creatures.”

At the mention, Midoriya looks to where he last saw the tiger only to see an open space from where it stood.

“Oh no, not again!”

(A/N): This helped my crossover brainrot, don't mind me-

(A/N: Ayyyye, look at that! A bit different from the discovery part, but I like the outcome =w=)

BSD but what if Atsushi's hair wasn't cut?

I imagine as a child, he had at least shoulder-length hair, the height in which his current uneven bangs are. The stripe is still there, but the tips of his hair is black, a callback to his concept art. In some way, he was an odd child by appearance: natural platinum blonde hair with abnormal black edges and single stripe and almost piercing purple-yellow eyes? Unheard of and practically inhuman. And for a long time, he's hated his hair and eyes. It made him stand out when all he ever wished was to blend in.

Due to some... "divine intervention" (cough—Byakko—cough), the children weren't able to make due with their prank but it only caused a louder ruckus (COUGH—BYAKKO—COUGH). In the end, and because he was blamed for practically everything, the headmaster punished Atsushi, ending him with a large burn scar running across his forehead. (It was aimed to be over his eyes, but Atsushi moved his head. But it still hurt all the same.) Since then, Atsushi has began taking care of his ever-growing hair, especially his bangs in a way to cover his scars, and his piercing eyes. It was the only thing he could think of to try and hide the upper part of his face. And after several years and no more pranks (because the pranksters became {sparkle}traumatized{sparkle}), Atsushi's hair had grown past half way down his back, and his bangs no cover just over the tip of his nose.

Since meeting the agency and becoming a member, Atsushi still had his guard up when it came to covering his face. He got some tips from the girls and even Kunikida on how to maintain such a long length of hair. Of course, his coworkers were concerned that having such long hair could pose a problem during missions or block his sight, but it didn't slow him down thankfully. But it made them awfully curious. It was his pride and joy.

Until a small incident with/regarding Akutagawa.

Needless to say, upon one of their joint missions that got turned into a fight (because of unresolved feelings and unspoken words), Atsushi managed to duck from Rashomon's slash. But in doing so, his head suddenly felt... lighter. Literally. Turning his head to see his long hair, cut, laying on the bloodied ground and albeit a frozen Akutagawa on the other side, Atsushi saw red. He did not know what happened after his sudden rampage, but Dazai was grinning like an idiot while Chuuya looked impressed, terrified, and indifference.

Which lead to where they are now: back at the agency (Dazai dragged Chuuya and Akutagawa along) with the members all but staring in horror at his uneven cut hair that stopped just about his shoulder blades, fists bloody and apparent tear marks from under his thankfully untouched bangs. (Because Arahabaki forbid if Rashomon managed to cut his bangs).

Cue Yosano, Naomi, Kyouka, Haruna, and even Chuuya trying to salvage as much as they could with Atsushi's hair. Meanwhile, Dazai does some talking (read: prodding) with Atsushi to figure out what really is going on under his long bangs. But it goes on for so long back and forth that Akutagawa soon grew irritated and used Rashomon abruptly as a hairband and pushed Atsushi's hair back.

(Or for a more bonding moment, it happens when they fought: Akutagawa grabs Atsushi by his bangs, effectively tugging them up only for stand in shock at the other's gorgeous bi-colored sunset-ametrine eyes and such a harsh burn scar across his forehead, all wrapped together with the younger's panicked expression which leads to a whole lot of confessions and bonding and just- [gestures wildly] The potential)

Anywayssss, they awe at his pretty eyes, go through the urges of wanting to kill an already dead man, and while Atsushi still wanted to keep his bangs, he gets a bandana to both keep them out of the way but to also cover his scar.

(A/N: Yippeeeee owo)

Modern!BSD but... mumble-mumble something-something anime adaption from a popular underrated manga series more mumble-something mumble-somethings and it's just any ordinary love story. A love story written about Dazai and Chuuya, written from the eyes of an outsider.

When the manga released, it was a hit, even though the illustrator and author of the manga didn't mean it to. He just wanted to write it as such as a means of getting back on a bet Dazai put him way back then, way back in high school; the time set of the manga and where their story began. He never expected it to get this big.

But back to specifics.

It surprised him that the two loved it, as well as the few that came across and love his series. And it was definitely a bittersweet ending with a happy note of Dazai and Chuuya happily married, living their best lives with a whole bunch of loving teasings and pets. But that's where the series ends.

But then there came an odd question that begun after the manga series has ended: What about the author? They only explained themselves to be an outsider in the manga, the narrator, Dazai's friend. And for a while, the author didn't answer the question.

It was only when the manga began its anime adaptation did beloved readers of the series began seeing it visually and audibly with the actual voices of these people, that they could finally see things that they had overlooked before.

One was that, besides the two protagonists, there were others that were seen. And in one of the anime's episodes that was adapted from a chapter of one of the manga's volumes was Dazai and Chuuya trying to wingman one of the gingerhead's friends: Akutagawa Ryuunosuke. Although it was noted from the author that he doesn't know much of this time because of a reasonable excuse of "I didn't know love well enough, so I dipped before Dazai could drag me into this."

The episode goes as show: as a comedic cut every first few seconds before the intro rolls, this time it was Dazai, at the early stages of their dating life, barges into the room they most frequent and exclaims, "We're making a dating show!" Dead beat silence, and then Chuuya's "What?" getting cut off by the intro.

They had theories and conspiracies, candidates and bachelors (both girls and boys [gotta be impartial like that]), nit-picking every little detail on who would be best suited for Chuuya's grouchy friend. They even had investigations board (which Dazai definitely recreated the meme). It was a full blown episode and chapter full of their usual shenanigans but also getting navigating through their dating life together.

The episode came to an end when the two were informed by Kyouka, Gin, and (sorrowfully) Higuchi that Akutagawa already had his heart set on someone and had went to confess to them that day. It was a comedic ending but left some intrigued on who this person was that managed to get through Akutagawa's grouchy and cold demeanor.

A second thing: while Dazai does have his own friend group, there was a certain character that was there for the majority of him and Chuuya's interactions. His friend: Nakajima Atsushi, always seen every now in then in the episodes or manga panels looking on flatly at Dazai's loud antics and Chuuya's screeching and more or less being the voice of reason in Dazai's stead.

And one thing that one of Dazai's friends, Tanizaki Junichiro, recalls about Atsushi: "Actually, did you know Atsushi has hyperthymesia?" Hyperthymesia. A rare condition that allows people to remember their lives in great detail, but it could lead to the person thinking a lot more of their past.

And it makes sense. Atsushi always seems to have his head in the clouds besides always seen with his head in books, sketching some random drawings, or writing summaries. His expressions ranging of various emotions; melancholy, pain, happiness, anger. Anything and everything under the sun.

It was a widespread theory and headcanon to the manga's fandom that the author was Atsushi, and it was an airtight case. They could see tiny bits of Atsushi's life in these small moments of when he makes an appearance and does speak besides being the air-headed and "nooby" to Dazai's friend group. It was a new year, after all, and the brunet had practically pulled the underclassman under his wing on day negative one.

It wasn't long before, a few weeks after the anime adaptation series has ended, did the author release a short story that he wants to treated as an autobiography and a way to close this chapter of his life.

A story of a boy unable to let go of his the harsh and abused past because of his rare condition some would say is a blessing but he would call it a curse. Where he finds friends in a high school after years of loneliness; a second family. A place of feeling many firsts for him, of familial and platonic love, friendships, and even love itself.

To let go of a past and childhood that Atsushi could never call his own as he prepares for his own wedding with the help of his found family of friends and his to-be husband Ryuunosuke.

(A/N: I don't know how this came to be, it was just a passing thought that in my head, visually, might be interesting to touch on. More or less based on Horimiya the more I wrote into it, just the prospect of someone else telling the story than either protagonist. Don't think I'll pick this idea up purely on the excuse that I will not bring it justice =w="")

I Died and Reincarnated as a Tiger Prince?! | Demo

Byakko sheathes her katana and finally lets out a breath.

“My, such bloodshed.” She glances over her shoulder as the royal doctor walks into the building. “Bandits, I presume?”

“Mostly. But others… They seem like sorcerers and mages.”

“Magic users? In this environment?”

The building they were asked to investigate looked abandoned on the outside with cracks and ivy along with boarded up windows. But inside, it looked like some sort of infirmary.

“If anything, I was thinking of something with more materials for sorcery.” The doctor murmurs, walking over to a table with several vials of organic material and potions.

“Yosano-sama, I will continue searching the building for any leftovers.” Byakko announced, already seeing herself off.

Yosano watches her and sighs fondly, shaking her head. “It feels like a lifetime ago, and yet you still act the same.” She turns her attention back to the books and studies and drafts strewn about the table.

She wasn’t familiar with sorcery and anything magic-based, even though she herself has the highest level of healing magic, one that could save someone from the brink of death. But they already have a mage in the royal administration, one that she was familiar with. And yet she doesn’t recognize any of these drafts. She picks up one of the papers, frowning.

“What was even done here-” Yosano’s voice stuttered when her eyes continued scanning further the pages. Resurrection? Supplements? Dosages, very low chance… Her hands trembled slightly as she looked back at the various vials on the shelves.

Just what has been dealt here?

“Yosano-sama.”

She turns around at the sound of Byakko’s voice. “Byakko, we might have to return here another day. Something-”

Yosano cuts herself off at the sight of what was curled up in the other’s arms. A child, a little boy with abnormal platinum blonde hair like the moon and motionless white tiger ears and tail, his wrists and ankles bruised. Half-human children tend to have these features of theirs move when asleep. Yosano looks down at the papers in hand.

“Yosano-sama,” She turns her attention back to the royal captain, seeing the hint of anger in her slight glare. “He was found in the middle of a sorcerer’s circle, chained down.”

“What?!”

“Shh.”

Yosano stops herself from the sudden outburst, seeing the child’s tiger ears tremble slightly from the loud echo. She glances at the papers in hand. “Something’s not right…” she whispers under her breath.

“It’s best we return to the castle and report that we took care of the problem, but that it leads to something more.” Byakko said, already making her way to the door and Yosano quickly puts the papers down and follows behind. “No wonder your brother said for you to come with me. He likely foresaw this, that fortune teller.”

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” sighs Yosano, thinking back to the conversation earlier today of Ranpo practically pushing Yosano over to Byakko just before she left the castle grounds. She sighs heavily and looks at the building they just left.

Yosano observes the other for a long moment, noticing the woman’s normally dilated sharp pupils being bigger and rounder as she gazes down at the boy in her arms. I never took her to be quite the mother. Yosano smiles at the thought. But it suits her.

“Seems like you have adopted a cub or your own, hm?” Yosano inquires.

Byakko simply glances at her from over her shoulder before turning back when the child suddenly shifts in her arms.

—  —  —

All Atsushi could remember was abrupt, shocking pain. Then the sense of floating. For a moment, he thought that he had died, which was the likely ending. The pain was unbearable compared to what the orphanage usually inflicted on him. This one was done by someone not of staff, but… a terrifying man of pure white hair and voidless red eyes. Truly, he did think he died, no doubt about it.

But that didn’t explain him suddenly… waking up again.

He was being carried, his head propped on a shoulder, eyes blarily staring up at an unfamiliar abandoned building with overgrown ivy. He suddenly felt a hand rest carefully on his head and someone came into view.

“Oh, you’re awake. How are you feeling?” the woman asks, magenta eyes looking at him.

Atsushi stares for a second before grumbling in pain, squeezing his eyes. “Everything hurts…”

“Where, by chance?”

“Head… my back… my hands and legs, too.” He opens his eyes again to see the other frowning slightly.

“What do you remember last?” she asks.

“I…” He swallows roughly and just shakes his head, burying his face into the shoulder. “I don’t remember…” Suddenly, something foreign on the side of his head shifts, and his eyes shoot wide open in panic but then a hand rests against his back.

“Shhh…” a deep ethereal voice hushes gently, and it calms Atsushi almost instantly even though his grip was still vice. “Things might feel different, but right now you are still hurt,” the voice continues gently. “It’s best we leave before it gets dark. By then, you will be treated by the royal family.”

Atsushi blinks owlishly. “R-Royal… family?”

The doctor hums silently, looking at him. “Seems like your memory has been affected a lot… What do you remember by chance?” she asks as they came to a wagon and the one holding him carefully set him down and pulled their cerulean blue shoulder cape to wrap around him.

Atsushi frowns and ducks his head only to go rigid at the sight of black stripes on his arms and legs along with his nails sharp like a cat’s. Before he could panic further, hands gently held him and he looked up to meet sharp yellow eyes, just like a tiger’s. “Do you remember your name? Age?” she asks.

Atsushi stares at her for a moment before quietly nodding his head. “N-Nakajima Atsushi… And I think I’m 14…?”

“14?” The doctor echoes, eyebrows furrowed.

“I think so,” he nods.

The two women glanced at each other before the doctor stepped next to the other. “I’m Yosano Akiko. And this is Kemono Byakko,” she introduces themselves to him. Atsushi blinks before nodding his head back.

“Now,” Yosano stands up and walks inside the building.

“Yosano-sam—” Byakko began.

“Just going to do something.”

They watched as the doctor disappeared inside, and after a bit of crashing sounds that made Atsushi wince at the sudden volume in his ears, Yosano walks out with something in her hands.

“Yosano-sama…” Byakko warns slightly.

“Oh, don't worry. Yosano waves a hand. “Just made sure we grabbed everything.” Atsushi stares before squinting in slight confusion.

“But you don’t have anything but those papers,” he points out.

“Quite! But that’s for later.” Turning to Byakko, “I’ll explain once we get back to the castle.” Byakko frowns before sighing quietly and looks back at Atsushi, gently petting his head before her eyes lowered. He stares back in confusion before gasping when she suddenly rests her hands gingerly on his bruised wrists, and a gentle blue-iridescent light covers the bruises. Atsushi watches in awe as the aching faded and the bruises completely vanished as she pulled away to do the ones at her ankles.

“Let’s get you home,” Byakko whispers, gazing at Atsushi earnestly before moving to the front to begin moving the wagon. Yosano pulls herself up on the wagon with Atsushi just as it begins moving and she looks off into the distance at the building.

“What else do you remember, by chance?” she asks.

Atsushi stares before looking down slightly, ignoring the stripes and claws for now. And besides his name and an idea of his age…

“Pain.” he answered.

“Pain?”

“But I should be used to pain…”

Yosano looks at the other before resting a hand on his head. “Feel anything different, then?” she asks.

Atsushi nods and looks around. “Everything is louder and brighter, and something’s moving on my back…”

Yosano hums carefully. “Do you know anything about half-humans?” Atsushi looks at her in confusion. Smiling, “Half-humans are humans, yes, but they are a bit different in appearance.”

“Like what?”

“Additional or replaced features compared to a human,” she explains. “There can be many kinds of half-humans, so a subspecies.”

“So… a different race?” Atsushi asks, feeling himself get tired.

“That’s right. But the most common of half-humans are humans with animal-like features. Be it cats, wolves, squirrels even.”

Atsushi yawns and slumps down, curling into a ball. “Am… I one of them?”

Yosano gazes down at him. “Yes. A white tiger. Surprisingly, we’ve only heard of such beings in stories as a lineage of legendary and brave warriors.”

Atsushi blinks slowly, the information having not been able to process fully. “Do… Do they get treated nicely?” he asks, eyes slipping closed.

Yosano simply smiles and rests her eyes as well. “They are treated as equal as anyone would want to be treated.”

The sun had just begun to lower to the horizon below the mountain their kingdom was set on as they came to the castle grounds. Wasting no time, Byakko unleads the horse from the wagon and lets the stablehands take care of them, and pulls the wagon to where the others were.

“Phew,” Yosano sighs as she steps off. “A single day of travel, the most I’ve been out for a long time.” she murmurs. Byakko nods as she rounded the wagon and carefully scoops Atsushi up, now bundled up in her cape and sleeping soundly. Her gaze softened slightly to see the child’s ears flick in his sleep.

“Now how do we explain to the royal family that you suddenly picked up a child of your own?” Yosano hums as they make their way to the doors.

“His Highness would understand,” responds Byakko and Yosano hums, smiling quietly.

“That he would,” she agrees.

Byakko felt a shift in her arms and looked down as ametrine sunset eyes fluttered open, taking in everything slowly. “Feeling better?” she asks quietly.

Atsushi hummed quietly, letting his eyes rest closed for a while longer as he rested against her. “It’s numb, but it’s uncomfortable. Feels weird…”

“It would be,” hums Byakko. She glances at Yosano who nods. “Hungry, by chance?”

It takes Atsushi a moment to realize he was starving. Thankfully, his stomach growling was enough of an answer for them.

“The chefs are likely preparing dinner as we speak…” Yosano murmurs. “Byakko, take Atsushi to the infirmary, the private room. It’d be best if we don't have the others bother him until further notice. I’ll go and retrieve some food that one who hasn’t eaten as of late can stomach.”

Byakko nods and makes her way down the hallway, parting ways with her. Atsushi watches Yosano vanish behind the corner before looking around once more.

“Where are we?” he asks quietly.

“The royal castle,” responds the woman.

A beat.

“Do you and Yosano-sama work here…?”

“Yes, but Yosano is a part of the family. But she's more devoted to his medical work than the usual duties compared to her brothers,” she explains. “I’m the royal captain guard. But I wish to be your mother, as well.”

Atsushi stares at her for a moment. “My… mother?” he echoes.

“Yes,” she nods her head. “Would you mind?”

Atsushi was quiet, thinking about it.

Back at the orphanage, there was never a set parental figure amongst the children. The most he’s seen was the oldest residence protecting the younger ones, which usually led to them being kicked out right then and there. Of course, none of them protected him. He was more trouble than what was worth.

But in books, he had an idea of what a happy family would be, and what the relationship between parent and child should be. It was nothing compared to the orphanage.

Atsushi looks up at Byakko. She seems nice… And she helped me, too. “Will that be okay…?” he asks, still hesitating.

“I am not a part of the royal family, even though they took me in all the same. I am but their royal captain guard. I don’t think they would mind me returning with a child of my own, one in need of help.” she responds.

Atsushi stares at her before humming quietly, resting his head on his shoulder. Byakko freezes up slightly before relaxing quietly, resting her head against his as they continue towards the infirmary.

(A/N: This is all but randomness I spewed out a day or two ago, and let me tell you my brain juices are running dry. But I still wanted to play around with the idea, so have this as a demo. Unsatisfied but satisfied enough to at least place it down here. The one I would make might follow the same outline but with a few changes in the worldbuilding [I'm bad when it comes to that] but everything is mostly the same!)

BSD but Atsushi just... has the Book.

Whenever he was locked away, the place would be barren. It always has been. But somewhere in some time, the ground oddly looked uneven.

So, taking the chance, he pulled up a loose piece of the ground and saw it. A white book that looked to have stayed clean even when laying on the ground. It had no name, but it had a pretty pattern.

Atsushi had always loved reading, and it's more or less what he's used to doing. So he picks up the book and begins reading. It's text read of numerous, mystical things; fantasy and down-to-heart, future and the past, of celebration, liberation, adventure. It was as if all the books Atsushi has managed to read in the library, all its genres, all in one book.

It brought him comfort in this cold hell of his, reading the text to almost a brand new story the next time he finds himself in his gaze. It... It made him seek for the comfort the book has repeatedly explored, over and over and over again. Repeatedly explored the prospect of a family, a family the protagonist chooses.

But the headmaster always seems to disregard his thoughts, even downplaying them, saying that he won't ever find a family. That was all the more reason he wanted to keep this book, to protect it, protect their stories. Because he had an irksome feeling that if the headmaster would find out about it, he'd burn it and make Atsushi watch as punishment.

That has been several years ago, back when he was a child. Now 18 and facing all odds the headmaster told him, he found his family in the Armed Detective Agency. He has kept the book close to him but still hidden away, managing to sneak it out with him when he was kicked out initially.

And because of how much stories he's read from the book, the others would always come to him and listen to more. Atsushi didn't think of himself as a good storyteller, but oh well.

But oh boy was he not expecting that the book from his childhood would be the source of all kinds of problems they would be facing.

(A/N: I've actually written a whole other ordeal about this one, along the lines of Atsushi finding the book when he was locked away (I wasn't aware that the book would just be in the library like that, from one of Atsushi's flashbacks). But in classic ME fashion, it was sskk =w=" | Canon divergence, Atsushi is a civilian and lives with the Akutagawa siblings, and is always reading the book. Unfortunately I couldn't touch the idea to my expectations and ended up deleting it entirely. And even if I tried finding it, it's all but buried away in those many days and hours of the "Last Edit" part of Google Docs. regardless, have this ^w^ | And maybe one day, I can touch back to this idea.)