Ayakashi Toichiro Yuri - Tumblr Posts

@colourless-hydrangeas

As promised~ 😏

! VOLUME UP !

Careful for the end, it gets a bit loud 😁👍

Paint - Toichiro x Fem!Reader

Genre: psychological, gore, angst, au

Inspired by: Matsuro Palette

Word count: 2 380

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a/n: Heya! Here's this fanfic I've been delaying for months 💀 This story is inspired by the game Matsuro Palette which I was completely obsessed with when I first started writing this. You don't need to have played the game to read the story, but if you want to have a better understanding of some concepts, then seeing gameplay or just playing the first few days (they're quite short) is enough. No part of the Matsuro Palette story is used so only seeing the way the player and The Girl interact as well as the studio the game takes place in is enough. Please be warned of the genres of this fanfiction. The genres serve as a trigger warning. If there are any additional trigger warnings for a specific chapter, I'll put it underneath the genre section. All that aside, I hope you enjoy!

WAIT ONE MORE THING- Y/N is semi-modern in this fanfiction, but only in terms of manner of speech. She's not about to whip a phone out and take selfies with the boys 💀 NOW ALL THAT ASIDE, I HOPE YOU ENJOY ✨

(also let me know if you want to be tagged in future chapters)

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Chapter 1

She has been locked in a room for the past eternity. Her only goal is to paint a portrait of He who Sits in the Sunset. Every drop of paint added meaning to his life, every stroke of her brush set him one step forward to freedom. He had never known, but the seal placed on his ninth tail was a curse. He believes that he is trapped within a portrait in She the Painter's eye when truly, it is she who is trapped within He the Painting's frame. One stroke of paint and he is set free. One stroke of paint and she shall be cursed for millennia to come. All it takes is one stroke of paint. The final drop of colour is added to the portrait. Toichiro's kyubi form shows, protecting Futaba from the blades of ice Hisui shoots at her. His seal is broken. Toichiro's vision hazes as Y/N appears in his head one last time. She removes the chains that kept him locked away and shares one blank stare with him as the chains consume her.

"You… Why would you set me free? What have you released me from?"

"He's possessed," Shuichiro would usually say.

Prior to the battle between Futaba, her Ayakashi and the Senkitai, Toichiro had been getting visions of a girl whom he had not been acquainted with. Every time he got these visions, an excruciating pain would build up in his head. He would crouch down in agony, screaming for it to stop.

No one would follow along with his ridiculous idea. But as time went on, and as Toichiro's inexplicable behaviour became more frequent, his idea didn't seem so ridiculous anymore.

"If he's truly possessed, who do we ask to exorcise him?" Koga once asked, "Futaba won’t be of much help here."

All the other Ayakashi believed that there was nothing that could be done to help Toichiro. Nevertheless, there was one who stayed by his side. Whether Toichiro was screaming to the heavens above or crying uncontrollably, Shizuki always believed that his master would come to his senses. He believed that this would all pass.

And it did, which leads us to where we are now.

With the Ayakashi listening intently, Toichiro explains everything that has happened these past weeks. He explains how he was trapped within himself, how that girl would paint portraits of him all day, how she set him free. It all felt like a long, vivid nightmare and it was finally over.

"So the unknown girl setting you free from the painting is what led you to being a kyubi back then?" Shizuki says, everything finally making sense.

"That would be the outcome, yes," Toichiro answers, his voice still hoarse from his constant screaming before.

"You said the girl got chained up after setting you free. Do you think she's trapped somewhere now?" Kuro asks.

His question is genuine but doesn't sit right with Toichiro.

"I think her chains were a symbol of something passed onto her. Something Toichiro had that he gave to her after being set free," Oji suggests.

Toichiro's brows furrow. Although he doesn't show it, the thought of him passing some form of curse onto someone who did nothing but help him pains his heart. 

Gaku, who has been silent the whole time, speaks up.

"She wouldn't happen to be Futaba or Futaba from her past life?" he asks.

"There's not the slightest chance it could be her, it was someone else entirely,” Toichiro answers, a copy of one of his usual smiles tugging at the corners of his lips. Or at least, that's what it looks like to Shizuki. A copy - a fake. Because they've been together for so long, the snow spirit understands the kitsune far better than the other Ayakashi. Shizuki knows that Toichiro has many ideas which he wishes to share but won't, for the safety of his position as the future village leader.

"What do you suggest then?" Oji asks.

Silence falls upon the room again.

"Forget it. Regardless of what it all meant, it’s over now. Why should I care?" Toichiro answers, his usual smile forming on his face.

The Ayakashi part ways after their discussion at the Kitsune Village. Oji makes his way down the mountain path and back to Raccord, an image of a girl devoured by chains floating in his head. As he opens the door to Raccord, the faint jingle of the bell brings him back to his senses.

"You're back later than usual. What happened?" Aoi asks, leaning on the broom he was just using.

Oji explains the battle against the Senkitai and everything that Toichiro told them.

"Wait, let me get this straight: This girl would constantly try to paint a perfect portrait of Toichiro and he would physically be affected by it. And once she perfected the painting, he was able to transform into a kyubi during the fight with the Senkitai and she was chained up?" Aoi says, trying to piece together the story he has just been told. 

"Yes. Sounds bizarre, don’t you think?" Oji says, pulling out a cigarette.

"Well, whatever happened to her, I hope she's okay," Aoi sighs, placing the broom against the wall. Before heading upstairs, he turns to face Oji, suddenly remembering something.

"Speaking of painting, there's a new student joining my class next week."

"That's nice. Someone new for you to be friends with," Oji smiles.

"Yeah, but they're joining from overseas. That means they're excellent at art if they're able to study abroad," Aoi complains.

"Don't worry Aoi, your art is really good. I'm sure they won't be much competition for you," Oji laughs, puffing on his cigarette.

"There's an art exhibition next week too. I've heard that their art will be displayed. Hopefully it's not as good as everyone's making it out to be. Not that I'm trying to put them down or anything, it's just-" Aoi cuts himself off, seemingly at a loss for words.

"It's okay Aoi, I know how tough it is in the art world," Oji reassures him. Aoi smiles faintly at Oji before heading to his room.

The days come and go, and the day of the exhibition arrives. To his surprise, Aoi finds Toichiro and Shizuki amongst the crowd.

"Who invited you two?" Aoi asks, clearly annoyed.

"No one did. I came by my own will," Toichiro grins.

"You'd think that your experience with paintings would keep you away from them forever," Aoi says.

"Such a trivial matter doesn't affect me in that way, Aoi. I'm here to appreciate the creations of your fellow scholars. Now, if you'll excuse me," Toichiro states before leaving in the opposite direction with Shizuki.

"'Trivial', huh? It doesn't look that way to me," Aoi mutters. Whilst he had been speaking to Toichiro, curiosity got the best of him and he read Toichiro's heart to see how he truly feels. Aoi sighs at the kitsune's stubbornness and heads in their direction. 

Toichiro spares a glance for the artwork in the exhibition, the occasional comment from Shizuki forcing him to stare a while longer. As Toichiro turns to leave, a single portrait painting stops him dead in his tracks. He stares in horror and disbelief at the painting.

"Master Toichiro, we'd best be leaving-" Shizuki calls out to Toichiro before freezing at the sight of the painting too. Staring back at the two men is a perfectly painted portrait of the purple kitsune.

"Master Toichiro, is this..?" Shizuki trails off.

"Yes. Yes, it is."

The pair have no knowledge of how to react to such a situation. They are snapped out of their confusion by a familiar voice.

"What are you two gawking at? Oh, yeah. I was pretty surprised when I saw this first too," Aoi says, wedging himself between Shizuki and Toichiro.

"How exactly are you so calm at the moment?" Toichiro exclaims.

"Because I know who painted this," Aoi says. He points to a small sign below the frame that reads "He the Painting, Pictorem".

"A strange name for a painting," Shizuki comments.

"An even stranger pseudonym," Toichiro adds.

"She's not that strange, actually," Aoi rolls his eyes.

"'She'?" Toichiro asks, his eyes widening again.

"Yeah, she's a classmate of mine who recently joined from overseas. She's pretty quiet in class but she is interesting to talk to, since she's from abroad and all. I've spoken to her a couple times-" Aoi is interrupted by a troubled Toichiro.

"Aoi, I need to know why she's painting pictures of me," Toichiro says, composing himself and shoving his worry aside.

"I walked in on her painting this and asked her. Her exact words were: 'I don't exactly know why I paint him, nor do I know who he is, but I don't exactly care and I won't ever care because I never want to meet him. If he even exists, that is. I am nearly fully convinced that he doesn't exist and he's just a generic face that my mind has created. I mean, look at him! That face is more basic than the primary colours'," Aoi recounts, trying his best to not to grin at the last few phrases.

"A fairly bold statement coming from someone who has never met me," Toichiro smirks in an attempt to hide how offended he is.

"Master Aoi, did you correct her in her thinking?" Shizuki asks.

"No, I didn't tell her about you. It might be easier if you two don't meet. I mean, she's not exactly fettered so I don't think you two meeting really matters anymore. She's okay, you're okay, all is well," Aoi replies.

"Nevertheless, I'd like to speak with her. Surely there can't be any harm in that?" Toichiro retaliates.

"Ugh, fine. Next time I see her, I'll tell her I saw you here and you want to meet her," Aoi sighs.

"Good, good. Now that's settled, I'll be on my way," Toichiro smiles before taking off for the mountain.

Back in the Kitsune Village, Toichiro and Shizuki briefly discuss the events of today.

"I will admit, the portrait was painted excellently," Toichiro says.

"I agree, though that concerns me," Shizuki begins.

"Oh? How so?" Toichiro inquires, his interest piqued.

"Neither of you have met yet she was able to capture every detail of you in her portrait. It looked as if it were a coloured photograph," Shizuki continues.

"Hmm, I see what you mean. However, she and I have met before," Toichiro says.

Shizuki stares at his master in a mixture of shock and confusion.

"Though I was just a painting, I was able to speak with her. We never brought up why everything was happening nor did we speak of our lives outside the studio. We never learnt anything about each other. She was able to paint me flawlessly in the end because we had an understanding of each other that no other does. We learnt of each other's soul rather than our person. It was our souls trapped there anyway," Toichiro says calmly as the light discussions he would have with her flicker in his mind.

"Master Toichiro, were your meetings more than just a corrupt thought?" Shizuki asks.

Toichiro squints as he chooses the easiest way to describe his experiences.

"The best way for me to explain this would be that my body was physically here but my mind was elsewhere. It had been, in a way, moved into a different place. It was a different world, a bit like that cursed plane that Yura was trapped in," Toichiro explains, "The only ones that existed in that world were she and I."

"An entire world was created for your souls to be trapped in… I truly wonder what the truth behind all of this is," Shizuki states.

Meanwhile, a young girl is skulking around the Kitsune Village. She looks about the age of a high school student, and she is most certainly human.

"I saw him speaking with Aoi at the exhibition and I followed him back here. Now he's just disappeared," the girl mutters to herself in pursuit of someone.

"Who has disappeared?"

A blue-haired kitsune emerges from behind the girl, a soft ring following his movements from the bell in his hair. The girl stares at him in disapproval.

"I'm glad I wasn't stuck painting you. Your hair is way too wack. Bowl cut in the front, wolf cut in the back, bangs that are two different lengths, a half-plaited half-straight side ponytail. Who let you look this way?" the girl sighs, turning around to face the man that appeared behind her.

"Who let you speak this way?" Shuichiro sneers. The girl blankly stares at him before returning to her search.

"You're not welcome here, human. Who brought you here?" he smirks.

"No one. I snuck in," she responds coolly.

"You should know that you are inferior to the kitsune race, human. Look at me when I speak to you," Shuichiro hisses.

"Why should I? I'm kinda busy here, you know. I'm not going to entertain you so find someone else to bother with that wack-a$$ hair," she says nonchalantly. She couldn't care less about anything or anyone else. She has one goal: find the purple-haired guy. Shuichiro glares at her before taking off.

"Geez, what a prick," the girl rolls her eyes. Her search for "the purple-haired guy" continues late into the night and into the morning.

"It's been hours of looking through random people's windows searching for this man, I've trespassed enough. It's about time I give up," she sighs in defeat.

"Purple-haired guy, when I find you, I will rip your intestines out-" the girl's muttering is interrupted by an arrogant laugh.

"What's this about my intestines?" Toichiro asks.

The girl stares at the man himself completely dumbfounded.

"I heard from my eldest brother that a girl snuck in and is looking for something. That wouldn't happen to be you looking for me, no?" he smirks.

She scans him up and down before meeting his eyes.

"Quite the first impression, I must say," she says, crossing her arms.

"My apologies, perhaps I should have introduced myself first," he smiles, "I am Toichiro Yuri. It is an honour to finally meet you in person, Pictorem."

Toichiro's purple, Shuichiro is blue, Keiichiro is lavender blue and Keijiro is blue. What colour do yall imagine Kyoichiro as? Because I'm imagining him as yellow 💀

Paint - Toichiro x Fem!Reader

Genre: psychological, gore, angst, au

Inspired by: Matsuro Palette

Word count: 2 780

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a/n: Best boy makes his debut in this chapter, so don't mind the Shakespearean. It's probably wrong anyway 💀 Also, at the end of the chapter will be another note where I explain a couple things. Okay, I'm done talking. Please enjoy ✨

TAGS: @shonenkun309 @colourless-hydrangeas

Let me know if you want to be tagged in future chapters!

tw: cutting, blood, implied self-harm

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Chapter 2

The girl sighs.

"I am Y/N. I didn't expect to find you so easily," she says.

"'Easily'? Truly? I heard something about you wanting to give up-" Toichiro starts before being silenced by Y/N's glare.

"I've found you anyway so it doesn't really matter whether I struggled or not," she says. Her tone is aloof but familiar at the same time. Her indifference towards someone she appears to be obsessed with strikes a chord in Toichiro's heart, so he presses on.

"I heard from an acquaintance of mine that you have no intention of ever meeting me. When did that change, hm?" he teases.

"Look, I just got curious. I mean, I didn't even know you actually existed until I followed you here. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me and I was going to be trapped in that studio again," Y/N blurts out, attempting to hide her genuine interest in Toichiro's being. He smiles at her in amusement.

"How about you and I speak somewhere more private?" Toichiro suggests. Y/N is unsure of how to respond due to both her distrust towards the man she thought she knew well and her general wariness of the world.

"And what happens if I say no?" she asks.

"If I'm being honest, I might be quite hurt," Toichiro answers.

"Seriously?" Y/N says, her eyes widening and a wave of regret washing over her.

"Of course not," Toichiro laughs, "You're quite capricious."

Y/N scowls before following Toichiro to wherever he was planning on taking her.

"So, this is your place?" Y/N remarks, observing Toichiro's dwelling.

"Don't sound so displeased. I do have a far larger house in the Capital. We will only be staying here temporarily," Toichiro explains.

"'We'? Who's 'we'?" Y/N inquires, staring directly into Toichiro's eyes.

"My valet and I, though you are quite welcome," he laughs teasingly.

"Greetings, Mistress Pictorem," Shizuki says, placing two cups of milk tea down on the table.

"Just Y/N is fine. No need for this mistress-business," Y/N states.

"As you wish, Mistress Y/N," Shizuki replies before taking his place at his master’s side.

"About that pseudonym of yours," Toichiro begins.

"Oh, it's not that deep actually," Y/N answers.

"Really? What does it mean then?" he asks.

"...It's the Latin word for painter," she says reluctantly.

"How original," he smiles, "Now, where were we?"

"You weren't always this… What's the word I'm looking for? Audacious," Y/N says.

"Quite the compliment," Toichiro laughs.

"The other meaning," Y/N replies, annoyed.

"I see. You shouldn't have expected to know me well. It was my soul you met, after all," Toichiro says.

"'Soul’? What bullsh*t. We were literally trapped there!" she retorts.

"You were physically trapped?" Toichiro questions, surprised.

"You weren't?" Y/N replies the same way.

"So your body was physically here but your mind- well, soul, was in that studio?" Y/N repeats Toichiro's words.

"Precisely," he confirms.

"Okay cool, but you just created a plot hole," Y/N sighs.

"A what?" Toichiro asks.

"Basically, you just told me that you weren’t physically in the studio yet, somehow, you were still physically affected," Y/N explains agitatedly. Toichiro stares back at her in an indescribable manner. It is impossible to know what he is thinking, though Y/N is still able to answer his teasing smirk.

"It's not physically possible to have been affected in such a way when you weren't even there," she says, a rather large sigh following after.

"Perhaps it is some other being's doing that led to Master Toichiro’s behaviour," Shizuki suggests.

"Like a demon or something?" Y/N asks, turning her attention towards Shizuki who had been silently observing the other two's interactions the whole time.

"No, not a demon. Nor a wraith for that matter," Shizuki states.

"A what?" Y/N asks.

"A wraith is similar to a demon in the sense that it is an evil being, though its form is closer to that of a ghost or apparition," Toichiro explains.

"So a boneless demon," Y/N says.

"A boneless..? You know what, never mind. Shizuki, continue," Toichiro says.

"Based on what we know, it was something else causing Master Toichiro to react that way. It was most likely the same thing that caused Mistress Y/N to be physically trapped," Shizuki continues.

"Y'know… I've got a little more evidence to back up your claims, Shizuki," Y/N mentions.

"Do go on," Toichiro urges.

"I'm actually a terrible artist because I can't paint anything other than Toichiro, but it's not like I haven't tried not to. Whenever I start painting, I lose control of my own body. I'm not the one painting portraits of him. I don't know how to explain it, but it's sort of like my consciousness is replaced by something else," Y/N explains, "And when I've got my body back, I always find, um…" She rolls up her sleeves revealing many cuts along her wrists and inner arms, the cuts going as far up as beyond her elbows.

"I always find cuts. Obviously, whatever possesses me harms me while it's in control of my body."

The two men exchange a worried glance before Toichiro turns to face Y/N.

"Do you have any idea what it might have hurt you for?"

"It wants my blood. I find my blood in your portraits when I get my body back. It's used as red paint. Not a clue as to why though, I own a ton of red paint," Y/N answers. Silence descends upon the room. Y/N tries to break the silence with an excuse to leave.

"I've bothered you two enough, I might as well just-"

"Hang on a moment, Y/N," Toichiro calls out to her, grabbing her wrist before she walks out. A droplet of blood trails down Toichiro's hand and lands on the floor. He stares into Y/N's eyes for an answer.

"Sorry, I painted before following you here. The wound didn't have enough time to heal," she says, snatching her hand back and wiping her blood off the floor. When she raises her head to meet Toichiro's eyes again, he places a hand on her shoulder and gazes at her solemnly. He lowers his voice to a whisper that only she can hear.

"Why do you continue painting if you know it harms you? Are you intentionally trying to hurt yourself?"

"That's not how it is. Most of the time, I don't paint by will. It's an urge that consumes me and I have no choice but to feed into it," she whispers back guiltily. The two share a blank stare for a few seconds longer. Toichiro removes his hand from her shoulder and returns his voice to an audible level, his usual smile glowing.

"There are two people that will be able to help us. We can go see them tomorrow morning."

"Alright then, I'll be off-" Y/N says before being interrupted by Toichiro.

"You should spend the night here."

Y/N raises an eyebrow at him.

"You're not taking me to dinner first? Daring."

Toichiro laughs at her statement.

"It is far too late for you to be returning to the Capital now."

"Is it actually that late?" Y/N asks, peering out the window. Sure enough, the sun sets in the distance and a few stars peek out from behind orange clouds.

"I did find you a little after midday, it's only to be expected that it is this late," Toichiro smiles.

"I will go prepare a room for you, Mistress Y/N," Shizuki says before leaving the room. Toichiro follows after Shizuki, but not without playfully winking at Y/N first.

"Yep, he's trouble," Y/N sighs to herself. It is only then that she notices the two untouched cups of milk tea.

"Damn, two good cups of tea have gone to waste. Whelp, might as well."

The following day, Toichiro and Y/N make their way to the Shrine of the Hidden God.

"Who exactly are we going to see?" Y/N asks.

"Just two acquaintances of mine," Toichiro answers.

"It seems like everyone is an acquaintance. Do you even have any friends?" she questions. Toichiro stays silent, his pace increasing.

"That's… really sad, actually," Y/N mumbles, catching up to him.

"The people we are going to see will have all the information we need," Toichiro says, changing the topic.

"Sounds like you're taking me to a cult," Y/N laughs.

"A cult with only two people? That would be a clique," Toichiro says.

"You only need three people to form a cult. You, and those other two," Y/N continues on, Toichiro listening intently, "and I'm the fourth member you're trying to bring into your cult." "You are an interesting creature, Y/N," Toichiro says, smiling down at her. Her focus is elsewhere however, so she does not see it.

"You're calling me interesting? Big talk for a guy dressed as an animal," she says.

"I'm not dressed this way, I look like this," he says.

"Really? With the ears and everything?" she replies. "I was going to applaud you for making the outfit look so realistic, but now I'm finding out you didn't do anything at all. No need for me to praise your DNA."

"Ah, Y/N, you wound me," Toichiro teases.

"Stay hurt," Y/N teases back.

The pair arrive at the large torii gates and are greeted by many different creatures, large and small.

"We've been welcomed by a whole ecosystem," Y/N says.

"That would mean that Yura is around," Toichiro replies.

"Who?" Y/N asks.

Instead of getting an answer, Yura appears before them. He speaks to his critter friends and they retreat to the forest.

"My apologies. Greetings, Sir Toichiro," Yura says with a welcoming smile.

"Hello, Yura. This is Y/N," Toichiro says.

"Greetings, Lady Y/N," Yura says, turning to her.

"Hey. Nice to meet you," she says, "If I didn't know better, I'd probably think you’re a princess."

"'Princess'? How so?" Yura asks, taken aback.

"In the tales where I come from, princesses are well-liked by animals and are often surrounded by them. You might be a princess," she explains. Yura only laughs at Y/N's suggestion.

"He didn't deny it!" Y/N exclaims. Yura exchanges a glance with Toichiro and immediately understands what Toichiro does not. He smiles kindly at Y/N and invites the two inside.

"Come with me. Gaku awaits thee."

Inside, Gaku is fixing a broken clock.

"Gaku, we have guests," Yura announces, taking his seat at his brother's side. Toichiro and Y/N sit beside each other and opposite the twins. Gaku hastily peers at the two figures in front of him before resuming fiddling with the clock. Though a moment later, he addresses them (only because he can feel Yura telepathically glaring at him).

"Hi Toichiro and Shizuki," he grumbles.

"'Shizuki'?" Y/N repeats Gaku's words. Her voice strikes Gaku's ears and he jolts up instantly to study her properly.

"I'm Y/N, not Shizuki. That guy's kinda strange if I'm being honest," Y/N says. 

"And how do you think he would feel if I told him this?" Toichiro asks.

"I don't even care! He deserves to know, especially with that milk tea of his tasting like liquid coal," Y/N says. While the pair are bickering, Gaku looks over at Yura to see if he noticed it too. Yura smiles at Gaku knowingly, confirming the latter's suspicions.

"Apologies for that, we're here because of a little issue we've got going on," Y/N says, turning towards the twins.

"Go on," Gaku says.

"Okay, so-"

Y/N goes on to explain the full story from what happened in the studio to her inability to control her own body. Toichiro chimes in whenever necessary, adding in his experiences too. The more the pair reveal, the more concerned the twins get.

"And that's about everything," Y/N says, finishing her tale. The twins share a glance before Yura starts speaking.

"Lady Y/N, wouldst thou lose control over thy body when painting in the studio?" Yura asks.

"No. That only started after we were let go," she answers.

"After thou wert let go…" Yura mutters to himself before continuing, "Sir Toichiro, thou speaketh of chains consuming Lady Y/N?"

"Yes, it happened just as I turned into a kyubi," Toichiro replies.

"Oji even suggested that it may have signified something passed onto Y/N from Toichiro," Gaku says. Yura ponders for a while before sharing his thoughts with the group.

"Methinks thou wast cursed in thy past life, Sir Toichiro. The curse was placed upon thy ninth tail, preventing its appearance. Lady Y/N, when thou didst complete the painting, the curse latched onto thee."

Toichiro and Y/N look at each other worriedly.

"Who would've placed the curse on me in my past life?" Toichiro asks, all traces of his smile faded. The change in his demeanour leaves Y/N feeling more worried than before. If even he became serious, then this matter is far more vital than it seems.

"The onmyoji that contracted your past self," Gaku answers.

"Sorry for interrupting, but what's all this about past lives and on- onmyoji? What is that?" Y/N asks. Yura smiles gently at her.

"Ahh, of course. Thou is unaware of the existence of Ayakashi and onmyoji."

With incredible skill, Yura is able to shove down the events of Futaba and her contracted Ayakashi as well as their story 1 000 years ago into a seven-minute speech.

"I- Wow," Y/N blinks in amazement at the story she’s been told. Such stories would be considered myths where she is from, and, unfortunately, in the Capital too.

"Not too much for your little head to process, I hope?" Toichiro asks teasingly.

"Wait, I've got a big brain thought coming in," Y/N says, rubbing her temples.

"Yura had a kodoku curse that cursed his flute, so whenever he played, he could only play the Song of Death. What if that brother from 1 000 years ago cursed Toichiro with the same curse so that he couldn't use his ninth tail? And similarly to how Yura took the curse from Gaku, I took the curse from Toichiro when I finished that portrait, which might have been the curse's doing in the first place. Perhaps the curse wasn't even supposed to be placed on Toichiro-" Y/N rambles before Toichiro places a finger on her lips.

"Calm down, you're getting ahead of yourself," Toichiro whispers to her.

"I thought the same when Sir Toichiro mentioned the chains," Yura says, "It may indeed be a kodoku curse."

"And Y/N's probably right about that other thing. Brother's curse created the cursed plane he was trapped in, so that studio might have been your curse's equivalent," Gaku adds.

"Lady Y/N, if thou art correct about the true holder of the curse, then thy entrapment together was the process of shifting the curse," Yura concludes.

"That explains why you were physically trapped in the studio," Toichiro says, peering down at Y/N.

"No, it doesn't," she responds.

"I'm not agreeing with him, so I'll tell you myself," Gaku begins, "the curse was temporarily placed on Toichiro while it waited to latch onto you. Since a curse is physically placed on someone, it physically trapped you so it could transfer successfully."

"Oh, I see," Y/N says, "but that's still not everything answered."

"What do you mean?" Toichiro asks.

"We don't know why the curse is placed on me nor what part of me is cursed, since it's a kodoku curse and all. Not to mention this," Y/N voices her thoughts and taps on her wrist for the last one. Toichiro's brows furrow, but his worry quickly vanishes.

"Don't stress yourself over it, Y/N. We will learn more as time goes on," he says reassuringly.

"That's the first useful thing you've said," she remarks. Yura smiles at the pair's interactions.

"Thank you for your help, Yura and Gaku," Toichiro says, standing up to leave. Y/N follows not long after.

"Thank you so much. I can't say that this is the last time we'll come looking for your help though," Y/N laughs wryly.

"I hope 'tis not. Until we meet again, Lady Y/N and Sir Toichiro," Yura smiles warmly at the pair as they disappear into the forest.

"You don't think that he wanted to curse himself but knew he was going to die before he could so he temporarily placed it on Toichiro?" Gaku asks Yura who is still staring in the direction the pair left in.

"Mayhaps thou art correct, Gaku," Yura says.

"You recognised her spirit too, but-"

"It is as Sir Toichiro said. 'We will learn more as time goes on.' If she is truly his reincarnation, then time will tell us as such. Fate worketh in ways no mind can perceive." Gaku studies his brother's smile before returning to the broken clock he was originally working with.

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a/n: Hello again. It probably didn't make sense for Y/N to use red paint in Toichiro's portraits, so I wanted to show you the outfit that Toichiro wears in all the portraits painted:

He wears his regular outfit, but he wears the cape from his 2022 EN birthday card.

This red cape here, but without the dalmatian pattern. That part is just white.

Altogether, the outfit should look something like this:

Obviously, it isn't in chibi form. But ultimately, this is what the outfit looks like (without the crown, of course. He's not that special lol).

Also, the portrait is painted in this artstyle:

This is the artstyle from the games Life Gallery and Cat Museum. The developer is 751 Games.

The portrait is painted at a 45° angle with Toichiro looking at the viewer. Hopefully all this helps with visualising the portrait! I promise that if I knew how to draw, I'd draw the portrait. Anyways, thanks for reading this far. The next part will be up soon, and I hope you're enjoying so far!