Tempest: 23 Degrees
Anime/Manga: Kuroko no Basuke
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING! Everything belongs to its original owners!
Warnings: swearing, forced marriage, M-preg, falling in love, Akashi is an emperor and has dual personalities, starvation, eating disorders, Furi being kept in a dungeon, angst with a happy ending, dragons, domestic violence, trust issues, some gore, tears, and more. You HAVE been warned!
Alex: In this universe, the high schools in KnB are countries and the GoM are rulers of these countries. It's a modern, yet old world mix environment. Dragons coexist with humans and only a few are born with the ability to understand their ancient language. Italics for dragons is them talking. Same sex marriage is allowed and male pregnancies are normal. Enjoy!
Degree 1: Below Zero
A red flower wilts without the sun
Yet, it blooms under the pale moonlight
Its petals peek out from the bud and slowly reaching out
They uncurl and unfold in a slow sympathy
It has finally bloomed after all
Standing red and proud for everyone to see
That time can reveal a secret beauty
And, to show the world this hidden jewel.
There are six ruling kingdoms in the world that keep their people in line with an iron fist. Firstly, there was Touou, a seaside island that has the closest relations to the ocean. Fish markets would open daily at the crack of dawn with fresh catches of the day, people from all over would come to buy seafood. As one of the top port locations of the kingdoms, a lot of trading and bargaining is the livelihood of the happy islanders. There were lush botanical gardens in every major city within Touou that grew tropical flowers in pale yellows, soft pinks, crimson reds, powder blues, fiery oranges, royal purples, snowy whites, and even midnight blacks. Their beautiful island flower is the proudest mark for the people, the gorgeous symbol of their heritage. A tall, nearly thigh high bloom that curled on viridian vines and waxy leaves shaped like eggs. Six petals that spike out like a stars edge colored from a navy blue at the tips, blending into a periwinkle purple, and fading into a light azure shade. This is the pride that is literally stamped everywhere in the kingdom, it has been the heirloom of the royals for many generations. Islanders love their home, the ocean seaside porting location. It is everything they could ever want, if only their king could be the same story. No one has any friendly regarding their ruler, he's a hardass so to speak. They've seen him plenty of times, it's not like he's invisible or anything. Darkly tanned from spending an extraordinary amount of time in the bright sun, taller than most people, a sharp jawline, angular features, slim muscles, a confident smirk lazily resting on his face, navy blue locks kept in a simple cut, and dark navy irises always slanted in boredom. If the islanders could be honest, they would say he's not a great ruler. Selfish, proud, kind of greedy, a bit power hungry, lazy, arrogant, narcissistic, and a huge asshole. They collectively shiver at the thought of suffering like the people of Rakuzan, their king is not that evil. That's the story of King Aomine Daiki; at least his wife, Queen Aomine Satsuki, is a lot more tolerable and very loved by the people. Her pale skin, curvy figure, round features, small frame, bright smiles always greeting her people, silky pink hair flowing down her back to her hips, and glowing fuchsia eyes are the reasons why the islanders stay in their seaside kingdom at all.
Their complaints are nothing compared to the Yosen kingdom. It's a fortified, wall structure looming over a tundra like wasteland. The towering concrete wall intimidates even the bravest of men when met with the challenge to face the ring of steel that circles around the towns. A factory dominated landscape that is full of ashy air and people that seem to be descendants of giants. Any traveler would be weary of even traveling to such a place. If it wasn't for the amazing food and delicious pastries, no one would ever visit the kingdom. The location is no where near a sea, so there was no ports or botanical gardens to rave about. A lot of lumber, minerals, raw metals, and spare parts get wheeled in every single day without fail. This desolated area is famously known for creating beautiful objects out of cheap, seemingly useless parts. Furniture, house decorations, swords, shields, carriages, trains, and many more things can be built into artistic crafts that keep anyone outside the walls in awe. Since it's basically an impenetrable fortress, it is the best defensive kingdom of out all the six. A city that can make something out of nothing is sort of the common motto within Yosen. It became such an infamous phrase that even outside kingdoms use it to describe their neighbor. Their symbol is simple that it hurts to look at it sometimes because of the bland design it has despite their creative inventions. A shield painted in royal purple with variations of lilac shades and black with a broad sword behind it. Nothing truly special, it makes the people shed never ending tears at the rather ugly sight of it. But, it has been their royal crest for many years, they can't change it even if they wanted to. Speaking of that, there something that needs to be done about the lazy King Murasakibara Atsushi. The people are a bit hesitant to speak to such an incompetent king, it's surprising that it hasn't fallen to ruin from such a man. His towering impossible height, long limbs, muscular structure, masculine features, a bored expression on his face, purple locks tumbling on his shoulders, and indigo eyes always seem to be set a default bratty expression. He's slow minded, selfish as well, lazy, never works hard for the kingdom, fails to comprehend things, and only has interest in candy and his husband. At least King Murasakibara Tatsuya is a lot more reasonable and pleasant to have on the throne. His graceful features, angular face, gentle smile, the beauty mark that blesses his gorgeousness, tall figure, coal black hair styled elegantly, and an olive colored eye being visible since the other one hides under his side fringe. The inhabitants of the kingdom were grateful that they have a king that is responsible and intelligent.
Though, it's nothing compared to the scholarly Shutoku kingdom. That place is always crawling with small dragons due to the heavily forested villages that surround the palace. A vegetated area that is full of shrubbery, tall tress standing proudly, wild animals running about, people working on their small farms, hunters preparing their weapons for game, weird looking plants, and long rivers that sparkle with a light mist. It can also be a little dangerous just wandering around the kingdom without an experienced guide or knowing exactly where you're going. Travelers also get confused by the complex looking maze that stands behind the palace, it was a mechanism to keep intruders out after all. Tourists like going there despite the obvious possibilities by being eaten by those strange plants that have ferocious fangs or getting hunted down by an angry dragon. There were many rumors that the king is able to talk to the beasts, but no one ever got that confirmed. This area is known for the farming, the crazy maze, hunting, and teaching some the best scholars the world has ever seen. There's always some type of intelligent discovery for something or research that can help get things done easier. The kingdom has many different types of schools for people to attend to earn an education and develop a cultural way of thinking. It's a very simple place despite having such an amazing reputation amongst its neighboring kingdoms. The symbol is a bunch of forest trees colored in various shades of greens and browns along with a brightly orange cheetah running through the jungle in a quick dash. It's not the most artistic, but it's certainly not plain either. The inhabitants of Shutoku love their royal symbol since it shows that they are like cheetahs, always evolving and being efficient in anything they do. Their king, Midorima Shintarou, is the perfect example of that. Elegantly tall, slim stature, small muscles, angular features, the longest s eyelashes any woman has ever seen, black frames on his slender nose, the ever so present frown of his face, short green hair, and viridian gems gleaming behind the lens. He's a bit odd since he believes in fortunes and horoscopes, tapes his left hand like clockwork, prissy, a bit standoffish, kind of a prude, obsessive with cleanliness, aloof, and rather distant. It kind of puts his people in between a rock and a hard place with his attitude. At least he can actually run a kingdom the way a real ruler should do so in the first place. Only his husband, King Midorima Kazunari, can stand his weird antics when the people can't take it anymore. His boisterous laughter, naughty grins, cheeky teasing, pale skin, tall and slim figure, midnight black hair parted beautifully, and steel gray eyes make anyone wonder why he married their king in the first place. It's better not to ask anyways.
Kaijo is another story on its own. The golden paradise of all the kingdoms despite that it's not a seaside port like Touou. It's a more modern cityscape compared to its older neighbors, so there's no concern for any dragons lurking in a dark ally. A small metropolitan location that is constantly full of rambunctious activity and livelihoods for everyone living there. There are still large villages a bit out its borders for the people who prefer a rural life. It's known for the amount of jobs it can offer to the residents since it has all kinds of work for anyone to go to. There are impressive schools, but they're not as amazing as the Shutoku ones. The people of the kingdom don't ever starve or go hungry since there's always money running through the shining cities. Everyone in the metropolis always seems to dress finely, sings long their middle class styles to tourists visiting the lively area. It's an extremely friendly location as well, it is where a large amount of business transactions and economical movements happen successfully. Travelers absolutely love going to Kaijo due to the amazing atmosphere, everyone greeted outsiders with large smiles and enthusiasm hand waves. It's an overall lovely place to live in and full of energy that never seems to stop no matter what. Their spotlight worthy crest from the royal family is a flower like Touou's. It's a short cinnamon brown stem with small, velvety leaves that stretch towards the sky. Five round petals shaped like the ends of a spade going from a pale cream at the tips, darkening into a lemon yellow color, and turning into a marigold at the center. A gorgeous symbol for their beautiful, golden heaven on earth for the residents of the kingdom. Their ruler, Kise Ryouta, matches that glimmering image perfectly that everyone jokes that the crest was practically made for him. His fair skin, slim features, tall structure, light muscles, sharp jawline, a shining smile that always greets his guests, golden blond hair, and dark kohl lining his golden irises to make them pop. He is cheerful, a tad annoying, kind of an attached puppy like human being, shines so bright it makes anyone's eyes hurt from staring too long, possibly two-faced, possessive, and sort of tactful. He does his job if his husband pushes him to do it correctly. King Kise Yukio always made his people very weary of him since he's the exact opposite of his attention grabbing husband, the constant frowning doesn't help much either. He's a bit on the short side, muscular, sharp features that feature brooding scowls, lightly tanned skin, thick eyebrows that somehow suit him, coal black hair cropped in a spiky cut, and gray-blue irises that take on a raging angry glow all the time. The grumpy king is kind of violent especially towards that idiotic husband of his, slightly bossy, respectable, definitely worthy of praise, a bit hot-cold, tidy, brave, strong, and persistent. Their people are glad to have such good kings in their lives.
The fifth kingdom, Seirin, is a baby compared to the others that have been around for generations. Since it just started becoming a kingdom, it's mostly a bunch of large villages group together in the area with a simple palace in the center. It doesn't have academically successful schools or seaside ports or metropolitan cities or vast forests or artistic factories like their neighbors do. The residents don't complain the lack of things to do within the kingdom, it just started out after all. It'll take time for it to become independent and develop its own identity. Most of the revenue is coming from the farmers market that they hold on a weekly basis along and hosting many fighting tournaments for courageous warriors across the lands. There are some dragons that lurk about the areas, but people tend to leave them alone in order to live a peaceful life. There are enormous plantations were farmers grow delicious crops and lovely fruits under the sunny, blue skies of their homeland. Some domestic animals will run about the bright grass and in between the small forests that grow around the kingdom. The people love to work hard, see the results of it, and show outsiders the results of the labors they put so much effort into. Besides raising crops and going to the fighting tournaments, there really isn't much to do inside Seirin. It's not the most attractive spot for tourists, but it's an amazing place to settle down into for retirement. Their royal crest reflects the simplicity of the kingdom, but the residents accept with lot of pride and glee. Three diagonal lines: one stark white, coal black, and fiery red against a creamy yellow background with a small fist of cold metal embedded in the middle to represent their fighting spirit. It sort of goes with the personality of their ruler, King Kagami Taiga, an unlikely person of royalty. He stands tall and proud, tanned skin, calluses hands from helping the farmers from time to time, a smirk that sometimes turns into a cheerful grin, muscular figure, narrow features, two toned crimson hair, weird forked eyebrows, and passionate scarlet hues always glowing with a hunger to fight. His super booming voice, sunny smiles, an unexpected softy nature, fiery spirit, hidden kindness that makes his people completely melt at it, simple idiocy, and an obliviousness that shocks everyone into being stunned makes him such an amazing ruler in their eyes. His husband, King Kagami Tetsuya, is his literal better half in lots of way. He can actually speak to dragons which is rare in this day and age, he doesn't use his gift often unless the beats are causing trouble for his people. Fair skin, short stature, slim muscles, invisibility that will forever cause the residents to have heart attacks every time he "appears out of nowhere", small features, powder blue hair that is rumored to have an epic bed head, and teal eyes that never express anything. If people could see him right away or notice his presence, they would admit that he's a very good king as well. His kind nature, seriousness for important matters, polite mannerisms, bluntness, straight forward honesty, sweet smiles that he rarely gives out, a very empathetic heart, expressive emotions, and rather odd tendencies make him an excellent ruler. King Kagami and him create such a perfect duo that people swear that they can read the others mind without even trying at all, they're so perfect it's cute to see them hold hands, stupid lovebirds.
Finally, the sixth kingdom named Rakuzan that rules over the other five with a formidable will. It's not even really a kingdom, more like an empire. The largest territory of all the kingdoms, full of monotone followers that look like slaves from an outsiders perspective. It's terrifying to watch and so scary to visit that even the bravest travelers avoid going there in general. Everyone is in fearing awe over the powerful centerpiece of the world, where anyone could fall into its beautiful trap. It looks gorgeous obviously, full of rich colors and beautiful people walking through the streets. But, they go about their daily lives in a never ending cycle while achieving nothing but perfection in what they do. It's horrifying that the residents are willing to go out of their way to do things this way to satisfy their emperor. Even the kings and their spouses don't really enjoy visiting the empire since it give them an uncomfortable feeling and mixed emotions. There's a mix of large villages, small cities, and a huge mountain where the dragon's nest resides in. That is one of the many reasons why tourists don't bother with wanting to go to Rakuzan. The beasts there are feral, extremely wild, extremely ancient, larger than life, and breathe toxic flames at any type of threat. No one would ever dare wander into the mountains since it's incredibly dangerous to go alone and the dragons don't appreciate outsiders in their territory. In the center of the kingdom away from the mountain, is the towering palace that shines with crimsons and golds all over its pristine walls. A large, wide staircase looms below the grand doorway entrance that seems to mock the average person if they walk towards the castle. Their symbol is an elegant camellia blossom in full bloom, red and beautiful. Its petals are soft and delicate looking, with rich leaves colored in a deep green. In the back of the flower, is an ornate shield decorated with the baby blue and white paints of the royal family. The crest of perfection and absoluteness over the subjects in the kingdom. Despite Rakuzan's overwhelming beauty, it's emperor is a different story altogether. Everyone in the kingdom live in fear over their controlling ruler, to the point that they consider him a tyrant. They've only seen him only a few times since he keeps to himself in his perfect palace. He glows with his pale skin, short stature that somehow talks down to anyone, light muscles, a cool voice that sends chills down a warrior's spine, slim features, crimson red hair that glows eerily even in the light of day, and mismatched eyes that sharply input steel knives into the hearts of the residents of the kingdom. One is a bloody red that looks creepy while putting anyone in a state of unease and the other is a liquid gold color that seems to stare into people's souls. Emperor Akashi Seijuurou is the entity of what a proper king or ruler should look and act like despite his people's obvious fear of him. He's always calm no matter the situation, serious all the time, very insane, incredibly possessive, obsessive with perfection, brave, extremely cunning, manipulative, never loses his composure with his enemies, cold, vicious, really violent, psychopathic and never shows interest in anything at all. That is until he met a clumsy dragon speaker that changed his world for the better.
"Alright Mama, Nii-San, I'm going out to the market and explore a little." Furihata Kouki announces after breakfast with his mother and older brother.
"Be careful Kou-Chan, I know you go to the mountains, it's dangerous." She reprimanded him for what seems to be the hundredth time in a row and he rolls his eyes from the speech again.
"Kouki, you always go there. Don't you get tired of talking to the dragons?" His older brother asks incredulously as if he's expecting a different answer.
Well, there's no point for him to hide his intentions, "Okay, okay! I'll be careful, promise!"
With that, he ran off the market place where there lots of goodies and vegetables that look super mouthwatering just to stare at. He bought some meat, cheese, berries, and mint leaves for his journey to the mountains. Furihata knows he's not much to admire at: with his tanned skin, average body, awkward limbs that always manages to trip on thin air, scrawny frame, skinny figure with like no muscles for anyone to admire, goofy grin always present on his face, too small pupils, fluffy brown hair that can never get tamed, and auburn hues that scream 'normal'. His secret is that he can understand dragons, he has to keep it that way. These days, dragon speakers are very rare and extremely valued. If people found out about his talent, he'll never have a peaceful life again. He can't do that to his family, so he does anything he can to keep his secret. The brunette knows that one of the kings of Seirin can talk to dragons, but people have to leave him alone because he's royalty. He doesn't have the luxury of having that protection since he's just a simple commoner. Ever since he was little, he always explored the mountain in the Rakuzan kingdom for entertainment reasons. It was kind of an accident when he ended up inside a dragon's nest, he didn't mean to enter their territory. Either way, the beasts were really scary and super huge that he thought they were going to eat him alive. When they realized he could understand them, they let him go. The auburn eyed boy didn't even know he had that kind of amazing ability in the first place. His mother and brother didn't believe them at first until he took them to the base of the nest then, held an entire conversation with one of the dragons there. They were in shock and disbelief, but they got over it eventually. They told him that he had to keep it a secret, no matter what. Furihata understood why they said that to him, dragon speakers get kidnapped and sold in the black market for high prices. After all, dragons live very long lives and people think that eating their flesh will help with vitality. Dragon scales are also considered very high end, it can be used for medicines to treat all types of illnesses and herbal remedies. In order to avoid being hunted down by greedy humans, the winged beasts stayed into their mountain territory where no one dares to enter into except Furihata himself.
Of all things he was expecting to see at the mountain, he was surprised to see a feral dragon getting ready to attack a person, "Hey! Stay away from him!"
"Like I'll listen to you, human. This person entered a nest without permission and for that, he will pay for it with his life!" The dragon roared while preparing to fry the poor man to smithereens.
"Yeah, I totally get it. He came to the nest without asking you, but he didn't know that. So, just let him go." The brunette tries to negotiate with the winged beast and it looked surprised that he could understand it.
It growled, "Fine, dear dragon speaker. I'll let this human live, so that my kind can live in peace."
"Are you okay? It didn't hurt you or anything?" Ignoring the fact that this person saw him talking to a dragon, Furihata went to check on him.
"Oh yes, I am fine. It did not hurt me, though it would have killed me if you had not come by. I humbly thank you for your bravery." The stranger tells him and he gets awestruck by a beautiful crimson haired man.
With a blush, he stammers, "U-Um…no problem. What's your name?"
"Akashi Seijuurou."
"That's funny, I thought you said that your name is Akashi Seijuurou."
"I did."
"…EH?! You're the emperor?! I'm very sorry, please forgive me for my rudeness!"
"No need for apologies, what is your name?"
"F-Furihata Kouki…pleased to meet you, Emperor Akashi."
"I see…would you like to be my bride, Kouki?"
"…Huh?"
For the next two weeks, his family was in utter chaos that the emperor casually proposed to the brunette and followed him all the way to his home. It was strange, being engaged to the biggest ruler of the entire world. A man in charge of all six kingdoms, he's the most powerful person on this earth. Somehow, the brunette who is the average amongst the average caught his eye. Maybe it's because he's a dragon speaker, that's what makes sense. He really didn't want to marry this guy at all, he doesn't even know him! His mother and older brother are in a frenzy while telling him to get married to their ruler. It makes sense, the emperor can support the three of them no problem. His poor mother wouldn't have to work herself to the bone trying to feed her growing sons. His big brother is driving himself into the ground from jumping from job to job trying to get money into the house. Furihata himself worked sometimes if they really needed the cash quick. They're were one of the few families inside Rakuzan that are below the poverty line, so they break their backs trying to work. A large lump in his throat is swallowed, he can do this, maybe. It's for his family, he can deal being tied down to the tyrannical emperor; he's afraid obviously for his impending marriage. What if the emperor is as violent and psychopathic as everyone says? He can't live a life where he's a punching bag for his future husband. But, he has to make do with what he's got for his family.
Two more weeks was when Akashi psychically hit him, across his face too! It hurt so much, the on going stinging sensation never ended. It this how their life is going to be like for the both of them? He didn't want this, he can't marry this man. Tears fall down his face as he tries to hide the bruise with his mom's makeup. It looked splotchy and barley covered up, but he'll just have to go with it. Days before the wedding, the brunette would get into actual arguments with the redhead which got him violently reprimanded for courtesy of an angry husband-to-be. Akashi hated disobedience above all else and gets pissed if anyone challenged him directly. He aspires perfection over anything in his kingdom, that's why his subjects are so puppet-like. There's no real emotion in their eyes or real smiles on their face, just blank stares and monotone lives. They're all being tightly held by their thin strings in the clasping, iron grip of a tyrant that controls them. He thinks about this on his wedding day, wearing an elaborate kimono that he feels doesn't suit him. It's gorgeous beyond belief, a pure white fabric dotted with red camellias tied by a maroon patterned obi. There is a clip that is in the shape of the royal flower in his neatly combed hair with some golden charms dangling next to his ear. For the first time in his life, Furihata doesn't want to attend his own wedding. He's about to enter a marriage to a violent, insane man that forced him into it and only desires his ability to talk to dragons. The kimono feels so binding, the obi makes it too difficult to even breathe. The hair clip suddenly weighs a ton on his head. Red rimmed eyes stare at his reflection in the mirror as one of the maids out a veil on top of his hair, that also feels like a chain than a wedding accessory. As he walks down the aisle with the emperor, the redhead kept a painfully tight grip on his waist the entire ceremony.
That's it, he's married, he doesn't believe it, "Um….Emperor Akashi?"
His new husband answers, "Kouki, you call me 'My Lord' when addressing me. What is it?"
"Right….My Lord, I was wondering of what I will do from now on?" He questions innocently.
"Absolutely nothing, guards take him to the dungeon now." Akashi orders while leaving no room for arguments.
Hot droplets fall down his face as he got picked up from under his armpits and getting carried off roughly away from the emperor, he wails out in a begging tone while struggling from the guards' hold on him, "You…you dictator! You can't do this to me! I'm your husband! No! N-No! NO~! Don't do this, please! NO!"
They threw him into the dark, wet, dank, and cold cell where he will be kept there for the rest of his days. His heart feels broken, he felt betrayed by someone that's supposed to be his spouse. He can't believe that after the moment they tied the knot, Akashi hides him from the world. Is he that ashamed of being seen with him? Then, what was the point of marrying him in front of the entire kingdom? To please his subjects by settling down with a now known dragon speaker? That seems to be the only plausible explanation for what he has to suffer like this, alone in this horrible place. He's still in his wedding clothes, not caring if they get stained from the dirt and whatever else is one the floor in the dungeon. He just wants to go home to his family, but he can't do that. His new husband told him that he'll support them, but he cannot contact them anymore. He just want to cry from the pain of his painfully squeezed heart. The brunette thinks about his mother who always brightly smiles while serving him the food she works hard to make for him and his brother. He reminisces the times where his older sibling would tease him and get overprotective whenever he decides to travel to the mountains by himself. Furihata can feel his hands tremble from the sadness and agony he feels knowing that he's forever tied to a terrible person. He can't fight for himself, he's a coward and weak willed. Is he going to spend his days in the cell in fear of his husband? That's not the happy image of the perfect marriage that he wanted for himself, all of this started when he talked to the dragons like he always did. The auburn eyed male is only worth for that rare, valuable ability and nothing else; the saddest thing of it all is that he knows that's all he is going to amount to in his brand new life with a man he doesn't love and was forced to marry in the end.
Furihata Kouki sobs uncontrollably for hours at the start of his unhappy marriage…
To Be Continued
Alex: thank you for reading Tempest: 23 Degrees! Fluff up your feathers for more. Bye bye!