Sukuna was restless after returning you to your dimension. Left holding his kimono but with no desire to re-dress himself, he restored his domain. The roaring fireplace and luxurious carpeting were far too human for his liking. His throne of horned skulls reappeared, making him feel instantly more at home. As much "at home" as a demonic entity could feel anyway.
Instead of allowing his mind to wander to his previous days of glory, rampant with blood and viscera and the joy it brought him, (as was his usual brooding of choice) his mind is busied with the shape of your body and your bleating cries still ring in his ears. It was as fresh in his mind as if you had just left. There were no days or nights here in his void. The shadows stayed constant.
He'd been so preoccupied with taking pleasure in a warm and responsive body...so warm...
He had forgotten to offer you a contract to leave this purgatory.
He swore under his breath, reclining sideways on his throne, still naked and glistening in a sheen of sweat.
At the mere thought of you, his loins stir. He grits his teeth with an audible hiss, palming himself with unbridled anticipation.
Next time...Next time, you're mine. And the real fun starts...
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"Are you coming to bed soon?" your partner's voice makes you leap in your seat.
"Yes! Sorry, I just got caught up reading."
You re-adjust your blanket and pick your phone up from the cushion where you'd flung it in surprise. Your partner nods, then offers you a tolerant look that says 'hurry it up, would ya?' before returning down the hall towards your bedroom. You watched the light switch off.
You take a few deep breaths to calm yourself down...because you had indeed been caught up reading. Thankfully your partner didn't ask what article you were scrolling through, or else you'd have to explain.
"Oh, just looking up ancient lore on a monstrous demon who pounded me to hell and back last week."
Or maybe something more casual would be better, like
"Did you know demons don't leave hickies?"
Guess those were just the tough relationship conversations your parents never warned you about.
It had been one week. One week of randomly running to look into your pillowcase like a child waiting for the toothfairy. One week of lying awake staring at your ceiling, seeing his face in the swirls of brush strokes in the paint. And one week of your partner calling you out on your spaciness.
Your research didn't help you with your problem either. All mythos of Ryomen Sukuna was only confirming what he already told you. He had no reason to lie about who he was: an ancient god who scourged mankind thousands of years ago. A killer of men. So what were you looking for? Something that would maybe redeem his entirety as a cold, vicious killer? Like learning he also had a dog? Nothing like that was listed for sure. You are left unsatisfied and full of more questions than before.
You dare to look at the box from its place on the bookshelf. It had returned there on its own when you reappeared on your couch. You didn't keep track of exactly how long you were gone, but everything seemed to be about the same, as he said it would be.
When you had woken up the next morning, you had to keep checking to make sure the kimono was still real to convince yourself everything had happened. Stranger than that, despite nearly breaking your neck checking in your bathroom mirror, there were no marks on your body indicating your encounter. How can the kimono be real then?
You hadn't dared to put it on yet. Somehow that would make it more real than you already knew it was. Leading you to the dead end thought of 'What the fuck do I do next?' You never had an answer after that. You'd just think back to the way it felt to have his voice singing your praises between your legs and telling you how sweet you tasted.
That memory gave your stomach a nice little flutter. That was all that was calling you back, a sexual thrill. Or at least, that's what you have been telling yourself. There was just so much more to be considered. Like what was he currently capable of?
There was an appeal to the fantasy of someone powerful taking interest in you. You had always been the type to be overlooked in every category, whether it was in the dating world, your social life, or job interviews. Anything in competition with others had always left you in tears feeling like you weren't good enough. Now here is someone saying you are. And you are supposed to have the head to recognize the danger of his intentions, and not be pining to feel the sting of his claws on your ass again. Everything was leading you to go back for answers or any type of closure, but that thought terrified you. Though you wouldn't need worry for much longer.
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Impatience was beginning to set in for Sukuna. The flow of time within his domain was a constant dark void. That he was used to, and even found solace in. But having someone to play with, someone with potential, was something he did not want to wait another thousand years for.
He had been content in his millenia of solace, albeit with the small thrill of the occasional kill. Pesky humans always sought his favor, sought to control even a portion of his power. It was laughable. He had taken very little gratification in their dismemberment, no matter how excruciatingly slow he made it for them. It was no more than pulling the wings off a fly to him. He was incapable of caring about the pain inflicted on those pitiful yet prideful bastards. How arrogance can seed itself in such worthless hosts, even he could not explain.
When are you coming back, my pet? He relishes in the thought of toying with you again, flipping through his various methods of erotic torture like a coin between his fingers. There is a growing need within him, and waiting on you is getting so tiresome. Surely you can be...invited in.
He rises from his seat, his eyes glaring into the pitch of endlessness that was his "ceiling." He remembers you had mentioned something about receiving him as a present. Physical pieces of his body had been imbued with portions of his power. He knew you must have one to contact him...Meaning you still had to be somewhere nearby.
His eyes closed. He called to the effigy with his pooling cursed energy, letting his aura illuminate the cavernous room in a red pulsing glow. He bares his fangs with anticipation,
"Come out, come out. Wherever you are."
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You couldn't have stopped it if you knew it was coming. One minute, you were scooping up a backpack from the floor on your way down the hallway, the next minute there was a red glow radiating from behind you.
You don't need to turn around to know where it's coming from, because you had been waiting on something like this to happen. It was the alien abduction story on the radio you'd always scoffed at from the security of your warm bed. Only this time, you were on the wrong end.
Your feet slid on the floor. Something was pulling you back.
"Hey! Cut it out!"
You look over your shoulder, and see the box, the source of the light, sliding open on its own.
Your feet are swept out from under you by force, and you are sucked inside the awaiting darkness.
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Once again you land with a heavy impact that somehow doesn't daze you. The fright is enough to make you scream in anger.
"Oh, come on! You couldn't figure out another way for me to land, you asshole?!"
Sukuna's laugh is loud and long, more at your outburst than your misery.
"HAHA! So sorry, my darling. I was just so excited that it actually worked! I've never tried that before, I'll be completely honest."
He helps you to your feet, lingering to hold your hand much longer than necessary.
"You did leave me here with nothing but my thoughts you know." All of his eyes were on you, crinkled with mirth.
You feel a familiar shudder down your spine. Was that terror? Or excitement? Seeing him so unmistakably elated by you made your heart race. Yet his smile still made you nervous.
He leaned in closer, his hand already skating up your arm to your cheek. His lips curl in a smile,
"Did you miss me?"
His second mouth appeared in his palm, pressing a kiss to your cheek that didn't feel very innocent. Your mouth only hangs open in silence.
"That's a lovely color your face is turning. I think we'll take that as a yes." He releases his hold on you, sweeping his arm around.
"What do you think of the setting? I created it just for you." He adds the last part with a bit of a singsong.
Turning to observe your surroundings, you find that this time you're in a forest. There is soft grass beneath your bare feet, and the sound of cicadas humming in the air. You wonder how real it all is, remembering how easily he changed his domain the last time you were here. The grass feels real though. And you can hear the creak of the trees around you, caught in a breeze that also felt incredibly real. It was nice.
"It's beautiful," you respond finally. "But you still jerked me here without warning."
He shrugged casually, a strange thing to see.
"I just got tired of waiting for you to work up the nerve to come back. Besides, I've been wanting to speak with you about a few things."
That makes your mouth go dry, but you try to mask it with confidence,
"Perfect. So have I. Why don't you go first?"
His eyes are glowing the same crimson light that brought you here, all four of them, and his voice is a low rumble when he speaks,
"I want your body. So that I can leave this place and return to the living world."
There's a small squeak from you that betrays your confidence and shows your fear.
"I had a feeling you would ask something like that," though it doesnt make it any better to hear, you think silently.
Your research on demons had mentioned specifically that they desired host bodies. They can only experience the living world with a human to reside in. This was Sukuna's goal. To return to your world and pick up where he left off spreading chaos. You had to be careful how you responded to him. It was a good thing you had chosen to educate yourself, or else you'd be at his mercy.
"If you don't get my body though, if I tell you no... you would most likely kill me right?"
"Aw, is that what you think? I'm here to give you options, sweetheart, not take them away from you. You must not know what I'm trying to do for you too."
"What do you mean?"
"Having me reside within you would come with its benefits. You would be infused with my demonic energy, and take on my strength within you. No more worrying about your personal safety ever again."
He stepped in closer, this time both of his hands cupping your face,
"Plus, we would literally never be apart. You would be free to enter my domain whenever you pleased."
Your face feels warm again. He was overwhelming you with his promises and caresses. It was practically an ambush.
"It's a little sudden for moving in, right?" you finally manage to say.
"I still know nothing about you personally. Only what I've read-" Shit, shouldn't have said that.
He looked even more pleased now,
"You've been reading about me? You must have missed me so much. How much of your time has passed by the way?"
"Umm...a week?" you reluctantly squeak.
"A week of learning about me. You must have some interesting questions then. Let's hear them."
Your brain was fuzzy with his claws lightly dragging over your cheeks. What was it you wanted to ask him again? God, his hands were so warm and nice...
"Did you ever have a dog?"
He blinks, releasing your face and straightening his posture finally.
"A dog?" He was bewildered. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"That's not what I meant to ask! My question for you is are you going to kill anyone if I let you live inside me?"
"That's a hard question to answer. Do you know how easily humans die? A peanut could do it. I don't want to make any promises to you that I can't keep." His smile is wicked now.
"So you would," you press.
He pockets his hands into his kimono sleeves with an amused laugh.
"Very few things bring me joy, you see. And it just so happens that you are one of them too." He practically purrs his words, knowing what will entice you.
"I would be very good to you. And make things very unpleasant for your enemies."
"It's the twenty-first century, my enemies have keyboards, not armies. I can manage my problems relatively well enough to not need you."
"Well, that stings a bit...I suppose if you said no to the whole thing I could just get used to summoning you whenever I felt like it. It gets so lonely here, your company would certainly brighten the place up for me. And like I said last time, your time means nothing here."
It was hard to hate that thought entirely, though you didn't exactly love that idea either. Being pulled back and forth between deminsions for the rest of your life, never knowing when he would have a craving for you. ..There were going to have to be some compromises. And you actually had an idea.
"Is it true that demons like challenges? Wagers and that sort of thing?" You were already reaching into the backpack you still had clutched in your hand when he had taken you. You pull out a pack of standard playing cards.
"Let's make a bet then, Ryomen Sukuna. Your freedom is going to have to come with some rules."
"Yes! There's that fighting spirit! State your terms, and LET ME BE DONE WITH THIS PLACE!"
His voice boomed, shattering the illusion of the woods around you. The mountain of skulls reappears beneath your feet, rushing up at you and elevating the two of you high into the air. The high arching bows of an impossibly enormous skeletal ribcage meet above you. Below is a river of blood. Sukuna was done with his pretenses it seemed.
"You have proven you will be a perfect vessel. I knew you had prospect from the moment I saw you. Your visits are the most excitement I've had in eons! Now, my pet, what did you have in mind for our wager?"
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To be continued...