That day had been sickeningly warm. Bright, vicious sunlight ripped through the atmosphere. My walk home had been tiring, but I hadn't complained about it. The roads were practically emitting heat in waves. My feet had stumbled, tripping over nothing as I tried to scroll through my phone. Wasn't that something they taught you in school? Don't walk while looking at your phone? Either way, I really was regretting my decision to answer my emails on my way back from school at that minute.

That was when I saw it. The air shimmered around it, but there wasn't anything majestic or pretty about the thing in front of me. Bulbous eyes, a dark purple body that seeped slime. It was terrifying, but I didn't—no, couldn't—scream. My body completely froze, and as it slid its way towards me, I felt my pulse speed up, my heart thumping in my chest and breathing quickened. It wrapped around me, as if playing with a game. My body snapped out of whatever trance it had been in as I started screaming, twisting and turning in its grip.

The air heated and froze at the same time. A warping sensation twisted inside of me. My insides flipped in the most excruciating way possible. The air thickened, and the next thing I knew, I was surrounded by the splattered remains of whatever had attacked me. My shoulders relaxed, relieved that the danger had passed.

That feeling didn't last for very long. My mind finally registered the difference in my surroundings. I was in a thick forest, in the middle of the night. Panic swept through me like a hurricane. When the bushes behind me began rustling, I barely recognized it. When it did filter through my brain, my panic only increased as I spun around to face whatever was coming towards me.

The figure in front of me would have been attractive if they didn't also carry an air of malevolence. Long black hair hung down their back. Sharp black talons replaced their nails as they took me in. The talons were creepy, but what was most disconcerting was the eye in the middle of their forehead. It blinked at me leisurely, almost bored with this turn of events. Unlike the eyes below it, which were completely glazed over, this eye stared at me, fully conscious of its surroundings. It felt like a separate entity from the creature it was connected to.

As it took the remains of the monster parts around me in, its sight sharpened, menacing orange meeting a pair of terrified brown eyes. A voice rung through the air as I took a step back, preparing to bolt.

Why look what we have here…You think you're hot shit, don't you? Being able to defeat a little fly like that. I'd be offended, but I'm really not. You humans are all the same, arrogance overtaking you.

I shook my head as I stopped my retreat, something about this thing passed me off. I had never been good at taking crap from people without dealing it back, but what I was about to do was just stupid. My hands went up in a fighting position. I took one step forward then froze as it lifted its hands towards me, the voice rung out again as the eye crinkled in some sick rendition of excitement. Truth be told, adrenaline was already pumping through my veins.

Well, aren't you a brave little fucker. Or perhaps you're just stupid. A fine line really, for you humans. Let's see if you can walk the walk. I've been getting bored with possessing curses lately. You would be a nice change of pace.

My mind froze, processing its words. Curses sounded very familiar. I couldn't really remember where I had heard it before though…Shit. There was no way. I felt my mouth part in surprise as the…curse…walked towards me. Now really wasn't the right time to figure out that I had been sucked into an anime world. It really, really wasn't. But, shit. If this thing really was what it said it was—and I wasn't doubting it as pure evil dripped off of it in waves—then I was fucked. I wasn't from a world where curses existed. Shit, as far as I knew, the biggest problems we had were wars and famine.

Ooh! What is your puny little brain thinking about? I'd love to know…It's always interested me, how your brains work.

"I'm thinking you're about to get fucked up, you bastard."

I was really shocked when that shit left my mouth. I was not thinking about that. I was actually thinking the exact opposite. I was the one who was most certainly about to die right then. They didn't need to know that though. I most certainly wasn't going to tell them that, and unless they could smell fear— and let's be honest, I wouldn't be surprised—then I was alright.

Oh! You're feisty! What a fun body to possess!

With that, the curse lunged for me. I was certain that ten years of Tae Kwon Do wouldn't keep me alive for even a minute. Imagine my surprise—note the sarcasm—when the curse touched me. What really got me though, was the pained hiss that that contact elicited.

They stumbled back, a garbled groan leaving them. I reacted, jumping forward and grabbing hold of the curse's neck. Steam started appearing wherever I touched them, as I left hand shaped burn marks on its neck. They fought back—I've got a scar to prove it—but they didn't get very far before I had the sense to grab onto the third eye.

You bitch! What the fuck do you think you're doing!

"Fucking you up. Just like I said."

I think I was partly in shock during this encounter, my mind still wasn't computing properly, and the only thing still active was my fight instinct as I tore the eye from the curse's head. The body beneath me began dissolving, slowly, painfully, until the only thing left was a black, oily puddle. It smelled like tar and I scrambled out of it quickly. I didn't realize the weight in my hand had shifted, becoming heavier. I looked down at my hand after my breathing had slowed, finally noticing it.

A tanto was in my hand—thank god for my unnecessarily complex understanding of Japanese anything. My hand looked different too. At some point during my fight, I had miraculously gotten a black tattoo. I wouldn't bother with that just yet—I wasn't ready to think about it. I probably should have also freaked out when the very bottom of the tanto's handle sprouted the same eye I had just torn out, but I was tired, and fuck if it hadn't been one of the weirdest days of my life up until then.

Blinking tiredly, I stared down expectantly. I had seen Wakfu as a kid, as well as Durarara. I knew where this was about to go. The sword was definitely about to possess me. I sighed exasperatedly.

"Well, go on. Why haven't you possessed me yet? I know how this shit goes. Animate swords are never a good thing."

I'm trying, you fucking crazy hag! And what's with your resignation, hah? You want to be possessed you freak?

I looked into the eye in front of me. This curse had a filthy mouth. And was much raspier and lower pitched than when I had first heard them…him…it? Whatever, I'd figure it out eventually.

"You're pretty annoying. Say, before I bury you in the dirt over there, why don't you tell me your name? I think its worth knowing."

The eye froze, its black lid closing slowly, before opening up in what was probably a very scary glare.

Why would I tell you that? Just because you bested me with a fluke doesn't mean that you deserve to be graced with my divine name! And what's your fucking brain thinking, trying to bury me in the ground? We're bonded you idiot! If you get too far, I'll just appear right in your hand!

That was news to me. I guess that's what the tattoo was there for. Didn't mean I wasn't confused.

"What do you mean by bonded?"

Exactly what it sound like nitwit! Your goody-two-shoes soul just got mixed with the most foul soul this world has ever known! Ryomen has nothing on me!

"…Did you just call the King of Curses by his first name?"

Hey, you're slightly more aware than I thought you were! One would have thought you'd never seen a curse before! Or that you were from another world!

I probably should have reacted differently, but the slight flinch I gave at their other world comment brought the attention back onto me.

No way. I was messing with your crazy ass. Come to think of it…you did react in a similar way as I did when I first got here…Hey…you're not from here are you?

Again, I probably should have just ignored it, but my widened eyes as I nodded definitely gave me away.

Well…Fuck. I didn't think I'd meet someone like me. I'm the only one who I've ever known has come from a different world…Shit. There's a first time for everything though?

The eye—who still hadn't told me their name—crinkled up in manic delight.

Hey, human. Tell me your name. I think you'd be the perfect minion. Your straight-laced soul could definitely use some tarnishing. Seeing as I can't take over your body, this would be the next best thing, seeing as we're stuck with each other.

Today was just a day full of bad ideas and surprises.

"Only if you tell me yours first. And I won't be your minion. I'm my own entity. My soul is not straight-laced either. I curse as much as the next person."

The eye groaned, before rolling itself.

Fine. Manipulative little shit. My name is Suzaku. Magnificent isn't it? Now, spit it out Minion. What's yours?

"The name's Ito Saito."

Which one's your first name? You speak Japanese pretty well for a dumb little shit like yourself, but you also don't look wholly Japanese. Were you American?

"You're actually pretty observant. Could you tone back the weird derogatory shit though? And yes, I'm American. My dad was Japanese-American and my mom was Italian-American."

Suzaku snickered at the annoyed tick in my eyebrow, but stayed silent for the most part. I stood up finally, stretching my arms above my head. I took Suzaku's word for it when he said he'd just appear in my hand if I tried to leave without him—I was usually pretty good at judging people's sincerity from the inflections in what they said—and kept him in my hand as I searched for my phone.

A few minutes later, I was walking towards dull lights that probably led to a village. My phone was cracked, but nothing unsalvageable, seeing as it still had battery, and my personal information was in there, I stuffed it in the pocket of the hoodie I had been wearing.

Ten minutes of Suzaku whining about absolutely everything, from the sounds my stomach made when I was hungry, to the boring walk out of the forest, and I was fed up. I had tried to entertain him along the way, but nothing I said interested him long enough. He was like a whiny child, always searching for something to turn his attention to.

I did glean some important information from him though. Apparently, it was 2004 here.. He also knew Sukuna, and they weren't on the best of terms either. All in all, I was in a world that wasn't supposed to exist, bonded to a psychotic demon who got sealed into a sword upon falling into this world, and I was exhausted. So, you can imagine the kind of stress I was under.

Finally, we reached the outskirts of that little village I had been heading towards. I had walked until the sun had begun to rise, and I was covered in black curse gunk. It was totally on pointe then, for none other than a teenaged Getou-fucking-Suguru to come jogging down the dusty dirt road I was on.

I could tell the moment he registered the curse remnant on my body and the malevolent presence that had been following me around since I had met Suzaku. His whole body went rigid, and he inched closer as he put his hands up in two fists. If I wasn't about to get the beat down of my life, I would have been impressed by his stance. Instead, I raised my hands above my head, dropping Suzaku on his stupid, smug eyeball and stood perfectly still.

"Look, dude, I can tell you know I've got some pretty nasty baggage. Please don't kill me. I swear that I didn't want this shit either."

He was definitely not convinced. Instead of an easy smile and an "Oh yeah! That makes total sense! Let's be friends now!" I got a glare that screamed "I'm about to exorcise the hell out of you."

My body, in perfect me fashion, then decided that this was the perfect situation for me to faint in. I couldn't have been given at least five minutes to talk him down from whatever things he was about to due to me. No, instead I got a wave of exhaustion and the stupid little voice that sounded a lot like Suzaku telling me that I was royally screwed.

And that, my friends, is how I ended up tied to a tree with sealing charms lining the ground and trees surrounding me, with a suspicious teenager and grumpy man with a stuffed animal obsession towering over me.