GM Moodboards 2 - Chapter 2: Heat Stroke

Lotidge Ship Week: Day 6 - Human

===

Things got better for them.

Sure, Allura's eyebrow would twitch at the sight of their entwined hands and Matt took it upon himself to give Lotor the whole "Big Brother" talk.

And Shiro wouldn't look at the pair of them altogether.

But they were happy. Pidge was glad to have someone who understood her as well as Lotor by her side. Lotor was elated to have finally found an equal in the Green Paladin.

Together, they made quite the fearsome pair.

All biting intelligence and stone-cold fury, the Empire was bound to get nervous. But no one, not any one of them, would've expected the Galran Empire's next move.

They attacked Earth.

A seriously pissed-off Voltron shut the whole operation down, of course. But the terror of what could've been still froze the marrow in their bones. To make matters worse, Earth had taken notice of the little skirmish on the edge of their solar system.

Discovered them.

Allura deciding that the best course of action would be to go down to the surface and try to explain the danger Earth was truly in.

Lance nearly cried with happiness.

Matt and Pidge were overjoyed at the prospect of seeing their mother again. Of coming home. But, there was one problem.

Lotor.

Not that he opposed the decision or anything. The Galran Prince was beyond eager to explore the world and woman that created his beloved little Paladin. No, the problem Lotor presented was very simple in nature.

He was purple.

With silver hair and Altean ears. It wasn’t as though Pidge disliked any of that, rather, she was worried that the government might be. And suddenly, all those nights binge-watching conspiracy theories seemed like a bad idea.

Curse the undeniable proof that Mothman existed!

“I don’t think you should come.” Pidge announced as the couple got ready for bed. The pair stayed up later than everyone else most days, usually due to each other’s company, so it only made sense for them rest at each other’s side as well.

No one else knew.

Which was just fine with the young couple. Everyone knew how late they could work, and therefore no eyebrows were raised when they would walk into the dining room with sleep still clinging to their eyes. Thinking that it was their projects beginning to catch up to them, when really they had just wanted to stay in the same bed for a little while longer. Stay in each other’s arms a moment longer.

Just for a moment.

“Why not? It’s only proper that I meet your mother, considering…” Lotor sent a not so discreet glance towards their shared bed. Littered with their projects and blueprints. Lotor’s side only slightly neater than Pidge’s. The young woman only rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to retort.

When Lotor took his shirt off.

Now…you’d think with the sheer number of times he’s slept in the same bed as her, Pidge would be used to such a sight. But no.

That wasn’t the case.

Good lord, and the look her gave her after stripping! Pidge had half a mind to throw her pillow at him just for that teasing little look. Her face a blushing red mess.

“WHA-We haven’t done anything and you know it!” Came her flustered screech. Trying to take her eyes off of Lotor. Away from his defined, toned stomach. Away from the smooth way his muscles moved underneath his skin. Away from the visible V-line of his hips peaking out from his grey sweatpants.

Obviously she succeeded.

“You don’t look like you’re too happy about that though~”

“L-Look! I’m just worried that humans will see you and-“ Pidge trailed off, Lotor having joined her on their bed. Toned, purple arms on either side of her. The Green Paladin’s heart thundering in her chest at the sight of Lotor’s face watching her underneath him. Sliver hair slipping off his back and onto her shoulders. Leaving ghosting imprints along her collarbones. That soft, soft look back on his face.

Then he changed.

Shifted his features in the same way Allura did. Lotor’s purple skin growing a warmer mocha color. His bright hair running the darkest shade of black Pidge had ever seen. Fangs retreating to a normal size. Ears loosing their sharp points. Eyes loosing their yellow nightlightish hue, but remained that same brilliant blue color.  

Pidge nearly choked.

Lotor smiled. And though he may look human, that wolfish smile was still the same. Still sent shivers down her spine. And the smug Prince above her knew it. Lotor leaning down to kiss her with violet-turned-pink lips just like he always did. Pidge’s hands tangling themselves into his ink-black hair. His weight solidly pressing against her.

He laughed.

“See something you like Darling?”

Happy Halloween!!! 😈

Have my Galra-experiment Pidge! (Also might write a oneshot on this??? Maybe???)

Nimmi in Amar (1954)

Can’t wait to make a contract with us? Here’s a look into our stunning bundles: https://contractzine.bigcartel.com/

POs open in just one week ♡

turn towards the (moon)light - Atsushi Nakajima Web Weave

soft and gentle is the moonlight

but the moon itself was born from violence

—

BSD is written by Kafka Asagiri and illustrated by Sango Harukawa  

bsd - anime / bsd - manga / kina, “get you the moon” / enomoto seifu-jo / bsd - manga / bsd - manga / marine ashnalikyan (?) / bsd - anime / bsd - manga / bsd - anime / bsd - anime / emmylou harris, “moon song” / mary oliver / bsd - anime / bsd - anime / the crane wives, “tongues & teeth” / bsd - manga / c. churchill /  tahereh mafi / bsd - official art / dermont kennedy, “a closeness” (?) / virginia woolf / bsd - anime

When you've re-written the same chapter 6 times and just want to end it all

Umrao Jaan, 1981

Lotidge Ship Week: Day 3 - Reconciliation

(yeah...these are all just going to go up within like 5 minutes of each other, sorry)

===

Somehow, someway they got away.

But somewhere in between covering for the escaping slaves and getting the quiznack out of there…Lotor had gone silent. Pidge had kept him talking, awake, as they boarded and battled in the Green Lion. But now it was quiet.

Too quiet.

“Lotor! Lotor, answer me!” It took a mere flick of her wrist and a flutter of her fingers to set Green back on a course for the Castle.

Lotor sprawled out on the floor.

“Oh no. Oh no, no, no.” The words came out like knives in Pidge’s throat. Slashing the silence far too quickly. Gently as she could, she tuned Lotor face down. The wound coming into sight. The Galran Prince’s back a mess of blood.

A scream rising in Pidge’s throat.

Taking the meager, gauze-like cloth from the med kits within her Lion, Pidge pressed it against the shallow line of Lotor’s wound as hard as she could. Earning a hiss of pain from the Prince with his head in her lap.

“Lotor, can you hear me? Don’t you dare sleep on me!” Her voice sounded frantic, crazed. Even to her. But how could she not be? Oh God why?

Why did he do it?

Why did he do something so stupid? And for her no less! She…She had screamed at him. Thought he was some heartless monster. The things she thought about him…surely she was paying for them now.

Surely.

“…mmmft.” Was Lotor’s only response. Heart still strangling her throat, Pidge ripped open a pack of painkillers. Popping off the cap from one of the syringes with her mouth, she sunk it near Lotor’s wound.

Tears falling once more.

Pidge was positive his scream, his painful howl would never leave her mind. It would echo within the confides of her head. Tighten her throat. Make her heart clench. But that she could deal with. One way or another, she could shoulder those things.

What she couldn’t shoulder was the memory. The memory of that soft look he had given her ticks before everything went wrong. Why?

Why’d he do it?

- - -

She knew they had to talk.

To discuss what had happened. But everytime their gazes so much as met, Pidge just ran. Flight or fight at its finest. She knew she needed to apologize for endangering them and thank him for…

For saving her life.

But Pidge didn’t know how’d he react to something like that. Lotor had emerged from the healing pods into a less-reluctantly trusting group of people, and he seemed happy about that. Busy with all the newfound trust. Fitting, only a little awkwardly, into their crew. Seeing this,  Pidge knew it was now or never.

And she was hoping for never.

“Pidge.” Oh quiznack. She just jinxed herself, didn’t she? Turning around in one of the Castle’s hallways on her way to her lab, she met face to face with the Galran Prince himself.

Lotor.

He looked better at the very least, no blood anywhere. Her heart, despite herself, thundered in her chest. Ok. Ok, you can do this.

Just…apologize.

“Lotor I-“

“Pidge I-“

Their responses came at the same time. Their voices smacking together like clumsy vagabonds. But, at the very least, it eased Pidge’s frazzled nerves. Lotor pursing lips with something like embarrassment. Pidge getting the idea that maybe Lotor was as on edge as she was? Maybe? Hopefully?

Kind of?

“Ladies first.” Came Lotor’s voice after a shocked pause. He didn’t look upset. And Pidge decided to take that as reason to continue. Clenching her fists at her side.

Steeling herself.

“I…I think some apologies are in order here, a-and I just wanted to say th-“

“Pidge.” When? When had Lotor gotten so close? The Galran Prince was barely a breath away from her. Heck, she could even feel the coolness of his skin as he stared down at her. Body hovering a mere breath away.

That strange, soft look on his face.

But any words she might’ve said in surprise died in her throat as Lotor raised his hand. Long, purple fingers traced the line of her cheek. Only to tangle themselves into the short mess of amber curls on her head. Those focused, intense eyes staring at her like she was the only thing in the world.

Pidge’s heart nearly bursting.

No one had…had ever touched her like that. Especially not with that look. The Green Paladin felt a red flush rise to her face. He was close. Too close. Getting too close to how she felt abo-

His thumb brushed her lower lip.

Pushed down on it. Pidge could feel the sharp point of his finger. Her warm breath soft on his cold hand. Part of her screamed to run, but the other, more insistent, part of her wanted to stay.

To see what would happen.

God, she couldn’t get over that look on his face. All his sharp edges having softened into something almost…tender. But that was impossible! He couldn’t care about her like that. He…He…

He leaned down.

To her surprise, though Lotor’s skin was cool with his cold blood, his breath was warm. Warm on her mouth. Pidge nearly jolting at the feeling. Soft and fluttery and almost too much. Lotor smiled, still watching her with those focused eyes. His fangs glinting in the light.

“And what sort of apoligizes are you referring to?” Her heart shouldn’t be thundering like that. Nor should her face suddenly feel too hot for her to concentrate. Brain a jumbled mess of the sights and sounds and feelings Lotor seemed to cause her.

“Y-You saved me…t-the l-least I can do is thank you.” Pidge’s words were coming out just like she felt. Chaotically together and unfocused. Lotor raised a single eyebrow.

Somewhere between happy and ammused.

“And do you know why I did what did Pidge?” She wished he wouldn’t say her name like that. In such a way that it sent a wave of warmth over her skin. Especially when he moved his thumb across and off her mouth like that. Or when his other arm snaked its way around her waist. But, in all honesty, she did have an idea as to why the Galran Prince had acted so brashly.

An idea that made her weak in the knees and giddy with possibility.

“Shall I give you an explanation then?” His voice a purr. Low and velvety and warm. Long, white eyelashes fluttering down as he slotted their lips together. Pidge’s hands rushing to grip at the collar of his shirt.

Weak in the knees.

It wasn’t her first kiss per se, but it was definitely the best. With Lotor’s mouth soft and hypnotic against her own. Moving in ways that made her dizzy and, at the same never, never wanting him to stop. He made a sort of rumble in throat as he braced his fingers against her neck.

As if memorizing it.

Lotor almost kissed like he fought. Intense and purposeful. Tracing invisible symbols along her neck all the while and keeping that steady, grounded arm around her. But, as their tongues brushed and Pidge wrapped her arms around his neck, they couldn’t stay like this forever.

They needed air.  

So they broke apart, Lotor having, somehow, maneuvered her so that her back was supported against the walls of the Castle. But still he loomed over her. Soft, silver hair tickling her fingers as the pair looked at each other through their lashes. Half-lidded and reeling from what they had just done.

And, though Pidge was still very much red in the face, a wily little smirk began tugging on her lips. Kiss-drunk and elated. Curling, playful lips that Lotor was all-to eager to get back to. The feeling only increasing with her teasing, snarky voice made breathless from a single kiss purring into his ear.

“Nope...Sorry to say, but still don’t understand what you mean Lotad.”

He bristled.

“WHA-“

“Mind explaining it again?” The little minx, the Galran Prince thought as she pulled him down once more. Lotor mere putty in her small, freckled hands. This little Thief of Hearts...

Kissing him senseless like this.

Soudam Week: Day 1 - Non-Despair School Life

Hi! This my first work for Danganronpa, and I thought’s be a nice break from GM and Voltron as a whole, so please enjoy! <3 (and yes, all of these will be posted on my AO3)

This was utter nonsense.

  Pure, unadulterated tomfoolery in his opinion. And, considering it was the opinion of the Supreme Overlord of Ice and future ruler of this pathetic mortal realm, it should’ve mattered a great deal. Yes.

Should’ve.

  But against his very vehemnet protests, this... menial task was still thrust upon him. Him! The Great Gundham Tanaka! This was an insult, an outrage . And yet...Gundham didn’t dare refuse. For fear, cold blooded and rabid, fear of one homeroom teacher Chisa Yukizome. A truly monstrous mortal that even Gundam wished never to anger. Not again.

Never again.

  So here he was, the cursed offspring between an Angel and a Devil, having to ask a classmate of all things for assistance. Which was, as Gundham had previously stated, utter nonsense. The classmate in question was one Kazuichi Souda. The Super Highschool Level Mechanic.

And someone Gundham would’ve rather not interacted with.

  N-Not because that mortal with the wonderfully hellish teeth and the sharp, glitteringly intelligent eyes had caught his own all-seeing eye! N-Nor the fact that even his wonderful Dark Devas of Destruction had deemed such a mortal worthy of their nuzzles and affections. Or e-even how that loud, boisterous laughter can bring even his all-powerful ice heart to a steady melt . Wait-

Was had he been talking about?

  Oh! Right! Final projects. Yes, the projects... which are final . Those projects. Ahem, anyway, Gundham needed Souda’s help. You see, he project was to design a product that would assist one in Ultimate Talent. His other classmates had steadily finished their’s over the past months.

  The Always Hungry One had created a sort of portable sandwich holder. The Devil Dancer had invented a speaker that shouted recorded insults at those the machine recognized, greatly distressing the Timid One. The Red Eyed One and the Baby Faced One had collaborated on a project and produced a sort of decoding device. Naturally, the Great Gundham Tanaka had came up with something even better.

A cage!

  But not just any cage, this was a cage that could read the wait of an animal and adjust it’s diameters to fit the warrior properly. It was ingenious! So when his homeroom teacher had informed him that the idea and the sketches he made weren’t going to be enough to pass, the Overlord of Ice was begrudgingly forced to seek out the Sharp Toothed One for assistance on creating a prototype.

But that was proving rather difficult.

  Hope’s Peak was a huge palace with many twists and turns, not to mention seemingly infinite lab space for each of its students. So Gundam was forced to run back and forth in an increasingly frustrating search for the mechanic. It was then that his cursed ears picked up the distant siren song of a radio.

“I don’t wanna talk about it...I don’t wanna think about it.”

  It was coming somewhere further down the hall of endless garages. Could it be? Gundham decided to take a chance all follow the call of the radio enchantress.

“I’m just feeling low, feeling low.”

  All the papers and folders and pamphlets containing help information pertaining to Gundam’s project suddenly turned moist under his palms. There! Underneath the voice trapped in the radio, was that-? Gundham’s heart leapt to his throat.

Beating far too fast for something made of ice.

“Even when you’re next to me, it’s not the way I’m picturing.”

Souda.

  Gundham knew it, felt it. Underneath all that noise, was Souda’s voice. Quietly following along the song with near masterful accuracy. NOt quite melodious, but far from off-key. Just right and wonderful . This...actually came as a shock to the Ultimate Breeder.

He’d never heard something quite like it.

  Yes, he, the Great Gundham Tanaka and Super Highschool Level Animal Breeder, had never heard Souda’s voice like this . N-Not that he had actively listened into the Sharp Toothed One’s conversations! No! Not at all! I-It just seemed out of the ordinary for someone like Souda.

Which only flustered Gundham even more.

  Clearly , this was previously unknown side of Souda. Side no one knew. Until now. And he, Gundham Tanaka, now knew something about Kazuichi Souda that no one else did! Not even his beloved ‘soul brother.’ It made the Overlord of Ice preen up just the slightest bit in pride as he ventured even closer to that soft voice.

“You wanna be friends forever?”

Then it hit him.

  The Sharp Toothed One...He would most likely detest the idea of Gundham’s knowledge of this particular behavior of his. Which sent his cold heart plummeting to the deep, dark pit of Gundham’s stomach.

His mood coming down with it.

“I can think of something better.”

It was because of the She-Cat.

  That’s all Gundham was able to decipher from the absolute anomaly that was Kazuichi Souda. Apparently, the Sharp Tooth One was under the misunderstanding that he, the Great Gundham Tanaka, held romantic... affections for the Dark Queen.

Which was far, far from the truth.

  While it was true that the She-Cat was a strong and welcomed ally in his plans for world-domination, she was just that. A trusted and valued ally . Souda... Souda was different. Souda was the twist in his stomach and the worrying falter of his heart. Souda was sleepless nights dreaming of dyed hair in his hands and restless mornings filled with vain efforts to try not to stare too much at still sleep-soft expressions on Souda’s face. Sonia was stability and simplicity. Souda was nothing like that.

Souda was chaos.

“I’m just feeling low, feeling low.”

And Gundham loved it.

  It was because of the chaos Souda created within him that the Overlord of Ice could see no other being worthy of sharing his path. No other person qualified to rule the world by his side.

But that just wasn’t meant to be.

“Sleeping here right next to me...”

  For even he, the Great Gundham Tanaka, was subject to the cruel mistress that is fate. And that mistress had foretold of Souda’s doomed feelings for the She-Cat. But, what was once a strained, uncomfortable relation, had now grew into a fairly stable friendship.

Leaving him behind.

“But will you ever mess with me?”

It was Invading Black Dragon Cham-P that woke him from his stupor.

  Rubbing against his commander’s poisonous cheek softly, as if to raise his spirits. An action Gunham took full advantage of to pet his beloved Deva in a similarly caring manner. The other Devas eventually emerging from the Angel’s scarf to see what else they could do to combat their commander’s sudden sadness.

San-D’s eyes glinting dangerously.

  That alone should have tipped Gundham off. But thoughts of his rotting relationship thwe Souda and the Sharp Toothed One himself had made the Overlord of Ice weak , soft. As they always did. If only for a moment, a second .

Which was all the Devas needed.

  Shooting from their home in the Angel’s scarf with all the power of true hellbeasts. Sprinting, as if their lives depended on it, the second their paws hit the cool floor. Gundham jolting in shock. Wait! No!

They were going to Souda!

  Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Gundham could only run after them in a near-mad dash. They couldn’t alert the Sharp Toothed One to his presence! Not when he was so unprepared! But the Devas’ plan had worked. In forcing the pair’s meeting to occur faster, Gundham’s misery was altogether forgotten.  

“No...”

  Souda’s voice was but a soft howl as the Devas disappeared around the corner and into Souda’s open garage. Gundham barely able to skid to a halt at the edge of the doorframe. His, now frantic heart, almost beating out of the cage in his chest. The music was louder now, as was Souda’s voice.

Oddly comforting.

  A soft squeaks of his Devas finally gave Gundham the push he needed to peer inside Souda’s garage. And, for the second time that day, the Great Gundham Tanaka was once again shocked.

It was...different than what he had imagined.

  With large windows taking up nearly half the massive walls. Letting a great deal of natural light that made even the greasiest tools and half-finished projects sparkle. Like a magic spell, the garage was suddenly transformed into a room full of secret runes and treasures Gundham immediately longed to understand. Large metal shelves piled with current works and spare parts. And there, near the largest work table in the center of that sunlit scene, was the Ultimate Mechanic himself.

Souda.

“But at least i got you in my head, oh yeah...”

  And, like casting a magic spell, Gundham was entranced. Souda stood, with his back to the door, his long pink hair tied together in a single, glorious braid flowing between his lean shoulders. The soft, curling ends just fluttering above the small of his back treacherously. Gundham’s bandaged fingers twitching to the sudden urge to wrap his fist around the velvet rope of hair and tug the mechanic closer to him. The Overlord of Ice had seldom seen Souda’s hair like this, only appearing every seasonal heat wave or so. But, apparently, the Sharp Toothed One seemed to prefer to bind his hair whilst he worked, his beanie long since discarded. Oh Dear Dark Gods.

Gundham really liked his hair like that.

“At least I got you in my head, in my head.”

  Oh vexed vixen! Just as his all-seeing eye had trailed down the shining length of Souda’s tetresses, the little minx moved! No. No, moved wasn’t the right word for it. Not when Gundham felt a cursed heat spread throughout his face. Oh no.

He was dancing.

  Swaying his hips lazily side to side as he sang along to the radio. Gundham’s eyes following every movement. The garishly yellow jumpsuit was gone. Leaving the Souda in nothing but a stained white tank top and equally smudged jeans. The outfit clinging to his muscled frame in such a way it was downright sinful.

And wonderfully so.

“Sleepovers in my head, oh yeah…”

  As if that wasn’t already dangerous to Gundham’s health, Souda’s shoulders also adapted that same torturous swaying motion. Making the long braid of pink hair dangle teasingly behind him. Souda then moved to the short side of the table, taking a long stream of mechanized joints along with him.

Still never catching sight of the Ultimate Breeder.

  Much to Gundham’s relief, as his heart felt as if it would burst from the sheer pressure of this...this trance the Sharp Toothed One had him under. Damn it, he had underestimated the sheer amount of demonic energy this lusty creature had! The Overlord of Ice was surely paying for such negligence now.

Especially as he saw the Devas inching closer to Souda.

“But at least I got you in my head...”

  The Overlord of Ice had to furiously bite his tongue in order to resist the urge to call them back to him and indefinitely alerting Souda to his presence. Unable to do anything except look desperately into their hellfire eyes and beg them not to reveal themselves. But they just sat there, near the other end of the table. Staring at him as if to say, “Give it a chance.”

A chance?

  What would a chance do? Gundham didn’t need a chance! He need Heaven and Hell in his hands for Souda to even consider him, the Great Gundham Tanaka, as a...a romantic partner! He needed bend the very fabric of reality to-

San-D bared her teeth.

  Tiny and flat, they didn’t look dangerous. But Gundham knew better. San-D was a fierce and powerful warrior who commanded both fear and respect amongst all of Gundham’s trusted army. As such, Gundham valued the pull of her devilish instincts to a very high regard.

This was one such case.

  She looked at him and bared her fangs with all the esaperated anger of a third wheeling friend. Forcing Gundham to, once again, re-evaluate his situation. Casting Souda under his all-seeing eyes once more.

  The Ultimate Mechanic's body was leaning over the table, fussing over another joint in the machine. The end of the screwdriver pinched between those magnificently sharp teeth, the music long forgotten as he zeroed in on the offending part. Gaze sharp enough to dismantle the project before him with his mind, but hands skilled enough to fix any and all errors. No matter how miniscule.

Gundham swallowed.

  It was that razor-sharp focus and tunneled passion that drew Gundham to Souda in the first place. In addition to the vicious teeth and cackling laughter. And, ever since the, thing have only gotten worse and worse between the two. Much to the Overlord of Ice’s dismay. But...perhaps...it wasn’t too late.

Souda cheered.

  The sound shocking Gundham from his place at the door frame as Souda blessed the bright, mechanical room with the warmth of his smile. Having been proved victorious in correcting whatever foul error dare cross his path. Sharp toothed and gleaming in the light. He had a smudge of oil on his cheek. Under his left eye, with blobs of it sticking to the part of his hair too short to make it into his braid. Flopping around his face and fluttering up into the hair. The sun’s light only further highlighting how soft and achingly touchable it was. That’s it.

That was the final straw.

“In my head...”

  Gundham looked to San-D and the rest of his beloved Devas. Nodding to them, he gave his permission to continue with their plan. And just like that, the Devas quickly ran up to souda and pounced on the unsuspecting mechanic. All while their commander busied himself with flattening down his hair and straightening his scarf. Souda screaming as the Four Dark Devas quickly took hold of the object of their commander’s pining.

“In my he-GAH!”

“Bwahaha! Foolish mortal, leaving your guard down while I reside within this world? Truly, this is another victory for the Great Gundham Tanaka!”

Soudam Week - Day 6: AU

Hi! Ultimate Angst here to make its debut! Good Luck! 

The God of Death knew little of weakness.

  How could he? He was the the Great Gundham Tanaka, he was Death itself. Nothing fazed him. Nothing hurt him. He was immortal and everlasting. It was his destiny to watch the world wither and die around him.

And he found to qualm with that.

===

Centuries passed.

  Death every constant and only growing as mortals became more and more violent. Starting to kill one another for the pure rush of it, and not for survival. Now that, that disgusted Gundham. Because suddenly it wasn’t about survival. Now it was all about hatred and foolishness.

And Gundham hated human for it.

  Such pathetic, vain creature lost all favor with the God of Death. And so the God’s heart froze. Turning his back away from humans and their pettiness, Gundham turned towards the lives of Beasts. Immersing himself in their lives and struggles that were, unlike humans, pure and untainted by such filthy feelings. Their Deaths were more frequent, so Gundham made a habit of keeping selects souls around to keep him company. Naturally, the God of Death chose only the fiercest and most loyal of warriors to keep by his side.

Four hamsters.

  The feared Four Dark Devas of Destruction who were the only ones to give the ice cold God of Death any warmth. Which was just fine by Gundham, the God of Death had no need for any sort of deeper attachment.

To anyone and anything.

===

A mother died today.

  Gundham never enjoyed their deaths. Because, even though they were humans themselves, they had carried a Life within their mortal forms and committed to the agony of birth to bring that new Life into the world. Indeed, out of all humans, Gundham hated mothers a little less. But that wasn’t what made this whole ordeal harder.

It was her child.

  The woman, a rather lovely thing with hair the color of darkness and eyes a brown the color of loving home, had given every ounce of her strength to bring her child into this world. A boy, Gundham noted, with many of his mother’s features. But the God of Death could do nothing.

He had to take the mother’s soul.

  A sort of burning in his hands as the Overlord of Ice reached for her that alerted him to how the woman’s time was up. She, at the very least, seemed at peace. Smiling softly at where her screaming, breathing, and wonderfully alive was being passed around by many a doctor. She was ready, accepting of death.

Her job done.

  But Gundham, for the first time in his immortal existence, hesitated. Was it...right of him to separate a child from his mother like this? With that same child screaming and crying for any sort of comfort? Was it right for hi to-Wait. What?

What was he doing?

  He was the Great Gundham Tanaka! The God of Death! The true ruler of this world and all others! What was he doing?! Sympathizing with these...mortals! Their problems, their plight, their agony and despair were of no concern to him! And so, with his terrible resolve restored, the God of Death reaped the soul of one Hanami Rei-Kazuichi.

Leaving Souda Kazuichi without a mother.

===

The will of causality was a cruel one.

  Ever since reaping the soul of his mother, he saw more and more of this ‘Souda Kazuichi.’ The boy and his father seemed deadset to live in the sort of area were other humans were mugged and killed or beaten to death. Even most beasts knew better than to spend more than a few hours in such a volatile environment. But, amidst such brutal Death, Gundham found himself trailing behind the young boy.

Naturally, he couldn’t see him.

  But Gundham noticed every little thing the child did. From chasing the stray dogs in his neighborhood on wobbly legs. To falling down, and bursting into shiny, salty tears. But, to Gundham’s disappointment, no one seemed to comfort the crying child any time he burst into tears. Every adult around him just...left him there. Be it in the middle of the sidewalk or the road, no one reached down to offer a single scrap of comfort to the young human.

And it's not like Gundham could do it.

  His touch was far too poisonous and soul-stealing. Through the Dark Devas took to brushing against the young child with ice-cold whispers of their fur whenever tears spilled out of those warm eyes. The second he made any contact with the young mortal, Gundham would have to take Souda’s soul completely. And the child still had far too much Life in him.

Still, the God of Death found himself reaching out nonetheless.

===

There were different types of humans.

  It took Gundham longer than it should’ve to realize that, but he did. There were two main types of mortals that Gundham chose to concern himself with, those who were cruel and those who weren’t. Souda, wasn’t cruel.

Those who bullied him were.

  They looked at his dark hair and warm eyes and spat in his face. Kicked at him. Beat him. Teased him. Mocked him. All while those warm, sweet eyes let loose an endless stream of tears.

All while Gundham had to hold himself back.

  Which was ridiculous! A God of Death, an Overlord of Ice, reduced to caring for a mere mortal boy? Preposterous. Downright insulting. It was beneath him in every way.

But still Gundham’s anger rose.

===

  Oh, believe him, he tried. He tried to put some distance between them. To recover some of the ice around his heart that those warm eyes had melted. Gundham had tried that one day.

The same day Souda’s father beat him for the first time.

  Gundham had felt something...deeply wrong in the air. As dangerous and unsettling as the smell of blood in the air. His instincts screaming for him to act, to do something. That Souda was in trouble. And, before Gundham’s common sense could talk him out of it, he was there. At Souda’s house.

Watching his father’s fist connect to his face.

  Gundham, for all his immortal life, would never forget that sound. That crack, that strangled cry the boy gave off as he hung, limp and defenseless, in his father’s grip. Gundham, even as the God of Death, would always be haunted by that image. By the picture of Souda’s pale skin striped with bright blood and lovely eyes rolling back into his skull. And, in that moment, Gundham never wished to kill a human so strongly before.

And he nearly did it to.

  The God of Death’s hands were right there. Ready to wrap around Souda’s father’s neck and snap his head off like a toy. He had all the fury of a true, bloodthirst Death God. Vision running red with the sheer force of his anger and the screaming of all the soul he had reaped in his ears.

But Gundham stopped himself.

  What was he doing? It was not this man’s time yet. What was he doing, trying to take a mortal before his time? And for what? For one mortal boy Gundham owed nothing to. The God of Death had taken his mother, but so what? It was her time, her choice. And she chose Souda’s life over her’s. So it wasn’t his responsibility to look after her spawn.

  He owed Souda nothing, Gundham told himself as he watched as Souda’s father eventually grew bored and left his son. Bleeding from the nose, on the living room floor. I don’t care, Gundham told himself as Souda eventually regained consciousness and pulled himself up on scraped knees. Salty tears mixing with open wounds and whimpering whys? leaving his mouth. This has nothing to do with me, Gundham told himself.

But it still sounded like a lie.

===

Souda grew.

And Souda changed.

  The teeth, serrated and sharp still stayed the same. The only trait he had gotten from the Demon that was his father. But the young man had willingly changed everything else about him. Gone were those dark, deep tresses and warm, lovely eyes. Only to be replace by bright pink hair and striking contacts. And, fool himself as he might, the God of Death mourned the loss of suck soft, precious features. But to his horror, Gundham found himself doing something else whenever he could visited Souda.

He studied him.

  Focused on the teenager as if they were only two beings in the world. Gundham, with time, found that he did really mind the changes Souda made to himself. So many things were still the same after all. Souda’s excitement over stray dogs. His timid, crybaby nature. The thick line of his eyelashes. The absent-minded braiding of his hair. The wonderful way his hands moved when working on machines.

Gundham found himself even more entranced.

  Found himself even more enamored and endeared. Souda had grown up strong and clever. Getting accepted in the prestigious school and getting away from the evening beatings of his household. Souda had escaped.

He was free.

  Which should’ve released Gundham from any and all guilt and worry. And, to most extents, it did. Seeing Souda so happy after so long in despair was wonderful. And a hopeful Souda was the most beautiful thing in the world to Gundham’s all-seeing eyes. He watched Souda make pure wonders out of metal. He watched him make friends out of all his strange classmates. Watched him grow a little more confident, a little more brave.

Gundham watched Souda fall in love.

  First with a royal classmate of his. A beautiful blonde girl who Gundham swore could sense his presence. An impressive creature with the girl of the Dark Arts that didn’t quite reciprocate his feelings. A sweet girl who still made Souda bawl his eyes out many a night. All while Gundham could just stand above him, fighting the urge to reach out and comfort Souda. With his hands, with his arms, with teeth, lips, and tongue. But Gundham did nothing but hold his own body back from acting on his deep, dark impulses. But before the Overlord of Ice could come to terms with these bubbling, dangerous feelings, Souda fell in love.

Again.

  But this time it was different. This time it was with boy with hair a similarly dyed, spiky mess. This time it was with a loud, funny mortal with cool blue-gray eyes and a lopsided grin. This time it was with a sports star with equally calloused hands and similar desires to change themselves from the outside. This time it was different.

This time the mortal loved Souda back.

  All while Gundham could only watch, invisible to their eyes, as the mortal pressed warm, wonderfully alive kisses onto Souda’s mouth. The same mouth Gundham had watched smile and laugh and cry and scream for all his life. Truly, Gundham thought.

Humans were horrible creatures.

===

It was easier to leave Souda alone after that.

  But it was harder to tell himself that he wasn’t hurting. Him! The God of Death! Hiding away from human like a scorned admirer. But what was Gundham to do? The very sight of Souda hurt him worse than anything he had ever experienced in his mortal life.

Which was ridiculous.

  Souda had never seen him, felt him, or talked to him. The mortal boy had no reason to choose Gundham over another mortal. Another mortal he could touch and hold and have dry all his tears away. Souda was better off loving that mortal. Souda was happy with that mortal.

No matter what Gundham felt about it.

  It was only then that Gundham learned what true weakness was. Weakness was always looking, always wishing for something but always having it just out of your reach. Just dancing out of your fingertips. Weakness was a cruel thing.

And love had made Gundham weak.

===

It happened one day, years later.

  But, to a God of Death, those years passed with a single blink of his eyes. Those years were nothing to Gundham. Nothing but hurt feelings and childish avoidance. Those years were nothing to him.

But they quickly became everything.

  It started when Gundham felt...that again. That overwhelming wrongness in the air. A crippling sense of despair that Gundham knew immediately that it was Souda.

Souda!

  Gundham was there in an instant. There, in that familiar place. There, at Souda’s house. The one with his father, the one with the Demon who beat him all his life. The scene was horrifically similar as well. Police cars lining up with narrow, dirt-filled streets. Sirens slashing into the air with frantic madness. An ambulance at the ready past the tangle of squad cars. Gundham couldn’t move at first. Then the world stopped.

And he moved.

  Slowly, stiffly on lead legs. Right, left, right left. Gundham stumbled past police officers frozen in place. Past movements halted in the moment. Gundham moved past it all. Souda?

Souda where are you?

  Gundham walked through the familiar entrance to the Kazuichi household. That’s when he saw it. That's when Gundham’s immortal soul knew true fear.

True despair.

  Souda’s father was passed out on the couch. Too drunk to be of any use to the world. But that wasn’t an unusual sight to Gundham by now. No. What hit the God of Death like a barrage of bullets was that Demon’s hands.

Slick with blood.

  Ah, there it was again. On the kitchen countertop, not to far away. It was pooling there. Dripping down to the floor to make another puddle. Oh.

There was a trail of it.

  Gundham’s head felt light. The long-since melted heart in his chest felt like it was trying to climb up and out of his throat to explode out of his mouth in a scream of blood. Gundham followed the trail of blood. Like breadcrumbs leading him home. Home? Souda?

Where was he?

  The Overlord of Ice was able to squeeze past the narrow hallway, following the spotted trail of blood, to Souda’s room. The door hanging open like he had rushed in. And it was then and there that Gundham Found Souda.

And Death fell to his knees.

===

Souda had came home.

  He had promised himself he never would, but it happened. Mainly because of Leon. Souda...Souda wanted to marry him. After the both of them graduated Hope’s Peak, they had talked about it. Even going so far as to looking for apartments that could double as recording studios and garages. Everything was looking good.

Too good.

  But Souda had to see his dad, just one last time. To do what, he wasn’t exactly sure. Make amends, he supposed. But time and love had dulled the innate fear Souda had of his father. And, the second he stepped inside his old house, it was like he was a fucking kid all over again.

Getting the shit beaten out of him.

  The only difference now was that Souda was just as strong, if not stronger, than his father. And, for a few precious seconds, he wa able to escape his father’s raging fists for a few, wonderful seconds.

That’s what killed him.

  His dad rushing after him and smacking his head against the pointed edge of the countertop. Blood clouded his vision. Blood ran down his face in ways it hadn't for a long, long time. Blood bit at his tongue as he tasted his own sweat and panic.

After that it was all a blur.

  A huge stumbling, painful blur of making his way to his room and trying to call Leon. Trying to get his boyfriend’s voice on the other line to clear up the blurring coldness that was eating Souda from the inside out. Souda hit the call button.

And then the world went dark.

===

Humans were such weak creatures.

  Souda was one such creature. Funny, Gundham had forgotten about that. But now, with the moonlight streaming into his familiar bedroom, such a fact became painfully obvious. His hair was spread out beneath him. Like a halo of fiery, blood-speckled pink hellfire. There were lines of blood on his face. Some dry, some still running with rich red liquid that stained the carpet underneath him.

Gundham’s hands burned.

  It was time. Time for Souda to die. To leave this mortal world. The God of Death looked at Souda’s hand, still clutching his cell phone. Calling, calling, calling that mortal he loved. What was he going to say, Gundham wondered.

I love you?

  What do mortal’s say with their last breath? Gundham had never wanted to know more than now. But, for SouDa it was too late, his brain was malfunctioning too much, too dangerously. Death would be a mercy. A sweet, cherish mercy that would be Gundham’s first and last gift to his beloved Souda. But one, just once, Gundham wanted to say it.

“I love you.”

With a palm cupping both sides of Souda’s face and those teary eyes with the popped blood vessels looking at him, Gundham leaned down.

Kissing Souda’s cold mouth.

Reaping the soul of one dear, precious, beloved Kazuichi Souda.