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"Everyone! I'm going!" Atsushi says to his husband and children who were bidding him farewell. Atsushi really can't understand what's all this fuss about, he's only leaving for a couple of hours.
Atsushi stepped in front of his 10 and 9-year-old children. "My deadly poison ivies, I was thinking about writing a list for you two, but I decided against it. You were doing almost the same task for years, so I trust you to do your worst!"
This has put a smile on his children's faces, and that was more than enough for him.
Looking at his husband he said. "However, I can't say the same thing for your father."
Osamu, Kyouka and Q share a deadpanned look between them. Them, begin compatible was something Atsushi rarely saw, but always made him happy.
"Atsushi-kun! Could you please stop worrying about us? Today isn't any special than other days, you're just making things complicated." Osamu said while lapping his arms around Atsushi's frame.
"I don't make the things complicated! Today is the Halloween! It's a very busy day!" Atsushi replied defending himself.
"Still, no need to worry! I got this. Easy peasy Nick squeezy!"
Atsushi looked at his family's confident faces searching for a hesitance, but couldn't find any. So he releases a heavy breath. "You're right, I'm worrying too much. It's just… since my pet Tiger's death and I can feel Byakko going wild inside me, the only thing Byakko has ever wanted was a company, and that's what I can't give."
"Oh, my sourliver… I can't say that I understand what you're going through, but I'm here for you! Well… I will be here for you when you come back!" The ever mood alterer Osamu said.
"You're horribly right, I wouldn't go if not for Byakko. I was hardly controlling myself before on full moon nights. Lately, I can hardly control myself on new moon nights,"
Atsushi didn't expect the hug he was thrown in. Kyouka and Q were holding him tightly as if he might disappear, their hug was rare but a bone crusher. "We know how sad you were after Tiger's death, usually we don't care about someone's sadness, but you aren't someone, you're our cursed terrifying Daddy!"
Q with a sickened cheer uttered, making Atsushi return the sickened smile.
"You're right!" Atsushi reples while backing out after giving each of his children a kiss with a quite bite on the cheeks. Doing the same on Osamu's lips, he says.
"I should go! I can feel Byakko's patience growing thin! I've heard wolf's howls, so I would have it for dinner, don't wait for me!" Atsushi said while walking away.
…
Tonight was the Halloween. A night he would be dead busy on every year.
Every year on Halloween their mansion would attract children and young adults —rarely adults older than thirty— like flies on expired food. They would come asking for the horrors their mansion would give them.
As horrific as the mansion would be if Elise just accepted joining their plans —and stopped acting on her own– the horrors can't make itself. So this requires so much work from their side. By their, he means his, Atsushi.
Not only strangers would come seeking Halloween horrors. But a family member might make a surprising visit —it's not surprising if they were expecting a visit every year— and every year Atsushi would worry himself almost to death, and every year more than half of his expectations didn't happen.
It's always worse than his expectations.
Atsushi knows he must get over himself and starts to trust his family more. However, because he knows his family he can't trust them.
Osamu was dead crazy about dying together that he might forget about his responsibilities.
Atsushi knows that he's married to a walking disaster…
But, did Atsushi mention that disasters were his type? Disasters are very hot, everyone should get a disaster of their own.
Q was very… unique. Atsushi is very proud of them.
They were very talented in the sorcery of dolls, whatsoever their ways of using their dolls were… unique.
Q would always go too far, farther than acceptable. Last year, instead of using their doll only on the college students who came for a silly challenge between them, Q started using their doll outside their family property.
Starting a problem with the government isn't something Atsushi wanted to do, especially when he still has young children to take care of. Osamu, his father-in-law and siblings-in-law were laughing like the crazy menaces they are.
Kyouka, on the other hand, was a young terrifying girl with a sly head on her shoulders. She was the most trusted person in his crazy family, yet her craziness wasn't so far away from the rest.
Last year, Atsushi and Osamu hunted the Easter bunny for her. Hunting that mf was really hard, but anything for his poison ivy. If she wants an Easter bunny so she can put it in a cage and train it to become her killing machine, then she shall have it!
Finding that mf hunting kids and old normal people wasn't what Atsushi expected. He wouldn't mind if it was hunting adults and teenagers, but he had a hard time seeing people couldn't protect themselves getting attacked. And running away from the government agents was really hard, those troublemakers are getting better through the years.
It's alright! All these things happened the last year, now everyone is one year older, sure they are more mature —hopefully— and they were doing all of these problems just to miss with Atsushi. His kids sure love seeing him busy solving their mistakes.
He better focus on Byakko or he will become the disaster this year.
Controlling Byakko was always hard. Byakko, who was a cursed soul, and controlling cursed souls is almost impossible. Not for Atsushi, though.
Atsushi, before this year, he was having a pet tiger. The presence of other tiger has helped control Byakko, it gave Byakko a sense of familiarity. And Atsushi knows very well how it feels when you're all alone, with no one to call a family, without someone who's is yours, only yours with no one else sharing them with you.
However, he doesn't know how it feels to be different from everyone else, without someone to tell you that they love you the way you are. Obviously, Atsushi has his family, a clan who was always there for him, he never cared what people outside their clan thought about him. And fortunately for them —and unfortunately for him— no one dares to comment about anything he did or said, yes he has some difficulties, but never something he can't handle.
A loud howling broke him out of his thinking bubble.
Well, it's feeding time, as it seems.
…
By dawn, Atsushi comes back to his home. Byakko surely had the time of her life. Atsushi would sue Byakko if she didn't.
They did everything he could think about! They hunt a group of wild wolves and eat them only to prove who's the Alpha out there. They sacred a couple of pass-byers. He let her chill down under the moonlight for hours. She even played with, read: played with not hunted, small animals in the forest, how cute! It reminds him of the times were his children were toddlers and loved to play with small squirrels and rats, Osamu only brings them rodent animals for a reason no one knows.
Anyway, his point is, that he let Byakko do whatever she wished for, hope that's enough.
Kids crying was the first thing he heard when he entered through the mansion gate, and that wasn't on the list!
Reaching the source of the voices, he finds what he hoped to not.
Kyouka, with four children tied up to screwed trunks. While the Easter mf was wandering around them like a predator, it looked like someone forgot its place, he will deal with it later now he has Kyouka to lull her down.
"Kyouka! What you're doing!" Atsushi questioned his daughter quite angrily.
His voice has jolted her awake from her revel status. She cried out right away after turning to face him. "What?! I'm having my fun for tonight!"
"And what I told you about it!"
"You said it's alright!"
"NO! I said it's alright as long as the person you're grilling isn't a small kid!" The kids cried louder when they heard what he said. Dammit, he shouldn't have this conversation open for anyone to hear. So he dragged his daughter to a safe distance.
"Kyouka, small kids have parents, parents who would search for them within hours if they didn't return," He saw her rolling her eyes at that, she's a kid herself so he wouldn't force herto understand that. "Unlike adults who would disappear for a day without someone questioning that! I don't make rules to tie you, but to protect you! So please listen to me…" Luckily, accepting swift on her face before nodding.
"That's my deadly poison ivy that's I'm so proud of! Now, let us go to free those cowardly kids to their even more cowardly parents!" Praising her and insulting others always did wonders for her, not only her but Q and Osamu too. His family was really cute, you just need to press the right buttons.
When they freed the kids they dashed with waterfalls staining the rocky road. That's the first time they've seen someone cry this much.
Anyways, if Kyouka was free to do whatever she wanted, then he couldn't imagine what's the other two were doing.
Giving a sharp gaze to the mansion entrance, he vows to himself. 'Oh Osamu, wait till I get my hands on you!'
The Easter mf comes growling at him —GROWLING?!— but with a quick strong slap Atsushi scares it off, Kyouka chuckles in return.
"Greetings Ryuro, how's things going?" Atsushi asked Ryuro who was awaiting them outside the doorway.
"Horrible…" Atsushi felt that there was something else on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't ask any further.
"As expected…" With that, he pushes the door open.
"KYUUU!" Atsushi cried out right in the moment he stepped inside the mansion. Taking strong angry steps while searching with his eyes for any clue for his kid's place.
"You seem quite angry, why so?" A voice he didn't expect hearing now asked humorously.
Frightened out of his wits Atsushi screamed in shock, holding his daughter —who didn't express any reaction— closer. After calming down, he focuses on seeing who dares to scare him.
"O-oh! Ranpo-san!" Well, never mind. If Ranpo wants to scare him he can't do anything about it but take it. "Didn't expect to see you this year!"
And that's true of all the people he expects he never thought about Ranpo. Ranpo wasn't a big fan of family gathers, but he was a big fan of candies, so…
"Well, I came to see what you guys are doing, and as I see you guys are doing more than fine!" He singsong while rocking a candy bowl happily. Atsushi has seen the bowl before but not the candies. Sharply he gives a look to Kyouka. "I didn't take from them anything! He took it himself!"
Now, he couldn't do anything about it. With a heavy sigh, he asked. "Do you perhaps know where is Q?"
"Last time I saw them, Sakunosuke was with them."
"This makes the things easier." He said while walking to one of the storage rooms that Sakunosuke turned into a mini fortress for himself. Ignoring Kyouka and Ranpo's fighting over candy.
He knocked on the door before opening it after receiving the permission. He found Sakunosuke —whole body— sitting with a typewriter in front of him while typing using one hand, obviously, because the other hand was out there with Q somewhere. Without taking his eyes off the typewriter he said, "Q in the dungeons, they escort two men to torture them there, but things aren't going in their favor right now, but don't wor-"
Atsushi was dashing to the dungeons before Sakunosuke was even done talking.
When he enters the dungeons he hears a faint sobbing. Atsushi felt anger boiling inside him, who dares to make his cub cry?!
Ohh! How dead they are when he gets his hands on them! Even Osamu isn't as fucked as them right now!
Atsushi throws —literally— the cell door open when he reaches where his cub's sobbing coming from. Observing the room, seeing Q lying on the ground in a bratty way, Sakunosuke —'s hand— next to them shaking his wrist in disapproval of Q's behavior, a blonde man was hovering around them looking lost at what to do with himself, and a black-haired man was standing in the corner doing nothing about the situation before him.
Before Atsushi could say anything, Q beat him into it when they noticed his presence, "Daddyyy! Looook! That stupid poo won't die!!" They cried out while pointing at the man in the corner.
"Wha-?" Atsushi was puzzled, that's not what he expected. He expects to find his cub injured, to find someone beating up his cub, not them being bratty with a confused man looking like he wants them to shut up more than anything.
"Oh! You must be their partner! Good thing to find an adult around here!" Well, this house is full of adults, they just don't show themselves. "Let me clear things up before you start throwing hands," he said trying to be polite.
"My name is John Steinbeck and that man there is Howard Lovecraft, we have been enjoying this fine night in the woods till your kid came to us with a challenge in sorcery, which is our strongsuit, we couldn't let a kid underestimate us, could we?" calmly, he added while looking at Q who crawled to Atsushi in attempt to look piteous.
"However, when your kid loses, they start crying and using their doll recklessly, we couldn't leave them like that, but they didn't like it…I don't want to offend your parenting ways, Sir, but your kid surely doesn't have any sportsmanship." He continued trying to stay polite. Q starts sobbing more loudly while holding Sakunosuke up to their face, ignoring Sakunosuke's discomfort.
Atsushi knows so well that Q wants him to get angry to beat up the two men.
However, Atsushi isn't eating that up. He just came from a long night dealing with Byakko, he only wants to rest, not this!
"Let's get out of here, so we could discuss this, no?" The man looks taken aback by this, he glances at the other man before saying, "I… didn't think that you would take things this… serenity…"
"I had a really long night, I don't have enough energy for that…"
"DAAAAAADDY! I don't want you to have a chit-chat with them! Beat them up!!" Q angrily hollered, squeezing Sakunosuke in their hold.
"You don't do the things that I want you to, why would I?" Atsushi stated, grabbing Sakunosuke away from them.
"B-but Daddy!!"
"Shut it! You don't understand how big the problem you're in! Having a strong sorcery doll doesn't mean you can go and challenge ADULTS!" The two men were quiet, and couldn't dare to interrupt the angry parent, when Atsushi turned towards them the blonde man almost jumped in his place, barely holding his ground. "Let's go!"
Silently everyone follows him.
When they reach the ground floor, without stopping Atsushi leads them to Ranpo who is sprawling out on the couch while shoving candies in his mouth. "Ranpo-san, listen to their testifies and verdict whatever you see more suited to them," He said while putting Sakunosuke on the couch, finally setting him free from Q.
Atsushi receives objections from three sides, however, one challenging look to them and they shut up.
"I would do it myself but I've another asshole to beat up right now." He vowed while holding his fist up, looking deadly angry everyone let him be, weren't planning to join the 'asshole' in his punishment.
Hearing no more objection, Atsushi went upstairs to the first floor where his and Osamu's bedroom was located. Atsushi really hoped that Osamu was asleep right now and that's the reason why he didn't stop his children from the madness they were doing —because he wasn't aware of their deeds— not him beginning fully awake —fully aware— but didn't even take it upon himself to check what his children are doing!
Atsushi was furious. Kyouka and Q were just children, they don't understand that there are negative results to their deeds, and as their parents, it's their duty to teach them that and protect them from the consequences.
Today, Atsushi will knock some sense inside Osamu's head.
Looking around the room after entering, he found it almost in the same status he left it in. A messy bed with a suicide kit scattered all over it, curtains still spread close blocking the lights, the walk-in closet door still wide open, the closet not touched after the mess Atsushi made out of it searching for something to wear for a wild night with Byakko, it was really hard to find something simple between all fancy clothes he owns.
Just as expected, Atsushi never thought that Osamu would take it upon himself to actually tidy the room. The thing that Atsushi didn't expect was the gallows that definitely weren't there, two gallows to be specific. A single rope was lapped around one of the ceiling wooden bars, the rope's two ends were tied into a well-made gallows.
Atsushi felt a chill run through his body because of the view.
"Atsushi-kun!! My mad sourliver! You just came in time!!" Osamu singsong, happily skipping to Atsushi.
Atsushi shook the chill out of himself and, turned to look angrily at Osamu.
Osamu, the bastard, looks at him questioningly, innocently, like he didn't let his two kids do things that might cause their deaths. "What happened, love? Why you're angry?"
"And you have the nerve to ask?" However, he didn't get an answer, but a clueless head tilted.
"Osamu!! You just left our children alone doing crazy stuff! Don't you understand the risks of it??"
"I don't see why you're so worried, they're just children enjoying Halloween! I used to do worse back in my days!" Osamu answered smugly.
"There's no comparing between back then and nowadays! It's a miracle no one finds Kyouka and those kids! And Q! They literally challenged ADULTS in sorcery! Both of them, they might be strong for kids their age, but they don't stand a chance in front of adults!!" Atsushi stormed loudly, yet he could see his words fall on deaf ears, the smug look never left Osamu's face.
"Osamu… are understanding what I'm talking about?"
"Of course I do! We should teach them new types of self-defense arts! One type isn't enough if their opponents were bigger than them…"
"That's not what I'm talking about Osamu!! UGHH!" Atsushi felt like pulling his hair would be more fruitful, however, he suppressed the want, and it's not easy to grow his hair this tall. Instead, he pointed at the gallows, "What is this??!"
"Oh? Isn't it obvious?"
"I know what's this, I'm not stupid! Why it's hanging out here?"
"Why?!" loudly Osamu asked. "For our promised double suicide of course! The oath we both made on our wedding night~" He dramatically continued before taking a sharp wounded sob, "Don't tell me that you forgot about the oath! Atsushi, you traitor!!"
"NO! As it seems, YOU'RE the one who forgot these oaths!" Angrily Atsushi spit.
"AH! Why you're accusing me of such a thing?!" Osamu backed down acting like a virgin girl people accused her of adultery. Atsushi suppressed a laugh, the amount of ridiculousness now was unbelievable.
"No. You didn't forget, you're remembering the parts you want to remember," Atsushi calmly said, but he didn't get an answer from Osamu so he continued, "The promised double suicide is only the first section, what's the second section?"
The troubled look on Osamu's face told him everything, "Let me be a dear and tell you," He stepped closer to hold Osamu by his collar, "The second section was that our 'double suicide' will only be achieved after we finish our massage in life together! After we're dust old! Not when we still have kids to look after, a whole clan depends on us!"
Osamu, who was partially suffocating nodded his head forcefully seeking a fresh breath, of course, he would, Atsushi make sure that his hold was uncomfortable and painful.
Osamu threw himself on Atsushi the moment he let him go," That was mean, Atsushi-kun!"
"SHUT UP!"
"Aye, aye!" Osamu pulls away to look at him, "Also, I didn't forget, I was hoping that you forgot, alas, you didn't! Why do you want to live anyway? Screw our clan I only care about you guys, also Kyouka and Q are old enough and it's not like they will be all alone!"
"Osamu! They already lost their parents once, they won't take it if it happens again!"
"Q was too young to understand and I bet Kyouka doesn't remember a thing. Also, they only bring you problems, dying would be easier! If you keep living, at this rate your hair will turn gray!" The room went dead silent, Atsushi having a dumbfounded look on his face, with a pouting one on Osamu's, when Osamu raised his look to Atsushi's hair he barked out, "See! Your hair is already gray! Now there's no return."
"OSAMU! If my hair has 'turned' gray then you're the reason, not them! They're our children don't forget, I know that you deeply inside cares about them," Atsushi yelled while shoving his index finger on Osamu's face, "However, don't say something like this ever again, or I will fucking kill you." Atsushi forces a smile while saying this.
"Ohh~ acting like succubus now, aren't we?" Atsushi didn't expect this answer at all. Osamu, on the other hand, jumped to their bed and yanked the blanket which resulted in his suicide kit flying around making more mess in the room, without batting an eye for his flying kit Osamu lay down on the bed supporting himself with his elbow trying to be seducing, well he actually succeeded, but Atsushi is blind with anger. "Come here Daddy~ Fucking kill me~"
With a quiet smile, Atsushi steps closer, "You're right…" Walking to the bed, he bent down to open the bed drawer to take out his whip, it always amused him how Osamu knew about the whip but he never dared to change its place, maybe because Atsushi rarely using on him, and mostly, Atsushi only used for their kinks, however, now… "I will fucking kill you."
He watches as Osamu heavily swallows down, "As suicidal as I am, I'm not masochist."
"Are you sure?"
"NOOO AHH!!" Osamu's loud screams could be heard around the mansion, and everyone who was gathering in the tea room suppressed a shiver to not look scared.
Ranpo was sitting in an armchair, with Kyouka and Q on a sofa to his right, Steinbeck and Lovecraft to the left, Ryuro and Sakunosuke opposite of him.
Ranpo whistled in impress, "Shouldn't make the Alpha angry."
"Father, thank you for your sacrifice." Kyouka gratefully said.
"Wow, he doesn't seem that scary, good thing we did what he said." Steinbeck gasped in something akin to fear.
"Yeah, the right choice," Ranpo answered, before another scream echoed, joy could be heard within screams now.
Everyone went pale white from the unholy sounds they were hearing, they might be evil people in other's eyes, and they might be wired with crazy powers, yet they're not that crazy. Those screams were something they shouldn't hear, and not that they want to, to begin with.
"How about a breakfast in the veranda?" Ryuro suggests.
"Ryuro! You're such a lifesaver!" Ranpo cheered.
"I've been told as much."