Chapter Text
“speaking japanese”
“mentally speaking”
The day that the traumatizing demon-like creatures called Curses were revealed to me was just over a week ago now. I remember the day clearly; I was taking my lunch break and was walking down a cute alleyway when I was grabbed from behind.
My body flinched from the weird texture of my attacker on my back as many deformed hands grabbed at me harshly. A muffled scream caught in my throat, my eyes almost rolled back in my head as I tried to get a look at my attacker to see something straight out of a horror film.
It held a finger between its teeth, old and rotten with a sharp fingernail. The creature lifted me up to its massive mouth, shoving me inside of them along with the finger.
I started screaming, thrashing, trying to get out of the creature while choking on its bodily fluids, and then suddenly I was drawn back into myself. It was similar to when I was dissociating, only it was 100 times worse since my consciousness was still the same - it wasn't like watching a movie of myself - but I was completely out of control of my movements.
As soon as I entered this state, the creature that swallowed me disintegrated, and someone else, someone that wasn’t me, was talking and moving.
“Ugh, finally free! And in the body of a human woman too. Time to get rowdy !” my voice says, only it wasn't me articulating the words.
“No,” I had said, making the other thing with me pause.
“How can you speak?” they ask, looking at our reflection in a window.
Black marking decorated my tan skin, an extra set of eyes underneath my pre-existing ones, my clothes tattered and hair a disheveled mess.
“Speak, woman,” they snap.
“I-wha-I don't know, how can you speak?” I had said back, scrunching up my nose.
“Because I’m Sakuna.”
“Ok? And I’m Jasmine?”
“What?”
“Oikawa! Oh my! What happened to you?” My coworker asked, running up to me.
My head snapped in the direction of them, the markings disappearing from my skin as Sukuna switches places with me.
“Ruri, I-well I don't really know what just happened,” I had said to my concerned coworker.
“You’re all right though? Jesus, you look like a mess,”
“I feel like it.”
“Who is Ruri?” Sukuna commands, startling me.
“Come on, let's get you fixed up. Then I want you to go home, take a bath, and rest. Maybe see a doctor, I don't know,” Ruri says, linking their arm with mine and leading me back to the workshop-
“Stop reminiscing and get back to work,” Sukuna snaps at me, bringing me back to the present, a lump of clay in front of me and carving tools scattered around my pristine workbench.
“Ok moody,” I retaliated.
“Shut up. ”
“Please be nice to me, I have fragile feelings.”
“Then get better feelings.”
“Sukuna, please-”
“Don't beg with me.”
I let out a sigh, and started molding my clay idly as Sukuna makes conversation with me about Curses and other things alike them.
“Oikawa! Are you here?” Ruri calls out along with the jingle of the bell over the front door.
“Great, the bitch is back. Are you sure I can't just kill her?”
“I’m sure.”
“Yes! I'm out the back, Ruri.”
“Ah, whatcha making- wait is that a face? That looks so cool,” Ruri says with stars in their eyes.
“Thank you,” I say with a smile.
“No problem-o, now I got you some lunch. It's Mongolian beef, your favourite,”
“You are a saint, thank you, Ruri.”
“My pleasure. I can't stay for long, I've got an appointment in 30 mins so I've got to jett. I'll see you tomorrow!” Ruri says with a smile before twirling out of the backroom of the workshop, leaving a small bag emitting a delicious smell.
“Not as good as humans.”
“I'm not becoming a cannibal for you.”
“Why?”
“So many reasons.”
“Bye Ruri!” I call out as I hear the jingle of the front door again.
I set down my carving tools, getting off the comfortable stool to go wash my hands. I take my food out of the backroom into the shop portion of the workshop where some pieces were on display and a counter was. I sit down at the counter with my food and dig in, watching people walk past the front of the shop, admiring the works in the window, occasionally coming in to get a better look before leaving again with amazed expressions.
“Jasmine, I hate Mongolian beef. Never eat it again,”
“No.”
“Why?”
“My body, my choice.”
“It's my body too.”
“It was my body first.”
“You act like a toddler.”
“You say that a lot.”
“I wonder why.”
“Shut up, old man.”
Sukuna stops talking to me after that, resorting to muttering and growling in the refines of the back of my mind where I can easily block him out.
After I finish up I throw the rubbish in the small bin under the counter and go back to moulding the 3d clay face.
“I think I'm done.”
“That's a terrifyingly accurate sculpture of us.”
“It's almost like I'm good at what I do.”
I set the sculptured head to the side and start cleaning up my mess as the golden light of the afternoon starts to drift through the windows. I hang up my apron and dust myself off, grabbing my keys and shutting down the workshop for the day.
“What's for dinner?”
“I don't know, what do you want?”
“Humans-”
“No.”
“You're no fun.”
I let out a huff as I locked up the workshop’s front door, twirling my keys around my finger as I walk along the slightly bustling streets towards the train station.
“What about we go out for Ramen?” I suggest.
I get no response from the Cursed spirit inside of me, so I take it as a yes and instead of walking straight to the train station I take a detour and head towards a nice ramen stand nearby that's only just opening up for the day.
“Miso.” is all that Sukuna says as I walk up to the owner.
I order our food and wait patiently on a bench nearby, watching the sun set over the horizon of buildings.
“Here you go, miss!” the owner calls out happily, gesturing to the steaming hot bowl of ramen on his small counter.
“Thank you, sir.” I say with a bow, taking the bowl and going to sit back where I was sitting.
We sit in silence as I eat the food, the sun staring to set as I finish the last bite, handing the bowl back to the stand owner who strikes up a conversation about how I liked the meal.
We converse for a while, talking about the ramen, how I work nearby in a pottery workshop. We talked about his family, his husband who had previously owned the ramen stand had recently passed away and he was taking over in honour of him.
We said our goodbyes and I continued my original path to the train station, Sukuna getting antsy after the conversation I had with the old man.
“It's not the conversation with the old fart.”
“Then what is it?”
“Someone else has consumed one of my fingers.”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“What does that mean?”
“Means I have another vessel, only that one is with the Shamans. And he cant control me, although he is trying.”
“Oh? Interesting.”
“Indeed.”
Sukana gets lost in his thoughts, not wanting to invade, I distract myself with the scenery and people around me. I concentrate on getting on the train and sitting down in an empty seat as I leave Sukuna to his own devices.
“He was taken out by shamans, I wonder if they’ll kill him or keep him alive to consume more of my fingers and then execute?”
“So you were unable to take control of him as well?”
“Don’t patronise me.”
“I'm not, I was just curious.”
“Keep it to yourself.”
“Will do.”
I feel myself start to dissociate as more people get onto the train, overwhelming my senses with their chatter.
“Jasmine, look to your left.”
Doing as Sukuna tells me to, I look to my left to see a grotesque creature seated beside me. Sensing my eyes they turn to look at me, a grin consuming their facial features.
My eyes blow wide and my breath catches in my throat.
Sukuna comes forward, controlling my facial features as the marking form on my face. The creature's cocky expression dissipates and turns to a look of fear as he senses Sukuna’s presence.
Sukuna looks away from the creature, going back to looking forwards with a sadistic smirk on his face. He stays in control as we get off at our stop and as we get off. I stay idle as I watch as he controls my body as we go home.
“Thank you.”
My gratitude is met with silence as I let him stay in control for the rest of the afternoon, letting me back in front to do hygiene activities and putting us to bed.