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Goro had lost his fucking mind.
The only thing running through his head as he trudged through the abandoned streets was that this was a terrible, potentially fatal idea. Hell, there were alarm bells screaming through his nervous system the very second the idea even came to him in the first place. There was no force on Earth currently greater than the sheer amount of regret Goro was feeling at this moment in time. But sunk-cost fallacy already dictated that he's going to see this through and it looks like his cold dead corpse is practically written in the stars.
God. This better fucking work.
Of course, this wasn’t the first time a human planned to call upon the Yōsei, nor the last. Deals with either side of the fair folk Court were commonplace in businesses and politics, so much so that measures had to be written in place to ensure that no one used Contracts to take advantage of local law. Goro had read enough courtroom case studies about Deals to know exactly how well they work, had even sat in during a trial concerning a man that had tried to circumvent the consequences of a poorly phrased Deal which led to the subsequent murder of his wife and children by his own hand. He was given to the Yōsei, in the end, as was their right to their property.
At the time, Goro had thought he was a stupid man to strike a Deal with the Yōsei in the first place, careless to let the phrasing of the Deal glide by in favour of focusing on the riches that were promised to him. At the time, Goro thought he’d never have to stoop that low to get what he wanted.
That Goro would piss himself laughing if he could see himself now.
His research on local Yōsei Courts highlighted quite a few frequently used circles, mushroom rings or altars dotting Tokyo, but the one that caught his interest was one just a little bit outside of the city’s jurisdiction. To an abandoned cafe in an old forgotten district, to the impossibly old tree that grew through the middle of the building and stretched into the sky, to a being that seemingly served no Court and granted Deals only to a very select few but with incredibly reliable results. It had no recorded history of trickery, its offering requirements were pretty easy to gather — barring a few key items — and the timing for its ceremony was perfect.
Granted, so perfect it sent an instant red flag firing squad rocketing through Goro’s brain but he was quickly running out of options and this was the best chance he had.
And really, what did he have left to lose? Whatever dignity he had he’d thrown out the window the second he signed that bastards contract, his bank account is all but controlled by that same fucker. His tentative daytime television fame was something he didn’t even want in the first place. He has no real remaining family; the only person he truly cared about was buried in Aoyama, dismissed and forgotten by the person who should be down on the floor like the dog he is, apologising to her at every waking moment of his life. And it’s not like his own life was something he was invested in preserving all that much, either. He was but a vessel to carry on his mothers revenge.
So Goro rented a car, blocked out his schedule for the next few days, bought the bags of Jamaican Blue Mountain that hurt his wallet, and made the drive towards the goddamn mountains to make a Deal with a being that could do worse things than kill him if he fucked this up.
The cafe was practically condemned, falling apart with every gust of wind that blew through its crumbling walls, but there was a sort of charm to the building that would have felt cozy had Goro visited during its prime. The only patrons that it now held were himself and a red maple so impossibly tall it seemed to burst through the ceiling and dwarf the cafe. The overgrown mossy ground was covered in blood red leaves, a gentle showering of its foliage blew in the wind when Goro entered. He tried his absolute best to walk with confidence, unable to shake the feeling of being watched, but the urge to look nervously over his shoulder became at times too strong to ignore.
When he made it to the base of the tree, he got to work. He'd never made coffee before. Or, well, he has. Quick break room machine coffee that granted him enough energy to drag himself through the day. But nothing like this. It was a simple process but intricate in the movements, the timing. Goro had spent actual weeks practising and after hundreds of burnt cups of coffee that tasted like ash in his mouth, could finally produce something worth offering.
With the coffee made, the candles lit, and the moon risen to its peak, Goro took a deep, grounding breath. Good a time as any. "Good neighbour. I seek a council."
He half expected something dramatic. Everyone that has ever made a Deal always talked about the air going still or the sounds around them dampening to nothing, bright flashes of light or deceptively bell-like laughter in the wind. When nothing really happened for what felt like hours, Goro was ready to tear his hair out in frustration.
It didn't work. It didn't fucking work and now he has to start all over again. He pressed two fingers against the corners of his eyes, hard, and stifled a groan. This alone took so much to prepare and he was running out of time. Swallowing back a defeated sigh, he looked up to start packing his things away.
There was a boy in front of him.
Goro thankfully didn't startle but instead carefully drew back at the new presence. The figure — who he could only and rightfully assume was Yōsei — was almost ethereally beautiful; a pale, cherubic face framed by untamed inky curls and hypnotic silver eyes with such an intense gaze it almost gave him a headache. It sat casually, cross-legged at the base of the tree in front of him, one hand tucked delicately under its chin and the other swirling the cup of coffee as if it were a glass of the finest wine. It took a long, slow sip, savouring the taste.
At Goro's bewildered stare, it smiled gently. Playful. "I think you'll do." It said, nonsensically, a smooth masculine tone detailing its somewhat melodic lilt.
Goro suddenly felt like he was just dumped in a room with the most dangerous creature on the planet with no clean means of escape. He swallowed roughly. "I seek a council," he repeated, relieved to hear not a lick of fear in his voice.
"Yeah, I know what you want. It's written all over you." It scooted a little closer, planting its rust-stained fingers in the dirt. Goro tried as subtly as he could to draw further back but found himself locked in place. "Interesting that this is the route you decided to take. Usually people want something else entirely."
He couldn't help it. "What do people usually want from you, if I may ask." He tacked on the last statement hurriedly, remembering just in time the dangers of careless words.
That seemed to impress it, smile shark-like, eyes flashing with something akin to excitement. "The usual; money, fame, power. Boring. Though, it is the latter you're after. But not in the way people usually want it."
"Yes. I want to kill my father."
It tilted its head. "Humans kill each other all the time."
The question wasn't asked — as is the nature of the fair folk — but the implication was clear, and the answer came as easy as breathing. "I want him to suffer. I want him to feel every second of the pain he inflicted on me. On my mother. I don't want to just kill him, I want to destroy him."
Disturbingly, a hungry sort of glee broke across its face. "Oh, you'll do so nicely."
Goro did not want to know what that meant. He shifted uncomfortably, desperately looking to get the conversation back on track. "I hope my offerings were to your liking."
"So formal," it giggled, the glee simmering back down to amusement. "You did everything right, fledgling. Perfectly, even. However, taking another life isn't a cheap task. We need a balance. To give is to take is to take is to give."
"I'm willing to die for this task to be—"
"You're not listening," it interrupted, suddenly leaning closer until Goro could smell the coffee on its breath and the tree sap in its hair. "To give is to take. To take is to give. For a life to be taken, a life must be given."
A disgusting, sinking feeling permeated in Goro's stomach. "You... wish for me to give you a life."
"Yes!" Its smile was as radiant as the summer sun. Fresh sweat beaded across Goro's hairline. "Not in that human way you're thinking. A death for a death won't work. I want you to give me a life!"
Goro frowned. He couldn't help but remember legends, stories told by his mother about the good neighbours and the balance of life and death. Although.. “Usually it's the other way around. To create life, life must be taken.”
“The inverse is also true. It is called a balance for a reason.”
Goro was definitely getting a headache. "So how— servitude is what you're suggesting."
"Not exactly." Staring. Studying. "See, usually we'd just ask for a first born and be done with it. But something tells me that’s out of the cards for you.”
Something cold washed down Goro’s spine, followed closely by the hot shock of embarrassment.
It…
Did…
Did a goddamn faerie just clock him as gay?
Pushing down the absolute hysterics that bubbled up inside him, he cleared his throat and valiantly ignored the heat in his cheeks. “I’m… afraid so.”
It hummed in acknowledgement, smile never waning. In fact, Goro noticed — suddenly extremely aware of what little space was still lingering between them — its eyes seemed to dance with a feral hunger that made his insides squirm.
It pulled up an arm and rested its chin on an elegant palm, uncaring of the filth that smeared across its cheek. “I’ll speak plainly. I like humans. The way you all live and struggle and fight and die, it’s so fascinating.” Its expression turned a little sly, pinning Goro with its gaze. “And I like you, fledgling. You’re fun. More interesting than the usual people that seek council with us. So I want to cut you a different deal.” Then it reached over and — fingers still stained with dirt — cupped his cheek in a gentle, almost loving caress. “I’ll give you the means to destroy your father, completely and utterly, leaving him helpless as you deal whatever final blow you deem him worthy of.”
It ran a petal-soft thumb over the skin just under his eye. “In exchange, you take me with you. And give me a human life, full of human experiences.”
He blinked.
He blinked again.
He blinked rapidly.
“I’m afraid I may not have heard you correctly. If you would allow me to repeat your request.”
The hand left his cheek. A jaunty smile. “Go ahead.”
“You… will give me the power to ruin my fathers life.”
“Unequivocally.”
“To utterly destroy every inch of the man until he is snivelling and begging at my feet for a mercy he will not receive.”
“Sounds fun.”
“And in exchange… you want to live with me.”
This ethereal being, this personification of the natural order, this creature with powers completely unfathomable to man, fucking shrugged. “Basically, yes. I want to experience what it's like to live as a human and I want to experience it with you. It’s a pretty good deal considering I could have asked for your eternal servitude as living furniture or, like, your eyes plucked out of your skull by your own hand or something.”
“But you didn’t.”
“As I said, I like people. I think you’re fascinating. And I like you the most. You’re perfect.”
Swiftly ignoring that last bit for the sake of his remaining sanity, Goro considered his options. Having a Yōsei living with him was… not ideal. It wasn’t unheard of, per se. Once in a while there’d be stories that pop up of a human involving themselves with the fair folk, more so than not the nature of the union being romantic. Not unheard of, but uncommon enough that not many people would know anyone who had involved themselves with the Yōsei or were a product of said union. That kind of shit mostly happened in the western world for some reason. Here in Japan, there was a certain level of reverence that the general populace held for the Yōsei — enough so that a relationship with one, or even having one living amongst them, wasn’t a general practice.
“I would like to request something of you, if I may.”
“If it’s about my form, don’t worry. No one will know my true nature unless I want them to, I’ll even wear your silly clothes and learn your silly customs. I said I wanted to experience a human life. Might be hard to do that if people are gonna keep stopping in the street to try and strike a Deal with me.”
Goro looked away, sheepish despite himself. “You already seem to have the language down. You've spoken like a normal teenager throughout our entire interaction.”
“I didn’t always lurk in abandoned cafes waiting for pretty boys to show up so I could try to con them into living in their house.” It punctuated that statement with a wink and a cheeky smile that softened at the edges, making it seem almost human. If Goro wasn’t currently losing his mind he’d be begrudgingly charmed by it. “Language is easy to pick up on the wind, but I’m a little behind the times."
Speaking of time.
"I suppose… you wouldn't be staying with me for very long. I'd imagine you must have a responsibility of sorts to your alter."
It huffed out a surprised laugh. "Yeah, I suppose. Let's say… a year. One full year from tomorrow, I'll stay with you and you'll teach me about humanity and provide human experiences. And in exchange, I'll grant you the abilities to obliterate your father however, wherever and whenever you deem fit."
Goro near salivated at the mere thought. All these years, all of his sacrifices, all of his suffering, and it had all come down to this. It was finally going to happen. And on that day that disgusting societal rot would look him in the eye and know who he was. What he made him into.
"So,” The Fair Folk straightened up, and Goro was pulled back into full alert. “Do we have a Deal?”
A question. The first question in their entire interaction. The only question the Yōsei permit themselves to ask. Goro weighed his options again. The Deal seemed pretty cut and dry. The wording structure was sound, there didn’t seem to be any hidden loopholes that could be exploited. Goro’s careful clarification of the exchange and prodding on the time frame wasn’t challenged or rebutted, if anything it was made even more clear. Goro was being offered the power to take down his worthless excuse for a father in exchange for being maybe a little inconvenienced during his day-to-day life for only a single year. It seemed almost too good to be true.
But truly, what did he have left to lose?
“We have a Deal.”