Chapter Text
The Watergate City of Priestella, the Capital of Water.
Kiritaka Muse POV
Kiritaka Muse was enjoying his day.
He fixed his suit in the window of a shop as he walked by, checking himself out in the reflective glass, wiping some imaginary dust off his shoulders and giving himself a self-confident smirk.
A nearby pastry shop was thoroughly cleaned out today with his coin purse being much lighter now. A large amount of small brown bags were scattered around him at the same time coincidentally.
Today was a special day. The l̶i̶t̶t̶l̶e̶ ̶g̶i̶r̶l̶ diva woman who had stolen his heart was arriving in the city once more!
His heart was already pounding at the thought of witnessing her divine perfection once again, to watch her sing in front of the entire city he had been managing the trade of.
He even had an uncharacteristic skip in his step. He truly felt like he was flying as the luckiest man in the entire world.
Unluckily for him though, he still had several meetings planned today before being able to see his idol. One of which was immensely important to go well.
A recent incident had taken place near the city– A guiltylowe had gotten too close to the Blacksnake contamination zone and while in its disease-riddled state had attacked the nearby convoy, the escort was killed from the Great Mabeast’s leftover plague before the guiltylowe had died itself.
Many of their transport carriages were destroyed in the process, seriously damaging the rate of goods flowing in the city’s name. This meeting was important to discuss the purchase of new transport without damaging the city’s dwindling budget too much.
He could already feel drops of sweat forming on his forehead at the upcoming conversation. The only thing that keeps him from aging 40 years at the thought is the afternoon she will share with Liliana.
For now though, he redirects his thoughts elsewhere. It would be disadvantageous to enter a meeting with a sweat covered body and foul odor. He had once experienced a merchant trying to negotiate with him after cleaning the stalls of his ground dragon, it was the worst experience he had ever had during his younger days as a rookie business owner.
His hand enters the pocket of his pristine white suit, grabbing a handkerchief from within it and absorbing the gathering sweat. The harsh sunlight today is doing him no favors in this endeavor.
The expensive shoes on his feet clack against the pavement of the sidewalk in front of his company building, a large sign hangs above the door displaying ‘Muse Company’.
He reaches in his other pocket and grabs a small set of keys, flicks through them one by one and eventually reaches the designated one for his company building.
The lock clicks open and he steps inside, brushing his shoes against the small doormat to remove any small bits of dirt clinging to them.
Just as he gets done flicking the single sided lock to prevent unwanted entry, his entire body stills.
His mind feels like it's being pushed back, becoming merely an observer to his surroundings.
The process is done within a singular second, happening so fast that Kiritaka doesn't even notice it had happened for a hot minute.
Only when his limbs fail to respond to his will does panic begin to set into his consciousness.
He is forced to watch as his body starts moving on its own, not responding to anything he wants it to and doing its own thing.
Possession magic?
As the child of a well-off family, he was educated quite well. The existence of forbidden possession magic and curses by spirits was something he knew existed.
Yet the person inhabiting his body pays no mind to the screaming voice that is situated at the back of his mind, and casually sets down the abundance of bags on a nearby table.
“Dude, no girl is gonna want ya if with this much simping.”
His voice comes out of his own mouth without his consent. Words spoken by the thing using his body as a suit right now.
My love will get to her eventually!!
…
SHIT, THE MEETING!! I need to get control back before it starts!!
“Yeah bud, not happening. Just go and ride shotgun while I enjoy my day here.”
However you are, you will not get away with this casually. I am the owner of the Muse Company and you will be found and arres–
“Yada yada yada.”
The inhabitant taking his body started digging his pinkie finger in his own ear, twisting it around while forming talking motions with his other hand as if controlling a puppet.
Kiritaka continues threatening the criminal hijacking his body yet it truly does not phase him, the arrogance, Kiritaka thinks.
A feeling of vertigo fills him as his body starts walking in a direction Kiritaka recognises at the company storage room, his body moving while he stays still would've made him motion sick if still in control of his nerves.
A hum escapes his throat, filling the air with a tune completely unfamiliar to him. A tune incomparable to his Liliana’s sweet voice.
He could only watch as the puppeteer greets the staff of his company as he passes them, not a person noticing the error in ‘Kiritaka’.
He strolls casually through the halls without a care of the world, like he isn't possession one of the most important figures within the entire city.
Yet instead of using him in order to gain fortune from his company or to take advantage of the workers under him, he enters the storage room and grabs… Sunflower oil, a canteen of water, and… essential oils he always used to burn incense in his office room?
The strange combination stuns Kiritaka as his body carries the liquids to the staff kitchen in the break room nearby.
It's still the morning hours of the day so there is no person currently within the room, only the quiet buzzing of a lone fly that had gotten into the room.
A pot is grabbed from the cabinet under the glintstone stove burners.
It is quickly set on high heat with the carried water being poured in to be boiled.
His body strolls over to the nearby couches and lays down in a slouching posture he would never as a respected merchant show to anyone.
His fingers repeatedly tap against the wooden coff table, done almost automatically as a way to shave off boredom.
“Oh right! This isn't my body so I can do whatever to cure it!” is spoken out loud as he sits up.
Within a matter of minutes every single pillow inside of the room is located on a single couch. All of them combine together to create the ultimate pillow fort.
It was done with practiced ease, the fluff filled fabric squares aligned perfectly to create standing walls with windows in them.
His forearm wipes his forehead to clean it from the imaginary sweat on it.
He grabs a nearby piece of paper and starts creating a banner for the fluffy fortress.
Just as he sets a drawn flag on the top of the cushion castle, one of his employees walks into the break room with a pre-prepared lunch to place into the fridge.
Kiritaka’s metaphorical eyes widen as he recognises the figure as his assistant Alicia.
Surely she will immediately notice that something is wrong and get help!
She takes one look inside the room– staring at ‘Kiritaka’ still holding a flag above a massive pillow fort, then at the empty couches, then at the hallway as she turns around and leaves with a comment.
“Be normal for the meeting.”
The faint hope Kiritaka had felt was immediately extinguished, leaving him sadly sitting in a blue and white folding chair located in the middle of the void he's trapped in.
I don't usually act like this, right?!?!
‘Kiritaka’ goes back to his boiling water and shuts off the heat, letting it cool a slight bit before adding in the oils he had taken earlier, mixing everything together into a yellow translucent liquid with a good smell.
What the hell even is that?!
A large mischievous grin spreads across his face, reaching ear to ear and showing his pearly whites. Within another plane of existence, Lloyd Frontera scoffs at the attempt to even mimic a fraction of his deranged expression.
‘Kiritaka’ strikes a pose similar to a magical girl, holding the entire iron pot with a single hand like his branded weapon.
“SOAP ON!!! Oh wait, this isn't Re:Twintail.”
Alicia from further down the corridor rubs her forehead, considering calling for a healer for his more-than-usual deranged behavior.
‘Kiritaka’ just grabs a large soup ladle and runs out the door of the break room, sprinting down the fancy hallways while cackling like a maniac.
He sticks his hand in the pot and smudges the yellow viscous liquid into his hair while running– massaging it thoroughly into his scalp.
The fake stops at the bathroom door, running in and splashing water over the yellow goop before scrubbing furiously.
Small white bubbles start forming in waves on his brown locks as they clump together from the water.
He continues scrubbing for a minute till every hair is covered in the white stuff, it's sticking to his face, his mouth, with some white stuff even dripping down his back.
PHRASE THAT DIFFERENTLY!!
Kiritaka yells out while continuing to struggle control back over his body– dread seeping in as he thinks of his upcoming meeting.
Yet not a single attempt he has made has even budged the intruder.
‘Kirtaka’ grabs his pot of homemade dish soap and runs out of the company building, slamming the doors behind him without caring to lock any of them.
The citizens of Priestella were enjoying the bright sunny day– the only strange part was the lack of a city-wide announcement today. The usual charismatic voice of Kiritaka Muse did not broadcast a message today.
Despite that, everyone went along with their day as normal. Sly merchants were bargaining various goods to clueless customers, children were running around playing their self-made games, and various water dragons were swimming with the flow of the canal. The rhythmic tapping of a foot could be heard faintly from a nearby stall owner waiting for his next customer.
A slowly growing number of heads constantly turn to look at a bizarre scene occurring in direct contrast to the peaceful morning.
“Wha–?”
“Is that Kiritaka-san?”
“Why does he look so manic… It's creeping me out.”
The well-known business owner and manager of city trade, Kiritaka Muse, was running in the middle of the street with a disturbing grin on his face.
His hands had oversized oven mitts covering them as he cradled a large metal pot in his arms like it was the second birth of Christ.
The rhythmic tapping of his expensive shoes hitting the cobblestone echoed throughout the now-gone-quiet street.
‘Kiritaka’ approached a fountain situated at the center of the large trading plaza, his eyes scanning over the water spewing structure with a predatory gaze.
A guard approached him at the fountain somewhat hesitantly, face filled with uncertainty. One arm already reaching out toward Kiritaka yet frozen halfway.
“Uhm… Kiritaka-san, is everything alright?”
‘Kirtaka’ said nothing but turned his head to stare intensely into the guard's eyes, keeping eye contact for a long enough time to bring an uncomfortable silence between them.
His arms holding the pot of yellow liquid rose above the water splashing around the fountain, and turned it upside down.
The liquid spilled out of the pot and into the fountain, mixing with the moving water.
As soon as a quarter of the substance has been dumped out of the metal container, he covers it with a lid from behind his back.
‘Kiritaka’ turned around and walked off casually, leaving a screaming guard staring in confusion as the fountain started spewing out massive waves of bubbles.
The entire public square soon followed his example, merchants abandoning their stalls, carriages being left in the middle of the street– some still with their ground dragon attached to them.
The substance was treated like it was a part of the black serpent, not a single person even daring to go near it.
The area was blocked off by the city’s law enforcement agency and the bubbles were brought to a poison specialist.
Luckily they confirmed the lack of any harmful ingredients within the concoction.
After checking the eyewitness statements, their next stop turned out to be the residence of Kiritaka Muse, who was currently huddled up in a corner after regaining control over his body.