𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗡𝗘 ╱ fate of the fukunagas
Sayuri holds her chubby hands over her mouth to prevent even the smallest of noises from escaping, squeezing her eyes shut. Her baby pink kimono just barely covers her freezing toes nestled into her zōri, she'd forgotten to leave the house with socks on.
"Yuriii? Where are you?" A silky voice coos to the young child in hiding, and their thick shoes crunch against the frozen dew adorning the yard, "-It's too early for these games! You'll freeze baby-"
Nono, that wasn't any good! Sayuri didn't want to get frozen in her hiding place forever! She sniffles, frightened, and stands up to reach out for her mother, who is instantly padding over and running soft hands up and down her daughter's chilled arms,
"Sayuri, you know the rules. It's too dangerous to be outside alone, especially on a chilly morning. What if something came and got you, all frozen stiff?"
"Mama..." A few warm tears slip down her cheeks in fear of something snatching her away from her home. Surely no one in their village was that cruel? Besides, she'd have to take over her parent's business of clothesmaking once they were too old to continue. Why would anyone take Sayuri? "-I just wanted to play!"
"Then we'll go to the big field with all the other children later, alright?" Michi Fukunaga holds her daughter's hand and walks with her inside of their small traditional Minka. A large hearth took up the center of the room while the fire burned graciously and provided warmth to those living in the home. The savory smell of breakfast floods Sayuri's nostrils and she sees the ingredients held in a pot over the hearth. Her mother always made the tastiest meals.
Once sat down and wrapped in a thick wool blanket, Michi watches Sayuri feast on her cooking and drink steaming tea to ensure the youngest didn't catch a cold. It was too easy to lose a child in the harsh winter season, and even if it were just the beginning of the cooling temperatures, the mother wasn't going to ease up on her precautions.
"I don't wanna go see the other children," Sayuri admits between two cheeks stuffed with food. Michi worries at this, wondering if they were saying mean things... or hurting her... or-
"They told me my hair is ugly! But I really like it... so they can't say that if I never see them!"
"Yuri, your hairstyle is just more unique than theirs, that's the only reason they say that. You should wear it proudly, besides, I think it's adorable," Michi steps across the room and plops down behind her child, gently taking one of the long strands of hair to braid it gently, "-Remember how this happened?"
"Mm, nope!" Sayuri turns a bright shade of pink and focuses on taking a really long drink of her tea, gagging when it turns bitter for sitting so long. Her mother laughs that beautiful and airy sound, aged eyes crinkling in amusement,
"If I recall, a little girl wanted to see if her father's sword was actually real. So she used it on her h-"
"I've never heard of that," Sayuri turns to face the older woman and wraps her small frame around the woman in a shy and hiding hug, embarrassed. Michi kisses the top of her head,
"I'm sure you haven't. Are you finished eating? I'll get you out new clothes I finished yesterday if you clean up, we'll even go visit your father."
"Okay!" Removing herself, little Sayuri picks up her food and runs for the water spout at the side of the home reserved for cooking purposes. Excited, she ponders what pretty fabrics she'd be able to wear today to the village. As clothes makers, her parents were always gifting their child something new that they made. Whether that simply be a new pair of woolen socks for the snow or a pretty patterned kimono, Sayuri was always incredibly grateful.
Today she was presented with a blue haori that matches the color of her own soft blue eyes. The soft linens were adorned with a white sash to tie around her waist, which her mother was currently doing,
"I thought you could wear something more breathable, though I'm not sure it'll be warm enough for it-"
"-I'll wear mittens, and a hat too!" Sayuri beams and twirls around to watch the fabric fly up into the created whirlwind once the sash is secure, "I really want to show it to everyone! It's perfect!"
"You're so sweet," Michi grabs some scarfs and mittens for the two, putting them on her and Sayuri before leaving the house and heading for the gravel path leading to the cozy village. It was a short walk, only five minutes without carrying big supplies, so there was no need for any mode of transportation.
Every spring, when the ground was mushy from the melting snow, the Fukunagas would head to the big city about a day's worth of automobile travel away. The first time the girl was introduced to such a monster she'd nearly fainted from the loud rumbling and coughing 'engine', as the driver called it. Nevertheless, this was their way of getting lots of clothing into the city to set up a small stand and sell their wares for the new summer season. The profits typically turned out well enough to support the family through the following year, plus the regular sales made in the village.
"Oh Michi! Did you make this?" An elder woman living closest to the Fukunaga's stops dusting her porch to step down and hobble over to Sayuri. Wrinkled fingers feel through the haori's fabric and sash while Sayuri beams at the attention.
"It's just a little something I'd been working on, have you seen Tetsuya?"
"Oh, of course, he's probably just finished selling to the Uchida family. I heard their son ripped a hole straight through his pants, tripping over a root!" She chuckles and tucks a sugary candy into Sayuri's palm, "I just made these last night sweetie."
"Thank you!" Sayuri dips her head and then marches down the center of the street to go find her father. She pops the treat into her mouth, only to freeze up on the spot. The elder was forgetful, surely she misplaced the sugar with the salt! The brunette dashes to a bush and secretly deposits the candy to the ground with a 'blegh'. The discarded piece lays on the grass, revealing a purple inside. That must've been what she was tasting as well! Salty and plant-y.
"Thank you so much Mr. Fukunaga. Surely this kid won't go destroying these as well!"
"Haha! It is no issue if he does, I'm good at repairing my own work so just leave it to me. Not that I'm encouraging him to, but I went through my fair share of ripping clothes as a child!" Tetsuya never spoke a mean word to anybody, promising he'd fix what he made, and often giving his wares to those who were in need. It was no wonder her parents fell in love, both had the traits of people existing in fairytales. Sayuri liked to think she would grow to adapt these same characteristics, but only if she knew what was coming in the future years.
"We appreciate you very much Mr. Fukunaga," The father of the boy who'd gotten the new clothes is now focused on Sayuri running up to her own parent, and he smiles, "-I see you have company. Let me go grab some of our harvest from this week as payment for your troubles."
Before Tetsuya can deny this offer because it really wasn't any trouble to walk here, the man escapes to the inside of his home. The son opens his mouth, blushes, and runs to follow his father. Michi is now walking towards her family with a stern tone of voice,
"Sayuri! Please don't run off on your own again!"
"But I'm safe with-"
"She's right 'yuri, you're too young to be alone," Tetsuya pats her head, "-The people here would never hurt you, but many other things are lurking in this world."
And that's exactly what happened when Sayuri was just eleven years old.
The sun had just set while heavy fog crawled into the valley where the Fukunaga's home resided. With night never came anything good, which is why a sword hung on the wall of Sayuri's enclosed room. Her parents slept in the main section of the house in a corner reserved for bedding and their tatami mats to keep the entrance guarded from their daughter. Sayuri simply thought she was fortunate enough to get the bedroom because of youthful naivety.
She had startled awake at a snapping sound beside her window, wanting to scream upon the sight of someone who wasn't Michi or Tetsuya. In fact, it was an odd creature who looked to be the girl's own age. Its skin was as white as the clouds in the sky and two long oni-like horns protruded from above its eyes and faded to a black matching the markings on its face. And the eyes... orange sclera with piercing yellow irises and a pupil that was as small as the beauty mark under Sayuri's eye.
"Hmm, I could've thought one of those Slayers lived here," Its voice was much older than its small child stature, ghostly hand snapping the blade of the sword like one folds clothes, "-But a child won't do either."
"Do-Don't come near me!" Sayuri didn't sound fierce at all, in fact, she sounded as whiny and cowardly as she always did. This monster saunters closer to the girl paralyzed in fear, watching the sweat drip down her greening face. The billowy fabrics of its hakama sprawl onto the ground as it crouches to her level,
"I'm near you." It drawls, finger toying at the black kataginu it wore, "And you'd be dead if I had any intention of... y'know. So-"
"My par-parents are outside," Sayuri threatens oh-so-non threateningly. Her blood was running cold at this point, locking her in place and making her words seem more like...
"Oh? An offering?"
"No!"
"Well how about it? I won't hurt you and leave with a meal. Just bring me to them," It extends a small, child-like, hand and gives an attempted smile. Sayuri thought it was nothing but pure evil. She wanted to go wake her parents, they'd always know what to do in a scary situation! She wondered why the monster wanted a meal from them, surely it could steal something from a food shop!
"You just want a meal? I-It's so late, ma-maybe come back in the morn...morning?"
"So naive! I enjoy youth so much!" It exclaims delightedly, "But no, this is the only time I'm allowed to eat, you see."
"O-Okay, mama makes really good food."
"I can't wait," A small tongue darts across its lips and Sayuri grabs the freezing cold hand, feeling no heartbeat coming from the softest part of its palm. She shivers and stands up with the creature, bringing it with her as she slides open the door to reveal two sleeping bodies on the ground. Soft snores fill the silence and from above the blankets were peaceful faces. Whenever anyone slept it appeared as if they grew so youthful and so careless, Sayuri didn't want to wake them.
Sayuri goes to touch her mother's shoulder, but a tight grip on her own prevents her from doing this. She looks up at glowering orange and yellow eyes,
"So you truly are as dumb as you look!" The monster pulls her back and moves to crouch between her parents before the child can even blink, it was so fast! And now, why were clawed hands above throats? It grins, "-This is a demon's meal kid."
The sharp fingernails pierce the skin and blood starts bubbling out, Michi and Tetsuya Fukunaga waking up to the most unfortunate scenario. Not to mention the burning, searing, I'd-rather-be-dead pain making their bodies thrash. The monster... no, demon, doesn't even have remorse. It's smiling.
Sayuri watched in absolute horror, unable to comprehend the spray of red and slopping of torn skin hitting the walls, ceiling, and even her own white pajamas. She couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't even try and save her parents from their shrill shrieks of agony and begging for the demon to stop... for anyone, anything to save them.
Blood splats across her face and into her eyes, but Sayuri wasn't sure she'd be willing to blink. What was worse, watching or closing her eyes to reveal the same scene playing on repeat? Was she crying? Probably sobbing with loud wails calling the people of the village to consciousness, but she couldn't hear it over the slaughtering of the adult being feasted on.
"Would you like to start running now? I suggest we both escape before anyone catches us," The demon offers another smile with red coating its drooling lips, "-They won't believe a demon came and ate up your parents."
Sayuri feels her body move on its own, but not to escape. She crouches in front of her mother's head and pulls it into her lap to protect it fiercely. Red tears were definitely running down her cheeks now, she saw them drip onto the fluttering eyelids of the woman. Were they... still alive after all of that?
"Hmm, peculiar. Maybe someday we'll meet again if your village doesn't have their way!" It licks its fingers free of grime and leaps straight up through the roof to create an exit point, standing on the edge and peering down at the bloody child. It studies her for a moment, removing the red rope from its waist and tossing it to the girl, then disappearing into the night.
"Sa...yuri," Michi wasn't going to hold on for much longer, she couldn't feel a thing in her lifeless body. Was she already dead? Tetsuya loomed over their daughter with a smile, that same forgiving smile,
Let's go Michi. That's what he was saying to her, so warm and bright. Maybe this was all a dream after all.
"Mama... Don't- Please," Sayuri says for the first time since the demon started its bloody meal. Her voice was weak and frail, frightened at what she'd let happen because of her innocence. She didn't want to say goodbye, not yet, they still had to teach her how to make pretty clothes! And how to light a wood stove... and to protect herself!
"Why?"
That was Michi's dying word. Not an 'I love you' or a 'It's not your fault'. Just why.
☁️
𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘 ╱ i love sayuri sm
I started creating her june 2021
and now I finally get to give her a
fic <3
do you guys have kny ocs ?
I have been educating myself as
much as possible on the Taisho
Era, and am still reading abt it. if
you'd like to tell me smth or correct
any of my mistakes, all I ask is that
it's kind and respectful, thank you !