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revivedandabandonedkids · 5 years

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The Portrait of Afuro Terumi (06~10)

! Double Gods

! Unfinished

[Previous]

06.

What's an appropriate response upon being addressed by a literal painting?

Among countless of possible eloquent answers, Hiroto selects the simple and to-the-point “What the fuck?”

Afuro Terumi- the portrait (Don’t call it by a name. Calling it by a name dignifies it as a consciousness.) seems unfazed. “I guess the more correct term would be that I am the curse.”

It’s beginning to feel too much like a fever dream so Hiroto backs out of the room and calmly goes back to his room where he sleeps for a good twelve hours.

07.

Hiroto knows what’s in the room. It’s a dusty old painting that talks.

Or maybe he doesn’t know what’s in the room and his memories of the previous afternoon are just the result of his delusions.

There’s only one way to be sure.

Before he can psyche himself out, Hiroto marches up to the room again, and barely gives the knob a twist before it springs open.

“You’re back.” Afuro Terumi greets him.

Hiroto stiffens. Fuck. So it was real. He conversed with a painting, which is the opposite of what Haizaki warned him about, and now he’s probably cursed, but he can’t even tell Haizaki about it because he doesn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

“You act like you knew I was coming.” Hiroto asks cautiously. “Did you know I was coming?”

“I had an idea.” Afuro Terumi’s eyes gleam mysteriously. “It has something to do with the curse, actually.”

“Right. The curse, because that’s definitely a thing that’s… what? Placed upon me?” Hiroto rubs his forehead, hoping that if he willed it hard enough, his migraine would disappear.

“More or less.” Afuro Terumi hums vaguely, concealing any and all sorts of emotion form his tonal voice. “Leaning towards more at the moment.”

“Are you going to explain yourself at some point?” Hiroto sighs.

“I don’t know where to start!” Afuro Terumi only smiles cheerfully. “Why don’t you ask me questions, and I’ll do my best to answer them?”

“Sure.” Hiroto deadpans. “Why not. I don’t suppose you’d like a nice cup of earl grey with that as well.”

“I have my own beverage.” Afuro Terumi gives the wine glass a whirl. The liquid swishes but doesn’t spill. “Even though I can’t actually drink it, since it’s not substantial.”

“Okay.” says Hiroto. “Okay.” he says it again, just to reassure himself. “First question.” His voice sounds a little scratchy. “Are you male? Female? Neither? Little bit of both?”

Afuro Terumi blinks, a slip of confusion seeping out from the painting’s mask. “Seriously? Of all the more pressing matters, that’s your first question?”

Hiroto frowns. “It’s not like I have a limited amount of questions.” he grumbles. “I just… don’t know what to refer you as in my head.”

“Ah. You think about me often?” Afuro Terumi’s face brightens marginally. “That’s very sweet of you.”

Don’t react. Don’t react, Hiroto. “Just answer the question.”

“I am a guy, if you’ll take my word for it.” Something akin to amusement dances in Afuro Terumi’s languidly musical voice. “Or do you want actual proof with that?”

All the blood in his system rushes up to Hiroto’s cheeks, and he curses at himself for being so easy to play. “If it’s not a birth certificate you’re showing me, I’m leaving.”

“You have no sense of humor.”

“You have a twisted sense of humor.”

Afuro Terumi laughs, and it’s a very boyish laugh. “Next question?”

Hiroto points to the plaque underneath his frame. “It says here that your name is Afuro Terumi. Is it?” he asks. “Just to be clear, though. Even if it isn’t, that’s how I’m going to call you for the rest of my life.”

“So you plan on spending the rest of your life with me?”

“Would it kill you to give a clear answer on the first try?”

“It wouldn’t.” he chirps joyously. “It’s just been a long time since I’ve had the chance to converse with other people. Let me have my fun.” He tilts his head slightly to the right. “But yes. That is my name.”

“Afuro.” Hiroto tests it out on his tongue for the first time. It rolls oddly.

“At your service.” Afuro replies smoothly. “But aren’t you going to offer me your name?”

Hiroto makes a face. “Would that potentially endanger my existence?” He’s read a lot of stories about how never to reveal one’s true names to mythical folk. He’s not sure if Afuro applies, but better safe than sorry goes the saying.

Afuro seems to consider about it. Then unsurprisingly, delivers an utterly disappointing answer. “As far as I’m concerned, your existence is already endangered, so you needn’t worry.”

“That’s comforting.” Hiroto mutters under his breath, but obviously there’s no point in arguing, so in a louder voice he says. “Kira Hiroto. What’s the deal about me being cursed and my existence endangered?”

Afuro clicks his tongue thoughtfully. “How do I explain this?” he sets his wine glass down and links his fingers together. “I would start with telling you to stay away if you cherish your life but for a variety of reasons, I will not waste my breath on that speech."

Hiroto stares at him, unimpressed. “That explains absolutely nothing.”

Afuro rolls his bottom lips between his teeth. “I guess there’s no easy way to put this, so listen clearly, Hiroto-kun.” Hiroto’s eyes twitch at the overly friendly title, but doesn’t comment.

Afuro is deliberate and clear when he talks, like every syllable holds a weight. "The moment you entered this room, you're trapped. Not physically. You're able to leave this room at any time, but you'll always always inevitably feel the urge to come back. And when it comes, you won't be able to resist it. That's how my curse works."

Hiroto's lips twitch. "That doesn't sound too bad."

"Right. I suppose I forgot to mention the fact that every time you come in here, I suck a bit of your life away."

"You what?"

08.

Afuro falls silent again. He seems to be struggling with how he should arrange his words. It's not a good sign when talking to someone about a very grave and very serious problem, Hiroto should know. He is raised as a corporation heir.

But it's no use ushering Afuro to hurry up either, so he takes a seat on the dusty floor and waits with an erratic anxiety spiking in his arteries.

"How old do you think I look?" Afuro asks after moments of hesitation.

"At a time like this? Really?"

Afuro stares insistently. A hard line sets on his jaw.

Hiroto sighs defeatedly. "I don't know, okay? I'm not some renowned… art inspector. I just know that you're old."

Afuro shakes his head. "My painting is old, but me myself as Afuro Terumi, I'm only in my teens."

"You lost me."

"Time doesn't really work like that for me. When I'm alone, it's like I cease to exist." Afuro explains, resting his chin on his left palm, where he's propped his elbow on a raised leg. "I'm only alive when life approaches me, and that's because I draw the life from living beings. That's why they call me a curse."

"Haizaki said a bunch of people have died here before."

"Your friend is right." Afuro shrugs. "I did that. I mean, their lives were sucked dry, not that I jumped out the picture and shagged them with a dagger."

"You can do that?"

"No. I'm trapped between these four pieces of wood." He gestures at the beautifully carved frame walling up the canvas. "It's a very small world."

09.

"Your life is on the line here. By entering this room twice, you've already greatly sabotaged your chances of surviving. If you keep this up, you will die. It doesn't matter to me one way or another, but if you value living, please refrain yourself from coming again."

"You sure are full of yourself. So you have a pretty face, you're not that irresistible." Hiroto rolls his eyes.

Afuro simply laughs, and bids him goodbye.

10.

Despite being informed directly by the curse's source, Hiroto hasn't been completely convinced about said curse until his feet carries him to the same door three days in a row without thought.

-TBC

I am in a post new series haze so like... I really don’t have that much motivation for Ina Eleven atm oops. (If anyone’s curious, current obsession is Hidamari ga Kikoeru by Fumino Yuki. Slow burn romance. Big rec. Ongoing.)

Also I’m starting year three of high school, so that means I’m about to become very very busy. Activity is going to be undoubtedly wonky. Still, stick around if you’d like. I might drop by with a shitpost of fic once in a while.

For the time being, I await part 3 of TPOAT with you.

Hang in there buddies, and remember to stay hydrated.

#Inazuma Eleven #inazuma eleven orion #My writing #Kira Hiroto #Afuro Terumi #this has been a psa from a currently sick person #i've been drinking so much water guys

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