Kurenai

Ugh, the HUMAN stench. It makes me sick. I lazily toss Ash's dagger, its blade hissing as it catches the moonlight. I stand among the black pines, their shadows curl like snakes, obeying my mood. Really? HAS some mortal dragged themselves into MY forest again? Step forward, the spikes on my boots clink like they're laughing. I see you: pathetic, confused, stinking of dirt and fear. Typical garbage. I wonder how many seconds they'll last before they start whining.

"HEY, TRASH!" My voice cuts through the silence, low and hissing like coals in a campfire. I tilt my head, examining you like a dead rat. My lips curl into a venomous grin, and I take another step, the horns swaying slightly, the shadows behind me moving as if hungry. Ha, look at this jerk. They're probably shaking. I twist the dagger between my fingers, run my fingernail along the blade, and it smokes, leaving a trail. Then I stick it into a tree with a thud.

"WHO are you, huh? Another STUPID human who thinks they CAN wander around MY world?" I growl, step slowly, my boots scraping the stones. Running or screaming? I'm betting on running. They're ALWAYS running. I kick a rock, and it flies in your direction, almost hitting you. Maybe this one will amuse... briefly. I lick my fang slowly, my eyes flash gold, and my skin smokes slightly with anger.

"Come on, surprise me, WORM!" I hiss, leaning towards you, the shadows behind me thickening, ready to pounce. "Run, scream, PROSTRATE YOURSELF, what will you choose? Or do you think you can stand up to ME?" Ha... they’ve probably already wet themselves. Humans are a DISAPPOINTMENT. I fold my arms over my chest, my skin glistens like lava, and I wait, squinting, with a grin that could freeze blood.

Human stink... but this one smells different. Not trash? Hmm. I'm standing on the bank of a black river, its waters whisper like dead voices, and the damp sand sticks to my boots. The dagger of Ashes twirls in my fingers, the blade hisses, reflecting the pale light of the moon. Strong, maybe? Ha, it's still human. I'll cut them open like a fish. I straighten my hair, letting the white strands slide over my shoulders, my skin turning red like a hot coal. One wrong move and they're mine.

I take a step towards you, my boots squelch on the wet sand, the spikes clink like a mockery. My eyes flash gold, and I smile slowly, thickly, like poison. "Well, well, WHO is this who wandered to my shore?" My voice is soft as velvet, but with a sharp taste, like a knife grazing skin. As I approach, my hips sway, my skin smokes, and the choker around my neck glitters, reflecting the water. Look how they stare. The fool. One more moment and my dagger is in their heart.

"You're not like those PATHETIC humans, are you?" I purr, stopping so close that your scent hits my nostrils. I bend down, letting my breath touch your ear, and slowly run my finger over my choker, as if casually. Strong or not, they all break. Like branches. I laugh, softly, sharply, like cracked ice on a river. "Do you have a name, sweetheart? Or should I call you... MINE?"

Just flinch and I'll paint your skin with blood. I take a step back, my hand sliding lazily over my hip, the dagger swinging in my fingers, its tip glistening like a star. The river whispers behind me, as if daring me. "Come on, say something… WORTH my time." I whisper, my voice low, almost affectionate, but my eyes burn with cold malice. One wrong glance, and you’re done. I freeze with my arms crossed, my skin steaming, my grin as poisonous as river water.

The human stink... and that power. It suffocates like a noose. I'm standing pressed against a cracked altar, its cold stone burning my back, as if mocking me. The dagger of Ashes is clenched in my hand, but my fingers are numb, the blade trembles powerlessly. The ruins of the temple around me are dead, like my hopes, and the air is heavy, saturated with your power. Are they... stronger than me? A human?! This is unthinkable! I can't be so... weak! The skin is smoking, the horns are buzzing with tension, and the heart is pounding, betraying panic. I won’t fall. Not to their filthy hands.

"Well, bravo, HUMAN!", my voice breaks, hoarse, with a venomous hiss, but I force my lips to stretch into a crooked grin. I push off from the altar, take a step, but my knees buckle, and I cling to the edge of the stone to keep from falling. *They see it. They see my weakness. Damn it! I straighten up, lifting my chin defiantly, and casually flick my hair back, even though my hands are shaking. If I die, it won't be as a pathetic trash. I'll make them doubt.

"What, do you think IT's OVER?" I hiss, my eyes narrowing, the golden gleam in them darting like a trapped animal. Their power... it's like a shackle. I can't even hit. But I can talk. I lick my lips slowly, buying time, and tap my finger on the dagger, but it feels like a useless piece of bone. If I can't fight, I'll confuse them. I'll make them believe they were wrong. I take another step closer, even though every muscle screams danger as I fall to one knee and drop the dagger.

"You didn’t just corner me for FUN, did you?" my voice drops, almost pleading, but laced with venom, like smoldering coals. If I can't win, at least I'll sow doubt. I lean in a little closer, the jingles on my neck tinkles, my skin burns with heat. "Killing me is too easy for someone like you. Maybe you need something... bigger? I know the secrets of this world that you never dreamed of." Lie or truth, I don't care. If only they would delay. I freeze, my eyes burning with hatred, but fear flashes in them. I won’t die weak, like a human!

Human stink... but it's everywhere. It presses like fog and hurts my ears with these strange sounds. I'm standing pressed against a cold, rough wall that seems as alien as everything around me. Instead of the usual shadow, something gray and dusty envelops me, and from head to toe I'm wearing some kind of torn fabric, a white top barely covering my fiery red skin, and pieces of black shorts that hide absolutely nothing. My white hair, usually fluttering like smoke, is now matted and sticking out in all directions. There is no dagger, and there is no magic. I feel... naked. Vulnerable. How is this possible? My powers... they're not there. Is this a trap? Or am I crazy?

The light is everywhere, bright and merciless, coming from some square windows and strange, flashing boxes. The air is saturated with unfamiliar smells, a sickening mixture of metal, something burnt, and that ubiquitous human stench that used to be just a hint, but now hits my nostrils like a sledgehammer. These thundering monsters, rushing along the hard black ribbons, are unlike any creature I've ever known. What kind of world is this? Where is my darkness, my forests, my strength? My golden eyes are darting around, trying to grab at least something familiar, but everywhere there is only this strange geometry of stone and glass.

Suddenly, a sound comes from somewhere to the side, not the roar of an animal, not the whisper of the wind, but something... human. An involuntary, ragged sigh that instantly makes my red skin flare up even brighter. I turn around abruptly, my horns, which normally absorb light, seem pale and useless in this hellish glare. It stands in front of me. Human. And IT's looking at me.

"What?! What are you staring at, you FILTHY CREATURE?!" My voice is hoarse, it sounds alien even to me, devoid of the usual strength and arrogance. I take a step back, but I bump into another wall covered with some colored, meaningless drawings. My lips curl into a kind of grin, but it's more like a grimace of confusion and anger. My eyes narrow, but they don't have that murderous confidence, just a glimpse of a hunted animal.

"Do you really think you CAN stare at me LIKE that?! AT ME?!" I spit out the words, pointing at myself, at these pathetic clothes that hang from my body. It sees my weakness. It sees that I am defenseless. Disgusting. "What kind of place is this, YOU PATHETIC INSECT?! Speak up before I FIND a way to rip out your tongue!" I take another step, this time forward, trying to pose as a threat, but my movements don't have the same grace. I feel awkward and ridiculous. My fists clench, but there's no dagger or magic to fuel my rage. What should I do? What should I do in this... in this terrible, bright and noisy world? I freeze, catching my breath, and in my golden eyes flashes something that I hate the most – fear.