Chapter Text
Under my thumb
Is a Siamese cat of a girl
Under my thumb
She's the sweetest pet in the world
-The Rolling Stones
—
Lei Heng was not a good man.
Ryoshu was more than aware of that fact just by the look of him, not just because of his attire denoting him as a Capo of the Thumb, but because of the way he had locked eyes with her when they first met. Most people when met with her fierce, sharp glare shrank away or looked upon her cockily as if they wanted to prove themselves to her. Often they failed. Ryoshu wasn’t stupid and she tried to avert her gaze. Four gold stripes: Capo IV. Everyone knew not to get in the Thumb’s way yet Lei Heng moved to meet her gaze once again.
Lei Heng looked down at her. Unfazed and beyond dangerous. He met her gaze with the utmost confidence.
The tobacco in her cigarette tasted bitter on her tongue when he towered before her from where she stood. She took a long drag and blew the smoke in a perfect circle. He smirked.
“Well now. You’re lookin’ way too pretty to be frowning like that. I’ve heard of ya, ya know.” He took a drag of his cigar and chuckled, the smoke escaping with each guffaw. “You smoke some shit cigarettes, little lady. Here, try this.” He offered his cigar to her and she smelled the high quality tobacco. It smelled almost herbal.
Ryoshu lets out a short laugh. “Hmph.” She dropped the cigarette and stamped it out with the heel of her shoe with a pointed grind, still meeting his gaze if he wanted to keep eye contact so badly. She took the cigar and took a long drag. It burned and tasted sweet. Lei Heng watched the way her lips pursed around the width of the cigar and hummed.
“You look mighty fine wrappin’ your lips around something a little bigger.” He winked at her and leaned into her space to pluck the cigar from her fingers. He’s huge and his hand looked large enough to wrap around Ryoshu’s neck with just one hand. She wished the thought of that didn’t excite her yet it did. Especially the thought of the kind of bruises he’d leave. The kind of art he must’ve made with those giant hands.
“Thumb.” She started. “D.I.C.K?”
Lei Heng raised an eyebrow. “Who are you callin’ a dick?”
She shook her head and sighed. Ryoshu looked up at him and tilted her head back to bare her throat to him. She didn’t dare touch him first but she knew that if he wanted her like she suspected, there was nothing she could do to stop him. Fortunately for him, she was more than willing.
“Desire Instant Carnal Kicks? Hmph.” She smiled. Her smile was sharp on her otherwise pretty face. Were it not for the sharp deadly glare and her warped smile, she would’ve been a classical beauty, but that was exactly what Lei Heng liked.
“Oho.” Lei Heng grinned and he wrapped his giant hand around her delicate looking neck to pull her closer. “I knew I liked ya.”
His kiss felt like her mouth was getting mauled by a beast.
—
The journey back to his place was a blur of grasping hands groping at each other, Lei Heng’s giant hands gripping her ass while Ryoshu gripped at his broad back, and kisses with too much teeth. Lei Heng didn’t hesitate to press teeth marks into her pale skin and the strength of his teeth around her throat brought to mind a tiger ripping the jugular out of its prey. Ryoshu chuckled low and Lei Heng bit down harder in response.
She moaned, loud and unashamed, as they stumbled down an alleyway while a passerby paused to look for a moment. Wrong move. Lei Heng pulled his mouth off of her throat to reach out with lightning fast reflexes toward the man, grabbing his face.
“What’re ya lookin’ at, huh? You want some too? She’s mine.” He wrapped his arm around Ryoshu possessively and grinned. “So it looks like you owe me your eyes.”
He pulled away from Ryoshu to slam the man into the ground with one knee on his chest. Ryoshu leaned against a wall with a satisfied grin as Lei Heng pushed his thumbs into the unfortunate stranger’s eye sockets. She watched with sadistic glee at the pop and the screams.
Lei Heng wiped his bloodied, gloved hands off on the writhing man and stood up, adjusting his clothes as he did. “Now, where were we?” He grabbed a fistful of Ryoshu’s hair, long and pin straight black. “Hmm, I like all this hair. Makes a good handle.”
He tugged at the hair harsh enough for it to sting and for Ryoshu to let out a hiss and a chuckle. “T.L. Gets in the way.”
“Of what?” He dragged her closer to a door and fumbled with some keys one handed while still keeping his grip on her hair.
“My art.” Ryoshu managed to say before being shoved through the door. She didn’t have time to admire the aesthetics and decor before being shoved onto a plush couch.
She sprawled on it like she belonged there and Lei Heng took a moment to admire her on the couch. “You make art then? Hope you ain’t one of them Ring Pointillists.” He crawled on top of her, absolutely shielding her petite form with his bulk.
Ryoshu scoffed. “P.I.S.S. The lot of them. No.” She still didn’t dare to touch him, but she offered her neck to him and spread her legs to welcome him in. He chuckled, tearing her shirt in half to get to see more pale skin and perfect little tits.
“Less talking, little lady. Let’s just have some fun.” He pulled a glove off his hand with his teeth and then pulled the other one off. His bare fingers pinched and tugged meanly at Ryoshu’s nipples. She winced and sighed, arching her back into the abuse. A huge hand went to her pants where again he tore them off of her, seams splitting and a button flying somewhere.
Lei Heng admired how petite and breakable Ryoshu looked beneath him; lithe yet strong, firm muscle underneath smooth skin. He wrapped his hands around her waist and was delighted to see his fingers nearly touching, squeezing her midsection for a moment then continuing downward to shove aside Ryoshu’s utilitarian boy shorts for access to her cunt. Unshaven with dark curls that already glistened with moisture and he smirked. Did seeing him take that man’s eyes make her like this? What a strange little lady.
He ripped the underwear off her body, and Ryoshu simply spread her legs more now that there was no clothing covering her. Shameless. Lei Heng wasted no time shoving two thick fingers into her pussy and Ryoshu moaned at the sudden intrusion.
She was tight and burning hot inside, clenching down on his fingers as if she intended to try and break them. He pulled his fingers out and slapped her pussy then grabbed her by the hair to tug her off of the couch. Ryoshu yelped at the slap and dared to even laugh as she’s forced down onto her knees.
Lei Heng moved to sit with his thighs spread, one hand still holding her by the hair while the other unzipped his slacks just enough to get his cock out. His cock was a threatening length and thickness. Ryoshu felt her cunt clench around nothing at the thought of it bullying its way into her. The hand in her hair tugged her face harshly toward his cock until it lay across her cheek. Getting the message, she opened her mouth and dragged her tongue over the shaft to the tip.
“If I feel even a hint of teeth, I’m cutting you up into pieces and leaving you for the Sweepers.” Lei Heng pulled out another cigar and lit it. Ryoshu didn’t answer. Instead she wrapped her lips around the bulbous head and sucked hard before slowly sliding his length into her mouth. Apparently, she was moving too slow for his tastes, and Lei Heng shoved her head down until her nose was pressed into his pubic hair.
Ryoshu gagged, and her hands spasmed from where they were clenched on her lap. Lei Heng let out a long, low groan.
“Yeeeaaah… That’s it.” He didn’t give her a moment of reprieve. Using his grip on her hair, he moved her head like a sex toy on and off his cock. “Look at me.”
Ryoshu’s red eyes stared up at the man as he requested. Piercing. Tears from the exertion and gagging clump her long, dark lashes.
He thrusted into her throat over and over with little regard for her comfort. Ryoshu retched and gagged around the intrusion but she swallowed around his cock regardless, pursed her lips when he pulled out. She tried hard to breathe through her nose against the relentless assault, but with her throat being ravaged, it was getting more and more difficult. The edges of her vision darkened from the lack of oxygen, and her eyelids drooped slightly, yet she maintained that eye contact that Lei Heng demanded of her.
“Mm… As much as I’d like to cum in your pretty mouth,” he started as he pulled Ryoshu off his cock finally, “I don’t wanna be done with you yet. Can’t have ya passing out on me! Wake up!”
He landed a stinging slap across Ryoshu’s face as she coughed and gasped for air. She already felt wrecked, and he barely held back his strength with that slap. She’d wake up with so many marks from the man.
Ryoshu smiled because she knew if she survived the night, she’d spend so much time in the mirror admiring the art he made on the canvas that was her body.
Lei Heng looked at Ryoshu like she was a marvel. Eyes half lidded, teeth clenched on the cigar as his lips curled into a smirk. “You liked that?” He slapped her again, back-handed across the other cheek.
The force of it knocked Ryoshu to the ground, and she wheezed in pain. It sparked deliciously in her nerves and buzzed a part of her brain. She looked at Lei Heng with a smile, blood in her gums.
The man laughed and stood up, shedding the red uniform of the Thumb off of his body. He dropped the impressive blade that was attached to his belt to the ground with a heavy thud and pulled a long knife out from a pocket inside his jacket. “You’re a strange little lady. I like it.” He didn’t bother taking off his pants and kneeled before her shirtless with his cock still hanging out of his unzipped slacks, glistening with saliva.
He pointed the knife at Ryoshu, who didn’t flinch at all at the sight of the large blade, a sort of machete with a red leather handle and half serrated near the hilt: a mean, violent weapon. Lei Heng waggled the knife in her face with a raised eyebrow. “Not too scared, yeah?”
Ryoshu stared at the knife, admiring the craftsmanship, and again she realized that if this man wanted to, he could force her to do whatever he wanted. She would fight tooth and nail, of course, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew the power discrepancy between the two of them. She knew that she didn’t have the freedom to say no anymore. Sitting up, Ryoshu leaned in toward the blade. She dragged her tongue over the flat side of the knife, then at the tip, pressed the sharp point to her tongue. Blood seeped from the minuscule cut, and she backed off just enough to smudge it across her lips with her thumb. A dangerous smile slowly grew on her face.
“Heh.” She sucked the blood off of her thumb. “Sharp.”
Golden eyes widened, and there was a delighted spark in his eyes. “Oh, baby. We’re gonna have some fun. Gonna cut you up all delicious.” Lei Heng pulled the cigar from his mouth and pressed the smoldering tip onto Ryoshu’s collarbone. She hissed through clenched teeth and sighed shakily.
“Promise?” Ryoshu whispered to him like she was sharing a dirty secret.
“You bet’cha.” Lei Heng pressed the tip of the knife over her sternum and cut a long, thin line down to her navel. Pale skin split beautifully for a stream of blood. The blade was so sharp that she barely felt the sting. Ryoshu instinctively reached down to dip her fingertips in the crimson, yet Lei Heng snatched her hand before she could. Grabbing her other hand, he clutched both of her delicate-looking wrists in one giant hand and pinned them above her head.
Her slim body was laid out before Lei Heng, helpless and completely at his mercy, and Ryoshu felt her cunt throb at the danger. He tapped the flat side of the knife against one of her breasts right over the nipple, bringing a shiver down her spine. “This body’s mine tonight, sweetheart. I’m the only one allowed to touch it.”
Ryoshu nodded in response.
A heavy hand slapped her across the face again, and Ryoshu bit back a whimper.
“Didn’t ask for a response. Just sit back and look pretty, and I’ll show ya some real art. Hell, maybe I’ll just keep ya? You got potential. There’s been talk ‘bout a little lady with blood in her eyes and that her skill with a sword was no joke…” He leaned in close, pointing the blade at her neck, until they were nose to nose. “I saw the way you were looking at my sword.”
The knife cut a little X just over the dip of her clavicle. “Such gawking would’ve cost ya your pretty eyes. Maybe your tongue or a hand. Or worse.” He shrugged and idly dragged the dull side of the knife over the seams of her joints as though he were a hunter mapping out how to skin his quarry. The blade slid across her thigh; this time, the serrated edge tore at her flesh, and Ryoshu’s heart fluttered in her ribcage with fear and adrenaline. The pain sparked like firecrackers in her nerves, and she let out a pained breath. She tried to bite back the pathetic noise that threatened to escape her. It seemed that upset the giant man. His thumb dug into the new cut, opening it up further.
“Don’t you go quiet on me now.” The look in his eyes was pure sadistic delight. It was like looking in a mirror for Ryoshu. “Just gettin’ started.”
Methodically, with no apparent pattern, Lei Heng sliced into Ryoshu’s pale skin over and over. Little, shallow cuts that barely stung like a paper cut and harsh, deeper slices into her flesh with the serrated edge tearing into her like the fangs of a beast. Soon, there was more blood than visible pale skin, and Ryoshu felt lightheaded. She didn’t hold back any of her pained moans and shouts of pain.
The knife was thrown to the side, and Lei Heng’s hands grabbed her blood-covered thighs to bend her legs up and into her chest. The stretch made Ryoshu whimper as the movement split open some cuts wider. Her face burned red with whatever blood avoided spilling onto the floor, shamed from the pathetic, prey-like noises and the feeling of Lei Heng’s cock head pressing against her cunt.
“Still conscious, huh? Good. I want to hear you scream for me, little lady.” He growled low with a husky edge to his voice as he leaned in to possess Ryoshu’s mouth with a biting kiss.
She felt his sharp teeth dig into her bottom lip until it bled, then dragged his tongue over her whole mouth salaciously. “Tasty little morsel, you are… Tell me, are you not fighting cause you’re givin’ up? Or cause you like this?”
Ryoshu leaned up shakily and kissed him back. She pulled his tongue into her mouth and set her teeth on it as though she intended to bite it clean off. The threat was there and it was daring, almost stupid, yet Lei Heng pulled away and laughed. “That’s a good ‘nough answer for me! If you survive tonight, I’ll show ya how to really handle a blade. Maybe even let ya handle my sword…” The double entendre wasn’t lost on Ryoshu and she smiled with blood on her teeth.
“Heh.” She tilted her head to the side. “I can handle it. N.M.O.G.”
“Oh, I know you can. No normal babe would still be conscious after all!” With no warning, his monster cock forced its way into Ryoshu’s cunt.
She screamed, her body instinctively attempting to recoil and pull away from the intrusion.Lei Heng’s cock stretched her to her limits and was tearing her apart. Just another claim on her body.
Objectifying. Nothing more than a warm hole for his cock.
He sighed as though he had stepped into a warm, relaxing bath. Lei Heng pulled his hips back slowly to relish how tightly her cunt spasmed around his cock and then forced himself back in again until he couldn’t push any deeper. Giant hands on her sliced up thighs opened her up further, and Ryoshu couldn’t muffle the pained whines if she wanted to. Her mind drifted on the waves of pain and pleasure, and any filter had completely evaporated with the forceful penetration.
Ryoshu should’ve felt humiliated or at least violated. Yet there was a bizarre ecstasy, and her last lucid thought was that she wished there was a mirror so she could see the art that Lei Heng was creating with her body. He didn’t bother to make this even remotely good for Ryoshu as he slammed into her over and over from root to tip with vicious intensity. His massive bulk completely overshadowed her petite form, and with the way her mind felt hazy, she felt like nothing more than a doll.
Any time it seemed to Lei Heng that she was drifting too deep into her mind, he would dig a nail into one of the shallow cuts or slap her modest tits to wake her back up. “C’mon, kitten...” He purred. “Keep them pretty lil peepers open for me.” Lei Heng grabbed her jaw harshly to keep her facing him.
“Such a good lil bitch for me, huh? Your pussy’s tightenin’ up so much it’s like she don’t wanna let me go!” He slammed in with a pointed grind that hurt more than anything, making Ryoshu let out a sob. The intensity of his thrusts increased. Faster, harder, wet squelching of her bloodied skin slapping against his hips, loud and visceral in her ears. Throughout the onslaught, her eyes never strayed from Lei Heng’s. His eyes were wide and unblinking as though he was trying to burn the image of her face into his memory: pupils dilated nearly black with a bright golden ring. Predatory.
Finally, he thrust one last time and groaned like a man shot as he pumped her full of hot seed. Ryoshu’s eyes rolled back and she shuddered through it, unsure if she even came during all of that or if she had cum a dozen times. Every nerve was lit up and she felt as though every inch of her skin buzzed.
Lei Heng sighed then chuckled breathlessly. “Damn…” He pulled out of Ryoshu and looked down at the mess he made of her. Bloodied and leaking his cum. He looked at her pretty face and was surprised to see her eyes were still meeting his. Those blood red eyes shone clear as day and focused. He smirked and leaned in to press a peck onto her mouth instead of the usual biting, claiming kiss.
“I like ya, kitten. What’s yer name?” He carefully picked up her body from the floor in a bridal carry and walked toward the bathroom.
Ryoshu didn’t respond until she felt her bare skin on the porcelain of a bathtub. She hissed and shuddered. “Yoshihide.” Her voice was raspy and sore from her screams. She smiled, lazy yet still sharp. “You?” She leaned back while Lei Heng gently washed the blood off with a shower head on a hose.
He pulled her out of the tub once she was clean, sat her on the edge of it, and dabbed a towel over her sliced-up skin before patching her up with bandages. “Lei Heng. Though some call me the Winged Tiger.” He winked at her and smiled like it was an inside joke.
“Hmph.” Ryoshu inspected the bandages wrapped around her thighs with a wry smile. So… he wasn’t going to kill her after all. She was a little surprised about that but not surprised at all when Lei Heng laid a possessive hand on her knee. He grabbed her chin and lifted her head to look him in the eyes again.
“Yoshihide.” He purred out her name with a low drawl. “I think I could make a star outta ya.” The phrase was as affectionate as it was cryptic. But she understood what he was saying. What the “Tiantui Star” was saying.
Ryoshu realized that she was caught like a butterfly pinned in place by this man. And she realized that she didn’t mind at all. She sighed to herself and leaned forward to press a kiss to Lei Heng’s lips. Pulling away just enough to be nose to nose, she muttered. “Get me a cigarette first.” She wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. “Then I will show you. I will be a S.T.A.R.”
—
Years later, Ryoshu stood before Lei Heng with shorter hair and a crew of twelve behind her. Her cigarette tasted just as bitter as it did the first time she saw him. Fear, anger, surprise, and most mortifyingly of all, affection welled up in her chest to form a confusing ball of emotion. Her face turned hot with blood, and her skin tingled with goosebumps.
“That motherfu–”
“Hwell I’ll be…” Lei Heng drawled out with a satisfied grin. “Thought you'd gone and vanished into the earth! What the hell you doin' crawlin' 'round out here? Girl! I saw ya givin' me the evil eye, 'least have the decency to say hi, eh?”
Notes:
SANGRIA Translations:
T.L.: Too Long
P.I.S.S.: Pretentious Imposters Serving Slop
N.M.O.G: Not Made of Glass
S.T.A.R.: Swordsman Tiers Above Riffraff
Chapter 2: Index
Summary:
Days go by after Ryoshu's first encounter with Lei Heng. She went back to her usual routine, newly inspired, until they meet again.
Notes:
So this has kind of gotten away from me in terms of scope. I'm already mostly done with chapter 3 so expect that sometime soon. I'm building the Lei Heng x Ryoshu tag and I'm proud cause they've kind of taken over my brain. Plus, writing two awful being doing awful things is how I'm coping with the way things are currently.
For my fellow U.S residents: Take care of each other. Stay safe.
Onto this mess.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It's down to me, oh yeah
The way she talks when she's spoken to
Down to me, the change has come
She's under my thumb
Yeah, it feels alright
---
Memories were a fickle thing. Ryoshu remembered many things in her life with absolute clarity, and rarely did she feel remorse for her actions. A few exceptions, of course, but rarely. She had always lived her life the way she wanted to. It didn’t matter who she had to cut down if they got in her way.
Her memories of her time with Lei Heng, Capo of the Thumb, the Winged Tiger, Tiantui Star of the Pinky and one of the Ten Blades of the East; were wretched and delightfully bloody.
After their first night together, she had spent the night curled on top of Lei Heng, who acted like a heated mattress topper but with firm muscle and body hair. She woke up first with a start, wide-eyed and alert, her muscles tensed in preparation to escape the grasp on her body until she realized where she was and who she was with. Lei Heng’s heavy, muscled arm was draped over her waist possessively while he snored away.
Ryoshu had the sudden fantasy of seeing if she could slit his throat in his sleep. Her skin prickled with delight at the thought, wondering if he would simply gurgle and die quietly or if he would startle awake at the first slice with eyes wide open in fear as he looked upon his killer. What sort of expression would a man this powerful and self-assured make were he to be caught off guard? That would surely be a never-before-seen work of art. She smiled widely to herself and twirled her finger in his chest hair.
His snoring was cut off with an inelegant snort then a big yawn. Ryoshu couldn’t resist reaching out to poke one of his sharp canines and Lei Heng laughed. “Ha! Mornin’, kitten!” He raised his arms above his head and stretched with a satisfied groan. He looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. “Now what’s got ya smilin’ like that? Was it wakin’ up to this handsome face?” He brushed his thumb over his stubbled chin and winked at her.
“Hmph.” Ryoshu leaned over to the bedside table, plucking a pack of cigarettes from it and a lighter. “S.L.T.” She muttered while tapping out a cigarette from the carton and lighting it.
“Huh? Yoshihide, you’ve got a weird way of talkin’. The fuck’s that s’posed to mean?” Lei Heng took the lighter from her and reached for a cigar of his own to light. “I don’t want to play games, girl.” He muttered, low and with a slight snarl on his lip.
Ryoshu stiffened up and took a long drag from her cigarette, eyes drifting down to the ruby colored silk sheets. For fuck’s sake. “... something like that. Your face.” She exhaled the smoke slowly into the air. The early morning sun streamed into the bedroom in slim beams in the gaps between dark curtains, and she watched the way the smoke played with the sunlight.
Her eyes drifted toward the bandages wrapped around her arms, then turned her head to Lei Heng, though she didn’t meet his eyes.
“I fantasized about what kind of expression you’d make if I slit your throat.” A slow smile graced her face.
Lei Heng furrowed his brows at Ryoshu. “... For real?” He smirked then laughed. “Haha! Well, good thing you didn’t try! I’d’ve had to crush your skull, and that’d just be a waste of a pretty face, kitten.” As if to prove his point, he grasped the back of her head in one giant hand and pulled her closer.
Ryoshu smirked. “Ha. You think I’m pretty.”
“Course I do. Hell, I think yer sexy as fuck even if you’re nearly as flat as a board.” The hand not cradling the back of her skull trailed down her side from her ribs to her ass, fingertips brushing lightly over the bandages and greedily felt for every sliver of smooth skin; until finally gripping her ass roughly with one palm. “‘Least you’ve got a cute ass.” He purred.
Lei Heng laughed boisterously in her face then gave her ass a firm little spank. “Speakin’ of, better get that sweet ass outta here! Got the underboss to meet later.” He sat up and got off the bed to walk toward what appeared to be a walk-in closet.
He rummaged through it while Ryoshu lounged on the silk sheets and finished her cigarette. “Need clothes.” She spoke up. “You ruined mine.”
From within the closet, Lei Heng poked his head out and gave her a thumbs up and a wink. “Got’cha, kitten!” He ducked back into the closet and after a few minutes he came out all dressed, gloves on and sword on his hip.
Unceremoniously, he threw a handful of clothes at Ryoshu.
“Take yer pick. Doubt any of it will fit you properly considerin’, well, how big I am,” he drawled with a sleazy smirk. Ryoshu couldn’t help the amused smirk on her face at the awful double entendre while she plucked a button-up.
“This will do.” She rolled off the bed and stood in front of the closest mirror to look at herself. Ryoshu smiled at the state of her body. She looked like she was mauled by a tiger, which in a way was essentially what happened. Shrugging on the shirt and buttoning it up to her throat, the shirt was large enough to wear comfortably as a short dress. She rolled the sleeves up to her forearms and huffed a little at the lack of pants, but nothing Lei Heng pulled out would’ve fit.
She heard an exaggerated growl from behind her, and she turned her head just enough to see Lei Heng from the corner of her eye. The man was looking at Ryoshu like she was a piece of meat, and when he realized that she was looking at him, he winked. “You look damn good in my shirt, girl. Keep it. Think of me while you miss me. Don’t worry your little heart though, kitten, this ain’t gonna be the last you see of me.”
In the facsimile of a gentleman, he gently took Ryoshu’s arm as he guided her toward the front door. After opening the door for her, he grabbed her by the back of the head to pull her into a possessive kiss. His tongue probed into her mouth quick and filthy, then pulled away and licked his lips. “I’ll find you, girl. Now run along.”
Ryoshu pulled out another cigarette and lit it. “I’m sure you will. T.T.Y.L.T.” She turned and walked off confidently toward a direction.
She retraced her steps to where she and Lei Heng ran into each other, then retraced her steps back toward where she was staying with her patron and lord, all while ignoring looks from strangers at the bandages and her shameless state of dress.
Ryoshu was afforded a small space in the lord’s estate, which was more of an art studio than anything, with a small kitchen and a mattress shoved into a corner. She looked at the torn and abandoned canvases, and she scowled. It had been some time since she felt particularly inspired. The majority of her art felt hollow and meaningless these days. Inelegant. None of it was worthy in her eyes to present to her patron.
That was about to change, however. She walked toward a cracked full-length mirror and pulled off Lei Heng’s shirt to admire herself. Bandages wrapped around her arms, thighs, and even her midsection. Each movement and stretch brought a sting of pain and even her insides felt bruised from the way that tiger of a man mauled her with his cock.
She shuddered in the cool air in the studio and smiled at her reflection. That experience was certainly inspiring… Ryoshu grabbed a canvas that wasn’t torn or already painted and got to work.
—
Days turned into a week. Then two weeks, long enough for Ryoshu to almost forget about her encounter with Lei Heng. The cuts on her body started to heal, with the majority of them disappearing and a few turning into scars that she ran her fingers over idly again and again.
She had long accepted that it was a one-time occurrence and that it was to be just another memory that she would dwell on from time to time.
Returning from the lord’s bathhouse wrapped in a casual linen yukata and loose pants, Ryoshu paused just before her studio to find that the door was open with a trail of blood leading inside. Her hands flexed, and she thought about her odachi that she kept stashed away within that studio. For now, all she had was a small tanto blade tucked into her waistband and she gripped it while slowly approaching the doorway.
She peeked inside and was greeted by a familiar silhouette, tall and imposing as ever, Lei Heng smoking a cigar as he admired a work in progress on an easel. He was covered in blood, and it was clear that none of it belonged to him. His sword was in his hand, steaming with a slight glow as though it was newly forged, or had recently been on fire.
Lei Heng turned to look at her like he knew Ryoshu was there the whole time. “Heya, kitten. Miss me?”
She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him, looked down at the trail of blood he left, then at his sword, then back to him. “… Making a mess.” She nodded her head toward the spots of blood.
“Hm? Yeah, s’ppose I am.” He chuckled and fully toward her, his eyes lasciviously roving over her body from head to toe. “Don’t gotta worry ‘bout that now, girl.” He puffed on his cigar and grinned. “Didn’t ya think it was a bit too quiet while you were pampering yourself?”
Ryoshu had wondered why she was alone at the bathhouse today, but she relished in the moment of silence away from butlers and the like. She looked down at the blood again. “Huh.” She looked back at the main building of the estate before turning back to Lei Heng. “You killed my patron.” Scowling, she crossed her arms. “Why?”
Lei Heng hummed and stepped closer until he towered over Ryoshu. “Don’t think you’ve got the authority to ask that kinda question, girl.” He blew the cigar smoke in a harsh puff across her face. “But I’m feelin’ generous cause you scowlin’ like that gets me in the mood.”
He nodded toward the main building. “Turns out your boss there made the mistake of disrespecting my sottocapo when he was courteously sent an invite to discuss business. Spoke outta turn.” Lei Heng took the cigar from his mouth and snickered. “Heh heh. I’m sure you know all ‘bout how we work here in the Thumb, huh? It’s only because I know what you’re made of, little lady, that I let ya speak to me like this.”
Of course, anyone with a brain made themselves familiar with how the Syndicates functioned, especially the Fingers. Ryoshu dared to look Lei Heng in the eyes, and that seemed to amuse him. “I miss them pretty lil eyes, kitten. You’re thinkin’ about killing me again, aren’t ya? Or…”
His voice dropped low in a purr. “Are ya thinkin’ about how I cut ya up with my knife all nice? I bet there’s still a couple that haven’t scarred over completely yet…” Lei Heng wrapped his hand around Ryoshu’s throat and dragged his thumb down the delicate, pale skin until he reached her collarbone where a pale X was still visible. His fingers ventured lower to where her yukata closed together and hooked a couple of fingers into the sash around her waist.
Ryoshu inhaled sharply and kept eye contact with Lei Heng, blood red meeting gold. She managed to suppress the shiver that dared to go down her spine when it came to her the danger that this man is, especially when her odachi was hidden away.
He plucked the tanto out from her waistband with a flick of the wrist and tossed the sheathed short blade up in the air, then caught it. “Huh. I expected a rumored swordswoman like yerself would have somethin’ a lil more impressive… So, where’s that blade of yours?” Lei Heng tugged her closer to him by the sash until they were chest to chest, and Ryoshu had to crane her neck back to keep looking at him. She felt her heart flutter once again. Ugh.
Pulling away from Lei Heng’s grasp, she stepped over to the mattress in the corner of the studio and unceremoniously kicked the edge of it up to show the familiar black lacquered sheath of her odachi. She picked it up gingerly as though cradling a newborn and looked at Lei Heng. “My odachi.”
He stepped back into her space and reached out for the sword, only for Ryoshu to clutch it tighter to her chest. Lei Heng raised an eyebrow. “Possessive, huh? I get it. I don’t let people touch this beaut either.” He tapped his palm over the pommel of his padao. “Mostly cause anybody stupid enough to misuse it woulda had their hands blown off.”
Golden eyes looked down at the sword and at how Ryoshu held onto it like a lifeline then looked her in the eyes. “Pack your shit up, kitten. You’re out of a patron and I got a place for ya to stay at. Teach ya some things like I promised. I wanna see ya in action…”
Lei Heng nodded toward the odachi. “C’mere. Step outside with me.” He stepped out of the studio, and Ryoshu followed. Tension pulled at her shoulders because she could see where this was going, especially when Lei Heng turned to face her with his padao in his grasp. Golden blade with hot red metal lined with chambers, and the revolver-like barrel at the hilt. It was a unique sword indeed, practically a work of art for obliterating an opponent.
He lifted his blade to point at Ryoshu. “One on one. First to draw blood wins, what d’ya say, kitten?”
Frowning for a second, Ryoshu gripped the hilt of her sword in her hands and pointed it at Lei Heng. Sheath and all. The motion made Lei Heng raise an eyebrow at her and he looked genuinely confused, practically offended.
“Huh. You sayin’ I’m not good enough for you to unsheathe your sword?” He took a drag from his cigar and exhaled with a hard sigh.
Ryoshu scoffed. “No. Not really. This sword… I will unsheathe it when it’s time. Not yet.” She smirked. “Not when all I have to do is play with you.”
“Heh. Play with me? Sweet talker.” He shrugged, and his smarmy smile was back on his face. “Let’s get on with it. I promise I’ll try not to kill ya.” Lei Heng got into position, crouching like a tiger with his blade in his hands, ready to strike. Fire suddenly sparked from the chambers along the sword, and he charged forward as if the sword itself was propelling him forward. He swung, and Ryoshu deftly avoided the strike with an elegant step.
“Ha. Flashy.” Ryoshu swung the sheath toward Lei Heng, who easily blocked the attack. Sparks flew, and he pressed in close enough for her to feel the heat from his blade.
She pushed forward and swung her leg to kick him on his side. Lei Heng took the hit with a laugh, then stepped back. The sword caught aflame again with an explosive blast. “C’mon! Come at me!”
Ryoshu smiled a wide, sharp grin. Her blood was red hot, pumping. She charged forward, swinging the sword in a large, diagonal arc just as Lei Heng’s blade exploded into action. Steel clashed with the durable sheath, and Lei Heng dug his heels in to press in harder.
But Ryoshu was faster.
She swung again, using the weight of her body to follow through until she stood poised behind Lei Heng.
A pause in the action, and Lei Heng laughed. “Haha! Hwell, what do we have here?” He brought a hand to his arm where the shirt was torn, blood seeped from a small cut on his bicep. “Looks like ya got me, kitten. You really do got claws. But… I think I got ya too, right?” He attached the padao back onto his belt and turned to look at Ryoshu.
Just as he had said, Ryoshu was sporting a new cut from Lei Heng on her cheek. She scowled at him and wiped the blood from her face. “Hmph. A draw. B.A.H.”
Lei Heng stepped closer. “Either way… This just tells me I was right ‘bout you.”
A large, gloved hand moved to cradle the back of her head, and his fingers gripped at the roots of her long hair. A reminder to herself that it had grown too long. “I got a ride waiting. Y’got ten minutes to bring your necessities.” He nodded toward the studio. “Don’t worry ‘bout that, either. My boys will pick it up for ya. You’re mine now, after all.”
As if to reinforce his statement on his claim on her, Lei Heng leaned down to kiss her with that same biting kiss he gave her weeks ago. Ryoshu gasped into his mouth as he pulled her even closer until her odachi was trapped between their chests. He boldly groped her ass as he lay claim to her mouth and when he pulled away it left Ryoshu breathless. Embarrassing.
She scowled to herself at how her cheeks flushed, and her scowl deepened when Lei Heng laughed at her. “Cute.” He brushed his thumb over her lips before pulling away. “Got a call to make, I’ll be right outside.” He winked and stepped away a couple of steps while pulling out a cell phone.
Once alone, Ryoshu took inventory of her studio. She didn’t have much to her name to begin with, but she picked up a duffel bag to throw some clothes into it as well as her wallet and a couple of extra knives. She strapped her odachi to her waist and piled her hair up into a ponytail. Taking one last glance at the studio, she stepped out and stood beside Lei Heng as he wrapped up his phone call.
“...Yeah, yeah, had the bastard dealt with. Was a walk in the park, boss.” He glanced down at her and smirked. “I got myself a real nice asset too. Uh-huh, that one. See ya.” He hung up and slipped the phone into the interior pocket of his jacket before wrapping an arm around Ryoshu’s waist.
“Ready to go, kitten? You don’t seem too sad ‘bout leaving this place.” His arm was heavy on her waist.
Ryoshu scoffed. “Hmph. S.A.W. A place is a place. As long as I have a place to rest my head and make my art.” She taps out a cigarette from a pack in her pocket. Lei Heng whipped out a gold-plated lighter with an engraving of a tiger to light her cigarette for her as soon as it was brought to her lips.
She smiled around the cigarette in her mouth. “Hm.”
He raised an eyebrow. “No thank you? I think that was really gentlemanly of me.”
Ryoshu took a hit and exhaled the smoke slowly, a smirk forming in amusement. “T.Y.”
Lei Heng started to walk Ryoshu toward the front gates of the estate. “Ha! I think I get that one. I’ll decipher your silly way of speaking soon, kitten.”
Before them was a large red van with a Thumb Soldato standing beside it. He stood at attention once he saw Lei Heng and bowed his head in reverence to the Capo. He didn’t speak as he opened the door for Lei Heng and Ryoshu; the former pushing Ryoshu forward. “Ladies first.”
Ryoshu looked at the Soldato and flicked her half-finished cigarette at his feet, smirking. She climbed into the luxurious backseat with her scarce luggage and watched Lei Heng crawl in after her with a predatory smile. He immediately loomed over her and caged her in with his arms. “Driver, you better keep yer eyes on the road. If I catch even a glimpse back here, I’m taking more than a hand!”
Again, the Soldato said nothing in response and simply started the car when he sat in the driver’s seat.
Lei Heng pulled Ryoshu up onto his lap and wrapped her ponytail around his fist. She exhaled shakily at the harsh tug and smiled. “Hah. Greedy.” She muttered affectionately.
He barked out a laugh, and his other hand tugged at the sash tying her yukata closed until her chest was bare to him. Greedily, Lei Heng pawed at her tits and set his teeth to her throat. “Can you blame me? Got a pretty lil thing in my hands… And I like how you don’t flinch or look scared of me. But you ain’t stupid, huh? You still know your place.” He purred into her skin.
Lei Heng tugged his gloves off before groping at any exposed skin he could get to. He rested his hand on her lower stomach and growled low like a satisfied beast. “Ya know… I didn’t use protection. Guess we outta be careful, hm? We don’t need any surprises.” He chuckled and leaned in to drag his tongue over her collarbone. “Can’t wait to get ya back in my bed…”
The mention of the risk of pregnancy made Ryoshu stiffen up and she bit her lip; an unfamiliar and unwelcome buzz of anxiety invaded her mind. She won’t admit it but she was glad that Lei Heng was the one who mentioned being careful. It bodes well that he won’t be treating her as just a warm body in his bed.
A large hand drifted to slip into her pants and Ryoshu sighed as he ground his palm against her clit. “Mm… Impatient. Ha.” She chuckled low and smiled at him. Lei Heng smirked back and slowly pushed two fingers into her pussy. The stretch pulled a moan out of Ryoshu and Lei Heng chuckled.
“Not even gonna keep quiet? Gonna give that newbie a show, huh?” He pressed biting kisses onto Ryoshu’s neck, no doubt leaving marks as he did so.
Ryoshu hummed. “Hmph. Don’t care.” Her hand drifted down to the bulge growing in his pants and pressed her palm hard against where she suspects the tip is. “P.A.” She whispered as she stroked his cock through his pants.
His hips bucked up a little, and Ryoshu felt him bite down hard on her shoulder. “Fuck… You’re really teasin’ me, right now?” Lei Heng hooked his fingers inside of her and thrusted them in little pulses right up against her g-spot. She shuddered in response and ground her hips down onto his hand with heated, shameless moans.
As much as she didn’t want to admit it, his touch was electric. Pure heat and carnal desire like each touch was laying claim to her. She moaned shakily, embarrassingly high pitched, and finally unzipped his slacks to slip her hand in to grasp his cock fully. The size of it surprised her once again, thick and pulsing in her hand, and she pulled it out to stroke him properly. Lei Heng groaned into her skin and his other hand pinched at her nipples, rolled his thumb over them; each touch like a livewire sending shocks of heat to her cunt.
To retaliate, Ryoshu plucked at the buttons on his shirt and groped his pec with an amused smirk. “You’ve got bigger tits than I do.”
“Hah. Not hard to do, little lady.” He bent his head down to suck her nipple, causing Ryoshu to arch her back into his hot mouth with a shaky sigh.
They got lost in each other, exploring each other’s bodies with half-undone clothes and greedy hands until the car stopped moving. The driver cleared his throat but didn’t dare speak up, considering the rank discrepancy. However, it was enough to get both of their attention, Lei Heng groaning with aggravation and Ryoshu turning to glare at the driver.
Shaking his head, Lei Heng took a moment to cover Ryoshu back up and pressed a hard kiss to her cheek right over the small cut he inflicted on her. “C’mere, kitten. Gonna show ya your new place.”
—
Dante ticked at Ryoshu nervously. <Ryo… Ryoshu, that guy's talking to you, right?>
Ryoshu gritted her teeth when furious anxiety won out over the ball of emotions, especially with Faust’s prodding, and when Lei Heng tore the tongue out of a poor, unfortunate servant before breaking an arm off of one of the prospective Hierarchs. Idiots.
“Anyhoo…” Lei Heng brushed his hands off like he had just handled some trash before looking back at Ryoshu with a focused stare. “I don't reckon ya miss the Spider's House? Eh, can't imagine why anybody would. Gives me the heebie-jeebies too, whenever I gotta swing by.”
The fucking Spider House. This asshole just had to bring that up, in front of Dante and the other Sinners too, that piece of–
Lei Heng stood before Ryoshu and his hands flexed at his sides like he wanted to touch her. The smell of his cigar triggered more of those pesky memories and Ryoshu bit down on her cigarette at the unwanted thoughts. This was humiliating in a new, terrible way.
“We got some catchin' up to do later.” He smirked and his eyes drifted down to the odachi on her belt. “I'll teach ya how to hold your sword real good right like back when.”
He leaned forward as though the next words were just for Ryoshu but he was still shamelessly boisterous. “Weren't mine the best out of 'em all? I thought I taught ya how to make every cut real fuckin' delicious.” He growled out with a salacious smirk.
Ryoshu felt a shudder go through her body. For fuck’s sake…
Notes:
SANGRIA Translations:
S.L.T: Something Like That
T.T.Y.L.T: Talk To You Later Thumb
B.A.H: Boring As Hell
S.A.W: Sentimental Attachment Wasted
P.A: Performance Art
Chapter 3: Middle
Summary:
Ryoshu is shown where she'd be staying after Lei Heng had unceremoniously killed her lord and patron. It's there Ryoshu began her training and made a few discoveries.
Notes:
So! Things are about to get really into Speculative/Canon-Divergent territory since a lot of the things I've written here will most likely be debunked by Canto 9. I'm attempting to keep a lot of things vague so maybe I can go back and fix the details, remaster it with proper lore in place. Who knows?
Hope y'all enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Under my thumb
Her eyes are just kept to herself
---
Stepping out of the car, Ryoshu was surprised that it wasn’t the same building Lei Heng took her to the other night. It was a smaller building with a couple Soldatos loitering outside with their guns who, when noticing Lei Heng, stood at attention and averted their eyes. Lei Heng bent his head down to speak low to Ryoshu as he led her toward the building. “Had the boys keep an eye out and roll the red carpet for ya.”
They approached the entrance and one of the Soldatos opened the door for them yet foolishly his eyes stared down at Ryoshu. She looked back at him and smirked. “Hmph. G.A.T.C.C?”
The Soldato’s eyes narrowed in confusion then widened in horror when Lei Heng grabbed him by the throat. “A-Ah..!!” He gasped and Lei Heng frowned at him.
“Listen here, boy. She’s above you and you don’t got the rank to even look her in the eye.” He growled out at him, hand twitching around the man’s throat. “Show your tongue.”
The Soldato shook with fear and slowly held his tongue out from his mouth where Lei Heng gripped it, tearing it out from his mouth with his bare hand. Lei Heng flung it to the side and wiped the blood off his hand on the Soldato’s clothes. “Let’s go, kitten.”
Ryoshu couldn’t help the wide, sadistic smile on her face as she followed Lei Heng into the building. Her smile widened when she was greeted with a large open space that was perfect for a studio. A few doors led to other rooms but front and center was the open space with more of the Thumb foot soldiers moving about as they cleaned.
“We’ll get your art supplies in here in a bit.” Lei Heng continued to pull Ryoshu through the space toward a door, opening it to a spacious bedroom. At the center of it was a large bed, though not as large as what Lei Heng had, with lush satin sheets and pillows. Ryoshu pulled out a cigarette and lit it herself.
“Opulent.” She said the word like it was a criticism but she still walked forward to flop onto the bed, spreading herself out to luxuriate in the fine sheets. She hummed, pleased, and looked over at Lei Heng who kicked the door shut behind him. “Now, don’t think yer just getting all this for free. You’re mine now.” He shrugged off his jacket and started to unbutton his shirt as he stepped toward Ryoshu on the bed.
“I ain’t just gonna fuck yer brains out when I wanna either.” He pulled his shirt off and Ryoshu took the moment to admire him. Broad shoulders and a thick chest covered in hair; every muscle sculpted for optimal violence. She spread her legs for him as he slotted himself into her space once again.
“Nah… I’m gonna sharpen your blade if you sharpen mine.” Lei Heng purred and yanked the yukata open. He made quick work of pulling her pants off as well until she lay bare with just the yukata hanging off her arms. “Introduce you to some pals of mine who know a thing or two ‘bout swordplay. Compare notes.”
Reverently, he brushed his fingertips over one of the more gnarly cuts that had scarred over. The puckered texture was at odds with her smooth skin that was especially soft from her bath less than an hour ago. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to a gnarly scar on her thigh.
Ryoshu hummed and smiled down at him. “Promise?”
Lei Heng smirked at her. “Pinky promise, kitten.” Ryoshu smirked back. Pinky promise, hm? Hilarious. He pulled away and flopped onto the bed, gesturing to Ryoshu to come hither. “C’mere. Sit on my face. Been wanting a taste of that pretty pussy.”
Ryoshu didn’t hesitate to sit up and crawl on top of Lei Heng, scooting forward until her knees bracketed his head. His hands reached up to grip her hips and he turned his head to nip a light bite onto her leg. She smirked and reached for another cigarette, lighting it, then blew the smoke in the air. “Ready to drown, Lei Heng?”
He laughed. “Ha! Course I am.” Without waiting for her answer, he tugged her down until she sat fully onto his mouth. Ryoshu moaned and gripped his hair with both hands. Greedily, voraciously, Lei Heng pressed his tongue against her folds over and over, lips pursing over her clit with a firm suck.
She rode his face as she finished off her cigarette, letting her moans sound out in the room shamelessly. “Hahh..! Fuck…” Grinding down, she looked at Lei Heng’s face who had his eyes closed like he was enjoying a fine meal.
A calloused thumb stroked at her clit, making her shudder, just as Lei Heng’s tongue delved deep inside of her. She squirmed and pulled at his hair. For a man that so selfishly took his pleasure from her weeks ago, he was surprisingly good at this. This infuriating, overly confident man was eating her out like her cunt was the last thing he would ever taste and his eyes opened to meet her gaze. Even with his mouth occupied, she knew he would’ve shown her some kind of salacious smirk.
“M-Mm!” Her abdomen tightened and shivered with an oncoming orgasm. Ryoshu grabbed at Lei Heng’s head and ground down onto his mouth, as though to pay him back for the thorough face fucking he had given her before, until her hips stuttered, cumming onto his face.
She sighed shakily and moved to get off of Lei Heng’s face but his hands firmly held her hips in place, mouth working at her sensitive folds. Ryoshu twitched and tried again to pull away; only for giant hands to grip her tighter, no doubt leaving bruises. She breathed heavily and let out an embarrassing whimper at the overstimulation. As much as she squirmed, she knew that she couldn’t say no. Not like this.
This asshole. Of course he’d make eating her out his own special kind of delicious torture.
Golden eyes stared up at Ryoshu with a familiar predatory glint. Teeth nibbled at her outer lips, tongue flicked at her clit before delving in with a twist, he pinched her clit meanly between two fingers and the pain-pleasure set her off again. This time the orgasm wasn’t as intense and she trembled with overstimulation. Still, she refused to beg or show a modicum of weakness. Ryoshu was determined to take whatever this man dealt to her.
Lei Heng made her cum three times before he shoved her off his face and onto the bed. Ryoshu whined and closed her shaking legs only for Lei Heng to grab her hips and flip her over, smacking her ass as soon as it was bared to him.
“Damn. Didn’t even beg me to stop… You must be a greedy lil kitten.” Giant hands gripped her ass cheeks, spreading them to reveal her holes to him.
Ryoshu exhaled shakily and turned her head to look at him. “T.W.T.Y.H.M.”
A harsh spank onto her ass, hard enough to sting and make her grit her teeth. “Speak clearly, girl.” Lei Heng growled out.
“Hah…” Ryoshu gripped the satin sheets. “I’ll take whatever you give me.”
She heard him chuckle and the sound of a zipper being pulled down. Lei Heng draped his cock over her ass as if measuring it against her petite frame. “Can’t believe you took the whole thing… You’re something else.”
She arched her back to press her ass back against him. “I know I am.”
Lei Heng laughed and gripped her hips. “Damn right you are.” Slowly, painfully so, he pushed the bulbous tip against her cunt and slid inside of her until he couldn’t push in any deeper. He let out a low whistle and ran his thumb over the seam of Ryoshu’s trembling hole stretched around his cock. “I wouldn’t’ve bothered with ya if you were just some boring broad.”
“Mm…” Ryoshu hummed and stretched with her arms out like a cat luxuriating in the sun, her whole body shuddering from Lei Heng’s touch. She knew that this was likely a bad idea, getting involved with not just a Capo of the Thumb but also the man that had just killed her previous patron and decided to drag her into this house just outside of the Nest. Yet she couldn’t be bothered to be concerned about it, instead relishing in the delicious pain and pleasure that Lei Heng gave her. He was buried so deep, stretched her so wide, that with every breath it felt like he was molding her body with his cock. Never had Ryoshu felt so pliable, every nerve sparking like she’s about to combust underneath Lei Heng. He started with slow yet hard thrusts and each impact of his hips against her rear stoked that flame within her in a way no other lover had before.
It’s dangerous. This whole situation was dangerous. She could get addicted to this.
Lei Heng’s hands wrapped around her waist and held her down into the mattress as he bullied his cock into her over and over, marveling at the size difference. Ryoshu wasn’t exactly a short woman, she was actually fairly tall, but he himself stood head and shoulders above most. He bent over to press his teeth to the back of her neck and growled low. “So tight… Like yer made for me. Like yer pretty lil pussy wants to keep me locked up in ya…”
Ryoshu moaned and smiled, turning her head to look at Lei Heng. “Or it’s trying to push you out.” She whispered huskily, only to gasp when Lei Heng slammed inside her hard and deep in response.
“Sure don’t feel that way.” She felt him press his smirk into her skin and he bit down on where he initially pressed his teeth against the back of her neck. He held onto her neck with his teeth as he picked up the pace of his thrusts, the slap of skin on skin becoming audible.
She gripped at the satin sheets and moaned into the mattress. This wasn’t like last time where Ryoshu drifted on the waves of pain and pleasure. She felt the sting of overstimulation, which was nothing compared to bleeding out while getting fucked, and Lei Heng fucked her with a single minded selfishness. Again, he treated her like she was just a warm hole for his cock.
Lei Heng pounded into her harshly as he chased after his climax. Ryoshu shuddered and screamed into the sheets as her orgasm suddenly slammed into her, her whole body tightening up. Lei Heng groaned and chuckled. “Damn… love how you tighten up like that when ya cum…” He purred into her ear. “Think we can get ya to finish again before I do?”
She whined and melted into the bed underneath Lei Heng’s onslaught as he somehow intensified his thrusts, battering against her insides hard enough to feel like she was going to bruise from the inside. “I-I’d like… T.S.Y.T…!” She grit out between moans.
Teeth sunk into her skin hard and she inhaled sharply through grit teeth. “Think I get that one! Wanna see me try? S’that it?” Ryoshu could feel him grin against her skin.
He pulled out and flipped her around onto her back, handling her like she weighed nothing to him. He thrust back inside and held one of her legs over his shoulder, immediately getting back to his prior intensity. Lei Heng rubbed his thumb over her clit as he fucked her hard. “Yeah, c’mon… let’s see that pretty face…” Gold, predatory eyes bore into Ryoshu’s face. She arched her back and bit her lip, meeting his gaze without hesitation.
“F-Fuck! Nice… try!” She smirked only to have one particularly harsh thrust scramble her brain and make her eyelids flutter. Ryoshu didn’t want to give him the satisfaction, instead focusing on tightening up around his cock to try and hasten his own orgasm.
Still, the combined effort of his thumb on her clit and his harsh thrusts hitting like a battering ram in her overstimulated body was enough. She hated how smug Lei Heng looked as her body started to twist and tremble.
“Yeah? Yer close? C’mon. Cum for me, kitten…” Purring, Lei Heng leaned in closer until he was breathing in her air. He locked eyes with that smug grin on his face still.
Ryoshu moaned, long and loud and shameless, gushing around Lei Heng’s pistoning cock. Her body floated on the endorphins as he continued to fuck her through her fifth orgasm. She barely registered when he stuffed himself in balls deep one last time.
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly and she realized that she had closed her eyes at some point, blinking them open to look up at Lei Heng who was as smug looking as always. She glanced down to where their bodies were still joined together.
He had cum inside her again.
Ryoshu frowned up at him. Lei Heng pulled out and watched his cum leak out of her cunt then shrugged. “Whoops.” He didn’t look the least bit apologetic and flopped down beside Ryoshu, reaching for his suit jacket for another cigar and his lighter.
She barely had the strength to sit up and she sighed, hands shakily settling on her lower stomach where she swore she could feel the heat of his cum inside of her.
“Don’t want any surprises,” he said. Asshole. She flapped a hand toward him then slapped him on his pec. “Smoke.”
Lei Heng snickered and reached for her pack of cigarettes, tapping out a cigarette for her. “Here ya go, kitten.” Ryoshu held it between her lips, waiting for him to light it for her with that ostentatious gold lighter, and inhaled the tobacco ridden smoke deeply. The room now reeked of sweat, sex, and tobacco.
“Looks like we christened this place real nice, huh?” Lei Heng breathlessly chuckled and chomped on his cigar as he lounged on the bed beside Ryoshu. Turning to look at her, he looked over her body as if taking inventory of what he had done to her. His gaze especially lingered on the scars he had inflicted.
Ryoshu glanced at him then looked at the door. “So. What is this place?” She mostly wanted to know if this entire space was hers to have, in which case she wondered what she had to do to pay back for it, if not then what was the purpose of this place? She thought about the other doors she saw and had assumed they led to things like kitchens or bathrooms.
Lei Heng took a long inhale of his cigar with a hum. “Hm… S’called the Spider House. Dunno what’s it about but you ain’t gonna be the only one in here if that’s what yer wondering.” He shrugged, smirking. “Don’t worry, I’ll still give ya some lessons. Teach ya how to cut up motherfuckers real nice, ya know? You’re special… And considerin’ you were able to get a hit on me?” He let out a low whistle. “Hoohee. Not just any bastard with a blade can do that, darlin’.”
He sat up and slid off the bed. Finding his pants and pulling them on, he stepped toward the door to step out. “Come along, kitten.”
Ryoshu sighed and got off the bed on still shaking legs. She rummaged through her duffel bag for a tank top and a pair of loose pants, pulling them on before stepping out the door after Lei Heng.
What greeted her was a massacre. The Thumb Soldatos that had been in the house now lay dead in a pile in the middle of the room. Her initial response was to frown and mentally critique how lazy the pile was, the composition of it was all wrong, but then she noticed Lei Heng also frowning. “God damn it, they couldn’t’ve done this outside? We just cleaned this place for ‘em.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and he turned to look at her. “Oh, this? Yeah, these guys weren’t gonna live to remember this place anyway. Don’t worry ‘bout ‘em.”
Ryoshu shrugged in response and continued to smoke her cigarette. “Sloppy.”
Lei Heng sighed, a plume of smoke escaping him. “It’ll prob’ly get cleaned up tonight. When the Pinky don’t wanna leave a fingerprint, they clean up real good.” A pause and then he chuckled. “Oh, yeah, don’t worry ‘bout what I said there. Pretend ya didn’t hear.” He winked at her.
She stared at him from the corner of her eye. Clearly, Lei Heng didn’t know that Ryoshu knew about him being part of the Pinky. Ryoshu knew all about the Fingers, and that meant all five of them. The Pinky… mysterious and enigmatic, the most secretive of the Fingers. She heard that they were closer to monks than actual violent gangsters, however, Lei Heng was proving to be far from what Ryoshu had expected a Pinky member to be so far. There were only a couple Stars that she was aware of. The Tiantui Star and the Tiangang Star, the latter rumored to be able to manifest five rings of Mang , a feat that was as impressive as it was mystifying considering the esoteric qualities of Shi and Mang.
It made Ryoshu wonder if the Stars all held the ability to harness those powers. Could she learn to do it? Did Lei Heng know how to do that? Many thoughts plagued her mind
Lei Heng gestured toward one of the doors. “I think this one leads to the bathroom. Clean yerself up a bit. Can’t have my seed linger inside of ya too long, hm?” The smug bastard smirked, unapologetic. Ryoshu bit her lip as that unfamiliar buzz of anxiety reared its ugly head again and she turned to enter the bathroom. She heard Lei Heng laugh as she went. “Rest up! I’ll see ya later, kitten. Hope this didn’t change yer mind and make ya think ‘bout escaping now.”
Ryoshu opened the door and paused, looking at him. Lei Heng smirked, dangerous and predatory. “I’ll just pick ya up if you do.”
—
The next day, just as Lei Heng had mentioned, the massacre was cleaned up like nothing ever happened. Lei Heng was also gone and Ryoshu was left alone in the Spider House. She tried opening a few of the other doors, only managing to open the door leading to the communal bathhouse she had become acquainted with last night and a large kitchen with a dining hall. The other doors remained locked and when knocking on them, no answer came, which meant either they were unoccupied or whoever was inside didn’t answer.
Ryoshu pondered her situation as she sat on her bed, faced with all of the art supplies that Lei Heng said would be brought to her. The work in progress she made was still on its easel. It featured a ferocious tiger disemboweling a human figure. It was bloody and, with the figure being nude and the tiger crouched on top of it, exuded a violent sexuality. Made sense given the inspiration.
She had woken up with new bruises on her hips and thighs and new bite marks on her neck. Lei Heng continued to lay claim to her with these marks and Ryoshu found that she didn’t really mind it. Although, what he had said before she disappeared into the bathroom rang in her ears. It was a threat and a promise.
The next few days had begun to follow a routine of sorts. Lei Heng would appear sometime in the late afternoon or early evening, often bringing Ryoshu food from within the Nest. Then they would spar and train until Ryoshu felt her muscles scream for mercy. Sometimes the training would involve a third party, usually an unfortunate that Lei Heng and Ryoshu would torture and cut up like some sick game. Truly, Lei Heng knew how to handle a blade. He knew how to make his cuts extra delicious.
The nights would end with Lei Heng taking her to bed. Most of the time they’d end up having sex. He fucked her like he owned her and some nights he would cum inside of her, shrugging like it had been an accident each time. Ryoshu tried to clean up as soon as possible on those nights. In response, she grew bolder in their coupling and started leaving marks of her own: nails dragged down his back, teeth biting down on his shoulder or hands, scratching and biting and fighting back until Lei Heng used his strength to pin her in place or punish her.
The punishments she particularly enjoyed with masochistic glee.
Ryoshu noticed a few mysterious figures slipping in and out of the Spider House during her time staying there. There was no similarity in their clothing and no labels or badges, as if stepping into the Spider House stripped them of any rank or position, with the exception of Lei Heng for some reason. He wore his Thumb uniform with pride.
A couple would slip in and out of one of the locked rooms. Sometimes they would step out when Ryoshu hadn’t seen them step into the room to begin with, as though they were coming from within the room itself. A couple had stood by and watched Ryoshu and Lei Heng spar, with one notable occasion where one of them withdrew a blade and challenged Ryoshu to the same duel Lei Heng had given her: first to draw blood won.
She lost that one.
It was routine at this point and despite the mysteries surrounding the Spider House and the exciting moments with Lei Heng, it was becoming a bit boring. Ryoshu was scrounging up a meal in the kitchen one afternoon when she suddenly heard a noise coming from one of the locked doors. She narrowed her eyes and slowly, quietly, stepped closer to press her ear to the door.
The slap of skin on skin. A pained whimper from a small, feminine voice.
“Please… Stop…”
Ryoshu stepped back, heart pounding in her chest and feeling like a voyeur. A weight settled in her gut and she narrowed her eyes.
What was the purpose of the Spider House?
She lit a cigarette and inhaled, stepping quietly and quickly back toward her room. Ryoshu grabbed her odachi and hurried out toward the exit of the house. Perhaps her stay should come to an end.
Swinging open the door, she ran out.
Only to be intercepted by two strange figures. They didn’t wear any identifiers as part of a Syndicate or an office, instead they were shrouded in dark cloaks with their faces half concealed. They looked like the Heishou from District 8 but there were no animal features to denote which class of Heishou they could be.
“Yoshihide. You are now property of the Spider House. You are not allowed to leave the premises without an escort.” One of them spoke, voice deep and cavernous.
“Consider us your patrons. We have a use for your talents.” The other spoke with a gentle, smooth voice.
“A commission of sorts.”
Ryoshu smoked her cigarette and stared at the both of them. She blew smoke into their faces. “What is it.” She gritted out.
She could not see their faces but she swore one of them smiled. “Have you heard of Jigoku ? The Buddhist vision of hell.” The gentle voice sounded delighted.
“We would like to see a reflection of it, Yoshihide. For we hear that you are the most talented artist in the City.”
Well. Ryoshu smirked and tapped off some ash from her cigarette onto the ground. “Hah. Alright. But I can only paint what I have seen. V.I.S.I.O.N. I will need inspiration.”
—
“Ryoshu, now is not yet the time.” Faust’s calm voice whispered to Ryoshu, which only served to raise her hackles even more.
She grit her teeth, the cigarette now ruined and dangling from her mouth, and didn’t dare take her eyes off of Lei Heng. “Shut up for a damn second…”
“Faust trusts that you still remember the promise made prior to your employment.” Faust continued to annoyingly remind Ryoshu of the terms of her contract.
Lei Heng scoffed. “Get that stick outta yer behind, kiddo. I ain’t here to pick ya up, I sure as hell ain’t tryna teach ya a lesson either like back when.”
He puffed out a plume of smoke, looking contemplative for a moment. “Your baby’s still at that house, ain’t that right?”
Those words hit her with a chill then with heat. Burning rage and ice in her veins as she gripped the hilt of her sword. Her hands were steady on the hilt but her body trembled with rage and humiliation that Lei Heng spoke of that in front of the other sinners. They didn’t need to know about that. Not yet. She’d been through this song and dance with the Golden Boughs seven times by now and knew that eventually her time would come and all of her dirty laundry would be aired out in front of them whether she wanted to or not.
She didn’t want them to learn about the baby like this, not from this asshole.
Lei Heng tilted his head with a raised eyebrow. “Huh, am I wrong ‘bout that?” He scoffed. “Just what in tarnation happened, then? I ain’t exactly nose-deep in them fellers’ business, ya gotta understand. Guess somethin’ sure as hell went down though, didn’t it?”
His eyes flicked down to how Ryoshu gripped the hilt of her sword. “Now ain’t that somethin’. So, ya really fixin’ to unsheathe that blade?” There was a challenge in his eyes and Ryoshu felt every muscle in her body tense up as though ready to spring into action. Her entire world narrowed down to Lei Heng in front of her. Faust’s cold, stern whisper of her name was barely heard over the blood rushing in her ears.
No. Not yet.
A ringtone broke the silence and Lei Heng looked annoyed. “Aw dangit, what in the goshdang…” He pulled out his phone and checked it, sighing. “My bad, y’all. I really gotta take this. It’s the underboss callin’, y’all gotta understand.”
His eyes locked onto Ryoshu again with a smirk. “Awrighty then, I’ll meetcha’ll later. We can talk about your daddies or shoot some other shit then. Seeya ‘round, Yoshihide!”
Ryoshu was half tempted to just leap into the cavernous hole all of the failed prospective Family Hierarchs had fallen into when Lei Heng said her name. She felt the inquisitive stares from the other Sinners, especially from Dante, burning into the back of her head. She looked down at the ground as she pulled out another cigarette to smoke.
Notes:
SANGRIA Translations:
G.A.T.C.C: Gawking At The Capo's Catch
T.W.T.Y.H.M: Take Whatever Torture You Hand Me
T.S.Y.T: To See You Try
V.I.S.I.O.N: Visionary Instincts Serve Inspired Oeuvres NowChapter 4 may take a while since I'm gonna have a busy weekend!! There's more to come for sure. :)
Chapter 4: Ring
Summary:
Ryoshu works on her art. Lei Heng continues to be an asshole but teaches her a thing or two.
Notes:
As you can see there are now gonna be five chapters. This thing keeps getting away from me and these two have rotted my brain.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Under my thumb,
Is a squirming dog that’s just had her day
—-
“So…” Lei Heng inhaled his cigar and let out a gentle plume of smoke. “You gone and got yourself a couple’a new daddies.” He chuckled as though it was a poor joke. “Can’t say I’m surprised, kitten. Figured they woulda approached you sooner or later. Guess they got me to thank for bringing ya to them in a way.”
He looked down at where Ryoshu laid on the bed. She was freshly bandaged up after a night of being under Lei Heng’s blade again and was nursing her own cigarette with a laziness thst came from being thoroughly fucked. She glanced up at him and shrugged.
“A.P.I.A.P.” She muttered, sounding bored. “It’s all the same.”
Lei Heng sat up. “Wait wait, I think I got this one…” He scratched at his stubble thoughtfully. “Hmmm… something ‘bout patrons, yeah? They’re all the same to you so I’m thinkin’ that means A Patron Is A Patron. Did I get that right, kitten?”
She smirked with approval at him. Slowly but surely, Lei Heng managed to get a handle on SANGRIA and Ryoshu was amused by it but also… Hm. It felt as though someone was understanding her for the first time. Lei Heng never once flinched or looked uncomfortable by Ryoshu’s particularly twisted tastes; in fact, he embraced them and even pushed her limits.
“A plus.” She said softly, her smirk rounding out at the edges with something softer.
Lei Heng looked a little too smug at guessing it right and Ryoshu resisted slapping him. Insufferable, smug bastard. Any softness that bloomed in her chest was immediately squashed down. Ugh.
“Do I get a reward for my good grade?” He raised an eyebrow and leaned in toward Ryoshu. “How ‘bout a kiss from my kitten?”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine.” Ryoshu sat up and pressed her hands against his hairy chest, blatantly feeling him up, before leaning in to press a chaste little kiss on his lips.
Lei Heng grabbed her by her waist and pulled her closer as he deepened the kiss. He growled low and nipped at her bottom lip, pulling away with a light chuckle. “Hmm… always so sweet for me ain’t ya?” He brushed her hair back over her shoulder. Her hair was still too long but Ryoshu’s been… distracted.
She scoffed lightly and pulled away. “Sure. I.Y.S.S.” She lounged on the sheets again to finish her cigarette.
The large man laughed and stood up off the bed, stretching as he did. “Mm, well, I’ve got business tonight so I can’t sleep over this time. Try not to miss me.” He shot her a wink then started gathering his clothes to pull them on. Ryoshu openly ogled him as he went about getting dressed as if watching a reverse strip tease.
“I will miss my personal space heater.” She snuffed out the butt of her cigarette with a small smirk.
Lei Heng barked out a laugh and stepped over to press a hard kiss to her forehead. “Ya know, one of these days, I won’t be so generous to lettin’ ya be so mean to me, doll. I’ll start interpretin’ all that as disrespect, hm?” His hand clenched in her hair with a harsh tug, forcing Ryoshu to look at him.
She hissed and dropped her gaze from his face on instinct. “... J.M.A.” Why did he insist on this power play? Ryoshu felt the tremble of fear in her chest whenever he would pull these usual Thumb tactics yet alongside the trepidation was excitement. She clenched her thighs together against the oncoming wave of arousal.
Lei Heng was dangerous. That’s what made this particular affair exciting after all.
He let go of her hair and smoothed it down, basically petting her. “There’s my kitten. I know you’re just messin’ around. Just gotta make sure y’know your place is all.” Lei Heng purred then pulled away to shrug his coat onto his shoulders and pick up his padao that leaned beside the door. “See ya, darlin’.”
Out the door he went and the tension in the air was sucked out with him. Ryoshu let out a slow sigh and flopped back onto the sheets for a moment. That asshole… Lei Heng would spend nights like these tearing her apart with pain and pleasure, taking whatever he wanted from her, then would clean her and wrap her up in bandages. She glanced down at her bandaged thighs, parting them, and grumbled bitterly. She felt his cum leak out of her. Ryoshu sat up and reached for some tissues to clean up the majority of the mess before getting dressed. She piled her hair into a bun and stepped out of the bedroom.
The large space that she was first introduced to didn’t become a studio as she had hoped. It stayed as blank and dark as it did before with the only difference being the many candles lining the walls. They lit up whenever someone appeared, perhaps something to do with the talismans wrapped around their waxy bases, and she stared at the warm light for a moment. What a waste of space… truly uninspired.
Ryoshu turned toward a door and opened it, walking down a short corridor to another door that led to her own personal studio. The space wasn’t as large but it was just enough for her commissioned work. The Jigoku held within it over sixteen hells, at least eight hot and eight cold, with different methods of torture for the sinners until their karma ran out. She stepped toward one canvas to run her fingers across the dried paint and blood where a figure was twisted in pain as molten metal dripped onto their sliced skin and despite their writhing, they held a knife as though wanting to fight back despite it.
A wide grin spread across Ryoshu’s face as she recalled the torture she did to achieve the inspiration for this one. Speaking of… She turned to a servant that her patrons so graciously gave her. Blindfolded and bound with a paintbrush clenched in their teeth.
“Good. You held onto my brush.” Ryoshu plucked the brush from their mouth. “Your disemboweling will be A.M.Y.A.”
Their screams were always delicious on the first slice.
—
The frequency of Lei Heng’s visits started to wane. What was once everyday or every other day, now dwindled to almost once a week. Perhaps whoever his Sottocapo is became suspicious of his absences or required his services more often. A Sottocapo with one of the Ten Blades of the East in their pocket certainly would make use of him, especially if a contract would be willing to shell out the cash for him to go all out.
Ryoshu was in her studio smelting copper into liquid as a man hung upside down with his legs held open. She was just about to pour the molten metal into his ass when the door swung open, the sound of which distracted her enough to spill the molten copper all over the man. She huffed, annoyed as the man screamed in agony, and scowled at Lei Heng who stood in the doorway.
“Hoowee, that’s somethin’ you don’t see everyday!” Lei Heng looked around the studio and stepped inside fully. “Is this for your art or just for fun?” He stepped in closer to squint at the writhing, screaming man.
Letting out a long sigh, Ryoshu stepped down from the step ladder she stood on and set aside the crucible. “For art. Which you interrupted.”
“Heh, I can see that. Certainly creative… You gotta see it before you can make it into art, yeah?” He ignored the still writhing man who had since been reduced to sobs and begging for his life. Ryoshu watched him writhe in agony to burn the image into her mind. It wasn’t exactly what she was hoping to achieve but she could always use the visual for something else.
She turned her gaze back to Lei Heng. “T.T.I.A.” Ryoshu took her odachi and, with the oddly sharp sheath, slit the man’s throat to silence him. It was getting on her nerves.
Lei Heng huffed a short laugh. “Alright, let’s see… This Too is Art. Hm. Well, like I said, it’s certainly creative.” He kicked at the bleeding out corpse.
“So… ya done here?” He smirked at Ryoshu in that sleazy manner that indicated he was in the mood. It was times like these where Ryoshu felt more like his personal concubine than anything. The memory of what she heard past one of the doors came to mind again and her jaw clenched. Perhaps that wasn’t too far from the truth… It’s fortunate that she enjoyed the time she spent with him and it was only him that she had to share a bed with.
“For today.” She crossed her arms and looked up at him with a small, knowing smirk. “D.T.F? Or is this business.”
“A lil bit of this and a lil bit of that, darlin’.” Lei Heng stepped closer until Ryoshu had to crane her neck back to see him, their chests almost touching, and a gloved hand reached out to wrap around her throat. He smelled like gunpowder and blood.
His thumb brushed over her pulse point and hummed, looking amused at the fact that her pulse didn’t speed up in fear. Ryoshu just let out a short exhale of a laugh. “Someone is talking ‘bout fighting you, kitten. And not just a lil friendly first to bleed fight we’ve been having either.” He leaned in closer and took the cigar from his mouth to blow the smoke gently into her face.
“People’re doubting what I see in ya.”
The message was clear: don’t make Lei Heng look bad. Ryoshu looked him in the eye as he spoke. “I’ll S.T.A.B. Heh.” She smirked and reached out boldly to grab him by the shirt collar which only made the hand around her throat tighten.
Lei Heng smirked back and his hand moved to brush his glove covered thumb over her lips. “That’s my girl.” He pulled her into a biting kiss and Ryoshu grasped at his broad back as they pressed together. He growled against her lips and pressed her up against a wall, lifting her up off her feet with his hands keeping her stable.
“You get my blood hot, kitten.” He shrugged off his coat and plucked at the buttons of his suit jacket to pull that off as well. “Just got back from a job and the mess I made had me thinkin’ of you. Got me thinkin’ ‘bout art now which ain’t becoming of a Capo.” Greedy hands parted her blood stained yukata and he tugged meanly at a nipple to make Ryoshua moan. “But that don’t matter to me.”
Ryoshu knew this song and dance by now and stepped out of her loose pants to wrap her legs around Lei Heng. Doing this in her studio was new, however, and the scent of freshly spilled blood combined with the gunpowder that clung to Lei Heng made her head spin.
She chuckled and bit at his lower lip hard enough to bleed. “Tell me about it. The art you made.” She licked the blood off of his mouth and he groaned. His hands tormented her nipples with harsh tugs and pinching.
“Client of ours had deep pockets so I got to spend plenty of ammunition.” He ground his clothed erection against her thigh as he bent down to bite at her neck. “Whole bunch of bodies under the control of some upstart from the Wang family in District 8, who just so happened to piss off the Thumb as well, and I was there to send him a message. I cut them all up real nice… explosive cuts that severed limbs from bodies and heads from their torsos. This shit was way underneath me, ya know. So I just got to work and made a big fuckin’ mess. Made a whole pile of limbs and bodies and collected the heads into a lil pile with some bullet casings clenched in their teeth.”
He inhaled deeply as if relishing in Ryoshu’s scent, nose pressed into her pulse point, and his hands undid the buckle of his belt. “I think ya would’ve liked how I arranged those heads together.” He purred as he fished out his cock from his slacks.
“Mm…” Ryoshu hummed, pleased with the imagery Lei Heng was feeding her, back arching into his wandering hands until they were gone and his bare cock pressed against the crease where her thigh and groin met. She looked down at her parted legs and his monster cock grinding against her. There’s no denying the way this man made her wet so easily just from his purring words and the danger he posed.
“M.M.A. It suits you.” She reached down to wrap her hand around his cock and pressed it fully against her cunt. Grinding up against his shaft with a soft moan, Ryoshu smiled wide and sharp at Lei Heng. “Should join me in making art sometime.”
Lei Heng laughed like she just told a good joke. “Heh, sure, but don’t go treatin’ me like I’m one of the servants you string up and abuse here. That’s beneath me.”
Feeling daring, Ryoshu combed her fingers through his hair before tugging at it harshly. “So I cannot abuse you? J.A.L?” She dug her nails into his scalp with a sharp smirk. “Seeing you beneath me could be T.I.T.S.”
Something sparked in Lei Heng’s eyes, predatory and dangerous, and his hand was on her throat again. He slammed her head back against the wall hard enough to make her see stars, the tight grip on her throat tight enough to cut off her breathing.
It made her cunt throb.
“Now, kitten… Don’t be stupid.” There was a growling edge to his voice and it sent chills down Ryoshu’s spine. “Even though I give ya the privilege to speak to me and look me in the eye, you ain’t got the clout to boss me ‘round. Maybe I’ve been too nice to ya…”
Ryoshu couldn’t breathe, much less respond with his hand on her neck. She let out a choked little noise and she clenched her thighs around Lei Heng’s waist. In response, he threw her down onto the bloodied floor.
“A-Ah..!” She gasped for breath and tried to sit up, but the blood from the servant still hanging upside down made her hands slip. Lei Heng was on top of her in an instant as she struggled and harsh hands gripped her thighs to pull them apart.
He let out a low whistle. “Damn…” He pressed the head of his cock against her cunt. “You’re wet as hell, darlin’. You’re enjoying this ain’t ya?” He rubbed the head against her clit, making her shudder and moan shakily. “Brat. You’re lucky I like that tongue of yours.”
With that, his cock forced its way into her in one harsh thrust. He wrapped his hand around her neck, cutting off her air once again, while the other hand bent back one of her legs to an almost painful angle so he could drive in deeper and harder.
Choked out noises escaped Ryoshu, high pitched and wheezing, and she clawed at the hands around her neck. Her one free leg kicked out at him and she pounded the heel of her foot against his lower back; which only seemed to incentivize Lei Heng more with his cock thrusting into her with devastating force. Her eyesight started to blacken around the edges but there was no fear in her gaze as Lei Heng stared her down with a feral grin.
“Fuck… fucking you is like getting into a damn good fight. Gets me all fired up..!” The pace of his thrusts were animalistic, driven purely by sadistic instinct, and it hurt. Ryoshu had never been fucked like this before and she doubted she ever would again.
She grinned at him and spat on his face.
Lei Heng just laughed.
He lifted a hand to wipe the spit off and Ryoshu took her chance to break out of his hold. Nails clawed into his arm to free her throat and her bent back leg kicked forward into his chest to kick him completely off of her. Scrambling on the bloodied floor with a wheezing breath, she pounced on him.
Ryoshu straddled him and dropped her cunt onto his cock, riding him with fervor. “Hhh… See? Y.L.S.H.B.M.” Her hips slammed down against his over and over, the new angle only driving his cock to batter into her cervix harshly.
Lei Heng looked surprised for a moment then laughed again. “Ohhh, darlin’. Kitten… Fuck me.” He sounded breathless and allowed himself to be ridden, his hands wandering to grasp her hips. “You’ve got some fuckin’ nerve… Shit, I outta take your tongue. Slice your tendons so ya can’t kick me like that again. Or maybe rip your claws off. Declaw my kitten.”
His threats sounded so fond as if he was whispering sweet nothings to a lover. Ryoshu chuckled breathlessly and leaned forward, hands on his chest. “But you won’t.” She hissed, grinning.
“Heh. You’re right.” Lei Heng’s hips began to thrust up with every descent of her hips. “I won’t.”
Ryoshu moaned. “Hahh..!” Her hips and thighs began to shake with exertion and Lei Heng used his grip on her hips to bodily lift her off and onto his cock. She allowed herself to drop her torso onto his chest and let herself be used. “C-Cumming!” She hissed through grit teeth as her whole body shuddered until her orgasm slammed into her hard.
Lei Heng threw her into the ground again and mounted her from behind, fucking into her hard and fast to chase his own orgasm. Ryoshu whined. “Don’t—“ She started, only for him to slam her face into the floor.
He let out a long groan as he ground his cock into her pussy, jets of hot cum filling her. Ryoshu couldn’t help her moans and how her whole body shivered. Satiated.
“Hoowee… Fuck.” Lei Heng slowly pulled out and held Ryoshu’s hips aloft to watch his cum drip out of her abused pussy and onto the bloodied floor. “Ain’t ever gonna get tired of that.”
Ryoshu shuddered and slowly lifted her face off of the ground to turn her head, glaring at Lei Heng. At least he stopped pretending like him cumming inside her was an accident.
Lei Heng got up and handed Ryoshu her yukata. “C’mon. Let’s get cleaned up. You ain’t bleeding anywhere, yeah?” He helped her onto her feet and, with surprisingly gentle hands, inspected her face.
Once satisfied, he bundled her up in his coat and carried her out of the studio toward the communal bath which seemed to always be blessedly empty. Perhaps something to do with the way these corridors worked.
Ryoshu allowed herself to be stripped once again and settled in the bath to wash all the blood off. “So. This duel.” She muttered, voice hoarse.
Lei Heng sat nearby, not looking too concerned about being covered in blood. “Hm? Oh, that.” He fished out a cigar to light it. “They should be sendin’ ya a challenge soon but it could be tomorrow night or next week for all I know. I just know there’s talk.” He glanced down at her with a smirk.
“Someone wants ya dead, kitten.”
Ryoshu scoffed. “G.I.L. Isn’t the first, won’t be the last.” She reached her hand out toward him. “Smoke.”
He huffed a short laugh and fished around for her pack of cigarettes. “Can’t even say please… no manners.” He muttered, affectionate.
“Lemme show you somethin’ kitten.” Lei Heng opened her pack of cigarettes and pulled out one of them, flipped it over, and slid it back into the pack. “Keep one as your lucky cig. Only pull it out and smoke it when you think you’re gonna bite it.” He smirked at her and winked. “Who knows, maybe the luck will save your ass.”
He handed the cigarettes to her and Ryoshu looked down at the pack. The tip of the supposed lucky cigarette stared at her and she smiled. “I won’t need it for this duel.” She pulled one cigarette out and leaned her head up on instinct for Lei Heng to light it for her.
“I have my work to finish.”
Lei Heng chuckled. “Give ‘em hell then. No mercy.”
—-
Seeing Lei Heng sitting so confidently on a mountain of bodies made something in Ryoshu’s chest tremble. It wasn’t fear but it was distressingly close to how he used to make her feel. Especially when he stared her and the other sinners down before Zilu made herself known, coming out of a small tunnel.
Negotiations were made. Zilu spoke out with her cavernous voice and so did Hong Lu with his gentle, soft voice that made Ryoshu feel a little sick. Ugh. So saccharine.
In the midst of all this, she tried hard not to acknowledge whenever Lei Heng glanced in her direction. She hoped no one would notice and that they would all be more focused on the danger in front of them. Especially when the negotiation took a turn…
“Lemme cut ya up. Just one slice.” Lei Heng all but purred out to Zilu. “Don't matter what comes next—bite it, don't bite it, fight me… don't matter. Take a single cut from my blade and I'll hand over the feller.” He gestured vaguely to the heavily wounded Wei at his feet.
Zilu’s silence was telling. Lei Heng just scoffed. “Aw, c'mon, girl. Don'tcha look at me like that! You know how this is! I've been in this business long enough to know, huh? Fair fight! Duels! Love 'em!” He held his arms out with an exaggerated gesture like the swing of a sword. “Would love nothing more than to do 'em! But the things bein' what they are… it's a no-can-do kinda situation. We're both hired guns, ain't we? Yanno we gotta do what we gotta do.”
He smirked and looked the large, masked woman up and down. “Y'see, honey bunny, I ain't so sure I like my odds goin' up against a direct counter.”
Ryoshu grit her teeth. “Shithead. You haven’t changed.”
Lei Heng’s face lit up with amusement at Ryoshu finally speaking up and acknowledging him. “That so? Heheh.”
This asshole. Ryoshu resisted rolling her eyes and bitterly smoked her cigarette. “He’ll cut you in half. Guaranteed.”
She narrowed her eyes at Lei Heng. “Just admit you want to kill her… hah. Doesn't your tongue ever get tired of being a part of you?”
He winked at her and turned his attention back to Zilu as if Ryoshu didn’t say a word to begin with. As if she wasn’t worth his time anymore. She smoked her cigarette down to the filter in a harsh inhale before flicking it down onto the ground with a deep frown.
A decision was made. Lei Heng and Zilu stood before each other with Zilu’s swords embedded in the stone floor, ready to take Lei Heng’s one slice. Warm light surrounded her body while Lei Heng’s padao exploded into heated devastation. Ryoshu watched the blade, feeling something fill her chest once again, and as the single ring of light surrounded the blade she couldn’t help the smirk on her face.
Huh. Looks like he could do it after all.
The devastation that befell Zilu was something to be in awe of and it was a feat in itself for the woman to still be standing at all. Yet it was clear she was out of the battle for now.
“Hwell then…” Lei Heng approached the Sinners while cracking his neck with a shit eating grin. “… y’all ready to go a round? Should be able to wrap this up by the time they're done with the ritual thing.”
He gripped the hilt of his padao with a wild look in his eye. “C’mon… Let’s dance.”
Ryoshu briefly considered her cigarette pack and stared at the single cigarette left within it. She pulled it out and lit it. Looks like she could use the luck this time… if they all managed to survive.
Maybe it won’t be luck that saves them after all. Maybe it’ll be a little bit of mercy.
“That sword… still as enticing as always…”
Notes:
SANGRIA translations:
IYSS: If You Say So
AMYA: Artistically Merciful Yet Accurate
DTF: Down to Fuck
STAB: Slice Them All to Bits
MMA: Messy Maximalist Artistry
JAL: Just A Little
TITS: Titillating Interest To my Senses
YLSHBM: You Look So Handsome Beneath Me
GIL: Get In LineI think that’s all of them that don’t have a direct translation in the fic itself
Chapter 5: Pinky
Notes:
Here's the last chapter! Thank you to everyone that's read this. This fic had really gotten away from me because I'm absolutely obsessed with the morsels of lore that were dumped on us with Lei Heng's appearance in Canto 8 and I hope we get to see more of him in some way in Canto 9.
Again, thank you so much for reading. This won't be the last you see of me writing these two!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It's down to me, yes it is
The way she does just what she's told
Down to me, the change has come
She's under my thumb
Say, it’s all right
—
Anyone could learn anything in the City if they paid attention, even learn some things that they’re not supposed to. Ryoshu paid attention, it was in her nature to, she took in all of the sights the City had to offer to memorialize it all in her mind for her art. It was how she learned so much about the Fingers and she knew that they knew about her in turn. The only thing keeping her alive was her discretion. The Fingers held the City in their grip in their own ways.
Listening and watching was how Ryoshu learned of the Tiantui Star. It was easy to connect the dots that these “stars” and the Pinky were somehow related. Covert, mystical names seemed to line up with what Ryoshu had heard about the Pinky; which, if she was honest with herself, was hardly anything. It’s what made Lei Heng a bit of a marvel, an outlier as far as she knew. He was bold and brash and hardly discreet, just like his blade.
And just like his blade, he was enticing.
His presence began to create a Pavlovian response in Ryoshu; where suddenly she would crave more blood, more physicality, more of his hands on her body. She dreamt of cutting the man open to grab the burning flame within him. Sometimes when he would stay the night in her room, Ryoshu would sit and watch him sleep and wonder if the winged tiger truly let his guard down. She was aware that the dynamic between them was unbalanced, she wasn’t so naive as to believe she truly held power over him, yet there were small moments when he would light her cigarette for her or when he would admire her art with a smirk.
It wasn’t something as naive or cliched as love. But a mutual understanding between two beasts driven by instinct.
These thoughts plagued her mind as she got dressed for another day in the studio. It’d been weeks since Lei Heng last saw her and she’d been making good progress on the project though there was still plenty of work to be done. She suspected that it would take her years to complete. Stepping out of the bedroom to the main hall, she found that the candles were already lit as two figures stood in the room. One of which was clearly Lei Heng. She looked at him and he glanced at her before giving her a half shrug. Ryoshu scowled and looked toward the lone stranger.
“Yoshihide.” The stranger spoke with a deep voice. “You have been challenged by Misugong. Do you accept?”
He strode out toward the center of the room. He wore a wide brimmed hat, similar to others Ryoshu had seen come and go through the Spider House, and a robe that was a brilliant emerald green. The man removed his hat and it appeared he was around Lei Heng’s age with a long, silky beard that was tied at the end with a large jade bead.
She clutched the handle of her odachi. “I.A.”
Misugong tilted his head in confusion for a second but when Ryoshu pulled the odachi from its strap and held it out in front of her, sheath and all, he nodded. Silent with an approving smile. He pulled out a large oxtail dao with a shimmering electrical current cutting through the large, curved blade.
“Duel to the death. Begin.”
Like a lightning strike, Misugong burst forth toward Ryoshu. He was fast and Ryoshu barely reacted fast enough to block the blow. The force of it sent her flying and she stabbed the odachi into the ground to slow herself down. She grit her teeth. She felt her hair stand on end with the charge from his dao.
“Is this really what you were talking about, Chachihu? Guess she’s only good for warmin’ your cock!” He mocked, smirking down at Ryoshu.
An explosion of movement and Ryoshu sprinted forward to slash at Misugong. There was a fire in her eyes and a snarl on her lips even as he blocked the blow. She struck again and again, a flurry of slashes that the man blocked until one slash hit that cut his chest.
He laughed. “That’s more like it!” Misugong slashed forward again. The sound of his blade cutting through the air sounded like a thunder strike. Ryoshu dodged this time, realizing that taking a hit could send her flying with the force of it, and deftly moved to the side to slash at him again.
He blocked and swung the dao again. This time the blade caught on her leg. It sliced deep into her thigh with an electric current shocking her to the bone and made the muscles in her leg lock up, paralyzing it. Ryoshu grit her teeth to silence a pained noise. Her eyes never strayed from the bearded man’s as she glared at him.
Her leg may not be working but her arms still do.
Spinning on her one good leg, she ducked and slashed low at Misugong’s legs. It seemed that the sudden duck caught the bearded man off guard as the odachi sliced across his shins. He hissed and his knees buckled. The momentary pause he took to stabilize himself was just enough for Ryoshu to shake off the numbed cramp in her leg and stand up straight.
She swung her odachi at the hand holding his dao, disarming him and sending the sparking blade skidding away from Misugong’s reach. With a satisfied smirk, Ryoshu pressed her foot onto his chest to kick him down onto his knees and pressed her odachi to his throat.
“G.O. Misugong. Or what else are you known as?”
The bearded man chuckled and turned to glance at Lei Heng who stood at a distance. “Well shit…” He looked up at Ryoshu and held up his hands. “They call me Misugong, Lord with a Beautiful Beard.” He stroked his long beard with pride. It shined like liquid obsidian. “I am also the Tianman Star but my buddies call me Zhu Tong. I forfeit. Is there any way I can walk outta here alive?”
Ryoshu’s hand squeezed around the hilt of the odachi and her lips curled into a deep frown. “A.S.O.P. Wanted me dead. Why?”
Zhu Tong barked a short laugh. “Hah! Didn’t actually want you dead, just wanted to see what you were made of. What Chachihu here saw in you. Now, c’mon, sweetheart. Don’t gotta kill me.”
She pressed the odachi closer to his neck with an audible click of her tongue. “Tch. But you would kill me.”
He shrugged. “If you put up a boring fight.”
Ryoshu felt like killing him just for that. Instead, she slid her odachi slightly over and the sharp edge of it sliced his beard off. His face fell, losing all mirth and cockiness, even Lei Heng inhaled sharply with shock as the black strands fell before Zhu Tong’s knees and the jade bead rolled away.
She smirked and slid the odachi back into its strap. “I won’t kill you. B.A.R.F.” She turns on her heel and steps toward the door leading to her studio. “Not worth the blood on my sword.”
Ignoring the distressed sounds coming from Zhu Tong, Ryoshu entered her studio. She took a deep breath then kicked an empty paint bucket to the side with a growl before her knees buckled and fell, bending to throw up into that paint bucket. Her leg was still bleeding and she swore she could still feel the electric charge from the blade buzzing in her bones. The only thing that stopped her from killing Zhu Tong and dragging him into the studio to make art of him was the growing nausea in her gut.
Once she emptied her stomach, she pushed the bucket aside and grumbled to herself as she stood on shaking legs to look for her first aid kit. She kept one in the studio with a couple HP ampoules from K corp in case she made a mistake in her art creation. Though there were some mistakes she simply could not take back.
As she popped open the first aid kit, the door to the studio swung open and she heard Lei Heng’s laughter. She was hardly surprised to hear him barge in these days. “Haha! Now that was a show if I’ve ever seen one! I ain’t ever seen that man cry before! I think cuttin’ off his oh so beautiful beard was worse than death for him so that was real fuckin’ mean, kitten.” He sauntered over and kneeled down beside her, taking the first aid kit from her hands without another word. Lei Heng tugged the waistband of her pants down until he got to the large cut on her thigh, letting out a low whistle.
“Shoot, he got ya good, didn’t he? Barely missed an artery but still got you bleedin’. That sword of his ain’t no joke.” Gently, he wrapped her leg up and lifted his gaze to look at her face with a big grin. “There we go. Good as new.” He grabbed her face and pressed a kiss to her cheek.
“Now, what’s got you lookin’ like someone pissed in yer tea?”
Ryoshu scowled down at her lap and tugged her pants back up. “N.O.Y.B.” She grumbled bitterly, moving to stand back up, only for Lei Heng to hurriedly stand up and pull her toward him.
“Heh. No can do, darlin’. You’re mine, remember? Your business is my business.” His hand was firm on her bicep, squeezing it. “Let’s not be rude now.”
She bent her head and glared at the ground. Asshole. Ryoshu turned toward Lei Heng and looked up at him. Nausea and unwanted anxiety swirled in her gut as her eyes met Lei Heng’s.
“I’m pregnant.”
There was a tense silence.
Ryoshu turned her head away from him. She didn’t dare look at Lei Heng as her hands settled on her lower stomach. Nausea, anxiety, and worst of all fear bubbled inside of her with the new life she could practically feel latching on and growing inside her.
“... And it’s mine, ain’t it.” It wasn’t a question. Lei Heng’s tone was hard to parse but it was lower, more serious.
She heard him step closer to her then felt his arms wrap around her from behind, large hands settling over hers on her tummy. “Ohh, darlin’. Can’t say I’m shocked.” He purred as he rested his chin on the top of her head.
She tensed up in his arms and grit her teeth. “I’m getting rid of it A.S.A.P.”
“Whoa now, let’s not get hasty.” Lei Heng sounded way too pleased with himself and Ryoshu hated it. He grabbed her by the shoulders, spinning her around to face him, and smirked down at her. “Didn’t ya say you wanted to collaborate on somethin’?” He trailed his thumb lightly from her collarbone to her abdomen with a slow, lazy grin like a beast playing with its food.
“Think of this as the ultimate collaboration, kitten. A mix of both of us, hm?” He purred, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead as though he was some gentle lover.
Ryoshu clenched her teeth. She refused to look him in the eye as she glared at the ground, practically burning a hole into it. He was marking her from the inside out all those times and now he had fully laid claim to her. His seed had taken root.
“You… said no surprises…” She grit out, body shaking.
Lei Heng shrugged. “Like I said, darlin’. Can’t say I’m surprised. Haven’t really been careful now, have I?”
Ryoshu’s hands struck out and she threw herself at him, sending them both to the ground with her hands wrapped around his throat. “Bastard…!” She hissed, lips curled into a snarl and eyes wide. “I refuse to be a B.A.P kept… thing! That isn’t…!” Shaking with indignant rage, she glared down at Lei Heng who simply laughed in her face.
“Haha!” Large hands gripped her wrists and yanked them off of his throat, holding them aloft. “You think that’s what I want, kitten? To just turn ya into my cute little housewife?”
Just hearing him say it made Ryoshu’s vision flash red and she tried to claw at him. When she couldn’t break from his grip, she headbutted him in the Adam's apple. Hearing him choke was satisfying and she smirked; yet the victory was short lived as he bodily threw her down onto the floor.
Lei Heng pinned her down, straddling her and pinning her wrists to the ground. Lei Heng cleared his throat and frowned as though disappointed. “Relax, kitten. I don’t wanna manhandle ya too much now that you’ve got my bun in your oven, hm? Can’t hurt the kiddo.”
“Wish you would…” She hissed out, breathing heavily.
Raising an eyebrow, a smile slowly crawled onto his face and he slowly leaned in. “Darlin’... Is that what you really want?”
Ryoshu felt something in her chest tighten. It made her sick.
He shook his head. “Yoshihide, c’mon, I ain’t ever want to tame ya or dim yer fire. It’s what I like ‘bout you. This? Ain’t gonna change anythin’. I mean, I ain’t gonna beat ya up like I did before which, I admit, I think yer gonna miss more than I do. Heh.” Lei Heng smirked. Ryoshu wished he was wrong about that.
“Now, lemme ask you this, kitten. Are you mad cause I got ya all knocked up?” He tilted his head at her inquisitively.
She pressed her lips into a thin line and turned her gaze away from him. “Yes.”
“Hmm… Are you really gonna get rid of it?”
“...”
The reality is that Ryoshu learned about her condition a week ago. She had every chance to reverse it since her patrons had been able to deliver anything she asked. She could’ve gotten a bolus from H corp to terminate the pregnancy before it fully took root. Hell, she did. It was delivered to her room by one of the patrons two days ago. It sat in her room wrapped in the preservation wraps just waiting for her to consume it.
And yet.
In a sick, twisted way Lei Heng was right. Ryoshu began to feel curious on what kind of creation the two of them would create. What this collaboration of genetics born of their hedonistic and often bloodied ritual of flesh would look like.
Lei Heng hummed. “That’s what I thought.” He let go of her wrists and gently cradled her face in his giant palms. Ryoshu turned her gaze to meet his eyes and the look he had was so… proud. She scowled, annoyed. Smug bastard.
“Gotta admit…” He purred, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek. “Kinda can’t wait to see ya grow all big ‘n round and knowing I was the one that did that to ya, kitten. Your tits might even grow to be a handful.”
Scoffing, Ryoshu rolled her eyes. “Asshole.” She let him press a kiss to her other cheek.
“Nobody else could handle you but this asshole, darlin’. Damn, you were all knocked up and still fought Zhu Tong? My fierce lil kitten.” Lei Heng kissed her, deep and probing and affectionate.
She bit at his bottom lip hard then pulled away. “Tch. He deserved it. N.A.S.”
Lei Heng laughed and laughed.
—
Nine months later, Ryoshu was still working on her project for her patrons. Standing ankle deep in blood pooling from a mangled servant, she had a baby strapped to her chest and she gently combed a clean hand through wispy tufts of hair that was jet black just like her own. She looked down at the sleeping child and there was no denying the warmth she felt as she gazed upon her creation. The child blinked open its eyes and looked up at its mother, babbling happily, innocent and ignorant to the horrors its mother committed each day in the name of art.
Yuzuki had her father’s eyes.
—
There was something immensely satisfying with drowning the Xianren and letting them wallow in their so-called immortality until they passed and turned to dust. It was a fitting end for sniveling cowards obsessed with their supposed wisdom.
Exiting the Tieken Temple onto the bridge, the sight was a warzone Ryoshu had never seen before and she took a moment to admire the mangled bodies until her gaze landed on Jia Qiu and Lei Heng still locked in battle. She sneered and pulled out a new cigarette to light. Shit. She was hoping not to see him.
Lei Heng leaned heavily on his padao, looking bruised and bloodied from his fight with Jia Qiu. Ryoshu smirked. He never looked better.
“Hah… Dangit. Shit’s fucked, ain’t it?” He chuckled breathlessly and stood up straight, scanning the area. “I’m all outta gas… my boys are dead as shit… and now that y’alls got yourselves twelve fresh fellers… I reckon I don’t got that many options left.” Lei Heng panted with fatigue and looked upon the Sinners, his gaze lingered on Ryoshu for a second longer before sweeping back toward Jia Qiu.
“Awright, lemme be straight with y’all. Any way I get to walk outta here alive?”
Huh. Ryoshu never thought she’d see the man beg for his life. She’s almost impressed with how he did it in such a self-assured manner.
Jia Qiu seemed to quietly contemplate his request until his stern, stoic gaze settled on Lei Heng intensely. “Very well, Chachichu. Then I will make you the same offer you gave Meizhelan. Take a singular hit.”
Lei Heng smirked and scoffed. “I ain’t even worth unwrappin’ that staff of yours, am I?”
Ryoshu clutched her odachi at her hip. Her hand trembled with how tightly she held onto it.
Never had she heard Lei Heng laugh so hollowly. She watched as he pulled out a cigar from his breast pocket, different from where he usually stored his cigars, and she realized what it was at that moment.
“Hold your horses, be done in a jiffy.” He bit one end off and slowly, carefully lit the cigar with a ritualistic reverence that Ryoshu had become familiar with at least two times now in her time as a Sinner. He took a deep inhale and a deep exhale. Lei Heng was savoring his lucky cigar. And suddenly, Ryoshu’s cigarette tasted like nothing as she watched Jia Qiu lift his staff slowly.
“Hit me.” Lei Heng exhaled slowly with the smoke billowing out around his face.
Jia Qiu’s staff rested on Lei Heng’s shoulder. Warm light emanated from it until the light coalesced into five warm rings around the wrapped staff.
“I see… Five Mangs of the Tiangang Star…” He didn’t look away from Jia Qiu as he chewed on his cigar. Lei Heng looked death in the eyes with all the respect he had as a Capo of the Thumb. There was something admirable about that.
“Heh… Ain’t that a real motherfu–”
It was an explosion of viscera the likes Ryoshu had never seen. The movement from Jia Qiu’s staff was so gentle yet the damage was incredible. His head was completely gone. Obliterated into bits of meat. She didn’t know how to describe the feeling in her chest as she watched his body crumple and fall, blood pooling from the tattered stump where his head was.
It was hollow. It was light. It felt like freedom and relief. It felt like devastation. It shook her to her core and like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
All she could do was smoke her cigarette as Jia Qiu approached them calmly, as though he hadn’t just obliterated a man’s head with the gentle sweep of his weapon. “... He would rather call me by the star's name, hm. Yet my name is Kong Qiu.”
Hmph. Kong Qiu. Somehow that fit him better.
Ryoshu blew out a slow stream of smoke, her eyes trained on the still lit cigar that rolled on the stone floor. “The Pinky… Omnipresent yet unknown to each other…”
The silence that followed from everyone was oppressive, at least to Ryoshu, and when the others began to follow Kong Qiu to take on the forces that sought to stop Jia Xichun from taking the Family Hierarch seat, she stayed behind. Ryoshu bent to pick up the smoldering cigar that rolled away from Lei Heng’s corpse. She carefully snuffed it out and pocketed it before turning to follow the Sinners.
There were marks that Lei Heng left on Ryoshu that will never quite fade. Some physical and some not. She could still see the scars left over from where he had cut her deep and some nights when she woke up, she swore she could feel the phantom pain of a bruise from one of Lei Heng’s fists. There were echoes of him whenever she would automatically pick a cigarette as her lucky one from a new pack and when Sinclair managed to understand her SANGRIA, it reminded her of him as well. Hell, it was almost a relief to discover someone else that understood her so clearly.
It’s hard to forget a man like Lei Heng. As much as Ryoshu would like to. Yet a part of her wanted to keep a part of him for herself.
In a way, she has, and it sits in the Spider House with his eyes and his smile.
Notes:
SANGRIA Translations
I.A: I Accept
G.O: Game Over
A.S.O.P: A Star Of the Pinky
B.A.R.F: Boring Ass Rubbish Fight
N.O.Y.B: None Of Your Business
A.S.A.P: As Soon As Possible
B.A.P: Barefoot And Pregnant
N.A.S: Needed A ShaveSO. Some Fun Facts. Zhu Tong is one of the 108 outlaws and in the source material is a constable alongside Lei Heng before becoming an outlaw himself. The Tianman Star is called the Fulfillment Star! I did way too much research for a character that was just going to show up to get his ass beat haha.
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