Chapter Text
Giyuu hated his life. He didn’t used to… he was happy once. A pianist and a singer. His name was known in all the local bars and clubs, and he was on his way to becoming a world star. Then it happened. A young man decided to drink and drive and that decision cost Giyuu everything. A single accident and a few surgeries later and Giyuu lost his right hand and with it his career, his joy. No longer able to play, he sunk into depression. Unable to pay the bills for his penthouse, Giyuu moved into a cheaper neighbourhood. Shared with a noisy housemate. He survived by teaching singing lessons.
With no family and no friends, Giyuu was forgotten by the world. His once prized certificates and musical awards were now gathering dust in a box, stuffed in a corner. Even his housemate didn’t really care. They were just a chatterbox, constantly going on about romance games. Giyuu sighed. After his usual noodle cup dinner, Giyuu flopped on the couch next to Tina.
“Oh, I was going to play my game for a while,”
“Okay,”
“Do you want to watch then?”
“Okay,” Not really. Giyuu didn’t give a damn about the game, but at least it was a break from his room. Although, he glanced around the shared area. Dirty dishes, clothes and Lego sets were everywhere. “Tina, you need to clean this up. I have clients tomorrow,”
“Oh, come on. It’s not bad,” The woman grumbled, picking her way back through the mess to the couch. Giyuu raised a brow at her. “Alright. I’ll do a little before I go out later and clean the rest in the morning,”
“Thank you,”
Giyuu didn’t think he was being unreasonable. Even with one hand, he still picked up after himself. Besides, he was tired on stepping on Lego. Those things hurt like hell!
“So,” Tina beamed at him as the game came on. He watched the screen as it panned through elaborate old houses, towns and fields. Some annoying little jingle playing. He could have written better. “This is an Otome game omegaverse,”
Eight months ago, Giyuu didn’t know what either to of those words meant. He was far too busy writing, singing, playing. Now he listened to Tina talk about these subjects constantly.
“Everyone is an animal hybrid,”
“What?”
Tina giggled at his lacklustre impression and pointed to the characters that were starting to be shown in the starting page. “Everyone has animal heritage. Anything from wolves to butterflies. Just small details like ears, tails, wings,”
Alright. He wasn’t sure how it improved the game, but Giyuu did think animals were cute. Although, dogs seemed to dislike him.
A new page appeared and Tina got excited. “See, this is why I was so excited to get this game,” She pointed to the first image. “Unlike a lot of games, you can choose more than one character and complete their story. There are three,”
“Mnnn,” Giyuu leaned on his hand, staring at the young woman with pink and green hair. The character had light green eyes, red panda ears and a tail and jumped excitedly while Tina hovered over her.
“I am working on Mitsuri’s character now. She is soooo cute and likes both male and females so there are lots of options,”
Well, at least that was a decent choice. As a gay man, Giyuu appreciated representation. Although he thinks they could have given up the animal traits. Tina started the game play and Giyuu found himself rolling his eyes more than he had in years. Seriously? What silly scenarios. Crashing into people, dropping liquids on someone’s shirt so they strip, tripping into people’s arms. It was so damn cheesy.
“Oh look, Giyuu. It’s Lord Tomioka!”
Giyuu blinked as a hooded figure appeared on the screen. The cloak was dark, keeping the man’s face in shadows. “Let me guess. He’s the villain,”
“That’s right. My friend has played a lot more routes than me and said this guy is the worst!”
How original. The bad guy being the only character concealing his face. “Other than poor fashion sense, what are his crimes?”
Tina giggled. “He is super creepy. Never shows his face during the big gatherings. He is arrogant and is always chasing the person you are interested in,”
Giyuu frowned. That hardly sounded like villain behaviour. An asshole yes, but it’s not like he was starting wars.
“Tomioka is also a cheater. Courting more than one person,”
“Isn’t that what Mitsuri is doing by hosting so many parties?”
“No,” Tina slapped her hand on her thigh. “The main characters announce they are willing to accept suitors. They arrange special ways to meet with them with others around. Tomioka though hides in the shadows. Sneaking into many places to court. They even hint he is sleeping around,”
“Oh, the scandal!”
“I know, right?”
It appears Tina wasn’t great at picking up on sarcasm. It wasn’t like Giyuu respected cheaters. He believed in being loyal to your partner or at least having mutual agreement if you had multiple, but for a game villain, this was exceptionally lame. “He’s not executed or anything, is he?”
“Sadly no,” Tina scoffed. Damn, Giyuu hopes any of Tina’s future partners don’t cheat. “He and his family are completely ostracised though. Basically, they will never find a mate in this society,”
Yeah, alright. Even his wall had more character than this game! “I think I’ll turn in and watch a movie,”
“Oh sure. Sorry I got carried away,”
“It’s fine,” He stood and made his way to his door. “Night,”
“Good night Giyuu. I’ll see you tomorrow!”
He flopped on his bed, flicking on some action movie. More for background noise than entertainment. He’s life truly was pathetic. No career, no partner and living in a messy apartment with a housemate who thought people who cheated deserved the death penalty.
About midway through the movie, there was a ping from his mobile. Giyuu frowned, sitting up to grab it. “Better not be a cancellation,” He needed the money.
‘Hey Giyuu! I forgot to turn off the game! Can you shut it down for me?”
Damn, Tina was annoying. He shot back a quick reply. “Okay,”
There was another ping with a love heart. Giyuu groaned, tossing his phone back on his bed before he headed out to the shared area. “Really?”
Nothing had been cleaned. In fact, he thinks it looked worse. As if Tina started to pick things up and then thrown them back down in a mess. Whatever, he would insist she tidied it in the morning so he could at least vacuum.
Giyuu glared at the offending game on the screen. It was panning through multiple location scenes again. He briefly saw a young woman with long black hair standing in a ball room... Yeah, nothing would entice him to play something so lame. Too many clichés for him. He moved towards the television, dodging the crap littered everywhere… then felt a sharp pain shot through his foot.
“Shit!” Giyuu stumbled back as he tried to dislodge what he was sure was a piece of Lego from his foot. Unfortunately, he stepped back onto something silky and overtipped. Desperate he tried to reach out with his right arm to grab onto something. His stump waved uselessly before he fell, slamming hard into the cabinet. Dazed from the pain, he didn’t notice the TV tilting above him. The last thing Giyuu remembered was that silly little jingle before something smashed into his head.
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Blinding pain… darkness… then nothing… at least until light started to return. Giyuu blinked. Reaching up to rub his head… what… he swallowed as he felt something soft covering his head. He jumped to his feet and found himself frozen. Fancy furniture, bountiful bunches of flowers, massive windows which seemed to overlook majestic gardens. Where the hell was he?
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Sanemi Shinazugawa hated these get togethers. Nearly everyone was full of shit. Bowing and pretending to be sweet while concealing their poison. Like that Giyuu fucking Tomioka. Right ugly bastard. Always hidden behind cloaks so no one knew his face, his species. Thought he was so fucking wonderful that people would fall for his mystery. He snorted.
“Do you think any of the ladies will find someone?” His best friend Masachika asked.
“Like I care,”
“I thought you liked Kanae?” Tengen, another of his friends, was flopped on a chair. A large group of his admirers swooned in the distance.
Sanemi rolled his eyes. Tengen was a rare white lion. His stunning silver-white hair, height and strength attracted a lot of attention. His round ears twitched at the whispers from his audience and his tail swept up to his lap. Lions, unlike many animals, thrived with multiple mates. The alpha had three beautiful lionesses who were in discussions for marriage, not to mention...
“Nonsense. Sanemi and Kanae were only ever friends, right?” Kyojuro, a golden lion with flaming hair and eyes laughed brightly. The omega was another popular attraction; however, it was clear to anyone with a brain that Kyojuro only had eyes for Tengen. The two had been inseparable since they were cubs. It was expected they would announce an engagement soon, assuming the omega accepted the females into their pride. Kyojuro’s golden tail with the fluffy red tip draped across Tengen’s shoulders. The alpha immediately stroked it fondly.
“Can you two really not touch each other five minutes?” Obanai snapped. The alpha may have been the smallest in the group, however his wolverine heritage brought out his fierceness and aggression. His shorter tail was fluffed in irritation.
“Shut up, all of you,” Sanemi muttered, throwing a glare at one omega who tried to approach. He recognised him from another party. The man had bragged about winning his heart and fortune. He smirked as the omega fled, before turning back to his friends. “Kanae is my friend, nothing more,”
Masachika laughed, the omega’s tail wagging. Like Sanemi, Masa was a wolf descendant. His ears and tail a deep grey, while Sanemi’s were pure white. It was one of the reasons he attracted attention. That and his general appearance. Wild, white hair, large purple eyes with long eyelashes and a muscular figure covered in scars. Left behind from his hell of a childhood. His father, may he rot in hell, was a cruel bastard. Beat his family constantly. Luckily Masa went to the local police to get help the night the bastard tried to kill them. Sanemi held him off as best he could, but he was only fifteen. When the authorities arrived and saw the situation, his old man was taken away and executed for his crimes. His mother, Shizu ran the household until Sanemi was eighteen and could inherit the name and dwindling fortune. It took two years to recover the damages caused by his father, but now the family was well received. Their fortune secure, and so here he was. Another fucking party in the hopes to find a mate. He thinks a lot of people wished Masa and he would form an attachment, but the two were like brothers. Besides, Masachika had his eyes on a foxy beta. Sabito was a blacksmith back in town and was very popular for his looks and bright personality. He was certain they would mate soon… if either would grow a pair and start the courtship.
“I heard Tomioka fainted before,” Tengen muttered, leaning forward with interest. “I was hoping to finally see his face, but they placed him in a quiet space,”
“Who fucking cares. Guy is an asshole. Can’t even tell his animal with those baggy clothes he wears. Fucking coward,”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
The room’s volume descended. People were whispering, trying to work out where the shout had come from. Sanemi tilted his head. Was someone in danger?
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“No, no, no!” Giyuu was panicking. Where the hell was he?
The man rushed to a mirror at the far side of the room. What the hell was he wearing? Some, large baggy cloak. He yanked it off and found himself staring. It was him and yet not him. The same face, eyes, hair and body except… “My hand,” Giyuu wanted to weep. His hand was back. His large, pointed ears twitched… wait. Giyuu watched in dawning horror as two silver, black furry ears twitched again. He took a deep breath, reaching up to touch them. Soft, silky. Giyuu blinked. His hand had regrown and somehow, he had gained additional animal ears. A fluffy silver black tail swished out… Giyuu screamed again…
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Sanemi’s ears jolted as he bolted towards the room where the screams came from. Masachika following close behind. The others weren’t as well known by the Kocho family, so they decided to wait for them back in the ball room. The wolves skidded to a halt in front of a door where Kanae and her younger sister Shinobu were trying to get it open.
“Kanae, what the hell happened?”
“Oh Sanemi. It’s Lord Tomioka. He fainted earlier and then we heard him screaming,”
Seriously, that bastard? He groaned, moving in front of the door. He banged hard. “Oi, open the door,” He shouted.
There was some rustling from the room.
“Lord Tomioka. Please, let us know if you are alright,” Kanae called out. Shinobu was right next to her sister. “Do you need medical assistance?”
Sanemi snarled. “Tomioka, open the door or I’ll break it down,”
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Giyuu was taking deep breaths. He needed to be calm. Either he was in the weirdest damn dream, or he had been transported to another world after death… that’s right. That stupid game system. He fell, hit the cabinet… a sharp pain to his head… did the TV fall on him?
“Shit,” He muttered. Giyuu was dead. He had fucking died and woken up in a damn fantasy world like in those strange comics and games Tina had…. blue eyes widened as he took in the animal features. He was in that fucking game! The lame one where everyone was part animal.
Alright, think. What else did Tina say? It was an otome game omegaverse… oh no. That meant… oh gods, please be a beta, please be a beta.
“Lord Tomioka?”
He stilled, ears twitching. Tomioka? Was that his name before? Why did it sound so familiar? “Is everything alright in there?”
Alright? No, nothing was alright. Giyuu died and got transported into some damn game where men could get pregnant. No. Giyuu could do this. He was composed, had the world’s best resting bitch face or so his housemate had said. Deep breaths. What he needed was to learn, to adapt to this world… wait. Lord Tomioka? The villain! He was the fucking villain.
“Oi, open the door,”
Giyuu jumped at the loud banging. It sounded like they were getting worried. He touched his ears one last time before fixing his clothes. He didn’t know a lot about this place, but Tomioka always hid behind a cloak and for now, he needed to play it cool. Pretend he was unfazed. Apologise for the screams. Say it was a bad dream. Get the hell out of here and work out more about Tomioka so he could avoid the cliché villain title and ending.
“Lord Tomioka. Please, let us know if you are alright,” Such a soft voice. “Do you need medical assistance?”
There was another bang and a snarling voice shouted out. “Tomioka, open the door or I’ll break it down,”
Damn it. Couldn’t they have given him a few more minutes. Giyuu tucked his tail into his belt and hid himself beneath the cloak. Well, guess it was now or never.
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“That does it,” Sanemi mumbled. He was kicking this fucking door down.
“Sanemi wait,” Kanae grabbed his arm, but he gently shook her off.
“Stand back. I’m going to find out what this bast…” He blinked as the door opened and a cloaked figure stepped out.
The group stared at the man before he politely cleared his throat. “My apologies. I had a terrible nightmare,”
Sanemi growled, stepping into the bastard’s space. Of course, Tomioka didn’t fucking move. “A nightmare? You were screeching about a fucking nightmare?”
“Yes. That is usually the result of such terrors, no?”
“Listen here, you arrogant shit,”
“Sanemi, enough,” Masachika grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “The guy fainted. He probably did have a nightmare,”
Shinobu sighed. “Are you feeling better now Lord Tomioka? Do you want me to check on you?”
The beta shook his head. “No, thank you,”
Kanae smiled, wrapping her arm around the bastard’s. “I am glad. I would hate for any of our guests to become unwell. Now please, let us return to the party,”
Sanemi clicked his tongue. He couldn’t believe Kanae was even considering courtship with the weirdo. No one knew anything about him. He had just appeared a few months back. Always hiding his face, throwing around his name like it mattered. Sanemi had tried to have the man investigated but he came from a distant land, so there was nothing about his family history. His best guess was the bastard was looking for a wealthy match. Perhaps hoping the money would protect his ugly ass face… he chuckled to himself. Must be why he kept it hidden.
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Giyuu wasn’t sure what to make of this place. When he opened the door, he was face to face with four hybrids. Two women, clearly related with long antennas. Some sort of bug people. The taller one had a gentle aura with long black hair and pink eyes, while the shorter seemed short tempered with short black hair with purple tips and deep purple eyes. She looked rather pissed off. Then there were the men. A dark-haired man with green eyes and what looked like a claw mark across his cheek. Large, pointed dark grey ears and a tail and oh… thank the gods Giyuu was covered by the cloak because he was sure his eyes were huge. This had to be the sexiest man he had ever seen. A little taller than himself, with broad shoulders and deliciously large pecs, proudly on display. Messy white hair with pointed white ears and a fluffy white tail. Round, purple eyes highlighted by gorgeous long lashes in a strong, defined face and the scars… his face, arms, chest. They were slightly darker than his tanned skin. A tapestry of the man’s history that Giyuu wished he could view up close. There was just one major issue… the man was an asshole!
Sanemi Shinazugawa eyed him like he was something you stepped on at a dog park. Disgust clear across his features. Just his luck! Giyuu finally finds the man of his dreams and he hates him… oh and did he mention he was dead! Giyuu sighed, watching the guests in the ballroom. It was so bizarre. So many animal hybrids. Bears, wolves, peacocks, lions, rabbits and others he didn’t know the names of. He felt his tail trying to break free from his belt and discreetly tucked it in tighter. Giyuu thinks he may be a fox hybrid based on the brief glance of his ears and tail, but an unusual silver fox. He sipped the champagne. Not really his thing but after waking up from death, he needed something to take the edge off.
Giyuu tried to sneak out, however Kanae, the sweet butterfly girl (when her cloak moved earlier, he realised they were actually wings) begged him to stay for the special event. Now he was hiding in the corner, hoping he was practically invisible. As a villain, something bad must be about to happen right? Why else was he here? So, he just needed to keep to himself. That way he couldn’t do anything wicked!
His eyes wandered back to Sanemi. So proud, standing with his arms crossed and leaning against a wall. Talking with a group of men. Two lions, the other wolf and he wasn’t sure what the shorter one was. He breathed in deeply and frowned. Why couldn’t he smell anything? He thought omegaverse was all about animal instinct and scents. Did this mean he was a beta?
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He wasn’t a beta. Giyuu was downing another drink. Was it his third? Fourth? Who cared. When he went to the bathroom earlier, he barely held in another scream. He still had his cock, but underneath was clearly a vagina. He was a fucking omega! He snarled at the cup. Wishing he could throw it at the damn window. Not only was he part animal, now he could have a baby. Was this some kind of sick joke? Was there some god out there getting kicks out of this? What, was he supposed to lift his tail and beg someone to fuck him? Fill him with kids?
It’s not like Giyuu didn’t want children. He once dreamed of finding a good man and adopting a couple when they were settled… but not actually giving birth. He grabbed another drink. Was that why he wore a cloak and found those strange patches on his wrists and neck? The original Tomioka was hiding his secondary gender. Was he embarrassed? He sniffed the air, still not able to detect scents. What the hell was going on?
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Sanemi raised a brow as the bastard grabbed another drink. Strange, Tomioka rarely drank at these parties, let alone skulked at the sides. Usually, he mingled with the wealthy families, trying to build connections. What the hell was going through that man’s mind?
“That one is acting very strange today?” He muttered to his friends.
“Yeah, I noticed it too. Maybe he hit his head and changed his personality,” Tengen laughed, drawing attention of more omegas. Kyojuro subtly moved closer, baring his fangs a little in challenge. Sanemi nearly choked at how quickly the others backed off. Not that he blamed him, Kyojuro could turn from a beam of sunshine to a roaring inferno.
“If only we could be that lucky,” Obanai snarked. He really hated Tomioka. The way he seemed keen on any match, regardless of personality.
“Oh, look Kanae is finally moving to the stage,” Kyojuro was beaming brightly again now the threats had backed off.
Although she was only twenty-one, Kanae was very elegant and refined. She and Shinobu have been looking for a good mate or mates for a while now. Sanemi sighed, his wolf side not understanding why you would want more than one.
“Thank you all for coming. We hope you are having a wonderful time,” She smiled as Shinobu came to stand next to her. “We now invite those who requested an audience to discuss a courtship to approach when we call your name,”
Sanemi chuckled as he watched many hopeful suitors form a line. Kanae had yet to find someone of interest, while Shinobu clearly fancied two people. He glanced at Obanai. The man refused to join these over-the-top gestures. He knew Shinobu was keen on the match with himself and Mitsuri, a sweet red panda omega. The three had been speaking of courtship quietly for a few weeks now and Shinobu begged them not to join these ridiculous displays.
“Odd. Tomioka has not joined Kanae’s line,”
“What?” Sanemi leaned forward at Tengen’s words. “Well, shit. Is he drunk or something?”
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Giyuu was feeling a little lightheaded. Perhaps he should stop drinking the champagne. He leaned against the wall, humming softly to himself as he watched many of the guests line up for their audience with the noble butterfly ladies. At least it was more entertaining than the little groups flirting with each other earlier. What a dull party. The music was bland, the people even more so. He guessed that was the game’s fault though. Only the people deemed worthy of storylines would be interesting. Probably that Sanemi’s group. They were all remarkably attractive.
“Lord Tomioka,”
He blinked, turning to find everyone in the room staring at him. “Huh?”
Kanae’s smile faltered, but she composed herself quickly. “You requested an audience to court me?”
Now, usually Giyuu was a level-headed person. Growing up on stage, he learnt to be calm, poised, when and when not to speak. To choose his words carefully… apparently all things which disappeared when you were drunk. He frowned. “I don’t want you,”
There were collective gasps as he stood straight. At least he thinks he was, although the world seemed to be spinning slightly. Shinobu stepped forward, eyes furious. “What do you mean by this, Lord Tomioka?”
“Shinobu,” Kanae patted her sister on the shoulder before turning towards him. “Lord Tomioka, I fear you may have had too much to drink. Do you not remember requesting a chance to court me?”
Giyuu blinked. Court… Kanae… but… “I’m gay,” Kanae frowned. There were more whispers. Did these idiots not understand? Giyuu sighed, waving his hand to emphasise the lower half of his body. “You know, I like dick!”
The whole room went deadly silent. Oh excellent, they understood that. Giyuu blinked, placing his glass carefully on the table and gasped when he missed and it hit the floor. “Oh shit!” He started looking for something to mop up the mess. A servant rushed over and begged him to leave it. “I’m so sorry. Must be the champagne,” He mumbled repeatedly.
“Tomioka!”
Oh, the hot guy was here. Such pretty eyes… like flowers…
“I think you should leave,”
“Yes,” He blurted out, nodding his head. “I’ve been trying to leave since I woke up!” The handsome man scowled at him. Giyuu giggled, poking his face. “You look much prettier when you smile,”
Sanemi jumped back, face a bright red. Oh, how adorable. The man was shy. He heard laughter as the taller white-haired man… the lion hybrid grinned at him. “Tomioka, I called your carriage. I think it’s best you go,”
“Mnnn, okay,”
Giyuu waved over his shoulder as one of the servants rushed over to assist him.
“How much of that shit did he drink?” He heard Sanemi mutter behind him.
Giyuu giggled as he tripped a little on the stairs before another servant in deep blues and silver jumped from the carriage to help lift him in. Oh, such comfy seats. Giyuu collapsed onto one, head still buzzing. That wasn’t so bad. In fact, he feels like that went rather well!