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from the edge (1x1 w/DarkMudkip)

There was an ominous feeling the closer she dree to his chambers. She couldn't shake it, but she didn't stop or turn tail. He would help, same as he helped everyone else.
 
Kaguya stood outside of his bed chambers, staring at the door. It was highly inappropriate of her to come to him like this, but surely if it were for something as important as her needing guidance, all would be overlooked, right? She knocked on the door gently and announced herself. “Lord Douma, please forgive the intrusion, I know that it is late, but may I speak with you?” She waited, shifting nervously, but a reply never came. She frowned softly, perhaps he was already asleep? It had been a long day. She didn’t know what possessed her to do such a thing, reaching for the door handle and opening the door. When she opened the door, something warm splattered her cheek and dripped onto the front of her clothes, the same overwhelming scent of blood hitting her like a wall. She couldn’t understand what she was seeing, the room splattered with a bright red color. The walls and floors were covered in it, even the ceiling had the same red on it, and in the center stood the familiar blurry figure of Douma.
 
Kaguya blinked, feeling a ringing start to pick up in her ears. She touched her face, pulling her hand back to look at what had landed on her face; she stared at the blood on her fingers for a moment, the ringing only growing louder. She looked up at Douma once more, realizing he was the one causing such an abhorrent scene, covered in blood himself.
She didn’t scream, didn’t run, only carefully dug into her sleeve and produced a handkerchief, using it to wipe the blood from her face and hand, attempting to remove it from her kimono, but it had already soaked in. After she had cleaned herself up, she put the handkerchief back into her sleeve and bowed deeply to Douma. “Please forgive me, Lord Douma, I didn’t mean to interrupt; it seems I have also allowed for the clothes you’ve gifted me to be sullied, please accept my apologies.” What was this? This wasn’t right at all. Most people would have run screaming from the sight of the blood, called for help, even have fainted- but Kaguya was acting like everything was normal. Perhaps this was a knew ruse to try and save her own life?
 
Either way, it made her quite interesting to him.
"Oh, that's alright. Think nothing of it. Please, come in. We wouldn't want anyone to see."
 
Kaguya nodded and stepped into the room, closing the door behind her, careful to avoid stepping in any blood. She felt like she was going to leave her body at any moment, almost like she was watching things happen from outside her body. “I came to ask for guidance.” She took a deep breath, one which she regretted, the stench of blood overwhelming. She was doing everything she could to not look at the mass Douma was holding, knowing it was nothing good. “I feel as though I am unqualified for such work here.”
 
She flinched at the word, casting her gaze to the floor, which she partially regretted upon seeing a severed arm. Kaguya blinked tears from her eyes, guilt overwhelming her more than the scene before her. “Isn’t that wrong?” She asked softly; how naive, she was still a child after all. “All I want is for those around me to be happy, but is it wrong to achieve that through lying and deception?”
 
He laughed and dropped the arm in his hand as he moved toward her, "Of course~ it's easy to trick these fools into being happy~ just tell them what they want to hear~"
 
Kaguya did not retreat as Douma approached her, standing firm in her spot, was he going to kill her now that she knew his secret? “Does that make me a monster then?” She asked. “Lying to them, and finding comfort in that?”
 
Kaguya looked to the floor again, pondering his words. Was there really harm in lying to so many people if it brought them such happiness? Was that wrong to do? “So?” She asked quietly. “What about me, I seemed to have stumbled my way into your secret.” Fresh tears formed in her eyes. “Does this mean I have to disappear too?” The thought of dying scared her, would she be alone? If Douma too was lying about being holy, then did that mean there truly were no gods? She wiped at her tears with her hand, for the first time acting like a child as she cried openly in front of Douma. “Will you too send me away?”
 
Kaguya didn’t care that he was touching her with his bloody hands, didn’t care that he stained her hair red with blood from another person. Relief washed over her and the tears wouldn’t stop flowing. Her face twisted up as she held back her crying, taking a small step closer to him and holding onto the front of his robes. “Don’t cast me out..!” She begged. “I’ll keep lying for you, I’ll stay by your side, just please-” She begged quietly. “Please don’t make me be alone again..!” It was cute really, how she thought her words would hold any sway on the decision he would make of her fate. He could easily snap her spine where she stood, she wouldn’t even know it happened- but the idea that another, and a human being no less, would be willing to play in on the facade he was upholding intrigued him.
 
He smiled and continued to pet her hair, shushing her gently as he soothed her, "I would never. Don't cry, Kaguya-chan. You won't go anywhere, I promise you. You'll stay right here with me."
 
She nodded, even if he was lying to her, she would believe him, she had to. It took her a bit, but she finally dried her tears. “Forgive me for interrupting your meal, I didn’t mean to intrude..”
 
She nodded firmly, looking up at him, his face covered in blood. “I promise.” She said quietly, eyes puffy from crying and cheeks stained with her tears.
 
She nodded. “Please forgive my unseemly appearance.” She apologized.
She had to move carefully to the baths to not frighten anyone with her appearance, face smeared with blood. It wasn’t very hard, as no one was awake though, and she made it unhindered to the bathhouse. When there she found a mirror and looked over her blood-smeared face, setting down the mirror, and laughing. Her face flushed and she laughed more, unable to stop herself. For the first time in her life she had been entrusted with a secret, Douma had allowed her to keep his secret despite being a liar. Perhaps it was because he too was a liar. She laughed until her chest ached and tears blurred her vision. She would hold his secret close, she would never tell a soul- it was her secret now too, one that implicated her in a terrible crime. He was murdering and devouring his followers, and she felt nothing, how did she feel guilty for lying, but nothing for a murdered person?
After bathing and making sure she was clean, she disposed of the dirty kimono and returned to her room.
 
As promised, there was a clean one waiting for her to wear in the morning, it matched Douma's usual color scheme well with blacks and golds thereabout. It was nice, being trusted so deeply and to be equally cared for.
 
Kaguya never seemed to have told anyone, not one person glaring at Douma, no one fleeing from him in terror, no on questioned anything. She had kept her word and her promise, going about the next days tasks as usual. Kaguya seemed unbothered by the fact that had killed someone and cannibalized them.
For years she would keep his secret, becoming his most trusted advisor- as much as he extended trust to humans at least. She worked hard and took some of the burden from his shoulders; a diligent and loyal pet indeed.
 
He smiled each time he saw her, pleased beyond words that she was so loyal to him. He couldn't really understand why or what made her so loyal and eager to please, but he wasn't about to argue.
 
Every human in the congregation was loyal to an extent to Douma, but usually once faced with Douma’s more unsavory sides, they would flee- at least attempt to. Kaguya simply turned away from it, quietly enduring everything he did and continuing on with her job as per usual.
“A few members of the congregation wanted to go into town for today.” She spoke as she worked, still finishing a few legal documents. “They’ve requested I accompany them, would such a thing be permissible, Lord Douma?”
 
"Not at all." Douma said joyously, grinning from ear to ear, "How silly of them to think such a thing was allowed. What did they plan to do, I wonder?"
 
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