Bite Back

Sweet Reaper

Wyleen was humming as she brushed her hair in the mirror, having showered after she returned to her room. Caught off guard, she let out a shriek upon seeing a face in the mirror that wasn’t her own.

“Whe whehe,” the woman laughed.

“Brûlée, you gave me a fright!” She pouted, sitting up on the floor, she fell onto from her chair at the vanity.

“Sorry, girlie, you’re so jumpy, I couldn’t resist,” the woman cackled again.

She sighed, “What can I do for you, ma’am?”

“Big brother Katakuri sent me to get you.” Brûlée looked at Wyleen up and down, “Is that really what you’re going to wear?” She pointed a crooked finger at the woman sitting on the floor.

Wyleen looked down at herself, “Is this a formal event?”

“Not in the slightest; I just thought you would want to look nice for my brother, that’s all. But if you are content with what you’re wearing…” She trailed off.

“Fine, I’ll get dressed. Give me a moment,” Wyleen got up off the floor. “Make yourself comfortable, if you wish,” she said over her shoulder before going into her closet to change into a housedress.

“Well, aren’t you pretty as a picture. Whe whe whe,” Brûlée chuckled.

“What’s the gag?” Wyleen raised an eyebrow at her.

“Come, dear girl, my brother is waiting.” She had climbed partially into the mirror that seemed to swallow Brûlée up like a body of water, her hand outstretched to take Wyleen into it with her.

“We’re the same age,” Wyleen complained as she was pulled into Brûlée’s Mirro-World. Inside was an expansive checkered room, sparkling with mirrors as far as the eye could see. “Where are we off to?”

“As I said, Brother Katakuri requested your presence,” Wyleen remembered seeing the broken mirror in Katakuri’s room; surely, they couldn’t get through the broken mirror. “Alright, out you go. Shoo.” Brûlée ushered Wyleen out into a hallway.

This caused Wyleen to stumble out of the mirror, bracing herself for the fall, but it never came. Opening her eyes, she saw Katakuri had caught her on the way down. “Hello, darling,” she smiled up at him.

“A word, dear.” There was an edge to his voice as there usually was up until this morning, but it had returned, fading Wyleen’s smile slightly.

“Have I done something wrong?”

“Hm?” Katakuri c****d an eyebrow at her, “No. I just wish to speak to you.”

“Is Big Mom back?” She asked, her voice small.

“So meek.” He shook his head, “No, she is still out at sea.”

“What’s this about, then?”

“Your father.” He set her down.

“Oh, what about him?”

Katakuri knelt to be at Wyleen’s eye level. “Did you know he was coming to the wedding?”

She c****d her head, “I assumed he would be invited, but I didn’t know if he would actually bother with the journey. He hardly wanted to look in my direction last time I saw him.”

“I see,” Katakuri stood back up and walked to a window in the hallway, looking out for a moment before speaking again. “What is your opinion of him? Feelings aside, what regard do you hold that man?”

Wyleen was confused as to why he was asking her such a question, but answered honestly, “Um," she looked off, rubbing her shoulder anxiously. “I dunno, what is there to say about him?”

He turned to look at her. “Do you remember the day you came to Totto Land? The day you were uprooted from your home, your family? The day you were taken away from your mother and sister?”

She looked down at the floor. “Yes, I remember,” Wyleen replied coldly. “To save his kingdom, he offered me up to be a bride to one of her sons for her protection.”

“Did you have a say in the matter?”

Looking up, her brows furrowed together, “Of course not, what kind of question is that?”

“Why you? Why not your younger sister, Lillian?”

“Lilly is still a child…all of ten years old; what would she have to offer Big Mom at this time? Looking back, I’m glad it was me. She ought to enjoy being carefree for several more years. Besides,” Wyleen sighed, “My father has already tried to marry me off, not that anyone took interest in…me,” she muttered. “At least I can be of some use while I take up space around here,” she offered Katakuri a sad smile.

“Does it make you mad? The way he treated you? The way he gave you up without a second thought for his own selfish means?”

“I try not to think about it, truthfully.” Wyleen folded her arms across her chest. “Why the sudden curiosity about my father?” She looked at Katakuri skeptically, “You know something I don’t.”

Astute. “Perhaps I know a thing or two about your father’s whereabouts,” he said as he leaned against the wall behind him.

“Out with it, then.” Wyleen watched Katakuri as he looked away from her gaze, trying to think of something to say. She sighed, her arms dropping to her sides, “Damnit, he’s here, isn’t he? Where is the bastard?”

“H-He’s,” Katakuri pointed behind her to the infirmary doors.

Wyleen rolled her eyes at Katakuri before scoffing and pushing the door open. “Da, what the hell are you doing here? You know the Tea Party is still quite a few days out, right?” Her hands were on her hips as she reprimanded the injured man in the infirmary bed.

“Wyleen, is that really you, my girl?”

“Cut the s**t, dad, what do you want?”

Daveed looked surprised at his daughter’s words, “Can’t a father come to his own daughter’s wedding? As the father of the bride, I thought—“

She cut him off, “You thought what? That you would reconcile before I become a Charlotte and officially sever the ties between me and that miserable kingdom you call home?”

“Wyleen, that’s quite enough,” her father’s voice was loud and firm.

“No, Da, I came here for you, so you, mum, and Lilly could be safe. You shipped me off to give the lot of you a second chance by rubbing elbows with an Emperor of the Sea. You knew damn well what you were doing.”

Katakuri put a large hand on her shoulder, “Dear, let him rest. Two of you can continue your conversation when his wounds heal.”

Wyleen wrinkled her nose at her father before turning to leave with her fiancé, “Fine. Let’s go, darling.”

“Good girl,” he said, looking down at Wyleen before glancing at her father behind him. Daveed seemed to be in shock, perhaps a little remorseful. Katakuri couldn’t help but smirk behind his scarf; her father’s loss was his gain.

“That ass,” she huffed as they walked down the hallway.

“Should I have let my brothers kill him instead of sparing his life, dear?”

“No,” she heaved a sigh, “Lilly still needs a father, even if he is an ass. I just hope he’s a better father to her than he was to me.”

“Did you say it was your father who taught you Haki?”

She nodded slowly, “That’s right.”

“Were you young when you learned?”

Wyleen thought for a moment, “Not that young. Thirteen, perhaps?”

“Hm, so about twenty years ago?” He glanced down at her.

She snorted, “I suppose it has been quite a while. How old were you when you learned?”

“Which one?”

“There’s more than one?” Wyleen asked quizzically.

“There are. Armament, observation, and conquerors’ Haki, to put it simply. Haki can be trained, however. It can develop stronger for better defense and attack, or heighten the senses to detect enemies. Or…predict their next movements to prevent adverse actions,” Katakuri explained.

Nodding, “I see,” was her reply to the information. “Which ones do you have?”

Katakuri chuckled, “I have mastered the three, I would like to think. I’m very adept in battle, not to boast.”

“I know you are. One of the best fighters in Totto Land, yes?” She gave him a gentle smile.

He gave a polite nod, “So I’ve been told. There is always a margin for error, and much room for improvement to diminish that margin.” It was a moment of walking in silence before Katakuri spoke once more. “Wyleen?”

She looked up at him, “Hm?”

“I would like you to train physically, and I would like to help you develop your Haki. Would that be alright?”

“Why?” She looked confused.

“For one, I think it would help your anger if you had an outlet.”

“But-“

“Two,” he cut her off, “As my wife, you will be sought after by enemies. It would be best if they didn’t know what they are getting themselves into.” He stopped walking to face her, “And you look so damn beautiful when you’re angry, kitten.”