name: 朽木 あい / 久川 永愛
aliases: Ai, Ena, Aina
age: ~400 / Vessel: 16
birthday: ???
species: Youkai
gender: Transfem / Vessel: Cisgirl
sexuality: Bisexual
Aina possesses an outwardly unremarkable demeanor, blending seamlessly into any social setting with a calm and composed presence. This ordinary façade is so perfectly maintained that it becomes unsettling to those who interact with her, as if there's something subtly off-kilter beneath the surface.
This disconcerting normality is not accidental; it is a deliberate and calculated aspect of her persona, designed to disarm and intrigue.
Once she focuses on someone, her behavior shifts dramatically. Her interest morphs into an intense and all-consuming obsession. She becomes meticulously attentive, noticing every detail and learning everything she can about the person of her fixation. Her obsession manifests in an almost predatory manner, characterized by a relentless pursuit and a drive to understand and control every aspect of the other person's life.
In the depths of 17th-century Japan, a shady sanctuary lurked in secrecy: a brothel cloaked from the prying gaze of society. Within its dimly illuminated confines resided a woman thirsting for a semblance of closeness. Her true identity, obscured by the veils of time, had dissolved into the annals of history, leaving behind only the appellation of Ai—a name chosen to embody her profound longing for love.
She lived a double life, one as a male actor in the theaters, and the other as a prostitute in the brothel she was born in. The world viewed her solely through the lens of her sexuality and saw no value beyond that. So desperate for the acceptance of someone, anyone, she found herself falling deeper in love with a customer, who was much older than her. Even though the man's interest in her would never extend beyond sexual pleasure, she clung to him with all she had, afraid of being tossed back into isolation once their transactional relationship ended. And yet, reality eventually arrived: She soon learned that the man was going to be married.
Abandoning the world and feigning death were both viable options; after all, they reflected an outcome similar to what life had in store for her. However, she chose to stay behind and witness the love between the man and his wife, despite having been cast aside like an old toy. But fate, ever cruel, intervened. Her rival in love discovered her husband had been visiting brothels during their engagement. Consumed by jealousy and spite, cast upon Ai a curse as dark as the depths of the night—a curse that condemned her to become an eldritch creature, forever imprisoned in a form twisted by the tendrils of magic.
As a monster who seeks love and acceptance, her body became nothing but a mere vessel. In order to prolong her life, she had to replace a pregnant woman's baby with herself and discard her previous body. She would then be born with the genes of the woman's unborn baby, perfectly disguised as their child. This way, she could safely live and continue her pursuit in love throughout the time periods.
However, Ai's plan had it's pitfalls. In her many lives, those she loved would go insane upon finding out her true identity. They would succumb to their madness, and Ai would mourn their deaths silently until she moved on with a new lover in another lifetime. In each successive life, she would eventually find someone to fall in love with only for them to meet gruesome ends. Tearing out their eyes, clawing at their face, sabotaging their own bodies. Each reincarnation took away a piece of her heart, bit by bit, but still, she remained vigilant and hopeful.
u/c
