Event & TDM 003

[sticksandbonesmods]

I AM THE WILD

WAKE UP

You open your eyes.

It feels like you’ve been here before, like you’re finally home. Today, the sun shines brightly, brilliantly, on the open forest clearing making up Aldric’s Grove. Vines wrap around old buildings, overgrowth covers ruins of what once were homes and shops, and weeds poke up through the cracks of foundations. Before you stands an inn, a well, and one hundred beautiful flowers peppered throughout the clearing. Be not fooled by their beauty, wanderer; should you stray too close, the flowers are happy to bite.

Fret not, however; should you seek escape from the carnivorous foliage, the inn is plenty safe from attacks. Perhaps you ought to get acquainted with others like you, lounging in the lobby with nowhere to go. Perhaps you should find yourself a room, a place to stay. After all, room and board is completely free of charge! Should you dig through the bedside table of your new room, you’ll find only one thing within: A Polaroid photograph of yourself from years ago. You were younger, then — or, if age doesn’t define you, you were different. Still, you remember posing for this photograph… don’t you?

If the photo is too much for you, a trip to the river might offer respite. The oppressive fog wrapping around the grove and obscuring much of the distant forest some miles out won’t let you wander too far. Luckily, there’s a stretch of river perfect for a round of fishing, playing in, or simply relaxing by. Mushrooms grow along the banks and on the trees, but remember to say “thank you” to the forest if you take them. You wouldn’t like the consequences otherwise.

HEY

cw: madness, hallucinations

You might have had luck avoiding the gnashing fangs of the flowers thus far, but they begin to get restless and aggressive the longer they go without feeding. They can’t quite uproot themselves and chase you down, but they will stretch their stalks as far as they can, unfurl their petals and try to wrap sharp leaves around your legs and anything else within reach. If you aren’t careful, their fangs will pierce your flesh, and they will drink from you until they drain you dry. Shout for help if they latch on. Surely someone will come to your aid.

…just try not to look at them much. The flowers take passive abilities of anyone they feed from, and that means they possess powers of their own. Stare for a moment too long, and you’ll begin to see your nightmares brought to life, feel a crawling down your back like one million insect feet, a grappling at your ankles as something tries to drag you under the metaphorical tides. Black tendrils sweep over your eyes, they grip the facades of buildings, they tear your friends to shreds and eat them whole. Focus. Focus on that voice telling you to snap out of it, on the people around you waving their hands in front of your eyes. It isn’t real. Blink, shake your head, and clear your thoughts.

Or don’t. “Give in,” a sultry voice murmurs, “Let me consume you.”

IT'S ALRIGHT

cw: auditory hallucinations, animal butchery

From the fenced-off, locked-up manor to the northwest of the Grove, a spill of magic begins to leak out from boarded-up windows. It’s gradual at first before it suddenly bursts, and that’s when everything starts to go haywire. The Manor’s heart aches, friend. Something in that house is oh-so-miserable with no way out… and it intends to make you feel its pain.

Every regret you’ve ever had — every word left unspoken, every lie you’ve told, everything you believe you’ve done wrong — those feelings are brought to the surface and magnified. No matter where you look, what you do, or how much you try to distract yourself, those emotions will always bubble to the surface.

You might think wandering into the forest will help you flee from yourself for a time, but as soon as you cross the threshold, the path back to the clearing closes behind you in a rustle of leaves. The only way out is forward, it seems, but the forest won’t play fair. The path will shift unexpectedly, blocking your route, forcing you to backtrack, but never quite allowing escape. All the while, voices fill your mind, chasing after you no matter where you go. They are the murmurs of those you have wronged, the murmurs of a conscience slighted.

Seeking out a companion in the labyrinth will quell them, for a time. Should your heart weigh too heavy, confessing to your labyrinth-partner what you’re grappling with will absolve you of your guilt and leave you feeling clear-headed enough to escape. At that point, the forest, too, seems content to let you solve the maze without interference.

Should you escape fairly, without harming the labyrinth, you’ll be rewarded: A freshly-hunted game animal from your homeland is dropped at your feet just as you step back into the clearing. Enjoy it, for you will not have the opportunity to get another. The forest only allows one round per person.

I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU

The residents of Aldric’s Grove have had a rough time here, but not everything has to be bad. On the night of the new moon, the Shopkeeper leaves his store for the night, and alongside the Trader — who normally sits outside the inn by her stall and her giant turtle — he constructs a bonfire some distance from the carnivorous plants. Nearby to it are tables with a feast set upon them, free for everyone to enjoy. There’s music playing from… somewhere. Don’t think about it too hard. The wispy, sentient shadows that comprise the Shopkeeper and Trader are happy to dance with you, too, if you ask.

Enjoy your night, friends. You’ve made it to the end of the month, and you deserve a break.

SPARK NOTES

CLICK TO EXPAND!

WAKE UP

Welcome to Aldric's Grove! Watch out for the carnivorous flowers. There's a photograph of you in the inn, by the way. Don't worry about it.

HEY

The carnivorous flowers are now causing visual hallucinations and madness. Try not to look at them too long. Maybe buddy up for the time being, to make sure that the forest's whispering voice doesn't drag you too far down.

IT'S ALRIGHT

A flood of magic hits the Grove. Characters will be subject to reliving and re-experiencing all of their regrets, and should they wander into the forest to escape, they'll be made to play in the forest's maze game. The forest won't play fair, but seems to relent when you confess to a companion what's on your mind. And hey, that makes your heart weigh less heavy, too. At the end of the line, you'll get a reward of fresh meat as long as you didn't try to cheat!

I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU

The Shopkeeper and Trader are throwing a lighthearted bonfire party. Dance the night away and eat your heart out!

OOC

Welcome to the third TDM & Event Log of Sticks and Bones! This log is game canon. The prompts are meant for all players, current and future, so have fun! Our applications operate on a rolling basis, so applications are open with no end date unless we suddenly cap players. If there are any questions, please direct them to the "questions" header below.

UPDATES

❖ For those who enter the inn in the morning, a breakfast spread of scrambled eggs, bacon, smoked fish, roasted tomatoes on the vine and assorted fruits wait for you.
❖ Several patches of the murderous flowers seem to have been electrocuted, lit on fire or cut.

TDM TOPLEVELS!

TDMS

❖ Shalem (Arknights)
❖ Toge Inumaki (Jujutsu Kaisen)
❖ Jade Leech (Twisted Wonderland)
❖ BB (Fate/ Grand Order
❖ Akki (Original)
❖ Nikaidou Eisuke (Tsurune)
❖ Arthur Pendragon (Saber) (Fate/ Grand Order)

(CODE)

Comments

Kaedehara Kazuha // Genshin Impact

[whitherwander]

WAKE UP (option A)
[Kazuha doesn't enter any of the buildings at first, instead carefully examining his surroundings, the slightest of frowns pinched between his eyebrows. He pays particular attention to the flowers, being by far the most striking feature of the natural landscape. It's disquieting, the way they smell faintly of blood, though at least they seem tethered in place. Whopperflowers are, objectively speaking, more significant threats--so why do these unsettle him more?

He crouches a short distance from one cluster, a wary curiosity on his face. He'll look up if approached, a slight tension to his limbs, suggesting he's ready to move if necessary--but he won't get up just yet.]

Excuse me. I don't mean to trouble you, but I seem to have stumbled into this place by accident, and I find myself unable to leave. Are you by chance in a similar predicament?

WAKE UP (option B)
[Kazuha is never one to turn down shelter, and he'll gravitate toward a room a little bit out of the way of the rest, if there is one. Perhaps at the end of a hallway; any option that might muffle some of the noise from downstairs. Kazuha has nothing against any of his newfound companions so far, but some of them seem as though they could be a bit... loud.

The photo doesn't startle him as much as it might have; he's seen a kamera before. Still, he's quite sure his family never owned one. This image of him as a small child, brandishing a bamboo practice sword, face alight with simultaneous pride and bashfulness--it cannot be real, however much his mind would like him to think he remembers it.

Apart from its existence, though, there is nothing about the photo that feels ominous; if it's meant to be some kind of veiled threat, it's veiled a little too well. He slips it into a pocket, and resolves to think no more of the issue for now. Then he opens a window, gathers the winds beneath his feet, and vaults himself out and up onto the roof.

As he thought, the higher vantage point offers him a better view of small village and its inhabitants. He sits by the edge, one leg dangled over, elbow resting on his other knee. He's not trying to eavesdrop, exactly... but it is incredible how often people fail to look up when going about their business. He might learn something this way, if his past experience is anything to go by.

Or maybe someone will simply yell at him to get down, which happens just as often.]

IT'S ALRIGHT
[His breathing is shallow, shaky. There is an outside influence at work here, he's sure of it; these are thoughts he has long since put behind him. He shouldn't be thinking them still. They shouldn't be affecting him this way. The past is no gentle anchor, but a sinking stone, and he will not allow himself to be tied to it. He cannot.

The way he clutches his right arm is entirely unconscious. It's trembling with the intensity of the memories running through his mind. It has long been his habit to keep his sword hand wrapped, a common way of avoiding stress injuries, but such methods were futile when it came to blocking a strike from a god. He can still feel the electricity shooting up and down his arms: it had felt like trying to hold a bolt of lightning in one's hand, to prevent it from meeting its destiny in the ground below.

Kazuha is no hero, of this he is more than aware. His body simply moved on its own. His actions had, in the days following, prompted everything from accolades to jeers; he wanted none of it, but the accolades were almost worse. If anything, his decisive action at that time merely incriminates his lack of it before. If he and his friend had never separated, if he had chosen to fight at his side rather than run, could he have endured the lightning's glow then too? Could the two of them have done together what neither could alone?

These thoughts are meaningless. He will never know the answer.

The gods, one's fate... these are things that might be escaped, perhaps, but never openly defied. So he had thought. And so he fled, from everything: his family's dying legacy, his friend's reckless courage, his homeland's strife. All he does is flee. And sometimes double back, too late.

His grip on his right arm tightens as he continues walking blindly forward, no longer really looking for escape, whole body shaking with grief and fury. Kazuha is very difficult to startle under normal circumstances, but he has lost all awareness of anything around himself now. Those who approach will elicit no reaction at first, until suddenly he turns on his heel, a sword materializing from nowhere into his hand.]

wake up B

[simplicitas]

[Count Elsword as "people who look up at things". One second he's underneath the awning avoiding the carnivorous flowers; the next, a set of six wings unfurls from seemingly nowhere and he's up, perching on the roof and sitting next to Kazuha.]

Hi.

[Just. Flatly. Emotionlessly. Hi, hello.]

Are you new? [Please don't tell him you've been here the whole time and he just forgot—]

god don't look at me i don't remember how to fucking rp

[whitherwander]

[It's a rare type of person who looks up, and Kazuha considers this a good sign--unusual company is often company worth keeping. The speed of the man's ascent is startling, though, as is the way he just plops himself down like they're old friends. Kazuha has to repress his own instinct to move away. He doesn't want to be rude, but it would be highly unusual for anyone in Liyue or Inazuma to approach him (or any other stranger) with such... frankness.

In different circumstances, Kazuha might like it. But he's more on his guard here than he would normally be. His shoulders stiffen a little, and his right hand twitches as if considering reaching for a weapon, though none is visible on his person. Still, he doesn't alter his pose.]

Ah--yes, I suppose I am. And you are?

looks at you lovingly bc you are my friend

[simplicitas]

[Elsword notices this posture and shuffles three inches to the left, then plops his butt down on the roof. His stare might be considered uncanny if Kazuha is already on edge; he's not trying to be this, he's simply trying to memorize Kazuha's face, and the only way he knows how to do that is to stare flatly until his brain fills in the lines with colour.]

My name is Elsword. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I probably could have said "hi" from the ground, heh.

["Heh" is an attempt at a laugh, but he speaks very flatly, so uh... oops.]

[whitherwander]

[Kazuha gives a wry little smile and shakes his head, embarrassed at himself for being so obvious. His shoulders relax somewhat at the extra distance.] "Scare" is a strong word. I apologize. I assure you your company is not unwelcome.

["Elsword"... What a strange name. Kazuha fixes his gaze out toward the river, though his eyes will occasionally flick back to Elsword's face, unsure what to make of his scrutiny.]

Are you named after a sword?

[simplicitas]

I don't think so. I don't really remember much of my childhood, and I doubt my parents ever talked about where my name came from. [His parents were not around, a nice thing to not have memory of considering Elsword was eight when they left.] But I do use a sword, so I guess it's a...

[Trailing off, thinking of the word...]

...self... self-something prophecy... It's an apt name, maybe. [he a little stupid but he got the heart of it.] What's your name? I'll try to remember it.

wake up A

[cleavethetides]

[ She does notice the tension, which is probably the only reason she offers a curtsy to him. Otherwise, she's the type to stand tall and proud, but she also has a soft spot for wanting to help people. Making someone feel unwelcome here after already being so lost is the last thing she'd want. ]

You, me, and just about everyone you might see around here. You're not alone, we're all trying to figure out a way back home.

I'm Irene. It's nice to meet you.

[whitherwander]

[He does stand up fully at the curtsy, though the tension in his body stays the same. It's not a gesture he's especially familiar with, but he recognizes the formality of it, and it's only courteous to respond in kind. His smile is polite, but sincere.]

It's nice to meet you as well. I'm Kaedehara Kazuha, a wandering samurai. Though, to be honest, my path does not usually take me to places that are quite so... [a glance at the flowers] ravenous, as this one.

[cleavethetides]

I can't say the same for myself... but I can say that it's generally by choice on my part. Being here was most certainly not on my agenda. Rest assured, though, it seems like most of the people here have been earnest thus far.

[ For the most part, anyway. ]

Kazuha has a very strong sense of smell; hope it's okay that I pulled the ref from your journal!

[whitherwander]

That is comforting.

[His demeanor doesn't change, though.

There's something familiar to him about this woman, and it takes him a moment to realize that it's because she smells like the ocean. He doesn't comment on it, but it's nice.]

You must be quite capable, to regularly seek out such dangerous places.

Wake Up A

[floraldisclosure]

[Wary curiosity or not, Kazuha isn't the one that Aerith is here for. She isn't rude, of course — she pauses her own pursuit temporarily upon being addressed, hands clasped behind her waist, smiling at him and nodding — but her eyes flick back to the flowers fairly quickly.]

Hmm. I guess you could say that. It wasn't much of a stumble, though.

[After all, she hadn't really tripped or anything. One moment she was running toward Kalm in the rain, and a blink of her eyes later, she was here. Like the whole of the world had just melted away around her in the split second she wasn't looking.

But, that's neither here nor there. It feels too real to be anything but, and there's not much sense in panicking about it. Not right now, anyway.]

Have you seen flowers like these before?

[whitherwander]

No.

[He brings his hand up to his mouth in a contemplative pose, still crouched.]

There are carnivorous flowers where I come from, but they survive through mimicry and deception, and will uproot themselves and give chase as soon as they detect your presence. Easily dealt with, if you're skilled with a sword, but they can be a hindrance to the unwary traveler.

[He says all of this in a mild, matter-of-fact voice.]

I find these even less appealing, though I'm not sure why. What do you make of them?

[Speaking of flowers... when the breeze shifts, he realizes this woman smells of them rather strongly--real flowers, not the strange ones in front of him. It's a very nice scent, spirited yet soothing, but there's a note of precariousness beneath it that gives him pause. It's so faint as to be difficult to identify, but it reminds him of dry, cracked soil and places without rain.]

[floraldisclosure]

Carnivorous flowers...

[Hmm. Is that it? These eat meat, then, somehow. They don't look anything like what she'd imagined in the children's stories about malboros, though she supposes those weren't exactly flowers, either.

Thoughtfully, she crouches down beside Kazuha, hands clasped together on her knees as she regards the blooms in silence for a moment. Even despite the differences in feeding method, it feels... strange. Not at all like the flowers in her garden back at home, but not in a way she can exactly place. It's unsettling.

Aerith hums quietly to herself, tipping her head.]

Mm... Well, they're probably just hungry. Some people aren't very appealing when they're hungry, either, you know.

[whitherwander]

[A chuckle.] I assure you, I do. When you spend much of your time at sea, you learn quickly the difference a full belly makes to a sailor's mood.

[Kazuha can usually find compassion for all manner of living things. Everything in nature has its place: even a whopperflower is simply trying to survive. Attacking humans doesn't make it evil--just hungry. If travelers can learn to recognize their mimicry and avoid them, both species can live in harmony.

But these flowers don't feel natural. And neither does this place.]

Hungry they may be--but if they're hoping to feed on me, I'm afraid I will have to disappoint them.

IT'S ALRIGHT

[amhran]

[ How many times will Caoimhe find herself within this Labyrinth? This time she is here, because she was following the sounds of singing. Perhaps deep down she thought maybe she was finally going home, perhaps deep down really - she made sure that if someone was in danger. That she would gladly follow the pull if it mean't finding them, and helping them return home.

It must be the latter for her eyes fall upon a figure, and at first she all but hides behind the bushes. A soft gasp, but her capacity to stealthily hide herself makes her blend in so well. She watches him quietly, follows a few steps hiding beneath bushes and behind trees. Seeing him clutch at his arm, someone who she has never seen before -

Caoimhe needs to speak, she thinks a moment. Watching the figure continue his march onwards, before finally with a weak voice. Calls out to him - ]

H-Hello...?

[ The sword comes out, and she jumps hiding again behind the thick tree that she had began to peak out from. ]

P-Please don't hurt me! I.. I just want to help!?!

[whitherwander]

[Kazuha is not accustomed to being successfully snuck up on, and that has him even more rattled than he would otherwise be. How long has he been stuck in his own thoughts, to have simply not noticed her? He's reminded of the stories about shuumatsuban assassins. Could the Shogunate truly be going to such lengths, for--

Wait. No. This isn't Inazuma, this is that forest. The one he can't seem to get out of, no matter how far his legs carry him.

The paranoia remains, but the question in his mind shifts: is that a person hiding behind that tree, or some manner of creature? Its fear sounds real enough, but the forest is doing strange things to his mind. The wind is silent here; it carries no whispers that could tell him who or what is lurking beyond his sight, and that fact alone is enough to make him feel as vulnerable as a lone pine beneath a blanket of rumbling-dark thunderclouds.

It's a very old instinct that makes Kazuha focus inward, on his breath. He cannot ground himself in nature here, not when the land itself has turned against him. When he was a child, and often trapped indoors, his breath was his anchor. As long as he's still breathing, he can weather any storm.

Slowly, he lowers his blade. He does not, however, dismiss it.]

Show yourself. If you make no sudden movements, I will have no reason to harm you.

[amhran]

[ Caoimhe listens ardently, his voice is stern, and there is a clear sound of it holding the sort of tension she hates hearing when someone speaks to her. It makes her feels cared, so her nerves are slightly rattled and depending on how he responds. Caoimhe may or may not instinctively cast a charm spell without meaning to - per se. She hopes though, in showing she means no harm that he will calm himself. That the tone of his voice seemingly stern, will escape from him. She is after all, gullible and believes in the good of all things.

So out she comes, carefully, the bright colors of red on her hair much like the corals in the sea. Is what he will notice first, then after the peculiar colors of her eyes that don't seem odd from a distance. Yet were notable all the same. ]

I-I... Don't mean any harm.... A-Are you okay... Your arm... I can heal it.... Please... Don't hurt me...?

[whitherwander]

It doesn't need healing.

[The response is soft, immediate. It's true; the Shogun's lightning scorched him pretty badly at the time, but it's been healed over for months now. He just... keeps forgetting exactly where and when he is.

From the way she moves, he doesn't think she's a threat. And yet, the tension in his sword arm doesn't release, and his instincts swing wildly between extremes: he can't know who is and isn't a threat--but she doesn't seem--but he can't--

Kazuha takes a deep breath, in through his nose and out through his mouth. He closes his eyes and wills his sword to fade, which it does, dissolving into little spots of light before disappearing entirely. He can summon it again in an instant, if he needs to, and that soothes him. This forest may have the power to trick both his mind and his senses, but he will not allow it to turn him into someone he is not.

He opens his eyes, and offers her a small, strained smile.]

I don't want to hurt you. So please, don't be afraid.

b; walks in late with starbucks despite being the one who wrote you a tag ahead of time

[wildmage]

[Daine absolutely hated feeling trapped, and that didn’t just extend to small enclosed spaces or horridly dull conversations– it also extended to situations such as these, not that she’d had all too many times in her life where she’d found herself waking up in an unfamiliar place where she hadn’t been prior to falling asleep. There had been that one time she’d been locked away though, practically caged in the basement like a treasure for someone to keep in their private collection of oddities, and that hadn’t really gone well for anyone, to put it lightly. Tempers had flared, escapes had been made, the grounds had been promised to the rats for the next several years in turn for their servitude, dinosaur bones had been resurrected from the dead to cause chaos and destruction, an entire royal palace had been razed to the ground beyond any semblance of repair–

You know how it is.

But as a more mature, more well rounded girl of exactly one year older than she was then, Daine was going to take a better approach with the anxiety that had welled in her chest upon arrival, to actually handle the tension building in her body like a coil winding and winding, ready to snap. She was going to do what she does best: be a free bird, and climb out the window. Her window just so happens to be near some long entangled vines stretching along the building, which makes for an easy enough climb, and she vaults herself onto the roof a few “doors down” from where Kazuha had situated himself above.

That said, she doesn’t even notice him at first. She’s busy scrunching her face up in distaste, rubbing at her ears and making a very undignified grumble under her breath as she concentrates on the horizon beyond them. It hadn’t been immediately apparent to her when she awoke, as distracted as she was with the “where” and “how” of it all, not to mention that hyper realistic painting of her she’d found in the room, but now that she’d had more time to think, especially on the climb up, it was becoming more and more apparent. Just where were all the People? No matter how much she strained to listen, how far she pushed herself… her grumbling grows louder and louder the more annoyed she seems to become, eventually audibly turning into-]

Odds bobs, nary a bird nor bug for miles! The silence is deafening, who am I supposed to go talk to, the local trout population–

[She turns on her heel as her voice grows more and more indignant, suddenly realizing she wasn’t in fact alone, and very well might not have been for a hot second now. Her cheeks light up in a blush, but given her current Mood, rather than being apologetic or laughing it off, she huffs out a breath, hands on her hips as she stubbornly lifts her chin at him with a suspicious glare.]

What are you doing? You’re not supposed to be up here. Probably.

[Daine you are also up here though–]

I got pulled away for a few days it's fiiiine

[whitherwander]

[She will find Kazuha watching her calmly, not having moved from his position. His natural reticence keeps his face from revealing too much, but there is some curiosity evident in his scarlet gaze. Being himself, he heard her footsteps below even before she joined him on the roof, but they sounded so odd--a quiet serenity echoing through nature like the steps of an animal in the forest, even though their weight and cadence were in line with what he'd expect from a human.

He is still puzzling over the sound when she appears, and the wind carries to him the scent of birds and insects, deer and rabbits, dried leaves wet with rain and mushrooms growing in the decaying carcass of a fallen tree. In this place, which smells nothing like the nature he knows, it's enough to make his chest ache. Her scent reminds him of everything wrong with his surroundings: the silence of this forest feels like an anchor weighing on his heart, leaving him dead in the water, unable to move.

Yet alongside the ache is something less familiar, a strange sort of giddiness welling up within him. It's entirely new to Kazuha, though he can guess the cause: he's never met anyone whose attunement with nature rivals his own. Could this be such a person, standing before him now? If she is indeed a person, anyway, and not some manner of forest spirit.

With his senses in overdrive, it takes him a moment to process what she's saying.]

Oh? My apologies, then.

[It's soft and not insincere, though he shows no sign of moving from his perch.]

Though if you're looking for the local trout population, miss, the roof is an odd place to do so.

[okay there is maybe just a hint of snark]

It's (totally) alright

[neckromancy]

[Metal glints from two sources beneath the suffocating canopy of leaves far above their heads; one source, Kazuha's own sword. The second? A small dagger gripped tightly in the grip of Astarion's right fist. It's held defensively, and he stills the moment Kazuha rounds to face him, poised in such a way that it's clear he had intended to sneak up behind him and...

Well, truthfully, as far as plans go, he didn't quite get that far. Kazuha is not the owner of a face that's familiar to him, but neither is this forest. Given the danger of the latter, it had seemed smart to treat the former with just as much reactive hostility. For a moment, he keeps the dagger aimed towards the other, eyes sharp and wild as he takes in the details of Kazuha's form. His breathing is a ragged pant, a faint sheen of sweat dampening the skin of his brow. The gnawing twist of hunger within his belly sharpens, the beating drum of the pulse before him just loud enough to drown out the frantic tempo of the fear that had been pounding against the inside of his skull. The sweet scent of blood so tantalizingly close... If he moved fast enough, perhaps...

Without the intent of doing so, it's clear he's stumbled his way onto a crossroads.

He could, of course, attack. Naturally, there is no guarantee that will end in his favor, and he knows far better than to underestimate someone based solely off of their appearance. Alternatively, the phantom hands of these dark woods seemed to have stopped in their grasping now that he's no longer stumbling blindly though them all by his lonesome. The whispers are still present, albeit soft enough now to fade into the background rather than continue as the all-encompassing roar they had been mere moments prior.

Mmm... Yes. If his past traveling companions were anything to go by, then his chances for survival would rise with the added numbers. That pretty, pale neck would just have to remain unmarred for a while longer, then.

What a shame indeed.

Astarion's own throat bobs around a swallow that feels like broken glass, straightening his posture and letting his expression melt away into a softer, friendlier one. The dagger stays in his hand even though the point is lowered, and he rakes the fingers of his free one through the curls that have fallen into his face.]

Aha... Allow me to offer up my sincerest apologies. Given the... [A flippant gesture with the blade hand, motioning to their surroundings.] Well. I mistook you for someone else. One cannot help but be cautious under such circumstances, after all.

[Two hundred years of practice made it easy to slip back into old habits. Charm, beguile, survive. The transition was practically seamless.]

[whitherwander]

[Kazuha's senses, mired in recollections of the past, jolt painfully back to awareness the moment he draws his sword. This man smells of blood and death--some part of Kazuha's mind had sensed it already, mistakenly ascribed it to the surrounding forest, but no. He's sure of it the moment he lays eyes on him: the scent is coming from this man. It's not the sweetness of decay or the nauseating sour scent of gore, but something subtler, difficult to place. Like an olfactory version of the chalk outline at a murder scene, contouring the negative space where a person's natural odor might once have been and is no more. It sends a chill down Kazuha's spine, all the tiny hairs on his arms abruptly standing on end, and his grip on his sword is not as firm as he would like it to be.

The force of the man's gaze upon him makes a single word resound through the fog to the forefront of his mind: prey.

Kazuha thought he knew what it was to be hunted; he realizes now that he was wrong. He had merely been pursued. This, that hungry look in the man's eyes, this is a hunt. And Kazuha has no illusions about where he falls on the food chain.

Then, in an instant, it is gone. The intensity fades from the eyes of his would-be killer, like brushing away the remnants of a bad dream. Previously more beast than man, he seems suddenly, painfully human. The sheer strangeness of the shift is enough to make the thrumming paranoia in Kazuha's head scream for him to take this chance and flee, and a slight breeze kicks up in the region of his feet, muscles tensing in preparation.

He doesn't move, though. This man, whatever else he may be, is also the first sign of life he's found since entering the forest. However dangerous his company, Kazuha is loathe to give it up just yet. There is something reassuringly solid about the threat he offers: it's rooted in the present moment, something Kazuha can see and feel, fight against if necessary. Not like the specters in his head or the winding forest paths that only ever lead back to where he started.

Perhaps, if he can defuse this situation, they might even be of help to one another. Two animals may be predator and prey in the wild, and yet join forces to escape a trap that has ensnared them both. As for whether the rabbit can outrun the wolf, once they are freed... well, that remains to be seen.

Kazuha's eyes track the movement of the knife as the pale man speaks. His sword shifts ever so slightly, grip adjusting to something looser and more adaptable, and he tilts his head as though listening for something else behind the meaning of the words.

Flatly, he asks:] Oh really? Who did you mistake me for?

[The tone is not hostile, but it is certainly not charmed.]

[neckromancy]

[Who, indeed?

The whispering ambience encircling the clearing like a fog stirs louder once again, words drifting in and out of focus alongside a ghostly chill that claws its way down his spine.

Fourth, thou shalt know that thou art mine.

The curve of his smile tightens noticeably, and despite knowing he will find nothing in doing so, his eyes dart off to the side for just long enough to confirm that they are still alone in this little clearing.]

Someone who would have received a greeting far less kind than this, for starters. [His tone remains casual, seemingly unbothered as the dagger is sheathed against his hip with a soft shink. There, that should make him seem less dangerous, shouldn't it? Visibly declawed, though not defanged, should the need arise. Hip cocked, he crosses his right arm across his middle, shelving his elbow atop the back of his hand so that he might examine the nail beds of his left.]

I would ask for directions, but you appear to be just as lost in this wretched little forest as I am.

[whitherwander]

[In the wild places of Inazuma, it is not unheard of to encounter a nogitsune or bake-danuki, eager to play its tricks on the unwary. These are often harmless, if unpleasant, but they can be dangerous on occasion, particularly where tatarigami energy is involved. Kazuha gives them a wide berth whenever he can, and has always been good at spotting their tells: a particularly vulpine smile, a tuft of tanuki fur on the wind. He senses nothing of this kind from the man before him. If it is some manner of creature pretending to be human, it's doing an awfully good job of it.

The man's body language speaks of wariness--Kazuha notes that sidelong glance--but no overt hostility, and nothing of the hunger he saw before. He is not thrilled with the idea of dismissing his sword so soon after discovering this would-be predator stalking him through the trees, but he cannot continue holding a disarmed man at sword point. No, that is not his way, and he will not allow this forest to change that.

Though the decision to sheathe his sword is made swiftly, the movement itself is slow and deliberate. There is no actual sheath to speak of, however, and the sword simply disappears into motes of light once the motion is completed. When those wink out, it is as if the blade had never been. The gesture is more of a symbolic one: with both their weapons put away, there is no longer any direct threat of harm, and the tone of this encounter can shift accordingly.]

This forest is not natural. I had thought to follow the wind back the way I came, but it has been leading me in circles for...

[He doesn't finish the sentence, as he finds that he has absolutely no idea how long it's been. He takes a slow breath in, not quite closing his eyes to focus (the nature of his company, after all, is still uncertain), but shifting his attention to the act of listening instead.]

Do you hear... thunder?

[It's not thunder he hears at all, but the sound of lightning striking stone, far off in the distance. Like the one that had happened mere feet from him, before the body of his friend crumpled to the ground.

But this is too much for him to share at present, so as far as descriptions go, "thunder" will have to do.]

It's Alright

[mooninthewater]

[ It's kind of impressive Kazuha had heard him at all, really. Being sneaky was sort of his whole deal, but... maybe it's his fault for being so close, because when Kazuha turns around, Mizuki is right fucking there. Fortunately for Kazuha, he isn't currently camouflaged, so he can see the subtle bioluminescent glow from the "freckles" on his face and in his hair - it was probably that very same glow that gave him away, huh?

He throws up his hands his harpoon-umbrella combo dangling from his arm instead of wielded. ]

Ah - don't worry, don't worry. I'm friendly~. [ He only bites a little!! ] Sorry, I saw you come out here alone, so I thought I'd follow you and make sure you stayed safe, that's all.