EVENT & TDM 029

[sticksandbonesmods]

WAKE UP

A house springs up in Aldric’s Grove one day. That comes with the usual tidings of autumn — the leaves change colour, the air gets colder, pumpkins and squash start growing out of the sides of buildings and damaging rooftops, and people emerge out of caskets in square graves that have yet to be covered.

…

Yeah, all of that is normal. You may find that people here before you are willing to help pull you out of your grave, if you ask nicely enough. Maybe they’ll even tell you that you aren’t dead! Yet.

But don’t worry about that. Let’s worry about the house, which is inhabited by the dead — specifically a family of skeletons, who wave everyone, new arrival and old citizen, within their walls. A cloth sign hanging on the awning outside reads “BONE-JANGLES HAUZ! COM IN GET FUD”. The Bone-Jangles are a family of eight — Mr. Bone-Jangles himself wearing a sheet ghost costume for Halloween, Ms. Bone-Jangles wearing a pumpkin hat and an apron as she sets food from your homeworld on the table, and their six skeleton children (“children” may be generous, as these are full-sized adult skeletons, but is your baby not your baby no matter how old they may be?) are wearing various animal costumes. Bees, wolves, cats, the sort.

If you just crawled out of a grave, they permit you to use their shower before dinner. The water pressure is a touch too low, and the soap is several hundred years old, but it’ll get the dirt off.

You return to dinner with the skeleton family and several other Grove residents who came for the party, and despite the oddness of the situation, it’s a lovely time. At the end of the night, before everyone plans to head off to Roseroot — a city to the north, just over the mountains, which you are hopefully informed of by your peers before they all ditch you here to go on vacation — Mr. Bone-Jangles hands you a bag of microwave popcorn and an oversized chocolate bar. Trick-or-Treat!

A note attached to the inside of the chocolate bar wrapper reads in Ms. Bone-Jangles’ curly handwriting: “Be cautious on your journey tomorrow morning.”

You go to sleep holding the well-wishes close to your chest.

…WAKE UP?

What do you last remember?

You were somewhere. Not here. Not within this city. Were you at home? With your friends? At the bar, the cafe, one of the churches, the General Store? The Bone-Jangles’ house? …How did you get here?

…that’s right. The truck. A truck had barrelled through the woods a week ago, with two people stumbling out of it and telling you they could get you out of here. The truck was small, though — at most, it could fit six of you, and that was assuming all six of you packed light for the journey. You talked with who you were journeying alongside as you rode in the bed of the truck, while two others in the vehicle proper got to talk to the drivers. The ride had been bumpy, the car travelling at a medium clip through rough terrain. At one point, the car’s driver had shouted that those of you in the back should “hold on tight” and floored it, nearly jiggling someone next to you out of the back seat as you approached the mountains.

You did not remember the mountains being so close to the Grove. Weren’t they much farther away? You remember the—

The…

…

You’re in Roseroot! The truck comes and goes throughout the day, dropping people off before it turns around and heads out again. Some of your peers who were particularly fast or could fly might have opted to simply follow alongside the truck. Maybe if you can find one of them, they can help you bring your stuff further into the city? Where are you going to live from here, speaking of? In a house? A mansion? A hole-in-the-wall restaurant? You feel like you’re missing something as you wander the beautifully-paved streets on foot. You remembered to pack your toothbrush, right? A change of clothes?

The thought of “someone” comes to your mind, but the silhouette is blurry. A person nearby you asks if you remember two gargoyles with purple skin, and a shadowy woman with her turtle, and a kindly shopkeeper with salt-and-pepper hair, that they think they might’ve left behind in the Grove. You shake your head.

You would remember people like that.

THE CITY OF ROSES

Roseroot is a beautiful city, truly. Every building is beautifully designed, roses of all colors and sizes growing from the ground floor to window boxes to special trellises and even on the rooftops. It's almost overwhelming. A river flows through it, framed with stone sidewalks and curved wooden bridges. Warm streetlights line every few yards, illuminating it even in the dark. Museums and theaters can be found all over, and there's even an aquarium! … It's only got water and plants, but it's there. Truly, this is what one might expect from an affluent city dedicated to flowers and scholarly pursuits!

… It's just… empty. Not a single soul aside from the lot of you can be found. Businesses still provide services, but by who, and how? The answer eludes even the most curious of folk. If you choose to steal, dine and dash, break in to something, well. You can, and nothing is going to stop you. But the emptiness of it all is jarring, isn't it?

Of course it's not. This is how it's supposed to be!

As the days pass, however, the beauty begins to fade. Flowers wilt. A strange substance seems to grow out of cracks, creep up windows, grow. The beautiful sky gets darker, cloudier, drearier. A fog creeps in. And when you sleep- and you will sleep- you dream. Maybe it's the sweetest dream of your life, and maybe its a nightmare. Maybe it's something incredibly silly! What a pity that the dream doesn't stay in your head. Or stay as pleasant as your dream might have been.

Soon the fog is so thick, you can barely see the next streetlight. And you are no longer alone. But the trucks are gone, and the city borders seem to have vanished.

A PLACE YOU CANNOT LEAVE

The fog does not fade. But sometimes, you can hear something- just out of sight. The giggles of childish, cruel whispering. The sound of glass breaking, footsteps dragging across the pavement. Twisted beings born of your worst traumas shamble through the fog, lashing out, hunting, seeking, wanting. Every day the remains of Roseroot grow more dilapidated, some buildings even crumbling and collapsing while others cease existing all together. Roads vanish or twist to loop around into giant circles. Safety is growing limited, but how does one escape?

That may be on the forefront of your mind, but it's not something you can focus on- not while you're fighting off these monsters.

How does one get supplies when grocery stores are claimed by sudden bursts of an all-consuming rot? How does one sleep when those monsters could be anywhere, when one has to keep moving?

Fight on. Protect yourself. The way will show itself soon. You just have to outlast your pains made manifest.

MONSTERS ENCOUNTERED

This list will be updated as the event goes on, but feel free to pull from any monsters from our toplevel below as well in case updates are delayed!

An unholy, angel-like being found stationary in a warehouse. The top half of her body hangs down from a portal in the ceiling, and no matter which way you face, she can twist around to track you. Her wails and sobs cause hallucinations, panic attacks, dissociations, and crippling self-doubt; when characters are distracted, she will attempt to sever them with two oversized swords.

A shambling, undead, fully-armoured knight with seven swords stabbed into it, most of which through the back and one of which through the head. Each sword is engraved with words; five of them say “sacrifice”, one says “the one you loved most”, and the last says “hubris”. The knight wanders the city streets and attacks indiscriminately.

Seven assassins wrapped entirely in black robes and bandages to hide their identities. When they are being looked at, they become stationary, therefore they try to spread apart within their pack to keep most of them able to move. They move like glitchy robots with jerking and seizing limbs, yet are fast enough to slit throats in an instant, and largely stick to alleyways and tight corners to get a drop on someone.

A hand-monster called the Docent, who hides in the shadows and exacerbates negative emotions and insecurities. Even if you can't see it yet, if it's nearby, you will feel cold and miserable. Its physical form is made up of hands and if it catches you, it will add yours to the collection.

Mannequin-like people who look similar to Firefly, wearing plug suits and acting as mannequins in storefronts primarily. They will not "activate" until you come close to them, where they will be like dolls that creak and crackle and either start moving or pull themselves up off the ground to slowly chase you. They are dangerous in numbers, not as much as a single unit. They only speak if Firefly is around, saying things like "you let us die", "you didn't protect us", etc. By the end of the time in Roseroot, most will default be splayed on the ground all over looking dead, but they aren't.

The Swarm, a mass horde of diverse insectoid creatures with the sole drive to propagate and spread. They're big, and can hide invisible if they choose. They will start in small numbers, but slowly spread throughout the town during the end of their stay. They will swarm you and attack if they see you.

A young man with cat ears who has been burnt to a crisp and is still smouldering, who will wander the city and attempt to set people on fire.

A pack of small robotic bears with various weapons who run around indiscriminately and try to kill anyone they see. Despite how armed they are, they are easily defeated, but they roam in extremely large packs.

A phantom that specifically stalks Till, covered in blood and with several bullet wounds through various parts of his body. Characters who spend a lot of time around Till may have to watch out…

Shadows shaped like people on the walls, always watching, whispering, giggling, pointing. If one gets too close to them, they can reach out and attack like a particularly brutal child bully might- and like children, they do not know when they are going too far.

Shambling skeletons or rotting bodies dressed in strange village clothes, waiting to drag whoever they seek out into the earth.

An almost giant skeletal bird caught ablaze, trapped humans within its ribcage forming a grotesque heart. It does not fly, and molten poison drips from it.

Young men and women in a black uniform, half-gripping swords. Their footsteps sounds like bottles breaking. Soon enough they are accompanied by their killers as well.

A very tall priest in holy regalia... except his face is a mass of writhing blue tentacles of varying lengths, singing the song of the Seaborn. He shambles like he no longer remembers how legs work, swaying like a drunk almost, always wandering and reaching for his target. He sings a song of an unknown language, haunting and mesmerizing. If somehow you anger him, he will throw rocks at you... and if he gets his hands on you he will absolutely try to eat and/or assimilate you.

A monster that changes shape whenever you blink. It is normally faceless, and usually appears to look like some abomination-adjacent version of people you know.

A monster that wears clothing of a holy priest, with far, far too many arms. It "attacks" by trying to grab onto you and try to hug you almost comfortingly, while two hands strangle with rosary beads.

A creature that takes the form of something in the water- you'll never truly see what it looks like. But if you get too close to the river, something will reach out and try to drag you under.

A headless mannequin dressed in kingly finery, wielding a heavy sword. It wanders in search of one person, but will stop to kill anyone else it finds too.

An Ifrit, bleeding from a wound not unlike the ones Joshua inflicted upon Clive. It's furious. It's terrified. It will see your death done.

Shadows that, while not the most harmful things, will whisper, gossip and grab and pinch and punch and tear! They say things to characters reflecting their deepest insecurities. In short, the shadows are school bullies.

Two figures, a man and a woman, sewn together by the half. They bicker in a ghoulish language at each other, but are largely uncaring of others. When they find Zoey, they all but descend upon her, both wanting her for themselves and uncaring if they pull too hard in one direction or another. Their grip is like iron, and they're capable of tearing others in half.

A man-shaped monster whose head is a black skull. He wears a suit, tie, and gloves, and carries a rotating number of weapons- pliers, knife, scalpel, hacksaw, hammer, anything that might be used for torture, smeared with blood. Sometimes he just has a gun. He moves in an uncanny, inhuman jerk, and prefers his victims trapped and isolated. He will passively darken the area around him, turning working lights dim, and is accompanied by the sound of a power drill and his own creepy laughter.

Something dark, mostly shapeless, but the size of a large man, with bat-shaped spikes coming out of its head. Or maybe they're bat ears? He is able to shoot projectiles with deadly speed, sharp enough to gouge a hole in metal. They disappear like smoke once they've hit their mark. When faced more or less head-on, shoots a grapling hook at its victim with enough force to seriously maim, uses it to pull them close and break their bones. May appear suddenly from behind and break bones before you have a chance to react. He moves sometimes as a literal shadow, but when outside of shadow form, moves with grace and speed. Sometimes his presence is accompanied by flashbangs, smoke, and the sound of radio static or ringing in your ears. Otherwise, it is completely silent and doesn't even breathe.

A monster wearing armour and carrying tomahawk axes, with crablike appendages protruding from her abdomen that have pincer-claws. The semi-congealed gore that drips from them can be sprayed at enemies. As she talks, she claims to know "what you really are" and can absolutely back that claim up.

A brutish monster that is constantly on fire. He moves quickly enough to "blaze past" you, and likely set you on fire by proximity. Otherwise, he boasts impressive and inhuman strength.

A doll with swords through it that leaks toxic ooze as it moves around. Slow and moves around pathetically, looking as if in pain, and moving as if crying. Gives hugs instead of attacking, but the swords through it will hurt you if you let it, and the toxic ooze feels akin to acid.

A shambling amalgam of corpses and heads much akin to the Cramped Casket that pulls itself with its many arms across the ground. It easily spans around 12 feet tall. At the very front of it of it is the upper half of a young boy. It attacks by slamming itself into the ground where you stand, and is otherwise silent... unless you are Elsword, in which case it asks, "why didn't you save me?"

A monster that looks like a pirate that's on fire. Permanently. To most, it only appears to be leaving scorched earth in its wake. To Mizuki, it looks like everything around it is burning. It attacks with a cutlass, and otherwise looks mostly humanoid.

An ambling monstrosity that easily towers any house and building. It moves slowly, and seems as if it's "sliced" down the middle, with two "heads" and a mangled body. One arm carries a harpoon, one arm carries a kitchen cleaver. They mutter conflicting questions that, if you answer, you'll be contradicting the other. "Should we go left?" "Should we go right?" asked simultaneously, so answering "yes" would be answering both. Things like that. To kill it, you have to pick a head to cut off, and if you choose wrong, it instantly grows back and you'll have to try again.

A small, cute puppet with a circle of knifes protruding from its neck. It constantly cries and attacks by trashing around like a child. It doesn't even seem to be aiming for anything specifically, but its thrashing is so wild and erratic the knives in its neck are bound to hit you anyway if you don't put distance between the two of you.

An angel with wings and a halo of light that towers around 10-12 feet tall. It's head is replaced with a bouquet of flowers and it's hands are fused together in a constant prayer.Everywhere it walks, it leaves flowers behind, but they wilt and decay and rot within seconds and stay as a stain upon the land. It attacks by summoning blades of light from the ground under your feet. If you listen closely, you can hear soft singing.

A cloaked being with black crystals growing out of it who floats along the ground. It freezes anything it touches solid in blackened ice, and a trail of said ice follows after it. The air becomes frigid when it is close by.

A loud, ravenous monster that is majority mouth with waaay too many teeth. More dog-like than human shaped. Does not have eyes and thus cannot see, but can hear a pen drop. While it will bite to kill, it plays with its food. Lashes with claws and attempts to do anything it can to hurt you as much as possible before you break.

A mass of black crystals, the shape appears to be in that of Faust. Its arm is replaced with that of a crossbow. Its bolts are enough to shatter concrete. Despite being made of stone, it is very fast.

A monster that takes the shape of prey animals, starting off as smaller ones, then becoming larger ones as it stalks you. It does not necessarily attack, keeping a distance. But the more it watches, the more starved for food you feel. You haven't eaten in a while, have you? Are you hungry? Are you going to die because you can't eat? Aren't you just a waste of space if can't kill something to feed yourself? Killing it won't be easy, as it is fast, but if you do manage to, it will fall to the ground immediately as rotten, disgusting mass of meat that is not safely edible. The monster will spawn in again as it's smaller form all over again if not eaten.

A small army of husk-like creatures. They're just so hungry. Won't you help them? Won't you feed them? They appear like demons, with the stronger ones looking like some of Mystery's old friends...

A large, train-sized worm patterned in purple stripes. They have four eyes above their gator-like mouths which are full of sharp teeth. Their backs are ridged with green shark fins. Sandworms burrow through the ground at alarming speeds and feast on the dead along anything else they can catch. They aren't picky.

Spark Notes

summary

WAKE UP: Good morning! It's autumn! New arrivals are crawling out of graves, Mr. Bone-Jangles has invited everyone to his house, and everyone is having a nice little family Halloween get-together.
…WAKE UP?: Do you remember your old life? The people you left behind? ...of course not! You barely remember the truck ride over here! Welcome to Roseroot! Enjoy your vacation!
THE CITY OF ROSES: Roseroot is a beautiful, empty city. It's clearly a wealthy place, connected with nature, but you lot are the only ones there. ... That's how it's supposed to be, of course. But something forces you into sleep, and when you dream something awakens. ... Now that it's awake, something is making the city rot.
A PLACE YOU CANNOT LEAVE: The city is falling apart, rotting, vanishing and looping into itself and you are not alone. Monsters born from your trauma are out to hunt you down. Thankfully, they can be killed. You just have to keep fighting, even as places of rest and food dwindle rapidly.

out of character

Hello everyone! Welcome to our October TDM. This is a reminder that TDMs are considered game canon. This is our last TDM of 2025! November-December will be check-in AC and we will be back to our regular schedule with a TDM in January 2026. If there are questions, please hit up the toplevels below.

updates

None yet! Important updates about how characters interact with the log and change the course of events will be placed here.

submissions

❖ Questions
❖ October Plotting
❖ Past Life Plotting (Closed to Game Members)
❖ Investigations

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Comments

cw implied suicide

[tempurahair]

It is. Just as I have tasted alcohol on my tongue since the moment it crept in.

[That's the pattern they've established, right? Kyojuro shares something from his own life in an attempt to brook a deal with the other man. This is no exception. Akaza has bared his soul unwillingly, after all. The least Kyojuro can do is offer something in kind.

But there's something to be said about the question Akaza asks, and the tone with which he asks it. He glances from the man to the monster, wondering just who he had been before the fog had distorted his image. He looks too frail to have been Akaza's master, but who could say if that was an effect of the fog or something more.

Once more, that blazing gaze fixes on Akaza. He starts to respond As many times as I must, but stops short. That... doesn't feel right. If Akaza truly wanted something like this, who was Kyojuro to stop him? If his suffering was so great that it was worth facing the sun and dying in a painful blaze, then why was he so desperate to force Akaza to endure?

Moreover, wasn't it his duty to see a demon slain?

He pushes that final thought from his head just as quick as it comes on. Instead, he forces a command into the air between them:]

Tell me why this is what you want.

cw implied suicide

[bluebasketballed]

[for a time, akaza remains quiet. not out of stubbornness, or resentment, more... gathering his thoughts. broken down as his barriers are by finally coming face to face with this particular monster, he doesn't have any fight left in him.

that's something he would never have thought possible. even when hakuji neared the bridge he first took her to to see the fireworks, after he'd already lost everything but his own life, he still tried to fight muzan before taking it.]

My father's illness isn't what killed him. [his gaze travels across the monster's body with equal amounts of pity, affection, and regret. yes, the fog exaggerates his father, but it might as well not.] He didn't want me to be punished for trying to help him anymore.

[it wasn't his fault, not directly, but... wasn't it?]

He's waiting for me. My whole family is. [he shouldn't be here. he was never meant to be here.]

cw implied suicide

[tempurahair]

[It is... an unfathomable picture that Akaza paints. He had mentioned, in the past, dealing with poverty. They had even discussed his father's illness. But to know that Akaza was ever punished for trying to make ends meet, to do whatever he could to secure a life for the two of them? Privileged as his upbringing had been, Kyojuro can't imagine it.

The thought alone makes him feel ill.]

I see. [His voice sounds almost hoarse, doubtless as a result of the dryness in his mouth. He turns his gaze to the other man once more, then to the image he'd conjured up in his own head of Keizo.]

And do you think this is what your family wants? For you to join them in death, when you have been given a second chance? [His fingers, still threaded through Akaza's, squeeze just the slightest bit higher.] From the way you have described your master, I find it difficult to believe he would ever wish for you to end your own life.

[bluebasketballed]

[the increased pressure on his hand finally tears akaza's gaze away from the ghost. he stares at their intertwined fingers and thinks -- this is the same hand that murdered kyojuro, and the man is clinging to it out of a desire to keep akaza by his side.

none of this feels real.]

I don't know. When I was still trying to kill Tanjiro and Giyu -- [yes, she had begged him to join them. but here...] ... they reached out for me. [is he the same person he was, even then, that short time ago? he doesn't know.

his fingers squeeze kyojuro's in return.]

[tempurahair]

I wonder if it was different.

[Since Akaza has at least reciprocated the gesture, Kyojuro decides to take it a step further. He draws even with Akaza at first, rather than standing slightly behind him. Then he shifts in front of the man entirely, ideally blocking out the view of the monster behind him.

It is a significant risk, leaving himself open to attack. But he trusts Akaza at his original word — these monsters would not seek to harm him.]

I cannot claim to know the kind souls that guided to in that moment, much as I might like to. But I believe there is a difference. In that moment, they wanted you to be free, I think. They wished for you to be the man you were meant to be, not the one you had become.

And if that were true, then given this chance, I do not think they would want for you to squander it. You have the chance to carve out something new. To protect the souls of the Grove. And you have done a fine job of it.

You saved me from my own monsters, remember?

[Kyojuro reaches out with his free hand, attempting to snag Akaza's remaining limb within its grasp.]

Truthfully, I do not think it is my place to tell you what to do — not over what your loved ones might wish for at least. But nonetheless, I do hope you will stay. You are a friend to me, and my heart would ache if it ever knew your loss.

[Tentatively, he offers a smile.]

Besides, I cannot help you keep Soryu alive if you are not here to teach me.

[bluebasketballed]

[kyojuro's level of insight is baffling. him, as he was, she'd said. akaza, hakuji, it didn't matter who he was, he's never been a good enough person to connect the dots so easily.

even with the phantom out of sight, still docile, at least toward kyojuro, akaza can't forget him or the others. such good people surely would only ever want freedom, second chances, for their loved one. maybe he's just back to the thought that -- all of this is so much more complicated and difficult than anything he's ever done. even burning for eternity seems like it would be more restful than this.

for all of the despair he's feeling, akaza can't help but... laugh. quiet, at first, but it builds into something shrill and cracked.]

Kyojuro, you sound absurd. An Upper Moon having weaseled his way into the heart of a Hashira? [how? kyojuro has explained why he views akaza as an ally, even a friend, multiple times, but this...] I -- couldn't possibly mean that much to anyone ever again. [not like this. not like he is. even so, he clings to kyojuro's hands like lifelines.]

cw implied suicide

[tempurahair]

[That laugh, Kyojuro decides, is the sort of sound he never wanted to hear again. Akaza sounds so terribly broken, and it cracks at the slayer's heart in ways he never would have expected. It feels not unlike watching Tanjiro mourning him, before he'd even passed. The way he'd sobbed despite every ounce of hope that Kyojuro had tried to pour into him in those last few moments. Akaza had already suffered enough, both here and in the world at large, it seemed.

Where Akaza seemed almost bitter, Kyojuro can do nothing but radiate warmth. His smile, though small, is tender and gentle.]

Yet here we are. [He laughs, a gentle noise from deep within his chest.] And here you are, selling yourself far too short. Neither of us can know what the future holds. You certainly will not, if you end things now.

[The grip on Akaza's hands grows firmer. He draws those pallid, sickly, and ink-dipped things closer to his chest, coaxing the other man one step, then two, away from the monster haunting him. Closer to light and the life he had been given once more.]

Take the step, Akaza. If not for yourself, then for me. I very much wish to see the man you can be.

[bluebasketballed]

[it's so much easier, akaza finds, to do things for others than for himself. he follows kyojuro's gestures dutifully, his only hesitation being a melancholy glance over his shoulder at the monster. should they make it back outside of the house, it won't follow, the damage already having been done.

outside, akaza stares at their hands for a time. kyojuro's are slightly larger than his, something he finds oddly comforting. he was but a boy when his father died, and even when he was grown, keizo still dwarfed him. it's funny, almost; nearly every other kizuki was bigger, even though only douma dared to tease him about it, but when it's a human, it's reassuring.

his gaze doesn't lift, but he tries as best he can to put slightly more confidence in his voice.]

Hakuji. [he should elaborate, but speaking the name out loud proves to be as much as he can muster at once.]

[tempurahair]

[Kyojuro is a smart man. Akaza may give him precious little to go off of, but he can put the pieces together. The name suits him, its kanji a far better descriptor than the ones crudely etched upon his eyes.]

Hakuji. [He repeats it, almost like a vow. He'll commit this to memory.] Would you prefer I use it going forward?

[An admission between the two of them is one thing. Pivoting to using that name instead of the former on a broader scale would invite questions, and Kyojuro isn't certain that's what the man wants in this moment.]

[bluebasketballed]

[for a moment, he considers it. it might be easier, now that it's out there... but soon, he decides to remain as he did when he arrived.]

No. I've lost my right to it. [maybe one day, he'll be open to the idea of earning it back, but even so, he truly is a different person now. it's doubtful he could ever return to just being hakuji.] It just felt right to tell you.

[the same way that carefully holding one another's hands feels right, even though gentle human touch has felt so alien to akaza in this place.]

[tempurahair]

[Admittedly, Kyojuro does think to argue. He can't imagine that anyone could ever lose their right to the person they are, regardless of the changes that Akaza had gone through. But there is a time and a place for that. In the midst of this horrific town with its sinister monsters is not one of those such moments.]

I thank you for entrusting me with it, then.

[By this point, they have indeed reached outdoors. Kyojuro casts one last solemn look over Akaza's shoulder, studying the man that had become a monster. He closes his eyes, uttering a solemn prayer that the town might let the memory rest. Even this felt like too much.

For now, Kyojuro releases one of Akaza's hands. The other remains held tight, keeping Akaza close as he begins to march more firmly away from the past.]

We should seek shelter for the evening. My understanding is that White Lily has set up a barrier somewhere. We can seek that out, if you are able to tolerate the company of another this evening. [He glances over his shoulder.] Otherwise, I can find us a suitable safe haven elsewhere.

[bluebasketballed]

[loathe as he is to walk away from what he's well aware is not really his father, akaza allows kyojuro to lead. doing as he's instructed has always been easy for him, at least from those he cared to follow. though, when he becomes aware that it's white lily they'd be seeking, it makes his steps more resolute.]

That'll be fine. [somewhere safe for the humans, that he can guard and protect, and forget about all of this for a while? it's perfect.]

[tempurahair]

Good!

[Since Akaza hasn't once indicated an interest in letting go of Kyojuro's hand, that grip is maintained. It's no longer the vice from earlier, but still firm enough to ideally keep his companion grounded. It's all about walking delicate lines with Akaza, but Kyojuro finds that he does not mind the dance by any means.

Under normal circumstances, Kyojuro might have been content to let them lapse into silence. However, he doubts Akaza's thoughts are particularly pleasant in this particular moment. Thus, he finds himself idly speaking:]

I found Senjuro in the mess of everything. Aira as well. Both were kept safe.

[bluebasketballed]

[it is exceedingly difficult to stray from the path around kyojuro. the brightness of him is a beacon, overpowering and impossible to lose. their continued embrace paired with him speaking in that warm, bold voice do the job well.]

You did. Good. [his brows furrow.] I'm sorry, I should have asked the moment I saw you. [like hell is he going to give himself any grace, lol.]

[tempurahair]

[The laugh that chases Akaza's words is a gentle and quiet one. Not quite the booming noise from back in the Grove, but that's only to be expected considering how careful they have to be in this place.]

You were preoccupied, Akaza. [A silent squeeze to his hand.] I merely wanted to tell you, to put your mind at ease.

[Much as Kyojuro doubts that the man had thought particularly hard about Senjuro, he's equally as certain that some worry had lurked within his heart when it came to Aira. The good news was meant to be a balm more than anything.]

[bluebasketballed]

Thanks, then. You have.

[truthfully, akaza has been trying to memorize the names of everyone kyojuro appears to get along with; it's a good place to start for the new list of people he should protect. those two are the ones he'd most be concerned about, both considered family on some level. knowing they're safe is reassuring.

getting the opportunity to speak and think about the living, those they can still look after, almost makes akaza feel like he can forget the horror they just walked away from. but just as the slightest sensation of relief settles in his mind, they turn a corner only to stand within meters of a new monster.

this one would be an exact mirror to kyojuro, if not for the same funeral cloth over the face, and the fact that as soon as they lay eyes on this creature, it radiates a bright, warm light like that of the sun. the beast stands tall and proud, magnificent... then in the next instant, it is keeled over, its light has dimmed significantly, and instead, blindingly bright red blood pours from two endless waterfalls out of its left eye and the very center of its torso. the monster stumbles toward them, reaches for its waist, and extends an offering toward akaza just as the previous one had: a nichirin blade as red as the blood the creature is losing, with a familiar flame-shaped guard.

for his part, akaza is shocked rather than accepting of its presence, his lips ajar and his eyes wide. he isn't even sure how to begin to process this, especially not with kyojuro standing right beside him --

unless kyojuro moves to get a tighter grip, akaza's hand will slip from his, toward this offering as well.]

1/2

[tempurahair]

[It is a strange sight, looking at what is essentially a mirror. In many ways, it's jarring to see just how truly ruined he had appeared in those final moments. He feels the sharpest pang of empathy not just toward Akaza, but to Tanjiro, who also would have witnessed a familiar sort of sight.

Startled as he is, he doesn't realize that Akaza's slipped through his grasp until the man is several steps ahead of him. A rather irritable sigh leaves him, not toward his companion, but the wretched facsimile that has saw fit to manifest before them.]

Oh, dear.

2/2

[tempurahair]

[Thus far, he has made a point to not swing at Akaza's manifestations, not since he was first scolded back in the circus that is. But this is an affront not just to Akaza, but to Kyojuro himself. He will not stand for it.

First form is easy enough, even at his weakest. And it has been weeks since his last injury, after all. Yes, he's pushed himself to some degree, but never to the point of hindering his progress. And right now, this is a worthy sacrifice. Akaza will make it only a few feet before Kyojuro has shot past him, leaving smoke and heat crackling in his wake. His blade sinks into the neck of his doppelganger, then clean through, leaving it to crumble into ash and mist. He twists as his feet hit the ground once more, turning to look at the rapidly disintegrating form.

Rage burbles up within his voice, gaze rapidly shifting toward the sky beyond those impenetrable whorls of fog.]

You will not use me to harm others. Do you hear that, you wretched creature? Throw what feeble monsters you wish at us, twist our minds as you like, but do not dare use me as your weapon.

[bluebasketballed]

[even after the monster disintegrates, its shed blood still lays in a stream of puddles along the ground. in the chill of the fog, it steams, hot as the moment as it was spilled. to akaza, it even smells identical to kyojuro's blood. he shakes from this half trance-like state as well, meeting kyojuro before the last traces of the beast.

regardless of kyojuro's defiance toward the forest, or of his blade in hand, akaza reaches for the bandaged hand he'd fed from. kyojuro had said he'd safely be able to wield his sword, but not use breathing techniques for a while. for the first time tonight, akaza appears almost as fierce as usual, canines slightly bared as he turns kyojuro's hand over to inspect his palm.]

Why the hell'd you do that? [yes, despite his speech two seconds ago.] I told you... [well. he'd told kyojuro that hakuji's family wouldn't hurt him. he actually... doesn't know if that thing would have.]

[tempurahair]

[The silent command is obeyed without protest. He splays his fingers out, open for Akaza to take in. The wound, while still a touch raw, has patched itself up nicely. Perhaps it is a testament to just how much time has passed since that day, even if their minds can't seem to process it properly.

The irritability in the voice of his companion is not lost on Kyojuro, but he breathes out with a faint sense of amusement all the same. He just gave a whole speech about this, didn't he? But if Akaza wants him to elaborate, he will. It's only fair.]

That creature wanted to extinguish your flame. [He shakes his head.] That is an unacceptable aberration, when all I want is to see you set your heart ablaze.

[After a few moments, though, he does bow his head, expression shifting to something almost apologetic.]

I know you said your monsters would not harm me, just as I know that I assured you I would not raise my blade against them. But this my friend, was personal.

[bluebasketballed]

[the blue tips of his fingers ghost over the wound, examining without any pressure. it does seem much better off than he would have expected, but still, he scrunches his nose ever so slightly at kyojuro.]

Relax. I'm not going to hold it against you. [he's far more worried about the possibility that kyojuro will yet again be injured because of him. this time, akaza is the one who takes his wrist and pulls him forward. he deliberately makes as wide a path around the blood as he can. the sooner they get to the safe area, the better.]

[tempurahair]

[At first, Kyojuro stumbles. It isn't from the motion itself. No, as Akaza's cooler fingers wrapped around his wrist, something both warm and electric seemed to crackle up the span of his arm. Though his legs quickly managed to right themselves and catch up, he found that his gaze could not be torn away from that point of connection.

Had Akaza felt it too? Was it yet another trick of this strange place? His gaze drifted away finally, in favor of searching for any signs of a threat. Difficult as it was to parse out anything through the fog, nothing felt particularly sinister.

... Weren't they talking about something? Shame on him for getting distracted.]

How kind of you! [A current of delight took shape within his voice. Whatever had come over him, it didn't seem keen to linger.] I would have expected a thorough scolding for my efforts.

[bluebasketballed]

[when he misses a step, akaza's head snaps back to make sure he's okay. nothing seems to be wrong, except that kyojuro is just staring at their hands. but akaza just did that, too, didn't he? is the human just surprised that he's finally reciprocating touch? surely it can't be deeper than that, right?

he looks forward again at the same time kyojuro goes back to assessing their surroundings. akaza takes some time to consider his response, and finally makes a grumbling noise.]

That thing surprised me as much as it did you.

[tempurahair]

I admit, I am still a bit surprised that it ranked so highly within your mind.

[It being his death. When he was with Aira, they had pieced together that this place seemed to be feeding on their resentments, their shadows, their fear — or at least some amalgamation of all of that. While he knew Akaza regretted what had happened in the end, it's a bit jarring to know that Kyojuro's own death lingered so heavily.

But still, it feels a little personal to press about. It's the only reason Kyojuro adds a playful little jab at the end, for fear of making things too heavy between them when they were already shouldering so much.]

Do you think of me that often?

[bluebasketballed]

[at first, he isn't sure how to respond to that. his face feels hot despite the cool air, and his heart heavy in a much more unpleasant way. time to deflect.]

What else am I going to think about? The giant lizard in the river?