08. prompt / shed
To the untrained eye, I would clearly appear to be wandering in this byzantine of monumental trees, weaving between their silhouettes and the dappled light that filtered through. An ominous haze arose to encompass the entirety of this forest, making it difficult for one to find their way, yet the path set before me would reveal itself in time.
With a prayer, I announced myself with the melody of the kanzashi I wore with each languid step taken forward, and with it, the world around me became alive at my feet and from the contours of the landscape, curious spirits were roused from their dormancy. Motes of light the apparitions would appear to others who lacked attunement to the otherworldly, but they revealed themselves to me as freshly departed, ruined spirits.
And there were far more around me than I expected to come across.
I could not be in every single place where death has left an impression, but I make a note to visit them when my task is done, and I will be able to break the chains that have kept them bound here. Perhaps the wind will be one of peace and provide succor, instead of weighing down the heart.
As they slipped from my peripheral vision, the gnarled, twisted branches overhead, groaned as a steady wind gathered at their once verdant leaves, causing a rustling through the canopies. It was a nostalgic, and melancholic sound, which carried a warning as I resumed my approach.
It gathered along the folds of silk, an invisible caress tugged at the ends of my hair, all to draw my attention to where my path would find its end. There stood a lone building, its foundation pillowed by a heavy fog. The shed could easily be mistaken as a place of shelter for the weary who passed through, offering reprieve to the lost. But I knew it well as a clearly placed trap for one to be taken by a ..
❝ . . 食人鬼 ❞
The words formed in my hands and I listened to the clangorous sounds of agreement from the spirits who broke their silence and carried their wails into the ungentle winds. My suspicions proved to be correct.
This variant of malevolence was not unknown to me; I had come across them afore, and the results were very much the same. They violated a mortal's corpse by devouring their flesh, their appetite was insatiable. A feast they would hold with any adventurer or lost traveler who came to find themselves at this unfortunate end of the forest.
But I am no mere adventurer, I am the one who shall cleanse this land of them.
I approached the dilapidated footbridge that led to the very threshold, and upon reaching the poorly hinged doors, they opened suddenly and my quarry presented itself to me.
What I did not anticipate were the forms they had chosen for themselves, nor the fact that I had two to contend with instead of just one. An exceptional ploy; anyone would take sympathy for an elderly couple, one of whom looked as if he was suffering from the burden and toll that old age has brought upon them.
I am accustomed to horrors, and none have struck fear in me, perhaps that aided me in my hunt, for I showed little regard that their faces did not appear mortal to me, but depicted their true nature.
Horrific and malformed.
However, they did not recognize the dark nature that surrounded me, largely due to a veil of hunger that had shrouded them. Far too ravenous they were to be entirely aware of the threat who wore a smile for them. Perhaps they had not met anyone who could overpower them while together, yet.
To them, I appeared as yet another delectable prey, considering how the one masquerading as an elderly woman eagerly welcomed me into what would be my supposed last resting place.
I would play the role they desired to see of me, the delicate flower in need of a night's rest, unarmed, unassuming. I smiled, thanked them in my silence, and prepared myself for what was to come. They had not suspected anything yet..
..but with one touch to usher me into this domain, they find that their fates were already sealed.
28 notes
·
View notes
THE SEQUENCE OF ALL THE CHARACTERS SHARING INFORMATION IS SO FUN!!!!!!! esp the spotlight on hinako I love her a lot I’m glad she’s getting attention 🫶🫶 i feel like hinako didn’t want kids but would still fight to death to keep them safe ESP SINCE SHE’S A COP/INVESTIGATOR TOO i hope we learn more about her in t3…..
OUGH Hinako deserves so much attention!! I makes me crazy that we simultaneously know nothing important about her, and also she's the minor character/victim we know the most about: she has a full appearance, several outfits, we see her doing domestic tasks, we know her career and see her working, and we know her full name. (I also find it really juicy to have these two cop/investigator character in a murder "mystery" series that are completely detached from their usual role; it was fun to give that back to them in the au.) It's so interesting because originally I thought she was the one to want kids and Kazui held her back, but with recent info it definitely seems like he wanted a family more than her... And you're right -- that doesn't stop her from kicking anyone's ass who stands between her and protecting these kids 😤😤😤
And ah thanks!!! It was so fun trying to map out potential investigation methods >:3 The group is very limited because they're basically in prison (even if they're going free at the end). But at the same time, there's ten sets of skills and connections and knowledge which definitely helps. Plus, ten bodies in general is helpful -- you can have a lot of distractions and actions going on at once with so many people... I was so focused on thinking who could go in and out of the facility, but I wanted to add that Muu's parents help a lot too! They can't do much information-wise, but with their money they can pull some strings on the outside.
16 notes
·
View notes
Thinking about Bad Toman Kisaki slowly becoming more and more disenchanted by Takemichi over the years as he watches him devolve into a selfish, heartless delinquent who always does as he's told, eventually becoming a Toman Exec who quickly accepts murder orders. How this is exactly what Kisaki wanted, to keep Takemichi close and to have him suffering, but he still almost hates seeing Takemichi devolve from a willingness to be hurt for others to fearful obedience of authority. How he's simultaneously disgusted by the villain Takemichi has become and delighted by the grip he has on his life. How though this is a way of exacting punishment on Takemichi for stealing Hinata's heart, by the time Kisaki holds the gun to Takemichi's head, his hero has already been gone for quite some time.
He must be shocked to see Takemichi cry for probably the first time in years after Chifuyu gets shot. When Takemichi begins to cry, Kisaki basically asks him if he's still a crybaby after all their time together and says he's disappointed. I'm not exactly sure why he says he's disappointed, but there are at least two probable reasons.
First, he's disappointed that he wasn't able to fully remove Takemichi from his old crybaby self. He wanted to erase the "crybaby hero" from Takemichi, to make Takemichi terminally unrecognizable from his "crybaby hero" self.
Second, he could be disappointed that Takemichi, who hadn't seemed like his old self in years, is only returning moments before death. Kisaki misses the old Takemichi, his old hero.
I think Kisaki is conflicted between these two very different sentiments here, because while he chose to keep Takemichi around for twelve years and make him suffer, he also always idolized the hero Takemichi used to be and probably missed him very much.
26 notes
·
View notes