Fandom 𝒟𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓃 𝒮𝓁𝒶𝓎𝑒𝓇: 𝐵𝓁𝑜𝑜𝒹 𝒲𝒶𝓇

[Nothingness]

𝔸𝕣𝕔 𝟚​

Our story begins at a remote ski/spa resort far off into the northern mountains of Mt. Komagatake. Rumors and news have spread amongst the public that those who have come here were said to never return and yet, the advertisements on television and radios excite people to ignore these dangerous stories and head off on their honeymoons, vacations, and simple getaways. One after another, those that arrive at the resort are eventually never seen or heard from again. When calling customer service agents, worried families and co-workers are told that these individuals went out for a ski trip down one of the well-known paths and had just never returned, and when sent out to go in search of them, rescue teams returned after hours of searching with nothing to report.

Eventually, even nearby city authorities were called in to help with the investigations, these same men and women of the law were soon faced with the same tragedy of never being heard from again. With no answers and even more questions rising, it was only a matter of time that the issue had caught the attention of the Demon Slayer Corps, believing that something much more sinister is at play, many of the Demon Slayers who were present at the time during the annual World Fighting Tournament were contacted in different fashions to investigate the disappearance of these individuals.

This is where our tale begins, the sun had only recently set, a blizzard is on its way towards the resort, many of the occupants had returned from the daily ski runs if not had been returning from the nearby spa. Some taking the chance to get a few more runs through the snowy tracks before the storm hits while others had decided to stick to the spa, knowing that the main building was nearby enough that they could fight through the blizzard when they had believed they soaked enough of the warm heat from the hot springs' water.

 

[Horror]

CODE BY SEROBLISS

FANG GUIYING

KINOTO

A chill wind began to blow, signaling the impending arrival of a snowstorm. The sky overhead was dark, with heavy clouds rolling in from the west, casting a dreary pall over the landscape. The air was heavy with anticipation as the storm grew closer, and an eerie silence descended upon the area as if nature was holding its breath in anticipation of the coming tempest. The landscape was blanketed in a glimmering white sheen, the freshly fallen snow reflecting the light of the moon in a dazzling display.

Towering pine trees lined the long, winding driveway that led to the main office, and the snow-covered ground crunched beneath his feet as he walked onwards. The crisp mountain air was cool and refreshing on his skin, and he breathed it in deeply, savoring the moment. He took a moment to survey his surroundings, the Komagatake Onsen Resort stretched out before him, the large building looming in the night sky. He took a deep breath and started walking towards the entrance of the hotel, his footsteps echoing off the cobblestone path as he approached the main office.

The little boy's hand felt so small and fragile in his own, his tiny fingers wrapped tightly around his own. He glanced down, taking in the sight of the young child standing beside him. His blond hair was tousled by the wind, and his bright green eyes shone with childlike innocence and curiosity. He was no more than five years old, and he looked up at him with wide-eyed wonder. Enzo, a name that had grown on him over the course of the prior days. Some newly orphaned runt that Heath had picked up along the way. He was quiet for his age, much too soft.

Enzo had been quiet for as long as Fang knew him. He rarely spoke, and when he did, it was usually in a soft, timid voice. Fang knew that the boy had been through a lot in his short life, more than any child should have to endure. He had seen the gruesome demise of his mother and had been through a traumatic ordeal that had left him deeply scarred. It was this trauma that had caused him to be so quiet and introspective, his mind a labyrinth of thoughts and emotions that he kept hidden from the world. Despite this, Fang could still feel the warm and gentle spirit of the boy, and he smiled sadly, knowing that Enzo would eventually find his way out of the darkness.

Fang figured it would be best to prepare the rooms for Enzo, while his fellows unpacked their weapons or did whatever they felt was needed. As he entered the building, Fang was hit with a wave of warmth, the inviting atmosphere of the resort enveloping him. He paused for a moment to take it in, and then continued on his way, eventually making his way to the reception desk where a friendly face greeted him with a warm smile. "Welcome to the Komagatake Onsen Resort," the receptionist said. "How can I help you today?"

Despite the mysterious disappearance, the Komagatake Onsen Resort was bustling with activity. Guests and visitors milled about, chatting and laughing with each other as they explored the various amenities of the resort. The scent of exotic herbs and spices filled the air, along with the occasional waft of wood-fired pizza from one of the restaurants. Music echoed from the lobby, as a band played for the guests, and in the background, the soft sound of a waterfall could be heard. Everywhere Fang looked, there were people, enjoying the hospitality of the resort.

Fang stepped up to the reception desk, a smile on his face as he greeted the receptionist. "Good evening," he said, his voice gentle and polite. "I believe we have a reservation for the VIP suite, under the name of Valerie Knight."

The receptionist glanced at her computer, her eyes narrowing as she quickly scanned through the information. "Yes, I see the reservation here," she said, her voice curt and dismissive. "But I must ask for some form of ID, as you do not appear to match the name on the reservation." She looked Fang up and down, her gaze clearly conveying her disbelief that such a person could be the one to have booked the VIP suite. Her words were polite, but her tone was anything but, her condescending attitude making it clear that she felt Fang had no business being there.

Fang's teeth clenched together as he heard the receptionist's dismissive tone, and his jaw tightened in anger. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. "Excuse me," he said, his voice firm and resolute. "I understand that you are trying to do your job, but rudeness is not necessary. I am here for the reservation, and I am within my rights to expect at least some modicum of respect from you. Please do not forget that." He stared at her, his gaze unwavering.

The receptionist's face darkened as she heard Fang's words, her annoyance growing. "Fine," she said, her voice dripping with contempt. "You want respect? You'll get none from me. You're nothing but a piece of trash, and this kid with you, who knows where he came from? Did you kidnap him? Where is his mother?" She looked at Enzo with a cold, hard stare, her eyes full of suspicion.

The receptionist's words hung in the air, the tension in the room palpable. Fang met her gaze, his own eyes full of anger and defiance. He knew that he had to remain calm, for Enzo's sake, but he could feel his temper rising. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his composure when the receptionist suddenly spoke again. "If you don't tell me the truth, I'm calling the cops," she said, her voice cold and threatening.

Fang clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding together as he fought for control. He wanted to lash out and give the receptionist a piece of his mind, but he knew that if he did, it would only make the situation worse. He took a deep breath before speaking, his voice strained and tense. "I apologize," he said, his words thick with suppressed rage. "Valerie will be here soon. She just had an unexpected delay. Please accept my apology, and I promise that the situation will be resolved shortly." He met the receptionist's gaze, his expression a mask of calm, despite the fire in his eyes.

The receptionist gave an annoyed nod, her expression was unimpressed. "Very well," she said, her voice still cold and unyielding. "Please wait here until your guest arrives." With that, she turned away, her attention shifting to the next customer. Fang watched her for a moment, his fists clenched at his sides before he finally took a step back and retreated into a corner of the room. He felt a wave of relief wash over him as he did, the tension in the room weakened. He stood there in silence, his gaze fixed on the floor, as he waited for Valerie to arrive.

Mentions: Wxnter , Kovacs

 

[Anthem]

憤怒

Marumachi Ryutan

Searching for Justice

MT. Komogatake

'I never liked the weather of the mountains, but I suppose I have no choice to suck it up at this point. Too many innocent lives have been lost at that damned resort for it to be a coincidence. I just have to hope the Slayer Corps stay off of my tail while I'm on my own search…' Ryutan had found out about the situation on the mountain thanks to a local paper in Tokyo. Despite his preferences he decided to make his way to the mountain, in hopes to find what was causing so many humans to go missing. Plus, maybe taking a chance to also relax a but wasn't too bad of an idea, especially at a ski resort.

After scrounging up enough cash to get public transit directly to MT. Komogatake, the demon boy packed his minimal belongings into his beaten up backpack before leaving the alleyway he called home for all his demon life. To hide his physical appearance to the general public, Ryu wore a simple black jacket that he stole off a street marketer and a medical face mask. And with that, he boarded the transit to the mountain ski resort.

The travel was simple, with no issues so it was actually a rather nice ride despite the cramped bus. Nonetheless, Ryu was happy to get off the bus and be able to stretch. Looking around to get an initial view of the place, the demon boy nodded a bit before starting to move into the resort. Did he have a reservation to the vacation place? Hell no. But that wasn't going to stop him, not a single bit. Doing his best to stay inconspicuous, Ryu entered the resort's main building and immediately darted out of sight of the people at the front desk. With a small sigh, he started to study the inner works of the main building to see just what he could find.

"Stay cool Marumachi, you've done harder missions when you were with the Corps." Staying calm by mumbling under his breath, Ryu would start to walk the halls as his eyes drifted around, creating a mental map of his surroundings. Though he knew that this was just the beginning, as he would have to venture out to the trails where people had disappeared as well. If he hadn't there was no way in hell that he would be able to find anything other than scraps of info potentially.

After reaching where the basic rooms were, the boy must have been the luckiest person on Earth at that moment. A couple had just walked out with their bags, seemingly about ready to leave and Ryu had seen where they placed the key to the room. So with some quick planning, Ryu bumped into the person with the key and swiftly pickpocketed it. After profuse apologizing to sell the act, the couple continued to leave and the demon boy now had a room.

Wasting no time, Ryu opened the room to get a look inside and he didn't mind the living conditions that he had to deal with. A TV, sofa, and comfy looking bed, so pretty much a standard room with standard accommodations. Though relaxation would have to wait until a more appropriate time, as the demon placed his backpack beside the bed before leaving the room, placing a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the knob. A smile was on his face despite being hidden by the medical mask.

"Alright, time to start the hunt." Ryu started to walk around again, this time being more thorough with his search.

Interactions: N/A

Code by Serobliss

 

[Nothingness]

想找恶魔

Xiang Zhao

location

"Last Stop" Bar -> Komagatake Onsen Resort

tags

Horror Wxnter

"Hey! Xiang! Give me an 'Old Fashion'" A large burly man shouted from the opposite end of the counter. "Xiang, another 'Rum and Coke'!" Shouted another much younger man from the completely opposing side of the bar. Meanwhile, Xiang had been standing in the center of the bar while one handheld onto a glass and the other he held a white rag. Cleaning the inside of the cup by scrubbing it in a circular motion, the bartender completely ignored the orders coming from the clearly two drunkard men as his focus had been on that of one of the many flat screen televisions hung on the ceiling for customers to use while they drank or ate. Each screen played a different channel, one had the news, another was the weather and the one next to those had sports. With each playing at once, it was difficult for anyone to ever listen and focus onto one specific sound due to the mixture of different voices from the different channels followed by the commotion of conversations that went on at practically all times within the bar. Luckily for those with enough of an attention span, closed caption was turned on for each of the channels for those to read the full details of everything that had been going on at the time on screen.

The news channel that Xiang had been observing at the time just so happened to had been something about a ski and spa resort having to do with missing people. Some of the faces of the missing individuals popped up one after another on the screen, none of which came to be overly familiar to the bartender other than the fact that it was clear enough that some of them were police officers, or at least that was what the closed captions stated they were. Eventually as the number of missing individuals faces continued to be scrolled through on the news, it was only a matter of time that one specific face came to be recognized. It was his boss. Nearly dropping the glass in his hands at the sight of the face, Xiang didn't even need to look at the words to know that the face was undeniable to be his boss. "What-...but he just left, like yesterday...how's he missing?" Questioning the sight before him, Xiang retrieved his phone from his pocket before proceeding to call his boss. Without so much as a single ring, the operator was the first to pick up stating that the cellar device he was trying to reach was no longer in service. Something was definitely wrong. Sure, he could just leave things as it is and continue on with his night and maybe things would solve themselves by the end of it, but then there was also the possibly it wasn't, and that man was the one who paid Xiang.

"Alright everyone! The bar's closing early tonight! Finish up your drinks and get out!" Shouting with an overly loud voice, those within the room had all known Xiang well enough by this point so they were wise enough not to try and appeal to his demand of closing the bar early. Within the next 10 or so minutes, the bar had been emptied of all its customers leaving Xiang finally alone. Rather than clean up, he'd end up grabbing his suitcase that held his sword before heading to the back of the building, making sure to grab a pair of keys that hung on the wall next to the exit. After opening the door to the back, a large motorcycle had been leaning against the wall completely untouched. "Hm, surely he won't mind me borrowing this for a while...Its going to be the only way I'm going to get there quick." With that said, Xiang swung his leg over the large vehicle before slipping the key into the ignition and starting the motorcycle. With the vehicle giving a loud roar as it revved to life, Xiang made sure to put his helmet on before rocketing off towards Mt. Komagatake.

Luckily the trip hadn't been too far and with the motorcycle being that of his boss', it made swerving around traffic all that much easier. As he eventually began his climb up the mountain, the roads became more and more narrow, the signs of civilization dwindled down till both sides of the road consisted mainly of just streetlights and trees. As the temperature dropped further, he tucked in his suit jacket only to rev the bike to speed up and reach his destination quicker. Anyone with any bit of knowledge of the weather could tell that a storm was approaching, and being caught in something like that while on the road was nothing less of a death sentence. Eventually, signs of resort came into view, making the designated turns required to reach the resort, soon enough once paved asphalt road began to become snowy unpaved grounds. With a single flip of a switch on the dashboard, the bike jolted upwards as small spikes began to protrude from the tires on the front as well as the rear. With the spikes, Xiang had been able to get more tension into the snowy path rather than risk the slippery road.

The trip lasted at most an hour or so, but soon enough, Xiang had reached his destination. Pulling up to the side of the large building where many of the other smaller vehicles were parked such as snow mobiles and snow blowers were, Xiang made sure to turn off the ignition before removing the key and stowing it into his inner most pocket of his suit coat. From the looks of it on the outside, it was difficult to believe there had been any suspicious activity occurring at the resort, visitors and staff all appeared to be smiling, laughing and simply enjoying their time. Yet, Xiang was not that naive to be letting what was seen on the exterior be his final judgement on a situation, after all, the news wouldn't be reporting these missing individuals unless it was actually true, right?
After removing his helmet, with the crisp wind chill practically smacking him in the face, Xiang gave a deep shiver before slapping his own cheeks to make sure that the blood would flow through his face equally. Carrying nothing more than the helmet with him as he proceeded to head over and finally into the main lobby of the building, the instant he had opened the door, the sudden rush of warmth, the smell of what he could only assume to be cinnamon, and the sounds of mingling was almost overwhelming to take in all at once.

Making his way straight over towards the main receptionist desk, Xiang stood at the front of the line while the customer representatives were busy with other customers at the time. One specific individual that caught his attention was that of the male that stood in front of him at the time, accompanying the male was a child that clearly did not look like the two were related in any sense. While the male spoke with the representative behind the desk, a name was spoken, Valerie Knight. The name alone nearly had Xiang lose focus for a moment as mental images flashed in his head like the sensation of trying to identify a blurry image in a flickering lighting of a room. Reaching his hand up over his temple, he took a moment to gather his thoughts, during this time, the representative had been calling out to him to try and get his attention. "Sir? Sir, are you alright?" The very same woman that had once been speaking with the previous male had now been calling for Xiang, luckily whatever that sensation was, it was over in a matter of moments.

"O-oh, yes." With his thoughts cleared, Xiang approached the counter while retrieving his wallet from his pocket, leaving his drenched helmet on the side of the counter, he leaned over the granite countertop. "I don't have a reservation. Although I would like to book a room for a few nights please. One of the suites with a kitchenette if you have one available." After informing the for his request, the woman behind the counter went to work on checking the available suite rooms that had a mini-kitchen attached to it before nodding and giving Xiang the price. Removing his credit card, he handed it to the woman for her to swipe and scan to make the payment, it wasn't like Xiang ever needed much other than some basic raw meat for food at times and just a small place to stay, not to mention, as long as he worked for his boss, the payment for rent was never really needed, he always had more money to spare. "Thank you." After retrieving his room key and a small pamphlet of all the different activities he could do during his stay, instead of heading for his room since he hadn't brought any luggage, he began to explore the lobby to see if he could spot any indifferences amongst the public or staff.

code by @Nano

 

[wigi]

​

ryuji had finally arrived mount nantai , he wasnt at the tip of the mountain but was around the middle of it , a plain ground big enough to fit a small house.
he put his bag and katana on the ground before slowly stepping up to what looks like a graveyard.
there were around 20 graves in there , and it was empty of all life.
he kneeled next to one of the graves one with the name hiroshi on it.
"master , its been 2 years , ive climbed up the ranks a little after the last mission , went from 2 to around 17 demon kills in one night"
ryuji stares at the ground for a little , he holds out his burn scarred hand.
a tear formed in his eye before slowly falling to the grave.
he puts his hands together and pays respet to his master before standing up .
his crow approached from a distance , before landing on his backpack and giving him details of the mission.
ryuji grabbed his bag and put the crow on his shoulder.
on his face was a serious stern look , but his eyes cried tears of grief.

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Komagatake Onsen Resort, Mt. Komagatake

Code by Serobliss

•

Markus Graymane

•

Hashira of Winter

•

Male

•

23

•

CS

Markus

The universe truly had a strange sense of humor. He had recently gone through the most harrowing experience of his life on the side of the mountain in the dead of winter, only for the winds of fate to bring him back to a similar place. Three days were all he spent in Tokyo to connect to the local branch of Demon Slayers, eat a bowl of ramen for the third time, and hunt a demon roaming the alleyways of Akihabara. Apparently, demons were the same across continents; filthy, depraved creatures easily dispatched with a single slash. It was a little disquieting, then, the rumors he heard of demons masquerading as slayers of their kind. Demons could play around with their so-called sense of justice or redemption, but at the end of the day even the most noble of demons were worse than lowly worms.

And the worst of their kind haunted Markus everytime he closed his eyes.

Pain wracked his broken body. Blood and bodies were scattered everywhere, their scent cloying and suffocating. Winter’s chill seeped into his very core. The maniacal laugh. The faint whimper. The squelch of flesh. The crunch of bone. Over and over and over and over, bathed in the pale moonlight.

Squelch.

Crunch.

Whimper.

Laughter.

SCREAM.

Markus snapped awake, chest heaving as he struggled to take one deep breath after the other. Cold sweat ran down the sides of his face, hands shuddering from the aftermath of the vivid nightmare. He whipped his head around, expecting demons and monsters to rush at him with claws extended and fangs bared. Instead, he only saw an elderly couple, a woman holding a baby, and a well-dressed train conductor, all looking at him with expressions ranging from worry to suspicion. It took him a moment to remember that he was on the train bound for Mount Komagatake, part of his first job for the Tokyo Demon Slayers; to build goodwill amongst our peoples, and prove your worth, so his father told him. As the last vestiges of nightmare faded like mist, Markus composed himself, wiping away the sweat from his head with a plaid handkerchief. This was no way for a Knight – and a Hashira – to act.

“Excuse me, sir. Are you… alright?” the train conductor asked, brown hair framing her face in a way that brought out the concern in her eyes. Her English was a little broken, a little clipped around the syllables, but the effort was admirable.

“Daijoubu desu. Goushinpainaku,” Markus spoke in fluent Japanese. His voice was soft yet its low tones held an undercurrent of strength. He was doing alright. She didn’t need to worry.

The conductor almost let out a sigh of relief before remembering her place. She did comfortably speak in her native tongue, saying, “That is good to hear, sir. Would you like anything to eat or drink?”

“Coffee, please.”

“Right away, sir,” the conductor nodded, before heading off to the other passengers. Markus didn’t miss the smile she had, her wandering eyes, that little bite on the side of the lips. Was it his skin, pale like coffee with too much cream? Was it his hair, white like the snow-covered landscape flashing by outside the window? Or was it his eyes, the cerulean of a harsh sky devoid of clouds?

Markus was confident in his looks; back in Europe the daughters of the three remaining Round Table families all asked for his hand in marriage. But here, in the land of the rising sun, what made him stand out only sharpened the contrast; he was a foreigner. Gaijin. What the hell was he doing out here, so far away from home?

To kill Mordred. But he’d already done that.

To kill demons. But he could do that at home, or anywhere else.

To get rid of the nightmares...

No. That was his cross to bear. He failed his mother, his father, his family.

Perhaps he’d find the answer at Mount Komagatake. Perhaps he wouldn’t. Regardless of the outcome, a world with one less demon in it was a better one. By his sword, he would make it so.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

The rest of the trip to the Komagatake Onsen Resort was uneventful. People took notice of Markus, whispering and mumbling under their breaths. Kids were a little more honest, openly pointing at him with eyes of wonder. The crunch of snow beneath his boots as he walked towards the main entrance reminded him too much of home. Flakes of icy white fell on the shoulders of his brown, woolen coat, and the crimson scarf wrapped around his neck protected him from the gusts of cold wind. The sharp scent of the mountain air both relieved him of the fatigue from sitting down for hours in the train, and cleared his mind from the last remnants of the earlier nightmare.

Markus smiled. Winter was the season he loved the most, yet ironically the most painful memories of his happened during winter.

Stepping into the resort, Markus was greeted with comforting warmth and scents that made his stomach grumble in anticipation. Mingled in that was the invigorating smell of a freshly brewed batch of coffee. His sword cane tapped against the wooden floor as he made his way to the reception, where he witnessed a showdown between a customer and the receptionist. While he wasn’t interested whatsoever in what they were fighting about, one thing in particular stood out to him–

A name. Valerie Knight. Hearing it ignited a memory in the back of his mind, of a childhood spent with his father in his travels across the world, of a day spent with a girl that…

Before he could ponder on it any longer, it was his turn on the receptionist. There it was again, the bashful smile, the roving eyes, the faint blush. Completely different from how she acted around that customer with the kid.

“Hello. I have a reservation under the name, ‘Markus Graymane,’ for a Deluxe Suite,” he said, sliding his passport over to the woman for identification.

“Y-Yes, please wait one moment while I confirm,” the receptionist said, her voice a little airy. A few seconds of tapping on the tablet in front of her, another few of registering the key card to the system, and it was done. “Here you go, sir. We hope you enjoy your stay here at Komagatake Onsen Resort. If you need anything else, anything at all, please do not hesitate to contact me.”

Markus simply smiled at her thinly veiled coquetry. “Thank you. I’m happy to see the staff of this resort treat all of their customers with this impeccable level of respect, especially after everything that's happened."

Her expression froze, eyes widened in a mixture of horror and embarrassment. Markus never gave her a chance to defend herself, nodding and hoisting his backpack, before making his way to his room. Like most other suites he stayed at, it had a pleasing interior, with emphasis on wood and warm lighting, modern minimalism mingling with traditional Japanese sensibilities.

He laid down his backpack and sword cane next to the king-sized bed and hung his coat inside the spacious closet. Markus did a few stretches to iron out the kinks in his travel-weary body. His toned arms and chest stretched against the fabric of his black, long-sleeved turtleneck, and his denims more than hinted at strong calves.

After the stretches, he sat down on the bed and took out a brown envelope from the backpack. He went through its contents, news clippings and snippets of accounts that told of strange disappearances around Mount Komagatake. While it could have easily been the work of a regular psycho, something about the situation stank of demons. But he needed more information; to know the enemy was to ensure their eventual demise.

He fixed his hair a little, grabbed the sword cane, and made his way to the resort's cafe. Information gathering was best done in such places where people, both patrons and staff, converge. And it wouldn't hurt to indulge in a lovely cup of latte or two.

 

[leviohsa]

» ikari keiji

『 TAGGED 』 leviohsa

The Blind Tiger was bustling as per usual. Cigarette smoke hung low in the air, warm light emanating from antique lamps and chandeliers throughout the establishment. Despite the peaceful chatter between guests, and the talented musicians' work adding to the ambience, Keiji couldn't help the lack of focus he had on it all. Instead, deep red eyes stared down at the parchment that was held between his slender, gloved fingers. With brows furrowed, the demon leaned further back into the private leather booth he occupied. All it took was one wave of his hand, and anyone near him scattered politely. Once he was alone, he opened the neatly folded paper, noticing that the message was hand-written:

“Mr. Ikari Keiji,

We have use for your talents.

Come to Komagatake Onsen Resort. You will be paid well.

Ask for the 4th room on the 4th floor when you arrive.”​

What an odd request. A bold one, at that. The thought of simply removing his gloves and using his powers to end this silly mystery did cross his mind.. but what is the fun in that? After all, it had been so long since someone took the time to write to him, even if it was simply a request for his services.

"Sir."

His thoughts interrupted, for the first time in a few minutes. "Mr. Ikari, I also found this attached to the package." Keiji's most trusted bouncer placed an enormous stack of cash onto the solid wooden table for Keiji to observe. "We have already investigated it and found that-"

Keiji waved his hand dismissively, "Now, you and I both know that we need not be so extreme with these precautionary measures." He arched a brow, a bit amused that his staff felt the need to protect him. "Leave me to think. Don't let anyone near me." His voice was distracted, already far away from the underground speakeasy that he sat in.

Keiji was well aware of the disappearances occurring at this ski resort. In fact, he felt it was becoming a tad overdone. No matter the age, Demons never seem to learn the art of elusiveness. Nor do they know when to stop. The thought made him frown, because why was he being brought to this place? Going wouldn't do well for his neutrality, but... things have been so boring lately.

Keeping his pale hands gloved, Keiji let out a resigned sigh. Despite the air of irritation, the demon was actually quite intrigued to see what this anonymous writer had in store for him. A trap? Possibly. But it would mean some time out of the library.. and that may do him some good.

--​

It took less than half a night to arrive at his desired destination, thanks to his resources and efficient staff. However, said staff would not accompany him any farther than his vehicle: a black luxury car that bore no label. Standing in front of the well-kept car, the rather tall man dusted off his black trench coat, straightening it out before hooking the last two buttons to contain some modicum of warmth.

Keiji never liked the cold, and it was evident on his face as a clear frown can be spotted upon his clean and sharp features. He wanted outside of this snowy weather as soon as possible. His staff must've picked up on it, because they left his luggage (two duffel bags) on either side of him and left in almost a record time.

The outdoor walkway to the lobby was quaint, yet easy on the eyes. Warm hanging lanterns lit the way as the neatly paved path guided him towards the lobby. His polished dress shoes echoed in the crisp night air, since most guests were now in their rooms resting or enjoying late night amenities. Of course, it had to be this way so that he avoided one of the few weaknesses he now bore: sunlight.

It didn't take Keiji very long at all to reach the front desk, even with carrying one duffle bag in each hand (even though they were merely paperweights to him) and not really knowing where he was going.

To Keiji's surprise, the lobby was still bustling quite a bit despite the late hour. Looking around, ruby eyes easily spotted demons scattered amongst humans, but.. the humans didn't seem to notice.

How peculiar.. He thought to himself.


"Sir, how may I assist you?" A polite receptionist broke him from his thoughts,

"Ah, yes. How rude of me. My name is Ikari Keiji. May I please request the fourth room on the fourth floor?" As usual, his voice was even and low, making the receptionist clear her throat. Keiji's lips lifted into a smirk when he heard her heart rate speed up. Seems that he still makes women flustered even at his age.. How adorable.

With a few routine questions and a request for ID, Keiji was eventually given a key card to his requested room. And, when he went to pay, the young woman spoke up, "U-um. Sir, it seems that it is already paid for, and reserved under your name since last week.." The much older demon smiled knowingly,

"Many have told me I am in dire need of vacation.. Someone must be thinking of me." He winked swiftly, bending his knees to pick up his bags again before making his way to one of the many elevators.

code by @Nano

 

[NamelessTrax]

The cold wind swept through the alleyways, the snow that blanketed the pavement was light and airy. There was a sound, voices, like a narration of sorts. Talk about a blizzard approaching a nearby resort, Komagatake Onsen Resort, the name sounded familiar but couldn't be placed. Then the thought occurred, these voices, how could they be heard? Footsteps stirred the snow as Ally ran between tall buildings, avoiding trash bags and fallen bins. Suddenly the voices grew louder, but when she rounded a corner, she was bumped back onto the ground. Her breath shown in the dim light from the streets nearby, huffing to catch herself, she glanced up to four Men. They looked rugged, and their stares seemed blank in expression. She opened her mouth to speak, only to feel her entire body overcome with immense hunger. The Men chuckled, their dialogue lost in the background as she struggled to control herself. The closest one bent down, his scent washed over her in a mix of alcohol and... SOMETHING DELICIOUS! He spoke in a silvery tone, "Hey, little girl, you don't look so good. We'll take ya to get some help, don't you worry none, we'll take real good care of ya sweetheart." His grin betrayed his words, the other three smiled with an air of twisted morality. Ally only thought one thing as she slowly reached out with her hands, "I'm hungry..." Without warning she pulled the man that had bent down to her, and with a crunching sound, the other three went wide with terror. When they turned to run, they were stopped as Ally suddenly blocked their path. She stood before them, breathing heavily as her eyes glowed, blood wetted her cheeks and mouth. Furry ears grew from her own, and a foxlike bushy tail dropped from behind her, swishing back and forth. The three Men were stunned in a confused terror, and before they could even react, this creature was upon them.

Sitting against the wall, Ally had curled her tail around her feet, knees brought up to hide her face. Her tears fell on red snow, she sniffled repeatedly, after having wept for a few minutes now. Down the alley a way, there were several bins and trash bags piled up, with a single boot poking out from the top. "...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... I-I didn't ... I was just so hungry... what is happening to me?" Ally spoke in between sniffles, in disbelief at the carnage she'd done. Her memory was so hazy, she couldn't understand how or why she was here, or even what she was. Demon. The word came to her like a whisper, was she a Demon?

 

[Ploegy]

Demon Slayer

Yume Shimizu

Location: Town near Komagatake Onsen Resort
Tags: NamelessTrax

Life had been relentless over the past two weeks for Yume. The events of the fighting tournament weighed heavily on her mind, especially what had happened to Chiyoko. Every time she let it cross her mind, she found herself feeling sick, but that was the downside to this job she had taken up. Danger lurked around every corner when it came to demon slaying and people were bound to lose their lives. It only hurt so much more when it was someone who could have been so much more to some like her.

Unfortunately for her, she had no time to emotionally recover from it all. There was no resting. The Corps had other plans after all, though she admittedly wanted nothing to do with them. Yume could careless what mission request she was given. In this moment, allowing herself to heal was what was most important, though who knew how long something like that would take. Weeks? Months? She couldn't be certain. All she knew was she wanted nothing to do with either side of her life; demon slaying or gaming.

Messages had poured in from her fan base over the past few weeks. Many asked if she was alright or when she would be back on stream, while others questioned videos that had been posted online which clearly showed her at the scene of the attack. Yume had no energy to respond to any of them though, which in turn had only made things worse. She had drawn herself so deep into her own little corner, that nothing else mattered. The only one that truly knew how she currently felt was Kenshin, but even then Yume kept him at a distance. Any time he came to check in on her, she hardly spoke, though he seemed to care very little about that. He seemed to understand though.

It wasn't until two days ago, that things had changed for the teen. Amidst her daily moping, her phone rang out. Usually, she would have simply ignored it and turned the other way under her covers, but this time around, she bothered to look. The number that appeared on screen was one that belonged to the slayer who had formerly trained her. Why was he calling her? The confusion was enough to bring her to answer, but even as she did, no words escaped her lips. Silence hung over the line.

"Yume...?"

Again silence. Yume couldn't even begin to formulate words, yet despite that she needed to know why her sensei was calling her. Despite her silence, the man on the other end of the line decided to continue on.

"Yume, if you're listening then I have information for you." Those words caused a soft gasp to come from the teen's end. What kind of information might he have? She could only assume it was tied to the demon the two of them had been chasing for years now. "I've heard rumors of your father's killer being in a town near Komagatake Onsen Resort. I heard you were asked to go investigate the happenings at the resort, so I figured this might help motivate you to go. I'll send more information over via text. However, don't push yourself if you're not feeling up to it. Do take care of yourself."

After those words came through, the line went dead and Yume was left wide-eyed. Dropping her phone onto the bed, she stared down towards her lap, contemplating what she should even do. Could she afford to go chasing rumors again? Rumors was exactly how she had found herself in her current position and while she wanted to ignore them, she found herself too curious. She needed revenge and closure for what had happened. Maybe this could even help her blow off steam from everything that had happened. She had to go.

***​

That was how Yume found herself at the Komagatake Onsen Resort. Having arrived a day ago, she had had plenty of time to prepare herself for the task she was about to take on. She even had come up with an excuse for her sudden departure, calling it a "business trip" and implying she was invited to some gaming tournament that was taking place at the resort. A little lie never hurt after all.

While she knew she wasn't alone, her focus was not on the happenings of the resort itself. Those could come later once she searched the nearby town for signs of this ever so elusive demon. She could only hope the other slayers would not noticed, though part of her doubted any of them would know much about her as is. Sure, she had met several of them during the attack at the tournament, but beyond that, she hadn't bothered reaching out to them. In that moment, it had been too difficult for her. Besides, being distant from them allowed her to work more independently for now. She could meet up with them later on and form some excuse as to why she was late. Planning that could wait.

Wasting little time, Yume left the resort, using the ski lift to take her down to the nearby town. The ride there was slow and incredibly boring. Watching the clouds pass by could only entertain her for so long, but luckily before she could die of complete and utter boredom, she arrived. Gathering her things, she was quick to get off the lift and scurry off to the streets of the quaint town.

Unlike what she had expected, the streets were quiet and very few people passed her by. Clearly gathering information in a place like this was going to take effort, which was much to Yume's dismay. Given her current state, she hardly was in the mindset to take on such a task, yet she had no choice. She had dragged herself out here after all, and with no one else aware of her reasons, she had to do things alone.

Continuing on her way, the teen quietly began eyeing the nearby buildings in attempt to figure out if any of them might prove to be a useful starting point for her investigation, however, that train of thought was immediately brought to an abrupt halt as the faint sounds of crying caught her ears. Stopping in her tracks, Yume's gaze was pulled from the structures around her and instead began searching for the source of the cries. No, it's not that close, she mentally told herself. The cries were from up ahead, though no normal person would have heard them from where she stood.

Letting a soft breath escape her pursed lips, Yume contemplated for a moment if it was worth investigating. Whatever it was likely was none of her business, yet she knew she couldn't ignore someone in such distress. Her own kindness had her own hands ties.

Closing her eyes, the lavender haired slayer stood completely still as she let the sounds around her fill her ears, forcing herself to focus on the cries above anything else. Pinpointing its direction, her eyes opened once more and she turned on her heels before moving forward. Whatever awaited her, she did not know, but hopefully she could deal with whatever it was quickly and be on her way once again.

Walking several blocks, Yume soon came to a stop in front of an alleyway blocked by bins and bags of trash. The cries were as clear as ever now. This was her destination. Adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder, the teen took a deep breath and turned into the alley. It only took a few steps for a girl to come into sight, though instantly she could tell the other was no normal person. The ears that protruded from her head along with the tails wrapped around her feet were enough to tell her that much. This was a demon.

Eyes hardening in an instant, the slayer stood in complete silence, making no moves to dig her blade out from hidden within her bag or even show signs of speaking. All she could do was look down upon the girl with cold eyes, thinking what she should do. Her mind told her to take no chances and to cut the other down right then and there; she had enough reason to given the crimson liquid pooled up in the nearby snow, yet her heart spoke differently, pleading with her to question why the other was crying. Why did she care though? A demon who had feasted on a human deserved no right to express their feelings, or at least that was the mindset she was supposed to demonstrate. She lacked that mentality in the current moment. Even so, she stood like a statue, hovering over the other girl as if daring her to make a move or speak up first.

Code By Nano

 

[NamelessTrax]

Oblivious to the presence of another, Ally slipped into a spiral of emotions. Feeling traumatized by the emotions she felt from the Men themselves, they came to her upon touching them, feeling their terror and anguish. Was that something she was going to experience every time she fed? Fed. Thats right, eventually she'd have to do this again, and again. Those terrifying thoughts raced in her mind, and she brought her hands up to hold her head. She then remembered the words that were told to her, "Take that wakizashi, and look for..." The last few words were lost in thought, shed turned frantically as if to crawl and search for the wakizashi she must have dropped it when-. Instantly she froze up, recognizing she wasn't alone. How long? Did they see anything? What did they see? What do they know? These questions plagued Ally, but an instinct told her to make no sudden movements. Whoever this person is, there was aura about them, almost giving her a warning. Slowly, Ally tuned her head and looked up, the sclera of her eyes was black with brilliant amber iris's. Her pupils were thin slit's, indicating a high sensation of a fight or flight response.

This person, this other girl, she stood perfectly still staring down at her. The girl had hearts drawn on her cheeks, she was quite pretty, with a cuteness to her. Same age maybe? The headphones with rabbit ears seemed odd at first, but they were still cute. There was a familiarity about the clothing she wore, it seemed like she knew someone who would dress in a similar fashion with a haori. Unable to place it, Ally still felt an ominous aura coming from this girl. Eyes softening as fear started to settle in, swallowing to clear her choked up throat, she spoke pleadingly. "Um... er, have you seen a wakizashi around here? It's a, light wooden saya with shaded colored circles, and the ito is blue, and a golden tsuba and finishings! It belongs to my master but he-" She paused in her descriptive hand gestures, seemingly confused by what she said last. Master? She started to recall vivid memories of training with someone, and being given the wakizashi, which they had on their hip with a Katana of similar style. She scratched her head trying to piece things together, they didn't make sense. If she had a Master, where were they now? Then the horrible realization hit her, and she lowered her head, eyes darkened. "Please... it's all I have left of my Master... we were supposed to be hunting something... but, we were the ones being hunted... This Seven Member person said I needed to take it with me... please, I can't lose it too..." She pleaded with a desperation, akin to a child wanting to avoid disappointing their parent. She started to shiver, not from the cold, but of an uncontrollable sense of fear.

Several feet away, the wakizashi ley in the soft snow, what little light shone glinted off the golden tsuba.

((Mentions: Ploegy ))

 

[wigi]

​

Its been around two hours , ryuji was sitting in a taxi on his way to the mission . his gear was sittig in a big bag next to him and he hoped the driver wouldnt notice.
ryuji couldnt help to himself , whats up with this mission , demons taking people from a resort , but it doesnt seem like usual , he had a weird gut feeling . something had to be wrong.
ryuji finally arrived to his destination thanking the driver before getting off and grabbing his bag. "watch out there kid , a lot of people keep getting lost in there" the taxi driver advices.
ryuji thanks the man before stepping away from the taxi , he grabs his device , a circular screen with a hologram being send from it.
he reads information about this resort and think it might be more than just a mission , maybe he can get a bit of a break here too.
after a few hours of travel and using his explosion breathing to make a path in the snow he finally arrives to the resort , "finally , thank god , its so cold in here" he says to himself , he passes the place where the cars are parked and finally gets to the door , as he opens it warmth washes over him almost feeling like the snow that was on him was instantly melted of.
as he steps in he feels comfortable , this place gives him an amazing feeling , it looks so classy , the colors are so comforting , finally , a place that looks safe. the last few weeks have been all over the place and this , this was just perfect.
he takes a few steps before noticing someone , "wait a minute" he quickly steps up to the man tapping him on the shoulder. "mr xiang" he whispers quietly.
Nothingness

 

[Wxnter]

Valerie Knight

CS Link

TAGS:

Horror Kovacs Nothingness

LOCATION:

Komagatake Onsen Resort, Cafe

INTERACTIONS:

Fang, Heath, Xiang

December 21, 2054

The night had fallen upon them quietly, the car a blur of metal as it drove up the mountain road. It was the calm before the storm. Dark clouds hung over them like malevolent angels, and the cold winter winds filled the tangled woods beyond them with foreboding rustles. Every muscle in her body tensed; she couldn’t shake the feeling that they were walking into a lion’s lair. The instinct for survival was innate, and it told her to run.

When the long and arduous journey was finally over, Valerie allowed herself a moment of respite. Fang went ahead at her behest, taking the young boy with him, and Valerie stayed behind for a short cigarette break. It was a craving she'd been wanting to satiate during the long ride to the mountains, but the fulfillment of that desire was met with an obstacle. A child, whom Heath had rescued two weeks prior and had decided to bring along at a moment's notice.

Valerie lit a cigarette and placed it between her lips, before looking over at Heath with a countenance as cold as ice. “So, which of your three brain cells convinced you it was a good idea to bring that kid along? We’re here on a dangerous mission, not to play house.” Valerie rolled her eyes with frustration. She looked up at the sky and blew a cloud of smoke into the chilly night air, watching moonlight peak through dreary clouds.

A blizzard was on its way, its timing most unfavorable, but Valerie refused to postpone their trip. Not even the raging storms could stop her once she had her mind set on something. She always moved forward with purpose, and this time her purpose was finding Viktor. It had already been six months too long, and every day that passed not knowing whether he was dead or alive was agony.

Valerie released a sigh of apprehension, dropping the half-finished cigarette onto the icy pavement and crushing it under her leather boot. She walked around the car to unload all their luggage, and among them was a black suitcase much too large for a weekend trip. All their weapons were stowed away inside, along with all the proper gear they needed for skiing, the latter being mostly just for show. “Be a gentleman and carry all of this for me, will you?" She made a nodding gesture toward the bags. "I'm a woman, I have weak arms.” Sarcasm rolled off her tongue as she walked away without waiting for Heath's protest.

From a distance, she could hear music playing from one of the many establishments lined up along the resort. The oriental buildings were decorated with colorful flowers and warm lights, adding to the overall charm of the quaint little town. It was the perfect holiday destination for families and lovers looking for a charming escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, but alas, she came here with a foul-mouthed demon, a teenage employee, and a child who instinctively broke into tears every time she got too close to him. It was as unfortunate as it was comical, and she had to stifle a laugh.

As soon as Valerie entered through the hotel doors, a blanket of warmth enveloped her, shielding her from the harsh winter winds. She spotted Fang at the corner of the lobby, staring at the floor with a dark cloud hanging over his head, and she walked over to him. “Did the floor commit a crime against you? Stop glaring at it and come.” She beckoned him to follow her to the reception desk, where a woman greeted them with a warm smile that quickly faded upon seeing him. Valerie noticed it but thought nothing of it.

“VIP suite. Valerie Knight,” she said curtly, placing her ID on the marbled desk. The receptionist cast nervous glances between Fang and Valerie, before checking the systems and confirming their paid reservation. The young woman remained quiet and strangely avoided meeting her gaze as she prepared the keys to their suite.

There was an awkward tension in the air between the receptionist and Valerie’s respected employee, and she could only guess what had taken place between them before her arrival. Discrimination happened in places like this one all the time, and she had already witnessed her fair share over the years. Valerie furrowed her eyebrows, not making an effort to mask her irritation. "Hurry up."

“Y-Yes, I'm sorry.” The woman moved swiftly, dropping the keys in her state of panic. She hurriedly picked them up and forced a smile as she handed over three card keys. “Here you go. We hope you enjoy your stay with us,” the receptionist said in her best customer service voice, which only made the scowl on Valerie's face deepen.

Valerie swiped the keys from her hand impatiently. She flashed the receptionist a look of contempt, before turning to both men and handing them their own keys. She gave them a small warning — “Don’t lose it. I won’t be opening the door for anyone.” — “Nope, not even the child.” — and the group headed straight for the elevators.

Valerie glanced down at the room number printed on the card: 15th floor - Room 10. When she looked back up to press the elevator button, her gaze met a familiar face outside, and her eyes widened with surprise and recognition. It was Xiang. Their eyes met briefly before the elevator doors shut close, and Valerie was left stunned.

As fate would have it, the two crossed paths again, hours away from the city, where the chances of running into each other were very slim. Valerie was surprised, but soon that surprise turned into curiosity. She wondered what he was doing here all by himself. It would be a lie to say that seeing him did not bring up any tender feelings and sentiments.

The sight of him brought back fond memories of her days at the Corps, when the world felt smaller and life a little easier. But as much as a small part of her yearned to reconnect with her childhood friend, he no longer remembered her. His human memories were now ashes in the wind, and such sentiments were pointless now. Would things be the same with Viktor? Would Valerie just be another face in a crowd full of strangers? Before she could answer, the elevator dinged, pulling her away from her thoughts.

* * *
​

The large suite was complete with amenities — a small kitchen, a bar, a spacious living room, and two bedrooms — but what really caught Valerie’s eye was the picturesque view from their hotel window. It was still dark out, and she couldn't see the full grandeur of the snowy mountains yet, but they had the best view of the central town square, where people gathered for events and festivities.

From a distance, she could also see the ski slope and cable cars, and much further away was a small, old-fashioned village shrouded in darkness. Her eyes narrowed, and she took note of it as a point of interest in their investigation.

Suddenly, a feeling of unease overcame her. Valerie took a deep breath, her heart pounding loudly inside her chest. A bad premonition gnawed at her gut, and it was hard to ignore. She felt like she was being watched from somewhere by a sinister pair of eyes concealed in the shadows, and a shiver ran down her spine. She yanked the curtains shut and walked away from the window, dismissing it as her nerves. She was one step closer to finding Viktor, and she could feel it in her bones. Nothing was going to stop her now.

Placing a hand on her hip, Valerie began to address the other two. "The master bedroom's mine. You three can share the other room, it has two beds." She glanced down at the little boy who still held onto Fang's hand with a child-like curiosity in his eyes. "Play nice, don't subject this kid to another bloody scene," she added, before walking to the door and leaving them without another word.

Valerie made it back down to the lobby, where she caught sight of Xiang looking around. He seemed to be searching for something or someone, a hint of worry etched on his face. She made a move to approach him, but another familiar figure beat her to it, causing her to halt in her steps. It was another slayer whom she recognized from two weeks ago at the arena. If Xiang was here with someone from the Corps, then it could only mean that he was also here to investigate. This didn't bode well for Valerie. She watched them for a while, then retreated silently.

She walked around the resort, a solemn expression on her face. There were plenty of thoughts that plagued her mind as of late — her father’s declining health, new business ventures, finding Viktor, meeting Xiang whom she thought was dead until weeks ago — and she needed time to think to herself. Valerie considered going back to her hotel room, but she realized she wouldn’t get a minute of silence there, so she continued to walk around without a destination in mind. Just the act of walking helped to clear her head, and it took away some of her agitations.

Soon she found herself standing in front of a cafe, the scent of coffee beckoning her to come inside. After a moment’s hesitation, she opened the doors and made her way to the front, where a young barista greeted her and took her order of one espresso. “May I have your name?” he asked, a pen in his hand.

“Valerie,” she answered.

 

[Nothingness]

想找恶魔

Xiang Zhao

location

Komagatake Onsen Resort

tags

wigi Wxnter

As far as the eye could see, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, while heading down the large open spaced lobby through the massive halls that had gift shops, arcades, and other pleasantries littering both the left and right sides of the walls, Xiang had decided that his attire was surely going to be getting some unwanted attention eventually considering everyone else appeared to had been dressed in some sort of either comfortable winter clothing, skiing gear or the staff all wearing the similar black, brown and white uniforms. If he was going to go in search of any details regarding the disappearances of the guests and possibly find information on his boss' whereabouts, the best he could do at the time was at least try to blend in with the crowd.
Approaching a small clothing stand that had a variety of tourism winter clothing that most if not all adorned the name brand of the resort somewhere on it. Xiang bared witness to the different clothing with a tad bit of concern and questioning manner as to imagine himself wearing something so cheerful and bright. Lowering and finally dropping the long wooden suitcase to the marbled flooring, he'd remove one of the hanging white hoodies while raising one of the sleeves to just examine the size and fluffiness of the clothing. Truly, it felt embarrassing to think he would wear such a thing.

As he turned towards one of the long rectangular standing mirrors, the reflection of the opposite side of the clothing stand just so happened to had been the elevator. As the golden doors came to a shut, for a split of a second, his own dark brown hues made eye contact with a familiar face. Within that single moment, his own eyes had widened as flashes of blades clashing, joyous laughter and moments of the past ran through his mind. Nearly taken back, Xiang shook his head from the sudden rush of blurs and incoherent sounds caused yet another splitting migraine to creep its way back. Quickly darting his gaze away from the mirror, he hunched over in a low panting breath only to have the sales associate approach him when noticing Xiang had been in a seemingly pained state.
"Sir...Sir? Are you okay?" The young masculine voice spoke up only to have Xiang slowly raise his head back up only to find what appeared to had been a teenage boy who was no doubt working part-time to get some money. Nodding his head in response to the male's concern, Xiang lifted the hanger that still held the white hooded sweater with one hand while pointing towards a pair of grey sweatpants folded neatly on one of shelves beside the duo. "How much for these two?..."

While the teenager clearly doubted the fact that his customer was truly 'alright', he knew not to question the man and simply took a gander at the two pieces of clothing before retrieving a calculator from his back pocket. Inputting the prices of the two pieces of clothing and adding them together, he returned to Xiang's question by holding up the device. "$47.75, sir. Plus tax." As the young male stated, Xiang had once more taken out his wallet before handing the associate his credit card to be swiped before finally being given the sweatpants and sweater neatly tucked away into a plastic bag that had the resort's name and logo printed on it. With the two sharing a polite bow, Xiang took his leave from the clothing stand with his new purchased clothing and his suitcase once more.
Now, until he found some kind of lead on his investigation, there wouldn't be any need to change just yet. So, while he continued on his way through the halls and gaze shifted upon the populace around him, his search was quickly interrupted when a tap upon his shoulder from behind caused him to halt. Turning his head over his shoulder, his gaze was soon met with that of yet another familiar.

"Hm? Ryuji?" Questioning in a curious manner, Xiang soon turned to completely face the young male demon slayer that he had met previously at the World Tournament, two weeks ago. "What're you doing here, kid?" Questioning the male, Xiang eyed the male's clothing from head to toe, unless he came with some luggage that he stowed away somewhere, the fact that the male was dressed in the same attire that he remembered meeting him in was almost humorous to a degree. Demons weren't exactly too concerned when it came to the cold even if it did affect them to a small degree, but humans were much more fragile to the harshness of the weather. "You should get some more clothes. That's not going to do much for you here.." As he spoke, he motioned up and down along Ryuji's outfit by using his index finger.

code by @Nano

 

[Kovacs]

Heath Di'Sabatino

The Bare-Boned Demon

theme

Location

Komagatake Onsen Resort

tags

Valerie Knight

Wxnter

Fang Guiyang

Horror

Heath was on his last three sticks of gum. Unwrapped from their aluminum prisons halfway through the trip and bundled into one candy-floss flavored wad in his mouth, they were an echo of old human habits and his last vestiges of entertainment in the face of the limo's endlessly turning wheels.
Chew, bubble and pop, chew, bubble and pop. For a while there, his chew, bubble and pop ultimately etched a permanent, murderous wrinkle into Valerie's face. But by nightfall, as the clouds drew their storm-wracked curtains over the skies and a little staring contest stretched on between them both, she had decided to finally follow Fang's lead and accept her fate---and it as background noise.
As for the little imp, it fell victim to the lull of the smooth ride early on. Fast asleep in an ivory-bone carrier, outfitted with only the best a gas station bumfuck in the middle of nowhere and a stingy, foul-tempered scold of a businesswoman and Hashira's daughter would want to afford. She certainly couldn't afford patience while it was awake; so as the ride went on, sneaking suspicion turned to no doubt in the demon's mind about it---she definitely drugged the toddler.

Of course, it was only a theory. Heath had no real way to verify it, and it wasn't like Enzo could tell him. After two weeks, it was safe to say the imp was a mute. Care could be spared for the reason why, but the demon found little reason to. Thanks to the power of his mama's bones still coursing through his veins and his newly-enlightened sense of responsibility, the kid was alive and well... well. So what if he couldn't sing along to road trip tunes?

Feeling the car roll to a slow stop, Heath opened an eye. He had long ago draped himself across the corner seat, head slanted against the tinted glass. Clad in dime store denim and plain dress shirt as a consequence of Valerie's generous nature, one knee was raised, supporting an arm and hand that preoccupied itself in picking the teeth of his demonic jaw with a toothpick made of bone.

The limo was now parked in front of an enormous shadow; the front entrance of the Komagatake Onsen Resort. It had already swallowed and taken in their pizza boy, who had left the carrier behind in favor of guiding the toddler by hand. With a soft click, the door on his end swung open and out the demon came, a litany of cracks echoing from his spine and neck as he relished the nightly breeze. "Oh, about fucking time... smell that mountain air!"

On the other end, smoke trailed gently from the butt of Valerie's long-awaited cigarette. Clearly, one demon's infectious enthusiasm was another slayer's reason to catch and strangle it. Heath shot her a frostbitten look of his own as he walked across to her side. "Orphan," he replied, giving his demonized jaw one last pick before flicking the toothpick aside. "We're bringing that orphan kid along. Least 'til my Hashira mentor finds out more and says otherwise. Old crone is bound to send another Kasugai crow in the next few days. The last one was delicious."

Or at least it would have been, if not for the fuss made by those two. Something about the Corps' seed of a budget, or the time and effort it takes to train them, and not to mention drawing the unnecessary and unlikely attention of animal rights groups. Either way, Heath could only count on the sarcasm to bite for him now, hard enough for Valerie's cigarette to fall and be crushed under her boot. Out of the wound of frustration came her own counter, gentleman, weak arms and all. It dripped with derision too, and followed her every step away from the demon and the gum still rent between his teeth. With a spit to the ground, Heath turned towards the trunk, an ironical glint in the eye as he resisted the urge to roll them.

"Oh, you're a doll alright," he murmured cagily, "All legs and no heart."

❂​

Their luggage was not carried, but in fact rolled into their eagle's nest of a suite. Their view was positively exhilarating; as he steadily began to unload the mountain of baggage off the bellman cart, Heath could already feel the intrusive thoughts crowding in. Like an irate mother hen trying to smooth her ruffled feathers, Valerie left all three of them for the coffee place downstairs. Or at least, that was Heath's guess---there was also a bar somewhere. The scent of roasted beans tickled his memory as much as it did his demonic sense of smell; the one he called mother loved to brew one every morning before work. It was still a pleasant aroma, even though as a demon now, he knew he could never stomach it. Once the door closed, Heath turned to Fang and the little mite, whose face lit up once the demon turned his attentions onto it.

"Hey, hey," Heath bent down, pinching a cheek perhaps a bit too hard, "You sleepy, small fry? No? Good, then get on over here."

Heath grabbed the boy by the other arm and lifted with ease, dangling him like a worm on a hook onto the now-empty bellman cart. The demon turned back round, one hand on the brass ready to push.

"You too, Baby-Tooth," he said with a grin, patting the cheap, red velvet bottom, "let's go visit that receptionist broad again, hm? The sights won't see themselves."

CODE BY SEROBLISS / VALOROUS ORDER

 

[wigi]

​

Ryuji was surprised by the calmer Xiang. Last time he saw him he told him to hold on to his jacket or he’s gonna kill him . Well at least he’s safe now. Ryuji sighed before answering Xiang “ well , to be truthful , i didn't really have time , i instantly went to one of the demon slayer mansions to get healed “
Ryuji holds out his hand showing the burn mark “yeah , i kinda got a good number of broken bones from the tournament” .
he looks at his kimono before looking back at Xiang and seeing his style of clothing “ i also have no sense of style , i have three of this kimono…also cold isn't really a problem with all the explosions”.
Ryuji opens his bag and pulls out a bit of money “maybe i can get something”.
the demon slayer quickly remembers his goal and why he’s here and then speaks “by the way , did you collect any info , about , you know… “ Ryuji made sure not to speak too loudly .
as he waited for a response from xiang he walked over to the shop and held out a dark red sweater and a heavy black coat “d’you think these will look good , maybe a scarf too”

Nothingness

 

[Ploegy]

Demon Slayer

Yume Shimizu

Location: Town near Komagatake Onsen Resort
Tags: NamelessTrax

The other didn't seem to take notice of her at first. Perhaps that was a good thing, or maybe it was merely a trick of her own mind coaxing her into a false sense of security. While Yume wasn't sure, she knew she couldn't take things like this lightly. Demons had caused too much damage lately for her to take any of them lightly, even the ones that had helped back at the tournament. It was still difficult for her to wrap her head around all that to begin with, yet it had happened. Eventually she'd need to come to terms with it. Now wasn't that time though.

Keeping her eyes glued to the young demon before her, Yume watched as her presence was finally realized. Seeing the girl stare back, her own gaze didn't dare soften, even as clear signs of discomfort made itself present on Ally's features. Deep down, the slayer knew she should soften her stance, but maybe that was just the innocent girl inside her; the one that believed not to immediately pass judgment. She couldn't trust that side of herself. Not now.

The words Ally spoke broke both the silence that hung in the air and Yume's own train of thought. Finding herself coming back to reality, the lavender haired girl allowed the demon's question to settle in her mind. She was searching for a blade. Yume's body immediately tensed as her brain comprehended what such a thing could mean. She didn't care that the tone in which this girl spoke in was hardly threatening, or that her eyes gave off a sense of fear. For all she knew, all of this was a the demon's attempt at bringing her into a false since of security before attacking. Was that what had happened to whoever the pool of crimson belonged to? Yume could only assume as much.

Pursing her lips, the slayer's gaze momentarily left Ally and quietly scanned the immediate area around them, knowing she had to locate the wakizashi before this girl did. It would be one less threat off the table if she did. As the other girl rambled on with a description of the blade itself, Yume was prepared to tune her out (or as much as she could given her excellent hearing), but when Ally spoke of having a master, the teen froze.

The way she spoke made it sound almost as if her so called "master" wasn't another demon. While it was little context for her to go off of, it almost felt as if this demon might have been training under a slayer. What other reason would a being like her have for carrying a sword around? Besides, the part of hunting almost confirmed such a thought. It was strange to think a demon would remember such things though.

A sigh finally escaped her lips as her features soften, albeit only a little bit. "I'm not here to take anything from you," she finally breathed out. Her words may have hinted at mercy, but her tone betrayed them. Toxicity lined her voice, making it clear she had no intentions of being a complete pushover. "I should be taking your life right here and be on my way given you're a demon, and one that has clearly killed people..." Pausing, Yume's eyes locked onto Ally once again and narrowed before she continued on. "But given your words... I won't rush to such a rash decision."

Pulling her gaze off the girl again, Yume finally moved from her place as the glint of what she presumed was the wakazashi caught the corner of her vision. Moving with swiftness, the teen swiped the sword up and turned towards the other girl once more, holding the blade out in front of her.

"This is what you're looking for, I presume..." Unsheathing the blade, Yume's eyes quietly studied it. It was exactly what she had thought it to be; a nichirin sword, the same kind she and all other slayers used to combat demons. How unsettling. Her brows flatten as realization began to settle upon her, and yet again a sigh managed to escape from her lips. "I can't just hand this blade back to you, but... I will offer a deal with you."

A deal with a devil. What levels was she even daring to stoop to? It disgusted her to even think about, yet in the moment it felt right. "This sword tells me that you were once a demon slayer, or at the very least were trained by one... As a slayer myself, I should not be stooping so low as to make a deal, but even though your a demon now, we could end up benefitting each other somehow." It pained her to even say such words. What could a demon do for her? Well, actually, a demon could likely do a lot for her hunt, though it was hard to trust one. There was no telling when they'd turn and backstab an ally after all. Still, it was the least she could do for this girl. As much as she wanted to not care and end it all then and there, she couldn't bring herself to it.

"The deal I propose is: I will give you this sword back, but in exchange for sparing your life, I need you to learn to control your urges of attacking people so you can help me deal with some demons," Yume proposed as she took a step closer to Ally. "But if you fail, then I will strike you down, then and there." Her face immediately shifted to a look of complete seriousness. "Do we have a deal?"

Code By Nano

 

[NamelessTrax]

Staring up at this girl, Ally's expression was seemingly blank, like her brain was still processing the other girls' words. Nodding her head around in probable compliance, before she rushed over to a nearby trash can, heaving involuntarily. The thought of having consumed a person was like a kick in the gut, even worse was the fact that her taste buds now had no issue with that fact. Turning from the trash can, still using it to keep a balance upright, Ally's expression changed. Still one of confusion, but also a growing clarity, things began to make sense. She is a demon now, the meaning of it familiar. Fragmented memories flashed away in her mind, far from a full recap of her life to now but was enough to piece together her current situation. She became aware of the snow now, though the cold did not bother her. Her senses finally being allowed to draw in her surroundings, the air had an indescribable feeling to it. She had to give thanks to this girl, giving her clues she was otherwise too preoccupied to consider. Her personality was starting to come back to her, albeit little by little. Suddenly she felt a slight swish behind her and glancing back at the bushy red foxtail, connected to her lower back. Her attention span seemed to short, as she took her tail and started messing with it curiously, then feeling the tips of her new foxlike ears.

Pausing, she noticed this might look a little strange, as the other girl was staring at her with the same serious look. Clearing her throat, and straightening up proper, Ally recalled the explanation and deal that had been presented. "Um... yes, I just, I may like some time, later maybe, to sort my thoughts... as you surmise, I believe I was being trained as a Slayer, though it seems... My Master could not account for the Demon we were supposed to hunt. The one that... turned me, more questions for another time." Ally's ears seemed to lower in submittance, moving her hands in front of her, twitting her thumbs together. "I wasn't full a slayer, I don't think, so even if I am a demon now... I still want to live. I'm new to this demon lifestyle I have to exist with now, so all I can do is my best. I-if I do break this promise..." Ally could now see the other girl for all she was. She could ask for a peaceful death, but she could see it would happen on Her terms. Ally approached carefully, still slightly withdrawn, seeing as how her entire body now operated at an entirely different level than what she was used to. Holding a hand towards the other girl gently, Ally managed a soft and sincere smile, "My name is Ally Valentine, and... I accept the deal." She spoke sincerely, but there was a hesitation to her voice, like fear still gripped her heart. Fear of the Demon that turned her and killed her Master, Fear of this Slayer cutting her down here and now. Fear... that she wouldn't be able to keep her end of the deal. Life, however dark it seemed now, Ally still desired the warmth of Life.

((interactions: Ploegy ))

 

[Horror]

CODE BY SEROBLISS

FANG GUIYING

KINOTO

To see the marvels of a stiff and expensive mountain retreat—it was not the future Fang envisioned. His countenance was one of suspicion, of apprehension, but also of excitement, a childlike joy was hidden in the faint upward craning of his brow. Fang took a step forward and reached out his arm, his fingertips grazing the glossy surface of the brochure that lay atop a counter. Curiosity forcing him to pick it up, he gingerly plucked it from its resting place and opened it, examining the contents with keen interest. The glossy images depicted a variety of activities for visitors to enjoy. An outdoor pool, a spa, a fully-stocked bar, and a gourmet restaurant. His anticipation was palpable; his eyebrows rose in inquisitive wonderment and his lips parted ever so slightly.

“Alright, bonehead. But don’t forget why we’re here.” His eyes turned to the demon and the glimmer within them dimmed. It was an expression that read, ‘be on your guard.’ With that parting glance, he sprung open the door with his full heft and began trudging outward. A guiding hand grasped one of the arms of the luggage cart as he aided in directing the metallic body through the tight doorway.

It was clear that the designers had put a lot of thought and care into this place, and it was easy to see why it was so popular. He was greeted with a lush, vibrant atmosphere, with warm, inviting lighting and artfully placed plants that thrived in the environment. As he turned his head to take in more of the atmosphere, he heard footsteps beat against the floor from somewhere unseen. Another group was approaching them, from a veiled corner of the hall. Fang felt a strange sense of unease as the group of staff approached, a tremor of apprehension that coiled within his stomach. Instinctively, he reached out and rested his arm protectively around Enzo.

They moved in almost eerie synchronization, like a choreographed dance. The men took no notice of Fang or Heath as they made their way through the hall. They carried a large, heavy suitcase between them as they stepped through the hallway. Whatever was inside, it pressed the wheels stiffly against the floor from the weight of it. There was an air of danger around them, and Fang couldn't help but feel a sense of alarm as he watched them disappear around the corner.

Strange. He did not like strange, especially not in the current context. But with Enzo around, he could not risk pursuing the group any further. He released his breath and continued his path toward the elevator. The soft hum of whirring metal greeted him on his arrival and he grazed his thumb against the cool steel button to call it to their floor.

Fang's joyous countenance began to melt away as his foot drummed a steady beat against the floor. The motion was almost instinctive, an unconscious action meant to soothe the frayed edges of his anxiety. His brow furrowed and his lips curled downward in a frown, his gaze distant as he attempted to fill the silence with the sound of his tapping. With each passing second, the rhythm of his feet grew faster, as if he were trying to outrun the agitation that had begun to creep up his spine. He was filled with a sense of unease, and with no outlet for the energy that coursed through his veins, his foot continued to beat against the floor.

“What sights are you even planning on seeing, Bonehead? Think they’ll polish your jaw at the spa?” He asked, a hint of playfulness in his voice. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and he felt the tension in his shoulders begin to ease. The hum of the elevator's motor grew louder, then suddenly stopped. The doors slid open and Fang was met with the sight of a polished interior, the walls lined with mirrors and the floor tiled with an intricate, almost regal design. Without pause, he slung his body forward through the parted doors. He was so excited to move forward, that he had not noticed the man who already skulked within.

A dull thud resounded within the metal confines of the elevator from the clashing of shoulders. Fang was pushed back a half-foot from the force of it and he felt a slight sting at the point of impact. It took him a second to register what had happened, but it felt more like he hit a wall and not a person. When Fang turned his head he met the glare of eyes a color that could only be described as a smoldering red. They were starkly contrasting with his jet-black hair that hung in waves around his face.

“Sorry,” Fang mumbled, his words barely audible over the hum of the elevator. He fidgeted uncomfortably, feeling like a child standing in the presence of an elder. He bowed his head and averted his gaze, not wanting to meet the man's eyes a second time. He cleared his throat and tried again. “I didn’t mean to bump into you. I didn’t see you there.” He tried to smile, but it felt forced on his lips. Fang stepped into the elevator and moved to the back, making space for Heath and Enzo to enter.

Mentions: Kovacs leviohsa

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Komagatake Onsen Resort, Mt. Komagatake

Code by Serobliss

•

Markus Graymane

•

Hashira of Winter

•

Male

•

23

•

CS

Markus

Markus entered the cafe, taking in the bitter fragrance of coffee mixed with the sweet scents of pastries fresh out of the oven. People sat around wooden tables, talking amicably with each other, or reading a book while occasionally glancing at the wide windows that open out to the snowy landscape darkened by the coming blizzard. The oaken bar was a flurry of activity, with baristas taking orders and crafting drinks over the espresso machine with chaotic precision, while the glass display next to it showed an array of colorful tarts and cakes. Even with the ever-present shadow of demons looming over it all, he felt at home.

He stepped up to the counter, his usual order coming off his mouth as naturally as breathing. “I’d like a latte, half-and-half, with two pumps of hazelnut syrup and a couple shakes of cinnamon.”

The barista, with tired eyes and a raised brow, simply smiled and nodded. Markus’ order was nowhere near the menu of the cafe, but they somehow made it work. While they were putting the drink together, Markus decided it was a good time for recon. "Glad to see that the resort is as bustling as ever, even with all the unsettling news surrounding it."

"Yeah, I don't really understand, but I guess rich people like spending money and going on thrills. Figured this is the best time to experience a live horror movie."

"So you say, but at least the staff seem determined to stay and work regardless."

"Not all of us," the barista glanced furtively to the sides, checking to see if anybody else was close by. "Between you and me, I'm just finishing my required hours here for culinary school. As soon as I'm done I'm booking it on the next train to Narita. I'm not about to get abducted by a bunch of crazed cultists for their crazy rituals."

Markus raised an eyebrow at that. "Cultists?"

The barista shrugged. "I mean, that's the prevailing theory amongst the staff. Personally, I think the entire thing is bull, but I've watched enough Netflix documentaries to know better than to risk it."

Markus nodded, but decided to prod a little more. "I hear some people say that monsters are to blame, creatures with a taste for human flesh. Kind of like that one game with that famous actress."

"Oh yeah, I know that one. She's hot, not gonna lie. But I don't think so. No such thing as flesh-eating monsters."

'Oh, if only you knew,' Markus thought with a slight shake of the head that went unnoticed.

Soon enough his drink arrived in a steaming mug, complete with the flecks of cinnamon sprinkled over a graceful swan drawn with steamed milk on the lovely canvas of dark espresso. "Thanks for the drink. Apologies for the strange order."

"No worries. I get stranger requests than yours," the barista's expression turned somber. "Stay safe out there. If I were you, I'd cut my trip short and head home as soon as I can."

"I appreciate your concern. I still have some things to do here before I can leave, but I hope to be done with them soon. You stay safe, as well."

And with that he turned around and walked back to his table. What the barista said gave him plenty to think about. But he didn't get more than three steps when he heard it again.

Valerie.

Memories struggled to break through the haze of years past, but one thing was for sure– he knew this person. He twisted to look at her, and with the sudden movement made the precariously filled mug to spill just a bit, the scalding liquid falling on Markus' hand. White-hot pain jerked his entire arm, the mug flying from his grip and towards the woman from his memories.

Interactions: Winter with the weird font

 

[leviohsa]

» ikari keiji

『 TAGGED 』 Kovacs Horror

The elevator ride to Keiji’s room was anything but quiet. It was an oddly comforting lull of sounds: the mingling of distant laughter and scattered footsteps from passing floors, the humming of the elevator ascending further up in the building, and the whispers of idle chatter in the elevator from guests that had joined him on the journey. For a younger demon, it would be a bit overbearing and certainly overstimulating, but Keiji has had over half a century to get used to the noise.

“Sir, why are your eyes red?”

A blunt question asked by a child who could not have been older than the age of eight. Honestly, Keiji nearly forgot she or any other humans were in the elevator until the child spoke up, unabashedly louder than the polite murmur that overtook the elevator’s quiet music. The much older man glanced down at the girl, a brow arched in curiosity. The child was clad in an excessive amount of outerwear, a gloved hand holding onto her mother’s hand while the other was pointing up at Keiji’s face. The demon didn’t mind the question, but it seemed that her mother thought he did. Once he met eyes with the woman, he could tell that she was absolutely mortified.

“Haru! What have I told you about manners? Apologize, now.” Haru’s mother sounded exasperated, likely from a long day at the slopes. Thankfully for the frail pair, Keiji did not mind the young one’s curiosity. In fact, he often encouraged young people to keep asking questions. So, all the demon could do was laugh, his deep chuckle filling up the small space as he began to speak, looking back down to the girl named Haru,

“Ah, it is quite alright, dear.” Without missing a beat, said red eyes looked back down at the young girl named Haru. “They are a rare genetic mutation that has been passed down through my ancestors for many generations.” A lie. A poor one, at that. “It is never wrong to ask questions, but.. Maybe start with a 'hello' first?” He smirked, his voice remaining polite along with his posture. If one were observant enough they may have found it a bit odd that the man had not shifted his weight once throughout the entire elevator ride. He looked almost like a mannequin until the child spoke to him so boldly.

In response, Haru simply frowned, keeping her wide brown eyes on him and blatantly ignoring her mother. “You’re weird.” Keiji didn’t know if it was because of her mother’s reddening face of shame, or simply the shock of it all, but it only made the demon laugh even louder as the elevator doors finally opened. Children, despite knowing nothing about demons, have always been privy to their darker nature. To see it confirmed every now and then made the old man chuckle. As the pair walked out, Keiji spoke up from within the elevator,

“Your child has quite the keen eye. Have a safe trip!” Before either the child or her mother could respond, the elevator doors had closed, leaving him alone once more. The demon let out a small sigh, realizing that it was only him now that resided in the elevator. Actually, he had been in there for quite a while, considering he needed to get to the fourth floor-

Damn it.

He should have known. That conversation lasted much longer than anticipated. Thanks to the curious child, he managed to miss his destination by eleven floors. Keiji deftly shifted his grip on his duffel bags so that his left hand held both, while his right reached down to push the glass button labeled as “4”. He rolled his eyes as he stood up straight again, mostly shocked that he really let himself get so caught up in human affairs. Keiji did notice, however, that this elevator was exceptionally fast. Not to mention that the ride up the building was so smooth that it felt like he was simply standing on solid ground. He took a side-step so that he now stood in the center of the elevator. Looking up, he let his eyes wander, until his drifting eyes came back down to a halt in front of him. Staring straight at the reflective doors, deep red eyes stared back at him, looking the same as they did all those years ago.. At least, that’s what he assumes from what little he has of his human life..

Like clockwork, the doors opened again, this time at floor fourteen. When the doors opened, Keiji was met with a rather rag-tag looking group of boys. The older gentleman watched the group as they walked in, attempting to take a step to the side until-

‘THMP!’

Their shoulders collided. Keiji barely felt it, but the human boy was clearly taken aback by the brunt force. What was before him now was a direct foil of what he encountered earlier. Instead of meeting his eyes again, he shied away with mumbled apologies. Keiji chuckled politely, holding his free hand up as a sign of peace, “Do not fret. I did not move out of the way fast enough for such an… animated bunch.” He replied, nodding towards the silent boy on the luggage cart, who seemed to be guarded by a rather familiar face. Ruby eyes looked the blue-haired demon up and down, still not being able to piece together the memories. “So, what’s the occasion?” His voice was low, and friendly enough. “You’ve got some stowaway luggage I see..” A mild attempt at a joke, that more than likely wouldn’t get much of a laugh out of any of the three beside him.

code by @Nano

 

[Ploegy]

Demon Slayer

Yume Shimizu

Location: Town near Komagatake Onsen Resort
Tags: NamelessTrax

To think her proposal would be so willingly accepted came as a bit of a surprise to Yume, yet she was glad it hadn't escalated into something worse. Even so, she couldn't believe the levels she was stooping to. Surely this went against some kind of code the Corps had, though she supposed all that had been thrown out the window during the previous attack. Most slayers involved had worked with a demon then whether it was directly or indirectly. Perhaps that was different though. It was out of necessity, while this, this was nothing but choice. Yume could easily do her job and put this girl out of her misery. It was what she would want if she had been turned, but then again, such a sentiment was likely not shared among all. Perhaps this was a sign that she didn't fully believe that like she thought she did. Either way, she had made her choice. She'd have to live with the consequences of such.

Internally sighing, the tension in her body let up and her shoulders relaxed as she sheathed the other girl's sword. "Good," she breathed out before holding the weapon out to the other. "You can call me Usagi." She still wondered if doing such a thing was a mistake, and if she was being played for a fool. If she was, well, she knew what she'd need to do. She wouldn't let this demon take her by surprise. If anything, she was hardly giving her own trust in the first place. It was hard to. If she did, she'd only be allowing her own weakness to come to the forefront. Yume knew better than that. Her experience in gaming ironically made her well versed in such things. While she could trust her teammates, she couldn't let them use that trust to their advantage. It was a strange mentality to take on, yet she did and it was what carried her to the position she was in the other half of her life.

Brushing those thoughts aside, Yume decided to focus on everything Ally had said before accepting her deal. It was understandable what she was asking. While she didn't know exactly what this other girl was going through, she knew what it was like to need time to think. It was exactly what she had done over the past few weeks. Admittedly, she hadn't coped with things all too well, but she could only move forward from it all. Hopefully the same could be said for this girl before her. It was the only way to escape the pain after all. It may take time to reach a point in which it was possible, but that too was part of the journey.

"I understand," she replied, her voice finally losing its harsh edge. "You can take time now to think it all over, maybe figure out how to get rid of those tails and ears..." Was it even possible for her to do such a thing? Yume hadn't thought that far ahead. If it wasn't then coming up with some lie as to why the other had them was necessary. Forming a believable lie would take effort which she hadn't been ready to give, yet here she was. She'd have to worry about it when the time came. "I have some business I need to take care of, so if you'd like time to yourself, I can go deal with that and come back for you later."

It was a horrible idea, and Yume knew it, yet she suggested it nonetheless. She wasn't sure if she wanted Ally knowing what she was after just yet anyways. While she did plan to have the demon help her in her pursuit of the demon she was searching for, now probably was not the time to throw her into such, especially given her emotional state. The last thing the slayer needed was the girl to break down while she was investigating the rumors that had been thrown her way. She was already wasting time right now by doing all this. Maybe it was a bad idea to even go forward as is.

Allowing a faint grimace to grace her features, the teen pondered her options. Could she afford to turn back and let this all wait? She really had thought none of this through. What a pain. Rubbing her temples, all Yume could do was accept the choices she had made and figure it all out as she went along. Getting lost in her own mind wasn't going to do her much good after all.

Code By Nano

 

[.wren]

» ko (子)
Location: Mt. Komagatake
Mentions: Anthem

Two weeks ago, Ko had made a bad decision. A series of bad decisions, actually. Curiosity kills the cat, they say, and that seems to reign true. Trying to play the hero only ended up in getting himself hurt. His words had been enough to provoke a demon who, amidst the chaos of the new threat in the center area, attacked him. On top of that, he faced attacks from the tree-like demon that had attempted to overtake the arena. He couldn’t fight back— that would be a death wish— rather, he had to try to survive by taking the defense. Between mitigating the damage caused by both attacks, he still lost a lot of blood. In the end, he was only able to get away by hurling himself out of the way from the angered demon’s attack and dangerously close to the tree demon’s. He was then able to push the former into the latter’s way, but not without being taken down with him. The ends of the branches that had impaled the angered demon broke through, managing to break some skin on Ko as well. The wound was shallow enough that he was able to push himself off of the branches, but deep enough that he was healing far too slowly on his own.

Then comes bad decision number two. He had to take care of his wounds somehow, and the most efficient option was quite unfavorable. He had to eat. Eating someone, or the remains of what was once a ‘someone’ was out of the question. In the end, he found himself hastily wandering down to some docks where there was one key building; a warehouse that was a front for the storage for black market goods. Ko discovered the place when he found himself unable to break into the local hospital, but still needed food. There was cold storage for many things, but what caught his eye the most was kidneys. Humans only needed one of their two kidneys to survive, that was something he remembered. Knowing that eased some of the guilt and sickening feelings that stemmed from the idea of eating a person, especially doing so to an unsuspecting victim. While searching for the kidneys, a guard that must have been slacking off earlier walked in. The lackey had a gun, and Ko wanted nothing to do with it considering how much blood he had already lost. With his hands up, he was going to pretend to leave, then continue in his hunt for kidneys and be on his merry way, but the guy on patrol had other plans. He fired a shot right to Ko’s shoulder, which immediately began to heal, though very slowly, almost like it wasn’t at all from afar, but enough that it just spit the bullet out and he let out a heavy sigh. Stunned, the wimpy guard stared at the demon in terror, just then taking notice of his asymmetrical horns, for what was only a few moments, and then began calling for backup. That was his cue to leave, and so he grabbed five differently labeled kidneys and made his leave before any form of backup would arrive and find him. Ko thought it’d actually be hilarious for them to find nothing there, and even if they tried to test his spilt blood for the sake of revenge, it wouldn’t belong to anyone that actually existed. He ate two of them on the way back (like a kidney popsicle, almost, though the idea was slightly revolting) and the other three were for safekeeping, considering he probably just got himself caught up in something unfavorable.

Next comes bad decision number three. Somewhere along the chain of events, Ko encountered another demon. Like him, he seemed to be more self-aware than others, for reasons unknown. Either way, somewhere even more lost in the details, Ko ended up striking a deal with the fellow. The other let him tag along (for whatever it was worth to him) and would teach him the art of breathing, which would certainly prove useful considering their new predicament. Yet again, somewhere throughout his misadventures, Ko found himself following his new mentor up a mountain. Their destination? A ski resort on Mount Komagatake. He didn't follow the news, but from what he had picked up from the word on the streets, after the incident at the arena, these serial disappearances on the mountain were causing quite a bit of stirring and unease throughout many. Of course, with that came the select few morons who thought it would be a good idea to travel to the mountain just for that sake and stir the pot even more. He knew that this new mentor of his would probably prefer to mind his own business and remain sulking for the rest of his days, but his morals would present a conflict, and yet that was the only reason he decided to play detective. Ko decided it would be best to follow him, especially given that he had been posing as more of a glorified babysitter than a student about 50% of the time already. Disguising his only slightly obnoxious horns on the way there would be tricky, not to mention bothersome, so he opted to make his way there himself and meet the other at the resort. Night was already falling, which meant that the guilty party would likely strike again soon. Marumachi Ryutan, his aforementioned mentor, was probably already there. Without wasting any time, Ko continued on his trek towards the mountain, which actually wasn't that far away by that point.

Finally, for the time being, comes bad decision number four. Ryu was quiet when undisturbed, even more so when he knew when to be serious and avoid drawing attention to himself, so Ko couldn’t use his hearing to find him. Rather, he decided to just wait around until the other would eventually come into sight. A little scare wouldn't hurt anyone, so he figured it would be funny to ‘hang around’ (as in quite literally hang by his legs from a tree) until the other came into sight, which wasn’t too long, thankfully. Once Ryu was in close distance, he let his lower body hang down, bringing him to about eye level with him.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself for someone who didn’t want to come play detective.” he teased, still hanging upside down from the tree.

 

[Nothingness]

想找恶魔

Xiang Zhao

location

Komagatake Onsen Resort | Hot Springs

tags

wigi Wxnter YumenoTsukishiro

As Ryuji had explained that he had returned to the Demon Slayer's headquarters for treatment of his wounds as well as showing him the burn marks from the events that had happened two weeks earlier, Xiang kept silent only to stare at the younger male with a raised brow. Last time he checked, he did not ask the Slayer how he was or what he did after the first time they had met at the tournament, the question had been what he was doing here. Paying little mind to whatever the male had done up till this point, when Ryuji had spoken about 'style' and the wardrobe of clothing he had consisted mainly of the kimonos he was already wearing, Xiang could only shake his head with a low sigh leaving his lips in response. Lifting his hand that he had been holding the bag of clothes he had just purchased just to point towards the clothing stand where he got the new clothes from, Xiang motioned Ryuji to head over to the stand and get himself set up with something warmer for the sort of weather they were going to dealing with. "Just get something that keeps you warm. It does not makes you look 'good' or not." Why was the slayer even asking for opinions from him, for all he knew, they were technically enemies to a point, if Ryuji knew that Xiang had been a demon after their first encounter, surely he should've or at least would've been more cautious; wait, did he know that Xiang was a demon.

Purposely ignoring the question regarding the situation that Xiang had headed to the resort in the first place to deal with, he wasn't about to share information let alone openly confirming with Ryuji that was actually even the reason for him being here in the first place. "Have fun kid. Don't get lost." With a wave of his arm over his head while Ryuji had been shopping for new clothes, Xiang once again continued on his way down the decorated halls of the resort.
His exploration of the interior went on for several minutes as he eventually came to end up passing by a small cafe, there had been small circular tables outside of the cafe for guests to sit and enjoy their meals and drinks while a growing line of customers lined up from the entrance all the way up towards the cashier counter was a clear sign that the business had a good reputation. As the scent of roasted coffee beans, freshly brewed tea leaves and the sweet scent of baked goods coming out from the ovens filled his nostrils, Xiang had been tempted to get in line and purchase something for him to snack upon while he walked. However, his decision was quickly changed when the sudden sight of what appeared to had been a foreigner had practically spilled his drink upon his own hand before the mug itself had gone flying towards another customer, one that was all too recognizable as well.

At the sight of the female customer, once again, Xiang's dark brown hues widened as images and events of the past flashed before his very eyes yet again. Once more, sounds such as his name being called out rang through his eardrums like a temple bell being rung constantly, it was to the point that the sounds were almost near harmful to the male. Gritting his teeth, he hunched over in place, covering his face with his palm that held onto the bag of clothes before stumbling away from the cafe. Heading off further and further from the woman, eventually he'd come to an intersection of sorts within the building. In the center had been what appeared to be a street pole of sorts that had directional arrows with words written on them as to point travelers which direction lead to what. Using the pole as a support to catch his breath and regain his composure, Xiang eventually raised lifted his gaze upwards only to find that one of the directional arrows just so happened to had been the 'hot spring/spa'.

Twice now he had met this stranger, and each time, she had caused flashing images of events that he had no recollection of. Was he just going crazy, was she a demon and using some sort of Blood Art that was causing him to see things, maybe he was just tired after not having a steady flow of blood to feast upon. Whatever the reason was, maybe if he had gone and actually relaxed a little, these headaches would go away. So, with that, he headed off in the direction of the hot springs/spa area.
As expected, the hot springs was located outside of the actual resort and in an open area with a rather large open space that allowed for both men and women to spend in a large shared bathing area as well as two separated locations on the side for those who wanted gender specific bathing. The shared bathing had many more restrictions such as wearing large white towels that covered the private regions of both genders while the private bathing areas were much more lax about their rules.

Before reaching the actual outdoors area, there was a small receptionist desk next to a large number of white towels to the left while to the right had been three wooden doors that would lead to either the shared bathing area, the women's bathing area and the men's. Behind the desk was a young male, seemingly in his early twenties. Approaching the counter, the male stared up towards Xiang with a warm greeting smile. "Oh, would you like to go into the hot springs, sir? I just need your name and room number please." With a nod, Xiang retrieved his room key just to verify the room number he had on it before handing the card to show the receptionist. "Xiang Zhao. Room 785." After getting the required information, the male wrote down the details onto a clipboard before handing Xiang a large white towel and motioning over towards the two obvious available doors he was actually allowed to enter; the shared or men's. "Please feel free to pick whichever you'd like to enter sir. Inside, there is a locker room for you to stow away your belongings. I must warn you that personal belongings are not allowed into the hot springs sir. You may use any of the available lockers to store away your personal items for storage and retrieve them when leaving the springs. Do enjoy your stay!" As the male gave instructions, he'd follow up with a deep bow to show his respects as Xiang proceeded to head into the shared bathing area.

Just as the receptionist had stated, the first area had been a large locker room that was mostly empty, no doubt either because guests were already within the bathing area or were worried that the heat from the water would not be enough to keep them warm from the incoming storm. Either way, with the room being empty, he was able to comfortably undress himself from head to toe, making sure to properly wrap and secure the white towel around his waist so that nothing could be seen from in between his legs at any point in time. Storing away his clothes, his large suitcase and the bag of clothes he had just bought into one of the empty open lockers, he head to the exit of the storage room only to be greeted with the sight of a large open space with different sections of hot spring pools that were stacked upwards upon one another in a sense that it almost looked like steps upward a mountain to a degree. Above was a large tent-like roof that kept most if not all falling snow from landing into the water. While it wasn't able to keep away all of the wind, it definitely shielded guests from the worse of it all.
The shared bathing area had a small number of guests at the time, a few old couples resting with their frail bodies almost completely underwater other than their heads while a few small children splashed water at one another from a different section. Xiang meanwhile made his way along the sides of the pool-like areas, as he climbed near towards the upper areas of the springs just to get some solitude before taking slow steps into the water, sinking himself down as his body relaxed into the warmth of the naturally heated water.

code by @Nano

 

[NamelessTrax]

Shifting her hands together, Ally started to play with her tail, nervously glancing around. "Usagi.... uh umm, I didn't think it'd have to be now..." She fumbled with ideas of what to think about. She was a demon now, no choice but to accept that. She tried to recall the hazy memories of her life before, and the information she was told about demons. Humans are their food source, burn up in the sun, and... will lose their memories of life before. She'd forget everything eventually, her family, friends at school, the dojo. The thought of returning to her family was out of the question, how could she face them now? Would they accept her as a Demon? Would they even understand? These questions plagued like buzzing flies. Taking a deep breath, she clapped her hands against her cheeks. It stung more than she was expecting, "Um, if it's alright with you, I'll just tag along with you." She replied to Yume half pleadingly, being alone again was beginning to feel daunting.

Considering her current appearance, the tail and ears were probably beyond normal looking. "Um, maybe a late-night stop for a hoodie or something? Ears can hide easily but the tail will need a long skirt or something to tie up. Oh! maybe they're retractable like claws?!" She exclaimed excitedly, holding up her own hands, now with sharp claws of her own. Staring in blank surprise, before shaking them to make the claws go back in, then relaxing with a breath as they slid back into regular fingernails. Taking a deep breath, Ally attempted to concentrate on her appearance. Truthfully she had no idea if it would work or not, but the idea sounded right out loud. After a minute of probably bursting a few blood vessels and then healing them back, Ally sighed in defeat, her tail and ears drooping down. Chuckling awkwardly, "Know any good clothing stores around?"

((Interactions: Ploegy ))

 

[Kovacs]

Heath Di'Sabatino

The Bare-Boned Demon

theme

Location

14th Floor Elevator

tags

Ikari Keiji

leviohsa

Fang Guiyang

Horror

The demon shot the young slayer a curt but coy look. "Who knows," he shrugged, guile rolling off his snake-like tongue as it slid across the ridges of his demonic teeth. "The broads in my old lady's favorite hair salon bought it as a facial deformity. Played right into it, and after a bit, so did she. A birth defect, absolutely broke, surgery was impossible; a whole sob story, yada, yada, yada. Managed to get a discount for her nail job and extra candy in the end." Something of a genuine sadness pulled at Heath's smiling lips as he looked away.

"She got worse not long after that. Entered what the doctors call persistent vegetative state. Madame Chi and what I get from the Corps help keep her comfortable."

At this point, the little imp was rearing to join the conversation too. It stood up and waved a pudgy arm at Heath, hand grasping for his demonic jaw as if to say 'me wanna touchy'. The tender moment forgotten, Heath clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Not now, squirt. Once we're in the elevator, I'll be tucking these choppers in to sleep."

As if on cue, the elevator doors slid open.

Heath's first instinct was to face the opposite direction. Buy some discreet time to retract his mandibles for the comfort of the happy little human family inside, but a flash of red stopped him in his tracks.

Striking, blazing red like the incandescent Tokyo Tower. Endless spirals of bookcases and the sorry stench of fermented knowledge and timeless artifacts, that he was never allowed to go near or touch. Those eyes had tailgated his every mischief-making step, breaking only to gaze at the woman by his side, trying to keep her boy in check while she researched. Yes, his mama could stand back then, when health and her were not at odds...

The burst of repressed human memory began to fade, but the feeling remained; even now, years later this man felt like a looming tower, ageless and ready to catch him red-handed.

No, not man. A demon all this time, all along. As a child, what the fuck could he have known? But now, the scent wafting off was unmistakable from the hundreds of other demons Heath had encountered, demons he'd led as a Lower Sin and demons he'd fought since he was turned and brought back by the surgery. The surprise was so complete, it stopped even his retracting jaws from hiding away completely, and only broke when Fang, having somehow teleported into the elevator, stood aside for Heath to get his ass, the luggage cart and baby Enzo in.

The luggage cart rolled in, but the contrast in expressions was evident. Like a true Judas to his kind, the imp was all smiles for the other demon in the room. Heath on the hand, was a picture of stone-cold perplexity. After three years dealing with the wacky memory-hole side effects of a demon hypothalamus surgery, you'd think a guy would get used to it.

Weaving past his slayer companion and the cart, the Bare-Boned demon stood an elbow's length away from his ancient counterpart. There was no immediate recognition on the old-timer's part. Heath leaned in, chin turned halfway. "Nayaka Akame."

The whisper in the other demon's ear was no whisper at all, really. The name dropped like a stone in a gutter. Heath leaned back just as loosely. "That name mean anything to you, library-keeper?"

❂​

CODE BY SEROBLISS / VALOROUS ORDER