Ask to Join Demon Slayer Roleplay

[EeveeBlueSisters]

Discussion Thread:

Ask to Join - Demon Slayer Roleplay Discussion

After training for one year with your teacher about Breathing control, training your body to its unbelievable limits in many obstacles including the sensitivities of your senses. You have been chosen to participate in The Final Selection, an entrance exam for individuals that seek to become a...

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JC

A young lady wearing a wolf mask colored in white with blue streaks on the sides of it left her master who was training her for a year to prepare her for the entrance exam known as the Final Selection where individuals seek to become a Demon Slayer of the Demon Slayer Corps. She went to visit her family first on Mount Kumotori before she would depart to Mount Fujikasane where the entrance exam took place and where Wisteria flowers bloomed to keep away the demons in the forest but, also trap them there. She has prepared for this for a long time and won't stop now. First she said goodbye to her mother, then her two brothers, Shadow and Soren and of course, left the best one for last, her white Siberian Wolsky Dove. "Take care of the family for me Dove ok girl" she said as Dove barked in response. "Keep them safe and you know where to go when something happens, you can never be too careful understand" she said gently petting her head as her tail wagged.
Once she said her last goodbye, she walked off alone heading towards Mount Fujikasane being wary of the demons that lurked in the forest. The journey was long for her especially at night where she had to kill off some demons blocking her way. Her eyes caught the sight of Wisteria flowers dangling from the trees as their beautiful glowing purple color radiantly showed as night took to the sky. She was intrigued by how beautifully the flowers portrayed during the night.

She slowly reached out her hand to gently touch the flowers as a rare smile formed on her mouth under the mask. The smile quickly faded away once she let go of the Flower and continued walking through the path eventually, passing through the Torii gate where she saw many examinee's at the Final Selection. Through her ears, she could hear many of the demons crystal, roars, and screeches at the summit of the mountain as since the Wisteria flowers were toxic to the demons they kept away meaning, they were trapped at the top hiding in wait to attack. She was prepared of course but, she can never be too careful. One miss step would follow a serious injury. She leaned against the Wisteria tree silently waiting for the entrance exam to begin.

Vulture

He said goodbye to his family after leaving his master he was training with for about a year. He left as he went straight up the mountain of Fujikasane where the entrance exam of the Final Selection took place. He was punctual as he wanted to be there on time. He killed off some demons along the way as it quickly approached night time where they were most active. He made it through much higher latitude which stopped the Demon attacks immediately as he could smell them from miles away due to being born with a highly sense of smell. He was a bit confused on the fact why they all stopped attacking for some reason, only to have his question answered as he reached a more stable path. Wisteria flowers was the reason why the demons had stopped attacking him, he was intrigued he had to admit as the way the flowers presented it self was outstanding, clearing seeing them through his vulture bird mask. He managed to touch one before continuing on his way. He passed through the Torii gate until he made it to the location where the exam took place. He was quiet as he stood a bit at a distant with his arms folded waiting for the exam to begin.

 

[Crystal1302]

Kanamin woke up from the worst sleep she'd ever had with a bright smile on her face. She got her clothes on before walking into the main room of the house where her mother and father were waiting before she got essentially jumped by her father. Tears were streaming down his face and he was blubbering nonsense and Kanamin was only able to be freed after she asked her mother for help.

"Dear, I promise she'll be fine. She's learned very quickly and one of the most splendid newcomers I've ever seen."

"Mom's right! When you see me again, I'll have passed with flying colors, isn't that right Mako?" said Kanamin looking toward the old crow that was sleeping on a pillow.

"See, two feather twitches mean yes!" said Kanamin.

Her father froze for a second before he couldn't stop himself from laughing at his daughter's joke. "I-I just...want my little girl to be safe, and the last thing I want is for you to be killed by one of those demons. I already hated it when your mother did it, and I...I just...". Kanamin's father was interrupted by both Kanamin and her mother getting him from both sides.

"Dad, I promise. I will come home safe." she said a tear forming in Kanamin's eye as well. She grabbed a bagged lunch, handmade by her father with her favorite bread, before she stepped out of the house. She took a deep breath before pulling out a locket, with a drawing of her and Ryouto inside. "Wish me luck Ryo." she said before she put the locket back in a pocket of hers. Kanamin got in a running start before she whispered to herself. "Total Concentration, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!" she said before she started sprinting leaving a trail of lightning in her wake as she sped toward the mountain base. She came to a stop right at the base before she climbed up a nearby tree and saw the village. "Got to the mountain in just one Thunderclap!" said Kanamin before she climbed down and started walking up the mountain.

 

[=Nightshade=]

A tall, shapely, blue-haired woman blinked in concern at the scarred girl beside her, who kept up with her swift pace with a far-off look in her eye. Her gaze was somewhere between the sky and the ground, unfocused, and yet she didn’t make a single misstep. The blue-haired woman nudged her pupil, almost reconsidering her decision to have her participate in the Final Selection this year. “Kaede,” she murmured.

The pale girl looked up, eyes hovering somewhere over her teacher’s shoulder, questioning but without much concern. Her teacher bent down on one knee, placing her hands on Kaede’s shoulders. Kaede’s eyes slid away again, but her teacher followed, forcing the girl to look at her. “Listen to me, Kaede,” the blue-haired woman instructed quietly. “I can’t lead you any further. From here, it’s up to you to make it to the testing ground. Up there,” she pointed, turning Kaede’s head slightly. The girl blinked. “You see the place with the purple flowers? Head there— you’ll see others like you.”

The woman turned Kaede back to her. This time, the girl held her gaze. “You can do this,” she said forcefully, trying to convince herself as well as her student. It wasn’t that she doubted Kaede’s skills so much as an almost parental care for the traumatized child she had taken in, who had never quite recovered. The young girl’s eyes faltered again, going cloudy and unfocused, and her teacher shook her lightly, bringing her back to the present. “Kaede. It’s almost time. You have to go, now. I know you can make it, so come back down that mountain a Demon Slayer.”

Kaede blinked slowly, dark lashes casting shadows over her faraway amber gaze. Finally, she spoke, her voice as faded as her eyes. “I… am strong…enough. I… I can do it. I will… make you proud… Master.” Without warning, she threw her arms around the blue-haired woman’s neck in a quick hug, then she was off like a shot towards the wisteria grove before the woman could say anything.

The blue-haired woman smiled after Kaede, a little wistfully. “Good luck, kiddo.”

 

[FourPointTwelve]

Tobu woke up early a few days before the final exam. His mentor made a nice breakfast for the two of them before Tobu went on his journey. After breakfast his mentor even picked out clothes for him to wear for the exam. He quickly put them on, exchanged a few words with his mentor, and went off on his journey. His quest was a simple one and didn't take too much stress or effort, the demons on his path were weak and nothing compared to the ones his mentor once defeated. He made it to the village at the bottom of the mountain that the exam took place in. After getting food and supplies and made his way up the mountain.

After awhile of walking up the mountain he noticed a abundance of wisteria flowers, he walked on and there was nothing but the purple flowers on the trees. Eventually he made it to a opening where a bunch of people stood waiting for the exam, Tobu wanted to talk to at least one but no one looked like they actually wanted to talk. So he found a tree that no one was near and leaned against it.

 

[Your-Friday-Filet]

Mokuami waited at the entrance, surrounded by swarms of people. The smell of the wisteria grove was omnipresent, wafting through the air. Well, he thought, all my hard work has gotten me here... every last breath. That means everyone else must've gone through the same training. Ugh, they all look so confident! He took a deep breath in. There's no going back now! Everyone I know is rooting for me right now. This is my purpose. I have to come out on top. With all these thoughts bubbling up inside of him, he decided to scout out his opponents. He tried to decipher them all. Their posture. Their weapon. Their strategy. What was each of their motives? Maybe it was a bit too early, but he had to be on guard at all times. The one thing Mayoko never really taught him was how to accept other's trust, and it was showing. Now that he was here, he was staying!

 

[JoyPaws]

Hana was beginning to pack up the little camp she had formed on her own when she felt something tap her shoulder. Her head whipped around as she grabbed her katanas but then relaxed, seeing the familiar face of the kind man who had given her books about all the breathing forms. Hana made a quick bow, then looked at his face reading his lips. The man said, "Hello, Hana, it's nice to see you again. I finally have the directions to The Final Selections for you. I also thought we would celebrate this achievement."

Hana nodded and took the little slip of paper on which the man had written the directions. The man ordered her to follow her, and she did. The walk wasn't long, just a simple walk into town and to a noodle stand. The breakfast was quickly eaten. It had been a long time since Hana had shared a meal with someone and the company was comforting.

And a while later, the two said their goodbyes, and Hana was heading off to the mountains. It was a long trip, and she needed to ensure not to get killed on the way to Final Selections by any demons. Luckily for Hana, she had gotten used to the typical way demons walked. So when there was so much as the tiniest trimmer in the ground, she quickly turned to figure out what it was. Hana had a couple confrontations with demons, which may or may not have been a new clearing in the forest afterward if she used her forms.

Finally, Hana was at the foot of the mountain. Only smooth sailing from here. At least till they begin Final Selection, that is... She thought as she walked up the mountain slowly, taking her time just to absorb the feeling of the calmness of the forest of wisteria and smelling its wonderful smell of the flowers. Of course, Hana couldn't hear the sounds of the demons, but that only let her calm herself. Everything seemed peaceful to her when it wasn't. She was walking to the place where she might take her final breath. But Hana was determined not to let that happen, was she? Hana was determined that she would survive long enough to meet the person who had made her start her journey in the first place. But that would take time.


Hana had reached the top of the mountain and gazed at the others waiting for the Final Selection to begin. Hana guessed they had been training for as long as she had been. But she probably took more time with her training. To be fair, they had real teachers that taught them, and they probably weren't deaf and probably didn't need to recreate a breathing form from scratch since no one else knew how to use it. So yeah. It made sense why she had to train much longer than the others, most likely. But that was okay. They probably knew more than she did, and they probably learned how to use Full Concentration Breath, and she didn't. To put it into simple words.
Hana had taken longer, but they most likely knew more than her. And she respected that!

 

[Schrift]

Nemu had left home around an hour early before catching a ride on a passing by cart that was passing by Mount Fujikasane. He stayed in the back of the cart, lying down as he covered himself in a small blanket that could barely cover the entirety of his body. Infront of him he kept his weapon close, having it kept in front of him as he dozed off in the back of the cart. Although the road was bumpy and for the most part would've easily bugged anyone trying to sleep on it, for Nemu he just stayed deep in his dreams as the cart was beginning to approach the mountain.

In his mind a different reality played out, he was dreaming again. Dreaming back to when he was at the shrine with his master. They were sitting together on the floor, eating their meal outside the building. It was like reliving a memory for him. Everything appeared light and dreamy, clouds of pink cotton candy with stars surrounding the area around them moving like the mist in the night. "So... you want me to go into a mountain and kill demons?", he asked as he looked at her, confused. "Of course! You want to be a demon slayer don't you? If you can join the corps then you'll be able to carry on with your dream!". Unlike Nemu, this lady seemed to be much more hearty with her tone having much more energy compared to his soft tone. "Now just remember what you know, alright? You've trained hard for this so far and sure you may not know the 12 forms at least you have the basics down", she smiled. Nemu looked at her confused, how would the basics keep him alive for long? Okay maybe for weak demons but surely the basics can take you so far right? "Though don't worry just remember that the secret to fully learning the techniques is to-", and like that it was all gone.

The cart had come to an abrupt stop which caused Nemu to fall out the back and onto the ground. The sudden shock had jolted him awake as he sat up on the dirt road. Looking around he seemed somewhat confused by where he was and what was going on, leading to him just lying there on the dirt road with his blanket around him for some time before he realised he was trying to get to Mount Fujikasane. He stood up groggily as he sort of walked onto a path that lead to the mountain. As he walked he kept the blanket covering him in a way that it covered the top half of his body but left his face exposed. Like a cloak. He trudged on through the path, at this point waddling through the mountain taking in the beautiful scene around him. As he made it to the final selection area with all the other trainees he felt relieved that he could finally be in a place where he could sleep. Nemu didn't bother talking to anyone or anything, he simply waddled his way towards the wysteria tree, wooden clacks being heard from inside his haori if people listened closely. As he made it to the tree he looked at it for a bit before laying beside it and just sort of snuggling up to it, closing his eyes as he tried to squeeze in a few minutes of sleep.

 

[=Nightshade=]

The scent of wisteria wreathed around Kaede as she swept her way through the lavender curtains, eyes focused on nothing and yet tracking everything at once. The slightest whisper of movement from the hanging flowers would catch her gaze for a split second before another would snatch it away, flicking back and forth at every breath of wind. Her hyperaware senses pinpointed each demon in the immediate area on the way up, and she either avoided them entirely or eliminated them swiftly.

Finally, the one-armed girl arrived in the grove’s clearing. She stood still for a moment, taking in all the motion around her, all the people who were taking part in the selection. A boy lay curled up next to a tree, body rising and falling with slight breaths. A girl in a wolf mask leaned casually against a knotted trunk. Another girl with bright red flowers adorning her head looked around in awe. And the wisteria blooms continued their delicate waving all the while, causing Kaede’s gaze to flit all around, never remaining in one place for more than a second, absorbing everything.

Was she ready? Her master seemed to think so, but Kaede wasn’t sure. The way she utilized Mist Breathing was unorthodox to say the least, and this would be her first time facing high-level demons again since that day nine years ago when she had been mauled. Kaede blinked quickly, erasing that train of thought— if she fell back into that rabbit hole, there was no telling how long it would take for the nightmares to stop again. She focused instead on the way the light glanced off the wisteria blossoms, shimmering lilac in the midmorning sun, and followed each shine to the next through the path of the light. The movements were like waves of fog rolling into a low valley, or mist rising from a volcanic lake— that idea calmed her, and Kaede toyed with the hilt of her sword, breathing slow as the ghost of her missing arm twinged with anticipation.

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

JC

She saw that many of the examinee's had gathered for the Final Selection until, it finally started. Two girls stood holding lanterns in their hands looking almost identical expect one had white hair and the other had black hair cut in a short Bob. They wore the same color purple kimonos with flower patterns. They each explained that Demon Slayers caught the demons lurking on Mount Fujikasane as the Wisteria flowers were keeping them trapped here. One of the girls also explained that they will be here for seven days without outside aid. She knew this of course as she was physically and mentally prepared for this. The white one explains that the remaining survivors thar complete the exam will recieve an ore and Nichirin Sword along with their uniform and their very own Kasugai crow. They both bowed to finish the speech letting us go as the exam began. She knew that despite her skills being good, finding a group of people to team up with wasn't a bad idea. She looked around seeing a man in a bird mask then another man passed out against a tree. In her mind, that's a stupid thing to do in a situation like this but she also knew that she couldn't leave the man sleeping when the exam just started. She approached the sleeping boy tapping his shoulder. "Hey wake up, it's not a good idea to sleep here" she said bending down to his level.

Vulture

He listened closely as the two girls spoke than finished their speech announcing that the exam has started. He looked around for the moment as he knew best that grouping with someone or many others was the best idea in this situation. He took the time to look around until he saw a girl with short purple hair with a flower crown around her head. He hesitated for the moment but then carefully approached her as he used a hand gesture to say hello.

 

[Schrift]

Nemu had slept through the entire speech as he just twisted and turned in his sleep, he probably wasn't having a good dream here. He wrapped his blanket around himself tighter, until JC came along. At this point Nemu was a bit of a mess, although not snoring he was lying slumped against the tree cuddling himself under the blanket. When she tapped him on the shoulder it caused him to stir, making him flop to the side of the tree onto the ground. Second time today Nemu has ended up on the floor because of sleeping. He didn't move for a bit but was clearly awake. "Who- what- where- oh- I'm here", Nemu didn't get up immediately but just rolled on the floor to see where everyone was, it turns out the exam has started. He slowly got up, rubbing both his eyes as he kept his blanket around him. Guess he didn't exactly have a plan of action to get through this, well it was just survive and kill anything that remotely tried to harm you. He let out a yawn before stretching a bit, hearing some of his joints click satisfyingly. He turned to JC, looking down at her as he clapped his cheeks a bit to wake himself up more. "I'm guessing you're the one that woke me up... thanks for that, but now that just means no more sleep. I even had the most splendid dream too, well somewhat. Turns out the boat I was on was being filled with fish as they all kept jumping into the boat just filling it up... I wonder what that meant". And already he was speaking nonsense. Well maybe he just had a nonsensical dream but even then he didn't seem to portray himself well so far. "Sorry about that I rambled a bit... if you don't mind me asking, what are we supposed to be doing?", he asked as he watched people starting to go off. Nemu's voice still had a hint of drowsiness in it, well if you listened closely to it.

 

[Crystal1302]

"A hop! A skip! And then a jump!" Said Kanamin before she made it to the top of the mountain by thunderclapping from tree to tree. Once she got to the peak, Kanamin grabbed onto a branch and jumped down. "Woah, wisteria trees." Said Kanamin to herself as she grabbed a branch in her hand. She was about to pick one for herself before a pair of twins announced the exam starting. "Ooh, I can get my own Kasugai Crow just like Mom's! I wonder what I'll namd her." She said as she pondered to herself before she noticed a man in a bird mask and a girl wearing a flower crown. "Hey! I'm Kanamin, nice to meet you two! Do either of you know what you're gonna name your Crows? I've already got a few options."

 

[JoyPaws]

Hana had almost missed the announcement but luckily looked over at the twins as they finished explaining the wisteria flowers. She didn't miss much of what they said and understood all that would happen. She started quickly, messing with her katanas to ensure she had them in a good position for pulling them out quickly. Afterward, she stretched a bit until she noticed a man in a bird mask walk over to her and sign "Hello." Hana was excited to see someone who understood and used sign language. She quickly responded by saying hello and signing it at the same time.

Hana was quite surprised when she noticed the brown-haired girl looking next to them. The only thing she thought she heard the girl say was, "I've already got a few options!" Hana was confused. Options for what?
Hana looked at the girl, a bit confused, and said, "Could you repeat that? I didn't hear what you said." This was true. Hana did not hear the girl, but she couldn't hear anyone in the first place!

Hana's gaze quickly changed from the bird-masked man and the excited girl to the others in the clearing. She saw a white-haired girl whose hair looked like it was becoming black. There was a girl in a wolf mask talking to a sleeping guy. She quickly scanned the rest of the group. She then quickly returned her gaze to the brown-haired girl, hoping she didn't miss anything the girl might have said.

 

[Your-Friday-Filet]

Mokuami took all of the speech into consideration, and thought for a moment. Even if he somehow managed to find a group, splitting the resources they would find in the exam would be tedious and set their efforts back. Therefore sacrificing resource gain for efficiency would be the better route to take!, he thought. He stood still for some time, taking one final look around at his fellow trainees, considering talking to a few... However making the first move would be optimal, so he ran out of the main area, holding onto his weapon in its sheath. "All I have to do is survive on my own! I trained on a mountain just like this!" he said to himself, smirking with optimism. He felt the wind on his face, dashing over some fallen wisteria. All he had to do was simply find a clearing and camp out there. He recognized a few possible methods of gathering food, although didn't know how to exactly build a shelter. Where there's a will, there's a way!, Mokuami quoted his trainer, pressing forward through the thick grotto. I... hope she's right...

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

JC

Her conversation was interupted by a girl running up to her and the boy she was talking. She had asked about the Kasugai crows on what she was going to name them. "once I get my crow I'll name her Gem, I favor the name" she said before turning back to the boy next to her. "Well, the exam started so we ha e to get to the mountain top and fight those demons off so you have to be prepared" she added.

Vulture

He looked to the girl again. "-She is talking about the Kasugai Crows we will recieve in the end and what they are going to be named-" he gestured.

 

[FourPointTwelve]

Tobu took a deep breath after listening to the two girls, seven days of wilderness survival. Tobu saw that the other trainees were starting to talk to each other, it seems like they were trying to form groups. "Not a bad idea" He said to himself as he checked his supplies before entering the forest. He looked at the group of people, one group has a girl in a wolf mask and a sleepy looking boy, the other has an excited looking girl, a boy in a bird mask, and girl with a flower crown. He looked around once more and saw a girl with black and white hair, she seemed alone so might as well try to form a pair with her!

He walked up to the girl and introduced himself. "Hello I'm Tobu Maiagaru, and I'm wondering if you would like to work together on this exam? It would be easier then working alone!"

 

[=Nightshade=]

Kaede listened to the instructions far more intently than she appeared to, eyes idly following a butterfly as she turned over every word in her head, laser focused. As soon as the twins bowed out, the clearing erupted into chaos, participants running wild, standing around looking confused, hastily forming alliances, and yelling out battle cries. Kaede wasn’t sure where to look, hand on the hilt of her sword as her eyes darted across the clearing, trying to focus on everything at once.

Behind her, movement! Kaede whirled, scimitar half out of its sheath already before she registered the earnest face of another participant. Everything about him was dark, from his hair, to his eyes, to his medium olive skin— and yet he gave off an aura of positivity. Kaede realized she was still in a combat-ready stance, and made a conscious effort to relax, though she didn’t meet the tall boy’s eyes as he introduced himself.

When he was finished speaking, Kaede opened her mouth slightly, then closed it. She narrowed her focus to a point, trying to tune out the chaos all around her, instead focusing on the way the letters in the boy’s name worked together. “T-t-tobu. Toooobuuu. Tobu.” Her voice was soft, but gained some confidence as she played with the word. Kaede blinked, still not making eye contact, but moved her eyes from the ground to somewhere around his face-level, trying to seem somewhat normal. “H-hello, To-bu. I… I am Kaede Iwasaki. Yes, you… you’re right, teaming up would be… would be beneficial.” The way she spoke was stilted, far away, but oddly forceful, like a wind having trouble deciding whether to blow. She shuffled her feet, a little awkwardly. “I can… I’ll work with you.”

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

JC

She thought for the moment before speaking. "I believe if we work in groups we will have a better chance for survival, I'm going to ask others and see if they are willing to form a group since it is better in numbers" she suggested as a she looked around again as her gaze looked to a male with black hair and a female with black and white hair showing to be timid. She left the conversation she was in before approaching the two. "Pardon me for intruding but I am trying to recruit a group, since it would be difficult to kill demons on my own even if my abilities are high, I can never be too careful" she said.

 

[Crystal1302]

"That's right! I was talking about the Kasugai Crows we're gonna get after the test. I've always wanted my own someday. My mom even had one at home named Mako!" Said Kanamin. "He was always such a lazybones, always sleeping all day but he was so cute! I was in charge of feeding him every morning. He loved corn the most." said Kanamin rambling to herself. As the test started she saw the group proceed to rush toward the other side of the mountain. "Well they sure got out quick. Wanna team up? I mean, we'll have lots more fun if we're together!"

 

[JoyPaws]

Hana looked at Vulture's hands and signed back, "Thank you." Then she quickly said to Kanamin, "Crows are nice." Then thought for a moment, "I guess I would name mine Oz... I think it would be pretty and nice." She went silent again, watching the other people, then looked back at Kanamin, catching her saying they should team up. Hana had noticed the others teaming up. She nodded and said, "Sure. Do you think we need more people?"

After hearing Hana talk a bit more than she had before, it was noticeable that she had a hint of strangeness to her speech. It wasn't anything that made it hard for her to understand, but it was slightly noticeable. It also was a bit choppy. A few words were spaced out, but it wasn't too big of a gap in her sentences. Also, she sounded like her nose was stuffy as she spoke. It was clear it wasn't at all. She wasn't sniffling or anything. It just sounded like her nose was stuffy. How strange...

 

[FourPointTwelve]

Tobu nodded and smiled when hearing her answer to him, he had to hold by his laughter when he was saying his name. After getting a good look at Kaede he realized a big characteristic about her, she's missing a whole arm! He thought about if they can actually get through this exam with only three arms but he quickly dismissed the thought. If her mentor gave the go ahead to partake in the exam, there is no doubt that she is strong. He looked towards the opening of the forest, but before he can do or say anymore, the girl in the wolf mask walked up to them.

After hearing what she had to say it made sense. There's no reason not to have a group of trainees working together to survive. "Well I'm fine with working with you guys, what about you Kaede?" he turned his head towards her.

 

[=Nightshade=]

A girl in a wolf mask approached the two, coming up behind Tobu. Kaede didn’t react, having spotted and followed her with her gaze for a short while. It was impossible to tell if she had noticed JC as she went back to looking around vacantly, senses spread out as if trying to absorb everything at once. Her focus snapped back to the wolf-girl when she spoke in a mild, polite tone, and Kaede fixed the middle of her mask with an intent amber stare. She wondered vaguely why she had never considered wearing a mask to hide her blackened scars before filtering out other sounds until she could hear JC’s words.

Kaede blinked as JC finished speaking, eyes dropping back down to just above the ground. Her armless sleeve fluttered aimlessly in the slight breeze. She remained silent as Tobu spoke, but turned, startled, when he asked what she thought. Only Master ever did that…she said I needed to learn to care again… I can. I can… She shrugged noncommittally, but after a pause, spoke again. “I… yes, I… agree. We should… go together.”

 

[Your-Friday-Filet]

Oh? It looks like he found a clearing! Mokuami let out a sigh of relief and stopped running. At this point, he was panting and out of breath, despite all of the endurance training he underwent. The clearing itself was fairly large, and could be used for a shelter area. He would have to mark it somehow, but first he had something else on his agenda... He went to lay on his back, facing the sky above him. Although the sun was still up. he could tell it was nearing nighttime. Still, he stared in awe of the clear, blue sky. It mesmerized him how beautiful the scene was... He lied there for an extended period of time before getting back up. Right... I have to make a shelter... He examined the resources around him just as much as he examined his opponents prior to starting. He scratched his head. Mokuami realized he simply couldn't make a closed shelter, so a campfire would have to do. Setting one up was rather easy, just dig a hole in the ground and fill it up with brush he found lying around. Of course he also had to lay rocks around the edges just in case. He would worry about making a fire starter later, as it could easily be made using the friction of wood. Besides, all this foraging made him a bit tired. Unsure of what to do, Mokuami decided to pass time by reciting the fighting technique used by Breath of Stone wielders against a few nearby trees.

 

[Schrift]

Nemu let out a yawn as he let his eyes wonder, why are there so many people already going? He didn't pay much attention to the crow conversation only mumbling the word "bucket" before following JC towards Tobu and Kaede. Every step he took, the wooden Ema in his haori knocked against each other. It had a weird rhythmic noise to it. As he approached Tobu and Kaede, he took in the two's appearance. Nemu was still coddled up in his blanket keeping it tightly wrapped around him, however near his head was a bulge under the blanket what on earth could be under there? Though he was staring at Kaede and Tobu as if he was taking in what he was seeing, in reality he was in his head again thinking about the dream he just had and trying to decipher it. One towered above him while the other was missing an arm and looked somewhat lost. Did she mean to be here? She seemed so timid and with one arm too, Nemu just couldn't help but feel empathetic deep down towards her. Nemu didn't plan to stay in a team for too long, maybe stay around them but he could be doing much better things. Maybe for now he should. "You're tall... you remind me of a big tree I saw in my dream... I wonder if you'd fall as easily as it did...". Nemu stared up at Tobu as he spoke, his eyes seemed still tired yet having a sort of child-like innocence behind them. Hearing JC try to team the lot up, Nemu decided to stay for now. He'd be able to run free later but for now maybe stay together as much as it annoyed him deep down. "I wonder if I can sleep up there... maybe... I'd enjoy that... if i can find a nice tree, yes a nice tree is all I need... maybe clear a few demons before sleep... mmmmmm". For a demon slayer he seemed too nonchalant about the entire thing, almost as if it wasn't his biggest concern. It was like he just didn't care and wasn't taking it seriously. His gaze turned to Kaede but he just paused, just staring at her again. This time he was thinking of something. Or maybe he was again lost in his thoughts about his dreams.

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

JC

She felt Nemu follow her from behind but kept her gaze to the two in front of her. "Then, I don't mind creating a group with you two, we could find others to join this group before we continue up the mountain" she said as her ears picks up the loud roaring from the Demon at the top. She was prepared to take out demons that stood in her way.

Vulture

He looked to Hana as he lowered himself a bit to speak with her. "-Do you want to form a group....if your comfortable with me doing it with you-" he said hand gesturing.

 

[=Nightshade=]

Kaede’s eyes drifted to the mountain’s summit through clouds of fragrant wisteria. A menacing roar followed by a shrill scream faded by distance had drawn her senses, but without specific movement, her gaze was free to wander across the purple blossoms, the blooms furthest from her blurred to look like puffs of cotton candy. JC’s words floated over her head like the hanging flowers around them, passing her by without acknowledgment, though she did hear them in a distant, vague part of her mind.

As Kaede’s gaze strayed from the peak, she felt another on her back. The girl turned with a light swish of fabric, her empty sleeve hesitating a moment before following her movement. Her unfocused amber stare locked with the cool gray of Nemu’s for a fraction of a second before his eyes drifted away to address Tobu with a half-asleep tone. Kaede’s gaze dropped to the ground again, picking out a line of ants and watching their determined path, decidedly ignoring the stare of the cotton-candy-haired boy— or perhaps just oblivious, holding the ants transfixed with odd fascination as her fingers idly danced over the tarnished bronze dragon that guarded her blade.

 

[JoyPaws]

Hana shook her head, feeling an edge of annoyance, feeling as if she were about to get babied again, and said, "No, I can do it. I don't need your help!" Her voice again had that noticeable choppiness with the addition of her stuffy nose-sounding voice. Hana quickly headed over to the other group.

"Hello, would you all like to join our group," Hana said, seeming as if she were talking to every one of those people she had walked up to. The girl being five feet tall, had to look up at the people making her feel like she was even more babyish. But Hana had to push those thoughts away. She stood there waiting to see if anyone would notice her.

 

[FourPointTwelve]

Tobu was speechless at what the small tired looking boy said to him. Was he threating him, or was he just joking with him? Either way he quickly dismissed it. He was about to introduce himself and his name, but before he can do so, the girl with a flower crown walked up to them and asked if they would join her group. Tobu was a little taken back from just the amount of people who walked up to them asking to join them. He decided to let the wolf mask girl choose.

He slightly leaned over towards Kaede and whispered in her ear. "It seems like our group of two became much bigger in the span of a few minutes huh..."

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

JC

She saw the black haired male look to her when the girl with lighter hair asked about joining a group. "Well, groups would be easier to travel with due to the hungry demons craving our blood, I don't mind doing a group if you guys are alright with it, either way strength is best in numbers" she said folding her arms against her chest.

Vulture

He just followed Hana to the group as she asked the others if they wanted to join the group. He said nothing for the moment.

 

[Schrift]

Another person with clouds for brains, Nemu kept looking at Kaede and when her attention was diverted to the ants something just clicked in Nemu's head. "That reminds me of the dream I had a week ago... the ants wouldn't stop following me back... they wanted me to sleep again... to get in bed... I wonder what it means, dreams are interesting". He spoke with such a soft tone, while his eyes stared blankly at the girl. As Hana approached the group, Nemu's attention changed to her. He didn't look down at her, instead he squatted a bit so he was at her height. He took a good look at her, just staring into her eyes with his dream like stare. "hmmmmm... pretty flowers... you seem strong... are you strong? Maybe... yeah, I wouldn't mind joining... I just want to climb the mountain... maybe I should just go... yes... I should go do that... maybe...", and Nemu went off on a tangent again. He still kept cuddled up in his blanket, his face seeming contempt with everything around him. "Do you think-", Nemu was cut off as he felt something barge past him. It was a powerful barge, one that almost pushed him over. He looked up at the trainee running up the hill that had just pushed past him. Nemu's expression started to change as he looked mildly distressed, he started to pat himself down searching inside his haori and under his blanket. Something felt like it was missing... what could it have been? Nemu looked around the group, he was obviously unsettled at this point as he seemed paranoid. He was now pacing around, looking around before stopping in his tracks. Staring back up at the mountain, Nemu gripped his blanket tighter as he began to dash forward. He ran past his new found group, running past them and up the mountain. It was so sudden. Maybe, just maybe that trainee had taken something they shouldn't have.

 

[=Nightshade=]

“Mm,” Kaede made a small noise of assent, agreeing with Tobu. She didn’t particularly mind large groups of people as long as no one tried to touch her, make personal inquiries, or get in the way, but this group was large enough to teeter on the edge of the last. There was certainly no shortage of things to grab her attention, from the bored, disconnected tone of the pale boy who clacked woodenly, to the crimson flowers in the new girl’s hair. The boy seemed to have lost something, unknown items in his haori knocking together with a hollow wooden sound as he hared after another participant who had bodily shoved him aside on his way up.

Kaede watched him go, then blinked back down to the ants. They were circling a crumb of food, gathering in an almost ritualistic manner— then a booted foot came down, crushing them, as another contestant whizzed by inches from her nose, going somewhere fast. Kaede felt a mild disappointment as she turned her thin attention back to Tobu and the others.

 

[FourPointTwelve]

As the tired boy ran away from the group Tobu couldn't help but feel worried for him. It seemed like he had lost something very important to him and now he is charging straight into the mountain. Tobu thought about it, and made his mind up in the next moment. He put one hand on the side of his sheathed sword, and started running after the boy. He turned around while running to address the group.

"I'm going to follow him! Your welcome to join me, and if you don't." He pointed towards Kaede, "I'll make sure to find you again!". With that he turned forward once more and went into the forest.

 

[EeveeBlueSisters]

JC

She watched as the boy took off to follow the white haired boy. She sighed heavily as she knew that this boy was always sleeping as if not caring in the world. This irritated her as she shook her head. "Just going up the mountain alone is dangerous...." she said not saying a word after taking the choice to follow them both. She knew if she didn't, that sleepy boy would be in the wrong place at the wrong time and be killed. She followed the black haired boy quickly up the mountain to find the sleepy boy who went up the mountain alone.

Vulture

He watched as the masked girl followed the black haired boy quietly before looking to Hana. "-Should we follow them?-" he asked.

 

[Crystal1302]

Kanamin quietly followed around Hana as she seemed to recruit more and more members to their little group for the trial. Eventually her attention was drawn away by the Wisteria trees. She thought to herself that it wouldn't really matter since they'd just regrow, so she went up the one of the blossoms about to pluck one for herself. Kanamin was interrupted again when someone rushed by a boy who appeared to be sleeping and looked as if he lost something. He then sped off into the woods as a boy and a girl in a mask followed after the sleepy white haired boy. "Well, I don't know about you all, but I'm following them. Later Han!" Said Kanamin before taking a deep breath and speeding up a tree and junping from branch to branch like a bolt of lightning.

 

[=Nightshade=]

Kaede’s eyes widened slightly as all of a sudden most of the people near her streaked off after the blanket-clad boy. She could pinpoint their direction easily, but wasn’t sure she wanted to be moving all together with such a large group. Her eyes fixed on Tobu’s finger as he pointed at her, shouting that he’d find her again. She blinked in confusion, half-reaching her arm out after the conga line of people, specifically at Tobu, then pulled it back to her chest as they disappeared between floral curtains.

Kaede gnawed the inside of her cheek, her eyes staring blankly at Hana’s crown of flowers, her mind spinning strategies and ideas of where to go from here. She tore her gaze away from the alluring red blooms, seeking out a path through the trees, then she was off, seeming almost slow in her silent swiftness. Though Kaede didn’t follow the group, she cut a parallel path, angling just slightly away. The wisteria here grew closer together, the shadows darker until they bled into the forest mulch, allowing thin rays through to dapple the ground with gold. If Tobu really was going to find her again, however he planned to, she would have a shelter and a water source to improve their chances of survival.

Not here, though; once the patches of sunlight faded with dusk, the demons would have no reason to stay hidden, and then— An almost imperceptible shudder ran through Kaede, her ghost limb reliving the pain of fangs in bone, a clean downward slice, and the sweet release of an unconsciousness not unlike death. No, this place wouldn’t do. She paused, then continued her fluid trek through the forest, searching.

 

[Your-Friday-Filet]

I wonder if there's anything on the top of the mountain?, Mokuami was deep in thought, although seemed to be in a bit of a trance of training. Did I even wait long enough before running out here? I haven't seen another contestant since leaving... He concluded that they were probably still forming teams at this point. To him, the day was almost over. He snickered at the lack of any foes nearby the clearing. Mokuami figured that as long as he kept his voice down from here on out, demons wouldn't even approach him and he'd just be able to camp out here. Mokuami grinned to himself, and decided to walk over into the forest to forage for some food. He cheerfully walked through the forest, which soon was completely absent of wisteria. It looked like all the trees... died? Mokuami inspected a nearby tree, putting his palm on the bark. Just then, he shuddered. The horrid cry of a demon echoed all throughout his spine. Good heavens to Betsy... it must be right behind me... You see, without even realizing Mokuami had wandered rather close to the mountain's summit. And of course demons festered up near the top, which was a fact he was completely oblivious to. He slowly reached for his blade, taking a deep breath in. But before he could do anything the demon lunged forward at him from behind, sending him to a nearby dead tree. The force of the attack caused the tree itself to tremble, with a few pieces of brush falling to the ground. He quickly turned around, sitting right up next to the tree. The demon seemed to move slowly, but as he learned, it could pack a punch. Mokuami used its slow speed to his advantage by taking a few moments to recover. He stared right into the demon's eyes. Lifeless. Just that. Lifeless. He reached for his blade again, standing up. Mayoko once said that demons were just people, and to always realize that when confronting them. He always wondered why she said that so candidly to him. Now, it's all he could think of. Mokuami grew weary of the slowly approaching beast, which was now just 6 feet away from him. He yelped out in pain again. He realized that the demon had inflicted a wound to his side. His eyes had a completely mortified look on them. It wasn't a terrible wound, but he had absolutely no idea how to remedy it without any proper supplies. The only thing he knew how to do right now was to use his blade. So Mokuami did just that, pointing his weapon directly at the demon's head. "You!" his voiced boomed, and he completely shifted to a hostile expression. "You'll pay for that!"

 

[JoyPaws]

Hana could feel an annoying feeling bubbling up inside at the boy crouching down to meet her eye level. But then it was gone. The feeling of annoyance was gone and was replaced by the feeling of pride at the boy saying, ""hmmmmm... pretty flowers... you seem strong... are you strong? Maybe... yeah, I wouldn't mind joining... I just want to climb the mountain... maybe I should just go... yes... I should go do that... maybe..." And then the white and pink-haired boy patted his haori in search of something from what Hana could guess until he ran off.

From what Hana could guess from the other reactions to her suggestion, they agreed, which was good. The black-haired boy ran off after the sleepy boy, the masked girl followed the black-haired boy, and the excited girl ran after her! But Hana couldn't catch what the girl said, so Hana assumed she had said goodbye.

"-Should we follow them?-" Vulture signed to Hana. She nodded, "Yes. I think we should follow them." She then faced the people left in the group, "Vulture and me are going to follow them." She again faced Vulture, "Let's go." Hana ran off at a fast speed and chased the group going up the mountain.

 

[Schrift]

Nemu continued to run through the forest, he was now panicked as his eyes darted around looking for that kid who bumped into him. Where on earth could he have gone? He ducked and jumped around the trees, avoiding their snaring roots and their overhead branches. Nemu took in a deep breath of air, before dashing forward faster than before. Eventually he came to a small clearing near a stream side. Shallow water, and barely any light. Nemu really was getting into the thicker parts of the forest. How far had he been running? The white haired boy looked around, was he lost? Maybe. He did take many twists and turns on his way there. The entire run he had his blanket tightly wrapped around himself. For some reason around these waters, Nemu felt uneasy. As his eyes took a moment to adjust to this darker area, Nemu stared down at the stream. Something seemed off. As he lent in closer he caught a glimpse at the water stained in red. His eyes traced up the stream until it lay on a body. How unfortunate. A trainee already gone to demons. Nemu looked around, was the demon still there? Whatever the case, the normal thing to do was to draw your weapon and be prepared but Nemu did none of that. Instead he walked over to the body in the river, turning it over and looking at the unfortunate sight. Two claw slashes to the chest, and the jugular ripped out. It seemed the person tried to put up a fight but nonetheless lost and badly. Nemu rummaged through his haori, before pulling out a wooden ema. He placed it within the hand of the trainee before closing their fingers around it. "Hopefully this nightmare will turn into a dream... wherever you now go", he said, smiling softly at the corpse before standing up.

In that moment as he stood up, Nemu's eyes locked with a demon who was charging at him. He jumped back as to avoid the first slash, however his blanket wasn't so lucky as it was snatched off him. Nemu tried to grab for it but as he did so, a bone like blade slashed through it as it almost took Nemu's hand with it as well. "....that blanket, it was a gift. How else am I going to sleep?". Nemu looked somewhat bummed out as he finally got a good look at the demon. Red eyes, shaggy black hair, pale skin covered in dirt, ragged clothes and what stood out most was a bone like blade that stuck out from his right forearm. The demon charged forward, frantic slashes all aimed at Nemu's chest and head. "The last one didn't put up a fight, please satisfy me more than they did! I want to end up with a big pile of bodies tonight! A big snack! Let me have it-", the demon was cut off as Nemu did something unexpected. Nemu had finally took out his weapon, the large naginata held firmly in his hand as its blade shimmered in the patches of light. Nemu had shut the demon up by shoving the handle end of his weapon into the demon's mouth. He twisted the weapon before jabbing it in the demon's mouth, causing the demon to gag before pulling away. "You aren't exactly a powerful demon are you.... hmmmmm, if you were I'd have had to try a bit harder to kill you but I think this should do... have you ever dreamed of dancing under a moonlit night?", he asked, as the demon charged at him once more with much much more violent strikes. Each strike filled with nothing but pure anger as the demon tried to slash down Nemu. However Nemu stayed calm as he took a deep breath, his eyes seeming clouded and distant. As the first few strikes came, Nemu simply waltzed to the side then stepped back. Every strike the demon threw at him, Nemu simply waltzed and danced around him, it just seemed so dream like. How on earth could someone's moves be so elegant while carrying such a heavy looking weapon. Slash after the slash, each time Nemu avoided the strike it only seemed to enrage the demon more as it was now letting out cries of anger as it tried to kill Nemu. "You know~ if I were you~ oh ho that one was close, almost took off my leg~ not bad, but do you hear the music too?". It seemed like Nemu was playing with this demon, having fun and dancing with it? It was clear the demon wasn't going to be able to land a strike, but it just seemed so enraged it just didn't realise the danger it was in. Nemu seemed so distant, so far away. It looked like he wasn't really there at all. But even so, he had to end this soon. "I wonder... do demons dream?", he asked, as his stance changed. Nemu leaned forward, naginata poised behind him. He took in a deep gasp of air as he jumped back to avoid another slash. Dream Breathing, 1st form.Tranquil Sleep. Star filled smoke surrounded Nemu's blade, escaping from his clothes as it covered the area around him. Moonlight glinting off his blade, the stars twinkling in that pink smoke. Nemu dashed forward towards the demon, as he used this as a counter attack against the demon. Twisting around, he did a full 360 with his blade as he spun and cut through the demon's neck.

Nemu stood upright as he lost that trance like state, turning around and looking back at the demon who had now fallen forward. "What... happened? Why can't I feel my... am I dying? Is this death? Why... why does it feel so... painless?". The demon's eyes rolled around in his head as it looked around. All it could see was Nemu approaching it. As Nemu lowered himself towards the demon's body, as he placed another wooden Ema into the demon's hand. Why did he do this? Was he mocking the demon? No... the look on Nemu's face seemed more sombre than that. Was he... showing kindness to the demon? Why would he be doing that? "I hope... wherever you end up... you can make a wish and somebody will hear it", he said, before softly smiling at the demon. Nemu didn't leave the area, instead he stayed near the dying demon. He sat next to it as he tucked his head between his legs.