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[namuthing]

Make pretty later maybe? Probably not

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[sticksandbonesmods]

As Genya looks for something within the halls of Shadow Milk Cookie's library, something tugs at the back of his mind. The energy feels stranger than usual for a magical laboratory, which is really saying something, isn't it?

It tugs and regardless of if he's aware of it or not, he starts walking.

A whisper tickles his thoughts.

Genya...?

[namuthing]

[Genya had come here for a reason. Shadow Milk Cookie might not be a demon, but he was apparently a threat. It was his duty to investigate, right? Especially after everything Elder Faerie had said. Not that Genya has found anything particularly untoward. Beyond an obnoxiously glittery quill clutched between the fingers of his left hand, things had been... fine?

Until he heard the voice. It was familiar but not, like something he had forgotten. No wonder he had moved toward it, even as his own stomach turns over with nausea. Whose voices had slipped so easily from his mind? He didn't want to know, did he?

But his steps carry him onward all the same. He had a duty to carry out, no matter how tired he was, or how terribly this place had worn down his mind.]

[sticksandbonesmods]

Genya are you there...? My sweet boy...

How fortuitous that he goes unnoticed. The call seems to be coming from the basement, enticing and cold. As he investiages the door to what is hopefully a cleaned up lab for the forbidden magic, the whispering grows louder. There's more. His siblings asking where he is, are they playing a game? Its dark and cold, where are you, Genya?

[namuthing]

Genya's heart rises in the same breath that it sinks. Had it really been so long that he'd forgotten the sound of his mother's voice? His siblings?

"Mom? Mom, I'm coming - " His throat tightens as he mumbles his siblings names, he lays his hands against the door, pressing inward as he steps into the lab.

Everything feels wrong, and he feel so powerless in the face of it. It's just like that night, like coming upon his mother's broken body and Sanemi's bloodied hands. Like then, he feels so weak, little more than a trembling child.

But he isn't. The feather in his palm practically quivers, a murmur to remind him of just what he's capable of.

His teeth rip at the fibers of the feather before he thinks about it, feels his body crack and shift as he swallows. Glittering blue dances at the corners of his eyes as he steps further and further in.

"I'm here, I'm here. 'm sorry I took so long."

[sticksandbonesmods]

It's dark and cold in the laboratory, but everything in his vision blurs save for one thing: a door. It shouldn't exist, shouldn't work- it feels more like a painting or a sculpture than an entrance to what should not be entered...

But it's there.

All the whispers grow so much louder.

I'm here, Genya. I'm here. Just open the door.

[namuthing]

Some part of Genya knows that he shouldn't. Demons are tricky things — and their arts even trickier. Even if that weren't the case, the months he's spent in this place should have conditioned him better for something like this. But those voices? He can still hear the words they said the night they all died, but he can't remember their voices.

Not like this.

The wards in front of him were meant to hold out anyone and everyone, but they had a master. He was their master, as far as the magic was concerned. And as he lifts his hand to claw through the wards, they tear away like paper.

His fingers find the door. Something in the back of his mind, a voice more like a growl than anything, tells him to stop being a fucking idiot. Genya ignores it in favor of pulling as hard as he can.

[sticksandbonesmods]

There is no physical door. And yet, it opens. The cavern is dark, cold as ice and smells... like a garden.

There's a low, feminine voice.

"Poor dear. You didn't stand a chance. But perhaps this abomination against my domain... can grant me an opportunity."

Out steps a woman far taller than anyone else he's ever seen, dressed in black, like she's attending a funeral and a garden party in the same day. She smiles kindly, crouching down to pet Genya's hair.

"I thank you, child, for allowing me a chance to investigate this pocket. ... Oh, but you may wish to flee. The warden will be here soon."

And like that, a green mist knee-high spills into the Grove, and the woman vanishes.

[namuthing]

A chill immediately runs down Genya's spine. He takes one step back, then another, before staring up at the creature that's entered the room. She looks... kind enough, but at the same time, that isn't his Mom immediately in front of him. For all intents and purposes, it feels like yet another trick, and more than anything, he just wants to scream.

But uh, he has more important things to worry about. The second she pats his head, all hell seems to break loose, and his head simply topples from his shoulders. Panic surges through him, knowing full well that something like that should have absolutely killed him. He makes a note to ask Shadow Milk what the fuck is wrong with him -

Before noticing that he isn't as alone as he might have thought.

"... Mom?"

[sticksandbonesmods]

Its her. But not exactly- she didn't wear foreign clothes, after all. But she smiles softly, lovingly, all the same... up until his head topples off, where she shrieks a little and frets as he's clearly- alive? And yet- oh, this is very worrisome-

Genya... oh goodness... you've really struggled lately, haven't you? And I wasn't here... I'm sorry...

Entry trauma time 2 electric boogaloo

[infinitemist]

[ Spending time with Senjuro had helped some. It at least helped him rationalize what he saw. But of course understanding didn't make it sting less, it only made the pain easier to bury.

He had other issues to contend with, though. He'd gotten patched up after throwing himself at those brambles and aggrivating all of his injuries, but the healers would inevitably be pretty mad. So for now he's huddled in the inn's main room holding a bloodied cloth to his mouth and focusing on his breathing. ]

[namuthing]

[Genya's become a creature of habit since arriving. He runs a quick patrol in the morning, then goes to the rec center to work out, before coming back to clean up and fuck off for the rest of the day. He's on that return journey when he just happens to catch sight of Muichiro, and all of his plans go out of the window.]

H-hey, what the hell? What happened?

[He scrambles over to Muichiro, all while looking around for a threat.]

[infinitemist]

I found out firsthand that arriving here gives the resident forest creature license to mess with me.

[ He coughs softly, adjusting his breathing. internal bleeding is lovely to deal with.
He's... attempting to be blasé about his description, as though minimizing it would make it hurt less. ]

It decided to dangle my brother in front of me and made him say rude things and leave.

[namuthing]

Shit.

[So eloquent. Genya doesn't need much more than that. His first brush with the Forest had been pretty much the same. He pads on over, then gives Muichiro a once over.]

I can help you clean up. I mean. If you want. I have some bandages in my room, I mean.

[He's a little worried about that coughing, though.]

Unless you think the clinic is better?

[infinitemist]

Currently avoiding the verbal lashing I'm going to get for tearing my wounds back open.

[ C'mon Genya, surely you've been there. ]

The external wounds aren't really all that bad, but if you want to, I don't mind.

[ He has come to realize that being Genya's friend includes him fretting. It's sweet. ]

[namuthing]

Better than keeling over from the actual lashing you got, y'know. Dying here sucks, even if you come back from it. [As he's recently learned. But he doesn't dwell on that. Instead, he snorts.] Kinda sound like Kocho, don't I?

[She always got so huffy with him about his own injuries, after all.]

Just wait here, yeah? And don't like... die, or anything. I'll be back.

[He skitters off before Muichiro can really say anything. Don't mind the way his shoeless self slides a little on the hardwood. It's fiiiine.]

[infinitemist]

I'm not going to die on you again that easily.

[ His tone is quite soft, really. Even if Genya doesn't remember right now, he can't imagine what Genya must have felt watching him get chopped to pieces like that. Though, likely his focus was on Sanemi.

Either way, Muichiro stays put while Genya scrambles for his room. It's really not all that urgent. His breathing technique is preventing things from getting any worse, but he thinks its nice. Someone caring about him like this is nice. ]

You're going to slip running around like that.

[namuthing]

Shuddup!

[He calls the word over his shoulder as he disappears, but there's no real malice to it. And by the time he's back with a little first aid kit, a bowl of water, and a clean towel, any resulting grouchiness is long gone.

He hasn't forgotten what Muichiro said. Honestly, it's a bit wild to Genya that he can talk about his death that easily. But hey, maybe it's how he's coping.

Either way, it's still on his mind as he settles down, crosslegged, in front of Muichiro and motions for him to pull his hand away.]

Still not all that convinced I wasn't holdin' all of you back in that fight. Really, I'm surprised I wasn't the one dyin' on you.

[He had thought that Muichiro's words had implied as much but... maybe he can hold out that hope.]

[!] upper three is rapidly approaching your location.

[bluebasketballed]

[well, it's... at least a full day after genya had his fun demon snack, and likely a few more at that. being as old as he is, akaza feels that time has sort of lost its meaning, and that isn't even taking into account the iris' endless night.

he's out and about pummeling bugs again, though this time it's for the purpose of locating genya or muichiro. whatever building he has to bust into to find one of the young slayers, so be it. and when he finally spots genya...]

Hey, you. [his brow is certainly creased, but he doesn't look mad, per se? weird.]

[namuthing]

[Genya is still squirreled away in the barn. He can't remember how long it had been since Muichiro had headed out to speak with the other slayers about what had happened. He almost hopes that they would forbid the other boy from returning. It would be precisely what he deserved.

The sound of noise rouses him from whatever light slumber he had fallen into. He stumbles to his feet, blanket wrapped around his shoulders and straw in his hair. He's used to this routine by now. No doubt, it was a woodcrawler who came knocking. It was time for Genya to move on.

Just as he bends to grab his gun, though, he finds himself glancing up and -

freezing at the sight of Akaza.

Shit.

If Muichiro had told Rengoku, then it only made sense that his pet demon would find out. And if he was so interested in pleasing his human, he'd certainly make a show of punishing Genya for his sins.

Maybe he should have been upset at the idea. Some part of Genya is just relieved, though. It's that part of him that has him sinking back onto the straw, in a loosely seated position.]

What do you want?

[bluebasketballed]

[the way genya reacts to him -- or rather, his lack of a reaction -- only affirms akaza's concerns. and as much as he doesn't harbor any true ill will for the kid, it's still a strange feeling to be increasingly worried about him.

having been a focused and purposeful hunter for so long, akaza can't quite get a casual gait to translate well; he tries to approach genya from the side, slowly, but it likely comes across as predatory nonetheless, akin to a slinking cat. still, he settles in a crouch a fair distance from the kid, just out of arm's reach for either of them.]

I was hoping to find that little Hashira with the attitude, but here you are. [... all things considered, genya can't be doing well. once again, akaza is reminded that he's never in all his years been good at this.] ... You still holding onto those beads? They're important to me.

[namuthing]

[Somehow, it's disappointing that Akaza settles down so far away from him. This isn't the execution he would have expected, that much is for certain.]

You mean M- [The name catches in his throat. He shakes his head.] He went back to the inn. To - to tell the Hashira what happened.

[Which means Akaza doesn't know. Genya can't tell if that's better or worse. Maybe he doesn't want to know.

Rather than saying anything else, he shoves his sleeve up, and then rolls the beads over his wrist and off in Akaza's direction. They've remained safely tucked away beneath Genya's clothing, and thankfully didn't sustain any damage in the scuffle. Equally relieving is the fact that there's no bloodstains on there. The same can't be said for the cuffs of his sleeves, which he quickly tries to hide away.]

[bluebasketballed]

He's back, then? That's good.

[that makes at least twice that the forest has made good on its word. akaza isn't putting a whole lot of faith in a tyrant that reminds him all too much of muzan, but it's good that genya doesn't have to live with permanently killing his friend.

even if it's old, and even if he hadn't caught sight of the sleeves, akaza can smell the dried blood on them. he doesn't directly mention them, though, as he slips his anklet back on.]

Thanks, for this. [he means that.

that out of the way, though... it feels wrong to just leave genya, but akaza isn't sure what exactly to say or do. he finds himself wishing he was more like his master; even when keizo was firm or even harsh, he came from a place of care. he knew what to say to make hakuji feel inspired or just so much as think about how he should act.]

... So what happened?

[namuthing]

Yeah. Yeah, he's...

[Okay? That isn't the right word. He trails off, shaking his head. Even talking about it makes him feel miserable, and so he simply decides not to.]

Don't worry about it.

[Honestly, he wishes that Akaza would leave it alone. He wishes he would be the stubborn asshole, evil demon that Genya thinks of him as. Instead, he acts like he cares.

It should make him mad. But right now... he doesn't have the energy to fight.]

My ability isn't magic. Thought maybe there was a loophole. If I took enough, I could keep everyone safe, in case people got any dumb ideas.

... Didn't get any powers from it. But I sure as hell got your fucking hunger.

[bluebasketballed]

[as much as genya hates it, akaza just listens, tries to understand, rather than starting a fight or outright blaming him.

in fact, that last revelation takes the breath from his lungs. akaza hasn't been in the grove terribly long in the grand scheme of things, but even he's struggled to cope with his... cravings, and that's after hundreds of years of learning to temper them. now, more than ever, he sympathizes with how concerned kyojuro is over his eating regularly.]

Seriously? [to suddenly gain an upper rank's bloodlust, and one who's been borderline starving himself at that...] And the Mist Breather -- he's the only human you went after? [far be it from him to sound impressed by such a lowly demon slayer, but his tone is genuine.]

[namuthing]

[While Genya expects more of a fight, the fact that Akaza doesn't give it — well. It's enough to keep him from fighting back in kind. He keeps his gaze locked on the ground, not gracing the demon with eye contact but...

Hey. It's progress.]

It's happened before. When I take too much, it's like I start to become a demon myself. [He isn't sure if it's inheriting someone else's hunger, or unlocking his own. It's not like it really matters.] I don't know if I went after anyone else, but... he's the only one I got my hands on. Memory's pretty jumbled but...

He made me chase him away from the inn. And by the time it was - over, the hunger had faded. I didn't even -

[He swallows almost audibly.]

He wasn't even dead by the time I came to.

[Having to witness those final moments might have been the worst part.]