Chosen by the Stars

"Whatever he went through, he still didn't have to worry about bears eating him." Inosuke grumbled, picturing the soft, warm futon that awaited his comrade every night, when he had to fight his right for a spot in mountain caves.

He regained some of his cheer as Tanjiro let him lead the way, which seemed only natural to the proud boar. He walked with great strides as if he owned the place, a great contrast to his attitude within human cities.

"Of course you do! There's no other boar that can catch fish like I do!" Mostly because the other boars did not have any fingers. "And there's no other boar that can fight bears like me either!"

To Inosuke's disappointment, the nearest waters did not come with any bears. They were shallow and quiet enough, allowing the fish to lazily swim around, unaware of the incoming threat.

"Just watch me, alright? I'll catch the biggest fish there is!"

"Well...maybe not, but the city has its own problems. that I'm sure he's dealt with." tanjiro recalls seeing many things in asakusa and even more in the entertainment district. originally from the mountains and far from most city life, he now knows that there are somehow worse things than bears prowling the busy streets he is unaccustomed to. for the first time, tanjiro really thinks about how far he is from home - how far he's come and how far he still needs to go.

blinking, he trots to catch up and barely misses one of the tossed sandals, smile easing back onto his face. no matter how homesick he is, he knows that he needs to keep looking ahead - there are still things he must do before he can even think of returning. for now, he focuses on inosuke and carefully toes the edge of the water.

"Be careful out there."

in truth, tanjiro knows that if any one of them can catch a fish with their bare hands, it will most likely be inosuke. after all, even though he grew up in the mountains, tanjiro had never had to resort to using his hands (though, that didn't mean he didn't try). from what little he knows, inosuke was raised by boars - not even humans. so, it makes a lot more sense that he has more...natural ways of catching his food.

"You know, I've never actually caught a fish by hand before," tanjiro chirps, walking the ledge of the river to follow the other, hands pushing up his own sleeves. the one thing he's learned about inosuke over time is that eventually, he's going to have to give this a try, too.

❛  i’m  disgusting  and  mangled  and  broken  and  useless  .  ❜ (echo for fives ; don't question it)

Lips curve downwards, the brown eyes of the trooper shifting to his twin-- That was unacceptable. "I don't like you talking all that skrag about my twin, Echo." No one gets to bully Echo--Not even Echo. That was his own job. The former arc shifted, his head shaking some. "You can hate what happened to you while not hating yourself for going through it... least, that's what the tooka tells me." The man hefts himself into the nearest seat, the furniture groaning under his weight. Bulkier than he used to be - thanks to the new team. They both hold new scars. He saw Echo's as worse, yes... and for the longest time, it's been hard to accept that he didn't see his brother die on that ship.

"You're a survivor. No matter how hard they tried to put you in the ground, they failed. You succeeded in surviving--whether you wanted to or not. You're here. I for one am grateful you're here."

"We don't even look alike anymore, Fives."

which isn't entirely true. echo may not look exactly as he did in the past, but he is still echo. that was one thing tambor couldn't take away from him - none of the programs in his mind could erase who he was deep down. the batch has taught him to embrace his differences, even if those differences came at a torturous price. "Since when do you listen to the tooka anyway?"

echo shifts, hand nudging against the glass of whatever medicinal sludge kix has forced him to take while visiting while the scomp taps it lazily. fives has a point - which is almost horrifying to admit mentally, let alone out loud. he was given no choice in what had happened to him then, but he has many choices before him now and what he decides to do matters more.

"They put me in a machine, not the ground," he grunts, but seemingly eases up all the same. "But I guess I can let you make a point for once in your life." sometimes, his emotions get the better of him and the weight of the machinery in his body becomes more than he can take - it itches and burns and everything else discomforting to imagine. it doesn't surprise him that the way he talks of himself varies from proud to hateful. regardless of what anyone says, there are still lives on his hands because of his tactics.

"  what  are  you  talking  about?  you'll  be  fine!  " [ tanjiro for sanemi ]

prompts | always accepting | from: @starchxsn

Oh god, is this kid serious? Sanemi asks himself. The pain in his body is less of an issue than it could be, but he still finds himself choking on the copper taste in his mouth. It shakes his body and causes him to double back over. His eyes snap shut as something vile and violent works its way up his throat and out in a wet cough. It splatters on the ground at his feet. There's almost a dark humor to it, but there's no time to appreciate that.

Kamado needs to get out of denial. Sanemi straightens up, putting a arm over the bubbling gashes on his chest. "Kid, I know I don't like you or whatever, but I need you to listen to me for once. Really fucking listen, okay?" The wind hashira only stops to give himself time to choke down more air. The rasp in his voice from more than just years of screaming it out. "I am not going to be fine."

He tries to step towards his sword, but his legs almost buckle under him. The first sign of panic starts to prick in his body. If the demon comes back, will Sanemi even have enough strength to swing? Who knows where it is in the woods around them. He looks around them for a moment before narrowing his eyes on the red-eyed kid. "Hand me my sword then run. Get the hell out of here and get backup. That's an order!" He tries to bark his command, but the volume dies immediately into a wheeze.

"What does liking me have to do with any of it," he asks, fire of determination and stubbornness in ruby red, voice shaking in slight tremors. despite the bitterness, there are tears beading along the very edges of wide eyes. there's too much blood for one person - i have to figure this out.

hands immediately fly outward, hovering alongside the taller hashira in attempts to help keep him standing, though his hands never quite touch the other. shinazugawa-san is prideful in many ways and though tanjiro can see that he's clearly injured, that spark of hope inside of him yearns to see a better outcome. because losing person after person after person has weighed heavily on his already tired shoulders. he carries his burdens the same as the rest and sees no reason to falter now. who is he if not the one willing to set aside personal bias to help? cheeks push outward as a scowl forms, heavy sigh finally releasing.

"That doesn't matter! Just because we don't like each other doesn't mean I'm gonna leave you here to die."

but obedient to the pillar's demand, tanjiro moves. a sweeping hand scoops up the green-tinted sword heavy with rage and offers it hilt first, pinwheel tsuka presented. even from this small distance, he can smell the blood - it's always the pungent smell of blood that leaves a trail. tanjiro stares at the other, brows furrowing as he debates on following the next order. run - get backup. "There's no time for that now. You have better chances if I stay and help while you use your breathing to stop the bleeding. You can do it." he finishes with a pained smile that barely holds. just like rengoku-san taught me.

❛  i  ruined  it  .  i  fucking  ruined  it  .  ❜ (hiro to hardcase )

He shifted, eyes turning to the young genius as he speaks. "Hey, kid, language." He shifts to settle next to him, offering a hand to look at what he's working on. The medics are in the back of the ship quietly bickering between each other. A quiet sound amongst the hum of engines and technology within the ship. The cargo hold currently empty as they sit in the pilots seats. Hiro was tinkering with pieces that are settled between his fingers, but until now he had no idea what the kid was working on. He shifts the ship to autopilot, wiggling his fingers in gesture to pass the object over. "What are you trying to make it do, huh?"

there's no easy way to live confined on a ship. even though the vessel isn't small, hiro often feels like the walls are constantly closing in on him. tensions only exist in ways brothers may fight (especially the medics on board), but the idea of them being safe is better than splitting up. he glances out into the open sea of stars before he chooses to focus on his project - talents limited due to lack of supplies.

"Didn't know you turned into Kix."

a scoff is then delivered before hiro turns his head to fully view hardcase's offered hand. his left eye is still slightly adjusting, burned skin around the socket pinching with every subtle expression. huffing, the boy holds up the mess of jumbled wiring and an old speaker, thumb tapping a button he'd managed to twist from the top of a comm-link. not leaving the ship is starting to bother him - more than he can tolerate. the empire is doing something out there and he wants to know what - feels that obligation still that he can't seem to shake away.

this weekend, there will be some additions to the blog & some organizing on the carrd : » all hell's paradise muses will be permanent, no longer test muses. » star wars muses will be added ( animation focused ) » snake will be added back on this blog, but completely torn away from source material ( modified for 100% kny verse only ). i will not be writing him in any relevance to his source material. ( he is a selective muse ) » grace from ready or not has been added & a kny verse is being built for her » while i am adding muses from other series, my kny muses will be the header of this blog still ( & genya will be much more active on his blog, too )

an assortment of prompts for muses who are close to death, dying, or think that they may die. mature themes such as death, terminal illness, blood, war, && other related content may be present. adjust as needed! send ' reverse ' to switch the roles of sender && receiver. feel free to combine action + dialogue for the best results!

DIALOGUE

"  we  can't  stay  here.  "

"  there's...  there's  so  much  blood.  "

"  I'm  not  gonna  make  it...  there's  too  much  blood.  "

"  leave  me  here.  just  leave.  I'm  slowing  you  down.  "

"  quit  fighting  me!  I'm  not  leaving  you  here  to  die!  "

"  what  are  you  talking  about?  you'll  be  fine!  "

"  open  your  eyes!  come  on,  dammit!  open  your  eyes!  "

"  don't  you  dare  leave  me!  "

"  how  am  I  supposed  to  do  this  without  you?  "

"  you  have  to  do  this  without  me.  "

"  will  you  shut  up?!  you're  not  gonna  die!  "

"  I  have  to  lift  you,  okay?  we  have  to  get  you  out  of  here.  "

"  I  know,  I  know  it  hurts.  I  know.  I'm  sorry.  "

"  I'm  sorry...  I  didn't  want  to  leave  you.  "

"  hey,  just...  just  so  you  know.  I  love  you.  "

"  this  is  the  worst  time,  but  I  really  love  you,  okay?  "

"  you  know  I  love  you,  don't  you?  you've  gotta  know.  "

"  shut  up!  don't  say  it  now!  "

"  stop  talking  like  you're  saying  goodbye!  "

"  tell  me  again  when  we're  out  of  this!  "

"  you're  such  an  idiot...  choosing  now  of  all  times.  "

"  I  didn't  think  I'd  be  dying  here.  "

"  if  it  had  to  be  someone...  I'm  glad  it  was  me.  "

"  no!  no,  no!  you're  okay,  you're  gonna  be  okay!  "

"  you'll  get  out  of  this.  you'll  survive.  you  have  to!  "

"  I  can't...  do  this  without  you.  "

"  please  don't  leave  me.  "

"  I  don't  want  to  be  alone.  "

"  looks  like  I  have  to  break  [  my  /  our  ]  promise.  "

"  you  promised!  you  can't  die  on  me!  "

"  I  thought  we'd  have  more  time...  "

"  please  be  okay.  please,  please,  please.  "

" you don't mean it... they can't be dead. "

" you're lying. "

" I don't believe you. "

ACTIONS

「  CUP  」  :  sender  in  a  moment  of  desperation  cups  the  receivers  face  in  their  hands  and  begs  them  to  stay  with  them.

「  CRADLE  」  :  the  sender  pulls  &&  cradles  a  bleeding  out  receiver  close  to  their  body  as  a  means  to  provide  warmth,  comfort,  or  let  receiver  know  sender  is  there.

「  LIFT  」  :  the  sender  lifts  the  receiver  in  an  attempt  to  carry  them  to  safety,  to  seek  medical  aid,  or  to  keep  going.  (  feel  free  to  specify!  )

「  REUNION  」  :  for  our  muses  to  find  each  other  in  the  middle  of  a  [  battlefield  /  warzone  /  specify  ]  only  to  find  one  of  our  muses  has  been  badly  injured.

「  HIT  」  :  for  the  sender  to  take  a  hit  protecting  the  receiver,  in  which  the  sender  is  badly  hurt.  (  feel  free  to  specify  where!  )

「  ROCK  」  :  sender,  holding  the  receiver  in  their  lap,  slowly  begins  to  rock  &&  soothe  the  receiver  in  an  attempt  to  ease  their  pain.

「  HIDDEN  」  :  for  the  sender  to  stumble  suddenly,  collapsing  into  the  receiver  after  being  seriously  injured  &&  hiding  it  from  the  receiver.

「  LAST  WORD  」  :  for  sender  &&  receiver,  who  are  enemies,  to  have  one  final  conversation  before  one  (  or  both  )  die.  (  feel  free  to  specify!  )

「  BLOODY  」  :  for  sender  to  suddenly  cough  of  copious  amounts  of  blood,  splattering  the  receiver  &&  collapsing  to  the  ground.

「  HUM  」  :  sender  hums  softly  to  the  receiver,  soothing  them  through  their  final  moments  as  they  start  to  die,  though  perhaps  too  as  a  means  to  self  soothe.

「  HAIR  」  :  the  sender  gently,  almost  hesitantly,  begins  to  run  their  fingers  through  receiver's  hair  to  provide  some  kind  of  comfort  &&  grounding.

「  SACRIFICE  」  : for  the  sender  to  urge  the  receiver  to  keep  going,  turning  back  to  the  threat  so  that  they  can  make  a  final  stand  &&  allow  the  receiver  to  escape.

「  SHOULDER  」  : with  the  receiver  injured  &&  slowing  them  down,  the  sender  turns  back  and  scoops  up  the  receiver  to  throw  them  over  their  shoulder  as  a  means  to  hasten  their  escape.

「 SUPPORT  」  :  for  the  sender  to  pull  receiver's  arm  over  their  shoulder  and  firmly  hold  receiver's  waist,  supporting  their  weight  with  the  sender's  own  body.

「 CHEEK  」   :  for  the  sender,  who  is  slowly  bleeding  out  from  a  wound,  to  reach  up  and  touch  the  receiver's  cheek,  offering  them  a  small  smile  as  if  trying  to  reassure  receiver.

「 AFTERMATH  」   :  for  the  sender  to  find  the  receiver  after  a  serious  battle  in  which  they  were  severely  hurt,  yet  now  receiver  sits  in  the  ruins  of  said  battle  clutching  a  wound,  close  to  death && bleeding out.

「 DRAFT  」   :  for  the  sender  to  wrap  a  [ jacket  /  blanket / specify ]  around  the  receiver's  body  &&  rub  their  shoulders  in  a  soothing,  warming  motion.

「 RETURN  」   :  receiver  believes  that  the  sender  has  died,  that  is  until  the  sender  shows  up  at  their  door  /  runs  into  them  unexpectedly.  (  specify  where,  or  dealer's  choice!  )

「 GOODBYE  」   :  sender  has  died  &&  receiver  finds  their  body.  (  specify  details  if  you'd  like!  )

📅 How long have you been roleplaying, and what got you started?

🌊 Do you prefer plotting everything out or going with the flow?

🪞 How similar are you to your muse(s)?

🎭 What’s your favourite genre to roleplay (angst, fluff, horror, etc.)?

💖 What’s a trope you love and will never get tired of?

🚫 What’s a trope you avoid or dislike?

🎧 Do you associate songs with your muse(s)? If so, share one!

🥹 Do you ever get emotionally affected by your threads?

🛋️ What’s your ideal RP writing environment (music, silence, chaos)?

✨ What’s your favourite thing about your muse(s)?

⏳ How long does it usually take you to reply to threads?

📝 Do you prefer short replies or long, detailed ones?

🏆 What’s your proudest thread or RP moment?

🌐 Do you enjoy crossovers with other fandoms?

🕵️ Do you stalk blogs before following them? Be honest.

💕 Who are you having the most fun writing with, at the moment?

😶 Are you shy about approaching new RP partners?

🌟 Where do you get inspiration for your writing?

🖼️ Do you make edits, moodboards, or playlists for your muse(s)?

😭 What’s the saddest scene you’ve ever written?

✈️ If your muse(s) could go anywhere, where would they go?

🎁 What’s a random fun fact about you (the mun)?

💻 Do you RP mostly on mobile or desktop?

🌙 Have you ever stayed up way too late just to reply?

🎲 Do you like doing random starter calls or planned plots more?

🤔 What’s something you’ve never tried in RP but want to?

✍️ Has your writing style changed over time? How?

🎯 Do you set personal goals for your RP (activity, improvement, etc.)?

🧪 Have you ever experimented with a completely different writing style or format?

🧑‍🎨 Do you prefer original characters, canon characters, or a mix?

📊 How much research do you do for your threads (if any)?

🔐 Do you keep secrets about your muse(s) from other writers on purpose?

✏️ Do you write outside of RP (stories, poetry, etc.)?

⛰️ What’s the hardest part of roleplaying for you?

🧱 What helps you get out of writer’s block?

📐 Do you prefer long-term threads or short interactions?

🚪 How do you usually start a new thread? Dialogue, action, or description?

⛓️‍💥 Have you ever taken a long break from RP? What brought you back?

🧠 Do you believe muses “have a mind of their own”?

✂️ How much do you edit your replies before posting?

🎬 Has any media (show/movie/game) recently inspired your RP?

🌀 Do you enjoy chaotic threads or calmer, character-focused ones?

🌱 How do you develop your muse(s) over time?

⚡ What’s something small that instantly makes you excited to reply?

📥 Have you ever adopted ideas from other writers into your own headcanon?

⚔️ Do you like conflict-heavy plots or softer dynamics more?

🪫 How do you handle losing motivation for a thread?

📦 If you had to move your RP somewhere else, where would you go?

🛑 Do you have any RP boundaries or topics you will not write?

😤 Do you have any pet peeves when it comes to RP partners or threads?

💌 Do you prefer people to DM you for plotting, or just jump into asks/starters?

🔄 How do you feel about dropping threads vs. pushing through them?

🫶 What makes you feel most appreciated as an RP partner?

👤 Do you ever write characters very different from yourself on purpose?

📚 Do you reread your old threads? Why or why not?

"Let go of me, Gonpachiro!! If you want a slingshot too, just wait for your birthday and ask the tail-head guy! He gave it to me!!"

Inosuke did his best to hold the weapon out of Tanjiro's reach, making up for his very slight disadvantage in height by bending his limbs far beyond human limits.

tail-head guy?

who is inosuke talking about? he and zenitsu definitely have their fair share of wrong names that they have inevitably gotten used to, but he's never heard inosuke talk about a tail-head guy before. a quiet grunt sounds off as tanjiro reaches, trying to grab at the slingshot that has been offending many crows. inosuke isn't that much taller than him, but he definitely bends in ways tanjiro cannot, and so he is left struggling to take the weapon away from his friend. "He has a name, don't call him a 'thing'," he scolds in a firm tone, huffing as he steps back, hands propping on his hips as a disappointed look settles on his face. "Our crows work very hard to deliver messages between all of us! If we couldn't get messages to each other, a lot of us wouldn't be here."

ruby eyes linger on the weapon before they narrow. there is only one person he knows who might be somewhat enthusiastic about a projectile, long range weapon. while he had insisted on said person making friends, he didn't think it would result in chaos on this level.

"Was Genya the person who -" a startled sound interrupts his own question. his voice shifts from shocked to stern mid-sentence.