be brave.

no matter what. believe and have faith.

[inustincts-blog]

☆ — allmoveforward·. 

I was one of the first to hear about the starsickness, thanks to acting as the city scribe. I want to aid these kids as much as I can. I’m learning a lot about alchemy, as well, but the ingredients needed are too dangerous for a normal girl like me to collect. 

(I need to do what I can while everyone gets what we need.)

While those more experienced gather materials, I take the time to distract the new group of children.

(Maybe I can play with them like I did Gin…)

As I try to come up with an activity for the kids, I feel a small body run into me.

“Gin!” I immediately wrap my arms around the younger boy. “You’re here…” 

I smile and pet his head. Gin’s escape brings me nothing but unbridled joy, in more ways than I can describe. He deserved the death game the least of all of us. 

“You found Joe already, then… It’s amazing, isn’t is? If he’s here then maybe we can see all our allies soon.”

       huh! guess news didn’t travel to sara yet... which is good. in reality, a story about a twelve year old ready to beat up a high schooler is funny, but somehow saying that’s how their first reunion occurred seems a little sad! then again, he isn’t entirely sure how the elders’ reunion went, but he doesn’t want to ask either. it seems too personal, after all. 

    ❝ um... more like big bro joe found me, meow. he’s really stubborn, you know? i didn’t go too far from the village, but he still followed me anyway, woof. is that what’s called being overprotective, big sis sara? ❞ 

    although a look of exasperation spreads across gin’s features, he perks up soon enough. he still doesn’t let go of their hug, completely satisfied being stuck to the teen for as long as he can before the other children decide they want attention too. 

    “big bro joe being here after what happened sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, woof! but since we’re here too, it’s like a fantasy instead?” he pauses, poncho ears visibly drooping. “i’d be happy if the policeman and the others showed up, but... do you think the dolls can appear too? i mean, i’d still protect you, big sis sara, but still... grr, thinking about it annoys me, meow!”

[inustincts-blog]

@firestarter

       at this point, gin doesn’t really know how long it’s been since he’s seen either of his parents. perhaps that’s why he can sympathize with the group of children that came to eidolon. they speak of their mothers with sad expressions as if they could never meet again and that’s just too sad. if gin couldn’t ever see his mom or dad... that’d be too lonely. sure, he can get upset with his dad and he gets a little frustrated when his mom overworks herself, but still... 

    well, perhaps that’s why he’s decided to plop himself down in one of their bunkhouses, speaking of his own parents and listening to stories of their mothers. they offer to help him with whatever crafts they’re making, but gin says he’s fine on his own. though, that doesn’t distract him entirely from one of the only adults in the room.  

    ❝ i didn’t think an adult would be here making something, meow! are you not from around here too, woof? ❞

[inustincts-blog]

@allmoveforward

       okay, so maybe he’s just a little upset he was told to stay in town. ‘there are kids your age, so maybe you’d have fun!’ he was told. yeah, right! sure, the field of theama was kinda scary, especially considering he thought joe of all people was an illusion, but he made it out fine, didn’t he?! but no, now he’s stuck with the rest of the kids from the group that wandered into the village and to say he’s pouty is an understatement. 

    well. that is, until he sees a very familiar figure and suddenly the pout hidden beneath gin’s face mask is a bright smile. his feet carry him towards her with hurried steps, an arm letting go of mew-chan briefly to wrap around her waist in a surprise hug.

    ❝ big sis sara! you really are here, meow! big bro joe said you were, and i knew he wouldn’t lie about that, woof! ❞

[inustincts-blog]

big bro joe!!

  Like that, all of Joe’s newfound stress vanishes from his body. He breathes out a long sigh of relief as Gin comes into his arms, pulling them back in to hug the younger. He drops back onto his butt, legs unable to hold him in a crouch any further. Joe puts all of his effort into patting the child’s back, hoping it calms him down a bit. There’s a small sniffle from himself and it takes a second to recognize his own tears and leaves a quiet hope that they go unnoticed.

  This kid deserves the longest break possible from the hell that was the death game. To wind up here of all places, where Sara and himself also have come to reside in… luck is truly on their side right now, isn’t it? The thought alone comforts Joe, relaxing further and falling into a pattern of rubbing Gin’s back to calm him down to the point of less tears.

  ( Does fabric like this wash easily? It feels like it’s been a lifetime since he’s worn a sweater. )

  “ Hey, it’s all right…! There’s nothin’ to apologize for, y'know, ” Joe answers, keeping his tone to a soothing level. “ I don’t know why I’m alive either, but… I’m not gonna take it for granted. I won’t disappear on ya again, okay? Oh, oh, Sara’s here too! You wanna go see your Big Sis once we’re done here? ”

       he’s comfortable sitting in joe’s arms, and sure his knees are cold from the snow, but he almost forgot how comforting the warmth of someone else is. he closes his eyes, and with the way joe rubs his back, memories of his parents come to mind. gin isn’t really much of a crier to begin with, but there was always a bubbly happiness that came to mind when his mother would wrap him in an embrace and pat his back. of course, joe can’t ever replace his mom, but there always is an undeniable warmth that comes from someone older providing reassurance.

    being in a death game put a lot of mental strain on the child, even if he doesn’t show it. however, though he’s seen a lot, surely joe has as well. sure, gin has been put in near-death experiences, but... well, certainly he’s never been in joe’s position before. gin had faced death and lived, whereas joe... well, there’s no point in thinking about it now. joe’s in front of him and big sis sara... wait, big sis sara?

    pulling away from the hug, gin looks up at joe in surprise at the mention of the girl’s name. tears wet his face mask and the streaks are still apparent on his features, but even despite it all, relief is apparent in his eyes. ❝ myeow?! big sis sara is here too?! ❞ he’s still sniffling some, his paws raising to wipe whatever remnants remain on his features. “that’s surprising, meow...” 

    and then he sniffles again, a paw patting joe flat on the nose. his brows are furrowed in a small frown, tone suddenly scolding despite how watery he sounds. “also, you being nice all the time’ll get you in deep trouble again, meow...! it’s okay to be mad at me, woof...! but i’ll forgive you if you keep your promise, meow!” gin smiles brightly, nodding firmly. “big sis sara would be happy if you did that too, woof!”

[inustincts-blog]

big bro joe...!!!

  More dolls. The words worry him considerably, Joe holding out his arms still despite the welling up need to put his hands elsewhere and fidget out of sight. He would like to put his full hope into Eidolon, how focusing in on these tasks at hand can remove the thoughts regarding the death game from his mind long enough to nearly forget it happened. Still, to deprive anyone else he knows that could be here of talking about it should they need to…

  It’s selfish to want to erase it from his mind so fast, isn’t it?

  His heart beats once more and leaves behind a painful resonance. Joe’s face drops as well, an apology on his tongue before he pushes it back down. “ I… ” He doesn’t want to admit what happened. He can’t, the memory of it alone sending pain flying through his body. If he’s not careful, the tears involuntarily trying to build up might start to spill over again.

  … He can’t cry here. Not in front of Gin.

  A shake of the head to clear the tears away, casting as reassuring a smile as he can manage towards Gin as possible. “ It’s really me…! I remember how you didn’t wanna talk ‘cause you didn’t want Sara to get in trouble, and that I taught you a word you shouldn’t say anymore. I promise, I’m… your Big Bro Joe! ”

       gin shoots a glance at the way joe spreads his arms out, still slightly on guard. but then he listens to joe’s words, looks at the way he smiles and then he can’t help himself. gin’s always been comfortable around sara, but joe always exerted a different sort of comfort for gin. it was the ‘oh, so this is what it’d be like to have a big brother,’ sort of comfort and though gin’s lived all his life without those feelings, he did feel a sort of loneliness the moment joe was gone. 

    ❝ awoo... ❞ gin whimpers sound very much so like a small puppy as he buries himself against joe’s chest, mew-chan squished between them. the tears he didn’t even know he were keeping back spilling at at the corners of his eyes. he feels the warmth radiating off of the elder’s body, can vaguely hear the beating of his heart and the immediate comfort of knowing that this joe is alive and not a doll is unbelievable. gin finds himself squishing even closer to joe, because now there’s someone he knows here! and it’s big bro joe! thank goodness. 

    “i’m sorry i almost attacked you, big bro joe...! a-and called you a fake, meow...!” he sniffles, definitely getting the front of joe’s clothes wet with his tears. “i don’t really get it, but i’m glad you’re alive, woof...!”

[inustincts-blog]

big bro joe...?

  Joe looks absolutely astounded. Completely gobsmacked. A zombie– a zombie? Gin’s… not entirely wrong, he thinks, and the elder makes quick work of checking the pulse on his neck despite hearing his heart thud in his ears already. He relaxes a touch at the feeling, especially when he witnesses Gin drop his defenses. There, this encounter is right back on the track he hoped for!

  “ Yeah, yeah, that’s me! I’m Big Bro Joe! ” he answers, expression brightening within an instant. His arms are out for a hug, inviting the younger to approach him. Unfortunately, the dispersion of the tense air comes to an abrupt halt when Gin starts talking about… dolls? He remembers Miley (the thought leaves a bad taste in his mouth) and the ones from the Russian Roulette room, but…

  He shakes his thoughts from his head, steeling his resolve and slowly dropping into a crouch. “ I dunno what dolls you’re talking about, but… if you need to hit me to make sure I’m real and that you can trust me, then go for it…! ”

  ( A bruise is worth making sure Gin doesn’t take off, get lost, or fall into harm’s way. Besides, what can a smack from a giant cat paw really do anyways? )

       he had seen how a fake participant acts and joe fits the bill relatively well. but if gin were honest... he doesn’t actually think miley and the rest could even follow him to eidolon. after all, when he came to and asked about the death game, all he was met with were blank stares. diadem had brought him here for a reason apparently, and he doesn’t really know why, but his death collar is gone so maybe he can actually believe in what joe says. 

    it doesn’t seem like anything related to the game can affect them here, after all. so maybe... this really is joe?

    gripping mew-chan closer, gin meets joe’s gaze, lips pursed behind his face mask. ❝ ... it’s not like i really want to hurt you, meow... ❞ green irises fall to his shoes, toes wiggling in his modified cat boots. “it’s complicated to explain, woof... i-i mean, big bro joe, you...” his entire demeanor seems to droop, a stark contrast to his previous fiery atmosphere. he clutches mew-chan even closer to his chest, arms wrapping around them in a hug for comfort. 

    “... you’re really big bro joe arent you, woof? you remember everything from the main game, meow? because if you didn’t, i think then you’d really be a doll, but...” perhaps he’s a little lonely, now that he’s away from people he thought of companions. it really does look as if gin’s searching for a reason to trust the elder, doesn’t it?

[inustincts-blog]

big bro joe?

  Well, this could be going better! Joe scratches at his head and lets out a soft groan as he wanders aimlessly in the Fields of Theama, furrowing his eyebrows. His eyes had been on Gin for all besides like, a minute maybe, and now he’s lost the child. Concern burrows itself into his chest and Joe hurries about, hoping to catch a reflection of him.

  He does, thankfully. Unfortunately, the peace doesn’t last long enough for him to get words out and instead he lets out a scream when Gin pounces at him. Now, Joe would like to think he’s strong enough to hold off a child intent on a fight, but the suddenness doesn’t allow that.

  ( Joe takes mild solace in the fact he’s allegedly not scary, but the stammer and reaction itself put a dent in that. )

  Instead, he stumbles to the side, listening to Gin talk before realization comes crashing down on him. “ W - Wait, Gin–! I know this is real weird, but I promise I’m alive! ” he spits out, tripping over his own words briefly. “ Put your claws away, all right?! ”

       for a ghost, the thing’s pretty smart! but then again, why would a ghost need to step to the side to dodge an attack? wouldn’t gin fly right through him? unless this is a zombie?! okay, he’ll retract that ‘not scary’ statement, because zombies are pretty gosh darn scary! but still... gin’s not scared! okay, he is, he really is, because how can a kid beat the undead, like shouldn’t there be a rule against a surprise attack?!

    ... not that gin could talk. he did just pounce out of no where. and he’s poised to pounce again and— wait, did the zombie just talk? 

    ❝ myeow?! i thought zombies could only groan, woof?! ❞ he takes a moment to pause in his stance, one foot already up in the air because he really was going to attack again. but joe looks... very much so alive. he didn’t look all... drained out. his leg is dropped, mew-chan held close to his chest as he hesitantly calls out, brows furrowed. “big bro joe...?” but wait! wait! dolls were a thing, yeah! what if those things came to follow him?! it doesn’t really make sense, but he’s on alert again. sorry, it’s what happens when you’re trying to survive. joe would understand, right? 

    “w-wait, meow! if this is a trick from that doll lady by sending out more dolls, i’ll pummel you, woof!”

[inustincts-blog]

@pocketdogged

       gin’s young, small, and with his outfit, it really does seem he can’t be left alone. but he has some survival tact. coupled with his genuine desire to be helpful, he can’t exactly sit still. however, the child is still incredibly naive. the cliffs were out of the question ( people said it’s very sharp there! ) and going to a scary mountain alone? no thank you. he figured the fields of theama would be the easiest to navigate, but again... gin can come across as childishly naive. 

    he’s taken only a few steps inside, and he already feels like he’s seeing things. a glance to the side, and... that head of hair is far too familiar. gin pauses in his walking, debating if he should run with his tail between his legs or try to beat this illusion away. after all, that person is gone. that’s right. they can’t meet again, so this is just a trick of the mind! yeah!

    as if that’s enough to convince himself, gin immediately turns around and jumps at this supposed vision.

    ❝ s-stay away, meow! ghosts aren’t scary, woof! ❞ and there are his claws, ready to scratch at the ‘illusion’ until it’s gone. “i’ve seen scarier stuff, and you’re nothing, meow!”

[inustincts-blog]

gin ibushi // your turn to die

plucked right out of a death game, so he’s a little disoriented.

ends his sentences with woof or meow! he really likes animals. it’s to the point his smelling is off the charts. 

outgoing only when wearing his cat-bat poncho ( click! ). if you find him out of it, he comes across as really polite and well-behaved. but how he acts when wearing his usual outfit is how he really is, woof!

nice people are like big siblings, meow!

don’t talk mew-chan away from him or you’ll catch these claws on his paws like for real

currently, gin works as a scout! as such, you can find him wandering around pretty much everywhere ( unsupervised, but when you try your best to survive in a death game, he’s gotten pretty good at being independent ). however, with a certain worrywart, people tagging along for his scout errands is always good! sometimes. idk being supervised seems kinda dumb in his opinion, but gin’ll listen to big bro joe. also you can find him watching the animals around eido pretty often. like a lot. he might get a cold from how often he just sits in the snow and watches.

> i’ll tag kgsn spoilers with #ksgsn spoilers so pls blacklist it if you plan on playing the game!! (pls play the game) <

[eidolonpath]

hi it's rika again i'm a menace but! without prior reserve, i'd like to app gin ibushi from your turn to die (kimi ga shine)! app + stats can be found in their respective links in the sidebar, ty once again ; v ;

Welcome to Eidolon, traveler. Wishes have brought you far, and we know they will only bring you further.

You will find your residence in Bunkhouse #3.

Your dear Mew-chan sits upon your mattress…

Search, seek, persist. Take heart in your heart.

May Diaidem bless you.