deercountry | [Open] 🚬 April Flames

Entry tags:

[Open] 🚬 April Flames

Who: Dabi & others
What: April Catch-All
When: Various
Where: April

Content Warnings: Scenes and mentions of domestic / child abuse, some body horor and monstrous transformations, violence, adult language, topics of patricide and fratricide

Notes: General and specific starters will be below. Contact under cut.

If you want to hit me up for ideas on prompts or plots, feel free to comment on Dabi's plotting post, hit me up on my contacts – Plurk (

StarSeed69) / Discord (StarSeed#3572) – shoot me a PM, or drop an ooc comment down below, and we’ll hash it out. I'm down to write a unique starter for our threads if you prefer.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The guy makes a remark on his upbringing and Naruto pauses, thinking about how to respond. I never met my parents, technically isn’t true. I met them briefly in my head and we didn’t get around to talking about manners, admittedly sounds weird. Pa was resurrected as a zombie, but we were too busy fighting a war to chat, just invites more questions than he’s prepared to answer. With a huff, Naruto decides to ignore the comment entirely for the sake of not overcomplicating things. The stranger moves on either way, leaving that conversational tangent in the dust.

Hands on his knees, the blond hums. Hate pickin’. Now there’s an idea. He wonders what that would look like. Probably much more aggressive, if nothing else. Then again, for all he knows…the guy really could be picking these plants out of spite. What if they’re venomous? Maybe the stranger plans on killing someone with them that way.

“They’re not venomous,” Kurama rumbles within his psyche, sounding exasperated. “The word you’re looking for is ‘poisonous.’”]

What difference does it make? [mutters Naruto aloud, only to startle—realizing that he probably shouldn’t be talking to the biju verbally. Laughing awkwardly, he tries to smoothly cover for the error.] Uh, sorry. I meant to say… I’m exploring. My map doesn’t go beyond the forest. So, I wanna see what’s on the other side. Might help us all get the hell outta here.

[As for the question of whether Naruto has a better way of picking the plants…well, he’s completely forgotten the inquiry. Oh well.]

[that pause is more telling than the stranger things. dabi immediately suspects on what that means. a bad relationship with his parents is his initial suspicion. but considering the wording and response, maybe it's something more along the lines of "never got taught" excuse. so no parents then? or the pause indicates he lost his parents and the mention of them is still painful. dabi's used to assuming things about people, never trusting their words or actions at face value until he's checked them out. even then, very hard for him to trust anyone completely. other problem is he doesn't give a shit.

another set of leaves are stripped and go into the bag, with the stem uprooted and following after the dirt shake. aggressive harvesting would look far more violent and probably have a thumb cut or at least see someone shoving a spade into the ground with rage. dabi hadn't learned enough at the apothecary to recognize a poisonous plant; these are simply the only kind he'd been introduced to that the people in that place want.]

Wouldn't be bitchin at someone for doin it wrong. [thinking that comment was directed at him, dabi tosses a retort right back at him. he glances up at the awkward laugh, eyes narrowing on it. oh? ... interesting. leave that for another time.] Explorin.

Think if that were the case, we'd've heard about it already. [everyone who goes that deep ends up dead. so he's heard. but they also... come back? that's something he heard once and can't quite get his head around it. still, this guy's intention... might be useful. dabi's wondered about the forest as well. something that kills you for going too deep means it's probably hiding.]

[The stranger makes a decent point; the community probably would know by now whether there’s any reason to explore beyond Trenchwood. Still, Naruto suffers from a chronic case of shōnen-protagonist syndrome—where others have failed, he’s confident that he’ll succeed. Uncompromising resolve has always carried him to his goals. Why should this be any different? So, after thinking about the situation for a moment, Naruto simply shakes his head in disagreement.]

The map’s blank cuz it’s too dangerous for people to explore. Means they haven’t had a chance to really check things out properly. I’m no… [A pause.] …map maker—

[“Cartographer, you fool.”]

Shuddup. Like I said, I’m no map maker, but I can at least scout the area and report back. Plus… [Here, he unknowingly echoes Dabi’s thoughts.] …the more dangerous a place is? More likely it is something’s being guarded. Like a way out.

[it's been a few months from what he's heard, maybe just skirting half a year, but considering the strength of the people in this community and the apparent... resurrection going on, what would stop people from running out to go exploring the boundaries of their current "prison" setting? asides from being wary of the pain of death (how very logical) and the desire to explore the civilization they've suddenly found themselves within. that could take quite a while. dabi has explored some, but taken caution to keep closer to the pockets of society and only go far enough to find the plants he wants. little by little.]

Cartographer?

[pretty sure that's the word he'd tried to go for, before ending up with grade school "map maker" instead. see, this is why he called him a "kid" earlier. so far haven't proven him wrong.]

Oh yeah? [that gets a curious lift in his voice and dabi looks at naruto with an inquisitive arch of a brow (might miss it under the shadows and his choppy bangs). but he's intrigued.] Who ya reportin back to?

[probably the vague "everyone" but figures he might ask. though the villain does scoff in amusement when the kid seems to read along with his own thoughts. he tugs another plant loose.]

Kinda thinkin the same thing, kid.

[When even the stranger corrects him on the terminology, Naruto colors a bit in embarrassment—not that it’ll be obvious in the dark. Someone should have paid more attention in school, it seems. Maybe then he would have known the difference between poisonous and venomous.]

Quit calling me “kid,” static-hair. [How’s that for a nickname?] It’s Uzumaki Naruto. …Uzumaki is the family name. People don’t seem to get that around here.

[Bringing his hand up, he suddenly sinks too sharp teeth into the palm—hard enough to draw blood. Dabi probably won’t be able to tell the color in the limited light available, but the scent is distinctive of a warmblood: tar. The fluid collects in the center of his palm, then forms into the shape of an omni. (It would have been faster to just take the omni out of his knapsack, but honestly? This method is so much more metal.) Naruto awkward navigates through the device, clearly unused to such technology. Eventually, he finds what he’s looking for.]

I’ll be reporting back to my teammates. Haruno Sakura. [A picture of a smiling, pink-haired young woman is displayed.] And Uchiha Sasuke. [This picture is blurry; it looks as though Sasuke had been abruptly turning away from the camera when the photo was caught.] Know ‘em?

[normally he didn't care to correct someone, but he's still a bit jilted from that introduction, so the more asshole side of him is sitting pretty on the surface. the conversation's at least piqued his interest now and with a few more cuts and tugs, he finishes up with the harvesting he's doing, shoving the last of the plants into his bag.]

Maybe if ya were older, I wouldn't. [eh, he's had way worse as a nickname. surprised his hair's the thing the blonde decided to comment on with that. usually people go for the more obvious target.] Uzumaki, huh. [that's actually the normal style he's used to, so it's nice to have someone here introduce the same.

dabi's about to stand up when the kid suddenly bites right into his palm. the show of blood instantly makes his eyes widen and he pushes up to his feet in a quiet caution. look, he'd had it pounded into him that drawing blood for any kind of purpose in an unprotected place is a bad thing. still, as long as that blood's not dripping on the ground, they should be fine, right? (he's still used to blood smelling of copper, so...) but before he can worry too much about that, that stone-like item appears and he realizes uzumaki brought out the omni.]

Ya couldn't've taken it outta your pocket?

[a dry voice at that. he situates the bag over one shoulder, strap crossing his chest in a diagonal to his opposite hip, and focuses on the images shown. more kids... what a surprise.]

Nope. They from your world?

[Once the stranger confirms that he doesn’t know Sasuke or Sakura, Naruto huffs a sigh in disappointment—not unlike a grandparent who had been eager to show off more pictures in their wallet of the grandchildren. It’s probably for the best, however; this isn’t the time to get distracted. He has a mission. (A self-assigned mission, but a mission nonetheless.) And so, switching the omni off and shoving the device into a pocket, he follows Dabi’s example and stands too. Though Dabi’s long, slender proportions give off the impression that he’s much taller, Naruto is pleased to note that they’re nearly the same height. Fortunately for Naruto, he’s still growing. Sucks not to be a “kid.”]

Yep, they’re from my world.

[It doesn’t escape his notice that the other young man doesn’t provide a name. That’s fine with Naruto; the blond is accustomed to relying on nicknames anyway. “Static-hair” will do just fine.]

Anyway, I should get going. [He pauses, considering.] Earlier, I sensed those…things—[Beasts? Pthumerians?]—toward the center of the forest, but they might be on the move now. Don’t hang out here on your own if you can’t defend yourself.

[Which? Hard to tell, with this guy. Unaware that they’re self-inflicted, the burn scars suggest to Naruto that the stranger has been on the receiving end of brutality. Furthermore, considering how difficult it is to make out anything in the dark, he can’t get a good sense of Dabi’s musculature. All in all, Naruto doesn’t want to assume that the young man is a fighter or not.]

[with the blood gone, not dripped on the ground but instead used to... summon that device, he assumes, the scarred man eases off the initial wariness and reverts to the normal disinterested caution he seems to take around people. one hand on the strap of his bag, the other one left to dangle by his side. naruto's not the only one who notices they're similar in height, which earns a silent sneer and "tch" from the villain. fucking kids growing into their heights too early... whatever. he's taken down large people plenty. still annoying.]

How many ya got from your world here?

[might be an invasive question, but considering the nature of the Trench and all the people who arrived, is it that bad of one? the guy looks pretty trusting, though at the moment, dabi's not ready to label him completely stupid. earlier vocabulary aside. people from the same world usually stick together, so it's nice to know if there's going to be a larger pocket of "alliance" running around he needs to be aware of.]

Ya sensed them? [his interest is piqued once more and dabi glances around the forest, having kept his sense of direction around him enough to know which is the "center" area and which is the way he came, ergo the way back towards civilization. whether that's the true center or just more forest, no clue. but if this kid can sense the creatures around...] That's pretty useful, Uzumaki.

[the way dabi drawls his name is making a jerkish point of not calling him "kid" in purpose. sue him.]

Don't worry about me. But if ya gonna head in further, ya might want some company.

[more or less inviting himself along to be the guy's shadow. he steps forward, leaving the pruned plant bed behind him and approaching naruto more closely. still a little taller than him, maybe by a centimeter or two...]

Ya good with that?

[Seems like he’s been upgraded from “kid” to a mocking “Uzumaki.” Small victories. Either way, Naruto will take it. He watches without overt concern as the guy approaches—definitely not on the defensive, despite the incredible wealth of hatred Dabi exuded. It’s one-part naivety and one-part arrogance. Overall, Naruto is generally willing to place his trust in complete strangers. Sometimes, even in established villainous foes. So far, only a few days into his stay, he’s been given no reason to be wary of other Sleepers in this dimension. Not to mention, his powers have been returned to him since his arrival; because of this, Naruto is cocksure of his ability to handle any potential danger that may come.

By the end of the day, that overconfidence will be his downfall.

For now, Dabi is treated to a long, searching look. Though Naruto doesn’t mind the company, he still doesn’t know whether he can rely on the stranger to back him up in a fight. Ultimately, the blond decides it doesn’t matter; surely Naruto can cover for them both if necessary.]

Sure. Here, take my map. I’d rather have my hand free, just in case. [Said map is offered to Dabi. That done, he turns to start heading deeper into the forest.] And it’s just those two from my dimension. We’re shinobi—so they’ve got useful skills too.

[There’s obvious pride in his voice as he discusses his teammates; it won’t be hard to glean how important these individuals are to him.]

Sakura-chan’s a healer. She’s settin’ up a clinic in the city if you ever need one. [The clinic is focused primarily on mental health, but Naruto neglects to mention that.] What ‘bout you? Got friends from home here?

[better than getting whined at every time he uses "kid" to address him. if it's any consolation, the hated of his chakra feels restrained despite the intensity. like it had a focus at one point, but no longer does. a hunger that lost its quarry. the intent still there, burning as hot as ever, but unable to move forward, a door in front of of that fire-spewing furnace. endeavor's not here. while dabi has no lost love for "the world" and "people" in general, all of that's been a collateral damage and deliberate infliction to torment his father. that said, dabi's not an idiot and has no idea about what abilities this kid has. best to keep things neutral and see what advantages he has or can make, then act on them.

if he can make use of naruto, better for him.

still not offering any idea on what he can do either, asides from vouching that he can handle himself. thing is, being in the middle of a forest is a massive benefit for him. it's hard for much to do anything when surrounded by an out of control forest fire.]

Any idea who made the effort to map this out so far? [even if it's blank beyond the forest, any map's useful, if only for comparison at that. he takes it, noting naruto's missing right arm. interesting...] I'm guessin ya ain't talkin about the one's dressed in black with masks over their faces.

[he's read about ninja in the past. japanese history, legends and lore, even if "shinobi" are simply remnants of the past in his hero-based world. they still live in comics and some heroes (or villains) whose quirks relate to their lore. though the fishnet shirt this kid's wearing makes a little more sense. (weird ninja fashion.) picks up on the teammate camaraderie pretty easily too.]

Tell her to check in with some bitch named Junia. She runs a clinic in an old church. Doesn't seem to trust the Lumenarium.

[name dropping because he doesn't give a shit.]

A few. Wouldn't call any of 'em friends.

[As they venture deeper, he slips wordlessly into Six Paths Sage Mode. The form is distinguishable only by a new iris color and unusual pupil shape; without proper lighting, Dabi is unlikely to notice the difference. But like this, Naruto can continue tracking chakra at incredible ranges—without the obnoxious glow from Kurama Mode alerting enemies of their presence. Now that he’s once again tuned in to the channel of energy flowing throughout Deer Country like a circulatory system, the shinobi notes positioning. The two Sleepers are approximately half a mile from a considerable chakra source. Although his goal today doesn’t involve fighting beasts, Naruto veers toward the outer boundary of that direction. He’s curious.

Static-hair asks him if he knows who drew the map, which the blond answers with a shake of his head. Upon arriving in this dimension, he was handed a knapsack—the one currently strapped to his back. Buried in the knapsack was a journal, with penmanship Naruto could hardly manage to discern. The map had been tucked away inside that journal, a valuable find. Explaining this doesn’t seem worth the effort however, especially considering the other conversation topics that follow.]

Some shinobi use masks, [he says, confused by the remark; Naruto hasn’t been exposed to pop culture and media where ninja are concerned.] Dunno what the color they’re wearing has to do with anything. I guess black is better for stealth missions? Orange’s cooler, though.

[An askance glance scrutinizes Dabi at the causal usage of the word “bitch.” Naruto has been known to cuss himself, but he has to wonder about the relationship between his temporary ally and Junia. Either way, even if this Junia woman has earned the insulting reference, he decides to keep the name in mind. Sakura can handle all kinds of people—including “bitches.” This might be a good connection for her medical services.]

About the folk from your dimension… You’re not friends, you said. That cuz you don’t really know ‘em yet or cuz you won’t let 'em be your friends?

[The question is inspired primarily by Dabi’s aura of hatred. Naruto figures he can get a decent idea of what the young man is like based on the answer.]

[without any kind of sensory ability of his own, dabi's left allowing naruto to lead. but that's fine; he's left the guidance up to more skilled people before, content to be the cannon aimed and fired so long as it's clear it remains his choice to be both pointed and fired. never was a true team player. simply knew how to act the part of one as necessary. does keep a side eye on the other boy, collecting what small bits of details from him that he can.

contrary to the kid, dabi had avoided anyone wanting to hand him anything and ended up stealing his own bag, the worn black square one strapped to the side of his leg, a safety lash hooked about his belt above it for extra security (once he found out how important that bag was to his life here). he's found a number of useful things in there, from the omni to the journal, but lacking a map, he'd been interested in finding on. something more official than someone sending him a picture of the item...]

Take it ya don't do many stealth missions then. [if he's running around wearing something like orange as a preference. dabi's starting to catch on this guy's world is different in culture and knowledge than their own.

he doesn't even notice the look at his language. there are people from his world who use far worse and dabi himself is a rude bastard that doesn't bother to hold his tongue for anyone. sometimes, like this one, he simply's rude without even meaning to. bitch is a bitch. weird woman too. but at least she wasn't lying about having some medical experience.]

Nah. It's cause they'd like to lock me up in a cell and forget I exist.

[again, it's decidedly casual, as if he's doesn't mind talking about such things. his tone's got the worn edge of someone who's seen plenty of shit and stopped giving one a while ago, save for the few things that actually matter to him. the way nartuo words the question immediately alerts dabi this kid's some kind of "friendship" idiot. didn't even consider the "not friends = enemies" option.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Open] 🚬 April Flames

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject