[Thank god their stuff is here or Karlach would not be the only person he tries to stab on opening weekend. Sometimes you need your emotional support weapon.
Kanda's immediately changing back into his normal clothes as soon as they get their stuff!! He's got a second long coat over the first one and his hair tied up in a ponytail. He also has his sword, which is unsheathed as he studies it, checking for damage. Yay!!
I. I'm sorry he isn't going to start this conversation BUT PLEASE LOVE ME]
[It took me so long to write these starters jesus christ
Depending on how early Rondo is up in the morning, he can find Kanda out in the woods, training with his sword!! Otherwise he can just catch him. Idk. Existing somewhere. Anywhere but the theater because there are already too many clowns in his life.
Either way, he'll be able to see the word falling on the back of Kanda's hand at some point, showing through his glove thingy. Wowie]
[ rondo is a sword boy and a freak and therefore...of course he's awake early in the morning!!! he's out for a run, doing his own training routine, but when he spots kanda he slows to a stop.
it's from a fair distance - though not in any way subtle - and he keeps his mouth shut, but for a moment, rondo just stops and leans against one of the trees to catch his breath and just watch him work with his sword for a little while, studying his movements and his positions. almost subconsciously, when kanda does something really cool that he likes, he shifts where he's standing and adjusts his own position to mirror it, watching the way his arms move and slowly starting to practice the same movement. he doesn't take out his own sword, but mimes anyway. like this? is it like this...
wow... there really is a lot to learn from the people here. ]
[ you remember how i joked dw i will start every pc with swords well this was not a joke
it's friday! and as of friday, rondo is out with his sword. you can probably hear him, honestly. he's moving through the motions of his sword drills, his noises are loud, but they're fiercer than before, sharper than before. frustrated. stay sharp. stay sharp.
across his back, the inky tattoos of the week have multiplied - the shadows and ink coalescing in more than one spot, spattering a perfectly white cloak. not being strong enough to protect the people you care for. not being strong enough to protect the people you care for. not being strong enough to protect the people you care for. not being strong enough to protect the people you care for. ]
Kanda also has his sword, but it's just in his hand, the way it always is. He looks serious and focused, his hair tied up and his black coat buttoned all the way. Instead of the word on his hand, this time, he has a number in the low thousands on his shoulder.
He recognizes this for what it is, so he'll wait for a good opportunity--a slight break in Rondo's patterns, before he speaks up. He doesn't think he needs to ask if Rondo's seen the posters or heard what happened, judging by the cloak, so:]
Boothill's body burned up, which means Kanda doesn't have run around in paranoia like he did on Friday; once it's all over, he sheathes his sword and strides away, quick and decisive.
Rondo can find him out by the water, like he often is; he's standing with his arms crossed, sword in hand. The lotus tattoo is back on his hand, and he's quiet and still as he looks at... the water? Maybe? His gaze doesn't sit quite right on it, but. It's fine.]
rondo's out for a walk after all of that - when he spots kanda on his first round, he doesn't stop by, but... when he comes by the water again and finds kanda still there, he pauses, and then turns, his footsteps echoing lightly across the ground as he comes up to stand beside him.
he puts his hand to his heart, briefly, and bows his head, and thinks - thinks about what he might say to someone different, in this moment. his voice softens a little, usual volume toned down. ]
... Mr. Kanda. [ he greets, subdued. ] ...A leaf for your thoughts?
[It's affection week but Rondo's still going to have to work for this one
By which I mean even though we have new locations, he will still have to find Kanda in the usual spots, e.g. training in the woods or meditating by the water!! Kanda please get another fucking hobby. Go watch some TV. Jesus.]
[ i almost wrote you a really, really stupid starter and decided to restrain myself be proud of me. instead you get this, which is rondo coming up to kanda when he sees him meditating. he... realizes what's going on, because he's seen people do this before, and he stops himself from speaking out loud.
and he. comes to sit next to him and takes a deep breath, and then closes his eyes. sure. okay. meditation. he can hang out and do this for a few minutes.
for...
.... a few minutes....
.......after maybe ten minutes, he opens an eye to try and peek at kanda to see if he has moved. or breathed. are you breathing. how do you DO this. ]
kanda can find rondo here, for once, being quiet... he has his hands knitted together, and his eyes down, and he's murmuring something out loud, just loud enough to be heard, focused. ]
...I pray that Aventurine and Sir Boothill's souls walk the path of the Sacred Flame, so that they may find peace in the afterlife. May they continue to guide us, on this night that may turn dark.
But, as a member of the church, this is hardly the first time he's seen someone praying, and he's (shockingly) not so rude (these days) that he'd interrupt, at least not when they're both in a public space. Whether he thinks it's stupid or not, well. He'll keep that to himself unless Rondo gets annoying about it.
[HELLO well firstly, depending on if Rondo left and came back or not, he'll probably notice that despite leaving the general area, Kanda's only taken up a guard position a little ways away from the barrier, keeping an eye on Jailed Erin. If Rondo is, like, throwing himself at the barrier or otherwise visibly distraught or whatnot he'll keep an eye on him...
Other than that, he may or may not swap out guard duty with Lavi--Rondo can also find him out in the woods running through his nightly sword forms like usual if he doesn't feel like chatting near the pyre.]
[ it's really funny that you say this because i have written the exact same starter this evening by which i mean. rondo is also here, keeping guard by the pyre!!! SO THEY ARE TRULY JUST HERE VIBING(?) ALL NIGHT
the good news is he is not in fact throwing himself at the barrier. he's... actually fairly calm, for the most part, just standing with his hand on his sword, looking into the blue of the flame. it's only after a few visitors have come and gone that he finally speaks up, in a moment of silence. ]
Despite his best efforts, Kanda can't avoid everyone forever; eventually, they'll cross paths, and Rondo gets to see a memory.
((CWs for this include mild hallucinations and body horror (arms); if you need a different memory just lmk!! I also have it in video form but it's a lot less pretty. RIP Hallow's budget, we never knew ye.))]
[ c'moooon don't you wanna spar kanda. come onnnnnnnnnn rondo does. rondo doesn't care about memshare, his memory spaghetti is everywhere.
which means eventually he finds kanda, which means of course, eventually, they get snapped into up to the ye olde memory void. there's... there's a lot happening, here, but the central message comes through as clear as a bell.
choice. the choice to return to the fight. the claiming of a weapon. the lotus flowers - the lotus flower kanda had on him during their first week, here. the entire memory takes rondo's breath away, and when it finally settles, he looks just. a little stunned? ]
rondo is in fact sturdy! sometimes you are a paladin!!! he is no longer by the swamp, he's probably just laying down somewhere comfy. kanda will find him changed back into his usual knights' uniform, though it's hard to tell if his injuries are healed up or not? except one - at the spot where his collar is open, he can spy that the skin around rondo's throat is blackened and cracked, and it is pulsating gently, a bright, glowy shade of blue. that's fine.
his senses are good, though, so. when he hears footsteps, he opens his eyes? and then offers a slight smile and a bow of his head. ] Mr. Kanda... it heartens me to see you.
[Why you don't make friends in situations where people are constantly dying: example 739579275
Anyway he is out here by the stream as usual, meditating quietly... did he like the dead people? Who's to say. Perhaps we'll never know. But Rondo can find him pretty easily out here, and he makes no move to run off, so yay!!]
anyway rondo, who is a fool and always makes friends, is. he's a wreck! as you can probably expect! but by the time he makes his way out to where kanda is, he just comes over and sits down.
usually he's really bad at this sitting still and meditating thing, but today, he's just. miserable. this is the kind of thing sir sazantos would do, the kind of thing that could help clear your mind, so. he sits down very quietly - the only other sound is a wet sniffle, and comes to join him.
kanda might also notice he has something with him now! it's...a Long Bladed Weapon. Wow. What Could This Be. he's holding onto it like it's the most precious thing in the entire world. ]
[Does a starter even though I'm forcing you to come find me again anyway because I am USELESS
But at least Kanda is easy to find. He's by the pyre after execution, wearing his usual outfit plus the second coat he had on back in the early days. He's also got a blanket draped over him, and now and again he seems like he's struggling to breathe, just like he was during execution. But he seems otherwise okay, so, there's that.]
[The funniest part about this is that Kanda is still bundled up in multiple layers and his blanket so Rondo either looks like an asshole or someone extremely confident in Kanda's ability to spar even while he's feeling like shit
But since this is the world's most obvious attack he'll turn and sidestep once Rondo is close enough, throwing out his arm so that Rondo will slam into sheathed Mugen if he doesn't manage to control his momentum in time.]
[He is in the woods! Going through his sword forms. He's using a hair ribbon from the island shop as a blindfold as he does; there's more force to his movements than usual, instead of the usual calm control of someone simply focused on practice.
There are no stray thoughts to catch, though the silence is oppressive and purposeful, like he's intentionally stifling his thoughts.]
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Weekend 0, Saturday
Kanda's immediately changing back into his normal clothes as soon as they get their stuff!! He's got a second long coat over the first one and his hair tied up in a ponytail. He also has his sword, which is unsheathed as he studies it, checking for damage. Yay!!
I. I'm sorry he isn't going to start this conversation BUT PLEASE LOVE ME]
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BY WHICH I MEAN here's rondo!! he is also now sporting a ponytail! he is also sporting more knightly clothes! and more importantly ]
-- Mr. Kanda! You found your sword!!
[ more importantly, it seems rondo also has a sword! his is sheathed at the moment, though, hanging from a belt at his side. ]
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Week 0, Monday
Depending on how early Rondo is up in the morning, he can find Kanda out in the woods, training with his sword!! Otherwise he can just catch him. Idk. Existing somewhere. Anywhere but the theater because there are already too many clowns in his life.
Either way, he'll be able to see the word falling on the back of Kanda's hand at some point, showing through his glove thingy. Wowie]
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it's from a fair distance - though not in any way subtle - and he keeps his mouth shut, but for a moment, rondo just stops and leans against one of the trees to catch his breath and just watch him work with his sword for a little while, studying his movements and his positions. almost subconsciously, when kanda does something really cool that he likes, he shifts where he's standing and adjusts his own position to mirror it, watching the way his arms move and slowly starting to practice the same movement. he doesn't take out his own sword, but mimes anyway. like this? is it like this...
wow... there really is a lot to learn from the people here. ]
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week 0, friday
it's friday! and as of friday, rondo is out with his sword. you can probably hear him, honestly. he's moving through the motions of his sword drills, his noises are loud, but they're fiercer than before, sharper than before. frustrated. stay sharp. stay sharp.
across his back, the inky tattoos of the week have multiplied - the shadows and ink coalescing in more than one spot, spattering a perfectly white cloak. not being strong enough to protect the people you care for. not being strong enough to protect the people you care for. not being strong enough to protect the people you care for. not being strong enough to protect the people you care for. ]
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Kanda also has his sword, but it's just in his hand, the way it always is. He looks serious and focused, his hair tied up and his black coat buttoned all the way. Instead of the word on his hand, this time, he has a number in the low thousands on his shoulder.
He recognizes this for what it is, so he'll wait for a good opportunity--a slight break in Rondo's patterns, before he speaks up. He doesn't think he needs to ask if Rondo's seen the posters or heard what happened, judging by the cloak, so:]
Do you know where the bodies are?
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Week 0, Sunday
Boothill's body burned up, which means Kanda doesn't have run around in paranoia like he did on Friday; once it's all over, he sheathes his sword and strides away, quick and decisive.
Rondo can find him out by the water, like he often is; he's standing with his arms crossed, sword in hand. The lotus tattoo is back on his hand, and he's quiet and still as he looks at... the water? Maybe? His gaze doesn't sit quite right on it, but. It's fine.]
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rondo's out for a walk after all of that - when he spots kanda on his first round, he doesn't stop by, but... when he comes by the water again and finds kanda still there, he pauses, and then turns, his footsteps echoing lightly across the ground as he comes up to stand beside him.
he puts his hand to his heart, briefly, and bows his head, and thinks - thinks about what he might say to someone different, in this moment. his voice softens a little, usual volume toned down. ]
... Mr. Kanda. [ he greets, subdued. ] ...A leaf for your thoughts?
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Week 1, Monday
By which I mean even though we have new locations, he will still have to find Kanda in the usual spots, e.g. training in the woods or meditating by the water!! Kanda please get another fucking hobby. Go watch some TV. Jesus.]
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and he. comes to sit next to him and takes a deep breath, and then closes his eyes. sure. okay. meditation. he can hang out and do this for a few minutes.
for...
.... a few minutes....
.......after maybe ten minutes, he opens an eye to try and peek at kanda to see if he has moved. or breathed. are you breathing. how do you DO this. ]
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w1 thursday
kanda can find rondo here, for once, being quiet... he has his hands knitted together, and his eyes down, and he's murmuring something out loud, just loud enough to be heard, focused. ]
...I pray that Aventurine and Sir Boothill's souls walk the path of the Sacred Flame, so that they may find peace in the afterlife. May they continue to guide us, on this night that may turn dark.
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But, as a member of the church, this is hardly the first time he's seen someone praying, and he's (shockingly) not so rude (these days) that he'd interrupt, at least not when they're both in a public space. Whether he thinks it's stupid or not, well. He'll keep that to himself unless Rondo gets annoying about it.
Eventually:]
Are you staying here?
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Week 1, Saturday
Other than that, he may or may not swap out guard duty with Lavi--Rondo can also find him out in the woods running through his nightly sword forms like usual if he doesn't feel like chatting near the pyre.]
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the good news is he is not in fact throwing himself at the barrier. he's... actually fairly calm, for the most part, just standing with his hand on his sword, looking into the blue of the flame. it's only after a few visitors have come and gone that he finally speaks up, in a moment of silence. ]
... I couldn't cut her down fast enough.
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Week 2, Monday/Tuesday
Despite his best efforts, Kanda can't avoid everyone forever; eventually, they'll cross paths, and Rondo gets to see a memory.
((CWs for this include mild hallucinations and body horror (arms); if you need a different memory just lmk!! I also have it in video form but it's a lot less pretty. RIP Hallow's budget, we never knew ye.))]
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which means eventually he finds kanda, which means of course, eventually, they get snapped into up to the ye olde memory void. there's... there's a lot happening, here, but the central message comes through as clear as a bell.
choice. the choice to return to the fight. the claiming of a weapon. the lotus flowers - the lotus flower kanda had on him during their first week, here. the entire memory takes rondo's breath away, and when it finally settles, he looks just. a little stunned? ]
...Mr. Kanda...
[ tone: embarrassing ]
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Week 2, Thursday
But hello HE WILL COME TO CHECK ON RONDO LAST because Rondo is sturdy... is he still by the swamp. Is he alive.]
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rondo is in fact sturdy! sometimes you are a paladin!!! he is no longer by the swamp, he's probably just laying down somewhere comfy. kanda will find him changed back into his usual knights' uniform, though it's hard to tell if his injuries are healed up or not? except one - at the spot where his collar is open, he can spy that the skin around rondo's throat is blackened and cracked, and it is pulsating gently, a bright, glowy shade of blue. that's fine.
his senses are good, though, so. when he hears footsteps, he opens his eyes? and then offers a slight smile and a bow of his head. ] Mr. Kanda... it heartens me to see you.
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Week 2, Friday
Anyway he is out here by the stream as usual, meditating quietly... did he like the dead people? Who's to say. Perhaps we'll never know. But Rondo can find him pretty easily out here, and he makes no move to run off, so yay!!]
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anyway rondo, who is a fool and always makes friends, is. he's a wreck! as you can probably expect! but by the time he makes his way out to where kanda is, he just comes over and sits down.
usually he's really bad at this sitting still and meditating thing, but today, he's just. miserable. this is the kind of thing sir sazantos would do, the kind of thing that could help clear your mind, so. he sits down very quietly - the only other sound is a wet sniffle, and comes to join him.
kanda might also notice he has something with him now! it's...a Long Bladed Weapon. Wow. What Could This Be. he's holding onto it like it's the most precious thing in the entire world. ]
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Week 3, Monday
They are at the Academy! He is looking at this gemstone egg with displeasure.]
We should break this.
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[ its alpha week so he can be emboldened enough to say things like this ]
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But at least Kanda is easy to find. He's by the pyre after execution, wearing his usual outfit plus the second coat he had on back in the early days. He's also got a blanket draped over him, and now and again he seems like he's struggling to breathe, just like he was during execution. But he seems otherwise okay, so, there's that.]
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week 4, monday
kanda is going to hear... thoughts! just like. the loudest thoughts. there's absolutely nothing subtle about this at all
Don't say you're wide open don't say you're wide open don't say you're wide open
and then the sound of someone running and then a sword coming at him!!!!!!!!!!! it's a controlled strike that is like clearly not designed to hurt
but also
are you wide open
SPARRING TIME ]
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But since this is the world's most obvious attack he'll turn and sidestep once Rondo is close enough, throwing out his arm so that Rondo will slam into sheathed Mugen if he doesn't manage to control his momentum in time.]
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w4, tues
where is he i guess i can't say that he'd go seeking but also ??? ]
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There are no stray thoughts to catch, though the silence is oppressive and purposeful, like he's intentionally stifling his thoughts.]
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