(Cover Art credit goes to : 望月けい@初画集 @key_999 on twitter)
SPOILER! FOR THE EVENTS OF THE MUGEN TRAIN BELOW:
This is a story in which YOU , dear reader, indulge in the rare pleasure of shifting into the wonderful (or is it?) world of Kimetsu no yaib...
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Please refer to these images from the movie Tenki no ko (Weathering with you) : I feel they really fit the (initial) dreamy aesthetic I was trying to go for ~
Falling through the air. A whimsical and almost other-worldly experience signalling the end of a fitful slumber and the commencement of a new day. You embraced the feeling as you sighed in contentment, readying yourself to be greeted by the tall, white ceiling and decadent pillows of your boudoir.
Except it never came.
Could you have perhaps been stuck in a lucid dream? If so, why on earth had you been falling in it for so long? You cracked open your eyes and to your surprise, was met with a clear, blue sky dusted with speckled clouds.
"Am I still dreaming?"
Well, the universe was about to answer your question. Albeit in quite a cruel fashion; for in the following seconds you were met, back-first, with solidified concrete flooring and overcome with the very real feeling of excruciating pain.
SLAM
"Ugh..."
But before you could dwell on the feeling any further, a booming voice cut through your confusion-ridden thoughts and re-directed your focus.
"A beautiful lady with a flamboyant entrance, how very entertaining!"
"Do you know her Tengen-dono?" A timid and sweet female voice inquired
"Not in the slightest!" The extravagant voice inched closer until you were able to gaze upon the handsome face of its owner. "I see that you've badly broken your bones... to suffer for the sake of greatness, admirable indeed little lady."
Huh?
"U-Uzui-chan?"
"It seems you are aware of me then, my dear?"
The sound pillar regarded you subtly with the look one casts at a pigeon who'd had the audacity to take a dump on a renowned historical landmark. A little disgusted, but mostly amused.
And who could blame him?
You looked awful. From what you could gather due to the reflections provided by the dazzling appearance of the man crouched at your side, your hair looked akin to what the aforementioned pigeon would go home to every evening in the treetops and due to the state you'd worked yourself up in the evening before, you had decided to pick a fitting nightie to reflect your mood; old and slightly crusted from years of shoddy ironing endured...
Your dreadful appearance aside... It really was him! Uzui Tengen! Those (gorgeous) eyes, that (insanely fashionable) attire, the (bulging, chiselled) biceps...
No... you must have finally lost your marbles.
And such an observation sent you into a spiral of internal conflict:
I probably didn't see him properly... but I can't really move so It's impossible to get a better look... Maaaaaaan how the hell did I get into this mess? I'm certain I went to bed INSIDE just like any other night... I'm probably still dreaming... but it feels and sounds so real... no... I've just been watching too much anime... Yes, that's all.
During the time you had observed what you could of your peculiar circumstances, including the insanely familiar face - and voice for that matter – you'd just interacted with, the initial adrenaline build-up in your body had dissipated and your awareness was once again brought back to your aching bones, twisted and badly mangled from your recent fall.
The discomfort was such that your body had begun to shut down; eyelids heavy with breathing becoming deep and laborious. The sudden cacophony of overhead voices morphed into radio silence and the image of the man above you faded into black...
You glided into a state of unconsciousness. Hoping that when you awoke, you'd be free of whatever madness had been concocted in your mind's eye.
