The forest was quiet except for birdsong and the distant croak of frogs. Morning sunlight slipped through the trees, landing right on David's bare butt.
He groaned, blinking against the light. "Ugh… why do I always wake up like this?" He looked around at the empty forest and sighed. "Great. I'm naked. Again."
From behind a nearby bush came the sound of rustling—and then gagging.
"BLAUGH!"
David turned just in time to see Daryl stumble out, his hair a mess, eyes droopy, and skin pale like chalk.
"M-Mr. H-Hawk," Daryl croaked, leaning on a tree for support. "I-I… I've bought us a place to stay… for the—"
David, still sitting on the grass, rubbed his eyes. "The week?"
Daryl nodded weakly. "Y-Yes… yes, the week."
He managed to hold up one finger like he was making a noble declaration—then immediately turned, sprinted to another bush, and vomited again.
David just sighed. "Yup. Definitely still drunk."
He stood up, brushing leaves off his body. "Man, this is just my life now. Naked in the woods with a hungover swordsman. Great."
Daryl finally straightened up, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "N-Not to worry," he said, trying to sound composed but failing miserably. "I've already bought you clothes."
He stumbled over to a large wooden chest sitting under a tree and tapped the lid proudly.
David blinked. "Wait—what the hell!? How did you even carry that giant thing all the way out here?"
Daryl smirked faintly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, it was easy. I just followed you a few miles after you went insane last night—hitting random people with your stupid stick, Sticky—then ran out into the woods screaming about wanting to 'fight the moon.'"
David squinted. "I… what?"
"Oh, yes," Daryl continued, rubbing his temple. "And since I was drunk too, I thought, 'Well, if he dies, at least I'll finally get some peace.' So I chased you, knocked you out with my beautiful saber—" he tapped the hilt affectionately "—and dragged you out here hoping a wolf would eat you. But apparently, even the forest creatures have standards."
David smirked. "Ha ha. Very funny, jackass."
He walked up to the chest, opened it, and pulled out a neatly folded outfit. "Huh. You really did get me clothes."
Daryl crossed his arms, watching him. "Nice body, by the way."
David froze mid-bend. "…What?"
Daryl blinked, perfectly serious. "I said, you have a nice body."
"…Uh. Thanks?" David replied, standing awkwardly. They both stared at each other for a moment.
Then David squinted. "Wait—are you gay?"
"Yes," Daryl said immediately, deadpan. "Is that a problem?"
David waved his hands. "N-No! Not at all! I don't judge. You like who you like."
Daryl nodded. "Good. Because I like both men and women."
David blinked again. "Ohhh, so you're bisexuality."
"Bisexual," Daryl corrected. "Yes. But—" he sighed, looking off to the side, his expression tightening slightly, "—I'm not allowed to kiss or… make love to a man."
David sat down on a nearby rock, intrigued. "Wait, why not?"
Daryl's face turned red. "Could you at least put some clothes on before we discuss this?"
"Oh. Right."
David slipped into the outfit—
a greenish-brown hooded jacket, slightly oversized but stylishly loose, over a light pink shirt that gave him a casual, vibrant vibe. He pulled the hood down, adjusted the sleeves, and clipped a single silver earring into his left ear.
He turned dramatically, posing with a grin. "Ta-daaaa!"
Daryl blinked twice. "…You actually look decent."
David gave a confident smirk. "Of course I do. I've got taste. And now I've got clothes."
He sat down again, resting his elbows on his knees. "Alright, now continue what you were saying."
Daryl frowned slightly. "Mr. Hawk… why do you even want to know? You've never cared about what I can or can't do. You've never cared about me at all."
David tilted his head. "Maybe I'm trying to change that."
Daryl crossed his arms. "Change?"
"Yeah," David said quietly. "Maybe I want to get to know you better. You know… so we can have a strong friendship. Or at least so you'll stop hating my guts."
Daryl studied him for a long moment. Then he let out a slow breath and smirked faintly. "Hmph. That beer really did change you." He looked away toward the forest. "Fine. I'll tell you."
Daryl stood quietly for a moment, his back turned to David. He slowly unbuttoned his coat and slipped it off his shoulders.
David's eyes widened. "Whoa, uh—what are you doing? I didn't think this was that kind of conversation."
"Quiet," Daryl muttered.
As the coat fell, the morning light caught something on his back—an intricate symbol burned deep into his flesh. The mark was shaped like a circle with four jagged lines cutting across it, still faintly glowing red in the center like a sleeping ember.
David stepped closer, his voice low and serious for once. "Daryl… what the hell happened to your back? And what's with that symbol?"
Daryl stood still for a moment before speaking. "It's the mark of the Tetsu family," he said quietly. "Every child born into my bloodline receives it. It's… our curse and our leash."
David tilted his head, still staring at the faint red glow. "Leash?"
Daryl nodded. "If we disobey, disrespect, or defy the family code—if we act out, act foolish, or show weakness—the mark activates."
David's eyes narrowed. "And when it does?"
Daryl gave a dry chuckle and looked back over his shoulder. "It burns our flesh off."
David blinked. "Wait—what?"
"Literally," Daryl said flatly. "The pain is… indescribable. I've developed tolerance over the years, but it never stops hurting."
David scratched his head, grimacing. "Man, that's messed up… but that still doesn't explain why you can't, you know… be gay."
For a moment, Daryl didn't answer. He just stared at the forest floor, his shoulders tense. Then he sighed. "Because the Tetsu family doesn't allow it. If I ever develop feelings for another man—if I feel love, or kiss, or…" He hesitated, his tone tightening, "…if I do anything beyond that, the mark activates again. But this time, it doesn't just burn."
David leaned forward, brows furrowed. "Then what happens?"
Daryl's voice dropped. "It consumes me. Slowly. Until I die."
The air went heavy. Even the birds had gone quiet.
Daryl looked away, his expression softening with distant pain. "When I was younger, I met someone. A man. He saved me from a bear during my training. He was strong… and kind. The kind of person who didn't flinch, even when death was right in front of him. He taught me how to fight. He gave me this."
Daryl summoned his rope from thin air—it shimmered faintly with blue light before coiling around his arm. "It was his. Said it would protect me."
David nodded slowly, eyes softening. "Sounds like a good guy."
Daryl's lips curved into a faint, bittersweet smile. "He was. So much that one night I…" His voice faltered. "I… uhm…"
He turned slightly, his face now a deep shade of red. "I once… m-m-masterbated over him."
David's eyes widened. "Oh. Ohhh. Wow, okay, that's—uh…"
Daryl quickly cut in, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Perverted? Disgusting? Wrong? Gross? Shameful?"
David blinked. "No, I was going to say… relatable… but sure, let's go with those too."
Daryl froze, then gave him a look that was half disbelief, half amusement. "You are impossible."
David grinned. "Hey, I'm just saying—don't beat yourself up over it. You liked him. You felt something. That's not wrong."
Daryl's voice softened again. "It was for me. When my mark burned afterward, my family knew immediately. They saw the scorch and… I was punished."
David frowned. "Punished? Like…?"
Daryl's eyes lowered. "Whipped. Publicly."
David went quiet for a moment, the usual grin fading from his face. Then he said softly, "Daryl… can you tell me the whole story sometime? Like, everything?"
For the first time, Daryl actually smiled—a small, genuine one. "Another time, maybe. I'm… glad I got that off my chest, though."
He pulled his coat back on and straightened his posture. "Anyway, back to the main topic. We'll be staying at the inn for a week until the train arrives. During that time, you'll try not to destroy anything—or scam anyone."
David stretched his arms and grinned. "Fine, fine. But once we head out, I've got plans, Daryl. Big plans."
Daryl raised an eyebrow. "Plans that'll probably get us killed?"
"Plans that'll make the world shake!" David said dramatically. "Plans that'll make us peak human!"
Daryl sighed. "Wonderful. I can already feel my mark warming up."
David slung an arm around his shoulders, grinning ear to ear. "That's the spirit, Daryl me boy!"
"Don't call me that," Daryl muttered, but there was the faintest ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.