#hinokami-s

[anotheruseronthissite]

Demon Slayer Role Swap - Yoriichi And Michikatsu

Yoriichi and Kokushibo swapped roles with Tajiro and Nezuko.

Plot Points:

Yoriichi and Kokushibo have the same backstory as they do in canon.

Eventually, Yoriichi decided to go back and visit his brother, who was now in charage of the household.

Turns out that Muzan attacked the night before Yoriichi arrived.

Yoriichi arrvies to discover the scene, but finds that Michikatsu was still alive.

Yoriichi ends up getting pinned by Michikatsu, like how Tajiro was in canon, but instead of an axe it's a wooden sword

Gyutaro ends up finding them and hesitates to killed Michikatsu, since Yoriichi protecting Michikatsu reminds him of how he used to protect Ume.

Consequently, Gyutaro gets knocked out by Yoriichi in the same way Yoriichi knocked out that one subordinate.

Yoriichi apologises to Gyutaro for knocking him out, then Yoriichi begins his journy to become a demon slayer and find a way to turn Michikatsu back into a human.

Character Info - Yoriichi

Age - 16 yrs old at beginning, 20 at the end.

Appearacne - Long red and black hair that's tied into a ponytail and short bangs with maroon colored eyes. Wears a red haori over his demon slayer uniform along with a pair of hanafuda earings gifted to him by his mother. Is expressionless with most, unless the person is someone who he is close to. A flame-like mark peaks out from a corner of his forehead.

Weapon - Black Nichiren Sword

Breathing Style(s) - Sun Breathing + Almost all the Other Breathing Styles (Certain breathing styles are not used due to requiring the user to have a specific thing. Example - Ribbon Breathing, which requires the use of ribbons instead of a sword)

Slayer Mark? - Yes

Species - Human

Additional Information -

Like in canon, Yoriichi is married to Uta and has a child on the way. However, Uta does not travel with Yoriichi on his journey, because baby, and instead, she stays with Sumiyoshi, Suyaka, and Sumire for most of the plot. She still communicates with Yoriichi via letters.

Yoriichi does not invent Sun Breathing. Instead, he learned the Hinokami Kagura dance from the Kamado family, who are decendants of Tajiro Kamado, who invented Sun Breathing in this AU.

Yoriichi later becomes a Pillar, since there are only 8 pillars by the time he meets them.

Yoriichi doesn't encounter Muzan at Asakusa, instead missing him and instead meeting Kanae and Shinobu. Yoriichi does encounter Muzan during the Final Battle.

Character Info - Michikatsu/Kokushibo

Age - 16 yrs old at beginning, 20 yrs old by the end.

Appearance - Red and black hair tied in a ponytail along with 3 pairs of eyes, all of which have red sclera and yellow irises. He wears a purple and black hexagonal nagagi kimono and a black umanori-styled hakama.

Weapon - Nichiren Sword

Breathing Style - Moon Breathing

Demon Art - Cresent Moon Blades (these blades can pass though humans and only hit demons + demon made objects. He can also absorb demon blood/blood arts/demon related things to create these blades. The thing absord affects what effects these blades have.

Slayer Mark - No

Species - Demon

Additional Information -

In this AU, Michikatsu fights alongside his brother, growing the 4 additional eyes to be able to keep up with Yoriichi. He is, however, not an offical member of the Demon Slayer Corps, never having acutally taken the Final Selection.

Michikatsu was jealous of Yoriichi as a human, but that jealousy is forgotten when he becomes a demon.

Yes, Michikatsu is carted around in a box during the day and yes, he does turn into a child to fit.

Michikatsu learned Moon Breathing after reading a journal given to him by Kanae that belonging to Nezuko . He is able to mostly master it by the time of the final fight.

Michikatsu's children and wife are dead. Straight up dead.

#demon slayer #demon slayer kimetsu no yaiba #kimetsu no yaiba #kny #role swap au #demon slayer yoriichi #yoriichi tsugikuni #kokushibo #michikatsu tsugikuni

[larz-barz]

Love story

chapter 7

——————————————————————————

chapter 6

——————————————————————————

Tanjiro sniffed the air as they approached the entrance of the forest on Mount Natagumo.

“Ok, let’s go in.” Tanjiro announced and Milo nodded, a determined look on her face.

“Ehh, no thanks! I’ll just stay behind!” Zenitsu squeaked out.

Inosuke ran into the forest and Milo grabbed his wrist to pull him back. “It would be best for us to stay together.” She said as he tried to escape her tight grip.

——————————————————————————

“Inosuke watch out!!!!” Milo cried out, fear in her voice.

The boy got smashed into a tree by the large spider demon.

The neko spirit ran up to the large demon.

“Starlight breathing 5th form: Yugata no kurai!” She called out and darkness surrounded the spider demon, allowing her to attack.

Her blade wouldn’t go through the demon’s neck and she dropped to the ground, sword in hand and her ears going down.

One of the arms wrapped around Milo’s much smaller body.

She gasped then got thrown into a tree near the one Inosuke had been thrown into.

She fell to the ground then started coughing, her tail twitching slightly and her ears down.

Milo saw Inosuke’s unconscious form laying lifeless near her.

“Inosuke!” She called out then scrambled to him.

She moved him to prop him against the tree.

He started to cough, signaling he was waking up.

“Milo, go find Gonpachiro!” Inosuke coughed out. (I couldn’t think of a way for Inosuke to mispronounce Milo’s name)

“I’m not gonna leave you here to die!” Milo protested.

——————————————————————————

As Tanjiro faught tirelessly against lower 5, the comforting scent of cherry blossoms, cinnamon, and vanilla entered his senses.

‘Milo, please tell me you’re not coming this way!’

The scent only got stronger as he continued to fight for the safety of his sister, Nezuko.

Milo ran into the area Tanjiro was fighting in, Inosuke passed out and on her back.

She looked up and her eyes go wide at the sight of Nezuko. “N-Nezuko!” She called out, shock and fear in her voice.

“Milo get out of here!!!” Tanjiro yelled and Milo didn’t leave.

She put Inosuke down in a safe place (or at least as safe as it could be) then sprinted to help Tanjiro.

Rui immediately noticed the love that they had for each other, he wanted it for himself.

He swiftly pulled Milo to him, putting his webs on her so she couldn’t get away. “Tanjiro!!!” She cried out fearfully, reaching out to him.

A cry of pain escaped Milo’s lips when the webs dug into her skin. (she’s ok btw, she’s just gonna have a bunch of scars but she’ll still have all her limbs.)

Tanjiro’s mind went into overdrive, he gripped his sword tightly.

He took in a breath then remembered the dance his father used to do, the hinokami kagura.

“Hinokami kagura: flame dance!!!” He yelled, successfully (unsuccessfully) slicing off Rui’s head.

Milo’s knees gave out on her and she collapsed due to the pain she was in.

Tanjiro ran to get her away from Rui’s body after saving Nezuko.

Tanjiro noticed that Rui wasn’t disintegrating and he panicked.

The lower moon 5 hadn’t been slain yet, his head started regenerating and Tanjiro ran back to Nezuko.

A familiar man and a girl around Tanjiro’s and Milo’s ages landed in front of them, decapitating Rui almost immediately.

“Well that was quick.” The girl said, turning to look at the man.

Tanjiro took in their features, the girl had brown hair tied up in a half up/half down style by a black bow, the tips of her front pieces of hair were blonde, she had round green eyes, tan skin, and her haori was pink, purple, and blue(?) with a cloud pattern.

Tanjiro realized who the man was, Giyuu Tomioka.

Milo tried to stand to get a better look at the pair, falling back down and crying out in pain in the process.

Giyuu and the girl look at them.

The girl smiled warmly at Tanjiro and Milo, and Giyuu just looked at them with recognition.

“So you also became a demon slayer?” He asked Milo and she nodded.

“Yes sir, I heard you met my aunt, Aika Shineeza.” Milo said and Giyuu had a small smile on his face.

“Yes, I did. She’s very kind.” He spoke in a calm tone.

“I’m Mari Kaizumi!” The girl said, with an energetic smile.

Milo and Tanjiro both introduced themselves.

Tanjiro stood up, struggling a bit, and helped Milo stand.

They went to go check on Inosuke and Zenitsu who were being cared for by kakushis outside of the forest. (they got him while Giyuu and Mari were Talking to Tanjiro and Milo)

A kasugai crow flew overhead. “Tanjiro Kamado, a demon slayer with a green and black checkered haori and Nezuko Kamado, a demon girl with a bamboo muzzle, must report to the demon slayer headquarters for trial.” The crow called out, loudly.

Tanjiro and Nezuko got taken to the headquarters.

——————————————————————————

“Welcome, my children, to the demon slayer corps meeting.” Master Kagaya announced and each hashira bowed before him, Obanai, the serpent hashira, forcing Tanjiro down.

~the end~

A/n: I know I know, I just posted chapter 6 like 3 days ago but idc! i’ve been in a huge writing mood lately so this is what ima use it for!^^❤️

featuring: @cloudymistedskies’s oc and @muichirothehashira’s oc (i promise she will actually show up at some point probably in the next chapter)

p.s.- something you’ve all been waiting for is happening soon (more than likely next chapter;))

#larz writes #larz posts #tanjmilo fanfics #kny fanfic #demon slayer fic #fanfics #tanjmilo supremacy #tanjmilo heheheh #tanjmilo brain rot #i ship tanjmilo 🤪 #tanjmilo #love story #a tanjmilo story #heheh #mrrpmrp

[maplesyrupcafe]

Genya Stan be like...

The best part of the ep?

-Gyukko❌

-upper moon 4's power❌

-Tanjiro using hinokami❌

-Nezuko getting in the mix❌

-Tokito using mist breathing❌

-GENYA pulling up with a mf shotgun✅.

Like him or don't like him he is more entertaining than most of the popular characters in kny.

#It's all about him tho.... #shinazugawa genya

[honoka-marierose]

After previously announcing that she would be leaving Twitter due to a controversy involving fake Sonic Heroes info shared with other leakers, famous Sega and Atlus leaker Midori made her grand return to share some more Sega news with the world.

On the morning of April 3, 2024, Midori took to Twitter to announce that a sequel to the 2021 game Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles was in development. While this game was not developed by Sega, it was published by them. Meaning Midori likely heard that the company would also be publishing the sequel as well.

The real big news of the morning came when a Twitter user asked Midori if Sega’s Division 2 (the Division in charge of the development for Sonic, Puyo Puyo, and Sakura Wars) would be releasing any games in the near future.

In a single reply, Midori stated that Sega’s Division 2 was indeed working on several projects at the moment that are in different stages of development. She specifically stated that the studio was currently working on a new game in the Sakura Wars franchise!

This tweet set a fire of hope in the Sakura Wars community, as the last game released in the franchise was 2020’s Sakura Wars, a soft reboot of the franchise that ended on a cliffhanger that many were worried would never be resolved.

While fans received a small amount of hope in January of 2024 when Insider Gaming reported on a rumor about a new game being in development, there weren’t any solid details or even a stated source. Causing much worry over the rumor being fake.

Now that a reliable leaker like Midori has also spoken about there being a new Sakura Wars game in development and even stated that Division 2 was working on it (alleviating any fears that it could be a mobile game), fans can finally rest easy as they await the inevitable return for the Flower Division

#sega #sakura wars #new sakura wars #shin sakura taisen #sakura amamiya #sakura wars ps4 #sakura wars series #sega games #sakura taisen

[demonslayedher]

What happened to the people in Tanjiro’s hometown after he and Nezuko left? Like their reactions to the two’s sudden disappearance and finding out that their coal supply can no longer come from them.

Oh no!!!! No charcoal!? Charcoal is life!! At least until it's slowly replaced by electricity, which Tanjiro seemed to know in the post-canon epilogue extras was a looming fate. Given all the power lines in the town when 13-year-old Tanjiro goes selling charcoal, I assume it's already making progress toward that.

As for the emotional side of it, I've responded to a similar concern before in this Ask, so here is the copy/pasted of the relevant portion of that below!

Honestly, I was surprised by the village’s upkeep of their home, including nice new tatami and shelves which Nezuko noticed in the extended epilogue included the Volume 23 version of Chapter 204. I would had assumed they’d have a mess of a home to come back to (and wrote my canon divergent/continuation fic that way, for the first draft was written after Chapter 204’s magazine publication but before Volume 23’s publication). At least nowadays in Japan, uninhabited homes are often left as-is and fall to shambles, even in cities, causing problems for the neighbors as they become home to pests. Upkeep is an issue, and it seems unlikely the townspeople would had gone out of their way to keep the site of a tragedy so nice.

However, Gotouge seems to stress that the Kamado family, simply for being good people, were often humbled by being on the receiving end of such kindnesses. Even Sumiyoshi and Suyako were on the receiving end of this, as mentioned in a Taisho Secret in Volume 22, for having helped a local lord’s wife and son while they were in peril without knowing who they were. Even though they tried to refuse reward, they made sure they had a nicely fixed up house anyway (side note, they moved in to Yoriichi’s and Uta’s abandoned house).

A sturdy house as returns for their kindness seems to be as much of a running theme in Kamado history as is Hinokami Kagura and making charcoal. We do see that Tanjiro is pretty popular among the townspeople and everyone knows they can rely on him, and if Tanjiro’s highly biased word is to be trusted, Nezuko had a reputation as a local beauty. In good whether the little kids must had gone into town a bunch, and Tanjiro (and Inosuke’s) continued charcoal business (despite the increasing reliance on electricity) in the Fanbook #2 extended epilogue shows that the Kamado family has always had a reputation for high quality charcoal. Certainly, they’ve been well-loved long enough that their tragedy would not go unnoticed.

As further evidence of this, in the Giyuu Gaiden, a hunter even notices that on a different mountain nearby there was a family of charcoal farmers slaughtered and a suspicious person in a half-and-half haori was seen around there. Clearly, the villagers were quick to notice the incident and start looking around for the man who might had done it!

But we’re still left with the question of how quickly they’d have noticed the absence, how word got around, and just how much they knew. My initial thought in response to your Ask was “there’s no way Tanjiro had time for that, he had bury his family and get Nezuko dressed and hurry and go!” but then again, this is Tanjiro we’re talking about. Tanjiro who faithfully keeps a diary for Nezuko no matter how tired he is, and who faithfully keeps in touch with all his penpals even with all his demon slaying work to keep him busy. If anyone would had written a letter, it would had been him.

It’s possible that his reasoning would had been for Nezuko’s sake. Should word get around about the incident, and about Nezuko being a demon, people might suspect she was the one who did it. Even Tanjiro had to consider that possibility when he was first shocked by her transformation, though he had the evidence to clearly determine that she was innocent. So maybe if he did leave something, it might simply had been to inform people that Nezuko still needs help, and he’s left to take care of her.

To the townspeople, Tanjiro’s word is trustworthy. As soon as someone discovered the incident (and perhaps a letter), word would probably get around pretty fast, and if Tanjiro had circumstances that forced him to leave for Nezuko’s sake, that implies that they might make a return once she was alright. That might be what inspired the townspeople, who cared for generations about their local charcoal farmers, to have their hearts wrenched with sympathy for the tragedy these two surviving children have been through, and to try to do what they can by taking care of the house while they’re gone.

As for knowing if it was demons or not, it’s possible only Saburo knew that. There’s so much we don’t know about Saburo, but my personal headcanon is that he lost his family to demons and was rescued by the Demon Slayers. While others might have been quick to blame the suspicious man in the half-and-half haori, anything said by Saburo, a man perhaps known for keeping to himself with a sullen personality, was dismissed or taken for mere superstition. Saburo, having told Tanjiro to stay with him that night, might had already felt something was off, and when the feeling kept bothering him, he might had gone to check on the Kamado family and been the first one to discover the massacre. Letter or not, he’d have known Tanjiro survived, and might had gotten there soon enough to trace the footprints to deduce to that one of the other older children must had survived too.

---- New additional thought: As for how well they emotionally adjusted to this knowledge, it may depend on how familiar they are or not with demons' existence. Also, just a shameless plug, I really enjoyed writing young!Tanjuro's interactions with the village in this One-Shot, in which Tanjuro survives an encounter with Muzan.

#kny fandom theories and meta

[rubylarkspur22]

Thank you for answering my previous ask.

I have read your take on main antagonist!Nezuko, and that gave me an idea. What about an AU where Nezuko is the main protagonist instead? Not role swap (or at least Nezuko remains a demon).

How do you think that would effect the plot of KNY and what do you think would Nezuko´s character arc be about?

No problem!

Funnily enough, I have an idea for something similar to what you're asking about. It's more a "Nezuko and Tanjirou Are More Co-Protags" or "Nezuko Got Her Memories and Personality Back (And Maybe Conquered the Sun) Immediately After Her Coma" AU. Basically what it says on the tin, Nezuko's pretty much back to her human self after her little coma(minus the whole demon thing), and is a lot more active as a character.

Everything past the cut is quite long, so be prepared for that!

So, Nezuko being the main main protagonist? Let me brainstorm some ideas. Starting with setup:

Nezuko still becomes a demon, as you said. However, we need to pull some strings to pull Tanjirou away from center stage. Let's say he got injured sometime between the start of Episode 1 and meeting Urokodaki(so either by Muzan or the Temple Demon). Badly enough he can't use a sword(best bet is either a respiratory injury, or some sort of paralysis. Limb loss just makes him a less edgy version of his beta self.), and his new inability to use a weapon/Breathing Style or fight altogether is noted by Giyuu and/or Urokodaki. Therefore, he's barred from training, but he still wants Nezuko to become human again.

After realizing Tanjirou is in no condition to fight demons, but still wants to cure her, Nezuko takes matters into her own hands. Starting with a coma. However, it's shorter than canon(let's go with 6 months to a year) because she pushes herself to her absolute limit to pretty much speedrun her season 1-3 development(making herself resistant to her demonic instincts and sun-proofing herself are her main priorities). When she wakes up, she gives everyone a heart attack by walking outside.

After everyone calms down when Nezuko doesn't burn, she asks to be trained. Urokodaki is hesitant, but can tell Nezuko has a very strong resolve. She wants to help her brother attain his goal of turning her back into a human, and also seeks revenge on Kibutsuji. So he agrees to train her. It's difficult to train a demon in a Breath Style, but Nezuko's will and determination makes it easier for her to perfect her moves.

Tanjirou helps where he can, maybe even remembering the Hinokami Kagura sooner and teaching it to Nezuko when he does. But he's also a worried big brother, despite Nezuko's assurances that she'll be okay. He definitely tried to take up a sword at some point, but ended up getting a hefty scolding from both Urokodaki and Nezuko when they found him.

Starting from there, what effects would there be on the story?

Demons are hella confused. Who is this girl? Why does she give off the presence of a demon, yet wield one of their blades? And if she is a demon, which some doubt she is, how dare she turn on her own kind and help those who would sooner kill her than work in tandem with her? (this is especially fun on Mount Fujikasane, during Final Selection ÒwÓ)

Muzan takes an earlier interest in Nezuko when they run into each other in Asakusa, perhaps even sending one of the Twelve Kizuki after her. Luckily, he still doesn't realize she's conquered the sun until the Swordsmith's Village, so she's just considered a rogue demon until then.

Zenitsu is far less forward with his affections, and is force fed respect women juice. His and Nezuko's relationship is a lot more mutual and starts with friendship. Inosuke tries to behead Nezuko in the Tsuzumi Mansion, but they sort it out eventually and Nezuko becomes Inosuke's favourite minion/sparring partner.

The mental breakdowns that will occur during the Hashira Meeting. A good demon? And she can walk in the sun?! Perhaps the sky is falling down, someone check!!!

Nezuko not only fighting the demons, but desperately trying to avoid capture by them. If they get her back to Muzan, it's all over.

She's also a fair bit more powerful, as I imagine her cells would start photosynthesizing after she conquers the sun. So Nezuko can gain plenty of energy from sunlight, enough to use her full demon form and Blood Demon Art for extended periods of time without a lack of usable energy making her hunger a problem. Where she could beat up Daki easily, and had a struggle against Hantengu's emotion clones in canon, I'd say she's on Douma's level (maybe Kokushibou's if she really pushes it) at her peak in this AU.

Rengoku probably won't die. Assuming Akaza gets sent to the Mugen Train. If he doesn't, that may be a different story.

While Tanjirou doesn't fight, he still keeps running into demons. Or rather, demons keep coming to him. Poor guy can't catch a break. Muzan found out about Tanjirou somehow, and thought he could either turn Tanjirou and get the same results he wanted with Nezuko, or that he could use Tanjirou as part of a trap and kill the eldest living Kamado once Muzan had Nezuko. At first, Urokodaki is protecting Tanjirou from any demons that show up. Then Urokodaki sends word to Giyuu at some point that they need to transport Tanjirou to a more secure location because demons keep knocking down his damn door looking for the poor kid and Urokodaki's too old for this BS!

As a result, Tanjirou is brought either to headquarters or the Butterfly Mansion, as both locations are top secret and surrounded by anti-demon security measures.

Nezuko might be influenced by Genya to start eating demons. She sees him chomp a tree, and decides she might as well do the same because why tf not? Demons are surprisingly nutritious. She only has a minor crisis while wondering if the humans the demons have already count for her human consumption count.

Eventually, the Infinity Castle Arc happens. Nezuko ends up against Kokushibou with Sanemi, Gyomei, and Muichirou. Genya gets sent to battle Akaza with Giyuu and Rengoku. Both battles would be hard, but they'd ultimately emerge victorious, with a couple close calls on both ends. Not sure if Mui survives, but Genya sure does!

Most of the final battle is Muzan trying to capture and absorb Nezuko, and Nezuko is using his flesh as kindling. The majority of the human Demon Slayers' injuries are far less severe thanks to Nezuko's BDA burning out Muzan's poison. And at some point, she gets the antidote, which ups the ante. She needs to finish Muzan before she turns back into a human and loses her demonic strength, but she can't get too close lest she be absorbed and all her hard work be for nothing.

As the sun rises, Nezuko become a human again just when Muzan goes to devour her. Her final attack costs her an arm, but she survives and wakes up after the battle to her teary-eyed big brother and the friends she made on her journey surrounding her.

Nezuko's arc would mostly be learning not to rely solely on the strength and power she received as a demon, as it will only last so long and will go away once she's human again. While she has no intention of taking the antidote until the final battle, it's still something she needs to remember.

She also learns to lean on others for help in this quest to restore her humanity. Whether it's asking others to help her get blood, or stepping back while others take the fight, she doesn't have to do everything on her own. Even if she's a demon, and can handle a lot more than any human, she can still let the humans handle it.

And lastly, dealing with the guilt and self-hatred she's bound to experience. Her mother and younger siblings were killed, and Tanjirou got injured, all while she couldn't do anything. As a result, in wanting to do more to protect her last living sibling and the new family she's built with the Kamaboko Squad, Nezuko overworks herself to a point that would kill her if she was human. Someone(probably Kanao, Shinobu, Mitsuri, or Muichirou) eventually has a talk with her about what she's doing, and helps her work through her trauma.

Those are all the ideas that I managed to spitball off the top of my noggin, and I am open to more.

#demon slayer #kny au #kamado nezuko #demon slayer nezuko #manga spoilers

[wisteriashouse]

fortuitous

pairing: kaveh x jeanne de la roche (oc)

genre: romance; commission

word count: 10521

a/n: had to go rewatch kaveh's story quest for this ayy @hinokami-s

If Kaveh has to interact with just one more person on his way home, he thinks that he might have a breakdown right outside Puspa’s Cafe that is going to be everybody’s problem.

He isn’t going to, of course — Kaveh is far too much of a people pleaser for that — but archons is he close to his breaking point. He’s been up even before the sun today, bouncing between what had felt like an endless amount of meetings with increasingly unbearable clients. Now that the day is over, however, Kaveh can barely feel any relief. Instead, all he can think about is face first into his bed the second he gets through the front door.

He stops in front of one of the houses along Treasures Street, fumbling with the bag on his shoulder. Please, please, don’t let this be yet another of those times where he has to ask Al-Haitham to open the door… He rifles more desperately through its jumbled contents once more, hears a familiar jangle of metal muffled at the bottom. “There you are!”

So he hadn’t forgotten his keys after all, which might be the first thing that has gone well for him today. The key turns smoothly in the lock and Kaveh steps into the house, embarrassingly proud of himself, until he sees Al-Haitham sitting on the couch with a cup of tea in his hand and a book open on his lap.

A completely normal sight, considering that this is his house. What isn’t normal is that the miserly stickler appears to be doing work. Outside of his regular working hours? Impossible!

Kaveh sticks his head back outside to check the sky situation. The sun is setting over the Avidya Forest, the sky is clear with small patches of clouds drifting by and… hmm, no flying pigs. Very, very odd. 

“Al-Haitham,” Kaveh says as he toes off his slippers at the door and turns around, “did those Spantamed researchers you were talking about slip a potion into your food or something? Because there is something seriously wrong with you today— woah!”

A pair of aquamarine blue eyes blink up at him from the couch, and Kaveh nearly falls over his own feet as he stumbles backwards in surprise. Not his best moment, he knows. Seated next to Al-Haitham (and conveniently blocked off from his line of sight by the door) is a young woman, a few papers in her gloved hands. Her clothes are clearly foreign, bearing the sharp yet flamboyant silhouettes characteristic of Fontainian couture. Her features too, look foreign. Most likely not a Sumerian.

An overseas Akademiya associate, perhaps? No, no, the man sitting in front of him would rather dance stark naked for the Zubayr Theatre than bring Akademiya work home. Logically, that only leaves one possibility… that she is Al-Haitham’s friend.

A highly unlikely possibility, since Al-Haitham doesn’t have any friends. Kaveh would know. Besides, why would anyone, much less a beautiful lady like her, put up with that acerbic tongue of his?

But all that is irrelevant to Kaveh’s current predicament. Someone has seen him entering Al-Haitham’s house, and if they have even one brain cell, will surely put two and two together and realise that Kaveh has been forced to take up residence with Al-Haitham. It might be just one person, but that is already one person too many. He needs to think of a solution, and fast!

“Hi! Good, amazing evening.” Kaveh is all too painfully aware of just how nervous he sounds right now, fumbling at his bag desperately as though hoping to magic out some sort of assistance from its depths. “Hey, Al-Haitham. Didn’t see you there. Amazing house. Never been here in my life, ever. I just stopped by on my way to the tavern to hand you this…” he pulls out a miniature model of the Alcazarzaray Palace from his bag. Fuck. “Well, I hope you like it. Here you go.”

The woman stares at him as he plants the model on the coffee table and glances over at Al-Haitham, but not before he catches the brief flash of recognition in her eyes. Oh, it’s over. Oh, it’s so over — his reputation, his dignity — all gone like a puff of smoke in the wind.

“Come in before you make a fool of yourself — more than you already have, at least,” the Acting Grand Sage mutters from his couch, blocking out Kaveh’s indignant expression with a well timed sip of tea. “Jeanne here is a business associate of mine from Fontaine. I assure you, she hasn’t the slightest interest in your living arrangements. There’s no need to think too highly of yourself.”

Kaveh opens his mouth to protest, but manages to rein in his tongue at the last moment. No, he’s not going to sink down to Al-Haitham’s level.

Instead, he grudgingly shuts the door behind him and steps into the house, glances at Jeanne as he does. So she’s Fontainian, just as he’d guessed. Kaveh is still a little wary, but Al-Haitham isn’t the type to lie for the sake of something as pointless as petty entertainment. And he seems to be right, because the lady’s attention has already returned to the papers in her hands.

He tries not to stare too much as he moves to set his things down in the kitchenette. Al-Haitham and the woman seem to be deep in discussion about something that Kaveh can’t quite make out. Listening in to other people’s conversation is in poor taste, but Kaveh can’t shake the nagging feeling that they might be talking about him. He knows that it’s paranoia, but it doesn’t stop him from loitering around the kitchen area, keeping an ear out for the conversation.

“... but it depends on which area he was arrested in…”

“... oh? The laws change depending on that?”

“... Akademiya might be the official governing body of Sumeru, but the desert… Eremites…”

From what he’s able to gather, the two seem to be talking about a criminal — a Fontainian noble who’d fled to Sumeru after being convicted of a crime back in his homeland. And this lady, Jeanne, is the one responsible for hunting him down and bringing him back to Fontaine to stand trial. She hands him another sheet of paper. “And this would be enough for the Akademiya to release him back into our custody?”

“Were you expecting something more convoluted?” Al-Haitham shrugs, bringing his cup back to his lips. “We don’t want him here in Sumeru, what can I say? The quicker he leaves our borders, the better it is for us. Why, is there going to be a problem with that?”

Jeanne shakes her head. “No. I much prefer it this way. Legal proceedings tend to be… needlessly complicated in Fontaine. I’m just glad to hear that things are far more efficient here.” She reaches into the heavy bag by her feet, and pulls out what is frankly a terrifying stack of papers. “Unfortunately, since you are the one approving his extradition, the court of Fontaine will require you to fill in these forms for the different legal offices.”

The look Al-Haitham aims at those papers could probably curdle milk in a matter of seconds. Jeanne glances at him out of the corner of her eye, before she wordlessly takes half of them back. “Although I am not familiar with Sumeru’s laws, I can try to fill in some of the more mundane questions. Apologies for troubling you, Al-Haitham.”

The Acting Grand Sage eyes the papers with no small amount of disgust, but he eventually sighs and reaches over to take the papers from her. “No worries. I can do it.”

Kaveh has to remind himself not to stare too conspicuously at his roommate. Al-Haitham? Agreeing to take on unnecessary work? The man sitting in front of him must be some sort of Kshahrewar doppelganger, because Kaveh doesn’t recognise him at all.

Jeanne frowns. “But—”

“I was a scribe before my current… inconvenience.” That is no way to speak about the coveted position of the Akademiya Grand Sage! “I’m quick with a pen.” His roommate looks at her. “Besides, I think I finish things more efficiently alone.”

Kaveh’s mouth drops open with no small amount of horror. That’s not how you speak to a lady, you idiot!

But Jeanne only nods, an expression of relief on her face. “You have my gratitude, Al-Haitham.” Its recipient only waves it off.

“Come back tomorrow and I should have everything done by then. And please, enough with the formalities. Pointless courtesies tire me out.”

“Hm. If you say so.”

The two stand up, and Kaveh hurries back to minding his own business. He reaches for a cup, but ends up knocking it over. The wooden mug lands on the floor with a loud clack.

Kaveh closes his eyes, glances back to see Al-Haitham and the woman looking at him, and immediately averts his gaze to pick the cup up. Well, as if today hasn’t been embarrassing enough for him already. This is just salt on an open wound, now.

He chances another glance over his shoulder and very nearly drops the cup again when he sees Jeanne still staring at him. Not that he’s not flattered, but it does make him a little uncomfortable. Why, does he still have paint on his face? Or worse, does she recognise him somehow?

Before he can beat a hasty retreat to his room, Jeanne turns to Al-Haitham. What leaves her mouth next shocks him. “Could I take your roommate out for a quick conversation?”

Kaveh stares at her, stunned. He’s standing right here, you know! In earshot and everything! Al-Haitham frowns at him — why! — before waving Kaveh over — double why!

“Kaveh,” Al-Haitham announces, matter-of-factly, before Kaveh can get a word in. “Jeanne wants to have a word with you.” What, that’s it? No elaboration and no explanation? The two of them have never met before — what business does she have with him? 

And if he’s being honest, Kaveh is a little terrified by the idea. Not just because she hadn’t told him why she suddenly wants to speak with him, but she is a rather intimidating lady with that large scar over the bridge of her nose, the glass-splinter hardness to her eyes. Eyes that are, oh, looking at him again.

“If you would be so kind, Monsieur Kaveh,” Jeanne adds. Kaveh likes to think that he is good at reading people — a fun effect of overthinking and all that — but her expression is even more indecipherable than Al-Haitham’s. 

He stares intently at his roommate, trying to convey his reluctance with his eyes. “Well, I’m kind of tired today, so…”

“She isn’t going to eat you,” Kaveh yelps as Al-Haitham begins to push him in the direction of the door. Maybe he is the one who’s too easy to read? “Now, get out of here so that I can finish this paperwork in some peace and quiet.”

“I am a very considerate person!” Jeanne follows the two of them as Kaveh protests. “I am the very epitome of peace and quiet!”

“Your voice is shrill. And it hurts my ears.”

“My voice isn’t shrill. You’re just…”

Despite his vigorous protesting, Kaveh is escorted out of the living room and through the front door. Jeanne steps out of the doorway elegantly, adjusting the collar of her coat as Kaveh stumbles to catch his balance. 

“Don’t let him drink too much,” is all Kaveh hears in Al-Haitham’s usual bland tone, before the door swings shut in front of him.

Kaveh stares blankly at the closed door for a few seconds in disbelief before he shakes his fist at it. “May the gods bring a plague upon you and your…” he pauses, hesitates, “upon just you, you rude bastard…”

“I apologise for my rudeness.” Kaveh spins around to see Jeanne still standing there, and right, he’d quite forgotten that she is the reason he’s out here in the first place. He’s never met her before, or at least he doesn’t think he has — he’s quite sure that he would remember someone as striking as her if he had.

“Ah, no. It’s fine.” He licks his lips awkwardly, looks over his shoulder for an exit route. The door is still shut. “Umm… you said that you wanted to speak to me—”

“Ah. I realise that I have failed to properly introduce myself.” Jeanne shakes her head and takes a step forward, holds out a gloved hand. Kaveh takes it, trying not to show too much awkwardness on his face.

Instead of shaking it, however, Jeanne grasped it lightly before leaning down to press her lips to the back of it. An action that, most understandably, turns Kvaeh into a flushed, flustered mess almost right away. “Greetings. I am Jeanne Éscarlate de la Roche, first daughter of the de la Roches family and an enforcer with the Maison Gardiennage.” The de la Roches… Kaveh has never heard of this family, but they sound important. “It is a pleasure to meet you at last, Architect Kaveh, Light of Kshahrewar. I have heard many good things about you.”

Kaveh nearly chokes at that obnoxious title, shaking his head at once. “Please, please, don’t call me that. I’m just Kaveh.”

Jeanne’s grip on his hand falters, her expression turning mildly confused. “Apologies… have I mistaken your identity? Al-Haitham is the one who introduced you as such… Are you not the illustrious architect of Kshahrewar who designed the Palace of Alcazarzaray, Kaveh?”

Kaveh can scarcely believe his ears. Al-Haitham said that? Is he going to burst into song next? Surely she is being polite — there is no way his roommate would ever speak a single, positive word about him. Squeezing water from a rock would be a more plausible feat. “I… Well, I am an architect.”

“Do you mean to say there is another architect named Kaveh who designed the Palace of Alcazarzaray in Sumeru?”

Each question feels like a bullet round being fired point blank at him. Please… he doesn’t want to have to say it out loud. “I… was the architect who designed that, yes.”

“Ah.” It’s hard to see, because her expression remains almost completely unchanged, but he notices the way that her eyes briefly light up — and his stomach drops at once. Is she somehow familiar with one of his acquaintances in Sumeru? One that is unaware of his current living arrangements? If word gets out, it’ll definitely spread like wildfire, and Kaveh’s reputation as a reliable architect and businessman will be in ruins and tatters!

Before Kaveh can come up with a way to minimise the damage already caused, Jeanne continues to speak. “Then, you must be familiar with my younger sister, Arabella, I presume?”

Who? The name is completely foreign to him. Arabella… a Fontainian… someone’s younger sister… dark hair and a feathered hat similar to the one on Jeanne’s head come to mind. “Do you mean Aria?”

“That is the name she often goes by when travelling, yes.” Jeanne nods very seriously at that, seemingly oblivious to Kaveh’s surprise. The Aria that he’d met at Lambad’s Tavern by chance a couple of years ago had been a bubbly, excitable and expressive lady with a rare flair for the arts. Nothing at all like the stoic, impassive woman standing in front of him right now.

Still, Aria — or Arabella now, he assumes — has mentioned her siblings multiple times over drinks. An overly responsible older sister who doesn’t know how to express herself but is as sweet as sugar underneath… Well, Kaveh can definitely see Jeanne fitting the first half of the description to the letter.

“Yeah, I know Ari— Arabella,” Kaveh nods, trying not to sound too taken aback. “Is she what you wanted to speak to me about?”

Jeanne nods solemnly. There is a grave expression on her face. From the way that Aria had spoken about her siblings, Kaveh doesn’t think that the woman in front of him has any malicious intentions. Still… there must be some sort of reason that she’s here, instead of speaking to her sister directly, isn’t she? “I’d just like to say… if you’re expecting me to divulge any secrets of hers, then I think we should end this conversation here. I wouldn’t want to waste your time.”

Jeanne blinks at him, a look of surprise briefly crossing her face, before a quiet noise escapes her mouth. It takes Kaveh approximately five seconds to realise that it was a laugh. 

“You are a person of honourable character,” she tells him, and although her expression seems to have barely changed, there is definitely a glint of approval to her eyes that wasn’t there earlier. Kaveh feels like he’s just passed a test of some sort. “I didn’t doubt my sister’s judgement, but now I see for myself why she speaks so highly of you.”

Aria does? Kaveh isn’t sure if the two of them are particularly close. They run into each other whenever Aria decides to travel to Sumeru. They drink together, exchange their ideas about the arts, and occasionally their woes. To know that she thinks well of him… it’s surprising, but also strangely pleasant.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Perhaps, I should have phrased my words more accurately.” Jeanne nods, grasping her cane with one white gloved hand. “I wish to speak to you about my sister, but I assure you that I do not intend to pry out of you anything that she wishes to keep hidden.”

She sounds genuine enough. Kaveh nods slowly. “Go on…”

“I am here for… advice, I suppose.” Jeanne’s expression is thoughtful as she speaks, as though contemplating each word very carefully. “I am untalented at discerning the emotions of others, but even I can tell that my sister has become troubled as of late. She has been sneaking off to other nations more regularly for trips, but does not seem any happier when she returns. It is quite unlike her.” She looks at Kaveh, and he sees her brows slightly furrowed with concern. “Hence, I wish to ask you if you might have any insights on this matter.”

Kaveh purses his lips. This was unexpected, but not surprising. He might not see Arabella very often, but the two of them can be considered drinking buddies. Alcohol has a tendency to loosen people’s lips, bringing more of their true thoughts to the surface. 

And he has noticed Arabella’s sudden bouts of sullenness. It would be harder not to, with how excitable and happy-go-lucky she usually is. He thinks back to the most recent conversation that the two of them had. 

“Why don’t you tell your siblings about this?” Kaveh had suggested, when Arabella had brought this up. The two of them might be on friendly terms, but Kaveh doesn’t think that they are close enough for him to advise her on such a complicated issue. Cultural and societal norms differ between Fontaine and Sumeru, too.

Arabella had stared into her empty tankard for a long while. “I don’t want them to have to worry about me…” she’d confessed after a moment of silence. “I’ve taken care of these kids since they were… kids. It’s strange to talk to them about my own problems, y’know?”

He actually doesn’t, because Kaveh has never had siblings in his life. But he does understand locking up all his emotions and throwing away the key so as not to bother others. He’d never met any of Arabella’s siblings before, so he’d refrained from commenting further, but now…

Well, not that he knows Jeanne very well. But she seems to be someone who genuinely cares for Arabella, and Kaveh can get behind that.

“I don’t know everything,” he admits slowly. The intensity of Jeanne’s gaze makes him sweat a little, but Kaveh presses on bravely. “It’s a little… complicated, though, and might take a while to explain…”

Jeanne blinks, before taking a step back. Kaveh lets out an unconscious sigh of relief. “Apologies. I hadn’t considered that.” She glances at the street over her shoulder. “I suppose that this is indeed a poor place to have a serious conversation. How about we go to Lambad’s Tavern to discuss this over some drinks?”

Kaveh brightens up instantly at the sound of alcohol, realises that, and then immediately attempts to tone down his excitement. He’s been trying to cut back on drinking for a while now, to a low degree of success, but… come on, it’s been a stressful day. And it’s not like he was the one who initiated it, was he? “Well, if you’re insisting…”

“Oh. Do not worry, I am not. If you are uncomfortable with drinking—”

“No! I mean, no, I’m— ah, well. I’m not against drinking as long as it is done in moderation, of course.” Jeanne nods very seriously in response to his half-hearted words. 

“That is a good mindset to have. All things must be enjoyed in moderation, else it becomes too easy for one to succumb to indulgence.” Kaveh feels like he wants to wilt in embarrassment. “Then, shall we get going?”

“Alright, then…” Kaveh glances back at the locked door for a second. He feels as though he’s forgotten something important, but he can’t quite remember what it is. “Oh. Wait, umm…” He fidgets with the hem of his shirt, feeling suddenly awkward. “Could I ask you for a favour?”

Jeanne looks at him, completely serious. “If it is reasonable and within my power, of course.”

“That is great.” Kaveh gestures back at the house, where Al-Haitham is undoubtedly enjoying his quiet and alone time. “Could I trouble you to keep my current, uhm, living arrangements a secret?”

“You mean the fact that you live with Al-Haitham?”

Kaveh cringes instinctively at the sound of it. “Yes, that.”

Jeanne’s brows lift slightly, a near imperceptible movement. “Is there any reason you do not wish for others to know that you are living with Al-Haitham? I noticed that you were acting oddly earlier, when you first returned to the house, but I could not figure out why.”

Fuck, had he really been that obvious? “I just…” He hesitates for a moment. It’s too difficult to put everything into just words. How is Kaveh supposed to explain why he’s worried about his reputation without sounding like a complete and total snob? And if he tells her about his financial struggles… she’d definitely laugh at him because of the whole Palace of Alcazarzaray fiasco. “It’s just embarrassing,” he says at last, putting his hands together in a show of supplication. “So… don’t tell anyone. Please?”

Jeanne nods solemnly. “Of course. I shall respect your wishes. I am not familiar with many people in Fontaine, so rest assured that I have no reason to tell anyone.”

That’s a relief to hear. “Then, shall we go?”

“Oh, yes. This way, please…”

>>>

Although he had initially been excited for some drinks, his enthusiasm is at rock bottom by the time they reach the tavern. The reason? The walk down Treasures Street might have been the most awkward experience that Kaveh has ever had to suffer through in all the years of his life. Not because the conversation went poorly, but because there had been no conversation at all.

Surely it is socially polite to… make small talk while in the presence of another person, yes? But Jeanne hadn’t said a single word since leaving the house, leaving Kaveh to stew in awkward silence all the way until the tavern. Part of him is seriously starting to regret coming out in the first place.

Fortunately, there is a fair crowd at Lambad’s Tavern tonight, the air filled with the hum of idle chatter. The two of them find seats at the edge of the tavern, and Kaveh, unable to endure the silence any longer, finally speaks up. “So… is there anything that you’d like?”

Jeanne looks down at the menu in her hands, before she pushes it over to him. “I’m not very familiar with alcohol,” she tells him bluntly. “I just tend to drink whatever others order. Get anything you’d like.”

Kaveh glances up from the menu, momentarily thrown off. “So… you’re not actually a drinker? I don’t want to accidentally get you hammered…”

“Oh, don’t worry. That won’t be an issue,” Jeanne reassures him. “I might not have any inclination towards alcohol, but it doesn’t mean that I am inexperienced. My work tends to put me in positions where I have to drink, so my alcohol tolerance is extraordinarily high.”

That doesn’t sound very good… Kaveh resolves not to order anything too high in alcohol percentage tonight. All for Jeanne’s sake, and not because he’s a complete and utter lightweight, of course. “Any preferences…?”

“I usually find the overpowering bitterness of coffee very refreshing.”

Kaveh stares for a second too long before he looks down at the menu once more. “I’ll just order something simple then.”

“Sounds good.”

He puts down his order, and Lambad quickly comes around to their table. He raises an eyebrow when he sees Kaveh and Jeanne together. “With a different gal this month, eh? You sure are popular with the Fontainian ladies, Kaveh!”

Kaveh’s entire face goes red. “What? I’m not—�� Lambad sets the bottle of anise and date wine between the two of them, before he grins at an unsmiling Jeanne. “Have a fun night, the two of you.”

He’s gone before Kaveh can say anything else. “He doesn’t mean anything by it,” Kaveh turns to Jeanne at once. “He’s just, uh, trying to be funny. Ignore him.”

“I can appreciate his sense of humour and his efforts to put me at ease,” Jeanne replies seriously, as she reaches out to pour them both a cup. “But speaking about my sister… When was the last time that the two of you met? I would like confirmation about the timeframe that I have in mind.”

Kaveh swills the milky white alcohol in his cup. The slight scent of licorice rises up to his nose. “Hmm… maybe a month or so? She mentioned having some trouble back in Fontaine that she couldn’t put off any longer.”

“Trouble. Hmm…” Jeanne stares at the table for a few seconds, before she knocks back the entire cup. Kaveh stares at her, open mouthed in shock, but she doesn’t seem to notice. “Did my sister mention what kind of trouble?”

He takes a much more modest sip of wine from his cup and instantly makes a face at the burn in his throat. No, Lambad didn’t serve them a watered down bottle of alcohol. How did Jeanne even… nevermind. “Something related to romance? She didn’t talk about it explicitly, but she did ask me for advice about how to approach a man… not that I’m very helpful in that regard, I think.”

“I’m sure that you were very helpful,” Jeanne offers, completely sincere.

“No, I definitely wasn’t.” Kaveh shakes his head, takes another sip. “But, uh, I suppose she has a lover… or maybe a potential lover of sorts in Fontaine? One that she doesn’t quite know how to approach?”

“Hmm. Up till now, I thought that lover might have been you. But I suppose that I was wrong.”

Kaveh chokes on his cup instantly. What did she just say? “What!?”

Jeanne hands him a clean white kerchief in alarm. “I apologise for causing you such agitation,” she tells him, her expression genuinely apologetic. “I should have known better. You are not my sister’s type.”

Kaveh coughs one last time and dabs at the corner of his mouth with the kerchief — luxurious, thick Silk Flower silk with no creases. It almost feels too expensive to be putting his mouth on. “... thank you?”

“You’re welcome.” Jeanne sits back down and downs yet another cup of the wine. That’s like her, what, third cup now? And she still looks stone cold sober. Terrifying… “Do you have any idea as to who this potential lover might be? I already have an idea of this person’s identity, but I would like to make sure.”

“Uhmm…” Kaveh takes another sip of wine to cover up his embarrassment. “Someone who’s in a… unique position of power? Complicated social standing? Yeah, that’s how she described him.”

“Hm. That does confirm my suspicions.” Jeanne leans back in her seat and crosses her arms over her chest thoughtfully. She seems to have relaxed a bit now, which is good. Or so Kaveh had thought, because she spends the next few minutes pondering this all on her own, leaving Kaveh to the sad, melancholy tune of silence once more.

Not wanting to disturb her, Kaveh turns to the only thing left to do — the bottle of wine on the table. He pours himself a cup, and then another, and then another. Lambad doesn’t skimp on quality — sailors know the value of good alcohol, and this wine is some of the best that Kaveh has ever tasted. Which, eventually, leads to another problem: the bottle has run dry.

Kaveh upturns the bottle, shakes it vigorously and sets it back down with a sigh. Seems like that’s it for the night, he thinks, but Jeanne notices, to his surprise. “Let us order another bottle.”

That won’t be healthy for his wallet. But how is he supposed to turn her down nicely? “I don’t think we really need another drink… we won’t be here for much longer, will we?”

Jeanne blinks at him. “We won’t? Oh, am I unpleasant company to be around?”

“No!” Kaveh rushes to correct her. “I just… I just thought that you didn’t have anything else to ask me, so…”

“I would like to know more about my sister’s friend in Sumeru,” Jeanne corrects, and flags down one of the staff members serving drinks. “Order without hesitation. Since you have done me a great favour today, the drinks are on me.”

Really? “No! Really, there’s no need.” The staff member who had come up next to their table is starting to look a little annoyed now. “I don’t need any more drinks.”

“We’ll have whichever alcohol you recommend, thank you” Jeanne tells the staff member, who huffs and disappears back to the main building. Kaveh winces, awkward. “You didn’t have to…”

“As I said, you have done me a great favour today. I dislike leaving favours unpaid.”

“This can barely be considered a favour.”

“It might seem insignificant to you, but the weight that it has taken off my mind is immeasurable.” She says this so seriously that Kaveh cannot bring himself to argue against it. The server soon returns with a jar of snake wine, something that Kaveh has never been able to convince himself to order for his own enjoyment, and sets it on the table in front of him. He can already feel himself salivating.

Jeanne cracks off the top of the jar and pours them both a cup, before pushing Kaveh’s over to him. “I hope you enjoy it.”

“Thank you.” Kaveh knocks back the cup before he can hesitate any longer, and very nearly faints with how good it tastes. It must be good, having money. “So… what do you do for a living?”

“Me?” Jeanne pauses, swirling the cup in her hand. “Well, as I mentioned earlier, I am an enforcer with the Maison Gardiennage. We are responsible for Fontaine’s public order and safety.”

Right, Al-Haitham had mentioned that. So that’s why she was discussing criminal matters with him. “I thought that most Gardes wear those blue uniforms.”

“I’m part of the Special Security and Surveillance Patrol, to be more specific. We do not follow the Gardes dress code to move more inconspicuously, although that is rarely helpful in my case.” She gestures at the scar across her face. Kaveh holds back a sympathetic wince. He’d seen it earlier, but now that he’s seated closer, he can see the jagged edges of the scar, the old but healed skin tissue. 

It must have been a painful wound. Jeanne, however, doesn’t seem to be very self-conscious about it. That only gives Kaveh more respect for her.

“And what does the Special Security do?”

She shakes her head. “That is classified. I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you.”

Kaveh laughs, but then it trails off awkwardly. Jeanne said that with such a straight face — it doesn’t seem like a joke. He would like to keep his head right where it is — on his shoulders — thank you very much. 

“Some of the criminals that you’re dealing with?”

“Classified, I’m afraid.”

“Colleagues?”

“Also classified. I can’t go into too much detail about my work — non-disclosure agreement.” Kaveh sighs and takes another sip from his cup. As much as he’d wanted to clear the awkwardness, part of him had also wanted to find out more about this intriguing Fontainian lady in front of him. This is a little disappointing. “Instead, how about you tell me about what you do for work?”

“Me?” Kaveh isn’t too sure why she’d want to hear about his work. Sketching buildings and making mini models sound pretty boring, especially compared to the kind of work that Jeanne probably does on a daily basis. “It’s nothing interesting, really…”

“But my sister always speaks very highly of what you do. She says that you are daring, and have many original ideas that you see through to fruition.” Jeanne counters. “I am someone who lacks originality, so I must admit that I was very intrigued when I heard about that.”

Originality… All Kaveh can remember is the Palace of Alcazarzaray. It’s not that he regrets creating it, it is his magnum opus after all, but pursuing originality does have its cost.

“Why do you think that you lack originality?”

Jeanne purses her lips thoughtfully at that. “After I was adopted into nobility, I was made to go for a number of classes in the classical arts. I picked most of them up rather quickly, but I can only emulate others. For example, I could paint what someone told me to, but I wouldn’t be able to think of what to paint on my own. I memorised many concertos, but could never come up with an original piece. That is why I admire creatives such as you and my sister.”

Oh. The only topic that he and Al-Haitham agree on, probably, is how the rigorous schooling and immense pressure to graduate in the Akademiya tends to stifle original thought. It’s sad to hear the same thing occurring in other nations as well.

“Besides, my sister has praised many of your works in the past. Since I do not have the time to visit all the buildings that you have designed myself, I hope to hear about them from you instead.”

How can he not feel flattered by that? The last person who’d been so interested in hearing about his works had been Arabella herself. Suddenly feeling a little too pleased, Kaveh takes a big gulp of the snake wine and begins to speak. “Then, I can start with telling you about the lighthouse at Port Ormos…”

>>>

“And those stupid old fogeys have no idea what’s possible or not! They wanted a stairway without rails — let me repeat, without rails! Are they idiots? Do they think they can fly? If someone slips off those stairs, that’ll be the end of it for them. But no, they said. Aesthetics are not meant to be practical, they said!”

Jeanne nods and very subtly slides Kaveh’s cup away from him. She now understands why Al-Haitham had told her not to let Kaveh drink too much — the man is a lightweight, and a terrifically noisy drunk to boot. Still, many of his complaints are valid, and he seems to be someone without much of an outlet for his frustrations. Jeanne might get along with Al-Haitham, but she is aware that the man isn’t the best listening ear.

“You should bring them up to a similarly high place and threaten to push them off,” Jeanne suggests. “There are few motivations more potent than fear.”

Kaveh stops his ranting to stare at her. His cheeks are flushed, eyes hazy and a little unfocused — all symptoms of alcohol overconsumption. Then suddenly, he starts laughing, loudly and almost without abandon. “You’re so funny, you know!” He grins, resting his cheek on an upturned palm as he looks at her. His words are slurring together a little. “As a law enforcer, shouldn’t you know that something like that would be illegal?”

Well, Jeanne is a law enforcer, yes, but she tends to work with… less than legal means. She can’t tell him that, though, so she shakes her head. “Perhaps, you could just covertly hire a few men to beat them up instead? I have the necessary contacts, should you need them.”

The man sitting opposite her coughs. “That’s assault.”

“It’s actually solicitation of assault,” Jeanne corrects him. “Besides, no one will be able to find out that you were the one who hired them as long as you know how to keep things off the record.”

“You know, for a supposed law enforcer, you don’t seem to have a lot of lawful solutions.”

“I apologise for my poor suggestions. I will strive to think of something more practical for you.”

He lets out a snort at that. “Pfft… I’m alright without the hired thugs, thanks…” Kaveh slowly leans forward to put his face down on the table. He seems… tired, for a lack of a better word. Not just the tiredness that comes with insufficient rest, but the bone deep exhaustion of having endured something for too long. “This is quite enough for me. I can’t remember the last time I just ranted to someone like this.”

Jeanne is surprised to hear that. “Not even to my sister?” She thought that the two of them had been close.

“Oh, not because we aren’t friendly or anything.” Kaveh shakes his head against the table top. His cheek is squished as he looks up at Jeanne. “But she has her own troubles sometimes, and I don’t want to make her feel as though she can’t share things with me. A bit hypocritical, I know. Still can’t help it.” He lets out a loud sigh. “I feel kinda guilty, speaking to you too. I don’t want you to think that I’m treating you as an emotional punching bag!”

He’s a funny one. And someone who clearly cares too much about how he affects others, and how others perceive him. As much as he and Al-Haitham fail at getting along harmoniously, she must admit that the Acting Grand Sage is probably the person that truly sees Kaveh as the person that he is.

“I don’t feel that way at all,” Jeanne reassures him, subtly waving the proprietor over to bring the bill. “I’m honoured that you are willing to share with me your troubles, even though we have just met.”

“Well, you make it a little too easy to…” Kaveh grumbles incoherently into his hands. “You… definitely have your own troubles, but you don’t really show it, you know… makes me feel as though I can speak to you without guilt. Ah, but that makes me feel guilty too… I can’t listen to your troubles in return…”

He sounds so suddenly despondent that Jeanne has to shake her head firmly. “As I said, I see it as an honour. There is no debt between us.”

“Hmm…” Kaveh doesn’t seem to be listening anymore, searching the table for something. “Hmm…? Where did my cup go…”

“Here,” Jeanne pushes a cup of plain water in his direction. “Drink up.”

The proprietor glances at Kaveh when he comes over to their table with the bill. “He’s completely smashed again, huh? Not doing so great again.” He gives Jeanne a curious look. “You a new friend of his? Haven’t seen you around these parts.”

“I…” Jeanne pauses for a moment as she drops the required mora into his hand. “I suppose I am.”

“Hmm.” Lambad looks at her again, before he hands her a small glass bottle that fits easily within her palm. Jeanne can smell the pungent odour even without uncorking the bottle. Poison of some sort? Does this man have a grudge against Kaveh? “Hangover cure. Give it to him when he wakes up — he’ll need it.”

So not poison, then. “Thank you.”

“No worries.” Lambad waves it off. “Kaveh’s a good kid — helped me remodel some of the seating areas inside the tavern for a discounted price when we were running out of sitting space. Sometimes he helps people out at too high of a cost, and far too little of a benefit to himself. But it’s hard not to like a man like that.”

His words describe what she knows of Kaveh accurately enough. “I agree.”

“Well then, take care of him for me. And get him back home — I’ll need to be closing up shop soon.” Lambad raises a hand and turns around to leave. Jeanne glances back at the man half sprawled out on the table, his styled blonde hair now a mussed mess. But it’s not a bad look on him, Jeanne thinks to herself as she gets to her feet.

She grasps him by the shoulder and shakes him lightly. “Kaveh.” He mumbles under his breath. “Kaveh. We need to go. They’re closing up the tavern.”

“I’m — hng — sleepy.”

“That’s why we need to get you back to your house.”

“Right…” Kaveh slowly pushes himself off the chair, very nearly stumbles over his own feet. Jeanne catches him by the elbow before he can fall over.

“Steady, now. I’ll support you.”

The two of them slowly make their way out of the tavern and along the street, Jeanne with her hand on his elbow to support him. Kaveh squints at her as the two of them walk. “You’re not swaying at all,” he suddenly observes, very loudly. Jeanne nods, keeping her focus on Kaveh’s feet. He looks like he’s about to trip again at any moment.

“I’m not.”

“How’s that possible? You look like you didn’t even have a sip. Did I,” he coughs, shakes his head in confusion, “did I drink both bottles entirely on my own?”

“No. I drank more than half of the amount that we ordered.”

“Oh. So we drank the same amount, then.” Not quite, but Jeanne lets it slide without any argument. “How are you so sober, then? You’re not even,” Kaveh hiccups, squints at her some more, “a little bit drunk.”

“I have a high tolerance.”

“That’s not fair.”

The conversation lasts the two of them all the way back to Al-Haitham’s house. She glances at the windows, but they are shut and no light is coming around the edges. He’s probably asleep already.

She shakes Kaveh, who is now just completely leaning against her to stay upright. “Do you have your keys?”

“My kiss?”

“No, keys.”

“Oh, keys… so that’s what I forgot when I left earlier…” He mumbles a few more incoherent things under his breath, before sagging entirely against her like a sack of potatoes gone limp. Only Jeanne’s lightning fast reflexes allow her to catch him before he can send the both of them crashing to the ground. 

“Kaveh?” She shakes him again, but the man is out like a light. He really is a lightweight… Jeanne glances at the door again, and gives it a hopeful knock. No one comes to open it, unfortunately. Al-Haitham must have worn his noise cancelling headphones to sleep again.

Jeanne looks at Kaveh, tilting her head as she thinks about her next steps. She’s in a bit of a bind now. She could bring Kaveh to one of the inns and get a room for him, but it would be rude and inconvenient to wake up an innkeeper at this time of the night. That only leaves her with one option.

Sighing, Jeanne walks over to Kaveh, bends down and lifts him over her shoulder. He’s as light as she’d guessed, and of no trouble to her. 

“Let us be off, then,” she says aloud to no one, before setting off down the empty street.

>>>

Kaveh wakes up the next morning to sunshine pouring into his room… and directly onto his face. He tries to open his eyes, but feels his retinas drying instantly, and turns away at once. Why is it so bright already? What time did he sleep in until?

Grumbling under his breath — gods, his tongue feels so dry and heavy in his mouth — Kaveh reaches for his bedside table and fumbles for the alarm clock. Not here, not here, not there either? Where is it? 

He sits up in the bed and lets out a loud yawn, running his fingers through messy hair, and cracks open his eyes a smidge. To his confusion, his alarm clock is not on his bedside table. As a matter of fact, that’s not his bedside table at all.

His alertness finally makes a belated return. Kaveh glances to the left — a messy workbench on the table, no miniature cardboard model of the Avidya Forest’s watchtowers. To his right is a simple closet, filled with clothes that he doesn’t recognise. This isn’t his room. This isn’t even his house.

Finally, Kaveh looks down at himself. He’s almost relieved when he sees that he’s still dressed, at least, but then immediately starts to panic when he realises that the shirt he is currently dressed in isn’t his.

So, he does the most logical thing that he can think of — he screams.

A few seconds pass before the door suddenly bursts open with a bang to reveal Jeanne standing in the doorway with a wooden spatula in one hand and a fucking revolver in the other. Kaveh very nearly screams again, this time in terror, but manages to swallow it down. “Where’s the assassin?” she asks bluntly, eyes rapidly scanning over the room.

“What? No, there’s no assassin.” Kaveh cowers back into the covers, staring at the barrel of the gun. “Why is that the first thing that you thought of?”

Jeanne blinks, giving the room one last cursory glance before she holsters the pistol at her belt. She’s dressed in a simple pair of black pants and a simple ruffled blouse — different from the clothes that she’d been wearing yesterday. “It has happened before,” she tells him matter-of-factly, as though she is talking about a morning coffee or a stray cat coming by her door. Kaveh gapes at her in disbelief. “If there is no assassin, what were you screaming about?”

Right, he’d forgotten about that — which isn’t really a surprise, with how much his head is pounding. He feels as though someone is playing whack a mole with his skull. “I, um,  didn’t recognise where I was and panicked for a moment.”

“Oh.” Jeanne gestures at the room that he’s in. “This is my house in Sumeru. I often travel back and forth between the two countries for work matters, which makes it more convenient for me to have my own residence here.”

That does explain where he is, but just… how did he get here in the first place? Kaveh tries to recall the events of the previous night. He’d gotten kicked out of the house by Al-Haitham, and the two of them had gone to Lambad’s Tavern to get drinks and discuss Arabella. The anise wine had run out, Jeanne had called for another drink, and then…

He can’t remember much after that, which can only mean one thing — he’d gotten very, very drunk. There are vague flashes — of seeing Lambad’s face and then staggering up Treasures Street, but aside from that, Kaveh has no recollection as to what had happened.

And he’s wearing a different shirt, one that isn’t his. It isn’t hard to put two and two together, a foregone conclusion. Oh. Oh. Dear Archons, did something happen last night? Did he do something last night?

“Jeanne,” Kaveh says with deliberate slowness, in an attempt to quell the rising panic in his chest. “Did anything happen last night that I’ve forgotten about?”

She’s checking behind the curtains of the room — is she still looking for the ‘assassin’? “Do you not recall what happened last night?” Yes! “We went out for drinks after we met.” 

He remembers that part with perfect clarity. It’s what happened after that he wants to know about. Did he… “No, I’m asking if I did something… inappropriate.”

Jeanne shakes her head at him and Kaveh sags with relief. “You do not need to worry,” she reassures him. “You didn’t get sick on me or my clothes.” The panic comes back immediately. That’s not what he was talking about!

Kaveh gestures at the shirt that he’s wearing, hands flapping like the wings of a mad bird. “No, I was talking about this.”

“Oh… you mean how you got into that shirt. Apologies, I’m a little slow on the uptake.” That’s not what he meant either! “You spilled some of the snake wine on your shirt. My brother, Otho, stays in this room occasionally when he passes through, so I changed you into one of his spare shirts since the two of you are of similar height and build. I’m sorry if it’s uncomfortable, but I didn’t want to let you sleep in a stained shirt.”

Archons above… Kaveh feels as though he’s the only one losing his mind over here. Not just that, he sounds insane! Finally, he gathers the courage to take a quick glance beneath the covers and nearly faints with relief when he sees his pants still on. And aside from his raging headache, nothing else feels amiss… So maybe nothing really did happen?

Jeanne looks at him for a moment longer, trying to figure out if she properly answered him, before she gives up and gestures to the low table next to the bed. “There is water and a hangover cure that Lambad told me to give to you. Do you think you can stomach some food?”

It takes Kaveh a moment to process that question. “Oh… yes.”

“That’s good. I’ve made enough breakfast for us both in the kitchen — I hope you like shakshuka. When you’re feeling ready to get up, there is an en-suite bathroom—” she gestures to an inconspicuous door worked into the wall on his right, “and a change of clothes inside which you can use. I also just got your shirt laundered this morning, so you could wear that too, if you’d like.”

This is a bit too much information for Kaveh to take in at once. All he manages is a single, awkward, “why?”

Jeanne just seems a little confused by his question. “Why? Oh, because the laundromat wasn’t open until earlier this morning. It would have been better to bring the shirt as quickly as possible, but fortunately they still managed to remove the stain.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.” He feels as though he has said that sentence too many times today. “I meant… Why did you do all that for me? We’ve only just met, after all.”

People rarely go out of their way for others unless there is some sort of benefit that they stand to gain from it. Kaveh wonders if Jeanne is expecting something in return for it. There is nothing that he can offer her, he’s sure of it. Which is why he is so hesitant to simply accept her hospitality.

But Jeanne’s answer surprises him. “Is this not the natural thing to do?” she asks, looking even more confused now. “When I brought you back to the house, Al-Haitham was already asleep and you didn’t have your keys on you,” — so that’s what he forgot! — “not to mention that it was already long past midnight. I didn’t want to trouble the innkeepers, so this was the most convenient place to bring you.”

All that sounds logical and all, but Kaveh still can’t imagine that someone would do all that for him. The only other person whose intentions have confused him so thoroughly is Al-Haitham, who until now refuses to tell Kaveh why he let him stay in his house. But unlike his roommate, Jeanne seems genuinely… oblivious to it. As though she really doesn’t have a hidden agenda to her kindness, and this is simply natural for her to do.

Still, this doesn’t make Kaveh feel any more comfortable about receiving her goodwill. He’s adding up the costs for the laundering in his head — it must have been expensive, if she received the clothes back on the same day — when Jeanne holds out a hand. “There is no need to pay me back,” she tells him firmly.

“But—”

“I insist. Consider it a favour, for being friends with my sister and listening to her woes.” Jeanne nods decisively, as if that has concluded the conversation, and moves to leave the room. “I give you some privacy to wash up and get changed. Come out for some breakfast once you’re done.”

The door shuts behind her with a click and Kaveh is left staring at it, a little lost and stupefied. So… nothing is expected of him. She doesn’t expect anything back from him. Huh. It’s an uncomfortable thought, but an unexpectedly… pleasant sort of discomfort. 

So he does what she told him to. Goes into the en-suite bathroom, sees the clean set of clothes laid out for him to wear. He takes a quick shower, splashes his face with cold water to wake himself up. After dressing in the clothes that Jeanne had left out for him, he heads back into the room and downs the hangover cure, chasing it down with water. A wooden cup instead of a glass one, he notices. 

A small detail, but Kaveh is an observant man. Despite being so stoic and difficult to read, Jeanne seems to be a surprisingly warm and considerate person. Another lesson to Kaveh, he supposes, in learning not to judge others by their looks.

He glances about the room. Jeanne had mentioned something about her brother staying there occasionally, and he sees bits and pieces of that. A man’s styling comb, a pair of cufflinks on the table. And for a place that is supposedly so unused, he can see little knick knacks and ornaments that Jeanne has chosen to decorate the space with that give it a cosy, almost homely kind of warmth.

Framed Kamera photos sit on the nightstand, and Kaveh recognises Jeanne in some of them. Most of them appear to be of Jeanne, Arabella and their siblings — another man, who Kaveh presumes to be their brother, Otho, and a younger, seemingly fiery woman. Kaveh doesn’t seem to spot either of her parents. 

Arabella is giving her biggest and brightest smile to the Kamera, but Jeanne is wearing her typical unsmiling, serious expression in all of the photos but one. The last photograph is a little less formal, a bit more candid, where all of Jeanne’s siblings are giving her a hug. From the looks of it, photograph-Jeanne is trying her best to maintain her usual expression, but there’s a distinctly pleased yet embarrassed look on her face.

It’s rather endearing, to be able to see this side of Jeanne. Kaveh finds himself staring at the photos for a while longer, thinking that it must be nice to have such a large family, when he hears Jeanne calling for him from outside.

When he emerges from the room, he sees Jeanna standing outside next to the table, dressed in the Fontainian suit that he’d seen the day before and her hair pinned up neatly underneath her hat. “Here is the shakshuka. I’ve never really cooked this dish for anyone else other than myself, but I hope you like it.” She removes the… clutch?... from an iron skillet to reveal a perfect dish underneath. Four perfectly poached eggs sit inside in a delicious mess of tomatoes and peppers. “I’ll need to be heading off for work soon.”

That’s very early. “It looks great,” Kaveh says as he moves to sit at the table. “Law enforcement?”

“Mm. I have some business with the matra today — now that Al-Haitham has approved the paperwork, I can finally collect the runaway noble and escort him back to Fontaine.”

“That’s great.” Kaveh is a little surprised by how disappointed he is to hear that she’ll be heading back so soon. 

“Al-Haitham was very prompt with the paperwork,” Jeanne nods, before placing a key with a familiar lion keychain on the table in front of him. Is that his… “While collecting the paperwork, I also picked up your key so you may return home whenever you wish. Treasures Street is relatively close, so you’ll be able to walk back easily after breakfast.” She takes a step back and nods. “Then, I hope to see you around soon, Kaveh. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

“Oh.” Kaveh glances up at Jeanne, surprised. “The shakshuka is a little too big for me to finish on my own… are you not going to eat with me?”

Jeanne pauses with one hand on the doorknob. In truth, she is already running a little late — bringing Kaveh’s keys back here and then cooking the shakshuka had caused her to run quite a bit behind schedule. If it had just been her, she would have just boiled some eggs or bought something from Puspa Cafe on the way to the Akademiya. 

Still, the hopeful look on Kaveh’s face is surprisingly difficult to reject. It’s like trying to convince herself to kick a puppy.

Eventually, she finds herself relenting — surprising even herself — and she takes a seat opposite Kaveh. “I’ll need to eat quickly.”

“That’s alright. Still, you should eat your fill to get ready for the day ahead.” Kaveh scoops out a good portion of the shakshuka and places it onto her plate. “Here you go.”

“Oh, let me get some for you too.”

“It’s alright, I can do it on my own.”

“I insist, really…”

Surprisingly, the conversation over breakfast flows easily — more easily than it did last night, at least. Kaveh asks Jeanne about the photographs that he’d seen in the spare room, and Jeanne had paused between bites to tell him more about her siblings. She had been adopted into the Fontainian noble family de la Roches while still a young girl, and had gotten three new siblings to live with. Arabella, the oldest, followed by Otho and Vivienne. 

Kaveh is already familiar with Arabella, so Jeanne tells him about her other siblings. “Otho is the next head of the de la Roches,” she says. “He’s a bit of a handful at the moment, but I can see why he’s acting out — anyone would with so much pressure placed on their shoulders. As for Vivienne…” Jeanne sighs at the thought of her younger sister. “She’s the fiery sort, but gets into trouble a little too often. Arabella often runs herself worrying over her. Still, she’s got a good heart.”

Kaveh, in return, tells Jeanne some of his anecdotes living with Al-Haitham — some of which make Jeanne crack what seems to be her version of a smile. “I think that I have heard some of these before,” she tells him. Kaveh stops mid-rant, surprised. “The Mahamatra — Cyno — has regaled me with humorous tales of a certain friend living with another acquaintance. He did not mention them by name, but now that I have met you, I am quite sure that he was speaking about you and Al-Haitham.”

The conversation flows smoothly, and it’s not long before the shakshuka has run out. After they put the dishes away, Jeanne picks up her bag once more. “I must really go now,” she says, but she doesn’t look upset, which makes Kaveh feel relieved. “I will not return for a while, so I wanted to tell you this… I’m not sure if it will make you uncomfortable, but you may stay here whenever you like.”

Kaveh stares at Jeanne again, this time even more shocked. To just offer access to your house to someone you’ve just met the night prior… surely things are moving too fast here?

“This house doesn’t see much use otherwise. Besides, my sister trusts you, and after meeting you, I also think that you are a person of solid character.” Jeanne nods as she looks at him. “ I might be emotionally oblivious, but I am adept at discerning the hearts of others.”

“But—”

“This way, you could return the clothes I lent you.”

Kaveh hesitates. “If you say so…”

He follows Jeanne to the door, where she shows him where the key to the front door is hidden — underneath a flower pot with a small, fat ball cactus. “A little obvious, don’t you think?”

Jeanne shrugs, seemingly unbothered. “The key is enchanted with a locking mechanism by an astrologist from Mondstadt. If someone without my approval tries to touch it, it dissolves into water instantly.”

“That’s… wow.” Imagine being able to use such magic and technology for designing parts of buildings! Stairs that could hold their shape but dissolve into water when no one is using them, doors that could turn to water instead of having to physically open them. “I’ll have to visit Mondstadt some day…”

Jeanne looks at him. “Then, I’ll be going now.” And just as she did the first time she had introduced herself to him, she takes his hand and presses a light kiss to the back of it. “I’ll see you around, Kaveh.”

And Kaveh’s heart still skips a beat, unsurprisingly. While the feelings that had spiked through him previously had been more of awkwardness and shock, now there is something… a little more shy and flustered in its place. Now that is something that takes him by surprise.

You’ve just met her, Kaveh scolds himself, horrified. Don’t be so easy, Kaveh!

But that doesn’t stop his cheeks from heating when her eyes meet his. Her eyes really are like aquamarine stones, clear and polished with honesty. “I hope we meet again soon, Jeanne.”

“We definitely will.” With that, Jeanne releases his hand and turns around. Kaveh watches as she disappears down the street and off into one of the many tunnels among the roots of the Divine Tree. Only when she has completely vanished from sight does Kaveh turn around and go back into the house.

>>>

Kaveh returns the next day with the clothes that Jeanne had loaned him, clean and laundered, but is disappointed to see that she has truly left. When he sets the clothes down, however, he sees something on the table that wasn’t there yesterday — a jar of snake wine with a handwritten  note pinned underneath it.

Headed back to Fontaine. Enjoy, but in moderation, of course — Jeanne de la Roche

Despite himself, Kaveh finds himself smiling. The next time she visits Sumeru, he’ll make sure that he has something to share with her in return as well.

#genshin #genshin oc #commission #kaveh

[dailyfgsupers]

Bonus Post!

Zenitsu Agatsuma (Entertainment District)'s First Form: Thunderclap and Flash, Godlike Speed

(Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles, 2021)

#fighting games #fighting game #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #the hinokami chronicles #demon slayer the hinokami chronicles #zenitsu #zenitsu agatsuma

[ladynightlark]

CFLDF Character Sheet:

Tanjiro Kamado

Age: 17 (Physically 15)

Status: Demon (Alive)

Ranking: N/A

Kasugai Cat: N/A

Hair: Black fading to Bright Red

Pre-Transformation: black with burgundy ends and worn in small ponytail

Post-Transformation: wears up in a long ponytail tied with a blue cord (used for Kaigaku's pendants)

Eyes: Blood Red

Pre-Transformation: red was a bit darker

Post-Transformation: the red is slightly brighter and his pupils become slit-like when agitated

Outfit(s):

Pre-Transformation: dark green and black checkered haori with a white robe and black pants; has white tabi socks and zori

Post-Transformation: keeps his haori, but wears a white kimono (with a dark juban) and black hakama pants

Accessories:

Hanafuda Earrings: family heirloom; were damaged after the attack on the Kamado family, and were repaired/restored to him after Nezuko's Final Selection

Muzzle: black and tied with a red ribbon; made of smoked peach wood (as means to ground him with a familiar scent when his demonic instincts are triggered around human blood/scents)

Special Markings: Flaming Scar on the Left Side of his Forehead

Pre-Transformation: originally a burn scar from a braiser

Breath Style: None

Sword: None

Hidden Talents:

Strong Sense of Smell: is able to track and remember scents very well, and even pick up on some emotions with them

Strong Forehead: is believed to be stronger than iron; favors headbutting attacks

Hinokami Kagura: is able to perform the Kamado family ceremonial dance

Blood Demon Art: Currently Unknown

#kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer #children of fuchsia light and demon fire #demon slayer fanfic #demon slayer role swap au #tanjiro kamado #demon tanjirou #CFLDF character sheets #character ref sheet

[kny-stardust]

Chapter 6 — Trials

Word Count: 3329

Summary: You were taken in by Mr. Hantengu and he seems willing to train you, or more like, with no other choice other than train you. However, he's clear that this life isn't for everyone, much less to those of weak heart. He decides to test you, to see if you are determined and capable enough to be his newest trainee.

“Follow me.”

Those were the first words Mr. Hantengu told you as soon as you two met the other day. Your siblings were still sleeping, but Mr. (F/N) told you that it was fine to let them sleep a bit longer, and that she would take them later, after a good breakfast. She also said that you could leave Nezuko and Tanjiro there, apologizing to you for how she reacted and that Mr. Hantengu had already explained everything for her. You didn't know what that man had supposedly explained, but you didn't ask her, saying to her that you didn't blame her and apologizing for the mess from the previous night, leaving soon after.

As you followed Mr. Hantengu, a couple thoughts crossed your mind. First, he certainly wasn't as old as he looked, because he was running so fast and you were yet to see him pant or anything. You don't consider yourself especially fit like a couple hunters and lumberjacks, but you were pretty strong and had a really good stamina from helping your father all those years, but you felt humiliated as you were running out of breath and he was just fine. Second, his steps didn't make any noise. He was running, and yet you heard nothing other than his clothes floating against the wind. Even as he walked around Mrs. (F/N)'s house, you didn't hear him walking or the wood creaking under his weight. It was as if he was a ghost. Your father did the same when he danced the Hinokami Kagura. The ground under his feet barely moved as he danced. Third, he wasn't smelling as bad as he was last night.

After an hour or so, you reach a humble cabin at the foot of the mount. Despite being humble, it wasn't exactly small. You could say it was almost as big you own house, one that could fit a big family, like your own. He stops by the house, where you finally find a place to regain your breath. You could feel him staring at you, but he didn’t say anything as you rested, only speaking once you recover.

“What would you do if you siblings ate someone?” The question was so sudden and so incredulous that you couldn’t help the anger creep to your face.

“Nezuko and Tanjiro would never eat anyone!” You tell him, almost crying at him, making him flinch. When you notice his reaction, your anger fades away instantly and you lower your head. “I’m sorry, but I know what I’m talking about. Tanjiro and Nezuko are good people. They would never eat anyone.” You tell him, but you soon hear him sigh.

“Don’t apologize. Your answer was right, in part, until you apologized.” He said as he entered the house, but didn’t get too much in. “If you’re so certain that they won’t do it, then even if you had reacted in a bad way, you wouldn’t be wrong. But you did apologize. That’s the problem.” You hear him putting something down, and look up as he exits and closes the door. His sword was gone. “You know what your believes are, but you’re not certain in them. You waver. You ponder in what to do. You freeze when you have to take action.”

“What do you mean?” You asked him.

“You believe your siblings would never hurt a human as onis. You came to that conclusion after you were attacked by them and they recognized you.” His words stunned you, making your eyes go wide.

“How di-” You tried to talk, but he karate chopped your head. You felt as if he had hit your head with a rock.

“I’m still talking.” He said in a stern tone. “You really believe they won’t do anything, and you will stay by their side, no matter what, however your believes conflict when another person is put in the picture.” He spoke as he looked down at you. “Aizetsu had taken your brother from you and was threatening to kill him. That oni from yesterday had attacked both you and your siblings, saying that they would kill you. You had all the reasons to end their life, but didn’t do so until the last moment. Why?”

You can’t meet his gaze as you quickly turn away. What you wanted right now was to run and hide in shame or turn to him and scream at him how wrong he was, but you can’t. You can’t do either. You came a long way to meet him just to run away ashamed. You also knew he was right in his words. In the end, all you could do was stare down at your feet and hold on to your clothes.

“Because, consciously, you can’t bear the thought of hurting or of others being hurt. If your brother hadn’t recognized you, you most likely would have let him kill you. If Aizetsu hadn’t taken so long to kill him and provoked you, you wouldn’t fought him to protect him. The same happened yesterday, with that oni. If you aren’t pushed enough, you won’t take action. It seems that even if your life is in danger, you might as well not act at all.” He pointed out, and in each of his points, you wished the ground would swallow you whole. “Am I wrong?”

You can’t say anything back. You keep your head low to hide your tears, but they run and fall to the ground against your will. All you could do was to shake your head.

“You can’t hurt others. You have a kind heart. That’s in your nature and you can’t fight it.” He says, before sighing. “Although that’s not entirely a bad thing.” He whispers, more to himself, but you can’t help but hear it, making you look at him. He’s facing away from you. “That will be something to be solved in the long run. For now, let’s see if you’re anything actually worth of my time. Follow me.”

As soon as he said those words, he started to climb up the mountain behind his house and you, wordlessly, went after him. He walked for quite sometime, not saying a word nor sparing a glance to look if you were following him. You walked up the mountain silently, but taking note of how the place was slowly but surely becoming colder and you were having a harder time to breathe as you climbed higher. After quite a while, you reach a place that was near the top of the mountain, an open clearing that had a huge rock with a thick rope and papers hanging around it. In front of it, there were couple swords stuck to the ground, and many others in the surrounding forest.

You remembered that your grandmother would tell you stories of how blades were used in war times as graves for the fallen warriors, and you had to be respectful of them. You watched silently as Mr. Hantengu approached the swords and prayed silently, but straighten yourself up when he picked one up and threw it to your feet.

“Pick it up.” He said.

“But isn’t it a...” You can’t complete the sentence, taking a step back as if touching the blade would make you sick.

“It was one Aizetsu got when he was a bit younger than you are now. He left it here after he got his lance. Now, pick it up.” He said, watching you carefully as you picked the sword in your hands. Your hands instinctively moved to properly hold the handle, feeling the weight of the katana in your hold. “You don’t have a sheath, so you have to be careful of the blade on the way down.”

“On the way down?” You asked him.

“Yes. It will be your first test. You have to get to the cabin before nightfall and taking the least possible attacks from me.” He said calmly.

“What!?” You exclaimed as the old man sit down in front of the rock, not acknowledging your reaction.

The sun was high in the sky, and it would take a few hours to go down, but again you two took quite a couple just to climb the mountain in the first place. To reach the foot of the mountain in that time? It would be quite hard, but you could do so. Yet, that wasn’t what had you bewildered.

“What do you mean by attacks?” You asked him.

“I’m going to hunt you, with this.” He said before taking something out of his clothes and craving it to the ground. It was your knife. “Keep this scenario in your head: I am the strongest demon alive and you, little slayer, is watching me as I take my sweet time to kill your companions. You have no hope of beheading me, so all you can do is run. You’ll have a short head start, but I’ll be after you as soon as I see you gone. You have to run to somewhere away from this forest, where the sun can touch and I can’t reach you. I can’t let you escape as your survival will turn into a problem in the long run, so I’ll do anything in my power to kill you. Run and fight for your life as I chase you down. This is your test.”

You can’t help the shivers that run down your body under his stare. Being in his sight is no different than being a defenseless baby in front of a hungry wolf. You feel as if he could and would actually kill you. You find even more difficult to breathe. This place is higher than you lived, and the air was much more thinner too. You can’t help but wonder if you could actually survive this.

“You have ten seconds. Starting now.” Mr. Hantengu said as he looked into your eyes.

Your body reacts before your mind can register his words. The next thing you know is that you are running through the countless trees, your mind racing, trying to retrace the path you took up to the mountain. You try to breathe through your mouth as you run down, but you soon find yourself gasping for air. As you run, a thought crosses your mind:

The ten seconds are up.

As you turn to find your way back, you feel something holding the katana, making you stop for a moment. You notice some that the katana brushed in some sort of a rope, that was hanging around there for some reason. As you pulled the sword away from it, you register the pain before you can see something being thrown at you. You stumble back at the impact before you can see what it was: just a couple of stones.

“Did you really fall for that?” You heard a voice as you tried to understand what happened.

Following your instincts, you threw yourself to the floor, rolling away from the voice, only hearing something moving quickly just over your head. You try to stand up after rolling, but you feel your feet slip to something and you almost fall, just barely holding to a tree. Looking behind, you see a big, hidden hole dig into the ground.

“Huh? That one was a close call.” You hear and turn to see Mr. Hantengu just a few meters away from you. “What? Have you given up already? When we’ve just started?” He asks you as he slowly makes his way to you, his glare and murderous intent is clear and his lips are twisted into a malicious grin. If you were a rabbit, he would be a mocking fox playing with your life. Once again, you ran off. “Just as I thought...” You somewhat hear him say in the middle of your running steps and moving leaves of bushes.

You finally understood.

You feel something grab the sword, but you just pulls it with you, and dash forward, just barely dodging a log that swung in your direction.

His attacks weren’t just about his attacks with the knife.

The floor in front of you caved in just a little, making you jump, thus avoiding a big hole that opened up right bellow you.

He also had traps prepared and certainly knew this mountain well.

You caught something moving with the corner of your eye, so you raised the sword. As soon as you passed by the tree, Mr. Hantengu appeared, attempting to strike you with the knife, but you barely evaded it. His strength was surprising, sending you stumbling a few steps back.

His physical poweress too was an advantage he had over you. However, you weren't going to back down. You've decide.

As soon as you get a but of stance you rush down once again, heading to the cabin in the base of the mountain.

You are going to pass this test, and any upcoming test he may throw on you. You aren't giving up. You will become a slayer and cure your siblings.

Hours had passed, and you're on the floor, panting heavily while leaning on the cabin's wall, the sword barely leaving your hand. Mr. Hantengu is standing in front of you, arms crossed, as if judging you.

“You actually made it before sun set. Well done.” He said. Did he really just compliment you? You found it hard to believe that he was the same person that was trying to kill you a few seconds ago.

“So... I passed your test?” You asked, trying to stand up. “Will you train me?”

He stayed in silence for a moment, eyeing you before sighing.

“Yes. I'll train you. But just so you know...” He said as he looked down on you. “I won't be as kind as today. Everyday you'll wish to die. Are you ready to have your life turned into hell?”

“My life has been turned into hell when my family was attacked. And I won't die until I bring my siblings back to what they originally were.” You said, looking determined.

Mr. Hantengu nodded, but you saw something flash in his eyes. Hesitation.

“Veey well. Then, I'll show you were you and your siblings will be staying.” He said as he walked to the cabin. “Since Aizetsu warned me beforehand of your arrival, I had the chance to clean up a bit, but not everything. I usually don't receive visitors, so it may be a bit messy.”

You followed him into the cabin, where while it wasn't the prime example of a clean place, it wasn't so bad. He showed you a room with five futons and a spare room with the windows closed, making it completely dark, with two more futons. He also showed the other places in the house, so you could know where was where. According to him, training took a long time, so you had to get used to it as soon as possible, for you would be staying a long time. Your siblings arrived sometime after you were introduced to the house, along with Mrs. (F/N), who came to show them the way and help them get settled. Mr. Hantengu then left with her, saying that it was already too dark and would get her safely to the village and come back. Usually, it would take quite some time, so he told you and your siblings to eat without him and go to sleep early.

As you were instructed to, you made a bath and gave food for your siblings, before putting them to bed. You also had to carry Nezuko and Tanjiro out of their basket, setting them in the dark room. You caressed your brother's bangs, watching him sleep. He didn't react to your touch, as he usually would stir in his sleep and nuzzle closer to you. The same happened to Nezuko. You thought that they were just tired and didn't pay it much a mind, but you couldn't help the uncomfortable sinking feeling in your heart.

“Sis...” You heard a voice calling you as you left the room.

“Takeo... What are you doing up? Go to sleep. It's late already.” You told him.

“What about you? You should sleep too.” He asked, but not looking in your eyes.

“I will. I'll just wait for Mr. Hantengu to arrive.” You told him, patting his head, but he pushed your hand away.

“But you're tired! You said yourselft that you climbed that mountain up and down today already, and that tomorrow, it would get even harder! And that man said that we shouldn't wait for him! You're the one that needs to sleep the most!” Takeo complained, looking in your eyes, the same way he would do when he asked to sleep with you when he was little.

You can't help but smile at that memory, and bring him softly to a hug. He didn't resist

“You're such a good boy, Takeo...” You said, brushing his hair with your fingers. “I know that you're worried, but I'm also worried for Mr. Hantengu. After what happened back home... I can't rest peacefully without knowing if he's back or not.” You tell him before pulling him away from you. “I'll just wait for him to come back. Then, I'll go straight to sleep. Is that okay?”

Takeo remained silent for a while before nodding. You smiled and once again put him in bed, kissing his forehead as he fell asleep. You were about to leave the room when you heard something moving outside. You recognized the smell.

“Welcome back, Mr. Hantengu.” You told him as he took of his shoes.

“Still up?” He asked, looking at you before scoffing. “Don't even bother. Nothing really happens around here. It's safe.” He says. His words bother you more than it actually should, but you couldn't help it.

“We also thought that home was safe. And yet, here we are, sir.” Your words make him freeze, before sighing.

“You're right. I'm sorry.” He said.

“It's okay. It was inappropriate from my part too.” You tell him. “There's some food in the counter. I think it's still warm.”

“I see. Thank you.” He said as he headed to the kitchen, before sparing you a glance, as you were still standing in the corridor. “If there's something you want to ask, do it. As your trainer, I must erase your doubts.”

“It's nothing much. Just a slight curiosity...” You confessed. “That thing you said before the test. About you being a demon and I a slayer who could only run.”

“It was your first lesson. There are certain enemies you won't be able to fight. Sometimes, you'll find a demon much stronger than yourself, then you would have to run until he lost you or until the sun rose, which would send them into hiding. There's no shame in running to save yourself or others, so don't think you're forced to fight something beyond you.” He said, getting the food and sitting at the table. “That's about it.”

“I see.” You say after hearing his reasoning. “Then, good night, sir.” You tell him before heading to your own room to sleep.

#kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer #kny au #kny fanfic #kny roleswap au #reader insert #kamado family #hantengu

[tisafinedayforsimping]

I play Hinokami chronicles by blasting touhou music and spamming for dear life and tbh this method has gotten me several S rank battles on story mode

#simp talks

[anotheruseronthissite]

Demon Slayer Role Swap - Tanjiro and Nezuko

Plot Points:

Tanjiro and Nezuko and raised by Tanjuro and Kei Kamado along with their siblings.

Most of the canon backstory happens, but Nezuko does not become a demon. Both Tanjiro and Nezuko become demon slayers and pillars.

Nezuko gains an inferiority complex because Tanjiro's skills with a sword and invention of breathing styles are much better than hers and she wishes to be able to fight equally alongside him.

Muzan uses this to his advantage and turns Nezuko into a demon, manipulating her memeories to twist that inferiority into resentment.

Tanjiro encounters Muzan and nearly kills him, but Muzan gets away. Tanjiro lets Kanae and Shinobu live.

Tanjiro is kicked out from the Corp. He proceeds to have a family with Kanao, who was also appart of the Corp his time.

Nezuko ends up confronting an old Tanjiro, a while after Kanao died. What happens between Kokushibo and Yoriichi occurs.

Character Info - Tanjiro

Status - deceased

Appearance - short red and black hair tied into a very small ponytail along with dark red eyes. He wears a black and green checkered haori over a white robe and black pants. He also wears a pair of hanafuda earings gifted to him by his father and has a flame like mark running from the corner of his forehead.

Weapon - Black Nichiren Sword

Breathing Style - Sun Breathing

Slayer Mark? - Yes

Species - Human

Additional Information -

Tanjiro was not born with the slayer mark.

Tanjiro invented Sun Breathing based off the Hinokami Kagura dance performed by his family. ( The dance came before the breathing style in this AU. Tanjiro later retranslates the breathing style into a dance )

Kanao was still like how she was by the end of canon.

Tanjiro is the ancestor to Sumiyoshi and the Tsugikuni twin's mother.

Tanjiro's earings are gifted to Yoriichi by Yoriichi's mother.

Character Info - Nezuko

Age - 400+

Appearance - Long black hair that fades into a flame orange along with dull pink eyes that have the Kanji for Upper Moon 1 etched into them. Nezuko has a long white horn protruding out of a corner of her forehead and crack like and red and green vine like markings on her skin. She's tall and wears a light pink Kimono with a hemp leaf pattern and a dark-brown haori along with a pair of zori, white tabi socks, and kyahan. She also has a cresent moon shaped mark on her cheek. Nezuko also has a worn and ripped pink ribbon in her hair, a gift from Tanjiro.

Weapon(s) - Red Nichiren Sword + Legs (for kicking)

Breathing Style - Moon Breathing

Demon Art - Combusting Blood (can harm humans and melt Nichiren Swords)

Slayer Mark? - Yes

Species - Demon

Additional Information

Nezuko incorporated powerful kicks and punches into her combat.

Unintentionally, Nezuko's physicall combat becomes apart of a different breathing style.

Nezuko commonly takes on a toddler like form, mainly to blend in/hide away when she doesn't want to fight.

Nezuko has an even more demoinic form. ( Basically Kokushibo's monsterous form)

Nezuko does not recover her full memories until facing off against Yoriichi

#demon slayer #demon slayer kimetsu no yaiba #kimetsu no yaiba #kny #demon slayer tanjiro #tanjiro kamado #kny nezuko #nezuko kamado #role swap au

[ascending-donotdisturb]

In your Demon Slayer fanfic Atlantis, You said you weren't sure whether Hanako should be a Demon Slayer or not. I placed options on what role she could take if she's not a Demon Slayer.

Non-Demon Slayer options would be:

A nurse at the Butterfly Estate

A Kakushi

An Apprentice Swordsmith

Caretaker of the Kasugai Crows (I'm not sure if that's a thing but I can't help but think who looks after them when they're not sending messages)

If a Demon Slayer here's my opinion on the options on what Hanako's Breathing Style options:

Water (if you want to expand on Hanako's platonic/familial relationship with Tomioka if she ends up as his Tsuguko)

Flame (it could lead to finding out about the Kamados Hinokami Kagura being Sun Breathing. Plus, I kinda want to see Senjuro being friends with the Kamados.)

Love (Mitsuri seems to be one of the Hashira who is more accepting of Nezuko being a demon)

Create her own Breathing Style

While it's rare to see an SI who doesn't become a demon slayer. It would best if she becomes a demon Slayer if she wants to travel with her siblings. But then again she would considered too young, right? Is she going to have noticeable scars? From that Muzan attack?

Oh my goodness this is so exciting!!!! I've never gotten an ask before!!!! And about one of my fics!!! I'm screaming.

Thank you so much for taking the time to send me an ask Nonny.

I am in the process of writing the next Chapter for Atlantis actually and am hopeful it will be out within a week.

I have decided that Hanako will be a demon slayer though I did toy with the idea of her being s Kakushi for awhile as well.

I don't think she will be too young to be a slayer. But I am now realizing in review that I never actually said I was aging her up just a bit so I will make that age range clear when I post the next Chapter.

As for scarring she will retain noticeable scars from the attack as well as some other things that may just be revealed in the next chapter.

Thanks so much for your Ask, Nonny and I hope you reach out again!!

#Ask Ascendant #asks #asks open #demon slayer fanfic #writing #ao3 #ao3 fanfic #demon slayer #atlantis #kamado hanako

[alexthegamingboy]

Toonami Weekly Recap 02/17/2024

Ninja Kamui EP#02 - After receiving medical assistance from an old colleague named Kagari, Joe tortures the boss ninja at an abandoned factory before killing him by fire after he fails to get any useful information. Joe travels by motorcycle across the southwestern U.S. states in an attempt to find the clan's American hideout but to no avail. Back at headquarters, the FBI has seemingly covered up the ninja incident. Mike and Emma lay low to continue their investigation into the Logans. Joe contacts Mike and agrees to a meeting the following night at a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco. After getting Joe to confess that the Logan identity was a cover up, Mike holds him at gunpoint in an attempt to bring him in for questioning before they are attacked by two ninjas disguised as a single food delivery man. Joe kills the attackers before the restaurant is barraged by bullets and a rocket launcher from disguised men traveling via van. Joe escapes and Mike is left to wonder who created the attacker's blades that were able to pierce his body armor during the assault. In an undisclosed location, ninja clan master Yamaji receives word from Zai that Joe is still alive.

Lycoris Recoil EP#05 - So far, so good: A month after Majima's terrorist attack, Chisato briefs her coworkers of their new mission, which consists of escorting a terminally ill, wheelchair-bound magnate named Matsushita around Japan. They give him a tour around Tokyo, where Chisato confirms to Takina she possesses an artificial heart. Meanwhile, two investigators discover evidence of a terrorist attack in the subway. Kurumi identifies an assassin, Jin, following Matsushita, who Mika remembers working with 15 years prior. Takina attempts to intercept Jin as Matsushita breaks away from Chisato. Matsushita reveals Jin killed his family, and their real mission is revenge. Chisato succeeds in immobilizing Jin after he injures Takina, but Matsushita appears and demands she kill him. After she refuses to do so, Matsushita's machines suddenly stop working, killing him. In the debriefing, Mika explains "Matsushita" was merely the body of an old drug addict used as a puppet through the machines in his wheelchair. The person controlling him is someone from the Alan Institute, who decides to change their plans. That night, Majima and his men ambush and kill a Lycoris, with him exclaiming she will be the first of many.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Entertainment District Arc EP#13 (39) - Layered Memories: As Tanjiro and Daki battle, Daki causes immense destruction at the cost of numerous innocent lives. Angered at her callousness, he retaliates, using Hinokami Kagura to enhance his speed and power. During their confrontation, Daki sees distant memories of a similar figure to Tanjiro, memories which she surmises belong to Muzan's cells in her body. Tanjiro pushes Daki on the defensive and almost beheads her when he collapses in exhaustion; he had been fighting without remembering to sustain his breathing pattern and a vision from his late sister only saves him from suffocating to death. Daki prepares to kill him as he is downed when Nezuko suddenly attacks her. Remembering Muzan s mention of a rogue demon, she begins fighting her. Daki bisects Nezuko with her obi but is stunned to see her already standing. Nezuko matures in appearance and faces her.

IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix EP#13 - Into Tomorrow: The final match against Team Velshtein has begun! The duel between Takeshi and Cunningham escalates as they advance to a level that no one had ever attained in the history of IGPX! Meanwhile, Liz and Amy develop their skills in the battle.

#Toonami #Toonami Weekly Recap #Toonami Game Review #Ninja Kamui #Lycoris Recoil #Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba #Demon Slayer 2 #Entertainment District Arc #IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix #IGPX #Youtube

[madraleen]

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Koyoharu Gotouge Volumes 12-15: A Ridiculously Long Commentary (with spoilers)

-Me on volume 12, with literally 11 more books to go: Wait! I don’t want it to end yet!

-What in the ever-loving God is Gyokko’s face.

-Oh, Doma went from upper rank 6 to 2? Good for him! ... ... No wait... Why does he have to be so cute tho.

-Jesus, I nearly screamed, Kokushibo looks so much like Kamado Senior’s figure.

-Heeey, the bold-font blue spider lily strikes again!

-Eeee, Kokushibo’s face!!! I had a fright. Wait, that’s a flame tho? He has the Sun Hashira mark? (almost said the Sun Summoner mark, lmao). Wait, what’s happening

-Okay, Kokushibo was a Demon Slayer and knew a Kamado ancestor, right? But the Kamado ancestor looks like Tanjiro, yet Kamado Senior actually looks more like Kokushibo - wait, I’m confused. Am I overthinking this

-Unconscious for two months?! This boy gives me anxiety.

-Inosuke pinching Tanjiro’s cheek, help.

-Oof, good, I didn’t like seeing Tanjiro in that hospital bed.

-Nezuko having the time of her life in the hot spring, omg.

-Aww, Love Hashira and Nezuko hug, too cute.

-Yesss, the Mist Hashira, I really wanted to spend time with him. Tokito.

-Kanroji aside, Tanjiro has started on the wrong foot with every Hashira so far, it’s impressive.

-The mechanical doll... I have questions... 

-Younger? Tokito is even younger than Tanjiro?

-Okay, so now Tanjiro can smell-predict the movements of his opponents. This reminds me of a Genshin commission in Inazuma of all places, with the author and editor discussing how acceptable is the emergence of random new abilities and I’m laughing. Okay. I mean, it makes sense. He smells stuff.

-Where are Zenitsu and Inosuke, I miss them.

-Wait, so. What’s the connection between Kokushibo, the Sun Hashira with the Kamado Ancestor, and the Mechanical Doll? Are any of them the same person?

-It’s not that I’m doubting Tokito’s strength, it’s just that we have two upper ranks around and I’m nervous.

-Sunflower Thrust? Since when did you develop Hinokami Kagura moves?

-Lol, Genya said “fuck swords.”

-Me, watching Tanjiro fight: Oookaaayyy... Back to the Butterfly Mansion infirmary you go.

-I... I don’t see how we’re gonna get out of this with Tanjiro and Nezuko vs three demons in one and Tokito in a whole different area of the village against another demon. Where’s Kanroji?

-Pls don’t kill Tokito, pls don’t kill Tokito, pls don’t k- DAMN IT! He got stabbed by the needles! I mean, this doesn’t have to be deadly, surely, surely - goddammit, there’s poison again, of course there is.

-Go, Love Hashira, go!

-Tanjiro’s penpals and Giyu who doesn’t write back, awww.

-WHAT IS THE CONNECTION between Samurai-sama and Tanjiro! Is there one?!

-Eeehh?!?! Genya?!?!

-Genya, slay the thing, we don’t care for who did what here, just do it!

-I’m sorry, I need a second, Nezuko is amazing.

-I like Kimetsu Academy Story, where everyone interacts and no one dies.

-Oh. Oh no. I wasn’t prepared for Wind Hashira tragic backstory, wait.

-WHAT! Sanemi didn’t even know he was killing their demon mother, oh my God.

-Low-key don’t want to read on because low-key I don’t want to see Tokito go the way of Rengoku (if he does).

-What??? What??? This is Haganezuka’s face?? What???

-Kotetsu! Kotetsu, help!

-Kotetsu :(

-Uhhh, hello, I love Mist Hashira???

-Oh man, this is gonna be so painful in the anime, with the voices and everything. It’s gonna be great, and by great I mean that Ufotable should provide free counseling.

-Oh, he has the flame scars, Tokito has the flame scars, help! By God, keep this boy alive or else!

-I love Tokito’s arc so much, protect him at all costs, please protect him, please.

-Honest to God, the Rengoku Incident has put the fear of Gotouge-sensei in me. A Hashira appears, and I’m like, PLEASE SPARE THEM PLEASE SPARE THEM PLEASE S-

-Tokito is out for blood with his insults, lmao.

-Oh, he has sun marks everywhere, not just his face!

-Yesss, Tokito, yes!! Now live.

-Yes, we know poison is coursing through him, do something!!

-Kotetsu our lord and savior.

-Heh. Rengoku saving lives post-mortem :’)

-Oh Tanjiro hi, u here too?

-Um, hello, have you seen Kanroji fight, she’s amazing??

-Awww, Nezuko, Tanjiro and Genya all rushing in to save Kanroji, stop, I’m crying.

-She also has a mark now? What is this?

-”Chomp.” CHOMP! What is Genya? Oh thanks. Is that exclusive to Genya, gaining strength from eating demons? Oh thank you, more answers, it’s like you can read my mind.

-I’m sorry, we’re moving on to another volume here, is Tokito alive?!

-Tokito! Stay alive, stay alive!

-I know Nezuko can’t die right now, but imagine if she did? I’d scream.

-Nezuko!! Good morning!!

-I’m so glad that when I’ll be watching this in the anime I’ll know the fate of everyone and won’t be screaming my heart out.

-Oh goody, now Muzan wants to EAT Nezuko (bold-font blue lily riddle: solved).

-Yesss, they’re all alive, it’s a Demon Slayer miracle!! :’)))

-I wonder, are these the only Hashira arcs, or are we going to see them again in the final battle and stuff? A la Avengers Assemble?

-I still can’t believe everyone made it out alive, I’m so happy.

-Aww, Kanroji and Tokito are recovered, I’m so happy.

-I’m assuming I’ve moved on to a new arc now.

-Zenitsuuuuu

-Hashira meetingggg

-Will what? What about those who manifest the mark? Will what?!

-Finally, Rengoku’s hilt.

-Eeee, Uzui, I missed youuuu (and yet again with a new look), eeeeee!

-Wait, this is too much, I love everyone in this bar and everyone is together, I’m overwhelmed and excited.

-Is this the Giyu spotlight I’ve been hoping for

-Sir. What do you mean you’re not the Water Hashira, sir.

-Sabito. Sabito Sabito Sabito, I love you, Gotouge-sensei, I love you. I cannot believe we’ve circled back to Sabito, I love everyone in this bar.

-And some day in the future we’ll remember that one time that Tanjiro and Giyu had an eating contest. What is Giyu teaching though, now that he’s training people? Concentration would suit him.

-Her? Yushiro is a he.

-Look at that Tokito smile.

-I’m having so much fun with all the Hashira and the training and the temporary peace that I almost don’t want to read on.

-God help me I love Serpent Hashira.

-Ooof, I hope we get a little more of Iguro’s story at some point.

-I’d missed Zenitsu.

-We’ve seen demons drawn with less malice than Sanemi.

-Not to be dramatic but we need an intervention, Sanemi is out of his mind.

-Eyyy, Inosuke, the boys are back together!

#demon slayer #demon slayer manga #kimetsu no yaiba #kimetsu no yaiba manga #manga #manga commentary #spoilers

[reportwire]

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