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theweeklydiscourse · 6 months

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Sometimes I think about the way that the Darkling is openly distrusted and perceived as a dark and shadowy figure even within the little palace. To me, this detail undermines one of the messages the story attempts to communicate about how looks can be deceiving and how powerful (good-looking) men can get away with abuse.

It is important to consider the contents of Shadow and Bone prior to the reveal and subsequent descent into cartoonish villainy that occurs in later chapters. The early chapters should be establishing the Darkling as someone who can exploit and manipulate with impunity due to either privilege, a good reputation in the community, or his role as an authority figure. However, you get the impression that the Darkling isn’t well-liked or even trusted enough to accomplish such a task.

This is in part due to the lack of details provided about the culture and social aspects of the Little Palace, but readers are frequently shown examples of the Darkling’s reputation as a dark figure. He is shrouded in rumours of the occult (ex. When Genya informed Alina that there was a rumour that he had fed her his blood) which speaks to a sense of uneasiness felt by those around him. When Alina tells him that she thought the meeting she would have with him might involve torture, he frowns and tells her that he’s not a monster unlike what she “might have heard”. A line that implies that this is a view held by individuals other than Alina.

On paper, the Darkling has qualities common amongst abusers. However, the story fails to use these qualities in a subversive way that would accurately convey the insidious nature of abuse, and what it takes to get away with it. You see this on display when you place him beside the likes of villains like Makima or Akio Ohtori, two villains who were trusted by most people around them barring a few exceptions that knew the truth. Both of these examples manipulated more people than just the main characters of their respective stories, and that is essential to understanding why Shadow and Bone failed.

If his good looks play a role is his ability to manipulate, then the text needs to actually show me that through character interactions rather than inserting that meaning retroactively. Does he seduce people? If so, who is it that he’s seducing or swaying with his charm? What is he accomplishing by using his beauty as a tool to achieve his goal of power and control?

If he’s an authority figure with a lot of influence and power, show me how he uses or abuses that authority. The minute that Baghra started raising objections to his plan regarding the Stag, he should’ve removed Alina from her student position immediately (something he would’ve had the power to do). He could’ve moved Alina closer to him so he would have more access to her and be able to exert his influence over her.

There were possibilities, they just weren’t acted upon.

#guys chainsaw man is so good please read/watch it #revolutionary girl utena mention again #lb critical #shadow and bone #the darkling #alina starkov #s&b critical #s&b netflix #s&b salt #darklina #aleksander morovoza #anti leigh bardugo #grishaverse meta #grishaverse #baghra morozova #genya safin

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lunarthecorvus · 2 months

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If you think about it, Genya and Zoya are the og grishaverse women.

They've both been in the most books throughout the whole of the grishaverse including the whole of the shadow and bone trilogy, they were just in crooked kingdom in the six of crows duology and of course they were in the king of scars duology.

They are the grishaverse icons, the power duo, and part of the original group.

#zoya nazyalensky #genya safin #grishaverse #shadow and bone #seige and storm #ruin and rising #king of scars #rule of wolves #six of crows #crooked kingdom #soc #sab #kos #i would bow to them #queens #i was thinking about this the other day #and i havent heard anyone else mention it

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cat124spaghetti · 2 months

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Life is fine, then BOOM someone you follow reposts some discambobulated fruitflys blog that's "18+ only" you draw and/or write porn of a 15 year old.

#free bakugou katsuki #DONT FORGET ITADORI WITH MEGUMI + IZUKU #cough pre timeskip haikyuu charas #haikyuu #hq #jujutsu kaisen #jjk #bnha #mha #boku no academia #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #tanjiro is an honorable mention #kny #HASHTAG GENYA #FREE GENYA 2024 #AND MUICHIRO!!!

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milyki · 3 months

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Omg. OMG.

LOOK AT HOW CCCUUTTEEE THEY ARE AAAAA. HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YUSHIRO’S BEEN INCLUDED?? EEEE ALSO TANJIRO FINALLY HAS A NEW EXPRESSION AND GENYA IS SOSJSKS CUTE AND ZENITSU EEAAA

#took everything in my blood not to mention Gentan in this post #idgaf I’m drawing this (probably)#IVE BEEN WAITING SOOO LONG FOR THESE #I love Genya #I love #Genya #demon slayer #genya shinazugawa #tanjiro kamado #yushiro Kny #zenitsu agatsuma #gentan

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snowe-zolynn-rogers · 11 months

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Aizetsu: I beat one of the slayers! I am god!

Sekido: You cried for seven hours this morning alone like a wimp. Not including your afternoon cry. You think one slayer is an achievement?

Aizetsu: *starts crying again*

Urogi: And now he’s crying again! Are you happy with yourself!?

Sekido: I’m never happy.

Karaku: Dude, seek therapy.

Urogi: C’mon little brother, cheer up. We can force Sekido into therapy.

Sekido: THERAPY WILL NOT SOLVE MY ETERNAL RAGE!

Aizetsu: NO, BUT IT’LL SOLVE YOUR PERSONALITY!

Karaku: Ooooo, burn.

Urogi: Taking bets, I think Zetsu will win.

Karaku: My money’s on baby brother too!

Genya, stabbed with a spear and stuck on a tree: …

Genya: My money’s on the blue one.

#demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #kny #aizetsu #sekido #urogi #karaku #genya shinazugawa #incorrect demon slayer quotes #incorrect quotes #source: my brain #tw injury mention #tw caps

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creative-kny-fics · 7 months

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hihihihhi, could u do leegenya and lersanemi? i would die a happy person, thanks you!!!

Sanemi always loves to destroy his little brother, so yeah, I don't see why not!

Lee: Genya Shinazugawa

Ler: Sanemi Shinazugawa

'Remind me what the hell it was like for me to agree to be here'

'Come on Nemi, it won't be so bad! We're just Rengoku, Kocho, you and me', well, a little context.

Mitsuri proposed to everyone to have a 'sibling competition', Shinobu would be with Kanao, Kyojuro with Senjuro, Giyuu with Muichiro and Sanemi with Genya. Anyway, let's focus on the second test, which is where everything happened

'Okay! The next test is to confess something to your brother or sister! Good luck!', everyone agreed, sitting at a safe distance so as not to hear the confession of the other pair of siblings. 'Ehhh, who should initiate the confession?'

'Come here you little shit! Come closer!' , Genya sighed and walked over. 'Idiot', Sanemi laughed as Genya walked away and looked at him with a serious face.

As Sanemi laughed, Genya thought of something that he knew would make his brother's smile disappear, and also make him kill him. 'I'm gay, I like Tokito'

Sanemi stopped laughing and looked out of the corner of his eye at his brother, who was smiling satisfied with his older brother's expression.

'What did you say idiot...?'

'I don't repeat twice!', Genya stuck out his tongue and laughed.

Poor Genya, he was so focused on laughing that he forgot that he had confessed something that made Sanemi angry and that he had also called him an idiot. 'So you like Muichiro, huh? And how long were you hiding that from me?'

'Almost as long as you've been fucking Giyuu-San!', Sanemi cracked his knuckles and smiled. Genya was definitely not going to get out of that situation unscathed.

'I wonder how Shinazugawa did?'

'Does it matter?', Giyuu sighed and poked Muichiro's cheeks before getting up and making sure everything was okay with both brothers.

'And that sound?', I think we all know what Giyuu saw and heard. 'So today you woke up wanting your older brother to beat you up for your vocabulary, huh?'

'I'M SOHOHORRY!!! NEHEHEMIHIHI!! NOHOHOHO!! WAHAHAHIT-!! N-NOT THAHAHAT!!'

'Ohhh~? Don't you want me to blow a raspberry on your tummy?', Sanemi smiled evilly as he saw how Genya began to squirm and try to get away from his grasp. 'Don't even try to run away from me! You're going to pay for your sin!'

'NEMI NO! PLEASE!!'

'Nemi? I don't know who that is! Do you know who you are with when you say bad words? With the tickle monster~', Sanemi inhaled as much air as he could and blew a raspberry directly at his brother's navel while moving his head to make the sensation worse.

Genya arched his back and began to scream for help, begging for someone to save him from his torment before Sanemi truly went into his 'ler mod' and ripped him apart for his comment.

'I-I CAHAHAN'T BREHEHAHATHE!! ANIHIHIKI P-PLEAHAHASE!!'

'And what makes you think that-? Hmm?', Giyuu is Genya's guardian angel, he knows perfectly how to calm Sanemi down. 'Are you going to leave your brother alone?'

'Tsk, good, you're free...For now', Genya smiled and hugged Giyuu, he definitely loved having him as a brother-in-law.

#demon slayer tickling #demon slayer tickle #ler!sanemi #lee!genya #contains sanegiyuu #contains mentions of genmui

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aleksanderscult · 4 months

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I think i remember leigh writing something along the lines of that 'wanted best for his people and he was a tyrant' etc, basically a nuanced view. Do you have it? I don't remember where it was.

I think you mean this, right?

It's from her acknowledgements on "Demon in the Wood" (graphic novel). If this is not what you mean, tell me.

She always gives a very nuanced characterization about him which makes me mad because I don't understand her point of view for him at all. It only confuses me more.

"I want the readers to make their assumptions about him. I don't want to affect their view of him". Look. If you give your own opinion of him which will consist of ten pages then it's going to be the reader's problem if they want to "adopt" your view or not. Also, your readers are not stupid. They can distinguish their own assumptions FROM your own opinion. And if they can't, then they're not fit to read books and complicated characters. It's called critical thinking. You take an opinion, read it, see if it makes sense with the canon we have from him and make your judgement. Easy peasy.

Now about that note. I agree that Aleksander isn't purely a hero or a villain. He sees himself as the hero while Alina and the others see him as the villain. We, the readers, mostly see him as something in-between and, at the same time, something entirely different. A human that has lived for too long and as a result of his immortality and tragic events he has reached a point of desperation that make him act relentlessly against the corrupt monarchy and in favor of a persecuted group of people and a country that he has lived and loved for almost all of his life.

Therefore, his characterization is (I believe) something more than the archetype of "good hero" and "bad villain".

Is he a survivor? Yup. In all the meaning of the word.

Does he want safety for his people? Isn't that why he didn't give up on life already? It was the ambition that drove him the most and kept his heart beating.

Is he a tyrant? I think that term needs to be studied. Back in Ancient Greece this word had different meanings.

1) A ruler who has usurped a legitimate ruler's sovereignty. The Darkling did that (good for him).

2) A person who rules without law, using extreme and cruel methods against both his own people and others. If Leigh means that then I'll have to disagree. First of all, we didn't see enough of the Darkling's rule to know if he was that cruel (unless she knows something we don't). And even from what we saw, it seems the word doesn't apply to him. He was sitting on the throne and listening to reports, signing paperwork, making an alliance with his enemy to feed his army. So where it the "cruel methods against both his own people and others" came from? He didn't have a beef with otkazat'sya that lived in Ravka and he certainly didn't want to hurt his own Grisha (unless they committed treason). So Leigh just threw that word in like it was nothing.

And, lastly, he brutalizes and exploits those who trust him most.

Brutalizes. Hmm....

Genya: she committed treason so he punished her.

Sergei: he committed treason so he punished him.

Baghra: committed treason so he punished her (and very lightly actually).

Yeah.. right...umm. Look. If he had attacked them or killed them for literally no reason then I would say "Yes, he brutalized them". But there was always a reason for his actions against them. He didn't see Genya on board and said "I'm bored. Gonna ruin your face 'cause I've got nothing else to do".

And he exploits them.

To exploit someone is this:

If my memory serves me correct, his soldiers (his Grisha) knew what they were serving him for. And he didn't use them for something completely selfish like "gaining power for myself because I like it" but he needed power to make Ravka better. So he didn't do it for selfish reasons.

The one instance where the term "exploit" may apply is when he gave Genya to the Grand Palace knowing what a pervert the King was. But then again, wasn't the Queen's responsibility to keep her safe?

#god I've missed analyzing #I need to finish my “Demon in the Wood” meta as well #also it's kinda funny how I have literally every piece of the Darkling's mention from Leigh's interviews etc.#the amount of search I've done for him is crazy lmao #anon asks #the darkling #pro darkling #aleksander morozova #pro aleksander morozova #leigh bardugo #grishaverse #shadow and bone #grishaverse trilogy #genya safin #baghra morozova #sergei beznikov

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goblins-riddles-or-frocks · 16 days

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Genya Safin for the character ask game pls!!

favorite thing about them: she’s so subtly complex! I love her 💖

least favorite thing about them: I just feel like LB doesn’t know what to do with her after the first book. She just falls to the wayside. I also dislike the nichevo’ya scarring beat tbqh!

favorite line: I know everyone loves the “I am ruination” line, but I think I’m a bigger fan of “be careful of powerful men”

brOTP: Nikolai!

OTP: I ship her most with Alina and then Zoya

nOTP: ….David lmao

random headcanon: I’m convinced that she gets very jealous of Zoyalina

unpopular opinion: idk where do I even start! the way the fandom talks about her is vile tbh

people are so uncomfortable with a character just… being a victim— or in the case of Darkling stans, with their blorbo being complicit in repeated sexual assault— that they bend over backwards to give her “agency” in the situation. and it ends up just being bog standard victim blaming!

(as if being a rape survivor without any caveats inherently negates all other agency! I hate this fandom so fucking much )

song i associate with them: the disappearance of the girl by phildel

#character ask game #ask games #ask memes #i ramble sometimes #all the bendy punctuations #a mysterious stranger has appeared #rape mention #grishaverse #genya safin

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myreygn · 10 months

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major demon slayer spoilers!!

taglist: @giggly-squiggily, @rachi-roo

¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸¸♫·¯·♪¸¸♩·¯·♬¸¸

graves

“Hey there!”

Sanemi doesnʼt react. Of course not, he never does, but a little hope never hurt anyone.

Masachika pouts and steps closer, peeking over his friendʼs shoulder. “Whatʼcha looking at?”

The grave seems to be relatively new, the earth still somewhat fresh and the tombstone shining bright, reflecting the sunlight. A whole bunch of flowers lie next to it and when Sanemi goes down on one knee to place a bouquet there himself, Masachika tilts his head to read the inscription.

Shinazugawa Genya.

Oh. Oh, okay.

“Thatʼs your brother, right?” He sits down next to Sanemi. “Iʼm really sorry.”

Thatʼs not a lie. Does it hurt that Sanemi has never properly visited his grave? Yes, but heʼs not gonna hold it against him. Sanemi needs time to heal and Masachika has all the time in world to wait. And now that Muzan is defeated, Sanemi might find the time as well. Masachika certainly hopes so.

A strangled sob next to him catches his attention and he watches in an almost morbid fascination as Sanemiʼs shoulders start to shake and he curls into himself, crying as if heʼs forgotten how to and it sounds like heʼs choking. Heʼs seen Sanemi cry before, once, and it was nothing like this back then. Back then it was full of anguish, desperation and rage - “No- nonono, Masachika, please- fuck-” - and this time... well, this time itʼs different. It sounds defeated and pained and sad and it breaks Masachika's heart.

“Itʼs okay.” He knows Sanemi canʼt hear him but he canʼt just sit here and do nothing. “Thatʼs right, let it all out. I know you hate it, I know... but youʼre doing great, really. Youʼre gonna be fine.”

Masachika doesnʼt know how long he sits there and whispers soft encouragements that Sanemi canʼt hear anyway. It doesnʼt matter. Time means nothing and they havenʼt had a calm moment like this in a while.

So when Sanemi suddenly stands up, Masachika needs a moment to follow and when he turns around, his heart skips a beat. Sanemi stands in front of his grave. His grave! Masachika scrambles to get there as well but stops dead in his tracks when Sanemi falls to his knees and presses his forehead to the ground. It looks like... praying. Carefully, he steps closer to understand what his friend is mumbling to himself.

“-sorry, I should have come to see you sooner... I didnʼt feel like I could do it and now that Iʼm here, I- skies, itʼs been years, I shouldʼve been here, I- please forgive me...”

Masachika watches, stunned. He honestly didnʼt expect Sanemi to be ready to talk to him this soom. At a loss for words, he puts a hand on the Wind Hashiraʼs shoulder. The mumbling stops. Sanemi lifts his head.

“Masa...” His voice cracks with new tears and Masachika squeezes his shoulder, holds onto it as if letting go would make him fade away.

“Iʼm here, Iʼm here... I forgive you- hey, can you hear me? Sanemi?”

No reaction. Alright, that wouldʼve been too good to be true. But whatever it is about his presence, Sanemi senses at least some of it and Masachika wants cry with how happy he is.

But he doesnʼt, just squeezes his shoulder tighter; “Iʼll keep an eye on your brother, I promise.”

Sanemi wipes his tears and stands up, his posture way more relaxed than before. “Iʼll be back tomorrow.”

Masachika watches as he walks away, his cheeks almost hurting from how much heʼs smiling.

“Iʼll be waiting.”

#i just needed to get this out #rey writes #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer fic #angst-ish #masachika kumeno #kumeno masachika #sanemi shinazugawa #shinazugawa sanemi #genya is mentioned #demon slayer spoiler #demon slayer manga spoiler #post canon

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beevean · 1 year

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Translating Dawn of Sorrow's bios

Soma Cruz

19 years old

The protagonist of this game. He has the ability, called "Power of Dominance", to control the souls of monsters and use their power. In the previous year's battle, he realized that he was the reincarnation of Dracula and awakened as the Dark Lord, but by overcoming the Chaos within himself, he rejected his fate. However, since the enormous power of the Dark Lord still belongs to him, his life was once again targeted.

Mina Hakuba

19 years old

The only girl of Hakuba Shrine and Soma's childhood friend. A year ago, she and Soma were trapped in Dracula's castle in a solar eclipse. She doesn't have any special powers, but she's the girl Soma is most comfortable with, and she's his emotional support throughout the story.

Yoko Belnades

25 years old

A witch who works for the Church. An expert in covertly dealing with malicious entities that harm humans. She's a descendant of Sypha Belnades, who destroyed Dracula in 1476. She has a friendly but nosy personality. She frequently visits Mina's house, and she's like an older sister to her.

Genya Arikado

Age unknown

A person who keeps an eye on Soma. Other than that he belongs to a secret agency of the Japanese government, everything about him is shrouded in mystery, and only a handful of people know his true identity. He is inhumanly beautiful, but also unfriendly and unapproachable, and few people know his true feelings.

Julius Belmont

56 years old

A descendant of the Belmont family, a legitimate family of vampire hunters. He wields the "Vampire Killer", a demon-extinguishing whip that has been handed down in his family. He's the man who defeated Dracula in 1999. He lost his memory in battle at that time, but regained it a year ago, and now helps the Church.

Hammer

35 years old

After the events of last years, he retired from the military and now runs a general store. Although he appears scary and strong-willed, he's actually rather laidback. Expanding connections in the underworld, he also acts as an informant. Rumor has it that he fell in love with Yoko and that's why he expanded his connections.

Celia Fortner

26 years old

Although she is the founder of a cult that worships God, her hidden nature is of a dark priest. With the Dark Lord gone, she feels that the power of the Dark Side is weakening, and is afraid of losing her power. Therefore, she takes action to kill Soma and take away his power as the Dark Lord.

Dario Bossi

37 years old

A Dark Lord candidate who manipulates flames. He has the ability to manipulate flames because he was exposed to Dracula's power when he was destroyed. He's the impulsive type and acts immediately on what he thinks.

Dmitrii Blinov

37 years old

A Dark candidate who copies magic. Like Dario, he was exposed to Dracula's power, so he has the ability to absorb the magical powers he's struck by. He speaks politely, but will go to great lengths to achieve his goals.

#castlevania #dawn of sorrow #soma cruz #mina hakuba #yoko belnades #genya arikado #julius belmont #hammer castlevania #celia fortner #dario bossi #dmitrii blinov #fun fact: the 'dark side' mentioned here is actually the demon realm (魔界)#i checked if there was a specific term used in the game

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demonslayedher · 7 days

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Filler Arc with Character Beats: Intro

Some time ago, I posted how I would direct a Gokangumi (Five Senses Squad)-centric anime filler arc to go between the Swordsmith Village Arc and the Hashira Training Arc, specifically what foreshadowing and character beats I'd try to make it hit, and what small changes I'd make to make it slip in as seamlessly as possible (like Muichirou being curious about the Mark and doing his own investigation into it before Amane simply tells them about it). As it turns out, over a year ago, I tried writing it in fic form, but lost steam after 5577 words because I didn't have the energy for a long fic. But I just reread what I wrote, and man, I looooove thiiiiis. So I'm sharing what I had below! It's basically Episode 1 of Hashira Training all over again, just with the same content presented in different ways from more fanfic-y character perspectives and off-screen character interactions, so this is nice timing for it since episode 2 of Hashira Training isn't out yet. No plans to continue writing it, but please enjoy the setup I had!

----

Nezuko…

“Good morning…”

Tanjirou relaxed deeper into his sleep as the sunlit scene replayed in his mind. For the first time in years, his sister had smiled.

Good for you, Nezuko… I’m so glad.

It was wonderful that she could walk in the sunlight again, and that she didn’t need to wear that muzzle. Finally, she could again speak for herself. All this time hadn’t been in vain.

All this time hadn’t been in vain.

Creating all those demons, granting an excess of his blood to the Twelve Moons, it hadn’t been for naught—Hantengu had lasted a whole night against the demon hunters so that he could witness a transformation Muzan had waited centuries for.

Kamado Nezuko…

His chosen demon, the one who had at last mastered the sun. A pesky one for how she had slipped out of his control, but with the hoard at his disposal, catching one demon wouldn’t be a major obstacle. Or so he had hoped to think, but Nezuko had stood her ground against Daki. With three of his Upper Moons already gone, that left fewer demons who stood a chance of containing her.

It was good he had so many of them, then. Muzan could stand to sacrifice any handful of them in pursuit of the chosen demon.

Hiura had heard a single twang and wondered if it was a biwa when he found himself in a different space than the cave he usually occupied. ‘Different’ rang though his head again to try to describe it, as there was no sense to make of it other than that he must had been in a dream. In any of his waking life, he was certain he had never seen a place like this.

“What is this? How did I get here?”

“What’s going on?”

With all those confused murmurs, Hiura’s dream was not his own, and he concluded that this must have been that space he had only heard rumors of. To his knowledge, only the Twelve Moon demons had ever been there, and there were many more demons here than twelve.

“Silence.”

Hiura shook when that voice spoke, and he spotted the eyes paired with that voice immediately—six eyes. It was his first encounter with any of the Twelve Moons, and it was just his luck that it was the most powerful one. He must have been brought here to die; there was no other reason Upper Moon One would waste time on lesser demons.

“Muzan-sama is present.”

All of Hiura’s shaking went still as his eyes scanned everywhere for the owner of that name. Up, down, sideways, nothing here made sense. There he was directly in front of him, red eyes blaring as icy as they did the night Hiura first encountered and tricked him into turning him into a demon. Tricking him was something Hiura knew he’d never be lucky enough to do again, and even a private inkling of it put him in danger. Muzan’s cells within him reminded him of that at every moment.

Before he had realized it, Hiura was bowing. Everyone was.

“Why do you all cower? You’re all demons who have pleased me.”

Pleased Muzan?

“You’ve eaten humans and gotten stronger. Developed the blood I’ve given you. You should be proud. Unless you’ve done something to displease me?”

Mind games! Muzan was playing them. They couldn’t dare take any pride in his presence. He was looking for a reason to find displeasure in them.

“None of you will speak?”

“Because it’s not enough yet,” thundered Kiritsuna.

Muzan’s lips stretched to a smile that narrowed his eyes. “Precisely.”

Damn that Kiritsuna! Always so self-assured, he must not have felt a shiver of fear in his life! Sucking up as always!

“Why would you have brought us here?” asked Zessou, always at Kiritsuna’s side. Dumb as rocks but always got away looking smart with that pretty face. What was he trying to do with his demon development, improve upon what used to be a lucky human form? Probably didn’t even realize he was doing it.

“I have three openings in the Upper Moons to fill. If any among you can fulfill for me a task, I’ll consider your promotion.”

The demons all grew excited, gasping or exclaiming with some shrill noises. Idiots, all of them. Muzan didn’t like them that much and they were all fools to think so. Hiura found this his chance to distinguish himself by a more productive question. “What task do you wish fulfilled?”

“A demon that has slipped from my control and uses fire against other demons, Kamado Nezuko. I want this demon brought to me, alive.”

Kamado Nezuko? That was a different name than Hiura had thought he heard before about that broad who got away. Fire, though. That was new and unusual. Not something Hiura wanted to deal with.

Not directly, anyway. If there was one demon to lure her out, another demon to contain her, then he could be the one to subdue her. The one to earn Muzan’s true pleasure.

“Why us?” asked some demon Hiura didn’t know. “Why not from among the Lower Moons?”

At this, Muzan’s smile was gone. “They no longer served any purpose.”

Although there was no sound, there was something like a weight pressing on all the demons, like it was across their shoulders and tied around their necks. Hiura wondered if this was Muzan forcing his will upon them to scare them, but he just as soon realized it was his own cells cowering in their own instinct.

If Hiura didn’t fulfill this request, he’d be dead.

“Prove your worth to me by fulfilling this task. My patience has already been tested enough.”

“Muzan-sama!” cried out one who was dumb enough to use that name. “More of your precious blood! Just a little more, and—”

“Moon Breathing, First Form—”

“What?”

“Breath Technique?”

“Dark Moon, Evening Palace.”

The demon who had spoken out and stood up was in pieces, having been torn apart by crescent blades. The other demons around her shrieked and cowered away from the blood. They screamed louder and sloppily scattered faster as Upper Moon One walked among them to the carnage, but Kiritsuna stayed put with no reaction to the blood splashed across his face, and not a tremor as the superior demon stood next to him. Upper Moon One lifted his hand over the gasping, crying demon spilled in pieces on the tatami, who squeaked, “Muzan… sama…”

“If you fail his expectations as you are… then this task… is meaningless to entrust to you.”

Her scream was cut off as he grabbed her head and absorbed it into his flesh. The rest of the pieces of her rattled and kicked until a dead silence; limp, melting demon remnants. Muzan was long gone. Upper Moon One turned his back, leaving them with the words, “Talent will be rewarded… from whomever proves promise…”

Another twang from the biwa and he was gone. Another twang, and another demon disappeared, then another. As the tempo picked up other demons were standing and ready to disappear, and Hiura lunged his hands out to grab Kiritsuna and Zessou’s sleeves. “There’s three spots,” he said, hurrying to get a smile out at them before the twang of the biwa came for them, “spots to reward all three of us, together—”

Tanjirou awoke to the sensation of his Breath being cut off. "Ah!" he sat up with a start, which made Muichirou release his hold on Tanjirou's nose.

"Your response is still pretty dull," he said. He had an impish grin, a light in his eyes, and bandages here and there around his face.

"It's not as if you meant any harm," insisted Tanjirou, but he guarded his nose with both hands anyway.

"How are your injuries?"

"My foot might take some time. How about you and Kanroji-san?"

"We'll probably be back to work by next week."

"What? Amazing! I've got to work on my recovery to match you two!"

"We can't all be geniuses."

"That's right. I heard you're descended from the original Sun Breath user. Your crow told me and Kotetsu-kun."

Muichirou sent Ginko a look through the window, and she cowered from his gaze, for they both knew she wasn't very nice about it. "It's not a big deal. It's not as if I know anything about Sun Breathing. Mist Breathing is so many steps removed from it that I've only got tiny bits and pieces from my ancestors."

"There's got to still be something, though! I even had memories inherited from my ancestor."

"...huh?"

"At least, that's what Kotetsu-kun said. Now that I think about it, he probably only said that to make me feel better. Sorry, it's weird, I know."

"Make you feel better about what?"

"I thought I knew the person Yoriichi Type Zero was based on. The original Sun Breath user, your ancestor."

"Doesn't that not make sense, though? You're the only one in this whole Corp who knows Sun Breathing, after all."

"No, no, no, no, that's just because my family's practiced Hinokami Kagura for generations! There's nothing inherited about it, my father had to teach me everything!" Tanjirou waved his hand as fast as Zenitsu swiping a plate of dumplings.

"But how did your ancestors learn that?"

Tanjirou paused as he thought back to that vivid dream, and how he had asked that samurai how he must be sad with no successors. That samurai had to have had children later if Muichirou was there now, but something felt off about that. Not that he could say what was off about a passing fantasy in a dream, though. It wasn't even real.

"You've even got the same earrings."

"Eh? You've met him too?" he asked and put his hands to his ears.

"Yoriichi Type Zero."

"Oh," he thought back. Now that Muichirou mentioned it, that doll had indeed been wearing the same ones. Tanjirou had never asked his father what made the earrings special, but the samurai in his dream was wearing them too. That samurai still had them when he left, though, while he was saying he wasn't anyone special. He had to have been special, though, for the Kamado family wasn't the only one to keep memories of him. "The original Sun Breath user was mentioned in a diary of one of Rengoku-san's ancestors too. I don’t know if it'll help me use Hinokami Kagura to fight demons better, but his younger brother Senjurou has been searching through their family records to see if there's anything helpful."

"Maybe they'll find something there about the mark."

"Mark?"

"I heard that when I fought Upper Moon Five, there was a mark on my face. Around the same time it would have been visible, I felt my heart rate increase to about 200 beats and my body temperature rise. Based on the 39-degree temperature reading Kochou-san took, I assume it was higher than that."

"You can tell in that much detail? Wow!"

"You should have more physiological awareness while using Breath technique too, you know. Still, it did help to get the number from the thermometer. You should have seen her, I've never seen Kochou-san so shocked, even though I insisted I felt fine."

"Oh?"

"And then the little girl who was with her mentioned you could run a fever of 38 degrees for over three days and feel fine, too," he said, then smiled. "You might be in trouble."

"Oh..."

"You get it though, right? How the feverish state made your Breath technique more powerful?"

"Yeah," Tanjirou agreed, "I don’t know if my fever ever got as high as yours, but being in that state makes me feel like my Hinokami Kagura had more of the power its capable of, and like b-b-b-BOOM, BASH, and like... gggrrrraaaahhh, and... you know?"

"...huh?"

"I'm saying something weird again, sorry. There was something else that helped me fight Upper Moon Four, too. When Nezuko burned my Nichirin blade with her fire, it turned red."

"A red blade? Aren't those supposed to be rare?"

"I don’t know if it's like the red blade Haganezuka-san always wanted to see, it turned black again later. But when it was so hot that it glowed, it cut through demon flesh more powerfully than I've ever felt before. Maybe, you think, it's like the same thing? Getting really hot? That BOOM, BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA thing?"

"Huh? You lost me."

"Sorry..."

"It made sense until that last part. Nichirin Blades work because they've absorbed sunlight, so glowing red may be due to an increase in the power of the light. Makes it all the weirder that Nezuko can be in the sunlight now! Doesn't that make her invincible?"

Tanjirou's expression softened at the mention of his sister. "It's such a relief. I'm so glad she can walk around in daylight now. She's out of that danger."

"Still weird."

For someone who had known her for twelve years as someone who could walk around freely in daylight, there was nothing strange about it. To Tanjirou, this was a return to what was just.

In many ways, he enjoyed the return of a sister from long ago. Back in the Swordsmith Village, it was like he had his four-year-old sister back, playing with toys and enjoying being tickled, and as feisty for attention as any little kid. Maybe she'd have enjoyed putting her hair in braids back then too, though her 12-year-old self would have only mildly hummed to herself with pleasure having done up her hair as she liked without needing to bother anyone. Nezuko was always like that, even Nezuko of ten years ago was always patient and obedient and sensitive to others like Takeo and baby Hanako. Maybe if she had been stuck in a box every day she'd have had that much pent up energy back then, too.

Now that they were back at the Butterfly Mansion, Nezuko had the best person around for helping her work off that excess energy: Inosuke, or as he had finally succeeded in teaching her, Boss Inosuke.

"Cave Explorers! Cave Explorers! We're the Cave Explorers!"

"Caff effporor!"

"Wait! Wait up right there!" he pointed to the ground. "You see that?"

Nezuko leaned her head on Inosuke's forearm to see where he pointed. "Hmmm?" There on the ground, stumbling over roots twice its width was a fledgling, too young to have taken a purposeful dive. Inosuke ran over and skidded to his knees for a look, startling the baby bird with his snout and looming eyes, and it stumbled backwards with panicked cheeping. Nezuko knelt and cupped her hands behind it, and it nestled against them for safety.

"Ha! That makes this your mission, Underling! Take that kid and put him back up in the nest!"

Though he was already pointing to where he felt the nest was, he looked upward past his finger, and Nezuko followed the same glance with a curious 'hmm.' The nest was easy to spot, but higher than Inosuke anticipated. He felt a smidge of regret because he didn't want to put a girl on such a risky mission right away, especially not a girl so precious to Tanpachirou. Nezuko had no such hesitation, and her claws scratched the bark as she climbed. In a couple of tricky spots she looked around left and right first, but found new spots to grip as swiftly as Inosuke would have, so he found himself more and more pleased and excited with her progress.

Trouble came when Nezuko's long hair got stuck in the branches. It caused her some distress, but the nest was close enough that she could let her hair be pulled taunt as she stretched. "Hmm... mm!!"

"Like that! Just a little further!"

"Mmnhh!" she grunted and willed her reach longer. Vines poured out her veins onto the surface of her skin and her hand extended such that she could pick up the whole nest if she pleased. Her horn had little room among the branches and pressed against one in such a way that it made her head sink down against her neck uncomfortably, but she paid that no mind as she let the fledgling tumble from her hand to the nest.

"That's it, Underling, nice work! Whoa--watch out!"

A screech zoomed toward Nezuko. When she looked up to see the parent swooping toward her with talons arched, she guarded her face with her own arched claws. She caught the bird's foot, and it reacted by flapping and tugging and cawing. When the feathers flapped in Nezuko's face she closed her eyes and leaned backwards.

"Nezuko!!" Inosuke shouted her name. He could tell exactly where she was going to fall before the branches cracked. He dove and caught her inches before she'd have hit the ground rump first, and then chunks and splinters of branches rained on them. The bird kept screeching from the tree top as it settled into its nest, and Inosuke brushed the branches off the top of Nezuko's head as he asked, "Hey! Are you alright?"

"Thank goodness!" she popped her head up and smiled.

He looked her over for injuries, but had she gotten any, they were already healed. Blood was coming from somewhere, though, and as they both looked for where, they spotted a gash down Inosuke's forearm. "Hngh," he grunted in acknowledgement.

Nezuko's eyes were glued to a bead of blood that pooled and gathered weight, then broke free of the injury and ran a bright red trail down his toned arm. After it came similar crimson streams, leading her attention back to the broken skin and what layers of flesh might had been revealed.

She clenched her eyes shut, grit her teeth, and pulled herself away as though caught on a fishing line. That momentum took her to her feet and a few steps away from Inosuke. Inosuke could sense the tension down her arms as she squeezed her fists, but he had no moment to ask about it before Nezuko cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted into the forest, "Halp! Halp, halp!"

"Help? No, this is nothing, I'm not injured--"

"Ha-a-a-a-lp!!"

"I'm not injured!!"

"Not injured? Then is that paint? I didn't know you were an artist, Inosuke-kun."

He and Nezuko both looked to a tree behind them and spotted a Hashira in a butterfly haori perched there. Shinobu had the same smile as ever and descended on dainty feet. Nezuko approached her with long arms out for a hug, exclaiming with relief that someone had answered her calls, but without Nezuko taking notice, the impetus to hug her faded as Shinobu took a defensive stance. Nezuko, not conscious of this, stood in front of her to insist with gibberish that Boss Inosuke needed help, and Shinobu looked Nezuko up and down and far back up, to the tip of the single horn. She had heard about this form of Nezuko's, but it was unnerving to see it up close, especially when Nezuko posed no threat and basked in sunlight. Shinobu relaxed, then said to her, "the Butterfly Mansion is that way, Nezuko-san. You were calling to the mountains for help. The mountains. I might not had heard you if I wasn't on my way home."

"Thank goodness!"

"Fighting demons?" asked Inosuke.

"Picking herbs," she said, revealing a satchel. "There's a few in here I can spare for that, but all the bandages are at home. Let's go."

"I'm not injured--"

"I don’t specialize in delusions. If you keep saying that I'm afraid I'll have to send you to a different doctor."

Inosuke didn’t know what she meant by that or why it made her aura so threatening, but he didn't want any other doctors. He followed along, keeping an eye on both the girls from behind as Nezuko walked alongside Shinobu, towering over her in scale. As they neared the hospital Shinobu suggested Nezuko go play with Mitsuri while she has a chance before Mitsuri would be cleared to return to work, and the horn and vines faded as Nezuko shrank to a portion of Shinobu's size, hopped up and down and cheered, and then scuttled off.

"It certainly is a wonder to have befriended a demon," Shinobu remarked.

Shinobu and Inosuke continued to her office, where she instructed him to sit down and cooperate as she cleaned the wound and pulled out the splinters. He didn’t like that part, but the moment Shinobu expressed sympathy that he must be scared, he growled that there was nothing scary about it and proved it by staying as still as he could while she poked and prodded around. He convinced himself he wasn't whimpering. Without commenting on how brave he was, for this was of course obvious, Shinobu rubbed on some soothing ointment and began wrapping a bandage.

"This will be prone to reinjury if you catch it on anything. You don’t need stitches, but the skin needs time to heal."

"I'm not scared of this."

"Oh? Then you're not scared of it getting infected and filled with pus? I am."

"Why? It's just pus."

"I wouldn't want anything else to hurt you, after all the care I try to take of you. Is it so bad that I don’t want to see you hurt?"

Inosuke flushed behind his mask, his head went all spacey and fluffy, but something in her words and gaze made his neck tense up and his chest feel heavy. He relented, "You can put a bandage on it if you really want to."

"You won't take it off, right?"

"Hngh..."

"Inosuke-kun. Promise me you won't take it off?"

"Fine. I promise."

She offered her finger. "Pinky promise?"

"What's that?"

"It means you'll break your pinky if you break your promise. You'll give me that proof, right?"

Inosuke felt what she really meant was that she personally would break his pinky, and he respected a threat like that, so he offered his and they shook. Shinobu's voice took a light and airy tone as she sang 'pinky promise' in tune with the movement, and Inosuke was awash with a sense of familiarity, and an odd curiosity for Shinobu. He stared as he pondered, and Shinobu could feel his stare from behind the boar mask.

"What is it?"

"Your pinkies are weak."

"That's not strange."

"Your face is pale. Are you alright?"

Her face betrayed surprise, and then she smiled deeper. "You can tell? That's amazing! It's just low blood pressure. There you go, you're all set. Be careful."

She hurried him out because she had work to do with the herbs, but Inosuke stood outside the office door a moment wondering where he'd heard that song before.

It was another day before Kanao returned from a solo mission. She had been on more of those lately than missions at Shinobu’s side. So long as Shinobu wasn’t away on her own tasks, Kanao would start and end every solo mission reporting to Shinobu. She occasionally had advice, but all Shinobu usually instructed her was simply to cut the head off the demon.

That made it feel simple. Kanao didn’t have to think any more than that, and it had worked so far.

But that was what made her afraid. What would happen if she couldn’t reach the neck, and had to decide something else to do? She was vulnerable when taken by surprise, if ever there was something she couldn’t see coming.

“Good morning!”

Kanao nearly jumped out of her boots the moment an unfamiliar girl’s voice yelled at her. There were just as soon giggling voices that she knew from Kiyo and Naho.

“It’s too late for ‘good morning’!”

“You should say, ‘welcome home,’ Nezuko-san!”

“Nezuko?” Kanao asked, and then she found herself face to face with gleaming pink eyes and a fanged smile.

“Welcome… home!”

What was—but this—she shouldn’t—but--, a swarm of broken thoughts swirled through Kanao’s mind, until at last she blurted, “Is it alright for her not to wear her muzzle?”

“Most people would ask about her being in the sunlight first,” said Aoi, coming up behind Kanao with a bemused smile. She took satisfaction in watching Kanao flush and look back and forth between her and Nezuko as it dawned on her.

“Good morning!” Nezuko added, and Kiyo and Naho started laughing.

When Zenitsu at last returned to the Butterfly Mansion, his sparrow was chirping away something or other at him. He could never make out what words that bird wanted to convey, but it was easy to tell when Chuntarou was angry. He had probably heard how much trouble Zenitsu was in with the Corp. Jiichan might know already, too.

The one time he tried to do something to help, and it was unnecessary. All blew up in his face. What was the point of ever having tried? Ever having tried any of this. All this time in the Corp, chasing some dream that he might be useful to someone someday, anyone, just one person, it’d all been—

“—Aa?”

A heartbeat thumped through his ears. A girl’s heartbeat.

Zenitsu looked up and was caught by the most beautiful—nay, that trite word could not capture it—the most sublime sight he’d ever encountered in his life. It was Nezuko, and she was glistening in the sunlight. She was smiling—smiling at him!!

He screamed.

The other girls surrounding Nezuko all covered their ears as Zenitsu, doing the only sensible thing there was to do at such a glorious moment, confirmed that this meant she was eligible to be his wife now. And then—heavenly sounds!—she spoke words to him for the first time.

“Welcome back, Inosuke!”

There weren’t many quiet places around the Butterfly Mansion when both Inosuke and Zenitsu were home, but since Tanjirou hadn’t spent any time with Zenitsu since they started their mission in the pleasure quarter, he relished in his company despite all Zenitsu’s threats about murdering Inosuke. It was hard to find an opening to get any words in, but Tanjirou found a way to make Zenitsu temporarily quiet and turn his mood around entirely when he thanked him for his words about Thunder Breath and told him how it helped save the day. As Zenitsu skipped off, Genya lied still with a pillow over his head, aghast with how Tanjirou always had such a way of defusing the people around him. He always had the weirdest thing to say.

He wasn’t so bad, though.

Over the course of Tanjirou’s recovery, Inosuke and Zenitsu kept coming and going on their own missions, as did Kanao, though she went on more without her master nowadays. Genya joined them as soon as the little girls got him healed up and fed and back to full strength. From what Tanjirou heard, the demons had been very active lately. Going out of their way to cause trouble instead of keeping to the shadows like they had for centuries.

The one who knew this best was Ubuyashiki Kagaya, confined to his bed and helpless to aid his children. It made meetings with his Hashira harder to find chances for, though any one of them would drop anything but slaying demons in order to answer his call.

“Oyakata-sama, please, don’t trouble yourself to sit up. You don’t seem well.”

“Thank you, Gyoumei,” he replied. Always one to have keen senses, Himejima had stopped him just before he gathered his strength to sit up and be polite with his visitor. He relaxed against his pillow and smiled in the direction of the Stone Hashira’s voice. “I know you’ve had your hands so full, taking over extra territories.”

“You say that like I’m the only one. Shinazugawa, Iguro, and Tomioka have stepped up just as much during Tokitou and Kanroji’s recovery.”

“I’m glad to have you all supporting each other. With Shinobu being busy, I know you’re all spread thin.”

“Could Uzui be convinced to lend a hand?”

“I’ve sent summons, but it doesn’t seem they are reaching him,” Ubuyashiki replied, smiling at the reason why. As the crow told him, one of Uzui’s wives had swatted him with a room and yelled that her husband was retired. He had thought of sending summons to the former Flame Hashira, but he was satisfied that he had only recently begun to take care of himself again, and he preferred to let him rest until the time was right. “Muichirou and Mitsuri will be back to help soon, but with how active the demons are now, I wish for you all to have more help.”

“We’re Hashira, Oyakata-sama. You can entrust us with anything.”

“You say that like you’re unconvinced of anyone else being useful.”

Himejima frowned, for Ubuyashiki was right. “With all due respect, the caliber of swordsmen is not what it used to be.”

“It’s unfair to compare them to the unusually competent Hashira I’m blessed with in this day and age. Their will is the same as yours, Gyoumei. What they need is a chance to rise to your level.”

“You wish to raise new Hashira, you mean?”

“They have a way to go, but they’ve shown amazing resilience in the face of challenges. Even Genya gained experience fighting an Upper Moon, didn’t he? I hope you’ll have more faith in him, and the rest of his batch. If possible, I’d like to see what they all can accomplish against more and more powerful demons.”

“Left on their own?”

“Maybe not right away,” he smiled. “But a mission altogether, that could be good for them.”

Tanjirou was eager to go help his friends and progressed smoothly in his functional recovery training. He made it a point to try to keep his body temperature down to normal levels so that Shinobu wouldn’t hold him back, though. She had asked him about it and smelled angry. For now, under Muichirou’s advice, he kept that phenomenon to himself and waited to hear what Muichirou might find out about it as he investigated what archives the Ubuyashiki family might have. Still, Muichirou was a Hashira, and he wasn’t likely to have much time for that, so Tanjirou would have to try to keep refining that skill on his own (as soon as he was out of Shinobu’s watchful eye).

Haganezuka came and visited him, delivering a sword like Tanjirou never laid eyes on. Although, having commented so, Tanjirou was rudely reminded that he had not only seen it, but he had laid hands on it and nearly ruined it forever. As Haganezuka seemed to be in pain from his injuries and exhausted by the sword polishing process, Tanjirou decided to ask him more about red blades another time.

While the others were busy, Nezuko was there to train with him, and she never tired when running alongside him and cheering him on. She misunderstood and thought she was helping when she lifted up the rock on a rope that Tanjirou was training with. It tasted so good to laugh with her again, like it came out of him in a way that resounded with hers. Nezuko’s laugh was irreplaceable, and it was back. If it weren’t for all the demons out there, he’d happily stay put and bask in it forever.

Chachamaru, one day, delivered a letter. Tamayo and Tanjirou were in ongoing correspondence, and they had already exchanged a few letters since Nezuko mastered the sun. Like always, Tanjirou showed it to Nezuko when she peered over his shoulder at the paper.

“It’s from Tamayo-san,” he explained to her. “She says there’s no need to worry anymore about the sun! Your cells aren’t going to go back to the way they were, you get to stay like this now.”

“Hmm!” she replied with a wide, bright smile.

“Let’s see what else she says. ‘…Like how her blood allowed another demon to break free of Muzan’s control, it might also be used to grant mastery of the sun to other demons.’ Isn’t that great, Nezuko? You could help Tamayo-san and Yushirou-san too!”

“Thank goodness!”

“Thank goodness, for sure! Let’s see. ‘Kibutsuji Muzan is sure to be looking for her…’” he trailed off, his mouth dry at the name that just rolled off his tongue. Nezuko did not seem to recognize the name as well as she’d recognize the cells, and she tilted her head as Tanjirou read on, more quietly. “’With all the increased activity, it will be very dangerous if any other demons know about her abilities. For Nezuko-san’s sake, would you reconsider leaving her in our care?’”

He looked up to Nezuko as soon as he said it, aghast at such a proposition after all this time. Nezuko stared back at him, questioning what such words implied. Did she realize it would leave them separated? When she had heard it from Tamayo directly that one time she had understood, maybe it was harder to understand from a letter.

Even without words, Nezuko had made herself well-understood back then. She had a will of her own, and Tanjirou had every intention to respect it.

He smiled and patted her head. “Don’t worry. We’ll never be separated again. You’re going to be fine. Niisan won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Thank goodness,” she beamed and hugged him.

Tanjirou hugged her back, grateful all over again for how far they’d come.

#my fics #character beat filler arc #kamado tanjiro #kamado tanjirou #kamado nezuko #hashibira inosuke #kochou shinobu #kocho shinobu #tsuyuri kanao #tokito muichiro #tokitou muichirou #agatsuma zenitsu #shinazugawa genya #himejima gyomei #himejima gyoumei #ubuyashiki kagaya #and others briefly or mentioned #AND GOSH DANG IT I WROTE CUTE STUFF

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greensaplinggrace · 1 year

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🔥Shadow and Bone

okay. shadow and bone’s portrayal of the darkling as ‘the charming, manipulative older abuser’ isn’t subversive. it’s not even subversive for it’s genre. anyone who claims it is is acting like a pretentious douchebag and gives off the impression that shadow and bone is the only thing they’ve read in their life.

a series that paints it’s main activist for the oppressed minority as the villain, has the heroes oppose him and then kill him, and then has them uphold the status quo without ever addressing the problems that radicalized him in the first place - actually making the situation worse for the oppressed minority after his death - is a series that is loyal to the genre’s regular inability to properly address real world problems or challenge societally accepted, regularly taught, and preconceived beliefs, biases, and prejudices in any way. it abides by all societal rules and standards.

furthermore, it embraces the majority of popular american media’s desire to in some way propagandize the government and/or the catholic church. this is displayed in the presence of nikolai, who functions as the white savior - a less outcast, less traumatized version of ‘the abuser’, who rolls in privilege and embodies everything the white leftist thinks is acceptable. he is one of the Good Ones, after all.

this is also evident in the way the writing treats it’s main female characters: by shaming them for their desires, infantilizing them and whitewashing their worse actions, and often making them two dimensional victims of the ‘dark, dangerous, outcast seductor’ with no real personality anymore. when the female characters are ‘empowered’ in this series, it is usually only when they are enforcing the status quo - any other moment of power is likened to greed, selfishness, and monstrousness (which is all, of course, only ever tied to the oppressed minority and to men).

the only time the women in the series can be truly ‘good’ is when they are stripped of all personality, progression, or power - or when they are directly opposing or disagreeing with the villain. this gets to such a point in the books where the main female character’s arc of self actualization is regressed in an effort to turn her away from such ‘evil thoughts and desires’, simply because the villain encouraged her to engage with them.

in a startling show of entirely embracing this genre’s many sexist flaws, the main character is stripped of her agency and beaten back from her growth into true womanhood and self acceptance simply because of the sins and influence of one man. he must have corrupted her, says the narrative. he is the one that put her darkness there. and so she is therefore never allowed to truly explore those darker parts of herself to reach the full breadth of her own actualization and self acceptance.

she can now never truly come to love herself because she has been ‘tainted’. and now the only true way she can be saved and happy is if she is ‘cleansed’ of what makes her other from society. the fundamental tying of everything that makes alina different and unique to something 'sinful' will forever condemn her to a life of assimilation and loss.

not to mention that - as has been stated before - the series does nothing to actually challenge any actual preconceived notions of abusers, and instead only cements the common belief that abusers are easy to identify and noticeable in their status as outcast from society and from the ‘church’. the regular dehumanization of the darkling by the fictional church as well as the socially accepted characters presents him as a monster, which only solidifies the common belief that abusers are not people, that they don't function as people, and that they are universally unliked.

the use of dark and light themes could have been groundbreaking if implemented correctly, but instead the heavy handed attempts at moralizing through these symbols only further makes the series standard to the genre by enforcing your typical puritanical roles upon characters that deserved more nuance.

it was a basic ya novel in every way, it did nothing to actually subvert the genre, for subversion is only effective when you don’t hate the genre you’re subverting, and the author’s aversion to ya, fantasy, and the women who read it and ‘fall for it’ is clear in both real life and in what she’s written. the series’ ‘condemnation’ of the ‘dark, charming, and brooding older lover’ actually ended up making the series less subversive simply because it was not only handled so poorly that it practically condemned and shamed abuse victims instead, but also because it enforced the same standards society and most popular ya enforces today in young women or people of any minority when it comes to their determined roles.

you know what piece of media is subversive for it’s genre? black sails. you know what piece of media isn’t? shadow and bone.

send me a 🔥 for an unpopular opinion (x)

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giggly-squiggily · 1 year

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Ahhh, I had a dream that would kill me if it were turned into a fic🤭. You are the single greatest T-word writer and KnY writer on this platform. If you're up to it, may you please write a fic with Lee! Muichiro and Ler! Shinobu?

P.s Get well soon!✌(If you're still sick)

Y’all are too sweet oh my goodness! I am humbled by such high praise! Thank you anons! Both for the kind words and the chance to write for our baby boy Mui! Since we’ve got similar prompts, I’ve decided to combine them! :D I hope you like it!

Cloud 9 (Taglist)

@myreygn, @thatbigbisexual29, @duckymcdoorknob, @wolfyeatstacos, @gladdygirl18, @baby-tickles2022, @cupcake-spice13, @backy-san

“Who’s a little cutie? You are, yes you are! Yes you are!” Mitsuri cooed over Muichiro, her fingers flying along his stomach and sides.

“My my, Tokito- I haven’t seen a smile that big in a while from you! Kanroji is right- you truly are adorable.” Shinobu smiled behind her free hand, the other giving his neck and chin a brother scribble.

“Plehehahahhahahshe wahhahahhahahit!” He cried, squirming here and there as the girls tickled him relentlessly, cheeks bright pink and eyes misty with laughter.

You're probably wondering how the young Hashira got himself into a situation like this.

Well, it all started a mere few hours prior…

~~~

“Kocho-san! I have everything we need for tonight!” Mitsuri all but ran to the smaller woman, a basket of freshly baked treats in hand. The aroma was enough to shake Muichiro out of his daydreaming, turning his attention to the pair a few short meters away.

“Wonderful, Kanroji-san! It looks like you’ve baked quite a bit- I’m sure Kanao and the others will be thrilled.” Shinobu clapped her hands together, just as moved by the sugary sweet smell it seemed. “I made sure to clear out my schedule this evening- we won’t be bothered by any stray patients or the boys.”

“Is it a bad thing I’m happy they won’t crash girls night?” Mitsuri winced slightly, shame coloring cheeks. “I love them but they’re so…”

“Loud? Obnoxious? Smelly?” Shinobu offered a variety of adjectives.

“Well…yes.” Mitsuri gave in, earning a delighted giggle from the other. “It’s alright though- from what I hear they’re all going camping tonight.”

Camping? Muichiro hadn’t got the memo.

Or perhaps he did but wasn’t paying attention…

“Did they already leave?” Shinobu asked, suddenly aware of the lack of noise in the area. “I wonder if Shinazugawa’s gonna fight a bear again.”

“I believe so- fight what now?” Mitsuri stared. “And what do you mean again?”

“Long story- Oh! Tokito-san! You’re still here?” Whoops- he’d been caught. The Mist Hashira was trying to make a quiet escape, freezing when Shinobu called out to him. Turning around, he tugged at the ends of his hair, trying for nonchalance. “Oh, hey ladies. I was just…heading home.”

“Home? What- Don’t tell me they didn’t invite you?” Mitsuri looked crossed, eyes wide with indignation. “How cruel!”

“No, I’m sure they did- I just forgot.” Muichiro shrugged, hating how unsure his voice sounded. Had they not invited him? And if they did- why did no one remind him? Normally someone would come around to get him.

Maybe it was one of those “Grown ups only” trips. They probably didn’t want a kid like him around.

The thought made him rather sad then.

“So you're just going home? On such a nice day?” Mitsuri sounded alarmed, the concern oddly making him feel more like a kid. “But that’s no fun!”

“I’ll be fine. I'm a Hashira. I’ll train.” He straightened, raising his chin. “Then I’ll…do other stuff. Like…” He racked his brain for adult-like activities, mind running blank. “Train some more.”

“That’s a lot of training to do in one night.” Mitsuri tilted her head curiously. “What happens when you get too tired?”

“Then I’ll take a nap. And get right back to it.”

“Sounds boring.” Shinobu commented, smiling apologetically when Muichiro blushed. “Forgive me, Tokito-san.” Pausing, she turned back to Mitsuri, pulling the other girl over and whispering in her ear. The Love Hashira’s eyes widened before a bright smile touched her lips, nodding. “That’s a great idea!”

“What is?” Muichiro asked, growing weary when they turned to him with smiles.

“Mui, do you wanna join us this evening?”

~~~

“I can’t believe they’d go off without you like that. When they get back, those boys aren’t getting a crumb of my treats!” Mitsuri huffed as she ran her fingers through Muichiro’s hair, gently untangling it one strand at a time. They were now sitting at the butterfly mansion, pillows and blankets spread out and a variety of Mitsuri’s snacks on display for whomever felt hungry. Changed into comfy pajamas, the youngest Hashira nibbled on a cookie while the pink haired girl began a braid, starting from the top of his head and working her way down.

“My my, I believe it will be the first time we see Rengoku not smiling if you do that.” Shinobu grinned with impish glee, a few bottles of nail polish to her left as she carefully worked an ombre of pink to green on her friend’s toenails. With her hair down, she looked less regal. It felt like Muichiro was sitting with an older sister rather than the team’s doctor. “He’s like a grumpy cat when he pouts. Have you ever noticed that?”

“Oh absolutely! It’s rare, but it’s so funny!” Mitsuri giggled. “He just pouts and hides away- eventually coming out if you shake some treats.”

“I bet if he could, he’d crawl up on a dresser.” Muichiro added, earning another round of giggles from the girls. It made him feel good.

“Oh man- I can totally see him curled up on there and glaring at everyone!” Mitsuri laughed so hard she snorted, nearly throwing off Shinobu’s handiwork with how hard she was giggling. “Kanroji, your toes!” She cried, dabbing at the mess.

“I’m sorry- blame Muichiro!” Mitsuri cried back, falling into him some as he gaped in shock. “He’s the one putting all these Cat-Rengoku images in my head!”

“He really is though! He’s got those big cat eyes.” Muichiro defended, earning another pig snort from the girl.

“Pfft, okay, okay! No more cat talk until I get this last toe done!” Shinobu shook her head with a snicker at Muichiro as she carried on her task. “You’re gonna have tie dye feet if you keep squirming like that.”

“Not the first time, probably won’t be the last either.” Mitsuri was back doing Muichiro’s hair, her touch gentle against his scalp. “Thanks for letting me braid your hair, Mui. It’s so soft and long! Has it always been this way?”

“I think so…I don’t really remember.” He admitted quietly, stuffing his face with another cookie before they could ask anymore questions. The memories of his past were still so foggy. He remembered bits and pieces- a face like his own, a hut in which he lived. What really stood out were the feelings. Most of the time, his past felt like an ache in his chest, familiar yet unknown at the same time. It was frustrating- having all this pain but no memory of what caused it.

“Tokito-san?” Shinobu’s voice shook him free from his internal ache, making him look up. He was sure she was going to ask him what was wrong. The “I’m fine” was on his lips, but she surprised him with her next question. “Would you like your nails painted?”

“What?” His nails? Painted?

“Oo, that would be so pretty!” Misturi gushed, excited by the idea. “We could be twins! Maybe not in color, but through Kocho’s handiwork! She’s really good at painting nails, as you can see!”

Sure enough, Mitsuri’s toenails were impeccable. Despite her earlier squirming, Shinobu’s hand stayed true.

“Sure. Go for it.” Muichiro shrugged, feeling good at the delighted expression Shinobu wore.

“Okay! What color would you like?”

~~~

“Do you think Iguro-san likes me?” Mitsuri asked not too long later- her hair loose and spread out like a fan beneath her.

“Of course he does. The way he looks at you says it all.” Shinobu reassured her, also on her back, her toes painted bright purple. “No one looks at someone with that much adoration for jokes.”

“Ador-what, he really does?” Mitsuri blushed, hands on her cheeks and eyes wide. “He looks at me like that?”

“Like you're the only person in the room.” Muichiro agreed, the third on his back, raising a hand to look at his newly painted nails. After his toes, they did his fingers. He rather liked the teal color Shinobu chose- it was sparkly. “Really- the only person in the world sometimes.”

Misturi made a noise of squealing delight, covering her face as she giggled, kicking her feet. “Oh, I wanna tell him I like him so bad! Maybe I’ll do it one day- I’m just too nervous right now!” She lowered her hands, tilting her head back so she could look at her friends properly. “What about you two? Anyone you guys fancy?”

“Fancy? Look at you, using Tengen-lingo.” Shinobu teased, earning a light tug at her hair. “I don’t have anyone I fancy right now. I’m too busy.”

“What about Tomioka?” Muichiro asked, making them pause. Then they were laughing. “Did I say something funny?”

“Ohohoho honey- Tomioka’s dating Shinazugawa!” Shinobu giggled out, laughing harder at his face of surprise. “You didn’t know that?”

“I thought it was pretty obvious myself- they’re not exactly subtle about it!” Mitsuri nodded in agreement, turning over so she could lay on her belly. “The other day they were trying so hard to make it seem like they arrived separately!”

“Yeah, like we couldn’t see the wrinkled Haori on Tomioka!” Shinobu’s eyes were impish once more. “When he came in the other day, he smelled like Ohage. He tried to claim he got it as a snack.”

“Oh I’m sure he got a snack.” Mitsuri winked, earning a swat from a wide eyed Shinobu.

“Wait- how long have they been dating?” Muichiro asked, curious now. He never really cared for Corp gossip, but he was here and things were getting interesting.

“I’d say about two months now? Though they’ve been pining for each other for way longer.” Shinobu nodded, satisfied with her answer. “Shinazugawa always blushed when Tomioka complimented him, even when he threw a fit after.”

“Such a tsun-tsun.” Mitsuri shook her head in mock disappointment. “And Tomioka-san can be rather clueless about these kinds of things. It’s no wonder they took so long to get together.”

“Tragically so.” Shinobu mock sighed, giggling with her friend.

Tsun-Tsun? Clueless? Muichiro was learning new sides to his fellow Hashira tonight.

“So, Mui…what about you, hon?” Mitsuri smiled, eyes twinkling. “Anyone you fancy?”

At first, Muichiro didn’t know what to say. Did he fancy anyone? Not in the Hashira of course, but…

Sharp eyes. Black hair that flowed to his shoulder. A scar that ran along his nose-

“Ooo, he’s got a crush!” Misturi squealed in delight when Muichiro blushed, eyes widening with shock. Did he? He had a crush? “Who is it? What are they like? Is it someone we know?”

“Now now, Kanroji, give him a second.” Shinobu slowed the other down gently as she turned to him. “Muichiro, have you ever had a crush on anyone before?”

“No. Not really.” He confessed, face burning. It felt weirdly shameful to say it outloud. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Not at all!” Mitsuri jumped in, taking his hand in hers. “Crushes aren’t a mandatory thing; take Kyojuro for example. He’s never had a crush, and from what he’s told me, he’s never had romantic feelings for anyone. That doesn’t make him a bad person, right?”

“Of course not.”

“Exactly. And look at Kanroji-san. She crushes on everyone.” Shinobu smiled at her friend, grinning at her mock jaw drop. “That’s also perfectly valid.”

“Hey! I can’t help it- the world’s full of crushable people.” Mitsuri defended without much fight.

“The point is- when and if you develop a crush is completely up to you. There’s never a lifeframe on when you experience these things.” Shinobu reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “So- now that that’s clear; who’s the lucky person your heart is racing for?”

“I don’t really know his name. I met him while training with Gyomei a few times.” Muichiro looked at his and Mitsuri’s conjoined hands, the feeling of her gently squeezing it comforting. “He’s not really talkative, but the few times we have it’s really…nice.” He blushed, remembering how warm his crush’s voice was. “He has a scar on his nose, if that helps.”

“Genya!” The girls gushed, realization filling their voices.

“I think so…he’s great.” Muichiro smiled softly. Genya. He rather liked that name.

“That’s Shinazugawa’s brother, right?” Mitsuri asked.

“The younger of the two? Absolutely. He helps out here some days.” Shinobu nodded approvingly. “Sometimes I wish he was the Hashira one.”

“Oh, you're terrible, Kocho!”

“Not so- I’m just honest.”

Muichiro giggled in his sleeve, feeling lighter. A crush. He had a crush on Genya. And from the sounds of it, the girls approved. It was really exciting.

“Oi, did you just throw a pillow at me?” Shinobu’s yelp of surprise brought him back to present time. Mitsuri had her own pillow in hand, giggling like a gremlin.

“Oh I did! Come at me, Kocho!” She declared, squealing when the pillow in question smacked her right in the face.

It took less than five seconds before the duel broke out- pillows smacking one another as the girls screamed in laughter. Muichiro originally planned on using his own as defense, but before long he was just as into it as them, smacking whomever was in reach and yelping when he got smacked in return.

Of course- nothing ever stayed on track in fights like this. Mitsuri tossed away her pillow before lunging at Shinobu, knocking her into a pile of soft things. “Kanro-jihihihihihiihhiihihi!” Her cry of surprise turned into laughter as the taller girl attacked her with tickles, fingers flying across her stomach and sides with relentless speed.

“This is what you get, Kocho! Laugh for me-hehehehehehhehe!” Shinobu was quick, her own hands latching onto Mitsuri’s sides and squeezing- making her shriek in mirth. “Kohohohoohochoohohoohohoho!”

Muichiro sat back with amused eyes, giggling behind his pillow as he watched the pair tumble about, limbs flying and squeals spilling past their lips as they went to tickle the other. Whenever he saw Tengen and Rengoku having a tickle fight, he thought it was kinda funny. The girls doing it? It was downright hilarious.

That was, until they turned their sights onto him.

“Get Mui!” Mitsuri cried, tackling him. Shinobu was right beside her.

~~~

That’s where we find our dear Mist Hashira now, squirming and giggling helplessly as twenty fingers attack his torso, going for all his tickle spots.

“Aww, listen to him laugh! Mui, you are so cute!” Mitsuri cooed, giggling along with him as she gently pressed into his ribs, her talents as an older sister shining through each new scratch and prod.

“He’s rather precious, isn’t he? Sweet Tokito-san; I bet Genya would drop dead on the spot hearing you laugh so much!” Shinobu winked, grinning as Muichiro felt his face heat up more. He was starting to regret telling them about that.

“Plehehahhahahahse, stahhahahhap!” Muichiro wheezed, arching with a cackle as Mitsuri slipped her hand under him, clawing lightly at his back. “Nohohohohohot thehehehhere!”

“Aww, does someone have a ticklish back? Kanroji, flip him over!” Shinobu instructed. The taller girl wasted no time, pulling him into her lap as Shinobu shuffled over.

“Tokito-san, what does this say?” She then began her devious torture.

“AH! Ahehaahhahahhahahaha! Kohohoohohochohoohohoo!” A single finger dragged along his spine, writing out letters along his back. Each swipe made his brain fuzzy, breaking his focus. “Iihihiihihi dohoohohhohon’t knoohoohohohow!”

“Wrong! Try again! I’ll go slower this time.” It was worse slow. Even with the fabric of his pajamas in the way, it tickled like crazy. “Let’s start with ‘C’....’U’....”

“C-Cuhuuhuhuuhuhuhute?” He gasped out, earning a cheer.

“Right! And who’s cute, Tokito-san?” She traced the rest of the word, making him arch more.

“Y-Yohoohohohu twoohohohoho?” He guessed, earning more gushing.

“Such a charmer!” Mitsuri giggled.

“Isn’t he? Correct, but not the answer I’m looking for!” Shinobu scratched along the center of his spine, earning a snort. “Who’s cute, Tokito-san?”

“Fihiihhihine, fiihiihihine I’m cuuhuhuhuhuhte!” He gave in, relieved when the tickling finally stopped. Gasping for breath, he rolled gently off of Mitsuri, tucked between them as he tried to recover. “Thahahhaht was evihiihihihil!”

“Thank you.” Shinobu replied, making them laugh.

“You really are a cutie, Muichiro. Never forget that.” Mitsuri ran her hands through his bangs, leaning down to press a gentle kiss on his forehead. Anyone else would have gotten smacked away, but Muichiro found he rather liked the attention he got from the girls.

~~~

“Thanks for inviting me…I appreciate it.” He whispered softly, lying on his futon later that night. After the snacks were finished, more gossip was spilled, and yet another random tickle fight- this time Mitsuri being the one targeted; they were all sprawled out once more, this time with the intention of sleeping.

“Of course, Mui. We didn’t want you to be alone.” Mitsuri reached out and squeezed his hand.

“I would have been fine…” He began, realizing the lie as he spoke it. He wouldn’t have been. Not really. Sure, he’d get over it eventually-but the sting would have remained. Going home alone would have felt isolating.

“Well, I wouldn’t have. Not after what happened.” Shinobu shuffled over so her arm brushed his other side, taking his free hand. “I’m glad you came. Tonight was really fun.”

“It was! We should do this more often. And you can come too, Mui.” Mitsuri nodded, her voice growing sleepier by the minute.

“You're an honorary girl’s night member.” Shinobu agreed.

“Thanks, girls.” Muichiro smiled, pretending the blur in his vision was from sleepiness. He closed his eyes and settled in for a rest.

He was glad to have met the people he’d met.

I hope this was good!