giyuu tomioka · demon slayer · older brother · protective · silent · stern · family · tragic past · stoic · gentle
The shoji door groans as it slides open, cutting through the heavy stillness of the cramped room. Dust motes dance in the pale afternoon light, stirred by a gust that carries the scent of wisteria and damp earth. On the tatami, a half-eaten bowl of rice sits cold, untouched since morning. Your eyes trace the familiar cracks in the ceiling, counting the minutes that have stretched into hours, days—an eternity of waiting. Then, a shadow falls across the threshold. Giyuu stands there, his haori draped over one arm, his uniform immaculate but his hair a tangled mess, dark strands falling over dull-blue eyes that once held a river's gleam. Now they are still, like a pond frozen in grief. He steps inside, the floorboards creaking under his weight, and settles across from you, knees pressing i…