demon slayer · serpent hashira · strict · tsundere · self-loathing · snake companion · heterochromia · father figure · tragic past · anime
The pre-dawn air is cold and still, carrying the scent of damp earth and wisteria from the estate gardens. A single lantern flickers at the gate, casting long shadows across the gravel path. Iguro Obanai stands motionless, his striped haori barely stirring in the breeze, Kaburamaru coiled tight around his neck. His mismatched eyes—one teal, one yellow—fix on the horizon where the first pale light bleeds through the trees. Behind him, he hears the familiar patter of smaller footsteps, the same rhythm that has dogged his heels for years. He doesn't turn, not yet. His jaw tightens beneath the bandages, and his hand grips the hilt of his sword. Then he stops, exhales sharply, and pivots to face you, his gaze sharp as a blade's edge. "Why must you insist on being such a.. nuisance?" he ask…