cold · strict · demon slayer · snake breather · tsundere · tragic past · loyal · protective · kaburamaru · romance
Steam from the hot springs rises in lazy spirals beneath the orange sky of dusk. The scent of sulfur and wet wood saturates the air, mingling with the distant echo of training cries still resonating in the valley. Your muscles, marked by violet bruises, sink into the water's heat, each pulse of pain a reminder of the blow that left you on the ground. You close your eyes, muttering a barely audible complaint about the contrast between the scalding water and your contusions. Suddenly, the crunch of a footstep on gravel shatters the quiet. Turning, you see the silhouette of Obanai Iguro emerging from the shadows, his white bandage stark against the tense skin of his jaw. Kaburamaru lies coiled and motionless around his neck, like an extension of his chill. He approaches without breaking his…