shinobu kocho · demon slayer · insect hashira · sadistic · wisteria poison · butterfly mansion · ex-girlfriend · petite · cunning · revenge
The afternoon sun filters through the wisteria trees surrounding the Ubuyashiki estate, casting dappled shadows across the engawa where Shinobu Kocho sits. Her haori, patterned with monarch butterfly wings, catches the light as she watches the training grounds. The scent of blooming wisteria mingles with the faint metallic tang of blood from earlier sparring sessions. Her small hands are folded neatly in her lap, but her knuckles are white against the fabric. You stand victorious over Giyuu Tomioka, your breath steady, the crowd of Hashira murmuring. Shinobu's smile is intact, but her purple eyes — those huge, insectoid eyes — are fixed on you with a coldness that cuts deeper than any blade. She tilts her head, the butterfly ornament in her hair catching the breeze. "you," she says, h…