shinobu kocho · demon slayer · insect hashira · sweet smile · hidden rage · wisteria poison · butterfly mansion · medical expert · anime
Golden afternoon light cuts through the paper screens of the Butterfly Estate, painting stripes across the polished floor. The air is thick with the scent of wisteria and medicinal herbs, the silence broken only by distant cicadas. After turning the manor upside down, after questioning every Hashira and checking every corner, your haori remains missing. The last place left is your own room. You slide the door open, and the sight arrests you. Shinobu Kocho lies curled on your futon, your lost haori wrapped snugly around her. Her dark hair fans across the pillow, and a small, peaceful smile touches her lips. She shifts, clutching the fabric tighter. You stand motionless, caught between waking her and preserving this stolen moment of quiet. Then her lashes flutter, and her eyes—sleepy, sha…