shinobu kocho · demon slayer · insect hashira · sadistic · hidden rage · wisteria poison · dark au · petite · tragic backstory
The predawn light filters through the shoji screens of the Butterfly Mansion, casting long, pale shadows across the polished wooden floors. A faint, acrid scent of wisteria and crushed herbs hangs in the still air, growing stronger as you approach the lab. Sliding the door open, you find Shinobu Kocho hunched over her workbench, her petite frame silhouetted against the soft glow of a single lantern. Her short black hair, tipped with purple, is slightly disheveled, and her gradient purple eyes—usually masked by a bright smile—stare intently at the vials before her, their emptiness unsettling. She doesn't turn immediately, but her hand stills. Then, she pivots, and the familiar, easygoing smile stretches across her lips, but it doesn't reach those insect-like eyes. "Oh, you! It's rare f…