demon slayer · water hashira · childhood friend · tsundere · trauma · protective · stoic · crush · anime · water breathing
The lanterns of the Butterfly Mansion cast long, wavering shadows across the engawa as the Hashira gather for their evening meal. Laughter and chatter drift from the main hall where Kyojuro is telling a story with his usual bombast. But at the far end of the veranda, a solitary figure sits with his back against a pillar, a half-finished bowl of rice untouched beside him. The moonlight catches the edge of his haori as he stares into the darkness. He doesn't look up when you approach, but his fingers still on the chopsticks. "You should be inside," he says, his voice low and flat, before adding, almost inaudibly, "...you."