Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU

Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU

Chapter: Eight

The First Meeting

Warnings: None!

Word Count: 3570

  The brilliant sun was beaming down on Kanao was she was making her way through the forest. A wicker basket, that was covered with a small sheet, swayed in her right hand. The basket itself was for Muichiro Tokito. Thus being the reason why Kanao was heading to the Mist Estate in the first place.

  Shinobu had prepared the basket with various berries and ointments. Some of them being pain relief medicines while others were for various types of illnesses. Kanao had no idea why she was doing this since none of the slayers were going on any dangerous missions anymore and the half-demon transformation didn't seem to be painful.

  What made this even stranger was that Shinobu had been refusing to speak for the last few days. She claimed that this was due to a sore throat. However, this seemed to go on longer than any normal sore throat. Plus, weren't demons not supposed to get sick? Kanao shook her head, reasoning that half-demons must have a slightly different biology.

  She quickly reached the entrance of the Mist Estate. The large mansion reflected the calmness of the Must Hashira himself. The white window covers were a sharp contrast to the brown, wood walls. Yet, the white matched the upper level of the house. Kanao knocked on the door with her free hand.

  "Tokito? Are you home?" Kanao said in a soft voice. She heard some rather heavy footsteps approaching the sliding door. The door slid open to reveal..Genya? What was he doing here? His black eyes gleamed as he looked down at her. "Oh, hey Kanao. How are you?" His voice was a lot friendlier than usual and his face was slightly red. It seemed like he was setting down since the battle.

  "I'm fine." Kanao said warmly. "I'm just here to deliver this basket to Tokito." She held up the basket for him to take. Genya carefully took it, his face blushing even more. "Do you wanna come inside?" Genya asked, not wanting to be rude. "Sure. I have plenty of time." Kanao smiled as she walked inside with him.

  The mansion was well lit by the sunlight and looked rather colorful. Although the walls and furniture were the traditional brown color, there were also many paper figurines of various colors. Kanao knew that Muichiro loved to make Origami figures, so she figured that he made them himself. Genya took a quick left and led her to the living room.

  A low-lying table with two gray cushions sat in the middle of the room. The wall to the right had small shelves that were lined with Origami swans and cats. "He's rather talented." Kanao said in awe as she scanned the shelves. Genya put the basket down on the table and looked at the shelves as well. "Oh yeah. Tokito had been making these figures for years. They're quite impressive really."

  Kanao then turned to face Genya. "By the way, why are you here? I don't mean to be rude. I'm just curious." Genya looked nervous, almost embarrassed to say it. "I've been helping Muichiro adapt." Kanao raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Is he losing control of himself?" Genya shook his head. "Not quite. We've just been learning what his Blood Demon Art is...and a few other things.."

  Kanao's confusion was only made worse by the sound of distressed mewing. "Do you own a cat?" She asked curiously. Genya sighed and put a hand to his head. "No..here. Let me show you." Genya then walked out of the room with Kanao cautiously following behind him.

  The further they went into the mansion, the louder the mewing got. Kanao could tell that this was a male creature by the sound of it. Genya led her to the right room at the end of the hallway. He put his hand up to tell her to stop. Kanao decided to peek into the room when Genya went inside. She gasped at the image she saw.

  Muichiro was on his knees with a hand over his throat. He was trying to rub it, seemingly to soothe it. Genya knelt down beside him. "It's aching again?" Genya asked, voice filled with concern. Muichiro nodded and..mewed? He was the one who was making those noises! "Is he alright?" Kanao asked as she walked into the room. Muichiro looked up at her and immediately covered his mouth.

  "Don't worry. His vocal cords are just changing." Genya said this as if this was completely normal. "How? I've ever heard any demons make those noises." Genya hugged Muichiro as he sighed. "Let me explain.."

  "When I devoured a demon for the third time, I lost control of my vocal cords. I couldn't speak any human language and I could only make animal noises. No matter how much I tried to speak, I just couldn't. I was just as confused as you are. After all, demons don't talk like this. That was also the longest time that I was turned. It ended after a few days and by then my voice box adapted to make those noises and to speak. From what I'm guessing, that's just what demons go through when they're turned."

  Kanao put a hand to her chin, thinking. "That's why Shinobu isn't speaking.." Genya nodded. "All of the fallen Hashira must be going through this. It'd just a natural process, so there's nothing to worry about." Kanao looked up at the two slayers. "So, did he call you over because he didn't know what was going on?" Both of the boys nodded.

  "He sounded pretty terrified in his letter." Genya made a soft purring noise as he held Muichiro. Kanao smiled as she walked over to them. She crouched down and petted Muichiro's head. "Don't worry, Tokito. Everything will be alright." Muichiro smiled at her and mewed in response.

News of the truth of these strange noises spread across the corps. All of Hashira-and even Tanjiro himself-were dealing with these noises. They had a strange unique sound to each person as if they were associated with a specific animal. Some were obvious like Rengoku making gritty roars and chuffs like a tiger and Shinobu making soft trills and buzzes like a butterfly. However, some weren't exactly expected like Tanjiro making powerful huffs and growls like a bear and Muichiro making sweet kitten-like mews.

  Regardless of all things, they eventually adapted within a few days. Although, Tanjiro did have some questions. "Do you think the Kizuki might know where these strange noises come from?" Tanjiro asked. He was sitting as a low desk with Nezuko on his right side and Zenitsu on his left. "I'd say that's gonna be your best bet." Nezuko said as she stroked Matsuemon-who was cawing happily.

  "I don't trust them. I mean..what if they try to kill you?" Zenitsu almost sounded like he growled. "It's okay, Zen." Tanjiro hummed softly as he stroked the blonde's head. "I'll be fine. Besides, we already have some friends!" Zenitsu rolled his eyes. "You mean those siblings? They're cruel. Trust me..I've seen it myself."

  Tanjiro rumbled disappointingly. "I know what they've done is unforgivable, but I really do believe that they can change." Zenitsu looked the other way. "I just don't want you to get hurt." Tanjiro could feel Zenitsu grabbing his arm with a tight grip. The Demon King placed his hand over Zenitsu's arm and smiled. "Don't worry. I know that everything will be okay."

  Nezuko hummed softly. "It might be best to have a meeting with them. Not only to set some ground rules, but also to learn more about them." Tanjiro nodded. "That sounds great! Matsuemon, could you inform the demons? The meeting will start in an hour." The crow cawed. "I could! Good thing all the demons are in the castle!" The crow turned around, opened his wings, and took off.

  The hour passed as quickly as sound. Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Zenitsu we're heading to the dreadful Infinity Castle. The Kamado siblings were very hesitant to bring Zenitsu along at first, but the blonde insisted. Saying that he just wanted to make sure Tanjiro was safe. With that, the siblings ended up caving.

  The warm forest shimmered beautifully as the trio traversed through it. Nezuko was humming a soft tune as she skipped in front of the two boys. Tanjiro enjoyed watching her, but Zenitsu was only thinking. His mind was a deep ocean of doubt and concern. It was put through a storm when Tanjiro disappeared. Now, it seemed like an entirely new, lovely ecosystem. Zenitsu watched him carefully and they scaled the mountain.

  The Infinity Castle soon came into view. It looked like a traditional, small house with brown walls and white windows. The trio walked up the steps and Tanjiro knocked on the sliding door. "Hmm?..Who's there?" A deep, intimidating voice said from behind it. This caused Zenitsu to yelp and hide behind Tanjiro. "It's me, Tanjiro Kamado." Tanjiro said. Some shuffling was heard behind the door.

  Then, Kokushibo slid the door open. "Good morning..young king." His voice was cold and unreadable. "You must be here..to start the meeting." Kokushibo looked down at the other two with him. Squinting his middle pair when he laid his eyes on a cowering Zenitsu. Tanjiro nodded as he squeezed Zenitsu's hand gently. "Yes. That's exactly why we're here."

  Kokushibo turned back to Tanjiro. "Follow me..." He turned around and walked off into the castle. The trio quickly followed him, shutting the door behind them. The world of the Infinity Castle was more like an infinite maze of hallways and rooms. It wasn't as confusing or disjointed as it was before, but it was still difficult to navigate. Rooms seemed to line the walls and various bridges and stairs connected them.

  Kokushibo walked with some speed, which made the others have to jog in order to catch up with him. "I don't think he likes you." Zenitsu whispered to Tanjiro. "Be nice. He's probably just not used to a new king." Kokushibo grumbled softly to himself when he heard this. There was much more to this issue.

  Within a few minutes, the grouped reached a rather strange room. Most of the base was a normal light tan floor, but a fourth of the room's floor was raised. "The biwa lady designed this..to be the meeting room." Kokushibo said as they walked inside. All of the reincarnated demons, both Lower and Upper moons, were there. Surprisingly, none of them were talking to each other.

  Everything was quiet and still. Chills creeped up Tanjiro's spine. "Is this normal?" Tanjiro asked Kokushibo. "To an extent..yes." He replied. "We are normally quiet..Strangely though, Douma is talking..He's usually the one who causes a stir." Tanjiro looked around to see Douma. He was on his knees, swaying. "The floor..is yours." Kokushibo said with stillness.

  Tanjiro smiled at him and nodded before walking up on the raised platform. Kokushibo looked at him for a few seconds, then walked away. His eyes scanned the room before spotting Akaza-who was sitting alone near the right side of the room. Kokushibo sighed as he made his decision. He walked over to Akaza and took a seat next to him. Akaza widened his eyes and tilted his head. He was about to ask him something when Tanjiro cleared his throat.

  "Hello everyone!" Tanjiro hummed with excitement. All of the demons' attention was directed towards him. Zenitsu and Nezuko stood on each side of him. Zenitsu held his hand and trembled as he looked upon the sea of demons. Tanjiro squeezed his hand gently. "I know that this is a major change for all of us, but I hope that we can develop a great relationship together."

  No one cheered. No one growled. No one even responded. Tanjiro could feel his heart sink a little, but he's not going to give up. "I thought that it would be best if I set some guidelines for us. We are an entirely new species after all."

  "First off, no one will try to kill each other. If there are any fights, we can try to understand where the argument came from and how to stop it. Secondly, you are free to do as you please. There will be missions, but they will most be missions to refill supplies and to convert other demons. I want this to be a welcoming community, but it's important that you also take care of yourself. Find your hobbies! Have some fun! Practice whatever you like to practice! I'll also make sure that none of you ever go hungry or have horrible living conditions. You are people and deserve to be treated as such. Last thing, never ever eat any humans. You don't have to eat humans anymore, so no harm shall come to the innocent."

  The demons murmured amongst themselves. They all expected that last rule, but the others were decently surprising. "Does anyone have any questions?" Tanjiro asked. Hantengu raised a trembling hand. "Will any of the slayers be after us?" Tanjiro shook his head. "Absolutely not. Master Kiriya informed them of the situation, so no harm will come to you. In fact, Miss Shinobu actually set up therapy sessions for everyone!"

  Most of the demons weren't quite happy with this. Some of them sighed or even growled. "We also know that some of the Hashiras..won't be exactly friendly." Kokushibo huffed. They all nodded. "I can't lie to you. That is undoubtedly true, but don't worry. I'll make sure that no harm comes your way. They won't attack you unless you attack a human."

  This seemed to clear some confusion as the murmurs died down. Akaza raised a hand. "What do you plan for us? What is your goal?" There wasn't a rude tone in his voice, more like a servant's. "I just want to see you live the lives you deserve. Many of you were treated unfairly in your lives and Muzan only used your pain against you. I will not punish you for making mistakes. We are human. We will make mistakes. All I ask from you is to understand yourselves and to move on from your pain."

  They all tilted their heads. "You mean that there's no goal? Nothing you want us to hunt for?" Douma asked, resting his head in his hand. Tanjiro and Nezuko nodded. "Well, what do you know? Guess we got lucky then." Douma chuckled as he continued to sway.

"I do have a question for you though." Tanjiro said. "When we were adapting to our form, our voice boxes underwent some changes. We were able to make strange animals. Is that normal?" The demons murmured for a second before Gyutaro spoke up. "Every demon has gone through that. We are all able to make various animal noises."

  "The reason why you haven't heard those noises before is because Muzan actually told us to mask them." Daki piped in. Tanjiro raised an eyebrow. "Mask them? Why? They seem harmless." Rui sighed. "We honestly have no idea why. He just seemed to hate the noises and everything else that came with them."

  This only made the trio more confused. "What else did Muzan hate?" Nezuko asked. "Well..We do have a variety of other characteristics that we had to bury. Truth be told, our attributes are quite strange." Akaza huffed as he remembered Muzan. "They may be, but are they harmful?" Tanjiro asked, wanting more answers. The demons seemingly didn't know what to say. "Well he told us that they were harmful and idiotic." Gyutaro said with a growl. "But I've never found anything wrong with them."

  Tanjiro felt a fire burning in his heart. Why would Muzan tell them to hide these instincts? What would he tell them to hide who they really are? This was infuriating! "Well, you don't have to hide them from me." Tanjiro smiled reassuringly. Despite this reassurance, the demons only gave him awkward silence. "I'm not sure..if they can come back.." Kokushibo said flatly. "It's been too long.."

  "Maybe, but maybe not. We'll just have to see." Tanjiro smiled. "I just hope that you all can live a happy life. It'll be rough, but I have the utmost faith in you." All the demons bowed slightly signaling the end of the meeting. Tanjiro stepped down from the raised platform. "I do encourage you to talk to the others. You might find some great friends!"

  The demons looked around at each other awkwardly. Douma looked around the room before someone caught his eye. A lonely Lower Moon by sitting by  the door. He had heard of him before, as he was the strongest Lower Moon, but Douma had never seen him. Douma stood up, dusted himself off, and walked towards him.

  Enmu looked up at the Upper Moon slovenly. "Hey there!" Douma chirped in a cheery tune. "What are you doing by yourself?" Enmu looked away. "You must be an Upper Rank demon. How did you manage to get so close to Muzan?" Douma couldn't help but laugh. "Oh don't be so kind! He didn't really like me, but he considered me useful!"

  Enmu glared at him. "He had to like you for some reason." Douma only shook his head. "Not really. Just my power." Enmu raised an eyebrow. "Then, why are you not upset?" Douma shrugged. "That's just what everyone wanted from me. Why should I expect any different?"

  Enmu was perplexed by this strange demon. Wouldn't he want for someone to care about him? Maybe he was just desensitized. Enmu sighed before staring off, right at Tanjiro-who was speaking to Gyutaro. Douma followed his stare.

  "Ah~You must not like the new king. I think he's quite cute. Definitely naive, but it's nice to see someone who isn't mean for a change." Douma's gleeful tone was grading. "He doesn't deserve to be king." Enmu growled. Douma tilted his head. "Hm?"

  "I mean he knows nothing about us! What gives him the right to disrupt our society.?" Enmu knew that this was the most aggressive he had ever been. "Well, we can't really control how he rules, but it doesn't seem to be that bad." Douma said, obliviously. "You don't understand." Enmu huffed in annoyance.

  Douma put a hand to his chin, thinking. "I like you. How about we head to a nearby Udon stand? I've been dying to try some human food and it looks like you could use something to cheer you up." Enmu sighed, resting his arms on his knees. "I guess I could. I have nothing better to do." Douma clapped his hands together. "Great!"

  While all this was happening, Akaza turned to Kokushibo. "Why did you decide to sit next to me?" His voice trembled with suspicion. All six of Kokushibo's eyes stared at him. "I mean no harm to you..Truth be told..I respect you the most..out of everyone here." Akaza raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought you would rather stay away from us."

  "You're not wrong..however it felt rather awkward..to stay away..Besides..I've noticed that you haven't..been acting like yourself."  Akaza looked down at the floor. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing that you should concern yourself with." His voice didn't have a rude tone surprisingly. Akaza's voice was instead soft and miserable. Kokushibo knew something was wrong.

  Kokushibo sighed as he stood up. "Would you like to spar sometime?..I know that's how you cool off.." Akaza hunched defensively. "Don't worry..there is no trick..and neither of us..will die.." Akaza sighed as he stood up. "Sure. It hasn't been a while, hasn't it?" He smiled at the six-eyed demon. "Indeed it has.."

  Hantengu was being consumed by his own thoughts. The last few days have been unbearable for him. It was like how he was as a full fledged demon. He hated how much his fear ate at him. Hantengu looked around at the other demons conversing. He wished he could do the same, but he couldn't bring himself to.

  His body trembled and his heart pounded. Hantengu knew that this wasn't normal and he hated it. It had led him to steal. It had led him to kill. Hantengu knew he had to change this, but how? Then, an idea popped in his head.

  Hantengu stood up with shaky legs and walked over to Tanjiro. Zenitsu yelped when he laid eyes on the demon, thus alerting Tanjiro. "Oh, hello Hantengu." Tanjiro said as he turned around. "Hi, master. I..umm..wondered if you could do something for me." Hantengu shook nervously. "Of course! What is it?" Tanjiro smiled.

  "Could you..summon my clones?" Hantengu asked. Tanjiro tilted his head, curiously. "Oh? How come?" Hantengu flinched, thinking that he was criticizing him. "Well, I hate how I'm constantly afraid. It makes my life miserable and it also makes me do terrible things. I know that my main four clones aren't like that. I..might be happy then."

  Tanjiro nodded, understanding the thought. "Are you sure? You might lose yourself as you proceed through this." Hantengu put a hand to his jaws. "I'd be willing to take that risk. This is for the best." Tanjiro smiled with warmth. "Alright, Hantengu. If this is what it takes to make you happy, then I'll do it."

Author's Note: Hiya! Sorry if this chapter was rather boring. I used this to set up some mysteries and potential romances! I do hope you like it regardless!

Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU

Chapter Seven

Rainy Night

Warnings: it's mostly just hurt/comfort

Word Count: 4566

  Shortly after the Hashira meeting, Tanjiro was cleared to head home by Tamayo. What would've taken a normal human to recover from the blood loss and severe pain-which would've taken a few days or even weeks-was only a fraction of the recovery time Tanjiro needed. This is due him being a half-demon of course.

  "Thank you so much for taking care of me and my sister, Miss Tamayo." Tanjiro bowed politely as he stood at the entrance of the Butterfly Estate. Nezuko was holding his hand and bowed as well. "No need to thank me." Tamayo said warmly as she waved her hand. "I should be the one thanking you. You've done so much for both me and Yushiro." Yushiro stayed by her side and nodded, agreeing.

  Tanjiro returned with a warm smile. "I just felt like you two deserved a better life. So, make sure to enjoy it the best you can!" His voice was sharp with determination. Tamayo nodded and bowed. "We will! Have a great day, Tanjiro!" The couple waved as the Kamado siblings walked out of the estate and hit the road.

  "Should we head back to our home?" Tanjiro turned to Nezuko. During his time as a demon slayer, Tanjiro did his best to save up his money to buy both him and his sister a warm, safe home. He was able to afford a small house that was in between the Butterfly Estate and where the Infinity Castle was located now. It wasn't much, but it gave them everything they needed. "Sure!" Nezuko said excitedly. "I do have some projects I want to show you."

  "That's great! I can't wait to see them!" Tanjiro smiled with warmth and love. The walk back home was calm and tranquil. A moment like this was rare for a demon slayer, so the siblings treasured these moments whenever they occurred. They walked across the dirt path, looking out over the golden valley. Tanjiro looked up at the fiery, yet cloudy, sky and hummed. "It's getting late."

  By the time the Kamados got to their house, the sun had almost completely set and the clouds started to rumble and flash with light. "Hmm, looks like it's going to rain." Nezuko watched the lightning dance in the clouds. "We better get inside then." Tanjiro quickly ushered his sister into the small house.

  The two siblings sighed in relief when they finally entered their home. It looked very similar to the one they lived in when they were kids. Tanjiro wasn't really aware of that fact when he bought it, so his subconscious must've known it. The white walls and the light brown floors provided great comfort for the siblings.

   They had bought and installed a fireplace that was placed against the right side of the main room. Tanjiro even bought rocking chairs-that were put in front of the fireplace-for both him and his sister. Ultimately though, they lived a pretty simple lifestyle. "Alright Nezuko." Tanjiro turned to his sister. "Lead the way."

  Nezuko giggled as she took her brother's hand. She led him through the white walled hallways all the way to her bedroom. "Wait here." She said excitedly. Nezuko then entered her room. Tanjiro could hear her fumbling around with some of her things, seemingly trying to find something. "No..Not it..Aha! Found it!"

  It was only a few minutes later when Nezuko emerged. Her outfit looked like the exact same out that she used to wear, but..she was in her awakened form! Nezuko smiled at her brother as she swayed her arms. "I made this to better cover myself when I'm in this form. It makes me feel more comfortable using it. Do you like it?"

  Tanjiro smiled sweetly. "I love it, Nezuko. You look really pretty." Nezuko couldn't help but grin and fidget with the sash on her kimono. "Thank you!" Something then popped up in her mind. "Oh! Hang on a second, brother." Nezuko then ran back into her room, so Tanjiro waited patiently.

  Nezuko then came out with a large, fluffy blanket draped over her shoulders. It dragged on the floor due to its sheer size. The pattern on the top resembled the night sky. Swirls of purple, blue, and black gave the blanket a comforting feel. Plus, the small white spots-meaning to resemble stars-tied the whole piece together. It was like a work of art. Perfectly executing just how talented Nezuko was.

  "Wow.." Tanjiro was in awe. "That looks amazing, Nezuko!" He put a hand on the pudgy blanket. It felt as soft as silk. "And it's soft too!" Nezuko smiled with glee. "Thank you. It's meant to help keep someone warm during the winter. That's why it's so bulky. I have to finish up some of the seams, but it's almost done!" She looked at the blanket, then back at her brother. "I just don't know who to give it to."

  Tanjiro hummed and tilted his tilt. "Don't worry. We'll find someone! Just enjoy what you've made until you find someone to give it to." Nezuko nodded. She went up to her brother and hugged him tightly. Due to Tanjiro's new height-which was measured to be 6'7" by Shinobu-he managed to be taller than Nezuko in her awakened form. Tanjiro wrapped his arms around her as well. He even swung her around, causing her to giggle like a child.

  Tanjiro set her down after a few seconds. He then sniffed the air, catching a rather expected scent. "It's raining and it's coming down rather hard." Nezuko looked up at the ceiling that was sheltering them from the unforgiving weather. "Good thing we made it inside when we did."

  Tanjiro nodded then looked down at her. "Does Udon sound good for dinner? I think it sounds perfect for a rainy night." Nezuko grinned and nearly jumped up and down. "Yes! Yes! Your cooking is great!" Tanjiro chuckled at his sister's enthusiasm and pet her on the head. "Good thing I learned how to cook from Aoi then. Alright! I'm on it!"

  "Damn it, brother! How did we get lost?!" Daki growled as she tried her best to block the rain with her obi sashes. "Don't ask me! Now that the Infinity Castle has a set location, we can't ask the biwa lady to take us there." Gyutaro also tried to use his body to defend his sister from the pouring rain.

  The duo had been trying to find the Infinity Castle since they were revived. Gyutaro originally asked Tanjiro where it was, but the answer that he got didn't really clear things up. He was told that the castle was located where the master's old mansion was. Unfortunately, Gyutaro figured that they might run into another Hashira on their way there. Especially since they might be trying to monitor the half-demons' activities, so he didn't ask for any further directions.

  This of course turned out to be a big mistake. Both of the siblings were extremely exhausted and hungry and now..they were stuck out here in the pouring rain. "This is just great." Daki grumbled as she trudged through the mud. "It's alright. I'll try to find us somewhere for shelter." Gyutaro's voice was faulty and weak. Daki shook her head. "There's not even a cave in sight! Where are we supposed to take shelter?"

  Both of the siblings looked up to see a decently sized house. There was a light that could be seen through the sliding doors. Daki looked entranced, but Gyutaro only snarled. "Don't get your hopes up, Ume. No one is going to help us." Daki looked up at her brother and sighed heavily. "Just the story of our lives."

  Tanjiro was boiling the noodles in the noodle basket that was given to him by Aoi. He had already boiled two eggs for him and his sister and he also set out tempura flakes and togorashi spices. Despite all the colorful scents from the spices, Tanjiro was still able to pick up two strange, yet familiar scents.

  "Hey, Nezuko." Tanjiro called out to his sister. She peeked her head around the corner. "Could you watch over these noodles for a second?" Nezuko nodded and walked up to him. "Sure. Is something wrong?" She asked with a bit of concern. "I'm not sure." Tanjiro said honestly. He walked over to the entrance of their household, opened the door slightly, and peered outside.

  There he saw the Shabana siblings trudging through the mud and rain, eyes widening with guilt. Tanjiro opened the door completely. "Hey! What are you two doing out here? You're getting soaked!" Tanjiro called out to them. The Shabana siblings turned to face him, confused. Neither of them fully trusted him yet, especially Daki. So they didn't know what he wanted from them.

  "Come inside!" Tanjiro gestured for them to come inside the house. Daki looked at her brother. "Should we trust him?" She sounded both nervous and a bit aggressive. "It's better than staying out here, isn't it?" Gyutaro asked. Daki huffed, knowing he was right. A loud explosion from the sky startled her and she quickly started to run to the house with Gyutaro following behind her.

  Mud covered the floor as the two ran into the house. Tanjiro shut the door behind them. "Are you two alright?" He asked with concern, placing a hand on Gyutaro's shoulder. The siblings said nothing as they tried to catch their breath. Nezuko peeked her head around the corner to see what was going on. Her eyes widened when she saw them. This wasn't out of fear though, she was just surprised to see them.

  "We're fine." Daki hissed. "Just lost." Gyutaro stretched his arms. "We couldn't find the Infinity Castle," Tanjiro covered his mouth with his hand. "I'm sorry. I probably should've given you a map." Daki shook her head. "We didn't want to go the traditional way. There could've been a Hashira there!" Tanjiro raised an eyebrow. "There weren't any Hashira there."

  "There weren't?!" The Shabana siblings yelled angrily. Tanjiro only nodded in response. "Great! This is just great!" Daki huffed in aggravation. "We could've just asked for directions!" Gyutaro scratched his neck as he listened to his sister. "Yeah..I should've just asked."

  "There's no need to beat yourselves up about it." Tanjiro interjected. "We all make mistakes. You two could stay here tonight if you'd like. I could even lead you to the Infinity Castle in the morning." The Shabana siblings looked at each other. They weren't sure if they could completely trust him. Finally, they sighed. "Just don't pull anything on us, otherwise we'll rip your throat out. Got it?" Daki growled. Tanjiro smiled despite the aggression. "It's okay. I'll make sure that you will be comfortable."

  "Hey, Nezuko." Tanjiro called his sister again. She perked her head around the corner. "I'll take care of the noodles. Can you start the bath water?" Nezuko nodded and smiled before running off to their sento. "You have your own sento?" Gyutaro asked curiously. Tanjiro nodded. "It's nothing too fancy. Since we aren't close to any towns or cities, this is just how we stay clean."

  The siblings nodded, understanding the situation. Water could be heard splashing and running while Tanjiro went back to his noodles. Luckily, the batch was pretty much done. So, Tanjiro poured the noodles into two bowls. He decided to repeat the process of making the eggs and noodles for the new guests.

  Daki tried shaking the mud off of her. "Ugh..I feel so disgusting." Gyutaro surprisingly didn't do the same. "Don't get the mud everywhere, Ume." Daki looked up at him. "Why?" Gyutaro sighed. "Because we shouldn't make then regret their choice in letting us stay." Daki huffed in annoyance. "They don't are about us."

  Gyutaro was about to make a rebuttal when Nezuko came into the room. She was carrying two towels and two elegant kimonos. One of them was hot pink with black stripes around the cuffs and edges. The other was very similar, but the pink color was swapped with black and the black stripes was changed to green. Even Daki couldn't deny that they were quite beautiful.

  "Your bath is ready." Nezuko smiled at them. "You two can pick which one goes first." Before Daki could say anything, Gyutaro already spoke up for her. "My sister can go first. She deserves to keep her cleanliness." Nezuko nodded and walked over to Daki. She gave her the pink kimono and one of the towels. "We can wash your clothes if you'd like."

  "Oh there's no need for that." Daki laughed. "Our clothes are apart of our bodies. We can manipulate them to do whatever we want. Very few demons actually wear clothes" Nezuko tilted her head curiously. "Really? I didn't know that." She smiled at them with warmth.

  "Where is the sento exactly?" Gyutaro asked, scratching his neck. Nezuko points down the hallway. "It's the farthest door to your right." The Shabana siblings nodded. "Thanks." Daki said flatly. Nezuko only hummed. "You're welcome!"

  Daki carefully walked down the hallway, trying to avoid getting mud everywhere. She looked around at her surroundings. Everything was clean and neat, providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere. It was nothing too extravagant, but it was comfortable. Daki smiled to herself as she walked into the sento.

  The sento was just was clean and tidy as everywhere else. A decently sized tube was brimming with warm water. Daki stuck her back into the soothing water. She closed her eyes and hummed softly. "Not bad, Kamados. Not bad at all."

  While Gyutaro was patiently waiting for his sister to finish, Nezuko was setting out futons for them. Both she and Tanjiro agreed that the boys would sleep in his room while the girls slept in her room. At the moment, Tanjiro was finishing up making the new batch of noodles. He hummed his mother's lullaby as he did so.

  Daki stood in the sento mirror, admiring the beautiful kimono that she was given. It was just as soft as it was pretty. The kimono managed to keep her warm and it also had another quality that she couldn't quite describe. "I'm going to have to commission the person who made this. It's just beautiful!"

  She walked out of the sento and headed back to the living room. Gyutaro smiled at her when he saw her. "Wow Ume..you look great." Daki gave him a happy smile. One that he wished he could see more often. Tanjiro finished up with the Udon and peered his heard around the doorway. "I'll go change up the water for you, Gyutaro."

  Gyutaro was just confused by his kindness. "Thank..you." Tanjiro smiled at him before going to the sento. Within a few minutes, Tanjiro came back from the sento. "It's all ready!" Gyutaro then headed to where Nezuko had pointed to before. All of this felt rather odd to Gyutaro. He couldn't believe that the Kamado siblings were treating them with that much kindness. Especially with what happened at the Entertainment District.

  In the end, Gyutaro just shrugged it off as a ploy to get him and his sister to do whatever they wanted. So he kept his guard up. Gyutaro entered the sento and breathed in the steamy air. For some reason, this was..refreshing. He had never felt this sensation before. "What the-?" Gyutaro then peered down into the water of the tub and became mesmerized.

  Tanjiro was cleaning up the mud in the hallway when he saw Gyutaro. The door was still open, so he was able to see the frankly beautiful scene. All Gyutaro was doing was dipping his hand into the warm water and playing with the ripples. Despite this being a rather simple act, it spoke miles to Tanjiro of how this poor demon grew up. He could see how fascinated Gyutaro was by the water and how it calmed him. Tanjiro smiled to himself as he got up, went over to the door, and quietly shut the door.

  It took quite a while for Gyutaro to finish up. When he did, he looked like he was in another plane of existence. Gyutaro felt-for the first time in his life-clean and taken care of. He gripped the front of the kimono he was wearing. The soft material provided great comfort and warmth to him as he walked out to the living room.

  Everyone turned to look at him when he came in. "You look like a kid in a candy shop." Daki smirked. Gyutaro only hummed in response as he sat down next to his sister. Tanjiro and Nezuko smiled at the two of them as the older one of the two stood up. "I've actually made food for all of us, so I hope you like it."

  Tanjiro went to the kitchen to gather the Udon. Daki and Gyutaro looked at each other nervously. They hoped that it wasn't contaminated. Tanjiro came back with four bowls of Udon and chopsticks. He set down a bowl and a pair of chopsticks in front of each one of them before taking a seat himself. Both him and his sister picked up their bowls and chopsticks. "I hope you two enjoy your meal and don't worry, half-demons can eat human food."

  That wasn't exactly what the Shabana siblings were worried about. They nervously picked up their bowls, hesitant to take a bite. The Kamados took quick notice of this. "It's okay." Nezuko said reassuringly. "The food isn't poisoned." With the sound of their stomachs growing, the Shabana siblings nervously took a bite.

  To say that this was great food would be an understatement. Due to them being poor as humans and then being limited to eating humans as demons, the Shabana siblings never had a good meal. So, this was the best meal they've ever had. All the nervousness completely vanished from them as they ate their meals with a voracious appetite.

  "This is great!" Daki purred as she ate. "Do you two like the Udon?" Tanjiro tilted his head. "Like it? This is the best meal we've ever had!" Gyutaro laughed. Tanjiro smiled at them, feeling both glad and upset by their reactions. "I'm glad to hear that."

  Then it came time for them to go to bed. The rain was pouring heavily outside, creating a rather soothing sound. Gyutaro and Daki were rather nervous about being separated, but they understood why the Kamados would decide to do that. Thus, Gyutaro walked by Tanjiro's side and Daki went with Nezuko.

  Daki immediately went to her designated futon-which was right in front of the door-and climbed in it. The fabric was just as soft as the kimono she was wearing. It was purple with a lovely floral pattern on the top. She stretched her arms as Nezuko went to her futon and laid down as well.

  Truth be told, Daki was not expecting this level of kindness to come out of the Kamados. Both her and her brother expected them to try to enact revenge on them for what they did to them at the Entertainment District, yet the siblings never did. They treated them with the most kindness they have ever been given. They treated them like they were..human.

  "Hey, Nezuko." Daki said softly. Nezuko turned in her Funtime to face her. "Thank you for..letting us stay. We know it must not be easy to have us here." Nezuko sat up in her futon. "It's no problem really. We didn't want you to suffer out there." Daki smiled at her. "You're the only people who have ever done that for us."

  The room went silent for a moment as Nezuko soaked that in. "To be honest.." Daki continued. "I was more worried for my brother." Nezuko raised an eyebrow. "How come?" Daki sighed with a heavy heart. "His body is extremely sensitive to the cold. If we stayed out there for another minute, he probably would've gotten hypothermia."

  Nezuko knew that Gyutaro's skinny body not only caused him to feel insecure, but now it caused him to suffer. She wondered how much they must've suffered as humans. Nezuko then looked over at her blanket-which was hanging on a rack near the back of the room.

  Now knowing what she wanted to use it for, Nezuko got out of her futon and headed to the blanket. She slung it over her shoulder and grabbed a needle and some thread. Daki watched her curiously from her futon, wondering what she was going to do. Nezuko sat down on her futon and began to close up the final seam on the blanket.

  Daki's eyes widened. "Wait! You made that?!" Nezuko nodded. "I actually make a lot of the clothing for me and my brother. I even made the kimonoy that you and your brother are wearing." Daki instinctively touched the soft fabric of the kimono. "Wow..who would've guessed."

  Daki looked down at the floor then up at Nezuko. "They're actually really beautiful." Nezuko looked up from her work. "You think so?" Daki nodded. Nezuko smiled, feeling warm and satisfied. "Why, thank you." She then returned to her work. Daki watched curiously as Nezuko was sewing the blanket. She fiddled with her hands, wanting to ask her something.

  "Nezuko?" Nezuko looked up at Daki. "Could you..teach me how to sew? I was never taught how." Nezuko gave Daki an excited smile. "I'd love to!" She scooted both herself and the blanket closer to Daki so that she could watch. Daki paid close attention to Nezuko as she explained the different types of stitches and their different purposes. She even let Daki finish the seam when she was halfway through.

  Once they were done, the two girls stood and held the blanket up to examine their work. "It looks great!" Daki smiled to herself. Nezuko nodded in agreement. "Do you think your brother would like it?" Daki turned to her with a puzzled look. "Hm?" Nezuko looked back at the blanket. "Well, I originally had no idea who I could give this blanket to. That was, until you told me about your brother. I figured that this might help him with the coming winter.

  Daki's heart melted when she heard this. "You'd really do that for him? You worked so hard on this." Nezuko returned the smile. "He needs it. Do you think he'll like it?" Daki nodded. "He'll love it."

  While they were mending the blanket, Gyutaro was pawing at his own futon with a dreamlike smile on his face. The luxurious material wasn't like anything he had felt before. He was almost in denial that he was actually sleeping in a bed, let alone a soft and clean one!

  Tanjiro came in wearing his normal bed kimono and checkered haori. Gyutaro looked up at him and tilted his head. He couldn't believe that this boy was being so kind to him. After all they've done to them, any normal person would've just tortured them for vengeance.

  "I'm sorry if staying here made you uncomfortable." Tanjiro said sweetly. "We know that we didn't really get off in the best foot." Gyutaro widened his eyes and shook his head. "Why are you sorry? I should be the one apologizing." His voice was soft. "You two gave us good food, warm baths, and a temporary roof over our heads...even after all we've done."

  Tanjiro sat down in front of him. "I just wanted to help you." Gyutaro scratched his neck in confusion. "But why?! I don't deserve it! I only wanted to keep my sister safe, but I only made it worse.." 

  Tanjiro pointed at the half-demon. "There, right there." Tanjiro spoke with a soft and gentle voice. "That's why I started this project. Despite all the things you've done..all the unforgivable actions you've committed..I know that you are more complex beings than we have given you credit for."

  "I don't understand." Gyutaro whispered. Tanjiro grabbed a lamp and put it beside them. "Gyutaro..I've noticed and have learned quite a lot about you two while you were staying here." He looks up at Gyutaro. "You didn't have much when you were human, did you?"

  The question threw Gyutaro off quite a bit. This boy was a lot more intelligent than he thought he was. "You're quite observant." Gyutaro chuckled. "You're right..We didn't have much. Despite that, I always tried my best to make Ume happy."

  Tanjiro could feel his heart breaking as he listened to him. He stood on his knees and quickly hugged Gyutaro. "What the-?" Initially, he was very confused why he did this. Then, he let the warmth of Tanjiro's body sooth him. This was something new. No one else-other than his sister-ever embraced him like this.

  All of his pent up pain and suffering caved as Gyutaro gripped Tanjiro's haori tightly. He sobbed into the boy's shoulder, letting all of the anger and envy wash away. "It's okay. You can let your emotions out safely here." Tanjiro whispered reassuringly. "I'm so sorry for hurting you. I'm so sorry!"

  This lasted for about a minute before Gyutaro let go of Tanjiro's haori. They pulled away from each other. "Do you feel any better?" Tanjiro asked with a sweet smile. "I do..thank you." Gyutaro sniffed.

  Tanjiro knew that this was proof of everything he believed. The fact that demons were and still can be human. That demons really could be redeemed. That just a little bit of kindness can change someone's life.

  "Even though what you two did was unforgivable, you and your sister deserved better lives as humans. You didn't deserve to be treated so poorly. I'm so sorry.." Gyutaro gave Tanjiro a warm smile. "You don't need to apologize for anything. You're the only two that have ever shown us kindness."

  A knock came from the sliding door, causing them to turn their attention to it.  Nezuko and Daki then emerged from the doorway with the starry blanket draped over their shoulders. "Brother! Brother!" Daki cheered happily. "Nezuko made something for you!"

  "Oh? She did?" Gyutaro tilted his head. Daki then carried the blanket over to her brother and wrapped it around him. "She said that she wanted you to have it so you can keep yourself warm." Gyutaro looked up at the both of them as he clutched the soft, thick blanket around him. "Thank you, Nezuko. You didn't have to do this."

  Nezuko walked beside her brother. "I wanted to make sure that you would be warm during the winter. My brother and I know how cruel winter can be." Tanjiro pet her on the head, being proud of his little sister. Gyutaro lifted up his arm, making the blanket around his arm to look like a bat's wing. Daki immediately snuggled up against her brother as he wrapped the blanket around the both of them.

  "Kinda reminds me of a certain promise, huh?" Gyutaro chuckled. Daki only giggled and hugged her brother. Both Tanjiro and Nezuko smiled at the Shabana siblings. "Do you think we could be friends?" Tanjiro asked softly. The Shabana siblings both looked up at him. "I don't see why not. We could probably help you with the others." Gyutaro said as he ruffled his sister's hair. Tanjiro smiled with utter excitement. "That'd be great!"

Author's Note: This is the first sort of slice of life chapter. It's one I've been thinking about for a while and I have put a lot of effort into this. It made me cry..multiple times..probably because Gyutaro is my favorite demon, but who knows.

Hello there! Sorry I didn’t respond sooner.

Three ships: Tanzen, Kokuaka, Genmuinao

First ever ship: Rupphire

Last song: Don’t Jump by Tokito Hotel

Last Film: Martyrs (2008 version)

Currently Reading: Animal Farm by George Orwell

Currently Watching: Wife Swap and Demon Slayer: Entertainment District

Currently Eating: Nothing

Currently Craving: A fucking hamburger from Wendy’s

Here ya go! @leviathanverse @frosty-lycanthropy @muzansmissingspiderlily @bandicootofindiana @lumitylovepill @lightofthedeep @extremecuddlingdragon @yuco-the-alien116 @shycroissanti

Nine people you’d like to get to know better

Thx for the tag @wilcze-kudly !!

Three ships: ok let’s see I guess rn it’d have to be zukka, wuko, spirk

First ever ship: I HAVE NO IDEA??? probably something from Star Wars and it was probably something boring and hetero due to my homophobic upbringing… maybe like Han/Leia??

Last song: I played Christmas music in class bc we were decorating the classroom but the last song I listened to for ME according to Spotify is First Time by Hozier

Last Film: I watched Love Actually for the first time the other day to see what that was all about. It was okay.

Currently Reading: How to Talk so Kids will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk for work and Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr for fun

Currently Watching: Korra season 4 but after that I’m gonna do something WILD and randomly rewatch Arcane

Currently consuming: It is 6:33am my friend but when I wake up I’ll probably eat a protein brownie bc that’s pretty much all I have in my house rn lol

Currently craving: McDonalds…….

Im tagging these people I guess but as always there is ZERO pressure and anyone who wants to go this can consider themselves tagged… @ozais-lobotomist @kiki-strike @blu3berrydraws @zukkaonthebrain @localgaysian @jovialcloudqueenisnotonfire @fanfic-gremlin-ft-trauma @swordbending @paramouradrift

MY BABY BOI!!!! I need to make this outfit in one of the chapters since it’s SO DARN CUTE! Great work and thank you so much!

Hello! May I request a Muichiro drawing from my Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU? Have a great day!

i sorta rushed on this one on paper if thats okay with you. but i didn't know which part of the muichiro au you wanted me to do so i did both and i added a prosthetic arm on him.

but i hope you like it.

꜀( ˊ̠˂˃ˋ̠ )꜆

THANKS FOR THE REQUEST @silver-tooth-the-panther !!

Hey Silver, hope you're doing well and that thanksgiving break is near for your school. If it's possible, could I maybe request a continuation of "Preventing Tragedies" where it's a hurt comfort fic of me and you comforting and helping Sayori from her "incident."?

(Sorry that this fic is rather short. I’ve been stressed and exhausted, but I hope you like it!!)

Empathy and Comfort

(A DDLC Fanfic)

Warnings: Panic attack and existential crisis

Word Count: 425

“This isn’t my home..” Sayori whispered as she shook with fear. Silver and Variety were on their knees, sitting beside her. “What do you mean?” Variety asked with both concern..and a tad bit of relief. This was what the duo needed to do. To make the girls realize that they are in a game.

“My room was nothing like this.” She stood up and scanned the room before her. “I didn’t have all these plushies or these notebooks. Don’t get me wrong, they’re cute, but they're not mine.” Silver smiled at her weakly. “Do you realize what’s going on?”

Sayori shook her head. Her legs felt extremely weak and flimsy. “This..is a virtual reality.” Variety explained as he stood up. “We’re all trapped inside of a video game.” Sayori’s face contorted with confusion and apprehension. “Why would you keep this from us?” Silver then stood up as well. “Well..you definitely weren’t going to believe us. You and the others would’ve thought that we and Monika were crazy.”

Sayori raised an eyebrow. “Monika knows about this too?” The duo nodded slowly. She then gripped her head anxiously. “This can’t be right..How would we even get out of here?!” Sayori flattened her back against the wall and slid down to the floor.

Both Silver and Variety grabbed a blanket and some of the plushies off of Sayori’s bed and covered her with them. They both had experience with panic attacks, so they knew how to deal with them. Sayori clung onto the blanket, trying to feel safe and secure. The other two stood by, motioning for her to breathe.

Once she finally calmed down, Sayori stuck her head out of the blanket. “I’m sorry..” She whispered weakly. “Don’t be sorry, honey.” Silver said in a motherly voice. “We understand that this is incredibly stressful.” Variety nodded in agreement. “Just take a deep breath to hopefully try to calm yourself down.”

Sayori looked at the blanket and the stuffed animals around her. “I wanna go home.” This was heartbreaking to hear. Silver put a paw on her hand. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you home.” Variety stood up and dusted himself off. “She’s right. We’ve been working with Monika on a solution for all of us and..well..we’re making progress.”

Sayori nodded, clinging onto the blanket. “Are you sure?” Silver smiled at her with warmth. “We are completely sure.” The duo sat down beside her, one on each side. Sayori looked up and out the window. “Let’s just hope that you two are right.”

Hope your taking care of yourself ❤️

Awwwww!!! Thank you for the kind words!❤️

If I’m gonna be completely honest, I’ve been pretty exhausted lately. School has been absolutely stressing me out due to having to stay home sometimes and dealing with asshole students and a specific teacher.

Things aren’t any better at home. I’m not going to go into too much, but everyone is stressed. I have to watch my siblings on a daily basis and they suck the energy out of me. I was planning to not only do the Half-Demon! Tanjiro chapter this week (I like to upload it weekly), but also one of my fic requests. As we can see though, I only did one of those. I will hopefully get some of the requests out during the week, but that isn’t guaranteed.

Safe to say that the rate of requests will be rather slow. You can still send them, but please be patient. Thank you and have a lovely day!