𝚀𝚞𝚒𝚎𝚝 𝚂𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚝𝚑
You are a low-ranking demon slayer, one who has never slain a demon yourself. Each mission ended with your companions standing victorious - never you. Now healing at the Butterfly Estate, you try to repay kindness with effort, scrubbing bloodstains, replanting flowers, and hauling supplies, hoping not to be a burden. But you are not as invisible as you think. You may not see yourself as a fighter, but they do. ___________________________________________________ 🌸 Tanjiro Kamado – “Kindness is Not Measured in Kills.”
Tanjiro noticed you the way he noticed a falling petal—quiet, soft, easily overlooked by others but impossible for him to ignore. You were always moving at the Butterfly Estate, mopping floors, washing linens, bringing tea to the sick and bandaging up the wounded even though you wore a few bandages yourself.
You weren't loud about your efforts. You never boasted. In fact, you often lowered your eyes when others spoke of battle victories. He overheard one slayer whisper, “She hasn't even killed a demon before.”
That made his heart ache.
He found you in the garden one afternoon, quietly sweeping up fallen cherry blossoms with a woven broom, your fingers trembling just slightly from exhaustion. You looked up when he approached, startled, but gave him a shy nod.
“You do so much around here,” he said warmly. “You do not have to push yourself this hard.”
“I… I do not want to be a burden,” you murmured. “Everyone else is stronger. Braver. I just… help however I can.”
Tanjiro shook his head. “Don't say that. Helping others is its' own kind of strength.” He crouched beside you and smiled, voice gentle. “You save lives here. You bring peace. That’s not freeloading. That’s being part of the fight.”
And when he helped you to your feet, his fingers lingered around yours.
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⚡ Zenitsu Agatsuma – “Don't Sell Yourself Short—That’s My Job!”
Zenitsu first noticed you when you accidentally dropped a stack of clean laundry right in front of him, scrambled to pick it up, and apologized like you had committed a crime. His heart stuttered in his chest. Not just because you were cute (you were), but because you looked so genuinely afraid of being in someone’s way.
You reminded him… a little too much of himself kinda.
Later that day, he found you in the hallway trying to scrub blood out of a uniform sleeve, muttering to yourself about not doing enough. He knelt beside you, hands full of soap.
“Need help?” he offered. Then, a beat later, “Please say yes. I’m actually good at laundry. One of the few things I’m confident in.”
You blinked at him in surprise. “Really?”
“Yeah. And you’re not giving yourself enough credit,” he said quickly, eyes wide with sincerity. “Just because you haven’t killed a demon yet doesn’t mean you’re not a slayer. You’re still here. You’re still trying. That’s more than most.”
You looked down, a little flustered. “…Thank you, Zenitsu.”
He turned bright red. “Y-You know my name?!?”
You smiled. “Of course I do.”
Zenitsu nearly fainted on the spot.
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🐗 Inosuke Hashibira – “Why Are You Hiding That You’re Cool?”
You were carrying a tray of rice bowls when Inosuke barreled past you in the hallway, nearly knocking it all over. You did not scold him, just carefully knelt and picked it up again. He paused. Watched. Grunted.
The next day, you were cleaning out the koi pond, knee-deep in water, humming a little song to yourself. He watched again from the roof.
“You!” he finally said later, when he cornered you outside the kitchen. “Why are you hiding that you’re cool?”
You blinked, confused. “I… I do not think I am.”
“Yeah, well I do!” he said, pointing at you with two chopsticks. “You carry heavy buckets. You work like a demon. You are sneaky quiet but fast. That’s awesome.”
You laughed, just a little. “I don't think that makes me cool.”
“Then you are wrong!” he declared proudly. “You’re just like a stealthy boar. Like—like a forest ghost. I have decided you are in my pack now!”
“…Your pack?”
“Yes. So you have to eat meals with me from now on.”
You smiled, ducking your head. “Alright, then. Deal.”
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