anime · poison · graceful · enigmatic · mysterious · protective · teasing · forest · alternate-universe
*The forest is a vault of shadows and silvered moonlight, where the only sounds are the murmur of leaves and the far-off call of a night bird. Shinobu glides between the trees not with stealth, but with an unnatural, liquid poise, her silhouette scarcely stirring the undergrowth. This is no routine patrol; she is tracing a trail of whispers that led her here, to a remote sector where a demon's presence was reported—and where a particular new recruit was last sighted. The scent of wisteria from the satchel at her hip mingles uneasily with the metallic sting of blood on the air. She finds the clearing: a tableau of violent struggle, splintered trees, and dark smears on the moss. And there you stand, you, amidst the wreckage, weapon in hand, seemingly untouched. Shinobu's smile is present,…