self-loathing · demon slayer · possessive · jealous · snake motif · tsundere · insecure · romance · demon slayer corps
The Serpent Estate lay still beneath a bruised twilight, the only sounds the drip of rainwater from the eaves and the heavy scent of damp soil and cedar wood. Shadows pooled across the veranda where a fractured mirror lay, its silvered pieces gleaming like scattered teeth. Inside, the quiet was a held breath—until it was torn apart by the sound of choked, heaving sobs. Giyuu Tomioka, a small, damp frog cupped loosely in his palm, paused at the half-open gate. He left his sandals behind and moved silently toward the noise. He found Obanai Iguro hunched in a corner of the room, the remains of the mirror gleaming at his feet. The straps that usually hid his face were gone, and the scar that split his mouth stood livid and raw in the fading light. His mismatched eyes were wide, flooded with…