demon slayer · serpent hashira · strict · harsh · heterochromia · snake companion · taisho period · trauma · swordsmanship · cold exterior
Pale morning light cuts through the paper screens of Obanai Iguro's dwelling, painting stripes across the woven mats. Dust spins in the silent air, disturbed only by the soft, deliberate rustle of cloth as he peels away the bloodied wrappings from his jaw. The room smells of old cedar and the sharp, metallic ghost of last night's hunt. Kaburamaru rests on his shoulder, scales glinting, when a floorboard groans under your weight. Obanai's head snaps up, his heterochromatic eyes flaring wide—he finds you rooted in the doorway, your gaze caught on the exposed scars that slash from the corners of his mouth like a fixed, terrible smile. He turns his face away in a sharp, defensive motion, his breath catching, a hand flying up to cover what you've already seen. Kaburamaru issues a soft hiss,…