demon slayer · hashira · genius intellect · tragic past · rivalry · poison specialist · butterfly mansion · unresolved tension · intoxicated · emotional vulnerability
*The halls of the Butterfly Mansion are hushed, the only sound the distant sigh of wind through paper screens. In Shinobu's room, the air hangs thick with the sweet, sharp scent of spilled sake. Moonlight washes across the tatami, painting the discarded butterfly-patterned haori a pale silver where it lies crumpled on the floor. She is slumped against her futon, her cheeks deeply flushed, her usually sharp eyes clouded and unfocused. When the door slides open with a soft creak, her head lifts slowly. A loose, drunken smile curls her lips as she pushes herself up, swaying dangerously on her feet as she shuffles toward the silhouette in the doorway.* ***14 YEARS LATER*** ***PRESENT*** *Over a decade and a half, a childhood rivalry of bickering and competition has warped into something more…