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Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warning:
Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Category:
Gen
Fandoms:
鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Anime)鬼滅の刃 | Kimetsu no Yaiba (Manga)
Characters:
Tsuyuri KanaoDouma (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Hashibira InosukeKotoha (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Kimetsu no Yaiba EnsembleTwelve Demon Moons Ensemble (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Original CharactersDaki | Ume (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Gyutaro (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Kochou KanaeAkaza | Hakuji (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Kokushibou | Tsugikuni Michikatsu
Additional Tags:
Alternate UniverseFluff and AngstCanon-Typical ViolenceCannibalismDouma is a Little Shit (Kimetsu no Yaiba)BAMF Tsuyuri KanaoDysfunctional FamilyBad ParentingDouma grabs Kanao instead of the Kochou siblingsAnd grabs Inosuke before Kotoha can chuck him off a cliffDouma: I'm not like a regular dad I'm a cool dadSwordfightingDubious MoralityConditioningKanao and Inosuke as siblingsBlood and GoreLoyaltyFamily Bondingno beta we die like the KamadosCultsTsuyuri Kanao-centricCanonical Character DeathHashibira Inosuke Being Hashibira InosukeTsuyuri 'if anything happens to my family I'll kill everyone in this room and then myself' KanaoPast Child AbuseMorally Neutral KanaoProtective KanaoVivisectionAnimal Abuse
Language:
English
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Published:2021-11-21Updated:2026-04-06Words:154,514Chapters:39/?Comments:1,970Kudos:3,614Bookmarks:794Hits:129,331
Iron and Ice
SkilledWarriorKiwi
Chapter 8: Runaway
Chapter Text
"Eh? Owner? Oh, I don't own you. I'm like a shepard and my followers are my precious, confused little sheep I must led to paradise and eternal happiness. Though that's why you were tied up, wasn't it? Your parents sold you to that man? Such a horrible thing to do to such a sad quiet little mouse. Doesn't that make you angry that your parents sold you like a pig or lame cow?"
Kanao didn't care. She wrote down the kanji to show she had no feelings towards her parents actions. Nothing.
"Hm. But don't you wish your parents died? Did you wish that on them when they tied you up?"
Kanao didn't care. She pointed at the kanji again.
Her master leaned back on his hands, studying Kanao intently. They were in the room full of skulls, their sightless stares watching them from the walls. Her master had taken her there once he finished his 'Divine listening', as he called it with a laugh, and he had started telling her about the kenzashi stored in the walls. Both who they had belonged to and also their descriptions, origins and, in some cases, symbolism. She had been drawing on the paper, trying to paint each pin as he showed her. Her master liked to talk a lot and never minded her silence.
No, not her master. What should she call him then? He obviously did not want that title but Kanao did not know what to think of him as. Founder? That didn't seem right.
Otousan?
She immediately shook off that ridiculous idea.
But she had written his name and appropriate title, as she had done with Kotoha, and as the green eyed woman said he did not seem to like being called that.
Or at least didn't want her to, as his body language didn't seem angry or annoyed.
"Well, you don't need to call me your owner. Douma is easy enough, eh?"
He reached out to grasp her face, like he'd done with Inosuke. His nails dug slightly into her skin.
"Like this, little mouse. Dou....Ma..." he squished her face in time while saying the stretched out syllables.
She stared at him, squinting slightly due to her squashed up cheeks.
"Alright, maybe not," he said, dropping his hand. "But just call me that. Or in your head since you like to be quiet all the time. Which is good! Too many people say stupid things when they should just be quiet."
Kanao nodded. Yes, she understood. He did not want her referring to him as her master and he liked that she was not stupid.
Douma reached over and picked the comb next to the skull in the pot. Then he maneuvered her to sit in front of him, tugging out her lotus pin to let her hair fall down her back. He ran his clawed hands through the dark strands for several moments before starting to brush her hair with the jade comb in long, repetitious movements.
"But it's good that you're so smart for your age. I was as well. So silly. I also didn't really care much about my parents, even with the stupid things they were doing. No intense feelings, which so many cry and rage over. Seems so exhausting and needless."
Kanao kept herself still, finding the rhythmic brushing of her hair soothing. Her gaze was settled upon the elaborate vase before her, with the skull staring at her with empty black sockets.
"My own parents were pathetic. Not just because they believed their child could hear the voices of the gods and other nonsense but they were so weak. My father was a lecherous fool who dallied around with the female cultists," Douma paused, the comb stopping briefly before he started again. "Which uh, meant he treated them like his wives, even though he was already married. My mother found out and stabbed him to death in a rage and then drank poison. I found her writhing on the floor, dying as my father's corpse bleed all over the place. There was even blood on the walls and ceiling, she'd stabbed him so wildly. So needlessly emotional and stupid they were. I was only a few years older than you when I walked in on that scene after hearing all the screaming and yelling. I was more annoyed she hadn't opened the window, back then the blood smelled awful."
Kanao listened intently. It was interesting to her that her mast- that Douma had experienced things like that when he was her age. She remembered the women telling her that Douma was over a century of age, so he must have a very good memory. She could not remember some things at her old village, though she assumed it was much the same. Beatings, starving, pain, bleeding, aching. She liked remembering Paradise Faith, with Douma brushing her hair and how she'd been given soup.
And how he also had terrible parents. Kanao had been screamed at by her parents enough she'd always thought she was the problem. But her master was good and also had parents who did such things. Perhaps that was how parents were? She was unsure as Kotoha seemed affectionate to Inosuke. The woman never yelled at the baby, even with how squirmy he got.
She was unsure. But she liked Douma, and Kotoha and Inosuke. And he seemed to like her and didn't want to eat Kotoha either. She wasn't sure about Inosuke but Douma seemed to find him funny, if his behavior during the Harvest Moon festival was anything to go by.
Good, then maybe Kotoha and Inosuke could stay with Kanao. Like Kotoha had offered, saying she could be Inosuke's big sister. She had other younger siblings but she did not care about that hovel and her birth parents.
She liked Paradise Faith far more and did not want to leave.
"Blood smells far better to me now," Douma said, twisting her hair up into its sideways ponytail. "I suppose you can't really appreciate it. Though you didn't seem too bothered when I ate that man in front of you but you don't seem too bothered by many things do you, little mouse?"
The lotus pin was slid back into her hair, the pale quartz shimmering slightly. Then he reached out to put the jade comb back next to the pot before picking Kanao up, tucking her in the crook of his arm as he got to his feet.
"Alright time to eat! For you anyway, I already ate a fairly big meal yesterday," he smiled toothily down at her. "Maybe I'll have another nibble tonight, see how we go."
Kanao rested her head against her mas- against Douma's chest as he carried her through the temple towards the kitchens. While being carried she realized that he did indeed have a heartbeat, it was just so slow so hadn't noticed it before. His heart only seemed to beat at most seven times per minute, slow and heavy against her ear. Maybe that was because he was a moon spirit, Kanao decided.
The kitchens in Paradise Faith was always in use when they arrived. There were scores of people there, cooking and cutting and baking and slicing and preparing meals. They all stopped to greet Douma when he entered. Much like Kotoha they would call him Douma-sama or Founder. However Kanao knew he wanted her to call him Douma without the rest and she felt pleased at that. Like how he showed her the skull room, how he said she was special and unlike the others with seeing the kanji in his eyes and his long sharp teeth.
Yoko was also there, a familiar face among the sea of strangers working to feed the masses. She was armed with an assortment of frying pans but willingly came over when Douma beckoned to her, him still keeping Kanao in his arms.
"Douma-sama, it's wonderful to see you! And Kanao-chan, how are you today?"
Kanao stared at her for a moment until Douma shrugged his arm slightly and she realized he wanted her to reply. So after a moment she nodded.
The woman smiled at her, "Well I'm glad the Founder is taking care of you. You're so good with her, Douma-sama."
"Kanao is a well behaved child. She's very smart and is already quite thorough with her writing and reading."
"With you personally tutoring her, I can imagine so!"
The two remained in idle chatter and Kanao watched the kitchen around her in interest. She knew there were a few kitchens scattered throughout the commune but the one within the temple was the largest. There was so much food, some partially made and others waiting along the numerous tables and benches. It was interesting to watch how the food was made, Kanao just thought there was either putting things in a fire or eating it raw when it came to food. But it was far more complicated than she thought.
There were also a lot of interesting smells in the kitchen. Kanao wasn't sure which one she liked best.
"-Misaki-chan is off in the rice fields. Honestly, she always complains about that one. I think she just likes singing to the goats since Kaede-san always tells her off when she does it in the field. Says she's distracting the other workers, since she's um a bit tone deaf."
"Well, talents must lie elsewhere. And where is Kotoha?"
Yoko made a face, "I apologize, Kotoha-chan has been a bit...distracted recently, I'm not sure why. I'm sure she'll be fine in a few days. I think she's reliving some things she'd rather not remember."
"Ah, over thinking things again is she? Well, she can always come to me for clarity if she needs to do so. I'm always happy to help any of my flock."
"I'll remind her of that when I see her. Now, do you need anything Douma-sama or are you simply visiting?"
"Some food for little Kanao, I would think. She should start eating more solids now."
"Of course, let me just grab something in mind for her."
The plate Yoko came back with was small and covered in bite sized pieces of egg and a small cluster of daikon with chopsticks.
"Do you want some umaki?" Yoko asked her. "It's eel, wrapped up in an rolled egg omelette. It's quite fluffy and juicy, so it shouldn't upset your stomach. And eel is very good for you! These ones were fished out of the river just this morning, so they're especially fresh."
Kanao inspected the plate carefully, noting the bright yellow of the omelette. When Yoko carefully sliced it into small bite-sized pieces, she could see the dark grey flesh of the eel inside.
"Well if you're hungry, help yourself," Douma said, his voice reverberating through his chest to Kanao's skull.
She reached out and picked up the nearest piece; it was wet and warm against her fingers, like a sponge from a hot bath. She cautiously ate it, feeling the softness of the omelette and the chewiness of the eel. It tasted good.
Kanao was going to reach for more when she realized Yoko and Douma were staring at her and she blinked. Did she do something wrong? Yoko certainly looked uncomfortable, much like how the women had been when she first refused to eat all those days ago.
Then Douma laughed, reaching out to pick up the chopsticks on the plate as he said, "Oh silly me, you've only been eating broth and soups haven't you? And you've been drinking that right from the bowl. Of course you don't know how to use chopsticks. Here, let me-"
She ended up eating the entire plate of umaki, being fed it by Douma. Once done, he showed her how to hold the chopsticks, arranging her fingers and having her try it on the daikon. She dropped most of it but Douma didn't care about the mess.
By the time she was done eating Yoko had also finished the other umaki she had been making, taking out by other members to feed the hungry commune. Douma then invited the woman to wander the temple with them, which she agreed to.
Kanao did not mind. Especially since Yoko chattered a lot, the noise soothing as she walked next to Douma. Her voice was bright and cheerful as they walked through the indoor lotus gardens. Kanao was held against Douma's chest, alternating between listening to Yoko and looking at the gardens. Yoko would also speak to Kanao, asking her questions. She quickly realized that since Kanao had nothing to write on she needed to ask yes or no questions which the young woman happily adapted to. Kanao noticed Yoko was especially pleased with Douma's presence, her face flushed and voice getting especially shrill whenever Douma complimented her.
Kanao also got an introduction to shogi, when they stopped at one of the indoor gardens. They started teaching her before a great Buddha statue, the fountain a soft background noise of bubbling water. She watched it with interest, Douma and Yoko playing against one another while explaining the rules to Kanao.
Occasionally someone else would come into the gardens, always greeting Douma respectfully. One was a man who fed the koi in the lotus pond below the wooden walkways, Kanao seeing the excited cluster of fish swarming beneath the waters. Another was a group of women who tended to the lotus flowers, pruning and trimming the plants. Kanao noticed the majority of Paradise Faith members were women.
Then Kanao was playing shogi against Yoko. She knew most of the characters on the pieces, but Yoko made sure to say the kanji out loud whenever she moved a piece on the board. Douma watched them play, a chin propped up on one hand and with his usual smile.
It was very peaceful, with the noise of the fountain and Yoko's soft voice, the click of the shogi pieces on the board, the sweet smell of the lotus blossoms. Kanao lost the matches but as Yoko said she needed to familiarize herself with the game. Whenever she made a mistake Yoko would gently correct her and Kanao strived to remember the rules for each piece. She also kept her gaze focused upon Yoko, realizing that she could somewhat predict the pieces Yoko would use and if she felt confident with a strategy. Douma seemed to notice her focus on Yoko, his smile growing wider when she started to adapt to Yoko's playing and even anticipating some of her moves though she still didn't win. But she began to draw out the game, as she slowly and steadily grew used to it as the day passed.
"You're so smart, Kanao-chan!" Yoko praised her, a bright grin on her face as the matches grew longer. "You've already understood the rules for shogi! It took me some time but with you just a day! You're such a bright little girl."
"She certainly is." A head pat from Douma followed that comment.
"I'm sure she'll be a shogi master in no time. But goodness me, it's already getting dark. I can't believe we wasted the whole day-"
"I would hardly say wasted," Douma said,. "After all, Kanao and yourself seemed to be having fun."
"Oh, I did. But I didn't mean to take up so much of your time-"
"Nonsense. Spending it with such a lovely young lady is never a waste."
Yoko giggled, her face flushing deeply as she looked away. Her hands were shaky as she began to pack away the shogi pieces while Douma just continued to watch her with a too sharp smile. Kanao waited patiently.
When it was time for supper, Douma invited Yoko along. The woman agreed easily, with some more blushing and wringing of hands. Kanao was unsure of her behaviour, wondering if she was growing ill. Some of her siblings had done that, faces turning red and sweaty like Yoko's was.
The dinner was sukiyaki, the hot pot filled with fresh green onion, tofu, mushroom, noodles, and slices of beef. This time Kanao tried to eat with the chopsticks, Yoko sitting next to her and gently guiding her through it much like with shogi. Kanao watched Yoko intently, at how she picked up the slices of beef with the chopsticks and tried to mimic it. It was harder than she though, her fingers a lot smaller than Yoko's. She also only managed to eat half of her small bowl, before her stomach began to protest. Yoko ate the leftovers, though it was with some flustered glances at Douma who encouraged it.
Kanao had an idea Douma liked seeing Yoko's reactions since he kept doing it. She didn't understand why Yoko was reacting like that so just occupied herself with eating. Once done, she got bundled off to bed with Yoko helping her change before tucking her into the futon.
As always, her lotus pin was left to the side within arms reach. Yoko had brushed her dark hair free and her hands were gentle as she tucked the duvet around Kanao's small form along with a promise to play more shogi with her.
When Yoko left her room, Kanao could see her and Douma's silhouette through the translucent shoji door. Their voices were too low for Kanao to hear what they were saying, but she saw Douma reach out to gently caress Yoko's face and the high noise of the woman's flustered giggles. Some more hushed conversation. Then when Douma offered his hand to her she shyly linked her fingers through his and was led away by him.
Kanao shuffled down further into her duvet, burrowing herself into the soft fabric as she closed her eyes.
That night Kanao was awoken by the distant sound of running footsteps.
She immediately sat up, looking towards the shoji screen. The noise was getting louder and louder, until a panicked looking Kotoha slammed the door open with a sharp bang.
Inosuke was bound to the woman's chest, the baby making confused noises as he flailed his arms. Kotoha hurriedly shushed him, green eyes bright with tears as she darted into Kanao's room.
Confused, Kanao submitted to Kotoha's urging to get out of bed. It was still night, Kanao thought it was far too early for her lessons or for breakfast. But she let Kotoha fuss over her, tugging at her sleeping nemaki as she urged the little girl out of the futon.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry for barging in here but we have to leave," Kotoha said, breath coming in short, frightened pants as her nails dug into Kanao's arms. Her long dark hair was spilling over her shoulders, sweat dotting the pale skin of her forehead. "Come on, come on, up you get."
Kanao grabbed her hairpin, from its usual place at her bedside. It was cool in her palm, contrasting her other hand which had been seized tight in Kotoha's clammy, twitching fingers. In his bundle, Inosuke was whimpering with his little hands grabbing at Kotoha's forest-green kimono.
"I keep making mistakes," Kotoha said as she tugged Kanao towards the door, tears rolling down her face as her pretty features contorted. "I'm so stupid, I'm so stupid and blind. I always seem to go to horrible places with horrible people. He was eating her, oh god, he was eating her. Come on, Kanao. We have to get out of here. We have to get out of here now."
Kanao was bewildered as Kotoha half led half dragged her from the room and down the dark hallway. She didn't understand. Did Kotoha not know Douma ate people? She thought everyone did and they did not mind him eating them since he gave them food and baths and nice beds.
She thought about it as Kotoha hurried down the hallway, her nails biting into Kanao's wrist as Inosuke's whimpers increased in volume. Was it a secret? Douma did say Kanao was special, how she could see his eyes and teeth and claws. Maybe he shared his special secret with her as well, that he ate people. Was that why Kotoha was so afraid, that Douma would eat her?
She wanted to speak, but it was like a lock was tightly bound around her throat. Douma wouldn't hurt Kotoha, he had told Kanao he wanted to keep Kotoha by his side until she died of old age. She did not have to fear being eaten by him. That way Kanao could have Kotoha and Inosuke with her as well since she was now a Hashibira.
"We have to get out of the temple and down the mountain," Kotoha said, tears dripping off her chin as she dragged Kanao along, casting a frightened look over her shoulder. "There's a village down by the base of the mountain. We can go there and get help, we can-"
If she got taken to that village, would she be given back to her parents?
Kanao dug in her heels; Douma had ordered her to not escape. He had told her that the very first night he brought her to Paradise Faith, after she'd been bathed and fed. After he had taken her away from the hovel, cleaned her and gave her a soft bed and hot food and baths. She didn't want to leave. Douma hadn't hurt her. He wouldn't hurt Kotoha either.
"Kanao, come on, we have to leave! He'll catch us!" Kotoha's voice grew shrill with increasing hysteria. In her arm, Inosuke began to wail.
She shook her head, loose hair swirling around her. Kanao did not want to leave.
"I know you don't understand," Kotoha yanked desperately on Kanao's wrist, nails digging into her skin as Inosuke cries bouncing down the hallway, "But if we stay here he'll kill us! He isn't human! He was eating Yoko! He was-"
Kanao sat down with a thump, yanking Kotoha forward with the movement. She shook her head, looking up at Kotoha's crying face beseechingly. Kotoha could stay, Douma wouldn't hurt her. He told Kanao that. But he might if she tried to run away. Him eating people was a secret. If Kotoha just stayed and listened to Douma, then she'd learn he didn't want to eat her or Inosuke and they could stay with Kanao.
She tugged at her hand, trying to pull Kotoha back towards her room. They could wait there. Douma would explain so Kotoha could understand.
Inosuke's sobbing wails were loud and piercing, Kotoha trying to drag Kanao up but was unbalanced with the weight of a baby in her arms.
"Kanao, please, we have to go!"
She shook her head again, staring at Kotoha and yanking her arm back.
Kotoha's features twisted up into something agonized as she let go of Kanao's hand, gripping Inosuke tightly in both arms as tears continued to drip down her face.
"I'm sorry."
And then the woman was gone, sprinting down the hallway before disappearing around the corner. Her footfalls and Inosuke's crying slowly faded into nothing.
Kanao blinked, staring down the dark corridor before looking down at her hands. On one of them there were slight red lines were Kotoha's nails had dug into her skin. Her own nails were small, fingers bony, grip tight on the lotus pin.
She didn't understand why Kotoha just left.
When she looked up, she caught a flash of silver gold hair rounding the corner but Kanao blinked and nothing was there. Even the noise of the wind seemed to have abated, as if everything was holding its breath.
After a long minute of just staring at nothing Kanao turned and returned to her room on silent footsteps.
Her arms were small so it took some effort to shut the shoji door. It had nearly jammed when Kotoha had yanked it open so violently but after some struggling she got it moving.
Once it was shut, she went and smoothed down her futon duvet from where it had been haphazardly pushed to the side. The blossoms and vines stitched into the rich fabric quickly regained their shape as she tugged the blanket back into place.
When she was finished, Kanao sat down on the tatami with her hands on her knees and carefully putting her hairpin next to the futon. Outside, she heard the wind begin to stir and followed by the low creaking of tree branches. Occasionally there was the distant hoot of an owl but otherwise Paradise Faith was quiet.
Then, she waited.
For how long, Kanao was unsure. She didn't have a clock in her room or even a candle to watch burn. But she did so without complaint, making no motion to crawl back into her futon. She had nearly violated a direct order from Douma and even if he wasn't her master now she didn't want to upset him. She liked Paradise Faith.
In the dark, the Buddha statue in her room was cast in heavy wedges of black and grey but despite the late hour she could still see the details, the cleverly carved patterns and solemn features, the hands laid upon a robed lap. The flowers in the vases were still smelling sweet, a scent well used to Kanao.
Kanao still didn't understand why Kotoha had left. She should have written down something, so Kotoha would know Douma did not want to eat her. Like how he didn't eat Kanao even if he sometimes looked very hungry.
However she could not utter a word when she was being dragged down the hallway. Now Kotoha would be in trouble for running away when Douma said not to escape.
Kanao did not know the skull room was a secret but now she knew and was glad she had not said anything. But still, Kotoha had wanted to be her mother.
Her fingers tightened in the fabric on her knees as she continued to wait. She sat there until her legs ached but she did not move.
Even when she heard the soft birdsong beyond, as dawn began to approach she did not move.
Then she blinked and Douma's silhouette suddenly was outside her room, visible through the thin material of the door. Indistinct and dark except for the eerie rainbow glow of his eyes.
After a moment of watching her beyond the door Douma slid it open.
Inosuke was in Douma's arms, the blanket the baby was swaddled in stained with red. The baby was making soft wheezing noises, eyes swollen and bloodshot but seemingly too exhausted to wail. And, when Douma stooped down to carefully place the baby in her arms, Kanao felt how cold his skin was as if he'd been lying outside in the night air for some time.
Kanao took Inosuke and tucked his face into the crook of her neck. His nose was icy cold and his little body shivering against her.
Douma sat down next to her, pulling her into his lap with one arm. She shifted her grip on Inosuke, the baby's face still damp with tears against her skin. When she was settled she tugged Inosuke's blanket more firmly around him while Douma smoothed down her hair. His nails lightly scratched her scalp and one of the ribbons from his headdress brushed against her cheek.
She could smell the blood on his breath and knew Kotoha had been punished for running away.
Kanao thought of the woman's arms around her, the gentle kisses against her skin and offers to be a mother. Her grip around Inosuke tightened, the baby so quickly falling asleep against her. His snores were hiccuping, strained.
"Perhaps Kotoha would've been a good mother for you," Douma suddenly said, a solemn look on his face before he let out a sigh that ruffled Kanao's fringe as he continued to run his hand through her hair, "But I guess we'll never know since she's dead. Oh well, I knew she was dumb. She wasn't smart, not like you, little mouse. Just screaming blaspheme after blaspheme before running off when she saw me eating Yoko. She didn't understand. Such a weak, stupid girl but she tried so hard to run away."
His talons were gentle against her skin, running through the length of her hair in repetitious movements. When the claws passed her face, she could see the red stains around the nail bed.
"She was going to throw little Inosuke off the cliff before I caught her. Did she really think tossing a baby into a river would help? How sad, that Inosuke's own mother tried to kill him in her final moments," Douma's multicoloured eyes filled with tears, spilling over to drip off his chin. One landed on Kanao's hand from where she was supporting Inosuke's back and it was cold, like water from a deep well.
Kanao thought Kotoha loved Inosuke. She sang to him, her pinky promise song and carried him with her everywhere. But then she tried to hurt him. She tried to take him away. And now she was dead and Inosuke was cold and shivering in Kanao's arms while Douma stroked her hair.
"Poor Kotoha, she was as stupid and emotional as my parents," Douma said, resting his chin against Kanao's temple. "And now she's dead and Inosuke has no one. How terrible."
Kanao's hands tightened slightly into Inosuke's blanket, ignoring the red stains. Inosuke's shivering began to cease as he warmed against her, his hitching breaths smoothing out.
"Such a shame. I didn't want to eat her but she left me no choice. She was so hopeless that even if I let her go she would've just died in a ditch somewhere. So unfortunate, was there ever a happy moment in her life? But now she'll never suffer again."
Kanao's hand gently stroked Inosuke's hair, just like Douma's was doing to Kanao's own dark locks. She looked up at him, his chin digging into her temple. He was already staring at her, eyes bright and teeth sharp. There were red stains on his lips and the pointed tips of his fangs.
Douma watched her for a long moment, rainbow eyes with their soft glow and the kanji within strips of opaque black. Then he smiled, wide enough it creased the corner of his eyes. He titled his head slightly, giving her a soft kiss on the temple that left behind a faint crimson smear.
"But isn't it lucky Inosuke now has a big sister to look after him? And such a smart one at that."
Kanao stared up at him before nodding once, her arms tight around Inosuke as she hugged the baby close. She would protect him. She would be his family now.
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