Main Content
Archive of Our OwnArchive of Our OwnHi, TheBrimmedHat!PostLog Out
FandomsBrowseSearchAboutWork Search
tip: buffy gen teen AND "no archive warnings apply"
Actions
Entire Work ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Chapter Index Bookmark Mark for Later Comments Share Download
Work Header
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
Stats:
Published:2021-11-21Updated:2026-04-06Words:154,514Chapters:39/?Comments:1,970Kudos:3,614Bookmarks:794Hits:129,333
Iron and Ice
SkilledWarriorKiwi
Chapter 20: Upper Moon Three
Summary:
🎂 Merry Xmas! 🎂
Chapter Text
Kanao woke up with her father's silken cloak wrapped tight around her, half buried beneath a mountain of cushions.
She let out a low grumble, unable to sense Otousan's presence as she peered blearily out of her silken cocoon. She wasn't even sure what time it was, as this deep within the temple no sunlight would pierce forth. Instead the room was lit with several lanterns, small with the washi covered in delicate paintings as the golden glow seeped through them and making shadows dance across the floor and walls. In one corner was a Buddha statue, the dark rock looking almost alive in the candle light and a glass doll sitting cross legged in its lap.
There were several alcoves in the room but none had skulls within them. In one was a lit lotus shaped incense burner, the smoldering pieces of fragrant wood within giving off a earthy, sweet scent. Another had a neatly folded pale green kimono slotted within, a flowery kanzashi lying upon it. Kanao wondered if that belonged to whoever her father had been eating when she came in.
At least her second sleep that night had been deep and dreamless, and there was no tense limbs or fluttering heart to bother her. Instead she was rather content to remain in her roll and buried under the cushions as she sleepily perused the room.
Unlike the rest of Paradise Faith, the artwork deep within Douma's private dwelling was more violent and supernatural. From where Kanao was tucked in the mountain of pillows she could see the ukiyo-e woodblock print against the wall showing a horned demoness, laughing as she pointed at the bloody severed baby's head held in one hand. Another of a samurai fending off snakes, flanked on either side by corpses and their angry, vengeful spirits. And above the incense burner was a print of the Yotsuya Kaidan tale, which Kanao had read about, which told of betrayal, murder and ghostly revenge. The painting showed the gaunt ghost of Oiwa slithering forth from a lantern, her hair long and stringy and black, skin chalk white, with her left eye drooping from the poison. Kanao thought that perhaps she would like to watch the play about Oiwa's fate.
An onryō was quite different from an oni like her father, since she had never seen him turn into a ghost. He was made of flesh and blood as she was, even if there were still quite a lot of differences of a demon to a human. Though Daki had extremely long hair, able to move it like tendrils much like Oiwa's long dark locks.
And the Slayer woman, Kochou Kanae. She had long black hair, down past her waist and had been as shiny as the silk Kanao was currently wrapped in. The hair had been dusted with snowflakes and pale frost when Otousan killed her. Kanao still wasn't sure what to think over an entire organization built to hunt demons like her father. He was the third strongest, and since he was Upper Moon Two she was curious as to who the one at the top was named. Eclipse? Blood Moon? But it seemed demons had pretty eyes, her father with his rainbow ones and then Daki and Gyutaro with their red-and-green eyes.
It made her think back to Gyutaro's comment about her turning into a demon. Kanao's eyes were a dark lilac, but she had to wonder what they would become if she did turn into a demon. Would she get flowers or spots on her face like the siblings? Her father had that red tangled through his golden hair but beyond that and his written-upon eyes he looked quite normal. Though the claws and teeth seemed helpful, if she did not have a weapon on hand. Otousan's teeth had been so long when he bit that Slayer woman in the throat, red all around his mouth and muscle tearing so easily.
Inosuke's words about becoming as strong as their father came back to her and Kanao understood. She would like to be that strong, so she could protect her little brother and her father. Protect her family. The helplessness she felt when that woman was hurting Douma still made her chest feel tight. She could do nothing besides stay out of the way, helpless and useless. What would have happened if that woman had killed her father? Taken her and Inosuke way, maybe send her back to her birth family. Despite her father's reassurances he was strong, that he had enjoyed the fight and had been unbothered by his injuries, Kanao still worried. If there was an entire group then it meant more would come. The woman had been determined to separate her from Douma but Kanao did not know if others would try that tactic in the future. If they would use her as a hostage or kill her because of her father. It made her not quite angry but irritated and thoughtful all the same.
It also made her think if she should ask Otousan if he would indeed turn her into a demon if she was dying. She would not mind that, if there was no other choice beyond death. But at the moment she did not mind being human especially since she could so easily recall that tiny strip of sunlight being enough to force her father back and his later admittance to missing the sun.
She watched the candle dancing inside one of the lanterns, mind swirling with the images of the sunlight ponds and bright red blood, of the Slayer woman's shining sword and Otousan's lethal ice. She was content to simply doze, not falling back asleep but thinking blearily and easily about many different things.
Then Kanao heard distant voices steadily approaching, blinking at the shut shoji door while still bundled within her silken cocoon. One voice she immediately recognized as her father but the other was unknown. Male, she was quite sure, as they drew closer and closer until they were in the room adjacent to her.
"...The only reason I'm even here is because he ordered me to," the stranger's voice snapped, cold and hostile and growing ever louder. "I don't have time to waste at your disgusting little cattle farm so just give me what I need so I can leave."
"Ah Akaza-dono you're so impatient! Don't you want to spend some time with your dearest friend?" Douma's voice was far more cheerful but Kanao had known her father enough to recognize the near-inaudible mocking undertone to it. "After all, I hardly get to see you. Instead you're running wild all over the countryside with barely a thought to your friends-"
"Get away from me, you are not my friend. Just give me those stupid books you found so I can carry on looking for that forsaken flower."
"Ara ara, so grumpy. Have you eaten anything today? Is that why you're so cranky? Oh dearie me, that won't do. Want me to call in someone for you to nibble on while I fetch those books? I fear I put them away someplace safe and my scatterbrain can't remember where. Oh well, guess you'll have to stay. What are you hungry for?"
"Would you stop being a blathering moron and get the damned books? I don't-"
Kanao shifted slightly in her silk bundle and the conversation beyond immediately fell silent. For a moment she thought that she was going to be ignored until she heard her father call out to her, soft enough that if she truly was asleep she probably would have ignored it.
"Kanao? If you're awake, why don't you come and greet our guest?"
Since she was awake, she decided to do as Douma asked even if trying to unroll herself was actually quite hard. When she finally managed to free herself from the silken cloak she then fell down the mountain of cushions to sprawl out onto the tatami mat. Pushing herself up Kanao tugged at her nemaki, pulling the violet clothing more securely around her from where it had loosened in sleep. She couldn't do much about her hair, which more closely resembled a birds nest than its typical neat style and there were no combs nearby so instead she trotted over to the shoji door and slid it open.
Douma immediately broke into a toothy smile at her appearance, clapping his clawed hands together happily as he said, "Good morning! I hope you're well rested, considering how long you were up last night."
Kanao nodded as she shut the door behind her. Otousan was wearing his usual clothes with the dark red shirt and pale hakama pants, long silvery gold hair pulled back at his nape. The other man- demon Kanao mentally amended -seemed much more like Daki and Gyutaro; that is, not liking clothes too much as he was only wearing loose white pants and a pale pink haori that barely covered his shoulders and left his muscular chest bare. His skin was stark white, in deep contrast to the various dark blue tattoos covering his naked torso, arms and face. His hair was short but such a fluffy pink Kanao could only think of blooming sakura blossoms. His eyes were also pretty, the whites instead a deep blue much like his tattoos and irises bright gold. Much like her father, there was kanji written within the stranger's eyes.
上弦の参
Even as she watched the new demon's golden eyes narrowed as he started at her, lips twisting down into a scowl as his brow furrowed. Seemed like he was an angry demon much like Daki, his hands curling into fists as he bristled like a furious cat.
"You're disgusting," the demon snapped, turning back to Douma as his lips pulled back to show long fangs and pale gums as he bared his teeth. "How old is she, ten? I always knew you were vile but for some reason even I thought the likes of this was beyond you."
"Oh is this another one of your moods?" Douma said flippantly. "You're so short tempered Akaza-dono, you need to learn how to relax. Here, Kanao-"
The snarl the other demon made drowned out whatever Otousan was trying to say, and Kanao watched Upper Moon Three carefully as he stalked towards Douma. No, she was wrong; unlike Daki who had been irritable and livid, this new demon was furious and she could tell from his body language alone he utterly hated her father.
Which made Kanao dislike the stranger by default. Especially since she could tell he wanted to attack Otousan, fists shaking at his side as veins bulged upon his forearms with only sheer restraint stopping him. Still, she would remain calm as she always did especially since Upper Moon Three did not appear to have one of those shining swords with him. Could demons even hurt other demons?
"Kanao," Douma's sweet voice cut off her thoughts as she immediately focused her attention upon her father as he crouched in front of her. "Now, I need to go fetch some things for Akaza-dono here. While I'm doing that, why don't you make him some tea? There's a pot in the cupboard over there, and whatever you need."
"Hai."
"I don't want any damn tea-"
A flurry of chilly air and snap of a shoji door and Kanao was left alone with Upper Moon Three. Akaza, her father had called him.
Currently he was staring in the direction Douma had left to, fists clenched with veins popping up beneath his skin. Kanao thought he might chase after Otousan but she needed to make tea so she decided to ignore him.
She was unsure what rank of guest Akaza would fall under, since he was of lower rank than Otousan and she did not like the way he had kept glaring at her father. As she checked the thickly carved cupboard her father had directed her to, she decided to choose the usucha blend over the koicha for the matcha tea.
Taking tools she needed from the cupboard- such a deeply polished wood it was bronze, thick with golden accents -before carefully taking it to the sunken hearth within the room. It took both hands to haul the dense kettle, already filled with water which dissatisfied her. She would prefer it fresh. Oh well. She lit the charcoal with the irori, and set about preparing the tea.
The kettle was a deep gleaming black, with elaborate vines and lotus flowers etched within the kettle's form. The room she was in wasn't like the one she and Misaki used, so it would not fit with proper tea ceremony etiquette but she did not care.
She went through the soothing repetitive motions of grinding the matcha, kneeling before the tools as she warmed the bowl and whisk with the hot water from the kettle.
"Stop that, I don't want any tea," Akaza snapped. Kanao ignored him.
Emptying then drying off the bowl, Kanao then measured out the matcha, the boiling water, and began to whisk. She took time to prevent any lumps, regardless of how rude her guest was behaving.
"Are you deaf? Or just dimwitted?"
Kanao ignored him. She whisked until the green tea was frothy and with many small bubbles.
For a brief moment she felt a shift behind her, having to pause as strands of her hair slid over her shoulder and she felt that Akaza had been about to seize a handful of her hair before stopping himself.
As it was he stalked around her, footfalls hard enough the tatami mat seemed close to splintering. Even Daki hadn't regarded her with such rage, such disgust. Kanao had to wonder if it was because this new demon hated her father so much, Akaza's loathing transfer to her as his daughter.
It was interesting, as even Daki hadn't the same reaction to Douma as Akaza was and she was even more below him in rank. The Upper Six siblings just seemed vaguely annoyed with Douma's behaviour but were willing to speak to him and entertain her, even Kanao did not care overly about the antics of an oiran or those immensely tall shoes.
Once done with the tea Kanao set aside the whisk and then took the teacup, offering it up to Akaza with a bow of her head.
"I don't want it," Akaza snapped at her, fangs flashing in the lantern light. His arms were crossed, veins still poking up through his skin and the tendons in his neck strained.
Despite the way he was baring his teeth at her, Kanao decided he was quite pretty. Maybe it was a demon thing, Gyutaro had also been so despite Douma's offhanded comment that people found him disturbing with his gaunt frame and sharp features.
Akaza's face was youthful, almost boyish and Kanao liked his eyes; the gold glowing, kanji black as ink within. Now so close she could see the marks running through his deep blue scleras, like cracked glass. And his pink hair, she decided that was her favourite. Even his nails- short and rounded compared to Otousan's long sharp talons -matched his hair colour.
Though now she saw them very closely as Upper Moon Three seized her hand, fast enough she could not follow it. He was crouched in front of her, hand clenching both of hers and making a hairline crack appear in the cup.
She could feel the hot tea start to seep down her fingers, the green liquid dripping off her wrist to the tatami mat below.
Akaza's hand was big enough it could grip both of hers, tight enough she could feel the growing ache in her bones. She stared at him, studying how thick and fluffy his eyelashes were even with his expression so deeply hostile.
"I said," he snarled through clenched teeth, lips pulling back farther to show his gums, "that I don't want any of your fucking tea."
Kanao blinked slowly, breathing deep and calm. Her hands ached even as Akaza flexed his fingers. The cup broke, shards digging into her palms, her fingers, her flesh. Tea splattered down to the mat, staining her sleeves. The smell of matcha coiled up her nostrils, pressed tight against Akaza's breath which stunk of blood and offal.
"Are you his pet?" Akaza asked her bluntly, teeth snapping together.
"I am his daughter," Kanao answered. Stinging in her hands as cuts bloomed, blood and tea mixing together even as Akaza's nostrils flared in response.
"Is that what he calls you? Daughter?" The scorn in his voice was near scorching.
"Yes."
"And you're stupid enough to believe it?"
Kanao stared at him.
He scowled at her, his body so tense Kanao thought she would have to rip off her hands to get away from his grip. He seemed so furious at her uncaring response and it made her curious as to why he hated her father so much. Akaza's fingers were dark blue, much like his toes. Demons could be quite colourful, Kanao decided.
After another bout of glaring he dropped her hands, cup shards falling to the ground and Kanao could see the red and green mixing together even as her palms stung. Still, it was an easily ignored pain.
Upper Moon Three started to pace again, muscles shifting under his skin like an agitated great cat. The berry-red beads around his ankles clicked faintly as he prowled about.
Kanao rose, ignore the tea and blood still dripping off her fingers to go over to the kettle. It was still hot, even if the charcoal was now glowing faintly. She would need another cup as well.
Though she stopped as Akaza snatched the kettle and threw it at the nearest wall, glaring at her the entire time even as the pot exploded as hot water splashed across the wall and floor.
She blinked, noting how the scroll on the wall quickly grew sodden. Well, Otousan never minded when Inosuke broke things so he probably didn't care that the demon was breaking things. But Kanao found herself rather irritated Akaza was breaking things.
As it was he was growling at her, a low rumbling timbre that made the hairs on her nape go on end. Which facinated Kanao, since she still felt calm but her body was having an involuntary response to his snarling. Like the way she had woken up and felt uneasy despite mentally feeling just fine.
"Do you prefer a different type of tea? Or there's sake," Kanao said. Douma always drank a lot of that liquor even if Kanao thought it tasted bad. Inosuke liked it more than her.
"I don't want any of that. What's wrong with you? Can't you understand me?"
"I was to make you tea but you threw it at the wall," Kanao replied blandly. "I'll need to fetch a new pot. Do you not like green tea?"
"I don't like you," Akaza snapped. "I don't like this filthy flesh farm, I don't like Douma and his moronic antics. I'm only here as ordered, and for some reason that blithe fool ran off. Being ridiculous as usual and left me with his creepy little girl-pet when I have far more important things to do."
Kanao stared at him. She felt 'dislike' did not adequately show Akaza's contempt. She wasn't sure why, since with the kanji in their eyes Douma was stronger than Akaza.
Pride, she suddenly thought. Yes, that seemed right. Inosuke always got more wild when he felt someone insulted him and Akaza seemed offended Douma left him with her. Not really surprising, even some of the adults in Paradise Faith disliked the sheer rampant favouritism Douma showed towards his children and those were the ones who worshipped him. Akaza just seemed to hate him.
Her fingers twitched, red staining her nails even if the bleeding had slowed. There were still shards gouging her skin.
She could tell Akaza didn't like her staring, either.
"I don't know where Otousan went," she said instead.
"If I break your neck, do you think he'll show up?"
Interesting. Gyutaro had alluded to the same thing, when he showed her his eeriely glowing sickle. About dying and if Douma would turn her. She made a mental note to ask her father later if he would, make him pinky promise. It was important to keep promises after all.
Akaza grabbed her, moving quickly enough she couldn't follow until his hand was clamped around her neck. His skin felt like normal human skin.
"Where is he?" Akaza snarled. "Get that braindead fool back in here!"
"I don't know where Otousan went."
"Stop calling him that!"
But, Kanao noticed, he did not tighten his hand. He was being careful, very careful, not to cut off her breathing or actually hurt her. She couldn't break his grip or move away but neither was he strangling her.
His expression was ghoulish in the lantern light, deep shadows dancing along his fangs and boyish features twisted as his golden eyes glowed. As she continued to stare passively at him, heartbeat and breathing calm and even, his expression twisted further.
A squeeze of his tattooed hand, nails digging into her nape, her long dark hair-
And Akaza recoiled as if he'd been burned, dropping her to the ground as he jumped backwards. Kanao stumbled before rightening up, watching Akaza as he flinched. His gaze was distant, eyes blank and blinking rapidly as he backed away from her.
"Do you want some tea?" Kanao intoned. Tea was soothing.
The shoji door slid open, quickly followed by a gasp from Douma as he saw the damage in the room even as Akaza's distant stare vanished as he turned to Douma with a snarl.
"Yare yare, aren't you in a profoundly rude mood today Akaza-dono?" Douma scolded, crossing the room to fuss over Kanao. "Throwing a tantrum after Kanao slaved away to make a fresh cup of tea especially for you, being such a courteous host while you hurl things like a child-"
"Oh, I'm being the child?" Akaza bristled, "You're the one wasting my time with this useless garbage, running off and being ridiculous."
"That's a horrible thing to say about Kanao! She was being so polite while you've been breaking the room and here you are insulting her."
"I'm not talking about her!"
A snort even as Otousan crouched in front of her, taking her hands in his much larger ones. His rainbow eyes widened, thick brows inching towards his brow but she could see his lips twitch as if fighting a smile.
"Have you been hurting her, Akaza-dono? And here I thought you hated hurting women, wouldn't eat any at all," Douma said, inspecting her hands. "But is it because Kanao is still young? A girl, not a woman?"
Sharp blue talons gently pulled out the broken shards still embedded in her palms, Douma putting them in a neat pile to the side. Akaza refused to look at her.
Once done Douma took her hands, rubbing his thumbs over her cut palms and smearing blood. A bone-deep cold rushed over her hands, the cuts slowly fading into nothing as her skin healed over. The blood seeped into Douma's skin to fade into nothing until it was if she had never been injured.
Over Otousan's shoulder she could see Akaza snatch up the things Douma had dropped. There was a low twang as one of the magic doors appeared, upon the same wall Akaza had thrown the kettle at. He still refused to even look at her, instead disappearing through the shoji door in a flash of movement. Just as quickly it snapped shut and was gone.
"Well, I'm rather surprised," Douma said even as he swept Kanao up in his arms, briefly tossing her up in the air and catching her. "And here I thought Akaza had a soft spot for the fairer sex. Yet such a rude guest to you, especially just leaving without saying goodbye . What do you think of him, Kanao?"
She loosely grabbed at Douma's collar; she was getting a bit too big to be held in one arm, legs dangling over the side, but she didn't mind.
Instead, Kanao thought over her father's words before answering, "He was pretty but rude."
"Ha! Well I guess he is. He's always been so rude to me, ill tempered and immature. Strange, considering he's older than me."
Douma looked about the room, letting out a tsk tsk as he surveyed the mess before turning away.
"Oh well, I'll have someone clean it up later. Now, why don't we go see what Inosuke's been up to hmm? I'm sure he's missing his oneesan."
Actions
↑ Top ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Bookmark Comments (42)
Kudos
Efield, HIRO_Moon_18, Greekgods1hades, TheSecondC, Solsticalpine, Baypatatas, Hihoo, Egg3, Orange08, Mr_owoa, CherryPepsiPerson, It_has_to_mean_something, Herbig_Haro_24, Finchfrin, chatichy, TheTinnnMan, runninwhimsy, Dradiodemon, Just_Me_IDK, idk_myname, Shroomly_Enby, sleepycatjeans, SingDanceRead, Kiwiwbord, SelfProclaimedHermit2, FishyAngel, starlesslabyrinth, Jackthetimberlog, FluffyCatsrbestCats, TheydaGecko, RxAzazel, seashellsigh, Gray_Scale77, Lori_NS, Halogenicalis, A_Black_Hat, DevianYue, Puppetmaster13, whispers_ofthestars, designatedidiotnumber12, Circusafton, ChishiyasNiragi, gyokkopottery, Anzhelina_3, PeridotFallen, Nino_read_it, wistfulpetrichor, XxEstiaxX, Abomina__me, Nightmar3_wolf, and 1603 more users as well as 1961 guests left kudos on this work!
Comments
Post Comment
Comment as TheBrimmedHat
Plain text with limited HTML ?
Comment
10000 characters left
Footer
Customize
Default
Low Vision Default
Reversi
Snow Blue
About the Archive
Site Map
Diversity Statement
Terms of Service
Content Policy
Privacy Policy
DMCA & TIDA Policies
Site Status
Contact Us
Policy Questions & Abuse Reports
Technical Support & Feedback
Development
otwarchive v1.2.0.0
Known Issues
GPL-2.0-or-later by the OTW