Ruby Tears (Inotan)

Tanjiro see's pink ears and they smell like...blackberries?

Hearing Zenitsu's tale through his tears took a lot of attention that sadly Tanjiro's food was dividing it between. Chewing his food listening to the words "demon" "so many" and the multiple "I almost died!" Tanjiro nearly missed the phrase "wild half-naked demon with a boar head" leaving his lips.

"I'm sorry what?" The red-head said, looking up from his onigiri.

"A demon wearing a damn boar head chased me!!! He was yelling and insulting me!" the blonde screamed "Of course you'd only pay attention when I talk about a naked guy!" he continued before glowering at the other boy.

"Not naked, half-naked, you said so yourself see I'm listening." Tanjiro tried, offering a kind smile before laughing lightly at the blonde's unimpressed face.

"Well is that all he did? Normally this is the part where you tell me it attacked you with its claws trying to rip out your throat." the red-head said knowing how to bait the blonde.

"No! He yelled I was a crybaby!" the blonde slayer shouted "He chased me around saying I didn't deserve to kill his prey and Tanjiro I'll be damned if I'm staying getting yelled at by a crazy demon!"

Tanjiro couldn't stop his curiosity from peaking "He didn't try to kill you? Most would have chased after you if you really turned your back on them." 

I'm going to start attacking him from behind more while training, if he insists on running away. At least would get his response time up to defend himself. The red-head thought to himself waiting for the blonde to answer.

"No, I guess not really, seemed more annoyed that I was killing demons before he could." the blond finally replied, digging into his food.

Where Zenitsu found his appetite Tanjiro lost his, lost in his thoughts of a demon who didn't try to kill a slayer.

Maybe that means even if Nezuko...NO don't get your hopes up, you have to find her first!

Tanjiro tried to stop his mind from wandering to that fateful night, a boy of fifteen still mourning the passing of his father and his teachings, trudging through the snow home from a day selling charcoal. The sight of his family slaughtered all bodies accounted for except Nezuko's. Her beautiful wisteria scent disappearing into the woods, nearly smothered by the rot of a demon's. Running through the woods desperately trying not to lose it only to be left lost in the freezing cold, the incoming snow storm overpowering everything. Then making the slow way home to bury the corpses of his family.

Finally noticing the bits of food being playfully thrown at his open mouth, Tanjiro finally snapped his gaze to the blonde.

"Hey, are you listening?" the gray eyed boy asked exasperated 

"The fact I haven't answered I think is answer enough,"  he offered a small smile in apology "Sorry I got lost in my thoughts what were you saying?" gesturing for the other boy to repeat himself

"Welllllll outside of the crazy demons, the place had a really nice ryokan, hot springs and all!" He said his eyes finally brightening "They said that town was normally pretty demon free, only clusters of small ones coming in with the blood moon," the blood shuttered remembering the sound of the demon's frenzied hearts that night "Every now and again a big one shows up but they disappear quickly." The blonde leaned close as if to tell a secret, Tanjiro meeting him halfway. "They say they're blessed by a spirit in the mountain," he stopped to snicker, "they call him the King and everything!" Tanjiro winced back at the boy yelling in his face suddenly.

"You should go before you get assigned another mission, if you need an excuse you can use the moon, protect the town and all that since it's due soon." face turning white at the prospect Zenitsu grabbed his chopsticks again before shoving more rice into his mouth "They won't have to send me again if you go! I'm not the only one who's got chased off by that weird demon, others tried slaying it but they say it runs off too fast, disappearing into the woods."