Candles || Kokushibo

🖤9: ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇs🖤

    The snow started falling once more during the night as the three people slept and the fourth person sat a few feet away, darting his eyes at each person. His six eyes focus on the third sleeping figure, who is Nezuko and who is just partially out of her brown box. Her hand is wrapped around Tanjiro's and the other is resting atop of Mabel's head, which has chosen to sleep on him with her head on his chest. On Kokushibo's old, big futon, Tanjiro is sound asleep, and a thick blanket covers him. He, like the two girls, had a relaxed expression on his face. Slowly exhaling, Kokushibo averts his look as he thinks to himself. 

      There weren't many surprises in his life as a human. Daily life was monotonous and full of anger and jealousy for someone with whom he shared a womb. He was meant to love that person more than everything else, but he didn't. Kokushibo used to despise his twin more than any other living being until he passed away. He never knew that despite knowing how badly his brother wanted him dead, he made the decision to stay with him. He had no desire to leave him. Kokushibo recalled Yoriichi and him as children, when they were between the ages of eight and ten. He recalled sneaking past his own father to see his brother. He continued to ignore his father even after the physical abuse he exposed Kokushibo to simply to see his face. Back then, he really did love him, and he truly wants to be that way again. He wishes that his brother had been around him when Kokushibo was still Michikatsu and before he turned into a monster that devoured humans. He wishes he could see, hear, or even feel his presence in the same room as him now that he is aware that his brother has never left him, however, he is unable to do so. Mabel, who hops about and giggles while holding her arms up towards the dead man, is the only one who can tell him he is here. Even Nezuko, who had a keen gaze at nothing. He is aware that Nezuko can see him. Instead of making Kokushibo enraged or jealous, that saddened him. He was hoping to see him. He occasionally wonders if anyone else can see his twin.

      He is unable to do much other than lie on the right side of the futon and contemplate how he came to adopt three children. How did he change so drastically? Look at him now; he used to be so reserved and mysterious. He even has a small family of his own now, and he expresses himself a little more than he did previously. Why did he initially decide to become a father? He recalls being one when he was a human, but is there any connection between that and this? Because of his bitter feelings about his brother, he left his wife and two children in order to focus on getting stronger. He has become a father once more after more than 400 years, even though Tanjiro and Nezuko's involvement was unplanned. He could not simply let him go. Why does his chest feel so warm?

      Has he been pondering too much? A brief movement brought Kokushibo back to the present as the sun is already rising. He lets his head fall and turns to look at the boy. His almost knotted brows signal to the demon that he is beginning to gradually awaken. The sun is slowly rising into the sky, but Kokushibo's arm is still wrapped around him and Mabel. He doesn't move, and his eyes slowly close. He feels Tanjiro's head swivel, but he keeps his nose buried in the boy's hair. "Kokushibo-san?" Tanjiro looks up at the adult while calmly ruminating. If he was being entirely truthful with himself, he assumed that the demon was making a joke. It seemed so genuine when he agreed with Mabel, but he didn't want to be misled. Kokushibo is basically hugging him at this point, and he is at a loss for words. What is the hashira's opinion on this? Most of them were quite antagonistic toward Nezuko; who knows what would happen if an upper moon joined him.  The only person he feels confident telling would be Kagaya Ubuyashiki because of his kindness. He is aware that he is the only person who would pay attention to and comprehend him.

      Although Kokushibo ignores the boy, Tanjiro is aware that he is awake. In comparison to the scent he had the day before, it was now peaceful. Additionally, the fragrance was powerful. "Do you have... a mission?" He finally turns his six eyes on the boy and asks. Tanjiro's crimson eyes seem to be slightly uncomfortable at the strange tenderness, yet his stare is unperturbed. "Not for the time being." He understands that what he said was plenty for the demon to hold onto him. He is so strong that he makes no effort to move. "I can still leave for a little while, right?" His stomach turns at the thought of remaining here. He raises his forearm and delicately grabs Kokushibo's arm. He might be an upper moon, but there's nothing off-putting about his smell. It seemed as if Tanjiro was his biological child, which only adds to the teen's confusion. Even though he has just recently met him, it is clear that he has a strong bond with him.

      "I will not... hold you hostage here." He responds in a quiet, deep voice. The sun beams brighter through the small space behind his curtain that faces the wall. "You are free to leave... and return home... whenever you wish." Tanjiro raises an eyebrow in perplexity about his word choice. Kokushibo opens the top eye on his left side of his face and the center of his right side as he notices his new son's bewilderment. "Home?" Tanjiro's hold on the demon's broad arm begins to relax a little, allowing the six-eyed man to raise his arm and entangle his fingers in the boy's maroon hair.

      In his history and during his human life, Kokushibo has made numerous mistakes. He wishes he could go back and fix the mistakes he's committed. He has made mistakes that torment him as he regrets his past acts. He loathed his brother and ran away from his wife and kids. While Kokushibo was consumed with jealously for his sibling, his brother continued to love him despite his transformation into a demon. Furthermore, despite the fact that his children did nothing wrong, he still left him. He had filtered out their faces ever since he joined the demon slayers. He won't repeat the same mistake.

"Yes, home."

🖤Secret's/Extra's🖤

~Besides Mabel, Nezuko is the only other living being at the moment, demon or human, that can actually see Yoriichi.

~~Tanjiro might in the future

~Muichiro and Mitsuri stayed in the village over night

~Yoriichi slept along with his new family. His body was laying sideways above their heads with his arm loosely wrapped around Tanjiro

~Mabel is shorter than other five year olds. The average height for five year olds is 3 foot 2 inches to 4 feet tall. Mabel is only 3 feet tall

~Mabel was born prematurely and didn't learn to talk until she was three. Her first words were "I'm sorry" because her biological dad was yelling at her because she accidentally broke a vase. 

~~Mabel became blind at the age of two

~The reason why Kokushibo was so attached to Tanjiro was because his son, when he was a human, cried when he left. He wanted to show Tanjiro through affection that he wasn't planning on leaving his new family.