Candles || Kokushibo

🖤23: sᴜᴍɪʏᴏsʜɪ🖤

      When Yoriichi made the decision to finally go into Tanjiro's subconscious, he couldn't have been surprised. It wasn't any different than Mabel's; the fact that the house belonged to Kokushibo warmed his heart. But he never anticipated finding opulent-looking graves next to the entryway under a big wisteria tree. His eyes search the hard surface, noticing names that have the same Kamado name as Tanjiro, implying that they were deceased relatives. The house was exactly the same other than that. But that wasn't the reason; rather, there was a presence in his subconscious home, so he delayed lighting the candle so the teenager might see the mature man. Yoriichi was never physically prevented from entering the subconscious home; rather, it was because of the presence itself. He might have simply shown up as he did with the others, but he didn't want to stir up trouble with whoever it could be. Even though he hasn't encountered anyone else who could do this, they could not have been able to do so. He wouldn't know.

      He looks at the front door for a few seconds longer before finally resting his palm on it and carefully pushing it open. His maroon eyes widen as he sees a recognizable man set down a cup of what appears to be tea. "Sumiyoshi?" The Kamado male twists his head to look at the long-haired man whom he was so familiar with. "Yoriichi!" His eyes are wide with disbelief and confusion as he swiftly gets to his feet. "How are you here?" He couldn't help but wonder when he noticed the man glancing about as if he was seeking for something vital. Yoriichi lets out a tired sigh while smacking his fingers on his face. Instead of responding, he takes a deep breath before opening his eyes.

      Yoriichi tilts his head and points at Sumiyoshi. "How long have you been here?" He asks, relaxing himself as he deliberately slows his heart's rapid thumping. He exhales, wondering why his old friend is responding strangely as he continues to look at him. "A few weeks. But I'm not sure how I got here." He acknowledges wholeheartedly and re-encircles his heated cup with his fingers. Yoriichi's gaze shifts away from the male and toward the shelves. He moves to a cabinet and quietly searches through it, which causes the Kamado to look at him strangely as a result of his actions. "Yoriichi? What are you doing?" He stops dead in his tracks as a little smile appears on his face at the sight of a sizable jar. He spins around while holding up the candle next to his face. He examines the label on the candle, which reads "Frosted Forest" in capital letters, as he moves toward the table where his old acquaintance is seated. He lifts the lid of the brown glass jar and smiles as he sees the white candle inside. He takes a brief smell and then turns to face Sumiyoshi. "If you ignite a candle with your blood inside someone's subconscious house, they'll be able to see you in the physical world as well." The younger man struggles to comprehend what his older friend has just said as he looks at him with uncertainty. Yoriichi sighs and places the candle on the table in front of him. "Are you familiar with a young boy by the name of Tanjiro Kamado?"

      "Kamado?" While maintaining eye contact with Sumiyoshi, Yoriichi nods and moves the candle in her direction. He looks down at it, unsure what to do, then raises his head to face the taller man. The older man digs his nail into his palm's skin while feeling blood fall from his finger into the candle's wick. In anticipation, he turns to face the Kamado. Sumiyoshi furrows his brows. "You want me to do that so Tanjiro can see me?" 

      He assumed that this 'Tanjiro' was related to him, but he was still unsure of his identity. Why, despite the fact that Sumiyoshi was a total stranger to Tanjiro, did it seem as though Yoriichi wanted him to be a part of his life? Even now, he is unable to recall how he came to be in this situation. Compared to Tanjiro's period, how much time has passed since his? Sumiyoshi draws in a deep breath and imitates the older man by raising his palm above the candle. Did he have a choice in the matter? Although he is aware that Yoriichi wishes him no harm at all, his mind is racing with so many ideas that he is unsure of what to think. It only grew more complicated when it was Yoriichi's time to explain his life when his brother first discovered Mabel. The day started off like any other day, with his brother hurting the helpless and working out to get stronger. When Kokushibo discovered Mabel, Yoriichi honestly believed that he was going to murder her without hesitation, but the title she gave him made him reconsider, even if her younger blind self believed that Kokushibo's harsh and fierce aura belonged to her father. The older Kamado's heart broke when he learned what had occurred near the beginning. She is only five years old and is already going through so much.