Dancing in the Mist (Demon Slayer / Kimetsu no Yaiba: Tokito Muichiro x OC)

Chapter 1

Third person POV

It was about a month ago.

Kasumi's mother, Tetsumi, was a renowned swordsmith for the Demon Slayer Corps, particularly distinguished for being the only female swordsmith ever tasked with forging a Hashira's blade on top of not being a part of the Swordsmith Village. Scars riddled her lean, muscled arms, reminders of the long years it took for her to reach her level of mastery. Her injured body was also a source of insecurity, for no man would ever look at "damaged goods", so she especially treasured her beautiful facial features. Sharp emerald eyes were framed with thick ebony hair, complementing her sharp jawline and cheekbones. She was a rather vain woman in both her talents and appearances.

Kasumi was a blemish upon her vanity.

Every single day, without fail, Tetsumi would rage on about how it was Kasumi's fault her father left her. She would lament the gradual loss of her skills at her prime, blaming it on the permanent damage from birthing Kasumi. She would scream that Kasumi's father would only return if Tetsumi could forge a blade greater than any piece she'd ever made, enough to impress him and urge him to her side.

Every day, Kasumi didn't say a word.

To be more specific, she hadn't said a single word since she spoke her first word. For eight long years, she lived in constant fear of being punished for existing, the smallest sound escaping her chapped lips warranting a vicious slap and berate. The only reason why she hadn't died from neglect was thanks to a kind old live-in maid.

Granny Tsubasa was only around for the first five years of Kasumi's life, but she was also the person who molded her personality the most. Brash and blunt, Granny Tsubasa was formerly a gang leader. Years ago, she had led a small gang while cross-dressing as a man in order to retain their respect and survive. However, she had been betrayed by her lover and exposed as a woman, causing her to be mobbed and left at the side of the road. While she managed to keep her life, her right leg had been forever crippled, and she was much too old and scarred to be wed.

Tetsumi's father, a famous swordsmith of his own right, took her in and made her a live-in maid. Even after his death and the gradual corruption of his daughter's soul, Granny Tsubasa remained loyal to the house of the man who had shown her so much mercy. Even when she had lost all hope for Tetsumi, she saw a small sparkle of hope for Kasumi. In fact. Kasumi was the name Granny Tsubasa had given her where Tetsumi had refused, as Kasumi had been born on a misty day.

The mute girl suffered every time her mother caught sight of her, but she persevered under the tutelage of Granny Tsubasa. Kasumi learned how to steal without getting caught, how to take a hit while protecting the most important parts of her body, and (unintentionally) how to completely remove her filter and insult people without mercy (in her head).

Granny Tsubasa was Kasumi's entire world... and it collapsed with her death.

It was sudden. Granny Tsubasa had been suffering from a heart disease for a long time, but she was lucky enough to die peacefully in her sleep. Kasumi, knowing that her mother could care less about the woman who made sure that the house was even remotely liveable in, spent four long, grueling hours digging a grave for her beloved granny with her thin, five year old arms, crying all the way. As if the heavens were also crying over the old woman's death, it was pouring rain the whole time. Kasumi cursed the heavens, however... because they were making it damn hard to dig the grave.

The grave filled up, Kasumi dropped the shovel and looked at the pile of overturned soil at her feet, the only evidence that Granny Tsubasa lay there. Over time nature would grow over the grave, erasing even that small evidence. That fact filled Kasumi with despairing sadness, yet she wiped away her tears and turned away. After all, her Granny didn't raise no weakling (she might have said it a bit differently, starting with a 'p' and ending with a 'y', but let's keep things child-friendly).