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Mitsuri likes to get to pillar meeting early. She sometimes arrives up to half an hour before the starting time. It’s typical for her to be the first one there, besides Gyomei who has often been found meditating for an indecipherable amount of time in the rock gardens. She likes to socialize with her fellow hashira. They only gather together twice a year, and Mitsuri enjoys seeing everyone together. It’s not rare for her to write letters or meet individually with her friends, but certain individuals aren’t as receptive to attempts for friendship. Muichiro ignores most of her letters (though that’s probably due to his forgetfulness and not any malice) along with Sanemi (which is definitely due to his illiteracy, but the man does tend to be brash towards others). Tomioka doesn’t tend to talk no matter how much she pesters him. It’s a shame that besides her and Gyomei he too often arrives early.
She’s not waiting in the courtyard quite yet. Kanjori had arrived even earlier than usual to test out the new takoyaki stand nearby. After having an 8th serving the woman decides to take a break and admire the surroundings while she ventures back towards the Ubuyashiki mansion. Rengoku will surely propose some kind of meal after the meeting, where she can satisfy more of her large appetite.
As Mitsuri races through the woods she’s excited to see Tomioka lingering just outside the actual gardens. He might not be one for conversation, but the man’s mysterious nature only intrigues her more. Her pace slows to a casual walk as she admires him from afar. Giyuu seems to often avoid social interaction if he spots it coming. It might be sly to try and catch him unaware, but Kanroji wants him to enjoy conversation.
As she bows out from beneath the tree branches that swoop downwards another figure comes into view. The woman leans close to Tomioka, words being exchanged between the two. Her figure is unfamiliar, face unknown. Viewing a newcomer stops Mitsuri in her tracks.
And while she doesn’t exactly intend to spy the woman may find herself hiding behind a large tree. Observing the two their relationship isn’t exactly clear. While the girl leans close to Giyuu, he still seems slightly stilted.
About to interrupt the pair Kanroji gathers her courage and begins to move forward. Weaving through the trees she practices her introduction several times within her thoughts.
Only to pause once more as the woman moves even closer to Giyuu. Her hand rests on his chest. She bats her eyes in what might be a slightly seductive way. Leaning towards his face they share a tender kiss.
Mitsuri’s face goes as pink as her hair. She finds herself hidden once again, this time with the sense not to peek. Tomioka had never mentioned having a girlfriend. He didn’t mention much of anything. The man seemed so antisocial. This was certainly unexpected.
By the time she’s calmed enough to peek out from around the tree trunk both people have completely disappeared. Mitsuri struggles to make it back the path. Thinking about having to face Tomioka makes her dizzy. The woman with him was pretty too. Giyuu was lucky to find someone so beautiful.
She’s not knocked out of the stupor until Rengoku comes charging towards her.
“Kanroji-san! I’m surprised you’re not waiting in the garden’s already.” His booming voice startles her.
Brushing the thoughts of Tomioka’s love-life away she turns towards her friend. “Oh, Kyojuro-san, I was waiting for you! Lets walk together.” Mitsuri wraps her hand around his outstretched arm.
—-
As expected afterwards several members of the group gather for lunch. They find a restaurant capable of catering to Mitsuri and Rengoku’s large appetites and quickly fill a table with trays of food. Almost everyone joined them, minus Tomioka and Sanemi. The gathering is much lighter and more joyful than the meeting before. Food alone can always improve Mitsuri’s mood.
Chatter slowly rises to engulf most of the restaurants area. Several of the pillars are loud on their own and when exchanging words some get nearly deafening. It gives Kanroji the perfect opportunity to withdraw and nudge her way towards Shinobu.
The small woman knows the most about Tomioka, being paired up on missions with the aforementioned most commonly. Though she claims to have distaste for Giyuu the fact stands true.
Mitsuri stops eating for long enough to clear her throat. Leaning into Kocho’s purple hair she tries to keep her voice low. “Shinobu-chan, Do you any of Tomioka’s friends?”
“I didn’t know he had any!” She snorts and has to cover her mouth in embarrassment. Despite the fact that she brushed off the question, there is some intrigue in her eyes. “Why, Did you see him with someone?”
“Oh well I’m not sure if I should say.”
“Now you have too! Don’t worry I can keep my mouth shut.” There’s a bit of a mysterious glint in her eyes that says otherwise.
Mitsuri’s voice dies in her throat. “He… he was with a girl.”
And maybe she was too loud again because the whole table has gone quiet. Uzui’s jaw has even dropped but he tends to be overdramatic. “Are you talking about Tomioka-san?” He cackles loudly. Anyone who wasn’t listening before is now.
Mitsuri doesn’t usually get nervous but there’s five pairs of eyes locked in on her (Muichiro is present, but he looks almost asleep). She falls silent and struggles to open her mouth again. “I shouldn’t gossip! Just forget I said anything.”
“It’s not gossiping if it’s true,” Shinobu supplies helpfully.
It takes awhile to gather up the words. Eventually she bends to the will of those around her. “He was with a lady, outside of Ubuyashiki-sama’s garden.”
Rengoku, who tends to look on the more innocent side of things, chimes in. “I don’t think Tomioka-san has any siblings. But maybe they were just friends!”
“I thought that too. He seemed to act very normal, but then they… she kissed him! And he seemed to enjoy it.” That last part inspires a few gasps, and another round of laughter from Tengen.
Even Gyomei seems intrigued, which is particularly rare. He’s usually the man to admonish anyone for spreading rumors. He leans forward and rumbles in a deep tone, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of him having a significant other.”
“He’s not very social.” Iguro has finally decided to join the conversation with a scowl. “It’s not like anyone would know.”
“I suppose that’s true,” Mitsuri concedes. “I was just hoping that someone would have an idea.”
“Well why don’t you go over to his estate?” Uzui suggests it as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
“I don’t think he’s ever invited anyone. It’s always been empty when I had to stay there.”
“So? Make up an excuse!”
Rengoku butts in again. “You should not! I don’t think that would be very appropriate.”
“I don’t either…” The woman’s voice is tinged with a slight pout.
Uzui’s pouting too, though for a completely different reason. “Well then I’ll do it myself. Don’t get jealous when I keep it a secret.”
Rolling her eyes Shinobu is quick to scold him. “Oh don’t act like a child!”
Rengoku changes topics after. Tengen opens his mouth like he wants to argue back, Mitsuri moves to stop him. If those two start neither will quit. Shinobu will eventually win whatever argument they settle into anyways.
—-
It takes so long for Mitsuri to stumble across the water estate that she can’t even remember the conversation from months ago. It’s raining rather hard and though her uniform keeps most of her body dry her hair is soaked, sticking to her face. Her poor crow is struggling to push against the fierce wind as it guides her.
Currently the only thought occupying her mind is escaping the awful weather. The edges of the home are cropping up in the distance, pushing her to run even faster. Now that a lead is no longer needed the small black bird settles within the slightly warmer confines of Kanroji’s haori.
Within a few leaps she makes it underneath the shelter of the engawa. She pushes through the first door she comes across, stumbling into a mostly empty room. There’s a couch and a few paintings occupying the space. Other than that it’s dark and a little damp from the rain blowing in.
The past few times Mitsuri had been to the estate nobody had been there. Tomioka didn’t ever have guests, not to her knowledge. His home wasn’t really equipped for them either. Kanroji started making her way towards the closet where the spare futons lie. She wonders if it’d be rude for her to go looking for a bath. The woman’s braids are slowly coming undone, stray hairs sticking to her face.
Just as she’s digging through a closet the smallest squeak bounces off her backside. Mitsuri flips around to find you standing there. There’s a shocked expression on your face, unsurprising considering the circumstances.
Both of you simply regard one another for a long moment. Kanroji feels a little self-conscious about the way she must look currently. You’re hair isn’t frizzy or pasted onto your cheeks. Your clothes aren’t wet either, a smooth red robe that looks very comfortable. Brushing off the front of her uniform Mitsuri bows quickly.
“Please forgive me for intruding! I didn’t expect anyone to be home.” Her face has gone pink again.
There’s another beat of silence. “Oh please don’t feel bad. The weather outside is horrible, so I’m glad you came in actually.” A wide smile breaks out on your face. “I’m sure I can find something for you to wear.”
Kanroji tends to talk quickly, and is caught off guard when you easily keep up with her pace. The previous experiences she had at the water estate weren’t bad by any means, but the home tended to be rather quiet and empty.
You’re still chattering away, about extra bedrooms and baths and asking if Mitsuri is hungry. (Which she very much is, she’s hungry almost all the time.)
But before she can eat you’re pushing her towards the bathroom with steaming hot water already filled high to the brim. Food is pushed to the back of her mind for the first time in her life because Mitsuri is still cold and wet and a hot bath seems like the most amazing gift in the world right now.
You’re disappearing around the corner again, after a hefty explanation of where everything in the bathroom is. Kanroji doesn’t even wait until the soft pitter-patter of your feet have disappeared to strip down and soak in the warm water. There must be some sort of oil or fragrance in the bath, it smells flowery and almost pulls her to sleep. The heat soaks into her bones immediately. Thunder from outside can still be heard if she listens carefully, but the shocking storm is mostly forgotten.
She sits longer than in necessarily, letting the warmth reach every part of her body. Trying to be aware of the time, she still doesn’t soak as long as she wants to (which is forever, even the chill from stepping out of the water is torture).
There’s a soft robe waiting on the counter, which makes the transition easier. She still feels a bit out of her element. It’s surprising. Mitsuri likes people, she’s good with them. The storm and unexpected introduction has probably thrown her off kilter.
Brushing out her long hair she decides to leave it out of the braids for now. It’ll be a pain to deal with in the morning, but it feels nice to have it loose. With the locks free her hair hangs down past her waist.
As soon as she exits the bathroom she stumbles across you once more. You’re leaned up against the wall, clearly waiting. As your eyes meet again there’s a bit of nervousness to your gaze.
“I’ve prepared a room for you. Please let me know if it’s to your liking.” You begin to lead her down the long hallway.
Passing another door you take a second to pause. “And this room is mine! Don’t be afraid to knock if you need anything.”
“Can I look inside?” The question is perhaps too forward, but curiosity gets the better of her. She can barely register the words before you let out a light laugh. It makes her cheeks go red again. She’s forgotten how many times she’s blushed tonight.
“There’s not much inside.” Nudging the door to the side you let her enter the small room. It’s surprisingly bare compared to the rest of the house. There’s trinkets and shelves, but none of the paintings that decorate the outside halls. Underneath her feet the tatami is more worn.
There’s one traditional futon folded in the corner. It’s the only thing new about the room. White sheets make enough room for two to fit.
Sliding the door close you continue leading her towards the end of the hall.
Kanroji isn’t normally afraid of being direct, not with the question she just asked, but there’s a weight on her tongue. “Are you and Tomioka-san… uh you live together?” The question is clumsy. She doesn’t know if it’d be more inappropriate to over or under estimate the relationship. Many demon slayers have weird undefined relationships.
“Oh I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself properly! I’m his wife!” There’s a cheery grin on your face, so wide your eyes close. It means you miss the wide shocked expression that covers Mitsuri. Tomioka barely seemed like the type to be interested in girls period, much less be married. Though he was strong and cool, he also didn’t talk to anyone and seemed allergic to any kind of socializing. She had only dragged him to dinner once. Which resulted in a one sided conversation and Giyuu excusing himself about halfway through the meeting. You seemed very affectionate and talkative and not at all like someone the man would spend his life with.
“Are you hungry?” Though you had pulled out a futon and directed the woman towards a private room the question grabs her attention.
“Are you sure? It’s late. I wouldn’t want to ask any more of you.”
A gentle hand brushes against her arm. “Please don’t feel bad. If you want I have plenty of leftovers. I tend to stock up towards the end of the week.”
“Well… if you insist! Though don’t put yourself out because of me.”
“It really is no trouble. I don’t get guests often. Oh, I’m not being to overbearing am I?” Your talking comes out rushed until it halts suddenly. Bowing your head you appear to grow suddenly nervous.
“N-no! I really do appreciate this. You’ve been so kind taking me in.”
“Well then, make yourself at home and I’ll warm up some food.”
—-
Mitsuri is sitting across from you. The late hour should leave her desperate for sleep, but she’s far more interested in talking with you (alongside the several dishes you’ve made). It’s slightly strange that you’re not partaking in the food. Even if you ate earlier the sight is a bit unnerving as you simply sit there.
As much as the woman wants to make conversation she is vaguely aware of her manners. Talking with a stuffed mouth wouldn’t make a good impression and yet she can’t stop for long enough to get a word in. The air grows a little awkward, mostly filled with the sound of chewing. You don’t imply that she’s being a bother. Kanroji can’t help but feel like she’s being one anyways.
After a few minutes she’s inhaled enough food to take a short break. Stacking the empty dishes and brushing off any stray crumbs she finally manages to say something.
“Thank you again. You’re a very good cook! Usually there’s some struggle when trying to accommodate my appetite.” Her cheeks grow a little red. Kanroji doesn’t try to suppress her appetite, or show any shame for the way she eats anymore, but she is acutely aware of the late hour and the amount of time you must’ve spent making the dishes.
“It’s my pleasure! I like having things to do, it does get lonely here on occasion. Work makes the time pass quicker.”
“Oh, are you here alone often?”
There’s a sudden jolt as your eyes widen. “Giyuu-san isn’t absent! He’s just busy. I don’t mind being on my own anyways.”
“What about the village nearby? I wish I could’ve had the time to go there properly.”
“The people are pleasant. I guess I’ve never been good with being social.”
Mitsuri leans across the table with a surprised look on her face. “But you’re so nice!” She blurts out the words.
Your cheeks heat slightly. “I-I’m glad you think so. It’s probably better that I didn’t know you were coming, otherwise I would’ve worried about it too much.”
“You haven’t met anyone else then?”
“I’m not often inclined to try and make friends with strangers. Giyuu-san doesn’t prompt me to be more social either.”
That manages to squeeze a light laughter out of her. “I didn’t even know he was married.”
In turn you let out a laugh too, though yours is a little more hesitant. “He’s not very talkative.”
“That’s not a bad thing. Tomioka-san always listens when I talk! Shinazugawa-san just tells me to be quiet…”
The conversation falls into a natural flow. Kanroji begins to take bites between words. “Are you sure you don’t want to eat a bit as well?”
“I already stuffed myself earlier. Are you enjoying the food?”
“Yes! It’s very good.”
“I bake a lot. It helps to pass the time.”
And finally at some point during the conversation food starts to dwindle. The only reason it’s even lasted so long is because Mitsuri is polite enough to keep her mouth closed with food inside. Only then, once the sweet taste of sugar has been licked from her lips does the woman remember how tired she is. It’s nearly comical the way her eyelids sag downwards.
“You can go back to your room if you’d like. I can clean up here.” You’re smile is still just as genuine, but the corners of your eyes are downturned slightly. It’s late for you too.
“Oh but I wouldn’t want to leave you on you’re own! I made the mess after all.”
“It’s fine.” You’re already standing to usher her out of the room. “It’ll only take a few minutes. The dishes can wait until tomorrow to be properly cleaned anyways. I’ll just move them into the sink.”
“Only if you’re really really sure then.” She walks with your hands prodding her back.
“I’m positive! Please have a good night, you must’ve been working hard.”
With one last light push and small laugh you leave Mitsuri in her room. To reinforce the idea that she’s supposed to rest now, you close the door too.
—-
Kanroji finally rolls out of bed. It’s later in the day. She always sleeps in a ridiculous amount after missions. Her siblings have always been quick to make fun of her for it. The warm sun enveloping the sheets often makes her want to sink into them further as opposed to prompting her out.
After an extra hour of pretending she could still sleep, Mitsuri stretches out. Her uniform is dry now— though her haori is too filthy to wear —spread out beside her futon. Though the robe is softer the familiar feeling of the skirt and black shirt can’t be beat.
Brushing through her hair it slips back into a trio of braids. Outside the door she can vaguely hear you moving around the house. It’s quiet and slow enough that she doesn’t feel the urge to rush.
Her morning ritual ends as she slides on the green striped socks. As always the thought of Iguro makes her smile. These ones are starting to wear through, holes forming at the bottom. In a week or two another package from him will mysteriously arrive at her house, carrying an identical pair.
For now she leaves her sword beside her shoes. There’s no sign of her crow and though Mitsuri has places to be she isn’t in any danger.
Sliding the door open finally she steps out into the hall. Following the muffled noises of cooking she makes her way into the proper kitchen. It lies just beyond where she ate last night. All signs of the impromptu meal from then have been washed away. Even the floors look freshly scrubbed.
The actual kitchen is a completely different story. The dishes from the night before are left drying, but a dozen new ones sit in the sink beside them. Along the counter are splatters of egg and dried batter. Occasionally it dots the floor too.
You stand in the center of it all, too intently focused on the stovetop to turn around. Despite the fact that you’re very preoccupied you still manage a small greeting. “Good morning! I hope I didn’t wake you at all.”
Kanroji isn’t quite sure how to hold herself. It feels too stifling to hover over your shoulder, being too close to the food is making her drool anyways. She settles for leaning on a countertop slightly farther away before thinking of a proper response.
“Oh not at all!” The woman is still slightly tense, hands held awkwardly in front of herself. “I feel bad for staying in so late if anything.”
“Don’t! It gives me more time to prepare. I’m almost done with this-“ you gesture to a pan of omurice “-but there’s some pancakes that are already done.”
The stack is huge. Each pancake is fluffy and still steaming. You’ve spread out an array of toppings. The strawberries are half gone, explaining how red your lips are.
“And don’t feel bad for eating without me! I already filled myself up earlier.” You chime in before she can even think to resist.
—-
Only after she’s finished helping you clean, for real this time, does Mitsuri even consider leaving. Her crow is still silent. It’s familiar black wings and striking charms aren’t present nearby. Still, just because there’s no mission at the moment doesn’t mean there’s not places to be.
“Thank you again for being so welcoming!” It’s perhaps the fourth time she’s managed to express her gratefulness in the last five minutes. Her sword is sitting at her side once more.
Kanroji has been lingering in the doorway for quite some time. First she chattered about her regret for leaving so soon— explaining that she had family to see —which then led into a rundown of all her relatives, including several pets. In the back of her mind she knows she should leave.
“Oh and is it alright if I write you? I’ve tried to reach out to Tomioka-san in the past but he never responds! Ask him if I’ve done anything wrong too!”
“I’m sure it’s fine,” you try to soothe. “He doesn’t even answer most of my own letters. We can do dinner or something and corner him that way.”
Rushing forward to crush you in another tight hug she manages one more “thank you” right against your ear. Before you can manage a proper response she twists you around and is rushing back down the pathway towards the town.