If I Could Do You One Right...

Back into the Swing of Things

"She's shy today isn't she?"

"Wait are we at the estate already?"

"Umm, no. We're outside of it, but..."

"...Don't!" Ibuki-chan knew she couldn't stop you, but she always reminds you that it'd be nice if you listened to her just once, and that one day she's going to get lucky; today is not that day.

Just one bound and you are hanging by your toe on the roof of the Butterfly estate. "I think I'm gonna be up here a while, do you mind if you tell her I'm here Ibuki-chan." You make a point of saying her name as much as possible, considering she'd have a hard time telling who your talking to otherwise. She huffs and laments something about how rude it is to have a blind bird search for something, but leaves with a curse about you knowing what it's feel like. The details never get to you because there's a different friend you've been neglecting. True, she's never said a word to you, and tonight you can barely see her, but the sliver she showed gave you something to stare at.

"I know I haven't been talking to you recently, but this just seems mean." You moan, not getting anything from her as you stare deeply into the tiny crescent. You smile again and not much of anything to the moon. It listens for what it's worth, and the cool breeze of the night keeps you comfortable and relaxed. If you had any normal friends, they'd call this a, "curious quirk" and smile sheepishly.

"Good evening Y/n-kun." Of course instead you have a friend like Kanae who couldn't find it more lovely that you have befriended the moon.

"Huh, I didn't think Ibuki-Chan would have found you that fast." You said, turning to Kanae.

"Actually, I'd wish you could let up on the poor thing. When I found her she thought she was staring into the pond but was just perched on one of the stones around the pond looking at the floor." You chuckled to yourself, but made sure to recover before you upset Kanae, truly a fate worse than death.

"Yeah, she tells me that too. Guess I'm outvoted." You shrug and step closer.

"I hope you took more into consideration than a mental ballot." She gave you a pouty frown that only ever come out for you. But even so, you could tell there was more to how she was feeling past you're usual fun banter. She seemed tense, her breath wasn't as uniform as you'd come to expect from all hashira. Her footing was heavy, and despite her pearly complexion, you could see the sleep she hasn't gotten under her eyes. Once you got the full picture you decided to get serious and pivoted so quick even Kanae would get taken off guard.

"You're worried about Shinobu-chan right?" Kanae gave you a shocked look before closing her eyes to compose herself, when she looked at you once more she seemed to barely keep herself from crying. Her hands, having previously been crossed over her pelvis, now came up as if to pray before she slowly stepped up to you and rested her head on your chest and sobbed with her fist resting on either side of her head on your chest.

~3 days ago~

You and Shinobu had been taken to the yard where two men wearing Hyotokko masks, each with long thin packages, one much longer than the others. Neither of you were surprised by this, having ordered yours a month in advanced and shinobu expecting a more mass produced nichirin for the initiation. You were even given a choice of ore and allowed to specify the order. Yours was an order for a recognized demon slayer. This didn't discourage Shinobu though, as when she received the package from the one smith with the single normal blade, she'd inspected it, sighed and respectfully thanked the man who stayed just long enough to see the blade turn the lightest shade of periwinkle in her hand.

You had sat under the tree, appreciating the shade even with the small rays that make their way to you. Of course it was the top of the morning and there was no way to mistake the other man in on the Hyotokko mask with the present longer than the man holding it. Luckier yet, the man in the comical attire, sat right in front of you, near-sighted who?