Hazy view

Asa’s outlet for her nervous energy during geyna’s final selection was cooking. any kind of cooking. sweets, savory foods, breakfasts, mitsuri came over a lot that week with the excuse of training with gyomei.

“it's just- so good Asa-san!” mitsuri said, taking another bite of the weird American dish Asa had found in a book. she could only assume it was some sort of dessert since there was so much sugar in the recipe.

“i’m glad you think so mitsuri-sama.” Asa replied, she was stirring so hard the handle on the whisk was splintering. mitsuri frowned “noooooo- you should call me mitsuri-san at least! or just no honorific at alll.” the hashira whined.

Asa released some pressure off the whisk, “i’m sorry mitsuri-sama but i’d prefer to keep the honorific, i use it as a sign of respect, and i respect you a lot.” she apologized, smiling a little.

“eep! so cute and kind about shutting me down!” mitsuri thought blushing a bit. “mmmm- i respect you too Asa-san! but i’m not calling you -sama!! that's too formal for me, okay?” the girl kicked her legs around a bit as she talked.

asa laughed a bit, her stirring much calmer than before, “alright mitsuri-sama.”

———————
“Asa-sama! the haze hashira!”
“-!! please don't say things like that, that sounds like too much pressure mitsuri-sama.”
“whaaaat, you don't wanna be hashira together???”
———————

Asa sat outside the estates gate waiting anxiously to see any sign of geyna. gyomei was inside the estate waiting a bit calmer, mostly just praying for the boys safety.

when she saw the shadow of the boy walking over the horizon she perked up, she waited as patiently as she could but stood as he got closer.

he sighed at the sight, “i’m home,” he called, still walking

“welcome home!” she called back, happy to see the boy in the best health he could be in.

“you got food?” he said once he made it to the gate. he did look thin.

“we have so much food.” she responded happily.

———————

three weeks after geyna’s final selection Asa was back at the butterfly estate with a summoning from shinobu herself.

“you need extra help?”

“mm, now that kanao has her own missions to attend too we have a few things that aren't being done, of course this won't be permanent.” shinobu wrapped another slayers arm as she spoke, “it would just be when you had free time.”

Asa didn't really have to think, a hashira asked her to do something and she cared a lot about shinobu, “sure shinobu-sama, whatever you need i can do.” she replied happy to have work.

———————

the work kept up, on Asa’s down time she would go to the butterfly mansion and do whatever shinobu needed. whether that be sweeping, organizing, or patching up the injured.

every so often another hashira would be there either paying shinobu a visit or getting scolded by the girl for getting too banged up.

some days though mitsuri would come to gossip while they worked.

today was one of those days.

she would talk about whatever she heard from the lower ranks, other hashira (mostly from uzui), or even from the crows.

“i heard there was a young slayer carrying a demon with him!” she said while folding clothes,”carrying a demon? why on earth would he be doing that?”

the girl just shrugged ”don't know, but he sounds interesting right? maybe it's a family member?” Asa only hummed in response while folding bed sheets.

“i also heard about a whole demon mountain! sounds scary right? i bet you would protect me though Asa!” mitsuri fakely shuddered in fear.

“i’d do whatever you require mitsuri-sama, although it may end up being the other way around.” Asa laughed a bit at the thought of mitsuri cowering behind her.

“mmm, well anyways there was this other thing!-”

the girl droned on with her gossip as they folded clothes, but the talk kept going even to their other chores.

Asa was having fun though, she appreciated mitsuri and her seemingly endless amounts of topics to talk about.

but… a demon slayer carrying around a demon? even when mitsuri said it with such an excited tone, Asa couldn't help from being scared for the people around them.

———————

Asa was soon told to head to the mountain mitsuri had talked about only a few days before. Asa, shinobu, kanao were called to the mountain and they went without complaint.

it was mostly quiet on their journey there, running and jumping on trees had the three occupied. though Asa still didn't know how anyone could run on a tree.

when they arrived kanao ran off to defeat as many demons as possible, and Asa decided to stick close incase Shinobu needed anything. there were many slayers who had gotten poisoned, the two had to treat them as fast as possible.

one boy with yellow hair was one of the only sensible ones and controlled the poison with total concentration. though she couldn't help but be weirded out while he whispered to himself.

they ran farther ahead after he was treated, the strangest part was there weren't demons. just infected slayers.

the two treated as many as possible and left them for the kakushi.

———————

they broke into a clearing and giyuu was there?? shinobu went to behead the demon the man was standing over and he… blocked it.

“oh? why are you getting in the way tomioka?” the girl flipped out of the way and landed gracefully, Asa kept running and slid to a stop next to her. “hmm- i remember you saying we can't get along with demons, but what's this all about?”

the man didn't respond so shinobu pressed on, “if you do this, everyone will hate you.”

…
…
…

“i- am not hated.” he spoke softly.

“oh. i apologize, i thought you had realized you were. pardon me for saying to much.” shinobu.. apologized?

“um shinobu- i don't think, uhh,” Asa couldn't seem to form a sentence, “giyuu-sama i appreciate your company enough.” She settled on trying to make the man feel better.

shinobu looked at Asa like the woman had just stabbed her. “of course! i- i appreciate your company more shinobu-sama!” Asa said hurriedly.

while Asa was apologizing giyuu had the boy start running, though he wasn't very fast. “Asa i will get onto you more later, go after the boy.”

“yes!”

———————

as Asa reached out to grab the boy kanao jumped down onto his back, Asa could barely stop still slightly knocking into kanao.

The boy told the demon to start running and the two tsugukos started to chase

but..

why was this little demon so fast?? Asa and kanao ran side by side trying to just do some damage but soon the girl was too far ahead to reach. “kanao! i have an idea, you willing to try something out?”

the girl whipped out the coin she always carried and impressively flipped it while running. it landed on tails which seemed to be the right answer.

“what's the idea, Asa-san?” the girl asked neutrally.

“i’m going to give you a little boost, when i say go push off my hands okay?” Asa tried her best to explain but Kanao seemed to understand well enough.

Asa sheathed her sword and then counted to three “go!” she shouted, kanao pushed off her hands and was boosted nearly all the way to the demon girl but before she could behead her, “CAW! MESSAGE MESSAGE! RESTRAIN THOSE KNOWN AS TANJIRO AND NEZUKO, BRING THEM TO HEADQUARTERS! CAW!”

kanao landed right on her face behind the demon girl.”shit! kanao!! are you okay? i’m so sorry!” Asa ran up to the girl and started apologizing profusely before kanao got up and showed a single thumbs up as a response.

the demon girl had stopped running as well. Asa uncomfortably stared at her “nezuko?” she asked. the demon girl seemed to look into Asa’s soul and then nodded happily.

“um… i’m picking you up now.” Asa stated, though it sounded more like a question. The woman walked up to nezuko and picked her up by the back of her collar like a cat.

what the hell was happening with these kids??

———————

“That boy was very eccentric!” rengoku laughed while drinking the tea Asa gave him. “He headbutted shinazugawa-san into submission and even made sure him and his demon sister weren't sentenced to death!”

…headbutted into submission?? is that all Asa had to do to get the man to listen to her? “I can see you're thinking hard Asa! shinazugawa-san was very mad and almost killed the boy so i wouldn't recommend headbutting him!” he seemed to speak from experience.

Asa still wasn't the biggest fan of tanjiro and his demon, but anyone who headbutts a shinazugawa can't be horrible.

“OH! Asa-san! I will be going on a mission very soon and may not be seeing you for some time. I wanted to visit before I had to leave!” Rengoku said, voice booming louder than usual.

Asa looked to him “oh.. would you like to spar then?” she asked, she was disappointed she would be seeing her friend for some time.

before she could get too sad he smiled widely “You know me so well Asa-san!” he laughed happily.

13-20

——————— tanjiro POV:o? ———————

miss shinobu was finally releasing them! she had to check his jaw for the last time, it was mostly healed but it was still sore.

he took the time of my check up to ask about the dance of the fire god, she knew nothing! but apparently the flame hashira may be able to help!

at last though! time to depart!

oh? someone is coming?

someone turned the corner and bumped right into tanjiro’s shoulder before continuing without saying a word, he even dodged him on purpose! before the boy could talk someone else whipped around the corner and took him by surprise.

“Genya!” the woman called “it is not nice to bump into people, you need to not start fights on purpose!” she was even taller than the boy she was talking to (woah!)

and as she caught up to him she turned back and clasped her hands together “sorry tanjiro-san he’s not the best at being… nice” she apologized then turned back hurriedly to catch up once again with the boy. “genya!”

he could hear the boy screaming about how she didn't need to apologize to me.. ouch

wait… just now that was the guy from final selection! and the lady from the spider forest!

he grew so much in such a short amount of time… and wasn't she friends with pillars? that must be how she knew his name!!

wait tanjiro didn't get to wish them well! ahh that was so rude of him. :(

tanjiro had a feeling he would've been ignored by genya anyway.

———————

Asa could not believe how bratty genya was! maybe she need to pay that tanjiro kid to headbutt him. “genya!” she yelled rounding the corner after apologizing to the boy, “i cannot believe how rude you were! just because you got a growth spurt does not mean you get to be an asshole!!”

“YOU DON'T NEED TO APOLOGIZE TO HIM! HE ALMOST BROKE MY ARM SO HE CAN ROT!”

wow okay.

“you were probably being a little piece of shit!” she hissed back. he made a face like he lost.

he did lose.

“go get your check up you brat.” she sighed, annoyed with the boy.

he grumbled but (thankfully) did as she said.

Asa quickly walked past his little room he waited in to get shinobu. but she could not for the life of her find the girl. at some point she wanted to give up until she saw the her walk out of the storage space.

the same storage space she received her haori. she could see something in the girls hand but she called for the girl as to not startle her.

“shinobu-sama!”

it still startled her

“oh! Asa,” she hid whatever she had behind her back, “did you manage to get genya here?” she asked composing herself quickly.

“yes! he's in his room ready for you to check up on him.” she responded, stepping to walk beside her. “tanjiro-san and his friends are leaving today, right?” Asa asked.

“hmm, those boys are out on a mission with rengoku-san.” shinobu responded softly,

Asa hummed, she didn't say anything but she would have loved to go on rengoku’s mission as well. missions with him were always fun.

they got to the room genya was in and shinobu hesitated, Asa knew she hid whatever she had in her sleeve so when the girl went to reach for it Asa was a bit scared of what she had.

but it was just cloth holding something. Shinobu hesitated again, “um- kanae wanted to give you something after your final selection.”

shinobu’s eyes gave nothing away but her voice cracked a bit, “obviously she couldn't but- i wanted you to have it anyway. i apologize it took me this long to get it to you, i had been looking for it for ages.”

she unfolded the cloth carefully to reveal a hairpin, it looked to be untouched nichirin. it was a simple sharp ‘v’ shape but it was beautifully crafted.

Asa covered her mouth, silent as she looked at the hairpin.

“she wanted you to have options, so in the case of your dao breaking or being lost, you could use this.” she handed the cloth to Asa.

The woman took it and held it like glass, slowly she touched it and it turned the gray-green color her sword was. she almost cried over it but she held it in best she could.

“thank you” She spoke, voice cracking just as bad as shinobu’s.

shinobu only nodded, she regained her composure and went in to check on genya.

Asa looked back at the hairpin and smiled, she started walking to one of the outside areas of the estate to watch the sun set and wait on genya.

———————
“is Asa-san okay?”
“i don't know how would i know?”
“she looks like she could eat some food!”
———————

the door behind her slid open, she turned her head expecting genya but kiyo, sumi, and naho stood there instead.

they held a platter full of rice balls, “oh, hi girls! what are those for?” Asa said, still holding the hair pin. “to make you feel better silly!” “mhmmhm!” “you looked like you needed some food to cheer you up!”

Asa look back at the rice balls, she didn't want to eat but she couldn't turn them away, “ahh alright,” she sighed “only if the three of you share with me.”

It couldn't help to have the girls there while waiting on genya. and it really didn't because when he roughly opened the door outside the girls scolded him for being so rough with it, they then had him sit and eat with them.

———————
“genya get up, we have to get back to the estate.”
“I can't…”
“what?”
“my legs.. are asleep.”
———————

Asa received the news while she was finishing a mission. she was still mostly in the loop of kakushi drama, but it was only rumored that rengoku was injured during his latest mission.

but her crow soon dropped to her shoulder after a mission that bled into the morning and cried out “caw!! the flame hashira rengoku-sama has perished in battle! caw!”

what?

he couldn't have died, he's a hashira, but also he’s him?

she couldn't imagine a world where rengoku died but suddenly that far off world seemed to crash into her. rengoku wouldn't come back for tea or a spar. she wouldn't hear his booming laughter. and she would never be comforted by his strong presence on the battlefield again.

“i need to go back to the stone estate.” was all she could mumble before dismissing her crow and racing off to get back to her home.

she broke into the estate right past midday “gyomei!” she called out, Asa heard her response and ran to the kitchen. gyomei and uzui were there standing on either side of the main table they had.

“i see you’ve received the news Asa.” gyomei rubbed his prayer beads like his life depended on it. “rengoku will be missed, i will make sure to make his funeral goes out with a bang.” uzui said, completely genuinely.

Asa sighed at the difference in emotional range in one room “yes gyomei, i heard the news, i’m devastated, i wish i was there myself to aid.” the woman wasn't lying she was horrified she wouldn't see her friend again.

uzui made a face like she was the stupidest girl in the world. “you would've surely died as well Asa.” he turned back to gyomei, “it was for the best you not be there to get in the way.”

Asa could not stand that man for much longer. uzui turned back to the now annoyed Asa, “i need you for a future mission by the way, it will not be for sometime but I'm letting you know earlier on.”

“uzui-sama why on earth would i do that when we can do nothing except argue about anything we talk about?” Asa spoke and uzui looked offended.

to much emotional range for a man who just found out he lost a friend.

“i need you to speak about this to me later, i just found out rengoku-sama died a couple hours ago and i need time without talking about demon slaying to adjust.”

uzui scoffed “not talk about our job? what else do we talk about?”

Asa didn't respond and started walking to her room. she could hear uzui’s offended squawks along the way.

she ended up sleeping for two days straight.

———————

when she did wake up she made the trek to the rengoku house. her next mission was two weeks away and then after that uzui wanted to drag her to who knows where.

when she knocked on the door, rengoku's little brother opened it, he looked scared to see her but they had only met a few times before when mitsuri was still in training.

“senjuro-kun,” Asa bowed “i came to offer my condolences and see if you or your father needed help with anything.” she offered quietly.

senjuro bowed back, “Asa-san, it's nice to see you again, and thank you very much.” he opened the door wider as an invitation inside. “honestly, without kyojuro there's not much to do.” he hesitated “though if you could help clean some higher places i would be grateful.”

she smiled, “i would be happy to, senjuro-kun.”

———————

kyojuro didn't have a big funeral.

Oyakata-sama (and his family), the hashira, senjuro, and the two tsuguko came to bid him farewell and good luck in the afterlife.

Asa didn't think he needed luck. he never did, typically things just seemed to go in his favor.

she was sure the same would happen now.

———————

with the two weeks up, she was going on a mission with the youngest hashira to date.

muichiro tokito was a strange boy, his resting state seemed to be an aloof forgetfulness he couldn't get rid of, but sometimes Asa would say something and it's like a switch would flip and he would look at her like she was the sun.

so, he was a strange boy, but strong and she respected him a lot. she couldn't help it when her breathing style was half of his.

so when they met up at the butterfly estate to travel to a mission she couldn't help but be a bit excited. they never really talked unless necessary, but the two of them got work done efficiently without words.

from what Asa heard this mission would be in the trees.

almighty Buddha why'd it have to be trees?

Asa and muichiro stopped to eat dinner at a village near the forest and Asa had to convince the people they bought food from the two were…. performers.. for a traveling entertainment group…

it loosely worked

tokito, the poor boy, looked like he believed Asa for about two seconds until he most likely forgot again.

or remembered they were demon slayers.

going into the forest that night wasn't as bad as Asa thought it would be. she still hated fighting in trees but she could at least tolerate it for the mission.

as they walked further the two realized too late they were slowly getting lost and the fog was getting thicker, Asa could only assume it was from a demon.

muichiro drew his sword and Asa followed his lead. her dao felt comforting in her hands as she looked around the foggy forest.

she looked deeper into the forest, eyes stared back.

the two demon slayers moved fast, both breathing and calling out their techniques as they cut down a few small harpy-like demons.

the fog did not disburse, it almost seemed to get thicker.

muichiro flicked his sword, “those weren't the main demons then.” Asa hummed “it can never be simple, can it?” she added on the question, mostly to herself, but the boy nodded in agreement.

muichiro looked up at her, “are you okay to go farther in?” he asked, “yes of course tokito-sama, why wouldn't i be?”

“you don't like fighting in trees.” he responded simply, looking back into the forest, he started walking in like he never even asked.

the strangest part was she can't remember when she might have told the boy she didn't like fighting in trees. she shook off the thought and followed the boy closely.

they had to behead many more small demons before they found a thick layer of fog, they had been walking for a while so Asa could only assume they were near the middle of the forest.

though that didn't matter because the two slayers knew the demon was most likely in there. they poked around the shell like fog. before Asa spoke up with a plan.

“let's attack on both sides, i bet the fog will be weaker if it's attacked in multiple ways..” muichiro slowly nodded, “sure Asa-san.” the boy stalked to the other side and Asa in took a breath preparing to attack.

“haze breathing first form:”

“mist breathing second form:”

“distant justice.”

“eight-layered mist.”

the two attack simultaneously, Asa performing a powerful stab on her side, and muichiro cutting into the mist. they heard a sickly cry come from the mist as it shot out and disbursed.

muichiro immediately ran to behead the demon as Asa regained her balance from the shock wave and went to aid him as much as possible.

anytime muichiro would be pushed back by the misty shockwaves Asa would shoot in and do as much damage as she could. “the demon is getting weaker!” Asa called out.

muichiro knew that, he could feel the shock waves pushing him back less.

as Asa went to try and attack again the demon changed it's strategy by swinging it's gnarled hand out, trying to hit anything it could. Asa jumped too far back to dodge and slammed into a tree.

oh yeah. that's why she hated fighting in forests.

as it stalked towards her Asa tightened the grip of her sword and whipped her chain blindly while trying to even out her breaths.

the demon towered over her,

“mist breathing”

she held her chain tightly ready to protect herself.

“fourth form: shifting flow slash.”

dust rained down on the girl and muichiro now replaced the demon, he held his hand out “come on Asa-san, there's no need to be on the ground.”

she huffed out a now even breath and took his hand hauling herself up. “are you hurt anywhere, tokito-sama?” he shook his head “i should be asking you that, um…”

oh. he forgot the question.

“my back will bruise but I'm not especially injured tokito-sama.” she responded anyway. “i’ll talk to the kakushi when the get here. we don't know how many bodies could be in this forest.”

he nodded then called his crow over to report the mission success.

———————

as night crept into morning the kakushi arrived slowly, she would report to any that came up to her, though none seemed to want to get close to muichiro.

poor kid.

“tokito-sama!” Asa called over to the boy, he stared at her for a few seconds before deciding to actually walk in her direction. “let's get breakfast together before heading our separate ways, does that sound okay?” she asked.

his crow, the little bastard, nipped at Asa’s hair and called her ugly before muichiro could respond, but he gave his crow a look then turned to Asa “sure.”

sometimes simple is best. they made sure the kakushi were alright before leaving and they went to a nearby village, thankfully a different one than before.

muichiro nearly tried paying but Asa put a stop to that.

finally they parted ways, muichiro nearly looked sad when they departed. Asa could only assume he forgot his sadness soon after.

———————

uzui ambushed her at the butterfly estate and quite literally wrestled Asa all the way to the sound estate. so similar to every other interaction she had with the man it was unpleasant.

she was forced to listen to his “brilliant” idea of how to kill this demon in the red light district for his mission. send in his wives and Asa to infiltrate three houses he narrowed down.

“why do i have to go if it's three houses?” asa spoke up after he was done elaborately explaining his, frankly horrific, plan.

he smiled, “because….”

he didn't have a reason

“my intuition said so! and i’m a hashira, i’m sure my flaboyant mind would not steer me wrong!” he laughed loudly, more proud of his quick thinking than his terrible plan.

Asa sighed, she cannot decline the man, no matter how badly she wanted to. “i’ll come uzui-sama, do whatever you need to have this demon dead.” she said like she had a choice in the matter.

“wonderful! now Asa, why don't you stay for dinner!” he said loudly.

what

———————
“Asa, your hair is beautiful!”
“You should come to dinner more often!”
“You sure you don't want to be Tengen-sama’s fourth?”
———————

they set off for the mission a few days after Asa regretfully ate dinner with the hashira and his wives.

now, the women were very nice but they were.. a bit to loud for Asa’s taste. and they would not let her help with anything in the kitchen! she just had to sit at the table and listen to uzui talk.

it’s okay now, the mission now took priority in her mind. the other thing taking priority? trying to avoid uzui putting horrific makeup on her.

she didn't see what he did Suma-san but she actually started crying it off. so yeah Asa was avoiding him like the plague and opted to do her own makeup before he could touch her.

but the issue was, she had never done her own makeup, the only thing close to her doing her own was when she was seven and put red lipstick on her mother.

so instead she sheepishly went to hinatsuru.

“um, pardon me hinatsuru-san,” she knocked on the wall where the wives were sitting, doing their makeup without uzui. “could one of you.. please um.” she pressed her lips in a thin line.

Asa was embarrassed to ask for help, but makio saw how nervous the woman was and spoke up, “c’mere Asa-san i’ll do your makeup for you.” she patted a spot on the floor next to her.

Asa blushed, mostly from embarrassment, and went to sit in front of makio. “you're pretty tan Asa so there's not a lot i can do to cover blemishes but i can make you look good enough in the dark.”

Makio smirked.

Asa smiled nervously.

———————

As they walked through the district asa stuck close to makio, she might have been the loudest but Asa was okay with that. less creepy men came up to her that way.

that's how they were “sold” as well. makio and asa in the ogimoto house, suma in the tokito house, and hinatsuru kyougoku house.

every other night the four women would meet and write down everything into letters for uzui. well, hinatsuru or makio would have to write Asa’s. even with the elder women in the house trying to educate her, Asa couldn't pick up how to actually write. she gave up pretty quickly after learning how to read basic words.

she was going about her normal day, talking to the younger girls, checking the darker areas of the house, going to makio’s room..

and oh there were ribbons shooting out at her. she didn't have her sword. she was going to-

the ribbon wrapped around her and the last thing she heard was makio’s muffled call out for her.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
taisho era secrets!-

- Asa now goes to the rengoku household to help clean when she can, her schedule is getting pretty busy!

- The lie Asa told about her and muichiro being traveling performers still fades in and out of the boy's mind, sometimes he's convinced he lost her on the way to a venueᓫ(°⌑°)ǃ

- makio wasn't kidding when she said Asa was tan, the wife wasn't sure how someone could spend so much time outside.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★