Character Thoughts

"Character Dialogue"

_ = Changes in Scene


Chapter 2 - Awakening

A cold winter's breeze swept across the lifeless area. Bodies littered and forgotten. A home close to total collapse. A family destroyed. The ghostly atmosphere felt suffocating as large amounts of snow were stained with still crimson blood. Amidst this all, a green haori fluttered underneath its wearer. The boy, a pale white, lay face down with parts of his haori and clothing missing, showing painful reminders of his injuries in the form of giant, deep scars.

Suddenly, the boy's hand twitched, the claw-like nails crunching the snow as they quickly moved. Soon, other parts of the boy's body began to twitch, his feet, head, arms, body. Until his eyes shot open revealing a pair of deep red slitted eyes, as they opened so did his mouth showing the fangs in his teeth. Digging his hands into the snow, he gingerly picked himself out of the snow, his eyes wearily looking at the snow as he did.

Sniffing the air, he stopped, his gaze turning toward the pile of corpses nearby, ignoring the body next to him. The aroma was intoxicating, his mouth watering profusely as he stared at the bodies. In a sudden dash of energy he had attempted to jump over but upon trying to he fell over, the pain across his body acting like a prison to his movement. Acknowledging this, he began to crawl over his hunger becoming more and more unbearable that his mind began to become foggy.

Upon reaching them, he grabbed an arm covered in a lime and black chequered haori. As he put more pressure onto it something dropped out of the sleeve, a pair of sweets. His eyes lay fixated on the sweets, his hunger temporarily abated as his mind continued to ponder on them. Familiar… Don't know… What feeling? He attempted to think as his mind began to become more foggy and his hunger redoubled, quickly shooting his gaze back to arm in his hand.

"Tanjirou!" An aged voice shouted, causing him to stop in his tracks. Name… Familiar… What is name? He mumbled to himself as his gaze turned slowly to see a black haired male staring at him mortified at what he saw. "No…" He muttered in despair as the smell they gave off was unavoidable, it made thinking even more difficult. It was only after the man tried shuffling backward that he pounced on him, closing his eyes and sinking his teeth into the man's arm as the man screamed.

Feeling the relief of the blood flowing down his body lifted the cloud in his mind as he saw everything clearly. Reopening his eyes, he looked at the man and then to what was in his mouth. In his shock, he released his grip and retreated from him, blood still running down his mouth. At the same time, the man reopened his eyes, feeling the boy jump off him as he stared at the scared slit of the boy's eyes.

Smiling slightly, he wrapped his arm with a torn piece of his haori, a result of the bite, to prevent the blood loss getting worse. "Tanjirou… Is that you my boy?" He asked desperately, as the boy seemed to recoil slightly, holding his head in discomfort. But once his eyes met the brown of his, he saw his mouth quiver.

"N-N-ame?" He uttered in a broken croaky voice as he began to cough violently much to the man's disbelief. Recovering slightly he saw the man get up and look away, to what lay behind him. Choosing to look there as well, he turned his head as he saw the bodies scatter across the area. Noticing the designs of the haori being similar to his, he assumed that they must have been people he knew.

Getting up slowly, he painfully trudged over and knelt next to the group of dead, focusing on the objects that had fallen loose from two of the bodies. A book. Sweets. Grasping his head again, his mind spun as broken visions of these people flashed in his mind. "S-Shi-gu-ru… H-Ha-nako" He muttered, coughing again, with his vocal cords feeling like rough sandpaper. Unbeknownst to him, a tear began to fall down his face. "Fa-Family" He whispered to himself as he suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

As the old man approached the burgundy-haired boy, he saw clearly the streams of tears falling from his eyes, the ravenous eyes he'd seen before showing the total despair and tragedy that he knew Tanjirou would feel. "I'm glad you're back to your senses my boy." He spoke in relief, gripping Tanjirou's grief-stricken attention as his eyes soon glanced at the man's arm and looked away in guilt. "Think nothing of it Tanjirou, we must first bury them. Then we can grieve." He spoke with sincerity, with him now standing above the crouched boy with a hand extended toward him.

As Tanjirou gripped it and was pulled up, his legs looked unstable and wobbled when he stood up but was supported by the kind man. "Saburo-s-san" The last Kamado muttered, gaining an appreciative look from Saburo. As Tanjirou steadied himself, Saburo had acquired a pair of shovels from the nearby furnace as he stuck them into the ground.

"Where would be best?" Saburo asked with regret, appreciating the tragic decision he asked of the boy. Tanjirou meanwhile glanced at a sword on the ground, near to where he woke up. Walking over and grabbing it, a sombre look plastered itself onto his face as he sadly smiled at the remains of his family.

"G-Gather… Ne-ed to pre-prepare" Tanjirou requested, resulting in him coughing harshly as he did before. As he went around the back of the home and out of sight. Nodding at the request, Saburo carefully gathered the dead with respect and sorrow as he closed the eyes of everyone one of them.

After a few minutes, he'd gathered all but one, Kie. He'd frantically searched the area but to avail and he dared not venture too far as he did not want to leave the boy alone, not after everything he'd just gone through. It was by this thought he'd waited. For minutes longer he waited until Tanjirou reappeared from behind the house as picked up the youngest.

"R-Rokuta" He whispered in misery, as he hesitantly gestured to follow him. As they turned the corner Saburo was met with a large stack of wood deep within a large hole in the ground. As he jumped down and placed the boy there he softly stroked his hair as he jumped back out, trudging back to repeat the process with the rest of his siblings.

After a final few, longer, painful, gut-wrenching minutes did all his siblings lie atop the wooden planks. As he looked toward the elder man with confusion, he uttered "I couldn't find her, I'm sorry Tanjirou." A quick look of sadness prevailed further but he slowly nodded his head as he turned his head back toward the hole in the ground. With tears reflowing down his face, he turned his head toward the ceremonial torches that lay hidden below the home and grabbed one lighting it with a match.

Taking one last look at his family, witnessing broken pieces of his memories rear themselves to the forefront of his mind, wincing but smiling at the smiles he could make out. Dipping the torch to the wood below, the stack caught a blaze as the flames slowly crawled up toward the bodies atop. Over an agonisingly long hour, the flame consumed and burned in the hole until only ash remained.

This long hour was completely silent, Tanjirou watching the whole time as his loved ones were released to their new lives. Free from this world as it is now. Turning around, toward the pair of shelves left by the furnace he'd trudged over and began to cover the hole once he returned. Saburo quickly catching on did the same, soon filling the hole and creating a haunting silence.

Dropping to his knees, his persistent crying became audible. His tears flowed like waterfalls as he looked aimlessly toward the freshly covered dirt before him. Coming to his side, Saburo wrapped his arm around the Kamado as Tanjirou desperately embraced him, all the while Saburo attempted to consoul the boy on his loss.

When eventually he began to compose himself, Tanjirou began to ponder on the fate of his mother. Did she escape? Is she alive?, being chief among them as the Saburo could clearly see the cautious optimism in his eyes. "As much as I would love for her to be alive, I find it very unlikely my boy." Saburo uttered quietly, his tone as delicate as he could make for the delicate emotions of the boy before him. Seeing the slump upon hearing this, guilt set in but he quickly reassured himself that this was for the best. Better to destroy false hope before it comes back to hurt him.

Getting up slowly he walked back toward the entrance to his home with a mournful glare. The damage to the home was like it was cut with a hot knife. Large parts of the exterior structure lay in ruins leaving the interior exposed to the harsh cold. "First we must find a way for you to survive." Saburo interjected, looking again at the boy's intense stare, but grabbing his attention nonetheless. "How do you want to do this, Tanjirou?" he further questioned, leaving the Kamado dumbstruck.

Out of the blue, Tanjirou's nose began to scrunch as he spun around, as did Saburo. Growling, he glared at the pair before him. On his left stood a woman in an elegant flower kimono and large, pupil-less lavender eyes, her brown hair split and placed in a bun behind her head, held together by a floral hairpin. On his right stood a young boy around his age, his cyan slitted eyes glared at him with indifference as his white haori calmly flapped in the gentle breeze of the area, revealing his button-up shirt and hakama trousers.

Noticing her eyes trail toward the crimson snow and then to the hole in the boy's attire, her eyes fell with despair. This reaction, while not affecting her accomplice, did cause Tanjirou to lower his guard, seeing and smelling the genuine sadness radiating off of her. "I am so sorry for your loss." She gently expressed, placing her hand to her chest and dipping her head slightly as she spoke.

Saburo, meanwhile, looked with complete confusion. He could tell they were demons, especially the young boy. How on earth did they find this place and how were they so… Human? He worriedly thought, his cautious glare clearly showing the distrust he felt. On the other hand, Tanjirou was beginning to lower his guard more and more. The absence of any negativity directed toward him put him at ease from any level of confrontation. However, Tanjirou was still cautious of these strangers, their timing was poor to say the least.

"Why… H-Here?" Tanjirou croaked out, shocking the demonic pair in front of him. The woman was awestruck for a few moments before her gaze turned toward the bloody snow, bitter and resentful. Her assistance, raised an eyebrow in shock, maintaining his composure much better.

"I'm afraid it is for assistance." She muttered with a slight hint of shame, masked by her now determined posture. Saburo and Tanjirou, on the other hand, looked at her with confusion. Why now? They both thought to themselves, Tanjirou being the more irritated of the two as he narrowed at the request. His mind began to feel a tight pull, soon after, toward his right, a painful knot forming in his stomach. Saliva built up in his mouth as his hand started to shake, both in rage and in hungered pain.

The woman all the while stared at the boy with ever-increasing caution, ready to leap in to save the human among them. The slight drool escaping his mouth, his pupils dilating and hands viciously shaking. Tanjirou, much to everyone's surprise, dropped to the ground, his hand viciously as if mentally holding himself back. Veins on his head bulged as his mouth let out a predatory growl.

Slowly approaching the struggling boy, the woman crouched down to be eye level with him. Her pupiless serene eyes fiercely contrasted the agonising hunger of Tanjirou's cat-like eyes. Reaching into her kimono, she pulled out a vial containing a large quantity of blood. Unable to control himself, Tanjirou snatched the vial and quickly emptied it within a second.

With large, labour breaths he slowly contained himself as he could feel that pull slowly fade from his mind. Meeting the woman's sympathetic gaze he suddenly embraced her, his grip desperate yet delicate as her assistant looked mortified and Saburo looked on with relief. The woman simply returned the gesture with a kind smile, "Think nothing of it, I wouldn't wish hunger upon anyone other than Muzan." She quietly spoke to the boy, as Tanjirou felt both appreciation and hidden, suppressed anger.

After they'd stood across each other, moments later, her assistant all the while glaring daggers into Tanjirou's heart, a peaceful silence fell upon the clearing. "I am Tamayo and this is my assistant Yushiro. I am a doctor for humans and I aim to rid the world of Kibutsuji Muzan." She introduced herself as Saburo slowly returned to Tanjirou's side, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder in comfort.

"My name is Saburo and he is Kamado Tanjirou" Saburo introduced in kind, the looks exchanged between both parties respectful and kind, all the while Tanjirou held a large level of guilt whilst being next to Saburo. "As I said before Tanjirou, think nothing of it. That is, and will never be you." Saburo reassured the boy, but it did little to abate his anxiety.

Tamayo slowly crouched down to Tanjirou again, her gaze nostalgically pained. "It was never easy resisting the urges. But we must be better than that, right?" She began, as Tanjirou gaze dropped in shame, his posture slumping at the words. "Luckily, I have a treatment that can help in that regard. Something that I have done to myself and to Yushiro." She continued, peaking Tanjirou's attention as his eyes desperately pleaded for that release.

"I-I don't w-w-want to hurt people" Tanjirou muttered out, his voice still gritty and dry but more fluid than before. As Tamayo placed a stern hand on the boy's shoulder, he flinched a little, Saburo being alarmed at the sudden change in tone.

"I'm afraid I have no permanent solution for you, Tanjirou. That is for you to promise yourself." Tamayo spoke with regret, as she saw the thought-driven gaze Tanjirou now held. "I am attempting to find a cure for demons. In doing so, ending Muzan once and for all." Tamayo passionately said, her stern determination capturing the minds of those around her.

"How?" Tanjirou muttered, his tone also serious and now attentive.

Tamayo, on the other hand, held a guilty and humiliated look in her eyes. "I need the blood of Muzan, more specifically his demon moons." She uttered, causing Tanjirou and Saburo to look at her with slight confusion and also anxious anticipation. "The demon moons are the most powerful demons known to exist currently. They hold the greatest amounts of Muzan's blood aside from Muzan himself and are therefore extremely dangerous." She continued with caution, her expressions were serious as she paused, taking a deep breath as she composed herself.

"What I am asking of you to collect it. If you choose not to, I understand. I-" She began as she was interrupted by Tanjirou. "I'll d-do it. Need time. Training. Solitude" Tanjirou spoke, his eyes looking focused and determined as Tamayo looked at him with appreciation as well as her overriding guilt.

"Thank you Tanjirou. I can perform the operation now, if you wish." Tamayo suggested as Tanjirou quickly nodded almost as if his life depended upon it.


Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.

Welp, after a lot of procrastinating it is done and I hope it showed the characters in the way intended. Trying to create build up was a lot harder than I had previously thought so any level of feedback would be appreciated.

In addition, if you ever wanted to chat to me without having to use Wattpad or comment channels you can join my discord ( /rQn2Ar7y)

Stay safe and I hope to see you in the next chapter and beyond.