Warning(s): Slight rape, self-deprecating,

Muzan stood before his subordinates, A small light brown-skinned girl hiding behind his legs. "I have something to announce," He paused and looked at all of his subordinates and then glanced at the girl. She flinched but started to shuffle from behind him. The demon's noses felt like they were burning. The child smelled of flames but the fire never went out. "U-um.."

She stammered. Daki felt a tick mark appear on her forehead as she was ready for the meeting to be over so she could go back to doing what she was doing. She wanted to yell at her to just spit it out but didn't want to upset Muzan. "M-my name.." The girl swallowed nervously. She turned to look at Muzan who gave her a nod of approval. "M-my name is Mao.."

She bowed down. "Pleasure to meet you all," She greeted. Her voice sounded broken, unused. She seemed to be afraid. Not of them, but that she'd fail Muzan like how she'd failed her mother. Her mother ran from her.

Who ran from the monster she'd become. They all sensed her fear. That she wouldn't be enough. That Muzan would leave her. He'd run from the monster she is. She felt a gentle hand be placed on her back. "Don't feel like you need to force yourself little one, your wounds are still healing."

Akaza felt his chest tighten hearing the word 'wounds'. "Master!" He called out. Muzan turned his gaze to Akaza who was still bowing. "It pains me to interrupt but, may I ask how she got hurt? It pains me when a woman gets injured." He spoke.

Muzan looked at Mao who was staring at the floor shuffling around anxiously. "Why don't you ask her yourself?" He asked. Mao tried to step forwards but noticed the large gap between them. A large pair of red wings fluttered out of hiding. Mao ended up having to fly slightly over to the other platform. Her wings disappeared, and she stood before the wannabe basketball.

"I- I apologize," She murmured apologetically. Akaza looked up at the small girl. Her red eyes were empty, barely void of any emotion. "T-these just wounds from the final battle I fought with the opposing country back home. My mother had me join our army forces as a warrior. T-these are just wounds,"

She stammered. "Please forgive me if you thought it was because of other reasons!" She said as she bowed apologetically. Akaza gave her a soft smile and patted her head. She'd stiffened at first but soon relaxed into his touch. Her short dark brown hair was soft, and it covered her eyes when she'd stood up. "Don't worry little one, no one here is upset with you."

He said. Mao couldn't help but blame herself. Stupid, You just upset him. "I'm sorry," She murmured. Muzan could help but feel pity. He felt pity for her, how she didn't see her worth.

"You all are dismissed." Akaza removed his hand from Mao's head and smiled at her. "I'll see you another day, okay?" Mao felt empty and cold now that Akaza had gone. There was one remaining, a woman. She had long beautiful white hair with green tips and her outfit was.. strange, to say the least, but she stared at her, judging her. Mao looked down and tensed back up.

She didn't like to be stared at. It brought back memories, memories she doesn't want to remember.


12-year-old Mao was getting ready for her mother's wedding. She'd started to grab her clothes but couldn't find them. She'd turned around holding the towel around her body as she searched for her clothing. She noticed two boys. Hesitantly, she walked up to them. "Excuse me, have you seen my clothes? They were sitting on the bench behind me."

The boys shook their heads and stared at her with hunger. Mao ignored their stares. That was until one boy slammed her up against the locker, making her wince. "What do you say we make this more fun hm?" He huskily whispered in her ear. The other boy looked bewildered. "W-what are you doing?


You said we were going to scare her not do this! I-I'm going to report this!" The other boy yelled as he ran off. The boy started to lick and bit her soft skin as she struggled to pull away. "Let go! What are you doing?" She yelled. Tears started to come to her eyes. "S-stop it.." She whimpered.


She felt the stares of others as they walked by they were judging her.

Mao hadn't even realized she'd been in a panic attack until she'd been in Daki's embrace. Mao flinched and quickly broke out of her grasp and scooted away. Daki looked overly confused. "I've..seen humans do it before, am I doing it wrong?" She asked. Mao snapped out of her trance shook her head. "N-no, it's fine miss,"

She panted out. Daki stood up and her belt-like weapon had picked Mao up. "You don't seem to like much physical contact. Now, let me teach you how to be a woman. Men don't have any value without us," Mao was silent. Daki glanced at the girl.

"You don't talk much do you?" She asked. Mao shook her head. "..My mother hates it when I talk, I don't wish upset you miss," Daki scoffed. Her mother must've caused her pain if she's so jumpy around women. Daki thought as she stopped at her destination.

The belt had gently sat Mao down as Daki's appearance changed. She had black hair that was beautifully tied up with pins in it. She wore a beautiful kimono. She looked at Mao and walked to the door motioning for Mao to follow her. Mao got up from her spot and followed behind Daki. Daki lead her to a room where 3 15-year-old women stood. "Konbanwa, Miss Oiran!"

They greeted. One peeked to see Mao. Mao flinched at her stare and hid behind the door. the woman smiled softly. "Don't be scared, come on in!" She cooed. "I need you all to find something nice for her to wear, she'll be staying here for a little while," Daki glanced at Mao who flinched under her gaze.

"Be gentle with her, she's wounded." Then she walked away. Mao slowly crept out of her hiding space. The girls were awed at her slim frame and small size. "Isn't she cute?" One murmured to the other. One held her hand out to Mao. "We'll take care of you," She said and gave her a soft smile. His hair was in a small ponytail with bells on it.


Mao shuffled around as the girls stared at her in awe. She wore a red kimono with a belt that had flower patterns scattered all over it. The belt fit her small slim frame perfectly. She has bells on the tips of her elf-like ears which drooped making the bells jingle. While the girls were talking amongst themselves, Mao slipped out of the room avoiding people as much as possible. She soon bumped into a girl— No, a boy— But she had the scent of a male.
The girl looked at her and gave her an apologetic smile. Mao flinched. He'd never seen that look before. What does it mean?

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to bump into you." Mao looked to see if this was the boy Muzan told him to stay away from. The hanafuda earrings. Mao bowed and quickly walked away. Ignoring the boy's stare. "What a strange girl,"

She muttered as he continued to do his tasks. Mao stopped walking once she realized she had no clue where she was. She turned around trying to spot someone, but all she heard was the jingle of her bells. Mao started walking again and opened a door which she assumed was another room but it was the exit. Mao gasped softly at all of the light and people bustling around the city. The door slammed shut by a woman making him yelp. "I advise you don't go outside without letting miss Oiran know."

Mao could feel some sort of bloodlust rising from the woman. Mao flinched when the woman raised her hand and prepared herself for the hit. Mao opened her eyes to see Daki holding the woman's wrist tightly, enough to hurt her. "Let go of me, you witch! That girl does not belong here!" Mao felt a pain in her chest hearing that. Mao looked down.

"It's fine Miss Oiran, I should leave." Daki let go of the woman's wrist and turned to Mao with a bewildered look, mostly concerned for her. How long would she last out there? Would she be okay? "I can't. I promised your safety to Master before we'd left." Mao nodded. "Okay,"


Daki sighed softly as she quietly slid the door closed while Mao was sleeping peacefully. Daki walked into the room across from Mao's new room and slid the door closed, allowing her brother to awaken. Gyuutaro stretched and sat down. "What'd you wake me up for? Who was that?" Daki rolled her eyes. "Weren't you listening during the meeting?"

Daki sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "The girl is Master's new child. He took her in. She's injured and she's not too confident about anything. I think she's.. what's the word?" She asked herself.

"Suicidal?"

"No- Wait yes but there's something else,"

Daki continued to try to remember the word and then suddenly she heard a scream. Daki got up and quickly slid the door open and ran into the hallway to see Mao pinning a woman to the ground with a knife on her throat. Daki was going to tell Mao to stop until she noticed the Nichirin blade. Daki smirked. "Is one of the Demon Slayers I was warned about?" Gyuutaro peeked his head out of the room to see what was going on. He noticed Mao holding a knife to a woman's throat.

Daki walked up to Mao and bent down. Hesitantly, Daki reached her hand out to pat Mao's head. Mao flinched assuming she'd done something wrong until she was getting head pats. They weren't as soothing as Akaza's but they felt nice. Her ears drooped making the bells jingle. Daki soon removed her hand and used her belt-like weapons to grab the woman, but not before she'd stabbed Mao with a blade coated in poison. Mao grunted but didn't say anything.

"Gyuutaro, I'll take care of the human, you get that blade out of Mao and patch it up." She ordered. Gyuutaro pulled the blade out of Mao's thigh and went to go put a bandage on it but came back and it was healed, but it left a scar. "Minor cuts like those from blades that humans create, heal quickly whereas blades from my kind take months to heal completely," Mao explained as she stood up. "I'll go back to bed..good night Gyuutaro-san.."

She said as he went back into his room and slid the door closed. Mao grunted and she allowed the kimono and robe to loosen feeling the wounds on her abdomen open back up. Mao laid on the futon, ignoring the pain and soon falling asleep.

Mao awoke and spent most of the day in his room. Children often came to his room and play with his hair and ears and fed him candy. Mao was confused, to say the least, but once night hit, he wasn't sure if he should ask Daki for permission to explore. Mao ended up making up his mind. He opened the door only to see Daki. "M-miss Oiran-"

"My name is Daki," She interrupted. Mao bowed apologetically. "S-sorry Miss Daki..." He apologized. "Stop apologizing for everything, now what was it you wanted?" She asked. Mao took a moment to remember why he was leaving his room. "..Um..Can I.. C-can go explore the city Miss Daki?" He hesitantly asked. Daki was silent for a moment. Mao stared at the floor shuffling his feet around.

"Just be careful,"

"Of course,"

"And tell me if someone hurts you, I'll tell Gyuutaro to take care of it."

"Okay."

"I'll give you some money."

Mao looked up at Daki as he shook his head no. "No, no, that's okay Miss Daki, I- I have my own money!"

"I know that, but things here in the Entertainment District are expensive," She said as she handed Mao the money and a purse which she'd put the money in.

"Go buy yourself something pretty hm?" Mao nodded. "Thank you miss Daki," Mao said as she bowed and quickly ran off. Daki couldn't help but watch as she ran off. "She has the cutest run," Gyuutaro said from behind Daki. She nodded in agreement.


Mao was currently looking around trying to see where she should go. She decided he would ask someone. She noticed a pale blonde male, with rainbow prism-like eyes wearing a red kimono and a red and black turtleneck underneath and some black pants of course. The man was very tall of course. The man was talking to a woman. Mao hesitantly made her way over to the couple. "U-um..I apologize for interrupting but I'm new here and I'm not sure where I should go,"

Mao paused and looked at the woman who looked angry. The man turned to her and gave her a charming smile. "You should get going dear, it is quite late." The woman sighed and complied before giving the man one last looked and walking home. Mao turned her attention to the man and bowed apologetically. "I-I'm sorry if I interrupted I just leave if you want-"

"Nonsense dear, she was simply looking for someone to go out with for company. We don't know each other at all." He said and smiled at her. The smile this time, was genuine. Mao stood up and nodded. "Why don't I buy you something?" Mao looked surprised.

"N-no that's alright, y-you don't need to do that!" Mao exclaimed. The man smiled. "What kind of man lets a woman pay for something so expensive!" Mao blushed a little. Her ears drooped guiltily.


-_-_-_-_- (Douma's POV)

[Note: I don't normally change the POV of characters, it usually stays on the main character.]

Douma turned his attention to the jingle of bells. He noticed bells on the tips of Mao's ears and her earlobes. Cute. He thought. He noticed they'd drooped. "Interesting," He mumbled to himself.

Mao looked up in confusion. The bells jingled as her ears twitched. Douma shook off the strange feeling and grabbed her small hand. Douma swore his heart just melted just by her grabbing hand. Her hand is so small—That's fucking adorable- He thought. "Come along now!" He chirped as he lead her over to the jewelry store.


Mao stared at all of the jewelry with sparkles in her eyes. Her ears went back to normal the jingle being heard by many people in the store. Mao want the ruby necklace, but she knew it was expensive. "Have you found something you like?" The man who she now knew as Douma, asked. Douma watched as she shifted around adorably. "Yes but- Well I-"

She struggled to find words. Douma looked at the ruby necklace Mao had been staring at. "I see you've been eyeing that one, so I'll get it." Mao squeaked in surprise. "N-no really it's fine Douma-san!" She exclaimed. Douma smiled at her.

"Sir I know which one to get!" He called out to the man behind the counter who was busy trying to help someone else. Douma pointed to the ruby necklace and the man nodded and carefully took it out placed it on the counter. "That will be 24, 035 yen sir." Douma grinned and placed the money on the counter and grabbed the necklace, carefully placing it on Mao. Mao felt heat rush to her cheeks and the tips of her ears. Douma looked up and noticed how close they were.

He hadn't noticed how soft Mao's lips looked until he got a closer look. Douma pulled away and cleared his throat. "Wanna do something else?" He asked, trying to forget the previous moment. Mao nodded. Douma sighed of relief. "Good,"


Mao had to admit that Douma was fun. She felt bad that he spent money on her. Mao had just said goodbye to him and was on her way to see Daki. In fact, she bumped into her. Mao bowed apologetically. "Sorry Miss Daki.." He apologized as she stood back up. Daki rose a brow.

"Where did you get this from?" She asked. Mao looked down at the necklace and then back at Daki. "Douma-san bought it for me," Mao paused as the heat rushed back to his cheeks and to the tips of his ears, as she remembered that moment before they left the shop. "He didn't let me pay for anything, so I was going to give you the money and the purse back," Daki patted Mao's head and smiled at her.

"No need, you can keep it." Mao nodded and returned to her room.


Mao felt something.. strange, thinking of the night's events. She hoped tomorrow would be nice as well... But the chances are pretty low in her opinion. Ah well, might as well sleep it off.


I apologize if it says 'he' in some parts where I'm addressing Mao, I plan for him to have a change in pronouns later in the story.

Question before you all leave,

"Did you know that sometimes when an author writes something angsty about a character that closely resembles the author, it means it's something they've possibly experienced before?"

Goodbye,

Thank you for your time viewers!

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