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epictacobird · 3 days

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Dorms React to Demon Slayer! Mc

Hooray! Pomefiore! Sorry for taking so long (I was sad) but thank you so much for 200+ followers. I love you all <3

No gendered pronouns for mc/Yuu, only “you” is used, can be platonic or romantic

Heartslabyul - Savanaclaw- Octavinelle - Scarabia - Pomefiore (here) - Ignihyde - Diasomnia

Warnings: angsty, spoilers for chapter 5, ptsd mentioned, dark themes, mc basically has a panic attack in Vil’s part, also its really fucking long my bad, Google translate French

Context:

You're a demon slayer, an extremely experienced one at that. You have been fighting demons ever since you were young, and preparing to do so even younger. When you were unexpectedly thrown into Twisted Wonderland and admitted to NRC, you hid your sword in your uniform, and stashed away your clothes once you could. You figured the best way to survive here was to hide your cards. After all, being surrounded by morally questionable strangers with magic was not ideal. In case you really needed it, you figured it was best to pretend to be weak so your strength could cover you when you needed it most.

Now that a few months have passed and you've gained reliable friends, you didn't see a point anymore. You felt safer than you ever have in your entire life. You were no longer on a battlefield, no longer surrounded by the pained cries of the people you failed to save. But the battle was catching up to you. Now that you were no longer fighting constantly, you had more time to think. You're nightmares of battle have been getting worse and you can't escape it. The guilt of hiding such an integral part of yourself from your friends wasn't helping either. Eventually though, you let the dam break. You tell them about your life, the reason behind your scars and show them your sword. There's tears in your eyes and you're shaking like the child you once were long ago.

Vil

He was intrigued by your choice of clothes, and at the same time a little horrified by your clearly unkempt skin.

As tempted as he was to help you out, he had a job to do. He never thought about you much until SDC came around. But the first thing he noticed was your terrible sleeping schedule.

He noticed that when he got up for his morning workout/skincare routine, you were already finishing a workout. And yet he’d catch you the night before sneaking out. When the hell did you sleep?

He did not appreciate it at all. Your complete lack of self care was not appropriate for the manager if his dance group >:( Especially since you held so much potential! You clearly cared about your strength, so why not the rest of you!?!

Vil decided to keep a closer eye on you to try to fish out a reason why. That’a when he noticed particular things about you.

It was a simple moment, something that really shouldn’t have stuck out to him. You had only handed him his water bottle during a quick break. But for a split second your hand brushed his, and he noticed how rough they were. When he looked down he was almost taken aback by the callouses and scars that littered your hand.

He decided not to let his surprise show, and only said a small “thank you”.

You only confused him more when he noticed even more scars that would pop out from the collar and cuffs of your shirt.

He asked Rook about it once, but only received another one of his vague tangents about your beauty.

Of course, he wouldn’t be Vil if he just stopped there. So he decided to make the difficult decision to switch up his sleeping schedule to catch you in the act.

He succeeded in his little stakeout and managed to catch you. And imagine his surprise in seeing you decked out in a uniform with your sword fastened to your body.

Both of you were stuck in silence, with Vil being the first to break it.

“Potato, what are you doing…?” There was a small frown placed on his pristine face, his brows lowered in almost a disappointed way.

“Uhm, it’s a bit hard to explain.”

“I have the time.”

Silence fell over the two of you again. You began to wonder if you should make a break for it, but Vil spoke up first.

“Sword aside, you should not be sacrificing your sleep like this.” He sighed deeply, “Just because you are not performing does not mean this is fine. On the other hand I will not punish you for it because you are not performing. Go to bed.”

You sighed in defeat, you couldn’t even remember the last time someone even made that request of you. Reluctantly, you decided to abide to his wishes (you actually just jumped out your window)

The next day, Vil still wasn’t satisfied. You still acted the same, sure, but you were clearly exhausted! No wonder your skin was in such poor condition, the dark circles under your eyes were a telltale sign. So he planned a more direct way to wrench out answers.

He managed to catch you alone in a room of Ramshackle. You were just cleaning another one of the countless filthy rooms humming to yourself peacefully. You really do nothing but work yourself ragged, he would’ve been impressed if not by the clear toll it was taking on you.

“You know, I really should report that sword to the Headmaster.”

“He already knows.” You looked back at him with a cheeky smile, “He let me keep it since it’s one of the few things that came with me other than the clothes on my back.”

“I see.” Vil hummed, closing the door behind him. Part of him wanted to ask why you had it in the first place, but something told him the answer wasn’t something he’d want to know. Then again…

“To train with that sword is the reason you go out late, isn’t it?”

You nodded hesitantly, “That’s right, I didn’t want to get rusty just because I’m not home. So I figured I should keep training.”

Vil watched as you kept cleaning the window, for a moment he could see your eye’s reflection flicker to him as the silence continued. If you were hiding something it was difficult to tell, nevertheless he continued on.

“I put a curse on your sword. If you try to train with it you’ll be locked in place, and I’ll know when you try.”

You whipped around with wide, almost terrified, eyes, “Vil! Why would you-“

The absolutely exasperated expression you held only reassured Vil’s conviction. If he was going to get you to sleep, this was how.

“It’ll only be for one night, that’s all I’m asking. 7 hours of sleep and the curse will be lifted.”

You frowned, still salty by the whole situation. For the limited amount of time you knew him, one thing you understood was that there was no way you would get out of this. You turned away from him with a hardened expression before letting it fall away. Your shoulders dropped as you nodded slowly, “Alright, deal. Just one night, right?”

“I would prefer it to be every night.” Vil sighed, “I told you all at least 7 hours each night at the beginning of this camp. Although I figured I would need to compromise for now.”

You bit your lip and tried to not let your worry show. Just one night.

It turns out one night meant one night of uninterrupted sleep. Safe to say you weren’t able to touch your sword for weeks.

After SDC and Vil’s overblot, you knew a few nights peace. Although you never managed to get a full nights rest, which meant your sword stayed cursed. It was just another night, and you had gone to sleep in hope you’d stay asleep until morning again.

Unsurprisingly to you, you had woken up nearly screaming. You had another nightmare, and with each one being more vivid than the last you didn’t see yourself falling asleep anytime soon. Shakily getting out of bed you reached for your sword to train and hopefully get it off your mind.

Unfortunately you remembered the curse. So before you could touch it you retracted your hand and decided to leave for the roof instead.

You took a few deep breaths, deciding to cry once you were sure you were safe from any prying eyes that laid in you dorm. Shakily, you took to the hallway and climbed the ladder to the roof of Ramshackle. Your little safe haven away from the stress residing under you.

You felt the cool air hit your face, only getting colder as the tears you held back began to fall. The dream was just so… real this time. It wasn’t even just other demon slayers and civilians getting killed, it was your friends here. They were supposed to be safe, especially with you around. But you just let them die in your arms, you were helpless again.

You curled yourself up into a ball, shaking violently as you sobbed. Terrible images still flashed through your mind, old scars felt as if they were burning in your skin as your mind took over your reality.

You tugged at your hair, your clothes, and even clawed at your skin in an attempt to ground yourself. Nothing worked, you were still trapped in your nightmare. So you continued to choke on your sobs as you fought through your memories.

Because of that, you didn’t notice Vil come up to the roof. Vil had known you still weren’t sleeping, so he had planned to catch you in the middle of the night. If it weren’t sword training, why were you waking up?

He wasn’t sure what to do when he saw you. You looked so small as you sat curled into yourself. You we’re nothing like the resilient, strong Prefect he knew you as. Rather, you resembled something more of a tragic hero.

Maybe it was because he felt partially responsible for this, or the fact he still wished for you to relax, but either way he approached you and put a gentle hand on your shoulder.

That was a bit of a mistake. Once you felt the foreign hand on you, you gasped and leapt back as if you were preparing to fight. Your eyes held nothing but utter horror as you stared at him, all red and puffy from your crying.

Vil frowned, his brows creasing his normally perfect face. He spoke slowly and softly, “I’m sorry, I did not mean to scare you.”

The tension never released from your shoulders. You stayed taut, as if you prepared to fight. Your eyes seemed almost glazed over, as if they didn’t even comprehend the space around you.

“Potato, are you alright?”

Somehow, upon hearing the nickname there was a flash of recognition. You relaxed a little, allowing your arms to fall to your sides. “Vil I…” You gulped, unable to find the words for a moment, “Why are you here..?”

Vil’s frown only deepened. He shook his head with a sigh, “I wanted to know why even after all this time my curse hasn’t lifted.” He crossed his arms, “Prefect, you may not be acting manager anymore but I still want you to at least get one full nights rest. You have so much potential, I just want you to realize that.”

Your expression changed to something unreadable. You seemed to be studying him, as if he was a puzzle you couldn’t figure out. For a moment you smiled before throwing your head in your hands, “You know, you really are kind, Vil.”

Your shoulders began to shake, “I’m so sorry, I guess I’m just not used to this. Normally I’m the one worrying about other people.” You laughed to yourself, as if you were trying to convince yourself of something. Vil stood by quietly, taking a few steps forward as you spoke again, “Vil, please, go back to your dorm. It’s cold out you know?”

“You’re right, let’s go inside.”

Too tired to argue, you allowed him to lead you inside the rickety dorm. You refused to look at him, a little ashamed by the way you allowed him to catch you at such a vulnerable moment. But you knew he had no ill intent, you just hoped he was prepared for the answers to the questions he no doubt had.

Vil sat on the couch and motioned for you to do the same. As you did he looked at you almost with pity. You were exhausted, shaking, and resembled more of a kicked puppy than anything. He sighed again and placed a bottle of swirling blue colors on the table, “It’s a sleeping potion.” He explained, “Normally I would not suggest you take it now, since you wouldn’t wake up until the afternoon by now, but…”

He looked at you again, you’re eyes were fixated on the bottle, and they were haunted. Void of life or hope, or even sadness or anger, just blank, barely even comprehending the world around them. He was sure that this was the right decision this time. You spoke softly, “Thank you, I appreciate it really, but I’d rather not.”

Vil’s eyes shot open, with you being on the verge of passing out, you’re really going to skip this opportunity of genuine sleep? Before he could retaliate you continued, “I have nightmares, as stupid as it sounds they’re the reason I can’t sleep. I don’t want to be stuck in one all night.” You finally looked at him, this time apologetically, “Thank you, truly. I’m honored you’re so invested in helping me. I…”

Your face fell into despair again as tears threatened to fall. You took in a shaky breath, “Vil, you don’t know what I’ve seen back home, what’s happened because of me and my weaknesses. If anything this is what I deserve.”

Vil stood up suddenly, his face switching between anger and exasperation, “I don’t know your life, yes, but I know you don’t deserve this!” He spoke firmly, never raising his voice, “You haven’t once slept properly since coming here have you? Or even before that? Prefect I-“ He took in a breath to calm himself, “Prefect, I just want you to realize the potential you hold. I won’t make you take the potion, but I will make you go back to sleep. So please, what can I do to help?”

Vil took your hand softly as more tears began to leave your eyes. Between shaky breaths you explained your nightmares and your life before Twisted Wonderland. Vil was actually a bit more shocked than he would’ve liked, but allowed you to continue. Rooks vague little sayings connected to your stories as he began to understand.

In the end he took you to your room, cleaning you up and going through a small skincare routine to relax. He brushed through your hair, anything to get the tension out of your shoulders.

You fell asleep almost immediately once you went to bed. You slept the best you had in years, and while yes you didn’t wake up until the afternoon even without the potion, the curse lifted from your sword. Safe to say, you and Vil were a lot closer than before.

“Prefect, don’t hesitate to ask for help alright? Proper sleep is just one more step for you to realize your full potential. You can be strong in more ways than one, and I want to lead you the best I can.”

Rook

As some of you may have guessed, he already knew.

This stalker could tell easily you were a warrior of some sort, it was only a matter of why.

He started trailing you from the start. Granted, he rarely did it until you truly piqued his interest.

You had caught him trailing at you. And while he was sure you couldn’t see him, you stared directly into his eyes, as if you were reaching for his very soul. It shook him to his core in more ways than one. It was at that moment he decided to take you more seriously.

He knew about your sword, your secret trainings, your uniform, your breathing technique, he just couldn’t quite figure what it was all for. He assumed you were a soldier of some kind, although why they would have someone so young so highly trained was another question.

He enjoyed watching you train, it brought a new and fresh perspective on beauty. The magicless prefect who still has a way to fight! And such a magnificent way too! The mysterious fog of it all excited him, he just needed to learn more.

Truth be told, you could tell someone was following and watching you. And you hated it, because why the hell was someone stalking you?? Demons didn’t exist here so there’s be no reason why someone would be out to kill you… right?

Because it truly didn’t feel that way. While you didn’t know it was Rook, it felt like you were prey being hunted. Which was a feeling you were all too familiar with.

At first you thought it was just nerves. Being in danger constantly then suddenly being thrown somewhere safe surely wouldn’t translate smoothly, but after feeling that way for months without any change you got sick of it.

You started to actively seek out your little stalker, and your first tip was actually the arrow Rook shot at you and your friends to announce their participation in SDC.

You felt the same presence, just like the months prior. Whoever it was was staring at you again, readying an attack. Eyeing for the perfect moment.

You turned your head at the perfect time, seeing the glint of an arrowhead whiz toward you. You caught it with utmost precision, but before you could track where it came from the attacker was gone.

It was easy to deduce that the arrow came from Rook (Ace and Deuce were very quick to point out how you actually caught an arrow from that freaky upperclassman after all) But her couldn’t be your stalker. You barely even met a few weeks ago!

But his presence never failed to grace you at least once every day. You could feel his chilling green eyes set on you, and you were determined to confront him.

So when SDC’s training camp rolled around, you figured that would be the easiest time to catch him. No way someone like him would pass up on the opportunity to look into your life so closely right?

You were right, actually. One night you could feel his eyes on you once again as you snuck out to train. You knew he’s watched you train before, so your element of surprise would be gone. But mage or not, there’s only so fast he could run compared to you.

So you left Ramshackle same as always, donned in your uniform with your sword by your side. You could already feel his eyes on you as you ran toward the forest. His presence would shift from time to time as he trailed you, but like a masterful hunter he kept out of sight.

After some time of running like normal, you decided to drop yourself out of his sight. You jumped into the low hanging trees and quickly hid.

From this angle you could see Rook in the branches, through the moonlight you could make out the smile he wore. His satisfaction and intrigue was obvious, even as he looked around confusedly for you. You quickly maneuvered yourself through the branches and crouched behind him.

Before you could do anything though, Rook twisted around with quite possibly the most ecstatic smile ever.

“To not only lose sight of you, but to have you sneak up on me must be my greatest embarrassment as a hunter!” He laughed joyously as he jumped away. “You truly are befitting of a trickster!”

As you chased him down it quickly became a game between you two. Once you caught up to Rook he would twist and maneuver out of your grasp and hide away, only for you to find him again. You let him win a little, seeing some fun in the chase. Eventually though, you figured it was time to actually catch him.

You made a dive toward him, one that he was unable to escape. As you pinned him to the ground you stared hard into his striking green eyes, “Why have you been following me, Rook?”

He laughed, “You must forgive me Trickster, your beauté mystérieuse was simply too alluring. I could not resist watching your beauty grow, guerrier.”

“Hmph.” You rolled off of him, sitting up on the grass as you watched Rook fix himself. You sighed deeply, “How much do you know? Or I guess, who else knows?”

“Roí de Poison is still unaware, I assure you.” He attempted to give a reassuring smile, “It’s come to my understanding that your power originates through breathing and not magic, yes? And that sword is not made of steel, nor any other metal here. You must also belong to some sort of organization with that uniform, are you a soldier perhaps?”

You tried to hide your surprise, (what could you expect really), as you confirmed his findings. You exchanged information for a while, eventually getting around to explaining demons and being a demon slayer.

Rook gave you undivided attention as he soaked all the information in. What a beautiful and radiant person you are! You were like a bright flame of hope that blazed your enemies and served your people. He wish you would let him sing your praises to others.

Rook continued to follow you around, now with your permission. Occasionally at night, you would play your game of chase again. Although Rook is yet to win, he enjoys the challenge and feeling of being the one hunted for once.

Both of you would show off your scars to each other. Retelling battles, or hunts, and the adventures. Rook would often go off on a tangent about the beauty of his particular prey, or the scenery around it. He loved the attention you gave him, and you appreciated the attention it took off of your less sugar coated tales.

Rook never looked at you in pity, nor in doubt. He believed you completely, and would often find himself ensnared in your tales. Rook found he loved hearing your retellings of anything from battles to lunches shared while traveling.

Although one night he noticed you weren’t up to your normal levels of energy. In fact, you looked a little heartbroken. While it has its own beauty, he absolutely couldn’t stand seeing you so distraught.

“Trickster, what causes you to frown so?”

You wordlessly leaned up against a tree, breathing deeply. You soaked in the earth around you as you tried to ground yourself. You were close to Rook now, despite the sketchy start. You couldn’t bring yourself to tell him anything but the truth (you wondered if you even could before he figured you out).

“Rook, my job back home was to save people. But I couldn’t save everyone.” You closed your eyes, biting your cheek as you fought down the memories, “Some days are worse than others, but I never forget them. That last part isn’t always a good thing.”

“I still see them sometimes, their screams, their bodies.” You bit back a sob, “Part of me doesn’t want to go back home. I don’t think I could stand telling another parent their child is dead.”

“But I need to go home, I know that more than anyone. I have a job, a duty to protect those people. Even at the cost of my life, I swore it, I I still intend to do that. So why do I feel this way?”

You laughed dryly, slowly sinking to the ground as you lifted your head to the stars. “You know, when humans grieve, they tend to look up at the sky. Do you think it’s just to avoid tears falling or something else?”

Rook stared at you silently before taking a seat next to you on the ground. “I believe we search for freedom when we look to the sky. Since dawn of time humans had wished to fly free with birds, so perhaps when we look to the sky that’s what we wish for. We wish for freedom from our sorrows and hardships; To fly away and embrace the sun.”

You smiled a little, “That’s what I like to believe too.”

Rook smiled pleasantly as comfortable silence fell over the two of you. You both looked to the stars as they shimmered and twinkled in all their glory. You have seen the night sky countless times, but somehow, being here in Twisted Wonderland, it all seemed new and bright. It wasn’t tainted by tragedies or bloodshed, it was beautiful.

Epel

He didn’t think about you too much initially. Mostly he was just amused over the whole event at orientation.

You seemed interesting enough with your choice of clothing. Maybe you were from a small town like him?

You became closer friends over the course of SDC. Both of you shared a sort of kinship over feeling so out of place in such a prestigious and modern environment.

You always appreciated the snacks he gave you. Many of the foods he provided were different from back home, sure, but the handmade feel reminded you so much of home.

Like Ace and Deuce, Epel found out by accident when he walked in on you working out.

You thought you’d be safe, after all you were in a tiny little room in the depths of Ramshackle. You just needed some time away from everyone in the dorm, but without the safety of the night you couldn’t leave to the forest for training.

Luckily with the help of the Ghosts you found a small room hidden away and some old gym equipment. Unfortunately it was hot af in there and if you covered up as much as you usually did you’d probably pass out. There were no windows to open, or any real ventilation for that matter.

So you wore normal workout clothes showing off your arms and legs, and to extension your scars. You thought nothing of it, completely unaware of the shitshow that was about to occur.

Epel was just exploring Ramshackle with Ace and Deuce. They started out looking for you but got distracted by the archaic building. They wanted to look around ok! Not like Ace was looking out for something interesting in the storage closet he could steal.

Eventually they came across a door a little off to the side and hidden in the halls. They just thought it was a storage closet and got interested, so they opened the door.

“Prefect! There you are. Jeez, we were looking for you everywhere.” “Wait, no! Epel don’t look!”

“Wha’ ihn da corn fiel’ hell ‘append to yur arms??!!”

“Ace! Deuce! All of you out!” You practically barked out as they scurried away. You sighed, you really couldn’t catch a break huh?

You put down your weights and attempted to refrain from kicking the door open. Has the idea of knocking seriously left their heads? You did not appreciate this trend at all.

“Sorry Prefect…” Deuce spoke meekly. Epel was off to the side, a little shaken. Like Ace and Deuce, initially he thought you were in something crazy. And here he thought you were just a magicless human! Maybe the two of you were alike somehow, for being misjudged because of ability.

“What did you three even need me for? Rehearsal isn’t going to start for another few hours.” You deadpanned, “Don’t tell me Grim got stuck in a tree again.”

“It don’ matta! Er ya evn’ gon menshun wha ‘appened?!” Epel motioned wildly to your exposed arms and legs. “I sen sum nasty scars befor’ bu wha coulda’ caused tha’?!”

“Rude.” You sighed again, waving them inside the little room, “I’m not going to let you interrupt my workout too. Come on, I’ll explain.”

Epel is initially a little horrified, after the initial shock though he’d think your so cool. Man or not, you exhibited the toughness and strength he always wanted.

Expect him to join you and Jack for workouts. He’s so excited to learn from the both of you, though he tries to be cool about it.

He loves hearing your tales about demons and the different types of slayers. A hashira that couldn’t match in strength found a way to use poisons instead? Amazing. The absolute tanks of men who are able to match the speed of demons? Please tell him more.

One day he did take you to his hometown. He was so excited to show off his pride to someone he respected so much. You were touched by the lack of modernity the city and NRC showed off. It felt closer to home, and you began to feel a bit homesick. Despite everything you still loved your home huh?

When was the last time you saw a forest this untouched by people? When was the last time you ate fruit straight from the source? Not to mention the stars, they were so much brighter here.

You tried hard not to let anyone see as the tears left your eyes gently. As you gazed up at the night sky, you wondered if you’d ever get back home, or if this was the closest you’d ever be.

“Prefect?”

You shout up from the grass you had been laying on, “Epel! Sorry I didn’t see you.” You quickly wiped your eyes, hoping the darkness would hide the puffiness of your eyes.

“What are you doin out here?“

You shrugged, “I wanted to look at the stars.”

Epel huffed, “It’s late, Vil would have a fit if he was here.”

“He’s not here though.”

Silence fell between the two of you for a moment. Eventually Epel joined you on the grass. The sounds of the night comforted the both of you as the silence continued.

“What we’re you thinking about out here?”

“What do you mean?”

Epel huffed, “No one comes out to lay on scratchy grass and look at the stars just for fun. Was something bothering you?”

You sighed a little, crossing your arms as you spoke quietly, “This town reminds me of my home. It’s small, nothing like the Night Raven College or any of the other cities I’ve seen here.” You smiled a little, “I missed it, the feeling of peacefulness. And for the record, some people do like stargazing.”

Epel rolled his eyes, but after a pause he asked again, “What was your hometown like then?”

You smiled, “Well, actually…”

As you recounted the stories of your childhood, you gradually forgot about your previous woes. Time flew by, eventually the both of you agreed to go to sleep.

The next day, all of you explored the town. You seemed happy enough, though Epel couldn’t shake the feeling that you weren’t completely telling the truth last night. So he decided to confront you again.

He found you again on the grass looking up at the stars. You were humming something to yourself, a lullaby?

Suddenly you came to a stop and sat up, “Hey Epel!”

“What was that? That melody?”

“It was a lullaby from back home.” You smiled, a little forlorn, “Sorry, I wasn’t bothering you right?”

Epel shook his head, “No, No, I was just curious. I came out here to…” His words trailed off, his confidence quickly dwindling. He readjusted himself, “You miss your home don’t you?”

You were a bit taken aback by the sudden forwardness, but ultimately nodded. “Yeah, it’s all I’ve really been able to think about lately. I mean…” You rested your head on your knees, “I’ve been here for so long. I need to know what’s happened since I’ve been gone. You know how it is, I don’t know who’s alive, or if I’d ever be able to find out.”

Epel frowned and took a seat next to you, “Come on, if they’re half as strong as you’ve told me they’ll be fine! And I’m sure Crowley will find a way home for you eventually.”

You laughed a little, “Thanks Epel.”

Silence fell over the two of you as you looked up at the stars. Comforting noises of insects and the rustle of leaves filled the air. Although the peacefulness didn’t last long, as the two of you heard a loud crash followed quickly by angry arguing between Ace, Deuce and Grim.

You sighed, at least no matter what you’d have these idiots to rely on.

~~~~~