Inspired by a TikTok I saw (and I wanted to make it canon in my au).
In my au, Silent Salt is the first "reformed" beast. But naturally the other Ancients weren't so sure about meeting Silent Salt, even if White Lily assured them he truly meant no harm. Safe to say, he made a rather good impression and unintentionally got adopted as a ancient instead. Which he's not exactly mad about but it wasn't what he expected coming out of the meeting.
He especially made a good impression because he even made Dark Cacao laugh, which was always exceedingly rare and hard to achieve.
(Also if you havent voted on my poll, please do, its currently at a tie)
Hear me out, au idea: a universe where Cookie Run Kingdom and Genshin Impact coincide. And Cyno is Golden Cheese Cookie’s long lost son.
So imagine when Golden Cheese goes out to fight Dark Enchantress, Cyno is still a baby, so left with a trusted babysitter. But then you know what happens, the kingdom is destroyed and the caretaker is killed in the fall of the kingdom and considering Cyno’s body is never found, he’s assumed dead too. Which destroys Golden Cheese Cookie and gives her all the more anger towards White Lilly Cookie because her baby is gone because of her. Her kingdom is gone because of her. Her treasures are gone because of her. It genuinely takes so much for the ancients to stop Golden Cheese from going out to seek revenge. Like despite Golden Cheese being a lankier member of the Ancients, it was a legitimate struggle at one point for Hollyberry or Dark Cacao to restrain her enough from doing something she may regret later.
While we dont know Cyno’s canon backstory, here is something that I can imagine.
When the Kingdom was destroyed, Cyno’s caretaker was unfortunately killed but Cyno got lucky and was the sole survivor of the kingdom’s fall. Left trapped by rubble. His cries gained the attention of one of the temple’s preists who saw an opportunity for their vessel for Hermanubis. They fully assumed the care taker wwas Cyno’s mom so who would miss an orphan? So off to the temple they went, Cyno being held and trained there until he made a pact with Hermanubis and you know the rest. Cyno being raised at the temple had no idea who his birth family was, he always assumed he was abandoned at birth or his parents died as thats what he has always been told and its just been too painful of a wound for him to really look into. After all, he had Cyrus, he had Alhaitham, Kaveh, and Tighnari, he had Collei, he had Sethos and Lisa. He’s happy not opening that wound.
Hermanubis on the other hand is struggling with his own brain, because when he met Cyno even as a child there was something about him that was familiar but he had honestly been dead so long he couldn’t put a finger on why. He knew Cyno wasn’t one of his offspring, or descendants, but something about the kid seemed so dreadfully familiar. Eventually Hermanubis stopped actively thinking about it, as it wasn’t getting him anywhere, so he decided if the answer was needed to be answered it would come when needed. Imagine if Hermanubis was alive when Golden Cheese was still young, and hadn’t gotten her soul jam yet, so he didnt put together that that young girl was indeed Cyno’s mother. He did once think to ask Nahida, maybe she would have a clue at least, but Hermanubis does know Cyno’s feelings on the matter, and respects Cyno’s choice in not tearing open old wounds.
(Can y'all tell I have a favorite yet?)
OKAY so this one may be entirely out of character, especially on the side of Clotted Cream - because frankly I don't know much about him but what i do know he gets on Dark Cacao's nerves, and that gave me the best idea to cause chaos.
For this, lets say by this point Dark Choco has reunited with his dad, and is currently working his way back into being comfortable with full reinstating of himself as a prince. The Cacao Kingdom is thrilled to have their prince back, but as are the Ancients who saw Dark Choco grow up as Aunts and Uncles/Stepparents (depending on who you ship), so when they heard Dark Choco is back they organized a group meeting once more to reunite physically with the boy they love. And all was going rather well during the meeting, Dark Choco was being spoiled by love and gifts, that he still felt he didn't quite deserve, but he accepted with grace. For a moment the ancients stepped away as to not overcrowd and overstimulate the boy so they stepped away to discuss some things and give some time for Dark Choco to relax. What they didn't expect was they had a unexpected visitor with the name Clotted Cream. Clotted Cream was surprised to find Dark Choco standing there, of course he had heard the news of the heir of the Cacao Kingdom returning but never got to meet or even see the prince for himself, and now here he was standing out on a balcony, looking out over the Vanilla Kingdom's gardens, looking utterly peaceful -- so he approached.
When the small meeting had finished, Dark Cacao went back out to retrieve Dark Choco, only to find Clotted Cream standing far too close to Dark Choco, and Dark Choco looking as if he were about to explode from sheer awkwardness. As to be expected, this was NOT appreciated by Dark Cacao, especially not the brief glance Dark Choco made as if tempted to evade the awkward situation by jumping from the balcony and hoping he wouldn't break something in the landing. "Dark Choco, it’s time to go." The words came out sharper than Dark Cacao meant to, worrying he may have sounded too much like his past self, but both startled hearing Dark Cacao's voice, but Dark Choco's brief startle dissipated quickly at the sight of his father, the relief was palpable. And part of Cacao's heart swelled seeing his son look at him with something other than remorse.
So its been confirmed by the game itself that Dark Choco has very bad vision most likely due to his eye, or lack thereof. But he's also shown repeatedly to have a some kind of a depressive disorder, and ptsd on top of that.
With Choco only having one eye, its also very likely that Dark Choco's depth perception is off. But we all know and seen even despite his disabilities, Dark Choco is a very capable man, and can find ways to navigate his surroundings with relative ease and I would like to believe that when Dark Choco does return to the Cacao Kingdom, he still shows this off able to navigate the familiar palace walls even after being away so long but ultimately only messing up when something new is in his path or something obstructing his path on his blind side as he finds it hard to judge how close or how far it is from him subtly. Dark Cacao, Caramel Arrow and Crunchy Chip have all seen him stumble over something at least once, and while they have no qualms with catching him by the arm or pulling him out of the way of something, Dark Choco cannot help but be a bit embarrassed by it. Then that doesn't even touch the bad moments of depression and PTSD Choco goes through.
Initially Dark Cacao, Caramel Arrow and Crunchy Chip were doing what they could to support and help Dark Choco on his bad days, but it wasn't until one day, when Crunchy Chip was training with his Creme Wolves that he noticed one was missing. A bit annoyed, Crunchy Chip went to go look for the missing Creme Wolf only to surprisingly find the Creme Wolf helping Dark Choco somehow (Maybe via Mobility Support, Deep Pressure Therapy or even guiding him instinctively to keep him from bumping into anything). And that gives Crunchy Chip an idea.
Training that Creme Wolf to be a service animal for Choco. With the benefit that the Creme Wolf is also able to aid Choco in battle due to his pre-existing training.
All this to say, What if Dark Choco had a service dog?
So i've seen some people say that with Dark Cacao's Dusk of Silence Costume, Dark Choco would either be dead, or committed upon seeing his father and trying to break him out of this.
But I have another idea to offer.
Canonically, Dark Cacao didn't go after his son after Dark Choco abandoned the sword in hopes that Dark Choco would return home of his own accord. But what if Dusk of Silence! Dark Cacao didn't? After losing his kingdom, many assumed that Dark Choco wouldn't even cross his mind as he had given into apathy, but even still in this form, Dark Choco was all that he had left and he had lost the patience for him to return to the rubble of what once was all they ever knew. He would have his back if its the last thing he did. So thats what he did. He sought out his son. When Dark Cacao had found the camp site Dark Choco was occupying at the moment, a confrontation began. Dark Choco didn't want to hurt his father again, and Dark Cacao knew that. Instead of turning his son to Flour, Dark Cacao forced, or convinced, Dark Choco to join him in apathy -- where they would turn the world to apathy together.
Maybe this even gives hope to the other ancients that they can snap Cacao out of it. Who knows.
Just an idea i thought about, could be a cool fanfic but just thought I would share.
Could I request the Kamaboko trio with a Hashira reader the view as a mother. They follow her around like a baby duck and seek her attention and approval
They’re just babies 😔 they need a nice hug and a good meal
Our Dear Sensei (Kamaboko Trio)
fem reader
a/n: haven't written for these guys in a HOT minute!!
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The wind whispered through the trees as you walked along the dirt path leading back to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters. The sky was a soft lavender hue, the first stars beginning to twinkle above. It had been a long mission, but at least it had ended in victory.
You barely made it past the first torii gate when you heard it—a rustling, then hurried footsteps.
“Y/n-sensei!”
Three voices, in unison, calling out to you.
You didn’t even have time to turn before a weight slammed into your side. Tanjiro, ever so gentle despite his strength, buried his face in your shoulder. His breath hitched, relief clear in the way his hands clutched your haori.
“You’re back,” he murmured. “We were so worried.”
A second body crashed into your other side, significantly less gentle.
“Where the hell were you?! We’ve been starving without you!” Inosuke’s voice was loud, muffled only slightly by the way his forehead was pressed into your shoulder. “These idiots didn’t let me run into the mountains to find you!”
And then, Zenitsu. Clinging to your arm like a desperate child, his wails loud enough to alert the entire estate.
“Y-Y/n-sensei! You can’t just go off on dangerous missions without us! What if something happened to you?! Who would cook for us?! Who would make sure Inosuke doesn’t punch a Hashira in the face?! Who would protect us?!”
You sighed, though your lips curled into a fond smile. These three were more than just your students. Somewhere along the line, they had become your ducklings, following you around wherever you went, seeking your approval, your presence.
With a chuckle, you ruffled their hair one by one.
“I missed you too,” you admitted. “And I’m fine. You know I’m a Hashira, right? It’ll take more than a few demons to take me down.”
“B-But still!” Zenitsu sniffled.
“Enough whining,” Inosuke grumbled, though he was still very much glued to your side. “She’s back, and now she can feed us!”
Tanjiro laughed softly, finally pulling back, though his hands still clutched your sleeve. “Are you hungry too, Y/n-sensei? You must be exhausted.”
You hummed, pretending to consider it. “I could use a meal. How about we all eat together? My treat.”
Zenitsu gasped, tears sparkling in his eyes. “I knew it! You do love us! You do care!”
Inosuke pumped a fist into the air. “FOOOOD! Finally!”
Tanjiro’s smile was radiant, his exhaustion melting into quiet happiness. “Let’s go. I’ll help cook.”
And just like that, the three of them trailed behind you, sticking close like ducklings to their mother.
You couldn’t help but feel warm at the sight.
Yes, they were warriors.
Yes, they were strong.
But at the end of the day, they were still just kids.
And you would protect them, feed them, and care for them as long as they needed you to.
The kitchen at headquarters was already warm when you arrived, and despite their exhaustion, all three boys eagerly helped prepare the meal.
Tanjiro, ever reliable, was already washing rice and cutting vegetables. Zenitsu grumbled about being forced to help, but his hands moved skillfully as he worked on seasoning the fish. Inosuke, surprisingly, listened to directions—for the most part. He still insisted on “hunting” ingredients, which really just meant charging into the pantry and coming back with an entire bag of flour like it was a prized kill.
“Y/n-sensei! Look! I got this myself! Now make something good with it!”
You pinched the bridge of your nose. “Inosuke, put that back. We don’t need flour for-”
“Don’t waste my bounty!”
Zenitsu groaned. “You absolute barbarian! You can’t just bring random things and expect them to work in the meal!”
“Yes, I can! And Y/n-sensei is the best! She can cook anything!”
You sighed but patted Inosuke’s head, making him freeze in place before puffing up proudly. “I appreciate the enthusiasm. How about next time we bake something?”
The wild boar boy nodded sagely. “Hmph. Fine. But only because you said so.”
Dinner was simple. grilled fish, miso soup, fresh rice, and vegetables. Nothing fancy, but by the way the three of them practically inhaled their portions, you would have thought it was a feast.
Zenitsu let out a dramatic sigh, clutching his stomach. “I could cry. This is the best meal I’ve had in forever.”
Tanjiro, cheeks slightly puffed with rice, nodded in agreement. “It’s really good, Y/n-sensei. Thank you.”
Inosuke, on his third serving, was too busy stuffing his face to respond verbally. Instead, he let out a pleased grunt.
You shook your head fondly. “Honestly, what would you three do without me?”
