I recently watched and read the manga (trying to spend my school break fulfilling my watchlist because SKOOL SUCKS).
It was worth it despite the bittersweet ending 🥲
Tokito is one of my favorite Hashiras. And I will be posting my other 2 favorite Hashiras (or should I draw them all? Hmmmm). I am still practicing with the lighting, shading, and how to draw hair, so I am looking forward to drawing them digitally.
remarks: the pillars as whiskey river soaps. no further explanations provided. tag yourselves if you wanna, i’m probably shinobu and tomioka combined 😔✌
Finished Muichiro✨
(he looks kinda messy imo.. i was desperately trying to correct my colors bc they were wayy too bright and saturated and there were just so many layers that it got kinda streaky and messy :p still looks good tho ^-^)
Random excerpts from black girl kny time travel au (2nd installment)
Pairing: Rengoku / black!fem oc or reader. featuring: Kagaya, Muichiro
Genre: general, some humor
Additional Notes: this can kinda serve as the first chapter but i plan to write further establishing exhibition.
her eyes were bleary once they could finally stir to blink--heavy, and slow to open. for the longest, her lids carried the weight of a thousand earths, allowing time to ooze on a frightening slope that swept her up in its current. but when the veil lifted at last, the anxiety plaguing her subconscious broke. her hearing was clearer than her sight for some moments, and the only sounds about were tranquil in nature: distant chirps that spoke of a pleasant morning, and soft shifts of gravel beneath steps in no hurry. even her sense of smell was translating a peaceful state, as difficult as it were to rationalize to her waking mind... especially with the pokes and nudges, and lifts of her feet she felt as she regained awareness.
"why are you leaving it here?"
her eyes snapped open--and were met with an aloof, bright turquoise stare that matched oddly with the flat tone they belonged to. the question, though, seemed to be directed at some retreating persons--all apologising profusely and blabbering explanations over each other in a panic. he only glared at them in indifference, turning away as his only reply to their clamor.
"it's wisest for her to be left to us rather than left alone in the infirmary! we do not know if she's dangerous," a far more vibrant and mature voice boomed from somewhere overhead where she could not see, capturing the boy's attention as well as hers.
the response, though, didn't seem to please the adolescent now kneeling near her side. a finger of his idly swiped at her arm, and he responded as he inspected the pads of his fingers for rub-off of her color, seemingly inconvenienced by the new responsibility before commenting. "she's sooty. why?"
that enraged her enough to bolt upright, though the motion made her vision go white for a moment. this boy was young, but he was in no way too young to not know how offensive such a description was. her instinct was immediately to swipe an offended blow to the boy's ear, open palmed and reprimanding, in spite of barely being conscious.
but no sooner than she snapped at him was she thrown into speechlessness. in less time than it took for her to rear her arm back, the boy had dodged her -- with inhuman speed. in the same fraction of a second, he'd gone from sitting more or less at her hip, to standing full height at the other end of the open room.
...where was she?
"and slow," he added again, "that's embarrassing... even for demons."
"perhaps she's not demon," booming voice hypothesised back, "she tried to strike you, only, instead of biting, after all. Interesting!"
during the reprisal of their conversation, she'd tried to take advantage with her pissed state, freeing her shoe and launching it at the young dispassionate--sending a razor-like pain through her head that she was forced to wince at, then ignore. but again, he stunned her, catching it in his hand without so much as a glance in her direction. even with his nonchalance, however, she could feel a drop in the air once he did. both sets of their eyes she felt slowly turning onto her, as if she'd sent the shock of a taboo through the both of them.
"don't throw things in the master's home."
when his voice said so at her side in the next instant, she was jolted and yelped. but all that followed after was darkness seeping into her vision, a second after the side of the boy's palm struck her jugular.
once she drifted into consciousness again, the sunshine had shifted angles. it seemed to be ripe in the afternoon if she judged from the heat's direction. there was an ache in her neck, and her recollection slowly returned from the realization of how she'd been knocked onto the floor for a second time. that damned little boy.
upon sitting upright once more, it was made clear to her that she was not in the same place as she had been before. instead of where she'd been haphazardly left on the ground where she first woke, she now had been set into a corner under cooler shade. there was a pillow underneath her head, and a neatly tucked sheet around her body.
"...it is fortunate that the two of you arrived with your reports when you did. I am relieved to see you both safe. you continue to expand my pride in you, my children," a soothing, very lovely voice said deeply in sincerity.
"thank you, master."
"thank you, master."
the two matching answers came from the same two mismatched voices from her first waking, and she turned to her side for a view of whatever was transpiring.
"i am afraid the information I have is little more than what you have already deduced on your own. The only further facts are that this newcomer appeared early in the morning, deep in the honored graves. I'm told she manifested out of the air, and fell from a distance, appearing from nothingness. as it was daylight, despite the sharpness of her fingers and the darkness i am told of her appearance, she cannot be a demon ...as she did not combust into flames, nor splinter into ashes in the sun."
this comforting voice came from a man facing away from her, being assisted--or at least, seemingly assisted by two much smaller girls at either of his sides. they all wore different lengths of the same blunt hairstyle--his longer and onyx, the others chin length and white.
and these people, she just processed, had initially assumed her to be a demon.
"isn't it an imposition to keep her in your care, master?" the detatched voice of the boy came from in front of the man he addressed, obscured from her vision. her brow furrowed with the speculation. why were her future whereabouts a topic of discussion at all?
"i would think not, muichiro. at most, i suspect she is only disoriented, and frightened. i sense no wickedness of her spirit."
"but--"
"pardon me, please, master," she heard the spunky, huskier voice edge its way into the two others before the boy could speak again, "i ask of your consideration for her to be left in my charge. please forgive my infringement."
"tell me what is on your mind, kyojuro," their master tranquily asked. his voice was lulling, sounding enriched with loving, paternal warmth. she could feel his care and concern wafting off his back in resounding waves. it was nearly enough to make her eyes water.
"it is only that i would not wish you disturbed-- with all that is already carried on your shoulders. your good health and the absence of hindrance to you is paramount--i believe the burden of caregiving would be better assigned to one of us. tokito-san is a superb warrior, but i think i would be better suited to care for this newcomer, of the two of us here," he explained quickly and thoroughly, "in addition, master, i will report any abnormalities or information she may provide, whether it may help or hinder our cause."
there was silence after this. she could only imagine how the glazed teenager with him would have been rolling his eyes at the proposition--especially with that slight dig at his people skills, if the boy was indeed tokito. but she could feel fondness shining from the black haired and white garbed man standing some distance ahead of her.
"the flame in your heart impresses me with each of our meetings, kyojuro," their master commented in soft praise, "i will entrust her to you completely."
he followed with an elongated beat after this. but eventually, she could hear him answer with a thank you that was near breathless... as if his validation was the pinnacle of all things to yearn after in this world. it made her heart feel warm.
"there is no need for either of you to depart for now. you have been tireless in your work, reports in your regions have diminished for the present. please stay within my estate. until you are rested and well mended, i ask you both to remain here in our care. kyojuro, for the time being, you will have assistance with the newcomer."
' 'as you wish.' ' they both responded in unison.
the master turned slowly, making her shrink away, like a child caught in wrongdoing for having eaves dropped on their entire exchange. but he grinned, tepidly looking in her direction with immeasurable tenderness. she wondered, briefly, if he was listening to her pulse, waiting for it to stop battering against her ribs. she'd never felt such suspense hanging on a single interaction as she did now.
"what is your name, my girl?"
her heart pounded its way into her throat, but the disarming smile he gave made her voice find a way past it to answer. "imene."
"i am moved to believe you have been brought here for a purpose beyond any of us, dear imene," he finally addressed her. immediately, her stomach was alight with what felt like both adrenaline and helium at once, "though none of us may know it clearly just now, you'll be safe here, and anywhere with my children. i hope you will come to trust in them as i do. they have earned it, along with the respect of many in these lands. i promise to you."
she was struck dumb with the feeling engulfing her at his voice, at such tender acknowledgement. his eyes closed with his smile to her as it grew, and she could only feel her lips parting in awe.
"i--...yes, i will," she stammered, much less gracefully than the other two managed to address him. she felt like an idiot, stricken as she was by him-- and forced to answer while still lying prone and tucked into makeshift bedding on the floor, "thank you, thank so much."
with an agreeable hum, he gave a brief nod, and was escorted away without a word further. only then did the two who had been around her when she woke come back into view. now she could finally see the figure belonging to the stronger, more dynamic sounding one of the pair. the man's appearance was just as vibrant as his voice. his hair took the color of fire, which was all she could see as he bowed to the master, and remained in the same posture for a while after he'd disappeared deeper into whatever building this was. but when he stood erect, she was certain that she'd gasped. his eyes were like no other human being's that she had ever lain eyes on. large, upturned, and almost catlike with how almond their shape was, their color was clear golden surrounding a lustrous, dazzling red. and both sat framed by stark, jet black brows thicker than any person should have naturally had. all of his features would have been freakish to hear, worse to imagine. but on him, they were nothing less than utterly striking. she would have looked at him forever, without a complaint in the world.
then, there was pain. somewhere, in the middle of her gawking, she'd subconsciously tried to lift herself upright, and her back would have none of it. the ache was strong. it forced a grimace to her face as well as a straining grunt up her throat.
"where is the pain?"
he'd moved just as quickly as the younger one had to dodge her shoe, by her side in a flash when he'd been meters away not a full second before. her eyes widened, but she just managed to not fall over in a start. no, she was far too preoccupied with falling into his gaze to do that. but he managed on his own while she remembered how to breathe so closely to him, inspecting for himself.
"...here..?"
rough, calloused fingers pressed into her the rear curve of her ribs. but the second she hissed, his touch vanished, and the air was freely on her skin.
"hm. you must've landed quite hard, you're bruised here," he said softly. somehow, with how gentle and quick he was, she didn't feel nearly as exposed as she should have with him lifting her shirt out in the open, and with a child nearby at that, "here, too. and here..." he named with more soft touches across her back and shoulders, with her forced to bite down against how much he was tickling her, until he was holding her around her waist to check the ribs that were further from him. the impromptu inspection appeared to be over, then, and she nearly relaxed, until he shifted at her back. now, both of his hands held her waist from behind, dipping just past the top of her jeans, where he pressed his thumbs gently into the muscle just above her bottom. gluteus medius... she recalled the name for whatever purpose, just before her flesh leapt from being prodded in so sensitive an area--especially when it also was damaged, "mm. here, also..." he concluded further, "your head is hurting you, too?"
on cue, a throbbing migraine began to scrape its teeth at the inside of her skull, directly at the back and shooting upward to her crown.
she grimaced, and instantly regretted it for how it intensified the feeling, "how did you know?"
"you fell flat on your back from what i can tell of your injuries. so you would have hit your skull on the ground just as heavily when you landed," he answered with such patience and reassurance. his sincerity was perplexing, but it was quite clear that he was very caring, "and it is much more fragile."
"wh--so I have a concussion?"
"you may, yes, it's possible," he answered honestly, but a smile was on his face again without a moment to spare, "if you do, we will see that you're properly nursed through it! your tolerance is high to bear all of these so quietly!"
"no it isn't," they both heard a scoff, "they're superficial. it's bruised skin, there isn't even a wound," the dull spirited boy caught their attention again, sitting a short distance before her feet, and fiddling with unlacing the shoe she'd chucked at him earlier.
"ah, but tokito, she is not a hashira like you. we can't hold her to our harsh standards if she is not even a slayer," he said, sounding half amused, and half like a seasoned older sibling trying to correct the younger.
rather than agree, or offer any benefit of the doubt to her, the boy merely shrugged at him, "you're babying her."
"if you don't shut your bad little ass the hell up-- give me my damn shoe!"
his listless eyes ticked upward to her, unmoved in the least. "it's mine."
"give it!"
he held it behind him, flat-faced but still very clearly taunting, "stop being so loud. and you're not my superior," he sassed again, bringing it back into his lap to continue unlacing it, "you're a beat up sooty snail trying to give me orders."
she'd tried to kick at the younger hashira in retaliation, but both the younger and older were too swift for her to pull anything on them. the turqoised-eyed one had flattened himself --even as he sat on his knees-- onto his back, and the elder had her spun against him, bunched into his hold as to be ready to lift her into his arms at any moment.
"do not mind our young mist hashira," he chuckled lowly by her ear. it would have made her shiver, if her irritation wasn't taking precedence in the moment. what was a mist hashira? how was it relevant? she didn't care right now.
"how bout i mind my foot up his misty ass!"
"i would break it," he answered before the blond could intervene, though he seemed to be too busy holding back a snicker behind his reddening face to get back between the two.
"he can't hold me forever--trust me i'm gonna whoop your lil rotten tail when i get the chance!" she vowed. though, the second she struggled and looked like she was going to lunge, the fiery looking one had her in the air and lifted in his strong arms, finally separating them.
"you wouldn't be able to catch me, snail girl."
"watch me, monkey!"
"no."
the fiery male carrying her was failing to withhold his amusement, chuckling as muichiro and imene exchanged insults. surreal as this circumstance was, there was an odd warmth in hearing tokito's voice as much as he now did.
How does Kiyo get along with the Hashira? What does he think of them?
Kiyo is on good terms with almost everyone from Hashir. She communicates well with Mitsuri Kanroji, with whom she passed the final selection in the same year. She also often sees Kyojuro Rengoku, who used to help her train in the control of breathing techniques. The girl also became close to the Kocho sisters after she was seriously injured and had to recover for six months, so she sometimes helped them in the hospital
Kiyo is respectful and neutral with the others. Sanemi and Obanai can be singled out, who, being friends of Kanae and Mitsuri, respectively, often see a girl. Tokito also likes to listen to Kiyo play shamisen.
