3rd pov

It had been a few months since Tangiro has started training with Urakodaki, whether or not he regretted it was still unknown.

Lin had become good friends with the old man, as well as put her own hand into Tangiro's training, teaching him languages like English and sign language. These lessons were some of his favorite, as he throughly enjoyed them, the taste of knowledge sweeter than battle.

Lin had taken up an interesting view that she had to be immune to wisteria.

Lin pov

I was standing outside, with the night cloaking me. In my hands, was the purple poison that seemed dead set on burning through them, sizzling flesh all to apparent in the night.

I glared at it, steeling myself for the next step. Then, in a swift motion, I stuffed it into my mouth, the burning sensation becoming like a wild fire, melting through my jaw.

Resolve harden my bones as I pushed back with everything I had. Slowly, the damage regret, the acrid smell of burning flesh subsiding as the poison was absorbed.

A wave of nasua crashed throughout me, making me stumble. I clutched desperately onto the edge of the wooden log that held a sickening amount of the wine dark poison.

Pushing the lightheadedness aside, I stood up again. Reaching for the wisteria, I prepared myself for a long night.

--

It was morning now, the dawn's deadly rays rising up, burning away the unfortunate part of me that had melted off.

I was exhausted, the night had been incredibly long and bothersome. Every time that the pain subsided for a second, the wisteria on the log would be taken from.

Now I was in Urakodaki's cabin, conversing with him while my child trained.
He was asking about were I was last night, and if I was successful. Thankfully, this time I could finally say yes. Wisteria no longer affected me.

"So, Lin, tell me about your past life. I assume you still can remember?"

3rd pov

Lin tensed at this question. Urakodaki was about to backtrack when she started moving her hands.

"Not good. Married. Bad man. Child."

Lin had trouble remembering enough signs to create full thoughts. Bad memories flooded her mind. She held her head, trying to get them to leave her alone, but the torrent of horrid feelings and pictures kept swirling around her in a sickening fashion.

Urakodaki eye's widened. He had never seen Lin like this. Though, in his mind, he saw his student. A sense of protection came over him.

Lin's vision flitted in and out. She couldn't move anymore, not even able to cry. Breathing suddenly got hard for her, she chose to not even bother. She could feel the blood rush to her head and she-

Urakodaki crushed her into a hug, rubbing comforting circles on her back. He had suddenly felt like she needed it. He was more than happy to provide, fatherly instincts going crazy.

Lin closed her eyes, crushing Urakodaki to her. She clung to him, finding a sturdy rock finally after being taken away by the endless torrents of waves that drowned incessantly.

Tangiro didn't know what to do. He was standing outside of the cabin, motionless. He could hear his mother sobbing inside, the smell of suffocating emotions swirling around her. He felt as if he was useless, as if it was his fault.

Tangiro often thought about his mother how perfect she was, how innocent. He often felt protective of her, upset when she would away and do dangerous things. He didn't want her to hurt, he wished for it to be the way it was before, with his family. He didn't know much about her more recent past, but he knew she had a sister.

Tangiro felt a wave of guilt crashing over him, further feeling regret. Would his mother be crying like this if Hazel was still alive? What should he do? He wanted to go in there, he wanted to join his mentor in comforting her.

He knocked on the shogi door, hearing muffled noises of movement. Urakodaki opened the door a disgruntled scent wafting off him. Tangiro stared at the soulless pits of the mask, gaze not wavering.

"Are you done?"

Urakodaki voice was sharp and unforgiving, cutting through the silence like a knife.

Tangiro nodded, returning the favor by afixing him with a glare of his own.

"Then follow me" Urakodaki set off in a random direction, giving Tangiro a started as he tried to follow him, muscles already tired from the previous training.

He almost lost his mentor a few times, almost running into him as Urakodaki stopped suddenly. He looked around the clearing, gaze falling onto a giant boulder.

"I have nothing left to teach you. If you wish to go to the final selection, you must cut through this boulder."

Tangiro gawker. This must be a punishment! Was it because he interupted him comforting his mother? How unfair...

But still, Urakodaki was his mentor, and he must do as he says. So Tangiro stood there for a few moments, waiting until Urakodaki left.

Then, Tangiro tried to cut the boulder... and failed. But that was alright, he had six months! Right...?

-Meanwhile-

Urakodaki reached his cabin, opening the door to find that Lin had started drawing again. Lin would often draw, and though neither Urakodaki or Tangiro knew what the drawings depicted, they were quite pretty.

Today she was drawing what looked like a girl. The girl looked like Lin, so Urakodaki assumed that she must be drawing herself as a human.

"Who is that?"

Lin looked up. She turned her head in his direction, staring at him blankly while she tried to understand the question. She thought for a moment then,

No me. Girl. Mine. Family.

Aside from her dismal ASL, Lin could get the point across at least. Urakodaki nodded in understanding.

"Your sister? Were you twins?"

Lin nods, glad he understood her. She goes back to drawing the woman, and slowly, the drawing starts looking... less than human. The girl in the picture has Lin's features, but they have no definition...

Urakodaki pays no mind, instead getting supplies to cook as Tangiro will surely come back soon. He never misses dinner.

It's a pleasant scene, the mother drawing by the light of the fire as Urakodaki cooks. Lin feels a pang of hunger as she pushes away the bad thoughts of her past. Her face grows stony as she reminds herself that she will never eat food again.

...
...
...

Tangiro didn't come to dinner. Lin grew agitated slowly as time passed until she just got up and left to go give it to him.

She found him in the forest, in front of a large boulder. This confused her. Why was her son yelling at a rock?

She goes closer, resting her clawed hand on his shoulder. He jolts in surprise, looking up at her. She stares calmly at him, not blinking. She gestures to the food in her hand, then gives it to him.

The two sit on the boulder, Tangiro eating as he told her what he did today. Lin was only half-listening, as Tangiro did the same things every day.

The sun was already set and the forest was silent. Lin felt uneasy, but she chalked it up to a trauma response.

"-her? Mother? Lin?"

Lin looked at her son. He was finished eating, it seems. She gets off the rock, offering her hand to him. He takes it, jumping down after her. They start walking home, back to the cabin and Urakodaki.

Another day is done.

-Timeskip-
3 months later.

"He didn't come to dinner again. Tangiro has been out in the forest late at night more and more often. Its... unnerving. I worry that he will harm himself..." Lin thinks as she walks through the woods to go get him. Again.

As she goes closer, though, she can hear... sword fighting? Who is he fighting? There is no one else on this mountain...

Lin walked into an...interesting scene. A peach haired boy was darting around her son as a small mouse-like girl watched and called out to Tangiro as he struggled to keep up with the other boy.

She walked up behind the mouse girl, silent as always. The mouse girl didn't notice her, but Tangiro did, running over to her.

She stared at him. He stared at her. Tangiro had no idea how to explain. And he could see that look in her eye...oh boy...

...

Sabito was confused. Why was a demon out here. Wasn't it supposed to be inside? And why was it looking at him like that? Why was it coming closer?!

It was- oh. She was patting his head, that's all. Wait what.

Sabito batted her hand away from his head annoyance clear in his actions. He never liked the demon. She was to quiet, he could never hear her coming.

Lin, on the other hand, was ecstatic. There was two new children to take care of. She enjoyed taking care of children... though she doesn't know why, it must be something about her human life. She remembers tidbits here and there about it...

... either way, Sabito and Makomo got forcibly adopted.

Lin would go to bring Tangiro dinner every day after that, much to Sabito's annoyance.

Right now, she was sitting calmly on the rock watching her child struggle with life. Tangiro was desperately trying to look like he knew what to do and... he didn't. Sabito, as usual, was mopping the floor with him.

Lin giggled softly, looking up from the flowers she was braiding into Makomo's hair. She was tempted to take off the muzzle to shout encouragement, but decided against it. After all, Giyuu wouldn't be pleased. Nor would Urakodaki. And she didn't feel like getting another lecture.

Makomo tugged softly on her tunic, and Lin looked at her expectantly.

"Lin-chan, can you fight well?" Makomo asked carefully. She didn't want to upset the demoness.

Lin nodded. She could fight. But she tended to fight brutally, and training with her would end up with another grave next to Makomo's. Which by the way, she found while wandering through the forest.

"Maybe you could fight Sabito. To encourage Tangiro...?" Makomo just wanted to see Sabito lose for once. It was getting rather repetitive, seeing Tangiro lose over and over.

Lin hummed thoughtfully, mulling the idea over a few times. Sabito was already dead, so she didn't have to worry about that. She nodded. She would love to beat the ever-loving shit out of Sabito.

"Hey Sabito! Can Lin fight you after this?!" Makomo called out to him. Sabito looked at her briefly, nodding and then slamming his heel into Tangiro's back, effectively winning.

Lin stood up, brushing the non-existent dust off her tunic. She and Sabito got into fighting stances, circling each other slowly.

Sabito's pov

What's this chick's deal? Sure she may be related to that Tangiro kid, but why was she so... not like Tangiro. I can feel malice radiating off her, but it's not directed to me at all.

Wait. Wait, where do she go?

Sabito looked around him worriedly, not even realizing she was in a tree. Then again, he probably felt her hand hit his spine. After all, he did collapse.

Oh. Oh my. Oh well, he asked for it.

End chapter.
Hi. What do you think of the story so far? Sorry for being so bad at updating.
If you are wondering what motivates Lin, it's spite. She really, really wants to annoy Muzan. And like, everybody else. Also, she has Dolonia.