Curate, connect, and discover
OK, so I've been holding it off for a while (mostly because I wanted to make art for this, but due to circumstances I can't put the original pieces and I'm still working on the new one's), but I feel like you deserve some context on that Mandela Catalogue x Demon Slayer au I've had laying around so he we go.
This au follow's a lot of beats in KNY, but with Mandela character's + some oc's plastered on with a few small changes. I wrote a whole explanation on the Lore, but it's long as hell so I'll try to simplify it as much as I can:
(Quick context: Mark started living with Cesar and Mrs Torres after his mother left and his father died. She like's to help out whenever she can, feeling like she owes them. Also, don't think about the location/time period too much, I didn't really think through it.)
During a harsh winter, Mrs Torres get's sick and Cesar stay's home to take care of her, asking Mark to get some medicine after selling the coal. Not being one to refuse his friend, Mark agrees and head's down the mountain to the village of Mandela. After finishing her round's, Mark get's the medicine Cesar needed and make's her way back up the mountain.
It was getting dark and a storm was picking up. Halfway up the mountain, Mark is stopped by Noah (an oc/young father whose family live's close to the Torres')who warn's her about the storm and demon's coming out during the night. Noah insists that Mark stay the night with his family, who are just about to have dinner, and despite his initial refusal, the younger boy join's them for the night.
After that, Noah give's Mark the basic explanation that Tanjiro got about demon's and demon slayer's, you know the drill. Poor thing goes to sleep scared that night.
The next morning, Mark continues his way up the mountain with more speed than he did yesterday. He finally approaches the Torres house when the smell of blood suddenly fill's his senses. Scared, she quickly grab's a hatchet from outside and carefully make's her way to the front door. When she open's it, she see's Cesar's bloodied body pressed against his mother's, a pool of blood right under her. This, naturally, scare's the hell out of Mark and he immediately check's on the two. Mrs Torres, unfortunately, wasn't breathing, but somehow Cesar still had a pulse. Mark was relieved to know that her best friend survived and quickly slung him over her shoulder's in order to get him help.
While running down the mountain, Cesar slowly start's to come into consciousness. Mark tries to reassure his friend that they'll get help for his wounds, but the half dead boy just growl's instead of saying anything. Suddenly, Cesar freak's out causing Mark to lose his balance and the two fall off the cliff they were near. Thankfully, with a mix of snow and anime bullshit, the two survive the fall almost completely unscathed.
Mark, still a bit panicked from the fall, tries to find Cesar only to see him standing perfe tly fine. She ask's him if he's hurt when he suddenly lunges straight at her. Confused, Mark tries to reason with Cesar, but all he get's is a slew of incoherent growling.
Wouldn't ya know, Cesar had been turned into a demon!
Some emotional scene's later, the two are suddenly ambushed by a demon slayer, who is none other than Thatcher Davis, him freaking self!
Thatcher, being a demon slayer, is responsible for putting Cesar out of his misery, but Mark isn't going to let his friend die that easily, regardless of him being a demon or not. She decide's that she will become a demon slayer herself, kill whoever did this to Cesar, and cure him.
While Thatcher is impressed by her determination, he isn't just gonna let a demon go because of a probably empty promise. The two human's get in a fight that end's with the older of the two knocking the other out. Thatcher tries to get back to killing the demon, but Cesar manage's to escape in the struggle and sneak attack's the man. Then, seeing Mark unconscious, he run's right to him and just before Thatcher can pull out his blade….Cesar stand's protectively in front of his friend. This is what finally convinces Thatcher to give the kid a chance.
Mark wake's up to find Cesar unconscious and gagged right next to him. Thatcher explain's that he (Cesar) will need to stay out of the sun and must wear the mouthpiece in order to prevent him from eating any human's. He then leaves the two, but not before giving them a note to meet with the water hashira in the mountain's, who will help Mark in her training.
And that's the plot! There are other character's here, of course, but wanted to start with the first episode's plot and work my way up (I don't watch much demon slayer), so this is all you're getting. Still, I hope you like my au! I will eventually post some designs (maybe even some scene edits or whatever they're called), but that will have to wait!