Curate, connect, and discover
A scenario I imagined from the concept idea where Zenitsu & Obanai are related.
"...You're a lucky one. "
Zenitsu went still, stopping just right behind the Hashira. The older man had stopped as well, but he didn't turn around to face the younger one.
His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat. He felt as if the muscles in his lungs tightened enough to lessen the oxygen from flowing in, with how hard he found it to breathe properly now. Lucky? Lucky?
" How? " Zenitsu managed to choke out after an uncomfortable moment of silence. " I told you of my early life, how I roamed around the street like some sort of dirty rat and you told me I was the lucky one? "
The blond boy felt dread swirling inside him -- he was offended, yes, but there was something off with the way Obanai worded his sentence just now that made him consider having a second thought. Lucky. Zenitsu was the lucky one. Lucky for being taken away from his -- their family. Lucky for not being able to be with his blood relatives.
There was no mocking in the Hashira's tone, nor any sound vibrating from him that indicated any sense of superiority nor arrogance.
On the contrary, it was absolutely baffling for Zenitsu to hear that those words were spoken with an echo of relief.
Obanai shuffled in his spot, turning around just a bit enough for the two to lock eyes. If there was any resemblance between them for being relatives, perhaps it would be the shade of their golden eyes, albeit with the Hashira having heterochromia.
He always looked so stern and scary, for Zenitsu, that is. Eyebrows furrowing, glaring and arms crossing over his chest. No sense of friendliness, especially with the white snake curling around his shoulders.
But then Zenitsu looked at the bandage wrapped around Obanai's lower face, never being taken off. Not a fashion taste, not when he kept bringing his sleeve up to cover his mouth area. In a way, Zenitsu found a distant familiarity whenever he saw Obanai tilt his head down, eyes glancing away.
He watched him slowly bring his sleeve up like he often did, always stopping right when it covered his lower face. Bits of his fingers peeked out, brushing lightly against the wrapped fabric. Zenitsu was again thrown off by another sound coming from the Hashira -- as sound that he found himself could relate to.
Self loathing.
The dread sense doubled inside him when another thought came to him. A thought of his blood relatives. People who Obanai was with. People who he didn't know, where they are and what had happened for the Hashira to avoid talking about them.
" Did -- " Zenitsu felt his blood run cold. " -- Did they do that to you? What happened? "
And as always, from the beginning of the discovery of their blood connection, Obanai turned away from Zenitsu.
" Some things are better left unknown. "
Saw a YouTube video of someone doing a 'What If Tanjirou meets another Hashira in the first episode' so here are my speculation;
Giyuu: Already in canon, Tanjirou and Nezuko are spared
Shinobu: Same as Giyuu with attacking Nezuko first but becomes immensely curious and bewildered when Nezuko protects Tanjirou. Thinks about Kanae and decides to let her curiosity wins her over. She probably make a deal with Tanjirou like "I'll recommend you a teacher for you to become a slayer in exchange for me to take your sister with me." Probably does experimenting on Nezuko because of her opposite demonic characteristics 💀 (a complicated situation, both sides trying to find the solution for a mutual agreement with Tanjirou refusing to leave Nezuko while Shinobu wants to poke her around with needles and stuff)
Kyojuro: Attacks without hesitation, stating bluntly to Tanjirou why Nezuko should be decapitated (unintentionally harsh) and does a double take when Nezuko protects Tanjirou. He might still stands on his ground but questions the whole situation. I can either see him still trying to slay Nezuko or spare her and takes Tanjirou as his student.
Mitsuri: Despite her soft and cheerful attitude, she shows little mercy when it comes to swinging her blades. She apologies first before diving into an attack. Very shock at seeing how Nezuko protects Tanjirou and starts complicating on what she should do next, to continue her mission or spare the siblings. She might needs to sit down and thinks for a moment. The outcome probably with her sparing them.
Muichiro: So honest with his words, insults Tanjirou at hoping for Nezuko to be good. Attacks but pauses when Nezuko is protecting Tanjirou. Maybe tilts his head and stares, asking Nezuko if she has ulterior motives. The most possible outcome of this situation is him to continue his mission and slays Nezuko, reminding himself that his responsibility as a slayer outweigh everything else.
Uzui: Doesn't filter his words when it comes to explaining to Tanjirou on why the boy is stupid enough to protect his demon sister. His eyes get wide when Nezuko protects Tanjirou and questions swimming around his mind. Either he decides to grasp onto the tiny possiblity that Nezuko can be good, or that he goes ahead to behead her. I see Uzui as a hopeful man clinging on to exciting possiblity of impossible situations, so he might takes Tanjirou as his student but keeps Nezuko lock or isolated away 💀
Gyomei: He thinks the situation is pitiful and hopeless, that Tanjirou is in too much despair to hope his sister still has the humanity in her. Even with blind eyes, Gyomei senses the change of the atmosphere when Nezuko stands over Tanjirou like a protection barrier between him and Tanjirou. He keeps wondering how such thing is possible, how a child like Nezuko decides to risk her life for her human brother that she probably never has memory of. He thinks of the chance that maybe she's being defensive over her food. Either he goes for a killing strike, or to have Tanjirou learning under his guidance while keeping close watch on Nezuko.
Obanai: Very harsh insults, thinks Nezuko has ulterior motive for protecting Tanjirou and beheads her 💀
Sanemi: We all know where this is going 💀 Kill first ask later.