Life fell back into a routine. His new followers fit in well and were given jobs and responsibilities, there was a good harvest and they had plenty to eat throughout the winter, as did Douma. He only left to hunt elsewhere twice in the cold months and he even killed a Hashira! Visiting Gyutaro and Ume had also been possible, though it had only been for a single night. They were getting strong quickly and had killed some demon slayers as well. It might have just been Douma's imagination, but they seemed to be working smarter too. He also got around to eating Tsuyu, finally, so that wrapped up his whole Yoshiwara trip and its misfortunes.
When the colder months ended, spring came. Douma had been looking forward to that. He'd get to see the wisteria tree bloom.
There was only one tree with wisteria anywhere near his temple. It was still quite a way away. Douma owned more land than most of his followers knew and the tree was on the outskirts where he didn't have to worry about it. Not that wisteria on its own would do much to an Upper Moon, but in his past life he'd avoid it when he could.
Not now though. He visited this tree often.
He approached the tree, taking in its rather poor state. He had seen wisteria trees owned by demon slayers and they were much healthier and more extravagant. In this case it may be because there was no one to tend to it. As he stepped closer his throat began to itch, but a few coughs cleared it up quickly enough.
Douma curled the flowers around his fingers, allowing the petals to bunch up and rub against his skin. His nerves jumped and each spot the petals made contact with stung and buzzed before easing into an subtle ache.
It reminded him of Shinobu's poison.
The ache faded a moment later and he frowned. He clenched his fist around the flowers and froze them, crushing them in his hand and then letting the shards drop onto the ground.
It wasn't enough.
The flowers effects only lasted a few seconds on him. They were just flowers. Not poison.
He crouched down next to the shards and tapped them with a claw, growing icy lotus flowers as he thought. Shinobu wasn't born and he was growing impatient. He was… Lonely? No… well, almost. Longing? That was more accurate. He missed her. He wanted to see her again so badly! He wanted to feel the anger in her strikes and the burning poison in his blood and see how happy she was when he died! That absolute state of contentment and the belief in her companions!
He felt his heart flutter and his cheeks flush again and he laughed.
To think everyone lived while feeling things like this all the time!
He rested his chin on his palm and continued to poke at the shards until he had a miniature lotus garden.
Oh, that was an idea.
Douma stood back up and ran his fingers through the thick wisteria branches and vines. With his other hand he brandished a fan and used it to cleanly slice a branch off.
He'd grow his own wisteria in the temple! It wasn't Shinobu, but it was a piece of her and it'd be at his side until she came to kill him. He'd adapt to those pesky side effects too. He really wanted to appreciate the plant's beauty. Maybe he'd even be able to neutralize Shinobu's poison faster. She'd have to get more creative and he could drag the fight out a little more this time—
Ah! He was getting a little ahead of himself. He tapped his head with his fan in chastisement.
He carried his branch back to the temple, setting it to the side in some water as he searched for a nice pot to get them started in. If only he had met Gyokko already! He made the prettiest pots…
"My Lord?" one of his attendants, Miki, called sleepily.
Douma had just pulled out a large rectangular pot from a dusty corner of a room they once used to prepare food in before expanding their kitchen. He turned to her with a grin, holding it up. "Isn't it great?"
It was a little battered, but still in relatively good shape. It was several different shades of blue, darker at the bottom and going lighter up top. An occasional purple stripe would go across the pot, unevenly separating the shades. It wasn't anything special, but Douma found himself excited that he found it. How ridiculous!
"Er, yes? My Lord have you been up all night?"
"Not all night," he lied. "I was just struck with inspiration! I need dirt!"
"Um…"
After some clarification, Miki was more than happy to provide him with fertile earth and she even filled the pot for him, insisting he not dirty himself.
"I didn't know you liked plants," Miki said as he snipped at the branch he collected.
Douma's hands stalled over his cuttings, then he smiled. "Yes… Yes, I do like them! Flowers, mostly," he said. He thinks he might have always liked them. He just… hadn't noticed? He even had an indoor garden in his past life. It had started because he had his followers search for the Blue Spider Lilly that Muzan coveted so much. Even after it turned up nothing, he kept the garden tended to as well as he could. The wisteria would be the start of one this time, he was sure. "I like lotuses, but wisteria has caught my attention! Anything is nice, really." He twisted his finger into the dirt, poking holes to push the cuttings into. "I really do hope these take. It'll be a long while until they bloom, I've heard."
"I'm sure under your care it will happen quickly! I look forward to seeing them!"
Douma leaned towards the cuttings. "You hear that? You must grow for Miki!"
Word spread quickly through his village.
Douma was getting more offerings and almost all of them were flowers. Usually, he didn't care about what gifts he was given but this felt different. Most were cut and some were potted. Many different varieties as well. His followers seemed determined to give everything they could now that he seemed to like something. One even had to be retrieved after nearly falling to their death attempting to get him a gift.
He had always thought he had shown enough enthusiasm and gratitude for past offerings but apparently he was wrong. Something in his reactions must have been off this whole time. His followers responded well to his reactions to their flowers now. He couldn't help but turn their gifts this way and that to pick out the details and there was always a subtle, tense, energy in the air as they waited for his approval. Which he always gave. The relief and excitement and the happiness always permeated the room and his smile, strangely, came easier than it did before.
He knew for sure that he did, in fact, like flowers.
It had only been a month and he had quite the collection now, even without including the ones that had wilted. One follower showed him how to press them and perfecting the process was becoming a nice way to pass the time when he wasn't giving advice or prayers in the morning and not hunting at night.
He was stroking the soft petals of a vibrant pink peony in a small pot, eyes taking in every detail appreciatively. He placed it on a shelf at the opposite end of the room. Flowers grown in the garden outside were his favorite, but potted plants were a close second. In his past life he would leave the room before having his attendants give the garden some sun, but this time he wanted the light they got to be more consistent. This meant there was a beam of sunlight allowed in the room while he was still in it. A little foolish, but Douma would be careful. It was actually quite nice, seeing the flowers lit up the way they were supposed to be. At the moment, they were only lit up by the moon. Still very pretty.
As for his wisteria, several cuttings had taken root and after discarding the ones that didn't, he took half of them and planted them near a tree next to his temple. He hoped they would grow and bloom by next spring.
He wondered if he should try eating the wisteria flowers. Maybe that'd feel more like poison?
Speaking of eating…
One of his followers, Chihoko, was waiting in his room with the promise of being guided to paradise by his hand. He had a feeling she thought it would be an intimate experience. And it was! Just not what she expected. When he entered his chambers where she was sitting, her face was completely red and she was fidgeting. She scooted to the side so he'd have room to sit next to her, smiling nervously.
He smiled at her indulgently and sat.
"Lord Douma, are you sure about this? I've never…" She trailed off.
Douma laughed lightly. "Do you trust me, Chihoko?"
"I do! And I… I want this! I really, really, do. I just don't want to disappoint you—"
"Impossible. You're perfect!" He cupped her face between both of his hands gently and kissed the top of her head. "Just relax—"
"Douma."
His body seized—
Something Dark—
Heavy—
It pressed into his mind.
His vision blurred.
His thumbs stabbed into Chihoko's eyeballs. His hands clenched. Her head popped. Blood splattered across his face and the walls.
Douma blinked a few times and his vision cleared. He looked at his hands, soaked in blood and bits of flesh. He instinctively licked at some that had landed on his lips and looked down at Chihoko's body, still twitching.
He hadn't meant to do that. Not so brutally.
"Douma."
Oh, of course! Douma grinned.
"Lord Muzan!"
"Go northeast and meet with Upper Moon Two, Akaza. Kill the slayers who slayed Lower Moon Four. They rest in a sanctuary."
"At once, My Lord!"
He was going to meet Akaza! How exciting! Muzan hadn't sent them together on any missions before! Douma was sure their meeting would be much more positive than the first time. Gyokko had pulled the funniest prank, but it hadn't left Akaza with the best impression of Douma. He'd done the best he could to work with their fun little relationship but he wanted it to be better this time around. More positive! He wanted to see Akaza be happy for once!
Literally. He had never seen him smile. Not even an evil smile!
Douma had tried so hard to make him happy by letting him hit him. This time Douma would try to find out what Akaza liked! Surely he must like something. Douma liked flowers now and he knew he'd be ecstatic if Akaza gave him some. Whatever it was, Douma would find it and give it to him and then Akaza would call him his best friend too!
