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Archive Warning:
Graphic Depictions Of Violence
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鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Anime)鬼滅の刃 | Kimetsu no Yaiba (Manga)
Characters:
Tsuyuri KanaoDouma (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Hashibira InosukeKotoha (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Kimetsu no Yaiba EnsembleTwelve Demon Moons Ensemble (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Original CharactersDaki | Ume (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Gyutaro (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Kochou KanaeAkaza | Hakuji (Kimetsu no Yaiba)Kokushibou | Tsugikuni Michikatsu
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Alternate UniverseFluff and AngstCanon-Typical ViolenceCannibalismDouma is a Little Shit (Kimetsu no Yaiba)BAMF Tsuyuri KanaoDysfunctional FamilyBad ParentingDouma grabs Kanao instead of the Kochou siblingsAnd grabs Inosuke before Kotoha can chuck him off a cliffDouma: I'm not like a regular dad I'm a cool dadSwordfightingDubious MoralityConditioningKanao and Inosuke as siblingsBlood and GoreLoyaltyFamily Bondingno beta we die like the KamadosCultsTsuyuri Kanao-centricCanonical Character DeathHashibira Inosuke Being Hashibira InosukeTsuyuri 'if anything happens to my family I'll kill everyone in this room and then myself' KanaoPast Child AbuseMorally Neutral KanaoProtective KanaoVivisectionAnimal Abuse
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Published:2021-11-21Updated:2026-04-06Words:154,514Chapters:39/?Comments:1,970Kudos:3,614Bookmarks:794Hits:129,331
Iron and Ice
SkilledWarriorKiwi
Chapter 6: Tsukimi
Notes:
Trying to figure out the limit to Douma's apathy is hard lol especially since a lot of things I've read can't really agree on what all the emotions are and there's different levels of apathy. It's said he's got no emotions but he clearly has desires and preferences and self preservation, and he gets offended when Kanao mocks him in canon. He also was gonna keep Kotoha around just because he liked her company and even attempted to reason with her when she caught him eating people rather than cutting her head off immediately. He also goes out of his way to mock both Akaza and Shinobu so he has a sense of humour and likes provoking drama. So I've decided to keep his base instincts and things such as curiosity, likes and dislikes, and interest and preferences. So yea, a large part of his motivation in keeping Kanao around is because he finds her interesting/entertaining and sitting around doing the same thing for centuries has gotta be boring af especially since he has a day job dealing with a needy cult
Chapter Text
Kanao's lesson for that day was dedicated to repetition, going over what she had already been taught. She painted out sentences she'd been learning, the kanji neat and clean as she wielded the brush with increasing familiarity. Her master hummed as she painted down the kanji opposite him, drumming his claws upon his knee with his eyes half closed.
"I like these lessons," her master had smiled when he had laid out the supplies for her. "It means they all leave me alone with their ridiculous demands. Otherwise it's just nag nag nag, all day every day. At the very least my saving grace is being serious, otherwise I would have gone mad decades ago."
Outside the room, she could hear the distant clamour of voices and bustling footsteps. She'd never been to a festival or any type of event. At her home village everyone lived in filth, they had no parties or celebrations.
On the paper in front of her, she carefully painted out the characters for her name and then her master's. Occasionally her master would speak, giving her sentences to write down. He seemed to veer between having her write down short scripts about blooming lotus flowers to describing that room of skulls or the redness of blood. Kanao diligently copied the sentences down upon the washi, sometimes pausing to run through the kanji she knew before writing down the correct one. Once done, she set down the brush and sat back up with her hands folded on her lap as her master inspected the characters with glittering rainbow eyes.
"Ah, hundred percent correct! Aren't you a diligent little mouse?" he clapped his hands together, smile wide and toothy. "But we both already know you're such a smart girl, ne?"
Once the lesson was finished Misaki came to help Kanao prepare for the festival. Kanao was bathed and then changed into an elaborate kimono of a rich deep purple with the upper part patterned with hundreds of tiny white flowers. Halfway down her legs and sleeves the pattern changed into flowing strips of pink and yellow, the flowers blues, pinks and orange. The obi belt was a bright crimson and gold with a white lotus blossom. Her hair was brushed and brushed until it shone, Misaki pulling most of it back into the sideways ponytail but also braiding several small threads to wrap around the base. Then she slid in the lotus bud pin into Kanao's hair.
Misaki herself was clad in a kimono of deep blue, patterns with cranes and blooming sakura blossoms. Her short hair was drawn back from her features, tied into two small buns with colourful ribbons. An assortment of pins in the shape of blooming flowers were carefully slotted into the buns. When she gently led Kanao out to where the others were they were dressed up just as much, in a rainbow of colours with shimmering silks and rich fabric and flowing ribbons and colourful patterns of flowers and vines and bird. It was such a long distance from the muddy foulness of her old village, with the dilapidated buildings and filthy clothing of tattered rags.
She looked around for her master, who with his towering height and silver gold hair would be instantly recognizable among the surging crowd, but could not see him anywhere yet. She blinked, fingers tightening around Misaki's hand. The courtyard outside her master's temple was heavy with people hurrying about, many stringing up decorations and fluttering banner, lengths of pretty lanterns waiting to be lit and benches and stalls being set up.
Kanao pressed closer to Misaki, uneasy with the amount of people as her eyes roamed over them. On a wooden rise there was a duo of teenage girls, dressed in bright kimonos with colourful bows in their hair, playing upon biwa with bright chirping music as they sang along. The noise reminded her of that strange door her master had taken her through and she found herself eyeing the two as they played. Misaki noticed and gently led her to the side, out of the way of the crowd of people setting up in preparation of the festival so she could watch them play and sing.
"So pretty, isn't it?" Misaki said, a look of longing upon her face as she watched them.
After a moment Kanao nodded. The music was nice, bright and cheerful while the singing sweet. Perhaps she could ask her master if she could learn that once she had fully mastered her writing. There were more people with instruments, but only the girls upon the stage were currently playing. Misaki quietly pointed out each instrument to Kanao, explaining the shamisen, tsuzumi, koto, shakuhachi and more.
"You'll hear all of them throughout the afternoon, the ceremony goes on past midnight. There's also going to be fireworks later. Yoko is even going to play the koto tonight and Kotoha will be singing with her! They've been practicing."
Misaki kept Kanao out of most of the preparations, which had almost finished at her arrival. Soon the tables were heavy with food, from dumplings and dango, to chestnuts, grapes, pears, pumpkin and edamame and sweet potato and much more. There was more food than Kanao had ever seen, with more people preparing hot meals of udon and soba or lugging around barrels of sake. There were also numerous little pyramids of white rice dumplings everywhere, all stacked in tiny towers of fifteen.
"To represent the fifteenth day of Tsukimi with the amount of dumplings," Misaki explained. "And because they look like little moons. Aren't they cute?"
The shrines throughout the area were also lavishly tended to, with offers of fresh produce taken from the fields like susuki grass, taro bulbs and also sake. There were freshly plucked lotus blossoms everywhere, making the air heavy with sweetness. Many were also edible, as Misaki explained. Kanao stayed close, even with the young woman carefully leading her through the courtyard and down towards the gardens where it was just as heavy with people. It seemed everyone had pulled back to the heart of Paradise Faith and she felt somewhat overwhelmed. She paid close attention to her surroundings, trying to focus on the food instead of the people.
One of the most common of foods were small round cakes, which could easily fit in Kanao's palm. They came in all different colours, from bright vibrant red and emerald greens to sky blue and soft orange and even violet like her kimono. They were patterned with many different designs, some shaped like lotus blossoms or having kanji etched into them.
"They're mooncakes!" Misaki smiled as she noticed where Kanao's gaze had settled. "Made from mochi. These ones have a lotus seed filling. Do you want to try one?"
Kanao eyed the cake curiosity, as the elderly woman behind the cart cooed at her. The ones before her were pale green, with vines curling around a lotus bud. Just like the one in her hair. After a moment, Kanao nodded.
"Alright, just eat it slowly alright?" Misaki said as she handed over one of the small cakes. "I know you're still not on a fully solid diet yet so eat only as much as you want."
She did eat hesitantly, carefully. It was sweet, smooth and easily fell apart in her mouth. Kanao only managed to eat one before the sweetness became too much and she refused any more. Misaki did not try to push her to eat more. Misaki also remained very attentive, gently steering Kanao into quiet corners if she felt the girl was being overwhelmed by the press of people, their laughing and singing. Occasionally Misaki would stop and talk to people, friendly and open with a level of comradeship Kanao yearned for. She had been lonely and hoped one day she would get friends, like Misaki had. She still did not see her master, not even as the air grew cold. The sun had not set so her master must still be in his temple.
Kanao did overhear Misaki mention that the main ceremony would be at the biggest lotus garden, so they could see the harvest moon reflected in the pond. There, many people would sing, dance and recite poetry they'd written. Kanao had not written any poetry. She wondered if she should have done so.
But try as she might, events would blur. It was overwhelming at times, even if Misaki kept taking her aside. Instead Kanao continued to struggle to focus at times, her gaze boring into the elaborate silken banners or the paintings until they seemed a smear of colour. At one point Yoko and Kotoha found them, both women lavishly dressed and Kotoha with her long black hair pulled back with heavy jade pins in the shape of blooming lotus blossoms. Inosuke was cuddled to her chest as usual and Kanao felt the urge to pat the baby's head which she ignored.
The three women were a familiar sight, and they took turns leading Kanao around by the hand. By then the biwa twins had been replaced by a man playing on a sanshin, which Yoko said was made from snakeskin. They spoke to many people but none were the master. Kanao wondered where he was.
There was also dancing, people spinning around like colourful ribbons with laughter, singing and music washing over Kanao in a warm wave. She found it easier to relax if she did not try to fixate upon individual things, instead letting her eyes unfocus as she instead swayed in place like a reed in the wind as the festival surged around her.
At one point she was offered a short stick of dango by Kotoha which briefly broke her daze; Inosuke was already mouthing at a piece. Kanao ate hers gingerly, the dumplings sweet. Yoko ate the most out of them all, devouring an entire plate of fifteen.
"For good luck," she joked around a mouthful of the dumplings.
Inosuke meanwhile was trying to grab at the stick Kotoha was nibbling on, having finished off his piece. His annoyed little grunts as he flailed with his chubby arms sounded like the snorts of a piglet.
Kanao was just finishing off the final third of her dango stick, when she saw the harvest moon slowly sliding up into the sky as it shifted to pink and oranges as dusk unfolded across the sky. Just barely peeking over the horizon, still partially hidden by the dense forest and hills beyond the commune, the fat golden disc of the moon began to rise. Her eyes were fixed upon the sight, not noticing the sudden excitement of the surrounding crowd or how the three women around her lit up.
Then she felt a familiar clawed hand pat her head and she straightened up as she turned towards her master, looking up at his pale visage. He smiled at her.
"Ah, don't you look pretty little mouse? That kimono perfectly matches your eyes," he greeted her cheerfully.
"She's adorable isn't she, Douma-sama?" Misaki gushed, her eyes fixed upon the master. Her hand was suddenly so sweaty around Kanao's.
After a moment of staring Kanao nodded, accepting his words. Her master was dressed differently than usual, still with his black cloak and ribboned headpiece in the shape of a lotus blossom, but now clad in a kimono made from such a pure white silk it seemed to shift with a delicate rainbow sheen when he moved. Long necklaces of precious jewels, jade and pearls hung from his neck. He offered her his hand and she immediately let go of Misaki's to hold onto her master's.
He turned his attention to the trio of women, "Yoko, Kotoha, have you two performed yet?"
"Not yet, Douma-sama," Kotoha answered. Against her chest, Inosuke was making grabby movements towards the long ribbons dangling from the master's headpiece.
"Good!" he snapped the fingers of his free hand, smile so wide and toothy, "I certainly would have been unhappy if I missed it!"
Kanao remembered his words about how humans would not notice his talons, eyes and teeth. She thought it strange, his incisors were longer than her fingers. How could they not see?
But her master said it made her special which pleased her. So she stopped thinking about that, especially when he began to lead her down towards the lotus gardens were she saw many others already heading towards. Throughout the area the lanterns were being lit as night fully embraced the mountain. The moon rose higher and higher, bathing the land in bright light to the point the lanterns were hardly needed. Kanao kept a firm grip on her master's hand as he led her down the path. She would prefer it if he picked her up but as it was he kept his stride short so she could keep up.
The drone of the crowd was like the hum of a great bee hive, and Kanao could only catch snatches of conversation before another would sweep in. All would stop and bow to the master as he walked past, even if he did nothing more than smile and give back short greetings.
It was such a rush, the laughter, the music, the people clad in so many bright colours. So unlike her old home. She was glad her master had taken her and how he would eat people but not her, even when she spilled ink he didn't get mad, he would make sure she had food, a bed, baths and nice clothes and how gently he held her hand in his clawed grip.
When they reached the lotus garden it was filled with people, many already sitting on the grass so they could watch the moon. There were various carts and tables, banners and lines of lanterns. In one corner surrounded by offerings was a great stone Buddha bowed in prayer. There was also several wooden stages scattered about, on one there were a dozen people drumming upon odaikos which were even bigger than Kanao and another stacked high with sake barrels, though her master led her to the largest one covered in numerous silken pillows. The ground around the rise was completely swallowed by lotus blossoms of all shapes and sizes.
Her master simply picked her up and took her onto the stage with him. He sat her down on his left before he promptly sprawled out on the cushions in a manner that looked fairly undignified but no one cared so Kanao decided not to either. Meanwhile she settled down in seiza, hands in her lap as she watched the celebration going on before her. It felt good to not be amongst the crowd now though she would not mind if her master had continued to hold her hand.
She watched as Kotoha, Yoko and Misaki moved about the crowd. Their faces were smiling and they seemed happy. Misaki had gone to one of the food stalls and seemed to have been wrangled into a contest to see who could fit as many dumplings in their mouth in one time. Kotoha was talking to another woman, Inosuke cradled to her chest as she gently touched the other woman's heavily distended stomach and laughing. Yoko meanwhile was talking to an older couple, before reaching over their cart to pick up a large koto made from a dark polished wood.
Kanao watched as Yoko went up onto one of the empty stages, sitting down with the long string instrument before her. She watched as Yoko slipped on three fingerpicks on her right hand before gently touching at the strings of the koto, going through the thirteen to test them while moving the bridges beneath the strings to tune it. The soft noise was lost beneath the beat of the odaiko players which seemed to jolt in time with her heartbeat and numerous people were dancing around in front of their stage.
"Hmm, seems Yoko is getting ready for her performance," her master said cheerfully as he picked up one of the painted flasks at his side, flicking off the stopper with one hand as he poured out the sake into a small saucer. "Which means Kotoha will be singing! She does have such a lovely voice."
He sucked down the sake before immediately filling the dish again. This time he just took a sip, bobbing his head up and down in time with the odaikos. His necklaces clicked and clacked against each other.
Above, the moon seemed to grow ever larger. So great and yellowed like a polished coin. It slowly began to slip into the water, a calm shimmering reflection. Down around the gardens she saw a pack of children run by with dango in hand, laughing and giggling as they darted around the adults. Many were sitting upon the grass or upon blankets as they watched the moon move higher and higher. She glanced over at the foods still laid out; she wasn't particularly hungry after eating the mooncake but she looked up at her master from where he was sipping at the sake and seemingly in thought. She thought he only ate people and didn't need that type of substance.
As if hearing her thoughts he turned his head slightly, his rainbow eyes glowing as bright as the moon in the night. He was a moon spirit, perhaps. He had said he was Upper Moon Two, Kanao remembered. He must have noticed how her gaze flicked from the sake to the bottles and he smiled.
Her master leaned in close, his long hair spilling over his broad shoulders as he said in a conspiratorially whisper to her, "I can't eat human food, but I can drink."
She eyed the small saucer her master was holding and after a moment he held it out to her to inspect. She sniffed it, noting the slightly fruity odour almost like apple. When she took a tentative sip it was warm and strangely dry and she couldn't stop her nose from scrunching up.
With a laugh, her master pulled the saucer away to promptly drain it of its contents. As he filled it again he spoke, "Guess it's an acquired taste. Well, humans do get wildly entertaining when they drink too much of it. Doesn't work on me, however."
Kanao nodded even if her master now seemed more preoccupied with watching the crowd. Occasionally someone would come up to the platform, bowing respectfully and asking for the master's blessing or council during the moonlight. He would always grant that, reciting prayers as he would reach out to gently place his hand on their heads or giving them advice. Between that he kept sipping at the sake even if Kanao didn't think it tasted that nice.
The odaiko players finished with a resounding noise, Kanao watching the cheers from the crowd as the drummers bowed. Then she spotted Kotoha, her delicate face flushed and green eyes sparkling as she trotted up to them with Inosuke held tight even if the baby was doing his best to try and wiggle free of her grip. She practically had to wade through all the lotus blossoms, some petals tangled in her dark hair.
"Douma-sama!" the woman greeted with a bright smile. She exchanged some more words with the master before she turned to Kanao, asking, "And how are you enjoying the festival? Once me and Yoko-chan are finished, they'll start with the fireworks after Douma-sama calls for the blessings of the Gods for another year of good fortune."
The master's smile was particularly sharp but Kanao nodded at Kotoha. She liked the festival, especially now that she was out of the crowds and sitting with her master and she understood that Yoko and Kotoha were going to perform.
"Will you be quite alright with Inosuke? He's getting very squirmy," her master said, sounding amused.
Kotoha let out an exasperated huff, glancing down at her baby who was now gnawing upon her necklace of jade like a determined puppy. "Well I'll just have to keep a good grip on him. He's like a freshly caught fish at times, just wiggling to be free."
Kanao felt her hands twitch, partially rising from her lap in offer before she realized what she was doing and hurried put them back down. But her master noticed, and he beckoned Kotoha closer who immediately made her way over through the thicket of lotus flowers until she was nearly pressed against the edge of the rise.
"Yes, Douma-sama?"
"I think Kanao here is offering to look after Inosuke for you so you can go sing without worry. Would you like that, little mouse?"
Kanao nodded, tentatively offering her hands again.
Kotoha hesitated, "Oh I don't want to bother her, she should be enjoying the festival-"
"The crowd seems to be a bit much for her. I think she prefers to stay up here with me. It doesn't seem like she would mind."
Kotoha hemmed and hawwed but eventually relinquished Inosuke to Kanao. She helped arrange the sling around Kanao's much smaller form, Kanao shifting so she was sitting agura form so Inosuke could be settled on her lap. He snuffled and squirmed but settled down to blink big green eyes up at Kanao. Kotoha fussed some more until her master had to shoo her away so she gave Kanao and Inosuke two soft little kisses upon the tips of their noses before hurrying over to Yoko.
Kanao felt far more anchored now with Inosuke's warm weight in her lap, his head resting in the crook of her elbow. She wasn't sure how to react to Kotoha's kiss, which had been as light and delicate as a butterfly landing upon her nose. She thought about Kotoha's words the other day, offering to be Kanao's family along with Inosuke. Her family had been the cold and pain but maybe her new one would be nice food and soft kisses and cuddling Inosuke and holding her master's hand.
But she wasn't sure if her master could be her family. He looked after her but he was still her master like he was for all of those in Paradise Faith. That's why everyone obeyed him and bowed and did as he said. Then she thought about that some more, even as Inosuke started batting at the pearls hanging from her hairpin like a kitten. Wasn't her parents her masters before that bald man who brought her? Maybe her current master could be her family. She should ask him.
She got jarred from her thoughts as her master suddenly reached over and grasped Inosuke's face with a big clawed hand. Then he squeezed slightly, making Inosuke's chubby little features squish together.
"Hehe, babies are funny aren't they?" her master grinned before he learned over even further to whisper in her ear, "Though I don't go out of my way to eat them, barely more than a snack and not very nutritious."
He squished Inosuke's face a few more times before the baby grabbed his fingers and started to gnaw on them with determination.
"Bloodthirsty little beast," her master laughed, not minding all the drool on his hand.
Then their attention was caught by Yoko and Kotoha, when the two women began their performance in earnest. Even Inosuke let the master escape his grasp to blink over to where his mother was and Kanao shifted her grip on the baby so he could see more easily.
The strumming of the koto, the notes bouncing and swift as Yoko began to play in earnest as her hands danced over the strings. Next to her Kotoha stood, hands clasped before her as she swayed from side to side as Yoko played. Then Kotoha began to sing to the moon, her voice strong and sweet. Kanao had heard Kotoha sing before but they were the little songs she gave to Inosuke or gentle melodies when she was leading Kanao around the commune. Her pinky promise song, that the others teased her about and Inosuke calmed for. She hadn't heard Kotoha earnestly perform, her voice carrying over the garden and making her clutch Inosuke close.
"Isn't her voice so wonderful and pure?" her master said to her side.
Kanao nodded, because Kotoha's voice was very nice especially when she sang alongside with Yoko's playing. It relaxed Kanao, letting her muscles loosen as Kotoha sang about the moon while the sharp sweet cords of the koto threaded through her singing.
"Have you heard about the story of the moon rabbit, little mouse?" her master asked, chin resting upon his hand as his gaze did not stay from Kotoha.
She shook her head.
Her master's voice was a low, calming timbre as he spoke, "The story is that a monkey, a fox, and a rabbit were friends. They decided that upon the night of the full moon they decided to go and do good, do charity and help others. While searching for people to help, they came across a starving beggar. 'Poor man,' they thought, 'we must help him.' The monkey went to a nearby tree, climbed up it and plucked all the fruits. Then he laid them down before the beggar. The next was the fox, who went to the nearby river and caught fish. Then he laid them down before the beggar. Finally, it was the rabbit's turn. But the rabbit didn't know what to do. He could not climb trees, he could not catch fish, he could not hunt. So he sat there unhappily as all he could do was fetch grass and humans did not eat that. Until he remembered humans liked to eat rabbit meat."
Out in the crowd people were dancing together to Kotoha's and Yoko's music, hand-in-hand with bright smiles on their faces as they spun about. The music was lively, the strings of lanterns lighting the area with a soft golden glow. Laughter filled the air with warmth as Kotoha's clear sweet voice carried over the crowd as she continued her song. High above the harvest moon was bright in the inky black sky. In the moonlight her master's hair looked like spun silver.
He continued with his tale, rainbow eyes half-lidded, "So the rabbit asked the beggar to make a fire. The man did so and the moment the flames were high enough he threw himself into the fire so he could offer himself as a meal to the man. The beggar was amazed by the rabbit's generosity and pulled him from the flames unharmed and revealed himself to be Śakra, Lord of the Heavens. Awed by the rabbit's sacrifice for someone he had only just met, Śakra drew the likeness of the rabbit upon the face of the moon. So anyone who looked up during the night would know the rabbit's generosity. That's why the moon is grey- it is seen through the smoke of the fire."
Kanao remembered seeing a rabbit, back at her parent's hovel when she'd been thrown outside one day and lying on the ground. It had been a tawny brown, long ears and a small twitchy nose and had hopped out of the shrubbery. She had only seen if for a few seconds before the door slammed open and it darted back into the bushes. She had thought about the rabbit for days after. Not to eat it, like the story her master told, but rather wishing she could turn into one and run away in the trees.
Her master's clawed hand gently rested upon her nape and urged her to look upwards which she immediately obeyed. His hand then moved so his arm was slung over her shoulders, pulling her close to his side as he pointed up at the moon.
"See? If you looked closely you can see the shape of the rabbit up on the moon," her master said. His breath was cold against her forehead. "You can see its back, its ears, its tail."
She looked closely, studying the swollen face of the moon high in the sky even as Kotoha's singing sweetly ebbed while Yoko's playing gently smoothed into nothing.
The rabbit on the moon, Kanao could see it. She shifted Inosuke in her arms, trying to help him look at the moon. But he just grabbed the end of her ponytail and giggled to himself.
"Perhaps when Inosuke is older you can tell him about the rabbit," her master said, pulling away from her to grab another sake bottle.
When Kotoha managed to approach them again, having been enveloped by the happy crowd when she finished her performance, Inosuke was groggy on Kanao's lap. His big green eyes were struggling to remain open, still taking the occasional swipe at her hair or pin due to sheer determination but obviously easing to sleep. Kotoha's face was flushed pink, her eyes sparkling and a bright smile on her face when she managed to extract herself from the crowd and leaned against the rise Kanao and the master were seated on.
"Such wonderful singing, Kotoha! I've never heard a voice so beautiful," her master praised her.
Kotoha's pink face changed to crimson, the woman giggling behind her hands as she looked everywhere except the master. Her voice was a squeak as she said, "I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Douma-sama."
They exchanged a few words though it was mostly the master complimenting Kotoha's singing until the woman was so red faced Kanao wondered if she was about to faint. In her arms, Inosuke yawned before stuffing a chubby fist in his mouth. She stroked his dark hair, rocking her arms slightly like she'd seen Kotoha do sometimes.
"Did you like the performance, Kanao-chan?"
The question made her look up, seeing Kotoha's warm stare. After a moment, she nodded. She did like it. Yoko's playing was nice and Kotoha's singing was sweet. She was pleased to have heard it.
"I'm so glad," Kotoha smiled, the corners of her eyes creasing. "We spent a lot of time practicing. Now, if you want I can take Inosuke off your hands. I know he can be quite heavy-"
"I'm sure Kanao can keep Inosuke safe while you enjoy the rest of the night, he's already dozing off in her arms," her master cut in, giving Kanao a pat on the head. "Can you do that, little mouse? Do you want to?"
Kanao nodded. She did not mind holding Inosuke. He was warm and solid and his eyes were so big.
"Well...If, if you're sure," Kotoha said slowly. "If he does get too much, just let me know."
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on them both. But first, time for the blessings and then the fireworks show."
The blessing was rather strange. Kanao remembered her master saying the gods did not exist so she did not know why he drew the attention of the crowd and invoked the gods for a fortuitous year. But everyone had grown silent and attentive when her master stood and spoke of it so Kanao guessed it must be important. So she sat there with Inosuke in her arms and was good.
The fireworks was next.
Kanao had never seen fireworks before and was entranced by bursts of brilliant lines and sparks in the sky. She had tensed slightly at the noise of the first one, the sharp loud pop also waking up Inosuke from his doze. His face began to scrunch up unhappily before a great starburst in the sky caused his eyes to snap open, transfixed upon the bright patterns dancing in the night sky above as more and more fireworks burst into being. She could see the fireworks reflected in the dark disc of his pupils as he stared with his mouth agape at the lights.
The fireworks was in so many colours and shapes, some bursting open like shimmering motes in a fire or flaring open like airborne flowers in lines of pink that faded to blues. Great orbs of green that split into dozens of smaller ones. Others that popped open only to curved downwards like a fountain in streaks of orange. One red flare was so massive it seemed to change the entire sky to dawn before it was chased away by several blossoms of blue.
"You know, I do wonder what would happen if you tied a group of humans up in a cluster of fireworks like that and set it off at once," her master mused next to her.
Kanao thought about that. They would probably die since the fireworks jumped up so high and was so bright, but they were pretty so if the people died at least they would be looking at something nice.
Then a flash of white light that happened once, twice, several times until it seemed like a lightning storm was hanging above them. Inosuke giggled at the sight and made grabby motions towards the sky as if he could pluck the fireworks out of the night.
When it did finish, it was with an entire sky filled with bursts of orange that were overlapping until it was like the sky had turned into fire as the noise jittered through her ears, the pops turning into something akin to whistling as the night blazed with starbursts of white and gold.
Cheers broke out across the gardens as the fireworks faded from the sky even if the afterimages continued to dance in her eyes. In her lap Inosuke whined as the lights disappeared, a little pout appearing. She gently rocked him, patting at his hair until his grumbling stopped.
"Isn't it so lovely," her master cooed, clapping his hands together with a smile.
Kanao wasn't too sure how much time passed after that. Occasionally Kotoha would approach them, wading through the lotus blossoms to talk to them and gush over Kanao and Inosuke but mostly the woman was swept up in the crowd. At one point she was drawn into playful dances with the other women in the gardens, a lot of flailing and laughter.
Her master stayed where he was, seemingly dozing with his eyes shut or just watching his followers. Some even fell asleep, curled up on the blankets laid across the grass or propped up against each other or against the trees. At one point someone fell over the edge of the garden and into the pond, and he had to be fished out to a lot of good natured teasing. After that several more people fell into the water amidst the laughter, though Kanao saw a few get pushed. She thought it had something to do with the sake being consumed, especially since the children had been taken to bed once the fireworks display was done as it crossed over midnight. Kanao was the only one left and that was because she was with the master.
She was also used to sleeping at strange hours and for a short while. Even at Paradise Faith she would wake at the faintest noise and did not mind waiting in her room for someone to come retrieve her when she woke hours before dawn. So it was fascinating, to watch all the adults. None of them were violent unlike her parents and even when some arguments would break out, the sharpness of the voices instantly catching her attention, others watching would step in if the arguers didn't calm down themselves. Her master seemed much like her, more interested in watching people than hopping down and mingling with the crowd.
In her lap, Inosuke was sound asleep. He seemed unbothered by the noise of the festival still happening, his snores loud and mouth agape. Kanao didn't mind his weight, it was warm and comfortable. She patted his hair before arranging the blanket within the sling more securely around his little body. Maybe Kotoha would let her hold Inosuke more.
Even when she grew sleepy Kanao was determined to keep herself awake. She liked spending time with her master and she felt content. Her master seemed much the same, as occasionally he'd poke at the lotus pin in her hair or poke at Inosuke, but had not told her to leave.
Even when she started leaning forward slightly, eyes struggling to stay open he didn't order her to stay awake or snap at her. She was determined but her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, even as the moon began to dip towards the horizon and the only noise left in the gardens were soft, subdued conversations by those others who were still awake while most had left or were already asleep. Her master meanwhile was humming lowly, the noise soft and gentle.
Even when she lost her struggle against sleep and ended up slumping to the side with her head resting on his thigh, Inosuke snoring in her arms, the last thing Kanao was aware of was her master's hand settling gently on her head.
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