My Missing Piece {Uzuren}

15

Gracias, demonios pacientes. (Thank you, patient demons)
Thanks for waiting for this chapter- I appreciate all of you who keep coming back to read my stories, really.

Short timeskip to when he gets to Uzui's house (it's starting! The whole point of the book has finally started!) This chapter is mostly filler, though.

The sound pillar's home loomed before him, softly glowing lanterns illuminating the beautiful architecture. It was a good size, given that at any time it had to house four people. Rengoku stood on the threshold of the veranda, his eyes locked on the sliding door in front of him. It's just a door. He raised a loose fist, knocking on the surface without hesitation. Per request? He asked to be placed with me? A moment passed, then a muffled 'Coming!" could be heard through the wall.

(Shut. I know what you more dirty-minded demons are thinking.)

Uzui slid the door open, revealing a smiling Rengoku standing behind it. The taller suddenly became very aware of his appearance; his hair down, makeup washed off, and comfortable yet informal kimono wrapped around his body.

The flame hashira became transfixed with the new look, having never seen the other pillar without his signature red eye-marking and hair done up.

Uzui chuckled lightly at the 'head empty' expression on Rengoku's face, stepping out of the doorway and gesturing for him to come inside. He had been sleeping, but this was more important.

"I'm guessing you came here from the master's?"

He nodded, entering the house. "That's correct!"

"Right. Your stuff is over there," he pointed with his thumb towards where Rengoku's katana and uniform were neatly stored. "It's late, so I'm going back to bed. You can sleep wherever you want. The girls don't mind if you use one of their rooms while they're not here."

Rengoku hummed, glancing around. The inside was pretty too, well furnished and organized. "I appreciate that!"

"Night." Uzui vanished into his room, a small satisfied smile on his face.

The flame pillar gathered his things, noting that his friend/crush had left out a fresh set of clothes for him as well, aside from his uniform. Rengoku held up the expensive-looking muted red kimono, inspecting it from top to bottom before folding it back up and going to find a room. He said his wives didn't mind if I slept in one of their rooms.

He opened up the door to one room, eyeing the kunai laid on the desk across the room. Definitely the room of a kunoichi, he thought, setting his belongings down on the bed. Eyeing the kimono for a second, he closed the door, stripping down and slipping the garment on. It was just as comfortable as it looked, despite being the smallest bit big on him. Not that he was complaining.

He carefully got under the covers of the bed, laying his head on the soft pillows. Sleeping at night had been getting easier, though still not as fulfilling as sleeping during the day. Rengoku blinked once, twice, and fell into a dreamless slumber.

———————

It was frustrating, Akaza found, that he'd finally turned a powerful demonslayer, a hashira, into a demon, and wasn't able to retrieve his creation. Not only was he unsure of where Kyojuro was, but Kibutsuji had deemed finding his stupid fucking flower more important than finding the slayer-turned-demon.

The only reward he'd gotten for his hard work was an organ-pulverizing punishment. Consequent for not finding said lily.

Dark shadows danced in his eyes as he kicked aside another bush, sweeping his gaze over the barren mountainside. "No way any flowers are growing up here, let alone a spider lily," he growled.

Mission after mission, and not a single uppermoon had been able to locate even a clue as to where the elusive plant was hiding. Humiliating , really, that the most powerful demons under Kibutsuji's rule weren't capable enough to find a single flower after centuries of searching. Douma dropped down from a ledge above him, fan raised over his mouth as he looked down on Akaza from his impressive (and quite annoying) height. "Find anything, Akaza-dono?"

"What do you think?" He brushed past the younger demon, not in the mood to deal with him. I don't want to be looking for a flower, I want to be looking for Kyojuro.

Douma quickly caught up with him, rainbow eyes flashing in the dim light. "I think no, and that there's something on your mind?" The happy lilt to his tone made Akaza sick.

"Yeah, I'm thinking that you need to mind your own business," he snapped, whirling around to punch the hand that threatened to find its way to his shoulder.

The Upper Two whined, shaking his forearm as it regenerated. He opened his mouth to say something to Akaza, but the lower rank had already disappeared. Shrugging, he resumed his pointless search for the lily while humming a foreign tune.

———————

Uzui shifted uncomfortably, the caw of a crow infiltrating his dreamy state. When the avian cries got too loud to ignore, the sound hashira forced himself up, sliding his window open to let the corvid in. The bird fluttered inside, dumping a paper-thin brown envelope onto his lap. "You're welcome!" it cawed harshly, spreading its wings once more as it took off out the window into the pitch-black sky.

He watched it go, then turned to the letter encased in front of him.

He undid the small tie that held it closed, sliding the piece of parchment out of its envelope carefully. It was addressed to no one, as usual, yet differently from last time, it was from Suma.

Uzui smiled reading through the lengthy message, but his expression fell slightly when he reached the end. Suma had included a postscript detailing that she and Hinatsuru hadn't heard from Makio too recently, which worried him. The fearful girl had bravely written that the two weren't that concerned, as Makio was Makio, and could handle herself. Regardless, he made a mental note to ask about her in his return letter. He'd never forgive himself if he let one of their lives slip through his fingers.

I might need to take control of the situation there myself. He pondered the idea as he lay awake, unable to fall back asleep.

Eeeeeeeee I'm tired :D time to go to sleep, little demons!
You know the drill, if it's nighttime where you are, please consider getting some rest! Drink water and take good care of yourselves, okay?