In March the earth remembers its own name.
Everywhere the plates of snow are cracking.
The rivers begin to sing. In the sky
the winter stars are sliding away; new stars
appear as, later, small blades of grain
will shine in the dark fields.
And the name of every place
is joyful.
2.
The season of curiosity is everlasting
and the hour for adventure never ends,
but tonight
even the men who walked upon the moon
are lying content
by open windows
where the winds are sweeping over the fields,
over water,
over the naked earth,
into villages, and lonely country houses, and the vast cities
3.
because it is spring;
because once more the moon and the earth are eloping —
a love match that will bring forth fantastic children
who will learn to stand, walk, and finally run
over the surface of the earth;
who will believe, for years,
that everything is possible.
4.
Born of clay,
how shall a man be holy;
born of water,
how shall a man visit the stars;
born of the seasons,
how shall a man live forever?
5.
Soon
the child of the red-spotted newt, the eft,
will enter his life from the tiny egg.
On his delicate legs
he will run through the valleys of moss
down to the leaf mold by the streams,
where lately white snow lay upon the earth
like a deep and lustrous blanket
of moon-fire,
“La la La~ Da da da~ Da da~ La de da~” Douma twirled about the room, across his shoulders sat the fluffiest looking snake Rui had ever seen in his life. Though, it wasn’t a snake- not really.
“Her lips were red, her skin the moon, when she turned to me, oh how I swooned~” Douma sang out, leaning back dramatically and pulling the fluffy snake closer to him. “I wished her to be my bride, but alas I was blind! For she-”
“Douma.” Rui spoke up, his curiosity getting the better of him. “What is that?”
Douma looked over, starting out of his song. Then he smiled, making his way over. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled the snake across Rui’s shoulders, giving it a shake. “Why this? This is my feather boa! I got it from one of my followers. Lovely, isn’t it?”
Rui scrunched up as the fluffy garment tickled along his ears and neck, a soft giggle escaping his lips. “It’s tickly.”
“Is it now?” Douma seemed to glow with mischief as he wiggled the boa some more, earning even more soft giggles from the spider demon. “Soft to the touch and able to make you laugh? I’m glad to have been given such a prize!”
“Given what now?” Kokushibou asked in the background, brows furrowing as he watched Douma pull the fluffy garment back over his own shoulders. “What in the world is that?”
“A feather boa! A gift.” Douma struck a pose, shimmying his shoulders to make the fluff dance. “Do you love it?”
“I’m…unsure.” Kokushibou’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as he watched Douma wiggle up to him. Taking in the hot pink material and the glittery ends, he blinked slowly. “It’s…unique.”
“I’ll take that in a good way!” Douma stretched out a hand, wiggling the end of the boa into the taller demon’s face. “I feel something being awakened in me. It’s as if my past self was a theater performer and he wants to come out.”
Douma did a quick number as he twirled around Kokushibou, flicking the boa with him as he hummed another tune. When he was before him once again, he pulled the boa over the taller demon, yanking him forward so they were chest to chest. “Would you like to be my partner, Koku?”
“I think I’ll pass. Dancing isn’t my thing.” Kokushibou tried to ease the other away, but Douma only pulled him closer, smiling deviously. “Douma- please release me.”
“Dance with me first.” He brought the Boa up so it hung around Koku’s shoulders, giving it a fluff and making the taller demon scrunch some. “I’ve always wanted to waltz with you.”
“Ew, Douma and Koku are flirting.” Akaza mock groaned as he came in, taking Rui’s hand. “Come on, Spidey-squirt; let’s go find your dreamer companion.”
“Wait-” Kokushibou went to call out, but the word caught in his throat when the boa scurried along his skin, brushing his ears and shoulders. “Douma-heegh! Pleahehase!”
“Hmm, what’s so funny?” The blonde grinned, gathering both ends of the Boa with one hand and pulling gently, letting his hand push past the folds of Kokushibou’s Yukata to get his ribs. “Tell me~”
Kokushibou stammered before doubling over, fighting down the giggles as he held onto Douma’s shoulders. “D-Douma! E-enohoohough!” His laughter was rich and deep, shaking them both with the force he was suppressing them with.
“Let it out, Koku~”
And let it out he finally did. Giving into Douma’s antics, he let himself relax into his arms, barely fighting back as the blonde skittered his fingers up and down his side with gentle touches. “Ahehahahahahha! Yoohoohoohohu’re a peehhehehrsueahahhahahasive ohoohoohohne!”
“And you’re quite handsome when you laugh.” Douma grinned, pulling the Boa back up so it rested against his shoulders, freeing his hands. Bringing them up, he wrapped them around Kokushibou’s neck, standing up on his toes so he could press a kiss against his smiling mouth. “Hi.”
“Dance with me?” Douma asked again, waggling his brows. The six eyed demon sighed before taking his waist, steadying them both.
“If you insist.” As he began to lead, the sound of strummed music filled the room. Nakime was somewhere nearby. “How long-”
“Eyes on me.” Douma demanded softly, turning Koku’s chin back so they were watching eachother once more. If he had eyebrows, Koku would be raising them high at Douma’s boldness. “For this song and the next, you’re mine and mine alone.”
“So demanding.” Kokushibou tsked, even as he let himself follow the soothing beat of Nakime’s tune, guiding Douma around the room with ease.
“It’s the boa. Gives me powers.” Douma shimmied his shoulders, making the material flutter and shake with him.
“Those being?”
“The power to make handsome demons with six eyes and long hair fall in love with me.” Douam smiled, all teeth. Kokushibou let out a huff of a laugh.
“You don’t need a boa to do that.” He reached out, taking Douma’s chin in his hand with a quirk of his lips. “You’ve had me for a long, long time.”
Twelve new moons of Jupiter have been observed, one of which is an oddball called Valetudo. This series of discoveries will definitely help astronomers better understand the planet and its orbiting moons, and also, our solar system, in general.
