Log; Complete

[proudbutterfly.livejournal.com]

When; September 22.
Rating; PG (kissing).
Characters; Kurai (anaguraruler) & Mad Hatter (proudbutterfly).
Summary; After Hatter noticed Kurai's abrupt distancing, the demon plans to take advantage of the new curse to clear up things between them.
Log;
The first thing she noticed when she woke up was that she felt a little odd. As if she wanted to do something, but she wasn't quite sure what. It was awhile into her morning grooming that she realized it must be an urge to go flying with her dragon. So after she pulled on one of the simpler outfits in her wardrobe and pinned up her hair, she was quick to make her way over to the medium sized tent her dragon was staying in.

The early morning was a bit chilly, but it wasn't anything that really put her off. In fact she seemed a little amused by the puffs of breath she could see as she walked along, thinking to herself. Maybe she ought to seek out Alexiel later and ask her about further training, if she wasn't too busy with other things. Kurai really had no intention of losing so miserably like that to anyone ever again if she had any say in the matter.

Just as she was opening the flap, she realized her dragon wasn't in here alone. Somebody wasn't getting stupid and trying to feed him, were they? Kurai opened her mouth to start bitching, only to snap it shut when she saw the Mad Hatter there. There was a moment in which she considered fleeing, but she had a bit more pride than that.

A bit.

Keeping her jaw firm, the princess smiled a little and quickly moved past him to reach her dragon. "Not slipping him anything weird, right? I want him to fly straight." Oh, there was that strange feeling again...

Belial had started to learn how to perceive the curses that changed hir behavior. There was a tickle and a violation of the astral aura that started in the skin (the sullied flesh painted in white) and penetrated hir spine until it reached hir mind.

Today was one of those days, sie found hirself affected by the pranks. Awaking earlier that sie would have liked and staring the ceiling with a blank expression and a desire to speak up hir thoughts to the world - especially Kurai.

A smile crept on the Jester’s face. If sie was affected, surely was the Princess, who had been acting strange the last couple of days. It would look innocent if it was triggered by the unfortunate routine of the Carnival City.

But, she’s going to escape before that happens. Hatter knew that the Prince was smarter than most gave credit for and she had endured a similar experience already. She would learn and try to avoid her.

It was a fortunate; Kurai was also predictable and would seek to leave with her dragon first and foremost. Dressing up, Belial left hir chambers to bring the Fire Dragon his food. Sie had been ride on him in more than one occasion and the beast wasn’t as violent towards the demon as the other members of the Circus.

Sie waited. The dragon looked at hir with curiosity.

Soon, the door was opened and Belial turned hir wheels and face at the Princess on eyelevel – sie knelt to do so, taking off hir hand. Ignoring her words, Hatter started:

As soon as she was forced to look Belial in the eye, Kurai understood what this feeling was. Immediately, she clapped a hand over her mouth and shook her head, but she wouldn't step back. That would mean utter defeat, right? But really, maybe she had lost in this game of love...

The desire was too strong, though, and soon she was staring down at her sandaled feet with her hand dropped to clutch at the other. "I'm sorry I didn't give you a goodnight kiss. I'm sorry I've been avoiding you. I didn't want to face you, because when I do my feelings get too strong, and that's bad."

That running idea was suddenly starting to sound really good. Damn her pride. She eyed the door.

“One wished to speak with you, Kurai. This City wants me to. What about you? Do you have something to tell one?”

As soon as she was forced to look Belial in the eye, Kurai understood what this feeling was. Immediately, she clapped a hand over her mouth and shook her head, but she wouldn't step back. That would mean utter defeat, right? But really, maybe she had lost in this game of love...

The desire was too strong, though, and soon she was staring down at her sandaled feet with her hand dropped to clutch at the other. "I'm sorry I didn't give you a goodnight kiss. I'm sorry I've been avoiding you. I didn't want to face you, because when I do my feelings get too strong, and that's bad."

That running idea was suddenly starting to sound really good. Damn her pride. She eyed the door

Casually, Belial tossed a sleeping potion on the dragon’s snout so he would fall immediately sleep. The vial crashed on his skin, exhaling a purple smoke that redeemed him unconscious.

Quickly, the demon pinned Kurai against the door, their bodies didn’t touch but hirs loomed with hir eyes concealed by the hem of the huge white hat sie had been sporting. One hand locked the door up.

“What about one’s feelings, Kurai?” whispered Belial, inclining forward, near the Princess’ ear. “Did you think it won’t affect one at all? Look at you, you can’t even face me. Is that what you wish? Run away and be a coward forever?”

Kurai was about to cry out and reach for her dragon when she saw the vial thrown, but much too suddenly her back was pressed against the wall and there was no room to move without touching Belial. Unable to even look down now, she simply stared over the Satan's shoulder at her dragon, who she could now tell was simply sleeping.

The way Belial said her name made her legs weak, and a small part of her almost wished she had never demanded that he start calling her by her name. She swallowed, though her throat was dry, and croaked out, "I hadn't really planned that far ahead... Or rather, I had, and that's why I... When... When I thought Lady Alexiel was married to me, the pain I felt when she rejected me was stronger than anything. It hurt so much. I know I can't stop loving someone, but if I stay away, then maybe I can keep it from growing. Then neither of us will be hurt! That's what I thought. That's what I try to think. But when I'm away I just think about you, and I keep wondering when I'll stop."

Belial allowed Kurai to finish her long explanation sie already supposed. The girl was easy to read, like a crystal. Looking down, the demon smiled innocently before softly meeting her lips with hirs. The kiss was deeper than their previous ones, purposefully smearing lipstick on the Princess’ mouth before leaning off.

“If that is how you feel, Kurai,” Belial started, sighing deeply. “One will abide by your wishes. Remember that one wanted to avoid our ‘relationship’ to change and warned you about the possible outcome.” Taking Kurai’s chin, Hatter ran hir fingers across the cheek. “One’s content to be close and admire as usual.”

The kiss rendered Kurai utterly speechless for Belial's response, and for a good long moment after. When she first attempted again, her nails were puncturing into the door behind her, as if that was the only thing keeping her standing.

"Y--you..." She blinked, then her expression of shock transformed into something more feral. Frustrated. "YOU JERK! You can't just...kiss someone like that, and then say it's okay to just admire from afar! What am I? A show piece?"

Her gaze tipped away for only a second before returning, and she forced herself to stand up straight without the assistance of her nails in wood, and she reached up with one hand to flatten Hatter's hand to her cheek. "It's embarrassing when you look at me! I like it, but it's still embarrassing! It's even more embarrassing when you touch me... But I like it. It's too... Too late to stop this without it hurting a lot. I like talking with you and I like doing shows with you that make everyone happy for a little while. I like eating ice cream with you, and I like your weird clothes, and the stuff you give me, and I wish I had something to give you that you don't already have... I like when you touch me and kiss me and treat me like an adult, even when I act like a kid. But I hate that you won't even fight to keep me!"

Belial watched Kurai’s reactions with mirth. Of course, even in a break-up (or partial) she would look beautiful and perfect. There was nothing that displeased the Hatter to be angry about. Probably because hir feelings were expressed in other senses and focused in other rather than hirself.

For the first time and that was disconcerting.

Even working for Lucifer was partly for hirself as well, hir ideas of ruling, living and dying. The Princess finally ended her speech. It was hir turn.

Reaching out, Belial pulled Kurai against hir chest, stroking her silver strands and tickling the nape of her neck as a taunt. “One isn’t fighting to keep you because you told it would hurt you, to be close. One doesn’t want to harm you, even if it’s painful to my own feelings. Do you understand that, Kurai? How far one has fallen into this? This affection is so strong enough to let you go without making you suffer.”

Resting her cheek against Belial's chest, she had to sigh a bit at her own shortness. When would she grow taller? It was so much easier to act like an adult when you looked like one.

The fingertips at the nape of her neck tickled mercilessly in a way that made her shiver as if cold. "Noble... It's noble of you to do that, Hatter, just for me. You've done noble things before. But...but I don't want to be noble. I want to be selfish."

She wrapped her arms around his slender waist, clinging tightly as she hid her face against his chest. "I want everyone to be happy... I want to make them happy... But I want to make you happy! And you want me to be happy, right? That's what you're always saying. I'm happy with you. I'm tired of letting go of the people I love. I don't want to let you go anymore. Even if you won't be my bride, can't you still be mine?"

Belial stopped hir attention to listen. It was good to hold her close and listen to what she had to say, regardless what it was. Angry, loving, hateful, sad, happy. Emotions could change, they shifted like a chameleon but Kurai would remain the same.

“No, you don’t. Because you like this nobility, don’t you?” asked Belial with a knowing expression. Kurai had always loved the heroic type. Alexiel, Setsuna and Mad Hatter was no different from them, except in the malicious nature and intent. “And one supposes, that is heroic in a dark sense of word. Or is to you and that is something one can’t change.”

Hatter’s position shifted into relaxed when Kurai embraced hir slim, androgynous form. “Happiness for all? One doesn’t really care for everyone as you do. But your happiness, yes.” She paused, expression shifting to serious. “Yours as a possession to keep? No. Yours as someone to love and be loved back? Yes. Wasn’t one clear enough?”

"No! At least not to me. And I've never thought of you as a possession. That's more along Lucifer's way of thinking. No thanks. I just... I'm not used to people treating me the way you do. So I guess sometimes I get confused and doubt it. I won't doubt you anymore." Her grip on Belial relaxed, and she gave a little nuzzle against his shirt.

"I didn't mean to tell you to be different, either. I like you just the way you are. Though maybe...less make up in front of me. I like your smooth skin. You don't need to cover it as much as you do! At least... At least around me?"

“Pss, one understood the point, Kurai. It was jesting as the Jester one is,” Belial commented, pleased the grip had eased. It was more pleasurable this way and sie did not need to look out for a broken hipbone. “Good. No more doubts. Life when we return won’t have spells that solve the communication problems. If you have doubts, ask one from now on. Promise?”

The serious semblance was dropped at the mention of the make-up. Ah, sweet Kurai was always wanting to see hir bare and exposed. “Mmm, you like one’s face, thus, while we are in our quarters or alone away from people, maybe one will not paint the skin so white.”

When we return… Kurai sighed. IF they were able to return. If Lucifer himself couldn't even leave, then it was hard to have hope, no matter how often Kurai worried for her kingdom.

Dropping her arms away, she turned and reached up to rub at the back of her neck, as if rubbing away the earlier tickles. "G-good! You better! I-I mean...That makes me happy."

She shot another glance to her dragon to make sure he was still asleep before looking away and muttering, "I don't know why I pulled away. I got nervous, 'cause I never want to stop touching you."

They would return. Eventually. Belial had no doubts about that. Sie had not sought a way out yet. Not until hir Lord wished to leave.

Belial unlocked the door and opened it, taking a bow to wait for Kurai to pass. “You pulled away because you were afraid of the feeling. One didn’t say anything because was afraid of the feeling too. We’re both guilty ones and-” sie cut herself grinning “madly” while the demon straightened hirself. “We better remain in our chambers to avoid any unpleasant confession to the others.”

Kurai's smile was small, but understanding. Apparently even with a curse like this, they could still keep some secrets. ...Just not always for very long. "Will my dragon wake up soon? That won't have any bad side effects, right?"

Reaching back, she pulled her clip out and pulled her hair over her shoulder so that she could play with it as enough distraction to keep from blurting out anything that was REALLY embarrassing.

"...Could I stay with you in yours? I'm tired of spending these curse days all day long in my own room. We can play cards or something. I've been practicing chess lately, too."

“No side effects,” Belial sworn solemnly, placing a hand over hir heart. “One values self life to enrage you, Your Highness~♥” There was half truth on that statement. Kurai’s rage was legendary and Hatter did not bother to fence her attacks.

When the Princess started to pull up her hair, Belial fished out a butterfly-shaped clip from the magical hat and pressed it next to hers. “It will hold your hir better.”

“Mmm~ We could until the show starts. One will appreciate your company,” Hatter replied, offering up hir arm to lead Kurai to hir chambers. Sie had not to worry about Arachne. He surely was trying to avoid everyone, especially them, that day. “Chess and card games? One hopes we won’t also speak up our strategies and hands.”