"When the parade begins tomorrow, go to that tower over there."
She followed the general direction of his finger to find two towers facing each other, standing out against the city landscape, their shapes clear and visible even in the night sky. They wouldn't have been too hard to locate from a distance, but...
I see two, which one? she almost blurted out, only to have her cheeks squished by his hands, her gaze oriented towards the tower on the left.
"Not that one, this one."
"Oh, 'orry."
Well, at the price of having those demon hands all over her face, she had been answered. Still, why all the touching anyway?
You had someone else's hands all over other places not even half an hour ago. Why does this bother you?
The thought briefly heated up her face, making her reminiscing those memories she would have treasured dearly and used to inspire her night and daydreams for at least an entire week – a week of maddening blushing whenever her daydreaming would have inevitably betrayed her, thus exposing her fantasies to Rita. She had never danced with a male before, she had never had fun with a male since when teenage years cursed her with awkwardness and unpredictable transformations. The whole capital had become magical for one night, for the time of multiple dances in which two bodies harmonized each other and mimicked each other, like the twin wings of a dove. She couldn't even berate herself for that last overhasty escape, but she could bring herself to be slightly annoyed other than confused by Azazel's behavior.
Her face was once again maneuvered to look up at the demon's own.
"Promise me you'll be there," He said, expectant eyes watching her closely, as if they wouldn't have accepted anything different from an affirmation.
"Uh... why...?"
Instinctively, she had asked that question, one that opened up to a series of questions – why must I be there? Why are you so avoiding all the time and suddenly you're not? She was sure there were yet other burning answers somewhere in her head that she sought to find, but these were enough so far.
"You must," He replied, staying vague, tone sounding a tad ordering. "It's important, you must promise you'll be there."
Must, again...?
"Look, Azazel," She lifted her hands to pry his from her face, putting a stop to the likely fish-like lips that made her talking sound mumbled. "I'd love to go chit chat and play the Rag Demon's partner in broad daylight, buuuut... I will probably have something planned with someone else."
Probably, yes.
Not to mention, last time she had been the Rag Demon's accidental partner for a little more than five minutes she risked her life and antagonized the king's knights that had been on the trail of said Rag Demon. She had saved Azazel from certain death another time after their first encounter, but now she had enough of those risky adventures, preferring investing her time in far more enjoyable ones. After all, she didn't come to Anatae to intentionally cause trouble.
Azazel lowered his hands, shaking off hers from around his gloved wrists, seeming mildly pissed by her returning his touch to create some distance.
"It's more important than whatever thing you are planning to do tomorrow," He declared, a matter of fact she wasn't supposed to question further judging by the faint lifting of his chin.
"I think... not."
For some reason, she had been unable to keep the hesitance out of her voice, although she was fairly certain Chris was far more important. Maybe, tomorrow he would have walked by their food stand again to buy their products and she would have mustered the courage to ask him out herself this time, so they would have watched the parade and dance some more and do many more fun things, other than standing on a tower and missing out on all of that. "You see, I have finally found someone I really want to spend my time with. I don't know what I'm feeling, but I'm sure it's something beautiful-" What was she saying now...? "I'm so happy, so much you can't understand-" She cupped her cheeks, near singsonging now and shut your mouth Nina! "S-so could you-... uhm..."
Where was she going with this?
The warmness of her jowls and the fuzzy feeling in her chest repositioned her on tracks: refuse his impositions by embarrassing herself, right.
Azazel, in the meantime, had directed her a quizzical look of disdain, lips slightly pronounced.
"What... are you being serious right now?"
"I am serious!" Why wouldn't she be? The scowl on the demon's face considerably deepened, as well as the shadows sharpening his pale facial features. "Sorry, shouldn't have told you those things, you obviously aren't interested. Bye!"
She turned, raising her hand to wave goodbye and cutting off any impediment separating her from going to bed and seeing Chris again in her dreams – silly silly Nina! After just one evening together those amber eyes of his were already all over her mind, with their glints of amusement and their golden shine reflecting the lights from the adorned streetlamps.
Her right wrist was captured by Azazel's fingers, long nails briefly punctured the skin uncovered by her band.
"You are not going anywhere until you promise me you'll be there."
Nina turned around, eyes slightly widened.
"H-hey, I already told you—"
"I don't care about that bullshit. You are going to be there, your stupidity be damned."
Anger flashed in her chest but was extinguished as soon as it emerged. She was more-than-annoyed now, a bit frightened by his aggressive manners, though not excessively and not to the point of freezing on the spot. They were alone in this deserted, sparsely illuminated street, the silence was thick and not reassuring, yet she wasn't afraid. Some minor part of her wondered why, for the first time, she was also feeling anything but flustered, although she was in the presence of an attractive – scratch that, handsome – guy.
"That's not how it works, Azazel," She said, keeping her tone chirpy, slacking the grip on her wrist by taking a step back toward him. "You must first tell me what exactly I am promising to do."
And maybe calm down a little.
A dozen of emotions passed through Azazel's twitching, hooded eyes.
"I don't have to do such thing, if you would just...!"
"Then we're done!" She interrupted him, freeing her wrist. "Don't put yourself into a mess again, or Mugaro will worry."
"We are not remotely done, you—"
"Azazel."
A third voice insinuated itself between them, the voice of a young male right behind Azazel.
Nina tilted her head, checking who it was given that Azazel had abruptly stopped talking, pink side bangs dangled following her movement.
White, pristine uniform of an Orleans Knight, a massive wisp of brown hair on top of the head, looking so soft and so perfect for petting: Kaisar. She was tempted to sigh a breath of relief – any other knight and it would have been much worse – but she still couldn't be seen with the Rag Demon out in the open! Azazel wasn't wearing his trademarked rags, only a ruined cape, maybe she could consider herself safe, but was she really?
What am I gonna do now?
Run, maybe...?
That could be an option, she was faster than anyone in this city and Azazel could just... walk away and leave her alone for tonight and tomorrow. Yeah, it sounded like a good plan in her opinion.
Not wasting a second, she bolted down the same way she came from, hoping Kaisar had been far enough to see only a blurry face in the dim light – and not specifically her face.
Whistling breeze in her ears, in her hair and pumping in and out of her lungs, she left behind those two, ignoring Azazel's already distant shout calling her back. Direction: Bacchus' Hippogriff carriage. She was there within a minute, slowing down to a jog as the cheery sounds of percussion instruments, flutes, violins, mandolins and vivacious chattering gradually drew near.
By the time she caught sight of the divine means of transportation, she was walking at a moderately fast pace, finding herself appreciating once again the festive atmosphere, the picturesque standards and delicious scents coming from sautéing food in the stands nearby. She surpassed the few clients in front of their stand, said a quick hello and went for the door of the carriage, her mind fixated on catching some sleep.
"How was it?" Rita asked her, simultaneously cooking, taking ordinations with Hamsa, handing and taking money. Nina envied her absurd multitasking ability.
"Did you dump him?" Came the insinuation from Hamsa, smirking beak behind one wing – darn goose, was he really supposed to be a god of some kind?
"No, no, not at all! It was g-great!" She sealed her lips in an agitated line then, one foot in the sumptuous and colorful carriage, the remaining one still out in the lions' den. "It-it was fine, I mean, y-yeah."
Up until I bumped into Azazel.
Rita mumbled under her breath, not looking convinced by her act, meanwhile serving a plate of steaming chicken wings just taken out of the pan by Rocky. The spicy, biting smell made her stomach grumble, gurgling sounds drowned out by the passing of celebrating people. She loved spicy food, she wished so many wings didn't go wasted because of those brutes. By now, she would have had delicious leftovers tomorrow if her heart didn't betray her like that, even in front of extremely dangerous people.
"Did he treat you well?" Rita questioned further, to which she nodded, putting up a more sincere smile. He had been wonderful, and kind, and gave her everything she could have hoped for in an outing with... a crush. Rita eyed her less suspiciously after that.
"You- you need a hand?" She offered, since it wouldn't have been nice going to bed not caring if the others needed some backup.
"No, I can manage," Rita replied. "The bulk of the work was two hours ago anyway."
"You can go lazing about, if you wish."
Nina shot Hamsa an unamused glare, making him imperceptibly flinch. She worked hard each day and everyone this side of the city could see that, but he dared to call her lazy? Look who was talking!
I'm not the one who spends most of her time idling around with that drunkard of my friend.
Her eyes went to Bacchus, sprawled over a table on the sidelines, more empty wine bottles than she could care to count. He was out cold, likely for just a few hours being an alcoholic deity.
Who cares anyway, he's a pervert.
She had been able to have a fantastic evening thanks to him, but she was admittedly still grossed out by the peeking of the other night. She would have slept with one eye open from now on.
"Well, good night everyone. I'm-" She made a show of putting a hand over her yawning mouth. "I'm very tired."
Partially was true, partially not, but as long as no one called her out on that...
Goodnights exchanged, she stepped into the carriage and closed the door behind her, shoulders slouching instantaneously in the small, private and secure place where Mugaro was already sleeping, sounds from the outside muffled into a comfortable murmuring.
Nor Kaisar, nor Azazel appeared to have followed her. She could only be relieved of that when she fell face-first on the couch she claimed as her bed. No time to write to mama that night, her brain was in a serious need of a timeout.
She snuggled her nose into the cushions, yawning for real this time.
Thank you, Chris. Thank you so, so much.
How much she wished those grateful words had been at least whispered by her quivering lips.