A/N: Sooooo hello there! This is the second and third part for KuroKura Week prompts Present and Failure... with a hitch, however. You see, I got the order switched: the story called for me to use Failure first instead of Present. The rules at Tumblr didn't say I can't change the order of the prompts to use yet I feel I break broke some or something, but this is what I can only do and I hope this is fine. I did my best and please enjoy! As always, comments and kudos are much appreciated!

Beta: None


Kurapika immediately called Linssen for a quick and thorough research about Kuroro Lucifer.

The secretary came with surprisingly a bunch of latest about the Ryodan head. It centered about a death match in Heaven's Arena with Lucifer as the Floor Master and Hisoka as his opponent, the puppeteering of hundreds of audiences and an explosion that claimed a lot of lives. Apparently, Lucifer showed off his abilities there and went all out against Hisoka. Hisoka was said to have died with his limbs cut but his corpse mysteriously disappeared. In addition to that, Lucifer seemed to have acquired a new skill set, terrifying new skill set, that composed of being able to manipulate people, creating copies of victims, using these copies to attack and kill, creating nen-triggered bombs and using these abilities all at the same time. To one's eyes, he was a master. A nen genius. He could utilize different types of nen with deadly proficiency, defying the rules of the discipline. One more run over Linssen's report and Kurapika understood how much stronger Lucifer had grown and he bet it wouldn't be that easy to put him into zetsu, his strongest ace against Ryodan, for the second time around.

Once again, he was at loss of Lucifer's motive.

Come to think of it; he could have killed him right there and then at the lounge to settle their score and avenge for those two members he killed. But he didn't for reasons that Kurapika could only guess.

Something must be happening to Genei Ryodan.

Hisoka said the Troupe always went in groups, and Kuroro was accompanied with at least one or two members. But Kuroro was alone back then: Kurapika surreptitiously searched the vicinity for any indication that Kuroro brought some back up, and found no one. If Kuroro was that serious about intimidating him then he should have brought his finest members to tell to his face that should he attacked, he wouldn't stand a chance. But no, either because he was confident enough that he could handle Kurapika alone or he was sincere about his truce.

Moreover, the prophecy…

Kurapika slipped his phone back to his blazer pocket and whipped out the small, folded sheet of paper from another. He flipped it open with a flick of his thumb.

'Careful inference will mislead you on the way

It is not the dead end, but the road will be rough

The entourage will tear down to half

But amongst the hideous foes is a strong aid.'

'You are to sign a treaty with the devil

Sealed with a kiss and it will be a key

To the master's chamber only to find it empty

And its dweller will prove you guilty'

'The spear will be turned to your warded angel

The coats will not suffice, be aware

To ascertain victory, renew the contract

You will meet a companion who will keep you on track.'

The metaphors were not vague to Kurapika. He instantly interpreted its first part, and just like Kuroro said, it referred to an event that had happened in the past; when he found out that his employer was the fourteenth prince, the weakest among the Kakin heirs. But he didn't turn his back and accepted the job, and used whatever means he could find by setting terms with Lady Oito. The third line was about the death of his fellow bodyguards from the prince's parasitic nen monsters attack. The fourth could be referring to Woble's nen beast.

The first line of the second stanza no doubt meant his agreed truce with Kuroro Lucifer. But what he couldn't, simply couldn't, fathom was what the second one entailed.

Sealed with a kiss? What on earth could that mean?

The third line was more or less warning him. It was telling him that Genei Ryodan, particularly Kuroro, had something to do with it. That this man was about to bring in catastrophe which involved his target: the dweller in the master's chamber, Tserriednich Hui Guo Rou.

The first line on the third stanza mentioned Prince Woble, and it was another warning. She would be in danger, and the prophecy inferred that his protection, even the prince's own nen beast, were not enough. The third line was an advice, likely pertaining to his agreement with Lucifer. That extending the ceasefire would lead him to meet someone who would help him with his missions.

He had a (bad) gut feeling that it was referring to the Ryodan head himself.

All in all, the prophecy was telling him to get the fuck away from Kuroro Lucifer or else things would be an utter disaster.

But of course there was still a possibility that this prophecy might be a bogus, made to confuse him or maybe tampered or faked to get him into agreeing Kuroro's offer and abide to its terms.

Though he watched the entire process of clairvoyance and saw nothing wrong or out of place. There was a high chance that this was an authentic fortune-telling.

Well, whether it was real or not, it wouldn't hurt to just heed to it. He wanted nothing to do with Lucifer as of the moment anyway and their agreement was now effective so he had no any other choice but to let the banes of his existence strut around Black Whale.

But first off: avoid Kuroro Lucifer as much as possible, not only because of the prophecy's caution but because he couldn't trust himself with containing his rage whenever he set his eyes on the bastard.

For now, he should deal with this succession war, get close to Tserriednich and watch out for Saiyu's and Pariston's moves to free Beyond Netero.

Damn, he just wanted to get the eyes. He wanted nothing of this predicament.


Another party was held for the VIP guests with all the Kakin princes present. Kurapika kept close to Lady Oito and Prince Woble, all the while wondering if all these princes were oblivious of the nen beasts rampage that happened (according to Senritsu and the others, none of their employers were aware of the beasts, therefore they were not nen-users. That left the other, higher ranking princes), most especially, Tserriednich. Speaking of, there Tserriednich was, sipping on his wine, talking to a woman.

He had heard rumors about this man, and a warning from Mizaistom, that there was something odd about this prince.

That was no news to him, given that most of the people he retrieved the eyes from were strange in their own way. Tserriednich just happened to be the most powerful among them, smartest and most sly if he could add. He would need much calculated plans to approach him, and that required more information about the target himself.

Tserriednich sure knew how to use his position to cover up his mischief, but Kurapika's nose was sharp enough. Missing women inside his owned premises, vast collection of arts and human body parts, megalomaniac and sociopathic tendencies. Just imagine if he was a nen-user and he became the next Kakin king. Damn, he should get the eyes from him before that happen just in case.

Tserriednich was just some tables away from where Kurapika stood, but Kurapika felt like he was still thousand miles away from his reach.

But a person he wanted to see last was sitting just a table away from Tserriednich. He was looking at the prince's way, hand cupping a glass of wine, before sliding his gaze away and towards Kurapika's direction.

Impeccable suit and tie, forehead wrapped with bandage, eyes dark and callous as ever. As their eyes met, Kuroro Lucifer quirked his lips up and lifted his wine glass as if inviting Kurapika for a toast.

Kurapika's mood soon darkened, mind full of hows and whys. How did the bastard found his way in despite the tight security of the lounge? Why was he here? Oh, damn, Kurapika was sure he was up to no good. He glared dagger at him; Kuroro shook it off and looked back at Tserriednich and his companion. The way he stared at Tserriednich's back implied that yes, he was his target for the night.

'I shouldn't involve myself in whatever this guy is about to do but heck; I can't just stand back and let you get into Tserriednich. There's no way I'm going to let you steal, let alone take the Kuruta eyes along. Tserriednich is my target, truce be damned.'

Kurapika averted his eyes away but kept watching over Kuroro's moves through his peripheral vision. The man just sat there, behaving normally, enjoying his drink.

He busied himself instead of worrying and looked over his employers. Woble was quiet and calm and Lady Oito was pacifying her, face etched with tiredness and worry for her daughter, but still hanging in there.

They surely were having a hard time, and Lady Oito wanted nothing but to get away from here, away from the danger lurking about her baby's way. From the start, Oito expressed no interest in having Woble win the succession war, but Kurapika could see a tiny ray of hope behind her eyes. But perhaps it wasn't because of thirst for power: she just wanted to keep Woble safe.

There finally was a movement from Lucifer. He placed his glass on the table and got to his feet, marched towards the main entrance and left without looking back.

Tserriednich was still chatting with the lady then with a gesture of his hand, the woman smiled and started to walk, Tserriednich on her side. His guards followed suit and they disappeared at the entrance where Kuroro had gone.

"I think we should head back, Kurapika. My daughter is fast asleep and I'm tired myself," Lady Oito called for Kurapika, eyes a little hooded and hands tightening on the bundle in her arms. True enough, Woble was blissfully slumbering on her mother's warmth, free from worry and fear. If she saw Kurapika looking at Tserriednich, Kurapika wasn't sure.

"I understand. We will go as our turn to leave comes, please wait."


"Kurapika?" Lady Oito placed Woble on her cradle and mumbled softly.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"I hope you don't mind but could you tell me how does Woble's beast look like?"

The question came so sudden that Kurapika paused for a moment and weighed for a decision if he should tell her how exactly the nen monsters that attacked them the other day looked like, and realized he hadn't even recognized what Prince Woble's nen beast was, the strong aid that the prophecy deciphered.

"I am not certain as well," he truthfully said. "And I think it'll be much better if you would not know. Back then when the beasts attacked, our cabin was filled with all sorts of terrifying monsters—"

"But I really want to know," Oito cut him off. "I want to see so that I can protect the prince. I don't care if it'll scare me, but I'm admittedly dying to know these creatures, especially Woble's guardian that defends and protects her."

"I understand you, Your Highness. But unfortunately, unless you are a nen-user, you won't be able to see it. But let me assure you: we are not completely defenseless here. I'll admit that at first, I wasn't confident with our battle strength but since learning that Prince Woble had a guardian, I can tell that we do stand a chance."

"Kurapika…" Lady Oito trailed off, seemingly on the verge of tears.

"I promised to keep you safe with the best of my ability. As long as our terms and conditions are followed, I'll make sure to get you back to the mainland, safe and sound."

"… I will trust you, Kurapika. Thank you very much," even just a little, relief crossed the lady's face. Her eyes lit up then, lips thinning into a small smile. "I'm glad to know that the King had granted my daughter a guardian; a chance to fight amongst her much stronger brothers and sisters. Even just a bit, I feel that he still cared for my baby, that he hasn't abandoned us despite having more qualified heirs of his throne. Kurapika… you were looking at Prince Tserriednich earlier, aren't you?"

"… Yes," Kurapika knew it. He didn't deny.

"I see. And you wanted to follow him back then at the party, didn't you?"

"I did but it won't make much difference. I can't get close to him that easily."

"But you have a plan, I'm sure. I know you only for a short time but I can really that you are a smart and diligent person. I'm glad that you accepted our job offer, doing your best despite us being not your priority. And I think the best thing I can do for you in return is to allow you to go after the reason why you joined this fray in the first place."

"Your Highness…" Kurapika was surprised; Lady Oito was truly a compassionate and understanding person, it seemed.

"I allow you to have a two-hour break from your duty," the woman's face was placid despite her eyes still showing anxiety.

"But Your Highness, that is not necessary—"

"Even just a little, I know you want to make a move closer to Tserriednich. It's up to you whether you make a good use of the two-hour break or not. This is an order from Oito Hui Guo Rou,"

Kurapika stilled on that. The warm gleam on Oito's eyes bitterly reminded him of the eyes of his own mother when she was still alive. It instantly squashed his heart and it took him a while to remind himself that this wasn't the time for this.

"Go on, Kurapika. I will give you a call should anything happen, and I trust you will come to our aid as soon as you can."

He heaved a deep breath and smiled at her. "Understood, Your Highness. Thank you."

He made all the necessary calls and briefing with his co-workers with a strict note to phone him should anything unusual arose before setting off to the higher princes' cabins. The boundary was heavily guarded and Kurapika was skeptical to trespass the threshold. The guards shot warning glances at him and he wasn't even a meter away from the boundary.

He figured that this reckless attempt would cause no good—of course it would— and decided to turn around and just return to their cabin when he caught something on the corner of his eyes.

It took painstakingly amount of effort not to whip his chains out and lash it at Kuroro Lucifer who was leaning against a far corner of a corridor, one hand playing with what it looked like a key and bouncing it up and down on his palm. It cost him some more to calmly approach the man with his straightest face possible. Kuroro stopped whatever he was doing, stuffed the key inside his pocket, and straightened up, flashing an amicable quirk on his lips.

"I thought you're not going to turn up. I was waiting like for forever."

So he had been expecting him to follow? "And why are you waiting for me?"

"Because I know damn well you'll not allow me to nick stuffs inside Tserriednich's cabin and you're curious if he had a pair of your clan's eyes in there so why not go check it out together?"

Good lord, please lend him more patience to endure the next seconds he had to talk with this prick. "I don't remember making a schedule to go trespass a prince's place with you. You're wasting my time, and let me remind you that this is a prohibited area. If you don't leave, I'll inform the guards about your presence and warn them about your plan. That's part of our agreement, in case you forgot."

"Calm down, Kurapika. I do not plan to break in Tserriednich's cabin."

"Then what the hell are you doing here? Chilling out?" Kurapika sarcastically bit.

"Why would I trespass if I can get him invite us inside?"

That made Kurapika scoff . "And what plan do you have in mind to make him, exactly?"

"Hmm," Kuroro made a noncommittal sound in his throat. "I'm not a hundred percent positive if it will work but I guess it's worth a try. Also, it requires a very little of you cooperation."

"I'm out," Kurapika deadpanned.

"You haven't heard my plan yet."

"But I'm sure it's not a good plan so leave me out of it."

"Come on. All you have to do is to stay still and be silent as you can. I'll do the rest of the job. Okay?"

"No. I'm leaving and so will you or else I'll alert the guards."

"Tserriednich is only a just a meter away. He went somewhere with the woman and after doing what he wants with her, I saw him going back to the lounge alone. He'll be back to his room and it'd be some time before he goes out again. This chance won't come again easily anytime soon. Are you sure you want to let it pass?"

Kurapika glowered at Kuroro again, knuckles curling and flexing to stop himself from landing a punch in his face.

"What is your plan? If that will endanger me and my position then forget it. I'm telling you I won't infiltrate his place. I'm not a damn thief."

"And like what I said, we don't have to. Should this plan fail, we'll only end up being told off and tossed out of the lounge. Okay, if it'll assure you, I swear to protect you should anything happen. Fair enough?"

That crept Kurapika out, his skin was crawling. As if that would reassure him. "No, thanks. I don't need it."

"I can hear Tserriednich and his boys coming. Are you with me? Yes or no?"

Kurapika silently grimaced and groaned. The bastard still hadn't explained much and he couldn't fathom what he was about to do. This was a reckless move and he himself could feel Tserriednich and his guards inching closer. Damn.

"… What am I supposed to do again?" He hissed, heart beating rapidly against his chest.

Kuroro moved closer to him and mumbled. "Stay still. Don't move. Don't make a sound."

"I swear if this failed—"

The rest of Kurapika's sentence never came as to his horror and utter surprise, Kuroro snaked one arm around his waist and his free hand pinched at his chin, pressed his mouth open and crushed their lips together for an open mouthed kiss.

Absolute incredulity, disgust, and paralysis came crashing down Kurapika all at once. The swipe of Kuroro's tongue against his stopped his breathing. The wetness of their mouths and the disgusting mixing of their saliva wiped Kurapika's mind clean, and he just couldn't move. Kuroro even had the nerve to dart his tongue deeper and Kurapika wanted nothing but to kill this bastard a merciless death with his own hands by severing his head out of his body. He was flabbergasted enough that his eyes turned bright scarlet, wide and unblinking.

"Stop right there!" Came a loud bellow from behind Kuroro.

Kuroro did stop and pull away, face betraying nothing but eyes screaming amusement at the sight of his scarlet eyes. Kurapika finally understood Kuroro's motive but it was all too late when Kuroro turned to face the intruder with his hands up. He stepped to the side, revealing them a flustered Kuruta, crimson orbs gleaming bright and lips wet and half-opened.

Tserriednich Hui Guo Rou alongside his troupe, all stunned and stood frozen on their feet, had their eyes on Kurapika. Tserriednich looked like he had seen a mountain of gold, mouth opened and eyes bloodshot. They glinted predatorily at Kurapika and he seemed only a hair breadth away from pouncing on him.

The Ryodan head used him as a bait, and there was one and only thing in his mind now that came unintentionally vocal out of him.

"… Crap."