Mad Hatter eyed Katou. "There are some things one wishes to try, but there is always the control of the room."
Katou waved it off. "Too many memories."
"Why do you think I keep it to this neutral setting? My own fall gets in my way sometimes…" A faint whisper and shade of black wings appeared on one's back, but only for a moment before one shook the melancholy off.
"Oh…" Katou looked at Mad Hatter with renewed interest. He had forgotten he was talking (and living) with a fallen angel. He wondered if perhaps those wings Setsuna gave him still existed… He attempted to stretch them, to no avail. Oh well, it was worth a try.
Mad Hatter watched him curiously. "They do exist still, but remember where you are. They will not show in Lucifer's domain as long as the owner is not strong enough spiritually."
"How'd…"
"How did I know? You stretch your shoulders funny when thinking of your past wings." Mad Hatter's grin came back. "I find it… cute."
"Am I just that cute to you?" Katou rolled his eyes.
"Very."
"If you feel so." Katou shrugged, letting the comment slide by instead of rising against it like he normally did.
"Are you okay?" Mad Hatter slightly tilted one's head towards Katou. "You don't seem yourself."
"Nah, I'm okay. Bored though…" Katou got up and put the book in his hands back on the shelf. "There's only so much reading one can do." A slight grimace crossed his face when he realized he used 'one' instead of 'I'.
Mad Hatter smirked at it, but let it go. "Well, One has already read all these books, which is why they are here. One could go 'research' movies, but One has a feeling the ones one would watch you would not like…"
"Depends on what you mean. Chick-flicks, of course not. Most everything else I like to watch." Katou knew what Mad Hatter had meant, but he did almost want to watch those too… Even though that meant Mad Hatter had to have seen them first, and probably had to be in the same room so one could 'play' them… Maybe he didn't want to see them that much.
"Well, to do such research, one must leave…" Mad Hatter paused and thought for a moment. "If you wish, One could give you a more substantial body so you may go with oneself, but that also means you would be stuck in it until you 'died'…"
"And how long would that be?" Katou asked suspiciously.
"Old age or other such injuries." Mad Hatter replied.
"So, if you grant me this 'body', I could go outside, but be unable to go to the spirit realm until I died normally?" He continued his line of questioning.
"Yes." Mad Hatter nodded.
"So I would have to stay here…" Katou didn't form it into a question, knowing the answer. "And I would age?"
"Not unless you wanted to. Physically, you'd look the same, but all people have almost 'expiration dates' that are similar to old age, so once you reach that, you would die and become a spirit again." Mad Hatter explained.
"And then we would be back to square one, I'm stuck here completely, except for the soul-tank thingy." Katou surmised.
"Yes. But by then I think you would have a choice of wishing to stay here or not. Right now, I'm not bored of you yet." Mad Hatter grinned that grin of one's again.
Katou humphed. "Well… Why not. I'll be alive for a while. Otherwise you'd make me be here almost as long, just not able to go to earth at all…"
Mad Hatter's grin widdened. "So true. Come here, one needs you closer for this."
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
Katou cautiously walked over it Mad Hatter, who touched his chest. He felt almost a weight descend on himself, and then Mad Hatter stopped touching him. "What happened?"
"You are in a body once more. You probably do not feel as… 'light' anymore." Mad Hatter took advantage on the closeness, brushing one's hand lightly across his cheek.
Katou took a step back, but almost lost his balance.
"Watch it. You probably are not used to being in a body. The travel is a little different." Mad Hatter gestured to his legs. "Now you actually have to hold up your weight."
Katou sat down in the nearest chair. "What do you mean?"
"You never realized the way a spirit travels?" Mad Hatter sighed. "All I did at first was mold your spirit to a form, you still slightly floated even if you thought you were walking. It's the way spirits are."
"Really? I never noticed…" Katou looked down at himself, trying to process being alive again. He slowly stood up, and walked over to the other chair, using for balance. "It's not too hard…"
"That is because you were once human. You never forget to walk, you just go out of practice. Now, do you wish to go outside yet, or practice walking and such a little more?"
Katou looked up from concentrating. "I guess I'm good for now. Where did you plan on dragging me off to?"
"It is strange how you have gotten used to me being in control. You were so rebellious once." Mad Hatter walked over to stand next to him.
Katou shrinked back. "I'm not used to it, I just can't do anything about it…"
Mad Hatter scooted a little closer. "Perhaps that unwillingness not to be in control is what makes you not be interested in one's allure…" Mad Hatter backed off. "But then again, One isn't really trying." One turned around and offered one's hand. "Ready to go?"
Katou glanced down at the hand offered. "Where?"
"Anywhere you wish. Did you wish to something grand, like see Paris, or something small, like a movie?" One kept the hand out.
"…Whatever…" Katou stared at the hand as if it was going to bite him.
"You do have to have oneself touching you for the travel to work, and one thought you would be more comfortable holding my hand than anything else…" Mad Hatter looked him over.
Katou blushed slightly. "Oh… yeah…" He took Mad Hatter's hand carefully.
"See, One does not bite unless you want one to." The grin returned in force.
Katou sighed, trying his best to ignore the proddings. He couldn't implement his plan immediately. He had to not be angry at them first…
Mad Hatter tightened one's hand around Katou's, and suddenly they were in front of a movie theatre.
"Wow…" Katou couldn't help but let out a gasp of amazement. It felt different than the room's imaging did. This was completely new, not some memories dredged up from the back of his mind.
"We are here. Which movie do you wish to see?" Mad Hatter looked up at the marquee.
Katou finally turned to Mad Hatter, realizing that one looked… normal. Of course, a more masculine normal, but without much makeup one had a feminine face. "Wow…"
Mad Hatter looked back at Katou. "Oh. One has not showed you one's face without makeup."
Katou nodded then looked up at the marquee in embarrassment. Why did he do that? One may be pretty under that makeup, but that didn't mean he thought that… Wait. That didn't make any sense. He continued to stare at the marquee, trying to straighten his thoughts.
"Did you find a movie you wish to see?" Mad Hatter slightly squeezed the hand sill in one's grasp.
Katou jumped and pulled his hand away. He focused on the actual movies. "I've never heard of any of these."
"Of course not. You've been with oneself for almost a month, and don't forget all that time in the confusion of the messiah's. The world still goes on."
Katou blinked. "Oh yeah."
Mad Hatter lightly laughed. "Don't tell me you didn't think about that? Just because you are human again doesn't mean you need to be as dense as one."
Katou glared out from under a blush. He has forgotten, but wasn't going to tell Mad Hatter that. "Well, where can I see what the movies are about?"
Mad Hatter gestured across the street. "There is an internet café right there. You could look them up online."
"… I don't use computers…" Katou was reluctant to go in. Perhaps it was left over from his wish to uphold a reputation that didn't exist anymore.
Mad Hatter nodded slightly. "That is okay, One knows how." One grabbed Katou's hand and dragged him across the street and into the café. One let go to sit at a computer. "Now, movies…" After a moment of typing. "Here you go." Mad Hatter got up and put Katou in his seat.
Katou looked at the movie listings. "That's the same as the marquee. It doesn't tell me anything."
Mad Hatter rolled one's eyes. "Click on the link. You really haven't done this before, have you?"
Katou blushed. "I… forgot is all." He had forgotten. They had used computers in the classroom before all that stuff went down with Set-chan and everyone. Why didn't he remember?
Mad Hatter raised an eyebrow. "One thought one fixed that problem. Maybe once we get back one needs to go through and see if one missed restoring other memories…"
"No need. I remember now." Katou went through the listings, looking for a movie that sounded interesting. Nothing really was, but he picked the best out of them and showed Mad Hatter. "That okay with you?"
"Fine." Mad Hatter went and paid for the time on the computer, then dragged Katou back across the street, then paid for the movie tickets.
Katou watched Mad Hatter pay. "Where do you get the money?"
"Because one is a demon, one has a little bit of control over the earth's realm too, which includes manifesting small objects." The stepped inside. "Do you wish some movie snacks"
Katou shook his head. "I thought I didn't need to eat."
"You never need to, but one was talking about the flavor." Mad Hatter walked over to the snack bar and got oneself a box of candy. "Do you wish anything?"
Katou shook his head again. "No, I'm still getting used to being human again."
"Quite alright." Mad Hatter snatched his hand again before he could pull away, and led him into the proper theatre.
------------------------------
Throughout the movie Katou had to occasionally dodge a flirt from Mad Hatter, though he knew one was just trying to annoy him. And it was working, though possibly not in the way Mad Hatter meant. One looked pretty now in normal clothes, though the outfit was boyish, and also showed off the fact one was flat-chested. He never understood the first conversation, except that Mad Hatter wasn't male, per say. One looked like a pretty guy though, which bothered Katou. He never thought of men that way, and Mad Hatter looked male. One may not really be such, but looked close enough to get Katou confused.
They walked out of the theatre onto the sidewalk. "Do you wish to do anything else? Since we have no need of sleep or rest, we can do anything you wish…"
"I can't really think of anywhere I'd like to go…" Katou shrugged. "I never really thought about it."
Mad Hatter nodded slightly. "I've been pretty much everywhere at some point in time, but not recently, so most would be almost new to me." One took Katou's hand carefully. They were instantly at the beach. "A quiet place for you to think."
Katou looked around. It wasn't a beach he had ever been to, but it was a pretty one.
Mad Hatter watched Katou think. One never really thought anything through, but there was something about this boy that struck one different. He did remind one of Lucifer's human counterpart, but that was not why one had liked Lucifer in the first place. One had loved him back in heaven when he was Lucifel. Now Lucifer was back as himself, and one found him still pretty, but slightly boring compared to his humanity. It was still there, of course, but not shown to Mad Hatter or the other demons. But this boy had those qualities, along with the qualities that had made one love Lucifel before. What was wrong with oneself?
Katou looked back, right into Mad Hatter's eyes. One was staring at him… "Erm… Hi?"
Mad Hatter shook one's head. "One's apologies, one was lost in thought."
"Okay…" Katou shrugged and looked back out over the water. There really wasn't anywhere he wanted to go. In fact, he really didn't have any wants about anything. He just kind of existed, day to day. Nothing new, really. Before, he had so much he had to pay attention to, like family and school. Now all there was was Mad Hatter. Not that he really minded, it made his life simpler.
"Katou-san… Do you like being with oneself?"
Katou looked back at Mad Hatter. One was looking down at the sand. Now that he thought about it, that was the first time one said his name… "Umm… I guess. It's definitely better than my alternative."
Mad Hatter looked up at him. "Since you are in a body, if you wish… One could place you back within the life-cycle you would have had. The only ones who would know different are Setsuna, Sarah, and any who happen to have great spiritual power, though one knows none." Mad Hatter's eyes were back regarding the sand.
Katou stared. Was he just offered a third alternative? He would be able to live his life how he wanted to, at least for a while. He realized that once he died, he would end up at the soul tank again, or perhaps back at Mad Hatter's residence. "You know, I don't think that would make a difference. I mean, that would take about 60 years if I'm lucky, but then I'd be right back here, or in the soul tank if you didn't want me anymore. I don't think anyone else has taken an interest in me… Have they?"
Mad Hatter smiled. "Not that I know of… So you are staying?"
"Letsee, you or the soul tank… Sure, why not?" Katou slapped Mad Hatter on the back.
Mad Hatter raised an eyebrow. "And that was for…?"
Katou put his hands up in defense. "Sorry. It's what I do to friends sometimes."
Mad Hatter grinned. "One knows."
Katou glared in return. "Teasing me again? Thanks."
"It is, one guesses, what one does to friends…" Mad Hatter slipped his hand into Katou's, and continued watching the sea.
Katou thought for a moment that they were going to go somewhere else, but then realized the scenery hadn't changed. He looked down at Mad Hatter, wondering why he still held the fallen angel's interest. He mentally shrugged, and enjoyed the ocean breeze. They stayed there until the sun set in a beautiful color array.
Mad Hatter looked up at Katou. He hadn't moved his hand away the entire time, making Mad Hatter wonder a bit. Perhaps he was just tolerating oneself so he could stay out of the soul tank. Or even perhaps one's allure was working on a slow scale. Whichever it was, one didn't mind at all. One had never had the feeling of just being next to someone and being happy, yet here it was happening to oneself. Somehow, Mad Hatter was happy one was close to immortal for once, so one could try this again some day.
Katou had been thinking. It was nice to just sit here and enjoy the company, but why did he enjoy it? It was Mad Hatter after all. The same person who had fought against them for a while and had kidnapped Kurai. But then again, one also returned Kurai and took the demon battle elsewhere than their mission. Mad Hatter seemed to do just whatever one wanted to do, and nothing else. Which was fine with Katou, for that was exactly what he did when he could. He looked down at Mad Hatter, who was looking at him again.
"Did you decide?" Mad Hatter asked.
"I kinda like it here…" Katou shrugged. "I don't know where else I could go."
Mad Hatter lightly laughed. "We will raise eyebrows if we stay here too long, you know?"
"I guess… It's not like I care." Katou looked out across the water. "It's peaceful."
"Yes, it is…" Mad Hatter sighed. One wanted to go see the world again. One had not done so in a long time. In fact, one wished to take Katou with oneself. That was why one had asked. "We could always come back, or find another beach…"
"True." Katou took one last glance out to sea, then stood up and stretched. "Well, I don't know where to go, so where do you want to go?" He turned around and looked at Mad Hatter.
Mad Hatter stood up. "Perhaps we could go to Egypt. One hasn't been there since the pyramids were built."
"That sounds alright to me." Katou stuck out his hand. "We going?"
Mad Hatter smiled at Katou and took his hand. "Let us go."
Katou found himself looking at Mad Hatter against a sand backdrop in the full sun. Mad Hatter's makeup and clothes had changed to reflect the place, giving one an almost exotic beauty. "Nice." Then his eyes wandered down, realizing Mad Hatter's shirt was open. One was definitely flat-chested. Damn.
"Thank you. Are you going to look at Egypt, or oneself?" Mad Hatter grinned.
Katou just grinned back, slightly flustered. "I see sand, but I get your point." He turned around, catching the view of the pyramids right behind him. "Wow… They're a lot more impressive in person."
Mad Hatter nodded. "They were even more impressive when first built. Sand has covered and worn away a lot of their design."
Katou took a step towards the pyramids and almost tripped on the robes he had not realized he was wearing. He looked down at himself. "Hey… What are these for?"
Mad Hatter shook one's head. "You are in a real body now, you can sunburn."
"Oh… But they're hot!" Katou tugged on them.
Mad Hatter shrugged. "If you wish to burn. With your light skin, you'll be sunburned for a while and required to rest during that time."
Katou made a pained look, but kept his robes on. He started to walk again, watching out for his robe ends this time.
Mad Hatter followed closely, watching him. Katou was distracted in wonderment, while One was slightly amused. One remembered the building in its original glory, so this was almost a letdown after that. Now Katou's amazement was the best sight here. One almost wished one had not said anything to distract him from oneself… But that was just selfish. One had all eternity to play with Katou, if one wished.
Katou looked back at Mad Hatter. "You okay?"
"One is fine. This is nothing like it once was, so one is not as interested. One just wished to see how it had turned out after so long." Mad Hatter shrugged. "One hopes one is not bringing you down."
"Nah, It's okay. I've never been here before, so it's still interesting to me." Katou gestured at the pyramids. "I've never seen anything quite as big."
"Really?" Mad Hatter quirked an eyebrow.
"Really. I've never left my hometown. Everything is new to me." Katou looked back at Mad Hatter. "Thanks."
Mad Hatter tilted one's head. "For what?"
"This. You could have left me in the spirit tank, or as a spirit at your place, or even dropped me back into the soul tank, but instead you give me a body and take me to earth… So… Thanks."
Mad Hatter looked mildly surprised, but was much more suriprised on the inside. "You are welcome… Though I did do it for myself." Why was he thanking oneself? That was nothing like Katou at all. There was something about Katou right now that bothered onself, but not in a bad way. One was curious.
Katou slightly blushed. "Yeah, I know you did it for yourself, but it still helped me in it's own way." He turned back to the pyramids to hide the blush he could feel starting on his face. What made him say that? He never thanked anyone for anything. He couldn't remember even thanking Set-chan for being a friend, though he may have… He couldn't remember. Anyway, Mad Hatter seemed to have affected him in a different way than anyone else. Why was that? Maybe it was just the extravagant way one went about things, like taking him to Egypt just on a whim.
Mad Hatter stared at the back of Katou's head. One wanted to delve into his reasonings, but knew somehow Katou would not like that, and it would destroy what very little trust he already had in oneself. Why one cared suddenly about that, one could not fathom. Perhaps it was because this one was willingly sticking around even though he could leave, since given the choice. Mad Hatter rarely took souls into one's residence, but the few he did always took the alternative to being with oneself once one gave them that choice. But then, one always had been a little abusive with previous soul companions.
Mad Hatter shook oneself out of one's reverie. "If you have never been elsewhere, One bets you have never seen a camel."
Katou raised an eyebrow. "A camel?"
"Yes, a camel." Mad Hatter gestured, and two camels came around the nearest dune. "Like these."
"Like those… that just happened to be behind the dunes. Right." Katou rolled his eyes. "So, what would we do with these smelly animals?"
"Ride them." Mad Hatter mounted one of them gracefully.
"Excuse me?" He stared at Mad Hatter. "I can't ride one! I've never even ridden a horse, much less a camel. Heck, I haven't even seen a horse!"
"Fine." The other camel left. Mad Hatter extended one's hand and pulled Katou up in front of oneself with ease. "You ride with me."
Katou tried to stare at Mad Hatter in shock, but couldn't turn around far enough, for fear of falling. "How…"
"Did you forget what I am already?" Mad Hatter laughed. "Let's go explore town."