The Rainbow Eyed Devil and His Songbird

Beauty and the Beast

He had been Uppermoon Two for perhaps only a few decades when he had a woman sitting before him, asking to stay only the night at his cult. He thought it was a poor choice because he was hungry that night and the woman had such nice skin.

Douma had entered the room, slowly opening his fan only to be halted by an unknown force. It was too dark for anyone that wasn't a demon.

"A fool who believes anyone can fall for his words of safety. Supposedly loved by anyone in his congregation. I disagree. But let's see if anyone can truly love you."

Before he knew it, his form was changing. His face was stretching into something wolfish and it felt like horns coming out of his scalp. He tries to will it away but it wasn't doesn't leave him.

"You'll stay like this till you can learn to love someone as much as they love you." The witch switches to her true form and gains a wicked grin.

"Till then you will remain here."

—
It was impossible for him.

For nearly five decades he has tried to lift this curse off him. He had even asked if his lord could forcefully change him back. His master didn't see it worth his time only annoyed he couldn't summon one of his demons to the fortress.

So here he has tried at his temple, his cult bringing many followers and he hides behind a curtain so as not to terrify his congregation. His priest was the only one to remain alive upon seeing him.

Though there were some he thought would be the one.

It turned out to be not as he would kill them when they saw his face, screaming before dying at his claws. He would wash up afterward, his fur getting blood in it.

—

Then she came into his temple seeking asylum from her abusive husband, her son close to her chest as she told her tale. Her story won the hearts of his followers so she was allowed to stay.

Kotoha was her name and he thought she was stupid. She walks so willingly into the den of a wolf.

She did make for interesting company.

Her singing was wonderful to the ears as she sang herself asleep while in his presence. He would lift his curtain, seeing the young mother asleep with her son crawling around her. Douma would hum to himself,

She could easily be killed by his claws.

He kneels before her. Inosuke comes to his knees, trying to get up.

Douma was bored, offering a furred-covered hand to the little one before picking him up and standing.
The baby pats his snout, reaching for his horns and tugging. Douma looks indifferent. He opens his jaws and lets the baby feel his fangs.

So soft and he could easily kill him.

But he won't.

Douma looks down when he feels a shift at his feet.

Sleep was thick still and yet-

He spots a little of her emerald eyes.

What she saw was a shadow with rainbow eyes.

'Beautiful....' Kotoha would go back to sleep, Douma holding onto Inosuke till he too went asleep. He would carry them to their room before going to his throne.

-
A few more nights would go on like that and she would only get closer and closer.

"Douma-sama, have you seen the moon tonight? It's quite pretty." Douma hums behind his curtain.

"I have not Kotoha-chan. Perhaps I will see it later."

Simple conversations.

—

Douma would be eating one evening, his victim growing cold when a knock on his door.

"Douma, can I speak with you-?" Douma growls, unnatural of him, perhaps the spell was affecting him in a different way.

"NO!"

Before he knew it, he could only hear the stomping on her feet as she ran.

He finishes his meal though it doesn't seem as tasteful as before.

—

She doesn't visit him after that. His room felt empty and colder than usual.

It didn't sit well with him.

—

Then her husband and mother-in-law came. They asked for an audience with him. His claws dig into his snout as he hears the ranting of these people.

"She is a foolish mother, please let us take her away and she will learn."

—
Kotoha would watch from the door, shaking and holding Inosuke close. The door was barely open and they were so close.

"Kotoha will be separated from Inosuke and I will personally make sure she learns-" Inosuke coos when she has to hold back her shock.

Heads are flying and there he was.

His face was wolfish and not human. He scoffs, wiping his claws on her dead husband's clothes.

She leaves.
—

The next few weeks were odd.

Kotoha came back to him, asking if all was well with him.

He was cheeky in his reply.

"Now, Kotoha-chan, there's no need-" Douma blinks when he finds Inosuke having wonder under the curtain, babbling and reaching for him. The demon doesn't know what to do only to look up when Kotoha moves the curtain.

His heart breaks or at least he believes it does.

He doesn't want to kill Kotoha.

But she doesn't give him a reason to when simply picks up Inosuke and smiles his way.

"Douma-san, has anyone tell you what pretty eyes you have?"

—

His curtain would be lifted up more and more with her joining him. He would smile when she would simply talk about her day and what Inosuke has done.

Inosuke would be in his lap at those times, messing with his claws and fur.

As the weeks passed, Inosuke tugged on his fur, fur that seemed to get thinner.