0. THE FOOL

i. asra.

     the day is light and airy, the morning sun filtering through the half-open curtains of the shop that hid on an off-the-path road in vesuvia, marked only by the decorated sign and the lantern hanging next to it. this early, the lantern remains unlit, swinging gently in the breeze as laughter fills the room inside.

     inside, there is laughter -- bright and sharp and sweet, purer than a mountain spring, as asra spins his apprentice on her toes, his fingertips holding onto her own like a lifeline. her face hurts from grinning, drawn into a smile so easily by the man dancing with her. asra looks almost ethereal, like something only half-there, in the morning light -- particularly in the way it slants into the pale of his hair, the curls that frame his face as he draws her close to him again.

     he laughs as well, as singsong as anything she might have heard, and sways with her to music only the two of them can hear, that only the two of them can even begin to imagine.

         “ it’s going to be warm today. we should go to the market, get something nice to eat, maybe buy some new cloth -- ” she giggles, allowing her fingers to sprawl over the curve of asra’s cheek as he pauses, her thumb pressed almost idly against the corner of his mouth.

          “ you’re in such a good mood. what’s the big deal? ”

          “ i can’t just be happy to be home with you? ” asra smiles, softer than his normal grin, and the sly light that holds his features normally returns in the curve of his brows and the set of his smile. “ i’ll not be leaving again for a while. we should celebrate. ”

     she eyes him with some disbelief, some measure of scrutiny that made asra laugh and spin her once more. he never schemed in malicious intent, only ever meaning to be mischievous at worse and charming at best. he had perfected the art of walking the line between them like a tightrope, balanced upon his toes like nothing in the world could topple him.

     it was one of his best features, she had to agree.

         “ come on, i’ll treat you. i’ll buy you anything you want. ”

         “ anything? ”

         “ well, almost anything. ”

     his smile sets her to laughing again, helpless giggles breaking between her lips until both she and asra are leaning on one another in laughter, barely standing without the support of the other.

-----

ii. julian.

     another night, another abandoned garden. in the dark, julian seems to flit between fading into the black and standing amongst the shadows, all dark clothes and pale skin and sharp, grinning features. it’s been a long night, another romp through the city with the guards on their heels and the feeling of adrenaline running through them to keep them moving.

     there is music filtering from a window high up above them, some mournal waltz that makes samaria wonder if the resident of the home is mourning, but she can’t keep her mind on the idea long enough to truly wonder before julian’s hands have fitted to her waist and are swaying her to the tune. one-two-three, one-two-three, again and again and again.

      she contemplates asking him where he learned to dance, and the words are escaping her before she can really stop them.

         “ where did you learn how to dance? ”

         “ in a far away land, with the help of a princess. ” he says it so matter-of-factly that she almost believes him, until his nose crinkles with the start of a laugh. “ i’m kidding! i’m self-taught. ”

     she pinches his side for a moment, interrupting their swaying as he instinctively darts away from her. he’s laughing as he does, his steps only faltering a moment before he turns, his back now facing the gate that hers was.

         “ i had you convinced, didn’t you? my steps aren’t really that graceful. it takes a lot of concentration not to step on your feet. ” she isn’t sure what’s better -- his exaggerations or his honesty, pure and to the heart.

         “ i think you’re doing just fine. better than a lot of self-taught people i know. ”

         “ i’ve been known to be tenacious as the devil in all walks of life. ” he grins, sharp as a knife. “  especially when i want something. ”

     his tone sets her cheeks aflame, a low warmth spreading through her as she avoids his gaze for a moment. he spins her once more, turning in a half circle before his arm comes around her waist to drop her into a dip like those ridiculous dancers she saw sometimes. she hangs there for only a moment, though the grin on julian’s face seems to make the feeling last forever, before he is standing her back on her feet and. . .dusting her off to make sure he hasn’t ruined the state of her dress.

     in her disarray, she notices the music has stopped. the windows above them have been closed.

@cardwitchery

     julian could have taken vlad out to some strange new place where the food was questionable and the patrons more so. a place where he would linger and of course, he knew vlad would not mind it at all. but the doctor knew better! despite the contrast in the tidbits of their personality, julian had absolutely no qualms in compromise. in fact, he would merely put aside his own love for all things chaotic, loud, and full of life and people, for vlad who was not entertained by this sporadic life.

     he wouldn’t tell him where he got the gondola from, but would admit to borrowing a few things from mazelinka to make it look nicer. candles, food, wine! whatever he thought they would need, he brought it, tucked away in a small basket beneath the boat. he could hardly contain his excitement, basically jumping out of his seat when he saw vlad approaching.

      there were no exchange of words, julian eager to show vlad his present– or well, their night out that is. when he saw the other, he placed a kiss upon his cheek, whisked him up and placed him into the boat. 

       “i know what you’re thinking,” the doctor began, climbing into the boat himself. he was basically beaming when he sat down. “it’s great, wonderful even,” he took a match to light a candle, looking up at the magician after it was lit. “but i want to hear you say it. what do you think?”

     it’s actually he who was running late tonight, scarf untucked as he clutched at his bag and tried to not be a total and absolute mess as he ran. julian stood upon the edge of the dock, looking perfect and wonderful and. . .he was smiling broadly. that had vlad wondering what he had planned, truthfully, though julian’s smile was enough to make him smile as well.

         “ sorry, sorry, i got distracted -- ”

     julian didn’t give him a response, spinning to set him into the boat that wobbled under him slightly. he put his hands out to steady himself until julian followed behind him, settling at the other end. 

      he couldn’t hide his surprise, really. when he had said somewhere to eat he’d expected some hole-in-the-wall place that only julian knew how to get to, not a dinner on a boat like he’d read in some. . .less than educational books.

          “ -- where did you get this boat? ” it was the first thing he could think of to say, at least until the very dainty lighting of the candle made him giggle to himself.

       he wishes to tease but he is too consumed with where to take vlad. he had already taken him to the places he deemed worthy, the others had shut down during the years he was absent. so where could he possibly take him? what could he do?

        “i have an idea, you’ll have to give me some time however… will you meet me at the docks before sunset?”

      “i’d like to consider myself a man of a thousand talents,” he ponders briefly over the difficulty of hiring a parade. couldn’t be that hard, right? either way, his thoughts are interrupted by the peck of vlad’s lips against the upturned corner of his mouth. “why of course. i won’t even interfere with where you chose, should you wish to dine at the gallows i will gleefully join you!”

     it takes a lot of willpower to make it so his face doesn’t so much at twitch at julian’s morbid humor. he’s still trying to get used to it, especially when julian says it so flippantly. he rubs idly at the curve of julian’s cheek before giving a soft smile.

      “oh!” he exclaims, pulling back so that vlad could see his enthusiastic expression. it relaxes back into a grin, which slowly becomes a smirk. “well, i’ll have to tell the parade to go home then!” he teases, though a moment later his voice softens as does his expression. “whatever you want to do, we’ll do it. i’m all yours.”

      fingers interlocked behind vlad’s back, holding him close. his smile does not fade, not even when he was told that festivities were not necessary for this particularly special day. “well…” he cants his head to the side, trying to find a loophole in the other’s words; there had to be at least one. “hmmmmm… you’re restricting me from doing the thing i am best at: making a big deal out of things. are you just going to torment me like that? on your birthday?! oh so cruel.”

@cardwitchery

      “oh, oh you know i wouldn’t mind that,” he muses, a smirk playing on his lips; he could still taste vlad on them– a sweet flavor. the doctor places him back on the ground, a hand brushing through their hair. “well, a little birdy– don’t ask who, i’ll never tell– informed me that it was your birthday.”

     he makes a short, sharp and startled noise when swept off his feet quite literally, his fingers clutching at julian’s arms when he’s lifted and spun and -- oh. his shock dissipates as he sinks into the kiss, shifting his hands from julian’s arms to rest on the curve of his neck with a gentle little sigh. the moment feels much longer than it truly is, and vlad rests his head against the curve of julian’s neck when they part, a little laugh escaping him.

i need no crown but truth. // accepting!