(Was supposed to be a Horror drabble in an abandoned building, but it slowly devolved into fluff...)
Rovell bolted through the woods, the sounds of thunder and rain drowned out by the beating of his own heart. He planted his hands firmly on a fallen tree and vaulted over it with a gust of wind. As he jumped, a branch caught a fold in his robe, tearing the fabric along his leg. His feet hit the mud and he continued, tattered robes the least of his concerns. Beasts quick on his heels, Rovell blindly rushed through the forest, desperately seeking some form of refuge. He burst through a covering of branches and stumbled into a clearing. Even through the downpour, he could make out a structure, what appeared to be an old windmill. The brief rush of relief he felt was quickly pushed out by a bloodcurdling cry from the woods behind him. The priest couldn’t tell if it was a roar or a scream, and he didn’t care to find out which. Gritting his teeth, he stumbled towards the building.
Haeyin had just gotten his fire-pit together, taking care not to let any of the flames jump to the rest of the building. His coat draped over a nearby chair, he began to unbutton his shirt to allow it to dry. What had started off as an evening walk had quickly taken a turn for the worse. But then again, things rarely turned out for the better on the day of Harrowing. It had somehow slipped his mind to not take a walk on the most accursed day of the year. How he’d gotten there aside, there were more pressing matters at hand. Despite the shelter the windmill provided from the elements, Haeyin still felt ill at ease as the dilapidated walls did nothing to dampen the cries that echoed from the forests. Tossing his wet shirt over a barrel, he dragged a hand through his hair, pushing aside the red strands the rain had loosened.
Moving to sit, he heard the door to his temporary shelter fling open. Back on his feet in a flash, he quickly moved closer to the entrance and hid behind a few old shelves, magic flowing into his hands. Rovell slammed the door shut as quickly as he’d opened and quickly moved an old crate to block it from opening again. Not that it would do much good against those things. Making his way a little further inside, he set his back to a barrel and slid into a seated position. A sudden pain at his side reminded him of his injury. Gingerly, he peeled his blood-stained hand away to reveal a gash. He grimaced as the cold bit into his open wound. At that moment, Haeyin dashed out from his position, a ball of flame primed in his hand. The sudden burst of light forced Rovell to shield his eyes.
The disheveled priest was not what Haeyin had expected to see. He expected a beast, fangs bared and claws at the ready. Instead he came face to face with a pale, long-haired human. An injured one at that. A quick glance and Haeyin surmised the stranger was a priestess. The tattered robes and golden amulet were fairly dead giveaways. Then he noticed the blood and the labored breath.
“He-help…” The stranger whispered, “Please.” Without the adrenaline pumping through his veins, Rovell felt incredibly weak.
“The beasts?” Haeyin frowned. His new companion nodded. The fireball dissipated as Haeyin knelt beside Rovell. He trusted a woman of faith enough to heal them at least. Despite the situation, Rovell found himself distracted. The man at his side was rather fetching, especially shirtless. The stranger reminded him of an old friend. It almost took his mind off the pain. Almost.
His wound throbbed, and Rovell found himself back in the moment.“Heh, you wouldn’t happen to be a healer too, would you?” He nodded at Haeyin’s hands and chuckled, but it soon devolved into a cough. Even his gentle laugh caused a pain in his side. “I used…I used all my magic just to get here.” Rovell smiled weakly.
“You’re in luck.” The blonde’s smile brought his own trademark grin back. “As it turns out, I do have healing experience. If…I may?” He gestured to Rovell’s side. The blonde nodded slowly, gently peeling his hand away and parting his blood-stained robes.
Haeyin gingerly laid his hands over the wound and green magic began to glow around his hands. After the initial sting, Rovell could feel the pain numbing. He laid his head back against the barrel and closed his eyes in relief. As Haeyin healed, he studied the stranger’s face, the color of her hair and the way it fell. He suddenly became all too aware of how smooth the skin of her stomach was under his touch.
“I’m Rovell.” The priest opened his golden eyes and smiled at him. Healing completed, Haeyin paused. “…you’re what?” “Rovell. My name.” The blonde repeated. “Ah, right.” Haeyin returned the smile. “My name is Haeyin.”
Haeyin looked down and noticed his hands were still on the blonde’s stomach. “Ah, forgive me.” He quickly withdrew his hands and bowed his head apologetically. “My apologies, priestess.”
Rovell looked up, a wry grin on his face, “Priest actually.”
Send me a trick (☄ฺ◣д◢)☄ for a horror drabble or a treat >(///)< for a fluffy one, and I’ll generate a random number for an interaction between our characters (or send “trick or treat” and I’ll flip a coin).
Rovell set his hands to his hips, a hint of challenge in his smile. It had been a while since he’d competed with Haeyin in anything. Dancing would have to do for now. “If you’re so skilled, then let’s put it to the test.” He challenged his friend.
And now, to the arena. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed his friend’s wrist and began dragging Haeyin onto the floor. His choice of footwear however wasn’t helping him drag the older man. He silently cursed the heels he was wearing, and applauded the women of the room in his head.
He spun around, still leading his friend forward, sporting a different kind of smile. He was having quite a good time. They managed to stumble onto the dancefloor as the music began. Rovell pulled his friend close, positioning Haeyin’s hand around his waist.
"Alright then, friend. Let’s see how much better you are."
A brief moment of protest followed soon after Rovell had grabbed his wrist, but it quickly dissolved into reluctant compliance. He had, after all, opened his big mouth an said he could still dance better than him. Now it was time to put his claim to the test, and Haeyin allowed his friend to lead him through the crowd. That was a feat in and of itself; with his head still light from alcohol and Rovell in heels, the pair of them literally stumbled onto the dance floor.
The blonde turned to him, flashing another smile as he continued to pull him along, and Haeyin felt the heights of his cheeks just under the edges of his mask become a touch warmer. Stop that. The music started up just as they found a starting point and Rovell pulled him in, causing Haeyin’s breath to hitch in muted alarm as his hand placed his own on his waist. Chest to chest, hand in hand, they were suddenly very close - too close - and the poor Salesman bit the inside of his lip as he stared anxiously into his friend’s eyes, only to have the feeling snuffed out at the teasing nature of Rovell’s voice.
Haeyin found himself grinning again and counted the beats in the music, “Ready, then?”
Despite the difficulty of dancing in heels and Haeyin's slightly inebriated steps, the dance was fun. More fun than anything Rovell had done recently in fact. He couldn't help but smile brightly as they danced. Underneath the lights, in the swirling crowd it felt nice. All things considered, the situation was fairly romantic. Romantic.
Rovell felt a gentle heat rising in his cheeks as they danced. He couldn't remember a time he'd felt like this before. There were plenty of people he'd been with, even those he'd become very close to. But Haeyin was...different.
Before he could think about it any further, Haeyin's grip around him tightened. Rovell looked up, surprised, only to snap his head around at the sound of a gunshot. Before he could quite figure out what was going on, Haeyin was dragging him out of the crowd of dancers.
As he heard the gunshot, instinct took over. His first problem was the shoes. When they reached what used to be the edge of a circle, he immediately crouched down to remove his heels, tossing them to the side. He and Haeyin both knew shielding magic, but that wouldn't help much against a bullet they couldn't see. And it would take far too much energy to sustain the shields as they ran.
Rovell shook his head quickly and rose again, a grim glow in his golden eyes. He began to run, grabbing Haeyin's wrist, if only to keep his own hands from shaking. This time however, Haeyin stood still, causing Rovell to jerk backwards slightly. "Haeyin?" He looked over to his friend quickly, only to find Haeyin's gaze locked on the middle of the room. In the center of the room, a black figure challenged the king, the princess as his hostage.
Haeyin was doing it again. Thinking. A lot. Another huff. Rovell almost laughed aloud, covering his mouth with a hand, but his shoulder still shook from the silent laughter. The prank had been a complete success. But it seemed a waste to come all the way a masquerade and not dance. He also hadn’t thought to bring a change of clothes, so he was quite actually stuck in the dress.
"What? Why not? It’s a great idea! You can’t not dance, especially at an event like this.” Rovell set his hands on his hips expectantly. “Why would you even attend if you’re not here to party?”
At Haeyin’s gesture, he looked confusedly at his own feet. “Oh yeah…” He laughed sofftly, “Don’t worry about these, it’ll be fine! I’ll bet I can still dance better than you can anyways.”
Haeyin’s lips pursed in discontent as Rovell covered his mouth, holding in the laughter that caused his shoulders to bob. He was enjoying this far too much… Suddenly his expression changed and he stood there with his hands on his hips, chiding him for not wanting to dance, and the Salesman couldn’t help the small grin that pulled at the edges of his mouth.
"I’ll have you know that I’ve already partook in several dances this evening," he said as his arms crossed casually over his chest. "While I was waiting for you. It’s not my fault you chose to show up so late after I’ve already consumed a fair amount of alcohol."
His next comment granted Rovell a short laugh and the subtle lift of an eyebrow, “Oh, you think so hm? Are you willing to place a bet on that, dear friend?”
What? No. What was he doing? He just said that he wasn’t going to dance. Stop speaking you fool, you’ll only embarrass yourself further.
“As I recall, I was better at dancing than you were even at my worst~”
Rovell set his hands to his hips, a hint of challenge in his smile. It had been a while since he'd competed with Haeyin in anything. Dancing would have to do for now. "If you're so skilled, then let's put it to the test." He challenged his friend.
And now, to the arena. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed his friend's wrist and began dragging Haeyin onto the floor. His choice of footwear however wasn't helping him drag the older man. He silently cursed the heels he was wearing, and applauded the women of the room in his head.
He spun around, still leading his friend forward, sporting a different kind of smile. He was having quite a good time. They managed to stumble onto the dancefloor as the music began. Rovell pulled his friend close, positioning Haeyin's hand around his waist.
"Alright then, friend. Let's see how much better you are."
Rovell rocked back and forth innocently, regarding his friend with wide eyes. Haeyin was displaying all the signs of embarrassment Rovell had learned over their time together: A hand dragging through his hair, the slight drop of his mouth, the biting of his lip, all accompanied by a more than slightly red face. Perfect.
"Hmm…only fine?" He brought his fan to his lips, tapping them gently as he thought out loud. He looked down at his own chest, prodding one side gently with his finger. "It must be the chest after all…" He muttered to himself.
As he thought about possible better ways he could have gone about his prank, the current dance ended with a low, somber note. The sound of it brought Rovell back into the moment as he realized what he’d actually come for.
He looked at Haeyin expectantly, smiling brightly, “Say, Haeyin, let’s dance!”
Rovell looked disappointed, hurt almost, by his response, and Haeyin felt his mouth tip even more, his hand dropping to his side again. In truth, for the effect his friend seemed to have wanted to pull off, he looked striking. So much so that the Salesman had to force himself not to stare even now. With that in mind, Haeyin exhaled in a huff, averting his gaze at his next comment.
"It’s got nothing to do with your chest, Rovell," he muttered. It wasn’t as if he’d never seen a man in a dress before. Azrael had disguised himself as a woman several times and he’d never been bothered by it. So why was he so embarrassed now? Why was Rovell different?
Why was his heart still sputtering at the very thought of him?
"Huh?" Haeyin blinked, his focus settling on his friend again as he shoved the thought away. Dance? That’s right, he had asked him to dance once already, hadn’t he… Red eyes flickered out to the dance floor and then back to the younger man.
"Ah, I…I’m not so sure if that’s a good idea.. Besides—" He gestured to Rovell’s feet, squinting at him now. "Can you even dance in those?"
Haeyin was doing it again. Thinking. A lot. Another huff. Rovell almost laughed aloud, covering his mouth with a hand, but his shoulder still shook from the silent laughter. The prank had been a complete success. But it seemed a waste to come all the way a masquerade and not dance. He also hadn't thought to bring a change of clothes, so he was quite actually stuck in the dress.
"What? Why not? It's a great idea! You can't not dance, especially at an event like this." Rovell set his hands on his hips expectantly. "Why would you even attend if you're not here to party?"
At Haeyin's gesture, he looked confusedly at his own feet. "Oh yeah..." He laughed sofftly, "Don't worry about these, it'll be fine! I'll bet I can still dance better than you can anyways."
Rovell stood waiting as his friend digested his revelation, the same stupidly innocent smile on his face. He could see the gears turning behind Haeyin’s expression, half mortified, half confused. A well of delight rose up within Rovell’s chest. This night had been his most successful bothering of Haeyin by far.
Rovell laughed quietly, savoring every passing second. He watched as Haeyin’s eyes traveled almost frantically over him. Then he heard a sound of obvious distress escape his friend. Rovell hadn’t heard that distinct sound since they were both at the church. Good times…
"Sorry for the wait. You have no idea how hard it is to hurry in these things." He pointed at his shoes, completely ignoring Haeyin’s second question. "Even after practicing, it’s still quite the feat!"
Rovell finally cocked his head to the side, “Why aren’t you in a dress? I thought we had this planned! Or was that just in my head…” He put a finger to his lower lip in mock thought.
"Anyway, I haven’t heard what you think about this anyway. How does it look?" Rovell asked, spinning around once
Haeyin glanced at Rovell’s feet as he pointed out the fact that he was also wearing heels and felt his mouth tilt, huffing shortly through his nose as he realized that his dear friend had been planning this for a while. Why else would he have to practice wearing them?
"Yes, I’m sure.." he muttered, the heat in his cheeks dimming slightly as his embarrassment was slowly replaced with the irritation building in his chest. When Rovell’s next question reached him, however, that flush returned with ferocity and Haeyin stumbled for words as he stared at him.
"Wh… Me? Wh- What? Rovell, we didn’t… We didn’t plan for that!” the Salesman wheezed, exasperation dripping from his words. “I agreed to meet you here, yes, but not in a dre—”
The blonde cut him off, asking another question. An opinion. Haeyin gawked at him, a hand reaching up and dragging though ginger locks as Rovell gave a little turn to show off the complete ensemble. Teeth sunk into the inside of his lip and the Salesman scratched the back of his head, averting his gaze as he felt his friend’s land on him expectantly.
"I- I don’t know, it’s…" What was he thinking? Was all of this really just to get a reaction out of him? There were far better ways of going about that, but.. He trailed off, sighing and glancing to his friend again. Blue always did suit Rovell best…
Rovell rocked back and forth innocently, regarding his friend with wide eyes. Haeyin was displaying all the signs of embarrassment Rovell had learned over their time together: A hand dragging through his hair, the slight drop of his mouth, the biting of his lip, all accompanied by a more than slightly red face. Perfect.
"Hmm...only fine?" He brought his fan to his lips, tapping them gently as he thought out loud. He looked down at his own chest, prodding one side gently with his finger. "It must be the chest after all..." He muttered to himself.
As he thought about possible better ways he could have gone about his prank, the current dance ended with a low, somber note. The sound of it brought Rovell back into the moment as he realized what he'd actually come for.
He looked at Haeyin expectantly, smiling brightly, "Say, Haeyin, let's dance!"
The sight of his friend, dreadfully awkward and completely at a loss for words, was almost too much for him to handle. Almost. This was what the entire plan had been for, this very image. Rovell suddenly felt a great and deep sense of satisfaction. My life is complete. He could see Haeyin’s face reddening, either from alcohol or embarrassment. Or both.
A pause settled between the two of them. Rovell frowned. His eyes flicked to his hand, frozen in his hair. Haeyin’s speech changed, slowed. He could feel the grip on his hand tightening. His friend leaned forward, searching his face.
Shitshitshit…
"…Rovell?"
He almost cringed at the sound of his own name. He didn’t know whether to run or to try to play it off. He smiled childishly and laughed . “Ehehe…Hello, Haeyin.” He gently scratched the back of his head. “It was my chest that gave it away, right?”
He gently kicked at the floor with his heels. “Hope you haven’t been waiting long?”
The Salesman continued to stare at his disguised friend in terribly alarmed embarrassment, trying to grasp the reality of this situation he had found himself in. Rovell - not a pretty young woman, but Rovell, his childhood best friend - had approached him while wearing a make up and a dress and then proceeded to heavily flirt with him. And now he was giggling at him.
Haeyin hadn’t even noticed it was him. How could he not have noticed? Was he truly that drunk? No, no, it wasn’t that… Haeyin released Rovell’s hand and rubbed his own across his mouth, finding that his eyes wouldn’t stop moving over the younger man. By all that was divine, why did he look so fantastic in that dress—
A low, distressed whine vibrated in his throat and the Salesman closed his eyes. He didn’t even want to look at him, positive that his friend was getting a great deal of amusement out of his reaction. His cheeks felt on fire and he barely trusted himself to speak, mortified by the things he had said just moments ago. Damn it, Rovell.
"Mnn, no, just.. all night," he finally choked out, lowering his hand. A short huff fell past his lips and he dared to steal a glance at his friend again.
Rovell stood waiting as his friend digested his revelation, the same stupidly innocent smile on his face. He could see the gears turning behind Haeyin's expression, half mortified, half confused. A well of delight rose up within Rovell's chest. This night had been his most successful bothering of Haeyin by far.
Rovell laughed quietly, savoring every passing second. He watched as Haeyin's eyes traveled almost frantically over him. Then he heard a sound of obvious distress escape his friend. Rovell hadn't heard that distinct sound since they were both at the church. Good times...
"Sorry for the wait. You have no idea how hard it is to hurry in these things." He pointed at his shoes, completely ignoring Haeyin's second question. "Even after practicing, it's still quite the feat!"
Rovell finally cocked his head to the side, "Why aren't you in a dress? I thought we had this planned! Or was that just in my head..." He put a finger to his lower lip in mock thought.
"Anyway, I haven't heard what you think about this anyway. How does it look?" Rovell asked, spinning around once
"Oh, I’m not here to look for dancers." He giggled. "There’s far better entertainment to be found at a party such as this…" Rovell trailed off, his eyes flicking down before returning his gaze to Haeyin’s face. "I’m quite sure your friend could wait just a couple of minutes. I must say I’m rather curious as to how skilled these hands really are.” With a bedroom smile, he took Haeyin’s hands in his own. His fingers idly traced those of his friends. They were rougher than he expected, shaped by years of making masks.
"By the way, I never caught your name, mister…?" His smile was almost reflexive. This is working much better than I thought… Rovell could actually feel his friend’s gaze, and it brought a light heat to his cheeks. He was quite tempted to reveal his identity on the spot, but at the same time, he was having far too much fun. Keeping one of Haeyin’s hands in his own, he reached habitually for his hair and gave it a small twirl.
By the Three Haeyin was glad he was wearing a mask in that moment. His breath hitched involuntarily under the young woman’s sultry stare as she reached for his hands, heat quickly rising to his cheeks. He was all too aware of how delicately she was tracing over his palms and his alcohol muddled thoughts struggled to come up with some form of a witty reply.
"Well, ah, I.." Come on, Salesman. Syllables, words, sentences. "I’m sure it would take longer than just a few minutes."
The flush reached his ears.
There was something about her that was familiar and for the life of him he couldn’t.. He couldn’t place it. Gods, it was the way that laugh rolled off her tongue. It was the color of her hair and the way it fell in gentle waves and framed her face around the edges of her mask. It was the playful glint in the golden eyes that peered up at him in such a suggestive manor.
…it was terribly distracting. She was terribly distracting. What was it?
Her voice brought him back - a question? I never caught your name, mister…
"My name.. Right, of course, how rude of—" His attention was snagged by a wide smile and the absentminded twirl of a lock of hair around her finger. "…me."
Wait…
A lengthy pause settled between them and it was only made louder by the end of the song that had been playing. Haeyin stared, eyes slowly growing wider with each passing second until he swallowed hard, feeling his cheeks burn anew. His grip on the hand that held his tightened. He leaned in, searching the masked face as a name came to the forefront of his mind and Goddess above it was—
The sight of his friend, dreadfully awkward and completely at a loss for words, was almost too much for him to handle. Almost. This was what the entire plan had been for, this very image. Rovell suddenly felt a great and deep sense of satisfaction. My life is complete. He could see Haeyin's face reddening, either from alcohol or embarrassment. Or both.
A pause settled between the two of them. Rovell frowned. His eyes flicked to his hand, frozen in his hair. Haeyin's speech changed, slowed. He could feel the grip on his hand tightening. His friend leaned forward, searching his face.
Shitshitshit...
"...Rovell?"
He almost cringed at the sound of his own name. He didn't know whether to run or to try to play it off. He smiled childishly and laughed . "Ehehe...Hello, Haeyin." He gently scratched the back of his head. "It was my chest that gave it away, right?"
He gently kicked at the floor with his heels. "Hope you haven't been waiting long?"
Rovell couldn’t help but smile widely. Perfect. If he hadn’t been holding a fan, the charade probably would have failed, despite the amount of alcohol in Haeyin’s system. But he was. And Haeyin was quite intoxicated. Let the fun continue.
Rovell frowned slightly, his lips forming a slight pout as he answered ”Oh? That’s quite the shame.” He took a step closer, resting a hand on Haeyin’s shoulder. “You seem quite…refined…” He leaned in, breathily speaking, his breath just reaching Haeyin’s ear. As he did so, his finger traced down his friend’s chest. Despite his confidence, he could feel his own cheeks growing slightly warmer. If anything, it made for a more convincing act.
Just as quickly as he had approached, Rovell took a step back, “Well then, stranger, shall we skip the dancing then?” He winked at Haeyin, the corners of his lips forming a coquettish grin. Or at least one passable for his intoxicated friend. “If you can’t dance, your talents must lie…elsewhere…”
The young woman’s smile was quickly replaced with a small frown, seemingly disappointed by his words. He thought she would walk away then, but instead she did the opposite, reaching up to touch his shoulder as the distance between them was shortened. Haeyin drew in a breath, thankful that his mask hid the color seeping into his cheeks when she whispered so gently against his ear, a single finger trailing down his chest.
"A-ah, do I?" The words left him in a nervous laugh as the masked woman in blue stepped away again. He stared at her incredulously at her…suggestion.. and cleared his throat, his mouth opening and closing a couple of times as he grasped for words. My, she was rather forward, wasn’t she? It was the sort of attention that the Salesman wasn’t used to being at the receiving end of to say the very least.
Still, he wasn’t exactly…opposed to it. It was flattering, in a way, and Haeyin found his gaze lingering on her perhaps more than would be considered appropriate before finally speaking up again.
"Yes, I have been told I’m far more skilled with my hands than I am on my feet," he said, a grin tugging at his mouth despite the apologetic gleam in his eyes. "Ah, but I am waiting for a dear friend, you see… Certainly you would come across far better dancers than I if you were to look around."
"Oh, I'm not here to look for dancers." He giggled. "There's far better entertainment to be found at a party such as this..." Rovell trailed off, his eyes flicking down before returning his gaze to Haeyin's face. "I'm quite sure your friend could wait just a couple of minutes. I must say I'm rather curious as to how skilled these hands really are." With a bedroom smile, he took Haeyin's hands in his own. His fingers idly traced those of his friends. They were rougher than he expected, shaped by years of making masks.
"By the way, I never caught your name, mister...?" His smile was almost reflexive. This is working much better than I thought... Rovell could actually feel his friend's gaze, and it brought a light heat to his cheeks. He was quite tempted to reveal his identity on the spot, but at the same time, he was having far too much fun. Keeping one of Haeyin's hands in his own, he reached habitually for his hair and gave it a small twirl.
"My apologies." Rovell smiled warmly, "Perhaps the next dance."
He turned down another gentleman looking to dance. The dress he was wearing began to seem like more of a pain than it was worth. If he could find Haeyin before another handful of dancers approached, it would be fine. But the red-headed salesman remained elusive. He briefly considered accepting an offer to dance before shaking his head.
"I need a drink…" He muttered.
He managed to flag down a passing server carrying what looked like wine. Rovell grabbed the glass quickkly and unceremoniously downed it in a couple of gulps. He looked back to the wide-eyed steward, smiling as he pretended to be quite embarrassed.
"Ah…e-excuse me…" He brought a fan to his mouth and quietly shuffled away to find another drink. As he walked, he spotted his friend, standing apart from the sea of dancers, alone. The sight elicited a bright smile from Rovell. It was so like his friend to sit on the sidelines and just watch.
Quickly making his way over, he gently tapped his friend on the shoulder. He quietly cleared his throat, “Pardon me, sir. Might I have this next dance?”
Haeyin hadn’t noticed he’d been staring out into the throng of dancers with a muted scowl until a tap at his shoulder caused him to blink and glance downward, meeting a smiling masked face with a look of bewilderment. It took him a moment or two to recover, probably due to the amount of alcohol coursing through his system. He hardly registered what had been said to him. The woman who had addressed him was rather fetching he had to admit, despite the fact that she was masked, and he offered a half-hearted smile in return.
Ah, but she had asked for a dance.. Right. Right, this was a party. Dancing was something you were supposed to do. Admittedly, he didn’t much feel like it, rather content with his place there on the sidelines. Besides, in his current state, any hopes he had of being graceful on the dance floor were all but stamped out completely. But when was he ever graceful to begin with?
"You’ll have to forgive me, Miss," he said lightly, turning a bit to face her more and dropping his crossed arms to his sides. "Heh, I’m afraid that I’m a terrible dancer."
Rovell couldn't help but smile widely. Perfect. If he hadn't been holding a fan, the charade probably would have failed, despite the amount of alcohol in Haeyin's system. But he was. And Haeyin was quite intoxicated. Let the fun continue.
Rovell frowned slightly, his lips forming a slight pout as he answered "Oh? That's quite the shame." He took a step closer, resting a hand on Haeyin's shoulder. "You seem quite...refined..." He leaned in, breathily speaking, his breath just reaching Haeyin's ear. As he did so, his finger traced down his friend's chest. Despite his confidence, he could feel his own cheeks growing slightly warmer. If anything, it made for a more convincing act.
Just as quickly as he had approached, Rovell took a step back, "Well then, stranger, shall we skip the dancing then?" He winked at Haeyin, the corners of his lips forming a coquettish grin. Or at least one passable for his intoxicated friend. "If you can't dance, your talents must lie...elsewhere..."
"My apologies." Rovell smiled warmly, "Perhaps the next dance."
He turned down another gentleman looking to dance. The dress he was wearing began to seem like more of a pain than it was worth. If he could find Haeyin before another handful of dancers approached, it would be fine. But the red-headed salesman remained elusive. He briefly considered accepting an offer to dance before shaking his head.
"I need a drink..." He muttered.
He managed to flag down a passing server carrying what looked like wine. Rovell grabbed the glass quickkly and unceremoniously downed it in a couple of gulps. He looked back to the wide-eyed steward, smiling as he pretended to be quite embarrassed.
"Ah...e-excuse me..." He brought a fan to his mouth and quietly shuffled away to find another drink. As he walked, he spotted his friend, standing apart from the sea of dancers, alone. The sight elicited a bright smile from Rovell. It was so like his friend to sit on the sidelines and just watch.
Quickly making his way over, he gently tapped his friend on the shoulder. He quietly cleared his throat, "Pardon me, sir. Might I have this next dance?"
Rovell scanned the ballroom for his friend. Haeyin's red hair should have been easy enough to spot, but there were enough decorations to keep him hidden. Rovell cursed quietly as he tapped another shoulder only to be disappointed by a stranger with a red-feathered mask. Deciding that a quick break would do him better than further frustration, he left the throng of dancers. From the ring of wallflowers, he could better see the other masquerade attendees.
As he stood on the edge of the dance floor, he realized the only mistake in his plan this night. Rovell had only caught a glimpse of himself as he walked out the door of his apartment, but his finished appearance seemed to be just what he was going for. A little too successful in this case however. He hadn't counted on that.
"Pardon, miss, but might I have the honor of this next dance?"
Rovell could feel his cheeks reddening as the gentleman mistook his gender. The ex-priest then remembered he'd that decided to attend the masquerade in a dress. With a shy grin, he averted his masked gaze to the floor
"Ah...apologies, I need to be looking for my...partner..." He replied, his voice higher and lighter. He'd spent weeks practicing with his voice, all for one elaborate prank on Haeyin. Judging by the attention he was receiving, his practice had not gone to waste.
With a small curtsy, Rovell turned to continue his search for Haeyin.
-Rovell is now at the masquerade and is available for interaction-
Rovell smiled brightly, relieved that his friend still knew how to laugh. Haeyin’s feeble attempt at a stern look was only more amusing to him. “And you’re supposed to be the mature, reasonable one.”
After sharing his soup with Haeyin, Rovell stared at his spoon and debated putting it straight into his mouth. With a light sigh, he dipped it back into his soup before bringing it back to his mouth. Maybe next time. Haeyin’s question still lingered in the air as he savored the flavor of whatever he’d pointed to on the menu. It tasted like onions, cheese, and his best friend. He quickly banished the thought before his cheeks heated up. What had he been doing all this time?
He pointed his spoon playfully at Haeyin, “Well I had a blast tracking you down. Honestly, I’m surprised I didn’t find a skeleton in that room…” He met Haeyin’s frown with another grin. He lowered the spoon and took another bite. Idly tearing at his bread bowl, he began thinking. “Nothing too exciting this time. Blackmailed a noble, protected the local tavern girl, aided a kidnapping…” He began listing his activities on his fingers. Discovered a love for crossdressing… “I think that’s it.” He scratched his head. Another bite of soup. “Nothing too out of the ordinary.”
"You’re a bad influence on me, I suppose," he replied with an easy grin. It was nice, this… whatever it was. Between the food in his stomach and the way Rovell could so effortlessly crack his broody demeanor, it had been weeks since Haeyin felt so normal. As normal as he could, anyway.
With a light chuckle and a gentle shake of his head, Haeyin reached for his drink and brought it to his lips, watching the younger man over the rim of his glass. He blinked once, noting the subtle shift in the color of his cheeks as he took another bite of soup, waiting for him to answer his question. The Salesman found he rather liked the shade that dusted the heights of his cheekbones but dropped his gaze when a low, irritated grumble echoed in his thoughts. Sighing through his nose, he placed his drink back on the table and focused on his soup again.
"Oh, shove it." Haeyin rolled his eyes and bit back the grin that threatened to break his attempt at looking annoyed with his friend over yet another jab at his appearance. He tore another bit of his bread bowl off and popped it into his mouth, nodding idly as Rovell listed off his activities of the last few weeks. Blackmail - Haeyin’s mouth tipped into a muted grimace at that - casual heroics, kidna—
"K—" Haeyin’s eyes widened drastically and he dropped his spoon, letting it clatter on the tabletop as he leaned forward suddenly, searching the blonde’s face with a look that was both horrified and…terribly concerned. His voice dropped to a harsh whisper, "Kidnapping? Rovell, what—? How is that nothing out of the ordinary?”
As Rovell spoke, he found himself busy focusing on Haeyin's face. He idly continued to bring soup to his lips as he watched. The older man's mouth twitched at the corners as he fought a grin, an expression he'd worn so often when they were back at the church. Just watching him brought back a flood of memories. Haeyin's spoon hit the table. The sound brought Rovell's attention back into focus. Haeyin dropped his voice to a whisper, quick and harsh. He almost sounded frantic.
Rovell took another bite of soup before he leaned backwards, his expression unconcerned. “Calm down, Haeyin.” He began, his voice unchanged. “I assist in kidnappings all the time. That makes it ordinary.” He shook his head gently. “Honestly, I thought that was obvious.” Rovell looked at his friend's horrified face and his grin faltered at the corners. “What? I was doing someone a favor. He deserved to be kidnapped for a couple of days anyways. Builds good character.”
It took all the muscles in his face not to frown. Haeyin had disappeared in the past, but this time was bad. Rovell looked at his friend, resisting the urge to reach out and gently try to smooth the wrinkles on the man’s brow. He instead opted for a witty reply, “Just dehydrated? The Voice’s wrinkly ass you’re just dehydrated…”
As Haeyin began to question him instead, Rovell found his mind wandering. He smiled brightly at the waitress as she returned with their soups and found himself watching appreciatively as she left. She’s cute, but… He looked back to Haeyin and sighed lightly. “Hmm, mine?” He picked up his spoon and quickly tried a bite. The soup was hot and hearty. And delicious. The younger man sighed contentedly. “It’s incredible, ha!” He smiled back, “Try some, then I’ll let you know what I’ve been up to.” Saying so, he filled his spoon with soup and lifted it to Haeyin’s face.
Haeyin sputtered and dropped his spoon, covering his mouth as he held in the laugh that threatened to burst from his lungs at his friend’s exclamation. His shoulders shook and he grinned behind his hand as he snickered, though he tried very hard to look disapprovingly at the younger man in spite of it. Rovell always did have a rather colorful way of putting things.
Once he’d regained his composure somewhat, the Salesman sighed shook his head, the grin still plastered on his lips as he reached for his spoon to enjoy more of his meal.
"Well I’m glad to hear it," he said, pointing the spoon at him. "Now tell me what— huh?"
He blinked, glancing between Rovell and the spoon now in front of his face a few times, feeling heat rise in his cheeks again. His gaze settled uncertainly on his friend’s face finally, pursing his lips in a muted scowl before leaning forward and taking the offered spoonful of the other’s soup. It was different from his, but not bad, and had just the right amount of kick from whatever spices were in it.
"You’re right, that is pretty good," he said with a smile as he sat back again. Haeyin tipped his head and curiously ripped a small part of his bread bowl off before dipping it in his own soup and eating it. "Whoever came up with this idea is a genius, haha..~"
After a brief pause to shovel another spoonful into his mouth, Haeyin looked pointedly across the table, “Alright, now talk. What have you been doing, old friend?”
Rovell smiled brightly, relieved that his friend still knew how to laugh. Haeyin's feeble attempt at a stern look was only more amusing to him. “And you're supposed to be the mature, reasonable one.”
After sharing his soup with Haeyin, Rovell stared at his spoon and debated putting it straight into his mouth. With a light sigh, he dipped it back into his soup before bringing it back to his mouth. Maybe next time. Haeyin's question still lingered in the air as he savored the flavor of whatever he'd pointed to on the menu. It tasted like onions, cheese, and his best friend. He quickly banished the thought before his cheeks heated up. What had he been doing all this time?
He pointed his spoon playfully at Haeyin, “Well I had a blast tracking you down. Honestly, I'm surprised I didn't find a skeleton in that room...” He met Haeyin's frown with another grin. He lowered the spoon and took another bite. Idly tearing at his bread bowl, he began thinking. “Nothing too exciting this time. Blackmailed a noble, protected the local tavern girl, aided a kidnapping...” He began listing his activities on his fingers. Discovered a love for crossdressing... “I think that's it.” He scratched his head. Another bite of soup. “Nothing too out of the ordinary.”
