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When news spreads that Yanessa Halovar would be holding a masquerade ball following the return of grandson Wicander, the group of them figured out that something was going on. Everyone was already on edge already, dealing with the aftermath of the play and the Manor, but tying in another ball just days after only makes everyone's hair rise. So far, they’d just been gathering information,searching for clues. If you ask Sir Julien Davinos, he’s had enough of snooping around. He’d much rather get away from Bolaire and Murray’s cursing and “wizard-talk”, having been subjected to it in little groups they’d formed. He could only handle one wizard at a time.
Unluckily for him, it seems that this game that he’s now playing is only going to continue. When they figured out that the ball is just a mere distraction from how the Tachonis with a hesitant Cormoray are going to try and conquer Timmony, they decided it’d be best to split the party again. As much as Julien wanted to be a part of the fight in Timmony, they needed to stick him with the “Ball Snoopers”, he didn’t pick the name, since he was one of few people who knew how to actually dance in a ballroom. So, much to his dismay, he is forced to distract and gather information at the masquerade.
His new team consists of himself, Wicander, Tyranny, Bolaire, Thimble and Occtis. All of them have some sort of experience at noble parties, being all, at some point in their lives, attending them either for the right reasons or the wrong reasons, specifically referring to Thimble for the latter. To avoid less eyes on them, they decided that he and Bolaire stay on the floor with Wicander and Tyranny while Occtis and Thimble stay on the roof and scope from above. The Halovar cathedral has plenty of windows on their ceiling, so it wouldn’t be hard for them to have some eyes in the sky. Not to mention that Thimble and Occtis will be sore thumbs if they are on the main floor. One will be a bright green ball of light while the other would have people recoil back from him in fear.
Though he agrees that him being on the floor would be the best option, having no Azune and the Revolutionary Council to provide them hardy defence due to their “failure” at the Archanade, he will still need to disguise himself. With Bolaire not wanting to keep concentration on Julien just in case something bad happens, he is forced to dig through Hal’s theatre for a proper attire. It’s actually Hal and Thaisha’s daughter Shadia that helps him find something appropriate, much to his dismay. They find something good enough, cheap material but could easily be fooled for something cruelly expensive. Navy was never really his colour but Shadia said he looked good.
His hair was a different story entirely
“How the hell do you tame this thing?!” Shadia had exclaimed as she tried to put a platinum blonde wig onto his head for the sixth time that afternoon.
“I already told you, you can’t!”
Even if he wanted to put on the admittedly crusty looking wig, there was no way he could’ve even put it onto his head. His long curls, though nice to the eye, are terribly hard to maintain and control. His mother constantly had to fret over his curls, complaining about why he couldn’t have gotten his father’s wavy locks like his sister. He had spent countless moments in his childhood wincing while sitting on the floor as his mother pulled out tangled twigs in his hair, cursing at his lack of uptidiness. As he grew older, he learned how to deal with the beast that was his luscious mane, using specially fabricated oils and products to keep it manageable. Since everything that has happened, he hasn’t gotten a chance to wash nor brush his hair. Though it still looks alright, he can only imagine how painful it would be as soon as a comb makes contact with his curls.
As they both realized that a wig is not going to cover it, Julien allowed Shadia and Hero, who had come not too long after they were discussing ideas, to dye his hair. He would never allow permanent dye of course, but he did allow some washable stuff that they use sometimes during plays. After much time and effort by the two girls, they had managed to make Sir Julien Davinos no longer a Davinos. They had dyed his hair from an almost black colour to a reddish brown, twisting it into a long braid decorated with golden trinkets that is draped over his shoulder. His navy blazer of his suit rests on his shoulders like a cape, fastened together with a golden chain.
Julien had to admit, the girls had done a pretty good job. They put together something tasteful while also taking notes on everything Julien wouldn’t usually wear. Though it took him much longer to get ready than everyone else, he takes some pride that he looks completely disguised while also looking pretty damn good. At least he believed he was the longest, he has no idea how long Tyranny and Wic took since they are still cooped up in the Villa Aurora. He had to physically hold back a smirk when Occtis had made an awkward squeak when he walked down the stairs to meet with the rest of the group.
As you should, boy, he thought to himself.
Now, Julien is standing off to the side of the ballroom nursing a drink, scanning the ballroom for anything out of the ordinary. He already made his rounds around the ballroom, including one dance with Wicander to discuss what they had found. So far, Julien has found nothing. He blames his mask for that, blocking some of his surroundings. At least he convinces himself that it’s the mask. Wic on the other hand gives some information that he had learned before the ball. Turns out, The Tachonis are trying to make another Celestial monster using King Agustus. Even though it's been established that Halovar is working with the family of the undead, Yanessa is actually planning to stop the ritual using some “magical trickery”. Even when they work together, they still want more power than the other. At least House Royce wasn’t this bad. Other than that, nothing has come up. Just a regular, normal-
“Hello, good sir.”
Julien jumps just ever so slightly at the voice to his left, spinning around to see none other than Yanessa Halovar addressing him. The last time he had seen her was when Aranessa had come down to the Villa Aurora to talk about branching out their religion to the Golden Orchard, helping out with classes or charity work to “spread the light”. When Aranessa had left, she had gotten a glance at the Photarch. When his Lady’s back was turned, she had shown her true colours. Her lips lifted up into a grimace, eyes holding a look that reminded of a Julien of a predator looking at their prey. She was no radiant being, she was a hag. At least she had put the facade back on while talking to Julien directly now, even in disguise.
“I am terribly sorry. Did I scare you?”
Thankfully, he was always good at bullshitting, “Just lost in thought, your Radiance. Simply just startled me, is all. I’m afraid light footwork seems to always get past these ears.”
Yanessa lets out a small and sophisticated laugh, “Didn’t know I was still light on my feet. Guess I might still be in my prime!”
Julien forces out a laugh of his own, “To what do I owe the pleasure, Mrs. Halovar?”
“I was just watching the dances, all of the twirling and swaying is very relaxing on the nerves, and I couldn't help but notice that you were partnered with my grandson.”
“Ah, yes I do believe I was! Wicander, correct?”
“Yes, my little Wiccy! He was always such a shy boy, never really one for dancing. But I was surprised how…talkative he was.”
Julien wasn’t too surprised that the Photarch was keeping an eye on Wicander, after his whole disappearance and all. Keep extra eyes on him to make sure he doesn’t “dim” again. Even so, Wicander has managed to charm his way back into the good graces of the entirety of the Candescent Creed. Julien had seen the wit that Wicander Halovar hides within that pure persona he usually portrays, and he doesn’t doubt that whatever slip up he causes in the future, he can fix it with condescending gentleness.
He learned not to doubt the abilities of magic users. Both in the war and through his recent travel companions.
“Really now? I assume I just bring the best out of people.”
“It seems so,” Yanessa hums, “Say, your accent is very familiar. Someone that Falonius used to drink with back in the day.”
The thing that Julien could not do for the life of him was properly hide his accent. Hal had tried to teach him a few things about voice control when they settled on the teams, just before leaving for Timmony. The only thing he could manage was a few sentences before his accent came back ten times harder than it usually is. Not to mention, should he get annoyed or frustrated, his normal speech would come out without being able to stop it. He learned that early in his teens. They all decided it was just best to let him speak normally, as it would be too obvious that he would be hiding something. Not to mention, his accent is what brings people in, lowers their guard as they speak to someone from abroad.
“Perhaps someone from home decided to seek allyship in the Villa Aurora. I certainly would.”
“Oh you're too kind, good sir! But no, the accent is very specific. Does the name Raimond Davinos ring any bells?”
Julien grips his glass of wine so hard that he's afraid that it may break in his hands. He’s brought back to that night where the Palazzo Davinos fell. The way Primus Tachonis pulled his fathers skeleton out of his body, the horrific sight of the corpse before him. No matter how hard he would try to move past that night of screams and terror, he knew he never could. At least he could have a good distraction in fighting, but now he’s trying to hold back the punch he wishes to land on Yanessa’s jaw.
“Royce and everyone at the Palazzo Davinos actually left for Faerie not too long ago. It is a shame that they couldn’t protect the Orchard, leaving them to fend for themselves. You’d expect a general to fight for his home, but I suppose not.”
I dare you to say a word. Just one more word.
“Have you heard of a lion man-”
“Ah, there you are!” a voice calls out from behind Julien.
The knight turns his head to see a fair looking woman speed-walking up to him. The platinum -blonde haired lady lady wears long white gloves and her burgundy dress flows upwards as she moves, her simple mask blocking her eyes from view. Though her face shows a sense of bright curiosity, she strides towards him with a sense of urgency. Julien has to admit, the lady before him is nice on the eyes, but that does not soothe his unease. Whoever this lady is, he is coming for him and him alone, and that could be dangerous. Then again, he’s already under the gaze of a woman who is five times more powerful than he is. The lady slinks her clothed gloves around Julien’s right arm and sends the Photarch an apologetic smile.
“I’m terribly sorry to cut this conversation short, your Radiance,” she starts, “But I am afraid I was promised a dance from this gentleman here.”
So she’s here to save me. Or at least, save Yanessa.
“The band is beginning to start up again, and I just wouldn’t want to miss it again.”
Yanessa pauses as she gives the lady a nod, “Of course, wouldn’t want to miss the party! Good day, you two.”
Yanessa turns as Julien feels the pull of the lady trying to drag him away. He allows, not wanting to say any parting words to the hag that dared speak ill of his family. Even deep in his rage, he is able to piece together what had just happened. She knows. Hopefully she doesn’t fully know who exactly he is, but she does know that he is somehow connected to General Raimond Davinos. He is screwed.
He feels a squeeze on his right arm, probably to snap out of whatever state he was in before. The lady doesn’t even look at him, just tries to guide him towards the dance floor. He hasn’t even gotten a good look at her face, to offer a proper thanks. Now that he thinks of it, Azure and Murray did mention that, though the revolutionary council won’t be there, they did manage to get their “Magpies” into the masquerade. Not many, just five or ten. This lady, though looking like she is of nobility, may be part of the hired soldiers. What was that saying they used again?
Once Julien remembers, he says, “Any good tidings?”
He feels the lady stiffen in confusion for just a second before she responds, in a nasally and deeper voice that is oh so familiar, “...Always for a friend.”
“Occtis?!”
The disguised Occtis kicks his ankle with his heel, with he now pieces together are much platformy than actual heels, “Would you shush! I’d rather not get caught after just saving your ass.”
Julien rolls his eyes, not appreciating the sass, “I say I had it under control.”
“Right. Even being 10 feet away, I could tell that you were going to clock her.”
“You should’ve heard what she was saying.”
“I did. Gotta say, that was…something.”
It turns quiet as Occtis acknowledges what Yanessa has said. It was always obvious that Halovar had a dislike of anyone associated with the Royces. Julien is sure that Wicander has mentioned that fae creatures are deeply hated amongst followers of the light, believing them to be a kin as demons. But to hear it outright straight from the mouth of the religion makes Julien’s blood boil. No matter what Occtis could say about the talk, an apology or pity, he knows that it wouldn’t. Julien is fiercely loyal to the Royces and his family, he does not allow slander to be said. Here however, he has to. When they almost make their way to the dancefloor, Julien has to stop Occtis from moving further.
“Wait, we’re actually dancing?” Julien asks.
“Uh, yeah? Wouldn’t want the Photarch more suspicious if we just high-tailed out of here,” Occtis responds, “Plus, me and Thimble saw a shady guy whispering stuff to certain people earlier, even Falonius. Best we check it out.”
Occtis guides them to a spot as people start to get ready for the music to start, slightly parting from Julien’s side to stand in front of the knight. Getting a better look at the disguise, Julien realizes that there are still parts of the dead boy that still show through his display. The way that his brows are seemingly always scrunched in a thoughtful manner, his natural nervous posture. All traits that show even with a disguise. Occtis stands there as he tries to decide where to put his hands.
“I-er. How do-How do you want to do-”
Julien sighs in impatience, reaching out his arm to place on Occtis’s lower back, “This is fine.”
Occtis takes Julien’s extended hand and takes it in his, and the knight is reminded that he is indeed going to dance with a corpse. Even with his gloves, Occtis’s hands still carry a freezing touch to them. He felt them when he had fireman-carried the boy out of the crypt in Obrimus Manor, he almost thought that Occtis was using a spell when he felt how cold they were. As they begin to move, he can feel just how nervous the young Tachonis is. His movements are stiff as they sway, his head also looking everywhere but Julien. Julien takes a hand and guides Occtis’s gaze towards him.
“I know we are supposed to be looking for the guy but we are supposed to be selling this too. I promised you a dance, no?”
That seems to ease Occtis’s stance, loosening up as he lets out a snicker, “I suppose so.”
He tries to think about the way that Occtis then leans into the warmth of his palm.
“Good. Then, follow my lead.”
They waltz like they’d been doing it for years, moving slowly across the dancefloor as they try and search for the man, “Teal suit and blue tie” as Occtis described. Julien knows that Occtis must be bullshitting him when he warns that he’s a little rusty, because at no point does the Tachonis misplace a step. It’s almost as if all the nerves that plagued Occtis before dissipated. Even when the knight decides to dip the dead boy, he allows him to move him easily.
Julien lets out a snicker, “Hm, dangerous putting your full trust into someone who is planning to seek out your entire house.”
“Yeah, but it seems you have finally made the connection that my family is after me just as much as they are after you,” Occtis hums, “Plus, I remember how you were acting back in the Manor.”
Julien just rolls his eyes as he lifts Occtis back up, dancing once again. The two talk and even banter as they waltz across the ballroom, and it takes the knight by surprise. Just a couple of days ago, he was planning to use the dead boy as bait to kill the rest of his family. Now, he’s slow-dancing with that same Tachonis at a gala. He knew that if his father’s soul would be looking down on him now, he’d probably be shaking his head. Though he wants to uphold his family, bringing revenge, he can’t help but agree with Occtis’s words. He knows how Primus mistreated his youngest son. If he does have his father judging his every move in death, then he will still not listen to him. I’m good at that anyway.
He feels a tug on his sleeve that makes him snap out of his thoughts. Occtis subtly points with his head towards the two older men dancing together, talking to each other in hushed voices. One of them wears a purple suit adorned with pearls and bits of sheer fabric while the other… has a teal suit with a blue tie. That’s our guy. Julien, understanding what Occtis is saying, guides them towards the pair. Now dancing closer to them, Occtis leans in closer to the knight with urgency.
“Spin me. Spin me now!” he whispers.
Like the soldier he is, Julien follows the dead boy’s orders exactly. He adds a little flare to the twirl as well, bringing the disguised Tachonis in before spinning him away and towards the odd couple. Julien doubts they’re even together, their colours clash too much for them to be considered a pair. At least Occtis chose a colour to match mine. Speaking of the boy, he plays his role perfectly. As he bumps into the shady guy, he puts back on the higher voice he had used before with the Photarch, going for the “naive rich girl” approach with the two.
“I am so so sorry! I didn’t know how far I was spinning-” Occtis apologizes profusely.
“It’s alright, miss! I promise! Just a little misstep!” The purple suited man says, trying to calm down the young lady in front of him.
Because of the force of the collision, something falls from the Teal suited fellow inner coat pockets, which Occtis quickly kicks behind him. Sensing the pass over, Julien bends down to pick up the object, playing it off by fixing up the laces of his dress shoes. Luckily, it doesn’t seem like the odd pair notice anything fishy with the interaction, since they are still reassuring Occtis by the time he joins the little group. Julien puts a hand on the disguised boy’s shoulder, clearing his voice before speaking.
“Dear, they said it was alright. There’s no need to apologize anymore.”
He feels the way Occtis stiffens at the word “dear”, but he speaks smoothly all the same, “I know, but…I wanted to make sure-”
“Lady, I promise, it is perfectly alright,” Purple suit says, “Mistakes happen when you get carried away in the dance! I know that all to well in my life time”
“Thank you, sir.”
The purple suited man laughs, “Again, no need to thank or-Cleetus, is everything alright?”
They quickly leave them alone before the two jump to conclusions. Now far away from the pair, they go back to their dancing, both trying to hide giddy smiles on how easily they fooled the couple. Now, Julien may be a knight, but he does have few moments of giddiness. When he was a child, he would always boast that he took his sparring partner down only to be taken down just seconds later. It’s how he learned to be more tricky in his fighting style, play dirty to ensure your victory. Riding on the adrenaline of fooling the two men, he can’t hold back his laugh.
“Who knew we’d make a good pair, huh?”
“Yeah. Weird to think that you hated me before.”
The smile falls off of Julien’s face, realizing that he can’t even deny it. They’ve both had their fair share of fights with one another, both having different ideas on how to proceed. Julien leads with his heart while Occtis follows logic. God, what am I doing? He shouldn’t be pretending that things between them are all fine and dandy. He may not despise the Tachonis boy, but he’s certainly not friends with him. He can’t…He won't say that he cares. Is there some stupid charm magic casted on the dancefloor or something?!
Seeing that Julien was not going to respond, Occtis sighs, backing away ever so slightly to give the two some space, “So you say that it’s just a stone?”
“Well, it looks more quartz-like but yes, a blue stone.”
“Blue stone…is it glowing? Like, slightly?”
“It was, don’t know if it's still. I would show you, but it’d be a little suspicious.”
“Hm. It seems Cleetus is a messenger.”
“Messangers sole purpose is to inform higher ups on what is going on somewhere else, whether it be just in another room or in a whole other town. They simply just carry around a sending stone with them, low rank people but insanely important to a cause. My family usually uses a…corpse or something, but I know other houses use living people.”
“Do we destroy it?”
Occtis shakes his head, tapping his fingers in thought on Julien’s shoulder, “No. We can use this. We don’t know how this sending stone works. Well, they’re usually simple, but sometimes they put a “safety lock” on them so other people don’t use them. Could it be voice activated? If so then a simple thaumaturgy cantrip will do. Maybe there’s a special password.”
Julien tunes out when he hears the wizard-talk start up.
A simple “no” would’ suffice.
Just as he's about to interrupt Occtis from his outward thoughts, he sees something just over his dance partner’s shoulder. The Photarch is talking to a group of Halovar guards, all of their postures straight as they listen to her words. It doesn’t look to be a “good job on your service” or the typical “may the light find you” bullshit Julien hears priests and that say. No, it's a “check something out for me talk”. As if she sensed the knight’s gaze on her, Yanessa turns around out towards the dancefloor, almost meeting Julien’s eye. He quickly looks away.
Occtis is still rambling, “Maybe we could-”
“Occtis, we have to go.”
“...Is it important enough to interrupt me. Were you even listening?”
“Occtis! The Photarch is suspicious. Wicander said she could kill all of us if she wanted to. Do you want your shadow taken from you?”
Occtis takes a glance over his shoulder and Julien follows hios gaze. Yanessa is already looking at them.
“Shit,” he hears him mutter.
“Sorry for the intrusion,” He hears Bolaire say. Must be a message spell, “Yanessa is glaring daggers towards someone on the dancefloor. Knowing who you are, I suppose she’s looking at you.”
“If you already know the answer, then why did you ask?!”
“Who are you talking to?” Occtis asks.
“Bolaire.”
“That’s me.”
He’s losing his patience with this mask already, and he hasn’t even spoken that much, “Just, get us out of here!”
“Us?”
“Occtis…he helped me out earlier, got me out of some shit. Now, you need to get us out of some shit. Unless you want me to give you away once they capture us?!”
“...I’ll see what I can do.”
Julien wordlessly guides Occtis farther from the Photarch and the guards, who are now also looking across the dancefloor, and towards the nearest exit. They’re still dancing, it’s more so that Julien wants to be close to an out rather than push his way through nobles and servants. Less messy. He can feel how on edge Occtis is now, both of them. The blissful trance that they were both in before now is tense shuffling, trying to get as far away from the guards and the Photarch as possible. Guards are even starting to march their way through the dancefloor, towards them. As Julien tenses up, they hear a yelling guard call out.
“You two! Cut it out!”
Occtis and Julien both exhale a shaky breath realizing that it wasn’t directed towards them. Looking over to where the commotion is, seeing two men pushing each other and looking ready to fight, spitting insults at one another and balling up their fists. When the blond pushes the brown haired man into the confectionary table, sending hors d'oeuvres and drinks flying in the air and onto the floor. As the crash registers in Julien’s brain, he hears another message from Bolaire.
“Best get moving, you two!”
Julien tightens his hold onto Occtis’s satin gloved hands, which feel more like his slim leather gloves that he always wears, and speedwalks them both off the dancefloor and and out of Villa Aurora through a side entrance. Once they are at a good distance away from the mansion, they break out into a sprint, needing to get the fuck out of there and quick. Julien even has to take a double take on how fast Occtis reverts to his regular form, even noticing that the dead boy’s coat is tied around waist to makeshift skirt under the disguise. If someone brushed past Occtis they’d feel the coat assuming it's the dress. Clever.
“I think they went this way, Cruelty!”
“Uh, no dumbass! They went this way! Use your head, Agony!”
“Sisters! I am the leader of this troupe, and you will do as I say! This way!”
“...But that’s the way I said to go.”
“Shut up, Agony!”
“Yeah, shut up, Agony!”
Of course that hag brought the Demon sisters on them. Julien was hoping the only time he’d see them tonight was from afar, a good distance away from the three chaos incarnates. This is the exact thing he didn’t hope for. He even hears Occtis let out a groan when they speak as well, not taking a liking to any of the sisters, even Tyranny. They turn a corner only to realize it leads to a dead end, the end of an alley with nowhere to hide.
“Fuck!” Julien swears.
“I heard something! Sisters, search the area! They must be here somewhere!”
“We can’t even get out of here now!”
Occtis covers Julien’s mouth with his hand, trying to quiet him down, “Ok, an old roommate taught me a trick on how to get out of trouble quickly. Apparently, it works great on teachers and students.”
Julien slides the hand slightly off of his mouth, voice now lowered to a whisper, “Do you think it’ll work on demons?!”
“No idea! But we’re out of options. I just need you to…trust me and to not freak out!”
“You already sound like you're freaking out!”
“That’s why I’m making sure you're not. There’s only one person here who could panic about this right now, and that’s me! Any more and we’re fucked!”
“Whatever! Just do what you need to do!”
“Ok!...Ok.”
Occtis hesitates a little before he lowers his hand and begins to undo Julien’s braid, removing not even bothering to remove the golden trickets in his hair, alwoing them to get tangled in hair. He shoes his hand from side to side to ruffle up his locks, fingers even catching on knots he formed that he has to pry himself free of. Realizing Julien has not made one move to stop whatever plan the dead boy is brewing up, he moves with more urgency. He removes the blazer and tosses it on the ground, messing up white button-up as well. Occtis makes a move to go for Julien’s buttons, but stops himself and begins to make himself look disheveled.
“Don’t you have magic to disguise yourself? Or are you all tuckered out?”
“Just shut up for one second and let me focus!”
The knight is about to make a counter but Occtis decides to invade his personal space. It’s not of malice or the start of another one of their fights, far from it. The steps forward hold a certain shyness to them, much like how Occtis was when they were about to dance. He even hesitates on placing his hands on Julien’s shoulders again, hovering just over them. It’s only when Occtis begins to lean forward with his eyes closed that he pieces together what’s happening.
Oh, he’s doing that trick. He admits that he has used this method many times in his lifetime. Whether to avoid a general breathing down his back about training, avoiding some thieves after not paying them for…substances. He is very familiar with how this ploy works. The only thing is, Occtis is moving extremely slowly towards him, almost as his nerves are holding him back from proceeding with the distraction. Julien’s patience is running way too thin for his liking, not to mention that he can hear hooves clopping nearby. They need a distraction and fast. So, he puts his hand on the back of Occtis’s head and pulls him forward.
The first thing that Julien notes is the cold on his lips, much like how Occtis’s hands felt in his. Plancing his left hand onto the dead boy’s back, Julien guides him into him. If they’re trying to fool those demons, then they need to play their part right. He doesn’t feel Occtis moving against his lips, as if he’s frozen from shock. No matter, Julien has dealt with many unsatisfying hookups before. Does this even count as a hookup? Either way, he’ll just pretend that he’s someone else. Maybe half-orc from the nearby bakery, maybe that man back in Castle Torch?
He suddenly feels his shirt being tugged and then being pushed in the wall, Occtis now kissing him with as much force as he could muster. It takes Julien aback, stumbling over his own feet as he was ragdolled around. In his memory, no one has ever gotten the best over the knight. Sure in his teen years there were some people who taught him some new things, but he has never met someone who was this…passionate. It’s getting harder to think of someone else right now, impossible even. All his mind is telling him, reciting to him, is Occtis, Occtis, Occtis. The way those cold arms feel like snakes slithering up onto his shoulders, the bonyness of his waist as he wraps his other arm around it again, the way he doesn’t even need to break the kiss because he doesn’t need to breathe. It’s all just so uniquely Occtis. The young Tachonis certainly knows how to push his buttons, because he feels himself feeling relied up as well.
Fine. If you want to play this game, let's play.
Julien moves his arms from Occtis’s waist to just above the back of his thighs and picks him up, causing the kiss to break. As Julien lets oxygen fill into his lungs again, Occtis moves his mouth down to the knight’s neck, leaving harsh kisses. Julien holds back a groan as he pushes Occtis on the wall to their left, punching leftover air out of his non-functional lungs and ceasing his attack on his neck. Occtis, as if in a weird haze, meets Julien’s eyes with a look of pure bliss and want. It makes Julien chuckle as the young Tachonis goes to push the mask off of the knight’s face, tossing it to the ground by the blazer while he wraps his legs around the long haired man holding him up.
“You magic users are always full of surprises, eh strange boy?”
Occtis gives a hum before cupping both sides of Julien’s face, “I don’t like being underestimated.”
It’s now Occtis’s turn to bring their lips together, making up for the fact that he couldn’t initiate anything before. This wasn’t like they were dancing before, there is no laughing or making jokes. The kiss is full of emotion. Though it’s hard to pinpoint the exact emotion, Julien can tell that they are both putting so much unreleased energy into this, whether they wish to or not. With all the tension between the two, it was bound that any peacefulness they display will only be interrupted by pressure later on.
When the distant hoofsteps stop where they are having their little make-out, Julien puts even more into the kiss, pressing Occtis even more into the wall. In return, Occtis slips his dexterous hands right back into the knight’s hair, as if he could push him even more into the kiss. It's only when the sound of a certain blue demon stuttering starts up does Occtis pull away and look directly at Agony. The dead boy curls his arms around Julien protectively, eyes glowing that bright green colour that shines over Julien’s cheek as he hides his face into Occtis’s neck. As Julien invokes revenge on the young Tachonis’s little stunt from earlier, he feels Occtis drop the temperatures drastically as he casts “Invoke Fear”.
“Remember that favour?” Occtis warns.
“Sister! What is going on over there?”
“I-er-There’s a couple making out over here!” Agony responds, “Just some random couple of humans!”
“Oooooo! Let me see! Is there tongue?” Cruelty responds.
“No! They…uh…They really love each other! Like, all love dovey stuff! Really…wholesome stuff!”
Julien stops his assault on Occtis neck, taken aback by Agony’s words. Occtis on the other hand continues to stare daggers into the blue demon like some puffed up alley cat, not very scary but certainly intimidating.
“Ugh. Boring. I told you we should’ve gone the other way, Enmity!”
Enmity lets out a groan, “We check the other place that I was thinking! Agony has steered us wrong as usual! Come, sisters!”
Agony winces and lets out a sound of discomfort, but in the way that Julien sadly knows she likes, “Gah! Coming Enmity!"
The blue demon quickly leaves the pair alone, probably having been spooked by Occtis’s spell. Once she found an out, she took the chance to flee immediately. Julien doesn’t blame her, at first wanting to remove himself from Occtis just because he was a walking corpse. Now, he has developed an odd attachment to him. Speaking of, even as they wordlessly hold on to each other, both aware that the demons have long since left, Julien is having a hard time letting go. It’s almost as if he lets go, this little “game” that they were playing both in the Villa Aurora and out here, it will all be over. They’ll be back to teammates seeking to end a higher power. And based on the fact that Occtis isn’t letting go either, even when the knight had put him back on the ground, he doesn’t want this to stop either. Maybe if…I say something…
Occtis seems to beat him to it, but again, he hesitates, “Julien…”
“Occtis?! Sir Julien Da-fuckshit?!” the voice of a familiar pixie calls out, “Where are you guys?!”
Julien doesn’t think he had ever exited someone’s grasp faster in his life, even when he was in the Eternal Dark. Then again, it does help that Occtis was letting him go and moving away just as quickly as well. The two of them look up to see Thimble, the murderous pixie, fluttering up above them. She moves directly in front of them and then goes to ramble about what she observed at the party, but pauses to take in the state of the two men in front of her. Julien has never felt so tiny under the gaze of someone ten times smaller than he was.
“Julien? Why is your face all red? And why are both of you so-”
“Ha ha ha! Thimble, we should really go back to Hal’s!” Occtis interrupts, “We don’t want to get caught again, ha ha…”
Occtis tries to guide Thimble far away from Julien, though still making sure that the Knight is still following the two from behind. As the trio begin to walk back to their designated “safehouse”, Thimble hounds Occtis with questions one what the hell happened to Julien to make him all flustered. Occtis thankfully doesn’t say anything about their little makeout session, trying to avoid any questions while also taking the brunt of the teasing form when the pair danced together. Julien doesn’t think the dead boy would be the type to spill secrets, but you never know. He gets his answer when the Masquerade ends and it's time to get some rest, hearing the muffled voices of Thimble’s laughter and Occtis’s frantic shushing.
But all that Julien is focusing on is the fact that he hopes that he and Occtis get into another sticky situation soon. That they’d get put on another gala mission, that they’d need to fight side by side again, that they could be trapped somewhere and be alone with one another.
He could easily blame his developing feelings on that instead of dealing with it normally.
Julien always did, and always will, have trouble dealing with his emotions.
Why did it have to be Occtis -fucking- Tachonis?!