F01-OP Blackbook, Grand Opening

[Shikari 0]

They whispered their name into his ear.

(and time slowed. they’re close. intimate. 

maybe it had been ages since he’s had this much closeness pressed against someone else. shikari’s found his breath caught lodged in his throat from a gasp of air drunk deep, legs almost stilled from motion by the lack of distance between them. 

almost.

there had been a whiff of something fragrant from their near presence, and shikari might’ve been convinced then that if he were willing to close his eyes, that worldspinning reverie would be no different than with prior bodies familiar he’d held onto in the dark.)

“but if you treat all your majesties this way, i could be convinced to lend you mine for the rest of the night.” 

A grin was drawn upon Shikari’s face, easing from the hard shadows to a gentle ambient glow when they’d pulled away. He chuckled, then, as they continued their push and pull, their practiced steps back and forth. They end as captivated as he had been in that moment — Shikari abided by Sibyl’s wishes for a twirl that sent them away, then read the rhythm of the song. He dragged them back in by their waist on the final beat, striking with poise akin to that which they started out with. This time, their fingers were interlocked.

Their attention was called from the stage, and they paused. Their emcee transitioned them into a slow dance given the performance interim, and Shikari returned to Sibyl, his hand on the small of their back with a smile. What was surprising to him, as they drifted apart, was how there were only a few pairs on the floor that had seemed liken to trade off partners; they were not one of them. With the sudden shift of energy from their hosts, however, perhaps it didn’t feel formal enough a dismissal. So, left in the afterglow, they remained circling around each other. Slow, comfortable.

A question lingered at the back of his mind.

“I’d like to think I’m a gentleman,” Shikari started, his head tilted slightly. “And by your decree, given you are royalty tonight, I’d let you decide with your own discretion, Sibyl.”

(there was a roll of his tongue, smooth like butter, that started on an answer to dawn upon him as he said their name. the air, humming with tension amidst the other patrons, felt only broken by a sweetness in his echo of their handle. 

shikari sighed into it, contemplating the fleeting dream.)

“... There are better things you can call me, if you’d like.”

Had he let that query linger, it was to his own benefit. Shikari had to check: was he reading the room right? The conclusion he had arrived at cited no profound realization. After all, there were stranger things to have happened in Aincrad; he was certain his ‘re-existence’ was one of them. His gaze went to the necklace, caught in highlights reflecting the room’s illumination, and was coaxed into a welcome serenity.

He motioned with his lips, a gaping worth of a single syllable, tested unsaid as he swung them around. His hold seemed to be tight on Sibyl as they slid past another pair.

“Or, you could decide to come up with something better from ‘Sylvester’, of course.”

Had they stayed paired long enough to listen to the announcement made upon Lysette’s return, Shikari might’ve perked up, having been caught unaware. He was not one known to prefer a change of plans, but while he was re-envisioning the night given the chance, why not? 

“A new stage, was it?” 

He surveyed Sibyl for their response.

“Forgive me if the invitation seems forward, but I’d like to take one of the rooms they have upstairs later. Would you care to join me?” He gestured briefly with a finger or two pulled away from their shared hold. “I figured it would be a welcome respite from the crowd, if only for a moment. There’s no shame in resting up after breaking a sweat. Maybe it’d be a good place for a nap, if the hosts allow for it.”

(the sleep was one modus operandi that never seemed to change.)

Instinctively, behind the mask, Shikari winked. “But if you’ve got places to be, I’ll understand. Promise I wouldn’t hold you up for long.”