"You're back late." The purple haired roommate of Fran's pointed out more than accused, as he walked in.
"Yeah I'm working on a makeup assignment in Professor Mukuro's." He said unbuttoning his shirt while scouring his dressers for sleepwear.
"Makeup Assignment?" Mammon turned from whatever he was working on in his desk. "You? You're failing a class?"
"Ah no, it's a long story," Fran bean to explain pulling a shirt over his head. "The professor is under the impression that me and Bel don't get along."
"Last I remember you don't." Mammon smirked amused nonetheless.
"That's true but I'd rather he'd not think so, he's attempting some sort of therapeutic art project with the two of us, and well I'd rather not spend my afternoons with his royal fakeness."
"Yeah I wouldn't either. He doesn't seem to like you much what did you do? Did you decline sleeping with the man or?" He asked as a joke, but then Fran's face caught his interest. "Did he ask to sleep with you?"
Fran nodded with a shrug, "I thought he was messing with me, but even if he wasn't I don't swing that way."
Mammon laughed, "Yeah that sounds like him. I'm surprised he hasn't murdered you yet."
"He was relatively nice today," Fran walked over to their small kitchen and picked an apple from the pantry. He returned to eat it on his bed. "He doesn't know the difference between dinner and desert, but he's got a decent taste in gelato."
Mammon had returned to the books on his desk, "Did he take you to that little shop by the shoemaker's?"
"Yeah, how did you know?"
"Ah well, it's his favorite, he'd take me there quite a bit when we were dating."
Fran's apple caught in his throat, after his coughing fit he regained his composure. "Dated?" He was still processing. "Him?"
"Yeah it was some time ago, I was younger, stupider, mais c'est la vie."
"Huh, I can see that coming from him, not so much from you." Fran admitted after some time.
"Ah he wasn't always a complete dick, but he does it to protect himself, so I guess I can't blame him."
Huh… interesting.
"Was he… er… nice?" The boy asked simply curious.
"He was."
"…" Curiosity led astray, "So did you sleep with him?"
"I'm not talking about this anymore Fran."
That answer amused Fran, he smiled and crawled under his covers.
"Where did it go?" Fran asked the young twins with a rare smile on his face.
"It's in your other hand…" The boy said boredly, obviously not as amused as his sister.
"Hmm…" The illusionist hummed with quizzical brow. "I don't think so." He opened his other hand for his audience to see. Ooo's and Aaa's scattered throughout. "Check his cap." Fran instructed the sister.
She happily plucked the boy's hat off his head, and pulled out the gold coin from the hat, showing it to the crowd who gave a good clap.
Fran bowed, as he did so something caught his eye in the distance.
"I'm sorry folks, that's all I have for today!" He announced with a smile. "But please join me next week."
After dismissing himself Fran collected his belongings and walked around the nearest corner where a familiar stranger was waiting for him.
"Enjoy the show creep?" He had returned to his usual personality.
"Oh was that the last of fun Fran back there?" The revealed heir grinned as he began to follow at Fran's side. "How disappointing, I like fun Fran, he seems like less of a killjoy."
"How did you find me?" He noticed Bel was dressed down. "What is with the dumb hat?"
Bel took off the tweed cap he wore eyeing it. "I try not to attract attention to myself when I go out. But you're right it's hideous." He said placing the cap on the younger's hair. "Seriously though, what you were doing back there was wicked, where'd you learn to do that kind of stuff? It was neat, extremely nerdy, but neat."
"You didn't answer my question." The illusionist picked up the pace. "And you're not very good at complementing others are you?"
"I don't usually have the need to." The heir said honestly. "Hey want to get something to eat? I know this place around here that has the greatest crepes-"
Fran had stopped walking, Bel stopped to see why.
"How did you find me?"
"You're stubborn aren't you?" The blond rolled his eyes. "I was wandering around when I spotted your green hair from like 3 streets away. Not your normal hair color you know? It is literally the neon sign of the frog for me."
The boy accepted the answer and continued at his pace.
"So how long have you been doing that for?" Bel was able to match his pace easily due to his height.
"Does it matter?" Fran said irritated.
"You're so mean, after I attempted-complimented you." The blond joked. "It's not as easy as it looks. See that back there was what I was talking about when I told you try not acting like you had a stick up your ass all the time."
"Yes but 'back there' is a hobby, school is different, and it's my future. Life may be a game for you, I don't have a lot to bargain, and I only get one try."
What kind of environment had Fran grown up in? The blond wondered. "Well how about trying to relax a little when you're not in class, like now, jesus what's the hurry?"
He had a bit of a valid argument. "Only if you try being less of an asshole."
"I already have," Bel was confused, "I seriously just asked to treat you to lunch not even a minute ago."
"I mean not just me-"
The younger was interrupted when the heir abruptly pulled him into the closest alleyway. Fran gave him a look of question, who were they hiding from? But the blond simply signed a silent shush.
It was only a moment before whomever they were eluding disappeared, but Fran could not stand the claustrophobia. The passage they were in was very narrow.
"What was that?" He asked the elder as soon as they were back on the streets.
"Let's just say surveillance is a lot tighter on me than you."
Right… you'd think it would be tighter... considering how well it had been working…
"Then get away from me, I don't want to get in trouble just because you're stalking me."
"I'm not stalking you, and we won't get caught." He said confidently. "You smell nice for an amphibian, wait- are frogs amphibians? I'm not one for science."
Obviously. Fran was also rather uncomfortable that the blond had been close enough to catch his scent. "I would prefer it if you would never touch me again, or smell me for that matter. And what are you for? You're not a fine arts major clearly, but you're attending an art school?"
"Our school is not limited to the fine arts you know? It explores all areas of the art world." He explained, " There are the technical arts, the performance arts, arts that sound made up… I'm a music major."
Music? Fran couldn't imagine it. "My grandmother tells me to respect anyone who has the patience to master an instrument."
"Your grandmother is a smart woman." Bel beamed.
"Yeah, I'm sure that doesn't apply to just anyone, I'm sure you have to play an instrument well to deserve the word" Fran added coolly.
Was that so? "You don't believe that I can play an instrument well?" The blond asked intrigued by the boy's character.
"I don't exactly see you as a patient man." Fran answered honestly.
"Would you gamble on it?" Bel said with a wide grin.
Fran looked at him in thought, "What are the stakes?"
"If I manage to impress you, we go for crepes."
"If not?"
Bel gave it some thought. "I'll never bother you again about being a prick."
That would be nice yes… "It's a deal."
This was ridiculous.
Half an hour ago Bel had brought the boy into the classroom and told him to pick any instrument. First Fran was kind, he picked normal instruments, a guitar, a piano, a violin. But then Fran decided he would challenge the haughty heir, picked harder, more obscure instruments; an ocarina, a mandolin, a cello, a viola, a friggin sitar.
It was a terrible feeling, but Fran could not deny that the blond was a genius. With an instrument he could win over any crowd. It took every bit of his dignity not to gawk.
Bel on the other hand, thought the frog looked unfazed. But he had to be impressed; it had yet to not happen. He would always enjoy himself when he was playing an instrument, one of the few times in a day when he was truly happy. But it was a completely different feeling to mesmerize an audience, especially one so hard to mesmerize.
"My god, please stop." Fran resigned finally. "Just stop. You were right. Just please stop."
"Thank you." Bel set the blimp of an instrument down. "The sitar is an exquisitely crafted instrument, the sound is an acquired taste, not my personal favorite."
"Which one is?"
"Pardon?"
"Your favorite."
"Ah, that's a hard one, I suppose the piano." He shrugged. "Other instruments are far more intricate and unique, but I find myself always coming back to the piano. In a way it's the origin of all music, for myself anyway. My theory professor would tell you differently..."
"Well… you play-" Fran's voice caught as if complimenting the young emperor was going to end him. "You play very well."
Bel smiled widely. "What was that? I can't hear you over the sound of you owing me crepes."
The younger gave him a face that asked the immature heir if he was being serious.
"Do you play anything?" The blond asked as he grabbed the closest instrument, a violin, and walked over to where the green haired boy sat.
"More or less."
"And that means?"
"I play, but not necessarily well."
Bel tried to hand him the violin, but Fran waved it away. "Noooo, the piano, it's not nearly as complicated."
"Really? I saw you as a violin guy." He set the violin back in its stand. Then he walked over and sat at the large piano. He patted the seat on his right for Fran to join him.
"When I said I didn't play well, I was flattering myself." He corrected as he dragged himself over. "I'm tone deaf."
After taking a seat he poked at the keys in thought. Fran's thinking face was priceless, but then it was gone and he began to play.
He started with a choppy Aura Lee, which at some point (Bel couldn't tell when) turned into Au Clair De La Lune, and ended with a pretty decent, but rather simplified Entry of the Gladiators*.
"Well you've got a good, er- posture."
"Understood. I suck." Fran said as if he had accepted this at a much earlier time.
Bel laughed, "What's with the organ music? Seriously, the magic tricks, Julius Fucik, were you raised in the circus?"
"I don't know what a circus is…"
"You don't know what a circus is? Like Zoppe**?"
"Is it a food?" Fran was confused.
"No it's-"
One of the sets of doors, burst open.
"Bel! Have you seen-" Chika stopped midsentence when he noticed Fran in the room. "FRAN!"
"God you're so loud…" Bel rolled his eyes.
But the normally obnoxious teen was in noticeable panic.
"Fran! It's your grandmother! She's really sick!"
*AKA circus music
**small older family circus in Italy
Ah this chapter wasn't supposed to end as dramatic but it did, don't take it too seriously :)
Also I meant to update earlier in the week, but I have a final project I'm working on for my film class, and swamped with work, I have next week off though so hopefully I can find time to type.