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They're all 'magi' this, 'magi' that. It's kind of annoying how their voice echoes all throughout the hall, almost as though they're reminding him that he's surrounded by them and their stinking faces covered in white cloth.
He's okay with that most of the time, because if they're hiding their faces, they cannot look too good. He'd rather spend more time learning about amazing magic, eating peaches from the courtyard trees and exploring the huge castle at night when nobody else is around.
Judar tiptoes carefully as he makes his way out of his designated palace, having learned his lesson from yesterday when he was scolded for loitering around after-dark. He's not sure which one of the veiled magicians did the scolding, but they're all the same to him anyway so it's not like it really mattered. He'd like to go further than the shut kitchens tonight, because something is calling out to him, the buzzing rukh surrounding him practically yelling at him to go further, just a little bit more, because he's bound to see something much like a miracle.
He doesn't fully understand those fluttering bird-like figures that create so much noise and pull at him, but then he still makes his way to follow their direction, bare feet against the cool floor and—
Oh.
Oh.
The rukh quiet down, almost respectfully, as though they're waiting for his mind to catch up to his body – his body that's now practically flying towards the child a few paces away from him, the child with two blue-gray eyes that seem to glow against the darkness, the child whose face he can see.
There's a weird sensation on his stomach, as though it has suddenly dropped to his toes, as though he has witnessed something miraculous.
"W-W-What are you doing?!"
Judar sighs in contentment as the child in his arms struggles and hisses at him with quiet indignation. He tightens his hold around the other's smaller frame, rubbing his cheek against the other's. The rukh stay quiet, a silence that almost feels approving of his actions. After a few more minutes, the other's struggling dies down. Judar doesn't like the sudden limpness to the other's frame so he takes a step back, but keeps his hands secure on the other's shoulders.
Judar peers into the eyes that are wide and brimming with shiny wetness. He lets his gaze explore the other's face – the only other face he has seen in the palace, so far – to the wide eyes, to the pouting lips, to the mole on his chin…
There's pink spreading from the other's soft cheeks, practically radiating outwards to capture his entire face.
Judar stares in wonder, before his gaze drops to the mole again.
"…you're like, old hag the second."
There's only confusion on the other's face, most likely not registering his words. Judar frowns and thinks about the old hag's name, maybe there are a lot of old hags in this palace and the other needs clarification.
"…Gyokuen. You're like Gyokuen the second."
There's a shorter timeframe before the other's eyes shine again and the blush returns full-force.
"D-D-Don't call me that!" He squeaks out, before biting his lip in anxiety. He looks around them, almost as though he's afraid of being caught outside of his bedroom. Judar understands that feeling, but he has realized that it's not like they can do anything too scary to him for not doing as they wanted. Sure, they can nag at him until his ears fall off, but that's pretty much it. "A-a-and, I'd rather be Brother Hakuyuu the Second."
"Eh, that's too long."
"…!"
Judar feels his stomach twist at the sight of the other's pout. He sighs as the rukh pull at him and nag at him to make the other feel better.
"I'm Judar," he introduces himself, lifting his right hand away from the other's trembling shoulders, before swooping down on the other's shaky hand. He swings their hands together, almost like a handshake. The other's hands are cold and clammy. "You have to tell me your name."
"…I'm Hakuryuu."
"Hakuryuu!" Judar tests the name by saying it out loud a couple more times, each succeeding repetition louder than the last. "Hakuryuu!"
"Don't be so loud," Hakuryuu pouts at him again, shaking his right hand free and placing that hand against Judar's mouth, muffling his words. "We'll get scolded!"
Judar feels the rukh whispering at him to stretch his lips out, to an almost-arc. Almost instinctively, he knows that this is the right thing to do, because Hakuryuu's face breaks out to a smile—oh, this is smiling then. He does it again, holding Hakuryuu's hand and removing it from his mouth so he can speak clearly.
"Don't worry about it! I'm super important so they won't scold me!" Judar puffs his chest out in pride at that. He's not sure who Hakuryuu really is – it doesn't feel like it matters, because he already likes him – but since he looks so much like the old hag… maybe he's her doll?… or maybe, everyone in this palace looks like them… – anyway, but that doesn't matter. "I'm a magi! So they won't scold me! And since I like you, they will not scold you too!"
Hakuryuu looks doubtful, but he's smiling still.
Judar's breath catches.
It's like finding that one brilliance in the midst of shadows.
It's almost as though he's discovered something amazing that he can't quite pinpoint.
For now though, he embraces Hakuryuu again because it feels right.
He's a magi after all.
He's confident he'll figure it all out later.
(They get scolded by more people who look like the old hag – for sneaking out after their bedtime. Judar gets banned from seeking Hakuryuu out, because he needs to choose a better candidate or something. Not that Judar lets that stop him from finding the other – even if his face looks the same as countless others, he somehow stands out to his eyes. He doesn't know what that means, but he figures it doesn't really matter. If it's really important, he's sure he can figure it all out later.)
(Judar will eventually figure out that he chose his first king candidate that day, but that will come a long while later.)
(For now, he sticks to Hakuryuu because it feels right.)
••• end
- Inspired by the one of the many childhood JuHaku headcanons with the lovely Chelsea ♪
- Because really, how sad it must be to be raised by a group of masked magicians that just… loomed
- Kid Judar's appearances don't show him smiling/grinning as much, so. Hm.
- Childhood JuHaku is awesome :)