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"Sir, where's your shirt?".
Violet giggles, his cheeks furiously red, hair sticking in every direction. He's half-leaning on the door-frame, blocking the view of the dark room behind him.
"I think you can figure it out yourself, can't you?".
//One week before//
It's been a pretty slow, nice day. The weather has been getting colder, brown leaves dancing in the air. Pavel, sitting in the window, stops reading for a moment just to look at them.
The doors to his room are opened with no type of greeting, not even a question if this person can enter.
Not surprisingly, this person is Violet himself. And the smile on his face makes Pavel want to either punch him in the nose or keep looking. It seems like he radiates more energy, more light, more /warmth/ than the autumn sun itself.
Unfortunately, Pavel catches himself being a moth in this scenario, unwillingly circling closer and closer to this light. He tries not to show too much of it, clearing his throat and raising one of his eyebrows as if asking "what do you want?".
Harrison waves a small, elegant-looking envelope in the air.
"I got a job for us" he then sends it flying to Pavel who catches it with no effort whatsoever and opens it.
"It's an invitation. I believe that said job is looking all douchy and drinking wine then it's a perfect job for you, go by yourself".
Violet chuckles, stepping closer and then sitting next to him. He points at the host's name.
"I just thought that it would be great to have some help with getting private lists from one of the shadiest men in this part of Perland while everyone is busy getting drunk..." with an overdramatic sigh, he stands up, taking the invitation with him. "But I guess I will do it myself".
He barely takes three steps, before he hears:
"Wait, Violet. I'm in".
And just like that, a week passes.
Pavel looks back in the mirror. He sees his face, sure, he recognizes himself. But then the clothing...
It's... tacky. It's fitted. It's made of expensive material and it seems like it could be cut open with something as dull as a butter knife. He scrunches his nose, moving his arms to see if he can do /at least/ that.
"Don't make this face. You look distinguished".
"I look like a clown."
"A very elegant clown then. Now let's go. We don't have time to change anyway".
As they're standing in the small line with other people waiting with their invitations, chatting about the party or different more mundane problems, Pavel looks back at Violet.
He seems very at ease, standing there in way too bright, way too noticeable button-up shirt, with earings that catch every glimpse of the light coming from the inside. Clothes like that, right with people around them and the sole thought of a grand party it... suits him. Pavel sometimes thinks if he wouldn't prefer to just stay with people like that.
"You've been here before?".
"Once or twice... enough to remember where his office is" goes a quiet answer. A few minutes later they're inside.
Chandeliers illuminating the big hall, everyone chatting, the clinging of glasses, various drinks being poured.
"Ah... it's going to be interesting".
Pavel doesn't like the sound of that. He looks where his partner is looking. The big mahogany doors seemingly closed but in the sole center of the hall. In plain sight.
"Violet?".
"Yeah?".
"If we get caught, I'm blaming you".
He only hears a sweet, short laugh as an answer before he takes two glasses from the tray nearby and hands one of them to Pavel.
"Then cheers, my dear partner. For the mission" he then has the audacity to wink at him and takes a hearty gulp from the glass.
The first few hours pass by filled with talks, walks, and observation. There are no guards directly next to the doors, but from time to time some of them are doing a full round around the hall. Sometimes even checking if there's no one inside.
"The moment there's another of these boring speeches, we go to the office" Pavel nods and when the moment comes, both of them slowly move through the hall to the destined room.
The first thing Violet does is take off his shirt.
Pavel is stuck there, a small glowing crystal in his hand to help him look for letters. But at that moment, he can't really focus on anything else.
"Wh- What are you doing?"
And as if the situation wasn't confusing enough, Violet comes to him with a charming smile and says:
"Slap me". And when his friend doesn't answer, he adds: "Come on, I know you always want to do that, so now's your chance".
Both of the slaps echo in the empty office.
"Ouch... you know... didn't have to make them /that/ furious... now come on... let's look for these damn letters. If someone enters, keep quiet".
Pavel right then decides to ask all the questions later. He also decides that additional slaps to the smirking face of his friend will also be applied later. Finding private and official letters isn't this hard. They are close to getting ready to leave when the handle moves. Both of them curse quietly but then Violet is strolling towards the doors, hands in his hair, quickly destroying his hairstyle for the night.
He opens the doors and smiles at the shocked guard.
"Sir, where's your shirt?".
Violet giggles, his cheeks furiously red, hair sticking in every direction. He's half-leaning on the door-frame, blocking the view of the dark room behind him.
"I think you can figure it out yourself, can't you?".
His words are slightly slurred as he takes a step forward. He's now towering over the guard that with each passing second seems less and less sure of himself.
"Th- This isn't a guest room and-- You shouldn't be--"
"Give us a few more minutes and we'll be gone" and when the shorter man wants to say something again, Violet tilts his head and pouts. "Come on... you wouldn't like to cause a scandal during this party, would you? Now, shoosh, go..." with a wink he closes the doors and looks back at Pavel with a huge smile. Right after that, he has to dodge a glowing cristal thrown at him.
The same night they're sitting on the rooftop, looking through stolen letters. That's when Violet out of nowhere takes out a bottle.
"What's that?"
"Was in the office as well. I think it's champagne from Reingar" he says, opening it quickly and laughing at the loud pop of the cork. He takes a big sip and gives the bottle to Pavel.
"Come on. Take a sip. We weren't caught. Or at least... not on the thing we actually did".
"I hate you."
"You really don't."