Chapter Text
The royal library was quiet. But like, in the worst way possible.
It usually was, to be fair. It was a library. But it was worse today. Rows and rows of shelves and shelves of books. So, so many books. None of them made noise, because they were books, but if one were to fall the sound and resulting echo would be deafening. There were lots of comfy chairs too, but none of them were taken today. No quiet chatter to listen in on, or even to have as fuzzy background noise.
It was all just so quiet. It made his skin itch.
Usually when Nori got the Itch, he would go bother his best friend (and soulmate) Naaji. But Naaji was the reason they were in this library in the first place. “Research project,” they’d said. “I need to see some of the books in your family’s library.” And Nori, always eager to see them, had agreed. They’d make a day of it, working on their assignments together!
In his defense, it sounded a lot more fun on paper.
Because now there he sat, in an almost empty library, at a table covered in the most boring books in the entire world. Naaji sat across from him, face half hidden behind a large leather bound book, pages of scribbled notes beside him. Nori couldn’t read them, he didn’t know nearly enough Mesahran to understand it, but he recognized the symbols, which was good enough for him. Weird to not just use the common alphabet, though. Much simpler to write in.
Nori tilts his head, trying to get a good look at what they were doing. Surely it was more interesting than the arithmetic assignment he’d shoved aside ages ago. He couldn’t read the notes, but maybe the book had a clue?
Or maybe it would, if it had literally any details on it. It had a golden symbol embossed on its leather cover of a butterfly on a sapling — which, granted, was pretty cool — but it was faded and flaking off. The cover didn’t even have words on it! How unappealing.
(At least the view behind it was nice. Now that was something he’d never get tired of looking at…)
It wasn’t enough, though. His brain was still buzzing, skin still itching. He needed to move.
He scoots forward in his chair, a golden retriever’s tail appearing behind him, with ears to match. The tail beats rapidly against the chair in an attempt to dissipate the pent up energy, but it doesn’t help much, just makes a noise that scratches his brain in a bad sort of way. He needs to be outside, feel the sun on his face, be freed from this academic prison.
But, alas, his companion had work to do. He didn’t know what it was, but they said it was important. He trusted them on that, but Naaji also thought a lot of things were important when they really weren’t. Like school work, and curfews, and laws, or whatever. Naaji was plenty of fun to be around, (and had valid reasons for concern, sometimes) but they also needed a liiittle bit of extra help to get to that fun most of the time.
(Huh… Maybe I’m a bad influence…? No, that’s not it. I’m just helping my friend recover from their stifled home life! That’s all.)
In any case, it was moments like these, when the bees under his skin got exceptionally loud, that he was most likely to do something that other people would later call “stupid.” It was the best and most reliable way to cure the buzzing in his feet and hands, after all.
His eyes flick to his friend across the table. They were still poring over the book propped up between their hands. Still! It had been a whole ten minutes since he’d started that one! How could they do that?! Nori could never. Five minutes and he was out for the count. Not a chance.
He didn’t want to interrupt their studying, so maybe he’d try… uhm, counting? How many shelves were in there? Probably… twenty? Fifty?? He wasn’t a great judge of numbers, actually. Bad at maths.
He bites his lip as his eyes dart around the room. Just the same view, over and over and over. It was a pretty library, but it was pretty monotonous after a while too. Beneath him, his legs start bouncing, the rhythmic movement replacing the batting of his tail as it melts away. It makes his chair rock slightly, wood legs clicking on the stone floor. That was a bad sound for his ears too. It made the bees inside of him louder and made him feel like he was going to explode. It was miserable.
But he could stay still for Naaji, right? His friend that he’d invited over? So they could spend the day together?
‘Our days together are usually fun, though…’ he thinks glumly. ‘This? This is torturous.’
. . .
Nope. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t take it anymore. He had to do something, and fast, or he’d lose his mind.
“I have an idea,” Nori proclaims suddenly. The prince hops to his feet, hands on his hips, ready for motion.
“Huh…?” his friend mumbles, looking up with sunken, tired eyes. The antennae sticking out of his head were drooped so low they almost reached his nose. He looked like he’d been in a mental fight with his book — and lost. “What?”
“I said I have an idea! Come now, my friend, put that book down! It’s time for an adventure!”
“But I’m not done with it yet!” Naaji protests, pushing his antennae and multi-colored bangs out of his face. “I have to— I have to finish this. It’s important, I told you, I need to be done with it before I go home!”
Nori rolls his eyes. “No you don’t. It’s my book. From my library. If you wanna borrow it, you’re welcome to, but come on now. That book looks like it’s draining the life force from you!”
“Yeah, you could say…” Naaji mumbles, rubbing at their eyes. “But it’s— it’s important,” he repeats.
“No school assignment is worth spending precious time with your soulmate on! Come onnn, Ji!” Nori wheedles, tapping his foot impatiently. “You need fresh air! And sunshine! And fun! And me!” He spreads his arms out wide, grinning. “And a break! And no more books! Please?”
Naaji frowns and glances at his notes. They were chock-full of scribbly words and half drawn diagrams of little stick people. (Aww, he doodles when he studies? That’s cute.) Then, with a sigh, they shut the book and gather the pages into a neat stack.
“Fine, we can take a break. But we’re coming back here later to work, okay? I’m not done with my… project yet, and I know you haven’t done any real work either,” he says, shooting Nori a judgmental look as he slides the notes into his bag. He pauses, then adds the book too.
“Yeah yeah yeah, whatever, my maths assignment isn’t as important as time with my favorite person in the multiverse,” Nori says. “Besides, it’s due next week! I have pleeenty of time.”
“Favorite person in the multiverse?” Naaji snorts a small laugh and shoulders their bag. “That’s sappier than fresh azalea honey.”
“Aww, but you liked it!” Nori says, lightly poking Naaji’s cheek with his finger. “You’re all red!”
Naaji bats his hand away, leaning over to grab Nori’s things to tuck in his bag too. Oh yeah, Nori would’ve forgotten those. He hadn’t brought a bag, he lived here, he didn’t need one.
“I’m not blushing, it's just colors from my freckles and you know that!”
“Nah, you were definitely blushing,” he smiles, clapping his hands together. “Now come on, I have the perfect plan for our break!”
“Do you now?” Naaji raises an eyebrow. “It doesn’t involve stealing anything from the kitchens, does it?”
“Nope! Not even close!” Nori grins, taking Naaji’s hands between his own. He doesn’t say anything when their cheeks redden more, but he definitely notices. “Do you trust me?”
“Not when you’re smiling like that I don’t!”
“Aw, don’t be like that, this will be fun! Besides, I promise it’s safe.”
“Promise, huh?” Naaji’s tone is skeptical, but he’s smiling just as wide.
“I promise!”