Rophy Bell

God, give us clearer skies

-Ghost and Pals, "Aura"

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Balcer, Lukasz, was not Hungarian. He was Polish. Yet here he was in the village of Hollókő, running around a little fair for Easter that his parents had been invited to by some friends. He loved Hungary, and so he had tagged along with them. They had grumbled, of course, but he promised he wouldn't get in their way.

Now that he was here, it was amazing! So many colors, beautiful people, and lovely music. It was all very different from where he was from, yet somehow he felt at home here.

He caught sight of a crowd gathered nearby, in between two stalls. He heard the familiar sound of a violin, and immediately recognized the song.

A czardas. I can dance that, no problem!

He made his way through the crowd, mumbling apologies when he pushed past someone or stepped on a foot. He stopped near the front and smiled. Just as he thought.

Couples and friends were dancing to the song, those who weren't were clapping and stomping their feet as if to support them. It looked fun, and Lukasz wished he had someone to dance it with.

I mean, I could dance by myself, he mused. He looked towards the violin players, the ones making that wonderful sound, and his eyes widened in surprise.

There were four players, all of them dancing along to their song, smiles on their faces, except for one. His hair was strangely curled, along with the black and white ram horns that showed beside his head. Unlike the men at his side, he only tapped one foot (or rather, hoof) and nodded his head to the song. There was no smile on his face, only a cold, wary expression.

He looked like a half-demon, a kind of creature that looked mostly human save for a few animal features here and there. They were known to be crueler and harsher than humans, yet all the ones that Lukasz had met were quite friendly.

Except for this one, apparently.

And then he turned his head.

Lukasz nearly cried out loud. The eyes were like embers, emotionless and fiery. The one ram ear he had twitched, then he set his violin to the side and made his way to Lukasz.

"Hegyi, András," he muttered in Hungarian when he reached Lukasz's side. "You?"

András.

It was odd that a stranger's first words to him were his own name, rather than trying to pick up a conversation first. But Lukasz could not complain; this man had intrigued him right away. Scared him too, but perhaps there was something more here.

"Balcer, Lukasz," he said. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Is it?" András twitched his ear again, an action that Lukasz already found endearing. "No one ever seems happy to meet me."

No, indeed, Lukasz had to admit, how could anyone be happy meeting this ram-man with no expression on his face? But he said none of that out loud, only bowed his head slightly.

"I think you're alright so far."

"Well, thank you." András looked curiously into Lukasz's eyes. "Can you dance the czardas?"

"Ah- yes," Lukasz replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Would you like to dance with me?"

The question was so outright, so bluntly put, that it startled Lukasz.

By all the stars, he knows not a trace of subtlety!

But he had to admire András' confidence. Or maybe he just had no idea how to interact with someone he clearly liked. Either way, Lukasz ultimately decided to accept.