Arcana One Shots

Tʜᴇ Mᴀsϙᴜᴇʀᴀᴅᴇ [Lucio X F.R]

Art: tumblr: Skelanda

My first masquerade, huh. I smile, thinking about what I will do, wear, feel. I had asked Asra to let me go with him and after days of trying to convince him I was successful. I really don't understand why he didn't want me to go, but my thoughts soon wander off to how my experience will be. I twirl around the living room, trying a few dance moves Asra had either thought me or I had seen him do it. I smile widely at how much fun I'm having, so much so that I don't notice the figure standing in the doorway watching me until he chuckles. I'm ripped out of my fantasies and stop abruptly, almost falling over my own two feet. "Bhahaha!" Asra can't hold it anymore and starts laughing out loud as I'm standing there, holding myself up against the wall. I almost landed on the floor..I sigh and cross my arms in front of my chest, pouting. "W-What do you want?" I ask him timidly, trying to not let his amusement get over my head. His voice dies down and he huffs, hands on his hips. "I just wanted to check up on you, but I must say, your dance moves are fantastic." He snickers and I raise an eyebrow at him. "You better like 'em, afterall they're your doing." I say and he scratches his fluffy white hair. "You're right. I better teach you better ones until the day of the ball. Wouldn't want my apprentice to embarrass herself." He says and we both laugh. "Fine. Let's do it then. You've been a great teacher so far, so I trust you on this one." And so the dance lessons began.

-the next day-

Tomorrow the Masquerade begins. I can't wait! I'm super excited and skip along Asra's side as he leads me to a nice fabric shop. I told him I want to make my own outfit and he obliged. I look around the shop for a while before spotting the things I'll need for the dress and mask. A nice grey silk fabric, some white fur and laces. I walk over to the owner and pay, scanning the room for Asra. He's looking through some nice scarfs and I have to pull him away before he's able to spend all of his money. We make our way back to the shop and I ask him what has been lingering on my mind ever since he first told me not to come along. "Asra, why didn't you want me to go with you?" I eye him and he looks into my eyes and sighs. "I hoped you'd drop the questions.." I punch him in the shoulder and smile at him. "You know me. Now tell me!" I urge him and he chuckles. "Fine, fine. You know the masquerade is held for the Count, right?" I nod and he continues. "Well, this time it's a little bit different. It's not all just about the partying and glamour, but about finding a bride for him." He states and I furrow my brows. "But..doesn't he have a fiancé?" I ask him and he shakes his head briefly. "Not anymore. The engagement was called off, because they weren't in it for love in the first place. Countess Nadia found someone and decided to go back to Prakra with them." "And the Count? Vesuvia belongs to the Countess, doesn't it?" I say and he nods. "Yes, but she was as kind as to leave it in his hands. After all she couldn't just leave Vesuvia without a ruler." He states and I nod, deep in thought. "But..what does this have anything to do with you not wanting me to go?" I ask him a little confused as we arrive at the shop. He urges me inside and shuts the door. "He's looking for a bride." I tilt my head. "And?" He scoffs and flicks my nose. "Are you kidding me? You're gorgeous and considering you'll be wearing a dress made by your own skillful hands you'll stick out even more.." I stare at him for a moment. "Wait..you honestly believe he'd pick me? Oh Asra, don't make me laugh!" I say as I double over. The room fills with my laughter and he sighs. "You are beautiful. If he doesn't see that, he's a fool. But if he does, I'm scared you might not want all of his attention on you. "Sweetheart, it's my decision who I date. And even if he picks me, he'd have to whoo me first." I say with a wink. Asra smiles and I start working on outfit for the big day.

-at the masquerade-

I glance around nervously as I step into the palace with Asra by my side. So many people in one place. It's overwhelming. Everyone's dancing, laughing, talking at the same time. My ears fill with all the noise and my eyes take in all of the unusual and bright colored costumes. I smile. "Asra, this is amazing!" I exclaim, but when I turn to where he stood only moments ago, nothing. My mind starts racing. Have I lost him already? I sigh. Well in this crowd it'd be impossible to find him, especially since he was also wearing a full costume. I settle on just enjoying the night, so I walk over to the buffee. I grab a fun looking fruit and cautiously bite into it. Sweetness and bitterness immediately explode in my mouth and I hum. This was quite satisfactory. I walk along the table and spot a glass bowl filled with a bubbly liquid. It's golden color draws me in in wonder and I grab a glass and fill it. I decide to look for a comfortable place without being squished by strangers. I make my way through the crowd and onto the veranda. Not a lot of people are here and I ean against the railing, looking over the gardens. It looks amazing with the lanterns shining down and I take a sip from my glass. It tastes amazing and another smile forms on my lips. My thoughts wander off, unexpectedly to the Count himself. I'm left thinking about how he might look, sound, act. As I ponder about this, someone approaches me and leans against the railing beside me. My first thought is that it's Asra, who finally gained some sense of direction, but when I look up my heart jumps. It's a handsome young man with blond hair, half a mask covering his face. His golden eyes pierce into mine and I feel myself blush. I quickly take another sip from my glass, trying to hide my flustered face. "What's a young lady such as yourself doing here all alone?" He asks me and I smile. "Oh, is this young lady not allowed to enjoy her alonetime?" He chuckles and I finish my drink. "Nice dress. Where did you get it from? It seems of high quality." He says and I blush, turning to face him. "Well, actually I was the one who made it." I say and I can see his eyebrows raising under his mask. "Oh, a young lady with talent! You already are better than all the other girls at the party." He says, sighting and I raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" He stiffens a little before speaking up again. "..Fine. My mother wants me to find a girl.." I laugh and he looks at me surprised at the sudden reaction. "And she thought the best place would be a masquerade ball? Oh please..everyone's wearing masks, how'd you know who you're talking to?" I say while chuckling and he joins me. "Hmm.. I mean, I do fancy you though. I'm sure you look just as stunning as your costume." He says and my laughter dies down. I blush and look back over the palace gardens. We continue our talk until I loose all sense of time. He's smart, bold, flashy but also humorous. His laugh makes me tingle and his smile is amazing. Suddenly a familiar note sounds from inside and I smile. I know this song! The man notices it and flashes a confident smile while he holds out his hand to me. "May I ask for this dance, milady?" He asks me and my heart races in my chest. I try to hide it and give him a determined look as I clasp him hand. "I'd love that." I say and he doesn't waste a second to pull me inside. Suddenly I find myself in the middle of the room, all eyes on us. I can't help but think it's a little weird as we start to dance. We sway across the dance floor with others around us joining. He twirls me and catches me ever time. I'm enjoying myself a lot and don't even notice how the song slowly comes to an end. He twirls me one last time and I lean back, him holding me in place. We smile and stare at each other, slowly getting back up from the position. Claps echo all around us and he whispers so only I can hear his magnificent voice. "I'd love to get to know you better." He practically purrs into my ear and only now, that his face is so close I start to understand the situation. "C-count?!" I say, my voice but a whisper. He smirks, lifting my chin up so he can look deep into my eyes. "Call me Lucio, .." "Y/N.." I say and he looks pleased. I can't believe that out of all the people here he chose me.. I stare at him in disbelief and wonder as Asra's words echo in my head. I told you so~