‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 .

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀i ⠀have ⠀ the ⠀𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙 ⠀of ⠀your ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 ⠀ 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 ⠀you ⠀gave ⠀ me , ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀@narazrushaya .⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

ㅤㅤㅤㅤ
  𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 , 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 .
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ
      𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙖 𝙫͟𝙤͟𝙞͟𝙙͟ .
ㅤㅤㅤㅤ

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

he barely restrained a groan , setting his now - soaked pen aside in a shower of tea .

“ she sent you because it’s easier for me to talk her out of it .”

he pushed his wild hair back from his forehead and squinted owlishly at tolya through smudged glasses .

“ who’s coming ?”

[ᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠ𝓨𝗨𝗟-𝓑𝗔𝗧𝗔𝗔𝗥﹗modern @apoetnotfighter]

ㅤ
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Was able to catch some of the papers as they flew away, the tiniest smile on his face.
ㅤ
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀❛ㅤGenya sent me. Ypu are supposed to attend tonight's dinner with our guests. ❜

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

“ . . . hm ?”

upon realising he is no longer alone , he jumps hard enough to send a stack of papers toppling .

“ ah . tolya .

hello .”

[ᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠ𝓨𝗨𝗟-𝓑𝗔𝗧𝗔𝗔𝗥﹗modern @apoetnotfighter]

ㅤ
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀❛ㅤDavid? David? ❜

Has been trying to get his attention for a minute already.

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

< like david doesn’t quite know what to do with it .

and . . . it had been zoya that had told him about this . . .

“ i stole a book ,” he blurts . “ from you . sorry .”

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

david is caught and he knows it —

what he doesn’t know is what will happen next .

he was raised to fear the recriminations of the darkling , and part of him still flinches in anticipation of it . but . . .

nikolai has always been kind . so much so that a well - heeled dog >

[𝒫𝑹𝑰𝑽𝑨𝑻𝑬𝑬𝑹 . @sobachkaIantsov]

nikolai's eyebrow raises and a quizzical smile spreads on his lips.

" thank god the theatre has never interested you- you'd be a terrible actor, " he says, but he knows not to ask about the book directly. david will tell him; he's just allowing him a moment to create an excuse.

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

. . . why would she need to wrestle a pig ? he’s lost the thread of this conversation completely .

he’s never once had a hard time in his love life .

[‍ ‍ 𝓦͟𝑰͟𝑻͟𝑪͟𝑯. @ostiweaver]

hah .ᐟ nina would wrestle a giant pig to see the apparat try and take on zoya. he would most likely end up charred meat.

some people like the romance. they say if one is having a hard time in their love life then they ought to consult fiction.

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

< it isn’t working .

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

david hums noncommittally , dragging himself back into his seat . he keeps his hand spread over the cover of the book as though he could wish away its title .

“ sorry . . . i didn’t hear you come in . did you need something ?”

he is trying very hard to be 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 . >

[𝒫𝑹𝑰𝑽𝑨𝑻𝑬𝑬𝑹 . @sobachkaIantsov]

> poorly hidden book, " reading. "

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

exactly . this is precisely the kind of book that the apparat tried to have removed . david had to sneak it out of the palace library , and he is still halfway convinced he’ll be exiled for having it .

even though it was all zoya’s idea .

no , but . . . why bother ?

[‍ ‍ 𝓦͟𝑰͟𝑻͟𝑪͟𝑯. @ostiweaver]

they’re lucky the apparat is no longer skulking around corners. even nina remembers his 𝑒𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑠𝑚 for the saints.

⠀⠀ he doesn’t have to stop liking non-fiction to enjoy fiction.

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

< “ don’t tell genya ? she’ll lecture me .”

still he only picks at the food , his eyes scanning back over his notes to see if he can glean any extra insight from between the cramped lines of text .

“ do you know much about atomic bonds ?” he asks without looking up .

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

david has to finish the sentence he is scrawling in his notebook before he is able to look up .

when he does , he squints at the food as though he hasn’t seen a plate before .

“ . . . i actually don’t remember when i ate ,” he admits , and drags the plate towards himself . >

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

because the ideas within it are sacrilegious and , largely , imply that the saints are less than . . . well , 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 . the scholar that wrote it was excommunicated and all the copies burned . except the one he has .

but he enjoys non - fiction . . .

[‍ ‍ 𝓦͟𝑰͟𝑻͟𝑪͟𝑯. @ostiweaver]

𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥. why is david reading a banned book? it just became infinitely more interesting.

⠀⠀ well, mostly it’s for enjoyment,

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

it is fascinating , and dangerous . truthfully . . . this book is 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥 .

what’s the 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 of fiction , though ?

[‍ ‍ 𝓦͟𝑰͟𝑻͟𝑪͟𝑯. @ostiweaver]

even the name lulls her to sleep. though, she’s sure it has some interesting parts.

⠀⠀ fiction is brilliant .ᐟ there’s romance and swords and loyal animal companions.

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

he 𝗷𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘀 with the sudden freneticism of someone who has been caught doing something very bad . he scrabbles to hide the book and , in doing so , almost upends his tea across the desk .

he has to lunge to catch it and stays there , pinned by the awkwardness of this moment .

[𝒫𝑹𝑰𝑽𝑨𝑻𝑬𝑬𝑹 . @sobachkaIantsov]

he sometimes wonders how close someone would need to be to sneak up on david, and whether he should consider a constant guard to protect him.

it might not be necessary...but then again...

" i've never had ink accented tea, is it good? "

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

what . . . ? 𝙣𝙤 . fiction of that kind isn’t his style .

or fiction of 𝘢𝘯𝘺 kind , honestly .

it’s a treatise on the nature of the small sciences , of their interconnectedness and their connection to the saints .

[‍ ‍ 𝓦͟𝑰͟𝑻͟𝑪͟𝑯. @ostiweaver]

yes. he needs sleep.

⠀⠀ what could possibly be so entertaining? is it a princess and the barbarian sequel?

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

is that something he ought to be keeping track of ?

he’s been 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 .

[‍ ‍ 𝓦͟𝑰͟𝑻͟𝑪͟𝑯. @ostiweaver]

saints.

⠀⠀ when was the last time he slept?

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

he is entirely oblivious to being watched —

his whole body bent over a book as though he plans to disappear into it .

[𝒫𝑹𝑰𝑽𝑨𝑻𝑬𝑬𝑹 . @sobachkaIantsov]

observing from a doorway.

he's unsure whether to be concerned or if it is simply a better, more efficient way to stir drinks.

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

𝘰𝘩 —

he hadn’t noticed he was doing that . he has a spoon , 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 . . .

[‍ ‍ 𝓦͟𝑰͟𝑻͟𝑪͟𝑯. @ostiweaver]

⠀⠀ he’s ruining the flavour .ᐟ

[‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎𝐃͟𝐔͟𝐑͟𝐀͟𝐒͟𝐓 . @PERlTUS]

hm ?

[‍ ‍ 𝓦͟𝑰͟𝑻͟𝑪͟𝑯. @ostiweaver]

⠀⠀ he — .ᐟ