You'll Be Having Fun. It's Not A Request (Caz)

[door]

Door knew that May 1st was Caz's birthday. She knew that this year it would likely not be something that he wanted to celebrate. She knew that he probably wanted to stay in his home, alone, and contemplate everything that had happened to him that he couldn't remember.

And that was simply not going to stand.

Caz had been having a hard time for a while and God, did Door understand, but birthdays were for more than that! Birthdays were for smiling and celebrating and being happy. And Door was going to force the man to have some damn fun if it killed her.

So, she dragged him out of his house (after slapping a birthday hat on his head and a sash over his eyes) and was leading him towards a large event that was going on towards the convention center.

"Alright, let's go over the rules again," Door smiled, a birthday hat on her head too. She was holding Caz's hand and had her arm wrapped around his shoulders, leading him. "One, we're not allowed to talk about that horrible thing we're both unhappy about. Two, if either of us start to have sad, contemplative looks, the other must poke said sad sack. And third, I'm buying you a gift. No ifs ands or buts." Door had planned this out carefully, desperately trying to come up with something that would make Caz truly happy.

"You ready?" she asked as she stopped, finally arriving at their destination. She took the sash off to reveal booths and booths filled with books. People selling, people trading, people writing, everything book related was here. "Welcome to the Trenale Festival of Books."

[cazaril]

Caz had never been so excited for a birthday treat when she had ordered it - at first he was sceptical, at first he was worried that he would ruin it, but after hearing her rules, he had the right to make sure she was happy too - it was a double ended sword, they had no choice.

"All right all right!" he told her, he couldn't see, walking like a zombie with his hands out, and feeling his ears being pinched by he presumed a hat of some kind, and he started to hear noises around him, people, generally, and a really familiar smell.

Well, apart from the smell of Door's skin, and the way her arm was draped over him leading him to his treat, he didn't realize until then how easily he could recognize it.

The sash came off, the festival presented, and Caz's face lit up considerably. He laughed widely, looking around the attractions, "You're a genius" he told her, and grabbing her hand they rushed off into the crowd towards one of the book stands.

"Oooh look Door, Gothic horror!" he said wiggling his fingers, he suddenly felt like he was a whole different person with the ground rules in place, giving Door a wide smile.

[door]

When she saw the look on Caz's face, Door lit up. She had been trying to make something like that happen for what felt like months and here it was. It was as utterly fulfilling as she expected it to be. She had never seen him grin so large, either as he was now or before (No thinking about that, Door!) and, for the first time in a long time, she felt that she had done something completely right.

She smiled as he started dragging her now, running a bit to keep up. He looked like a kid in a candy story, unsure of what lovely to sample first. She was thrilled when he went for Gothic horror. She ran her free hand (her other was still clasped with Caz's) over the spines and her own face lightened.

"Look, Lovecraft! Early edition Lovecraft!" She looked over the book for a moment before abandoning it. "John Moore!" She smiled. She took a moment, looking around at all the booths, sighing contently for once.

As if she needed more reason to love the written word.

[cazaril]

"Bram Stoker! Mary Shelley! Door look look Edgar Allen Poe!"

Caz was laughing, his eyes wide with excitement, he picked up each book with anticipation, and with one hand, he was still holding Door's and as he flickered over books and pages, a sinking feeling hit him, that he had to ignore for now - had too.

Chalion didn't have these books...Chalion was not the same bleeding century...he had to of read these books in the future -- or the past, or what have you.

He kicked himself internally, it was very clear that books played a large part of him at any age, but he had never realized just how many books his future self had read, he felt like he had a whole diary of knowledge.

And if that was the case from just reading the names and holding their pages, and smelling that new book smell...was it that easy to remember other stuff?

He took another breathe, distracting himself from that thought, he had too, he needed that excitement back, he caught hold of Door and dragged her towards another stall, "Which one next, you choose."

His hand was still tight in hers, almost like a lifeline, he was too afraid to break it.

[door]

Door chuckled as he busted out a few of her favorite people. "I swear, if we go much faster we're gonna OD on classic lit!" She couldn't be more thrilled for the excitement and utter speed. It was just what they both needed - some time way from serious thoughts and just some good old fashioned fun.

She took the Shelley from Caz's hand, skimming through the pages until she found it - her favorite passage. She cleared her throat and read out loud. "I trembled and my heart failed within me, when, on looking up, I saw by the light of the moon the daemon at the casement. A ghastly grin wrinkled his lips as he gazed on me, where I sat fulfilling the task which he had allotted to me. Yes, he had followed me in my travels; he had loitered in forests, hid himself in caves, or taken refuge in wide and desert heaths; and he now came to mark my progress and claim the fulfilment of my promise." She close the book with a THWACK and smiled brightly, putting it back down.

She giggled as Caz dragged her towards no place particular. She didn't notice that her thumb was subconsciously stroking his or that she always settled a bit closer to him than before when they stopped. She looked around at the booths, turning in what was close to a full circle.

"Oh oh oh! Science fiction!" She tightened her grip on Caz's hand and took off running.

[cazaril]

Caz looked to her as she recited from Frankenstein and he felt himself able to mouth along, his eyes went a little funny. This place was as much a torture as it was a delight, atleast Door looked happy, she seemed it, he hid it awfully well though, trying to not let it take over his mind, he let himself be dragged to another section of the festival.

Caz didn't know as much about Science fiction - to his inner relief, and he smiled, pointing out the most famous ones he did know, his eyes sparkled as he turned to one book that he knew he'd read, "Ahh, The Time Machine" he said with a smirk, "Now that was a book I--"

remember reading...

He stopped himself, how could he remember the book, the words the pages, the feeling but nothing else? Not where he was sat or how he was feeling? Why were all those things missing, it felt detached, and alien and wrong.

"Another table?" he asked, this time a little more subdued, it was getting harder and harder to hide the issue he was having even though he wanted nothing more than to enjoy himself. If only he could find a stand of books he hadn't read....

[door]

Door was filled with such giddy that she had a hard time picking up that Caz was no longer as elated as she was. When he mouthed along to Frankenstein, she thought it was amazing - he loved this moment of the book so much that he had it memorized. She smiled, happily searching her favorite genre. It was the most like real life, for her, and she was eager to point out the books that mirrored the London Below. That eagerness slid away though.

"Sure." She eyed the man carefully, moving away from Delaney and Asimov and Herbert. She watched him for a moment, trying to size up the situation. Things had changed again, Caz's mind was light years away. She knew she was supposed to poke him and bring him back to the happy reality, but she was simply too worried for that to be the case.

She stopped suddenly, taking Caz's hand in her. "Are you okay?" she asked, genuine concern on her face. They were on top of the world literally moments before and now he seemed...distant again. She thought they were having fun, that she had managed to find a way to give him some enjoyment. But that seemed to be fleeting yet again.

[cazaril]

Caz sighed, he had ruined it, "I'm sorry..." he began, he bit his lip as he tried to think of how to explain, "It's the books....all these books, I've not read them...but I remember them...."

He shook his head, "I'm sorry, just, I think we need to find a part of the festival where it's all new to...me and...the other me..."

He gave her a tight smile, "I'm glad you're having a good time though..."

[door]

Door went to tuck some of her hair behind her ear only to be reminded that she had cut it all off. She reached back and ran a hand over her crown. She bit her lip, running over genres in her mind. She had finally gotten Caz happy and she wasn't going to let that go. The man deserved to smile every now and again.

A light bulb went off over her head and she smiled brightly at the tall man in front of her. She let one of his hands go and dragged him to a large booth marked "New Releases".

"Two months or younger. There's no way you'll get vibes off of these." She hoped anyway. This trip wasn't supposed to be about her having a good time...it was supposed to be about getting Caz to smile.

[cazaril]

Caz watched Door and he had to laugh as she seemed to be the girl with a plan to wash these all away. New releases certainly seemed to be the ticket, he found himself enjoying himself easily just by coming across a book with that old book smell. He was grinning again, emerging himself in the first page of a few of the books at the stall.

His hand found hers again, and he grinned, "You should read this one, you'll like it" he passed over to her, all about a girl who longed to leave the circus and the adventures she got into.

He took a moment to watch her when someone from behind knocked him forward and in the process in steadying himself, their faces landed close together.

"Watch it!" someone called behind him, but he didn't reply, he was smiling at Door, unable to speak, feeling like a mute and going red behind his ears.

[door]

She smiled as she looked at the book, laughing at Caz. She shifted her weight so she was a bit closer to him as she continued to peruse the selection he had made for her. He was right - it did seem she would like it.

Door looked up at the man, her hand still in his, their faces close. She could feel his body heat and see all the little changes in his face when he smiled. She smiled too, carefully, her eyes locked on his. Her heart felt like it might pound out of her chest.

"Y-you okay?" Her voice came out closer to a whisper than she meant it too.

[cazaril]

Caz could think straight, how could he, if you could slow down the seconds, Caz's mind was working in over time, his eyes fell on her eyes, to her face, to her lips, and he found himself wanting to kiss them, he found himself wanting to tell her that he wanted to kiss her...

"Yeah....I'm okay" he said, and instead of kissing her, he wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "This is by far my best birthday" he whispered.

[door]

Door stared and, for a single moment, felt that the kiss was inevitable.

Had the situation been different, Door wouldn't have had a problem initiating a kiss. No, that was just fine by her, but she wasn't going to do that with Caz. He had been going through a lot and he needed someone who was able to be there for him. She didn't ant to do anything that was going to screw that up for him and, so, it would be up to Caz to decide if this was going to go any further.

The kiss didn't come, but the hug was sweet. She pushed her head against his chest, finding that she fit in arms very easily. She smiled. "I'm glad. You most definitely deserve a very happy birthday."

As the hug ended, Door held up the book he had handed her. "I'm buying this. You want anything? I still owe you a gift, after all." She smiled, winking. The was walking out of this festival with a book in his hand, period. It was just whether or not it would be from this stall. He had plenty of time to look, too, it wasn't as though they were on a time crunch.

[cazaril]

Caz enjoyed that hug, he enjoyed the way she was settled on his chest and he enjoyed the way his head rested on hers just right. He didn't say anything, smiling at her words. "If you say so" he told her, before she decided on breaking the hug and insisting the book he'd suggested was to be bought.

He looked around the books, seeing nothing despite his love of literature that really caught his eye, though he did see one that seemed to be about a wizard that made him chuckle for some reason. He had been completely emersing himself, his hand still in Door's when he noticed a stall out of the corner of his eye.

"Can we look over there?" he asked, the stall was surrounded by children, some too small to see over the top of the table, and though he knew that he surely hadn't read any of them, he just wanted to look.

[door]

Door sort of loved that moment. His head on top of hers, holding her close. It was...well...comfortable. So much of their relationship had been difficult and painful and quiet; it was nice to have a moment where it was just two people, happy to be together in that moment. It almost felt...no. Door didn't want to get ahead of herself.

She bought the book and they handed her a bag for it. When she returned to Caz she took his hand again, linking their fingers. It was starting to feel almost natural, the way they touched. It was definitely enough to make Door feel a little more solid in her feelings for the man.

"Sure, children's books are a ton of fun." She smiled as they started walking towards the table. She looked down at all the kids, most of them barely coming up to her waist (and on someone Door's height that was substantial). She turned back up towards Caz. "Maybe we'll find something about a caterpillar trying to make friends with a bird." She shrugged. That sounded like a common sort of theme.