[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/PVzDjEH.png[/img]

[h2][color=goldenrod]Flavia Astra[/color][/h2][/center]

Why did they have to be so noisy. This was a library after all. Flavia glared over the top of her book, across the room, at Ladon messing with poor Ceri, before ducking her head back behind the book. She wanted to leap to the defense of her friend but she could never muster the nerve to do such a thing. ...besides, she was on the short side as well. What could she accomplish? She watched evenst play out, book forgotten for the moment. She hid a grin as Ceri ran out for Illy, imagining the Mirror mage giving the trolling Devil Slayer a thrashing. He ran after her, shouting an apology. 

[i][color=goldenrod]Take that you bully.[/color][/i] She thought in the safety of her own head.

The soap opera over for the moment, she returned to her book. Or books, really. She had a small array of them in a half circle around her, some lying open, others propped up. directly in front of her was a few sheaves of paper, covered margin to margin with small, neat rows of letter, along with a ink pot. Her pen was held carefully in one hand, held outward to avoid any potential ink drips, with a book in the other. She was cross-referencing an interesting magic formula she found with a few others in an attempt to understand it. But she couldn't find the right book. Hm...

Her gaze drifted over to where Ceri had been sitting. Upon it was the book she was reading before Ladon had teased her with another. It couldn't be...could it?

She nervously glanced around at the few people still here. Most were absorbed in what they were doing. Maaaaby just a peek? Ceri wouldn't mind, right?

She could do this. She could be brave. [color=goldenrod]"Be brave, Flavia. Be brave."[/color] Maybe if she could do this, it would be a step forward? Carefully, she laid down the book she had been holding and tucked the quill into it's ink pot. With another glance around to make sure no one was watching her, she slid the chair back, winching at the creak and got to her feet. Trying to act nonchalantly and looking as fishy as an aquarium, she walked over and pretended to peruse the bookshelf next to the table. Now what? She glanced at them out of the corner of her eye. They were lying shut, titles down. Curses. foiled again. ...or maybe she could lift them and take a peek? She shuffled closer. Maybe it wasn't the right book. Could be just a story book or something. Ceri read lots of those right? Maybe she should wait. If she came back and saw Flavia looking at her books...No, she couldn't let her nerve fail. She [i]had[/i] to do this. Still facing the bookshelves, she slowly reach out a hand. Just a peek at the title. Nothing more. Slowly, she leaned over as she, slowly, lifted the book. Almost there. She could see the light glint off the title. Aaaalmost there... [b]Crash![/b] 

[color=goldenrod]"EEEP!"[/color] She squeaked, flailing in surprise. Her leaning position making her lose her balance, and her convolsing hand catching the edge of the book and flipping it open. She went crashing to the floor, and the book, flipping open, pulled itself off the table and fell on her head. [i]Thunk[/i]

[color=goldenrod]"Ow..."[/color] She groaned, reflecting suddenly on how silly she was being.

She grabbed the book with one hand and felt her sore head with the other as she got to her feet. What was that? And, more importantly, did anyone see her? She looked around. Everyone else was too busy looking in the direction the loud noise had come from to note Flavia's mishap. [color=goldenrod][I]Whew[/I][/color]

But what had that been? She placed the pilfered book with the others in her pile, and went wandering out to check on the noise. Unwittingly following Ceri and Ladon, her ears lead her to the main hall, where she emerged to a scene of pure carnage. Food, plates, and people were flying everywhere, chairs and tables lay in ruins and the walls and floors were pock-marketed with fresh craters. [color=goldenrod][I]Oh. A brawl.[/I][/color] She wasn't really surprised. Dragon Heart's members loved to rough each other up in the name of friendship. At first it had scared her, but once she learned that there were (rarely) any hard feeling behind it... no it still scared her. The timid mage shrank back in the door frame. [color=goldenrod]"I think I'll go back to my books..."[/color] She muttered, turning around to go hide back in the library until it was over. Her stomach growled loudly, reminding her she missed breakfast. But with the state the hall was in, she didn't dare venture out in search of food.