[h2][b]Sparks Fly[/b][/h2][sup][Aelious + Esmeralda, with a touch of Verity and Jonathan][/sup] Golovan was a great man. A masterful man. House Aureolin owed the Star Sage for the knowledge that he disseminated, the star maps that guided ships and wyverns through long, moonless nights. But Golovan was also a long dead man, and Aelious didn’t feel particularly bad as Freecloud perched upon the Observatory, the gleaming wyvern applying just enough pressure to keep ahold of his position, without damaging the stonework beneath. Smart boy, really. Though he didn’t have anything like a massive, overpowered telescope, the Heir of House Aureolin could see the rest of Harrow’s Keep just fine from his vantage point, and he could do it without awkwardly squinting one eye while mashing it against a metal scope. It had been a good morning for flying, and now, with some nice exercise done on both their parts, it was high time for some lunch. Unwrapping some aged beef, Aelious sliced chunks of it off with his dagger, before absentmindedly tossing the bloodied chunks into the air for Freecloud to snatch up. While his steed may be granted delicious, marbled meat, his own lunch was simply bread and wine, nice and light. As he ate, he glanced over to his wristwatch. Hopefully none of the Harrow Bros were gonna tell him off for this, right? Or, hell, if he were to be chastised for ‘rapscallion behavior’ by a House Lord or Lady. Banish the thought, honestly. … Well, maybe company wouldn’t be bad either, even if every other House representative was so insistent on the masks they wore. [color=d8cfbe][b]“Hey! What’re you doing on the roof?”[/b][/color] Aelious looked down and saw an older monk through the telescope slot. [color=d8cfbe][b]“Get off the roof! People aren’t supposed to go up there. The retractable portion is fragile!”[/b][/color] [b]“Which is why I’m treating it with care,” [/b]Aelious responded, an easy smile on his face. [b]“So long as it isn’t damaged, there’s no reason why I can’t be up here, right?”[/b] [color=d8cfbe][b]“...” [/b][/color]The monk stopped as another one came running. The approaching one whispered something into his ear. [color=d8cfbe][b]“...Alright, Sir Aureolin. But you must be careful, or we’ll be billing your lord for any expenses caused by your beast!”[/b][/color] The monk sat down on a sofa, where he could keep an eye on the two perched on the roof. [b]“I’m always careful.”[/b] Aelious winked, before accidentally(?) tossing a slice of meat a little too far out. With a grunt, Freecloud lunged forward, the shifting of his weight almost(?) enough to superficially damage the roof. But there was no harm done, and the Heir looked unflappable up there, leaning back. Sipping at his wine, cheap by the standards of any blue-blooded aristocrat, the bespectacled man let out a content sigh. A nice clear day indeed. He snapped his fingers, drawing the attention of the monk down below, and tossed over his flask of wine. [b]“What’s your name, friend?”[/b] he asked, carefully breaking a loaf of bread in half. With an ungloved hand, Aelious picked the crumbs off his lap, while his wyvern opened up his razor-sharp maw to lick them off. The monk below scrambled to catch the falling bottle. [color=d8cfbe][b]“Jonathan, my lord.”[/b][/color] He looked at the flask and set it aside on one of the coffee tables. [color=d8cfbe][b]“While I may enjoy some alcohol from time to time-”[/b][/color] The monk looked sidelong at the flask distastefully. [color=d8cfbe][b]“-I hesitate to partake in such foolishness on a [i]roof.”[/i][/b][/color] [b]“And for that reason, I’m sharing with you.”[/b] Aelious laughed. [b]“Suppose you’ll be watching me till I depart, so may as well take it easy till then, no?”[/b] [color=d8cfbe][b]“Thank you for the offer, my lord, but I am on duty,”[/b][/color] Jonathan leaned back in his chair. [color=d8cfbe][b]“How… how old is your wyvern?”[/b][/color] Aelious shrugged. He could respect that, at least, even if he couldn’t understand it himself. What use was being sober when you flew through the eye of a blizzard? Being completely clearminded was the task of wyverns, not their riders, after all. He ran a comforting hand over the neck scales of Freecloud. Good thing he had enough brains and good sense for the both of them, neh? [b]“Eleven,” [/b]the Heir replied, switching his legs to one side so he could more easily face the bald-headed monk. [b]“Freecloud’s got ‘bout twenty or more years to go before he can retire and be a stud, so till then, Imma get him as many accolades as possible. Why the question though? Own one yourself?”[/b] The monk shrugged. [color=d8cfbe][b]“Making small talk,”[/b][/color] he called. A blonde woman strode up to the sitting Brother. [color=d8cfbe][b]“Could you possibly be any louder?”[/b][/color] she asked. [color=d8cfbe][b]“Who are you even- Oh. An [i]Aureolin.”[/i][/b][/color] It was Esmeralda Nols, uptight as ever. The woman could write a novel in the dirt with the stick up her ass. [b]“Lady Nols,”[/b] Aelious kept his swashbuckling grin on, tipping an invisible hat in the direction of the trade mogul. [b]“Come to pay respects too?”[/b] [color=d8cfbe][b]“Only if it’s your house’s funeral, Aelious. How’s Althein?”[/b][/color] Each word dripped with annoyance. [b]“Here’s to hoping you’ve the same constitution as Lord Balaur then,”[/b] Aelious replied, unperturbed. Thorny as Esmeralda was, the Aureolin Heir found her attitude refreshingly sour. It was easy to see where he stood with her, if nothing else. [b]“And Althein’s doing wonderfully; he’s rather looking forward to seeing the new Immolis Lord, really. Have you brought Carrey with you, milady? Or is he still at the estate?”[/b] [color=d8cfbe][b]“Carrey’s at home. I see you’ve still remained single. Figures- Nobody in their right mind would care to marry you.”[/b][/color] [b]“You see that?”[/b] Aelious lifted his brows, surprised. [b]“I’m flattered you’d pay so much attention, Lady Nols.”[/b] Freecloud snorted as well, the wyvern’s bright eyes crinkling around the corners. [color=d8cfbe][b]“Only because you topped the list of ‘most eligible bachelors in Croania,’ surprisingly. I believe Dalris’s wyvern captain put it together. It’s fitting that one who rides beasts would find one such as yourself attractive.”[/b][/color] The Heir grinned. [b]“I’m sure I cut quite the dashing figure when viewed from afar. No doubt if they ever encounter me as you do though, they too would see me as absolutely insufferable.”[/b] Nols shook her head. [color=d8cfbe][b]“Incredible. Was that a shred of self-awareness I just saw? Why I-”[/b][/color] [color=d8cfbe][b]“Lady Nols,”[/b][/color] Jonathan cut in. [color=d8cfbe][b]“I understand you have some, erm, choice words to say, but could you please take it somewhere else? Your shouting has disturbed the other guests.”[/b][/color] He waved around the observatory. Aelious could see Verity Seler glowering in the far corner of the observatory. Looked like the Seler Heiress would have benefited from some snug earmuffs, huh? Aelious bowed apologetically towards the stern-faced woman, before turning back to the other stern-faced one. [b]“Well, care to join me up here for some quieter conversation, or shall you save the rest for tomorrow, Lady Nols?”[/b] She sneered. [color=d8cfbe][b]“If I went up there, I might throw myself off before a full minute passes. No, I’ll speak to you at the talks. Be ready, Aelious.” [/b][/color]She turned on her heel and left. Damn, must be real fun, being Wester Nols. Aelious shook his head, chuckling to himself. Solaris and Immolis, Aureolin and Nols. Althein was certainly gonna have a blast with this, wasn’t he? Letting out a breath, the bespectacled man snapped his fingers, a concentrated jet of air bursting from the table and popping his flask of wine back into his hand. [b]“Well, Lady Seler, Jonathan, apologies once more for that little lover’s spat, and I pray that the peace of this observatory remains undisturbed for the forseeable future.”[/b] A click of his tongue, and Freecloud unfurled his wings, diving off the roof and falling back into the sky.