[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190120/b458a81531631a6916fa9413063c5f80.png[/img][/center]
Aaron allowed himself an amused hum at Max’s distaste, crossing his arms as he listened. Honestly, he couldn’t tell if Max was trying to help him or hurt him. From that shit-eating grin earlier (not to mention Aaron had assumed the latter, but if Max started the whole conversation with a lie just to throw him off some scent, then he must have been mistaken about how much Varis cared about the whole debacle; if he was trying to help, then why not just wait until they could speak privately? Aaron wanted to believe Max meant it when he said he wanted to be genuine once in a while, but things like these could blow up in [i]both[/i] of their faces if they got picked up by the wrong people. 

Ugh, but Aaron wasn’t sure why he even tried to understand. While the very idea tempted his mind to start chasing its tail again, the only way he’d stop the looping until he could get a second opinion was to remind himself that he was probably overthinking things again. He was adding layers where there were none; Max was probably just as new and clueless at all this chicanery garbage as he was, and if he [i]was[/i] trying for some slick move, he was kinda sucking at it. Either way, nothing to worry about for the moment. 

[color=f0d705]“Thanks,”[/color] he replied simply, effectively disengaging from that conversation. Fortunately, Maddie was still trying to steer the room away from sketchy topics, and landed on one to which Aaron could actually contribute. 

[color=f0d705]“I didn’t realize you knew Kanalie,”[/color] he commented absently, leaning on the back of the couch. He didn’t know her either, only that she was Lilie’s senior friend, but apparently she was a friend of Alexander’s. That whole morning after the practical was still a bizarre haze in his head, truth be told; sometimes he forgot it actually happened. If he had to guess, he’d say it was probably the blue-haired water mage—Diego?—passing on that eloquent message, and he couldn’t resist a grin. As weird and foreign and [i]weird[/i] as it had been to hang out with that bunch, he couldn’t say he didn’t enjoy it—he even peeked into their group chat from time to time. The message sounded a little ominous, but given what he knew about the Mental program so far, it was probably true. His next semester was supposed to be brutal, and his schedule was set to be packed even tighter than it already was; maybe a “break” before the break was warranted. 

Still, he had to shake his head at “Firefly”; it was one of his better nicknames, to be sure, but it was still a nickname, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. Sunny, Starag, Firefly, [i]boy[/i]—who would believe that of all the people he saw on a nightly basis, [i]Max[/i] was the one who most often used his real name? Aaron chose to find it funny, if only to stop himself from finding it sad, though when Lilie spoke up, he was reminded that there was one nickname he’d be happy to hear more often. 

[color=00bfff]"Firefly? I think I prefer [i]Maestro[/i], they'd definitely agree with me if they ever saw him play."[/color]

If the name alone wasn’t enough to turn his ears red, the look he caught from Lilie after would definitely do the trick. Honestly, what a mess he was; one word and one shy little look and he was melting for her all over again. Her words in the kitchen were all but forgotten, replaced by memories of a beautiful calm night on the property wall, listening to her sing along with his cello, practically glowing under the moonlight… It was a memory he kept close at hand on his toughest nights, and he was a little shocked to learn that she remembered it as well as he did.

[color=f0d705]“I’d… be happy to go, if I can get leave,”[/color] Aaron finally tore his eyes back to Madalyn, pausing mid-sentence only to stop himself from stammering. Like hell he’d miss a chance to spend another morning with Lilie; sneaking off to the beach during Revel would have been up there with the top ten nights of his life if not for the fact that the whole affair was rudely overshadowed by a murder, and reciprocated feelings or not, he wouldn’t miss an opportunity to try and repeat it. 

A gentle buzz on his wrist tore him out of his reverie, and a quick glance at his watch had Aaron jumping to his feet. It was time to serve the next bottle! But, wait, how was it already so late? There were two bottles left, but definitely not enough time to serve them both. Shit! He shouldn't have gotten carried away, his watch would have alerted him, so did Varis calculate wrong? No, no, he must have spent too much time serving over the course of the evening - and Eris' little interlude certainly didn't help!

[color=f0d705]“Please, excuse me,”[/color] he told the room before heading back into the kitchen, racking his brain over what to do. He couldn't very well close off Varis' party with someone else's mage's blood, and [i]certainly[/i] not Count Victor's; Varis thought low enough of the "headhunting brute" not to even bother with messing with him at his own party. Skipping Salem's bottle would mean going off-script, but Aaron was pretty sure that his own blood being served last was more important than Salem's being served precisely second-last. 

It was nerve-racking to go against Varis' predetermined menu, but for once Aaron forced himself to make an executive decision, switching Salem's bottle for his own on the next outgoing tray. He'd hear about it when the guests were gone, he knew, but he'd hear about it no matter which choice he made; at least this way, Varis couldn't accuse him of blindly following direction.  
[right][sub][@Scribe of Thoth] [@Achronum] [@Hero][/sub][/right]