#earthrunes

"Mmmrrr, of course. Next Sunday it is." Humming to himself, as he gives the already spotless counter a cursory wipe.

"Oh, I'm fine. But I begin to understand why you're concerned about the celebration. It's going to test my temper."

A slight smile to Vince at the automatic scheduling of lessons.

Familiar forehead lines. "Coradel, I'll do it."

"Oh, August...that's sweet, but how would that look? Me avoiding my role on my first Carnivale. No, I'll do it. And you'll help me forget about it the next day." She leans to give him a light kiss.

A curious glance from sidhe to sidhe. "Who is freeholder, may I ask? I was given a brochure, on my way in, but I just haven't found the time for pleasure reading..."

Coradel smiles and raises a hand. "That would be me. The prior Baron took me in and fostered me, and made me his heir as he passed." A tone of sadness, and she takes another sip.

"Ah, the Eilunid lord I heard mentioned. Sorry to hear, mrrr." A look to August. "That makes you, Baron?" Head tilted to one side.

"Ah. No." He looks at the glasses in front of him, sighs, and essays a tentative little sip of the cocktail.

He gives an expressive shrug. "Courtly procedure and succession, I think I napped through those lessons. I -do- need my 20 hours of beauty rest."

Coradel gives August a pointed look.

"He could be named Baron, but he's resisting it," she tells the pooka. "But he's more comfortable as a knight and the court scribe, so I'm hardly one to interfere with those wishes."

From his expression, the drink is still strong.

"Why?" He asks towards August, curiosity evident in his peering look.

"Why what?"

Coradel's hand is lightly stroking August's shoulder, a familiar comfortable gesture.

"Why not be named Baron?" An easy smile as he sips his glass. "Ultimate power, within thy grasp?"

"Because I have not trained or educated for it, I don't know how to do it, and I have no ambition for it."

A sip of her drink, but otherwise she just listens for the moment.

An amused snort. "Well, ask a stupid question, get a really good answer. Not all would see it this way. Points one, two, and three, experience can be gained." A pause, and he remarks offhandedly, "I heard once, a saying, about how the man who does not desire power is oft times the best to weild it." He shrugs expressively. "But then again, I was born to be King, so who am I to say?"

A smile, and she adds quietly, "I think as a scribe you've observed at least as many court functions as I have. You've more experience in that way...and it's the experience of one not groomed to a role, so it may be more...honest?"

"I had thought you were librarian? His forehead wrinkles, and he flips through the notepad he had set aside earlier. "Perhaps I misheard? Or does that go in hand with being Scribe?"

"Coradel gave me the library." He says, with a shy smile and a glance at the lady in question. "So I'm Librarian too."

"Anyway, if I'm going to be Librarian and Scribe and Knight, and student and... so I won't have time to do the duties of a Baron justice."

She beams at him. "It makes perfect sense. Oh, and I saw Zara earlier, did you happen to run into her?"

"Perhaps, delegation, is the key?" He purrs, and offers. "Here now, I'll take over the library. Tell me are there many nooks in the sunshine, to nap within?"

"No! Was she here? Oh, darn. I'd have liked to see her."

"I, ah, I'd like to keep the library Vince; there isn't much sunlight there now, actually."

Coradel laughs at Vince's offer. "It's rather dark...I'm told that's better for the books."

"She may still be around."

"Ahhh... poor things. Too much dust makes me sneeze, in any case. Still, it is good to hear that despite the duties appointed to you, you still find time to pursue your own interests. Balance, after all, is the key, should one want to land on their feet."

She looks from one to the other, then sips her drink again. "So...you two have had a chance to talk, clearly."

He glances at Vince.

He gazes back, guileless and innocent. "A bit, indeed. Idle chit chat, as it were."

August nods and tries the Manehatten again.

"Oh, I see." Another glance between them. "Anything I might be interested in?"

"We... ah... " He clears his throat, almost drinks the cocktail, switches to and drinks some water, and then turns to her. "We... seem to have similar memories about ... Before."

"Similar? I didn't know...August, I thought you didn't remember Vince...?"

He affects a pout. "As if I could be anything BUT memorable."

"I didn't." Quietly. "Until I slept."

A gentle smile to Vince, the she looks to August again. "Until you...oh...yes, you've been restless, in dreams." She reaches to stroke fingers lightly through his hair.

He nods, sipping his water.

"Ultimately, it's your call, Coradel." Quietly.

Is that a spot on one of the glasses? Aside, Vince is suddenly intrigued with buffing it with the corner of his barback's smock.

She's quiet a moment, then finishes her drink. "Whiskers, could you give us a moment alone?"

He speaks up suddenly, as if he didn't hear her. "I swear I had brought another bottle of cordial - now where did it go? Pardon me, just a nonce..." And he slips out from behind the bar, and into the storeroom in the back.

August exhales. "You keep running the staff out of the bar." Not without humor.

A fond smile at the pooka's rapid departure. Then she lays a hand atop one of August's hands. "My love, I want to be sure I understand. For I will not allow this further if you think he would in any way jeopardize us. I do trust him...but I need you to trust him, too."

August shrugs. "I trust his intentions towards... towards us, towards you... me. But we are all different people than we were. I'm still nervous."

"I know. August...I'm glad you trust him that much. I do, as well. As for the rest...we shall see. But you will always come first, my love."