When Ari had first seen the councilor through the crowd, she’d considered briefly before deciding that she ought to approach him. She had no doubt the events that had transpired in the last attack were not far from his mind -- and perhaps he was truly naive enough to believe her lie of having seen nothing -- but she did not have to bring it up unless he did.
She was still not entirely certain that she wanted the Mages’ Guild apprised of her… situation. The interview Aud had sat through (for all that her friend insisted they had all been very polite) did not appeal to her. Really, too many people knew already. And with the city in its current state…
But a friend approaching a friend over tea (in her case, coffee) was harmless enough, and the worst thing she could do to arouse suspicion would be to avoid him. Accordingly, her smile was all easy cheer as she came up alongside him and said, “Excuse me, sir, but I am dying to know -- do you like my hat?”
“Ari!” Merri smiled, his attention drawn away from studying the leaves in his tea (he’d read about doing so to tell the future a few years ago, but too much time had passed and he’d forgotten what specific patterns meant anymore -- it was a nice distraction from some of the colder attitudes of some of the guests, and the stress of engaging with others Merri barely recalled the names of; fortunately, Carbuncle was quiet today). He took a moment to admire her hat, his grin going broader, and said, “It’s one of the most fun hats here, I love it!”
Better than his, at any rate. It was a regular brown hat to go with his suit, and it was inconspicuous. Merri hadn’t known what to expect, really, when the invitation insisted the everyone wore hats, and he had nothing fashionable in his wardrobe. Modest seemed the best course of action; he was too self-conscious for anything else.
“In this particular house, I’ve found it is always best to make a statement,” Ari said. “The duke appreciates entertainment in its many forms. Besides,” she shook her head, her smile widening at the tinkling, “I rather like the bells. I am almost like one of the faeries from the tales -- I am only missing the wings. You could cast Float on me,” she added, really warming up to the idea.
“I wish I could,” he responded sheepishly. “It’s… actually not something I know. But I can learn it, I’m sure!”
She laughed and patted him on the arm. “I would not make it a priority for purposes of making me a faerie, though I thank you for the offer.” She selected a scone from the nearby table, taking a bite before she queried, “How are you, anyway? You seem quite well, compared to the last time I saw you.” She had left him at the nearest clinic and hobbled out, refusing to listen to the white mage who urged her to stay behind.
She hadn’t even found Aspel or Drake, in the end, and had vented her temper on another stone head.