ERD
Where Ard hated the summer festivities that had swooped into Denocte and practically made the entire court lose their minds with preparations and ensuing partying, Erd found it all thrilling and captivating. When was the last time they had participated in a full-blown party? Never, if he was being honest. Everything about the affair was visually stunning; the streamers, silks, ribbons, and other decorations embellishing the keep were beautiful, but nothing was quite as stunning as the outfits and the masks that the party goers adorned themselves in.
They had been skirting the outer walls of the keep when Erd had spotted a stall covered with various masks, and almost on a whim he looked over his shoulder to tell Ard to wait for a minute before diving into the crowds to reach the stall vendor. Given his far smaller frame than most of the individuals of Novus, Erd was careful to not get underfoot from the larger individuals enjoying the festival, and soon enough reached the stall.
There was a plethora of masks to choose from, all various sizes, styles, and colors. Given the cloak and cowl that he and Ard wore, getting a large mask would be cumbersome… But it was with a bit of assistance from the stall keeper that he found two identical masks that were perfect, and scooped them up, doing what needed to be done before returning to his brother’s side.
It hadn’t been hard to find Ard among the crowds, his brother standing just in the spot where he had left him moments before. Erd knew this entire affair was difficult for him. He could read it clear as day in the tension that lined his brother’s shoulders, the way he kept his head level with the rest of his body and his eyes, wide pools of turquoise depths, darted around almost feverishly as though anticipating a threat from every direction.
Erd wasn’t an idiot, even though he had been called one quite often. He knew Ard wanted to run and leave Denocte behind. His brother had told him almost a hundred times by now that he wanted to just leave the court systems behind them and travel on their own, but Erd couldn’t. Maybe it was a sense of loyalty to Marisol and Theodosia. Maybe it was fear. Regardless, no matter what it was, more than anything Erd wanted to help his brother feel more at-ease with their current state of being.
That didn’t mean it would be easy, of course, and judging by the dirty look that his twin shot him after realizing just what he had done, it wasn’t necessarily wanted. The denial was quick, a rough whispered ‘no’ on the tail end of a grunt, and Erd felt his hope begin to deflate but was determined to not let it show on his hopeful, earnest expression. Immediately, he knew what to say in order to help.
“It will help keep you safe from prying eyes,” he murmured, feeling only marginally guilty about using Ard’s insecurities to his advantage. He was, of course, only trying to help his brother not feel so alienated among the denizens of Denocte, wanting to soothe his fears and anxieties. “Please, Ard? For me?”
For a moment he thought that his attempt would be in vain, but soon enough Ard was giving in, and took the offered obsidian mask and went about situating it into place with a scowl, hood and cowl going up almost as soon as it was in place. Erd’s grin pulled at his muzzle, eyes dancing in joy as he took a moment to affix his own mask on his person and, like his twin, pulled his hood and cowl up. As they were now, it would be impossible to tell them apart, but that was the goal.
Pressing his muzzle into Ard’s shoulder, the older warlock let out a warm little laugh. “You look good. Come on, let’s go check this out. Like this, no one will pay us any mind.” And if they did? Well, Erd wasn’t the charismatic one for nothing. He could smile, talk, and charm his way out of a wet paper bag, and with his brother at his back, there was little to be worried about here.
