ACCORDING TO BRUEGHEL, WHEN ICARUS FELL, IT WAS SPRING. A FARMER WAS PLOWING HIS FIELD, THE WHOLE PAGEANTRY OF THE YEAR WAS AWAKE TINGLING NEAR THE EDGE OF THE SEA, CONCERNED WITH ITSELF. SWEATING IN THE SUN THAT MELTED THE WING'S WAX. UNSIGNIFICANTLY OFF THE COAST THERE WAS A SPLASH QUITE UNNOTICED. THIS WAS ICARUS DROWNING.
Believe it or not, Lyr is present in Denocte for a singular basis:
There is a black market dealer that sells Damascian Hounds. The foreign breed is adept at tracking, over twice the size of a normal shepherd, and bonds to only one person in their lifetime. Although the puppies are acquired by less than savoury means—they come from the Damasca tribe, which is slowly being eliminated by foreign settlers—Lyr has done his research, and knows they are exactly what he needs. For the better part of the day, he finds himself haggling over the price of the puppies, only to come up the looser. Today is not the day.
He was informed, however, there will be another shipment of them soon. Until then, Lyr supposes he will bide his time. The aggressive social interaction has left him somewhat weary, and before travelling back to Terrastella he stops at the nearest tavern, hoping the earlier hour of the evening will mean the tavern is less crowded than usual.
The moment he enters, Lyr realises he is entirely wrong in his assumption. The building is bustling with more equines than he can count; he feels immediately uncomfortable, and cuts his eyes toward the ground. There is a long moment where he considers leaving; but the embarrassment of doing so would be too much. Lyr steels himself with a deep breath and begins to move forward. He manages to edge around the other patrons. In a blur, he finds himself ordering at the bar, receiving a drink, and moving to the most secluded corner he can find.
Unfortunately, it is not secluded enough. It takes Lyr several long moments to realise he is not alone. He is staring firmly at his drink, watching the liquid swirl. It smells strong. When he happens to glance nervously up for the first time, he is shocked to discover an alabaster mare across from him. “I-I-I didn’t mean to d-disturb you.” Lyr stammers anxiously. He glances around, struggling to meet her eyes. He clears his throat, embarrassed by his stuttering and his anxiousness all at once. Lyr flushes and because of his skin's lightness, the blush shows through. “I was just trying to find a quieter place to sit. I can leave if you'd like to be alone.”
