Silas

"Irritating, isn't it?"

"Hm?"

A distant thud shook loose a small rain of dust from a nearby bookshelf. Black talons delicately shook loose a few stray particles from foggy feathers as, nearby, a large imperial attempted to will away an impending sneeze to little avail.

"An outsider would assume the only experimental explosions locals need weather would originate from The Observatory. I confess, unless you soon take to dusting or Alexandr ceases her catastrophic..."

The skydancer paused in near dramatic effect, long tail curled, poised just-so. Faintly, the sound of clinking glass, muffled apologies, and gruff snappings can be heard.

"...unintentional test results... I'll not be likely to visit. Good of friends I think we are, I don't fancy leaving your quarters looking like a neglected antique every other day."

Silas chuckled - a deep, reverberating sound - and came to settle comfortably on the lair's floor beside his friend.

"Were you not so small, the dust would hardly be a thing to notice. Alas, some things can't be changed. What would she do all day if not occupied with her noisy sets? Chase the heels of every other dragon with a broomstick for looking at her baubles funny?"

"Yes, it's a shame your untidiness is so ingrained into your being as to be considered unchanging. Your head is big enough as it is - Arcanist knows what should happen were it to get any bigger if you started receiving compliments for a clean nesting. She could use an assistant to help steer her clear of things clearly made to go awry..."

Aria's head tilted up at him in a suggestive manner, and Silas gave his head one hard shake.

"Me? Her assistant? Please, do hit me over the head with something now and save me the dreaded wait."

"College, lab partner, whatever it is that better suits your tastes, but the informed company will better reign in her more eccentric tendencies. We can't leave her as is, it's bad for easily frayed nerves. The new hatchlings wont come within a mile of her station."

"Good! The labs are no place for hatchlings."

"Or aspiring inventors, chemists, mechanics, etc?"

A long stretch of silence followed as Aria and Silas stared one another down - Silas' head craning to make contact with the skydancer's eyes - before he let out a long and dejected sigh.

"Alright. We'll share a work space. About time I stepped out of my usual hovel, anyway."

Aria didn't beam, exactly, but their face lit up in the light glow of victory as they stood.

"Lovely, I'll inform Alexandr. Do be careful of your bulk while in her space - guardians are fiercely protective of their spaces when they so chose it."

With that, they left, their feathered wings hoisting them from the entrance of Silas' lair and into the air. Another distant thud, and another rain of dust fell, the shelves that lined the area shuddering slightly.

'The next few days especially,' He thought 'will be terribly long.'