VICES AND VIRTUES ☆ o, library exploration

[wormwood.]

☆ HUNG PICTURES OF PATRON SAINTS UP ON MY WALL TO REMIND ME THAT I AM A FOOL. TELL ME WHERE I CAME FROM, WHAT I WILL ALWAYS BE: JUST A SPOILED LITTLE KID WHO WENT TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL —

Aurum's exploration of the manor thus far had been... slow, to say the least. Not only because the lion was in and out often to go from the knights to Tanglewood and vice versa, but just because the manor was so massive. He had been told multiple times since his joining that the entire place was not yet fully explored, and although he had not initially believed it – thinking it was a joke from some of the more senior members – he was quick to find out that it was the truth. He had to make an active effort to remember the intricate pathways of the walls and winding halls, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu. He could remember when he had first arrived in Tanglewood, and the entire marshy territory had been an utter mystery to him, with tangled roots and towering trees. He had eventually figured it out, and now he knew that territory in and out as well as he knew the back of his paw, but when it came to the knights' manor? He wasn't sure if he would ever have that sort of understanding, if one even could. Aurum wasn't one to believe in the supernatural – despite his position as an angel – but it almost seemed as though the building was constantly shifting and changing, just to keep one on their toes.

In one of his numerous trips through the manor in an effort to try and map it out, Aurum had come across one room that particularly caught his interest – the library. Tanglewood had a massive library all of their own that the lion had often enjoying perusing and losing himself in, but the Knights of Concord library was a game-changer. Although smaller – he thought it was smaller, he honestly wasn't sure – he could already see many interesting and unique tomes he had never seen within the quiet and pristine walls of the Tanglewood library. Curiosity thoroughly piqued, Aurum made his way through the towering aisles of the large room, grabbing up books that caught his eye as he passed by. Before long, he returned to the main sitting area of the room, carefully putting down the large pile that he had amassed. As he put the old books down, a cloud of dust rose from them, making the lion cough and sputter as he waved it away with a paw. The library would definitely need a thorough cleaning at some point, but for now, he just wanted to enjoy himself. So, tail coming to curl casually around his leg, Aurum happily lost himself in one of the large tomes he had grabbed. If anyone came to join him he would far from mind, considering he would be happy to have others to scour the labyrinthine room – and manor as a whole – with.

[div style="text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase; text-shadow: 0px 0px 2px #1B1B2F; font-size: 24px;"][color=#44437F]— AURUM

#psychosocial.

[icarus.]

Icarus has yet to fully explore the manor, though not for any lack of want. He's an adventurer by nature, but there's so much to take in about the Knights' territory that the winding corridors are one of the last things on his mind. Most of his time is spent memorizing the well-trodden moorland paths, sunbathing in the courtyard gardens, and exploring old stables and steep cliffsides alike — that which lies inside the estate is the least of his concerns. He knows how to get to and from the most important spaces anyways, namely the foyer, the ballroom, the kitchen, his room on the east wing, and, of course, the library. Nothing can keep Icarus from getting his paws on a good book, not even the labyrinthine halls of the imposingly-large building. He's kept at least somewhat busy with his duties managing the Knights, but he appreciates the smallness of the group and the free time it affords him to curl up with a novel at the end of each long day.

The little tabby still has plenty of borrowed books hidden away in his room that are well overdue for returning to the library, a habit he's been meaning to break for moons now — today's the first time he's ever gotten around it, the spine of one poetry collection held gingerly between his jaws as he pads into the room. The scents are familiar and comforting, earthy and ancient like leatherbound pages gone long-untouched. And like dust, too; it prompts him to sneeze, ungracefully dropping the book he'd been carrying with him. Of all the times he'd visited the library, he'd never thought to do any cleaning. Icarus makes note to get around to that sometime — but certainly not now, for when he looks up he finds a familiar face seated before him. The golden feline immediately eases into a warm smile. "Oh, I hope I didn't interrupt you," the tom muses with a twitch of his whiskers. He means it sincerely, but apparently not enough to leave the Knight to return to the novel. Instead he moves closer, emerald green eyes idly drifting across the stack at the other's side. Another bookworm, then? Icarus's verdant gaze lights up like the twinkle of the stars he knows so well, his curiosity piqued. He purrs, "I see you found the library. Reading anything interesting?"

[wormwood.]

☆ HUNG PICTURES OF PATRON SAINTS UP ON MY WALL TO REMIND ME THAT I AM A FOOL. TELL ME WHERE I CAME FROM, WHAT I WILL ALWAYS BE: JUST A SPOILED LITTLE KID WHO WENT TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL —

Aurum lifted his head when the scent of another one of the knight's reached his nose, his one blue eye lighting up in both delight and curiosity. There was yet another among the nights that was interested in literature as well? He knew that an interest in reading probably wasn't as rare here as it had been back in his old pride, but he still felt an odd sense of warmth at the revelation. Rather than growing annoyed when he heard the sneeze that was drawn forth from Icarus by the dusty room, the lion instead found himself laughing. His shoulders shook with the rumbling chuckle, and his tail flicked lazily from side to side behind him as he left one large paw on the page of the book he was reading. He would return to it once he was done engaging in some conversation, after all. Smiling warmly at Icarus as he sat up a bit, the knight shook his head before speaking, his tone surprisingly casual, "Don't worry, you didn't interrupt anything. Besides, better you let that out than try and keep it inside." The angel made yet another mental note to clean the place sometime soon, not wanting people to get stuffed noses and watery eyes from all the dust that covered the multitude of tomes.

Blinking in surprise as he was asked about what he was reading, Aurum looked back down at the story, seemingly trying to process what he had just been reading. After a moment he seemed to recall the content of the story before him. Mentally marking the page he was on, the lion closed the book before pushing it in front of Icarus, explaining softly, "Ah, I'm reading Jane Eyre. I've heard it's one of the stories that is greatly beloved by most, so I figured I would give it a shot. Plus, I must admit I'm a bit of a sucker for romantic stories." Aurum often liked to put himself in the shoes – or paws – of the protagonists he came to read about, and considering his current complicated relationship status... Jane Eyre certainly had an appeal. The lion then muttered, looking up and around him at the large library, "And yes, I did find the library... and I was very glad to, honestly. Tanglewood has a library as well, but nothing as vast in different genres as this place." He had already read practically all of the volumes within the walls of Tanglewood's library, so saying the Knights' library was a godsend wouldn't have been too much of a stretch.

[div style="text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase; text-shadow: 0px 0px 2px #1B1B2F; font-size: 24px;"][color=#44437F]— AURUM

#psychosocial.

[icarus.]

He's glad to find that Aurum welcomes his company just as Icarus welcomes his, though it hardly would've mattered to the Judge either way. Amusement comes easy with a quiet hum, a spark igniting within verdant pools at the lion's initial words. A smile forms, lopsided and barely-there but still graced with effortlessly-given warmth. His gaze follows Aurum's back to the book, watching him set it aside. Returning his own book (the one he'd dropped just moments prior) will have to wait; the golden feline is far more interested in Aurum's company.

Icarus had once traveled through far-off lands in search of libraries full of more books to get his paws on. He hasn't read everything, of course — certain genres continue to escape him entirely, particularly nonfiction, but his appetite for romances is ravenous. Anything from the Regency or Victorian periods is certain to capture his attention, finding them especially fitting to be read in the grand old manor while overlooking the wind-whipped uplands, though he has a certain penchant for gothic literature as well. The title Jane Eyre is a familiar one. It causes his eyes to light up, glittering like twin jade stones beneath the sun. "You chose a good one," he purrs, settling down now, "I'm a fan of romances myself." He's not sure of his own reasons for such enjoyment of the genre, but Icarus would be lying if he said he wasn't the hopeless romantic sort. The tom is always looking for beauty in everything, always seeking out grand notions about the universe in the stars and the rolling moors alike. He's known passion and heartbreak alike — he's found poetry in both, too. Lived in it, nurtured it. Icarus thinks of it as something deep within his bones, a call to his heart, but at the same time perhaps it's nothing at all. Musings fade as his gaze sharpens to focus on Aurum once more, though contemplation lingers as he watches the other. "Oh, have you read Wuthering Heights? I'm more partial to Pride and Prejudice myself, but the outpost by the cliffs is named for the heights. Anyway, I'm sure we have copies around here somewhere." He's gotten carried away by his own ramblings, barely waiting for Aurum's reply before his gaze begins to drift across the library in thoughtful searching. "I've been to other libraries before, but I imagine this one will keep me busy for a while. Maybe we'll have to do a book exchange with your Tanglewood sometime, then. Of course, after we've given the books a good dusting."

[wormwood.]

It's a genuine relief, meeting someone else that also has an affinity for the romance genre like he did. Perhaps it was just because of how complicated his love life had become in the past that he enjoyed the stories sealed within romance novels. Even though the protagonists' love lives were often just as complicated as his was – if not more, really – there was always that silent unspoken promise that there would be a happy ending. Or, at the very least, a satisfying ending. Which definitely wasn't a guarantee in life, as he had found out time and time again when he had begun to get close to someone, only to have them vanish from his life completely. Sometimes he wondered if his life would ever get that fairytale ending he had dreamed so often of as a child, but he shook the thought off as soon as it came, not wanting to drag down the mood. After all, joining the Knights was supposed to be a new chapter of his story, and perhaps he would end up meeting someone perfect for him here. Or, perhaps he had already met his perfect someone, somewhere within the many pages that had already passed, and he just didn't know it yet. Either way, he just had to leave things up to fate. He had tried far too hard in the past to force things over and over again, whether it be in romance or otherwise, and often it never ended up working in his favor. Usually it just left him exhausted, and needing to move on.

The lion had nearly been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he almost missed what Icarus was saying to him, immediately feeling an embarrassed heat rush to his face when he came back down to Earth. Thankfully, he had gotten the gist of what had been said, and before long he was rumbling casually, "Ah, that's good to hear. I'm afraid that romance is a rather... divisive genre. Usually I either find people that really enjoy it, like me, or absolutely despise it." He could certainly understand why some weren't a big fan of romance, especially if their own love loves weren't going particularly well, but he enjoyed meeting another fan. When Icarus spoke of Wuthering Heights, the lion's eyes seemed to light up with curiosity, his head tilting to one side, "Wuthering Heights? No, I'm afraid I haven't read that one yet. I suppose I'll have to check it out though, considering the cliff outpost. I have read Pride and Prejudice, however. It's a good read, especially with the sort of unexpected humor." When Icarus then brought up the possibility of a book exchange, Aurum found himself snorting a little. Not because of Icarus himself, but just the mental image of the Knights' horses trying to navigate the cramped swamp, "Oh, I'm sure a book exchange would be rather nice. I do have to warn you though, Tanglewood's swamp can be a bit hard to navigate, at least for newcomers." He could still remember spending weeks mapping the whole place out when he had first joined. It had been tedious, but at least he hadn't fallen into any traps after that.