The Summer’s heat wanes as day gives way to dusk, a hazy moonlight cast upon all who still found themselves wandering the streets of Shirogane. Some would take this as a sign to head inside, to rest and relax after a long day’s work, but for others, their day has just started. Ironically, Keeper he may be, Saerno wishes he could belong to the latter, just without that whole long day’s work thing. Who knew that a tipsy suggestion for Lucio to simply ‘make his own fucking library’ would actually pan out… And who knew that he’d get roped into being something of a co-owner too? It’s even Sharlayan-affiliated to boot - Saerno despises that place (allegedly), and yet here he is. Crazy how life works, huh? Though, for as much as he bitches and moans, for as much as he says he wishes he could be anywhere but here in this moment, deep down, maybe he did actually find himself filling the role quite nicely. ‘Loremaster’ does have a nice ring to it, does it not? He may be on the non-existent, totally fabricated fence about this thing, but despite that, there was exactly one thing he despised deeply: investor meetings.
Lucio? Yeah, Saerno supposes he just adores the dude, lets him have a few slices of the cheesecake (that he totally didn’t make the viera bake for him), but he uhh… Great heart, not the best business acumen. Were he to be the sole-runner of this place, Saerno’s almost positive they’d be bankrupt, but hey, they’d have a snazzy fountain and some priceless ornamental koi at least. But fish don’t exactly pay the bills, or get you out of debt for that matter, hence why the Keeper’s taken it upon himself to handle a good chunk of these matters. Yes it may be voluntary, yes it might be in the best interest of everyone affiliated with Archeia Symvolis, but by the swiving Twelve, he’s sure to snap at some point. And tonight? Tonight just might be that point. But there’s more at stake here than just his sanity; he’s part of a legitimate organization with employees and mercenaries that actually answer to his authority. Were things to go belly-up just because he couldn’t suck down every swear in the book before it was loosed from his lips… He’d probably want to die all over again.
“Now, Okuyama-san,” The Miqo’te speaks softly as he rounds the lip of his desk, his words as gentle as the grasp around the two glasses he’s holding, “ I assure you, those reports of ‘exploding beaches’ were quite exaggerated. As you can see, we’re an institution that specializes in the containment and study of exceedingly rare items, both aetherial and mundane in nature.” Seeing his companion’s brow unwind slightly, the Keeper takes the small victory and pushes his advantage, offering a smile alongside a freshly poured spot of wine, “Would it not make sense that we’d have to perform controlled tests every once in a while? Our neighbors may have been wary of our actions, but speaking from experience, if it were truly out of hand, wouldn’t it make sense to keep such a thing out of the public eye?”
“Yes, it would, though… Even with such information, it does little to assuage my concerns. The ‘priceless collection of goods and information’ that Kubo-san had detailed to me is hardly shown to me now outside of some menial paperwork, a few expeditions, and a controlled explosion on Hingan soil.”
Doubts were to be expected, but if Saerno hadn’t planned for such a scenario, then he’d be a second-rate negotiator. Taking a furtive sip from his glass, he reclines against the unlit hearth. “Well that’s because most of the truly ‘priceless’ information we contain is confidential, much like how our affiliates in Sharlayan like to handle operations. Though, if you must see at least one tangible piece to put your doubts to rest, then I suppose I can fetch something from our restricted section. It will only take me a moment, but-”
Saerno’s words are cut off as a chill runs down his spine, his ears perking nearly instantaneously. He wasn’t doing anything, and Okuyama-san made no such efforts on his part, so why, then, did he feel that telltale thinning of aether, the kind that comes right before-
SNAP.
…A cast, and a lightning-aspected one to boot, the thunderclap of which has also roused Saerno’s guest out of his recline. He didn’t account for this, he didn’t- Ah, wait, he can taste it upon the very air, that lingering aetherial register.
“Does lightning always strike so close to your abode, Glista-san?”
With another forced smile, the summoner can only shake his head. “No, no it doesn’t, but I suppose our star has a habit of making itself known every once in a while, huh?” It’s a poor joke, in his own opinion, but Okuyama seems to think otherwise.
“That it does, that it does. Now, you were speaking of this forbidden section, yes? If you need some time to fetch something for me, I can wait here - I know you bookish types are not wont to making others privy to your entire collection.”
“Yes, I was,” An easy out, Saerno will definitely take it, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll only be a few minutes or so.”
Flashing his fangs, the Miqo’te dips into a bow before opening the door and closing it behind him - it doesn’t take long for the smile to fade, nor for him to hone in on the aetherial source from before. He swears, can anything in this damned place operate smoothly for once? If it’s not the building itself, it’s the officials, if it’s not the officials, it’s the students, if it’s not the students, then it’s the people that ‘work’ here, and Saerno, in this moment, most definitely knows who is to blame in the moment - there’s only one other Keeper in this damned place that’s stupid enough to fire off lightning in the middle of a fucking glorified library.
“But you’re the one who hired her.”
Yes, but-
“You’ve had multiple opportunities to let her go, have had countless showings as to how ineffective she is.”
Okay, but on the other hand-
“You’re tiring yourself, looking after a child in a woman’s body. It’s miserable to see.”
Enough.
With a shake of his head, the Keeper picks up his pace, bolting down the hallway, through the main hall doors, and eventually stumbling upon the scene he could all but imagine on his way here. Something’s burnt, terribly so; his other hire, Beau, is frazzled, presumably due to the spike in ambient aether. Last but not least is her, Altria, the Miqo’te’s ears pinning back near instantaneously once ‘Boss’ arrives on the scene, her eyes almost as wide as her mouth as it hangs slackjaw. It doesn’t take long for her to notice that last bit, her mouth now flopping up and down like the carp she so enjoyed inside the pond.
“I-I-… Uhh… H-Hey Mista Glista! How are you tonight? Great weath- I mean it’s like REALLY weird outside, like, you should check it out. Heat lightning and all that struck real darn close, right, Beau?”
Said Viera simply shakes his head. “No, it’s clear outside, and it’s not good to lie to our ‘Boss’, especially not after the last time.”
“O-okay, well that was a special case, you see, like… It’s not everyday that you see a goobue doing that, you know?”
Saerno can only heave a sigh as he leans down, picking up the ashes covering the floor, sweeping them into his hand. He swears, this place is going to gray his hair long before it does naturally.