Pushing the thick wooden door, Lon'qu blinked to adjust to the dim lighting of the room. A faint bubbling was the only noise that he could hear, accompanied by the occasional scratch of quill against parchment. No voice greeted him as he advanced further, and he took that as a sign that he wasn't an unwelcome party. A light brush against a thin film of dust sent up a storm, the minute particles swirling, catching the light and turning iridescent for a brief moment before settling back against the unassuming background of the room. For someone who meticulously ordered every book in their library, the attention to detail didn't seem to extend to all corners of the room. Though, with the usual rate that items were shuffled around, there was almost no time for dust to gather on any surface for too long.
Miriel wasn't one to overtly socialize with everyone in the castle, but it was clear enough to notice that for the past weeks she'd been unusually reclusive. Not even venturing out to find new subjects, or victims depending on who was asking, to observe and test her hypotheses on. It wasn't a sight that Lon'qu thought that he would mind the absence of, but strangely enough, he did. The concern may have also been in part due to the very likely possibility that the mage was so engrossed in some new project that she'd ruled out human contact as something important enough to draw her out of her study.
Which was why Lon'qu was currently battling his way though stacks of tomes and clouds of dust that would usually be unheard of in Miriel's presence. The thin ray of light that allowed him to see the galaxy of dust spiraling through the room came from a small space between thick curtains that otherwise enveloped every other window in the room. His eyes flickered over to Miriel, who was bent over a glowing beaker, either too focused on her project to notice him, or possibly ignoring him completely. Either option was fine with him; he wasn't fond of being alone with or interacting with women anyways. But he'd ventured in on his own accord, worried enough to at least check if she was alive.
It was fair enough to assume that Miriel had not seen the light of day in a good week, and he thought little of yanking aside the heavy curtains, letting the sun grace the room with its presence. And for his efforts, he received what would best be described as a light hiss and irritated look from behind flared glasses. Paying no heed, he continued along the wall, drawing the curtains until every window was casting in the lazy glow of late afternoon.
By the time he'd finished his job, Miriel had straightened from her seat, setting down her quill, and was observing him with mild interest. Not keen to meet her eyes, he cracked open a window, letting in a welcome breath of fresh air. He wouldn't be able to just walk in and disturb her then walk straight back out, so he turned his head slightly, catching her gaze from the corner of his eye.
"Busy?" He ventured to ask, albeit a bit lamely. Stepping closer towards her work space, he glanced curiously at the array of papers and vials that were strewn around the table. Resisting the urge to pick up a flask at random, he settled on lightly running a finger on a piece of parchment and skimming the writing. "It looks like you've been working diligently."
Tapping the pen's nib against the table briefly, Miriel steepled her hands. "Work was proceeding quite well. Though, an unforeseen interruption cut off my current train of thought." She looked at Lon'qu, not accusingly, but with a look of mixed exasperation and perhaps a hint of amusement. "Though, for someone so astutely dedicated to avoiding women, it must be of dire consequence you see me."
Eyebrows quirked, and Lon'qu found that he couldn't answer immediately. Perhaps not of dire consequence, but certainly, he had enough reason to barge in. In retrospect, he could have done better than storm in and suddenly cast aside the curtains without so much as a word to Miriel. But what's done is done, and he cut straight to his most pressing question.
"Have you eaten yet?" It was possible that she had sent for food earlier in the day, but it wouldn't be unheard to assume that the mage might have foregone a meal in lieu of devoting more time to research. "And if you haven't, I insist you visit the kitchens at the very least."
"Was that an invitation?" Humming thoughtfully, she glanced over the notes scattered around the table. She'd made considerable leaps on her current project, nothing that would be backlogged by a few hours away from work. "I suppose it would be foolish to run myself into the ground by failing to take adequate care of myself."
He hadn't planned on this being taken as an invitation, or even a request that she join him for lunch. Lon'qu could feel himself locking slightly, only slowly unravelling when Miriel rose from her seat, and circled around the table. A hand brushed against his, tugging him towards the door.
"No time to waste, hurry along." Seeming to sense that he'd hesitated, Miriel easily took the lead, guiding them out of the study and off past the halls, searching for the mess while mentally wondering just what exactly had prompted Lon'qu to approach her. Perhaps the concern that comrades would have for one another. It wouldn't be a far fetched theory. But whatever it was, she was interested in looking further into this chance meeting.
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