[ Aether laughs, rich and melodious and a little teasing; it's a bit of a rare sound coming from him. The traveler is often cheerful and smiles frequently, but he rarely laughs. He takes his lyre back with another low chuckle, running his fingers over it again, as if tending to a lover's body. He grins at Alhaitham over its deep brown frame. ]

Sorry. I'm being mean. I just wanted to see how you look when you aren't good at something. But that wasn't bad for a beginner.

[ Alhaitham is so often like that, after all: seemingly effortlessly perfect, at least from the outside. And Aether has often benefited from that veneer of perfection — but he's never actually asked for it of Alhaitham. Doesn't expect it. Maybe he of all people knows how heavy perfection is as a crown to bear.

He plucks out a few notes on the lyre again, then sets it aside. ]

Should I try to come by more often? I liked Nahida's birthday. It was fun.