THE WIDOW'S WALK | EARLY EVENING
Only sometimes
I wish I could fly
Rush like the weather
And dance on the sky
Ride on the shining night
Where the wind sings
Sometimes
Only sometimes
I wish I had wings
—Starlight Star Bright by Ciel Nior
He'd done so much clocking assuaging and negotiating that he all but crawled home to the Harbor just so he could put a few bullets into bodies that deserved it, just so he could break the fingers of some ersehat who'd cheated on his taxes showed, and just so he could drink far too much alcohol in the finer side of town like the Widow's Walk.
Outside on the balcony, Hawke's magical gunman was blissfully alone, but he knew the Walk's busy hours and made his choices accordingly. It was still early in the house, and while one of the cute little servers had lit the oil lanterns, the sun was stretching low toward the horizon where the sky and horizon met, casting the last of its rays sparkling over the waves. Dentis had grown cool quickly, but Old Rose was thankfully far more temperate than Vienda, the chill in the air only noticeable when the wind whipped over the surf and tangled in Corwynn's blond hair.
He'd curled his hands around the still-steaming ceramic cup that held his Dirty Chan, watching the heat curl upwards and dissipate with his slow exhaled breath as he waited for it too cool. Laughter and music came from inside the Walk and seagulls made their racket overhead.
But the blond gunman was restless. Too much time in the city overflowing with his racial peers, rubbing fields and shoulders, had left him wanting to forget the warnings of trouble, the whispers of retaliation, and the rumblings of more rebellion that seethed beneath the tidy surface. Anaxas may have needed a revolution, but Corwynn's King didn't want one. The economic impact could be disastrous, it was true, but the older galdor had begun to wonder if a good cleansing with fire wouldn't leave a glorious opportunity for regrowth in its wake.
Oh well.
He'd betrayed Hawke once, and he wasn't about to do it again. Not in this lifetime.
"Ye here for a meal, Cor?" The server was grinning at him, the young human having snuck up to the table while he was distracted in thought, catching the Bad Brother off guard.
He hummed, crystalline gaze sliding reluctantly from the horizon to the woman who would have been far easier on the eyes when she didn't smile to reveal a few important missing teeth, "No. Just the chan, thank you."
"Well, it's striped bass tonight, love, so ye holler if ye change yer mind." She winked and made her way back inside, the sound of guitar and washtub drifting in from near the hearth.
The blond galdor let the chan warm him, the tea laced with rum trickling into his veins and settling in his chest with a comfortable heat. Chan's hallucinogenic qualities somewhat watered down, Corwynn was simply content for a toasty distraction, his mind wandering aimlessly while he watched the sunset and considered his less than savory options for the evening.
The Mad Queen was always an option, though Scarlett had been in such a foul mood since her prodigal witch's dishonorable return, round with child, that the gunman knew better than to show his face, aware that he irritated her so by the sheer force of his competitiveness, let alone his capacity for overspending in such a den of flesh. The two galdori were far too similar creatures and always seemed at odds with each other, much to Silas' chagrin.
The Arena was another option, but godsdamnit if he didn't want to watch that clocking passive pound the snot out of some other contender just to rake in cash for his King—none of which the determined little erse got to see, anyway.
"Clock it all." Cor hissed frustratedly from over the rim of his Dirty Chan, seeking the first stars after sunset and deciding a quiet flight would do his listless, needy self some good. He simply wasn't presentable for a crowd tonight, far to annoyed to play cards like a gentleman and far too needy to play nice in the Black Dove without picking a fight. Perhaps he just needed to make his way back to the Palace and see who wanted his attention.
After his drink.