Andrew
The day was dreary- and the lake, as it was most times of the year- was covered in a thick sheet of glass-like ice. The weather was cold- it was... Always cold in the Ice Kingdom- but it was a quality Calve of course didn't mind - especially since his place of employment, the Ice Palace itself, ran rather hot during the day due to the insulating effects of the glacier-blue inner walls that trapped every ounce of heat that could possibly squirm it's way in - of course, to most dragons the palace was still freezing cold- but icewing standards were quite different in a sense.

While Calve was quite a people person- he found himself straying more and more towards the path of solitude- an unhealthy habit to say the least - at least from his perspective... But there was something alluring about being alone - especially in his natural place of preference- his home, the Ice Kingdom itself. 

The skies were clotted with thick, undulating layers of grey - a soft white snowfall began to settle in, a surprising rarity in truth, as precipitation in such climates isn't incredibly common- so for once the, thick, hard layers of ice that normally froze over, were now soft and delicate, ice crystals breaking with the crunch of his footsteps out onto the frozen lake as he sat solemnly in the stillness, simply staring up at the sky as the snowflakes fell - enjoying the ability to simply unwind and do *Nothing* For once.
James
*Ether landed on the other side of the lake, with a thump, his black claws crunched in the snow as he sighed in relief.* **My parents are gonna ground me for a whole year UUUGHHHH** *He thought angrily, pacing back and forth, lashing his tail. 

*He sighed and breathed in the thin, cold air, and looked up at the sky as the sun was beggining to set. If his predictions were correct there would be an aurora tonight. Ether* **Loved** *The sky, the stars, the moon and everything else that was up there. He would read nightwing and seawing scrolls on how to stufy the stars, how to use them as a map and special events. Every night he'd look out of the window in his room and wait, and wait, and wait for a shooting star to blaze past, Which happened mire often than most dragons realise*
Rosanna
Awe crap i made a mistake with the err

Btw ping me if i dont reply after liek 10-20 mins
Andrew
The sound of Ether's arrival seemed to ruin the blissful silence as Calve let out a somewhat heavy, annoyed sigh, slowly craning his neck to look in the direction of Ether with a tinge of . . . Disgust? If there was one thing that *Wasn't* Welcomed in Icewing society, it was the sight of an assumed Nightwing/Icewing hybrid- any hybrid was becoming increasingly less accepted by the society due to the rule of Hyperborean and his opinions on the other tribes - in the eyes of most, and unfortunately including Calve- hybrids, particularly any Icewing hybrid- was seen as an utter bastardization to the tribe - an embarrassment, as if Icewings saw themselves as gods- and the others as dirt. He scowled for a moment before taking a more- calculated approach... He had seen Icewings before with darker coloration- and besides the coloration he had no immediate reason to assume this dragon was a hybrid of any sorts, even if it was a rather suspicious affair.

With the silence of a snow owl, Calve approached Ether with his signature cold 'work face'- he inspected the younger dragon like a critique of a sculpture- only choosing to speak when he was sure Ether hadn't an ounce of apparent Nightwing running in his veins. "Apologies- I couldn't help but he curious at the sight of one of my own with such..." He gestured in a disgusted manner. "Drab scales . . . Though that's not to talk ill of *You* In particular, more like the idea I had of you before I approached, which was proven false I suppose... My name is Calve, I'm the head butler of the Ice Palace, it's a pleasure." He looked left, then right in a suspicious manner. "And what might you be doing *Here*? Is this not a time you should be preoccupying yourself with your studies instead of playing in the snow?" He had a look of authority- almost like a disappointed parent as he looked down- physically- on Ether.
James
*He jumped at the sudden appearence of calve* "AH!" He then huffed. He was an adult- well, basically. Tedhnically, he was just forced to live with his parents because they were such a "Nobel" Family* "Err, you mean my scales? Its just melanism. A lot of folks think im a hybrid" *He shrugged* "Im waiting for an aurora. They are really quite beautiful. What are *You* Doing out here?"
Andrew
"He gave a disapproving snort at Ether's reaction of surprise but heard him out with a subtle sense of curiosity. Even if Ether was an adult- it was in Calve's beliefs that *All* Icewings should attend one of their most marvelous colleges and pursuit a route to higher education- *Especially* The member of a royal family- which most he knew a decent bit about. "I see... Melanism, curious..." He gave a half-glare at Ether's comment about coming to see an aurora. "Well, if you'd simply take a look upwards- I think you'll find the weather isn't permitting for you to view such an event." Calve shifted a bit- facing the side of his body towards the smaller Icewing as he thrashed his tail to the left- raising an eyebrow at the question- he was *Rarely* Questioned as to why he was somewhere- especially within the Kingdom itself, so he was somewhat caught off-guard due to not having a particular *Reason* Other than 'he felt like it'. "I have the day off, and as a member of the palace staff, I may do as I please with my free time, it's none of your concern." He lifted his head in the air in a dignified manner though in truth he was in some kind of contemplation for a few moments before turning to look at Ether again with a grin, pleased with remembering the identity of this dragon after a moment of careful thought. "Ah~ Yes, I remember you- you're *Ether* Boreal and Cryophobia's son, how *Is* Boreal? I haven't seen them in a moon cylce or so- they aren't sick are they?" At the mention of Ether's parents, Calve seemed to warm up a little, clearly having a better relationship with Ether's parents than Ether themselves did.
James
"Shes err, budy. Modtly yrlling at me and she broke a talon when some dragonet dropped a block of ice on it. Serves her right though. So she's resting for a few days more" *He explained, sighing* "I hate my parents. They treat me like... Like im nothing, im their only dragonet, they dont even talk to me unless they're scolding me." *He growled, realising he'd miss the aurora because of the weather, as calve had said*
Andrew
Calve hissed at Ether with a stern glare. "It's poor manners to speak poorly of your parents, young Ether- show a little dignity... Complaining about them certainly won't win with admiration or the respect you find yourself craving from them." The Icewing butler sympathized a bit with Ether- it was- an awkward time in the life of any young dragon, let alone the child of a noble, as their son- and heir, he had big shoes to fill, and high hopes set out for him from the moment he was born- Calve knew this dynamic well enough and so he pressed further. "That being said... I *Suppose* It comes into question of what *You* Want to do." He tried to phrase that as 'correct' as he could- he didn't want to be straightforward with his advice- especially if Ether had loose lips that'd get him in trouble for putting ideas in his head. "While being the heir to your family's status is your duty- there is certainly more you can do alongside that duty. Perhaps a particular passion you're overindulging in is distracting you from destiny? It could be wise to find a healthy balance between what you love to do- and what you *Must* Do for the sake of our people."
James
*He hissed angrily, lashing his tail* "They'll never love me anyway. I was a dissapointed as soon as i hatched with these scales. They'd only love me if i was the same colour as every other icewing. These" *He pointed to his black scales, and his yellow eyes* "These are the only reason they hate me, maybe if i had been born right they would have treated me with st least a bit of respect. But, if they wont respect me, i wont respect them. I dont want to uphold some stupid "Title" I want to stufy the stars, become an astrologist. I want to travel the world."
Rosanna
Ping me when u reply.
Andrew
Calve gave a pained wince - though understanding the concern regarding Ether's colors - he was undoubtedly an Icewing. "I... I see..." He'd comment, but it certainly wasn't his place to do so. The head butler gave a lighthearted scoff at the ambition to 'travel the world' and be an 'astrologist'. "Well, you certainly aren't helping your case with your parents- those are... Nightwing interests to say the least. Busying themselves with meaningless shapes in the sky- the duty of an Icewing is grounded on *Earth* In a *Tangible reality*- as for traveling the world, when you inherit your position, you will be free to travel as you please." Again, he had to reinforce the ideals Ether's parent's had passed onto Ether- it was his duty, even when he was off the job- conversing with the offspring of a noble was tricky business. "Though... Perhaps if you could find a real-world use for studying the stars, perhaps King Hyperborean could appoint you to a position that meets your needs in the future. You live in a kingdom of opportunity- not some dingy dirthut in the Mud Kingdom. Simply learn to take advantage of the opportunities laid before you instead of catching yourself on this... Rebellious streak." He gave a slightly disapproving if not unamused glance- though his words held some weight to them, if Ether was clever he would be able to read in between the lines and pick up on what Calve was really saying even when he choked it out with agreeing with Ether's parents from time to time.
James
*Ether hissed and lashed his tail once more* "First of all, stufying the stars and sky is **Very** Useful! You can use them as a map, or to predict oncoming events! They help us Learn more about the history of the earth, how it came to be... The sandwings and seawings both use the stars as navigation, sandwings use them to navigate their desert, seawings use them to navigate the ocean. Why do you think so many seawings are successful explorers!? They use the stars!" *He spread his wings up to the stars that were now more visible as the snow had stopped. Thousands of little dots, some planets, some balls of flame, some other universes.* "And for the record, i like mudwings, thanks very much. They have strong family values, they care for eachother" *He sighed, looking up, if he was right he'd still be able to see the aurora, if

*If the sky cleared up. It should start in 5 minutes or so* "We are so small, dont you see? We are but tiny specs in the grand scheme of things. So we should have freedom, with the little time we have, i want to make a difference"
Andrew
Calve couldn't help but grin at Ether's defense of his passion- not a smug, sly, witty grin- but a warm, almost welcoming grin from the Icewing that was otherwise rather firm and formal. "I suppose you're right to some degree, master Ether." Calve knew that the stars did very little in the way of modern navigation- thanks to recent inventions such as the compass 'following the stars' became obsolete and unreliable- as for studying the history of the planet they were on- it was still vague and unclear how much value such things would have for unraveling that mystery, but it was possible Ether knew a great deal Calve did not. He chortled at the comment about Mudwings, it was interesting to meet an Icewing without rampant prejudice- in truth, Calve himself only disliked Nightwings, he mostly played up his own racism for the sake of pleasing the other members of nobility, but here it seemed he could turn it down- at least a little. 

The butler looked up at the stars- the clouds beginning the clear as the snowfall faded- "So what if we're a spec in the grand scheme of things such as the universe?" Calve turned back to Ether with a raised eyebrow and dubious smile. "Why does something need to be big to matter? Is time not precious regardless of our scale and importance in the universe? Or have you cornered your own mind into a nihilistic set of beliefs?" His tail swayed left and right as he spoke. "As for freedom . . . Very well, if you promise not to tell a soul - I will do my best in talking with your parents regarding the matter. I make no promises- but- I remember a time when I was much like you are now." Calve chuckled and smiled up at the sky, the beginning of the aurora wavering into view. "Looks like you'll get your light show after all~"
James
*He jumped up. In all his year's he's waited and waited for the chance to see an aurora. His oarents would hold him back each time but now, he could finally see one* "See that? Isnt it beautiful!? Why should it matter if i dont want to be some stuck up hoighty toighty noble. I could see all ove this and so much more every day if my parents didnt keep in in my room, making me recite lines for when i talk to the queen, yell at me for having an 'improper posture' whatever that is. Or simply call me a disgrace to the liniage for my stupid scales." *He dwelled on calves words* "I just... Iwant to be known, i want to be the change that changes icewings for the better, we are all so full of ourselves, we are like- the *Opposite* Of humble. Thats not a good thing!" *He sighed*
Andrew
Calve nodded at his question of if it was beautiful, the light that filled Ether's eyes was hard to ignore when he looked up at the sky- it was probably best Calve didn't shoot him down, and instead cautiously encouraged him - even if it was just a little bit. "Well- you won't have to find an excuse for you parents this time- because tonight you were attending to your studies of noble conduct with he head butler of the Ice Palace, right?" Calve winked at him and chuckled, willing to cover for him- especially since this was Ether's first time seeing the beauty the sky had to offer. "Your scales are scales - something one would question, but you are an Icewing- thus the color of your scales should come second to your character and status." The butler chortled at his comment about the pride- or rather arrogance of the Ice Kingdom. "Good- bad- who's truly to decide but the king and queen? You're awfully uncareful around me, you know? I promise I won't go telling others of your opinions or comments- but I would recommend exercising keep just opinions and comments to yourself around other members of the palace- gossip spreads like snowdrift- and I'd hate to see you face a formal punishment..." Calve quickly corrected himself. "That's not to say I agree with you- simply- I'll tolerate your views..."
James
*He looked over at calve and smiled for once* "You'd be willing to lie?! Wouldnt that like- get you in trouble?" *He tilted his head, his yellow eyes studying calve* "You are odd. Every time i see you in the palace you seem so much more..." *He searched for words* "Elegant? Noble? Errrr professional?" *He sighed* "You seem like all the other rich noble families that dont care aboyt anyone but theemself."
Andrew
Calve scoffed and turned his nose up towards the sky. "I'm *Not* Lying - I certainly relayed information your parents would approve of-" He chuckled as if to say, 'just kidding'- "As for getting in trouble? Yes- most certainly... But I won't drown your dreams- it seems your parents due that plenty- no offense to them of course." He chuckled nervously- the weight of the realization starting to sink in that this could be a massive mistake he'd come to regret down the road, but he had already made his choice it seemed. "Hm? Oh- of course- I'm a butler, it's my profession to serve and echo the beliefs of my masters. I must be the best because I serve the best icewing society has to offer- believe it or not, the nobles aren't *All* How they seem within palace walls- but it's not my place to 'expose' them- just know not all is as it seems. Looks can be deceiving, and taking information at face value could close you off to many opportunities, master Ether." He settled on staring up at the night sky, a soft grin on his face as he found himself more comfortable around Ether- who had no place in calling *Him* Odd- but Calve didn't mind it too much. "So long as you don't tell on me, I won't tell on you- I might be willing to assist you even more if you wish."
James
"My parents are the same in public as they are in private. Full of themself. Except in private they scream at me" *He sighed* "I obviously wont tell on you! You're the first dragon thats been- nice to me" *He smiled* "Maybe one day- i can run away and explore the world. Oh i long to see pantala, and the rainforest and the skywing kingdom- the reefs of the seawing kingdom too" *He tapped the snow* "Dont you? Have you never wanted to see whats outside of this icey wasteland? How are you perfectly content here, doing the same thing every day, over and over"
Andrew
Calve seemed pleased Ether would exchange the same gratitude- giving him a happy nod of appreciation before responding. "While it might seem hard to see it- they're hard on you because they care about you... Bold assumption, I know- but that doesn't justify how they treat you." Calve looked over to Ether - his hopefuly comments about exploring the continents, getting to go around and see it all- and then he asked Calve a rather silly question, to which he laughed a great deal- having to spend a few moments composing himself. "I've been to many kingdoms- master Ether- I've seen the Sky Kingdom, the Sea Kingdom- well- the summer palace at least, I've seen the Silk Kingdom and the Hive Kingdom- even the Lead and Rainforest Kingdoms once or twice- despite being the head butler of the palace, my true duty lies in serving the King - and my position becomes more flexible in time of diplomacy- they rarely want to send a lesser butler to represent the Kingdom- so I've been around many times." A mischievous grin crossed Calve's face. "Perhaps one day we can argue you accompanying me on one of these trips is part of your extracurricular education - besides- even if your parents want you to be a noble, a noble must learn to fulfil their diplomatic duties and who better to guide you than I?~" He almost giggled at his own idea since he liked it so much, in truth it was the perfect scheme to help Ether achieve at least a portion of their dream to get out and see the world- as well as break away from their overbearing parents. "Though, I will admit... I like it here the most, the other kingdoms are nice- especially the Sky Kingdom- but they're also hot- busy, and laborious to navigate from time to time. The Ice Kingdom is... Organized - every street and alley is designed with ease of movement in mind. I'm sure you'll miss it too once you get out and see for yourself- though that's not to say the other kingdoms aren't nice- or aren't full of curious dragons."