Twenty-sebbie

"Of course you're special. If you won't take my word for it, at least be flattered that my shadow seems to have taken a dislike to you." Suitov rescued the silverware (well, alloyware) from the floor, along with the plate Baskerville was beginning to lose interest in.

Negotiating dog rump and sticky patch (oh, my nice new floorboards) and reaching the kitchen, he caused the pump to fill the sink. Since he was a mage and a showoff, he didn't touch it or even look in its direction to do so. "Have you told me exactly what you have against him, anyway?"

Sylvie helped collecting the plates. Since she was tired of asking stupid questions she tried to listen in to figure out if they were talking about Jelly or someone else.

Tinga-ling.

SMASH.

A host of bushes were flattened as someone fell upon them - or, well, on them. From the crater in the middle of bushes arose a hand with an accusing finger pointing at a seemingly random direction.

"...I," an exasperated voice began, "will never play with you again."

"Suits me!" someone shouted back from the sky and flapped off.

Then there was silence for a good thirty seconds, after which Sebastian, mostly back in his more common wear but with a jester's hat on his head, arose from the bushes. "Wuss."

The effect of this ding-smash on the quietly meditating Weft was almost instant. The monk rolled backwards, knocking Ayu-Asra flying (or falling, depending on the little dragon's reaction time) and ending in a crouch. Furthermore, he did all this, including the drawing of something wickedly sharp, before his eyes had time to open and properly focus.

"What'ss--" Weft said, then on recognising Sebastian, "Oh, hi." He made the steelware disappear again.

Ayu-Asra tumbled to the ground, but was on his feet in aflurry of wings and legs instantly. He was still to full and now also too confused to fly, but well angry enough to hiss like a kettle and bite the next best thing, which happened to be Weft's ankle.

Oh no. From one problem to another. Lady Luck was probably having a giggling fit. Sebastian made an awkward grin. Ting-a-ling. "Yes, hello. Long time, no... write? See?" Pause. "Long time no weave, eh?"

But hey, that little... dragon.

"Ow. Yes yes, all right, I'm sorry." Weft addressed these words to the dragon, trying to detach its little teeth from his ankle by applying pressure from one finger either side of the snout(s).

Still, he smiled back at Sebastian. "Yes, long time no weaving, deity impersonation or anything else, although sadly not long enough to forget Riccy's little stunt just before we left. I guess that you've been keeping... busy?

"Leave me alone with your teeth! Er, I meant that last part to the lizard."

Sebastian nodded, grimacing at the jester hat that insisted on tingling. He insisted on throwing it on the ground and stomping it. Then the half-elf cleared his throat. "Busy is a word for it," he sighed. "Never a dull moment. Which of course is a terrific thing! Just imagine, it's quite like... hmm, well, quite like being stuck on an island without Riccy and..." Sebastian paused, clearly considering, "a lifetime supply of yarn and required instruments."

He hoped that painted a clear enough picture.

Then: "So... what are you doing here?"

Ayu-Asra bristled the quills running down his spines. While the one head, now pulled off its "prey", tried to pull free, the other watched the brighlty coloured thing suspiciously, and gave a decent imitation of the tingling bells.

"Sounds refreshing," Weft said, then added out of a sense of guilt, "though unproductive. I don't know if I'd care to spend that long running after my own desires instead of a higher power's." (He hadn't meant that remark to sound critical, though it could be taken as such.)

He'd let Ayu-Asra's head go after it let him go, but he glanced at the creature in surprise when it jingled. He hadn't known it could do that. Perhaps it was like one of those birds that could imitate speech.

"Well," the half-elf said, not really knowing what to say to that. But Sebastian, too, was staring at the creature. "I don't suppose that's your pet? It behaves much too defiantly to fit your disciplined tastes, at any rate."

It did occur to him that 'disciplined tastes' might have referred to something involving balls and ropes, but then it also occured to him balls of yarn were more or less the same thing.

He grinned a little guiltily.

Ayu-Asra spread his wings slightly to appear bigger and hissed at the weird bird.
First calling out, and now ignoring him completely? The cheek!
The dragon lunged at the cap, and they became a flurry of colours and angry noise.

"Not mine. It's just a fr--" Just then the dragon pounced and there were many jingles as it set to its rival.

"--usually a friendly animal. I think it belongs to one of the foreigners in there, come to think of it." Ting-a-ling-a-ling! He waved a hand to indicate the inn building ten or fifteen metres behind him.

"Oh, but yes, you're right of course - we terribly disciplined yarn-addicted people aren't allowed pets." He shot Sebbie a humour-filled look. (The words "not counting Riccy" were floating into at least one of their minds.)

The Fox refrained from making any comments about kittens and cats, instead staring at Ayu-Asra quite amusedly. "Well, that would make sense." And then... then the thought of Riccy sprang to mind.

He winced. "Well, but it's good to see you're still in one piece. I hope. At least you look to be all right."

"Well thanks, yes, I'm still mostly operational. In fact I'm on surveillance duty at the moment." It wasn't as though this was a secret any more. Every single person in Suitov's organisation certainly seemed to know Weft, not to mention showing an appalling lack of respect for him and everything he represented.

"But I offended the subject's girlfriend so I thought it wise to retreat out here for a while. Anyway... you're looking good too."

Weft reminded himself that he loved his job. What he hated were the circumstances that resulted in his order judging it appropriate to assign him in particular to this task.

Fie on circumstances! Sadly, it is one of those curious truths that it's a lot easier to hate people than happenstance.

One head stared back at the half-elf and hissed - that was his bird and he was not sharing with another one! - but only for a moment before joining the other again in reducing the cap to shreds.

The half-elf grinned. Offended the subject's girlfriend? Yes, he could imagine that happening. "You're better off outside, anyway. There are some quite... mad people there. By my standards, no less," he said earnestly and then patted his stomach. "Thank you. Daily exercise, wonderful thing," Sebastian replied, offering an innocent blink at Ayu-Asra when... part of it/her/him hissed at him.

"So, I guess you've been outside for a bit then. Was I interrupting anything with my, uhm, poorly executed approach?"

"No... I was only meditating, and not deeply at that." Weft knelt, sneaked hold of the hat and caused it to wiggle like prey with attitude. Jinglejingleblortjingle!

"You're sadly too right about the crazy people," he said. "If only everyone were normal like us." That line was delivered deadpan.

Sebastian was very, very quiet for a while.

Meanwhile, back in the Inn...

Jaina dropped her dishes on the counter and clenched her teeth. "That bastard tried to kill Lance. I don't know why. Maybe just for the kick?

"All I know is that I went looking for Lance after he and Weft had been hanging out in a storeroom. I found my friend unconscious and bleeding while Sir Shivs-A-Lot stood over him, blades at the ready. Wasn't hard to piece together." Her hands ached and glowed. How long had they been balled so tightly? She didn't remember.

Spying Sylvie, Jaina forced her fingers and jaw loose. "Anyway, that's the story."