Random 60

Throughout the whole ordeal, the breakfast and the smalltalk, Kai kept on a slightly nervous look that mostly bespoke that he still wasn't certain about that imposing, but even so, it wasn't until the meal that, after a quiet thank you and a faint smile that he looked at Sylvie and, asked in a soft tone: "Um. Do... you think we cut my hair, now?" Meek. Meek.

Sylvie gave him an irritated look and hesitated, checking her initial "after all that combing?!"-reaction.

Gemma relieved her of having to come up with a socially acceptable answer. "First I'd like to hear more about what happened to you." With an apologetic look she added, "If there are more low-lifes causing trouble in our neighbourhood, that's something to know."

Covertly, Kai gave her a "trust me" look back, then swallowed visibly, his adam's apple twitching as he regarded Gemma again... and this was the point where he had to improvise. "It was... uh, two people, I think, I -- didn't stick around after... I fought off the first one." For a moment he looked miserable. "It's not easy being so different," Kai added sadly, with a touch of bitterness, before looking away again, down at the plate.

Those last words hit Sylvie like a sudden blow. Crossing her ams and pulling up her shoulders as if suddenly chilled, she looked out of the window, even if from this angle all she could see was the shadowed wall of the passage to the street. She wanted to be far, far away, alone, where no-one could spring surprises like that, or worse. Or to reach out for him. She shold--

Gemma made a noise as if she were about to spit, likewise not looking at anyone present and lost for words.

Garren softly said, "Yes," and a moment later offered, "We do worry how Fren is doing overseas."

He and Gemma exchanged a sad look, which Gemma ended with a nod. "Not in our house. It's not much, but it's what we can do."

Meanwhile Sylvie fought the impulse to draw in on herself. It was a deeply ingrained habit, a defence mechanism, but she was sick of isolation. Looking at the table, she saw that Kai was resting his arm on it, between his and her plate. Slowly she laid her left arm along his, and touched the back of his hand with her knuckles. The contrast of skintones was one she was used to by now.

It was at that point that Kai chose to look somewhat touched, and it wasn't all show. It wasn't too hard to plunge into all those years of feeling like an outsider, so the moistness in his eyes was hardly even faked. Hardly. Even more welcome was the reaction the family gave to his outburst, but most important was Sylvie's touch. That was the bit that had the most impact.

"Fuckers," Riya said, then remembered her parents were present and winced. "I mean..."

"Um. I'm sorry?" he said, quietly, looking from one member of the family to another, blinking repeatedly. "Er." With another bewildered look, he inched closer to Sylvie. That was the last straw. "No. I mean, thank you. All of you."

"Yes, that's better," Gemma said. "You're welcome." She skipped asking more questions in favour of refilling everyone's teacup, letting Kai decide if he wanted to get back to the previous topic, or drop it.

He put on a small grateful smile, thinking for a while -- and he really did need to, because he had to think laterally. A sip of tea fortified him enough. "I'm... well, really. Thank you. I know most people aren't... you know," he ended softly.

"Don't mention it," Gemma answered absently.

There was a lull in the conversation. Sylvie drank her tea and eventually said, to get out of there, "If you really want your hair cut, I could give it a go."

Kai nodded, smiling just the tiniest bit. "If you'll... excuse us?" He didn't sit up until Riya glanced at her mother and said: "Sure."

Sylvie gave them an apologetic look and a whispered "thank you", which Gemma answered with a smile and a nod, before she followed Kai.

As soon as the door was closed behind them, Sylvie breathed out hard, and looked at the half elf with wide eyes, a slight crimp between her eyebrows that suggested she was not completely happy with the situation, and a quirk to her lips suggesting she might be amused despite that. She kept any comment to herself and kept walking, though.

---

"Well," said Gemma. She could keep her voice down when she wanted.

Feeling like he should lighten the mood a little, Garren said, "He does not seem to be afraid of her."

"Or at least less than of other people, yes. There is something..."

"Something. Most definitely. She completely forgot about her other little friend."

The dragon sat in a corner near the stove and was still busily gnawing on two scraps of bacon rind, and at least right now did not seem to mind.

It took a moment for Riya to consider what her parents had just said. Finally, she blinked. "Oh."

Elsewhere, once they had gone far enough to not be heard: "It's pure instinct," he said quietly, blinking owlishly. "It always makes me feel ashamed, a bit, that."

She leaned close to him and kept her voice down. "Good." He did look very embarrassed, but, or maybe because of that, she could not help adding, "As long as you don't try fishing for sympathy for feeling ashamed." With the next breath it was, "Sorry. You were scarily convincing." She offered the last in a quite neutral tone as she ushered him into her room.

"I know," he said, sounding a little unhappy about being convincing. "But I'm not fishing for sympathy. I want to keep them out of this, for their own sake." A split-second of contemplation later, Kai continued: "You know, were I playing a role, I'd claim I'm sorry I dragged you into this, but what the hells. It's nice to finally be able to talk without the act. I'm glad I have you with me." The half-elf blinked a few times and, to his surprise, found his eyes misting up with water.

Sylvie momentarily felt like a wall had hit her. Too many sharp turns in the last few minutes. Gathering her wits and her trust about her she decided that needed an answer. "I might understand... just a little of that. But I do enjoy your company very much. Despite everything else."

Unfortunately they had work to do. "I don't want the family here hurt, either." lowering her voice further, she said, "If that Kaisre hadn't been out of it both when he arrived and when he left here, I'd have told them, but as it is, he probably wouldn't find the place if he decided to try." Or he might, using her description? "I just hope he won't."

Looking sorrowful, genuinely so, he looked away from Sylvie momentarily. Then he smiled. "I enjoy your company too. I'm just feeling sorry that it took a mess like this to find someone to..." uh... he shut up for a moment and blushed. Then: "I... doubt Kaisre will try. He's just another victim, and..." sigh "...one of mine, too, by proxy. He has a hard life. Don't worry about him."

She did not want to brush over personal matters, but the thought of losing more time made her skin crawl, so she retrieved the letter from where she'd stashed it in her travel pack, as well as her knife. And the comb. But she did say, "You shouldn't worry about him, either." Feeling bad for hurting someone who'd tried to kill him? That did not sound healthy. Offering the letter, she asked, "Light enough to read?"

Healthy, no, but he'd seen enough suffering to feel sympathy for even those who had almost killed him -- and hadn't succeeded. Kai smiled as he sat down on the bed and pulled her closer, leaning temple to temple as he took the letter and opened it with one hand and nimble fingers, almost surprisingly fast. "Plenty for me. There's a... well, my eyes don't go all shiny for no reason at all when there's little light," he said softly, but a bit morosely.

Then he began to read, voice soft:

Any person bringing this letter to the compound is under my employ and beck and call. Relay any message they bring immediately to me. They may wait for an answer or meeting.

Signed,
Ludovic Coperne Saba.

Kai blinked. "...I wonder how many of these are in circulation."

The remark about his eyes earned him a quick sideways look. She knew about that; being unusually inept at light spells she had instead learned giving herself cat's eyes. The thought that she had seen better than he assumed last night was faintly amusing.

"I wouldn't know." She straightened up and moved behind Sebastian, gathering up his hair again, and tried to come up with a scenario where that letter seemed like a good idea. "Maybe just one? He wrote it at home, before he knew whom he would give it."

He noted the look, but didn't react to it other than with a faint smile. Kai thought he had seen more than she had, but wasn't wont to brag -- and besides, it had been a very nice sight, all told. He would have adjusted his trousers if he hadn't been leaning against her, letter still in hand.

Her gathering his hair again didn't help at all, to be honest. Part of him wanted to be back to last night, and it made him swallow. How strange it was, to be able to be honest with someone and... not worry about it.

"Could be. I hope not. This would be a ticket to the estate, if there are more floating around, but I think I can always," he grimaced, "...act." No happy tone in that last word, no.

"There's no name or description on it, at least. Ludovic may have some concern for secrecy, and not tell everyone who works for him about... business that questionable." She combed out his hair again. Less work this time.