Random 76

"That was the first act, I have to admit. Still work to do," he said, matter-of-fact, though he would have like to bask in the feeling of a small victory for a moment longer. He looked over at Sylvie, noted her hair and wondered about the comb, too. But, as it were... he took the dressing gown and began to put it on.

No luck, it had to be back in the washroom. Trying some fingercombing Sylvie got up to look for something to tie it together.

When she got a less shadowed look of Sebastian's back, she winced in sympathy. It was rather colourful. She held the robe for him so he didn't have to move his shoulders back quite that much, and pulled his hair out of the collar, before getting dressed herself.

He smiled in gratitude, but had no trouble tying the belt of the dressing gown on his own. For the remainder of the time it took Sylvie to get dressed, he leaned against the door frame, staring out the window. Once she was ready, he opened the door for her.

Since she had been half-dressed already, it hadn't taken long. She wore the same clothes as yesterday evening, plus a kerchief tied over her hair.

The mood in the kitchen was rather less happy than it might have been, giving the weather change.

Garren wished them a good morning. "Looks like the weather is on your side," he said, smiling.

Sebastian, too, bid good morning, though humbly. "Well, that's two things on my side at least," Sebastian said dryly, pulling a chair for Sylvie, surveying the mood in the kitchen. A little dark though it was, he tried to keep it from affecting his mood -- and hopefully if his mood stayed brighter, so by proxy would Sylvie's.

That was the theory, anyway, but he took his seat politely, ignoring the look Mael was giving him. Unlike the rest of the family, the son looked a bit more contemplative.

Sylvie smiled at him at his remark, feeling it referred to her. It distracted her a little from her bad conscience about again being too late to help with anything, so her "Good morning" turned out less shy than it would have otherwise.

Gemma's reply was perfunctory. The work they had created hadn't helped, but the main reason was comparing Kai yesterday morning with Sebastian now, and yesterday. Being tricked like that rankled. She set two cups and the teapot on the table next to Sylvie and turned to finish up some other work. The tea was salvia. Since Gemma was looking for swallowing and throat clearing, she was satisfied she'd guessed right Sylvie might need it.

After passing a cup on to Sebastian, and pouring for both of them, Sylvie watched Mael. Her thoughts had also been drawn to yesterday, and she wondered what Mael thought of it, not having seen Sebastian's acting for himself.

Mael looked back, smiling a little. Though a bit too easy to usher to do jobs and not the sharpest tool in the shed, he at least had some eye for character. Sebastian glanced at him, having thanked for the tea politely, civil like. It went back and forth -- noticing Sylvie a bit more relaxed, he allowed himself to worry about her less. Nevertheless, he nudged his thigh against hers.

A sip of tea later, he said: "So, Garren. Any recommendations on where to find a reliable messenger? I think it might be best, for once, to put all the eggs in one basket, meaning that we get Kord and his crew to meet us at Auker's place." Another sip. "If you want to see them, and Brice."

Riya came down the stairs, rubbing her eyes and grumbling.

"Well, if you want to convince me, having them affirm your report of events would do it, or at least go a long way." He was watching Sebastian very openly. "What I don't understand is why you're trying to convince us here, if you have evidence, and two clergies on your side who could present the case to the authorities."

"The problem is, aside from Sylvie I'm the only agent on the job," Sebastian said in measured tones, but a hint of something creeped into his expression. "I have to say, we've been too busy getting the artifacts disabled to even consider talking to other clergies. But yes, they'll affirm my story. Brice will, too."

He looked at Sylvie sheepishly for a moment -- something Mael did not miss. "Why am I trying to convince you, here? I've been away for fifty, sixty, seventy years? That's the underlying reason, but it's like I said yesterday." He turned to look back at Garren. "The last I was here, it took substantial evidence or a landslide of different clergies to convince the authorities."

Then he twitched and rubbed his forehead, muttering something about how stupid he had been.

Sylvie frowned at his first remark. Auker and Rozs, Kord and the Treysens made six or seven who had known what was going on and helped, and she wanted to count Montmore, too. The sudden jump to talking to other clergies distracted her from wondering if Kirrya counted, too.

At the muttering she gave him a sideways look, and crimped smile.

"I'd like to hear that," Gemma said as she put the bread basket on the table. She had heard the muttering.

"I'm an idiot," he repeated, earnestly, glancing at Sylvie. He'd prefer to explain later why they two were the de facto agents on the job, but that could wait. "I've been too obsessed with finding who, why, how and where to consider getting help." At this point he frowned at his tea and bit his right side's teeth together. After a blink he looked at Sylvie. "You were right."

"Should have argued harder at the start, obviously." She was pretty happy he had figured out something. "Who're you considering now?" For the moment not caring if it was rude or not, she picked some dark bread and got started on breakfast. She was ravenous.

"Considering staging another landslide of different clergies?" Garren ventured.

"That or kicking me in the unmentionables until I listened to you," Sebastian snorted, then regarded Garren and ignored his hunger. "In fact, yes. The Tin Coin and the Golden Coin, perhaps. Paupers and merchants, respectively. And the Jackites, believe it or not. However many it takes."

Sylvie coughed and chased some crumbs down the right way with tea. Hiding behind the cup, she said very, very quietly, "I'll keep it in mind." She tried to follow the conversation, at a disadvantage because she was not familiar with the clergies.

"Why would the Jackites care?" Gemma asked.

"Profit. Just like the Gold Coin's lot. They still do mug people on the streets, right, aside from the usual cheating?" Sebastian asked, surprised, barely keeping his laughter to twitching lips at Sylvie's comment. "Besides, Fortuna and Smiling Jack might not get along always, but it's like bickering family who gets annoyed when someone... uh... messes up with the other. Or has there been a change in that?"

"They claim they don't. And I haven't paid that much attention. " Gemma passed on the question to Riya with a pointed look. It had been her who had provided gambling hall rumours, after all. Gemma was still skeptical, looking for contradictions, but for now drawn in by the flow of conversation.

Riya stiffened, because she knew that look and because she was surprised Gemma was actually getting involved in this. Then she went even more rigid when she noticed Sebastian staring at her with curiosity. "Well, ah, it's not so bad these days anymore, I guess. I don't know what it was like in the past..." she winced, "but Auker hangs out there a lot. They don't want to throw her out, at least. I think she parties with them and, um..." She blushed.

Mael and Sebastian raised their eyebrows almost in tandem, but Sebastian was the one to finally offer an ending to that sentence: "...some 'your place or mine' business?" Judging by Riya's embarrassed grin, exactly that. Mael pursed his lips.

While Sylvie hid a smile - good for Auker - Gemma rolled her eyes, hoping that woman could at least count.

Garren actually had something to say. "Well, that should make spreading the word to the Jackites easy, yes?"

Sebastian couldn't stop a short snort that was suppressed laughter, especially once he saw Gemma's expression. Carefully keeping to himself how Auker had come on to him like a practiced hand, he cleared his throat and answered Garren. "It ought to. If I don't show my face to them, at any rate," he said, still ignoring the food. His mind was racing in several directions at the same time. "It may be good to consider if the Old Lady's folks might have some ideas, too. Speaking of, any idea where to find a quick messenger there?"

"The Old Lady's? Mael should be able to handle that." Garren looked at his son.