Random 83

Sylvie stretched and looked at the sky. The clouds she could see were light grey or white. "Do you have any estimate how long this will take our attention yet?"

"I hope less than a few days. I'm sick the whole matter as it is." He extracted himself from the wall and sank his boot partially into a puddle, examining the ripples. He looked morose and concentrated as he counted the ripples, eyes squinted. "A couple of hours in privacy wouldn't hurt," Sebastian muttered, not quite quietly enough.

"Agreed." Her smile, which left her eyes nearly closed, faded as she went on, "Though getting things over with entirely would be better." She looked at Sebastian with a question in her mind she was not sure she wanted to ask at all, let alone here and now.

Twitch. "Work before play," he said, looking a little guilty. Then he fell silent and stared at Sylvie, tilting his head and pursing his lips. What are you thinking of?

Oh, rats. It was just a day for more honesty than usual. Barely above a whisper, she asked, "Will you just disappear because your goddess wants you elsewhere?" The tone she used for "goddess" would have been fitting for "cockroach", too.

Brilliant. He knew that would come up. Taking a deep breath he looked up at the sky. Having an answer for that... was impossible, but at least he could speak his mind. He shook his head and approached Sylvie, extending his hands to clasp hers. "For all I care, she can go screw herself. I'm tendering my resignation the moment this thing is over." Oh hell, no, not again. He looked down at the ground and closed his eyes. No mistiness now, please. "I don't want to disappear."

Sylvie took his hands, and leaned her forehead against his. "I'll have your back. For whatever good that'll do."

"Then hold on tight," was all he said.

Sylvie shook her head slightly at the pure crazyness of everything. The whole last week felt unreal. Still, just the idea of Sebastian, or anyone being stuck as someone's plaything enraged her. She moved to Sebastian's side, slipping an arm around his back and holding on tight, for mutual reassurance.

Sebastian held on just as tight and was about to say something when what he had thought was just the usual traffic (well, usual after a storm like that) stopped and whinnied. He didn't pay it much attention until he heard some low muttering and an embarrassed cough.

Kord, sitting in the driver's seat of the carriage, looked slightly nervous when looked at. "Sorry to interrupt," he said, trying to sound gruff, but couldn't. Maybe it was because he'd taken a liking to Sylvie, maybe something else. He did look apologetic, especially so when Mael and the Traysens disembarked from the carriage.

Sebastian closed his eyes. "So am I." He sighed and, wistfully, extracted himself from Sylvie's grip -- but not entirely. He kept hold of her hand for as long as permitted. "Hello, boys. Mael. I need you to do something..."

He began to summarise what he wanted -- and it boiled down to very detailed directions and instructions concerning the artifacts.

At the end of it, Kord grunted. "So, you delivered. I'm damn glad, but could've been quicker."

That point Sebastian didn't really argue with, but judging by sudden non-literal storm clouds over his head, the teeth grinding and and the glaring, he was trying to control his temper.

Sylvie gave up first. She took a deep breath, and as she released it put on an innocent expression. Mildly she asked, "I'm curious... Have you complained to your goddess because she did not get a clear message through early, too?" She didn't want to let go of Sebastian, either.

"I'm about to, and a bit more," he growled, watching Kord and dragging Sylvie along for a few steps. "Kord? One word before you go. Come over here."

Kord, who had been about to lug himself back into the driver's seat, frowned but approached anyway. Mael and the twins were ready to disembark, but settled for talking with each other. Oddly enough, their conversation was drawn to marriage -- something Mael was more than ready to discuss, but he still couldn't quite believe that the twins were marrying... well, twin sisters. It seemed a bit odd.

Kord loomed over Sylvie and Sebastian. "Yeah?"

Not the slightest intimidated, the half-elf glared at him. "Personal feelings about me aside, I need you to do another favour, seeing as Auker's patron isn't listening."

That was enough to confuse the big man for a moment, but he recovered quickly. "Yeah?"

"Tell the Old Lady I'm retiring. She's talked to you, and she listens. She --" he pointed at the shrine "-- not so much. I don't care what you think about how I do my job and how irrationally my missions are given to me, nor how I'm treated, but for fuck's sake. I'm done after this."

Then the men both went quiet. Sebastian squeezed Sylvie's hand tighter.

Sylvie tried to calm herself, and, well, there was a problem you could think about here. She asked Sebastian, "Might that message get passed on and get a reaction?" tilting her head towards the shrine.

"It damned well ought to," he said, still a little incensed. To Kord, he said: "Make sure it gets passed on. I don't care anymore."

"You've got responsibilities," Kord began angrily, but was soon cut off by a finger far too close to his chin for comfort. He had barely seen Sebastian's hand move.

"I. Don't. Care. I've been a piece on a chessboard for too long, and every time I get a little respite, I end up hurting people. I'm done. Go get the items. I'm going to tell Auker the same. And damn those two both if I don't get the chance to actually live my own life for a change. I'll start collecting interest otherwise." An empty threat, but at least he meant it. He had no way of fighting two deities, and he knew it. "Get."

He didn't hang about to wait for Kord's response. Instead, he turned around and began to march back toward the shrine's backdoor, only...

...to see Auker and Riya, both wide-eyed.

He wanted to scream.

"Could I get my hand back just for a moment?" It was starting to hurt.

There was that rare feeling of being suffocated, being stared at by both of his patrons' clergy and a very stubborn teenager. "...yeah. I'm sorry, I didn't..." he managed, letting go.

Sebastian blinked and took deep breaths while Auker said: "You know, you need a stiff drink."

"Or two," added Riya.

Sebastian didn't answer them. He went back to all business. "Kord. Go get those things. Come back here. We're going to talk about this mess." With that, he took the first step back toward the shrine's back entrance.

Sylvie flexed her fingers, leaned towards him and answered, "Don't worry about it." Sh followed him closely.

"I'd be a bastard if I didn't. Aside from the literal part of me being born out of wedlock," Sebastian whispered, having some spring in his steps as the four of them entered the shrine's kitchen. Jon had more or less emptied the bottle, but looked delighted to see Auker.

"More feminine beauty!" he exclaimed.

Auker and Riya looked at each other. "Yeah, that's Jon from the Tin, don't mind him. He's an old lush," Auker explained to her. "His tin is usually... is that my moonshine?"

Garren ignored her - she was unlikely to want it back at this point - and asked Riya, "How did it go?"

Sylvie started to wonder if they'd end up a bunch of drunks unable to convince anyone of anything.

Riya was about to say something before Sebastian raised his hand. By some way of circumstance, Sebastian was wondering the same concerning the state of people's livers and put thoughts to words. "All right, that's enough. I might understand some of you are happy the rain has gone, but think long-term. There's still the issue of those behind it." He snorted. "Understood?"

Jon and Auker looked a little chastised at least.

"Good. Riya? You father asked you a question?"

For a moment Riya blinked. "Well. It went okay, aside from... er, Auker having a few with the boss over at the Jackites' place. They'll come around soon. I'm a bit worried, though, the kid--"

"Robare," Auker said helpfully, looking mournfully at the moonshine.

"Yeah, him. He's going to come over."

Sebastian almost wanted to burst into laughter but instead glanced at Sylvie, looking like he was about to nurse a gigantic headache.