Random 89

"That rings true in many ways," Sebastian added. "But then again, I also heard one similar about students. It was books and beer, though. Wine if they were rich brats, but hah. Just goes to show. There's a joke about most things." They rounded a corner, where Sebastian smiled as he watched a cart go past slowly, people sitting on stairs and basking, smoking or drinking various beverages. Souls, milling about. The city was indeed coming back to life.

So was the gambling hall, he mused as they passed it.

Sylvie realised she had never seen this street not in the rain before today. After the previous visits under conditions more likely to keep people inside, people loitering about and watching passers-by, including them, them felt odd.

It worried her for a moment that the carriage was apparently gone, but then, that was probably a good sign; it probably meant the assembled clergy had made some decision, and the Old Lady's had left.

"Looks like the general's put the boys to work," Sebastian muttered as he nodded toward where the carriage was, knitting his eyebrows together. He looked a little wistful now, but carried on walking into the alley. Just before they reached the backdoor to Auker's booze lair, he hesitated for a moment but then took a slow step onward.

On the way Sylvie asked, "Which one is the general?"

"Auker."

Well, that would have been her second guess.

Once they were inside and Sylvie's eyes had adjusted to the relative gloom, she saw that Auker, Jon and, a slight surprise, Kord remained. And that Ayu-Asra was trying to arrange Sebastian's belongings in a more compact heap. The latter sight drew a quiet groan from her.

Auker had helpfully (or not) added one of her rings to the pile, and was watching the dragon as she spoke, only nodding at the two of them. "-- so, basically, whatever those two are up to with their so-called conferences with their own folk, we'd best make some plans," she was saying to Kord. Jon appeared half-asleep, smiling at the new arrivals.

Kord hrrmphed and turned to look at Sylvie and Sebastian, squinting. Auker raised her eyebrows and smirked a little. "Well. Decent... eatings?"

Badly wanting to ignore that, Sebastian looked first at the dragon and then at the three others. And again at the hoard. "Greedy little thing," he said, not entirely unamused. "Yes, the food was passable." Aware that his hair was still a little messy and that Auker had a certain gleam in her eyes, he looked about. "So, they went to negotiate with their business associates?"

"Yup," Auker confirmed. "I thought it wise that Kord send his boys off real quick after that. They might get some ideas of their own about those shiny crystals."

Sylvie had no problem ignoring Auker's innuendo. She'd had practise, and besides, the dragon provided a distraction. When she walked up to the table, staring at him with narrowed eyes, he curled up, splayed his crests, and hissed from both throats. She paused, hands on the edge of the table, and kept staring at him.

It was no surprise at least that Robare had to negotiate, particularly after seeing him next to Jon. Seniority he had nod. As she blinked away at the thought that the Jackites might have sent him because he was expendable, the dragon trilled in triumph at having won the staredow. His right head angled for the little anti-chicken amulet to pull it closer, while the other kept watch of Sylvie.

She couldn't help but ask, "And what will happen with those in the long run?" regretting it even before anyone said anything.

"I'd like to know the same thing," Sebastian said, glancing slowly at Kord.

Apparently, this question had been expected. Sighing, Kord only said: "We're going to have to hide them. Bury them."

"And not use them, ever?"

Kord glared daggers at Sebastian. "You think me that dumb? I'd probably get zapped by lightning or eaten by a bunch of rabid squirrels if I did something that stupid."

"Good man. Just checking," the half-elf said with a sharp grin, staring back at him. "I'll let you decide, then, if it were safer to have Brannig, for instance, destroy them after he's seen them. He might be a good expert witness, after all."

Sylvie straightened up and nodded. If it was normal for artifacts here to be that loaded, rather than a result of a lone genius, someone actually trained in this school might know if there was a way to safely destroy them. Unconsciously she had started rubbing her hands, and wrists along her pulse.

Auker, for one, agreed. Jon burped and stood up. "Well. I agree with that. So, these contingencies?"

Sebastian bit his lip in contemplation, glancing at Sylvie's hand-rubbing gesture. He was soon watching Kord, Auker and Jon again. The dragon, well, he didn't seem destructive of stuff he hoarded, so... "Well, Jon. I'd appreciate it if you'd manage to figure out some hiding places for people if those two jokers decide to get greedy. Kord, you've already handled your contingencies at least?"

"If by that you mean, have the twins hide them someplace safe? Yes."

Jon, swaying a little, gave his bit some thought. Auker seemed disturbingly sober and woken up -- how? "Well, there's always hovels. Maybe Kord might want to hide people if need be, too?"

The thought at first displeased Kord, before Auker added wryly: "You can make them work for their food."

That brightened Kord's day quite a bit.

She could figure out that the "two jokers" were probably Robare and Ramend, but was a bit foggier on the rest. "Who all might needs hiding?" she asked, a bit distracted because she was also trying to distract the dragon from his hoard with quiet fingersnapping. She'd known him longer and had a better idea of how destructive he could get.

"Us two, to begin with," Sebastian said, looking at Sylvie with a faintly troubled expression. "I don't want to take any..." Auker raised her eyebrows, as if to finish his sentence, but he continued. "You know. It's just that if the Gold Coin or the Jackites decide they don't like me, I suspect they'll try to get to me either directly or through you. Or, and I hope this doesn't happen, Ludovic catches wind of what's been going on."

Kord said nothing. It didn't seem the place for gruff talk. Auker, on the other hand... "That's a risk," she commented.

Sebastian on the other hand began to look slightly melancholy.

There was a little painful spark of guilt, making her want to apologise, but it flickered and died quickly. She had been useful, damn it.

Eyebrows drawn down in concentration she tried to think of who else. "If Ludovic finds out I was involved, he might cause trouble at Old Ivy. Is that why you asked for the Tin Coin to have eyes on them?" Maybe they should have been more careful at the artisan's shop earlier? Too late now.

"For that reason exactly," Sebastian said with a faint smile and equally faint voice, favouring Jon with a certain kind of look. "Thank you for that, by the way."

Jon merely nodded. He really didn't seem at all terrified of Sebastian.

Then the half-elf looked at Sylvie again, considering her at length. He badly, sorely wanted to tell her this was what his life had been for a long while, but then it occurred to him that she might even understand.

Her backbrain had put together the hints to that effect; her one clear thought on the matter was that working alone would certainly have made it easier to hide or run when things went bad.

She found a smile for Jon. "Yes, thank you."

The next moment she lunged, hissing like a cat. It would have brought her nose-to-noses with Ayu-Asra, if the dragon hadn't fled to Auker's shoulder. Ayu-Asra had been trying to drag Sebastian's diary by one cover; now, handling it carefully, Sylvie closed it and moved it closer to the edge of the table, in the same movement as sitting down herself.

"Oh, if you'll just remember me warmly in the fut--," Jon began but, just like Kord and (especially) Auker (who stumbled back a few steps), looked utterly startled at Sylvie's course of action. Sebastian, for his part, reacted only with a twitch of an ear and a tilt of the head. "Thank you, Sylvie. Would you happen to have a spare satchel, sister?"

Well, it worked. One of Ayu-Asra's jeads gave very quiet hisses, the other tweeted nervously, while he held on to Auker's shoulder. Sylvie just continued glaring at him. Her own diary was tangled up in her mind with finding a way home, making it the item she was most attached to.

"Uh," said Auker. "Yeah, sure..." She hurried away, clutching the dragon.

Sebastian couldn't help but say what was on his mind concerning that. "He's a bit of a mama's boy, isn't he."

"A bit," she sighed, relaxing. "If Auker wants to keep him, and he wants to stay, they're welcome to it. Might leave all three of us happier." She gave Sebastian a short look that, if you paid close attention, carried some amusement.

He widened his eyes much to the same effect as that short look. "Oh, come now. You'd break his heart if he heard that," he retorted, then was cut off by a hrrmph.

"I've got plenty of places in mind for hiding. No problem getting them set up even if you show up before we've stocked them, because I'm assuming you know how to forage," Kord said stiffly, staring at the two of them. "Jon, well, he's always got some ditch somewhere..."

"Rude of you," Jon said. "I'd never sleep in a ditch."

While Kord spoke, Sylvie took a deep breath, straightened up, and put on a smile. Manners, manners. She nodded to Kord's assumption, smile growing more genuine.

I've slept in plenty of ditches over the last few years. Though right now, that might be too damp for comfort.

"Thank you."