Random 90

Sebastian was about to say the same, but Kord utterly ignored him, favouring Sylvie with a nod. "Least we can do. Don't let it be said hospitality's dead in the country -- and in the city," he added after Jon chuckled. The old man settled his hands on his stomach and twiddled his thumbs. "Ditches aren't so bad if they're dry," Kord even admitted.

Sebastian kept quiet, where as Jon gave a minute shrug. "Even the poor live somewhere, young man. I'm sorry you've had to live in ditches."

The half-elf bit his lip, examining the two other men and ignoring the loud muttering and cursing from outside the kitchen. Auker clearly wasn't having an easy time of it, and bearing in mind what she'd gone to fetch, he approached his belongings and tried to look as though he didn't almost know Kord and Jon were just teasing each other.

She hoped the cursing had other reasons than the dragon, but there were other things to worry about. For example feeling like she had missed a meeting everybody else had been at. "So what's the idea now? Heads down, see to it no-one gets hurt, and wait what happens?" The question was mostly directed at Sebastian.

"Simply put, yes. But heads down doesn't mean cowering, like you pointed out, it means... uh... well." He had the decency to look a little nervous about saying the next bit. "Being right behind them with a blunt instrument if need be. We happen to be the blunt instrument." Kord, finally, had trouble looking like he didn't want to laugh. Jon raised an eyebrow placid-like, whilst Sebastian shrugged. "But yes."

Auker emerged with a satchel. She was talking to Ayu-Asra in clipped, military tones.

"Or possibly sharp and twisty," Sylvie said. And she had a question for the other three. "Did Garren and Riya say anything we should know?"

Ayu-Asra was playing cute, keeping his heads low and imitating quiet birdsong.

Sebastian deigned not to answer aside from a petite smirk. He usually did favour blunt instruments, aside from... certain sharpish ones. But, she had a point with her question, one that had Auker just drop the satchel and mutter one last profound expletive at Ayu-Asra (Sebastian hoped it would not stick in his memory). "Yeah, well. Riya at least said something about being a bit more tight-lipped. What's that about?"

The others nodded. "There's one bit. Garren said that if he were to be dragged into court, he'd tell everything as he knows it. All and everything. Didn't seem the kind to lie," Kord said.

Sylvie nodded silently. You couldn't really ask more than that.

"I think that means Riya will not start spreading word immediately. And keep in mind the order of not letting on who's involved." She looked at Sebastian. "You could have told me you wanted to keep it secret you were involved. You don't expect that to work in the long run, though, do you?"

He tilted his head slightly, not exactly looking conflicted, annoyed or anything like that. On the whole, the half-elf did feel conflicted -- only. In the end, Sebastian said, quietly: "No, not ever since we first told them of the whole matter."

"Right." Had she made a mistake when she'd pushed for telling them? On the other hand, cause and effect should go both ways there. She smiled wrily. "That was when we heard there were already rumours about the Old Lady's Eldest being in the area going around outside the city, too," she said with a look at Kord. "And between those and Robare and his colleagues next door..." She shrugged, smile failing, and watched Sebastian. "Just a matter of time."

Oh thank the Ladies. Sebastian stared at her for a moment, stock still like he had been in his room at House Crow the last time. This was unbearable. It just simply and utterly was. He took a step forward toward Sylvie, then another, until he was right in front of her. "It always is." And then, in the other language that the three others didn't know. "I don't know if you'll hit me upside the head if I apologise." This bit of foreign language sent eyebrows toward the roof from the three others.

It took her a moment to understand, at which point her smile recovered. She answered in the same language, "You get your head rattled more than enough already." Then she switched to the local tongue again. "You could try being a bit less confusing." She wasn't offended, just, as she'd said, confused. And teasing him a little.

Ayu-Asra started climbing down Auker's sleeve towards the table.

A moment of silence and another oh thank the Ladies happened before Sebastian bursted into laughter and made to latch his arms around Sylvie. Then, in the same language, he said: "I'll keep you for good, damn you."

Auker, Kord and Jon looked at each other.

She got up to hug him back with one arm, chuckling. The other hand poked a pointer in his ribs. "Less confusing, I said."

"I'm trying. Forgive me if I'm happy that I didn't get my head torn off. I promise you I'll be more concise in the future and tell you how I think things might go. Just please tell me how to be less confusing, and I'll do it."

Auker, on the other hand, looked at the others and began to stuff Sebastian's belongings into the satchel. It looked (and was) military issue. Kord was actually blushing, as was Jon. The latter could blame his blush to the booze he had drank.

"Generally speaking, putting more of your train of thought into spoken words might do it. Maybe." She would have loved to know what brought his current behaviour on, but considering the audience, tried to steer things back on track. "So, soon or later word will get out that you're involved." Her, too. She stood out here so a fitting description was all too simple. "What then?"

Meanwhile Ayu-Asra snatched at things Auker moved.

"Point taken," he continued. Explaining why he was so relieved was one thing altogether. Still, he put on a look of contemplation. "I'll try. That's all I can promise. But yes, sooner or later they'll learn I'm involved and that I have a red-haired foreigner with me. When that happens, it's best to either hide and wait for a chance -- most likely during the night -- to act, or use disguises."

"Hey!" Auker yelled at the dragon, shoving things into the satchel.

The dragon shrank back momentarily and after some fidgeting slunk off to look for pastry crumbs.

"Do you have any plans about that acting already, or does it depend too much on what happens meanwhile?"

Auker snorted and glared at the dragon. But just a moment later she said something about yummy food, proving that she wasn't all that bad a person.

"I'd like to know, too," Kord said. "If you're going on some sort of whim like you're renowned for... heh."

When did they ever learn? Sebastian rubbed his eyes and turned to look at Kord, eyes squinted. Then he relaxed and sighed. "I wouldn't like to say this, but it depends on what happens. I'm going to... how do I explain this? It's aggressive defense. The moment someone makes a move, they're where we can kick back effectively. That's how someone explained it to me, in general."

"Sounds familiar. I heard similar advice on fighting when cornered."

"That's a bit different," Auker said and grinned. "He's basically just using fancy words to describe an ambush. Or backstabbing someone."

"One day I'll want to know what company you served with," Sebastian muttered.

Sylvie frowned a little for a moment but said, "All right." Nothing wrong with setting a trap for someone in case they'd try to attack you, after all. "That's then. Back to now. Anything useful we can do while waiting what the Gold Coin and Jackites decide?"