Random 97

"Yes," Sebastian said, utterly disappointed at what had happened. "And there will be others there as well."

"All right then. Well, when?"

"Leave an hour from now. I'll take the time to inform the sister." ...that you're not that desirable a bachelor as you seemed to have been.

It felt wrong, somehow, that last thought. Even so, Sebastian put an hand on Sylvie's and nudged his head toward the way out. "We'll see you there. But nobody else." With that, he made certain Sylvie understood he wanted to be out of the house -- quick -- with a wide-eyed look at her.

Sylvie got up, picked up her backpack, and gave Montmore a polite nod.

"Bye," was all Sebastian said in a glacial tone. Montmore gave a cheery smile and wave, even escorting them to the door.

Sebastian didn't speak further until they were outside. "I didn't think him to be that much of an ass," he said once the door closed.

At the start his style had not bothered her at all, but it had gotten uncomfortable later. "He got pretty patronising."

"That, very much. Auker might be surprised." Pause. "This keeps getting worse, doesn't it," Sebastian said with a sigh.

"I think I need to write this down or I'll miss something." She went through the conversation in her head. Oh, yes, that. Sylvie leaned close and poked Sebastian in the side. "'You know too much, magicker.' Really?" At that point it hadn't been only Montmore who'd annoyed her, particularly with her being a "magicker" herself.

"I've got it all committ--" he began as slowly calmed down, but then he was poked. Sebastian blinked and rewinded his memory to that bit of the conversation. Another blink later, he said, "I'm sorry if I offended, Sylvie. Also... why did that 'children' thing sound familiar?"

Reaching for his hand, smiling, she said, "Your words, when Weft and I were bickering, just after I found you."

Her words hit him the point where he appeared to twitch akin to someone sufferings from hiccups, but the movement ended up with him biting his lip and trying his best to contain a grin. He squeezed her hand before a single snicker, oh, maybe two, got out. "Have I ever told you you have a very interesting sense of humour?" he managed, chuckling silently.

"I don't remember. I do remember what... what was the word? teenagers? can get like when they try to one-up each other. Wasn't so long ago." She grinned at him.

Amusement shone clearly on his face. "Are we going to act like teenagers? I could use the practice."

"It did get in the way of getting to the point just then, didn't it?" She looked at him rather regretfully, but still smiling.

"Point taken," he said, squeezing her hand again, "but I'll officially certify and state that you have a very interesting sense of humour, one which we're going to have to drag back to the shrine along with the rest of your interesting aspects."

"Good. I'd leave it behind to needle Montmore a bit, but I don't know him well enough." She tilted her head. "Well, annoyance aside, he seems to be someone else who isn't intimidated by you and doesn't take orders and seems to think for himself. Hopefully that's a good sign."

He pondered that for a moment, then threw caution to the wind. "I'll let you in on a secret. I don't usually like working with authorities, yes, but I also don't... like working with people who call themselves secular agents, especially ones that confess it was one or more of his predecessors who hired Koljo the Hound to hunt me down. But yes, I'll leave the needling. But I'll also have to inform Auker. It only seems fair."

"Of course. And as I said, either he was being stupid, or intentionally baiting you. I suspect the second. He deserves some needling, it just doesn't seem productive." More quietly she added, "How much trouble could he cause if he stopped playing around? What was he trying at the end that you dodged?"

"I'm not sure. I don't know who he could hire to keep tabs on me, or if he already has. As to what he was trying to do, it had the same sort of... let's call it resonance as when you look under my skin by way of arcane means."

"So maybe only curiosity." She couldn't really find blame in that in principle, but in treating a person like an animal by not asking permission? "Just bloody rude.

"I had no idea you could sense magic at all."

"I can. It's how I know when to run as far as the horizon goes," he said. "Apparently breeds like me are supposed to be talented in magic, but I'll say I'm somewhat glad I never could wrap my head around it. I've seen..." Uh oh. Yes, it had to be said. "...I have a grandchild whom I've met a few times, and her use of magic is... let's say, unpredictable."

Great. Well, it had to come up sooner or later, he mused and stared at the path in front of them.

Sylvie was quiet for a few steps, surprised at that turn in the conversation. Her thoughts flicked over family and loneliness. "So you have family-by-blood, but you aren't close?" Considering that he was centuries old, the fact that he had children shouldn't have been surprising, she just hadn't thought about it.