Better Homes And Gardens
(RP with Fyre)
Carefully cradling the cup and Evie in his hand, Jack made his way down the street, bound for home. As he passed a familiar sounding street name, he paused and tilted his head. "Hey, Evie. Fancy meetin' a friend o' mine?"
She nodded. "Okay! I like new people. Is he nice like you and Trinity and Tsu?"
"Nice as Trinity. I..." A blue blur cut him off and he tilted his head as Brunswick settled on his shoulder. "Now where you come from, lad?"
"I was bored."
Jack sighed and tried to hide his smile. Looks like Silas would get to meet both of his responsibilities today.
A brisk five minute walk took him to the number he remembered and he studied the house thoughtfully. How best to go about getting in?
The house was plain and very nearly drab on the outside, set back a touch from the street. The sort of medium sized house that tended to occupy this section of town, as the houses drifted farther apart and grew larger outside of the press of the city proper. There was a brass knocker on the door, but no visible doorbell. There were only a few windows facing the street, and those appeared to be shuttered from the inside.
Climbing the few steps to the door, Jack banged the knocker. Evie giggled and Brunswick did his best to look bored.
Inside the house, the knocker boomed. A small feien looked up from a book and sighed, Silas has made it do that of course - Ravi was sure that normal door knockers could not possibly be that loud. "SOMEONE'S AT THE DOOR." He shouted it more to express his attitude about the noise of the knocker, then to be helpful, since Silas had certainly heard the sound. Not that Silas was handy to get the door anyway, Ravi made a habit of knowing where his bond was and currently the man was in the little courtyard, most likely playing in the dirt.
Ravi too it as a sign that his bond was learning when instead of calling for him to get the door, he called back instead "Yes, thank you, I did notice." The house wasn't large enough to make getting to the front door that difficult, but Silas was in no proper state to entertain guests, with dirt under his nails and his hair pulling free from its clasp, not to mention wearing work clothes that amounted to more like a gentleman's undershirt then an actual shirt. Being the sort of person he was, Silas therefore took a moment to compose a basic illusion rather then force a guest to wait while he did more then simply wipe his hands on his pants. Ravi rolled his eyes at the effort, murmured something like 'no one cares' and went back to reading.
His bond didn't hear him (or more likely, ignored him), and settled the illusion as one might a jacket, before answering the front door. He stood in front from long habit, in such a way as to block a visitor’s view of the interior. The door groaned just a bit, as it opened, which he might have done something about save that he rather liked the effect.
And there Jack was with his motley crew, grinning. "Well, you said I could stop in whenever," he offered in lieu of a hello.
"I did indeed," Silas said, smiling with a touch of genuine surprise to find Jack on his doorstep, "Do come in, mind the step though, it’s crumbling a touch and I managed to continually forget to mend it." He stepped out of the way as he spoke, to allow the little group through the doorway.
Jack nodded, obediently avoiding the step. "Doesn't Ravi remind you? Brunswick'd remind me all the time."
"That's 'cause you need a new brain." Brunswick eyed Silas as they passed him. "Hey."
"Ravi does not remind me of things that don't inconvenience him." Silas noted matter of factly, "And he does not require the stairs. Greetings, Brunswick." He inclined his head slightly to the feien on Jack's shoulder.
Brunswick immediately grinned. "Cool. You know me." He seemed ridiculously pleased that Jack had apparently talked about him. He didn't give a damn in what sort of context, of course. Just being talked about was the thing.
Evie pushed herself up further in her cup and waved. "Hello, Mr. Silas! I'm Evie."
Silas, ever the gentleman, bowed - apparently unfazed to be bowing to a tiny girl in a cup, "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Evie."
She blushed and then smiled harder until she dimpled. "Daddy says you're as nice as Trinity."
Silas' smile widened slightly, though whether it was because she was calling Jack 'Daddy' or because she thought he was nice was hard to tell, "I am pleased to be spoken so well of."
Jack laughed, shaking his head. "Lil bit, you weren't supposed t' tell him that. Now he's gonna think I like him!"
Silas lifted an eyebrow at Jack in amusement, "I suppose, that rather depends on precisely how nice this Trinity is, doesn't it?"
"Jack thinks she's cute." Brunswick smirked evilly.
The other brow lifted to join the first, "Oh, does he? That hardly informs his opinion of her behavior however, as one might assume he does not hold the same opinion of me."
Brunswick shrugged. "Don't know. He might."
"See? He's an evil little git." Jack cheerfully flicked Brunswick from his shoulder. Evie squealed in alarm and then giggled when her "brother" neatly caught himself and hovered in the air, glaring.
"I don't believe you actually mean that. Meddlesome perhaps, but not evil." Silas chided, gently, closing the front door and gesturing his guests toward a room straight ahead, out of the entryway, "I would apologize for the clutter, if it wasn't a permanent fixture, as it is please feel free to remove books that may linger on chairs so you might sit in them if you like."
"Gotcha. I'll be gentle as if they were my own." Picking his way after Silas, Jack looked about him thoughtfully. Somehow the place suited the other man and then some.
The sitting room looked like it was trying to be a Chinese country house, a Victorian sitting room, and a library all at once - and only confusing itself in the process. One an end table, seated on a pillow stolen (presumably) from one of the chairs, a small orange feien sat reading a book he had propped up against a lamp (as even the paperback was taller then him). He pretended not to notice them, but to his annoyance, Silas introduced him anyway. "Dr. Bierce, Brunswick, Miss Evie, the gentleman with the book is Ravi."
"Ah, good t' meet him finally." Jack shot a wickedly amused look at Silas that clearly said "I won't call him your companion or whatever, promise."
Brunswick was more forward and fluttered over to stand off to Ravi's side. He inspected the other feien. "Hey," he finally offered.
Evie waved gleefully, nearly throwing herself from her cup.
Silas pursed his lips at Jack, and managed to return his look without chuckling. Ravi turned slowly from his reading to examine his bond's guests. He did a miniature version of Silas' single lifted brow, positive that this Dr. Bierce's amusement was entirely at his expense and utterly unsure what to make of the very happy girl in the cup. Brunswick however, he addressed properly, "Hello."
"Whatcha reading?"
"Sherlock Holmes." Ravi answered, in that tone a person takes when someone interrupts their reading to ask what they are reading.
"Ah. Yeah, him. Jack's read him." Brunswick shrugged and settled down to sit with his back to Ravi and watch the others.
Evie busily turned in her cup, looking around. Then she smiled up at Silas again. "It's pretty here."
Ravi found himself nearly as irked to be suddenly ignored, as he had been to be interrupted in the first place. "Very clever stories." He offered, blandly, to Brunswick's back.
Silas shook his head minutely at Ravi before turning his attention to Evie. "I'm pleased you think so." He did sound pleased, if a touch bemused by the pronouncement.
"Comfy-like," Jack agreed. His brown eyes danced with mischief. "The sort o' place you can sit around in your undershirt, yeah?"
Silas' brows drew together slightly, as he considered Jack's comment for a moment, then lifted as realization dawned. It wasn't precisely that he had forgotten Jack would likely easily see past a simple illusion, it was more that, upon realizing it was Jack at his door he'd generally stopped thinking about the issue at all. "I might have made you wait while I washed up." He offered dryly in response, attempting to smooth over his own embarrassment.
Jack offered the blandest expression in his arsenal. "My, my. Just what -were- you doin', mate?"
"Horticulture." Silas answered, clearly using the word to make it sound less like he had been playing in the dirt. "My apologies, for the state of my appearance. Fabrication of acceptable attire aside." He appeared to be addressing the last comment more to Evie and Brunswick then to Jack, and following the apology, he allowed the illusion to dissipate with a small sigh of resignation. Underneath the spell, he looked suddenly much less proper and not even a little prim. His hair was hanging in wisps around his face, his arms were bare, and there was a small smudge of dirt on the bridge of his nose where at some point he had touched it without washing his hands.
Evie cooed a bit and then clapped appreciatively. Jack merely chuckled while Brunswick rolled his eyes. "Magicians," he muttered. "Damn magicians."
Silas hadn't been expecting applause and blinked at Evie's reaction. It didn't really help him feel any less embarrassed. "Ah...thank you?" Ravi eyed his fellow feien sideways, and said quietly, "Annoying, isn't it?"
"You have pretty hair," Evie informed him. "And you do magic like Daddy." She tilted her head to one side and clasped her hands in front of her. "May I see your flowers?"
Brunswick nodded. "Yeah, just a bit."
Silas looked a bit like he was going to be uncomfortable until he was wearing something more proper, but he clearly intended to manage press ahead anyway. He caught himself tucking hair out of his face as Evie mentioned it, and clasped his hands self consciously behind his back, "Certainly. My apologies I am being a very poor host, shall I show you around the house?" Ravi muttered to Brunswick, "You should hear how loud he's made the blasted door knocker."
"Thank you!"
Jack chuckled and switched Evie to his other hand. "Mate, if you wanna change first, we can wait. Evie's not gonna die of anticipation."
"You should see what Jack brings into the house."
"Silas doesn't usually bring questionable things home." Ravi conceded, grudgingly. Silas was looking as though he wasn't sure whether to be mortified or relieved by Jack's offer. He admitted that he did not like the idea that his discomfiture was so obvious. "I shouldn't like to leave you waiting," he said, finally, "But, if you might permit me a moment to wash my hands and fetch a proper shirt..."
"Go right ahead. I'll let Evie say hi t' Ravi or somethin'."
Silas looked as if he wasn't sure that was the most advisable plan, but all he said was, "I won't be a moment." before turning to retreat. Ravi had a very similar skeptical expression on his face, in fact.
Brunswick adjusted his positioning so he could keep a wary violet eye on Ravi's reaction to the drinkable girl as Jack brought her over. "'Lo, Ravi," the magician drawled.
Evie waved. "Hello, Mr. Ravi!"
"Er...Hello." Ravi lifted a hand in a half hearted wave, wondering if the girl in the cup was one of the things Jack 'brought into the house'. He still didn't know what to make of her, save that he was beginning to wonder if she might induce some sort of sugar overdose with her mere presence.
"It's nice to meet you. Do you live here all alone with Mr. Silas?"
"Yes." Ravi answered, tilting his head to the side slightly.
Jack kept biting back his smile, waiting to see what would happen next. Brunswick merely watched. "Doesn't it get lonely?" asked the little girl.
"No." The feien answered, without pause to consider, then amended, "I am not, often, apart from my bond."
"Oh, that's good." She smiled. "It's good to get along. Brunswick goes all sorts of places without Daddy."
Ravi looked sideways at Brunswick, with an expression very like envy. "Going places by yourself doesn't mean you don't get along with your bond."
Brunswick shrugged. Evie considered this and then nodded. "Okay."
Ravi was relieved that the girl in the cup wasn't going to force him to try and explain in more detail. So he shrugged at Brunswick in return.
Jack settled himself into a nearby chair, first carefully moving aside some lovely old books. "So, Ravi, how long have you been around?"
"I've lived here as long as Silas has." The little feien answered, choosing to avoid assuming that Jack meant to ask how old he was.
"The two o' you answer about as well as each other," Jack replied, amused. Then he looked down as Evie tugged on his shirtsleeve. "Yes, lil bit?"
"Did you see that someone drew on Mr. Silas?"
Jack blinked. "Come again?"
"Someone -drew- on him!"
Ravi didn't quite manage to avoid smirking very slightly at the idea of how uncomfortable that statement would make his bond. He wasn't about to explain it before Silas got back, and risk ruining the moment.
Evie seemed torn between concern over someone drawing on Silas without his permission and delight over the concept of drawing on someone. "It's like a little... It's this..." She held out her hands. "It's about this big and looks like a..." She wrinkled her nose for a moment. "Oh! An acorn thing!"
Ravi was forced to bite his lip to avoid laughing. He was then forced to turn toward Brunswick to hide his expression from Silas, as the man rejoined them. He had put on a clean button up shirt, and combed his hair - leaving it down rather then taking the time to pull it back again apparently concerned over keeping his guests waiting. He stopped on the threshold of the room look up from where he had been fiddling with the cuff of his shirt to look incredulously at Ravi's back, then at Jack. "Sorry to keep you waiting.."
"No worries, mate, I..."
"Can I see it again, Mr. Silas?" Evie beamed at him, eyes bright.
Ravi had a sudden mysterious coughing fit. Silas' frowns drew together slightly, "I beg your pardon Miss Evie, what is it that you wish to 'see again'?"
"Your drawing."
It was clear that Silas didn't understand what the girl was talking about, he tilted his head to the side slightly, "My drawing?"
"Of the little acorn thing."
There was a pause, during which Silas appeared to be trying to decide what to say. Finally, as if wishing to be sure, he asked, "On my shoulder?"
"Yes, please." She smiled even more prettily.
Silas opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again and pursed his lips considering, and glancing briefly at Jack then back at Evie. "That," He said finally, "Will require me to remove my shirt." It sounded curiously as if he were asking her 'dad's' permission.
Jack relaxed back in his chosen chair, hands folded over his stomach. His expression was bland but his eyes were dancing with laughter. "Go ahead, mate. Just don't go temptin' her t' forbidden delights with it."
Silas' face flushed slightly, and he looked like he was prepared to say something in protest, but after studying Jack's expression for a moment, he said instead, "Very well, if you insist." He could hear Ravi trying hard not to cackle as he undid the buttons of his shirt. Once he had them undone he shrugged the shirt off his left shoulder, and turned so Evie might see the maple leaves that covered it. They crept high enough that a normal shirt just barely covered the tattoo so that it was generally never visible.
Evie stared. "Did someone draw that on you? It's pretty."
"Yes," Silas confirmed, glad he wasn't facing her and that his hair was hiding his face, "Someone did draw it on me."
"Can I get one? You can draw it on me!"
Jack gave up and covered his face, unable to hold back the snickers.
Silas tugged his shirt back over his shoulder, and turned to regard Jack while redoing the buttons. "I could indeed draw one on you, but it wouldn't quite be the same thing. Mine won't wash off. "
"Can you make mine so it won't wash off?"
"Evie, luv, I think you're too young for one o' those. You've got t' hit your wild 'n' crazy teens before you get a tat."
"I do not think you would like it, Miss Evie." Silas advised solemnly, "It’s rather painful."
"Not without my consent." Silas answered, buttoning the final button on his shirt and clasping his hands behind his back. "It is only that, in order to make it the drawing so that it will not wash off, it hurts a bit."
"Oh."
Jack picked up her cup and stood, crossing to Silas. "Don't worry, lil bit," he consoled her. "He's okay. By the by, he met you when you were just a drink."
Her eyes went wide. "Really?"
"Indeed, in a bookshop." Silas supplied, pleased to have to conversation turned to something besides him. "He was exceptionally protective of you."
Jack shot Silas an embarrassed look as Brunswick dissolved into loud snickers behind them. Evie merely spun in her cup and hugged a fingertip that happened to be close enough. "He's a good daddy."
Silas grinned, and returned Jack's look with one that clearly suggested he had no sympathy for Jack's embarrassment. "He does seem to be."
"He's the -best- Daddy."
"I'm sure he is." Silas answered, pleasantly, "Did you still want to see the rest of the house, Miss Evie?"
She nodded. "Yes, please. Can Brunswick come along?"
"Of course." He said, blinking in surprise as Ravi suddenly appeared to land on his shoulder. Apparently the young feien was taking an active interest in his guests. "Shall we?"
"Lead on." Jack waited just long enough for Brunswick to join him on his shoulder before turning. "We're all here."
Evie grinned up at Brunswick. "Is Ravi going to be your new friend?"
"... Evie, don't be..." Catching the warning look Jack shot him, Brunswick shrugged. "We're all not Little Miss Sunshines like you, squirt," he ammended. "I guess he's not so bad."
"I always wanted to be 'not so bad'." Ravi muttered, quietly, shoving Silas' hair to the side irritably. Silas reached up at the tug to brush the hair behind his ear and out of Ravi's way. "Well this way then."
The house, inside, seemed to circle a center courtyard (although you wouldn't have guessed it from the facade). Silas walked them through a kitchen hung with drying herbs and odds and ends, and skipping over his own room, took the group through a large study in which there appeared to be at least one project half finished spread out on a table, a library in which Silas wondered if he might lose Jack entirely, and finally to the garden in the courtyard which Evie had so wanted to see. The garden seemed to be outdoors, but it felt more like spring then winter, and it was clear why Silas had been wearing a sleeveless shirt to work. Orchid's, bonsai trees, and other flora of all sorts filled the space, with a small shallow pool in the center.
Evie stared around in wide-eyed wonder, very gratifying to Silas' ego (if he had one). Jack merely continued to grin before letting out a low whistle. "Fantastic, Silas."
Silas' ego was a quiet little sort of thing that tucked itself quietly out of the way of things, but he was smiling the sort of smile of someone who never knows what to say to compliments but enjoyed them anyway. "Thank you."
Brunswick glanced at Silas and then left Jack's shoulder to fly towards a particularly large-leafed plant. He landed, inspecting it. "What's this?"
"Colocasia Esculentum." Silas answered, then as if realizing this wouldn't mean anything to Brunswick, amended, "It’s also called Elephants Ear."
"Huh. Big."
Evie pointed at a brightly colored flower, graceful and delicate. "What's that?"
"A type of orchid," Silas smiled, "Some people call it a 'dancing lady' orchid."
She giggled. "Why would they call it that?"
Silas leaned over to touch one of the flowers delicately, "Because the wide bottom petal looks like a lady’s skirt, and these two little petals are the arms, and this little one on top is the lady’s head."
Leaning over the rim of her cup to better see, Evie nodded. "Oh. That makes sense." She looked up at Jack. "Why don't we have flowers?"
"Well, lil bit..."
"Because he can't keep 'em alive," Brunswick called from somewhere deep in the greenery.
Silas chuckled, "They're living, growing things just like little girls in cups. You have to take proper care of them."
"Did you know that -I'm- growing?" Evie stood upright in her cup and it was apparent that she was indeed getting a bit big for it; it wasn't overfull but she filled it more than before. "It's because of pink dust."
Jack shook his head and the look he shared with Silas (and consequently Ravi on Silas' shoulder) was a mix of resignation and distress. "Don't know why. It's happenin' t' all of 'em."
"Pink...dust?" Silas asked, to both Evie and Jack, clearly curious but assuming that Jack would give him a more useful answer.
"It came down from the sky when we went to the shop for a party."
Jack nodded. "Hit 'em all. Seems like they're all reactin' a bit different, though."
"That's...curious. Not the reacting different, that is, but the fact that you just described it as falling from the sky."
"I didn't see where it came from, really. It just... Yeah."
"Well I hope you remain quite well, Miss Evie. You seem quite healthy."
"Oh, I'm fine." She giggled. "Just... Bigger. Oh, and I have a seed now."
Jack shrugged helplessly. "As long as she's not hurtin', I reckon it's okay."
Silas blinked at the young girl’s announcement, "She does seem quite well. I could endeavor to find out what precisely is going on, but girls born from cups of liquid are somewhat outside my realm of experience."
Brunswick suddenly appeared on Jack's shoulder and he shook his head, little face adamant. "That's okay," he answered. "We've got it handled."
Jack rolled his eyes and mouthed "Don't mind the little git?" to Silas.
Ravi had been sitting silently on Silas' shoulder, with his arms folded, now he peered at Brunswick, curious about his vehemence. Silas lifted his brows and spoke before Ravi had the chance to say something less polite, "I am pleased to know the situation is well in hand."
Brunswick shrugged. "It's okay. Thanks, though."
Silas smiled very slightly, "You're quite welcome." He was thinking that Brunswick seemed quite as protective of Evie as he had told Jack older brothers tended to become.
Evie, blissfully ignorant of the mini-battle, looked up at Ravi. "Mr. Ravi? Do you have any flowers in here?"
Ravi blinked and looked down at Evie, "Nope. This whole place is Silas' hobby, not mine."
"So what do you like to do?"
Ravi considered this, "Read...explore..." he shrugged and trailed off, as if he believe that was a sufficient answer.
"It sounds like fun." Evie pillowed her arms on the rim of her cup. "I wish I could explore. Daddy and Brunswick tell me stories about adventures, though."
Ravi felt a sudden unexpected pang of sympathy for the girl, stuck in a cup. He couldn't imagine how frustrating that might be. "You should demand that you Dad take you exploring," he suggested.
"Ooooo."
"Thanks, Ravi," Jack drawled but he was barely holding back the grin. "Silas, you didn't tell me this guy was good at puttin' ideas in innocent little girls' heads."
Ravi folded his arms across his chest again, snorting. Silas however, actually chuckled quietly, "He isn't usually so solicitous as to share his ideas with others."
"Does this mean I should thank him?" Jack deadpanned.
"Yes, do be encouraging." Silas answered in kind, though Ravi had now turned to glare at him.
"I don't know. I mean... If he's plannin' on runnin' off with Evie here for capers, I should probably wave a shotgun at him. That's how it's done, innit?"
Ravi turned the glare on Jack, "I do not intend to run off anywhere with anyone. And if you were to try damage me with a shotgun you would probably miss."
"Probably," came the cheerful answer. "I've never shot anythin' before in my life. I'll have t' send somethin' after you instead.”
Silas lifted an eyebrow, "I'll thank you to not send summoned minions after members of my household. Banishing them is bothersome. And they tend to break things."
"Not even a little one?"
"Absolutely not. You will have to take your chances with a shotgun." Silas answered firmly, trying not to grin as he said it.
Jack sighed, hanging his head. "Yeah, Da."
"I have better things to do then banish your ill considered bits of vengeful magic." Silas continued, failing to keep the little grin off his face any longer. Ravi, still on his shoulder, was trying to decide if he was more annoyed by Jack's presumption or Silas' interference.
"Hmph. Bet you won't let me out t' see the girls tonight now either."
Evie blinked. "What girls?"
Silas lifted an eyebrow, "Dr. Bierce, you strike me as the sort who climbed out the window once your parents had gone to bed."
Jack burst out laughing. "You kiddin' me? Da built me a ladder."
"Climbing out of the window was just for the principle of the thing, then?" Silas asked, chuckling. Ravi muttered something about hypocrisy but it was to quiet for anyone but Silas to make out the rest.
"Pretty much. Good thing I had Mum to teach me manners."
Brunswick rolled his eyes and settled down, Indian-style, on Jack's shoulder. "I have to meet this lady some time. I don't think she exists."
"I recall being assured that of Dr. Bierce's parents, his mother is the one to be concerned about. I should rather like to see how he behaves around her, more then I should like proof of her existence."
"He has a sister, too. Can you believe it?"
Jack grimaced. "Snoopin' in my albums, Bruns? That's low. Even for you."
"A sister?" Evie's face lit up in a megawatt smile. "Is she pretty? What does she do? Is she like you? Or like Brunswick's sister?" Jack sighed.
"I offered to loan his sister a book, but apparently there are some dimensional issues in the way of easy lending." Silas thought that Jack had seemed fond of his sister, he certainly sounded as though he held her in high regard.
Ravi snorted, "If she's lucky, he doesn't threaten people with shotguns on her account."
Jack's eyes were pure devilment. "I do -worse- for guys comin' after her."
"Poor girl." Ravi intoned, without much real feeling.
"I expect she will reach an age where she does not appreciate your chivalrous efforts to protect her virtue." Silas said, looking amused.
"She already has." Jack sighed, wearing the air of a long-suffering brother far too well. Brunswick snickered. Evie giggled.
Silas folded his hands behind his back. "Sent something back after you in return then has she?"
"Worse. She cried."
"Oh dear." Silas actually looked less amused at that reply. It was easy to think of someone related to Jack being brash in response, and something suggested that making his sister cry might actually hurt Jack's feelings.
Ravi looked somewhat triumphant, as if his point had been proven.
"And then she set fire to his thesis paper." Brunswick grinned with delight at Jack's immediate look of disbelief. "I read your mail," he explained. "Your mom said it serves you right."
Ravi immediately found himself wishing Silas got more mail. The expression on Jack's face as he feien sprung that on him was something he'd like to try and manage to with Silas. Silas only ever seemed to look mildly interested or disappointed.
"Master Brunswick, it’s probably fair to allow Jack to be the one to choose whether he relates his own family stories or not." Silas said gently, "Regardless of whether you read his mail."
Brunswick shrugged, completely without shame. Evie, on the other hand, looked horrified. "Mr. Silas is right," she piped up. "That's wrong!"
Silas couldn't help but grin very slightly, "Actually Miss Evie, it’s merely impolite. Technically, reading Jack's mail is more 'wrong' as it were."
"Well, that, too, yes." She fluttered eyelashes up at Silas unconsciously. "But it's all wrong and that's just one of the wrong things."
"To be quite fair, since its Jack's personal affair, it’s only as wrong as he feels it is." Silas answered, shrugging, with only one shoulder so as to avoid unsettling the feien on the other. "Right and wrong are a curious business, with a fair bit of variability, though some people don't see it that way."
Jack beamed cheerfully. "I reckon his punishment will be drownin', yeah?"
Silas lifted an eyebrow, "Entirely up to you, Dr. Bierce. Your jurisdiction as they say."
"Y'know, it makes me feel like an old man when you call me that."
"If you would rather I didn't, you might have told me so." Silas sounded apologetic, "Its habit, to use a man's title like that." His lips twitched into a thin smile, "Especially in sentences where one is also using a word like jurisdiction."
"No worries." Jack shrugged easily and earned a dirty look from Brunswick; he didn't exercise the care Silas did and had used both shoulders. Then he looked around vaguely. "Y'know, you really do have a gorgeous home."
Ravi didn't quite roll his eyes. He wasn't sure why everyone seemed so impressed with the place, not that he was complaining - it was a comfortable placed to live at least.
"Thank you, I'm pleased you like it." Silas couldn't quite help but look down as he said it, never good at accepting compliments, "It would be a pity to study magic for so long and not put it to some use here and there."
The faint smile at Jack's mouth indicated that he knew that "some use" was pretty much an understatement of the year. Brunswick looked sidelong at the smile and grinned himself, arms crossing. Meanwhile, Evie just beamed wholeheartedly and clasped her hands together. "I like the flowers the best," she announced.
Something about Evie's innocent statement made Silas's expression warm to a full delighted smile. "I like the flowers best as well," he confided to Evie. With his hair down around his face, and a smile that wasn't his usual subdued expression, he looked surprisingly different. It was a strong statement from a man like Silas, given his library and his aforementioned love of books. Ravi lifted an eyebrow to peer sideway at his bond.
"And I think they like you, too," the little girl continued. "Since they grow so well for you."
"I don't know if it’s that exactly, but perhaps." Even smiling brilliantly, Silas apparently kept his talent for understatement.
"If you want, you can have Evie and she'll talk to those plants so you don't have to." Brunswick looked the picture of innocence as he made his suggestion. "I hear plants like that sort of thing."
Jack rolled his eyes and lifted his arm to glance at his watch. "Bug- Um, geez, it's gotten kind of later." He smiled sheepishly at Silas. "Sorry, mate. We didn't mean to tie you up and keep you from doing stuff."
Silas shook his head, "I have found myself recently cast adrift without immediate goals, unless I'm in the middle of something that might go horribly wrong were I to stop working on it, it’s quite impossible to keep me from doing anything more important then this conversation."
Jack shook his head. "Still... Manners and all. But it was good to meet Ravi, here. Bruns needs to meet feien other than his siblings and Evie..."
"I like meeting new people!"
It occured to Silas that Jack probably had more important things to do, and was being polite about it. It made him feel somewhat sheepish. "Do stop by again, whenever you like." He made a point of addressing the comment to the group of them, not just to Jack.
Ravi surprised him, immensely by drawing himself up to say "It was nice to meet you, Evie." He said her name pointedly leaving out both Brunswick and Jack in the comment. Still it was unusual.
"Let me show you out. There's a room in the middle that has a tendency to switch places and confuse guests." Silas offered, motioning politely towards the doorway they'd come out through.
"An' us without breadcrumbs," Jack laughed. His accent had slipped down again strangely now that the visit was ending. It was almost as if something in Silas had his grammar behaving.
Brunswick lifted an eyebrow but opted to ignore Ravi right back and merely offered a faintly cocky smile to Silas. "Thanks," he said smoothly. "It's always good to get out of a place alive."
Evie glowed like a fistful of fairy lights and folded her arms on the rim of her cup, chin coming down to rest on them. "And thank you, Ravi, Mr. Silas," she answered, cheeks pink with pleasure. "It was sooo neat to meet you and see your house."
"You're welcome Evie, and Brunswick you'd get out alive regardless," Silas assured Brunswick pleasantly, leading the group toward the foyer, "Its just that sometimes the study likes to make a sort of continuous loop with the library, so you end up going back and forth for a bit. I inherited a house once, long ago, where all the rooms shifted positions all the time, until the house got used to you it was devilishly frustrated, only once you lived there long enough rooms started to appear when you wanted them and it was really quite useful."
"... Sounds barmy to me." Brunswick shrugged, unperturbed. "Me, I want a house that stays put. I'm the only one supposed to be moving around."
"It does take a certain amount of adjustment to get used to. I'm really quite fond of that particular house, myself. I thought about setting the library and study in place in this house, but honestly I rather like the idea of uninvited guests getting a bit trapped."
Brunswick's smile was outright disturbing with approval. "Sadist."
"-Bruns-." Jack sighed. "Don't mind him. I think he was dropped on his head a lot as a..." He paused. "What were you? Flower?"
Evie twisted to look up at Jack with wide eyes as they walked. "Bruns was a -flower-?"
Ravi answered quicker then Silas, "Yeah, we all were." He said it as though he expected everyone should already know that, and he was pointing out the obvious.
Evie considered this and then smiled at Ravi. "I bet you were a really neat looking flower. Brunswick was an Angry Flower."
The green haired feien considered that, looking a bit taken aback, "I, ah, don't really know what sort of flower I was."
"I'm bettin' no one really does," Brunswick added with a vague shrug. "None of us were exactly daffodils or daisies."
Evie giggled. "You're a nettle!"
Ravi shrugged, "Its vaguer then that, I guess. It’s not as if there are ever more then on of each sort of feien flower."
Silas tilted his head slightly as if to look sideways at Ravi, "I suppose technically it would be possible to have feien twins, actually. I'm not entirely sure."
"There's brothers and sisters. Don't know about twins." Brunswick grinned, ignoring Evie's cheeky comment. "I have 2 sisters and a brother, myself."
Silas nodded absently, "Ravi has no near relatives that I am aware of." They had reached the foyer and he paused there, not being the sort of rush his guests out the door. "But I have heard of groups of feien siblings being aware of one another and functioning as relatives."
"It's not like it's an option with his family." Jack laughed and reached up to rub Brunswick's head with a finger, mussing his hair to the little feien's annoyance. "Especially this one an' his sister Bavaria. They're worse than peas in a pod."
"Bavaria is so neat." Evie nodded. "And pretty.”
Silas smiled kindly, "I don't have any siblings myself, I have always thought it would be pleasant to relate to someone that way."
"I've got that little sister," Jack said, "but that's it. Evie, well, I don't reckon she..."
"I have Brunswick!"
"Okay, then. I reckon she's got a brother."
Ravi rolled his eyes, but Silas chuckled, "I do suppose she has."
"It's a relief, really. Now he can beat up all her boyfriends an' I'm off the hook."
"I do recall that mere minutes ago he was being rather protective of her in a very brotherly fashion."
Maturely, Brunswick stuck out his tongue. Giggling, Evie clapped.
Silas shook his head, grinning, and Ravi looked at his bonds expression frowning, as if he disapproved.
"Forgive his manners. He's got none." Sticking out his free hand, Jack smiled. "An' thanks for having us by, Silas. It's been great."
"You're always welcome." Silas answered, clasping Jack's hand warmly. "Well unless I'm not at home, in which case, you may have to rely upon Ravi's welcome, or possibly worse, the house itself."
"And you have to come visit us, too, Mr. Silas." Evie held out her own hand once the two men had finished shaking and her smile was pure sunshine. "We have a pretty house, too."
Silas extended his hand, or rather his finger, to Evie bowing gallantly as he did. "I should be very pleased to have you show me around your house then, Miss Evie."
As she giggled and hugged Silas' finger, Brunswick offered a vague wave. "Yeah, see you all later. Good luck, Ravi." The way his eyebrows lifted he was pretty much indicating that, with a nice bond like Silas, Ravi would need it.
Ravi lifted an eyebrow at Brunswick and lifted a hand to wave in a restrained sort of way. "Good day."
With a nod of his head, Jack slipped by Silas. "Later, mate. We'll talk botany or somethin'." Then, with a faint laugh, he was through the door and gone.
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