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“Arsene mentioned food. Let’s go downstairs and see what’s available.” Sir Scary said, tensely, regarding Alessio like he didn’t know what to do about him. It wasn’t like Alessio meant to stare him down but once he held eye contact it was hard for him to look away until the other person did first.

Alessio still couldn’t figure him out. What kind of assassin says stuff like that?

He waited for Endlessly Angry to head downstairs first – not that he thought that guy would stab him in the back if given a chance but he definitely thought that guy would stab him in the back if given a chance.

He’s still going to kill you when he gets the chance…Alessio thought, watching Sir Scary. But he wasn’t entirely sure.

They made it downstairs mostly without incident (we’ll pretend it was without incident to further the plot XD) Endlessly Angry’s words running on repeat through his head. He decided to ignore that. He hoped Arsene had found Leana, he didn’t want to think about her being out on her own. How could he ever face Nithel again if he lost her!?

‘I WOULD HAVE BEEN A PERFECTLY FINE PERSON IF HUMANS LIKE YOU DIDN’T EXIST!’

At least he was considered a human by that rubric…

They made it to a large, ornate room filled with polished tables. There was a glass chandelier overhead but it didn’t have any candles…?? The floor was reflective black and white squares and clicked a little with every footstep. Alessio didn’t like that, but at least that would mean no one could sneak up on him.

Endlessly Angry, probably just to unnerve him, picked a table in the middle of the room, blindingly visible to anybody who wandered through. Fine, whatever, he’s too sleep deprived to care.

Alessio eyed the tall, elegant chairs around the table for a second or two. It wasn’t like he’d never seen a chair before! But they still a novelty for the “progressives” of nobility – some “wonder of the North” thing.

He perched on the very edge of the chair, dangling his feet off the floor and slumping on the table, partially burying his face in his arm. Everything was bright, his head hurt he wanted to go to sleep without freaking out about anything.

He stared blankly at an odd rectangular prop in the center of the table holding…something rather like parchment but softer and more…fluttery? Numbly, Alessio tugged the corner of the white fluttery square and it flapped out the prop. It had the weirdest texture.

Still plastered to the table, Alessio fidgeted with the squares – mostly to stay awake. In the end he twisted the center a little until it looked like the stem of a flower and the rest of the parchment fluttered out daintily. It was something repetitive and soothing so he kept making simple flowers until he had enough to start stacking them on top of each other like a house of cards.

He had that about five rows high when Endlessly Angry slammed his fist on the table and knocked it all to the ground. Alessio bit his lower lip and shot the man a miffed look.

Then he quietly picked up some of the strewn flowers and tossed one at Endlessly Angry’s face contentedly. He waited a couple seconds and then tossed another and another with the same repetitive, disinterested motion he’d been stacking them with.

If he hadn’t been so sleep deprived, he would’ve thought better of it and probably just let it go – but as it was he was too tired to think about the ramifications of his actions.

But he did scoot a little closer to Sir Scary, as if to claim protection just in case.