(no subject)

[inanhour]

Two days trying to fend for himself in the Enchanted Forest (mostly managing to avoid Monsters or politely edge his way past them except when they required he perform some errand for them) has done more harm to Sebastian's finery than 3 months of hard labor.

Thankfully, that's not visible for long after the back door swings open. Within two bedraggled steps, the Bar realizes the error and promptly switches him out of the costume back to the (mostly clean) original suit of clothes in mourning black he walked into the bar with on Hallowe'en. There's still dirt across his face, and hands.

"Ah!" Sebastian exclaims, and despite his evident exhaustion is clearly pleased as he turns his arms around to look at the undecorated sleeves.

He goes to the bar, to get himself a drink and a hot meal.

Comments

[photographs_well]

Hey, Liz is also wearing mostly black! And a bit of grey. And definitely no fashion Sebastian would recognize.

"Well, you look glad to be back," she says from just down the bar.

[inanhour]

"Oh, I am," he says, brightening. "Madam, I have spent near three months in a fairy-forest, my kind host a frog."

[photographs_well]

"A frog!" she echoes. "--well, I can't say it's the strangest thing I've heard here."

[inanhour]

Sebastian is intrigued. "What have you heard that is stranger?"

[photographs_well]

"Oh, you know." She waves a hand. "People from all place and times, the dead walk around like the living-- a talking frog's just plain old fairy tale stuff compared to that."

[inanhour]

Sebastian pales, though it may not be clear under the dirt. His voice lowers, and he repositions himself against the bar, tone serious: "At... all times, or on days such as All Hallows Eve?"

He remembers his sister, and the ghostly fog. His nightmares have clouded his memory -- he seems to remember knowing that if he touched her she would dissipate like so much mist.

[photographs_well]

"I don't know about Halloween," Liz says. "Haven't you talked to anybody here and found out halfway through they're dead?"

[i_am_your_host]

There's an imp perched on the bar.

Actually, no, it's just the Master of Ceremonies. He does that sort of thing, perching on furniture.

He's also dressed in black, but of the leather trench coat kind.

"You look as if you have just been on an adventure," he remarks as a way of greeting the pretty young man.

[inanhour]

Sebastian is happy enough to believe him an imp.

"An adventure for me, yes, though I doubt a bard would care to tell it," he says, and smiles. "Know you the Forest what lays outside those doors?"

[i_am_your_host]

Ah, it's another person with one of those interesting speech patterns!

"Indeed I know little of it, only that demonic rabbits lurk in its shadows, but beyond that is beyond me," he replies, eyeing the dirt on the young man's face and hands. "Why? What have you discovered?"

[inanhour]

Sebastian leans in slightly, resting on his elbows. "There is another land that lies within them. Its people are strange, and kind, though most monsters -- I called several friend or neighbor the three months I was there. My host was a kind frog named George."

Pause.

"In what way are the rabbits demonic?"

[i_am_your_host]

When he leans in, so does Emcee, resting on a hand. And his eyebrows go up in curiosity and astonishment.

"I have never heard of this other land spoken of before. Three months? Out there? With a frog? Among monsters? I daresay I would not have lasted as long! Why, just a single evening for me was all it took to learn that the rabbits are vicious and likely to attack. They have glowing red eyes and breathe fire as well-- though this last quality I did not witness for myself, fortunately."

[inanhour]

"Kind monsters," Sebastian repeats, a little embarrassed. "I am not so hardy a soul. Or, at least they were kind to me, for I do not do so foolish a thing as offer them contest in their homes and on their grounds."

Unlike Princes, who he has been reliably informed Are The Worst, though he has not in fact managed a conversation with a single one of them.

He considers the story of the rabbits thoughtfully. "Think you all rabbits wish they could attack, but lack only the arsenal?"

[thewidewideworld]

There's a pretty blonde sitting by the fire, playing a beautifully carved wooden flute. He looks up and smiles, standing up gracefully and coming over to the bar for a glass of apple tea. "Hello."

[inanhour]

Sebastian notices him exactly as he comes into his peripheral vision, and feels a near-immediate sympathy. It's really tough, being pretty.

"And to you, sir," Sebastian says, and smiles. "Are a musician?"

[thewidewideworld]

"It is one of my skills." He answers with an open and easy smile. "But one I haven't practiced well in some time. Fortunately, no-one seems to mind that is work on it here. My room is not well suited for the flute."

[inanhour]

Sebastian blinks. With all the caution of a man well-aware of his own lack of music knowledge, he asks: "In what way do they disagree?"

[thewidewideworld]

"The sound is too sharp for a small space. My room is not large, you see." He explains without prevention. "The flute needs space to mellow or it sounds too shrill and harsh."

[inanhour]

He speaks like an expert, so Sebastian nods. He turns the thought over in his head.

"'Tis a normal flute, and not one that demands space because it bears some magic ill-temper?"

He has to ask. Perhaps the flute has a name, and a family. He has never met such an instrument, but he's learned better than to leave such things to chance.

[never_promised]

((I'm assuming this is post-handcuffs, I guess?))

Harry is also in search of a drink and hot meal. And as soon as he sees Viola he thinks, as he's thought a few times before, that he really should have been looking for her. And not avoiding her. Which is not what he's been doing at all. Because he's a brave grown man (a king!) and brave grown men (and kings!) deal with their situations bravely and...grownly. And not by avoiding them.

So Sebastian is approached by a tall lanky young man already halfway through a very large cup of something, who greets him with a cheery and not at all anxious "Cesario! Ho, there!"

[inanhour]

There's a mild delay, before Sebastian glances up as if lightly jerked on wires.

"Ho," he echoes, with cautious cheer. He raises his cup to Harry, in acknowledgement.

[never_promised]

That's...noncommittal! Okay!

But this is definitely Cesario, and not Viola, here in public; and that for certain is something Hal can play along with. He leans against the bar. "And--how fares Cesario today?"

Are we talking?

[inanhour]

All right! Apparently they're friends.

Sebastian relaxes. "I've hot food, and drink," he says, amiable, "so I fare well, indeed. And you?"

[never_promised]

"All the essentials," he agrees. Which is fine as far as it goes, but...are they just pretending nothing happened? With the kissing and the stables and the awkwardness and all of that?

...Okay, he can work with it!

"O, indifferent well; I did find myself bound to a strange fellow, unwilling, but he proved agreeable enough. Have you seen the people here all shackled together by some enchantment?"

[inanhour]

"I'd noted the shackles, though not the cause." Sebastian turns on his stool to better see the bar room. He glances sideways at the man, amiably curious. "How did you become so enchanted?"