Part Thirty: Sebastian
May. 16th, 2020 11:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sigridharemThe Dancing Deer had a faded but well painted sign out front, and one could hear (and smell) its patrons without stepping through the well-worn door.
“Um,” Klaus said, with an apologetic hunch of his shoulders. “It’s not exactly the sort of place ladies tend to- Lady Sigrid!”
She had already pulled open the door, heedless of his words. “It won’t take more than a moment to see if Sebastian is here, surely.”
It was much like a Lotte birthday feast inside, dimly lit, stinking of alcohol and filled with rough and tumble types, though even Lotte surely would have turned up her nose at some of these. Sigrid was aware of their eyes on her, but once she caught sight of the dice tables, she didn’t much care.
Stretched out with his well-muscled leg over a spare chair was Sebastian, indisputably holding court over his table with a flick of his wrist as he rolled the dice.
The crowd around him roared and the man across from him cursed, slamming down his pint.
“And that, gentleman, is how it’s done.”
The light cast odd shadows on Sebastian’s face and dark blond hair as he leaned back, basking in the complimentary chatter and silent fury of his opponent, who stood and stalked off. As Sebastian turned his head, he caught sight of Sigrid.
“Here comes trouble,” he drawled. “Which of your wives is this?”
So he doesn’t recognize me yet. This should be fun.
When no one immediately spoke up to claim her, a bearded man over Sebastian’s shoulder barked out, “If you won’t have her, Sebastian, I’ll be happy to!”
Laughter broke out around the table, though Sigrid was pleased to see Sebastian did not join in as she approached.
“It’s you she’s looking at, Sebastian! Don’t tell us your woman at home finally has something to worry about!”
Sebastian shrugged. “Or maybe she’s here for a game.”
Finally close enough not to have to yell, Sigrid smiled. “Maybe I am.”
If the wig had thrown him off, her voice surely hadn’t. The change in Sebastian’s demeanor was immediate, his leg swinging off the chair and back underneath the table as he sat up straight, a real grin spreading across his face.
“I don’t often get such a fair challenger,” he said pleasantly. “Won’t you sit down?”
“Oh, not that sort of game. I don’t like losing.” Sigrid leaned against the table, her hand resting beside Sebastian’s tankard, ignoring the jeers and whoops around her to focus on the flinty blue of her man’s eyes.
“It’s a game of chance. You’re as likely to win as I am.” He rapped his knuckles lightly on the table. “Though I warn you, I’m on a lucky streak now.”
Sigrid raised her eyebrows slightly. “I’m reliably informed your woman at home wants you.”
“Does she now?” Sebastian smiled.
“Lady-“ Klaus burst through the crowd, stopping himself just in time. “Oh. You found him.”
Sebastian glanced at Klaus with a look of mild annoyance. “I see you have an escort.”
Sigrid laughed. “You didn’t seriously think I’d travel without one?”
“Or two,” Sebastian observed, as Sasha elbowed his way into sight.
“Well, you can hardly deny that two are stronger than one,” Sigrid said lightly.
He smirked. “And I’m stronger than both of them put together.”
“Hey!” Klaus exclaimed. “I mean, it’s probably true but you don’t have to say it.”
“Strength isn’t everything.”
Sebastian smiled, and tossed a die to Sasha, who caught it. “Says one of the wiliest in the bunch. Tell me, do you play?”
“That depends,” Sasha said. “Do you use loaded dice?”
Sebastian’s expression darkened. “What the hell do you take me for?”
Sasha tossed the die onto the table, and Sigrid watched it settle on a three. “It would explain your easy manner.”
“Kid, you don’t know much about gambling,” a nearby man said, and there were murmurs of agreement.
“First of all,” Sebastian said coldly, “these aren’t my dice. Secondly, if I always won I’d be thrown out. And finally, my easy manner is because the money I use to gamble isn’t money I need for lodgings or food.”
“Speaking of which,” Sigrid interjected, “I believe you owe me a debt.”
He glanced back at her, his lips still tight. “What sort of debt?”
“One that’s best discussed in private.”
“How private?” Sebastian glanced at Klaus and Sasha. “Without the pup and brat?”
“We can begin that way,” Sigrid said calmly.
She heard Klaus made an outraged sound. “We’re your escort!”
“I have a room upstairs,” Sebastian said, ignoring Klaus.
“Good. They’ll come with us.”
“And stand outside the door to listen in?”
Sigrid laughed. “Now you’re getting it. Lead the way, Sebastian.”
There were some whoops and graphic shouts of encouragement from the rowdy crowd, who seemed to have a wide variety of preferences, some of which seemed anatomically dubious. Sigrid ignored them with her head held high, at least until they reached the top of the stairs.
Sebastian made a comically disgusted face, and Sigrid burst out laughing.
“Sorry you had to hear most of that. Never thought I’d see you set foot in a place like this.”
“And speaking of feet…” Sigrid covered her mouth, a snort slipping out. “Where did that one fellow say he thought you should put yours?”
Sebastian rubbed his face with his hand, and began walking down the hall. “More imagination than sense.”
She followed him, glancing back at a blushing Klaus and a grim-faced Sasha.
We’ve run the gamut of reactions it seems.
“How dare they!” Sasha burst out. “Even not knowing who you are, to be so rude and- and… presumptuous!”
Sigrid shrugged. “If all they do is talk, it matters little to me.”
Klaus mumbled something that sounded faintly like “…kind of hot…”
“No it wasn’t!”
“This is my room,” Sebastian said dryly. “Try not to fight for your lady’s honor in the hall here.”
“You’re not really going to-“ Sasha began, but Sigrid silenced him with a touch to his cheek.
“I’ll call you in soon enough. Both of you, compose yourselves.”
“Um,” Klaus said, with an apologetic hunch of his shoulders. “It’s not exactly the sort of place ladies tend to- Lady Sigrid!”
She had already pulled open the door, heedless of his words. “It won’t take more than a moment to see if Sebastian is here, surely.”
It was much like a Lotte birthday feast inside, dimly lit, stinking of alcohol and filled with rough and tumble types, though even Lotte surely would have turned up her nose at some of these. Sigrid was aware of their eyes on her, but once she caught sight of the dice tables, she didn’t much care.
Stretched out with his well-muscled leg over a spare chair was Sebastian, indisputably holding court over his table with a flick of his wrist as he rolled the dice.
The crowd around him roared and the man across from him cursed, slamming down his pint.
“And that, gentleman, is how it’s done.”
The light cast odd shadows on Sebastian’s face and dark blond hair as he leaned back, basking in the complimentary chatter and silent fury of his opponent, who stood and stalked off. As Sebastian turned his head, he caught sight of Sigrid.
“Here comes trouble,” he drawled. “Which of your wives is this?”
So he doesn’t recognize me yet. This should be fun.
When no one immediately spoke up to claim her, a bearded man over Sebastian’s shoulder barked out, “If you won’t have her, Sebastian, I’ll be happy to!”
Laughter broke out around the table, though Sigrid was pleased to see Sebastian did not join in as she approached.
“It’s you she’s looking at, Sebastian! Don’t tell us your woman at home finally has something to worry about!”
Sebastian shrugged. “Or maybe she’s here for a game.”
Finally close enough not to have to yell, Sigrid smiled. “Maybe I am.”
If the wig had thrown him off, her voice surely hadn’t. The change in Sebastian’s demeanor was immediate, his leg swinging off the chair and back underneath the table as he sat up straight, a real grin spreading across his face.
“I don’t often get such a fair challenger,” he said pleasantly. “Won’t you sit down?”
“Oh, not that sort of game. I don’t like losing.” Sigrid leaned against the table, her hand resting beside Sebastian’s tankard, ignoring the jeers and whoops around her to focus on the flinty blue of her man’s eyes.
“It’s a game of chance. You’re as likely to win as I am.” He rapped his knuckles lightly on the table. “Though I warn you, I’m on a lucky streak now.”
Sigrid raised her eyebrows slightly. “I’m reliably informed your woman at home wants you.”
“Does she now?” Sebastian smiled.
“Lady-“ Klaus burst through the crowd, stopping himself just in time. “Oh. You found him.”
Sebastian glanced at Klaus with a look of mild annoyance. “I see you have an escort.”
Sigrid laughed. “You didn’t seriously think I’d travel without one?”
“Or two,” Sebastian observed, as Sasha elbowed his way into sight.
“Well, you can hardly deny that two are stronger than one,” Sigrid said lightly.
He smirked. “And I’m stronger than both of them put together.”
“Hey!” Klaus exclaimed. “I mean, it’s probably true but you don’t have to say it.”
“Strength isn’t everything.”
Sebastian smiled, and tossed a die to Sasha, who caught it. “Says one of the wiliest in the bunch. Tell me, do you play?”
“That depends,” Sasha said. “Do you use loaded dice?”
Sebastian’s expression darkened. “What the hell do you take me for?”
Sasha tossed the die onto the table, and Sigrid watched it settle on a three. “It would explain your easy manner.”
“Kid, you don’t know much about gambling,” a nearby man said, and there were murmurs of agreement.
“First of all,” Sebastian said coldly, “these aren’t my dice. Secondly, if I always won I’d be thrown out. And finally, my easy manner is because the money I use to gamble isn’t money I need for lodgings or food.”
“Speaking of which,” Sigrid interjected, “I believe you owe me a debt.”
He glanced back at her, his lips still tight. “What sort of debt?”
“One that’s best discussed in private.”
“How private?” Sebastian glanced at Klaus and Sasha. “Without the pup and brat?”
“We can begin that way,” Sigrid said calmly.
She heard Klaus made an outraged sound. “We’re your escort!”
“I have a room upstairs,” Sebastian said, ignoring Klaus.
“Good. They’ll come with us.”
“And stand outside the door to listen in?”
Sigrid laughed. “Now you’re getting it. Lead the way, Sebastian.”
There were some whoops and graphic shouts of encouragement from the rowdy crowd, who seemed to have a wide variety of preferences, some of which seemed anatomically dubious. Sigrid ignored them with her head held high, at least until they reached the top of the stairs.
Sebastian made a comically disgusted face, and Sigrid burst out laughing.
“Sorry you had to hear most of that. Never thought I’d see you set foot in a place like this.”
“And speaking of feet…” Sigrid covered her mouth, a snort slipping out. “Where did that one fellow say he thought you should put yours?”
Sebastian rubbed his face with his hand, and began walking down the hall. “More imagination than sense.”
She followed him, glancing back at a blushing Klaus and a grim-faced Sasha.
We’ve run the gamut of reactions it seems.
“How dare they!” Sasha burst out. “Even not knowing who you are, to be so rude and- and… presumptuous!”
Sigrid shrugged. “If all they do is talk, it matters little to me.”
Klaus mumbled something that sounded faintly like “…kind of hot…”
“No it wasn’t!”
“This is my room,” Sebastian said dryly. “Try not to fight for your lady’s honor in the hall here.”
“You’re not really going to-“ Sasha began, but Sigrid silenced him with a touch to his cheek.
“I’ll call you in soon enough. Both of you, compose yourselves.”
