(Untitled)

[deserved_it]

Hey, candy!

There's a pop, as might be made by someone going from teenage-boy-sized to small-dog-sized.

Well, small-dog-sized. Small-dragon-shaped, though, wings, claws, and all.

There's a surprised SQUAWK, and then an outraged one as Eustace gets a look at the note inside the candy wrapper, accompanied by a puff of flame and smoke.

Comments

[kitchen_maid]

Amy comes downstairs, humming a bit to herself, and stops up short.

"Oh, no," she says. "Absolutely not. I am not getting married."

[deserved_it]

He opens his mouth and makes a series of annoyed hissing and clacking noises. Nothing personal, Amy -- it's just that he can't talk, and there's only so much miming a dragon can do.

But when she asks the question, he nods again.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy arches that eyebrow again. "Be nice to me, Eustace, or I may have to tell Caspian." But it's pretty clear she's teasing.

"Well, I can get in and out of the House of Arch, and I can take you with me. So that's not a problem, I don't suppose. And if you can't get into your room . . . well, you can always hide in the guest room Martha and I have for our things. She shouldn't be around until early tomorrow morning. And I can't imagine Tom would mind."

[deserved_it]

He perks again and sits up, nodding vigorously.

[kitchen_maid]

"All right, then," says Amy, and takes another piece of paper, and writes.

Dear Caspian (or anyone else asking)

I ran into Eustace earlier this evening. He's not feeling quite himself and asked me to let you know that he was retiring early. He should be around tomorrow, though.

Amy

She holds that note out for his inspection, too.

[deserved_it]

He gives her an approving look.

Amy's good people.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy nods, and tears the original note in half, and then in half again.

"Oh!" she says suddenly, and scribbles another note. "You had better take this one with you, just in case."

It reads, I'm Eustace Scrubb and I need help. I seem to be stuck as a dragon.

Amy resists the temptation to add the (again) this time.

[deserved_it]

He eyes it, and accepts it.

Well, better to get out of it than be embarassed, right?

[kitchen_maid]

"Just in case the, er, effects, don't wear off when they're supposed to," says Amy, hastily. "In case you can't find me."

You don't want to have to go through all those charades again, do you, Eustace?

She gives him an amused half-smile. "You make a very cute dragon, Eustace."

[deserved_it]

Nodding.

And then annoyed smoking.

Cute. Honestly.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy giggles a little and pats the top of his head.

"Well, you do," she says.

[deserved_it]

Eustace sulks. His tail lashes.

Cutely.

[kitchen_maid]

"Sulking does not become you, Eustace," says Amy, sternly. And then gives up and goes off into gales of laughter.

"I'm sorry, Eustace," she manages, "I'm . . . I'm so sorry . . . it's terrible, I know . . . it's just . . . you've got the most adorable little wings. And even the sulking is cute."

[deserved_it]

He starts to flap said wings indignantly, thinks better of it, and sticks his nose in the air.

Cute. Huh.

[kitchen_maid]

Unfortunately, he's even cuter indignant than he is sulky.

"House of Arch?" Amy asks, letting the subject of wings, adorable or otherwise, drop.

[deserved_it]

He nods, and jumps off the table. His wings open with a whumph, and he flutters in a circle around her.

That's right -- there were some good things about this shape.