Kas hugs himself and awwwws and watches Isabella write.

"This could take a while," Isabella says. She frowns at her grid, erases a circle, draws two more, erases two others, and then picks up a notebook and starts muttering to herself about herbs.

"Okay," says Kas. "Will your teacher mind if I stick around for a while again?"

"Doubt it. Attic's right where you left it, probably slightly dustier. Nice choice of cloud-pine spray, by the way. The first one I cut had a balance issue and I had to go back for another inside of a year. Although maybe you crashed enough to ruin your first and this is your second?"

Isabella laughs. Pathalan lets himself be caught and gives Petaal an affectionate peck/nuzzle sort of gesture.

Petaal nuzzles Path right back, then lands on Kas's shoulder and turns into a king cobra.

Isabella's not really paying attention to any of this. She's drawing shapes on the wall and then smaller versions of them in her notebook and writing T-charts of pros and cons underneath the junior versions.

"That is not the hallway," Kas agrees. "That is a bar. Wanna go check it out?"

"Why in the name of any and every goddess is there a bar in Metis's house?"

"I have no idea!" says Kas. "But I wanna find out!"