"Yes. We had not slept in a house in a while, it was a nice change."

"You're lucky I live in a house at the moment, after my apprenticeship is over I'm probably going to be at least part time on clan lands sleeping in the snow when I'm not at my dad's."

"We've dealt. Didn't super know where we'd end up finding the alethiometer so had to be prepared."

"Surely you don't carry gear for all weather at all times?"

"Well, no, but 'warm enough for most likely cold places' and 'light enough for most non-deserts' isn't that hard to fit in a bag."

"On top of all your food and stuff? I dunno, that sounds really heavy but maybe I just don't have a good sense of pedestrian carrying capacity since I'm so seldom a pedestrian."

"I have four T-shirts, two pairs of jeans, two pairs of sweatpants, two pairs of shorts, one sweater, one heavier sweater, some underwear and socks, these shoes, a pair of boots, that's like sixty percent of that bag I left upstairs."

"You must pack very efficiently. How many eggs do you want?"

"Four," says her teacher, wandering into the room stark naked and combing her hair with her fingers.

"All right," says Isabella, and she cracks four for her teacher.

"Where'd you come from?" the other witch asks Sadde.

"Four, also," Luca replies for Sadde.

"New Zealand!" Sadde replies to the teacher.

"Originally Italy, but we found an alethiometer in New Zealand and then Isabella's spell summoned us here. He is Sadde, I am Luca, it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Hm," she says, and doesn't reply further. Isabella hands her a plate of eggs and some sausage and she gets underway on that.

"Her name's Metis," Isabella supplies.

Sadde inclines his head as well in her direction.

"We apologise for any inconvenience we might be causing."

"Don't cause any and you won't have to," advises Metis. "Isabella's allowed a boytoy if she wants one and you don't get underfoot."

"That isn't what's going on." Dish of eggs and sausage for Sadde.

"Eh. Same rules apply."

"No objections if you want that to be what's going on," he chirps cheerfully.

"I don't date," says Isabella. She starts her own batch of eggs.

"Shame," he says, not sounding like he's taking it very personally. "Anyway, I'll try not to get underfoot," he tells Metis.

Luca, meanwhile, makes a small inquisitive noise in Pathalan's direction.

"It's complicated."

He nods and leaves it at that.

And Sadde eats!

Metis finishes first and tells Isabella to be ready to come help with a ritual across town at sunset and leaves.

"Not a person of many words, your teacher, huh?"

"Not unless she's drunk."