Well, here one is. He says hello to the giant squid.

The giant squid says hello back. It waves a tentacle.

Is the lake comfortable?

It is! That is why the squid has been here for 600,000 years.

"Definitely magic."

"Yeah. Cool."

"I wonder how it got there."

He asks.

Well, most small patrons with legs enter via the door, but it is also possible to swim in, or come in through the caves, or fly in, or wander in through the woods, and the squid swam in.

And has just stayed for six hundred thousand years, huh? Was its world of origin not very nice?

Oh, it was nice enough but fewer things happened there than here. Here there are small patrons with legs doing things in the backyard like all the time.

That seems reasonable enough, really. He's also planning to stay awhile. 

"So," he says to Odette, "Idaia's not watching."

"It's true, she is not." So maybe she should do something like tip his chin up a bit and kiss him.

Yep, that's exactly what she should do.

Good, because that's exactly what she does. Well, that and making an intrigued noise at the back of her throat.

Good thing Nelyo's not here, he mutters, and kisses her back, quite happily.

There's two of him inside but they didn't make the relevant law--and now's not a good time to be thinking about your brother--

If you insist. Kiss.

Kiss. Missed you, this past month.

Missed you too. I'm impressed it was only a month.

I could already do Conquest teleportation.

I recall! But this is much more orderly and less painful.

Oh, it hurts about as much, it just doesn't have Conquest effects on my personality.

Don't torture yourself too much, you can spread it out now...

She giggles, over osanwe so as to to have to interrupt kiss.

Did I never tell you how I made myself not mind pain?