Deka pets him reassuringly and gives him a second to reply.

...Okay, that seems to indicate that he should be responding?

"I-" he starts, and then shrinks back a little. "S'okay?"

"He's shy, it's okay." She keeps petting.

    "Okay. I was going to say I have a friend who likes painting strange animals, she might pay you to sit for her while you're here. If you want, I mean."

"Mm, maybe. Or bring my griffon friends over - little ones, housecat size."

    "Oh, she'd love that, she's talked about going to see some griffons. She's at the top of the big maple tree on the south side of town, you can tell her Tia sent you."

"If I have time. Thanks!"

    "Thank you!" And she goes about her business.

"You okay?"

He nuzzles her arm to reassure her that he heard as he thinks about that. "I...think so? That was..." He doesn't really have the words for it.

"Little strange, yeah. Do you.... know, what she was talking about?"

"Uh- drawing? I think? Sort of? Someone drawing...me, or Figment or Phantasm?"

"Mmhmm. And pay for it - give you money. Money is, if you want someone to do something, or give you something, and they aren't - a friend, or a cleric, someone you can just ask, you can give them money, instead. And they - do the same, later, for something else they want. Like a trade, a little."

"...So...earning your keep? Kind of?"

"Mmhmm. Don't worry about that, we've got you, but it's nice to have your own money. Can get things without asking." Figment comes back, and she starts following him again. "Want to see the market later, see what you could get here?"

"...Maybe? Probably busy?"

"Probably, yeah. It can wait."

He relaxes a tiny amount at that. "Thank you," he murmurs.

She gives him a little squeeze. "I don't get to make you do things."

He nuzzles her arm a little. "...Feels weird. Thinking like that."

"Mm. Part of why it was bad, there. Taught you the wrong things."

One hums an acknowledgement, and seems to be thinking about that rather than giving a more complex response.

She'll carry him along quietly, then.

It's not too much farther to where the bards are performing - it's a little band, with pipes, a small harp, a lute, and the lead singer wearing bells on his wrists, singing about the beauty of summer. It's crowded around them, but not too bad a level above, and they can find a spot by the railing to watch as well as listen; Figment gives One a nuzzle and flits off to find Phantasm and tell him where they are.

One responds to the nuzzle in kind before extending his head out to watch the bards. After a little, his head starts to bob in time to the music.

He's very cute.

"Like it?"

"I- think so?" he says, a little uncertainly, but continuing to bob his head, and seeming almost happy.

She scritches gently behind his ears. "Good."

The music continues; Deka eventually spots Raafi in the crowd below and sends Phantasm down to show him where they are, and he comes up to join them. "Enjoying yourselves?"

"Mmhmm."

One hums out his agreement as well, focus still more on the bards, although he's paying enough attention to Raafi in case he needs his attention.

Raafi leaves him be until the bards take a break, turning the stage over to a different artist who switches to a different style of song, a call-and-response that includes the audience below.

"I've got our rooms set up - they didn't have two next to each other, but I'm across the hall and one door down, we should be fine. And I'm ready to go talk to my friend whenever you are - I don't know if he'll want to come right away, but he might."

One thinks about that, paying more attention to Raafi now. He hesitates, tries to convince himself that asking this would be okay, and eventually manages, very quietly: "Could...could you wait until...tomorrow?"

It gets a smile out of him. "Of course. I might go check out the market, then, if you don't need me for anything."