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Harry’s brow furrowed as he watched Alec make three cups of un-hot chocolate instead of the normal two. His confusion quickly dissipated a few minutes later, however, when the Merrow spooned an obscene amount of cinnamon into the third mug. Enough to make it undrinkable for everyone except...
“Give that to birdbrain,” Alec grumbled, nodding his head toward the mug. “And tell him to drink it all.”
“Do it yourself,” Harry countered. “You know he hates intermediaries.”
Alec gave him a pointed look, as if to say that was exactly why he was asking Harry to deliver it.
“He’s going to ask if you poisoned it,” Harry said, a small smile starting to form on his face.
“I considered it,” Alec muttered. “Unfortunately, he had to be unkillable.”
“You would get along wonderfully with Inanna,” Harry said.
“Blasphemy,” Alec sniffed. “I would not get along with any Fire type. You’re lucky I tolerate the three you have.”
“Is that the word for it? Tolerate?” Harry teased, but promptly took his mug and Brishen’s as a dark look crossed the Merrow’s face.
“I come bearing gifts,” he announced a few minutes later when he found the Joker in one of the more water-friendly rooms in the house that wasn’t located within Alec’s personal quarters. “Courtesy of your favorite person.”
“Did he poison it?” Brishen asked darkly, but to Harry’s surprise, he accepted it without further comment.
“He said he considered it,” Harry returned cheerfully. “Though I doubt he actually did, considering it was from his own personal stash, the one he won’t even let me try.”
The tension in Brishen’s body eased at that particular admission. “Probably for the best,” he said. “It’s a Water-specific brand, with rehydration properties.”
“Because you haven’t been swimming?” Harry asked, hoping that he didn’t sound too admonishing. He knew he was unsuccessful when Brishen scowled. “Must you avoid them?”
“They’re even more unbearable than him,” Brishen grumbled. “And they’re under the impression that I need babysitters.”
“Babysitters or a clean-up crew?”
“Babysitters. Why would I need a clean-up crew, especially when you can call Wikhn or Devrim or that bloody sea dragon when needed.”
Harry made a face. “Thank you for that lovely reminder,” he muttered. “And don’t let Alec hear you talk about Goonter like that.”
“I’ll talk about the pest any way I like,” Brishen grumbled. “He tried to eat me. And if his shark-iness has an issue with it, he can tell me about it to my face.”
Harry sighed, making a mental note to tell Hadrian and Theo another Merrow-Phoelix flare-up should be expected soon. Or maybe just Theo, he amended, given the current state of Hadrian’s relationship with Wikhn. The ACE already had his claws full.
Brishen took a sip of the un-hot chocolate and made a face. “Needs more cinnamon.”
“He put half a cup of cinnamon in there!”
“Needs more cinnamon.”