“You and me both,” replied Ian. He turned to the others. “It’s fine.” His tone suggested that it most certainly wasn’t fine, but no one protested. Still confused, Chris followed Winter’s example and hung his coat on a hanger by the door. Arnold and Daniel did so as well.

Ian kept exchanging rather unpleasant looks with the man in the night robe. Upon more careful inspection, he seemed to be no more than twenty-five (by human standards) and had his wavy hair tied back to reveal a pale long face and pointy ears.

“…Aren’t you supposed to be at school, Christian? And do you even know what time it is?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be in Crystal, with īor wife?” Ian spat back viciously.

“Touché.” The young man’s posture loosened. “Oh, Miss Winter, you’re here too! A nice surprise!”

“Osburt.” Winter gave him a short nod. Chris noticed that she didn’t motioned towards her ears, so whoever this person was, he didn’t seem to be on the list of people she held in particularly high regard.

“And a bunch of other people, too… Dad would have been oh-so-pleased. You are lucky he’s not here, Christian.”

“I’m—” Arnold started, but the man - Osburt - cut him off:

“Introductions tomorrow.” He yawned. “When you’ll also tell me what you’re doing here at this hour. Chris,” (it took Chris himself a few seconds to realize that the man had probably been speaking to Ian - who seemed rather displeased with the nickname) “you know where the guest rooms are. Make yourselves at home.”

Ian uttered something that sounded like a vile curse in response and signed at the rest to follow him. The young man walked alongside them for a while until reaching a set of double doors.

“I’m sleeping in the living room, here,” he said. “It’s more comfortable.”

“I didn’t say I cared,” Ian said, voice sharp. They’d reached the bottom end of a wide, elegant staircase that was about five meters away from the double doors.

“Oh, by the way,” Osburt said before they parted ways, “I put some old stuff in your room. You’ll have to move a few boxes around.”

Chris was about to ask if they could get something to eat, but changed his mind: Ian’s expression resembled that of a person who had just swallowed a lemon.

“This is going to be a fun stay,” Daniel murmured with forced cheeriness.

Chris nodded back tiredly and they followed Ian upstairs.