The tricksters giggled again as Jack addressed them.

"We weren't--" Shock started.

"--Planning on it--" Lock continued.

"--Jack!" Barrel finished.

He pondered a moment.

"...Well, maybe a [i]little[/i]..."

Shock whacked him with her mask.

"Hey!"

"What he [i]means[/i]," Shock said, with her mock sweetness, "is we [i]like[/i] our new friend."

Her brothers grinned and nodded in agreement. All three of them laughed, but it was cut short at the mention of losing the bathtub. The tricksters stiffened at the thought. They didn't [i]need[/i] it, but it [i]would[/i] inconveniently hinder their troublemaking.

Still, they shifted to make sure Jack couldn't see their crossed fingers behind their backs.

"We wouldn't--" Barrel started.

"--Want anything--" Lock continued.

"--[i]Bad[/i] to happen to him," Shock finished.

[Quote=Bird who might find himself eaten][color=red]"Just try it and see what you get, ya garbage pail rejects."[/color][/quote]

Iago got their attention again. The three of them laughed, but more with delight this time instead of the thought of potential mischief. Most people would be insulted. In Halloween Town, such phrases were often considered compliments.

More than that, though, a bird less than half their size was laughably threatening when they'd taken down targets easily four times greater than the three of them combined.

"I think--"

"--Iago wants to--"

"--Play with us!"

And by the looks on their faces, the three of them couldn't be more delighted at the thought. They vaguely paid attention to the conversation between Jack and Cassim, but "adventure" stuck out like a lit jack o'lantern on a lonely street.

"It sounds like--" Barrel started.

"--You two--" Shock continued.

"--Are coming along," Lock finished.