[center][h1][b][color=035096]Cassim[/color] and [color=red]Iago[/color][/b][/h1][/center]

Cassim shrugged his head to the side in an amused gesture as not only the three little children expressed some measure of joy to having two new traveling companions, but the skeleton did as well. In fact this Jack character seemed to be overjoyed at the prospect of hanging around the King of Thieves! He wouldn't want to disappoint, would he? Iago had other thoughts on the matter.

[color=red]"Cassim, you really think following around literal monsters is a good idea?"[/color] he criticized, not caring that the "monsters" in question could easily hear him.

[color=035096]"What is life without a little risk, my friend?"[/color] Cassim asked back, smile beaming. Iago flumped on the man's shoulder in clear disappointment.

[color=red]"A lot longer,"[/color] he sighed.

That's when something else caught Cassim's attention. He could hear footsteps coming from behind, very light against the cobblestone road. Someone was sneaking up on them, someone with decent skills. Cassim would have been content to ignore them in order to live and let live, but unfortunately their self-control was lacking, and they gasped in the unmistakable voice of a woman. Cassim turned round to spy a dark skinned woman of exotic garb, unquestionably one of the Romani people he had only just recently described to Iago. The children looked over the woman with curiosity, but Jack was quick to go on the defensive in an attempt to control the damage.

[color=035096]"Yes, nothing to be afraid of. Merely a thief and his talking bird having a conversation with an abnormally tall skeleton, his ghostly hound, and three children in a bathing tub in the middle of a dark alleyway."[/color] He understood the utter absurdity of the situation and simply [i]had[/i] to voice it out loud. Both to fully remind himself of the circumstances he found himself in and to use as a bargaining chip. [color=035096]"An utterly unbelievable situation, so you know that if you sought help nobody would come to your aid. Instead, why not join the conversation?"[/color]

[color=red]"Raaaawk! Conversation!"[/color] Iago mimicked in his natural parrot-voice, intent on pretending he was a normal animal in this insanity.