“So, jellyfish,” Basil started calmly. “Can you make a barrier to shield us from the rain?” Touya smiled at him from several paces ahead on the cobblestone road. He spun around on his toe playfully with a laugh. “I'm serious. We're soaked!”

“Ah, don't blame the rain, Basil.” Touya chided as he took a few skips forward. They were coming up on a flat part of the path before it took another acute turn to head farther up the mountain in the form of long wide steps. “You're the one who stepped in that puddle.”

“You didn't warn me it was there after you stepped in it!” Basil swung his arm at him but missed.

“Hey, hey, don't be using Queenie's magic so loosely!” Touya scolded playfully. He stopped, put one hand on his hip and wagged the other in Basil's face. As he mocked the blond's lecturing tone he kept a straight face, “We weren't sent here to play around.”

Basil glared at him but didn't move for a moment. It lasted so long that Touya uneasily relaxed his hand from the blond's face. One second, two seconds, five... ten. Nervous, Touya scrambled up onto the stairs before looking back at his companion. Just as he got away, a small gust of wind surrounded Basil in the form of a miniature tornado that shot up from his feet high into the sky above them. It effectively dried his wet hair, and kept rain from falling on him for a moment; in turn all of the droplets that would've hit him, went flying out in random directions with much of their aim seeming to be for Touya.

“I told you. I don't use Queenie's power.” he said in a very dark tone that sounded more like he was hurt than angry.

“I don't either–” Touya shrugged.

“You use it every day to control your power!” Basil shouted. After his outburst he crossed his arms and turned away from him. “It doesn't matter if you were born with the gift of nature if you use the Queen's magic to keep it in check.”

Scoffing with a smile to lighten the situation, Touya opened his arms wide and beckoned Basil to come up and get a hug. Basil glared at him without moving, and made a point of sharply turning his head away in a pout to show his firm rejection of this idea. “You know why I have to, Basil.” Touya spoke softly, lowering his arms back down.

“Yeah.” was the soft agreement. “Too bad the incantation means one of your eyes will be forever green.”

“Don't like it?”

“Feels like she's always spying on what you do.”

Touya turned and started walking the long flat part to the next step. “Someone like me doesn't get a better penance.”