Tavi opens the door cautiously--for once no one's in the cabin, and he waves Noriko inside. Once he steps inside, though, he turns slightly greener.

(ohcrowsandbloodyblightedfuriesihateships)

"Sit there," he manages before heading for the door again. At least where she's sitting, she isn't immediately visible from the door. He opens it again, cautiously--good, ship this time.

"Mother?"

After a few moments there are footsteps at the door. Whoever it is, the view is blocked by Tavi's body. "Tavi," a woman scolds, as if he were ten, "you're supposed to be--"

"I know," he cuts her off. "I just-- look, this is going to sound crazy..."

Her tone is sardonic. "Hardly unusual, dear."

Their voices drop for a moment, as Tavi explains Milliways. Then, skeptically, "I'm not sure I can--"

"Just come inside." He steps to one side, then grips the door a little too tight as he leans against the wall. The woman--who might as well be in her late twenties by her looks--takes a look inside--and blinks. "Believe me now?"

"Sit, before you throw up." She steps towards Noriko. "Oh dear." That is some serious damage.

Tavi is rummaging through a closet, trying to sort out his belongings. After all, he's moving to Alera Imperia fairly soon, and even though he still has his duties on the holt, he's rather eager to be going.

Actually, duties on the holt have been slightly heavier than usual, what with Uncle Bernard taking over Garrison from Gram, and Aunt Isana always seems to find something for him to be doing.

But he has the time now, so he's working on finding what he can.

"TAVI, YOU LITTLE CROW-BITING--!"

Uncle Bernard's voice rang out as the boy sprinted out of the kitchen and into the yard, biting his lip to hold back a fit of giggles.  That went off even better than expected, he congratulated himself as he dodged around Beritte and made for the pen where the sheep were kept.  Uncle Bernard would get over it, he knew--probably almost as soon as he dried off. Hopefully.

Maybe.

Well, it had been a boring day anyway.

He crouched down by the fence and peered around, mentally starting to curse as he saw Aunt Isana standing there. Damn it, she probably knows I'm here...

"I know you're there, Tavi," she called out right on cue.  "We will find you eventually. Just come out."

Tavi tried his best to clamp down on his giddiness and minor fear of punishment, knowing it would make it even easier for his aunt to find him if he didn't.  Okay, Tavi. You need a plan...

And then Fade was there, smiling witlessly at Tavi.  Instantly Tavi knew what he was doing.  Some part of him felt horribly bad about it--after all, it was Fade who had inadvertently helped him get the prank set up, and had distracted everyone enough he could pull it off.  But... well... there he was.  "Fade," he hissed.

Fade looked at him with that blank expression.  "Tavi, Bernard, wet."

"Yes, Fade. You know Aunt Isana works with water, so you should go find her and ask her to dry off Uncle Bernard," Tavi said quickly in a fit of inspiration.  For a moment, Fade's eyes seemed to glitter, and then he shambled off to intercept Aunt Isana as she bore down on them across the yard.

Now for stage two... Tavi glanced around the yard, looking for an escape route.  "Fade, what are you-- Fade, stop that. Where is Tavi? I know you've seen him..." Tavi breathed a sigh of relief, eyes still scanning. Don't want to go into the barn, too obvious, but Uncle Bernard's still at the house... But then he heard a door slam open, and he knew his time was up. Without a thought he bolted across to the barn door, yanking it open and throwing himself in before pulling it shut behind him, as he gave way to his fit of giggles.