Stretching and yawning widely, Bast stumbled down the stairs into the inn – bright with the early morning sun bouncing off every surface polished to a mirror shine by his master. The brilliant light hit Bast and he recoiled, hissing as though it burned him.

"Damn it Reshi, it's too early for this…" still squinting, the glamourer made his cumbersome way over to the glistening bar where Kote was shuffling the bottles on the shelf with a disgustingly enthusiastic look for so early in the morning. His flame red hair caught the sunlight and lit his face with a soft red glow that radiated positivity and Bast could only stare in near awe.

"Nonsense Bast, my young student! Now is the best time. There's plenty to be done; we open this evening."

Bast settled on a seat at the bar, chin resting lazily on his palm. "Exactly! That's this evening. Why get up now?"

Kote smiled warmly at his student before throwing a cloth at his face.

"Oi! Have you used this?" with a face screwed up in disgust, Bast whipped the cloth off his head leaving his shiny black hair mussed and smelling vaguely of dirty dishwater.

"Come on, make yourself useful and mop the floor will you?" Kote sauntered into the kitchen and Bast looked at the floor. It was perfect. In fact, it was still damp in places from its last cleaning.

"Reshi, you've already done it," he said flatly as he followed his teacher's path into the kitchen.

"Too right I have, and I'll probably do it ten more times before we open," Kote replied matter-of-factly. He pulled a mop from thin air and shoved it into the grousing man's arms with an end-of-discussion expression, "Now step to it. The sooner you do it, the sooner you can eat and help me with fixing the rooms."

Bast blinked at his Reshi in mixed exasperation and warmth. That man was certainly something. Seeing the excitement and anticipation on his normally calm and over-mature face gave Bast a surge of affection towards Kote, like a mother inexplicably proud of her son's first mess of an ink and paper masterpiece.

He knew from that moment that nothing could go wrong for them now; this was Kote's simple dream finally realised and if anything were to threaten his master's happiness, tried to take this feeling of content from the brilliant and beautiful man, Bast would return the favour ten times over. He would do anything for his Reshi and do it gladly, even if it meant running a stupid little backwater inn in a stupid little backwater town…

Bast sighed as he leaned heavily on the mop staring absently at the still just as shiny floor he'd just cleaned again.

"Bast?" Kote appeared suddenly from the bottom of the staircase, which snapped Bast out of his reverie. The dark man blushed suddenly and busied himself wringing the mop. Spotting him, Kote grinned impishly. "What've you broken now?"

Bast opened his mouth to argue but Kote continued anyway, "Come on, help me with the sheets!" Arms full of freshly laundered bedding he turned back up the stairs, with Bast – stomach growling – close in his wake.

Tonight would be the first of many together in this place, and Bast could only hope this would remain the best mortal age of his sometimes too enduring life…