#fenixtj

To the kitchen Jessica is lead.. and.. that leads to a breakfast.

And an earful.. "The little scaled one... he plays the pranks too much" "We know he is a jester but we do not want 47 black birds in our pies" /"The couple is nice..clearly in love... but they take the silver. Piskies, you know?"

Jessica was going to grab-and-go but.... hm.

Tonto does show a more adult joke (not too adult) with Nancy though when she asks for a joke.

"A man in a movie theater notices what looks like a goat sitting next to him. "Are you a goat?" asked the man, surprised. "Yes." "What are you doing at the movies?" The goat replied, "Well, I liked the book.""

The fact that Tonto wipes at his lips at the same time he says he liked the book makes it even funnier. Or at least Nancy likes it

It takes a moment. "OH! He ATE it!"

"Did he? Now that's funn your excellency" Tonto nods approvingly

Natalie smiles.

Jessica gets more food and can see ...well, darn, Slap and Dash go by the kitchen, door open she can see them fighting over a credit card... rather dramtically. it's slap stick with lots of slipping and sliding, and with some melodrama. It's a bit like The stoges meet Ricky and Lucy

"Very funny. Are you from Tijuana? Are you visiting for the contest?"

"I am not from Tijuana," Tonto says "But, my Abeulo was dropped on his head as childling here and I got the bumps on my head they carried so" he taps his horns "I am very slow, how slow? I am supposed to be in Hawaii by now" sage nod "But, perhaps if I win, I should stay here so the swim won't be so long?"

"Well, maybe you can stay. I will ask Jessica."

Tonto smiles "Perhaps the funniest person should win? perhaps that is me in your honest opinion? We would not want you catching the pooka pox"

Jessica eats slowly, watching and listening.

"Well, I don't know all the logistics. There's being in the County, and then there's being like, permanent residence hire, or being.. um.. contract? In for parties and holidays..."

Tonto nods, then says "Knock Knock"

Jessica guesses a jester i at work when She sees Diego chazing after Azul who has a wine bottle tied to his back..azul doesn't mind, it's a game! Diego says 'Blast...."

"Who's there?"

"Amish" he says

"Diego....." But no, there he goes. Well. Priorities.

"Amish who?"

Tonto touches his hand to his heart as if surprised and delighted, "Awwww....How sweet. I miss you too."

Another faint smile at Tonto's joke and interaction with Ellie.

Ash whispers "Jess? right now I'm favoring Tonto, but for a very selfish reason. That guy has 'childling distractor' written all over him"

She laughs, and reaches out to pat his hand.

He allows it and pats her hand with his other hand

"Now, perhaps I should learn more about kittens so I know what jokes they like?" he offers

"Oh, si! The kittens are very important."

Tonto nods at this and listens very intently as talk of the kittens, which ones do what, and so on continue. It's easy to talk to pooka

"If you become her Regent, you'll need someone to do that job." Jess points out at a whisper.

Ash says "It'll be a long time before she needs one" A whisper back "You're good for a while yet, Countess. " A smile "if you want to be." She pats her hand "Okay, Jesters, food will be prepared while the two Countesses confer over their choice, but none of you will go hungry"

Jessica nods. "Ellie, may we speak?"

And the jesters are taken elswhere so the Countess and her heir can talk.

"Yes, Countess?"

"Come and have something to eat, or drink? Let's sit." She is already sitting. "How did you like your auditions?"

"I think they were wonderful! Did you?"

Jessica sips her coffee.

"I'm in kind of an odd mood." She explains. "Maybe it's a wilder thing. But I found some of what they presented entertaining. Not laugh-out-loud funny but... I don't do that much anyway. And I enjoyed watching you and Ariel and the others enjoy it."

"Well... sometimes there's a time and place?"

"Like.. oh, Slap and Dash would be a lot of fun at Beltaine or Midsummer, but maybe not every day?"

A nod. "No reason we could have someone else stay on permanently but offer them the occasional holiday off and have another sub in."

"Oh, true!"

"Hmm." A soft grunt, thinking.

"Sir Gerald said a good jester is one who can bring a smile from shadows. Laughing out loud isn't always what's needed."

"Mm? Oh. Yes, I would say he was... not wrong."

"I like Tonto. He's gentle."

She nods. "There is much merit in that. We should ask him how he would conduct Highsummer, and Carnivale."

"Oh, sure..."

"Slap and Dash would be VERY nice at Carnivale."