"What the hell are you wearing, Finny?" asked Bard as the young gardener came into the servant's eating quarters. He positioned himself so that he was just perfectly situated by the slightly opened door, and the long trench coat billowed dramatically out behind him from the draught. He put his fists on his hips; in what he thought was a heroic pose.

"What do you mean, Bard?" he asked, innocently tossing his head. Bard chewed on his cigarette, a smile playing on his lips.

"That ridiculous coat thing," he leant forward and pointed to the billowing brown coat. "Where did you get it?" Finny dropped his arms down.

"I found it shoved round the back of my wardrobe. I dunno how it got there." He shrugged and pulled the sleeves over his small hands. Mey-Rin appeared, yawning and then stifled a laugh.

"Very dashing," she chuckled. Finny grinned and spun around, the long tail whirling around his heels.

"I know!"

"Say, Finny, ain't that gunna hinder your gardening abilities?" asked Bard, before swallowing a mouthful of porridge. Finny joined his friends at the table, the sleeves drooping over his hands.

"How?"

"Well, how are you going to weed the plant beds and stuff?" asked the older man. The gardener started to roll the sleeves up indignantly.

"Isn't it obvious, I'm just going to- oh." Mey-Rin and Bard laughed loudly as the rolled up sleeves continued to flop way past his hands. He flushed red and wrinkled up his nose. "Yes, very funny. Well, I'll keep it in until the last minute then." They all looked up as Tanaka appeared in the door way.

"Mornin'!" called Bard. Tanaka nodded.

"Good morning all- Oh! Fancy seeing that again!" he came over to Finny. "My old coat, what a surprise."

"Huh? This is yours?" asked Finny. Tanaka smiled and nodded.

"Yes it is. I forgot all about it."

"It was stuffed down the side of the wardrobe. I was looking for a hair slide that fell down there." He said.

"Here, Finnian, may I have a look at it a moment?" Finny nodded and slipped off the coat, handing it to the old man. He held it up.

"Still looks like it's in good condition." Tanaka murmured to himself as he turned the coat over.

"Finny? What's that over your shirt?" asked Mey-Rin. "It looks like… mould?"

"What?" Finny looked down at himself and then squealed, causing Bard to drop his spoon into the bowl with clatter, and Tanaka to let go of the coat.

"Bloody hell, Finny!" Bard rubbed his ears. "What's wrong?" In mute panic, Finny pointed to the largish black, hairy spider that was crawling up his chest. Mey-Rin shrieked and grabbed her skirts before jumping onto the table. Finny jumped up and down until it fell off, and then rushed to join Mey-Rin on the kitchen table, grabbing her arm.

"Oh for God's sake, it's a bloody spider!" complained Bard. "I thought you were a friend to all animals and crap like that?" Finny shook his head.

"Not spiders! Anything but spiders." He trembled.

"Oh come on Bard, just kill it! Please!" screeched Mey-Rin. Sighing, Bard reached for a frying pan and walloped it on top of the spider, causing the others to jump. Tanaka picked up his coat and shook it, more spiders falling out onto the tiling. Bard continued the gruesome game of splatting the poor creatures until there were all squashed into bloody little messes on the floor.

"Happy now?!" he asked. Finny and Mey-Rin nodded and slowly climbed off the table. Bard dumped the soiled pan into the sink and then wiped the remains off the floor with a tea towel, which he promptly dumped into the sink also. He shook his head. "Really, you two really are pathetic." Mey-Rin and Finny looked at each other, and then proceeded to hiss at him, complete with disturbing snake like movements.

Bard jumped back, knocking the remaining porridge off the table.

"Yeah, well snakes are something you should be afraid of. They can kill you."

"So can spiders."

"Hmm…"

"Would you like to know what I'm scared of?" asked Tanaka.

"Yeah, go on then."

"Beetles. I can't stand them." Finny snickered behind his hand and Bard erupted with loud guffaws.

"Beetles? Kidding me, right?"

"No, not at all." said Tanaka. Mey-Rin made her hand into a small beetle like shape and wiggled her fingers at the old man, laughing.

"Scuttle!" she laughed. "Scuttle, scuttle, scuttle!"

And Tanaka screamed.