Incentive

1. Outside Nanny Muk's house, Singing Cricket wipes spilled beer off an annoyed Charlie. He looks up in terror at Granny Dismal as he reacts to the previous episode's final panel.

SC: "You KNEW? This whole TIME?!"

GD: "Naturally."

2. Singing Cricket looks nervously to the side. His hand reaches down automatically to take the new glass of beer being offered by the imp.

SC: "But... But Dojo --"

GD: "The house was yours before it even hatched. It CHOSE you."

3. Flashback showing Singing Cricket standing next to Granny Dismal's house. The house is sitting in its nest, on the egg that would eventually hatch Dojo. Singing Cricket holds a spear and a bucket of miscellaneous creature limbs, and is offering it to the house with a friendly smile. In the foreground, Alond, looking very beat up, struggles dragging a long tentacle that looks like it came from a displacer beast. Granny Dismal narrates in captions.

GD: "Houses are attuned to the people in their environment. They build themselves to fit the person they deem worthy."

GD: "You helped care for my house when she was nesting..."

GD: "Your Dojo must have sensed your kind intentions, and BONDED with you."

4. Singing Cricket is incredulous. He spills his beer as he gesticulates.

SC: "You said you wanted him DEAD! I was hiding him for WEEKS!"

GD: "Yes. Leveraging your instinct to protect the innocent."

SC: "I tamed an OWLBEAR to save him from you! I was mauled! REPEATEDLY!"

5. Singing Cricket is now angry, and he crosses his arms. Granny Dismal accepts a mug of tea from the helpful imp.

SC: "If you WANTED me to have Dojo all along -- why put me THROUGH all this? If you'd just ASKED, I'd have been HAPPY to take care of him."

6. Granny Dismal sips on her tea as she replies.

GD: "Where would the fun be in THAT?"

Singing Cricket falls over with a PLOP, only his feet visible in the panel (a reference to E.C. Segar).