TRP: Goro, Morgan, Pride, and Sam (Second Opinions)

IZZY

[Setting: Night 358.]

Goro first became aware of the sound of a lyre.

He 'woke' on the lounge in Ba'alchem's boudoir, covered in a light blanket and with a plush pillow under his head. As before, the small side table had a waiting pitcher of water, though this time there were two glasses beside it. The second lounge was still there, empty now.

Sam was on the balcony beyond the gauzy curtains, sitting cross-legged with his back to the room. The lyre on his lap echoed strangely, pleasantly. Aziz stood by him, hands on the balcony railing, looking out and swaying slightly -- almost unconsciously -- to the song.

LINA

Goro sat up, blinking around at the room. His gaze landed on the water pitcher and the glasses, and he snorted. So fucking genteel. He really should've shopped around some more before going with Diva. That lady was just gross.

Goro pushed the blanket off himself and stood up. He wandered toward the balcony slowly, wary about moving around in this strange space.

IZZY

Aziz looked over his shoulder, and mildly commented, "Ah. He's awake."

Sam grunted and kept playing.

"Don't be rude," he said, clearly amused.

"Pfff." Sam paused long enough to raise a hand over his shoulder, then continued his song.

LINA

Goro frowned at the back of Sam's head. He guessed in Sam's position he wouldn't wanna talk to visitors, either. Bastards cutting in on his meager time with his sweetheart. Well, Sam could ignore Goro if he liked. Didn't matter.

Goro turned his attention to Aziz. "Morgan Wyn," he said. "She wants to meet you."

IZZY

He made a quiet, intrigued sound. "The wrathful girl. Interesting."

LINA

"Wrathful," Goro repeated. "Wrathful?"

IZZY

Sam had looked up curiously, as well.

"Mm, yes. An acolyte of my sister, in a way." Aziz turned to walk, hooves clicking, in from the balcony, touching Sam's shoulder on the way. "Her Queen."

LINA

Goro's jaw dropped open and he smacked his leg, half grinning. "The motherfucking Sanguine Queen was your sister? Am I fuckin' hearing this right?"

IZZY

"Not quite. She devoured my sister."

Sam straightened to pad barefoot after Aziz, listening with interest.

"Emara was her name. A warlock," Aziz said. "She overpowered Wrath and consumed her. Quite a wrathful act. She wasn't truly a sibling of mine. But a neice, if you will."

LINA

"Huh." Goro felt like fiddling with something, but thought it might make him look insecure, and that wasn't a good look in front of a guy like this. He tapped his fingertips together, instead. "Wrath. Is that a normal name for a demon? 'Cause where I'm from, it's fuckin' weird."

IZZY

"It's a normal name for me and mine," Aziz said. Mine came out with the mildest derision. He sat gracefully on one lounge, Sam following to sit right by him. "Are you ready for me to call your friend, or do we have other business to tend to first?"

LINA

"Oh, yeah. Go ahead." Goro was distracted by his own thoughts. He watched Aziz and Sam sit down, but didn't move from where he was standing. "The Glutton," he said. "That a demon name?"

IZZY

"Gluttony. Indeed." The distaste was more overt. "Another niece of sorts. Your companions did good work with her."

He snapped his fingers, and as the lounge had emerged, fluid, from the floor, Morgan raised up from the lounge, sleeping peacefully under the same blanket Goro had woken under.

LINA

Goro felt himself loosen up a little with relief at seeing Morgan, asleep though she was. He wasn't alone anymore.

"Just how many fucking nieces do you got, anyway?" he muttered.

IZZY

"Oh, none, anymore." Aziz kept his voice soft to avoid waking Morgan. He stroked Sam's hair. "Sakincha took care of the last one. He's very good."

Sam blushed a bit.

LINA

Goro thought that over. Thought about taking down Diva and the Sanguine Queen, what a fucking struggle those both had been. How they'd barely all survived it.

"By himself?" he sputtered. He glanced at Morgan, wondering if he should go shake her awake.

IZZY

Sam shrugged, looking embarrassed. "It was a small one."

"You did well."

"Psh."

LINA

Hah. Sam getting all flustered over that. He was a fucking sucker.

Goro edged over to the lounge where Morgan lay sleeping, and put a hand on her to shake her gently.

IZZY

Morgan grumbled sleepily and blinked awake. She jolted up, staring at Aziz, then looked at Goro with wide eyes before looking back ar Aziz.

"Motherfucker," she said. "Yeah, that's a demon."

"Indeed," Aziz agreed.

LINA

"Yeah, so." Goro gestured back and forth between them. "This here's Morgan. Morgan, this is Sam and Aziz. Or--Ba'alchem." He tried to rein in his sarcasm a little, but he probably failed.

IZZY

"Uhhh-huh. Neat." She sat up properly, eyeing them and glancing around the room. "Nice to meet you."

Sam raised a hand, and Aziz inclined his head slightly and closed his eyes in acknowledgement.

LINA

"So anyway. Yeah. I filled Morgan in a little--the whole thing about the relic you fellas are after. Excuse me, artifact." Goro raised his eyebrow at Aziz as he said it. "Gonna slide on over to our plane, apparently. And then do what?"

IZZY

"Establish a life with Sakincha," Aziz said docilely. "Prevent my brother from spawning any further atrocities, ideally."

LINA

"Brother?" Goro leaned forward, eyes widening. "Diva's father. I mean, the Glutton's. Gluttony. Whatever the fuck."

IZZY

"Mm. Lust," he said, his voice absolutely dripping in disdain.

LINA

Goro flopped onto the lounge next to Morgan. "Can't stop fuckin' shit and making new horrible kids?" he guessed.

IZZY

"Yes. He's a revolting creature."

LINA

"Well, having tangled with two of those kids myself, can't say I'd object to giving him the snip, as it were." Goro elbowed Morgan. "Queenie. And Diva. If you can believe it."

He didn't say that last part idly. He wanted to see if Morgan was skeptical.

IZZY

Her eyes widened a fraction and eyebrows lifted.

"Yes," Aziz said.

"The snip," Sam added dryly, drawing a thumb across his throat. Aziz smiled at him indulgently and stroked his hair.

LINA

"Is Lust already in our world, then? How'd he manage that?"

IZZY

"He is, yes. Slipped through during your Calamity, to my knowledge, along with Gluttony. I was preoccupied with the others at the time," he remarked. He cast a sad look at Sam. "Unfortunate."

LINA

"Huh." Goro looked down at his hands and counted something on his fingers. "So where's, uh. Greed, Envy, Pride, and uh... shit, what's the other. The lazy thing. Sloth."

IZZY

"Dead. Sakincha killed Sloth recently," Aziz said, clearly proud, and Sam glanced down with a grin. "Lust's daughter, that is. I had killed the previous one -- the original. As well as Envy and Greed. You would call me Pride."

LINA

"Oh. Jeez. You telling me that once one of you's dead, another one crops up? Or that just happens when you start reproducing?"

IZZY

"Oh, no. It's purposeful. My brother's machinations. I have no interest in propogating our kind," he offered.

LINA

"Yuck," Goro agreed. "Well, so far I'm on board. So supposing you come over to our plane, get rid of your brother, get a nice cozy cottage with Sammy, here--then what?"

IZZY

"Then, as my brother has done to create his children, I will alter Sakincha," Aziz said, calmly, as if it were normal. "So that he will not die."

"So we can be together," Sam said dreamily.

"Always."

LINA

Goro glanced at Morgan out of the corner of his eye.

"And then what?"

IZZY

Aziz tilted his head, like he was thinking. "Destroy my brother, and any aberrant children he has spawned by then. I take pride, you know --" he smiled -- "in keeping a clean house. If I'm to live in your plane, it may need some ... renovations."

LINA

"Uh huh? What else, besides killing your family? I get that part."

IZZY

"There are other distasteful elements," he said. "Certain churches and societies."

LINA

"Think you could write me a list?"

IZZY

He looked amused. "Certainly. It will become a priority once I'm on your plane, however." He twined his claws through Sam's hair. "Ensuring Sakincha's survival is paramount. After that, I will appraise the conditions."

"Maybe you could fucking consult or something," Sam said, eyes closed under Aziz's attentions. "Once it's time. You've been living in the world and shit." He slitted an eye at Goro and Morgan.

Aziz made a mild sound of agreement.

LINA

"Uh huh. And why would you take my opinion on it instead of any old yahoo you pull off the street?"

IZZY

"I've been watching," Aziz said, studying Goro closely. "You seem wise. I don't need your help, but I would value it."

LINA

Damn. Goro couldn't let that go to his head, but it felt fucking nice to hear. He shrugged, like it didn't make much of a difference.

"How d'you mean ensuring Sakincha's survival, anyway? There something especially risky he's up against, or you just mean, in general, you wanna keep him safe?" Goro smiled. "Sorry for all the questions, by the way. It's just, y'know, when I talked to your niece the first time, I didn't ask nearly enough."

IZZY

"That's quite all right. Ask whatever you need to." He kept petting Sam idly. "I've no interest in watching Sakincha die again, and you mortals are less resilient than my ilk. Whatever adversity we face, he must live. This includes old age. I won't have him taken away once we're together."

Sam opened his eyes to gaze at Aziz softly.

LINA

Goro glanced at Morgan again, then back at Aziz. "Is that... hard? Making someone so they don't die?"

IZZY

"Oh, yes. He'll become like me. It will be a process, but it's necessary."

Morgan piped up. "This boy a warlock?"

Sam nodded.

"Is that the only way to do it? Make a deal, and shit?"

"Yes." Aziz fixed her with the same interested stare.

"Huh."

LINA

Goro kept glancing between the two of them. Oh, boy.

"What did Sam give you?" Goro asked. "Or what's he gonna give you? What's the deal, is what I'm getting at."

IZZY

"I'm getting him to the mortal plane," Sam said. "Win-win."

"Mm."

LINA

"Ohh." Goro nodded. "But--" He pointed at each of them and raised his eyebrows at Aziz. "You love him?"

IZZY

"Of course," Aziz said.

LINA

"That's nice," Goro said pleasantly.

IZZY

Aziz tilted his head curiously, studying Goro with flat gold eyes. Sam glared at him slightly, as a contrast, and shifted closer to Aziz, reaching out -- and Aziz found his hand without looking and laced their fingers together, other hand still twined in Sam's hair.

"Is there anything else?" Aziz asked, just as pleasantly.

LINA

"Oh. Yeah, actually. You looking to take over the world?"

IZZY

"Oh, no." He seemed amused by the idea. "That seems like a lot of work."

LINA

"So, then..." Goro crossed one leg over the other and laced his fingers on top of his knee, frowning at the ceiling. "Lessee. Sammy gets the relic you're after, lets you come over to this plane... you turn him immortal and shit, kill your brother and any of his awful kids, kill some other shit, hopefully with my input..." He looked back at Aziz, one eyebrow cocked, and smiled. "You know what I'm gonna ask next? You caught the pattern yet?"

IZZY

"Do tell," Aziz said politely.

LINA

"Then what?"

IZZY

"What do mortals do?" Aziz asked, more as if it were an intriguing hypothetical question.

"Work," Sam muttered. "Suffer."

"Relax, then. And be happy."

LINA

"Huh. Fancy that." Goro tipped his head to one side. "You got any problems with Mask?"

IZZY

"Not in particular, no. A perfectly serviceable deity."

LINA

"Selune?"

IZZY

Sam grumbled, "If you fucking list every goddamn deity --."

Aziz shushed him, amused, turning to smile gently into his hair for a moment, closing his eyes in apparent contentment. Looking back to Goro, he said, "I have no opinion on Selune. Nor on any god."

LINA

"Eldath?" Goro said, undeterred.

IZZY

Aziz kept smiling, while Sam scoffed a bit and rolled his eyes. "No objections."

LINA

"You got a problem with orcs or elves? I'm just gonna fuckin' assume tieflings are good."

IZZY

"No, mortals are largely the same to me," Aziz commented, like is was a curious anecdote. "Except Sakincha, of course."

LINA

"Why's he so special?"

IZZY

"You know, I'm not sure," Aziz said idly. "Some years ago, I came upon his soul, dying on a battlefield. He was an orc, then. Fierce and powerful. I intended to make a deal with him, to save his life, to end his suffering.

"He told me leave him be. I found it intriguing. I continued watching him, and shaped a mortal body for myself, that I might speak with him sooner, on his own level. He was a tiefling then, a woman named Nissa.

"She fell in love with me. I suppose I fell in love with her," he said, again with a tone of mild curiosity. "Perhaps it was a side effect of inhabiting the mortal body, and the same chemicals that control your kind influenced me, as well."

He kissed Sam's head.

"Regardless, it didn't dissipate. He isn't objectively special, no. I merely love him."

LINA

"Huh," Goro said, trying to decide if that was touching. "Fair enough."

He knew it was impossible to cover all his bases. He'd tried to, with Diva. Then he just wound up with more bases. Life was too fucking unpredictable, he realized, to plan for everything.

He sighed. "Yeah, I can't think of anything else. Hey, you got any questions for me?"

IZZY

"Will you help me kill my final remaining sibling?" Aziz asked, his tone as mild and pleasant as if he were asking Goro to hand him something.

LINA

"Lust? As in the Glutton's father?" God, no wonder Sam thought he was a dumbass. Goro just wanted to be extremely fucking clear. No surprises. No whoopsies, that wasn't what I meant.

IZZY

"Yes. He goes by the name Anwyll, as well. Unfortunately, I can't see him." A flicker of annoyance crossed Aziz's face. "Sakincha has been attempting to track him, but it's proven difficult. I could, once I reach your plane, but sooner would be better. To prevent him from bringing any more misshapen creatures into existence."

LINA

Goro closed his eyes for a second, frowning, trying to remember where he'd heard the name Anwyll.

Then he opened them again, wide as saucers, and stared at Aziz.

IZZY

"Yes," Aziz said calmly. "He has his wretched hooks in your friend. I've noticed this."

Morgan sat up straighter. "Wait, which friend?"

"Raef," Sam said. "I'm planning to talk to him." He roused himself a little to look at Goro, clearly a bit concerned. "You think he'll listen?"

"Aw, fuck," Morgan muttered. "I like Raef."

LINA

"He might if you can offer him something better than Anwyll." Which... Goro wasn't positive what that would be. But he could maybe puzzle it out. "Anyway, to answer your first question, yeah, I'll help fucking kill him. Absolutely. Fuck that thing. I'll tie Raef up and throw him in a dungeon if I gotta." Goro scowled. "If you fuck with him, deal's off. You should know my non-negotiables already, if you been watching me."

IZZY

"Of course." Aziz bowed his head. "Lust will die regardless of your friend's loyalties or participation. No harm will come to you and yours."

"If he gets in my fucking way ..." Sam threatened.

"Non-lethal force only," Aziz said firmly.

Sam scoffed.

LINA

"How do I help kill him? Anwyll. Lust."

IZZY

"There are many ways," Aziz said idly. "Gluttony -- the original one -- I simply fed poison. He was easy to kill. Sloth -- again, the original -- was uncomplicated, but time consuming. I trapped her into a demiplane, which she was loath to worry herself with escaping, and I shrunk it over time, too slowly for her to notice, until she merely ceased to be."

"Like boiling a frog," Sam put in. He'd clearly heard this story before.

"Mm," Aziz agreed. "I tricked Greed into going on a scavenger quest for a treasure that didn't exist, and he terminated himself when I convinced him that it was in the space between planes, and he dove into that void. And Envy -- the longest game. I touted my superiority over her for centuries until it became too insufferable for her to bear, and she killed herself in despair."

Sam snorted at that one.

"Wrath, of course, was consumed by her own warlock, and your Glutton -- well, much the same," he said. "My brother's Sloth was easy for Sakincha to simply kill, much like any mortal. But they're poor copies, my brother's experiments. He and I are somewhat more durable. You should leave it to Sakincha, as much as possible." His hand tightened on Sam's. "I'll keep him safe."

LINA

Oh. Wow.

That was all really, really neat.

Goro had to keep his fucking cool. He promised Hansel he'd get a second opinion. He needed a chance to talk it over with Morgan, first.

"Huh," he said. He twiddled his thumbs a couple times. "So, uh. Any other questions for me?"

IZZY

"Hm. May I contact you at any time, or would you prefer I send Sakincha to ask in advance?"

LINA

Goro pointed at Sam. "Send him. No surprises."

IZZY

Sam grumbled.

"Do you mind, terribly?" Aziz asked him, in an undertone.

"Psh. I'll deal."

Aziz nodded to Goro. "Very well. Have you come to any decision about helping us recover the artifact we need?"

LINA

Goro shook his head. "Gotta talk it over some more, with some people. Also, I still want something in writing. You can have snuggleboy there deliver it to me, and I can look it over, yeah?"

IZZY

"Certainly." He paused. "I'm a patient creature. Your ... family, I believe you call it. You seem to have many things to attend to. As a show of good faith, I can offer Sakincha's aid, when he isn't busy. He could kill that Aleksei Abernathy character for you." He said Aleksei's name with a certain disdain.

LINA

"Maybe you stop spying on me as your show of good faith, eh?" Goro was only half serious. He didn't have any fucking hope of that.

IZZY

"Oh, I don't think that would be in my best interests."

LINA

Goro snorted. He squinted at Aziz. "Huh. So. Lust. I noticed all the others, you used their natures against 'em, right? You think you could take him down with a little bit of tempting--" Goro waggled his eyebrows. "Eh? Eh? You get what I'm saying?"

IZZY

"Are you suggesting I fuck my brother?" Aziz asked, amused.

LINA

"Nah. I'm suggesting you send some hottie after him. Not you," Goro said, nodding at Sam. "Someone else."

IZZY

"Well, if your friend Raef is amenable ..." He trailed off. "Unless you're offering yourself?"

LINA

"Maybe. Is he good-looking?"

IZZY

Morgan backhanded him and shot him a look.

Aziz answered anyway. "He can change his appearance."

LINA

Goro muttered to Morgan, "I know you're sensitive to that kinda thing, but I figure if he's real evil it's alright, you know?" To Aziz he said, "Well. Anyway. Just a thought." He grinned and shrugged.

IZZY

She squinted at him.

"I think you have more to offer," Aziz said. "But I'll take it under consideration."

LINA

"Psh." Goro looked at Morgan. "You got anything you wanna ask, or we good?"

IZZY

"Nahhh." She eyed Aziz. "Nah, I'm good. This has been real interesting, though."

LINA

"Agreed." Goro jerked his chin at Aziz. "We good? Can you wake us up?"

IZZY

"Certainly." He held his fingers up to snap them, but Sam lifted his head to chip in.

"I'll come by your castle in a couple days or so. Talk to Raef. Maybe you want to talk to him first, or with me." He shrugged. "Up to you."

LINA

"You gotta bring me something in writing," Goro reminded them. "I'll give Raef a head's up. Let him know he oughta talk."

IZZY

Sam nodded, and Aziz snapped his fingers.

Goro and Morgan woke up.

LINA

Goro sat straight up in bed, blinking. "Whoo. That was something." He rubbed his eyes and looked down at Morgan. People who weren't him usually weren't wide fucking awake right away.

IZZY

She looked a bit groggy. Her voice came out scratchy. "Man, what the fuck. That demon guy, huh."

LINA

"Babe, right?"

IZZY

"I mean ..."

LINA

"Sam says he's not so much into the fucking, though. Too bad. Anyway, what'd you think?"

IZZY

She pushed herself up and rubbed at one eye with the heel of her hand. "That guy's a lying piece of shit. I'm not sure what I think," she muttered.

LINA

"Eh--what?" Goro leaned back. "Lying about what?"

IZZY

She grimaced. "Ehh ... I mean, I feel like he was telling the truth most of the time. Like -- I believed all that shit he said about loving what's-his-face, and wanting to be happy with him, and shit. And the thing about wanting to ... change him." The grimace deepened. "Which, fucking creepy."

Then she pulled her knees up to her chest. "But, fuck, Goro, when you asked if he wanted to take over the world? Fucking liar. Guarantee it. Gut feeling, you know? But motherfucker, did he sell it."

LINA

"Oh." Goro grimaced. Disappointed, mostly in himself. "Well. Fuck. Maybe he, uh... maybe... ugh. Shit."

IZZY

"I mean -- maybe I'm wrong." Morgan ran a hand through her hair, dragging the bulk of it over one shoulder and fidgeting with it. She looked deeply uncertain. "You didn't think ...?"

LINA

"Um. Nah." Goro looked down at his lap. "I'm... ugh. I gotta confess something dumb. It's really fucking me up."

IZZY

She looked at him, still fingercombing her hair nervously.

LINA

"Ah." Goro rubbed the back of his head, still looking down. "Um. That Sam guy. He kinda reminds me of me, a little bit. Y'know, came from the streets and all. Mom left him. And, uh. Just seems real fucking lonely and sad. But... when he's with Aziz..." Goro shrugged, like he didn't know. 'Course he fucking knew. Just too embarrassing to say it.

IZZY

Morgan stared at him for a beat, clearly puzzled, too shaken to even try to hide it. "What, so ... feeling for this guy is fucking with your gut? Or ..." She squinted at him. "Does the demon make you think of Hansel?"

LINA

Goro winced. "Yeah. Both. I mean--he's not like Hansel, obviously. But I can't... I just can't look at the situation clearly, you know? I keep--imagining it's me in his place, and, god." He rubbed his face.

IZZY

"Ah, fuck, doll. That's ... eh." She shifted to curl her legs under her, and patted the bed beside her.

LINA

Goro scooted over and helped himself to her shoulder, planting his face against it. He groaned.

IZZY

She put her arm around him, a little awkwardly, and patted his shoulder. "I mean, maybe ..." She hesitated. "Fuck, I don't know. I really did believe him on loving his boyfriend or whatever. So maybe he's not all bad, but ... Shit, I'm just all mixed up." She sighed, and muttered, "We should've had a fucking third opinion."

LINA

"Hell." Goro laughed weakly. "You're better than anyone I know at reading people. If you're mixed up..."

IZZY

"Ugh, I fucking know." She sounded disgusted. "What a couple losers, huh."

LINA

"Mmf." Goro lifted his head to look her in the eye. "So I'm guessing that's a no on you wanting to have him make you immortal."

IZZY

"Oh, yeah, no, fuck that. No more deals with freaky shit for me."

LINA

"Hah." Goro grinned, then looked down at his hands again. "Meanwhile, who knows if I learned my fucking lesson. Part of me's just thinking... damn, what'd it be like to have that thing on my side? Did you hear how he took down all his siblings? Clever as hell. And patient. And powerful." Goro shuddered. Not unpleasantly.

IZZY

"Babe, you got issues," Morgan told him. "I mean, I do feel like he'd throw down for Sam," she said thoughtfully. "If you were inner circle, sure, I guess. Being his little warlock, though? Having to do everything he fuckin' says? Nah." She shook her head. "No one's fucking telling me what to do. I always figured you're the same way. When you're not thinking with your dick, anyway." She paused. "It was kinda hot, though."

LINA

"Psh. I wouldn't do everything he fuckin' says. Not that kinda deal." He stuck his tongue out at her. "And I don't think with my... god. Fuck. Never mind."

IZZY

"Pffff." She grinned at him, but it was still kind of weak. "I guess he did ask if Sam minded coming to talk to you, or whatever. I wonder if there's any question Sam'd do whatever, though."

LINA

"Nah. He's a little bitch for that thing. Didn't you think so?"

IZZY

"Oh, yeah, agreed." She waved it off. "What I'm saying is, if he thought there was any chance of Sam saying no -- or, y'know, let's say you said no to him -- then what, right?"

LINA

"Ah. Well. Maybe I should ask him."

IZZY

"What, Aziz?" She looked doubtful. "Like we'd fuckin' know if he lied."

LINA

Goro let out a defeated sigh and slouched. "Well, motherfucker."

IZZY

She patted his shoulder again. "Yeah, no shit."

LINA

He rubbed his eyes and leaned against her a little, long as she was okay with it. "I do really wanna kill that fucking Anwyll thing, though. You got no idea how tempting that sounded."

IZZY

"Yeah, what the fuck. Fuckin' Raef." She scowled. "Y'know -- for whatever the hell it's worth, I do think Aziz meant it, when he told Sam to not hurt Raef. So as long as Sam does whatever Aziz says." She rolled her eyes. "And as long as I'm not out of my goddam mind."

LINA

"Hey. You oughta give yourself more credit. Ain't like you're a mind reader, or anything. Just real smart."

He frowned slightly. Hm, yeah. Maybe that was what they needed. A mind reader.

IZZY

"Yeah." She frowned. "Hey. When you were asking him about gods, and all. I ... I don't know. I don't think he's got anything in particular against Mask, or Eldath, or whatever, but -- I got this vibe like he just doesn't like any fucking god. Like that thing he said about all mortals being the same. Like ... they're all equally beneath him. Pride, I guess," she muttered.

LINA

"I mean. Hell. Maybe they are." Goro grit his teeth, then traced a glyph over his heart and muttered an apologetic prayer.

IZZY

Morgan shuddered a little.

LINA

"Yeah, probably not," Goro muttered. "I don't get it, though. I wonder what he'd wanna do with the world. He didn't seem like a control freak to me. More lazy and disinterested. Eh." He shrugged. "I gotta pray about it. Mask might have some insight we don't."

IZZY

"Yeah, maybe." She sounded distracted. "Y'know, he seemed genuine in that you seem wise thing. Maybe he would honestly fucking listen to you. I dunno. I wonder if he listens to Sam. Maybe if he's up to some world-taking-over shit, he's looking for people to rule it for him. Do the dirty work, you know?" She shrugged, kind of sheepish. "I mean, that's what I did. Delegated to Blue and other people I trusted."

LINA

"Yeah. Maybe. Thing is, I don't got much interest in ruling, either. I just wanna make sure the people who are in charge aren't pieces of shit. Which... sounds like he wants the same, but..." Goro made a face. Like Morgan kept saying, they were all fucking mixed up.

IZZY

"Yeah." Morgan sounded doubtful, more of the entire situation than of what Goro was saying specifically. She sighed and flopped back on her back in bed, then fumbled for the other pillow, flipped it over, and pressed it against her face. "Ugh."

LINA

"Uh, hey. You know. It's alright." Goro patted her arm. "Ain't a big deal, right? You can kinda just forget this ever happened. Let me worry about it."

IZZY

"Pffft." It came out all muffled through the pillow. "Nah, 'cause now I know that thing exists. I can't just forget that." She pulled the pillow down to hold it against her chest instead. "Maybe I'll -- shit, I'm sure he's watching us now. You think maybe he doesn't pay attention when Sam's there with him?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at the ceiling thoughtfully.

LINA

"Hey Aziz," Goro called. "If you're watching, give us a sign."

IZZY

Morgan snorted. "Oh, yeah, like he'd fucking tell us."

LINA

"Hey Aziz," Goro tried again, "if you're a dumb jerk, don't give us a sign."

IZZY

She snickered at him, then sat bolt upright, all the humor gone. "Someone broke the perimeter."

LINA

"What? You let me sleep in this place, and it's that fucking easy?" Goro scrambled to the edge of the bed to drag his shoes on.

IZZY

"It's an alarm," she snapped, jumping out of bed to grab her rapier belt. "It would have woken me up."

LINA

Goro paused in the middle of tying one shoe. "Oh. Oh, that's... yeah, yeah fair. Listen." He started strapping all his knives back into place.

IZZY

"We've got some time. The perimeter's far out." She padded silently over to the window to peek out. They hadn't left light on in the room, so there was no glare and nothing to reveal she was there. "Doesn't trigger on animals, so it's a person, but I don't know how many. Not Jasper -- she knows the code." In a mutter, she added, "Shame she's not here."

LINA

"You want me to Send for her? I could also dimension step us outta here."

IZZY

"She's too far away," Morgan said grimly. She retreated from the window, slinking down the stairs to the sitting room to check the other window. "Can't see shit. It might just be the fucking neighbor, or something." She found a bag and started shoving books into it, starting with Goro's. "Get ready to pop us away, sure. Just in case."

LINA

Goro watched her for a second, barely paying attention to what she was saying. "Books? That the most valuable thing you own? I mean, I ain't judging, just."

IZZY

She scowled. "What? I'm not fucking made of money anymore." Then she looked up again, and started moving faster, shoving some clothes in the bag, too. "Second alarm. They're closer. Must not be moving real fast, though."

LINA

"Ah--nah--I just meant..." Goro trailed off, not sure if this was the time to explain. Was just that usually, people went for the stuff they thought they couldn't live without. He knew Morgan loved reading, but still.

He scowled at the dark window. "I'm going out there."

IZZY

"Hey," she said sharply. "You're not going any-fucking-where. We stay here, if anyone comes in, the doormat blasts them, and you dimension door us out. Got that?"

LINA

"I wanna see who it is," he insisted.

IZZY

"Then look through the fuckin' peephole." She gestured at the little copper disc on a hinge, embedded in the door. "They might be close enough now."

LINA

He obliged, walking over to the door, lifting up the disc, and peering through.

IZZY

In the distance -- not too far away, like Morgan had said -- trudging through the sandy scrubland this far in from the beach, Goro could see Sam on the winding path that led to the door. He was using his quarterstaff as a walking stick.

LINA

Goro screamed, dropped the peephole cover, and skittered over to Morgan.

IZZY

She grabbed his arm tight and hissed, "What? What the fuck?"

LINA

"It's fuckin' Sam! Aziz was watching us!"

IZZY

"Motherfucker!"

LINA

"Oh my god. It's alright, it's alright. Stay calm. We got this. Fuck." Goro gripped Morgan's arm back and glared at the door.

IZZY

"You're telling me to calm down?" she hissed.

LINA

"Look, whatever! It's not important!"

IZZY

"Mask."

There was a polite, quiet knock at the door. Morgan didn't move.

LINA

Goro threw back his shoulders and took a step for the door. Morgan grabbed his arm again. "What?" he demanded, trying to shake her off.

IZZY

"What are you doing?"

LINA

"I'm gonna fucking answer it. See what he wants."

IZZY

"Mother fucker."

She let go of him, but held up a finger and retreated to the bedroom. The tip of a crossbow peeked out from between the curtains.

"Fine, fine, go."

LINA

He marched to the door, unlocked it, and threw it open, glaring.

IZZY

Sam looked back, as tired as he normally looked, and clearly rumpled from sleep. There was sand in his hair. "Hey."

LINA

"What the hell."

IZZY

"So, listen."

He reached into his pocket with the hand not holding onto the quarterstaff he was still propped on, pausing when Goro flinched, and more slowly pulling out a pair of small, smooth stones. They were dark blue, with white marbling, and shot through with veins of gold, inscribed with identical runes that appeared to be grinning, sharp-toothed mouths.

Sam held both in his palm. "Sending stones," he said flatly. "Three charges a day. Only contact each other. You get one, I get one. Good deal?"

LINA

Goro narrowed his eyes. He leaned forward and plucked one out of Sam's hand, turning it over to examine it. He looked over his shoulder at Morgan, to see what she thought of it all.

IZZY

Morgan didn't move from behind the curtain, but had clearly been listening. She called, "Fuckin' why?"

"I don't have that Sending spell, is why."

LINA

"I mean, I guess." Goro could take it to Lyra later, maybe, and have her make sure it wasn't gonna fucking explode on him someday or whatever.

IZZY

"Great." He turned to walk off, slipping his stone back into his pocket and yawning into his hand.

LINA

"Hey," Goro called, to try and stop him.

IZZY

He stopped and looked back blearily. "What."

LINA

Goro looked over his shoulder again. "Wasn't there something else we wanted to ask him? Shit."

IZZY

"How do you fucking know where I live?" Morgan yelled.

"Ba'alchem's watching."

She made an eugh noise.

LINA

"Creepy." Goro gave him a wave. "Sleep well."

IZZY

He grunted and turned to wander off again.

LINA

"Hey, wait!"

IZZY

"Oh my god." He looked back again.

LINA

"How'd you get past--oh, no, wait, it's just alarms." Goro snorted at himself and waved it off. "Answered my own question. Never mind. 'Night."

IZZY

"Are you sure."

LINA

"I'll use the stone if I come up with something else."

IZZY

"I'll be asleep," he warned.

LINA

Goro bit his tongue to keep from asking, again, where the fuck he slept. "Yeah. Whatever. It's fine."

IZZY

Sam narrowed his eyes at Goro for a moment, like he was waiting just to be extra sure, then grunted and started off again. "'Night."

LINA

Goro watched him walk away for a moment. Then he turned back to Morgan, smiling, eyes lit up.

Follow, he signed in cant.

IZZY

Morgan dragged a hand down her face.

LINA

Goro reached into his pocket to grasp his amulet, and he turned invisible.

He crept outside, following Sam down the path.

IZZY

Sam followed the flat sandstone slabs that made up the walkway, curving along parallel to the ocean. He stopped when he reached a crossroads -- one split leading down to the beach, the other leading on along it.

Without looking back, he said, "Really?"

LINA

God fucking damn it. Goro scoffed and dropped the invisibility. "You're sleeping on the beach out here! You got sand in your fucking hair!"

IZZY

"Yeah."

LINA

"You're following me."

IZZY

He sighed and turned to face Goro. "I followed you to Calisham. Yeah. So that if shit didn't go off the rails in this meeting, I could give you the Sending stones. Now I'm leaving, and I'm not following you, because now if you need a meeting with me, or with Ba'alchem, you can just tell me."

LINA

"That's creepy," Goro insisted. "What the fuck."

IZZY

"Sorry?" Sam looked too sleepy to argue.

LINA

"You can't give me shit for asking things like where you sleep when the answer is I sleep within five hundred feet of you 'cause I'm a fucking creeper who follows you everywhere without asking! That's not fucking fair!"

IZZY

Sam squinted. "I don't normally sleep within five hundred fucking feet of you. And I don't fucking follow you everywhere. I followed you one time."

LINA

"Well, how am I supposed to know that!"

His voice echoed off the buildings nearby. Shit. He was losing it. His hands were shaking. God, he just wanted to erase the whole past fucking week. Nah, two weeks. Plenty of bad shit in there.

IZZY

Sam was quiet for a moment, still squinting. "Okay," he said slowly. "Yeah. I guess you can't. Sorry. Look, I'm a bounty hunter," he added. "I track people. It's what I fuckin' do. I didn't ..." He trailed off. "You have that spell -- the truth-telling one?"

LINA

"Zone of Truth," Goro said. "What, you want me to cast it on you?"

IZZY

"Cast it on me and I'll tell you I'm not planning on following you."

LINA

"Until your lord tells you to."

IZZY

He shrugged.

LINA

"Do you do everything he tells you?"

IZZY

He shrugged again. "Mostly. It's not like he tells me to do shit I have some problem doing."

LINA

"What if he did, though?"

IZZY

"Then I wouldn't fucking do it," he said bluntly. "We'd talk about it. Compromise and shit."

LINA

Goro frowned, suspicious.

IZZY

"What? Cast the spell, then, fucker."

LINA

"Nah, nah. I know you believe it."

IZZY

He narrowed his eyes. "You know, if we do have to work together, at some point it's gonna get real fucking old, you talking shit about my relationship at every goddamn opportunity."

LINA

"Kinda comes with the territory, doesn't it? When your partner's a literal fucking demon? That's bound to raise some eyebrows."

IZZY

"You're a real judgmental piece of shit, huh?" He took a couple steps closer to Goro. His knuckles were paler around his staff. "Your fiance's an orc. Some fucker talked shit about him and then told you, hey, that's what happens when you marry an orc, I bet you'd be real fucking pissed, wouldn't you? Just a guess." A couple more steps. "Someone talking about your Hansel like he's some inherent fucking evil."

LINA

"Least he's not a liar," Goro spat back. Fucking weak argument, but oh well.

IZZY

"Go fuck yourself."

Sam turned away.

LINA

"You don't understand!" Goro yelled after him. "You don't fucking get it!"

IZZY

Sam flipped Goro off over his shoulder and kept walking.

LINA

"I wanna be on you guys' side, dipshit! I'm rooting for you, alright? But do you got any idea what happened to me last time I got tangled in this kinda thing? Do you?"

IZZY

He stopped again, back at the crossroads, and half-turned. "Bad shit happened to you, so now it's your fucking mission to take every chance you can to get under my skin about a relationship I already can't fucking say anything to anyone about," he spat. "Yeah. No. Makes perfect fucking sense. Real clear fucking line of cause and effect there. Thanks."

LINA

"No. It's my mission to watch my own ass and make sure the demon I'm dealing with doesn't secretly wanna use me to start the next motherfucking apocalypse."

IZZY

"Yeah, 'cause that's all demons care about, right? That's what demons are like. You'd fucking know better than me." He started back towards Goro again, shifting his quarterstaff onto his back. "You know what, give me the fucking stone. You want proof he listens to me? I'm fucking done with this shit. We're done with you."

LINA

Goro bent forward, yanking on his hair and groaning. He straightened up and flung his hands out. "Listen, motherfucker. I know you're tired. I know you're anxious to be with him. But don't throw away your best fucking chance at help just 'cause you don't got the patience for me asking questions. Oh." He glowered. "I guess, given the kinda shit you used to do for a living, customers who wanna examine the merchandise a little more closely ain't your cup of tea."

IZZY

"What are you fucking talking about?" Sam snapped.

LINA

"You're a conman. And conmen hate it when people are too skeptical. I should know, 'cause I'm one too. But listen, one professional to another, you oughta know that I'd be an idiot not to double check shit from every angle. Quit acting like it's personal, 'cause it ain't fucking personal."

IZZY

His jaw clenched and he bared his teeth slightly. "You can double check shit all you fucking like, but you can do it without being a fucking dick about my partner. Also -- fuck you, best chance at help." He gave Goro a derisive look up and down.

LINA

"Please. I could walk you down to the abbey vault tomorrow if I were so inclined. Which, at the moment, I'm not. 'Case you didn't notice, I'm a fuckin' dick about everyone and everything, Sammy. Like I said, ain't fucking personal."

IZZY

"Like hell you could. You're a known heretic."

LINA

Goro shrugged one shoulder. "Kinda sorta. I still spin through the place every now and again. Y'know, the old 'look like you belong somewhere and no one asks questions' trick."

IZZY

He scoffed, clearly not buying it.

LINA

"Well I ain't gonna prove it to you anytime soon, 'cause you're a dick. Honest to god. I been trying to help you, get to know you. And you just keep fucking--" Goro flapped his hand around, searching for words. "Acting like I'm a piece of dog shit you found on your shoe. Asshole. You're not better than me. You're not smarter."

Stronger, probably. Deadlier.

IZZY

"I don't think I'm fucking better than you," Sam said, incredulously. "Why the fuck would you try to get to know me? Who fucking cares? All you've been doing is fishing for shit."

LINA

"Have not! I wanted to be your friend!"

IZZY

"Fucking why?"

LINA

"'Cause I thought you seemed cool, and interesting, and..." Goro slouched, looking sadly at the ground. "Thought we maybe had some shit in common, and..."

IZZY

Sam just stared at him, squinting, completely confused.

LINA

Goro shrugged, still looking at the ground.

"You're lonely, aren't you? I was lonely. For a real, real long time. So long that..." He held his hands out, at a loss.

IZZY

"Of course I'm fucking lonely," he blurted out. "That doesn't mean I just fucking trust some shady turncoat cleric who just ... fucking starts following me around after a business meeting, interrogating me about my fucking personal life. Would you?"

LINA

"I don't trust anybody when I first meet 'em. You gotta get to know people first, right?"

IZZY

"I don't fucking get to know anyone," he said bluntly.

LINA

"Why not?"

IZZY

"Why bother? People are fucking bastards."

LINA

Goro shook his head. "Can't blame you. Sounds like exactly the kind of shit I would've said a year ago."

IZZY

"Well, fucking lucky for you, you found someone on this goddamn plane."

LINA

"I found a lot of people. Friends. Family. It wasn't luck. I mean--it kinda was, yeah. But only like you meeting me was luck. I had to open myself up to 'em, you know? We got to know each other. Wasn't fucking magic."

IZZY

"What, so I'm supposed to open up to you? That's your fucking plan?" He still sounded angry, but more tired. "Hey, let's be friends, and the entire time, I'm going to say shit about your partner, and imply that he doesn't love you, and lies to you, and would make you do shit you didn't want to do. Yeah. Great. Really proving my people are bastards point."

By the end of it, he just sounded drained, and disappointed.

LINA

"Alright. I mean. Yeah. I'm... I'm sorry." Goro shoved his hands in his pockets and traced a line on the ground with his toe. "I never said I was good at making friends. I'm still figuring it out. I'm sorry."

IZZY

Sam crossed his arms and shrugged a bit, and glanced down like he didn't know what to say.

LINA

"He lied to me," Goro said quietly.

IZZY

Sam scoffed, and muttered, "He doesn't lie. He doesn't have to."

LINA

"When I asked him if he wanted to take over the world." Goro lifted his eyes to watch Sam carefully.

IZZY

"He just wants to make it better." Sam met Goro's eyes almost imploringly. "He wants to keep shit like what happened to both of us from happening anymore."

LINA

"I ain't saying it's a bad thing, if he wants to be in charge." Not necessarily, anyway. "But I'd like to fucking know."

IZZY

"It's not like he's a fucking dictator. He doesn't want to fucking conquer anything. Maybe you just asked the wrong question," Sam insisted in a low voice.

LINA

"Maybe," Goro said. And he decided to be candid. "Wasn't really me who thought he was lying. It was my friend. She was sure of it."

IZZY

"Then she was wrong."

LINA

"Hey, do you speak Celestial?" Goro asked, in Celestial.

IZZY

Sam stared at him. "What."

LINA

Goro switched back to Common. "Hey, can you wait just one second? Just--real quick, I gotta pray."

IZZY

Sam stared at him a moment longer, then turned to the side, took a couple steps off the path, and dropped down to sit in the dunes.

LINA

Goro walked off the path in the other direction and squatted amid the seagrass. He pulled his amulet out of his pocket and positioned it on the ground in front of him, where it was illuminated by the moonlight.

He glanced up at the moon, pointed at it, and clicked his tongue. Maybe him and Selune could be alright.

He bowed his head, folded his hands, and began to meditate. After a minute, he opened his eyes, unfocused in a trance. He prayed out loud in Celestial. "Did Ba'alchem lie to me and Morgan?"

IZZY

A good liar tells falsehoods. A great liar tells the truth.

LINA

"Ah. Well. Point taken." Goro nodded over his shoulder in the direction he knew Sam was, still not really seeing. "That asshole over there. He been lying to me?"

IZZY

No.

LINA

Goro let out a little relieved huff. Yeah, alright, he fucking liked Sam. Whatever.

"Do I have your blessing to work with these fucks, until such a time as my own moral code would force me to change course?"

CoyoteLast Tuesday at 7:23 PM

Yes.

LINA

"Fuckin' fantastic." Goro brought his clasped hands to his forehead and bowed three times, one for each question Mask had answered. He uttered a prayer of thanks, collected his amulet, and stood up, brushing sand off his hands.

"Alright, we're good," he reported to Sam as he stepped back onto the path. "Always gotta check in with the big guy, you know?"

Actually, Mask had been shorter than him. But, metaphors and shit.

IZZY

Sam twitched and grunted, waking up. He muttered incoherently for a moment, then rubbed at his face and got out, "What? Sorry. What?"

LINA

Goro softened a little. "Um. Nothing. You should go back to sleep."

IZZY

He pulled his staff off his back and used it to push himself up, wobbling in place, groggy. "No. What'd you say? About praying. Or whatever."

LINA

"I had to pray. Find out what my god thinks of you two."

IZZY

He grunted again. "And?"

LINA

"That's between him and me. But you don't see me running away screaming, do you?"

IZZY

Sam regarded him with narrow eyes for a moment, then said, "All right, then."

LINA

"So, uh. Where were we?" Goro squinted and scratched his head. "You sure you don't wanna just go back to sleep?"

IZZY

"Oh, I sure fucking do." He rubbed the back of a hand into one eye. "Is there anything else we have to talk about first?"

LINA

"Iuno," Goro mumbled. He kicked at some sand on the pathway.

IZZY

He thought for a moment. "How do you know what I used to be? Do I know you?"

LINA

"You used to hawk shit on the street. Didn't you tell me that? Nah, wait, you told me about the, uh..." Goro snapped his fingers. "The age guessing thing. Yeah. I dunno, you seemed familiar. Did you used to hawk shit? Black market, or whatever. Knockoffs."

IZZY

"Snake oil," Sam said, looking a bit distant. He shook it off. "Mm. Whatever."

LINA

"Oh yeah. Oh yeah! Those fuckin'--" Goro gestured uselessly. "Potions. God, that's a good motherfucking scam. God, people are idiots."

IZZY

He snorted. "Yeah. It was. Kept us alive."

LINA

Goro squinted. "Oh. Yeah. There was you and a lady, right?"

IZZY

"Sometimes." He leaned into his staff a bit more. "Corinne. Helped me spot marks."

LINA

"Where's she?"

IZZY

"Dead."

LINA

"I'm sorry," Goro said.

IZZY

Sam shrugged a shoulder and worked his staff around in his hand slightly. "Yeah. Thanks. It's been a long time."

LINA

Goro shrugged back at him. "Sometimes, doesn't make a difference."

He thought about Luka, and wondered if that counted, since Goro hadn't known about it for very long at all.

IZZY

"Yeah. Sometimes things just ... stick."

He seemed to shake it off, clearing his throat and glancing out towards the beach.

LINA

Goro ran a hand through his hair. He scraped his foot over some more sand.

"You had anyone else since then, besides Aziz?"

He braced himself for Sam to turn around and snap at him for asking. Since apparently Goro trying to get to know him was so goddamn offensive.

IZZY

"Nope."

LINA

"I didn't have anyone, and I mean anyone, 'til my foster mom took me in when I was eighteen," Goro offered. "And then she was all I had for the next... well, 'til last year."

IZZY

"I had Corinne since I was young." Sam looked back at Goro, then away, clearly uncertain and uncomfortable. "And this other friend. Ronan. Sort of. I lived with them. 'Til I was about twenty-five, anyway. Then just Aziz."

LINA

Goro stuck his hands in his pockets. "Sucks. Huh?"

IZZY

Sam kicked the end of his staff that he was leaning on slightly, knocking it up and slipping it onto his back again. "'Least I have him."

LINA

The corner of Goro's mouth twitched. He couldn't help himself. "Your Hansel."

IZZY

"Pff."

LINA

"Hey. Are you and him gonna... get married, or something? I know you ain't fucking, but, I think you can get married even if you don't. I mean, I don't see why not."

IZZY

Sam gave a pssh and glanced down at his ring, curling his other hand around it to spin it with his thumb and forefinger. He looked mildly embarrassed. "I don't know. Maybe. Dunno."

LINA

Goro started grinning and chewing his thumbnail. That was pretty cute.

"I got real impatient," he said. "I kept bringing it up. Still kinda... bah." He was gonna explain how he was still kinda worried Hansel was just doing it to mollify him, but that seemed pretty goddamn personal. He just shrugged instead.

IZZY

Sam kept playing with his ring. Almost hesitantly, he asked, "How long've you ... been together?"

LINA

"Um. Shit, not that long." Fuckin' nothing compared to how long Sam had been with Aziz, if Goro was counting right. "We met last summer. Boss put us on a job together. And then... sometime--sometime in the fall." He frowned at nothing. "It's kinda complicated."

IZZY

"Huh." He looked down at his ring. "Yeah, that's ... I can see getting impatient. After a while, you just kind of ... settle." His voice softened. "There's no rush."

LINA

"I wanted the proof," Goro said quietly, staring at the ground. "That's how I am. Told you I'm a skeptical motherfucker. Can't even buy my own boyfriend loves me. Gotta keep... asking for more."

IZZY

"Well ... no one else did," Sam said, like it was obvious. "Foster mom, huh. But no one else. I mean, of course you fucking don't buy it." He paused. "You will."

LINA

Goro figured Sam was saying that 'cause he was the same way, once.

He tried to imagine how things'd be in fifteen, twenty years. That was a weird place. He didn't know what he'd be doing then. What he'd be like. Absentmindedly, he unhooked his bracelet and stuck it in his mouth to chew on.

"So you excited to be immortal and shit?" he asked from the half of his mouth that wasn't occupied.

IZZY

Sam stared at him chewing.

LINA

"What?" Goro took the bracelet out and smacked his lips. "Did I say that wrong? Wait, was it supposed to be a surprise?"

IZZY

"Uh. No." He blinked a couple times, then shrugged a bit. "Not a surprise. I don't know. It's not that important to me. If I die, he'll find me again. It'll be fine."

LINA

"Oh. I mean. Might suck for him, though. Gotta wait for you to grow up and shit again."

IZZY

"Yeah, I mean, I'm not jumping of bridges or anything."

LINA

"I dunno if I'd like to be immortal," Goro mused. "Used to think--fuck it, let me just stop existing all the way. Everything sucks. Then I thought, well, you know, at least I got a good afterlife waiting for me with Mask. And now it seems like being alive is getting better. So." He went back to chewing.

IZZY

"What if Hansel was immortal?"

LINA

"Yeah. Yeah, I don't--" Goro frowned. He wondered if Hansel was gonna want to come to Mask's afterlife with him. It didn't seem likely.

IZZY

Sam looked at him.

LINA

"I wanna be with Hansel," Goro muttered, fucking unnecessarily.

IZZY

"I mean, yeah. No shit. I can tell." He shrugged. "I haven't got Mask to look forward to, or anything. Just Aziz. So. Immortality, I guess."

LINA

"Maybe having more loved ones isn't so great. I don't think I can be with all of 'em forever."

IZZY

"Yeah, probably not," Sam agreed.

LINA

"Fuck."

IZZY

He shrugged.

LINA

"I gotta... I gotta talk to some people about this." Goro frowned, scratching the back of his head. "Well. Anyway. You think Aziz could make, like, a whole group of people immortal?"

IZZY

"Uh ... Maybe." He squinted a bit. "I don't think he would. It's just me and him. No one else."

LINA

"Oh." Goro went back to staring at the ground. "Well, uh. Anyways. Should probably let you... get back to him."

IZZY

Sam grunted, waited a beat, then ambled back into the dunes -- just a little ways off the path -- and dropped down into the sand again.

LINA

Goro waved, not sure if Sam was even looking. He walked back to Morgan's place, checking over his shoulder a few times as he went.

IZZY

Before he got too far away, Sam muttered, "Sorry again for following you."

Morgan was in her doorway, the lights on behind her and crossbow in hand. She squinted out at Goro, and relaxed a bit when she saw him, leaning into the door frame.

"Hey, you're not dead," she called. "Neat."

LINA

"Maybe I am," he called back as he jogged the rest of the way. "Maybe I'm a ghost."

IZZY

"Spooky." She took a couple steps to meet him, caught his forearm, and pinched it. "Nah, that's real, all-meat Goro, right there."

LINA

"Psh." He shook her off. "Man, that guy's weird."

IZZY

"Yeah?" She waved him in, shooting a suspicious glare past him and closing the door, locking it with a thunk.

LINA

"Yeah. I mean I thought I was a joyless motherfucker, you know? Nothing makes that guy happy. Nothing, 'cept Aziz." Goro wandered the rest of the way inside, flopping down on the nearest elevated surface. "I... guess I'd be pretty fucking miserable, too, if I had to do like he's done for fifteen, twenty years."

IZZY

"Uh-huh." She wandered over to the oil lamp and turned it down, then peered out a window. "Like he's done, how, you mean?"

LINA

"Can't be with the person he loves. Except in his dreams. I think he's just fucking exhausted from trying to bring the two of them together, you know?"

IZZY

"Real sad story, yeah," she grumbled, coming away from the window to flop down next to him on the couch. All of her books and clothes were still stuffed into the bag. "Fuckin' creeps, both of'em."

LINA

"Mm," Goro said, noncommittally. "I think I figured out what I said wrong when I asked him about taking over the world. 'Cause Sam swore up and down Ba'alchem wasn't lying. He said maybe I asked the wrong question. So I prayed about it, and Mask told me, a good liar tells falsehoods but a great liar tells the truth. So I think that was the problem. Ba'alchem doesn't wanna take over the world himself, maybe. You know where I'm heading with this?"

IZZY

"Hmm. He does kinda seem like a guy you doesn't wanna get his own hands dirty," she said thoughtfully. "Or his own claws, I guess."

LINA

"Yeah. And that Sam guy?" Goro winced. "Feels like he could wipe the floor with me. I dunno. You get that vibe?"

IZZY

"Eesh, yeah." She grimaced. "I mean, it doesn't take much to wipe the floor with me, but I feel like he could fuck up Jasper or your boy. I mean, he killed some shit like the Queen by himself?"

LINA

"Uh huh." Goro kept cringing. "Well, they said she was a small one, or whatever. Still. Anyway, if I were thinking--hey, I wanna rule the world, but don't much wanna take it over myself--I mean, he's not a bad place to start, in terms of deputizing."

IZZY

"Yeah, definitely." Morgan frowned. "Fuck, I wonder if, yknow -- if part of why they approached you if be Aziz is thinking about deputizing you. I mean ... I would," she admitted. "If everything had gone according to plan, and all, I considered giving you Skyport. So."

LINA

"Aww. No kidding?" Goro nudged her with the back of his hand and grinned. "That's hot. Tyrant Queen Morgan. I'd do it."

IZZY

"Pffft. Who ever said I was a tyrant? Fuckin' defamation." She batted him. "That's Tyrant Queen Wyn, doll."

LINA

"What, I don't get first name privileges if I'm one of your top guys? Pfff." He leaned over to kiss her quick on the cheek, then pulled back, already blushing. "Anyway. Uh. Yeah. I mean, Ba'alchem, he said... what did he say."

IZZY

Morgan was partially holding back a smirk. "I dunno. Say about what? The world domination thing?"

LINA

"Oh, yeah, uh, he said I could do better than... just trying to woo Lust into bed, or whatever. He thought I was underselling myself, or something."

IZZY

"Mm, yeah." She thought for a beat. "I mean, I agree with him on that one."

LINA

"I guess."

IZZY

She gave him an amused, sidelong look. "I mean, if you wanna sell your body to a demon, shit, I'd go with Pride, myself. Sam seems to be doing okay. Lust? That might be a bit much."

LINA

Goro sighed. "God, he is fucking hot. I mean, if they're related, Lust might be good too, right?"

IZZY

"Pfffff. Shit, I don't know. I mean, when he says brother, and shit like that, I assume they're not ... like, blood related. Maybe they don't even have fucking blood." She shifted sideways and stretched out, laying her head in Goro's lap to look up at him. "I meant Lust might just fuckin' chew you up and spit you out, though. I mean, these guys seem kind of ... extreme, judging by Pride, and the Queen, and that Diva thing."

LINA

Oh. Oh, they were... doing the cuddly thing again, he guessed. Well, they were already, 'cause they'd napped together and shit. Hell. Goro blinked down at her and realized he hadn't really processed a word she'd said. Something about Lust, Pride... something. "Yeah."

IZZY

"Uh-huh," she said, amused again. "Did you catch any of that, or?"

LINA

"Yeah, you know, um. What about Diva?"

IZZY

She reached up and patted his cheek. "Never mind."

LINA

He scoffed and started petting her hair. "Listen. Whatever. I guess seducing a literal fucking demon might be iffy. I dunno. I wonder if Hansel would mind."

IZZY

"Seducing a literal fucking demon," she pointed out.

LINA

"Hah. Clever." He stuck his tongue out.

IZZY

She grinned a bit, but it faded. "Look, what I was saying a second ago -- these sin guys don't seem like anything to fuck around with. It sounded like Pride killed a bunch of'em by turning their weird ... fuckin' ... sin qualities against them, and I'm just saying, I don't think you can out-fuck something called Lust, you get me?" She paused. "I mean -- shit, you should talk to the boyfriend about it, yeah. I just ... don't want you to get hurt."

Her hands were folded across her stomach, and the fingers curled up like they wanted to hold something.

LINA

"Pff," he said, weaker than ever. He looked across the room. "Ah. People are always saying that to me."

IZZY

She straightened with a little huff and shifted to sit next to him again, starting to pull her boots back off. "Well, it's probably because they care about you, or some shit. Crazy, right?"

LINA

Goro made a tiny disappointed sound when she sat up. "I mean, fuckin' sure, but. I dunno. We live dangerous lives, you know? Me and... everyone I care about, basically. 'Cept maybe my ma, she keeps it pretty tame. Everyone else, though. But people are always after me to be careful, like, pfff."

IZZY

"Oh, yeah?" She finished with her boots and set them aside. "You're never like, hey, Hansel, be more careful, try to not get stabbed so much. I've seen that big dumbass fight," she reminded him. "I know what it looks like. And his dumbass son, too. And your cousin." She counted them off on her fingers. "And Haeth. Raef, too. You're telling me you never tell those fuckers to be careful?"

LINA

"Hey," Goro said when she called Hansel a big dumbass, but she kept on talking. "Yeah, no, 'course I tell 'em to be careful but... okay so, Mishka, right? Listen, that motherfucker's more impulsive than I am. You should hear the shit he comes up with. But Hansel never tells him to be careful. He's always, oh, yeah, sounds great, khochav. Sure, let's go set some shit on fire." Goro hunched his shoulders, glowering. "They think I'm just... some fuckup, who's gotta stay home so he don't skin his goddamn knees or whatever."

IZZY

"Pffft. Well, if you say so. What am I gonna do, explain your fiance to you? You're the one marrying the sonofabitch." She snorted and stood up. "Listen, I'm gonna go back to bed. For sure not sleeping any time soon, thinking about that blue bastard watching me --" she cast a glare around the room -- "but it's cozier. You wanna stay over?"

LINA

He stood up, too, and stretched. "Yeah. Don't wanna go back to the temple this late. Get past all their alarms and traps and shit." He snorted. "Maskarrans. Most paranoid fucks in existence."

IZZY

She smirked at him and started for the stairs. "You'd know."

LINA

"Sure would. Love it. Always slept pretty soundly there, relatively speaking." He followed her to the bed. "Hey, how do you sleep these days, anyway? When you're not thinking about demons watching you, I guess."

IZZY

"Uh, y'know. Better when Jasper's here." She fiddled with blankets a bit.

LINA

"Oh. Yeah. Yeah." He felt oddly relieved, hearing her say it. "I sleep way better with Hansel. That's... normal, I think?"

IZZY

"God, who fuckin' knows," she said idly, shaking her head. "I mean -- normal."

She unbuckled her rapier belt to prop the sword up near the belt, then tugged her loose tunic off over her head, leaving behind a gray undershirt, before slipping under the covers and stretching out.

"It was like that with Ysra. But hey, so far Jasper hasn't murdered me, so." She made an ehh sound that went between hopeful and uncertain.

LINA

Goro took his boots off--hadn't been that much work dragging them on again, he guessed--and slipped under the covers with her. He scooted close but stopped himself shy of actually cuddling up.

"She doesn't seem like the type," he said.

IZZY

"Oh, yeah," Morgan agreed. "I mean, if Jasper was gonna stab me, it'd be in the front, for sure. Love that about her."

LINA

"I, uh." Goro considered whether he could say the same thing about Hansel. The thing was, he couldn't imagine Hansel stabbing him at all, which he guessed was the best kind of relationship. Next best thing, though-- "Yeah. Yeah, front stabbing. Always better than backstabbing."

IZZY

She snickered, and sidled closer to poke him in the stomach. "Fuck, I wanna make a dirty joke, but now that I'm in bed I realize I might be too tired to come up with one. Somethin' somethin', bet you like it when Hansel stabs you in the back, whatever."

LINA

"Psssh." Goro flushed again. "I mean."

IZZY

"Heheheh."

LINA

"You're off your game, though, that's for sure. Backstabbing, psh."

IZZY

"Hey, cut me some slack, I just had a chat with a demon and then his boyfriend showed up at my front door."

LINA

"Like you didn't used to deal with weirder shit on a daily basis."

IZZY

"Pff, I used to be weirder shit. True."

LINA

"Mmhm." Goro rolled onto his side, tentatively cuddling closer and putting an arm around her.

IZZY

Morgan nestled closer and slipped her arm around his waist in turn.

LINA

"Hah," Goro mumbled victoriously, nuzzling against her neck. "Cuddling with your one-night stand yet again."

IZZY

"Pffft, yeah," she mumbled, "'cause that's all you are."

LINA

"Well... pff, whatever." Goro grinned and snuggled more aggressively, reveling in being close.

IZZY

She went pffft back at him, sleepily.

LINA

[end]

LINA

TRP: Aziz, Goro, Morgan, and Sam (Second Opinions). Night 358. Morgan joins Goro in a Dream to speak with Aziz. Afterwards, they discuss, Goro continues his attempts to befriend Sam, and then he cuddles with Morgan some more. The verdict: Aziz is a dangerous liar, but Goro thinks it might be better to work with him instead of against him. Mask gives his blessing.