TRP: Goro, Hansel, Pride, and Sam (Contract)

LINA

[Setting: Day 371, Freeport.]

Goro made a stop inside the temple to pray and let the other clerics know he'd be skulking around the beach just outside for a while. The man he was going to be meeting wasn't one of them, he said, but he wasn't gonna cause trouble, either. They had Goro's word.

Goro went outside and chose a big rock to sit on. He crossed his arms and waited.

IZZY

After a little while, the shape of a man with a quarterstaff visible over his shoulder slipped onto the beach, and started towards Goro at a leisurely pace, hands tucked into pockets.

The candles outside the the shipwreck reflected off his eyes, like they would a cat's.

Once he was close enough, Sam asked, "What."

LINA

"Well, good fuckin' evening to you, too."

IZZY

Sam waited for him to say something else.

LINA

"Maybe I just wanted to hang out, huh? Maybe take you out to dinner."

IZZY

"Oh my god."

He seemed a little amused, though.

LINA

"Hey, what do you like to eat, anyway? What kinda food, or whatever."

IZZY

"I don't know, man, fuckin' food. You really called me all the way out here for this?"

LINA

"Nah. I got something I wanna ask. Was just trying to dress it up a little, you know? Make you feel more welcome. You ever been to Freeport?"

IZZY

"Nope."

LINA

Goro waited for a moment, to see if he'd say anything else.

IZZY

Sam shifted his weight and stared at Goro.

LINA

Goro blinked. "Alright, well. Still working on that 'making friends' thing. Anyway, I got something I wanna show you." He reached inside his robe to pull out the scroll.

IZZY

Sam looked down at it, nonplussed.

LINA

"Now, this is just a looky, no touchy, you get it? But here." He unfurled the thing and held it up for Sam to examine. "Oh. Wait. You need more light?"

IZZY

"No, I'm fine." He looked the text over. "What do you want me to do here, exactly?"

LINA

"Can you read it?"

IZZY

He shrugged a shoulder. "Some of it."

LINA

"What language is it? I know the Celestial, but not the rest."

IZZY

"Abyssal," he said, still looking over it. "Some of it's Abyssal."

LINA

Goro's eyes widened and a small smile tugged at his mouth. "Neat. You know Abyssal?"

IZZY

"Yeah."

LINA

"Loverboy taught you, huh?"

IZZY

He scowled a bit.

LINA

"I wonder if he'd teach me." Goro looked dreamy and distant for a second, then he snapped out of it. "Anyhow. It's in code, yeah? You think you could decipher it? Or maybe you and me both, working together?"

IZZY

"Don't know. Can you read the parts that aren't Abyssal?"

LINA

"Technically I can't read shit since it's a code, but I know--" He pulled the scroll back to look over it again, and pointed to a few parts. "This part's in Celestial, and this one, and... right here..."

IZZY

Sam pointed to a bit that wasn't in Celestial. "What about this?"

LINA

"What, that ain't Abyssal, either?"

IZZY

"Nah. I can't read that." He pointed to a couple different sections. "These are Abyssal."

LINA

"Shit." Goro scanned over the whole thing. "Motherfuck. I got my friend and my kid, my stepkid, they looked at it with me, and they didn't fuckin' know, either. Alright, well. I wasn't sure if you'd be able to help, so the second part of my plan was we show it to the big boss. What do you think?"

IZZY

Sam looked up from the scroll to squint at Goro for a second. "You want ... Aziz to look at it?"

LINA

"Yeah. He probably speaks all the languages, right?"

IZZY

"I don't know," he admitted. He glanced up at the starry sky, considering, then back to Goro curiously. "What is this thing, anyway?"

LINA

"Dunno." Goro rolled it back up and stuck it in his pocket.

IZZY

Sam narrowed his eyes again. "You don't know?"

LINA

"I can't fucking read it, can I?"

IZZY

"Where'd you get it?"

LINA

"Some fuckin' temple, after I murdered everyone inside. Y'know."

IZZY

He made a hmph sound that might've been a little amused. "So you called me all the way down here to look at a scroll that you stole from some people you murdered, because you can't read it, and you don't know what it is, but you want to. That's why you called me."

LINA

"Alright, maybe there's a little more to the story. Why do you wanna know?"

IZZY

"Because you're asking for our help."

LINA

"Yeah, but you don't gotta know all the details, right? You fucks won't tell me about the artifact you wanna steal, and shit."

IZZY

He still seemed to find this sort of entertaining. "I mean, sure. I don't give a shit. I'm just saying, we might need to make a trade or something, here. If Aziz can help."

LINA

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm open to shit. How do I show him a thing in a dream, though?"

IZZY

Sam pointed up. "He's already seen it."

LINA

Goro looked up. "Oh yeah. Creepy." He stood up and brushed the sand off his backside. "Well, then. Tell him to give me a holler, I guess."

IZZY

"Tonight?"

LINA

"Yeah. Hey, did you eat dinner already?"

IZZY

"What? No. I didn't have time."

LINA

"You wanna grab something? The inn we're staying at's got decent food." Goro jerked his thumb in the inn's general direction. "Or there's, uh, there's this restaurant my fiance told me about, supposed to be pretty good."

IZZY

Sam just stared at him, eyes narrowed in part suspicion, part confusion.

LINA

"What?"

IZZY

"I don't ..." He shook his head. "I don't fucking get it. But sure. Why not."

LINA

Goro perked up. He hadn't been expecting a yes. "Oh. Hey. Alright, uh. Inn, or the restaurant?"

IZZY

Sam shrugged.

LINA

"Right. Uh... let's go with... let's go with the inn." Goro tilted his head that way and started walking, hands in his pockets.

IZZY

Sam seemed to hesitate for a moment, then followed silently.

LINA

They walked for a few minutes before Goro spoke up again. "So, uh. You know how to do teleportation circles or, what's the story, there?"

IZZY

He gave Goro a weird look. "I got a ship."

LINA

"A ship that can teleport?"

IZZY

"Just ... just a normal ship."

LINA

Goro narrowed his eyes, suspicious. "How'd you get to Calimport so fast, that one time?"

IZZY

"I paid a guy to teleport me."

LINA

"Through a circle?"

IZZY

"Yeah." He paused. "Is this what a normal conversation is fucking like."

LINA

"You're askin' the wrong fucking guy, pal. Maybe you should get out more. Get a wider set of examples."

IZZY

He grunted.

LINA

"D'you just not like people, or what?"

IZZY

"I told you. People are fuckin' bastards." He didn't say it with much malice.

LINA

"Sure, but." Goro shrugged. "I still like a lot of 'em."

IZZY

He was quiet for a beat. "Why?"

LINA

"Um." Goro had to think about that for a minute. "They're interesting, and... well, I think I'd get bored if I never talked to anyone. And then there's, y'know, people that I love, and--well, I don't love 'em 'cause they're interesting, I just love them, but I think I probably liked getting to know 'em in the first place 'cause they were interesting. Am I making any sense?"

IZZY

He seemed to mull that over, and not come up with a satisfactory answer. "Hm."

LINA

"Some people, like my ma, they're actually--y'know, good. So I like that. But god, they're few and far between, you know what I mean? Not sure I ever met more than two or three of 'em."

IZZY

Another quiet moment. "Yeah. I know what you mean."

LINA

"Anyway, here's the inn." Goro gestured at the building they were approaching, glowing with golden light from its dozens of windows. The place was big, which Goro liked--granted a good level of anonymity. It was long, stretching a few hundred feet along the wharf, and five stories tall. You could tell the different levels had been built on top of each other over the years, 'cause they didn't quite match and didn't quite line up, like layers on a sandwich. The top two floors had rickety balconies hanging over the water, where drying laundry flapped in the sea breeze.

Goro had insisted on a third floor room. Balconies were bullshit. Made it too easy for people to break in.

He held the door of the main entrance open for Sam. The smell of spilled rum and fried fish wafted out at them. The dining room was just inside--long and windowless, with a low ceiling and booths along the walls. The owner of the place collected ship's wheels from old wrecks and used them to decorate, hanging them on the walls over the tables.

IZZY

Sam looked around the place with open interest, turning his head to take it all in. He caught Goro's eye and tilted his head, leading the way to a booth in the corner, with a good view of the entire rest of the dining room, and took the side facing outwards.

LINA

Goro eyed the free seat on the other side of the booth. He looked over his shoulder at the rest of the dining room, eyes narrowing. Then he looked back at Sam.

He sat down on the edge of the seat with Sam, bumping his leg to make him scoot over.

IZZY

Sam narrowed his eyes back and slid over.

LINA

"You like seafood?"

IZZY

"I grew up in Skyport. I'm fucking sick of seafood."

LINA

"Got bad news for you."

IZZY

"Maybe it's different here," he said thoughtfully. "Different fish."

LINA

"Maybe." Goro waved down the guy he recognized as the owner's son, who was acting as the waiter that night. The kid came over, wiping his hands on his apron. "Hey, you got any shit that's like, weird fish?"

The kid stared at him blankly. "Weird fish?"

"Yeah, you know, like, real weird-looking shit. Not the plain silver kind we got back in Skyport."

The waiter continued to stare.

IZZY

Sam snapped his fingers suddenly and pointed at the kid. "Puffer fish. You got puffer fish? Can you eat those?"

LINA

"Ooh, yeah," Goro said. "Yeah, those things that're like--" He puffed up his cheeks.

"Those're--those're poisonous, sir," said the waiter.

"Wait, really?" Goro looked at Sam. "Did you know that?"

IZZY

Sam flipped his palm up incredulously. "Would I've asked for it if I knew it was poisonous?"

LINA

"Maybe. If you're real sick of it all."

"We've got--fried shrimp," the waiter began, uncertainly, "and tuna, and mahi-mahi, and the seafood stew."

IZZY

Sam snorted at Goro, then asked -- kind of suspiciously -- "What's in the seafood stew? Specifically."

LINA

"Seafood stock." The waiter glanced nervously up toward the front of the dining room, like he was hoping help might arrive. "Seafood. Potatoes."

IZZY

"No one's fucking appendages?"

LINA

"What--what's an appendage?"

"He means like, fingers and shit," Goro offered.

The waiter paled. "N-no, sir. No appappen--fingers, or anything--fish don't have fingers, sir."

IZZY

"No shit," Sam deadpanned. "What about octopi?"

LINA

"Not this week, sir."

IZZY

"No, I mean. Octopi. They have -- you know what, never mind. I'll take the stew."

LINA

"I want some of that fried shrimp," Goro said. "And some bread, I guess. Ah, hell, a cup of stew, too. You got any drinks without booze in 'em?"

"No, sir."

"Then nah." Goro waved the kid off. "Wait--drinks for you, Sammy?"

IZZY

He narrowed his eyes at Goro. "Don't Sammy me." To the waiter, he added, "I'm good."

LINA

The waiter skittered off to the kitchen.

"You don't drink?" Goro guessed.

IZZY

"I drink."

LINA

"Yeah, but, I mean alcohol."

IZZY

"Yeah, that's what I meant. Just don't want any right now."

LINA

"Oh. Yeah, sure." Goro drummed his fingers on the table. "I don't really drink, myself. 'S why I asked."

IZZY

Sam didn't seem to know how to respond.

LINA

"It's how conversations work. One person says something about themselves, and then the other person says something about themselves that's kinda related."

IZZY

Sam narrowed his eyes at Goro a bit, sidelong.

LINA

"You asked. How conversations go, I mean."

IZZY

"Listen, man," Sam said, "I don't know enough about conversations to have a fucking conversation about the nature of conversations. Let's not go down this rabbit hole."

LINA

"Alright." Goro shrugged. "What d'you wanna talk about instead?"

IZZY

He tapped his fingers on the table like he was thinking, then shrugged.

LINA

"Do you think it's weird that Hansel asked me to marry him, but we keep not getting married?"

IZZY

Sam blinked. "Uh. That, uh. Seems like none of my business."

LINA

"I mean, normally, yeah. But I'm asking for a second opinion, here. So it is briefly your business."

IZZY

"I don't know anything about marriage, either," he muttered.

LINA

"Alright, so we're on even footing, here. But gimme your best guess. If someone asks someone else to marry them, how long, do you think, before they get married?"

IZZY

He linked his hands together and toyed with his gold ring. "I don't know. I had ... friends. They were planning to get married. They didn't have the money for rings, or a ceremony, or anything, though."

LINA

"Oh. Oh, what's her name." Goro snapped his fingers. "Cara, or whatever."

IZZY

"Corinne."

LINA

"That's right. Were you..." Goro pressed his lips together. That was probably too personal.

IZZY

"What?"

LINA

"Uh." Goro shifted in his seat. "I was wondering if maybe there was a thing between the two of you. 'Cause you seem..." He wasn't sure how to say it. Sad, but obviously Sam would be sad about a dead friend. Lonely, but, same deal.

IZZY

"Not a thing." He scowled a bit, but at the table, not a Goro. "Not how people mean it. We grew up together, that's all. We were friends."

LINA

"So she was like a sister?" Goro guessed.

IZZY

"Yeah, I guess."

LINA

Now Goro didn't know what to say. He folded his hands together on the table and stared down at them.

IZZY

Sam cut his eyes at Goro, then looked back at the table, too.

LINA

"You should meet Hansel," Goro blurted after a minute.

IZZY

"Why?" he asked, clearly suspicious.

LINA

"Oh. 'Cause he's really great." Goro decided not to mention how Hansel had been ready to take Sam down the night Goro first woke up freaked out about him. "I mean, you'd love him. Actually, I have no idea if that's true. I just don't know how anyone couldn't love him."

IZZY

"You're marrying the guy," Sam pointed out. "You're a little biased."

LINA

"It's not like I been planning to marry him since the day we met."

IZZY

"Did you think he was great and love him since the day you met?"

LINA

"No, I thought he was a jackass." Goro looked away, frowning. "Okay, I guess I do know how someone couldn't love him."

IZZY

"Yeah. Me." He paused. "I'm not talking shit -- I just mean, it's not unimaginable. That's all. I'm sure he's ... fine."

LINA

"He's great," Goro insisted. "Lemme go get him. You gonna wait here? Actually, I can just Send."

IZZY

"I'll wait. Don't waste the magic." He shrugged.

LINA

"Alright, hang on." Goro hopped up from the table and ran to the front of the dining room, then through the door that led to the stairwell.

He climbed to the third floor and went to the room him and Hansel and Mishka were sharing. Didn't wanna bother with his key, so he just knocked on the door. "Hey, Hans!"

IZZY

"Eh?" Hansel called, sounded distracted. "S'unlocked."

LINA

Goro opened the door and stuck his head in. "You're sitting in here with the fucking door unlocked? You know this is like a public fucking place?"

IZZY

Hansel looked up from his book, grinning a bit. "You know I'm a fuckin' deadly pirate with magic and a trident, krishi?"

LINA

"Yeah, but." Goro scoffed and shook his head. "Anyway, come downstairs. Someone I want you to meet."

IZZY

"Makin' friends, huh?" He noted his page number and put his book aside, then pulled his bandolier over his head and came out -- pausing to hook his arm around Goro's waist and kiss him, then locking the door behind them.

LINA

"It's that Sam guy I was telling you about." Goro leaned into Hansel's touch. "Was thinking we could get him and his boss's help with the scroll thing."

IZZY

Hansel narrowed his eyes. "That Sam guy that stalked you to Calisham or some shit?"

LINA

"Yeah." Goro led the way back to the stairs. "But listen, you gotta be nice, alright? It's alright. No stabbing. I mean, if he tries to hurt me, sure. But he won't. You'll see. He's real fucking mellow."

IZZY

Hansel grumbled, but reluctantly agreed, "Yeah, a'right. No stabbing."

LINA

Goro squeezed his hand and tugged him downstairs and through the dining room. The waiter had beat them back to the table, leaving a loaf of bread with some butter, a platter of fried shrimp, and two bowls of stew.

"Sam," Goro said as he brought Hansel to the booth. "This is him. This is Hansel. Hansel, Sam."

IZZY

Sam looked up from scrutinizing his stew and appraised Hansel instead. Hansel raised a hand in a lazy salute and tilted his chin up.

"'Sup."

Sam looked to Goro, and deadpanned, "I don't love him."

Hansel blinked.

LINA

"Don't be a dick," Goro told Sam, with the same tone Amari would use to tell him to remember his manners.

IZZY

"Not part of the deal," Sam said.

Hansel made an unimpressed sound and gestured for Goro to sit on the inside of the booth, so Hansel could sit on the outside and guard him.

LINA

Goro chewed his lip for a second, wondering if Sam was gonna make fun of him for going along with that seating arrangement. Morgan probably would. That thought just made Goro smirk, though. He slid into the booth.

"How's the stew?" he asked Sam.

IZZY

Hansel followed behind, shrugging his shoulders to adjust his shield and weapons with a few dull thuds and clangs. Sam registered this with a glance, then answered Goro. "Fishy."

LINA

"You don't fuckin' say."

Goro fidgeted as soon as Hansel was settled next to him. He wanted to cuddle up to him--hold his hand, rest his head on Hansel's shoulder, just bump their legs together maybe. But he felt awkward about it with Sam right there.

Then again, Sam hadn't been shy about cuddling Aziz in the dreams. Fuck it. Goro scooted close and looped his arm around Hansel's.

IZZY

Hansel turned his head to kiss the top of Goro's, shifting that little extra bit closer.

Sam didn't comment, still regarding his stew suspiciously, and reported, "No fingernails, so far."

"Better than Skyport," Hansel offered.

LINA

"You hungry?" Goro asked Hansel. Not like the bread and butter was gonna cut it, but the kitchen had churned out some vegetarian dishes earlier in the day.

IZZY

"Nah, I ate earlier, ahuv."

Sam kept picking at his food, looking down.

LINA

Goro suddenly felt superbly guilty. He was fucking fortunate to have Hansel here with him in the flesh, after all. If he were in Sam's position, he wouldn't be able to stand people being all lovey-dovey in front of him.

Goro gave Hansel's arm one more squeeze and then scooted away a little, reaching out to drag his stew bowl closer to him. He grabbed his spoon and gave it a taste. Bland as hell, but Goro guessed that had more to do with his mood than anything.

"So, uh," he said. "Sam and me, we looked at the scroll together, but we can't figure out all the languages on it. So I asked for Aziz to Dream at me again tonight. Maybe he knows."

IZZY

Hansel grumbled nondescriptly. He eyed Sam, who finally looked up, sharply.

"What?"

"Nothin'," Hansel muttered. "Don't fuckin' trust warlock patrons and shit." Under the table, he pressed his leg against Goro's, instinctively. "That's all."

Sam scoffed.

LINA

"Aziz wants to kill Raef's patron," Goro told Hansel. "You know that thing's Diva's dad? Did I tell you about that?"

IZZY

Hansel wrinkled his nose. "The fuck. Fuck that."

Sam made a sound of agreement, his mouth full.

LINA

"Yeah. Anwyll, or whatever. Lust. He keeps... makin' babies." Goro wrinkled his nose, too. "So, I'm up at least for helping Aziz get rid of that damn thing. Yeah?"

IZZY

"Yeah, s'pose. We could do it on our own, though, is all," he grumbled.

Sam snorted, and Hansel narrowed his eyes at him without responding.

LINA

"Well, eh." Goro held up his hand and made a wishy-washy gesture. "I mean, you think Raef would fight us on it? That's what had me worried. But I told Aziz, hell fucking no on any of my family members getting hurt. Right?" He directed the last part, pointedly, at Sam.

IZZY

Sam grunted in agreement. "Yeah. Yeah. Non-lethal force only." He sounded mildly annoyed about it.

Hansel frowned at him. "Non-lethal what now?"

"If he gets in the way." Sam waved it off. "I'm killing Lust, not him."

Hansel grumbled a bit. He wasn't sure if Raef would fight them on it or not, but that was ... reassuring, he guessed.

LINA

"How do you kill a thing like that, anyway?" Goro asked Sam. Honestly, he wasn't entirely fucking sure how the rest of the gang had killed Diva.

IZZY

He shrugged. "Same way you kill anything else, at the end of the day. Powerful magic, sharp sticks."

"Ain't like it's that hard," Hansel put in.

Sam scoffed at the bravado. "Diva was a knock-off. Lust is the real deal. It won't be that easy."

Hansel shifted uncomfortably and draped his arm around Goro's shoulders.

LINA

"Diva... was... a knock-off," Goro repeated, disbelieving.

IZZY

Sam grunted. "Lust made her. I don't know where they -- come from, normally, I guess. Aziz doesn't either." He shrugged. "But Lust's Gluttony and Sloth were weaker than the originals."

LINA

Goro drummed his fingers on the table, fighting the urge to curl up against Hansel's side. He dragged the bread and butter closer to him, ripped off a hunk of bread, dipped it in the butter, and shoved it in his mouth.

"Anyway," he said with his mouth full. In the back of his mind he could hear Amari admonishing him. "There a plan for all that, or what?"

IZZY

"I find him and kill him," Sam said bluntly. He paused. "Aziz says he might be too strong for me. He wants me to wait until he's here, too. So we can do it together." His voice softened on the last few words.

LINA

"Even with us helping?" Goro gestured at himself and Hansel.

IZZY

Sam appraised them. "I'm not supposed to let any of you get hurt on my watch. Maybe you should just stay away from him."

"The hell is that s'posed to mean?"

He shrugged and went back to eating. "I can't save your asses and do my job at the same time."

Hansel growled. Sam ignored him.

LINA

"Hey, hey," Goro said softly to Hansel. He squeezed the hand Hansel had draped over his shoulder. "Huh. Aziz's concerned about our well-being, huh?"

IZZY

Sam rolled his eyes slightly and spread his hands. "Show of good faith."

LINA

"Why you such a jerk about it, huh?"

IZZY

"Because you haven't done shit in return," Sam grumbled into his stew. "I'm at your beck and call, you're asking him for favors -- reading scrolls or whatever." He dropped his spoon and muttered, "You're taking advantage of him."

LINA

Goro tensed up, scowling. "I'm fuckin' offering to help right now. Why the hell do you think I'm asking about Lust? Also, I'm buying you fuckin' dinner. What the hell do you want from me? Not my fault you shoot everything down."

IZZY

"You're not buying my fucking dinner," Sam objected.

LINA

"Everything I order here is charged to my room bill, genius."

IZZY

"You didn't fucking tell me that --."

Hansel interrupted flatly. "Is this really the fuckin' thing you're gonna argue about."

"Fuck you," Sam snapped.

Hansel was unimpressed. Sam grit his teeth, glaring between them.

LINA

"Why are you so mad?" Goro asked quietly.

IZZY

Sam looked at him for another beat, jaw still tight, then swallowed and shoved himself out of the booth abruptly, stalking towards the door.

Hansel straightened, ready to move, and gave Goro a quizzical look.

LINA

Goro was too startled to go after him right away. "Sam!"

IZZY

He didn't turn back.

LINA

Goro clambered across Hansel and jogged after Sam. "Hey. Wait. What the fuck."

IZZY

Hansel scrambled to follow after Goro.

Sam banged through the door and outside without responding.

LINA

Goro kept going over that same thought he'd had earlier--how much it'd bother him to see people in love, if he couldn't be with the person he loved.

He whirled around and held his hands up to stop Hansel. Gave him a quick kiss, 'cause he couldn't not. "Gimme a minute, alright? Just--just gimme a minute."

IZZY

Hansel stopped, confused and a bit concerned, but said, "A'right. Yell if you need me."

LINA

Goro gave him a thumbs up, turned, and ran after Sam. He pushed through the door. "Hey! Dumbass! Just fuckin' wait, okay?"

IZZY

The tails of Sam's loose robe disappeared around a corner, down a narrow alley.

LINA

Goro kept chasing him.

IZZY

When he caught up, Sam was halfway down the alley, on the ground with his back to the wall and his arms wrapped around his knees, shoulders hunched and face down.

LINA

Goro skidded to a stop several feet away. He just froze, staring, saying nothing.

IZZY

Sam didn't react.

LINA

"You... you okay?" Goro asked, stupidly.

IZZY

"What do you want," Sam demanded, muffled.

LINA

"I wanna know what--what happened. What's wrong."

IZZY

He curled up tighter. "Why."

Faint smoke wisped up from him, like he was a bonfire trying to catch.

LINA

Goro paused for a beat.

"'Cause I feel bad." He pointed back toward the inn, even though Sam wasn't looking. "You didn't even finish your food."

IZZY

He kept smoking. "Why do you fucking care so much whether I eat."

LINA

"I don't know, it's called fucking empathy, or something." Goro clenched his fists.

IZZY

Sam buried his face. The smoke got a little thicker, and his shoulders rose and fell with hard, slow breaths.

"Well," he muttered. "Fucking ... don't."

LINA

"Um. Pal, I think you're on fire, or something."

IZZY

He gave a muffled grunt.

LINA

"You need some help?"

IZZY

He shook his head viciously. "I just -- want some fucking sleep."

His voice broke a little.

LINA

"You miss him."

IZZY

Sam shifted a little and didn't say anything.

LINA

"I got a chime--ah, never mind, that probably wouldn't work on you. I got a spell, though, that could calm you down. Or I could dimension step you back to your ship. I..." Goro gritted his teeth, remembering how Sam said he just kept asking for favors. Taking advantage.

IZZY

"What do you want," Sam demanded again, more frustrated and incredulous this time. "What do you fucking -- what are you doing?"

LINA

"Trying to help." It was fucking frustrating, but wasn't like Goro could talk.

IZZY

"Why?"

His head jerked up as he said it, and a small gout of bright blue flame erupted from his mouth along with the word, burning out immediately. He coughed and looked away.

LINA

Goro skipped back a step. "Fucking empathy, I told you."

IZZY

Sam dropped his face again and mumbled, "S'bullshit."

After the burst of fire, the smoke began to dissipate.

LINA

"Alright, then you tell me why the fuck else I'd be standing in an alley with a guy who's a fucking jackass to me and about to catch on fucking fire, or something. You think I'm getting something outta this?"

IZZY

Sam just made an unhappy sound.

LINA

"You want some help, or not?"

IZZY

After a beat, he mumbled again, still muffled behind his knees.

"Fine."

LINA

Goro took a step forward, then hesitated. The smoke smell still burned in his nostrils. "'Kay. Um. What? What can I do?"

IZZY

"I just need to sleep."

LINA

"'Kay. Yeah. On your ship? Or you wanna get a room at the inn?"

IZZY

"Doesn't matter." He shifted his arms up to cover his head for a moment, moving around to half disguise the fact that he was scraping his eyes with his sleeves, and sniffed. "I can sleep here."

LINA

Goro shuffled a little closer. "It's not safe. C'mon. Let me step you back to your ship, or something."

IZZY

"I don't have a room on the ship. Here's fine." He swallowed, looking exhausted. "He waches over me."

LINA

Goro looked around the alley doubtfully. "I mean. I guess. Uh. What... what do you want me to do, then? The calming down spell?" Didn't seem like Sam needed it so much anymore.

IZZY

"I don't know," he said miserably. "They used to -- there was this --." He closed his eyes for a moment. "This spell. Clerics have it, right -- inflict wounds? Or just -- anything that hurts. Then you can put me to sleep."

LINA

Goro blinked. "What?"

IZZY

"You can -- be sedated," he said. "Easier. If you're injured already."

LINA

"You... want me... to open festering wounds all over you, and then magically put you to sleep."

IZZY

He nodded.

LINA

"You got insomnia, or what? No one's that fucking desperate."

IZZY

Sam looked at him dully. "I just want to sleep."

LINA

"Un-fucking-acceptable. I'm getting you a bed. Come on." Goro walked toward Sam, holding an arm out, thinking he could dimension step them both back to the inn.

IZZY

Sam didn't move, just looked wary.

LINA

"I'll teleport you. C'mon. That good?"

IZZY

He kept just staring at Goro for a moment, then unfolded and pushed himself back up, bracing a hand against the wall. "I can walk."

LINA

"Sure, but..." Eh, he'd pick his battles. He took a step back, then turned around and walked out of the alley, looking over his shoulder to make sure Sam was following.

IZZY

He was, arms crossed.

LINA

Goro led the way back to the inn, frequently looking back at Sam, like he was a flight risk. When they entered the dining hall, Goro glanced around for Hansel.

IZZY

Hansel was leaning against the wall right near the door, and straightened when Goro came in, flicking a look between Goro and Sam, and raising an eyebrow.

LINA

Goro gave him a quick headshake and beckoned Sam to follow him to the desk. The same waiter kid who'd served their food was manning it. "Need a room with a real nice bed. The comfiest you've got."

"A-all our beds are... comfy, sir," said the boy.

"Is that what you're telling people, now?"

The boy glanced uncomfortably at Sam.

IZZY

"Any bed's fine," Sam said tiredly.

LINA

The waiter chose a key from under the counter and dithered for a moment on who to pass it to. Goro snatched it from him. "Add it to my bill," he said, and glanced at the number on the key. 207. Not great, but at least it wasn't the first floor. He jerked his head for Sam to follow him.

IZZY

Sam scowled a bit, but didn't argue, and kept following.

LINA

Goro climbed the stairs and found room 207. He unlocked the door and pushed inside, murmuring a cantrip as he touched the lightstone just inside the door. He walked to the bed, fluffed the pillow, and pulled back the covers a little bit, Amari-style. He stepped to the side and held his hand out to present it to Sam.

IZZY

Sam looked at him wearily. "Are you doing the inflict wounds thing or not?"

LINA

"Try this first," was all Goro said.

IZZY

He sort of sighed, sort of scoffed, and crossed over to the bed. He dug into one pocket and took the key from Goro, palming a couple gold pieces into his hand in the same movement, and muttered, "Fine. Out."

LINA

"You got insomnia, or anything? You never answered me before." Goro took the gold reluctantly, pushing it around in his palm with his fingers.

IZZY

"Sometimes."

LINA

"If you really need it, I'll do the thing. Put you to sleep. But I don't wanna."

IZZY

"Do it." He held out his forearm for Goro to touch.

LINA

"I don't have the chime on me." Goro bit the inside of his cheek. "Have to run up and grab it."

IZZY

"Fine." He sighed and dropped into the bed without pulling his boots or robe off, without pulling the covers back more.

LINA

Goro's nails dug into his palms as he left the room. He strode down the hall and up the stairs, on to his room. He dug through his pack, blinking furiously. His eyes felt uncomfortably dry. All the smoke, maybe. Still didn't know what the fuck that had been about, but he could guess.

When he had the chime, he headed back downstairs. His shoulders were hunched, and he was scowling. He knocked lightly on Sam's door, hoping maybe the guy had managed to fall asleep already. He'd looked fucking tired.

IZZY

"Yeah," Sam called. He was exactly where Goro had left him, staring at the ceiling.

LINA

Goro approached the bed warily. "I don't wanna do this. Why do you want me to?"

IZZY

He kept staring for a moment, then flatly said, "You know -- you know growing up alone, on the street -- you always want someone. When you're a kid, at least. Because you used to have someone taking care of you. Even if you don't remember it, your body does.. And it fucking ... aches. It hurts." He swallowed. "And then maybe you find someone, if you're lucky -- you find someone to take care of you. And then you're apart from him. And it fucking hurts, just the same goddamn way. And I can't --."

His voice broke again and he clenched his jaw for a moment before continuing.

"I can't just fucking walk downstairs and see him. I can't call him in when I want a second opinion, or I just want someone to talk to. I have this." He made a fist in the sheets. "This is all I have. So if you want to help, help me sleep. Or leave, and I'll do it myself."

LINA

Goro kept scowling. He ground his teeth. He unclenched one of his fists, grabbed Sam's wrist, and practically snapped the prayer. His hand glowed silvery blue, and the veins nearby it under Sam's skin turned hard and black. The skin ruptured, and a line of wounds raced up his arm, under his sleeve, out of sight. They went deep. Down to the bone.

IZZY

Sam winced a little.

"More."

LINA

If Goro kept going after the same arm, the thing'd fucking fall off. He dropped Sam's wrist and went for the other one, nails digging into it. He repeated the prayer through clenched teeth, but with a little less venom in it this time.

IZZY

Sam hissed through his teeth, clearly registering the pain, but again, said, "More."

LINA

Goro hid his face in his hands, then shook them out, cringing like the was the one in pain. "Fuck you."

IZZY

"You can leave." Sam didn't open his eyes.

LINA

"I gotta fucking finish what I start." Goro swallowed, put his hand on Sam's chest, and cast the spell again. Put less of his magic into it this time, but it felt like he hurt him worse, anyway.

IZZY

He hissed again, staying still except for his fists tightening in the covers.

"They did it better at the asylum," he muttered, almost more to himself. "Maybe I'm too strong now."

LINA

"Asylum?" Goro picked up the chime.

IZZY

Hearing the metal clink, Sam opened his eyes to look at the chime. "More. That won't work yet."

LINA

"Fuck's sake. I hope I never gotta kill you for reals."

IZZY

He grunted.

LINA

Goro cast the spell again. The air was starting to reek with blood and the stench of infection. Real sweet dreams, there. "Please tell me that's fucking enough."

IZZY

He was wincing, by this point, eyes closed again, and weakly said, "Might be."

LINA

Goro held the chime up and rang it, holding his breath.

IZZY

Sam blinked his eyes open, and shook his head.

LINA

Goro's hand shook, and he threw the chime on the floor, whimpering in frustration. He stamped his foot and pulled on his hair, then briefly hid his face behind his arms.

He pulled himself together and touched Sam again, repeating the spell. Could immediately fucking tell it wasn't strong enough. So he cast it again, even weaker. He stepped back from the bed a couple paces, whining again, and dragged his collar up over his face.

IZZY

Sam stayed as still in the bed as if he were strapped down, breathing hard through his nose. Blood and pus leaked through his clothes, into the sheets. His brow was furrowed and his jaw was tight, but he winced when he looked at Goro.

"Just leave the chime," he mumbled. "I'll do it myself. It's fine."

LINA

Goro remembered how he'd just fucking insisted he had to finish what he started, but--

He felt sick. And he was not a squeamish guy.

"'M sorry," he mumbled, bending over to swipe the chime off the floor. He dropped it on the bed next to Sam, trying not to look at him. He turned and ran from the room, slamming the door behind him--who was gonna lock it, he wondered, almost, but he was halfway to the stairs before the thought formed.

He raced downstairs and made a beeline for Hansel once he was in the dining room, staring right at Hansel's chest, where he planned to plant his face.

IZZY

Hansel straightened up again as soon as he saw Goro, frowning in concern and taking a few steps to meet him partway. He wrapped his arms around Goro and stepped back again, to the wall, turning to block as much of the room as possible from being able to see Goro at all.

"Hey, hey," he said, alarmed but keeping his voice low, ducking his head to talk softly, close to Goro's ear. "What happened? What's wrong?"

LINA

Fuck. Goro should've brought Hansel upstairs with him--couple of whacks with the trident probably would've done the trick, and then Goro wouldn't be like... this.

He didn't even know what his problem was. Why it had been so hard. So disturbing. So sad.

He gripped Hansel tight and swallowed, grinding his teeth, sawing them against each other.

"Mmm," he managed.

IZZY

Hansel frowned harder. "Hey," he said gently. "You wanna step us upstairs, love? Or I can carry you. Nice private room, mm?"

LINA

Goro nodded. He'd saved enough magic in case he needed to step somewhere. He pulled back, moving a hand to clasp Hansel's, eyes on the floor. "Step," he muttered, just so Hansel wouldn't be caught off guard.

He closed his eyes and prayed, snuffing them out and up to the room.

IZZY

Hansel's stomach lurched, but only a little bit. It only got to him when he wasn't expecting it or he was already ill.

Since the door was already locked, he just lifted Goro up a little to carry him over to the cushy chair in the corner of the room, sitting down and arranging Goro in his lap. It was quiet, here, up high enough that the sounds of the dining hall and the ocean and street were all muffled.

He kissed Goro's head, and then lowly, asked, "What did he do?"

LINA

Goro was trying not to feel too sheepish about the fact he'd had to go running for Hansel the second something upsetting happened to him. Wasn't like Hansel minded. Just made things a little easier for Goro to handle--didn't mean he was weak, or whatever.

Maybe if he kept telling himself that, he'd believe it eventually.

"He missed Aziz," Goro said quietly. "Was real upset over it. I wanted to help. Said I had that chime of sleep, but realized it wasn't gonna work 'cause Sam's too tough for it. So, um. He told me to hurt him first. Inflict wounds. He knew the spell by name, and everything."

IZZY

Hansel's concern turned to confusion. "He ... what, now?"

LINA

"He wanted me to hurt him. Cast the spell on him, wear him down until the chime of sleep could knock him out. 'Cause he gets insomnia sometimes, and can't see Aziz." It sounded so fucking nuts. Goro kept wondering if Sam had played him somehow, but it was the weirdest fucking con he'd ever heard of, if it was one.

IZZY

"That's ... fuckin' ..." He started to say it was insane, but that probably wasn't fair. He felt like he'd do some fuckin' insane shit to be with Goro or Mishka. "Shouldn't've fuckin' asked you to do that," he said instead. "That's fucked up."

LINA

"I don't know why it bugged me so much," Goro insisted. "I cast that spell all the fucking time."

IZZY

"Yeah, not on people fuckin' asking you t'do it," Hansel argued. "That ain't fuckin' ... healthy." He shifted, uncomfortable.

LINA

Well, at least Goro wasn't alone in finding it unnerving.

"I couldn't do it all the way," he said. "I fucked him up real bad, and the chime didn't work still, so I got real upset. And he told me to just leave, and said he'd do it. I don't--I don't know. I left him there, fucking bleeding all over the place, and... I just left him there."

IZZY

"S'what he wanted, I guess," Hansel mumbled. Then, reluctantly, he asked, "D'you ... d'you wanna go check on him? We can see if he's asleep. You could heal him," he added softly. "Wouldn't wake him up, right?"

LINA

Goro nodded. He was feeling kinda calmer, now--that Hansel magic, he guessed. He climbed off Hansel's lap and started chewing his thumbnail, but remembered to switch to the bracelet.

IZZY

Hansel stood with him, taking his other hand and squeezing it. "What room?"

LINA

"209," Goro mumbled around the bracelet, and started leading the way.

When they arrived at Sam's door, Goro hesitated a second. Then he very, very carefully turned the knob, trying to do it without making a sound.

IZZY

Sam was out cold, where he'd been left, breathing unsteadily in his sleep. His left hand and arm were scorched.

"Fucking hell," Hansel muttered.

LINA

Goro had given up on the bracelet and was absentmindedly chewing his lip.

He pulled the Foxtail out of his pocket and, whispering, used one charge of it on Sam. He paused to see if Sam would stir.

IZZY

He didn't.

LINA

Goro used up a few more charges. Couldn't fix all the damage, but Sam would feel a lot fucking better when he woke up, anyway.

Or maybe not. Maybe he was just gonna wake up miserable, regardless.

Goro picked up the chime from beside Sam's hand. He looked at Hansel expectantly, even though he wasn't sure what he was expecting, exactly.

IZZY

Hansel raised an eyebrow and offered to take the chime.

LINA

Goro handed it over. He managed a small smirk and a breath that could've been a laugh, and he waved his right pinky finger at Hansel.

IZZY

Hansel smirked back at him, then leaned in to kiss the top of his head, and took his hand to pull him towards the door.

LINA

Goro tossed one last glance at Sam's sleeping form on their way out. He closed the door just as carefully as he'd opened it, keeping the latch from clicking.

He stepped back from the door and let out a sigh. Then he took Hansel's hand and led him wordlessly toward the stairs.

IZZY

Hansel followed, quietly at first, then asking, "You okay?"

LINA

"Iuno." Goro squeezed his hand tighter. "I dunno. Did I do the right thing, you think?"

IZZY

Hansel hesitated. "I ... I dunno, ahuv." He glanced back doubtfully. "It's, y'know ... I mean, if I had t'hurt myself to see you and Mishka, I would too. Just seems ... fuck. I don't know."

LINA

"Dunno why he made me do it," Goro muttered. "If he resorted to doing it himself anyway."

IZZY

"Yeah. Shouldn't've fuckin' done that to you," Hansel said grimly.

LINA

"And he said I was taking advantage of them." Goro scowled. "I don't know. I just don't fuckin' know. Am I doing something wrong, or--" He rubbed his eyes. He didn't expect Hansel to have an answer.

IZZY

"Hey." Hansel stopped, and tugged on Goro's hand to draw him in closer, and wrapped his arms around him again. He swayed in place and kissed Goro's head, squeezing him hard. "You don't owe these people fuckin' anything," he said. "They're too much goddamn trouble, drop'em. A'right? You don't gotta beat yourself up over it."

LINA

"I know. I know." Well, the part about not owing them anything. Goro could and would beat himself up over lots of shit. "I feel like if it was anyone else, I woulda dropped 'em already. But--Sam."

IZZY

"Psh. What makes him so special?"

LINA

"He's like me. And he's... so lonely."

IZZY

Hansel was quiet, stroking Goro's hair with one hand. He wanted to say, Sometimes you can't help people. Sometimes they're just lonely and sad and they hurt themselves. Sometimes they don't want your help and all you can do it leave so they don't hurt you too.

But Hansel had thin, old white scars on his hands from blackberry thorns. He wanted to say that because he wanted Goro to feel better, and be okay, not because he really believed it.

"Maybe ..." he tried, still thinking. He kissed Goro's head again and loosened up to take his hand, heading for their room again. "Maybe if, y'know, you wanna help him -- I dunno, you do what you'd want someone to do for you. I dunno. He's a different fuckin' person, and he's got his demon, an' all, but." He frowned, thinking about how Goro'd compared Hansel and Sam's patron. Made his skin crawl because he couldn't help thinking of Diva -- if Goro had felt what he felt for Diva instead of Hansel. Fucking uncomfortable. "I ... I dunno, ahuv. I'm sorry."

He squeezed Goro's hand as he unlocked the door.

LINA

"I dunno what I'd want someone to do for me." Goro walked into the room and stretched, feeling like he could finally rest now, at least. "I spent years saying I just wanted people to leave me alone, and then I didn't know it wasn't true until some people just decided to stop doing it." He sat on the edge of the bed to untie his boots.

IZZY

Hansel mmph'd in agreement. "Yeah. Hard enough to know what you need yourself, much less what someone else does." He locked up behind them -- Mishka had his own key -- and shrugged his bandolier off. "Don't know. I didn't get much of a read on him, s'pose. Seems fuckin' tough, though, yeah."

He wondered if -- given another ten or so years, and without himself -- Goro would be like Sam, but he didn't want to think about that. He sat down next to Goro and bumping their arms together briefly, then started taking his boots off, too.

LINA

Goro waited until Hansel had his boots off, then plowed into him, latching on with his arms around him and no intention of letting go for the rest of the night. "Glad you're here."

IZZY

He gave a gentle oof and squeezed Goro tight, laying back and getting comfortable. "Mm. Glad I'm here, too," he said, nuzzling into Goro's hair, "'cause this's where you are."

LINA

"Psh." Goro positioned himself more comfortably, not loosening his grip any. "Can I really just hug you any time I want?"

IZZY

"Goro," Hansel said, patiently.

LINA

"What?"

IZZY

"What d'you think the answer to that question is, huh?" He squeezed again.

LINA

Goro didn't say anything.

IZZY

Hansel rolled to pin him, snuggling him aggressively. "Y'know it's yes." He said it again in orcish, and in elvish, and in dwarvish, too, just for good measure, kissing Goro between each one. "Honestly, you gotta fuckin' tell me when to let go, y'know. Just won't stop otherwise."

LINA

"I guess I know. Still seems too good to be true." Goro wiggled, testing Hansel's weight.

IZZY

"Mm." Hansel leaned up just to gaze down at Goro. "Know what you mean."

He thought about Sam, briefly, sitting alone across the table from them, hunched up. Sam was asleep, now, though. Hansel supposed he must like it better that way.

LINA

"I'm fuckin' lucky. What if I'd got engaged to someone who didn't like hugging much?"

IZZY

"Woulda just had to steal you from'em," Hansel said solemnly. "Pirate."

LINA

"Mm." Goro relaxed a little and closed his eyes, as if the thought really soothed him.

IZZY

Hansel stroked his hair and kept watching him, quietly. Just looking at him, studying the details of his face.

LINA

Goro batted his eyes open after a minute, and flushed. "Psh. Just watchin' me. Like you love me or some shit." He squirmed.

IZZY

"Yeah, 'cause I do," Hansel agreed. He kissed Goro's forehead. "Love you so much." Then he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Goro's, murmuring -- like he did, like a mantra -- "Sun in my sky, light in my life."

LINA

"Mm." Goro squirmed some more, just 'cause he couldn't hold still, but he dug his fingers into Hansel to make it clear he didn't wanna get away.

It was weirdly hard to hear sometimes. Good, but uncomfortable. Like the way Miriam, the lady who massaged him back in Calimport, would dig her elbows into the knots in his back. He'd writhe and groan but he never told her to stop, because somehow it still felt good, and necessary.

He had to let Hansel love him. He pecked kisses against Hansel's lips, cheeks, and chin. "Love you so much too."

IZZY

"I know y'do," Hansel said, smug about it and smiling under Goro's kisses. "Tell me again, though."

In the dream, Goro woke in a different place than usual. It was a large, open sitting room, and he woke abruptly, already upright on a sofa. It faced an identical sofa -- both black and white -- across a marble coffee table, but other than the two, the room was filled with musical instruments. A harp the height of a person, an organ with shining golden pipes, stands holding assorted lutes and sitars and other stringed instruments, a case of flutes and other woodwinds.

Picture windows with fluttering, gauzy, black curtains looked out into the crepuscular sky, stars twinkling and looking back. A balcony rested beyond one set of curtains, but it seemed unoccupied, and there was no lyre music drifting in from anywhere to indicate Sam's presence, and by extension, Aziz's.

Opposite the balcony, though, there was a spiral staircase set into the dark-paneled wall, stairs leading both up and down.

LINA

Goro got up from the sofa and made his way to the stairs, turning in a circle the whole time to keep from being surprised by anything.

He looked up and down the staircase. "Hello?"

IZZY

No response.

LINA

Goro dug into his pocket for a coin, but it was empty. He was just dreaming, though. Maybe he'd have a coin in a different pocket. He reached in to check.

"Hah," he muttered, pulling one out. He flipped it in the air and caught it on the back of his hand. Tails. He started heading down.

IZZY

The stairs led down what seemed to be more than a standard floor -- two, maybe, or a little more, lit by softly-glowing gold magical lights embedded in the walls.

At the bottom, there was a small landing, and a dark wood door with a gold knob.

It was locked.

LINA

"Hello," Goro tried again, louder this time.

IZZY

No response.

LINA

He knocked on the door.

IZZY

Nothing.

LINA

This was fucking creepy. Goro skittered back up the stairs, climbing up past the floor he'd started on.

IZZY

A gentle breeze came from up the stairs. It went up a similar amount, as if there was a floor or two just being skipped, and the twisting of the staircase made it difficult to tell how many times he'd gone around, and which was he was facing now, relative to where he'd started. The effect of surreality was more similar to being in a regular dream than in a magically-induced, curated and ordered dream. Goro's footsteps echoed, at one point, and then didn't anymore.

Regardless, at the top of the stairs there was another dark wooden door, this one cracked. Through the gap, Goro could recognize Pride's boudoir -- the smaller balcony across from the door with its own gauzy curtains fluttering in that slight-but-constant breeze. He could see that neither Pride nor Sam were on the balcony, or on the lounges, but the bed wasn't visible without stepping in.

LINA

Goro knocked on the door, lightly so he wouldn't nudge it open any further.

IZZY

It swung open despite the careful touch, soundless on its hinges.

LINA

Goro grimaced. He leaned in a little for a better look.

IZZY

Leaning in, he could see the bed. Pride sat upright against the headboard, watching the door expressionlessly, and Sam was slouched down beside him, face pressed against his chest and stomach, an arm tight around his waist, eyes closed. Sam was only just visible, because Pride's arms and fuzzy, bat-like wings were wrapped around him in turn.

Pride watched Goro. In a very soft voice, he said, "Thank you for helping him sleep."

LINA

Goro cringed and bit his lip. He looked away.

IZZY

"I can't leave him right now," Pride said. "I apologize for the inconvenience. You woke earlier than I anticipated."

Someone tapped on Goro's shoulder.

LINA

Goro jumped and spun around.

IZZY

Behind him stood a tiefling. He resembled Pride to some degree -- he was blue, but a more pastel shade than Pride's night sky skin, and he had black hair and golden eyes, but black sclera. His horns were shorter, more average for a tiefling than, presumably, a demon, and he was overall a little shorter even accounting for that difference. He wore nice, tidy clothing and a mild expression, and his hands were folded properly behind his back.

He spoke in a somewhat lighter, higher version of Pride's voice. "We can speak downstairs."

LINA

Goro didn't move. "What the fuck?"

IZZY

"I am Pride," he explained. He turned so that Goro could go down the stairs first, if he preferred. "The representation of Pride that entered the mortal world, once. Shall we? I don't want to wake him."

The demon in the bed wrapped tighter around Sam's sleeping body, shielding him.

LINA

Goro backed out of the room, stopping only when he remembered he might fall backwards down the stairs. He turned around and started descending, looking back over his shoulder at every step.

IZZY

The tiefling followed, explaining further. "I assumed it would be less startling to you if I appeared to be a different person, and I had this form on hand. I can change, if it would make you more comfortable."

LINA

"I don't... I don't... whatever."

Goro stepped onto the landing of the floor he'd started on, then rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

IZZY

Aziz gave him a curious look, and stepped past him into the sitting room. "I understand you're interested in my help reading a scroll."

LINA

"Um. Yeah." Goro hesitated a moment, then followed and took a seat on the sofa he'd woken up on. "I don't... I don't got it with me, or anything, but Sam said you'd have seen it, anyway."

IZZY

"Indeed." He snapped his fingers, and as if in the reverse process of being burned, the scroll appeared on the marble table, going from ash to scorched to perfectly intact. It seemed to be  formality, though, because Aziz didn't glance at it before sitting down opposite Goro. "I can read it," he said, "but it is in some sort of code. Quite incomprehensible. Several of your accomplices have tried breaking it already, I've seen."

LINA

"Yeah," Goro said, already feeling the disappointment set in. "You can't crack it?"

IZZY

"No," Aziz said, "I can. What is it worth to you?"

LINA

"Oh. Um." Goro fidgeted with his hands in his lap. "I don't know. Is it a lot of trouble?"

IZZY

"For me? No. But for you, it seems to be." He tilted his head. His face was more expressive than Ba'alchem's, eyes widening a little and the corners of his mouth quirking. "You've been to Calisham. Coffee there is much cheaper than it is in Skyport, because it's less difficult to grow and process. This." He reached to tap the scroll with one finger. "Is coffee, and while I'm in Calimport, you're in Skyport. There's an import tax."

LINA

Goro didn't say anything for a while.

This was weird. Something felt... off. Like the person (thing?) in front of him wasn't really Aziz, or at least not the Aziz Goro had met. And already, Goro didn't think he liked this one as much.

He cleared his throat. "How long 'til I can talk to the other guy?"

IZZY

He laughed briefly. "I am the other guy, Goro."

LINA

"How's that work, exactly?"

IZZY

He leaned back, tilting his head. "I can't enter your plane until the caul is torn. When Sam was Nissa, however, I made this vessel to house some of my consciousness and power. After she was killed, and it became apparent to me that I would be unable to stay with Sakincha in a satisfactory manner in that way, I destroyed the mortal form and reintegrated it into myself." He plucked at his vest. "This is only a dream. This is only the illusion of that form."

LINA

"The obnoxious part of your consciousness," Goro said, before he thought the better of it. Whatever.

IZZY

He laughed again, in a short exhale. "The part that was exposed to your world."

LINA

"Fair 'nough. You sure you wanna go back there?"

IZZY

"Yes," he said readily. "Not like this, of course. Not weak and hungry and poor, and prone to loss. But yes. It's where Sakincha is."

LINA

"Is the whole rest of you gonna get corrupted when you come over, you think?" He asked with genuine curiosity, not an accusation. Yet.

IZZY

"I don't." He crossed his legs, one fine boot tapping at the air absently, and stretched his arm out along the back of the sofa. "It's a cruel place, your world. I couldn't change anything. I couldn't save my Nissa. Perhaps it made me jaded, and angry." The head tilt again. "But when I come back to it, with my full power, then things will be different."

LINA

"Be however you want 'em to be, huh?"

IZZY

"Better," he said. He focused in on Goro intently. "I would value your advice on the topic."

LINA

"Uh huh," Goro said flatly. "Say, how come you weren't honest with me last time? That's not a good way to make friends."

IZZY

He frowned mildly. "When did you think that I was being dishonest?"

LINA

"When I asked if you wanted to take over the world." Goro smirked. "A good liar tells falsehoods, but a great liar tells the truth. Still both liars, though."

IZZY

The smile returned, and a tone approximating, but not quite hitting, teasing. "You make it sound so dramatic."

LINA

"You gonna answer the question, about why you weren't honest?"

IZZY

"A misunderstanding of terms," he said, apologetic. "I don't want to take over the world. I only want to improve it. I don't have any interest in ruling it."

Then he smiled, and offered the thieves' cant sign for honest with a wink, mimicking a frequent offhanded gesture of Morgan Wyn's.

LINA

Goro stared.

IZZY

"Did I do that right?" Aziz asked.

LINA

Goro kept staring.

IZZY

"No?" he guessed.

LINA

"How much is the tax?"

IZZY

He looked a bit disappointed that Goro hadn't answered. "The artifact we've discussed before."

LINA

"In exchange for you deciphering this scroll?" Goro scowled. "Fuck off. I was gonna help you with that anyway."

IZZY

"Then you seem to have the advantage in our little deal, don't you?"

LINA

"No. I need the scroll deciphered now. I don't got time to wait until you got the artifact."

IZZY

Aziz smiled.

"You know, Sakincha gets protective. He worries that I don't understand mortals the way he does, and that I may give too freely or be too gracious when his own kind aren't deserving of it." He drew small circles with one fingernail on the back of the sofa. He wore the same configuration of nine golden rings that his demon form wore. "I'll speak to him, and ask him to not judge you too harshly. I understand. You have your priorities." He straightened, then, both boots back on the floor and hands folded in his lap. "You'll have to find someone else to tell you what your scrolls say, I'm afraid. It's quite a good code. You might find it difficult."

LINA

Goro's hands tightened into fists on his lap. "Why? Why won't you help me?"

IZZY

He tilted his head. "Let me be clear. I would be happy to help you."

Aziz snapped his fingers, and the scroll burned away on the table, replaced by a different piece of parchment, and a black quill.

"I require assurances, first. If you're committed to help me get to your plane, then sign. And I'll read the scroll to you, right now. Tonight."

The parchment read:

I, Goro Voronin, will to the best of my abilities aid Sam Obsidia in obtaining the undisclosed artifact currently held by the Church of Helm in Skyport which will allow Pride to cross into the Mortal Plane. In the process of this, Sam Obsidia will be under instructions to not only not harm the undersigned (Goro Voronin) or any of his family members (listed below), but also to protect them to the best of his own abilities. Furthermore, upon reaching the Mortal Plane, Pride will take no action that would, to his knowledge, harm said family members.

Underneath were empty lines waiting to be filled with names.

"I'm more than willing to adjust our terms," Aziz added.

LINA

Goro read over the parchment and started chewing his nails.

"This." He gestured to the empty lines with his other hand. "Can I add people later?"

IZZY

Aziz considered this. "Amendments will have to be deliberated over," he said after a moment. "It wouldn't be in my best interests to allow you to designate someone, last minute, who is a thorn in my side. You understand." He tapped his fingers against the marble. "After all, you might claim someone and then send then to kill me, or Sakincha."

LINA

"But." Goro bit harder into his fingers. It was just a dream. "That was how she got me."

IZZY

He looked at Goro, and seemed to soften, slightly. "I am not my niece," he said quietly.

He tapped his fingers again, then snapped them. An additional clause bled into the scroll, underneath the first.

Additionally, the undersigned (Goro Voronin) will take no action that would, to his knowledge, harm Pride or Sam Obsidia.

"Agreeable?" he asked. "Then you can add future loved ones at your leisure."

LINA

Goro kept blinking at the contract, his vision fuzzy.

"Exit clause?"

IZZY

Another snap.

At any time, and for any reason, either party may renounce this contract, rendering all agreements therein null and void.

LINA

Goro narrowed his eyes. "Not much of a contract, then, is it? More like a would-be-nice-if."

IZZY

"What would you prefer?" Aziz asked, graciously.

LINA

"If any information comes to light," Goro said, pausing to get the words right, "that was revealed to have been withheld from either party, and which may have influenced the decision to sign the contract--then the parties may renounce the contract, and render all agreements therein null and void. There. That's the lying motherfucker exemption."

IZZY

He smiled, eyes narrowing just slightly. "You're very clever. I enjoy that. How shall we prove whether or not information could feasibly influence someone's decision?"

LINA

"An arbiter?" Goro shrugged. "Or common fucking sense."

IZZY

"Who do you suppose would be impartial?" he asked, amused. "How about this."

He snapped.

If any information comes to light that was purposefully withheld from either party, with intent to influence the decision to sign the contract, then said party may renounce the contract, rendering all agreements therein null and void.

"Lying motherfucker clause."

LINA

Goro read over it, frowning, and nodded. "Expiration date?"

IZZY

"Why?"

LINA

He chewed his lip. "Half-elves live a long time."

IZZY

"Demons live longer."

LINA

"Yeah huh. But you're not gonna care once I'm dead. You decide you don't like shit, you don't gotta wait your whole life to get out of it."

IZZY

He studied Goro, calculating. "To the end of Sam's mortal life, then. Until he becomes like me. A timer that starts once I cross into your plane."

LINA

Goro thought about it. He nodded.

"Okay," he whispered.

IZZY

Aziz smiled.

He picked the quill off of the table and used it to prick his own finger, drawing black blood into the nib. Then he held his hand out for Goro's hand, and promised, "It won't hurt."

In full, the contract read:

I, Goro Voronin, will to the best of my abilities aid Sam Obsidia in obtaining the undisclosed artifact currently held by the Church of Helm in Skyport which will allow Pride to cross into the Mortal Plane. In the process of this, Sam Obsidia will be under instructions to not only not harm the undersigned (Goro Voronin) or any of his family members (listed below, subject to change at Goro Voronin's discretion), but also to protect them to the best of his own abilities. Furthermore, upon reaching the Mortal Plane, Pride will take no action that would, to his knowledge, harm said family members. Additionally, the undersigned (Goro Voronin) will take no action that would, to his knowledge, harm Pride or Sam Obsidia.

If any information comes to light that was purposefully withheld from either party, with intent to influence the decision to sign the contract, then said party may renounce the contract, rendering all agreements therein null and void.

Otherwise, the terms of this contract are to last until the end of Sam Obsidia's life as a mortal human.

LINA

Goro shrank back. "I get to write the names first."

IZZY

He nodded. "Very well. But you'll need ink." He beckoned again for Goro's hand.

LINA

Goro clutched his hand to his chest and shook his head.

IZZY

Aziz tilted his head.

LINA

"You're trying to trick me."

IZZY

"How?" he asked gently.

LINA

Goro shifted on the sofa, whimpering. He held his hand out. It seemed fair, he guessed, to write the names of his loved ones in blood.

IZZY

Aziz kept watching him. "If there are further revisions you want to make to the contract ..."

LINA

"I don't want to sign the contract at all." Goro's voice broke. Motherfucker. Motherfucker, he didn't used to be like this. "I just want to read the scroll. I wanna know if it can help Hansel."

He felt very foolish, and very small.

IZZY

After a beat, Aziz sighed and laid the quill back on the table, and leaned back. "You understand my terms." The quill bled tar onto the white marble. "I want to be with Sakincha."

LINA

"Yeah." Goro blinked several times, eyes on the table. "I know. I was gonna help. But..."

IZZY

"I have no reason to believe you," he said evenly, "and I won't leave such an important thing up to mortal whims."

LINA

Goro covered his face with his hands. He breathed a few times, shoulders shaking. Then he stuck his finger out for Aziz to prick.

IZZY

"Are you sure?" Aziz asked.

LINA

"I need the scroll," Goro snapped, still hiding behind his other hand.

IZZY

"Very well."

Aziz took Goro's hand. His skin was icy, but the quill didn't hurt any more than Goro's Obsidian Needle, and when he pulled it away, there was no blood beaded on Goro's finger. The quill had swallowed it all, mixing the red and black into a dark substance.

Aziz offered the quill to Goro. "Your names."

LINA

Goro snatched the quill, sniffling and wiping his face off with his other hand. It was stupid that you could cry in dreams. Seemed like there oughta be a way to wish it gone.

Hansel Bell, he wrote, hand shaking. Amari Flatflower. Joan Ripley.

He glanced up at Aziz. "What about people who go by more than one name?"

IZZY

"You can include them all, if it makes you feel more secure. I'm not trying to trick you."

LINA

Goro sniffed again and looked back at the parchment. Mishka Bell (Mikhail Haeth), he wrote. Then he added (Granger) after Hansel's name.

Larkin Basha. Theodin Baker. Bakir Baker. Lucienne Sterling. Jonn Sterling. Roddy Sterling-Bell.

He rubbed his face dry on his sleeve.

Marion Granger (Bell). Leigh Granger. Ombre.

He glanced up again. "She doesn't have a last name. Or she didn't tell me it."

IZZY

Aziz glanced at the parchment. "The yako kitsune. Volpae, Vincent. Yes. I know her." He looked up. "Not to worry."

LINA

Goro paused. He wrote (Volpae, Vincent).

Raef Chastain. Azrael Chastain. Tikva Chastain.

"What happens if I break my end of the deal?" he asked without looking up.

IZZY

"Then there will be no deal."

LINA

"That's it? It just evaporates?"

Morgan Wyn.

IZZY

"Then I'm under no obligation to not seek retribution," Aziz said calmly.

LINA

He stared at Morgan's name a moment, then wrote, Jasper Melaine. He scowled at the parchment, grit his teeth, and wrote Azriel Melaine.

"I got this funny feeling," he said, still not looking up, "if I didn't sign the contract, then went and hurt Sam, you'd seek retribution anyway."

IZZY

"Oh, yes." His voice changed, somehow -- becoming deeper or more resonant. He sounded, for a moment, more like his demonic self. "I certainly would."

LINA

"So this is really just a formality."

IZZY

"How do you mean?" His voice was lighter again. "Sign the contract, and swear to not harm Sakincha. Break it, and face the consequences. Or don't sign, don't harm him, and you'll be safe enough."

LINA

Goro blinked slowly at all the names he'd written, going over them again and again, trying to think if he'd left anyone out.

There were so many. He felt... rich. Rich with family. And it was so much to lose. He'd had almost nothing to lose, with Diva.

"What about if, uh..." He bit his lip. He knew he was being annoying, but he didn't think he should care. What, did he want Aziz to like him? "Say, um." He gestured at the parchment and picked a random name from it. "Larkin goes after Sam. He gonna defend himself, or what?"

IZZY

"Non-lethal force only," Aziz said, his lips twitching in a smile.

LINA

"Why are you smiling?"

IZZY

"Nissa taught me that phrase. She was a fighter, you know."

LINA

"Oh." Goro looked back down at the parchment. "Would you expect me to stop any of these people from hurting Sam? By hurting them, I mean. Would I have to turn against them."

IZZY

"I wouldn't expect you to hurt any of them. Sakincha won't hurt them, either." He leaned over the parchment to graze his fingernail over the section that read,  take no action that would, to his knowledge, harm Pride or Sam Obsidia. "I'm only asking you to not send assassins after him."

LINA

Goro was quiet for a long time. He fiddled with the quill, head hanging.

IZZY

Aziz waited, patiently.

LINA

"Where do I sign," Goro mumbled.

IZZY

He drew his fingernail along the bottom of the parchment, leaving two black lines -- one for Goro, one for himself.

LINA

Goro clenched his jaw to keep it from trembling as he signed his name.

IZZY

Aziz held his hand out for the quill.

LINA

Goro passed it over.

IZZY

He took it, and on his like, wrote, Pride.

Then he smiled at Goro.

"I'm glad you came around."

LINA

Goro swallowed. "Sam can... bring me a copy. When he's awake. Yeah?"

IZZY

"I'm able to manifest certain things in your plane. You'll wake up with a copy."

LINA

Goro chewed on his lip. "The scroll."

IZZY

"Certainly." He snapped his fingers, and the parchment burned away, replaced again by the scroll. He splayed his fingertips out on it. "It's interesting. You can read the Celestial, of course, and Sakincha told you that it's partially in Abyssal. The rest is Primordial." He traced a few sigils. "It must be very old. Before your Calamity. It wasn't easy to crack, but."

He smiled, to himself.

"It's a story," he said. "It says that long ago, a goliath priestess of the north sought to harness the power of the gods. She didn't wish to be a cleric, or paladin, or warlock -- she intended to force a deity to bow to her own will." He ran his finger across the writing thoughtfully. "Allegedly, she succeeded, binding a piece of Auril's spark to her own soul."

LINA

"Uh huh?" Goro said drably, hands in his lap.

IZZY

"There's a ritual," he said. "It required the sacrifice of three things that the priestess loved, and, ah -- a consummation, if you will. That part appears to be specific to Auril, however. A flight of fancy on the part of the goddess, so that she would agree to the situation. The priestess had plans to forcefully bind Auril, if she hadn't agreed, but decided to take the path of least resistance.

"It says that the priestess gave up everything," he said. "For this power. And afterwards, she ruled the north briefly, with her powers, but found she had nothing left to live for."

LINA

"That it?"

IZZY

Aziz looked up. "Instructions on how to bind a god to your will are of no interest to you, then?"

LINA

"It's got instructions? Or it's just a story? Might not mean shit, if it's all about Auril. I don't care about Auril."

IZZY

"Presumably it could be adapted to the god of your choice, although the stronger ones may be more difficult to tame. Auril is ... small time." He looked over the parchment again. "It's both story and instruction. I should be able to transcribe the ritual into a common tongue for you, although some of the language is difficult."

LINA

Goro nodded. "Please."

IZZY

"Certainly," he said, a little absently, still looking at the parchment.

LINA

Goro sniffed, distracted. He blinked around the room like he suddenly wasn't sure where he was.

"I cast Inflict Wounds on Sam," he said. "A bunch of times."

IZZY

"I know," Aziz said. He looked up, finally, blinking a couple of times. "I apologize. I'm distracted. He's waking up."

LINA

"I hurt him."

IZZY

"Yes."

LINA

"You gonna retaliate?"

IZZY

"No." Aziz stood. "He asked you to." For a second, he looked troubled. "I don't enjoy his methods, but he would have done it himself if you hadn't offered to help him. I don't hold you responsible."

LINA

"I didn't think so. But I thought I'd check."

IZZY

"I appreciate that you healed him, afterwards," Aziz said. "If you'll excuse me."

And the tiefling body went up, abruptly and entirely, in flames, and very quickly there was nothing left of him.

LINA

Goro yelped in surprise and jumped to his feet. He looked around, up, and down.

"Hello?" he called.

IZZY

No response.

LINA

He ran to the stairs and clattered up them.

IZZY

The staircase seemed longer than it had been.

He reached the top floor just in time to see Pride holding Sam against his side, directing him towards the door. Sam shuffled along side him, looking groggy and rubbing his face with one hand, the other arm around Pride's waist.

Pride was watching him, soft-eyed, but looked up to Goro when he appeared. "I was coming back down," he said, mildly amused.

LINA

Goro stayed where he was, fiddling with the hem of his sleeve.

IZZY

Sam blinked at him, face still half-covered by a hand, and gave a quiet grunt of acknowledgment.

"We can continue talking," Pride said, "if you have anything else you'd like to discuss. Sakincha will be joining us."

LINA

Goro stared at Sam. He knew he was supposed to say something, but he couldn't figure out what.

IZZY

Sam looked back at him, looking sleepy. Pride looked at him as well, waiting politely.

LINA

"Um. No," Goro said hoarsely. "I'll... leave you guys alone."

IZZY

"You're sure?" Pride asked.

LINA

Goro shrugged.

IZZY

"I would prefer a yes or no," Pride said, and Sam cracked a grin and turned his face against Pride's chest, relaxed and happy.

"Fuck, just wake him up," he said, laughing a little. "God."

Pride still looked to Goro for confirmation.

LINA

Goro stared for a moment longer, briefly entranced by the sight of Sam looking happy.

He nodded.

IZZY

Pride snapped his fingers, and Goro woke up.

He woke beside Hansel, just where he'd fallen asleep. A tight scroll of parchment was in his hand, warm, and the room smelled faintly of brimstone.

Hansel mumbled in his sleep and dragged Goro closer to him.

LINA

Goro tensed up. He waited until Hansel had stilled, then carefully attempted to extricate himself from his arms.

IZZY

Hansel made a grumpy sound in his sleep.

LINA

Goro climbed off the bed, shaking. He went to his pack and knelt down next to it, then unfurled the parchment. He looked up at the ceiling and scowled. "Where's the scroll?" he said quietly.

IZZY

No response.

LINA

Goro rolled the parchment back up, opened his pack, and shoved it deep inside. He took out the scroll and unrolled it to see if Aziz had maybe translated the original copy--no dice.

"Where's the fucking scroll," Goro said again, louder.

IZZY

There was a table next to the door. The candle on it flared up in blue flame.

LINA

Goro jumped. He climbed to his feet and walked over to examine the candle.

IZZY

As if it were being blown, the flame angled and pointed towards the door.

LINA

Goro chewed his lip fiercely, forgetting he wasn't in a dream anymore and it might leave a mark. He unlocked the door, opened it, and stuck his head out.

IZZY

One of the lanterns lighting the hallway flared up blue -- the one next to the stairs.

LINA

"There was an easier way to do this," he muttered, shutting the door behind him. He walked to the stairs and climbed down.

IZZY

Blue lights led him to Sam's door.

LINA

Goro crept up to the door and, just like earlier, eased it open as quietly as he could.

IZZY

Sam had rolled onto his side, hugging a pillow. He looked groggy again, and mumbled, "He says to fuck off. He'll get you the spell in the morning."

LINA

"He made you fucking wake up to tell me to fuck off?"

IZZY

"He said it nicer," Sam said, closing his eyes again.

LINA

Goro thought about apologizing for waking Sam up. It was a cruel fucking joke, after all the two of them had done to get him to sleep in the first place. Goro didn't know what to make of it.

And he didn't think he had it in him to speak anymore. He shut the door and bolted for the stairs, up them, and back to his room.

He let himself inside and managed to lock the door, but that was all. He leaned his forehead against it, covering his mouth with his hands, and sank down to the floor. He buried his face in his arms and let out a choked-off sob.

IZZY

After a couple seconds, the bed creaked as Hansel shifted, rolling over and grumbling wordlessly as he woke up, then mumbling, "Goro?"

LINA

Goro curled into a tighter ball. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

IZZY

"Ahuv?" Hansel roused a bit more, pushing himself up. "What're you ... doin' on th'floor?"

LINA

"Nothing," he managed, his voice coming out strained and weak.

IZZY

Hansel didn't buy that. He tumbled out of the bed and over to Goro, looking fuzzy and confused, and touched Goro's shoulder carefully.

LINA

Goro curled up even tighter. "Don't."

IZZY

He let go and just sat close to Goro, crossing his legs to get comfortable. "Okay," he said softly, still blinking sleep out of his eyes. "Okay. S'okay."

LINA

"Just..." Goro's chest hitched. "Just go back to bed."

IZZY

"I'm ... I'm not gonna do that, sweetheart." His voice was scratchy. "Stayin' right here. Whenever you're ready."

LINA

"Don't. Just--" Goro realized he was blocking the door. Whenever Mishka got back...

Maybe if he just--

"I'm--I--I gotta go." He uncurled, moving slowly and jerkily, careful not to bump into Hansel.

IZZY

"Hey, hey." Hansel reached for him again, distressed, then faltered, and put his hand on the door instead. "Hey. Don't. Please."

LINA

God damn it. Hearing Hansel so upset--Goro didn't know what to do. He didn't wanna abandon him.

"'M sorry," he said, and sniffled. "I shouldn't--be here."

IZZY

"Yeah, you should." Hansel kept frowning. He had no fucking idea what was happening -- what had happened. Something to do with Sam? Or the demon?

(He wished he hadn't slept. Should've stayed awake. Looked out for Goro.)

"I want you t'be here, love," he said, and tried again to touch Goro's shoulder.

LINA

"No," Goro said weakly, starting to curl up again. He didn't fight off Hansel's touch. God, he just wanted to crawl into his lap. "Not when you--hear what I did."

He didn't know if he wanted Hansel to argue or not. Be easier if he just didn't, but... Goro remembered, before he'd fallen asleep earlier, how he'd resolved to let Hansel love him.

Fuck, though. Fuck. This was a bigger test than he'd wanted.

IZZY

Hansel carefully pulled Goro towards him, making sure it was okay.

LINA

Goro whined but didn't try to fight it.

IZZY

"Okay," Hansel said, soothingly, and tugged Goro into his lap, against his chest. He scooted away from the door, just a bit, so that if Mishka tried to come in and they were still here, the door wouldn't whack into them. Then he folded around Goro and kissed his head, wishing that squeezing him would wring out the tension, but it didn't seem like it was quite ... working.

"Okay," he whispered again. "S'okay." He kissed Goro's hair and rubbed his back. "Try me, eh?"

LINA

"I don't want to," Goro whimpered.

IZZY

"Then how're you gonna believe me when I say I want you here, huh?" Hansel asked softly.

LINA

"Just won't."

IZZY

Hansel considered this. Goro had ... done something, or thought he'd done something. Something so bad he thought Hansel wouldn't want him anymore. And Hansel -- had some experience with shit that would break him completely and make him not able to stomach being around someone he'd loved. He knew it wasn't fucking impossible.

His heart kind of broke, though, that whatever it was, Goro knew. Or he thought he knew. And he was just suffering with it.

"A'right," he said slowly, feeling like he was still waking up. "Hey. Listen t'me, ahuv." He wanted to make Goro look at him, and believe him, but he didn't want to pull away even that much; he kept holding Goro to his chest instead. "Whatever ... whatever happened. You can tell me. And ... and we'll talk about it, okay? I'm not gonna be angry with you." He hesitated. "If -- listen, if I am angry, I'm still gonna talk to you. 'Cause I love you, understand?"

His stomach clenched, too, thinking about when Aleksei had fucked with his head, and he'd thought ... and what he'd done to Mishka, he'd ...

(Monster. Rabid animal.)

He held Goro tighter. "I'm not gonna ... hurt you. We'll talk. I promise. It'll be all right, shemeshi."

LINA

Goro grabbed a fistful of Hansel's pant leg. Tears kept rolling down his cheeks.

"Please still love me," he said. Like that'd make any difference.

Maybe it could be true, though. Maybe he'd lose everyone else--maybe everyone in the world would get fucking sick of his bullshit, but he'd still have Amari, and he'd still have Hansel.

IZZY

"Goro, you're really fucking scaring me."

LINA

"Sorry." Goro sniffled, and pushed away from him. "Gotta show you something."

IZZY

"Okay." Deeply fucking concerned, Hansel kept a tight grip on Goro's wrist.

LINA

"Nn." Goro yanked on it and tried to crawl away. "In my bag."

IZZY

Hansel kept hold of him, and went with him.

LINA

Goro groaned softly but stopped trying to yank himself free. He dug through his pack one-handed until he found the parchment. He passed it to Hansel, then scooted as far as he possibly could, wrapping his free arm around his legs and hiding his face in his knees.

IZZY

Hansel came closer again, automatically. He fumbled with the parchment and squinted at it, moving it back and forth a little, and blinking to try to focus.

He read it.

He read it again, because he didn't understand it.

Then he read it a third time, because he understood it, but it still didn't make sense.

Quietly -- confused more than absolutely anything else -- he asked, "S'this ... a contract? With ... that demon?"

LINA

Goro nodded against his knees. "Um. I traded for... him translating the scroll."

IZZY

"So ... wh ..."

Hansel kept squinting at the contract. He had no fucking idea what to say.

LINA

Goro tried tugging his wrist free again.

IZZY

"Nn." Hansel shook his head. "No. No, I'm not --." He wasn't angry. He was just so fucking ... lost. "I don't ... I don't understand." He just kept reading the contract. "I don't ... you shouldn't've ... I thought -- if you were gonna -- y'know, we'd talk about it first, or ..."

LINA

"I wanted the scroll." Goro yanked his wrist harder, making his own joints crack.

IZZY

He looked up finally, alarmed, and dropped the parchment entirely to pull Goro in, wrestling Goro back into his lap, into his arms. "Goro," he said firmly. "Shh. Sh. Oresi. It's okay. I love you. I love you."

LINA

Goro was so focused on running. Getting himself free, then just fucking taking off, taking himself away from how bad this all hurt, from having to ask and see if Hansel would forgive him. He was so fucking scared the answer was no. Terrified. The fear consumed him, until he wasn't even thinking. Just had to get out. Away. Didn't know where he'd go, or anything.

He was disoriented when Hansel pulled him back in close.

Oresi.

He grabbed onto Hansel, breathing heavy. Panting, like he'd just dragged himself up from underwater. He shook, and pushed closer, and grabbed tighter, and cried.

IZZY

Hansel felt tension he hadn't realized he'd had in him leak away when Goro didn't fight it. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, and held Goro tight, and rocked him gently, and shushed him and whispered, over and over again, It's okay, it's okay. I love you. I love you so much. It's okay.

He swallowed. Still didn't know what to fucking make of this. He wanted to ask -- was it worth it? The scroll. He wanted to insist that they could've tried other things, they could've asked other people -- Lyra, or -- or, fuck, he didn't know, Finch or something. There had to be some way to read the goddamn scroll without this.

And he wanted to argue that Goro should've talked to him first, talked to Mishka, and Ombre, and Luci, and -- and anyone, anyone else. That he shouldn't've done it alone. That he shouldn't fucking do thing alone, because it was too fucking terrifying to imagine what might happen to him when Hansel wasn't there to shield him.

(The white panic of discovering Mishka had gone to Aleksei. What could have happened to him. It had all been over, it had all been taken care of, but this, this -- it was just starting now.)

(Standing dead-eyed in Diva's shop, wavering on his feet, knowing he needed to sober up, he needed to save his kid, he needed to fucking pay attention, dreading the clarity and the hangover, listening to Goro bargain with the thing behind the counter that pretended to be human, struggling to care about any of it. But he cared now. That was the problem. He cared now.)

He wanted to be frustrated and upset and scared, but he wasn't, because Goro thought all of that -- any of that -- was more important to Hansel than he was. He thought Hansel wouldn't want him around because of it.

"I love you," he whispered into Goro's hair. "I love you, my love, my sun, my light. I'm here. I love you. It's okay. I'll be here whatever happens, okay? Whatever happens. We'll take care of it together. D'you understand? Oresi. Together."

LINA

Goro kept clinging to Hansel, but his eyes were wide open, darting around. Still disoriented. Still confused.

There'd been a part of him that knew to expect this. Somewhere deep in his heart, he believed Hansel wouldn't push him away.

But he'd been alone for so long. It was still new and strange, having someone with him through everything. Still felt like a dream he might wake up from.

He bit the inside of his lip until he winced from the pain. Not a dream. Maybe.

"I'm sorry," Goro whispered. "I know--I know I should have asked you. But... I knew you wouldn't like it. I knew you'd say there was another way, and I... I was too scared to wait. Needed to know what the scroll said, before--Tricksy, or whatever--"

He squeezed his eyes shut. That was the worst fucking part. He couldn't say I didn't think or I didn't know. He'd known what he was doing, and he'd done it anyway.

IZZY

"Yeah," Hansel allowed. "Yeah, I ... I do think there would've been another way. The ... thing doesn't get your soul, though. Right?"

LINA

"No," Goro said glumly. He was a little more careful with that nowadays, at least.

IZZY

"'Kay," he said. "Good. S'good, 'cause. Y'know. I'd have to kill him. If he did."

LINA

Goro managed a faint smile, his lip still quivering.

"I think," he said, sniffling, "I thought of everything this time. But I also thought that last time."

IZZY

"We'll have Mishka look at the contract. An' Ombre." He rubbed Goro's back and swallowed, refusing to really acknowledge that -- Goro might've missed something. Was just for their peace of mind. Yeah. Just to be really, really fucking sure.

LINA

"I'm sorry," Goro whispered again. "Don't tell me it's okay. 'Cause it's not okay. Be mad."

IZZY

"I'm not mad at you," Hansel said. He wanted to say it strongly, viciously, he wanted it to crush Goro with its intensity so that he believed it, but the truth was that -- "I'm just fucking scared for you. It's not fuckin' okay, but -- but not 'cause I'm angry, not 'cause -- I wanna leave you, or somethin'. I'm with you. I'm here." He squeezed Goro tighter. Could crush him that way; maybe he'd believe that. "Just fucking scared."

Because of what'd happened last time. How he'd almost lost everything, when he didn't even think he had anything left to lose, when he didn't think he cared, but Diva had come along and nearly taken the last bit from him. He had more, now. He'd built it back up. And if he lost it again -- then he'd be back to starving and drinking and staring at the ceiling, not sleeping because of the nightmares, unwilling to be awake, either, out of options.

He'd survived it before, and he'd told himself he could survive it again if he lost everything. Faced with the idea, now, though -- he was pretty sure that had just been one of those lies he told, that only he believed.

LINA

"Me too." Goro sniffed. "But--you can be mad at me, too. I know--I know you'll still love me if you're mad."

He sounded extremely fucking uncertain, but he guessed it was good to check.

IZZY

Hansel nodded, very slightly because he didn't want to move much. "Mmhm. I would. Not mad, though."

Maybe he would be, later. Once it sunk in more. But he wasn't right now, so it didn't matter.

LINA

"Um." Goro sniffed some more. He was grinding his teeth again. "The--the list of names I wrote. Y'should check and see if I forgot someone. 'Cause he said I could add more later."

His voice shook when he said that last part. He remembered something people on the street liked to say about avoiding cons. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

IZZY

He nodded again, and reluctantly released Goro with one arm just enough to grab the contract up again. Then he hesitated, noticing how Goro's jaw was all clenched up.

"Hey," he said quietly, leaning back so he could see Goro's face, and touch him, pressing a thumb into the hard muscle. "Don't hurt yourself, love. You need something strong to bite down on?"

LINA

"Mm." Goro hated that Hansel was asking. Freak, freak, freak, fucking mess, can't stop biting shit, gonna break your own teeth.

His breathing picked up and he leaned instinctively into Hansel's touch.

Maybe it was okay that Hansel was asking. He didn't think Goro was a freak; he just wanted to help. Goro reminded himself yet again--it didn't make him weak, or anything, getting comfort and help from someone. It just made things easier.

"Mhm." He nodded.

IZZY

"Okay." Hansel kissed his forehead, then reached for his pants, tossed into a chair when he'd put on his sleep pants for the night. He had to let go of Goro and use both hands to pull the belt free, so he dropped his chin to hook it over Goro's shoulder as he did, just to keep reminding him. I'm here. I got you.

Once the belt was loose, he folded it in half and offered it next to Goro's mouth, reminding him again -- "It's okay. I love you."

LINA

Goro grabbed the belt to hold it in place, then unclenched his jaw so he could bite down on it.

The leather was tough, but had just enough yield for his teeth to sink in. Immediately, he could feel himself settle some. His breaths came easier.

He didn't know how Hansel had known, but that didn't matter. Hansel knew, and he made it okay. Goro leaned against him, relaxing.

IZZY

Hansel held onto him for another moment, pleased at Goro relaxing a little bit. "There y'go. I got you."

He kissed Goro's head, then picked the contract back up to frown at it, looking over the names. Him. Mishka and Amari. Joan, Larkin. Theo and Bakir, Hansel's kids, Marion and Leigh. Ombre. Raef's family. Some others -- he was a little puzzled at seeing Morgan Wyn and the last two, but they were connected to Larkin, he guessed.

"Finch?" he suggested doubtfully. It felt like a fucking trap, having to lay out everyone who mattered. Like there was a loophole. Some backdoor way to hurt them. "Kheman?" Like someone would hurt Goro by hurting Larkin by hurting her partner or dad. Some kind of fucking ... trick.

LINA

Goro grumbled around the belt. Kheman, sure, whatever. Still didn't know how to feel about the guy, but he was family to Larkin and Hansel kind of, so.

Finch, though. He wasn't sure he gave enough of a fuck. Azriel made Larkin happy, at least, but bird boy was just a drag.

Seemed wrong that Goro should get the final say on this shit, though. Was he supposed to add whatever loved ones Finch had, too? Where did it end?

When he'd calmed down enough to take the belt out of his mouth, he examined it and saw he'd left teeth marks. "Sorry," he muttered.

IZZY

Hansel looked up from the contract and registered that Goro was looking guilty over the belt, not just apologizing in general, again, and kissed his forehead. "Nothin' to apologize for."

LINA

"I don't..." Goro twisted the belt in his hands. "I don't know if Sam is as much like me as I thought."

IZZY

Hansel's brow furrowed. "Somethin' ... happen in the dream, with him?"

LINA

Goro thought of Sam, laughing and hiding his face against Aziz. Just wake him up. God.

He shrugged, then shook his head.

"I feel like they used me," he mumbled. "I--I mean--don't say you told me so. I thought maybe... I dunno."

IZZY

Hansel was quiet for a bit. He laid the contract down so he could go back to rubbing Goro's back, pulling Goro against his chest nice and tight again, tucking Goro under his chin.

A little hesitantly, he said, "Y'know, I think ... You care about people so fuckin' much, y'know? An' they don't have t'do fuckin' anything for you to do it. S'just the way you are. You always wanna save people," he said softly. "Help'em. And -- it's good, y'know? So good. You're good." He paused, chewing on the words. "I ain't gonna say I told you so, and I don't want you to change, or nothin'. S'just that, maybe -- maybe this happens, sometimes. Maybe people don't need to be saved. They don't deserve help. They don't deserve you."

LINA

"But how'm I... supposed to know? If they deserve it?" Goro frowned to himself. He didn't normally think of himself the way Hansel was describing him--all Amari-sounding and shit.

But fuck. Maybe Hansel was right. Maybe someone had seen that tendency in him, and taken advantage of it.

He swallowed. Made him feel sick.

IZZY

"I ... I got no idea, ahuv," Hansel had to admit. He winced. "Sometimes people make real good fuckin' cases for themselves, but they're just real good liars."

LINA

Goro hid his face against Hansel. "Maybe I'll just... fuckin' quit. No more saving people. No more trying to make friends. Done with... fucking going outside, and talking to people, and shit."

IZZY

"S'aright." Hansel nuzzled into his hair. "I'll stay in with you."

LINA

"No you won't," Goro grumbled. "You're all... outgoing and shit."

IZZY

"Nah. Dance card's full. All good right here."

LINA

Goro snorted. "The fuck's a dance card?"

IZZY

"Shit, some fuckin' ..." Hansel trailed off, squinting. "Some fancy goddamn thing that fancy people do at balls and shit. I dunno. Corven used to say it." He shook his head and kissed Goro's hair. "I got my plate full. How 'bout that. Don't want anything more."

LINA

Goro snorted again. "You should take me to a fancy ball."

IZZY

"Thought you weren't goin' outside anymore."

LINA

"Oh." Goro slumped. "Yeah."

IZZY

"Could throw a fancy ball in the castle," Hansel said. "Or anywhere. Just you and me. Or."

He pulled back to cup Goro's face with both hands, just looking at him for a moment, stroking Goro's cheekbones with his thumbs, then leaning in to kiss his eyes and rest their foreheads together.

"Or," he said softly, "you go back out, and you come back to me, and we go out together, and keep trying. 'Cause it hurts sometimes, but other times it's worth it, eh, blackberry?"

LINA

"Mmf." Fuckin' Hansel, being all dreamy and shit when Goro was pretty sure he'd never be happy again. He pushed forward to rest his face against Hansel's neck. "Dunno. It hurts too much."

IZZY

"I know." Hansel kissed the side of his head and rubbed his back. "I know, ahuv. It'll fade. It'll be better."

LINA

"No it won't." Goro shook his head. "You don't--you don't understand." Well, maybe he did. He'd grown up a half-orc kid in Shepherd Hills, and all. "I just... I never got to... join in. With life. Always just had to watch. I used to... peep in the fucking windows of houses, for god's sake, just to see what families looked like."

Fucking embarrassing. Goro shook his head and made some hedging noises, some mms and ums, so Hansel wouldn't try to cut in. "I wanted to go to parties and shit, and... fucking balls, and whatever. I just started to hate it all 'cause I wasn't allowed."

Felt like admitting a failure. Wanting something, and not being able to have it, until you gave up and claimed not to want it in the first place.

IZZY

"You're in now," Hansel said gently. "You're allowed. We'll do whatever you fuckin' want, love." Didn't say I understand, I know, because it wasn't about him, shouldn't make it about him.

LINA

"But... that's the thing." Goro's voice broke. "I'm allowed in, but no one wants me there. Don't--don't fucking say it's alright 'cause I got a family that wants me, or it doesn't matter 'cause if other people don't want me it's their loss, or... y'know, whatever shit you're gonna say to make me feel better, 'cause--'cause I know I'm, I'm lucky to have you guys, and I love you so much, but it still hurts, Hansel. Still hurts that other people don't like me."

IZZY

"I know." Hansel winced, and held him tighter, because there wasn't anything else he could do. "I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry." He rested his lips in Goro's hair, caught between wanting to be so fucking angry, furious that anyone had made Goro feel this way, and too heartbroken over it to be anything else. "I'm sorry."

LINA

Goro clung to Hansel, sniffing against the crook of his neck, shuddering every now and then.

It hurt, yeah, but... he felt safe, at least.

"Love you," he whispered. "Thanks for being here with me."

IZZY

"I love you, too," Hansel whispered back. "Y'know I'll make it better however I can, right?"

LINA

Goro nodded. "And... you know I'll do anything for you. Right?"

IZZY

He nodded back. "I know."

LINA

"Don't feel like I get to do much for you. You always gotta take care of me, 'cause I'm a fuckin' mess."

IZZY

"You ain't a fuckin' mess, Goro," he said gently. He pulled back to hold Goro's face again, smiling a bit. "Hey. That's my fiance you're talkin' about, y'know? Be fuckin' nice."

LINA

"I'll try," Goro said gloomily. He wasn't sure he actually would.

IZZY

"Good." Hansel kissed his forehead. "That's all I'm askin'. Try for me." He pulled Goro back in to squeeze him. "I love you."

LINA

Goro grumbled. "How much?"

IZZY

"Much as a sunflower loves the sun."

LINA

"Mhm?"

IZZY

"Much as trees love the spring."

LINA

"Mm," Goro agreed, hugging him tighter. "I love you like that too."

IZZY

"Mm." Hansel breathed in the scent of Goro's hair -- sunbaked and salty from the island, still smoky underneath. "Like the sea loves the shore?"

LINA

"Psh, more than that. That thing's fickle. Rolling in and out all the time."

IZZY

"Always comes back."

LINA

"Hmm." Goro considered. "Can't argue with that, I guess."

IZZY

"Mmhm." He went on, a little teasing, now. "Like a frozen lake loves the dawn?"

LINA

Goro paused. "Huh?"

IZZY

"Ahh." He pulled back. "Ah, shit, I never took you t'the lake, did I? We'll have to go back to, y'know, where Shepherd Hills was." Any lake'd do, he guessed, but still. "When a lake's all frozen in winter, but it's not too cold overnight, once the sun starts comin' up it makes all the ice start to steamin' and breakin' up as it thaws. Sounds like the lake is all breathing and waking up, is all. S'nice."

LINA

"Whoa," Goro said quietly. "Neat."

IZZY

"Mm," Hansel agreed. "I'll show you once it's cold again."

LINA

"Mhm." Goro closed his eyes. "I love you like... um..." He couldn't think of any good metaphors. Anything crossing his mind didn't sound very romantic. "I love you more than I got words for. And you know me. I got a lot of words."

IZZY

Hansel laughed quietly. "Yeah. That's a lot." He rested against Goro's hair again. "Means a lot."

LINA

Goro fidgeted against him for a while. Trying to relax. Trying to fight off the tears that wouldn't stop threatening to make another appearance.

So yeah--here he was with the person he loved more than anything in the world, who still loved him back, even if he was a fucking screw-up.

God. Goro couldn't believe he'd signed it. Fuck. He wanted to go back and erase it all. What a fucking dumbass.

He whimpered and grabbed his hair to tug on it. "Don't know what to do."

Psh, like he had a fucking choice. He was locked in now. It was obvious what he had to do: help Sam.

IZZY

Hansel gently combed his hands through Goro's hair to pull Goro's hands away, pulling them around himself so Goro would hold onto him instead. "It'll be all right," he said firmly. "Lissen. We'll ... y'know, we'll do some poking around, right? If there's something he lied about. Then fuck'im. You ain't gotta do shit."

LINA

Goro groaned, frustrated, but consented to clutching Hansel instead of his own hair. He wiggled around even more, uncomfortable, teeth clenching--nah, shit, he wasn't supposed to do that either. Goddamn.

"Like it's gonna be that easy," he said. "Maybe--maybe I could get Sam to hurt me, or something. Nullify it all that way."

IZZY

Hansel made a consternated sound. Didn't like the idea, but he guessed it was ... an idea.

LINA

"There's also, um... I asked Aziz what'd happen if any of the people I listed tried to hurt Sam. And he said Sam could only use non-lethal force. But, um... he said it kinda weird. Smug, or something. Dunno what to think."

IZZY

He grumbled and tightened his grip around Goro. "Don't trust either of those fuckers."

LINA

"Anyway." Goro shifted, much as he could with how tight Hansel was squeezing him. It was soothing--the reminder that Hansel had such a good hold on him. "Point being. Could maybe... have you guys go after Sam. To try and make him break the contract. But I don't like it."

IZZY

Hansel grumbled some more, and after a beat, got around to muttering, "Honestly, pretty sure he could fuckin' kill me if he wanted. S'the read I got on him. You sendin' me to fuck with him at all'd break the contract though, wouldn't it?"

LINA

"Ah. Fuck. You're right." Goro groaned and hid his face. "He's watching this right now, probably. Fuck. Fuck. Motherfucker."

IZZY

Hansel flipped off the room at large.

LINA

Goro hissed and grabbed his wrist to try and stop him.

IZZY

Hansel scowled but stopped, muttering, "The hell's he gonna do, huh."

LINA

"I guess nothing," Goro mumbled. He went back to hiding his face. "Fuck. Fuck. That scroll... the scroll'd better be worth it. I don't--really remember what he told me about it. Wasn't listening too close. Too nervous."

IZZY

"Mmph." He grumbled a bit more, thinking. "That thing in the contract about, eh ... Hey. He read the scroll 'fore you signed the thing?"

LINA

"Nope. He fuckin' knew what I wanted."

IZZY

"So," Hansel said, slowly. He let go of Goro with one arm to squint at the contract again. "So ... the thing about, uh ... 'any information ... purposefully withheld' ... uh, the thing about influencing decisions. If the scroll's useless and he knew it -- you think that counts?"

LINA

"Maybe." And since Aziz was watching, Goro didn't say the rest of what he was thinking--Maybe not, since I said I wanted to know whether it could help Hansel, so that was really what I bargained for. Wouldn't do him any good to point out loopholes on his own.

His heart sank again. He'd shown Aziz everything that was important to him. He'd handed over a fucking list of the names of every person he loved. He'd shown he was so desperate to save Hansel, he'd do just about fucking anything for it.

To think how fucking far he'd slid, from the days when he refused to let it be known he loved anyone at all. All because he'd seen a bit of himself in Sam. That false sense of camaraderie.

God, he'd been sucked in so fast.

IZZY

Hansel frowned. He didn't feel like Goro was really buying it. Wasn't too surprising -- Hansel wasn't a fuckin' lawyer. Someone smarter than him would have to pick this thing up and give it a look. He kept thinking: Ombre, because she was smart, always reading and shit -- same for Luci, 'cause she was all literal, too, thought out of the box in a way -- and Mishka, 'cause Mishka was good at tricking people, and he'd see if Pride wasn't that good.

He felt a little redundant, himself. Was pretty sure Sam could wipe the floor with him. He'd been fucked up when they went to his room to check on him, and barely unconscious, Hansel was guessing, if he'd had to burn up his own arm too to get to sleep. And Pride was a fuckin' demon, or Sin, or whatever. Hansel couldn't fight that shit either, not by himself, not if Pride was worse than Diva. Couldn't solve this shit with a trident and he wasn't clever enough to think a way out of it.

So he set the contract back downd and wrapped around Goro again, sighing into his hair and kissing him. "You wanna go back to bed?" he asked softly. "Even if you can't sleep. Be more comfortable. Could hold you better."

LINA

Goro was gonna object until Hansel added the even if you can't sleep part. "Mm." He nodded once. "Not gonna sleep. But holding's good."

IZZY

"M'kay." He readjusted his hold on Goro and pushed up, shuffling back over to bed and settling in -- on his side, at first, holding Goro to his chest before sliding down a little bit to look him in the face and stroke his hair back over his ear. It was getting long, and wavy. More to pet and play with. Hansel wasn't sure if he'd said how much he liked it, and he figured Goro could probably use a distraction, so he pulled the blankets up over their heads -- maybe Pride couldn't watch them that way -- and cuddled Goro closer, and whispered, "Hey. I tell you I like how you're growin' your hair out? Real chatich."

LINA

"Psssh." Goro grabbed a lock of it self-consciously. "'S weird. Feels weird, I mean, to me."

IZZY

"It's good," Hansel promised. "Suits you." He ran his hand up Goro's back, up the back of his neck, and close along his scalp through his hair, dragging his fingernails across Goro's skin and then tangling them in his hair. "Real good."

LINA

Goro's eyes drifted half closed and chills raced across his skin. He thought about complaining that it made him nervous, having it be long enough for other people to grab. And he thought about pointing out how when it was real short, he couldn't pull on it when he got anxious, which Hansel seemed to not want him to do.

But all that made it out of his mouth was, "Mmmkay."

IZZY

Hansel smiled at him and kept doing it, slowly -- stroking Goro's scalp and gently threading through his hair. He shifted them nice and close and kissed Goro's forehead. Probably still wouldn't sleep, but this was good, for a while. It'd help.

LINA

[end]

IZZY

TRP: Aziz, Goro, Hansel, and Sam (Contract). Day 371. Goro signs a contract to assist Sam and Aziz in exchange for a translation of the Auril scroll.