TRP: Gavi, Hansel, and Jonn (Understanding)

**IZZY**

[SETTING: Glimmerton, Day 225.]

It was kind of fucking weird, so far, having Jonn around the
castle. He wasn't living there -- he'd spent a night or two at an inn in town,
but he was walking between the town and Skyport frequently, too. Hansel'd made
sure he was staying with Finch, now that their guild had gone under, figuring
that if he'd kept Jonn out of trouble this long, he would keep doing it. Seemed
to be working out okay. It worried him, a bit, the way Jonn talked about Finch,
because it was a fucking lot like the way he used to talk about Helena, but --
he could only do so much.

Either way, it was fucking nice getting to hang out with his
kid again. It'd been great having him out at Shepherd Hills, too, but this was
more like how it'd been before -- going out with him to people watch and play
darts, and gamble and drink. Jonn said he didn't drink as much as he used to,
because it fucked with his memory now. He asked Hansel if that was just
something that happened as you got older, and from behind a stein, Hansel said
yeah, that was probably it.

Hansel was a shitty liar, but Jonn always just believed him.

It was getting late in the evening and Hansel was trying to
hide how tired he was, because Jonn was excited and keyed up, and Hansel didn't
want to leave him to his own devices -- had lifted him up onto his shoulders because
Jonn didn't weigh a fuckin' thing, anyway -- when he spotted some bullshit
going on down the street. A clot of guards had someone surrounded, voices
raised and weapons out, and he felt Jonn sit up straighter on his shoulders the
second before he realized himself -- the half-orc the guards had gathered
around was Gavi.

.

"Hey," Jonn said. "Hey, should we help
her?"

"Fuck yeah, we should."

He sauntered over, hoisting Jonn up and ducking his own head
to set him down, and pulling his trident off his back in the same motion. He
slammed the end against the cobble street and barked out a hey. When a couple
guards looked his way, he offered a sharp grin, and Jonn leaned against his
arm, spinning a throwing knife around his finger, face split by his own slasher
smile.

"You really shouldn't fuck with any more of my
friends," Hansel said congenially. He really didn't want to have to fight
these bastards, but he fuckin' would.

**ABBY**

Some people went through life and misfortune just happened
to 'em. Well behaved, well mannered, didn't try to cause trouble, just had a
ton of bad luck.

Gavi wasn't one of those people. Gavi went out and fought a
bear over it's cave. Gavi went running into a collapsing building cause she was
bored. Gavi, even though she'd spent half the day hunting in the woods with
Joan, decided to take offense to some guy's attitude and throw him through the
window.

Well, course he didn't like that, and when she climbed out
after him he punched her in the gut. Then Gavi smashed his face into her knee,
he elbowed her face-- to make a long story short they had a brawl.

Course the town guard didn't like that. Especially didn't
like it cause turned out he was one of those two-bit scrappers himself. (For a
guardsman he sure sucked at fighting.) Wasn't till the whole crowd of 'em
showed up though that common sense started to speak up a little louder. Even a
bunch of bitch-ass fighters could take down a more experienced one, if they had
the numbers. These guards didn't have much, but that- that they did have.

So Gavi was holding her ax, wondering if maybe she should
surrender before this got real out of hand, cept then reinforcements showed up.
Fuckin' Hansel and the squirt.

This was getting exciting again. "Yeah
motherfuckers," she taunted, swinging her ax up to rest on her shoulders.
"Think you can take us, huh? Ya bunch of pansy-ass bitches? You--"
she turned towards one guard- looked barely old enough to shave. "You
wanna go home to mama in pieces, huh? Just tell me how many, I can sure
oblige," she said, giving a reckless, feral grin.

**IZZY**

Fuckin' Gavi. Hansel was buzzed enough that he found it
pretty fuckin' amusing, even though he'd prefer to just intimidate the guard
into backing down, and he wasn't sure that was how Gavi worked.

He spotted that one guy among the guards, though -- that guy
who'd fucked with Goro -- and turned his grin on him, in particular. He tapped
his Clockwork Trident against the cobbles again as a reminder that he hadn't
needed weapons to ruin Kash's face the last time, and today he had both tridents
and two axes and backup. Kash stared at him and backed off a couple steps, and
the others looked to him, then to Hansel and Jonn, then to Gavi, then back to
Kash.

They fuckin' scattered.

Hansel gave a pleased snort and stepped closer to Gavi as
they did, just in case any of them got the bright idea to be a hero, and Jonn
followed his lead. He waited until they'd fully fucked off, then shifted his
trident from one hand to the other and draped his arm around Jonn's shoulders.
The kid put his knife away and leaned into him.

"So, uh." Hansel gave Gavi an amused look.
"What'd you do this time?"

**ABBY**

"Yeah you better run! Fuckers!" Gavi yelled at
their retreating backs. "I'm the fuckin' Spineripper!" She was almost
sorry to see 'em go. Adrenaline buzzing under her skin, and no way to burn it
off now.

Ah well. "Chucked one of 'em through a window,"
Gavi said to Hansel, looking completely unrepentant. "Fucker was giving me
a look. Hey squirt."

**IZZY**

Hansel nodded solemnly. "Yeah, it's like that
sometimes, eh."

Jonn raised a hand at her, then grabbed Hansel's arm, and
Hansel automatically shifted to make a handhold and a foothold that let Jonn
climb back onto his shoulders, legs dangling over each one. He liked being
taller, and Hansel thought it was fucking adorable.

**ABBY**

"Sure is," Gavi agreed, watching Jonn climb up.
First, that was adorable, second, Hansel got it. "How's the weather up
there?" she called to Jonn, teasing lightly.

**IZZY**

Jonn hunched way down so he could prop his chin on top of
Hansel's head. "Warm," he said, sounded contented, and looped his
arms around Hansel's neck.

Hansel passed his trident back to the kid, making him
shuffle to slip it into its holster before settling comfortably again.
"Safety in numbers," Hansel commented, a bit dryly. "Y'wanna
come drinking with us?"

He wanted to like Gavi. Raef's ... aunt-in-law, or whatever,
and all. Maybe they could find some fuckin' common ground and she could avoid
breaking anyone's fingers from here on out. She was fuckin' dying, anyway, so
he guessed he didn't have to try for that long.

**ABBY**

If that Jonn kid and Hansel wasn't just about the cutest
thing. Gavi felt herself smiling softer now. She could recall packing Timur
around like that-- till he'd got old enough he wanted to be a big boy and decided
he was too old too. She'd praised him for it, but it'd broken her heart a
little. Such was the pains of motherhood.

"I would, but I suspect I'd end up pitching someone
else through a window," she said wryly, holstering her axe. "I think
Joan might get pissed if I pick two fights with the town guard today."

**IZZY**

"I could always try to hold you back," Hansel
offered. Then he scratched his beard thoughtfully, squinting. "Town guard,
though. Might just fuckin' join you."

"I can't hold either one of you back," Jonn put
in.

"Yeah, we might need a fuckin' adult, or
somethin'."

**ABBY**

"Hey I am a fucking adult," Gavi objected.
"Just a fucking adult that likes to fucking fight."

**IZZY**

Hansel snorted. "Y'know, there's this fucking thing
called, uh. Impulse control. I ain't sure you got any." He looked up at
Jonn fondly. "See, that's why me and Jonn go out together, so when we
think about starting some fuckin' trouble, we remember that we don't wanna
fuckin' get each other in trouble." He held his hand up, and Jonn
high-fived him. "S'fuckin' teamwork, and shit."

Jonn nodded in agreement.

**ABBY**

"Ya'll are the cutest shit." And there went Gavi,
proving the point that she didn't have any impulse control. She'd roll with it.
"Watching each others backs and shit." She sighed, looking a little
wistful. "I miss that."

**IZZY**

Hansel scoffed. Fuckin' dumb. "Well, don't fuckin' miss
it, then. I fuckin' invite you to hang out with us or not?"

**ABBY**

Gavi shook herself a little. "Yeah, yeah you sure did.
What the hell, sure, yeah, let's go get drunk. I think the fuckin... Happy Goat
still ain't banned me."

**IZZY**

"Think they banned me," Hansel said guiltily.

"Nah, you said that was the Happy Fish," Jonn
said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, you told'em the name was dumb 'cause fish don't
have feelings, and then you broke their like, happy smiling fish sign, 'cause
fish can't smile."

"That does fuckin' sound like me," he admitted.

Jonn nodded sagely.

"A'right." Hansel gave Gavi a lazy salute.
"Fuckin' Happy Goat it is, then. Let's fuckin' go."

**ABBY**

"Oh shit that was you? Nice," Gavi held her hand
up for a high five. "That think looked like something from a fucking
nightmare. Course the Goat ain't much better. I kinda appreciate the fact they
gave it fangs though."

**IZZY**

Hansel high-fived her as they headed for the bar, knowing he
shouldn't be proud of himself, but kind of proud anyway. "I fuckin' grew
up around goats. They ain't got fangs, but it feels like they do,
sometimes."

"I like your mom's goats," Jonn commented.

Hansel snorted. "Yeah, 'cause they fuckin' like
you." To Gavi, he confided, "Fed those goddamn goats every day for
more'n ten years. All they ever wanted t'do was eat me instead. Little
bastards."

**ABBY**

Gavi snickered. "Y'ever try eating them instead?"
she asked. "My auntie Lieke used to make the best goat stew."

Just before entering the bar she glanced up at Jonn.
"Careful now, don't think they designed the door for you, big guy."

**IZZY**

"They're dairy goats," Hansel said, not actually
answering the question for no particular reason.

He paused outside the door, and Jonn awkwardly climbed off
him, grumbling, then immediately slumped into Hansel's side, holding onto his
arm. Hansel kissed the top of his head before going in.

**ABBY**

"Hey where I come from we eat what we can get,"
Gavi commented, following in after. And the two of 'em continued to be cute.
This family.

There was a table tucked back against the wall, one of those
booth-types. Had a real good view of the rest of the tavern, while still being
somewhat sheltered. Perfect.

There was a young couple that apparently had the same idea.
Gavi strode towards the table anyway, slamming her hands down on it.
"Hey," she said to the two, flashing her best, scariest grin.
"Our spot now. Scram."

**IZZY**

The couple stared at her in horror for a beat, then
scarpered off in a hurry.

"Aww," Hansel said, sitting down anyway with Jonn
slipping to the inside of the booth. "See, that's why you fuckin' get in
fights and shit all the time. You gotta be fuckin' nice to people."

Jonn nodded eagerly.

**ABBY**

"Hey, but I got this for us, see?" Gavi protested,
sliding down across from them. "Ya think fuckin... asking nicely would
have gotten 'em outta here?"

**IZZY**

"Lookit us." Hansel gestured between himself and
Gavi. "We're fuckin' tall, ripped, heavily-armed half-orcs. 'Course it
would've."

**ABBY**

Gavi squinted quizzically. "Then that's still not
askin' nice, just playactin' at it."

**IZZY**

"Yeah, but then when people call the town guard or city
paladins or fuckin' whatever, everyone's gotta say, nah, those half-orcs just
walked up and smiled and asked real nice if they could have the table." He
held a finger up like he was making an incredibly serious, poignant point.
"Hey. Listen. Look. Can we fuckin' help it that we look like this? Nah.
May as well take advantage of it. Without gettin' in trouble, ideally."

Jonn scoffed and straightened up to flag down a waiter.

**ABBY**

"Huh. Good point," Gavi commented. "Used to
be I was the law, basically. This... not gettin' in trouble with 'em thing's
new." Not that she hadn't tangled with some city guards in her time
either. But usually that was cause they were raiding the town, and she was
killin' em. That was easier.

**IZZY**

"Psshh. Used to be I was a fuckin' pirate. Gettin' in
trouble with the fuckin' law's all I know." He started to wave it off and
say something else, then grinned at Jonn abruptly and squeezed him around the
shoulders. "Ain't that right, y'little shit?"

Jonn rolled his eyes, but was beaming at the attention. He
told Gavi, "I was a pickpocket when we met, when I was a little kid."

"Fuckin' good one, too," Hansel said proudly.
"Robbed my entire goddamn crew blind, one-handed."

**ABBY**

"Huh, really." Checking to make sure she still had
her money would be rude. "Used to be I'd cut the hands off pickpockets."
That was also rude. "Sorry." She lapsed into awkward silence, looking
out at the rest of the bar's patrons and hoping the waitress came back with
their drinks soon.

**IZZY**

"You'd've had to catch me first," Jonn said, smug,
cuddled against Hansel's side.

Since he didn't seem bothered by the whole hand-cutting-off
thing -- too cozy and safe under Hansel's arm, probably -- Hansel just patted
his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it. S'long as you don't fuckin' try
to do it now."

He figured she could work out what'd happen if she actually
threatened his kid, so he didn't elaborate. Shouldn't be too difficult. The
waiter came by to drop off their drinks, giving them a slightly nervous look
before moving on, which Hansel responded to with a toothy grin.

After he'd left, though, Jonn chipped in, "Thanks for
apologizing, though."

**ABBY**

Gavi curled her hands around her mug and shot Jonn a small
grin. "Yeah?" She was getting better at this interacting shit. Go
her. "Well don't worry. I left my hand chopping axe back home."

**IZZY**

"Y'should never leave home without your hand choppin'
axe," Hansel said solemnly, drunk enough to considering whipping one of
his hands axes out and slamming the blade into the table, but not drunk enough
to do it. Jonn snorted.

**ABBY**

Gavi cackled and slammed her hand on the table. "I knew
there was a sense of humor in there somewhere!" she crowed, pointing at
Hansel. "Your dad's great, ya know that, squirt?"

**IZZY**

Jonn grinned and wrapped his arms around Hansel.
"Yep."

Hansel, meanwhile, scoffed and grumbled and decided against
objecting that he had a perfectly good sense of humor, Gavi just hadn't done
that much that he thought was funny. He swiped a shot off the table instead,
and held it up to Jonn, who cheerily grabbed his own, clinked the glasses
together, and linked arms with Hansel to down them.

He was pretty sure the kid'd forgotten about the less
drinking thing. Didn't matter anyway, since that wasn't why his memory was
fucked up. He kissed the top of Jonn's head, like that'd actually fix anything
inside. Always just kept fuckin' trying it.

**ABBY**

Gavi snorted and flipped Hansel off. Big grumpy bear. Still
great though. Joan was great and all but sometimes Gavi missed the company of
her own kind.

Hey speaking of. "Hey you remember that one orc?"
she asked, leaning forwards and resting her arms on the table. "Y'know the
orc that looked like someone'd taken a bite outta his face?"

**IZZY**

"Oh, yeah," Hansel said. "That was me. I
fuckin' took a bite out of his face."

**ABBY**

"Oh yeah? Y'know that just makes him even hotter."

**IZZY**

Hansel snorted automatically, then thought about it for a
second -- divorcing what Kash looked like from the fact that he'd fuckin'
messed with Goro -- and admitted, "Huh. Yeah, guess so. Damn."

Jonn rolled his eyes.

**ABBY**

"Hey how much you know about him anyway?" Gavi
asked. "Mainly if I've got a chance at getting fucked."

**IZZY**

He shrugged. "Man, I don't know his fuckin' type, all I
know is he attacked my family, so I ain't gonna fuck him." He gave a
magnanimous wave. "All fuckin' yours."

**ABBY**

"Hey I don't mind sharing," Gavi quipped,
grinning.

**IZZY**

Hansel opened his mouth to say something to the effect of
having to find something worth sharing first, but Jonn cut him off with an
exaggerated groan and shoved at him. "God, stop. Gross."

Scoffing lightly, Hansel grabbed him to hug him one-armed.
"A'right, a'right, yeah, sorry." He grinned at Gavi. "Guess
you're on your own."

**ABBY**

"That works for me too," Gavi said, leaning back
and taking a swig from her mug. It'd been too fucking long since she'd got
laid. But the kid prolly wouldn't appreciate hearing that either.

**IZZY**

Jonn nodded, satisfied with that and hiding behind his
stein, and Hansel gave him an amused glance before looking back to Gavi.
"Anyway, fucker's name is Kash, I know that much. Starts gettin' too
clingy just remind him you know a guy that already beat his and his buddies'
asses one time, and he'll do it again."

Hopefully without any fuckin' divine intervention this time,
but that seemed like a topic that'd be better off just fucking avoided.

**ABBY**

"Hey now I can take care of myself," Gavi
objected, shooting Hansel a narrow-eyed look. "I'll just smite his ass a
couple times. That usually works."

**IZZY**

Hansel snickered and commented, "Dunno, you didn't do a
great fuckin' job against me," before he could think better of it, then
shut his mouth, thinking, Ah, shit, nice one, commander.

**ABBY**

Gavi kept giving Hansel the same narrow look for a second.
Then slowly, she started smirking. "Well I wasn't trying to chase you
off."

**IZZY**

Oh, it was fine, then. "Yeah?" He grinned and sat
up straighter. "You wanna fuckin' go f'real, then? 'Cause we can fuckin'
go another round, Bonerot."

**ABBY**

"Hey y'know me," Gavi said, bracing her hands on
the table and standing up, grinning back. "I'm always up for another go,
ya fucking packmule."

**IZZY**

"Hey. Hey, now." Hansel stood too, leaning across
the table. "You --."

Jonn pawed at his arm. "Daaad. God. Stop."

"What?" Hansel looked back at him. "S'fine.
We're not actually fuckin' fighting."

"Uh-huh." Jonn tugged at him. "You will be in
like, three fucking minutes, though."

Hansel considered for a beat. Ah. Huh. Yeah, kid was right
-- he wasn't fuckin' good at backing down, even when it was all in good fun,
and then partway through he might remember that sound Goro had made when Gavi
bent his fingers back, and ...

"Eh." He jabbed a finger at Gavi. "A'right,
you get away this fuckin' time." He dropped back down next to Jonn.
"Only 'cause the boss here saved your hide, though."

Jonn wrapped his arms around one of Hansel's and leaned
against him again, pleased.

**ABBY**

"Oh fine, hide behind your shafan then," Gavi
said, flapping her hand dismissively and flopping back down into her seat.
Looked like no fuckin' fighting for her tonight. Shit luck.

**IZZY**

Hansel snorted. If he hadn't already about killed the woman
a couple times, he might get pissed about it, but he was pretty damn sure he
could take her. She could talk shit if she wanted.

In orcish, and with an innocent air, Jonn said, "I like
rabbits."

**ABBY**

Oh huh. Gavi glanced over at Jonn, studying him for a
second. Hadn't expected that. "That so?" she said, switching to
Orcish too. (Felt good to speak it again. Like a little taste of home.)
"Your dad teach you this too?" she asked.

**IZZY**

"We learned together," Jonn said, sticking to
orcish, and Hansel lapsed into it too.

"Hey. Nah. I taught you."

"While you were still learning from Elitash," he
argued.

Hansel scoffed, then shrugged at Gavi. "Grew up around
humans. I didn't learn orcish 'til after I met Jonn, yeah, so I taught him and
his sister as I learned it from a crewmate."

**ABBY**

"That'd-- nah never mind." Saying 'that'd explain
a lot' seemed like the sort of thing that might piss him off. "You taught
him good," she said instead, tilting her stein towards Hansel and taking
another sip. "Sounds almost like a natural."

**IZZY**

Hansel narrowed his eyes for a moment, but decided not to
pursue it.

Jonn just snorted. "Thanks, I guess."

**ABBY**

"Hey I meant it as a compliment," Gavi protested.
Resisted the urge to bump her foot against Jonn's, fucking boundaries and shit.
"It's good to hear my language being spoken y'know? Wasn't a thing I realized
I'd end up missing."

**IZZY**

Hansel mulled that over. Supposed it was a bit sad, yeah --
he missed bellowing out shanties as he led his crew, slurring out bullshit
about sailing and having people other than Mishka have any idea what the hell
he was talking about. Part of him wanted to grumble about how there was nothing
keeping her from going home -- no fuckin' sea monsters and terror -- but he
redirected the thought.

"Eh, you have a good time seein' the world and shit, at
least?" he asked, sticking to orcish. "Being away from home and
all."

**ABBY**

"Heh, yep," Gavi said, pulling her thoughts away
from home. "Never realized how different places was till I started
wandering around and saw for myself y'know? There was this one spot, a river,
real big one, I set up camp and the view when I got up that morning. Fuckin'
beautiful."

**IZZY**

"Man, I fuckin' hear ya." Hansel nodded. "I
ain't joking about growing up just around humans -- I'm talkin' literally not a
goddamn thing but humans. Then when I left home, started meeting tieflings and
goliaths and other orcish folk and shit." He made a gesture and sound to indicate
his mind had been fuckin' blown.

**ABBY**

"Y'know I don't know if I've got much room to talk
there cause all the folks I've known before now have been orcs," Gavi said
wryly. "Sounds boring as shit though."

**IZZY**

He snorted, then just shrugged. Gavi didn't seem to much
care for non-orcs -- found them adorable at best, he guessed. He didn't see any
reason to feed that by mentioning how fuckin' awful the humans in Shepherd
Hills were.

Jonn had been watching them both, interested in the
conversation but quiet, and when Hansel didn't really respond, he commented,
"That's fuckin' weird. You're both fuckin' weird. There's all sorts of
people in Skyport. I never even thought about it." He propped his face in
one hand, elbow on the table. Had that look on his face like Hansel was going
to have to explain something bizarre to him, later.

**ABBY**

"Yeah well maybe you're the fucking weird one, growing
up around all those-- halflings and fucking elves, and that turtle guy
too," Gavi teased. "You ever think of that, shafan?"

**IZZY**

"Not really," Jonn said bluntly. "I didn't
grow up with Roddy, though. And he's a tortle, not a turtle. And I've known
some really nice elves and half-elves, too. Maybe you shoulda just got to
know'em, and shit."

Hansel snorted again, into his beer.

**ABBY**

Gavi was less amused. She pulled back and studied Jonn for a
second. "Yeah well, when I find pieces of my family fucking strewn over
the countryside cause of  an elf army, it
makes me a little less inclined to like 'em."

**IZZY**

Jonn tilted his head, and Hansel watched him closely. He
could see Jonn processing that.

Once he had, he said, "There was this human woman that
tortured me and my sister." He said it blankly, without any inflection.
"Hansel saved us from her. And our parents were humans, and they were
fuckin' shitty, too. And the humans Dad grew up around fucking suck. But, like,
my sister is a human, and she's the best, and there's other humans that're,
y'know, okay." He tilted his head the other way. "D'you know
Goro?"

Hansel shifted. He didn't tell Jonn to stop talking, but he
got fucking ready to.

**ABBY**

Gavi glanced at Hansel, briefly. "Yeah I know
him," she said tightly. Glanced back at Jonn. "He's half though.
Purebloods don't like them too much either." Raef was full blood. But Raef...
Griffin loved him. Griffin felt at home with him. Gavi didn't understand it,
but for making her nephew feel safe, she could step back and not fuck it up.

**IZZY**

"So it's not the elf blood?" Jonn leaned in.
"If half-elves are okay? So it can't be every full-blooded elf, too,
right? 'Cause there's no, y'know, common factor, then, if it's not
biology."

"Hey." Hansel put a hand on his shoulder. He
didn't tend to care for it when Jonn talked about biology.

Jonn kept going. "And Mishka likes Goro, and he's a full-blooded
elf. And elves must like half-elves, in general, or there wouldn't be any
fuckin' half-elves, 'cause it takes one to make one, right?"

"All right," Hansel cut him off, more firmly.
"All right, maybe reel it in, there, kid."

He did, leaning back and falling silent, but still
bright-eyed with interest.

**ABBY**

Gavi crossed her arms, clenching her jaw. She had the sense
the kid was trying to spin her around in circles. "Lissen. Maybe your
Skyport elves are different then. But I know what I've seen. Fuckin' elves keep
trying to take what's ours. Trying to tear us down for taking it back. I've
lost count of how many of mine we found slaughtered. By elves. And you're
trying to talk to me about biology."

**IZZY**

Jonn opened his mouth again, and Hansel immediately, sharply
said, "Nope. Drop it." The kid looked cowed, and he softened it by
pulling him in to kiss the top of his head.

He knew Jonn was going to say, But Mishka isn't a Skyport
elf, he's from Alabaster.

Knew he was going to say, I've seen people killed, too, and
not by elves.

Knew he was going to say something unsettling about how all
kinds of people were just the same, when you took them apart.

"Let's just fuckin' not, eh?" Hansel said gently.
Sometimes it was useful to talk to Jonn briefly in orcish, when other people
were around, but that wasn't going to work here. Shame the kid didn't know
elvish, too.

Jonn frowned, but left it alone; Hansel knew he was just
trying to understand, and felt a bit bad for telling him off. It wasn't going
to help, though. He would just have to fuckin' fight Gavi again, and he sure as
shit would if she decided to threaten his kid, but he figured they could cut it
out before they got to that point.

**ABBY**

Gavi watched their interplay, angry, hard gaze flicking from
one to the other. A beat or two after Hansel shushed Jonn, she shifted to rest
her arms on the table. "Yeah, let's not," she echoed sullenly. Ran
her hand through her hair and let out a long, slow breath. No need to get mad
and pick a fight now. She had cause, but she was trying to make friends here.

"C'mon then. Tell me something interesting about
Skyport," Gavi said. Still sounding sullen and angry. "Leave this elf
thing behind."

**IZZY**

Jonn kept his mouth shut, looking at the table. Hansel
chewed on that for a second, trying to think of something he could bring up
that the kid would be excited to chatter about -- that'd keep them out of
fuckin' trouble.

It rankled him a bit. Having to step tenderly, having to be
sharp with Jonn for saying shit he didn't fuckin' disagree with. Gavi could be
all right, though, and he didn't want to get into a pointless scrap that
wouldn't fucking change anything.

All he could fuckin' think about now, though, was Mishka and
Goro, and Raef and Serena, and even that weird fuckin' elf kid with the wolf.
He grumbled wordlessly. "Dunno. Fuckin' built on top of another city,
apparently. People like to go down to the undercity and fight monsters, look
for treasure and shit."

"It's cool down there," Jonn said quietly.

**ABBY**

Hansel sure picked the right thing to distract Gavi. A whole
city full of dangers and loot? Right up her alley. "Shit really? I gotta
go hit Skyport sometime," Gavi said, delighted. Drag Griffin, maybe Joan
along- and if Griffin goes should offer to let Raef come- and they have a grand
old time.

**IZZY**

"Yeah, I've never been," he commented. "Or,
kinda." He wasn't sure if Diva's little fucking hideout quite counted.
"Eh. Anyway, couple friends got stuck down there for a few days, while
back. Gotta be careful and shit."

**ABBY**

"Heeeeey," Gavi said, leaning back and smirking.
"You know who you're talking to, right?"

**IZZY**

He snorted. "A'right, well, you go missing I ain't
crawlin' through the undercity to find you. Better make it out on your
own."

**ABBY**

"Whos to say you didn't come down with me in the first
place?" Gavi teased, bobbing her eyebrows at Hansel.

**IZZY**

"Me. I say that."

**ABBY**

"Oh fuck off you grouch." Gavi loved this guy. He
was fuckin' hilarious.

**IZZY**

"Yeah, that's the plan," he said, amused.
"That's what I'm fuckin' sayin'."

**ABBY**

"Okay I changed my mind then. Fuck in."

**IZZY**

Hansel snorted and laughed. "See, now we're on the same
fuckin' page. Y'get it."

**ABBY**

"You could really give me it, too," Gavi said,
propping her chin in her hands and winking at Hansel.

**IZZY**

He scowled. "Didn't we fuckin' talk about this? Y'still
goddamn lucky I don't break more than your fingers. Don't fuckin' push
it."

Beside him, Jonn straightened, then settled against him as
he talked.

**ABBY**

"Aright, aright," Gavi said, holding her hands up.
Yep, still not interested. Shame. "I'm done."

**IZZY**

He grumbled wordlessly. Believe it when he saw it.

**ABBY**

Yeah, Gavi better figure out what to change the subject too
before she got Hansel back to wanting to breaking things. "What do you do
for excitement then, if not getting dragged off to the undercity?" she
asked.

**IZZY**

Hansel shrugged. "Working with Joan and the Runners and
shit, y'know. Plenty of excitement, most of the time. Ain't gotta go lookin'.
Helped kill a hydra, the other day."

"Me too," Jonn added.

"Yeah, gettin' to be a family business," Hansel
said proudly. Fucking terrifying, thinking about Luci being in that much
danger, but Jonn and Roddy were going to be in it anyway, so they may as well
do it with him, he figured.

**ABBY**

"Killed a hydra?" Color her impressed. "I
gotta start hanging out with you guys more, ya'll get into the best shit."

**IZZY**

"Yeah." He thought about it for a sec.
"Could've used another axe to throw at the thing, s'pose. Probably woulda
made a snack out of you, though."

**ABBY**

"What a way to go though, eh?" Gavi said,
grinning.

**IZZY**

"Yeah, just like that." He snapped his fingers and
his teeth at the same time, grinning.

**ABBY**

"Hey c'mon tell me the story," Gavi cajoled.
"Bet it's a fuckin' good one."

**IZZY**

Hansel scoffed, still grinning a bit. He'd been fuckin'
unconscious or possessed for about half of it, but he could do part. He settled
in a bit. "Right, sure. So we went up to this place called Sienna Springs,
nice town, but fuckin' run by this piece-a-shit guild we were fighting. Turned
out the guild was being fuckin' ..." He waved away the specifics.
"Bein' run by a hydra chained up in this volcano next to the town. So,
y'know. Had to kill a hydra."

He shrugged. Kill a hydra, kill a god-king, kill a god. Not
problem. "So this whole group of us -- me and Jonn, and my other kids Luci
and Roddy, and Goro and Mishka and a few others -- we head into the volcano.
Hydra's still chained up, we're fuckin' beating the shit out of is, it's
snapping at us with all its goddamn heads. One point this other Runner, Jasper,
she just gets fucking caught in its jaws and keeps going to goddamn town on it.
Me and her and Raef are on the front, and I take one too many bites and go
down, so Mishka cracks in close to distract the bitch, and Jonn runs in to dump
healing potions down my throat."

He paused to ruffle Jonn's hair, and Jonn put in, "Your
healing potions."

"Yeah, I make potions." He waved that off, too.
"Anyway, fucking thing breaks loose of its chains, smashes through the wall
into this fuckin' ... lava basin, or whatever, and we gotta chase it down and
keep fighting from these little rickety stone pillars and wooden bridges and
shit. Me and Jasper keep the thing's attention, mostly, and, god --." He
huffed. "Fuckin' Luci -- listen, my daughter, uh, Jonn's little sister --
girl's fuckin' out there in hand-me-down armor from Goro and my old pirate
shield, right there next to me. Cleric, y'know? Keeping me on my feet while
Goro's on the other side of the lava, taking care of the rest."

.

He paused again, scratching his beard awkwardly.
"Anyway, I got, uh ... Took some real bad hits and got knocked out.
Couldn't tell you the rest."

Then Jonn blurted, "'Cause Gruumsh fucking grabbed him
when he was hurt and weak and made him try to kill us." He clung to
Hansel's arm, hiding half of his face against it. "Luci almost died."

Hansel winced.

**ABBY**

Gavi was grinning as Hansel spun the story. It was a good
story. Fighting, nearly dying, impossible odds, yeah, the best kind of story.

And then Jonn blurted out about Gruumsh, and his sister
(little sister) nearly dying... and it was like a bucket of cold water got
dumped on her. "Shit," she blurted. Wasn't sure what to feel.

Defensive a bit, at first. But Jonn's blood sister- she'd be
human- fuck if that didn't sound accurate. Jonn's little sister- how old was
she? Fuckin- ten? (What if Gavi'd been turned against her family-- her kid--)
it was too horrible to think about. She folded her arms over her stomach,
looking and feeling sick. "Shit," she repeated, softer. "Is she
okay?"

**IZZY**

Hansel nodded silently. He'd asked the Sterlings -- once
they were alone -- what'd happened. Knew Jonn wouldn't lie to him and Luci
wouldn't sugarcoat things. She'd told him about it real fuckin'
matter-of-factly -- the lightning that ripped through them and dropped her and
Raef.

"Goro took care of her," he said quietly. Which, he
guessed, meant Mask had, or something. Not fuckin' Gruumsh, that much was for
sure. "And once they got me back, her and Goro took care of me. 'Cause,
y'know." He shrugged. "Family."

"She's really tough," Jonn said, sounding like he
was proud and distressed at the same time, still holding onto Hansel's arm.
"This other time it happened -- I wasn't there, but she told me about her
and Goro managing to hold out 'til the others could get there and help."
His fingernails bit into Hansel. He didn't say, And if the others hadn't gotten
there in time --

"Yeah," Hansel said firmly. "She's all right.
Everyone's all right." And he didn't say, This time, anyway.

**ABBY**

Other time? Shit. Shit. Gavi knew how this worked. Gavi knew
that next time, there was no guarantee that Luci would be safe. Or any of the
rest. They weren't orcs.

She rested her head in her hands, staring down at the table.
"That's my god," she said lowly. Not sure what else to say. Couldn't
defend him, couldn't condemn him.

**IZZY**

Hansel shrugged.

"Yeah."

Not much else to say, he figured.

**ABBY**

Gavi took a few slow breaths. Right. It was her god. And--
she knew the rules. She followed 'em. Hansel didn't. So she could say this was
his fault-- but last time she'd said that he'd knocked her out. And really...
he was her friend. A friend that had a gulf of ideological differences but...
well. Wasn't like she could find anyone that agreed with her out here. (Not
even Griffin.)

She looked up. "Hey. Can we go outside?" The bar
was too cramped, to loud, to hot. "I need... air."

**IZZY**

He shrugged again and slid out of the booth, not quite sure
what to think, here. Gavi hadn't been too fuckin' sympathetic about Gruumsh
using Hansel to attack and kill his family before, and he was primed for her to
want to fuckin' fight him, or something, and as much as he was attempting to
make nice, he really fucking might put her down if she mouthed off like that
again. Seemed a little put-off, this time, though.

Jonn trailed along behind him as they stepped out into the
cool air. Bit of a breeze, now, and getting properly cold as the sun went down.
Hansel paused a few paces out the door, and Jonn linked around his arm again,
like always.

"You, uh. You good?" Hansel asked Gavi, slipping
his hands into his coat pockets.

**ABBY**

Gavi paced back and forth a bit, running her hands through
her hair. "Dunno," she said shortly in answer to Hansel's question.
"Y'ever try doing something new?" she asked suddenly. "And it
goes well. Till you butt up against something you're real used to doing some
other way. And it's hard to figure how to--" she stopped and clasped her
hands together, "mix 'em. If that even makes sense."

**IZZY**

"Uh." Hansel watched her pacing, and coming to a
stop, with vague wariness. "S'pose." Trying to be a dad and a pirate
at the same time hadn't worked so well. Shit like consistency wasn't really
possible when you were living with the knowledge that any cannonball and any
storm could be the end of you. He'd picked piracy and done a half-ass job of
being a parent. "Just gotta pick one or the other, sometimes, I guess, if
you wanna do either one right."

**ABBY**

Gavi let out a short, bitter laugh. Yep. This just about
sounded right. She closed her eyes. I'm not betraying you, she prayed. I'm
still faithful. It's just that if I can get along then I can stick around,
watch out for Grif-- Imesh better. And she wouldn't be so lonely. But Gruumsh
wouldn't care about that.

"Okay listen," she said, finally rounding to fully
face Hansel. "I'm-- trying to be more understanding and shit. And that's
my god. But..." she grit her teeth, and then plowed on, "I know he's
not yours. I know how important your kids are to you." She glanced at
Jonn. "Mine are real fuckin' important to me too," she said softly.
Looked back at Hansel, squaring her shoulders. "Look. I can't... I can't
agree with you about Gruumsh. But I guess. I guess I can understand why
you'd... think what you do."

**IZZY**

"Great," Hansel said bluntly. "Don't need
your fuckin' approval, but sure."

Gruumsh made me kill my sisters, he could tell her. Made me
kill a fucking child who had never hurt a soul. Gruumsh fucking terrorized me
and my brother, too, my human blood brother, put lightning in him and I don't
even fuckin' know why, tore the sea away from my other brother when it's the
love of his goddamn life. Gruumsh almost killed my daughter, twice. Almost
killed my boyfriend. Gruumsh would fucking take everything from me again, if he
could. Your fucking permission ain't required.

None of that would be helpful, though, so he kept it short,
and just shrugged again.

**ABBY**

Gavi glared. "Yeah well I don't need yours
either!" Not helpful. "Sorry," she said, pinching the bridge of
her nose. "Look I'm trying to-- make a point here." Hopefully one
they could both live with. "Look-- I'm trying to say I want us to be
friends aright? And I know this Gruumsh thing-- we both got strong feelings
about it."

**IZZY**

"Yup, sure fuckin' do," he said dryly. Jonn tensed
at her tone and edged slightly behind him.

**ABBY**

Ah shit she was spooking the kid. "Hey," she said
to Jonn, gentling her tone. "S'okay. I'm really trying not to fight, for
once in my life."

**IZZY**

Jonn made a noncommittal, suspicious sound.

**ABBY**

Well, she couldn't blame him for that. Sometimes the best
thing you could do for for things like this though was to prove it. So, back to
Hansel. "Okay look. What I'm trying to say is... I get it. You hate
Gruumsh. Yeah, it rankles me, but I get it. Enough that-- I can shut up about
it." She wanted to get closer, jab her finger in Hansel's chest, but with
Jonn being so close, maybe she better let the distance stay. "But I'd sure
appreciate it if you shut up about it too."

**IZZY**

Hansel shrugged the shoulder Jonn wasn't hiding behind.
"S'what I fuckin' been doing all night, man, yeah, what d'you think? You
keep your mouth shut, I keep my mouth shut, you don't break anyone's fingers, I
don't snap you in fucking half." He spread his hands slightly. "Works
for me."

**ABBY**

Well that'd been a lot easier than expected. Least once Gavi
managed to get to her point. "Well shit and here I thought the subject
just hadn't come up," she said, feeling the knot of stress unwinding from
her chest. Wasn't ideal but, yeah, she could work with this.

**IZZY**

He snorted. "Honestly, you might be fuckin' surprised how
many times a day I think 'fuck Gruumsh,' but I can keep it from comin' out my
mouth."

**ABBY**

"Can I say well fuck you too without making you want to
snap my neck?" It was a joke. Mostly. Gavi hadn't been kidding about it
rankling to hear that.

**IZZY**

"I'll contain the fuckin' urge," he said wryly.
Jonn relaxed a bit, beside him.

**ABBY**

"Well fuck you too," Gavi said. And for good
measure flipped him off. "Now c'mon lets go back inside, I need a
drink."

**IZZY**

"Eh." He glanced up at the moon. Was fuckin' late,
and they'd been out for a while. Jonn had burnt off his dangerous energy, and
Hansel was hoping he'd fuckin' settle down at the castle, tonight. He glanced down
at the kid. "Think maybe we've had enough drinks for tonight, a'ready.
Rain check, though, eh?"

**ABBY**

Gavi paused just before entering the tavern.
"Sure," she agreed. "You two go sleep it off ya pansies,"
she teased. "Maybe I'll track down that fucker Kash for some
fuckin'," she joked, bobbing her eyebrows and grinning.

**IZZY**

He scoffed, and dropped an arm to scoop Jonn up. Jonn
immediately clung to his neck, cuddling against him contentedly. "Well,
good luck. He might be fuckin' scared of you since I showed up."

**ABBY**

"Hey never hurts to try!" Gavi spread her hands.
"Now if you'll excuse me I got drinkin' to do and men to hit on. I'll see
ya around." She'd turned while she spoke and waved over her shoulder
before disappearing into the building.

**IZZY**

"Psh. I mean, it fuckin' might," Hansel said under
his breath, lifting a hand to her as he turned away, too. Jonn snickered
against his chest.

[END]

Title: Understanding. Summary: Hansel and Jonn help Gavi out
with a problem with the town guard, then the group go drinking and Gavi learns
that Gruumsh has forced Hansel to almost kill his kids in the past. This has an
impact on her. They agree to avoid discussing the things they disagree on.