TRP: Ba'ob and Hansel (Adoption)

**Izzy:**

 [SETTING: Day 157. Hansel has left Mishka and Nixie as
buddies and teleported into Skyport for vague reasons.]

Hansel knew it was probably fucking hopeless, but he had to
do something. They had plans to off Asenka, now, and Wish her back when they
could, but there was no telling when they'd actually be able to do that -- he
didn't know how clever the undead were. Might be she'd heard their plans and
would back off, or would just back off because they were clear threats to her.
He didn't fucking know what she wanted, or how capable of getting it she would
be.

But until they killed her, the castle wasn't safe. They were
sticking together, in pairs at the least, so no one would be alone and
vulnerable. Buddy system.

The problem was that Hansel knew his idiot kid had a
tendency to show up at the castle unannounced, and no one was going to be his
fucking buddy if he did.

So he headed for the port district, to the place that was
supposed to be safe, and that he had instead exploded and burned to the ground.
Left a note pinned to a charred timber over the cellar, saying that the castle
wasn't safe -- it fucking hadn't been before, but he added that he'd leave
another note when the threat was gone, because part of him wanted Jonn to come
to the castle again. Two parts, actually, which were in conflict because one
just wanted to hug his damn kid, and the other part knew that if Jonn showed up
at the wrong time, someone or other in the castle would put a sharp object in
him, and, well --

He was going to get his axes silvered, and the Clockwork
Trident if that was possible. He thought he might have enough gold for it.
Would've joked about getting a loan from Goro, again, but it didn't seem like a
good time. He stepped out of the crumbling remains of the Grumpy Sausage and
started to head off to a smith to get the job done, so he could start the walk
back to Glimmerton, but paused and acted like he was reading a bulletin board.

.

Shady fucking characters were nothing out of the ordinary in
the port district. He'd been one of them, plenty of times. There was a group of
three people dressed like Helmite clerics, offering food to the downtrodden,
like good clerics would, but he had some experience with shady fucking clerics
and slavers alike, and they had the look. Poison-laced muffins, he'd bet. He
glanced along the rooftops, spotted a hooded figure munching on an apple
innocuously, eyeballing everyone who took a muffin, writing in a notebook on
her lap. Tracking later marks.

This wasn't any of Hansel's business, but he had a
particular fucking disdain for slavers. And maybe he just wanted to start a
fucking fight with someone. An elf in a green cloak -- young, and half-feral
more from the woods that the streets, by the looks of him -- went up to the
supposed clerics, and Hansel ground his teeth. Some kid. One who'd just tumbled
in from the forest and didn't know any better, and just wanted some food.

Not his business, he told himself, but didn't move yet. Kept
glaring at the bulletin board. He had no fucking idea what anything on it said.

**Muse:**

 Wolf had gotten sick. Ba'ob didn't know what had set it off,
but she'd been moping around whining and hurting. He'd tried to help her, but
didn't know how. Didn't like how that made him feel. So he took off. Maybe the
others could help her. Maybe Ba'ob'd find some city people that'd help instead.
Maybe he just wouldn't be there when...

Ba'ob could handle the city. He could. Just didn't like to.
There was people out, handing out food. Robes like that- usually they had
healing magic. One of 'em was teifling too. Ba'ob walked up to them and grabbed
at the teifling's sleeve. "Help wolf? Sick," he asked, staring up at
him.

“Hey what-” he pulled away. “Get your hands off me.”

Ba’ob dug his fingers in a little tighter. “Wolf sick. Help,”
he repeated, more insistent.

“Think he’s asking for help for his pet,” chimed in one of
the other ones.

“Hey, I got an idea, let me talk to him.”

Too much chatter. Ba’ob bared his teeth and growled. The
tiefling pulled away but one of the others- human- took his place. “So your
pet’s sick, huh? Want some help? Well, see these muffins? These got herbs and
stuff in ‘em. Make him all better. You want that.”

Ba’ob stopped growling, and started staring at the muffins.
Needed those. He lunged, but the human grabbed his cloak and kept him from
reaching them. Ba’ob whirled, growling again.

“Hey hey calm down! Listen, we want to help but we can’t do
it for free. How about you do us a little favor? See that orc over there?” he
gestured. Ba’ob followed to where he was pointing. Hard to miss him- big,
bulky, standing in front of some board with papers all over it. “Go grab us his
money, and we’ll give you a muffin, how’s about that?”

Good enough for Ba’ob. He eyed the orc for a second, trying
to spot where his money’d be. Eh, probably pockets, that’s what they were for.
Ba’ob was quiet, and he used that to slip up behind the orc. Slid his hand in
one of the pockets, trying to find the coin, and-(edited)

**Izzy:**

 Hansel shifted. Nope. Not his business. The brief scuffle
was absolutely none of his concern. Hmm. The fact that the little elf headed
his was probably was his concern. Or it was a coincidence, or -- or the shifty
little bastard was trying to pickpocket him. For fucksake.

He snatched the elf's wrist and held onto it, turning to
face him. Caught the slavers, out of the corner of his eye, angling away a bit
and snickering.

Eldath, this elf really was fucking young. He could tell by
looking, and with elves you usually couldn't that well. Looked all ... stunted,
or something. "Hey," he said firmly. "What the fuck." He
switched to elvish, because at a glance none of the slavers were half-elven, so
hopefully they wouldn't understand him and the kid would. "Those
motherfuckers over there tell you to steal from me, or are you just real
fuckin' bad at picking out marks?"

**Muse:**

 Ba'ob wasn't sneaky enough. Got caught. Orc was saying
things but Ba'ob wasn't listening, thrashing around and trying to get his wrist
free. Let out a snarl and started scrabbling for the dagger at his hip, intent
on stabbing his captor.

**Izzy:**

 "No, you fuckin' don't." Hansel wrested the dagger
away from him and held it up out of his reach. Noticed that he had a bow, too,
but he'd need both hands to use it. Might just stab Hansel with an arrow, but
eh -- he'd had worse. "Hey. I'm fuckin' talking to you. Do you not hear me
fuckin' talking to you?" he tried, still in elvish, still calm.

**Muse:**

 "Let go," Ba'ob snapped back, in Common. Dagger was
gone. Couldn't get his arm free. Could feel panic closing up the back of his
throat. Ba'ob lunged to sink his teeth into the orc's arm, kicking at his legs.

**Izzy:**

 "If I let you go are you gonna try to steal my shit
again?"

He didn't move when the kid bit him. He'd had worse.(edited)

**Muse:**

 Wasn't letting go. For a second Ba'ob tried to bite harder,
tear at the flesh of his arm. But it didn't make any difference. So Ba'ob let
go, spitting out the orc's blood. "Yes yes, no steal, be good," he
said desperately. Twisting his arm around still.

**Izzy:**

 Hansel narrowed his eyes. He wasn't really buying it, but
his arm did fucking hurt and he didn't get the impression he was going to get
much of anywhere, here.

He let the kid go, and took a chance by holding his knife
back out to him, hilt first.

**Muse:**

 Ba'ob had already taken several steps back, rubbing at where
the orc had grabbed him. Hesitated when he saw the offered knife. Glanced
between it, and the orc, and took a risk. Dashed forwards and grabbed it, not
caring if he cut the orc as he tore it from his hands, and turned to run
towards the robed people who'd offered him the muffin in the first place.

January 8, 2019

**Izzy:**

 "Aw, c'mon." Hansel looked down at the little
papercut-like slice the blade had left on his thumb. "S'just fuckin'
rude."

Then he realized the kid had bolted back for the slavers.
Still wasn't his business, but ...

He walked over slowly, pulling a bandage out of his bag to
wrap around where the weird little elf had bitten him, winding it around, tying
it off, and tearing it with his teeth. He slipped the roll back into his bag
about the time he came to a stop in front of the slavers, who'd backed away
from him a bit. The kid was hiding behind them, like they weren't fucking scum.

"You offer this kid a treat to steal from me?" he
asked.

Hesitantly, the tiefling nodded, like maybe if they were
honest at this point, Hansel would just walk away.

He did not. He took another step forward instead. They
leaned back.

"Why don't you fuckin' eat one yourself?"

Two of them shared a nervous look. The third took it upon
himself to be the leader, and calmly, rationally explained, "Hey, man, you
look like a pirate, right? You get it. They're, y'know." He laughed
nervously. "They're dosed. They're poisoned."

"Mmhm." Hansel grabbed the front of his robe and
shoved him away as hard as he possibly could, sending him tumbling some ways
away and off the boardwalk with a splash and a yelp. Then he looked at the two
that were left and commented, "Y'know, I got two axes."

Before they'd even bolted, he had turned his attention back
to the elf, sticking with Common this time. "Listen, if you're hungry I'll
just buy you some goddamn food."(edited)

**Muse:**

 Ba'ob felt a whine building in the back of his throat as the
orc didn't back off. Cowered behind the others, knife out, backing up till he
couldn't any more- hard wood of a crate keeping him trapped.

One of 'em admitted to poisoning the food. Ba'ob jolted, his
knife lowering as he stared at the guy in betrayal. They'd said it'd help wolf.
Lied? Ba'ob's grip tightened on the knife, and if orc hadn't thrown him off the
dock, Ba'ob may have stabbed him. But the orc did, and the other two ran off.
Leaving Ba'ob alone.

"Stay back," he said, and heard his voice crack-
half from fear half because it did that now. "Being good. Not
stealing."

**Izzy:**

 Hansel frowned. He realized he'd accidentally backed the kid
into a corner -- the slavers had bolted around him, but the kid seemed ... too
fucking scared, really. Ah, he knew he should just back off, leave him to his
own devices, but goddammit. He couldn't.

"Hey. All right." He took a step back and dropped
down slowly to kneel, like he was trying to get an animal to trust him, and dug
into his bag to pull out some dried meat. Didn't eat it himself, of course, but
it kept for a long time and it was useful to have around if someone else needed
food.

He held it out at arm's reach. "S'okay." He kept
his voice soft. "Listen, I'm not gonna hurt you, even if you do steal from
me. You hungry?"(edited)

**Muse:**

 Ba'ob's heart was pounding in his chest. Backed into a
corner, there was an orc, wolf wasn't here, he was alone and weak and helpless
and- and hungry. Always hungry.

Orc was making himself smaller. Offering food. Ba'ob kept
pressed back against the crate, knife out in front of him. Been taken from him
before- too easy. Didn't mean Ba'ob wouldn't still try. It'd be risky, taking
that food. Bait in a trap. But Ba'ob was good at disarming traps.

Quick as he could, Ba'ob lunged for the meat and snatched
it, and ducked off to the side. Kept the knife up the whole time. Now he had
more room to maneuver. Didn't eat his prize, not yet, instead he was watching
the orc. See what he'd do.

**Izzy:**

 "Okay." Seemed like progress. Hansel shifted to
cross his legs under him, settle in a bit. Kid might realize that meant he'd
have a harder time giving chase right away, if he wanted to make a run for it
-- might make him feel a bit safer.

He pulled another strip of jerky out of his bag and offered
that one, too. "I got more." His automatic response was just to keep
talking, lowly, even though the elf wasn't talking back that much, and did it
brokenly when he did. "Hey. My name's Hansel. You got a name?"

**Muse:**

 Ba'ob pulled back slightly as the orc moved- but he was just
sitting. Wasn't a good way to sit to get up quick either. Better for Ba'ob to
grab stuff, then. "Yes," he said in answer to the orc's question- and
grabbed for the other jerky bit. They were coming from the bag. Haveta get
closer to grab that. Worth it? Ba'ob'd have to think about that a bit more.

**Izzy:**

 Hansel grinned despite himself. What a little shit.
"You wanna tell me what it is?" he asked, fully expecting a no. He
was down to one piece of jerky -- maybe he should wait and use it as a
bargaining chip.

**Muse:**

 "No," Ba'ob said. Hey where was more food? Ba'ob
shifted a little, eyeing the bag. He was quick, but so was the orc. And the orc
had a longer reach. But maybe Ba'ob'd get lucky. He started edging to the side,
maybe a little closer. Just out of arm's reach, knife still in hand.

**Izzy:**

 Hansel kept grinning, watching the elf creep around him. He
should probably stop -- little weirdo might take it wrong, think he was baring
his teeth. But this was real fuckin' amusing, and he was enjoying the
distraction.

"Hey, make you a deal, little man." He pulled out
the last piece of jerky but didn't hold this one out, just waved it
tantalizingly. "You can have this if you tell me your name. And if you're
still hungry, I'll get you some real food in a tavern, yeah? Sound good?"

**Muse:**

 Ba'ob bared his teeth and growled. Didn't like this deal.
Liked the other one better. Ba'ob just took'em in that deal. He shifted his
weight, eyeing the strip in the orc's hand, and chewing on the other two he'd
taken. Name wasn't much. "Ba'ob," he mumbled, waiting for the orc to
hold out the jerky before moving for it.

**Izzy:**

 Hansel held the jerky out. "Thank you." Ba'ob.
Weird name for an elf. Weird fuckin' elf, to be fair.

He jangled his wallet. "Listen, I got about a hundred
gold I can spare. Lemme get you some real food, huh? So you don't have to eat
poisoned shit."

**Muse:**

 Ba'ob didn't trust this. But he wanted food. Always wanted
food. Maybe he could try grabbing the money and buying his own. Was right in
the orc's hand though- Ba'ob prolly get grabbed again.

He had friends. They'd come if Ba'ob needed 'em. Wolf could
lead them. He'd risk it. "No grab," he said, brandishing the knife
for emphasis. "Stay 'way. But okay."

**Izzy:**

 "No grab," Hansel agreed, amused. He stood up
slowly, holding his hands palms out. Couldn't help thinking about taking Jonn
and Luci to the Sausage, before heading out for the Sanctuary. Ba'ob was a bit
more fuckin' feral than Jonn'd been, though.

Hansel kind of wanted to pat the kid's head. He was goddamn
adorable, all knifey and snarling and shit. Seemed like a good way to get bit
again -- probably counted as grabbing.

So he gestured vaguely for the kid to follow him instead,
backing away a couple steps. "C'mon. You cold? I know a place we can sit
inside, won't mind your uh ..." Another vague gesture. "This whole
deal."

He started off carefully, looking to make sure the kid was
following him.

**Muse:**

 Ba'ob followed, several steps back, and kept the knife
pointed in Hansel's general direction. "Am fine," he grumbled. Didn't
like insides. Insides were warmer, but always got mad about dumb things. Didn't
like it when Ba'ob sat on the table. Didn't like it when Ba'ob brought wolf in.
Didn't like it when Ba'ob climbed into the rafters for a better view. Stupid.

"My deal fine," he snapped. "Others stupid.
People stupid. Specially orcs," he bit out, hanging back a little further
and watching the orc's reaction.

**Izzy:**

 "Mm, fair," Hansel said, still amused. "I'm
the one tryin' to fuckin' feed some kid who tried to steal from me, and tried
to shank me, and fucking bit me. Yeah, that's pretty stupid. You gotta
point." He kept walking. It wasn't too cold today -- he wouldn't push it.
Kid'd be all right outside. "Only half a stupid orc, though. Other half's
a stupid human," he corrected patiently.

**Muse:**

 Ba'ob paused a second, squinting at the orc. Remembered Mahto
talking about it. Being mixed. Was still confusing. "Don't look
human," he grumbled. "Look orc."

**Izzy:**

 "Yeah, y'know, that's what most people think." He
gave the kid a little bit of a closer look, himself. He hadn't seen his ears
that well, under his hood, just the angle of them. Could be a half-elf,
actually. He wasn't sure. He tapped at his tusk. "This'd be a lot fuckin'
nastier if I was a full-blood orc, though. Great for bitin' back on kids that
try to steal from me. Guess I'll just have to fuckin' be nice instead,
though."

**Muse:**

 Was that a threat? Ba'ob stopped, baring his teeth and
growling. He could bite too. There was a mark on the orc's arm to prove it.

**Izzy:**

 "Aw, kid." Hansel couldn't help laughing a little
at the reaction, even though he felt bad about it. The growling, though.
Eldath. Weird fuckin' elf. "Nah. I'm not gonna bite you. Bad joke, okay?
Don't you think if I was gonna hurt you, I'd've done it already? I mean,
shit." He hadn't honestly been sure how much of what he said Ba'ob could
understand, considering how well he was able to talk back. Seemed like he
didn't miss anything, though, or at least got the important stuff.

**Muse:**

 Ba'ob's growling tapered off and he started shuffling after
the orc again. A little bit further than before though, wasn't sure he trusted this.
"Dunno," he said, shrugging. "Got knife," he reminded,
waving it again. "And bow. And sword."

**Izzy:**

 Hansel thought about reminding the kid how easily he'd taken
the knife off him, before. He could probably just pick the little shit up and
hold him at arm's length and render him completely ineffective -- Hansel could
do that with Jonn, just about, and Ba'ob was ... maybe even smaller than him.
Hard to tell for sure, with his posture.

Main point, though, it probably wasn't a great idea to
remind Ba'ob that Hansel could hurt him, if he wanted to, in the interest of
pointing out that he hadn't. So he said, "You sure fuckin' do, kid,"
amiably, and let the kid trail behind as he stopped at the window of a seaside
walk-up and tapped on the glass. Kept an eye on him as he ordered, then came
back towards him slowly, holding a couple wooden bowls of steaming stew,
holding one out further.

**Muse:**

 Orc got quiet. Ba'ob puffed his chest out a little. Yeah, he
had weapons- and some magic. He could defend himself! People should be scared
of him! He was feeling so confident, in fact, that when they got to the food
stand he beelined for the human who was just leaving with his food and pulled
it out of his hands instead.

"Mine now," he said, baring his teeth.

**Izzy:**

 Ah, for fucksake. Hansel sighed and came up alongside the
kid, and shoved one bowl into the other guy's hands as he sputtered and reached
for his sword. "Fuck off. Nothin' to see."

He let his now-free hand drop to an axe, and Ba'ob's victim
closed his mouth, nodded, and backed away for a few steps before turning to
leave more quickly.

Hansel looked down at the kid with mild disapproval. "I
just said I'd buy you food. How fuckin' hungry are you, kid?"

**Muse:**

 "Not tell," Ba'ob said back, backing out of range.
Gave a sharp little grin and climbed up on a nearby table and started eating,
keeping an eye on the orc out of the corner of his eye.

**Izzy:**

 Hansel backed up, stepped onto a seat, then up to sit on the
adjacent table, watching the kid wolf down his food. He wondered if Ba'ob was
fuckin' starving, or just ... a teenager. Hard to tell with elves, yeah, but he
clearly was young. Hansel remembered being like that -- for a half-orc it'd
been about twelve, thirteen. He didn't have any fucking idea what it was for
elves. He'd have to ask Mishka when he got home.

When Ba'ob finished what he'd stolen, Hansel silently held
the bowl out to him. It was catfish stew -- he wasn't eating it himself. He'd
figured both bowls'd be for the kid.

**Muse:**

 Ba'ob eyed it suspiciously a moment. He'd thought that was
orc's food. But orc was offering it to him- and Ba'ob made a point not to turn
down food. He eased over- and then grabbed it and ducked back to his spot as
fast as he could. Made a bit of a mess, but most of the stew stayed in the
bowl. Scarfed that down too. Kept watching the orc, seeing what he was doing.

**Izzy:**

 Hansel watched back, amused by the kid's obvious suspicion
of him. Walked right up to a band of slavers and asked for food and done them a
favor in exchange -- well, tried to -- but Hansel kept him from eating poison
and gave him as much proper food as he could eat, and he still got the
stink-eye. Fuckin' high elves. Still managed to be racist even when they were
half-wild. Or more than half, maybe.

Could be orcs had killed the kid's family, or something,
though. Couldn't say.

"You still hungry?" he asked. "I can get you
more."

**Muse:**

 Ba'ob stared for a second. Orc kept trying to feed him. If
he wanted to be stupid Ba'ob let him. He nodded, even though his stomach was
feeling full. Had been times he'd kept eating and thrown it back up. Had been
times he hadn't. Ba'ob'd risk it.

**Izzy:**

 "A'right." Hansel held up a finger and went to
order another couple bowls -- one with fish, one without, because smelling it
had kind of made him hungry. Hadn't eaten breakfast with all the fuckin'
excitement in the castle carrying into the morning from the previous night.

He held the bowl with meat out to Ba'ob as he sat down
again, but not at arm's length, this time. Make him close a little bit closer.

**Muse:**

 Hey. That wasn't as far this time. Ba'ob started to edge for
it, and then backed off. Didn't like this. Close enough to grab again. Got a
little closer, but still not close enough. "Giiive," he whined,
looking at the stew. Wanted that- didn't want to get closer.

**Izzy:**

 "I am givin'," Hansel said, and didn't budge.

**Muse:**

 Ba'ob didn't like this. He glanced off, back towards
Azriel's, thought about just running. But food. Never turn down food- never
knew when it'd be gone. Pulled the knife back out, just in case, and grabbed
the bowl out of the orc's hands. He retreated further back this time, glaring
more directly as he ate.

**Izzy:**

 "Aw," Hansel said. That'd backfired a bit. He
didn't push it further, though -- just sat and ate his own stew. It was going
to take a long goddamn time to make any real progress with this kid. Might get
himself shanghaied or nabbed by the paladins for stealing the wrong thing,
first.

"Hey. Ba'ob. You takin' care of someone?" he
tried, instead of asking if someone was taking care of him. "Someone else
hungry, maybe? I can send'em food too, if you aren't just gonna fuckin' shove
it down your throat on the spot."

**Muse:**

 "Others fine," Ba'ob said. Already had finished
his stew, was thinking a nap sounded nice. Not around the orc. Hey he was dumb.
Maybe... "Need money," Ba'ob said. "Bent." That was the
word Azriel had used, right?

**Izzy:**

 Hansel raised an eyebrow. He didn't fucking know what bent
meant, but at least the kid wasn't alone, then. "Yeah, well, I just spent
all my loose change on stew." Probably with some other fuckin' feral kids,
street kids or something. Hansel chewed on his bottom lip idly.

This still wasn't any of his goddamn business. There were a
lot of orphans and beggar kids and little pickpockets in Skyport. He couldn't
feed all of them.

He could try to help this one, though.

"Listen, I'm not in Skyport that much anymore," he
said. "But when I am, if y'see me around, I'll help you out, okay? Get you
some food, or kick you some extra silvers if I got'em."

**Muse:**

 Approach an orc for help. Ba'ob didn't like the idea. But
the orc had fed him and he said he would again- and sounded like he'd give some
money too. Azriel'd like that. "Maybe," he said. "No grab."

**Izzy:**

 Hansel scoffed out a laugh. "Sure thing, kid. No more
grabbing. Gotcha."

January 9, 2019

**Muse:**

 Dummy. Ba'ob still didn't trust him though. If the orc
wasn't gonna feed him any more, then Ba'ob didn't have a reason to stick
around. He slid down off the table and walked off, glancing over his shoulder a
few times to make sure the orc wasn't following. Maybe wolf'd be feeling
better.

[END]

Title: Adoption. Summary: Ba'ob is tricked into trying to
steal from Hansel. Hansel immediately goes Full On Dad and feeds him.

January 12, 2019