[Video]

[flamescout]

Hey. Seems like we got a lot of new people at once, so allow me to welcome you to the city. My name's Raye. I've been here about...probably a year now? Close to it, anyway. If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them, but Harry's fliers next to the Bay cover most of the basics.

Let me know if you need help with anything.

[Private to Harry]

I'm guessing I was the only one of us that wound up in snoozeville. Knowing you, you're probably moping around acting like the loneliest scruffy wanderer in the world. Well, I'm up now, so it's time to start shaving again!

[She grins a little and winks. Just teasing! Probably. ...He does need to shave, though.]

Comments

[no_love_potions]

[He has his moments.]

[He sighs a little.]

I think that's why I was awake. It would start poking around where one of you were, but as soon as I got close, it turned around and headed straight for me.

[So, basically, yes. Yes, he did.]

[flamescout]

Harry...

[Raye's grateful. She truly is! But she's also really worried, because that thing didn't mess around. If it was strong enough to get through gates, it was probably no pushover for Harry. If he slipped up even once... Raye's quiet for a moment. Then she steps closer, looking him in the eyes. She probably shouldn't do that, but she doesn't know any better yet.]

How many times did it kill you? Be honest.

[Because if he died, that means he might have wound up having pieces of himself stripped away in order to return.]

[no_love_potions]

[It wasn't. The thing, things, whatever were powerful, fast and horrifyingly hard to put down. Even throwing everything he had at it, most of the time he was just lucky to be able to run away in one piece.]

It--

[And then she had locked eyes with him and there's a flash of panic as he feels the tug of a soulgaze begin with just that look. Before the floodgates open, he tears his eyes away, focusing just above them. He had no idea what anybody looking at his soul would see now. He'd seen the looks of fear and shock before, even had one person faint, and that was before he'd sold it for power. Before he'd tainted his hands with the blood of someone he loved. Before he'd unleashed black magic of cataclysmic proportions on the world.

Whatever he was now, he didn't want to force that burden onto Raye. Not her. Not ever.]

-- twice. It managed to catch me off guard once, and another time when I had to bring a building down on both of us to stop it.

[flamescout]

[Raye feels sick, and she knows it's not because of the carbonation. He died twice. She's been killed before, so she knows how painful it is, and how awful and full of regrets she'd been as she lay dying on the ice.]

Please tell me the city compensated you for protecting it...i-it didn't take anything, did it...? What did it take?!

[She's so rocked by the revelation that she barely notices the odd vertigo that comes from meeting his gaze if only for that split second.]

[no_love_potions]

Raye.

[That tremor to her voice and the expression on her face isn't lost on him, so his voice is gentle and he reaches out, putting his right hand on her shoulder,and comes as close to looking her in the eye as he dares. His left was back to a scarred, twisted mess after he gave up the healing it had done for his second resurrection. The other... well, he supposed not remembering what that was was the point.]

I got myself killed by that thing, nothing I can do about that, it's the risk I took for getting in its face. But paying the toll to come back? That was my choice, just mine, and I'd make it again. No regrets.

[Because it was worth it. Because being who he was, being able to do what he could, having power sometimes meant making hard choices and sacrifices and doing it because it was what was best for somebody else.

He manages a smile and gives her shoulder a gentle squeeze.]

So don't worry about it, okay?

[flamescout]

[She hadn't noticed the hand before, but she sure does now. Her face blanches at the sight, and at her sides, her hands clench into fists. This stupid city. This stupid, rotten, horrible city!]

You can't seriously expect me not to worry, Harry.

[And he gets a look. ...At least it's a little funny.]

[no_love_potions]

[Harry glances down and moves his hand behind his coat. It was the price he paid and considering some of the other stuff he might have given up, it was a cheap one.]

Hell, no, but there's plenty of bigger stuff to worry about right now.

[It would be funny if she wasn't looking so pale, and it didn't look like she was trying to force her fingernails through her palms.]

[flamescout]

Like what?

[Is that thing still out there? Did he find something else? Because seriously, she's not sure what's 'bigger' than the fact that her not-dad just got smeared into paste TWICE.]

[no_love_potions]

Breakfast. Did you eat yet?

[Because dad or not-dad, it's his job to do the worrying, not for her to worry about him. He grins and releases the wards over the door using the talisman with an unseen crackle of energy.]

[flamescout]

Ugh...!

[She plants her fists on her hips, forcing out an exasperated sigh.]

No, I drink Coke for breakfast, just like some wizard I know.

[no_love_potions]

[He puts the best disapproving frown on his face that he can.]

You shouldn't do that. Wizards set terrible examples.

[Then that morphs into a small grin and he hands her the talisman back.]

It checks out. You're safe to open the door again.

[flamescout]

Yeah? Let's try it out.

[She slings the chain around her neck again, then reaches for the door. Happily, Raye is not incinerated. She doesn't even flinch; that's how much she trusts him and his work, so he better be proud of that.]

[But then the door opens further, and Raye actually gets her first look at Harry's apartment. ...GROSS.]

Just how much takeout have you been eating?

[Like she's one to talk, instant ramen queen.]

[no_love_potions]

[It is a source of pride indeed, and he grins a little when she pushes the big door open.]

[But wait, there's something bugging him, he feels like he forgot something.... Oh, right, the heaps of garbage bags and stacked styrofoam takeout containers next to the door like he'd been trying to build a fort.]

[He stands in the doorway, looking over Raye's shoulder dumbly and gesturing helplessly at the mess for a second before he finally manages what sounds like a pretty feeble excuse even to his ears, even if it was true.]

Yeah. Well, you try keeping up with garbage day when your apartment's under siege.

[flamescout]

It's not THAT hard, you can't make the 'saving the world' excuse all the time! Ugh, at least one of them must have gone rotten...

[She puts a sleeve up to her nose, frowning in disapproval as she stalks into his kitchen and starts rooting around until she finds a big garbage bag. Time to start cleaning this place up. Call it a late birthday present.]