"Wasn't a very good plan. But - I wouldn't have guessed you'd rather be blind than have sex so I don't have a very good sense of how you're all - ordered, there -"

"I think most people I've known would consider it a stupid trade. But - I don't know, if you had sex with me now, that I would ever be able to touch you again without - being afraid, so - "

Nod. Hug.

Hug.

"I suppose I don't know how people feel about people they agreed to let blind them, either."

"I would expect they don't like them much. At least, I wouldn't. - it doesn't have to be me it just seems like it'd be worse if it was someone who didn't love you -"

Nodnod. Snuggle.

"I guess you wouldn't have to do both eyes. If it's just the pain and not the blindness that's important. Losing vision in one is much less bad - "

"'s not even supposed to make you blind so I can't imagine that'd be the important part."

Nodnod.

"I - want to talk to your father again, I think. In case he has - anything else he wants that isn't horrible."

"That makes sense."

Nod.

"I don't know whether it's better or worse if it's you, really. Humans - we almost never torture people we like. Humans generally torture people to make an example of them, or for punishment, or revenge, or to make them afraid so they'll agree to something horrible - "

"Well, if you want it to be someone else instead, I can tell them to do it themselves."

Headshake.

"It'll be - in some ways it'll be harder? But - at least if you're doing it I'll - if something happens and I might lose vision in both eyes you'll stop - "

She thinks she might be crying a little.

"I love you. I don't want to hurt you. I don't - I'm sorry they're like this, if they were just being cruel I'd hate them but they're just so so so scared -"

"Yeah. That makes sense."

She maybe wants a lot more hugs before she goes to find his father, though.

So so many hugs. 

Hugs. She doesn't really feel safe but she does feel cared for.

Eventually she goes off to find his father.

"There you are," he says contentedly. "I hear you were involved in all that nonsense -" he waves a hand whose fingers look burnt at the tips.

"Hello. I understand that there was a lot of trouble. And that - I'm supposed to pay off my debts."

"If you're going to get summoned off to an alternate universe again it'd be good if you didn't leave a mound of corpses behind you! - is everything all right?"

" - I don't know that I should answer that. I, uh - I was wondering if there was anything else very valuable you might want, before we resort to violence."

" - to violence? No, no, just send the little one to me ahead of you and keep my son in bed for an hour in the mornings and you'll be fine. - I should like to hear the story of the alternate universe people, I guess, if you're looking to pay for things."

"I could tell you the story. I - don't think the other thing is a very good idea, and I'm worried that the usual fairy methods of using violence to manage debt might - lead to permanent loss of functions or senses, for humans. So - if you do think of anything else you'd like that's more like stories, I'd appreciate the chance to pay off as much as possible that way."

" - well it doesn't have to be him, if you wanted a girl or something? Do tell me the story."

She can tell him almost everything she remembers, then, being very careful to be accurate. She will maybe elide some of the specific personal conversations, but there should be plenty of interest anyway.

He seems fascinated. "Will any of them come to visit, do you suppose? The other me who knows more languages? Can you write down what the note looked like?"