"I think the conversations keep getting stuck on - you are hoping that once you explain once you're scared of, I'll reassure you that I won't hurt you. But I usually won't reassure you of that. So you explain your very heartfelt thing and I say 'yeah, seems true' and then we're stuck. And it's not that - I think probably you're too scared. But not in a way that there are specific things I could confidently say. If that makes sense."

"The last time I talked to you I ended up in a lot of pain and then got mocked for it and then had to walk through the palace alone and wait by my door until I felt capable of moving without pain again. I feel like a certain amount of fear is - to be expected. At this point."

"Sure."

Sigh.

"Do you think you could - separate anything at all out into a list of things you might do and a list of things you will actually not do even if I disobey you or otherwise break the law and you're really mad about this?"

"Probably? I might yell at you. I might tell you to go away, though I'll be more careful about that with the context you think of it as a punishment. I might cast something to hold you still or nonlethally injure you or make you stop talking or make you obey a command. I might tell someone to confine you to your rooms. That... I don't know that that's exhaustive but that's most of what I could imagine doing. Uh, if you sleep with someone else I'll kill you."

Nod.

"Did that - help."

"I dunno. Maybe. Might have been better with the inclusion of anything you're not gonna do."

"I won't...turn you into a frog? I won't - maim you or something? If they're not directly related to whatever the problem is I won't take your things. Your - books. The reason I thought you'd want the theology book was - I still owed you one, right - but it seemed weird to give you Asmodeus's -"

" - pff." She buries her face in his shoulder. "Could've picked one I didn't have a grudge against. But that - makes sense. I guess."

"Oh, are you mad at Abadar. Guess that makes sense. I think - I hate this, of course, but he couldn't just watch while there was a war -"

"I guess. Doesn't mean I have to like him for it."

Shrug. "And what was wrong with the history books, was it really that the pharaohs were men -"

"No. I mean, yes, it bugged me that - that it was a reminder that I was living in a society that was sufficiently sexist that no women were relevant enough to merit even a passing mention, but - mostly it bugged me that - I was so upset about being stuck here, and so scared, and so hungry for anything shaped like a reassurance that you still cared, and - I just wanted to think about something far away. Something that didn't have anything to do with this situation. Something that'd serve as a reminder that - that you had any idea who I was."

Sigh. Hug.

"I wish I were easier to reassure, I guess. I think you're - probably right about where we keep getting stuck."

"I really don't want you to be scared. But - I feel like I got boxed in by some promises I made not really imagining all the situations that could happen, and I don't want to do that again."

"That makes sense."

"I could maybe do more time-bounded, if it helps to know I won't hurt you today, or something."

" - yeah. That'd help some. I think."

"Okay. Today I am planning to lie here moping and wait for Fazil to come back and give us the stuff and at some point eat something. If you start being very unpleasant to be around I will tell you that I want you to stop talking. If you ignore me I will tell you to leave. If you do not leave I will call someone to throw you out. Otherwise I will not hurt you today."

Nodnod. Snuggle.

Snuggle.

"I guess it's possible that you just - have to go a lot longer without hurting me. For me to stop being scared."

"That would make sense. Or use a spell."