"Yeah - I just - feel wrong," he says. "I mean... I'm - not scared of them, not anymore, it helped with that part fine. And I feel - weird, unsettled, and it helps with that too, having something to do, having something to do about it... but... I still feel wrong. Nothing helps with that."

"Time," she offers helplessly. "I felt like that too but I'm--okay, now."

"Okay." Hug.

Hug. "It might take longer for you. It was only one person for me."

"Yeah."

Hug. Sigh.

Hug. Hairpets.

That is good. She is good.

Eventually there is breakfast to be had, and the rest of the day after that.

That evening the last of them shows up to dinner, which she hasn't done in a while, and walks right up to him and Anaseverina as they are finishing their meal.

"All right, it's clear I'm not getting out of this and I don't feel like spending the next few hours waiting for you to find me. Hi, I'm Kaseo, I fucked you over and I'm sorry. Take your one night of unspeakable torment and we'll call it even."

...he was really not expecting that.

Neither was anyone else! A vague surprised murmur goes around.

But he can go with it. He shrugs and stands up. "Very reasonable of you. Come with me."

She follows him to his room, with an astonishingly casual attitude for someone expecting unspeakable torments.

"So you're weirdly calm about all this."

"Yeah," she says. "I fucked with the wrong person, I didn't get away with it, it happens."

"Why did you even do it in the first place."

"I think the rest of them had some kind of complicated agenda going on. Me, I was just bored."

...he actually laughs.

"You were bored," she mutters, not sounding impressed.

"Have you considered getting a better hobby?"

"Maybe I should get more serious about magic. Where the fuck did you dig up that one spell?"

"Invented it."

"Teach it to me sometime?"

"Not a chance."

"Literally why would he do that."

"I would if it was me!"