"Yeah. Just. Wow, they really fucked this one up, didn't they."

"Twice in a row, even."

Snort. "Yeah."

"I mean, I'm glad I survived to be born and grow up and so on, but you can sure as hell bet that whatever son of a bitch sired me didn't mean for that to happen."

"No kidding. And just - wow. I didn't notice a thing when you were playing human, and then..." He shakes his head.

Shrug. "Talyr's apparently just that good. And you didn't even touch me, anyway."

"I probably wouldn't have seen it even then. I wouldn't hardly know what to look for, and I don't know anybody who can read living things like Talyr can."

"If it were easy to notice by touching me someone would have noticed before now."

"They better not have," he mutters.

"Better not have noticed? I think they would have said something if they did."

"Yeah. So if anybody noticed, they didn't say anything. And that's - not okay."

"I'm--glad that noticing resulted in this."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"I thought they'd kill me if they noticed."

"It doesn't sound like they were giving you much reason to think otherwise. ...do you want a hug or has Talyr got that covered."

"I don't want to stop hugging him but if I don't need to then that would be good."

He comes to sit down next to them and tucks an arm around Mezeidai's shoulders. "We won't let anybody hurt you. Promise."

Snuggle. "I--hope you're right that you can."

Izaneth snorts. "Oh, trust me, it is not gonna be a problem."

Wryly: "I hope you don't need to burn any important bridges in keeping your promise, then."

He laughs. "Yeah. Thanks."

There is a knock on the door.

Mezeidai curls up more into Talyr and Izaneth.

He gives her a gentle squeeze and goes to answer the door.

There is a vaguely bewildered, slightly guilty-looking demon on the other side.