I have wares of many kind

“I typically do involve innocents in my ruling but we had an agreement, so I’ll personally be taking you to your son,” he said, standing up and smoothing out his waistcoat, motioning for one of the guards to come with him just in case. “I can’t believe you actually gave it off to someone who can’t even use it.”

Elphaba didn’t respond, only folding her hands in front of her and following. Her skirts created a nice circle of fabric, keeping a small radius covered as she walked. A bee slipped out buzzing into a room they passed. At this point she spoke. “Life is more important than power, Shell. I doubt you will learn this. However, you will see it firsthand with this war you’ve chosen to create.”

“Is that a threat,” he asked, stopping dead in his tracks. “Maybe I won’t take you to see your son, then. Maybe I’ll just keep him and toss him back and forth between prisons. I was doing this out of the goodness of my heart, but since you seem to think there’s none of that, why not prove you right,” he said, the guard raising his weapon at Elphaba, waiting for an order. “You don’t know how this war will end, I wouldn’t be talking about things I know nothing about if I were you.”

“It wasn’t a threat and you know it.” She scowled, paying the guard no mind as she focused on her younger brother. “But there is no good in taking an innocent child to get at his mother. It is below you, not as my brother but as a Thropp. And for what little there was it was the only thing I expected you to know.” She took a step forward. “If you wish to create such heartache then strike me down in this hallway. I will not live a new life controlled by fear. Not again.”

“It is very much beneath me and in those prisons he’d be in, I’d make sure he was treated well. He’s treated well here too, just like a day camp, but it was the only way to contact you again, seeing as you pride yourself on being untraceable these days,” he said, leading her into a back room that was nothing like a jail cell at all but rather just a nicely decorated room, Liir on the floor drawing with crayons as the guard told to watch him was complimenting the drawing, telling him how good it looked. “See? No harm has come to the child. He’s just a boy, I wouldn’t punish him for no other reason being his mother’s son.”

“Liir-” El breathed out, falling to her knees and gathering the child against her. It was a rare sign of affection, one of relief as she kissed his head. She kissed his head as shaky hands caressed his hair.

“Mama, I drew a picture,” the little boy said, not understanding why his mother was so relieved to see him. Shell just sort of stood watching, wishing to himself that he had had a parent who cared about him as much as his sister seemed to care about his nephew. Maybe if he did, things would have been different.

“I noticed.” She murmured with a soft chuckle. She sat back to look at his drawing, complimenting certain features. Setting the drawing aside she gently cupped his face. “How was your stay? They weren’t rough with you were they?”

“Not at all, mama! They gave me sliced apple for a snack and some juice and mr. guard here was telling me stories and I had a lot of fun! Mr. Shell was even worried about giving me anything like peanut butter because he was worried I was allergic to it! They let me make a pillow fort too!”

“Good. Im glad. It sounds…like you had fun.” She stood. “Give us a moment, dear.” She motioned for Shell to follow her at of the room, gathering her words carefully.

Shell nodded and went out into the hallway with her, closing the door behind him. “See, I’m not a monster. He’s a little boy, what did you expect me to do? Plus, he’s quite the little charmer.”

“It is a well known fact that the old emperor left with the book, Shell. What was the point of this?” She lifted an eyebrow, a classin but quizzical look taking her face. It wasn’t very often she referred back to her younger mannerisms.

“I wanted to meet him. I knew if I asked you, you wouldn’t let me so I made a plan. I was hanging out with him a lot. I only stopped because I had a meeting and then after that you were there so I couldn’t go back to playing with him and listening to him tell stories.”

“This is why I dont don’t let family around him! Stunts like this!” El crossed her arms, glaring at him. “If you weren’t so nosey and cobdescending and simply asked to meet your nephew I would have complied. You coukd obviously find me the first time, you could manage a second without a flair for the dramatic.”

“I must be related to you then if I have a flair for dramatics,” he said with a grin. “Really though, may I see him again sometime? He’s a good boy, I’d like to hear what else comes out of his mouth, he’s honestly hilarious. I’m usually not too big of a fan of children but Liir has moxie and humor and at one point while he was there he asked me if I had ever eaten a spider and sounded extremely disappointed when I said I hadn’t.”

“He’s..muchblike his father when he was younger. Full of curiosity.” Her gaze lowered, asmall frown overtaking her. “You may. But he will not come back here. I do not want him to walk these tainted halls. He’s a sebsitive boy.”

“Okay. Where would you like me to visit him then? Also when’s his birthday, I just met him today but I’ve come to the conclusion that I want to get him gifts if it’s alright with you, his mother. He’s a cute little boy and I want to give him something fun that he could enjoy.”

“Evenings. I want him to focus on his lessons during the day. His birthday is..” She paused, pondering the question. “I..I don’t remember..” This seemed to upset her now that she was asked. She had always given him gifts when she found things, never a specific date. There was the possibility she spoiled him of course but he was all she had.

“Alright, I’ll inform you when I plan on coming over, though I’d like to know where I’m coming over to,” he said, having had wanted a specific date but now feeling more at peace with the idea of giving him gifts whenever and however often he wanted.

Fabala faltered, unsure if she was ready to give away where she had been hiding all those years. “..The Observatory..in the Wilds.” After the loss of her lover and his child bride she had found little solace in the castle, moving her lab to her own Observatory. No one bothered her, and she no longer bothered them.

“Well, I’ll send word that I’m coming before I do and I’ll only come by in the evenings so the little gentleman can focus on his studies, I trust you’re teaching him to be a bright, powerful magic user. I know you think my words come cheap in regarding affection, but I do have a soft spot for your boy. He’s a good child.”

She shrunk at the idea pf teaching her son magic. His father didn't have the knack for it like she did and it frightened her to let him become like her. "Of course."

“It’s not parlor tricks more as flipping over a card, saying what it means, and giving people the interpretation that they need to hear he said with a smile, putting his cards back into a pile and slipping them in a pocket just the perfect size for them on the inside of his jacket. “Thank you, I had some lavender so I decided to put it in the bath with me and I’m really glad I did, I smell a lot better than I did covered with Ogre blood,” he said with a laugh. “So, what’s your poison? What can I get you to drink?”

"That you do." She gave a soft laugh. "Whiskey. I was never fond of rural mead around here." She rested her arms on the table delicately. "And what of palm readings? Do they ever get you somewhere?" Sge cast a mischevious look over him.

Molly ordered them both some whiskey, sitting down across from her and looking her in the eye. “Well, people tend to believe what you say when you have cards to back it up, so they can find out if The Five Of Cups Reversed really means what you say it does but for palm reading, you can claim every little line on your palm means something else. Some people even go onto the fingers for their palm readings,” he said, taking her hand and flattening it, palm in the air. “They say this is the finger of Jupiter or something like that and it can be used to tell someone’s personality and hobbies but honestly, that’s all fake. You can’t tell by someone’s pointer finger what they’re like, people just use words that describe basically everyone, saying things like “You’ve had tough times but you have a lot of determination for the future” as if that’s completely unique to that one person.”

Greer flushed a bit, nodding. "I see." She glanced down at her palm, relishing how warm his hand is against her own before wiggling her fingers a bit. "And what do you think my hand can signify?"

He ran a gentle finger over one of the lines of her hand as he began speaking. “Well, your life line is extremely long, so I’d fathom a guess you’re going to live forever or damn near forever at least,” he said with a little laugh, thanking the server when their drinks were brought over, giving the man a hearty tip. “Your heart line has a good curve to it and it’s a good distance below your fingers too, so that means you’re a generous, sensual, and loving person.”

"What do you think I am?" It was a question that left most baffled when she spoke. There were many odd and exotic peopke and cultures, but of that world. Greer and Wren however..were not. She used her free hand to take a shot, before relaxing the other against the table as she had a look herself. Sensual and loving huh? That one was new. Usually her sister called her immature and an idiot.

“Well, I’m pretty sure you could understand when I taunted the creature in Infernal which means you’re either a very strange Tiefling or a Demon of some sort so I’d venture a guess you’re a demon,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. “Am I right or am I just making snap judgements based on an expression you had when I started speaking a language that’s not really commonly spoken?”

"You need practice." She remarked before pausing. "Were you checking me out during the fight?" She lifted her eyebrows with a hum. "A..incubus of sorts. Give or take. Violence, sex, hunger. An odd mix. Not really sure they have a name for us because we are such a specific breed born from the feelings and violent emotions of man."

“Yeah, I looked at the whole crowd to see if there were any kids there who could have been hurt. Fighting a big beastie like that shouldn’t draw a crowd, for their safety the ones who could have died should have been inside homes or watching from windows. I was looking to see if there were kids but I saw you and your sister instead. Your sister seems- well- not as lively as you, Greer. You seemed excited to be there and she seemed to be treating it like a chore.”

"A fight like that is always a spectacle." She dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I've seen humans gather around two trolls clubbing each other before turning on the crowd. It brings excitement to the duelity of life." Greer took another drink. "My sister feeds to live. Without each other we are broken halves to a heart. Or whatever the phrase goes. Point is, we need each other to live but we have very different ideas of living. I suppose it is because she was formed in the Meridean first. Older."

“Still, even if she’s older she should be able to loosen up and have some fun a bit. I was kinda hoping I’d meet her, it’s not like I asked to meet you at a sort of club. I’d like to think a big part of the spectacle of the fight was just me in general because a lot of people here don’t seems to have seen a Tiefling before, let alone dressed as outrageously as me several weren’t even sure what gender to make me out to be but I don’t care one way or another really. If someone wants to call me a woman I’m fine with that, just like if someone wants to call me a man. Both work for me, life’s too short to stick firmly to just one.”

"Saddened you only got me instead?" She teased, nodding. "We have no notion of gender. We dress as we please. We have both parts, what is the poin of worrying of such trifle things? Many are small minded, surprised by beauty when it appears and drive a hatred to it. Why do you think rieflings are disregarded by such a plain species as humans?" She waved her hand. "Ah, but we did not come here to discuss politics. We are here to celebrate!" She lifted her glass. "To your victory. May many more come your way."

“Thank you, and for our shared heritage, may we infernal creatures still freak the shit out of humans without even trying,” he said, raising his glass along with her, knocking them together before taking a drink. “Here’s to us, and here’s to you,” he said, giving her a wide, genuine smile as he spoke, truly enjoying this night with her.

"To us." She echoed, a grin followed with a blush on her face. She downed the rest of her drink before eloquently setting the glass down. Greer woukd effectively de for this man.

“It’s not parlor tricks more as flipping over a card, saying what it means, and giving people the interpretation that they need to hear he said with a smile, putting his cards back into a pile and slipping them in a pocket just the perfect size for them on the inside of his jacket. “Thank you, I had some lavender so I decided to put it in the bath with me and I’m really glad I did, I smell a lot better than I did covered with Ogre blood,” he said with a laugh. “So, what’s your poison? What can I get you to drink?”

"That you do." She gave a soft laugh. "Whiskey. I was never fond of rural mead around here." She rested her arms on the table delicately. "And what of palm readings? Do they ever get you somewhere?" Sge cast a mischevious look over him.

Molly ordered them both some whiskey, sitting down across from her and looking her in the eye. “Well, people tend to believe what you say when you have cards to back it up, so they can find out if The Five Of Cups Reversed really means what you say it does but for palm reading, you can claim every little line on your palm means something else. Some people even go onto the fingers for their palm readings,” he said, taking her hand and flattening it, palm in the air. “They say this is the finger of Jupiter or something like that and it can be used to tell someone’s personality and hobbies but honestly, that’s all fake. You can’t tell by someone’s pointer finger what they’re like, people just use words that describe basically everyone, saying things like “You’ve had tough times but you have a lot of determination for the future” as if that’s completely unique to that one person.”

Greer flushed a bit, nodding. "I see." She glanced down at her palm, relishing how warm his hand is against her own before wiggling her fingers a bit. "And what do you think my hand can signify?"

He ran a gentle finger over one of the lines of her hand as he began speaking. “Well, your life line is extremely long, so I’d fathom a guess you’re going to live forever or damn near forever at least,” he said with a little laugh, thanking the server when their drinks were brought over, giving the man a hearty tip. “Your heart line has a good curve to it and it’s a good distance below your fingers too, so that means you’re a generous, sensual, and loving person.”

"What do you think I am?" It was a question that left most baffled when she spoke. There were many odd and exotic peopke and cultures, but of that world. Greer and Wren however..were not. She used her free hand to take a shot, before relaxing the other against the table as she had a look herself. Sensual and loving huh? That one was new. Usually her sister called her immature and an idiot.

“Well, I’m pretty sure you could understand when I taunted the creature in Infernal which means you’re either a very strange Tiefling or a Demon of some sort so I’d venture a guess you’re a demon,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. “Am I right or am I just making snap judgements based on an expression you had when I started speaking a language that’s not really commonly spoken?”

"You need practice." She remarked before pausing. "Were you checking me out during the fight?" She lifted her eyebrows with a hum. "A..incubus of sorts. Give or take. Violence, sex, hunger. An odd mix. Not really sure they have a name for us because we are such a specific breed born from the feelings and violent emotions of man."

“Yeah, I looked at the whole crowd to see if there were any kids there who could have been hurt. Fighting a big beastie like that shouldn’t draw a crowd, for their safety the ones who could have died should have been inside homes or watching from windows. I was looking to see if there were kids but I saw you and your sister instead. Your sister seems- well- not as lively as you, Greer. You seemed excited to be there and she seemed to be treating it like a chore.”

"A fight like that is always a spectacle." She dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I've seen humans gather around two trolls clubbing each other before turning on the crowd. It brings excitement to the duelity of life." Greer took another drink. "My sister feeds to live. Without each other we are broken halves to a heart. Or whatever the phrase goes. Point is, we need each other to live but we have very different ideas of living. I suppose it is because she was formed in the Meridean first. Older."

“Still, even if she’s older she should be able to loosen up and have some fun a bit. I was kinda hoping I’d meet her, it’s not like I asked to meet you at a sort of club. I’d like to think a big part of the spectacle of the fight was just me in general because a lot of people here don’t seems to have seen a Tiefling before, let alone dressed as outrageously as me several weren’t even sure what gender to make me out to be but I don’t care one way or another really. If someone wants to call me a woman I’m fine with that, just like if someone wants to call me a man. Both work for me, life’s too short to stick firmly to just one.”

"Saddened you only got me instead?" She teased, nodding. "We have no notion of gender. We dress as we please. We have both parts, what is the poin of worrying of such trifle things? Many are small minded, surprised by beauty when it appears and drive a hatred to it. Why do you think rieflings are disregarded by such a plain species as humans?" She waved her hand. "Ah, but we did not come here to discuss politics. We are here to celebrate!" She lifted her glass. "To your victory. May many more come your way."

“I typically do involve innocents in my ruling but we had an agreement, so I’ll personally be taking you to your son,” he said, standing up and smoothing out his waistcoat, motioning for one of the guards to come with him just in case. “I can’t believe you actually gave it off to someone who can’t even use it.”

Elphaba didn’t respond, only folding her hands in front of her and following. Her skirts created a nice circle of fabric, keeping a small radius covered as she walked. A bee slipped out buzzing into a room they passed. At this point she spoke. “Life is more important than power, Shell. I doubt you will learn this. However, you will see it firsthand with this war you’ve chosen to create.”

“Is that a threat,” he asked, stopping dead in his tracks. “Maybe I won’t take you to see your son, then. Maybe I’ll just keep him and toss him back and forth between prisons. I was doing this out of the goodness of my heart, but since you seem to think there’s none of that, why not prove you right,” he said, the guard raising his weapon at Elphaba, waiting for an order. “You don’t know how this war will end, I wouldn’t be talking about things I know nothing about if I were you.”

“It wasn’t a threat and you know it.” She scowled, paying the guard no mind as she focused on her younger brother. “But there is no good in taking an innocent child to get at his mother. It is below you, not as my brother but as a Thropp. And for what little there was it was the only thing I expected you to know.” She took a step forward. “If you wish to create such heartache then strike me down in this hallway. I will not live a new life controlled by fear. Not again.”

“It is very much beneath me and in those prisons he’d be in, I’d make sure he was treated well. He’s treated well here too, just like a day camp, but it was the only way to contact you again, seeing as you pride yourself on being untraceable these days,” he said, leading her into a back room that was nothing like a jail cell at all but rather just a nicely decorated room, Liir on the floor drawing with crayons as the guard told to watch him was complimenting the drawing, telling him how good it looked. “See? No harm has come to the child. He’s just a boy, I wouldn’t punish him for no other reason being his mother’s son.”

“Liir-” El breathed out, falling to her knees and gathering the child against her. It was a rare sign of affection, one of relief as she kissed his head. She kissed his head as shaky hands caressed his hair.

“Mama, I drew a picture,” the little boy said, not understanding why his mother was so relieved to see him. Shell just sort of stood watching, wishing to himself that he had had a parent who cared about him as much as his sister seemed to care about his nephew. Maybe if he did, things would have been different.

“I noticed.” She murmured with a soft chuckle. She sat back to look at his drawing, complimenting certain features. Setting the drawing aside she gently cupped his face. “How was your stay? They weren’t rough with you were they?”

“Not at all, mama! They gave me sliced apple for a snack and some juice and mr. guard here was telling me stories and I had a lot of fun! Mr. Shell was even worried about giving me anything like peanut butter because he was worried I was allergic to it! They let me make a pillow fort too!”

“Good. Im glad. It sounds…like you had fun.” She stood. “Give us a moment, dear.” She motioned for Shell to follow her at of the room, gathering her words carefully.

Shell nodded and went out into the hallway with her, closing the door behind him. “See, I’m not a monster. He’s a little boy, what did you expect me to do? Plus, he’s quite the little charmer.”

“It is a well known fact that the old emperor left with the book, Shell. What was the point of this?” She lifted an eyebrow, a classin but quizzical look taking her face. It wasn’t very often she referred back to her younger mannerisms.

“I wanted to meet him. I knew if I asked you, you wouldn’t let me so I made a plan. I was hanging out with him a lot. I only stopped because I had a meeting and then after that you were there so I couldn’t go back to playing with him and listening to him tell stories.”

“This is why I dont don’t let family around him! Stunts like this!” El crossed her arms, glaring at him. “If you weren’t so nosey and cobdescending and simply asked to meet your nephew I would have complied. You coukd obviously find me the first time, you could manage a second without a flair for the dramatic.”

“I must be related to you then if I have a flair for dramatics,” he said with a grin. “Really though, may I see him again sometime? He’s a good boy, I’d like to hear what else comes out of his mouth, he’s honestly hilarious. I’m usually not too big of a fan of children but Liir has moxie and humor and at one point while he was there he asked me if I had ever eaten a spider and sounded extremely disappointed when I said I hadn’t.”

“He’s..muchblike his father when he was younger. Full of curiosity.” Her gaze lowered, asmall frown overtaking her. “You may. But he will not come back here. I do not want him to walk these tainted halls. He’s a sebsitive boy.”

“Okay. Where would you like me to visit him then? Also when’s his birthday, I just met him today but I’ve come to the conclusion that I want to get him gifts if it’s alright with you, his mother. He’s a cute little boy and I want to give him something fun that he could enjoy.”

“Evenings. I want him to focus on his lessons during the day. His birthday is..” She paused, pondering the question. “I..I don’t remember..” This seemed to upset her now that she was asked. She had always given him gifts when she found things, never a specific date. There was the possibility she spoiled him of course but he was all she had.

“Alright, I’ll inform you when I plan on coming over, though I’d like to know where I’m coming over to,” he said, having had wanted a specific date but now feeling more at peace with the idea of giving him gifts whenever and however often he wanted.

Fabala faltered, unsure if she was ready to give away where she had been hiding all those years. "..The Observatory..in the Wilds." After the loss of her lover and his child bride she had found little solace in the castle, moving her lab to her own Observatory. No one bothered her, and she no longer bothered them.

And, of course: “The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t.”

the one that will always stay with me is “Arthur Dent was grappling with his consciousness the way one grapples with a lost bar of soap in the bath,” i feel like that was the first time i really understood what you could do with words.

I will reblog this every time I see it because these are some of my favorite sentences in the English language.

“It’s not parlor tricks more as flipping over a card, saying what it means, and giving people the interpretation that they need to hear he said with a smile, putting his cards back into a pile and slipping them in a pocket just the perfect size for them on the inside of his jacket. “Thank you, I had some lavender so I decided to put it in the bath with me and I’m really glad I did, I smell a lot better than I did covered with Ogre blood,” he said with a laugh. “So, what’s your poison? What can I get you to drink?”

"That you do." She gave a soft laugh. "Whiskey. I was never fond of rural mead around here." She rested her arms on the table delicately. "And what of palm readings? Do they ever get you somewhere?" Sge cast a mischevious look over him.

Molly ordered them both some whiskey, sitting down across from her and looking her in the eye. “Well, people tend to believe what you say when you have cards to back it up, so they can find out if The Five Of Cups Reversed really means what you say it does but for palm reading, you can claim every little line on your palm means something else. Some people even go onto the fingers for their palm readings,” he said, taking her hand and flattening it, palm in the air. “They say this is the finger of Jupiter or something like that and it can be used to tell someone’s personality and hobbies but honestly, that’s all fake. You can’t tell by someone’s pointer finger what they’re like, people just use words that describe basically everyone, saying things like “You’ve had tough times but you have a lot of determination for the future” as if that’s completely unique to that one person.”

Greer flushed a bit, nodding. "I see." She glanced down at her palm, relishing how warm his hand is against her own before wiggling her fingers a bit. "And what do you think my hand can signify?"

He ran a gentle finger over one of the lines of her hand as he began speaking. “Well, your life line is extremely long, so I’d fathom a guess you’re going to live forever or damn near forever at least,” he said with a little laugh, thanking the server when their drinks were brought over, giving the man a hearty tip. “Your heart line has a good curve to it and it’s a good distance below your fingers too, so that means you’re a generous, sensual, and loving person.”

"What do you think I am?" It was a question that left most baffled when she spoke. There were many odd and exotic peopke and cultures, but of that world. Greer and Wren however..were not. She used her free hand to take a shot, before relaxing the other against the table as she had a look herself. Sensual and loving huh? That one was new. Usually her sister called her immature and an idiot.

“Well, I’m pretty sure you could understand when I taunted the creature in Infernal which means you’re either a very strange Tiefling or a Demon of some sort so I’d venture a guess you’re a demon,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. “Am I right or am I just making snap judgements based on an expression you had when I started speaking a language that’s not really commonly spoken?”

"You need practice." She remarked before pausing. "Were you checking me out during the fight?" She lifted her eyebrows with a hum. "A..incubus of sorts. Give or take. Violence, sex, hunger. An odd mix. Not really sure they have a name for us because we are such a specific breed born from the feelings and violent emotions of man."

“Yeah, I looked at the whole crowd to see if there were any kids there who could have been hurt. Fighting a big beastie like that shouldn’t draw a crowd, for their safety the ones who could have died should have been inside homes or watching from windows. I was looking to see if there were kids but I saw you and your sister instead. Your sister seems- well- not as lively as you, Greer. You seemed excited to be there and she seemed to be treating it like a chore.”

"A fight like that is always a spectacle." She dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I've seen humans gather around two trolls clubbing each other before turning on the crowd. It brings excitement to the duelity of life." Greer took another drink. "My sister feeds to live. Without each other we are broken halves to a heart. Or whatever the phrase goes. Point is, we need each other to live but we have very different ideas of living. I suppose it is because she was formed in the Meridean first. Older."

“I typically do involve innocents in my ruling but we had an agreement, so I’ll personally be taking you to your son,” he said, standing up and smoothing out his waistcoat, motioning for one of the guards to come with him just in case. “I can’t believe you actually gave it off to someone who can’t even use it.”

Elphaba didn’t respond, only folding her hands in front of her and following. Her skirts created a nice circle of fabric, keeping a small radius covered as she walked. A bee slipped out buzzing into a room they passed. At this point she spoke. “Life is more important than power, Shell. I doubt you will learn this. However, you will see it firsthand with this war you’ve chosen to create.”

“Is that a threat,” he asked, stopping dead in his tracks. “Maybe I won’t take you to see your son, then. Maybe I’ll just keep him and toss him back and forth between prisons. I was doing this out of the goodness of my heart, but since you seem to think there’s none of that, why not prove you right,” he said, the guard raising his weapon at Elphaba, waiting for an order. “You don’t know how this war will end, I wouldn’t be talking about things I know nothing about if I were you.”

“It wasn’t a threat and you know it.” She scowled, paying the guard no mind as she focused on her younger brother. “But there is no good in taking an innocent child to get at his mother. It is below you, not as my brother but as a Thropp. And for what little there was it was the only thing I expected you to know.” She took a step forward. “If you wish to create such heartache then strike me down in this hallway. I will not live a new life controlled by fear. Not again.”

“It is very much beneath me and in those prisons he’d be in, I’d make sure he was treated well. He’s treated well here too, just like a day camp, but it was the only way to contact you again, seeing as you pride yourself on being untraceable these days,” he said, leading her into a back room that was nothing like a jail cell at all but rather just a nicely decorated room, Liir on the floor drawing with crayons as the guard told to watch him was complimenting the drawing, telling him how good it looked. “See? No harm has come to the child. He’s just a boy, I wouldn’t punish him for no other reason being his mother’s son.”

“Liir-” El breathed out, falling to her knees and gathering the child against her. It was a rare sign of affection, one of relief as she kissed his head. She kissed his head as shaky hands caressed his hair.

“Mama, I drew a picture,” the little boy said, not understanding why his mother was so relieved to see him. Shell just sort of stood watching, wishing to himself that he had had a parent who cared about him as much as his sister seemed to care about his nephew. Maybe if he did, things would have been different.

“I noticed.” She murmured with a soft chuckle. She sat back to look at his drawing, complimenting certain features. Setting the drawing aside she gently cupped his face. “How was your stay? They weren’t rough with you were they?”

“Not at all, mama! They gave me sliced apple for a snack and some juice and mr. guard here was telling me stories and I had a lot of fun! Mr. Shell was even worried about giving me anything like peanut butter because he was worried I was allergic to it! They let me make a pillow fort too!”

“Good. Im glad. It sounds…like you had fun.” She stood. “Give us a moment, dear.” She motioned for Shell to follow her at of the room, gathering her words carefully.

Shell nodded and went out into the hallway with her, closing the door behind him. “See, I’m not a monster. He’s a little boy, what did you expect me to do? Plus, he’s quite the little charmer.”

“It is a well known fact that the old emperor left with the book, Shell. What was the point of this?” She lifted an eyebrow, a classin but quizzical look taking her face. It wasn’t very often she referred back to her younger mannerisms.

“I wanted to meet him. I knew if I asked you, you wouldn’t let me so I made a plan. I was hanging out with him a lot. I only stopped because I had a meeting and then after that you were there so I couldn’t go back to playing with him and listening to him tell stories.”

“This is why I dont don’t let family around him! Stunts like this!” El crossed her arms, glaring at him. “If you weren’t so nosey and cobdescending and simply asked to meet your nephew I would have complied. You coukd obviously find me the first time, you could manage a second without a flair for the dramatic.”

“I must be related to you then if I have a flair for dramatics,” he said with a grin. “Really though, may I see him again sometime? He’s a good boy, I’d like to hear what else comes out of his mouth, he’s honestly hilarious. I’m usually not too big of a fan of children but Liir has moxie and humor and at one point while he was there he asked me if I had ever eaten a spider and sounded extremely disappointed when I said I hadn’t.”

“He’s..muchblike his father when he was younger. Full of curiosity.” Her gaze lowered, asmall frown overtaking her. “You may. But he will not come back here. I do not want him to walk these tainted halls. He’s a sebsitive boy.”

“Okay. Where would you like me to visit him then? Also when’s his birthday, I just met him today but I’ve come to the conclusion that I want to get him gifts if it’s alright with you, his mother. He’s a cute little boy and I want to give him something fun that he could enjoy.”

"Evenings. I want him to focus on his lessons during the day. His birthday is.." She paused, pondering the question. "I..I don't remember.." This seemed to upset her now that she was asked. She had always given him gifts when she found things, never a specific date. There was the possibility she spoiled him of course but he was all she had.

“I typically do involve innocents in my ruling but we had an agreement, so I’ll personally be taking you to your son,” he said, standing up and smoothing out his waistcoat, motioning for one of the guards to come with him just in case. “I can’t believe you actually gave it off to someone who can’t even use it.”

Elphaba didn’t respond, only folding her hands in front of her and following. Her skirts created a nice circle of fabric, keeping a small radius covered as she walked. A bee slipped out buzzing into a room they passed. At this point she spoke. “Life is more important than power, Shell. I doubt you will learn this. However, you will see it firsthand with this war you’ve chosen to create.”

“Is that a threat,” he asked, stopping dead in his tracks. “Maybe I won’t take you to see your son, then. Maybe I’ll just keep him and toss him back and forth between prisons. I was doing this out of the goodness of my heart, but since you seem to think there’s none of that, why not prove you right,” he said, the guard raising his weapon at Elphaba, waiting for an order. “You don’t know how this war will end, I wouldn’t be talking about things I know nothing about if I were you.”

“It wasn’t a threat and you know it.” She scowled, paying the guard no mind as she focused on her younger brother. “But there is no good in taking an innocent child to get at his mother. It is below you, not as my brother but as a Thropp. And for what little there was it was the only thing I expected you to know.” She took a step forward. “If you wish to create such heartache then strike me down in this hallway. I will not live a new life controlled by fear. Not again.”

“It is very much beneath me and in those prisons he’d be in, I’d make sure he was treated well. He’s treated well here too, just like a day camp, but it was the only way to contact you again, seeing as you pride yourself on being untraceable these days,” he said, leading her into a back room that was nothing like a jail cell at all but rather just a nicely decorated room, Liir on the floor drawing with crayons as the guard told to watch him was complimenting the drawing, telling him how good it looked. “See? No harm has come to the child. He’s just a boy, I wouldn’t punish him for no other reason being his mother’s son.”

“Liir-” El breathed out, falling to her knees and gathering the child against her. It was a rare sign of affection, one of relief as she kissed his head. She kissed his head as shaky hands caressed his hair.

“Mama, I drew a picture,” the little boy said, not understanding why his mother was so relieved to see him. Shell just sort of stood watching, wishing to himself that he had had a parent who cared about him as much as his sister seemed to care about his nephew. Maybe if he did, things would have been different.

“I noticed.” She murmured with a soft chuckle. She sat back to look at his drawing, complimenting certain features. Setting the drawing aside she gently cupped his face. “How was your stay? They weren’t rough with you were they?”

“Not at all, mama! They gave me sliced apple for a snack and some juice and mr. guard here was telling me stories and I had a lot of fun! Mr. Shell was even worried about giving me anything like peanut butter because he was worried I was allergic to it! They let me make a pillow fort too!”

“Good. Im glad. It sounds…like you had fun.” She stood. “Give us a moment, dear.” She motioned for Shell to follow her at of the room, gathering her words carefully.

Shell nodded and went out into the hallway with her, closing the door behind him. “See, I’m not a monster. He’s a little boy, what did you expect me to do? Plus, he’s quite the little charmer.”

“It is a well known fact that the old emperor left with the book, Shell. What was the point of this?” She lifted an eyebrow, a classin but quizzical look taking her face. It wasn’t very often she referred back to her younger mannerisms.

“I wanted to meet him. I knew if I asked you, you wouldn’t let me so I made a plan. I was hanging out with him a lot. I only stopped because I had a meeting and then after that you were there so I couldn’t go back to playing with him and listening to him tell stories.”

“This is why I dont don’t let family around him! Stunts like this!” El crossed her arms, glaring at him. “If you weren’t so nosey and cobdescending and simply asked to meet your nephew I would have complied. You coukd obviously find me the first time, you could manage a second without a flair for the dramatic.”

“I must be related to you then if I have a flair for dramatics,” he said with a grin. “Really though, may I see him again sometime? He’s a good boy, I’d like to hear what else comes out of his mouth, he’s honestly hilarious. I’m usually not too big of a fan of children but Liir has moxie and humor and at one point while he was there he asked me if I had ever eaten a spider and sounded extremely disappointed when I said I hadn’t.”

"He's..muchblike his father when he was younger. Full of curiosity." Her gaze lowered, asmall frown overtaking her. "You may. But he will not come back here. I do not want him to walk these tainted halls. He's a sebsitive boy."

“It’s not parlor tricks more as flipping over a card, saying what it means, and giving people the interpretation that they need to hear he said with a smile, putting his cards back into a pile and slipping them in a pocket just the perfect size for them on the inside of his jacket. “Thank you, I had some lavender so I decided to put it in the bath with me and I’m really glad I did, I smell a lot better than I did covered with Ogre blood,” he said with a laugh. “So, what’s your poison? What can I get you to drink?”

"That you do." She gave a soft laugh. "Whiskey. I was never fond of rural mead around here." She rested her arms on the table delicately. "And what of palm readings? Do they ever get you somewhere?" Sge cast a mischevious look over him.

Molly ordered them both some whiskey, sitting down across from her and looking her in the eye. “Well, people tend to believe what you say when you have cards to back it up, so they can find out if The Five Of Cups Reversed really means what you say it does but for palm reading, you can claim every little line on your palm means something else. Some people even go onto the fingers for their palm readings,” he said, taking her hand and flattening it, palm in the air. “They say this is the finger of Jupiter or something like that and it can be used to tell someone’s personality and hobbies but honestly, that’s all fake. You can’t tell by someone’s pointer finger what they’re like, people just use words that describe basically everyone, saying things like “You’ve had tough times but you have a lot of determination for the future” as if that’s completely unique to that one person.”

Greer flushed a bit, nodding. "I see." She glanced down at her palm, relishing how warm his hand is against her own before wiggling her fingers a bit. "And what do you think my hand can signify?"

He ran a gentle finger over one of the lines of her hand as he began speaking. “Well, your life line is extremely long, so I’d fathom a guess you’re going to live forever or damn near forever at least,” he said with a little laugh, thanking the server when their drinks were brought over, giving the man a hearty tip. “Your heart line has a good curve to it and it’s a good distance below your fingers too, so that means you’re a generous, sensual, and loving person.”

"What do you think I am?" It was a question that left most baffled when she spoke. There were many odd and exotic peopke and cultures, but of that world. Greer and Wren however..were not. She used her free hand to take a shot, before relaxing the other against the table as she had a look herself. Sensual and loving huh? That one was new. Usually her sister called her immature and an idiot.

“Well, I’m pretty sure you could understand when I taunted the creature in Infernal which means you’re either a very strange Tiefling or a Demon of some sort so I’d venture a guess you’re a demon,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. “Am I right or am I just making snap judgements based on an expression you had when I started speaking a language that’s not really commonly spoken?”

"You need practice." She remarked before pausing. "Were you checking me out during the fight?" She lifted her eyebrows with a hum. "A..incubus of sorts. Give or take. Violence, sex, hunger. An odd mix. Not really sure they have a name for us because we are such a specific breed born from the feelings and violent emotions of man."

“I typically do involve innocents in my ruling but we had an agreement, so I’ll personally be taking you to your son,” he said, standing up and smoothing out his waistcoat, motioning for one of the guards to come with him just in case. “I can’t believe you actually gave it off to someone who can’t even use it.”

Elphaba didn’t respond, only folding her hands in front of her and following. Her skirts created a nice circle of fabric, keeping a small radius covered as she walked. A bee slipped out buzzing into a room they passed. At this point she spoke. “Life is more important than power, Shell. I doubt you will learn this. However, you will see it firsthand with this war you’ve chosen to create.”

“Is that a threat,” he asked, stopping dead in his tracks. “Maybe I won’t take you to see your son, then. Maybe I’ll just keep him and toss him back and forth between prisons. I was doing this out of the goodness of my heart, but since you seem to think there’s none of that, why not prove you right,” he said, the guard raising his weapon at Elphaba, waiting for an order. “You don’t know how this war will end, I wouldn’t be talking about things I know nothing about if I were you.”

“It wasn’t a threat and you know it.” She scowled, paying the guard no mind as she focused on her younger brother. “But there is no good in taking an innocent child to get at his mother. It is below you, not as my brother but as a Thropp. And for what little there was it was the only thing I expected you to know.” She took a step forward. “If you wish to create such heartache then strike me down in this hallway. I will not live a new life controlled by fear. Not again.”

“It is very much beneath me and in those prisons he’d be in, I’d make sure he was treated well. He’s treated well here too, just like a day camp, but it was the only way to contact you again, seeing as you pride yourself on being untraceable these days,” he said, leading her into a back room that was nothing like a jail cell at all but rather just a nicely decorated room, Liir on the floor drawing with crayons as the guard told to watch him was complimenting the drawing, telling him how good it looked. “See? No harm has come to the child. He’s just a boy, I wouldn’t punish him for no other reason being his mother’s son.”

“Liir-” El breathed out, falling to her knees and gathering the child against her. It was a rare sign of affection, one of relief as she kissed his head. She kissed his head as shaky hands caressed his hair.

“Mama, I drew a picture,” the little boy said, not understanding why his mother was so relieved to see him. Shell just sort of stood watching, wishing to himself that he had had a parent who cared about him as much as his sister seemed to care about his nephew. Maybe if he did, things would have been different.

“I noticed.” She murmured with a soft chuckle. She sat back to look at his drawing, complimenting certain features. Setting the drawing aside she gently cupped his face. “How was your stay? They weren’t rough with you were they?”

“Not at all, mama! They gave me sliced apple for a snack and some juice and mr. guard here was telling me stories and I had a lot of fun! Mr. Shell was even worried about giving me anything like peanut butter because he was worried I was allergic to it! They let me make a pillow fort too!”

“Good. Im glad. It sounds…like you had fun.” She stood. “Give us a moment, dear.” She motioned for Shell to follow her at of the room, gathering her words carefully.

Shell nodded and went out into the hallway with her, closing the door behind him. “See, I’m not a monster. He’s a little boy, what did you expect me to do? Plus, he’s quite the little charmer.”

“It is a well known fact that the old emperor left with the book, Shell. What was the point of this?” She lifted an eyebrow, a classin but quizzical look taking her face. It wasn’t very often she referred back to her younger mannerisms.

“I wanted to meet him. I knew if I asked you, you wouldn’t let me so I made a plan. I was hanging out with him a lot. I only stopped because I had a meeting and then after that you were there so I couldn’t go back to playing with him and listening to him tell stories.”

"This is why I dont don't let family around him! Stunts like this!" El crossed her arms, glaring at him. "If you weren't so nosey and cobdescending and simply asked to meet your nephew I would have complied. You coukd obviously find me the first time, you could manage a second without a flair for the dramatic."

“It’s not parlor tricks more as flipping over a card, saying what it means, and giving people the interpretation that they need to hear he said with a smile, putting his cards back into a pile and slipping them in a pocket just the perfect size for them on the inside of his jacket. “Thank you, I had some lavender so I decided to put it in the bath with me and I’m really glad I did, I smell a lot better than I did covered with Ogre blood,” he said with a laugh. “So, what’s your poison? What can I get you to drink?”

"That you do." She gave a soft laugh. "Whiskey. I was never fond of rural mead around here." She rested her arms on the table delicately. "And what of palm readings? Do they ever get you somewhere?" Sge cast a mischevious look over him.

Molly ordered them both some whiskey, sitting down across from her and looking her in the eye. “Well, people tend to believe what you say when you have cards to back it up, so they can find out if The Five Of Cups Reversed really means what you say it does but for palm reading, you can claim every little line on your palm means something else. Some people even go onto the fingers for their palm readings,” he said, taking her hand and flattening it, palm in the air. “They say this is the finger of Jupiter or something like that and it can be used to tell someone’s personality and hobbies but honestly, that’s all fake. You can’t tell by someone’s pointer finger what they’re like, people just use words that describe basically everyone, saying things like “You’ve had tough times but you have a lot of determination for the future” as if that’s completely unique to that one person.”

Greer flushed a bit, nodding. "I see." She glanced down at her palm, relishing how warm his hand is against her own before wiggling her fingers a bit. "And what do you think my hand can signify?"

He ran a gentle finger over one of the lines of her hand as he began speaking. “Well, your life line is extremely long, so I’d fathom a guess you’re going to live forever or damn near forever at least,” he said with a little laugh, thanking the server when their drinks were brought over, giving the man a hearty tip. “Your heart line has a good curve to it and it’s a good distance below your fingers too, so that means you’re a generous, sensual, and loving person.”

"What do you think I am?" It was a question that left most baffled when she spoke. There were many odd and exotic peopke and cultures, but of that world. Greer and Wren however..were not. She used her free hand to take a shot, before relaxing the other against the table as she had a look herself. Sensual and loving huh? That one was new. Usually her sister called her immature and an idiot.

“I typically do involve innocents in my ruling but we had an agreement, so I’ll personally be taking you to your son,” he said, standing up and smoothing out his waistcoat, motioning for one of the guards to come with him just in case. “I can’t believe you actually gave it off to someone who can’t even use it.”

Elphaba didn’t respond, only folding her hands in front of her and following. Her skirts created a nice circle of fabric, keeping a small radius covered as she walked. A bee slipped out buzzing into a room they passed. At this point she spoke. “Life is more important than power, Shell. I doubt you will learn this. However, you will see it firsthand with this war you’ve chosen to create.”

“Is that a threat,” he asked, stopping dead in his tracks. “Maybe I won’t take you to see your son, then. Maybe I’ll just keep him and toss him back and forth between prisons. I was doing this out of the goodness of my heart, but since you seem to think there’s none of that, why not prove you right,” he said, the guard raising his weapon at Elphaba, waiting for an order. “You don’t know how this war will end, I wouldn’t be talking about things I know nothing about if I were you.”

“It wasn’t a threat and you know it.” She scowled, paying the guard no mind as she focused on her younger brother. “But there is no good in taking an innocent child to get at his mother. It is below you, not as my brother but as a Thropp. And for what little there was it was the only thing I expected you to know.” She took a step forward. “If you wish to create such heartache then strike me down in this hallway. I will not live a new life controlled by fear. Not again.”

“It is very much beneath me and in those prisons he’d be in, I’d make sure he was treated well. He’s treated well here too, just like a day camp, but it was the only way to contact you again, seeing as you pride yourself on being untraceable these days,” he said, leading her into a back room that was nothing like a jail cell at all but rather just a nicely decorated room, Liir on the floor drawing with crayons as the guard told to watch him was complimenting the drawing, telling him how good it looked. “See? No harm has come to the child. He’s just a boy, I wouldn’t punish him for no other reason being his mother’s son.”

“Liir-” El breathed out, falling to her knees and gathering the child against her. It was a rare sign of affection, one of relief as she kissed his head. She kissed his head as shaky hands caressed his hair.

“Mama, I drew a picture,” the little boy said, not understanding why his mother was so relieved to see him. Shell just sort of stood watching, wishing to himself that he had had a parent who cared about him as much as his sister seemed to care about his nephew. Maybe if he did, things would have been different.

“I noticed.” She murmured with a soft chuckle. She sat back to look at his drawing, complimenting certain features. Setting the drawing aside she gently cupped his face. “How was your stay? They weren’t rough with you were they?”

“Not at all, mama! They gave me sliced apple for a snack and some juice and mr. guard here was telling me stories and I had a lot of fun! Mr. Shell was even worried about giving me anything like peanut butter because he was worried I was allergic to it! They let me make a pillow fort too!”

“Good. Im glad. It sounds…like you had fun.” She stood. “Give us a moment, dear.” She motioned for Shell to follow her at of the room, gathering her words carefully.

Shell nodded and went out into the hallway with her, closing the door behind him. “See, I’m not a monster. He’s a little boy, what did you expect me to do? Plus, he’s quite the little charmer.”

"It is a well known fact that the old emperor left with the book, Shell. What was the point of this?" She lifted an eyebrow, a classin but quizzical look taking her face. It wasn't very often she referred back to her younger mannerisms.

“It’s not parlor tricks more as flipping over a card, saying what it means, and giving people the interpretation that they need to hear he said with a smile, putting his cards back into a pile and slipping them in a pocket just the perfect size for them on the inside of his jacket. “Thank you, I had some lavender so I decided to put it in the bath with me and I’m really glad I did, I smell a lot better than I did covered with Ogre blood,” he said with a laugh. “So, what’s your poison? What can I get you to drink?”

"That you do." She gave a soft laugh. "Whiskey. I was never fond of rural mead around here." She rested her arms on the table delicately. "And what of palm readings? Do they ever get you somewhere?" Sge cast a mischevious look over him.

Molly ordered them both some whiskey, sitting down across from her and looking her in the eye. “Well, people tend to believe what you say when you have cards to back it up, so they can find out if The Five Of Cups Reversed really means what you say it does but for palm reading, you can claim every little line on your palm means something else. Some people even go onto the fingers for their palm readings,” he said, taking her hand and flattening it, palm in the air. “They say this is the finger of Jupiter or something like that and it can be used to tell someone’s personality and hobbies but honestly, that’s all fake. You can’t tell by someone’s pointer finger what they’re like, people just use words that describe basically everyone, saying things like “You’ve had tough times but you have a lot of determination for the future” as if that’s completely unique to that one person.”

Greer flushed a bit, nodding. "I see." She glanced down at her palm, relishing how warm his hand is against her own before wiggling her fingers a bit. "And what do you think my hand can signify?"

“I typically do involve innocents in my ruling but we had an agreement, so I’ll personally be taking you to your son,” he said, standing up and smoothing out his waistcoat, motioning for one of the guards to come with him just in case. “I can’t believe you actually gave it off to someone who can’t even use it.”

Elphaba didn’t respond, only folding her hands in front of her and following. Her skirts created a nice circle of fabric, keeping a small radius covered as she walked. A bee slipped out buzzing into a room they passed. At this point she spoke. “Life is more important than power, Shell. I doubt you will learn this. However, you will see it firsthand with this war you’ve chosen to create.”

“Is that a threat,” he asked, stopping dead in his tracks. “Maybe I won’t take you to see your son, then. Maybe I’ll just keep him and toss him back and forth between prisons. I was doing this out of the goodness of my heart, but since you seem to think there’s none of that, why not prove you right,” he said, the guard raising his weapon at Elphaba, waiting for an order. “You don’t know how this war will end, I wouldn’t be talking about things I know nothing about if I were you.”

“It wasn’t a threat and you know it.” She scowled, paying the guard no mind as she focused on her younger brother. “But there is no good in taking an innocent child to get at his mother. It is below you, not as my brother but as a Thropp. And for what little there was it was the only thing I expected you to know.” She took a step forward. “If you wish to create such heartache then strike me down in this hallway. I will not live a new life controlled by fear. Not again.”

“It is very much beneath me and in those prisons he’d be in, I’d make sure he was treated well. He’s treated well here too, just like a day camp, but it was the only way to contact you again, seeing as you pride yourself on being untraceable these days,” he said, leading her into a back room that was nothing like a jail cell at all but rather just a nicely decorated room, Liir on the floor drawing with crayons as the guard told to watch him was complimenting the drawing, telling him how good it looked. “See? No harm has come to the child. He’s just a boy, I wouldn’t punish him for no other reason being his mother’s son.”

“Liir-” El breathed out, falling to her knees and gathering the child against her. It was a rare sign of affection, one of relief as she kissed his head. She kissed his head as shaky hands caressed his hair.

“Mama, I drew a picture,” the little boy said, not understanding why his mother was so relieved to see him. Shell just sort of stood watching, wishing to himself that he had had a parent who cared about him as much as his sister seemed to care about his nephew. Maybe if he did, things would have been different.

“I noticed.” She murmured with a soft chuckle. She sat back to look at his drawing, complimenting certain features. Setting the drawing aside she gently cupped his face. “How was your stay? They weren’t rough with you were they?”

“Not at all, mama! They gave me sliced apple for a snack and some juice and mr. guard here was telling me stories and I had a lot of fun! Mr. Shell was even worried about giving me anything like peanut butter because he was worried I was allergic to it! They let me make a pillow fort too!”

"Good. Im glad. It sounds...like you had fun." She stood. "Give us a moment, dear." She motioned for Shell to follow her at of the room, gathering her words carefully.

“It’s not parlor tricks more as flipping over a card, saying what it means, and giving people the interpretation that they need to hear he said with a smile, putting his cards back into a pile and slipping them in a pocket just the perfect size for them on the inside of his jacket. “Thank you, I had some lavender so I decided to put it in the bath with me and I’m really glad I did, I smell a lot better than I did covered with Ogre blood,” he said with a laugh. “So, what’s your poison? What can I get you to drink?”

"That you do." She gave a soft laugh. "Whiskey. I was never fond of rural mead around here." She rested her arms on the table delicately. "And what of palm readings? Do they ever get you somewhere?" Sge cast a mischevious look over him.

“I typically do involve innocents in my ruling but we had an agreement, so I’ll personally be taking you to your son,” he said, standing up and smoothing out his waistcoat, motioning for one of the guards to come with him just in case. “I can’t believe you actually gave it off to someone who can’t even use it.”

Elphaba didn’t respond, only folding her hands in front of her and following. Her skirts created a nice circle of fabric, keeping a small radius covered as she walked. A bee slipped out buzzing into a room they passed. At this point she spoke. “Life is more important than power, Shell. I doubt you will learn this. However, you will see it firsthand with this war you’ve chosen to create.”

“Is that a threat,” he asked, stopping dead in his tracks. “Maybe I won’t take you to see your son, then. Maybe I’ll just keep him and toss him back and forth between prisons. I was doing this out of the goodness of my heart, but since you seem to think there’s none of that, why not prove you right,” he said, the guard raising his weapon at Elphaba, waiting for an order. “You don’t know how this war will end, I wouldn’t be talking about things I know nothing about if I were you.”

“It wasn’t a threat and you know it.” She scowled, paying the guard no mind as she focused on her younger brother. “But there is no good in taking an innocent child to get at his mother. It is below you, not as my brother but as a Thropp. And for what little there was it was the only thing I expected you to know.” She took a step forward. “If you wish to create such heartache then strike me down in this hallway. I will not live a new life controlled by fear. Not again.”

“It is very much beneath me and in those prisons he’d be in, I’d make sure he was treated well. He’s treated well here too, just like a day camp, but it was the only way to contact you again, seeing as you pride yourself on being untraceable these days,” he said, leading her into a back room that was nothing like a jail cell at all but rather just a nicely decorated room, Liir on the floor drawing with crayons as the guard told to watch him was complimenting the drawing, telling him how good it looked. “See? No harm has come to the child. He’s just a boy, I wouldn’t punish him for no other reason being his mother’s son.”

“Liir-” El breathed out, falling to her knees and gathering the child against her. It was a rare sign of affection, one of relief as she kissed his head. She kissed his head as shaky hands caressed his hair.

“Mama, I drew a picture,” the little boy said, not understanding why his mother was so relieved to see him. Shell just sort of stood watching, wishing to himself that he had had a parent who cared about him as much as his sister seemed to care about his nephew. Maybe if he did, things would have been different.

"I noticed." She murmured with a soft chuckle. She sat back to look at his drawing, complimenting certain features. Setting the drawing aside she gently cupped his face. "How was your stay? They weren't rough with you were they?"