Oh hello there

It would have been nice to discover the game together, if anything. They all needed to unwind and if gaming was what would have kept Rook from overworking her sore leg, then Veronica would have definitely been persuaded to try.

"Yes, I'm aware of that." Willow replied, "Having pondered whether I would enjoy the company of a pet for the longest time, I find Simon's choices most fascinating."

Hermit crabs didn't really stray far from their assigned spaces and didn't have the ability to hide within the walls of the facility. Smokey usually didn't leave Erica's side for long but she didn't really want to rearrange an entire floor just to find a mischievous pet.

"I for one am glad I don't have to share whatever dreadful vision Russell is experiencing. My users are more than enough."

"It's not as awful right now that she finally shut the hell up." Lucien told Willow, "But it's still a sacrifice I'm willing to make if it means not leaving you alone, Russell. You'll get rid of her for good soon enough."

That much was warranted when both the best healers in town were on the case. All was left to do now was to sit and wait to hear what unpleasant concoction they would have to put together to fight Five's toxic cocktail.

"Yes, the evil wizard is teaming up with the tickle monster." Rook joked, "And I'm here because I have to bring my playful companionship to the mix."

Someone still had to be a menace while they licked their wounds. Rook used her own powers to help herself to some cookies. Some sugar would sooth her sore leg.

"So I'm not just seeing things, uh? Something about this whole thing felt off from the start." Rook said between bites, "Five was having a blast fighting Leofric, but this isn't really his way of doing things. We've seen the stuff he can pull, what happened to Russell isn't really professional."

It probably wasn't the best way to put it but this whole encounter had been far from the usual plans Five loved orchestrating. Leaving Ratchet to his demise was really the only familiar element.

"So I guess he really jumped off the building when things got difficult. I hope he landed in a garbage truck."

"So they're divorcing, big deal. It's probably best for everyone in the long run, don't you think?" Fae said, giving a shrug before looking at Travis, "Oh, I hardly did much, you were the star in there. So you deserve some sugar to make up for all that rushing, no disgusting milkshakes, and you'll have to let Tails patch your leg up."

Erica opened her first aid kit to reveal a small jar of the same concoction Veronica was using. "Put some of this on, then I'll wrap it."

She wasn't going to take a no as an answer. Erica's ears twitched when Leofric took his leave, but didn't say much otherwise.

"Ah, the mysterious trickery that lets you abandon a room through walls unfitted for the task. I can't imagine what that would feel like." Veronica mused, before nodding at Russell, "Of course. Try to rest in the meantime and don't hesitate to speak up if you need anything."

She was aware that was a major request when it came to Russell, but Veronica cared very little for Cassandra's opinion, whether it was a hallucination or the real deal. She didn't let go yet before glancing at Lucien. The half fae man understood the request without her needing to utter a single word.

"She's right there." he replied. Veronica clicked her tongue, unleashing her fire breath in the direction he was pointing at.

"Well then, let's have a look at the other lovebird." Veronica moved on to examine Lucien's leg, "Oh, it's just a scratch. You'll ready to fuss over Russell in no time."

Lucien's leg received the same treatment as before, which he returned with a mildly annoyed look.

"I will gladly do so and I won’t take a no from an answer, my love." Lucien said, "You did the same for me and for much longer, it will be no trouble at all."

"Welcome back, Leofric. You came at just the right time, I'm all out of colored bandaids." Veronica greeted him, "I will have a look at your grimoires in just a moment. Would you mind assisting Antonio in the meantime? I have little experience with tails."

She absolutely needed to brush up, though. Veronica got to reading in no time, glad Leofric had already selected the material for her. Five was always such a pain to deal with. Everything had to be so specific.

"I have a feeling this won't be as simple as last time. While we have ways to destroy the toxins, Russell doesn’t heal normally anymore." Veronica said, summoning her own notebook, "Perhaps we should focus on jumpstarting his regeneration and increase the recovery rate as much as possible. Do you have anything we can use on hand?"

"I'm right here, if you need me." Rook said.

Bill had a feeling that a few days of gaming in order to recover from the physical injuries (and to mentally decompress before dealing with Five again) would most likely be in order.

"They're good company," Simon said, "And they good for helping me work out a coding problem when the rubber duck council just isn't enough."

"I will say that's a relief to me as well," Antonio agreed with Willow, "And I can only imagine the kind of sights you have to witness because of them."

He decided not to ask whether Cassandra was better or worse, or just a different kind of bad completely. Cassandra had been unable to help herself from getting another insult in, about how Russell was just a waste of anyone's care. It was always hard to shake that belief even now.

"Y-yeah," Russell finally said when he found his voice, "I, I will be... I'll, I'll be, be okay."

"You can never be okay, being what you are," Cassandra snarled. Despite the hurt in Russell's eyes, he resisted responding.

"Tickle monster, well I suppose I can make that sound badass when I could tickle someone to death if I really wanted to," Bill mused, "And we can definitely do twice as many guest services if there are two of us."

"Don't push it," Antonio said, although his tone was light-hearted. It was most likely better to try and keep the mood gentle, just in case a heavier vibe would make the entire aura worse, "No you weren't seeing things, Rook. I think that was more than likely the case. It wasn't planned, but Five wanted to take advantage of the situation."

"I'm starting to think that by take advantage, let us beat the crap out of Ratchet and then hang him from a building," Bill speculated, "Well, yeah, them being divided could be an advantage I guess."

"Not if they'll be attacking us separately," Leofric said, "While they're a threat as a team and might not be as strong if they choose to work apart, it would also mean watching out for attacks from two angles. Ratchet also has a massive grudge. He won't have learned a lesson from this."

"I thought that might be the case," Travis said, running a hand through his hair, "Oh well, at least it means I get the chance to try and knock more sense into him. Well, I can live with that for a bit, thank you, Erica."

Travis was quick to get the ointment onto the cuts, and then he moved his hands aside and sat still so Erica could indeed get him patched up after.

"I mean as an outsider," Bill clarified.

"I, I can, I can, I can try to," Russell tried to joke, hoping that it at least sounded a little bit funny.

Cassandra let out an alarmed yell when she flames hit her. When they stopped, her skin was left covered in ash, leaving only her eyes exposed.

"You ruined my makeup! How dare you?!" she screamed in rage. It seemed that for a moment, she had forgotten about Russell. Instead, a hand mirror was grabbed from her dress, alongside a wet wipe, and she desperately tried to wipe at the soot covering her face. But that also allowed Russell to pay proper attention to Lucien, and smiled on hearing that kind words.

"I would, I would, I would do, do that all again for, for you too," Russell replied softly.

"I suppose it's useful that I made sure to pack some extra," Leofric said, before looking over at Antonio, "That won't be a problem."

"Just be gentle," Antonio said.

"That's not too deep thankfully," Leofric assured Antonio then, listening to Veronica as he tended to the wound as well, getting it bandaged when it was done, "That was my thought as well. I did mark down some concoctions and spells to possibly do that, but the most potent one there would require fae blood, and that isn't something I actually have on hand."

Leofric then looked up at Fae and Lucien.

"It’s quite alright, Simon. I'm sure you will break out of your core eventually." Willow said, "Not that it ever stopped me from approaching my kind. I should visit you sometimes, perhaps bring a few offerings such as that ice cream you enjoy so much."

Veronica needed help finding her way to her next unfortunate victim. She would be serving a greater purpose there as well.

"Yes. Let us be on our way. This rain is terrible for my hair."

While the pocket didn't have the ability to dry them up, it was still good to get out of the rain and the sudden show made the stroll to Bill's place more pleasant. Lucien was very glad they had a way to drown out Cassandra. Ignoring her while she tried to insult him in a meaningful way was probably the best way to handle her.

"Ignore her, Russelll you're the bravest person I know." Lucien said quietly, "Besides, she doesn't know I used to wrestle bears for fun. I'm not afraid of her."

Not to mention his father's way of teaching him a lesson was a lot harsher. He couldn’t be intimidated by the threat even if he tried.

"Just a little longer now."

There was of course great care as Lucien helped bring Russell to the couch. He couldn't help wondering if it had been the same back when he had been the one in Russell's place, right after Five's first visit. This was simply unforgivable.

"Look at that, we have analogue and wireless multitasking." Still, Rook was glad to have Bill there and squeezed his hand a little. "It's fine. You don't have to stick with me while I'm sitting. I'm a tougher birb than it looks."

It was going to be a while before she could have her leg checked. She could give up on moral support for a few minutes while the others got themselves sorted.

Veronica definitely appreciated the jolly cooperation between Bill and Antonio as well, before focusing on what Leofric had to say.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised they tried every toxin at their disposal." Veronica mused, "Clearly, Five has learned nothing from our last encounter."

"Don't forget the part about the ugly visions of Russell's past." Fae added, "We had to sing to drown it out. By the way, you did great, Travis! Let's get some snacks before maman can have a look at you."

"That is concerning." Veronica said as she reached into her bag for a tiny jar. "I will handle the situation here while you go gather your supplies. Do let me know if you're short on anything."

"I can help." Erica pulled out her own little first aid kit, "But Antonio was bleeding."

"I understand." Veronica was quiet as her eyes took on a red glow, "Let me just have a look here, then I'll be with you."

There was no doubt Russell was in the worst shape. A quick glance let her know that Lucien's visible apprehension was more than justified, though she could have done without a fussing half fae.

"I'm afraid you will have to wait a little longer, Russell. You had more than your fair share for today, the next concoction better be the right one."

Unfortunately, Five's toxins had the pesky characteristic of being extremely difficult to eradicate even in small amounts. Hopefully the solution wasn't going to deplete their supplies too much or they were going to have a major problem in the long run. She could however tend to that nasty wound left by the cuff. Veronica gently took Russell's hand and began spreading some ointment from the jar around the wound.

"Likewise, you shouldn't have your boyfriend worry about you and let me work without protest."

The remark was aimed at Lucien, though it was kept vague on purpose. The message was received at least. Lucien sat down so his leg could be looked at. Veronica nodded in approval, before getting some bandages out.

"Heh, you can count on that," Simon said, smiling at the humour Willow used there, "But you'll be welcome to come on by, whether you bring ice cream or just yourself. I just hope you don't mind snails or hermit crabs."

"He's got some as pets," Travis elaborated.

"I admit, it's not so good for mine myself," Antonio agreed with Willow, as he carefully moved a wet curl that had been plastered to his cheek.

Russell had been doing his best to keep his eyes away from Cassandra as much as possible. The fact he couldn't hear her as well definitely helped. She did occasionally shout at Travis and try to hurl insults at him, but of course, he couldn't see or hear her at all, so he was completely unaffected.

"Th-thank you," Russell always found those sorts of compliments hard to believe, especially right now, in this sorry state that he had found himself in. But he still appreciated the efforts and Lucien being there for him, "I'm, I'm just sorry you, you gotta, you gotta hear and, and see that, that too."

It appeared that Cassandra had given up on trying to say anything. So all she did was silently glower at Russell, Travis, and everyone else around her for the time being. Russell did his best to avoid her hateful gaze, keeping on Lucien and the rest of the friends that surrounded them.

"Heh, a bit of vintage and modern," Bill joked, "The evil wizard is using his powers for good rather than casting fireball before checking the size of the room. Hey, I'm not here because I have to be."

Antonio did chuckle a little bit at the joke himself. Bill returned the squeeze and gave Rook a small smile. But it wasn't long before mugs were also placed down in preparation for hot drinks, and the snacks were placed where they needed to be for everyone.

"I'm here because I want to be," Bill then added.

"It doesn't surprise me myself," Leofric said, "Oddly enough, it didn't seem to be Five's idea."

"Yeah, he seemed to be completely surprised by what happened, and a bit pissed about it," Simon suggested, "But happy to be getting into a fight all the same."

"Sounds good to me," Travis said, "Thanks, Fae. You were amazing in there, and I will admit that singing your heart out can be hungry work, especially when you combine that with fighting bad people and climbing stairs."

"I appreciate that too," Antonio said.

"I will be back shortly, and thank you, Veronica, I will," Leofric said. With that, he disappeared entirely, leaving no trace of himself behind.

"I always found that skill a bit freaky," Bill admitted then, "Freaky but useful."

"I, I under, I understand," Russell managed to say then, "Th-thank you for, for the help. I, I still, I still ap-appreciate it."

"Look at all of these people wasting their time, energy, and supplies on you," Cassandra said, "You're a waste of space, air, and life, let alone everything else everyone here is giving you."

Russell felt his skin crawl and shame bubble in his stomach on hearing her words. They were all too familiar, and often felt true, especially now, despite years of not hearing them.

"I'm, I'm sorry..." Russell only said then.

If he hadn't been captured, no one would have put themselves in danger, their supplies wouldn't be wasted trying to get Five's toxic crap out of his body, and they wouldn't have been hurt trying to get him back. He really was a burden.

"Oh no, I know that look," Simon said, "Russell, she's not there, you know she's not, and none of what you're hearing her say is true."

"Sor-sorry," Russell repeated, "It, it just, it just feels real, even though I, I know it, it isn't."

He was relieved to feel the pain in his wrist start to fade as the balm was applied to it. Maybe if he focussed on Veronica and everyone else here, Cassandra would be easier to ignore again.

Just as Lucien sat down, Leofric reappeared, as if out of nothing at all. He was carrying his doctor's bag, and that had most likely been enchanted too, given that he was already taking what should have been an impossible amount of items out and placing them on the nearby table.

"I was going to say that even after this, helping to treat the wounds and the intoxication, a week of recovery minimum would most likely be optimal," Leofric suggested.

But then he seemed to be done, an array of ingredients and concoctions of different colours, scents and components sat on the table, along with equipment and grimoires.

"I've marked the pages I feel will be most beneficial to us," Leofric then told Veronica, "But I feel this also what I believe will be most efficient to making a start on getting the toxins out of Russell's body. I've also brought healing supplies for everyone else here as well, for those who were injured."

Rook gently patted one of the tentacles to show her appreciation. It was a small gesture that still made her feel a certain warmth in her chest that wasn't due to her fiery powers.

"Nonsense. Your mind is wonderful as well." Willow replied firmly, "The only difference between us is an opportunity to blame my own overthinking on my programming. Ratchet, on the other hand, has no excuse for being a pitiful bag of putrid meat."

And as humans often did with their waste, they would dump such a foul being over the edge and be done with it. Willow wiped her hands over her ruined coat once Ratchet was ungraciously lowered down the side of the building. Between that and the rain, he was going to experience a full laundry cycle.

"Yes, you may embrace it. We need all the help to get through whatever she's going to serve us." she then added, "Likewise, Simon, you should be thankful she isn't able to reach you yet."

While she didn't care to entertain a conversation with a hallucination, Willow found it was never a bad time to commend Veronica's dedication to taking care of all of them. It was well deserved and something to look forward to while they waited for Cassandra to crawl back into the recesses of Russell's mind.

"Oh." Erica frowned, her own tail flickering at the thought, "Well, don't worry, I'm sure Leofric and Rook's mum can help. Rook's wings disappear too, it can't be that different."

She wasn't going to ask how Antonio was so sure that would happen. It was more important to deal with the injury itself at the moment.

"Come on, guys. Let's not waste any more time. You too, Willow."

"As per the protocol." Willow stuffed her hands in her pockets before following her double to the portal.

Lucien was just as eager to get going. It looked like Cassandra wasn't going to shut up as requested and walking was one way to drown her out.

"Abuser is an extremely kind word for the likes of you." Lucien snapped back, "You must thank the fact I'm a classy man and I'm withholding the actual words that I should use to describe you."

Plus it didn't actually feel that good to punch her knowing she wasn't even the real deal. It was just a waste of energy and it didn't do Russell any actual good.

At the opportunity of singing to drown out the horrors, Fae lit up and smoothly slid back in the conversation.

"Sounds like the pocket will just have to deal with that. Hit it, Travis! We're making this a duet."

At the very least her singing would balance it out. The trip across the pocket would be short as promised, though Rook decided to float along for the duration nonetheless.

"It's like that video of the guy walking his parrots." she joked quietly.

She got rid of the armor as well, the pieces fading away to a different section of the pocket. Rook looked ready to pass out for the night but thanks to her sore leg, she was wide awake.

"You don't have to tell me twice. I'm going to need some ice too or maybe I'll just freeze my knee."

"Some towels would be nice too. I don't wanna catch a cold because Five wanted to be dramatic." Erica added.

"I think Russell should take the couch in this instance." Lucien told Leofric.

"Works for me." Rook proceeded to collapse on the nearest chair. It wasn't very comfortable but she would have been out of the way.

The sounds of misery attracted Veronica, who had gone ahead and made herself a cup of tea in preparation for whatever had convinced Rook to summon her. A quick glance told her she should have made it a bit stronger.

"Let me guess, Five is back in town." the ghost lady said, helping Rook sit up more comfortably.

"They got Russell. Help him first." Rook told her.

Bill was already thinking of 'how to pick up a duck' and maybe showing a game that could be very relevant to her; Dungeons and Ducklings.

"It's wonderful but it does have some flaws, like making dumb connections that don't truly make sense but still rule my life like they do," Simon joked.

"I'm still glad you made it out for Lewis' birthday," Travis said.

"Here's hoping we won't wait another ten years," Simon replied, "But that is true. That man does not have an excuse at all, and hardly any sense if he keeps coming back."

Travis then chuckled.

"I suppose one day of having a bit of fuss won't hurt," Travis joked, "And I hope saying those things is making you feel a little bit better, Custard. I know it's not real, but..."

"You, you are, you are helping," Russell said, with a weak but genuine smile, "You, you all are."

"If she does happen to get to me, Willow, then I will simply have to accept my fate as well," Simon joked, "But to be honest, it'll be good to see any of you in person, whether at my place or if I do manage to venture out again."

"It probably isn't, and I'm sure they'll be able to help me indeed, but let's go, I'm more than ready to get out of this rain," Antonio said, "And to sit for a moment myself."

This had all been very hard on his back.

"I see you've let Russell manipulate you into believing he's some poor little lamb, just like he does with everyone. You'll be sorry when you finally realise the truth," Cassandra retorted, "It's just a shame I can't knock some sense into you like this."

"Sounds great to me!" Travis agreed. Once they were in the pocket and the gate was closed behind them, Travis started to sing, confident that no one would hear them and potentially discover what they had done before they needed to.

It was also safe to say that Fae's voice definitely made his a lot more bearable when she joined in. Cassandra had been trying to get through to Russell, but the singing indeed kept her drowned out, much to Russell's relief.

Bill walked alongside Rook, but he did hold her hand as they walked, not wanting to let go of her too soon. A couple of tentacles also gently wrapped around her wrist for good measure.

"Heh, it kind of is, isn't it?" Bill agreed, "I'll grab all of that once we get there, and I won't even have to leave the living room."

"Of course," Leofric agreed with Lucien then, "As soon as we get there, Russell be on one of them first."

As soon as they were through the portal, Leofric moved to get Russell sat onto the nearest sofa. Russell looked relieved to have the weight off his feet again. Even with Lucien and Leofric's help, it was still an immense struggle to move.

Bill's tentacles already got themselves to work, making their way into the kitchen so they could raid the airing cupboard for towels and the freezer for ice. Antonio decided to lend a mage hand by using his telekinesis to bring over some snacks (biscuits, crackers, oat bars, cake bars, a bowl of fruit, and some different packets of crisps). The kettle was also filled up and turned on.

"Heh, using your powers for good," Bill joked, as he then used the shadowy tentacles to turn the heating up a little bit, in order to help everyone warm up and clothes dry, "Nice work."

He did not mean to stare as Russell disrobed his shirt. It was not for any devious reasons, merely curiosity. He tried to appear disinterested, simply running his tongue along his clawed fingers as any animal would after a meal. But something caught his attention, making him pause.

Scars lined the human's flesh. Leondas quickly caught on that removing his clothing was intentional. A show of solidarity. His heart suddenly felt strange in his chest. Strained and heavy. He felt himself staring and forced himself to look away as Russell spoke.

❝ They're.. very nice. Thank you. ❞ His drink had been left half empty, forgotten for now.

The faerie felt his eyes begin to sting and he cursed himself. His brow furrowed and he forced his gaze even further away. Despite how vulnerable of a display, he slowly wrapped his arms around himself. Turmoil raged in his eyes as the darted here and there.

❝ They were taken from me. My wings. Centuries ago. ❞

Okay, no wet wipes. Don't bring any of those next time.

Russell also found himself rather aware that he was being watched as he took his shirt off. His cheeks did darken just a little bit as self consciousness set in. He had a runner's body, mostly toned with little body fat, but he was also a bit underweight for his height and knew it all too well.

But it seemed that Leondas knew what he was doing, if the look on his face was anything to go by. Russell did his best to act casual and pretend he hadn't even noticed.

"Glad, glad to hear that," Russell said, as he turned to look back at Leondas for the moment, "I, I just, heh, I just figured some-something like, like that was, was fitting for, for this, this kinda day."

Russell then could see the way Leondas blinked and turned away. His hand slowly went into his pocket, until the tips of his fingers felt soft linen. The embroidered handkerchief was then pulled out, and Russell stood up and carefully walked over.

When he was close enough, Russell then held it out, offering it to Leondas to take for a moment. It smelled faintly of ginger and mango, and had a green 'L' embroidered in the corner. He couldn't help but let sympathy creep into his own eyes on hearing.

She definitely wasn't going to feel bad about it now and so would the others, as Veronica was going to enforce snack time as well. For the moment, though, Rook was going to accept the help. The pocket would ease some weight off her legs at least so she would not be in the way for long.

"I'm sure mum would ask if she needed it. She trusts Leofric." Rook added, leaning a bit more heavily than she would have liked.

"I was created to contemplate the unthinkable. You're not expected to bear that burden." Willow replied, "I wouldn't say the punishment fits the crime, but we have done our worst with all available means here. Let's lower him down."

Willow proceeded to lift Ratchet by his legs so Travis wouldn't have to upset his sore leg more than necessary.

"You may prepare for untold levels of fussing. Our mother will not let any of your injuries go unattended."

"Yep! You can't escape mama duck!" Fae confirmed.

The last remark hopefully helped make Veronica sound less threatening. The ghost lady was certainly firm about some things, but it was because she cared. Not to mention that it made for a really nice jab for the invisible failure of a mother that was haunting Russell.

"It really is." Erica agreed, "And I like listening to you explaining stuff. But we'll have to do it later, you don't want your tail to get infected either."

It was never a fun time but she couldn't help wondering how that would work, considering how Antonio's tail liked to disappear after a while.

It would have still been less of a pain in the butt than Cassandra though. Lucien was starting to come to the realization that she was likely going to keep yapping until they got all that toxic crap out of Russell. It was going to be a long night.

"I had a short but very fruitful career killing abusers. You're not that special, or a lady for that matter. Now shut it."

That required some grace and he saw none in the way that word was uttered. Lucien may have looked calm and collected while he straightened his shirt, but his blood was boiling with rage. He couldn't stand watching Russell so beaten and afraid. He was supposed to be smiling and he deserved to be happy.

"And for the record, as far as you're concerned, I too would choose the bear. Here, Russell, you can lean on me too." He offered his arm, "You'll be able to sit again soon."

Rook sighed as her sword was sent ahead into the pocket. "I'm good. Let's get going so Travis can sing his heart out. The pocket won't mind that."

The pocket dimension was ready to welcome them with its usual swirling emptiness. The exit had already been set up ahead to make that walk less miserable for Russell.

"And Leofric trusts her, and he'll be glad to offer a hand if she decides to join that weird and wonderful part of the world," Bill joked.

"I guess when it comes to just a regular old mundane brain like mine, it can only really think about so much," Simon said.

"Heh, like how your brain can overthink overthinking on a multi-layered scale," Travis joked, as he lifted Ratchet up from the other side, "He's like a packet of flour."

"Well, that's not as bad as a multi-faceted scale I guess," Simon mused.

"We've made do with what we have, and I think that counts for something," Travis agreed, "All right, let's get this done."

It wouldn't take much time or effort at all with the preparation they put in beforehand. Once that was done, they could most likely get out of here.

"Heh, I accept my fate," Travis joked, "I'll just have to be fussed over by the mother duck and grin and bear it."

It was a nice way to describe it. He looked over towards Russell and where he could only assume this hallucination tormenting was.

"Maybe you'll learn a lesson or two about being a parent yourself," Travis said, as he got the finishing touches set up for hanging Ratchet off the building, "Ah, the laundry's all out to dry. Too bad it won't make this dirty bedsheet smell any better."

"Without me, you would be dead, you little shit!" Cassandra screamed back at Travis, which made Russell grit his teeth and shrink back into himself further.

"Yes," Antonio agreed with Erica, "And if I tried to take back into myself, I'd end up bleeding from my back, and it would still hurt.

He had found that out the hard way, and he didn't really want to go into the details of how right now.

"Abuser, everyone throws that around these days," Cassandra said, "I was simply getting my point across, and deep down, my boys knew they deserved it."

Despite his fear and pain (emotional and physical), Russell did manage another small smile at Lucien's comment, and then he managed to find it in him to lean against him a little bit as well. It made all of this more bearable, and Cassandra just that little bit easier to ignore.

"Well, the question isn't whether the void would mind," Simon joked, "It's whether you can handle Travis' singing for that long. I doubt he's had any singing lessons since leaving prison."

"Hey, if anything, Russell would probably prefer it to Hag Queen of the Bitch Land over there," Travis replied.

"Y-yeah," Russell weakly agreed.

"That sounds good to me," Bill said, adjusting the tentacles a little bit so Rook could move more freely if she wanted to, "Feel free to just collapse on the sofas and chairs when we get there."

Once they were in the pocket, Travis started to sing. While it wasn't too loud, it certainly wasn't the best rendition of "Ding Dong The Witch is Dead" either.

What it did so was effectively keep Cassandra drowned out so Russell couldn't hear her as clearly. Despite his steps being wobbly and painful, he still did his best to keep a steady pace, not wanting to slow anyone down.