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Chapter Text

After their awakening stone rituals were completed, Humphrey left Clive’s study to report the contract as complete.  Though it was technically Jason’s contract, Humphrey had more experience with the social etiquette of Greenstone.  Given that part of the contract was returning the body of an adventurer to his family, Jason was more than happy to let him take the lead on that.  The other two watched him go, then Clive turned towards Jason with a look on his face that communicated his entire thought before he even got the chance to open his mouth. 

“Alright, fine,” Jason acquiesced, rolling his eyes.  “Not like I have anything better to do right now, anyways. Just, give me a book or something, so I don’t die of boredom in the meantime.”

Clive gave him a grateful smile, before going over to the shelves and pulling out an enormous tome. 

“Here.  This should give you a basic primer in the fundamentals of overlapping rituals. That will be important as you go up in rank.”

He handed the book to Jason, who took it and settled into a comfortable chair, preparing for a long evening.  Clive then pulled out a notebook of his own, and began touching the items around his study, writing furiously. Jason muted the notifications on his interface, so he wouldn’t be interrupted every minute.  

“Oh, and Clive?” He called out. 

“Yes?” Clive replied, warily. 

“We ARE taking a break for dinner.  And you ARE buying.”

“That sounds fair,” Clive agreed, returning to his work.  “Dumpling soup?”

“Dumpling soup.”

————

It ended up being quite some time before Jason was able to pull Clive away from his work. He kept asking for “just one more test” until Jason threatened to block him from the interface for a week. They managed to make it to the dumpling restaurant just before it closed for the night, which turned out to be fortuitous. The owner offered a generous discount on the daily-fresh items he hadn’t sold off yet, in exchange for them agreeing to take their order to-go.  They found a bench in the park halfway between Jason’s inn and the Magic Society dormitories, and ate under the clear night sky. Clive attempted to multitask eating his meal and explaining the project he’d been working on, resulting in accidentally sharing large portions of it with the local seagull equivalent. City birds were the same on any world, it seemed. They had no fear of people, provided those people were dropping food on the ground at regular intervals. 

Jason tried his best to follow along with what Clive was saying. The best he could tell, it was something about overlaying rituals in a sequence to amplify the effects. It sounded similar to Farrah’s specialty.  It was also the topic of the book he’d been reading, and he realized that Clive hadn’t just been looking for a way to keep his administrative software occupied while he worked. 

“Hang on,” Jason said.  “Are you talking about building a monster-repelling fence out of magic?  Is this for your family back home? Are you trying to beef up their security system?”

Clive looked surprised.

“Yes, I am.  You actually read the book I gave you?”  

“Of course I did!” Jason said. 

“Oh.”

“We were in there for hours. What did you think I was doing the entire time?”

“Using my good paper to make little flowers, mostly.”

“I feel like I should be offended.”

In lieu of a verbal response, Clive pulled a handful of origami daisies from his pocket and set them on the bench between them. 

“Okay, I may have done a few flowers…”

“You could have used the low-density paper, is all I’m saying. I have tons of it laying around from before I took over inventory management duties from Finn, and started ordering something you can actually write on both sides of without bleedthrough.”

Jason had to admit he had a point. There were a lot of thin, copy-paper quality sheets stacked high in Clive’s office. Jason had refused to touch it on principle, instead gravitating towards the thicker paper with a smoother finish.

He did not, however, have to admit it out loud.  

“Consider that the price of going back on your promise to break for dinner. Next time, maybe you’ll feed me before I get too bored to function.”

“You’d be willing to do this again, then?” Clive was acting casual, but he wasn’t a skilled actor.  He probably just remembered that it was considered a bad idea to insult the guy with the interface power. 

“Yeah, of course. I’ve got no problem with research when it actually helps people.”

“Research always helps people. The results might not be immediately apparent, but every new discovery will eventually lead to innovations that—“

“Just take the win,” Jason cut off the lecture.

Clive looked like he wanted to say more, but let it drop.

“Well, thank you. I’ve been worried.  The monster surge will be happening any time now, and I don’t trust the fence I currently have in place to hold up to the increased pressure.”

“You know,” Jason said, “I’m pretty sure this is Farrah’s area of expertise. You should ask her to help.”

“I already did,” Clive replied. “She and I have been working on this upgrade for several weeks now.  We were able to come up with a working design. The only flaw was that it was difficult to spot any gaps in coverage. We could compensate by placing the rituals closer together, but that significantly increased the cost beyond what was feasible. With your interface power, I was able to find the optimal distance to ensure total coverage, but keep it affordable.”

“Wow, that’s awesome.  You could write up those designs, and send them out to every home in the delta!”

“Not exactly,” Clive explained.  “The distance will vary wildly, depending on local ambient magic levels and currents.  It would need to be modified on-site. Your power is instrumental to the entire process.”

“Ah, that does seem like it would be a bit of an issue.”

“Yes,” Clive agreed.  “Which brings me to my next question.  Even though this isn’t a widely marketable solution, I would still like to use it to keep my family safe through the surge. I was wondering if you would be willing to accompany me, and assist with the construction?” 

“Why, Clive!  Are you asking me to meet your family?  So soon?”  Jason clutched a hand to his heart, putting on an exaggerated display of bashfulness like the blushing maiden in a period drama.  The effect was totally lost on Clive, who had never seen Downton Abbey. 

“Yes.  As soon as would be convenient for you. The quicker we can get it up, the longer they will have to monitor it for any unforeseen issues.”

“I will absolutely help you get it up,” Jason replied, even though he knew by now the double entendre would go unnoticed.  “I’m pretty flexible. You’re the one with the tight schedule. We can go down as soon as you have the time.”

“How about three days from now?” Clive asked.  “That should give me time to find coverage while I’m away.” 

“Sounds great. We can leave at first light.”

“First light.”

Chapter Text

The journey out to Verdant Fields was much faster by airboat than by barge, as it turned out. Clive and Jason arrived at their destination shortly before lunch time.  The Standish eel farm was located at the very edge of the region, off a tributary, where the ground was far less fertile.   As they reached the junction of the river, Clive steered them towards a communal dock.  

“We’ll have to continue the rest of the way on foot,” he explained.  “Magical vehicles disturb the eels.” 

As they walked, Clive explained how the farm was set up.  The tributary ended in a small lake, and that was where the farm was stationed.  Most of the life quintessence stayed in the main river, so the land around their property wasn’t suitable for any of the traditional crops farmers in the delta preferred to grow.  It was pretty much perfect for eels, though, given the stationary water that was easy to close off.  Eel farming was a physically intensive and unpleasant process, but the lack of competition meant they were able to generate enough income to support the family over the years, even as they grew in number. 

“I imagine having an adventurer in the family also helps a bit,” Jason said.

“It does,” Clive agreed. “Although, I would appreciate it if you refrained from mentioning my part in any of the contracts we’ve taken together.  As far as they’re aware, I gave up field work over a decade ago.”  

“You want me to lie to your family?”

“It’s not a lie,” Clive protested.  “It’s just… not volunteering information that will be badly received.  It would lead to a rather heated discussion, and we don’t have time for that on this trip.”

“What if they ask me directly?  Would you want me to lie then?”

“They would have no reason to do that.  It wouldn’t even be a possibility in their minds unless you said something to intentionally lead the conversation in that direction.  Which I know you’re more than capable of, so I am asking you not to.”

“That sounds like lying to me,” Jason needled him.  

“You’re one to talk,” Clive scoffed.

“Fair enough.  They wouldn’t be proud of you?”

“It isn’t about that.  It’s a dangerous job.  You saw the state we found that fallen adventurer in.  No one wants that to happen to their child.  My mother sleeps better at night knowing her son is safe behind a desk, and I see no reason to disturb that over a couple of odd contracts I may or may not continue to take.” 

Jason hadn’t even considered that as a factor.  The only parents he really interacted with were Danielle Geller and Thalia Mercer, both of whom were active adventurers themselves.  It had never been a question for them that their children should grow up to be adventurers.  Rufus and Farrah talked about their parents sometimes, but they seemed to have a similar mindset.  Jason had assumed it was a universal social norm on this world.  He was now processing the concept of a parent valuing their kid’s safety more than the substantial increase in standard of living.  He wondered how his own parents would feel about his choice.  Would they be proud?  Terrified?  Upset?  Grateful?   

It was a moot point, anyway.  There was no one on this world to worry about Jason, or care if he died.

He cut off that line of thought with a nonchalant smile.   

“I guess that makes sense.  Alright, Clive, my lips are sealed.”

Clive looked skeptical, but carried on with his story.  As they crested a hill, Jason got his first look at the Standish family farm.  The entire complex was roughly fan-shaped, and took up about a hundred acres altogether.  The river ended in a manmade lake with buoys across the mouth.  A man who bore a strong resemblance to Clive was standing on a raft, using a long stick to adjust the buoys according to directions from two people on opposite ends of the shore.  To the side was a storage shed, with the door propped open. A couple hiedels lazed on a sunny rock in a fenced-in area next to their stables.  He shuddered at the sight. He hoped whatever work he was here for would not involve going near them for any reason. Along the shoreline, a woman was tending to a small garden, though it seemed to require a lot of upkeep.  Jason got the impression it was kept more as a hobby than an efficient source of food. Further inland, a cluster of homes dotted the mostly barren landscape.  Beneath an awning off the back of the closest house, another carbon copy of Clive was setting out trays of snacks.  A swarm of children were helping him carry the food out, for a given definition of the word “help.”  He gestured to one of the older ones, who ran over to a pipe sticking out of the water and knocked on it five times in quick succession.

Suddenly, about a dozen heads popped up out of the water.  Some popped much further out than others, suggesting some sort of aquatic essence ability.  Most of them started racing towards the lunch spread, but one of the women had emerged facing the opposite direction.  She saw the two of them on the hill, and a giant grin broke out over her face.

“NERD ALERT!!!!”

She dove over the buoys like a dolphin, then sped towards them so quickly she left a wake in her trail.  Behind her, the rest of the Standishes turned to see what had prompted her warning.  One by one, all their faces lit up, and soon there was a pack of stampeding eel farmers headed straight for them.  

Clive quickly cast a spell on himself, finishing just before the woman shot out of the river and engulfed him in a very soggy bear hug. The rest of the family followed suit, crashing into the ever-growing mass of Standishes as they arrived. 

Chapter Text

Clive was feeling thankful for his essence abilities.  The lakewater was passing straight through him, leaving him free to focus on hugging Harriet back.  And Alex. And Uncle Luke. And Raymond. And Mum. And Dad.  And he lost track after that, as he could no longer see sunlight through the bodies piling onto him. Clive was definitely feeling loved, but he was no longer feeling his own legs.

“I’m still iron rank!” Clive wheezed out.  “I still need to breathe!”  

“Consider it practice, Worm,” Harriet replied.  Nevertheless, the mass of his family disentangled, and Clive took Jason’s proffered hand to get back to his feet.  As soon as he was properly vertical again, his mother gave him a more restrained hug, and a peck on the cheek.  

“Welcome home, dear,” she said.  “And just in time for lunch, too!”  She gestured to the other side of the lake, where Marley was barely managing to keep the kids from rushing over with a number of force tethers.  Sierra, in particular, was bouncing along the very edge of her limit, straining to escape.  She was much bigger than Clive remembered.  He really had been gone for too long this time.  At least she was still happy to see him.  She was getting to the age where he wasn’t sure if he would still be considered cool.  

Clive waved, and Marley responded with a gesture that he really shouldn’t be making in front of such impressionable company.  

“Get over here already, I can’t watch them AND the food!” He shouted, though he was grinning when he said it.

“Perhaps it would be easier if you committed both hands to the task,” Clive called back.  This only inspired further gestures, as he knew it would.  Clive laughed, then turned back to Jason.

“Come on.  You’ll finally get to find out what barbecued eel tastes like.”

“I’ve had barbecued eel before.”

“The stuff in the city doesn’t count.  They just overcook it, then slather it in enough sauce that they hope you won’t notice.”

"I meant back home.  We do have eel there, you know."

Clive did not know.  A dozen follow-up questions zipped through his brain, but he had no time to write them down as Harriet had one arm linked around his, pulling him along to the other side of the lake.

"So Worm, who's your friend?" She asked.

"Oh.  This is Jason Asano.  Jason, this is Harriet, Alex, Aria, Benjamin, Lily, Raymond, Uncle Manny, Uncle Luke, Aunt Helen, Uncle Grant, and my parents, Mallory and Eli."  He pointed to each in turn, realizing as he tallied them off who was missing.  "Are Genevieve and the twins inside?" He asked Harriet.

"Genevieve is.  Todd is teething, so he’s been pretty much inconsolable.  Nana and Papa are taking care of him during the day so she can sleep.  The twins are in town on a supply run.  If you'd bothered to tell us you were coming, we could have just had you pick it up on your way."

"It was a spontaneous decision."

"Spontaneous?  You?"  

"We had three days to plan," Jason called out helpfully.

"Ah," Harriet nodded.  "That makes more sense for Worm."  He wished she would stop calling him that in front of Jason.  Nothing good could ever come from that man learning a childhood nickname.  

"It was still faster than a mail carrier would have been, Scare-iet," Clive retorted.  

"That is true," Jason said.  "I probably would have been the one sent to deliver the letter anyway.  Easier to just let the guy with the extremely fast boat drive.  Two birds, one stone, and all that."

"What do birds have to do with anything?" Uncle Luke asked.

"Ignore him.  Jason likes to make no sense on purpose."

"I do not!"

And at that point, he was finally in range of the kids, and allowed himself to fall beneath yet another avalanche of hugs.  This one required his active participation, as none of the kids were yet big enough to knock him over on their own.

Raymie started clawing at his chest, shouting "On-So! On-So!" and the rest of them joined in, until Clive summoned Onlsow to raucous cheers.  He reached into his storage space, and handed a lettuce leaf to each kid in turn, along with a small present he'd picked out for each of them since his last visit.  Marley wrapped him up in another hug, and told him the presents were not necessary.  Clive ignored his advice, the way he had every other time he said this.  He liked being the one who brought presents, and liked that the children knew he would.  It ensured future greetings like the one he had just gotten.  Onslow was also enjoying himself under all the attention, treats, and head scratches.

With Onslow watching over the children, the adults were free to get their snacks and catch up.  Clive found himself torn between explaining each dish to Jason, and answering his mother's questions about what he'd been up to.  He appreciated that she asked even though they both knew in advance she wouldn't understand a word of most of the things he said.  

"So then we had to requisition a whole other carriage to avoid the interaction between -- no wait, you need to peel that part before you eat it -- the artifact and the magical carriage.  It kept trying to drive itself into the river!  Here, that will taste better on a slice of toast."

Jason laughed around a mouthful of eel.

"Mate, I think I can find my way around a barbie just fine.  Catch up with your rellies, yeah?  If I have any questions, I'll just ask this fine gentleman who looks exactly like you."  He clapped Marley on the back.  Clive wasn't sure it was safe to leave Jason unattended, but he supposed it would happen sooner or later on the trip.  He gave a wary look, and a window popped up in his field of vision.

You have received a group chat request from Jason Asano.  Accept? Yes/No

Clive accepted, and heard Jason's voice in his mind.

"I already promised to behave."

"I know," Clive thought back, "it's just that I don't trust your definition of behave."

"Where's the faith?  Is this how you acted when you introduced your wife to everyone?"

He turned back around and made sure Jason was looking at him before rolling his eyes.  Jason smirked in response.

"It feels rude to ignore you when you don't know anyone here."

"Don't worry, mate.  Talking to the chef is kinda my thing."

Clive had to admit that was true.  He gave a tiny nod, and turned back to fully invest in his mother's story on the latest hatching season.

Chapter Text

Greeting Clive’s family was a bit of a whirlwind for Jason.  The Standishes were all extremely tall, though most were much thicker around than Clive. A lot of that was likely a result of decades of manual labor, but a suspiciously high number of them were also essence users. Jason wondered if eel farms spawned essences at abnormally high rates, or whether Clive had somehow managed to save up that much in his time as a magic society official. He couldn’t imagine so. He wasn’t sure exactly what the Magic Society paid, but he knew it was less than the Adventure Society.  Jason sensed at least five or six bronze rank auras, tinged with monster core use, and a few more iron rank ones. The auras stood out slightly more than the almost identical facial features, but not as well as he would have liked.  Jason still had a long way to go with learning how to read auras properly.  He was feeling grateful for his new interface ability, which kept track of names for him.  He was also grateful for his iron rank recovery attribute, since it allowed him to keep his neck craned upwards without pain.  He wondered if this was the opposite of how Dorothy felt when she first arrived in Oz.  

Clive’s parents were eager to catch up with their son, so Jason left him to it and instead chatted with his clone who had made all the food.  Marley was acerbic, but in an endearing way that made it clear he was teasing.  He talked Jason through a few of the recipes, giving excellent directions.  The more details he went into, the more he resembled Clive.  They had the exact same “let me teach you everything I know about this topic” expression that lit up their entire aura.  Marley was almost as devoted to cooking as Clive was to astral magic, a factor he attributed to trying to get out of farm work as a child. 

“I figured out pretty quickly that if I stayed in and cooked, I wouldn’t have to touch the eels when they were still alive and wiggling around.  It seemed like a no-brainer to me. Of course, that also means I have to deal with these things,” he gestured to the toddler currently climbing from one of his arms to the other.  When she completed her journey, he stuck the recently vacated arm in front, so she could keep climbing on an endless loop. “But these slimy, wiggly monsters are much cuter, so it all works out.”

Said slimy, wiggly monster chose that moment to overbalance. Jason started forward to catch her, but Marley waved him off.  Just before hitting the ground, a cloud formed beneath her.  She bounced onto it a couple times, laughing hysterically as though it was all entirely expected.  

“My aura power,” Marley explained.  “It protects allies in range from damage.  And apparently you count as an ally even when you try to give guests heart attacks.”  He glared down at the toddler trying to climb back up his leg.  She gave no indication she realized she was being scolded.  

“I can see why they would want to leave you with the kids.  I can’t even imagine how useful something like that would have been, growing up.”

“Oh, are you first generation, too?”

“First generation?”

“Of essence users.”

“Oh.  Yeah.  I didn’t even know what essences were until I moved here.”

When the toddler was unable to find purchase in her climb, she backed up just enough to raise her arms.

“Uppy!”

“Rose, I’m not picking you back up unless you promise to actually stay put.”

“UPPY!” She repeated, more insistently.  Marley continued glaring for a few more seconds, then caved like any reasonable adult would under the puppy-dog eyes she was wielding.

“Okay, fine,” he said, scooping her back up.  She grabbed his face with her tiny hands, and gave him a kiss with an over-enunciated “Muuwahh!” Marley shrugged in a helpless, What-can-you-do gesture. Jason nodded in understanding, and grabbed another skewer of eel.  Clive was right.  It was about a thousand times better than any he’d had before.  Hopefully they would have enough downtime on this trip that he’d be able to get some hands-on experience from the professional.

“You’d never even heard of essences?  Did you grow up in a low magic zone, too?” Marley asked him.

“Extremely low.  We don’t get monsters at all.”

“Not even during the surge?”

Jason shook his head.  

“Wow.  I didn’t know there were any areas lower in magic than the delta.  I can see why you’d want to leave. What brought you to Greenstone?”

“I made friends with some folks who were heading this way, and they let me tag along,” said Jason, who figured that was accurate enough for the purposes of the conversation.  “They said they could help me become an adventurer.”

“Those sound like good friends to have.”

“Mate, you have no idea.”

Around that point, people had finished lunch and started breaking away to return to their duties. Farmwork stopped for nothing, not even surprise visits from apparently very popular relatives. Clive wandered back over after one last hug from his parents. One of the older kids had broken off from the Onslow fanclub and was balanced on his foot, one arm wrapped around his leg and the other holding a book.  Clive was moving with slow, shuffling steps so as not to disturb her reading. 

“I explained the plan to my parents, and they approved it. Should we get started?” He asked.

“Not so fast, Worm.”  Marley put a hand on his shoulder.  “You still have to finish performing basic social functions before you can run off to whatever new upgrade you have planned.”

“But if we start now, we can be done in time to head home tomorrow,” Clive protested. “If we wait any longer, we won’t be able to start until the morning, and then we’ll have to spend another night.”

“Then you can go to Nana and explain that to her face. Damned if I’m gonna be the one to tell her you didn’t bother saying hi because you were too eager to leave again.  Especially not when the whole reason she’s inside in the first place is to watch over my screaming toddler.”

“Uncle Marley said a swear,” came a voice from around thigh level. 

“No I didn’t,” Marley said. “You just don’t listen properly when you’re reading.” 

The girl raised her head and looked up at Jason. Her big eyes were locked on his bright, floral shirt.

“He’s lyin on purpose to be funny. I listen better when I’m reading.”

“I fully believe you,” Jason told her. “He seems a bit shady to me.”

“He is. He tells the best stories, dough.  Probby cuz he’s so good at lyin.”  

“I’ll be sure to watch out for that.  What story are you reading now?”

She held up her book, and Jason crouched down to see. It was titled Field Guide: Arachnids of the Delta.

“Ah, a real page-turner.”

She nodded, enthusiastically.

“Uncle Clive got it for me, so I can finish my project.  I’m makin a book of every bug on da farm.  Wanna see?”  This was all said without pausing for breath. Jason nodded, and she unwound from Clive’s leg and stood up to full height as she rummaged in her pocket. Jason appreciated that there was at least one other person he was taller than, though not by as much as he would have liked. 

She produced her notebook with a flourish, and opened it to the first page.

“I started with lepidoptera,” said the girl who, five seconds ago, had difficulty pronouncing the word ‘probably.’  “They start out as caterpillars, and then they form cocoons, and when they emerge, they have WINGS!”  As she spoke, she pointed to some drawings she had made of the various stages for a bug labeled “Five-Spotted Sand Moth. 

“Wow, these are really well-done!” Jason said.

“Yeah, I’m the best at drawing bugs!  I’m gonna be a professional bug drawer when I grow up!”

“I don’t doubt it.  I would hire you in a heartbeat!”

“That’s a good choice.  Why are you looking at me weird?!” 

Jason was confused for a second, until he realized she was no longer looking at her book. Her shout was directed at Marley and Clive who were watching the interaction with matching bemused expressions.  It was Marley who spoke first. 

“Oh, nothing, Bug. We’re just shocked you’re willing to talk to a stranger.”

“He’s not a stranger. He likes bugs.  Uncle Clive said he has leeches as his familiar!  Can I see them?”  

Jason assumed she was talking to him again.

“Absolutely!  Colin is a good boy!”

He casually reached behind his back, to make a cut in a less conspicuous location. He was pretty sure it would be setting a bad example to slit his own wrist to unleash a swarm of leeches in front of a bug enthusiast. Members of team Colin started crawling over his shoulder and down his arm to rest in his palm. He held them at eye level. 

“Colin, meet Clive’s niece…”

Sierra, Clive supplied over the group chat

“Sierra.  Sierra, meet Colin.”

Sierra held her hand out in the handshake gesture, and held still so Colin could crawl from Jason’s hand to hers. She held him right up to her face, staring intently. Colin let out his happiest of infernal screeches. Sierra mimicked the sound right back, which inspired further screeching along with an adorable dance. 

Above them, Marley had his hands clamped firmly over Rose's ears.

“Wow, Bug, I didn’t think there was a single other thing in the world capable of reaching the same volume as you. What an exciting day!”

Sierra responded with another ear-splitting shriek, which Colin echoed.  Behind them, the other kids also started screeching.  

“And on THAT NOTE, it’s time to bring in the dishes! Come along, everybody!”  At his cue, the rest of the children raced forward to pick things off the table, arguing over who got to carry what. Marley grabbed a platter and placed it in Clive’s hands.  “That includes you.”  He then looked back towards Jason.  “That only includes Colin if he has a mute setting. I’m not bringing those sounds around a cranky toddler or my exhausted wife.”

“What do you say, buddy?” Jason asked Colin.  “Can you keep it down for a bit, or do you want to come back home?”  

Colin curled up in Sierra’s hand, doing his best to look silent and docile. He was clearly basking in the glow of so much praise. 

“Alright, then. Sierra, you can hold Colin, and I’ll take your share of the dishes. Deal?”

“Deal,” Sierra said.  She cradled her hand to her chest like she was holding an infant.  Jason fully approved of treating his baby apocalypse beast so delicately. He grabbed a handful of plates and cups, and they made their way to the house. 

Chapter Text

Todd’s cries were nearly as loud as Colin’s had been. Sierra covered her hands over the leech as they entered the house, similar to how Marley had covered Rose’s ears earlier. Clive had to smile at that.  She was trying to be thoughtful, even if Colin didn’t have any ears to damage. Actually, he wasn’t sure that was true.  Did sanguine horrors have ears?  He knew that they could take on other shapes at higher ranks, but having the shape of an ear wasn’t the same as having an ear. Colin did respond to sounds, though. Presumably he had some way to hear. Clive would have to look it up later on. If the information didn’t already exist, he might be able to submit a proposed update to the records.  

“Nana, guess who stopped by?” Marley called in a sing-song voice over the noise. Nana was pacing around the common area, bouncing Todd in her arms in an attempt to calm him down.  At Marley’s words, she turned, and her aura lit up with relief when she saw Clive. 

“Oh, thank the gods!”

She rushed over to him, shoving the screaming toddler into his arms.

“He has not stopped crying for six hours straight.  You cursed me with this perfect hearing, you solve the problem.”

Clive rolled his eyes, and adjusted his grip to hold Todd in a more comfortable position.  He was a lot heavier than the last time Clive had held him.  He had hair now, too.  Most of the Standishes were born with full heads of hair, but Todd had been completely bald.  Uncle Luke found this endlessly amusing, as one of the people who'd married into the family.  

“He gets it from my side of the family,” he had said.  One of Uncle Luke’s favorite jokes was insisting that all the kids had inherited traits from him, despite the biological impossibility of that.  The only way he and Uncle Manny could have produced a child was with a donation to the church of Fertility, which just wasn’t feasible before Clive’s unexpected rise in station.  Instead, they had gotten Marley, Carey, and Aria the usual way.  By taking over raising them after Aunt Rose and Uncle Theo had died in the surge when he and Marley were six.  

He had to admit that Todd did resemble Uncle Luke, though.  They had the same eyes, and, after the swelling went down, he could tell they would have the same cheekbones.  He absently rubbed Todd’s shoulder with his thumb, watching him settle down.  In less than a minute, he was out cold, his tiny face tucked against Clive’s chest.

He looked up, and saw a strange expression on Jason’s face.  He looked almost… Sad?  Upset?  But the next moment it was gone, replaced with the default smirk, and Clive wasn’t sure if he imagined it.  

“Did you just mana drain that baby?” Jason asked.

“What?  No, of course not.”

“Clive has a superpower,” Nana said, offering an explanation that was neither accurate nor helpful.  “Whenever he holds any child under the age of 4, they fall asleep immediately.”

“I don’t have a superpower.”

“Is it called Drain Mana?”

“It’s not a superpower.”

“No,” Marley said, on his way back to the kitchen.  “He’s just so boring he knocks out anyone who hasn’t built up an immunity.”

“Boring?  This guy?”  Jason sounded like he wanted to expand on that idea, possibly with marsh-hydra-related anecdotes.  Clive sent a quick thought over the group chat.

Remember you promised to behave.

“I suppose some people just can’t appreciate the entertainment value in magical theory,” Jason pivoted fluidly.  Clive wished he had that level of social grace.

“And who exactly are you?”  Nana asked, her gaze now focused intently on Jason.

“Jason Asano.”  He extended his hand.  “I’m a friend of your grandson’s.  He asked me to come by and help give your monster fence a proper glow-up.”

Nana took his hand, shaking it in a grip that he knew was showing off her bronze rank strength.  She eyed him warily, before turning to Clive.

“So this is another working visit?” She asked, her voice dripping with disapproval.  He silently cursed Marley.  This was exactly what he was trying to avoid by getting to work first.  He focused on the motion of his thumb on Todd’s shoulder, using it to ground himself so he didn’t wake him.  He really didn’t have a superpower.  Babies just felt more relaxed when the person holding them stayed calm, and calm was not an adjective that could be used to describe most of his family.

“We’re going to make a few upgrades.  When we’re done, things should be safe enough that you’ll be able to stay here over the surge.” Clive did his best to give a brief explanation of the work they’d be doing, wondering why he bothered when it was clear she wasn’t listening to a single word.  Eventually he trailed off into silence.

“One day of family time,”  She declared.  “You can go obsess over magic again after that.  I want to actually visit with you.  I won’t be around forever, you know.”

You wouldn’t even be around this long if it wasn’t for my obsession with magic cursing you with perfect hearing.

Behind her, Jason’s eyes widened in barely suppressed amusement, and Clive realized he’d accidentally sent that thought over their chat.  At least he hadn’t said it out loud.

Sorry.

No worries, mate.  Can’t blame you for that one.  I don’t mind staying longer, though.

I have responsibilities to get back to.

Come on, they can wait one extra day.  If anyone gives you trouble you can just say a monster attacked.  

Clive vacillated.  It would technically make things much easier.  He could avoid the age-old argument over not spending enough time at home, and he wouldn’t have to walk away feeling guilty yet again.  And Jason was right.  It was only one extra day.  Extending a trip by that amount would be within reason.  He’d have to rush the next inventory re-order, and he would get complaints from Markham when he checked the airboat back in.  But it was doable, and it would make Nana happy to a greater degree than it would inconvenience everyone else.

Are you sure you don’t mind?

Are you kidding?  This is great!  Now be a good grandson and do as you’re told.

“Alright,” he said, looking back at Nana.  “Today is family time.  What would you like to do?”  

“Right now, I’d like to sit here and work on my knitting with two free hands.”  She took her place in her favorite chair, and began doing just that.  “You keep that little terror quiet, and you can tell me all about what you’ve been up to in the past year.”

Clive sat on one of the cushions scattered around the room, careful not to jostle Todd or break rhythm as he moved.  Jason took the cushion next to him.  

“Are you sure you want to listen to that?  It’s mainly just work.”  Clive knew exactly how much interest Nana had in astral theory.

“It can’t all have been books and rituals.  I’m sure you have some stories to share.  How did you two meet?”  She gestured between himself and Jason with her knitting needle.  Clive internally cursed himself for his lack of foresight.  It should have been obvious someone was going to ask that.  He locked eyes with Jason, trying to come up with any explanation that didn’t involve counterfeiting investigations, monster hunts, or fictitious wives.

“Ummm….”

“Clive works with a friend of mine,” Jason cut in, once again displaying his quick thinking.  “One of my abilities has some administrative value, and my understanding of magical theory isn’t the greatest. He’s been helping me to catch up, and I’ve been helping him identify artifacts.”  Which was technically true.  From a very specific angle.  In low lighting.

“That’s nice.  And how long have you been… working together?”

Clive tried not to flinch at the note of suspicion in her voice.  She clearly knew something was amiss.

You know, Jason said over the chat, it’ll be easier to sell this if you stop acting like Cameron Frye on an unsanctioned personal day.

I have no idea what that means.

“Not too long,” Jason said out loud.  “I only moved to Greenstone earlier this year.  Prior to that, I’d never studied magic at all, so I had a LOT of catching up to do.”

You look like you’re trying to hide something.  

I am!

Yes, but you could try not to look like it.

“Where did you move from?” Nana asked him.

“Oh, a long ways off.  A little coastal town on an island.  It’s not that different from Greenstone, actually, come to think of it.”

“Do you have family back home?”

That was enough to distract Clive from his anxiety.  Jason didn’t talk about his world very often, and whenever his family was brought up, he quickly changed the subject.  Clive was trying to piece together a picture from the few sentences he occasionally let slip.  He didn’t have much to go on, though.  Nana might have more success than him.  If there was one thing she could be counted on for, it was refusing to let go of a topic until she was satisfied.

“Yeah.  Nowhere near as big as yours, though.”

“And do you get to visit often?”  Nana asked.

“Not as often as I’d like.  We’re all spread out pretty far.  It would have been cool to grow up somewhere like this, with everyone right nearby.”

“Are you an uncle, too?” came a voice from the corner of the room, which was the point he realized Sierra hadn’t followed the other children.  Instead, she’d spread herself out on the floor.  Colin was perched on her notebook, holding a pose as she drew.

Jason’s expression shifted, and Clive thought he caught another glimpse of that same expression from earlier.  It was gone almost as soon as it arrived.  

“Yeah.  I have two nieces.  One of them’s about your age.  She used to spend a lot of time at my place, while my sister was working.”

“Does she like Colin, too?”

“She hasn’t had a chance to meet him yet.  I think she’ll love him, though.  Colin’s such a good boy.”

“Yeah, he is.  Colin, turn da utter way so I can get your teef.  Tank you.”  

The leech followed her instructions, and she resumed her work.  

“So, what’s your favorite part about living in the city?” Nana asked.

“Definitely the food.  I’ve been learning so much about how to cook with local ingredients.  There are a lot of similarities, but also some surprising differences.”

“Are you a cook, then?”

“Only as a hobby.  My sister is a professional, though, and she taught me a few tricks.  I like it.  It’s a good way to unwind.  I recently happened upon a great recipe for some fruit tarts.  I actually brought some along with me.  Would you like to try one?”

“Maybe for dessert tonight, if you have enough to share.”

“Oh, I absolutely do.”

Clive sat there, reeling from the absurdity of it all as Jason and his grandmother chatted about dessert recipes, and his niece periodically gave directions to one of the most dangerous creatures in recorded history.  He wasn’t sure which part was more ridiculous.  A sanguine horror obeying a preteen, Sierra actually remembering to say thank you, or his nana voluntarily allowing for a change in topic.  Jason always seemed to warp reality wherever he went through sheer force of personality, but the effect was much more pronounced when he did it to people Clive had known his whole life.

Chapter Text

“So we finally get the heidels back in their stable, and the whole way back Aunt Helen is screaming at me about leaving the door open, and I’m screaming back that I never did, and it must have been someone else, and then she screams that I’m an adult now, and I need to learn how to take responsibility, and that’s when we hear it.  Clop-clop.  And she falls dead silent.”  Lily paused for emphasis.  She had really honed her knack for dramatic storytelling.  Clive could feel the suspense in the air, even though he and nearly everyone else at the table knew exactly how the story ended.  This re-enactment was for the benefit of one outworlder, who was listening with rapt attention.

“Slowly, we both turn around,” she said, looking over her shoulder in a re-enactment of the event.  “And right there, about three feet from us, is Scalebrain.  Behind him in the distance, the gate is wide open, and Paul is just full-on galloping towards the hatchling pool.  Aunt Helen doesn’t hesitate.  She books it across the grounds, and she’d just just gotten her speed to bronze, so dust clouds were flying up in her wake.  She made it just in time to stop him devouring our entire elver stock.  And that’s how we discovered Paul knows how to work the latch.”

The table erupted into laughter.  Everyone loved a good tale of Aunt Helen being wrong about things.

“And she still hasn’t apologized for yelling. “Lily sat back with a smug look of vindication, as Aunt Helent shook her head.

“Well, come on.  Who ever heard of a heidel that knows how to open doors?  I’m telling you, that thing is a shapeshifter who got stuck in one form and decided to make the most of it by freeloading off our farm all day long.”

“He’s not a shapeshifter,” Lily retorted.  “That’s just what happens when you give animals human names.  It’s all Worm’s fault.”

“He can’t be that smart if he keeps trying to eat something that would kill him,” Clive pointed out.  

“All I’m saying is we never had any problems with the rest of them,” she said.  “Why couldn’t you name him Obedient Dummy?”

“He named himself.  Take one look at him and tell me his name is anything EXCEPT Paul.”

Clive was glad he’d had a lot of practice at banter recently.  He was doing a better job of keeping up with the constant teasing that usually overwhelmed him.  Lily’s eyes were sparkling with the joy of getting a reaction from him.  Harriet joined in next.

“Wasn’t Paul the name of that one kid from town who used to dump sand down your–

“Paul was an appropriate name choice for that heidel.”

“Are you saying Paul speaks to you?” Their mother interjected.  “Are you feeling well, dear?”  

She reached a hand out, as if to check for fever.  

“I can’t get a fever, mum,” he reminded her.  “Besides, I’m not the one who thinks our heidel is an essence user in disguise.”

"The real problem is that it's a heidel," Jason interjected.  "Those things are all pure evil."

Clive nodded in agreement.  He was the only one, though.  Everyone else looked at him like he was insane.  Which was, in general, the most appropriate reaction to Jason.  In this particular instance, though, he made a good point.  

"Wow," Harriet said.  "I didn't think there was another living soul who could find heidels creepy.  Worm, be honest.  Is he actually a really sophisticated golem you summoned to agree with you on everything?"

"He's just a sensible person," Clive lied.

"I'm telling Humphrey you said that."

"He'd never believe you."

"Maybe he doesn't have to.  Maybe I'm using a recording crystal."

"You aren't.  I can see that you aren't."

Jason stuck his tongue out, then turned to Harriet.

"Why do you all call him Worm anyways?  Is it short for bookworm, or is there a story behind it?  Maybe a really embarrassing one that he would hate having shared with all our friends?"  

Clive winced.  He knew this was inevitable, deep down, but he'd been hoping to put it off as long as possible.  If he was Jason, he would interrupt with some remark that was so absurd everyone would forget what they‘d been talking about.  There was no beating the master at his own game, though.  Instead, he slouched down in his chair, and tried to look very preoccupied with cutting his grilled eel.  He knew Harriet was giving him the Look.  The one that said she could not possibly fathom why he was acting so weird.  He did not raise his eyes to meet it.

"It's not embarrassing.  It’s kind of awesome.  He hasn't told you already?" Harriet asked.  "If it was me, I would tell everyone I met.  I'd never stop bragging about it."

“It’s not awesome,” Clive said, intently slicing his eel into perfect two-centimeter thick slices. “You just like to exaggerate so it sounds more impressive than it really is.”

“You invented a new ritual when you were ten years old!  What’s not impressive about that?”

“First of all, I was twelve.  Not ten. I’m only a year younger than you. Second, I didn’t invent anything. I just read a book explaining how rituals worked, and applied the long established theory in a way that made sense. Plenty of other people figured that ritual out long before I did. If you wrote down a sentence using words you knew, would you say you invented the sentence?”

“I would if it got me a full scholarship to study sentences at a fancy sentence school.” 

“Sentence school?  Really?"

“I go to sentence school!” Sierra supplied, helpfully drawing the attention elsewhere. “Atta templ’uh knowege! Only, we just call it school.” 

“Enunciate, dear,” Harriet chided automatically. 

“Why?” Sierra argued, slowly and intentionally over pronouncing every syllable, so it sounded more like wuh-eye.  “You know ex-act-lee what I said!” 

“It’s not about whether I understood this time,” Harriet told her. You need to practice so it becomes habit, so everyone can understand you.”  

“I puh-rack-tiss lots! I pub-rack-tissed all day! No one else has to work at dinn-er!” Sierra’s volume rose with each word, until she was practically shrieking. 

Josiah flung his hands over his ears.

“SHUT UP SIERRA!”

“YOU SHUT UP, STUPID!”

“YOU’RE THE STUPID ONE! YOU CAN’T EVEN TALK RIGHT!”

“DON’T CALL HER STUPID, HEIDEL-BREATH!” Kaitlyn jumped to her defense, like usual. 

A loud whistle cut through the noise, and the kids immediately froze.

“That’s better,” Marley said.  “Now, can you all apologize so we can finish dinner in peace, or do you need to work out your energy with extra chores first?”

“Sorry,” Kaitlyn muttered to her plate. Josiah followed suit.  They both turned to look at Sierra, who scowled. 

“Sierra?”  Marley prompted. 

“I’m NOT sorry!”  She shouted. “It’s not fair! Everone else getsta break!”

“So, I hear one vote for extra chores!  Alright, Sierra, go sort the clean laundry into everyone’s bins.  And if you still need a break after that, you can put the bins in the correct rooms.”

Sierra glowered at him defiantly for a few seconds, before shoving her chair back and stomping away. An awkward silence descended in her wake. Harriet thunked her head against her hand, rubbing her temple. 

“Sorry about that,” she told Jason.  “She’s a little over-excited today.  She missed her uncle Clive.  I probably should have just let her have a break.”

“No worries,” Jason replied. “My niece is the same way about me. It’s not easy being this well loved and popular, but we have to do the best we can with what we have.  Right, Clive?”

Jason’s tone was jovial, but there was a weight to his words. Clive realized he must have been thinking about how his niece was coping with his extended, and likely permanent, absence from her life. Farrah was right. He really did have a lot of pain hidden beneath the jokes.  It was easy to get caught up in his whimsical nature, and forget that he’d recently been ripped away from everyone he ever knew or loved. 

Clive was suddenly struck with the thought of how it would feel to never be able to see any of his family again. He appreciated having a bit of distance from the endless chaos, but he loved visiting.  How would he cope with that?  He didn’t think he would be able to sit there with a smile while he was bombarded with reminders of what he was missing. He wasn’t nearly as skilled at hiding his emotions. His reaction would probably be more similar to Sierra’s.  And how would they react if he disappeared one day?

Nana was right, as usual. He needed to make the effort to come out more often, and to actually interact with them when he was here. Especially if he was considering being an active adventurer again.  That way, if he died in an underground bunker some day, they could at least have happy memories of him from within the past year. 

“I’m going to go check on her,” he said.  

“Here,” Jason said, holding out his hand.  A tiny leech rested in his palm. “Colin also wants to cheer her up.”

Clive had, until now, managed to avoid touching any members of Team Colin. But, apocalypse beast or not, Colin fought just as hard as the rest of them against the marsh hydra. It wasn’t fair to be squeamish of him just because of his species.

He extended his own hand, fingers overlapping Jason’s, and waited for Colin to inch his way over. He seemed to be moving more slowly than usual.  Clive had plenty of time to notice that Jason had extremely soft skin. He wondered if that was a recent development since becoming an essence user. Clive’s fingers had been full of calluses before ranking up.  Relearning how to grip a pencil afterward had taken some practice. What had Jason’s hands felt like on his own world?  Was that yet another thing he had to get used to?

Finally, Colin finished his journey. Clive withdrew his hand and looked up, catching a glimpse of that same look again before Jason plastered his smirk back on. He could properly identify it this time. He was definitely wistful. Clive now had a better understanding as to why.