INTERIOR- _Terrible Henry’s Hell D##k A## S##t 'n f##k Emporium_ – Needlessly vulgar den of misery and vice. Poputed exclusively by wretches and sinners. The dimly lit first floor reeks of booze and shame. The main floor contains schemers, drunks, gluttons, gamblers, bastards, scoundrels, etc. Enjoyers of lust are limited her, but far from non-existence, although most head to the lower floors.

  PRESENT- THE BOY (cospying as the girl, but the hat says “BUG” on it), MOUSE RATTINGTON (Tall, lithe, very elegant man with blond hair, green eyes, and a green/gold robe), JOK (rge, burly, retively older man with tasteful facial hair, and less tasteful artificially greased and bckened hair.) A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE, DRINKING, SITTING, ENGAGING IN VARIOUS GAMES, BEING HORNY IN PUBLIC.

  TIME- It’s hard to remember anything but darkness at Terrible Henry’s, but it's certainly ter than it was earlier. Whenever that was.

  "Okay..." Jok lets out, staring at the boy through squinted, thoughtful eyes, producing an equally thoughtful air bubble beneath his lips. "How're we gonna do this..."

  "i do not think lifting me will be difficult for you." The boy posited, taking note of Jok's fairly impressive muscuture. "i would suggest doing whatever is most comfortable for you."

  "Y-Yeah..." Said the still panting Mouse. "Cant you just do the... The thing, the uh... Over the shoulder thing..?"

  "I mean, yeah, *physically* I could do that. Easy" Jok states. "But we'll be walkin' in public, y'know?"

  The boy tilts his head, looking up at Jok. "is that a problem?" He curiously asked.

  "Well..." Jok squinted more, and his voice was full of uncertainty. "Maybe? I don't know. I've never had to carry someone who wasn't visibly scarred or bleeding or had a limb or two bending the wrong way before. How do you just... Carry a guy? Is there a specific way to do it, or..."

  "It's... It's probably fine." Mouse said, still visibly strained, but at this point mostly good. "I think? Just... Don't be weird about it?" Even he wasn't particurly confident, now that Jok had brought it up.

  "I feel like that's easier said than done." Jok said, looking less and less confident by the second. "Like, he's obviously small and weak, but it's not like it looks like he's unable to walk. No matter what, it's gonna look weird, ain't it?"

  "Well... I mean..." Mouse was not particurly helpful. A fairly common occurance.

  The boy tilted his head, and looked up at the men quizzically. "i had not expected that you would be the kind of people who cared about the perception of other humans. you are bandits, are you n-"

  "NO!" Both men turned and excimed with great haste and intensity, almost enough to physically knock the boy away, and even managed to turn a few heads. This was a great feat in Terrible Henry's.

  "Say somethin' like that again, and I'll wring your neck." Sayeth Jok.

  "Listen, boy, you are not to use that word lightly. Understood?" Says a slightly more gentle but still very intense Mouse.

  "oh. okay." The boy nods.

  "We're thieves." Says Jok.

  "Scoundrels." Mouse.

  "Bastards."

  "Rouges."

  "Killers."

  "Men of action."

  "Liars, and cheats." Jok prepares to conclude. "Fact is, we're a lot of things."

  "But we're not *Bandits*, by the light and the heavens." Mouse firmly states.

  "i see. noted. i will commit that to memory." The boy nods profusely. "it is strange, i thought Hat said-"

  "Never mind anything that girl's told you, okay?" Jok interrupted. "She's... She ain't right, okay?"

  "She's a Bandit." Mouse adds.

  "Yeah. A really odd one."

  "But a Bandit nonetheless."

  "also noted." There was much being left unspoken behind their words, and the boy was desperate for the knowledge within. He tilts his head with VERY curious intent. "why work with her? you appear to dislike bandits a lot."

  "..."

  The boy blinked.

  ". . . She can do things we can't." Said Mouse.

  "... She's strong." Says Jok, with an almost reverent look on his face. "Real strong."

  "Too strong, frankly." Mouse nods.

  "do others call on her like you have?"

  Another pause, followed by a shrug from the both of them.

  "Doubt it." Jok said.

  "But it's possible." Mouse adds.

  "If there are, it ain't many. Her full presence alone is enough to drive many to bouts of madness."

  "i have been with her in public before." The boy tilts his head in the other direction. "i do not recall any madness."

  "It's not quite that simple." Mouse shakes his head. "It's also not worth discussing. Just, understand this much, boy..."

  Mouse stares down at the boy, his eyes wide, yet deeply serious. "... We can withstand her. We can stomach her. We can make use of her. But she is no friend of ours."

  As the words entered his ears, the boy felt a sudden heaviness in his chest. He decided that it was unpleasant. At once, despite his desire for knowledge, he found himself agreeing that that is not something he wanted to discuss further.

  "... okay. i understand." The boy lied.

  "Good." Said Mouse."... Good." Said Jok.

  . . .

  "Y'know what, to the abyss with it." Jok stood up from his seat, and stepped toward the boy. "We associate with a Bandit, for the heaven's sakes. We're killers. Bastards. Warriors. I'm not about to get squeamish about carrying a guy. C'mon, boy, lets get this over with."

  Moments ter, the three men left Terribly Henry's.

  The boy was thrown over Jok's shoulder, hanging limply like a sack of flour.

  People thought it looked pretty weird.