## Bel and Iggy [[12.10 Iggy Stonebreak|Iggy]] is meeting with one of his more innocent suppliers when a sudden gale of laughter comes up the stairs from the basement. Peal after peal of laughter, stopping only when [[11.13 Belaryl Horzza|Bel]] is out of breath, but continuing almost immediately. He finishes his order and bids his supplier a good day without offering anything by way of explanation. When he's alone he closes the shop and heads down stairs. Bel's laughter is less now, but she is still wiping tears away from her eyes as he enters the room. Bel is sitting on the bed he cleared for her, casually half-dressed, just a band around her chest and the pajamas Iggy offered her. She's leaning against the wall, a children's picture book open on the bed next to her, a dim light from a softly glowing gem spilling across the page. "That...is...the...*dumbest*...thing I have _ever_ seen," she pants, pointing at the picture. Iggy looks at the book and at her eyes as she is trying to slow her breathing. "A cow?" Iggy asks. And Bel starts laughing again, eyes closed, tears on her cheeks. "I ate some of that thing! Look at it! It...it has that dumb tail!" She starts laughing again for a full minute before she can get her breath back. "[[14.04 Lolth|Lolth]]'s many many eyes, that is hilarious," she says, breathing more evenly now. Iggy watches her for a long moment. "You haven't even seen the chicken yet." His voice is calm and level as he turns the page, but it’s possible his eyes are twinkling. Bel looks at the next page. Iggy goes back upstairs. “It's going to be a long day,” he thinks. *** A few hours later, when she has laughed at all the animals that live on farms, Bel comes slowly up the stairs, daring her eyes to handle the brightness in Iggy’s back room. Iggy has pulled the curtains so there is only a little sunlight coming in around them. Bel steps into the room, eyes open, refusing to blink. “See? I can do it” she says, mostly to herself as she sits down at the table. “Where’s [[11.11 Tam|Tam'Mara]]?” She asks. Her voice is soft; she is hiding her fear. “Sleeping. Like you should be. She’s planning on coming here when the sun goes down.” Bel ignores the comment. “Where can I practice fighting? I need to be strong enough to go earn money.” “You are Drow. You’ve fought for everything since birth, I’ll warrant. Once you can handle daylight you’ll be unstoppable.” She preens a little at Iggy’s words. “You are a male?” She asks. “Who told you that?” Iggy winks. “Are you?” She’s curious and he can see this isn’t the time to joke. “Yes. Why?” “Are you stronger than Tam’Mara?” “I’d **never** want to fight her, I can tell you that much. What’re ya thinking about, Miss?” “I think—I think a *[[UFIS/Tam's Campaign/NPCs/November Bituin|male]]* hurt Tam, and so he must have been very strong. So I have to be even *stronger*. So I can kill him for her, repay my debt.” Iggy laughs. “If you asked her right now she’d possibly let you. But she’d regret it later.” Bel considers, huffs quietly, and then nods. “I *guess*. Revenge is better when it’s personal.” “Something like that.”